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Last week, the NBA had to deal with owner Donald Sterling’s racism caught on tape. They had no choice, in a league with just about every star being African-American, to come down and come down hard on Donald Sterling.
How do you defend Donald Sterling when he says on tape: “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” He continues, “You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that … and not to bring them to my games.” He adds, “Don’t put him [Johnson] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games.”
Some people want to claim he has the right to free speech, but the right to free speech ends when you are an owner of an NBA team which is governed by rules and conventions much akin to a business. This is not the government threatening arrest, this is a private entity trying to save its business.
So the NBA has come down hard, banning Donald Sterling for life and planning to force him to sell his team.
Of course as former NBA Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar notes, “Moral outrage is exhausting. And dangerous.”
As Mr. Abdul-Jabbar wrote in a Time Magazine op-ed that the NBA was looking the other way for years at Mr. Sterling’s racism.
- 2006: U.S. Dept. of Justice sued Sterling for housing discrimination. Allegedly, he said, “Black tenants smell and attract vermin.”
- 2009: He reportedly paid $2.73 million in a Justice Dept. suit alleging he discriminated against blacks, Hispanics, and families with children in his rentals. (He also had to pay an additional nearly $5 million in attorneys fees and costs due to his counsel’s “sometimes outrageous conduct.”)
- 2009: Clippers executive (and one of the greatest NBA players in history) sued for employment discrimination based on age and race.
“They caught big game on a slow news day, so they put his head on a pike, dubbed him Lord of the Flies, and danced around him whooping,” he writes. “I don’t blame them. I’m doing some whooping right now. Racists deserve to be paraded around the modern town square of the television screen so that the rest of us who believe in the American ideals of equality can be reminded that racism is still a disease that we haven’t yet licked.”
“What bothers me about this whole Donald Sterling affair isn’t just his racism. I’m bothered that everyone acts as if it’s a huge surprise,” he continues.
“All this other stuff I listed above has been going on for years and this ridiculous conversation with his girlfriend is what puts you over the edge? That’s the smoking gun?” he writes. “He was discriminating against black and Hispanic families for years, preventing them from getting housing. It was public record. We did nothing. Suddenly he says he doesn’t want his girlfriend posing with Magic Johnson on Instagram and we bring out the torches and rope. Shouldn’t we have all called for his resignation back then?”
On the local front, the news has been captivated by the insensitivity or racism of students who made the mistake of planning a drinking game scheduled for Cinco de Mayo weekend. On Friday, students counter-protested, perhaps numbering 100, and engaged in a sit-in at the Coffee House, where employees of the student-run organization planned the party.
An April 30 letter from students reads:
We, as concerned students of UC Davis and Davis community members, would like to declare our utter offense and disgust with an off campus event organized by UC Davis students.
It has been brought to our attention that a “Cinco de Drinko Sloshball” facebook event page was created by UC Davis Coffeehouse (Coho) student employees earlier this week. The event is a party intended to have attendees dress in “festive” attire, meaning stereotypical “Mexican” dress (a sombrero and sarape, fake mustache, etc.). In addition, attendees are given an image that demonstrates the attire they should wear, which includes a border patrol officer costume. These images are hurtful to our community and only serve to create a hostile campus climate by sending a message of disregard and disrespect for the Chican@/Latin@ and Undocumented/Immigrant campus community.
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that marks and celebrates the victory over French rule that was momentous for the state of Puebla, Mexico. This holiday is often manipulated by individuals, who use inaccurate images of Mexican culture and affiliate it strongly with alcoholic consumption, despite the fact that there is no real correlation between the two. The fact that these student employees, who represent the university, are perpetuating this ignorance with no sensitivity towards the Chican@/Latin@ or Undocumented/Immigrant community on our campus,is a reflection of the lack of respect for different cultures and student experiences.
Similar events have been held in the past, such as the “Cinco de Drinko (Mayo) Sloshball” event that took place on May 5th, 2012 and the “Uni-Coho SLOSHBALL” event that took place on May 4th, 2013, both held at Slide Hill Park (See previous Facebook event pages). This should not be, nor should it become, a tradition for UC Davis students, especially not for student employees who should be upholding the UC Davis Principles of Community, since they are the face of the University.
It is ironic that this event is scheduled to take place on the same day as La Gran Tardeada (the culmination of La Raza Cultural Days), which in turn, marginalizes the Chican@/Latin@ community on campus even further. It is also an indication of where the campus-wide community stands when it comes to cultural competency and understanding and upholding our Principles of Community. La Raza Cultural Days and other cultural celebrations during the year are often denied adequate support. Regretful events, such as this “party”, tell us that we have not come as far as we’d like to claim with cultural competency and need to support these programs every opportunity possible. Cultural Days are in place as a means to educate the UC Davis and the community at large about the issues, culture, and struggle of various historically marginalized communities. This “Cinco de Drinko Sloshball” event invalidates years of work from multiple organizations, student centers, departments and students on a day that ironically is meant to celebrate and unite the community. We need to be mindful of the message that the UC Davis students who plan these racist and hurtful events send to prospective students, current students, their families and the community as a whole.
Students planning and participating in this event should be trained to understand why these events are hurtful, offensive, and backward. Despite the years of progress that have been made by strides in the Chican@/Latin@ community at UC Davis, these racist actions remind us that there is still much work to be done. We urge UC Davis and the Coffeehouse to hold its student employees accountable for their actions and take appropriate and effective steps forward to ensure that these type of events will not take place again.
University officials also quickly condemned it.
A letter from Adela de la Torre, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, stated, “Yesterday it was brought to my attention that a ‘Cinco de Drinko Sloshball’ Facebook event page was created by a group of UC Davis students. It encourages participants to wear stereotypical Mexican dress and depict images that debase the cultural identity of our Chican@/Latin@ students, staff and faculty. In addition, it has been scheduled during an important cultural period for our campus, La Raza Cultural Days, and a significant celebratory period for many Chican@/Mexican@ people, Cinco de Mayo.”
She would add, “Unfortunately, the insensitivity of this content has left many members of our UC Davis Chican@/Latin@ community feeling demeaned and demoralized. It is clear that the students’ actions are not aligned with our Principles of Community. As a teaching and learning environment, this is an opportunity to create a sustained dialogue about our distinct and diverse communities and to reaffirm our Principles of Community. Student Affairs staff will be working directly with the students who organized this event to heighten their cultural sensitivity and understanding of the impact of their actions.”
The students actions blew up the event. But some of the students did not seem to understand the fuss.
The Bee wrote this weekend, “Jonathan Beatty, one of the students wearing a sombrero during the protest, said he doesn’t think a drinking-themed party for Cinco de Mayo is racist, likening the holiday to St. Patrick’s Day festivities.”
“People were being overly sensitive,” Mr. Beatty said.
Perhaps, but perhaps they have reason to be overly sensitive. It was a few years ago that the College Republicans had the great idea of having an event called “Capture the Flag on the Illegal Immigrant.”
Everyone wants to believe we live in a color-free society, and that’s fine to aspire to. But, as we have seen in the past week, we are not there yet.
–David M. Greenwald reporting


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South Indian films are best known when it comes to political issues. Tamil cinema also known as Kollywood is back again with another such movie “Laabam”. Laabam will not be released on the OTT platform but it will be in theatres on September 9, 2021.
Vijay Sethupathi was last seen on Netflix based Web Series Navarasa that did pretty well, is now playing the role of the farmer along with Shruti Hassan as a journalist. Jagapathi Babu, A rich entrepreneur can be seen exploiting farmers and their natural resources. Pakkiri as Vijay decides to unite the voice of all the farmers and rebel against the injustice. There are so many South Indian films based on farmers’ plight, one such blockbuster Telugu movie was Maharshi starring Mahesh Babu.
In today’s time especially where the farmers from all over India are protesting against the farm laws, this movie will be serving a greater purpose. A movie cannot bring change in the current scenario but it will definitely move the heart of many people about how we look at everything that is currently happening in India. Babu, Sai Dhanshika, Ramesh Thilak, Prithvi Rajan and Jai Varma will also be seen in this film. Laabam was supposed to be released last year but it got postponed due to the Covid-19.
After a long wait, it will finally be released on 9th September 2021. This will be the last movie of National Award-winning director S P Jananathan who is best known for socio-political movies. He passed away at the age of 61 on 14th March 2021. He was found unconscious by his assistants following a cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital where he was later declared dead. He is also best known for his films Peranmai and Iyarkai. This movie will be special for all his fans. Rest in peace sir, you will be in our hearts forever.

domain: news


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Welcome to the DiningGuide service for the Bismarck area. Please select one of the listings below for a profile of a place to eat in the "Southwestern" category. To return to the DiningGuide Bismarck home page, where you can search for restaurants in different categories, click on the "Bismarck Restaurants" link, above and at the bottom of the page.
Jamestown · 611 25th St. S.W.
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domain: geography


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Dell Inc postponed a shareholder vote on its chief executive's $24.4 billion buyout offer to Wednesday after failing to get enough support to seal the deal, despite winning over several large investors at the eleventh hour.
Indonesian coal miner Bumi Plc set in motion the first part of a plan to separate from Indonesia's Bakrie family, signing a $501 million agreement to sell a minority stake in Jakarta-listed Bumi Resources to the Bakries.
Austria's Erste Group Bank AG said it made net proceeds of about 632 million euros ($828 million) from a capital increase this month, in which its foundation cut its stake.
Private equity firm Bain Capital said it has agreed to buy a majority stake in British government-owned Plasma Resources UK for 230 million pounds ($348.98 million).
Johnson Controls Inc posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday and said it would sell part of its auto electronics business for about $700 million.
Myanmar's government has signaled it could let foreign banks buy stakes in local lenders as it worries that resistance by domestic banks to joint ventures could hamper plans to attract investment and rebuild the financial system.
Italy plans to meet national and international investors after the summer to detail the sale of selected state assets as part of a strategy to cut its enormous debt, a top lawmaker told reporters on Thursday.
Men's Wearhouse announced that it had acquired Joseph Abboud in a deal worth US$98 million.


Soldier A 1.
Loosen eight bolts (1).
P u t chain sling (2) on two engine lifting brackets (3).
U s i n g hoisting equipment, lift engine assembly (4) just enough
t o take weight of engine off test stand (5).
S l i d e engine assembly (4) about one foot to the front.
A and B
U s i n g hoisting equipment, let engine assembly (4) rest on test
Soldier A 5.
GO TO FRAME 3


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Who is finding their way into American students’ minds?
by Sarah N. Stern
November 28, 2017
…The Middle Eastern Studies programs widely use a supplementary curriculum guide by Audrey Shabbas, called “The Arab World Studies Notebook”—a joint publication by the Middle East Policy Council, which receives its funding directly from Saudi Arabia, and the Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services, which is bankrolled by Saudi Aramco, the oil conglomerate. In the section on “Palestine,” complete untruths are told that are presented as though they are unassailable facts. For example, the material claims that “the Jews wanted to drive out all the Arabs.”…One has to wonder why the Muslim world, with a startling illiteracy rate of nearly 40 percent, has such an avid interest in the education of American youngsters. READ MORE


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- [Free Pattern] So Fun And Easy To Make Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth
- [Free Pattern] Captivating And Fascinating Apache Tears Crochet Pattern
- Pizza Slice Earrings For All The Ladies Who Love Foodie Jewelries
- [Video Tutorial] How To Crochet A Stunning Tape Lace
- [Free Pattern] Quick And Chunky Crochet Hat To Work Up For Christmas
There is nothing sweeter than a little girl all dressed up in a gorgeous crocheted dress! This beautiful pattern with such an interesting and delightful construction is written for a 2 yr old girl but the skirt pattern is a really versatile pattern one and can be easily adapted for several sizes. This sweet lacy crochet baby dress has a lovely Lotus-like flower end. Beautiful Lotus Baby Dress by Sweet Nothings Crochet Blog is a totally stunning dress that’s almost a must to make for a precious little one.
You may also like:
Gorgeous Crocheted Lotus Baby Dress Free Pattern
Materials used : Today I’ve used ~ 185 gms of our lovely Indian Oswal Cashmilon 4-ply acrylic yarn with a 3.5 mm crochet hook ;
Optional : Stitch marker
Size made : For a 2 yr old
Difficulty level : Intermediate Skill level
Check out the original source for this Gorgeous Crocheted Lotus Baby Dress Free Pattern with all the directions and full written pattern at: Sweet Nothings Crochet Blog
Thanks to Sweet Nothings Crochet Blog for the article inspiration and featured image.
If you enjoyed this article please share and Like our Facebook page.

domain: artistic


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China strongly urges Japan to cancel the plan to release nuclear-contaminated water into the sea and dispose of it responsibly, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday in Beijing.
Spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a news briefing that in disregard of the strong concerns and firm opposition from the international community, the Japanese government announced the decision to start releasing the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean from August 24.
"This is extremely selfish and irresponsible, as the discharge will spread the risks of nuclear contamination to the rest of the world, and by doing so, Japan is putting its selfish interests above the long-term wellbeing of the entire humanity. China is gravely concerned and strongly opposed to this. We have made serious demarches to Japan," said Wang.
For the past two years and more, the legitimacy, legality and safety of Japan's ocean discharge plan has been questioned over and over again by the international community. Japan has yet to address major international concerns such as the long-term reliability of the purification facility, the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear-contaminated water data, and the effectiveness of the monitoring arrangement, he said.
China and other stakeholders have pointed out on multiple occasions that if the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is truly safe, Japan wouldn't have to dump it into the sea and certainly shouldn't if it's not, said Wang, adding that it is unjustified, unreasonable and unnecessary for Japan to push through the ocean discharge plan.
Regrettably, Japan has given scarce response to international concerns. It has been trying to create an impression that the ocean discharge is safe and harmless. It has even made unfounded accusations against neighboring countries who have expressed legitimate concerns. All of this has caused outrage among people in neighboring countries and in Japan, said Wang.
"The ocean sustains humanity. It is not a sewer for Japan's nuclear-contaminated water," said Wang.
China strongly urges Japan to stop its wrongdoing, cancel the ocean discharge plan, communicate with neighboring countries with sincerity and good will, dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a responsible manner and accept rigorous international oversight. China will take all steps necessary to protect the marine environment, ensure food safety and safeguard people's life and health, he said.
According to the Foreign Ministry's website, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japanese ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi on Tuesday to make solemn representations over the Japanese government's announcement that it will start discharging contaminated water on August 24.
Sun pointed out that the Japanese government ignored the strong doubts and objections of the international community and announced to start the discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water.
"Such an act blatantly transfers the risk of nuclear pollution to neighboring countries, including China, and the international community, and puts one's interests above the long-term well-being of people in the region and globally. It is extremely selfish and irresponsible. China expresses grave concern and strong opposition to it," Sun said.
Sun said the Fukushima nuclear accident is one of the world's most serious nuclear accidents to date, resulting in the release of a large amount of radioactive material, which has far-reaching implications for the marine environment, food safety, and human health.
"The ocean is the blue home that all humanity depends on for survival, and the Japanese side should not dump nuclear-contaminated water at will," he added.
China strongly urged the Japanese side to revoke its wrong decision, stop pushing ahead with the nuclear-contaminated water discharge plan, communicate with its neighbors with sincerity and goodwill, and handle the matter responsibly, Sun said, adding that if Japan goes its way, the Chinese government will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the marine environment, food safety, and public health.
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domain: politics


Stability of the interstellar hydrogen inflow longitude from 20 years of SOHO/SWAN observations
1 Université Versailles St.-Quentin, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CRNS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 boulevard d’Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt, France
2 Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
3 GEPI/Observatoire de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
4 Finnish Meteorological Institute, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
Received: 4 October 2016
Accepted: 15 November 2016
Aims. A recent debate on the decade-long stability of the interstellar He flow vector, and in particular the flow longitude, has prompted us to check for any variability in the interstellar H flow vector as observed by the SWAN instrument on board SOHO.
Methods. We used a simple model-independent method to determine the interstellar H flow longitude, based on the parallax effects induced on the Lyman-α intensity measured by SWAN following the satellite motion around the Sun.
Results. Our results show that the interstellar H flow vector longitude does not vary significantly from an average value of 252.9°± 1.4° throughout the 20-year span of the SWAN dataset, further strengthening the arguments for the stability of the interstellar gas flow.
Key words: local insterstellar matter / solar wind / solar neighborhood / Sun: heliosphere / Sun: UV radiation / Sun: activity
© ESO, 2017


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Former mayor Lila Cockrell loved many people, and they loved her back. They shared happy memories of her with each other Tuesday evening.
Commentary: Lila Cockrell was a strong female presence in a sea of male counterparts, leading our city with intention, tolerance, and foresight.
At three panels during San Antonio CityFest, speakers offered various lenses through which to view San Antonio’s long history and how the city will evolve.
At 7 a.m. on a Monday morning, the Commerce Street parking lot of the RK Group looked like it did any other day of the week.
With all their pomp and circumstance, graduations are for celebrating a job well done, launching new leaders, and inspiring them to change the world.
This Mother’s Day, Rosie Castro will receive perhaps the most fitting tribute for someone with her particular résumé.
Any San Antonio native or longtime resident knows that the dawn of spring means the dawn of Fiesta, one of San Antonio’s most beloved city-wide celebrations of culture, food, and history.
Most 91-year-old women don’t work 12-hour days, regularly attend social and civic functions, or have galas thrown in their honor.
When businessman Lukin Gilliland Jr., chairman of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio board, said local attorney Jane Macon’s connections reach around the world, that’s not hyperbole.
The Spire at Sunset Station, the historic church-turned-event-space in San Antonio’s near Eastside, was the perfect setting to hear personal stories told by more than 100 Eastsiders on Monday night.


Whether you live in the Waxahachie city limits or out in the country, you can have crisp and clean water if you know which filters to choose.
[Note: This article contains a review by the author of various water filter solutions and affiliate links to the products tested. For each purchase of a product linked on this page, this website receives a small commission at no extra cost to the buyer. Thank you for supporting our work.]
Despite all the good reasons to live in Waxahachie or just outside the city limits, we all have to admit that the water quality isn’t at the top of the list.
In fact, if you live outside the city limits and get your water from the Nash-Forreston Water Supply, the Rockett Special Utility District, or the Buena Vista – Bethel Special Utility District, at home you’ve likely never had a glass of tap water that quenches your thirst, iced tea that you can enjoy or ice cubes that didn’t have a subtle salty taste.
Waxahachie area water is undrinkable. And what makes the water supply just about useless for drinking, cooking or even washing your car is the high amounts of dissolved solids in the source water. Ellis County sits on top of the Blackland Prairie, and right beneath the black clay soil about 3 to 10 feet underground is a layer of limestone known as Austin chalk. It’s composition is mostly calcium carbonate — just like the chalk you write with on a blackboard.
As rainwater filters through the soil and through the layer of limestone on its way to a huge underground aquifer, it dissolves the calcium carbonate and becomes contaminated to the point of exceeding the EPA’s National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations, an unenforced limit on the total dissolved solids (TDS) that can be in tap water. The limit is 500 ppm (parts per million). Nash-Forreston Water Supply water, for example, comes in at almost double the limit at approximately 950 ppm.
The result of this high TDS level is water that tastes almost salty and altogether fails to quench your thirst. It’s barely adequate for watering a garden, and it’s just as repellent to animals as it is to humans. It deteriorates copper piping and faucets, especially on the hot water side. And don’t even bother washing your car with it; it leaves spots like you washed your car with Bon Ami cleanser — which is also composed of calcium carbonate. The calcium levels in the water are so high that drinking it can lead to urinary tract blockage in male cats — a fatal and excruciating condition that kills the cat by totally blocking the flow of urine.
Another of the dissolved solids that exceeds EPA standards in the water is fluoride which is known to discolor teeth. The fluoride is naturally occuring, just like the chalk.
If you live outside of Waxahachie and are hooked up to one of the water districts that pump water from underground, look at the warning on your water bill regarding fluorosis and you’ll see the only EPA-required accommodation regarding excessive TDS levels: a notice that due to the high fluoride levels in the water, your children may wind up with brown, mottled and pitted teeth — not in these words, of course.
Within the Waxahachie city limits, the water is much less contaminated as the city pumps its water from the Waxahachie Reservoir which collects surface rainwater from the region. Because it is surface water and not from an underground aquifer, it has far lower TDS levels than well water. Still, local residents often complain about the fishy taste and smell of the water, which can be very off-putting when it comes to heeding recommendations for drinking more water to be at our peak of health.
How to filter Waxahachie municipal water
If you live within Waxahachie’s city limits, you can clean up the water coming out of your faucet and make it taste crisp and clean with a simple activated carbon filter. The city treats the water for bacteria and filters it so that it’s free of larger impurities, so all that you need to do is polish it off with a higher density filter and activated carbon, which removes the chemical and fishy flavors and smells.
One of the most cost-effective filters for the task is the APEC Water Systems CS-2500P Ultra High Capacity Undersink Water Filtration System PLUS Scale Inhibitor Premium. It’s made in the U.S., filters out heavy metals, taste and smell, and it has a scale inhibitor that saves your faucet from corroding or your dishes from becoming spotty.
Moreover, because it comes ready to fit onto your existing water valve under your sink and hook up directly to the cold water connection on your faucet, you don’t need a plumber to install it. If you can tighten a bolt with a Crescent wrench, you’ve got all the skills you need to install this filter in less than 20 minutes.
I tested a similar filter in town and was impressed by the flavor of the cup of coffee that the filtered water made. Because the filter does not remove calcium or magnesium, two minerals essential for good health, the water it produced brewed a perfect cup of coffee as a little mineral content is important for extracting just the right flavors from ground coffee beans. Iced tea was also brisk and delicious, and the water alone was thirst-quenching and a pleasure to drink.
The filter is rated to treat about six months of water, but whether it lasts longer is a matter of how much water you use. You may get away with an annual change out, but if you have an extra replacement filter on hand, you can change it out whenever you notice the bad flavors returning or spots on your dishes. All you have to do to replace the filter is turn off the water valve, twist off the old filter and twist on the new — a task that should take less than two minutes.
The Apec filter is far superior to the carbon filters that I’ve bought at home improvement centers. The Apec filter holds up throughout its lifespan and filters efficiently right up until it’s spent, whereas the filters that I’ve bought in town tend to do well in the first few months but quickly deteriorate and leak carbon particles into the water. The locally-available filter systems also tend to spill when you replace the filters and make what should be a simple task into a mopping and cleaning chore.
I prefer an undersink filter to a faucet-mounted filter or the pitcher-filter combinations because of the simple economy of an undersink filter: what you’ll spend on replacement faucet-mounted or pitcher cartridges in a year would pay several times over for an undersink model, and the water quality from an undersink model is far better than what a little cartridge can yield.
If I lived in town, I would be perfectly content with the water that this Apec filter produced. But, I do not live in town, so I have to resort to a more complex filtration system.
How to filter Waxahachie area well water
For anyone who lives outside of the Waxahachie city limits and is connected to one of the water districts tapping the underground aquifer, you can either arrange for costly bottled water to be delivered if you want water you can enjoy, or you can install a reverse osmosis system under your kitchen sink and enjoy near-distilled quality water for pennies per gallon.
Reverse osmosis filters can remove not only bad tastes and odors but also all the total dissolved solids that contaminate the water that passed through limestone on its way to the aquifers we have available.
A reverse osmosis filtration system usually includes a series of sediment and activated carbon filters to remove particulate impurities and taste and odor from the water, and a reverse osmosis element that does the heavy lifting of dissolved solids removal. RO systems also have a storage tank to store purified water so that it’s ready to use when you need it. Otherwise, because RO systems filter water very slowly, you’d only have a trickle when you try to fill a glass or a coffee pot.
RO systems also have dedicated faucets, which you can add to your countertop or pipe up through the hole in the countertop where a spraying wand usually sits (if you want to keep your spraying wand, there are kitchen faucets that can accommodate the wand or integrate the wand into the main part of the faucet).
The reverse osmosis element is a little like dental floss tightly wrapped and woven into a cylinder about the size of a cardboard paper towel core. Because the floss-like material is so tightly wound, it only allows water molecules to pass between the strands. Thus the water can get through the element, but larger molecules of calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, fluorine compounds and all the other impurities are too big to pass through.
When I first tried out a reverse osmosis filtration system, I bought a Whirlpool model from Lowe’s for about $175. It worked very well and reduced the readings on my TDS meter from over 900 to about 15 ppm — which is close to the quality of distilled water.
The system lasted for about a year and developed leaks, so I had to replace the entire system — not just the filter cartridges.
About one and a half years later, my second unit also leaked, but in a totally different area (the housing formed a hairline crack), so I concluded that the home improvement store options just weren’t durable enough to stay with, and I invested in an Apec model: the ROES-50 Essence Series Top Tier 5-Stage Certified Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System
The Apec ROES-50 was just about the same price as the Whirlpool units I had bought, but the quality was at least three times better. Like the former units, the Apec model reduced my TDS from more than 900 ppm to around 34 – 59 ppm, but the storage tank was about double the capacity and never left me waiting for it to refill after filling a big pot or using the water for watering houseplants.
Now five years old, the ROES-50 has yet to spring a leak or require replacement parts, though I see some rust forming on the outside of the storage tank and will likely replace it in the coming year.
The filters are not as easy to replace as some of the twist-off cartridges that home improvement store models will have, but then again what good is the convenience if I must replace the locally-available systems because they fail after a year or two?
Each year, I replace two carbon filters and one sediment filter. Every two years I replace the reverse osmosis element, and a final polishing off filter that’s only available in a full ROES-50 filter replacement set.
I also run bleach through the system while its RO element is out to purify it for another two years. I’ve also installed a quarter-inch shut off valve on the water supply line that runs to the system so that I can more easily replace the filters. Because the local water wrecks copper pipes and valves, I try not to bother them, hence the durable polypropylene quarter-inch inline shut off valve.
As for installation of a reverse osmosis system, it’s completely DIY-friendly, but if the idea of replacing a kitchen faucet seems daunting, you’ll need a plumber to do the initial installation. Though, anyone who can open a jar of peanut butter has all the skills needed to replace the filters a year later.
With a roll of quarter-inch PEX and a T-connector, I could easily route the purified water over to the automatic ice maker in my refrigerator also.
One drawback to a reverse osmosis system of any brand is that it produces waste water. All the minerals that build up on the RO element must be continuously washed away as the water is filling up your storage tank. So, the unit must be connected to your sink drain. I’ve run mine out the wall to keep my foundation a little more stable. The waste water to filtered water ratio is about 3:1, which means that for every one gallon of filtered water you make, three gallons go down the drain, which is why you’ll use this water for drinking and cooking only.
Before I installed an RO system, I filled water bottles up at the water kiosks at Ann’s Health Food Center and stored my 20 gallons for the week under my stove. Needless to say, the weekly task of making a trip to fill the water bottles was a major inconvenience, and since I now have unlimited supplies of clean, pure drinking water, I would never want to be without an RO system again.
My parents live on the north end of town and get their water from Rockett Special Utility District. I bought them an Apec ROES-50 for a combined Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gift one year. I installed it and now they don’t have to lift heavy bottled water onto a dispenser, which means they also have less to stand in their way from staying hydrated.
To make sure that my RO system is still operating at its peak and not in need of a filter replacement, I bought an inexpensive TDS meter and test the water every other month. So far, I’ve never seen the readings reach more than the 90s by the time the filters are needing to be replaced at the expected replacement dates, so I find that the ROES-50 is more than capable of handling the worst of the Waxahachie area water with ease.
Before you go, you might like:


David Paterson, with a long, funny, and not quite apropos story ending (I think) with a joke about his mistaking a fat woman for the pregnant Gillibrand six years ago, introduced Kristen Gillibrand at an Albany press conference today.
He took time to defend his widely-criticized selection process, saying that "this decision was not based on gender or geographical location, on race religions or sexual orientation," but rather made because Gillibrand was the best choice for the seat. Paterson also passed on an endorsement from Hillary Clinton, whose loyalists far preferred Gillibrand, a kind of protege, to Caroline Kennedy.
Most striking though: former Senator Al D'Amato, a Republican -- and now a lobbyist -- standing just to Paterson's right.
It's intended, perhaps, as a visual mark of her electablity and crossover appeal; it's also a mark of how wired she and her family are on both sides of the aisle, with her father a major lobbyist close to the last GOP governor, George Pataki.
"I aspire to follow in her footsteps," Gillibrand said of Clinton.
ALTHOUGH: Chuck Schumer can't love the fact that D'Amato is in the shot, and he's not. And it's not exactly what she needs with worries about a primary from the left.


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METRO DELI & CAFÉ IS OPEN!!
Friday January 15, 2021
Online Menu is Up and Running!!! Check Us Out
THIS WEEK’S BREAKFAST SPECIAL only ‘Til 10:30am
See Entire Bfast Menu..
HOT STEEL CUT OATMEAL>>>WITH A Grilled Blueberry Muffin
HOMEMADE HOT SOUPS
Tomato Bisque, New England Clam Chowdah, Honey Baked Ham & Split Pea Soup, Chicken Noodle
Roast Beef Sirloin & Havarti Cheese
With Gourmet Roasted Garlic Mustard and Wickles (Wicked Good Pickles)..All Piled on a 6” Fresh Sub Roll and Served With Choice of side…8.99
Raspberry Cream Cheese Cake , Black Forest Layer Cake, Brownies
THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE FOR US And Have a Great Weekend!!
Metro Deli & Cafe | 12951 Metro Pkwy # 11, Fort Myers, FL 33966 | 239-561-0010
www.metrodeliandcafe.com | Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30AM-2:30PM
FOR ALL OF US THAT HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT TO GET HEALTHY…. WHOLE 30…KETO..WW..PALEO..I AM OFFERING THE FOLLOWING MENU IN ADDITION TO MY REGULAR MENU!
At the end of January Through Your Feedback I will Keep it or Scrap it!! Please order by The Number and let us know if you want dressing!!
#1 Chopped Grilled Chicken Salad>>Spinach, Iceberg, Romaine, Tomato, Cucumbers, Red Onions and chopped Grilled Chicken..all Mixed Up
#2 Sweet Kale Salad>> Kale, Shredded Cabbage, Romain, Dried Cranberries, Broccoli Slaw, Pumpkin
Seeds and Topped with Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
#3 Tuna Stuffed Beef Steak Tomato>>on Shredded Lettuce, Cucumbers and Green Grapes
#4 Greek Salad>> Romain, Spinach, Quartered Tomato, Cucumber, Pepperoncini, Kalamata Olives, Chopped Egg and Feta
#5 Cup of Chicken Noodle Soup AND A Low Carb Wrap Loaded With Veggies Only!!
Dressings Available including Vinegar & Olive Oil
All Are 10.99 No Substitutions!!

domain: food


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Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Stocks have been making strong gains in recent days despite the weak Q1 earnings season, with the broad indexes on the cusp of new record levels. Pre-open sentiment is for a flat open, with a flood of mostly mediocre Q1 earnings reports and favorable-looking economic data out of Europe and China providing the backdrop for today’s trading action.
The Markit’s composite flash PMI for the Euro-zone came in better than expected for April, indicating that economic momentum in the currency block is steadily improving. Today’s survey which tracks both the manufacturing and service sectors of the region’s economy follows positive consumer confidence numbers. On the flip side, an improving economic outlook for the region would imply less of a deflation threat and diminished need for the European Central Bank to be aggressive in fighting it.
China’s April PMI also improved from the prior month’s level, but still remained below the 50 mark. Worryingly, the export and employment components of China’s PMI are moving in the wrong direction. A number of recent Q1 earnings releases - Dow Chemicals (DOW) this morning and Yum Brands (YUM) last evening - show strong gains in China for those companies, but questions about the country’s growth outlook still remain.
On the earnings front, the focus today is on Apple (AAPL) and Facebook (FB) which report after the close. But we have a super earnings calendar today, with more than 150 companies reporting Q1 results, including 38 S&P 500 members. Including this morning’s announcements, we now have Q1 results from 132 S&P 500 members that combined account for 38.8% of the index’s total market capitalization.
Total earnings for these 132 companies are down +0.9% from the same period last year, with 65.4% of the companies beating EPS estimates. Total revenues are up +2.3%, with a revenue ‘beat ratio’ of 43.6% and the median company is missing top-line expectations by -0.1%. Excluding the drag from the Finance sector’s -8.9% earnings decline, total earnings for the rest of the S&P 500 companies that have reported would be up +5.9% on +3.7% higher revenues.
This is weak performance relative to other recent quarters, whether we look at the results with or without the Finance sector. There is not much in earnings growth, most companies are missing revenue estimates and we are not seeing any improvement on the guidance front. What all this means is that the negative revisions trend that has been in place for almost two years will not change. We are seeing that already, with estimates for Q2 (currently expected to be up +4.4%) starting to come down.
This doesn’t seem like the backdrop for stocks to be moving towards record fresh territory, but that’s exactly where we find ourselves. Unless earnings fundamentals have stopped meaning anything in this ‘new normal’, the market’s gains appear to be on shaky ground.
Director of Research
Read the analyst report on YUM
Read the analyst report on DOW
Read the analyst report on AAPL
Read the analyst report on FB
Zacks Investment Research
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

domain: finance


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On-leash training at our Greensboro facility is an important first step for gaining a well-mannered dog.
As is the case with learning most things, you need to start with the basics. It is pretty difficult to employ successful off-leash training if you do not first employ on-leash training. It is necessary to develop communication, expectations, and trust while keeping your dog or puppy safe from danger. At Dogs By Andy K-9 Services, we offer a six week on-leash training course at our Greensboro, North Carolina training facility. You choose the time and day for private 45-minute to 1-hour weekly lessons with you and your dog.
Your trainer will work with the two of you to set boundaries and develop the trust and communication needed for success. When these have been firmly and successfully established, it is easier to move on to more advanced commands. At that point, your dog will understand you have expectations they must meet and will follow your lead.
Some dogs take well to on-leash training and never need a repeat lesson. Others have a tendency to regress and may need to return from time to time. Our on-leash training is guaranteed for the life of your dog, so there are no additional charges beyond the 6-week course fee regardless of how many times your dog needs additional instruction and reminders.
Once your dog is doing well with on-leash activities, if you want to have your dog be more well-mannered off leash, we also have a training course for that. If you have questions about our on-leash training program or any of our programs, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our techniques are founded on years of experience working with a wide variety of dog breeds and behaviors, so we are confident you will be happy with the results.

domain: pet


The World Rally Championship (WRC) is a challenge of man and machine versus the toughest terrain on the planet and the clock. It’s the highest level of international motorsport in the world of rallying and drivers compete in 12 two to three-day events in the series, on different surfaces ranging from tarmac to snow and ice.
Recently, motorsport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), announced the calendar for 2022, a season which, thanks to the addition of Kenya, will take place across four different continents: Europe, Africa, Australasia, and Asia. One country to have received a welcome back as hosts have been New Zealand, which will provide the location for championship action from 30 September to 2 October.
Northern Ireland hosting hopes dashed… for now
Northern Irish motorsports fans have been following the FIA closely after there were both talk and plans to host the British stage of the championship in the country. COVID-19 had other ideas, however, and plans were abandoned.
COVID-19 hasn’t been the only reason plans were dropped, however. Politics has also gotten in the way of Northern Ireland’s bid to be hosts. Disputes resulting over a border agreement made as part of the Brexit agreement have emerged, causing DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to threaten to withdraw his ministers from the Executive if the protocol wasn’t met.
It’s a threat that may have created misgivings within the FIA about Northern Ireland hosting the championship and could sink the nation’s hosting hopes. This is unfortunate because Yves Matton, FIA Rallies Commission chief, in the past had spoken positively about Northern Ireland as potential hosts.
Down but not out
This doesn’t mean it’s all over for Northern Ireland.
There has been excitement in Irish rally about the fact that the British Rally Championship will be skipping Northern Ireland in 2022. Some might find this strange, but observers believe the Northern Irish absence from the championship as hosts is because the nation will be staging the British part of the WRC. The traditional mid-Ulster date in the seven-round series stands as TBC in the WRC calendar, which some have interpreted as a clearance of the decks for hosting the British stage.
They may, however, be counting their chickens before they’ve hatched. Event organizers are still waiting for sign-off by the Northern Ireland Executive and Tourism NI. Funding issues could kill the go-ahead.
Which countries are hosting?
There’s still one hosting spot to be awarded and, despite its woes, Northern Ireland is still in the running. In the meantime, FIA has announced the twelve other nations that will be championship hosts:
- New Zealand
Croatia is thrilled to remain on the calendar, having made its debut in April 2021. The event saw a thrilling battle between the drivers, with some very close finishes. Fans will be relishing the 2022 Rally Croatia.
Another nation that will be proud to continue to be on the calendar is Kenya. The African country returned to the WRC in 2021 after a 19-year hiatus away — and it clearly made this return count.
One more nation that will be excited to have the rally drivers pitting their skills against time and terrain on its turf will be New Zealand, with Auckland having the pleasure of hosting. The last time New Zealand was the setting for WRC action was 2021, so it’s been a long absence.
Sweden is a familiar favorite, but the host city in 2022’s championship is a new one on the WRC circuit: Umeå. The organizers are expecting the conditions to provide the challenge and twist(s) the championship needs. The traditional Swedish location for Rally Sweden, Varmland, has become somewhat ‘snow unsafe’, as, in recent years, warm weather has led to the roads being largely free of snow and ice, forcing the organizers to relocate the competition further up north.
The UK’s love affair with motorsports
To say the nation loves its motorsports is an understatement.
According to research on the website of the market and consumer data firm Statista, Motorsport UK, the national membership organization for four-wheeled motorsport, represents 10,000 volunteer marshals. There are 720 motorsport clubs, and 4,620 annual motorsport events take place. In England alone, 56,000 people take part in motorsport.
Traditionally, the UK loves to bet on horse racing and football, but that doesn’t mean punters are unable to place bets on motorsports. Betting fans across the UK and Ireland are able to place sports bets on a wide range of motorsports events, with F1 being one of the most popular races where sports bets are placed. This means that online bets in Ireland and UK can be placed on the WRC next year especially if the event takes place on home turf.
Even before the WRC has begun, there’s anticipation and excitement in the air as fans wait to see who the final host nation will be. Will it be Northern Ireland? Irish fans will certainly be hoping the country can fill that last available slot.


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We offer Bachata and Merengue workshops a few times a year. Our special Latin dance workshops cover Bachata and Merengue as well. For information on when the next workshops are running, please contact us via email and we will add you to our database and keep you informed.
Interested in some background history of the dance? Please go here
Dominican Republic style
An evening designed for General level students and beginners.
Bachata music has four beats per measure. In Bachata dancing, the dancer takes three steps to four beats of music. As with Salsa, the step timing is three steps and then a one-beat pause. The knees are flexed on the steps. Given its humble origins, the steps are flat footed. The side walk basic is three steps in one direction (side-close-side-tap or touch) and the same pattern in the other direction. Nightclub dancers add a lift or hip motion on the tap/touch step. The timing if called out sounds like “one, two, three, uh; one, two, three, uh.” The walking basic is similar, with the dancers walking forward and back rather than side to side.
Merengue is sometimes called the national dance of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic shares the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with its neighbour Haiti. Merengue music in turn shares similarities with the Haiti’s Méringue or Mereng music. The Dominican Merengue is sung Spanish while the Haitian Mereng is sung in Haiti’s native Creole.
The steps are like marching up and down but its how you”march” that counts. There are a lot of fun arm variations that are used. On the workshop, I shall be teaching the Merengue Rueda developed by Salsaduende in the early 90s. Its a lot of fun.
Schedule of the workshop
7.30pm-7.45pm Warm up movements for Bachata in lines.
7.45pm-8.45pm Bachata dance steps in open style and double hand hold. Includes various turns.
8.45pm-9pm Break with drinks, cake and biscuits plus Q & A.
9pm-9.45pm Merengue warm up followed by variations as dance in Dominican Republic. Creating a smooth way of dancing. We will also learn a few patterns within the Rueda style.
9.45pm-10pm Guided practice for Bachata and Merengue
This is a full on session that will have you moving from the opening minutes till the end of the class. I use partner rotation system so that the men learn how to lead women and women become better followers, responding to the different leads.
Cost £20 per person or £35 per couple.


I used to hate my morning commute on the El. Like really hate it. But not for lack of trying. I tried very hard to like it: I created special for-the-commute playlists every week and developed a financially irresponsible La Colombe addiction, all in an effort to look forward to my train ride. But no matter how many almond milk lattes I grabbed en route to the El or how many upbeat Hall & Oates songs I loaded a playlist with, I still loathed my often jam-packed, physically uncomfortable subway ride. Until I discovered podcasts. (I wasn’t living under a rock, I just somehow thought they were all just like Car Talk, so no, thanks.) And now, I kid you not, as I near City Hall, my stop to get off the subway every day, I get sad — like dropped-my-ice-cream-cone-after-one-lick sad — because getting off the subway means I will soon have to turn off whichever podcast I’m listening to.
Podcasts. Are. Magical.
And good news: I’ve found, in the same way podcasts work to make my SEPTA ride enjoyable (a miracle!), they make solo workouts less dreadful, too. There’s just something to be said for the distraction of an interesting conversation when you’re nearing mile six of your run and you feel like your legs just might fall off. It’s a distraction a Pitbull song can’t provide. And if you only allow yourself to listen to your favorite podcast when you work out (hello, temptation bundling), you’ll start to really look forward to your workouts. After all, you need to know if Adnan did it or not, right?
So below, seven podcasts that will make you look forward to getting your sweat on — really! And bonus: A few of them might even provide you with some knowledge to drop at your next dinner party. Read more »
Another week, another handful of free fitness events happening around town. Since you guys seemed to like our last impromptu roundup of free fitness events a few weeks ago, we figured we’d do it again. From a group run to a grown-up pillow fight (really), there’s a little something for everyone. Check ‘em out below. Read more »
• Good news for all the gym haters of the world: There’s a little something called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which encompasses everyday movements that aren’t necessarily considered exercise. Think: gesturing with your hands when you talk, tapping your foot while your work at your laptop, and taking a walking meeting. And get this: According to the brains behind it, upping NEAT can help folks burn up to 850 more calories in a day — without ever really exercising. [Fast Company] Read more »
Welp, this is upsetting: Yesterday, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, a non-profit organization that — you guessed it! — ranks the country’s counties based on health, released its 2016 rankings. Can you guess where Philadelphia falls when it comes to health in Pennsylvania? Dead last, folks. Of all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County is ranked as the least healthy. But, while this is upsetting, it’s nothing new: Philadelphia has consistently scored at the bottom of the list since County Health Rankings started ranking the country’s counties in 2010. Read more »
This week’s workout is going to zone in on — you guessed it! — your arms and your abs, with many of the moves in this workout done using a stability ball (otherwise known as a physioball). You’ll do a circuit of exercises three times, alternating between arm exercises and ab exercises. The rounds will decrease in reps, so you’ll do 20 for the first round, 15 for the second round, and 10 for the third round. Happy sweating, guys! Read more »
• Daylight Saving Time is coming up this Sunday, which means we’ll all be getting an hour less sleep — and some of us will be complaining about that lost hour for days on end. Here, why Daylight Saving Time makes you miserable, explained. [Futurity]
Read more »
For this week’s workout, you are going to do a round of exercises, starting with 20 reps of each. Then, for the rest of the workout, you’ll work your way down by two reps each round until you are down to doing just two reps. That’s 10 rounds total, folks! Who’s ready to sweat?
Read more »
You put your time in at the gym and eat right. You strength train and do cardio. But still, you’re not seeing results. You’ve been at it for months and yet it seems the scale doesn’t budge and your muscles won’t change. It’s frustrating and defeating when you’re putting the time and the effort in but not seeing any changes. Don’t give up hope and throw in the towel yet because, chances are, there’s a way to turn things around. Below, the top six workout mistakes that keep people from getting stronger, explained. Read more »
• Ooof. Did you take a long, hot shower this morning? Were you overly vigorous with the towel when you dried off afterward? If so, you committed two cardinal sins when it comes to shower habits that can cause dry itchy skin. Click the link for three more bad habits you need to quit. [Huffington Post] Read more »
• I’m betting a bunch of you are in getting into the swing of your spring race-training schedule right about now, so consider this your official reminder to take your easy runs very, very seriously. Here, super smart expert advice for just how slow you should go on your easy-run recovery days. (I bet it’s a lot slower than you think!) [Competitor] Read more »


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Q: Used a stolen credit card unknowingly by friend who lied about the card?
Never been in trouble other than no car insurance and driving without privilege.
A: How can you use a credit card "unknowingly?" Let's say your name is Robert. If you used a credit card given you by a friend named John and the name on the card is Bill, how is it that you felt justified in using the card that: 1. you didn't get Bill's permission to use the card; and 2. you didn't even ask John "hey how'd you get a card with Bill's name on it?"
The last part of your question seems to suggest that you know you did something very wrong and will be held to account for it and you're wondering what the potential penalty will be since the only trouble you've been in is for insurance and DWP?
If you have used a credit not belonging to you, the only question for the jury is "did you use a credit card that you knew or should have known had been stolen?" If you are unable to explain to the jury how you could be using a card that you don't own and that you didn't get permission from the owner of that card, the jury is likely to convict you of theft, felony.
The maximum penalty for Felony Theft is 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Typically in Twin Falls County the sentence will be probation the first time but a possible rider, based on your LSI score and your Pre-Sentence Report.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.

domain: law


We live in the age of the internet. It has touched every aspect of our life in some form and quantity. While it’s pros and cons are debatable, its impact in this modern era can not be denied. Today, we can talk, meet, and even work online. With the number and the variety of online jobs, you can work full-time from just your home. One such job is social media marketing.
Just like the name suggests, social media marketing is the process of promoting your content and product through social media platforms. These platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc connect millions and billions across the world. Marketing to such a huge audience can positively impact your brand’s name and popularity.
However, social media marketing is not as easy and simple as your regular social media consumption. You are required to regularly create and post content. Regularly can mean more than once daily even. Along with that, you have to manage your audience and their feedback to improve your future content. That’s what makes it a profession and different from casual surfing.
However, this job can be made easy with various marketing management told available on the internet. One such tool is Loomly.
Loomly is a cloud-based social media marketing suite that boasts of being capable of fulfilling most of the marketing needs. Loomly was founded by Thibaud Clement and his now-wife Noemie in 2016. It was initially named Calendy before getting renamed in 2017. The idea behind Loomly was to replace spreadsheets that were used in the mainstream for social media management.
Loomly works like a social media calendar. It allows you to monitor and manage multiple social media profiles from just one place. You can link your accounts from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc.
Facebook marketing requires you to post content through as many platforms as you can, for better results. It gets hard to manage all of them, as you have to keep switching between them. It turns into a headache when it has to be done on a regular basis. With Loomly, you can access all of those platforms from a single platform with ease. Loomly lets you post content across all of your profiles from just one location without switching devices or web pages. It saves you some valuable time and boosts up your productivity. You can work more in lesser time in an easier way.
Not just content, you can also manage your community across all the platforms from one place with Loomly. You can monitor and reply to comments, messages, and all other notifications your receive on your profiles.
Loomly also lets you schedule your posts in advance across all of the linked platforms. By scheduling posts, you make them reach to your audience at the exact time you desire, which can be a factor in content reach. There is a specific time block in a day where your traffic is at its peak. Scheduling a post to be published at that time increases the chances of a post reaching more people. Changes can be made to the scheduled posts anytime you want before its publishing time. Loomly also gives you an option to preview your posts before publishing them. It displays how your post would look like on its respective platform, once posted. It’s easy to manage and schedule posts in its calendar-like format. You can also opt for a list mode according to preference.
There is a reason Loomly was addressed as a social media marketing tool here. There are already enough social media managers and post scheduling tools already. Loomly also helps with content creation. It keeps suggesting trending topics and what’s popular on social media. The information can be used for created optimized posts that can reach a better audience. There are designated apps for just this purpose. But Loomly incorporates it as a side feature which is a big positive.
Loomly also has an ad manager of its own that helps you create ads. The ads too can be previewed before being published. You can use these ads for better marketing campaigns on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Another amazing feature that you can not find in other such tools is Loomly’s asset management system. Loomly has a content library where you can store photos, videos, and other resources related to your content. All of it is stored on Loomly’s cloud storage. All of it can be accessed whenever required for any purpose. Doing so makes it easy to manage your assets. You don’t have to go searching for them on your computer or mobile when they are needed.
As a cherry on the top, Loomly also features social media analytics. A lot of tools similar to Loomly, usually lack analytics and other technical measures. That’s not the case with Loomly. With these analytics, you can find out different factors that make for more successful posts.
Loomly is not free and has a total of five plans to offer.
First up is the Base plan. Here, you can connect up to 10 accounts that can be used by 2 users. It is priced at $34 per month.
The standard plan comes second priced at $76 per month. It gives you 20 accounts to use with an allowance of 6 users.
The third plan is the Advanced plan. In this plan, you get a total of 35 accounts to be used by up to 16 users at a time.
The fourth plan is named Premium that costs $332 per month. It has a limit of 50 social media accounts and 26 users.
If you want more than that amount of accounts and users, you can opt for the Enterprise plan. The price depends on the numbers of accounts and users availed plus extra added features.
All the plans can be billed on a yearly basis, which reduced their costs by a good portion.
Loomly is a unique tool that combines the features of various social media managers into one. It is perfectly suited for entrepreneurs and small to medium online businesses. The prices can be troubling for some but they are quite justifiable, given the number of useful features. In the end, you can always take a free 15-day trial to see if it is worth it.


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’What do you recommend, father,’ asked Louisa, her reserved composure not in the least affected by these gratifying results, ’that I should substitute for the term I used just now?
She clung to him as she should have clung to some far better nature that day, and was a little shaken in her reserved composure for the first time.
Louisa looked, in part incredulous, in part frightened, in part overcome with quick sympathy, when this man of so much selfcommand, who had been so plain and steady through the late interview, lost his composure in a moment, and now stood with his hand before his face.
There are no more uses of "composure" in the book.
Show samples from other sources
After I regained my composure, I thanked her for telling me about the problem.
During all this time he was evidently struggling for composure.

domain: literature


text:
Subject: I have found a CD that I think you would enjoy
East of Easter
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
Atlanta Punk at it's finest
Mr. Dj Stribley | Barnstaple UK | 02/11/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are few people whom I would describe as an icon, however the enigmatic Harper is one of those few. This album combines the God given talent of Harper as a singer/songwriter together with the imagination and wit of Producer 70's UK Punk Legend Wreckless Eric Goulden who also sings and plays guitar....... and what a combination that is.
The album opens with the screaming banshees that are Harper and Goulden on The Next Contestant, this is followed by Last Man a more subtle mix of 60's style guitar work along with the Vox Organ of Delta Moon's Tom Grey in the background. My favourite track,Health Food and Homicide is next, with a fantastically simple chorus this song could have been a hit if it had been released as a single and received the airplay it deserved. Eyes Like a Teacher is next, one of the weaker tracks it is followed by the angst filled You Can Have It which immediately brings us back into Clays wonderful world of the dischord, chords and notes that really should not be played together but sound fantastic in the right context.The poppy love song entitled Even a Rose follows and then we are into a bit of rock n roll with a story about Clays love for the Airport Holiday Inn where he spends a little time with his special friend, great lyrics and a great riff make this one of the strongest tracks on the album. Little Charlene is next, reminiscent of Goulden's Brain Thieves in it's moody magnificence this really hits the spot before we move onto Princess Phone a sad tale of loneliness. The fantastic dischordant instrumental work by Goulden at the end is almost early Pink Floyd (well it would be if it went on for another hour or so).This fantastic album finishes with Hey on which Goulden plays all instruments and Harper sings "Christ you know I miss you, I never could resist you". Well that's true Clay, 6 years on no further solo albums, the question must be asked WHY?"

domain: entertainment


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Mumbai: India's Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has donated Rs 10 lakh to the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rahane joins the list of sportspersons who have contributed towards the fight against the pandemic.
India's Test vice-captain confirmed the news on twitter on Sunday, writing that this was a very small amount in this difficult time. He also requested people to stay home and realise the importance of the lockdown.
Rahane wrote, "This is just my tiny bit and a drop in the ocean. Will do my best to support in this difficult time. Meanwhile stay home stay safe."
This is just my tiny bit and a drop in the ocean. Will do my best to support in this difficult time. Meanwhile stay home stay safe
— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) March 29, 2020
Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has donated Rs 50 lakh, while former India player Suresh Raina has chipped in with Rs 52 lakh. BCCI, on Saturday, also announced a Rs 51 crore donation to the PM relief fund for the fight against the pandemic.
Maharashtra is one of the worst-affected states battling the novel coronavirus.
With inputs from PTI
PSG coach Thomas Tuchel is not sure whether Neymar, winger Angel Di Maria, goalkeeper Keylor Navas or midfielder Leandro Paredes will start the game at Parc des Princes.
Bayern didn't say how long the France winger would need to spend in quarantine, or whether he's available to play Schalke on Friday in the German champion's first league game of the new season.
Delhi Capitals confirmed that the physiotherapist was in mandatory quarantine. Two of his three tests had come negative.

domain: sports


Guitar Lessons In London with London Guitar Academy
Welcome to Guitar Lessons In London with London Guitar Academy
London Guitar Academy is London city’s premiere spot for learning guitar, bass and home recording utilising a wide variety of modern styles and techniques. On this site, you can meet the teachers, explore styles and pick the right instructor for your learning interest.
LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO KNOW From caring, charismatic guitar teachers with an extensive musical background and unparalleled level of experience when it comes to “all things guitar”.
- No Pressure Style
- Flexible Schedule
- Classes and Private Lessons
- Spectrum of Training:Blues, Jazz, Rock N Roll, Reading Music, Music Theory
- All Ages
- Modern Rock — R & B — Campfire Guitar — Country — Pop — Folk — Blues — Gospel — Swing — Rockabilly — Funk — Punk — Classic Rock — Metal — Reggae — Ska— Classical — Jazz — Fingerstyle Guitar


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During the Open Source Summit in Prague, we spoke to Robert Krátký, Principal Technnical Writer from Red Hat about his presentation about documentation. His talk focussed on the benefits of user stories and how existing legacy feature based documentation can be converted into user stories.
Robert’s presentation can be found at the following
here and and the the documentation resources mentioned at the link below:
Rich Bowen talks to us about a few topics around his participation in the Open Source Summit and MesosCon in Prague including:
Mentoring and how anyone can start micro-mentoring.
His keynote at MesosCon about what the ASF is and does for projects
And being on booth duty!
Piergiorgio (PJ) Lucidi talks to us about
Apache ManifoldCF, the Apache incubation process, his presentation and a few other things at the Open Source Summit in Prague.
Details of Piergiorgio’s presentation can be found at the following link:
Here we talk to Sudip Chakrabarti about his upcoming ApacheCon NA Miami keynote, the Future of IoT, A VC perspective
His complete keynote presentation can be found at the following link
ApacheCon North America 2017 attendee interview with Huxing Zhang and other attendees from Alibaba
Jagadish Venkatraman from the
Apache Samza project talks to us about Samza, his presenation at ApacheCon North America 2017 and how Samza is being used by some very well known companies like LinkedIn and Uber.


Leading Infrastructurer Company, Punj Lloyd has won four highway contracts of Rs 1,555 crore in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Punjab from the central government.
The engineering, procurement and construction projects in the state of Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha has been awarded to Punj Lloyd by the National HighwayAuthority of India. While the order in Punjab has been given from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. (MORTH).
The project of Bihar cost Rs 567 crore four-laning of 60 km of the Simaria-Khagaria sector of NH31.
Punj Lloyd was the developer for 140 km of the Khagaria-Purnea section on the same highway.
The scheme fall under the National Highways Development Project Phase IV to extend major highways in India to a higher standard.


Keeping Cool: 8 Tips for Air Conditioner Efficiency
SCE recommends these tips to keep your air conditioner from working harder than necessary.
By Ron Gales, ENERGIZED by Edison Writer
First in a three-part series
With Southern California experiencing hotter summers each year, cranking up the air conditioner is necessary for many Southern California Edison residential and business customers.
Air conditioning systems typically consume much more energy than other household or office appliances. Air conditioners use about 6% of all the electricity produced in the United States, at an annual cost of about $29 billion on customer electric bills, according to energy.gov.
While it’s essential to stay cool in the summer, keeping air conditioner usage from driving up electric bills is just as important.
Here are ways to operate and maintain the cooling system in your home or office so that it wastes as little energy as possible:
- Keep the cool in: An air conditioning system will work much harder than needed if cooled indoor air escapes through faulty seals on doors and windows, poorly insulated attics or other small breaches. Seal as many cracks and air leaks as possible and install weather stripping in doorways to keep the cool air inside your space. Closing window coverings also helps to slow heat transfer from the sun’s rays to an interior space.
- Add electric fans to the mix: Ceiling, floor or tabletop fans use much less energy than air conditioning systems. In hot weather, using fans to supplement the air conditioning system lets you set the thermostat two degrees higher (from 78⁰F to 80⁰F, for example) while keeping the same personal comfort level. Note: Fans cool people, not spaces, so turn off the fan when leaving the area.
- Demand Response: SCE offers programs that provide incentives for reducing electricity use during periods when the overall electricity demand is high. Learn more about programs that can save energy and money, such as SCE’s Summer Discount Plan or Smart Energy Program, at sce.com/residential/demand-response.
The following tips are specific to users of central air conditioning:
- All about flow: The vents of a central air conditioning system draw in warm air (called “return grilles”) and blow out cold air (“supply registers”). Keep the areas around supply registers and return grilles as clear as possible from obstructions like furniture or bulky objects. Also, it is essential to keep these vents free from dust and dirt buildup. Otherwise, the system uses more energy to circulate air.
- Filters: Replace the air filters for central air conditioning systems every 3 to 6 months. A clogged air filter restricts airflow and makes the system work harder. Important: The new air filter should be an exact fit; a replacement filter that’s “close enough” but not exact allows dust and dirt to bypass the filter and build up in the system’s cooling coil, making the system work harder. Find the correct filter online if it’s unavailable at a local store. Refer to the equipment specifications or product manual for the precise filter size and efficiency rating for your air conditioning system.
- Sizing matters: When installed, the central air conditioning system and its ducting must be correctly “sized” for the space being cooled. A previous owner may have installed a larger air conditioning system hoping to add more cooling power, but an undersized or oversized system wastes energy. Using load calculation software, a certified technician can check if your system is accurately sized for the space.
- Heat pumps: When your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment has reached its end of life, consider replacing it with a highly efficient central (or mini-split) air source heat pump. Beyond saving energy and lowering utility bills, it will support statewide decarbonization goals for a cleaner energy future.
- Open space: Keep registers and doors to empty rooms open to encourage air circulation; use the lever on registers for directional purposes only, not for shutting them. Many central air conditioning system users close vents or shut interior doors to save energy, but if the system and ducting are sized properly, reducing the airflow to the space wastes energy.
Learn more about rebates and incentives that can help you conserve energy and save money at , and more energy-saving tips at sce.com/residential/home-energy-guide.
For more information about SCE’s clean energy efforts, visit edison.com/CleanEnergy.


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I am going to start making lots of different sensory bottles with Luke and Lilah, my preschool-aged children. As we perfect them, we’ll share them with you. Here’s the first one: a DIY rain stick sensory bottle. Rain sticks are fun for the youngest baby all the way to adults! Not only do they sound very soothing, they are fun to watch the grains trickle down as you turn them over. This is a great project just for the sensory aspect in and of itself, but would also go along nicely with a science unit on weather or as a do-it-yourself instrument to add to your music or circle time, too!
We found that tiny grains worked best, so we added a little bit of quinoa and a lot of amaranth. If you don’t already have these, you can probably find them in your local health food store’s bulk bins so you can buy just the small portion you need. Ours came from Whole Foods.
When you have the toothpicks and grains in your bottle, screw the cap on tightly and turn it over. Shake gently if needed to get the grains to fall. Listen to the “rain” sound. Then repeat.
Once you have your bottle perfected (I’d wait a day or two to make sure you’ve got everything right), glue the lid on and let your kids have fun making rain sounds to their heart’s content!
Here’s our bottle at rest:
Though it’s a shame you can’t hear it, here’s our bottle in action:
This post may contain affiliate links.


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› to stop something, either temporarily or permanently, from happening or continuing: The group's shares were suspended at 199p while the takeover deal was finalized.suspend production/service/trading The Stock Exchange will suspend trading in the group's shares if they do not secure financing over the next two weeks.suspend accounts/payments If users ignore messages warning them not to download files illegally, their accounts could be suspended. indefinitely/permanently/temporarily suspended
› HR, POLITICS if an organization suspends an employee or member, it temporarily stops them from working or from being a member, often because they have done something wrong: suspend sb from sth/doing sth She was suspended from her £150,000-a-year job for six months. Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth for failing to lift emergency rule by the deadline.be suspended for 6 days/2 weeks/3 months, etc. Mr Morris, who has been suspended for a year, expects to return to his job after a meeting of governors. The director was suspended on full pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
› LAW to give someone a punishment, especially a prison sentence, that will not be carried out if they do not do anything else illegal within a particular period: She was given an 18-month suspended sentence for her part in the fraud. He pleaded guilty and was given a 12-month sentence suspended for 12 months.


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The Timeframes tab defines various terms as a specific length of time. These terms can then be used when assigning due dates to tasks in various cases and incidents. Users can adjust the dates on a per-task basis.
You can edit the timeframes, however, it advisable to do so only after consulting with internal or external legal counsel to establish appropriate timeframes.
When you edit timeframes, it only impacts cases created going forward. If you would like to change timeframes in existing open case, you must edit a privacy field within the Breach tab of each specific incident to apply the new timeframe to that incident.


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There’s a rumour that somebody’s been looking for BB-8 and these guys might be it:
As of this writing, I haven’t seen the movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” yet. I have seen bits and pieces of spoilers, but fortunately not that much. I have made sure to avoid anything that might spoil the movie for me, though it has become quite avoidable.
This is the LEGO 75103 set and I got it specifically for these Minifigs. It’s a bit pricey, I am very satisfied with this set. LEGO will be releasing a smaller and affordable set that includes the First Order Stormtroopers, so I might splurge on those so I can build an army of these figures.


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7th Body Found In Wreckage of Apartment Explosion, FirePolice in Maryland say a seventh body has been found in the debris of an explosion and fire in an apartment complex.
2 Dead, Dozens Hurt After Explosion, Gas-Fed Fire In Silver SpringAt least 30 people were injured, including three firefighters after a massive blaze ravages at least one apartment in Montgomery County early Thursday morning.
'Guy Fawkes' Robs MoCo 7-Eleven At GunpointA man donned a Guy Fawkes mask and robbed a Germantown 7-Eleven at gunpoint early Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Man Who Stabbed Md. Father 89 Times Sentenced to LifeA man who killed a Maryland father of two by stabbing him 89 times has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.
MoCo 911 System Back Up & Running After 2-Hour OutageMontgomery County's 911 system is back up and running Monday morning after going down for two hours, authorities said.
2 Arrested, 2 Sought After Teen Stabbed 40 Times In ParkA teenage boy and young woman have been arrested in connection with the slaying of an 18-year-old man who was stabbed more than 40 times.
Montgomery Co. Third Grade Teacher Facing Sexual Abuse ChargesPolice in Montgomery County have arrested an elementary school teacher they say sexually abused two third graders.
6 Hurt, Including Md. State Trooper In I-270 CrashSix people were injured, including a Maryland state trooper following a three-car crash on Saturday.
Police In Montgomery County Investigate 2 Crashes Seconds ApartIf it was a coincidence, it was one strange enough for police to begin asking questions. It involved two accidents seconds apart.
Montgomery County To Hold Hearing On Minimum Wage IncreaseThe Montgomery County Council is holding a hearing on a bill to increase the minimum wage in the county to $15 an hour by 2020.
Suspects Sought In MoCo Middle School VandalismPolice in Montgomery County are asking for help identifying two suspects wanted for vandalizing John Poole Middle School in Poolesville last month.
3 Teens Killed In Montgomery County CrashThree Clarksburg High School juniors were killed in a devastating car crash the night before the school's graduation.


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The way I feel about basil is the same way I do about my fruits; you can never have enough. The freshness of the basil is just so intoxicating. It's perfect for pizza, pasta, salad dressing, tomato basil bread, and of course pesto. I make pesto every year and freeze into ice cube shapes. Just add the cheese when you have defrosted whatever amount you want to use. There is a recipe that I follow and it calls for pine nuts. These expensive little nuts that can run from $36-$45 per pound. I only buy them once a year and every year I cringe at the price. This year I decided to try something new. Sunflower seeds. I buy them in 50lb quantities for my bread and salads. So it's not like I don't have any on hand.
PS- I know you can make it also with walnuts... but I despise walnuts.
~4 cups of packed fresh Basil
2/3 cup Sunflower seeds
6 cloves of garlic
~1/3 - 2/3 cup of Olive Oil
1 cup of Parm or you favorite hard cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse your basil leaves and place them in your food processor.
Add in the sunflower seeds and pulse till everything is nicely chopped (not pureed).
Add in your garlic and pulse a few more times.
Scrape down the sides of the food processor.
Turn on the food processor and add in the olive oil while it's running.
Scrape down the sides once more and add your salt and pepper.
I started with 1/2 tsp of salt and few cranks of the pepper mill.
Puree till you have the consistency you desire.
If you are eating it now or keeping it in the fridge, stir in your cheese.
If you are freezing it then don't add the cheese just yet. Place inside ice cube trays or container of your choice. If you do the ice cubes trays then you pop them out after a few hours and place inside a freezer bag.
They are easy to defrost and keep all winter long.


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http://business-news.thestreet.com/mercury-news/story/pressures-mount-but-fed-ecb-can-do-little/11645710 (hidethestreet) NEW YORK (TheStreet) — Pressure mounts on the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank to avert another recession, but neither can accomplish much without their…
More in News
While there has been no suggestion that Tester had input into the poster's design, Republicans are criticizing the red-state Democrat for failing to condemn its content.
Guess what? It's not realistic. But it is, of course, Hollywood-style exciting.
Between 1982 and 2016, the number of "marine heat waves" roughly doubled, and likely will become more common and intense as the planet warms, a study released Wednesday found. Prolonged periods of extreme heat in the oceans can damage kelp forests and coral reefs, and harm fish and other marine life.
Gary Richards, Mr. Roadshow, takes questions on Bay Area roads and traffic during a live online chat most Wednesdays.


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Posters is intensely prominent and makes a nice wall decoration, this poster dimension isand the price is $0.00. If you're trying to ask for top recommendedPosters with affordable price, this produce is the perfect deals for you.
Posters is suitable, the paper its printed on isn't the best of pattern, but is well worth owning all the same. This poster principal advertising size for it iscommonly referred to as the one sheet. The poster is sumptuous nature for the cheap price $0.00, everything on the image is resplendent and above all it looks famous in the room. The unit is black and white painting, usually with a glaring finish, used for lobby display and press promotion.Posters is chapters and even complete photo flow over in each other without any non-literal clue. This poster is beauteous, the colors are marvelous & the quality of the picture is desirable. This one is both cheap and outstanding. We have all the latest fun and electric this produce related to entertainment! The item is a nicely photo and fits in a standardposter frame.Posters is verily and will be a hearty obtain, you could be indeed satisfied with the one.

domain: design


JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s net foreign reserves fell to $43.906 billion in July from $43.940 billion in June, the Reserve Bank said on Wednesday.
Gross reserves declined to $49.360 billion at the end of July from $49.804 billion in the prior month, central bank data showed.
The forward position, which represents the central bank’s unsettled, or swap transactions, rose to $539 million in July from $376 million in June.
(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, editing by Louise Heavens)
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Earlier this month, Newberry Library hosted a virtual “Meet the Author” event with Francesca Morgan, author of A Nation of Descendants: Politics and the Practice of Genealogy in U.S. History. Morgan spoke about her book with Newberry Curator of Genealogy Matt Rutherford. From family trees written in early American bibles to birther conspiracy theories, genealogy has always mattered in the United States, whether for taking stock of kin when organizing a family reunion or drawing on membership—by blood or other means—to claim rights to land, inheritances, and more. And since the advent of DNA kits that purportedly trace genealogical relations through genetics, millions of people have used them to learn about their medical histories, biological parentage, and ethnic background.
A Nation of Descendants traces Americans’ fascination with tracking family lineage through three centuries. Francesca Morgan examines how specific groups throughout history grappled with finding and recording their forebears, focusing on Anglo-American white, Mormon, African American, Jewish, and Native American people.
Francesca Morgan is associate professor of history at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and author of Women and Patriotism in Jim Crow America.


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The hard-bitten private eye, drawn to the alluring but dangerous femme fatale, is the bedrock of classic film noir.
Music & Theatre
The celebrity line-up for Strictly Come Dancing’s visit to Aberdeen has been announced.
Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome.
Tickets for one of the biggest drags shows in the world are now on sale.
The first rehearsals for a new play about the Inverurie loco works have been held.
Five years ago Catfish and the Bottlemen performed at the tiny Tunnels venue in Aberdeen.


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Stoke City 2 Southampton 1: Crouch the hero as Potters return to winning ways
Peter Crouch returned to haunt his former club by coming off the bench to net a late winner as Stoke City saw off Southampton 2-1 in the Premier League.
Maya Yoshida's stunning 75th-minute volley had looked set to snatch a share of the spoils for Southampton, but, having replaced Saido Berahino - who missed a penalty in the first half, Crouch was on hand to tuck in from point-blank range with five minutes remaining.
In an attritional encounter at the Bet365 Stadium, Mame Biram Diouf's maiden goal of the season put Stoke ahead late in the first half, before Virgil van Dijk - starting for the first time this season - gifted Mark Hughes' side the opportunity to double their lead when he fouled Berahino.
Van Dijk's blushes were spared by Fraser Forster though, as he kept out Berahino's tame effort from the spot.
The former West Brom forward has now missed three top-flight penalties since his last league goal, but his replacement Crouch made no such mistake when he flicked home following Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's persistance.
Southampton rallied in search of another equaliser, with Kurt Zouma clearing Charlie Austin's effort off the line, but Stoke held firm to bring a four-match winless run to a halt.


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NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Benitec Biopharma this week announced that it is appealing the European Patent Office's recent revocation of a patent covering the company's core expressed RNAi technology, which had been successfully challenged by biotech firm Galapagos and agro-chemical giant BASF.
Meanwhile, the company disclosed that a hearing on another of its European patents facing opposition has been scheduled for early 2015.
The revoked patent — EP1555317 — is owned by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and was exclusively licensed to Benitec for human health applications. In a statement, Benitec said that it plans to "address the features of the main claims [in the patent] that were found unpatentable."
Specifically, the EPO took issue with the description of the length limitation of RNA constructs generated by the patented technology. According to the EPO, the patent referred to a nucleotide sequence "of greater than 20 nucleotides which is substantially identical to the nucleotide sequence of [a] target gene," but this did not jibe with language elsewhere in the patent.
Benitec noted that this length limitation was contested during the initial prosecution of the patent, but that CSIRO was able to provide arguments addressing the patent office's concerns. The company said the appeal will enable it and CSIRO to once again argue for the patent's validity.
The EP1555317 patent is entitled "Synthetic Genes and Genetic Constructs Comprising the Same," and stems from the work of company co-founder and CSIRO researcher Michael Graham. It claimed the use of recombinant DNA to "post-transcriptionally modify or modulate the expression of a target gene" via RNAi.
Granted in 2011, the patent was opposed by BASF and Galapagos, which had filed its opposition under the name "Strawman Limited." When it announced the patent's revocation earlier this year, Benitec noted that it's novelty and inventiveness were not at issue, and that the EPO's decision was inconsistent with the findings of the US and British patent offices, both of which previously maintained patents from the Graham intellectual property family.
The patent battle in the US, in fact, marked the most tumultuous period in Benitec's history.
Under previous management, it sued three companies in 2004 for infringing its key US Graham patent — No. 6,573,099. One of those companies — the now-defunct RNAi drug developer Nucleonics — challenged the patent at the US Patent and Trademark Office and succeeded in having it invalidated.
With its IP in question and under the pressure of legal costs, Benitec nearly folded. However, in 2010, the company ultimately prevailed in having the patent fully upheld, opening the door to a number of successful financing rounds that allowed it to regain the rights to its lead drug candidate, the Phase I/IIa hepatitis C treatment TT-034, and ramp up other drug-development programs.
Benitec's management previously told Gene Silencing News that the company's success defending the '099 patent boded well for its chances in front of the EPO. The ruling on the '317 patent, however, suggests that that is not necessarily the case and that the firm may face setbacks with two other of its European patents under review.
One of those — EP1068311 — is entitled "Method and Means for Obtaining Modified Phenotypes" and relates to the use of double-stranded RNA to reduce the expression of a nucleic acid sequence of interest in eukaryotic cells, particularly as a means to establish viral resistance. It is owned by CSIRO and licensed to Benitec, and is being opposed by BASF, ag-bio firm Syngenta, Galapagos, the Carnegie Institution, and the University of Massachusetts.
Benitec said this week that the first hearing in front of the EPO's opposition division over the '311 patent is scheduled for Jan. 7 and 8, 2015.
In a statement, Sakura Holloway, Benitec's recently appointed in-house IP counsel, said that the company and CSIRO have "a high degree of confidence that the outcome of [this] hearing will be favorable.
"There are a number of features that differ between the ['311] patent and the ['317] patent, in particular the length restriction that was the reason for the EPO decision to revoke the patent does not exist" in the '311 patent, he added.
Meanwhile, a third patent held by CSIRO and licensed to Benitec — EP1624060 — has been opposed by BASF and Galapagos. Entitled "Control of Gene Expression," it claims recombinant DNA for the post-transcriptional modification or modulation of target gene expression via RNAi.
A date for an oral hearing on this patent has not been set.


Sometimes I feel like there's this spot of music from the year 2000 up until everything became streaming that people tend to forget about. It's this mix of music which was perhaps made popular via Napster before Lars Ulrich shut that down and music which was released in a physical format and has yet to really become part of this digital revolution. While I feel like "Lucy Is a Band" is not easy to find in a digital way (I had to resort to Spotify, ugh) I also feel like since this album has existed for twenty years (whoa!) it should have one of those special record pressings to reflect as such.
Lucy Loves Schroeder originally came to me in the form of a compact disc, back when I first began writing about music and I instantly fell in love with it. In the year 2000 specifically there weren't a whole lot of women being played on the alternative rock radio station. Hole was seemingly ending and No Doubt was still there, but a lot of the songs were from years past. I found that a lot of bands I listened to came not only from CDs being sent to me to review but from going to lives shows and also just listening to soundtracks.
Though I'm not sure the exact release dates for all of them, some of the more important soundtracks which I think helped shape me and could play a role on this album include movies like "10 Things I Hate About You", "Clueless" and "Angus". Obvious influences in terms of bands are Dance Hall Crashers, The Muffs, Discount and even The Mr. T Experience. Unless you really lived in your teenage or later years in the year 2000 (I was twenty years old) I don't think you got the full effect or have the proper memories of what it was like with bands like Green Day taking over the radio and music just being fuzzy, loud and punk.
Even if you feel like you could name a handful of bands that currently sound like Lucy Loves Schroeder, as the scope of music has seemingly been shattered in recent years, this album is not only important because of how it sounds but because of how little access it felt like there was to music like this when it came out. You couldn't just search tags on Bandcamp and stumble upon this one based on other artists you liked. It was really something that I felt fortunate to be a part of at the time and something like that might never happen again.
It's tough for me to think that this album came out twenty years ago. That's half of my life. There are people out there who would enjoy this album that aren't even that old yet. And yet, at the same time, if you happened to put this album on now and weren't aware of what it was it doesn't sound like it's twenty years old. This could easily still be an album released in the year 2020 and in some ways, not to discredit those making music now but I do wish there was music that was this great being released still. This seems like one of those rare finds that if you didn't know about it at the time you could go your whole life without ever hearing it and that would just be such a huge shame.