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They have co-authored a paper titled "North Atlantic Right Whales in Crisis" that appears in the July 22 edition of the journal Science.
In it, Nowacek and his colleagues contend that while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service has been charged with reducing the number of North Atlantic right whales killed by human activity, the government simply isn't doing enough to protect the North Atlantic right whale and its habitats. At least 50 percent of all recorded deaths are due to collisions with ships and entanglements in fishing gear.
"This is in our power to control," said Nowacek. "The Endangered Species Act has a clear mandate to stop extinctions. For this whale, it is time to enforce that mandate."
Right whales range in the coastal waters of eastern North America from the Canadian Maritimes to Florida, regions heavily used by the military and by fishing and shipping industries. Despite international protections since 1935, it remains one of the most endangered whales in the world after 1000 years of whaling brought it close to extinction in the early 20th century.
Data compiled by Nowacek and his co-principal investigators documents an unprecedented eight whale deaths during the past 16 months -- almost three times the average annual rate in 25 years of study of the species -- including six adult females, three of which carried near-term fetuses. At least four of the whales were killed by human activities; ships hit three; and one whale was entangled in fishing gear. Only 17 percent of all mortality is detected, so reports of dead whales represent only a small fraction of actual deaths.


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Damage to a commercial property can result in severe income losses. A commercial property damaged by fire, water, flood, hurricane, tornado, vandalism and even mechanical or electrical breakdown adversely impacts business and the people associated with it. Insured properties have the right to make a claim and be duly compensated for the damages and business interruption. Filing for a commercial insurance claim needs to be done without any delays – businesses obviously cannot afford loss of earnings for long. It is here that a commercial claims adjuster, insurance appraiser and loss consultant from United States Adjusters are able to excel for the insured. United States Adjusters have been helping commercial property owners for decades.
United States Adjusters handles all size commercial losses from a shop or shopping mall, to hospitals, restaurants, church or religious places, hotels or any other commercial property. United States Adjusters' team ensures that the damages are fairly and fully assessed and the owners receive the maximum possible settlement. We have decades of experience fighting for policyholders and unlike insurance company adjusters, we work only in your best interests.
Filing a business insurance claim and documenting your losses can be an arduous process, with far-reaching effects on your company's finances and operations. In the event of a fire or natural disaster, where your business suffers huge losses, you can count on our public adjuster services for commercial property insurance claims. United States Adjusters will ensure that you get the payout that you rightfully deserve. Our team of loss adjusters, appraisers, lawyers, and construction experts will assist you through every aspect of the claims settlement process, including preparing, documenting, and filing your claim. We offer our expertise in delivering precise damage and loss valuation, as well as a range of adjusting and legal services for business insurance claims.
When you have a pending insurance claim and your insurer gives you an offer that insufficiently covers your losses, United States Adjusters can take over. We help business owners tread the complicated process of filing insurance claims through a free claim evaluation. We only charge our clients should we discover discrepancies with the loss appraisal or areas that are underpaid. Our dedicated public insurance adjusters will then re-document and cross-reference every aspect of the claim. Business owners can count on our speedy, precise, and efficient appraising and adjusting services.
If an insurance settlement is underpaid, state laws allow business owners to re-open a claim and negotiate for a fair settlement. During this process, you will need the combined expertise of public adjusters, appraisers, contractors, engineers, geologists, and lawyers. United States Adjusters has a team of experts from these fields, ready to work with you on the ground to reassess your application and find areas or items that have not been properly paid. We will help you navigate all the financial, legal, and structural intricacies of your claim, and work towards a precise and equitable settlement.
Our public insurance claims adjusters for business owners know all the financial and legal aspects of property damage valuations for commercial insurance claims. We use a range of valuation methods in assessing commercial property losses and damages. Should you experience an underpaid claim or claim denial, you can rely on our accurate and speedy appraising and adjusting services. We will take the burden out of preparing and re-documenting a claim, and obtaining maximum payout for your losses. Our loss consultants will make the filing experience stress-free and will fight for your best interests.
Filing for insurance claims can be a very complex and daunting task, especially in times when commercial property owners are already disturbed by the losses to their properties. United States Adjusters has the insurance claims adjuster, loss consultant or insurance appraiser for such property owners. We work to make the process of filing for claims a simple and stress-free experience. Our team of professionals, offer full-fledged support in terms of loss analysis, estimating, negotiating and documentation for insurance and liaising with insurance company to procure the best possible settlement outcome for all of the damages caused to the commercial property.
United States Adjusters handles all size commercial losses from a shop or shopping mall, to hospitals, restaurants, church or religious places, hotels or any other commercial property. United States Adjusters' team ensures that the damages are fairly and fully assessed and the owners receive the maximum possible settlement. We have decades of experience fighting for the policyholders and unlike insurance company adjusters, we work only in your best interests.
United States Adjusters' attention to detail and expertise allows us to settle homeowners' claims faster and for larger amounts than other public adjusting firms that haven't been around for long, or lack the experience. Contact us today for a free claim evaluation and consultation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Here is a quick differentiation between the "WHERE" clause and the "HAVING" clause within an SQL Query. Below is a basic query that will generate a list of the Customers based upon the number of orders they have placed. select count(order_no) as Orders, slcust_no from windows_enquiry where order_no >0 group by slcust_no order by orders … Continue reading T-SQL: Using the HAVING clause
Category: Microsoft SQL Server
T-SQL: Aggregate Functions; Date Functions; and Group By Statement Woes
When combining Aggregate Functions with Date / Time functions within an SQL Query, you may run into errors relating to the "Group By" statement, such as: "Column is invalid in the select list because it is not contained in either an aggregate function or the GROUP BY clause" "Invalid Column Name" "Each GROUP BY expression must … Continue reading T-SQL: Aggregate Functions; Date Functions; and Group By Statement Woes
SQL Server File Locations for Default Instances
Each Instance of SQL Server has its own set of executable files (sqlservr.exe) and data files. The file locations for the default instance are different depending upon the version installed. Essentially, this is to allow multiple versions of SQL Server to happily co-existing on the same server. The table below lists the default file locations … Continue reading SQL Server File Locations for Default Instances
SQL Server: Clustered Indexes
When creating a new table within SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE), it will not have an index or a primary key by default. A primary key is not mandatory, but from a performance point of view, it nearly always makes sense to create one. The Primary Key is a UNIQUE "Index" Value in a Database … Continue reading SQL Server: Clustered Indexes
SQL Server Browser Service and "Network Discovery"
Client Applications normally connect to the Default SQL Server Instance on TCP Port 1433. Additional Instances are normally allocated Dynamic TCP Port Numbers by the Server Operating System. For the benefit of Clients, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 provides the "Browser Service" (UDP Port 1434) to advertise the Names and Port Numbers of each Instance of … Continue reading SQL Server Browser Service and "Network Discovery"
SQL Server: Setting Domain User Permissions
If you are new to SQL Server, you may be wondering how to quickly assign Domain User Permissions so that they can access the data within your database. If you are not on a Windows Domain Network, this article is not for you. There are two types of permissions that can be set (Server; Database) … Continue reading SQL Server: Setting Domain User Permissions
Sage 200: SOP Schema
This is the first in a series of articles documenting the Sage 200 Database Schema. Click here to download a PDF of the Sage SOP Order Schema. Click here to download a PDF of the Sage SOP Invoicing Schema


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Marion County, FLHome Sitemap Contact
Calendar of events
CANCELED - Library - Headquarters-Ocala - Bouncing Babies
- Date: 04/09/2020 11:00 AM
- Location: Headquarters-Ocala
2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd.
Ocala, Florida 34470
Return to full list >>
A variety of stories, songs, and activities for children and caregivers.
Infants-23 months.


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Last Christmas morning, my kids woke up at the crack of dawn, of course, and ran downstairs to see what Santa had left them under the tree. They squealed with delight as they opened a bike, Legos, books … you name it. And they thanked Santa repeatedly. Santa, Santa, SANTA!
"Santa is the BESTEST!" my son said as he ripped into some wrapping paper.
I fake smiled and nodded, "Oh, yes, he's the bestest." But inside I was thinking, "Screw you, Santa!"
Now, I'm not usually the type who needs to take all the credit. I'm a team player. I don't have a competitive bone in my body. But as my kids went on and on and ON about how awesome Santa is, I got a little annoyed. And bitter. And insanely competitive.
I mean, who the hell is he to take all the credit? I did all the work. All the planning and shopping and wrapping. My back still ached from hunching on the floor wrapping presents for hours the night before. I still had scotch tape stuck in my hair. I was terrified at the thought of seeing my credit card bill, which I was sure was equal to the GDP of Barbados.
I made the mistake of having "Santa" give them all the fun stuff—the toys, the games. Mom and Dad gave them all the boring stuff, like new underwear and dental floss. Of course they think he's the bestest.
So this year I was kinda selfishly hoping my kids wouldn't believe anymore. I was hoping some kid at school would spill the beans and tell them that Santa isn't real. That Santa is really your POOR MOM. That the real person you should leave cookies for, and think is the most amazing person on earth, is the lady who lets you wipe your snotty nose on her shirt. Not some bearded dude in a red suit. But alas, they still believe.
So here I go again with the whole hellish holiday charade. Running around like a madwoman, charging up a storm, wrapping till my hands are raw, while Santa takes all the credit.
And here's the real beef. I'm sure that when my kids finally DO find out that I'm really Santa, they're not going to thank me. They're going to be mad at me for lying to them all these years. Moms … we just can't win.
So since you're never going to hear it from your kids, I'm going to say it to you now. You're amazing! Your kids might not know how fabulous you are pulling off these Santa shenanigans while still feeding, bathing, clothing, cuddling, teaching and taking care of your brood. But I do. And I think you're the BESTEST!
Merry Christmas everyone!


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Bird from Antarctica rescued from Lake Cathie beach
A joint community effort has enabled a bird visitor from Antarctica to be rescued and returned to his ocean home.
Early in December 2018, FAWNA (NSW) volunteers were contacted about a unusual bird sitting on a rock at Lake Cathie surf beach.
A FAWNA spokesperson said a beachgoer recognised the bird was in trouble and helped protect it from numerous dogs nearby.
The good samaritan and FAWNA volunteer helped catch the bird.
"It was unable to fly, but pretty fast on its feet," the spokesperson said.
"Being a busy holiday time on the beach, this most unusual bird and its rescuers generated much interest from bystanders."
The bird was identified as a Southern Giant-Petrel, and was suffering from dehydration and exhaustion.
FAWNA's seabird coordinator June LePla was tasked with caring for the animal.
June estimated the bird would have been about seven-years-old, weighing in at 3.5kg and was dark in colour.
The unusual visitor was named Dodo. He was initially difficult to feed, before he learnt how to catch and enjoy his food.
"Dodo fed on 700g of food daily with fresh sardines for breakfast, mullet offal for lunch and fresh whole mullet pieces mid-afternoon," the spokesperson from FAWNA said.
After seven days Dodo became verbal and flapped his wings, an indication to FAWNA that he was near time to go home.
Fisheries NSW took Dodo out to sea on December 12 and he was placed in a large cardboard carton.
He was successfully released by Fisheries NSW officers in the Cod Grounds Marine Park, about 5.5 kilometres east of Laurieton.
"It was reported Dodo looked very much at home bathing and drinking in the ocean water," the FAWNA spokesperson said.
FAWNA hopes Dodo continues his journey south back to his natural breeding and feeding grounds in the Antarctic.
FAWNA thanked Fisheries NSW and Port Fresh Seafoods who provided fresh mullet offal daily.
"It was a collaborative effort to help this pelagic bird," the spokesperson said.
FAWNA's seabird coordinator June LePla said during the organisation's 30 years of operation, three Southern Giant-Petrels has come into its care.
"One died, one was euthanased due to significant untreatable injuries and the third, Dodo, has been a big learning curve and an absolutely delightful patient," she said.
"It's a privilege to be able to help this rare visitor to our shores".
Discuss "Rare southern visitor makes a trip to Lake Cathie"
Please note: All comments made or shown here are bound by the Online Discussion Terms & Conditions.


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2016 What A Year For GDMK Images
Wow, what a year 2016 was! Personally and professionally, 2016 was a year to remember.
Personally, several 'bucket list' items were ticked off as we traveled across the US and The Caribbean during the spring.
Professionally we made great strides in solidifying the GDMK Images brand as a quality source of creative and unique artwork and photography. 2016 was our first full year taking our art stall around the country and was a great success. Its really satisfying so many people show their appreciation for our work.
It's easy to bulk buy mass produced products at a low price point and resell them. We are not about selling for the sake of selling. We are about creating something different – something a little special that can't be bought elsewhere.
I am passionate about the subjects in my work and I hope that comes through in my unique art style.
We made some great friends and met some really cool people along the way. Its not all about selling you know!
Below is a quick video summary of GDMK Images in 2016. The first video shows a taster of what you will see in our #tedontourusa trip blog posts. Part 1 of the Ted on Tour USA blog series is already available.
The second video is the soundtrack of our summer events, a soundtrack dominated by English Electric, Merlins, Napier, a bit of sizzling steam and a few other oddities thrown in!
Preview Video of Ted on Tour USA
GDMK Images Soundtrack of 2016
Looking Forward To 2017
We are proud of our achievements of 2016 and are really looking forward to 2017. Our event list is being finalised and will be posted shortly. You will be able to come and say hi at many railway, aviation, classic vehicle and military shows in 2017. Remember to subscribe to the GDMK Images newsletter to keep up with our latest news and events or alternatively keep an eye on the Where to Find GDMK Images Page
What Can You Expect From GDMK Images in 2017?
We have lots planned for 2017 including –
- blog posts about our 2016 Tedontourusa trip including travel and photography tips
- a new railway digital art series called 'End of the Line'
- a new range of gifts available exclusively from our art stall
- new military digital art starting with 'The Home Guard' and 'An Officer and a Lady'
- digital art featuring RAF Lancasters 'Over Enemy Country' and Dakotas 'One Day in June'
Thanks for your support over the last 12 months, heres looking forward to 2017!
All the best


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Qkr! will now be the only way to pay online at Kilkenny Primary School from 1st June 2020 - School Fees/ OSHC Fees/ Uniforms/Canteen Orders etc.
The new Qkr (pronounced 'quicker') phoneapp is now live for families of students at Kilkenny PS. Qkr by MasterCard can be downloaded for free from Apple's app store for iPhones (iPads should download the iPhone app) or from Google Play for Android phones and tablets. After downloading the app and registering, simply select Kilkenny PS from 'Nearby Locations' on Qkr or type KPSSA after tapping the magnifying glass in the top right of the home screen of Qkr, and then the app will always recognise you as part of the school in future to make payments even easier.
You can order and pay for school lunches, pay school fees, OSCH fees, camps/ excursions and order uniforms to collect right now using Qkr, so why not download it today and take a look at our school on Qkr!
Masterpass Information for Qkr Users
Processing for School or OSHC payments.
Please ensure all invoices are paid into the correct account.
See below for BPoint Payments links
How to process a payment:
01. Click on the "Online Payment Option"
02. Enter your Family ID (from the School Invoice or Statement eg: SMIT00 first 4 letters of childs surname plus 00)
03. Enter your Family Name
04. Enter the Description or Invoice No for the payment
05. Enter the Amount of the payment
06. Click on either the icon matching your card type (MasterCard or Visa)
07. Enter your Credit Card Number
08. Enter the Credit Card Expiry Date
09. Enter the Card Verification Number/CVN (i.e. the 3 digit code on the reverse of your Credit Card)
10. Click on the Proceed button
11. After 3 to 5 seconds your payment will be processed and the receipt information will be displayed
12. Either click the Print View or enter your email address and click Send Email to get a copy of your receipt
13. You can now exit the Payment Page
SCHOOL ONLY - BPoint
Link: School BPOINT
OSHC / VAC ONLY - BPoint
Link: OSHC BPOINT


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Arch Capital Group Ltd. Fourth Quarter Earnings Sneak Peek
Arch Capital Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:ACGL) will unveil its latest earnings on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Arch Capital Group provides insurance and reinsurance on a worldwide basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries.
Arch Capital Group Ltd. Earnings Preview Cheat Sheet
Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average estimate of analysts is for net income of 65 cents per share, a decline of 24.4% from the company's actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved down from 82 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved down. It also has dropped from 77 cents during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 38.5% versus last year to $1.92.
Past Earnings Performance: The company has beaten estimates the last four quarters and is coming off a quarter where it topped forecasts by 15 cents, reporting profit of 78 cents per share against a mean estimate of net income of 63 cents per share.
Investing Insights: Will the iPad 3 Be the Next Catalyst for Apple's Stock?
Wall St. Revenue Expectations: Analysts are projecting a rise of 9.4% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $528.2 million.
Analyst Ratings: Analysts are bullish on this stock with nine analysts rating it as a buy, one rating it as a sell and six rating it as a hold.
A Look Back: In the third quarter, profit rose 14.2% to $169 million ($1.19 a share) from $148 million (92 cents a share) the year earlier, exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue fell 4.1% to $765 million from $797.4 million.
Key Stats:
The increase in profit in the third quarter broke a streak of three consecutive quarters of year-over-year profit decreases. Net income dropped 59.6% in the second quarter, 88.1% in the first quarter and 19.6% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year.
Revenue has fallen in the past four quarters. Revenue declined 0.1% in the second quarter from the year earlier, dropped 8.3% in first quarter from the year-ago quarter and 10.9% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year.
Stock Price Performance: During November 10, 2011 to February 8, 2012, the stock price had risen $2.11 (5.9%) from $35.77 to $37.88. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between January 30, 2012 and February 8, 2012 when shares rose for eight-straight days, rising 6.5% (+$2.31) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between July 26, 2011 and August 8, 2011 when shares fell for 10-straight days, falling 12.6% (-$4.34) over that span.
(Company fundamentals by Xignite Financials. Earnings estimates provided by Zacks)
Don't Miss These Additional Hot Stories:
Investors Wake Up to the Return of Dividends
Do We Know If the Housing Market Has Hit Bottom?


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As I am a Clinical Psychologist, and not a Psychiatrist, I do not prescribe medications. But if you are on medications, or if you are considering them, I strongly recommend that you use the links below.
Drug information from the National Library of Medicine at NIH
Medscape Drug (medication) Interaction Checker


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NYC Chrome Eyeshadows - Aquamarine & Tiger's Eye1:11 PM
These two shadows are so pretty! Both have about three colors swirling through them. In the case of Aquamarine, it has silver, navy and a bright turquoise swirled through, with tons of shimmer. Tiger's Eye is mostly ivory, with chocolate brown and gold swirled through.
The color payoff is a little bit less than desired, but if you apply them wet, there is much more of a reward. I applied the swatches, below, dry. Aquamarine is absolutely stunning as a deep turquoise liner if applied wet. Tiger's eye is a great base, but I think depending on how much gold and chocolate is running through, it will adjust the color to be a bit darker compared to mine.


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- ITV Report
What is Bovine TB?
Live updates
Cumbrian farmers told it is unknown how bovine TB has spread
Government experts have told Cumbrian farmers that they don't yet know how bovine TB has spread in 16 out of 20 cases.
At a meeting last night they said there's more testing to be done, but at the moment they don't believe badgers are responsible for the initial infection.
Experts also said they needed more information before they decide if badgers are to be culled, as only been three badgers have tested positive, from around 12 tested. They added that culling can cause badgers to move, making the spread of the disease worse. For these reasons badgers will not be culled at the moment.
Instead farmers are encouraged to practice good biosecurity, for instance using fences to keep their cattle away from badger areas, and seal buildings with food as well as adhering to cattle movement restrictions.
"A number of bTB breakdowns in cattle herds have been identified in east Cumbria. APHA has carried out a thorough investigation, which found evidence the disease is present in badgers in the area. We are working closely with farmers and others affected to assess the extent of disease in the badger population. Additional cattle controls are in place and further action will depend on the results of our surveillance. Farmers in the area should continue to practice good biosecurity to minimise the risk of disease spreading to their farms."
But farmers are calling for more action. They want to see more active testing on badgers so the experts and farmers can be better informed of what's going on and how to stop it.
- ITV Report
TB discovered in badgers in Cumbria for the first time
The government's Animal and Plant Health Agency has been investigating outbreaks of TB among cattle on 16 farms in Shap and Penrith.Read the full story ›
- ITV Report
Cattle dealer who failed to test for Bovine TB sentenced
Lesley England didn't test his animals for the deadly disease, which can devastate rural economies.Read the full story ›
Bovine TB testing is underway at Brampton area farms
Testing is taking place in cattle herds across the Brampton area of north Cumbria after a confirmed case of Bovine TB.
Farmers are being urged to double check the source of cattle they bring into the county to prevent the number of cases increasing.
Full Report: Bovine TB confirmed in Brampton area
A case of Bovine TB has been confirmed in the Brampton area of north Cumbria.
Movement restrictions have been placed on cattle at the affected farm.
Cumbria remain a low risk area for Bovine TB but farmers are being urged to take extra precautions in light of this new case.
Katie Hunter reports:
'Cumbria is a low risk area for bovine TB'
A spokesman for the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) - the department of DEFRA that deals with cases linked to bovine TB - told ITV Border what is being done surrounding the current outbreak.
"Cumbria is a low risk area for bovine TB. Each year there are a small number of bovine TB incidents in the county, typically due to infection being inadvertently carried in cattle bought from herds in a high risk area. AHVLA has also found no evidence of TB infection in local wildlife.
"Bovine TB can have a devastating effect on farm businesses, which is why there are strict measures to control it. In low risk areas such as Cumbria, herds within a three kilometre radius of a TB incident are placed on more regular testing to reduce the risk of infection."
- ITV Report
What is Bovine TB?
Since an outbreak of Bovine TB has been confirmed on a farm in the Brampton area, we looked at the disease in more detail.Read the full story ›
Bovine TB confirmed in the Brampton area
An outbreak of bovine TB has been confirmed in the Brampton area of north Cumbria.
There are restrictions in place when it comes to moving affected cattle and farms within a three kilometre radius will also be tested.
The NFU has advised farmers to be careful when bringing animals into the county by looking at their sourcing policy and where animals are coming from.
Cumbria is a low risk area on the border of Scotland - which has a TB free status.
Bovine TB outbreak confirmed in north Cumbria
An outbreak of bovine TB has been confirmed on a farm in north Cumbria.
Restrictions have been placed on moving affected cattle. Animals on other farms within a three kilometre radius will also be tested for the disease. Farmers in the county are being urged to take extra precautions.
Ian Mandle from the National Farmers' Union:
Full Report: New Bovine TB testing rules
Farmers in Cumbria are being warned to wake up to the dangers of bovine TB.
Outbreaks of the disease - which can mean cattle having to be slaughtered - have been found in Cheshire and Lancashire.
In January new rules to stop the spread of the disease will come into effect.
Both the National Farmers Union and the Government Vetinary Laboratories have been advising farmers about possible infection.
You can see the full report from Andy Burn below.


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Click here to view/download the Hart's Mill monthly calendar and newsletter
Whether it's for a tour of the land, a potluck dinner and game night, or coming to a meeting, the best way to get to know Hart's Mill Ecovillage is to contact us and come to events. If you want to engage with the land, we have frequent work days. Hart's Mill is a lively and evolving Ecovillage. We appreciate your interest and welcome your involvement in whatever ways speak to you.
RSVP as directed for questions and details.
Most events are open to the public. There are some for members only–follow this link for more information on becoming a Member.


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- For the primary universe counterpart, see Burgoyne 172.
In the mirror universe, Burgoyne 182 was the Hermat head of security aboard the Stinger. Burgoyne was very territorial and challenged M'k'n'zy when he boarded the Stinger with Soleta and Rojan. S/he attended a dinner with the Stinger senior staff and their Romulan passengers in 2372. During the dinner, s/he told a joke that Si Cwan found amusing.
Burgoyne discovered M'k'n'zy tampering with Mark McHenry, whose energy was being drained to power the Stinger. The two narrowly avoided getting into a fight, although Burgoyne did tell M'k'n'zy that if s/he found him there again, s/he would kill him.
Burgoyne was on duty outside the conference room while Si Cwan killed Falkar and Rojan. S/he then went to apprehend M'k'n'zy and Soleta, only to find that the advance guards s/he sent had been disarmed, and the two had escaped into the bowels of the ship. Burgoyne and hir guards found them with the slave Elizabeth Shelby. Burgoyne fired a blaster, wounding M'k'n'zy and Soleta, and killing Shelby. Shelby's death caused M'k'n'zy to go berserk and kill Burgoyne. (NF - Mirror Universe novel: Cutting Ties)


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Health and Safety
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center offers comprehensive psychological services to help students navigate the challenges of college life and take advantage of opportunities for personal growth. Learn about the psychological services, workshops, counseling and treatment programs available.
Student Health Services
Student Health Services offers a variety of healthcare services, including general medical care, immunizations, nutrition counseling, smoking cessation, laboratory services, allergy shots, travel health and a full-service pharmacy.
Center for Student Well-Being
At the Center for Student Well-Being in the Marshall Student Center, you can meet with a registered dietitian, get a blood pressure screening, pick up free condoms and gather information on a variety of health and wellness topics. Learn about programs to maximize your wellbeing.
Victim Advocacy & Violence Prevention
USF's dedicated team of victim advocates will confidentially assist any crime victim with on-campus and community support services and resources. Additionally, students can participate as peer educators in outreach programs.
Emergency and Safety Management
The safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors is a top priority at USF. Learn about the various initiatives, emergency notification systems and programs in place to ensure the safety of every member of the USF community.
SAFE Team
Each year the SAFE Team provides thousands of students safe travel from one campus location to another, via escort, between the hours of 6:30 pm and 2:30 am daily. Learn more about the SAFE Team.
University Police
The University Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency serving and protecting the university community. Officers patrol the campus and surrounding areas 24/7. Learn more about the USFPD, get activity reports and more.


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Friday 3 June | Birkbeck, University of London | Room MAL 532, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX | 18:00-20:00
Join us for a talk by Dr. Isabelle Anguelovski, followed by responses from Dr. Daisy Tam (Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Baptist University) and Aaron Vansintjan (Birkbeck PhD Candidate, Technologies of Sustainability Scholarship).
The event is co-sponsored by Birkbeck's Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies, the Architecture Space and Society Research Centre, BIRMAC (Birkbeck Interdisciplinary Studies in Media, Art and Culture) and the Birkbeck Food Group.
Local activists engaged in contemporary environmental justice struggles not only fight against traditional forms of hazardous locally unwanted land uses (LULUs), they also organize to make their neighborhoods livable and green. However, urban environmental justice activism is at a crossroads: As marginalized neighborhoods become revitalized, outside investors start to value them again and they themselves invest in green amenities. Yet vulnerable residents are now raising concerns about the risk of displacement from their neighborhoods in consequence of environmental gentrification processes. Their fear is linked to environmental amenities such as new parks or remodeled waterfronts, as well as (most recently) healthy food stores. In this presentation, I examine how recent green urban redevelopment trends translate into possibly the ultimate urban environmental justice tragedy through new dynamics of marginalization which seem to accompany green projects or amenities. Such trends thus create a new paradox for academics, activists, and planners who defend an environmental justice agenda. Through case studies in the Global North and South, I examine how specific projects developed under the label or discourse of green infrastructure planning, urban sustainability planning, or sustainable local food systems, might become GREENLULUS – Green Locally Unwanted Land Uses – for long-term marginalized urban residents because such agendas and projects create new patterns of reinvestment, and often speculation, exclusion, and displacement of vulnerable residents.
Blog Report | The Injustices Produced by Urban 'Development' and 'Revitalization' | Joel McKim


text: "Book mobiles, cute kids at summer reading programs, even a librarian on horseback - this exhibition from D(igital)P(ublic)L(ibrary)(of)A(merica) has it all. In addition to the warm fuzzies, however, the show also delves into some of the stickier issues in the history of US libraries, such as how librarianship came to be a woman-dominated profession, but with more men in management positions, or segregation in some libraries. In the 'Profession for Women' theme, it's pointed out that the American Library Association, founded in 1876, did not elect its first woman president, Theresa Elmendorf, until 1911. Another section of the exhibition documents the Tougaloo Nine, who attempted to use the white-only Jackson, Mississippi, public library on March 27, 1961, and were arrested for disorderly conduct. The Conclusion section briefly covers some 21st century trends in libraries, such as the impact of the Internet or the transformation of physical spaces in libraries to become 'Third Spaces' - places that are neither work nor home, where people can gather, interact, and create, including computer workstations arranged to permit collaboration, maker spaces, and cafes" (via The Scout Report - Volume 21, Number 47).


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I've carried around a tattered recipe on newsprint since 1994 for these Mint Juleps.
So it's Mint Juleps out on the terrace tonight followed by Green Grape Gazpacho, Grilled Lamb Chops, roasted rosemary potatoes and asparagus.
Oh my gosh are both as delicious and mouth watering as they look?
Slurp..in a feminine manner and fashion of course~
Beaux! Plural.. cause they all are~
Grape Gazpacho? What a refreshing sounding soup. Wonderful pics, as usual...you have just the touch to create the atmosphere. We haven't had the hot weather yet...unusual...but I know what I'll try to beat the heat...thanks!
Oh how beautiful and cooling they look. the spearmint scent is wafting my way...yep!ReplyDelete
oh..this grape gazpacho grabbed all my attention..it sounds fabulously refreshing as the mint julep
thanks for the recipes!
Girl... after one of those who cares what is for dinner...I am sitting here very thirsty at the moment and would love one of those lovely juleps!
You grape gazpacho looks fabulous too!
We're experiencing extreme temps here in Dallas, too. Just looking at your gorgeous photos, and I feel a little breeze across my face. Perfect!ReplyDelete
Sounds perfecto to me Ry! Although it's so icy cold here at the moment, even a steaming hot coffee cup won't defrost my frozen hands! Hope you are managing to cope in your hot, hot weather.
Millie ^_^
oh it all looks gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Thank you it was a wonderful guide, now to make 'em, to drink 'em is definitely easy utilizing your recommendation. Thank youReplyDelete


text:
For Immediate Release
Mandy Simon, ACLU, 202.675.2312, firstname.lastname@example.com
Rebecca Farmer, ACLU of Northern California, 415.621.2493, firstname.lastname@example.com
ACLU Challenges Defense Department Personnel Policy to Regard Lawful Protests As 'Low-Level Terrorism"
WASHINGTON - Anti-terrorism training materials currently being used by the Department of Defense (DoD) teach its personnel that free expression in the form of public protests should be regarded as "low level terrorism." ACLU attorneys are calling the approach "an egregious insult to constitutional values" and have sent a letter to the Department of Defense demanding that the offending materials be changed and that the DoD send corrective information to all DoD employees who received the erroneous training.
"DoD employees cannot fully protect our nation and its values unless they understand that a core American value is the constitutional right to criticize our government through protest activities," said ACLU of Northern California attorney Ann Brick. "It is fundamentally wrong to equate activism with terrorism."
Among the multiple-choice questions included in its Level 1 Antiterrorism Awareness training course, the DoD asks the following: "Which of the following is an example of low-level terrorist activity?" To answer correctly, the examinee must select "protests."
The ACLU sent a letter today to Gail McGinn, Acting Under-Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, asking that the materials be corrected immediately. The ACLU points out that the misinterpretation of First Amendment freedoms is particularly disturbing when viewed in the context of a larger, long-term pattern of domestic security initiatives by the government that have attempted to treat lawful dissent as terrorism. Examples of this shameful pattern can be seen in the Pentagon's monitoring of at least 186 anti-military protests, the FBI's surveillance of potential protesters at the Republican National Convention, the Fresno County Sheriff Anti-Terrorism Unit'sinfiltration and surveillance of Peace Fresno, a community peace and social justice organization and the covert surveillance by the Maryland State Police of local peace and anti-death penalty groups.
"Teaching employees that dissent on issues of public concern is something to be feared, rather than respected, is a dangerously counterproductive use of scarce security resources, making us less safe and less democratic," said Michael German, ACLU National Security Policy Counsel and former FBI Special Agent, who co-signed the letter with Brick.
The Level 1 Antiterrorism Awareness training course is an annual training requirement for all DoD personnel that is fulfilled through web-based instruction.
To read the ACLU's letter to the DoD, go to: http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/39820leg20090610.html
Our pandemic coverage is free to all. As is all of our reporting.
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) conserves America's original civic values working in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in the United States by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.


text:
On account of our enormous expertise, we are marked as a prominent manufacturer and supplier of Deck Stone Oven. Our offered range of stone oven is made at our state-of-art production unit by using supreme quality raw materials and most advanced technologies. This range of stone oven is widely preferred by our clients for its attributes such as compact & sturdy design, energy efficiency and high working efficiency. Deck Stone Oven offered by us is widely used in bakeries and food processing units for baking pizzas, cakes, pastries, breads and other food items.
AKASA All Rights Reserved.(Terms of Use)
Developed and Managed by Infocom Network Ltd.


text:
Here are the important guidelines to follow.
1. Write your own letter. Don't copy and paste mine below--it's just an example. Even just a few sentences is enough.
2. Copy and paste the video from this link into each letter. Be kind enough to warn them that it is graphic footage. If you'd rather send the Nightline story since it's not as graphic (but still hard to watch), choose this link.
3. Name calling, nasty remarks, and angry words (except expressions such as "I could not believe what I saw in this video") do not help. A person is immediately turned off by being "yelled" at online or in a letter. Use rational words and think through what you're writing before sending it.
4. If you're going to write a form letter, be sure to individualize it when you put it in email form by putting such things as Dear their name at the beginning, and pointing out you understand their position in the community (such as a Senator or House Rep). Also make sure your subject line is clear as to what you're contacting them for, such as National Celebration Corporate Sponsorship or Enforcement of the Horse Protection Act.
5. It's okay to point out that the industry is continuing to support this abuse by posting statistics, such as how many HPA violators hold high positions in clubs and associations and are allowed to show their horses even after multiple violations. But be sure that you back up your facts. Feel free to contact me or ask on our Facebook page if you need help with that.
6. We have also learned from government officials that they don't like electronic petitions without real handwritten signatures, nor do they want to read the exact same letter from a bunch of people. Each letter needs to be individual.
It's also important to thank those who have already taken the steps to end soring. I've included those folks in the list as well.
Here is my example letter to Ford to ask them to pull their sponsorship. Again, DO NOT copy and paste this letter. Please take the time to write your own.
I understand that Ford gives a sponsorship to the Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) National Celebration each year. You might already be aware of the undercover video at the link at the end of this message, which was taken last year. It shows the extreme abuse that goes on behind the scenes at many if not most TWH barns in Tennessee. This is all to create the high stepping gait in the show ring called the Big Lick. It is animal abuse for fun and profit.
Soring, as explained in the video, is outlawed by the Horse Protection Act, yet it is still commonplace in the industry. The industry hides this fact and lies about how they are trying to end it. The HPA has been in effect since 1970, yet because the industry is allowed to "police" themselves, soring still continues and is rampant.
As an owner and advocate for the sound TWH, I ask that you reconsider your sponsorship with the National Celebration. There is sufficient evidence that points to the fact that sored horses are still being shown there, and this cruelty needs to end. Pulling your support of this show would help tremendously with both your reputation and to help fight against the only form of abuse against horses that has a federal law against it.
I am also a Ford driver--we have a 1997 F-250 that is in great shape and has lasted us a long time. We love Fords and want to always stick with them for our truck needs. I also commend you for choosing not to take the bailout from the government. Choosing to go away from these heinous acts of abuse by pulling your support would do even more for your good reputation and help us make the public more aware about this abuse.
If you need more information, feel free to contact me and visit our blog at http://forthetnwalkinghorse.blogspot.com and our website at www.forthetwh.com Thank you very much for your time. Video link: http://youtu.be/gxVlxT_x-f0
Now for the list. If you have any suggestions, feel free to contact me or post them on the Facebook page.
USDA Contacts
Judge in McConnell Case - PLEASE be polite in your response! Final sentencing is in September.
Harry S. Mattice, Jr., United States District Judge
900 Georgia Avenue, Room 104
Chattanooga TN 37402
Phone: 423-752-5184
Current Sponsors of the Celebration
J. Jordan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JJordanBoutiqueFashion
email: email@example.com
website: http://www.JJordanBoutique.com
Mark Pirtle Ford
Click for contact page
website: http://pirtleandhowertonford.dealerconnection.com/
Tennessee Farmers Co-Op
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TennesseeFarmersCooperative
Website: http://www.ourcoop.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TNFarmers
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/TnFarmersCooperative
Yearwood Equipment Co.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/YearwoodEquipmentCompany
phone: 931-433-3558
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
website: http://www.yearwoodequipment.com/
Celebration Feeds
website: http://celebrationfeeds.com/
Rockvale, TN: Joe Green, Phone 615-274-2661, email@example.com
Cookville, TN: David Stephenson, Phone 931-528-6565, firstname.lastname@example.com
Shelbyville, TN: Marcen Jeffiers, Phone 931-685-5087, email@example.com
Carthage, TN: Stacy Halliburton, Phone 615-735-9185
Columbia, TN: Craig Teal, Phone 931-388-1200
Franklin, TN: Ames Krebs, Phone 615-790-7860
Shelbyville Farm Center
Phone: 931-685-5087
I received the following info from Ford. The links below have been changed accordingly.
"Please be advised that we are not a sponsor of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. The Mid-South Ford Dealers is the local association of Ford Dealers and they are independent from the company. The sponsorship falls under their jurisdiction and was made independently from us."
Corporate Office - https://secure.corporate.ford.com/footer/contact-ford/contact-us-email?contactMainTopic=PublicAffairs
Mid-South Ford Dealers - Click here for the list of Dealers near Shelbyville, TN. Choose the "View Website" link and then choose any links they might have that says "Contact Us." You can check the bottom of the page for email addresses as well.
Cracker Barrel - CRACKER BARREL PULLED OUT OF THE CELEBRATION IN 2002. They are no longer sponsors.
Potential Sponsors of the Celebration
Keystone Light - I received the following very nice email from MillerCoors concerning this issue. So no need to write to them--they do not support the Celebration.
I wanted to reach out about the recent allegations surrounding the treatment of Tennessee Walking Horses and provide the below statement from MillerCoors.
MillerCoors and its Keystone Light brand is not an official sponsor of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. We are shocked and horrified by recent allegations of the cruel treatment of Tennessee Walking Horses and do not support the inappropriate and unethical handling of animals.
Thank you for updating the information on your site.
Andy Bowman
Send your emails to the all the major board members: president, vice president, committee leaders, etc. Or choose all of the email addresses...the more the merrier!
When writing to the HIOs, request that they ban McConnell the same way they banned Barney Davis. The HIOs immediately banned Barney Davis BEFORE he went to trial, but they have not banned McConnell. It's clear who's the money maker of the two for them.
Also, ask them to start putting together stronger penalties. Perhaps a 3 strikes and you're out policy--three HPA violations (not rulebook violations) and you're banned for life. Ask them to stop trying to placate the public and pretend these are isolated incidents and actually start working to end soring. We all know soring is the main way of "training" these horses--it's high time it ended.
KYWHA - http://kywha.org/contact-us/
PRIDE - http://pridehio.com/wordpress/contact-us/ You can copy and paste all the email addresses into a single email.
SHOW - http://www.showhio.com/contactus.htm
SSHBEA - http://www.sshbea.org/contactus.html
WHOA - http://www.walkinghorseowners.com/about-whoa/ Scroll down to see the email addresses.
http://twhnc.com/ email: firstname.lastname@example.com
SHELBYVILLE - In a precedent setting move, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration took decisive action today, both denouncing and condemning the actions of trainer Jackie McConnell, who was both videotaped abusing a horse and admitted to a Horse Protection Act violation in federal court today.
The TWHNC Board of Directors voted to suspend McConnell for life and also took the following action:
(1) suspended McConnell for life from entering the TWHNC grounds for any and events, regardless of the event's affiliation or ownership.
(2) voted to permanently remove Mr. McConnell's name from the list of Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Hall of Fame inductees. Any picture, plaque, image or other mention of his name from Hall of Fame data will be permanently removed from this day forward and his name will be forever erased from Hall of Fame rolls.
(3) voted to permanently remove any and all pictures and signage on the Celebration grounds carrying either the name of Jackie McConnell or the likeness.
(4) banned from entry onto the TWHNC grounds any horse under the custodianship or presumed to be under the custodianship of Mr. McConnell.
"This action is the strongest we can take and it clearly reflects our disgust with the actions of Mr. McConnell,"said Dr. Doyle Meadows, TWHNC CEO. "His actions are not reflective of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry, and we in no way want him associated with our show."
Ask them to sign onto the legislation with Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville), co-sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis), to increase the HPA budget to $5 million so as to end soring forever.
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander: 202-224-4944; www.alexander.senate.gov/public/
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker: 202-224-3344; www.corker.senate.gov/public/
District 1 U.S. Rep. Phil Roe: 202-225-6356; http://roe.house.gov/
District 2 U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr.: 202-225-5435; http://duncan.house.gov/
District 3 U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann: 202-225-3271; http://fleischmann.house.gov/
District 4 U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais: 202-225-6831; http://desjarlais.house.gov/
District 5 U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper: 202-225-4311; www.cooper.house.gov/
District 6 U.S. Rep. Diane Black: 202-225-4231; http://black.house.gov/
District 7 U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn: 202-225-2811; http://blackburn.house.gov/
District 8 U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher: 202-225-4714; http://fincher.house.gov/
District 9 U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen: 202-225-3265; http://cohen.house.gov/
Your Congressmen
***NEW! Roy Exum - For helping keep the news in the spotlight: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
LOS ANGELES — Spanish-language radio personality Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo's mysterious departure from the airwaves last week came after a performer on his nationally syndicated program accused him of sexual harassment, according to documents obtained by The Times.
Alberto "Beto" Cortez, a writer, producer and performer on the popular "Piolin por la Manana" radio program, alleged that his boss Sotelo was "physically, sexually and emotionally harassing" him for a three-year period ending last January. The claim was made in an April 16 letter from Cortez attorney Robert R. Clayton to executives Roberto Llamas and Jose Valle of Univision Communications Inc., which broadcast and syndicated the show.
In addition to the claim of sexual harassment, Cortez alleged that Sotelo ordered members of his radio production team to falsify letters in support of a high-profile campaign for congressional immigration reform, an issue that Sotelo championed on his program.
Sotelo's attorney, Jeffrey Spitz, said the allegations were false and motivated by money.
Click here to read the full story on LATimes.com.


text: It will be $1,500 so that is going to keep it mostly in the hands, or on the heads, of affluent technophiles. But this does represent a very invasive technology in terms of privacy and it is going to be interesting to see how society reacts to it when a great many more of the devices are released out into the wild. I also wonder if death caused by accidentally stepping in front of traffic will start to rise. How will we assimilate the rise of the glasshole?


text:
Item #: SCP-2737
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: Personnel working with SCP-2737 must undergo weekly counter-memetic training. Anti-memetic agents are to be employed before and after exposure to SCP-2737. Infected personnel and test subjects are to be treated with amnestics. Formerly infected individuals are to be monitored for signs of possible relapse.
Description: SCP-2737 is a dead lamprey. Despite its deceased status, SCP-2737 does not undergo decay. The urn containing SCP-2737 has been dated to approximately 100 CE and appears to be of Roman design. Awareness of the existence of SCP-2737 triggers a memetic infection.
Symptoms of infection can include:
- Increased empathy (both emotional and cognitive)1
- Major depressive disorder
- Acute thanatophobia2
- Obsessive thinking with regards to theodicy3 (specific to religiously minded individuals), immortality, transhumanism, and the existence of entropy.
- A belief in collective experience and interconnected life
It is suspected that depression is a non-anomalous side-effect caused by the primary anomaly.
SCP-2737 was discovered at a Foundation storage site for minimally anomalous objects. The object (initially believed to be the urn containing SCP-2737) was found within proper documentation. Dr. Ernest Bishop was tasked with reevaluating the object''s anomaly and returning it to storage. Dr. Bishop, approximately 2 hours after exposure, would be terminated by security personnel while attempting to force a containment breach, claiming the Foundation had "no right to harm" SCP-████. A connection to SCP-2737 was shortly established, as it was the only anomalous object handled by Dr. Bishop that day. In order to understand the nature of the anomaly, D-class personnel were requested for experimentation - authorization was granted.
Test 01 - 01/24/1983
Subject: D-39091 - Subject is an Asian female, age 23. Subject has a history of petty theft and drug abuse.
Procedure: Subject was shown SCP-2737''s container.
Results: No change in personality.
Analysis: The anomaly appears to be rooted with the contents of the jar, not the jar itself.
Test 02 - 01/25/1983
Subject: D-39091
Procedure: Subject requested to look inside SCP-2737''s container.
Results: Subject complied; states that SCP-2737 appears to be "just a dead fish". Approximately 5 minutes later, subject begins to weep. Subject is asked a series of questions in order to gauge possible changes in personality. Subject is upset with a "lack of time" and claims they have squandered their youth. Subject displays increasing anxiety on the subject of death, despite their young age and the lack of death related questions asked.
Analysis: The dead lamprey is most certainly the vector of the cognitohazard. More extensive research is required. The jar is entirely non-anomalous.
Test 03 - 01/27/1983
Subject: D-39211
Procedure: Subject is given a piece of paper with the sentence "The lamprey is dead" written upon it. Writer is aware of SCP-2737.
Results: Subject initially appears confused but proceeds to weep. Subject is asked what they are currently thinking about. Subject describes the loss of their father at a young age and how they were never properly mourned.
Analysis: SCP-2737 is proven to be both a cognitohazard and memetic.
Test 04 - 01/28/1983
Subject: D-39214
Procedure: Subject is given a piece of paper with the sentence "The lamprey is dead" written upon it. Writer is unaware of SCP-2737.
Results: Subject fails to display an anomalous reaction.
Analysis: The reference to SCP-2737 must be intentional to trigger a memetic effect.
Superfluous data omitted for the sake of brevity. All D-class subjects display similar changes in personality. Further experiments suggest these changes can be repressed, possibly reversed, through the use of amnestics.
Test 32 - 03/19/1983
Subject: D-39320 - Subject is a Caucasian female, age 44. Subject had been convicted of homicide.
Procedure: Subject is exposed to SCP-2737.
Results: Subject began to weep. Subject is asked a series of questions in order to gauge possible changes in personality.
Analysis: Subject displays unusual insights on issues related to developed symptoms. See interview log for further details.
Interviewed: D-39320
Interviewer: Dr. Calixto Narváez
Foreword: Subject is to be administered an ink blot test; one had been performed prior to exposure to SCP-2737, the results not unusual, if somewhat suggestive of a lack of creativity.
<Begin Log>
Dr. Narváez: What do you see? [holding an ink blot card]
D-39320: A corpse4.
Dr. Narváez: Again. [holding a second ink blot card]
D-39320: Their face.
Dr. Nelson: Whose face do you see?
D-39320: It hurts to look. [closes eyes] And I still see them. I feel the knife enter. It''s cold. I remember holding the hilt. I never knew how cold it was on the other side.
Dr. Narváez: You were convicted of homicide. Was this your victim?
D-39320: Yeah. Don''t know why I did it. Felt right at the time. Felt justified. But it''s worse than that. Death is ugly. I don''t remember it being this ugly. I see all of em. I see ma and pa. My sister Jill. They''re all dead. I used to be glad they got a clean death but there ain''t such thing. Can''t go back to fix things. Can''t make it right. I shoulda made it better for em. Ease that pain. Make em proud.
Dr. Narváez: No one lives forever. Everyone dies eventually.
D-39320: It ain''t right. [weeps] I felt nothing then. Couldn''t see em. Not like now.
Dr. Narváez: Couldn''t see? How do you mean?
D-39320: Take a walk anywhere. Bound to step on some bugs along the way. Didn''t kill em outta hate. Just never saw em. Never cared to look. Yeah. Was careless. Broke too many hearts. Ya think I got time?
Dr. Narváez: Time for what?
D-39320: Things fall apart. This time I wanna pick up the pieces. Got a brother in Arizona. Haven''t spoken in nine years. Ya think I could make things right?
Dr. Narváez: I can''t answer that. But there is always time.
D-39320: No there ain''t doc. No there ain''t.
<End Log>
Test 44 - 04/08/1983
Subject: Dr. Jing Yi
Procedure: Subject is exposed to SCP-2737. Testing for differences in symptoms for those aware of the anomaly and who have undergone anti-memetic training.
Results: Subject begins to cry but shows more restraint than others. Subject is asked a series of questions in order to gauge possible changes in personality.
Analysis: Symptoms manifest in a more serious manner. See interview log for further details.
Interviewed: Dr. Jing Yi
Interviewer: Dr. Albert Cronenberg
Foreword: Subject is to be administered an ink blot test; one had been performed prior to exposure to SCP-2737, results considered normal for Foundation personnel. Dr. Narváez was unable to conduct the experiment due to illness and Dr. Cronenberg served as a replacement.
<Begin Log>
Dr. Cronenberg: Tell me what you see. [holding an ink blot card]
Dr. Yi: I see a callous man.
Dr. Cronenberg I… I see. Now, what…
Dr. Yi: I feel them, you know. Every single one of them.
Dr. Cronenberg: Please, specify…
Dr. Yi: [interrupts] Just following orders, right? Just fresh materials to work with. How many did you tear open to find what you needed?
Dr. Cronenberg: This interview is over. Refrain or I will call security.
Dr. Yi: How many did you kill? You wretched fuck! You took them apart - piece by piece! Wanted to see how they worked! I hope you die, Cronenberg - just like all your guinea pigs, I wanna see you dissected.
<End Log>
Closing Statement: Subject was administered amnestics and no longer recalls the test or his outburst. This remains the only instance where an SCP-2737 infected subject displayed aggression. Even subjects with a history of violence were normally pacified by SCP-2737 exposure.
Test 50 - 06/15/1983
Subject: Dr. Calixto Narváez
Procedure: Short term amnestics were applied prior to subject''s exposure to SCP-2737. Subject has extensive anti-memetic training.
Results: Subject''s lips begin to tremble. Ink blot cards, while not revealing obvious changes in personality, do result in a singular preoccupation with death.
Analysis: See interview log for further details.
Interviewed: Dr. Calixto Narváez
Interviewer: Dr. Jing Yi
Foreword: Subject is to be administered an ink blot test; one had been performed prior to exposure to SCP-2737, the results considered normal for Foundation personnel. Memories associated with SCP-2737 have been repressed.
<Begin Log>
Dr. Narváez: Please begin Jing. I''m as ready as I''ll ever be.
Dr. Yi: There is a dead lamprey in that jar. [points to SCP-2737''s container] Please take a moment to observe it.
Dr. Narváez: I''ll take your word for it.
Dr. Yi: What do you see? [holds up an ink blot card]
Dr. Narváez: An ancient castle.
Dr. Yi: [holds up a second ink blot card]
Dr. Narváez: A swamp in the dead of winter.
Dr. Yi: [holds up a third ink blot card]
Dr. Narváez: I… I remember when I was still of faith, telling myself that everything happened for a reason. That tragedies were there to teach us - to make us better people. There are terrible things that go unknown, from which no lesson can be learned. A child, abandoned in a well and never to be found. A vagrant, without friend or family, sunk beneath a mire. Death is not a friend.
And just like that, I''m there again. I don''t want to remember this. I''ve done everything to avoid going back there.
He''s dead. He''ll always be dead. My father. I remember him vividly. His will was great - his sickness greater. The doctors would amputate - butchering him in a vain effort to save the whole. A foot, a hand, no success. Arms and legs, still it spread. His eyes, his tongue - they took them too.
I told him the stories he had once taught me, wishing he could understand my words. I prayed over his jaundiced body - invoking every saint I could recall, and a few I likely made up. Was he conscious? I don''t know. He moved, sometimes screamed, seemingly trapped in a nightmare. The room was filled with bedpans of shit and piss and blood. They injected him with opiates – enough to numb reality. I didn''t want him to suffer, but I wish… I wish I could have spoken to him one last time. We never had a chance to say goodbye.
In my effort to forget those months of horror, I lost the pleasant as well. Erasing him from my mind. I remember trips to the beach. Our visits to the Alhambra. A night filled with warmth and old tales. And, while his illness was weak, my first sip of wine.
I will be forced to forget this. I''ll return to my refusal to remember him. But it was worth it. So worth it. [begins to cry more profusely, smiling] Protocol - my old enemy, we meet again - but I''ve never hated you as much as I do now. [chuckles while still crying]
<End Log>
Closing Statement: Subject was administered amnestics and no longer recalls the experiment.
In 1991, the outer portion of SCP-2737''s container was scanned. Image retrieval software revealed faint markings suggestive of an inscription. Further analysis resulted in the discovery of a quote from Plutarch''s On the Intelligence of Animals. Translated from Latin, it reads:
"So, when Domitius said to Crassus the orator, Did not you weep for the death of the lamprey you kept in your fish pond? – Did not you, said Crassus to him again, bury three wives without ever shedding a tear?"
If you are reading this then your treatment has already begun. The inoculation merely delayed the memetic agent, allowing you read this document and be better prepared for the experience. SCP-2737 exposure has been shown to outperform psychotherapy and medication in the alleviation of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, secondary traumatic stress, and generalized anxiety disorder. Through decades of research we have fine tuned the therapeutic process. By the end of this session you will likely feel as though a burden has been lifted, with no recollection of this document and its associated experience.
There is an undeserved stigma associated with mental health and its management. Through SCP-2737 treatment you will not be judged, analyzed, and no one will tell you how to live your life. Think to yourself or speak out loud - a lamprey that died 2,000 years ago makes for a surprisingly sympathetic listener.
Today you will cry. You will mourn. You will remember all you have ever lost.
And through this, you will begin to heal.


text:
Management Team - iflwebportal
RM Vishakha, MD & CEO, IndiaFirst Life, is recognised for her result-oriented leadership approach towards challenging assignments including start-ups, restructuring and reorganisation, and was previously associated with the company as the Chief Business Officer.
Prior to IndiaFirst Life, she was with Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company Limited as the Director of Sales and Marketing.
At IndiaFirst Life, Vishakha's constant endeavour is to maintain a critical balance of functional and company objectives, and to manage employee, manager, distributor and shareholder expectations. Through her ability to drive strategic growth backed by resourceful implementation, she scaled multiple career-defining milestones, including bringing into being the first-ever retail bancassurance model within public and private sectors as well as foreign banks, and building and developing the Group Insurance business.
Prestigious publications including the Fortune Magazine, Business World, Forbes, and Business Today, have enlisted Vishakha among contemporaries across industries. Recognising her achievements through a three-decade long journey in the Indian insurance domain, RM Vishakha has been recipient of the CA Business Leader – Woman Award from ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India), an eminent, Indian statutory body.
Vishakha, a veteran member of the BFSI fraternity and thought leader, continues to partake in august forums such as the ICAI's Bahrain and Doha chapters, and the Global Insurance Forum held in Germany. Her thoughts and corporate philosophies, aimed at inspiring and motivating a new generation of thinkers and leaders, have elicited much public and social media acclaim.
Vishakha is a commerce graduate and a Chartered Accountant. She is a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of India and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Systems.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
A traditionalist who enjoys questioning conventions, Rushabh Gandhi is a veteran in the Indian banking and insurance sector.
After spearheading the company's Sales & Marketing department for three years, Rushabh went on to become the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of IndiaFirst Life.
Prior to joining IndiaFirst Life, he was Director – Sales at Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance. Rushabh also served at Aviva Life Insurance and Birla Sun Life Insurance. With his deep understanding of the insurance industry and its market dynamics, Rushabh delivered high-performance results across organisations. His expertise in sales, business development and distribution strategy, led him to contribute significantly to the establishment of successful sales models for all the brands he was associated with.
Rushabh is a post graduate in Management Studies from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).
Director & Chief Investment Officer
AK Sridhar, an accomplished veteran with experience and insight into finance, investment management, mutual funds and insurance industries, is the Head of investment Management and ALM functions at IndiaFirst Life.
Before joining the company, Sridhar was the Chief Executive Officer of UTI International (Singapore) Ltd, an investment management company, based out of Singapore. Sridhar also served as the Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of UTI Asset Management Company Ltd. managing an AUM of USD 10 billion.
Actively contributing his views on financial markets in the various professional forums and academic circles in India as well as South-east Asia, he contributes as a thought leader for an upcoming generation of investment professionals.
Sridhar holds a bachelor's degree in Physics, while also being a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is a member of the NSE – IISL Index Policy Committee and Capital Market Committee of the Indian Merchant Chambers (IMC).
Director- IT & Operations
Mohit Rochlani, Director – IT & Operations, IndiaFirst Life Insurance, is at the helm of multiple operational facets and digital disruptions at the company. A founder member of the company, his professional journey across some of the leading financial institutions, spans two decades.
Areas that fall under Mohit's remit include underwriting, among the most critical functions of the insurance business, along with managing the company's Customer Service and Operations units, as well. He spearheads the complete customer and distributor journey together with being responsible for the retention and persistency of the business generated.
Mohit is credited to have set up IndiaFirst Life's operational processes, and subsequently take on the role of revenue generation and relationship management through the Bancassurance channel.
Mohit holds Master of Management Studies (MMS) in Finance from the University of Mumbai and Bachelor of Electronics (BE), from the Maulana Azad National Institute of technology.
Company Secretary & Head - Governance
KR Viswanarayan, Company Secretary and Head – Governance, IndiaFirst Life, brings with him a wide-range of expertise in the areas of finance, taxation, fund accounting and operations, fund raising, mergers and acquisitions, investor servicing, secretarial and compliance that have lent itself towards shaping the company's strategic roadmap. The company's legal, secretarial, risk, audit and compliance functions come under Viswanarayan' s scope of responsibilities.
Previously, Viswanarayan held leadership positions with Times of India, DSP Merrill Lynch Mutual Fund and Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund. He has also worked in sector-specific venture funds at firms including JPMorgan, Urban Infrastructure and LIC HFL.
A commerce graduate from the University of Mumbai, Viswanarayan is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary. During the early stages of his career, he was among the few professionals trained at Merrill Lynch, Princeton, and JPMorgan, New York, in the USA, to develop proficiencies critical to delivering in line with developments in the economy.
Chief Financial Officer
Kedar Patki, with his extensive career spanning over two decades, comes with a demonstrated history of working in the insurance industry. He spent a majority part of his professional journey in the realms of finance and operations, both in India as well as in the overseas markets with his specialisation in Planning& Budgeting, Strategy, Accounting, Tax, Management, Offshoring and Insurance.
Prior to IndiaFirst Life Insurance, Kedar was a CFO at IDBI Federal Life Insurance and has served several companies such as Tata AIG General Insurance, SBI Life Insurance, AXA, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Akzo Nobel India, where he managed regulatory reporting, investor relations, and relationships with industry associations and forums in addition to core Finance responsibilities.
At IndiaFirst Life, Kedar is responsible for managing end-to-end Finance, Planning & Budgeting, Taxation and Investments operations of the organisation.
He is a commerce graduate from the University of Pune and a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
Chief Marketing Officer
Sonia Notani is a founder member at IndiaFirst Life. In over a decade at IndiaFirst Life, she has handled a well- rounded portfolio across functions and verticals. Currently, she spearheads the company's Marketing, Products, Customer Experience, PR, Strategic Alliances, and Direct & Digital Sales functions.
Sonia has made it into the world-renowned Fortune magazine's "40 Under 40" 2019 listing, that acknowledges India's brightest business minds. She has also been named among the 'Super 30' – CMO Honor Roll by IAMAI and iProspect in 2019 in recognition of her contribution towards charting the course of IndiaFirst Life's brand journey. ASSOCHAM, has recognised Sonia's contributions to the Indian life insurance space, with the "Women Leader in Insurance – CSO" award.
As a thought leader, Sonia continues to carry the "forthright substance" baton through her zealous participation in panel discussions and authored pieces, to be part of a dialogue-based ecosystem while raising awareness around life insurance as an important risk protection tool.
In her previous stints, Sonia has worked with Aditya Birla Group, Citibank, Reliance, and KPMG. With extensive expertise in the BFSI space, Sonia joined IndiaFirst Life in 2009.
Sonia is an Economics graduate from the St. Xavier's College and holds an MBA from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. She has also successfully completed the Leadership and Diversity for Innovation Program by Women's World Banking and Wharton (University of Pennsylvania).
Chief and Appointed Actuary
Peuli is the Chief and Appointed Actuary at IndiaFirst Life. Her in-depth understanding of the actuarial functions, financial risk analysis and reporting, regulatory framework, compliance requirements, and the financial processes and functions demonstrate the expertise she brings to the table from serving in the investment and actuarial functions of banking and insurance sectors, in India and abroad.
Prior to joining IndiaFirst Life, she was Appointed Actuary at Reliance Life Insurance Co. Ltd. Before that, Peuli spearheaded the statutory valuation, actuarial and investment units at HDFC Life, Exide Life (erstwhile ING Vysya Life Insurance).
In the initial years of her career, Peuli was in USA where she worked for New York Life International, assisted them with GAAP valuation and other financial reporting aspects. She also had a stint at Deutsche Bank where Peuli worked in their private wealth management department and helped them build investment management platforms.
Recipient of multiple honours from the Institute of Actuaries, India, Peuli is also a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, India, and holds a Master's degree in Quantitative Economics from the Indian Statistical Institute.
Chief People Officer
Praveen Menon, Chief People Officer, is responsible for Talent management, Performance management, Organisation development, Training, Infrastructure, and Procurement at IndiaFirst Life.
Since 2015, when he joined the organisation, Praveen's strategic contributions continue to centre on incorporating the ever-evolving modern day people practices. Through this, the endeavour is to cultivate an eco-system that is empowered and meritocratic, receptive to upskilling and holistic development.
Praveen served entities such as Aditya Birla, Axis Bank, AC Nielsen, IDBI Federal Life Insurance, Citibank and HSBC in his past stints. In these organisations, he is credited to have fuelled the evolution of employee journey through apposite people practices complementing business goals.
As a thought leader, Praveen continues to actively lend his perspectives on people management and adapting to evolving aspirant demands, at eminent forums and amidst academia, across India.
Praveen, an alumnus of the Welingkar Institute of Management, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, holds a Business Management degree, MBA in Finance, and a post-graduation in advanced Human Resources.
Country Head – Bank of Baroda
Sunanda Roy heads IndiaFirst Life's Bancassurance Sales in the Bank of Baroda vertical, thus responsible for forging a stronger and better optimised bancassurance channel. In this capacity, he is at the helm of insurance distribution via IndiaFirst Life's partner bank, Bank of Baroda branches spread across India.
A management professional with extensive strategic and operational acumen, Sunanda has demonstrated vision with focussed implementation during his prior stints at Modi Telstra - Airtel, Max New York Life, HSBC Bank, and Canara HSBC OBC Life. He has led organisations' progress from start-up stage to a phase of significant growth in revenue, profitability and market share.
Sunanda leads the sales & distribution, business development, revenue growth, and channel relationships, in tandem with IndiaFirst Life's endeavours around delivery of best-in-class offerings and digitalised service experience.
Sunanda completed his Post Graduate Diploma in General Management from the EMERITUS Institute of Management, Singapore, besides being an alumnus of the University of Calcutta from where he secured his bachelor's degree. He holds a Chartered Wealth Manager Certificate from the American Academy of Financial Management, Singapore, and a General Management Certificate, from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
Chief Strategy Officer
Anjana Rao, Chief Strategy Officer, is at the helm of strategic initiatives at IndiaFirst Life and is tasked with driving a center of excellence within the company. Earlier, she led the Change Management vertical within the organisation, driving the company to fulfil its objectives around digitalisation of its value chain, including metamorphosis of its end-to-end sales process and automation, and rollout of new business and underwriting processes, among other contributions.
In a career spanning close to two decades, Anjana has spent the larger part of her corporate life serving the Indian insurance (Life and General) sector. The domains she holds expertise in span across project management, change management, and business transformation centred on leveraging IT and process.
Prior to joining IndiaFirst Life, Anjana was engaged at Ernst and Young, Oracle India, Universal Sompo, SBI Life Insurance and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, where she led a host of IT transformation projects, aside of driving CMMI implementation projects.
Anjana holds a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Maths from the University of Raipur. A Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute, she is also an alumna of Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur, having finished her MBA in Marketing and HR from the institution.
Country Head – UBI, Agency & Business Partnerships
Subhankar Sengupta Country Head – UBI, Agency & Business Partnerships, oversees IndiaFirst Life's partnership businesses comprising the regional rural banks, broking and corporate agency, rural and micro channels in association with the agency, and Direct Sales channels. His responsibilities thus centre around extending insurance penetration avenues beyond the company's parent banks, Bank of Baroda and Andhra Bank.
A seasoned executive with a professional journey spanning over 23 years, he dedicated 12 years of service to the Indian life insurance domain. Subhankar's experience and appreciation of contexts across versatile businesses comes from his association with Cadburys, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank and Tata AIA.
Leading the establishment of new business channels of distribution and sourcing affiliates & partners, Subhankar specialises in evaluation and selection of suitable channels across varied geographies. He is tasked with enhancing the footprint of IndiaFirst Life across multi-channels including third-party distribution, internal teams, broking, corporate agencies, direct-sales teams, RRBs and Agency as well. Towards fulfilling the objective of bringing life insurance to the last mile, he brings in an understanding of the rural markets in enabling customised distribution options.
Subhankar holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management, West Bengal, besides having completed his bachelor's in commerce from the University of Calcutta.


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Planting a vegetable garden can be difficult but once you know the basics, growing a vegetable garden can be enjoyable and rewarding. By growing a vegetable garden, you can eat fresher and more nutritious vegetables. You can save a lot of money from buying vegetable produce in the market, which can contain harmful chemicals. In addition, you can save space in your refrigerator because you do not have to fill it with vegetables from the supermarket.
There are important things you need to consider in planting a vegetable garden. You have to know how to arrange your vegetable garden, the ways to propagate the new plants and how to take care of the plants.
Extended seasons and earlier harvests can give gardeners more options. You can get great benefits through planting your own vegetable transplants inside the house because of the growth conditions of the climate. Transplants give you the chance to plan for the supply of what you need and when you need it. It is necessary to know the best time to transplant your seeds to the garden.
Many vegetables need special care especially in the early stages of development to be able to survive and you need to keep that in mind when planting a vegetable garden. Make sure to know the necessary requirements such as light, moisture and temperature levels of each vegetable to keep them healthy. Some vegetable seeds can grow well directly in the garden soil so it is best to learn which vegetables develop straight from seed. It is also important to learn the required soil depth and seed spacing as well as the amount of shade, water and soil nutrients needed.


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Events Calendar
Tuesday, Apr 16 to Wednesday, Apr 17
Spin class at The Forks? Heck yes. You can expect a full body, 45 minute indoor spin class that will push you. We believe you can have your cake and eat it too, and by cake we mean face-melting cardio that you can handle. Connect with the beat and the people around you. The lights will be low, and the music will be loud. Our coaches will motivate you in a group environment that will make you work like you never thought possible.
Location: The Forks Pavilion (formerly Muddy Waters)
Cost: Drop-in $18 | Class passes also available
Sign up: thecommunitygym.ca
Tuesdays @ 7PM, Wednesdays @ 7PM, Friday March 1, 15 & 29 @ 6:30PM, Sundays @ 10AM
Location: The Forks Market
Categories: Sports & Fitness
Wednesday, Apr 17
Teekca's Aboriginal Boutique: Beaded Earring Workshop
Learn how to make beaded earrings from start to finish in this two-hour workshop hosted by Teekca's Aboriginal Boutique. All supplies will be provided.
Cost $20 per person.
Registration is required. Please email email@example.com or visit the store to reserve your spot.
Located in the new second-floor seating area beside McNally Robinson Booksellers.
Wednesday, April 3 & 17 | 6 - 8 PM
Location: The Forks Market
Categories: Art & Design, Outdoor Recreation


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The Baldwin Bunch
It's the predinner hour at Billy Baldwin's house, and the father of three is a man in demand. Two-year-old Brooke, clomping around the Beverly Hills rental in high-heeled slippers and a pink princess costume, needs Dad's help adjusting her tiara. Daughter Jameson, 7, presents him with her math homework to check. His son Vance, 5, clamors to get in on the action until his father steps outside to toss a football. Baldwin's cell phone rings: It's his wife, singer Chynna Phillips, asking him to meet her at a furniture store to check out some French antiques for their temporary nest. Jokes Billy's big brother Alec of all the wholesome domesticity: "His life is sort of like Little House on the Prairie."
A 12-year marriage, evening homework sessions, minimal controversy: No wonder this Baldwin brother jokingly describes himself as the white sheep of the Long Island-bred clan that includes actors Alec, 49, Daniel, 47, and Stephen, 41. Now, more than 15 years after he headlined movies like Backdraft (and famously bared his behind in Sliver), Billy, at 44, is back in the spotlight on the ABC series Dirty Sexy Money. But while he's still an unmistakable Baldwin (from the gravelly voice to the passion for politics), he has avoided the kind of headlines his brothers have generated; instead he has quietly cultivated a life that revolves around his wife (a member of '90s pop sensation Wilson Phillips) and such "classic daddy things" as coaching Little League. "The thing that concerns me most as a parent is can I slow everything down?" says Baldwin. "It's going too fast. We're having the time of our lives."
Says Phillips, 39: "He thrives on the insanity of it. He likes the chaos. If it were up to him he'd say, 'Let's go for one more!'" For now, adds Phillips (who is writing songs for a Christian album), "three's a good number."
Sixteen years after they first met, the pair "still have this chemical, electrical thing that passes between us," Baldwin says. But he admits maintaining the relationship takes work. "She'll sit down with me, like a business meeting, and say, 'This is what I'm not getting from you. You need to get better at this.' We communicate pretty honestly." Billy has always been an open book, says Phillips: "He's incredibly emotional." He even cries watching classic baseball clips, she adds. "He's such a sap."
While things with Phillips are solid, Baldwin likens his relationship with his famous siblings to a stormy marriage: "There's a lot of love and a lot of wars." Billy says his relationship with Alec is "getting better again" after years of strain: "He was so sucked up in the vortex of maintaining the relationship with Kim [Basinger, Alec's ex-wife] that he didn't realize it was causing him to neglect other relationships that were important to him." Billy has "issues of trust" with Daniel, whose struggle with drug and alcohol addiction has included nine stints in rehab. "He's doing great. He has the biggest heart and best intentions. But when you've been doing this for 20 years … I'm thinking, 'Is the other shoe going to drop?'" And Stephen, the born-again Christian youth minister (and Bush supporter)? "He's having a positive influence on the lives of a lot of kids," says Billy, an outspoken Democrat. "Do I agree with everything he's doing? No."
The Baldwin household in Massapequa, N.Y., also included two sisters, Beth, now 52, and Jane, 42. Billy, the fourth of the six siblings, was known for remaining neutral in the tight-knit but sometimes contentious family. "Billy was Switzerland. He was Jimmy Carter," says Alec. "The others could be going at it pretty bad, but Billy was always the peacemaker." (Dad Alexander, a high school history teacher, died in 1983; mom Carol was a homemaker.) Billy studied political science at SUNY Binghamton and worked as a model before following his brothers into the acting business.
After a string of high-profile movies (he scored the Thelma and Louise role that put Brad Pitt on the map, but had to pull out because of conflicts with '91's Backdraft), "opportunities shifted. Things got quiet," he says. So he worked steadily on low-budget and indie projects and devoted himself to charities like the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, founded in honor of his mom, a cancer survivor. (For this month he organized an online auction offering items such as a walk-on role on his show: http://www.charityfolks.com/bald win). Now on Dirty Sexy Money, an over-the-top prime-time drama, he has a role to die for: a slick politician with a filthy-rich family and a secret transgender lover.
Taking the part meant moving his family from New York to L.A. "My 2-year-old can speak five words—Mommy, Daddy, dirty, sexy, money," Baldwin says. "It comes out of her mouth, like, 10 times a day." Even outside the house, it's one of the most talked-about fall shows. Still, Baldwin worries that if it doesn't last, he'll be left "not knowing if I'm going to work again for 18 months." Turning his attention to things like Little League and wayward princess tiaras eases the insecurity. "I try to take a deep breath," he says, "and just remember how lucky I am."


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Starting the New Year off right with Clown Foolery and Los Rakas
It's a Friday night and the Booksmith is full of clowns. Seriously, it's like a clown convention in here. Fully half the oddience are off-duty clowns, and the rest of us just kind of look like we should be. We've gathered together for the monthly clown jam/variety show Literary Clown Foolery, the first of the year, appropriately themed New Year's Resolutions.
True, the free beer and cheese puffs at the door seem to run slightly counter to the kinds of resolutions that get a lot of attention around this time of year. But they are the perfect accompaniment to loosening up any natural inhibitions one might otherwise feel when seated within spitting distance of a whole passel of unpredictable clowns, so no one's complaining.
"I like your glasses" a poker-faced clown in polka dots announces from the "stage" as she scans our expectant faces with her own unsmiling, bespectacled eyes. This is Gretchen (known outside of clown makeup as Tristan Cunningham), assistant to Dr. Schmidtt (Polina Smith), and she has a list of resolutions that reads in part like this: "get lucky, do the horizontal boogie, ride the bologna pony, have a hot meat injection…" You get the gist. Dr. Schmidtt, an expert in all things, decides to assist Gretchen by putting her on a diet of cookies and inviting an actual life coach (a charming Elaine Margarita Williams) onstage to help her set her goal. As Gretchen embarks on her quest to seduce someone, anyone, appearances by musical guests Mustard (Masha Matin) and Carl and Beatrice and juggling/belly-dancing interludes from Jon Deline of Pi Clowns using a series of silly monikers, punctuate the performance.
Scheduled for every second Friday, Literary Clown Foolery may be set inside a bookstore, but it's way more lively than your average literary event, kind of a combination of vaudeville, sketch, and conference lecture, with books mainly serving as incidental backdrop. But since it certainly does inspire pre-and-post-show browsing, it appears to be a win for all concerned (except for Gretchen unfortunately, who overdoes the cookies and fails to find the bologna pony, or bookworm, of her dreams).
Saturday at Slim's was bouncing with that special off-the-wall energy that all-ages shows seem to inspire, an excitability that contrasts refreshingly to the too-cool for school vibe you might encounter elsewhere. Squeezing in just in time for the last of Mission-born rapper A-1's set, I recognize a couple of tracks from his latest mixtape "Thurl" including the Lana Del Rey-sampling "Now You Do" while the intriguingly shrouded Davin Gruesome shambles around the stage in his signature facemask and 49'ers gear like a revenant of home-grown rap.
But it's Oakland-based Los Rakas that blow the stage up with a full band featuring at least three percussionists, keyboards, and electronic beats, while the two vocalists, Raka Rich and Raka Dun (Ricardo Giliam and Abdull Dominguez) hold forth in spirited tandem. As cold as it is outside, the warm infusion of infectious Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Spanish-language flow, and powerful stage presence of the two Panama-American cousins heat things right up.
Taking their name from a Panamanian phrase "rakataka" (used roughly in the same way "ghetto" might be used here), Los Rakas preach the gospel of self-acceptance and pride, though they're certainly not shy about including less weighted topics like ladies and weed smoking to their mix. They've been fortunate enough to share the stage with some pretty big names in the past, (including DJ Questlove, Ozomatli, Cypress Hill, Erykah Badu, and Manu Chao) and as headliners at Slim's they appear comfortable with their role, filling the stage easily with their sometimes raunchy humor and energetic rapport. From all appearances, Los Rakas' New Year looks off to a good start, and judging from the crowd's enthusiastic response, so is ours.


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Tacoma Drivers Severe Service Maintenance Schedules
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Synthetic Oil For Tacoma Autos
If you aren't currently using synthetic motor oil in your Tacoma vehicle, maybe now's the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil. Synthetic oil doesn't gel or gum-up like petroleum based oil and it...read more
Keeping Your Car Young In Lakewood Washington
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Clean Air for Your Engine: Engine Air Filters In Lakewood
Every Tacoma car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your Audi owner's manual will have a recommendation of when to change...read more
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Your browser does not support video Lakewood/Tacoma service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Tacoma drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that...read more
Make Your Vehicle Last
We live in such a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away. New stuff comes out so fast, we just toss the old and move on. In the old days people were real sticklers about taking care of their things. If something got lost or ruined by neglect,...read more