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CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Algae: An Important Source for Making Biofuels
Biofuels are the alternative fuels like ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, methane and others obtained from the biomass. Biomasses are the wasted materials obtained from the plants, animals and human beings. With the increasing prices of the crude oil and importance of achieving self-reliance in energy and growing concern for the environment alternative fuels are receiving more government and public attention.
The government of US has set the targets for using of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by the year 2022 as a result most of the gasoline sold here is mixed with ethanol. Similarly, biodiesel mixed with petroleum diesel is found to create lesser pollution without affecting the performance of the engines. Methane gas is also increasingly used for the production of electricity and also driving the vehicles. Ethanol, biodiesel, and methane are all biofuels obtained from biomass like wasted crops, crops containing sugar, vegetable oil etc.
Due to increasing demands of the biofuels, many farmers are now tempted to raise the crops that would yield biofuels instead of the food crops. This leads to misuse of limited resources available in the form energy, fertilizers and pesticides. In some parts of the world large areas of forests have been cut down to grow sugarcane for ethanol and soybeans and palm-oil tress for making biodiesel. US government is making efforts to make sure the farming for biomass materials does not competes with the farming of food crops and that the farming of biomass would require lesser fertilizers and pesticides.
Algae used as Biomass
One of the most important promising sources of biofuels is algae. Algae are single celled (most of them) microorganisms that grow in salt water, fresh water and even in contaminated water. Algae can grow in sea, rivers, ponds, and also on land not suitable for production. Like other plants, algae also absorb energy from the sun in the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide by the process called photosynthesis. Just like other wasted plants and crops, algae also carry energy and it can be used as an important biomass material. There are more than 65,000 known species of algae having different colors like green, red, brown and blue-green that offer wide range of options for obtaining the biofuels from them.
Algae keep growing extensively in the nature and it generates lots of waste that could even create problems of disposal. Since algae carries energy, it can be used as an important source of alternative or renewable energy since algae is available in abundant quantities that can last forever. Algae can be used as the biomass materials to obtain various biofuels. Various colonies of algae can be considered to be small biological factories containing lots of energy.
Biofuels from Obtained from Algae
Like the wastes from the plants, the algae can also be used as the biomass to produce various types of biofuels. One of the most popular types of biofuels, biodiesel, is obtained from the vegetable oil. The same biodiesel can also be obtained from algae oil. The biodiesel from algae can be mixed with the petroleum diesel and used for the running of the vehicles. It can also be used as the fuel for jets, airplanes, refineries, and pipelines. The biodiesel obtained from algae can be readily used with automobile and jet engines without the need to make any modifications in the engine. It meets all the specifications of the petroleum diesel fuel.
The algae biomass can also be used for making ethanol and butanol biofuels, which are type of alcohols. Butanol is considered to have more efficiency than ethanol and it is obtained from dried algae that act as a biomass. The carbohydrates extracted from algae are converted into natural sugars, which are then converted into butyric, lactic and acetic acids by the process of fermentation. Further fermentation of butyric acid is carried out to produce butanol.
The biomass obtained from algae can also be used to produce biogas that contains methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is an important component of natural gas, so this biogas can be used just like the natural gas for producing heating effect and also to produce electricity.
Advantages of using Algae as Biomass
One of the important advantages of algae it that it can be grown in almost any type of water: salt, fresh, and even contaminated water. It can be grown in vast sea and river water, small rain water ponds and even commercial or domestic manmade ponds. It can also be grown on non-arable unproductive lands increasing the utility of waste lands.
Another important advantage of growing algae for producing biofuels is that it does not displace the farmland used for growing the food crops. The farmers using various resources for producing biodiesel instead of the food crops has been one of the major concerns for the government, algae helps solving this tricky problem.
Algae have the potential to yield 30 times more energy than the crops grown on land, which are currently being used to produce the biofuels. This would further encourage the use of algae for producing biofuels and land for producing food crops.
Another important advantage of algae is that it uses carbon dioxide for its growth. Thus the pollution causing carbon dioxide produced from the other sources can be utilized to grow algae, which helps keeping the environment cleaner.
special thanks to
Escapeartist, Inc
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES


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As Hermine Threatens, Stevens Helps Predict and Prepare
Davidson Lab team assisting Port Authority, Hoboken crisis teams with predictions, expertise
While Tropical Storm Hermine lingers off the Eastern Seaboard, threatening the Jersey Shore and Long Island with high winds, waves and flooding storm surges, a team from Stevens Institute of Technology is on hand to help predict its effects and prepare communities for evacuations and other emergency measures.
Alan Blumberg, director of Stevens' Davidson Laboratory, professor Nickitas Georgas and research engineer Firas Saleh all took 12-hour shifts in the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey's (PANYNJ) emergency command center in Jersey City to provide expertise as the powerful storm slowly moved northward. The team also provided the city of Hoboken with key weather and flood updates.
"We're glad to serve the Port Authority, the city of Hoboken and the public in this way," said Blumberg. "Our Stevens forecast systems pretty well predicted the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Sandy beforehand, and Hermine is predicted to result in significant — although not Sandy-sized — surge and flood events along the coast of New Jersey. Our Stevens forecasts do not predict any flooding in the metro area, fortunately; still, we urge calm and caution as the system moves into and through the region, and Stevens will continue to contribute to preparations and decisions in any way we can."
Stevens maintains a dedicated supercomputer that powers its proprietary Stevens Flood Advisory System (SFAS), which is part of the National Weather Service's official public information flow for New York Harbor flood events.
Davidson Laboratory and Facebook also recently initiated a so-called "citizen science project," during which local residents contribute raw data in the form of public photographs, videos and stories of extreme weather and flooding events to create maps of conditions as they occur. Using this cumulative, crowd-sourced data, Davidson Laboratory researchers hope to improve confidence in what various models forecast about the actual, recorded impacts of significant local rainfalls and storm surges.
Currently, Dr. Blumberg and Davidson Laboratory researchers are launching a major research and education initiative, Coastal Urban Resilience Engineering and Science (CURES) that emphasizes the ways in which engineering, science and technology are integral to planning and managing resilient cities for the 21st century, in an effort to keep communities safe. For more about CURES and the Davidson Laboratory at Stevens, please visit the CURES Initiative.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Los Angeles, CA - Professor Leon Brensky, a well-known professor at the University of Southern California Film School has been fired after students claimed he forced them to watch hundreds of movies from the 1960's.
One student, known only as "Julie", said Professor Brensky specifically told her she would receive an "F" if she went to see the movie "Avatar" or any film containing 3D effects or blue creatures with tails.
Students were in the quite difficult position of having to wear masks and disguises to see current motion pictures in their local community.
One girl stated, "If we'd done what he required, we'd have been completely cut off from the modern world. I won't do that just to get a good grade. I have morals. I have standards as a serious student of film."
Professor Brensky was often overheard by colleagues grumbling under his breath, saying, "There hasn't been a good movie made since 1969".
In an interview with the campus newspaper, he said his favorite films involved "real people without tails or pointed ears" and "stories with a beginning, middle and an end. No damn flashbacks! Stop the flashbacks! They're making me crazy!"
His remarks and clearly unstable mental state should have raised a red flag at that time, but the university chose to ignore his rants.
During the semester, students estimate that they were forced to watch over 200 films from the 1960's, with such titles as "The Graduate", "In Cold Blood", "Bonnie and Clyde" "Dr. Zhivago" and "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World."
Cynthia Penney, one of Professor Brensky's teaching assistants, spoke up for her fellow students. "I was born in 1991. I've never heard of any of these old movies and neither have any of my friends. Who in the world is Faye Dunaway? Or some guy named Omar Shariff? It's insane! I asked around and no one ever heard of these people. This Dunaway person hasn't been in anything 3D or fantasy that I know of. We just got sick of living in a time warp with this guy. He was a 1960's bully. I mean, it would have been different if these had been well-known movies, but they're so obscure. Who is he kidding?"
The last straw came when the blockbuster multi-trillion dollar epic "Avatar" was released. Apparently it was one blue, pointy eared and tailed creature too many for Professor Brensky and that's when he snapped, issuing the Avatar ban to the students.
As he was led away from his office kicking and screaming, he was heard to yell, "Score one for real people! Flat people! No 3D! No Tails! Back to emotions! Love! Glory! Viva Faye Dunaway and Natalie Wood!"
After his noisy removal and completely unprofessional behavior, the students breathed a collective sigh of relief. Finally, they are ready to get serious about the art of the cinema.
"There's a cool professor that we've lobbied the university to hire for a long time and now it's finally going to happen. He's into transformers, robots, blue fairies and creatures that fly around and also Jennifer Aniston, because she's a super good actress unlike this Faye Dunaway person. Finally, we're back in the 21st century and can study film as it was meant to be studied….in 3D."


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A 22-mile-long underground ring road could be built in central London.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has backed the plans that would remove thousands of cars from the streets above.
The Inner Orbital Tunnel would cost £30 billion to construct and feature dual carriageways linking key routes from the A40 Westway to the A12 in the east, and the A1 route north to the A2 running south.
Air quality would be improved with Tower Bridge closed to all traffic except buses and bicycles. The new tunnel would create two new crossings beneath the Thames.
According to the Evening Standard, the proposed route of the ring road would run from Camden to Highbury, curving south under Whitechapel to cross the Thames at Wapping. It then sweeps south of Elephant and Castle, goes under the Oval and Battersea Park, and crosses the Thames again at Chelsea. From there it heads through Earls Court to link with the A40 near White City, then east to St John's Wood and under Regent's Park. A spur under Dalston and Hackney would connect the circuit to the A12.
Transport for London (TfL) forecasts a 60% increase in congestion in the central zone by 2031 if nothing is done, while outer areas would suffer increases in congestion of 15 to 25%.
Isabel Dedring, Deputy Mayor for Transport, told the Evening Standard: "We are at the very early stage in exploring the potential. Cities such as Paris, Oslo and Boston have undertaken these kinds of ambitious projects and have seen dramatic results.
"This is not about creating a motorway through the centre of London. It's about freeing up capacity on the city surface, improving air quality, and reclaiming space for public parks, pedestrians and cyclists."


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Virginia Commonwealth is no longer a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, but the members of George Mason's men's basketball team can't forget their last loss to the Rams even if they try.
That 74-64 defeat in the CAA Tournament semifinals which kept the Patriots from playing for a spot in the NCAAs has been memorialized by Mason coach Paul Hewitt. He gave his players a card to carry in their wallets that says simply: 32-4. That was the lopsided margin by which they trailed VCU before storming back to make the score respectable.
"That game sticks with me all the time," said tri-captain Sherrod Wright, who had beaten the Rams with a three-pointer at the buzzer in their previous matchup in Fairfax. "It showed us that you have to always work hard, be focused and be intense, no matter what."
Six games into this season, minus CAA Player of the Year Ryan Pearson and fellow three-year critical starter Mike Morrison, Hewitt is pleased with his virtually senior-less team's intensity on the defensive end but not so happy with its focus when it has the basketball.
"We have a much better feel for what our defensive principles are," said the lanky Hewitt, who took over at Mason in May 2011 after longtime coach Jim Larranaga, the architect of the unbelievable run to the 2006 Final Four, left for Miami. "We're starting to pick up the nuances. Offensively, we're emphasizing throwing the ball inside [because] we have more depth in the frontcourt, but we're going in fits and starts. Some games we move the ball well and shoot the ball well. In others, we don't make the extra pass, don't take good shots."
Still, Hewitt, who guided Georgia Tech to the 2004 NCAA Championship Game, admitted that if he had to choose, "you'd rather have your defense going."
So far, Mason (4-2), which visits Rhode Island (1-5) tonight before facing Maryland in the BB&T Classic on Sunday at Verizon Center, is averaging just 60.3 points but is holding its foes to a .375 shooting percentage. That includes a .404 performance by Virginia in the opener, a 63-59 Mason victory, the first by the Patriots in eight matchups with the Cavaliers of the high and mighty ACC.
"We were both missing some pieces and we gritted it out and got the win," said red-short junior Wright, who opened the game with a three-pointer, a shot that junior backcourt mate Bryon Allen matched for the winning basket with a minute left. "That game showed that a lot of hard work paid off, on and off the court."
While little-used backup junior guard Paris Bennett is a tri-captain because he's so smart and vocal and junior guard Vertrail Vaughns is also a designated leader because of his work ethic and willingness to accept a demotion from 2011-12 starter to sixth man, Hewitt has asked Wright to make an even bigger change.
"Coach told me I have to step up … be a positive role model, on and off the court," said Wright, who leads the Patriots with 15.7 points per game and is tied with junior center Erik Copes as the No. 2 rebounder behind sophomore power forward Johnny Williams. "I'm not usually very vocal. I'm still learning what I need to do to be a leader, but I'm enjoying every last minute of it. It's a different role for me on the court, too. I'm not used to being the main guy, the one who gets that big stop or that big rebound. I'm more aggressive than I was last year."
That's true for the Patriots as a group. A record-tying Patriot Center crowd appreciated that effort against UVa and the excitement will surely keep building in Fairfax if Mason can beat Maryland.
"It's a very important game," said Hewitt, whose team's losses have come at Bucknell and to New Mexico in the Virgin Islands despite owning a 5-point lead with just 17 seconds remaining. "If we're able to be competitive with Maryland and Virginia, it definitely helps recruiting."
With defending champion VCU gone to the Atlantic 10, runnerup Drexel is the CAA favorite with Delaware forecast for second and Mason third. However, the Patriots believe that they can go further than last year's team which went 24-8, 15-4 against CAA foes before the crushing loss to VCU.
"At a lot of universities, it would've been a good season, but for us, it wasn't," Bennett said. "With Ryan and Mike gone, we're a different team. Our offense ran through Ryan last year. Now we have a whole roster full of guys that can step up and make plays. When coach throws in another set of five guys, there shouldn't be a beat missed."
The Patriots are more seasoned outside and deeper inside with three big additions: Williams, who red-shirted last year;. Seton Hall transfer Anali Okoloji; and Serbian freshman Marko Gujanicic.
"With that depth, we're going to be a better team," Wright said. "We've got still things we've gotta learn, like every team does early in the season, but we can make a lot of noise as long as we stay focused and stay hungry."
A year out of postseason national play will make a team hungry.
David Elfin began writing about sports when he was a junior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. He is Washington's representative on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and the author of seven books, most recently, "Washington Redskins: The Complete Illustrated History." A pre-game regular on 106.7-The Fan the last two Redskins seasons, he has been its columnist since last March. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidElfin


text:
Worship Prayer
Father, I worship you. That's all I've got in the tank this morning, Lord. Please help me overcome.
Walking Prayer
Father, the body continues to be better this morning. Can we work on the head and the spirit today? Please, Lord, help me overcome.
When you're not clicking on all cylinders what do your prayers sound like?


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- 8 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup bottled pina colada drink mix
- 1 tablespoon butter, or as needed
- 12 (1/2 inch thick) slices French bread
- 2 bananas, sliced
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, and pina colada mix in a bowl. Heat a skillet over medium heat; melt butter in the skillet until the foam disappears. Soak the bread slices in the egg mixture, turning the slices over a couple of times.
- Gently lay the soaked bread slices into the hot skillet 2 at a time and pan-fry until the french toast is golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked french toast slices to a warmed platter while you finish cooking. Top each 2-slice serving with several slices of banana to serve.


text:
As I said in my previous post, I will do a suite of posts regarding the migration of my website from ruby to Node.js, and to make them easier to spot, I will prefix them with NJS. Small warning: I'm not a semicolon user. I've read quite a bit about it, and I made my choice knowingly.
So, the first thing I picked was Express, a really nice web application framework. All it takes to have it running is:
var app = require('express')()
app.get('/', function(req, res) {
res.render('index', { name: 'Roland' })
app.listen(process.env.PORT || 3000)
app.set('view engine', 'ejs')
ejs is a framework for JS templates, which looks for files in a
views folder, at the root of your project. You can combine JS with pure HTML, just like you can combine ruby with it in erb:
<!DOCTYPE html>
Hello <%= name >!
Next, the assets pipeline: Mincer. I kinda like Sprockets, so this was an obvious choice:
var Mincer = require('mincer')
var pipeline = new Mincer.Environment()
app.use('/assets', Mincer.createServer(pipeline))
Now you can access your assets directly, without remembering how many
../ you need to add to reach it:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/font-awesome/css/font-awesome.min.css">
<img src="/assets/misc/image.png" alt="Image"/>
Coincidentally enough, Express was inspired by Sinatra, Mincer by Sprockets and ejs is just like erb. Funny thing is that the only one I knowingly picked due to this reason was Mincer.
Next time I will write about routes.


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It's official. Caitlyn Jenner is a fashion icon. After she took the stage at the ESPYs last week to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in a stunning, floor-length cream Versace dress, fashion bible Vogue named Caitlyn among the best dressed for the week. Caitlyn earned herself the number two spot, coming in right behind socialite (and former The City star!) Olivia Palermo.
Since her transformation, Caitlyn has been killing it in the fashion department. Not sure who her styling team is, but they seriously know what they're doing. From her hair and makeup to her absolutely fabulous and flattering clothes, Caitlyn has yet to make a fashion misstep. Maybe she did steal Kim's "glam squad," after all.
More from The Stir: Caitlyn Jenner's Transformation in Pictures: From Olympian to Inspiration (PHOTOS)
However, despite her flawless appearance, Caitlyn is still struggling with one major aspect of her new look: Her voice. In a blog post, Caitlyn wrote, "While I felt like I looked great and that the gown looked fabulous, I still have a voice issue. It's not quite right compared to my feminine appearance. That bothers me a little bit. However, I hope that people don't listen to the pitch of my voice, but listen to what I have to say. That's important to me."
All of this is new to Caitlyn, so it's no surprise that she still has some figuring out to do. But as we -- and Vogue -- can see, though, clearly she has the wardrobe thing down pat. Looking gorgeous, Cait.
Image via JosiahW/Splash News


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|View source on GitHub
Depthwise 2-D convolution.
input, filter, strides, padding, rate=None, name=None, data_format=None,
Given a 4D input tensor ('NHWC' or 'NCHW' data formats)
and a filter tensor of shape
[filter_height, filter_width, in_channels, channel_multiplier]
in_channels convolutional filters of depth 1,
applies a different filter to each input channel (expanding from 1 channel
channel_multiplier channels for each), then concatenates the results
together. The output has
in_channels * channel_multiplier channels.
In detail, with the default NHWC format,
output[b, i, j, k * channel_multiplier + q] = sum_{di, dj}
filter[di, dj, k, q] * input[b, strides[1] * i + rate[0] * di,
strides[2] * j + rate[1] * dj, k]
Must have
strides[0] = strides[3] = 1. For the most common case of the
same horizontal and vertical strides,
strides = [1, stride, stride, 1].
If any value in
rate is greater than 1, we perform atrous depthwise
convolution, in which case all values in the
strides tensor must be equal
to 1.
input: 4-D with shape according to
filter: 4-D with shape
[filter_height, filter_width, in_channels, channel_multiplier].
strides: 1-D of size 4. The stride of the sliding window for each dimension of
padding: A string, either
'SAME'. The padding algorithm. See the "returns" section of
tf.nn.convolutionfor details.
rate: 1-D of size 2. The dilation rate in which we sample input values across the
widthdimensions in atrous convolution. If it is greater than 1, then all values of strides must be 1.
name: A name for this operation (optional).
data_format: The data format for input. Either "NHWC" (default) or "NCHW".
dilations: Alias of rate.
Tensor with shape according to
data_format. E.g., for
"NHWC" format, shape is
[batch, out_height, out_width, in_channels * channel_multiplier].


text: Being a father is no walk in the park and support groups are a terrific way for daddies who are facing similar challenging situations to offer each other encouragement, share ideas, and simply decrease the stress of a trying time. Unfortunately, most of the parent support groups found online are started and lead by Moms. So just where do daddies go -- to the Daddy Forums. Daddy Forums will provide you with all the information you'll need to be the best daddy you can be. Where better to learn than from the ideas and experiences shared by real life daddies? The Daddy Forums is categorized into four main sections, the Daddy Introductions & Announcements, Daddy Talk, Daddy's Life and the Mall. These sections hold different message boards where real life daddies post their messages. If you are new to Daddy Forums, the first thing to do is to introduce yourself at the Introductions. If you're searching for the place where the announcements, rules, problems, and contests are announced then simply go the Forum Announcement boards, which is right under the Daddy's Introduction & Announcement section. Now if you want to share ideas or have questions or give feedback, then the Forum Feedback is the place to go. Now if it's Daddy Talk you're after you may choose among several boards. General dad talks that are not covered in other forums are found at the General Daddy Talk. Under the same section, working fathers talk about their day at the office at Working Daddy's while work at home daddies gathered at WAHD. Meanwhile, military dads meet at Military Daddy's and soon to be dads assemble at Soon to be Daddy's. Daddy Forums have not forgotten that grandpas and step dads are daddies too and have allotted a special board just for them, the Grand Daddy's and Step Daddy's boards. For serious daddy talk visit Single / Divorced Daddy's if you're a single and divorced daddy looking for support, and Non-Custodial Daddy's if you're a dad living apart from your children At Daddy Forums you'll learn more about Daddy's Life, how they go about repairing this and that at Toolbox and how they handle life with their better half at the Your Wife board. You might be surprise at what daddies have to say about their Love Life as they talk about everything there is about love. Learn latest movies, TV shows and channels daddies watch at Movies & TV. For their favorite music, look it up at Hear the Music and at Book Worms their favorite books. Enter daddy world and learn as they discuss games and consoles at Game Center, computer hardware and software at Computers, all men sports at Sports Center and the toys for the big boys – cars at The Garage board. Daddies may also share their jokes at Joking Around as well as start and play all forum related games and contest at the Games/Contest board. Daddy Forums is not just about talk, but rather a business venture as well when you visit The Mall. Daddies may also sell, trade or even give away stuff at Swap Meet. If for instance they want to share a link for advertisements then post it at the Links and Advertisements boards. Now if that is not enough reason to visit Daddy Forums, then here this – membership is free! So what are you daddies waiting for, check out Daddy Forums now!


text:
Men's Boots - Spring Step Dappan
Men's water resistent leather lace-up sneaker with antiqued metal eyelets
-Round toe, genuine leather, antiqued metal eyelets, durable waxed cotton laces.
-Inside zipper closure.
-Faux fur lining.
-Faux fur removeable insole.
-Rubber outsole.
-Heel Height (approximately): 1 1/4"
-Shaft Height (approximately): 4 1/4"
-Circumference (approximately): 11 1/2"


text:
This podcast is about Mixed Martial Arts . We discuss upcoming and past MMA Events and any news about the sport of MMA. We also interview health experts and MMA Fighters.We are looking for guests to be on our show.If you want to be a guest on our show leave us a message using the Anchor app or conta… read more
UFC 249 Recap with Marc the Shark and Zane. In this episode Marc and Zane do a recap of UFC 249 Ferguson vs. GaethjePlease don't forget to follow us on Facebook @marcthesharkmmahow or on Twitter @marcbjjfighter Also please give a donation by clicking on the donate button at www.marcthsharkmmashow.com--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marcthesharkmmashow/support
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text:
Hello lovelies,
Hope you all enjoyed this spring weekend! It was hot and very much like summer here in LA and I was very excited to be out and about in lighter clothing and my new Vivian bag from Oliver Bilou. I discovered OB online and immediately fell in love with their products–they offer five unique handbags each with a very distinct character and style. I have to admit, I had a hard time picking between the Vivian and the Taylor and still have my eye on the latter, as the former is now in my hands! 😉
Can we talk about Vivian's unique charm? It's light grey color, beautiful dome shape and that braided trim running along its front just called out my name–sophisticated with an EDGE (no pun intended)! But Vivian is not going to only be your "arm candy"–it is just as functional as it is beautiful! The bag looks compact, however it is pretty roomy and held my wallet, sunglasses, a water bottle, my phone (there is a special compartment for it), keys (a built-in key chain), and I could have loaded it even further–very impressive!
There also is a back zipped pocket you can access from the outside of the bag, and the main compartment has dual zips for easy use, making this bag perfect for travel or running around town.
The gold hardware adds to the classy bag and gives you a tone for your jewelry selection. Gold is incorporated in the handle bar, the metal feet, and key chain, the zippers, and even the inspirational quote one would discover once they open their Oliver Bilou bag.
Vivian is made from textured vegan leather with makes it's light color easy to care for–just wipe it out with a wet nap and it is as good as new.
I was also very impressed by the packaging of this bag–it comes in a stylish black box, complete with a dust bag and all hardware carefully wrapped to insure a pristine look–it would make any girl smile and be a great present delivered to someone you want to surprise!
Another perk is that Vivian looks perfectly with business attire as well as a casual weekend look. This bag is also FEEL GOOD as a portion of the proceeds from each handbag purchased goes towards enriching a child's life.
Should you decide to purchase a, Oliver Bilou bag yourself, you can use the coupon code: ootdinstyle for 10% off at check-out.
Happy arm candy shopping!
Bottoms: BEBE Ripped Jeans (similar here) and BR Sailor Pants (similar here)
Top: Guess (similar here)
Shoes: Rocket Peep Toes (similar here) and Nine West Flats (similar here)
Love always,


text:
BPI Assistance Cards
Download and print these handy cards in PDF format to ask for assistance with various tasks:
Letters to the Editor
Thank you for considering providing a voice for Awareness Week in your local community. A Letter to the Editor is probably one of the easiest ways to receive Awareness coverage in your community newspaper. Here are a few guidelines to help you submit your letter:
Personalized letters are most welcome, and the Awareness Committee has provided two samples for you. Feel free to use the letters we've provided or use them as a guideline to write a more personal letter. We'd like to stress that personal letters—written in your own words- would be the best option.
Letters to the Editor should be between 150-200 words. Any longer and you risk the newspaper printing only a portion of your letter.
You MUST include your name, address and a contact phone number where you can be reached. Papers WILL NOT print your letter without this information.
Dear Editor:
The brachial plexus injury community is celebrating the Annual International Brachial Plexus Injury Awareness Week during [date]. Those of us in the local community of individuals and families affected by brachial plexus injuries implore you to join us in the effort to educate the public about infants injured at birth or others affected by traumatic brachial plexus injuries.
Brachial plexus injuries often occur during the birthing process. Availability of brachial plexus statistics vary widely, but where figures are available the general consensus is that brachial plexus injuries occur in 2-5 out of 1000 births. More children suffer from brachial plexus injuries sustained at birth than Down Syndrome or Muscular Dystrophy – yet information on this disability is not so readily obtained.
Other causes of brachial plexus injuries include: automobile, motorcycle or boating accidents; sports injuries ("burners" or "stingers"); animal bites; gunshot or puncture wounds; as a result of specific medical treatments / procedures / and surgeries or due to viral diseases. Adults who incur traumatic brachial plexus injuries often suffer from severe and chronic pain and struggle to find support, information and adequate medical care.
Time is of the essence in treating this injury. A brachial plexus specialist must monitor the injury to optimize recovery and minimize residual effects. Immediate therapeutic intervention is critical while the injury is monitored for long-term effects and the patient or parent must be informed of treatment facilities for further options.
For more information about brachial plexus injuries, call the United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc. toll-free 1-(781) 315-6161 or visit the following web site ubpn.org.
Dear Editor:
Are you aware that there is a birth injury that affects more newborns than those born with Down Syndrome and Muscular Dystrophy? Thousands of newborns are affected by brachial plexus injuries, traumatic injuries that may cause paralysis of one or both arms, each year. Availability of brachial plexus statistics vary widely, but where figures are available the general consensus is that brachial plexus injuries occur in 2-5 out of 1000 births.
The brachial plexus injury community is recognizing the Annual International Brachial Plexus Injury Awareness Week during the week of [date]. A brachial plexus injury is the result of an injury to the nerves in the neck that make the shoulder, arm and hand functional. The resulting paralyses differs according to the severity of the injury.
Many times, families with members who have been inflicted with this injury are unaware of the treatments currently available to them, either through misinformation or lack of awareness. Those of us in the local community of individuals and families affected by brachial plexus injuries hope that we can provide a source of information and hope to those who seek treatment.
For more information about brachial plexus injuries, call the United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc. toll-free 1-(781) 315-6161 or visit the following web site: ubpn.org.
Risk Factors for Expectant Parents
In pregnancy books, the birth canal is shown as very straight forward. During the birth, the baby comes down and out and that's the end of it. But sometimes the baby's shoulder can get stuck on the mother's pelvic bone. It is possible for the tender nerves in the baby's neck to be injured during birth when this birthing emergency, called shoulder dystocia, occurs. This type of injury, called a brachial plexus injury, can cause one or both arms to be paralyzed. Children with permanent and severe brachial plexus injuries suffer a lifetime of pain, therapy, invasive tests, possible surgeries with long recovery times and emotional distress. Unfortunately, birthing practitioners and pregnancy books rarely discuss the possibility of this birthing emergency with expectant mothers.
There are warning signs that may be linked to an increased risk for this birthing emergency. More importantly, there are steps an expectant mother and a high-risk practitioner can take to possibly reduce the risk of injury.
Risk Factors for Shoulder Dystocia:
- Suspected large baby - over 8 lbs. 14 oz.
- Maternal diabetes / gestational diabetes (fetal assymetry)
- Maternal obesity
- An overdue baby - over 40 weeks
- Short maternal stature
- Contracted or flat (platypelloid) pelvis
- Maternal weight gain -more than 35 lbs.
- Protracted first stage of labor
- Prolonged second stage of labor
Risk Factors for Shoulder Dystocia That May Be Associated with Prior Pregnancies:
- A history of shoulder dystocia during a previous delivery
- A history of giving birth to large babies
- Eight years or more since your last birth
Other Factors That May Be Associated with an Increased Risk for Shoulder Dystocia:
Epidural: Because of loss of sensation from an epidural, the mother may not be able to feel the 'pushing' sensation and the baby might descend in a slightly awkward position.
Tools: The use of tools (for example, forceps or vacuum) to help the baby descend may possibly increase the risk of shoulder dystocia as well.
Labor Induction: There appears to be a possible association between an increased risk for shoulder dystocia and the use of labor-inducing drugs.
Please Note: Even with these risk factors, more women have uneventful birthing experiences than those whose labors are complicated by shoulder dystocia. Moreover, shoulder dystocia can occur in the absence of these factors.
Risk Factors For Brachial Plexus Injury (without the occurrence of shoulder dystocia):
- Uterine tumors
- Tumors in the neck of the baby
- Viral disease
- Other abnormalities
- Breech fetal position at time of birth
What Can You Do To Try and Lessen Your Risk of Encountering Shoulder Dystocia?
- Discuss with your practitioner your concerns about shoulder dystocia risks, and ask what steps you can take now to try and reduce those risks. For example, he/she may suggest that you follow a gestational diabetes diet throughout your pregnancy. See the list of questions below that you may want to use as a guideline to "Opening up the Conversation" with your practitioner.
- Discuss with your practitioner the appropriateness of the environment in which you plan to give birth. For example, if you do have some of the risk factors for shoulder dystocia or if you have a history of difficult births, you may want to consider a hospital birth instead of a home birth so that you can have better access to emergency facilities, equipment and personnel if needed.
- Ask if he/she thinks that consulting with a specialized high-risk practitioner would be more appropriate for your pregnancy and delivery.
- Ask about his/her shoulder dystocia / brachial plexus injury experience.
- Use the Internet as a research tool, and educate yourself as much as possible.
"Opening Up The Conversation"
I am concerned about my risk(s) for encountering shoulder dystocia. What can you tell me to alleviate my concerns ?
After evaluating my past and current medical and childbearing history, do you think I am a candidate for having a large baby?
If it was determined or suspected that I am carrying a large baby, would you recommend a C-section? Under what other circumstances would you recommend a C-section?
Have you determined if my pelvic outlet can accommodate the safe passage of a baby? Do I have a flat (platypelloid) or small pelvis?
How many times have you encountered shoulder dystocia during the delivery process, and do you feel confident about delivering a baby with an occurrence of shoulder dystocia? What are some of the maneuvers you will use if shoulder dystocia becomes an issue during my birth?
Does the hospital I will be delivering at have a specific protocol for handling shoulder
What is your opinion of the reliability of using ultrasound to determine fetal weight, and will I be given this test one or more times to estimate fetal weight?
If you are unable to attend the delivery of my baby, who will? And are they knowledgeable about shoulder dystocia births? (Be sure to meet with and question all the doctors/midwives in the practice.)
Have you ever injured a child during the birth process?
Information sources used in the preparation of this material: Shoulder Dystocia and Birth Injury: Prevention and Treatment by James. A. O'Leary, MD (McGraw-Hill, 1992); the informational website of Dr. O'Leary: www.shoulderdystocia.com; informational materials published by the Brachial Plexus Program at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX; and the informational website of the Brachial Plexus Program at Texas Children's Hospital which can be accessed through the main Texas Children's Hospital website: www.texaschildrenshospital.org.
The intention of this information sheet is to educate expectant parents about one specific birthing emergency. The information contained herein is meant to be informative and does not represent medical advice or recommendations.
Pick One for Awareness
Light a candle at dinner each night and take a moment of silence to share Awareness with everyone at your dinner table.
Buy a set of hand-sewn ribbon pins and have each member of your family wear it that week.
Give an Outreach to your pediatrician.
Ring a bell on the first day of Awareness Week to "Ring In Awareness".
Donate a couple of hours of babysitting for a family with a newborn who has a brachial plexus injury.
Follow the proclamation guidelines and contact the mayor of your town to proclaim Awareness Week.
Buy a jewelry ribbon pin and wear it throughout Awareness Week. Your pin comes with five business cards. Share all five business cards with people you meet up with that week.
Send the "Official Press Release" to your local newspaper.
Light a candle at your community religious service. Maybe there can be a prayer for all those affected and for all the doctors and therapists who have helped.
Contact a new family in your area and invite them over for an Awareness Week dinner.
Print up bookmarks and bring them to your local library, school library and community center library.
Bring cookies to your child's class and read the book Different Just Like Me .
Donate your 'therapy' toys to your local children's hospital therapy room in honor of Awareness Week. Bring some Awareness materials and/or ribbons with you.
Give an Outreach Special Awareness Edition to your physical or occupational therapist.
Write a Letter to The Editor and send it to the largest newspaper in your city.
Print a set of New Parent Guide brochures and bring them to your pediatrician.
Bring a meal or two over to a local family who will be returning home from brachial plexus injury surgery.
Free blocks of time on the radio are available! Contact your local radio station - here's how: Radio Public Service Announcements
Bring a stack of Information for Adults With Brachial Plexus Injuries brochures to a local motorcycle club or shop.
Post information about brachial plexus injuries on expectant mother message boards.
Pin the Quick Facts Sheet on the corkboard of your workplace's lunchroom.
Write an update letter to your family. Include a Quick Facts Sheet, or a bookmark, or one of our brochures and some pictures.
Motivate your attorney to set up a special fund to help support individuals who do not have financial access to therapy, rehabilitative equipment (e-stim, splinting) or travel costs to go to a brachial plexus clinic in another area.
BPI Quick Facts
- Brachial plexus injuries are injuries affecting the network of nerves that control the muscles of the shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, hand and fingers. Brachial plexus injuries can result in full to partial paralysis of one or both (bilateral) arms.
- Stretching, tearing or other trauma can cause injury to the nerves of the brachial plexus.
- Brachial plexus injuries often occur during the birthing process. Availability of brachial plexus statistics vary widely, but where figures are available the general consensus is that brachial plexus injuries occur in 2-5 out of 1000 births.
- More children suffer from brachial plexus injuries sustained at birth than Down Syndrome or Muscular Dystrophy—yet information on this disability is not so readily obtained.
- Other causes of brachial plexus injuries include: automobile, motorcycle or boating accidents; sports injuries (known as "burners" or "stingers"); animal bites; gunshot or puncture wounds; as a result of specific medical treatments / procedures / and surgeries; or due to viral diseases.
- Adults who incur traumatic brachial plexus injuries often suffer from severe and chronic pain and struggle to find support, information and adequate medical care.
- Brachial plexus injuries occur 10-20 times more frequently than spinal cord injuries.
- Regardless of causation, it is essential that treatment for a brachial plexus injury be obtained as soon as possible from qualified, experienced medical professionals who specialize in treating brachial plexus injuries.
- While each injury is unique, some individuals may benefit from surgical intervention. Several specialized brachial plexus clinics around the world utilize a variety of cutting-edge operative approaches in attempting to maximize an individual's function.
- Many families and individuals with brachial plexus injuries face ongoing struggles with insurance companies to obtain coverage for treatment related to their disability. Most insurance companies are unaware or do not understand the treatment protocol for brachial plexus injuries.


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Bitcoin may be revolutionizing the way we understand money, but it hasn't made everything obsolete – like books. Books remain a powerful resource for storing and transferring knowledge to the masses, and whether you prefer to consume them on crisp paper pages or through the soft glow of a tablet, we hope you find time to flip through these:
1. Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies, by Andreas Antonopoulos. This book is an essential primer for understanding the concept of a decentralized, electronic currency. Antonopoulos masterfully renders the complex enigma that is cryptocurrency into the language of the average person. Whether you are searching for a text that explains the technology, application, or purpose of Bitcoin, this book is your starting point. We tip our hat to Antonopoulos for writing such a thorough work on such a difficult subject.
2. The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money Are Challenging the Global Economic Order, by Paul Vigna and Michael J Casey. Not everyone will invest in Bitcoin mining during its infancy – but almost everyone is curious what the craze is all about. Is it all hype or is there potential for a revolution here? Vigna and Casey, both Wall Street journalists, make the case for the future of cryptocurrency and specifically Bitcoin. If you want a tempered prognosis about the real potential of Bitcoin, this is the book you have been looking for.
3. Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money, by Nathaniel Popper. Where did Bitcoin even come from? That is a fair question, and one that there isn't actually a complete answer to. But Popper's book does as good a job as can be done. He delves into the cast of characters who have pushed and prodded this technology into the public consciousness, and shines some light on some of Bitcoin's greatest tales – including the many theories about the ever elusive Satoshi Nakamoto.
4.The Book Of Satoshi: The Collected Writings of Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto, by Phil Champagne. If you want to be able to hang out with "Bitcoin people", you'll have to know a little bit about Bitcoin lore. The mystery behind Nakamoto is not just one of the central pillars of that lore, it is one of the more fascinating questions of the 21st century. Who is he? Is he even a single person? And how can someone create such a powerful form of technology in total anonymity? Champagne's book will catch you up to speed on this tantalizing conversation.
5. Blockchain: Blueprint for a New Economy, by Melanie Swan. Are you ready to get a little bit technical? A lot of people will tell you that Bitcoin is a fad, and not an important one – that Blockchain is the important advancement in all of this. Maybe they're right! And maybe they're not. It's up to you to decide. This book considers the power of Blockchain and how it can change the world as we know it.
That's a start! If you have the chance, check out our very own guide on how to mine for bitcoin! If you read any of these, please let us know what you think. And if you already have read some of them, we want to hear from you, too! If you could have written this list, which books would you have added and which would you have removed?


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MORPHETTVILLE trainer Bill Papazaharoudakis is confident Mubakkir can return his best form this campaign when he resumes at Morphettville on Saturday.
The former Lindsay Park-trained galloper won four of first five starts in Adelaide for Papazaharoudakis at the back end of 2014 and early in 2015 and hasn't raced since last December.
"He's going all right,'' Papazaharoudakis said.
"He come back from Melbourne and didn't come back that well so we put him out again and he's had a big break.
"His last prep he just wasn't quite right, he had a bit of a bug and we couldn't get him 100 per cent. But it wasn't enough to stop him, he was still working well and wasn't finishing far from them,'' he said.
Mubakkir was placed behind Cavaloce in the 2016 City Of Marion Stakes before campaigning in Melbourne in early 2017 winning at Flemington before being narrowly beaten in a $120,000 Listed Super Saturday race.
Papazaharoudakis said the horse had proven himself on soft tracks in the past but had never raced on heavy going with the Morphettville Parks track down graded to a Heavy 9 on Friday.
"He's so consistent, he's a genuine open handicap horse,'' Papazaharoudakis added.
"We haven't trialled him or anything, hopefully there isn't too much more rain, but he should run OK.
"He handles a soft track and I think he's fit enough to be going to 1000m first-up,'' he said.
Mubakkir is marked a $14 chance with Ladbrokes behind a heavily backed Showpero who has been $2.50 in to $2.20 for her Adelaide return.
Showpero chased home Voodoo Lad at her group 3 debut in the Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield on July 14.
Ladbrokes' Tom Hackett said Showpero was the popular horse with punters while there was solid money for Akkacan later in the day.
Akkacan, the only horse backed to beat the Tony McEvoy-trained Domination, has been narrowly beaten at his past two starts since joining the Jon O'Connor stable, beating all but Aadelad first-up before chasing home All About Nicci last time.
"We've had two solid bets on Akkacan at a good price,'' Hackett said.
"He opened $7.50 but we took two good bets and he; 's now a $5.50 chance.
"Domination has also been very well backed with us in what has been a really good betting race."


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With an ever increasing number of machine vision and automated inspection systems becoming available in the market, the end user is confronted with a difficult task of evaluating the various offerings.
The online automated inspection systems can generally be split into two broad categories; Smart cameras and Personal Computer based cameras.
A smart camera is a camera that has the image processing hardware and software built into the camera itself whereas a PC based solution uses a separate camera to capture the image and then a personal computer is used to analyse the image and generate the output results.
The number of different cameras available for use with a PC far out number the number of smart cameras on the market.
If one compares these two groups of cameras it can easily be seen why the PC based solutions are far superior to the smart camera inspection systems.
Overall size – Smart cameras are larger and more bulky than compact PC based cameras. This can often be an issue when integrating the camera into manufacturing equipment where space is often limited.
Range of cameras available – PC based cameras is available from a large number of different manufacturers. This has resulted in a wide range of different camera resolutions, camera shapes and designs and camera capabilities being available.
The number of manufacturers offering smart cameras is significantly less and hence the range of products available is limited. In order for a machine vision integration company to be able to offer proper technical solution for a particular project, they need to be able to select the suitable optimal hardware. Hence the choices available using a PC based solution give much more flexibility and a better end result.
Database and statistical display capabilities – Many customers using automated inspection systems, require some form of statistical data to show how the inspection system is operating.
Smart camera systems are only able to store limited historical data and hence are really poor performers in this area. In many cases an additional PC is required to be connected to the smart camera to store and display the statistical information.
The PC based solution can however be fully customised to meet the end users requirements with regards to storage and display of statistical data.
User interfaces – Many customers prefer to have a customised user interface developed for their particular application. This allows the system to be more easily integrated into their existing production line.
Smart cameras usually do not offer a flexible user interface whereas a PC solution can be tailored in any way. It is simply a matter of software development. With the significant advances made in touch screen technology, the user interfaces are now significantly more robust with IP67 ratings now cost effective.
PC on the production floor – Historically manufacturers have been reluctant to have PC's on the production line. This has come from the familiarity with PLC based system controls and a general distrust of PC's.
The modern manufacturing environment is changing significantly with a much higher usage of PC's being common. The smart camera solution has the advantage that there is no PC on the line and may be better suited to some production line environments.
Modern touch screens and panel PC's are robust and well used in the rough manufacturing environments.
System cost – Generally smart camera systems are more expensive than PC based solutions. This is often difficult to assess and compare because the PC based systems offer a much larger range of functions and features.
If one compares a simple automatic inspection application or an application where a number of cameras are used together then the PC based solution is significantly lower cost.
A wide range of automated inspection smart cameras and PC based cameras are available from Azitech .


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JAPAN Leader mixes tradition, reform
Junichiro Koizumi consistently receives 50 percent or more support in polls.
TOKYO (AP) -- Junichiro Koizumi took office vowing to tear his ruling party apart and remake it, and for four years as prime minister he has pushed radical government reform.
Yet the man who has outsmarted critics while shattering political convention and has won wide popularity by embodying the campaign to transform Japan into a leaner, more forward-looking nation comes from a thoroughly traditional background.
A graduate of Tokyo's prestigious Keio University, which has long been a breeding ground of politicians and bureaucrats, the 63-year-old Koizumi is the heir to a minor political dynasty: His grandfather was a posts minister and his father headed the defense agency as members of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for nearly all of the past 50 years.
While still in his 20s, Koizumi interrupted a stint at University College London, where he was studying English, to make his first political campaign. As politicians' sons often do in Japan, he sought the parliament seat left empty by the death of his father.
Though he lost that 1969 race, he was taken under the wing of LDP lawmaker Takeo Fukuda, who later became prime minister.
Popular politician
Koizumi ran successfully for parliament in 1972, when he was 30. He has been re-elected 11 times from his district, which is centered on Yokosuka, his hometown just south of Tokyo that has long been a major Japanese navy port and is home to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet.
Though Koizumi is a divorced father -- a first for a Japanese prime minister -- he guards his privacy and little is said here of his personal life other than the frequent references to his trademark silver mane and his penchants for hard rock and Elvis.
He won his first Cabinet post in 1988 as minister of health. In 1992, he became head of the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry, and reform of the postal system's cash-rich savings and insurance programs soon became the cornerstone of his political platform.
After unsuccessful bids in 1995 and 1998, Koizumi became head of the LDP and prime minister in 2001, taking office as a widely popular reformer with bold plans to overhaul Japan's economy and eliminate his party's pork-barrel politics.
His rise to power included the unusual promise to "destroy" the party that had made him its president so it could be rebuilt from the ground up.
His structural reforms, including capping government spending and cleaning up the country's debt-laden banks, have been only partially successful.
Even so, he remains one of the most popular prime ministers Japan has ever had, consistently receiving 50 percent or higher support in public opinion polls.
Foreign policy
While pursuing reform at home, Koizumi is not likely to change his approach in foreign matters.
A strong backer of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Iraq, he has dispatched noncombat troops to both areas. He also supports amending Japan's pacifist constitution to give the military more freedom to act overseas, although he said late Sunday he would not pursue that goal in his final year as prime minister.
Japan also is one of the United States' negotiating partners in the effort to disarm North Korea of its nuclear weapons.
Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni war shrine have worsened tensions with China and South Korea, which consider the site a glorification of Japan's past aggressions. He has refused to say whether he would continue the visits.
Japan's campaign to win a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council has lost steam, in part because of opposition by China.
More like this from vindyarchives.com
- August 4, 2001 midnight
- November 17, 2003 midnight
A vote for reform in Japan
- September 19, 2005 midnight
- August 6, 2001 midnight
- July 26, 2004 midnight


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QuickStart Clarinet is a community started by clarinetist Josh Goo as a one stop shop for all your clarinet needs! You can have your clarinet questions answered at our Facebook page, you can buy your clarinet equipment from our Store, and you can learn how to play the clarinet and play music with our step-by-step online Courses.
I have always been fascinated with the issues of providing a complete, fundamentals education for clarinet students, and the difficulty of accessing lessons for some students. This is my solution, and I am excited you are here to join and become a great clarinetist and musician!
Feel free to contact us with any questions at
[email protected]
And be sure to click the link at the very top of this page to join the community and get your free downloadable gift of The 3 Steps to Mastering the Clarinet!
I'm looking forward to meeting you!
I can't wait to see where your clarinet journey takes you!


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95 ff., apparently complete according to the table of contents placed on the upper pastedown (collation i7 (10-3) [missing the first 3 ff. of quire], ii12, iii12, iv10, v12, vi10 (12-2) [with first and last folio of quire cancelled], vii12, viii10, ix10), on paper with outer and inner bifolia of quires in parchment (watermarks close to Briquet, "Balance dans un cercle, à plateaux rectangulaires, surmontée d'une étoile," no. 2450, Innsbruck, Passau, 1467; Gurck, 1469; Vienne, 1469-1471, Hongrie, 1471), written in a Gothic textualis script on up to 22 lines (justification 140 x 90 mm), ruled in light brown ink, prickings still visible, rubrics in red, headings in red, some capitals stroked in red, numerous painted 1- to 3-line high initials alternately in green or red, painted bright green 3- to 6-line high initials with red penwork, 3 larger parti-colored initial in bright green and red enhanced with red and green penwork (ff. 1, 5, 8v), some original parchment finding tabs stained in green. Bound in a fifteenth-century blind-stamped dark brown calf on wooden boards, back sewn on 3 raised thongs, covers tooled in blind to a saltire design within a frame composed of triple fillets, lozenge pattern with small discs marking intersections, front and back covers both with four brass cornerpieces and centerpiece, leather catch and brass clasp, parchment pastedowns with fragments of 14th c. manuscript (or late 13th c.), some traces of another German language manuscript used to reinforce the pastedowns (Covers a bit scruffy, pastedowns detached, a few waterstains in no way affecting legibility).Dimensions 225 x 140 mm.
Preserved in its original monastic binding, this Missal with its ornate painted initials bears an inscription revealing its first (or very early) owner, a Brother Erasmus, member of the order of the Carmelites, in a region named "Lyff." This could very well be a locality in Lyffland, now in modern Latvia and Estonia, from which few manuscripts survive. Many unique codicological features enhance the special interest of this codex as an wholly intact example of medieval book-making.
1. Script, decoration and watermarks suggest an Austrian or Hungarian origin for this manuscript.
2. Inscription on lower pastedown reads: "Ego fratrus Erasmus ordine carmelitarum cooperator in lÿffii anno domini 1481." The missal thus belonged in 1481 to a Brother Erasmus of the order of the Carmelites in a town or region called Lyff. Also on f. 4v, an interrupted inscription and a date: "Item ist liber pertinet ad pulcher […]. Anno 1481." It seems probable the manuscript traveled to a region (rather than a town) referred to as Lyff. A possibility would be "Königriek Lyffland " which in Low German designates the region of Lyffland or Livland, better known as historical Livonia, in the Baltic region of modern-day Latvia and Estonia. In the Middle Ages Livonia designated a much broader territory controlled by the Livonian Order on the eastern coasts of the Baltic Sea in present-day Latvia and Estonia. Its frontiers are the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland in the north-west, Lake Peipus and Russia to the east, and Lithuania to the south. Livonia was ruled by an upper class of Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten) that quickly came to control all the administrations of government, politics, economics, education, and culture of these territories for over seven centuries until 1918.
Front pastedown, [Table of contents], rubric, Registrum huius specialis et missarum quod continentur in eo; Registrum Commune de apostolis de virgini et de die; noteworthy is the alpha-numerical system of reference to contents reported in red headings in upper margins of each folio (a1 to h9, quire signatures serving double function as foliation and quire signatures);
ff. 1-4v, Canon of the Mass, incipit, "Te igitur clementissime pater per Ihesum Christum…";
ff. 5-66v, Masses for the Temporal and Sanctoral (Proprium de tempore; Proprium Sanctorum), Primo omnis tres misse in die nativitatis Christi [as announced in the Registrum on front pastedown], incipit, "Dominus dixit ad me filius meus…";
ff. 66-95v, Common of the Saints (Commune Sanctorum), rubric, Comune de sanctis et primo in vigilia apostoli.
This Missal is interesting as a liturgical text with its selection of masses but also for its numerous codicological features that make it an excellent candidate for studying manuscript book-making and circulation towards the end of the fifteenth century. The manuscript was most certainly copied in an Austrian or Hungarian environment and likely transported quite early on to the Baltic region of Livonia. It is interesting to see how manuscripts copied in German circulated to be used by "ex-patriate" Baltic Germans.
A remarkable codicological feature is the contemporary foliation that refers back to the table of contents pasted over the upper pastedown. The foliation here takes the form of signatures that have been copied in red in the upper margin ("a" to "h"), which are quite unusual, quire signatures usually figuring at the bottom right margin of folios in printed books (and sometimes in manuscripts, where they were intended to be trimmed off). It is worth noting that these foliation-signatures appear to replace catchwords, not present in the manuscript, and so must also have served the binder, who sorted the quires to put together the volume, and in this manner reflects the influence of printed books. The manuscript survives as a wholly intact example of medieval book-making, displaying many, many features of production: an original binding, bosses and cornerpieces, pastedowns (perhaps from a legal manuscript), binding waste, table of content, finding tabs (of the same color as the initials), unusual foliation, etc. Added to these special features are the highly decorative, ornate initials in bright green and red which have yet to be localized in a specific center of production in the Germanic regions.
Baroffio, Giacomo. Iter Liturgicum Italicum, Padua 1999.
Harper, John. The Forms and Orders of Western Liturgy, Oxford, 1991.
Hughes, Andrews. Medieval Manuscripts for Mass and Office, Toronto, 1982.
Jungmann, Joseph. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Origins and Development, tr. F.A. Brunner. 2 vols., New York, 1950.
Pfaff, Richard. Medieval Latin Liturgy: A Select Bibliography, Toronto, 1982.
Plummer, John, ed. Liturgical manuscripts for the Mass and the Divine Office, New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, 1964.
Van Dijk, S.J.P. Sources of the Modern Roman Liturgy. 2 vols., Leiden, 1963.
On Livonia
British Library on the Mass


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"Christianity without tears – that's what soma is." – Mustapha Mond
Soma is part tranquilizer, part hallucinogen, part anti-depressant. Prescribed to and compulsorily consumed by all inhabitants of Huxley's Brave New World. What Huxley described in the novel was no doubt thought unimaginable before the regimes Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong.
Huxley described a mass produced society, where people are not born but grown on an assembly line two hundred and twenty meters long. They advance down the assembly in a contained neatly in a bottle at the unperceivable rate of thirty-three and a third centimeters an hour. The process of the assembly line applied to biology. The fetuses (fetie?) are baked, cooled, shaken and injected with every inoculation and poison imaginable. Oxygen deprivation at pre determined intervals along the assembly line creates a sub-par people for sub-par conditions. As the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning described "An Epsilon embryo must have an Epsilon environment as well as an Epsilon heredity". Once the fetuses reach the end of the incubating line they arrive at the decanting room, from there until adulthood they are subjugated to every conceivable form of mental and social conditioning. People created on assembly lines to work assembly lines. The population is divided into casts, the Alpha Double Plus at the top and the Epsilon Semi-Moron at the bottom, with every conceivable division in-between. Alphas are genetically unique; everyone else belongs to a clone batch. Genetic distinctions added to the classic European cast system.
Huxley described a cult of personality before such a term or an example existed (excluding Christianity and Christ). God is dead he has been replaced. Time is measured in relative to the birth year of Henry Ford, the inventor of the modern mass assembly line. All Christian crosses have been chopped off to form a T in honor of Henry Ford's mass-produced groundbreaking Model T automobile. This concept sounds silly or naive to the modern conditioned reader, but the horror of its meaning should not be ignored.
The story documents what happens when a "savage" is introduced to the "civilized" world sometime during the 7th Century A.F. The savage John would easily be recognized as a rugged individualistic American. In fact he is, he from the New Mexico savage reservation; and area deemed to sparsely populated to be civilized (as a verb rather than an adjective). He is well versed in Christianity, American Indian Religion and the works William Shakespeare – banned texts in the civilized world.
At first Johns individualism would appear to be of grave danger to the state and the body politic but Mustapha Mond the controller of Western Europe is unafraid. He introduces John to the world with great fan fare and publicity – mass entertainment. John is horrified by this mass culture so very different from his own, he sees the people of this world as addicted and enslaved (you would agree). However John's appeals for freedom do not fall completely on deaf ears; Bernard the man who discovered John on the reservation and Bernard's best friend are exiled to the Falkland Islands as a result for their heresy. And John, he is excluded from returning to the reservation or to exile with Bernard. He remains as a test of the system, a cultural rebel. He elects to live out his life in the English countryside. But he cannot escape the mass desire of the people for laughter and violence, being something he provides easily with his barbaric individualism. He is precursor to reality television? Maybe, but the contestants usually don't whip the fans then commit public suicide.
Mustapha Mond was unafraid because he was proving the system was self conditioning and self excluding. He understood that the ideals of John the Savage would be understand by at most only a few and that the compromised elements could easily be removed through any means he felt necessary. Mustapha Mond appreciated people who escaped the mental and social orthodoxy but he was well aware that they could not be allowed to remain in circulation; he rewarded their revelations with forced exile to islands of their own choice.
Google has added brave new world to their library. Brave New World


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trō'jən - "...Of courageous determination or energy. One who shows the pluck, endurance,
determined energy, or the like, attributed to the defenders of Troy."
Trojan's An Heir To The Throne HIC
Memphis' 'aunt' painted a portrait of him.
Memphis on his 4th birthday.
Sadly, Memphis' best friend, and grandpa, recently passed away. He will be greatly missed by Memphis, Cameron, and Fran.
Memphis at 3 1/2 years old.
Memphis on his 2nd birthday.
Memphis at 26 months.
Memphis, and his great gift from Santa.......a new friend!
And just a few seconds later........(we're told he only needed a few minor repairs)
Memphis at 14 months
Memphis earning his HIC
Herding again...
Here's me with my grandpa
Here's me going home with my new dad
Here's me at 9 weeks, playing with my mom
The contents of/herein [entire site, text, artwork, HTML, et cetera and
all linked subpages] of Trojan® Rottweilers Homepage is © Copyright 2000-to current.
Not to be used without Website Owner's Permission.


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Birth Injuries
Well Recognized Prominence
Our attorneys have long been known in the legal community as among the best trial attorneys in the Midwest. Recognition received includes:
- AV rating* under the Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating system
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America Directory for more than 25 years
- Top 10 and Top 50 Super Lawyers in Kansas, Missouri, and Kansas City
The Most Devastating Kind of Injury
Mistakes made by doctors, nurses and technicians in the delivery room can result in catastrophic injuries that can last a lifetime for the baby or mother.
No Attorney Fees Unless We Help You Recover Money
At Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, we understand how much a birth injury affects your family. Birth injuries are among the most emotional of all medical malpractice injuries because they harm the most vulnerable victims.
Our trial attorneys and staff are compassionate about your losses and will be by your side throughout the process. We go beyond the legal issues, as we help you seek the medical, social and financial support services you need.
We represent families affected by birth injuries to mother and baby, including:
- Hospital errors
- C-Section injuries
- Infections
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb's palsy
- Forceps injuries
- Traumatic brain injury to baby
- Improper prenatal and postnatal medical negligence
Winning a Medical Negligence Case
We often receive calls from clients whose doctors made a general mistake by misdiagnosing a condition or prescribing the wrong medication. Medical negligence cases, such as birth injuries, have gotten very difficult to prove and win over the past several years.
If you have a birth injury case in which you can show actual medical and financial damages, we can help you fight to protect your rights. We have the professional and technical resources of independent experts to help us prepare the strongest case possible for a settlement or jury award.
Free Consultation
Contact our medical birth injuries lawyers to learn more about our record of success. Our experienced trial attorneys represent clients in cases throughout Missouri, Kansas and the Midwest. You can also call us toll free at 866-484-8966 to arrange a free consultation. If you can't come to us, we'll try our best to come to you.


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DOWNLOAD THIS EPISODE BY CLICKING HERE! right click, save link as
Mine and Daniel Borden's Monthly Rock Talk Show!
Named after a song written by The Luxury Sweets of Santa Cruz California!
1 The Orange Tiny Terror
2 The Birth of Action Time Radio
3 Andy Panik Plays It Safe
4 Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues
5 Danny's Documentary Gig
6 M For Mississippi
7 Ron Edwards Nothin' But The Blues Theme
8 Danny Attempts To Play Audio On His End_Danny Fixes His Mic_Danny On KDHX 88.1 St Louis Nothin' But The Blues
9 Recording In New Orleans and The Whole Rancid Live Experience
10 Mike Moves To Los Angeles
11 Dave King, Fastway, and Flogging Molly
12 Vocal Lessons & The Will
13 Young Heart Attack
14 The New York Dolls and The Quakes
15 Wrap It Up
16 Contact Outro, Mamie Minch Intro
17 Mamie Minch – Cake When I'm Hungry, Fish Story
Danny Borden and Mamie Minch share a matching tattoo although they had never met before :


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LSUA students fill residence hall on move-in day
Despite having a large commuter population, Louisiana State University of Alexandria had more than 300 students move into The Oaks Residence Hall on Monday.
The on-campus apartments were almost at capacity with 302 students on move-in day. Angela Reed, director of housing/residence life, said she expected to fill the last two spots by the end of the week. Capacity was increased from 252 last year by adding bunkbeds to many rooms.
Those moving in to their new campus home represented different ages, classifications, sports and majors. Some represented other countries, as the school has several international students this year, Reed said.
She and her staff handed out keys and information as students entered the lobby Monday morning. LSUA soccer players were on hand to help families unload vehicles and carry items into rooms.
Kailey Harper, 18, and her parents came from Lafayette to move the freshman into the apartment she'll be sharing with three other girls.
"That's gonna be interesting," Harper said with a laugh. "I haven't shared a room with someone since I was in third grade."
The oldest of three siblings, Harper said the transition seemed to be hardest for her mom.
"She cried a week before (high school) graduation," she said. "I can't imagine what she's gonna do when she leaves (today)."
Luv Blackburn, 20, and Gabby Landry, 18, met for the first time on Monday when they unpacked their stuff into the room they'll share this semester. They hadn't intended to have bunkbeds, but the single rooms were full when they registered.
"We'll make it work," said Landry, a freshman from Baton Rouge.
Brooks Richard, 18, was a little nervous but mostly excited about his first year of college and the new lifestyle it entails. He's going from living with his parents and younger sister to sharing a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with three guys, which he expects to be a transition for both him and his family.
On top of starting his business major, Richard is looking forward to time on the baseball diamond as an outfielder for the Generals this year.
Classes at LSUA start Aug. 25.


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Beautiful Amanda glows in her sheer lace back wedding gown. Soft white silk chiffon floats over blush liquid satin cut into a flattering A-line skirt, an Alencon lace bodice hugs the body. Details include lace trim at the neckline, pearl and rhinestone diamante at the waist and an unforgettable back of appliqued Alencon lace on sheer tulle.
Amanda inspired the "Amanda" gown.
© 2017 Catherine Langlois Bridal Design | Web Design: Bus Stop Design
Collections | About | Events | Press | Merci | Contact Us | Shop | 416.652.9587


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|Dawn's quilt from the Diana Hire class last year at the AQS Show.
|Her first quilt - very impressive!
|Pam shows her love for chocolate, even with her quilts.
|Sherry's future grandchild is going to love this quilt!
|Becky was inspired by Sherry's program last month.
|Teresa used Kaffe Fassett prints for this quilt.
|And she displays this curved pieced quilt in her kitchen.
|Vista shows her curved improvisational quilt.
|And Vista has been making simple blocks from her stash.
|And an old family apple core with some great old fabrics.
|At last ! The final clue for our Mystery Quilt!


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Fitnessworx is all about BEING ACTIVE and HAVING FUN. Fitnessworx offer an alternative to sport-specific activity. SPORT is not for everyone – but physical activity needs to be a regular part of a child's daily routine, to provide the foundation for a long, healthy life.
Helping children adopt a healthy lifestyle early will have a tremendous impact on their physical, intellectual, emotional and social development.
Director, Simone Minett, developed Fitnessworx in 2004 to address an existing market gap – a fun alternative to sport-specific activity for school-aged children.
Physical Activity that's NOT sport? Huh?
Children can learn the fundamental skills required for every sport imaginable without having to play, or be coached in, one specific sport.
There are a lot of young children that shy away from sport, often "accidentally" leaving their sports gear at home. This is not so much due to a fear of being active but rather a fear of competition and the competitive nature of team sports. Often this is because they never developed the basic skills such as hand-eye coordination when they were younger and don't want to stand out, be laughed at or let the team down – resulting in negative experiences with physical activity.
Fitnessworx programs are successful because they cater to children of varying levels of fitness and skill. Fitnessworx have removed the competitiveness often associated with team sport, and the structure and repetition of a traditional sports clinic, to create programs that centre around enjoyment and inclusiveness, providing everyone with the opportunity to achieve success in a safe and supportive environment.


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Sometimes it's fun to open the proverbial drawer and take a look at old writing, even when you don't think you'll ever revisit it again. About two years ago, I got the crazy idea that I might revise XIII, my old series and one of my favorite things I've written. I'm still bothered by the fact that XIII remains completely finished but mostly unedited; I suppose I have a hard time letting go, which is why I return to it at times. My mind wants to "complete the circuit." Upon looking through the most recent revisions, I found that my writing is passable but still needs work. There's something about it that's "missing," but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
This excerpt is from the September 2015 revision of Chapter 11 of the first book in the series, STROPHE,* which introduces the main characters who remain in play for most of the series and hints at the upcoming supernatural conflict (related to demigods and Greek mythology).
Low, murmuring voices broke into her thoughts. Gavin was speaking to his mother, but Naomi couldn't hear a word they were saying, and from where she stood on the stairs, she could see only the gray streaks in Gavin's mother's hair as the light from the television flickered over them.
"Naomi," Gavin said, and she followed his voice until she joined him on the couch opposite the plush recliner in which his mother rested.
Ms. Dufford was a squat mushroom of a woman; she had a smooth, youngish face that betrayed little emotion, and as Naomi moved closer and stretched out her hand for her to shake, she caught the scent of mold on the air, as though the woman were releasing spores. "Hi," Naomi said. She put on her best school spirit smile and waited for Ms. Dufford to take her hand.
She did not. "I heard my stepdaughter admiring your outfit," she said.
Naomi dropped her hand and slipped it into her other, which she hid behind her back. "She said she liked it," she said.
As Sylvia had done, Ms. Dufford glanced at Naomi, who shivered involuntarily, like the woman's gaze itself emitted dust that tickled her skin.
"Naomi and I are going back up to my room," Gavin said. He took Naomi's hand and threaded his fingers in hers. His hand felt clammy, like he was feverish. The entire house seemed to have taken on a dismal cast that not even the bright, smiley commercials on the television could lift.
"You do that. I hope you will remember what I told you," Ms. Dufford said.
Feedback is welcome.
*strophe [n]: (1) the movement of the classical Greek chorus while turning from one side to the other of the orchestra; (2) the part of a Greek choral ode sung during the strophe of the dance.


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It may be fun, but sending NASA scientists on snowmobiles to survey ice floes isn't the most productive use of their time. That's why the agency has sent GROVER to do the job instead. The solar-powered Greenland Rover is an autonomous vehicle with ground penetrating radar that's been designed to examine how the ice flow has changed over time. As the Arctic sun will never drop below the horizon, GROVER will be able to work 24 hours a day, give or take the odd social media break.
[Image Credit: Gabriel Trisca, Boise State University]


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Mashable.com Ranks Kajeet as #1 for Kids Cell Phones!
July 26, 2013
The results are in: Mashable.com has ranked Kajeet as #1 in their list of the 7 best cell phones for kids!
They credit Kajeet's wide variety of phones, useful parental controls and, "best of all," no contract-service! Read the full list here!
4G LTE Now Available on Kajeet!
July 23, 2013
What do you get when you combine the lightning-fast data speeds kids want with the safe, filtered service parents love? 4G LTE on Kajeet!
Here are three Android™ smartphones, brand new to Kajeet, that support a lightning-fast 4G LTE data connection:
Learn more about 4G LTE on Kajeet here!
*Mobile hotspot functionality will not work on Android devices enabled with 4G LTE. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc.
Join Kidsave in Helping Kids Find Families
July 22, 2013
Every kid deserves a good family. Kidsave works to create change so older forgotten orphanage and foster kids
grow up in families and connected to caring adults.
Join Kidsave in its summer miracle events to help build stronger kids and stronger families!


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This is a commercial ad of Gucci. This commercial was released in September 2017 in Italy. Under the title of "Gucci: Bloom Fragrance 2017". This commercial was directed by Glen Luchford.
"I wanted a rich white floral fragrance, a courageous scent that transports you to a vast garden filled with many flowers and plants, a bouquet of abundance. The garden is as beautiful as women are; colorful, wild, diverse, where there is everything," Alessandro Michele. Presenting the Gucci Bloom film campaign, directed by Glen Luchford and starring Dakota Johnson, Hari Nef and Petra Collins.
Capturing the spirit of the contemporary, diverse and authentic women of Gucci, Bloom's notes of natural tuberose and Jasmine create an unexpectedly rich white floral scent on the skin. Rangoon Creeper, a plant discovered in South India that changes color from white to pink and finally to red when it blooms, infuses a powdery, floral edge to the fragrance.
♬Another lie moves over
Wild, white horses
They will take me away
And the tenderness I feel
Will send the dark underneath
Will I follow?♬
The commercial song is "The Rip" by Portishead For those of you who like this song "The Rip", you can download it from Amazon or Itunes.
In addition, the official Youtube channel of Portishead provides the official music video of this song "The Rip".
Watch the whole advertisement here.
Gucci: Bloom Fragrance 2017
Client: Gucci
Geo: Italy
Released: September 2017
Designer: Alessandro Michele
Director: Glen Luchford
Photographer: Glen Luchford
Art Director: Christopher Simmonds
Fashion Editor / Stylist: Joe McKenna
Hair Stylist: Paul Hanlon
Actors: Dakota Johnson, Hari Nef, Petra Collins
Music: The Rip by Portishead


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Category Archives: Doctor Who
Review: Doctor Who, Series Eleven, Episode Six, 'The Demons of Punjab'
Another beautifully written historical episode. I think the fact that showrunner Chris Chibnall has ensured that people of colour are hired to write historically sensitive episodes like this, and 'Rosa', is making a palpable difference. Writer Vinay Patel's grandparents were … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who Tagged Doctor Who 7 Comments
Micro Review: Doctor Who, Season Eleven, Episode 5 'The Tsuranga Conundrum'
I have a blinding headache, so this is just a quick note to say I thought this episode was a lot of fun. Loved the Space General with her robot consort. Loved the multiple explorations of family dynamics. Loved the … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who Tagged Doctor Who 2 Comments
Doctor Who: season eleven, episode 4, 'Arachnids in the UK'
This was a solid episode. It didn't blow me away the way that the previous three episodes did, but it didn't have to. Not every episode has to deal with issues as prescient and historically significant as 'Rosa', and we … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who Tagged Doctor Who 3 Comments
Doctor Who: series eleven, episode two, 'Rosa'
This week Doctor Who tackled a pivotal moment in American history with heartbreaking resonance for current events. With white supremacy on the rise again, choosing to have the first historical episode in this season focus on Rosa Parks is bold … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who Tagged Doctor Who, rosa parks Leave a comment
Doctor Who: series eleven, episode two, 'The Ghost Monument'
I am so freakin' EXCITE about the new Doctor Who. The writers seem to be going out of their way to establish both their sci-fi and Whovian credentials, and I don't mind one bit. This week was a fast-packed action … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who Tagged Doctor Who 7 Comments
Doctor Who: series eleven, episode one, 'The Woman who Fell to Earth'
Yup. That'll do. The first episode of series eleven of new Doctor Who (New Who) just aired. Theoretically controversial, but actually massively supported, the most striking feature of this episode is that it marks the debut of the first female … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who Tagged Doctor Who, jodie whittaker, the woman who fell to earth 24 Comments
Review: Doctor Who: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
Well, that was the best episode of Doctor Who we have seen in a very long time. It was near perfect in execution, nodded to a past that charts back before 2005, and had some deep, troubling and interestingly explored … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who, Review Tagged Alien Earth, Clara, Doctor Who, feminism, Hegel, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, Marxism, master/slave dialectic, Megan Lindholm, review, sexism 25 Comments
Review: Doctor Who, 'The Bells of Saint John'
I rather enjoyed this episode. Have I surprised you? I've seen a lot of disappointment on Twitter, contrasted with a bunch of other people shouting about how it was PERFECT and haters are gonna hate. Given my feelings about recent … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who, Review Tagged Clara Oswin Oswald, Doctor Who, feminism, Matt Smith, Meddling Monk, review, Richard E Grant, Rose, sexism 6 Comments
The Second Annual Serene Wombles
Two years! Woo-woo! Thanks for keeping with me. It's been another hell of a year, and although Life Events have meant that I wasn't able to review quite as much as I would have liked, you've stuck with me, and … Continue reading
Posted in A Dance With Dragons, A Game of Thrones, Awesome Things, Comics, Digital Art, Doctor Who, Dredd 3D, Game of Thrones, ISotHM's Birthday, Lee Pace, Misfits, Peter Dinklage, Prometheus, Real Life Fiction, Review, Reviewing through the Time Machine, Robocop, Romanitas, Romatically Apocalyptic, Rome Burning, Shakespeare, Sophia McDougall, Stephen King, superheroes, The Blazing World, The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Tower, The Fades, The Glass Slipper, The Guild, The Hollow Crown, The Hunger Games, The Serene Wombles Tagged Ben Whishaw, Dredd, Dredd 3D, Game of Thrones, Lee Pace, Lena Headey, Romanitas, Romantically Apocalyptic, Rome Burning, Sophia McDougall, Stephen King, The Dark Tower, The Drawing of the Three, The Glass Slipper, The Hollow Crown 5 Comments
Review: Doctor Who, 'A Town Called Mercy'
OK, when Doctor Who wins its obligatory Hugo next year, I vote we give it to this episode. I thought that was stonking. That said, I can see my Twitter feed is already a flutter with voices of dissent. I … Continue reading
Posted in Doctor Who, Review Tagged A town called mercy, Amy Pond, cyborgs, Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor, existentialism, Red Dwarf, review, Rory, Rory Pond, Sartre, T2, Terminator, Terminator 2, The Dark Tower 16 Comments


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Update at 10:24 a.m.
Houston Independent School District officially closed all schools and administrative offices for the day. The freeways are still a mess as temperatures remain at or below freezing throughout the area. Forecasts suggest temperatures should climb above freezing by noon and the ice should dissipate.
Update at 8:35 a.m.:
Officials have asked that if people don't have to drive, they wait as many bridges and overpasses have ice on them. Both airports have canceled flights until around 9 a.m. and most schools in the Greater Houston area are closed for the day. Many businesses have delayed opening as well and it is clear from the lack of traffic that plenty of Houstonians have decided to stay home today. There are still wrecks dotting the freeways, however.
The temperature in Houston should climb back above freezing by later this morning, melting the ice and making the roadways safe again -- well, as safe as they can be in Houston anyway.
Original Entry:
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To our northern American neighbors, the kind of weather Houston is experiencing is child's play. It would be like them complaining about a day in August with 95-degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity. We'd shrug it off as we slipped from one air conditioned environment to the next. This weather -- this wintry, cold, freezing mess -- is what, in January, people up north refer to as "Friday."
So, when schools shut down, it's not simply because of the discomfort to students or because it is truly dangers outside for bus drivers, it is, at least in part, because our city loses its freaking mind at even a hint of freezing weather.
At least in this case, they might be right to do so. Many area schools have closed or at least delayed opening today as icy roads throughout the area will certainly cause delays on area roadways. Add to that the fact that it is Friday and it is likely to be a ghost town on freeways this morning. Better that than trafficpocalypse.
The good news is that all this will subside by the late morning for the immediate Houston area and things should begin to return to normal. By Sunday, you'll be wearing flip flops as temps climb to around 70. So, enjoy the freezing respite while you can and stay off the roads.