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Web Consulting, Speaking & Training
Are you looking to improve your site's performance and increase your revenue? A session with a WebFX web marketing consultant can provide you with industry knowledge, insider tips and answers to your most urgent Internet marketing questions. Our services can help you get the most from the web through:
- Tailored consulting, training or speaking engagements aimed at providing you with industry knowledge
- Access to tools that can help you develop successful Internet marketing campaigns that drive quality traffic to your company's website and increase your online marketing ROI
- Insightful counsel from industry experts, including WebFX President, William Craig
Speak with a Consultant View Pricing Packages
With WebFX website marketing consulting services, you get access to insider knowledge, tips and action items you can take to improve your site's performance.
WebFX is more than just an agency — it's a valuable resource for Internet marketing services. We know that sometimes, you want to talk about your ideas rather than simply signing up for a subscription and our Internet services aim to satisfy those needs.
In addition we also offer training that covers a wide variety of topics. This training can help bring you up to speed on a number of different marketing concepts and skills that can help improve any business. We also offer website services so that you can learn about SEO, content marketing, and other areas of our expertise.
See the chart below for pricing on our services!
|Website Marketing Consulting {Phone or Web Conference. Prep/research time is billed hourly}
|By a Senior SEO/Internet Marketing Specialist
|$165 an hour
|By a Nationally Published Author and SEO/Internet Marketing Expert
|$275 an hour
|By William Craig (WebFX President)
|$600 an hour
|Training {Minimum of 1 full-day of training}
|1 day on site
|2 days on site
|$3,500 *
|3 days on site
|$4,800 *
|$1,000 – $2,000 per engagement*
The website marketing team at WebFX has a consultant ready to answer all of your questions!
- How can my company take advantage of the social media outlets?
- What is a microsite and do we need one?
- How can we increase the number of conversions on our site?
- What's the best way to measure and track our site's performance?
These are all typical questions our team answers on a daily basis for companies just like you that are looking to get the most out of the web.
The globally recognized team at WebFX is available to answer questions like these, and more!
Our team knows how you can attract more qualified visitors and produce higher conversion rates. Whatever the format, a marketing consultant can guide you through your marketing journey!
With WebFX's search engine marketing consulting services, you'll get the tools you need to:
- optimize your website so you dominate first-page search results
- develop successful social media campaigns to create an online buzz about your brand, company, and products
- maximize your PPC campaigns for the best ROI
- and more!
Your consultant will tailor your session to fit your company's needs and goals. Whatever you're looking to learn and achieve, we're ready to help.
Our team has helped hundreds of companies across the nation acquire unprecedented results.
We're experts at devising and implementing Internet marketing strategies with the highest ROIs, which is why hundreds of companies have utilized our website marketing consulting services.
At WebFX, we've assembled a team with over 150 years experience in the industry. Our team has answers to all of your tough questions and the resources to ensure that our answers are valuable to you. Because of this, hundreds of companies have turned to WebFX for answers they know they can trust.
Some of our client Successes
+95% case study ▸ IncreasedConversionRate by
+37% case study ▸ IncreasedLeadsGenerated by
+60% "We measure our success by how much we WOW our clients."
Bill Craig WebFX President
Website Marketing Consulting
An experienced web marketing consultant can work with you or your team to review your site, your goals and the exact steps you need to take to reach them. During your session, you will review the basics and also high-level theories behind today's hottest marketing strategies. You tell us what you need and your consultant will deliver. After your session, you'll walk away with concrete plans and action items you can get started on right away.
On-Site Training
Your consultant can come to your location and provide training on how to optimize your website, track performance, effectively target your customers with organic search engine optimization, create and maintain a successful PPC campaign, and more. From an overview of the basics to the most advanced, cutting-edge Internet marketing methods out there, we can get you where you need to be.
Speaking Engagements
Our expert website marketing consulting team has spoken across the country to companies looking to improve their website's performance. We cover a wide range of Internet marketing topics in a moving and energized format. Your consultant can provide tips and action items you can start implementing right away in order to get your campaign moving and off the ground. The presentation we offer you is completely tailored to your needs and we will always make changes according to your highest hopes.
Call 888.449.3239 or contact us online today to discuss what WebFX website marketing and search engine consulting can do for your company.


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In English
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Radiation oncologists are medical doctors who specialize in using radiation therapy to treat people who have cancer. Most people are referred to a radiation oncologist by their primary doctors after a diagnosis of cancer. And they see the radiation oncologist at his or her office or in a hospital or extended-care facility.
Radiation oncologists can be board-certified through the Board of Radiology, which is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
Current as of: August 21, 2019
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Matthew I. Kim MD - Endocrinology
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To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Past Event | Learnovate Rise & Learn Event | Showing the Business Value of Learning
Join us at The Alex Hotel on Wednesday, 30 January from 8am to 9am for the first event in our new 'Rise & Learn' event series on Showing the Business Value of Learning.
Peter Gillis, from the Learnovate Centre in Trinity College Dublin, will present the latest thinking from our research on demonstrating the business value of learning in organisations along with case studies of companies who are succeeding in showing the business impact of learning.
As organisations fight to recruit and retain talent, developing people has become critical to business success. Organisations need people who can continually adapt and learn in rapidly changing workplace environments. As talent development becomes key to future survival, senior management is paying close attention to learning and development activities and its impact on business outcomes.
At this event, we explore how to:
- Gain internal buy-in for increased investment in learning
- Map learning analytics and business intelligence to business KPIs
- Use data effectively to demonstrate the business value of learning
- Use data visualisation and storytelling to show success
- Outline a potential model for future development
Event Format
The speaker, Peter Gillis, from the Learnovate Centre in Trinity College Dublin, will present the latest thinking from our research on demonstrating the business value of learning in organisations along with case studies of companies who are succeeding in showing the impact of learning and development activities in their organisations. Following recommendations on how you can help build a business case for learning in your company, Peter will be joined by learning and development leaders to talk about their experience of showing the impact of learning on business outcomes.
About the Speaker, Peter Gillis
Learnovate's Innovation Services Lead, Peter is skilled in the practices of innovation (JTBD, Lean Startup, Design Thinking), digital strategy and corporate company management. Peter lectures on the psychology of learning and is pursuing his research interest in the interaction between motivation and technology-enhanced learning as a PhD candidate in Trinity College Dublin. With 20+ years' commercial experience in the digital design and communications industry, Peter served as managing director of one of the first multimedia agencies in Ireland servicing blue-chip clients in Ireland and the US.
Panel Member, Sarah McGowan
Sarah McGowan is Learning and Development Manager for eShopWorld, one of Ireland's Fastest Growing Tech companies and winners of 'Excellence in Talent Development 2018' with Technology Ireland. In 10+ years in HR and Training, Sarah has worked with people across multiple professions, experience levels and specialities to provide best in class learning and development support. Working closely with senior leaders in the organisation, Sarah has built an L&D function from the bottom up, aligning to the strategic objectives of the organisation and ensuring a return on investment can be measured and achieved while continuing to develop key skills across technology and operations. Sarah has a Masters in Learning and Development, specialising in online learning and game-based learning, and is a Fellow of the IITD (Irish Institute of Training and Development).
Learnovate's 'Rise & Learn' Event Series
Our new 'Rise & Learn' breakfast event series brings you the latest research, insights and trends in learning from the Learnovate Centre in Trinity College Dublin. Funded by Enterprise Ireland, the team at Learnovate are learning practitioners, technology researchers and user-experience experts who help companies with organisational learning and technology-enhanced learning. Our community gathers together learning & development managers, learning designers, educators, entrepreneurs, policymakers and researchers working across corporate learning, schools, higher-education and non-formal learning.
Peter Gillis features in the video below talking about nudges in learning.


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The City of Valdosta Police Department is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Police Officer. Position involves a variety of law enforcement tasks, including but not limited to, assure protection of people and property; patrols assigned geographic area of the city; responds to calls relayed by the dispatcher including domestic disputes, assaults, burglaries, traffic accidents, and others; conducts preliminary inquiries, field interviews, and follow-up investigations.
Candidates who have successfully completed all major course work or all core curriculum toward their criminal justice related Associates Degree, as required for continuation toward a Bachelor's Degree, as determined by the Chief of Police or his designee, are eligible to receive a bonus of $1,000.00 to their annual base salary.
Candidates who have successfully obtained a Bachelor's degree in a criminal justice related field, as recognized by the University System of Georgia, are eligible to receive a yearly bonus of $2,000.00 to their annual base salary.
At least 21 years of age
A United States Citizen
No felony convictions according to O.C.G.A. 35-8-8
No family violence related convictions according to O.C.G.A. 19-13-1
At least a minimum of a High School Diploma or GED
A valid Driver's License
Must satisfactorily complete a background investigation, oral interview, polygraph test, physical agility test, psychological and emotional stability test, pre-employment physical and drug screen
Georgia POST Certified Law Enforcement Officers are encouraged to apply.
Please complete a City of Valdosta Application form and email it to LaToya Robinson at email@example.com to be considered for the position you are interested in applying for. An application must be submitted for each position you are interested in applying for. A resume and cover letter may be attached as additional information only. You may apply in person at the City of Valdosta Human Resources Department, 216 East Central Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601.
Sorry, No Phone Calls Please.
The City of Valdosta offers competitive salary with excellent benefits package. The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an E-Verify employer.


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March 31, 2011
New Anatomy Drawings
New Anatomy Drawings. I'm very happy with these. The lecture was all about muscles in the torso today. Unfortunately the successful ones I did of the male model don't look like anything unless you know what you're looking at so I didn't bother putting them up except for the first one on here. By the end of class I was getting hot and annoyed and the image I was doing wasn't turning out and he made us keep working on it. Finally I was fed up and started over my way for the last ten minutes of class. The guy wasn't fat but he's not skinny either so it's hard to find anything really visual to latch onto and say that's a cool looking line and I can replicate that. The girl however was a lot easier. I think it's because women are naturally curvy and to me that relates to cartooning very easily. So I surprised even myself with the last two (I think there was a piece of paper underneath the one that's why there's a line down her shoulder). Enjoy.
March 18, 2011
New Art
From class today. I am baffled by how amazing this can look with so little. My instructor came over and showed me how to start softening lines and I was dumbfounded.
March 16, 2011
I have to come up with a final project that demonstrates an understanding of anatomy...and that's pretty much where the stipulations end besides having to do with my major. I figured that I would borrow Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter Saga starting with "A Princess of Mars" for the assignment because most of the characters are nude throughout the novel anyway. Rather than doing a book cover scenario I figured if I'm going to be a comic artist I should do a comic page. So here's a compilation of sketches that I did for the mid point presentation to try and establish a look. Tars Tarkas still has a long way to go but it's just studies so whatever. Also yes it's true that Disney is doing a movie of the same name but I can't picture the guy they got as John Carter. He's too young looking...and pretty....bleh. As such my Carter (plus mutton chops) is loosely based on Michael Fassbender of "300" fame. He's got that particular kind of handsome ugly going for him and I could totally see him being from the south and having fought in a war the way John Carter was supposed to have. Enjoy.
March 11, 2011
March 4, 2011
New Anatomy Musings
Well for not wanting to go to school today I actually ended up with some stuff that I'm ecstatic with. I can't tell you how happy these make me. The heads aren't huge or too small and the legs (exception maybe on the guy) are excellent. Enjoy.
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Sharks are the ultimate predators, who have inspired terror and fascination in humans for centuries, even inspiring the Discovery Channel to launch Shark Week programming. The new horror thriller Shark Night 3D plays on those fears with a suspense-filled story about a group of college students hunted by various varieties of the hungry, flesh-eaters. When their boat malfunctions and they are stranded in the middle of the lake, with no way to call for help, they struggle to fend off the sharks and stay alive long enough to reach the safety of dry land.
At the film's press day, actor Chris Zylka did this exclusive interview with Collider, in which he talked about playing the cocky jokester of the group, making sure his character was likeable enough so that audiences will route for him to survive, how humans can sometimes be just as terrifying as sharks, that his favorite type of shark is the hammerhead, what a pleasure it was to work with director David Ellis, and the difference between working with animatronic sharks versus CG piranhas for Piranha 3DD (due out in November). He also talked about the experience of playing Flash Thompson in The Amazing Spider-Man, and what it was like to work with director Marc Webb. Check out what he had to say after the jump:
Question: How did this come about for you?
CHRIS ZYLKA: It was an audition situation. I read the script and really enjoyed the character. He has a lot of comedy and a lot of sex appeal, and then he has a lot of redeeming qualities about him, with what happens.
What type of guy is your character?
ZYLKA: I'm more of the jokester/ass. I'm the cocky kid. I'm "that guy." You want the sharks to eat me.
Was it challenging to make him a character that audiences could root for?
ZYLKA: You have to always try to find that redeeming quality. What was really wonderful was that (producer) Chris Briggs, who helped write the film, really put that on the page, which made it easier for backstory and performance, to make him a likeable guy. I think it had to do with all of the actors being so prepared and knowing their characters. They're all likeable characters, and completely different.
What gets all of these kids stranded in the water with no way to get out?
ZYLKA: The sharks swim faster than you would think. Also, all that we have is a boat, and something happens to the boat, so we have no way of getting across the lake.
Since these sharks obviously don't end up in this lake by chance, would you say the humans are more the villains of this film and they just happen to be using sharks as their weapons?
ZYLKA: Yes, absolutely. I believe so. There's a nice twist and turn, in one of the last acts of the film, that really shows that humans can be just as terrifying as sharks.
What do you think it is about sharks that is both terrifying and fascinating to people?
ZYLKA: I think because they're such an anomaly. How often do you ever get to see a shark up close? I've never seen a real shark. You watch videos of them. That's what makes it such a huge fan favorite. You get to see these things up close and on the big screen.
sDid you know there were so many different types of sharks?
ZYLKA: I honestly didn't. After I got the great news of getting the project, I did a lot of research on different species of sharks because the script had different species, and never really realized how many different types of sharks there are. It's really quite remarkable how many different species there are.
Is there one that you have to deal most directly with?
ZYLKA: I'm in very close contact with a hammerhead, which was always my favorite growing up. I loved hammerheads because they're so different looking.
How does the PG-13 rating affect this?
ZYLKA: With a movie about sharks and kids on a lake, and a lot of the attacks happening in water, it has a lot to do with the element of surprise. That's going to make it scary. It's not so much about the gore or the blood. There's no Michael Meyers or Jason Voorhees. It's these terrifying creatures that people aren't as well educated about, as they are a human person. It's more the element of surprise that makes this pop.
Did the 3D cameras affect your performance at all?
ZYLKA: The difference between a regular camera and a 3D camera, for an actor, is really no different except that the turn-arounds are longer. It takes a lot longer to set up a shot because the cinematographer is really trying to set up a whole world, so it can't be more intricate and more beautiful to the viewers, in 3D.
Is it weird for you, as an actor, to see yourself in 3D?
ZYLKA: It is weird. My first time being in video village and watching Sara [Paxton] and Dustin [Milligan] do a scene, the world they created was actually intimate, in itself. It really makes everything pop out. I love it.
What were the biggest challenges of shooting so much of this in water?
ZYLKA: We did about a week and a half of water training, so that we weren't nervous. Who doesn't jump in water and play like a 10-year-old again? It was more fun than stressful or physically demanding. The first day of water training and being underwater and using the little breathing machines that they use was a little claustrophobic, but once you get used to it, it's okay.
What does a director like David Ellis bring to a film like this, especially with the passion that he has?
ZYLKA: First of all, it was such a pleasure to work with him. He's always in a great mood on set. He obviously knows action, and he knows how to set up explosions and surprises. He brought something to the table that no other director could have brought. He really did a great job of being aware that we were trying to create something, as well as what he was trying to create. He was trying to create the action and the surprises and the scary part of the movie, but he gave us complete freedom in creating what we wanted to create, as our characters. That was really nice.
Once this ensemble was put together, did you guys just all click immediately?
ZYLKA: We had such a strong bond, from day one. It was a really wonderful two months, and we've all stayed dear friends. A lot of the time, while shooting, if we were doing buddy scenes, we would just act like we did in our hotel rooms. It was a big plus, having such a great ensemble.
What was it like to go from animatronic sharks to CGI piranhas for Piranha 3DD?
ZYLKA: Going from Shark Night to Piranha, a guy holding a fish on a stick in front of you that they're going to replace in post-production, it's a lot different than seeing this animatronic shark that, if you get caught up in the moment, looks, acts and you sometimes think could be real.
What scares you?
ZYLKA: Michael Meyers.
What was it like to play Flash Thompson and have the experience of making a film on the scale of The Amazing Spider-Man?
ZYLKA: You just try to focus. As an artist or as an actor, you just try to focus and stay in that world and block it all out. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Marc Webb. And, Andrew [Garfield] and Emma [Stone] are brilliant. Obviously, Sally [Field] and Martin [Sheen] are not bad at their craft.
How was Marc Webb to work with?
ZYLKA: He is bringing something completely different, that people are going to love so much. It's very character-driven. It's a wonderful franchise that is already successful, but I think it's going to live up to the expectations, completely. One of the nice things about Marc is that he's an actor's director. He doesn't demand. He helps, or plants ideas in your head that work. He's very calm. One of the most important things while filming is being comfortable and calm, and his warmth and his whole aura that he has about him is really comforting and calms you down a lot.
What do you look for, when deciding what roles and projects you want to do?
ZYLKA: I just look at the character and the arc of the character, and see if it's going to be challenging. We always want to challenge ourselves. That's the biggest thing that I look at. Is this going to be a challenge? Is this going to be something that I can try my best to create, that no one could see anyone else do?


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The typical RIA firm generates 79% of its new clients from referrals. This heavy reliance on networking is a natural dynamic in a business that revolves around people and trust. It is also a favorable dynamic for many advisors, as the expenses allocated to marketing and client acquisition amount to less than 9% of firms' total costs, according to AdvisorBenchmarking's 2003 Annual Study of RIA Firms.
In the news-laden business and geopolitical environments of the last three years, it seems that more advisors have begun embracing another marketing strategy to help lure new clients: media relations. Based on AdvisorBenchmarking's preliminary survey of its focus group members in February of this year, 8.9% of advisors employ media relations as a marketing strategy. This figure is a significant jump from the 3.8% recorded at the end of 2002 and reported in our 2003 study.
In this issue and in the April Practice Edge, we will provide insight into how advisors can implement an effective media exposure strategy. In addition, advisors can receive the full report–AdvisorBenchmarking Media Exposure Series–by following the instructions at the end of this article.
Why the focus on the media?
It's important to understand why many advisors have increased their media involvement. By examining the three primary reasons below that we discerned from our research, you can determine if, and to what degree, you should boost your media work.
Intensified competition from wirehouses. Advisors are finding themselves going up against giant institutional competitors with ubiquitous brand names and unsurpassed media presences. This threat has prompted many advisors to enhance their own credibility by gaining a media presence. Given the meager or nonexistent costs associated with a good media relations effort, many advisors have found it to be a worthy additional marketing tool.
Declining public trust. Investors' trust has diminished significantly in the wake of the corporate and Wall Street scandals in the last few years. While independent advisors have largely benefited from this trend, many today are realizing the need to solidify their public trustworthy image. Being quoted in mainstream or trade media publications is a sure way to improve your image.
Increased awareness. Possibly triggered by the same reasons cited above, many trade groups, conferences, and publications have focused on media relations in the last two years, thus heightening awareness among advisors.
Before embracing media relations, be sure to set realistic expectations. As with referral generation, media reach is a long-term process that may take years to yield results. It is not a silver bullet that will generate new clients on day one. Further, you should not think of media relations as an effort that will singlehandedly generate clients; instead, think of it as a strategy that will supplement your other marketing efforts and credentials. Given the potential benefit and the relatively small amounts of time and cost required, it is definitely a strategy worth trying.
Secrets of the craft
There are four tasks on which advisors should focus to implement or improve their firms' media reach. We will discuss the first–targeting and preparing for the media–in this issue of Practice Edge. Next month, we discuss the other three: reaching out to the media; speaking with the media; and utilizing media exposure to promote your firm.
Step one: Prepare a biography
The first order of business is to prepare a short firm profile and biography. This is the equivalent of a resume for job seekers. The biography is your opportunity to capture the areas of expertise that you and your firm can provide. Your biography and firm profile should include, among other things, a short career history, the focus of your practice, and essential facts and figures–such as number of employees, clients, assets under management, tenure as an advisor, and so on. You can view a detailed sample biography in the AdvisorBenchmarking Media Exposure Series.
Your biography will shape the way reporters refer to you in their articles. They will also use this information to determine when to go to you for quotes or industry-related information.
Step two: Define your media targets
The media has many forms. You should break down the media into basic categories to help you allocate resources, focus pitching efforts, and define the audience. One way to categorize the media is:
- Local: e.g., The Washington Business Journal
- Trade: e.g., Investment Advisor magazine
- National: e.g., The Wall Street Journal
- Broadcast:
- Television: e.g., CNBC
- Radio: e.g., NPR
Each media outlet has a slightly different set of game rules. Doing a television interview, for example, requires that you pay attention to your posture and hand gestures, among many other things. An interview with a newspaper reporter will not be influenced by your body language, but it does require that you articulate yourself in a more succinct manner to avoid being misquoted–a problem that doesn't apply to TV interviews.
With this understanding of the different media facets, you should then do the following:
a) Create a press list:
Ideally, you should keep a press database so you can track all communications. Your current content management system (e.g., Outlook or ACT!) is an appropriate place to capture this information. Most publications list on their Web sites the contact information for their editors and reporters and provide general contact information. Another bonus to Web sites is that they often provide direct access to reporters via e-mail.
b) Prioritize
This exercise is pretty straightforward. List all media outlets by category as described above, and prioritize. Your prioritization should take into account your media relations objectives. You are likely to have one of two objectives: attracting new clients or generating prominent reprints.
If attracting new clients is your primary goal, then you should consider the publications that your target client reads. If they're local business people, then concentrate on your local papers first. If you're one of the many advisors who focus on specific careers (such as physicians), concentrate on publications that they read, such as Medical Economics magazine. If you are primarily focused on generating reprints to share with current clients and aren't as interested in attracting new clients, you should concentrate your PR efforts on well-recognized publications that will look impressive in your office or in mailings to clients. If you want to achieve both goals, try to determine which one is more important so you can prioritize.
c) Familiarize yourself with reporters
As you create your list of media outlets, take note of those reporters and editors whom you deem relevant to your goals. Read their previous articles and become familiar with their areas of interest and expertise. Also, as you build your media list, familiarize yourself with the subject matter the reporters and publications typically cover, how they cover it, and their editorial style. Watch for areas that the reporter is categorically opposed to. For example, many reporters for publications geared to the self-directed investor (Smart Money, or Money, for example ) do not recommend variable annuity products or any investment vehicle that has a sales charge, such as load mutual funds. Therefore, you would not want to approach them with a story on a variable annuity investment solution.
By following the steps above, you are now better prepared to promote yourself to the media. In the next issue of Practice Edge, we will discuss how to reach out to the media, how to speak to the media, and how to utilize media exposure to promote your firm.
To receive a copy of the AdvisorBenchmarking Media Exposure Series and/or AdvisorBenchmarking's 2003 Comprehensive Analysis of the RIA Marketplace Study, e-mail Ramy Shaalan at [email protected]ng.com
To receive a customized benchmarking analysis report of your practice, visit the free online tool www.AdvisorBenchmarking.com
AdvisorBenchmarking.com is an online resource of research and analysis on the RIA marketplace. The service is aimed at helping advisors grow and enhance their practices. By participating in the online surveys, advisors can see how their businesses fare against other advisors, as well as learn best practices based on the most successful advisors in the business. The instant analysis they receive offers valuable insight that can help them take their practices to the next level and weather the challenging market conditions.
Ramy Shaalan is Vice President of AdvisorBenchmarking.com, an affiliate of Rydex Global Advisors. He can be reached at [email protected]
(C) 2004 Wicks Business Information, LLC


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Sandia was awarded funding to work with five energy companies to test, develop, and validate their innovative products through the Small Business Vouchers Pilot, an initiative that gives small businesses access to experts and facilities housed in national laboratories.
The five companies are M3 Wave LLC, California Wave Power Technologies, LLC, Sentient Science Corp, Ceramic Tubular Products, and Vacuum Process Engineering, Inc. Each company is developing or refining an innovative product with the potential to make significant impacts in the energy industry, such as increasing wind energy efficiencies, wave energy capacity, or even develop a testing and fabrication process for significantly larger thermal-duty microchannel heat exchangers than currently available. A full summary of the Round 3 SBV awardees and description of their work will be available on SBV.org.
Sandia is one of eight national labs participating in the program, providing access to advanced, cutting edge facilities such as Sandia National Laboratories' Scaled Wind Farm Technology Facility.
Small Business Vouchers (SBV) is part of the Tech-to-Market Program within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Tech-to-Market is focused on strengthening the innovation ecosystem by eliminating common barriers that prevent market exploration of new energy technologies. To learn more about SBV and current projects, visit SBV.org.
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy accelerates development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality.


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Bank of England Governor Mervyn King says:
We are still halfway through the world's worst financial crisis ever.
He is in good company.
The following experts have said that the economic crisis could be worse than the Great Depression:
- Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke
- Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan (and see this)
- Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker
- Economics scholar and former Federal Reserve Governor Frederic Mishkin
- Economics professors Barry Eichengreen and and Kevin H. O'Rourke (updated here)
- Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz
- Investment advisor, risk expert and "Black Swan" author Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Well-known PhD economist Marc Faber
- Former Goldman Sachs chairman John Whitehead
- Morgan Stanley's UK equity strategist Graham Secker
- Former chief credit officer at Fannie Mae Edward J. Pinto
- Billionaire investor George Soros


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Most weeks in the comments here, there are comparisons made between cannabis and alcohol, and admittedly, it is a simple comparison to make: They both have effects on behaviour and mental state in one form or another, after all.
Often people choose to instantly state that cannabis is illegal; fair play to them, what I do is illegal and has landed me in trouble over the years, both with the law and with friends. The comments and subsequent debates also often look at how harmful cannabis is and the effects it has on users and the wider community, and compares to how harmful drink is and the effects it has.
For me there is no comparison -- take the strongest cannabis and give it to someone all day long, then give the same person on another day loads of beer (the weaker end of the scale of alcoholic beverages), and see which day he causes more trouble on. As I have mentioned before, I used to deal to a large spectrum of the Essex and East London population; the city boys I know would always regale me with stories of drunken tear-ups on a work night out, and how booze was the cause of most of their grief -- the same for me; every time I have been in trouble, booze has played a starring role. But the fact does still remain that cannabis is illegal, and beer is not.
I understand my sources are biased to where I live, and maybe my "friends" have a high-percentage chance of being slightly "Essex wide boy" type city boys, but the fact remains, I have never had anyone tell me:
"I was so stoned last night I got into several tear-ups and was throwing up in the street outside Mary Jane's near Fenchurch Street, then snorted 3 grams of street chang in Charlie's before glassing a banker who was asking for it," the C2C vomit-comet awaiting the survivors.
They are far more likely to say: "I passed out" or "pulled a whitey," or "ate a shitload of Tangfastics."
Now I totally understand that there are other issues and concerns, one often stated by the media is: "If a teenager smokes a lot of cannabis they will be mentally-affected in later life." I am sure this is true to some degree, but is it more dangerous than the effects of alcohol for the same period of time? And how come there are some people who smoke it and are completely fine?
My personal view is to make most drugs legal, controlled and safer for the end user, reducing illness, death and stress on the NHS. While the additional taxes from sales would boost the economy, it would also create jobs in the growing, selling and legislation of the products.
By keeping the prices moderately in-line or cheaper with what people are used to paying now, there would be a smaller sub-section of the drug-using society that would continue to buy illegally for cost reasons, therefore reducing criminal activities around drugs. There could be an area of the UK where it is allowed to be sold, like an Amsterdam project. This could be an area selected due to poor economy in the local area, unemployment, or a number of reasons; a community in need of a financial boost would make sense. One old friend of mine did a business studies dissertation at University, and as we often smoked and chatted as teenagers, he seriously believed in our stoned chatter enough to hand it in at University. Needless to say, he did not get a degree as he dropped out after two years, but seems to be doing OK for himself, the last I heard.
Now obviously I am sure you would all be concerned about me and how I would continue to make a living if this ever did come to pass, but fear not -- something always comes up, and if not I could always go back to HMP and live rent free. After all, I am sure you have all heard in the news that prison is just like a holiday camp.
This is just simply not true -- if you are someone who thinks this is true please, for the love of god, change your travel agents, for you are being ripped off.
I want to say that while I was inside, I was only on remand and had not been convicted of any crime -- I am sure that innocent until proven guilty is the standard, but it did not feel like that at all. I was in a cell with three convicted criminals and we were all treated the same, and the days just felt like weeks, so you get to know everyone in your cell pretty quickly. You also get to know the system pretty well, and as long as your cell mates are alright when you are first in, they will straighten you out so you don't mistake your Tom from your George.
As I was sure I was only in for a short remand stretch and would be back to my home with an empty living room soon enough, smoking 'tailor mades,' I did not feel too stressed, but, with the time passing so slowly you quickly realise there are many little things that can annoy you, 'fish' quickly get upset about the little things and liberties that are taken.
Firstly for me -- hygiene. One of my cell mates was terrible; his fingernails were longer than most women could ever ask for in a Chinese nail parlour, and dirty too, he did not ever want to have a shower due to the rumour mill, and his perception of what would happen. He was quite a weak lad which did not help him, and had been ripped off by another lag recently which added to his worry. He stank and although moaned at, he refused as much as possible to wash. Therefore when he did wash, he only seemed to remove half the stink.
Secondly dinner could be an annoyance -- on a whole it was not too bad, chips some nights, with a piece of meat, a pork chop and a some veg (bit overcooked; I like my veg el dente). Not great, but I have had worse cooked by a couple of birds I have dated in the past, needless to say. It was not the quality that annoyed me, but if you are served later on in the queue, your plate would more than likely be stone cold and decidedly emptier than everyone else's. Now I love to eat, and eat well, so this really pissed me off.
This was sometimes exasperated by guards taking your personal canteen and fags when you got on the pigs' nerves. This brings me on neatly to the screws.
The guards, as mentioned before, some are fine -- helpful, even close to being considered nice, occasionally. They seemed to me to be there not for the money, it was more a career to them. But, there were a couple who were different; one 'screw' in particular for me stood out; I did not see him the first few days, in fact contact after checking in was fairly minimal with guards. I was in a cell with a safe crowd, and they all wanted to keep their heads down, get parole, and get out. But this screw did not care -- on his first shift, he had a half-arsed attempt to intimidate the occupants of my cell, a bully with authority. That evening he pulled us up for having our TV too loud, the rule is you are not allowed to hear it outside of the cell door, but of course, it is a cell door, so you can hear quiet chatter outside. On this night he gave us a warning. It seemed like he was fucking with us because no one else did, and he got his kicks from it.
In the morning one of my cell mates left for a job to earn a little extra, and pass the time. As he went to leave, this particular screw decided to pay us a visit. Stopping the working lag, he decided to look through the cell, deciding two of the cell mates had "kit issues taking away most of their clothes." I really did not see why they did this; both had the kit in there the whole time I had been there, with visits every day from different guards.
It seemed this particularly dickish guard also took pleasure in making his colleagues act in a more harsh manner -- maybe he thinks that is how the job should be done, or it is his responsibility to be the hard screw? He reminded me not to be friendly with any of the guards; the fact is they were all his mates, talked to him, and more than anyone else I did not want that prick to know anything about me.
As the days passed, I felt a little more at ease. I spoke to a few lads with friends in common the few short times we were allowed out of the cell; guys I had no idea were inside and recognised in passing from nights out and parties. My cell mates were fine and had similar tastes in music to I; the ginger lump of a cell mate generating laughs with his drug-fuelled happy hardcore tales. There were a couple of books to read, and a radio and TV. You don't drop your guard though; you keep yourself to yourself even in chats with cell mates, and it gets easier; you just get used to it.
I felt lucky really; the cell was a good one in comparison to others close by, but the square smelly kid was looking more like a victim as I grew in confidence. I am sure the smelly git knew he smelled bad, but the fear of going to the shower stopped him. He was complaining a lot as well; about losing a joint, not talking tough -- whispering it, moaning and bitching.
Just a little too much, it would transpire, much later into my stay in prison. But as for the first few days, it was definitely not a holiday camp, but not a den of anal rape and guard-related abuse, either. Just a bunch of blokes sitting around waiting it out; me in a crappy pair of dark grey tracksuit bottoms which hung off me, and a t-shirt that was the wrong side of snug. I was rapidly getting comfortable, but was it too good to last?
For the next few weeks I will be looking at my time in prison, and some of the guys I met while I frequented HMP.
Jamie Snoll is a pseudonym for a drug-dealer born and bred in Essex, who offers up a view from the different side of the law to our monthly columnist Matt Delito.
Image Credit: Drug-dealer via Shutterstock / anonymous via Shutterstock


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What do you do when you've shoveled the walks front and back and you aren't expecting anyone but the mail carrier? You won't be driving anywhere today. You going to just sit there and read?
Not today. Write? Maybe. But first I'll make an inordinate number of trips between the best window and door views–taking photos again–repeating myself in awe-filled tones on how light and easy the frozen raindrop pebbles were scraped and tossed. "Just like granulated sugar," I'll say. Again.
Then as predictably as snowfalls beautify our northeastern landscape in January, I'll start to bake. Or cook. But no Chef–like The Ranting Amateur whose postings I admire — I may try something I fancied on a recent magazine cover. I'm thinking I'll make Anadama bread in all its molasses glory another snowy day before spring. That Betty Crocker Cookbook (first edition–1950) recipe, brown finger smudges and all, isn't going anywhere.
Yes. On the first snowfall of the weekend I'm thinking soup. I set oven temp at 425 degrees and start cutting into 1-inch cubes the butternut squash I brought home weeks ago with good intentions. Softer now, cutting 1/2 to 1-inch discs across the solid end is a snap for paring. NOTE: Select butternut squash with smallest bulbous end for fewer seeds and fiber to discard.
A half dozen nice-sized carrots (thinly scraped with a peeler) get cut to 1-inch pieces and tossed in a big bowl with a half dozen (if small) whole garlic cloves and a sliced medium onion. 2 tbsp of olive oil and a scant shake of salt and pepper (to taste) will coat the tossed vegetables. On a cookie sheet, turn all with spatula halfway through 30 minutes in oven.
I set timer for two 15-minute segments so I can't forget.
In 3-4 batches (depending on food processor capacity, puree vegetables along with the 4 cups of chicken stock. Mine was pretty and more textured (just the way I like it) with bits and pieces of the two shades of orange. Rather than sweeten with the whole TBSP of brown sugar, as in the original recipe, I pared and microwaved 2 smallish Gala apples in 1 tsp water 4-5 minutes while vegetables were baking, pureeing together.
When bringing soup to simmer for serving, add 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the pot. (panini croutons optional)
I have two lovely Pfaltzgraff tureens–one gray, one blue. But my smaller ceramic pumpkin was the perfect size for about 9 one-cup servings. Perfect color to warm up my snowy day!


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Police in Helicopter (1983)
Great songs you haven't heard, everyday. New releases, oldies, your parents' music and more. Hit the search or browse by artist, genre or year.
July 16, 2012 • 10:32 am 0
Police in Helicopter (1983)
July 2, 2012 • 11:43 am 0
One of my favorite songs of all time.
June 8, 2012 • 3:26 pm 0
Usually I am not a fan of chopped songs, I prefer the screwing, but this is hella well d0ne. Slowing it down really brings out the creepiness of the lyrics.
Filed under: Micheal Jackson, 1983, chopped and screwed, pop, Rock, synth pop
June 1, 2012 • 4:38 pm 1
Can you handle the pure joy of the early 80s track? I doubt it. My mood was once as sour as year-old milk, and then along came Todd and his ballad of FUCK work – it is time to BANG.
The blue-collar blues is cured with this popped-collar pop.
Filed under: Todd Rundgren, 1983, 80s rock, classic rock, pop rock, Rock


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Get amped, Dallas! There's about 20 ways to cool down this weekend -- from weird sound art and throw-back movies, to aRevenge of the Nerds
costume party, drag theater and a massive video game marathon. (Something in here is worth braving your blistering steering wheel for, I swear.)
Share this list with your adventure crew and click on the event titles for more information. I'll see you out there. (I'll be the one playing an electric violin.)
Thursday, 8.1 Quakecon (Hilton Anatole, through Sunday) -- This BYOCPU computer party unites gaming junkies for a weekend-long festival. We wrote a guide for it.
Sound Materials, at the DMA (6 to 8 p.m.)-- Part of Oil and Cotton's educational portion of DallasSites: Available Space, this class explores sound mediums through discussion and demonstration. O&C's co-owner Kayli House Cusick presents the art of documentation through hand-written music notation; singer/songwriter David Karsten Daniels tweeks the tech of laptop and smartphone recording; performative sound sculptor/composer Martin Back will unveil the world of art instrument construction; and we'll get an eye and earful of tape music and the architecture of sound portraits from guitarist/composer Chaz Underriner.
PSWxEDU Workshop: Endurance + Ritual in Performance Art, at the DMA (7 to 8:30 p.m.) -- UT Arlington educator and local artist Dr. Benjamin Lima introduces this workshop, which serves as number two in a four part series on the medium. PerformanceSW founders and arts promoters Alison Starr and Courtney Brown will moderate the thing and you'll get a performance by Bobbye Eachus. RSVP is encouraged but not required.
Sonali Khatti: Break Away, at the Magnolia (6 to 9 p.m.) -- Never fall into the belief that art is without support in Dallas. This city's cultural shepherds have turned everything from hotels to movie theater lobbies into gallery spaces. Good ones, too. RO2 took over the programming of the Magnolia's concessions-area plaza earlier this year; they'll open Sonali Khatti's blend of India-inspired work tonight.
Summer in the Sky (7 to 10 p.m.) -- More fancy mix-and-mingle than a formal art show, Summer takes you up, up, up and into the Penthouse suites of 1400 HiLine. For one night you'll pretend you hold court, gazing out at Dallas.The rooms will be furnished with art, furniture and design elements from the city's most innovative contemporary dealers, furnishings you'll visually sample over cocktails. You'll RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com for this one.
Friday, 8.2
Planet of the Apes (Texas Theatre through Sunday) -- "New things are stupid. Old things rule. Originals always crush remakes, reboots and sequels. Like, everyone knows they got Planet of the Apes right the first time." That's a quote by our freelancer Allison Perkins, who is correct in every respect. Texas Theatre knows it too, so they're showing the classic man vs. self vs. nature vs. time vs. ape film all weekend long. Plus, you can shout that line. (You know which one.)
Extended Market: Games, Vol. 1 (5 to 7 p.m.) -- We've previewed Rick Lowe's contribution for Nasher Xchange, Trans.lation: Vickery Meadow, a unifying cultural work. While those pop-up markets will certainly be the most visual elements, getting to that point requires discussion, shared experience and just breaking down for a little fun. That happens on Friday when you're invited to hang out under The Big Tree and play cards, dominoes or whatever else you like with the neighborhood. Just think: When you lose, it's still art.
Revenge of the Nerds Themed Party (Prophet Bar) -- It's more than a classic Big Guy versus Little Guy tale: Revenge of the Nerds is a series of clips, quotes and images that when collected, reinforce the adult human you've become. There'll be tricycle racing, roller-skating, cardboard cut-out picture structures and pie-throwing. Extra kudos to anyone dressed as the housecleaning robot.
I'm So Excited! (The Modern, Fort Worth through Sunday) -- This jubilantly titled release is Pedro Almodóvar's latest and is set entirely on an airplane. Join his high-flying crew this weekend at the modern and roam the museum's new acquisitions while you're there. (There's even a half-priced noon matinee on Sunday.) Congratulations, you've just found the perfect day.
Much More Than Human at Circuit 12 (6 to 9 p.m.; repeats on Saturday) -- Hey, you got surrealist elements in my cartoons! Described as "a representation of characters between cartoon and a surreal world; set in a motionless daily life," Much More Than Human is told directly to the viewer by Italy-based artist Nicola Leoni. It's got a short run (hence the two-day opening affair), punctuating Circuit 12's walls only through August 7. See it.
August Art & Coffee: Knowledge and Wonder (7:30 to 10:30 p.m.) -- It's Art.Love.Magic's monthly Buzzbrews meet-up, and it's an art show/hang out hybrid. See what's brewing in Deep Ellum on Friday.
Saturday, 8.3 AKIRASH: ODA -- This piece of performance art is being presented by CentralTrak artist-in-residence AKIRASH in conjunction with Paint, RO2's current exhibition. Read more about this at the link, but know that AKIRASH will walk from CentralTrak to Pegasus Plaza wearing an outfit made of water bottles, encouraging strangers to join the procession. At Pegasus Plaza, he'll perform ODA, meant to bring people outdoors and give comfort to the summer heat. Cocktails follow at RO2.
Forever Lovely (Stone Cottage Theatre through August 17) -- Life is challenging for third-rate Dallas drag queen Lovely Uranus. She's got a bunk weave, man trouble and a wardrobe that would make Phyllis Diller seek higher ground. Let her talk it out at this one-lady show. Hate Mail (Bath House Cultural Center) -- The grueling, soulless vacuum of customer service call banks is the backdrop for this 2-man piece of theater. It's a comedy, a romance and a reminder that really: things could be worse.
Coffee and Doughnuts -- It's a celebration of why we wake up each day. No, not love. Not career. Nope, it's coffee and doughnuts: those are what make our motors run. In addition to art about the terrible twosome, some work at this Basement Gallery show is also made of coffee. Oh, and there'll be lots of the namesake items in attendance for you to devour. There's a cover.
Sunday, August 3
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily present Dragons! -- The circus kicked off on Wednesday but c'mon: Sunday afternoon = Clown Time. Everyone knows that.
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Summer Adventures at Fair Park -- A little real talk: Summer Fair is weird. It's a smaller, hotter, less-root beer-y version of Big Fair. Also, it's catered more to young ones with only, like, three legit rides for adults. The flip side of that: The folks who work at Summer Fair make it worth going. They'll spray you down with a garden hose when you ride the one, existing roller coaster. They'll cackle and dangle a rubber snake in your face as you cruise through the psychedelic haunted house. They'll even smile while they deep fry your corn dog, even though they're internally melting. Wear a swimsuit under your clothes, bring water shoes and ride unlimited turns on Kick It, because nobody else is there. It's 15 bucks.
Conversations with Creatives (Dallas Museum of Art; 4 to 5 p.m.) -- Arts Council Texas is a new group working to provide legal assistance to artists in Dallas and Fort Worth and they're giving a presentation at the DMA on Sunday. It's a must-attend for working creatives who want to learn more about their rights and how to protect them. Check it out, it's free.
Hitchcock Sundays (Sherlock's Baker St. Pub and Grill) -- Every Sunday in August Sherlock's tips its detective hat to the king of suspense by showing a different Hitchcock flick for free. Oh, there's free popcorn too, naturally. It begins this Sunday with the avian terror classic, The Birds.
PAINT: Into the 21st Century [Panel Discussion] -- Moderated by CentralTrak's Heyd Fontenot, contributing artists Akirash, Fannie Brito, TJ Griffin, Jeff Parrott, and DJ Perera discuss the tenacity of painting as a medium, despite the idea of its pending demise.


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Insidious: Chapter 2 frightened off the competition at the box office this weekend, taking the No. 1 spot with $41 million in ticket sales. The sequel earned three times as much as the original movie in its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. It's the second-highest September opening, behind last year's Hotel Transylvania.
The Robert De Niro/Michelle Pfeiffer mob comedy The Family opened in second place with $14.5 million.
Never miss an episode! Add new fall shows to your Watchlist
Riddick dropped from the top spot to No. 3 with $7 million, while The Butler fell to No. 4 with $5.9 million. In fifth place was We're the Millers with $5.4 million.
At No. 6 was Instructions Not Included, which took in $4.25 million, while Planes came in seventh, earning $3 million in its sixth week in theaters.
Rounding out the Top 10 were One Direction: This Is Us ($2.4 million), Elysium ($2 million) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters ($1.8 million).


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Posted by Katie Salter, Technical Writer at 08/03/2015 07:41:22 AM
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The Healthy Development Initiative (HDI) is the research arm of the UMass Amherst Psychological and Brian Sciences Department. HDI seeks to understand and promote the psychological and physical health and well-being of children, adolescents, adults, and seniors in our communities. "Resilience" is the inaugural theme for HDI.
This group of UMass scientists and students collaborate with community partners to share new knowledge about human development. They also conduct research, education and outreach projects regarding human development across the lifespan in the Greater Springfield area. Dr. Kirby Deater-Deckard is the Program Director.
To learn more about research opportunities visit http://www.healthydevelopment.org/
Learn more about the Community Partnerships Pilot Research Grant Opportunity.


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Blog Archives
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 13 Review
You just gotta end a sentimental series like Hibike! Euphonium with a love confession, right? Except, well, it isn't really a love confession – since, I guess, in this series' universe girls say that all the time to each other apparently.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 13: Graduation! The third-years go, new first-years arrive…
It's a time of goodbyes and new beginnings but Kumiko has one regret! She has yet to confess to her beloved Senpai!
I mean, this would be like the third woman she has confessed her love to within a year, but hey, what can you do, right? That's what being young is all about!
And all the while people keep yammering about how she should be in love with Shuichi. That joke never gets old, I guess.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 12 Review
This series is obsessed with mentioning other schools and describing how successful they've been in the past. For a series, that's supposedly all about the "trying hard is enough"-mentality, it's strange just how often it can't help itself but make it a status thing when characters mention other schools.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 12: As they say, it's all about the journey and not the destination… even if during the journey all everybody could think about was to finally get to a destination. And I guess, usually the saying also implies that you actually got where you wanted to go. But let's not dwell on that! Everything's fine – no matter what the actual results are!
But on the bright side of things: Asuka's dad still knew what his daughter looked like and Kumiko's sister was there (who has been less of an asshole since she had confessed her problems to Kumiko).
And Reina confessed! The event so many people didn't really wait for and that predictably didn't go anywhere either…
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 11 Review
Great job heckling the teenager who just has gone through a lot in her private life!
Hibike! Euphonium S2 11: The question you gotta ask yourself is: "Do characters in this show actually have a life when Kumiko isn't around to just observe it?"
Not that Kumiko personally cares. But Reina's such a drag, she just has to give a shit about that teacher she's supposedly in love with! So high-maintenance, right?! When you have friends like that… and so on and so forth.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 10 Review
It took this series over 20 episodes to finally confront Kumiko with some hard truths. If this show isn't getting a third season, it's a weird decision to only acknowledge shortly before the end that the series-protagonist is a big wimp who has a lot of growing-up to do.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 10: Kumiko's little visit to Asuka hasn't changed anything unsurprisingly.
After this failure, things only get tougher for Kumiko as both Mamiko and Asuka show her that she's still far away from being an efficient trouble-solver.
But hey, she's just a child, so it's fine, right? No need to already behave like an adult in high school. I'm sure there are a ton of YA-stories out there that show how growing up isn't a priority when you're in high school, right? The coming-of-age-genre generally deals with all these kids in their twenties who finally learn what being an adult means, right?!
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 09 Review
I wonder if Natsuki could still pass the Turing-test in that moment. Forget about the question if a teenager could be this selfless, can a person, in general, be THAT selfless?! Isn't the whole point of her relentless practicing to get the position she currently has? Shouldn't she sound at least a tiny bit conflicted…?
Hibike Euphonium S2 09: Asuka is still in self-imposed exile and there's only ONE person who can save her!
Or at least that's what everyone seems to think.
I don't know, does Asuka have any friends who might have an interest in helping her…? I guess not… And so it falls to Kumiko to be the most Euphonium-like person ever – which is a good thing apparently.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 05-08 Review
Then simply don't do it!
Hibike! Euphonium 05-08: And with that, the ensemble wins another competition!
And… since this wasn't the Nationals, literally nothing has changed for the ensemble. I guess, they just have to continue being try-hards and it will all be fine.
Asuka's mother raises her daughter alone and has decided to start some trouble. Trouble, which keeps Asuka away from the ensemble despite her wishes. And Kumiko's sister's in trouble because she has stopped playing the trombone despite her own wishes all those years ago! What a coincidence!
Also, Taki has a dead wife. Good to know and… that's really all you need to know about that character.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 04 Review
I guess, this robot's AI still needs some work.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 04: For a moment, I really feared that Yoroizuka's problems won't ever get resolved. Especially since her BFF turned out to be a huge asshole. It's incredible how much Nozomi thinks doesn't need to be said. But somehow, it's still Yoroizuka's fault for not getting that, of course. How dare she make assumptions about Nozomi's opinion, right?! When someone isn't talking to you and suddenly does something drastic and surprising, you go to that person and demand answers!
Oh, and if you're the person who decided to do something drastic and surprising… Well, you just sit back and have fun! Nothing wrong with that!
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 03 Review
Constructive criticism that every teenager would like to hear, I'm sure!
Hibike! Euphonium S2 03: Kumiko finally uncovers the root of the problem: It's Yoroizuka! Apparently, Nozomi makes her vomit! That's quite the problem to have as a teenager… I never knew PTSD was part of the coming-of-age experience.
Also, Kumiko finds out that Taki's past is quite the sob-story.
Hibike! Euphonium S2 – 01/02 Review
… Which needs to be fixed! The goal is to become a human jukebox for classical music!
Hibike! Euphonium S2 01/02: The ensemble has won a competition but the Nationals are still far away! Sure, they're good – but they need to get better! Because that's ALL that matters to these kids!
Isn't adolescence great?!
But some girl who quit the ensemble during its dark year due to bullying (what a loser!) wants to rejoin the ensemble. Of course, the senpais are against it. There's no forgiveness for quitters. But Kumiko musters some courage and shows some compassion.
Is it deserved? Who knows…
Hibike! Euphonium OVA: Dash, Monaka – Review
… even if it's the worst moment of your life!
This time I review:
Hibike! Euphonium OVA: A bunch of failures learn the hard lesson of not living up to expectations by happily becoming a cheering fan-club for the rest for the ensemble! Also, Hazuki gets convinced to try her luck with Shuichi and (naturally) quickly changes her tune to cheering him on to get his shit together and start a relationship with Kumiko… because you know she's been waiting since… I guess, it must have been after the time she showed no interest whatsoever in going on a date with him.
But before you think, this means that she's into Reina… wait a minute… it's a bit more complicated than you'd think.


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Kurt Nimmo
March 6, 2010
Coincidence? Several days before John Patrick Bedell attacked two Pentagon cops and was killed, D.C. police staged a drill at the Friendship Heights Metro station in in Northwest Washington.
"Metro police and other emergency personnel will descend on the Friendship Heights Station starting at 11:30 Wednesday night for an anti-terrorist exercise in which mock gunmen open fire, killing or wounding several passengers," Ann Scott Tyson reported for the Washington Post on February 22. "Agencies responding will include the Metro police special response team, as well as fire, police and emergency medical personnel from the District, Montgomery County and the FBI, according to a Metro statement."
Prior to the Friendship Heights Metro station drill, on February 3, D.C. Metro Transit Police staged their largest anti-terrorism sweep ever, "some toting M-4 rifles and others guiding bomb-sniffing dogs," according to the Post. "In coming months, they plan to hold similar drills for the effort, dubbed Blue TIDE (Terrorism Identification and Deterrence Effort)."
Drills are a prominent and highly suspicious feature of the attacks on September 11, 2001. New York City was scheduled to have a major terrorism training exercise September 11. It was called Tripod and was intended to test how well the city's Office of Emergency Management would administer treatment in the event of a biological-terrorism attack. FEMA and the FBI were scheduled to participate.
FEMA spokesman Tom Kenney confirmed Tripod was scheduled to take place. He told Dan Rather on September 12, 2001, that FEMA was deployed to New York on Monday night, September 10th, to be ready to go into action on Tuesday morning, September 11th. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani confirmed FEMA's presence in the city during his testimony before the 9-11 Commission in 2004.
During its Vigilant Guardian exercise held on September 6, 2001, NORAD practiced for dealing with the simulated hijackings of two commercial aircraft by terrorists. The simulated hijackings were to occur on September 9, 10, and the morning of September 11.
The previous month, on August 30, the Department of Transportation held a tabletop exercise as part of its preparations for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. "During that exercise, part of the scenario, interestingly enough, involved a potentially hijacked plane and someone calling on a cell phone, among other aspects of the scenario that were very strange when 12 days later, as you know, we had the actual event [of 9/11]," Ellen Engleman, the administrator of the DOT's Research and Special Programs Administration, said in October, 2001.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
In early August of 2001, a mass casualty exercise was held at the Pentagon. The scenario envisioned a hijacked plane hitting the Pentagon. "[It was] purely a coincidence, the scenario for that exercise included a plane hitting the building," General Lance Lord, the assistant vice chief of staff of the Air Force who was one of the participants in the exercise, told the Air Force Space Command News in September, 2002.
On the morning of September 11, within minutes of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the CIA was engaged in "a pre-planned simulation to explore the emergency response issues that would be created if a plane were to strike a building." The Bush administration described the event as "a bizarre coincidence."
And then there was the terrorist drill held in London during the July 7, 2005, attack. "At half past nine this morning we were actually running an exercise for a company of over a thousand people in London based on simultaneous bombs going off precisely at the railway stations where it happened this morning, so I still have the hairs on the back of my neck standing up right now," Peter Power, Managing Director of Visor Consultants, a private firm on contract to the London Metropolitan Police, told the BBC.
After the London attack, math on the odds of a drill occurring at the same time was calculated. "The odds were one in 3,715,592,613,265,750,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. This is obviously a figure open to conjecture but it gives you an idea of the ballpark improbability we are talking about," Paul Jospeh Watson wrote for Prison Planet on July 23, 2005. (See Probability of 7/7 Drill and Attack Coinciding.)
The odds on the drill at the Friendship Heights Metro station in in Northwest Washington and the Blue TIDE exercise held earlier prior to the Pentagon shooting are much lower, but suspicious nonetheless.
The exercises were not mentioned by the corporate media after the Pentagon shooting. The fact drills and exercises parallel such events are irrelevant to the corporate media. Its primary agenda is to engage in hysterical fear-mongering about "rightwing extremists" and 9/11 truthers and fallaciously connect them to a shooting by a mentally deranged man who not only wrote about 9/11 truth but the bizarre idea that marijuana should be the basis for the nation's currency.
The Reopen America Back to School Special is now live! Earn double Patriot Points on our hottest items!


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Top 5 ways to avoid having a 'food baby'
We all look forward to eating yummy, delicious foods during the holiday season, but we certainly don't want to feel (or see) a 'food baby' pop up. Gas, bloating and distended bellies may occur during the holidays and occasionally can pose a more continual problem into the New Year. What if we can prevent that from happening in the first place? Read on for our 5 easy tips to keep your digestive tract in the best of shape!
1. Eat slowly– by the time your brain registers that you are full, you have surpassed the time you should have stopped by almost 20 minutes. Eating more mindfully and chewing your food can help you avoid over-eating.
2.Don't wait until you are starving to eat– being hungry can also lead to over-eating. Also, when blood sugars crash (stimulating your hunger signals), you are more likely to crave sweets and unhealthy snacks. Blood sugar swings during the day also decreases energy levels and sluggish metabolism.
3.Drink lemon in water– a great digestive stimulant we highly recommend, either first thing in the morning or before your meals.
4.Keep hydrated– for all the caffeine and alcohol that may be consumed during the holiday season, ensure you increase your water intake as well. For every cup of coffee or glass of wine, replenish with at least 2 glasses of water.
5.Castor oil packs – at the end of the day, if you still feel the effects of a 'food baby', put your feet up and try using a castor oil pack over your abdomen. For more information on Castor Oil Packs, click here.
~ Dr. Patti


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Huge changes for our family this week in that our eldest has moved for a lengthy stint to Luxembourg
Now while this is obviously a wonderful opportunity (I mean, who gets to go and live there!?), it is also a little like splitting the atom for us: our family is very close.
So we have this dichotomous emotional situation of being thrilled for them and feeling the massive gap that their leaving has caused.
I know that the majority of South African mamas have had to face this situation before (as have I some years ago when my youngest left SA for the States and was away 5 years) but that doesn't make it a walk in the park.
However, the photos that are coming back from Luxembourg show a beautiful city and the conversations via Skype have been full of excitement and tales of discoveries
|This taken at a last coffee on our beach. A chilly and windy day. Lots of smiles but both feeling the pinch.
|Group pic at the airport. Their adult daughter is going along for a two week holiday
|This moments before we parted company, with tears very close to the surface. We waved to each other as we did when she went to school: right up until the lastest moment we could see each other. Very emotional.
|On a happier note, we inherited their cream couches. I so prefer them in my lounge to the large and heavy dark brown leather corner couch. Our whole lounge looks lighter and more airy.
We are also homing their numerous indoor plants :-)
|The man enjoying his new look lounge
On a completely different note, I was invited to my 2nd juniorest granddaughter's Mad Hatter's Reading Tea Party for grandparents.
Which obviously necessitated a mad hat.
My hats are not mad.
They are utilitarian to the point of boredom.
Some creative effort was called for.
So paper, sticky tape, scissors, tinsel, paints and brushes later
And voila! a mad hat!
|All that is needed to finish this pic off is a dance routine!
|My granddaughter is very polite so I don't know whether she loved THE HAT or wanted to hide under the nearest table at the foibles of her gran.
We had fun with the reading together though.
The older branch of sprogs had their much looked forward to Morning Market recently, which included "things happening on the stage" involving all three of them.
The middle child is mad about dancing: does modern, tap and, until recently, ballet.
So she, talented little thing that she is, was much in evidence.
Here are a couple of shots of her (the red head with plaits) doing her thing in the tap routine.
Here her older sister steps up to read a long speech in front of the school and all the market people.
I am always amazed at the composure of these very young performers!
I tried to get a shot of their young brother but he kept hiding behind the other kids!
|Not a nervous bone in her body, this little one. She takes being on the stage in her stride
Or so it seems anyway.
And now, good night.


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UAC Program Partner GALAEI Hosts Fundraiser at Chipotle Mexican Grill
UAC Program Partner GALAEI Hosts Fundraiser
at Chipotle Mexican Grill
For immediate release
Contact: Elicia Gonzales
Philadelphia, PA -- February 27, 2014 -- On Saturday, March 1 12pm-4pm Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) Program Partner, the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative (GALAEI) will host a fundraiser at Chipotle Mexican Grill located on 15th and Walnut Streets. GALAEI will receive 50% of proceeds when customers present their flyer at the time of purchase. The money raised will help GALAEI continue to provide social services around HIV/AIDS and sexual health for the community, specifically the Latino and LGBT communities. GALAEI is a Queer Latino Social Justice Organization committed to empowering the Latino and LGBT communities by providing educational resources and counseling. GALAEI serves as a bridge to the Latino and LGBT communities throughout Philadelphia.
For more information, please visit www.Galaei.org and follow @Galaeiphilly on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About GALAEI
GALAEI is the only HIV/AIDS education program in Pennsylvania whose primary focus is to address the needs of Latino minorities. For over 20 years, GALAEI has worked to represent the needs of people within the LGBT and AIDS communities, as well as meet the needs and concerns of LGBT people of color at risk for HIV. GALAEI offers workshops and one-on-one counseling for youth in addition to providing free and confidential HIV counseling and testing.
About the Urban Affairs Coalition
The Urban Affairs Coalition unites government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiatives to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban communities, and solve emerging issues. With a network of over 65 partner organizations, the Coalition strengthens nonprofit organizations through fiscal sponsorship, capacity building, and program evaluation in order to provide economic opportunity to low-income household, working families, and disadvantaged businesses.


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ACS WASC/COE Visiting Committee Materials
Council on Occupational Education (COE)
ACS WASC is pleased to partner with the Council on Occupational Education (COE) for postsecondary schools that either currently receive or plan to receive Title IV funds from the United States Department of Education (USDE). Postsecondary schools that receive Title IV funds must be accredited by an agency that is officially recognized by the USDE. Contact the COE (www.council.org) for more information.
The Council on Occupational Education (COE) and the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC) have developed a joint accreditation process for postsecondary schools in California and Hawaii. The purpose of the joint process is to allow postsecondary schools to gain or maintain ACS WASC accreditation while pursuing eligibility to apply for Title IV funds through COE accreditation. COE functions as the lead agency in the joint process and all materials, training, and clarification of standards are provided by COE staff.
Postsecondary schools prepare a COE/ACS WASC Self-Study Report and gather evidence in preparation for a site visit. Postsecondary schools that offer Regional Occupation Programs (ROPs), high school level programs/classes, and other non-CTE programs must complete a ACS WASC Postsecondary Supplement to be added to the COE/ACS WASC Self-Study Report.


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Responsible drinking
I'm going to let you into a little bit of a secret... I actually think New Year can be kind of over rated. I actually have a million horror stories about NYE, but that's basically because I have been known to do what so many people do – spend loads of money on overpriced nights out, only to get too drunk, too cold, and wish that I had gone home! This year, I'm going to save myself the hassle I think, and not drink too much.
I'm 25 now, which might seem ancient to Freshers', but trust me, I still live a lifestyle which involves a lot of partying (in fact, one or two people at Liberty Living could probably tell you a thing or two about that...)! So I know how it is. When everyone is out all the time, it can be hard to take it easy on your alcohol limit. It starts fairly innocently enough – you have one glass of wine or a pint, but a few hours later, you're still there, oops! Goodbye bank balance. Goodbye inhibitions. And ub-oh... goodbye to your phone?!
When I was a student, the amount of times I'd come home without something I went out with was ridiculous. Losing phones was a way of life for me and my flatmates, and I don't think the insurance companies think too highly of that. When you're missing lectures with hangovers, your professors won't be too impressed, either.
I know everyone knows a million and one dangers of drinking, but to be real for a second, some people lose a whole lot more than their phones. I've known people (albeit stupid ones) to lose their driving licence, for being dangerous enough to drink drive. People lose friends and partners over silly stuff. Sadly, I also knew of someone in my first year who lost his life because of a drunk accident, too. We all know it CAN be fun, but there are risks and limits, so please be safe.
In January, why not try a Dryathlon for charity? Everyone over indulges at Christmas, and it's a great way to ease the guilt. It's also a compromise (like I said, I don't want to ruin your plans!). Nobody has money to burn in January anyway (once the loan goes on all those essentials), it's a great way to help a good cause, and it's also a nice way to remind yourself of how to have a good time without drinking.
You can help raise money for Cancer Research UK by signing up to their 2016 Dryathlon and go dry throughout January. It starts at 9am on the 1st January. Folow the link to become a Dryathlon super hero!
Good luck!!!


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Turntables, Laboratory
Definition : Turntables designed for use in clinical laboratories. These turntables are usually heavy duty devices made of chemically resistant plastics (e.g., PVC), metals (e.g., stainless steel), or a combination of these materials. The turntables include a manual or powered rotatory mechanism to provide a circular motion to an upper platform that may include several compartments on each of one or more vertical tiers (also known as a rotating shelf). Laboratory turntables are mostly used to store and facilitate handling and accessibility of a variety of devices, supplies, and/or laboratory products. Laboratory turntables may also be used in other areas of healthcare facilities with similar conditions (e.g., pharmacies and research areas). Some dedicated laboratory turntables are intended for a particular use such as Petri dish inoculation, sample handling, and chromatography procedures.
Entry Terms : "Chemically-Resistant Turntables" , "Laboratory Turntables" , "Pharmacy Turntables"
UMDC code : 33856


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Press Release
Chemical Financial Corporation Announces Closing of $70 Million Public Offering of Common Stock
MIDLAND, Mich., June 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chemical Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:CHFC) announced today the closing of an underwritten public offering of 2,500,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $28.00 per share to the public. The Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option from June 19, 2014 to purchase up to an additional 375,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include funding organic loan growth and long-term strategic opportunities that may arise in the future, funding a portion of the merger consideration in the Company's pending merger with Northwestern Bancorp, Inc. and funding the recapitalization of Northwestern Bank if the Company operates it as a separate bank for a period of time following the merger.
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a Stifel company, acted as the sole book-running manager in this offering. Sandler O'Neill & Partners, L.P. acted as co-manager for the offering.
The offering was made under the Company's shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 12, 2014, which became immediately effective.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The offering was made by means of a prospectus and a related prospectus supplement, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 787 Seventh Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10019, telephone (800) 966-1559. Copies of the prospectus and related prospectus supplement may also be obtained from the SEC's website at: www.sec.gov.
About Chemical Financial Corporation
Chemical Financial Corporation is the second largest banking company headquartered and operating branch offices in Michigan. The Company operates through a single subsidiary bank, Chemical Bank, with 157 banking offices spread over 38 counties in the lower peninsula of Michigan. At March 31, 2014, the Company had total assets of $6.34 billion. Chemical Financial Corporation's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol CHFC and is one of the issues comprising The NASDAQ Global Select Market. More information about the Company is available by visiting the investor relations section of its website at www.chemicalbankmi.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains various forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC, including under "Risk Factors" (including the risk factors under the heading "Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Pending Merger with Northwestern") in the Company's Prospectus Supplement, dated June 19, 2014, and under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. These and other factors could cause a difference between an ultimate outcome and a preceding forward-looking statement.
CONTACT: For further information: David B. Ramaker, CEO Lori A. Gwizdala, CFO 989-839-5350Source: Chemical Financial Corporation


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Archive: lifestyle
There are: 17 tagged items
This is what Nikkie Tutorials earns with 1 instagram post
Man Monday #16 | All new monday Instagram eye-candy
Decorating with Desenio | Filling the empty
Man Monday 15 | Say 'Hiiiiii' to these 5 cuties
Man Monday #13 | Your dose of cuteness for the rough Monday
Utrecht weekend guide | What to do September 1, 2 & 3
Man Monday #9 | Your Monday eye candy
Man Monday #8 | New hotties for your Instagram news feed
The Smartwatch, is it really the next great thing?
Man Monday #6 | 5x Male-candy to check on Instagram
Man Monday #5 | 5x New Instagram hotties to follow right now
Just released! A $185 Prada paperclip and the internet is going cray cray
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Similarity Testing (Equivalence Testing)
Similarity testing is the new approach to prove the validity of your bioassay. In similarity testing, you compare regression parameters, differences of parameters or ratios or parameters along with their confidence intervals to equivalence margins. If the confidence interval falls completely into the range of the equivalence margins, the test is passed.
The challenge of this type of testing is the development of suitable equivalence margins. The Equivalence Margin Development document type of PLA 3.0 allows you to calculate candidate equivalence margins from historic assay data.
PLA 3.0 Supports These Similarity Tests
Please note: not all tests are available with every regression model.
All regression parameters can be tested as
- absolute parameter tests
- difference of parameter tests
- ratios of parameter tests
- scaled ratio of parameter tests
In addition
- tests of asymptote ranges
- tests of asymptote ratio
- scaled ratio of asymptotes
are available as well.


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|Sighting Report
|Occurred : 8/15/1996 20:30 (Entered as : 08/15/96 20:30)
Reported: 1/8/2011 12:48:30 PM 12:48
Posted: 1/31/2011
Location: Beckley, WV
Shape: Other
Duration:3-4 minutes
|Silent, low flying helicopter with light scanning below
In the late summer of 1996, I was walking a friend home just after dark. To give you a little insight, there was an unspoken rule among families that when the kids are out playing, when someone has to go home, one or more of the kids walk the returning child halfway home, usually to a street intersection on the main road or between the home yards. On this particular night, we chose to go from my house up the road to the intersection with her street, thus allowing more time to be out before going home.
Just before reaching the street intersection, we were both startled by bright lights scanning the woods to our right. To our immediate left were houses. As we stood and watched, the trees began to sway with leaves blowing around and enough wind to blow our hair and clothes. We continued to stand and watch and were shocked to see what appeared to be a very low flying helicopter with search lights, but it made no noise whatsoever. I have no distinct memory of the helicopter having lights on the body, other than the lights shining down. The helicopter was black or dark grey and hovering just over the tree tops, approximately 20 feet into the woods. The lights from the helicopter were scanning into the woods in a strategic pattern, going from left to right, right to left, as if searching a grid, area by area.
We stood there watching for a few more minutes before making a quick agreement to run to our respective homes as fast as possible, inform our parents, and call each other to ensure we both made it home safe.
I told my parents who offered the idea that possibly the WV State Police had sent a helicopter to search for an escaped inmate because just outside Beckley is a regional jail and a federal prison. I informed them again that this helicopter made no noise. This statement left us a bit perplexed and we decided that we would check the newspaper in the next few days to see if an inmate had, in fact, escaped and law enforcement was searching for him. In the following days there was no published news of such an event. Another idea that we discussed was that law enforcement or a military unit was doing training flights. Again, the idea was somewhat dismissed as a silent helicopter was not something known at the time, at least to us. The closest military installment is an hour away at Yeager Airport in Charleston which houses a division of the National Guard or Reserves. I'm honestly not sure which. There are no major military bases in the state.
In the area of the woods where the helicopter was flying there is an older cemetery on the mountain, just up an old and steep road a few feet from where we were standing. Beyond that, there is a portion of the woods that has been cleared to allow for power lines that run down the mountain leading to a small power station, just below Interstate 64/77. Our location is in an established subdivision and over the mountain, something you can easily walk or take a local road, is a more rural area with homes.
I have never witnessed anything similar since, though I do catch myself watching the sky still as an adult. I am now 28, college educated, and perplexed by this experience. My parents are both college graduates and they had no reasonable explanation at the time.
The girl I was with was a year younger than I was at the time and part of an Army family that had relocated to the area several months before the event. Her family was stationed here for a few years to staff the local recruiting office. Her parents had no other logical explanation beyond what my family had devised.
((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD))