The National Research Council (NRC) soundPATHS tool now includes total precast concrete scenarios
We are pleased to announce that the National Research Council (NRC) soundPATHS tool has now been updated to include total precast concrete scenarios. “The National Research Council's (NRC) soundPATHS web application is a prediction tool for the calculation of direct and flanking sound transmission between adjacent rooms. The software uses the calculation procedure outlined in the 2015 edition of the National Building Code of Canada.” CPCI is proud to have contributed to the development of this tool through sponsored research from the CPCI Technical Committee and staff involvement in the multi-sector special interest group.
CPCI Publishes the Self-Consolidating Concrete for Precast Applications: Best Practice Guide
The purpose of this new best practice document is to provide guidance to precasters, designers, specifiers, and owners/agencies on the important characteristics for the design, fabrication, and specification of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). SCC is defined as concrete that flows under its own weight or, with some agitation, spreads readily into place while remaining stable. Get your free copy!
Now Available - FREE Precast Concrete Wall Thermal Performance Calculator
April 2019 - Energy and thermal performance requirements are growing and playing an increasingly significant role in building codes throughout North America. CPCI’s new Web-enabled software provides designers, builders, and owners with a program to ensure compliance options for modern building energy codes, and suitable methods for quickly estimating, at an early design stage, the thermal performance of precast concrete enclosure wall systems
Newly Updated CPCI Curing Technical Bulletin
CPCI recently published an update to the CPCI Curing Technical Bulletin. The CPCI technical committee originally approved the first version of this publication in 2013, and it included the state of the art research conducted by the National Research Council of Canada on behalf of CPCI . This latest version has now been expanded to include the new surface durability research by Professor Hooton, University of Toronto, that was approved for publication earlier this year. Also, where necessary we have also cited the changes to CSA A23.1/2 in the most recent 2014 edition, particularly the changes to RCP and compressive strength requirements from 56 and 28 days to 'within 91 days and 56 days. Finally, we have had the publication professionally laid out to make it consistent with our other CPCI technical publications.
New Updated CPCI Structural Floor and Roof Guide
The CPCI Technical committee has approved a recent update to the structural floor and roof guide. This latest version includes drawings have been revised and updated. It also includes editorial and technical changes throughout to reflect the more current industry recommendations.
CPCI Launches New Certification Website
CPCI is pleased to announce the launch of a new and improved certification website. The new bold site is your one-stop shop for all CPCI certification information. The CPCI certification program is designed to qualify manufacturers who fabricate structural, architectural and specialty precast concrete. We invite you to browse through the pages for all the information on this program and to view the list of certified plants. www.precastcertification.ca.
NEW Research on Durability of Accelerated Cured Concretes
In 2013, CPCI published research, conducted by the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), on the compressive strength and rapid chloride permeability characteristics of accelerated cured concretes. Recently, CPCI commissioned the University of Toronto and Dr. Hooton, Ph.D., to do further research on surface durability. The data in this new research show that there is no negative impact of omitting additional moist curing for CSA C-XL concrete that has undergone a 16 hour curing regime. CPCI is pleased to announce the publishing of this latest research, Effects of Different Accelerated and Moist Curing Periods on Chloride Penetration Resistance of Precast Concrete Element.
ACI Concrete Field Testing Technicians Certification Course - Grade 1
The RMCAO, with assistance from the ACI Ontario Chapter, is sponsoring a two-day in-depth course and examination, based on CSA A23.1/.2, for this widely accepted certification. The course will take place on January 26th-27th, 2015 at the Four Points Sheraton in London, ON. The ACI Field Testing Technician course is a prerequisite to take the PCI Level I/II school. For more information and to register, click on the link below.
NRCC Completes Apparent Sound Transmission Class Research on Hollowcore Floor Assemblies
CPCI commissioned the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) to conduct testing on two Hollowcore assemblies in order to calculate the Apparent Sound Transmission Class (ASTC). ASTC will replace STC ratings in the next edition of the National Building Code of Canada. Both 203 mm and 305 mm thick hollowcore were tested in order to confirm the characteristics to calculate ASTC.
ACI Offers Updated Code Requirements for Determining Fire Resistance of Concrete
Fire resistance of building elements is an important consideration in building design. While structural design considerations for concrete and masonry at ambient temperature conditions are addressed by ACI 318 and TMS 402/ACI 530/ASCE 5, respectively, these codes do not consider the impact of fire on concrete and masonry construction. This standard contains design and analytical procedures for determining the fire resistance of concrete and masonry members and building assemblies.
Latest NPCA load test on Double Tees
On April 17, 2014, the northern division of the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado hosted a double tee load test event at Colorado Precast Concrete in Loveland, Colorado. A full-size double tee designed for a typical parking garage floor member was load tested to determine performance, and reached a deflection of 1.1 m(44 inches) before failure! Stresscon of Colorado Springs supplied the 10-ft-wide, 60-ft-long double tee for the demonstration. Click on the link below to read more on the test and the results.
CSA A23.1/.2-14 Standard Published
The new CSA Standard, CSA A23.1/2-14 was recently published. The standard, entitle "Concrete materials and methods of concrete construction/Test methods and standard practices for concrete" has many new changes and additions. Follow the link below to the presentation by Chris Rogers, Chair of the standard for an overview of the recent changes.
Public Review on Proposed Changes to the 2010 National Model Construction Codes Now Open
The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) is inviting your company and its members to take part in the fall 2014 public review of proposed changes to the 2010 National Model Construction Codes. The public review is one of the principal steps in the process for updating national code documents, providing a nation-wide forum where anyone can review and comment on the changes proposed. Following the review, CCBFC Standing Committees will consider all comments and make final recommendations on each proposed change.
PCI Announces New Blast Design Manual
PCI’s Blast-Resistant Design Manual, First Edition (MNL 141-12) is now available. This manual describes the basic process of blast-resistant structural design for precast/prestressed concrete components. It includes calculating blast loads on the component, determining the dynamic response of the component, checking the response against specified performance criteria, designing the component connections, and checking the component for adequate shear capacity. The emphasis in this manual is on blast loads from exterior explosions and the dynamic analysis of blast-loaded structural components idealized as equivalent single degree of freedom systems. These assumptions simplify the blast-resistant design procedure discussed in this manual, but they apply to many cases of practical interest for anti-terrorism and force protection design. For more details and purchasing information, click on the link below.
Surface Absorption of Chlorides of Accelerated Cured Concretes
As a supplementary study to the curing research that was recently published by the National Research Council, CPCI has engaged the University of Toronto, Dr. Doug Hooton, to conduct testing on accelerated cured concretes to evaluate their surface absorption characteristics. Ultimately, the research is aimed at demonstrating that 16 hour accelerated cured concretes that are air dried thereafter will have durable surface characteristics. For more information contact Robert Burak at firstname.lastname@example.org
National Research Council Curing Research Completed
Although low-pressure live steam curing has been accepted as a standard method of accelerated curing, throughout the world, some specifying agencies require girder manufacturers to “secondary cure” (“wet cure”) for a period of three, five or seven days after having completed steam curing. Recent research conducted by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of CPCI (2014) describes the results and analysis of a CPCI/ NRC project to determine the appropriate length of accelerated curing for precast concrete.
CPCI Fifth Edition Design Manual Development is Underway
The CPCI Design Manual is the flagship design aid for the Canadian precast prestressed concrete industry, used for teaching prestressed concrete in Universities across the country and also used by design professionals every day. The Fifth Edition editorial committee has met several times this year and are working towards a published electronic revision in 2015. This project is under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Dr. Paul Gauvreau, University of Toronto. For more information contact Robert Burak at email@example.com
Apparent Sound Transmission Research - Hollowcore Slabs
The simplest approach to sound transmission (STC) between adjacent rooms in buildings considers only the sound transmission through the wall or floor separating adjacent spaces. In reality, there are many paths for sound transmission between adjacent rooms, including both direct transmission through the separating assembly and indirect structure-borne paths; The structure-borne paths usually significantly affect the overall sound transmission. The National Research Council has published the Guide to Calculating Airborne Sound Transmission (ASTC) in Buildings (2013). CPCI has engaged NRC to evaluate and calculate ASTC ratings for hollowcore precast assemblies. For more information contact Robert Burak at firstname.lastname@example.org
CSA A23.4 Sixth Edition Development is Underway
The CSA A23.4 standards committee, lead by Chairman John Fraser, met in April for the kick-off meeting of the latest (sixth edition) of the national standard for Precast Concrete-Materials and Construction. The next meeting is scheduled for October 6-7th, and the next publication is expected in 2015. For more information contact Robert Burak at email@example.com


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During our annual family and friends camping trip, my friend, Deanna and I were able to get away for an hour to get some fun night shots. Our campsites were in walking distance of the shore and during that afternoons walk we had scouted out a couple spots to set up. Along the trail to one of the spots I took the shot below of the moon through the trees.
We set up on a small rocky beach to practice our night photography when I got this shot of the meteor. I didn’t even know that I had even captured it to begin with – just happened to luck out on this.
We had some difficulty working on this beach when a group of young people decided to invade to take selfies with their phones. The added lights from their flashes and flashlights drove us further down the beach to an emptier spot. Taking a few more shots we decided it was time to get back to the campfire for some adult friendly treats.

domain: hobby


University of Derby
Professional Engineering (online study)
Developed with the Engineering Council as part of the Engineering Gateway programme, this MSc Professional Engineering online degree is a highly flexible, part-time, work-based learning route to obtaining Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. It is recognised by a wide range of engineering institutes such as ICE (Institute of Civil Engineers), IMECHE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers) and IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) through the Engineering Council.
Certificate modules: applied research methods in engineering; negotiated advanced technical module; negotiated module (environmental and ethical responsibility). Diploma modules: continuous professional development and strategic management; negotiated module (commercial and technical leadership); negotiated module (innovation in technology); negotiated module (solving engineering problems). Master's modules: independent scholarship (technology).
This course with the Engineering Council as part of the Engineering Gateways programme will help students to gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) status if they are working in the engineering profession. It is a work based route to the academic qualification and professional development that students need to demonstrate for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Students will be able to acquire professional competencies and an MSc without taking time off work. Because the course is flexible, it can be adapted to almost any work situation, engineering industry, or location.
|Qualification||Study mode||Start month||Fee||Course duration|
|MSc||On-line study||September 2017||GBP 8,100 per Whole course (Home/EU)||3 Years|
|MSc||On-line study||January 2018||GBP 8,100 per Whole course (Home/EU)||3 Years|
|MSc||On-line study||May 2018||GBP 8,100 per Whole course (Home/EU)||3 Years|
|Campus name||Town||Postcode||Region||Main campus||Campus||Partner|
Get in touch
Remember to mention TARGETpostgrad when contacting universities.


i would like to know too
Stock , Not rust / not accident before around 100k engine running good, soso condition it should be around $2500-3500cr00klyn718 said:i would like to know too
ur cool man u are like the only one who spends your time and actually answer... everyone else jsut dont give a shit.. thanksOrange said:
Stock , Not rust / not accident before around 100k engine running good, soso condition it should be around $2500-3500
Try to find a broken engine if you can, you time you can get on around $500
u midaswell add them rear disc brakes to ur list of 90-91 only items. and teh dx and hf still have front discs man.crxcrxcrx said:Si also has front AND rear disc brakes. 90-91's have better body molding, better bumper lights, better tail lights, and better wheels.
my car had like 150,000 miles when i bought it, no rust, no dents, just some minor things that had to be fixed to pass inspection. i paid $1800 for mine. if you look hard enough you will find a good deal. it took me a while to find my rex.


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Patriots connect in OT to clip Walkerton Hawks
MOUNT FOREST – Darcy Winkler’s goal in overtime lifted the Mount Forest Patriots to a 5-4 victory over the Walkerton Hawks in Provincial Junior Hockey League play Saturday night at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex.
Winkler struck for the game-winner on a power play at 6:07 of the extra period to grab a come-from-behind victory. The Patriots had trailed by three midway through regulation time.
Mount Forest Patriots 5 Walkerton 4
The Hawks had opened the scoring with a pair of goals 59 seconds apart late in the first period and they added another one early in the second.
However, Mount Forest had pulled even by the end of the second with a trio of goals and the hosts took the lead a second shy of the third period’s five-minute mark. They held that lead until Walkerton tied it on a power play with 26 seconds to go in the third.
The overtime goal was Winkler’s second goal of the game while Christopher Prucha also scored twice. Benjamin Tenhag had the other goal while Brock Reinhart had three assists and Aaron McGuirk, Prucha, Riley Torrie, Winkler, Calan Tanzi-Foshay and Derrick Cornfield each had one assist.
Caleb Morrison, Elliot McCarey, Hayden Robinson and Jamie Damignani each scored a goal for Walkerton. Keegan Fischer and McCarey collected two assists apiece while single assists were awarded to Kaleb Smith, Brayden Fischer, Connor Borth and Austin Brown.
Joshua Peters had 32 saves to get the win for the Patriots while Kyle Rivers took the overtime loss with 45 saves for Walkerton.
Mount Forest is fourth in the Pollock Division with a 7-4-0-1 record while Walkerton is sixth at 2-9-1-1.
The Patriots are to play the Goderich Flyers (0-13-0-0) Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Goderich Maitland Recreation Complex.
- Guelph Sports Journal

domain: news


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Italian 14K Yellow Gold Sky Blue Topaz Briolette Hammered Links Artizan Necklace
Up for sale is a lovely sky blue topaz Italian necklace. Crafted in 14K yellow gold, features gorgeous natural topaz faceted oval and briolette-cut gems. Gorgeous lucid and wonderfully transparent topaz gems are interconnected by delicate yellow gold links of various shapes creating ethereal effect. Can be worn opera-length or layered double-strand. All the photos are of an actual item offered for sale. We also offer a coordinating pair of earrings. Stamped 585 Italy 585/14K on the clasp. The necklace is 38 1/2 - very long. This is a pre-owned item in excellent vintage condition. Please visit our store for more beautiful fine jewelry and designers clothing. The item "Italian 14K Yellow Gold Sky Blue Topaz Briolette Hammered Links Artizan Necklace" is in sale since Monday, December 18, 2017.
This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Fine Jewelry\Fine Necklaces & Pendants\Gemstone". The seller is "stylenow007" and is located in Palisades Park, New Jersey. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Style: Chain
- Metal: Yellow Gold
- Metal Purity: 14k
- Main Stone Shape: Briolette
- Main Stone Color: Multi-Color
- Length (inches): 38
- Main Stone: Topaz
- Main Stone Creation: Natural
- Secondary Stone: Topaz
- Base Metal: Yellow Gold
- Main Stone Treatment: Not Enhanced
- Length: Over 35"
- Chain Style: Link
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Italy

domain: design


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New ShareAction report outlines recommendations to improve transparency and accountability.
Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) has been challenged to increase transparency from asset owner and manager members on their climate-related engagement efforts with high-emitting companies.
A new report by UK-based NGO ShareAction has highlighted inconsistencies in how 60 assessed CA100+ asset owner and manager members have been reporting on their engagement activities with companies, noting a wide spectrum in the quality of information disclosed and overall transparency.
ShareAction has subsequently outlined its recommendations for investor reporting guidance, which it says should be implemented during the initiative’s next five-year cycle, commencing 2023.
“Clear reporting on engagement objectives, outcomes and escalation activities is essential for stakeholders to monitor progress on climate action and hold both companies and investors to account when their actions fall short,” said Isobel Mitchell, Research and Engagement Manager at ShareAction.
“This is key to strengthening the initiative and ensuring that signatories commit to meaningful action.”
Originally launched in 2017, CA100+ now has 700 investor signatories representing US$68 trillion in assets.
It assesses the climate-related commitments and performance of 166 focus companies – typically the world’s highest emitters – against its Net Zero Company Benchmark, which was launched in March 2021 and covers emissions reduction, governance and disclosure themes.
As of March 2022, 69% of focus companies have committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 or sooner and 89% have aligned with recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
Having previously published sector-specific net zero strategy guidance for food and beverage, steel, electric utilities, and aviation, CA100+ will continue to publish guidance for other high-emitting sectors over the course of this year.
Although progress has been made as a result of CA100+ investors engaging with companies, the disclosures from investors on their engagement efforts do not currently provide enough detail, ShareAction said.
Thirty-seven of the 60 assessed asset owners and managers have not provided aggregate statistics on their climate change engagements, and only 29 said they monitor the progress of their engagements – climate-related or otherwise. Only ten of the 29 have reported on that progress.
Further, 82% failed to specify escalation steps for unsuccessful engagement.
Investor engagement efforts have so far failed to ensure any of the focus companies align their capex with a 1.5°C future or produced financial statements that reflect relevant climate risks, the report said.
A CA100+ spokesperson responded: “It is worth noting that some metrics included in the Benchmark, including capex and financial accounting, are relatively new and specific areas of focus for CA100+. While these are clearly important factors, they are not representative of the full breadth of the initiative’s work and focusing too heavily on them risks giving a rather one-dimensional account which does not fully reflect the wider impact that it has had to date.”
ShareAction’s 2021 Voting Matters report previously highlighted that, of the 45 CA100+ signatories assessed, many either declined to vote in support of environmental resolutions at AGMs that year, or actively voted against them.
Majority Action, a US-based NGO focused on improving shareholder engagement, published a report earlier this year which found that majority of 75 CA100+ signatories voted to re-elect every incumbent director at a number of US companies demonstrating low compliance with the initiative’s Net Zero Benchmark.
“Engagement conducted as part of CA100+ has driven notable progress towards climate goals, with more than 110 focus companies having made net zero commitments today, compared to just five in 2017,” the CA100 spokesperson said.
The ShareAction report highlighted examples of good practice. Legal and General Investment Management publishes sector-specific red lines on climate change for 58 priority engagement companies as part of its Climate Impact Pledge. Companies falling short of these red lines will be subject to either divestment or the asset manager voting against company directors.
ShareAction’s recommendations include setting investors’ minimum transparency requirements on climate change policies, minimum escalation expectations for engagements undertaken via CA100+, and publishing aggregated statistics on engagement activities and outcomes against the benchmark, supplemented with detailed case studies on engagement with each focus company in annual progress reporting.
“Overall, there is no doubt that there is still urgent work to do if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and effectively tackle the climate crisis,” the CA100+ spokesperson said.
“As CA100+ moves into the final year of this phase and looks to the future, we intend to further develop and strengthen the initiative to ensure its continued success in addressing the issues at hand.”
Leading by example
Although the organisation itself admits that progress has been slower than it would have liked, other collaborative investor initiatives have been inspired by CA100+.
Due to be launched this summer, Nature Action 100 (NA100) will serve as the nature-related equivalent of the climate initiative, ensuring that companies are taking appropriate actions to address biodiversity impacts and risks. The new initiative is supported by the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation.
Last year, a coalition of Canadian investor associations launched an engagement-focused organisation styled on CA100+.
Climate Engagement Canada (CEC) was launched by 27 founding investors collectively managing C$3 trillion (US$2.42 trillion) in assets, with members including Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan, RBC Global Asset Management and CIBC Asset Management.
Co-ordinated by the UN-convened Principles for Responsible Investment, Ceres, the Shareholder Association for Research and Education, and the Responsible Investment Association, the Canadian initiative will engage with 40 of the country’s highest emitting companies.
CEC will not select companies that are already being engaged with through CA100+.
“CA100+ is the investor initiative on climate change many were waiting for,” said Catherine Howarth, ShareAction CEO.
“It has the scale and focus required to make a meaningful impact on global carbon emissions. But success depends on action and real effort by all signatory investors, and so far, not all are stepping up.”


If you enter Facebook sweepstakes, you know that many of them ask you to like, share, or otherwise interact with their posts in order to get a chance to win. Legitimate companies do this to build a following on Facebook. However, scammers use these methods, too, in a type of scam known as like-farming.
You might think that tossing a like on a sketchy-looking giveaway post can't do any harm and might end up with you winning you a prize, but in reality, it can be dangerous. Here's why you should pay close attention to what you like and avoid anything that doesn't look legitimate.
What Like Farming Is and Why You Should Care
Like farming is a way to game Facebook's algorithms to turn a worthless page into a valuable one or to make scammers seem trustworthy when they're not.
Basically, the more people like a page and spread the content they post, the more often Facebook displays posts that page makes. People are more likely to share high-quality posts and to like high-quality pages, so Facebook's algorithm should give those posts and pages priority. Which works well, unless people purposely attract likes to a page and then use the page's popularity for nefarious purposes, which is known as like farming.
Like Farming Poses Real Risks to You and Your Facebook Friends
CNN's article, On Facebook, click 'like' can help scammers runs through some of the ways that like farming can be misused including:
- changing the focus of a popular page from something that people found interesting into a way to spam followers with offers for low-quality or untrustworthy products
- selling a popular page to unscrupulous marketers on the black market, who will use it to spam followers
- using the page to promote a Facebook app that can harvest your information
- misusing the demographic information that Facebook provides to page owners to target the people who like their page
- using the page's trusted status to run phishing scams to collect sensitive information like credit card numbers
- spreading malware and viruses
How Like Farming Works:
The problem with using likes to determine whether a page is worthwhile is that it's pretty easy to convince people to like a post. It takes just a very little bit of motivation, which sweepstakes can provide.
Sweepstakes are profitable for like farmers. They can run a quick and easy farming method by saying that they'll give away prizes when they reach a certain number of page likes or to people who like, share, and/or comment on one of their posts. Or they can link to another page that offers a giveaway opportunity but is really just phishing for your personal information.
Sadly, giveaways aren't the only thing you need to watch out for, there are plenty of other ways to like farm as well. If you've ever seen a post that says something like, "This poor child doesn't have any friends. Show them you care by liking their picture!" or "I bet you can't name a city without the letter 'a' in it!" then you've witnessed a like farming attempt.
Like farmers drive engagement for their posts by manipulating your emotions. They'll encourage you to like a post in order to help a sick child (who probably doesn't need your help, and might feel victimized because their picture is being misused), to stop animal abuse, to make someone feel better after losing a loved one, to express religious beliefs ('click like if you love Jesus!'), or to share your opinion about a hot political issue.
Another tactic is to give you a chance to show off. They might offer a quiz that 'only geniuses can get right' or challenge you to name a country that has a certain letter in the name. They make it seem like these things are hard to do so that people will show off by commenting on the posts when in reality most people can fulfill the challenges with no trouble.
How to Recognize and Avoid Like Farming Sweepstakes Scams
At first blush, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a legitimate giveaway being offered by a small company and a Facebook like farming sweepstakes scam. However, with a little bit of research, you'll be able to tell the difference quickly. Here are some of the things you can do to recognize and avoid like farming giveaways:
- Check out the page offering the giveaway. What kind of information do they post? Is it mostly giveaways and memes, or do they have plenty of other interesting and informational posts that fit their brand's topic as well? If they mostly have memes and other junk, it's not a good sign that you can trust the page.
- How old is the page offering the giveaway? Scroll through the posts on the page offering the giveaway. If you don't see any posts older than a few weeks or months, that's a good reason to be suspicious.
- How is the grammar in the posts? Many like farmers aren't native English speakers or they simply don't bother with good spelling or grammar. If the giveaway post or the other posts on the page are badly written and difficult to read, it's a bad sign.
- Who is sponsoring the giveaway? Is there a legitimate company backing the Facebook page? And if it looks like a real company or product is behind the page, do they link to it from their main company website? Determining this can take a bit of digging. Beware of like farmers who attempt to spoof legitimate companies to make themselves seem more trustworthy and don't simply accept a familiar name as legit. Read about fake Facebook page scams for more details.
- How believable is the giveaway? A chance to win an iPad is believable. A Samsung Facebook page simply handing out thousands of Apple iPads to the first people who like their page because the boxes are unsealed? Not so much. Giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of prizes in a throwaway Facebook post is unlikely. Samsung giving away Apple products makes no sense. This type of giveaway isn't trustworthy.
- Are the rules clearly stated? Legitimate sweepstakes have clearly-stated rules that tell you who can enter, how many prizes are awarded, how many times you can enter, when the giveaway ends and the prizes will be awarded, and other important information. If a giveaway only says you need to like and share to enter, with no other details, don't trust it.
By paying attention to these guidelines and using your own common sense, you can weed out a lot of like farming scams.
Remember: Think Before You Like!
While it seems like liking a post can't possibly do any real harm, the truth is that you can not only put yourself at risk, but also expose your friends, family members, and coworkers, and other people who follow your own Facebook account to scams, spam, and malicious viruses.
Be sure to be a good internet citizen by avoiding liking or following sites that you don't know and trust. Take time to investigate Facebook giveaways before you enter and especially before you share the post with your friends.
You can fight like farming by refusing to spread the word or to make their tactics more profitable. And make sure your friends know about like farming as well, so that these viral scams get stopped in their tracks.


City of Stockton’s Marshall Plan to host first Stakeholder meeting: 7 months post announcement.
“We will be having a council study session on the Marshall Plan on January 31st,” clarified city of Stockton’s Mayor, Ann Johnston, during the first city council meeting of 2012.
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text:
1/1 Photo of Breakfast Trout with Bacon
When you're out at the lake in the summer and the men have been early morning fishing, nothing tastes better than this. Yumm!
My Private Note
Units: US | Metric
- 1Fry bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- 2Drain on paper towels and set aside, reserving bacon fat in pan.
- 3Rinse fish, then dredge in cornmeal and season both sides to taste with salt and pepper.
- 4Add vegetable oil to the bacon fat, then heat pan over medium high heat until oil is hot.
- 5Working in batches if necessary, fry fish in combined fat and oil on one side until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
- 6Carefully turn fish over and cook other side for 5 minutes more.
- 7Serve garnished with bacon.
Browse Our Top Breakfast Recipes
Nutritional Facts for Breakfast Trout with Bacon
Serving Size: 1 (285 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 4
- Amount Per Serving
- % Daily Value
- Calories 712.9
- Calories from Fat 401
- Total Fat 44.5 g
- Saturated Fat 8.5 g
- Cholesterol 147.9 mg
- Sodium 318.3 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 23.6 g
- Dietary Fiber 2.2 g
- Sugars 0.2 g
- Protein 52.5 g

domain: food


The effect variable network behaviour on audio or video are quite hard to estimate.
Typically, a playout buffer will be set given the delays in the encoder, compressor, decoder, decompressor and transmission, and the overall delay budget, to put a drop dead deadline on arrival of packets over the Internet.
Packets are either lost in transit or re-ordered or delayed so that some number just don't make it. The loss distributions in the Internet are complex, and change as the network evolves. However, the degradation of the received and perceived signal will increase with compression and loss - since the compression exploits redundancy, it removes the signals very tolerance for loss. Lossy compression is worse sine it reduces the signal to its bare essential components.
The designer of a compression scheme for packet transmission has two possible approaches to this problem: firstly, careful choice of compression scheme and ratio, to minimize the imact of loss for the average delivered rate; secondly, the use of smart protection by re-adding redundancy to the packets in a way that is specifically designed to protect against packet loss.
Suffice it to say that under heavy load, there are significant losses and that they are quite often spatially and temporally correlated (that is to say that if a opacket is lost, it is more likely that the next one to the same place is more likely to be lost, and that packets destined for simialr areas of the network are also more likely to be lost).
The size of a packet in the Internet for audio or video might be in the range 320 bytes up to 1500 bytes, typically. This means that the loss of media data is quite significant even for only a single lost packet.
There are a variety of enhancement approaches to protecting the media stream by clever mapping of the data into packets - one can go further and add general packet level FEC codes, or even media specific FECs [#!rat!#][#!freephone!#], or when the delays are sufficiently low, or in a playback situation, recover from loss using retransmission strategies - some users propose a hybrid of media specific FEC and retransmission.
Finally, it remains to be seen if new scalable CODECs might be devised that, combined with intelligent distribution of the compressed media data over a sequence of packets, lead to better quality results in the face of the Internet's current curious, and somewhat pathological loss behaviour.


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Loretta Lynn, George Strait to Be Honored at 2019 Nashville Songwriter Awards
Two country legends are being recognized for their contributions to the art of songwriting.
The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has shared that Loretta Lynn and George Strait will be honored at the 2019 Nashville Songwriter Awards. The "Coal Miner's Daughter" icon will be bestowed with the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award — regarded as the organization's "highest honor" — for the many high-caliber songs she's created that have defined country music, along with building a legacy that's inspired other artists. Strait, meanwhile, will be honored with the President’s Keystone Award for his loyal support of songwriters, as several of his hits have been penned by Nashville-based writers.
"George Strait is the perfect recipient of the NSAI President’s Keystone Award," NSAI President Steve Bogard says in a press release. "The keystone is the 'central stone at the summit of an arch, locking the whole together.' His delivery of a great melody and that perfect phrasing that communicates the emotion in a lyric is the ultimate last step in bringing so many incredible records to his fans."
Additionally, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Dierks Bentley, Chris Janson, Michael Ray, Lee Brice, David Lee Murphy and Dean Dillon, the writer behind many of Strait's esteemed hits such as "Marina Del Rey," "The Chair" and "Easy Come, Easy Go," will all perform at the 2019 Nashville Songwriter Awards ceremony. Other awards set to be given out that evening include Songwriter-Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.
The 2019 Nashville Songwriter Awards are set to take place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Sept. 17.
Where Would George Strait Be If Johnny Paycheck Hadn't Gotten Arrested?
Live Like a King: See George Strait Through the Years


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I feel like a child wearing his father’s coat / The starched, fabric seems like a costume
The paratrooper shook as they descended upon him. / Prepared to interrogate him with hollow-point questions
We strive to identify as a generation of idealists. / We are politically aware, socially conscious young adults. / We place our collective purchasing power behind products with a social mission.
Modern art for today’s diseases. It’s up to us to find tomorrow’s solutions.
I first heard the click, click of her black stilettos / Her heels narrowed to a tiny point that seemed to pierce the ground. / I imagined the floor whimpering at every step she took / The faces of terrified tiles reflecting in glistening heels
In the playbook of professionalism, / Where is room for the physician who / Reads German poetry to the dying patient / For days and days until her end?
On a December night in a northern suburb of Chicago, the weather outside dipped into single digits with a sub-zero wind-chill. Safely situated indoors, a group of medical students wandered into a classroom where five tables were covered by plastic tarps with another laden with pipe cleaners, acrylic paint and brushes, and a stack of blank masks. Licking the emotional wounds left by a sleep-deprived exam week that ended only three days prior, the students eyed the art supplies. They were hopeful for a means for reconcile their psyche tattered by cold and a semester of school.
“Please not me,” I pray earnestly. Not me. Not me. I don’t want to become the medical student-turned-resident-turned-physician who loses empathy. The one who loses compassion. The one who takes lives and near death experiences for granted, who quickly learns, as an ER attending once bluntly stated, that “everyone’s a liar.” Not me.
At Albany Medical College, upon our orientation to gross anatomy, we are asked to draw our feelings on blank index cards prior to entering the cadaver laboratory. As we progress through the year, our sentiments regarding anatomy may remain the same, or may change, and these drawings allow us to look back at this milestone we crossed as budding medical students.
The mother looks at the doctor / and back at me. / The baby smiles. / She says, / “She won’t keep her food down.”
Here I am, one week from Match — / Decisions that come with a catch. / I know not who I’ll be quite soon / Nor where I’ll be to play in tune.
When you look at their white coats / Do you see what I see? / Do you see future doctors / Who are struggling to be

domain: artistic


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I did it!
My third year of tookapic membership...
A lot of time, a lot of changes in my life.
Taking part in 365 project was one of the greatests decisions in my life. I've learnt a lot and I hope that my photography has improved significantly. I have to say that right now I'm preparing to my matura exams, which will be soon so I don't have much time for taking photos and I'm not proud of many of my recents, but it will change after may!
But now... Celebration time - not every day is a 1095 day of 365 project!


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WHY WE CHOSE THIS CARD
If you prefer cash back to travel rewards, this is an exceptional business card. You’ll earn 2% cash back on all purchases, which is one of the best flat earning rates offered by a business card right now. Getting your cash back is easy, too: Just request a statement credit or check. There’s even an option to set up automatic redemptions. To top it off, this card comes with a $500 bonus if you spend $4,500 within the first three months, which is in line with many other card offers right now.
PROS & CONS
- Stellar cash-back earning rate on all purchases, with no limits
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- Annual fee after the first year
- No chance for more than 2% cash back on any spending category
- Earn a one-time $500 bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get unlimited 2% cash rewards.
- Add employee cards for free and earn all the rewards from their purchases.
- Get a custom, itemized spending report to simplify planning, budgeting, and taxes.
- Make purchases outside of the U.S. with zero transaction fees.

domain: economics


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Read or Download Theory of Semiconductor Junction Devices: A Textbook for Electrical and Electronic Engineers PDF
Best Semiconductors books
A advisor to using GaAs FET's for the layout of liable, high-speed electronic IC's meant to be used in gallium arsenide electronic layout classes. awarded via a electronic IC layout orientation, it positive factors dialogue of gadget versions, circuit layout technique, structure and layout ideas.
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Physics of skinny motion pictures is likely one of the longest operating carrying on with sequence in skinny movie technology, such as 25 volumes considering that 1963. The sequence comprises caliber experiences of the homes of assorted skinny motion pictures fabrics and platforms. with a purpose to be ready to mirror the improvement of contemporary technological know-how and to hide all sleek points of skinny movies, the sequence, beginning with quantity 20, has moved past the fundamental physics of skinny motion pictures.
Extra info for Theory of Semiconductor Junction Devices: A Textbook for Electrical and Electronic Engineers


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Crude oil prices rose 2.87%, settling at 6307, as renewed tensions in the Middle East heightened concerns about supply disruptions. The prospect of additional U.S. military action against Iranian forces, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a ceasefire offer from Hamas, increased geopolitical risks.
In terms of demand, official data showed that U.S. petrol inventories fell by a significant 3.15 million barrels, exceeding the 140,000 barrel prediction.
The market had anticipated a build of 1.895 million barrels, but U.S. crude stockpiles rose by 5.5 million barrels.
The EIA predicted that production of crude oil would increase to 13.21 million barrels per day in 2024. A decrease of 120,000 barrels per day from previous projections.
January’s 12.6 million barrels of oil produced in United States was a decrease from the previous year due in part to shutdowns caused by cold weather in major oil-producing states like North Dakota.
Technically, the market saw short covering as open interest dropped by 2.13%, resulting in a settlement at 10106. Right now, 6174 is providing support for crude oil prices. And a breach below that could send it testing 6040 levels.
Prices may test 6452 if they move above the expected resistance level of 6380. The interplay of demand-supply dynamics, production projections. And geopolitical tensions highlights the intricacy of factors impacting the price of crude oil.


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After crash-landing on a desolate planet in an escape pod, you have one objective: Survive.
How you go about that is up to you:
Use your physical strength, endurance and agility to beat the odds, or use your engineering skills to craft your way out of trouble. There are many ways to stay alive, but even more ways to die.
INFINITE is a fusion of intense top-down action and survival RPG, set on a harsh planet where your physical and mental attributes will be tested to their limits.
To stay alive, you will have to battle not only hordes of tenacious creatures and robotic enemies, but also the environment.
To even the odds, you will build up a pretty impressive arsenal of weapons and special abilities as you level up and explore the environments.
INFINITE is much more than a simple action game. Deep character progression, exploration and looting, crafting, day-night cycles, environmental hazards, classic survival mechanics and world-jumping portals are all part of the package.
The one thing you can be sure of, is that everything here will try to kill you.

domain: game


West Hills Recording Studios, Mixing & Mastering Engineers
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Songwriting recording artist; worked w/ Grammy nominated engineer Lorenzo Cardona, along with Award-Winning songwriter Mickey Shiloh. Vocal Tuner & Demo Vocalist professional as well. Songwriter for over 10 years, based out of LA creating Pop, Dance, Hip-Hop, R&B-Soul to Rap, Trap, House, Country, and Rock. No limit to genre, versatility expert.
Full-time pianist, composer and producer educated and experienced in jazz, modern, classical, electronics and music production. Hundreds of online gigs accomplished; I offer UNLIMITED REVISIONS until you're 100% happy with the result. English, Español, Italiano.
I can find words, when none are to be found. Credits: Glenn Morrison- Colourblind ft. Andrew Cole - Peaked at 14 on the Canadian Charts This is the first song and only song I have written lyrics for. Wrote A Children's Book: Forest Families: The Owl and the Squirrel (On Kindle)
I am recording and mixing engineer based out of Los Angeles, Ca and got my start working with some of the best in the industry which in turn rubbed off on me. I currently am the in house engineer for Rocnation and Blackwood Studios and work with a number of top 10 artist daily
From garage bands to Grammy winners, I've got you covered! In a DYI world, it's tempting to want to do it all. But don't underestimate the value and efficiencies of someone with lots of experience. You wouldn't cut your own hair or try operating on yourself would you!?
Been recording and making music for 20 years. My first love is hip hop but most of the work I get comes via the singer songwriter category. Acoustic music if you will. I like it because it makes me more versatile.
4 years signed with an Indie Label, with Distribution under Universal Records. Former Songwriter for High Society. Over 10 years of vocal training, over 3 as a teacher. Performance credits include: Rick Ross music release party and the 2015 Special Olympics.
Hi there! My name is Jacob McCaslin. I'm an award winning mixing engineer and producer living in LA. I'm obsessed with what I do and it will show in the work I do for you. Every decision I make in the studio is designed with love and intention. When I take on your project it's now our baby, and we will raise little Timmy together.
Looking for high quality productions and fast turn around time without breaking the bank? Look no further. Whether it's a beat, topline, or full production: I will give you the sound you and the industry need and love.
I am a versatile Bass player Electric, Upright and Synth Bass. Around many years I had the opportunity to play with many artist with different sounds and music types, so I am available to record what you need and how u need it!! just let me know and trust!
Melody harmony and lyrics. Whether it’s pop, folk, or soul I can help bring life to your track with catchy melodies and lush vocal textures. I’m a songwriter as well and I love to collaborate with producers/ beat makers.
Hey, My name is Jonathan Asperil, I'm a professional musician and producer with credits such as: Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Cody Simpson, Phillip Phillips, Skip Marley, Ashlee Simpson, Evan Ross, Sheila E, Ledisi and more...
The proverbial triple threat: Grammy-nominated music producer, Multi-instrumentalist, and highly sough-after Mixing Engineer! I worked for many years as music producer and mixing engineer for Empire on Fox, landing a #1 Billboard spot and Grammy Nomination. I've worked with artists of all genres, taking songs from simple ideas to the charts!
Hello, I am very passionate about making quality music, mainly specialize in hiphop, trap, and R&B. I love working with others and coming up with new ideas constantly. I want to go as far as I can within the industry, and I want to build or be apart of a team thats unstoppable. I am 100 percent committed to this, and very dependable.
I've been producing local artists for the past 4 years with my company Trap Noir, since I graduated USC Thornton School of music. I specialize in creating custom beats as well as top notch vocal production/tuning and mixing. I've garnered multiple licensing placements with brands such as Fossil Watches, Five Four clothing and various TV Shows.
I'm a 19-year old singer/songwriter pop artist crossing over into hip hop. I perform both my original music & cover mash-ups throughout greater Los Angeles. With three songs released and over 50 written, I'm ready to add my unique talent to your project!
Dutch Caribbean session singer basin in L.A. I have performed with grammy winners Snarky Puppy, Philip Lassiter, Cory Henry, Kat Graham. And mc'd for DJ Hardwell, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano etc. vocals in any style, i can sing in English, Dutch, Spanish & papiamento. Hit me up and let's work! :)
Multi-Genre producer, drummer & multi-instrumentalist. Berklee College of Music graduate with degree in Electronic Production and Design. Studied Jazz, composition, mixing, mastering, sound design, and various styles of drum set playing. Loves all styles music & people. Has played drums 10+ years. Also proficient on Keys, Guitar, & Bass.
Experienced studio singer with ultimate versatility for some of the hottest producers in pop, r&b/soul and afrobeat, including Oren Yoel (Miley Cyrus), $likk (Ariana Grande, Tank), Druski (Nick Jonas, Kelly Rowland), Kevin Teasley (Chris Brown, J. Lo).
Hey Friends, my name is Connor Hormell, I am a Singer-Songwriter, Musician, and Producer/Engineer with a love for indie folk and pop music. I've worked with Ben Tolliday (Lord Huron, Hozier) and many others in the indie folk scene of Los Angeles and Northern California. I'm also one half of the band/songwriting duo "me&you".
Music Production and Label based in Los Angeles: http://infinitecreativitygroup.com/ Infinite Creativity Group was formed in April 2014. We have built our internal roster of artists, web and graphic designers and style consultants. Now our diverse range of talents will Transform your Stellar Ideas into Reality
Since my first audio job in 1966, I’ve recorded/mixed with countless producers, directors, actors, composers, arrangers, vocalists, and musicians. I have a special affinity for music in particular and for the performing arts in general.
My name is Patrick, I am a recording, mixing & mastering engineer from San Diego, CA but have recently moved up to Los Angeles.I have been in this business since 2008 and am very precise with every aspect of audio from the recording process to the mastering process.If you decide to work with me I am sure you will be satisfied with the outcome.
Hey! My name is Taylor Sparks. I am a musician, producer, engineer, mix engineer, and songwriter managed by Randy Jackson. I have been honored to work with my favorite artists in the industry and lucky enough to be working alongside some of the best in the biz.
DRUMMER | Producer | AUDIO ENGINEER. I can record your EP, Produce it Have tons of amazing singer's and musician friends that would be honored to be on your album! Hit me up to make a drastic emotional impact in your music!
Hi. I'm Kirke from AcademyCurve®. I'm a freelance composer, producer, and mix engineer and I have worked with a variety of artists. I'm also a staff writer for StashBox Music.
Preston 'Prizzie" Reid is an American mixing/recording engineer and record producer based in Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. He has been primarily working out of his private studio in Chicago where he has mixed and/or produced records for Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, and several other genres. Also including scoring for motion pictures.
Circa Everyone, Im a San Diego Based sound engineer, where i am currently located at California Institute of the Arts studying Music Technology. My main two skills, aside from being a recognized music producer 'Circa' , are music production and mastering.
ANNASUNLEE has graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Contemporary Writing & Production and Vocal Performance. Professionally trained vocalist and arranger with perfect pitch currently resides in Los Angeles, ready to meet, collaborate and work with many different artists and musicians. Fluent in both Korean and English. 한국어 가능합니다
My name is Alec Otto. I'm a music producer and an Icon Collective graduate. I have a large musical background and love to help other artists. My musical bread and butter is in pop/edm and a lot of experimental bass music. I have a well trained ear for mixing and mastering and would love to help you make your music as great as it should be!
Hi! My name is Niegel, you can call me Nie. I am a producer and a mix engineer, capable of creating soundscapes across most genres from pop to hip hop to urban and everything in-between. Looking forward to being a part of your musical journey and making your project stand out sonically with a high quality finished product. Lets connect!
I am Soniq a singer/ songwriter with many years of experience. I was signed to an independent label 19yrs old then began working with producers at aftermath, bad boy records and have written songs for many artist as well. I have a beautiful alto voice with and amazing tone that's very versatile.
Hi, I'm Chris. I'm a music producer & songwriter based out of Los Angeles, CA. I've worked with established label artists as well as help many up and coming independent artists find their sound and break into their careers. I specialize in Pop & Electronic/EDM. Credits include RCA and Disruptor Records. 2017 & 2018 HMMA Nominee.
Hey I'm Ralph Sutton, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Music Producer, Music Publisher, Music Consultant based in Los Angeles, CA. I work with Record Companies, Recording Artists, Production Companies, Producers, Directors, Music Supervisors and Entrepreneurs in the area of Recording Engineering, Mixing and Music Production.
My production name is Jeremiah Beats but most people actually call me Tray. I've been working in the music industry for about 3yrs now, and I've been able to work on some cool projects. In 2015 I signed to Down Under Label Group in Australia. I look forward to working with you and taking your music to the next level.
Ive had the opportunity to work with and shared the stage with bands/artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Gavin Degraw, Mr. Hudson, John Butler Trio, and many more. Most recently, I was on this last season of "America's Got Talent" on NBC helping cultivate and playing with the artists on the show. Three of my artists made it to the Finals.


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Why Working With an FDA Compliance Specialist is Essential for Your Company
When it comes to navigating the complex landscape of FDA regulations, making certain compliance is necessary for services running in the pharmaceutical, clinical gadget, and also food markets. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets and also applies stringent standards to secure public health and also make certain the security and also efficiency of products on the marketplace.
However, understanding and also implementing these laws can be frustrating, specifically for small to mid-sized firms with limited resources and expertise in FDA conformity. That’s where an FDA compliance professional can be an useful property. In this post, we will discover the important duty of an FDA conformity specialist as well as why employing one is valuable for your company.
Know-how and also Knowledge: FDA compliance regulations are complicated as well as ever-changing. A skilled consultant has extensive expertise of FDA guidelines, plans, and also practices. They remain up-to-date with governing adjustments and also have a thorough understanding of sector best techniques. Their expertise can aid your company navigate the nuances of FDA policies and also make sure conformity in all facets of your operations.
Risk Analysis and also Mitigation: A compliance expert can assess your service procedures as well as recognize possible areas of non-compliance or vulnerabilities. They will certainly carry out an extensive threat assessment to determine the degree of risk connected with your products, producing procedures, labeling, advertising, as well as quality assurance. With their assistance, you can proactively resolve these concerns and also apply methods to reduce prospective threats.
Top Quality Systems Advancement: Creating as well as carrying out an effective top quality administration system (QMS) is an essential facet of FDA conformity. An FDA compliance expert can assist in creating or improving your QMS, consisting of procedures, plans, as well as documents procedures. They can lead you in developing robust processes for item development, screening, production, as well as post-market surveillance.
Preventing Charges as well as Legal Issues: Non-compliance with FDA guidelines can cause extreme consequences, including product remembers, cautioning letters, financial penalties, and also also criminal fees. By working with an FDA compliance professional, you can lessen the risk of non-compliance and also ensure your company operates within the lawful limits established by the FDA. They will help you execute efficient compliance techniques and protocols to prevent costly fines as well as lawful issues.
To conclude, guaranteeing FDA compliance is essential for businesses in controlled industries. Employing an FDA conformity expert brings competence, understanding, risk assessment, quality systems development, and lawful protection to your organization. By partnering with a well-informed specialist, you can navigate the complexities of FDA policies, preserve conformity, as well as shield the health and wellness of consumers.

domain: health


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If you don’t know much about Kidd Kidd, he’s one of the picks for this year’s XXL Freshman class. The 23-year-old New Orleans native recruits fellow Louisiana rapper Lil Wayne for a new track titled “Ejected.” With some auto-tune help, the two deliver clever bars over a hard hitting beat. Listen to the track above, and make sure to stream his new mixtape Rapper’s Worst Nitemare here.


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Suddenly though, the issue has shot to the top of political agendas as the rise of the far-right or anti-immigrant parties across the continent has galvanised nervous governments into action to avoid having the agenda hijacked by extremists.
It is one of those moments where "Europe," so often reviled, seems briefly in demand. Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish prime minister and holder of the EU presidency, have agreed that next month's Seville summit will grasp this nettle. And Blair, to immediate controversy, warned this week that aid could be suspended to countries - Somalia, Sri Lanka and Turkey were mentioned - which do not cooperate with the repatriation of their nationals. Leaked documents outlined proposals for the Royal Navy to intercept vessels carrying illegal immigrants and for the the RAF to organise bulk deportations of unwanted strangers.
"We are not advocating a 'Fortress Europe', the British prime minister insisted. "But there has got to be some order and some rules brought into the system whereby people come into Europe. No one imagines this is going to be easy. At the Tampere summit in Finland in 1999 EU leaders set a five-year deadline for making Europe an area of "freedom, security and justice" and to create common policies on asylum and immigration and on fighting organised crime.
But sensitivities about national sovereignty have made this one of the union's slowest-moving projects. And back then there were ringing statements about respecting human rights, UN obligations and the Geneva Convention. Now the tone is harsher. This week an EU report warned of the dangers of racism and xenophobia as immigrants, especially Muslims, were identified with terrorism. Two assumptions lie behind the idea that the EU can succeed where individual member states have not: immigration is no less of a global issue than the environment or trade.
If anyone had any doubt it was cruelly dispelled when 58 Chinese immigrants suffocated in a container lorry, driven by a Dutchman, from a Channel port to Dover. Only this week Belgian police rolled up a network smuggling Afghans and Iranians into western Europe: their route went via Pakistan, Ukraine, Austria and Germany before moving into France, Italy and Belgium; one of its organisers was living in a reception centre for asylum seekers.
The second reason for EU involvement is that for all the anger stirred by the subject - scroungers, benefits fraud horror stories and xenophobia are not confined to the pages of raucous British tabloids - every European country suffers from plummeting birthrates and a rising pensions burden. All will need more, not less newcomers in the years to come to keep their economies ticking over.
France's National Front leader, Jean Marie Le Pen, homed in on immigration and issues of what were euphemistically called "insecurity" with stunning success. In the Netherlands the flamboyant Pim Fortuyn, assassinated days before last week's polls, said out loud what mainstream politicians thought privately about multiculturalism, Muslims and political correctness - and his supporters ended up the second biggest party in parliament. Belgium's Vlaams Blok, Joerg Haider's Freedom Party in Austria and the Danish People's Party (DPP) - which won 12 percent of the vote last year - have all done the same.
No dramatic new initiatives are expected from Brussels, but some older ones are now likely to progress faster. Seville, say EU insiders, will give governments a "kick up the backside." EU interior ministers, joined by their colleages from the 13 candidate countries, meet next week to discuss tighter border controls. Italy, where Silvio Berlusconi's coalition is also getting tougher on immigration, is producing a paper on an EU frontier police.
Last month the union's 15 governments finally agreed on common minimum reception standards for asylum seekers - designed to deter so-called "asylum shopping" for the best benefits and conditions. But there is still no common definition of precisely who qualifies for refugee status and how common procedures should operate.
Action, in any event, seems certain to intensify. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark's centre-right prime minister, set the tone when he suggested that his own crackdown on immigration and welfare payments could become a model for other European countries trying to combat rising extremism. With Denmark running the EU presidency from July, this approach is likely to influence attempts to forge more effective common policies.
Other countries may however wish to ponder the current row between Denmark and neighbouring Sweden, complaining bitterly that Copenhagen is "demonising" refugees. Pia Kjaersgaard, the leader of the DPP, said Sweden might want to turn Stockholm into a Scandinavian Beirut, but Denmark did not want to do the same. Immigration is also likely to feature prominently in the German election campaign this autumn against a background of mounting fears about "uberfremdung" (too many foreigners) when Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic join the EU club.
This is, truly, a Europe-wide phenomenon that people everywhere can recognise. And it clearly calls for far more serious debate about the real issues surrounding immigration and asylum in multi-ethnic societies in a globalised world.
"Integration is a two-way street," Pakistani journalist Shada Islam observed in the Brussels Bulletin. "While immigrants must abide by the rules and values of their host country, they can hardly do so if the societies they live in make clear that they are not welcome."


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The Eyes of Texas are Upon a Parallel Universe
The current landscape of college football in Texas is alien to those clad in Burnt Orange. Once infinitesimal, Baylor is now attempting to vacuum all of the top skill players into the void known as Waco. The Bears are building something destructive, an unstoppable force that has eviscerated all who came before it. It’s en route and bearing the number seven. For the unranked Longhorns, what was once considered science fiction is now reality, and it is approaching at light speed.
Art Briles’ Baylor is the Millennium Falcon on warp speed. Since his first year in 2008, Briles has produced two teams that have finished the season in the Top 25, beaten Texas three out of the last four tries, fielded the first-ever Heisman trophy winner in school history, reached the Bears’ first bowl win in 32 years, won a conference championship outright for the first time in 33 years and helped push for the construction of the sparkling monument of progress known as McLane Stadium.
In 2014, the offense is ranked as one of the best in the country in scoring, with Bryce Petty throwing for 915 yards as if it was just a walk in the park. The private college is on its way to retaining its status as the brightest star in the Texas constellation of the Big 12.
Austin, on the other hand, is like a dying planet hanging by a small cosmic pull to stay in orbit.
Charlie Strong was hired for the solid work that elevated Louisville to another stratosphere of national relevance. The hope of the Longhorns is that Strong’s track record will translate to an overhaul of what UT has become. That overhaul has included a complete culture change marked by what seems like endless dismissals as a result of Strong’s zero tolerance and directness unforeseen in the Mack Brown era. The results thus far have varied.
Currently, the Longhorns are 2-2, with the only wins notched against lowly North Texas and Charlie Weis’ retirement shelter of Kansas. The losses are a mixed bag, with BYU proving that the Texas run defense still can’t stop any life form that runs out of the backfield. UCLA was held to 20 points and only won by a margin of three, which gives some sort of moral victory to this team without an identity. Yet, Texas still isn’t the Texas of yesteryear. Strong is fully capable of necessary course correction; the biggest obstacle is the time in which he was chosen to do it.
The ascencion of Baylor during what seems like its halcyon days spells trouble for the Longhorns. Ever since Robert Griffin III’s magnificent campaign to Radio City Music Hall, Briles has seen the Bears’ recruiting rankings skyrocket into unforeseen heights. In 2011, Baylor had commits from only one 4-star player and twelve 3-star players. In 2014, they had five 4-star commits and 18 3-star commits. That’s a span of three years in which the number of commits over 2-stars jumped up by 43%. In terms of the commits who signed, 16 out of the 18 3-Stars signed while four out of the five 4-Stars also put their names on the dotted line.
To put this in perspective with the pull of Austin, Baylor has never cracked the Top 10, or even the Top 20, in recruiting rankings since the metric existed to compare classes. Texas is consistently pulling in five-star recruits, a feat Briles has not pulled off in his tenure. This is one of the few off-the-field advantages that the program still maintains.
There has been ground ceding slowly, however, over the past few months towards College Station, where the prestige of playing in the SEC and the star power of Johnny Football have bumped Texas A&M above its former in-state rival. This could prove to be more of a benefit for the Bears in conference play if the Aggies start hoarding more of Texas’ prized prospects. This is ultimately a net loss for Texas, which has to play the buzzsaw of Baylor before turning around and trying to out-recruit them as well as A&M, which has the benefit of more broadcast coverage than a space shuttle landing. Of course, the only way to ensure the scenario does not become an unlivable hellscape for Texas is to win immediately.
Winning is easier said in pre-game speeches and message boards than in actual play. As the weekend approaches, Strong has an opportunity to tamp down a team that has already shifted gears to cruise control, albeit a cruise control feature that is still set on warp speed. The Longhorns are ranked 20th in points allowed with UCLA shimmering as the biggest defensive statement. It was also a loss and one that had a Neuheisel on raised shoulders.
Baylor is a 17-point favorite on the road, and for good reason. Freshman KD Cannon, one of 2014’s 4-Star signings, has shredded opposing secondary units for 519 yards. Shock Linwood has torched lines of scrimmage with 310 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. It will take a groaning amount of turnovers and a stalling offense to get this thing to fall in Texas’ favor. It would be one of the hardest wins on their schedule, with even bigger implications off the field. Some Longhorn fans will shrug and stubbornly say, “It’s just Baylor,” a refusal to plainly admit the strangeness of this universe and its bleak reality.
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Friday, February 18, 2005
1. MISSILE DEFENSE: UNTESTED DEFENSE MEETS NON-EXISTENT THREAT.
In last Sunday's missile defense test, an interceptor missile again refused to leave its silo. Who can blame it? It's crazy out there. A month ago, a "minor software glitch" caused a malfunction (WN 14 Jan 05) This time it was a tiny switch in the silo. The Missile Defense Agency doesn't seem worried; tests don't count if they don't get to "the end game" (WN 13 Feb 02). Does missile defense seem just a little less urgent these days? According to Defense Daily, plans for around-the-clock operation of the system have been dropped in favor of an "emergency alert status" -- no point in turning it on if no one is shooting at us. Maybe North Korea will agree not to launch a surprise attack. At his Tuesday confirmation hearing, Deputy Secretary of State nominee Robert Zoellick said he thinks North Korea is lying about having nukes. President Bush thought Iraq was lying about NOT having nukes.
2. SCIENCE MEETS SOCIETY: IS SCIENCE JUST ANOTHER BELIEF SYSTEM?
The 11 Feb 05 issue of Science has an editorial by Alan Leshner, AAAS CEO, "Where Science Meets Society." That's also the theme of next week's AAAS meeting in Washington. Leshner contends that conflicts between science and "certain human beliefs" are on the increase. He thinks bringing scientists and religious leaders together to discuss the relation of scientific advances to "other belief systems" is helpful, and thinks we should "try diplomacy and discussion for a change." In the first place, conflicts are not increasing. Relations have never been better. Skeptics are no longer forced to recant, nor even denied tenure. And as for diplomacy, we could start by negotiating Intelligent Design Theory. Scientists might concede that God created Adam and Eve in exchange for a concession that the serpent evolved by natural selection.
3. GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS: JUST ASK YOUR RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR.
Did you know that we all sense the future? Did you know that our minds influence the functioning of machines? If you knew both of these things, you will not be surprised to learn that random number generators around the world anticipated both 9/11 and the Indian Ocean tsunami. The Global Consciousness Project, headed by Dean Radin (WN 06 Aug 04) found these events in the output of 65 RNGs in 41 countries. And this is just the start. Once they refine what constitutes an anomaly in a random signal, they'll be able to predict even the most trivial events -- after they happen. But a more ominous interpretation is that the RTGs are causing these horrific events. A sensible precaution would be to ban the use of all such devices.


Dr. Erica JungMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Low Reynolds number flows are found in living organisms (e.g. blood flow) and widely exploited to handle/examine biological materials (e.g. single cells) due to the ease of control at microenvironment, the multiplexity to handle multiple samples via varioius assays, and the compatiblity to conventional imaging systems. In this presentation, I will introduce my previous work on building microfluidic systems that integrate mechanical, optical, and biological components for reconfigurable photonics and renewable energy and my current work on the development of a high throughput screening method to evolve molecular tools for neural activity recording. Building on my background in micro/nano fluidics, optics, and biology, I will propose to develop microfluidic devices for biomedical applications (e.g. cancer detection and drug screening for neuronal diseases) and investigate microfluidics in living organisms to study the fluid dynamic properties of cerebral blood flow in brain disorders.
Erica Jung is currently a postdoctoral associate at Synthetic Neurobiology Laboratory at MIT Media Lab. She received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University. Her research focus at Cornell was to develop microfluidic platforms for novel applications in reconfigurable photonics and photobioreactors. At MIT, she is developing novel molecular tools for neuronal imaging by employing a set of innovative engineering and biology techniques.
Host: Dr. Kenneth Brezinsky
For more information, please contact Prof. Kenneth Brezinsky at email@example.com.


text:
KISSIN’ DYNAMITE-Generation Goodbye
Is there something in the water in good old Germany? They keep producing interesting hard and heavy bands and have been doing that for decades now. Kissin’ Dynamite hails from Reutlingen in the south of Germany and the group around the brothers Hannes (vocals) and Ande (guitar) Braun decided that for their fifth record under this banner everything would be done without outside help to make sure that the creative process would not be disturbed. They also took control of the engine room as they figured they had gathered enough experience to look after that department too. Well, in my opinion they have done the job. `Generation Goodbye’ is a fresh and dynamic sounding hard rocking album with lots of melody and a bunch of good tracks as well. Hannes is a very reasonable singer with power and a good reach. He has moments that he goes a bit over the top but at most of the time he is really sounding cool. Take for instance ,,If Clocks Were Running Backwards’’, a great sounding ballad where Hannes steals the show with his inspired performance. As a composition for me by far the best song on the album followed by the rockers ,,Generation Goodbye’’, ,,Somebody To Hate’’ and ,,Larger Than Life’’. Have not heard any fillers on this album, so Kissin’ Dynamite deliver consistent work. If you are into bands like Bonfire, Silent Force and Voodoo Whisky it would be wise to check this one out as well.


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Many Washington County police departments—in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency—will give the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs this weekend.
This service—held at various locations, including one in Canonsburg—is free and anonymous.
Last October, Americans turned in 377,080 pounds—188.5 tons—of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA, and approximately 4,000 at state and local law enforcement partners' locations.
In the three previous take-back events, the DEA and its partners took in almost a million pounds—nearly 500 tons—of pills, according to Washington County District Attorney Eugne Vittone.
“The take-back initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medications (that) languish in home medicine cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse," Vittone said. "It is no secret that the rates of prescription drug abuse in this country are alarmingly high and Coroner Tim
Warco has made me aware that we have had a sharp increase in the number of overdose deaths in Washington County—primarily among our young adults and children."
He continued: “Studies have shown that the much of the abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including (from within the) home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods of disposing of unused medications—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—is not safe and poses potential health risks."
Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering the medications to entities authorized by the attorney general to accept them.
The act also permits the attorney general to authorize long-term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. The DEA is in the process of drafting regulations to implement the act, a process that can take up to 24 months.
Until the new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months, Vittone said.
He added: “It is exciting to see this event growing. I am truly pleased with the support that law enforcement has given this event since (Peters Township Police) Chief (Harry) Fruecht organized the first event. I commend our local police for recognizing the need for this vital public service and providing these 16 locations in Washington County to safely dispose of medication that is no longer needed.”
Editor's Note: To read about Canonsburg's take-back program, check out our story here!

domain: law


text:
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when we are faced with diseases related to our way of life. We also offer our clients a wide range of other health products focus homepage cialis online click
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domain: medical


At a press event in San Francisco today, Google has unveiled the Chromebook Pixel, the latest addition to the expanding line of Chrome OS-based laptops. As one of the company’s first ventures into hardware, the Pixel represents a change of direction with Google’s strategy, and the hardware inside shows that Google is pitching it towards a higher end of the market than existing ‘disposable’ models from the likes of Samsung, Acer, Lenovo and HP.
The Chromebook Pixel has a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 32GB of solid state storage coupled with 1TB of additional Google Drive storage free for 3 years, usually costing $49.99 per month. A 720p HD webcam sits above the market-leading 239ppi 12.85″ 2560 x 1700 touch display and, with its £1,049 ($1,299) price tag, the machine is being pitched as the world’s first premium Chromebook, and the company will be shipping it next week via Google Play and through retail partners, with a $1,499 model with twice the internal storage and support for Verizon’s LTE network set to hit US stores in April.
Recently we’ve seen new Chromebook models from Acer, Samsung and more recently Lenovo, and a spec sheet discovered on HP’s site shows that they too are throwing their hats into the cloud-based computing ring. The PDF states that the 14″ 1366 x 768 Pavilion Chromebook is capable of running for 4 hours 15 minutes on a charge, and the remainder of its hardware appears reminiscent of a mashup between Acer’s C7 and Samsung’s Series 3, with the C7’s 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor coupled with 16GB of solid state storage as found in the Samsung model. The whole package weighs in at 1.8kg and it features 3 USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI port, although a disc drive remains absent. There is no word on when we will see this hitting store shelves, but another major Windows manufacturer beginning Chromebook production is bound to cause shivers in Redmond.
Not long after releasing its new Series 3 Chromebook, Samsung has announced a new version of its Series 3 Chromebox desktop computer powered by Google’s Chrome OS. While the new Chromebox has an all-new plastic shell, the hardware is identical to the previous iteration, with the same 1.9GHz Intel Celeron CPU, 4GB RAM, 16GB solid state storage and wide array of USB ports. While online Chrome OS retailers such as Currys PC World and Amazon do not appear to be stocking the device at the time of writing, a Chrome Story reader claims he was able to buy one from PC World in Bristol at the same £279 price tag as the earlier iteration, suggesting that widespread availability for cloud-loving desktop users is not too far off.
Need another cloud storage service? Google Drive is Google’s attempt at a Dropbox killer, with 5GB free storage, Google Docs integration and lower upgrade prices than Dropbox. At Digixav, however, we wholeheartedly recommend SkyDrive for your cloud needs, as it trumps its rivals with 7GB free (25GB if you had an account before Sunday), great apps on iOS and Windows Phone, and even lower upgrade costs after yesterday’s relaunch.


text:
ERIC Number: ED328156
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1991
Reference Count: N/A
Athletics and Academe: An Anatomy of Abuses and a Prescription for Reform.
Bailey, Wilford S.; Littleton, Taylor D.
This book discusses the abdication of college/university responsibility for the welfare of student-athletes, the failure of colleges to exercise appropriate controls in the administration of athletic programs, and the intentional violation of institutional policies or regulations governing the conduct of intercollegiate athletics. The first section, "Case History," shows how the forces of American culture have contributed to the development of the existing identity of intercollegiate athletics. The second section, titled "Diagnosis: The Pathology of Infractions," offers a discussion of penalties imposed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association since 1952 and the fundamental and contributing causes of abuses in college sports. The third section, "Prescription for Reform: The Essential Ingredients," presents alternative strategies for achieving and maintaining a relationship between athletics and education that is mutually supportive. The fourth section, "Prescription Refinement: Improving the Prognosis," makes the point that in order to achieve a meaningful reform of college sports, major changes must be made in national governing legislation to span the fissure that exists between athletics and education. The fifth section, "In the Waiting Room: The Prospect for Wholeness," emphasizes the uncertainty of whether meaningful reform will be achieved, and the social and psychological consequences attendant on failure. (JDD)
Descriptors: Change Strategies, College Athletics, College Role, Cultural Influences, Discipline, Educational Change, Ethics, Higher Education, Intercollegiate Cooperation, Moral Values, Program Administration, Sanctions, School Policy, School Responsibility
Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022.
Publication Type: Books; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: American Council on Education, Washington, DC.

domain: library


text:
Hey, if I title the post appropriately, maybe Google will find it!!
Well lookie here... QT is making good on her word and posting a recipe for Banana Passion Fruit Jam!
You may (or may not have) read my ramblings a couple-days ago about my neighbor's Passionflower Vine, and how I attempted to pick enough fruit to make jam-making worthwhile.
I did end-up gathering a big bowl-full, but - as I suspected - they didn't yield much in the way of "usable" fruit. So I figured I'd stick with the Banana Passion Fruit Jam idea.
As I'd mentioned previously, I really couldn't find ANYTHING recipe-wise for Passion-Fruit Jam. And even the Banana Jam Recipes I found were kinda lacking. So yes, I "winged-it!" Scary territory for me since I really don't "invent" recipes as a rule.
I basically started with reading/adapting several different Banana Jam Recipes; Stuck with the 5:1 Ratio of Bananas to Passion Fruits (from the ml/gm recipe site I found earlier); Determined that Bananas have lots of pectin (so I didn't need to add any); Decided that the "blandness" of the passion fruits really *did* require add'l sugar; And figured that the whole thing was probably pretty "low-acid" (and would have required Pressure-Canning - something I *can't* do); so I added Key Lime Juice to acidify it.
And, since I'm attempting "Traditional Jamming" (as opposed to Freezer Jam), I figured I'd stick with (:::GASP:::) Real Sugar!
:::Deep Breath::: Here goes!!!
QT's Banana Passion Fruit Jam
Yields appx 7 x 1/2 pint jars of jam (and a whole lot of dirty dishes!)
- 1 cup Passion Fruit guts
- 5 cups Mashed Bananas (neither green, nor overripe - but "just right") (I think it took 10-11 bananas to make 5 cups mashed)
- 1/2 cup Key Lime Juice (I used Nellie and Joe's bottled - from the grocery store)
- 2-1/2 cups Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (the "real stuff" - not "vanilla flavoring" - ICK!!)
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon (I think you could easily double that)
Slice open the passion fruits and scoop out the innards with a spoon. Each fruit seems to yield appx 1 tsp of innards.
Peel and slice the bananas. Put 'em in a bowl and mash 'em up with Lime Juice (prevents them from browning and acidifies the mixture). I started out by pouring appx 1/4 cup of Lime Juice in the bowl, then slicing some of the bananas, mashing it up, added more bananas, mashed some more, then kept drizzling Lime Juice as I was adding the bananas...
Add the passion fruit innards to the mashed banana/lime juice mix and stir it up.
Put 2-1/2 cups of sugar in a large pot with half a cup of water. Heat it up, stirring constantly, til it turns into syrup. Put a lid on the pot and let it cook for a couple of minutes (so any sugar stuck to the side of the pot will easily scrape into the syrup mix).
Add the Banana Passion Fruit mix to the Sugar Syrup in the pot. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. I think I cooked it for appx 20 mins. It's "done" when you can scrape your spoon across the bottom of the pan and it leaves a "line" that doesn't fill back up immediately (you can see the bottom of the pot for, maybe, half a second. I attempted to photograph it below!)
Once it's nice and thick, remove it from the stove and start filling your (heated) jars with the mixture. Leave appx 1/4"-1/2" headspace in the jar.
I just ran my jars/lids through the "Sterilize/Heated Dry" Cycle in my dishwasher and filled 'em while they were still hot.
Put the jars in the canner and process for appx 25 minutes.
Okay, in my case, I used a Steam Canner - which is not an "Approved" method of canning - but I can't generate enough heat on my (ceramic cooktop) stove for a proper water bath (I've tried!!!), and I don't own a pressure canner. The 25 mins is "just a guess" since I couldn't really find any guidelines - anywhere - for how long to process Banana Jam! So here is where the requisite disclaimer kicks in: I am not responsible for you making yourself (or your friends/family) sick if you follow my instructions! I am not a chef, nor a professional cook, so if you choose to take my advice - you do so at your own risk!!!
If you do happen to have a water-bath canner, by all means use it! If you have a pressure canner - better still! And if you can find anything, anywhere, that tells how long to "process" Banana Jam - please let me know and I will gladly update my post!!!
Big Bowl o' Passion Fruits
Close-up of icky Passion-Fruit Guts
Appx 1 cup of Innards
Mashin' the Nanners!
Starting the Sugar Syrup
Mashed-up Nannas and Passion Fruits, starting to cook...
Starting to thicken!
It's done when you can drag your spoon across the bottom of the pot and leave a visible line behind...
Filling the sterilized jars
Jars going into the canner...
Processing the jam in the Steam Canner
The Steam-Canner has tiny holes on the sides of the lid (near the base of the lid). When you see an 8-10" plume of steam coming out, the jars are "processing" and you start timing at that point. I let 'er cook for 25 minutes from the point that it was really steaming...
The MOST important part of jam-making!
Sampling the leftover pan-scrapings.
So the jars are cooling now. I'll let 'em set for 24 hours and I really-really hope that they sealed up properly (I'll take the rings off, tomorrow, and make sure the lids are solidly stuck-down). If not, I'll probably re-process them tomorrow - using the steam canner on my Cajun Cooker (propane cooker dealy-bobber)...


text: What’s that? It’s Thursday, and you feel like getting’ down to some nu disco? Maybe even some disco edits, or a bit of edgy house? Well, we're glad you asked. Famous for his erratic, genre- and decade-spanning DJ sets, The Vault’s resident Thursday DJ is Brendon, who’s even been known to throw in some Latin and Brazilian jams. Dancing shoes necessary!

domain: entertainment


text:
The Four Seasons Youth Orchestras is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization based in Orange County in Southern California. The program offers large ensembles: The Four Seasons Youth Symphony Ages 8 to 18 for all orchestral instruments and the Four Seasons Camerata, a premier professional Chamber Orchestra.
The Four Seasons Youth Orchestra organization is self-supporting through tuition, private donations, and grants. We offer scholarships to deserving students in need and fellowships to college students.
Please navigate through our website to learn more about our organization.


text:
In Your Face: The Best Of Interactive Interface Design
In Your Face: The Best of Interactive Interface Design
In Your Face: The Best of Interactive Interface Design features a collection of the best interactive interfaces being produced by the leading designers and design firms in the areas of interactive multimedia.
The companion CD-ROM included with the book features interviews with multimedia designers, multimedia software demos and examples of the kiosks, CD-ROMs, floppy disks and World Wide Web interactives premiered in the book.
About the Author
Author/designer Daniel Donnelly is owner and Creative Director of Interactivist Designs multimedia design studio located in northern California. Creating interactive multimedia for consumer and corporate clients, he specializes in World Wide Web design and floppy disk-based interactive projects.
He has taught traditional and interactive magazine design courses at the college level and is publisher of IYF, an World Wide Web-based magazine focusing on interface design for multimedia professionals.


text:
Pressure is off thanks to the attached article.
I had once again begun feeling guilty about the fact that we have all off-white walls in our home. Well, one wall is different. And I love it. I painted one wall in my writing room with black chalk board paint. It looks awesome. However, I don’t want any other colors around the house. Even when I buy fresh flowers to place around the house I opt for white or very pale almost white ones. I love that look.
I like color, blue’s my favorite … but … when walls are painted anything but white, I find them boring. I guess I just get tired of looking at a specific color.
And according to the attached article, “White is classic. You’ll never ever get tired of it and it’ll always feel the cleanest.”
So if you too feel guilty about your white walls, please check out this Martha Stewart article.


text:
My worst fear is to lose my mind.
Okay, maybe not the worst
, but definitely in the top ten. I'm sure being eaten alive by some wild animal would be much more terrifying than slowly lapsing into mental no-man's land, but (depending on the way and the severity of mind loss) it's still pretty bad.
If I ever do become senile, I hope it's just like static in my head or happy delusions or something relatively blissful. I fear the kind of senility and dementia that, looking back, my own father must have had for many years before we realized. His mind was angry and hurtful, as well as confusing and suspicious. It was the kind of affliction that, even though your logical mind knows it's the disease, it still makes your heart hurt.
This is one of the reasons why I am so committed to continuous learning. The brain must be exercised. And you can't just stretch the brain muscles you already have--although that's important, to be sure--you have to develop new
brain muscles. (Yes, I know the brain is not a muscle, but I started with this metaphor and now I feel like I have to carry it through.)
This week, I've been working on our company's website. And let me assure you, Gentle Reader, it has been a learning experience
. You know your friend Patwoman is a technophile. But you must remember, she was also a full-grown adult before this Age of The Web. So the internet, for me, is a learned
skill rather than a genetic trait.
Still, I think I caught on very quickly. Most things were things I only had to be shown how to do once. Some things I was even able to extrapolate how to do, based on previous skills learned. It helps, also, that it is a very rules-driven process. That appeals to my Lawful Neutral nature.
I have a pretty good feeling of accomplishment now, I can tell you. I've not only been able to accomplish a great deal on the website (very practical), but I've given that brain muscle an invigorating aerobic workout.
Hopefully, this is preventative medicine.

domain: psychology


text:
Recipe by French Tart
A delicious and easy traditional French pudding; Clafoutis or Clafouti is basically a custard/pancake batter type pudding which is usually baked with fruit. Most seasonal fruits other than cherries work well - such as apricots, raspberries, blackberries etc. I make it with either fresh cherries or with bottled/tinned cherries. I try to bottle some every year, picked from the cherry trees in the garden and put them in Kirsch or Cognac! Serve with creme fraiche or cream & garnish with a cherry on top with some of the reserved liqueur.
- 24 -36 drained cherries, in juice or
- 8 ounces fresh cherries, wiped
CLAFOUTIS CUSTARD or BATTER
- 3 ounces caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons creme fraiche
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- 1⁄4 pint milk
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- 3 ounces self-raising flour
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- extra unsalted butter, for greasing
- icing sugar, to dust
Directions See How It's Made
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Grease a baking tin or tian with a little butter; size about 6" x 9" or 12" long for an oval dish.
- In a food processor, blend together all the clafoutis batter ingredients, except the cherries.
- Pour the clafoutis batter into the greased tin or tian.
- Scatter the cherries into the top of the clafoutis batter.
- Bake in the oven for about 30 to 45 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Serve warm with creme fraiche or cream.