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20. Ace of Base
And now we enter the Top 20 and we start to the third most successful Swedish pop group. Founded in 1990 in the heart of heavy metal in Europe, Gothenburg, Sweden, Ace of Base was one of the most successful dance pop bands of all-time. For most of its existence, its lineup included three Berggren siblings, singers Malin ("Linn") and Jenny and their brother Jonas ("Joker") who was the main guitarist and wrote most of the bands biggest hits. After going through a few other members and names at the end of the 80s, Joker asked his friend Ulf "Buddha" Eckberg to join the band as keyboardist and co-writer. They then settled on the name Ace of Base after being inspired, of all things, by watching the 1980 music video for Motorhead's "Ace of Spades". I'd love to know what Lemmy thought of that. Music has such strange inspirations some times.
They originally started as a techno band, but a recording session next door to a reggae band led to a collaborative exchange of ideas. Their first song, "Wheel of Fortune" was remixed and rerecorded several times before finally charting in Denmark in 1992. Looking for further inspiration to launch their careers, they turned to Dennis PoP, the producer of Kayo Shekoni's "Another Mother", which charted in Sweden in 1992 and basically said they wanted to produce music exactly in that style. And reproduce Kayo's sound they did. To international stardom. (Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I1FwPv1njE to see what I mean)
Their first album, called Happy Nation in Europe and The Sign in the U.S., was the first debut album to have three songs hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 Chart with "All that She Wants", "Don't Turn Around", and "The Sign". In fact, "The Sign" would go on to hold the #1 position for the longest time in the history of the chart with 14 straight weeks, a record it still holds today. Their follow up album, The Bridge, would give them two more top 20 hits in "Lucky Love" and "Beautiful Life", which both charted in 1995. Their final charting hit was a cover of Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" which hit #10 in the summer of 1998.
Shortly after that the grind began to get to the band and first Linn (in 2002) and then Jenny (in 2009) left to embark on their own solo careers. And while Joker and Buddha (I admit the start to this sentence sounds as if I am talking about Top Gun characters) have tried to rebuild the group, they are currently on indefinite hiatus.
But even though they are not currently active, their legacy in music lives on. Artists from Lady Gaga to Katy Perry to Tegan and Sarah and others have all admitted that Ace of Base was a major influence on them and their songwriting style. And influence is important when it comes to voting for the Hall. And one of those two more successful Swedish bands, ABBA, is in the Rock Hall.
The problem for their candidacy is that the second, Roxette, has been eligible for seven years hasn't come close to approaching the Hall. And they kind of seem like pop fluff in a way. A cotton candy type of band, not a serious snack. That is incredibly unfair with how incredibly good they were, but the nominating committee has to take you seriously before they will consider you. And goofy videos like the one below for their biggest hit won't help. That said, they are in the top half of bands first eligible this year. So while it may not be all that they want, at least they've had a beautiful life.
19. Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw is someone who would be significantly higher on this list if country music were really a consideration for the Rock Hall. I mean, the man has TWENTY-FIVE #1 country hits. But it is just too hard for a modern country star to get into the Rock Hall. It is not as though there are no country artists in the Hall, as there are several including Johnny Cash and Bonnie Raitt. But there are more legends of country that have not been elected including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Reba McIntire, Hank Williams, and many more who are on the outside looking in to believe that McGraw has a legitimate shot.
Future major league pitcher Tug McGraw was pitching for the Jacksonville Suns, then the Triple A affiliate of the New York Mets. He lived upstairs from a pretty waitress named Betty Ann D'Agostino and the two began dating. Betty became pregnant and her family moved her home to Louisiana, where she would later give birth to Tim. She would marry a man named Horace Smith and Tim would be known by the name of Tim Smith until the age of 11 when he accidentally discovered his birth certificate and who his true father was. While Tim and Tug would have a warm relationship towards the end of Tug's life, it took until Tim was 18 for Tug to acknowledge his paternity.
On the music side, McGraw moved to Nashville in 1989 and started circulating his own demo tapes in 1990. He signed with Curb records and released his first album the self-titled Tim McGraw in 1993 to mixed reviews. It would be his second album, 1994's Not a Moment Too Soon that would show that he was a force to be reckoned with. The album would go 6x platinum based off of the strength of its two big crossover hits "Indian Outlaw" and "Don't Take the Girl", which would be his first #1 Country hit. This would be the first of eight consecutive albums, stretching from 1994 through 2007 that would go Platinum, seven of which would go at least 3x platinum. The man is a musical force.
He is also one of the artists who led the country pop crossover revival of the mid-90s. This included folks like Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, LeAnn Rimes, fellow first time eligible the Dixie Chicks, and his wife of 20 years Faith Hill. As I said, he has charted 25 #1 country hits, including "It's Your Love", "Just to See You Smile", and "Live Like You Were Dying" which were the #1 overall country songs by airplay in 1997, 1998, and 2004 respectively. He has won three Grammy Awards and his Soul2Soul II tour with wife Faith Hill in 2006 is the highest grossing tour in the history of Country music.
And yet, he is much less likely to be enshrined in the Hall than many of the bands that are forthcoming solely because even though he is a pop country artist, neither pop nor country have the greatest track record of getting into the Hall. Both end up being mostly dismissed. If the Hall ever inducts a couple of the previously listed legends from above then McGraw will have a shot. Otherwise he may have to wait until the "Stars Go Blue". Sorry, I couldn't help myself. And while I am tempted to give you his 2003 collaboration with Nelly "Over and Over", I'll give you his greatest hit, the 2x platinum and southern wedding staple duet with his then brand new wife Hill, 1997's "It's Your Love".
- The Wallflowers
They started playing the clubs around Los Angeles where they were signed to Virgin Records and began recording their self-titled debut album. The recording was stripped down with songs that were longer than are usually commercially successful and released in 1992. While it was very positively reviewed, they sold a whopping 40,000 copies. Despite opening for the Spin Doctors and 10,000 Maniacs on tour, with record sales that low, a split from Virgin was inevitable and The Wallflowers returned to the LA club circuit.
They spent the next year looking for a new label and completely churning their lineup. Maguire and Yanowitz would leave to back Natalie Merchant. Then just as they signed with Interscope Records and were looking to record their sophomore album, Miller quit. Only Dylan and Jaffee remained from the original lineup. They replaced Maguire on bass with Gary Reichling, another of Dylan's high school classmates. And they started recording the album that would make them famous, Bringing Down the Horse, with session musicians on lead guitar and drums.
Bringing Down the Horse was released in late 1996 and would go 4x platinum. Much like their first album, sales started slow but the David Fincher directed video for their first single "6th Avenue Heartache" started to get airplay and sales began to pick up. The second track off the album, "One Headlight" would be the band's biggest hit, hitting #1 on the mainstream rock, alternative, and hot 40 chart and #2 overall. It would also win two Grammys for best rock song and best rock performance in 1998. Two more charting hits "The Difference" and "Three Marlenas" would follow. The band was on the way to superstardom.
Although that never really happened. Their third album (Breach) was released in 2000 at the height of the Napster era and may have been downloaded over 25 million times through the site. And for a band that had trouble selling records at various parts in their career that was financially crushing. The album would go gold, but the highest charting single "Sleepwalker" would only hit #73 in 2000. That was the last Wallflowers single to chart. While they have continued to produce music, releasing three albums between 2003 and 2012, they have basically become a vehicle for Jakob Dylan with a rotating cast of supporting musicians at this point.
So a band with tons of turnover, one transcendent record, and no hits in almost 20 years. Why are they this high on the list? I mean compared to Tim McGraw, it's not close. Well, when it comes to being nominated you need a reason to break through. Something that differentiates yourself from the rest of the crowd. In the case of the Wallflowers, the lead singer is a Dylan. While being the son of a music legend hasn't helped Ziggy Marley or Julian Lennon or Dweezil Zappa or many others, Dylan's heredity combined with a couple of Grammys does give the appearance of more gravitas than the band probably has. Do I think they will get in? No. Do I think there could be a nomination at some point in the future? That is a much more likely scenario. And that is why they end up here at #18 with the video that launched them.
- Jamiroquai
While the founders of the band were Jay Kay, keyboardist Toby Smith, bassist Stuart Zender, drummer Nick Van Gelder, didgeridooist (is that a word?) Wallis Buchanan, and pipeauist (that definitely does not seem like a word) Alec Moran, for most of their existence, Jamiroquai has centered around three men, Jay Kay, percussionist Sola Akingbola, and drummer Derrick McKenzie, the latter two of which joined in 1994. But really Jay Kay is the focus of this band.
Their first single, "When You Gonna Learn" was released in 1992 on the London based Acid Jazz label. That track caught the ear of Sony Music who signed Jay Kay to an eight record deal. And while the band had success outside the U.S. with their first two albums, it was the third album, 1996's appropriately titled Travelling without Moving, that got them picked up by American radio. The album is appropriately named because the biggest hit off of that album was 1996's "Virtual Insanity", which won four MTV music awards and is probably one of the five most recognizable music videos of the 1990s.
They followed that up with other 1990s dance charting songs "Cosmic Girl" (1996), "Alright" and "High Times" (both 1997), 1998's "Deeper Underground", and 1999's "Supersonic" and "Canned Heat". I should mention that looking back at their videos while writing up these summaries, I know I love this band, but it is a little eerie how it appears that most of my closet is stolen directly from the costume department of the "Canned Heat" video. Apparently I saw that video at an important time in my life and internalized it.
Regardless, Jamiroquai has remained incredibly relevant in the dance arena, having charted six more times since 2000, including two dance chart #1s in 2005's "Feels Just Like It Should" and 2006's "Runaway". And although they have drifted a bit from their acid jazz roots, there is no doubt that while bands like Us3 and the Digable Planets are contenders, Jay Kay and Jamiroquai are the kings of the acid jazz movement.
I understand that is probably not that great a distinction for Rock Hall voters, (heck they STILL haven't put Kraftwerk the creators of electronica in despite multiple nominations), since the genre is a small blip on the musical radar screen. But consistent continued excellence and relevance combined with being the kings of a genre makes them the first band on this list that I can legitimately see getting into the Rock Hall at some point. Now there would have to be several other bands that would have to get in first, including Herbie Hancock and the aforementioned Kraftwerk at least and maybe even the not yet eligible Daft Punk. But those bands getting in isn't crazy. So while it would take a couple of steps, with some good fortune Jamiroquai very well could be a Rock Hall of Famer at some point. Even if that sounds and looks like Virtual Insanity in print.
- R. Kelly
So let's begin with that talent. Robert Sylvester Kelly was born in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. Interestingly, he was one of the first reality TV show winners to hit it big as he won the 1989 talent competition Big Break, hosted by Natalie Cole, winning the $100,000. He got some backup singers, called his group Public Announcement, and put out his first solo album under the R. Kelly/Public Announcement name in 1992. That album Born into the 90's was the only record he recorded with Public Announcement and would produce two #1 hits on the R&B charts "Honey Love" and "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)". These would be the first two of 10 #1 hits on the R&B chart.
The third of these hits would be his first and only #1 overall hit. 1994's "Bump N Grind", off of his first truly solo album 12 Play, absolutely launched Kelly's career into the stratosphere. Kelly not only owned the charts as a performer, but became the man to go to for producing. Over the next few years in addition to his stellar solo work, he would produce albums for Changing Faces and (gulp) Aaliyah. He would also receive two Grammy nominations for writing and producing "You Are Not Alone", Michael Jackson's final #1 hit. Further success would follow with 1996's "I Believe I Can Fly" from the Space Jam soundtrack and his fourth album, 1998's R., which would go 8x platinum. During this time he would work with pretty much everyone who mattered in music in the 1990s from Biggie Smalls to Toni Braxton to Jay Z to Celine Dion (seriously, their duet "I'm Your Angel" went to #1 in 1998).
And while his career continued to fly high into the 2000s, there began to be some fraying at the edges. There were always whispers around Kelly. His secret marriage to a then 15 year old Aaliyah in 1994 (he was 27) was annulled at the request of her family. In 1996 he was convicted of battery for being involved in a fight that left one of the victims needing 110 facial stitches. In 1997, he was sued by a 20 year old woman who alleged that Kelly had sexual relations with her when she was 15 (he was 24). That settled out of court for $250k. Then came 2002. And the pee tape. Shortly before he was to perform at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, a tape of someone who was allegedly R. Kelly having sex with and urinating on a minor was sent to a news station in Chicago. A raid of his Florida home turned up 12 images of him having sexual relations with another underage girl. And while a Chicago jury would find him not guilty on all 14 counts, these data points have led to a view of Kelly as a sexual predator to underage girls. Heck just two months ago, three parents accused Kelly of holding their daughters in an abusive cult.
I could honestly write a book about everything Kelly has done in music and yet another one about all the things that he has done outside of it. But this is one piece in a large series. Needless to say Kelly is a silver voiced, immensely talented singer, remixer, producer, and writer of music who has more than his share of personal demons. And while these demons have slowed his career and shaped public perception of him, he continues to be R&B royalty. Where to put him was my greatest struggle on this list. I mean his first 11 albums went platinum! 11! He should be Top 5 on this list. But.
There is so much in those three little letters. The idea of R. Kelly entering the Rock Hall in this day and age is hard to see. Rock and roll likes controversial figures, but the idea of someone who is widely considered to be a sexual predator by many in the public arena puts him much further down the list than a lot of artists whose resumes simply do not compare to his. So here he ends up. Not sure what else can be said but that I don't think he is ever going to get in without some sort of massive sea change in public opinion. Which is possible. But not likely in time for this year. So we go back to a simpler time in his career, when he first ruled the R&B world…


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Click here to get information on Police Clearance Certificate from Asian Countries
Police Clearance Certificate PCC from Slovakia
Information for Police Clearance Certificate
An Extract from the Criminal records disclosure is known as "Police Clearance Certificate". Police Clearance Certificate or Extract from Criminal Record is issued by the Criminal Register of General Prosecutor´s Office of the Slovak Republic. All individuals, either born in Slovakia, outside of Slovakia or of undocumented birth place, can apply for a copy of their Extract from the Criminal Record through the Embassy of Slovakia in Slovakia, the criminal record information is maintained at the Register of Convictions, Criminal record Prosecution General of the Slovak Republic. PCC Certifying that the applicant has never partaken in any criminal activity that led to the involvement of the (Slovakia Police Authorities) and is also required when a person applies for an immigration status to other countries. Person applying for Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) are required to state the period of stay in Slovakia. Documentary proof of stay is to be provided. First Entry and Last Exit date STAMP is also required. All pages of VISA (Colour Copy). It is issued to any individual who reside more than 6 months in Slovakia.
Procedure of Getting Police Clearance Certificate
In order to obtain a police clearance certificate from Slovakia, applicant should write an application letter explaining why police clearance certificate is being requested. Documentary prove of legal stay in Slovakia is also required for this process. If you assign our Organization to apply on your behalf, you must submit a valid power of attorney with your signature included on the application form. You have to fill the prescribed application form in all sections completed in BLOCK CAPITALS with black ink provided by our organisation. Obtained a complete set of 10 fingerprint impressions* taken by a qualified fingerprint officer at our lab. The original of the fingerprints must be posted with your completed application form. The current processing time is 2 to 3 months for PCC. The certificates will be posted to the forwarding address as indicated by the applicants in the application.
Documents required for Police Clearance Certificate
- Fully Completed Prescribed Application Form signed by the applicant.
- Attested photocopies of your passports (All Pages) either by our Organization or Notary Public of the Current Passport and passport which you used while you were in Slovakia.
- 2 passport size photos (3×3, 5 cm, from one and the same negative).
- Certified copy of your work Permit/Appointment Letter/Dependent Pass etc.
- Fingerprint impressions of both hands is duly attested by our organization on a prescribed fingerprint form.
- A detailed self-explanatory letter stating the period of stay in Slovakia and need for the said certificate.
- Description form (Personal Particular) attested by our organisation.
- Copy of Slovakia Identity Card. (if any)
Processing Time
We will give the original certificate within 2 to 3 months under normal mode of processing. (The processing time will increases if a person was ever charged by the police)
Processing Fee
Applicable Fee.
Police Certificate Issuing Authority
Register of Convictions,
Police Clearance Certificate Check-list
Before leaving our office please ensure that documents in order-
Head Office
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subset: commoncrawl


text: The motivation behind this talk comes from considering epidemiological follow-up data for the purpose of studying the role of various risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Commonly in such studies the statistical analysis is based on a hazard regression model where the covariates (e.g. blood pressure, cholesterol level, or body mass index) are measured only at the baseline. In addition to considering such more traditional risk factors, it is becoming increasingly common to try and assess also the role of some genetic factors contributing to the aetiology of such diseases, and then usually restricting the analysis to certain candidate loci that are potentially causative on the basis of the available information about their function. In principle, the corresponding causal mechanisms can involve pathways that are direct in the sense that they influence, in the postulated model structure, directly the outcome variable, or indirect in that their effect on the outcome is mediated via the levels of the measured risk factors.


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Did you know that there is a park with a living unicorn? What?! You don't believe me?! You say unicorns don't live in our world but just in fairytales… Okay, you're right. I cheated a bit and played with the words, but the opening sentence of the article is actually true, in a way. A sculpture in the shape of a unicorn all made from plants, which makes this sculpture alive in a way, can be seen in at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens among all sort of mystical and fantastic creatures made in the same way.
Mosaiculture is the name of this particular art form applied in creating these amazing works of living art. Most of them begin with a steel frame of some sort, which is covered with steel mesh. This mesh is then covered with sphagnum moss and soil, which is seeded with all sorts of plants. A network of irrigation channels is placed beneath the mesh and it allows plants to grow and stay fresh by supplying them with fresh water.
Check out in the gallery amazing living artworks that were made for the exhibition. Some of them are permanent installations in the garden like fantastic and fascinating Earth Goddess (scroll to the very end of the gallery). More info: atlantabotanicalgarden.org


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"We only opened with about 10 other stores," Michael Ashworth said. "It has been going very well, and we're very fortunate to be in The Avenue community."
While The Avenue Forsyth's opening festivities are more than a week away, a quiet ribbon-
cutting is slated for Wednesday, when more than 40 companies will open.
Stores range from clothing and accessory shops to restaurants and a bank. More than 50 leases have been signed at the 500,000-square-foot retail development, created by Cousins Properties, on 108 acres at Ga. 400 and Peachtree Parkway.
While many tenants at the outdoor mall are nationally recognized companies, including Victoria's Secret, New York & Co. and Circuit City, there are also some locally owned businesses, such as Chocolaterie.
"I think we really complement the presence of those big chains," Ashworth said. "We appreciate the traffic that they attract and we tried to build a store that's consistent with the expectations of those kinds of customers. According to what our customers are telling us, we seem to be right on track."
Lisa Plumkett, manager at the center's Barnes & Noble, said employees are still stocking shelves, creating display tables and fine tuning the store in anticipation of its Wednesday opening.
The store features a Starbucks Coffee café and is stocked with nearly 200,000 books, compact discs, DVDs and magazine titles.
The store is holding a public preview party and ribbon cutting ceremony from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. A portion of the night's sales will benefit Forsyth County Schools.
Plunkett said the store will continue to work closely with the school system on "anything we can do to promote the school system and literacy in schools."
"We've been well received in Cumming, from our interview process all the way to being a week away from opening," she said. "(Forsyth) is a great community with a lot of schools, and it just looks like it's going to be a great community for us to partner with."
Avenue Forsyth's grand opening celebration, set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17, will feature children's activities, Radio Disney and giveaways.
Many of The Avenue's tenants will open with a bang, offering free products, discounts and giveaways of their own.
The first 100 customers at Chick-fil-A received a one-year supply of combo meals. The First 100 Fans promotion began in 2003 and became such a popular event that it has continued with all new openings throughout the nation.
Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy said more than $7 million in free food has been given across the country to "raving fans who've braved snow, wind, rain and triple-digit temperatures to help us celebrate the opening of each new Chick-fil-A.
"It's been attracting a wonderful group of customers, and people are really happy that the whole center is opening, and they seem to be happy we're here."
AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 movie theater will give out one free small popcorn with every ticket purchased on opening weekend, beginning May 16.
The first all-digital theater in the area, AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 will produce images with more than four times the resolution of high definition television. All auditoriums have stadium seating, and the theater offers online advanced sales.
Rack Room Shoes opened its doors last week. As part of a special promotion, customers can register through June 8 to win a two-minute shopping spree.
Origins will offer a $200 shopping spree in a drawing that runs through June 7. Dreamy Gelato also is having a drawing for one free small gelato or two free truffles every week for one year.
Natural Body Spa & Shop is offering a special Mother's Day drawing, which includes a two-hour massage and facial package. Registration is Friday through Sunday.
Sweet & Sassy is giving away a runway party to winners of its contest, while Jos. A. Bank is awarding a $1,000 wardrobe.
The giveaways and prizes won't last nearly as long as the jobs and economic impact.
Brett Berto, chairman of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, said the Avenue is "going to really add a whole new level of shopping for the community."
"Plus, it goes a long way to balancing out the tax digest ... and it does bring a significant number of (well-paying) jobs," he said, adding high school students will also be able to work close to home.
"Because of the way Cousins designs their property, you're going to be able to shop, eat and play in a community-type setting."


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Dave Cummings
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A heart at peace
A heart at peace About a year ago I had a miserable illness that the doctors struggled to explain. For two months I was laid up with severe body aches, nausea, and vertigo. But every test – and I mean … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections Tagged anxiety, be still, brain, busy, busyness, christian, christian faith, crazy busy, devotional, faith, gad, general anxiety disorder, God, heart, jesus, lifestyle, mental health, mind, mindfulness, peace, physical health, proverbs, proverbs 14:30, psychiatry, rest, sabbath, sierra nevada, stress, vocation 2 Comments


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Merchants Welcome Athletics Windfall
Related Story
COLUMBIA - According to a recent study, the University of Missouri Athletic Department generated more than $147 million for the city of Columbia in the fiscal 2010-2011 year. And the study predicts that number will go up to more than $184 million for the fiscal year 2012-2013 as the school joins the SEC.
When the city welcomed its first SEC football game with Georgia, Johanna Cox, the general manager of Kaldi's Coffee, said she felt the big impact from people who came to the city for the game.
"No matter which team you cheer for, you still want your coffee," said Cox. "You want in the morning. It's gonna be chilly tonight. People are gonna be coming in to get their latte before they go down to the game."
Cox said she has seen people came to Missouri three days ahead of the game. Those people generate revenue for the city by visiting restaurants, coffee shops, stores, etc.
On streets, people who wore black and gold as well as red and black were everywhere. They sat outside Starbucks, talking with each other, bought food and drinks for tailgating, and walked around downtown, enjoying their afternoon time.
Tailgating before football games has become a tradition in Columbia. Groups of people gathered, eating, drinking, chatting and playing games.
Cars always park along Stadium Boulevard hours before games start. More than 60 thousand fans also lined up for hours just to get into the stadium.
Kristi Ray, executive vice president of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, said football definitely plays a very important role in the city's economy, especially after the team joined the SEC.
"As far as tickets sold, as far as hotel rooms, there's a much greater presence even of more Mizzou fans," Ray said.
Ray said it's not just football. Men's basketball, women's basketball, other sports, and non-program specific events also generate incomes for the city.
To look at the whole study and report, click below:


text: News Volleyball 16/07/2015 "Whole team performance is needed for Belgium to succeed," says Gert Vande Broek Italian team enjoy the win Catania, Italy, July 16, 2015 - While Italy celebrate a 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-14) victory, Belgium have less reasons to be satisfied and the coach Gert Vande Broek admits that it is necessary to have whole team playing the top level to win against a team like Italy.Marco Bonitta, coach of Italy: We are really happy about the result, it was not an easy match for us, but we know we have to work hard to face another game tomorrow."Valentina Arrighetti, captain of Italy Captain: "It was a great win, not easy especially because we were quite tired after many long travels. The atmosphere that Sicilian people have created was great and helped us to have the win."Gert Vande Broek, Belgium Head Coach: "We played very well during two sets, especially the second one, but Italy is a great team, really hard to defeat. Just two or three players played in a powerful way, but we need all the team playing good level to achieve the results."Charlotte Leys, Belgium captain: "During third set our strategy game didn't work and we struggled to find our rhythm against the great level from Italy". Print this Page News {{item.LocalShortDate}} {{item.Title}} All the News


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Cellectis Plant Sciences Licenses Plant Transformation Technology for Corn and Rice
Nov 04, 2010, 03:00 ET
SAINT PAUL, Minn., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellectis plant sciences, the plant genome engineering specialist and subsidiary of Cellectis (Alternext: ALCLS), announced today that it has signed a technology licensing agreement with Japan Tobacco Inc., a global supplier of tobacco, pharmaceuticals and food products, for access to its Agrobacterium transformation technology known as PureIntro®. The agreement provides Cellectis plant sciences with the ability to utilize Japan Tobacco's technology for the precise modification of the corn and rice genomes.
Cellectis is a leader in meganuclease-based genome engineering. Its technology has many applications in plants, allowing for the insertion, deletion or modification of gene sequences to create plants expressing new traits with added value (for example: drought resistance, enhanced nutritional qualities, disease resistance). A subsidiary, Cellectis plant sciences, was established earlier this year in Saint Paul (Minnesota, USA), to enable the technology's full potential in plants.
The Agrobacterium transformation technology from Japan Tobacco allows efficient delivery of DNA to plant cells. This approach, which is already widely used in plants, will allow Cellectis plant sciences to modify the corn and rice genomes using custom meganucleases.
"At Cellectis plant sciences, we are focused on meeting the challenges of the growing global demand for food by improving staple crops such as rice and corn," said Daniel Voytas, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Cellectis plant sciences. "The PureIntro® technology is a proven method that will advance this important research."
About Cellectis plant sciences
Established in March 2010, Cellectis plant sciences is a subsidiary of Cellectis dedicated to the applications of meganucleases to plants. Its main mission is to increase and accelerate usage of Cellectis' proprietary technology in agricultural biology, broaden the company's platform to attract new and expanded licensing opportunities and explore the development of proprietary traits for selected applications. Cellectis plant sciences is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. Daniel Voytas, PhD, is serving as Chief Scientific Officer of Cellectis plant sciences. Dr Voytas is also Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Genome Engineering.
About Cellectis
Cellectis is a pioneer in the field of genome engineering. The company designs and markets innovative tools -meganucleases. These molecular scissors enable targeted modifications to DNA, with applications in the research, biomanufacturing, agrobiotechnology and therapeutic sectors. To date, Cellectis has formed over 20 academic research partnerships and has established more than 50 agreements with pharmaceutical laboratories, seed producers and biotech companies across the world. The company holds exclusive rights to a portfolio of over 260 patents granted or pending.
Since 2007, Cellectis has been listed on the NYSE-Euronext Alternext market (code: ALCLS) in Paris and has secured over euro 70 million in funding since inception.
More information at www.cellectis.com
Follow Cellectis on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cellectis
This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe, for shares in Cellectis in any country. This press release contains forward-looking statements that relate to the Company's objectives. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and assumptions of the Company's management only and involve risk and uncertainties. Potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, whether the Company will be successful in implementing its strategies, whether there will be continued growth in the relevant market and demand for the Company's products, new products or technological developments introduced by competitors, and risks associated with managing growth. Unfavorable developments in connection with these and other risks and uncertainties described, in particular, in the Company's prospectus prepared in connection with its IPO and on which the French Autorite des marches financiers ("AMF") granted its visa no. 07-023 on January 22, 2007, could cause the Company to fail to achieve the objectives expressed by the forward-looking statements above.
SOURCE Cellectis


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Testing the water – Social Media and the Pharma industry
March 14, 2008 3 Comments
While I am waiting for my flight back to Amsterdam, I might as well share the experience I had today in Berlin. I was invited by a pharmaceutical company to help them understand Social Media. I gave a presentation to the European Marketing Managers explaining what Social Media is and how to use it. As one of the participants mentioned to me at the end of my presentation: "Of all the industries, I feel that banks and pharmaceutical companies are the most cautious businesses in getting involved in this new phenomenon". And he is right. Big Pharma, heavily regulated as it is, is indeed very, very careful. On one hand understandable, as their hands are tight when it comes to open and direct communication about their (prescription) products. They are simply not allowed to do so. But on the other hand, just realize what great opportunities lay ahead of them. Let's face it, what is more precious to people and their love ones? Exactly, their health!
I shared best and worst practice examples of New Media and social computing of both FMCG as well as pharma. Some of the big pharma boys are testing the water, some even quite successfully. From blogs and podcasts to viral marketing. And similar to the responses of the community to the famous Dove evolution commercial, we see exactley the same response to some pharma products, in this case in the USA (click for pharma commercial and parody).
Therefore, my message is: get involved, test the water, learn to understand the power of new media and experiment. Reach out and try to locate your community and listen to what they have to say.what they tell you. And if you dare, talk with them. Yes it is scary, and yes there are risks involved, but the benefits can be tremendous, if applied in the right way. And no matter what, they will talk about you anyway, so you'd better be involved.
It was a great afternoon, with a very enthusiastic audience that was open and willing to investigate the opportunities of social networking further.
And, of course, another Amazing Moment, together with the Berlin Bear


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Male Mastiff, 6 years old
- Suitable with Children – No Children
- Suitable with Other Dogs – Any Other Dogs
- Suitable with Cats – No Cats
- Suitable with Other Animals – Not suitable
6 year old Indy needs a new home. His dad is ill, and fears he will not be able to give Indy the life he deserves.
This is what Indy's dad says about him:
He isn't keen on cats or pigeons. He likes the countryside and when he's out he enjoys sniffing round for pheasants.
He's always had a raw food diet so he's really healthy.
He loves a swim.
He gets excited around new people but never aggressive. We live rurally, so we don't have many people passing the house. He barks when someone walks past the garden.
He doesn't like the postwoman when she puts the letters through.
He likes decent walks, and sitting looking out the window. He adores women far more than men.
He's really soft, he's a decent size and quite powerful but he's had 2 bites from small dogs and just wagged it off. He is very playful with other dogs no matter what the size.
Indy has had no experience with children, so will be looking for an adults only home.


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just looking through some of the 100s of photographs I took in New York last week - these are from the Brooklyn neighbourhood we stayed in and focus on some of the religious spaces on the corners.
Thursday, 31 March 2016
Tuesday, 29 March 2016
A throw of the dice will never abolish chance -
Well - back from 10 days in New York - so much art - where to start - the big shows at the main spaces - Fischli and Weiss at The Guggenheim, Marcel Broodthaers at MOMA, Taryn Simon at the Gagosian, Laura Poitras at The Whitney, The Design Triennial on Beauty at Cooper Hewitt and In Time - rhythm of the workshop at MAD were good but real art highlights were found at more obscure gallery spaces down in the Bowery, often in between Chinese restaurants or above lumber yards, finding them and then entering is an experience in itself. An example was Marina Zurkow at bitforms gallery who showed MORE&MORE - exploring our deconstruction and disregard of the oceans with work using firewalls and code. Other excellent spaces off the beaten track were in industrial estates in Long Island include Fisher Landau Centre for Art, the museum of the moving image, The Centre for sculpture and the Noguchi museum which had a great show by Tom Sachs all spaces seemingly trying hard not to be found.
Total Top highlights were Berlinde De Bruyckere at Hauser & Wirth, I last saw her work in the Belgium Pavillion in Venice and was blown away there but the new pieces in No Life Lost were just stunning. Anri Sala at the New Museum had the mesmerising Ravel Ravel Unravel which again I had seen at a biennale but here it was shown alongside pieces with haunting self playing drums and the video piece Air cushion ride which is a moment of serendipity captured in a truck stop. Agitprop! At the Brooklyn Museum had Desert Bloom which included a stunning set of documents by Fazal Sheikh, then theres some old favourites - it's always important to experience the power of Alfredo Jarr's Lament of the images and The Beginning of the Universe "Grosse Fatigue" by Camille Henrot is becoming a go-to piece at MOMA. The Masonic signs and symbols at The American Museum of Folk was disturbing in a ghoulish way. Walid Raad's musing on the new art museums being built in the Middle East at Paula Cooper was hauntingly beautiful. Jane Lombard was showing a fantastically intriguing body of work by James Clar, False Awakenings had some very clever work exploring the world from a place just off-kilter.
Often walking through Brooklyn's fantastically diverse communities on my way to Manhattan I used the East River ferries to get uptown - who knew travelling could be so cool - a real recommendation. Evenings were all about food - staying in Williamsbergh means everything is possible - but I also got to see De Materie, an evening of juxtaposed Dutch history at the Armory on Park Avenue an extraordinary opera by Louis Andriessen for which the term 'avant garde' was created - shipbuilding instructions, Madam Curie, Zeppelins, luminated tents, Mondrian, Boogie Woogie and a 100 sheep - whats not to like. Repercussion a world premier by Boomerang an abstractfreejazzdancedrumming evening at Dixon Place was mesmerising. Finally - I took a trip to the pencil shop featured on an episode of Freakonomics which was a real buzz and came away with some beautiful American vintage pencils!
Labels: gallery recommendations, NY, opera
Thursday, 10 March 2016
lots of teaching this week from briefings about the final show with year 3 textile students at NUA (yes its already that time of year) to a wonderfully intense midterm collaborative session looking at finished work at Camberwell on the Book Art course. As ever it was full of exciting, thoughtful and insightful comments - it's a session where the maker takes notes but does not speak, the work standing on its own without contextual background to support it - a positive experience for the students and one that supports and informs my own practice. Then a session on lateral thinking with year 1 students at NUA it's an attempt to induce a recognition within students that they are creative powerful people.......creative thinking within the visual - we control the world - or at least how it looks.
some films - kill or be killed - a psychological cowbody thriller - odd, dark and gritty. midnight man - is there a twist there somewhere? just bad on so many levels. The Reunion - Atertraffen is worth a watch - an 'art film' in the guise of a 'mainstream' one maybe. After all this okayishness decided to re-watched the game - still good even after repeated viewing and even knowing where it will take you - a taught thriller twisting and turning till the end (almost).
still moving through girls - it gets darker as it moves on - just as everything seems to be resolved and working and generally okay for the case of characters the situation is destroyed by the need for a well chosen chunk of 'truth'! - a break from the 'reality' of New York life is the night manager a 6 part twisting thriller from John le Carré via the BBC with all its values intact.
finally - working on which pieces will be on display as part of the Maxwell Building Inaugural Event, which will take place on the 7-9 of April. I'm showing the film nanocapesarego which demonstrates some of the capes and the materials filmed that were used to make the them. Hopefully alongside this I'll show a couple of the experimental bookwork hand sculptures - I have so many to choose from, as ever I got excited and just kept making.
Labels: film recommendations, Maxwell Building, nano, NanoDTC, teaching
Sunday, 6 March 2016
a day of building projects and making connections - then onto 2 sessions of Shakespeare with Forced Entertainment - I managed to see 8 plays with everyday objects standing in for the characters, all on a table top - storytelling of the first degree - it really was brilliant. If you ever get the opportunity to see Forced Entertainment grab it and if they are doing table-top Shakespeare start lining up.....Although badly hung Electronic Superhighway at the Whitechapel has some gems - Allan Kaprow's Hello was very funny and of the moment (in both 1969 and 2016!) another odd historical piece was the very creepy surveillance shoe by Jill Magi. Of the new work on show JODI's Geogoo and Jan Robert Leegte's Scrollbar Composition were highlights. The Wellcome Trust has States of Mind -Tracing the Edges of Consciousness a mixed show of work created by artists and historical documents from their collection. it's worth it to see Mary Kelly's Post-Partum Document.
Labels: art, Forced Entertainment, theatre recomendations
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July 23, 2015: What is happening?
We're a bit confused. On September 13, 2014 we posted a photo of the first leaf on our property to turn color from green to red. It was on a red maple tree. Today, amidst 90+ degree heat, our attention was grabbed by that same tree suddenly showing a dozen bright red leaves, two of which had already fallen to the ground.
And Joie wasted no time breaking in the Toro with a walk around the labyrinth! If you look closely, you might note that the fashionista is sporting a flannel shirt and work boots!
Meanwhile, the reason we haven't posted any work progress pics is that, although we've been toiling on several related outdoor projects from dawn to dusk every day, not one of them is ready for an "after" photo. But we're getting very close now, so please stay tuned.
The day-to-day dramas, traumas and giggles of a mom & daughter team determined to renovate an old house in the country...without any previous experience.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
|Crooked, uneven concrete slabs & a chain-link fence with no purpose
Here are a few more before pics.
|A moldy indoor-outdoor carpet complemented the ancient a/c compressor
|The top layer of wood below the carpet
Jo's colleague Adeline donated her time, strength and wonderful exuberance to help remove the rotten wood. To make the job more difficult, the top boards were securely nailed and screwed into long 4x4's planted in the dirt, plus there were 2x4's and mystery panels screwed into the house, the patio roof and above the a/c unit, all of which had to be lugged to the growing wood pile several hundred feet away. (See previous blog post "Got Wood?")
Once the patio deck was cleared of rug, wood, miscellaneous chunks of concrete and rodent nests, it was aerated and covered with fine but porous screening and framed with stone edgers. The strange fence and obstacle gate were removed, the uneven slabs were reset and cleaned, and weeds were removed to show off some of the beautiful rock formation on the hillside.
The finishing touch was hiding the a/c unit with decorative lattice panels.
BTW, the dimness of the photos is due to the gorgeous, but sun-blocking maple tree canopy. Still to come is the planting of a lot of shade-loving ground cover for the newly cleared section at the foot of the rock mound...and maybe a waterfall...
If you look closely, you'll see Marilyn & Adeline at the top of the stairs waving TTFN despite the effort it took to raise their exhausted arms...
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Bay Area's new crop of gardeners digging in
TRENDS Recession, food concerns produce a bumper crop of new gardeners
Sometimes at night, Cameron Crotty goes outside with his flashlight and hunts for earwigs. Maybe they are the saboteurs in his vegetable garden. Or maybe not.
"I had no idea how many bugs there were in my backyard," said the 40-year-old, who lives in Bernal Heights. "A lot of the leaves on my plants have holes in them. It's like this horror movie."
Still, he insists the struggle is worth it, and he's far from alone in his quest. Crotty is part of a trend sweeping the country: More and more people are growing their own food.
Bruce Butterfield, research director with the National Gardening Association in Vermont, says he hasn't seen anything like it since the 1970s, when a recession and oil embargo prompted many people to take up vegetable gardening. The current economic crisis is having a similar effect.
"It's been a super-wake-up call," Butterfield said. "And California is leading it because of the value placed on fresh produce in the state."
W. Atlee Burpee, the world's largest seed company, is enjoying its biggest sales spike in 30 years, said its president, Chris Romas.
"We are confident there will be a longevity to this," Romas said from his Pennsylvania office.
Blair Randall, director of the Garden for the Environment, a San Francisco nonprofit, said, "The taste of something coming from your own garden is noticeably different. And there's the sublime process of taking it from seed to fruit."
The National Gardening Association released a study in March indicating that 37 percent of U.S. households will grow vegetables, fruit, herbs or berries this year - a 19 percent increase from 2008. And 21 percent of food gardeners are first-timers.
Motivated by recession
Thirty-four percent of those surveyed said they were motivated by the recession. It's no wonder: An average investment of $70 can yield 300 pounds of fresh produce worth $600, according to the study.
People also cited better flavor, higher quality and safer produce as reasons to garden. In the Bay Area, the fervor has been fed by the sustainable-food movement, the books of Michael Pollan and last year's Victory Garden near San Francisco City Hall, said Hilary Gordon, who teaches classes at Garden for the Environment.
"Now everybody is talking about food production," said Gordon, as she roamed through the organization's demonstration garden in the Inner Sunset. "People are saying, 'I can grow my own lemon. I don't need a lemon from Israel.' "
Ellice Richmond, a buyer at East Bay Nursery in Berkeley, where sales of vegetable seeds have jumped 23 percent from last year, said, "I've never seen it be this crazy. But it's therapeutic for people to get out in the garden and touch the earth."
That's part of the appeal for Elizabeth Singh, 33, of San Anselmo, who is growing vegetables in her front and back yards and on her deck.
"It's my form of meditation," Singh said. "I hate to do things like exercise."
A leaf-lettuce mix in a container on her deck looked impossibly perky.
"We just snip away at it when we need to," Singh said.
Her expansive vegetable garden includes Swiss chard, beets, strawberries, artichokes, carrots, red peppers, watermelon and zucchini.
She pointed to a 'Japanese Black Trifele' tomato plant, acquired at a special sale at the Marin Art & Garden Center in mid-April that opened at 9 in the morning. Out of 2,500 plants, only about 20 were left when she arrived at 10:30 a.m.
Family affair
Singh's 6-year-old son, Arjun, likes to watch the gardening process, while his sister, Soraya, 3, helps with the watering. On a recent afternoon, both children seem particularly entranced by ladybug larvae on a soaker hose.
"When I was a kid, I didn't have interest in it, but it definitely rubbed off on me," said Singh, whose parents were hard-core gardeners in New England. "Now I want to have a simpler and more self-sufficient life, and to teach my kids where food comes from. I hope it rubs off on them."
Singh says she is glad she has space, but it's not necessary. Nursery buyer Richmond said container gardens have definitely caught on. Community gardens are also popular. About 1 million U.S. households are involved with them, according to the National Gardening Association study.
Two years ago, Mary McClure started a community garden on a forlorn lot next to her home in San Francisco's Bayview district, the city's historic food shed.
"My husband and I got tired of looking at weeds," said McClure, 56, as she unlocked the gate to Bridgeview Garden, where bumblebees were buzzing and fava beans were poking through the fence.
Now the hillside garden is terraced and an orange-and-yellow mural, studded with white phoenixes, covers the concrete wall below. A crop of vegetables had just been harvested, and nine fruit trees were coming alive.
The food helps feed Bridgeview Drive's elderly residents, said McClure, retail manager of a furniture company. She added that the produce garden first lady Michelle Obama is starting at the White House has been a big hit in the Bayview.
"It's gratifying," McClure said. "And it's a validation of what we've been doing here."
Maddening, magical
For McClure, who grew up on a farm in Kansas, growing vegetables is easy. For Crotty, it has been a mysterious and maddening process - but also a magical one. His tomatoes, peas and radishes are flourishing, and a subtropical kaffir lime tree is inexplicably thriving, but lettuces and cucumbers are "problem children," he said.
"It's really challenging, and I didn't expect it to be," said Crotty, a writer and editor in high-tech marketing. "I've gone on the Internet to figure out what's eating my plants. I must have looked at every pest in the world."
Randall, 32, whose organization ran the Victory Garden in Civic Center Plaza, said, "I don't think you're learning unless you're making mistakes."
During World War II, when the nation was called upon to grow victory gardens, people knew how, Randall said. He noted that 40 percent of the produce consumed in the United States in 1943 was grown at home.
"The connection is still there," Randall said. "But the knowledge isn't."
Gordon said aspiring gardeners should start with culinary herbs and then fruit trees before graduating to vegetables. And they should educate themselves through books and classes tailored to where they live.
"People spend a lot of money and get discouraged trying to grow vegetables not appropriate for the site," she said. "And you have to water and feed your vegetables much differently than trees or ornamental plants. It's like having a pet - though it's more like having a cat than having a dog."
Top 10 vegetables
A survey of 2,559 U.S. households conducted in January by Harris Interactive for the National Gardening Association found the most popular vegeta-bles among home gardeners, when asked which vegetables they planned to grow this year:
1. Tomatoes (86%)
2. Cucumbers (47%)
3. Sweet peppers (46%)
4. Beans (39%)
5. Carrots (34%)
6. Summer squash (32%)
7. Onions (32%)
8. Hot peppers (31%)
9. Lettuce (28%)
10. Peas (24%)
Ready, set, grow
Books: Highly recommended by gardeners is "Golden Gate Gardening: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Food Gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area & Coastal California," by Chronicle columnist Pam Peirce.
Classes and events: Garden for the Environment (gardenfor theenvironment.org) in San Francisco at Seventh Avenue and Lawton Street. (415) 731-5627.
Inspiration: Chronicle staffer Jane Tunks, a novice gardener, is using The Chronicle's rooftop garden as her classroom. To read her stories, go to sfgate.com/ZHDV.
Web sites: National Gardening Association (garden.org) and Burpee seed company at (burpee.com).
Victory Garden: There's a new one in the Bay Area. It debuted in April and is located on the UC Berkeley campus, close to Memorial Glade.
Nursery: Among the biggest in the region is the East Bay Nursery, 2332 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, (510) 845-6490. eastbaynursery.com.


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Unrestricted Capitalism or Regulated Enterprise?
A paper on 'Wall Street' and 'Boiler Room'
Profit, profit and more profit - the golden pillars of capitalism. In the movies 'Wall Street' and 'Boiler Room' this is the ideology that the characters uphold. While, there are many variances in the two movies, the basic aim of both lead characters i.e. Gordan Gekko (Wall Street) and Seth Davis (Boiler Room) is to make money. Both men are stockbrokers who deal in high finance in the exclusive world of Wall Street. However, with both movies are set in different decades the way they go about doing so differs.
'Wall Street' is set in the 'roaring eighties' - a decade that has become synonymous with greed, the so-called era of plenty. With an economy just recovering from recession, as well as oil crises (which incidentally led to higher gas prices, that in turn led to the introduction of a nationwide speed limit in America). The eighties was the time that Regan took office and instituted his economic policies that were to pull America out of the recession and resuscitate its economy. His approach, known as 'Reganomics' - did indeed allow for more wealth and money to be accumulated, but by the already affluent. Therefore, his policies would help a man like Gekko to amass great quantities of wealth and riches - as he indeed does in the movie.
'Boiler Room' on the other hand, is in set in the more familiar nineties. Overall, this decade was one of prosperity, hard work and a significant rise in the standards of living for people all over the USA. The attitude of the decade seemed to be work hard, play hard - and all the rest will follow. Wealth was seen as something that was easily accessible to all those who wanted it - it was simply a matter of getting it. There is easy money to be made in start-ups and dot coms. Young people can be millionaires before they even hit their twenties. People like Sabeer Bhatia of 'Hotmail' fame have set the standards.
Both movies however, are undeniably focused on capitalism and the making, controlling and of course spending of money. As we see in both movies, it is made by sometimes unlawful means, and controlled by these same unethical people. The occurrence of these immense amounts of wealth is advertised by the spending of the main characters in the films. Expensive restaurants, expensive hotels, expensive homes, expensive paintings, state of the art technology (think Gordan Gekko's 'cool' cellular phone - which at that time was perhaps the height of technology!), expensive suits and so on - are symbols of this wealth.
In the movie 'Wall Street', we also see a little bit of control exercised over the blatant capitalism. This is in the form of trade unions for Blue Star airlines. Gekko cannot do anything with the company, unless he gets the unions to agree to his plans and slime out of giving them a written agreement (as he tries to do). Charlie Sheen, who learns of Gekko's intent to double-cross him and liquidate the company, thwarts his plans.
In 'Boiler Room', we see a similar situation. Davis realizes just how far he has gone when the FBI get involved and encourage him to dig deeper into the not so legal world of J.T Marlen. He realizes that what he is essentially doing is smooth talking common, innocent people into putting their life savings into his hands, so that he can lose it for them. Just before the FBI bust the company, Davis convinces one of his superiors to sign the sell ticket that will allow his client to regain his lost money. Thus, in both movies we see a small bit of humanity creep into the hard care capitalist's characters.
In conclusion, some might say that ultimate capitalism will destroy itself. This is in fact what Karl Marx advocated - the destruction of capitalism, leading to a rise of the workers and a classless society. While this may not necessarily be true, these movies seem to prove to us that the restrictions on capitalism that do exist are for a good cause and in fact our own benefit. A completely free economy is not in the best interest of the people, some regulations serve a good purpose in keeping the economy in hand.
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Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
From the Kitchen of Mari Lappin, Carmel, IN
"When I serve this irresistible dish, I never have to talk my family into eating their veggies."
How to Make It
Cook haricots verts in boiling salted water to cover 1 minute; drain. Plunge green beans into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain well, pressing between paper towels. Stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, and dried crushed red pepper. Sauté bell pepper, onion, and green beans in hot peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until beans look blistered. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Remove from heat; add soy sauce mixture to green bean mixture, and stir to coat.


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In a first for us (and them), we have a four guitar session as Dancing Heals play two tunes from their deft indie-pop debut.
Melbourne's indie-pop outfit Dancing Heals have just released their debut album Into The Night, featuring ten melodic and nimble tunes.
With all four members brandishing acoustic guitars, they provide us with two sweet tunes 'Live & Learn' and 'Until The Next Time'.


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Top 6 Comments on Mashable This Week
We're back again for a weekly roundup of the top Mashable comments of the week.
In this post, we showcase the week's best comments on our site. We always look for thoughtful comments that engage the community and drive more conversation as well as those that make us laugh. This week's comments were well-supported, drove great conversation, and had many opinions.
Take a look at this week's top comments on Mashable:
Top Mashable Comments: Dec. 18 - Dec. 24
If you haven't commented on a Mashable article before, check out Mashable Follow, our content curation and social tool, as well as our comment guidelines to learn more. We'd love for you to join the conversation.
Be sure to comment and see if you make next week's top comments roundup!


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Cinque Terre as Evening Falls
Restaurant Recommendation for this spot
I recommend getting an outside table at Nessun Dorma here in Manirola. This is basically the view from the restaurant! Well, it's a little bit higher, but more or less… go there and order a bunch of food a spritzer drinks and enjoy several hours of one of the most beautiful views in the world.
Daily Photo – Cinque Terre as Evening Falls
It's hard to say where my favorite stop was during our 55-day photo tour in Europe. This area of Italy is easily in the top 10, though. I've always wanted to visit this place, so we decided to make it happen! There are 5 small towns here embedded into the coastline of Italy. You can hike between all 5 or take a little train that connects all of them. We decided to take the train to cover as much ground as possible. I have a lot more photos to share from the area, but wanted to get the Cinque Terre party started early with this one!


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Welcome to June. The sun is shining today. It is hard to believe May is gone. Here is our Fave for week 4. #12 Claire R.
Congrats Claire & don't forget to get your fave badge here. Here is Claire's awesome page.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
May Week 4 Fave
Posted by Cherished at 2:00 PM
Labels: Faves of 2014
8 comments :
Congrats!! Beautiful LO!ReplyDelete
Congrats Claire R. A magnificent LO :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 1, 2014 at 2:31 PM
Congrats Claire R. Well deserved.ReplyDelete
Congrats Claire! Fabulous page!ReplyDelete
This is such a GREAT page - catch my EYE!!! Congrats Claire R.ReplyDelete
Congrats...such a pretty layout...you deserve it!ReplyDelete
Thanks Everyone! This was the layout that almost got away. This was also a great bday present too, totally made my day, so thank you :)ReplyDelete
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Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who picked up the book so far. I got so excited every time a notification popped up on my phone! If you haven't picked it up yet, it will be available at the discounted rate through Sunday!
Since I'm still decompressing after a week glued to my computer, I thought I'd answer a quick question from Jenna who wanted to know what my must-read blogs were. Here ya go!
KATE NORTHRUP: Kate writes about making money, saving money, and creating financial freedom through your business while taking care of internal money issues as well. Check out 3 simple steps to stop making it so freaking hard, 6 specific ways I make money and the beauty of multiple streams of income, 4 ways to make financial planning feel good
CUP OF JO: I've been reading her for years. Not exactly business or blogging ideas, but I'm always inspired by her authentic voice and the types of posts she comes up with. (Fun fact: We grew up in the same town and I went to high school with her brother) Check out Blogging as a career, Renting houses on vacation, Motherhood around the world
BETTY MEANS BUSINESS: Another Kate on my list handing out great advice for owning and growing your business. Check out How to explain what you do, 7 ways to add value, 5 ways to build trust with clients
ALEXANDRA FRANZEN: This is one of my favorite favorites. Every single post is inspiring, uplifting and makes me get a little deeper into my thought process. Check out An infinite list of reasons to be happy, Can you chat with a girlfriend? Then you're really good at sales, 100 questions to inspire rapid self discovery
MARIE FORLEO: Of course! I just love watching her videos. Not only does this lady know what she's talking about, but she always has really cool guests. And sometimes just her excitement gets me motivated no matter what she's talking about. Check out 5 steal-worthy branding strategies, 4 steps to set goals with soul, Burnt out vs. time for a change
THE RED LEMON CLUB: So much good info for all you freelancers and creatives. Plus, super cute illustrations! Check out 12 ways to amp up your creative career by doing less, How to be a time pro and create 20 extra hours every week, 12 lifestyle changes guaranteed to boost your creative productivity
THE MIDDLE FINGER PROJECT: Really great business and marketing advice from some ladies that are not afraid to get in your face and swear a lot. Check out What you say is more important than what you sell, Caution: do not pitch yourself like this ever, Success doesn't sit around on its ass, so what are you doing?
Ok, your turn – what are your top three must-read blogs?
photo: hownowdesign via photopin cc


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Chatbots and Webhooks
With Chatbots, other sites and services can post updates directly to Campfire. This could be handy for software teams, marketers, or anyone who wants to stay on top of things happening outside Basecamp.
We've included GitHub to start, but you can add your own chatbot if you've built one already. Learn more in our Chatbots API guide.
Basecamp can notify your application when something is changed through webhooks. A webhook consists of a payload URL to be called, which must be HTTPS, and a list of types that will trigger calls.
Use our Webhooks API or set one up right inside your project:


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About House of Tai Ping
Headquartered in Hong Kong, with 14 showrooms across Europe, Asia and North America, the House of Tai Ping covers every sphere of the residential and hospitality markets.
Each of our six distinctive brands – Tai Ping Carpets, Edward Fields, La Manufacture Cogolin, Vicara, 1956 by Tai Ping and Carpets Inter – create bespoke rugs and textile floor coverings designed and customized to the unique vision of our clientele.
We have won international renown with our innovation and expertise steeped in a rich history, a celebrated archive, unparalleled design and service to the world's most discerning clientele.
Our Values
House of Tai Ping extends our cultural legacy into the present, continuing an exceptional tradition of craft and dedication to innovation in every facet of carpet design and manufacturing. This spirit of excellence is evident in each of our products and every aspect of our customers' experience.
Our foundational values of craft, respect, preservation and collaboration are further expressed by our substantial investment in environmentally sustainable practices and in our commitment to positive workforce development at the heart of our corporate planning.
Our Services
Our expert design and sales teams closely oversee the entire process of creation, advising our clients at every step from conception to installation, in order to ensure an efficient, satisfying collaboration and the most successful end product.
Silver Sponsors
Blohm+Voss has built many of the most innovative, complex and iconic superyachts ever launched. Founded in Hamburg in 1877, the shipyard has an unrivaled history of top quality shipbuilding and their portfolio represents what is widely regarded as the very pinnacle of superyacht design, engineering and construction. Their obsession with quality has been passed down from father to son to grandson. They are proud ambassadors for the 'Made in Germany ' label and believe that only the exceptional is permissible. No exceptions.
The shipyard is focused on two distinct types of construction projects; semi and fully custom. The BV80 semi-custom superyacht offers all the benefits of a proven engineering platform along with a high degree of flexibility ensuring a completely personalised layout and interior coupled with a fast build time and competitive price. Fully custom projects offer a highly individual and fully bespoke option for clients who are unwilling to compromise on any aspect of the design.
Blohm+Voss Yachts: Beautifully Engineered.
This service and support is delivered via an ethos that is rooted in a determination to understand what our clients need, to shape and tailor the service and then allow our clients to go about their business unhindered and with confidence. MAST is a leading maritime security company with a strong international presence and the ability to provide round the clock security support in complex and dangerous environments.
MAST is without doubt one of the pioneers in the maritime security industry, having been at the heart of development of the legal and operational standards that now allow clients to engage security services in the marine sector with confidence. The business also has its foundations in supporting the super yacht sector and this continues to be a key part of the business today.
MAST has consistently demonstrated its professionalism in delivering a complex service for its clients time and time again.
The shareholders, directors and staff are a key part of the trusted culture of MAST where integrity is vital, particularly in such a sensitive area of business.
Whilst MAST's service is about the delivery of security this is always done in the context of respect for human rights and the environment in which we work.
MAST yacht security is a specialist division of Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST) Ltd a market leading security organisation that provides specialist global security services for the maritime community. MAST has offices in the United Kingdom, Oman, Sri Lanka, United States, and Singapore. MAST specialises in providing innovative solutions to a wide range of security issues and offers a range of services including armed protection teams for commercial ships and yachts and also a technical division that designs and installs security systems. The Company also has a strong track record in contingency response and hijack negotiation support, maritime safety and security training and crisis management.
World renowned shipbuilder Oceanco has once again confirmed its sponsorship of the Young Designer of the Year Award 2016 in conjunction with Boat International Media.
Oceanco specializes in building sophisticated custom yachts from 80 to 140 meters in length. Offering a highly personal service to clients, Oceanco applies innovative design and technology to create game-changing yachts that respect the vision of both the owner and the designer. Oceanco is positioned with state of the art yacht-building facilities in the Netherlands complemented by a design, sales and marketing office in Monaco. All of Oceanco's yachts built since 2007 have the distinction of appearing in "The World's Top 100 Yachts" list; the 82m ALFA NERO, the 85.5m SEVEN SEAS and 91.5m EQUANIMITY, to name only a few.
Several superyachts are currently under construction and concept design plans are moving forward for a number of large custom private yachts in the 80-120m range. Continuous research and development is wrapped around the constant search for new shapes, materials and technologies. Oceanco is conscious of the environmental impact of building, owning and operating a superyacht.
Winning this prestigious award is an important milestone in the career of student and trainee designers. Their fresh interpretation of the ultimate luxury in yachting and lifestyle onboard often offers an original look at standard requirements and new trends. At Oceanco, we follow new design talent with great interest and are pleased to be able to encourage and celebrate the vision of young designers.
The first of its kind worldwide, Centtrip is a Global Currency Account and multi-currency prepaid MasterCard® card giving customers access to buy currency direct from the live markets, spread and commission free, to send and spend worldwide. The account is managed online, via a smartphone app or over the phone.
Free of conventional charges and with fair and transparent fees up front, Centtrip was officially launched in 2015 by currency market pioneers Tony North and Brian Jamieson to continually embrace, challenge and lead positive change in the global currency market and financial technology space.
Specifically serving the needs of affluent individuals and companies with a commitment to international payments and travel expenditure, Centtrip provides a single view global currency account with authentic 0% live market rates. The rate Centtrip gets is the rate given to you.
Centtrip charge a maximum of 0.5% to load the account and an annual account fee of just £10 with one prepaid MasterCard card issued. Additional cards are available subject to a maximum £10 annual fee per card.
Secure payments are made worldwide in most international currencies via the SWIFT network. Payments above £2,000 are free of charge and for a fixed fee of £10 for lesser payments.
The MasterCard prepaid card holds 14 currencies simultaneously. With higher card balances and spend limits, it is free to use worldwide at over 35 million locations. A fixed fee of £1.60 is charged for international withdrawals at 2.1 million ATMs.
Fincantieri Yachts
Fincantieri Yachts focuses on engineering and producing high-tech premium luxury yachts with size above 70m. The recent deliveries of mega-yachts Serene (134m) and Ocean Victory (140m) and a portfolio of more than thirty exclusive projects place Fincantieri Yachts as a reference player of the top-of-the-range luxury yachts market.
Construction is carried out at the shipyard of Muggiano (La Spezia), a high tech shipyard specializing in the build of complex vessels, including mega yachts, naval surface vessels and submarines.
Fincantieri Yachts is part of Fincantieri Group, one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and innovation. It is world leader in cruise ship design and construction and a reference player in all high-tech shipbuilding industry's sectors, from naval to offshore vessels, from high complex special vessels and ferries to mega-yachts, ship repair and conversions, system and components production and after-sales services.
Headquartered in Trieste (Italy), Fincantieri has built more than 7,000 vessels in over 230 years of maritime history. With almost 21,000 employees, of whom approximately 7,700 in Italy, 21 shipyards in 4 continents, today Fincantieri is the western leading shipbuilder. It has all the major cruise operators among its clients, the Italian and the U.S. Navy, in addition to several foreign navies, and it is partner of some of the main European defense companies within supranational programmes.
Kymeta Panasonic
Kymeta and Panasonic has partnered to bring a flat panel, high speed satellite communication solution, to the super yacht industry. Kymeta's flat panel satellite antennas,enable designers and ship yards alike, to offer owners modern communication solutions without the unsightly domes. Allied to Panasonic's global high speed network, with connectivity for Internet and live TV, it represents the next generation of service and content delivery for owners, guests and crew. Prototypes are currently in test on vessels and commercial availability is expected in mid 2017.


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Committed to the Development
of Young Athletes Who Strive to
Compete at the Next Level
The mission of Skyline Juniors is to be one of the highest quality clubs in the nation that will go the extra mile to develop and showcase our athletes. We will constantly strive to enable both our players and our coaches to reach their full potential.
Skyline Organizational Values
- Strive to make decisions based on what is best for the athletes
- Train athletes to excel at higher levels of competition
- Integrate coaching strategies and techniques at each age level so players can take what they have learned and apply it throughout their volleyball careers
- Sustain a coaching philosophy throughout the club based on positive reinforcement, encouragement, and motivation
- Provide year-round training programs
- Number of teams will not exceed number of quality coaches available
- Advise and mentor our athletes in order to timely and effectively market them to college volleyball programs
Team Comparison & Dues:
We offer three levels of Club Programs: National Teams, Molten Teams, Elite Teams
View National Teams info | View Molten Teams info
Skyline Juniors Volleyball Association (SJVA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and training of junior athletes. We seek to compete on a national level, and to do so, we will go the extra mile to develop and showcase our athletes. We will constantly strive to enable both our players and our coaches to reach their full potential. We will select our coaches based on their coaching experience, temperament, dedication, and desire to train athletes to be the best they can be.
Club Coaching Philosophy
Skyline Juniors was established in 1999 and we are still determined to lead the USA in volleyball. Many of our staff members have collegiate coaching experience and over half of our coaches have collegiate playing experience. Each National and Molten team will have a head coach and an assistant coach plus each will share experienced roamer coaches. Local teams will have a head coach only.
Coaches are selected based on their playing experience, knowledge of the game, coaching capability, enthusiasm, and temperament, and have passed an extensive background screening. One main quality that we look for in our coaches is a belief in coaching by encouragement rather than intimidation. We believe the success of our club is only as good as the development of our coaches. All of our coaches are IMPACT certified, and many have CAP certifications. All coaches regularly participate in on-the-court training during clinics, camps, and other coaches' training events.
Expectations of Coaches
Each coach's main objective is to provide our athletes with as much quality individual and team training as possible in a positive and encouraging learning environment. They are required to plan and organize their team's individual practice sessions, administer instruction at tournaments, and develop the composition and organization of the team. Our coaches strive to be to be excellent role models for the players and all others with whom they may come into contact. The staff of Skyline Juniors will provide all the administration for tournaments, travel, and finances within the club so our coaches can concentrate on coaching and their own professional growth.
Club Amenities
Skyline Junior's volleyball is a major investment in your child's life. Perhaps the most satisfying is to see your child play for the college or university of their choice. No junior's club program is complete without informing both players and parents about the important topic of scholarships and college recruiting.
College Recruiting Experience
Our coaching staff has extensive experience with college recruiting at every level of college athletics, from NCAA Division I, II, and III and NAIA to Junior College, and our coaches that have worked at the college level have been active recruiters themselves. As a result, we not only know effective ways to market Skyline athletes and the pitfalls players and parents should avoid, but we've also developed an extensive network of relationships with top college coaches in the country.
Recruiting Workshops
Skyline offers Recruiting Workshops for both players and parents that cover the "do's" and "don'ts" of timely and effective communication with colleges and universities. Topics covered include different ways parents may videotape matches and how to construct recruiting video. We set aside time to video athletes' skills and design proper introductions for these tapes, and provide examples of various ways athletes can set up their profiles to make them appealing to college coaches. We recommend the recruiting workshop for all Skyline athletes regardless of the sport they may pursue in college. In addition to the workshops, our recruiting coordinator holds individual and group meetings throughout the season for further help and instruction.
Online Recruiting Database
Skyline has one-of-a-kind recruiting database. The database is organized to collect important information about each athlete and may be used as each athlete's 'online Contact Management Software for college coaches. Included behind the athletes' personal login are recruiting timelines, college comparison spreadsheets, articles on "Visits to Colleges," templates for letters to college coaches, sample emails to colleges, and a comprehensive college search engine. Our program also allows our coaches and staff to download each athlete's information court-side from their PDA. These features and the database constitute an exceptionally powerful recruiting program that is unique to Skyline. No other club can boast comparable programs.
Online Videos & Media Pages
On every athlete's profile page, we have room up to three videos you may link from your profile page. In addition, you can include PDF or other file formats to provide college coaches additional information like newspaper articles. Our emails that we send out to college coaches will include these links in the email so they can easily click on the video of their choice.
Online Profile Pages
Each year, Skyline develops on-line media guides for the 16's, 17's, and 18's age groups containing information about each player such as awards, accomplishments, playing experience, vertical jump, a personal section, and the athlete's plans for her athletic career. The profile page from the Media guide will be posted on our website enabling each player to send it to the college coaches of their choice via email or by letter.
Position Practices
We hold dedicated position practices for all Skyline athletes on teams 12s – 18s. Our top Skyline staff and coaches will run this training along with their team coaches.
Year-Round Training
When the club season is over, Skyline is in the gym 4-5 days a week offering the top training. So much improvement takes place in the five months between club seasons. It is vital to the athlete's development to be in an organization that offers year-round training.
Team Bonding and Training
In order to facilitate team cohesion and purpose, Skyline coaches organize specialized team bonding activities in early January. This training will consist of 2-a-day training sessions and team bonding activities. The teams will be given difficult tasks and will be required to find solutions as a team. They will also set individual and team goals for the season. The 2-a-day training will be for RoShamBo teams only.
Dedicated Setter Training
Additional time and space is set aside for setters to get extra reps and instructions. We will lead video review and class room instruction for our setters to better their decision making and mental aspects of setting the game.
Strength, Conditioning and Vertical Training
Paradigm Sports provides training for Skyline National teams 2 times a week December – June
Evaluation Process
Click here to view the Tryout/Evaluation Process
The Tryout or Evaluation period is EARLY JULY. Clubs and Coaches are not allowed to make a written offer or accept payments for 2018 club season dues prior to Signing Day. See our "Club Tryout Process" page for more information on Tryout, Evaluations, Signing Day and more.
Practice Information
Tentative Practice Times and Locations
Below is a tentative plan for when teams will practice. We are very flexible and can move practices around if needed. Position practices will be held for all teams twice a month from January until Qualifier's begin.
15-18 National Teams:
Most Teams practice Sundays and Thursdays OR Mondays and Thursdays
13-14 National Teams:
Most Teams practice Sundays and Wednesdays OR Mondays and Wednesdays
12 National Teams:
Teams practice TBA, ask the head coach
11s Teams
Most Team practices Mondays and Thursdays OR Sundays and Thursday
No position practices for 11s
12 & 15-17 Molten Teams
Most Team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays OR Mondays and Thursdays
13-14 Molten Teams
Most Team practiceswill be either Sundays and Wednesdays OR Mondays & Wednesdays
There may be a few conflicts throughout the season that may require a different practice location or days to be utilized.
National and Molten Practices
Our teams will share the facilities and practice times to allow for an average of 2 practices a week*. If a team participates in a tournament on a weekend, then there will be no practice on Sundays. Attendance at practice is mandatory. It is impossible to develop quality teams with inconsistent practice attendance. If an unusual circumstance exists, it is the athlete's responsibility to inform his or her head coach immediately of the situation. If an athlete has an unexcused absence then s/he will be required to sit out the first game of the following tournament. Because athletes must learn to organize their time and plan ahead accordingly, homework is not an excuse to miss practice. Further guidelines for absences are given at the beginning of the season by the coach.
* 11's may move to a Monday or Tuesday practice the week following a tournament.
Tournament Information
Skyline Juniors tournament participation is mandatory. Tournaments give athletes the chance to compete at higher levels, develop their court skills, and strengthen their knowledge of the game. They also give the athlete a chance to be seen by college scouts. Finally, the success of our team training depends upon all members of the team being present.
Tournament agendas, lodging arrangements and other important travel information will be provided to each player as soon as the club directors have received the information from the tournament directors. We prefer to do most of our communication through e-mail and our website. We will post hotel and tournament information for each team on the website as soon as it is available. All tournament schedules will be finalized in early December.
Skyline Juniors Playing Time
The team's head coach is responsible for the composition of the team and determining playing time. Each athlete will receive equal training time and repetitions in practice sessions, but we cannot and will not guarantee playing time to anyone. It is in the best interest of the team that we compete for championships and this involves some players not playing in some matches. The head coaches will make their decisions based on a player's attendance at practices, the importance of an event, the player's attitude, work ethic, and proficiency at required skills, and most importantly the team's needs. As parents, please understand that our coaches do their best do get everyone playing time, but their primary focus at tournaments is the teams'success. If a parent wishes to discuss playing time with a coach we require this NOT BE DONE AT THE TOURNAMENT. It is very disruptive to the team if a parent confronts a coach in this setting. Consequently, if a coach is confronted by a parent during a tournament, that parent's child must sit out the following match. In short, please save these discussions until after the tournament.
The following procedures are in place to resolve playing time issues or concerns:
At any time after practices or matches a player may meet with the coach for a discussion.
If questions or concerns remain, then the parents and player may contact the coach to arrange a discussion at least a day after the conclusion of a tournament.
If the issue is still not resolved, the club director, coach, player, and parents may meet.
Policy: If a parent approaches the coach at a tournament about "playing time", their daughter will be required to sit the next set.
Tournament Transportation
The club does not provide transportation to non-air travel tournaments. It is the parents' (and not the coaches') responsibility to find transportation for their athletes to and from these road travel events. For air travel tournaments, the club provides transportation to and from the hotel, and to the sanctioned events provided the athlete travels on the group's flight. The athletes are prohibited from riding with anyone other than a coach, club director, or appointed chaperone. (They are permitted to ride with their parent/guardian , or someone their parent designates in writing.) If parents choose to arrange their own travel arrangements for an athlete, then the parents are responsible for getting their daughter to the hotel.
Hotel Accommodations
We distribute hotel information for parents in advance on the web page or by email so parents may make reservations at the same hotel where the teams are staying. Each National team has a certain number of rooms reserved for the players (except for 11's – 13's). In an effort to keep costs lower, ALL Molten teams will stay with their parents. National teams 10s-13s will also stay with their parents. We cannot guarantee space or make reservations for parents, but we will ask hotels to hold rooms for parents until a specified date. If you have not made a reservation by that date we cannot hold the room.
Club Policies
Drug and Alcohol Policy
In order for the North Texas Region to support any disciplinary actions by the club toward a player, one of these two below procedures must take place in case a player is in the possession of or involved with any type of illegal drugs or alcohol.
Option One: Go immediately to a clinic and have a drug test administered.
Option Two: The police will be called to do a report.
If the player(s) is found to be at fault, further action will take place depending on the severity of the issue. The player may be sent home from the event, dismissed for a period of time, or released from the team permanently (at the expense of his or her parent/guardian).
Prom Policy
We understand the importance of an event such as Prom; therefore, in the case of Prom falling on the weekend of a National Qualifying tournament and Regionals (only), we have implemented the following guidelines to allow SENIORS to attend their SENIOR Prom.
Each SENIOR will be allowed to attend their prom without punishment.
They will need to be present the day prior and the day after the (main evening) Prom event.
They will need to be present the day of the event until 12 noon (if the tournament is out of town) and 2:00pm (if the tournament is within the DFW area).
It is not fair to a team that has devoted so many hours in practices only to be disqualified from a tournament or to not be given a chance to qualify for Nationals because a few players are gone. It is also not fair to those who are seeking college scholarship and must be seen by colleges.
Membership Fees and Payment Plans
* All payments must be postmarked by the 1st of each month.
Parents are expected to keep up with their dues and payment schedules. In order to facilitate payment, , we provide account status online for each player, pre-addressed envelopes including the amount of payment and the date the payment is due. Alternatively, membership fees may be paid online with a credit card.
If a payment is late there will be a $25.00 late fee, and the athlete will not be able to participate in any sanctioned events until a payment is made A $25.00 transaction fee will be assessed for each returned check, and if the problem occurs two times, parents must pay by cash or a cashier's check.
If an account is not paid in full, the participant's name may be submitted to the UIL because she will have violated her "amateur status". The parent/guardian responsible for the player will also be responsible for any additional costs or expenses incurred by the club while pursuing collections.
If there is some reason the payment cannot be made by the date specified, please contact Jon or Jodie Rye (for National teams), or Kirk Perry (for Molten teams) and we will try to work out the situation. Please know, once you commit to a team we incur several expenses whether you continue your season with the club or not. It is your responsibility to make sure these payments are made unless there is a season ending injury.
In an effort to minimize payment problems we attempt to precisely determined fees and dues prior to the season. To this end, most travel expenses, (hotel, transportation, and nationals for some teams) for the players are included in their dues amounts. Please notice, however, that we have NOT included airfare for the players into their dues (we have included coaches air travel). Instead, we will provide an Airline Package in the Fall for the Skyline athletes that will give them the option to arrange their own air travel to tournaments.
Additional fees may occur due to unforeseen circumstances such as airline cancellations, inclement weather situations, or if a team misses a flight due for any reason (i.e. such as playing in a match for JO qualifying, or playing in the finals).
*All monies that are paid are non-refundable
Team Dues & Tentative Schedules
Please look at the "Comments" column to see exactly what is included in the dues for each team
Schedules will not be available until September. Final breakdown of cost will be decided at that time.
We have provided an estimate of the 2018 dues in Team Comparison at the top of this page.


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In discussing their upcoming sure to be multi-million dollar making game, Assassins Creed Unity, Ubisoft technical director James Therien said adding women would have "doubled the work".
"It was on our feature list until not too long ago, but it's a question of focus and production," Therien explained. "So we wanted to make sure we had the best experience for the character. A female character means that you have to redo a lot of animation, a lot of costumes [inaudible]. It would have doubled the work on those things. And I mean it's something the team really wanted, but we had to make a decision... It's unfortunate, but it's a reality of game development."
When asked further by VideoGamer about whether fans would accept this he explained,
"Again, it's not a question of philosophy or choice in this case at all I don't really [inaudible] it was a question of focus and a question of production. Yes, we have tonnes of resources, but we're putting them into this game, and we have huge teams, nine studios working on this game and we need all of these people to make what we are doing here."
Nine studios working on the game and one of them couldn't change a guy to be a woman? Are there not women NPCs already in the game they made which can serve as a basis? I am not a game developer so not an expert on this.
Some may say "Psha, women weren't allowed to do anything back then anyways so they couldn't be assassins." which is a ridiculous argument I just said because A) the game follows a secret assassin's guild which is historically inaccurate anyways and B) One of the most famous assassins of the French revolution was a woman. So it seems like it would make more sense to include a woman then to not.
Women make up 45% of gamers and are 46% of the most frequent game buyers. You would think with that large of buying power, the gaming industry would take advantage of that and cater to women more with greater representation as playable characters. Instead women are often relegated to more of an afterthought. A recent study of 669 games, 45% had an option to play a female character and only 4% had a female protagonist. While games with female protagonists had lower scores, they also only received 40% of the marketing budget of male led games.
The argument that adding women is to difficult isn't a new one. Male as the default is common in a lot of games. But with the huge amount of women gamers out there, as large of franchise as Assassin's Creed, and as big of company as Ubisoft this excuse sounds to me more like them saying that women don't matter to them.
Via VideoGamer