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US privacy in the age of big data, mobile and the cloud
This year the United States took a big step in the protection of data by announcing an online privacy plan that would give consumers more control over how their personal data is collected, shared and used by websites and advertisers. Malcolm Crompton says the next big step will be implementation and global interoperability.
The President of the United States has finally released the long anticipated US policy initiative in reforming the US privacy policy and legal frameworks. The comprehensive blueprint that he has announced lays out a bold and clear approach. The key issues will be the extent to which Internet companies will be held accountable through adequate enforcement measures and whether the blueprint advances or slows down the pressing issue of global interoperability of privacy laws and frameworks.
On 23 February, the Obama Administration announced the approach it intends to take to protect individual privacy rights and give internet users more control over how their information is handled.
The stated goal of the Administration's blueprint is "to protect consumer's privacy expectations while providing companies with the certainty they need to innovate." The centrepiece of the privacy protection framework is a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights ('the Bill'), encapsulating key privacy principles that have been recognised throughout the world, including:
- Individual control: Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use it.
- Transparency: Consumers have a right to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices.
- Respect for context: Consumers have a right to expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data.
- Security: Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data.
- Access and accuracy: Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data is inaccurate.
- Focused collection: Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain; and
- Accountability: Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.
The US President is calling for Congress to enact legislation that would give the Bill an enforceable, statutory basis. However, recognising that passing such a law is still some way off, he is also directing the Commerce Department to convene with various stakeholders — including companies, industry and consumer groups, privacy advocates, and law enforcement officials — to develop codes of conduct that would implement the principles in the Bill. Companies could opt-in to joining the codes whichwould be enforceable once they had done so.
The blueprint also recognises the critical role of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and seeks to strengthen its enforcement capabilities. Finally, the blueprint aims to improve international interoperability of protection mechanisms to facilitate the transborder flow of data.
Getting it right
In the end, the merits of any regulatory framework depend on how it actually changes people's lives. Whether it does so depends on two factors: the nature of the rules embodied in it and compliance with the rules.
For the last 20 years or more, far too much of the privacy debate globally has centred round the best approach to the rules that should be embodied in frameworks designed to protect privacy. Nowhere near enough attention has been paid to the enforceability or enforcement of such frameworks.
Compounding the error, each new initiative to develop such a framework is drawn up as though it is a competition — "my framework is better than yours."
The result to date by and large is an excessively complex compliance burden for any business process that operates in more than one jurisdiction with far too little genuine impact.
That is, of course, if there is a desire to comply. For those who do not wish to comply, the current mish-mash of regulation globally actually makes it easier to avoid compliance. This is because all the privacy regulators are enforcing laws march out of step with each other. As a direct consequence, it is very difficult for them to cooperate in any multi-jurisdictional enforcement action.
And remember: in the world of data globalisation, every day a rapidly increasing proportion of personal information being processed involves more than one jurisdiction!
Further compounding the challenge is the rapidly increasing amount personal information being collected, used and ever more widely shared about each of us every day.
Benchmarking the US blueprint: will it change peoples' lives?
The seven Principles outlined in the US blueprint are a thoughtful contribution to a framework that could provide individuals with genuine privacy in a world burgeoning with Big Data, global data flows, user generated content and the barely comprehensible surveillance that is emerging from the combination of geolocation and mobile connectivity.
The incredible value for individuals, business and government mean that simply trying to turn off these developments would be another glorious Luddite replay of King Canute's attempt to turn back the tide. We do have to think differently and the authors of the US blueprint have attempted to do so.
That said, the US initiative appears to fall into all the traps I outlined earlier. Just like the recent draft EU regulation and the proposed revision of privacy law here in Australia.
Domestically, in order for the US initiative to be effective and change peoples' lives, three things must happen:
- Ensuring the codes will do what they are supposed to do — the Australian experience indicates that early and consistent consumer involvement during the preparation is essential to the quality and credibility of those codes, and hopefully the US will adopt such an approach.
- Coverage — getting companies to follow the codes. Unless companies can be convinced to adopt the codes, they will simply be hollow statements.
- Enforcement in the wider economy — after figuring out what needs protecting and the players involved, a mechanism must be established to ensure that companies abide by the rules.
The difficulty of enforceability was highlighted by a spate of privacy breaches in the US in the weeks leading up to the White House announcement. A whole host of apps, including the photo-sharing app Path, were found to be uploading users' information without permission. Google also came under fire for circumventing the default privacy settings of Safari and Internet Explorer. These are just the latest discoveries: the What They Know series in The Wall Street Journal has gathered in many more such stories. A common theme running through all such stories is that each of those processes seems to have been in place for some time and they were discovered not by regulators or accountability groups but by concerned individuals and determined investigators. This will be a continuing challenge — unless we are aware of what's wrong, the rules are no good to us.
Regarding coverage, as the codes are not backed by statutory authority their observance will be purely voluntary. The big Internet giants will probably come on board — if only for reputation enhancement than any benevolent reasons — while I envisage there may be a long, uncooperative tail in relation to numerous small businesses unwilling or unable to submit themselves to the codes and potential penalties.
In relation to the third point, I see the US developments as having great potential in proliferating non-governmental enforcement mechanisms, with FTC action only as a last resort. With the plan's emphasis on flexibility and corporate autonomy, the first line of compliance will involve third-party accountability agents (eg. through auditing) as companies seek to meet their commitments to a code and avoid costly run-ins with government regulators. Thus they will achieve internally what the FTC would be doing externally with (limited) taxpayer dollars. The end result is considerably more resources applied to accountability through enforceable compliance than ever will be possible by simply increasing the budgets of government funded regulators. This is how financial information governance works and there is no reason why it won't work for the stronger governance of personal information. As such, it would be a very positive development. Based on first impressions, this is a point of difference with the EU plan which emphasises the role of centralised public agencies.
As to the contribution by the US initiative towards global inter-operability, the recognition of its importance by making global inter-operability a fourth leg of the plan is very welcome. But in light of the EU's move in a very different direction in the form of the draft Regulation released in January, we have a very long way to go.
The seven principles outlined in the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights are a thoughtful contribution. It will be very interesting to see how they will be implemented, either through legislation or codes of conduct.
In advancing privacy protection, though, all stakeholders must confront the challenge of enforceability and then actual enforcement, which is all-too-often under-appreciated. Finally, while it is pleasing that the Obama Administration has recognised the importance of international interoperability, the greatest challenge for the framework will be generating global impact.
Time will tell whether they succeed. 2012 promises to be a very eventful year for privacy.
Malcolm Crompton is Managing Director of Information Integrity Solutions (IIS), a globally connected company that works with public sector and private sector organisations to help them build customer trust through respect for the customer and their personal information. He was also foundation President of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Australia New Zealand, www.iappANZ.org.
Malcolm Crompton is the Founder and Lead Privacy Advisor of Information Integrity Solutions (IIS), a company that works with public and private sector organisations to build trust with customers through protecting their personal information.


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La Bastide d'Esparon is a haven full of breathtaking views in an authentic medieval hamlet perched and tucked on an eagle's nest. A sunny and spacious XVVIIth century Cevenol stone house, very peaceful --therapeutically so--. Two great houses reunited for gentle family living, linked by a terrace outside, doors inside: ideal for one family of 4 to 5 or a group of 6 to 14 friends. La Bastide has a magic to it, in a very well restored and refined atmosphere, with high ceilings, white walls, and a great feeling of luminousness. Some say it was the location of the old Merovingian castle. The house still has old sinks, carved stones, vaulted ceilings, which attest to its past history.
You are in the South of France and you feel you are on the top of the world, between mountain and sky. You are living indoor and outdoor with constant views from the windows and terraces on the untouched countryside of Les Cevennes Meridionales with its rolling mountains, high plateau and big sky. With its 3 terraces and big windows, you feel that you are living in nature.
A well-decorated place, much loved by the creative, colour-conscious family who have owned it for 50 years. Everywhere are lovely kilim rugs and pieces brought back from the owners' travels and finds in the Provence region– fine old wooden chests, antique wardrobes, contemporary art and books. A most atmospheric, esthetic retreat from the busy world cooled by mountain breezes in the blistering summer, with superb walks, rivers for swimming or canoeing down in the valley, unusual excursions galore - and just 6 kilometers from all shopping.
Located in The Parc National des Cevennes, you can walk in the hamlet without cars, go and see the XI century roman chapel and into a pine forest on the top of the eagle's nest, or head off for one of the many GR Trails which start from the house. The hamlet of Esparon is an intact medieval village in a very picturesque ensemble of 25 houses with a chapel and fountain, and remains of ramparts and towers. It is located in The Parc National des Cevennes protected by the UNESCO World Heritage for its authentic natural landscapes. Perfect for nature-lovers who love to walk and hike on the great trails, go to the surrounding rivers and picnic and yet like to be in a refined home and prefer the reinvigorating rivers to a swimming pool.
Situated in the Languedoc-Roussillon. 40 minutes from Montpellier and Nîmes airports, bus and train stations. From here, you can visit the area of The Languedoc, Les Cevennes, Les Causses, La Camrrgue and go to all the great summer festivals of Avignon, Arles, Sete, Aix or just take great walks and enjoy the fantastic rivers and majestic beauty of the region.
For Contact and Testimonials, go to CONTACT.
Bastide d'Esparon is a Special Place to stay: Airbnb

subset: commoncrawl


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Figurehead of the HMS Vernon
Basic Information
- FigID
- InstID
- Figurehead type
- Figurehead
- Title
- Figurehead of the HMS Vernon
- Vessel name
- HMS Vernon
- Type (Naval/Merchant)
- Naval
- Copyright owner
- © Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour
- Copyright notes
- Photo: © Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour
- Current location
- Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour
- Location date
- 22/03/2013
Physical Information
- Description
- Half-length bust male figure in mid-nineteenth century uniform, with a bow tie and stand up shirt collar. He has dark thick wavy hair with short sideburns.
- Maker
- Hellyer
- Date made
- 1849
- Place made
- Portsmouth
- Size
- Materials
- Wood
- Object history
- In 1849 the original figurehead had decayed and as a result Hellyer & Son of Portsmouth submitted a design showing the Vernon family arms with lion supports and a crest consisting of a boar's head emerging from a baron's coronet. This was not approved and the carvers were instructed to produce one 'in likeness of the late Lord Vernon'. The final design was a simple bust with the Vernon arms in the trailboards with the motto 'Vernon Semper Viret' (Vernon Always Succeeds).
- Vessel history
- A 4th rate, 50 guns, launched at Woolwich in 1832. She took part in the blockade of the Dutch ports in 1832. She was stationed in the 1840's in the Mediterranean and then from 1845 on the South East Coast of America and East Indies stations. From 1876 with other hulks, she became the home of the Royal Navy's torpedo school at Portsmouth. She was renamed Actaeon in 1886 and was scrapped in 1923.
- Bibliography
- David Pulvertaft 'Figureheads Of The Royal Navy' (Seaforth 2011) p.88
Ownership Information
- Owner type
- Public Institution
- Owner name
- Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour
- Contact details
- Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth PO1 3TZ
- Ownership can be cited online
- Yes
- Accessible to public
- Yes
- Data verified by owner
- No
- Date verified
The figureheads database contains records of over 300 figureheads.


text:
Assemble the Minions! A Universal Snacks + Surprise!
Sale price
$ 43.00
Regular price
$ 58.00
This basket combines value and excitement - plus a surprise! We pick out our favorite snacks of the season and wrap them up with tissue paper. Your guest will be jumping for joy when they return to their room and find a bottle of water and some snacks waiting for them - no trip to the gift shop necessary!
- Our Signature Mix of Salty and Sweet Snacks (Serves 1-2)
- One Bottle of Water
- A Despicable Me / Minions Themed Magical Surprise
- Gift Wrapping and Resort Delivery
- A Gift Note From You
Psst!: The exact items pictured may change (ex. treats may change flavor). For more commonly asked questions, please visit our FAQ.


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Xylem unveils 5th generation HYDROVAR intelligent control system
Highly efficient variable speed drive reduces energy consumption
Xylem, a global water technology leader, is debuting the 5th generation HYDROVAR, an intelligent control system that accurately adapts to system demands, helping end-users realise cost and energy savings while achieving optimum system performance. The new drive and motor control can reduce energy consumption of a pump by as much as 70 per cent.
Capable of running systems with up to eight pumps, the 5th generation HYDROVAR has multimaster functionality, enabling each individual pump to take control if one or more units or sensors are not active. This continuous booster system operation ensures reliable water pressure across various residential, industrial and commercial applications.
"Variable speed drives (VSDs) are one of the most critical components of a pump system, driving operational and energy efficiencies and saving building owners and operators time and money," said Giorgio Sabbatini, Market Segment Manager, Industry & Agriculture, AWS EMEA, and Global Commercial Building Services Business Unit Director, Xylem. "We've developed this next generation HYDROVAR to be an advanced control system with expanded capabilities, giving users the most streamlined way to achieve these results."
Easy installation and commissioning
The 5th generation HYDROVAR is backward compatible to the current Generation 4 HYDROVAR product and is designed to accommodate both new and retrofit installations. A newly added wiring harness includes a separated wiring chamber with a dedicated cover that provides safe and easy access to the wiring, while protecting the unit's electronic components. The clip-and-go mounting system further simplifies the direct fitting process.
Setup and commissioning is also fast and simple. The start-up menu guides users through every step of HYDROVAR's commissioning process, while the larger LCD display shows an expanded range of system parameters for standard motors. This functionality enables installers to manage a wider range of data, ensuring accurate programming at setup.
The 5th generation HYDROVAR comes standard with BACnet and Modbus capability for seamless Building Management System (BMS) integration. Optional Wi-Fi for remote connection to the unit via any mobile device, laptop or PC is also available.
Extended system lifecycle, efficient operation and simple retrofitting
Wear and tear caused by standard operation is minimized due to innovative features, including advanced motor control software that extends the life of the equipment by reducing heat. The HYDROVAR also has an embedded Current Total Harmonic Distortion (THDi) filter that lengthens overall life of the equipment connected to the same grid and preventing cables from overheating without the need for reactor filters.
Using HYDROVAR with an existing pump can lead to significant energy savings, especially when operating at partial loads. It can be efficiently retrofitted to any standard asynchronous pump motor suitable for variable speed operation. HYDROVAR's direct mounting method does not require a special adaptor, and is available for power ranges from 0.55 to 22 kW, making the retrofit process efficient, easy and cost-effective.
"In many cases, pump systems are oversized for the application and use more energy than needed for typical operation," said Sabbatini. "The 5th generation HYDROVAR varies motor speed to match system demands, keeping energy and operational costs low. Additionally, the soft start-and-stop functionality adapts pressure according to system requirements, dramatically extending equipment life."
HYDROVAR's modular design enables a customized fit for any configuration of pumps, and can be motor or wall mounted to for use with any manufacturer's pump. Configuration options include a range of a single pump to as many as eight pumps to meet any application requirements.
Introduced in 1995, the HYDROVAR variable speed drive has been continually updated, confirming its legacy as the industry's choice for optimising fixed speed pump efficiency.
More information on the 5th generation HYDROVAR here.


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Canines were mammalian quadrupeds known for being quite territorial. (ENT: "Doctor's Orders") Unlike cats, canines were known for their ability to respond to commands. (TNG: "Phantasms")
In 2154, shortly before Gral and his Tellarite delegation came aboard Enterprise NX-01 for transport to Babel, Ensign Hoshi Sato advised Captain Jonathan Archer to keep his pet beagle Porthos away from the Tellarites as they consumed canines and found them to be a delicacy. (ENT: "Babel One")
The Tandarans and Banea had animals resembling canines, which were kept as pets. (ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights"; VOY: "Ex Post Facto") The Cardassians also had a species of hound used for riding, much like an Earth horse. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow") A dog-like animal was also native to Alfa 177. (TOS: "The Enemy Within")
The grint hound was a species of dog on Qo'noS. (DS9: "Time's Orphan") Commander Kruge kept a ferocious Klingon monster dog as a pet aboard his Bird-of-Prey. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) Another species of dog, the jackal mastiff, was used by the Klingons as a guardian animal on the prison asteroid Rura Penthe. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
The Anticans were a species of sentient canine. (TNG: "Lonely Among Us")
As of 2370, Spot had never been chased by a canine, leaving Data at a loss to understand what the cat was dreaming about. (TNG: "Phantasms")


text: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the results of the 2016 Food Safety Survey Report. The survey is intended to understand consumer knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food safety to help the FDA and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make informed regulatory and education decisions. Learn more about the results here.


text:
Taking the Long View
Kiwi Bottle Drive sheds light on need for a container deposit scheme
The Kiwi Bottle Drive is up and running. It's a campaign to bring back a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) in New Zealand. It would apply to beverage containers (glass and plastic bottles and aluminium cans), with a 10 cent deposit on purchase and refunded when the container is returned for recycling.
Kiwi Bottle Drives are a great family affair and good learning experience for the whole community.
Community groups around the country will be running Kiwi Bottle Drives in the weeks to come to raise awareness about the issue. Locals bringing in beverage containers will get a 'refund' just as they would in the proposed scheme. At the same time, they'll be encouraged to sign a petition calling for a national, legislated CDS. (It can also be signed online.)
Huge benefits await if such legislation were enacted. Current recycling rates for beverage containers in New Zealand are less than 40 percent and possibly as low as 25 percent. Recycling rates would more than double with such a scheme. This is significant as some 46,000 tonnes of beverage containers are currently discarded into the litter stream, waterways and landfills each year.
The Incentive to Recycle, a report prepared by Envision New Zealand Limited in 2007 and updated in 2015, sets out a practical plan to implement a CDS here based on best practice overseas.
A managing agency would be established by the beverage industry and other stakeholders to coordinate the flow of materials and funds through the system. Local groups would set up convenient drop-off points – there'd be more than 200 around the country – where the public can receive funds for their containers.
More than 2,000 new jobs would be created, providing social and economic benefits to the communities where the drop-off points are located.
City and district councils (and ratepayers!) would benefit through an estimated $26 to $40 million annual savings in litter collection and waste disposal costs. At Local Government New Zealand's last AGM a vote to endorse such a scheme and requesting that the Government require industry to develop and implement it within two years was passed, with 90 percent of members in favour.
You'd think Central Government would embrace the CDS idea. It's a market-based instrument, self-supporting once established, and a job creator at no cost to Government. It would save ratepayers around the country money and go some way to protecting the marine environment – a sound investment given the increasing importance of tourism to the economy if for no other reason.
It's also bound to be popular with the New Zealand public – not a bad thing in an election year. Overseas schemes consistently show approval ratings above 90 percent.
But, nope, the National Government has steadfastly opposed such legislation since taking office in 2008, favouring voluntary programmes over regulation.
The packaging and beverage industry lobby groups have exploited the voluntary regime with heavily promoted initiatives – some funded by the Government, make that the taxpayer, via money received from the Waste Minimisation Fund. These voluntary schemes have had virtually no impact on increasing recycling rates for beverage containers. Many public recycling bins are so contaminated it all goes straight to landfill.
Independent recycling specialists say these initiatives have one main purpose: to ensure the industry is not legally obligated to take responsibility for the whole lifecycle effects/costs of the products they put into the market. It's worth noting here that the cost of a mandatory CDS to the packaging and beverage industry – or to purchasers if they passed on the cost – would be less than one cent per container.
The Government consistently rejects any proposal for regulation citing two reasons: the costs outweigh the benefits and there's not enough data. Both of these arguments have no basis in fact as noted briefly above. (See 'More Info' for a link to The Incentive to Recycle report for the documented research.)
A legislated Container Deposit Scheme is in place in more than a dozen enlightened countries and, with them, recycling rates of 85 to 98 percent are routinely achieved. It's long past time New Zealand joined the party.
Gord Stewart is an environmental sustainability consultant. He does project work for government, industry, and non-profit organisations.
More Info
Kiwi Bottle Drive – www.kiwibottledrive.nz for a list of planned local campaigns and the online petition form
The Incentive to Recycle report – www.cashforcontainers.co.nz , then go to 'Research'
New Zealand Product Stewardship Council – www.nzpsc.nz for info on broader product stewardship issues and extended producer responsibility


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- This event has passed.
Tucson WWT Workshop for Researchers
September 28, 2015 @ 9:00 am - 6:00 pm MST
Event Navigation
Tucson WWT Workshop Flier (PDF)
Steward Observatory, N505
This will be an intensive one-day working workshop for people who are interested in porting their data into WorldWide Telescope (WWT) and developing uses for those data in WWT – video abstracts, tours, etc. A follow-up data showcase at the Flandreau Planetarium is also planned. The morning session will focus on how to get your data into WWT and the afternoon session will give participants time to make something interesting with WWT.
Starting with Your Data
Getting original data into WWT is something that is potentially time-consuming and somewhat challenging; that is why the morning is devoted to that task. Examples of data you could bring to the workshop include:
- Raw image data, FITS format
- Processed images in any image format (JPEG, PNG, TIF etc.)
- WMS-served data
- All-sky, survey images
- Tabular catalog data
- Traverse trails
- SPICE kernels
- 3D models
However, if you don't know before the workshop what data you might want to bring or if you don't know what data might be relevant for you to get into WWT, we will have some test datasets available for the morning session.
Some Ideas of What you can do with WWT
WorldWide Telescope (WWT) can be used to create many assets that are of use to professional scientists and educators. Below is just an example list of some of the ways you can use WWT:
- Video Abstracts in AAS Journals
- Figures in context in AAS Journals
- Videos for professional colloquia and seminars
- Videos for public outreach
- Tours for public exploration
- Tours and videos you can use in classroom instruction
- Tours you can share with local science centers and planetaria.
RSVP Before Thursday, September 24
There is room for 12 participants so please reserve a spot if you are interested in attending, by contacting Doug Roberts (email@example.com). Doug Roberts, is at Northwestern University and working with the WWT Team to plan the next steps for WWT development. He will be around the entire week of Sept. 28 to help out following the workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring their own data. All participants should contact Doug before September 24, so discuss what data to bring and what to expect as outcomes.
- RSVP by emailing Doug Roberts (firstname.lastname@example.com)
- If you have access to a Windows laptop (less than 4 years old) bring it with you! OR
- If you don't have access to a Windows laptop, let Doug know.
- If you are bringing your own laptop, make sure your data is on it or easily available OR
- If you are going to use a laptop provided by the workshop make sure to have a thumb drive with the data or make it available on-line.
Workshop Schedule
Getting Data into WWT (9:00 am – noon)
|9:00-9:10 am
|Introduction to WWT
|Demonstrate getting various data in: all-sky surveys, FITS files, catalogs, 3D models etc.
|10:00 am-noon
|Hands-on: Get Your Own Data In!
Pizza Lunch for Workshop Participants and Graduate Students (noon – 1:00 pm)
Doing Something Cool with WWT (1:00 – 5:30 pm)
|1:00-2:00 pm
|Making simple tourAudioVideo AbstractRendering to VideoOculus Rift
|2:00-5:00 pm
|Making Something Cool with Your Own Data!
|5:00-6:00 pm
|Participants Report Out
Following the workshop Doug will be around Steward for the rest of the week and available for one-on-one help with any aspect of WWT, especially any refinement of end products of workshop, such as tours or videos or helping out getting data into WWT.
More information on the workshop is available at http://wwtworkshops.org
To participate please email Doug Roberts before September 24, but sooner is better as when you connect with Doug, he will follow up to discuss what data you might try to load in and uses you might consider. Any work of getting the data together is better done at the before the workshop as it will make it much more likely that you will be able to create something useful by the end of the workshop.
Workshop Participants
- Connie Walker
- Dolores Hill
- Ed Prather
- Knut Olsen
- Lia Medeiros
- Mark Newhouse
- Matthew Wenger
- Molly Simon
- Robert Sparks
Workshop Materials
Doug Roberts: email@example.com


text:
Slade, Sharon and Prinsloo, Paul
PDF (Accepted Manuscript)
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|Look up in Google Scholar
The field of learning analytics has the potential to enable higher education institutions to increase their understanding of their students' learning needs and to use that understanding to positively influence student learning and progression. Analysis of data relating to students and their engagement with their learning is the foundation of this process. There is an inherent assumption linked to learning analytics that knowledge of a learner's behavior is advantageous for the individual, instructor and educational provider. It seems intuitively obvious that a greater understanding of a student cohort and of the learning designs and interventions to which they best respond would be of benefit to students and, in turn, for the retention and success rate of the institution. Yet, such collection of data and its use faces a number of ethical challenges, including issues of the location and interpretation of data; informed consent, privacy and the de-identification of data; and the classification and management of data.
Approaches taken to understand the opportunities and ethical challenges of learning analytics necessarily depend on a range of ideological assumptions and epistemologies. This paper proposes a socio-critical perspective on the use of learning analytics. Such an approach highlights the role of power, the impact of surveillance, the need for transparency and an acknowledgment that student identity is a transient, temporal and context-bound construct. Each of these affects the scope and definition of the ethical use of learning analytics. We propose six principles as a framework for a number of considerations to guide higher education institutions to address ethical issues in learning analytics and challenges in context-dependent and appropriate ways.
|Item Type:
|Journal Item
|Copyright Holders:
|2013 SAGE Publications
|ethics; framework; higher education; learning analytics
|Academic Unit/School:
|Faculty of Business and Law (FBL) > Business
Faculty of Business and Law (FBL)
|Related URLs:
|Item ID:
|Depositing User:
|Sharon Slade
|Date Deposited:
|12 Feb 2013 10:36
|Last Modified:
|07 Dec 2018 11:53
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text:
PDX Videos
Another great Portland commUnity collaborative to really show off Portland.
For the love of the Portland community the Portland Puppets are putting together a website where people can go to see videos that are exclusively Portland.
Like 'The Portland Song – I'm On It Portland', this website will be Portland's website and your video(s) should be "On It"!
If you have videos of Portland Oregon or if you're a Portander that has made or makes entertaining videos we want to feature them on a new website that only features videos of and by Portland & Portlanders.
It's free! so, please send your video(s) of Portland Oregon or creative/entertaining video(s), that you have made, to the Portland Puppets if you want them featured on this new Portland website.
Just send you great for all ages video(s) to email@example.com and if you have any questions call us at 971 276 4472. Thank you.


text:
Contact Us
Frequently Asked Questions
As the Marlboro County Treasurer, I would like to welcome you to the Marlboro County, SC online property tax website. I am so glad that you have chosen to visit our website and thankful that you have allowed us to provide this most valuable service to you.
My office's goal through this website is to provide you with a convenient resource to conduct your business. Whether it's paying your property taxes by credit card or debit card, this online service allows you the following advantages:
The ability to pay your taxes at your convenience, anytime, day or night;
The convenience of paying from your home, work or anywhere that you have internet access;
Fast access to your tax information, current and delinquent real estate and motor vehicles.
I have attempted to answer
frequently asked questions
and provide general information regarding taxation in Marlboro County. Please remember that I cannot cover the many and complex state tax laws and this site should not be relied on as a legal source of information.Whether you are a new resident or have been in our county for some time, my goal is to fulfill my responsibility as your Marlboro County Treasurer in a fair and equitable manner.
Delorice B. Barrington
Phone (843) 479-5603
Fax (843) 454-9462
Marlboro County, SC Treasurers Office 2020 ©


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Hackcess to Justice Hackathon! Oct. 24-25 at Campbell Law
The North Carolina Bar Association, in partnership with the American Bar Association, will present North Carolina's first-ever access to justice "Hackathon!" on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24-25, at the Campbell Law School in downtown Raleigh. Click here for details and to register.
Hackcess to Justice is an opportunity for tech-savvy attorneys to use their legal, entrepreneurial and coding skills to help the legal aid community by creating a technology-enabled solution for challenges faced by North Carolinians who cannot afford a lawyer.
The event is being held in conjunction with the ABA's 2015 National Celebration of Pro Bono Week (Oct. 25-31).
Throughout the two-day event, representatives from legal aid organizations throughout North Carolina and other lawyers and legal professionals will be on site to discuss the unique issues that they and their clients face and the types of solutions they seek. Contestants are also encouraged to come up with their own ideas to help legal aid lawyers better use their limited resources and more effectively serve their clients.
The event begins on Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. with registration and a kickoff breakfast, followed by the keynote address and the presentation of pitches and rules. Jeff Ward, director of Duke Law School's Start-Up Ventures Clinic, will present the keynote address.
After a lunch-and-learn session at noon, teams will work on their proposals from 1-5. On Oct. 25 contestants will return for breakfast at 9 a.m., and then go back to work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at which time their submissions are due.
While the work is going on Sunday afternoon, an introductory seminar for members of the legal community, Coding for Lawyers, will take place from 2-3:30.
Group presentations and judging of submissions will follow from 4:30 to 6, with announcement of winners and an awards reception at 6. First prize is $1,500, second prize is $1,000, and third prize is $500.
Associate Justice Barbara Jackson of the N.C. Supreme Court will be the featured speaker at the awards program.
Technology has taken a firm hold in the legal industry. Every day legal professionals use technology-enabled tools for discovery, litigation support, document assembly and information needs. But the promise of technology has been fleeting when it comes to the access to justice arena.
In 2013, Legal Services Corp. produced a seminal report outlining five key ways that technology can expand access to justice, especially through computers and mobile devices. The five categories are: (1) document assembly for pro se litigants, (2) better identification of most-needed client services, (3) mobile technologies, (4) remote service delivery, and (5) expert systems and checklists.
It is the hope of everyone involved with this event that Hackcess to Justice will help expand access to justice through any if not all of these areas identified by Legal Services Corp., the federal agency which funds and monitors free civil legal aid in the United States.


text:
Chapter 8
I do not own Twilight or Marvel.
Bella hopped up and hugged Peter. He smiled and slightly lifted her off the ground. He then spun her about as they kissed. Warren bitterly removed the webbing from his mouth and rolled his eyes.
"I can't believe you're here!" she happily exclaimed.
"Yeah… I wanted to surprise you Izzy…" he hinted as to why he never answered her calls or texts.
She hugged him once again, with her head resting against his shoulder. Peter cut Warren a look of warning however, as he was eyeing the two of them. Her jaw dropped as she saw Aunt May through the corner of her eye. Aunt May smiled and waved at her as she was getting her bag from the back of the cab. Bella dropped her hold on Peter and rushed over. Peter turned with a beam about as Bella hugged Aunt May, as well. Bella found herself tearing up a bit. They truly had caught her by surprise.
Aunt May smiled and kissed her cheek.
"Let me help…" Bella said taking notice of the luggage in the back of the cab.
She narrowed her eyes though, thinking it was an awful lot for just a few days visit. But she wasn't about to be rude and comment on it. Piotr made his way over and began to help them unload as well. Once Aunt May caught wind of him, she reared back, "My, aren't you a big boy?"
Peter glanced over as well and he raised his brows on this. Bella giggled at the Parkers reactions to him. Piotr gave a friendly smile and headed into the manor with a couple of their bags. Once they finished unpacking and were all inside Piotr looked over to Peter, "You're him, aren't you?""
He raised his brows on this, "him…?"
The much taller boy smiled looking to be in awe. "Spiderman…" he said with a whisper.
"Oh… him…"
Bella smiled. Peter drew back a breath on this and glanced upon his aunt and girlfriend.
"Yeah… I'm him…" Peter admitted with a hint of nerves.
He wasn't quite sure how to feel about everyone knowing his secret now. But he knew if he were going to attend this school, there was no way he could continue keeping it hidden. Piotr offered Peter his hand, "Big fan… I honestly can't believe you're here."
"I know, right?" Peter uttered and grimaced on how that sounded.
Piotr laughed and Bella giggled shaking her head. "Peter…"she softly scolded.
He cut her an apologetic glance. She merely grinned and shook her head.
"You're Spiderman?" Warren said in a scoffing matter.
"Do you need further proof?" he taunted in return.
Rogue merely gawked in disbelief. She was too star struck to utter a word. Gambit on the other hand, was sizing Peter up, along with Warren. Logan nodded towards them as he entered the room with Dr. McCoy in mid-conversation. He hadn't expected Peter's arrival. "Hey kid!" he called out and walked over offering his hand. Peter smiled as he shook it.
"Mrs. Parker…" Logan greeted with a nod.
She smiled, "Mr. Howlett, how are you?
"Doing real good. How bout yerself?"
Dr. McCoy rushed on over and took the luggage from Mrs. Parker's hold, "Please, allow me."
"Why thank you!" Mrs. Parker said, but cut Bella a wide eyed look.
Bella stifled a laugh, remembering how she reacted the same way when she first met Beast. Logan grabbed a few things as well and motioned for the Parkers to follow him. Bella looked to her father in surprise as he placed Peter in the room right next door to her. She honestly figured he'd have him a lot further away. Then again, she was thinking along the lines of 'just visiting'.
"Why don't ya help Peter get situated, Bella? Hank and I will get Mrs. Parker to her room."
Bella nodded as Logan and Hank escorted Mrs. Parker to another room. Peter looked around, taking everything in.
"Seems we both have private rooms."
He nodded, but seemed rather tense. Bella pointed to the wall, "I'm on the other side."
He raised his brows on this, "Oh… really?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yep…" he said and cleared his throat.
"I'm really glad you came to visit."
Peter chuckled on this and pulled his door to, "About that…" he said with a grin as he sat on the bed motioned her over. Bella smiled and sat beside him.
"Izzy… I'm not really here to visit…" She narrowed her eyes on this.
"Look… I'm not quite sure how you're going to take this. But note that my decision on this hasn't anything to do with not trusting you, or anything of that nature. In fact if you don't want me here Izzy, I'll understand and head back to Manhattan before the school year starts. The last thing I'd ever want is for you to feel as though I'm coming on too strong or getting in your way."
"What are you talking about Peter?"
He drew back a breath, "Your father offered me a place here at the academy… I wasn't sure how you'd feel about that."
Her jaw dropped and this odd squeal-like sound escaped her. She hopped off the bed, "You mean you're going to school… HERE?!" Peter chuckled at her reaction. "Oh my god! Peter! That's freaking awesome!"
He drew back a breath of relief. He was truly afraid that she'd feel suffocated by his presence. After everything her mother had pulled, he wanted to be the last person on earth to ever make her feel that way. If she wanted her space, he'd have given her that without argument. Nor would've he allowed it to affect their relationship. But thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case, as she was in his lap hugging him yet again.
"I'm so glad you're here! And why the hell would you think I wouldn't want you here? Seriously?! What's wrong with you?"
He softly laughed and shook his head, "I was bitten by a radioactive spider. There were bound to be side effects."
Bella laughed and petted the top of his head, "Awe, but they're all diminished mental capacities!"
Peter made a pouty face on this, but grew serious once again, "Izzy… this was more about you and getting a new start. That's not something I want to take away from. If my being here…"
"Shut up!"
Peter's brows raised as he found her lips planted to his. His hands ran along her thighs as the kissing became more eager. He positioned her legs so that she overlapped him. A moan escaped him as she was grinding herself against him.
"Izzy…" he uttered in longing and left trails of kisses along the crevice of her neck.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and Peter lay back on the bed. Bella's eyes widened with a blush as she felt his hard on pressing against her. Peter was too far gone to notice. His tongue was currently exploring hers at the moment. Bella rose once their lips parted. She curiously rose up just enough to observe as he was poking through his jeans. She then got this playful mien about her. Peter reared back at first but damn near creamed his pants as she fondled him. It was just enough to tease as she promptly rolled off him. He turned to his side, facing her. Peter reached over and caressed her cheek. Then he pulled her into his chest.
"I love you Izzy…"
She smiled and snuggled up even more against him, "I love you too Peter. Thank you…"
"Being here… That truly means the world to me." He smiled in return and kissed her forehead. "That explains it…" she whispered in thought.
"Why you hadn't any issue letting them know you were Spiderman…"
Peter nodded, "Well I figured I wouldn't be able to hide it for long…"
"True… by the way, the look on Warren's face was priceless."
"So that's his name…" Peter expressed with a frown.
Logan rolled his eyes and lit his cigar. "He might not carry the X gene but there is no denying that he is a genetic mutate" Beast defended.
Scott shook his head and went on… "So that's it? Let's just focus on the bigger picture here. This has more to do with Bella Romanoff then it does Peter Parker. Since when are 'certain' students allowed special treatment. Let me guess she pulled the… daddy, if my boyfriend can't attend this school, I won't card, right?!"
"Listen here, bub. I offered the boy a spot. Ya got a fucking problem with it… ya can deal with me! I've seen the kid fight and he's got what it takes. And ya tell me, boyscout just how many times have you laid down yer life for complete strangers? Not a one of us here stacks up against that kid and ya know it!"
"We've each laid down our lives! So have these students! Numerously!" Scott fired back.
"The kid is 15 years old! Hell, make that 16 here soon. He had no one standing over his shoulder telling him how it's done. He discovered what he could do and decided to share his gift amongst others. The kid made his own costume, picked out a name, and laid his ass on the line! And the entire time he never expected any recognition over it! He kept his identity sealed away. Now you tell me where the fuck were we when Spiderman – a teenage boy was out there risking his life in order to make some sort of difference?! There's not a chance in hell yer gonna convince me he doesn't belong here. And that's another thing! Ya leave my daughter OUT OF THIS! Ya think I don't see past it? She's my daughter, right? So she's gotta be trouble… Ya don't even know the girl, yet you're willing to pass judgement."
"She attacked a student."
"And I bet Gumbo was bitching up a storm, right?"
Jean stifled a giggle on this and Scott cocked a brow her way. She cleared her throat and shrugged, "He has a point. This is Gambit we're talking about…"
"And what if it were Rogue or Kitty?"
"We can't disregard a student because of their past. If we did… we'd only have a handful of students. Wouldn't be much of a school now would it?" Jean put out there.
"Mr. Parker and Ms. Romanoff are most certainly welcome here. I will never turn away a student that wants to better themselves or needs a little assistance in getting there." Xavier said sounding a bit contrite as his gaze met Scott's. "And that's another thing… The sign on the gate says school for gifted youngsters. It's never read school for mutants."
Bella placed Peter's picture of Uncle Ben on his nightstand. She sat on the edge of his bed for a moment and looked upon it. Peter was hanging his clothes up in the closet when they heard a knock at the door.
"Enter…" Peter called out looking to Bella with a shrug.
The door creaked open and Rogue stepped in, followed by Bobby, Kurt, and of course Kitty.
"Sorry… but once I told them you were here. They wouldn't take no for an answer." Rogue declared but mainly glanced Bella's direction, looking apologetic.
Bella smiled and came to her feet. Peter shut his closet door.
"He doesn't look like Spiderman." Bobby said with a shrug.
Peter raised his brows on this. Bella drew back a breath, seeing the dreamlike expression on Kitty's face.
"Peter, this is Bobby, Kurt, Rogue, and Kitty."
"So is it true?" Kurt inquires curiously.
"Is what true?" Peter asked.
"That you're Spiderman…" Bobby added.
Peter nodded but his eyes widened as Kitty shrieked out. She came at him with open arms and he reacted instinctually. Bella covered her mouth in laughter and Kitty looked around wondering where he went. Kurt and Bobby died in laughter.
"Good reflexes!" Kurt called out.
Peter gave him a thumbs up, "Um, thanks man!"
Bella continued to laugh so hard she had tears running down her face. Logan entered the room and looked around questioning where Peter was. Bella pointed to the ceiling where he clung on for dear life.
"What the hell are ya doing up there?"
"I panicked!" Peter replied eyeing Kitty with caution.
Bella snorted and reached to her gut, "Oh Peter…"
Logan batted his eyes about, forgetting what he even came in here for. He threw his hands in the air and exited the room.
"Thank you, sir." Peter said once Xavier personally welcomed him.
Xavier nodded, "There is one issue we must go over however… Until you've completed your training as a team. You're not to suit up."
Peter reared back in disbelief, "Excuse me?"
Xavier drew back a breath on this and wheeled his way around, facing Peter. "We do things differently around here Mr. Parker. We work as a team. That rule stands amongst all my students."
"So you're telling me that until then, Spiderman hangs up the suit, right?"
"So if someone's in danger… I'm supposed to sit around and do nothing until my training is complete?" Xavier nodded. Peter huffed out, "With all due respect, that's not who I am!"
"If you wish to be a student of this school you will abide by this rule and all others. That is how things work around here, Mr. Parker."
Peter's teeth were grinding together. But out of respect for his Izzy, he kept his mouth shut. But he knew damn well he'd be breaking that rule if and when trouble arose.
"Peter told me what you did…"
Logan turned back as he was smoking his cigar. He nodded upon his daughter, "And what would that be exactly, darlin'?"
She smiled, "Offering him a place here."
Logan nodded and took a long drag of his cigar, "The way I see it… he's already much more advanced than most of the students here. He's certainly got what it takes. And whether ya think so or not shortcake, so do you."
She drew back a breath and leaned against the wall, "I'm sorry…" Logan raised his brows with a lost look about him.
"For the other day…" she hinted about telling him to fuck off.
He nodded once again and puffed on that cigar of his. "No need. There's gonna be some fights and rough roads to cross. Yer gonna push my buttons and I'm sure I'll push yers. But I don't meant ta. I just want ya to keep in mind that this is yer new start. Yer in control and ya can leave that b.s ya once called a life. Things are different around here. If ya want it bad enough."
Belle thought on this for a moment as something else came to mind, "I'm surprised you have him living next door…"
Logan half laughed and shook his head, "Yer gonna do what yer gonna do. I just gotta try and trust ya both… Besides, there's not a lot I can do about the situation."
"The imprint…"
She laughed remembering the guy she met back in Forks and his story about the shifter imprint.
"Imprint?" she questioned.
Logan drew back a breath and finished his cigar. "Yer not even aware… are ya darlin'?"
She reared back, "What are you talking about!?"
"Well hell Bella, I thought ya knew…"
Logan thought back to the hospital. That's right, Izzy… I love you dammit. I've been in love with you. That was the very moment Logan knew he was FUCKED! And that's what he meant by his thoughts that day. Just what I fucking need… First day I meet the daughter I never knew I had and she's done imprinted on some fucking boy!
"Knew what?"
He chuckled, "Ya done claimed the boy."
"Dammit kid, do I have to spell it out for ya?" She raised her brows.
"Ya marked yer territory so to speak. Peter Parker belongs to you! And there ain't a damn thing anyone can do about it. He's yer mate!"
She started to laugh. "Right…" she said in mirth.
"Do I look like I'm joking? Look if ya don't believe me… Why don't ya go visit Dr. Hank McCoy. He knows more about these sorts of things. In fact, we were just discussing this earlier. " Her eyes widened.
"That's right lil darlin'… Ya claimed the boy and he hasn't a damn clue. It's not every day the woman does the marking."
"But I'm a virgin…" she hissed.
Logan grimaced and covered his ears, "JESUS KID! Ya don't have to have sex in order to imprint. It's just natural. Ya came into yer animal side and it just hit. Like I said… what's done is done. So why the hell go all out to try and separate you? Ya might as well be fucking married." he mumbled looking miserable on the thought.
Her jaw dropped and she staggered back, covering her mouth. "MARRIED?! OH MY GOD! PETER'S GOING TO KILL ME!"
"Yeah, I really doubt that…"
Peter reared back as Bella paced her room, looking awfully pale. She'd mentioned needing to tell him something. "I just want to make clear before you say anything… that I moved here for you…" he stated, damn near fearful she was about to break up with his ass, for whatever reason.
She was so close to hyperventilating and in tears. "Peter…" she called out looking to be in agony.
"What is it Izzy? Did I do something wrong?"
Bella shook her head and tears made their appearance. "I'm so sorry!" she cried.
"Sorry?" he asked puzzled and then reared back on the way she was acting.
Because of the he way she acted, Peter became downright fearful. Did she cheat on him? Was she indeed breaking up with him? He swallowed back feeling ill. "What are you sorry for Izzy?"
She closed her eyes and staggered back against the wall, "Peter I didn't know! I hadn't a clue! Please… just keep that in mind…"
"Izzy, you're starting to scare me now…"
She covered her face and an uncontrollable sobbing started. "Do you know what imprinting is?" she inquired once she caught her breath.
He shrugged, "I'm afraid you're going to have to spell it out for me. And in the simplest terms. Because you're really freaking me out! I mean… are you about to dump me or what?! Please don't… I mean seriously… I'm not so sure I can handle it!"
Bella drew back a breath not really hearing what he'd just said as it suddenly hit her. She knew damn well when it took place. But at the time she had no clue what it was. All she remembered was feeling an overwhelming sense of completion, love, and this overpowering desire to keep Peter Parker safe at all cost and be whatever he may need.
She looked to the floor with shame, "I love you so much… So much in fact that once I came into my newfound abilities…" she drew back a quivery breath, "I made my claim. But I swear to GOD Peter! I didn't know! If I had…"
"I marked you or imprinted on you! Oh Fuck! Whatever you wish to call it! In the hospital… When you first said you loved me. Peter… "
He half laughed with both nerves and confusion about him, "Marked me?"
She nodded and came to her knees, "I'm so sorry!"
"What do you mean by 'marked me', Izzy?"
"I unknowingly made you my mate. Meaning, you're stuck with me…. Like permanently! Peter, I never wanted to hurt you. I…"
"Holy hell Izzy, that's what you were worried about? I thought you were about to dump me for Christ's sake!" Bella's eyes shot wide open at this. He hid a smile and looked at her solemnly, "I love you Izzy and you know that's not something I just throw out there! With everything we've been through, I wouldn't say that unless I felt you and I could go for the long haul. All this imprint thing is telling me is that you feel the same way, so why in the world would I be angry?" Bella swallowed back and pinched her eyes shut.
"Hey…" Peter then made his way over and lifted her chin with his fingers, "So when do I get my red collar with a blue tag that reads Izzy's?" She managed to smile and Peter grinned, "Just so you know, I'd totally wear it and with pride. You haven't a clue just how serious I am. Damn Izzy… the mere thought…"
He backed her up against the wall and pressed himself against her. The raging hard on was all the proof he needed in showing her how riled up she had him. "Mark your territory, by all means…" he said without skipping a beat he heatedly kissed her.
Her legs wrapped around his waist. Peter stopped once he realized he was humping her right up against the wall. His face flushed over a bit and he cleared his throat, "Umm… Perhaps we should watch a movie or something…."
Bella giggled and kissed his lips once more. Peter smiled and lowered her back down. They plopped down on the bed and Peter reached over, taking his laptop out from his backpack. "You pick…" he said with a shrug.
She looked in his bag and took out the first one on top. "Armageddon…" Peter said looking to the title.
Bella rolled over as he set everything up. Peter glanced over once he was done. He shook his head, thinking something along the lines of how in the hell did he get a girl like Bella to claim him? Slight tummy was revealed as she lay back, facing the ceiling.
"Do I need to get some animal crackers…?" he uttered hintingly and kissed her tummy.
"Animal crackers?"
He nodded towards the movie as it started. She laughed, remembering the scene from the movie. "I'm good." she murmured.
"Are you sure? Because I could like 'swing' by a store and get you some!"
"You're such a dork Peter."
"But you love me!"
"True. But you're still a dork."
He nodded and kissed her bare tummy once more. "Izzy…?"
"Don't ever let me go too far… If I do something that you're not comfortable with, or if it's too fast…"
She reached over and ran her fingers through his hair, "Where we are right now is fine. We'll just let it come naturally…" Bella said with a shrug.
He chuckled. "Come huh?" he repeated with a smirk.
"What?" he said with his best innocent expression.
She laughed and shook her head. Peter cleared his throat, "So, maybe we should get some condoms or something… just in case. That doesn't mean we have to…"
"No but it's a good idea… keeping them handy…"
They were both blushing in thought now. "Have you ever…" Peter hinted shyly.
Her eyes widened, "Of course not!"
He nervously laughed. "Me either… But I'm glad we waited" he admitted thinking back to Mary Jane.
She nodded in agreement, but her face was still somewhat flushed with embarrassment. Sadly, he could've slept with MJ if he wanted. And he'd thought about it… came pretty close to it, too. But something about it never felt right with him. Now he knew why. It would've been just sex, nothing more between him and MJ. With Izzy, it was to be much more. That was the reason why he wasn't about to rush anything… no matter how badly he wanted her. He'd let Izzy call the shots on that. He was fine with the way things were. The condoms were just a way of being smart about it. For all he knew, it could be a year or more before they even hit that part of their relationship. Either way, he was content with the way things were now. He got the girl he'd always wanted, so why push things any further?
When the credits rolled, Peter had his arm wrapped around her. He kissed along her shoulder and Bella giggled, while he started to sing the lyrics to Don't Wanna Miss A Thing. He even had the Steven Tyler facial expressions going.
"Who sings that song?"
"Aerosmith, duh…"
"Yeah, let's keep it that way."
He reared back looking offended, "You don't like my serenading?"
"Is that what you call it?"
"Ohhhhhhhhhh…." he hooted and started tickling her.
"Ok, fine… I'm leaving on a jet plane… don't know …"
"Ok then leave…" she taunted with a smirk.
"Damn! Maybe I should. What? You think just because you imprinted on me, you can boss me around?!"
"YES! THAT'S EXACLY WHAT IT MEANS!" she retorted. Peter shook his head and tickled her even more.
He chuckled and quickly webbed her back onto the bed as she almost fell. Bella hit him on the arm and he pinned her wrists down, showering her with kisses.
Bella got in line for her breakfast that morning like usual. She reared back however, seeing Aunt May in the kitchen with the rest of the staff. She was going over some sort of recipe with them. Once she caught wind of Bella, she stopped what she was doing made her way over.
"Giving tips are we?" Bella teased with a beam about her.
Aunt May laughed, "Well I figured I might as well make myself useful somewhere."
"You start giving out your awesome cooking secrets and the students will never leave the cafeteria."
"Oh sweetheart, you sure know now how to butter me up. Here…" She placed some sort of omelet on her plate.
"Wait, you actually cooked? I mean for the students?!"
Aunt May shrugged, "It's what I do."
"Mrs. Parker…" The deep voice carried over and they turned back to see Dr. McCoy with his empty tray. He was wiping his face with a napkin. "That was one of the best meals I've had in quite some time."
She smiled warmly, "Why thank you, Dr. McCoy."
"No, thank you!"
Bella laughed at the hint of flirtation in Dr. McCoy's voice. "Someone seems smitten…" Bella whispered as he walked away.
Aunt May playfully nudged her, "Bella!" She said as if to scold her.
"Just sayin'… maybe you want a big blue teddy bear for Christmas?"
She giggled and walked away, joining Rogue and the others at the table.
"Hey, we're all going to the movies later. Thought maybe you and Peter would like to come along." Rogue threw out there.
"That sounds fun, actually."
"What does?" Warren questioned as he plopped himself right beside Bella.
"The movies tonight…" Remy said with a shrug.
"Tonight, huh?" his wings fluffed about a bit.
Peter entered the cafeteria with Piotr and Kurt. Piotr sighed on Peter's behalf seeing as how Warren practically sat in Bella's lap. Peter said nothing, just got in line, whilst shaking his head. Just as Peter was making his way over, Kitty rushed up to him with a black Sharpie. She was wearing a Spiderman shirt. "Do you mind?" she hinted.
Peter swallowed back. It felt so weird to be out of costume and having someone ask him for his John Hancock. He never was one to be rude or turn down a fan. "Um, sure.' he mumbled.
She smiled as he sat his tray down on an empty table. Kitty handed him the marker.
"Kitty, right?"
The girl beamed at this, "YES! You remembered."
Peter gave a simple nod and signed her shirt with… Kitty, your web-slinging friendly neighborhood Spiderman was here! She let out a major fangirl squeal and pecked him on the lips. Rogue grimaced seeing the look on Bella's face. Warren died in laughter.
"And now it begins… It seems your boyfriend just can't help himself. Spiderman… and they say I'm full of myself."
"You are!" Everyone at the table chorused.
Kitty skipped away happily and Peter just stood there for a moment, pondering what just took place.
"SHUT IT!" Bella snapped and Remy grinned.
"Someone's might sensitive."
"You're about to find out just how sensitive I can be!"
Bella's eyes peered over Remy's direction, doing her best to keep in mind what she did. Even though she hadn't any real clue what took place that day. She couldn't allow herself to get that out of control again. So the girl drew back a breath. Bella leaned into Warren's ear and whispered.
"That's right… I promise. Right after I shove my foot so far up your ass it comes out of your mouth. Kinky enough for you?"
Peter sat on the other side of her. "Everything alright?" he asked with concern.
She nodded, "Yep! Everything's just fine."
Kitty sat across from them, happily showing her shirt off to everyone.
Bella gritted her teeth as she punched at the bag. Beads of sweat trickled down her face. She was doing her best to get all her frustrations out during her workout. She whipped around when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She narrowed her eyes, seeing it was Scott. He gave a simple nod, "follow me". She sighed and grabbed her towel.
The girl followed the professor as they exited the gym. They walked down a hallway and into another room. They entered a room with monitors and a couple chairs. The room overlooked another area. A massive one at that and Bella found herself peeking through the glass. "What's in there?" she asked curiously.
"The danger room."
"Danger room?"
He nodded, "This is what we use to train our students."
"So like sparring or…"
He shook his head as he began setting up a session, "You'll see…"
Scott motioned towards the entrance. She nodded and headed inside. Her jaw dropped once she realized just how big the room truly was. The door shut and locked behind them.
"Stay close and do as I say."
She reared back at this and but hadn't much time to react, "What the fuck?" she shrieked.
"That language isn't necessary."
She half laughed.
"Sorry… What the duck…? Better?"
He rolled his eyes beneath those sunglasses of his. "Three things you should know… One – our students keep a clean mouth. Two – We work together as a team, not against each other. And three – the little PDA you got going with your boyfriend. That's to come to a stop as well. You're fifteen not twenty-one! You're still a kid and you haven't any business acting like that with a boy. It leaves a bad impression. Do you want others to perceive you in that sort of light?"
She raised her brows on this, "Sixteen in September! And just how do you believe I'll be perceived professor?" she said rather snippy like.
"I believe we both know."
"Gotcha…" she muttered with a touch of sarcasm.
"Our session starts in just a few seconds now. Keep in mind these things can inflict harm if you're not careful."
She cranked her head back towards the android looking holographic images. "How can a holographic image cause harm?"
Her jaw dropped suddenly as one of them fired some sort of beam and hit her dead on.
"SHIT!" she hollered out reaching to her stomach. It was just enough force to feel as though she got socked one.
Scott swiftly grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt, "Pay attention and stop with the language!"
She reared back as he dropped his hold. Both began dodging streams of energy blasts left and right. Bella looked on in amazement as he lowered his shades and a red ray hit a couple of the androids. They began to malfunction. She looked up to see a few of them crawling along the walls much like she'd seen Spiderman do. Two of them dropped down before her and one shot out their hand and flung her back against the wall. Bella growled out, charging right for the android. She slammed it up against another wall and she sent several jabs into its stomach. It started to glitch and she pierced through its chest and ripped out the wiring. Scott was taking out a few on his side, but he turned to see Bella shocking another droid with the wiring she'd torn out of the other one.
The battle continued on for a solid forty minutes. For every handful of droids they took out, more would appear. The entire time, Scott was snapping at her and belittling her abilities to stand on her own. At one time she snapped her head his direction and in disbelief as he referred to her as Logan. That was the moment; Bella realized it wasn't just a training session. No… This had become personal. Scott didn't see Bella like the other students. He saw her as Logan's daughter, nothing more. He already expected her to have her father's mannerisms, to fight as he would, to have his temper, bad attitude, and all other things that got under his skin about her father. Such as the way his fiancé looked upon Bella's father. And since Bella had arrived, it had become even more noticeable. He wasn't even consciously aware of what he was doing. He was taking everything out on Bella Romanoff. Every frustration he'd ever had when it came to Logan. To Scott, the bastard had it all. A daughter… HIS girl's infatuation and now he was known for bringing Spiderman into the academy.
Once Bella realized the truth behind what was going on, her vision began to blur. She reached to her temples as her head pounded something fierce and everything became a nice shade of red….
The alarms sounded, gathering the attention of others nearby. When they went to check on the situation, Bella was stepping out of the room. She looked pissed and didn't even seem to notice anyone around her. Jean was amongst this group. She looked into the danger room and gasped out. The door had been busted down and Scott was laid out.
Logan was in his room smoking one of his cigars when he heard a knock at the door. Once he answered he nodded upon Jean.
"You might want to see this…"
(Be a sport leave a comment/review! I like knowing what you think! Thank you Mommy4Thomas for beta'ing this. And thank you Bertie Bott, Mommy4Thomas, and the hubby on helping with being soundboards and throwing some puns out there for me to work with! Loves you all!)


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|Russian Front Line Trench - River Psel
|Trenches on the Northern Bank of the River Psel
|Escarpment on the North Bank of the River Psel
|The Same White Scar from the Psel Valley
The picture below shows the exact crossing point of III SS Pzr on the 10th July 1943. The divisional engineering team worked hard to get the heavy tanks up the steep steep river bank. The modern day track leads down to one of the few bridges in the area. I'm very grateful to Professor Valerie Zamulin (author of 'Demolishing the Myth: The Tank Battle at Prokhorovka, Kursk, July 1943: An Operational Narrative). Valerie joined us for a memorable day during our visit.
|III SS Pzr Crossing Point, Psel River, 10th July 1943
|Mark, Valerie, Myself, Alan and Katya
The purpose of the Psel bridgehead was to secure the heights on the northern bank in the proximity of Hill 226 and screen the north western flank of the Liebenstandarte. The crossing proved much more difficult than anticipated and the Totenkopf suffered four hundred and thirty casualties (Mark Healy, The German Offensive Against the Kursk Salient, 4-17 July 1943, p. 306). The flank was secured however - despite ferocious Soviet resistance.
|Memorial to Soviet Anti-Tank Platoon - Hill 226
|The Plateau Above the River Psel Looking East


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Netmail Archive 6.x
Outlook will try to protect the user experience by disabling add-ins that it considers to be misbehaving. When the Netmail add-in is loaded it needs to contact a URL, download settings, perform authentication, etc... and in some environments this process could take longer than Outlook is willing to wait. Consequently Outlook will disable the add-in via a registry key so next time the start-up is quicker. Outlook will not attempt to reload it unless the registry key is manually changed back or the add-in is completely re-installed.
The following steps will help you determine if an add-in has been disabled, and how to re-enable it:
1) Click on the Windows Start button, and run regedit.exe
2) Open the following key in the registry:
where (name_of_the_addin) is usually something similar to: M+ArchiveOutlookAddin.
3) In the right portion of the screen, you should see the values stored in this key. One of the values is "LoadBehavior". If the value of this key is 2, then the add-in is disabled. You will need to set the value to 3 to re-enable it, and then restart Outlook.
Uninstalling and re-installing the add-in will also fix this issue temporarily, but it won't prevent it from reoccurring. To permanently exclude the add-in from this check at start-up, follow the procedure recommended by Microsoft here: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/emeamsgdev/2017/08/02/outlooks-slow-add-ins-resiliency-logic-and-how-to-always-enable-slow-add-ins/


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Take your franchise system to the next level with Waterstreet's built-in guidance.
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If you're currently vetting franchise management software, you're probably overwhelmed by all the features on the market. How do you sort through all the 'nice-to-haves' to compare and contrastRead more
Franchise operations have been forced to quickly adapt to a new remote world. Other than essential frontline workers, everyone is now expected to work from home–or else not at all. To keep franchiseRead more
As a franchise owner, it's time to take the lead and set your franchisees up with everything they need to run their businesses remotely. Setting up a virtual office helps your franchisees and theirRead more
If your franchisees relies on booking field services teams, Waterstreet is built for you. Give your partners the help they need to manage day-to-day franchisee operations: Customer management, job estimating, work order management, job scheduling, job billing, payment processing and more.
Hands down, one of the best software companies we have worked with. Waterstreet's Field Service Management software provides The Maids with the core tools and technology to better manage our franchise system.
Take control of your franchise and empower your franchisees.


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Important to Know
Sizes and Dimensions
Parts & Accessories
- Sizes of Wheel Tires and Rims for Aston Martin
- Sizes of Aston Martin Wheel Bolts
- Sizes of Aston Martin Wiper Blades
- Engine Oil for Aston Martin
- Transmission Fluid for Aston Martin
- Antifreeze for Aston Martin
- Brake Liquid for Aston Martin
- Battery for Aston Martin.
- Cabin Filter for Aston Martin. Dimensions
- Fuel Filter for Aston Martin. Dimensions
- Oil Filter for Aston Martin. Dimensions
- Brake Discs For Aston Martin.
- Brake Pads For Aston Martin.
Home >>> Air cleaners >>> Aston Martin
Which Filter To Clean Air For Aston Martin.
Below shows types of air purifying filters which you should use for Aston Martin by models. Please select your model from the list.


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In Japan, the country celebrates the New Year with "osechi" – basically, a wide and varied array of different special foods that are traditionally prepared for the celebration annually, and take a lot of time and patience to prepare.
For Japanese expats living in the United States, the osechi tradition is not an easy one to uphold, due to the huge amount of ingredients required, that can be both difficult to source, and expensive. There is also a time issue. In Japan, people have a much longer holiday from work over New Year, so there is more time to prepare these many elaborate dishes.
Working Together to Solve Problems
So, Japanese expats in many cities across the US have come up with a wonderful way to engage their local Japanese expat communities and help them to uphold their wonderful and unique New Year tradition. The idea is to have an osechi sharing network in each community. Every person involved cooks a large amount of just one or two of the osechi dishes, and then can trade portions of their dishes in return for portions of other traditional dishes, allowing each family to end up with a wide variety of osechi for a much cheaper price, with a lot of added convenience too!
Osechi dishes vary from broiled fish cakes and skewered shrimp, to mushrooms and roast beef and sweet chestnuts, to name but a few. Residents who have moved to the US from Japan report that the sharing program brings back the fun to the osechi preparations, as well as establishing a great atmosphere of celebration and get-togethers in their local expat community.This past New Year saw about 19 people engaging in the swapping program on the outskirts of Boston, a huge leap from the 9 who joined in last year, showing that more and more people are getting on board with this great idea.
Breathing New Life into Old Traditions
In Anchorage, the Japanese community who have moved there have been engaging in such a program for around 4 years now. It is an affordable way for these expats to actually feel like they are having a similar celebration to the one they would have enjoyed back in Japan, and residents in Anchorage cite the osechi swapping parties as excellent ways to raise spirits in the dark, cold Alaskan winter.
Members of these programs just hope to have them spread farther and wider in years to come to keep this beautiful tradition alive, even while they are settled abroad.


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If you watch Major League Baseball with any regularity you may have noticed more catchers setting up with one knee down on the ground. In the 2019 season we have seen a significant increase in this stance being used and many variations of it (see pictures below), including one knee down and the other leg… Continue reading One Knee Stance
The Posey Rule
The "Posey Rule" has been part of baseball since the 2014 MLB season. The original rule, 7.08(b), was reinterpreted in part due to a collision between Scott Cousins and Buster Posey in 2011. That collision resulted in Posey missing the majority of that season due to a broken ankle sustained in that collision. In early… Continue reading The Posey Rule
The Basis for Good Catching
Catchers must learn good stance (primary & secondary) in order to receive, block and throw effectively.
How Should a Catcher's Skills be Prioritized?
I talk to youth baseball coaches frequently about their catchers. These discussions usually involve conversation around how well (or poorly) their catchers throw on attempted base steals. It is quite common that a youth coach will place a greater weight on their catchers' throwing ability than they do receiving or blocking. There are a few… Continue reading How Should a Catcher's Skills be Prioritized?
Proper Receiving
We talk so much about receiving the pitch as a catcher, it seems maybe the position should be called "Receiver" instead of Catcher. Regardless, receiving is the most important skill a catcher must learn. Blocking and throwing are also critical skills for a catcher to learn and master but, those skills are called upon less… Continue reading Proper Receiving
What We Cover in Our Clinics
CO Catchers clinics are designed to provide a broad base of instruction to our participants. We keep the clinic size small (maximum of 10 catchers) to ensure each catcher gets more attention. Playing catcher requires a lot of work and overall conditioning so we spend 30 to 40 minutes warming up and conditioning. One of… Continue reading What We Cover in Our Clinics
Do catchers get to practice their position?
Next time you are around a youth baseball practice, take note how much time is dedicated to the catchers to practice their skills such as receiving, blocking and throwing. If it is anything like almost all of the practices I see then there is NO time dedicated to catchers. The most the catcher might get… Continue reading Do catchers get to practice their position?


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Wildlife Rescuer Arrested Over Feud with Neighbors
Outside view of Animal Rescue Team building in Solvang
The Executive Director and Co-founder of the Animal Rescue Team (ART) has been arrested over a feud with neighbors in Solvang.
On Monday, Julia Di Sieno was taken into custody for violating a criminal protective order filed by her neighbors, Mary and Richard Nohr. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office confirmed the violation was linked to firearms DiSieno failed to turn in stemming from a criminal protective that included accusations of stalking and criminal threats. DiSieno was released from custody Tuesday morning and denies the allegations, reports KEYT News.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office released the following statement:
In December, 2017 Julia Di Sieno was formally charged by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office with the Penal Code Violations of 422 - Criminal Threats & PC 646.9 - Stalking. As a result, Di Sieno was issued a Criminal Protective Order pursuant to PC 136.2, which was ordered and served on 12-22-2017.
Per the Criminal Protective Order, Di Sieno was ordered to surrender ALL firearms and ammunition which are subject to her immediate possession, within 24 hours after being served with the Criminal Protective Order, deeming her a prohibited person. Per the Protective Order, Di Sieno had 48 hours to file a receipts to the court showing she surrendered ALL firearm and ammunition belonging to her.
On 2-2-2018, SBSO Patrol Deputies, assigned to the Santa Ynez Valley, responded for a report of Criminal Protective Order violation, allegedly perpetrated by Di Sieno towards the listed "Protected Persons" noted on the Protective Order. Based on the Deputies investigation, Di Sieno was in fact believed to have violated the Protection Order and the case was ultimately forwarded to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office requesting criminal charges be brought forth against Di Sieno.
Detectives with the Santa Barbara County Special Investigations Bureau began conducting an investigation. During their investigation, it was learned there were no indications that Di Sieno had surrendered her registered firearms / ammunition which was ordered by the court pursuant to the Criminal Protective Order therefore, a search warrant was sought and granted based on the probable cause that Di Sieno was in violation of the Criminal Protective Order.
On Monday, 2-5-2018, Detectives with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Special Investigations Bureau conducted the warrant service at Di Sieno's residence, located in the Santa Ynez Valley. As a result of the warrant service, numerous firearms were located along with a copious amount of ammunition of various calibers throughout Di Sieno's residence.
Based on the findings, Di Sieno was found in violation of California Penal Codes 166.4 - Violation of a Court Order & PC 29825(b) - A Prohibited Person Possessing Firearms in Conjunction of Restraining Order and PC 22210 - Illegal Possession of Baton / Lead Cane.
As a result, Di Sieno was arrested based on the aforementioned California Penal Code violations and booked into the Santa Barbara County Main Jail, without incident.
ART is a Santa Barbara County organization that focuses on large mammal rescue but they claim to not turn away birds, raptors, and reptiles. They also rescue fawns and occasionally foster domestic animals until a home is found. According to their website, ART is licensed and permitted by the California Department of Fish and Game to rescue and rehabilitate injured, orphaned and displaced native wildlife. They're located in the 800 block of Carriage Drive in Solvang.
During the Jesusita Fire, ART states they rescued over 200 wild and domestic animals with numerous fire-related injuries. They're available 24/7 to respond to injured, orphaned, or displaced wild animals and state they work very closely with Santa Barbara County. "Animal Rescue Team is the only animal rescue facility equipped with an animal ambulance on the Central Coast. This allows us to better serve the animals and our community in times of disaster," their website reads.
ART's Facebook Page has been vocal about their issues with their neighbors, posting photos of cease and desist letters from the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development office as far back as April of 2017.
One such letter dated April 6, 2017, read Planning & Development "received a complaint regarding noise and nuisance impacts related to the operation of a wildlife species rehabilitation center" on residential property and that the Public Health Department determined there was evidence of noise nuisance. The center was ordered to cease wildlife rehabilitation activities for 90 days and limit the types and numbers of animals allowed on the property zoned 1-E-1, which means one acre of a single family estate under zoning ordinances.
Another letter dated August 31, 2017, was posted on Facebook by the same Planning and Development Department to clarify and apparently rescind the April 6th letter as the facility removed all adult coyotes from the property. ART commented on the post with, "Thank you to each of you, who stood by our side. Their cameras continue to zoom onto our property!!!! We never closed, we never will!" which appears to be directed at their neighbors.
Edhat has reached out to the Nohr's and Di Sieno for comment. We have not received a response from either party.
According to KEYT, Nohr said DiSieno did not threaten with a "real weapon," but made a machine gun sound with her voice and said something to the effect of, "I'm going to take you down." DiSieno responded saying she has never stalked nor physically threatened the Nohrs and in turn accused them of ongoing harassment and intimidation, which including placing cameras in the direction of her property.
Below is a video from 2015 showing Di Sieno and other ART volunteers releasing two rescued and rehabilitated coyotes back into wild.
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The Classic Mystery Serge contains most of the first generation Serge modules and replicates as near as possible the original Serge Modular System - The Mystery Serge.
The Classic Mystery Serge allows for various multi-voice patching configurations and so many patch programmable functions that they can't all be covered here.
Supplied in our Studio 500 12U 104HP enclosure
Laurie Biddulph trading as ELBY DesignsEmail: email@example.com© Copyright 2000-2019 All rights reserved. ABN 70 022 727 605


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AGOA Rules: The Intended and Unintended Consequences of Special Fabric Provisions
Organizing Response to Extreme Emergencies: The Victorian Bushfires of 2009
Mauritius: African Success Story
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Melissa Tortorici
Melissa Tortorici is the Director of Communications at Texas City ISD and a nineteen-year TSPRA veteran. She has previously served as Houston/Beaumont Regional Vice President from 2013-2016. During her time in TSPRA she has been a member of the Conference Planning Committee and has chaired the TASA/TASB Convention Committee and the 2016-2018 Strategic Planning Committee, among others. Melissa presented at the 2017 TSPRA Annual Conference on developing relationships with the news media. She is active with her children's scout troops, the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club.
Click here to read Melissa's profile in Texas School Business magazine.


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Moscow is located in UTC+3, that is +3 hours in relation to the Greenwich Meridian.
The city of Moscow is located in Russia on the continent Europe and the time is now shown on our watch.
Moscow is located in UTC+3. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is divided into 24 hours, 12 of which are positive and 12 are negative.
The starting point is the Greenwich Meridian. On the right are the countries with early hours and the left those that are late.
The UTC setting in Moscow is defined in relation to the degree of distance of Moscow from the 0 degree point.
To find Moscow let's imagine the earth as a sphere, it has 360 degrees and if we divide that number by 24 hours we reach number 15, degrees an hour ago. Moscow and the country Russia are approximately the 45 degrees of Meridian. p>
Moscow is located on the Europe continent , is a city of Russia and the timezone is UTC+3. At this time there is no daylight saving time in Moscow.


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Genes, Not "Culture"—Why the Japanese Don't Loot – "The implication of this mantra-like repetition of the word 'culture' implies that cultures drop out of the sky, that the lucky Japanese got a good one and the Haitians got a bad one." yes. where does culture come from?
Are the wealthiest countries the smartest countries? – "For each one-point increase in a country's average IQ, the per capita GDP was $229 higher. It made an even bigger difference if the smartest 5 percent of the population got smarter; for every additional IQ point in that group, a country's per capita GDP was $468 higher."
Women feel pain more than men, scientists say after studying brain scans
Human prejudice has ancient evolutionary roots – "The tendency to perceive others as 'us versus them' isn't exclusively human but appears to be shared by our primate cousins."
Odd Form of 'Love' Hormone Found in Some Monkeys – oxytocin
Human gender roles influence research on animals – humans and their biases. who woulda guessed?!
Biology's 'dark matter' hints at fourth domain of life – neato! see also: Glimpses of the Fourth Domain? @the loom.
Scientist Smackdown: When Did Europeans First Harness Fire?
Your brain is a rain forest – neurodiversity's the word
The Secrets to Long Life: Worry, Work Hard and Marry Well (If You're a Man) – via diversityischaos
Searching for the Source of a Fountain of Courage
bonus: radiation dose chart from xkcd.


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|Sunrise Over Arrakeen
|Flight thru the Shield Wall
|the Sardaukar
|Defeat of the Sardaukar
|Sunrise Over Arrakeen
|Flight thru the Shield Wall
|the Sardaukar
|Defeat of the Sardaukar
I tell people all the time that if you only read one science fiction book in your entire life, it should be Dune.
Of course, if you only read one science fiction book in your entire life, you're terribly deprived and boring. But it should still be Dune.
I got into the Dune books about fifteen years ago, but ran out of steam somewhere around God Emperor of Dune. I've been meaning to give them, or at least Dune itself, another go sometime. I remember thinking that it owed quite a bit to Lawrence of Arabia, which came out in 1962. (I also remember being slightly annoyed by the italicized thought-sentences coming from all quarters, but maybe that's just me!)
I've always been fascinated by Dune's focus on ecology. It's hard to think of many science fiction novels that focus on any "science" other than technology. That and its social-political-religious aspects are what make it one of my favorite sci-fi novels. It's strange that Herbert had such a hard time finding a publisher.
Scanning around interviews with Herbert, he admitted the TE Lawrence comparison. I'm tempted to read past Dune, though I've never heard anything good about the final three books.
Have you read TJ Bass' Half Past Human Godwhale? They highlight forced evolution and genetic engineering.
I have read The Godwhale, but it's been a really long time. Talk about nightmarish futures. Haven't thought about it in years, but now I want to read it again...ReplyDelete


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The Bognor Birdman event first started on the South coast of Britain in Selsey in 1971, where a prize was given for anyone who could fly the grand distance of 50 yards. Nobody managed it! After a few years the event started to attract quite a crowd and in 1978 the term Bognor Birdman was coined when the event moved to its present location in Bognor Regis. Why Bognor Regis is open to debate - perhaps it was some forward thinking person at the local council - perhaps it's because the sea has a strong incoming tide to help bring people back to the beach, perhaps it is because one of the original competitors came from Bognor, it certainly isn't because it is an easy place to get to. Anyway, the event has evolved and gets ever more popular. Every year a collection of brave daring men and women dress up in bizarre outfits and become Bognor Birdmen. They compete against one another by trying to fly through the air the furthest. Some people would say that they are just a bunch of adventurous nutters who jump off the end of a pier and end up getting cold and wet when they land in the sea. Either way, it's a fun event which benefits a number of good causes.
Bognor BirdmenThe event gets bigger and bigger every year so much now that the, ahem, "organisers" at the ludicrously named Arun District Council restrict the numbers of Birdmen taking part! However local government workers cannot stop people having fun. Today the birdmen of Bognor event is very popular and has a tremendous following with many nationalities taking part and the whole event attracts media interest from all around the world. Many spectators go along for a day out in the sunshine and take great pleasure in seeing people jump off a pier. The spectators also witness a number of 'professionals' who make quite an effort at seriously trying to fly! These brave souls are normally unhitched extreme sports types and/or experienced hang gliding types who generally don't mind having their hang glider get trashed when it crashes into the sea!
|The Bognor Birdmen event also attracts serious international competitors and in 1984 German Harold Zimmer flew 57.8 metres and walked away with £10,000 so it's not all totally batty! In fact, during the 1980s the event was dominated by the Germans and by 1990 the record stood at an incredible 71 metres. Also in 1990 the Germans took 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.
| These days if anyone "flies" 100 metres, the prize is a cool £25,000 - about 40,000 US Dollars !
Although Carl Christensen made a valiant attempt in 1999, and won the prize for best fancy dressed Bognor Birdman, but his magic flying carpet stalled so he did not fly too far - something like 5 metres, so he was some way short of the record distance. The current unbroken record which stands at a staggering 89.2 metres, was set in 1992 by a local lad, Dave Bradshaw.
International Birdman 2010Bognor Birdman 2010 could be the biggest ever, and lets hope the local Arun District council do not try and wiggle out of staging the event, as they did in 2008 and 2009, handing the event to Worthing, citing ludicrous PC elf and safety excuses. As the popularity of the event has spread, more people want to come and watch and see who will be the crowned best International Birdman 2010. Of course, everyone who takes part will have fun, and as the cliché goes, everyone will be a winner atthe 2010 event. The day will as always be popular for the spectators, the competitors, their friends and families. Maybe if the council get their act together they could stage a successful Birdman 2011, but don't hold your breath. They seem to forget Bognor is more famous for its Birdman competition than it is for anything else, including the local Butlins.
The event has now got so popular, it has gone international, with competitors from many different countries eager to take part and entertain the crowds which often number up to 25,000. Most of the International Birdmen will be jumping trying to raise money for charity. Every year feathers fly as birdmen from around the world compete for the title of International Birdman. There have been all sorts of
International Birdman entries over the years including a flying tardis from Dr Who, a skateboarding cow and even a chicken and mushroom pie. Historical note - the first Birdman competitors were not international - as competitors such as Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and a naked man called John were all British, but now International Bognor Birdmen come from throughout the world.
Bognor Birdman CompetitionIf you are considering being a competitor, please bear in mind it isn't really a competition in the normal sense of the word. Sure there will be a winner, so it is a competition, but very few of the people who take part are truly competitive when it comes to wanting to win the event. Most people taking part in the Bognor Birdman competition are well meaning folks, trying to do their bit for charirty, and have no intention of winning the competition. They are doing it primarily for fun. That is not to say that people taking part are not competitive, it's more that they are fun loving nutters.
Although the event is now very popular, the fun is in watching all sorts of people who come to Bognor for the event. The competitors are a right mix, and there is generally a Batman or a Superman there each year. Amongst the many foolhardy folks there, you may find a green magic dragon whose wings misfunction, a fun loving chap with a flying carpet that stalls, a nutter who is the spitting image of Dracula, whose cape mysteriously fails to open, a crazy American with a beak and a three inch propellor on his head, or maybe an alien from the planet Zarg whose alien antennas do not give him the lift he expected.
One or two souls are semi-serious and take part in hang glider-esque contraptions. One man, Ron Freeman does such a thing year after year, and each year his aircraft, as he lovingly refers to his battered old hang glider, needs serious repair work. Good for Ron though to take part - most serious hang gliders won't put their gliders anywhere near the competition for fear of personal ridicule and damage to their flying machine. Look around this Bognor Birdman site and you will get a feel for the kind of nutters who have been Bognor Birdmen in the past. These are just a few
Bognor Birdman pictures. As you can see some Bognor Birdmen are nutters, some are serious, but it's a fun day out for all who take part, and their friends.
If you are the kind of person who is interested in flying through the air with big pants and string then maybe you would like to find out more about Online Dating. It works, as does speed dating - and most attendees are generally people who enjoy themselves so at least that's one thing Speeddating afficianados have in common with Bognor Birdmen! Maybe you should give it a go.