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Rationale: Rodent studies show that pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) amounts are lower in sepsis. topics. PDH volume and activity were measured in isolated peripheral bloodstream mononuclear cells. We assessed PDH activity and volume in control topics at baseline and in sufferers with sepsis at 0 (baseline) 24 48 and 72 hours. Measurements and Primary Outcomes: We enrolled 56 sufferers with sepsis and 20 control topics with at least one bloodstream sample being attracted from each individual. PDH activity and volume in the sepsis group were less than the control group (check significantly. To take into account potential confounding we performed multivariable linear regression with modifications for age group sex assay and competition dish. We utilized Spearman's relationship coefficient (ρ) to measure the association between baseline PDH and medical factors (lactate and sequential body organ failure evaluation [SOFA] rating). Finally we likened PDH ideals between survivors and nonsurvivors in the septic group using linear repeated actions evaluation with an autoregressive variance-covariance framework. All statistical analyses had been TAK-700 performed using SAS edition 9.4 (SAS Institute Cary NC). All hypothesis testing had been two sided having a significance level (worth) of 0.05 or much less. As this is an exploratory pilot trial TAK-700 no modifications were designed for multiple evaluations. Results A complete of 56 individuals with sepsis had been enrolled. PDH ideals were acquired in 38 individuals at enrollment 33 at a day 20 at 48 hours and 14 at 72 hours. Five individuals had ideals measured at fine period points. PDH values had been assessed in 20 control topics. Baseline features are referred to in Desk 1. Median ages of the septic and control groups were TAK-700 70 (60-78) years and 48 (41-58) years respectively (for the multivariate TAK-700 analysis only assay plate appeared to have an effect on PDH levels. Figure 2. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity in survivors and nonsurvivors. PDH activity in the septic cohort stratified by survival status. Patients who survived had significantly higher PDH activity over time as compared with those not surviving (P?=?0.02). … Discussion In this study we found that PDH levels were significantly lower in PBMCs of patients with sepsis than in healthy control subjects and this depression of PDH levels persisted for 72 hours. Furthermore PBMCs in patients with sepsis who survived had significantly higher PDH levels in adjusted analysis compared with those who did not survive. This is the first human study to our knowledge that confirms findings in rat models of sepsis. In a series of studies Vary and colleagues (10) found levels of the active form of the PDH complex in rat skeletal muscle decreased by 70% in sepsis and that this reduction persisted up to 7 days (7). Similarly Alamdari and colleagues (8) demonstrated a 65% decrease in PDH activity 24 hours after induction of sepsis. To elucidate a possible mechanism Alamdari and colleagues showed an increase in the inactive form of PDH preceded by marked increases in inflammatory markers (including TNF and IL-6) in sepsis. Vary and colleagues provided further support for this TAK-700 relationship by demonstrating that infusions of a protein that binds TNF resulted in higher active PDH levels than in control subjects with sepsis not given the TNF inhibitor (10). Looking more globally at mitochondrial dysfunction Karamercan and colleagues (11) found that traumatic stress resulted in reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption (a surrogate of mitochondrial function) in all tissues including PBMCs. Rat models of sepsis have also demonstrated that in sepsis lower PDH is associated with Bmp8b increased lactate and that by blocking the sepsis-associated inhibition of PDH activity lactate levels can be lowered (10). We also found an inverse correlation between PDH activity and lactate suggesting that PDH activity may be a medically relevant parameter. Prior human being studies possess explored dichloroacetate a medicine that inhibits the transformation of energetic PDH to inactive PDH in the treating individuals with lactic acidosis. In a single randomized managed trial administration of dichloroacetate considerably reduced lactate amounts and improved pH but had not been associated with a notable difference in hemodynamics or mortality (12). This research was done a lot more than twenty years ago nevertheless and there were considerable adjustments to critical treatment since. Dichloroacetate can be known to possess toxicities (13) and whether additional means of raising PDH activity in the.
Day: April 18, 2017
Various amines such as for example triethylamine and N N-dimethylethylamine have
Various amines such as for example triethylamine and N N-dimethylethylamine have been reported to cause glaucopsia in workers employed in epoxy foundry and polyurethane foam industries. Volatility factors such as vapor pressure should PTK787 2HCl be considered in industrial settings to prevent human ocular risks while trying PTK787 2HCl to reduce levels of hazardous amines in the atmosphere. in 1975 Smith & Henderson commented that TEDA was an eye and respiratory PTK787 2HCl system irritant but did not mention glaucopsia70). In another letter to the editor of same journal in 1976 Pagnotto and Wegman at the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Hygiene following the designation of Smith & Henderson70) carried out an investigation on Rabbit polyclonal to IL7R. a PU foam plant using TEDA71). They also failed to detect TEDA in the workplace atmosphere due to the low sensitivity of their sampling and analytical strategies (<0.4?ppm) and didn't record any ocular symptoms among employees at the website. Belin discovered that ≤2.5?ppm was a possible threshold level17). Regarding to many intentional individual tests performed by??kesson and coworkers23 54 55 57 58 and J?vinen & Hyv?rinen18) visual disruptions didn't occur when atmosphere exposure amounts were ≤1?ppm. ACGIH is wanting to improve a TWA-TLV from 1 to 0 currently.5?ppm using a STEL of just one 1?ppm according to the Notice of Intended Adjustments (NIC) which measure should protect employees against glaucopsia36). Warren & Selchan reported no ocular dangers at DMEA amounts ≤5?ppm10). Schmitter and many studies by NIOSH discovered that mean degrees of many?ppm of DMEA were linked to glaucopsia11 13 14 but one NIOSH research reported that 0.4 was a possible reason behind threat12). Another NIOSH record referred to that DMEA concentrations of 2?ppm (TWA) and 9.7?ppm (STEL) may have caused individual visual disturbances within an light weight aluminum casting foundry15). Within their individual experimental research St?hlbom reported that ≤6.6?ppm didn't trigger glaucopsia51). Minimal data can be found to consider occupational threshold beliefs for TEDA. Also extra data for DMAEA DMIPA TMHDA and MMP must established the OELs. Occupational publicity limitations OELs are important baselines for chemical substance particular risk assessments and creating control options to safeguard employees PTK787 2HCl from many harmful substances. Fairly well-accepted criteria consist of TLVs of ACGIH Suggested Exposure Restricts (RELs) of US-NIOSH Permissible Publicity Restricts (PELs) of US-OSHA Optimum Concentrations on the Office (MAKs) in Germany and WELs in britain. OELs for amines are very restrictive as summarized in Desk 6 where only 10 substances have exposure limitations including four chemicals listed in Desk 136 37 83 All 21 amine chemical substances detailed in the Launch section were thought to enlist OELs for occupational doctor instructional purposes. Desk 6. Occupational publicity limitations of amines for glaucopsia As stated previously fundamental details to build up OELs is fairly restricted because of limited studies open to criteria-setting agencies. In some instances just a few individual studies can be found to set limitations plus some are obsolete33 38 39 49 As it is known that the response between isocyanates and alcohols such as for example polyol comes after second-order kinetics catalyst amines play a significant function in the PU response75). When the amounts of amino groupings within a molecule boosts catalytic activities tend to increase76). Therefore while uses for tetraamines and triamines have increased the possibility of occupational exposure to di and monoamines has decreased which could result in little additional field exposure data for low molecular weight amine compounds in the PU industry. ACGIH proposed a 0.5?ppm (TWA) NIC for TEA and the German MAK for the compound is 1?ppm (TWA) whereas the PEL of US-OSHA is 25?ppm (TWA) and the WEL of the UK-HSL is 2?ppm (TWA)36 37 83 Despite some valuable DMEA data none of the businesses has currently set OELs for this compound. New OELs have been suggested. Ballantyne proposed a 5?ppm OEL for MMP as a EMP homolog7). Most amines are PTK787 2HCl alkali and may induce skin mucous membrane and respiratory tract irritation. Considering these symptoms may be.
Background: Although chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and its receptor
Background: Although chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and its receptor CXCR4 induce degradation of articular cartilage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) the association between the SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway and degradation of the cartilaginous endplate and nucleus pulposus has not been thoroughly clarified. as a percentage of the total quantity of cells. Results: SDF-1 and CXCR4 were both expressed in IVDs and the levels of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were both significantly higher in the degeneration group than in the normal group of human (or rat) discs. Both nucleus pulposus cells and cartilaginous endplate cells expressed the CXCR4 protein. Furthermore a positive correlation was observed between the SDF-1 IOD value and the percentage of CXCR4-positive disc cells in the nucleus pulposus and cartilaginous endplate. The SDF-1 IOD values were significantly higher in the outer annular fibrosus and Trametinib bone/endplate junction region than in the nucleus pulposus and cartilaginous endplate in the rat specimens. Conclusions: Our findings suggest upregulated expression of SDF-1 and its receptor CXCR4 in degenerated IVD. that are transfected with a mutant CXCR4 gene to block the SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway effectively reduce MMP-9 and -13 expression by chondrocytes.9 These results suggest that MMPs targeting the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway play an important role in the degeneration of articular cartilage. Jia et al.10 found that SDF-1 expression was higher in herniated discs than in normal discs but they did not evaluate the distribution or expression of SDF-1 or CXCR4. We used immunohistochemical staining to investigate SDF-1 and CXCR4 expression in IVDs and to determine whether an association exists between their expression and degeneration of the cartilaginous endplate and nucleus pulposus. Materials and methods Patients Human lumbar IVDs were obtained from patients following surgical discectomy for treatment of various diseases. Each individual provided signed knowledgeable consent for their participation. This experiment followed the Tenets of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University or college Hangzhou China. Forty-two human lumbar IVD specimens were obtained from 38 patients (21 men and 17 women; age 19 years; imply 41.2 ± 12.5 years). The degeneration group (disc hernia and spondylolisthesis) consisted Trametinib of 22 specimens from 15 patients with a disc herniation and 5 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pathological IVDs were all Pfirrmann grade Trametinib IV-V. The normal group consisted of 20 specimens collected from 18 patients with spine-fresh burst fractures and the MRIs of the IVDs showed Pfirrmann grade Trametinib I-II. Study animals All animal procedures BCL2 were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Zhejiang Provincial Medical Institute. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old) from your Medical Institute Animal Center (Zhejiang University or Trametinib college China) were used including 15 rats for the lumbar disc degeneration model and 15 rats for the normal group. This experiment followed the principles of laboratory animal care. Because rats accomplish most of their skeletal maturity before 3 months of age there is likely to be less interference from growth from induced disc degeneration. All rats were of similar excess weight about 450 g to ensure that the discs at the chosen position for the experiment were of comparable size so that when they were punctured with a needle of a defined gauge similar injuries would be produced. The rats were given several days to adapt to the new housing and husbandry environment before each experiment. Animal surgical procedures for the degeneration model The animals were aseptically washed and an anterior midline transperitoneal approach was used under general anesthesia. After separating the hind Trametinib peritoneum and psoas major muscle tissue the L5 and L6 vertebral body were recognized. The L5-L6 disc was punctured with a 30-gauge needle for the degeneration model study and the puncture was a half penetration (approximately the vertical distance from your annulus fibrosus to the center of the nucleus pulposus) according to the method of Liang et al.11 The needle was inserted parallel to the endplate to avoid injuring them. The needle was rotated 360° in the disc and.


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SharePoint and the Emergence of the Data Scientist
By Geoff Evelyn, SharePoint MVP owner of www.sharepointgeoff.com
As the use of content management systems evolve with users adding more, ahem, "content", the organizations accountable for those content systems will need to ensure that they build in people resources who can manage that content, and particularly people who can find insights in that content for the benefit of the organization.
Business intelligence requirements and implementations are growing faster than ever before, particularly due to the rise of cloud computing and more cloud services. There is now much more pressure on ensuring that customer interactions are tracked as a key aspect of business intelligence data gathering. This is one of the most critically important ways of working out the value that cloud services provide.
Examples of this is everywhere. Azure Media Services and partners provided cloud-based components for the London Olympics delivering VOD content to more than 30 countries spanning across three continents. This was provided again for the 2014 Winter Olympics using a combination of Microsoft Dynamics and Windows Azure. Platform as a Service (PaaS) as being driven by Mobile application developers, so that means more push notification and geo-location services, for example. IBM announced plans to expand its global cloud footprint committing 1.2BN.
Due to this and other factors, there is already a requirement for those who can help manage the customer data, usage data, behavioral analysis, etc. The big problem is, who knows how to gather the data, what is the actual skill-set required, and what is going to be the impact on IT services, particularly the roles?
Data Scientists are needed. On this front, demand has raced ahead of supply. Indeed, the shortage of data scientists is becoming a serious constraint in some sectors. Greylock Partners, an early-stage venture firm that has backed companies such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Palo Alto Networks, and Workday, is worried enough about the tight labor pool that it has built its own specialized recruiting team to channel talent to businesses in its portfolio.
Data is becoming so important!
Much of the current enthusiasm for big data focuses on technologies that make taming it possible, including Hadoop (the most widely used framework for distributed file system processing) and related open-source tools, cloud computing, and data visualization. While those are important breakthroughs, It is worth noting that getting the correct people with the skill set (and the mind-set) to put them to good use is just as important. The emergence of integrated app development will also ensure that data scientists will be required. There is already upon us the emergence of devices with sensors, and therefore the reality of the term 'Internet of Things' where more devices will have Internet connectivity woven into them. This means that adoption and app development will rise at consumer level and that app driving sensors will be defined by the data it provides.
Why is data so important? Three reasons: 1. Data is the center, not the application.
Just ten years ago, there was no such thing as 'customer support' or 'customer analysis' concerning analytics surrounding 'metadata' or site usage, or extracting value from data. The application (in other words, the product used by the customer to create the content) was deemed way more important in the eyes of those who provided or provisioned the product to the customer. Analysis of the data was secondary. Back then, a person in I.T. was known as an individual who did not need to get close to the customer, did not need to have business acumen, and did not need to get 'close' to the data created by the application. Instead, all they needed to worry about was the actual software and hardware. Nowadays, organizations need to understand whether the products they produce, and therefore the data they provide, is deemed as valuable so they can understand whether their services are useful (and continue to be useful) to a broad range of consumers, and thus help them answer key usage and business questions to help them run the business, and thus make the platform (which surfaces that data) better. Nowadays there are requirements that means we need to present findings and recommendations to key decision makers at various management levels, to ensure that data provides clarity on ambiguous projects with multiple stakeholders and unclear requirements. By doing that a 'machine resource' is there to aid quality control.
2. Job roles are evolving.
An example of a job role evolving is a business analyst, who is typically responsible for gathering business requirements, defining metrics, aiding dashboard designs and producing product executive reports. As well as ensuring ROI assessment is mapped to an ever evolving SharePoint platform. I suspect that Data Scientists are there to help the business analyst, by identifying the correct data to help fulfil the requirements. So why doesn't a company simply stick with the Business Analyst? The key reason again is simple. Organizations today are starting to solve the issues concerning data silos, by storing large volumes of decision support data in warehouses. This data is becoming more and more complex. All organizations wish to centralize their data, and in many cases need to carry out real-time analysis, and will require people with analytic skills. Some organizations take on the business Analyst and then the business analyst role starts to occupy that of a data scientist, because the value and experience of the business analyst is built up first, then they are able to analyse the data further, if the data does not get too complex!
3. Data Convergence is a strategic reality.
The SharePoint objective is to manage and centralize data - that is clear. So this means the bringing together of data to a central place, instead of relevant users having to visit multiple places which would impact productivity. So, if you have data say in IBM Cognos, then it is probable that you would want to see that data presented as say dashboards in a SharePoint site. If you have data in SQL, then again, you may want to see that presented through SharePoint. Without talking about the technical requirements to do this, surely the business requirement is to identify what data has value which should be exposed first? So, you would say 'easy, get someone to do that'. So who? Get a longtime Business Intelligence power users to mine the data? You could do that, except then they are in fact very close to data scientists... The point here is that the more there is a requirement to understand the various data silos, the harder it will be to say that you do not need a resource to understand.
Let us now put into context why data is so important from a personal perspective. Acronis, the backup / restore company, carried out a survey earlier in February 2014, which polled 818 respondents. This revealed two interesting statistics:
· 53 percent say their personal pictures are the most important things to them versus their videos, music, etc.
· 74 percent say the value of their personal files is more important than the devices themselves.
What is a Data Scientist?
Before you say 'Data Scientist is not an IT Role' - think again. Data analysts generally have a strong foundation in applications and computer sciences. They are able to communicate analysis results to IT and the business. They can identify the through analysing organizational data identify problems and solutions, by selecting insights. They look at the data from multiple angles and recommends ways to apply the data. Data Scientists is a strategic position, and helps by defining the data model, examine for consistency and reliability. They have a technical position because they understand and use various business intelligence systems, tools, reports and data sets to generate business insights.
A Data Scientist is effectively an amalgamation of a number of older roles such as Statistical Analysis, Data Miner, Predictive Modeller or even Analytical Analyst. Add to those some of the newer and now very important areas of customer analysis on sites such as behavioural analysis, sentiment analysis. And to put this into context, Data Scientists are in fact used by Microsoft Office365 teams to analyse the terabytes of data being collected per day. That data will not simply be limited to usage, it will be based on support up/down, performance, helpdesk tickets, time to resolution and more.
A client, working with SharePoint is extremely concerned about data analysis. They have systems which are connected to sensors. "The amount of data we have coming off our sensors produces data every ten minutes. This we are counting as Big Data. It is very important to us that we are able to analyse that data from a business perspective, and not simply rely on technical information".
The SharePoint impact In the early days of SharePoint, the Engineer, Administrator have altered and grown over time to include all the roles required to deploy SharePoint to an organization. Generally, they are technical roles. However, they are still deemed as non-data centric in the eyes of the business, which focuses on the value of the data to help meet its business imperative - cash flow. The business facing critical roles, particularly that of Business Analyst, Content Strategist are now heading into data analysis land to extract value from that data, again to focus on the business imperative.
What will and has been emerging is the requirement to analyse the data. This has been going on for some time - just looking at the requirements for usage statistics on SharePoint solutions is a sign. Take that, and add on the requirement to analyse usage from an app provided say in Office 365, and that then begs questions of the other data that can be extracted from the app. Not just the technical log information either, the behavioral aspect of the users working with the app is also data.
Another aspect of data management is the focus of business intelligence and the connectivity of disparate data sources to provide information. In a small organization, it will be prudent to analyse the data to identify the best fit, however, this is simply an aspect of business intelligence gathering which 'ends' when the dashboard is defined. However, as the data gathering becomes more complex, and the analysing requirements of that data become more focused on customer usage and behaviour. An impact on SharePoint is therefore ensuring there is a critical difference in analysing the data which is surfaced, to the data which is not. Another impact could be that the focus on SharePoint data analysis still seems to be the tools so that one can focus on how to present and visualize that data, however, there still needs to be work done to identify the connections between multiple sets of data in the enterprise.
The emergence of the Data Scientist is not altogether new, but is definitely gathering pace. This is particularly when there is data trend spotting to be done, Data Scientists will be needed to help bring change to the organization. Irrespective of the platform, and I have mentioned SharePoint only because it provides the means to surface that data, organizations will need the skill-set and the mind-set to be able to make sense of that data as the organization evolves.
As we working humans harvest more data, data scientists able to determine that the data will be of critical value to the organization using machines - it is that machine intelligence which will become vitally important as we steer into the wealth of customer centric cloud services.
As I researched the items for this article, I was amazed at the mass of information concerning what it means to be a Data Scientist. Most notably 'What is a data Scientist?' by Forbes and also an interesting PowerPoint on the roles available out there for a Data Scientist, according to Network World.
Microsoft Accelerate Your Insights
Interested in finding out more on Microsoft Business Intelligence? Join us o n May 1st for an event that will explore the opportunities for organisations wishing to accelerate their use of data insights. To find out more about this free online event check out Anthony Saxby's' (Microsoft Data Platform lead in the UK) 'Can big data be used to help your customers?' article.
Find out more about Microsoft SharePoint and how it could rapidly respond to your business needs.
Did you find this article helpful? Let us know by commenting below, or reaching out to us via @TechNetUK.

subset: commoncrawl


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Animal Instincts Hard Work Pint Glass
Ideal glass for pouring the perfect pint
Product Description
There's nothing like the feeling of a nice frothy pint in your hands. That's the motto of your beer glugging buddy. So why not make their day when you present them with their very own pint glass?
Reading 'Hard Work Never Killed Anyone...But Why Take The Chance! Cheers!!' this traditional-shaped glass will make a thoughtful gift for someone special who can't get enough of the good stuff!
Dimensions: H15.5 x D7.5cm
Material: Glass
Care instructions: Wash before first use. Hand-wash only, not suitable for dishwasher.
Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews
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text: This delicious fruit salad is a cooling and hydrating dessert to enjoy on those hot summer days by the pool. Top with your favorite yogurt or whipped cream for a creamy bite you won resist! Since we are just a foot away from walking into splish-splash hot July, I made a delicious cooling, refreshing andRead More »


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Mobility is the hot gift from families looking for options to keep their aging parents active and happy. Family members pitch in a portion of the cost and prepare to buy dad or mom "new wheels" – an electric scooter for their upcoming birthday. The purchase is viewed as an alternative for a revoked driver's licence or a way to compensate for reduced mobility due to health issues.
On average, a new scooter will cost about $3,000 including two batteries. Their price range is from about $2,000 to more deluxe models around $5,000. Some regular maintenance as well as battery replacements approximately every four years can be expected. Accessorizing options include sun and rain canopies, hard-cover weather shells, and baskets for groceries and personal items. Some accessories such as the hard shell will add substantial weight and dimension to the scooter making it difficult or even impossible to fit it into a bus or van. Accessories may be inconveniences if they end up reducing access to some services.
Buying-selling second-hand
Generally retailers will consider consignment sales for units that are less than two years old. However, re-sales are not a strong market. Purchasers often receive subsidies through veterans' programs or Blue Cross. Eligibility for subsidies requires an assessment by an occupational therapist and the approval and subsidy will be given only for new units. For those looking to sell their scooter, a consignment sale will return about 25% of the original purchase price, depreciation and the retailer's cut consuming the difference.
Rent first
Some retailers will offer a rental option. This is a great opportunity not only to determine if you feel a scooter is a suitable style of transportation but also to see if it fits your lifestyle.
Scooters can be a complex purchase and some things to consider include:
- Ensuring you have an appropriate and safe place for the scooter to be parked and the batteries recharged;
- Check that the scooter model selected has a motor strong enough for regular inclines you encounter;
- If your home or other places important to you require a ramp, ensure you can navigate it safely and comfortably;
- If you will be using an elevator with your scooter, ensure you are comfortable moving the scooter in and out of the elevator;
- Determine if you are comfortable driving the scooter into a public bus[1] if public transit is one of your transportation methods; and,
- Look beyond price, ensuring that the retailer has a reputable repair shop with great customer service.
Scooter users will find that weather can be a challenge. Snow means leaving your scooter parked. Rain requires that the scooter control pad be protected. Even so, scooters can offer a wonderful way to stay engaged and active even as health changes occur.
[1] BC Transit FAQs for wheelchairs and scooters http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/accessible/low-floor-faq.cfm


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PSS Learning #1: IM is a key part of their jobs
I covered myths #1 and #2 so it's time to start getting into the things I learned while working in Sammamish. Learning #1 is that I never saw so many people depend on IM. Everyone was running Microsoft Office Communicator and they used it.
It's was a great way to ask for help from a co-worker on a case when you are on the phone with the customer. It was also used as a primary means of communicaiton with the support folks in different parts of the country or world.
In the product groups there's a mix. There are people you can find on IM and then there are people who just aren't on the corperate IM train.
On a related note... I only have one freind left using AIM. Everyone else I know now is on Messenger. I remember feeling guilty when I started at Microsfot for running it, but it was what all my freinds from college where on. Now I only have one freind left to switch before I can delete the bloated adware AIM client off of my machine for good.


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On Monday Eddie and I went to a play date after school. There is another Russian Mum at school now, her son is in Reception, and our boys seem to get along nicely. When we left their home, it was already dark, and we walked, looking around and admiring all the Christmas lights and window displays. The laptop repairs shop has the most splendid window show, a big scene with the pub, merry go round, ice skaters, skiing and Santa in his lodge. I loved the little carol singers.
Tuesday was the usual hectic day. I had a coffee with a friend in the morning. Later I did the reading session in Eddie's school. Tuesday was the most anticipated day of the last few weeks, as it was the beginning of advents. Eddie couldn't wait to start opening the doors on his advent calendars, both Star Wars-themed (though smack me if I knew what's the connection between Star Wars and Christmas). Here he is, opening the door of his Lego Star Wars advent calendar.
Wednesday :I have been dabbling in some photo challenges on Instagram recently, and Tuesday's #mystylephotochallenge was all about Hats and Gloves. How could I resist? I love hats, and have quite a collection. This M&S hat is one of my latest additions to the ever-growing stash of hats.
Thursday night was a big dinner at Federico's college. I sneakily took a few photos with my mobile. This is the dessert we had: a Christmas pudding parfait and a slice of walnut cake.
After several slightly disappointing Lego Star Wars advent doors Eddie finally got what he wanted - one of the minifigures.


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there is the forums test area (which i believe is open to normal users) if you want to mess around with colored text (or other things)if trump really talks like that about Muslims then i guess he isn't going to be a good president (iv heard there is a high chance he will win) i really wouldn't want me or anyone i care about to get killed in a terrorist attack from something he made worse... guess if i ever do find a way to get on my feet a small town would be a nice place to live.and if trump fired his sons from what ever job they had makes me feel like the job market will be a little more difficult. hell i all ready have no idea what im doing, and the likelihood of me finding a job i can do is very slim. last thing i need is the possibility of the government making things harder for me because they view me as being lazy....
Trump believes that the U.S. should not raise the minimum wage (Federal Minimum Wage is $7.25) because increasing it would hurt America's economic competitiveness. Speaking at the Republican debate on November 10, Trump said, "We are a country that is being beaten on every front economically, militarily. Taxes too high, wages too high, we're not going to be able to compete against the world ... People have to go out, they have to work really hard, and they have to get into that upper stratum."
Have you guys heard what he did over here in the uk
Nah private golf course. My apologies I got the country wrong but the facts are all herehttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/10/donald-trump-100m-golf-course
It actually makes you wonder what he'd do if he were President. Trump thinks that he can do whatever he wants, however he wants, and wherever he wants. Well, that golf story kinda proves a bit that he can't because he couldn't remove 1-2 other people from their homes/land. It's good that people are standing up to him. Sooner or later, this guy is going to have to learn that you can't always get what you want. But will Trump ever learn that lesson? Sadly, I don't have much hope. He thinks that wealth and bullying can get him what he wants. Little does he realise that the power of a united people and the power of the word "NO" is more stronger than any wad of cash or bullying or whatever else. God, if he becomes President, what will he do? Tear down the White House and build his own ideal luxury house? If he does become President, I just hope the other Repub. and Dem. members of Congress can reel him in and put some checks and balances on him before he goes too far.
I know why he is hated. But people must understand that some bad stuff you see about trump or anybody powerful or famous sometimes isn't true. I'm not saying its al lies just some may be. People will say bad things to make other people look bad and then get hated.


text: It's a dedicated audience that will stand outside in a thunderstorm. Such a crowd arrived at the North Plaza one rainy afternoon to watch hundreds of Brooklyn artists dance, drum, and frolic. The festivities began calmly enough. Endearing groups of children turned the plaza into a playground with their games. Martita Goshen, reminiscent of Isadora Duncan in a long white dress, waltzed around a homeless man, reminding me why I love site-specific dance. But soon I learned that this "Community of Creativity" could not, would not, be classified so easily. Traditional Indian dancers skipped past yogis who took a break from their downward dogs to join a drum circle that continued through the thunder, their instruments protected in plastic bags. Claire Porter loomed over the performers as if they were her flock, requesting dedications for Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning and art. The finale taunted the clouds into spewing forth more rain, motivating all into a glorious, frenzied circle dance.


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Honouring our Elders at Christmas
It's Christmas time, that time of the year for us to celebrate the Season together. Circle Project held its 18th Annual Elder's Christmas Party on Thursday, December 7, 2017. The party had a mix of fun, frolic, games and dance, and our guests were able to reconnect with those they had not seen throughout the year. The evening kicked off with Elder Noel Starblanket offering a prayer to the Creator and with Jeff Cappo leading the Lone Creek Drum Group in an Honour Song.
The buffet supper was a sumptuous meal of turkey with all the fixings and was greatly appreciated by all. After supper, the elders enjoyed coffee, tea and a wide array of desert items. The musical entertainment kicked off with Brian Sklar and the Tex Pistols providing some good old fashioned toe tapping tunes for the gathering to enjoy. Many of the elders took a spin around the dance floor for a shot at winning one of many spot dance prizes. This was followed by an all-time favourite, the jigging competition. Many took to the floor in an effort to show off their fancy footwork and although there could only be one winner, everyone had a great time sharing laughter and good natured ribbing.
One of the highlights of the evening was our 12 Days of Christmas giveaway, were a draw was held to determine the winners. Those who were lucky enough to hear their names called were given a Christmas gift to take home. In addition to this, each elder received a box of special treats to take home and enjoy.
The night wrapped up with the Circle Project Staff and Council singing an enthusiastic, if not always in tune, version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and a round dance with all in attendance who were able participating.
Once again, our friends at K+S Potash Canada assisted us in providing a special evening to celebrate our elders. With their continued sponsorship we were able to provide an extra special evening. Circle Project would like to take this opportunity to thank K+S Potash Canada for their generous contribution towards honouring our elders this holiday season!


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Enjoy free demonstrations, special tours and lots of other cool events – all designed to celebrate the seafood and the maritime and fishing industries from September through November 2018.
Seafood 101 kicks off at the 2019 Fisherman's Fall Festival, which will be held on Saturday, September 21, at Fishermen's Terminal, and continues with programming through National Seafood Month in October, and culminates with the annual Pacific Marine Expo, set for November 21-23 at the Century Link Field Events Center.
Seafood 101. Celebrate the journey from sea to market to table.
September 21, 2019
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Fishermen's Terminal
Cooking demonstrations, kids' fun, entertainment, vessel tours, contests and more! Free and no admission fee. Benefiting the Seattle Fishermen's Memorial.
National Seafood Month - October
A great time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries, and the health benefits of eating a diet rich in seafood! The United States is a global leader in sustainable seafood, supporting an industry with 1.2 million jobs nationwide and adding $55 billion our economy.
November 21-23
Pacific Marine Expo
CenturyLink Field Event Center
If you are in the fishing or workboat industries, this is your show. With more than 500 exhibitors, PME is the West Coast's largest commercial marine trade show. To register, visit www.PacificMarineExpo.com.
November 21
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
KIRO Radio's Seattle Kitchen Recording with Chefs Tom Douglas & Thierry Rautureau
Pacific Marine Expo
CenturyLink Field Event Center
November 22
Maritime Industry Economic Forecast Breakfast
CenturyLink Field Events Center, Pacific Marine Expo
Presented by the Seattle Propeller Club, Port of Seattle, North Seattle Industrial Association, Marine Exchange of Puget Sound, Seattle Marine Business Coalition and King County Maritime.


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1-800-DAINAD : ENGLISH : Marco Passarani: "I'm quite sure we are very close to another revolution where djing and performing live is just one thing"
Marco Passarani: "I'm quite sure we are very close to another revolution where djing and performing live is just one thing"
Daina Dubauskaitė 2014-01-20 12:58
marco passarani
red bull music academy
final frontier
I have heard numerous inspiring stories about Red Bull Music Academy from both its students and lecturers; However, no one knows more about the project than its insiders! The Italian Marco Passarani has been the academy team member for a decade now. Add his lengthy DJ career, work in labels and many great releases and he becomes a dream interviewee.
Many questions, however, were left for the Red Bull Music Academy session in Vilnius this Friday. Sander Mölder, its former student, will also take part but we'll talk about everything including the next RBMA adventure in Tokyo
when we meet in the Planetarium
. Calling Rome now!
Do you remember your initial thoughts about Red Bull Music Academy when you were first asked to participate?
Well, to be honest I was extremely sceptical when Torsten Schmidt and Wulf Gaebele approached me. The idea sounded very interesting, but it was almost too interesting to be true. And also, coming from a very underground environment I was very sceptical about the involvement of such a big brand like Red Bull. But let me say that these thoughts didn't last for too long. I was involved in the second term, but being the Academy held in Rome, my city, I had the chance to witness the opening day... And I was blown away.
I immediately looked for Torsten to apologize about the initial scepticism. From that day on RBMA became one of the most amazing things that happened in my life.
After being with the academy for quite some time, how would you say it has changed – or evolved – since you joined?
I've been lucky enough to witness an incredible transition. When I was there in 2004, the thing was still a lot DJ-oriented. Even though Rome was the first year (I think) when the production side of things became more and more relevant.
Now RBMA reflects this new world where boundaries between djing and producing are less and less evident. This clearly brought way more musicians to apply for the Academy, making this 2 weeks (actually 4) a utopian productivity amusement park like nothing else in this world.
One thing didn't change at all, the passion behind it.
What are your roles in the RBMA team?
I'm one of the so-called technical tutors. A link between the participants and the studios. We are there to help, share, and have fun with all of those who want to get their hands dirty on the gears. And I'm also specialized in pushing the crew to the late hours of the night.
Creativity is very much about discovering and being inspired; Do you think it is something that can be actually learned? Can one learn how to make music from books or lectures?
It all depends on the value you give to the word learning. I strongly believe that you always learn in life. Surely you learn from books, but you also learn from life ... From stories told, from hands on experiences etc. Whatever system makes you learn and discover something is good. What you need is passion and dedication ... all the rest can only improve your talents.
What is more important in the long term – talent or work?
I think you need both of them. A talent without work could lead to a missed chance, while a lot of work without talent could lead to not a useful effort. What you really need is a good sense of self-criticism so that you can understand your limits and work around that, improving them or to help you keeping your feet on the ground.
How is it different to be a DJ today and when you first started, which was more than 20 years ago, right?
Yes, I started more than 20 years ago; I was very young when I started mixing. Some sort of romanticism is kind of gone, back then we felt like explorers! Everything was super new and there was no access to any kind of information. Especially in regards of production when we started plugging in the Commodore Amiga outputs to the mixer. This was my specific case.
I have always loved the techno concept of evolution in music performances and production, so I didn't have much problems switching platform when the digital revolution happened. But right now, after playing live for almost 3 years, I kind of feel limited by the digital formats in djing. Also the romantic vinyl djing which is back big time since few years would feel like a limitation to me. I'm quite sure we are very close to another revolution where djing and performing live is just one thing. And then all the formats can play a key role at the same time and make the performance very romantic again. I'm so glad I did get into playing live 3 years ago, as this is giving me a lot of ideas for the future.
As everything goes in cycles, does it mean you have seen much of the things that are happening today and may seem fresh for the younger generation? Does the knowledge and experience give you more power?
It's true in a way, but not completely. Clearly there are cycles, but what we have to understand is the perception of things. It's a bit difficult to write this down, but I'm trying to say that every cycle has a complete new flavour, which has to be understood in order to establish a communication with the younger generation. Trying to be open to the new languages helps your mind to be fresh and open as well. In a few words, getting stuck in the past could help during the repetition of one of those cycles, but where would this lead? The challenge is to translate your knowledge into a contemporary message, adapting it and evolving it naturally according to the new times.
I know my answer is a bit confusing, but we can definitely explore this at the info session with those who will be there.
What is the most beautiful for you personally in the Roman and Italian electronic music scene (I've read you call the Italian music shit…)?
Well I don't really call the Italian music shit, but I do say that we have been famous for a long time for really cheesy production in dance music, which didn't make my life easy. Italian music has amazing producers in every field, but most of them didn't get the right attention and celebration they would have deserved.
Talking about Roman scene, I think what could have been improved (sorry I gave up fighting for it) is the club side of it. There's a lack of culture about the quality of the sound and other relevant details that doesn't really help the movement to take a step further.
What is the situation now in your label family? As far as I understand some restructuring is going on? Has Pigna stopped?
I stopped the labels a few years ago. I was either too tired of fighting, or I wasn't simply ready to a necessary transition to make my labels worth being still out there. Self-criticism, maybe even too much, but that's how things have gone.
And then at the end of 2009 I started this project with one of my partners which finally brought me again into full time music production, which, at the end of the day, was one of the main purposes of my label... Initially. The name of the project is... Sorry, the identity is still not revealed officially! Ahahaha.
After hiatus in your own album discography, can we expect a new long play from Marco Passarani? Or just singles in the near future?
I will definitely go back into the Passarani world at some point, but right now the other project is taking all my time. And talking about album, we're just in the process of finalizing the new album for it. The second one.
Do you think musicians still need labels?
Absolutely yes. I do believe in the work of those guys who create a link between producers and real world. But on the other hand, there are so many chances to move on your own which make me sound like a super old school guy when I talk about labels. Again, there's no truth. Both systems could payback.
How popular is your music in Italy, outside of Rome? Are you a prophet in your own country?
Not that popular, but it's popular among the electronic communities. A prophet in my country? Don't know really. What I know is that, crazily enough, I have had so much more experiences outside my country than in my hometown!
How have you influenced the Roman nightlife?
I think that if I have, I've contributed more on the production side of things. Never been influential in my city when we talk about partying. My crew and me have done amazing things, but we always suffered a sort of lack of support. We never wanted to loose our studio time, so we never concentrated enough on the party organization. Clearly we have done 1 million things, but I never looked back that deeply to judge what we have done. I'm proud of every single thing, but I almost forgot them cause I had to move on and find new momentum. In 20 years we have definitively done too many things to remember! Ahah.
What has been your longest DJ set so far? Your rider says 2-5 hours… Is it usually towards the shorter or the longer period?
Hmm, not longer than 6 hours. The rider was a reaction to crazy full line-ups with shorter and shorter set, where the guy who plays harder somehow "wins". Music needs time to be appreciated, so the set should be long enough to help you take the people where you want to lead them.
Name three tracks that will definitely shake up any party in any part of the world.
Mark E – R&B Drunkie
Pitchben – Standup (Tiger & Woods Remix)
Armando – 151
Marco Passarani @ Facebook
Red Bull Music Academy
Red Bull Music Academy Session + Afterparty: Marco Passarani, Sander Mölder, L-vis 1990 01.24
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I've really discovered that life - as crazy as it is and as unpredictable as it can be - is just amazing.
Just amazing.
It's the kind of amazing that leaves you speechless. It's the kind of amazing that reaches into your soul and makes you believe everything is possible because of the amazing power that is found in the heart.
Just amazing.
The kind of amazing when you realize that what you once only thought possible in fairy tales is actually able to happen. The kind of amazing when you learn that if you let go of your fears, that anything is possible.
More later.
ps - just for fun sometime - see what happens when you sit in a corner booth right next to someone you care about... that's pretty amazing, too.


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My store at Scrapbook-Elements will be closing on August 8. I have spent many wonderful years at SBE, and am so grateful to all the staff and customers that have made my time there so rewarding.
Most of my store is 40% off through the end of the day August 8 (sorry, UBuildIt products are not included in the sale). Many of my products will be retired forever, so if you've had your eye on anything, you should pick it up now.
I'm not retiring from design, so please check my blog and facebook page to keep in touch. Thank you for all your support over the years!


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ALBUM REVIEW: Britney Spears - Femme Fatale
C- | Jive | 3.28.11 | MOG | AMAZON
Let's first acknowledge how improbable it is that there's a new Britney Spears album for me to review in 2011. Who would have ever guessed Brit Brit, with her countless Sheen-sized public meltdowns, would not only have this kind of longevity, but also end up being the workhorse of the three Grammy-winning alums of the 1990s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club? Justin Timberlake may have impeccable credibility, but it's beginning to seem like music has become an afterthought for him. After all, Future Sex/Love Sounds was released in 2006, and there's no new album on the horizon. Christina Aguilera, on the other hand, started with the most promise and has only disappointed ever since. In terms of pure vocal talent, her fellow Mouseketeers pale in comparison. Yet Christina still hasn't found her voice. Is she the trashy vixen of Stripped, the classy throwback diva of Back to Basics, or the Lady Gaga impersonator of Bionic? The one thing Christina hasn't been since her debut is herself. Not so with Britney. Somehow she has managed to become the most prolific and successful artist from the late-90s bubblegum explosion. And, perhaps, the best. (For proof, I refer you to her last singles collection.)
Pop music has moved on since Britney first demanded to be hit one more time, but unlike Xtina, she has ignored trends and has comfortably settled into a well-worn groove. Starting with In the Zone, and best exemplified on Blackout, Britney has left FM pop behind and has embraced full-on Euro club music. Her songs are more than ever producer-driven studio affairs, with Brit receding into the role of the generic diva, à la Martha Wash. It's a good fit for Britney, as she doesn't have Lady Gaga's superstar persona, Rihanna's distinctive and brassy instrument, or Robyn's (or even Kelis') talent for being intentionally odd. As long as Britney's producers keep giving her good material, she doesn't need to do much more than brush the Cheetos crumbs off her shirt and show up to the studio on time.
On Femme Fatale, her producers often deliver in spades. Max Martin and Dr. Luke, pop music's most reliable hit makers, do most of the work, with a small crowd of contributors rounding out the credits. The roster of writers and producers is so extensive – Billboard, will.i.am, Fraser T. Smith, Shellback, Henrik Jonback, and Magnus Lidehäll are just a few listed – that the most conspicuous name is the one that's not included in any of the credits: Ms. Spears' own. Usually it's a bad sign if there are these many hands in the same pot, but rather than being an utter mess, Femme Fatale is sturdy, hook-heavy, and focused. Clearly the album's progenitor is Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor. Like that album, the songs on Femme Fatale come pre-remixed, with the club genre's signature breakdowns and compressed build-ups included from the get-go. "If you want this good bitch sicker than the remix, baby let me blow your mind tonight," she purrs on "Till the World Ends," and at its best Femme Fatale succeeds at doing something like that. Maybe it's not mind-blowing, but it sure is booty-shaking.
Not to over-praise the record. Yes, a handful of the songs are excellent. The gurgling beats and whoa-oh-oh chorus of "Till the World Ends" are terrific, the plaintive melody on "Criminal" is downright pretty, and "Hold It Against Me" is Britney's best single since "Toxic," but many of these songs are standard-issue to the point of being pedestrian. The lyric to "Gasoline" features a painful, drawn-out metaphor ("My heart only runs on Supreme"); "Inside Out" sounds like a Justified throwaway; and the will.i.am-written "Big Fat Bass" is just bad Black Eyed Peas. The rest fall somewhere in between: the loopy and bubbly "How I Roll" is charming, if slight, and "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" is an unintentional Scissor Sisters homage, though in the best possible way.
With all of its flaws duly noted, Femme Fatale is still a coup for Britney. When I stopped thinking about it and allowed the music to play in the background, the album had a Svengali-like control over my body – a little shoulder bop here, some hip sway there. Maybe it's because expectations have been lowered so thoroughly by her tabloid shenanigans, but that's all I ask of Britney Spears today: not a repeat of the pop brilliance of "…Baby One More Time", just some bumping songs to dance to on a Saturday night.
"Till The World Ends"


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Who says veggie eatin' has to be entirely healthy, anyway?
One of the great misconceptions about modern culture is that vegetarians in the United States are health-conscious people. Granted, we may be slightly smaller in girth than the average American, and we may live longer than most of our omnivorous peers, but that doesn't mean we can't likewise get down and greasy every now and then. In fact, I reckon us vegetarian people have the untapped capacity to create some monstrous, calorie-loaded dishes so unbelievably unhealthy that even the Epic Meal Time folks have to stand in awe of our sheer culinary recklessness. There's so much gluttonous potential there, and I think it's nigh time that me and my veggie brethren reached into the darkest, dankest recesses of our cookbooks and trotted out our unhealthiest, ungodliest no-meat dishes for all the world to simultaneously admire and fear.
Case in point? My recipe for good old fashioned, pure-D white trash chili dogs.
OK, so technically, this dish is but a derivation of an old family recipe that entailed a good eight pounds of charred and broiled animal flesh, but still. If a guy like Kurosawa can turn the classics of Shakespeare and Dostoevsky into his own masterpieces, why can't a schlub like me do a little fiddling and finagling to create his own creative commons magnum opus in sesame seed bun form?
Case in point? My recipe for good old fashioned, pure-D white trash chili dogs.
OK, so technically, this dish is but a derivation of an old family recipe that entailed a good eight pounds of charred and broiled animal flesh, but still. If a guy like Kurosawa can turn the classics of Shakespeare and Dostoevsky into his own masterpieces, why can't a schlub like me do a little fiddling and finagling to create his own creative commons magnum opus in sesame seed bun form?
In the late 1980s, famed Georgian satirist and conservative commentator Lewis Grizzard released a book entitled "Chili Dawgs Always Bark at Night." It sucked.
Creating a worthwhile chili dog is hard work, no doubt, and this duty is intensified whenever you start talking about veggie link variations. While it is definitely possible to conjure up an awesome veggie chili dog, it's also a task that can be easily messed up - as such, if you plan on replicating this experiment at home, I would strongly advise that you follow my template note for note. Now, what ingredients do you require, and what's my blueprint for creating the ultimate veggie chili hot dogs? The path to enlightenment is posted below.
- Veggie protein links (usually comes in packs of 8)
- Hot dog buns (unless you want get really artistic and douchey and use tortillas or croissants or something)
- Two cans stewed tomatoes
- Two cans red kidney beans (I went with dark and medium, but feel free to mix it up anyway you see fit)
- Chopped onions
- Veggie "ground beef" (can be found in either a gross-looking "canned" variety or in a more palatable "frozen" bag form)
- Sliced portabella mushrooms
- One bottle of virgin olive oil (or at least that's what she tells everybody)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Curry powder
- Dried red pepper (diced)
- Oregano
- Sage
- A packet of chili seasoning powder
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- First off, you're going to need a huge-assed pot and two smaller skillets. If you don't have these, uh, yeah, you'll probably need them.
- To get the chili going, add the two cans of stewed tomatoes and kidney beans into the giant bowl.
- From there, add four cups of water and about three quarters of the chili seasoning packet into the mix.
- After that, add the diced red peppers to the mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir frequently. Should be adequately heated in about 15-20 minutes.
- In the interim, coat both skillets with a generous heaping of olive oil. In the smaller of the two pans, dump in the mushrooms and chopped onions. Simmer at medium heat, until the onions and 'shrooms are both nice, crispy and golden brown. (Should take about 10-15 minutes)
- Dump the "ground beef" in the larger of the two skillets. Mix in the remaining chili seasoning packet, and spice the meatless meat as follows:
About a teaspoon of garlic powder
An additional teaspoon of onion powder
About a teaspoon of curry powder
TWO teaspoons of sage
TWO teaspoons of oregano
As a general rule, try to get all of the spices as amalgamated into the "beef" as you can. After a good 20 or so minutes of simmering, the "meat" should be golden brown, and have a very distinct, almost-maple scent. If it doesn't it, that means you probably did something very, very wrong, and you should feel very bad about yourself as a result.
After everything has been adequately simmered and whatnot, now comes the fun part: the part where you get to take all of the fruits of your labor (up to this point, anyway) and dump them into the chili mixture. With a wooden spoon (or bare hands, if you're a masochist or something), annex the "ground beef" and sautéed mushrooms into the bowl. Set the stove top to one of the lower settings, and bring to a light simmer. Stir frequently, and it should be finished in a good 20 or so minutes.
Now, as far as the veggie links goes, I have a secret. While you could just boil them (a feat that takes all of five minutes, per the packaging), I suggest you go a step further and pan fry the links right after you boil them. For convenience matters, I simply re-coated the mushroom/onion pan with some more olive oil, dropped in the wieners, and fried the links until they looked/smelled like something that wasn't plastic. This process, mind you, only takes about 10 or so minutes, and completely changes the taste of the dogs for the better so…do it.
Canonically, Sonic the Hedgehog's favorite food is chili dogs…a point emphasized in this clip from the short-lived, syndicated Sonic 'toon featuring the voice work of Jaleel "I Swear, I Don't Beat My Wife" White.
As far as sides go, I say now is as good a time as ever to break out the trifecta of deep fried white trash staples (fries, tater tots and onion rings), all of which can county faired with an ample dose of chili and shredded cheese once they're baked. As far as beverages go, I've come to the conclusion that nothing on this planet complements a nice chili cheese dog quite like a nice, cold glass of orange soda, so if you got some citrus drank in the fridge, I reckon this is a most opportune time to break it out. In regards to condiments, I'd vouch for the usual stuff - ketchup, mustard (honey and spicy brown is my preference) and if you're a real hedonist, maybe even some blooming onion sauce. If you plan on making this dish a monthly spectacle, I'd also advise scanning the phonebook for a decent cardiologist, too.
So, how do you assemble the world's greatest vegetarian chili dog? It's all pretty intuitive, if you ask me. Just drop in the wiener, get some chili on that bitch, paste the buns with honey and spicy brown mustard (duality makes everything taste better, you know), and top it all off with some shredded cheddar. Additionally, you might want to drop an onion ring or two on the dog, for added gluttony value. From there, just grab a handful of fried goods, and chili-cheese the shit out of them to turn this health-conscious hot dog supper into a smorgasbord of greasy excess. Because if you don't, the terrorists win.
The Varsity - a chain of restaurants in Georgia - are alleged to have the best non-veggie chili dogs on the planet. They also have some outstanding proprietary orange drank, so if you're ever in Atlanta, it should be every tourist's first destination (pending you don't get robbed as soon as you step off the plane at Hartsfield-Jackson, anyway.)
Well, there you have it - a fairly simple, uncomplicated how-to guide on crafting moderately healthier chili dogs, or at the very least, a recipe you can show to all of your pretentious vegetarian friends to prove that you are both "hip" and "with it," as the kids say.
I suppose it's not a dish you can whip up too often, but at the same time, I guess it's a platter that you have to try at least once a year. I mean, there's always that time of year where you just want to eat stuff on paper plates and watch "Smokey and the Bandit 3," and for those kinds of weekends, I really can't think of a better entrée.
Now pardon me, if you don't mind, 'cause there's a lawn chair, a cinder block footrest and whole hell of a lot of Styrofoam plates just a crying my name right now.
In the mood for more culinary chaos?
Check out my how-to-guide on making Thai Pizza RIGHT HERE!


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Sunday, 15 September 2019
Sun Day Jazz Jam!
Summer is on the horizon and you're going to want to drop the anchor here at Quill & Compass every Sunday!
Our Jazz Jam has been building over the last few months and we are privileged to witness some unbelievable local talent playing some sweet smooth jazz and busting some ridiculous solo's!
Whether you're an aspiring jazz musician or just enjoy having your face melted by succulent tunewuanas 🎷 pop down from 12 and get involved!
Paired with food and drink weekly specials, there isn't anywhere else you should be on a Sunday.


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CCDS – Form Sample – Distribution – Consignor Registration
CCDS – Form Samples – Warning the form illustrated on this page is not fully functional and connected to the system. We are working diligently on getting a functional beta tied together. This is a mock-up so you get a sense of what it looks like.


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Google v Apple - A Lesson in Value
Pricing captures value. Although true, it doesn't tell the whole story. Realized profit is a great indicator of how much value was captured. A recent article estimated that Google makes $1.70 per Android device. At the same time, Apple makes $576.30 per iOS device. WOW! To consumers, Android devices and Apple devices are priced similarly, but the profit difference to the two creators is HUGE. Why is this? There are many reasons, but the lesson to take away from this blog is that Apple created a ton of value and figured out how to capture a lot of it. Google created a lot of value with Android as well, but they share most of that value with other companies. Apple makes and sells their own hardware, Google licenses Android. Apple sells apps and makes a large percentage, Google doesn't. Apple licenses the right to sell accessories, Google doesn't have control over them. When Disney first created Disneyland, they bought 510 acres and built the park. The city of Anaheim grew around the location, with hotels and restaurants popping up and capturing a lot of the value that Disney created. When Disney created DisneyWorld in Orlando, they bought 25,000 acres and have built 23 of their own hotels. They knew they created the value and they were able to capture more of it the second time around. Google is like Disneyland, Apple like Disney World. Both create a lot of value, but Google shares that value with other market players. Apple is able to create value AND capture it. Here's your challenge. What value are you creating? How much of it are you capturing? Look around your market and see who else is making money. Are they capturing value that you create? Is there a way for you to capture more of that value? This doesn't mean you MUST expand your reach, but this does identify areas where you may be able to capture more value. What Apple has done isn't easy. They have built a fantastic brand and a relatively closed ecosystem where they can make money from almost everyone who participates in their success. This has taken years, sharp vision, and big risks. But success is sweet. Can you be a little more like Apple? Can you capture more value? Think about it. Mark Stiving, Ph.D. - Pricing expert, speaker, author Photo by missha
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Automated vehicles are considered to be the future solution to reduce
traffic congestion and to increase road safety. The Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC) has been introduced as Advance Driver Assistance System
(ADAS) to improve road network utilization. However, complex
traffic situations are still resolved by human drivers. Vehicular communication
has been introduced to interconnect different nodes in
the transport system for example vehicles, infrastructure, and vulnerable
road users. Communication enables improved local awareness of
the road users and the potential to further improve the performance
is increased. In this study, a popular ACC algorithm, the notion of
string stability and the concept of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control
(CACC) are discussed. A new CACC algorithm is proposed focusing
on maintaining platoon string stability during different traffic
situations. The performance of the controller is compared with one
of the most accepted ACC algorithms. The proposed controller was
implemented in a real world cooperative highway merge scenario.
The collected data was presented and appraised under three different
evaluation criteria. The controller has shown low downstream
error propagation in simulation and in real world experiment it successfully
maintained string stability during highway platooning and
merging scenarios.


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Ted Fox is the author of Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem's World Famous Theater and In The Groove. He was also the longtime manager and producer of Grammy Award–winning artist Buckwheat Zydeco. Fox lives in Dutchess County, NY. James Otis Smith is a multitalented artist whose work spans illustration, comics, motion graphics, and video. Formerly a member of the Act-i-vate Comix collective, Smith lives in Brooklyn, New York.
We have updated our Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018, to clarify how we collect and process your personal data. By continuing to use this website, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the updated Privacy Policy. Read More


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500 Poses for Photographing Group Portraits
Orange County Children & Family Photographer
It is said that one of the chief differences between a good and a great photograph (of people) is the pose. Cameras as so smart these days that almost anyone can get a great exposure, but is that enough? As an Orange County Children & Family Photographer there are times when families need to be posed and there are time when everything is free from. While it may be easy to pose one person it is certainly more difficult for the beginning photographer to pose a group of people and have them all look fabulous.
Its a great honor to have a long relationship with the good folks at Amherst Media. Bill Hurter was one of the first people that gave me a chance to have my wedding photography featured and published in some of his books. And I'm very grateful to Bill, a warm, kind and talented man. Because Bill gave me a chance, an associate of his, Michelle Perkins, Senior Editor/Production Manager, at Amherst reached out to me and offered me an opportunity to participate and have my work featured in several of her books. To wit: 500 Poses for Photographing Group Portraits. My photographs appear wherever you see a red star. I'm super stoked to have so many of my images featured.
Marc Weisberg is an award-winning photographer based in Irvine, California. Marc specializes in Luxury Architecture & Real Estate Photography, Food + Wine Photography, and Portraiture. He's easy to work with and produces clean, crisp, and engaging images. Marc's photography is published internationally in over a dozen books and magazines. You can contact Marc by phone at 949.494.5084…. or email.


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Well, here we go again… Just last week, former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt was convicted of genocide – a watershed moment for Guatemala, for Central America, and for the world at large. But this being Guatemala, the story is never really quite over.
On Monday, Guatemala's top court overturned the genocide conviction of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt and ordered on Monday that his trial restart, so it looks like we're back at the beginning once again.
As I prepare for my departure in exactly one week, this trial has continuously reminded me of both the potentials and challenges that lie in Guatemala's immediate future. In many ways, the country has come a long way since its Civil War, and it's an exciting time for me to throw my hat in the ring and contribute to a change-making, inspiring organization like the one I will be working with. Yet at the same time, my (just completed!) Berkeley education reminds me that the healthy dose of cynicism I've developed over these past four years didn't come out of nowhere. Especially in a country like Guatemala, change is going to continue to be frustratingly slow and full of road-blocks, no matter how many "do-gooder" people or organizations are present to help push that change forward. The challenge, then, is learning to balance that cynicism with both hope and realism and respecting the country's limits along with its opportunities. It won't be easy, but I'm eager to get started!


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Following this, the death toll due to floods increased to 148 on Sunday with three more deaths reported from Laharighat in Morigaon, Bilasipara in Dhubri and Bokakhat in the Golaghat district.
The locals informed that their houses were flooded and it was impossible to live inside them. They were forced to stay outside in tents.
A local further stated that they have not received any help from the government even after a month''s despair.
On August 18, Governor Banwarilal Purohit apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the flood situation and sought a second central team to visit the state to assess the damage caused by the deluge.
Assam Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal also met Prime Minister Modi and requested him to find solution to the problem of floods.
Over 1.18 lakh hectares of farm land are under water, while large swathes of agricultural land covering nearly four lakh hectares are still submerged.
A total of 51,192 people have been evacuated by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Army and the police since the flood hit the state. (ANI)


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Before reading this nugget filled article, don't forget to check out the Mash Mafia Learn 2 Lift Clinic at the Mash Compound on January 10th. Here is the link, and we are still running a $50 off coupon. Use coupon code: MASHSEMINAR
Here is the link: Mash Mafia Learn 2 Lift Clinic at the Mash Compound
We are still running the coupon for $50 off Coaching with Coach Mash! Coupon Code: MASHCOACHING
Click on the link to find out more: Online Coaching with Coach Mash
I have to admit that my life is super blessed. I want God to know that I know. The people that I know and work with are so incredibly smart; it's like working in Graduate School. I have been blessed my whole life to meet the most incredible people in my field. There are a couple of reasons that I am constantly meeting these people.
First, I have been blessed with some talent that constantly puts me in front of these people. Whether weightlifting, powerlifting, or football, I have been blessed with good genetics. Those genetics landed me in front of great coaches. You don't have to be talented to meet great people, but it sure does help. After meeting the people, my personality took over.
After meeting someone, the key is confidence. Too many people meet me and instead of walking up to me and saying hi, they hang back out of fear. Look, I am the easiest guy in the world to meet. I pretty much love everyone that I meet, so don't be afraid. If you want to meet me, come say hi. Almost everyone in this industry is nice. If you want to meet them, then meet them. Don McCauley and I are always amazed that you guys like us at all. We are used to the world when no one cared about the barbell, so we are glad to share what we know.
The biggest key to lasting relationships is sincerity and listening skills. I have always genuinely cared about the people that I have met. Coach Kenn, the Carolina Panthers Head Strength Coach, will tell you that I genuinely love him, and his wellbeing is important to me. People will know right away if you are genuine. They will know by your ability to listen with intent. If you listen to what people say with intent, you will earn their respect for life. If you just want to talk about what you are doing, they will forever write you off.
Don McCauley has been the top coach at MDUSA since Coach Pendlay's stroke. When I was asked to be one of the coaches at MuscleDriver, I was excited for a couple of reasons. I was going to coach some of the best weightlifters in the world, and I was going to be coaching with two of the greatest weightlifting coaches in American history. I was determined to not waste one day.
My ability to continue learning is what will separate me from all the other coaches in America. I will never be satisfied with the amount of knowledge that I possess and neither should you. Every time that Don or Glenn open their mouths, I am all ears. These last six months have been absolute Gold to my coaching career, and the staff at MuscleDriver has been simply incredible. I am so blessed to have them in my life.
In 2015, I am so excited that Coach McCauley and I are partnering in a lot of different areas. Don is partnering with me in my online team as Co-Head Coach. We are also going to team up on come clinics. Finally, we are going to sell his awesome book, and a few other weightlifting specialty items. I am just super excited to partner up with a Level V Senior International Coach. Don gives my online team the distinct advantage of having a coach that has actually coached athletes all the way to the Olympics not to mention countless World and Pan Am teams. This will make our Mash Mafia Online Team and our Clinics the clear choice over the competition.
In honor of our teaming up, I wanted to give you all a few of the nuggets that I have learned from Coach McCauley. I have watched that man add serious kilos to the totals of athletes that are already great. That is the true test of being a great coach. Any coach can add kilos to a brand new athlete, but only the best can affect the elite athletes. Here are some of the nuggets.
First, the plywood platform is a miracle worker. This is a small 1-2 inch thick platform that is about 4×4. Don uses this device on athletes that are struggling to keep their weight shifted back during the pull. A lot of lifters will shift their weight to the toes super early in the pull causing the barbell to be pushed out in front. Don will have the athletes hang their toes off the end of the platform, so that they are forced to stay back towards the heel. I watched him use this technique with Jess Kinzler. He increased her total by over 15 kilos in 3 short months. She went from a top 10 performer to almost winning Gold at the American Open. Her Silver performance surprised everyone in her class, but it didn't surprise her coaches.
Don loves to help people with their jerk. He has a couple of cues that really work. He tells people to stay on the back edge of their heels. This one verbal cue helped Hannah Black, one of my Mash Mafia Weightlifters, jerk 110k/242lbs within her first six months of training. He also wants the lifter to focus on getting vertical during the drive phase. Too many people try to sneak under the bar with a wide split, but the higher percentage technique is to get vertical. Finally drive the back foot aggressively into the ground with the back knee bent but firm.
Last, Don likes to say, "Stay with the legs longer during the first pull." Too many people want to start the second pull way too early. Don likes to tell people to pretend that their legs are longer than they really are. Drive through the legs, sweep the bar back with the lats, get the knees back, and stay of the bar. The longer that you can stay with this pull, the more power that you will generate during the second pull.
2015 is going to be an exciting month for us. We hope that we can help as many people reach their goals as possible. Here are a couple ways that we can help you:
1. If you are a weightlifting purist and are searching for a team and coach, try out the Mash Mafia Weightlifting Team. I am going to keep the prices the same for the first couple of weeks, and then they will increase to reflect the quality. To check out the online team, click on the link below:
2. If you are looking to get a hold of your nutrition and/or workouts, check out the "Eat and Lift What You Want" Online Team. To check it out, click on the link below:
If you want to host Coach McCauley and me for a Learn 2 Lift Clinic, email me at: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Our main job here on the data team is understanding our product and traffic. It can be difficult: building systems to reliably monitor and track multiple sites with ever-changing content takes a lot of work. And that's before we even try to make sense of the numbers.
But sometimes making big improvements is as simple as leveraging tools that have long been available to us. This is one of those times.
Google News Editors' Picks
Google News has one feature, Editors' Picks, that we somehow hadn't been using. Effectively, Google lets us share a module on the right side of their news page. It looks like this:
This looked like a great chance to get additional traffic to our best articles, not just the ones which get shared on social nets*.
I was hoping that there would be two ways we'd see extra traffic:
- Directly from Google News, when visitors clicked on any of our articles in the module
- Indirectly from the Google Search news block (like the one below)
Let me be clear: Google doesn't say whether inclusion in Editors' Picks is a factor in your appearance in the news block. But I suspected that it would have an effect.
The improvement in direct traffic from the news site would be great, but the real prize here was the placement on the search results page. Think about it- we get a link on the first page of results, linking to our best stuff. 30% of queries have a news block according to Moz, so the potential value is pretty huge.
The Rollout
Implementation of Editors' Picks was very easy: we already have a feature for editors which would easily include this use case, so it involved about a day of coding.
We rolled out the feature with one site in the first week of the year, going live across all sites on January 13th. There was a little confusion on the part of the editorial staff about what the parameters were for inclusion, but they were open to trying it out.
It took a few days before we started seeing any of our articles in the Editors' Picks module, but within the week we had seen traffic through all of them.
Initial Results
I know I should probably wait a little longer & gather more data, but so far the results have been fairly clear.
- The direct traffic we have been getting from the module has been low volume, but high quality, on the order of 10,000 visits per day (across all site). and those visitors are basically all new to GMG and spend 60% longer reading the articles than average visits.
- More importantly, it looks like we are getting picked up by the news block with greater frequency. I looked at the weekly percentage of our traffic that is coming from organic search (from Google Analytics): the jump in the last two weeks is immediately noticeable.
Our overall traffic during the last two weeks has been slightly up, so it does seem like this is having the desired effect. I'm estimating this as a 2-3% bump in traffic.
There are, of course other possibilities that I've tried to consider: Google could be indexing more of our pages (I checked, they aren't) or an algorithm change could be ranking us more highly (there's no evidence of that).
The one alternate possibility that I think is credible is this: Google is likely increasing their use of the news block. So instead of getting a bigger share of the 'news block' pie, the pie is getting bigger because it's being included in more searches. If anyone knows any evidence of this, please let me know in the discussion.
Regardless, we are obviously hoping this bump in traffic continues. 2%! Not bad for a day's work.
*Note to Google News users: if you want to make sure your favorite Gawker publication appears on your Google News page, go to Google news, click the 'personalize' button on the upper right and/or add us in the 'Adjust Sources' Module.


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DoubleGreen's Estate Maintenance program provides you with specialized long-term care for your landscaping to keep your property looking pristine. Landscape maintenance is essential on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.
Under the expert eye of our specialized management, each maintenance program is tailored to meet every client's requirements and budget on an individual basis. In addition to general upkeep of your grounds, DoubleGreen helps you optimize and maintain an irrigation system that is fitting for your landscaping. Ensuring that the appropriate amount of water is being used in the right places is not only eco-friendly, but also saves you money.
Available Services
DoubleGreen Landscapes prides itself in adapting to any client request. The following list represents examples of our suite of services. If you require something not listed, please contact us.
- Project Management with a full-time team, 5 days a week
- Maintenance of irrigation systems
- Botany, feeding and fertilization needs
- Organic edible gardens, in collaboration with Farmscape
- Fresh flower arrangements from the garden
- Exterior furniture maintenance (staining and sealing if needed)
- Arborist services
- Exterior furniture coverage during rains
- Interior plant/Orchid installation and maintenance
- Plant replacement when necessary
- Pool/Tennis Court services (optional)
- Fire wood stock (optional)
- Car washing (optional)
- Exterior Paint Maintenance
Sheri Sinclair
Sheri has earned her soil-up understanding of a garden through years of education and experience. With a degree in Horticulture and Organic Garden Farming from UC Santa Cruz, a Master's Degree in Earth Sciences and master's work from the Green Gulch Zen Center in Sausalito for Organic Farming and Gardening, she has an astute understanding of how the components of a healthy estate (plants, soil, and irrigation) interact with each other as well as having a sustainable, organic approach to a healthy garden that is safe for both the homeowner and the environment.


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Hello, I've decided after purchasing and restoring a 64 Chris Craft Super Sport I will probably never get around to using the Hal Kelly Madcap I built a few years ago. I would really like to free up the spot in the garage, so I'm willing to let the entire setup go for much, much less than I've put into it. Boat is located in Louisville, KY. Details:
Meranti BS1088 marine grade plywood from Noah's
Locally sourced C select pine frame
All bronze hardware
Fiberglassed bottom
Epoxy coated interior and exterior with painted and varnished finish
Vintage Crittenden deadman throttle
Brown Machine rigging hardware
Mercury 402XS (unsure of year)
Replaced coils (they were cracked when I bought)
Replaced stator with new CDI model
Replaced all gaskets
No missing parts, all there.
Gearfoot serviced by Ron Thomas in 2015
Harbor Freight bolt together type (600 lbs. limit- I think, I'll verify later) Only 3 years old, good tires and bearings. Lights work.
The boat has only ever been test floated at local lake. I never was successful at getting it registered, after sending mountains of paperwork to the rebuilt titling office, having things notarized, and multiple trips to the county clerk, I gave up. The motor runs great in my test barrel, I will include a DeWald 3 blade cleaver. Nose cone was removed and re-greased with corn-head grease after the 3-4 times I ran it on the driveway. The throttle linkage I came up to connect the deadman cable to the motor is not the best. Would probably work OK for cruising but no serious racing. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, for any additional info or pics let me know.


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This poem from The Sydney Morning Herald in December 1929 may describe the suburb of Lindfield or some other place of the same name.
|1929 'OUT LINDFIELD WAY.', The Sydney Morning Herald(NSW : 1842 - 1954), 28 December, p. 7, viewed 22 October, 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16613744
Of the author, Gertrude Moffitt, Trove indicates that she published several books of poems.