text:
Ok. We still have derivatives, Glass-Steagall, Dodd-Frank, MERS, Wall Street owned government and so on….that we can't point fingers to China.
Thought the global financial crisis in 2008 was caused by subprime bonds, collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and other Wall Street engineering? Think again.
According to a new study, China, not Wall Street bankers, was responsible for the global crisis and the ensuing recession (learn more).
The study from the Erasmus Research Institute of Management said the saving frenzy of the Chinese created the cheap money, which fueled the U.S. housing bubble and its collapse.
Heleen Mees, writer of the study and adjunct associate professor at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, said that exotic mortgage products could hardly have been the cause of the U.S. housing market bubble and its ultimate collapse.
image: advisorone.com© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.


text:
How To Obtain
- Complete Eye of the Storm as RedEye.
- +10 Gen Levels
Suggested Teammates
- Alone! - The Kaleidoscope Eye! - UnBingo'able by most teams!
- Touchy is based on Itachi from Naruto.
- Touchy also makes an appearance in the Jonin exam for RedEye.
- Touchy also seems to have a small effigy of 4chan's Pedobear as the Tomoe in his Red/Kaleidoscope Eye. A comparison can be viewed here.
- The name is likely based off both the "tachi" part of his name and a joke at his lack of emotion.
page revision: 16, last edited: 04 Apr 2012 13:12

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Matsuda Sorakichi (1859 – August 16, 1891) was a Japanese professional wrestler of the 19th century. He became a feature attraction in America, competing in a distinctly western sport, long before it was adopted in Japanese.
Sorakichi was born Koujiro Matsuda (Kanji, Hiragana) in Japan. He trained and competed in sumo, under the sumo name Torakichi. These names were later corrupted by American promoters and the sporting press into "Matsada Korgaree Sorakichi," as he would be known in America for the rest of his life. To colleagues he was known as "Mat" or "The Jap."
Matsuda came to the United States in 1883 and had his first match in New York City on January 14, 1884. He lost to the Englishman Edwin Bibby. In March, 1884, Matsuda beat Bibby and then James Daley in New York. Over the next few months he went on the road and wrestled in Cleveland, Baltimore, Buffalo, Rochester, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Chicago and Peoria. His opponents included Duncan Ross, Jack Gallagher, Benny Jones, Joe Acton, Carlos Martino and Ted George.
Greco-Roman Champion William Muldoon was Matsuda's most famous opponent. Muldoon beat Matsuda in Chicago on July 18, 1884. Matsuda returned to New York City in August, 1884, where he lived until June, 1885. While in New York City he beat James Quigley and Jack Herd, drew with Karl Abs and William Muldoon, and lost twice to Abs. In June 1885 he wrestled in Cleveland and Scranton, Pennsylvania in December.
During March, 1886, Matsuda lost to the British World Heavyweight Champion Tom Cannon in Cleveland and drew with the German World Heavyweight Champion Ernest Roeber in New York City. The match against Roeber took place at the Germania Assembly Roon, in the Bowery.
Matsuda was on the road the rest of 1886, wrestling in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Ashland, Wisconsin and St. Louis. opponents included Duncan Ross, Joe Acton, Jack Carkeek, James Doner, James Faulkner and Bernarr MacFadden.
During 1887, he wrestled in Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Rio de Janeiro and Baltimore. In 1888 he toured Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie and Scranton) and also visited Lowell, Massachusetts. His opponents included Jesse Clark, Joe Acton, Jack Hart, Jim Connors, H.M. Dufar, Harvey Parker, William Muldoon, and John McMahon. In January and February, 1889 he wrestled August La Grange, William Muldoon and Ted George in Philadelphia. His last match was on May 13, 1891 against Martin "Farmer" Burns in Troy, New York.
Matsuda tried, unsuccessfully, to bring American wrestling to Japan. On August 16, 1891, he died broke in New York City at age 32.
In February, 1902, eleven years after his death, Jack Carkeek told the British sporting paper Mirror of Life that he held "a high opinion of Sorakichi, the Jap, whom he considers to probably be the cleverest man in the world at his weight. The plucky little jap has suffered numerous defeats simply because he has tackled all the best men of the day, no matter what their size or weight might be, and the good little ones must ever go down to big ones".
Personal life
Matsuda's European American wife, complained that Matsuda and his friends squandered her inheritance and threatened her with violence when she complained. She also said that Matsuda kept his Japanese girlfriend at their home.


text:
If you want to find yourself in a very small minority in California, say something bad about the new redistricting process under the citizens commission.
All of California's 36 largest newspapers endorsed the 2008 ballot initiative that established the commission, and they are still very on board.
Tellingly, the San Francisco Chronicle ran four pieces on redistricting in its Sunday editions -- all of them positive about redistricting.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
So at the risk of being the loneliest man in California, here's an unvarnished truth: the new redistricting process, whatever its benefits, has left off worse off in the short run.
In two ways:
1. The redistricting commission has made this year's budget worse.
Without a commission, the legislature -- and specifically the Democratic majority in the legislature -- would have had a far easier time getting a budget that defends programs it likes, even with taxes.
How's that?
The legislature's leading Democrats, who drew the lines themselves in the previous process, would have been able to win at least a few Republican votes simply by threatening to draw district lines in ways that could have shortened their careers.
With that kind of leverage, Californians would at least have had a chance to vote on taxes or other new revenues to prevent cuts, as Democrats wanted.
Redistricting reform took that away. That means programs without special constitutional protections -- social services and higher education -- are likely to take another big cut in whatever budget emerges.
The state also will add to its debt. Are weaker university systems and higher debt a fair price to pay for having a more honest redistricting? It's a good question -- and one you won't read in the papers.
2. The redistricting commission could hurt California's influence in Washington.
Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant, makes a smart point in a story in Monday's LA Times. A high number of California Republican Congressmen have important committee chairmanships in Congress precisely because the previous redistricting, done by the legislature in 2000, was a nasty incumbent protection scheme.
But those protected incumbents were able to build seniority, and it is seniority that largely determines chairmanships in Congress.
The redistricting commission, which was not permitted to consider political factors such as where incumbents live, has drawn districts that put several incumbents together -- guaranteeing that some incumbents will be forced out of Congress. Thus diminishing the seniority of the delegation -- and California's influence in Congress.
This price isn't as high as the harm to the budget that is a byproduct of the redistricting commission. (California's delegation is weak, despite its seniority and its size, because its members don't do a good job of cooperating with each other, across regions and party lines). But it should give us pause.
The costs of non-political redistricting are significant.


text:
Before we go to my headline topic first i want to tell you something what i think, that is men get easily aroused by women bodies is because of social construct and is assumed naturally sexually arousing , this included breast. Confused? Let me explain my reason , in modern societies breasts is viewed as sexual and maybe most of men will turn on by seeing women breast but doesn't mean it biologically-based, if you see in tribal societies a topless women are not a big deal there. They see it (breast) as something normal. And in reverse situation in Muslim country men ussually turn on just because they see women hair or neck and that's why Muslim society assumed 99% of women bodies are sexual. Why this happen? Because it is HIDDEN from public , Yes the more less we see the more we interested on it. That is fetishes, what is hiding whether it is breast , leg , or even hair make men or women become more intrigued.
In Bali around 1930 it's okay for women to be topless at public and it's normal, if you see on youtube documentary both men and women just do they routined activity there even the women are topless because they have accostumed by that but now topless women are illegal there so when a women topless there maybe men will get aroused. Even In America around the turn of last century seeing an ankle was sexy because they were always covered and now in America seeing ankle not something arousing right? When i was young and never see nudity i easily aroused and turn on when seeing picture of nude women , i must masturbate but now i don't easily turn on by picture of nude women i can control it ( still i respect women bodies ). Now i can perceived nudity as something natural not always something sexual anymore, depend on what's the situation and my willingness.
So Female breast or other women's body parts are viewed as sexual or not depend on the culture . i believe Media and government plays an important role in the way that women breast or other parts are perceived. Covering is captivating , if you see the same thing all the time, it's not a big deal. I repeat the more body part is hidden the more likely it become WOW when it come to revealing.
Now back to topic, i want to tell you what's sexism according to my point of view. Okay, folks please dont never ever to except double standard on your society as equality . i don't believe in double standard. Especially when it come to how society forced what you must do with your body, if you are women you must covered this and that blablabla, if you are men just covered this and you are free and then they said it's equal. NO! They are wrong folks! men and women both are natural human bodies, both of them born naked so they must be treated fairly like i have explain on above paragraph it's all a social construct whether breast fetishes or even hair fetishes in Middle East. I more likely to except both of men and women can naked in public than one of the gender are free to wear what they want and other is not. Oh and don't say its small useless thing, because when a good women used sexy clothes or exposed breast ,society will just view her as a whores even she is not , and maybe she can be punished too or some men can feel oppresed why always wrong, immoral and forbid to see women bodies in public even as something natural or women's beauty ,society will just think that men as 'bad or harrasser', Me for example.
Okay maybe you will said that "i don't agree with what you said there's no valid evidence about your social construct or breast fetish". Yes this is not a sciencetific blog and i will not forced you to agree with what i think. But even if my opinion is not valid i still believe equal treatment to both men and women ,why? Because even if it is true men are biologically-based easily aroused by women bodies it's still not fair if women can easily see men bodies whereas men are not ,or women that exposed her body is a bad girl but it's okay whenever boy do it. Biological-based is not the point to except double standard as equality. Think out of box men have an ability to control their desire too even if breast are fetish and they can accostumed. you can see on some place in Europe for example. So women have rights too to gotopless or if a women want to covered it's not problem for me. but please make an equal law, men must covered too! because it's unfair if in my society women are acceptable to see men bodybuilder or male criminal using only underwear on television even make jokes at it whereas in reverse situation it will never ever happen! Even media will just censored if it is exposing women bodies , even when men see just a women breast's line it can be count as objectified women in my society. that's injustice !! That's why i hope either both of the gender must covered their body part equally or expose it equally in public for true equality.
Follow me , like it Darknesspinokio / Crazyman


text:
If you're searching for a Professional Organizer Phoenix, New Day Organizing's Phoenix-based organizing service is the answer to your decluttering needs. Its organizing service Phoenix offers decluttering and hoarding help for your home, office, garage or closet. Whether you are looking to clear out a single closet, organize some paperwork, or remove and/or reorganize years' worth of clutter in your home from top to bottom, New Day Organizing can help. Professional organizing service Phoenix is a very specific and unique service that is tailored to the individual to help restore balance and order in the home and life. Having a home environment that is peaceful, calm and orderly can help in many other areas of your life, whether it be your health, career/finances, relationships, personal time and more. Take the first step toward a healthy, organized home environment and contact a Professional organizer Phoenix.
New Day Organizing offers professional organizing, decluttering and hoarding assistance for your home, office, garage or closet and serves the area of Phoenix, Arizona.
New Day Organizing is located in Phoenix and offers balance and peace in your home, office, garage or closet.


text:
The All Star Break is here and all is quiet here in Louisville. Most Bats players and coaches are home with their families while Dioner Navarro is in Buffalo enjoying the spoils of being selected to represent the Bats in the Triple-A All Star Game. Time to get you updated on everything Bats related with a special Bats Midseason Notebook.
Frustrating first half
The first half of the season for the Bats was marked by their inability to win three or more games in a row. Their torrid nine game win streak from June 18-26 is the lone exception. That win streak included back to back four-game sweeps of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and the Pawtucket Red Sox. Problem is, the Bats have since lost ten of their next twelve and head into the break with a 33-59 record.
Revolving door of players
A root cause of the Bats' struggles this season has, without a doubt, been the revolving door that is the Bats' roster. Of the 25 players on the Bats' opening day roster, 17 of them have been hurt, recalled to Cincinnati, or released outright since the beginning of the season. Just 14 of the original 25 are currently on the Bats active roster.
Injury plague
The Bats have also been plagued by the injury bug. To date, the Bats have had 14 injury related transactions since the start of the season, or about one every week. That doesn't include Kristopher Negron, who will be transferred to the disabled list by the end of the All Star Break. Negron was injured in the Bats' 7-5 win July 5. While no official prognosis has been given, Negron is on crutches and injury has been to be very serious.
Navarro the All Star
Despite starting the season 0-for-19 at the plate and spending time on the bench with separate injuries, Dioner Navarro has impressed this season with the Bats. Navarro is hitting .335 with three homers, nine doubles, and 21 RBIs. If he qualified, Navarro would lead the Bats in hitting. Navarro was red hot in June, hitting .419 with three doubles, two homers, and 8 RBIs in 18 games played. Because of his injuries, he has played in just 49 of 92 games this season. Navarro has also been stellar behind the plate, throwing out 21 of 54 would-be base stealers, a 38.9% clip.
New comers shine
Louisville has had plenty of new faces come through Louisville Slugger Field this season. Some of these young stars have shined brightly since joining the Bats. Here's a look at a few:
Right hander Pedro Villarreal joined the Bats May 5 after starting six games in Pensacola earning a record of 1-2. Though Villarreal is just 2-6 in 12 starts for Louisville, he has an ERA of just 3.96. Since winning his first two decisions with Lousiville, Villarreal has lost six straight. In his most recent start, Saturday, he went six innings giving up just one run on four hits while striking out a season high eight. Problem was, the Bats were shut out and Villarreal took the loss. In his last nine starts, the Bats have scored just 37 total runs and are 1-8 in those games. Villarreal has been very good for the Bats this year, despite what his record says.
Cody Puckett was the next to join the Bats, on May 16. Puckett has struggled offensively with the Bats, sporting a batting average of just .233 with five doubles, one triple, and two homers to go along with 20 RBIs in 48 games. He did have a nine game hitting streak that coincided with the Bats' winning streak but hasn't done much other than that. Despite his struggles at the plate, Puckett has been outstanding in the field this season and has made some terrific plays with the glove.
Next up is left hander Donnie Joseph. Joseph has been nothing less of outstanding for the Bats. In ten games, the Texan, has given up just four runs on thirteen hits and has picked up four saves. Before coming to Louisville, Joseph was 4-2 with 13 saves in 26 games with Pensacola. Overall, Joseph is 6-2 with 17 saves and a 1.24 ERA. If he keeps this up after the break, Joseph will likely be considered for minor league pitcher of the year for the Cincinnati Reds.
Last, but not least, we have Henry Rodriguez. Standing just 5' 10, Rodriguez was having a terrific season in Pensacola before an injury. After five games with the Arizona League Reds, Rodriguez was promoted to Louisville. He made his first career Triple-A start on July 5 and did not disappoint, going 3-for-5 with a game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning. Rodriguez is a third baseman by trade but can play second, short, and some outfield. Rodriguez has been a nice addition and, if his bat comes to life, he could find himself wearing red sooner than later.
Perez heating up
Outfielder Felix Perez didn't get off to the best of starts this season with the Bats. In April and May combined, Perez hit just .230 with four doubles, two homers and 14 RBIs. Since then, Perez has caught fire at the plate. In 32 combined games in June and July, the 27 year-old has hit .336 with eleven doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs. Perez has hit safely in 23 of his last 32 games. Recently, though, Perez came up limp while running the bases and was placed on the disabled list July 4. However, it is not feared to be a serious injury and Perez should be able to return to the field by Saturday or Sunday.
Janish cooling off
Paul Janish is one of the Bats who has been blatantly plagued by the injury bug this season. After hitting .315 with seven doubles, one triple, two homers, and four RBIs in 23 April games, Janish suffered a broken wrist and spent the entire month of May on the disabled list. Since being activated June 14 (43 days on DL), Janish is hitting just .170 (15-for-88) with five doubles, two homers, and five RBIs. Janish enters the break with an overall batting average of .236 with just nine total RBIs. Hopefully, Janish can get back to his April form in the second half.
Tomko best winless pitcher in baseball
Another injury bug combatant is right hander Brett Tomko. Not only has Tomko battled a pair of injuries, he has also been the recipient of some terribly bad luck. After losing his first outing of the season, Tomko was placed on the disabled list with right abductor spasms. Tomko came back April 14 and pitched great. In nine starts, Tomko gave up two or fewer runs in eight of them. Six of Tomko's seven previous starts have been quality starts and he has yet to give up more than three runs in any start this season and he has an ERA of 3.14. But, Brett Tomko is 0-6. The Bats have scored just 20 runs in his ten starts and are 2-8 in them. Tomko's last start came May 30. In that game, which the Bats lost 2-1, he suffered an injury to his shoulder and was placed on the DL June 1, where he has been since. Tomko is set to return to the rotation after the break when he will go for his first win of the season.
Phipps struggling
Outfielder Denis Phipps made headlines last season, hitting .346 with 34 doubles, seven triples, twelve homers, and 64 RBIs in 122 games between Carolina and Louisville. This season has been a major letdown for Phipps. In 46 games with the Bats, Phipps is hitting just .157 with seven doubles, five homers, and 20 RBIs. Phipps has also battled the injury bug, spending the second half of May and the entire month of June on the DL with a shoulder injury after making a diving catch in a game May 15. Phipps was supposed to be an offensive leader this season. He has been anything but; however, Phipps is streaky and could get going at any time.
Hoover dominant
Just before the season started, the Reds traded Juan Francisco to the Atlanta Braves for right hander JJ Hoover. In eight games in April, Hoover picked up four saves and gave up just four runs, in nine innings of work while striking out 17 and walking just six. Hoover was recalled by the Reds April 24 and pitched 18 innings in 17 games with the big league club giving up just six runs on 11 hits while striking out 19 and walking eight. Hoover returned to the Bats June 24 and has impressed still. On July 2, Hoover pitched two scoreless frames and on July 5, he pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings while picking up the win. In 14 games with Louisville, Hoover is 3-0 with four saves and a 1.53 ERA. In 17-2/3 innings, Hoover has struck out 25 and walked only seven.
The road ahead
After three days off for the All Star Break, the Bats reconvene in Louisville Thursday to open a four game series with the Gwinnett Braves. The Bats are on their way to the worst record since the 1991 Louisville Redbirds finished 51-92. To avoid losing 100 games, the Bats must win at least 12 of their next 52 games. The last time a Louisville team lost 100 games was 1957 when the team was 49-105.
And that's your Louisville Bats Midseason Report. For all the latest Bats new, be sure to follow me on Twitter @kevingeary10.


text:
I added a new category today, which means I've added a new topic to my revolving group of topics: Food. Right now, the main thrust of my posts will deal with the food branch of the unhealthy commodities industries, but it could be expanded over time to cover other aspects of food, such as food workers, or… I don't know, genetically-modified food. We'll see.
* * *
During the recent discussion around New York City's proposed portion cap on sugary drinks, the beverage industry's refrain, like the tobacco industry's before it, was one of "personal choice." They claim that people choose the high-calorie/low-nutrition products, in the ever-large sizes, they offer for sale. Without thinking, others echo this refrain when dove-tailing their own agenda with that of the unhealthy commodities industry.
In the same New York Times article I referred to in Follow the Money the intensity with which food companies pursue the "perfect" food was described:
Frito-Lay had a formidable research complex near Dallas, where nearly 500 chemists, psychologists and technicians conducted research that cost up to $30 million a year, and the science corps focused intense amounts of resources on questions of crunch, mouth feel and aroma for each of these items. Their tools included a $40,000 device that simulated a chewing mouth to test and perfect the chips, discovering things like the perfect break point: people like a chip that snaps with about four pounds of pressure per square inch.
This is just one company and one product line, and it doesn't include a dime of marketing or advertising money. Up against this, we're told we have to exhibit "will power" and "personal responsibility". We're told that taking this away takes away our freedom of choice, as if anyone outside the industry chooses this.
It has always been the case that the food offered to the majority of people by capitalist food producers/distributors has been of poor quality. A quick Google search this morning yielded the following:
Proceedings American Pharmaceutical Association Eighth Annual Meeting,
Held In Boston, Mass., September, 1859,
With The Constitution And Roll Of Members.
Excluding, then, from the class of adulterations all cases of substitution, impurities, and accidental contaminations, adulteration may be thus defined: It consists in the intentional addition to an article, for the purpose of gain, or deception, of any substance or substances, the presence of which is not acknowledged in the name under which the article is sold.
Your Committee feel that perhaps they may bring forward some facts, not in all cases agreeable, and that they may be met with the oft repeated statement that "the public wish the adulterated articles," that "pure mustard and cream of tartar will not sell," coffee with burnt peas and apples in it is "richer," and more "nutritious," but we feel constrained to say this pretended regard for the wishes and tastes of the "public" is most generally based upon a slight interest for the pecuniary welfare of the manufacturer or trader. [Emphasis mine.]
Another example:
In London there are two sorts of bakers, the "full priced," who sell bread at its full value, and the "undersellers," who sell it under its value. The latter class comprises more than three-fourths of the total number of bakers. (p. xxxii in the Report of H. S. Tremenheere, commissioner to examine into "the grievances complained of by the journeymen bakers," &c., Lond. 1862.) The undersellers, almost without exception, sell bread adulterated with alum, soap, pearl ashes, chalk, Derbyshire stone-dust, and such like agreeable nourishing and wholesome ingredients. (See the above cited Blue book, as also the report of "the committee of 1855 on the adulteration of bread," and Dr. Hassall's "Adulterations Detected," 2nd Ed. Lond. 1861.) Sir John Gordon stated before the committee of 1855, that "in consequence of these adulterations, the poor man, who lives on two pounds of bread a day, does not now get one fourth part of nourishing matter, let alone the deleterious effects on his health." Tremenheere states (l.c., p. xlviii), as the reason, why a very large part of the working-class, although well aware of this adulteration, nevertheless accept the alum, stone-dust, &c., as part of their purchase: that it is for them "a matter of necessity to take from their baker or from the chandler's shop, such bread as they choose to supply." [Emphasis mine.] … Tremenheere adds on the evidence of witnesses, "it is notorious that bread composed of those mixtures, is made expressly for sale in this manner."
So when people say that it's a matter of choice, or the converse, "personal responsibility," you know they're lying.


text:
If you own multiple residential rental properties and at least one happens to be within the City of Portland, you may find yourself subject to a tax you have long been exempted from.
Prior to 2012, if an individual had fewer than 10 residential units, and it was their sole business activity, then they were exempt from both the Multnomah County Business Income Tax (MCBIT) and the Portland Business License Tax (PBL) regardless of gross income from the properties. This was a great exemption for retired individuals with several rental properties that functioned their main source of retirement income, or a rental property owner that happen to be unfortunate enough to have a property within the city limits even though all their other properties were far outside of the Portland. Unfortunately, politicians tasked with raising revenue often resort to eliminating exemptions like this one in order to avoid getting blood on their hands.
On June 6th, 2012, the Portland City Council, in their infinite wisdom, amended the Portland City Code and removed the exemption for individuals with fewer than 10 residential units. This is retroactive change in that it is effective as of 1/1/12 even though we are more than half way through tax year 2012. This means that if you have some profitable rental units that gross well over $50k, you will want to meet with your tax professional as soon as possible as you may want to start setting aside funds for this tax. Fortunately, this is only a change for the PBL, and at this time there is still an exemption available for the MCBIT.
If you are unfamiliar with the two taxes, the MCBIT is a 1.45% tax and the PBL is 2.2%; however, both have a minimum tax amount of $100, so even if you have a really bad year, you are still going to pay $200. There is an exemption if you gross income is less than $50k, but it is important to understand that this is based on your global gross income. You could have eight rental properties in Bend, OR and only one in the City and still be subject tax since the gross rent for all nine properties is over $50k. You only have to pay tax on the percentage of income earned within the City limits, but unfortunately not below the minimum tax amounts.
Most rental property owners with only a few units will fall under the $50k gross income exemption limit. Those with more units or high value residential properties can expect to pay at least $200 each year and possibly much more depending on the profitability of your properties. For retired individuals who own a number of residential units that are paid off, the tax due could be enough to make you want to go join the circus of protestors outside of City Hall.
If this applies to you, talk with you tax professional today and avoid an unwanted surprise at tax time.


text:
Friday, December 23, 2011
Get A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues
Posted by Debbie D at 9:00 AM
Labels: Arthur Alexander, Debbie D
1 Comment:
- Anonymous said...
Thank you for subtracting Intoxica Radio from the Ichiban webstream. It just didn't fit right. Please consider adding Bill Kelly's show to the mix.
- December 23, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Discharged juror continues to cause a stir; trial hangs in the balance
Discharged juror claims questionable conduct by other jurors
STAMFORD -- A discharged juror's claim about questionable conduct by other jurors continued to shake up the assault trial of a Byram father and son Thursday at state Superior Court.
According to a brief filed by defense attorneys for Pasquale and Angelo Ciullo, former juror Meaghan Campbell called attorney Michael Fitzpatrick Wednesday night and told him she intentionally tried to get kicked off the jury because she did not approve of the behavior of other jurors.
Campbell claims jurors on the assault case, which revolves around a July 2007 incident on Byram Shore Road, already made up their minds about the case and referred to the Ciullos as "stereotypical Mafioso."
Campbell further claims Fitzpatrick's examination style at trial caused many jurors to dislike him, which was working against Angelo Ciullo, his client.
"Mrs. Campbell indicated that those involved in the discussions are leaning towards conviction and in her opinion this trial is tainted," wrote attorney Edward Gavin in a memorandum put before the court. Gavin represents Pasquale Ciullo.
Campbell was excused from the jury panel Wednesday after she admitted to speaking to a witness in the case about his educational background. As lawyers questioned her Wednesday, she told the court she took the case the "most seriously" insinuating that other jurors were discussing evidence. However, she declined to provide any detail.
Campbell told lawyers she felt bad for not providing details Wednesday which led her to contact the defense attorneys and even write an e-mail to Judge Martin Nigro, who is presiding over the case.
Campbell told lawyers she tried to tell jurors not to talk about the case and one juror responded, "How are they going to know," according to the brief. The brief further states that jurors believed Pasquale Ciullo was "arrogant" and the witnesses who testified were "believable."
In response to testimony about the Ciullos' claim that they did not display guns when they arrived at the property in 2007, Campbell claims jurors "sarcastically responded in the jury room `yeah, right,' " according to the brief.
The revelations stalled the trial Thursday as the lawyers and the judge tried to figure out how to address the issue.
"The evidence suggests jurors have discussed the believability of a witness and have begun to form opinions about the verdict," Fitzpatrick said after renewing a motion for a mistrial. "The overarching duty of a jury is to be free from bias. Based on the remarks of Mrs. Campbell, there are members of the jury who are no longer neutral, and in fact, just the opposite."
Nigro indicated that he was inclined to believe the eight jurors who stated Wednesday that they never directly discussed the case and thought Campbell might be the one being untruthful.
"I am not convinced that what she said was what she heard or whether it's her own imagination," Nigro said. Regardless, Nigro said the seriousness of the allegations warranted calling Campbell to the stand. The discharged juror said she was unavailable Thursday. Court staff made arrangements for her to testify on Friday morning outside the presence of the other members of the jury.
Nigro denied the initial motion for a mistrial on Wednesday and trial continued until the new issues came to light Thursday morning. Nigro said if there is a mistrial, another trial will proceed in the near future.


text:
We are incredibly grateful to our corporate supporters who continue to help us improve the lives of patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital.
Find out more about Corporate Sponsorship opportunities, payroll giving and making us your 'Charity of the Year'.
We are extremely grateful to all of our corporate sponsors for the huge variety of assistance they provide the Charity with. From employees who volunteer on our atrium stands and kind-hearted...Find out more >
Does your company have a Payroll Giving scheme? This is a great way for companies to support the hospital charity through allowing their employees to make a small monthly donation straight from...Find out more >
Many organisations choose to support one of our hospital charities through making us their Charity of the Year. We have a number of volunteering and fundraising opportunities available to...Find out more >


text:
Don't Search for a Digital Marketing Unicorn – Do This Instead
Have you heard the rumor? There are whispers about marketing talent with skills of epic proportions. They grasp their clients' visions and bring them to life, create data-driven campaigns as though they can see the future, and are a whiz at integrating a wide range of technologies to meet your goals.
They do it on time and under budget, again and again. They are both creative and proficient with complex technologies. Some claim to have seen them through the mist, and the tales of their successes are the stuff of legends. Is this a creature only seen in myths and fairy tales, or does this employee actually exist?
The Problem
With the right marketing technology, driven by the right people, marketing departments have the tools to be more efficient, assess campaign effectiveness, identify trends, improve conversion rates, and turn raw data into a clear picture of customer behavior and response to marketing. True, it's an awesome time to be in marketing.
Unfortunately the marketing technology landscape is incredibly complex and growing at a rapid pace (case in point, the number of MarTech solutions has grown to over 5,200 distinct tools in just the past 3 years.) What's more, many marketing professionals are excellent at the creative side of marketing, but don't have formal technical training, and they've been learning many of these systems on the fly.
All of which has led many companies to begin a search for the one person who can synthesize marketing strategy, technology, and data and create marketing miracles. A mythical creature called The MarTech Unicorn.
And doing so is a mistake.
Don't Go Looking for Unicorns
It is nearly impossible to find someone who is strong in every aspect of MarTech: digital marketing strategy, analytics, and technology. The reality is you're not going to find a masterful digital strategist who is a data science wizard and can also can make sure your new marketing technology is integrated seamlessly with your existing MarTech stack. Sorry.
But what you CAN do is find is someone who is a MarTech hybrid. (In keeping with mythical creatures, just imagine a centaur instead of a unicorn.) Even doing this isn't exactly easy, but definitely an attainable goal.
Here are a few examples of hybrid roles:
- Marketing Technology Manager with Digital Strategy. This is a technologist who not only understands the basics of digital marketing, but has a deep understanding of digital strategy supported by the tools they oversee in the marketing stack. This person would understand the goals of the marketing team and their specific campaign needs and develops a vision and strategy for the marketing stack to support those goals.
- Digital Marketing Analyst with Technology. This is someone who not only analyzes the data, but also brings an understanding of the technologies that produce, store, and help analyze marketing data to support data driven marketing. This person can help advise on the best set-up, configuration, and ongoing use of tools such as tag management software and data management platforms.
- Digital Marketing Analyst with Digital Strategy. This person doesn't just drop a report on the desk of the digital lead, but acts as a consultant to help digital marketing managers act on the insights they've uncovered. Through an understanding of digital marketing strategies and tactics, they can suggest specific actions to improve and optimize campaign performance.
How To Find What You're Looking For
Now that you know who you're trying to find, you need to understand the key characteristics of the type of tech savvy marketing talent you'll need.
Innovative – Digital marketing continues to change and evolve at a rapid pace, so MarTech pros need to show a high level of adaptability. They should keep current with the latest trends, technologies, and strategies, and bring them back to the organization to push the envelope on digital marketing and analytics capabilities through pilot testing and experimentation. They need to be able to give you examples of how they've previously introduced new methods or tools to improve or enhance digital initiatives.
Data Driven – Digital companies need talented people who balance the desire to try new strategies with the need to use analytics to evaluate effectiveness. They scour brand data to find trends, predict outcomes, drive content generation, and measure results. They're willing to take risks, but only if the data indicates it's worth it. They also should be comfortable changing up a campaign "in flight" based on data about how it is performing and should use data from past campaigns to inform their decisions about future ones.
Strong Communicator – Qualified candidates can clearly explain digital marketing strategies and decisions, including audience targeting, key performance indicators, channel selection, budget decisions, and campaign performance and ROI. They can also describe how such strategies tie in to larger business goals. They are comfortable communicating with and tailoring their message for stakeholders across the organization.
Hands-on Experience – Nothing trains like time in the trenches. The best candidates won't just have knowledge of digital marketing best practices, they'll have experience. Look for a strong background in marketing strategy and planning, business process design, and data analysis. They should be able to describe how they've integrated new technology into their processes and made adjustments as necessary. Experience with what's in your company's MarTech stack is always a plus.
How to Find a Hybrid
Even though hybrids do exist (unlike unicorns), they are highly in demand. Which means if you want one, it's going to take a lot of work. But believe us, it's well worth the effort! Here are a few tactics you can try:
Look in the right places. Scout talent personally through social media, conferences, Meetups, and marketing, analytics, technology, and MarTech job boards (yes, they do exist). Top talent often prefer to work with specialized talent agencies to find a perfect "next home," ones that understand their unique space and know how to present their special skills.
Avoid buyer's remorse. If you need to fill a gap right away, but you're hesitant to commit, some talent agencies let you try employees on a temporary basis before making a permanent commitment. Consider a temp-to-permanent hire to see how candidates integrate with your team and reflect the personality of your brand.
Focus on retention. If you already have a hybrid, make sure you don't lose them while on the lookout for your next one. Invest in training to add value to your team and to help them meet their professional goals. If you've just hired one, start on day one uncovering career goals and challenges that will keep that hybrid around. Trust us on that one.
While we can't promise unicorns (and if someone else does, run the other way), Vitamin T does have hybrids! In fact we've got the perfect pros for whatever kind of MarTech stack you have.
Get prescreened, vetted talent that perfectly matches your company's needs. Click here to request talent today.


text:
发布时间:2013-03-29 13:38:42 浏览次数:1270152 来源:博鳌亚洲论坛
王中军,1960出生于北京。毕业于美国纽约州立大学,大众传媒专业硕士学位。华谊兄弟传媒股份有限公司董事长兼首席执行官。 华谊兄弟传媒公司旗下拥有7家下属公司,并于2009年成功在创业板上市,成为第一家在中国内地上市的影视公司。华谊兄弟目前位居中国民营娱乐传媒业首位,王中军也被称为当今中国最具影响力的民营娱乐"教父"。王中军被认为是中国电影界呼风唤雨的风云人物,是"冯小刚贺岁电影"的幕后策划者,包括陆川的《可可西里》、冯小刚的《天下无贼》、周星驰的《功夫》,华谊兄弟都有投资。王中军又被称做"商人艺术家",在他眼里,"艺术是我骨子里的爱好"。自幼酷爱绘画的他,酷爱收藏油画、雕塑和古董。王中军同时热衷于公益事业,也是一位慈善家。汶川地震期间公司及个人累计捐款300多万元人民币。
Born in Beijing in 1960, Dennis Wang graduated from the State University of New York with a master degree, majoring in Media and Communication in 1994. In the same year, he came back to China and established Huayi Brothers Advertising Company with his younger brother Wang Zhonglei (James Wang). By virtue of performance-oriented working style, keen insight into art and business, Dennis promoted Huayi Brothers into film industry as the first private-owned company in an investment way in 1998. Soon afterwards, as the initiator of "Feng Xiaogang's New Year Comedy", he and his team opened up Chinese New Year Film market and created many box-office triumphs. Furthermore, he's the one who helped change the policy-dominant mode of Chinese film industry. Two years later, Dennis led Huayi Brothers to realize the interactive business structure of "film, TV play and artist agency", which has lasted till today. Shortly after, he produced many universally praised films and TV plays by right of his amazing fund raising capability and public relations. To the year of 2005, Huayi Brothers has already become the bellwether among Chinese media companies. Dennis Wang was honored with many awards, such as "Chinese Culture Elite 2009", "Chinese Economic Leader 2009", one of "The Most 25 Influential Business Leaders 2010", "Annual Fashion Entrepreneur 2010" and "Annual Person of Variety 2010", to name a few. Apart from being extensively appraised as the "entertainment company boss who loves reading scripts most", he is very fond of arts and collection, which earns him the good reputation of "businessman artist". Dennis is also keen on public welfare and charity; he is a philanthropist.


text:
Jess's Perspective
Last Sunday, I ran my first marathon – the London Marathon 2017! It was painful, hard and emotional, but it was such an amazing experience.
I had been increasingly nervous the week before the marathon. Worried that something would happen to stop me running. Terrified of anyone who sniffed on the tube and on my taper runs I was worried I'd trip or fall over. I discovered that "taper madness" is something of a known phenomenon so at least I wasn't alone in my paranoia!
We went to the Expo to pick up our race numbers the day before and it was really great fun. There were all sorts of running and sports brands you only ever see online like 2XU and Newton, people handing out freebies and demonstrating new kit. Then out of the blue, we saw Paula Radcliffe! We managed to sneak a photo with her before we were rushed along by the crowd. It was pretty amazing to see her in real life – surely a sign for good things to come?
We then spent the entire evening deciding what we would need at the different points of marathon day and what kit we needed. Organising the race gear the night before was a good plan as we didn't need to think straight on race day, just get dressed and leave.
Clinton's start zone was in Blackheath whereas mine was in Greenwich so we knew we wouldn't be able to run together, but we had the same race plan. We both wanted a time between 3h30m-3h45m so we decided to aim for 3h30m from the gun, with the idea that we'll have 15 mins to spare if we over-cook things. A bit of pre-calculation told us we would need to average 5:00/km, give or take a few seconds due to hills, water tables and turns.
Before I knew it I was heading to the starting area. I opted for the usual running playlist, filled with happy upbeat pop songs (for the record you can't go wrong with Zara Larsson, Little Mix, Katy Perry and Spice Girls)! Having one ear free meant that I could hear the crowd shout my name, or equally, try to tune out and focus on my music.
I did a pretty good job of holding back and was hitting pretty much 5:00/km for the first 5km. Knowing I was pretty much on schedule I decided I didn't need to hold back quite so much, so I went with what felt good and stopped concentrating too hard on my pace.
At around 6 miles I looked up and literally right there on the sidelines was Prince Harry, Prince William and Duchess Kate – all three of them, just 20 feet away from me, cheering on the runners. I knew they would be on the course because this year, their incredible charity, Heads Together, was a sponsor, but still, I didn't think they would actually support from the sidelines! I was really tempted to stop for a selfie but then decided to carry on, I had to keep the perfect splits!
I have to say, the support from spectators was absolutely incredible. At around 10 miles I actually started getting quite emotional and I was running with a lump in my throat. Absolute strangers on the sidelines were calling out "Jess you can do it!" "Come on Jess!" "JESS!!!" This felt great and I found it really touching.
Shortly after I passed the 12-mile marker I saw someone running with what looked like a Highgate Harriers club vest. As I got closer I noticed it was Clinton so I surged forward to greet him. He yelled something about keep on going! So I did hoping that he'd be able to run with me. I went through halfway in 1h45m, so pretty close to schedule.
I continued to pass people and move up the field and as I got closer to the end, I found myself catching and passing people quite rapidly. I'd see them ahead of me and without too much effort, they'd soon be behind me and I'd have my eyes set on the next pair of heels ahead of me. This worked well to keep me occupied during the second half of the race in which I ended up continuing at about 5:00/km. I found out only after the race that I had overtaken nearly 12,000 runners during the race (and only 20 or so runners overtook me)!
At about 20 miles, I started to really struggle with the pain in my legs. I've never done anything over 20 miles so I was in virgin territory. The last few miles were definitely the toughest. There was no doubt in my mind that I would finish but I was certainly struggling to hold the pace I wanted.
At about 25 miles the pain in my legs and ankle got worse and I started getting weird tingling sensations in my arms. I honestly thought this was going to end my race. But with just one mile to go I knew I just needed to put my head down, maintain that forward momentum and push through whatever else was coming.
My final finishing time was 3h33m placing me in top 7% of women finishers! I didn't quite achieve a negative split at the end but it's still a GFA (guaranteed entry for next year's London Marathon) and a Boston Qualifier, so I'm really happy.
To say I'm chuffed is an understatement. I'm over the moon. I'm particularly proud of my rock-solid pacing, holding back and staying strictly on target marathon pace.
I think sub-3.30 is achievable – I just need a bit more practice. After all, this is only my first ever marathon and the first time I had run 42.2km! And I could not have hoped for more. My training, diet, race plan, kit, hydration and nutrition all fell into place perfectly on the day. There was so much that could have gone wrong – I could have pulled a muscle, or tripped on a water bottle, or slammed into someone while overtaking, or caught some kind of flu/stomach bug, but I didn't and I'm really pleased with that.
I think I can safely say that this will not be my last marathon!
Clinton's Perspective
Anyone who has read our blog will know how hard Jess has been working over the last four months. I'm so proud! She has been hitting personal bests all over and smashing the training plan to perfection. I remember the moment she passed me in the marathon, her pace at that point seemed achievable and she quickly disappeared into the distance.
How did it go for me? 4h20m, I would have liked to keep up with Jess a bit more than that! I was aiming to keep a steady pace of 5:00/km for the whole marathon and for the first 15-20km I felt very comfortable, but worryingly the pace I'd set in the opening few km (4.35/km) gradually slowed km by km until 20km where I ran 5.15/km. Halfway and I felt like I was hitting the wall. Revisiting my splits makes me think I might have gone off just a bit too fast (obviously?)
Things did not get easier for me. I'd run the first half in 1h45, but crossed the finish line in 4h24! Definitely not a negative split then. I was reduced to the walking/stumble jogging I had been trying so hard to avoid with all the gels, tapering and training.
Looking back there were an unfortunate number of missed training runs, particularly the longer ones like the Gade Valley 20-mile training event which I did a bike ride instead of. But also, when Jess was pacing out 7-15 km runs mid-week I was too often swimming or recovering from injury.
On the other hand! This is my personal best since the Lakeland trails Marathon I did years back in which I ran 4h37. Can't argue with a personal best but I think I can do better!
Back to the drawing board. Next on the agenda is Ironman Staffordshire 70.3 training starts properly for that one from now!


text:
700 N Black Horse Pike, Blackwood, NJ 08012
Any MPG listed is based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, battery pack age/condition (hybrid only) and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-PHEV-label.shtml.
**Pricing of vehicles on this web site does not include options that may have been installed at the Dealership. Pricing may include current promotions and/or incentives. Monthly payment calculator is an estimate and does not include tax, title, license or doc fees. Please contact the Dealership for latest pricing and monthly payment. Published price subject to change without notice to correct errors or omissions or in the event of inventory fluctuations. Price good for 2 days only, please contact store by email or phone for details.
Based on 2015 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
While every effort has been made to ensure display of accurate data, the vehicle listings within this web site may not reflect all accurate vehicle items. Accessories and color may vary. All Inventory listed is subject to prior sale. The vehicle photo displayed may be an example only. Vehicle Photos may not match exact vehicle. Please confirm vehicle price with Dealership. See Dealership for details.
All rebates & incentives included. Up to and including std rate, consumer rebate, military, college grad, conquest, loyalty and Uber.
Wholesale Outlet pricing is valid BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, and cannot be combined with any other offer. Advertised price assumes primary lender approval, 720+ credit score. Pricing excludes state, local and/or county sales tax, motor vehicle fees, and document fees. All prices represent financing through dealer only. All third party web pricing is pulled from dealer website, and restrictions apply.
Values provided are estimates for monthly payment based on standard equipment which may vary from vehicle to vehicle.
All payments are estimates. Tax, title, registration and dealer documentation fees are extra.


text:
For all the popularity of green, red and massuman curries on the international stage, the jungle curry – known as gaeng pa – is perhaps the least well known. This fiery curry originates from the northern Thai forests, where it was traditionally cooked with wild boar and whatever else could be found by way of vegetables. Gaeng pa is not usually made with coconut milk, since coconuts are not found in the jungles of northern Thailand.
Gaeng pa jungle curry is the speciality at Gaeng Pa Sriyan, an unassuming restaurant a short hop from Bangkok's Victory Monument that is famed for the chilli-laden dishes it turns out, hailing from up and down the country. Be warned – this is not a restaurant for the mild-mannered, faint-hearted diner. The flavours here are intense and the spice level unforgiving, even for Thais supposedly used to this intensity of heat.
Gaeng Pa Sriyan is also known for the exotic meats it serves in its extensive menu of dishes that include stir fries, curries, soups and salads. Where most restaurants limit you to chicken, beef, pork and perhaps prawns or squid, at Gaeng Pa Sriyan the more exciting and adventurous line-up includes frog, winkles (a type of snail-like shellfish found in rivers and saltwater rock pools, which I'm most used to devouring freshly foraged from British beaches and doused in pepper and vinegar), quail and wild boar.
The soupy jungle curry might be the speciality – and it's worth ordering, whether with frog like we did or something slightly more mainstream – but the pad cha hoy comb is another show stealer. Pad cha pla kapong, a hot and spicy flash-fry of sea bass featuring lots of wild ginger and green peppercorns, is among my favourite seafood dishes – and done stupendously well at Lung Meuk Pa Lord seafood restaurant in Prachuap Kiri Khan. Here at Bangkok's Gaeng Pa Sriyan, the same winning formula is applied to de-shelled winkles, with even more emphasis on the spice than I'm used to in Prachuap.
Other dishes on the menu at Gaeng Pa Sriyan include a pad krapao basil stir fry made with minced quail meat – quail meat is wonderfully meaty, and at the same time toothsome, and goes equally well in gaeng pa jungle curry, which I've made at home before with minced quail and with a less soupy consistency than that served at Gaeng Pa Sriyan.
We also ate a dish of pad phet moo pa – wild boar stir fried in red curry paste. I've never been much of a fan of pad phet stir fries, finding them both a little too dry and a little too heavy on the kaffir lime for my liking, but the boar shone here and would do well in other stir-fries and curries at Gaeng Pa Sriyan.
It's practically obligatory to end your meal at Gaeng Pa Sriyan with a bowl of homemade ice cream, with or without sticky rice. Durian ice cream is available, but even just the plain coconut ice cream – studded with small pieces of coconut flesh and other goodies – is refreshing at the end of the kind of super fiery meal you need to expect at Gaeng Pa Sriyan. If you can handle the spice, Gaeng Pa Sriyan serves up the kind of authentic, take-no-prisoners Thai cooking you can't miss – just expect to emerge dripping in sweat and gasping for breath.
You'll find Gaeng Pa Sriyan in Bangkok's Dusit district, on Nakhon Chai Si Road and just after the junction with Ruam Chit and Nakhon Ratchasima roads (approaching from the direction of Victory Monument). Expect to pay around 60 baht for a taxi from either Phaya Thai or Victory Monument BTS stations; otherwise, bus number 14 passes right by. Delivery is also available by phone or through the FoodPanda web site.
954/2 Nakhon Chai Si Road; 02 241 4216
Monday to Saturday, 10am-9pm


text:
Boost your activity and attract new customers ? Become a Western Union agent and offer your customers an innovative and efficient way of sending money.
Western Union agent network — an avenue of opportunities for your business. Here's some of the perks you get to enjoy:
Western Union is an industry leader in global money transfer through a network of over 500,000 Western Union agent locations in 200 countries
and territories.
Our customers can enjoy sending money
« in minutes », to a bank account, a mobile wallet or initiated from the Western Union app to finalise the payment at the nearest agent location.
Thanks to Western Union's reputation
and the support we offer
you in promoting activities,
you'll be able to increase
traffic at your location.
With more than 150 years' experience moving money, Western Union is an industry leader in global money transfer and payment services. Western Union offers innovative and effective money transfers: Sending money in minutes / Sending money to a bank account / Sending money to a mobile wallet / Sending money faster by initiating the transfer from the Western Union app and pay directly at an agent location.
With over 500,000 agents in more than 200 countries and territories, Western Union's network in Germany consists of Banks, Postal organization, retailers, currency exchange houses tobacconist and press shops.
Western Union cares about providing the best support for you to get started. From the start, you'll benefit from training in standards of excellence in money transfers as well as the regulations you must comply with.
We offer you a free starter kit to walk you through your new activity and help you increase awareness.
We provide efficient and reactive support to all our agent locations. Easy to contact by phone and email, the support team is ready to answer any technical question.


text:
Adding a RabbitMQ Configuration File When Running as a Windows Service
A little context
I was having a hard time adding a rabbitmq.config file today. I added it in the right location, restarted the RabbitMQ Windows service and the logs still showed that the configuration file was not found.
If you're experiencing the same problem, you'll see a similar error message in the RabbitMQ log file after you restart the Windows service.
This will happen if you just install your RabbitMQ server with the normal, default installation process and then try to add a configuration file later. By default, RabbitMQ doesn't install configuration file and just uses all it's defined defaults.
I read the documentation a little more closely and finally came upon this line: "Windows service users will need to re-install the service after adding or removing a configuration file."
Oops. Guess I should have read the documentation more closely the first time around! The easiest way to do this is as follows (start a command prompt as administrator):
Of course, The path you cd into will depend on the version of RabbitMQ you have installed.


text:
GUEST POLEMIC: A Canticle for Commerce - Scott Wilson
Conquista recently acquired a new star blogger in Josh Lane - bike obsessive, mechanic at Shoreditch's look mum no hands! and all-around good egg. Josh's recent blog entry about Generation Lost drew a very enthusiastic response, becoming one of the most-visited pages ever on conquista.cc.
In particular, it inspired the essay below from Scott Wilson. Scott is a mechanic and frame builder in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and a nonfiction writing masters student at Columbia College. He's an arts critic for Quip Magazine and assistant editor for Hotel Amerika lit journal, and his work has been...
GUEST POLEMIC: The Festina Affair - Suze Clemitson
Image: ©CorVos
They were my beaux gars. The only team I've ever followed, really invested in emotionally. Where other superteams have left me cold, Festina – with their buccaneering style, their panache (yes, I went there) and their effortlessly cool jersey – filled my cynical heart with joy.
Which is what brought me to a Campanile – I'm pretty certain it was a Campanile, maybe a Novotel, a cheapish budget chain anyway – on the edge of Cholet, an unremarkable town in the Poitou-Charentes region of France, a 40 minute drive from my front door.
On Elite Sport and Participation
Image: @Cor Vos
In our last Polemic, we concluded that the achievements of British Cycling's Lottery-funded Olympic cyclists, far from being evidence that we are "turning Soviet", are entirely praiseworthy. But this leaves us with an important question, namely: so what?
As things stand, British Cycling gets money from the National Lottery so they can win more medals, so they can get more Lottery money, so they can win more medals. There is no other objective, no vestige of any further responsibility to others beyond delivering ever more triumphs for the team's riders. This being so, there is a risk...
On the Significance of Team GB's Olympic Success
Image: ©Cor Vos
The BBC's coverage of this year's Olympics has clearly been done on the cheap. On BBC1 & BBC2, Clare Balding has spared the Corporation the expense of hiring excess commentators by gamely covering every single sport single-handedly. Sadly, if amusingly, she has also economised on her research into the various sports on display. On one memorable occasion she described gymnastics as "like diving, but on dry land". On another, she asked Sir Chris Hoy why the velodrome is banked, which at least gave us an opportunity to admire the still-chiselled muscles in Sir Chris's face as they...
In Defence of the IOC and Rule 40
Image: ©Cor Vos
It has become traditional at the time of the Olympics to poke fun at the IOC's supposedly paranoid defence of their intellectual property, which takes the form of their notorious Rule 40.
An article on the website bikeradar.com, written by Editor-in-Chief Ben Delaney, is a typical example. The author begins with an apparently inoffensive paragraph detailing the exploits of some of the best-known cyclists in the male and female pro pelotons: Lizzie Armitstead came fifth, Vincenzo Nibali broke his collar-bone, that sort of thing. He then breathlessly drops his bombshell:
If a company like Shimano, Canyon...


text:
Obituary: Robert E. White Jr., 71, of Shelton
Robert E. White Jr., age 71, peacefully passed into the hands of God on Sunday, October 20, 2013, with his loving family by his side. He was the beloved husband of Sandra Viggiano White and the wind beneath her wings.
Bob was born in Bridgeport, CT on October 20, 1942, son of the late Robert E. White Sr. and Anna Maskel White, and he lived there for 15 years until he came to Shelton in 1955 where he resided the rest of his life.
He was proud to be an American and served his country in the Navy, serving primarily on the USS Allagash during the Cuban missile crisis and the beginning of the the Vietnam War. He then worked skinning Sikorsky helicopters during the Vietnam War and building houses.
Bob had 32 dedicated service years with the Shelton Police Department. He was sworn in as a Shelton Police Officer on February 7, 1966. He served as patrolman, head of the youth bureau, the detective bureau, desk Sergeant, Lieutenant, administrative Lieutenant, Captain, and then Police Chief. While serving as a policeman, he graduated from the University of New Haven.
Bob volunteered his time to the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, the Derby/Shelton Memorial Day Committee, the Umbrella Group, the Shelton Youth Bureau, and many other non-profit organizations during his tenure as a Policeman. He was honored as a CT Policeman of the year in 1996.
Bob was a member of the of the Sutter Terlizzi American Legion Post #16, the International Police Assn, the Allagash Navy alumni, and he was a lifetime member of the Algonquin archery club.
He loved to compete. He was an avid competitive archer and won first place in the state of CT several times. He enjoyed water and snow skiing, playing basketball for the Hawks and Bulls in leagues or neighborhood games, softball, shotgun shooting, target shooting, surfing, bow shooting, and football. Through his love of sports and work as a youth officer he became active in coaching youth league sports. He coached biddy basketball, soccer, and Pop Warner, freshman, JV and varsity football.
He was very proud of the Shelton community and Lafayette kids always held a special place in his heart.
Bob loved to travel with his wife and he visited 49 states and many countries across Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. He loved the outdoors fishing, boating, hunting, and hiking, not to mention parachuting and bungi jumping.
Bob was a past member of St. Margaret Mary's Church council. He was a man of honor, respect, and integrity with a deep devotion to God.
He was the proud and devoted father of Robert White and his wife Joanne and Keith White and his wife Debra. He was pop pop to his three granddaughters Victoria, Emma, and Alexa and his grandson Brady, and was a supportive fan of all their endeavors. He also leaves two brothers, Martin and James White, a sister, Georgianna White, and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may greet the family at the Riverview Funeral Home, 390 River Road, Shelton, on Thursday from 3 to 7 PM. On Friday his funeral procession will leave at 10:30 AM for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM at St. Margaret Mary Church. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery.
Memorial contributions are requested to St. Margaret Mary Church, 50 Donovan Lane, Shelton, CT 06484, or to Closer to Free, in support of Dr. Mario Sznol cancer research, ? PO Box 7611, New Haven CT 06519-0611.
Offer condolences online at www.riverviewfh.com.


text:
At the heart of every NFC tag, sticker or product is an NFC 'chip' or 'IC' (integrated circuit). These tiny electronic devices store your information and control how it can be accessed.
Different NFC chips have varying amounts of memory and features. The amount of memory will determine how much data you can store on your chip. Additional features can include password protection, scan counters or tamper detection.
The price that you pay for your tags and products will be very closely related to the quantities being made. High volume manufacture reduces the pricing significantly and therefore most tag production tends to lean towards a very small selection of chips. In reality, the NTAG213 or NTAG210u chips are the most commonly available for NFC tags used with mobile phones. If you need another chip, then plan ahead and carefully check production costs.
Rule No. 1 : Unless the cost of replacing the NFC tag is less than a few pence/cents and/or you don't mind some of the tags not working, then buy quality tags and genuine chips.
The vast majority of NFC chips within NFC tags sold via retailers and large scale tag manufacturers are currently made by NXP Semiconductors. There are however, a number of non-genuine NXP chips around particularly with the the MIFARE Ultralight.
Seritag only ever sell genuine NXP or other brand chips and out supply chain is strictly controlled. While you may choose not to buy your tags from Seritag, we very strongly recommend using genuine chips and making sure you know your supplier and where they make the tags. The reliability and quality of non-genuine chips varies between not great and truly shocking. Duplicate UID's, widely variable scan distances and in-situ or application failures are common with fake chips. There aren't going to be many projects which will find the savings worthwhile.
Let's keep it simple.
Use either the NTAG213 or NTAG210µ (NTAG210 Micro), unless :
You need more memory. In which case your best option is usually the NTAG215 or the ICODE SLIX 2. The NTAG216 might be a but more common but Seritag have had a few too many emails regarding the reliability in terms of encoding and/or reading large amounts of data. The NTAG215 and ICODE SLIX 2 seem to have no such problems.
You need a product (wristband/keyfob). In which case, you might find more products available with the Ultralight chip. However, many Ultralight products have fake chips and can be very low quality. Purchase carefully from a good supplier and make sure you clearly specify you want genuine NXP chips and specify that you want the MIFARE Ultralight EV1 variant. Some other products, such as PVC cards or more industrial NFC tags, are now commonly available with NTAG chips.
You need tamper or authentication features. Then go for the NTAG213 TT, NTAG424 or NTAG413. Note that tamper detection tags which fail (rather than still work but change data) can be made with most NFC tags including the NTAG213.
Rule No. 2 : More memory doesn't give you better performance. Don't use a chip with more memory than you need.
Seritag take the view that the NFC tag should be an ID and link to data on the internet or 'in the cloud' rather than the store of data itself. In which case, the standard NTAG210µ/NTAG210 or NTAG213 should be more than enough even for longer tracking URLs or a simple ID. You can use our NFC Tag memory calculator to check which chip you might need. We also have a quick reference guide on how much NFC tag memory you might need.
If you do need to start storing data on the tag itself, perhaps because there might not be internet access when the tags are scanned, then the larger NTAG215 or ICODE SLIX 2 chips can help.
However, be careful. Many NFC projects find even these can be restrictive and it must always be considered that all NFC tags have a very limited memory capacity. You also need to make sure that your App or system is reliable as there have been reports of timeout and other errors when storing large datasets to the larger chips, such as the NTAG216, from a mobile phone.
It's also worth bearing in mind that the larger NTAG215/216 chips and other similar variants are more expensive than the more common versions. Additionally, supply and general availability is much lower. Some other alternative chips, such as the MIFARE Classic, are not NFC Forum compatible so that also needs to be considered.
In summary, we cannot recommend strongly enough that you should use the tag as an ID or link to internet based data. It's a far more flexible and cost-effective way to go.
NXP's NTAG series chips are by far the most common for mobile use. The basic details are listed here and there's a breakdown of each of these features and chips below.
|User Memory
|Max URL
|Scan Counter
|MIFARE Ultralight
|MIFARE Ultralight EV1 (80byte)
|MIFARE Ultralight EV1 (164byte)
Both Memory and User Memory are listed here in bytes. Memory is the total amount of memory within the chip. It's worth noting that relative to other memory devices such as USB sticks, etc, this is very, very small. In fact, most NFC tags can store no more than roughly a single sentence of text.
However, within that memory space there are sections which are reserved for the function of the tag. For example, information regarding permission to change the data, the UID of the chip (which can't be changed on genuine chips), and so on. This means that a user wishing to store data onto the tag can't use all the available memory space and only the space minus this important data - the 'user memory'.
**The NTAG424 is a complex authentication tag with various memory sectors. Total possible memory storage is higher than this depending on which memory areas are used. However, for NDEF message storage, the available sapce is 256 bytes.
To make it easier to understand what can actually be stored in this user memory space, the table shows the maximum length of a URL (web address) that can be stored on that tag. This is the number of characters in your web address without the 'https://' or 'https://www.' part. Use our NFC tag memory calculator to find out which chips you might be able to use.
*For the NTAG213, we've used available memory by excluding the encoding of a lock control TLV for dynamic lock bytes. These would take an additional 5 bytes but if dynamic locking is not required (it's extremely rare that it is), then these 5 bytes can be used to increase the possible length of the URL.
Some NFC tags can automatically store how many times they have been scanned. This is called a scan counter. Within the chip, a small amount of reserved memory logs the scans and automatically increments on each scan. This memory space can be read independently or, in some cases, can be 'mirrored' automatically into the tag data string.
Note that if you are using the tag to count the number of visits to, say, a web page, then this isn't a good way to do it. It is possible for a user to scan the tag, increase the count, but not visit the URL stored on the tag. For example, maybe the user didn't have internet access or cancelled the pageview before the page got a chance to load. In this instance, the scan count will increase at a higher rate than the number of actual page views resulting in incorrect data. The scan counter tends to be more useful for certain security or monitoring applications than for marketing.
Some NFC tags have a password feature which allows controlled access to view or change the data on the tag. From a mobile phone, an App is required for this. It's a fairly low level of security but would stop a casual viewer changing data.
The NTAG413 and NTAG424 NFC chips contains a special feature allowing sections of data to be encrypted and securely appended to the URL of the tag. This then allows the tags to be used for NFC Tag authentication where the tags cannot easily be replicated.
It's a very advanced feature and requires substantial knowledge to both encode the tags and to authenticate the tags. However, the NTAG413 and NTAG424 are among the latest generation of authentication tags and we'd expect to see more variants soon.
All the NTAG series and the MIFARE Ultralight® chips have a common set of features such as a seven byte (14 character) unique ID (UID), universal compatibility across all current mobile phones, tag locking ability and NFC Forum compatibility.
Obviously, the NTAG, ICODE and MIFARE Ultralight® chips aren't the only NFC chips on the market. And of course, NXP isn't the only manufacturer with companies such as EM Microelectronic and ST Microelectronics also making NFC chips.
The reason Seritag tend to focus on the NTAG series is simply because they are the most widely available and universally compatible. Some of the other chips, such as the MIFARE Classic® for example, are not NFC Forum compatible. Most of the others would only be available as a specialist order in very high quantities.
MIFARE, MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE Classic and MIFARE DESFire are registered trademarks of NXP B.V.


text:
Have fun making this incredible green mash potato with cabbage and butter for a traditional St.Patricks' Day dish. We used Wilton Colour Right colours but any gluten free colouring will work. Use about 7 times as much yellow as blue to get a really vibrant green.
Super Green Colcannon for St.Patricks Day
March 16, 2017 by Leave a Comment


text:
Quick release saddle
Front basket
Colorful rim
Traning wheel can be disassembly
Handlebar with bell
Established in 2000, we were the first baby carrier production base in China and with almost two decades of interaction with consumers and customers we always put user needs and satisfaction in the first place. As leader in juvenile and baby products we are committed to provide excellent product and service. The product range comprises baby carrier, walker, seats, tricycle, children bicycle, scooter and electric cars for kids. Our major customers come from North and Latin America, Europe, Middle East, South East Asia, Australia and South Africa. We have more than 67 dealers and around 2,600 distributors in domestic market, with an average sales growth of 35 percent in recent years. We are uncompromising in our standards of safety, making us benchmark for our industry. Therefore, all of our e-cars and kids bikes comply with strictest safety standards, and have passed EN71, ASTM, FCC, CCC, and EAC tests. We have full and complete test equipment and continuous quality control system. The company has passed ISO 9001 &14001 certification. All products have passed the 3C compulsory certification as well as ROHS Directive certification and CE product certification for e-car and baby products. Hollicy has strong technical strength, excellent R&D capabilities and extensive global sales network. The company is a national high-tech enterprise and have received numerous honorary awards, such as: "Zhejiang High-tech SME", "Patent Model Enterprise" owning hundreds of patent and keep to develop several new models every year.
Q1. What's the MOQ?A: 50 PCS each model each color.Q2. What's the delivery time?A: 30-50 days. We will make the delivery as soon as possible with the guaranteed quality.Q3. Can you offer an sample?A: Yes, but you need to pay for it, including the cost of freight.Q4. What is the convenient way to pay?A: L/C , T/T.Q5. Where is the loading port?A: Shanghai port.Q6. Where is your factory located? How can I visit there? A: Our factory is located Pinghu city, ZheJiang Province,China, it takes 1.5 hours from Shanghai airport.


text:
Xi Jinping Beetle Creeps Out China's Censors
A Chinese entomologist has caused a stir online after he named a newly discovered beetle after Chinese President. Now China's censors are hoping to shoo the news back into the dark, rotten tree trunk from which it emerged.
Writing in taxonomy journal Zootaxa, Cheng-bin Wang at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague recently announced the discovery of a new beetle species on China's southern island province of Hainan. He named the creature Rhyzodiastes (Temoana) xii, with the "xii" an homage to China's leader.
"The specific epithet is dedicated to Dr. Xi Jin-Ping, the President of the People's Republic of China, for his leadership making our motherland stronger and stronger," Mr. Wang wrote. (Mr. Xi acquired a PhD in economics from Tsinghua University in 2001.)
The story began to circulate on Chinese news sites over the weekend. On Monday, propaganda officials relayed orders to websites to find and delete it, according to China Digital Times, which regularly publishes leaked censorship directives.
More In Censorship
- China Set to Tweak Civil Code to Punish Revisions of Martyr Lore
- With WeChat, Chinese Take Censorship Abroad, Study Says
- 'Social' Feature Turns China's Alipay Into a Hook-Up App
- Report: China Censorship Machine Not the Monolith It Appears to Be
- Embattled Magazine Editors Choose to Silence a Liberal Voice
The orders appear to have sent websites scuttling to exterminate the news. As noted by Global Voices, searches for the new beetle's Chinese name (习氏狼条脊甲) are blocked on popular microblogging site Weibo. News and web searches of the term through Chinese search giant Baidu likewise come up empty.
"That certain beetle has now become a banned word across the Internet. A surprise that's totally predictable," Liu Su, an engineer at the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, wrote on his verified Weibo account on Tuesday.
Baidu and Weibo both declined to comment. Calls to the spokesperson's office at the Communist Party's Central Propaganda Department, which has ultimate responsibility for censorship orders, rang unanswered. A person picking up the phone in the department's administrative office said he was not familiar with the matter.
Mr. Wang did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by email.
It's unclear why exactly censors objected to the honor, which some online initially dismissed as transparent toadying. The image of the president is a highly sensitive topic in China, and has become even more so under Mr. Xi, who has been vastly more visible in the media than his predecessors. Given that, Internet bureaucrats may be feeling a little skittish about some of the details in Mr. Chen's findings.
In his paper, Mr. Wang says he collected three samples of the new bug from Hainan, including one male found in rotten wood and another male pulled from cow dung. The new discovery belongs to the family of wrinkled bark beetles and is closely related to the family of ground beetles, which includes the gas-emitting bombardier beetles.
According to the Penn State Department of Entomology, ground beetles are ferocious predators and opportunistic feeders who've been known to eat the seeds of certain irritating weeds -- a description that could be applied to Mr. Xi and his anticorruption campaign.
The characteristics of Mr. Xi's beetle, however, are somewhat less flattering. According to various sources, wrinkled bark beetles tend to take up residence in decaying wood, both hardwoods and conifers, and prefer to feed on slime-mould. Like bombardiers, they posses pygidial glands that allow them to excrete noxious chemicals as a defense against predators.
Correction: An earlier version of this post misspelled the name of Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Gardens engineer Liu Su.
-- Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @joshchin.


text: UPDATE on the young man waiting for a new heart. I will call him Neb. Neb, the young man in my previous post has had a harrowing week. He had the longest surgery recorded, 18 hours, in a South Carolina hospital, was left with his chest cavity open to ensure his new VAD (Ventricle Assist … Continue reading


text:
First Italian Femme Conference
Press release
Rome, June 2013
GENDEROTICA 2013: Contaminations of Queer Art
International Festival Hosted by Eyes Wild Drag
Call for Abstracts
Femme is a term used by many in the queer community who identify as "feminine." Defining unequivocally who is femme (or fem in Italian usage) or what it means exactly is not an easy matter, given that it can be – and is – always interpreted differently. More importantly, femme is perceived, expressed and used in a wide variety of ways, both by people who identify as femme and in literature across the globe.
The meanings and interpretations of femme also morph with respect to the intersections of other identities, such as the "class," "race" and "size" of the femme body. For this reason, every community and every individual, every lesbian, trans or genderqueer person, can be a vehicle for new and subjective redefinitions of a femme identity, that in their fluid and heterogeneous ways remain strongly connected to a queer identity while presenting themselves as distinctly "feminine."
But if femininity and the values associated with femininity – how a feminine woman "should be" and what she should represent – are social constructs that depend on the power of the male gaze, femmes also upset the stereotypes by masterfully playing with them, subverting categories and definitions by using them outside of their socially accepted norms in the dominant culture.
Femme is also a concept with a strong political imperative. It is manifested all around the world through art, political organizing, academic disciplines, fashion and media in order to counter its invisibility and the negative connotations often assigned to it (tied to mainstream culture's view of femininity). From Germany to the U.S., from Canada to Australia, movements are born, festivals, events and conferences that create a strong activist community to resist the marginalization that femmes often experience, even within LGBTQI communities.
Given these assumptions, the first Italian Femme Conference aims to develop deeper reflections on the femme identity, its relationship to queer theory, its many modes of expression, its battles and resistances to heteronormativity and normative femininity, which are, to say the least, restrictive and confining. Although artists and performers all over the world are actively spreading and developing subversive femme culture, here in Italy the phenomenon is still relatively new. Joining the traditions of international Femme conferences (www.femme2012.com and www.femmeguild.com), the first femme conference in Italy hopes to promote the interactions, testimonies and dissemination of diverse and intergenerational points of view on a subject that has yet to be deepened and expanded upon in Italy. In this way, we hope to contribute to increased visibility of femme identities in the overall struggle to resist categories, dichotomies and assigned genders.
In Italy, femme culture has little to no representation, and femme history is kept silent and largely invisible. We propose to create dialogue that can be an interchange of new networks and a starting point to greater visibility for an active and creative femme culture in Italy.
We invite all interested activists, organizers, academics, artists and femme identified or people who find themselves in femme communities to contribute to the dialogue in the form of testimonies, or by sharing your research. Be a part of this historic Italian event!
What is Genderotica?
Genderotica – Contaminations of Queer Art is a project that began in 2009 and occurs biannually. This will be its third iteration. Its settings and artistic selections have distinguished it as a proper festival, even if in limited form. Taking place over three days, Genderotica presents shows, performance art, exhibits of photography, paintings and installations, screenings of shorts and documentaries, and workshops.
Genderotica aims to bring to light various representations of gender from a queer perspective in such a way as to redesign a map of the deconstruction of genders from social, political, cultural and erotic points of view. All this with an eye towards what is happening around gender in the rest of the world.
The initial inspiration was born of the desire to construct an event in which art could tell stories of queerness – through the senses, the queer body, and with joy and passion – resisting claustrophobic and exhausting normative representations. A queer body invigorated by the joy of transformation and liberation!
Please send your proposals, testimonies and comments
to email@example.com by February 28, 2013.
More information at www.eyeswilddrag.it and on
Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eyes-Wild-Drag/406981892699405


text:
Pool Fence Laws in Maryland
An estimated 300 children under age 5 drown in the country's swimming pools every year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. A fence or barrier around a pool can keep children away from the water and help prevent deaths. When installing a pool in Maryland, homeowners and contractors must follow the building codes of the county where the pool is being installed. A fence or barrier is part of those regulations.
When Required
Many counties and districts have used the International Residential Code or the Consumer Product Safety Commission's "Guidelines for Swimming Pool Barriers" as a basis for pool barrier requirements. These two guidelines specify that a safety barrier must be installed around any constructed body of water that is more than 24 inches deep.
Barrier Specifications
- Any barrier must be at least 48 inches tall measured from the ground next to the pool, on the side of the fence outside the pool area.
- If a fence has horizontal members more than 45 apart, the horizontal boards can go on the outside of the fence, and the pickets can be spaced up to 4 inches apart.
Any barrier must be at least 48 inches tall measured from the ground next to the pool, on the side of the fence outside the pool area. Openings in the fence or barrier, such as the space between pickets, must be a certain size, depending on its construction.
The CPSC recommends that a fence with horizontal members less than 45 inches apart have its horizontal members located on the pool side of the fence, with pickets spaced no more than 1 3/4 inches apart. This is to prevent a child from gaining a toehold in the fence and climbing over it.
If a fence has horizontal members more than 45 apart, the horizontal boards can go on the outside of the fence, and the pickets can be spaced up to 4 inches apart. This measurement is based in a young child's head and chest measurements; the aim is to keep a child from going through the fence, according to the CPSC.
There are separate measurements recommended for the openings in lattice and chain-link fences.
Gates for access to the pool must swing outward from the pool area, and have a self-closing and safety locking mechanism.
Above-ground Pools
An above-ground pool taller than 48 inches is considered an appropriate barrier when its access ladder is detachable. If the pool is less than 4 feet tall, an appropriate barrier may be installed on the pool walls to extend the pool to the required height. Fencing can also be installed around the ladder or steps to make them inaccessible when children are unsupervised.
Local Variations
Each city or county in Maryland may adopt its own laws regarding swimming pool fences, so it's important to contact your local jurisdiction to determine what regulations you must meet. For instance, Prince George's County requires pool fences to be at least 6 feet tall. In Montgomery County, a pool must have a barrier if it's 18 inches deep or deeper, and fences must be at least 5 feet tall.


text:
Britney Spears's special birthday cake!
Singer Britney Spears's new beau, Charlie Ebersol, personally designed and decorated the 'Toxic' hitmaker's birthday cake
Los Angeles: Singer Britney Spears's new beau, Charlie Ebersol, personally designed and decorated the 'Toxic' hitmaker's birthday cake.
Britney Spears. Pic/Santa Banta
Spears turned 33 Tuesday and enjoyed the special day with family, friends and the cake.
"Charlie wanted to specifically design this (the cake) for her from him. Every detail came straight from his creative, sweet brain," a source told eonline.com.
Made inside the do-it-yourself cake decorating studio at Duff's Cakemix here, the dessert featured Duff Goldman's famous confetti cake mix and a whole lot of love from its creator.
"Charlie is a sweetheart. He put a lot of time and thought into this. You can see from the pictures Britney sent out that the colors were pinks and golds and blacks. It was all his creation," the source added.
As it turns out, the birthday cake was the icing on an already perfect day.
"Thx for all the wonderful birthday wishes today, everyone! And of course thank u to these 2 cuties for theirs," Britney tweeted as her sons wrote "Happy Birthday" in the sand.
Sign up for all the latest news, top galleries and trending videos from Mid-day.comSubscribe


text:
Marvel Cinematic Universe Quiz
Now, show us just how much you know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe by taking this quiz. Trust us when we say that there are some pretty tough questions in there!
Marvel Rising Mix
Play the new Marvel Rising Mix & Match Game based on the upcoming Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors film. Match the Marvel Rising icons to collect points, and see how many you can collect.


text:
Thomas Heneage Art Books was founded in 1977 and focuses on selling art books. We specialize in books for the art market, our core business being in catalogues raisonnés, monographs and international exhibition catalogues. It is our policy to stock the most authoritative book on any subject and in any language, irrespective of its being new or second hand.
Thomas Heneage Art Books
42 Duke Street St James's
Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 9.30a.m. – 6 p.m. (and by appointment).
Our Distance-Selling Cancellation Policy
Right to cancel
You have the right to cancel any orders within 14 days without giving any reason.
The cancellation period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last delivered goods that are covered by this contract.
To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us, Thomas Heneage Art Books of 42 Duke Street St. James's, London, SW1Y 6DJ, United Kingdom (Our telephone number: +44 (0)207 930 9223; E-mail address: email@example.com) of your decision to cancel this contract by a clear statement (e.g. a letter sent by post, fax or e-mail).
To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to us without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your cancellation from this contract to us. Books must be returned in the same condition as supplied, unused. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods.
Effects of cancellation
If you cancel your purchase, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than –
(a) 14 days after the day we receive back from you any goods supplied, or
(b) (if earlier) 14 days after the day you provide evidence that you have returned the goods, or
(c) if there were no goods supplied, 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of the reimbursement. We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
Our Complaint Handling Policy
We hope that you are happy with our services, but should you wish to make a complaint please feel free to do so in writing to firstname.lastname@example.com, and we will address your concerns as swiftly as possible. We are a member of LAPADA and have access to their conciliation services.


text:
Water is everywhere in our surroundings but when excessive water or moisture finds its way into a home or building, the results can be disastrous. Heavy rain, flooding, leaking pipes and fixtures, and sewage backups are common causes of water damage and if the proper actions are not taken, the water will spread to cause even more damage and increase the risk of mold. ServiceMaster NCR provides water damage restoration services to remove water from homes and buildings in Washington, DC as well as restore and repair the damage. Our quick response will help us limit the damage to save you time and money on the restoration.
Flood Damage Restoration in Washington, DC
Our technicians understand the principles of effective water damage cleanup and we have advanced cleaning equipment and products that help us remove water and moisture and provide repair services. Wood, insulation, and other building materials absorb water, allowing it to spread which is why you should call for water damage restoration as soon as you notice the damage. We react quickly to help limit the spread of the damage and our advanced drying equipment will remove excess water and moisture. Our water damage restoration services include the following steps:
- Removal of all excess water and moisture
- Complete drying and dehumidification
- Cleaning and restoration of structural elements, furnishings, and personal content
- Disinfection of the damaged areas
- Mold and mildew removal
- Deodorization
Water Damage Drying and Restoration Process
The technicians of ServiceMaster NCR have the experience and IICRC certification to assess water damage, mitigate the damage, and restore your home or building once the excess water is removed. Our drying equipment is among the best in the industry and includes axial fans, large desiccant and refrigerant dehumidifiers, and turbo dryers to help the drying process by generating airflow throughout the building. If we discover mold growth, we can provide remediation services to remove it. You can expect the following steps from our water damage drying and restoration process:
- Complete assessment of the extent of the water damage
- Removal of water and moisture using our advanced drying equipment
- Sewage backup cleaning if necessary
Water damage is a problem that will keep spreading and lead to additional problems such as mold growth. Do not hesitate to contact ServiceMaster NCR if your home or business in Washington, DC is experiencing water damage to help limit the damage and start the restoration process. Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day at (202) 803-6446 to respond to your emergencies.
Sewage Cleaning in Washington, DC
Use the form on the right to request a quote for ServiceMaster NCR water damage restoration service in D.C. or call (202) 803-6446 – available 24/7/365.
Washington, DC