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September 17, 2005 by Jeff Schroeder
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - The last time Jason Knapp won an FLW Outdoors tournament, he was a fresh-faced kid out of Uniontown, Pa., with stars in his eyes and a bag of tricks full of Mizmo tubes. But don't let his youthful nature fool you: Jason Knapp is a killer fisherman, especially at Lake Champlain.
Fishing the Pro Division, Knapp handily won the EverStart Series Northeast Division closer Saturday with a final-round weight of 38 pounds, 6 ounces. In 2004, he also won the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event here as co-angler, taking home $40,000. This week, he collected $9,600 in EverStart winnings plus a new Ranger 519VX - all told, a package worth over $50,000.
While his earnings have shot upward, about the only thing about Knapp that has changed since he last won here is his impact on the tour. At 24 years old, he's still a fresh-faced kid, but anyone who fishes against him at Lake Champlain had better shield their own eyes from his star power.
"I don't know what to say," he said. "I've been dreaming of this moment forever, ever since I started fishing the BFLs when I was 16. This is just a dream come true. It's so true: I love New York. Without a doubt, this is the best fishery on the planet."
Knapp won this event by virtue of his catch Saturday, and he had to earn it. All 10 pros caught five-bass limits both days of the final round, which is no surprise at this awesome fishery. Knapp had posted a second-place weight of 18 pounds, 13 ounces Friday, and then wowed the crowd Saturday with the leading limit of the day, 19-9. Larry Allard, who led the pros yesterday with a bag over 20 pounds, came up short today and finished in second place more than 4 pounds behind Knapp.
As expected, largemouth bass seemed to play the key role in the victory. Of the 10 fish Knapp weighed in during the finals, seven of them were largemouths.
"I found one log that I absolutely smoked them on," said Knapp, who reluctantly admitted that he fished the upper end of the lake. "I basically had it all to myself all week long, and it was just loaded with smallies. But I knew, to win this thing, I had to change the last two days and go for largemouths. I would catch my limit of smallies pretty quickly and then go flipping shallow, and I was able to do that everyday. I didn't lose a fish all week and I made good decisions. I've done all I can do."
A lot of the top pros were catching smallies on spinnerbaits with a fast retrieve this week. Carolina-rigged lizards and drop-shots were also popular. Knapp, however, stuck with a 4-inch green-pumpkin Mizmo tube for most of his fishing, smallmouth and largemouth - the same kind of bait that won for him here over a year ago.
"The log where I caught those smallies was in 5 or 6 feet of water. It's extremely shallow to be able to produce that amount of fish," he said.
One aspect of Knapp's win that might prove a little frustrating for all the pros who spent days prefishing for this tournament is that he didn't practice at all before this event. He ran around the lake a little on Tuesday afternoon, but he couldn't get here before then due to prior commitments.
But he certainly didn't seem bothered by it.
"Lake Champlain is the best in the world," he said. "It's almost like you can find too much stuff to fish. You just want to concentrate your efforts in one area, and I found one area and stayed close. My largemouth spot was within two or three miles of that log; you could almost see it from there. I like fishing for shallow largemouths, so this place kind of just plays into my hands."
Rest assured, this will not be the last time you hear from Jason Knapp. Between his FLW and EverStart wins here, he also fished the Northern Division event at Lake Champlain in 2004. That week, he posted 19 pounds on day one and might have made a title run then, too, if he hadn't been ambushed by boat trouble on day two. At such a young age, Knapp already has five FLW top-five finishes as a co-angler, including two this year.
Word is, he's moving up to the front of the boat at the elite level next year, and the FLW Tour is returning to Lake Champlain in June. Look out.
Allard hangs on for second
Allard caught the heaviest limit Friday, then almost caught the lightest limit Saturday and managed to hold on to finish second with a final weight of 34 pounds, 3 ounces. The pro from Ware, Mass., earned $9,600.
Despite his stated desire to fish for largemouths Saturday, Allard came in with a limit of smallies that weighed 13 pounds, 14 ounces. Why? He said that he found somebody else on his largemouth spot this morning.
"I went there and (Knapp) was already there," Allard laughed.
He was joking, of course; he and Knapp fished completely different areas. Besides, Allard has fished Lake Champlain for 55 years; even if somebody was on his primary spot, it's a safe bet that he has backups.
Still, on Saturday he found he just couldn't tear himself away from the spinnerbait smallmouth bite that got him this far.
"No little fish bite that spinnerbait ," he said.
Powroznik third
Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., finished third and collected $8,650 with a final weight of 34 pounds. He caught smallmouths Saturday.
"The sun really needed to shine for the big ones to bite," he said. "We were fishing a rock pile in water 33 to 20 feet, and I caught a 4-pounder there everyday. My co-angler (winner Jason Sherwood) caught a big one on a Carolina rig, so I picked mine up and we stayed out there and caught them all day."
Rookie Wolk takes fourth
Rookie pro Warren Wolk of Jamison, Pa., posted the second-heaviest limit Saturday - 18 pounds, 1 ounce - and finished fourth with a final weight of 33-13. He earned $7,650.
"I'm speechless. This lake is unbelievable. That's my second 18-pound bag this week," he said. "This is my first EverStart event, and you can be sure there will be many more to come."
Beck fifth
Veteran pro Gerald Beck of Lexington, N.C., finished in fifth place and collected $7,150 with a final weight of 32 pounds, 7 ounces.
"It's an awesome lake," he said about Champlain. "Y'all can't imagine how good it is until you fish some of the lakes around the house back home where you go out and catch five or six fish and call it a good day. I have no idea how many fish we caught here this week."
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top 10 Pro Division finishers at Lake Champlain:
6th: Brian Bylotas of Olyphant, Pa., 31-14, $6,150
7th: Mitch Pierson of Newton, N.J., 31-1, $5,150
8th: Ricky Doyle of Keeseville, N.Y., 29-7, $4,650
9th: J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md., 29-6, $4,150 (opening-round leader)
10th: Bill Spence of St. Albans, Vt., 28-5, $3,650
Coming up
The next EverStart Series event is the final regular-season tournament of the year. It's the Northern Division closer on the Detroit River at Trenton, Mich., Sept. 21-24.
The EverStart Series Championship will be held on Pickwick Lake at Florence, Ala., Nov. 2-5.
Tags: jeff-schroeder headline-story 2005-09-14-lake-champlain


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After finishing fourth last year, Bridgewater-Raynham/West Bridgewater is looking to make its mark on Saturday afternoon at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H., in the New England Championships.
BROCKTON - The gymnastics team of Bridgewater-Raynham/West Bridgewater is hoping history does not repeat itself.
After finishing fourth last year, Bridgewater-Raynham/West Bridgewater is looking to make its mark on Saturday afternoon at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H., in the New England Championships.
Since it won the Division 1 state championship last Saturday at Shrewsbury High School, BR/WB qualified for the New England Championships due to the fact that it placed in the top three. Mansfield and Masconomet/Lynnfield also qualified to represent Massachusetts, though Mansfield has declined to participate.
BR/WB head coach Stephen Cudworth says his team is better prepared this time around.
"Last year, just winning states was really all we thought about," Cudworth said. "All of the sudden we were at New Englands. I don't think anybody, especially myself, were mentally really ready for it. The kids are always physically ready for it but mentally we were kind of almost exhausted after the state win. … Last year we thought the state title was enough, but we want more this year.
"Last year we didn't really talk about New Englands, we just kind of went there and whatever happened happens," Cudworth said. "I think this year we'll talk, we want another title, we have to work for it."
While it ultimately came out on top last week, BR/WB is looking for a better start this time around, as it struggled mightily on bars to put the team behind early on in the first event with a 34.1.
"It was very unexpected. Last week was our lowest bar score as a team in many, many years," Cudworth said. "To come back from that was incredible. We have been in the gym making sure that those mistakes don't happen again, that the girls are cleaning up and hitting numerous routines during practice."
Some gymnasts to watch out for will be Olivia Keyes (BR), Alison Silva (WB), Olivia Kmito (BR), and Julia Chase (BR).
"Their scores are kind of the root of the team," Cudworth said. "They're usually the last four, and those last four scores are usually where you want to pull your team average from for each event. So we're just hoping again that they can hit all the events that they compete in (Saturday) and then I think we'll be in good luck to make it No. 1 again."
Cudworth noted how far the program has come in a relatively short amount of time.
"It's a huge accomplishment. Probably about 4-5 years ago when we just started off as BR/WB we had six girls and were just happy to win a meet here or there," Cudworth said. "A couple of years later, here we are back-to-back state champions and get to represent Massachusetts and BR/WB at the New England Championships."
From Connecticut, BR/WB will have to outperform the reigning champions in Woodstock Academy, while also being wary of Greenwich and Trumbull.
Meanwhile, Rhode Island is represented by La Salle, Mt. Hope and South Kingston.
Last but not least, New Hampshire has the host Pinkerton Academy, Londonderry and Bedford.
Maine and Vermont do not have teams competing.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jeremiah WrightThe lapdog media has decided that it will judge for the great "unwashed masses" which stories are relevant or not. It has deemed Jeremiah Wright irrelevant and is toeing the Democrat line by throwing out the race card, claiming that it's racist to discuss President Obama's pastor and spiritual counselor of twenty years.
Sorry, media, but the American people will decide what is relevant or not. And discussing the character of people with which a man surrounds himself is relevant, not racist. More importantly, there are allegations of a hush-money bribe. Exposing bribery is also not racism; it's called journalism.
That doesn't stop the lapdog media from desperately trying to regurgitate talking points of the Left; Wright is totally irrelevant except for when it feels like screeching about how "racist" it is. Politico had an article about "renewed interest" in Jeremiah Wright in which it totally "forgot" to mention the bribery allegations. That doesn't suit the narrative, you see. Pesky old facts!
And The Washington Post is far too busy trying to help other media outlets and the Left (redundant) foment bigotry against Mormonism to do its job. Obama spent twenty years sitting in a pew listening to rants against America and then allegedly tried to bribe the pastor to hush him up? No big whoop! It's more important to try to tie Romney to a Mormon militia massacre...in 1857. That kind of bigotry is hunky-dory, because shut up, racists.
The media is clearly following the talking points of the Left, who is desperately trying to cling to the good old race card as a distraction. The DNC is in panic mode, calling any questioning of the Wright matter "hate-filled and divisive." Oh, look! A shiny distraction! Never mind the actual hate-filled rhetoric of President Obama's pastor of twenty years. He is totally warm and fuzzy what with his "Goddamn America" and "AmeriKKKa" and "chickens coming home to roost" spewing.
Democrat strategist Donna Brazile called it racism, straight up and a "hate fest." She pathetically went so far as to bring up Brown vs. Topeka Board of Ed. Good grief! Race card straw man much, Ms. Brazile?
The Left and the media want to make divisive hay to distract from Obama's failures and to distract from the fact that he was mentored and/or counseled by Jeremiah Wright, his pastor for decades. So they very transparently try to flip it around to paint those who actually vet Obama as "hate-filled and divisive." And racist, natch.
What is actually racist is when people see only color. Now even the mere mention of a man who happens to be black results in shrieks of "raaaaacist!!!111" What happened to judging a man on the content of his character and not the color of his skin? Those who only see color are the ones who are, in fact, racist.
See, that is why Jeremiah Wright matters. A good friend of mine has this in his Twitter bio: "You can tell a man's vices by his friends, and his virtues by his enemies."
Exactly. And Obama's friends show the worst of his character; Tony Rezko, domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, and Jeremiah Wright. I'll judge them by their characters, not the color of their skin. Unlike the racist media.
This post is part of a weekly conversation with our Moms Matter 2012 political bloggers. To see the original question and what the other writers have to say, read Does Jeremiah Wright Matter in This Election?
Image via NotionsCapital / Flickr


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NTELOS Holdings Corp.(NASDAQ:NTLS) is tumbling 23% after research firm FBR predicted that the company's partnership with Sprint Nextel Corporation(NYSE:S) would not be renewed when the deal expires in 2015. FBR, which noted that NTELOS obtains the majority of its profits from its partnership with the carrier through the Sprint Strategic Network Alliance, downgraded NTELOS to Underperform from Market Perform this morning in a note to investors. Moreover, FBR slashed its price target on NTELOS to $5 from $21, and predicted that the company would not be able to sustain its dividend if the alliance isn't renewed.
Zynga Inc(NASDAQ:ZNGA) and Facebook Inc(NASDAQ:FB) have reworked their contract to reduce the intensity of their relationship that.
In regulatory filings on Thursday both companies disclosed that they would no longer be required to place ads on each other's properties.
Zynga also said that it will no longer be required to use Facebook as the exclusive social site for its games or grant it exclusive games.
Facebook, while making similar disclosures also added that it can develop its own games after March next year. Its contract with Zynga prohibited it from doing that.
"In addition, effective on March 31, 2013, certain provisions related to web and mobile growth targets and schedules will no longer be applicable and Facebook will no longer be prohibited from developing its own games. Further, Zynga's right to cross-promote between games on the Facebook web site will be governed by Facebook's standard terms of service," the filing said.
Facebook however was quick to point out that it did not intend to compete with Zynga in its own turf.
"We're not in the business of building games and we have no plans to do so," the statement said. "We're focused on being the platform where games and apps are built."
This will come as a relief not only for Zynga but also for all the other game-makers who are thriving on the Facebook platform.
Of course, so far as Zynga is concerned this is seen as bad news for the stock, coming as it does at a time when the company is seeing an exodus of its top people.
Wall Street has also not taken kindly to the fact that under the new contract Zynga will no longer be able to "cross-promote" its games on Facebook.
Shares of ZNGA tumbled 6.50% and FB down 1%.


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The Illinois Family Institute, a designated antigay hate group, is breaking out the dehumanizing rhetoric to discourage teachers in Illinois from recognizing the preferred gender identity of transgender students, according to ThinkProgress LGBT.
When Illinois' East Aurora High School considered, then quickly rescinded, protections for transgender students, IFI thought the battle was over. But since the district recently formed a new committee to investigate how best to meet the needs of transgender and gender non-conforming students, IFI launched into a hateful tirade against inclusion.
Calling trans students "gender-confused," IFI's Laurie Higgins also refers to two trans women who testified in support of the policy as "adult cross-dressing males who wish they were women."
ThinkProgress' Zack Ford highlighted some of Higgins' most odious claims, which need to be seen to be believed:
"This policy would inappropriately mandate that teachers use pronouns that correspond to a student's 'gender identity' as opposed to his or her objective biological sex. The reason teachers should not be compelled to use pronouns that don't correspond to a student's biological sex is that requiring them to do so means requiring them to participate in a fiction. Students who suffer from gender dysphoria or Gender Identity Disorder (as opposed to intersex conditions) have an objective biological sex. No student, teacher, or administrator should be compelled to treat objective reality as if it doesn't exist. The government has no ethical right to compel people to participate in a lie."
Read more of Ford's excellent take-down of IFI's red herrings here.


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21 March 2008 - University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
22 March 2008 - Sawadee Thai Restaurant, Salt Lake City, Utah
I'm in the city that is home to Mike's favorite Major League Soccer team at a conference at the University of Utah. It's been almost 25 years since I set foot in Salt Lake, and I've forgotten how beautiful this city is, nestled right up next to the Wasatch Mountain Range. And no, I'm not going to tell any Mormon or polygamy jokes here because (a) that would be way too easy, and (b) I happen to really like SLC.
Day One of the conference is over. I'm at a reception for conference presenters and attendees. Free beer awaits at the bar. I see three bottles of what looks to be local stuff. It is, from Uinta Brewing Company. The selection: Uinta's Gelande Amber Lager, Solstice Kölsch Style Ale, and Cutthroat Pale Ale. I have a feeling that I'll be disappointed by the Gelande, and I'm not into Kölsch-style beers, so I ask the bartender for a Cutthroat.
Before I go any further, I have to note that Utah has some pretty restrictive laws when it comes to the alcohol content of beers made and sold in the state. I'm not going to relate those laws in detail (I'll leave that to the Utah Beer blog). Suffice it to say that most beers you can order at a bar in Utah max out at 4.0% ABV. As a beer lover, you might balk at this limitation in anticipation of weak flavor and a minuscule buzz. If you're a brewer, I suppose you might view this restriction as a challenge. After all, how can a brewer really do an IPA justice when you can't go beyond 4.0% ABV? I'm sure that some are able to make a hearty-tasting beer despite the limitation.
I take the Cutthroat from the bartender and am pleased to feel that it's moderately cold, not ice cold. But unfortunately, the bartender has no glass to give me, so I'm forced to drink out of the bottle. I smell a moderate hop presence in this American Pale Ale, but cannot get a good enough whiff of the bouquet through the bottle opening. The first sip yields a caramel-like malty front and a mild, piney hop flavor. This beer is quite dry, mellow, and finishes very cleanly. It's a little fizzy, but doesn't have as much carbonation as I expected. Pleasant, but not fantastic.
The next night, I and some colleagues go for Thai food at a restaurant called Sawadee (also spelled "Sawasdee," which means "hello" in Thai and is also the name of my favorite Thai restaurant in Indy). The restaurant serves the full range of Uinta beers, so I decide to go for another Cutthroat to pair with my fantastic dish of Pad Thai with tofu. This time, I get the beer in a glass. It pours with a nice amber hue and an off-white, finger-thick head that dissipates slowly. This time, I get a nice nose of spicy pine. The glass, however, does not change the flavor at all.
This is a good mellow beer that would serve well as a gateway beer for craft beer newbies. It has also piqued my interest in trying other Utah beers just to see how Utah brewers deal with the hand they've been dealt by the Utah legislature.
25 March 2008
Beer Diary - Jim | 4.0 is not just a grade point average in Utah
3 comments:
Speaking of RSL, your FIRE ARE GOING DOWN THIS WEEKEND.ReplyDelete
Did that seem genuine? I'm only still rooting for RSL because St. Louis doesn't have a team yet.
Then again, I know more players on the current Fire roster than I do of the current RSL roster.
- AnonymousMarch 27, 2008 7:46 AM
Utah's beers don't max out at 4.0% The resturant you went to may not have been licenced to sell anything stronger than 4.0%ReplyDelete
Yes, I realize that. That's why I referred readers to the Utah Beer blog post for a more detailed explanation of the liquor laws. I was simply too lazy to explain it myself.
The short answer--Go to a "private club" and you're likely to find stronger beer (at least that's my understanding).
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I live in Washington state, and when the weather reporter says it's cloudy, I think, oh, too bad. But in the case of the skies over Redmond, WA, the cloudy outlook equals major partner opportunity. And you'll understand why in this week's Thursday roundup.
- The battle for VOIP is Here: Ross Brown is one of the best bloggers here in the Worldwide Partner Group. In this post, not only does he talk about why partners love Lync, he also gives you the scoop on how you can earn additional revenue through SIP. Plus he throws out a big fifty-cent word just to help you expand your vocabulary.
- Training Spotlight: Windows Intune Readiness: Brigitte Hayes, who writes one of the most popular regular weekly series, shares how you can prepare to deploy and sell the latest release of Windows Intune. And while on the subject of Windows Intune … Don't miss today's MPN Live episode: "The Windows Intune Advantage." We'll go live at 12:00 PM PDT on our Facebook page and also we'll stream to our home page. Be sure to Watch & Win for your chance to BYOD to WPC – we'll be giving away a new Nokia Lumia 900. (MPN Live details and sweepstakes rules here: http://bit.ly/KSj0vb) Of course, #MPNLive is where you can follow the chatter on Twitter.
- New Cloud Solutions and Revenue Streams for Nintex—and You: Last, but certainly NOT least, Josh Waldo spotlights Microsoft partner Nintex and how they're boosting their business and creating additional revenue opportunities for other partners in the cloud.
Now, that gives everyone a reason to love cloudy skies. And not one mention of rain, either.
See you at 12:00 PM PDT for MPN Live!


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Refined and advanced.
3T continues to refine its bar bends and ergonomics supplying modern componentry to the competitive cyclist. For many riders, the Ergonova set the benchmark for comfort both in the ergonomic shape of the bar and the integration with the hoods. What 3T noticed is that many racers spend a considerable amount of time gripping the bars in at the widest section of the bend, especially while climbing out of the saddle. 3T then set out designing the corners to specifically support the hands, while reducing pressure, while in this position so all of the touch points, the hoods, the tops, and the drops are comfortable enough that riders are more likely to use all of the positions. To do this, 3T made the shape wider where the tops transition to the drops and with more real estate on offer, less pressure is concentrated to a smaller area of the hand. Further refinement of the reach and the modern compact drop provides a better platform for the hands when used with the latest shifter and brake levers and thus, a new bar was born. The particular bar we have here is the Superergo Team Stealth.
Now that we know the bar's shape is beneficial for climbing, sprinting, and descending we'll delve into a few more details. It is constructed of unidirectional high modulus carbon fiber, and this bar tips the scales at an impressive 200g, plenty light enough if your building up a climbing bike and stout enough for taking on the classics. The carbon layup also helps soak up vibrations so you'll stay fresher for longer. Internal routing is standard so installing Di2 or mechanical shifting as well as rim or hydro brake housing is a breeze. The matte finish and understated graphics look good with any bike's paint scheme.
- Carbon fiber ergonomic bar with refined bends
- Lightweight unidirectional carbon construction
- Morder shapes pair well with modern shifter/brake levers
- Offers comfortable position of the hands in the tops, hoods, and drops
- Item #TTT003W
- Material
- carbon fiber
- Diameter
- 31.8mm
- Drop
- 119mm
- Reach
- 77mm
- Width
- [c-to-c] 38, 40, 42, 44cm
- Claimed Weight
- [42cm] 200g
- Recommended Use
- road cycling
- Manufacturer Warranty
- 2 years limited
Tech Specs
What do you think about this product?
August 20, 2019
Most comfortable ever, routing is WORK
Most comfortable bar I've ever used. The flat top corners transition so smoothly into the levers that have a short reach. The drops start their curve nicely and very shallow. Cable routing is tough. I use a sharp regular pick and sharp bent tip pick to grab the hose ends. I routed hydraulic hoses and Di2 wires. Take your time. Worth it in the end.
February 2, 2019
Nice shape but cable routing poor
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
I really like the shape of these bars. On the other hand the internal cable routing is very poor. The entry and exit ports are in good positions for smooth cable routing but they are misshaped for the task. Holes are very small for mechanical/hydraulic group housings. Also poorly angled with sharp internal corners. Even once housing were in place i could not slide the housing into proper position with getting small cuts and snags in the housing cover. Gentle push pull snagged.
November 24, 2018
Best handlebar except for..
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
The internal routing was a pain. This bar has a nice flat section behind the hood; reminds me of Enve bars. Super comfortable and light.
October 10, 2018
3T Superergo Team Stealth Bars
Love, love, love these bars!!!! They are super light, very comfortable and the cable routing is much improved making the hand placement when climbing out of the saddle that much better. Coming from a previous version of the Ergonova bars, these were a great upgrade/improvement. The stealth makes the markings almost invisible, except for a like Italian flag marking which looks really cool, but can be easily covered by bartape if you would prefer.


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The whole gang turned out to support mom at Super Bowl XLVI!
A source tells Us Weekly that Madonna's four kids, Lourdes, 15, Rocco, 11, David, 6, and Mercy, 6, along with two nannies, hopped a direct flight from NYC's JFK International Airport to Indianapolis International Airport just in time to catch the weekend's festivities.
"The group of six were seated in the last rows of the plane, next to the bathroom," the source tells Us. "Lourdes was speaking in French to her nanny for most of the flight, and also did not turn off her iPod when instructed to. David was spotted doing what seemed to be homework. His nanny was overheard helping him with his spelling and encouragingly correcting him."
"When the flight landed, all the passengers exited and were asked to stand in a single file line before walking out through the gate into the terminal, so the family could walk out unbothered. They were greeted with a sign at the gate that read 'Chloe Warner,'" the source adds.
On Sunday, Madonna hit the stage at the Lucas Oil Stadium where the New York Giants faced the New England Patriots for her performance during the Super Bowl halftime show.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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Me again! No posts for nearly a week and then three in one day! I'm hoping yesterday is a little better than today….Mr 7 was quite poorly yesterday
Anyhoo back to the point. It's time for a new challenge over at Colour Crazy Challenge and this week we are being sponsored Star Stampz.
I've used the super cute My Sweet Sunflower to make a Birthday card for the children to give to my Mum:
I love Sunflowers and this card is making me long for some warm sunny weather.
- Image: My Sweet Sunflower from Star Stampz
- Colouring Medium: Spectrum Noir
- DP: My Minds Eye
- Sentiment: Lili of the Valley Block Sentiments and Whimsy Stamps Relative Stamps
- Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black inkpad
- Dies: La La Land Honeycomb Die, Go Kreate Large Circle Dies, Tonic Scalloped Circle Layering Dies and Whimsy Stamps Nested Hand Stitched Rectangle Dies
- Embellishments: Doodling, Pearls, Paper Flower, Crackle Accents and Liquid Pearls
I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Please pop across to the Colour Crazy Challenge and see the rest of this weeks inspiration.
Thanks for stopping by


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The best advice I've gotten about eating for health was from Kris Carr, who said something along the lines of:
Instead of trying to cut out "bad" food, focus on eating nutritious food more often; over time the good will crowd out the not so good.
Too many of us focus on cutting out the not so good stuff we eat; that leads to a feeling of depriving ourselves of the things we like. It feels like we're punishing ourselves, so OF COURSE we don't stick to the good habits. Continue reading "It's not about cutting out bad food."


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(CEU Credit) An Unofficial ARM 56 Exam Review
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Obtaining your ARM is the first step in becoming a distinguished risk manager. Reinforcing your knowledge with our practice tests helps to ensure that you will be the most prepared on the big day. Get ready to put your Risk Management knowledge to the test. Over 270 Questions broken out by chapter. This course is NOT affiliated with the official testing body and does NOT provide actual questions as seen on official test. .3 CEU's or 3 Credit Hours Available Course Length: 200+ Questions Time to complete the course: 60 Days Attempts at quiz: Unlimited


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Encountering a bear in the brush can be as startling for you as it is for the bear. If the animal you stumble across becomes aggressive, you need to be able to protect yourself quickly and effectively.
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Frontiersman products are 100 times hotter than hot sauce with the maximum heat allowed for bear sprays by the EPA.
SABRE is the #1 brand of pepper spray trusted by police and consumers worldwide. Agencies on six continents in more than 40 countries carry SABRE products.
SABRE's manufacturing facilities are both EPA and Health Canada certified, meaning our customers can count on effective and humane products. Deter aggressive bears without long-term pain or injury!


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Collection Items
Notated MusicThe Portland lancers Sheet Music. print | 1 score | From: Music Copyright Deposits, 1870-1885 (Microfilm M 3500) Also available through the Library of Congress Web Site as facsimile page images. (Additional Physical Form). Print (Form). Electronic Resource (Form). Remote (Form).
- Contributor: Gray's Music Store - Bray, Charles
- Date: 1872
View 6 Images


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The infrastructure for your application is typically made up of many components – maybe a virtual machine, storage account, and virtual network, or a web app, database, database server, and 3rd party services. You do not see these components as separate entities, instead you see them as related and interdependent parts of a single entity. You want to deploy, manage, and monitor them as a group. Azure Resource Manager enables you to work with the resources in your solution as a group. You can deploy, update or delete all of the resources for your solution in a single, coordinated operation. You use a template for deployment and that template can work for different environments such as testing, staging and production. Resource Manager provides security, auditing, and tagging features to help you manage your resources after deployment.
The benefits of using Resource Manager
Resource Manager provides several benefits:
- You can deploy, manage, and monitor all of the resources for your solution as a group, rather than handling these resources individually.
- You can repeatedly deploy your solution throughout the development lifecycle and have confidence your resources are deployed in a consistent state.
- You can use declarative templates to define your deployment.
- You can define the dependencies between resources so they are deployed in the correct order.
- You can apply access control to all services in your resource group because Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is natively integrated into the management platform.
- You can apply tags to resources to logically organize all of the resources in your subscription.
- You can clarify billing for your organization by viewing the rolled-up costs for the entire group or for a group of resources sharing the same tag.
Resource Manager provides a new way to deploy and manage your solutions. If you used the earlier deployment model and want to learn about the changes, see Understanding Resource Manager deployment and classic deployment.
Here you can find Up-to-Date Microsoft Azure Resource Manager Overview Documentation to make your Live Easy 😉


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You can now find businesses on Yelp based on their proximity to a Pokestop.
Just in case you thought that you'd seen all the Pokemon GO tie-ins, here's yet another one. Yelp will now let you filter their business listings to find those businesses that are near Pokestops.
In a blog post featuring some questionable Pokemon puns, Yelp announced the feature, saying, "Today we're launching a new feature and search filter to better help you catch 'em all. We know you're going to Diglett." Sigh.
The company is still building a database of Pokestops, and it's asking for users to check in and fill out a survey that will help identify it.
The filter is currently available for users in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.


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Graduate Certificate of Public Policy
Further information
In just six months study time (or equivalent part-time), a Graduate Certificate of Public Policy gives you an ANU graduate degree and the real-world knowledge that matters to governments, businesses and communities in Australia.
You can use your undergraduate degree in any discipline – including arts, sciences, economics, commerce and law – to enter the Graduate Certificate program.
The Graduate Certificate of Public Policy will provide you with knowledge to broaden your general or technical skills in public policy. The Graduate Certificate offers a wide menu of Crawford School Master's degree courses.
Students who are thinking of later proceeding on to a Master's degree should consider the appropriate course-selection requirements for each degree. Course advice is available to help with these choices.
Degree structure
Further information
The Graduate Certificate of Public Policy requires the completion of 24 units in any of the following subject areas:
- CRWF Crawford School of Public Policy
- EMDV Environmental Management and Development
- IDEC International and Development Economics
- POGO Policy and Governance
Cognate disciplines
- Anthropology
- Applied Economics
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Development Studies
- Economic Policy
- Econometrics
- Economics
- Engineering
- Geography
- Human Ecology
- Mathematics
- Policy Studies
- Political Economy
- Political Sciences
- Policy Studies
- Population Studies
- Resource Management and Environmental Science
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Sustainability Science
- Sustainable Development
View the full Graduate Certificate of Public Policy degree program structure and academic rules information.
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Scholarships and fees
Further information
Scholarships and support
Scholarship opportunities are available for national and international students.
Find our more about scholarships and support that may be available to you for postgraduate qualification at ANU.
Costs associated with your study at ANU will depend on a number of things, including your study program and whether you're a national or international student.
Find out more about costs and fees associated with studying at ANU.
Updated: 29 May 2020/Responsible Officer: Crawford Engagement/Page Contact: CAP Web Team


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A Democratic Republic of Congo cabinet minister has described as nonsensical accusations that a proposed constitutional amendment will weaken the opposition and will act as a significant boost to the ruling party in the scheduled 27th November general elections.
Information minister Lambert Mende said the country?s fiscal condition is, in his words, the main reason for the amendment adding that the international donor community has been unable to provide promised funds to help with the upcoming elections.
?I don?t see where somebody can see a break of the law, or a fraudulent action, when a majority of parliament members are proposing to discuss an amendment to the constitution. This is really, so to speak, out of sense,? said Mende.
?We have to respect our constitution and the rights of the citizens, or a parliament member, to act if he needs the constitution to be amended where it is not forbidden for the constitution to be amended.?
The government proposed a change in the constitution that will only permit a one-round presidential election. But, opposition groups were unanimous in rejecting the proposal, saying it is a calculated attempt to organize fraud elections.
Mende said the accusations are baseless and without merit.
?When we talk of (an) amendment to the constitution to have the president elected by one poll instead of two, due to budgetary reasons, it is the right of the parliament member, or the government, or the head of state, or 100,000 citizens, to propose such an amendment.?
He also said that the proposed amendment will ?even the playing field? in this year?s presidential election.
?We don?t have the money. We have received a lot of promises of money from our friends in the international community only to hear last month that there is no way for them to afford that promise, and we have to work otherwise,? said Mende.
?That is why we have to take (up) our responsibility to find a way of having the election in the constitutional timetable and to make it with our own means. That means that we have to bear the cost of this election. It is a matter of responsibility.?
Meanwhile, analysts say that, under a one-round election system, a presidential candidate could win with as little as 20 percent of the vote.
Under the current system, the Democratic Republic of Congo is scheduled to hold a first-round presidential election in November with a second round held in early 2012 if necessary.
Parliament would have to approve changes to the constitution for a one-round system to be put in place.


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- Widely used for production pork splitting (up to 400 hogs / hour / saw).
- Economical, also suitable for beef and veal kills.
- Lightweight – less operator fatigue.
- Long blade life – 800 hogs per blade.
- Anti-tie down controls and totally enclosed electric motor for operator safety.
Download PDF Request a Quote


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Cars With Zero Road Tax for Sale
From 1 April 2017, the new road tax system meant that any petrol or diesel car registered after that date incurred a fixed charge, regardless of its CO2 emissions. Here at Motorpoint, we have a range of used cars that are still road tax free – allowing you to save money as you drive.
And it's not just electric and hybrid vehicles that have no road tax, there are many choices that run on petrol and diesel. From hatchbacks and saloons to Ford or Renault, you are sure to find the right zero road tax car for you. Browse the various specs across motorpoint.co.uk here and discover all the information you need at your fingertips, including mileage, transmission, fuel economy and more.


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Would you like to be inspired? Pushed to be a better writer? Motivated to free yourself from attitudes about publishing that hold you back?
For free?
It's not too late to SUBSCRIBE (for free) to the Write Free e-newsletter. The June, 2009 issue is going out late–Monday. This month features Editor Unleashed's Maria Schneider. Getting (Your Writing) Back in Gear. Forming Writing Partnerships..and more!


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True Meanings Behind Popular Hashtags
13 comments:
i just laughed so hard it turned into a coughing fit so thank you for thatReplyDelete
haha this is hilarious! i am definitely guilty of the punch line instead of actual hashtags, now i feel guilty! i also laughed so hard at : Basic bitches may need a filter to look hot, but this is real beauty right here that diet coke came out of my nose.ReplyDelete
#hilarios #canteven #dedReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 14, 2014 at 1:13 PM
I think #blessed and #yolo are my favorites to use ironically. I can't explain why it gives me such a happy, but it does. Also, too true on #selfie {guilty} and hastagging random things that really are just the insta equivalent of muttering something under your breath in hopes that someone will hear your clever comment and give you credit for its hilarity. Wait, that's just me? Oh. Okay.ReplyDelete
Oh and your #eatclean definition slayed me. Atta girl.
Umm... yeah these are so awesome. I am getting better t them but I still do not appreciate 50 in one post. How in the world does anyone have that kind of time. Sometimes I get lazy and throw a hastag into a sentence because #idowhatiwantReplyDelete
so #blessed to be blog friends with you now all those #basicbitches can #BOWDOWN to usReplyDelete
I go through spurts when it comes to hash tags, it's really weird. This may be another sign of me getting old but what does #L4L mean? Probably something super simple & I can't figure it out! HahaReplyDelete
Adore you and this. I also try to use hashies in the comments on my fitness page so that people don't have to scroll forever to get past my spam bullshit. #fitfamReplyDelete
I like to use hashtags with sarcasm and make them as long as possible, but I do try to limit them to people who actually use hashtags so they understand I'm trying to be humorous. Otherwise, I'm just an #asshole.ReplyDelete
Hahahaha this is dead on!!!ReplyDelete
This made my day...!! Thanks for this!ReplyDelete
This may be the best list of anything that I've ever seen.ReplyDelete
you're basically the funniest person i know.ReplyDelete


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The mountains have been mapped in detail for the first time by bouncing radar signals off their hidden surface and observing how long they took to return. The highest peak was found to be 2,434m (7,985ft) above sea level, about twice the height of Ben Nevis.
Researchers flew aircraft 75,000 miles over six weeks braving average temperatures of -22F (-30) Celsius charting the ancient Gamburtsev range, it was reported in Nature. They predicted a flat plateaux but instead found a range similar in height and shape to the Alps - with massive peaks as high as Mount Blanc and deep valleys. Water, turned to liquid due to the pressure of East Antarctic Ice Sheet above, could be seen in rivers and lakes nestled in valleys.
One lake, named Vostok, was an incredible 187 mile (300km) long making it similar in size to North American Great Lake, Lake Ontario. Scientists hope the findings will aid predictions about the effects of climate change on ice sheets and challenge long-held views that the ice sheet formed over millions of years. The new research suggests they formed in a fraction of the time and the area could have been ice free at some points in history. This means any rapid fluctuation in global temperature could have a much faster effect on the formation of ice sheets than previously thought.
The research was conducted by the Antarctica's Gamburstev Province (AGAP) - a team of scientists, engineers, pilots and support staff from seven nations. They used state of the art radar, aeromagnetic and gravity sensors to map 386,000sq miles (1,000,000sq km) of the Gamburtsev range 2.5 miles (4km) under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Dr Fausto Ferraccioli, a geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey, led the UK science effort. "We now know that not only are the mountains the size of the European Alps but they also have similar peaks and valleys," he said."And this adds even more mystery about how the vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet formed. If the ice sheet grew slowly then we would expect to see the mountains eroded into a plateau shape. But the evidence now suggests it formed quickly. "Our big challenge now is to dive into the data to get a better understanding of what happened. Our findings are like the first page of a big book."


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Even though your risk of developing diverticulitis rises as you age, it doesn't just affect older adults: About 20% of those with diverticulitis are younger than 50 years. The physicians at Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute offer surgical treatment of diverticulitis, removing the inflamed and damaged part of your large intestine before complications can develop. If you experience pain in your lower abdomen, please call one of our offices in Berwyn, or La Grange, Illinois, or book an appointment online.
Diverticula are small pouches that bulge out from the lining of your gastrointestinal tract. They can develop anywhere along the tract, including your esophagus and small intestine, but they commonly occur in the lower part of your large intestine or colon.
Diverticulosis -- the presence of one or more diverticula -- is common and seldom causes problems. The pouches, however, can become infected and inflamed. When that happens, you have diverticulitis.
Diverticula originally develop due to:
Researchers are still studying the cause of diverticulitis, but it may develop when there's an overgrowth of normal colonic bacteria or when fecal material or undigested food collects in the pouch, causing a focal obstructive process. It may also occur when colon wall erodes or a diverticula tears.
Concerns about whether eating foods with nuts or seeds, such as popcorn, cause diverticulitis have so far been unfounded in medical studies. But all the same, if you have a history of diverticulitis, it may be better to eat these foods in moderation.
Diverticulitis's most common symptom is pain. Pain is most likely to occur in your lower left part of your abdomen since that's where diverticulitis is usually present, although sometimes people complain of right-sided or lower middle abdominal pain.
The pain may range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of inflammation. In the most severe case, gently touching your abdomen can elicit extreme pain. You may also experience:
Mild to moderate cases of diverticulitis may be treated with oral antibiotics to treat the infection. You may also follow a liquid or soft diet temporarily to give your colon time to heal. That often requires an inpatient stay in the hospital.
If your case is complicated because an abscess, fistula, intestinal obstruction, or perforation have developed, you may need drainage procedures or surgery to prevent the infection from spreading into your abdomen.
Surgery is also viable if you have:
Our surgeons will help develop the optimal care plan for your episode of diverticulitis once diagnosed. Once your episode resolves, some people may consider elective surgery to prevent future attacks of diverticulitis.
The decision about whether to have interval surgery for episodes of diverticulitis depends on your age, the number and severity of your attacks, along with other factors. Your surgeon will discuss this decision pathway with you in detail.
Surgery for diverticulitis typically involves resection of the diseased portion of the colon, called a colectomy. During a colectomy, your surgeon removes the part of your colon affected by diverticulitis, then reconnects the two ends. All of our surgeons are experts in minimally invasive colon surgery.
Whenever possible, a colectomy is performed using laparoscopic surgery, where the procedure is done through a few smaller incisions. That reduces recovery time and can decrease the risk of future hernias and wound complications, although there's always a small chance that a traditional open approach is needed.


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R&H Remodeling Inc
Siding Contractor
Write a Review
All Reviews
Julian Q.
3 years ago
Awesome Company
Hiram and the crew were fantastic to work with. They cleaned up at the end of each day and took care of protecting our landscape during the project. I have recommended them to everyone who has asked me about the contractor that did my home. Was very happy with them.
Nick T.
3 years ago
Great Company
The guys were great and their clean up was fantastic. They answered questions and were very knowledgeable, have recommended them and will continue to do business with them for my other home projects. My house looks great!!!
Response from R&H Remodeling Inc
Thank you for the great review. Glad we could be of service and look forward to servicing your home in the future
Joanna H.
3 years ago
This company was awesome we're here on time worked hard workmanship wonderful
I would recommend them highly work done quickly and good quality they fixed the problems from previous contractor very very happy
Response from R&H Remodeling Inc
Thank you for your kind words and review. We're glad that this experience was much better than the last one and hope to keep a great relationship with you for years to come.


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Colour Light Therapy uses the same locations on the body as acupuncture needles. Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used systems of healing in the world. originating in China some 3.500 years ago it is believed to keep the balance between yin and yang, allowing for the normal flow of 'ai' through the body and restoring health throughout.
Colour light therapy uses different vibrations to stimulate and balance the Ai in the body cells. It can be used to literally 'switch off' a migraine, to improve mood, to help alleviate the symptoms of hormonal imbalance common in sufferers of PMT and the menopause, as well as boost immunity, relax muscles and improve sleep.


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It's time for standard medical consultants to show the science behind their medicine by demonstrating profitable, nontoxic, and reasonably priced patient outcomes. Online publication in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine gives you the chance to publish giant datasets, massive numbers of shade illustrations and transferring pictures, to display data in a kind that can be learn straight by other software packages in order to allow readers to manipulate the information for themselves, and to create all related hyperlinks (for instance, to PubMed, to sequence and different databases, and to other articles).
While these double-dipping mother and father utilize quite a lot of sCAM providers, including naturopaths, homeopaths, chiropractors, and a smattering of holistic healers", most are taking their youngsters to 1 of a few wellness" facilities close to my practice where they're seen by actual medical medical doctors training so-known as integrative medicine".
Still, the results spotlight the need for pediatricians to know how dad and mom view different drugs, stated Linda Greene, a researcher at the University of Rochester Highland Hospital in New York and president-elect of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
Some primary texts to start out with include The American Holistic Health Association Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine by William Collinge, New Medicine by Kenneth Pelletier, Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide by Burton Goldberg, John W. Anderson and Larry Trivieri, and The New York Times Guide to Alternative Health by Jane E. Brody and Denise Grady.
The philosophy of alternative drugs usually emphasizes the promotion of wellness, therapeutic and prevention by means of self-consciousness of the thoughts and physique, as well as train, vitamin, and other forms of self-care.


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The content of these pages is developed and maintained by, and is the sole responsibility of, the individual senator's office and may not reflect the views of the Nebraska Legislature. Questions and comments about the content should be directed to the senator's office at email@example.com
I've enjoyed meeting with many of you throughout the fall and summer. As session nears, I'm excited to join returning and newly elected senators to get back to work on balancing the budget and protecting your priorities.
The 2017 Legislative Session starts on January 4 and runs through June 1. In Nebraska, our legislature operates on a two year biennium budget cycle. In odd-numbered years, we have a 90 day session where we enact the next budget. On even-numbered years, the legislature has a shorter 60 day session.
If you would like to follow the session closely, the Clerk of the Legislature's office produces the Unicameral Update, an online news source that gives information legislative activity, floor discussion, and committee hearings. Additionally, you can watch committee hearings and floor debate using NET's state government streaming website.
I look forward to continuing our work for District 29 in the next session, and am always interested in hearing your legislative priorities. If you would like to share your thoughts on the next legislative session with me, you can reach my office at (402) 471-2724 or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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"THE conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerrilla wins if he does not lose." Henry Kissinger's observation, made during the Vietnam War, should be haunting Hezbollah, the Middle East's most capable guerrilla force, as it becomes embroiled in an increasingly costly effort to save the Assad regime.
In a meticulously planned operation in October, units linked to the Free Syrian Army in the city of Qusayr near the Lebanon border killed Ali Hussein Nassif, who was quickly exposed as commander of all Hezbollah forces in Syria. His death shed light on the extent of the group's involvement in the conflict.
Hezbollah's interest in preserving Bashar al-Assad's seat of power is well known, and its leader Hassan Nasrallah has spared no effort in reminding the world of his group's political support for the embattled dictator. For three decades, the Assad dynasty's support propelled Lebanon's largely peasant Shiite population into the halls of government, backed by an armed wing whose firepower rivals that of many conventional national armies.
Hezbollah's military commitment in Syria is no less obvious. Since the conflict's outset, Hezbollah commanders have joined their counterparts in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in advising the Syrian military in its crackdown on opposition strongholds, in addition to training a reported 60,000-member militia to protect Alawite communities in Syria's coastal northwest. Thousands of Hezbollah-linked fighters have helped protect roughly 20 Shiite Syrian communities along the Lebanese border from sectarian-motivated attacks by hard-line rebels. Hezbollah is said to have used its arsenal to shell Sunni border communities acting as rebel strongholds.
Reports indicate that Hezbollah recently expanded its actions in Syria to include its most valued resource — its highly trained and strategically irreplaceable special forces units. Hezbollah's secretive military wing is reportedly composed of 2,000 to 4,000 professional soldiers and thousands of reservists hailing from Shiite villages south of the Litani river and the Bekaa Valley, meant to be called into action to repel a future Israeli invasion. During the 2006 conflict with Israel, the loss of roughly one quarter of Hezbollah's special forces was assumed to constitute the group's most severe setback.
Varying reports from Syria suggest that the direct participation of these special forces units in combat zones nationwide has increased, and additional forces may be on the way. Secret contingency plans reportedly agreed upon at the highest levels of the Syrian government and Hezbollah indicate that Hezbollah had reportedly agreed to commit thousands of its most elite soldiers to defend the Assad regime, either from a "foreign invasion" or in the event that "urgent assistance" was needed.
With Syrian rebels consolidating their gains in outlying areas of Aleppo and Damascus, there are indications that Nasrallah has already begun to make good on his pledge. Earlier this month, a Saudi newspaper reported that four Hezbollah units, each consisting of 1,300 fighters, had been dispatched to assist the Syrian military in major cities, while the group's elite 901 commando unit has reportedly been fighting in the Homs area since July. Most recently, Hezbollah's reported deployments near Syrian chemical weapons facilities has spurred the Israeli government to threaten military intervention as a response to any potential attempt to transfer those weapons into Hezbollah bunkers in Lebanon.
Whether these moves were meant to protect these key facilities from sensitive sites or transfer their deadly materials, the deployment nonetheless testifies to the reality that these foreign Shiite militiamen have become one of Assad's most trusted fighting units.
Militarily and politically, Hezbollah has much at stake in the Syrian conflict, but it is risking even more by attempting to save a pariah regime that may not be savable. The group has incurred hundreds of losses against Syrian rebels, including its valued special forces. Hezbollah cannot outmatch rebel manpower, and will need to commit its best fighters and most sophisticated equipment to cut rebel supply lines in the hopes of hindering a Damascus invasion force from gaining traction.
Hezbollah's arsenal of nearly 70,000 rockets will likely remain pointed at the Israelis, but the squandering of its crucial elite units in Syria could deprive Lebanon's Shiite community of protection from emboldened sectarian rivals in the wake of Assad's ousting. Meanwhile, Hezbollah's assisting of the Assad regime in committing atrocities will put its leaders in the crosshairs of future international criminal tribunals, in addition to those already investigating the group's involvement in the assassination of the former Lebanon prime minister Rafik Hariri. Such negative attention may just spur the European Union to cave to U.S. pressure to place Hezbollah on its list of terror organizations, risking further isolation of the group's political wing.
Most threatening however, is Hezbollah's increasingly blatant violation of Lebanon's commitment to remain neutral in the Syrian conflict, a pledge made in the hopes of preserving the country's delicate sectarian balance. Nasrallah's support for Assad has placed Shiites and other minorities in the future line of fire of Syrian jihadists, many of whom are likely to turn their guns to Lebanon in retribution in the event of Assad's ousting.
Nasrallah has repeatedly affirmed his belief that the Assad regime will survive. Regardless of whether he is right, his assertions illustrate the fact that this conflict is one that Hezbollah desperately needs to win.
Daniel Nisman and Daniel Brode are intelligence managers for Max Security Solutions, a geo-political risk consulting firm based in Tel Aviv.


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India's exports to China have grown after several years and the country is poised to achieve its highest ever exports to China this fiscal.
Between April-December 2018, exports were USD 12.7 billion which is closer to last year's exports of USD 13.33 billion.
The Department of Commerce took the initiative to identify and share with Indian exporters and other stakeholders, specific lines where US would lose competitiveness in China and where India had an export potential and encouraged the exporters to seize this opportunity.
Several B2B meetings with Chinese buyers were facilitated through the Indian embassy in Beijing. Chinese grape buyers were invited to visit Indian grape farms and related units under Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA).
The growth in India's exports to China has been driven by marine products, organic chemicals, plastics, petroleum products, grapes and rice.
Recognising the regulatory environment in China, which remains a challenge for the Indian exporters, the Department of Commerce signed three protocols in the last financial year:
In June 2018, protocol on export of Indian rice to China (to include non-basmati rice) was signed in the presence of the leaders of the two countries at Qingdao, paving way for export of Indian rice to China, which commenced in small quantities subsequently, and now needs a major ramp up by the businesses on either side.
On November 28, 2018, the protocol for export of Indian fish meal and fish oil to China was signed during the visit of the Chinese Vice Minister to India.
On January 21 and 22, 2019, the protocol on export of Indian tobacco to China was renewed and signed paving way for exports of Indian tobacco to China.
While some of India's concerns have been addressed, more efforts are required for greater market penetration in China. India is hopeful of soon signing protocols for export of Indian soybean meals, cakes and pomegranates to China in the near future, as these are in advanced stages of discussion.
Discussions are on with the Chinese side for early announcement of Chinese import quotas for sugar and rice for 2019 so that Indian exporters are able to plan their exports well in time.
While the protocols have been signed for several items, the actual exports need to be ramped up substantially. Indian exporters are being encouraged to seize this opportunity and take advantage of the recent developments.
In light of US duties on Chinese products, similar steps have been taken with regard to Indian exports to the US also. (AGENCIES)
Head Office: MPEDA House,
Building No: 27/1162, P.B.No:4272,
Panampilly Avenue, Panampilly Nagar PO,
Kochi-682 036, Kerala.


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Paw Paw Cell-Reg® Selective for Abnormal Cells
Paw Paw Cell-Reg™ selectively targets specific cells to enhance the overall health of the body. Paw Paw twigs contains acetogenins-active compounds that modulate the production of ATP in mitochondria of specific cells, which affects the viability of specific cells and the growth of blood vessels that nourish them. A recent clinical study with over 100 participants showed that the paw paw extract, containing a mixture of acetogenins, supports the body's normal cells during times of cellular stress. Paw Paw Cell-Reg is a valuable tool in strengthening and supporting the immune system. This patent-pending product is the only standardized acetogenin product available to regulate specific cells. Each capsule contains 8.5 mg of standardized paw paw twig extract.
Key Benefits:
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Recommended Use: Take 2 capsules with food three times daily. Do not exceed the number of recommended serving size. If recommended serving size is exceeded, nausea may occur.
Warning: Do not take with Co-Q10, Thyroid Support, SOD or 7-Keto™ as this may decrease the effectiveness of this product. . Only those with cellular abnormalities should take this product on a regular daily basis.
Acetogenins (from Paw Paw Twig Extract, Asimina triloba)....................17mg


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Hacksaw Ridge
On some level I have to thank Mel Gibson for helping crystalize a question that has been floating around in my head for some time: what moral weight, if any, is borne by horror?
I should back up to explain. Since Tom Brokaw coined the term "The Greatest Generation", there has been a steady return to World War II movies from the morally-conflicted Vietnam movies that ruled Hollywood at the time. And there has been a steady increase in the violence and brutality on display. In part this comes from the same "gritty, realistic" place as the recent Superman and Batman movies, so you can imagine how much I buy that argument. But it also suggests that part of what made The Greatest Generation, well, great is how much they went through. Even when you get away from the overt machismo, Angelia Jolie's Unbroken is designed from the title down to praise Louie Zamperini as much for sheer stamina as anything else.
But now we come to Hacksaw Ridge, which positions Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) not just as a Great Man, but as a Good Man. The greatness at least seems beyond question. During the attempt to take Okinawa, American troops had to scale a four-hundred-foot escarpment to even reach the battlefield. When driven back, Doss refused to seek cover, instead personally carrying 75 casualties one at a time and lowering them down the cliff on a rope. His goodness, too, I'm sure of. As crazy as it seems, he carried out this and all his other duties as a front-line medic without so much as a sidearm, in obedience to his beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist.
The question, though, is how does the director present this goodness to the audience? It is unquestionably virtuous of Doss to go back into harm's way, but do we need — and here I must apologize to any squeamish readers — to see a bullet blow one man's face into a spatter across another man's face? Do we need to see limbs turned into hamburger in order to believe in the danger Doss faced? My question to Gibson is whether he includes the shocking level of gore out of some belief that it lends greater moral weight to Doss' actions.
It's tempting to say that of course it's just cynical pandering to audiences that, like the one at the screening I attended, break out into whoops and cheers at the sight of metal ripping through flesh. As much as Gibson may say he means Hacksaw Ridge as an anti-war film, he runs face-first into Truffaut's observation that the cinematic treatment almost necessarily glorifies what it depicts, and he shows no care to avoid that result.
But I don't believe Gibson is cynically courting this audience while claiming the opposite, nor do I believe that he was simply too clueless to think of any other way of directing the battle action. I believe that the horrifying violence is an intentional choice on his part, stemming from his own belief that suffering is correlated with goodness. Remember, this is the man who turned the Passion narrative into a sadomasochistic spectacle. And, when it comes down to it, I don't agree with him.
The whole idea points to Gibson's position as a virtue ethicist, believing that actions are Good because they follow certain prescribed rules. The more Doss must endure in the process of adhering to his rules, the more strongly his adherence signals his virtue. Rescuing his fallen comrades with no way to defend himself is thus not mere heroism; it is an indication of how strongly he obeys his moral strictures. He verges on the Kantian hero who tells the ax-murderer where his own friend is hiding, because lying is wrong.
The clincher of Gibson's ethical philosophy is his treatment of the Japanese soldiers. To his credit, he doesn't treat them as bloodless targets in a shooting gallery, the way many recent movies like Lone Survivor do. They suffer too, though not quite so explicitly as the Americans. But their behavior is almost thoroughly alien, and Gibson lingers over their brutality, eager to show how they are Not Like Us. Again, it works to throw Doss' non-violence into sharp relief against their disregard for human life.
And this is the real departure of Gibson's sense of ethics, not in what actions are good, but in the reasons why they are good. Doss' non-violence is not presented as good because the Japanese soldiers are human beings with inner lives as rich and complicated as any American's, and because they are as deserving of love and respect as anyone else. It's good because it shows just how rigidly he will adhere to the rule. Even when it comes to his own abusive father, Doss' restraint is about his own strength of character rather than the universal need for love and mercy.
It's a solipsistic viewpoint, always pointing back to the self rather than directing it out to the other. To Gibson, the biblical affirmation to turn the other cheek is more a call to toughness and endurance, rather than an entreaty to step out of one's own small perspective. He and I may both see much to admire in Desmond Doss, but his movie presents the case in a way I just can't support.
Worth It: no.
Bechdel-Wallace Test: fail.


text: K. Ann Brizolis, principal of Rancho Santa Fe-based K. Ann Brizolis & Associates, Pacific Sotheby's International Realty, was invited to attend Sotheby's International Realty's recent Market Leaders Forum as a representative of San Diego's vibrant luxury real estate market. The two-day event welcomed 45 of the top Sotheby's International Realty agents from across the U.S. and focused on the best practices, collaboration and strategic growth within the ever-expanding realm of global real estate. The intensive meetings and networking events were co-hosted by Montecito's Suzanne Perkins and Bill Fandel of Telluride Sotheby's International Realty. Those in attendance represented luxury markets throughout California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas, Washington and Washington, D.C. The dynamic symposium was moderated by Liz Bentley, a nationally recognized performance consultant and coach, and president of Liz Bentley Associates. The forums final day concluded with a private estate tour of the historic Villa Santa Barbara, owned by beloved television host, best-selling author and Emmy-winning actress, Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi. The exquisite estate is listed by Telluride Sotheby's International Realty for $45 million. Nationally recognized by her clients and peers as an ethical, highly accomplished and dedicated luxury real estate agent, K. Ann Brizolis has consistently ranked in the top percent of luxury real estate agents in the U.S. An expert in the purchase and sale of luxury homes in Rancho Santa Fe and the surrounding coastal communities of La Jolla and Del Mar, Ann is deeply committed to representing her clients best interests while providing valuable real estate advice. For more information, visit http://www.kabrizolis.com or call 858.756.4328.


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Welcome to the Neighborhood Live! expands the reach of the weekly radio broadcast bringing the very best from the northwest to the stage! DJ Klyph curates a night of Hip Hop featuring some of Portland's finest.
Vursatyl is an MC, singer / songwriter, best known for being a frontman for the Portland-based Hip Hop group, Lifesavas. His lyrics are smart, sharp and delivered with a complexity in flow. He's widely known as one of the best MC's in independent Hip Hop.
Theory Hazit, an accomplished emcee/producer, has toured the US as well as Europe and worked with the likes of S1, Strange Fruit Project, Redman, Oddisee and Lecrae. Theory takes Hip Hop to another level by creating cinematic soundscapes and transparent lyricism.
Mic Capes is a Hip Hop artist from Portland, OR that represents the North Portland neighborhood, St.Johns. Capes is known for having vivid story telling ability, raw lyricism, and thought provoking social commentary as key components of his music.
Neka & Kahlo met by chance in 2009. Neka, brought up in the Black Church, took to secular music in secret. Daughter of eastern European emigrants, Kahlo took to Hip Hop for self-expression. In the duo's headphones you can now find, anything from Michael to Miguel, Chaka Khan to Kanye, 60's acid rock to Chance the Rapper.


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This is the ultimate guide to growing your favourite happy hour cocktails within the comfort of your own home – so that you'll have the herbs you need at hand for whenever you feel like it's about thyme for a beverage!
Home Growing
When it comes to growing herbs indoors, hydroponics is one of the best methods. This is because hydroponic herbs grow more rapidly from seedlings, are able to grow bigger volumes in a smaller containers, and are known for having a heightened aroma which means – more taste!
Hydroponics will result in your herbs growing 25% to 50% faster than in soil, in a controlled environment where you won't even have to bother with keeping them hydrated. No soil messiness and herbs all year round – it's just mint to be!
Herb Cocktails
We've put together some of our favourite herb-y concoctions for you to give a go – they're kind of a big dill.
This absolute classic includes one of our all time favourite herbs and is super easy to make.
You will need:
Crushed ice – 1 cup
Soda – 50ml
Mint Leaves – 10, plus a few more for garnish
Fresh lime juice – 2 tablespoons
White rum – ¼ cup
Fine sugar – 2 tablespoons
- Stir together the sugar and lime juice until all is dissolved.
- Add the ¼ of the cup of crushed ice.
- Tear the mint leaves in half and add them into the glass.
- Stir, then add the white rum, rest of the ice and soda.
- Stir once again, and add the extra mint for garnish!
Dill or No Dill
This dill-icious cocktail may be slightly less well known, but is guaranteed to tickle your tastebuds!
You will need:
Gin – 50ml
Elderflower syrup or cordial – 15ml
Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
Cucumber juice – 30ml
Dill – 2 sprigs, 1 to garnish
Salt – 1 pinch
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Sprain into a serving glass.
- Add extra sprig of dill to garnish!
Rosemary Gin Fizz
This recipe takes no time at all which may or may not make it even more addictive…
You will need:
Rosemary – 3 sprigs
Juice of 1 small lemon
Honey – ½ teaspoon
Gin – 35ml
Soda – 90ml
- Muddle together the honey, lemon juice and rosemary in a small drinking glass.
- Fill the glass with ice, pour in the gin and then top with the soda.
- Give it a swirl and you're done!
Once you're set up with your indoor herbs and alcohol, let the world of alcoholic herb-y beverages be your oyster! You'll constantly be saying "chive never been so tipsy"! 😜