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Prof. Dr. Konstantin Nikolaou
Director and Chair
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
University Hospital Tübingen
Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3
72076 Tübingen, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)7071 29 82087
Fax: +49 (0)7071-29-5845
Email: email@example.com
Professor Konstantin Nikolaou is Chairman of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology in the Department of Radiology at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen (Germany). Professor Nikolaou received his MD from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (Germany) in the year 2000, where he also became an Assistant Professor at the Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospitals Munich, after finalizing his PhD-thesis on the topic of modern cardiovascular computed tomography techniques in 2007. After working as a section chief of CT/PET-CT and MRI at the same department, he became Vice Chair of the Department of Clinical Radiology at the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich in April 2007.
Professor Nikolaou joined the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen in April 2014 as Chairman of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology. His main fields of interest are multimodality and multi-parametric imaging modalities in oncology as well as non-invasive imaging of cardiovascular diseases.
Research Interests
Multimodal and hybrid oncological imaging
- Functional, hybrid and molecular oncologic imaging techniques, including Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-)MRI, DCE-CT, Diffusion-Weighted MRI, Dual-Energy CT
- Hybrid Imaging in oncology (PET-CT, PET-MRI)
Cardiovascular Imaging
- MRI and CT in imaging of the myocardium and coronary arteries
- Non-invasive vascular MRI and CT imaging (aortic, pulmonary, peripheral vascular imaging)
- Multimodal imaging of the arterial vessel wall / Plaque Imaging
Cohorts and Imaging Biomarkers
- Imaging Biomarker development and translational, experimental models in oncologic and cardiovascular imaging.
- Whole-Body MRI techniques and advanced post-processing in cohort studies
Joint Research Projects
2017 – 2020
Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Forschungskolleg "Therapieresistenz solider Tumore"

subset: commoncrawl


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Homophobia in Tunisia: People Hate Gays Because of What Straight People Do!
By Rahma Sghaier
Rahma Sghaier, 19 years old straight girl. She's a political and judicial sciences student who cares about Human Rights. In her article contribution, Rahma explores from a personal experience the different reasons behind homophobia in Tunisia.
Homophobia in Tunisia is a very common unhealthy attitude. Unlike many people think, homophobia is due to various factors besides the religious one. It's out of question today, as it always has been, to talk in public about gay rights.
Recently, bringing this cause to the political speeches, which is very rare, is seen as an immoral act; overly loathed and misunderstood. I can spend hours talking about the reasons of people's intolerance. But I am here today to talk about a personal experience.
I spoke about the gay matter 5 times tops, it's not really one of the favorite topics here… People I spoke to, mentioned "Any way, it's a sin" as their last argument to end the discussion.
I was surprised to hear numerous arguments which are about the conducts of psychologically-disturbed persons or non-gay people. Some of them mentioned rape as the main reason why they despise homos.
I heard some stories as "you know they rape young boys" "they are a bunch of sexually-obsessed freaks". Hold on, are they really talking about the right subject? Yes, many people here don't know the difference between pedophiles and gays.
Other arguments were like "Men sleep with each other just for fun; in the end they will marry a woman". First, they blindly think that being gay is all about the sex. They don't believe that they can have other relationships, love or be committed to each other. Second, they forgot that some straight people are unfaithful; as well we can't have all gays faithful and monogamous.
Moreover, it seems that those homophobic people don't know that men who are willingly with men then with women are not gay; they are bi and this is another subject… In fact, the unfortunate reason why "real gays" marry women in Tunisia is HOMOPHOBIA; the homophobic family and the intolerant society.
To sum up, people hate gays because of what non-gay people do! Back to facts, There is no convenient ways to do a "coming out" in Tunisia. Gays or suspected to be gay-persons are bullied in high-schools, called names and even beaten up. When they grow up, they are considered dangerous and corrupted men. They are marginalized and insulted daily. Being what they are is yet penalized in the Tunisian legislation. It's difficult to find jobs and most of them end up to be desperate and suicidal.
Comments5 Responses to "Homophobia in Tunisia: People Hate Gays Because of What Straight People Do!"
When a man counts on another to do some favor for him, like:"call me when you decide to go, I'll go with you" or "Could you help me in this stuff" or "borrow some stuff", and he doesn't do that favor, he'll be called as gay, as if he fu**ed him in the back… It's a whole insult !!
The hole situation seems complicated
But what is very clear for me is That those gays or bi or wherever their names were are human beings who
Have the right to be respected even if they are deferent of us.
One other thing That we need to be sure of is if what these people do is a sin or not it s not our role or duty to punish them or judje them but it s just the opposit we need to be grateful because
I am lucky to live in Scandinavia where discrimination of gay people is illegal and socially unacceptable. I have a Tunisian friend who describes the public threats, insults and violence he endures daily. It's difficult to understand but I always come to the same conclusion. The rule of fundamentalist religion over law and the oppression this creates in their society appears to be at the center of the problem. Until there are religious reforms in Tunisia true progress in equal rights is unlikely in the near future.
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in the dawn, for the reason that i love to find out more and more.
I think the admin of this web site is in fact working hard in support of his web
page, because here every stuff is quality based material.


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Little Bobby Tufts, celebrity 4-year-old mayor of a small town in Minnesota, has been kicked out of office due to his tough stance on toy gun control. Mayor Bobby had been in office for only a few months, after running a juvenile campaign promising late bedtimes and PG-rated movies for everyone.
Just this past weekend, Tufts was overheard during a neighborhood Nerf gun battle complaining loudly about an older kid's belt-fed machine gun. According to witnesses, Tufts said, "Big gun is cheating! No fair!" Tufts was reportedly armed with a single-shot Nerf pistol and carried only 6 rounds of ammo. After his humiliating defeat, Tufts signed an executive order in crayon to outlaw automatic Nerf guns.
Word got around the local playgrounds and streets quickly. Citizens of the small, unincorporated town of Higgs called for the special vote on Monday at Johnson's Hardware Store. Bobby was recalled by a margin of 33-2. As has been the case nationwide, politicians who cross gun owners' rights face dire consequences.
Mayor Tufts was stripped of his political position later in the afternoon when county police officers went to Bobby's daycare center to collect his official cellphone, laptop, and fleece jacket. The former mayor reportedly cried and wet his pants. He then asked for his stuffed doggy Skipper, who also serves as his legal adviser.
Tufts had no comment on plans for his political future.


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(Photo Credit: CBS)
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) – The President and CEO of Heritage Valley Health System stopped by to talk about community health care and the challenges that they face.
He talked about how the general economy has a major impact on healthcare, physician retention, and the lack of focus on wellness and prevention.
There's an app for that said Norm Mitry. Heritage Valley Health System has an app that uses electronic health care. He also talks about the benefits of having new technology.


text: Life changing. Innovative. Iconic. It all started back in 2010 with a question: How do you chill wine to the perfect drinking temperature without the mess of an ice bucket? After dozens of prototypes, the original Corkcicle in-bottle wine chiller (now the Corkcicle Air) was born. Since then they kept creating innovative barware, then found our way into the hydration space, and today, continue to push the boundaries of keeping things cool in style. Corkcicle believes that the world should be a refreshing place. The products are made to enhance your personal style and reduce personal impact on the planet. Every time you use your Canteen or Tumbler, you help the environment by reducing plastic waste in landfills and the ocean. From the start, Corkcicle has been recognized not only what they make, but how they make it.


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Product Photography is a growing industry nowadays, as more and more shops migrate to the online environment. However, when you put so much distance between the customer and physical product, it is easy to create confusion and advertise your products in an unfavorable way. The worst advice we heard about Product Photography is that you can do it yourself.
When it comes to Product Photography and photography in general, the difference between a professional and an amateur can be a huge one. When you take that difference and multiply it thousands of times, you obtain the contrast between a successful business and one that fails in the first year. Owning a DSRL camera doesn't mean great photos will come your way with little to no effort. Technique, knowledge, and experience are equally important as the camera and the lenses you have. Many amateurs fail to produce quality Product Photography because they don't know how to unleash the true power of their devices.
Another bad advice which is very common amongst business owners who want to take Product Photography in their own hands, is that you should commit a large sum of money from the beginning. We know too many cases when the enthusiasm for photography faded away in a matter of months. Those expensive new lenses and accessories end up being sold at half their initial value. This is a waste of both time and money. If you doubt your skills as a photographer and doubt your ability to learn and persevere, leaving Product Photography for those who already know how to do it is the reasonable option.
Now that we explored the biggest mistake you could possible make with Product Photography for your business, it is time to take things a bit forward. Let's say you had the courage and decided you will be the one to shoot the products. The following paragraphs will talk about concepts you should already be familiar with. If you struggle to get a grasp of what we are saying, this means you are about to make that big mistake. Go back to the basic and invest a lot of patient until you master the ABC of photography.
Great Product Photography relies almost exclusively on two aspects – the way you use light and the way you focus. Basically, the starting point you should have in mind is that people want to have an in depth understanding of what they are buying, from the comfort of their personal computer. This means that every product photography you put online needs to perform at its maximum potential and convey the maximum information. High-resolution photos will allow your customer to breech the barrier of the screen and feel more connected and more familiar with the products on display.
Light often changes our understanding of color and you certainly don't want that to happen to the products you need to sell. Especially when it comes to clothes and accessories, people are very sensitive to the event in which they receive something else than expected. Avoid shooting with multiple light source, as you have smaller chances to trace with accuracy each one's exact contribution. Natural light is the best, but when it comes to Product Photography, things are more difficult. First of all, expect to shoot for hours in a row, and this means the angle and the intensity of the sunlight will also change. In order to streamline post-processing and obtain the same quality, you will need to take the session indoors.
Detail is often directly linked with how well you use light. Over-exposure and under-exposure are the biggest mistakes when it comes to making Product Photography. Learning to predict the output of your camera under various conditions can only be done if you allow yourself time and patience to accumulate experience. Learning how to shoot products often takes the hard way. You will ruin the first couple of batches before you decide to settle with some settings. Often, it is not your camera the one that makes photos look too dark or too pale. The display you use to review photos is equally important as the gear you paid so much for. Choose the right settings and visualize your photos the same way your clients will. Often computer monitors display colors in a strange way and you can fail to understand why your customers complain so often. We use calorimeters for monitor calibration on each one of our workstations and this is the way to go if you call yourself a pro. Color depth and color profile are again settings that might influence the way your photos are perceived by online viewers. Although you might think that there is no doubt which color is which, you can go wrong in many ways. For example, if you decide to print a catalog, you would have to check that the transition from RGB to CYMK is done properly. The way color is obtain on your computer monitor is very different from the way your photos are being put to paper. Again, if you feel like all this information is too much, you should end the pain and choose professionals to take care of your Product Photography needs.
Product Photography relies on a large number of repetitions, which choosing the right settings a crucial aspect. Although many software allow you to pass the modifications from one photo to another, and even to apply the settings once for all, you have to be sure that this is what you want. Shooting in RAW format might make you proud of your knowledge of file formats, but can also drain precious resources in post-processing.
The way you frame the photo and the angle from which you take the shot are essential parameters for you Product Photography session. The product itself is the focal point, so avoid any distracting background or other item present in the frame. Professional product photographers know exactly how to isolate or remove the background altogether. This is a chapter where the capabilities of your lenses can make the difference. However, post processing can do well in terms of putting more focus on the product itself. Using a vignette might sound like a good idea, if your photography skills derive from Instagram.
Returning to the idea at the beginning, it is advice to use professionals if you have a limited understanding of how photography works. Taking a photo with your smartphone and increasing saturation will never produce great Product Photography. Although post-processing might seem as an almighty science, everything you do in addition to what the camera sensor already did, only adds noise. You certainly do not want to make your products look blurry and out-of-focus.
Our company has all the answers for your dilemmas and for the thoughts going through your mind so often. Yes, it is much better if you do only the things you are good at. Is not worth it to compromise a good business for the ambition to call yourself a photographer. Product Photography has now evolved to create 3d photos of the products you want to sell. Again, such quality features come attached only if you are willing to invest at the beginning in your photos.


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Intervention & Complaint Management On Site
Sexual Abuse and Misconduct: Intervention & Complaint Management On Site
Skills learned in this component prevent initial critical errors by untrained administrators. The knowledge gained from this program is transferable to all types of internal complaints and inquiries, but is essential to curtailing complaints of deliberate indifference to sexual abuse and misconduct.
Participants will learn:
- The role and responsibility of school administrators and the site-level complaint manager
- Proactive approaches to warning signs and rumors
- Clear procedures for recording all incidents
- How to identify the key issues and conduct appropriate inquiries
- Action protocols that will stand up in court
For: Site administrators, complaint managers, human resource directors, school counselors, Title IX officers, and risk managers.


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Topic: Darkest Roleplay: The Absolute Discussion (OOC)
Home › Forums › The Darkest Roleplay › Darkest Roleplay: The Absolute Discussion (OOC)
These forums are closing and migrating to a new location! Please go to forums.darkestdungeon.com and create your account. Feel free to bring your posts over to this new forum.
This topic contains 4,921 replies, has 66 voices, and was last updated by TheSilentRevenant 2 years, 11 months ago.
July 7, 2015 at 2:49 am #56947
This will act as the primary location to discuss most OOC conversations and situations.
While this does not rule out using OOC within the Darkest Roleplay itself, it would be much preferred if discussions which demand a focused attention would be set here.
While partial to declutering the landscape of the Roleplay itself, it will also serve to discuss major events, or problems.
Rules here are rather basic, and serve more as… guidelines.
Try not to use profanity to the extremes. I know we all want to be that 'OG Gangster', but it is tiresome to read cuss words every sentence. We are noble gents and ladies, after all, are we not?
No links to/excessive mentionings of pornographic sites and other explicit material. While I am totally fine with erotic images and text, it seems society thinks itself too noble and finds acts of raw passion; be it images, text, video, or any other medium, to be debase and wrong. As such, we will conform. No leading some rebellion of society here, I do not believe.
And as ever, pertain to the Roleplay; at least in a comedic or other menial fashion. I mean, it is Out Of Character; but it still is within the Darkest Roleplay. However, if you find some suitably dark and amusing cat video… do share.
Introduction aside, I believe the first and foremost thing I want to discuss is… Where in the blazes are we planning on going with this RP?
I haven't done so myself, but is there even an end to Darkest Dungeon itself, currently?
I also believe the Heir should be more heavy-handed in how he manages his heroes. At the very least, there should be mentionings of other mercenaries being sent out, only for madmen to return.
That, right there; another key point. I feel like the mortality of characters should be given some levity. I feel like we ourselves should be playing the more exciting and daring runs that result in some manner of victory. To actually have our characters be… well, heroes.
I think it would be good if, when we decide to RP dungeon dives, the Dungeon Master should have an adventure based off of a previous run that they found would be even more awesome if the sprites had even more depth. This would make the delves a bit more objective focused and believable to the game and, in turn, the lore.
I do realize some personal plot-lines demand to have some dedicated dungeon delve, and that is when the heroes confront the Heir. Who would not be altogether happy or easy to convince; seeing as he is inevitably the one who pays for all the provisioning.
The Heir should be a bit regretful of his decision, but ultimately stalwart; determined to forge ahead. Holding a fierce honor to his house; as that is really the only reason anyone would stay in such a miserable domain.
Speaking of money; the heroes themselves are being paid with allowance and/or residence, it seems. They do not require upkeep, so I am presuming that they are working and respectively given some manner of allowance perhaps? I feel like this should be more cemented, to give more depth to in-hamlet occurances. Some folk gambling away their money, or earning plenty and only keeping what they are allowed. Others perhaps quietly stashing the money, to steal away themselves at the nearest opportunity. And a few running their money dry, and forced to miserable residences and lifestyles.
I also feel a general state of the hamlet should be in order.
Are the buildings all 100% or what?
Anyhow, those are a plethora of discussion points that I believe 'ought to be talked and settled about. I'm off to get some wine…
"Sometimes there are a lot of words..."
"Half the people don't make it to gravy."
"'Twas not by fire, but was forged in flame
That can drown the sorrows of a huntsman's pain" - The Devil and The Huntsman
"I've got an intelligence of six, please, I got this." - GrogJuly 7, 2015 at 4:43 am #56950
Character mortality? Sure, go kill your chars, but without me, I'm done with that.
Nice idea through, it would be deeper.
"Frometh ashes thou were borneth, and to ashes thou shall be returneth, for thou art the Chosen Undead."July 7, 2015 at 5:19 am #56953
I think you raise some interesting points, I have a few comments to make. Forgive me if I misunderstood anything you wrote.
As for where the RP the 'going' I am not sure we can ever have an end goal if that's what you meant, I am not sure anyone particularly wants one. Darkest Dungeon itself currently has no 'end' and I personally feel like if we had a concise or informed ending in mind then we would have a lot of boring characters grinding towards a singular goal.
I agree with your point about about levity and character death. It seems despite having had several characters die we never really get around to actually giving them much of a send-off.
So far, I haven't seen a Dungeon Run that hasn't fit the overall themes of the RP itself, I do agree that the Heir should have more involvement or at the very least reactions to dungeon runs. For example, if a group of characters went on a run he hadn't permitted, how would he react? Would he dock their wages? Have them spend a few nights in the cells or the a day in the stocks? Also how would the general populace of the Hamlet react upon the heroes return.
The problem with the Heir's presence however is that no single person can RP him/ her. Each incarnation of the Heir when he's appeared has been slightly different because of this. Perhaps we need to some more of The Darkest families nobility or at the very least some of the Heir's Lieutenants.
I am surprised I agree with you on the money comment. Usually the idea of having clear stats and numbers doesn't appeal to me at all. That being said, the reason I agree with you fully on characters keeping closer tabs of how much money they have is for several reasons but one very important one. The fact that I fundamentally have an unlimited economy (which is not something I exploit) means I am never really required to Dungeon Run. I like the idea of my characters being down to their last few coppers, weighing up the pros and cons: 'Can I go another day without a meal? Or will I brave the depths of the Estate?' Also if I had a clearer idea of how much coin I have then earning upgrades, such as weapons and armour and extra training becomes much more rewarding.
I also think the buildings in the town are not really used with the upgrade system. I mean if we kept strictly to their upgrades we would only be able to have three patients in the Saniatrium at any one time, which would make the whole experience interesting but ultimately very irritating and unrealistic.
Anyway there is my two pence on some of your points. I too am going to have my morning wine-cap.July 7, 2015 at 9:00 am #56962
Hey guys. Earlier I mentioned how there were some conflicts/disapproval of how the RP is going on. At least in my opinion (I don't want to speak for anyone else, though I know there are others who share the sentiment) Things are getting a but zany. This isn't a technical problem, because there are no rules implemented to say you can't do whatever you want. This is a free flowing and fun role play. And no one has power/authority over you or your characters.
So, here is a proposed solution: We make a new Hardcore canonical RP. No one has to abandon or scrap the old one. And no one has to join this new one either. The rules and layout would be almost entirely the same, except for a few things.
Firstly, we would like to enforce, in the hardcore RP, a rule that limits characters classes, abilities, background, etc. to things you can find in the game. This obviously can limit the uniqueness and opportunities for characters and story, but it also entirely negates blowing stuff out of the water with crazy powerful, death-defying chars with no real limit to what they can do.
Secondly, we should think about implementing more actual game play elements. We don't want to absolutely kill the fun with numbers everywhere. However, there should be a starting point, and a clear development. As said above, no one should have the funds to do everything. And there should be at least considerably more time spent actually in the darkest dungeon.
Maybe we could have a few designated DM's to make things go more smoothly. And/or some player(s) to control the heir more frequently.
Some of us want an RP that is just straight up more Darkest Dungeon. And, once again, no one has to be a part of this if they don't want. And no one is… or even can really, shut down the old one. If you would like to enjoy a more dangerous and more consequential RP, please do. I want to encourage you guys to be a part of it.
A couple of us may go ahead with this idea anyways, as it will not disrupt the current RP, and allow those of us who disapprove (maybe we're just being salty guys, I dunno) to have a bit of sadistic fun in a new place. This is also not to say we are necessarily leaving the old RP (though we may ease of out it. Not sure yet).
So, thoughts…?Character sheets
The silver lining seldom lies in sight too plain to see
But trust our story's end can bring redemption for the pain enduredJuly 7, 2015 at 9:11 am #56967
I am on the side of thinking this is a very good idea.
For me the main thread hasn't felt like the Darkest Dungeon setting in a long time, I really hope people get on board with this and revel in the masochism it has the potential to be!July 7, 2015 at 9:19 am #56968
Rorick SkyveParticipant
Is this by any chance, the result of what I did with Solomon? If so, I apologize. If you prefer, I will leave the RP and let you guys go on, just say so if you want.July 7, 2015 at 9:23 am #56970
What? No dude.
There is no blame at all here. It's just talking about what bothers folk.
Don't take it on board nobody is attacking you.
My Dev-Art
An ode to Cinneas:
"You made us laugh,
you made us cry.
Oh why, oh why,
did I let you die?"July 7, 2015 at 9:25 am #56971
Some of us think the world is a bit saturated with magik and the like now. That's all.
Nobody is naming names or anything. The idea proposed is about letting everybody have the games they want.
My Dev-Art
An ode to Cinneas:
"You made us laugh,
you made us cry.
Oh why, oh why,
did I let you die?"July 7, 2015 at 9:26 am #56972
I do agree with this more serious RPJuly 7, 2015 at 9:26 am #56973
We absolutely would not prefer for you or anyone else to leave. We don't want to spoil anyone's fun, simply make an alternate mode of RPing. Please, if you would, continue to role with us in the other thread, and even the new one if you'd like.Character sheets
The silver lining seldom lies in sight too plain to see
But trust our story's end can bring redemption for the pain enduredJuly 7, 2015 at 9:28 am #56974
Can anyone either tell me where to find the new thread or give me a link?July 7, 2015 at 9:28 am #56975
Rorick SkyveParticipant
I don't take it as an attack. I just felt unhappy with myself since lately and the way I developed my character. Additionally, this whole RP-Thing has proven to be hazardous to my health. since I got to worked up about it, mostly ignoring my own needs regarding sleep and nutrition, in addition to me experiencing severe stress and even depression due to me becoming too emotionally attached to my char by now, to simply let go, so maybe I will leave soon anyway. Not because of the poeple here, but for concern of my own well-being.July 7, 2015 at 9:30 am #56977
I understand, and I'm sorry to hear that, Rorick.
Blade: Nothing's been made for it yet.Character sheets
The silver lining seldom lies in sight too plain to see
But trust our story's end can bring redemption for the pain enduredJuly 7, 2015 at 9:31 am #56978
I think this definitely has some potentialJuly 7, 2015 at 9:31 am #56979
It's not made yet Blade it's just an idea.
Hey Rorick. You look after yourself first okay? Take some time if you need it. We will be here when you get back if you still want to role with us.
My Dev-Art
An ode to Cinneas:
"You made us laugh,
you made us cry.
Oh why, oh why,
did I let you die?"
The forum 'The Darkest Roleplay' is closed to new topics and replies.


text:
Tiny Speck said today it raised $10.7 million in the second round of funding for its online game business from Andreessen Horowitz and Accel.
The company is also launching an invite-based beta test of its social online game, Glitch, next week. The fact that the company has attracted considerable funding from marquee venture capital firms shows that the game market, particularly online social games, is still a hot category. While some are calling this a bubble, the number of success stories — from Zynga to Ngmoco — is high and it's inspiring more money and more entrants to come into the market.
Tiny Speck is headed by Stewart Butterfield, who is known for creating photo-sharing site Flickr with his wife Caterina Fake. Yahoo bought Flickr in 2005 and Butterfield created Tiny Speck with a number of core employees from Flickr, including Cal Henderson, former head of engineering at Flickr.
Glitch is a zany massively multiplayer online game "with a very social undercurrent" that will debut on Tiny Speck's web site. In the game, there are 11 giants "who thought of funny things until their thinking came alive." You play beings inside their thoughts and your task is to make them bigger.
In an interview, Butterfield said that raising the money was relatively easy, particularly since Andreessen Horowitz and Accel have supported the company from the start. He said that the game is taking longer to make than the usual social game, but he said that Glitch is much more ambitious than other games as a social game world.
"Ours is more of a quest for self-identity, with richer and deeper game play," he said.
Butterfield said that developers can actually tap into the services Glitch enables via a set of applications programming interfaces (APIs) to build game add-ons or new games.
Butterfield said the company started its first alpha testing of Glitch a year ago. Hundreds of features have been added or trimmed during that time. There are 85 different skills and hundreds of different items in the game. There are also thousands of locations for players to explore.
Tens of thousands of people are waiting in a queue to test the game. Butterfield said the investment allows Tiny Speck to move faster in developing the unique game world and the technology infrastructure behind it. He said the company is hiring and wants to get in touch with independent game developers. The company has 22 employees.


text:
Phong Gi is a location in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy. It is a small settlement that is hidden deep in the jungle. Few people know of its beauty.
|This page or section is incomplete.
You can help this wiki by adding the missing information.
The group decides that they must investigate the source of Morel's grumpiness, and find out that the villagers have been attempting to get him to laugh for weeks to no avail. Checking around, Layton discovers that Morel has been having accidents more frequently, and deduces that Morel's eyesight has weakened, forcing him to navigate the village and jungle via his other limited senses. This was why none of the villagers's jokes worked, since they relied on Morel being able to see.
Using several local materials and enlisting the help of a few villagers, Layton fashions a set of novelty crystal spectacles, which not only restore Morel's eyesight but also distort it as a result of the crystal's refraction, causing everything to appear hilariously distorted. Bursting into laughter, Morel grants Layton with the Egg.
Known Inhabitants Edit
Images Edit
- The name Phong Gi is likely a pun on the word "fungi". All local characters are also named after various types of mushroom, have mushroom-shaped hair, and occasionally make references to mushrooms in their speech.


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Americans may not be quick-studies in the art of revolution, and yes, it did seem to take forever for unemployed and underemployed US workers, college students and white collar "professionals" to "get" that US jobs lost weren't coming back – at least not in this corporate-owned lifetime -- or that the "American Dream," as we once understood it was effectively dead, but once we "got it," we really did get it.
Now that we've caught up with the "Arab spring" and the "European summer," the "American autumn" (notice I resisted the urge to call it the "American fall") is undeniably and seriously under way.
Thanks in large part to the resourcefulness and intelligence of the protesters themselves, this 21st century American Revolution isn't looking like it's ready to go down without a fight. And when that fight comes, it threatens to rock all that is held sacred in the unholy world of corporate greed and excess.
With one group of savvy protesters managing to actually publish their own newspaper – appropriately named "Occupy Wall Street" -- even that worrisome "missing message" seems finally to have been found by the once baffled and confused corporate media. Let's face it. When the likes of "Business Insider" editor and former equity research analyst (recently banned from the securities industry), Henry Blodget, jubilantly proclaims in a headline, "The Protesters Are Getting Their Act Together!" (yes, with an exclamation point), you know the Wall Street wind is seriously blowing south.
And, in the spirit of fair play, it really should be documented for posterity that the generally corporate-friendly Business Insider seemed to be honestly trying to understand the OWS protesters' elusive "message." Indeed, editor Blodget made an almost touchingly valiant effort this week to articulate what the Business Insider "thought the protesters certainly deserved to be mad about," by publishing a collection of charts showing the extreme inequality that has developed in the US economy.
One visualizes millions of left brains across the nation lighting up: "Ohhhh … I see. So, that's what they want!"
Of course, one would expect good OWS coverage from the Pacifica Radio Network, where the ever-vigilant Amy Goodman hosts "DemocracyNow!" (and where I got my own start in radio journalism), or from the Progressive Radio Network (www.progressiveradionetwork.com) -- and these stations have not disappointed. They -- along with many small, community stations across the country -- have maintained an admirably consistent alternative media presence at various sites where the OWS protests have been occurring. And, unlike the corporate media, they were there from the very first days. Then there's good old RT (previously known as "Russia Today"), which was also on top of the protests from the start. But, I guess that's to be expected from a network sponsored by "communist sympathizers."
Of the corporate media outlets, the New York Times may deserve a very small silver star for having been one of the first to actually recognize that the OWS movement was perhaps a little more than the editors had originally ignored. Not wanting to miss the boat, these days NYT is pretty much "all over the story," with esteemed corporate liberal Thomas Friedman numbering among those unable to resist the call to weigh in. This week, Friedman kicked off his column with the headline, "Seriously, This 'Occupy' Movement Is Now Global And Needs Defining."
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True, Friedman's uninspired headline is oddly reminiscent of the now infamous "missing message," and thus feels mildly irritating and confusing. But Friedman does make a decent attempt at redemption (and clarification) in his first paragraph, wherein he writes, "When you see spontaneous social protests erupting from Tunisia to Tel Aviv to Wall Street, it's clear that something is happening globally that needs defining."
The article that follows is classic Friedman, and relatively unremarkable journalism, but it is nonetheless revealing. It's also modestly significant that the ever-puffed up Friedman manages to lift his hat at least slightly off of his head in deference to the OWS protests. And it is certainly testimony to the power of the movement that, in another recently published piece, Friedman quotes a passage from Australian environmentalist Paul Gilding's book, "The Great Disruption," wherein Gilding writes: "I look at the world as an integrated system, so I don't see these protests, or the debt crisis, or inequality, or the economy, or the climate going weird, in isolation — I see our system in the painful process of breaking down," which Friedman explains, is what Gilding means by the Great Disruption. "Our system of economic growth, of ineffective democracy, of overloading planet earth — our system — is eating itself alive. Occupy Wall Street is like the kid in the fairy story saying what everyone knows but is afraid to say: the emperor has no clothes. The system is broken."
I've never been a huge Friedman fan, but his choice of quotes illustrates just how compelling these Occupy Wall Street protests are becoming -- a decent start for a corporate liberal like Friedman.
Then there's NYT's ever-astute Paul Krugman, who quoted a passage from his own book in this week's column: "I have a vision – maybe just a hope—of a great revulsion: a moment when the American people look at what is happening, realize how their good will and patriotism have been abused, and put a stop to this drive to destroy much of what is best in our country. How and when this moment will come, I don't know. But one thing is clear: it cannot happen unless we all make an effort to see and report the truth about what is happening."
Thank you, Paul Krugman.
And, while I'm at it, I suppose it is worth mentioning that earlier this month, everyone's favorite corporate cheerleader and chief debt collector Suze Orman endorsed the OWS protests. Not that we should be flattered by – or even mildly grateful for – Suze's endorsement, or for that matter, any of the praise recently lavished on the movement by the corporate media. But, all corporate things considered, it is worth noting that this is a truly extraordinary moment in the history of public relations.
So, while I do have a slightly darker take on just how significant the entire OWS movement is, for now I'll just stand up and proclaim, "YAY for our side for making strides on the public relations front. It appears that wonders (really) never do cease."
I'll save the dark stuff for my next piece.


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Tom Ricks, who I do respect, and love his books, wrote a very biased list of reformers in regard to the COIN movement inside the Army today (he works with a lot of them as well). A lot of these people, if not most, are beltway insiders (I don't know everyone of them, but do most). They almost all get a lot of media attention for the wrong reasons. I disagree almost totally with Tom's list. So, I published my own list below. I disagree as I explain below. Read Tom's list at the bottom of this post, then read mine here.
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas,


text:
The Easter Holiday is over and I'm back in reality of the everyday life 🙁
I managed to extend my holiday to the week and I can't remember, when I last could take time off to just be at home and spend time with my children, without the need to rush somewhere or actually going to the holiday. It was lovely! I slept 9 hours and more! We went to the local swimming pool, went to the cinema to see "Power Rangers", which I actually enjoyed and almost cried!!?? We went shopping for some necessities, like school shoes and more socks – boring stuff and had lunch in Nandos. So I did nothing special but it was so enjoyable. I even had haircut! I haven't been at hairdressers over a year now and my hair looked really sad.
Haven't had so many compliments very long time.
We did go away on Good Friday to have a mini holiday at the Kent coast.
We had walks at seaside, met up with family and had a good laugh, visited Margate, which was big surprise. I haven't been there since children were small and I kind of remember it being quite run down place with the nice beach. For my surprise it was lovely, great seaside atmosphere, nice antique and retro shops, lots cafes and pubs, it was especially nice on the pier. We even found one Scandinavian café and had compulsory Cinnamon bun.
Only negative side of the holiday was – I haven't been able to do CrossFit for almost 2 weeks. I have done something to my "good" leg/knee few weeks ago and I can't train properly. I did try carry on and even managed to PB my back squat, but decided not to do CrossFit for few weeks in order to get back to it quicker. It seems I got tendonitis after doing workout, which included over parallete burpees and I was actually quite proud myself doing so well. But following day I felt pain in my knee/around the knee and actually my another"bad" knee become suddenly the "good" one. "Oeh!" old people problems 🙂
I felt quite down because of it. CrossFit is my therapy and it keeps me happy or exhausted so I don't care about s**t and not many things can annoy me then 🙂 But looking to the bright side, I had week off from work and spent lots of time with my children and I was quite active other ways. My leg feels much better now and I have planned to go back to the training tonight. Unfortunately, I wasn't very good with doing some mobility at home so my knee feels still bit stiff. I just find really hard to take 20 minutes at home to do it, I usually have to choose either doing exercise or getting full 7 hours sleep.
I wasn't pleased with the "Project 30" development beginning of the months, so after complaining over it in the last post lovely Lindsay from LJL Coaching urged me back to join her FB group and record all activities/food/moods over the next 2 weeks and this really have helped me so the weight goes in right direction again. Thank you, I really needed that! Only the few days away from home and indulging with some ice cream and chocolate eggs hasn't been kind to me and I got a bit of a shock on the scale this morning, but I'm back on tracking my food today and feeling determined again so hopefully I will see more pleasing result from now on 🙂


text:
A multispecialty surgery center offering services spanning a wide coverage in a one stop facility located in heart of Makati City.
This medical centre in Manila, Philippines offers a wide array of services under the different fields and sub-specialties of the medical field. This privately owned tertiary hospital has been in operation for more than 50 years.
General Dentistry
General Dentistry and Prosthodontics
upon request
Hospital dental practice is highly specialised and covers oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral surgery, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, and restorative dentistry.
Dental Medicine
This information is intended for general information only and should not be considered as medical advice on the part of Health-Tourism.com. Any decision on medical treatments, after-care or recovery should be done solely upon proper consultation and advice of a qualified physician.
Gingivectomy is a periodontal surgical procedure in which diseased gingival tissue is removed and reformed in order to maintain the gingival contour. Gingevectomy is the treatment of choice for chronic gum disease when the condition cannot be treated with antibiotics, scaling and root planning. The procedure is also used to remove overgrown gum tissue and improve the appearance of the gums.
This periodontal surgery is primarily performed to eliminate microbial factors as well as soft tissue defects that lead to pocket formation or other severe periodontal diseases. The surgery aims to halt the progression of the disease and maintain the health of the soft tissue.
The procedure:
Copyright © 2008 - 2020 Health-Tourism.com, All Rights Reserved


text:
Indian Ladies Painting by Gayatri Bhutada
Gayatri attended the Sir JJ School of Art. She lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
The Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art (Sir J. J. School of Art), is the oldest art institution in Mumbai, and is affiliated with the University of Mumbai.
This painting glories in the reds and the golden colors. The painting is intriguing and the golden colors bring to mind The Kiss by Gustav Klimt which makes the word golden golden. Gayatri's art has a fluidity and a cultural base which is truly beautiful.
This art came in through the new Artvilla Facebook Page. We hope to publish more art of Gayatri Bhutada. Here is a blogger shout out for the Sir JJ School of art and the artists they are producing.


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Boomers Bounces has provided thousands of Delaware and Chester County families with backyard inflatable fun for OVER fifteen years.
If you're having a backyard party in Chester County, Western Delaware County and Northern Delaware, we have a Moonbounce or other inflatable for you.
Some things you should know:
~ We provide full day rentals.
~ We coordinate our delivery schedule with you to meet your needs. Our courteous staff will deliver and set-up the bounce.
~ We clean and sanitize our bounces before every use.
So, when planning your next party or event, select a company that has taken pride in providing safe, clean, affordable moonbounce rentals in Chester County, Delaware County, and Delaware for OVER fifteen years.
For the full list of towns we service and delivery fees, click here.
Reserve Online Today or Call 610-996-1701


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Fundraising Procedures: Cash Box, Paypal & GW Branding
In aid of their fundraising efforts, organizations may request the temporary use of an SBA cash box through the Vice President of Finance and/or the use of the SBA PayPal account through one of the Deputy Vice Presidents of Finance. This page contains a few procedures regarding using the cash box, Paypal, and selling merchandise with the GW logo. For more specific information on these procedures please consult the Treasurer's Guide.
Cash box Policy
Student organizations should request use of the cash box from their Finance Branch Point of Contact via email with subject line "{Student Org} Cash box Request". Be sure to carbon copy email@example.com on the email. If a cash box is available the Finance Branch will provide the box and a certain amount of seed money for making change. Groups may use the money to obtain small bills for making change. All SBA cash boxes, along with the seed money provided, must be returned within 48 hours of the end of the fundraising activity/event. Also note that the cash box availability is not guaranteed. Finally, the Deposit Form must still be used to deposit any funds the organization raises. DO NOT simply return the cash box with the money raised.
PayPal Policy
The Finance Branch works with student organizations to make sure all PayPal requests are made in compliance with finance procedures. Student organizations can utilize PayPal as an online store for their fundraising efforts. Once all PayPal request requirements have been met, the Finance Branch, via the Director of Technology, creates the student organization's fundraising event on PayPal and monitors sales. After the designated sale period, the Finance Branch will coordinate with the University Finance Department to ensure all profits from the fundraiser are transferred to the student organization's account.
In order to make a PayPal request, an organization should use the PayPal Request Form. The organization must make the request at least two weeks in advance of the planned fundraising event. The request should include information about the name and description of the item for sale, the time frame the sale will be available, price, and any variables on the item. The SBA will set up a PayPal "button" that can be provided to the organization as a hyperlink for emails and as HTML code that can be embedded on a group's website. Once the sale is complete, the VPF will withdraw the funds and deposit them into the group's account as soon as they are received.
Please keep in mind that PayPal takes a portion of any purchase made. As of the time this guide was written, Paypal charged a baseline $0.30 on each transaction plus 2.9% of the transaction total. For example, if an item is offered for $15.00, the group will only receive $14.26. There is also a $1.50 processing fee each time the SBA withdraws funds from Paypal. Finally, once the sale is closed and the funds are withdrawn, it takes at least two weeks for the check to arrive.
For any questions regarding PayPal requests student organizations can contact their Finance Branch Point of Contact via email with subject line "{Student Org} PayPal Request". Please also copy email@example.com on the email.
GWU Branding Policy
Any time a student organization purchases merchandise such as shirts, pens, or glasses for sale it must include the name or logos of The George Washington University. As part of this process the student organization must comply with the rules of the University's Licensing and Trademarks Program for information about logos and licensed vendors. When "George Washington," "GW," "Colonials," or anything remotely similar appears on an item, the group must contact the University for approval. Please note that this University office is not associated with the Law School.
An organization must send an email with its intended design and vendor to firstname.lastname@example.com BEFORE an order is placed. Once approval is obtained, usually in the form of an email, that approval and a copy of the design must be included with any reimbursement or direct payment request submitted to the SBA Finance Branch. If the design is not approved or that documentation is not included, the requests will be denied.
For information about the University's trademark guidelines click here.
For more information about the University's licensed vendors click here.


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Archive for September 2006
RLV and Space Transport News
keeps up on Lunar Lander Challenge news (among other things):
From Top Spacer, aka Clark Lindsey:
Armadillo Aerospace now has a page dedicated to its Lunar Lander Challenge effort: Armadillo Aerospace – 2006 X Prize Cup Lander Challenges
Not much info posted there yet. However, it's nice to see Nvidia sponsoring a NewSpace company (this sponsorship was announced back in August). Hope more firms step up to support other entrepreneurial space projects.
The site also displays a cool Armadillo Aerospace X Prize Cup 2006 Patch
Masten Space Will Not Compete This Year
From Dave Masten to aRocket:
Ian Moore posted this just a bit ago:
As he says, we're not competing in the XPrize Cup Vertical Rocket/Lunar Lander Challenge. 5 people and less than a year is just not enough time to put together a solid entry. This stuff is hard, especially when the head honcho is ana^h^h^h a perfectionist. 😉
We're still planning on being at the X Prize Cup and we're working out what if anything we'll do there. We will most likely be showing off the XA-0.1 vehicle, and doing some looooonnnnnnnggggggg engine firings with some throttling.
Best of luck to the remaining teams, especially Armadillo.
eXpected @ X Prize Cup
Not flying, but headlining the eXecutive Summit:
NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, almost President Al Gore and international space blogging sensation Anousheh Ansari.
Lunar Landers on The Space Show
Update: This was a great Space Show! — watch for the Podcast at Feedburner
The Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006 Space Show from 9:30-11 AM PDT welcomes Dr. Buzz Aldrin to the show.
Dr. Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. or Buzz Aldrin as he is known, was the second human to walk on the moon. On July 20, 1969, he followed Neil Armstrong onto the lunar surface while a third American astronaut, Michael Collins, remained in orbit overhead. Aldrin attended West Point, flew fighter jets in the Korean War, and then earned a doctorate in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before joining the NASA astronaut corps in October of 1963. He flew on the Gemini 12 space mission (launched 11 November 1966) and then was chosen as the lunar module pilot for Apollo 11, the first manned mission to the surface of the moon. The success of Apollo 11 made Aldrin, Armstrong and Collins international heroes. Since his retirement from NASA, Aldrin has been an unabashed booster for space exploration. He founded Starcraft Boosters, a private rocket design firm. His autobiography, Return to Earth was published in 1973. He also wrote the sci-fi novels Encounter With Tiber (1996) and The Return (2000). Aldrin reached the rank of colonel in the U.S. Air Force… He reportedly got the nickname Buzz from his baby sister, who called him "buzzer" while trying to say "brother". You can find out much more about Buzz by visiting his website, www.buzzaldrin.com.
Broadcast 558 (Special Edition)
Aired on September 24th, 2006
Guests: Dr. William Gaubatz, Dr. Patricia Hynes
Dr. William Gaubatz and Dr. Patricia Hynes were the guests for this Space Show program to discuss the upcoming International Symposium on Personal Space Flight (ISPSF) and the X Prize Cup.
The ISPSF is hosted by Space Grant New Mexico and New Mexico State University and is a terrific two day conference supporting private and commercial space development. Our program discussed this symposium in detail, pointing out the quality speakers, the agenda, and some of the very fun events being planned for those attending the symposium. We then discussed X Prize Cup which takes place later in the week in Las Cruces, NM.
Both Dr. Gaubatz and Dr. Hynes shared with us not only the details of these two important events but also their importance from their unique perspectives. In addition to the discussion of these two events, listener questions were asked of Dr. Gaubatz regarding the DC-X project which he headed. You will not want to miss his discussion of DC-X.
Also, he pointed out that attending these events will afford people the opportunity to meet the current crop of historical space figures still alive, well, and working to further space development. How many of us would like to meet Goddard or Von Braun?
Well, do we want to say that about many of the greats that will be at these events? No way so we all need to show up for the opportunity to meet the founders and heroes that have taken us so far so quickly in space development. You can get more information about these two events at XPrizeCup.com.
90-Second Hover
Armadillo Aerospace Lunar Lander Challenge team leader John Carmack updates the aRocket discussion group on progress:
This is a really big video that isn't all that exciting:
There were two issues we were concerned about right after we did this flight:
The lox pressure dropped a lot more than the fuel pressure, causing a drastic mixture ratio change, and we wound up burning some stainless from the injector at the very end, probably because with the low lox pressure not bending the unlike impinging fuel elements straight down, we got a recirculating region that we don't get at normal pressures.
There were some attitude oscillations towards the end of the flight.
We didn't realize it until I looked at the side view video and telemetry back at the shop, but all the problem turned out to be was that the vehicle drifted enough that it was tugging on the tether bungee cords, which caused lots of firing of the lox side roll thrusters, depleting a lot of lox ullage pressure, and also caused the oscillations. If we had been flying without tethers, we wouldn't have seen either issue.
There was a slight drift in the integrated velocity position versus the true position over 90 seconds of about two meters, which contributed to my not realizing the exact position of the vehicle and the tethers.
The second vehicle should be getting in the air next week, and we will be trying for the 180 second flights soon.
John Carmack
Lunar Lander Challenge eXclusive
Read the latest eXclusive news at Space.com
(Oddly, no mention of Masten Space Systems… )
^ Update: 2:35 p.m. PDT — Dave Masten confessed that he did not answer his email in time to be included in the Space.com article today, but said that Masten Space Systems still plans to make a showing at X Prize Cup.
Questions about Lunar Lander Challenge
Answers by Will Pomerantz, X Prize Director of Space Projects.
Q: Will there be competitors in Lunar Lander Challenge this year?
Q: Have the rules been changed?
The rules have not been changed, although some clarifications have been made, and a few waivers for 2006 only have been issued.
Q: Have any teams received licenses or experimental permits to fly in Lunar Lander Challenge?
One of the waivers made for 2006 was to relax the timelines for teams to get their permits. This waiver was issued because the experimental permit is a brand new process for the FAA, and anticipating how long it would take them to process applications was difficult.
Q: Have any demo flights been scheduled or completed?
Some demo flights have been scheduled; however, this was also one of the requirements relaxed by waiver for 2006 only.


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%A Joel, Gerschman
%T Unearthing lawyers' role in VCAT mediation : do theory and practice converge?
%U https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/Unearthing_lawyers_role_in_VCAT_mediation_do_theory_and_practice_converge_/4633870
%R 10.4225/03/589bca6856ba3
%K Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
%K Dispute resolution (Law)
%K Mediation
%K Lawyers
%X While mediation literature is replete with theoretical
accounts of what "should" occur in mediation, there remains a dearth of
empirical research elucidating what "actually" occurs in practice. In
particular, the manner in which lawyers represent clients in mediation
has attracted scant consideration. Hence, based on the proposition that
successful mediation outcomes require a consonance between theoretical
objectives and practical reality, accurate evaluation of mediation's
efficacy cannot currently be undertaken. Since the use of mediation
services in Australia continues to increase dramatically, as evidenced
by its central role at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
(VCAT), such appraisal is of critical importance.In order to address
this situation, this thesis sought to explore the extent to which
conceptualist understandings of the lawyer's role in mediation cohere
with empirical perspectives. This involved two stages: First, the
underlying mediation objectives most relevant to client representatives
were examined. From the perspective of the dominant theoretical model –
facilitative mediation - these include: (i) enhanced party
participation; (ii) adoption of problem-solving negotiation strategies;
(iii) consideration of the dispute's relational dimensions; and (iv)
honouring of procedural fairness principles.Second, to unearth whether lawyers give effect to these
objectives in practice, pastresearch was reviewed and an empirical
examination of the mediation service at VCAT was conducted. Employing a
qualitative, case study design, the investigation involved two
components: (i) interviews with ten lawyers who regularly represent
clients inAnti-Discrimination (AOL) and Domestic Building (DBL)
mediations at VCAT; and(i) observation of one live AOL mediation session
and two live DBL mediations. In line with past research indicating that
mediation objectives are not always met in practice, results of the
present study revealed that some lawyers fail to implement facilitative
objectives. Results also suggested that the extent of prior training in
mediation and/or negotiation techniques was limited. Although the
present study involved a small data set and hence is not amenable to
broad generalisations, a number of broad recommendations were
nevertheless made with a view to enhancing further the value and
contribution of VCAT and other mediation services. They include: (i)
establishing clear policy regarding mediation philosophy; (ii) fostering
mediator implementation of accepted theoretical approaches; developing a
specific code of conduct for client representatives; promoting
increased lawyer education and training; and conducting further research
into representational mediation practice.


text:
Motochika Chosokabe (commission) - Sengoku BASARA
|Commission consisted of:
Jacket - faux suede, printed cotton lining. Gold buttons, shoe laces.
Lower jacket - faux suede, printed cotton lining.
Orange belt - faux suede.
Pink tie - tie-dyed fabric.
Trousers - pink cotton with pattern painted on using fabric paints. (I painted the pattern onto the trousers after taking the photos, so you can't see them here.) Armour bit consisted of real and fake leather backing, painted plastic card, metal chain and hoops. Trousers have pockets.
Sash - metal studs on leather, black fabric with white net layered on top. (Same materials used on the top of the armlets.)
Armlets, greaves, neck guard - EVA foam, buttons, gem-tac, metal stud. The neck guard and greaves were heat-moulded for the neck shape and knee shape. Armlets and greaves were weathered.
Toe socks - fake leather.
Gloves - pre-made purple gloves, fake leather, studs.
Eye patch - veg tan leather, moulded and then dyed.
Anchor weapon - plastic piping, EVA, cardboard, mod roc, gesso, huge chain from a joke/costume shop.
No comments received.


text:
AN adorable otter cub has been taken into the care of a hospital on Skye after losing its mother.
The 10-week-old male was found near Inverness on Friday and was taken to charity Munlochy Animal Aid at North Kessock.
It was then transferred to the specialist unit at the International Otter Survival Fund's (IOSF) hospital in Broadford, Skye.
The creature, which is said to be in "very good condition", is believed to have just ventured out of its holt before being separated from its mother.
The cub will stay at the otter hospital until it is about one-year-old - the age when cubs usually leave their mothers - before being released into the wild.
Grace Yoxon, of IOSF, said: "We don't know how it became separated from mum but thank goodness it ended up with Iona Nicol at Munlochy.
"We have had cubs from her in the past and so know that she will always look after them properly.
"Otter cubs have to be given special milk as it can be very dangerous for them to be given cow's milk."
The charity have not named the cub and have appealed to the public to offer suggestions by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
IOSF have declared 2016 the Year of the Otter to draw attention to the plight of the creatures around the world.
Then uncover more about 20 amazing wild animals you can find in Scotland.


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I won't be giving up the day job to become a Santa impersonator…..
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to my small but loyal readership.
Here's to more blogging in 2007.
Andrew Bruce Smith of escherman on PR, Social Media, Analytics and SEO. Mostly.
I won't be giving up the day job to become a Santa impersonator…..
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to my small but loyal readership.
Here's to more blogging in 2007.
So says Digital Business Editor Peter Whitehead in a cheery email to podcast subscribers:
"To all those who feel their submissions have been overlooked (and in fact they have been). I
can only promise more such frustrations in 2007 – it's just the way it works."
…now that VNU Europe has been sold to 3i for £215m (Guardian story here – reg required). Having sold The Inquirer to VNU back in January, there is speculation in some quarters that this new acquistion will translate into vested options for Mike – a "life-changing" sum.
Look forward to Mike buying us all a drink 😉
I'm a sucker for this kind of thing – the full list here.
Among my favourites:
The = sign was invented by 16th Century Welsh
mathematician Robert Recorde, who was fed up with writing "is equal to"
in his equations. He chose the two lines because "noe 2 thynges can be
moare equalle".
In America it's possible to subpoena a dog.
The British buy the most compact discs in the world – an average of 3.2 per year, compared to 2.8 in the US and 2.1 in France.
Hat tip to Valleywag on this one – neat:
From eBoy, the Berlin
creators of some of Wired Magazine's graphics: a simcity in which all
the billboards and signs display the brands of web companies. Google,
Yahoo, Youtube, Technorati, Blogger, Odeo. It's a wonderful graphic,
but web entrepreneurs already live in a world of their own daydreams;
immersed in a 3D simulation, they might never unplug. The full
Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute Cited as Criteria for Evaluation
SANTA CLARA, Calif., December 6, 2006 – Hyperion (Nasdaq Global Select:
HYSL), the global leader in Business Performance Management (BPM)
software, today announced that Gartner, Inc. has placed Hyperion in the
leaders quadrant in its "Magic Quadrant for CPM Suites, 2006"1
The recently released report lists Hyperion among a field of 16
vendors. Gartner weighed Hyperion's completeness of vision and its
ability to execute in determining its position in the Magic Quadrant,
which uses multiple criteria to characterize companies in the leaders,
challengers, visionaries and niche players quadrants.
"Hyperion's strong brand awareness with CFOs and other senior
executives means it is present in virtually every CPM suite
evaluation," said Godfrey Sullivan, chairman and CEO of Hyperion. "Now
more than ever, Hyperion is devoted to being the management system for
today's enterprise. As we build on the success of Hyperion System 9
with new applications and capabilities, we will work hard to earn that
market position again and again."
About the Magic Quadrant
The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2006 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused
with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a
marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's
analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that
marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any
vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not
advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the
"Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research
tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner
disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this
research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose.
About Hyperion
Hyperion Solutions Corporation (Nasdaq Global Select: HYSL) is the
global leader in Business Performance Management software. More than
12,000 customers in 90 countries rely on Hyperion both for insight into
current business performance and to drive performance improvement. With
Hyperion software, businesses collect, analyze and share data across
the organization, linking strategies to plans and monitoring execution
against goals. Hyperion integrates financial management applications
with a business intelligence platform into a single management system
for the global enterprise . For more information, contact us .
"Hyperion" and Hyperion's product names are trademarks of Hyperion.
References to other companies and their products use trademarks owned
by the respective companies and are for reference purpose only.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release other than statements of historical
fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to,
statements concerning the potential success of anticipated product
features, the anticipated product offerings and the potential market
opportunities for business performance management software. Such
statements constitute anticipated outcomes and do not assure results.
Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated by the
forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but
not limited to the company's ability to retain and attract key
employees, the successful and timely development of new products, the
impact of competitive products and pricing, customer demand, and
technological shifts. For a more detailed discussion of factors that
could affect the company's performance and cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking
statements, interested parties should review the company's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Report on Form
10-K filed on September 1, 2006 and the Report on Form 10-Q filed on
November 8, 2006. The company does not undertake an obligation to
update its forward-looking statements to reflect future events or
[1] Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for CPM Suites, 2006" , Nigel Rayner, 1 December 1, 2006
The World's Leading blogger threw a party last night – so plenty of sore heads in tech PR land this morning.
Much ale consumed and good to meet other fellow TWL watchers – Justin Hayward from MS&L and ex-Textie Mark Pinsent to name a few. PR Week's Sarah Robertson was there too.
Thanks to Steve Mallison-Jones for bankrolling much of the proceedings. And to Jenny Ellis from Spark for bagging some space in the crowded downstairs bar (who says philosophy grads can't get jobs?)
However – the identity of TWL remains a mystery.
James Murray's story here on Hyperion's new business intelligence gadgets for Vista.
Also worth looking at the new video whiteboards on BI running on the IT Week site (also being hosted by James Murray). View them here.
Freelance journalist Nick Booth has a new blog – or a research portal as he describes it. He is asking PRs to post responses to questions for various features he is writing – the idea being that you can see what everyone else is saying. "And avoid repeating anyone else's cliches."
It's an interesting concept – not sure how PRs will take to seeing their responses in full public view – but perhaps it might act as a quality control mechanism – and then you could see which quotes actually make it into the final article. Or you might resubmit answers in the light of other responses.
Worth seeing how this works out.


text:
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Off Topic [BG]' started by JMX, Aug 20, 2002.
Happy Birthday mate!
Best wishes to all others too.
Yeah Jeff, happy birthday. You silly Leo, you.
Mike J.
August 20th was also my mom's birthday.
::Shovels well wishes on Jeff::
Happy Birthday.
Rock on
happy b-day jeff!
I was out of carrots.. so here:
Uh, why are you sending him a wedding cake? Is there something you aren't telling us?
Rock on
no... I was out of carrots and had that one in the back.
Forget the cake, I know one of our nice, devoted female TB members is going to march into the kitchen right now, and bake Jeff a nice big pie!
Right, girls?
Mike J.
Mike hides under desk awaiting multiple slaps.
donkey pie?
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm pie
hey jeff.. when come back.. bring pie!
I wouldn't worry much about Mr. Rader and "cake" on his birthday. He's busy doing the corporate thang in Las Vegas for a couple of weeks.
If the past is any indicator, I think Jeff will make sure he receives a birthday present very close to this thing -
Mwah-ha-haaaa! More! More Leos I say!
Heed! Cake! NOW!
happy birthday Jeff!
No, The_Bass, I was thinking of something a little more conventional like a nice cherry pie. Whenever I eat donkey pie, I end up acting like a real jackass.
Mike hee-haw Jewels
Happy b-day, Jeff. What did you get me?
cherry pie's ok... as long as you shoot it out of the pie cannon!
Garsh... I just saw this. Thanks!
Actually, we really don't know if my b'day is the 20th or the 21st. Mom says the 21st, the birth certificate says the 20th.
I think Mom was high at the time...
Happy birthday jeff! and PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!!
Yeah I know your type; you say you're not sure which day you were born on just so you get two cakes!
Mike J.
HA! You just THINK you know me!!
Happy belated birthday, Mr Rader. So, are you still giving me your spalted for my birthday?


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Considering a Captive? Feasibility 101
Companies establish captive insurance vehicles for at least one of the Six Cs of Captive Value — cost, compliance, control, cover, capacity, and commercial — that provide strategic value to the parent organization. The path to a captive insurance vehicle starts with a feasibility study to access the business case, including the financial, strategic, and operational benefits and limitations of alternative risk financing methodologies. A corporation's decision on the amount of risk to assume is independent and a priority over determining how to finance the risk, whether retained on the books of the parent or within a wholly owned captive insurance company.
There are several steps that go into evaluating a captive program. The feasibility process includes:
- Gather information.
- Review insurance data, loss data, and financial information.
- Conduct captive modeling.
- Develop business plan.
- Determine optimal ownership structure.
- Analyze tax issues.*
- Analyze investment policy of the captive.
- Review corporate governance.
- Conduct domicile analysis.
- Present final recommendation to the prospective captive owner.
- Provide feedback and an ongoing relationship as the captive implementation and formation progresses.
- Ensure the selected service provider performs captive management services and day-to-day activities.
To perform the study, information requested will typically include:
- Parent company financial information.
- Company organizational chart of legal subsidiaries.
- Tax rates (US, global rates).
- Insurance summary (noting retentions by line of coverage).
- Allocation of payroll and revenue by state.
- Rate of return on parent's cash flow.
Determining the optimal path for your captive can be a challenge. Our proprietary captive model, Marsh Captive Analytics Platform (MCAP), is an interactive, dynamic platform designed to support the comparison of after-tax total cost of risk for multiple program options. MCAP provides a broad perspective to evaluate and forecast multiple program options for many risk types and the ability to vary retention levels, risk financing vehicles, and captive domicile. If it is determined that a captive vehicle would benefit your organization, Marsh Captive Solutions, with your tax and accounting teams, can help you to determine the setup that meets the unique needs of your organization.
* All such matters should be reviewed with the client's own qualified tax, accounting, and legal advisors.