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[vc_column][vc_column_text]by Jeffrey Brams
Creating the supply chain to launch our new line of mykind Organics herbals was a massive undertaking. All told, the project took us four years, and the majority of the time was spent in two areas: first, building a robust network of organic farms to grow the many different herbs we wanted to include in our new line of products, and second, creating a truly organic (Certified USDA Organic) method for extracting the necessary key active compounds from these herbs without the use of petroleum chemicals or GM-derived alcohols. I asked myself at the outset of the project, “Why is this so hard? After all, these are plant-based herbal medicinal ingredients that have been used in multiple cultures for generations, and in some cases, millennium. And many of them are used regularly for culinary purposes, not just medicinal. So, why is it so hard to find organic ingredients?”
What I quickly learned was that almost all medicinal herbs used in dietary supplements (we generally refer these as “herbal products”) are actually extracts. The industry-wide method for creating many herbal extracts is through the use of harsh chemical solvents, like hexane, which is petroleum-derived, and ethanol coming from genetically modified corn. Because these chemicals are not allowed to be used in a Certified Organic product, demand for Certified Organic herbs was low. Even when there was demand, as in the case of the culinary herb, Turmeric, for example, the organic farms grew on a small scale. There just wasn’t a justification to invest in expanding organic acreage since there were no methods of organic extraction available. Dietary supplements only required (and would pay for) cheaper conventional cultivation.
As a result, we faced a Field Of Dreams problem. We had to promise farmers around the globe that “if you build it” (supply for the organic herbs) we will create a new way of extracting the active compounds that is fully compliant with Certified Organic standards worldwide. Together, we told them, we will create something entirely new.
Thankfully, we have wonderful, innovative vendors and suppliers who partnered with us in this journey. They applied their best experts to the challenges of both building up the network of organic farms, and creating new, reliable extraction methods that were fully organic.


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Friday’s New York Times touts the health benefits of good posture: it helps avoid the pain (both physical and financial) of back and neck problems, improves muscle tone and breathing, and helps with such important long-term issues like balance (something that deteriorates with age and is related to a host of accidents and injuries). I’d like to add one more observation to the list: posture greatly affects our decision making, often in ways of which we aren’t aware.
Why posture matters for making decision
For one, good posture can help us feel more powerful. A recent study manipulated participants’ poses, having them adopt either the open, shoulder-back posture often associated with power, or the closed, slouched posture often associated with a lack thereof. Posture, it turned out, mattered on multiple levels, including the physiological. Individuals in the open postures had higher levels of testosterone (often associated with risk-taking and dominance) and decreased levels of cortisol (often associated with stress). And, these individuals had higher feelings of power and increased tolerance of risk, suggesting that the physiological changes had some very mental results. Similarly, another study of posture found that erect posture, as opposed to hunched, increased self-confidence and positive self-evaluation.
These results have striking implications for decision making. Power has been shown to enhance cognitive function and increase feelings of wellbeing. Conversely, stress (at least at high levels that pass the “optimal” stress point) is known to hinder the ability to make rational, well thought out choices. So, people who feel more powerful and less stressed may well decide differently—more thoughtfully, more reflectively, from a more positive mindset—than if they were to feel less powerful.
And, experiencing power can greatly affect how we experience other physical sensations that are known to affect both thinking and deciding, such as pain. Another recent study illustrates that people in more powerful, open postures are actually able to tolerate greater levels of pain than those in constricted or even neutral postures – which can only mean good things for making more rational decision. Moreover, even interacting with someone with better posture can increase pain tolerance, and vice versa, an effect which might contribute to people’s preference for associating with powerful individuals: the association might bring actual physical and cognitive benefits (and ditto associating with those whose posture is more constricted – an interesting tie-in to research that shows how important our friends are to our own physical and mental wellbeing).
The broader picture: our bodies can affect how we feel and how we act
There’s a broader theme here. How we behave physically has all sorts of influence on our minds. There’s even a prominent area of psychology devoted to the relationship: embodied cognition. The reasoning is that our physical bodies can affect our internal states in myriad ways, most of them below the threshold of conscious awareness. For instance, one famous study found that contracting the zygomaticus major (the “smile” muscle) increases enjoyment. Conversely, frowning can increase sadness and lessen enjoyment of things like funny cartoons. But that’s far from all. To cite just a couple of the numerous examples, tilting your head up increases pride and hunching has been tied to increased depression.
The mindful decision maker would do well to pay closer attention to both his own body language and that of those around him. In so doing, he can harvest those elements that serve to improve the quality and clarity of decisions and consciously alter those that have the opposite effect. So, smile, tilt your head back, and whatever you do, don’t slouch.

domain: psychology


Council Agenda 9/8/2020
Fiscal Impact Summary:
During tonight’s Council meeting, on the Content Calendar several awarded bids and contracts are listed for Council’s approval.
When items are listed on the content calendar, they are typically approved all at once unless a Council Member pulls the item for discussion.
Within each bid, all backup is provided on how the bid was awarded, the pricing the City will receive and any contract amendments. When Council is reviewing, they should consider all backup provided and what the fiscal impact will be upon approving bids submitted.
NOTE: The City of Antioch has decentralized purchasing and each department takes on this role of sending out RFP’s (request for proposals), accepting and reviewing bids and then ultimately awarding the bid to the vendor with the lowest bid that fulfilled all bid requirements.
The bid awards are as follows:
• Item K: East Bay Work Wear – clothing apparel, uniforms and accessories not to exceed $100,000 per fiscal year. This contract is for three fiscal year periods with the option to extend an additional two one-year terms.
Public Works distributed the request for quotations to vendors on July 27, 2020. The bid closed on August 19, 2020, and received one qualified bid.
No bids were submitted from First Vanguard Rentals and Bay Area Barricade.
• Item L: Consolidated Electric Distributors and Jam Services --- electrical equipment and supplies -- Not to exceed a combined amount of $225,000 per fiscal year for a three-year fiscal period --- with the option to extend the agreement as additional two one-year terms.
Public Works distributed the request for quotations to vendors on July 27, 2020. The bid closed on August 20, 2020, and we received two qualified bids. Due to the closeness of the bids and the need to maintain adequate street lighting required on a regular basis, staff is requesting approval to enter into purchase agreements with both vendors. This approach will allow the City maximum flexibility to choose the contractor with the quickest delivery of supplies needed for streetlight repairs.
*Royal Wholesale did not submit a bid and WESCO submitted an incomplete bid.
• Item M: Cole Supply – Janitorial supplies and accessories not to exceed $100,000 per fiscal year. This contract is for three fiscal year periods with the option to extend an additional two one-year terms.
Public Works distributed the request for quotations to vendors on July 27, 2020. The bid closed on August 18, 2020, we received three qualified bids. Cole Supply Co. submitted the only complete bid furnishing the lowest price for each of the twenty-six (26) items requested on the bid submittal.
*No bids were submitted from Hammons Supply and American Textile and Supply.
Consideration of Bids for the Antioch Pavement Rehabilitation Project (P.W. 392-31)
• Item N:
o 1) Reject the bid protest of Ghilotti Construction Company
o 2) Approving an amendment to the fiscal year 2020/21 Capital Improvement Budget carrying forward $457,250 in unspent budgeted RMRA funds designated for the Antioch Pavement Rehabilitation (“Project”) from fiscal year 2019/20 to fiscal year 2020/21
o 3) Award the Construction agreement for the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, MCK Services INC for a total amount of $3,122,250.00
This Project will consist of constructing concrete curb ramps at various locations, removing and replacing failed asphalt concrete sections, and performing a cape seal treatment over the entire street width on Hillcrest Avenue from Davison Drive to Lone Tree Way, Gentrytown Drive from James Donlon Boulevard to Buchannan Road and Delta Far Boulevard from Buchannan Road to Somersville Road.
Resolution approving amendment no. 2 to the consulting services agreement between the City of Antioch and Voler Strategic Advisors.
• Item O: Extend current agreement for months to March, 2021 and increases the value of the agreement by $48,000 for a total amount not to exceed $144,000
*Please see attached image of services provided from Voler Strategic Advisors.*


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Bus Jaroslaw Jarosław • Podkarpackie Voivodeship » Bruhl Brühl
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domain: travel


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Shall We Dance is an exquisite space in the heart of Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula to take dance lessons or to hold private gatherings and corporate events. Ocean view, elegant decor, a friendly staff and fun dance activities create life-style enriching experiences. Perhaps you always wanted to learn the romantic Waltz, the sizzling Salsa, or the sensuous Argentine Tango, or to try the latest body-beautifying Zumba Fitness, maybe you would like to surprise your friend with a fun birthday party or your boss with an innovative option for a team building seminar. Shall We Dance re-energizes your life and lets you forget the troubles of the day.
We welcome you to join us, to laugh, learn, dance!
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domain: artistic


The pandemic was horrible in many ways. Everywhere there were alarming numbers about deaths, hospitalizations, sequelae caused by Covid-19, social chaos, which naturally cause feelings of fear and even panic, and more emotionally sensitive people ended up suffering much more.
READ TOO – Student with tetraparesis learns to “talk” just by moving his eyes and graduates in Medicine in Paraná
The time to remove masks, both outdoors and indoors, has gradually arrived throughout Brazil, soon after countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and France have released them. However, there are people who have been afraid to stop using such protection.
“Thinking about going back to things similar to what happened in the pandemic, awakens in our brain a need for safety and protection, where at this moment anxiety occurs and, consequently, the fear of not using masks”, explains Eloisa Feltrin, a psychologist specializing in existential phenomenological theory.
READ MORE – End of masks: 14 places where it’s still worth using to protect yourself
Such permission has generated numerous impacts, positive and negative, even resistance in some people, even among children, adolescents and young people. “A 5 to 7-year-old child spent a good part, if not all, of the school period of his life before the use of masks and taking them off can cause estrangement and resistance”, says psychologist Michele Maba.
Therefore, it is necessary that the change be carried out in a natural and gradual way, without the sudden imposition, respecting the particularity and limitations that the pandemic routine has brought.
How to deal with the fear of taking off the masks?
Eloísa indicates that, for people who are afraid to take off their masks, it is important that they work with their conscience, the way they built a relationship with the use of the protection item and with the pandemic, giving new meaning to what happened.
SEE ALSO – Can you get the flu shot and the covid-19 booster dose on the same day?
Some people have acquired panic from social relationships and having to get in touch with this reality again, can be chaos in emotional health, explains the psychologist. “In this way, it is important to know about which places the person is frequenting. You cannot go to the show and expect that everyone is complying with the use of masks, even if they are now flexible”, warns Eloísa.
Due to the uniqueness of each human being, it is necessary to understand how each one’s view of these changes is being. Thus, each person must seek to know what their limits are. After all, the feelings caused by the absence of the mask are individual, and the comparison should be left aside, considering the real need on a case-by-case basis.
trigger for anxiety
“Is it safe to go without a mask indoors?” “Can I talk to someone without wearing a mask and without risk of contamination?” These are some of the questions that have been going through some people’s minds when they are faced with the end of the mandatory use of masks, whether in an open environment or not.
In cases where the anxiety generated is not exacerbated to the point of paralysis or panic, in addition to seeking to rationally understand that the risk of contamination is minimal, it is important to look for opportunities to overcome any anguish, facing fear or whatever causes it.
READ MORE – Approved the first drug for the treatment of covid-19 in the SUS
“People who don’t suffer from anxiety deal with the risk of contamination in a statistical way. However, there are people who, due to their more vulnerable health, can trigger emotional fragility added to anguish, when they think about the possible diseases they can acquire because they are supposedly failing to comply with care”, explains Michele.
To face fear, Michele explains that people can gradually free themselves from wearing the mask, in open environments with fewer people, until they feel the urge to circulate among more people, gradually getting used to it, through systematic desensitization.
Eloísa believes that doing such a desensitization process, gradually stopping using the masks, can be a great alternative for the anguish to give space to a lighter and calmer life. “The uncertain moments lived during the pandemic, today give space for a reconnect, with new possibilities, which needs to be looked at with affection for each story. Getting back to bonding with friends, talking to family members about your feelings, is a great push for this exit”, highlights the professional.
Faced with an anxiety crisis, what to do?
We all feel anxiety, it is what maintains our life and prevents us from putting it at risk. However, Eloísa warns of feelings such as exhaustion, intense stress, difficulty in starting and/or finishing things, intense stomachaches and nail biting habits and even more aggressive ones such as pulling out one’s own hair, which demonstrate that mental health is not very good. .
Anxiogenic thoughts, that is, anxiety-generating thoughts, can become crisis triggers for people with OCD, generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder, Michele warns.
In cases where not using a mask becomes an anxiogenic trigger, it is important that the person exposes himself to situations that allow him to overcome fear only with the help of a health professional, so that he does not increase his suffering with a mental illness.
“For people suffering from an anxiety disorder, such as panic syndrome, it is important that when faced with a crisis, they seek to control their breathing, moving to a place where they feel more relaxed and favoring the rationalization of the low risk of contamination”, guides the professional.
Having looked for a place that she considers safe, Eloísa advises the individual to call someone to say how they are feeling and advise what the person can do to help, be it to call a security person or get some water. In addition, the professional indicates that both self-regulation, with breathing practices, and words of self-affirmation, highlighting how safe you are, are great alternatives for these moments.
In addition to protecting against the coronavirus, for some people, the mask fulfilled other functions, as a way of hiding unaccepted physical characteristics and even as a means of hiding feelings and expressions on the face. “People often went out without taking care of their own face, they hid either because they thought they were ugly or so that people couldn’t fully interpret them,” says Michele.
For such individuals, the absence of the mask may lead to greater exposure, which may become a trigger of anxiety, given the impossibility of not showing feelings that were previously hidden.
“This is the time to face reality again without using something that protects the hidden individual, even if the exposure is carried out gradually”, highlights the psychologist, who believes that some people have sought other means to protect themselves from their fears. “Women will end up using makeup that makes them feel more protected from a clean face, or they will use other accessories because they will feel that the mask is missing in some way,” she says.
How to remove the mask in your own time?
Through desensitization, Michele advises that each person seeks to stop using the mask, when allowed by legislation, respecting their own time, regardless of the reason why they still use it.
“Self-knowledge is the basis of everything. With it, the person, knowing when things are getting out of hand or when everything is fine, will know when they are ready to live the post-pandemic moment, approaching people, knowing new places, leaving the anxiety with the function that she really has care in her life, not control”, adds Eloísa.
In addition, it is important to remember that there is a possibility that people who wish to continue using the mask, after all, there are occasions – including something customary in the East -, that people with flu symptoms or other diseases use such an accessory to protect the next closest. vulnerable. “Respect will be the watchword in humanity to deal with the different thoughts of all of us in the midst of the changes we will face”, concludes the psychologist.
Meet the main cast of Pantanal
Beyond the Illusion
Eugênio confesses to Constantino that he loves Violeta
The More Life, the Better
Roni asks Nedda to live with him


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FairTax: The Truth: Answering the Critics Paperback – Bargain Price, February 12, 2008
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About the Author
The host of radio's The Neal Boortz Show, syndicated in nearly two hundred national markets, Neal Boortz is the author (with Congressman John Linder) of the New York Times bestsellers The FairTax Book and FairTax: The Truth, and author of The Terrible Truth About Liberals. He has been nominated twice for the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Award and divides his time between Atlanta, Georgia, and Naples, Florida.
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Top Customer Reviews
I enjoyed this book, just as I did the first FairTax book. It is nice read, and I enjoy Boortz's writing in particular. Probably one of the biggest flaws of the book is the extreme length of what is probably the most important chapter in the book: that is, the chapter that deals with what the authors consider legitimate criticisms to address. Even as an ardent reader and supporter of the FairTax, getting through this chapter was a bit tough. Surely they could have broken it up a bit.
There is nothing abstract in the book. Examples are clear cut and well explained. Having the footnotes in there also really helps, as the authors have highlighted for you, the reader, the same things they read.
All in all, a good read, and highly recommended to both those who support the FairTax and even those who don't. For those that do, this will clear up the major issues, and give you, as the authors say, the ammunition you need to refute some of the claims. For those that don't support the FairTax, you'll have a better understanding of your enemy's idea.
Boortz and Linder "ignore" the reviews by various organizations that alter the FairTax in some way. In other words, these organizations established guidelines for their reviews of proposed tax plans that change how the FairTax would work. Imagine it like this: an independent organization is going to rate every car on the road in terms of safety features, but in their guidelines, they state that solid steel bars running down the sides of a car shouldn't be considered. My car, and all the others like it, take a hit in those safety ratings. Why?Read more ›
One by one, the questions are answered in a logical, calm manner. The misunderstandings and intentional misrepresentations are taken on by Boortz and Linder in a point by point response. While I do have disagreements from time to time with Mr. Boortz when I listen to him on the radio I am 100% on the same page with him on the tax issue. His and John Linders system makes so much sense I can't see how anyone doesn't get it.
This isn't just a rehash of the first Fair Tax book either. There is new information contained in Fair Tax: The Truth.
Well done Neal and John.
This is the best book by far on this topic, far better than the first one explaining the entire concept. Just as with anything else in life, if you are to have an educated opinion on anything, you must first fully research the facts revolving around what you want to talk about. Unfortunately this is not what the pundits, critics, and media surrounding the Fair-Tax have done.
95% of people against the Fair-Tax don't fully understand or have not properly researched this topic before opening their mouth. And the other 5% of people against the fair tax are against the Fair-Tax because they want the government to have a vice grip on the America Public and Private sector in some way, shape or form.
What you really need to do, is just to borrow this book, and read the last chapter. I do want Boortz to get #1 on the best seller list, but for those of who do not want to spend the proper time to educate themselves as they should in this matter, should look to the final chapter. This gives a perspective view of what life would be like if you lived under the fair tax. If you read the last chapter and still are in favor of the Federal Income Tax when you are done, you clearly cannot grasp the full benefit of the Fair Tax to yourself, your loved ones, your friends, your company (or your employer), and your country.
I bought about 30 books to give to people when the first book came out, I am sure I will do the same this time.
On xxi on the introduction, the book makes a key point that the Fair Tax proposal is "revenue neutral", claiming that the Fair Tax would simply be a more efficient mechanism for collecting X revenue. Fair enough. But then the book proceeds, on page 18, to wax philosophic of the halcyon days of generations past, when taxes were much lower. It fails to acknowledge that the government provides a lot more services than it did when "the parents of today's baby boomers" worked. So yes, taxes will naturally be lower when not paying for Medicaid/Medicare, veteran's health care, affirmative action programs, great society anti-poverty programs, a military industrial complex developed despite Eisenhower's warnings back in the 1950's, etc. I think criticizing any of these programs is fair game, but mentioning such points strays from the original "revenue neutral' point expressed earlier. Pages 23-25 and 61-65 focus on spending criticisms, many of which are valid, of how tax money is wasted (though implying all welfare recipients buy brand new cars on page 23 is a bit "disingenuous", a term of which the authors seem to be fond).Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Fair Tax initiative is easily the best tax system for the U.S. Neal is great.Published 10 days ago by quixote
This is mostly an advertisement for the "FairTax" With a lot of rah rah, but not much in the way of specifics. Read morePublished 1 month ago by James G. Broadwell
The only plan that will restore our country to what it should bePublished 2 months ago by Billy Stone
I had read the original book. I loved it. I sent this one to my brother.
Democrats need a little persuasion on such a dynamic tax
This tax reform would really propel our great nation back to greatness. I'll do my best to spread the truth about The Fair Tax.Published 4 months ago by Beverly A Harper

domain: literature


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On this mesmerizing 12-day Wildlife Sighting Trip to Uganda, you will have breathtaking biodiversity and unforgettable encounters. Witness majestic lions roam the savannah, track elusive leopards, and immerse in gorilla trekking, the pinnacle of adventure. Experience nature’s wonders like never before, making memories to cherish forever.
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Clementine Ford: There Has Been No Greater Pain In My Life Than Watching My Mother Starve To Death
Historic laws that will assist terminally ill adults to die have come into force in Victoria.
It’s a move that’s long overdue, paving the way for people suffering to be able to assert autonomy and dignity over their end-of-life experience. It’s legislation that I wish had been in effect in South Australia more than a decade ago, when my own mother died after a short but intense battle with cancer.
She was first diagnosed in October 2006, when her skin turned a sickly shade of yellow. At first, we thought she might have contracted a strain of hepatitis. But a scan of her liver revealed an ominous shadow that turned out to be an even more ominous tumour on her bile duct.
As my brother and sister and I sat in the corridor outside her hospital room, we watched the sombre-faced doctor emerge and partially close the door. Through the gap, our father’s disjointed words drifted out into the hall. I paced the floor, trying to catch them before they disappeared.
“And we’ll just throw a big party,” I finally heard him say.
When someone’s mortality is in question, ‘a big party’ is never a good sign. I ran to my sister and buried my head in her lap, suddenly a child again. In her hospital bed on the other side of the wall, my mother lay quietly grappling with the possibility that she might die.
We were told there might be an opportunity to remove the tumour, but the scheduled operation quickly revealed otherwise. There was no tumour, singular. There was a wasteland of tumours, plural, spread out across the interior of her organs. “Sorry,” they said. “You’re too late.”
Over the coming months, my mother did all the things you’re told to do when you’re looking to extend your life for a few more precious weeks or months. There were the rounds of radiation (which made her feel better) and the weird tea purchased from a charlatan in Canada (which tasted like shit and made her feel nothing, unsurprisingly). I spent long stretches of time at my parents’ house, watching daytime television with her and taking daily walks with her around the garden. I searched for anything that promised to shrink the cancer running rampage in her insides, ordering her to drink my freshly made juice every morning.
Spoiler: Juicing does not cure cancer.
For a time, it was easy to forget that the cancer was there. She was bright and chipper, optimistic about the possibility that the weather vane might turn and start to point in the opposite direction, the wind carrying her back to the land of the living.
But then she lost her appetite, and it didn’t come back.
There has been no greater pain in my life than watching my mother starve to death. Cancer may have been what caused her digestive system to stop working, but it wasn’t the cancer that killed her. It was starvation and it took almost a fortnight to complete its slow, destructive tear throughout her body.
Did she feel it? It’s hard to know, because much of that time was spent in a drug-soaked haze. A small, bleeping box sat beside the bed administering steady doses of morphine into her arm, keeping her somewhere in the dreamscape between this world and the next.
But there’s one moment I remember from that time, when communication (although drug-addled) was still possible, before it had given way to silence. My mother had signalled she wanted to use the toilet, expecting my father and I to help her walk down the hall to the bathroom. But her legs had grown heavier and her muscles weaker, and we had no choice but to help ease her onto the commode that had been installed against her wishes in the bedroom in which she now lay dying. I watched as her face twisted in defiance as she held on to her bladder, and then as it crumbled into defeat and she relieved herself. She didn’t want this suffering. I knew it, I knew it, and I cried because I could do nothing to make it go away.
Some days later, my father telephoned me to say that my mother had died in the wee hours of the morning. It was not a dignified death. It was not a painless one. It was long and arduous and against everything she had wished for. None of her children were there, because she hadn’t wanted them to see her stripped of her vitality.
Her death was an inevitability. As much as we might have wished for an 11th-hour reprieve, it was never going to come. How much different it would have been for all of us if we had been able to give her the exit she wanted? To hold her hand and escort her with love to the place beyond the veil?
I loved my mother fiercely. I wanted infinitely more time with her. But not like that. Not like that.
Thank you to those who have fought for this legislation. It would have meant a lot to my family. Death comes for us all in the end. But how we meet it should be for us to decide.


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Author(s): EMILY RODDA
Another great story in the Raven Hill Mysteries series. As they work at their new afternoon job at the local cat shop, Purrfection, Elmo and the rest of the Teen Power gang learn of more and more cats disappearing. Curious and worried, they decide they have to try to solve the mystery. Elmo knows that he has to find the cats before it's too late. Where are the cats going? Who is taking them? And why?
1997. Reprint. A near fine copy.


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To identify novel breast cancer subtypes by extracting quantitative imaging phenotypes of the tumor and surrounding parenchyma, and to elucidate the underlying biological underpinnings and evaluate the prognostic capacity for predicting recurrence-free survival (RFS).We retrospectively analyzed dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging data of patients from a single-center discovery cohort (n=60) and an independent multi-center validation cohort (n=96). Quantitative image features were extracted to characterize tumor morphology, intra-tumor heterogeneity of contrast agent wash-in/wash-out patterns, and tumor-surrounding parenchyma enhancement. Based on these image features, we used unsupervised consensus clustering to identify robust imaging subtypes, and evaluated their clinical and biological relevance. We built a gene expression-based classifier of imaging subtypes and tested their prognostic significance in five additional cohorts with publically available gene expression data but without imaging data (n=1160).Three distinct imaging subtypes, i.e., homogeneous intratumoral enhancing, minimal parenchymal enhancing, and prominent parenchymal enhancing, were identified and validated. In the discovery cohort, imaging subtypes stratified patients with significantly different 5-year RFS rates of 79.6%, 65.2%, 52.5% (logrank P=0.025), and remained as an independent predictor after adjusting for clinicopathological factors (hazard ratio=2.79, P=0.016). The prognostic value of imaging subtypes was further validated in five independent gene expression cohorts, with average 5-year RFS rates of 88.1%, 74.0%, 59.5% (logrank P from <0.0001 to 0.008). Each imaging subtype was associated with specific dysregulated molecular pathways that can be therapeutically targeted.Imaging subtypes provide complimentary value to established histopathological or molecular subtypes, and may help stratify breast cancer patients.
View details for DOI 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-2415
View details for PubMedID 28073839

domain: medical


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Having the freedom to drive anywhere you want in Chicago is great. You can get to and from work, school, the movies, the store and restaurants with little problems. But, what if you get into a car accident? Do you know what type of injuries you might suffer? People don’t tend to think about how seriously injured they could get if involved in a car accident.
Even if the airbag deploys during a car accident, you could wind up suffering head injuries. The force of the collision could be so strong that it still slams your head into the steering wheel, the dashboard, the head of your passenger or your driver side window. If you are ejected from the vehicle, you can suffer serious head trauma from hitting the windshield.
Fractures are a very common injury suffered by car accident victims in Illinois. You can fracture any of your extremities, your ribs, vertebrae in your back and even bones in your face. Fractures can be extremely severe, to the point where you require surgery to repair them.
Injuries to your neck and chest are also common in car accidents, even minor ones. These injuries can include a punctured lung, a collapsed lung, bruised ribs, a broken neck and much more. Whiplash is probably the most well-known injury suffered during a car accident.
Suffering an injury in a car accident, even a minor one, can leave you with plenty of questions, pain and medical bills in Chicago, Illinois. Make sure you know and understand the types of injuries you can suffer before getting behind the wheel.


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George Bush's nomination of John Ashcroft as attorney general of the United States could not suit me more. Ashcroft is an outstanding nomination, especially on the heels of the most corrupt Justice Department in the history of the nation.
Ashcroft is an evangelical Christian, scrupulously honest, genuinely conservative, a former Missouri attorney general, governor and United States senator. He has stellar academic credentials, having graduated from Yale with honors and the prestigious University of Chicago School of Law. He is a man of unimpeachable integrity who is without skeletons.
The wisdom of the Ashcroft appointment is further demonstrated by the quality of Ashcroft's most outspoken opponents, some of whom are paralyzed with panic. Militant feminist Kate Michelman said that Ashcroft is "a real danger to women's rights." Translation: those who are staunchly pro-life should be disqualified from public service. Ralph Neas, president of the People for the American Way, said, "I don't believe anyone in the U.S. Senate has a worse record on civil rights and civil liberties." Translation: Ashcroft had the political courage to oppose the nomination of Bill Lann Lee as Chief of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Lann Lee's nomination was rejected by the Senate, but Clinton illegally installed Lee anyway to head Civil Rights, completely thwarting the Senate's advice and consent role. As Ashcroft and others predicted, Lee has turned the Civil Rights Division into a zealous agency for enforcement of affirmative action initiatives deemed illegal by the United States Supreme Court.
The attorney general is one of the most important positions in the executive branch. Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution vests the president with the executive power of the United States of America. He is the nation's chief executive officer. Article II, Section 3 provides that the president "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The Department of Justice is the primary government agency charged with the implementation of the president's constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws.
The foreword to a 1927 primer on the Department of Justice emphasizes the Justice Department's central role in law enforcement:
Probably the most essential function of government is the maintenance of law and order. A government that does not protect its citizens in the orderly conduct of their affairs and ensure the enforcement of its commands as expressed in law, is not only derelict in respect to one of its primary duties, but also brings itself into contempt, and thus lays the basis for failure in respect to all its other undertakings. ... This task of law enforcement presents one of the important problems of administration confronting the national government. The Department of Justice is the central agency for the performance of this task.
As the Department of Justice is entrusted with the duty of impartially enforcing the law, it is important that to the maximum extent possible it stay above politics. When justice is administered unfairly, when those in power are treated as being above the law, the system tends to disintegrate.
Sadly, the Clinton administration displayed an ugly contempt for the cherished institutions of our government. That attitude unfortunately trickled down into the halls of Main Justice. The Clinton-Gore-Reno Justice Department left in its wake a system corrupted under the influence of executive privilege and power. President-elect Bush and Sen. Ashcroft have their work cut out for them. The Clinton-Gore-Reno years provide a regrettable example of the horrors of politicized justice in America. Bush and Ashcroft will have this sordid legacy as a constant reminder of how bad things can be when justice is perverted and subordinated to the whims and interests of a political class of would-be elites.
President-elect Bush, in nominating Sen. Ashcroft, said that Ashcroft satisfied his three requirements for the spot: integrity, executive prowess and "a commitment to fair and firm and impartial administration of justice." Amen. In accepting the nomination, Sen. Ashcroft affirmed his commitment to "equal justice under the law" and to the concept embodied in the inscription on the United States Supreme Court building, "Justice, the guardian of liberty."
Ashcroft's recognition of justice as indispensable to our liberties is abundantly reassuring to those of us who long for a restoration of the rule of law for this great nation. We anxiously wait for the long overdue cleansing to begin.

domain: politics


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Our stay was average. The room was located in an area where our view was the side wall of another building. The gentleman who was there when we checked in wasnt so helpful but the gentleman who was there when we checked out was very helpful. It's in a decent loction so my partner and i didnt mind that. I... More
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Because of the intersection of ag policy and the environment, I like to look at each Farm Bill as it crosses the plate. This bill is barely out of the box, but it's worth a peek to see what's coming down the line.
Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member Pat Roberts released their co-authored legislation for the 2012 Farm Bill last Friday, April 20, 1012. The full committee will meet Wednesday, April 25, 2012 for purposes of considering and marking up the 2012 Farm Bill.
Stabenow’s office says the propesed bill reforms farm policy, consolidates and streamlines programs, and will reduce the deficit by $23 billion. “The bill saves taxpayers money while strengthening initiatives that help farmers, ranchers and small business owners create jobs.” Of course it does.
The press release says that, aside from supporting Mom, apple pie, and baseball, the legislation:
• Eliminates direct payments. Farmers will no longer be paid for crops they are not growing, will not be paid for acres that are not actually planted, and will not receive support absent a drop in price or yields.
• Consolidates two remaining farm programs into one, and will give farmers the ability to tailor risk management coverage—meaning better protection against real risks beyond a farmer’s control.
• Strengthens crop insurance and expands access so farmers are not wiped out by a few days of bad weather.
• By ending duplication and consolidating programs, the bill eliminates dozens of programs under the Agriculture Committee’s jurisdiction.
• For example, the bill consolidates 23 existing conservation programs into 13 programs, while maintaining the existing tools farmers and landowners need to protect and conserve land, water and wildlife.
Increases accountability in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by:
• Stopping lottery winners from continuing to receive assistance.
• Ending misuse by college students.
• Cracking down on retailers and recipients engaged in benefit trafficking.
• Increasing requirements to prevent liquor and tobacco stores from becoming retailers.
• Eliminating gaps in standards that result in overpayment of benefits.
• The proposal maintains benefits for families in need.
The proposal increases efficiency and accountability, saving tens of billions of dollars overall, while strengthening agricultural jobs initiatives by:
• Expanding export opportunities and helping farmers develop new markets for their goods.
• Investing in research to help commercialize new agricultural innovations.
• Growing bio-based manufacturing (businesses producing goods in America from raw agricultural products grown in America) by allowing bio-manufacturers to participate in existing U.S. Department of Agriculture loan programs, expanding the BioPreferred labeling initiative, and strengthening a procurement preference so the U.S. government will select bio-based products when purchasing needed goods.
• Spurring advancements in bio-energy production, supporting advanced biomass energy production such as cellulosic ethanol and pellets from woody biomass for power.
• Helping family farmers sell locally by increasing support for farmers’ markets and spurring the creation of food hubs to connect farmers to schools and other community-based consumers.
• Extending rural development initiatives to help rural communities upgrade infrastructure and create an environment for small businesses to grow.
As I said, that’s the party line. We will look at the reality in a future post.

domain: agronomy


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Ten Taboos About Toddler Coloring Pages Printable You Should Never Share On Twitter | Coloring is free HD wallpaper. This wallpaper was upload at October 27, 2017 upload by Admin in Coloring Page.
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Hey, boos! If you’re agog for Halloween to bustle up and get here, we accept aloof the affair to accomplish the delay a little easier. Take your apperception off the accent of award the perf women’s costume and zen out with a basin of pastel peanut adulate cups and a scattering of these appearance folio printables. With a advanced alternative of prints accouterment to the witchy woman, Day of the Dead enthusiast, and more, these DIY and shoppable appearance pages action article to clothing everyone’s tastes. Scroll to get your blush on!
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2. Hocus Pocus: If you think Hocus Pocus was the best witch cine of all time, say so by appearance in this book aggressive by the film. The abutting footfall of repping your adulation for the adolescence archetypal is by actually turning into the Sanderson sisters this Halloween. (via Dawn Nicole Designs / Eighteen 25)
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Which of these printable pages will you blush in? Check us out on Pinterest for added Halloween-inspired activities and games!
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domain: hobby


The US House will hold hearings on the topic of the role of traditional media in spreading disinformation and extremism. The hearings will include experts from the US intelligence community and the TV providers. The main goal of the hearings is for members of Congress to understand the conditions of the broadcasts being provided.
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to stop the delivery of his tax returns to New York state authorities. The ex-president had been withholding his tax returns for eight years, an unprecedented situation in the modern history of American presidents.
Twitter has confirmed its ban on former President Donald Trump will be permanent and will not be revoked, even if he runs for President again. The motive, according to the social media company, is bar him from using the platform for incitement to fan violence. Twitter’s finance director, Ned Segal, confirmed this in an interview with CNBC Wednesday morning.
Former US President Donald Trump announced deportation protections for Venezuelans residing in the United States just hours before he left office. The latest move was aimed at underscoring the US government’s commitment to take down the Nicolas Maduro administration.
The Administration of the outgoing US president, Donald Trump, once again included Cuba on its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism Monday. Cuba had been taken off the list in 2015 by the Obama administration. The decision was made just nine days before President Trump leaves the White House.
The Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence did not, after all, invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove his boss, President Donald Trump, from office. He had been asked to do so by the House of Representatives as a reaction to the violent assault on the Capitol by the president’s supporters last week.
Joe Biden has refrained from making any decisive statements regarding the current impeachment motion against outgoing US President Donald Trump. Speaking about the situation, Mr. Biden has indicated that he has no interest in taking part in the impeachment plans.
The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, used the events that unfolded on January 6th in the US as an opportunity for propaganda to the Iranian populous. This week, four Americans lost their lives in the process. Amongst the deceased were a police officer and a female US military veteran.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday said that she was “sad” and “furious” at the invasion of the Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump, and reiterated that the outgoing president should be held responsible for the fracas. The German chancellor spoke to news reporters yesterday.
Top world leaders have strongly condemned the assault on the United States Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump Wednesday as the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential elections was being ratified. The leaders have called for a “peaceful” transition in the United States and have denounced “an unprecedented assault on American democracy.”
The Senate rejected, by overwhelming majority, the objection of some Republican senators to the victory of Joe Biden in the state of Arizona. The objection to the results in Arizona– led by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)— was dismissed by 93-6 on Wednesday night, local time.
After the new high in 2020, the U.S. stock market fell across the board and encountered a black New Year. The Dow fell nearly 400 points, and once fell below the psychological barrier of 30,000 points. Gold and silver stocks bucked the trend and rose. Qutoutiao rose more than 22%, Bilibili rose more than 10%, Weilai rose more than 9%, and Pinduoduo fell more than 6%.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was re-elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Sunday, albeit narrowly. Speaker Pelosi narrowly secured the position after having been deserted by five Democrats who supported someone else. All Republicans, however, voted for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
Efforts by President Donald Trump to retain the office, reached another level on Saturday following a long, leaked phone call in which he discussed with the Secretary of State of Georgia, Republican Brad Raffensperger, how to “find” enough votes to reverse the disputed electoral victory of Democrat Joe Biden.
The Iran addressed the Coronavirus pandemic this weekend during the National Committee meeting. The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani said: “Coronavirus infection is not a common disease, but a historic test for the peoples and leaders of the world.”
Mexican drug cartels used a host of new methods to maintain operations amid the coronavirus restrictions and increased crackdowns at the border. According to a New York Times investigative report, narco-trafficking cartels, like other legitimate businesses, were severely impacted during the pandemic.
The US dollar exchange rate continued to weaken, and the US stock market fell in the afternoon to provide support for safe-haven assets, and gold futures closed up slightly. Gold futures for February delivery closed up $2.50, or 0.1%, to $1,882.90 per ounce. Gold futures fell 0.1% on Monday.
US President Donald Trump decided to change his policy over the weekend and signed a bill that includes the $ 900 billion in aid to consumers and small businesses. However, crude oil futures increased production due to the spread of the epidemic and OPEC+ expectations intensified. Crude oil gave up early gains and closed slightly lower.
US President Donald Trump has attacked the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for allegedly refusing to look into his election fraud claims. In a bellicose Twitter tirade on Saturday, the President accused them of colluding to have him lose the elections to Joe Biden.
After much delay, US President Donald Trump finally signed the US coronavirus stimulus package and government funding bill. The move frees $2.3 trillion for emergency aid to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic and funds the federal government, avoiding a shutdown.
On December 24th, Iranian officials made a statement regarding the deployment of additional air defense systems. The Russian-made systems will be deployed under emergency measures. They will be strategically positioned near Iranian nuclear facilities to guard against possible US or Israeli strikes against them.
As the end of his term in office nears, outgoing US President, Donald Trump pardoned another fifteen people. Among the pardoned are former campaign advisor George Papadopoulos and Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, convicted of crimes in the course of the Russia investigation, and two former Republican members of Congress.
US President Donald Trump surprised everyone with this harsh criticism of the $900 billion coronavirus aid package that was passed by Congress on Monday. In a video message posted on Twitter Tuesday night, President Trump called the package a “shame,” and vowed that he would not sign the law if it isn’t revised.
Joe Biden has chosen Connecticut Commissioner of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona, as the nation’s next Secretary of Education. Mr. Biden, in making public his next choice for cabinet secretary, stated that Dr. Cardona is an experienced and dedicated public school teacher who will play a pioneering role in the Department of Education.
The US government experienced a massive hack this month. According to the experts the hacked networks would have to be burned. The Washington Post immediately accused Russia of the hack. There are have been reports that hackers also gained access to Microsoft. Most strongly believe that Russia is behind the hack.
US President Donald Trump has blamed the media for sparking unnecessary drama over the recent SolarWinds hack. The intrusion sent shockwaves across the private sector and government organizations when it emerged that over 18,000 clients had been infiltrated by malware embedded in a recent software update.
The lawyer for American Paul Whelan, who was convicted in Russia for espionage, believes that the newly-elected US President, Job Biden, will advocate on behalf of Mr. Whelan. In reality, Mr. Whelan has multiple citizenships and very questionable professional interests.
Congratulations are in order for Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden. Some top world leaders, who initially went mum on his victory, have finally recognized the Democrat as the US President-Elect. Just hours after Russia’s Vladimir Putin recognized and congratulated Joe Biden on his victory, the presidents of Brazil and Mexico followed suit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has finally congratulated Joe Biden for his apparent victory in the US presidential election Monday. It has been over a month since the US held its presidential elections, subsequently won by the Democrat, Mr. Biden. It is worth noting that several world leaders already congratulated Mr. Biden within days of the election.
The Kremlin announced Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on his election victory, in a move that followed Mr. Biden receiving a majority of votes from the Electoral College. The ritual Monday formally determines who will be the next President of the United States.
The 538 members of the Electoral College voted on Monday and confirmed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s victory, dealing incumbent President Donald Trump a big blow in his maneuvers to have his apparent defeat overturned. President Trump has alleged electoral fraud, albeit without tangible proof.
It would be a “mistake” to return to normalcy with Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a joint news conference with US National Security Adviser, Robert O’Brien on Sunday. Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke of Israel’s resistance to the usual approaches of the past regarding the international nuclear dispute with Iran.
The United States began shipping the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines to all states in the United States at low temperatures from December 13, and is expected to be distributed to 636 distribution centers across the United States before the 16th. Pfizer and BioNTech have obtained emergency authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for the vaccine.
Even though he hasn’t conceded defeat yet, President Donald Trump hinted Wednesday at a possibility of running again for the US presidency in the nation’s 2024 presidential election. “It’s been an amazing four years. We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years,” President Trump told the crowd at the White House Christmas party.
The US Attorney General, William Barr, has indicted that the Department of Justice– which he leads– has not found evidence of massive electoral fraud sufficient to overturn the results of the presidential election. The Attorney General made his comments in an interview with the Associated Press.
According to French officials, company executives, and consultants, a number of US technology companies, such as Facebook and Amazon, have recently received information from French tax authorities requesting them to pay millions of euros in digital taxes for 2020. This reportedly angered the US government.
US President Donald Trump might have been defeated but he hasn’t been sent into political oblivion just yet. According to the first poll conducted after the elections some believe has been won by Joe Biden, the current US President is today the figure with the highest level of support in a 2024 Republican presidential primary four years from now.
The United States’ General Services Administration (GSA) has begun to pave the way for the formal transition of the Biden Administration that was being blocked by the Trump administration. Several US and international media agencies have reported that the head of the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy, has started the process of transition, even though President Donald Trump is still trying to reverse the results of the elections in the states considered to be most important in the electoral college.
A senior US government official says Donald Trump will attend the G20 summit. This year, the summit of the leaders of the top 20 economies in the world will be held in Saudi Arabia virtually. The G20 countries include the top seven economies of the world and 13 emerging powers, and meet as usual in December each year.
Electoral officials in the State of Georgia Thursday confirmed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s victory in the state after they completed a manual recount of votes, as requested by the campaign of President Donald Trump. President-Elect Biden thus became the first Democrat to win in Georgia, a traditionally Republican state, since Bill Clinton in 1992.
U.S. President Donald Trump did not attend the ASEAN summit last week. At the summit, 15 countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement. Officials revealed that in this context, President Trump is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference (APEC) online summit.
In a move seen as retaliation, the outgoing US President, Donald Trump, announced the dismissal of the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency over a statement he described as “extremely inaccurate” regarding election security. President Trump has not provided any evidence for this accusation.
On the anniversary of the crackdown on the November protests in Iran, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, two deputies of the Foundation of the Oppressed and Disabled, and a number of individuals and entities close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.


Just installed the Intel 965lt with E6600 duo 2 processor and the speech recognition in word won't work. (Edit) Just found new driver for it any one having trouble like this look for driver 92XX I believe it is and it works excellent for my SigmaTel hardware. I'm not even typing this right now this is all through voice recognition, it will tighten any application emails and everything you basically don't even have to type ever again. Every now and then if you're not speaking clearly it may make a mistake but otherwise all this text beginning from the word edit above is from voice recognition. So anyone using SigmaTel hardware on their Intel 965 motherboards look for the 92XX driver it is on the Intel website.
Edited by MarkN, 04 May 2007 - 06:43 PM.


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STAMP DEMON Home Page //// Finance //// Parent and Child //// Site Index
Savings Accounts at STAMP DEMON - If you put a little bit of money away each month, no matter how small, you've got savings! As your income increases, try to put a little bit more away each month and it's great fun to watch your savings grow.
Shop around for great interest rates. Normally instant access accounts pay lower rates, however if you can resist touching your savings you will be rewarded with a higher rate.
Legal & General ISAs
Alliance and Leicester DirectSaver Savings Account
Icesave Savings Account
Liverpool Victoria ISAs
Family Investments - Child Trust Funds
ING Direct Savings Account
Money Week Magazine
cahoot Savings Account

domain: economics


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Ok, I’m gonna be real honest. I have a post about the quilting of the pinwheel quilt almost ready to post. But Alan Rickman. Can we just sob all weekend and watch HP and Sense and Sensibility and everything else? (My husband is insisting Die Hard is on the list.)
So today, I bring to you another pieced quilt top, the story behind it, and my musings over how it should be quilted and finished. Suggestions welcome because at this point, it’s been 14 years in the making and it’s still not done.
Way back in 2001, a Harry Potter fabric collection was released. Thank my lucky stars that I wasn’t as restrained with my fabric buying back then, and I got a few different cuts. Because for some bizarre reason, it was never rereleased. And all of us that have pieces are now clutching them tightly wondering what project is worth using up our limited edition fabric.
I had a “cheater panel,” a large printed panel that companies release for people to use to make quick blankets for kids or what have you. But I knew I wanted a full size quilt. My grandma Betty, who was a truly exceptional quilter, helped me pick out a traditional strip pieced diamond border pattern to edge the panel. We decided the Hogwarts crest cheater squares would be great in the corners. I could use some of my printed fabric to run the distance between the corners or some sparkly dark blue like the night sky and appliqué some of the tiny flying Harrys from the small cut of fabric I had.
I bought solid red, yellow, light, and dark blue for the diamond and the sashing. The diamonds were quick work; you cut long strips, sew them together, cut on the diagonal, and reassemble. So perfect. And I used tiny sashed squares of the crests from the allover print in the corners of the diamond border. So far so good. Then, as happens, life got in the way and it was pushed aside. I didn’t have enough of anything to run all four open spaces between the outer crests, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do about it. There was no more fabric available, and so it just sat. In a bin. For years.
Then the book series finished. And the movie series was coming to a close. And FFS, I wanted this done in time to celebrate it with the other HP nerds out there. I did a little Googling to see what other people had done with their center panels (mostly backed with fleece, and I will come to your house and slap you if you’ve desecrated this fabric that way). And I found Jennifer Ofenstein and her amazing paper pieced patterns.
I had never paper pieced before, but these patterns were amazing. Like cartoons in fabric. More like drawings than like quilt blocks. And she has them all on her website FOR FREE. Just for all the other sentimental fools who desire to quilt their love of all things nerdy. Paper piecing is done so backwards, you really have to watch five Youtube videos and do one yourself to understand it. I’ve linked Jennifer’s resource page, because she is a master. It’s messy, it’s wasteful, it’s confusing as you work backwards, and it gives you such glorious things you’d never be able to accomplish otherwise.
You take a pattern, cut fabric to fit the shape of the area you wish to cover, line it up so only a seam allowance extends into the space, sew on the lines through the paper, fold it over to cover the space, and press. And you keep stitching the next piece on top of the next piece, working in a numbered fashion, until you’ve covered every numbered area with fabric. If you’ve picked a pattern with different sections or letters, you assemble each section and then sew them together in letter order with a traditional 1/4″ seam allowance. Trim around the outside, true it up, and then you rip all the fabric away from every stitch and are left with your block. I didn’t take any process shots sadly, and the process takes way too long to do one before I post, but trust me. Such a cool process and freeing from having to always be accurate in your measurements and exact seam allowance.
Riddle’s diary from Chamber of Secrets, the whomping willow from Prisoner of Azkaban, and Voldemort’s eyes from his return in Goblet of Fire.
I selected a pattern to represent each of the books 2-7, assuming that Harry himself as the center serves as Book 1. I even emailed Jennifer and ask for the pattern for Godric Griffindor’s sword, as I saw it in her Flickr album but not posted as a pattern (turns out she hadn’t proofed it yet). I did have to take the patterns to Kinkos and have them scaled up to the measurements I needed to fit in the borders. The original patterns are scaled for 5″, and mine are 17″. And good lord, anyone that makes them finish at 5″ deserves a medal because those get to be some seriously small pieces. It took months to finish all the piecing and set it all in sashing, and I knew I would need to do some embroidery on the machine or by hand to embellish the blocks as I had pictured in my brain. Like the titles on the bottles to represent the potions in first lesson Slughorn teaches in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (you know, the Amortentia, Veritaserum, and Felix Felicis). The name on Riddle’s diary in Chamber of Secrets. The signatures on the scroll for Dumbledore’s Army in Order of the Phoenix.
The scroll from Dumbledore’s Army in Order of the Phoenix, the potion bottles and textbook from The Half-Blood Prince, and the sword of Godric Griffindor from Deathly Hallows.
The blocks filled the vertical spaces on either side of the main panel, but I didn’t have a fabric chosen to fill in the spaces on the top and bottom. And then it came to me. They would just be dark blue. And inside them, I would somehow work out via embroidery or quilting the wording of the prophecy in metallic thread like the night sky. Complete with a paper pieced, oldey-timey-book-worthy capital letter block in the HP font to start it off. I set in the two plain areas and it was done.
I wore it like a cape to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2 with my fellow HP girls. We brought along a permanent fabric pen and had the other people in our row sign the Dumbledore’s Army scroll block as the character of their choice. We all watched the final movie under the finished top, went home, and back into the project box it went.
Every now and then I get a jones on to quilt it, and I can never figure out how best to do it. An allover stipple doesn’t seem right. Nor does anything too traditional and planned. I could spread it out and fussy quilt around the characters and the crests, and use stitching as a second way of drawing on the paper pieced blocks to add texture and depth, but seriously how much work is that? So back into the box it goes. I did buy special metallic quilting thread to do the prophecy, along with a large eyed topstitching needle so the thread won’t snap, as is common with metallics. And I think I have figured out to type the text in sized box on photoshop, print it on a transparency, and rent an overhead projector like it’s 1994 so I can tape the quilt to the wall and trace out the lettering exactly as I want it. But after my quilting experiments with the pinwheel quilt, I’m not sure I trust myself to be that accurate with my stitching, and I may have to stem stitch the whole thing with an embroidery needle. By hand. Yeesh.
So what would you do? Send it out to have a professional do it? Just put it together with an easy stitch so it’s done? Forge ahead the fussy way and spend a year getting it just right? I’m open. I’ve been mulling it for years now. But I think this might be the year to get it done so I can use it. Because what 36 year old doesn’t want to sleep under a full king sized Harry Potter quilt?
If anyone needs me this weekend, I’ll just be hanging in my jammie pants curled up under the quilt top introducing my kids to the HP movies. Rest in peace Alan Rickman. You’ll be missed. Always.
Love from Wisco,


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Chances are if you visited Google today you spent a better part of that search time exploring the playable Google Doodle – a tribute to Dr. Robert Moog’s birthday – who invented the groundbreaking synthesizer in the mid 1960s and was utilized by luminary musicians such as The Beatles, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Kraftwerk and others. Playable using either the mouse or keyboard, seemingly an array of sounds and the ability to record is further proof that Google knows how to play nearly as good as they know how to innovate. Go ahead and give it a try for yourself.
- All Sections
HYPEBEAST 100: The innovators from all realms of creativity in the spotlight.
With in-depth interviews, focused features and fashion-forward editorials, our print publication features long-form coverage of the topics valued by readers.
Explore and be inspired by the latest women's fashion news and trends.


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Author: Florence Carey
This post was written prior to our January 2017 merger, under our previous firm name, Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson LLP.
Making a gift to charity in your will can leave a lasting legacy. When you have more than enough for your family, or you want to make a gift without impacting your finances during your lifetime, consider making a gift in your will.
How do you make a charitable gift by will?
When making a will, ask your lawyer to include a gift to a charity. The gift can be a specific amount of cash, or a fraction of your estate before or after other gifts are made. You can also make a gift “in kind” of securities, real estate, insurance, art or other property. If you already have a will, ask your lawyer to revise your will or prepare a codicil to make the gift. You can also designate a charity as beneficiary of your RRSP or RRIF, or name them as beneficiary of your life insurance.
Benefits of charitable bequests
Like gifts made during your lifetime, charitable gifts made by will, by RRSP/RRIF designation or by naming a charity as the beneficiary of your life insurance can result in charitable donation tax credits. Currently, Manitobans benefit from combined federal and provincial tax credits of approximately 25.8% of the first $200 donated, and 46.4% of any amounts above $200. The 2016 budget includes additional credits for donors earning more than $200,000 annually to offset the higher rates of tax. Donation credits can shelter 100% of a deceased’s income in the year of death and the preceding year.
New rules in the Income Tax Act (Canada) provide for additional flexibility for the use of charitable donation credits for gifts made by will. For deaths after 2015, an executor may designate gifts completed within 36 months of death to have been made by the estate, in the year of the gift or any previous year of the estate, or to have been made by the deceased, in the year of death or the preceding year.
There are additional tax benefits of gifting qualifying publicly-traded securities or environmentally-sensitive lands to charity. When such assets are donated directly (rather than selling them and donating the sale proceeds), a charitable donation receipt can be issued for the fair market value at the time the gift is made and, in addition, no tax is payable on any accrued capital gains.
Important things to remember
- In order to receive favourable tax treatment, a donation must qualify as a “gift.” For example, giving discretion to your executor about the amount of the gift or whether a gift is made will not qualify.
- Ensure that your gift is being made to a registered charity or other “qualified donee.” Non-profit groups not registered as charities cannot issue official donation receipts.
- Find the correct name and business number of the organization you name in your will. The Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency has lists of registered charities and qualified donees on its website.
- If you want to make a gift “in kind,” or to restrict or direct how your gift is used, review any gift acceptance policies of the charity, or contact the charity to confirm that they will accept the gift and/or the restriction or direction. Charities may not accept certain properties, or may not accept gifts with restrictions, due to possible liabilities or administrative burdens.
- Provide for contingencies in your will in case the charity you choose has closed its doors. You could name an alternate charity, or give your executor discretion to make the gift to a similar charity.
Careful planning and drafting of a will including charitable gifts can result in tax advantages, ultimately allowing for a larger, more impactful charitable gift, without a corresponding reduction to the amounts available for your other beneficiaries. For significant gifts, a professional gift planner and lawyer are invaluable in ensuring that you leave a lasting legacy.
This article was originally published in the Thursday, April 21, 2016, Winnipeg Free Press Leave a Legacy supplement.
Note: This article is of a general nature only and is not exhaustive of all possible legal rights or remedies. In addition, laws may change over time and should be interpreted only in the context of particular circumstances such that these materials are not intended to be relied upon or taken as legal advice or opinion. Readers should consult a legal professional for specific advice in any particular situation.
Florence Carey is a partner at Aikins Law and a key contact for the Charities and Not-For-Profits and the Tax practice groups.

domain: law


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Throw off the Label 2016
Thu 17 November 2016, 18:00 – 21:30 GMT
Following on from successful events in 2014 and 2015, Wish will be hosting a third Throw off the Label - a fashion fundraising event for Wish - A voice for women's mental health.
A fun evening to buy unique accessories and to celebrate Wish - supporting women with complex needs to turn their lives around.
Handmade fashion accessories will be on sale throughout the evening.
Come and enjoy drinks, canapes and entertainment. You may even find some great Christmas presents!
Kindly hosted by Knight Frank Baker Street.

domain: entertainment


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Though overall 2012 merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the engineering and construction industry did not meet levels seen in 2011, an uptick in fourth quarter activity points to signs of recovery, according to Engineering Growth, a quarterly analysis of the global engineering and construction industry by consultant PwC US.
“With the continued elevated level of uncertainty through the end of the year, we saw many deal makers staying on the sidelines or engaging in smaller, bolt-on acquisitions. However, as the global engineering and construction sector continues on its path of slow recovery, we remain cautiously optimistic and expect the M&A arena to follow a similar trajectory of modest growth in 2013. Growing infrastructure needs, expanding urbanization, and the need for cleaner, environmentally friendly and sustainable energy and water continue to be the driving forces of M&A activity in the sector,” said H. Kent Goetjen, U.S. engineering and construction leader with PwC.
In 2012, there were 168 deals (with values of $50 million or more) totaling $49.3 billion, compared with 181 transactions worth $73.3 billion in 2011. Overall 2012 M&A volume and value declined compared with 2011 levels, but the sector did see increased activity in the fourth quarter of 2012: 57 deals totaling $13.9 billion, an increase in value and volume compared with the third quarter of 2012 (31 transactions totaling $10.8 billion).
Despite the slowdown in engineering and construction dealmaking, financial investors continue to slowly gain momentum. In 2012, the participation of financial advisors was higher than the average 10-year rate of about 33 percent of financial acquirers and they were an active participant in some of the largest deals during the year, potentially suggesting signs of recovery and opportunity in the sector.
Transactions in the construction materials category led deals in the full year of 2012 in both value and volume with 46 deals over $50 million totaling $16.57 billion, outnumbering the construction segment, the usual leader and second in terms of volume in 2012. Multiple large and mega deals throughout 2012, including the only mega-deal in the fourth quarter, involved targets associated with the construction materials segment (notably, cement and concrete), contributing to a 70% increase in value in the segment’s deals over 2011.
The majority of engineering and construction transactions in 2012 were local deals, for both U.S. targets and targets and acquirers from other parts of the world. Asia and Oceania remained the most active region in engineering and construction dealmaking, representing 68 deals totaling $15.09 billion in 2012, followed by Europe and North America. The United States was the most active individual nation, engaging in the largest number of deals and also tending to generate higher deal values due to the relative maturity, size, and financial stability of U.S.-affiliated dealmakers.
For a copy of Engineering Growth, visit: www.pwc.com/us/

domain: news


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Sports Illustrated All Star Activity Book
written by editors of Sports Illustrated Kids
2017 (Liberty Street)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher
So you have a young sports fan who is about to take a long plane or car trip. Or it may be that their baseball or softball game has been rained out and they are bummed out. Want to be the hero of the day? Here is just the thing. All of the major sports and more are represented in this book of activities that will entertain for hours. Each sports section begins with a set of six frames that highlight greats from the sport. After that, there are several activities that feature aspects and heroes of the game. Did Roger Federer really wear a pink tutu at Centre Court? If not, you can mark that on the Wimbledon Look-And-Find. How well do you know your football terms? Use the clues on the Gridiron Grid to fill out the crossword puzzle. There are plenty of games for students who like wordplay or who just like to draw. Create your own golf hole or retell the Miracle on Ice in your own words. This book would be a great stocking stuffer or a reward for a job well done.

domain: sports


SPIE publishes accepted journal articles as soon as they are approved for publication Journal issues are considered In Progress until all articles for an issue have been published. Articles published ahead of the completed issue are fully citable.
A common method for synthesizing turbulent imagery is to model phase perturbations on a wavefront and then propagate the wavefront to the entrance pupil of an imaging system. The point spread function (PSF) that results from the wavefront in the pupil is then computed and used to synthesize images by the usual means of convolution. In a recent publication, a method was disclosed using sparse and redundant dictionaries of turbulent characteristics to construct PSFs directly in the image plane and simulate image formation without making phase models and computing wavefront propagation. However, the dictionary method, as disclosed in the recent publication, is limited to modeling PSFs characterized by the Fried parameter of the data used to construct the dictionary. Herein, we demonstrate that a dictionary constructed from data with a given Fried parameter can be scaled to construct turbulent PSFs corresponding to larger and smaller values of the Fried parameter. This enables a single dictionary, or a small number of dictionaries, to serve for the simulation of turbulent images over a range of turbulence conditions.
The history of the development of works on the creation of the elemental base of adaptive optics for a solar Russian telescope is briefly described. We consider separate issues of the development of the wavefront sensor (WFS) based on the Shack–Hartmann correlation sensor to provide measurements under conditions of strong turbulence. The parameters of the WFS are calculated on the basis of long-term observations of meteorological characteristics and optical measurements of the Fried parameter. A special adjusting device with a block of fast rasters changing is developed. The use of rasters of various dimensions is provided in the WFS. The sensor uses the original algorithm for determining the maximum of the correlation function. The effect on the accuracy of measuring the phase distortions of turbulence occurring in the rooms of the telescope itself is analyzed.
Deleterious effects of the atmosphere on remotely acquired images includes absorption and scattering of light by aerosol particulates, which not only attenuates the signal but can potentially cause blurring due to forward-scattered light accepted by the imaging system. Proposed aerosol scattering models (e.g., Ishimaru) provide a method for simulating the contrast and spatial detail expected when imaging through atmospheres with significant aerosol optical depth. This work explores closure between modulation transfer functions (MTFs) obtained from directly measured images and MTFs calculated from theory using measured cloud properties. The closure experiments are performed in a laboratory cloud chamber in which cloud droplet number density and size distribution are directly measured. Images of a binary knife-edge target were taken with an optical detector on the other side of a water cloud generated through reduction of pressure in the humidified chamber. The key results of this closure experiment are: the theoretical expression for the aerosol MTF is likely overly simplistic and does not account for broad particle size distributions. The significance of optical blurring from light scattering by aerosol particles depends sensitively on the properties of both the particles and the imaging system.


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The companies that Mykki Blanco endorses include Iceberg.
Some of the product types that Mykki Blanco has endorsed are: Clothing.
Born in 1986, Mykki Blanco (Michael David Quattlebaum Jr.) is an American hip hop artist from Orange County, California, USA. The alternative rapper gained notice from the public after his poetry book “From the Silence of Duchamp to the Noise of Boys” was released in 2011. The following year he tried his hand at turning his rhymes into raps with his debut EP “Mykki Blanco & the Mutant Angels.” He released several extended plays and mixtapes before recording a self-titled studio album “Mykki” in 2016. Mykki has worked with such artists as Kathleen Hanna, Kanye West, and Cities Aviv. Mykki is signed to UNO records.

domain: celebrity


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She tells me that she sees them at night when she is lying in her bunk bed — eight to a room. Grotesque forms with masks over their heads and guns across their chests. She hears panicked shrieks, but is never certain if they are coming from the next trailer, or if they are inside her head. They cannot be nightmares, because she never sleeps. She reminds herself that haunting memories are better than terrifying reality, because memories cannot harm her children. She counts: this is her 14th day in limbo.
Her story is not unique. I heard versions of it time and again from the women at the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC) in Dilley, TX. This is the largest family detention center in the United States, and currently houses close to 2000 women and children. I visited the center for a few intense days last week through the CARA Pro Bono Project in the capacity of performing medical/psychiatric evaluations for detainees in order to help with their asylum applications. The vast majority of CARA volunteers are lawyers who take a week off at a time to assist these clients with the asylum process. Being the lone doctor in a sea of lawyers and legal aids was interesting.
Reading the recent news of the family separations and detention, I was driven to action. When I was presented with the opportunity to go to the STFRC, I felt compelled to go.
Having been trained in recognizing signs of trauma, both by my work as a pediatrician in an emergency department and through the Physicians for Human Rights and having extensive experience working with asylum seekers through the wonderful Freedom House Detroit, I realized that I could use my skills to make a real difference in people’s lives. There have been few times in my life where I felt so compelled to a cause by an internal force. Yet, what I really did not grasp before going is just how desperate circumstances are at home for these families when they make the fateful decision to flee and come to the United States.
Most of the clients at the STFRC come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — countries that have been overrun by gangs. In the U.S., the word “gang” conjures up images of teenagers on the streets, up too late, selling drugs to each other and dying needlessly from gun violence. The Central American version, the MS-13, are so large and powerful that they function more like a pseudo-government. They are in charge of the laws and “justice” for the region they control. They collect wage-based taxes from the citizenry and have an extensive spy network for remuneration. Lack of payment results in certain death.
The women at the STFRC recount gruesome tales from home: one was shown her brother’s decapitated body as a warning of the gang’s seriousness. Others were held at gunpoint in front of their children and given a few more days to gather the cash for payment. Many also narrated heart-wrenching accounts of years of domestic violence and abuse intertwined into their stories. Once the women found that they had no more money to pay, they had to look at their family and choose which children were small enough to carry, and which were old enough to walk. Those were the “lucky” few they could take with them on the grueling 1500-plus mile journey to the U.S. border for the hope of safety. They had to walk, run, take buses and swim this torturous distance. Along the way, many would get captured by ill-intentioned men, raped for days or weeks until they escaped. The mental fortitude of the woman who checks the doorknob of that house of hostage every night, still seeking freedom after all of this, demonstrates that the hounding need for security for one’s children is stronger than any other force.
If they had any money left at this point, the families would cross the river to the U.S. on a “flotador” — a raft — hoping for safety. If not, the women would strap their young children on their backs and swim across. A small group of volunteers took a trip down to the border to see the river. There were border patrol vehicles on all sides, bright lights from helicopters and barking dogs. The foul-smelling river seemed an impenetrable barrier. We were stopped at a checkpoint on the way back, had flashlights glare into the car and were interrogated about our citizenship status. Though we were all born and raised here, we found our hearts racing and senses alert. I can only imagine how it must feel for those bone-weary families. This is not the reward of freedom and security they crave.
Back at the SFTRC, the women told us of further stops along the way before getting to this facility. After getting apprehended by ICE, they were first placed in other detention centers, nicknamed the “hielera” (icebox) — for its notoriously cold temperatures, and the “perrera” (dog pound) — for keeping detainees in cages. In the perrera, the women described how they were separated from their families, and how they could hear the children bawling continuously for days in their cages. They were made to sleep on the floor with only an aluminum sheet for cover, and not given a change of clothes. Many said that coming to the SFTRC was such an improvement that though it was called the “baby jail” — that was still incredibly tolerable.
I was struck by the easy capacity for spontaneous joy displayed by the children. One afternoon, a little girl asked me if she could color, and I fortuitously had both time and supplies. As I pulled out crayons and paper from my bag, I immediately found myself surrounded by flock of small, excited voices. The few minutes that followed were flashes of unbridled laughter, zeal, and creativity. Kids of all ages drew their hearts out — and I left with a few treasured souvenirs. While their mothers wondered what the future would hold, and tried to avoid remembering the past they had fled, these children drew me worlds of butterflies, rainbows and smiling families living together. Studies show that exposure to trauma and extreme adversity in childhood is associated with MRI-demonstrable changes to the brain structures involved in stress and emotion regulation, especially the corpus callosum. But these children showed me something far more impressive: that children are capable of tapping into great reserves of hope from within.
These families have the quintessential American story of working hard and upholding noble principles. Unfortunately, the U.S. has recently changed its policies, making it more difficult for people to be granted asylum on the basis of domestic abuse and gang-based violence. Now is the time for us to stand up for the rights of these vulnerable populations. We are the land of the free and home of the brave. Let’s prove it.
Vidya Ramanathan is a pediatrician.
Image credit: Vidya Ramanathan

domain: sociology


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Friday Funny Mod Updike FNF is one of the most popular Friday Night Funkin parts. In this part you will play as Updike. His appearance is extremely strange, a cloud instead of a head and a white suit. He always walks with a microphone in his hands. How was Updike childhood, no one knows how he was born, grew up - everything is shrouded in secrets. But this does not prevent him from participating in the musical battle.
With the Updike Friday Funny Mod offline FNF game, you need to create your own unique hit that will lead among all those who participate in the musical battle. Use 4 buttons and music to create a masterpiece.
At the end of the game, you get points for your hit, the more points the better. Compete with your friends is always fun.
Friday Funny Mod Updike FNF is a simple and addicting game. Leave your feedback, in the next update I will try to take into account all the suggestions. Thank you!
In Friday Funny Mod Updike FNF 1