text:
How to Plant Tiny Seeds
Planting small seeds can be a challenge. And there are lots of seeds in the gardening world that are tiny–lettuce, cabbage, onion and many varieties of flower seeds to name a few. These little guys in the photo are radish seeds, which are also small, and here are some pointers on how to plant them.
Radishes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. They're good for beginning gardeners because they germinate easily and mature quickly–only about 22 days from start to finish. They also don't take up too much space, and other vegetables can be planted in their place after they've been harvested.
I'm planting mine in a pot because potting soil is nicer to work with for small seeds, and pests aren't a problem in a pot. But if you're planting in the ground, be sure to remove any big clods of dirt, sticks or rocks. You'll need to break up the soil so you're planting in fine, clump-free dirt.
Here's the seed packet I'm using.
The instructions tell exactly how to plant the seeds.
They also tell when to plant according to the particular planting zone you live in. In zone 5, radishes will only grow in the spring and in the fall when the weather is cooler. If the weather gets too hot, radishes can be leathery or the tops can bolt and the radish will remain a skinny root and not develop into a ball.
These seeds are two years old, but they're going germinate just fine. There's no need to ever throw away unused seeds. I just stick my leftovers in a closet until the next year. Some gardeners like to refrigerate their leftover seeds, but I've never done that and have had no problems getting them to germinate.
There's no need to dig a bunch of small, half-inch-deep holes, fill each of them with these tiny little seeds and fill each one with dirt. Gardening is supposed to be fun, not an activity that makes you want to tear your hair out. There's also no need to plant in rows and waste garden space. Instead, seeds can be scattered on top of the soil.
After scattering the seeds, about half-an-inch of soil needs to be spread over the top of them, because the package gives half-an-inch as the seed-planting depth. Next, the soil needs to be firmly pressed down (without moving it around), to give the seeds good soil contact. I use a watering can or a spray bottle to water the seeds. If I were to use a garden hose, the seeds would be splashed all around, and could end up in clumps or on top of the soil for our fine-feathered friends to feast on.
Important tip–you must water the seeds every day in order for them to germinate. Every day. If they don't stay moist, the seeds are just going to hang out in your garden soil and that'll be the end of them.
Here are the seedlings after a few days.
As you can see, they're not perfectly spaced. But while they're small like this, the crowded seedlings can be carefully dug up and transplanted into bare areas. Or if you don't have a conscience, you can just pull them out and leave them on top of the ground to shrivel and die. (No pressure.)
They need proper spacing in order to grow, and a sunny location where they receive at least six to eight hours of sun each day. Here are some I planted in actual garden soil a couple of weeks prior.
As radishes grow, the tap root stays down in the soil, but the actual radish grows up and out of the soil. Onions grow the same way. The first time I planted radishes, I kept throwing dirt on them so they wouldn't die. After seeing that trying to keep them covered was futile, I realized they weren't going to die, and that's just how they grow. Hello.
Here's a pot with a pepper plant in the center, and radishes planted around it. After the radishes are pulled out, the pepper plant will have the pot all to itself and will have plenty of room to grow.
I used the same method of scattering and covering seeds for planting this tray of lettuce.
This method of randomly sprinkling the seeds and adding soil over the top of them, is the best way I've found to plant small seeds. I also prefer sprinkling the seeds rather than planting in rows since I have a tiny garden. More seeds can be sown in a smaller area this way, and it's especially beneficial if you have a container garden. I find that when I plant this way I waste fewer seeds, but end up with more vegetables.
I hope you find this method works for you too. Happy planting!
This post was written by Tracy Evans, who is a certified Home Stager and Redesigner, a journeyman painter and an avid gardener. If you have an interest in home organization, DIY home improvement projects or redesign, please feel free to visit her other blog at https://homestagingbloomingtonil.wordpress.com.


text:
Our German Holistic Health Specialist, Nine Uhlich, reflects on the past 7 weeks of public health treatments and education in the communities of Santa Clara, Bena Jema, and Paohyan. This is the second year Nine and Carolina, a specialist in Shipibo traditional plant based medicine, have worked together providing treatment and health education to Shipibo communities.
Both women agreed that this year was a huge success. They treated 95 patients in the community of Paohyan and 120 patients in the communities of Bena Jema and Santa Clara.The healers also provided holistic medicines to everyone in the three communities to treat parasites, reaching over 1,300 peoples. Nine remarked how in addition to setting up a clinic, her and Carolina went from home to home in order to reach all members of the community. They also went to schools and other public places to provide parasite treatment.
"Carolina and I got to know each other much better this year, and built trust with each other which has made it easier to solve problems" said Nine. The first year, Nine and Carolina spent time getting to know each other and observe the different work styles and cultural propensities that become apparent when you put a German woman and a Shipibo woman together. Nine reflected pensively, "Even though there were difficulties in communication, slowly but surely we came together and learned how each of us worked."
We asked Nine how this year of treatments compared to the first year of treatment and she told us, "we have not observed much of a difference in the illnesses, they are more or less the same. People here are overworked, nutrition is poor, and the climate is damp, which creates chronic illnesses such as rheumatism and arthritis."
Similar to last year, the women treated patients with headaches, back pain, arthritis, gastritis, diabetes, urinary tract infections, and more. Nine said, "this year, being more familiar with the work has made it easier to educate patients. People in the communities wanted the health clinic to continue after last year, and many people came looking for Carolina to ask if the health clinic was still working. People are really interested. And when you get to teaching them about how to make plant remedies for themselves, their eyes light up!"
"We tell the patients, 'You see you can take this medicine its very easy, all you have to do is go out and find the plants.' And suddenly you see their eyes widen, and they ask for a piece of paper to write everything down." Nine recounts how patients have an immense amount of interest to learn about traditional plant based remedies and when Carolina gives them the information they need, they really do make these remedies for themselves.
"The idea is that patients come once, learn how to make the remedy for their illness and learn about the diet needed to sustain a healthy lifestyle."
Most Shipibos try to access western medicine when they are ill. They get pills, antibiotics, shots, which cures them for a while until they get sick again.
Most Shipibo peoples in these communities do not practice traditional medicine, and the elders are usually the only people in the communities that know about traditional plant based medicine. However, when the patients of all ages see Carolina with the plant medicine, they want to know how to do it themselves.
This year, Nine and Carolina spent time in the community of Paohyan which is about 5 hours away from Yarinacocha in a fast boat.
"Paohyan is more rural and the people live in a more natural surrounding like how they used to live. We met a lot of hunters and fishermen, that all had their own fields and are more connected to the traditional ways of living"
With that Nine remarked, that there was much interest to learning how to use their rich biodiversity to cure chronic illness and reduce the dependence on western medicine that is simply financially unrealistic for most peoples.
Next year, Nine and Carolina are committed to working in Santa Clara and Paohyan. These communities expressed interest in having the health clinic return next year and were the most receptive to the educational component of treatment that Nine and Carolina delivered. The healers are also thinking of leaving Bena Jema to work in another community with less access to health care and resources.
As Nine finished reflecting on the past 7 weeks, she said "This year brought deeper access to the Shipibo people and through our sustained relationship with the community, we really understand what the peoples suffer from."
We are looking forward to supporting another year of work with the Mobile Health Clinic and encourage anyone to donate any sort of support to continue the unique work that is being done to reimagine public health.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Radishes many ways
Radishes will taste best if eaten right away. The greens can be cooked and eaten, but they should be separated from the root if they are to be stored more than a day or two. Store cleaned radishes wrapped in damp paper towel in the crisper section of your refrigerator.
Red Radish Salad Recipe inspired by Rachel Ray Prep Time: 10 min Level: Easy Serves: 4 servings. Ingredients: 2 teaspoons sugar 1 lemon, juiced 1/2 cup plain yogurt 8 red radishes, thinly sliced 2 Delicious apples, quartered cored and thinly sliced 1/2 European seedless cucumber, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill Salt and black pepper Directions: Combine sugar, lemon juice, and sour cream in a medium bowl with a fork. Add radishes, apple, and cucumber. Turn vegetables and fruit in dressing to coat. Season with dill, salt, and pepper, toss again; serve.
Chinese Radish Salad submitted to Mariquita Farm CSA by Yi Ling 1 bunch 2 tbsp. 4 2 tbsp. 2 tsp. radishes, thinly sliced soy sauce green onions, chopped fine chopped cilantro toasted sesame oil Mix ingredients and eat. Can be made ahead.
Bread and Butter Radishes By Regan Burns on chow.com
INGREDIENTS 1 bunch red radishes 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon yellow or brown mustard seed 1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 medium dried bay leaf INSTRUCTIONS 1. Rinse radishes and trim off their leafy tops. Holding the stem end, thinly slice radishes with a mandoline or a sharp knife. When you get close to the stem, stop slicing and discard the end. Place radishes in a heatproof, nonreactive bowl, and set in the refrigerator while making the brine. 2. Combine red wine vinegar, sugar, water, salt, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved. 3. Remove from heat and let pickling brine cool for about 5 minutes. Remove radishes from the refrigerator and pour brine over them. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes; cover and refrigerate. Use to top burgers, sandwiches, or anything else that needs a little tarting up.
Baked Radish Chips Submitted by radbird191 on caloriecountabout.com
INGREDIENTS: 1 bunch radishes 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/2 tsp paprika DIRECTIONS: Thinly slice radishes. Steam in microwave for 5 minutes. Stir in bowl with spices. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flip the chips, and bake for another 10 minutes
Open Faced Radish Sandwiches
Ingredients 2 bagels cut in half or 4 slices black bread 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese 3 small radishes, trimmed of leaves and root tip salt and freshly ground pepper Directions 1. Spread bagels or bread slices with 1/4 inch cream cheese. 2. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, slice radishes very thin. Overlap radish slices on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle each sandwich with salt and pepper. Cover with damp paper towels until serving.
Radish Greens Soup Recipe from recipetips.com Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4
Ingredients 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 potatoes, medium sized 1 onion 1 quart water or chicken broth 2 quarts radish greens - the tops from 2 bunches (needn't be exact) 1 lemon salt and pepper Directions Rinse greens, removing any brown or damaged areas. Coarsely chop potatoes and onion. Remove the zest (yellow part only) from the lemon, then juice the lemon. In a large pot, heat oil and butter. Add onion and potatoes, cook for about 5 minutes. Add water or broth, the radish tops and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until potatoes are soft and greens are wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Purée. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold. Garnish, if desired, with a few thin slices of radish.
Cauliflower Radish Salad Submitted By: Janice Maynard to Allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 8 "'I love to cook, but with three young boys, I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen,' explains Janice Maynard, Sweetser, Indiana. 'This crunchy blend is a snap to toss together.'"
INGREDIENTS: 4 cups cauliflowerets 1/2 cup sliced green onions 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and halved 2/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons dry ranch salad dressing mix 1 cup thinly sliced radishes DIRECTIONS: 1. In a bowl, combine the cauliflower, onions and water chestnuts. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and salad dressing mix. Pour over vegetables; toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, stir in radishes. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2012 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 6/5/2012
Steamed Radishes Submitted By: Rebecca to Allrecipes.com Photo By: SunnyByrd Servings: 4 "Radishes become tender and sweet when steamed. Toss with melted butter and serve immediately."
INGREDIENTS: 20 radishes 2 tablespoons water 1/4 cup butter DIRECTIONS: 1.Trim the ends off of the radishes and peel a band of radish-skin from around the middle of the radish. 2. Steam the radishes in a covered microwave safe container for 8 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and toss with butter, serve immediately. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2012 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 6/5/2012
Radish Dip By Stephanie Gallagher, About.com Guide Radishes aren't just for salads. Their peppery bite makes them ideal partner for creamy dips, like this one. Serve this radish dip recipe with crackers, chips or fresh raw vegetables. Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients: 5-6 radishes, washed and trimmed 3 oz. cream cheese (low fat is okay) 3 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp. apple juice kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation: 1. Place radishes in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. 2. Add remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Radish Top Soup Submitted By: LAURA NASON to allrecipes.com Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 6
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, diced 2 medium potatoes, sliced 4 cups raw radish greens 4 cups chicken broth 1/3 cup heavy cream 5 radishes, sliced
Directions: 1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and saute until tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter. Pour in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. 2. Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. 3. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well blended. Serve with radish slices.
Radishes in Browned Butter and Lemon from Cooking Light (April 2013) Yield: Serves 4
3 cups radishes, halved lengthwise, with root and 1-inch stem left on 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup torn radish leaves 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add radishes to pan; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add radishes to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until butter is browned and fragrant. Add rind, juice, and salt; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat; stir in radish leaves and pepper.
Roasted Radishes and Greens
2 bunches small radishes with greens attached 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Preheat the oven to 500°. Trim the radishes and wash the greens; pat dry. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the radishes, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the radishes for 15 minutes, until crisp-tender. Return the skillet to the burner and stir in the butter to coat the radishes. Add the radish greens and cook over moderate heat until they are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season with salt. Serve the radishes right away.
Radish Cucumber Salad from Tasteofhome.com 2 Servings Prep/Total Time: 10 min.
Ingredients 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch julienne strips 2 radishes, julienned 2 tablespoons chopped red onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 1/8 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
Directions In a serving bowl, combine the cucumber, radishes and onion. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 2 servings. Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/radish-cucumber-salad#ixzz390es51YJ
Radish & Goat Cheese Tea Sandwiches By Lindsey Goodwin This easy tea sandwich recipe is a quick addition to any afternoon tea party or light lunch. Even though it's easy to make, it has a sophisticated flavor that is well suited to posh afternoon tea gatherings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 20 finger sandwiches
Ingredients: 1 small bunch small red radishes Salt 4 oz. softened chevre (goat cheese) 8-10 thin slices loaf white bread (such as buttermilk bread) Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preparation: Wash the radishes and slice them thin, holding the stems for a good grip as you slice. Place the sliced radishes in a bowl or colander and lightly coat them with salt. Let the radishes sit for about 10 minutes, then rinse and drain them. (Don't skip these steps. Salting the radishes will soften their texture and flavor.) For every two slices of bread, spread both slices of bread evenly with a thin layer of goat cheese. Cover one side of the sandwich with sliced radishes. Season with pepper. Put the slices together, cut off the crusts and slice the sandwich diagonally two times to create four triangle finger sandwiches.
Slow-Cooker Chipotle Beef Tacos with Cabbage and Radish Slaw By José Picayo Serves 6 Hands-On Time: 30m Total Time: 8hr 30m Ingredients 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 large onion, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotles in adobo sauce 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 bay leaves kosher salt 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 1⁄3 medium cabbage) 4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving 12 6-inch corn tortillas sour cream, pickled jalapeño peppers, and hot sauce, for serving
Directions 1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, toss together the beef, onion, garlic, chipotles, oregano, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. 2. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 ½ to 4 hours (this will shorten total cooking time). 3. Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, radishes, cilantro, lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake until warm, 5 to 10 minutes. 4. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl (reserve the cooking liquid) and shred, using 2 forks. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl with the beef and toss to combine. 5. Fill the tortillas with the beef and slaw. Serve with the sour cream, jalapeños, hot sauce, and lime wedges.
Mexican Ceviche Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours Servings: 8 "Authentic Mexican Ceviche with a tomato base. This version uses shrimp, but any seafood of your choice will work."
INGREDIENTS: 5 large lemons, juiced 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste tomato and clam juice cocktail 2 white onions, finely chopped 1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped 1 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped 3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 1 bunch radishes, finely diced 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced tortilla chips
DIRECTIONS: 1. Place shrimp in a bowl (You may either coarsely chop the shrimp, or leave them whole, depending on your preference.) Add lemon, covering shrimp completely. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until opaque and slightly firm.


text:
If you are getting the following error regarding the license:
Verifying Api Endpoint... √
Sign in to API... √
Getting License... x
System.ApplicationException: There was an error getting license.
Session token (value=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000), does not lead to a valid session.
Try the following:
1. Confirm the license key has been updated and includes an API Key and API Connections.
2. Confirm you are using the current password. If you are upgrading, please be sure to use a password from a Server Admin for the server web portal that was in the existing database.


text:
The plot of the fantastic sex game The Fugitive will surprise the player with interesting quest this time. Dovahkiin has got some kind of mission to find the fugitive slave woman. But it seems he's not going to return that busty slut to the …
The plot of the fantastic sex game The Fugitive will surprise the player with interesting quest this time. Dovahkiin has got some kind of mission to find the fugitive slave woman. But it seems he's not going to return that busty slut to the …
Plunge into the epoc of male domination. this sex game lets you prevail over a weak woman. Come on! Show her who is the boss! Put the defeated boobed blondie on her knees and she will rub and stroke your dick so hard, lick and suck so deep y…
Good news, fans of Queen's Blade anime series. There are 5 most sexy characters to fuck hard! This halloween one horny zombie used to love them all
Naruto und Sasuke made a collusion to have fun with Tsunade this Christmas eve. They put sleeping pills into her bottle of champagne. When Tsunade is asleep, they use the moment and fuck her one by one, vaginally or anally.
Natasha is Nancy's sister and is also a news reporter, but not just any reporter; she is Nancy's competition for prime time cable and works for a rival news station. Sisters have always been rivals with each other all of their lives, but for…
Nancy Boobitch is a very successful television news journalist, but as of late she is running out of leads for a good story to report on. Until one night when she gets a call in her office from a mysterious voice over the telephone. She gets…
Meet a new flash porn game Super Princess Bitch from SexGamesBox! A hot princess is locked in a huge castle, guarded by a horrible alien monster. Long time passed by, but nobody comes to princess rescue. So, she is left in the hands ofa cru…
Reporting to the principal's office is always scary. But such weird library sex pranks can't stay unnoticed. Principle calls the boy to her cabinet but he knows how to escape the punishment and make naughty miss do what he wants. Now he can …
The action in the new flash erotic game Tsunade and Horse takes place 20 years before nowadays. Tsunade tells a story of how she lost her virginity. It was on her 18th birthday, a beautiful sunny day for a horse ride…
Aren't you against sex on the first date? It's normal for men, but if a girl fucks a man on the first date, she must be either a whore or a crazy one. Throw off all stereotypes. Ask a sexhibitionist beauty to show her pretty breast in the ca…
If you are looking for adult games, free games, games of a sexual nature that Meetandfuckgames for you! Massive amount of free porn games. You can play online all the adult games or download them to your computer. Sex games are not only fun... Meetandfuckgames works that you would rest.


text:
New Moon would have been a lot different — and a lot less evil — if it weren't for Stephenie Meyer's mom.
The Twilight mastermind told Oprah Winfrey Friday that she originally had a more mellow ending to the second book in the vampire saga that "was pretty much all in Bella's head." But when Meyer showed her mom, Candy, the manuscript, she thought something was missing.
Vampires dominate People's Choice nominations"She said, 'Stephenie, maybe a little bit more action in the end,'" Meyer said. "So I introduced the Volturi earlier [than I had planned] because of my mom."And as all Twilight enthusiasts know, there is a lot of action and fighting by the novel's end.Meyer's mother wasn't the only family member who played a part in her books' worldwide success — her sister Emily is "the reason why it's out there."Inspired by a "one-of-a-kind" dream on June 2, 2003, Meyer started keeping notes that eventually turned into a novel, but had no intention of publishing it. "This was not a book in my head. I wanted to see what would happen with them. It was me spending time in this fantasy world," she said. "My sister egged me on to publish. She was the only one in the world who knew. She's the reason why it's out there."


text:
Be A Super Trader.
Think Profitous Think Millions
The mission of the Mentorship Programme is to totally transform both your trading and your life for the better. To accomplish this mission, you must be prepared to invest in yourself in many ways. While investing in your trading education is a big step financially, we are confident that your returns will be huge when you commit to investing your time & best effort and approach the program with an intense desire to transform into the best version of yourself. This is a process you will engage in over the next year and does require careful consideration.
Regardless of your previous trading experience, students will work with our coaches to define specific objectives to meet during the programme and create a customised curriculum to help them reach those objectives. This programme is unique because each student comes from a different history, and will also have different trading goals. Students will complete the learning path online program, attend Monthly group sessions, attend 1-1 lessons, and send weekly reports describing their progress. Coaches will also help guide you to solve all the issues that hold you back in your trading life.
The primary mission of Trading College is to help people transform, which we accomplish through the Mentorship Programme. The Mentorship Programme is the most comprehensive and effective way to achieve our mission — and we are able to accept a limited number of qualified, motivated students into this program each year. Mentoring is so much more than just figuring out how to trade more profitably. We are honoured to be such an important part of their transformational journeys, and that we can support their trading goals in this way. No matter what market you choose, or what system you are using – trading is 100% psychological. Your beliefs, mental states, and mental strategies all inform the outcome of your time in the markets.
Lee Sandford has taken the core elements for successful trading and developed a success method three-step process for the Mentorship Programme. The programme is divided into Mindset,Strategies and Trade Execution,
Step 1: Mindset and Profiling – Focuses on a student's personal psychology, helping students explore their psychology more thoroughly. Having the right mindset to follow strategies and money management rules is only part of being a successful trader. As human beings we all have emotions and some days don't feel so great. Managing ourselves is equally important is achieving trading success. We understand this and have recognised that students will have challenges so we work with you to overcome them. Personality profiling is a crucial part of the Mentorship Programme. Students will complete a questionnaire at the very start of the programme and will work with the mentor to discover strength and weaknesses.
Step 2: Strategies and Technical Analysis – Requires students to have a thorough understanding of the charts, indicators and strategies. In addition to these basic tenets, students will become proficient in the basics of position sizing and risk management. One of the first lessons of the programme involves understanding processes for each strategy. However, before students accomplish this they must thoroughly understand the concepts in order to make sure that they fit them.
Step 3: Transition from Demo Account to Live Trading – Execution teaches students how to manage your trades. Going from demo trading too quickly can be harmful to your trading account. You will be guided and supported all the way through the process of live trading with real money. Your account and confidence will grow as you act on open trades with certainty. We know that trading is 100% psychological so support at this level from your mentor is crucial for long term success.
Journaling – Students work on creating their personal trading business plan, tracking their trades, objectives, equity curve, and mistakes. Once a student has demonstrated they can proficiently trade at a high percentage of winning trades, they can transfer this into live markets. Our Trading Journal can highlight what strategies fit the students, reduce mistakes and clearly track all closed and open trades. Our journal is essential for a students trading success, and without it they cannot fully understand their trading personality. When you view your trading as a business, it allows you to cultivate discipline, structure, and a professional approach that fosters consistent and profitable trading. Most people who want to run a successful business know that they need a thorough business plan – and trading is no exception. A business plan and journal acts as a guide for everything involved with that business, and this applies equally if not more to a trading business.


text:
Shelton church plans porketta dinner for the public
The First United Methodist Church of Shelton will host a porketta dinner Saturday, Nov. 9 from 5-7 p.m. The event is open to the public at the church, 188 Rocky Rest Road (corner of Long Hill Avenue).
On the menu will be chicken noodle soup, slow-roasted porketta, baby roasted potatoes, a vegetable, beverages and dessert.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, and children 12 and younger are free. Take out and delivery to Wesley Village will be available.
Proceeds will benefit the missions and ministries of the church. For information contact the First United Methodist Church at email@example.com or 203-929-3537, or go to www.umcshelton.org.


text:
Organic Runner Mom's Weekly Workout Recap
Weekly Workout Recap Week of July 9, 2018 Trail running, CrossFit, and even a road ride on my bike! It's time for my latest weekly workout recap! Monday Rest Day. After the Loon Mountain Race on Sunday my legs needed a break. So for Monday I took it easy and enjoyed taking my dog Teddy … Read More »


text:
U.S. Open/Big Dawg Finals kick off tomorrow at Okeeheelee
The last major tournament weekend of the year begins tomorrow as the U.S. Open of Water Skiing and the Big Dawg World Finals kick off at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Taking advantage of Okeeheelee's multi-lake set up, Friday's competition includes the first two rounds of the Big Dawg Finals, as well as the U.S. Open's preliminary slalom, jumping and tricks rounds.
Saturday morning the Big Dawg Sweet 16 will be trimmed down to eight skiers, while beginning at 10 a.m. the tricks, slalom and jumping U.S. Open semis and finals will take place. The day will wrap up under the lights of the east/west lake with the Big Dawg Elite 8.
Click here for the schedule of events and here for the U.S. Open running orders. The final rounds of the U.S. Open and the Sweet 16 of the Big Dawg World Tour will be broadcast live via webcast at nautique.com.
Among the favorites to win the U.S. Open Women's slalom title are Team GOODE's Regina Jaquess, Clementine Lucine, Breanne Dodd, Karen Truelove, Kate Adriaensen, and Brooke Baldwin. Team GOODE skiers looking to take home the U.S. Open Men's slalom championship include Thomas Degasperi, Daniel Odvarko, Benjamin Stadlbaur, Adam Sedlmajer, Brian Detrick, Martin Bartalsky, Felipe Miranda, and Dorien Llewellyn.
And Team GOODE will be well represented in the Big Dawg finals, with eight of the top 10 qualifiers: Chad Scott, Greg Sund, Dave Miller, Greg Badal, Frederic Halt, Jay Leach, Tim Huston, and Bruce Dodd.


text:
DETROIT (WWJ) – A big road project gets underway Monday morning, and you'll need to know how to get around it.
M-DOT starts work this Monday on the I-94 – Southfield Freeway interchange.
The project includes repairing 12 bridges within the interchange, along with ramp and pavement repairs on I-94 between Pelham Road and M-39 until mid-November.
The following ramps will be closed beginning 4 a.m. Monday until early April:
– Southbound M-39 to eastbound and westbound I-94, and
– Eastbound Van Born Road to southbound M-39.
The following ramps will be closed beginning 4 a.m. Monday until May:
– Westbound I-94 to southbound M-39, and
– Westbound I-94 to Pelham Road.
In addition, the eastbound I-94 ramp to northbound M-39 and the northbound M-39 ramp to Van Born Road will be closed overnights from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning. Overnight double-lane closures on northbound M-39 from Allen Road to Outer Drive will occur until early April.
Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. Check the CBS Detroit weather page for the extended forecast and up-to-the-minute information.


text:
Archive for May 2010
So I neglected to blog in quite a while. It's been pretty busy at the Statehouse up until this week. For those out of the loop, the legislature is taking a break of sorts until next week when they come back and finished up there business…And by that I mean pass a freakin' budget. But in the meantime, I got a job! At the Galesburg Register-Mail in…you guessed it, Galesburg, Illinois. I'll be working on the cops and police beat so expected some interesting updates in the future!


text:
A new poll reports on attitudes on this subject, broken down by race.
Lasting Rose » Home » Tony Blair » Why Won't the Indians Accept Rahul Gandhi as Their Own Obama?
Posted by :Unknown at Thursday, January 24, 2013||PERMALINK Labels: #lrose, Barack Obama, Congress Party, Media News, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Tony Blair
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@Check Google Listing of this Post?
Email this article to a friend.
Read Related Stories
Email this article to a friend.
visitors read this post
I think he (Rahul) is one of the most talented, able and insightful of the younger generation of politicians worldwide, but how he ends up in your politics again, that's for you, for him and for his party to decide. But I think he has got first class mind and great commitment to India.
That opinion of Tony Blair, given during a visit to Delhi in 2008 as an ex Prime Minister of the U.K, turned out to be as much intuitive as it was prophetic.
Four years on, Rahul Gandhi has proved his worth as a political leader in his own right and not just as the son of Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Congress Party. He has been favoured as a leader who can take the party to win the next election and foisted by a majority of the Party leaders to the position of the Vice President.
His insightful mind and commitment to his country could be glimpsed from the pathos of his acceptance speech which the Indian media has ascribed as the "Obama moment" of the party. His speech, revealing his personal anguish and hinting a lack of avarice for power, which he could have grabbed anytime he wanted, is seen as a rare one in the Indian politics.
Despite this, why is India, especially its youth, judging from the chatter on the social web and the Indian media, so sceptical and suspicious of the young Gandhi?
Karma - the Indian perception of life.
The reason, perhaps, lies in the Indian perception of life which writes off fellow human beings and their achievements and failures as the reward for the rights and wrongs of past births, something they call Karma. Indians have scant respect, admiration or gratitude for stuff others do in this life and don't care why people behave or act in the way they do.
The tragedy of India is the hollowness of its youth. If only they could stop to think for a moment and look in to the psyche of Rahul Gandhi, who rarely smiles and appears more melancholic than angry, if only they try to look deep in to the make up of his personality, perhaps they could see like Tony Blair did, the making of a great future leader.
Rahul Gandhi - Indian or Italian?
Rahul Gandhi, still a bachelor at forty three, is a young Indian much different from any average youth of modern India. In fact there are many things "Obamasque" about him which a majority of the Indian population fail to grasp. For a start, like Barack Obama, Rahul Gandhi is born with an identity crisis, being born to a Caucasian mother and an Asian father.
A mixed parentage is rare in modern India after the departure of the British. While Rahul Gandhi is an Indian for millions of Indians, for political mileage, he is often depicted as an Italian prince, out to lootIndia's poor. As Obama had discovered, finding an identity must have been truly an excruciating experience for the young Gandhi, with never ending arguments with himself.
Being born in to terror and brutal violence is not for everyone.
"I was taught to play badminton by 2 security guards. Then one day, they killed my grandmother and took away the balance from my life."A few years later the young Gandhi lost his father in a suicide terror attack and had to live under commando protection ever since. How many of India's young can even imagine growing up like that and still being sane?
Yet Rahul Gandhi had no choice but live through it and endure being ridiculed as an "Amul Baby" by his political opponents.
Coping with the high and low of absolute power
Coping with gaining and losing power is a nightmare for most people. It is almost impossible to imagine having to grow up in the lap of a family which has only tryst with absolute power and tragic death for decades. Knowing one day it may be your turn and live with the thought is nerve wracking enough to drive anyone really insane.
There is no pressure like the pressure of political legacy.
One might say Rahul could have escaped from it all, perhaps by leaving the country. Not an option if you had to bear the immense political legacy of the Nehru family, especially if you had accusation about your late father to disprove and meaningless political murders with no villains to avenge.
The notion of dynasty is actually nasty politics.
A dynasty is something in which sons are anointed or fathers are annihilated for power. The facts are starting from Rahul's grandmother Indira to Rahul; each Gandhi was foisted in to the position of the leader of the Congress party, in tragic circumstances or in the face of political decimation. Yet each of the Gandhi has been accused of dynastic ambition. That is also why majority of Indians can't grasp what Rahul meant when he said in his speech:
"Last night, everyone congratulated me. But my mother came to my room and she sat and cried. Because she understands that the power that so many see is poison. She can see it because she is not attached to it (power)"
For those who really admire Rahul Gandhi and for those millions who believe and clamor on the social web that everything about him is phony an attempt to understand the makeup of his persona may be worthwhile.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates right in your inbox.
Leave a Reply
Your opinion on this post is much appreciated.Subscribe to Posts | Subscribe to Comments
Paybookclub Content Box
Get this Free auto refreshing Content Box for your website Now!
If you are looking for free content for your web site, it is right here.To increase your Google Page Rank and page hits, get this free auto updating content box on your page. Just copy and paste this code in your page html and watch your site updating with free and fresh content without you lifting a finger.
<div style="margin: 0 auto; width:100%; height:400px;"> <object type="text/html" data="https://paybookclub-v2.herokuapp.com/timelineOriginal.php" style="width:100%; height:100%; margin:1%;"> </object> </div>


text:
Cancer Progress Report 2016: Contents
Late last year, as the FY 2016 appropriations bill was being finalized, a bipartisan majority of members of Congress called for a significant funding increase for the NIH. The result was a $2 billion budget increase for the NIH in FY 2016, the agency's first significant annual funding boost in more than a decade.
During Senate debate on this year's (FY 2017) appropriations bill that provides funding to the NIH, Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, stated, "Last year, I made clear that sustained funding was as important as the increased investment. A pattern begins in the second year, and we have seized the opportunity this year to begin a pattern of increases for the NIH." Chairman Blunt backed up his words by proposing another $2 billion funding increase for the NIH in FY 2017.
The AACR is supportive of Senator Blunt's statement and action in his role as Subcommittee Chairman, especially because of the unprecedented scientific opportunities that exist today to improve the way we prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer. Robust, sustained, and predictable investments in biomedical research, coupled with comparable funding increases for the FDA, will accelerate progress against cancer at this critical time in the cancer field.
The AACR also applauds Vice President Joe Biden's comprehensive proposal for preventing cancer and accelerating the discovery of new cancer treatments through the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. This timely initiative has galvanized the cancer community and sparked a renewed dialogue on how we can speed the pace of progress for the benefit of all patients with cancer. Working together, we can capitalize on this unique moment in cancer research to harness the extraordinary knowledge obtained through past federal investments, and allow for the translation of this information into strategies to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer.
Therefore, the AACR respectfully urges Congress and the Administration to:
Support the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee's FY 2017 bill, which proposes to provide an increase of $2 billion for the NIH in FY 2017.
Finalize a Senate version of the House-passed 21st Century Cures Act that includes crucial funding for the NIH to support the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative and other important strategic research initiatives.
Support an FDA budget in FY 2017 of $2.85 billion, $120 million above its FY 2016 level, to ensure support for regulatory science and the timely approval of therapeutics that are safe and effective.
Readjust the discretionary budget caps for FY 2018 and beyond, which would allow our nation's policymakers to continue to provide robust, sustained, and predictable funding increases for the NIH, NCI, and FDA in future years.
By taking such actions, we will improve our nation's health, sustain our leadership in cancer research and biomedical science, and spur our innovation-based economy.
Top of page


text:
According to The Walt Disney Archives, the Magic Kingdom's first map wasn't a guide map as we know it today, but a multi-page newspaper called The Walt Disney World News. The first edition, with a huge headline "Vacation Kingdom Opens," celebrated the opening of the park with photos of company founder Walt Disney, Walt Disney World Ambassador Debby Dane, and the Windsor family, the first visitors to enter the park on Oct. 1, 1971. It also told the story of how, in order to be the first guests admitted, the entire Windsor family, mom, dad and sons slept overnight in their Volkswagen in a nearby parking lot.
Alas, we do not have a copy of that newspaper in the Tickle Trunk, but I was able to find a few pages from it on the Disney Parks Blog site. The park's first map appears on page 4 of the newspaper and is followed, on pages 4 and 5, with a listing of attractions, shops and restaurants in each themed land.
It must have seemed comical when guests opened these 8-page tabloid-sized newspapers to find their way around the parks. It would have been quite a handful!
The Magic Kingdom Park Map, as we know it today, appeared in late 1972 but the production of the tabloid-style newspaper continued into the 1990's. Once the park map was introduced in 1972 the purpose of the newspaper seems to have changed. The content became more focused on things outside the Magic Kingdom. In my opinion, the entire purpose of the publication may have been to demonstrate to guests that Walt Disney World was more than just a theme park, a whole lot more! It promoted the many activities guests could enjoy in the resorts and in the shopping area at Lake Buena Vista.
The newspaper was printed monthly and included in the check-in package guests received when they arrived at Disney resorts. Copies were available to all other guests at City Hall in the Magic Kingdom. Carol and I have copies of ten different editions of the newspaper in the Tickle Trunk, spanning the years 1981 to 1992 and I'll share them with you over the next few months.
Let's start with the two issues from 1981, January and February. Carol received them both that year, while she was staying at Polynesian Village Resort.
Before we get started, let's look at the time frame . . . what was happening at our happy place?
There was still only one theme park, The Magic Kingdom, but EPCOT was nearing completion and would open in less than two years.
Disney resorts consisted of The Contemporary Resort, The Polynesian Village Resort, The Golf Resort (renamed The Disney Inn in 1986 and Shades of Green in 1994) and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
The shopping area, opened in 1975, was known as The Village at Lake Buena Vista; in 1989 it was renamed Disney Village Marketplace and then in 1995 it became Downtown Disney.
Here is what the January 1981 issue looked like:
Page 1 had an interesting article about music at the Magic Kingdom, in all it's venues. The Dapper Dans are jumping and clicking their heels in the lead photograph!
The second article on page 1 invites guests to shop at Walt Disney World Village. The photo shows the Empress Lily in the background. We now know her as Fulton's Crab House.
Pages 2 through 4 focus on dining, entertainment, golf, tennis and fishing. Here are a few noteworthy articles:
The first Character Meal – Dinner á la Disney at the Golf Resort.
Fine dining at the Contemporary Resort's Gulf Coast Room!
Even fishing – there was something for everyone her!
Guests could enjoy some smooth jazz at the Village Lounge.
Let's take a look at the February 1981 issue which Carol picked up on the same trip.
The front page as well as page 4 were almost identical to the January edition, only the park hours section on page 1 had changed.
There were a few differences inside though.
On page 2, The Fifth Dimension and Mickey Finn had finished their gigs at The Top of the World (today known as California Grill), Mel Tormé and Billy Eckstine now rounded out the list of entertainers.
On Page three there was a terrific description of Discovery Island.
A world of shopping awaited at The Village.
Naturally there were some cute advertisments.
You could arrange tennis lessons for the whole family at the Contemporary Resort.
There was even a "wee links" course at the Golf Resort.
Adventurous guests could taste exotic south seas treats at the Polynesian Village.
Even with only one theme park there was so much to see and enjoy at Walt Disney World in 1981. It was, and still is, a pretty amazing playground for kids of all ages!
And there's still plenty of good reading left in that old Tickle Trunk, this is just a small sampling. I hope you enjoyed it!


text:
You can look through listings daily or you can receive a regular update for listings matching your search criteria in the Calgary area. Lets find your new home. Let me know your area or condo development of interest and the info you need will be delivered to your inbox.
Contact Monika
403 850 2446


text:
Ballerina Role Play Costume Set
Item # 8504
The Scoop
With this five-piece ballerina dress-up costume, it's easy for aspiring dancers to dress up like prima ballerinas and imagine themselves on stage! A pretty pink bodice and tulle tutu, crushed-velvet bloomers, ribboned slippers and a glittering tiara have all the glamour of a recital costume, but are easy for kids to put on and take off all by themselves. The bloomers, top and shoes are washable and durably constructed to last through years of imaginative play!
- Ballet dress-up outfit and accessories
- Includes crushed-velvet bloomers, crushed-velvet top with tulle tutu, satiny ribboned slippers and tiara
- High-quality fabrics and construction
- Ideal for pretend play
- Hand wash in cold water. Do not bleach. Drip dry. Do not iron. Do not dry clean.
- Product: 26.75" x 18" x 5" Packaged 0.85 lbs
- Package: 18" H x 12.25" W x 1" L
Looking for information on a product not currently on our site? Visit our product information library.
Perfect Playmates
Recently Viewed
This Month's Favorites
Save 15% on our Developmental Play
code CAMPABC123
Save 15% on our Developmental Play
code CAMPABC123
Save 15% on our Developmental Play
code CAMPABC123


text:
Elevation Voyager & Freedom Stackers
Our Voyager & Freedom stackers offer a lightweight solution for materials handling over 250kg.
Contact the team to find the Stacker solution that's right for you. Call +44 (0) 1778 345 365 or email firstname.lastname@example.com & we'll be happy to help.
Freedom & Voyager Stackers
Our Voyager and Freedom Stackers are ergonomically designed to be lightweight but at the same, incredibly strong.
Our Stacking Solutions Include:
Freedom Plus Stacker
The Freedom Plus is an ergonomic lifting stacker with improved manoeuvrability & a 350kg lifting capacity; an alternative to the Pronomic Lift & Drive range.
Freedom Electric Stacker
Designed to support the name, this stacker provides freedom of movement & has a capacity of up to 260kg.
Voyager Electric Stacker
This stacker can lift loads of up to 1,000kg without any physical effort whatsoever, well, apart from pressing the simple push button control.
Voyager Manual Stacker
The Voyager Manual Pallet Stacker is popular for those looking for a lower cost alternative to the Voyager Electric Pallet Stacker & can lift loads of up to 1,000kg.
Heavy Duty Stacker
The Heavy Duty Stackers have a small footprint & are available with manual hydraulic or battery electric operation. They can lift loads of up to 1,000kg.
Light Duty Stacker
These light duty stackers have a small footprint & are available with manual hydraulic or battery electric operation. They can lift loads of up to 250kg.
Alternatively, we can also create a completely bespoke option, designed by our UK design team, fully tested, to include installation if required.Explore our bespoke solutions
Why Choose a Voyager or Freedom Stacker?
Our popular Freedom Stackers provide a great mid-range alternative to our lightweight Pronomic Lifting Trolleys. The Freedom has a maximum load weight of 260kg and our Freedom Plus Stackers, a maximum of 350kg.
The Voyager stackers are the heavier duty stacker offering load capacities between 500kg and up to 1,000kg.
Key Features:
- Ergonomic design features.
- High visibility with single mast.
- Plug and Play components.
- Compact range (moves through standard doorways).
- Manual and battery operated models.
- Modified and bespoke options.
Need a bespoke solution for your business?
Get expert advice from our solutions team by calling +44 (0) 1778 345 365 or emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: TCH-Blog 9 Posted February 14, 2017 TotalChoice offers reliable Spam and Virus Protection for all TCH customers.If you are hosting a website with TCH you can add on No Spam starting at $1.95 per month.TCH No Spam covers individual domains and all email accounts associated with them. This service provides protection against: spyware, junk mail, spam, phishing attacks, viruses, internet telemarketers.Any TCH customer can easily add on No Spam to their domains hosted with TCH. Login to TCH client central > click Services > navigate to View Available Addons > Order No Spam.As with all new services you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to best utilize TCH No Spam services and get instant protection!Customer satisfaction is important to us. We welcome feedback from our loyal TCH customers. Please discuss all questions,comments or concerns, in the forums. Follow this link: TCH No Spam Forums Discussion View the full article Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Boys Varsity Swimming · Boys swim wins final regular season dual
100 - 81
QUEEN CREEK, Ariz.–The QCHS swim and dive team starts its season with four-straight home events and is looking to make a splash as it moves up a division to DI this year. The team's home and season opener will be on Thursday at 4 p.m. against Desert Ridge. They will then be home for the


text:
Username or Email Address
Remember Me
How Dual Language Education Strengthens...
Flipped Learning in Online and Blended Learning...
Free registration required to view this resource.
Register today and receive free access to all our news and resources and the ability to customize your news by topic with My eSchool News.
Register now.
Already a member? Log in
Two recent reports suggesting the eRate is laden with fraud and abuse have triggered renewed scrutiny of the $2.25 billion–a–year program, which provides telecommunications discounts to schools and libraries.
Denounced by conservatives in Congress when it was launched in 1997, the eRate weathered several early storms to become a vital source of funding for schools' technology infrastructure. Now, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is conducting a preliminary investigation of the eRate to get to the bottom of the reports of fraud and the resulting media attention they've generated.
"The [reports] brought to light this financial oversight. Whenever something like that happens, we perk up and pay attention," a committee aide said.
Rep. Billy Tauzin, R–La., who is chairman of the committee and an early critic of the eRate, has started arranging interviews and reviewing documents, but the committee aide would not comment further on the ongoing investigation.
Last fall, the Federal Communications Commission's Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its semiannual report highlighting its investigations for FCC commissioners and members of Congress. The report indicated that OIG currently is tracking 26 investigations of suspected eRate abuse, 16 of which were initiated in 2002.
In January, these suspected abuses received further attention when the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) released a report based on the FCC's investigations.
The CPI report called the eRate "honeycombed with fraud and financial shenanigans."
Mainstream media outlets gave the CPI report and the eRate program unprecedented coverage. Even Fox News ran a story on the report Jan. 13.
More oversight needed?
Based on what it perceives to be an increase in the number of suspected abuses of the eRate, the OIG report asks Congress for an extra $2 million to help auditors keep a closer eye on the program.
"Our preliminary review has raised some concerns, and because we are a small office, we are exploring avenues for expanding our resources," said Charles Willoughby, the FCC's assistant inspector general for investigation. Currently, the OIG has only two auditors to monitor the multi-billion dollar program.
Mel Blackwell, a spokesman for the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Co., the agency that administers the eRate, pointed out that the SLD already has seven auditors of its own that do a heavy amount of screening. But if critics want to appropriate more funding to hire additional auditors, that would be fine, Blackwell said.
"We've recovered over $1 million that was dispersed [inappropriately]," he said. "We believe we have a very strong set of procedures and people in place to take a look at [suspected abuses]."
Still, the SLD on Jan. 22 announced that it plans to more than double the size of the staff that performs its "selective reviews" of applications in the coming months. The agency said it was taking this step "to better address issues that are turning up in both internal and external audits of program participants."
Supporters of the program agree oversight should be tightened, but they say the CPI report overstates the problem.
"I support having $2 million more to audit the eRate. We do need more audits," said Gary Rawson, infrastructure planning and eRate coordinator for Mississippi's Information Technology Services department. Rawson is also chairman of the State eRate Coordinator Group, which is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
"It's a self-certifying program. I have to self-certify that I don't ask for more services than I need," Rawson said.
The eRate has a whistle-blower hotline (1-888-203-8100) people can call to report suspicious practices, but with only two outside auditors, the response rate is slow.
"If I should happen to call 911, they send someone out right away. If a Code-9 is called into the SLD, they can't send a policeman out right away. It could take months before they send someone," Rawson said.
But like other educators and eRate supporters, Rawson says these instances of abuse represent a small percentage of the thousands of applications, all told.
"We're only hearing about 2 percent of the applicants and service providerswhat about the other 98 percent that are good?" he said. "When something bad happens, we focus on the bad, and that's what the press is giving their time tobut we shouldn't overlook the good."
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., dismissed the CPI report, saying it overstates the problem because only a handful of grants appear questionable. "I'm sorry, but that does not a story make," Rockefeller told the Charleston Daily Mail Jan. 21.
Rockefeller, who helped create the eRate, is more concerned about keeping the program going and maintaining President Bush's commitment to it.
The Bush administration originally proposed merging the eRate with the educational technology block-grant program administered by the federal Department of Education, though it soon backed off those plans.
Renewed criticism
To some observers, the recent spike in media attention is reminiscent of the criticism the eRate received in its first few years, when telecommunications carriers added surcharges to consumers' phone bills to offset the cost of the program.
Carriers contribute to the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes the eRate, based on a sliding scale. Money from the fund is then redistributed to companies that service schools and libraries to pay for the discounts.
Early critics of the eRatemostly conservative members of Congresssdubbed the program the "Gore tax" in recognition of the role then-Vice President Al Gore played in championing the program. In 1998, Tauzin and Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., led an effort to transfer control of the program to the Commerce Department, where it would be funded through an existing 3-percent telephone excise tax and awarded to the states as block grants for them to distribute to schools, libraries, and health-care providers.
Tauzin and Burns called their legislation a "win-win" for the program's critics and supporters.
"In a nutshell, what we're doing is cutting taxes for nearly everyone in America and saving the eRate program in the process," Tauzin said at the time.
Education groups were wary of Tauzin's proposal, however. They feared it would expose the program to the whims of Congress during its annual budget negotiations. As it exists now, the eRate is written into the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and is not subject to the appropriations process. (See "Lawmakers propose eRate overhaul," http://www.eschoolnews.com/ news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=1229.)
Other members of Congress called for the outright elimination of the eRate. But these criticisms died down once the money began flowingand schools began publicizing the results. Despite renewed scrutiny of the eRate, Rawson believes the program is still secure.
"It's not going to affect the eRate, because it's too important of a program," he said. "It benefits too many people."
Greg Weisiger, state eRate coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education, agreed. "I welcome all this scrutiny," he said. "I'm concerned about the allegations. I'm concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse we all know is happening. But that doesn't diminish the need for internet subsidiesand I think Congress knows this."
Norris Dickard, director of public policy at the Benton Foundation, said criticism is never goodbut if a federal program has problems, then Congress should do what is necessary to correct them.
House Energy and Commerce Committee http://energycommerce.house.gov
Office of Inspector General's semiannual report http://www.fcc.gov/oig/sar902.pdf
Center for Public Integrity http://www.publicintegrity.org
Schools and Libraries Division http://www.sl.universalservice.org
Whistle-blower Hotline http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/whistle.asp
Benton Foundation http://www.benton.org
Get the week's top education technology news and find out how schools are solving technology problems to improve learning. Weekly on Monday and Thursday.
Find out the latest technology tips, tools and the innovative best practices schools are using everyday to improve learning. Weekly on Wednesday
Data Management and Storage Digital Guide
Data management is more important than ever, and a healthy data culture is essential in ensuring that educators are able to deliver tailored instruction to students in real-time. Read Now


text:
DSWD-12 invites public to shop at 'PaskoJuan' bazaar
December 1, 2014 9:25 am
COTABATO CITY, Dec. 1 — As the ber month begins, the regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Mindanao urged the public to shop at government Bazaar in Koronadal City.
Bai Zorahayda T. Taha, DSWD-12 regional chief, officially opened the PaskoJuan Festival, Bazaar, Salo-Salo sa Pagbabago, on Sunday along General Santos Drive, Koronadal City and made the appeal to subscribed to Pinoy and locally made products.
It was part of the nationwide event that showcased Sustainable Livelihood Program and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (SLP-4Ps) beneficiaries as product concessionaires.
Please come and do your shopping at the bazaar. Join us in helping the beneficiaries succeed in their lives, Taha said.
In Manila, DSWD Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman said buying even just an item or two will greatly add to the income of the beneficiaries, as well as provide them hope.
These are still part of the livelihood initiatives under the SLP which empowers poor families by equipping them with skills and providing them capital assistance to start their own entrepreneurial activities towards self-sufficiency, Soliman said.
Koronadal City Peter Miguel, who attended the opening, said his office is working closely with the DSWD to uplift the lives of marginalized people in the region.
SLP is a community-based capacity building program that seeks to improve the socio-economic status of program participants or the beneficiaries.
It is implemented through the Community-Driven Enterprise Development (CDED) approach, which engages program participants or beneficiaries to actively contribute to production and labor markets by making use of available resources and accessible markets.
The program aims to enable the beneficiaries to manage sustainable micro-enterprises or link them to locally available jobs that will enhance their access to basic social services and improve their standard of living. (PNA)


text:
Legal Software Solutions
C&S LegalTech Consulting Group LLC, has built an extensive reputation within the legal industry for providing law firms with professional, knowledgeable and capable resources. With the experience of consulting with hundreds of law firms in the U.S., we have an extensive understanding of the 'best-in-practice' solutions that ensure our clients will get the most out of their technology investment.
Choosing the right software is only half the equation – finding the right consultant is crucial in making sure you get the most out of your investment. Our job is to customize the software to meet the individual needs of your law firm. Proper planning, detailed implementation, comprehensive training and follow-up support are essential in a successful software project.
C & S LegalTech offers free consultations and demonstrations of the various product offerings. We feel we support the best of breed in the practice management, accounting and document management products available today. We want to help you make the decision that is right for your firm.
Take a look at the products we support and contact us today for your FREE consultation.
- Practice Management
- Time, Billing and Accounting
- Document Management
- File Sharing and Client Portal
- Document Generation


text:
GUILTY – Until Proven Innocent in Pakistan
Pakistan's government has passed the Protection of Pakistan bill into law refusing all suggested amendments by the opposition. Members of the national assembly boycotted proceedings as the government used its higher numbers to pass the bill. Some MPs tore copies of the bill, calling it a black law. Opposition members will be challenging the unconstitutional clauses of the law in court and build a public campaign against it.
Pakistan's government is adamant to press ahead with a stricter new law which it says will help fight "terrorism" and criminal elements.
The proposed legislation, which treads the path of US's homeland security act and other pieces of legislation, is raising unease among civil rights activists, who consider it a license to kill for Pakistan's security forces.
Lawyers at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) have studied the ordinance and are concerned about the implications of some of the provisions.
"The extension of detention period from 30 days to 90 days is unrealistic. HRCP considers even 30 days is too long," the group's said in a statement. "Law enforcement agencies have been given powers to fire on suspicion (earlier it was in self-defence). We have already witnessed trigger-happy Rangers in Karachi, it will only make matters worse. We believe it legitimises disappearances. While it requires the authorities to inform families of those in custody, they are not bound to reveal the location. Denial of bail is another major concern."
Although it's believed that the law was actually drafted by the prime minister's office but most influential members of the ruling Muslim League Nawaz party are reluctant to speak on the subject of protection of Pakistan ordinance. "Many believe it is due to not just the harsh provisions but also because of wringing from agencies." Arshad Sharif is a senior security and political analyst. "PMLN is acting as if it's president passed the law on gunpoint. The controversial law is a difficult one for a politician to attach his or her name, so you can imagine why senior members are being elusive. They've made a mistake in succumbing to pressure by issuing the ordinance, now they are looking for an honourable exit from the fiasco so they can blame the opposition for burying the PPO".
Some members of the ruling party have brushed aside the concerns of activists. "They're making noise and it's their right to have their opinions. PPO was needed and it's the prerogative of the president to issue an ordinance. Due to the ongoing security situation in the country, we urgently needed a comprehensive law to empower security forces to deal with various challenges".
Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani is part of the ruling PMLN government and a member of a parliamentary committee. Vankwani says the introduction of this law does give the security forces powers to arrest anyone but now they have to bring those arrests on record. "There is political consensus for peace in the county and for that PPO is necessary, it just shouldn't be misused. There are proper checks and balances to ensure no excesses are committed against anyone".
But that's precisely what analysts fear will happen. Mirza Shahzad Akbar, co-founder of the Foundation for Fundamental Rights, interprets the provision as cover for using torture and other means to force confessions."Agencies will torture you to make a statement and that will be treated as admissible piece of evidence in court. It further brings in reverse burden of proof, which means the arresting agency will only put an allegation on probabilities that you are a terrorist and you will have to prove that you are not," says Akbar.
Pakistan is a signatory of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). But the proposed legislation makes any statements given to law enforcement agencies admissible in court.
Some activists also disagree with the special provisions of the ordinance granting powers to take away the citizenship of residents once they are proven guilty. Critics say the language is vague and builds the case with "reasonable evidence" and puts the onus on the accused to prove themselves innocent.
The law seems to clash with the independence of judiciary. Under this ordinance, the executive will appoint fresh judges of their own choice which means the government can hand pick judges to protect its interests rather than them being independent adjudicators.
In February the lower house temporarily extended the ordinance despite protests from opposition parties. "Ordinances – we have always opposed them," says Zohra Yusuf, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "All bills should be placed before parliament which can be summoned if emergency legislation is needed."
Legal experts believe he law could create a parallel judiciary in the guise of trying to quickly settle cases.
"Nationalists [including separatists in Balochistan, Sindh, FATA and some areas of Punjab] are worried because they are the 'usual suspects' for Pakistan's military, paramilitary and intelligence agencies. Because they demand rights based on their regional/ethnic interests, the Pakistani establishment sees them as 'traitors'" says Zohra.
But Vankwani disagrees "Before the PPO security forces had no right to arrest or take custody, now all arrests will be in the knowledge of the government and address issues like that of missing people."
New laws needed?
Opposition lawmakers say tough laws already exist to tackle political violence. Pakistan's government needs to focus on implementing and improving existing laws, they say, rather than distracting itself by creating new ones. Many argue that current political and religious violence is due to the failure of basic policing and governance issues which cannot be fixed with more pieces of legislation.
Activists say they can understand the government's desperation in confronting militancy but don't agree with the proposed solutions.
Last month, Pakistan drew up its first ever National Security Policy. The government says it means business when it comes to reshaping the security environment in a decade old conflict which has claimed more than 50,000 lives.
"There is no doubt that the government would want and actually does want to work on securing Pakistan but the approach doesn't seem to be right. With laws like PPO the risk of creating more dissent is far greater than actually solving any issue." says Akbar.
A senior government advisor likened the PPO to the US Patriot Act, an imposing law passed over a decade ago.
Members of the PMLN say the law is meant to provide checks and balance on the activities of security forces. Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani says it is still being deliberated in the lower house. "By that time if talks with Taliban are successful, the law and order situation improves there might not be the need for this legislation and the government can pull the ordinance or law"
Rafia Zakaria is on the board of directors of Amnesty International. She disagrees with the direction taken by Pakistan's government. "In a general sense the law represents the legacy of the war on terror… Reduction of rights for defendants, longer periods of detention without charges and the suspension of procedural safeguards," she said. "It also creates disproportionate criminalisation of impoverished communities with the poor, ethnic and religious minorities bearing the brunt of their burden."
This is not the first time Pakistan's government has tried to pass controversial security legislation.
In 2011, a presidential decree (which was later made into law) issued two similarly regulations to provide legal cover to the armed forces' actions during the military operations in the tribal areas called the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation, 2011 for FATA and PATA.
Recently, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered a meeting between a man booked under these laws and his family. Tasif (alias Danish) was picked up two years ago and his father-in-law says he seems to have been badly tortured during his incarceration. The security forces had been denying custody of Tasif when he went missing. Then he suddenly appeared in detention.
"What kind of fraud are you committing with the people?" a judge said to the Additional Attorney General representing government agents. "For the last two years we kept on asking about him and you kept denying you knew. What will the people think? Are our intelligence agencies always lying? What kind of country is this?"
Human Rights campaigners believe that toughening of laws is not a solution. There are enough terror-related laws as well as anti-terrorist courts. The main issues are of enforcement and prosecution. The evidence against those charged with terrorism is usually so poor that over 60 percent are acquitted by the courts
Vankwani is confident that the PMLN government will not tolerate if random people are picked up by agencies but he feels that it's worth facing opposition in giving a free hand to security forces to take action on targetable intelligence. "PPO is not meant to allow violation of human rights but to improve the current situation and an attempt to bring those (like the ones responsible for missing people) under a system of accountability."
But those fighting to keep civil liberties say that concrete steps are needed to establish the writ of the state, until then, the crutches of ordinances to stumble clear of tough decisions will be ineffective in saving lives or providing any lasting solution.
From AlJazeera Website


text:
Home » Sister Machine Gun » Transient 5.2
Home » Sister Machine Gun » Transient 5.2
Transient 5.2 is the companion EP to Sister Machine Gun's fifth release,
Originally released as a signed and numbered, limited edition EP, Transient 5.2 was re-released as a standard edition. This EP contains five original Sister Machine Gun tracks as well as the TR4K remix of the SMG anthem, "Smash Your Radio!"
CD and Full Album Download purchases come with a free download of the SMG Smash Your Radio! single
Purchase Individual Tracks:
Check the tracks you want to purchase and click the ADD TRACKS TO CART button:
Recommended Items
Eco-Hed: Eco-Hed s/t
Adventures in eclectic electronica from Die Warzau programmer Van Christie and Chicago House DJ Matt Warren.
Micronaut: Io
Io finds the common ground between breakbeat and trance with a generous dose of NASA thrown in for good measure.
Sister Machine Gun: sistermachinegun: 6.0
Equal parts hard funk and electro-rock, sistermachinegun: 6.0 is a benchmark for the Chicago sound of the new century.
Sister Machine Gun: [R]evolution
Sister Machine Gun's fifth album combines elements of industrial, electronica, jazz, blues, funk and noise into a style best described as neo-industrial-dada-funk.
Your cart is empty!
Browse shopPOSI
Digital Downloads
View All Products
Contact shopPOSI
shopPOSI Survey
Customer Feedback
Privacy Statement
For the latest updates on all things POSI, click here to join posiNEWS, the Positron! Records Mailing List.
Now Playing on kPOSI:
hi-fi stream [128kbps]
lo-fi stream [32kbps]
Warning: fsockopen() [function.fsockopen]: unable to connect to kposi.com:8000 (Connection refused) in /www/kposi.com/docs/shoutcast/pr128.php on line 20
kPOSI is Offline
Sister Machine Gun - 6.0 - Automaton


text:
I don't even know where to start. Every time I blog, I first go through all my notes and pictures and make an outline to help me draft my entry. Of all of the blogs I've written on this trip, this outline is by far the longest. Funny enough, the place I'm writing about is the tiniest of the places on my gap year. So, I'm just going to get into it. There's a lot to cover.
Easter Island – famous for its large statues called "moai" sitting on their platforms called "ahu" – is known as Isle de Pascua in Spanish and Rapa Nui in the local Polynesian language. Rapa Nui is not, however, the original name for the island. Its original name in the local language is actually a longer name that means "naval of the world".
Rapa Nui is part of Chile, but it is anything but Chilean. Not that Chilean is a bad thing, but Rapa Nui is just not Latin American in the least bit. It's Polynesian – just like Tahiti, New Zealand, and Hawaii. Rapa Nui sits at the southeastern corner of the Polynesian Triangle that spreads across the Pacific Ocean and is considered a part of Oceania rather than South America. While its closest major landmass is indeed South America, it's actually a six-hour flight from the nearest airport: Santiago. This makes the airport on Rapa Nui the world's most remote. The fact that Rapa Nui is part of Chile seems like an accident of history. The island was first settled by a Polynesian king from a nearby island well over a thousand years ago. I use the term "nearby" extremely loosely as the Polynesians were excellent seafarers and would have travelled at least two and a half thousand kilometres in wooden boats just to get here. There's even evidence that the Polynesians interacted with the Inca of Peru. Whether the Inca travelled to Rapa Nui or the Rapa Nui people travelled to the Inca empire is unknown.
The Dutch were the first Europeans to discover the island in 1722. It was Easter Sunday when they first set eyes on the landmass, so they named it Easter Island and that name has stuck. The Dutch arrived to find the island in a bit of disarray. Historians and anthropologists believe that the tiny island became overpopulated – possibly with as many as 15,000 or maybe even 25,000 inhabitants (there are currently only about 7,000 people there including seasonal workers). This overpopulation led to competition for food, land, and other resources, which then led to intertribal war between the Rapa Nui people. The Dutch explorers estimated that the population of the island was only 2,000 – 3,000 when they arrived. As part of the war, the massive moai statues that surrounded the island were toppled down one by one during the conflict. A passing French ship recorded the last standing moai – the largest – in 1838. The island's population was further decimated by a series of raids by Peruvians where they captured natives to be deported as slaves.
The English visited Easter Island, as did the Spanish, naming it San Cristobal Island. Much of the island was privately owned by this time. The island was annexed by Chile in 1888 and later leased to a British wool company which basically acted as the island's government for many decades. Chile came back into the picture in 1953. The Rapa Nui people gained Chilean citizenship some time later and finally gained some level of autonomy as recently as 2010. While economic dependence on Chile has quelled any push for independence, there are plenty of disputes between Rapa Nui and Chile, most notably those concerning land rights, tourism controls, and an influx of Chilean migrants.
Today, tourism is booming despite the cost and distance. As mentioned before, all of the moai were toppled during the war, but many have now been raised and restored to their (almost) former glory. The island has only one town – Hanga Roa – but I was easily able to venture outside the town and around the island in various different ways. I did an organized tour one day, rented a bicycle another day, and rented a van with a group of people from my accommodation.
A few highlights of my time on Rapa Nui:
Camping hostel:
I stayed at a camping hostel. It is a unique concept and executed very nicely. I had my own little tent and there is very clean bathroom block and fully-equipped kitchen on the premises. I also hung out mostly with some of the people that were on my flight (we all had shared transport from the airport). There were six Chileans and one Peruvian and only one of them spoke a little English (but not too much). It was good Spanish practice. Hola Jean Carlos, Alexis, Elcira, Javier, y Lisette (y tus padres!) Espero que ustedes estan leyendo este articulo con la ayuda de Google Translate!
Hanga Roa:
The little town has only a handful of attractions. There are various maoi that have been restored within walking distance. As the town is on the west side of the island, the coastal area where the moai are is a perfect place for watching sunset, which I did on three of my nights. The pink and red colours were stunning. The museum in town is exceptional and was a great starting point for my tour of the island. It has a rare female moai on display, as well as excellent signage and displays on Polynesian culture (including something like a hangi dinner and many other similarities with New Zealand), geography, and wildlife (with several similar birds to the Galapagos). The airport is right near town. You may not know this but I'm an airplane and airport geek. The runway was built long enough to be an emergency landing spot for the space shuttle and it was so eerie to see this long ass runway totally empty – not a plane in sight – after the daily flight came and went. Also in town is a church and some fairly lacklustre souvenir markets.
Rano Raraku:
This archeological site was one of the first major sites I visited. It's actually a volcano and was the quarry where the giant moai were carved. As the carving ceased during the war, the volcano exhibits many moai in different stages of construction – many still attached to the rock and not yet carved out of their initial spots. This is the only place on the island where some moai were technically left standing – though they weren't finished yet so it doesn't quite count. One of the moai that was a work in progress would have been the largest on the island had it been finished, coming in at 20.5 metres tall and likely weighing between 190 and 200 tonnes. It is still attached to the volcano on its backside and was never lifted. The inside of the crater features more moai being carved, which means they had to get these giant statues first out of the crater and then down to the coast. How they did it back in the day is a guess, though many scientists have theories.
The site is also home to a seated moai. The seated moai is super rare as there are only three. Nobody knows if these are primitive moai or if these were more advanced at the end of the moai era just prior to the war.
Quite possibly the most famous site on the island, Tongariki features fifteen restored, standing moai on one long ahu. The tallest of the lot is 9 metres high and weighs 76 tonnes. One of the moai even wears its topknot (possibly representing a hairstyle or hat). The topknots are separate pieces that go on top of the heads and are carved out of a different volcanic rock. The Japanese archeologists that restored the site did not want to put the topknots back on the moai as they had been badly eroded. The local workers decided to take it upon themselves to use their big machinery after hours to reattach one of the topknots as they wanted to see what it would look like. The archeologists discovered it the next morning and let it stay.
Aside from my organized tour here, I also went back super early the next morning with the hostel crew to watch sunrise over the giant statues. It was here that I saw one of the most remarkable sights on the island: a guy smoking weed while laying down and pitching a tent in his little shorts if you know what I mean. Later, he began doing yoga, took off his shirt, and blasted music. Terrible tourist. But he was pretty hot.
This archeological site is actually on a gorgeous beach. I went with my tour to learn about the history of the site. The row of restored moai on the main ahu on the beach are the best preserved of any on the island because they were buried underneath the sand and thus protected from the elements. They all still have their topknots and well-defined facial features. Another moai further down the beach stands alone. At 3 metres tall and 45 tonnes, the solo moai is shorter and wider than most of the others – leading experts to believe it is more primitive. This moai is special because it was the first to be lifted back to a standing position in 1956. Dubbed the "Norwegian experiment" (because it was led by a Norwegian team), it took 18 Rapa Nui men a total of 16 days to lift the statue without machinery. It was an experiment – not a true restoration. The first true restoration on the island was in 1960.
I also went back to Anakena beach the next day with my new friends to take a swim in the gorgeous Pacific waters and have lunch on the beach.
Te Pito Kura:
Another archeological site, Te Pito Kura hosts the tallest statue moved from the quarry – a 9.5 metre moai (12 metres if you include the topknot) weighing in at 88 tonnes. It sits a distance of 7 km from the quarry. How did these people move it? This statue – being the tallest – was the one that was the last to be toppled during the war. The site also includes the "magnetic rock". This large, smooth rock has a magnetic element and will mess with your compass. Locals believe it has what they call "mana" – like a good life force – and that touching the rock can help you gain fertility or cure ailments. Unfortunately, the rock has been walled off because some tourists are fuckwits. I'm looking at you, aroused stoned topless yoga guy. The local legend is that the first king brought the rock with him from his previous island, but scientists believe the rock is likely from Rapa Nui based on its composition.
The most unique site on the island consist, Orongo consists of a big ass volcano crater and ruins of the only religious ceremonial village on the island. The village – built on the super steep volcanic rim – was built for the followers of the bird-man cult which dominated the island through the warfare time. Part of the village ruins have been restored. A small museum talks about the bird-man cult and the annual bird-man competition, were the Rapa Nui men would swim out to nearby islands and wait for migratory birds to lay their eggs. The man who got the first egg won. The islands are visible just offshore, though getting too close to the edge is scary given the 300 metre drop off from the rim of the volcano to the ocean below.
Other archeological sites:
I visited a few other sites on my organized tour and my day with the bicycle. Akahanga is a site with a lot of toppled moai. Vaihu also has toppled moai with scattered topknots and a circular ceremonial centre. Vinapu features a wall built in the style of the Incas and provides some of the strongest evidence of encounters between these two ancient civilizations.
Pure sex:
Wait – did I just say "pure sex"? I don't know where that came from. I meant to say "traditional dance show." Sorry. On my first night, I went with my little group to the Kari Kari "Cultural Ballet". The show is sort of like the one I saw in the Maori village in New Zealand, and I imagine it's not too far removed from a luau (I'll get to Hawaii one day). The only difference: the Rapa Nui men are hot. HOT. FUCKING HOT. Like, OMG HOT. How have these men been kept a secret? Now, I don't recall the Maori in New Zealand being all that impressive, but that may be because a lot of them have rugby player builds and I'm just not into that. But these men – these men were thin but toned. They were sweating while they did their traditional dance. Also, I saw balls. BALLS! Do you know why I saw balls? Because these men were barely wearing anything at all. No shirts. No shorts. Just little coverings on their man parts. While some had underwear on underneath, at least one was freeballing under his little covering. With all that dancing and all that flopping, the berries were bound to pop out to say hi. I also saw buns. Like, the back was a thong. OMG.
One lucky bitch got pulled up from the audience and these gorgeous men all danced around her in a circle. I hate her. At the end, there were opportunities to take photos with the dancers. Many of the men lined up to take pics with the lady dancers (yes, there were lady dancers in skimpy underwear and coconut bras but fuck if I was paying any attention to them…) and all the women were lining up to get pics with the male dancers. I debated it, but it's not as liberal as other places and I didn't want to be that creepy gay guy. In hindsight, fuck all that. I should have done it.
All those men. Polynesia has shot up my rankings.
Like everything else on the island, food is super expensive. Unfortunately, that means I didn't spring for one of the traditional Polynesian dinners which seem to be exclusively at the swankier places. There are a handful of reasonably priced little restaurants on the island, and I did end up eating at the same few places more than once during my four days there. The only real traditional food I ate was a poe – a banana brownie that has no chocolate. It was good, but I was disappointed. The guy said brownie so I was expecting at least some chocolate. The poe can also be made with pumpkin or other fruit or vegetables… but not chocolate. I also had a beer from the Mahina brewery which is local to Rapa Nui.
I just want to say that my flights to and from Rapa Nui on LAN's (Chile's main airline) Boeing 787 Dreamliner were wonderful. I had a window on the way in and got amazing views of the island on approach. I also had the last row, which I chose because it was the only window seat available. The last row was actually a 2-3-2 configuration rather than a 3-3-3. I had a ton of extra legroom, a foot rest, more of a recline angle, room on the side of my seat where I could set my bag, and two tray tables (one on the chair in front of me and one in my armrest). I could keep my laptop out during meal service. The staff were super friendly in both English and Spanish and the food was pretty good too. After that experience, I opted to choose the back row for the return leg too when I checked in.
I had originally thought that I wouldn't need much time on Easter Island because it's small and it's basically just moai after moai of archeological sites, but there's a lot I didn't get to do: a bunch of hiking, one whole side of the island, different beaches, and more. Maybe I'll go back one day or maybe I'll opt to explore different Polynesian islands first. Who knows.
After Easter Island, I headed back to Santiago for a few more days with Claudio before jetting off to my last new country of the gap year: Peru. But first, let me take a selfie.
To see more photos of my time in Easter Island, follow this link:


text:
President: Iran Favors Prosperity of Region
TEHRAN (Press Shia) – Unlike certain countries that pursue military aggression and have bombed their neighbors, Iran uses its power only for defense, and believes that its development depends on progress and prosperity of all regional countries, President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday.
In comments at a weekly cabinet session, Rouhani said Iran is never concerned about the progress of others, voicing Tehran's support for collective development in the region and its interest in the prosperity of all neighbors and regional states.
Iran's military, economic, political, cultural and social power would not harm others, the president underlined, saying the Islamic Republic boosts its defense power only for deterrence.
Denouncing plots by some regional countries to foment Iranophobia, the president said Iran has never invaded any country, bombed its neighbors or put pressure on people of the region.
"Our weapons are for peace, strengthening stability and security, and discouraging others from invading our country," Rouhani added.
Slamming Israeli officials' comments about Iran, the president said those behind regional wars and crises over the past 70 years or the Sabra and Shatila massacre are in no position to talk about Iran.
"Iran is not a threat to anyone. Iran is (the source of) stability and security for the entire region," Rouhani said, stressing also that Tehran will vigorously defend its rights.
In remarks in February, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran's defense capabilities, hitting back at the enemies for disputing the country's missile program.
"Without a moment of hesitation, the country must move to acquire whatever is necessary for defense, even if the whole world is opposed to it," Ayatollah Khamenei said, describing plans to develop and renovate Iran's defense strategies and equipment as a top priority.


text:
Zenman Overdrive Pedal
Budda ZenMAn OD/Boost (Pure Tone ) Demo by Robert Baker
Robert Baker demos the Budda ZenMAN Overdrive pedal. Video description: "Hi guys welcome to the second demo of this amazing pedal here I cut out sections of the song that was inspired by the pedal so you can hear the pedal in its purest form."
With a wide range of distortion tones from smooth overdrive to all out crunch and grind, the Zenman Overdrive/Boost pedal can fit into a wide range of music types. The Zenman also has a very useful Phat/Vintage switch that changes the EQ to further enhance the tonal shaping that can be achieved. The coup de grâce is the Boost feature with its own level control. The boost can be used with or without the overdrive, so the Zenman can pull double duty as an overdrive, an overdrive with a solo boost, or just as a clean boost pedal! You'll be proud to have the Zenman on your pedal board.
|Versatile overdrive sound can go from smooth to grind.
|Gain, EQ and level controls
|Boost feature with level control can be used independent of the overdrive
|Powered by 1 9V battery or external power supply
|Heavy Duty construction
|Heavy Duty switch
|Phat/Vintage switch
|Weight Packed: 1.00 lb(0.454 kg)
|Width Packed: 4.35"(11.049 cm)
|Height Packed: 5.75"(14.605 cm)
|Depth Packed: 3"(7.62 cm)


text:
|Fantastic Four: TWGCM >> View Post
Subj: Re: FF in print for 2018?
Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 at 11:17:55 am EST (Viewed 265 times)
Reply Subj: FF in print for 2018?
Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 at 03:55:37 pm EST (Viewed 389 times)
My guess is not to expect an FF book until the sale is approved. Which is months away as it needs to go through the Federal Trade Commission.
Posted with Google Chrome 63.0.3239.132 on Windows 10
|Alvaro's Comicboards powered by On Topic™ © 2003-2018 Powermad Software


text:
Alan may refer to: テンプレート:TOC right
- Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname
- Alan (given name), an English given name
- Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.
- Alan (Chinese singer) (born 1987), female Chinese singer of Tibetan ethnicity, active in both China and Japan
- Alan (Mexican singer) (born 1973), Mexican boy band singer
- Alan (wrestler) (born 1975), a.k.a. Gato Eveready, who wrestles in Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
- Alan (footballer, born 1998), Brazilian footballer
- Alan I, King of Brittany (died 907), "the Great"
- Alan II, Duke of Brittany (c. 900–952)
- Alan III, Duke of Brittany(997–1040)
- Alan IV, Duke of Brittany (c. 1063–1119), a.k.a. Alan Fergant ("the Younger" in Breton language)
- Alan of Tewkesbury, 12th century abbott
- Alan of Lynn (c. 1348–1423), 15th century monk
Saint Alan or Alain
- Alan of Lavaur, or Elan
- Alain de la Roche (c. 1428–1475), or Alanus de Rupe, canonized saint, "Alan of the Rock"
- Alain de Solminihac (1593-1659), French Catholic religious reformer and bishop of Cahors
Fictional characters
- Alan (Sesame Street) in the television series Sesame Street
- Alan (Modern Toss) in the television series Modern Toss
- Alan "Squid", a character in the novel Holes and its film adaption
- Alan, the main antagonist in the video game Kya: Dark Lineage
- Alan, the main character in David Firth's animation Alan
- Alan Harper, one of the main characters on the sitcom Two and a Half Men
- Alan, Iran (disambiguation), places in Iran
- Alan, Russia, name of several rural localities in Russia
- Alan, Haute-Garonne, a commune in France
Other meanings
- ALAN, an Italian bicycle manufacturer
- Alan (automobile), a short-lived German automobile
- Alan (crater), a crater on the Moon
- Alan (mythical creature), a race of winged spirits from Tinguian folklore
- Alan people, nomadic tribes from the east
- Cyclone Alan, a tropical storm