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Observer: Greg Wurst
The Riley County Law Board met at noon on Tuesday, February 20.
After two questions the consent agenda was approved unanimously.
There was a call for public comments and Aaron Wright, a former RCPD officer, read a statement calling for the new director to use total transparency, implying that the current director did not and played favorites. He urged the law board to pick an outsider as the next director. His comments were distributed to the board members.
Detective Brian Johnson, the Paternal Order of Police representative, stated that out of 57,000 calls for service there were only 11 complaints which he thought was very good. He also said the Order wants to participate in the selection of a new director.
Sergeant Wood reported on RCPD and drones. They currently have two on hand and many officers are certified commercial pilots, however, he would like to get FAA licensing for them so that they could be used in special cases, e.g. flying over KSU football games when airspace is closed. There is also a possibility of using Infrared cameras where heat generating bodies hidden from the naked eye could be discerned. RCPD is trying to take a conservative approach to utilizing these by comparing other police department policies and being very careful about privacy and safety.
Captain Zink reported about Fake Paddy's Day preparations. RCPD will once again use the old park roundhouse building and the "skating rink" for processing and command center. Other agencies helping include KSU, Lawrence PD and Pottawatomie County PD.
RCPD presented three changes to the Salary Program. Modifications to the compensatory time policy to allow officers to be paid for compensatory time late in the year rather than only when they leave service was discussed. The idea is to save money by paying them at their current wage rather than when they leave when their wages may be higher. It was decided to try this for a year and see how it worked out. Education Incentive and Shift Differential increases which had been discussed at earlier meetings was approved.
The Law Board stated that they would get the best person for the new director. They said a consultant had been hired, but they were not "farming the job out" and they would guide the process and be totally transparent. The Board made up an outline of who should make up the committee to oversee the hiring and added a representative from KSU.
The board adjourned to executive session to discuss personnel issues.


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If you are using the Shopify Order Printer app to print your invoices, you can use this template to display the selected options in the invoice.
Please follow these steps to update the template:
- From Shopify's admin, select Apps.
- Select Order Printer.
- Select Manage templates.
- Select Add template.
- Enter a Name for the template.
- In the "Code" field, copy and paste one of these Order Printer Templates: Product Options version v1.0 or v2.0.
- Select Save.
That's it!
Next Steps:
- Add a Tooltip to Product Options
- Change the Order of Product Options
- Customize the Display in Product Options
Blog Posts:
- We've got swatches! Plus other new releases for your Product Options app
- Editable Options in the Cart!
- Offer Gift Wrapping on Shopify

subset: commoncrawl


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1) Permanency Tip of the Week: What do I Receive from the Permanency Relationship?; 2) Permanency Success Story of the Week: Fostering Great Ideas: Celeste – A Bright Note!; 3) Collins, Casey Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren as Opioid Epidemic Increases Their Numbers; 4) Foster, Adoptive Parents Find an Oasis in New Online Membership Community; 5) Complex Trauma – Never Give Up: A Video by Youth for Youth; 6) Mental Health Interventions for Children in Foster Care;
Permanency in the News – Week of 4/23/18
1) Permanency Tip of the Week: Permanency Centered Goals – Mental Health; 2) Permanency Success Story of the Week: GO CJ!; 3) Spotlight on National Child Abuse Prevention Month; 4) Congress Affirms the Important Role of Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children; 5) 'Does She Know Her Real Mom?' The Complexities of Open Adoption; 6) Raise Awareness for Child Abuse Prevention All Year Long ; 7) Adoption Assistance Review


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NURMALITA, Yosza and KHASANAH , Imroatul (2012) ANALISIS PENGARUH PERSEPSI KUALITAS INTI DAN PERSEPSI KUALITAS SUPLEMEN TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN HONDA VARIO DI DEALER WALI MOTOR DEMAK. Undergraduate thesis, Fakultas Ekonomika dan Bisnis.
|PDF - Published Version
This research is due to a decrease in sales of Honda motorcycles in 2010 and 2011. This sales decline shows a decrease in consumer purchasing decisions on Honda motorcycle products that can be formulated in this study how consumers make decisions that the purchase of motorcycles in the phenomenon of increasing competition is based on consumer motivation, perceived quality, and consumer attitudes. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of perceived quality and perceived quality supplement core of Honda's motorcycle buying decision. Samples used in the study of 100 respondents. In this study using accidental sampling means sampling is that sampling is done by giving a questionnaire to be filled to the consumers who make purchasing decisions on the Vario Honda Dealer Motor Demak Wali during the study period. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson Corellation to test the validity of question items, Cronbach's Alpha to test the reliability of the instrument, multiple regression analysis, to test the magnitude of the effect of independent variables were tested by t test to test and prove the effect of partially each independent variable. The results can be concluded that: (a) variables have a positive perception of the quality of core and significant impact on purchasing decisions. (B) perception of the quality of supplements have a positive and significant impact on purchasing decisions. (C) the largest variable in influencing the purchase decision is the perception of the quality of the core (with a coefficient of 0.526) followed the variable perception of quality supplements (with a coefficient of 0.407). (D) Adjusted R2 is 0.446, meaning 44.6% of the variation of the purchase decision can be explained by the variation of the two independent variables, namely perceived quality and perceived quality supplement core.
|Item Type:
|Thesis (Undergraduate)
|Additional Information:
|purchase decision, perception of the quality of the core and supplements
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|purchase decision, perception of the quality of the core and supplements
|H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
|Faculty of Economics and Business > Department of Management
|ID Code:
|Deposited By:
|Mr. Perpustakaan Fakultas Ekonomi
|Deposited On:
|25 Jun 2012 14:29
|Last Modified:
|25 Jun 2012 14:29
Repository Staff Only: item control page


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If Transandine Railway (or Ferrocarril Trasandino) would be operational today, it would be the seventh highest railway in the world, the highest point being almost 3200 meter about see level.
What a pity that this 250 km metre gauge narrow railway from Mendoza, Argentina to Los Andes, Chile has not been operated since 1984. I would love to ride it.
This rail route was first initiated in 1854, but it took more than 50 years before the whole line from Argentina to Chile was opened to traffic in 1910. And closed 74 years later. I have read that there are plans to reopen the track, but I have not found any confirmation that this is really happening. Would be great to see that – and be there.
My pictures are from 2007, taken on the Argentine side, many of the about here.
Click any picture to open the gallery.


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Reprinted with permission from WordPress Plugin Guide – Images Get You Traffic
For the last 6 years, my friend George Katsoudas
has been getting traffic from GOOGLE IMAGES.
According to BBC, Google Images gets more
than 10 BILLION PAGE VIEWS PER DAY!
You can download a free pdf cheat sheet that
shows you exactly how to optimize your images
for search engines like Google, from here:
Google often shows images ABOVE the normal
text results. If your image appears there, you
can essentially "steal" the #1 spot from your
The problem is that CREATING IMAGES IS TOUGH.
And don't even THINK about using an image
that you found from a stock site. Google KNOWS
if your image can be found on other sites. If you
use the same images as everyone else, your
image will NOT rank high.
The solution is a super simple WordPress plugin
that George developed.
– It creates text-based images for your content.
– It optimizes them for your chosen keywords.
– It gets you more free traffic from search engines like Google.
All, automatically.
You can watch a video walkthrough, as well as
download a free demo of the plugin from this link:
The plugin is currently available at a discount,
because it just launched. Price will go up on
October 25th. You may want to hurry! 🙂
Micheal & Yvonne – WSOInsiders.com
PS. You can do this, even if you are a technophobe
who knows nothing about SEO. The plugin does
all the work FOR you.


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| 7.1°C Dublin
THE chairman of the BBC Trust Chris Patten came under increasing pressure last night as it emerged he approved a £1.32m (€1.6m) pay-off for George Entwistle, the former director general.
Mr Entwistle, who resigned on Saturday night after just 54 days in the job, leaves with a £450,000 (€565,000) lump sum on top of his £877,000 (€1.97m) pension pot, which was described as "unjustifiable and unacceptable" by one senior MP.
The BBC Trust said Mr Entwistle had been given a year's salary to "reflect the fact that he will continue to help the BBC business" by giving evidence to a series of inquiries into the Savile affair and "to effect a speedy resolution and allow the BBC to move on".
John Whittingdale, the chairman of the parliament's culture, media and sport select committee, said licence fee payers would be "surprised" that he was being given so much money after such a short tenure, while Philip Davies MP, who also sits on the committee, said it was "yet another reason" Mr Patten should resign.
Mr Entwistle quit after 'Newsnight' was forced to issue an "unreserved" apology to Lord McAlpine after it broadcast a report wrongly accusing a senior Conservative of paedophilia, which led to Lord McAlpine being named online.
Mr Patten admitted yesterday that the very existence of 'Newsnight', which was already in crisis after it cancelled a film last year which would have exposed Jimmy Savile as a paedophile, was now open to question.
Up to six senior executives are expected to follow Mr Entwistle out the door once the findings of a series of internal reviews are published.
One MP suggested that only a "clear out" of senior management would restore the public's trust in the corporation.
David Dimbleby, the 'Question Time' host, said the Trust must appoint an outsider who is not "pickled in the culture" of bureaucracy that has "throttled" the BBC in recent years.
Mr Patten insisted that he would not be resigning. "I am not going to take my marching orders from Mr Murdoch's newspapers. I think there are big issues which need to be tackled involving the BBC and . . . that's what I want to give my attention to," he said. But Mr Davies suggested Mr Patten's position had become "untenable".
"He has been asleep at the wheel while he has been doing the job, he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of licence fee money appointing George Entwistle and 54 days later he is gone.
"The fact he has approved a £450,000 pay-off for him means his position has become farcical. If I walk away from my job I get nothing. This pay-off is totally unjustifiable, it's unacceptable, it's extraordinary and I suspect it's been done to save Lord Patten's bacon."
Downing Street said Mr Patten retained the support of the prime minister, but that position is likely to change if he is criticised by any of the three BBC internal inquiries due to report back in December on Savile and sexual harassment. (© Daily Telegraph, London)
Irish Independent


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© Copyright 2019 Computer Friendly
Registered in England number 04398683 Registered Charity number 1096433
Students will gain an understanding of researching family background and preparing a family tree using a range of specialised web sites. Students will be able to search for information about members of their family on the Ancestry.co.uk website.
The purpose of this course is to introduce the fundamentals of Family History Research for people with limited experience of the subject, or the use of the Internet, to find important family history records.
A workbook is provided containing exercises to give hands-
Learners should have been on a starter course listed below, or be confident with the Internet and be able to use Microsoft Windows, an Apple iPad or Android tablet, to find and save information.
Starting off with Android Tablets


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In the wake of the success of our joint efforts on World AIDS Day, and in the spirit of collaboration embodied by Second Life, we invite HIV/AIDS groups, activists, health professionals, organizations, and educators to participate in a meeting to discuss our shared interests and explore ways we might ensure the success of our collective work.
The tentative goals of this meeting are to:
- identify areas where we can collaborate
- identify ways to coordinate our outreach, support, marketing, and education efforts
- form a community of support that transcends SL and RL boundaries
Date: March 6, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Second Life Time (Pacific Time)
For further information about Karuna, please visit our project website http://www.karunasl.info/
Please feel free to pass this invitation to any other HIV/AIDS groups, activists, health professionals, organizations, and educators you feel might be interested.
Carolina Keats, Karuna Project Coordinator
Jenaia Morane, Story Project Coordinator


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Gasket D100.17.013
Production technology
The casting method is used for the tools production. In this molding, molten metal is exposed to centrifugal forces, whereby discarded to the mold and then solidified. These castings are subjected to subsequent machining.
Applications Information castings in the industry:
- plain bearings operating under high specific pressure;
- anti-friction parts, bearings, parts of friction, friction units valves, highly loaded parts, push and spindle nut, crowns worm gears;
- pumps operating in seawater and parts operating in fresh water, liquid fuel and steam at high temperature;
Gasket D100.17.018


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Again, sorry we can't bring you any metrics that will make you jump for joy, but the Office for National Statistics just won't throw us a bone. The latest figures show that the annual consumer price index for inflation held steady at 2.7%, marking the first time that inflation has stood still for four consecutive months since 1996 – when records began.
The most significant factor pushing up CPI was alcohol and tobacco prices, which jumped 4.3% from December to January thanks to the expiry of a bunch of Christmas discounts. Pushing the metric down was clothing and footwear, a segment in which prices dropped by a massive 5.4% - the inverse of the fags and booze factor, clothes come down in price for the January sales.
Still, the retail prices index (RPI), which takes account of things like council tax and fluctuations in the interest rate on mortgages, rose to 3.3% in January compared with 3.1% in December.
A spokesperson for the Treasury said: 'Inflation is down by almost a half from its peak of 5.2%. The Government has taken continued action to help with the cost of living, by announcing a further increase in the tax-free personal allowance and freezing fuel duty for more than two years.'
But with a bunch of energy price rises on the way, no amount of smooth rhetoric from the Treasury will keep heating from playing with that inflation rate…


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Recently overshadowed by the big announcement on the new funding framework for defined benefit pension plans, earlier this month the Ontario government issued a pair of draft regulations to increase the powers of the Superintendent of Financial Services. The draft regulations would allow the Superintendent to impose Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) as well as to order the preparation of a new actuarial valuation report.
It's potentially about to get a lot more expensive for sponsors of pension plans in Ontario. The draft regulations propose a whole list of penalties which will be imposed for each day that a required filing or notice is late. The fees range from $100 to $200 per day, and there is a specific prohibition from paying any penalties from the pension fund.
We are fortunate that we attract clients who don't want to miss deadlines and, with our proprietary work inventory and reminder system, missed deadlines are a very rare occurrence.
Notwithstanding our success keeping clients on track, we remind clients that they also must be vigilant to notify us as soon as possible when specific events occur which may require an amendment to their pension plan text, investment policy or other documents. Examples of such events include:
The laws were changed back in 2010 to permit the Superintendent to demand a new actuarial valuation report in "prescribed circumstances" if the Superintendent believes there are reasonable and probable grounds that benefits are at risk or there has been a significant change in the plan's circumstances. It took a while, but the circumstances have now been prescribed:
As you can see, they might as well have said "anytime the Superintendent wants" since virtually every plan has seen a decline in members, a decrease in employer contributions, or a decrease in assets at one time or another.
Now, maybe the regulator is trying to curb the practice of employers cherry picking optimal valuation dates in order to minimize their contribution requirements? Under the new rules, if the plan sponsor elected to have a valuation prepared at a random date that just happened to be a high-water mark for the plan's assets, the Superintendent could turn around and order a new valuation at a not so favourable date. However, other jurisdictions have solved this problem by simply requiring valuations at the plan's fiscal year end date.
We hope that FSCO will issue some guidance shortly on how they will apply these broad new powers in order to provide a reasonable level of predictably for sponsors of pension plans in Ontario. The last thing that we need is additional uncertainty for sponsors of DB pension plans, they have enough risks to deal with already.


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Your rehab time after surgery for a torn labrum is likely to range from three to six months, depending on the extent of the damage. If the surgeon finds there is no damage to the tendon and the shoulder is still stable, rehab should only take about three or four months before your shoulder is healed. However, if the biceps tendon is damaged or detached, the surgeon will need to repair or reattach it, and the rehab process might take as long as six months.
Shoulder Labrum
The three bones in your shoulder joint are the shoulder blade, collarbone and upper arm bone. As the American Association of Orthopedics website explains, the head of the upper arm bone rests in a shallow socket. The socket is the glenoid. Your upper arm bone is larger than the socket, so a soft fibrous rim of tissue, the labrum, surrounds the socket and helps stabilize the joint. A tear of the labrum can be caused by an acute trauma, such as a direct blow to the shoulder or a sudden pull when you try to lift a heavy object. Athletes such as baseball pitchers and weightlifters are at risk of tearing a labrum due to overuse.
After surgery, you likely will have your shoulder in a sling for three to four weeks. A physical therapist probably will prescribe some gentle range-of-motion exercises, since it is important to get the shoulder moving again after surgery. After the sling is removed, your rehab will consist of motion or flexibility exercises. If your shoulder was stable, you might be able to start sports-specific exercises about six weeks after surgery. In this situation, your shoulder should be fully healed in three or four months. If the surgery was more extensive and your shoulder was unstable, if may take up to six months before it is healed.
Kentucky Shoulder Center
As the Orthogate website explains, surgical treatment for labrum tears is still in its infancy, as is rehab for shoulder injuries. The Shoulder Center of Kentucky has a thorough rehab program for labrum tears. It begins five to seven days after surgery and is described as a functional approach, placing the body in functional positions to stabilize and strengthen your shoulder joint. The program is an aggressive one, and its duration depends on how quickly you can progress without suffering too much pain.
If you have an injury that is not too severe, you may be able to avoid surgery. Even so, a labrum injury will require rehab to restore full strength and flexibility to the rotor cuff and muscles of the shoulder blade, as well as to keep the top of the humerus in the glenoid. Non-surgical rehab should take from four to six weeks.


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WILKES-BARRE — The body recovered from Mill Creek on Saturday has been identified as a Shavertown man who was a key witness in a fraud and theft case at Mohegan Sun Pocono casino.
Matthew Crane, 28, was the man whose body was found floating in the creek at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Dan Hughes, Luzerne County's chief deputy coroner.
Three people walking by spotted Crane's body in the creek, near a bridge that separates Mayock Street in Wilkes-Barre from Oak Street in Plains Twp. One member of the group said the dead man appeared to have a wound to his head.
The cause and manner of Crane's death will be determined following an autopsy conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Gary Ross this afternoon, Hughes said.
Authorities continue to investigate the death, he said. Police from Wilkes-Barre and Plains Twp., as well as state police, responded Saturday.
Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said her office is not involved in the investigation as of Sunday.
Casino case
Crane, while working as a table dealer at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 2015, informed authorities about a scheme to defraud the casino of hundreds of thousands of dollars through free slots play with the use of duplicated player cards and personal information numbers, according to court records.
Police in January 2016 charged Robert Pellegrini, a former casino vice president, and Mark Heltzel, a frequent casino patron, with theft and related charges in connection with the scheme.
At the time he reported the scheme, Crane was romantically involved with Rochelle Poszeluznyj, a beverage server at the casino who conspired with Pellegrini and Heltzel and was also charged, according to a police affidavit.
Crane's body was recovered about 2 miles downstream from the casino, according to online mapping applications.
Pellegrini and Heltzel in October 2016 agreed to plead guilty to one felony count each of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Pellegrini in June 2017 was sentenced to serve 32 months in federal prison. He is incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution-Schuylkill in Minersville, with a scheduled release date of Oct. 29, 2019.
Heltzel in August 2017 was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison.
According to federal inmate records, he is enrolled in a Residential Re-entry Management program based in Philadelphia.
Participants in the program may be lodged in a halfway house or be placed on home confinement, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
Federal records do not clarify whether Heltzel is in a halfway house.
A source on Sunday said multiple employees of Mohegan Sun Pocono reported that Heltzel is at home.
A message left Sunday at a listed phone number for Heltzel, at a Dallas address, was not returned.
Contact the writer:


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Microsoft may be regaining interest in MCMS
I just read on CMS Watch that Microsoft may be re-energizing their efforts behind MCMS. The news comes from a presentation made by Mark Harrison (see blog entry for slides) which indicates MCMS 2002 will coexist and integrate with SharePoint. The slides also reference the vibrant community of add-on providers including Artemis's Open Source MCMS.Rapid solution which creates a starter site that can be used to kickstart MCMS development. However, I would expect Microsoft to cannibalize any worthy innovation.
There is a mention of special solutions for industry verticals (a theme that I have been hearing a lot in the CMS space). Currently there are solutions being developed for municipalities and health care


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Attic Spray Foam Insulation Company Offering Service in Boston, MA and Surrounding Areas.
Call us to schedule a free consultation (781) 583-8508
Call us to schedule a free consultation (781) 583-8508
Your home's attic is subject to the most extreme temperatures throughout the year and it is the source of most energy loss in your home. When heat falls on your roof, it causes a dramatic increase in the temperature in your enclosed attic. This heat can then seep into the rest of your home through unsealed openings. The same is true during the cold months, increasing your energy costs and putting additional strain on your HVAC system.
If you want lower heating and cooling costs, attic insulation is likely the solution. Attic spray foam insulation is one of the most effective ways to prevent extreme temperatures from entering your living space and reducing your energy costs all year. When installed correctly, spray foam insulation can reduce extreme temperature leakage into the home by around 40% while reducing the amount of conditioned air that leaks out of your home.
Spray foam insulation is more effective than traditional insulation choices like fiberglass batting and blown fiberglass at insulating an attic. Spray foam insulation may be used to insulate the attic floor and leave the gable vented, although this option will leave the attic either very hot or very cold. Complete insulation of the attic will result in a comfortable attic and home by installing spray foam on the underside of the roof along the rim, soffit, joist, and gable wall areas in addition to the floor.
If there is one area in which it pays to splurge on insulation, it's your attic. Spray foam insulation offers a far tighter air barrier plus the same R-value of traditional options with far fewer inches of material for more overhead room in your attic.
We provide a customized free insulation estimate that includes all of the work and materials needed to complete your insulation project.
Once we have your approval on the estimate, a written proposal for your insulation project is signed and planning and work can begin.
Insulation work is streamlined to ensure minimum interruption to your daily life while work on your home is being completed.
Once the work is completed to your specifications and you are satisfied with your insulation, both parties will sign off to complete the process.
Contact us to learn more about our attic spray foam insulation services:
At Apex Insulation, our founders and technicians have backgrounds as Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified insulation specialists, project managers, and business owners. We have a unique understanding of how insulation can reduce costs for homeowners and business owners as well as best practices for installation with long-term performance and savings. Our goal is helping homeowners and business owners complete renovation and construction projects on budget and on time without sacrificing quality.
When you contact Apex Insulation, you can expect an appointment within one to two days to inspect your space and provide an estimate for insulation. Our experienced and licensed insulation technicians will help you review your many insulation options for your attic and help you select the best option for your budget and needs in the space. After the work is done, we will leave your home clean and tidy with none of the spray foam insulation mess you may see with other companies.
Whether you are remodeling your home, planning a new addition or construction, or you want to lower energy costs in a commercial or residential property, Apex Insulation is here to provide high-quality and reliable insulation services to make your project a success. Contact us today for a free estimate on attic spray foam insulation.


text: Recently, I was invited back to my high school to give a talk about my career path. It was a very lovely offer and I relished the opportunity to give back to the community. I had many difficulties getting to where I am now, and I wanted to help the next generation be as successful as possible. If you're interested in the experience, and what I have to say, please, keep reading!


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Definition - What does Sukha mean?
Sukha is a Sanskrit word which can be translated as "happiness," "ease" or "bliss." Its literal translation is often given as "good space," coming from the Sanskrit words, su (good) and kha (space).
In the "Rig Veda" it has often been explained in contrast to preya (pleasure). This is because sukha is a deep and lasting state of happiness, while preya is a temporary state, or a passing pleasure.
Yogapedia explains Sukha
In terms of yoga practice, it is stated in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras 2.46, sthira sukha asanas, that an asana should be both sthira (stable) and sukha (comfortable). In other words, it is important that there exists an equal balance of striving to achieve and maintaining a pose as there is in the enjoyment and ease of holding the pose. If there is too much striving, then finding a sense of inner peace becomes difficult. Likewise, if there is too much ease, a pose may become passive and awareness drifts.
Many people who have practiced yoga and/or meditation have experienced a sense of meditative absorption (jhana) and describe this sensation of sukha as the feeling of bliss they have been looking for.


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I expect that your grandchildren will have the luxury of viewing all the work on kidney exchange and transplantation generally as primitive medicine ("Grandpa, they used to take an organ from one person and sew it into another??").
At the XXIII International Congress of the Transplant Society next month there will be some discussion of Stem Cells and Regeneration, along with more prosaic, current clinical issues.
A small step towards that future is reported in Science: Rats Breathe With Lab-Grown Lungs
and in the Boston Globe: N.E. researchers create functioning lung tissue--A vital step in the quest to build organs.
From the Globe: "Two teams of researchers from New England have built living, breathing lung tissue in the laboratory — feats of engineering that could speed up the development of new drugs and bring researchers a step closer to the tantalizing dream of growing replacement lungs for patients."
In the meantime, I'm cheered by the progress we're making in primitive medicine, back in these days at the dawn of the 21st century (see here and, more generally, here, or my post last summer at which a prize was awarded to Mike Rees for some of that progress).
HT: Steve Leider
Monday, July 5, 2010
Future organ replacement
Posted by Al Roth at 2:53 AM
Labels: organs, transplantation
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text:
NOTE: I'll be on with Rachel Maddow in a bit. Thought folks would want a heads up…you can listen live here on the website.
You tell me — is the "Straight Talk Express" really all about the Benjamins?
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took a break from the presidential campaign trail in March to fly to a posh Utah ski resort, where he mingled with hundreds of top corporate executives assembled by J.P. Morgan Chase for its annual leadership conference.
McCain's appearance at the Deer Valley event, arranged by J.P. Morgan Vice Chairman James B. Lee Jr., a top McCain fundraiser, put him in a room with the chief executives of companies such as General Electric, Xerox and Sony. It was, Lee said, "a chance for him to let them see him for who he is and possibly decide to support him." The effort paid off: J.P. Morgan executives have donated $56,250 to McCain's campaign, two-thirds of which came after his Utah appearance. And his visit there was quickly followed up by dozens of smaller private meetings with corporate executives in New York City arranged by leading Wall Street figures.
"We tried to get him around to a lot of those kinds of things," said McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. "We were very much in the friend-making business."
It is common for politicians to court big money during a campaign. But private schmooze sessions such as the gathering in Utah pose a particular dilemma for McCain, who has spent a long career decrying "special interests" and politicians who offer special access to them in order to raise money. As a presidential candidate this year, McCain has found himself assiduously courting both lobbyists and their wealthy clients, offering them private audiences as part of his fundraising. He also counts more than 30 lobbyists among his chief fundraisers, more than any other presidential contender. (emphasis mine)
Straight Talk Express…just leave the money in an unmarked envelope under the table…
(H/T to John Anderson's Follow the Money on the "all about the Benjamins." Sadly, that phrase comes to mind far too frequently…)


text:
- About Hunger
- How to End Hunger
- Our Impact
- Get Involved
When you attend the 2020 Virtual Advocacy Summit on June 8 and 9, you put your faith into action toward a brighter future for those struggling with hunger in the United States and throughout the world.Register Now Find out more
By Jennifer Gonzalez and Christine Meléndez Ashley
As the partial government shutdown heads into a fourth week—with no end in sight—the threat against hunger and poverty programs increases by the day.
For now, there is enough funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, according to the Trump administration and food assistance advocates.
However, funds may not be available by the end of February or early March. This is concerning since roughly 40 million people rely on SNAP and another 8 million women, infants, and children benefit from WIC.
"Congress and the Trump administration should immediately reopen the government and address the root causes of migration, which are causing families to flee their home countries and seek asylum at the southern border," said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World.
Beckmann added: "The partial government shutdown is harming working families and putting at risk millions of Americans who rely on food assistance programs to feed their families."
The shutdown is the second longest in the nation's history and affects about 800,000 federal workers, many of whom will not get paid for the first time this week.
At the heart of the stalemate is border wall funding. The president has said he will not sign any funding measure that doesn't include $5.7 billion for the construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall. Democratic leadership has said it will not put forth legislation that includes money for the border wall.
The president has said he might declare a national emergency to circumvent Congress and unlock funds from other government sources in order to build the wall.
As the stalemate continues, the lives of hundreds of federal workers are in limbo. Aside from food assistance, tax refunds could be delayed. Roughly 90 percent of IRS workers are on furlough. The delay could impact millions of Americans who rely on refundable tax credits like the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit.
In 2017, refundable tax credits helped 8.3 million people move out of poverty, including 4.5 million children. SNAP helped 3.4 million people, including nearly 1.4 million children, move out of poverty. And WIC helped 279,000 people move out of poverty, including 156,000 children.
Domestic food assistance programs are not the only ones affected. While existing contracts and grants that have previously appropriated funding should continue to operate, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) does not have sufficient operating expenses to continue operations and about half of the 3,100 staff are currently furloughed.
Additionally, failure to pass full year spending bills means global nutrition funding will not be increased as was proposed by both the House and Senate appropriations committees.
"The shutdown is threatening the progress we are making with development assistance, including help for the countries from which most undocumented immigrants are fleeing," said Marco A. Grimaldo, deputy director of church relations and senior associate for Latino engagement at Bread for the World.
Jennifer Gonzalez and Christine Meléndez Ashley both work at Bread for the World. Gonzalez is its managing editor and Ashley is the deputy director of government relations.
By David Beckmann
Thanks to your prayers, your letters to Congress, and your financial support, Bread for the World achieved significant progress in our shared mission to end hunger.
I was personally delighted that my local church in Alexandria, Virginia, conducted a strong Offering of Letters on SNAP. Among the letter writers were more than 20 people who came to the church's pantry and weekly breakfast. A group of church members, mostly high school students, personally delivered our letters to members of Congress.
Right now, the president has shut down part of the government in a dispute with Congress over border security. He insists on $5.7 billion for a border wall. With just a fraction of this money, we could more effectively address the current border-management problem and double U.S. support for programs that are reducing hunger and violence in the Central American countries from which most of the undocumented immigrants are fleeing.
The shutdown has caused immediate hardship for many hundreds of thousands of people who work in the government and businesses that relate to the government. It has also interrupted public services and stalled international aid. If the shutdown continues, money for food and other assistance will run out, driving millions of Americans into hunger.
The Bible repeatedly calls on us to welcome the stranger, share bread with the hungry, seek justice and defend vulnerable populations. I urge you to ask your senators to fully fund the government and negotiate humane and effective ways to address immigration.
While partisan conflict is likely to be sharp and sometimes paralyzing throughout 2019, Bread for the World's 2019 Offering of Letters will seek bipartisan commitment to help end maternal and child malnutrition around the world. This may be an issue that can draw conservatives and liberals together—in churches and communities across the country, and in Congress.
I thank you and all Bread for the World members for your persistent advocacy, generosity, and prayers. And we thank God for being present with us in a challenging time.
David Beckmann is president of Bread for the World.
By Robin Stephenson
Speaking to a crowd of 250 people gathered for the 15th Annual Gala to End Hunger: Perseverance with Heart and Courage, former Vice President Joe Biden said that advocating to end hunger was the most important thing a person could do.
He called it "God's work"—work that gives people hope.
Biden was the keynote speaker at the annual gala, which benefits Bread for the World, Bread for the World Institute, and the Alliance to End Hunger. The gala took place in November in New York City.
The evening also provided all three organizations with an opportunity to thank donors, renew members' ties to the mission to end hunger, and introduce new audiences to the work.
The members of all three organizations have played an important role in helping build consensus and political will during the past two years. During that time, $2.5 trillion dollars of cuts proposed to anti-hunger programs were averted and important anti-hunger legislation passed Congress with bipartisan support.
All of this during a time of heightened brinksmanship, said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World.
During his almost 25-minute speech, Biden admonished the divisive defeatism that permeates Washington, D.C., these days and noted that efforts to end hunger are where Democrats and Republicans could find common ground.
"There is nothing beyond our capacity in this country," he said.
"We are in a better position to lead the 21st century than any other time in history," he added, stressing that action is a matter of political will.
In a speech peppered with remembrances of his own family and childhood, Biden distilled the tragedy of hunger in the single image of a parent, helpless to feed a hungry child and tell them everything will be O.K.
"Ending hunger and malnutrition at home and around the world is consequential in more than just making sure that people don't die of hunger," he said, as he thanked Bread and Alliance members for their strategic and moral investments in the future.
The hope and opportunity resulting from advocacy are consequential and measurable—something Beckmann noted as he acknowledged the work of Bread and Alliance members in advocating for the passage of the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018.
Tens of millions of farmers around the world will not face hunger because individuals spurred on their members of Congress one-by-one to cosponsor the bill.
"This is evidence of the power of good in this turbulent time," Beckmann said. "And we got to help these things happen."
Robin Stephenson is senior manager for digital campaigns at Bread for the World.
By Monica Mikhail
Remembering others in the midst of the busyness of our everyday lives, and especially during the holiday season and the start of the new year, requires effort.
While forgetfulness is passive in nature, remembrance necessitates action which can take on many forms such as reminding ourselves of those who are in need and giving from our abundance, reconnecting with someone we have grown distant from, or simply offering a prayer in the name of another before our Lord Jesus Christ.
To remember is to extend outside ourselves and to think of ourselves in relation to those around us.
The act of remembrance is central to many cultural and religious traditions, especially the Orthodox Christian faith. At the core of Orthodox Christian faith is the Divine Liturgy which is a grand remembrance of all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for humankind and a response to His request, "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19).
As we remember all that He has done for us, we ask our Lord to bless us and to remember us just as the thief on the cross asked the Lord (Luke 23:42). On behalf of the congregation, the celebrant prays, "Bless the crown of the year with your goodness for the sake of the poor of your people, the widow, the orphan, the traveler, the stranger, and for the sake of all of us who entreat you and seek Your holy name" (The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great).
Through this prayerful request, we remember those who are in precarious situations, such as those living in poverty, before our Lord who is the sole provider of peace and consolation.
Peace and comfort should be desired for all during this time of the year when we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and the start of the new year. Our Lord was incarnate and became man for the salvation of all humankind, which includes those most marginal in society.
His remembrance of all humankind inspired this great act of love in which He "emptied [Himself] and took the form of a servant and blessed [our] nature" (The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great). Even more so, He inhabited the lowest ranks of society, being born in a manger to a lowly maidservant, Mary, and to her betrothed, Joseph. Like many in this world, the Holy Family at times experienced social, economic, and political insecurity.
For our sake, our Lord took refuge in Egypt as a young Child to escape the wrath of Herod, was mocked for associating with those despised in society and was rejected by His own people for the words that He spoke. For the sake of those who were lost and forgotten, Christ came to unite them to Himself. As the Good Shephard, He came to gather us into the sheepfold, neglecting no one. He did not forget us.
As we remember the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and His great love for us all, it is our obligation to remember all those who He came for through our deeds and our words.
Let us welcome refugees and speak kindly of them who, like the Holy Family, flee their own countries or are internally displaced; let us pray and advocate for persecuted religious minorities such as the Coptic Orthodox Christians of Egypt, remembering that Egypt was once a place of refuge for the young Child; let us feed the poor that live among us and offer them gifts from our abundance, recalling the words of our Lord: "'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'" (Matt. 25:40).
As Pope Shenouda III, the late Patriarch of the See of Alexandria, once said, "Remember those who have no one to remember them." Let us remember one another, for to remember is to love and to be called to action.
Monica Mikhail is a member of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
An ideal way to celebrate is to read Lament and Hope: A Pan-African Devotional Guide Commemorating the 2019 Quad-Centennial of the Forced Transatlantic Voyage of Enslaved African Peoples to Jamestown, Virginia (USA).
The devotional will be available in February—online and in print. The 2019 Quad-Centennial is a global historic moment to acknowledge how the practice of slavery in the United States led to the development of public policies sanctioning the enslavement of Africans and African descended people.
To honor Black History Month, we connect the history of slavery to a theme of resistance and honorable leadership among African American/Pan African leaders working in nutrition, both domestically and globally.
Read here more about how the arrival of African peoples to Jamestown, Virginia began the process of the legalization of slavery—part of the structural history of why African American/Pan African communities still struggle disproportionately with hunger, income disparities, poverty, lack of wealth, and poor nutrition.
Bread for the World's 2019 Offering of Letters: Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow will be available online in late January. Print toolkits will be mailed in February.
The 2019 Offering of Letters will focus on urging Congress to expand support for global nutrition programs that improve the lives of millions of children and mothers worldwide. Specifically, we want Congress to support legislation and increase funding to accelerate progress on global nutrition.
Look for additional updates in the coming months about the 2019 Offering of Letters in Bread emails, and its print and online newsletters.
By Lacey Johnson
Nearly 50 Pan-African women of faith gathered in Washington, D.C., in November to address challenges faced by Pan-African people around the world. The two-day summit tackled a host of issues that disproportionately affect women of color, including hunger, poverty, domestic and sexual abuse, HIV, and gender discrimination.
There were speakers who traveled internationally to be there, including a Methodist pastor, Rev. Dr. Elvira Cazombo, representing the Angolan Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches. She flew more than 20 hours from Angola, while others addressed the conference via video recording. More than a dozen women of African ancestry took the stage to share stories of hardship and progress from their respective regions.
The event was held at the African Union Mission to the United States. It was co-hosted by Bread for the World, the Pan-African Diaspora Women's Association (PADWA), the African Union, the Pan-African Women Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAWEEN), and the World Council of Churches.
"This is one of the most exciting things I've been to," said Marjorie Lewis, a minister for the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, who currently resides in Halifax, Canada. "As black women, the church is our survival. The church is our everything."
The summit began with a dinner and prayer service that paid homage to Pan-African women change-makers. Attendees took turns invoking the names and calling on the presence of influential figures like Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou, followed by proclamations of "ashe!" a West African concept derived from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, which means, "be with us," in some African cultures.
Afterward, ecumenical and African policy leaders shared messages of empowerment with the room, which was arranged to resemble a miniature meeting of the United Nations.
"This is our call to action as Pan-African women of faith, and I would say, there's no better time," said Emira Woods, a Liberian-American advocate with the group Africa Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity.
"We have to understand that there's an opportunity to reflect the foreign-policy goals that we feel are rooted in our values – to have those reflected on Capitol Hill."
The consultation not only addressed social justice issues, but also called on attendees to advocate for policies that support Pan-African communities and a united Africa. In 2016 the group held their first official gathering in Washington, D.C., which included lobbying visits with members of Congress and a walking tour of historic landmarks, including sites where enslaved people were sold.
The second day of the consultation featured a keynote address from Arikana Chihombori-Quao, who serves as ambassador for the African Union.
"How, honestly, can you put Togo in the same boxing ring with China … with India? That battle is lost before the game even begins," said Chihombori-Quao, who spoke by video about the importance of uniting the African continent. "It's going to take us, the children of Africa, coming together and speaking with one voice … realizing that these boundaries that were imposed on us by the Berlin Conference, they have got to go."
Before departing, the women broke into groups to exchange ideas and consider strategies for a call to action in the future. A range of recommendations inclusive of a faith-based advocacy agenda related to ending hunger and poverty emerged. The building of new partnerships and training the next generation of religious leaders to be more inclusive were also priorities.
These recommendations will center around the upcoming season of the 2019 Quad-Centennial of the Transatlantic Slave Trade from Angola to Jamestown, the UN International Decade in Solidarity with People of African Descent, and the Africa We Want Strategic Plan for 2063.
The women also agreed to another Pan-African Women of Faith Education and Advocacy Summit in 2019, which will include education and mobilization campaigns before and after the summit.
"We leave here enriched by the gifts, the talents, and the realness of African women's stories," said Rev. Everdith Landrau, a manager of ecumenical relations for the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a central committee member for the World Council of Churches.
"I feel that these two days are energizing my own work," she said.
Lacey Johnson is a freelance writer and photographer in Washington, D.C.
Editor's note: This blog post first appeared on Sojourners' website.
By Rev. Angelique Walker-Smith
Recently, I had the honor and opportunity to serve on an official delegation convened by Christian Churches Together (CCT) to visit Hidalgo, Texas to witness firsthand the plight of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
When I landed at the airport in Brownsville, Texas, the U.S. Border Patrol was visibly present. I was suddenly reminded of my ancestors who were also greeted by "border patrol" while fleeing from the brutal chattel slavery in the southern states and making their way north – even all the way to Canada.
This treacherous journey to freedom was enabled by the Underground Railroad – a network of secret routes and safe houses. It operated from roughly the early to mid-19th century until the Civil War.
On their trek, my ancestors were met by both hostility and hospitality. They were confronted with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 that was later solidified and strictly enforced by the Compromise of 1850. These congressional policies guaranteed the rights of slaveholders to recover escaped slaves.
Still, Christian leaders like Harriet Tubman, a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, led the Underground Railroad. There were abolitionists who aided these northern bound caravans seeking new life and advocating for policies of justice. Many were Christians who risked hiding, feeding, and prayerfully encouraging those seeking a new life.
This reflection led me to a deepened spiritual and historical kinship with my brothers and sisters from Central America. Such kinship manifested as we prayed at the border, witnessed busses transporting migrants at the detention center, engaged families at the respite center, and observed immigration hearings in McAllen, Texas.
Each location exposed the horrific and heartbreaking circumstances of the home countries of the people migrating. Their journeys to the U.S.-Mexico border are reminiscent of the stories of my ancestors' own path to freedom. Then and now, a new life free from violence, desperation, persecution, hunger, and poverty emboldened a courageous people to engineer an "Underground Railroad."
As people — seeking freedom and protection — walk on foot in long journey to the U.S., the Trump administration is responding to the humanitarian crisis by separating and incarcerating families, detaining and prosecuting parents, turning away asylum seekers, and deploying the military along border communities.
The administration's announcement, to deny migrants asylum unless they seek protection at a port of entry, is not only cruel and impractical but also the antithesis of the welcoming gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is a human right to seek asylum. As people of faith, we affirm this right and urge the administration and all members of Congress to do the same. Further, the U.S. must stop facilitating displacement and should partner in remedying the root causes of forced migration.
Our faith traditions teach and call us to welcome the stranger, stand with the vulnerable, and love our neighbor. Respecting the right to seek safety without fearing punishment must be protected in federal policy.
Instead of continuing unnecessary and immoral detention, deportation, and dangerous border policies, our country must follow the historical lineage of hospitability and moral leadership.
Rev. Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan-African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World and president of Historic Black Churches of Christian Churches Together (CCT).
Bread for the World is delighted to announce the new members of the 2019 Board of Directors.
Thousands of Bread members voted in our annual election of board members. You elected an exceptionally committed group of activists, faith and community leaders, experts, members of Congress, and people who have long been involved in working toward the end of hunger.
New members joined the board on Jan. 1:
They will join the incumbent board members in providing vision and setting the direction for the organization and its initiatives. More detailed biographies for these new members as well as all members of the board of directors can be found here.
The board of directors elected the following officers for 2019:
Bread for the World is honored by the service and commitment of the board of directors. Contact Jamie Thomas at email@example.com if you would like to nominate someone for future board membership.
By Rev. David Beckmann
Back in November, I traveled across Ethiopia, talking with people in urban and rural areas about their country. In all I saw and all I heard, four challenges emerged as the major threats to continued progress against hunger in their country. Ethiopia is coping with all of them and coping well.
Climate change. Temperatures are rising, rains are less predictable, and droughts are more frequent. But Ethiopians have worked hard on a large scale to reforest denuded hills, and this has increased rainfall and raised the water table in drought-prone regions. The government and international agencies have also set up a well-organized system of humanitarian relief when drought is severe.
Conflict. Ethiopia's biggest political challenge is tension among its more than 80 ethnic groups. In 1995, Ethiopia redrew regional boundaries to reflect the dominance of different ethnic groups in different places and then delegated money and power to the states. This has moderated ethnic rivalries for power at the federal level.
Displaced people. Continued eruptions of ethnic conflicts across the country have compelled 2.5 million Ethiopians to leave their homes and farms, and more than 1 million refugees have come from neighboring countries. The scale of displacement is even more dramatic in neighboring countries, and many more people from neighboring countries are desperately fleeing to Europe or the Middle East. Ethiopia's current prime minister has been very active in peacemaking across ethnic lines and with neighboring countries.
Governance. Relatively effective governance is the reason why Ethiopia is handling these other big challenges as well as it is. Ethiopia has the benefit of a long-established system of local and state governments. Since the governance reforms of 1995, governments at those levels have been elected, and the new prime minister is setting the stage for multi-party elections at the national level in 2020.
Despite the challenges it faces, Ethiopia has made dramatic progress against hunger and poverty, and nearly all Ethiopian children now attend primary school. The stability and resilience Ethiopians have forged since the devastating 1984-85 famine–caused by drought and bad government–contain important lessons for other states facing conditions of fragility.
To learn more about growing hunger in fragile states, read the 2017 Hunger Report: Fragile Environment, Resilient Communities. And see what else David Beckmann learned in Ethiopia by following along on Facebook and Twitter.
Rev. David Beckmann is the president of Bread for the World.
A partial government shutdown is putting programs that address hunger in the U.S. and around the world at risk. Call (800-826-3688) or email Congress today. Tell your senators and representative to open the federal government, address the root causes of migration, and support legislation that helps people living with hunger.
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
Conflict is a main driver of the recent increase in hunger around the world and of forced migration. Hunger also contributes to conflict.
"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith." These words from Colossians 2:6 remind us of the faith that is active in love for our neighbors.
The Bible on...
Dear Members of Congress,
As the president and Congress are preparing their plans for this year, almost 100 church leaders—from all the families of U.S. Christianity—are...
This devotional guide invites deepened relationship with and among Pan-African people and elected leaders in the mission to end hunger and poverty.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to respond to changes in need, making it well suited to respond to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bread for the World and its partners are asking Congress to provide $200 million for global nutrition in the fiscal year 2020 budget.
In 2017, 11.8 percent of households in the U.S.—40 million people—were food-insecure, meaning that they were unsure at some point during the year about how they would provide for their next meal.


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Mr. Exposition reviews: Cortex Command
So, apparently quite some time passed since i wrote my last review. 3 months, 13 days, 21 hours, 37 minutes, and 45 seconds, to be precise. Thing is, i couldn't find an obscure yet good game to "expose". Luckily, this is no longer the case. I proudly present to you my latest purchase, Cortex Command.Cortex Command is surprisingly good-looking, diverse and fun for a game that was coded by one guy and illustrated by another guy (and there are also three other guys helping, but whatever).
The aesthetic
Remember Worms? Sure you do. Cortex Command's pixel art has the same neat retro feel to it. There are several factions - Dummies are... well, crash test dummies, Coalition is your standard military fare, Ronin have "guerilla" style, and there are also robots and zombies. Main difference from Worms is bloodiness levels - Cortex Command is a splatterfest. This game has a lot of gore, and when i say a lot, i mean METRIC FUCKTONS of it. Characters get decapitated in the most ridiculous ways, desintegrate into clouds of blood, fly across the map, you get the idea. And you know what? It's so over-the-top it's hilarious. Seeing someone getting squashed or splattered all across the level with their own cargo rocket never gets old. The music is also worth mentioning - it's pretty cool.
The premise
The gameplay
The basics seem pretty easy. There is campaign with objectives to be accomplished, and there is skirmish mode where you can play against AI assaulting your base, or against another player split-screen. In skirmish mode, the first thing you do is build a bunker for your brain. You have 5000 gold for that, and you can pick from a variety of different modules and pieces. You can also place soldiers and weapons before attack starts. What happens next is identical in campaign and skirmish modes.
The game itself plays out in real time. When you begin, you can switch between units with Q and E. Each unit is equipped with jetpack, but carrying too much stuff makes it useless. By pressing the right mouse button, you can bring up the radial menu to pick up, switch, reload, or drop weapons, set simplistic AI in one of four modes, or enter the Buy Menu. It's essentially your militarized space shopping cart, with which you can order bodies and items to be dropped from orbit. If delivery craft returns back intact, you get a refund for it. You can also pick up stuff you (or your enemy, hee hee) no longer need and lift it into orbit, thereby "selling" it.
And now comes the really tasty part: the physics engine. First, everything is destructible, and i mean EVERYTHING. You can dig out gold, bypass bunker walls, make pits to obstruct enemy's progress, or bomb the shit out of him - the choice is yours. But what's really cool about the physics are the flying vehicles. With high-end weapons, you can shoot the rocket off it's course or destroy the dropship's engine, and then the real chaos begins. Vehicles spin catastrophically, fall to the ground, and smear enemy infantry across the landscape in absolutely ludicrous, laughable ways. In Cortex Command, most of your fails will be truly epic. Once i have destroyed a dropship with a sniper rifle, only to see it's engine fly right in the face of the very same soldier who shot the thing down!
The modding scene
Cortex Command is extremely modable. With basic Lua skills you can modify any element to your liking or create entirely new ones. Meanwhile, people lacking basic Lua skills (such as myself) can pick from a wide variety of mods made by those who have aforementioned skills. Mods range from a single gun to completely new factions, from not even affecting the balance to gamebreakingly overpowered. There's a mod to suit everyone's needs, and if there isn't... well, make one yourself!
The drawbacks
This game is very much a work in progress. There are only four campaign missions available, and development progresses at excruciatingly slow pace - for obvious reasons. Cortex Command gets pretty boring after a few hours of continuous play - it's better applied in small doses. Very significant problem is that your bodies cannot pass through eachother, this can get annoying at times. Then there are absurd levels of gore... what? It can be a drawback to someone! But on the whole, it's a very well-made game.
Recommendation: eighteen bucks is a good price for many, many hours of chaotic explodey fun you'll have with this game. There are also gore, physics, and pixelart - PLUS, Cortex Command features Rocket-Propelled Chainsaw. What else could you possibly want? Go buy it. Or, you know, get the free demo if you just want to see for yourself. Data Realms website is here.
Please comment, if you are feeling generous.
Explo-ooooosive raaaaain
Nice. looks like a lot of fun. may very well pick this up soon.
is it also turn based like Worms or more Real time?
Real time. I should probably add that to review.
This looks pretty cool.
Shame I'm saving my money up :|
Looks quite cool, might try to give it a look. Good review.
God damn.
Im not sure if this is just my computer but i just cant get the game to work in full screen. dont know if this is just the demo or if this is like this in the steam version but ya just something i noticed


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The Stavros Niarchos Foundation fulfills its commitment to make Breal's Silver Cup, presented to Spyros Louis, accessible to the general public
18 Jul, 2012, 13:00 BST
- Acropolis Museum to display Cup for one-year period starting September 2012
ATHENS, Greece, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Stavros Niarchos Foundation has the pleasure of announcing that, from September 2012 and for a one-year period, the Breal's Silver Cup will be exhibited at the new Acropolis Museum, where thousands of visitors from all over the world, as well as the numerous students that visit the Museum every day, will have the opportunity to see the historic Cup up close, and learn about its history and symbolism. The exhibit will include audio visual and printed informational material on the Cup, to help enhance the visitors' experience and understanding.
On April 18th, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation announced that it had acquired in auction Breal's Silver Cup, which was presented to Spyros Louis during the first Modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. The announcement was accompanied by the Foundation's public commitment to make the Cup accessible to everyone, by placing it on permanent display at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), which is expected to be completed in 2015.
In line with its principal intent of making the Cup available to the public, the Foundation immediately embarked upon a process of evaluation and selection of suitable temporary exhibition venues across the country. In particular, the Foundation conducted a series of visits, in order to identify venues that could serve as temporary homes for the Cup. The basic criteria in selecting potential venues were the Cup's safety while on display, and its widest possible and free accessibility to the general public.
Throughout the Cup's display at the Acropolis Museum, the Foundation will continue its efforts to locate other suitable venues across the country, which could be considered as temporary homes for the Cup after it leaves the Acropolis Museum and before 2015.
After 2015, the Cup will be on permanent display at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, which the Foundation will donate to the Greek State, and will be open and fully accessible free of charge to all its visitors.
For more information on the Cup, please visit:
About the SNF
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (www.SNF.org) is one of the world's leading international philanthropic organizations, making grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and medicine, and social welfare. The Foundation funds organizations and projects that exhibit strong leadership and sound management and that have the potential to achieve a broad, lasting and positive impact. The Foundation also seeks actively to support projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as effective means for serving public welfare.
From 1996 until today, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation has approved grant commitments of euro 983 million ($1.28 billion), through 2,305 grants to nonprofit organizations in 109 nations around the world. Excluding SNF's largest single gift, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (euro 566/$790 million), the Foundation's grant commitments so far have been split evenly between projects in Greece and internationally.
In response to the ongoing socio-economic crisis in Greece, the Foundation recently announced a grant initiative of euro 100 million ($130 million) over the next three years to help ease the adverse effects of the deepening crisis. Since January 2012, and as part of the initiative, the SNF has committed grants totaling euro 28 million ($36.4 million) in support of numerous not-for-profit organizations around the country, and is the process of approving a number of additional grants.
The Foundation's largest single gift (euro 566/$790 million) is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens. The project is approaching the beginning of the construction phase, with excavation works already in progress at the site. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation firmly believes that the project is of national importance, even more so under the current socio-economic conditions. It remains a testament and a commitment to the country's future, at a critical historical juncture. It is also an engine of short- to mid-term economic stimulus, which is essential under the current circumstances.
SOURCE Stavros Niarchos Foundation


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Whether you love it or hate it, Dragonball is the most successful creator owned comic property of all time. Over 150 million Tankōbon(graphic novels) sold around the world. Not just Japan, Asia and the US but also countries like Mexico, UK, Italy, Hungary and more. The anime series was once hailed by Cartoon Network as having over one hundred million fans(or was that six hundred million?) worldwide. Dozens of animated movies, tons of video games, lots and lots of merchandise. A few live action moves. One unofficial one in China thats a remake of one of the earlier animated movies and a crappy one here in the US by Fox.
So... why is it popular? Because its fun.
I just finished rereading the entire series(okay, I flipped through the final books but I didn't like those stories) and Dragonball is a fun little book. Thats it. There's no deep meaning. No complex narrative.
Inspired by Journey to the West, Dragonball follows Son Gokuh, a young boy with a tail living on his own in the woods. He encounters a spunky teen girl named Bulma tracking down the Dragon Balls. A group of mystic balls that when gathered can summon a dragon to grant a wish. Gokuh has one that his deceased grandfather left him. Bulma and Gokuh go on an adventure to the find the balls.
Along the way on the first saga they encounter the shape shifting pig Oolong, the bandits Yamcha and Pu'Ur, Turtle Hermit Master Roshi and his talking Turtle, and the Ox King and his daughter Chi Chi. Eventually ending up duking it out with Emperor Pilaf and his minions who want he Dragon Balls to take over the world.
The series for the next several volumes finds Gokuh training under Roshi, who trained his grandfather, with Krillin. Fighitng, tournaments, svaing the world, etc. until the series jumps years into the future for what many int he world know as Dragonball Z. Gokuhs married with a child and soon discovers he himself is an alien of the Saiyan race. Once again we go into action and adventure with an added sci-fi slant.
All in all, a rather simple series though repetitive. But having reread the book... its incredibly fun. The early stories are fun watching Gokuh, a country bumpking, see the world outside and go on wild adventures. He strives to be a great fighter, a fair person, and just never quits. Even when going up against the Red Ribbon army when everyone around him stresses the danger. The DBZ stuff losses some of the humor but the first three "sagas" are some of the best action comics you could get.
It's refreshing to see Gokuh not have some identity complex about being an alien. He's an earthling and Earth is his home. He strives to be the hero but at the same time his natural instinct to fight makes you question his decisions. He doesn't want the Dragon Balls interrupting what could be a an entertaining fight.
The supporting cast is always fun. Its great to see that Krillin hold his own while other fighters stronger than him seem to slowly drift into the background like Yamcha or Tian. Krillin tries to assist in anyway possible even after he knows that he can't keep up as a fighter.
Watching the villain Piccolo turn to good is interesting though I became more familiar with DBZ first. The story behind Vegeta is what drives a lot of the series. The once Prince of a dead race who becomes envious of Gokuhs abilities drive him. You watch him from villain to... well... less of a villain. Him and Bulmas relationship is a twist as you always expect her to get with one again/off again boyfriend Yamcha.
One of the main reasons I pulled out my books was my feelings after the live action film. I could tell they were familiar with the material but the execution was awful on so many levels. Streamlining the series into a two hour lfick is definitely a challenge but the decisions they made didn't work.
The first Piccolo story happens deeper in the first portion of Dragonball. Right after the second tournament. By that time Toriyama established most of his cast at the time. But the glaring problems are the cast.
Gokuh isn't introduced as a young boy int he woods but an 18 year old high school. The personalities are different with Gokuh lusting after Chi Chi. Justin Chatwick also lacked the look of the character. Which is ahrd to get over. I mean, Gokuh as a teen wasn't super buff yet but he was bigger than Chatwick. Gokuh is arguably the most popualr manga character in Japan. Really, the Superman of Japan and Fox failed. Think about it, both aliens. Both have stories of their youths and adulthood. Both incredibly powerful. Both don't like to kill(though Gokuh will when it needs to be done but prefers mercy). Both upstanding men.
Bulmas selfishness and temperamental attitude is missing. The way her and Gokuh meet is so classic but the flick doesn't do it. She actually explains the Dragon Balls to Gokuh as she seeks her wish of a good looking boyfriend. Bulma is more noble in the movie and isn't quite sure what to think about Gokuhs story of the Dragonballs.
Matser Roshi is more of a perv in the book. Yeah...
All in all... a failure as a film. Butt he comics are fun. Entertaining. Their light reading action comics and I whole heartily suggest them to anyone. Plus their easy to find. Viz is re-releasing them in Viz Big editions. I found them all prior to this in the shonen jump editions. The books still sell and the anime series is still a huge success. Funimations DVD box sets were blazing up DVD sales charts last year and the new Dragonball Kai series in Japan, which is simply a more streamline cut of the anime series without all the filler, is making big ratings number. Yes, repeats of an old anime series with all the filler material taken out(and its a lot, believe me) is a hit.
Dragonball is a billion dollar franchise and it makes sense. Fun, escapism sells. And Dragonball is one of the standards.


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The LEDlux Terrence Range of LED adjustable table and floor lamps are available in 3 anodized finishes, being Black, Aluminium and Bronze. Featuring a 4 way touch dimmer, in the following order:Press the button once, and the fitting will turn ON and light up at low brightness, approximately 25%.Press the button a second time, and the fitting will light up at medium brightness, approximately 50%.Press the button a third time, and the fitting will light up at a high brightness, approximately 75%.Press the button a fourth time, and the fitting will light up to the maximum brightness at 100%. It also features colour shifting technology from 3000K – 3800K – 4600K – 6000K. With a lumen output of 400, the LEDlux Terrence is ideal for a contemporary interior, in a study or living room to bring timeless simplicity to the space.Click Here for Installation Instructions.
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BI's Article search uses Boolean search capabilities. If you are not familiar with these principles, here are some quick tips.
To search specifically for more than one word, put the search term in quotation marks. For example, "workers compensation". This will limit your search to that combination of words.
To search for a combination of terms, use quotations and the & symbol. For example, "hurricane" & "loss".
WASHINGTON-The U.S. government may be the first in history "that has tried to ban small talk," at least in workplace situations, according to the author of a new study of employment law.
That wry remark by Walter Olson, author of "The Excuse Factory," drew appreciative chuckles last week from an audience at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington. Mr. Olson, who received national attention for his previous study of the legal system, "The Litigation Explosion," dryly noted that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was "obliging enough" to issue its mental health guidelines (BI, May 5), just as his latest book, which deals with problems in employment law, was published.
The myriad rules, regulations and judicial interpretations that form employment law present employers with a "Kafkaesque Nightmare," said David Boaz, the Cato Institute's executive vp, as he introduced Mr. Olson.
"It used to be understood in America that a job was a contract," said Mr. Boaz.
But now "virtually anyone fired or not hired" can find some employment law under which to sue, he said. In many cases, "The legal system has been distorted to coddle the least deserving," Mr. Boaz said.
Mr. Olson gave numerous examples to bolster that contention, particularly regarding accommodations that must be made to avoid claims from poorly performing employees who claim to be the victims of a mental disorder. He cautioned his audience, though, that "mental health accommodation is just one very small corner of what lawyers call employment law."
Lawsuits over employment references have led to the "collapse
of the job reference system" in numerous industries and professions, Mr. Olson said. This, in turn, has led to threats to public safety and tragedy, such as when incompetent pilots have not been adequately screened and then have caused air crashes, he said.
Employment law is "why many employers have found themselves tongue-tied" in job interviews. "Ours may be the first government in history that has tried to ban small talk," at least in job interviews and in other workplace situations, he said.
"Employment law keeps getting more stringent every year," warned Mr. Olson. In addition, the mere filing of a job-related suit is likely to cause an employer financial woes. "To file a lawsuit, win or lose" is to inflict hundreds of thousands of costs upon an employer, he said.
Mr. Olson added that employment law, designed to protect workers, breaks every promise it implies. Fear of employment-related suits has prompted many employers to hire temporary workers rather than full-time employees whose age or other special status might serve as the basis for a lawsuit.
As employers attempt to meet the demands of employment laws, the workplace grows ever more bureaucratic and inflexible, he said. Employment laws can give an edge to skilled practitioners of office politics at the expense of other employees, he added.
Mr. Olson called for a return to an emphasis on "freedom of association," the doctrine that has traditionally governed U.S. workplace relationships. He cited a pair of Supreme Court decisions from the early part of the century upholding that doctrine.
"We did have it figured out then; it's not beyond our wits to figure it out now," he said.
Mr. Olson shared the podium with Ricky Silberman, executive director of the Congressional Office of Compliance-which oversees Congress' efforts to comply with employment laws-and a former employment official in Republican administrations. Ms. Silberman agreed with many of Mr. Olson's points and added a few critiques of her own.
She was particularly critical of what she considered an application of affirmative action that promotes "mediocrity" in the workplace. Ms. Silberman condemned the view of some affirmative action proponents that "if proportional representation is to be realized," only African-Americans can be judged against other African-Americans, women against other women and so on.


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House painting Tips
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Here are 10 tips to make your painting projects go smoother and faster while giving you a professional-looking finish that you'll be proud of. You'll also find ingenious tips that can cut your cleanup time in half and extend the life of your paint brushes.
By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine
- Tip 1: To avoid lap marks, roll the full height of the wall and keep a wet edge
- Tip 2: Mix several cans of paint in a large bucket for a consistent color throughout the room
- Tip 3: Let the paint dry, then cut the tape loose for a perfect edge
- Tip 4: Paint the trim first, then the ceiling and walls
- Tip 5: Prime and texture wall patches to avoid a blotchy finish
- Tip 6: Clean dirty surfaces so the paint can form a strong bond
- Tip 7: Roll paint along the edges for consistent texture
- Tip 8: Use cotton drop cloths rather than plastic
- Tip 9: Feather out paint where you can't keep a wet edge
- Tip 10: Sand trim between coats for an ultra-smooth finish


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...And Republicans tell the truth about their plan to punish a generation of Democratic voters. Todays contestant is Louisiana GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal, who admits that Republicans want to take affordable health care away from millions.
"I don't think conservative health care reform is about, we're going to compete with [the left] in terms of how many people we see have an [insurance] care," he said. "That not the ultimate goal."
He later elaborated, "If we start with the premise that we've gotta give every single person a card, and that's the only way we can be successful, we're done. We've adopted their metric of success…if the metric of success is gonna be which plan can say 'we've given people more cards,' they always win. Because they will always spend more, they will always disrupt more."…
He also put it this way: "I do think it's a mistake if we argue we can't take back what Obama has already given."
So there you have it. Jindal is a sitting Governor who actively admit the plan is to punish his own constituents for the criminal act of being poor in a state like Louisiana. And as long as Republican voters are convinced that Obamacare is a costly handout from a black President to those people then he's right: what political damage will any Republican candidate incur by saying "I promise to hurt poor minorities"?
The second Republican buy into the notion that government should help the people instead of the one percent, they lose.
And they know it. Better to keep the people angry, poor, and unhealthy. After all, without affordable health care, if they die, they're no longer Bobby Jindal's problem, are they? And millions will go along because they figure there's no way Republicans like Jindal would ever take away their government benefits and health care.
They're wrong of course. But it's more fun to punish others, because Americans are mean, awful people who vote with the intent of being mean, awful people. The rest of us gave up some time ago. You have to look no further than last November to prove that.


text: Meditation Print The Connection Between Melatonin and Meditation By Cathy Wong Updated on February 03, 2020 JGI / Jamie Grill Blend Images / Getty Images More in Self-Improvement Meditation Happiness Stress Management Spirituality Holistic Health Inspiration Brain Health Technology Relationships View All People who meditate regularly sometimes feel that the practice has positive health effects such as improved energy and calmness of mind. But there is also preliminary research that suggests that meditation may boost levels of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep and appears to influence other hormones in the body. What Melatonin Is Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain. The philosopher Rene Descartes called this tiny gland "the seat of the soul". In the Hindu spiritual tradition, meditation techniques are used to direct energy flow through seven energy centers in the body, or chakras, and selectively activate or suppress their associated glands. The pineal gland corresponds to a chakra located at the top of the head and is believed to influence happiness. Research The connection between melatonin and meditation was first explored in 1995 by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center's Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program. Since melatonin is produced mainly at night, overnight urine samples were collected and tested for 6- sulphatoxymelatonin, a melatonin breakdown product thought to be an accurate reflection of blood melatonin levels. Researchers found that women who meditated had significantly higher levels of melatonin compared with women who did not. Another study found that meditation before bedtime increased melatonin levels for that night. No increases in blood melatonin levels were noted on nights where participants didn't meditate. This suggests that regular practice of meditation is necessary. Here are two meditation techniques that are based on those used in the research studies. For maximal benefit, try to meditate for twenty minutes to half an hour before you go to sleep using the technique that feels more comfortable for you. Meditation Methods Find a quiet and comfortable place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck, and back straight but not stiff. Try to put aside all thoughts of the past and the future and stay in the present.Become aware of your breathing, focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body as you breathe. Feel your belly rise and fall. Notice the air entering your nostrils and leaving your mouth. Pay attention to the way each breath changes and is different.Watch every thought come and go, whether it be a worry, fear, anxiety or hope. When thoughts come up in your mind, don't ignore or suppress them but simply note them, remain calm and use your breathing as an anchor.If you find yourself getting carried away in your thoughts, observe where your mind went off to, without judging, and simply return to your breathing. Remember not to be hard on yourself if this happens.As the time comes to a close, sit for a minute or two, becoming aware of where you are. Get up gradually. Relaxation Response Find a quiet place and sit in a comfortable position. Try to relax your muscles.Choose a word or phrase that has special meaning to you and makes you feel peaceful. Or you can try the words "Ham Sah", a Sanskrit mantra meaning "I am that".As you breathe in, slowly produce the sound "haaam" as if you are sinking into a hot bath. As you exhale, slowly produce to sound "saah", which should feel like a sigh.Breathe slowly and naturally. Inhale through your nose and pause for a few seconds. Exhale through your mouth, again pausing for a few seconds.Don't worry about how well you are doing and don't feel bad if thoughts or feelings intrude. Simply say to yourself "Oh well" and return to your repetition.As the time comes to a close, continue to be aware of your breathing but sit quietly. Becoming aware of where you are, slowly open your eyes and get up gradually. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Leskowitz E, Seasonal Affective Disorder and the Yoga Paradigm: A Reconsideration of the Role of the Pineal Gland. Medical Hypotheses 33;1990;155-158. Massion AO, Teas J, Hebert JR, Wertheimer MD, Kabat-Zinn J. Meditation, Melatonin and Breast/Prostate Cancer: Hypothesis and Preliminary Data. Medical Hypotheses 44 (1995) 39-46 Tooley GA, Armstrong SM, Norman TR, Sali A. Acute Increases in Night-Time Plasma Melatonin Levels Following a Period of Meditation. Biological Psychology 53 (2000) 69-78. Benson H. The Relaxation Response. Mind/Body Medicine, eds. Goleman D, Gurin J. New York 1993. Consumer Reports Books, 233-257. Domar AD, Dreher H. Healing Mind, Healthy Woman. New York 1996. Henry Holt and Company, 55-65. Kabat-Zinn J. Mindfulness Meditation: Health benefits of an ancient Buddhist practice. Mind/Body Medicine, eds. Goleman D, Gurin J. New York 1993. Consumer Reports Books, 259-275.


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Daisy Miller by Henry James
Age: Adult
Henry James is an interesting author. He seems like he has fun with his stories. He's an American author who has written 20 novels, 112 short stories and a few plays, I believe. I've only read The Turn of the Screw, and I'm currently reading Daisy Miller. The Turn of the Screw was semi Science-Fictionesque filled with ghost stories and creepy children in a giant mansion.
Daisy Miller is nothing like The Turn of the Screw. Its a more playful story. Mr. Winterbourne courting a young "common" lady named Daisy Miller in Geneva, Switzerland. Daisy with her timid and morally lax mother. Daisy with her hyperactive younger brother with an immense sweet tooth.
If one didn't know Henry James was American before picking up this book, then they certainly would within the first few pages with the dialog consisting of "American boys are the best" "American candy is the best" etc.
Its funny that Daisy Miller was written about 50 some-odd year after Mansfield Park, by an American male, and still refers to the same standards of morality and social stigmas that plagued Mansfield Park.
I wonder what Jane Austen would think of Daisy Miller?


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This wonderful wood wall mirror features a distressed gray finish and a window design that creates visual interest in any room.
Additional Info:
Open up any room with the Ashford wood wall mirror. Shaped just like a window, the Ashford mirror has a wonderful effect of widening the sightlines in your decor. Distressed gray finish gives it great character. Wood construction adds a nice feel. Five panes of mirrored glass create visual interest. Great accent for your transitional or classic decor.


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CHASKA, Minn. – Two years ago at Gleneagles Phil Mickelson sat on the far right side of the dais as the losing 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team met the press. It was from that seat, with five players between himself and captain Tom Watson, that Mickelson carefully and meticulously picked apart Watson's captaincy.
On Sunday night at Hazeltine, in the winner's press conference for the U.S. team, the shift was apparent and the transformation was complete. Mickelson was center stage, next to captain Davis Love. There was buzzed laughter instead of passive-aggressive comments with a shiny trophy passed around instead of blame.
Phil had won.
There is no doubt that Mickelson went down with the ship in that infamous press conference at Gleneagles. (When asked of the added pressure on him this week, Mickelson coyly said, "The pressure started when some dumbass opened his mouth two years ago.) Likewise, there is no doubt that's precisely what he intended. Mickelson does nothing off the cuff; he knew the ramifications of what he was doing and the consequences it would have for future U.S. Ryder Cup teams, as well as for himself.
In his mind, blowing the whistle was worth it. That much was evident by the pure joy on his face as he showered fans with champagne at the closing ceremonies, even pouring some directly in Jordan Spieth's mouth.
In the two years since the last Ryder Cup, Mickelson has been the galvanizing force in a gut renovation of the U.S. approach to this event. He was one of the founding members of the 11-man task force created to direct more energy and resources to the team. As a part of that group, he was instrumental in choosing Love as the captain of this year's squad.
He, alongside vice captain Tiger Woods, banded together to put more emphasis on winning the Cup than they ever did as team anchors in the 2000s. Mickelson organized his Tuesday matches in the last two seasons with one eye toward this week. He wasn't the captain, or even a vice-captain. He was the wise man, the leader, the alpha. For his entire career, Mickelson has been mentioned second behind Woods. This week Woods stood behind Mickelson on the range with a walkie talkie as Mickelson prepped for his opening foursomes match. The script had been flipped.
"The environment they were put in this week brought out some of their best golf that I've ever seen from [this team]," Mickelson said. "It's truly a remarkable thing to watch, and it's a fun thing to be a part of. And to see the level of accomplishment and performance that these guys had this week was just sensational."
At Hazeltine, Mickelson also mended his Ryder Cup reputation on the course. Mickelson owns an, ahem, uninspired Ryder Cup record for a player of his stature. He now has a 18-20-7 mark, tied with Jim Furyk for the most losses in U.S. history. Phil's resume can be broken into two parts. From 1995-2010, Mickelson has a 11-17-6 record. From 2012-16, his record is 7-3-1. (He's the Americans' leading point-earner in those three years.) The recent success coordinates with a drop in the world rankings; Mickelson has preformed better the lower he's ranked entering the event. He was miserable in 2004 and '06 when he was the fourth and second-ranked player in the world. He has been fantastic the last three years when his highest ranking was 11th. The uptick in personal performance hadn't translated into a U.S. victory until this week.
In the second match on Friday, Mickelson was sent off first in foursomes alongside Rickie Fowler. On its face, that's a dubious pairing. Mickelson is errant, to be kind, with his driver, and Fowler has not played consistently all season. But Mickelson and Fowler are buddies, and this is the slot Mickelson wanted. The duo was erratic – a double-bogey followed by three straight birdies – but won holes 15, 16 and 17 against Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan en route to a surprising 1-up victory.
On Saturday afternoon, Mickelson and Matt Kuchar laughed their way through a back-slapping, shimmy-shaking foursomes match against Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer. After the 2-and-1 win, Kuchar spoke reverently of playing with someone who he considers a big brother. "It was such a thrill," Kuchar said. "I was so proud to be alongside him."
On Sunday, Mickelson was matched against another wily veteran in Europe's Sergio Garcia. (He was slotted in a critical sixth spot, no coincidence.) The Patrick Reed/McIlroy match got the highlights, but Mickelson vs. Garcia featured better quality golf. Mickelson carded 10 (10!) birdies, and Garcia had eight. The match went to the final hole with Mickelson curling in a birdie putt and literally jumping for joy. Garcia followed with a birdie too, which fittingly ended the match in a tie.
As he walked across a bridge to the locker room, Mickelson hugged friends and dished out thumbs-up left and right. Someone handed him a bottle of champagne.
Two years in the making, Mickelson had won.


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