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Cochlear Implants: Deafness Can't Quiet Mighty Melody
"We couldn't just wait and let our baby die." - Kaleb Unger
Melody Faith Unger weighed only 13 ounces when she was born almost four months early. Her skin was so transparent her organs were visible and her hearing had yet to develop. The doctors said she wouldn't survive.
Her mom, Lois Unger, already had lost one baby to a placental abruption—when the placenta tears away from the uterus. So, when Lois felt a similar pain about five months into pregnancy, she rushed to a nearby hospital, calling her husband, Kaleb, on the way.
After a few tense seconds of silence, the emergency doctor detected the baby's heartbeat. "That's the sweetest melody," Lois said.
But confirming the abruption, the doctor said he couldn't save the baby. The Ungers refused to accept this.
"We couldn't just wait and let our baby die," Kaleb said.
So an ambulance rushed Lois to another hospital, where doctors performed an emergency cesarean delivery on May 21, 2011.
The baby survived the first 24 hours, then 48, then a week. "Making it through this is going to take a lot of faith," Lois said. The Ungers decided to name their daughter Melody Faith.
"Mighty Melody," as her father began calling her, had a will that confounded her doctors. She started to gain weight and develop. Kaleb watched her first eyelash grow.
The baby spent 136 days in the NICU. The doctors had to install a shunt to drain fluid from her brain. Sadly, five months after Melody's birth, Lois died from heart problems made worse by the pregnancy.
As he grieved his wife's death, Kaleb—who had never cared for a baby—took Melody home, determined to be both father and mother to her.
Music to her ears
Babies normally respond to sound, but Melody didn't react at all. A hearing test at 6 months confirmed Melody was deaf. Her doctor mentioned cochlear implants, devices that would bypass the damaged parts of Melody's ears and stimulate the auditory nerves directly.
Kaleb researched the region's two centers that perform cochlear implants and chose Saint Luke's Hospital Midwest Ear Institute. Her otologist, Bradley Thedinger, M.D., determined Melody was a good candidate.
Time was of the essence. "Speech and language development start in utero, so deafness can delay development and hinder a child's ability to learn," said Saint Luke's pediatric audiologist Jamie Governal, Au.D., who works with Melody.
Fluid in her ears and the small size of her ear canals delayed the surgery. When she was 19 months old, Dr. Thedinger performed the procedure on one ear. Two months later, he did the other. After two weeks of healing, an audiologist turned on her implants. Melody turned her head toward a squeaky toy.
"Their ears are born the day you turn on the implant," Governal explained. Now Melody had to play catch up.
Learning to listen
Within two months, Melody responded to her name. She giggled at the nicknames her dad invented for her: "Sugar Pants," "Turkey Bird," and "Stinker Sue."
Kaleb is a drummer with a Christian rock band. Melody began dancing to his music and playing his drums. She'll play any instrument he puts in her hands: a guitar, horn, or recorder.
Now a spirited 4-year-old with luminous pigtails and matching orange glasses she chose herself, Melody has gone through physical, occupational, and speech therapy at Saint Luke's.
Once a week, she also gets auditory verbal therapy, which focuses on learning to listen and talk. "We have to learn to listen before we learn to talk," Governal said.
Melody has amazed her therapists and teachers. She progressed the equivalent of 17 months of development only seven months after receiving her implants.
Best of all, her hearing now tests at 95 percent of normal, although her father reports she doesn't hear "no."
This applies to the small stuff—like "No, you cannot climb the ladder" or "No, you cannot operate a belt sander"—as well as to her very existence. When her doctors told her, "No, you will not survive," Mighty Melody refused to listen.


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Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the electronic energy band structure for bismuth nanowires in comparison to bulk bismuth, which is a semimetal with electrons in 3 carrier pockets at the L points in the rhombohedral Brillouin zone and holes in a single carrier pocket at the T point, and the band overlap of bulk Bi is 38 meV [20]. For Bi nanowires oriented along the bisectrix direction, there are two electron pockets in which the electrons have a heavy cyclotron Figure 1. Dependence of Z2DT and Z1DT on quantum well and effective mass (mh) and one electron pocket with a light quantum wire widths dW for the layers of the Bi quantum wells c normal to the trigonal direction and the Bi wire axis along the cyclotron effective mass (ml ), where the cyclotron mass is c trigonal direction. an average for the in-plane motion. Fig. 2, b, and c show Физика твердого тела, 1999, том 41, вып. 758 M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Dresselhaus, X. Sun, Z. Zhang, S.B. Cronin, T. Koga schematically the calculated ground state energies of the [3] H.J. Goldsmid. Electronic Refrigeration. Pion, London (1986).
[4] A.F. Ioffe, S.V. Airapetyants, A.V. Ioffe, N.V. Kolomoets, heavy electron and light electron subbands and also the L.S. Stil'bans. Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 102, 981 (1956).
hole subband for a Bi wire oriented along the bisectrix [5] L.D. Hicks, T.C. Harman, X. Sun, M.S. Dresselhaus. Phys. Rev.
direction with a diameter of 100 nm and 50 nm, respectively, B53, 10493 (1996).
in comparison to the bulk Bi band structure shown in [6] L.D. Hicks, M.S. Dresselhaus. Phys. Rev. B47, 12727 (1993).
fig. 2, a [24]. Here we see that the lowest heavy electron [7] M.S. Dresselhaus, T. Koga, X. Sun, S.B. Cronin, K.L. Wang, subband lies lower than the corresponding light electron G. Chen. In 16th Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics: Proceedings, subband. The figure further shows that the 100 nm wire is a ICT'97; Dresden, Germany / Ed. by A. Heinrich and J. Schusemimetal with a small band overlap of 3 meV, and thermal mann, p. 12–20.
energy (25 meV) is sufficient to cause significant occupation [8] M.S. Dresselhaus, X. Sun, S.B. Cronin, T. Koga, G. Dresof the light electron subband. However, the 50 nm diameter selhaus, K.L. Wang. In: Thermoelectric Materials - New wire along the bisectrix direction is a semiconductor and Directions and Approaches: MRS Symposia Proceedings, thermal excitation excites only heavy electrons. Thus, we San Francisco. 478 / Ed. by T.M. Tritt, M.G. Kanatzidis, can expect rather different transport properties for a 100 nm H.B. Lyon, Jr., G.D. Mahan, Materials Research Society Press, Pittsburgh, PA, (1997). P. 55.
and a 50 nm diameter wire.
[9] L.D. Hicks, M.S. Dresselhaus. Phys. Rev. B47, 16631 (1993).
Experimental transport studies are in progress to verify [10] Lyndon D. Hicks. The effect of quantum-well superlattices on the predictions of the model for semiconducting bismuth the thermo-electric figure of merit. PhD thesis, Massachusetts for small wire diameters. In the semiconducting regime, Institute of Technology (1996). Department of Physics.
work is in progress to estimate the thermoelectric properties [11] L.D. Hicks, T.C. Harman, M.S. Dresselhaus. Appl. Phys. Lett.
of the bismuth nanowires theoretically and to measure 63, 3230 (1993).
them experimentally, focusing on the conditions needed for [12] Shu Yuan, H. Krenn, G. Springholz, G. Bauer. Phys. Rev. B47, realizing an enhancement in ZT.
7213 (1993).
[13] G. Springholz, G. Ihninger, G. Bauer, M.M. Oliver, J.Z. Pastalan, S. Romaine, B.B. Goldberg. Appl. Phys. Lett. 63, 5. Conclusions (1993).
[14] T.C. Harman, D.L. Spears, D.R. Calawa, S.H. Groves, Some of the recent achievements that have been made M.P. Walsh. In: 16th Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics: Proceedin the use of low dimensional materials for thermoelectric ings, ICT'97; Dresden, Germany / Ed. by A. Heinrich and applications include a ZT 1.2 within n-type PbTe quantum J. Schumann. P. 416.
wells at room temperature [5]. Higher values are expected [15] X. Sun, G. Chen, K. Wang, M.S. Dresselhaus. In: 17th for this system at higher temperatures. The highest value of Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics: Proceedings, ICT'98; Nagoya, ZT for any thermoelectric material under any conditions Japan / Ed. by Kunihito Koumoto. Institute of Electrical and (ZT > 1.9) was achieved for a PbTe/PbSe0.98Te0.02/Te Electronics Engineers, Inc., Piscataway (1998).
superlattice at 570 K [18] where the system showed no [16] R. Venkatasubramanian. In: 17th Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics: Proceedings, ICT'98; Nagoya, Japan / Ed. by quantum confinement effects. Since research in this field Kunihito Koumoto. Institute of Electrical and Electronics is still at an early stage of development, significantly more Engineers, Inc., Piscataway (1998).
progress in enhancing ZT further is expected for the [17] T. Koga, X. Sun, S.B. Cronin, M.S. Dresselhaus. Appl. Phys.
future. It is thus appropriate to review recent progress on Lett., in press.
thermoelectric materials in celebration of the 80th birthday [18] T. Harman et al. In: The 40th Electronic Materials Conference.
of the Ioffe Institute, which has made so many important Charlottesville, VA, USA, (1998), abstract.
historical contributions to the field of thermoelectricity.
[19] H. Kato, A. Yamamoto, M. Takimoto, T. Ohta, K. Sakamoto, K. Miki, L. Whitlow, K. Kamisako, T. Matsui. In: 17th Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics: Proceedings, ICT'98; Nagoya, Acknowledgments Japan / Ed. by Kunihito Koumoto. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., Piscataway (1998).
The authors would like to thank T.C. Harman, J.P. Here[20] V.S. Edel'man. Adv. Phys. 25, 555 (1976).
mans, G. Chen, J. Ying and K.L. Wang for valuable [21] K.F. Cuff, R.B. Horst, J.L. Weaver, S.R. Hawkins, C.F. Kooi, discussions.
G.M. Enslow. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2, 145 (1963).
The authors gratefully acknowledge support by the US [22] S. Cho, A. DiVenere, G.K. Wong, J.B. Ketterson. In: 16th Navy under Contract N N00167-98-K-0024 (MIT), and Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics: Proceedings, ICT'97; Dresden, ONR under MURI (UCLA). Support from the Honda Germany / Ed. by Armin Heinrich, Joachim Schumann. InstiCorporation for temperature dependent studies is gratefully tute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., Piscataway acknowledged.
[23] Z. Zhang, J.Y. Ying, M.S. Dresselhaus. J. Materials Research 13, 1745 (1998).
References [24] Z. Zhang, X. Sun, M.S. Dresselhaus, J.Y. Ying, J. Heremans, Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 1589 (1998).
[1] A. F. Ioffe. In: Semiconductor Thermoelements and Thermo[25] J.P. Heremans, C.M. Thrush, Z. Zhang, X. Sun, M.S. Dresselelectric Cooling. Infosearch, London (1956).
haus, J.Y. Ying, D.T. Morelli. Phys. Rev. B58, 0000 (1998).
[2] H.J. Goldsmid, R.W. Douglas. Brit. J. Appl. Phys. 5, 386, [26] M. Gurvitch. J. Low Temp. Phys. 38, 777 (1980).
Физика твердого тела, 1999, том 41, вып.

subset: commoncrawl


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This post is from KS Site Editor Helen Thomas. Find all her posts here.
Decluttering is all the rage right now. I started seeing The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up everywhere on social media. What finally convinced me was seeing my friend Stacy post her decluttering escapades on Instagram.
Now, I'm usually one to say you should first check out the library for a book. But with wait lists hundreds long for both the hardback and the eBook, I'd say it's absolutely worth the price to head over to Amazon to buy it and start reading it immediately. This book really IS Life Changing. I don't say that lightly!
Side Note: Depending on your faith you might need to "spit out some bones" from this book, but her spiritual side isn't front and center and isn't part of the actual decluttering method.
Note from Katie: I actually DID wait all summer to get this book from the library and finally got it last week – I'm skeptical. I don't think I can do it. But maybe if I want it badly enough…? Although I don't think I can be as ruthless as Helen – wait till you get to reason no. 6!!
The Practical Side of Decluttering
There are many blog posts and Pinterest boards that can help you with the HOW of decluttering – but I'm here today to share the WHY of it, and how it has really changed a lot of things in my home for the better.
1. There is less to clean
I know, I know. You've heard this before. But it's true. The less there is that is OUT the less there is to dust around, or to pick up before vacuuming, or even to put away before bed so you don't step on a Lego in the morning, amirite?
2. Have more room
Getting rid of items (and not buying replacements!) means lots more room to make everything look nice. Everything can be "just so" and also easy to find, and easy to use.
The kids have more room to spread out on a project. My desk has been super clean, making it easier to actually focus on my work.
Where we often go wrong is that we buy more and more organizers (Rubbermaids, drawer dividers, underbed storage, etc.) to fit our stuff. Instead, try paring down your belongings first and making them fit into the storage at hand. And if you DO need more to sort your items, definitely hit up the dollar store. I got all these colorful bins there and it makes my drawers and cabinets so cheerful.
I was really getting into the "make the stuff fit the space." Knitting is my hobby, and I had bins in the basement, in my closet, and under my bed. I put it all in one spot and really thought about what I would be using in the near future, and what I would honestly never touch. I got it all to fit in the three underbed bins and am very satisfied with it. Now when I'm ready for a new project it will be a cinch to find.
3. See everything at once
Seeing everything at once (after getting rid of the unused items!) can help you actually use the stuff you have. After I pared down my kitchen, I used Bethany's tips for organizing what was left.
My husband was a little wary at first, but once he saw how his t-shirts were stored vertically instead of stacked, he was sold. Now it's easy to pick a specific shirt, and it takes up SO much less room once you fold items this way. I was able to pull his long sleeve t-shirts out of his closet and fill an empty drawer. This means his dress clothes have room to breathe and not wrinkle.
4. Make some cash
Going through all of your belongings can bring some cash to the table. Once you are ruthless and determine what you truly no longer need to hold on to, you can figure out what to sell, donate, or trash (link no longer available).
If an item is in working order, and is something I feel could be sold (no stains, broken or missing parts, etc.) then I take it to my favorite local thrift store that supports a women's shelter. There are also the major charities that have stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul) with drop off centers or even those that come pickup at your house (Easter Seals, Purple Heart Veterans).
I also have a local children's consignment shop that I take all my higher-end kids' clothes to so I can then turn around and buy the next size up. There is always Craigslist, Facebook groups or of course, eBay. I listed some knitting needles I no longer use and in two hours I had sold them for $30!
5. Fix up the house
We had let quite a few small home repairs and other items go for about 18 months due to some uncertainty in our housing situation. Once I started decluttering though, it showed us what we needed to fix to now truly enjoy our clean space.
It can be very satisfying to fix something, like a new storm window in the basement or a loose heat register, especially when you aren't very handy.
We now also want to paint and maybe actually hang some stuff on the walls (having lived here for 4.5 years with nothing on the walls but clocks).
It'll look worse before you get done:
The Emotional Side of Decluttering
6. Throw out your photos
Yes, yes I did. I had 11 albums in a Rubbermaid bin from my mom. One was a scrapbook of every. single. greeting card she had received from the time she announced she was pregnant with me through my second birthday.
Did it make me smile? Yes.
Did I throw it out? Yes.
I then flipped through every page in the photo albums and got it down to 5 to keep. A huge helping point is that you don't need a TON of photos to remember a single event. Keep the ones that show who was there and your birthday cake, and you opening presents. That's it – now those pull up the memory and you still have photos to show your own kiddos.
Don't worry, I kept my baby book.
But now all my childhood photos, my wedding album, baby book, and a few scrapbooks, all fit in ONE bin. It feels like a weight has lifted off my chest after the stuff leaves the house!
7. You will feel better
There truly is something to be said for reducing visual clutter. I enjoy walking around my house now. Not only am I not tripping over toys, but I have more joy.
Because it is easy to keep the house clean, I am not focusing on dust or crumbs on the floor.
Even better – once you start in on this, the whole family will get on board with the project. Everyone now looks for items to declutter, and we truly think hard before purchasing something new (even when thrifting).
Folding laundry is no longer a chore when this is the end result:
White space is great – it helps clear the mind. I think you can head towards the path of minimalism after decluttering, if that appeals to you! I'm not quite that far yet. I'm no minimalist, except when it comes to barefoot shoes.


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|November 05, 2012
Midlands Minerals Continues Negotiations with Sian JV partners
|Toronto, Ontario - November 5, 2012: Midlands Minerals Corp. ("Midlands" or the "Company") (TSX-V: MEX) would like to update shareholders on the status of discussions on the Sian project in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
Subsequent to the press release of September 4, 2012, negotiations with joint venture partner Sian Goldfields have continued. The Minerals Commission of Ghana is continuing to support the efforts being made by both companies to resolve the dispute commercially.
About Midlands Minerals:
Midlands Minerals is focused on developing a portfolio of high quality gold exploration projects in Ghana and Tanzania, countries with exceptional histories of gold production and home to some of the most profitable gold mines in Africa. Midland's flagship gold property is the 65% owned Sian project, site of a past producing open pit gold mine located in the Ashanti gold belt. Sian has NI 43-101 compliant Indicated gold resources of 2.6 million tonnes grading 2.33 g/t gold (192,400 ounces) and Inferred gold resources of 2.7 million tonnes grading 2.35 g/t gold (203,350 ounces). Extensions to these resources are open along strike and at depth, highlighting the potential to grow the gold resource at Sian. Midlands' Kaniago gold project is located in Ghana's Asankrangwa gold belt and is contiguous to two past open pit gold producers: Abore to the north and Obotan to the south. Recent drilling and exploration has produced encouraging results, demonstrating the gold resource potential of the project.
Midlands also holds licences for gold and diamonds in two regions in Tanzania. The first is found in the Lake Victoria Goldfields region and includes its advanced Itilima Gold Project, which lies within the Geita-Bulyanhulu-Sekenke Trend, which hosts over 40 million ounces in gold reserves. The second region lies within the Kilindi-Handeni Trend and includes the New Kilindi-Handeni prospecting licences.
Craig Pearman, a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this press release. Additional information on Midlands can be viewed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com or on Midlands' website: www.midlandsminerals.com.
Craig Pearman
President and CEO
Telephone: +1 604 366 2229
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Nick Tintor
Telephone: +1 416 987 0855
This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements relating to the potential mineralization and geological merits of the Company's projects and other future plans, objectives or expectations of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), nor the OTCQX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
You can return to the main News Releases page, or press the Back button on your browser.


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Attention to Client Needs
The benchmark of my service is attention to the needs of my clients. I am aided by an experienced support staff of 3 paralegal/legal assistants and a staff attorney. My clients deal directly with me at all times necessary. My office manager Kathy Marcum is the client service representative where any client service issues can be brought .
Preparation of your Case is Key
Although most bodily injury cases are settled prior to trial, significant recoveries are often only achieved after an exhausting investigation, expenditures of money, exacting trial preparation and old-fashioned hard work. Insurance companies and their attorneys know which attorneys are prepared to go to trial and which are not. An insurance company that knows your attorney is not prepared for trial has little incentive to offer full compensation.
I will not hesitate to fully prepare your case. If necessary I will file a lawsuit and proceeding to a jury trial if it is in your best interest. I have experience in front of juries having tried 20 civil cases, ranging from auto accident "whiplash" injury to a product liability wrongful death claim.
My Availability to You
I am available to travel to meet clients in their homes, hospitals, nursing or convalescent facilities. I also provide flexible in-office appointment, including evenings and Saturdays.
Please feel free to contact my office with any questions that you may have.
Fees & Costs
All cases are handled on a contingency basis and if there is no recovery, there are no fees although there may be costs.
Often my client's ask who will be responsible for expenses. The expenses are paid from your portion of the recovery. Generally, I will advance expenses of litigation. If there is no financial recovery then my firm pays those expenses. Any expenses you advance may or may not be reimbursed. This needs to be discussed with the attorney you hire and for my clients is the subject of a written contract.
I look forward to showing my legal knowledge, skill and commitment to personal service to you. Anthony Castelli Attorney Ohio Supreme Court Registration
Click here for my attorney profile information.
Click here to read my blog.


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How does a Phone Work?
The essential electro-mechanical functions that make a phone work are fairly simple and straightforward. This explanation describes the processes that make a land-line phone work. The processes that make cell phones work and that allow Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones to work, are a bit more complicated, necessitating radio waves and Internet Protocol (IP). The basic principles to make any phone work, however, are the same.
To make a landline phone work, two copper wires must transmit two things: signals and voice. The two wires, usually coated green and red, are the heart of the process that makes the phone work. While the telephone rests on the hook or in its cradle, a capacitor inside the phone cradle limits the amount of electrical current flowing to the ringer, actually a chip within a small speaker. The capacitor prevents a short circuit in the wires and the local telephone exchange equipment recognizes that the phone is hung up.
For proper phone operation, sound must be conveyed along the same wires that activate the ringer. The handset of all telephones contain a microphone that allows sound pulses to be transferred into electrical pulses. The other integral part of the handset, the receiver, converts the audibly modulated electrical current back into sound waves and the voice is heard. Transmission and reception of the voice, therefore, depends on both sound waves and electrical pulsation.
When the phone is in its cradle, only the ringer, the chip, is connected electrically. When the phone receives an incoming call, the local telephone exchange is sending a high voltage alternating current (AC) surge to the cradle switch. This surge overrides the capacitor and the cradle's integrated circuitry (IC) causes the phone to ring. For telephones in the U.S., this surge is usually in the range of 20 hertz (Hz). The phone receiving the call is selected via the dial tone multi-frequency (DTMF) pulses, the buttons on the calling party's telephone keypad. When transmitting and receiving handsets are picked up, the switch in the cradle transfers the electrical surges from alternating current to direct current (DC), allowing voice transmission over the two wires. The two cradle switches then energize resistance shorts across their respective wires, producing a dial tone at the transmitting end and activating the ringer at the receiving end.
The thelephone's primary wires run from phones to phone-jacks and to the entrance boxes at the home or building. From there, phone cables strung on the ubiquitous telephone poles along the street convey calls to the local exchange. From the local exchange, fiber-optic lines, radio transmission and, for long distance calls, satellite transmissions carry a call to its destination where it ends up back within the two copper wires.
Radio waves are used to make a cell phone work properly. Internet Protocols (IP), network digitizing and packet switching are utilized to make the VoIP telephone work.
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Discussion Comments
I remember when I was young, I took an old rotary telephone apart to see how it worked. I was surprised to find all of these pieces of black gravel in the mouthpiece. I found out later that the "gravel" was actually pieces of carbon, and they gave off an electrical charge whenever someone spoke into the mouthpiece. The vibrations from a voice would create variable pulses of electricity, and that's what went into the outgoing wire.


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|November 30, 2019
|Net Asset Value
|1.67 USD/share
|Portfolio size
The chart below shows the history of the monthly Net Asset Value per share since the transfer of the first property to the REIT as well as the size of the portfolio.
The shares par value is USD 1 per share.
The Net Asset Value per share is updated on a monthly basis by Apex.
The value of the properties is updated at least every 6 months by our independent valuers: Asteco or CBRE.


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Last week, the speculation over who would direct Star Wars: Episode VII finally drew to a close as it was announced that J.J. Abrams had the job. So how did producer Kathleen Kennedy woo Abrams to go from one major franchise to another? In a recent profile on the LucasFilm head, THR explains how Kennedy managed to nab Abrams for one of Hollywood's most-coveted directing gigs. She summarized her big pitch: "Please do Star Wars." Of course, she had a little help by explaining that Oscar-winner Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) was writing the script, and writer-director Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) was consulting. According to Kennedy, Abrams "was flipping out when he found out that Michael and Larry were on the movie already."
But he wasn't sold quite yet. Hit the jump for more including Kennedy's hesitation regarding Star Wars: Episode VII hitting its previously-reported 2015 release.
According to THR, Abrams was concerned about being separated from his wife and three kids while making Episode VII since the movies probably wouldn't be shot in Los Angeles. There's also the hesitation that any director, producer, or anyone has (or should have) when presented with the opportunity of being involved in the sequel trilogy. However, after meeting with Kennedy and the writers secretly for about three hours on December 19th, "'J.J. was just on the ceiling when I walked out the door,' she recalls."
Kennedy had the advantage of knowing Abrams since he was 14 when he caught the eye of her long-time associate Steven Spielberg by winning a Super 8 moviemaking contest. From there, Abrams was hired to restore Spielberg's own Super 8 videos. When it came to Star Wars, Abrams and Kennedy "'spent a lot of time talking about how meaningful Star Wars is and the depth of the mythology that George has created and how we carry that into the next chapter.'" After a day of "furious negotiation", the deal closed on the afternoon of January 25th (although the news was reported on January 24th, it wasn't official until the following day).
But even though Abrams is now on board, he hasn't agreed to meeting the 2015 release Disney CEO Bob Iger stated when Disney purchased LucasFilm. Kennedy shares Abrams' hesitance to rush Episode VII in order to make that date. "'Our goal is to move as quickly as we can, and we'll see what happens,' says Kennedy.'The timetable we care about is getting the story.'"
Click here for all of our Star Wars coverage.


text: Is it possible to embed a mindmap? Hi, I use mindjet to takes notes for school. Since I share notes with others, and I like to have easy access to them, I would like an e... Raymond Duke, 9 years ago Last reply: Mick Jones, 8 years ago 1 1 me too 12 12 replies Question Answered


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Before fitting the neck I will complete the edges, firstly by filing a series of bevels.
The bevels are then merged to form the rounded edge.
The mortice is cut and ready to receive the neck. It is deliberately undersized and at theis stage the neck will not slip fully home into the body (see next photo).
At this stage the neck does not fit fully into the body but by gradually enlarging the mortice it will slip into place. During this process there are a number of important measurements and relationships which must be maintained. These include the distance from nut to edge of body (130mm) the overstand of the neck where it meets the body (6.0-6.5mm) and the angle at which the fingerboard projects on the bridge. In addition, the fingerboard must be orientated precisely along the central axis and there must be no lateral rotation of the neck.
When all of the above criteria have been fulfilled the neck can be glued in position using strong freshly made hide glue. It is clamped securely using a G-clamp and and a leather-lined wooden block shaped to conform to the curvature of the fingerboard.
I am beginning to form the button and to shape the shoulder of the neck using a chisel followed by a knife. Final shaping will involve rasps and scrapers.
August 11, 2009
Posted by Derek |
(16) Fitting the Neck |
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I have created this violin making blog in the form of a "photo-essay" with a number of objectives in mind;
- to allow the client to keep in touch with the instrument that has been commissioned.
- to act as a personal record of the process of making a specific violin model.
- it may be of some interest to players or makers who may happen to come across it.
Violin making is a slow process, frequently interrupted by other work such as repairs etc. This will not therefore be a daily diary but a series of updates detailing progress. In addition I intend to include some pages which are unrelated to this instrument but which may be of interest to violin enthusiasts


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(The Big) Weekend Reading For Jan 6th - 7th, 2007
I only focus on posts and links that relate to trader improvement or trading in general.
Since I was out of town last weekend and didn't get a chance to post a "Weekend Reading", I've decided to combine last week's and this week's readings...a 2-for-1 post if you will.
So if you've got some time on your hands this weekend, check out these links to some great posts!
- Kevin over at Kevin's Market Blog tell us Top 10 Ways To Lose All Your Money Trading
- The legendary Dr. Van Tharp continues with his series of psychological rules...this one is Psychological Rule 2: Success Requires Commitment
- The next Van Tharp rule is here in Psychological Rule 3: Human Beings Are Inefficient
- More wisdom from Van Tharp - it's Psychological Rule 4: The Key To Efficiency Is Eliminating Mistakes
- Finally, the last in Van Tharp's series - Psychological Rule 5: Repeating The Same Mistakes Over And Over Is Self-Sabotage
- Barry Ritholtz, a regular CNBC guest, reviews 10 Common Trading Errors at his blog The Big Picture
- Chris at Daily Trade Activity reviews his Best Trades Of December (has a link to a page with lots and lots of charts with details of his trades)
- Here Marlyn at Filtering Wall Street shares some of his back-testing with one of his systems in EMA Crossovers - Look Out Above
- The Market Speculator explains the importance of finding a trading style and system that fits you in Self Awareness And Trading
- Brett Steenbarger has a great article about myths that many traders believe in Three Pervasive Myths of Trading Psychology
- The HighChartPatterns blog had this great post and tells us Ten Lessons On Life That Apply To Trading
- Another one by The Market Speculator - here he reviews some of his favorite books in Books, Indicators And Current Charts: Answering E-Mails
- Daily Options Report posted this great series about the Greeks (as they apply to options):
- Know Your Greeks
- Know Your Greeks, Part Deux
- Know Your Greeks, Part Tres
- Know Your Greeks, The End
- Yet more great stuff by Brett Steenbarger - this time it's Matching What You Trade With How You Trade
- 2Pay (I love that name!) over at MaddMoney reviews what Cramer had to say about Sin's Of Investing
- Kevin reviews Jake Bernstein's trading rules in his post Trading Rules
- For those who use momentum indicators, Christina Wise at IDB gives us an example of how Momentum Indicators Can Flash False Signals
- Over at MaddMoney, 2Pay reviews what Cramer had to say about Staying In The Game
- Steven at Value Blog Review shares with us The Top Five Blogs For A New Investor Or Trader
- A new year means a New Year's resolution and Phileo did his in My Trading Resolution
- For you Futures traders out there, Tyro posted a great article about the Hershey Futures System in More On Hershey's System
- I'm glad to see ZenTrader posting again...here he covers the Top Five Mistakes Of 2006
- Nancy Gondo at IDB posted this great article along with 19 common mistakes investors make in Annual Post-Analysis Of Past Trades Can Help Improve Performance
- Holy smokes! Talk about a New Year's resolution! Kirk's resolution is sooo big it had to be done in three separate posts! Here they are:
- Trading Resolutions: Part I
- Trading Resolutions: Part II
- Trading Resolutions: Part III
- Dr. Steenbarger at TraderFeed has some interesting observations in Trading Opening Gaps To The Upside
- Another one from IDB, this time Juan Carlos Arancibia tell us Six New Year's Resolutions For Stock Investors and includes 10 steps to improve trading results
- I've said it before and I'll say it again, psychology is an important aspect of trading and I'm constantly trying to learn more about it...here Brett Steenbarger has another great article entitled Brief Therapy: Therapy For The Mentally Well
Labels: links, trader improvement


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A Great Side Dish For Thanksgiving, or any time!
Greens, greens, I love some greens, on the far side of the hill! Yes, the New Christie Minstrels said it best back in the fabulous sixties, in one of the best songs about greens ever recorded. Wait, what? The song wasn't about collard greens? Well, as far as I'm concerned there should be a great number of songs touting the virtues of collard greens.
The plan was to post a Thanksgiving pulled pork recipe, but it wasn't quite at 100% so I decided to work on it a bit longer and post one of the side dishes, which was 100%. The side dish of which I speak is smoked turkey collard greens. I know the trendy green these days is kale, but I have to say, my favorite of all greens are collards. I understand that kale is on the way out, to be replaced by some other trendy green. Chard? Dandelion? Turnip? Whatever is the flavor of the moment, I am pretty sure that collard greens will always be my favorite. I can't say for sure if it the greens themselves or the way they are prepared that fuel my obsession, but the juice, or "pot liquor" as it is known, is the tasty elixir that makes this dish one of the tastiest.
Traditionally, this is made with ham hocks, but to "Thanksgiving" this puppy up a bit, and also just because they are dang tasty, I used smoked turkey thighs.
I used about 2-1/2 pounds of collard greens, with stems still attached.
Start out by removing the stems from the greens. Grip the stem with one had, place the other hand at the base of the leaf. Pull on the stem and zip off the leaf. Place in a large bowl or sink. Fill with water and soak 15-20 minutes to remove all the schmutz, of which there will be plenty. Grab a stack of leaves, and roll them up like a "see-gar". Slice the roll in about 1/2″ strips until all the greens are sliced.
The dirt and whatnot will sink to the bottom, so remove the leaves from the water fairly gently so as not to jostle the water too much.
Heat up some oil in the pressure cooker. Add in some diced onion, BAM!, and sauté until translucent. Plop in the garlic and sauté for another minute.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Put the greens in the pot. It is best to use your largest pressure cooker, which in my case would be my 7 litre Kuhn Rikon, but since my KR was at the time housing a 6-pound pork butt, it was up to my Instant Pot to pick up the slack and cook my greens.
If your greens fill your pot past the maximum line, I usually put any top that fits fairly well on top of my cooker and steam the greens until they are below the max line. This usually takes just a couple of minutes.
When the greens are down to a manageable level, put in a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of brown sugar, some salt and pepper and a shake of crushed red peppers.
Top the greens with a couple of smoked turkey thighs.
Lock the top on the pressure cooker, bring to high pressure, adjust heat to maintain high pressure if using a stovetop model. Set the time for 25 minutes.
When time is up, immediately remove from heat. If using an electric pressure cooker, immediately remove the inner pot of the cooker.
Take the turkey thighs and place on a plate or cutting board.
Let them cool for 5 minutes or so and with a fork remove the meat from the bones. Remove most of the skin but it's fine to leave a little. It is where most of the flavor is, don't you know.
Now, take that tasty turkey and blend it back in with the greens.
Pour into a serving bowl, or if you are serving later, put in a sealable container and refrigerate.
Makes a tasty side to any BBQ meal, and also a great addition to any Thanksgiving spread.
|Smoked Turkey Collards
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2-1/2 pounds collard greens (weight with stems), stems removed and chopped into ½" strips
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 rounded tablespoon brown sugar
- A few grinds of black pepper
- A sprinkle of crushed red pepper (around ⅛ teaspoon)
- 2 smoked turkey thighs
- With the pressure cooker pot on medium high heat, place 2 tablespoons oil
- When oil looks shimmery, add the onions and sauté until translucent
- Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute
- Pour the chicken stock into the pot
- Place the greens into the pressure cooker
- If it is above the maximum limit line, put any lid that will fit on top for a couple minutes and let steam until the greens are below the maximum line
- Add the vinegar, brown sugar, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper
- Place the smoked turkey thighs on top
- Lock lid on pressure cooker and set time for 25 minutes
- When time is up, do a quick release and immediately remove the inner pot from the pressure cooker, if using electric
- Remove the turkey to a plate, let cool for 5 minutes or so, then use a fork to remove the meat from the bones. Discard most of the skin, but you can leave a little of it.
- Add the turkey meat back into the greens and mix with a spoon
- Move to a serving bowl and serve


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This is a perfect holiday recipe: healthy vibrant colour and gorgeous taste for a minimum of efforts…
I used mint from the wonderful herb garden that comes with the villa we are staying in here in Crete and I would encourage you to grow a pot of mint wherever you can as it is such an uplifting smell and it grows really fast in pots, on windowsills or balconies in pretty much any climate.
Ingredient list:
- 1/2 tin of chick pea
- 1 cooked beetrout
- 1 spoonful of Tahini
- Virgin cold pressed Olive oil 100ml
- Lemon juice of 1 and 1/2 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 spoonful of ground cumin
- a small handful of crushed mint leaves
Blitz all ingredients in a food processor (I use a standing blender); adding a bit of olive oil or even water too make it lighter if the consistency is too thick. But I never puree it to finely as I enjoy a bit of texture.
Beetroot is great for joints and particularly important for runners or anybody who wishes to take care of their knees. I love it also for its happy colour !


text: Updated: May 18, 2018 It's been a long road. It's been a rocky road. But I finally made it to the finish line: next Friday is Commencement. Next Friday I'll don my mortar board and rented gown, drape my blue and gold cord around my neck, and walk across the stage to receive an empty diploma folder (they send the actual diploma in the mail). In the audience will be my grown children and my husband. Other family members will be watching via live stream. When that hard-earned piece of paper does arrive, it will say that I have earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver in Interpersonal Dynamics & Transformative Systems. I can't speak for anyone else who has earned a college diploma but it has been one heck of a journey for me. Here's a snapshot of the fiery coals I've walked over to earn this degree: … [Read more...]


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Torre Telefónica Diagonal 00
Plaza de Ernest Lluch i Martín, 5
08019 – Barcelona
Telefónica I+D center was opened in Barcelona in 2002.
It was created by agreement signed on the 21st of March, 2001 between the Generalitat of Catalunya and Telefónica, with the objectives of promoting the development of the Society of Information and Communication in Catalonia, and becoming a reference within the technological innovation of this community, collaborating with universities, institutions and Catalan companies.
The center of Barcelona performs activities in which Telefónica is a leader, such as the development of new multimedia services and its application in people´s everyday life: company, home, leisure world, telemedicine or tele-education. It also collaborates on projects at local level and those financed by the state or by the European Union.
In 2006 this center became the Center of Excellence in the areas of Internet and Multimedia of Telefónica I+D, an area where the company had already achieved major successes, as the creation and development of Imagenio, digital interactive television of Telefónica.
Following the transformation that Telefónica is experiencing, it has developed several key actions:
Creation of Internet and Multimedia scientific groups
Commitment for innovation projects, supported by the Telefónica innovation plan.
Emphasis in collaboration with other companies and co-design with users.
The building of Telefónica I+D center in Barcelona is located in the Forum area. Public transport close to the building are:
By bus:
Route 7 Forum-University area.
Route 36 Bus stop in the Taulat Street.
Route 41 Bus stop, Llull street, at the corner of Rambla Prim.
Route 43 Bus stop on the Llull street.
Route 141 Bus stop in Rambla Prim at the corner with Llevant.
By metro:
Line 4 Underground stop Maresme-Forum. There are four exits but the nearest to Torre Telefónica Diagonal 00 and therefore the Rambla Prim is recommended, a five minute walk from the building.
By tram:
Line T4 Forum station.
By suburban train:
Stop in Sant Adrià. All the units stop there and it is necessary to use the suburban train to arrive at Torre Telefónica.


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Game of street signs.
The epic fantasy world of Game of Thrones is coming to a small town outside of Boise, Idaho in the form of street names, thanks to a local developer named Jannell Hall of B&A Engineers, Inc.
The new Silver Trail subdivision in Kuna, Idaho will have a pair of streets named after some well-known characters from the popular franchise written by George R.R. Martin. If you decide to purchase a piece of property in this lovely part of the country, you will have the option of living on Baratheon Ave. or Rickon St.
Hall talks about how she came up with the idea in a recent interview:
"On that subdivision my supervisor just let me go wild, so I did," Hall said. "He now usually gives me a theme to follow… but I'll still sneak in a geeky one here or there."
It's cool to see her boss giving her so much freedom. Hopefully, the future residents will also be Game of Thrones fans. Hall also has ideas for other street names in the subdivision, like Sansa, Arya, Tyrion, and Greyjoy. These would all be implemented in future phases of development.
Game of Thrones Season 8 is still a ways off, so little bits of news from fans around the world doing their part to spread the gospel of George R.R. Martin is always fun.
David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.


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Home Cctv Camera($ 48 usd)
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Generally refers to used closed-circuit television outside broadcast television, such as the Industrial television, military television, medical television, underwater television.
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Catalog Ref: Security and Spy Camera Other Features
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NTM 36/17 Underwater Dive Hull Clean – MV Hebrides Tarbert Harris Ferry Terminal
Mariners are advised that on Tuesday 25 July 2017 contractors Shearwater Marine Services Ltd will be undertaking an underwater hull clean of MV Hebrides while alongside at Tarbert Harris Ferry Terminal. The works will commence after the scheduled ferry service 20:30 and will end before the first ferry by 05:45 on Wednesday 26 July 2017.
The works will operate from a safety boat. (RIB) The dive team supervisor will liaise closely with the ferry skipper and Chief Engineer via
radio communications.
All vessels navigating in the vicinity of Tarbert Harris Ferry Terminal are requested to do so with caution and to regulate their speed to minimise the effects of wash accordingly.
Further details can be obtained using the contact details below.
David McHardie
Harbour Master
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
Municipal Buildings, Fore St.,
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Tel: 01475 749 920
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Categories: Uncategorized @gd


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Fans know Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson, the strictly business/slightly kooky former love interest of "The Office" boss Michael Scott. This multifaceted actress — who has appeared on nighttime dramas ("Once and Again" and "Judging Amy"), classic family shows ("Little House on the Prairie" and "The Love Boat") and feature films ("Thank You for Smoking" and "27 Dresses") — has two surefire hit movies out this spring: "Hannah Montana: The Movie" and "17 Again."
Has Melora prepared herself for the legions of screaming tweens that she is sure to run into? Melora explains: "There really is a national phenomenon with Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana. It's so fabulous to be a part of a project that gets that much attention and is destined to be a blockbuster. My character, Lorelei, is the foreman of Hannah's grandmother's farm, where Hannah goes to find her roots when her father thinks she is getting too big for her britches.
"Billy Ray Cyrus' character falls for Lorelei immediately, and we have a nice little romance that blossoms. It was nice to play somebody who is so salt of the earth, and what you see is what you get. She's a country girl with no ulterior motives. When you know Jan (from 'The Office'), it's nice to see me, Melora, as someone different. That's part of why I was so interested in the role. I can relate to her earthiness and her straightforward nature."
All of these extracurricular projects were fun for Melora, giving her a chance to show different sides of herself as an actress. "I love Jan very much, but I don't know how much we are alike, really. I guess in some ways we are. Whereas Lorelei and I are alike in a lot of ways. And the character I play in '17 Again,' Principal Jane, I would say is virtually nothing like me, but she is adorable and such a great character. I love the story line that Tom Lennon (of 'Reno 911' and 'The State' fame) and I carry. It's a very funny through line in the film."
Melora is no stranger to funny, having played Jan Levinson on "The Office" since 2005. Regarding Jan: "She is just so wonderfully inappropriate, it's just such a pleasure to do that all the time. I love the way her seams are always showing and unraveling before our very eyes. As an actor, you really have nothing if you don't have flaws to play. She's always surprising the audience, and thus, she is always surprising me."
A classic Jan scene was during the dinner party, when she pops in Hunter's (her former assistant) CD and dances inappropriately seductive to it, therefore encouraging Jim to steal the CD when he and Pam leave. I asked Melora what she thinks Jan's reaction was when she discovered the missing CD. "That is a great observation! You know, she would have been upset, but she might just let it go, thinking that it would be nice for somebody else to enjoy the great music, to get Hunter's music out to the people."
For those of you going through Jan withdrawals, Melora assures me that "while I won't be filming any more scenes this season, next season I will be there."
Aside from being an actress, Melora is first and foremost a mother and wife. She was in New York City recently to help with the Mom's Roundtable Discussion, which was sponsored by Splenda.
"We were discussing concerns and interests of moms, mostly related to the health and well-being of their families. We talked about how to do that through food, and just how to enjoy the simpler things in life in these crunched economic times: baking, cooking and eating family dinners together."
For those interested, you can go to Splenda.com for more details, recipes and ideas for healthier living for you and your family. And don't miss Melora in "Hannah Montana: The Movie" and "17 Again."
Friday, April 17, 2009
Interview: Melora Hardin Is a Jack-of-All-Trades
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Melora Hardin Has a Sweet Tooth
Photo credit: Andrew Bicknell
Melora Hardin (of The Office and Once and Again fame) was in NY the week of March 30th hosting a mom's round-table event with top experts from around the nation to discuss sweet and simple solutions that every mom can use to enhance her family's lives. During this unique and informal forum, round-table members collaborated to arm moms with smart (and easy) answers to those five-second decisions they make every day. Participants offered original tips and ideas that they use to solve the daily challenges they face, ranging from health and nutrition concerns to fun, engaging cooking and entertaining approaches.
Tune in tomorrow for more on Melora and her current projects, including the movies Hannah Montana: The Movie and 17 Again.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Days: Such a Tease!
•Melanie finds Brady badly beaten at the pier.
•Chloe and Daniel fight their lingering feelings for each other.
•Stefano thinks he's been the victim of foul play and has been poisoned.
•Kate promises to drop her plans for revenge if Philip survives.
Thursday – Victor (John Aniston, pictured) sits vigil at Philip's bedside and promises that the DiMeras will pay.
Friday – Mia tells Dr. Baker she feels no connection with Sydney, and he says it's time she knew why.
B&B: Such a Tease!
•Ridge questions Brooke's loyalty.
•Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, pictured) seizes control of a heated moment.
•Nick makes shocking revelations to both Stephanie and Bridget.
•Rick taunts Ridge in a cruel way.
•Brooke and Taylor have a no-holds barred argument.
Y&R: Such a Tease!
•After a stand-off, Nick walks out on Phyllis.
•Billy is in shock after Mac's sudden appearance. Will he convince her to stay in Genoa City?
•Victor's next move against Jack (Peter Bergman, pictured) goes off without a hitch.
•Amber and Kevin are arrested.
•Karen's marriage and chance at motherhood are on the line when she learns of Neil's intentions with Tyra.
GL: Such a Tease!
•Phillip is found guilty on all charges
•Sparks fly when Daisy meets James Spaulding.
•Edmund hides his rage toward Shayne (Jeff Branson, pictured).
•Reva is forced to watch Jeffrey take Colin home without her.
ATWT: Such a Tease!
•Meg pays the consequences when Dusty falls into Paul's trap.
•Vienna offers Henry a way out.
•Lily (Noelle Beck, pictured) begins to believe in Damian.
•Liberty accepts Craig's offer.
Monday, April 13, 2009
GH: Such a Tease!
The hospital's re-opening ceremony gets a very unwelcome guest.
Tracy's suspicions about Ethan grow stronger.
Things take a major turn for Ric.
The tension between Robin and Patrick hits an all time high.
Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn, pictured) warns Nikolas that Rebecca might not be what she seems.
Jerry tells Ric and Claudia that he's calling the shots.
Nikolas wonders if Alexis could be right about Rebecca.
Robin and Patrick try to get back on track.
Jax comes face to face with Jerry.
Carly takes a pregnancy test.
Maxie is hurt by Spinelli's rejection.
OLTL: Such a Tease!
Roxy suggests that Gigi turn the tables on Stacy.
Clint laments to Viki about the growing rift between him and Nora, just as Nora and Bo are growing closer.
Todd plays on Tea's feelings for him.
John wonders if a killer is still on the loose.
Cole asks Markko (Jason Tam, pictured) for a major favor.
Todd and Tea act on their impulses.
John has doubts about Zach's guilt.
Jared and Natalie try to convince themselves they're doing the right thing.
John makes a horrific discovery.
Starr and Cole vow to find out the real reason their baby died.
Roxy urges Gigi to expose Stacy's misdeeds.
AMC: Such a Tease!
Annie sneaks out of Oak Haven and into Ryan's penthouse.
Adam knows where Krystal's skeletons are buried.
A disoriented Adam passes out in court.
Erica wonders what Adam's holding over Krystal.
Jake comes to Amanda's rescue.
Krystal turns on David during the custody hearing.
Aidan promises Annie everything will be okay.
Kendall tells Ryan she wants a life with him.
Jake vows that David will never get his hands on Amanda's baby.
Krystal warns Adam that he'd better keep her secret.
Zach tells Kendall (Thorsten Kaye and Alicia Minshew, pictured) he no longer has feelings for her.


text:
Hi friends!! Hope you must be having a wonderful day. After posting my Post GATE interview experiences (you can check them out here), I got responses from many students requesting me to post some preparation tips for GATE.So on popular demand, here comes my long post recounting my Pre GATE experiences.
Well, I remember my days before GATE as one of the most difficult and challenging times of my life; yet when I look back upon them I wonder how many things they have taught me which helped me consolidate my character and emerge as a stronger person.Nine hours of job followed by 2-3 hours of coaching on weekdays and wait! weekends were no relief. My Sundays were the worst; lasting from 6 am to 9 pm of studying :O ( 15 hours in a row!!). I am amused how I survived those times.The one thing which kept me going was my firm resolve to prove myself to the world and the ambition to see myself in a top IIT.
I will not define my preparation to be an ideal one. I didn't study all the available material nor solve most of the practice problems and questions ( some of my coaching material was left untouched); but what I did study and solve was sufficient for my preparation.I am a person who believes in studying on my own without any coaching or tuition.But, things were different this time.Since I had to prepare with job, I decided to join a coaching institute which can keep the spirit of competition alive in me and provide me the required motivation needed for clearing any competitive exam. Also there will be some part of me feeling guilty if I paid a heavy price as coaching institute's fees and still didn't study seriously ( just a psychological trick 😉 ) For all those people who fall in the category of job+GATE, I want to say that preparing with job is difficult but not impossible.Try to prioritize your work.Keep some e-books on your office desktop and study them as well as some online resources ( provided links below) whenever you get time.Avoid distractions (I mentioned a few in my Introduction post).Remember if you work hard now, you can enjoy later.There will be many people to discourage you saying that GATE is useless, there is no use of MTech, why bother to leave a current job which is paying well, go abroad for MS, blah blah blah. It's your ability to discard the noise and improve the quality of positive thoughts entering your mind. As it is truly said half of the battle is mentally won.Always be mentally strong and believe in yourself and what you are aspiring.
Ok, enough of pravachan from my side :P.Let's be back on track. So, after deciding to join a coaching institute, I began a hunt for the same. Living in Hyderabad, I had lot of options to chose from ; but one of them was a clear winner based both on its past records and its location near to my office and flat.Yes, you guessed it right! I joined evening batch of ACE Academy located at Abids. The classes started from 16th or 17th July which was quite early based on my standards of preparation which I have been following throughout my life ( later I was proved wrong when I saw batches starting from March ).What happened later for the few months till GATE is as I have already mentioned above ( office+classes).After returning from coaching, I somehow had my dinner and dropped straight to my bed. Life was indeed hard but I was happy thinking that each passing day is bringing me close to my goal.I have been a topper throughout my school and college, but I can tell without a pinch of doubt that the hardest I worked and studied in my life was this particular period.
I will provide a subject wise description of my preparation below:( only EC – other strams having some common subjects can also see)
1. Engineering Mathematics: This was the first subject to be started at the coaching institute. I would say that this is one of the easiest and scoring subjects of GATE. It is easy to grasp and questions asked from maths are pretty straightforward. A word of caution: Do not ignore this and leave it till the last month for studying.The things I studied for my Engg. Maths preparation are:
- Higher Engineering Mathematics – B.S. Grewal ( problems on Stroke's and Gauss Divergence theorem and some portions of statistics)
- ACE material and class notes.
Important topics: Stroke's and Gauss Divergence theorem, probability, complex variables, linear algebra.
2. Network Theory: If you see previous years questions, you will find that this subject carries a lot of weightage. You also need its concepts in other subjects like Analog ( OPAMP based problems ) and Digital. Moral: Be sound in network theory. Practice a lot of questions and try to analyse them before solving.There can be many methods to solve one particular problem; chose the one which is convenient for your use.Before joining ACE, I had a feeling that I am good in network theory. But the classes at coaching helped in clearing my myth and solving some of my perennial doubts in this subject.My prep. included:
- ACE classroom material and notes ( this is excellent and more than sufficient)
Important topics: Transient and steady state analysis, Thevenin's & Norton's Theorems, Nodal and Mesh Analysis, Phasors, Maximum Power transfer theorem.
3.Control Systems: This is one of my favorite subjects. It carries almost 12-13% weightage in GATE. Practice and more practice is the key to success.Try to be fast and accurate while solving problems. Use shortcuts and tricks wherever possible.My preparation included:
- ACE classroom material and notes ( The teacher provided some amazing shortcuts to solve problems. The variety of questions included in the question booklet are too good not only for GATE but also PSU's,IES,etc.)
- Control Systems Engg.- Nagrath & Gopal.( PD,PI,PID controller, lead and lag compensator)
Important topics: Time domain analysis, root locus, bode and nyquist plots, gain and phase margin.
4.Electromagnetic Theory: Well, this is a subject which most of the students of EC find the most difficult and annoying. The same was the case with me. I hated this subject since my college days. The long and complex formulas and equations just blew my mind off. It is only after coming to ACE that I appreciated the true beauty of the subject.The first set of classes laid the foundation for my rising interest in the subject.In my opinion, EMT is the most scoring subject in GATE as well as other exams like ISRO,IES,etc. Most of the questions asked from this are either direct formula based or application of basic concepts. If you are confident in this subject , rest of the subjects will be quite easy for you to prepare.Success Mantra: Revise many times and write down all the formulas as frequently as you can.Never ever take the chance of leaving EMT and writing GATE.You will be the biggest loser.My preparation included:
- Field & Wave Electromagnetics – David K. Cheng ( all topics esp. waveguides )
- ACE material and notes.( served mostly as revision of my concepts and formulas)
Important topics: Boundary conditions, transmission lines, maxwell's equations,Poynting theorem,basic antenna concepts.
5.Communications: I am sure everyone of you knows the importance of this subject.It carries the maximum weightage in GATE and has a wide syllabus to cover. This subject is quite interesting and you need to be good in maths to be good in communications. My preparation of communication included:
- Communication Systems – Simon Haykins ( Analog Communications )
- Principles of Communication Systems – Taub & Schilling ( Digital Communications- more questions are asked from digital communication as compared to analog in the past 5-6 years)
- ACE classroom study material ( only for practicing problems and revision )
Important topics: Random variables ( one question sure), probability of error, FM, Noise, Matched filter, superheterodyne receivers.
6.Signals and systems: I was lucky to get a very good teacher for this subject who taught in a very intriguing way and challenged us to solve problems making us competitive enough. Success Mantra: Write down all important formulas and definitions in a piece of paper. One of the advantages of this approach is that it will help you relate concepts used within the subject making your preparation smooth and easy. My prep. included:
- ACE study material and notes (excellent material which is more than sufficient for cracking all sorts of competitive exams)
Important topics: All topics are important; questions on sampling and laplace transform are frequent.
7. Analog Electronics & Electronic Devices: These are the two most important subjects for GATE preparation and being an EC student you have to be very good in them not only for GATE but also for your future.I have clubbed them together as both are highly interrelated both content and material wise.You should complete electronic devices before starting your preparation for analog. Success mantra: Clarify your concepts and apply reasoning in every question.The more you read and solve the better you will become in these subjects. My preparation included:
- Microelectronics Circuits – Sedra Smith ( best book for enhancing your basics; read it only if you have time as everything is explained in very much detail which is not required for GATE exam; but will be helpful for your interview prep.)
- Electronic Devices & Circuit Theory – Robert L. Boylestad ( topics are explained in a simple and point wise manner)
- Integrated Electronics- Milliman & Halkias ( called the Bible of Electronics – is the best if you read from the beginning. You can rely on it blindly)
- ACE material – concepts were explained in a very unique and exam-friendly way( good for revision )
Important topics: OPAMP , BJT amplifiers, Feedback amplifiers, Diode based problems.
8. Digital Electronics: This is one of the most interesting and popular subjects among the students and truly so because it offers a logic based approach to problems and we don't have to memorize any complex formulas or equations in this ( as opposed to many EC subjects). A word of caution: Don't be overconfident.Questions asked in GATE may seem quite simple but will be tricky most of the times.My prep included:
- Digital systems Principles and applications – Ronald J Tocci
- Digital Design – Morris Mano
- Microprocessor Architecture Programming and applications with the 8085 – Ramesh Gaonkar ( for microprocessor )
- Digital Computer Electronics – Malvino ( microprocessor explained in a very short but effective way)
- ACE practice material
Important topics: Flip-flops, counters, logic families,microprocessor ( one question compulsory)
10. English and Aptitude: Most of us completely ignore this section. But, I tell you this can prove a deciding factor where either you or your competitor can score over and bring a better rank. I referred no material for this section. The practice questions and mock tests were sufficient.
Some Preparation Tips:
- Practice at least 10 years of previous GATE question papers. This is very important as it not only helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses but also proves critical for your time management skills.
- 45 days before the exam, solve a mock GATE paper every alternate day ( and it strictly means 3 hours).The environment should be the same as you will face during the actual GATE exam. Club this with revision of all subjects. Remember the last one month is very crucial for your preparation.
- Prepare subject-wise short notes for quick reference.This will prove very handy during revisions as well as interviews.
- If possible, enroll for a test series(preferably online as the final exam will be online). This will help you maintain the pace of your preparation and the AIR will give you an idea on where you stand. However, I will advise you not to take this rank too seriously and get disheartened or relaxed.This is only a prep. exam and not the final GATE exam which is your prime focus.
- Be confident of your preparation and solve questions with a patient head.I will advise you to attempt your GATE paper in three rounds.1st : easy questions which you can solve at one go; 2nd: average questions which require some thinking but can be solved; 3rd: difficult questions which require more time and thinking.This approach will gradually build your confidence in solving questions and bring out the best in you.
- Don't take too much stress and worst, don't get influenced by other's preparation.Each individual has different levels of understanding and approach. So, never compare yourself with others. Plan your studies carefully keeping adequate time for practice and revision.
This was all I could tell you regarding my GATE preparation.I knew my prayers were not unheard when I saw my result ( to know more about my result read here ) which was just above my expectation :).I would like to thank my parents without support and understanding, it would have never been possible. I am lucky to have such amazing parents who are always ready to help and motivate me.The next token of thanks goes to my friends who always heard my constant whining and how I have studied so less till now ( this is part of my nature 😉 and still made me remember my strengths and how I can rectify my mistakes.I would also like to thank the some wonderful teachers and friends at ACE who helped clear my concepts and booked seats for me in the classroom (respectively );). Last but not the least, I would like to thank God and of course me( who did it finally 🙂 )
Other online resources:
- http://www.btechguru.com/pro_one ( contains video lectures and notes for different topics. If you are confused in a particular topic or can't find adequate preparation material for the topic just go here).
- NPTEL videos ( see them only if you have sufficient time )
- http://sujithkumarb.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/a-gate-air-1s-preparation/ ( detailed blog of GATE 2013 EC topper on his preparation )
Hope you enjoyed reading this whole series of posts on my Pre and Post GATE experiences and they proved helpful. I will highly appreciate your feedback on the same and will be glad to clear your doubts. All the best for GATE!! 🙂 🙂


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Buckle in, kids, this post's a heavy one…
Some of you may remember my venting a bit on Twitter a few weeks ago about trying to help a fellow seller navigate the waters of FDA regulations. Ultimately, it was wasted effort – the seller in question decided to ignore my advice – but it did get me thinking about how we as sellers & manufacturers are allowed to market our products, & how little the buying public really knows about those regulations. More importantly, it drove home how important it is that products are labeled truthfully & accurately.
I have received some really wonderful feedback from my customers over the years, including much glowing praise about how my scrubs, butters & creams have helped folks with eczema & chronically dry, itchy skin. I love hearing that my products have brought relief where other treatments didn't. I try to formulate new products that I believe will help heal, soothe & satisfy.
But here's the thing – I can't tell you that's what they do.
According to FDA regulations, I am allowed to say that my soap will get you clean. If I don't mind a little extra labeling, I can go so far as to say that my soaps, scrubs & creams make you smell good & moisturize your skin. But that's it. Period. Full stop.
As long as I label my products accordingly, I am allowed to make claims involving cleaning & moisturizing because those qualities are considered cosmetic in nature – they change the appearance, feel and/or smell of your skin.
The minute I stray beyond these qualities, I enter a perilous new realm. Any mention of my products being intended "to cure, treat, or prevent disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the human body" lands them squarely, in the eyes of the FDA, into drug territory.
To illustrate, here's a few examples of things that I absolutely cannot say in product descriptions, on labels, or in my advertising:
"Created for those with: Psoriasis, Atopic Eczema, Irritant Contact Dermatitis, Infantile Seborrheic Eczema, Varicose Eczema, Discoid Eczema, Psoriasis, Dermatitis, Hives, Acne, and other severe skin conditions."
"Contains Plantain leaf – antibacterial and antimicrobial properties help prevent infection, while anti-inflammatory properties reduce pain, burning, and itching."
"Helps to heal lips with cold sores or fever blisters with the healing anti-viral effects of Organic Lemon Balm & Organic Calendula."
"Gentle and Effective Treatment of: Blackheads, Bumps, Whiteheads, Cystic Acne, Imbalanced Complexion"
"Protects against UVA and UVB rays"
…and so on.
Each of these examples (culled, I regret to say, from fellow Etsy sellers) defines the product in question not as a cosmetic, but as a drug. Regulations for cosmetics are reasonably simple & largely self-governing; drug regulations, on the other hand, are understandably much, much more restrictive. In order to legally make the above claims, each of the sellers would have either had to prove to the FDA that their product fit a pre-approved monograph (established requirements for various categories OTC drugs), or submit & pass a New Drug Application with the FDA.
"Yeah, OK, Girl Scout," someone out there is probably thinking, "But come on, these are little tiny companies. Like the FDA really cares enough to go after them."
Hey, smart guy. At the end of the day, it's not about the FDA. It's about your safety.
Without going through the proper approval processes with the FDA, a seller can, in theory, put any claim they want on any product, whether it works or not. Whether it is safe to use or not. (Want to see what can happen when an indie company ignores FDA regulations? Google Glittersniffer Cosmetics. SPOILER ALERT: a freaking train wreck, is what.)
Buying soap & cosmetics from small, indie businesses requires trust. We make our products with our own hands, as safely as we can, & test them on ourselves, our families, our friends, before offering them for sale to the public. We read up on the rules & regulations & do everything in our power to ensure that we are offering safe, quality products that we can sell with a clear conscience.
But for some, the desire to keep up with the major cosmetics companies overrides common sense, & you end up with sellers like the one I tried to help. They justified ignoring the FDA regulations by saying they had to make medical claims to stay competitive against Big International Skincare Companies. Never mind that what they were offering could have discouraged their customers from seeking proper medical treatment until real damage was done.
So, where does all this leave you? How can you know you're giving your money to a company who takes your safety seriously? A few words of guidance:
- Buy from companies that earn your trust. Read feedback, check social media, Google the company & owner's names. Get to know the people who make the products you're buying. If something strikes you as odd, dig deeper. When in doubt, trust your gut.
- Look for safe practices. Tamper-resistant packaging, full ingredient lists, use-by dates & preservative-based formulas all speak to a company's commitment to good manufacturing processes.
- Buy from artisans, not self-proclaimed doctors. If you want to treat a medical condition, start with your GP, not a CAPSLOCK junkie.
- Expect great products & stellar service; leave the miracles to your deity of choice. It's soap. There's really only so much it can be expected to do, don't you think?
(Pentapox? That's one for the Avatar fans…)


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Associate Professor
Department of Physics
Texas State University
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666 (RFM3230)
Office : (512) 245-4280
Fax: (512) 245-3675
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Research Interests
Dr. Zakhidov's research is focused on the comprehensive study of organic semiconductors including: fundamentals, processing, mechanisms and applications in optoelectronics. Particular topics of interest, include:
- Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) for displays and lighting
- Perovskite photovoltaic devices (solar cells and photodiodes)
- Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) and circuits
- Organic micro-cavities and organic lasers
- Nano-carbon (carbon nanotubes and graphene) electrodes
- Molecular doping
- High-resolution structuring of organic semiconductors
Dr. Zakhidov pioneered orthogonal micro- and nano-fabrication technique for organic semiconducting structuring and processing. This method essentially enables fundamental nano-science of organic electronic devices as well as their heterogeneous integration with the state of the art traditional electronics.
Selected Publications
More than 65 peer-review publications. H-factor 24. Over 2000 total citations.
- Polarons in Halide Perovskites: A Perspective
D. Ghosh, E. Welch, A.J. Neukirch, A. Zakhidov, S. Tretiak, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 11, 9 (2020).
- Ultrafast zero-bias photocurrent and terahertz emission in hybrid perovskites
P.A. Obraztsov, D. Lyashenko, P.A. Chizhov, K. Konishi, N. Nemoto, M. Kuwata-Gonokami, E. Welch, A.N. Obraztsov, A. Zakhidov, Comm. Physics 1, 14 (2018).
- Solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes with emission from a doublet exciton; using (2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl as emitter
E. Neier, R.A. Ugarte, N. Rady, S. Venkatesan, T.W. Hudnall, A. Zakhidov, Organic Electronics, 44 ,126 (2017).
- Role of interface in stability of perovskite solar cells
C. Manspeaker, S. Venkatesan, A. Zakhidov, and K.S. Martirosyan, Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng. 15, 1 (2017).
- Solvent Toolkit for Electrochemical Characterization of Hybrid Perovskite Films
M. Hasan, S. Venkatesan, D. Lyashenko, J.D. Slinker, and A. Zakhidov, Anal. Chem. 89, 9649 (2017).
- Tailoring nucleation and grain growth by changing the precursor phase ratio for efficient organic lead halide perovskite optoelectronic devices
S. Venkatesan, M. Hasan, J. Kim, N.R. Rady, S. Sohal, E. Neier, Y. Yao, A. Zakhidov, J. Mater. Chem. C 5, 10114 (2017).
- Density functional theory + U modeling of polarons in organohalide lead perovskites
E. Welch, L. Scolfaro, A. Zakhidov, AIP Advances 6, 125037 (2016).
- Reliable Annealing of CH3NH3PbI3 Films Deposited on ZnO
C. Manspeaker, P. Scruggs, J. Preiss, D.A. Lyashenko, and A. Zakhidov, J. Phys. Chem. C 120, 6377 (2016).
- Doped Organic Transistors: Inversion and Depletion Regime
B. Lüssem, M.L. Tietze, H. Kleemann, C. Hoßbach, J.W. Bartha, Al.A Zakhidov, K. Leo, Nature Communications, 4, 275 (2013).
- Phase-locked coherent modes in a patterned metal-organic microcavity
R. Brückner, Al.A. Zakhidov, R. Scholz, M. Sudzius, S.I. Hintschich, H. Fröb, V.G. Lyssenko, K. Leo, Nature Photonics, 6 322 (2012).
- Orthogonal processing: A new strategy for organic electronics
Al.A. Zakhidov, J.-K. Lee, J.A. DeFranco, H.H. Fong, P.G. Taylor, M. Chatzichristidi, C.K. Ober, G.G. Malliaras, Chem. Sci., 2, 1178 (2011).
- A light-emitting memristor
Al.A. Zakhidov, B. Jung, J.D. Slinker, H.D. Abruña, G.G. Malliaras, Organic Electronics 11, 150 (2010).
- Electrochemically Tuned Properties for Electrolyte-Free Carbon Nanotube Sheets
Al.A. Zakhidov, D-S. Suh, A.A. Kuznetsov, J.N. Barisci, E. Muñoz, A.B. Dalton, S. Collins, V.H. Ebron, M. Zhang, J.P. Ferraris, A.A. Zakhidov, R.H. Baughman, Adv. Funct. Mat. 19, 2266 (2009).
- Hydrofluoroethers as orthogonal solvents for the chemical processing of organic electronic materials
Al.A. Zakhidov, J.-K. Lee, H.H. Fong, J.A. DeFranco, M. Chatzichristidi, P.G. Taylor, C.K. Ober, G.G. Malliaras, Adv. Mat. 20, 3481 (2008)
- Mechanism of low-voltage field emission from nanocarbon materials
Al.A. Zakhidov, A.N. Obraztsov, A.P. Volkov, D.A. Lyashenko, Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics 100, 89 (2005)
(co-) inventor of approx. 8 patent families
Education Profile
- M.Sc., Dipl.-Phys., Moscow State University, Russia, 1998-2004
- Ph.D., Physics, Moscow State University, Russia, 2006
Professional Profile
- 2020 – present Associate Professor at Texas State University, Department of Physics.
- 2014-2020 Assistant Professor at Texas State University, Department of Physics.
- 2012-2014 Group Leader at Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Materials and Electronic Devices Dresden (COMEDD), Dresden, Germany
- 2010-2011 Alexander Von Humboldt Fellowship at Technische Universität, Dresden
- 2007-2010 Postdoctoral Fellow at Cornell University, MSE Department.
- 2006 – Visiting researcher at University of Texas at Dallas
- 2019 Texas State COSE Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities
- 2018 Texas State Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Scholarly Activities
- 2012 FhG ATTRACT Grant (for 2.5MEur)
- 2010 Alexander Von Humboldt Fellowship
- 2009 Materials Research Society 2009 Spring Meeting, poster award
- 2006 Russian Foundation for Basics Research Grant #06-02-26536
- 2004 Rem Khokholov award for the best student scientific work (MSU)
- 2003 M. Lomonosov award for academic excellence (MSU)


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The carrier reported a pre-tax loss of £40.3m for the six months to 31 March, against a loss of £21.6m last year.
The figures were hit by a 49% rise in fuel costs, Easyjet said, and the later timing of this year's Easter weekend.
However, Easyjet said the loss was not as bad as feared, adding that full-year profits would be up by 10-15% on 2005.
Easyjet said it had managed to cut costs to help offset the rise in the price of fuel, and had also increased its sales of non-ticket items such as on-board food.
This had helped to keep first-half losses in check - at its annual general meeting in February the airline had predicted a loss of £45m.
'Competitive environment'
Easyjet makes most of its money during the peak holiday season of the summer months.
"We are conscious that we have a big summer ahead, that the price of oil remains a risk, and we continue to operate in a highly competitive environment," said Easyjet chief executive Andy Harrison.
"Notwithstanding these uncertainties, we now anticipate full-year passenger revenue per seat to be broadly in line with 2005, and expect ancillary revenue to grow at around 20% per seat for the full-year."
Overall, Easyjet said it expected full-year profit to be 10-15% higher than in 2005 when it reported a profit of £68m.
During the six months to March, Easyjet added 28 new routes and carried 14.1 million passengers, up 10.1% on the same period last year.
It is introducing a further eight new destinations during the summer, including Marrakech in Morocco.
Earlier this year, Easyjet became the subject of takeover rumours after Icelandair-owner FL Group raised its stake in the low-cost carrier.
However, the bid talk ended in April when FL Group sold its stake in Easyjet.


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Add to Calendar
May 23, 2020 @ 10:00 am – May 25, 2020 @ 2:00 pm Europe/London Timezone
Our annual May Bank holiday trip will be to the fabulous Exmoor in 2020.
We have 3 days riding planned and you can do all or just some of them.
Day 1 – the big day out. Starting from Porlock we will do a 28km loop of some of the best hills and scenery Exmoor has to offer, including Wootton Courtenay, Ranscombe and Horner. There will be amazing views of the hills, sea and Wales, epic descents and glorious woodland. There will be options on the route as well, including a cut off near the end to remove 300m of climbing, to enable more people to have a go at the route. For the "adventurous" there will also be a chance to take in one of the tracks from the Southern Enduro champs along the way (that is optional and the alternative is still a great descent, just firewood instead).
Day 2 – lazy Sunday. Well sort of! We will start with a considerably shorter ride (9km) to the top of Bossington Hill, for the epic view, on our way to Horner. After a lunch at the excellent tea rooms we will then do 3 uplifted descents. First we will take in a long run from the top of Dunkery Beacon, followed by an epic singletrack run from the top of Porlock Hill. Finally we will return to Porlock Hill and take a super fast fireroad route down to Porlock Weir for a pint by the sea. Up to you if you do all 3 descents or 2 or 1, but the final one is suitable for all and takes us home, so if you're only going to do 1, it should be that 1!
Day 3 – Big trees. To finish off on Monday we will decamp to the outskirts of Minehead (about 15 minute drive) to Dunster Castle. Here we will ride a nice woodland route out to England's tallest tree and back.
Accommodation is DIY, but I would strongly recommend Sparkhayes campsite (which I will be at). It has excellent facilities, and lovely relaxed atmosphere and great views of the hills and sea. It's also on a few minutes walk from the pubs and shops.
There are many B&Bs in the town if you would prefer a solid roof though.
Outside of your accommodation and food, the only cost will be the uplift, which will be around £10 per person in total. Exact price will be confirmed nearer the time.
All routes will be led by qualified ride leaders, who are also first aid trained.


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Over the last twenty-five years, I have been asked thousands of questions regarding the Living Trust by clients and readers of my legal articles. I find that the questions and responses allow for a unique learning experience in understanding the Living Trust.
The questions reveal real life issues and some are rather amusing. The last names of the inquirers and dates of the inquiries have been deleted to protect the identities of the persons involved in the questions.
Client Queries
Q: Mr. Stephens, my wife and I had a Living Trust prepared by a Trust Mill several years ago. They provided very little guidance and advice regarding my separate property which I received by inheritance. The deed they prepared transferred the property to our Living Trust in both of our names as Trustees. We have used the property for vacations with our children when we visit Lake Tahoe. I have considered selling the property but my wife has objected because of its availability for vacations. Also, it has provided rental funds from seasonal lease arrangements. My question is, don't I have the right to sell it since it is my separate property I received as an inheritance? Bill, San Diego
A: Bill: Yes, you have the right but the issue is can you without your wife joining in the sale. The problem lies in the fact that the property was transferred to your Trust in both you and your wife's name as Trustees. She is on the title as a Trustee. Most all title companies that I'm aware of will require that you both sign a transfer deed to the property as title holders. If she refuses to sign you're stuck in the proverbial "boat without a paddle." You can take her to Probate Court for a Court order to "right the ship" but she could then take you to Family Court to "sink the ship." Tough call Bill but probably a lesson well learned from using Trust Mill Attorneys.
Q: My daughter-in-law is always inquiring about our assets which we have transferred to our Living Trust and their values. She was previously married and has been married to our son for less than three years. She is very controlling of him and has no problems inquiring into our personal and private investments. I have on more than one occasion responded that this was none of her business. My husband and I want to leave our three children an inheritance for them and them alone. We trust the spouses of our two daughters but have great concerns about the daughter-in-law. Is there a way that we can protect our son from this over-bearing woman? Janice, Oceanside
A: Janice, there are a couple of planning strategies you can implement into your Living Trust.
1. You may amend your Living Trust and include Protective Inheritance Trust (PIT) provisions. This, in essence, will require your son to arrange a Sole and Separate Property Trust at the death of the survivor of either you and your husband. He will have his inheritance titled as separate property under his Trust and may utilize it for his family within his discretion. You can make this Trust a condition of his inheritance avoiding any dissension with his wife for him to arrange it on his own;
2. If you feel that the daughter-in-law is so controlling that your son would eventually abandon his Sole and Separate Property Trust, there are a couple of remedies. You can arrange a Sole and Separate Property Trust for him now, have it funded on the deaths of you and your husband and name one of the siblings as the Trustee. The sibling would have discretion to provide income and principal to him only for his personal needs. The sibling Trustee will need to be strong and prudent as to any demands made on her for distributions and/or you can provide guidelines for distributions in the Trust. If one of the siblings is not appropriate you could designate a Trust Protector to carry out these responsibilities.
Q: I keep hearing about a QTIP in Living Trust language. I always thought a Q-tip was something one used for their ears. Where did this come from and what is it exactly? Henry, San Diego.
A: Henry, many people have asked this question before as it is an interesting acronym. In Living Trust language, QTIP stands for Qualified Terminal Interest Property. It is normally utilized when one spouse owns assets he/she is willing to provide a life estate in for the other spouse but not ownership. For instance, on the death of one spouse who owns a rental property, the rental income will be provided to the Surviving Spouse for his/her lifetime. On the death of the Surviving Spouse, the property could then be distributed to the children of the deceased spouse that owned the rental property. The advantages are as follows:
1. Financial security of the Surviving Spouse;
2. The property continues to be owned by the Trust which prevents the Surviving Spouse from selling or otherwise, transferring the property;
3. The children of the deceased spouse who owned the property receive the property with a stepped-up basis to negate capital gains tax.
The Trust must be a qualifying Trust which terminates on the death of the Surviving Spouse. Hence, Qualified Terminal Interest Property (QTIP).
Q: Our mother passed away several years ago and our 80 year-old dad thinks he is still a playboy. He met a woman from Texas, only the Lord knows where, and she has been visiting him in San Diego. He lives in a beautiful house in Bird Rock area which is very valuable. He also has significant investments including IRAs. We, as children, want the best for our dad but we are suspicious of this Texas lady and her motives. Dad has capacity and is in good shape for an 80 year old.
However, the woman in question has been persuasive in obtaining expensive gifts from him.
We have always been a close family but Dad has clammed up about this Texas romance. All of us live out of state and have concerns about losing our inheritance to this "Dallas Doll." Our parents had an A-B Trust which, we understand, was divided into two Trusts on Mom's death. Do we have any rights to an inheritance or can Dad leave it all to a new wife or girlfriend? Nancy, Seattle, WA
A: Nancy: This problem is not uncommon. Surviving Spouses tend to get lonely after the loss of a spouse and if family is not nearby, they tend to roam. Companionship is natural so you can't blame your Dad for that. On the other hand, there are scammer companions looking for a nice place to go to work on a lonely widow or widower. The two issues I see regarding an inheritance is as follows:
1. Good News: If the A-B Trust was divided at your mother's death, one-half of the then valued assets were transferred to your mother's B Trust, assuming all assets were owned as Community Property. As a result, the ultimate beneficiaries can usually not be changed. As a result, you and your siblings should be the beneficiaries of Trust B assets even if your dad remarries. That's the good news.
2: Potential Bad News: The one-half of the assets funded into Trust A, your dad's Survivor's Trust are his alone — he can do with them what he pleases. It probably includes all or a portion of the home in Bird Rock. If he leaves the "Dallas Doll" a portion of that Trust, you may be joint owners of the home with her at his death. Probably not a "Kumbaya" arrangement.
The IRA beneficiaries can also be changed by your dad. I'm assuming that all of you children are presently the beneficiaries. Your dad, as the owner of the IRA, can request a Change of Beneficiary form from the institution and replace your names with that of his new girlfriend. This is his prerogative and nothing said in the Trust can prevent this action.
Recommendation: I would advise a sit down with Dad and your siblings to discuss where the relationship is headed. I, as an Estate Planning attorney, have been involved in such meetings. Your dad may be amenable to including some safeguards in the Trust to insure your inheritance as the children in addition to a Pre-Nuptial Agreement if marriage is a consideration. But primarily, you would want to discuss the potential for including irrevocable provisions for some portion of his Trust A regarding your inheritance as children. Remember, it's up to him as these are his assets, but it's always worth a heart-to-heart meeting.