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API 653 Above Ground Storage Tank Inspector
The API 653 Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector must have a broad knowledge base relating to tank inspection and repair of aboveground storage tanks and will satisfy the minimum qualifications specified in API Standard 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction.
The API 653 Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector certification training program benefits employers and the industry by helping to;
- Improve management control of repair, reconstruction and maintenance.
- Reduce the potential for inspection delays.
- Provide a continued high level of safety using highly specialised and experienced inspectors.
- Corrosion rates and inspection intervals
- Joint efficiencies
- Static head calculations
- Establishing weld sizes for shell and roof opening
- In-service repairs relating to 653
- Calculate maximum allowable working pressure
- Pressure testing procedures and calculations
- Settlement evaluation
- Welding procedure qualification and procedure review
- ASME V Non-destructive testing procedures
- Impact testing requirements
- Calculation of minimum thickness for internal pressure including bottom plates
- Damage mechanisms as per API 571 (653 selection only)
- General rules for welding and examination in an API and ASME context
Learning Objectives
- Successfully pass the API 653 storage tank Inspector certification exam
- Effectively use major codes: API 650 and ASME B&PV Sections V & IX
- Perform all tank calculations needed for API exam
- Use API's codes during inspection, repairs, and alterations of tanks
- Review welding procedures (WPS/PQR) and welder performance qualifications (WPQ)
Upcoming courses
Course Name: API 653 Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector – Manchester (7th July 2020)
Online Start Date: 01/04/2020
Start Date: 07/07/2020
End Date: 16/07/2020
Location: Manchester
Price: From: £2,420.00 + VATBook Now
Course Name: API 653 Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector – Rotterdam (27th October 2020)
Online Start Date: 13/07/2020
Start Date: 27/10/2020
End Date: 05/11/2020
Location: Rotterdam
Price: From: £2,420.00 + VATBook Now


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Ready to get ever-so-slightly confused, my fellow Korean movie fan? Well, Friend 2: The Legacy picks up exactly 17 years after the action in the original Friend movie, even though only 13 years have actually passed since the first movie was shot. Why the discrepancy, I don't know. Furthermore, the movie isn't just a sequel (with some flashbacks to old footage we've already seen). It also flashes further back to an extended prequel that predates part one, as well to a kind of latter-day prequel with action that's post-Friend but pre-Friend 2. With all this jumping back and forth (if you're anything like me), you're going to question which is the primary storyline and whether you truly need to know so much ancestry about so many characters. I mean, The Godfather this is not. Plus there is no Old Country.
So what's supposed to be the focus here? Is it the current-day partnership between newly released con and mob heavy Lee Joon-seok (Yu Oh-seong) and fatherless, aspirational teen hood Choi Seong-hoon (Kim Woo-bin) OR is it the familial dramas of Choi and his posse of warrior wannabes OR is it the well-appointed mob history of someone's grandfather? I am frankly still unsure. The present-day ending doesn't resolve any of the stories so much as it positions the characters for a threequel during which it seems likely that the layering could expand to include a scifi future scenario examining the offspring of Lee, Choi and maybe the illegitimate offspring of a character killed off at some point in time. Please don't let these comments dissuade you from checking out Friends 2 if you've already seen its predecessor. Even with all the complications, auteur Kwak Kyung-taek's delivers some undeniable and simple pleasures -- one being the joy that comes with witnessing how much better an actor like Yu has gotten (which isn't to say he wasn't good before) and how much sexier he's gotten too; the other is getting to see a new, young talent like Kim glower in scene after scene with one of the best '50s style Elvis coifs to hit the screen in many a day. This movie has left me with a serious care of hair envy.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Good Liar
The Good Liar is a movie starring Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, and Russell Tovey. Consummate con man Roy Courtnay has set his sights on his latest mark: the recently widowed Betty McLeish, worth millions. But this time, what should...
Actor: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Russell Tovey, Patrick Godfrey
Director: Bill Condon
Country: USA


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I recently was fasting and praying for God to show me some direction.
Here is what's going on with me…
Here is what the desire of my heart is… AS YOU KNOW I wish to be in a relationship. Maybe not married yet…(I do have some fear of commitment… but I am willing to see where it goes!)
I just want to have a partnership with an amazing man of God where we can do ministry together. Where I can be his helper and work with him for our Father. I wanna have the skills that he doesn't in order to complete him. I wanna be in a partnership with someone that is strong without me BUT stronger with me. So when we unite is like you have two massive turbo engines that will make life really fun and interesting… and STRONG AS HECK WHEN IT COMES TO EXPAND THE KINGDOM OF THE LORD.
That's really all I want. Seriously.
Hope is something I have a lot of. I tend to expect from my ABBA everyday. My Heavenly Father and I speak everyday and He knows what's up with my desire. Oh believe me… I ask often.
So with this fast, I went in with a sore heart and disappointment because I am exhausted of the waiting. It's like waking up everyday thinking is Christmas and I ran to the Christmas tree (or where the Christmas tree should be) and I find NOTHING. So I went in telling God that if I needed to wait more I would BUT I NEEDED TO HEAR FROM HIM. I was in desperate need of His voice to keep going… or to leave the place I am in and join another ministry where I can be found or to… I don't know! MAN I JUST NEEDED DIRECTION.
I went around seeking wise counsel but everything I heard seemed like they all had the logic thing to do and the easy way out… but when talking to my Father I ALWAYS felt like that was not it!
Until I met with one of my mentors and he shared this story with me. He made me mediate on this passage.
It's in 2 Kings 13:14-20.
Here read it for yourselves and I will be sharing what The Lord told me.
"When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. "My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!" he cried. Elisha told him, "Get a bow and some arrows." And the king did as he was told. Elisha told him, "Put your hand on the bow," and Elisha laid his own hands on the king's hands. Then he commanded, "Open that eastern window," and he opened it. Then he said, "Shoot!" So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, "This is the Lord's arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek." Then he said, "Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground." So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. But the man of God was angry with him. "You should have struck the ground five or six times!" he exclaimed. "Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times." Then Elisha died and was buried…"
2 Kings 13:14-20 NLT
Kinda weird huh?
So this dude Jehoash came to Elisha to get help. Just like I went to get help from my God.
Now… I want you to pay attention on how confusing might have been to interact with Elisha. Elisha was about to die so it makes me think that he was probably in bed talking soft. Yeah… that's how I picture people when they are dying. I don't know!
So Elisha tells Jehoash to get a bow and some arrows. We don't know how many correct? And then to open the eastern window… let's stop there. Eastern? Where is that?! See if I was Jehoash I would be sooooooo confused. I mean… sometimes I don't know which one is the left of the right… anyone like me?
So eastern? I don't know!!!!
Anyways… Jehoash opened the window and shoot the arrow just like he was told. And the Elisha told him that the arrow was the Lords arrow and an arrow of victory so in other words that he would defeat his enemies ok… are we all good in the story here?
Then it got tricky… then Elisha said pick up the arrows and strike them to the ground. Ok what? Again, if I was Jehoash this is what I would have said:
"Excuse me Elisha, what am I doing again? Strike them? Like with my hands? But what if they break? What if I get hurt? Like… in a angry way?"
Jehoash without asking any questions did as he was told but he only stroke 3 arrows!!! And guess what? Well you don't need to guess you already read the story… Elisha got mad!!! And asked: "why didn't you keep striking arrows?!?!" He was all like: "why only three?!" And because he only stroke 3, he would only win those 3 times.
Man! Hard stuff huh? I mean, how was Jehoash supposed to know how many were enough? How was Jehoash supposed to know what to do with such of poor directions?
Anyone else think this is kinda messed up?
Then Elisha died!! With no way to get like a do-over!
So during the fast I asked for some clarification. I wanted to know why this passage. And oh did I get my answer.
I came to the fast sore, broken, angry and exhausted. I had just spent another holidays alone. No boyfriend… just the same good old family. Same good old experience. I went to a couple parties but no man of God that thought I was good enough. What else is new right?
So here is what the Lord told me and I HOPE AND PRAY THIS SPEAKS TO YOU AS WELL!!!
I came confused just like Jehoash was… I thought I was doing as God was telling me to do but where is eastern again? Am I supposed to love even when I am not loved back? Am I supposed to keep waiting to be found? What if I went instead and signed up to online dating. Heck! I would be part of a catalog right? What if someone swipes right? Or is it left? (Don't worry! I didn't get that desperate. I am not in an online dating app.)
Again… I thought I was doing what God was telling me to do. But I was only doing the 3 strike thing.
The Lord revealed to me that the problem with Jehoash was that his heart wasn't in it! The Lord taught me that he was not fully committed to what Elisha told him to do. Imagine if Jehoash stroke those arrows one by one as hard as he could and then when the arrows broke, he picked the pieces of arrows and kept going striking pieces over and over and over again. Elisha would have been happy right? Talk about commitment! What if he would have gone at it until Elisha said: "Yo Jehoash! That's enough! You made a point!" That's a whole different heart than the one that only stroke three arrows.
The Lord spoke to my heart and He said: "You need to have a heart that is fully committed to do what I am asking for you to do! You strike those arrows until I say STOP! Even when my instructions make no sense!
Sis, He loves you HE WILL STOP YOU WHEN YOU NEED TO BE STOPPED. He will rescue you from yourself.
So IF AND ONLY IF you feel like the Lord is telling you to love even when you are not loved back… you LOVE the heck out of that person WITHOUT COMPLAINING.
So IF AND ONLY IF you feel like the Lord is telling you to wait for the guy to make a move… you wait with a happy heart WITHOUT COMPLAINING.
So IF AND ONLY IF you feel like the Lord is telling you to not date anyone for some time… you don't date anyone until hear otherwise WITHOUT COMPLAINING.
But the trick here is that you make sure it's your Father! You make sure you are talking to Him!
You don't stop striking arrows or pieces of arrows until he says "STOP MY DAUGHTER! You made your point!"
He will rescue you from yourself!
I love you!


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The application contains both mobile web and mobile programming defects and we've outlined a set of labs and solutions online to guide you. This tool will help both mobile QA and mobile web developers to learn the kinds of weaknesses that exist in the mobile app space.
What you're able to learn using ExploitMe Mobile:
- Parameter manipulation of traffic
- Insecure communications
- Weak password lock screens
- Insecure memory management
- Weak file system permissions
- Insecure storage of files
- Insecure logging of information
You can find the full blog overview here with source code links:
ExploitMe Android Lab setup and walkthroughs:
ExploitMe iPhone Lab setup and walkthroughs:


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Today is our last full day on the Berrak Su, so we had to do it up right...Clean out the liquor cabinet and have the time of our lives. After breakfast we had Angel mix us some cocktails as we sailed to Seven Islands.
Once we arrived at Seven Islands we jumped in.
We had to get rid of all the beer, so we broke out the beer bong..
Smoked our Hookah
And showed off our muscles, hahah
We ate lunch and sailed towards Gocek for our last night on board.
And did a little photo shoot with our amazing Captain and Angel.
The fearless ten.
The boys with Angel.
Gocek is a beautiful and cozy yachtsmen village. Once we arrived we went exploring.
We found Wifi at the "Kabob Hospital", the boy's clearly didn't care.
Adorable restaurant and delicious Kabobs.
We ate some kabobs, did some shopping and headed back to the yacht to get cleaned up. Our theme tonight...White Night!
The whole crew that made our trip extra special.
Once everyone was ready we headed back out and had an amazing dinner on land.


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`Frankly, if you had to choose the greater man between Gandhi and Churchill,
there's no contest.'
there's no contest.'
Two men, born five years and four thousand miles apart, meet once when both are unknown. Then they go their separate ways and become two of the most revered figures of the 20th century. From time to time they pass each other as they pass through history, each bent on his own course. otherwise they find very different destinies. One saves his country and secures victory in the greatest war the world has ever known. The other cajoles a mighty nation into giving up its most prestigious possession and unearths the most populous democracy on earth. That is the usual story of Gandhi and Churchill as portrayed by historians, biographers and even filmmakers.
But it is not the whole story.
Historian Arthur Herman has written a well researched book that achieves an extraordinary balance in weighing two mighty protagonists against each other. It is a dual biography to be more precise. The first one I have read in my life. The lives of the two characters have been interwoven beautifully contrasting their qualities and loyalties. They emerge, from time to time, as large sized and leave a profound impression on you.
On one hand there is a modest Mohandas Gandhi born in rural India, who mastered law in London, fighting for independence of India from British Raj. Whereas his contemporary, political arch-enemy, Churchill's basic point of view in his imperial capacity was that "India" was an abstraction; without British rule, it was a heterogeneous continent made up of peoples who would otherwise be at each other's throats. Both led their own crusade to change the world, but history stayed on its steady oblivious course, despite their efforts to propel it towards:
In Gandhi's case, to a world without violence or exploitation.
In Churchill's, to a British Empire blossoming into a robust union of english-speaking peoples.
Still, both men had left a permanent mark on their age and a lasting legacy for future generations. They have inspired millions to shape their own destiny.
Herman has definitely penned down a vivid portrait of the greatest story of the 20th century.
The great ship is sinking in the calm sea.
Winston Churchill, 1946
If India wants her blood bath she shall have it.
Mohandas K. Gandhi, 1946


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Career Center
Job Seekers, Welcome to TNSAE Career Center
Specialist, Educational Programs
Endocrine Society
Specialist, Educational Programs
Endocrine Society
May 8, 2020
Washington, D.C.
Full Time - Entry Level
Administrative, Clerical, Support, Education and Training
Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions. Our inclusive community is made of scientists, physicians, educators, nurses, and students in 122 countries.
We are passionate about our mission and are seeking a Specialist, Educational Programs who has a self-starting attitude and an eye for detail. Under the direct supervision of the Associate Director, Education, this position administers both live and online educational programs. We are looking for someone who works well in a collaborative environment, has excellent ability to identify what needs to be done and take action before being asked or required, and is dependable with exceptional follow through skills to help our society fulfill its mission of unraveling the mysteries of endocrine/hormonal conditions to eradicate diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and thyroid disorders.
What you'll bring to the job:
Our Values:
We believe in and empower our staff. We know that with our investment in their growth, they have an even greater potential to contribute to our organization. Our core values embody the character and culture of our staff – they guide our decision making, interactions and how we serve our members. As an organization, we are committed to: demonstrating responsible stewardship, treating one another with trust and mutual respect, supporting work life balance, sustaining an inclusive environment, and fostering an environment that encompasses communication, service, collaboration, results & innovation.
What you'll own:
What you'll do well:
What you'll get out of it:
Endocrine Society offers a convenient downtown DC location within walking distance of Farragut North/Farragut West and Foggy Bottom Metro stations. Qualified candidates interested in a purposeful work environment, competitive salaries and excellent benefits, including a generous TIAA- CREF retirement plan with 10% employer contribution, submit resume and cover letter with salary requirements.
About Endocrine Society
Endocrine Society is the world's largest and most active professional organization of endocrinologists in the world. Founded in 1916, the Society is internationally known as the leading source of state-of-the-art research and clinical advancements in endocrinology and metabolism. We are dedicated to promoting excellence in research, education and clinical practice in the field of endocrinology. Society membership continues to grow with more than 18,000 members from over 100 countries. These professionals are dedicated to the research and treatment of the full range of endocrine disorders: diabetes, infertility, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, obesity/lipids, growth hormone, pituitary tumors, and adrenal insufficiency. For employees, Endocrine Society offers a stimulating, collegial work environment of 86 staff where top performance is recognized and appreciated. We pride ourselves on our competitive pay practices and excellent benefits program, including a 10% annual employer contribution to a TIAA-CREF retirement plan, subsidized health, dental and vision insurance, fully paid life and disability income protection, professional development and tuition assistance programs, an on-si...te employee fitness room and generous leave benefits. We have a convenient Downtown D.C. location accessible by the Metro red line Farragut North and blue and orange line Farragut West stations.
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Surely one of Houston's biggest music-related events of 2013 was really a non-event: the failed screenings of Kanye West's "New Slaves" video, which was supposed to be projected onto three different local landmarks the evening of May 24. Technical difficulties scotched the events at the Houston Public Library and George H.W. Bush monument, but the big to-to was over at the Rothko Chapel, where HPD showed up and shut down the proceedings before a switch could be thrown.
"Despite the presence of flashing lights and a multitude of electronic bloops and bleeps, performance art this was not," Rocks Off's Nathan Smith wrote the next day.
Tonight, though, Kanye's music will at last be heard at the Rothko. Author and Rice University professor Dr. Anthony Pinn plans to use Yeezus's songs as part of his lecture about how hip-hop is now meeting young people's spiritual needs in a way that more traditional forms of religion are increasingly not.
If Pinn's name sounds familiar, it may be because of the comparative religions he teaches at course at Rice with co-professor Bun B, who he says is "deeply engaged" in the class. The group he'll be talking about tonight is commonly known as "millennials," people between about ages 18 and 30. He's coined his own rather stark term for this generation, "nones." Recent studies have shown an increasing amount of this demographic now claims to be either atheist or the ever-vague "spiritual," with no specific religious affiliation.
For them, Pinn says, hip-hop is more and more becoming a pivotal "third space," a venue where young people can voice their opinions and concerns about their lives outside of school or church. He likens it to barbershops or even Starbucks.
Hip-hop's relationship to religion is definitely growing more complicated. Pinn says that both artists and fans can treat religion one of a few ways: some place their hip-hop identity within their own personal religious traditions (though they may step outside the lines on occasion); others use hip-hop culture to actively attack more traditional forms of religion; while others still behave as though hip-hop is a religion all its own.
Either way, Pinn says it's especially interesting to sociologists like himself because hip-hop has now captured the attention of several generations, including his, and become a culture rather than just a cultural phenomenon.
"It speaks to life issues and challenges in ways not confined by age," says.
Thanks in part to hip-hop helping to fill that "third space," Pinn says its artists can assume multiple religious roles: prophet, shaman, messiah, heretic, and even in the case of rappers such as West or Jay-Z, divine entity. Kanye may issue a withering criticism of the "prosperity gospel" of celebrity preachers like T.D. Jakes in one song, Pinn says, and in another might endorse "a Jesus that understands what people are going through."
He sees a serious divide between the sacred and secular spheres, and says "Kanye exposes that in some interesting ways."
Story continues on the next page.
Pinn says he thinks things got this way because after the Civil Rights movement, religious organizations started promising what they did not deliver, while their leaders' personal shortcomings were often exposed in the media. Meanwhile, hip-hop artists started using their music to address what Pinn calls "hard questions without easy answers" in terms audiences could understand and relate to.
"It's in organic, earthy language that makes sense, and speaks to a reality that makes sense to us because it's ours," he says. "It's started trumping what religious organizations could provide."
Tonight's lecture starts at 7 p.m. Besides Kanye, Pinn says he plans to use artists such as Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, Common, and Kendrick Lamar, as well as more traditional gospel music and spirituals, as a way of charting religious development in the U.S.
"Some of the rather raw stuff I'd like to use, but I'm afraid the message might get lost," he admits. "So I'm not going to play 'New Slaves.'"
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Upgrading power boon.. (updated 11/29)
Things are quiet for our guild with the approach of the holidays and all the busy times around them. It is however also the time for some of the biggest events and sales all year in Neverwinter. We'll see if we can take advantage of at least a few of them.
One upcoming event we are looking at is here in 42 days from the time of this posting, roughly from christmas through new years. This is the 'double power shards' event, and it includes double Conqueror Shards of Power as well.
These are the shards we worked so hard to gather about a month ago. Right now we are sitting 60 Stronghold Chests of Power away from another level in the Barracks. This will give us an additional 1000 power for everyone. During the event that shrinks to 30 chests, which is a reachable goal if enough of us pitch in.
There will be a countdown on the front page that will show how many chests are confirmed as being bought. If you decide to purchase one please tell Xael (@krzrsms) or Elynaen (@vixtra) in game so we can update the count.
As of the time of this posting they are selling in the AH for 160k (They're also on the Zen market). We just recently got out of an event that made them super pricey however. It wasn't unheard of before the stronghold event last week for the chests to sell for 130k. I would suggest waiting to see how some of these holiday sales work out to see if theres a really good deal on stronghold supplies like these chests.
Remember, do not open them until the event 12/25-1/2 !
We've achieved the original goal and more! So now we're moving on to see how far we can get into getting the conquest shards we need for the 3000 power level barracks boon. So many players have pitched in.. thank you all.
It looks like the AH price has gotten down to ~125k AD and the zen market has nearly everything for 40% off. Either one is a good choice.


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Details: System JO DONA line Let Me Love You Massage Butter Naughty Sinful Spring 4oz. Excite the senses with DONA Scented Massage Butter. This luxurious blend of aphrodisiacs and pheromones and enticing aromas will nourish skin, leaving you beautifully scented and irresistible. Key features: aphrodisiac and pheromone infused. Thick, rich moisturizer gives you soft and supple skin. Non-greasy formula enhances any sensual massage. Available in 3 fragrances: Flirty Blushing Berry, Sassy Tropical Tease and Naughty Sinful Spring. Each sold separately. Made in the USA.
Current Reviews: 0
This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 09 August, 2014.


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Now if ever there was a commercial blunder it has to be down to God!
The most powerful (omnipotent) and well known (omnipresent) brand in the universe. Anybody who who has been on a Marketing 101 course will tell you that protecting your intellectual property (omniscience)is critical.
Well the guys at Vevivi have taken full advantage of God's oversight and produced a range of clothing that any self respecting Atheist would look 'so last millennium' without.
If it wasn't for blogging's Eye of Providence,Mary Ann I would never have got to hear about this. Thanks Mary Ann! Readers should pop over to her blog now for another observation about life the universe and everything.
If you 'get' the T shirt, does that mean you 'get' the philosophy too? Sure we are taught religion and science, and rarely are we taught what the real debate is about. That's probably because its clouded (apols to any angels reading) by philosophical jargon.
Fundamentally (apologies to any religious zealots reading) the discussion hinges on what we believe is 'real' (Our Ontology) and how we decide what is true(Our Epistemology) 9 times out of 10 people will have an argument about stuff without first sorting out where people stand on these matters. Which in turn means arguments just go round in circles (not 'real' circles of course, just imaginary ones)This is the whole gig about Metaphysics i.e. do non physical things exist?
Basically there is one major fault line, between Realists and Idealists. Whether you consider things to physically exist or whether they are made up in your head. So, although I have never seen with my own eyes, touched, or smelled any of Vevivi's T shirts I do believe they physically exist. This means I have a Realist Ontology and an Idealist Epistemology. (I regard the photos as proof of their existence, which means I am relying on Testimony). This, you will probably realise is spookily like another famous story you may have heard involving a guy with long hair and a beard! By deciding your 'O'& 'E' you can work out where you stand regarding any of the four permutations. Which in turn explains why you agree or disagree with someone on matters like 'does God exist'.
If you have a idealist ontology and an idealist epistemology everything is made up in your head. Natural scientists don't go along with this and that's why many of them are atheists because you can't physically prove God exists.
Now just because he can't be seen, touched, or smelled doesn't mean that the 'idea' of God doesn't have psychological value for human beings. Although philosophers like Ken Wilber try and integrate all approaches. There is a physical world and a spiritual world and we can exist in both.
What is your 'O&E'?
Read More:
How Your Brain Creates God


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Member Benefits
ASTW events
The main benefit of being an ASTW member, and the main reason travel industry professionals join the ASTW, is the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded travel writer and PR members at ASTW events.
There are regular ASTW lunches in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, subsidised by a travel industry sponsor. There's an annual Trivia Night (usually held in Sydney) and a Wine & Wickets cricket day between writers and PRs.
The ASTW also runs professional development seminars, workshops and webinars for writer and PR members. Previous seminars have covered topics as varied as social media, copyright, travel photography and what writers want from PRs. Members have the opportunity to be speakers and presenters at these events.
PR members have the opportunity to sponsor lunches on behalf of their company or clients to showcase their travel product. Lunches may also be replaced by another event such as a cocktail party, dinner or weekend away.
The highlight of the ASTW calendar is the AGM, Conference and Awards for Excellence, which is usually held between August and November, in Australia or overseas. The weekend conference includes seminars, workshops, guest speakers and the gala awards night. As well as being an exciting event, the AGM conference and awards weekend provides considerable media exposure and sponsorship opportunities for PR members and their clients.
The annual ASTW Awards for Excellence are open only to ASTW members and are a celebration of excellence in travel writing, photography and public relations. In 2016 there were 14 award categories for writers, and three for PR members. The host of the annual AGM offers a prize for the best published travel story, and sometimes best image, about the host destination.
Membership lists
ASTW members have access to the full membership list on the ASTW website. This list is not available to non-members because of privacy legislation.
ASTW writer members receive a complimentary profile on TravMedia.com, the world's largest online news portal and social network for the travel industry, founded by ASTW member Nick Wayland. Receive breaking news from travel brands; opportunities from media and PRs; access media releases, images and video content; and network with members via the platform.
ASTW website
The ASTW website's members-only area offers several benefits, including:
- Search the entire membership database to find members who have travelled to or specialise in a particular destination, write for particular publications or represent clients you are looking to contact
- Receive information about deals, discounts and product offers
- See, register and pay online for ASTW events, such as lunches, seminars and the AGM.
- Resources for members about travel writing and PR, such as how to run a small business, how to more effectively communicate with the media (for PRs), photography workshops and websites, and more.
- The ASTW newsletter is emailed to members and posted on the ASTW website after each committee meeting – usually about 6-8 times a year – and keeps members up to date with coming events, awards and other items of interest.
Discounts and deals
ASTW members qualify for numerous travel industry discounts and deals. Some are on-going; some are one-offs publicised in the ASTW newsletter or on the website. Following are the discounts and deals currently offered to ASTW members:
Reduce plastic, travel light and be kind to the earth with ethical, pH-balanced soap-free shampoo and conditioner bars created by a naturopath and hand-made in Australia by Nuebar. Their beautifully designed travel kits – each consisting of mini shampoo and conditioner bars in a compact tin – are not just good for your hair, they're a perfect way to avoid spills in transit and reduce your environmental footprint on the go. Nuebar is offering all ASTW members 10 per cent off any of its products until January 17, 2021. Just visit nuebar.com and enter this code: ASTW10
DriveAway Holidays is Australia's leading wholesale supplier of worldwide car hire, motorhome rentals, European leasing and USA and Australia motorcycle hire and tours. With more than 60 suppliers in over 8,000 locations throughout 130 countries, ASTW members are welcome to a generous discount on our already competitive prices. To book or receive a quote, please provide your full name (as on the ASTW membership list) your pick up and return dates, times, locations and preferred car size/number of people travelling, to firstname.lastname@example.com and attention it to Ashleigh Robinson, Marketing Partnerships Manager.
Korjo, Australia's leading brand of travel accessories, offers ASTW members 50 per cent off any of its 120+products, which include adaptor plugs, money belts, locks and electrical items – if there is any travel product that you need, Korjo is likely to have it! Simply visit the Korjo website www.korjo.com choose your product/s and contact Kay to arrange your discount on (P) (03) 9822 9252 or (e) firstname.lastname@example.com. Payment can be made by credit card, direct deposit or cash. Samples, catalogues and images can also be arranged. Melbourne-based ASTW members are welcome to visit Korjo's showroom at 441 Auburn Road, Hawthorn. Other members will receive their products by mail; there may be postage charges depending on delivery time and/or the size of the order but this can be discussed when the orders are placed. Korjo also welcomes all ASTW members to contact us for advice and assistance whether it is to ask what adaptor you may need for each destination or perhaps to write an article on new products, must-have lists or travel goods industry insights.
Lonely Planet offers ASTW writer members, on request, printed editions of their Lonely Planet travel guides (subject to availability) for confirmed assignments. This does not apply to e-books. Please allow six business days for delivery. Contact Laura Hamilton, Media & Communications Manager, Australia and New Zealand: firstname.lastname@example.com
Travel Insurance Direct, underwritten by Lloyds TSB, offers ASTW members a special rate on their annual travel insurance policies. Partners and dependent children are also covered when they travel with the policy-holder. For more information and to request a quote, visit the Travel Insurance Direct website, www.tid.com.au, and enter the promotion code "TIDASTW". The quote automatically recalculates with the discount included.


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There is saying in New Orleans. It goes something like this. People think we don't have four seasons. They are wrong. We just have all of them in 24 hours.
That's just what happened. Warm and humid to cold and dreary. In under 24 hours. I took the dog who sees stuff for a walk yesterday morning and I wore shorts and a t-shirt. I took her for a walk in the evening and I wore long pants and a light hoodie. This morning, I wore heavier pants and a jacket.
I suppose it could be worse. We could have snow and ice. Like the folks up north. Wait, wait, wait. What am I saying? That's like just asking for it to happen. I take it back.
The picture. i-Phonography. Yep. That's what they call it. Processed in OnOne. Just something that I saw on another walk. All those shades of black and gray contrasted with nature's own work caught my eye. In case you are wondering, the black and gray is the trunk of a car. Oh, okay. The boot, if you speak the Queen's English.


text: How NOT to talk to pregnant women about their body #Becoming Parents#body image#communicating#pregnancy Posted Oct 27 2017 Guest post by Jennifer "The Belly" maternity shirt from Bump Covers Related Post How to respond positively to weight loss without shaming other bodies Does anyone have any advice/thoughts on how to respond when someone talks about losing weight and is seeking validation for it? Previously I would have... Read more A few years ago, before pregnancy was even a consideration of mine, I lost a lot of weight by counting calories and exercising. Looking back, I accidentally took my diet and exercise regimen a bit too far. I became addicted to the control aspect of logging the calories of every single food that touched my lips (including breath mints — I'm not even kidding.) I also became addicted to the fact that everyone was telling me how "great" I looked, even when I should have really stopped losing so much weight. Around the time I started getting some pretty serious comments from my friends and family about being "too skinny," I stopped counting calories, and allowed myself to eat and exercise normally. I put some weight back on, and I was able to achieve an optimal healthy weight for my height. I was feeling great, and then BOOM! I accidentally got pregnant. As I expected, all of my anxieties about eating, weight gain, and nutrition came flooding back — this time with more of an emphasis on doing the "right thing" for my baby. How much weight is "normal" to gain in each trimester? How do I know if I'm eating enough of the right kinds of foods to nourish my baby? How do I know if I'm not gaining enough weight? Can I still exercise, if so, how much? When your body becomes commentary One of the worst parts of being pregnant is that your body becomes a conversation piece. I always imagined being pregnant and "eating for two" would be glorious, but I'm finding myself obsessed and worried about the amount and quality of food that I'm eating. After several conversations with my doctors, opinions from three different highly respected pregnancy books, and a whole lot of Googling, I have settled on eating about 500-600 MORE calories than I used to be eating, which is actually much harder than I expected it would be. I'm also desperately trying NOT to make a habit of counting my calories, except when I feel like I haven't eaten enough in a day. One of the worst parts of being pregnant is that your body becomes a conversation piece. It has been hard enough to deal with the lack of control of my changing body, but it's been difficult to field constant comments from people who want to talk about my how my body looks, to the point that I was actually dreading my own baby shower. I am only four weeks from my due date, and most of the comments I have received recently, especially those from my well-intentioned friends and family are along the lines of, "Wow! You look SO small!" or "You hardly look pregnant!" Some of my friends who grew really large bellies during their pregnancies tell me that I should feel lucky I'm not huge. Others have told me that I will be so glad that I won't have to shed as much weight after baby is born. Related Post "It must be twins!" Having a positive plus size pregnancy I've heard of horrible things my non-plus size girlfriends have gone through while pregnant. And while I'm aware that every pregnant lady gets unwanted comments... Read more I purposely don't post many pictures of my "baby bump" on Facebook, because after so many comments, I started to wonder if my baby was actually growing okay. I know in my heart that everyone means well, so I politely tell anyone who makes a comment about my size that that my doctors say baby is growing just fine. And it's true, my doctors appointments have been going really well. At each appointment, they have to constantly reassure me that baby is growing normally, and my stomach is measuring almost textbook perfectly. My loving husband has been trying to counteract all the "small" comments by telling me he thinks I look great. He's the only one whose opinion actually matters to me, so I try to believe him. Comments in the wild In all reality, the worst offenders don't come from my well-intentioned friends and family. They happen out in the world when I'm least expecting it… In my workplace: A random client that I've never met before asked when I was due. When I told her my due date, she said "That can't possibly be right! You don't look that far along!" as if I was lying to her. She then proceeded to tell me about her pregnant friend who is "SO much bigger" than I am, and she isn't due until a month after my due date. On the street: I could write a whole separate post about the inappropriateness of this one, but some guy actually had the audacity to cat call, "Who knocked YOU up?!" as though he missed an opportunity to get to me first. Ew! In the checkout line at the grocery store: A gentleman asked if I was pregnant. When I sheepishly told him that I am, he said (and I quote), "Phew! You never can tell these days… Y'know, with all these chunky women." Related Post Working while pregnant: How to both work as, and work with, a pregnant person For the last two and a half months, my pregnant coworker and I have been on the road for work. The experience taught me a... Read more I don't want to discourage human connection for the sake of political correctness, especially because I know some women absolutely LOVE the way their pregnant body looks. I'm not sure there is a right answer for how to talk to a pregnant woman about her body, unless you fully understand your own relationship with that woman, or her own relationship with her changing body. I can only speak from my own experience, but even before I was pregnant, I noticed how repeated similar comments about your body really do start to add up and can actually impact your self perception. One comment about someone's size might not seem like a big deal, but the more people who tell me my belly is "small" have already made me doubt myself as a mother. Maybe this is just preparation for the onslaught of comments I'll get about the parenting decisions I'll have to make. One step at a time. Related Post Can't touch this: How to maintain personal space while pregnant I am not generally a hugger. I tend to tense up when someone even reaches in my personal space. And I know when I tell people I'm pregnant they'll will… Read More Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo Jennifer Jennifer is a graphic designer living in Washington with her foodie husband, and Rotweiler-chow mix. The couple is expecting their first baby on Halloween. PREVIOUS Undies, pads, cups: What do you use for eco-friendly period management? NEXT Here's why being a wife with a wife is awesome Show/Hide comments [ 11 ] Dude! I guess the "you look so small!" people think they're being complimentary… or something? But gross guy on the street- What The Actual Fuck?! And grocery store guy isn't much better. At one point in my life, I lost quite a bit of weight. At first the compliments were nice, but it soon became really invasive. People I only knew in passing from work would ask how many pounds I had lost. Not to mention that my weight loss was a healthy one, but for all they knew I was terribly ill. Some people made such a big deal of how I looked that the implication was I had looked bad before. Then I regained some weight, and the compliments were pointedly dropped from some quarters. Anyway, the point is: Maybe we don't need to make casual comments about people's bodies! If I don't know whether someone is pregnant or not, I could just wait for them to tell me. If they don't, perhaps we aren't close enough to make it any of my business. There are lots of ways to engage with people far and wide without talking about their physical appearances. "How are you doing? What is new? What are you reading? Have you tried this brand of spaghetti sauce?" There's a whole big world out there. Best of luck with the "advice" once your child is born. If you have frequent offenders in your life, you might try making it clear early on that you aren't interested in advice. My mom asked to come and stay after my baby was born to help. I agreed on the condition that she not give me any advice unless I was literally about to put the baby in the pot instead of the spaghetti. It didn't fully work, but definitely helped. For random strangers' who want to give you their two cents, I enjoy the phrase "What an interesting piece of unsolicited advice!" delivered with a big smile. Deadly. Reply Yes to all of this! I didn't have it as bad as hyperemesis but I was so nauseous until about 18 weeks that food was completely unappetizing and I was subsisting on plain bagels and pretzels, losing weight, and worrying all the time about whether my baby was getting enough nutrients which she probably wasn't since I couldn't stand pretty much any vegetables for 9 months even once the "morning" sickness wore off. Meanwhile a coworker was about a week ahead of me and her bump was bigger and so everyone assumed she was farther along or would say stuff to her like "are you sure its not twins!" or "you must be ready to pop" when she had months left. I think we both would look at the other a bit like "I wish mine was like that." Reply I can so relate. The worst offender, for me, was my mom. She couldn't stop telling people how huge I was, how I wasn't due until the end of October even though I looked like I was about to go into labor now, ha ha ha. It was really hurtful. I hadn't even gained that much weight, but I was all belly. I ended up being back to my pre-pregnancy weight about two weeks after my daughter was born. Not what I expected, but everything about my pregnancy, from conception to birth, was not what I expected. Good luck! I was also due on Halloween, but she had other ideas and arrived on October 4th. Reply I feel this so much. It's been weird too, as the comments have continued (and Baby is almost 6 months old)! I think during pregnancy, it wasn't so bad for me as I could keep the mantra in my head of, "The doctor says everything looks great! The doctor says Baby is healthy and strong!" – but now, comments about my body are really uncomfortable for me. I think it's largely because I'd very rarely had people comment on my body before, and I'm not doing anything to maintain or achieve a particular appearance. "Thank you?" in a really confused tone has become my go-to response, but I'm not sure it's the best of all possible options. Reply That comment about looking small would have slayed me. My daughter had a terminal condition (she died towards the end of the second trimester) and the main side effect was low amniotic fluid. So I was incredibly small. With my next (healthy) pregnancy, if someone told me I look small, I would have been consumed with anxiety that same thing was happening again. On the flip side, my friend had excess amniotic fluid and her son was very sick and is now special needs. A side effect was the high fluid. Belly size is not public chit chat!!! Our culture needs radical change around this. Thanks for writing this! Reply You're very welcome, and I'm incredibly sorry for the loss of your first pregnancy. Reply Hey all – baby has not arrived yet. (Due next week!) I just wanted to express gratitude for the opportunity to vent through Offbeathome. It feels good to have support from this community. Reply Oh I totally feel you. When I was pregnant with twins everyone, and I mean everyone, would comment on my size. I am very tall and I carried really high so I had a very small bump. The comments about how I must be lying about being pregnant with twins or how I must be starving myself were non-stop. Although I think those people were just trying to be funny. Other women got down right nasty with their comments. The "Wow must be nice to be skinny" "You have it so easy being pregnant and being that skinny" etc etc etc. Don't even get me started on the things people say to you if you loose the baby weight quickly. It is legit gross. Good luck with the baby. And congratulations. Reply Reading Offbeat Life has make me open my eyes on how rude it is to comment on people's bodies in general, even when we think we are being supportive. However, it is such a frequent and common conversation opener or way to "flatter" someone that I am finding it a little difficult to replace it with something else, and I think other readers might be too. I found this page that talks about the horror comments pregnant people have received and suggestions on what to say instead: http://www.google.com.mx/amp/s/www.babble.com/pregnancy/etiquette-rules-pregnancy-jokes-humor-rude-comments/amp/ Reply I had a similar experience with comments on my "small belly" or how I look really tiny. I just had strong abdominal muscles and it was my first baby. It bothered me because I remember the first trimester being anxious about when I would start to "show." I tried to tell myself that when I got comments from other women who were once pregnant that it was just a way of saying "a belly really does get in the way" which I understood as I got further along. My way of combatting the "your small" comments was to do my little parlor trick of relaxing my abdominals as much as I could and I would "gain" a few inches around my waist. Even postpartum I lost so much weight. Not going back to pre-pregnancy weight, but I got close after just a few weeks. I've gained some back, but it was mostly because I was so stressed from the baby that I would get nauseous when eating. I also had postpartum depression, which I am sure it was effecting my eating habits. Reply Totally agree with you on the size thing. I carried most of my pregnancy weight in front. So people who approached me me from the back or front would say "oh you're not that big. " and then I would turn sideways and they would say "oh!" The only thing you need to worry about is what the doc says about you or the baby. Nothing else that anyone says matters. That also applies after the baby is born. As long as the doc says you and baby are doing well, then everything is good. My daughter is just over a year old and hasn't started walking or eating solid food. Her doc says that's okay. So I'm not going to worry about it. After all I didn't start walking until after 12 months and I turned out fine *twitch, twitch* 😉 Reply Join the conversation Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy.


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As the 2016 Presidential Race continues to ramp up, we aim to keep HFR readers up to date with how the candidates stay healthy and fit and their views on how important health and fitness in their constituents lives.
Here is the Donald Trump Fitness Profile:
- His 2007 book "Think Big & Kick Ass" includes a wide variety of life tips, many of which can be applied in the gym:
- Passion: find exercises that you genuinely enjoy and become masters at those, this is the most effective way to stick with a workout routine
- Positivity: Never quit, always believe that your efforts are paying off, even if you don't see it yet
- Focus: don't let temptations overcome your goals. Keep your eye on the prize and don't stop
- Think big: Set deadlines for yourself and set the bar high. You will feel much more accomplished and motivated this way
- Trump used to play a lot of sports and loved them as a teenager, he says he was always a good athlete and played football, baseball, soccer, and wrestled. His favorite, however, was baseball, and he was captain of his high school team.
- Trump said he had planned going pro in baseball before he got involved in real estate.
- Now he keeps in shape by golfing and going on walks. He claims that golfing is more effective than you might think, and that when he plays several rounds he notices a change in his weight.
- Avoids all drugs, including alcohol and marijuana, having avoided them his whole life. Says the untimely death of his older brother, who was an alcoholic, was a wake up call for him.


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You are hereHome // Health // MassHealth //
Children's Medical Security Plan
Official Title: Children's Medical Security Plan
Learn About Other Programs in MassHealth
Government Resources
- Description
- Funding History
- Proposals
The Children's Medical Security Plan (CMSP) provides primary and preventive services for uninsured children through age 18 who are not eligible for MassHealth.
CMSP covers any child who is a resident of Massachusetts at any income level who is not eligible for MassHealth (with the exception of MassHealth Limited), and who does not have physician or hospital health care coverage.
CMSP was created in the early 1990s to serve uninsured children, before the state expanded MassHealth coverage for children, and now is an important source of health care coverage for children who do not meet the citizenship or immigration status requirements for MassHealth.
The program covers services that are frequently needed by children. These selected services include outpatient doctor visits, including preventive care, eye exams and hearing tests, as well as a limited number of outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment visits, a limited amount of prescription drug coverage, and a limited amount of dental services. CMSP does not, however, cover hospitalization, emergency room visits, or ambulance services. Premiums and co-payments for the program are based on a sliding scale.
Coverage is also strictly limited by specific caps on individual services. For example, there is an annual $200 limit on coverage for prescription drugs, a $200 annual limit on durable medical equipment, and a 20 visit annual limit on outpatient behavioral health visits. Massachusetts may also place an enrollment cap on the program.
Updated, February 2018
Are you an expert in this area? Do you know someone who is? Let us know so that together we can make this the most up-to-date, useful resource on children's programs in Massachusetts.
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What Effect Does the Weather Have on a Person's Recovery?
More often than not, the weather on any given day can affect us more than we realize. A dismal and overcast day can make someone feel tired and unmotivated, while a bright and sunny day can make one feel enthused and eager to take on the day. While recognizing that yourself or a loved one


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Currently being shown in the Eli Ridgway Gallery in San Francisco, Cassandra C. Jones has been making collages for several years, and recent work made with lightening is striking indeed. If you hadn't noticed yet, you'll see she used the lightening bolts to draw shapes and figures. It's nearly impossible to make so many photo's of lightening yourself, so Cassandra relied on stockphotography sources to find the hundreds of photos she needed to make the collages of lightening.
Looking at photography as a whole Cassandra found that there are so many similar pictures being made that she could use this idea to create new works, bringing her to make collages from existing photo's. The photo's essentially became the drawing pen. The things she makes are predetermined. Once she starts working on the puzzle, Cassandra makes adjustments to the work to make sure the end result is good and checks if the colors contrast eachother well. If you're wondering how the colors of lighting come about in the photo's: lighting itself is so hot it appears white. The colors you see in the photo's results from the reflection of the light in the sky, like in a sunset, and is also affected by the film and settings used by the photographers.
In other collages, she's used cheerleaders and hotair balloons to create new shapes, such as the shells below. Also check out these two video's on You Tube, where she made collage loop-films of 'Bell Orchestre - Stripes' aswell as a running horse called 'After Muybridge'.


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New Delhi [India], January 5 (ANI): Kareena Kapoor Khan's latest photoshoot for Vogue has become a figure of controversy as internet seems to think that one of the images in the shoot is clearly "photoshopped".
One of the pictures of the actress, which shows the actress in an orange bikini that displays her perfect and fit body, has made the people think about the authenticity of the image as they think that a new mother cannot look like this.
Vogue has been placed under strict scrutiny and users flooded its Instagram with unfiltered comments on Kareena's picture.
Some of the comments are:
A user wrote, "Very badly photoshopped fake. Stop making fools. Her entire body is photoshopped . Can't believe these people."
"Her face looks bigger than her body! And those legs are naturel right?" noted another user.
Meanwhile, another user wrote, "If it was an original picture sans all the heavy duty photoshop i would hv been proud of her too!"
"Photoshop may beautify your covers but it makes an ugly statement," wrote another user.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Kareena will be next seen in 'Veere Di Wedding' alongside Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and shikha Talsania. Helmed by Shashanka Ghosh and written by Mehul Suri and Nidhi Mehra, 'Veere Di Wedding' will have a 2018 release. (ANI)


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Twitter is already great for messaging people and broadcasting information to the world, and as Dave LeClair wrote in one of his past articles, it is also becoming a place to host photo galleries (sorry, TwitPic Posting Pictures on Twitter with Twitpic & Flickr Read More ). However, with all of its sharing capabilities, one thing is missing – the ability to Tweet attachments in order to share various files.
Enter Pigeon Carrier, a unique Chrome extension and Firefox add-on that combines the powers of Twitter and DropBox to create something truly amazing. With the extension, you can easily upload files to your DropBox through Twitter and then share the link with the world.
How Can I Use It?
If this is your first time using Pigeon Carrier, you need to make a DropBox account for yourself if you don't already have one. Theoretically, this is going to be pretty easy, and you can just choose the free 5GB space option. Upon your first usage of Pigeon Carrier, you will be prompted to authorize Pigeon Carrier to connect both your DropBox and your Twitter. This is perfectly safe, and the app developers won't be stealing your soul in any way (as far as I know).
After installing the Pigeon Carrier extension, you'll notice that there is going to be a brand new "Add Attachment" option right next to the Tweet button. At this point, you can already be sure that this extension is going to be incredibly easy to use.
When you are fully ready to Tweet attachments, all you have to do is type in your message (whether it be directed towards someone or just a general announcement), click "Add Attachment", and then upload your file. After it uploads, confirm the attachment and send out your Tweet. Right next to the message will be the word "Attachment" in which anyone can click and download your selected file.
What About People Who Don't Have The Extension?
By now, you may be wondering, "Josh, what about the folks who didn't spruce up their browser with Pigeon Carrier? They won't be able to see that fancy attachment link, will they?"
Well, my friend, you are too right. They won't be able to see that fancy attachment link at all. However, what they will see is any standard "t.co" URL that you would use when sending out any link (like when I tweet out my MakeUseOf articles).
You see, when you use Pigeon Carrier, all it does is upload a file to your Public folder on DropBox, copies the link to this said file, and then pastes it in your Tweet upon your command so that it can be accessed through the Pigeon Carrier website. As a matter of fact, it does all of this with the click of a single button.
Imagine doing this all by yourself. It would take a ton of clicking, right? All Pigeon Carrier does is streamline it for you.
Since you have the extension, you will, of course, see the "Attachment" link in your Tweet, and if you happen to see attached files from anyone else who Tweets them out, you will see that same "Attachment" link. Basically, don't worry at all about this not working for other people. The function is purely identical, but the form is slightly different.
Pigeon Carrier is a browser extension that basically conglomerates multiple functions into one swift process, allowing users to send files with their Tweets. Ideally, you can publicly send files to a mass group who may need them (say, for instance, a design team), or you could even just Tweet it out to one person (with the knowledge that other people can see the file).
Have you used Pigeon Carrier yet? What do you think of it? Do you know of any other ways that you can share files through Twitter?
Explore more about: Dropbox, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Twitter.


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Zhanar Tokhtavayeva was just trying to build a better life in America by taking English classes when her quiet day of study became a struggle for survival.
"I thought my life was over," said the Kazakhstan native, who was among dozens of immigrants caught in the line of fire as a crazed gunman stormed through the American Civic Association in Binghamton yesterday.
Tokhtavayeva was able to rush to a hiding place before the killer — identified by sources as 42-year-old Jiverly Voong — could reach her. She described the spot where she and fellow students found shelter as a place of unbearable tension.
"I was hiding in the storage room with my teacher and some of my classmates," she told The Post. "I was hiding for about one hour. It was scary, no screaming, just scary.
"I was thinking to go outside first but it was not a good idea and went downstairs. Our teacher told us to go there [the storage room]. I was in shock.
"The teacher told us to be quiet. My whole body was numb. I thought my life was over."
After the bloody massacre — in which 13 people were killed and the shooter committed suicide — some 40 people hid for safety for hours before cops finally secured the building.
"After the shots, we were waiting for the police," said Tokhtavayeva, who has been in the US a year. "They [the police] told us to raise our hands. Then we went to the fire station."
She was among the lucky ones who were unhurt and able to reunite with their families at a religious center near the attack scene.
"I'm happy that she's alive," said her husband, Arnur. "But many people are dead."
Roberta King, 72, a substitute teacher at the school, was among the lost. She was the first of the dead identified by family last night.
A mom of 10, she loved opera and had a doll collection that numbered in the thousands. Her son, Dr. Jeffery King, said he recently asked why she kept working.
"I said, 'Mom you're in your 70s,' " King said. "She said, 'What? You don't think I enjoy working?' "
King had been filling in for the regular teacher — identified by colleagues as Elizabeth Hayes — who was reportedly out on vacation.
Like Hayes, student Xirong Yue narrowly escaped being caught up in the massacre when she was called by her employer and told to come to work before class began, her husband John Gavazzi said.
"She the luckiest girl in the world," he told The Post. "Who knows what could have happened.
Student Alexandr Galkin, 19, an Uzbekistani immigrant, was in class when the bullets began to fly. He fled to the basement where he found shelter with 26 others.
"We were upstairs. We just listened to some shots," he told The Post. "After the first shot, we just stand up and go. First time, the class started panicking right away. We were just scared. We were waiting.
"We were in a panic. We went to the basement. Everybody was running. My brother was downstairs."
Once his brother was in the downstairs haven, he finally felt a sense of relief.
"It was good in the boiler room," he said. "More than 20 [people]. First we were standing, some sitting."
One of the teachers in the school, Priscilla Pease, huddled with a large group of students, who kept in constant touch with the cops over their cell phones.
"I felt safe in the basement," she told The Post. "Everyone stayed quiet for the three hours we were down there while staying on the phone with the police who kept telling us to stay calm and remain in the basement until they come to get them.
"When the police came to get us we had to pass one dead body but I didn't know who it was."
Hours after the attack ended, some family members were still in a state of panic as they waited for information about the fate of loved ones.
"I still don't know where my sister is," said Tony Cejic, who was looking for his sibling, Sova. "I don't know nothing."
Omri Yigal told The Post his wife, Dolores, was still among the missing.
He said that he was filled with rage at the killer. "I'm going to have a really hard time trying to keep to the laws of New York," he said.
A relative identified one of the wounded victims as Long Huynk, a student at the school.
"We saw my brother. He got shot a couple of times," the relative said. "Doctors had operated on him and I haven't spoken to him yet."
The whereabouts of the victim's wife, Lan Ho, was still unknown last, said the relative, who would not give her name.
For some of the immigrant victims of the stunning crime, their close-up look at the dark side may have soured them on the country.
When asked if he still wanted to be a citizen, Galkin told The Post: "I don't know. Not right now."
He added, however, that he had some calming plans for when he got home — he was going to "drink some tea." With Post Wire Services


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Book Review: Vintage Couture Tailoring
Review: I have read just about every book on tailoring there is and this will be one of those books that will stay on my desk and not on the shelf. The book has a lot of the same techniques found in some of the really great tailoring books like Couture Sewing Techniques and Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket but this particular book has little gold nuggets of invaluable information from bespoke tailor's workrooms. The images and step by steps are fantastic and so clearly explained just by looking at the images (real photographs not drawings) the book also shows the right and wrong way of stitching, holding the fabric etc.
My favorite thing about the book is that it is glorious enough for the seasoned seamstress and easy enough to follow for newbies/intermediates wanting to learn techniques to start improving on their tailoring skills.


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We are in the process of submitting a bid to HLF for funding for our conservation work at the Tardebigge Lime Kilns. We would like your support. We would be really happy if you could write a letter of support. We have drafted just such a letter if you do not want to spend too much time composing one. Simply download this Word document, amend it and post to the address given in the letter.
You can find out more about the Heritage Lottery Fund by clicking this link: www.hlf.org.uk


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Lahaina Long Term Rental
Two bedroom, two bath, fully-furnished home located only minutes from Lahaina and overlooking the ocean with unobstructed views. This home is located in the prestigious agriculture disctrict and surrounded by hiking, great hill walks and just up the hill from a wonderful surfing beach. It has sweeping, incredible sunsets and sounds of birds. It is perfect for families and/or entertaining. The kitchen is open to the living and dining area, and equipped for a serious chef. Rental available June 2014. $4000 per month
This Maui home has all you need to move right in, just bring your swimsuit and clothes and make it a retreat.
You can email or call for more information
Bob at 970-379-5181


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|Storytime at Findon (3 - 6 years)
Event Type: Children and Youth
Age Group(s): 3-4, 4-6
Date: 15/10/2019
Start Time: 10:30 AM
End Time: 11:15 AM
Stories and songs followed by craft and conversation. A great way to help your child become school ready. No bookings are necessary. (TERM 4)Library: Findon Library
Other Information:
pre-school, read, craft, listen, learn, children, kids, library,


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Photograph of a group of children and teenagers dressed for a Greek Independence Day celebration at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Photograph of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation choir and altar boys with Rev. John Vasiliades.
Photograph of a Church of the Annunciation pastor and group of children dressed for a Greek Independence Day celebration during the 1920s.
Photograph of the board of trustees for the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. The members are Rev. John Vasiliades, President Elias S. Sutter, Tony Saffas, Marinos Stathopoulos, Nick Pappas, Theo Tsangares, John A. Agnos, Andrew Lambros, Paul Karzis, George D. Eliopoulos, and Tom Karnezis.
Portrait of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) Heart of America Chapter 73 including Steve Sakoulas, Louis Kartsonis, and Father Nicholas Speloitis in the 1930s. AHEPA is social and charitable organization for Greek immigrants and their descendants.


text: New Life Kids Church meets each Sunday at 9 a.m & 11 a.m. for children in 1st through 6th grade. Your kids will enjoy high energy worship, games, and an interactive Bible story all together in a large group. Kids then break up into age appropriate small groups, led by an adult small group leader, where they can further explore how the day's Bible lesson applies to them through interactive discussion, games, and activities. Your kids won't want to miss it!


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So James Tynion started a newsletter today (you can subscribe at https://jamestynioniv.substack.com/) With it, he also shared details on his Batman run and gave out the pitch. It's pretty long, but it sounds interesting.
"Batman is an action horror superhero comic book.
Heading into 2020, THAT is our absolute True North. Every page of every issue should feel like an action horror superhero comic. The monsters should be deadly and frightening, and Batman should feel frightening in and of himself. The villains of Gotham fear him, and he is going to take that fear and wield it like a weapon to get his city back under control. Batman doesnt just show up in broad daylight to scare his villains, he uses tricks and shadows, and voice modulation to make it seem like he can be anywhere and everywhere at once.
The scary thing with Batman, even to villains who have fought him over and over again across decades is that they KNOW that under his suit he is just a man. But still he seems to be impossible. You fire a dozen armor piercing rounds into his torso, and you still know by the time you race down the stairs to your getaway car, hes going to be there, ahead of you. And he is going to HURT you. They fear him because they cant, for the life of them, understand how he does it, which gives him this supernatural air. To the bad guys, Batman is like Michael Myers. He keeps getting up when it shouldnt be possible to get up anymore. How can you win against him? Youd have to be crazy to try.
Even Bruce Wayne is a figure of the shadows. He is a billionaire industrialist, but he is strange and a little reclusive. The last vestiges of his more conservative style would have gone out the window with the death of Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred laid out clothes for Bruce. With him, he would have dressed a bit more like his father. More sweater vests like the old money he is. Without Alfred, Bruce is pure practicality. He wears BLACK. So does Selina They go to a different type of Gotham City gala. The Old Money Gotham is corrupt and broken. Instead, Bruce goes to the young money of the city to help finance its reconstruction.
With Selina on his arm, the Playboy Bruce is dead. Every waking minute is dedicated to the rebuild of Gotham City, both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. He is in control of every room he enters, and people are a little frightened of him. He is one of the richest people in the world, and he has experienced so much loss. But its clear hes trying to make the city better. People admire him, because most people in his shoes would have LEFT Gotham a long time ago.
He has just faced tremendous failure in the last year of story. He lost his City, and lost his way But now that hes back, he has an almost manic intensity. He is going to FIX things. Hes going to make it so nobody like Bane can ever do this to the city again."


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Moacyr Scliar~Brazil
Leopards in the Temple
Leopards break into the temple and drink to the dregs what is in the sacrificial pitchers; this is repeated over and over again; finally it can e calculated in advance, and it becomes a part of the
–Franz Kafka (1883-1924), (transl. Clement Greenberg), from Parables and Paradoxes, 1946
Perhaps the leopards symbolized something. A leopard is a wild beast. Capitalists are ferocious in their greed for profit and their exploitation of the
proletariat. Killing a leopard in a zoo might be a way of demonstrating to the capitalists that their days were numbered. But, reasoned Mousy, workers are also ferocious when demanding their


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Monthly Archives: July 2015
Shameless Confessions of a Tactless Yogi
I do yoga. There. I said it out loud. See, the thing is, I wouldn't go to yoga if I could help it. If I could find another way to eliminate the chronic pain in my neck and shoulders, help … Continue reading
Posted in confessions of the Weird and Unashamed, Just Being Me, Run Pam Run Tagged Funny Yoga, Hot Yoga Funny, Yoga, Yoga Humor 1 Comment
Teenagers and War
How do you teach children about war? In all cases a herculean task, I think that American parents have it both harder and easier than so many other cultures. Easier, because whichever path we choose, it's voluntary for us to … Continue reading
The Holding Pattern and Review (Day 14–Last Day)
I am in a holding pattern today. We are waiting in Germany for there to be space available on a plane that is bound for the states and re-arranging suitcases bulging with souvenirs and dirty clothes (if I bought you … Continue reading
I Had Fun Storming the Castle (Day 13)
I was GOING to see a castle. That's all there was to it. Now, I'm sure that there are better castles, bigger castles, castles with more to see, but none of them were on the path back to Ramstein, so … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Tagged Boursheid Castle, Travel belgium, Travel Luxembourg, Travel Teenagers 1 Comment
Nazis and Freddie Mercury (Day 12)
Today we went to the sight of the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. I was so thankful to the people of Belgium for the museum here. The museum told about the second World War from the perspective of a … Continue reading
Brussels with Poo Face (Day 11)
This blog should be about Belgium, and it is, mostly, but it's also about compromise. My kids wanted to come to Brussels. We've already been to Brussels. Not that I didn't love it the first time, I did. It's just … Continue reading
Posted in Teenagers - one eye roll from certain death, Travel Tagged brussels, travel with teen Leave a comment
Now I Speak Dutch (Day 10)
My last day in Amsterdam started with an epic run. I wouldn't say that the running itself was epic, so to speak, but the view? We crossed the street from our hotel to join the houseboats joyfully bobbing on the … Continue reading
Posted in Run Pam Run, Travel Tagged amsterdam travel, Anne Frank House, Funny GPS, Speak Dutch, Van Gough Museum Leave a comment


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- Split level Victorian residence
- Three bedrooms
- South facing rear courtyard
- Open plan kitchen living dining format
- Separate utility
- Gas fired central heating
- PVC double glazed windows
- Residential on street parking
- Fitted kitchen
- Bright accommodation
- Set in the heart of Drumcondra village
- Close to Drumcondra rail station
- Walking distance to city centre
- Floor area approx. 80 sq.m (861 sq.ft)
Full Description
It is a property that will no doubt appeal to owner occupiers and investors alike.
The location of the property could not be better situated, in this ever popular residential area within walking distance of a host of local amenities including numerous shops, restaurants and cafes. The local area is exceptionally well serviced by public transport with Drumcondra train station just two minutes' walk away and numerous bus services operating along Drumcondra Road. The property is within 10 minutes' walk from Dublin City Centre and Dublin International Airport is less than a 15 minutes' drive away.
- Entrance Hall (3.35m x 1.55m)
- with stairwell to lower ground floor and upper floor.
- Front Reception Room / Bedroom Two (4.30m x 3.25m)
- with 3.5m high ceiling, open flue with fireplace removed, hardwood timber floor and window overlooking St. Anne's Road. Currently in use as bedroom three.
- Living Area (6.00m x 2.75m)
- in open plan format with kitchen dining. With airing cupboard and sliding patio door to rear courtyard with south and east facing aspect.
- Kitchen Dining Room (2.65m x 2.75m)
- with wall and floor mounted contemporary fitted kictchen with integrated oven, hob and extractor fan. Leading to
- Utility Room (1.55m x 2.75m)
- with shaker style storage units and plumbed for washing machine. Window overlooking courtyard.
- Courtyard (3.00m x 7.55m)
- spacious courtyard to the rear accessed from the living area.
- Bedroom Three (2.65m x 3.10m)
- double bedroom with hardwood floor overlooking rear courtyard.
- Landing (1.05m x 2.30m)
- Bedroom One (3.65m x 3.25m)
- double bedroom with hardwood floor overlooking the rear couryard.
- Bathroom (2.10m x 1.80m)
- with three piece white suite, bath, wc and whb. Mira electric shower over bath. Tiled floor and mosaic wall tiling, medicine cabinet and towel rail.
BER Details
BER No. 110910684
Energy Performance Indicator: 271.11 kWh/m²/yr
Contact Details
Address: 171 Howth Road, Dublin 3
Telephone: 01 8536016 or you can also email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Any intending purchaser(s) shall accept that no statement, description or measurement contained in any newspaper, brochure, magazine, advertisement, handout, website or any other document or publication, published by the vendor or by Lisney, as the vendor's agent, in respect of the premises shall constitute a representation inducing the purchaser(s) to enter into any contract for sale, or any warranty forming part of any such contract for sale. Any such statement, description or measurement, whether in writing or in oral form, given by the vendor, or by Lisney as the vendor's agent, are for illustration purposes only and are not to be taken as matters of fact and do not form part of any contract. Any intending purchaser(s) shall satisfy themselves by inspection, survey or otherwise as to the correctness of same. No omission, misstatement, misdescription, incorrect measurement or error of any description, whether given orally or in any written form by the vendor or by Lisney as the vendor's agent, shall give rise to any claim for compensation against the vendor or against Lisney, nor any right whatsoever of rescission or otherwise of the proposed contract for sale. Any intending purchaser(s) are deemed to fully satisfy themselves in relation to all such matters. These materials are issued on the strict understanding that all negotiations will be conducted through Lisney.
Please note we have not tested any apparatus, fixtures, fittings, or services. Interested parties must undertake their own investigation into the working order of these items. All measurements are approximate and photographs provided for guidance only.


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Which are the most reliable varieties for a bumper crop? What does it mean when the leaves curl? Will my tomatoes ripen if they are still green when frost is due?
For questions on any tomato-related topic, all the answers are in this book.
Tomato selects 160 of the world's best varieties to grow and provides recipes and preserving ideas for enjoying the fruits of your labor. This is the true tomato lover's indispensable companion.


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Centrolina is a restaurant that I have been checking out every time I was looking for a brunch spot on the Open Table. It is a market and a restaurant and is located in the D.C. city center. We liked the dishes we tried but felt it was a little expensive for the portion. Service was friendly and helpful.
Spinach Pappardelle bolognese meat ragu
Ever since I saw this dish on the restaurant's instagram page, I was hoping to get to taste it. As soon as we sat down, I looked at the menu and saw the dish offered with penne. I asked our waiter if I could have it with the Pappardelle. He said that dish is usually offered at dinner time but he will ask the kitchen. Lucky for me, I got to try this delicious dish. The Pappardelle was cooked perfectly but there was not much of the very flavorful bolognese sauce. All it needed was two more table-spoons of the sauce to make it a more memorable dish.
Fettuccine carbonara, poached egg, parmigiano, cracked pepper
My husband picked this dish and it was really good. The only problem, the poached egg was not runny. It was really creamy with a good amount of the delicious pancetta.


text: Hi, I think that chip has got a problem.I tried with other util also and it is not able to detect the chip. When I tried another chip 49LF004A, this was detected. But regarding the coreboot.rom, how do I read the lay out of it. Thanks, Viswesh ----- Original Message ---- From: Carl-Daniel Hailfinger <c-d.hailfinger.devel.2006 at gmx.net> To: Viswesh S <viswesh_vichu at yahoo.com> Cc: bari <bari at onelabs.com>; coreboot at coreboot.org Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 7:12:11 PM Subject: Re: [coreboot] Flashrom error:iwill board:SST49LF004A/B Hi, have you already tried the patch I sent in my other mail to you and to the list? Regards, Carl-Daniel __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://www.coreboot.org/pipermail/coreboot/attachments/20080410/78cb5691/attachment.html>


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We're not alone
Culture and the ability to transmit novel learned behavior from one generation to the next was once believed to be a trait unique to humans. But animal research over the last 75 years has revealed a plethora of examples of novel invention, creative intelligence and cultural transmission throughout the animal kingdom. In fact, the types of creatures that exhibit culture are so varied that researchers are beginning to suspect that culture may be far more common in nature than we ever thought possible. Here's our list of seven examples of cultural animals. (Text: Bryan Nelson)


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Dental crowns are a durable restoration that fits over the tooth's natural crown. They are often used to strengthen and support the remaining tooth structure while preventing additional damage. Our dentist in West Hollywood can help you decide if a crown is right for you.
1. When your tooth is badly damaged
Severe damage can leave a tooth vulnerable to cracking or crumbling. By restoring it with a crown, the tooth can continue to function for many more years.
2. When you have a large filling
Large cavities can be restored with fillings, but a crown may also be needed to prevent the tooth from cracking or becoming even more damaged.
3. When your tooth has had a root canal
A root canal removes diseased tissue from the interior of the tooth, and a crown is used to permanently restore the tooth.
4. When you are having a lost tooth replaced with a dental implant or dental bridge
Crowns are used to cover the root form of the implant or to support the dental bridge that is replacing the lost tooth.
5. When you have a severely misshapen or discolored tooth
Although some types of cosmetic issues can be corrected with more conservative measures, crowns are often needed to correct more serious issues.
Each patient's needs are unique. We will first evaluate your needs and goals before recommending a course of action. Call us today to learn more or to schedule an appointment with our expert in dental crowns in Los Angeles.


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Here is a nifty add-in for Outlook that prevents people from replying or forwarding to all on an email sent from you. In a nutshell, the add-in adds buttons to the Outlook ribbon that prevents someone from doing a reply all on email sent from you or forwarding it.
Once you install the add-in, you'll see two new buttons on the ribbon: 1) No Reply All and 2) No Forward. If you click either of these buttons, recipients on your email are unable to perform the respective action.
Visit Microsoft Research to download the add-in.
[Photo above by TheTruthAbout / CC BY-ND 2.0]


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Most television shows either accept their limitations or transcend them. Dollhouse started out bashing its head against its limitations, before finally leaping over them. And after last night, I'm not sure it still has any. Spoilers and mindwipes ahead...
It's hard to believe this is still the same show that used to serve up timid "engagement of the week episodes" that only hinted at the questions that lurked in its premise. By my reckoning, this makes six outstanding Dollhouse episodes in a row. And what's more, the show is starting to race forward, at breakneck speed, as if to make up for its slow pace earlier.
Was it just me, or did your heart stop too when you read the words "Three months later"? Sure, BSG and DC Comics, among others, have pulled similar stunts before — but in the middle of a random episode?
It was gutsy. And yet, it turned out to be a brilliant move. As usual with the "jumping ahead in time" stunt, everything had changed, and part of the fun was figuring out how. (For a moment, I thought Echo really had just taken a nurse job using one of her imprints, and was just living quietly.)
But more than that, part of the coolness after the three-month jump was seeing how much closer we were to the glimpses of the future we saw in the post-apocalyptic episode "Epitaph One."
So after the jump, suddenly Echo is playing house with Paul Ballard (which feels logical, considering how much they were already conspiring together) and they're in cahoots with Boyd back at the Dollhouse. Meanwhile, Topher has gotten a promotion, and Adelle has gotten a demotion. Most of all, Echo is now fully in control over her multiple personalities and their talents, instead of having them triggered randomly. She's now much more like a superhero (who's occasionally glitchy) than a puppet who occasionally turns into a superhero, and really, thank goodness. I'm imagining the new Echo is like Chuck with the "Intersect 2.0" installed.
Last night's first episode, "Meet Jane Doe," subverted so many expectations, it's hard to know where to begin. For starters, we expected a story about Echo in her childlike "doll" state wandering around for an hour, while the Dollhouse tried to find her — instead, we got five minutes of that, then something totally different. And then, at the end, you expected Adelle to do something cunning and brilliant to regain her mastery of her Dollhouse — and instead, she kissed up to the evil scumbag, Harding. In the second hour, you think Alpha is just trying to take down the men that Echo has had romantic engagements with — but his real target turns out to be Ballard, because Alpha was spying and realized that Ballard and Echo are in love.
Even with everything else that happened last night, it's hard to avoid fixating on Adelle. Her transformation was incredibly painful to watch — first, from steely-but-sensitive mistress of her domain to subservient, resentful underling to Mr. Harding. And then, from underling back to boss — but this time, she's willing to do whatever it takes to please her masters and save her own skin. Olivia Williams was incredible last night — most of all in the scene where she is willing to give Alpha whatever he wants, because that's what she's become. She's lost her self-respect, and whatever shreds of idealism she may have had left, and become a monster. And it's fascinating to watch.
The other big star last night was... Eliza Dushku. A lot of people have doubted her ability to carry this series — including me, on a few occasions. But now that she's playing a more self-aware version of Echo, she's able to bring a lot more real acting to the table. Her scenes with Paul Ballard, where she's in love with him and he's unable to reciprocate because of his whole "Galahad" complex, were brilliant and rich, and she seemed to snap between different personas pretty easily. Dushku's talent has never been mimickry or creating different mannerisms — she's not an Enver Gjokaj — but she's a lot better at handling nuances of emotion. She's always Eliza Dushku, no matter who she's playing, but she's capable of bringing a lot of expressiveness and subtlety. And last night, we saw more of what she can do when she's in her comfort zone.
Meanwhile, once again Topher was ethical-dilemmas guy — turns out the remote wipe device he's been working on is just one piece of a larger puzzle, one that will lead to everyone in the world becoming mind-controlled slaves. Topher cracks the problem of how to program anyone, anywhere remotely — but it's Adelle who hands it over to the evil corporate overlord. No wonder those two are basket cases after the apocalypse.
As Adelle says towards the end of last night's first episode, with the kind of power Rossum has, you don't want to be on the opposing team. Apparently Rossum doesn't just control a sitting U.S. Senator (who's got an excellent chance of becoming President), they also have 22 Dollhouses, with a 23rd on the way — and that means thousands of current and former clients who will safeguard Rossum's interests. And now, they have the means to reprogram whoever they want. Shiny.
It was interesting to see Harding running the Dollhouse, in contrast to Adelle. Her fancy performance was always aimed at creating the impression of a humane, caring service that was therapeutic and philanthropic — much like Inara's "Companion" poise in Firefly. Inara and Adelle even both use tea to symbolize the fact that they're fancy and full of happy empowerment. Harding keeps the tea, but drops the empowerment schtick — he's happy to be a pimp, and his dolls are property. As Boyd points out, the only real difference is that Harding doesn't lie to himself.
So the first episode was, once again, all about how the wealthy get what they want, and the rest of us are just their soon-to-be-broken toys, what with the evil boys' club of rich assholes congratulating themselves in Adelle's office. And then in the second half, we discovered that the wealthy don't always fare that well with the Dollhouse — we meet a guy who blew his entire fortune on engagements with Echo, and get to see a bunch of her other clients killed horribly as well.
Patton Oswalt returns as the tech whiz who needs Echo to impersonate his dead wife, and he's somewhat unsettled to learn that even though he's never planning on hiring the Dollhouse to recreate Rebecca again, she still exists. You can't really delete a program — once a program's created, it has a life of its own.
Did anybody else think Alan Tudyk was channeling Heath Ledger's Joker, just a bit, in his performance as Alpha last night? Maybe I'm on crack. In any case, Alpha was nattily dressed, and was (thank god) doing less of the "crazy talking to myself and snapping between personas" thing, and more of the "super-genius psycopath" thing. I was "meh" about Alpha last season, but he went a lot further towards winning me over last night. Especially after having just gotten such a powerful glimpse of the real evil of the Rossum Corp., Alpha is looking more and more like the lesser of two evils.
I don't have much else to say about the second hour — Alpha's still obsessed with Echo, and wants her to love him. It's a bit underwhelming as a villain motivation, but I think it's partly supposed to be that Alpha is obsessed with Echo because he sees himself in her, and he wants to be able to understand the difference between programmed and "real" emotions. And he knows that Echo's feelings for Paul Ballard are "real," so he wants to be able to see where they come from. Maybe now that Alpha has imprinted himself with Ballard's personality, we'll get something new and different out of it, like an Alpha who struggles with doing the right thing occasionally. We know, from "Epitaph One," that Alpha does turn out to be something of a force for good.
I liked the Actives being turned into killer zombies, which was a nice twist. And the Monty Python references. And Boyd, Echo and Ballard choosing to trust Topher with Echo's secret — wonder how badly that'll backfire? And co-writer Maurissa Tancharoen doing her sassy "I ain't got time for no neurocondensing" act. And Ballard's "My ass does feel very pampered."
Bottom line: This show is now much more clearly about an evil corporation that wants to own your brain. This has been true from the beginning, but it was harder to tell in those early episodes. Now it's pretty clear and straightforward, and the storytelling that can come as a result (with alll of those broken, complicated people, squirming under Rossum's thumb) is going to be magnificent. For as long as it lasts.