text: The world's first face transplant operation was done in France Hong Zhijian, the director of plastic surgery at the General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command in Jiangsu province, told the China Daily newspaper: "We've been preparing for such operations since 2003." Hong said the hospital, in the provincial capital of Nanjing, was already studying five or six candidates for their suitability. "When all of the conditions are right, we can carry out face transplants at once," Hong said. However Hong, the leader of the hospital's face transplant team, had still not finalised who the first patient would be, with assessments also including the prospective patient's psychological characteristics. "Although many people want to have face transplants, not all of them are suitable to have the operation," he said. "That is why we are still looking for the first patient." Hong said his hospital had been inundated with inquiries after it announced in the local press this week their ability to carry out such operations. China's stated face transplant ambitions follow the world's first such operation in France on 27 October. French case The 38-year-old French woman who received the transplant, a mother of two, lost both lips, her nose and chin after she was mauled by her dog in May, and was unable to speak or eat properly. The transplant operation is a highly complex procedureDoctors grafted a nose, chin and mouth taken from a brain-dead donor on to her face at a university hospital in the northern French town of Amiens. The operation is a highly complex procedure and the graft can fail if the minute nerves and tiny blood vessels of the face do not connect properly. There is also a risk of rejection by the body's immune system. A transplant recipient has to endure life-long immuno-suppressing medication that can have bad side effects as well as live with the psychological challenge of carrying part of a dead person's body. European and US doctors have had the technical ability to carry out facial transplants for some time but held back because of ethical concerns. SOURCE: AFP


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Art Of Deception
Controlling The Human Element Of Security
de William L. Simon e Kevin D. Mitnick
Sobre o livro
Sobreo Livro
The world's most infamous hacker offers an insider's view of the low-tech threats to high-tech security Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive form one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history and have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison, in 1998, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide. Now, in The Art of Deception, the world's most notorious hacker gives new meaning to the old adage, "It takes a thief to catch a thief." Focusing on the human factors involved with information security, Mitnick explains why all the firewalls and encryption protocols in the world will never be enough to stop a savvy grifter intent on rifling a corporate database or an irate employee determined to crash a system. With the help of many fascinating true stories of successful attacks on business and government, he illustrates just how susceptible even the most locked-down information systems are to a slick con artist impersonating an IRS agent. Narrating from the points of view of both the attacker and the victims, he explains why each attack was so successful and how it could have been prevented in an engaging and highly readable style reminiscent of a true-crime novel. And, perhaps most importantly, Mitnick offers advice for preventing these types of social engineering hacks through security protocols, training programs, and manuals that address the human element of security.Table of Contents Foreword. Preface. Introduction. Part 1: Behind the Scenes. Chapter 1: Security's Weakest Link. Part 2: The Art of the Attacker. Chapter 2: When Innocuous Information Isn't. Chapter 3: The Direct Attack: Just Asking for It. Chapter 4: Building Trust. Chapter 5: "Let Me Help You". Chapter 6: "Can You Help Me?". Chapter 7: Phony Sites and Dangerous Attachments. Chapter 8: Using Sympathy, Guilt, and Intimidation. Chapter 9: The Reverse Sting. Part 3: Intruder Alert. Chapter 10: Entering the Premises. Chapter 11: Combining Technology and Social Engineering. Chapter 12: Attacks on the Entry-Level Employee. Chapter 13: Clever Cons. Chapter 14: Industrial Espionage. Part 4: Raising the Bar. Chapter 15: Information Security Awareness and Training. Chapter 16: Recommended Corporate Information Security Policies. Security at a Glance. Sources. Acknowledgments.
Detalhes do produto
Detalhesdo Produto
Livros em Inglês > Informática > Segurança Informática
Livros em Inglês > Outros

subset: commoncrawl


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Elemental Research
UNM Wins Five-Year $11.5 Million Grant for Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine
The UNM Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department, in collaboration with Safer New Mexico Now, is hosting a car seat fitting station on Friday, June 5, 9 a.m.-noon, at Albuquerque Fire Department #3 located at 141 Girard NE. This service is free of charge. To make your appointment, please call 272-5314.
According to the National SAFE KIDS Coalition, three out of four car seats are used incorrectly. The car seat checkup is offered in an effort to educate families about the importance of properly restraining children in motor vehicles. Through this program, parents and caregivers receive hands-on instruction from certified child passenger safety technicians who will examine each child safety seat for correct use, installation and recalls.


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Why is the iPhone so successful? I believe the most important reason are Apps.
Why are other Smartphones as Blackberry losing market share? I believe the most important reason, again, are Apps.
Why is Android generally only considered to be 'second choice'? I believe the most important reason is that the Apps are not of the same quality. No way its because of the OS - Android is fantastic. Also not because of the phones. Some of the HTC's may even be better than the iPhone.
The difference are simply Apps.
The slick User Interface and the unbelievable usability of the iPhone in particular and other Smartphones with Touchscreen in general are only the foundations for funny, entertaining, supporting and intelligent Apps and the full user experience.
This and the upcoming Mac App Store (eventually followed by an equivalent Windows market) are reasons enough to think about the role Apps play nowadays. By the way, I purposely call them Apps and not Applications or anything, because in my view, they are no fully featured Applications, but well, simply Apps. They serve a single purpose or fulfill a few very specific Tasks (Hotel Finder, Flight/Train Connections, Facebook, Weather). I don't think I use any App for more than 2-3 minutes per session (maybe some games, but by far not all).
The fact that, so far any mobile Web Browser sucks in some way (Surfing the Web on a Smartphone is horrible, all this zooming and scrolling and totally naked "mobile optimised" Websites) and the fact that I have around 100 Apps on my phone which are all little helping goblins made me believe that Apps are actually the librarians of the World Wide Web.
This is totally awesome, because instead of starting your notebook, starting your Web Browser and opening a few Tabs to look for a route or a restaurant near your girlfriends place you just use an App, what is just way more convenient.
Most (helpful) Apps work as follows:
a) They offer you a simple and clean GUI (sure, they are built around 1 main functionality)
b) They search for what you want, through the whole Web, through APIs, through everything
c) They neatly display you what you wanted
After that process which perhaps took around 40 seconds, you close the App and are enlightened. I think this is the same as a librarian is doing:
Most (helpful) Librarians work as follows:
a) They offer you a human UI (you should be able to get on with that)
b) They search the whole library for what you want, or give you further information on where to find your desired stuff
c) They give you what you wanted (Your books or at least a note with some further information)
I think Apps are the main reason why mobile internet is so exciting and popular nowadays. Simplicity and information rich, just a tap & swipe away. And Apps really are a driving factor of the semantic web (lots of stuff is communicating via APIs with each other) as well, because thats pretty much the essence of their workings, you tap search and the App is doing the rest.
Monday, November 22, 2010
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Submitted by: Isabel De Los Rios
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Servings: 8
These muffins taste delicious with some almond butter!
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Combine almond flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir until well combined.
In a large bowl, combine coconut oil, honey, egg, almond milk, mashed bananas, and grated apple. Mix well (I used a whisk).
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture a little bit at a time; stirring after each addition.
Pour batter into muffin cups, filling each ¾ of the way. Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.


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Two friends visiting: three adults to one baby, good odds
Here is my completely obvious realization—that absolutely bears repetition: to become a parent, heck, to be a parent is tough. You think to yourself things like everyone else does it (better and easier than me). The person is tiny, how hard could it be? Of teens, you think, they have long legs or deep voices and tell you they know everything, how hard could it be to hand them money, feed and water them and send them off to school?
Answer: it's all way harder than you think.
I do not mean this in some doom and gloomy, be very afraid way. I more mean—WOW. I mean for all the moments you just smile at them in amusement or companionable pleasantry or disbelief that you have such an amazing kid there are so many moments that are much harder than you ever imagined they'd be and when you're being stretched much further than you ever imagined you'd be—or frankly than you ever wanted to stretch. And then you freaking stretch some more.
Who thought this up?
I've decided once again that there is one thing I know how to do with new parents: I empathize. I remember not to just ooh and aah and get all mushy it-goes-so-fast (that's a lie, anyway, however true) when I see their adorable, perfect babies who only sound loud to them. I find some way to open the door to let them say how impossible the entire situation—parenthood, that situation—is, and then I make sure to be really direct about the fact that they're right; it's really, truly, completely vexingly hard.
Hard isn't a bad word; it's not a swear word; it's not mean. You can love someone with your heart, soul and every exhausted fiber of your sleep-deprived being and still be completely kicked in the a*$ by how difficult it is to love someone on so little sleep and with so little free time and so many fewer firing brain cells. You can even be unsure it's worth loving someone under those circumstances. If this were any other relationship you might look at the state of your appearance and fatigue level and tendency toward weepiness and lack of productivity and scrap it. Try again. You can even be unsure you love the person—enough or at all sometimes. You do not have to be guilty for not loving every moment of your life in real time.
To say to someone that things will get better is so much more credible once you join them in the reality that it's hard right now. And, by the way but not by the way, as I affirm how tough getting to know a whole new tiny person is when coupled with getting to know yourself as a whole new parent I also remind myself that every parenthood-is-impossible moment I experience in real time is okay, too. I need reassurance. The difference between being a brand-new parent and having been a parent for nearly 17 years is that not only do I know that I need reassurance, I know that I have it within me to offer much of that reassurance to myself, if only I make sure to do so. But not all of it—that's why my friends with kids a bit older than mine are so incredibly precious.


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Visa requirement to travel from Eritrea to South Africa
Admission accepted ?
Visa required
Visa required ?
Check visa requirement for traveling from South Africa to Eritrea !
Looking for embassy and consulates of South Africa in Eritrea ?
Travel from Eritrea to South Africa, Travel to South Africa from Eritrea, Visit South Africa from Eritrea, Holidays in South Africa for a national of Eritrea, Vacation in South Africa for a citizen of Eritrea, Going to South Africa from Eritrea


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Wedding Dress Picture! (and my daughter :) )
Posted May 22, 2009on:
- In: Pictures
- 4 Comments
The wedding finally came and passed (more on that another time). Below is a picture of my daughter in the wedding dress I made! Yay!
4 Responses to "Wedding Dress Picture! (and my daughter :) )"
Very pretty (daughter and dress)!
But, can we also get a close up of the dress?
That is INCREDIBLY beautiful! None of the Frum wedding dress online hold a candle to this!
Congratulations to your daughter!
wish it was my own wedding


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Table of Contents
- What is nuclear energy?
- What is nuclear energy used for?
- Where does uranium come from?
- What countries use nuclear energy?
- How harmful is nuclear energy to the environment?
- What is the outlook for nuclear energy?
- Data
- Generation
- Capacity
1. What is nuclear energy?
Energy is released when the bonds that hold together the nucleus of an atom are broken. That energy can be used to generate electricity. There are two ways that the bonds of an atom's nucleus can be broken: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.
Nuclear fusion: In nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom. This is how the sun produces energy. Fusion is the subject of ongoing research, but it is not yet clear that it will ever be a commercially viable technology for electricity generation.
Nuclear fission: In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. Nuclear power plants use this energy to produce electricity.
The fuel most widely used by nuclear plants for nuclear fission is uranium. Uranium is a common metal found in rocks all over the world. Nuclear plants use a certain kind of uranium, referred to as U-235. This kind of uranium is used as fuel because its atoms are easily split apart. Though uranium is quite common, about 100 times more common than silver, U-235 is relatively rare.
Most U.S. uranium is mined in the Western United States. Once uranium is mined, the U-235 must be extracted and processed before it can be used as a fuel.
During nuclear fission, a small particle called a neutron hits the uranium atom and splits it, releasing a great amount of energy as heat and radiation. More neutrons are also released. These neutrons go on to bombard other uranium atoms, and the process repeats itself over and over again. This is called a chain reaction.
How many nuclear power plants are in the U.S. and where are they located?
How many new nuclear power plants are being built in the United States?
How much electricity does a typical nuclear power plant generate?
How much spent (used) fuel is stored at U.S. nuclear power plants?
Learn more
U.S. Nuclear Reactor, Capacity and Generation
State Nuclear Profiles
Related nuclear articles
What is the status of the U.S. nuclear industry?
Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves construction of first nuclear units in 30 years
2. What is nuclear energy used for?
Nuclear power is only used to generate electricity, unlike oil, natural gas, and coal that can be used for other purposes, e.g. transportation fuel, production input. Nuclear power plants generate electricity by harnessing the energy released during nuclear fission to boil water and create steam that spins large turbines that generate electricity. Just like other power plants burn coal or natural gas to boil water and create steam, nuclear power plants unlock the energy in Uranium atoms to do the same thing.
At the center of a nuclear reactor, where nuclear fission takes place, is the core that contains the uranium fuel. The uranium fuel is formed into ceramic pellets. The pellets are about the size of your fingertip, but each one produces roughly the same amount of energy as 150 gallons of oil. These energy-rich pellets are stacked end-to-end in 12-foot metal fuel rods. A bundle of fuel rods, sometimes hundreds, is called a fuel assembly. A reactor core contains many fuel assemblies.
The United States has 65 nuclear power plants with 104 nuclear reactors. Thirty-six of the plants have two or more reactors. Nuclear power plants are located in 31 different states but most are located east of the Mississippi. Nuclear power has generated about one-fifth of U.S. electricity each year since 1990.
In February 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted to approve Southern Company's application to build and operate two new nuclear reactors – Units 3 and 4 at its Vogtle plant. The Vogtle units are the first reactors to receive construction approval in over 30 years, and are expected to be operational in 2016 and 2017. The last new reactor to enter commercial service was the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Watts Bar 1 in Tennessee in 1996.
3. Where does uranium come from?
Owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors purchased the equivalent of 58 million pounds of uranium during 2011. Uranium delivered to U.S. reactors in 2011 came from six continents:
- 9% of delivered uranium came from the United States
- 91% of delivered uranium was of foreign-origin:
- 40% originated in Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan
- 31% was from Australia and Canada
- 20% came from Namibia, Niger, and other countries
4. What countries use nuclear energy?
The United States has more nuclear capacity and generates more electricity from nuclear power than any other nation. However, the United States is not as reliant on nuclear power as a share of total electricity generation as some other countries. France, the country with the second most nuclear capacity, relies on nuclear power for nearly 80% of its electricity. Other countries that get a significant share of their electricity from nuclear power include Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Germany.
5. How harmful is nuclear energy to the environment?
The main environmental concerns for nuclear power are radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, spent (used) reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. These materials can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years. They are subject to special regulations that govern their handling, transportation, storage, and disposal to protect human health and the environment. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates the operation of nuclear power plants.
The radioactivity of nuclear waste decreases with the passage of time through a process called radioactive decay. The amount of time necessary to decrease the radioactivity of radioactive material to one-half the original level is called the radioactive half-life of the material.
Radioactive wastes are classified as low-level and high-level. By volume, most of the waste related to the nuclear power industry has a relatively low-level of radioactivity. Low-level radioactive wastes includes uranium mill tailings, tools, protective clothing, wiping cloths, and other disposable items that get contaminated with small amounts of radioactive dust or particles at nuclear fuel processing facilities and power plants. High-level radioactive waste consists of "irradiated" or used nuclear reactor fuel (i.e., fuel that has been used in a reactor to produce electricity). The used reactor fuel is in a solid form consisting of small fuel pellets in long metal tubes.
Spent reactor fuel assemblies are highly radioactive and must initially be stored in specially designed pools resembling large swimming pools, where water cools the fuel and acts as a radiation shield, or in specially designed dry storage containers. An increasing number of reactor operators now store their older spent fuel in dry storage facilities using special outdoor concrete or steel containers with air cooling. There is currently no permanent disposal facility in the United States for high-level nuclear waste. High-level waste is being stored at nuclear plants.
When a nuclear power plant stops operating, the facility must be decommissioned. This involves safely removing the plant from service and reducing radioactivity to a level that permits other uses of the property. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has strict rules governing nuclear power plant decommissioning that involve cleanup of radioactively contaminated plant systems and structures, and removal of the radioactive fuel.
An uncontrolled nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor can potentially result in widespread contamination of air and water with radioactivity for hundreds of miles around a reactor. The risk of this happening at nuclear power plants in the United States is considered to be very small due to the diverse and redundant barriers and numerous safety systems at nuclear power plants, the training and skills of the reactor operators, testing and maintenance activities, and the regulatory requirements and oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A large area surrounding nuclear power plants is restricted and guarded by armed security teams. U.S. reactors have containment vessels that are designed to withstand extreme weather events and earthquakes.
Learn more
Environmental Emissions Prevented
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
NRC factsheets on nuclear power and wastes
Nuclear Waste (NEI)
Related nuclear articles
6. What is the outlook for nuclear energy?
While there is an enthusiasm for nuclear energy because it does not produce greenhouse gases that cause climate change, the threat of nuclear disasters diminishes its popularity. Especially with the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, few countries are interested in pursuing new nuclear energy projects. Nonetheless in 2012 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission did approve the Vogtle plant.
7. Data
**The information on this website was obtained from various pages of the U.S. Department of Energy website (www.energy.gov) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website (www.epa.gov). The data on this website was obtained from various pages of the U.S. Energy Information Administration website (www.eia.gov.). Please consult those websites for further information.


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Mike Trout has gained between 10 and 15 pounds over the winter and is now said to be 241 pounds. According to Trout and the Angels, it's not fat weight, so he didn't traverse the banquet circuit and load up on bad catering hall stuffed shells and the stale dessert menu to put on all those extra pounds. Trout says it was intentional and his bodyfat count is 9%.
The numbers and statements from Trout are fine and it's not a problem until it becomes a problem. By "problem" I mean Trout slowing down in the field and on the bases and losing a large portion of what it was that made him so valuable and, in certain Wins Above Replacement (WAR) circles, deserving of the MVP. 240 is a lot of weight to carry, cover the same ground defensively and steal the bases he did in 2012. With or without the obvious intent to gain this weight, it was probably going to happen anyway based on him being so young and big even if he never picked up a barbell. If he sought to pump up his beach muscles, it's a mistake based on youthful ignorance and more than a small bit of vanity.
Because a player exhibits a maturity beyond his years on the field and with the press doesn't make him mature. It's easy to forget that Trout is 21-years-old and still in evidence is the same oblivious precociousness that ignored the conventional wisdom that someone so young couldn't force his way into the MVP conversation and have a substantial contingent of supporters promoting his candidacy over a longtime superstar Miguel Cabrera who won the Triple Crown. Trout's a kid. And that means he might do something ill-thought-out every once in a while. If he came to spring training thinking that because he was so successful last season at 220-225 pounds that with 15 extra pounds of muscle he'd hit even more homers, it's a mistake. At his age and size, it was unavoidable that he naturally put on some weight. Whether it affects what it was that made him special—speed and defense—will dictate its wisdom.


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Today I want to take a look at the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold credit card. I mention this card quite a bit on Head for Points but if you are new to this hobby then it might not be fully clear why I recommend it as the best 'starter' Amex card.
Let's get the boring legal bits out of the way first. The card has a representative APR 56.6% variable including the annual fee (free in year 1) based on a notional £1,200 credit limit. The interest rate on purchases is 22.2% APR variable.
Whilst you may think that Amex has a slightly lofty reputation if you have never had one before, there is no longer a minimum income requirement. This doesn't mean that they will accept anyone – it means that the gap between your income and expenditure is more important than your income alone.
Forget the idea that 'no-one accepts Amex'. B&Q is the only major retailer that does not take American Express. Every other big chain takes it. You will have issues in some smaller stores, and it is rare that you can pay a bill with an Amex, but acceptance (as a % of your shopping bill) is good.
With that out of the way, let's look at why I rate the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold credit card.
The Amex Gold card is free for the first year
Amex Gold has an annual fee of £140. This is waived in your first year, so you can have some time to see if it suits you or not. You can cancel at any point. If you continue after the first year, you can still cancel at any time and get a pro-rata refund on your fee. Amex is the only UK card company to do this.
The Amex Gold sign-up bonus is very generous
You get 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points (worth 10,000 Avios) when you sign up and spend £3,000 within six months.
10,000 points is a good deal because ….
The Amex Gold rewards scheme is a valuable convertible currency
You can transfer Membership Rewards points into MANY different things. Take a look at their website.
We tend to focus on airline schemes (1:1 into Avios, Virgin Flying Club, Flying Blue, Delta Skymiles, Etihad Guest, Emirates Skywards etc) or hotel schemes (1:2 into Hilton Honors, 1:3 into Radisson Rewards, 2:3 into Marrriott Bonvoy).
In reality there are lots of other options, including High Street gift cards. I wrote this article on how to get the best value from Membership Rewards points. It is possible, if you are smart, to get over £100 of value from your 10,000 Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus.
'Convertible currencies' are worth more to you. It is better to have 50,000 Amex points than 50,000 Avios points. Why? Because your 50,000 Amex points would get you 50,000 Avios points if you needed them – but they could also get you a heck of a lot more besides.
Do you qualify for the Amex Gold sign-up bonus?
If you have never held an American Express card before, you will definitely get the bonus. You can skip the rest of this section!
Here is the offical wording from the Amex website:
"This new Cardmember offer is only available if you have not held a personal American Express Card within the previous 24 months. If you have held a personal American Express Card within the previous 24 months, you will be entitled to all other Card benefits, excluding the welcome offer."
You WILL receive the 10,000 bonus points if you have not held a personal American Express card in the previous 24 months. Amex cards issued by MBNA or Lloyds Bank do not count.
You WILL receive the sign-up bonus if you have a Corporate or Business American Express card via your job, even if you receive Membership Rewards points from it.
You will definitely receive the bonus if you are only a supplementary cardholder on someone else's American Express card. As far as Amex is concerned, that card belongs to the primarily cardholder and does not make you an 'existing cardholder'.
If you do not qualify for the bonus, you can still apply. You still receive the other card benefits, including the two free airport lounge passes and 'no fee in the first year'.
You get 2 free airport lounge visits per year
As an Amex Gold cardholder you receive free membership to Lounge Club, a global network of airport lounges. Each year you get 2 free visits – either 2 visits for yourself or 1 visit for yourself and a guest.
The Lounge Club website shows you which lounges you can use including many at Heathrow and Gatwick. Additional visits after your two free ones are charged at £20 per person per visit. You receive 2 additional free passes each year if you renew your Amex Gold membership.
Get 10,000 bonus points for spending £15,000 per year
The earning rate on Amex Gold is 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent. This is OK but not exceptional – although you should put some value on having a 'convertible' currency rather than being forced into taking Avios, Virgin miles etc via a dedicated airline credit card.
However, if you can spend £15,000 per year on your Amex Gold, the maths changes. You would receive 10,000 bonus points at the end of your card year. If you spent exactly £15,000, this means you would have earned 25,000 points – a rate of 1.6 points per £1. This is very good going.
Those are the key perks of American Express Preferred Rewards Gold as I see them. There are various other benefits attached to the card as well, including:
double points for foreign spending (but there is a 3% fee for FX charges, so this is only a good deal if you are spending money your employer will reimburse)
double points on airline transactions
10% discount and free additional driver on Hertz bookings
$75 in-hotel credit and an upgrade (based on availability at check-in) when booking 350 4-5 star hotels worldwide
The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold credit card is a low cost (zero cost, actually, in Year 1) and high reward way to begin a relationship with Amex.
You will still need a good Visa or Mastercard for places where Amex isn't accepted of course. Here are my suggestions for the best miles and points Visa and Mastercard cards.
Over time your card needs may change – most people move on to the British Airways Premium Plus American Express because of the hugely valuable 2-4-1 voucher – but Amex Gold is a good way to get started. Even if you eventually decide that the miles and points hobby is not for you, there are still plenty of other valuable ways to use your Membership Rewards points.
The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold application page is here.
Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points and do not consider interest rates, service levels or any impact on your credit history. By recommending credit cards on this site, I am – technically – acting as a credit broker. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a credit broker.


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Downtown Countdown brings holiday shoppers to Fayetteville stores
40 local shops taking part in Downtown Countdown
During the winter blast, stores in downtown Fayetteville were closed due to the ice and snow.
But the owners of those stores came up with an idea to re-energize business for the holiday season.
"With Thanksgiving being so late and the snow, we thought, 'How can we get the word out of our local shops and keeping it local, keeping it real?'" said Keith Caudle, owner of the Four-Legged Bird.
That solution became known as the "Downtown Countdown," a special promotion for nearly 40 Fayetteville shops.
When customers buy an item from a participating store, they can take their receipt to another participating store, and that store will pay for the sales tax.
The stores are using Facebook to get the word out, and that word is spreading quickly.
"People are already knowing about it when they come in the shop," Caudle said. "They already have their receipt out, and I think they're just really thankful that they're being rewarded for shopping local; that they think it's a good idea."
"Oh, it's wonderful, especially with saving on tax," says Martha Palmer of West Fork. "We like any savings we can get,"
Palmer says she has already visited three shops so far in Fayetteville, and because of all the money she is saving, she is able to get most of her holiday shopping done faster and closer to home.
The Downtown Countdown began on Dec. 12 and will continue until Christmas Day.


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Muslim guerrillas blew up three restaurants in the Afghan capital of Kabul, killing at least 16 Afghan Communist Party officials and injuring 27 others, Western diplomats said.
Time bombs destroyed the three expensive restaurants frequented by party officials and secret police. Another time bomb was discovered in a fourth restaurant and was detonated in a nearby park by Afghan security officials.


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Labour migration across state and national boundaries for better economic opportunities is a reality which is of paramount importance to the economic growth of not individuals alone but that of sending and host communities as well. Ensuring safe migration of communities is now one of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 that has been signed off by the Indian government. However, irregular labour mobility entails specific vulnerabilities of the migrant workforce which leads to exploitation and abuse. In recent times, labour migration across different sectors of work has posed a challenge for government, non-government bodies as well as employers to ensure the safety of those that are aspiring to migrate.
At ASK, we look at labour migration as an opportunity for an individual and a community to uplift their socio-economic status. We believe that it is every individual's right to migrate safely and work in an environment free of exploitation and abuse. Through an overarching approach of capacity building and multi stake holder engagement, ASK aims to create a facilitative environment that ensures safe labour migration of communities across India, nationally and internationally.
What We Do
The Migration Domain aims at strengthening access to information and support mechanisms that would safeguard the rights and interests of the migrant workforce across various formal and informal sectors of work. We strive to reduce the vulnerabilities associated with labour mobility and ensure that migrants benefit from their choice to move from the remotest of areas in the country to centres of economic opportunity. Through innovative community focused strategies and context specific interventions, we engage with communities of aspiring migrants and their families at source to ensure their safe migration and link migrants at the destination to available support systems.
The Migration Domain works, in collabouration with civil society organisations, to mainstream the agenda of migration within the institution and their program interventions. We build organisational capacity to engage with the issue of labour migration to ensure safe mobility in their target areas. We engage with NGOs to build regional networks for social dialogue and advocacy on the agenda of safe migration.
The Domain engages with employers, placement agencies and labour suppliers to sensitise them on the specific vulnerabilities of their migrant workforce. Through a participatory capacity building approach, we help agencies adapt their systems of recruitment, hiring and management to deal with the challenges of a migrant workforce and create a safe environment for them to work in. We provide context specific inputs to the private sector to establish a recruitment chain free of risks for migrant workers.
Our Approach
The migrant workforce being our primary stakeholders, ASK works directly at both source and destination to reduce their vulnerabilities.
ASK believes that migration for better economic opportunities is a basic human right. Hence, our efforts are aimed at ensuring safe migration through a multi stakeholder engagement.
We work towards mainstreaming the agenda of migration as a cross cutting issue in development planning among NGO, the private sector and local governance systems.
Through our capacity building approach and ongoing facilitation, we provide strategic guidance to NGOs and private sector in developing systems to address the vulnerabilities of the migrant workforce.
Recent Projects
Supported by: International Labour Organisation
The garment industry and the domestic sector of work in India majorly thrive on the migrant workforce. This particular project aims at establishing systems ensuring fair recruitment of migrant workers into garment industry and the domestic sector of work. ASK is currently engaging with private placement agencies and NGOs providing vocational skill training to ensure that fair recruitment practices are followed by them to reduce the vulnerabilities of migrant workers that they recruit. ASK's strategy is to identify the risks entailed in the recruitment chain of each agency in a participatory manner and develop systems and build capacities of the agencies to mitigate those risks. By facilitating adoption of fair recruitment practices, ASK aims at establishing recruitment chains free of exploitation and abuse.
Key Objectives
Supported by: The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, US Department of State
In Partnership with: Verité
ASK is implementing this project along with partner NGOs in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala in India and Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf. The focus of the project is on promoting the rights of migrant workers and safe and fair labour migration from South Asia to the Gulf States through a three-pronged strategy of (1) strengthening civil society initiatives and networks, (2) enhancing migrant outreach and awareness, and (3) enabling access to migrant services and remedy through existing and new technologies, web-based and social media tools. ASK is mainstreaming the agenda of migration among NGOs and CBOs in Uttar Pradesh and building their capacities to work on the issue.
Key Objectives
Prakash Layak
Senior Manager
91 124 4060353/4
91 97174 11338


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Genome-wide histone acetylation is altered in a transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease. PLoS One 2012;7(7):e41423..
Genome-Wide Increase in Histone H2A Ubiquitylation in a Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Journal of Huntington's Disease 2013;2(3):263-277..


text: Join as Dr. Northrup talks with Dr. George Simon, psychologist and author of In Sheep's Clothing, about how to deal with manipulative people. You know the ones who say they are helping you, but they are really undermining you? Or, the ones that prey on your weaknesses? We will talk about what tactics manipulators use to push their own agendas, and how you can change this dynamic and strengthen all of your relationships.


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Jenin, August 2018
Greetings from Jenin Refugee Camp! After a busy summer camp, we want to share an update on the activities over the last months and tell you more about our future plans.
Ramadan was a busy month at The Freedom Theatre, with a string of cultural events including hip hop, stand-up comedy, music performances and film screenings. Last year, The Freedom Theatre offered a series of cultural events throughout Ramadan. Following this great success, we again organised several events to celebrate this special month which bought together families and children to the theatre during the long Ramadan nights!
Our highly popular summer camp lasted for two weeks in July; 45 children from Jenin refugee camp and surrounding areas joined the daily activities at the theatre and occasional trips in the wider Jenin area. We held drama workshops, led by Raneen Odeh, Amir Abu Al Rob and Saber Shreim, all graduates of The Freedom Theatre school for professional actors. They consisted of exercises focusing on speech, singing and body language. By doing so, the children were educated to express themselves in creative ways with the use of play. Alongside drama, we held sessions on traditional and modern dance as well as a workshop connected to Palestinian cultural heritage - explorative teachings about the oud, an Arabic instrument with a rich history. The camp ended on July 14 with a closing ceremony, providing an opportunity for the children to show their families and friends what they had learned during the last two weeks.
The West Bank tour of Jinan , a play based on the story of Pippi Longstocking (a co-production with Folkteatern in Gothenburg and directed by Lars-Eric Brossner) toured around the West Bank to reach more communities and audiences in Palestine.
The premiere of the new play Untitled. 70th Nakba?! opened to a full house on Nakba Day, 15 May 2018. A significant year, marking 70 years of the catastrophe, the play presents a few small, human stories in a realistic and sometimes humorous way. The three personal monologues in the play enabled the audience to connect with the humanity of the Palestinian narrative – all the while informing the audience about the necessary facts about Palestine. Soon after the show in Jenin, Nabil, Artistic Director at The Freedom Theatre travelled to NYC to take part in a string of Nakba events arranged by our US Friends .
Along with events and local performances, popular plays Return to Palestine and And Here I Am were performed to audiences in Jordan, Turkey, Portugal, Norway, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Abu Dhabi.
In the midst of all these activities, we have also been busy running workshops on Drama and Photography as part of the the FBA project, in collaboration with Interpeace Palestine, which focuses on raising awareness of UNSCR 1325 (women's empowerment). This was launched in June 2018 in six areas across the West Bank - Jenin, Tulkarem, Yabad, Tubas, Nablus and Hebron. More info coming soon!
The Freedom Theatre Acting School will launch in September of this year and reprise it's role in professional training and education for acting students - applications will be open to all from the West Bank.
Our popular show, Return to Palestine will embark on a European tour later in the year with venues secured in Sweden, France and Ireland. We are also exploring opportunities in Luxembourg and the UK. More details to follow!
A co-production between TFT and Eyes Up Here Productions LLC will present a skate play with the aim of socially engaging youth in public skate parks. We showcase original skate theatre production and playful, innovative platforms for community based creative exploration.
Last but by no means least, the participants for the second year teachers training programme will graduate at the end of this month and conclude a two year project that has significantly enhanced the pedagogical training of early childhood educators in and around Jenin - we wish them all the best and success in their future endeavours.


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Days 5 and 6 of our trip were quiet ones. Of course The Designer developed a nasty cold following an equally if not more so nasty ear infection in the weeks before we left for the trip. Day 5 he took some night strength pills in the morning, after which he well and truly passed … Continue reading
Tagged with cake …
The First One – Welcome
Welcome to my very first blog post. THANK YOU @thefruittoast, @calmblueblogger, @KerriSackville and @Woogsworld for your encouragement (although these last two may have had a few too many champers at the When My Husband Does The Dishes book launch to remember their encouragement. Nonetheless, I appreciate it). A kick in the right direction in real life and … Continue reading


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KOLKATA: It is not all good for green award winner Achyuta Samanta and his organization Kalinga Relief and Charitable Trust (popularly known as KIIT) as it comes under scanner of nation's green authority National Green Tribunal (NGT) for violation of green laws.
NGT issued notice today and sought responses of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and governments of Odiasha and KRCT, which runs KIIT and KISS, on the issue of use of forest land for non-forestry purpose without any approval.
A bench headed by Justice S. P. Wangdi also issued notice to Bhubaneswar Divisional Forest officer and Khurda District Collector asking it to file its response in the matter by Sep 14, the next date of hearing.
Acting on a petition filed by rights and environment campaigner Subash Mohapatra, NGT has asked reply from the concern parties how the forest land was used for non-forestry purpose.
Appearing for the petitioner advocate Sankar Prasad Pani told, construction of building by Kalinga Relief and Charitable Trust for its educational business on forest land without approval under Forest Conservation Act from Ministry of Environment and Forest Climate Change, Government of India is illegal. The very act of construction and changing the nature of land use from forest to non-forest activity without prior approval is against the principle of Sustainable Development, Precautionary Principle, National Forest Policy and Supreme Court order in TN Godavarman Case.
The Achyuta Samant led educational institutions has encroached around 18 acre of forest land mostly of Chhot Jungle Kisam in Pathargadia Mouza of Bhubaneswar Tehsil.
The issue have been agitated time and again in Odisha Legislative Assembly on various occasions. On last occasion in March 2016, in reply to the question of MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria, the Government has responded that 18 acre of Forest land has been encroached by KIIT institutions; it will take steps to restore the possession of the land back.
Tehsildar Bhubaneswar has registered two cases in 2011 under Orissa Prevention of Land Encroachment Act 1972, but no action for eviction or demolition has been taken as of now even after 5years of the institution of the case, said Mohapatra.
The DFO, Chandaka in his letter in Novmber 2014 to Secretary Forest and Environment Department has admitted that the KIIT has encroached 18acres of forest land. Further the letter suggests that since the land in question is unauthorized occupied and recorded in anabadi khata and jungle kisam land, so further legal action is to be taken up by the competent revenue authority.
'In this backdrop where the forest land is being encroached without prior approval from central government and the state government is busy in covering up the entire episode in the guise of paper exchanges and shifting of responsibilities between Revenue and Forest Department', Mohapatra lamented the State government.
The irony is government of Odisha has awarded Prakruti Mitra puraskar in 2011 to KIIS and its founder Achyuta Samanta. Prakruti Mitra Award is given every year on world environment day for outstanding contribution to save nature and environment.


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Senior Financial Smarts
On Friday, November 14, 2014 from 9:30-11:30am, the Philadelphia Senior Center will host Senior Financial Smarts, a workshop designed for senior citizens but beneficial for all ages who want to protect their finances and assets and learn more about home improvement resources.
Additional topics include:
- Avoiding financial scams
- Success in hiring contractors
- Winter weatherization for your home
Also, we will discuss the Mini-PHIL/PHIL-Plus home improvement loan facilitated by UAC. For more event information, click here.


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Total £0.00
Classic Silver Table Plan Cards (1 - 10)IN STOCK
- Classic silver table plan cards
- Pack contains 10 cards numbered 1 - 10
- Write your guests names on these cards - note there are 10 lines to write on so 10 guests per table max.
- Get creative when displaying your table plan cards, peg them up on twine in a vintage frame, pin them to a wooden pallet, blue tac them to a mirror or paint a wooden board the colour of your choice and pin them to it.
- Team these up with our matching classic silver table number cards.
If your order contains an item that is on pre-order, the full order will be placed on backorder and shipped once all the stock is available. If you require separate deliveries you must submit two separate orders.
|Order Value
|Delivery Service & Costs
Standard Delivery (7-10 Days)
Orders less than £10: £2.50
Orders between £10-£75: £5
Orders £75 and over: FREE
Premium Delivery (3-4 Days)
Hermes Tracked. Upon delivery, a signature is required.
|Next Day Delivery (Order Before 12noon)
DPD Tracked. Upon delivery, a signature is required.
|Europe & Rest of World
Please allow up to 14 days for delivery.
Delivery fee will be calculated at checkout using your basket for an accurate total.
Please note: All delivery charges are subject to change and we will contact you before despatching your parcel should any additional fee apply. All prices GBP.


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For the first time Egripment used during a live show a 15 meter long telescopic camera crane with Augmented Reality. For a program produced by Talpa Productions "The Voice of Holland" Egripment delivered a complete Encoded 15 meter Telescopic Camera Crane and a 30 meter Encoded, Generic Track System.
In the late summer of 2014 Talpa Productions asked us to investigate the possibility of using a 15 meter long telescopic camera crane for use with Virtual and Augmented Reality. Talpa is known as the producer who would like to use the latest technical solutions. After an extensive technical and software research Egripment, despite the short development period, decided together with its software partner Trackmen, to take up the challenge.
The challenge consisted of correcting the bending of the arm that occurs in each Crane, due to gravity and obviously this is much bigger when user a longer arm length. This deflection has a very disturbing effect on use with augmented reality.
The crane was fitted with custom designed brackets for use with high quality precision encoders. These type of encoders are fitted on all axes of the camera movement. Pan, Tilt and telescopic movement of the crane and the Pan and Tilt of the remote head.
The greatest challenge was to adjust the Crane deflection, which was solved by writing a special algorithm within the software to correct all positions.
The beautiful graphic designs, produced by Prographics Netherlands, produced in conjunction with the high quality equipment Egripment delivered, viewers had a unique experience that has never been seen on television before.
Egripment delivered a "full service" package including telescopic crane, rail system, technicians, crane operators, data, and calibration of the equipment and mapping of studio.
Egripment, Trackmen, Prographics and DutchView are very proud that together with Talpa and in particular thanks to creative input from director Sander Vahle - this incredible result was achieved.
For more information about augmented reality systems, click here: www.egripment.nl/augmented


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iPad = Maximised Productivity
March 9, 2012 2 Comments
The iPad has completely replaced all aspects of my note taking procedures, during lectures and seminars. I find it effortless to type notes at the speed that the lectures are being delivered.
Currently I am using 2 apps for taking notes – to begin with I type up my notes using the built-in Notes application which is included on the iPad. I then copy and paste this into Quickoffice and save it in the folder relating to the module. I use this process because all the notes that are taken in 'Notes' are automatically saved as you write them, while as in 'Quickoffice' you have to close the document in order to save it.
There is a minor problem that I have encountered with this application. The save function is poorly designed. First of all there are two methods of saving. You can either save a document as a word document or a PDF:
- Word document
To save a word document you must click the close function and the select from the following options: Don't save, save as, save, and close (in this order). The 'don't save' function comes first, which is a bit of a surprise really because it is very easy to click don't save since it is at the top of the list; this will mean you have closed your document and lost your work. If you do save the document it will still close after doing so (however you will have the saved file). Therefore when saving a word document the only way you can do it is by closing the document. If you want to back your data every 10 minutes, you have to close the document every 10 minutes and reopen it.
This can be done without closing the document. However the PDF, once opened, cannot be edited. The only way to make changes to it is by copy and pasting the contents into a word document. This can be quite irritating
If you are cautious about losing your work the only way around this is to save the document as a PDF every 10 minutes and then save the work as a word document once finished. This way if you accidentally click 'don't save', you will have the PDF. It would still be much quicker if they had a save function built into the word document.
Annotating handouts
Unfortunately this is not for me. I have tried to do so and failed to be as productive as I was by just taking the notes directly onto the 'Notes' app. I have heard a few people mention that this works well for them, however after trying, i was very disappointed with my productiveness.
Paper handouts
I have stopped taking notes entirely on any form of paper handout. However I still collect the paper handouts just for reference, on a regular basis. In some circumstances I have avoided collecting them but I find this habit quite hard to break because I do find it easier to have access to paper handouts in comparison to electronic ones.
Transferring documents to the laptop
For word documents I tend to email them to myself and then download them onto my laptop. The annotated photos were uploaded onto Dropbox and then accessed on the laptop to be sent over. I haven't worked out a way of uploading word documents from Quickoffice onto Dropbox (I am not sure this is even possible).
EDIT: Yes it is, will upload a simple tutorial soon!
Using the iPad for assignments
For my assignments I used the iPad around 70% of the time. There were a few issues that made it difficult to use the iPad alone; however it proved to be very useful.
Debates and controversies assignments
The 400 word assignments were a walk in the park on the iPad. I read the case study and made a few notes on the iPad and then completed the assignment using the notes. The only problem was that I could not upload my 400 word blog onto the website through the iPad. I had to use my laptop for this.
The 1000 word midterm assignment was more difficult to do solely on the iPad. I carried out 100% of the research using the tablet and I downloaded all the research as PDFs onto 'iBooks' (included as standard).
The problem I encountered was writing the assignment while looking through the PDFs I downloaded. Usually I prefer to have them side by side instead of having to switch between a word document and PDF constantly. For this reason on this assignment I used the iPad for research and I used the laptop to write it. I did however take a few notes on the iPad while I was in university, if an idea came to my head.
In conclusion I definitely can say that the iPad has increased my productivity and has allowed me to use my spare time more efficiently. However I am still yet to find a solution that will allow me to use the iPad when writing assignments that require research. In terms of note taking, I don't see myself being able to annotate PDFs as effectively as I can take standard notes in a word document format.


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For the first time in more than three decades – since at least the election of Ronald Reagan – I have absolutely no interest in the outcome of the US presidential elections. This decline in interest has to do more with the fact that there is little difference, today, between Republican and Democrat candidates. The contest between the two parties represents little more than a battle to reconstitute the plutocracy the country has become. For the rest of the world, it will be business as usual.
My interests in the US elections have always coalesced around that country's foreign policies, as implemented through the Pentagon, the State Department and the Bretton Woods organisations. For most of the past three decades these policies have by and large been disastrous for poor people and beneficial for the US. Going back to the 1960s, the US has carpet bombed Laos, invaded countries in east and southeast Asia, directly funded conflict in countries like Angola, propped up military dictatorships in the former Zaire and Chile and has been involved, directly or indirectly, in the assassination of popular leaders from Patrice Lumumba and Salvador Allende.
Through the World Bank and IMF the US has imposed its own vision of liberal capitalism on the world. Whether one agrees with these policies or not, they've been helicoptered into countries and forced onto states by various means of coercion and consent. That "American model" of political economy – from structural adjustment, to minimalist democracy, "good governance" (which Rita Abrahamsen most eloquently explained in Disciplining Democracy) and democracy promotion through the barrel of a gun – policies now lies in tatters, and that country is, itself, reeling under the pressures of its own fixation with the low-hanging fruit of capitalist excess.
Four years ago, on this blog, I wrote that people should not expect Barack Obama to be any different from George W Bush. I received a lot of hate mail after writing that. Two years into Obama's reign, I receive apologies. Under Obama the US has continued its war against the Iraqis, the Afghan people and dropped bombs on innocent people in Pakistan. Targeted assassinations have increased and civil liberties in the US have been eroded. The fixation with Obama continues.
A colleague recently told me that I was not an African, that Obama was "and a Kenyan to boot" and that we should support whatever he does. I said we were outraged when the apartheid state attacked villages and killed innocent people in neighbouring states, and should be outraged by Obama's slaughter of innocents in Pakistan. The response was curt: he is an African.
Again, I want to suggest that we should not expect the next president of the US to change that country significantly. The strict monetarism that was introduced under Reagan, the Republican, was reproduced under Bill Clinton, the Democrat. The violence and conflict sowed abroad by Bush was continued by Obama. Collectively the Democrats and Republicans represent the plutocracy the US has become.
The US economy will rebound … these things happen in cycles. The US will continue to play a role in global governance, not all of it will be benevolent. My biggest concern is that the US seems to have a scorched-earth foreign policy approach: if we can't control and dominate the world – ain't nobody else gonna do it!
Watch out for the next conflict in the South China Sea, and listen carefully, when they tell us they are doing it for humanity, or some narrow notion of freedom.
As for who the people of the US elect to lead them. This time I don't care. When Clinton took over from the Republicans in the early 1990s, we thought things would be different. He ended up dropping bombs on innocent people in Africa. The people of that country elected Bush. When The New Yorker endorsed Obama for the presidency, this is what the editors wrote about Bush:
"Obama succeeded George W Bush, a two-term president whose misbegotten legacy, measured in the money it squandered and the misery it inflicted, has become only more evident with time. Bush left behind an America in dire condition and with a degraded reputation. On Inauguration Day, the United States was in a downward financial spiral brought on by predatory lending, legally sanctioned greed and pyramid schemes, an economic policy geared to the priorities and the comforts of what soon came to be called "the one per cent" and deregulation that began before the Bush presidency. In 2008 alone, more than two and a half million jobs were lost — up to three-quarters of a million jobs a month. The gross domestic product was shrinking at a rate of 9%. Housing prices collapsed. Credit markets collapsed. The stock market collapsed — and, with it, the retirement prospects of millions. Foreclosures and evictions were ubiquitous; whole neighbourhoods and towns emptied. The automobile industry appeared to be headed for bankruptcy. Banks as large as Lehman Brothers were dead, and other banks were foundering. It was a crisis of historic dimensions and global ramifications. However skilful the management in Washington, the slump was bound to last longer than any since the Great Depression."
Yes Obama had a hard act to follow and he was, for some, a good president, but for those in the killing fields of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and who knows where else, this is no comfort.


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Top quality English Bridle leather leathers. Older stock being cleared out and on sale
24 x 24 mm with sewn in buckles
Rouille available in 24 and 26 mm widths
Left to right - Dk. Brown, Chestnut, Med. Brown and Rouille (rust)
Here's whats left in stock - Regular price $85.00
Dk. Brown - 24 mm long - 85/125 mm - 2 left - $65.00
Chestnut - 24 mm Reg. - 1 left and Long - 2 left - $65.00
Med. Brown - 24 mm Regular and Long available - little material spotting - $55.00
24 mm Regular and Long - white stitching - $70.00 - one of each left
24 mm Regular - brown stitching (tiny edge damage on buckle side) - $60.00 - 0ne left
26 mm Regular - white stitching - $55.00
26 mm Long - white stitching - $55.00
Let me know if interested
Shipping depends on total order, but average price is $3.50 - $6.50 for single straps
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Should investors expect optimism on D-Street before elections
If improvement in GDP growth and inflation are anything to go by, one can expect upward revision in Sensex, believes Aseem Dhiru, managing director and chief executive officer, HDFC Securities
Markets do not wait for events to unfold and then react to it. They anticipate a particular outcome and start discounting its possibilities well in advance. The single-most important event that will govern India's stock market performance for 2014 is the outcome of general elections.
With the improving GDP number, moderating inflation, control over twin deficits and positive outlook after the polls, we can expect optimism from here to the run up to the general elections. Markets are mustering courage to break out of its six-year consolidation and move into fresh bull market territories beyond the recently tested all-time Sensex high.
Click NEXT to read more....
Image: Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria during her visit to the Bombay Stock Exchange
Photographs: Punit Paranjpe/Reuters.
Should investors expect optimism on D-Street before elections
If the outcome of the elections is as expected, markets, which have lost hope on the government, will start discounting a brighter future. However, any negative surprise could lead to sharp correction and that is what we could see if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) does not come to power with an emphatic majority. However, a weak coalition government would not be the end of the road for the markets. After an initial setback, markets should regain their composure.
And as hopes die down, any baby steps that the coalition take could be seen as giant strides by the markets. The United Progressive Alliance has proved that dynamics of politics matter more than the absolute numbers.
Click NEXT to read more...
Image: Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressing a rally in Keshod
Photographs: Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com
Should investors expect optimism on D-Street before elections
Meanwhile, India has witnessed a substantial external adjustment in recent months including re-building of forex reserves besides the Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan's foresight that has successfully anchored rupee expectations.
Last year, commentators did not bat an eye lid while putting India as a part of 'fragile five countries' responsible for creating chaos in world markets. It became habitual — almost fashionable — to bracket India as vulnerable as South Africa and Turkey, when assessing current external vulnerabilities.
Click NEXT to read more....
Image: Raghuram Rajan walks into the finance ministry post his appointment as RBI governor in August 2013
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
Should investors expect optimism on D-Street before elections
Indian markets, hitherto considered the poster-child of emerging market vulnerability, has now donned a new status of a leader of global recovery. The rupee, which was a prodigal son of emerging currency basket, is now considered an outperformer among world currencies. The currency has held up remarkably since the taper commenced in the US and amid the latest bout of emerging market stress.
So, what can derail the optimistic mood? Three things are worrying us: 1) gold imports whenever freed 2) continued equity flows under taper 3) fate of Chinese economy.
Click NEXT to read more....
Image: An employee counts Indian rupee notes at a cash counter inside a bank
Photographs: Jayanta Dey/Reuters
Should investors expect optimism on D-Street before elections
The biggest adjustment has occurred on the gold front, with gold imports expected to moderate from three per cent to 1.6 per cent of GDP. But if this will sustain remains an open question.
If the underlying drivers of gold sustain, this demand will simply show up in capital flight in the balance of payments. So curbing gold imports helps for a few quarters but is not the medium-term answer.
Click NEXT to read more...
Image: A labourer carries watermelons at a market early morning in the old quarters of Delhi
Photographs: Ahmad Masood/Reuters
Should investors expect optimism on D-Street before elections
Total stock of outstanding foreign institutional investor (FII) debt has dwindled from USD 37 billion to USD 22 billion over the past nine months.
However, FII equity investments are almost six-fold that of debt. Equity outflows — in the event of an adverse election outcome — perhaps pose the key event risk to the rupee in the coming months.
The problem can manifest from China. We do not expect a crash in Chinese economy leading to de-rating in emerging markets as many expect, though what is worrying us is the debt level of Chinese companies.
The debt to operating cash flow is now 7.7 times. Whenever we've seen systems move towards a range higher than six years, companies begin to reduce that capital expenditure and naturally repair their balance sheets.
This event, if it plays out, is likely to induce a downturn.
Click NEXT to read more...
Photographs: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Should investors expect optimism on D-Street before elections
A hope rally is awaiting us if the current opinion polls are reading the mood of the country right. Investors must stay warned that the real economy and corporate performances would not take time to improve and the markets after the champagne froth dies down will start tracking corporate earnings growth.
Image: A man walks past the Bombay Stock Exchange building in Mumbai
Photographs: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters


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Amulet Celestial Eye Supernatural Minrozian Empire Powers Genuine Crystal Quartz Medallion Circle Pendant Necklace
Exclusive, Unique, Magic, One of the Kind and Individual Amulet made from Genuine and Natural Crystal Rock Quartz Gemstone. Amulet meaning: The Symbol of the Minrozian Empire ruled by Paranormal individuals known as Holy Emperors. Celestial Eye Symbol is Spiritual Path towards embracing Faith, having unbelievable intuition and holding Supernatural Powers of and seeing miracles. Magical, and Natural Powers of Crystal Rock Quartz Gemstone: Crystal Quartz is a Powerful stone. It is used for because it counters black and protects from Evil Eye. Crystal Quartz keeps negative energies away, uncover and protect against evil attempts, prevent bad intentions and arrest bad luck. It is a stone that has the power to act as an insulator for all things. It can stop negative vibrations and maintain positive vibrations. Crystal Quartz has been called the "Universal Crystal", because it channels universal energy. Crystal Quartz is a stone of clarity which dispels Evil Eye and clears away negative thoughts, which may be coming against you. It will break up negative energy in the environment. Crystal Quartz is also good for energizing other crystals and when used in combination with any stone it enhances that stones effects. These Amulets are made as Perfect Gemstone Circle and Carved as Tablet Shaped Medallion. Each symbol is Engraved on the top of the Gemstone. Natural Gemstone powers will engage with Powers of Amulet Symbols creating super natural combination of Magical Energies. Make it your own today.
Weight (lbs.):1
Ships To
Additional Item
Continental United States
This product usually ships in 4 business days and should be delivered in 10 business days.
Shop worry free! If you're not 100% happy with your purchase, you can return this item within 14 days of receiving it.


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- Prabhas gets his villain for his upcoming film Saaho
- Costume designer Amritha Ram to work in Vikram's next with Vijay Chander
- Kalaiyarasan's China trailer review
- Dulquer Salmaan's Solo to release on 11th May 2017
- Suseenthiran's Maaveeran Kittu to release Inaivom video song on 1st December
- Vikram Prabhu's Veera Sivaji to be a December 2016 release
- Distributor Tiruppur Subramaniam talks about Remo and Sivakarthikeyan
- Thala 57 or AK 57 first schedule wrapped up in Europe
- Sasi directorial with Siddharth and G.V.Prakash to be a Maman Machan style story
- Director Manimaran has a new script
- Music composer Vishal Chandrasekar on Jil Jung Juk and Krishagaadi Veera Prema Gaadha
- Bobby Simha's Assault Productions Vallavanukku Vallavan will have Bobby in ten looks
- Darling 2 audio release on 4th February 2016
- Vinodhan, an upcoming film is produced by Prabhu Deva under the direction of Victor Jayaraj
- Film Vaalu featuring Simbu and Hansika, will shoot its last song sequence Vaathiyaaru from 30th June
- valayal- Photos
- Nandhini Serial Shooting Spot - Photos
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Valayal (aka) Vala yal
Valayal (aka) Vala yal is a Tamil movie with production by BR MOVIE MAKERS, direction by A.GURUSEKARA. The cast of Valayal (aka) Vala yal includes Pavya Srinagar, Shiva.


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Shandong yuangen petroleum chemical company is located in jining city in shandong province, covers an area of 260 mu. The company owns "komatsu", "shantui komatsu," ,"yuangen" and other well-known brands. The company established a strategic cooperative relations with Sinochem International, Formosa Petrochemical, South Korea SK, Roman, Infineum, Chevron, the United States Lubrizol, etc. The company introduced and developed the specialty chemicals of high-end water-based polymer series, which are widely used in water treatment, pulp and paper making, paint, printing ink, ceramics, textile, cement, etc.
Products available:
Efficient adhensive, Water-resistant agent, Rheology modifiers, Rheological water retention adjustent, surface sizing agent, High-efficiency moisture resistent enhancer for corrugated paper, Hard folding and bursting enhancer for cardboard paper, Brightening agent for ivory board, Environmental broad-spectrum fungicide, Fluorescent whitening agent, dispersing agent.


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As serious as Last Week Tonight's deep dive into for-profit colleges and the staggering amount of student loan debt that college-aged Americans currently face, John Oliver is a comedian. So despite the anxiety-producing material he was discussing, the former Daily Show correspondent's shtick was rife with humor. On the other hand, a new article in the Wall Street Journal concerning the subject is not so funny — especially when one considers the Government Accountability Office's new report on the Obama administration's debt forgiveness programs.
According to the WSJ, the GOA report suggests the federal government will "forgive at least $108 billion in student debt in coming years," largely due to the income-based nature of the Obama programs:
The GAO estimates that $137 billion… won't be repaid. Most of it — $108 billion — will be forgiven because of borrowers fulfilling their obligations under income-driven repayment plans. The $108 billion only covers loans made through the current school year, however. The overall sum could continue to grow alongside enrollment increase.
The other $29 billion will be written off because of disability or death, the GAO projects, the only other circumstances under which the government takes a loan off its books. The government can garnish wages and Social Security checks for those in default.
The federal government's student loan program currently lists an outstanding debt of $1.26 trillion. Of that, students enrolled in the new income-based repayment plan owe $355 billion, of which the GOA is projecting $137 billion will never be paid due to death, disability or inability to pay. That is a lot of money that the U.S. Treasury will never, ever see again.
This may seem like a lot of money to the average American (which it is), but per the report's "scathing review" of the accounting practices employed by the Department of Education to crunch the numbers, the original costs were "understated… by tens of billions of dollars." How so? Because they "failed to account for inflation when estimating borrowers' future earnings" and "further increases in enrollment in income-driven repayment plans."
(Via Wall Street Journal)


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About Me
I have had the privilege of sharing people's journeys since 2008 when I began counselling. For me counselling is vocational, I feel passionately that everyone should be able to access counselling services of a high standard. I strive to be open, non-judgemental and empathic, ultimately allowing you to be who you want to be.
Counselling & psychotherapy is a confidential space to talk about issues that may cause you discomfort and interruption of your daily life. In working through issues, therapy will give you strength to carry on and live your life with more emotional freedom.
I work with most issues and will call you to discuss these initially before appointments. I have more expertise with childhood and adult abuse survivors, religious based issues, anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem and identity based issues.
You can expect to experience:
- A safe, confidential space to explore your feelings and concerns.
- Be listened to by a trained counsellor who will offer focus, challenge and clarity.
- Be challenged about some of the unhelpful feelings and behaviours that may be hindering your growth.
- Encouragement to make positive choices for yourself.


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Dip Hyg, Dip Therapy (Sheffield) 2013.
GDC No 244721.
Kirsty worked as a dental nurse in Wirral for three years before studying dental hygiene and therapy at Sheffield University. Kirsty can offer a wide range of treatment to keep teeth and gums healthy, as well as tooth whitening and fillings to the prescription of a dentist.
Kirsty prides herself on her warm manner and works hard to put patients at ease.
Outside work Kirsty is very handy with a needle and thread and makes some fantastic quilts.


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« IndietroContinua »
IN reporting the Proceedings of the Society during its Twenty-eighth Year, the Committee desire to acknowledge with gratitude the good hand of God upon them, and the various indications of His blessing which have been vouchsafed to their labours.
FUNDS. The Committee regret to state, that there has been a defalcation in the Income of the Society during the past year; while its Expenditure has, during the same period, been largely augmented. SUB-COMMITTEE ON THE STATE OF THE FUNDS.
It having been found, on auditing the Accounts for the half year ending on the 30th of September, that the deficiency amounted to several thousand pounds, a Sub-Committee was formed, for the purpose both of investigating the causes of that deficiency, and of ascertaining whether any diminution of expenditure could be safely and advantageously effected. The Sub-Committee thus appointed were of opinion that various causes had operated to produce the deficiency; but that it was to be chiefly ascribed to the want of adequate means of visiting existing Associations, and forming new ones.
Official Visitors of Associations.
The Sub-Committee therefore recommended, that the plan of engaging yearly Four Clergymen for a period of three months each should be abandoned; and that Two Clergymen should be engaged, to be nominated "Official Visitors of Associations," who should devote their whole time to the objects of the Society, employing at least six months in each year in visiting and forming Associations. To each of the Visitors a salary of 300l. per annum has been assigned. In prosecution of this plan, the Rev. Frederick Leicester has been appointed one of the Official Visitors; but although applications have been made in many different quarters, the Committee have not yet been able to meet with a second individual of suitable qualifications to undertake that office.
New Publication.
The proceedings of the Sub-Committee having brought under their consideration the circumstances connected with the Society's Publications, they recommended the printing a Monthly Paper; containing, in addition to the Home Proceedings of the Society and a more detailed acknowledgment of Contributions, Extracts from the Correspondence of the Missionaries; for the purpose of more widely diffusing Missionary Intelligence, and in the hope of exciting an enlarged interest in the great object of the Society's labours. This recommendation was adopted by the Committee; and the First Number, under the title of the "Church Missionary Monthly Paper," was published in January last, being intended principally for contributors of not less than twelve shillings a year. These arrangements, and some others recommended by the Sub-Committee with a view to retrieve the Funds of the Society, were communicated in two Circulars to the Associations *.
Eacamination of the Expenditure.
The Sub-Committee also entered into a full and minute examination of the whole Expenditure of the Society; having held thirteen meetings in the prosecution of this inquiry, and of the other branches of the reference to them. In the result, it appeared to the Sub-Committee that no very considerable saving of expense would be the immediate consequence of their labours; as they were of opinion, that the General Expenditure was satisfactorily conducted, and did not admit of any material retrenchment, without relinquishing some of those objects of usefulness which the Society has hitherto prosecuted. They however recommended various arrangements with reference to the different heads of Expenditure; which the Committee hope may eventually lead to some reduction in those branches of it wherein reduction can be effected consistently with the interests of the Society.
The state of the Society's Finances induced the Committee, at the suggestion of the Funds' Sub
Committee, not to make the usual Grant to Bishop's College, Calcutta.
Though the appeal to the Public on the defalcation in the Funds, which was circulated for several months previously to the 31st of March, was kindly and liberally answered in many quarters, yet, at the close of the year, the actual deficiency in the Receipts amounted to the sum of 1835l. 19s. 8d.: the Gross Amount on account of the General Fund, for the year ending March 31, being 43,260l. 4s. 4d. The excess of Expenditure for General Purposes during the same period amounted to 9557l. 13s. 2d.; exclusive of 2525l. advanced out of the General Fund toward the completion of the Institution Buildings: the Total Expenditure in the year being 52,817l. 17s.6d., including the sum of 1730l. 6s. 11d. for Missionary Registers and Quarterly Papers supplied to the Associations. The Receipts, during the year, on account of the Institution Building Fund have amounted to the sum of 564l. 19s. 6d. Without entering into the particulars which form the excess in the Foreign Expenditure, the Committee deem it requisite to state, that it falls principally under the following heads:—the purchase of Premises for the Mission at Calcutta; the erection of Buildings in the Missions; the increasing number of Missionaries; and the return home of Missionaries and their families. Though a considerable portion of this excess arises out of occasional charges; yet, on a full examination of the subject, the Committee are constrained to state, that the operations of the Society cannot be continued on their present scale without an increase of the permanent income of the Society. They have, therefore, found themselves compelled to fix a limit to the expenses of the Missions; and to prohibit any enlargement of their operations, under the existing circumstances of the Society. Before the Committee take leave of this subject, they would particularly call the attention of the Society to the consideration of those circumstances which affect the proceedings of a Missionary Institu


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The City of Orem
is located 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City in beautiful Utah Valley. Orem is bordered by Utah Lake on the west and the majestic Wasatch Mountains on the east. As the fifth-largest City in Utah, Orem is located in the center of the Provo-Orem MSA with an estimated population of over 603,000 people. It's also home to Utah Valley University and within five minutes of Brigham Young University, with a combined total of over 67,000 students. Housing, education, and employment opportunities continue to be in high demand as Orem's population recently surpassed 97,000 residents. Orem was named the #14 Best Place to Live in America for 2017 by Money Magazine.


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A funny story... (kinda) I was checking up on my RSS Feed today when I found out that Feedburner for some reason thought I had four of them! Crazy huh? So the different feeds have different subscribers and it's all kind of a silly jumbled mess. I've read about ways to combine feeds but I figured the easiest solution is to just send out this post and let you know what the correct feed to use is.
You have options:
1) Just look over on the right sidebar and use the new RSS Feed button that's sitting there. You can easily subscribe to the new feed that way.
2) Or use this (Feed Address): http://feeds.feedburner.com/AllGeeksRejoice
I'll probably delete the excess feeds so please switch ASAP. Thank you! So let's get back to this Anime review month shall we?


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It's been an exhausting day, full of "just breath" moments, so it's nice to come home to another positive interview, found here at Beyond The Joke. Bless them!
When I get interested in something, I tend to obsess. At present, my obsession is anything The Mighty Boosh related. Other things may slip in once in a while, but mainly you will find this site to be fairly single minded, focusing on one subject! I have a tendency to include Boosh stuff into everything I do these days, so instead of including them in my other Blogs, I thought I would deposit them here. This way, I can have my favorite videos, pictures, gifs, etc. all in one place!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Yes, Another Review
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An oldish tidbit, certainly, but David Lynch talks about meeting with George Lucas and why he turned down Return of the Jedi, in which he had "next-door to zero interest," in an interview clip from a chat at the Russian Tea Room in New York City in November of last year. I think he means Ewoks instead of Wookies, though.
Daily Archives: February 10, 2010
Los Angeles Times Gives Joe Johnston a Pass on The Wolfman
Over at the Los Angeles Times, Geoff Boucher has an interview with director Joe Johnston regarding The Wolfman, which I skipped earlier this week for Please Give. My first thought was in regards to the accompanying picture: "Jesus, that guy looks old and more than a bit beaten down. Is this the same guy who so capably put audiences through the paces in Jurassic Park III?"
Getting into the meat of the piece, though, it's clear this is a fairly rah-rah thing; there's the obligatory, cursory mention of Mark Romanek's departure three weeks before shooting, but not much detail. We're told editor Dennis Virkler and composer Danny Elfman were also swapped out — for Walter Murch and Paul Haslinger respectively — and that Johnston "discovered" a startling and different cut of the movie in the editing room, especially after an upgrade in some 200 visual effects scenes were spliced in. Still, the lack of answers, or specific edifying information, hangs over the entire interview.
If Universal really pushed the budget upwards, toward $120 million (ironic, given that their reticence over going much past $100 million was cited as being at the root of creative differences with Romanek) what does this realistically say about their expectations for the film? Is it covering a short bet, essentially, a box office grab? Is Anthony Hopkins — lured back to the movie with promises of reinserted scenes now back on the cutting room floor — really so happy with the finished product? Is it really reasonable to harbor any ideas of sequels given the historical mismanagement of Universal's monster movie library? And is the film going to be able to out-gross, per screen, Avatar in the latter's ninth week of release?


text: Jon Johnson Report post Posted November 11, 2015 With its massive sound, hands-on ease, and affordable price, the GAIA SH-01 is a high-performance value with old-school charm. The triple-stacked engine puts potent virtual analog synthesis under your fingertips, yet the control panel is so fun, friendly, and inviting, even first-timers can create great sounds. The signal flow is simple to grasp, with logically arranged knobs, sliders, and buttons. Hands-on control and fat sound make this little powerhouse a joy for music students, songwriters, session players, and live performers of all styles and skill levels. View full synthesizer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Drive Less
One of the questions an insurance agent will ask when you apply for auto insurance is "how many miles do you drive?" Do you know? I certainly don't. Maybe we both should start counting the miles. Those that drive less, pay less. The logic is simple: The less you drive, the less likely you are to get in an accident.
Some companies offer drivers a 50 percent discount if they drive fewer miles. Fifty percent is an awesome savings, but it comes at a price. Big Brother is along for the ride. The insurance company will probably want to install a mileage tracking device in your car. Such devices not only track how many miles you drive, but also how fast you're motoring through town, and whether you drive mostly at night or in the day. You might even have to pay a charge each month for the device [source: Fuscaldo].
Others offer customers a discount of up to 35 percent for those with a GM car equipped with OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics. If you have OnStar and drive less than 15,000 miles a year, you may qualify for the GMAC low-mileage discount. In addition, some companies offer pay-as-you-go insurance to give those who drive less than 15,000 miles a year a huge discount. The plan is meant for people such as city-dwellers who use public transportation, the elderly who don't drive a lot and someone who works from home (I just learned something new, today) [source: MSN].
Anyway, at the end of the day, the key to saving is to do you research, ask questions and shop around.
Author's Note: 5 Things You Can Do to Lower Your Auto Insurance Rates
What's nice about researching and writing these articles is that I always learn something new. In fact, I like that low-mileage discount so much, I'm going to phone up my agent this week. However, I won't install a tracking device.
Related Articles
More Great Links
- Auto Insurance In Depth.com. "No Fault Insurance." (March 5, 2012) http://www.autoinsuranceindepth.com/no-fault-insurance.html
- Car Insurance Rates.com. "Car Insurance Deductibles." (March 2, 2012) http://www.carinsurancerates.com/car-insurance-deductibles.html
- Cheap Oklahoma Insurance.com. "Money Saving Tips for Insurance Consumers." (March 5, 2012) http://cheapoklahomaautoinsurance.com/eliminate-duplicate-coverage.php
- Fuscaldo, Donna. "Car Insurance for less, and less driving." Bankrate.com. (March 5, 2012) http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/car-insurance-for-less-and-less-driving-1.aspx
- Lyons, Kevin. "Policies for celebrity parts: Mariah Carey insured her legs for how much? Insurance Quotes.com (March 2, 2012) http://www.insurancequotes.com/insurance-celebrity-body-part/
- MSN.com. "Cheaper insurance if you drive less?" Sept. 9, 2011. (March 2, 2012) http://money.msn.com/auto-insurance/cheaper-insurance-if-you-drive-less-insurance.aspx
- Travelers Insurance. "Understand the basic of auto insurance." (March 2, 2012) https://www.travelers.com/insurance-basics/auto/the-basics.aspx
Is your car over-insured?
Is your car over-insured? Learn how to tell if your car has too much insurance at HowStuffWorks.


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The Italian CHOD opens the European Perspectives Field Study at the NATO Defense College
- English
- Français
The NATO Defense College organizes Field Studies so that Course Members can gain first-hand knowledge of security policies, structures, workings and functions of national defence establishments, governments and international organizations by meeting national, regional, and global decision-makers in their respective capitals and headquarters.
Senior Course 130's first Field Study began in Rome on 20 March with excellent presentations from the Italian Chief of Defence (CHOD) and from officials representing the Ministries of Defence, of Foreign Affairs and of the Interior.
The Dean of the NATO Defense College and the Senior Italian Representative welcomed the Senior Course and guests and the Dean underlined the outstanding support given by Italy as Host Nation to the NATO Defense College.
General Claudio Graziano, Chief of the Italian armed forces spoke about the daily communication between the different ministries regarding security. He underlined the whole of government approach, which is now necessary to cope with the multiple threats every country is facing. In describing these threats, he stressed that their combination is leading to a very complex situation that requires strategic depth for each country. This can be achieved on the one hand, with the development of capabilities by countries, and with strategic plans in particular being drawn up by international organizations (i.e. NATO, the EU and the UN). "Italian strategy", – General Graziano stressed – "is focused on the Mediterranean for obvious historical and geographical reasons. In all international fora as well as in terms of domestic policy, Italy promotes the development of strategies dealing with the security challenges emerging from the so-called "Southern Flank" of NATO and Europe, without shirking its responsibility, as an active and engaged member of NATO, in Eastern Europe."
He then described the concrete contributions made by Italy to international and also national operations like "Mare Sicuro" in the Mediterranean, thus demonstrating Italy's commitment to the Alliance, and how it implements the strategy described in its White Book. At the end of his outstanding presentation he kindly answered questions from Course Members.
Continuing with the demonstration of whole of government efforts, Course Members heard presentations from Major General Lorenzo D'Addario, representing the MoD, Sig.ra Federica Favi, Embassy First Counselor of the MFA and Colonel Giuseppe Lanzillotti from the Carabinieri, working for the MoI. They all emphasized the necessary complementarity between the EU and NATO from their different perspectives. From the Foreign Affairs standpoint, this complementarity is necessary to fulfill the current process of adaptation in NATO; from the military perspective it is necessary to contain today's crises and to prevent them in the future; and from the police perspective to better cooperate and use the different tools (Europol,Interpol) to address the different challenges Italy is facing too. The presentations were followed by a question and answer period.
In the afternoon, Course Members were invited to visit the Joint Operations Centre of the Armed Forces in Rome and were able to appreciate the concrete operationalization of the morning's briefings, i.e. multi-operational complexity.
Course Members enjoyed a very informative programme for the first day of their first Field Study. Italy demonstrated the coherent and realistic approach adopted by all ministries, which is the result of a carefully drafted and implemented strategy.


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Joan Didion has a knack for hearing the unspoken. A knack that has less to do with listening and more with living. Being around. Being out, and being in at the right times. Usually such people aren't particularly skilled at this; it's simply how life operates for them. It comes naturally, and this naturalness only enhances it. Bends life even tighter around them.
The essay "Many Mansions," from The White Album, is a great study of our contemporary built environment, seen through the lens of a single residence: the home built for California governors by Ronald and Nancy Reagan in 1975. It was never finished; Jerry Brown refused to live in it when he took office.
Here are a few of Didion's thoughts, each a testament to her ear for the built environment's quiet subtexts and her keen synthesis of them.
"'Flow' is a word that crops up quite a bit when one is walking through the place, and so is 'resemble.' The walls 'resemble' local adobe, but they are not: they are the same concrete blocks, plastered and painted a rather stale yellowed cream, used in so many supermarkets and housing projects and Coca-Cola bottling plants. The door frames and the exposed beams 'resemble' native redwood, but they are not: they are construction-grade lumber of indeterminate quality, stained brown."
She continues, cutting the meaning of the house open, a metaphysical cross-section:
"The place has been called…a 'Taj Mahal.' It has been called a 'white elephant,' a 'resort,' a 'monument to the colossal ego of our former governor.' It is not exactly any of these things. It is simply and rather astonishingly an enlarged version of a very common kind of California tract house, a monument not to a colossal ego but to a weird absence of ego, a case study in the architecture of limited possibilities…flattened out, mediocre and 'open' and as devoid of privacy or personal eccentricity as the lobby area in a Ramada Inn. It is the architecture of 'background music,' decorators, 'good taste.'"
The "architecture of background music." What a great description for the ubiquitous non-places we encounter every day. If you want to read the whole thing, it's only a few pages long; full text here.