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Instead of streaming one of his musicals, this past weekend Andrew Lloyd Webber treated musical theatre fans to a 22-year-old 50th birthday celebration concert filmed at London's historic Royal Albert Hall in 1998. Crammed with musical theatre stars, it was a lavish get-together and a wonderful time-capsule of 90s musical theatre culture. Of course everyone looked and sounded so much younger but the filmed event captured some iconic West End performances.
Whilst we may have bemoaned in the past the lack of access to some of the West End's most challenging offerings, London's National Theatre goes a long way to rectifying the problem with its series of filmed plays.
Let me say upfront that I consider James Corden is the most singularly spectacular talent to have emerged from Britain during the last twenty years. A brilliant comic actor he can do anything and make it funny, even traffic lights which he does do during his CBS "Late Late Show" when he and a group of actors perform a musical at a traffic stop when the lights are on red (his Mary Poppins is hilarious).
Flowers For Mrs Harris was first produced by Sheffield Theatres in May 2016, and directed by Daniel Evans. It won three UK Theatre Awards: Best Design (Lez Brotherson), Best Performer in a Musical (Clare Burt in the titular role) and Best Musical Production. This new production was again directed by Evans, with design by Brotherston, and Burt playing the eponymous char for Chichester Festival Theatre in 2018.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies has had a chequered history. Its London opening was marred by "phans" ,who picketed the theatre because they didn't believe there should be a sequel to The Phantom Of The Opera. The reviews were mixed but mostly downbeat and the show was nicknamed "Paint Never Dries", an appellation that stuck.
During the London run they closed the production to implement new script changes. They didn't help.
Last weekend over 11 million people around the world watched The Phantom of the Opera when it was available for screening for free on YouTube channel "The Shows Must Go On". From 4AM Saturday 18 April it was available for a limited 48-hour period. The channel had previously shown Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which both pulled over 2 million viewers.
Haunting and scenic, accessible and engaging this amazing Vietnamese Circus, directed by Taun Le, played to very full houses at the State Theatre. It is such a treat sitting in amongst and audience with children giggling and older Vietnamese chatting excitedly about what they are watching.
We are treated to the seamlessly choreographed (Nguyen Tan Loc) ground and aerial work of a troupe of 16 exceptional acrobats, of whom, I think, 5 are women. This team is sublimely in-sync.
Australians can take much credit for the success of Abba, the group who these originally made these songs hits. Since its debut on the English stage in 1999, this musical has drawn mass audiences around the world and was the basis for the movie of the same name – and a sequel. Set at a small tourist stop on a Greek Island, it tells of the coming wedding of Sophie who does not know her actual father and thus invites the three possibilities to give her away. It goes from there and is driven by the popular Abba music.
The beautiful dulcet tones and clarity of Julie Nihill's voice and the sincerity of her stage presence, as the aging Patricia Reilly, instantaneously connect with the audience to engage us with the themes of this absorbing family and social history.
It is mostly set at the back of Patricia's country cottage where she has bunked up in her sleep-out. This is perhaps due to the house being over full of memories and the hoarding of a lifetime.
Platinum Entertainment's production of Pirates of Penzance is one of their best shows to date, but has been plagued by some terrible timing, opening at the emergence of concerns about Coronavirus, and also coinciding with some inclement weather - such a shame as this vibrant and fun production is a great antidote to the current gloom.
To keep up with the latest news and reviews at Stage Whispers, click here to like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.


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It's been a while since the last Round Up of good reading from the blogs, Nevada's and from other parts of the country. From the Nevada Progressive we learn that the radical fundies have put the kibosh on realistic sex education programs in the state of Nevada. Heaven forefend we'd adopt curricula in this state which would alleviate the issue of unwanted pregnancies, provide accurate and adequate information about contraception, and prevent abortions…. There's more on the topic from The Sin City Siren.
Looking for a concise summary of the tax issues before the Nevada legislature? Your first stop should be Sebelius's "A Few Truths.." posting. Hugh Jackson takes a gander at the Chamber of Commerce and its abiding love for education, just so long as it doesn't cost them any coin of the realm — a taste of the full column.
"The chamber is "for" education. So a billionaire can sashay into a chamber gathering and win applause by saying that education needs more money — just so long as she qualifies her declaration as a "conceptual" need that merely requires the nodding of heads, as opposed to an actual need that demands businesses start paying some taxes."
Add a bit of video to your news perusal by clicking over to Jon Ralston's "Legislature poised to hide money and gifts." If all this is making you thirsty, click over to the Blue Nevadan for a list of Drinking Liberally sessions. Another event worth noting is a rally for immigration justice in Reno on May 29th , details are available from the Nevada Rural Democratic Caucus.
Best of the Week
Speaking of Immigration — Crooks and Liars posts a good read on a federal judge's ruling that "Sheriff Joe" has been engaging in good old fashioned racial profiling. Surprised?
How many bridges have to collapse in this country before we get SERIOUS about funding infrastructure projects? Add the I-5 bridge over Skagit River in Washington to the list of failed structures. There's more on the story from Think Progress. Click over to Demos for "The High Cost of Bad Infrastructure."
I'd be much more in tune with the current Republican poutrage over the investigation of a Fox "news" reporter IF the network hadn't called for a DoJ investigation of the New York Times beginning in December 2005. Perrspectives has a post devoted to this topic. "The next month, Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Friedrich told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Bush DOJ thought that journalists or "anyone" could be prosecuted under the Espionage Act for publishing classified information." And, then:
"As it turned out, those words came as music to the ears of Fox News and the conservative commentariat. After all, they had been cheerleading for the Bush administration to prosecute the New York Times for months."
The National Journal has an insightful piece about "How the GOP Will Keep Stirring the Scandal Stew Over Recess." Nomadic Politics asks "Why should Tea Party Groups have any tax exemptions?" Good question!
Then we have the specter of the House Republicans imperiling the U.S. economy and governance in general by refusing to appoint their own conferees, as explained in Politicususa. While you're on the site, see how the GOP may not be a viable national party much longer if they keep putting the interests (read: profits) of the Big Banks over the needs of students. Oh, for the Good Old Days of the Whigs? The Booman Tribune takes a look at our dysfunctional Congress in "Talking to a Living Room Table." Well worth the click and read.
Have a Great Weekend!

subset: commoncrawl


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Stocks to Watch: Apple, Research in Motion, Michael Kors
By Anna Prior
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Friday's session are Apple, Research in Motion and Michael Kors.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) said Thursday it is working to improve customers' experience with its new mapping product, after the company replaced Google Inc.'s (GOOG) maps technology with its own product as part of Apple's iOS 6 operating system update.
Shares of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. (RIMM) dropped 1.5% to $6.80 premarket as BlackBerry suffered another setback Friday, with a new round of service problems in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, less than a year after a network outage knocked out handsets around the world. The firm has restored services and apologized for the outage, but it didn't provide a reason for the malfunction.
Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (KORS) raised its fiscal second-quarter and full-year earnings and revenue guidance, as the high-end apparel designer reported double-digit same-store sales growth across its regions for the latest period. Shares rose 3.3% to $54.08 in premarket trading.
Most Popular Videos
Most Popular Articles
Opinion: Say It Ain't So, Trader Joe's
Democratic, Administration Negotiators at Loggerheads Over $600 Jobless Benefit
With No Federal Agents on Streets, Portland Protests Turn Largely Peaceful
The Work-From-Home Shift Shocked Companies—Now They're Learning Its Lessons
Homicide Spike Hits Most Large U.S. Cities


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Introduced in late 2003, MicroTonic quickly is a drum tool for software musicians that combines a drum synthesizer and pattern sequencer. Version 2.0 of the MicroTonic is the first major upgrade and sports over 20 new valuable features.
The update focuses on increasing the usability of the MicroTonic further with features such as direct previewing in the browsers, MIDI-controller support, a new "pitched" MIDI-mode, individual outputs and much, much more.
The upgrade is downloadable from the Sonic Charge web site and is free for all registered users. The price is still $69 (excl. VAT) for new customers, but the price will be raised on October 1 to $89.
MicroTonic version 2.0 is currently available in VST format for Windows and Mac OS X. An Audio Unit version is under development and due for release later in 2005.
For more information, visit their web site at www.soniccharge.comCome on the FREE COURSE TOUR
Great home recording starts with a great home recording studio. It doesn't need to be expensive if you know how to select the right equipment for your needs.Download Now
Get the Audio Masterclass Newsletter, subscriber-only info and special offers too.


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Lee Miller – self portrait in headband
Ooops! Should never leave a two week gap to write up notes! I'll see what I can drag up from my tired ol' brain cells on this one! Anyway, back on October 14th myself and a few other CorkAP'ers attended A Short History of Photography at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Week 3. Presented by Chris Clarke, Glucksman Curator of Education and Collections, was The Commercial Image, and a very entertaining and informative lecture it was too.
Chris began his lecture by discussing photography in advertising, and how photography is a realistic medium that is easily mass produced. One of the first images he showed was Lee Miller – self portrait in headband (above). Lee Miller was a model who became a photographer. As her career progressed, Miller became a key figure in fashion, war photography (documenting the 2nd World War for Vogue magazine), and contemporary art, as assistant, muse and lover of surealist artist Man Ray.
Edward Steichen – Kotex advertisment
Miller was introduced to Man Ray by Edward Steichen for whom she modelled for Kotex. At the time this was a very controversial advertisement, as it was the first time that an advertisment for a menstrual hygiene product featured a photograph of a person. But a taboo was broken, and advertising and photography broke new ground.
Steichen was a also cross over photographer between art and advertising, (and a war photographer during WW1). Advertising at this time (and ever since) promoted as much as anything else an aspirational lifestyle, and in photographs such as the one above, we see Gary Cooper depicted in a suave, wealthy, healthy, manner – very aspirational. That said, the difference between how men were depicted in advertising compared to women was stark enough. In both cases, very aspirational, artistic images are used, but images of women were much more objectified than those of men – "Lisa as V.O.G.U.E" by Horst P. Horst, below, being a case in point!
Horst P Horst – Lisa as V.O.G.U.E
Robert Piguet – Brigand Perfume
The way objects were depicted were also aspirational, sexualised, graphic. Robert Piguet's ad for Brigand perfume is nothing short of phallic!
blow in her face and she'll follow you anywhere (!!)
Cigarette advertising was probably the most explicit in terms of aspirational advertising, with explicit sexual conoctations, emphasising the point that, really, you want these. Of course, cigarette advertising has since been banned (at least in this part of the world – is it banned everywhere?), and to modern eyes the one above for Tipalet is shocking, objectional, and, well, kinda hilarious. Did they really get away with this stuff?!
By the 80's cigarette advertising was very much curtailed, and advertisers had to become much cleverer. The advertisments became much more subliminal, pushing people on a subconcious level. The Silk Cut adverts, designed by Charles Saatchi were very clever, depicting a puple silk with a single slash in the fabric. Sublime, but not condoned!
Art photographers used advertising as a way to sell their work, as well as the product being advertised. David LaChapelle's work is big, colourful and garish. The scenes he depicts are very much set up, not quite realistic. His advert for Evian is selling what he does as much as it is selling water. Advertising has always been used by many art photographers as a valid platform to show their work – Jurgen Teller and his Marc Jacobs ads, Oliviero Toscani and Benetton, Ed Ruscha Absolut Ruscha, Annie Leibovitz – Keith Haring. The list goes on, art photographers selling themselves and their work as much as the products they are commissioned to sell.
Annie Leibovitz – Keith Haring
It could be asked given a series of images such as these, are these photographers entirely promoting their own thoughts and ideas, or are they being influenced by their work in advertising, and is this affecting or changing how they work? Advertisers such as Benetton and Marc Jacobs are very keen to work with artists, designers, musicians and photographers. The association is seen, I guess, as mutually beneficial. Similarly, Keith Haring is an artist who alligns himself with photographers. The photograph that Leibovitz took of him definatley must have been mutually beneficial to both the artist and photographer. Of course, most photographers produce their own work as well as the commissions they do for advertisers. William Klein, a painter turned photographer, worked commercially for Vogue, and also took photos, such as "Supermarket and Gun", which depicted the underlying conditions of the society we live in.
William Klein – Supermarket and Gun
At the end of the lecture (which didn't end there, but it's gone too late to write anymore! ), Chris set us all a task, dividing us into groups and electing people to speak. It was a bit of a jolt to those of us who expected to sit and listen, but it was fun to partake, think a bit about what had been discussed, and have a bit of banter back and forth. All in all a great couple of hours. Tomorrow evening is lecture number 5, The Photographer as Artist. Looking forward to it!
– Rory


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Keszthelyi, Sándor and Ács, Z. (2005) Comparison on DNA patterns of different ecotypes of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn.) in Hungary. Acta Biologica Hungarica, 56 (1-2). pp. 75-81. ISSN 0236-5383 (print), 1588-256X (online)
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For a molecular genetic study on Hungarian populations of European corn borer L5 stage larvae were collected from 14 places of three different regions of the country (uni- and bivoltine ecotypes). Additionally, the study included larvae from Egypt, too (multivoltine ecotype). Molecular examinations of European corn borer larvae using the study of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) revealed that by single strand conformation polimorphism (SSCP) the populations found in Hungary represented the same haplotype. Even the Egyptian sample showed no genetic divergence. Some minor deviatons were found in the case of a sample from Székkutas, but that did not prove the genetic divergence of the bivoltine ecotype either, since the other samples of South-East Hungary did not display this kind of genetic variation. On the basis of our investigations it can be said that the univoltine and bivoltine generations, have uniform genetic complements.
|Item Type:
|Q Science / természettudomány > QK Botany / növénytan
Q Science / természettudomány > QL Zoology / állattan
|Depositing User:
|Erika Bilicsi
|Date Deposited:
|10 Oct 2012 10:39
|Last Modified:
|10 Oct 2012 10:39
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Hotels in Manchester
Find a place to stay
Top neighbourhoods in Manchester
Top landmarks in Manchester
Find out more about Manchester
Use our tool at the top of this page to find the perfect hotel in Manchester. You can search using filter-options such as location, price and guest rating to quickly find & compare all available hotels to your specific needs.
Things to see and do in Greater ManchesterA short bit outside of the city centre, there is a whole host of attractions to suit everybody's tastes, from single jetsetter to family group and from culture vulture to sporting guru. Southwest along the River Irwell, you'll find amazing places like the MediaCity UK at Salford Quays, which houses both ITV and BBC studios. Here you will also find the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre at Trafford Park. Also at the Quays is the fascinating Imperial War Museum North, and if you're the daring type, you can experience indoor skydiving or visit the reputedly haunted Oldsall Hall Tudor mansion museum at Trafford Park.
No sports-lover will want to miss out on a visit to the Old Trafford Cricket Ground and the home ground of the Red Devils, Old Trafford Stadium. If you're a Man City F.C. fan, then you can visit their home stadium, the Etihad Stadium on the opposite side of the city. Nearby you'll find the UK National Cycling Centre, and back at the University, there's the Manchester Aquatics Centre.
Best areas to stay in ManchesterKnown as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester has transformed itself and its image from its industrial roots into a vibrant city of concerts, activities and trendy nightlife, while still celebrating many aspects of its rich history. Many of Manchester hotels and attractions are found in the districts in and around the historic city centre, within the A60 ring road.
The Central Retail DistrictzIn the city centre, you'll find sights such as the Manchester Central Convention Complex, The Bridgewater Hall concert venue, the Manchester Art Gallery and St Anne's Church. The city centre is also home to plenty of high-end retail stores and shopping venues.
Deansgate is the main shopping street in Manchester and flanks the Central district on its western side. The vista up Deansgate terminates at the 15th century Manchester Cathedral, with the neo-gothic John Rylands Library building just one of many historic landmarks along the way, intermingled with modern shops and office blocks.
Hotels in this area are a great choice for those who want to be right at the centre of the action. Or maybe you simply don't want to carry the day's shopping-haul too far from the Retail district. Either way, you can't go wrong with a hotel in Manchester city.
Northern Quarter and AncoatsThese former industrial complexes have been up-cycled to include attractions such as the Manchester Craft & Design Centre and the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art as well as trendy shopping venues, restaurants and bars. A range of hotels Manchester in this part of town offer comfortable accommodation near Manchester city centre.
Ancoats boasts inviting open spaces with public art and public seating areas, the best-known being Cutting Room Square next to the imposing Hallé St Peter's. Here you'll also find Hope Mill Theatre; a 120-seat indie theatre complex. Varied cuisine is available at classy Italian and Vietnamese restaurants, but you can also find good pub grub in a number of venues.
Medieval QuarterPerched at the top end of Deanscoats is the old heart of Manchester. Here you'll come across the 600-year old Manchester Cathedral, as well as Chatham's medieval college building, which has a public library that dates back to 1654 and now also houses the School of Music. Adjacent to the cathedral is the National Football Museum, perhaps showing the high regard that sport holds in the lives of Manchurians. Nearby are the Manchester Jewish Museum and the Manchester Arena indoor events venue. Book your hotel in the Medieval Quarter for a stay with a hefty serving of British history.
Booking hotels in ManchesterThere is a plethora of hotels in Manchester pick from. The city is home to many of the familiar chains you might expect, all well geared to families and business travellers, with many featuring onsite leisure facilities and restaurants, while independently run hotels also present options for the low and mid-budget travellers.
If you're in it for the finer things, then you'll find a selection of luxury hotels in Manchester. Hotel options in Manchester city, as well as accommodation near Manchester, range from luxury 5-star suites to basic self-catering apartments, and everything in-between. Whether you choose contemporary chic or Victorian majesty, many of the more upmarket hotels offer spas, health clubs, and gourmet dining.
Use our hotel mapping function to find what's available and we'll show you all you need to know to plan your stay; the size and location of the establishment, its pricing, facilities, availability and what's of interest in the vicinity. You can also find reviews and ratings to help you decide where you'll feel most at home.
What and where to eat in ManchesterManchester boasts an incredible variety of eating establishments. At Mr Thomas's Chop Shop in the city centre, you'll be served a delicious variety of traditional British cooking infused with a modern twist. This famous local pub prides itself on serving dishes made with only the finest local ingredients, and their menu includes such delicacies as 'The Famous Corned Beef Hash Cake' and 'Crispy Black Pudding'.
For Spanish cuisine, try the Iberica in Spinningfields, or for Italian, Rudy's Neapolitan Pizza in Ancoats. From Japanese dishes at Teppanyaki in the Chinatown district to the so-called Curry Road (Wilmslow Road in Rusholme) which is home to a number of restaurants with mainly Indian and Pakistani foods on the menu.
Many craft coffee shops and eateries dot the lanes of the city centre, and you'll be hard-pressed to walk past their tempting aromas. Most hotels in Manchester host their own coffee houses, bars and restaurants, so if you're only in on a flying visit, you won't need to look far for a bite to eat.
Travelling to ManchesterManchester International Airport is the busiest British airport outside of London City Airport. To get from the airport to the city centre takes about 20 minutes by train or 25 minutes by airport shuttle bus. There is also a local bus that runs every 10 minutes and takes about 45 minutes. Hotels near Manchester can also be found in the surrounding villages, which are closer to the airport while also connected to Manchester city centre by train or bus.
Getting around in Manchester
- Metroshuttle is a free 'hop on, hop off' city centre bus service between all the main shopping districts and railway stations. There are three lines which run from approximately 7 am to 7 pm (the times vary for each line) every day.
- Metrolink trams are a great option for getting to most of the popular attractions and venues across the region, and a System One Travelcard will allow you to use the trams, as well as the different bus services and trains in Greater Manchester.
- Bicycle hire is another great option with marked cycle lanes and cycling routes across the city. You can also walk the city centre itself in only 20-minutes, visiting an amazing amount of interesting places without needing to break into a sweat.
When to visit ManchesterManchester buzzes all year long, with concerts, sporting events, festivals and exhibitions. Summer is highlighted by the Manchester International Festival, a three-week long arts festival which is held at the end of June and beginning of July every year. You also shouldn't miss the Food and Drink Festival in the autumn, which is held at the end of September and beginning of October each year.
The weather from spring to autumn is mild, with July being the warmest month of the year. The cooler winter months herald the start of football season, and the city becomes delightfully cosy during the Christmas festivities in December. Great hotel deals Manchester can be found throughout the year, particularly if you book in advance.


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Men Tag #'s as of March 3, 2012
1. Aaron Saft
2. Ed Carpenter
3. Wesley Miller
4. Dennis Duffy
5. Ralph Van Praag
6. Jeffery King
7. Hunter Sloan
8. Steve Sloan
Women's Tag #'s as of March 3, 2012
1. Hilary Krueger
2. Terry Etterman
3. Christine Pruitt
4. Bryce Sloan
5. Janet Casperson
6. Isabele Sloan
E-mail email@example.com for your times if you are interested.
Any one who did not make the race today can buy in at Foot Rx Asheville for $15 and receive the next highest tag number. This will include your entry fee for the next 2 races in the series.
June 9 is Race #2. Location TBA.
From now until Race #2, you can challenge any one with a lower Foot Tag number than your own at any local area race BEFORE the start of the event. If you beat the person, you switch Tags. Get as low a number as you can!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Foot Tag 5k Challenge Race #1 Standings
Posted by Foot Rx Asheville at 9:43 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Labor Representative Darryl Cherness
Darryl Cherness resides in Culver City with his wife, Amy, and their thirteen year old daughter, Isabell. A life-long resident, he has had roots in Culver City since 1953 and is a product of the Culver City Unified School District. Darryl graduated from Culver City High School; attended West Los Angeles College; earned his Bachelors…read more


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Industry Training and Apprenticeships on the rise
Media Release:
Industry Training and Apprenticeships on the rise.
More working New Zealanders are gaining skills and qualifications on the job, earning while they learn, says the Industry Training Federation.
Our industry training and apprenticeship system is improving steadily, according to recently released Tertiary Education Commission 2015 performance reports. Programme completion rates in 2015 were 75 percent, up from 72 percent, and 2015 credit achievement rates were at 80 percent, up from 75 percent in 2014.
"More people are getting real skills for real jobs while gaining national qualifications. The results are very pleasing and make an even more compelling case for investment in work-based learning as an effective and efficient way to deliver a skilled and productive workforce," says ITF Chief Executive Josh Williams.
Industry Training and Apprenticeships involves employer-led education across most of New Zealand's major industries. Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) work with thousands of New Zealand's employers and workers to deliver skills and qualifications, and address skill shortages in many areas.
"Industry training is a
win-win-win-win", says Mr Williams. "Workers win because
they get skills and industry relevant qualifications while
getting paid, without taking on student fees and debt.
Business wins through accessing a high quality training
infrastructure that delivers up-to-date specialist skills
and employability. The taxpayer wins as subsidies for
workplace education are much lower, and trainees and
apprentices pay tax rather than draw on student support.
And the government wins with the instant economic return
from a system that develops and deploys lifelong skills in
the real economy."
There has been a marked improvement in the system since a major review in 2010, and the economic recovery since the recession. "New Zealand is fortunate to have an industry-led training system. Industry determines its skills needs and arranges training to meet those needs," Mr Williams says. "The results show the system is working and the numbers are increasing. Our eleven ITOs provide strong support to employers and trainees and they can be proud of these results."


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Detail verdict about the iPad by USAToday
People, there remained less than three days before the iPad will come to our hands! At least those of us who fell for the madness and were able to realize the relevance of this gadget. And believe me, there are very many looking forward to this new magic device. USAToday decided to attain a detail verdict about the iPad. Ed Baig and Jefferson Graham, provided a comprehensive review of the iPad.
The general conclusion seems to be quite positive for the present, but, of course there are some limitations according to some people, i.e. no flash, no USB, no multitasking. For us there are many merits in this first realize such as the multi-touch screen and its associated capabilities, the applications availability and user experience, that will make the whole thing unbelievable.
USAToday was ready to announce the first iPad a winner. It becomes an imposing electronic-reader competitor for Amazon's Kindle. It also sets game machines from Nintendo and Sony atwitter. Well, let's watch the review.


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New Year Quotes
New Year's Quotes From The Bible: Inspiring Quotations And Sayings For The New Year
Inspiring quotes and sayings can be reflected on for the new year, or it can be meaningfully integrated into the New Year's resolutions.
As the New Year begins, people pause for reflection, what can be done to make the coming year better. Resolutions are made and those who believe in God seek His guidance and help. Here are carefully chosen quotes and sayings from the Bible.
Sing New Songs of Praises to God
It is a wonderful feeling to start the New Year singing praises to almighty God for his wondrous creations and for all blessings. The psalmist puts it beautifully.
"Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." ~Psalms 33:3
"Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no-one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." ~Psalm 40:5
"Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints." ~Psalm 149:1
Likewise, the 8th-century BC prophet Isaiah, a main figure in the Old Testament's Book of Isaiah had his own message when he wrote, "Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them." ~Isaiah 42:10
Another message from Isaiah relates to new things being made by God, and of God's words:
- "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." ~Isaiah 42:8-9.
- "See, I am doing a new thing! … I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." ~Isaiah 43:19
New Year's Recognition of God the Source of Power
In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul reminds them of God's generosity and wants them to be as giving by helping especially people in need.
In chapter 4 of the book of second Corinthians, Paul speaks of the treasures of clay, asserting, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." ~2 Corinthians 4:7
Careful Self-evaluation for the New Year
Apostle Paul is concern for the Corinthians. He gives them a final warning for a careful self-evaluation. This is insightful and motivating especially for Christians working on their New Year's resolutions.
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test ourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?" ~2 Corinthians 13:5
Being Made New by Faith and Asking God for Direction
Integrated with thanksgiving, a prayer for renewal is a meditative way to approach the New Year, that hearts and minds maybe enlightened accordingly.
The Bible doesn't mention making New Year's resolutions, but it teaches to examine one's self regularly, and by faith, to seek God's direction to become better persons, a worthwhile overall resolution. Lamentations 3:40 in part says, "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to God."


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The Catown panel is made of FSC® certified birch plywood. This means that the raw material used comes from forests managed correctly and responsibly according to strict environmental, social and economic standards, established and approved by the Forest Stewardship Council®. There are organisms with the task to check that these principles and criteria of good forest management are applied, and they are independent from the owners of the various forests. All Catown panels are also free of chemical glues to ensure a healthy environment for your cat, you and your loved ones.
Catown 01
This configuration consists of 6 panels:
5 basic panel
1 square entrance panel
all the necessary clips
Panel size: 295x295x8 mm
Dimensione finale della configurazione proposta circa: 295x295x8 mm
Material: FSC® certified birch plywood
All prices are VAT incl.
Pay attention. If you already have a Catown module and you want to expand it horizontally and vertically remember that you will not need 6 panels but only 5. Catown modules, in fact, always have a side in common, this saves you money.
In a meow
Catown is for cats of all ages: it makes us play as kids, keep fit as adults, rest with tranquility as seniors. It is a balanced kennel for us, designed from cat to cat.
I'm Lana. Here they cal me Mum Lana.


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Hi All,
2 Things:
I have an Aeotec Garage Door Opener. I've added it to Home Bridge as both a Switch (default) and a Garage Door Opener.
I have it working, except it always thinks the door is opposite to what it is.
Setting the Invert switch on the plugin seems to do nothing, although I imagine if that worked then it would fix my issue so not sure if that's a bug?
I have a front door lock, and I can say to Lock / Unlock - however whenever I ask it to Unlock, it unlocks the door and immediately locks it again?


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For the life of me I can't remember where I got these great quotes about mothers! As soon as I recall the source I'll let you know. If you're a mom, or have a mom, or have ever met a mom, you'll love these! My personal faves are the hilarious #10, 15, and 59, while number 20 made me choke back tears…
- There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one ~ Jill Churchill
- Mothers are all slightly insane. ~ J.D. Salinger
- My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. ~ George Washington
- Making the decision to have a child – it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~ Elizabeth Stone
- The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~ Honoré de Balzac
- There was never a great man who had not a great mother. ~ Olive Schreiner
- In the man whose childhood has known caresses, there is always a fiber of memory that can be touched to gentle issues. ~ George Eliot
- Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined. ~ John S C Abbott
- There is no influence so powerful as that of the mother. ~ Sarah Josepha Hale Continue reading


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Tag: healing words ()
How Can We Use The Power of The Holy Spirit to Heal? - Chip Pugh
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness,
Posted 04/29/2015 07:34 AM


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St. Louis Memorabilia
Pujols, Musial, Bradford
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Albert Pujols Game Used and Autographed St. Louis Cardinals Items
2009 Albert Pujols Game Used NLDS Postseason Baseball Hit 10/10/09 and Signed by Albert Pujols
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The 2009 National League Division Series marked Albert Pujols sixth trip to the postseason in a nine-year career. His line over 56 postseason appearances is a remarkable .322 with 13 home runs and 36 RBIs. This MLB-authenticated baseball (hologram LH642411) was not only game used in the 2009 NLDS, it is the actual ball hit by Albert in the first inning of the final game of the series. This ball came directly from The Pujols Foundation and the Foundation stated Balls hit by Albert and authenticated by Major League Baseball are rare enough. But balls hit by Albert in the postseason and authenticated by MLB are unheard of. We know of only two in existence, including the one featured here. This is the only MLB authenticated postseason ball in existence to have been hit and signed by Albert. Adding to the rarity, Albert has also added the inscription NLDS HIT, 10/10/09 A Pujols Family Foundation Certificate of Authenticity will also accompany the item. Hologram number LH642411 was located in the MLB Authentication Database under GAME-USED BASEBALL. Session Product Description: Session Name: 2009 NLDS GAME 3 LAD @ STL Session Date: October 10, 2009 Autographer: Authenticator: AUTHENTICATORS, INC. Additional Information: BOTTOM OF 1ST INNING PITCHER VICENTE PADILLA BATTER ALBERT PUJOLS SINGLE
Posted on June 25, 2011
©2007 WWW.StLouisMemorabilia.com


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Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Walking Dead: Webisodes
It seems like THE HORROR SHOW has been doing a little WALKING DEAD bashing of late. Well, that's only because of the disappointment involved in watching the last few seasons of the show. We're sure the feeling of disappointment will pass...if they raise the level of writing....or....we stop watching. :)
With that said, the one WALKING DEAD associated item I was really rather happy about were the WALKING DEAD WEBISODES that were popped up into their webspace months ago. I caught wind of these a while back and watched during a lunch break one afternoon and was pleasantly surprised by them. The writing and production value was great and, honestly, I preferred them to the main show. (More bashing? Really?) They were more engaging and involved than the show - especially looking at the last season with the endless farmhouse drama and that HORRID, HORRID LORI WHO IS WORSE THAN ANY ZOMBIE! :::ahem:::
Uh....oh yeah....
So, the webisodes take a look at "one of the show's most famous walkers" (I'll stick to what the site states) and are directed by Greg Nicotero. Now, I love me some Greg Nicotero. His effects work is fantastic and he does a grand job directing these shorts. Now, don't get me wrong - we still have some drama and some slower moments here, but the overall flow is far better than the WALKING DEAD series. And, yes, I know that it may be easier dealing with tiny webisode pacing over a whole show. I get that. However, the writing is far more engaging and the world that's created is more fun and feels more...alive (:::giggle:::) than the series world in general.
These are well worth a view. Take a look!
Webisodes 1 The Walking Dead: A New Day
Webisodes 2 The Walking Dead: Family Matters
Webisodes 3 The Walking Dead: Domestic Violence
Webisodes 4 The Walking Dead: Neighborly Advice
Webisodes 5 The Walking Dead: Step-Mother
Webisodes 6 The Walking Dead: Everything Dies
Posted by malcoJOJO at 9:21 AM No comments:
It makes me sad sometimes. I think about how I used to LOVE a good zombie or walking dead film and now it's so mainstream it hurts. Everything has zombies now. Car commercials, kid shows.... However, there are a few choice zom nuggets in the world - still clawing there way up into the light of day and away from the swell of zombie poop in the world. DEAD SET is one of those prize picks that will fill you with love for the genre again.
First off, this is from the UK. It automatically gets a point for being foreign. :) They also don't mess about with trying to hide the gore and violence. (Again, see UK) It's a zombie film and they put it all out there. ALL...like intestines and blood. All over the place. The original air date was October 25, 2010 and there are a total of five episodes at about 45 minutes and episode. So, if you're crazy for zombies like I am, you can watch the whole of this amazing epic in one sitting!
The BIG BROTHER house is having a big event. Cameras, crowds and fantastic live TV times are being had. In the control room, the head prick in charge is doing his best to keep his pack of idiots in line and making sure they all know who's in charge. The Big Brother occupants are being their glorious selves. The crowd is eating it up with a spoon. The cameras...are rolling.
And, like a flash fire, all hell-on-Earth breaks out and the beginning of the end rushes over everything. This mini series hits the ground running and doesn't stop. It juggles multiple characters and multiple locations as it shows us the horrors of a full scale zombie outbreak. Brilliant writing and a simple setup shows that you don't need a WORLD WAR Z budget to knock out a quality product if you have good writing and a committed group of actors.
WALKING DEAD, take note! I'm not sure what the budget was for DEAD SET, but man...it had far better writing and pacing than WALKING DEAD does. And, it really was about the writing. It made things interesting and showed us a very small section of what was happening, but presented it in a grand and shocking way. I wish these folks were doing the WALKING DEAD instead.
WALKING DEAD bashing aside, DEAD SET is a must for horror and zombie fans. You need to seek it out. The whole set is available on AMAZON for $8 on Instant Download and DVDs are out there, though it might be slightly harder to find.
Watch this at once!
Posted by malcoJOJO at 8:39 AM No comments:
Friday, August 10, 2012
HILL HOUSE films
Hill House has caused a lot of trouble for a lot of people over the years. It rattles the soul and jars the nerves. Some people never leave Hill House...alive.
It started back with The Haunting of Hill House (1959) by Shirley Jackson. The story involves a scientist and three "research assistants" spending time in old Hill House looking into the things that go bump in the night there.
THE HAUNTING (1963) was a film based on Jackson's book. The film is rather well done. A simple, yet effective "Old, Dark House" tale directed by Robert Wise (The Sound Of Music, West Side Story, Run Silent Run Deep AND MORE!) and staring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom and Richard Johnson. The film was made before big special effects and gimics, so all the thrills take place in camera with the use of odd angles and zooms and the like. This makes it more enjoyable for me than some of it's other incarnations. It has that fantastic, black and white play-like set up where people interact and exchanges may mean more than their face value. And the scares - a la 1963 - are enough to make you cringe a little. Especially if you put yourself into their shoes. Little things, unseen in the shadows and heard through the walls, add to the atmosphere and the thrills.
Julie Harris is fantastic. She's our main character. We follow her out of her horrible life and into Hill House. We hear her thoughts. We know she's not 100%...balanced. And the poor thing... :)
THE HAUNTING a great, old haunted house film with some good twists and turns within it.
In 1971, Richard Matheson took a pass at the tale with Hell House. Evidently, it's close to the original book, but has more violence and situations of a sexual nature. It makes sense seeing as it was written in the 70s. I think this was more of the take of the film made shortly after Matheson's book was written.
THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973) was the first HILL HOUSE film I saw. It was featured on CREATURE FEATURES and I remember it sending shivers through me a bit as a child. Bob Wilkins assured us that the film was going to be fun and it was. Creepy music and a fantastic old house made this a fave of mine for years.
John Hough was the Director on this film and he holds a little space in my heart for his film ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN. It's funny, he was a Disney guy for a long while, but also directed TWINS OF EVIL and DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY.
Roddy McDowall, Gayle Hunnicutt and Pamela Franklin star and they do a great job bringing the characters to life. The film sports more effects and more thrills. And, more sexual naughtiness as found in films of the 70s. Poor Pamela Franklin goes through quiet a series of mishaps. And the story is fleshed out differently with more mystery behind it in many ways. There's something wrong in Hill House - affectionately referred to as HELL HOUSE - and it involves ghosts for sure. And, more science and more psychics. The team is still the same, but more is made about their abilities and they bring WAY more equipment with them to check out the house.
After seeing THE HAUNTING, I'm not sure which I like more - the old, dark house feel or the "There DEFINITELY is a ghost here!" feel this 1973 version has. I think they are both good in their ways, but if you want more punch, this is the version for you.
THE HAUNTING (1999) is fine. It's just...fine. It's a classic example of "more is not necessarily better". You have some heavy hitters in this film. Liam Neeson, Catherine...ZETA-Jones, Owen Wilson and Lili "Nutty" Taylor all do their best with the inflated script and try their best to be scared by the effects, but it's just...too much of everything. Too much attention placed on scares, too many special effects and not enough haunted house simplicity. You move through the movie and are beaten about the face and neck with effect after effect and it's distracting. Of course, if you like your scares generated by a computer, you'll love this film. It managed to take everything I loved about HELL HOUSE and added exclamation points, bells, whistles and fire to them all.
All in all, I put my money on...well, the books first - I plan to pick them up. Books always give a lot more than films. But, see THE HAUNTING, then watch THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE. You'll be happy you did. It's a great double feature!
And, if you've seen the Tarantino / Rodriguez film GRINDHOUSE, you've seen the fantastic parody of the HELL HOUSE trailer. I love it!
Posted by malcoJOJO at 2:01 PM 3 comments:
Labels: 60s, 70s, 90s, crazy, directors, double feature, ghosts, horror, memories, mood, movie list, poltergeist, scary, trailers, women, YouTube
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Cockneys vs. Zombies (Redband Trailer)
They have managed to combine two of my favorite things - cockney accents and zombies - into a gore filled, fun fest. I think they are trying to create another SHAUN OF THE DEAD and by the look of this redband trailer, they might have something close.
Granted, this is not SHAUN. They don't have the same powerhouse team behind it. However they do have some heavy hitters.
• Director Matthias Hoene has not really done anything before. While some see this as a downside, I see it as a new director making an extra effort to not have his first outing suck, so I think he'll be going the extra mile to make this film work.
• Honor "Pussy Galore" Blackman. Enough said.
• Alan Ford - the cockney accent KING is always fun to watch as he growls across the silver screen.
I'm excited! How about you?
Posted by malcoJOJO at 7:57 AM No comments:
Monday, August 6, 2012
ARGENTO DOUBLE FEATURE: Do you like Hitchcock? and GIALLO
DO YOU LIKE HITCHCOCK? and GIALLO
I was really happy with DO YOU LIKE HITCHCOCK? (2005) Dario Argento's homage to Hitchcock turned out to be a lot of fun for me. It's a rather basic story, but the execution is fun and entertaining. The story line is very "giallo" feeling and is really nothing new. There's been a murder and someone has witnessed it. Who did it and why? Will our witness live to tell the tale?
The Hitchcock aspect is fun. You can really see the call outs to Hitch throughout the film. Is it brilliant? Is it another SUSPIRIA? Nope - not at all. But, it was an entertaining romp with some fun twists and turns and some grand tension throughout. And, it was made for TV, so people with a short acceptance of gore won't be too agitated with this one. It's far from SUSPIRIA levels when it comes to the viscera. It's well worth a viewing.
I think this is one that is held up as "the last good Argento film". I was going to say the same thing, but after seeing GIALLO, I'm not so sure.
The film score by Marco Werba struck me and stuck with me as well. I'm not sure why, but I really loved it. It has a striking, big sound that made the film something special. It took it into an old school direction that worked really well with the way the film presented itself. I felt like I was watching older, cooler Argento right off the bat.
The film manages to entertain and there are some good moments mixed in with the bad. The bad moments really are what made the film. It went from ok, to bad, to worth the viewing bad within minutes for me. I found myself blurting out, "Wait...WHAT?!" a few times while viewing it.
I told a friend about it and he watched it at once. I was immediately flooded with updates while he watched - most of which were comical, "WTF?!" exclamations while the film washed over him. I thought it was a lot of fun and pure Argento madness that was also well worth a viewing.
Keep an open mind and give these a view!
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I've done my analysis on my Ct values. Firstly when I checked if there was downregulation or upregulation (I wanted downregulation as I was performing gene silencing) I used the Livak method, no problems. So for one experiment I got 0.166 so downregulation as I wanted, that's fine.
However, to be able to do statistical analysis and compare my results, I calculated my ratios (2^Ct values) for each sample separatley normalised to the controls of the target & reference gene (means) and got a value of 0.1828.
What I don't understand is why are these two values different? Am I not looking for the same thing which is the rate at which downregulation occured? And if so why is it two different values?
What I do follow is that when you're trying to find whether it's been silenced or not, you look at the overall values together and that confirms whether it has or not...my main question is what is the value in which it has been deregulated as I've one from Livak method using the means of Ct values and then another method which provides average ratios
Edited by J092, 21 February 2015 - 03:44 PM.


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You can view this by logging in to your MyGiving account and selecting the CrowdRaiser™ tab from the left-hand menu. From here, you can select the My Supporters tab from the top menu.
This will display a table of all donations made to your chosen causes through your CrowdRaiser. You can filter this information at the top of the page
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Glasgow offers vast and varied cultural experiences for people of all ages. There are more than 20 museums and art galleries in Glasgow with many offering free admission. The most popular of these is said to be the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The banks of the River Clyde is home to the Riverside Museum; another hit with locals and visitors.
Exploring the west end of the city can keep you busy for hours. Byres Road is a cosmopolitan shopping area which claims to rival any other outside of London. Lined with a countless range of shops; from stylish boutiques to special vintage stores; it is easily an example for the phrase, 'shop till you drop'.
The Botanic Gardens in Glasgow are home to the internationally famous glass houses and the stunning plant collections from all around the world. They are easily accessed from the city centre and are an excellent excuse if you need a little time away from the bustling centre!
A short drive for football fanatics will enable you to experience a tour from the Rangers or Celtic Football stadium, or to participate in The Hampden Experience. Trophies, changing rooms and more are to be explored; a must for footie fans visiting Glasgow.
If football is not your thing; then less than an hour's drive from the centre of Glasgow and you can witness the picturesque Loch Lomond. Perfect photo opportunities present themselves here at Britain's largest expanse of fresh water. 2013 has been named as the Year of Natural Scotland. This is a perfect chance to experience this by taking a drive through the National Park to witness the stunning scenery.
Maybe you would like to appreciate how another type of water was formed; yes it's the water of life! Just 20 minutes from Glasgow's centre is the Auchentoshan Whiskey Distillery. They offer a range of tours with a frequent 60 minute tour for just £6 per person. However if you are driving mind to stay away from the free sample!
As the sun sets in Glasgow; the night life awakens and sparkles. A drive through the Royal Exchange Square will see you be covered with a twinkling blanket of lights that light up Glasgow throughout the year. Glasgow is famous for its nightlife; catering for all with countless restaurants, cafes and bars.
Many of these are open till the early hours and you can find a range of venues for all genres of music you can think of. Areas such as Bath Street are famous for the student crowd; whilst Merchant City is popular for those wanting style and sophistication.
Glasgow offers something for everyone; the city is alive and waiting to be explored by its visitors. To get around easily, have a look at car hire suppliers operating in the area.
Glasgow Rental Locations
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Everything went well, no problems at any stage (except finding the Heathrow drop-off point - we got a little lost). We can recommend as the price was very competitive. B. Horton, QLD - Australia


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I have a Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ as good as new, it is all boxed with instructions and I want to sell it as I do not get the time to use it.
It cost £130 new 6 months ago and I am looking to get £70, if you or any of your members are interested.
You can contact me on 07879 621386 or reply to firstname.lastname@example.com
Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ
Need money for your next big purchase?
Then sell your old equipment here...
Then sell your old equipment here...
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- rwilkinson
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A Connecticut man accused of stealing five sets of human remains from a cemetery in Worcester, Massachusetts, practices Santeria and took the skeletons for religious reasons, according to police.
Investigators said Amador Medina, 32, of Hartford, Connecticut, stole the remains of three adults and two young children from Hope Cemetery. Medina was arrested Friday as a fugitive from justice.
Medina is a priest who practices Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion developed from the beliefs and customs of the Yoruba people and incorporating some elements of the Catholic religion. Investigators said Medina wanted the bones for medicinal reasons as part of his religion, and that older bones are preferred.
U.S. & World
"He is a practicing Santeria priest, which is a religion in some Latino communities that you see. It's rarely seen actually," said Hartford Police Deputy Chief Brian Foley. "The age of the deceased, as well as how long they have been deceased, is relevant in how they use those remains in their medicinal value."
The missing remains were discovered Oct. 9, when a visitor to the cemetery noticed someone had broken into the mausoleum. Police responded and found several crypts forced open and five bodies missing.
Investigators searched Medina's apartment Friday based on a tip. Police said Medina showed investigators where he stashed the bones.
The bodies are believed to have been from the early 1900s. Investigators believe no one has been interred in the mausoleum in the past 71 years.
Worcester police will charge Medina with five counts of disinterment of bodies, conspiracy to disinter bodies and accessory before the fact to breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony.
It was not immediately cleared if Medina had an attorney. He is expected to be arraigned Monday in Hartford.


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Through the systemwide UCPath initiative and in an effort to streamline human resources, academic personnel, benefits, and payroll processes, the University of California has created a UCPath Center that will eventually serve more than 220,000 UC employees across 10 campuses, five medical centers and other university facilities.
The center is a central, systemwide shared services organization based in Riverside. Among the improvements is the replacement of the nearly 40-year-old Payroll & Personnel System (PPS) with a single PeopleSoft implementation called the UCPath system.
UC Riverside is among the pilot campuses for this new system, which has been in the works for several years and is currently in the middle of a year-long test cycle to ensure that campus-level data is properly integrated with UCPath.
Simultaneously, UCR has embarked on a comprehensive Organizational Excellence effort called the Future Operating Model (FOM) initiative. In tandem with UCR's participation as a pilot UCPath campus, the FOM initiative provides UCR with an unprecedented opportunity to transform its business processes in ways that will most effectively meet the needs of the campus in the UCPath environment.
The systemwide UCPath and the local FOM initiatives are known as UCR's FOM|UCPath project.
The FOM|UCPath project is scheduled to launch in winter 2017. For more information and updates about the FOM|UCPath project, visit the project website fomucpath.ucr.edu or email questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.
To learn more about the UCPath center, visit: ucpathproject.ucop.edu.
UCR's Organizational Excellence Team Presents in Two National Conferences
UC Riverside Vice Chancellor of Business and Administrative Services Ron Coley, UC Regent Maria Anguiano, Kimberly Villanueva, interim director of strategic project management within the UCR office of Planning and Budget, and Jason Rodriguez, strategic initiatives analyst, financial planning and analysis also within the UCR office of Planning and Budget, recently presented at two national conferences in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The team represented UCR at the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI) conferences.
The annual conferences bring together 2,000 to 3,000 higher education business officers and change managers from across the country to discuss topics relevant to higher education.
UCR's group presentation, titled "How to Start a Grassroots Movement: UCR's Organizational Excellence Initiative," highlighted the value and importance of UCR's unique, bottom-up approach to Organizational Excellence (OE). The presentation and discussion inspired conference attendees to think beyond traditional approaches to campus efficiency measures and to consider the power of shifting a culture towards collaboration and innovation.
Villanueva and Rodriguez are also part of the Organizational Planning Committee. Anguiano is UCR's former vice chancellor for planning and budget.
5th Annual UC Summer Barbecue in the UK
Every year over 2,000 University of California students go to the United Kingdom and Ireland on semester, year-long and summer study abroad programs. For many of those students, the life-changing experience is not possible without a scholarship.
Recently, two fundraising efforts supported the effort. Through the Great California Cake-Off bake sale and raffle ticket sales, over $700 was raised to help support Team UC's fundraising goal for UC study abroad scholarships.
On Sunday, July 9 Team UC fundraised further at the Virgin Sports Westminster 10k, a route through the heart of the city, with the help of University of California alumnae, students, family, and friends. Among the 27 participants were UCR alumni Stephanie Ostrich and Violet Del Toro, and current student Flor Garcia. The three raised over $500.
Team UC in total raised over $4,500.
UCR Magazine Online
Summer 2017 issue of UCR Magazine is available. Read about Unlocking Puzzles Of The World..


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stalk the most main streetThe reader wonders about the nature of this relationship — do they even really know each other? Is this more to do with poetic influence? Without conducting a bunch of research, we're not sure. And, at least in terms of the experience of reading these poems, it doesn't really matter.
uninterested in pacing or
what this town has to offer
in graceful rust. No one
wants me, Carrie, in the way
I want the slick street.
Anyone wants me, Carrie —
anyone wants the obvious
metals I know.
There is much in Obvious Metals that is ambiguous and ambivalent, and that is I think part of its charm. Most of the poems herein rely on an emphatic "I" voice, a speaker who purports to assert the first person, but who at the same time never really reveals much about herself. Aside from the declaration that she is "mean / to strange men" ("Proving a Bird") or that "I can lie / this easily // and so / can live" ("A Body in Distress") or that "I aspire / to find you / welcome" ("Attempts at Spirits"), this is largely a poetry of purposeful obfuscation. At times, Fridman verges on outright surrealism/dadaism, as for example in "Dyad":
the boy down in front
was in trouble for real
Yet, in an oblique manner, Fridman also makes arguments about what it's like to live in this world, in a society, where real connection is difficult and one is left seeking protection "on a grey / street", metaphorically asserting oneself a bird "play[ing] lamely // at the feet / of the sun" ("Proving a Bird" again). Or, one emulates a bear, storing up fat for hibernation. Yet this same bear also acts on a communal level and "delivers / on a promise // when it tells its friends / where food" ("What's Fatty").
the salt shaker had
become the orient
had an awkward roomy
alibi all crust
For that matter, let's look at those lines from "Attempts at Spirits" again. "I aspire / to find you / welcome" on one level suggests the speaker's hesitance about her relationship with someone or other. In other words, the person addressed is seemingly not or not yet fully welcome. But Fridman's use of enjambment here also allows a slightly different reading. "I aspire" gets its own line, emphasizing a sense of hopefulness in the situation. Read together, the phrase "I aspire to find you" certainly lends weight to this idea. Then, the fact that the single word "welcome" gets a line to itself actually implies that the addressee is in fact quite welcome in her company. Taken together, we might read this passage something like, "I am open to connecting with (finding) you — welcome!"
The physical rendering of Fridman's words on the page is thus to fore, and in that regard she might be seen as a contemporary practitioner of Objectivism, whose foremost figures (Zukofsky, Oppen, Niedecker, et al.) at times exhibited similarly oblique qualities, also similarly often resolved with repeated readings. And though I haven't read Carrie Lorig as extensively as I perhaps should (some pieces online), it seems that she herself works in a similar mode and so makes an apt dedicatee here. Dense at first, Obvious Metals gives pleasure in its density, in its unexpected suggestion(s), its eschewal of obviousness. As Fridman herself concludes in the book's final poem, "Take the Call," "can any explanation / dispel" — the answer, I suppose, is just take the call and see what happens. . .


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Art and Architecture
The Cathedral is a rich resource for the study of architecture, from Romanesque to Perpendicular.
Admire the finest example of medieval cloisters in the country, with the earliest and most ornate remaining fan vaulting. Consider the materials and techniques used in construction, from crypt to tower. Appreciate the contributions of artists and craftsmen over the 900 years of the Cathedral's history.
Tours can include an opportunity to come face to face with the Great East Window in the Tribune Gallery and discover how medieval glass was made, or a visit to the stonemasons' yard to see the modern day artisans at work. A visit to the crypt can also be included in this experience.
To discuss your requirements, please contact the Education Team.
| Printable Version


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'I Still Believe'
This image appears in the gallery:
Miss Saigon: the musical in pictures
5. 'I Still Believe'
Chris returns to America during the fall of Saigon. Three years later, waiting for Chris to return, Kim refuses Thuy's renewed offer of marriage and introduces him to Tam, her son with Chris. Eva Noblezada is pictured with William Tao as Tam in the 2014 London production. Photo: Michael Le Poer Trench/Cameron Mackintosh.


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Benefits of a Sit-Stand Desk
A sit-stand desk is a piece of office furniture that gives you the option to stand while you are working. The height of this desk is adjustable, so you can choose to sit or stand at any moment to fit your needs. Cutting down the amount of time you sit down at work has multiple benefits, and can improve your health in the long run. These are just a few of the benefits you can get when you use one of these desks at work.
Helps Improve Posture & Reduce Back Pain
A lot of people have issues with back pain when they try to sit down at a desk all day. Sitting for a prolonged period of time can put a lot of stress on your spine, which can lead to back pain in the future. When you stand at work you reduce stress in your spine, so if you use a sit-stand desk you can choose to stand up if your back starts to ache. Once your back feels better, you can adjust the desk's height so you can go back to sitting.
On top of this, your overall posture will improve if you use a sit-stand desk. The simple act of standing will help improve the strength of your body, since you won't need to hunch over at your desk. As the strength of your body increases, you should see improvements in your posture.
You Burn More Calories
When you sit around all day it can be hard for you to burn off calories. If you take in more calories than you can burn, you will end up gaining weight. The act of working while standing can actually burn a decent amount of calories, which can help you avoid weight gain and obesity.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, you can burn around 170 calories a day if you stand at work. Theoretically, if you work five days a week you could burn at least 800 calories a week if you devote some time to standing instead of sitting. Overall, the sit-stand desk can help you lose a little bit of extra weight while you are working.
They Help Improve Your Mood & Productivity
Another thing that sit-stand desks are good at is helping to improve your mood and overall productivity. The results of an experiment at the NCBI showed that people who stand at work feel happier and more focused, and feel less fatigued than people who sit down all day. If you stand at work you can also benefit from reduced stress levels.
In addition, when you use a sit-stand desk your energy levels can increase, which can help improve your overall productivity. When you stand at work you increase the amount of blood flow in your body, which helps give you more energy. With this increased energy, you should feel a lot more productive during your work hours.
Want to know if a sit-stand desk would be good for your office? Call GOS today @ 602-559-9100 or check out the sit stand desk at yourosptore.com


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The Citadel Of Chaos has a very similar premise to The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain, in that you must venture into a place with loads of monsters, traps and groups of doors from which you can only choose one (it seems never in Fighting Fantasy gamebooks do you peek through a slightly open door - it's all or nothing, every time), ultimately facing off against an evil magician. There's no treasure at the end of Citadel though, at least as far as I know, cause I didn't complete it. Nope. Didn't even get as far as the villian, Balthus Dire, which is a pity as apparently Steve Jackson put many hours of planning into how the final battle would work.
I didn't start so well, rolling a skill level of seven, stamina 20 and luck eight. In this gamebook, you get a bunch of spells, of which the dice were kind and gave me fourteen. With such low skill, I chose several 'creature copy' spells, which create a clone of your opponent to fight on your side. What I needed in the end were levitation spells, but I'll get there in time.
So at the entrance to the, er, citadel, were an ape with a dog face, and a dog with the face of... yep, an ape. Interesting. So far, so it seemed Steve Jackson had run out of ideas after only one book. I told them I was there to stay the night, and walked right in, which apparently is what you do when confronted by a pair of Wuzzles.
The first person I came across once inside was a dying man, whom I ignored. He wanted my stamina spell, and with such a low skill level, I decided I was going to need it more than him! Besides, if I gave it to him, it'll encourage panhandling, and there are enough beggars in the Fighting Fantasy world already! I came across some later on, who weren't happy till I'd given them every gold piece I owned...
Anyway. Something you don't do in Citadel it turns out is hang around places for too long. Much like the crypt in Warlock, hanging around almost anywhere on this adventure results in flaming shit being thrown at you or your arrest. Even in the library (where I learned the 3-digit combination to Balthus Dire's room, which is laughably short - even in a world where most doors can be broken down with a decent shoulder barge - and suspiciously convenient for a 400 section book) too much loitering can get you locked up in a cell guarded by a two-headed bipedal snake. Not that it happened to me, not at all...
Another place I hung around in too long inadvisedly was the wine cellar. In Warlock, drinking rum gave me stamina. In Citadel, drinking wine gave me hallucinations, and made me tell people things I should have kept secret - whoever said Fighting Fantasy gamebooks weren't realistic?
So after some rose wine, I told the winemaker I was not a travelling herb salesman, as had been my cover story thus far. No, I was actually on my way to kill his master, Balthus Dire. D'oh. A fight inevitably ensued, something I would've expected after rum, but not a couple of glasses of red. Ah well.
Perhaps I should've taken some with me further on the adventure, as I soon ran into a crazy biatch in bed who wanted presents. I offered her a silver mirror, which she didn't care for - considering she was attempting to shoot me with beams of fire from her eyes, perhaps I shouldn't have bothered! The book asked if perhaps I wanted to offer her a spider-man in a jar... WTF? I love some of the items you get asked if you have, the ones you never do always sound way more interesting. Like the cheese, from Warlock. The closest I came to cheese this time around were some berries. But berries you can put in a pouch or something. Cheese you need to wrap, and the book didn't say anything about having a roll of gladwrap in my rucksack.
So how did it all end? I encountered the ganjees, who were basically like disembodied banshees, flying around screaming and whatnot. I ran towards the door on the other side of the room, not realising it was a door OUT of the citadel. D'oh. I'd used my only levitation spell earlier, when a staircase became a 'super fun happy slide'. My 'broken body' landed in a 'crumpled heap'. Ouch.
So, all in all, I'm guessing The Citadel Of Chaos would be easier to complete than The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain, not that I managed either. I say this because I've attempted the latter so many times without ever succeeding, and am pretty sure once I knew what spells to choose at the beginning of the former, it wouldn't be that difficult. None of the monsters I encountered were that much of a threat, and it's not like there are keys you need to collect in the right combination in order to succeed.
This book isn't as well known as Warlock, which is perhaps to be expected. It's very similar, without being as ground breaking; and has a pretty lame cover. The one here doesn't exactly look like mine; the other one on the Wikipedia page is closer, but mine has the text of the one above. Weird. The newer cover is better, but that two-headed snake thing looks nothing like the illustration in my copy, which I think is closer to what Jackson probably intended. There's no way my unskilled fighter could have defeated the monster on the new edition's cover!
So that was Citadel of Chaos, and I'm 0/2.
Monday, 25 February 2008
#2 - The Citadel Of Chaos
Posted by Dan at 20:11
7 comments:
The cover of The Citadel of Chaos was redesigned part of the way into the run, as the original, pre-green-spine version was considered not to fit in with the style of the rest of the series. The Wizard Books reprint depicts a Hydra, which is encountered beyond the point you reached in your play-through.
- 12 June 2008 at 01:19
Incidentally, even the levitation spell would not have saved you from the Ganjees.....
This is actually the first FF book I read as a kid. As such, this is the one book that held a special place in my heart as the book that got me hooked onto FF gamebooks. I remember being severely disappointed by the fact that most of the FF books I read later contain no magic spells system like this one. :)
Warlock of Firetop Mountain I actually read much later, so it was never anything special to me. I understand that it was groundbreakng as the very first book, but as someone who's already read the more "advanced" books already it's hard to be interested in one that holds only the bare basics.
Oh, and this is supposed to be the book where you can literally win with the worst starting stats possible (7/14/7), isn't it?
It's interesting to note the difference between the styles of the 2 co-creaters, Jackson and Livingstone in general. Both can write extremely difficult books, but Jackson's books tend to be all about finding the optimal path where you can avoid the worst death traps and horrible opponents with the right items/spells/abilities, whereas, Livingstone is all about picking fights and opening every door with potential traps in order and seek conflict in order to find the items to keep you alive when you meet the big boss. For the former you need to find Item A to get past the big tough mobs; for the latter you have to fight the big tough mobs to get Item A.
- 21 November 2008 at 16:16
- Unknown said...
This book always had a special place in my heart. Rather than being reliant on ridiculously lucky dice rolls (Caverns of the Snow Witch, I'm looking at YOU), this book promoted strategy and planning, particularly with the spells.
And it is absolutely true that, for a change, it is perfectly possible to finish this book while having the minimum scores. There are only two battles in the book that are unavoidable, and these are both perfectly winnable with minimum scores. Further, only a couple of Luck rolls are necessary to win.
I loved the final duel as well. Without giving too much away, it placed a premium upon planning and strategy, rather than just serving up a Skill 12 superbeing and wishing you luck...
- 22 February 2011 at 14:32
- Peter34 said...
The two real challenges in this book are ones that are not quite combat-based. The Ganjee, and the Hydra. And then there's the special number you find in the library.
I'm not sure it is possible to get both the special number, and the anti-Ganjee item (as far as I know the only way to defeat the Ganjee) in a single play-through, as they occur along different mutually incompatible paths.
The Hydra can be defeated with spells (you need to cast several spells, though), or an item. But them Ganjees are nasty!
I give this gamebook top marks for atmosphere, but very low marks for challenge design.
- 2 August 2012 at 08:03
Just to correct the post above for fun and profit... the ganjee item and the number can both be got on the same run-through. There's definitely exactly one true path, which it's easy to deviate from right at the beginning, but it's there.
- 26 November 2012 at 00:59
- Rhodoferax said...
I, too, wish to make a correction.
There are actually two items that can get you past the ganjees, and it's possible to get them both on a single playthrough. I think it's also possible to win with only fighting a single battle.
It is, however, incredible easy to miss the combination.
The showdown against Balthus Dire is absolutely brilliant.
However, this book is a BITCH to map out.
- 7 December 2012 at 12:46
It is perfectly possible to win with all the lowest possible stats, even though it seems unlikely that through some really horrible streat of rolling you should roll six 1s in a row. Eight spells are perfectly sufficient if chosen properly. The only combats you need to win are against the dozy goblin, orc and dwarf in the courtyard who only attack one at a time! And one last simple combat with a weakened Gark. You can either take the shorter route without the ignominy of being captured or you can get captured and see the two headed lizard and the O'Seamus - yes that's his name. Unaccountable the Ganjees want a jar of alchemists healing balm that the goblins, the orc and dwarf in the courtyard have with them.
If you take the longer route, the spells you need are:
2x weakness
1x ESP
1x shielding
1x levitation
1x stamina
1x luck
1x illusion
You only need the illusion spell if you want to be captured. I prefer to do without and just take an extra luck spell. Amazingly, Dire can be killed with sunlight and he lives in a belfry room with an ordinary window with ordinary curtains... He would have been better off underground, like Zagor was.
The only flaw is that there is no evidence of any armies being prepared in the citadel, or any real campaign of war.
- 28 March 2013 at 11:08


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If you do much shopping, banking, and investing online, then no doubt you are drowning in a sea of passwords. That doesn't even include the passwords you have to remember for your network, your router, and all the other technological solutions you use. While most sites and devices will help you recover a password or reset it if you don't remember it, some will make you jump through a lot of hoops. While that's to protect your security, it can be time consuming and annoying.
What you need is a way to easily keep track of all of those passwords. You don't want to just write them on a sheet of paper that you keep by your desk. If someone breaks in to your home and steals it, all of your information is at risk. Neither do you want to use the same password on every site. If someone figures it out, they'll have all of your information. However, there are some technological solutions and some old fashioned ideas that can help you keep track of those passwords.
Pen, paper, and a secure storage method
If you want to use good old pencil and paper lists to track your passwords, make sure you have a safe place to store them. A safe in your house is the best option, but you could find other hiding places. Just don't leave it on the desk, out in the open, or in the place where you keep your financial records.
Create a document on your computer and password protect it
You can create a regular spreadsheet or text document and password protect it. Most applications have the option for you to require a password to open a document created in that application. Look in the help files or Google your specific application to find out how to do this.
Free password applications
There are many free password tracking applications available. The best encrypt your data and protect it behind a master password so that even if your computer is stolen, it's very difficult to crack the application to see the passwords. A brief list of a few you might want to check includes:
- KeePass: This is a free, open-source application available for most mobile and computing platforms.
- Secure Password Manager: Windows only and free.
- Secured Storage for Password Management: For Mac users. Free.
Be careful about using anything that is browser or cloud based. If someone were to hack into the cloud database, your information would be at risk. While the risk is probably low, it's a risk nonetheless. Some browser solutions that remember passwords for you are great for your personal use, but if your computer is stolen those sites will be open to anyone who gets your machine.
Create a system you can remember
If you just want to be able to remember your passwords, you can create and stick with a system you'll remember. For example, maybe you make your base password something like, "simplepassword." (This is only an example. You'll want to choose something more challenging than this.) Then for each new site you encounter you add some letters to the beginning or end that correspond to the site you're using. So your password becomes, "simplepasswordbank" for your bank account and, "simplepasswordebay" for eBay. For even more challenging passwords, use numbers or characters at the beginning or end. Having a system like this makes it easier to remember your passwords without having to store them anywhere.
If you're using a program that requires a master password, make sure that your heirs know how to access the information. If something happens to you it will be much easier for them to handle your affairs if they can get hold of your passwords. Even if you're using pen and paper, make sure to tell them where you keep the document.
Keeping track of passwords doesn't have to be difficult or expensive and you don't have to be constantly aggravated by lost and forgotten passwords. Spend some time experimenting with different solutions until you find the one that works best for you.
(Photo courtesy of Dev.Arka)