The meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on 12 October also focuses on the path to normalisation between Serbia and Kosovo, the Indo-Pacific region and Latin America - as well as on strengthening multilateralism.
When political crises occur in its immediate neighbourhood, Europe is called on to act - while it remains engaged in deepening its relations with Latin America and the Indo-Pacific region. These are, in a nutshell, the wide-ranging issues on the agenda of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 12 October. Foreign Minister Maas issued the following statement prior to the meeting:
We will discuss the Navalny case. The violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention must have consequences. Together with France, we have drafted a proposal that we will discuss for the first time today, and we will agree on a way forward.
According to the proposal, sanctions will be imposed on certain individuals in Russia with responsibility for the handling of chemical warfare agents.


text:
Exploring the reasons for wanting to be in social work and examining your motives for choosing a career of helping others is very important. Your background, including childhood experiences, may be instrumental in bringing you into the field of social work. Understanding the possible connection and working to resolve any underlying unresolved issues is essential to becoming an effective social worker. While working with a client, you must strive to be objective, but in the end we are all human with past hurtful experiences that can impact our ability to effectively work with clients. While complete objectivity is impossible and not expected, it is necessary to self-reflect and become aware of when a situation or a certain personality type causes you to react in an unprofessional manner. Understanding potential internal and external barriers you and your client bring to the room will assist you in balancing an appropriate empathetic response with proper objectivity.
For this Discussion, review the Geller & Greenberg (2012) article and the program case study for the Petrakis family, and view the corresponding video.
· Post your explanation of the importance of identifying internal and external barriers of the client and social worker.
· Then describe the barriers experienced by Helen and the social work intern.
· Finally, suggest ways the intern could overcome these barriers.
References (use 2 or more)
Gutiérrez, L. M. (1990). Working with women of color: An empowerment perspective. Social Work, 35(2), 149–153.
Geller, S. M., & Greenberg, L. S. (2012). Challenges to therapeutic presence. In Therapeutic presence: A mindful approach to effective therapy (pp. 143–159). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
McTighe, J. P. (2011). Teaching the use of self through the process of clinical supervision. Clinical Social Work Journal, 39(3), 301–307.
Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014a). Sessions: case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
· The Petrakis Family (pp. 20–22)
Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.
The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.
Hill, C. E., & Knox, S. (2001). Self-disclosure. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 38(4), 413–417.

domain: psychology


iFi Audio Micro iDSD DAC
There is nothing like the micro iDSD. It is literally, out of this world.
It is the only DAC in the world (at any price) to play True Native Octa-DSD512/PCM768/Double DXD. Its Perfect-Match means it can be fine-tuned to any headgear from IEMs all the way through to large headphones. Its 8v/4000mW output makes it one of the most powerful headamps to drive even the most hungry of headphones with ease.
iFi has forged an enviable reputation for being at the forefront of computer audio technology. The micro iDSD has just made another leap, an Octa-Leap to be precise. With its special Dual-Core Burr-Brown native DSD/PCM chipset at the heart, the micro iDSD is capable of True Native PCM768, Octa-Speed DSD512 and 2x DXD; it is simply out of this world.
The micro iDSD has 3 different power modes Eco, Normal and Turbo. Capable of 4000mW, 1000mW or 250mW, the micro iDSD is able to drive the full gamut of headphone and amplifiers alike. With iEMatch there to dial to suit any IEM, the micro iDSD has redefined the headphone amplifier class.
In the micro iDSD, for the first time in an iFi product, it features XBass and 3D Holographic for headphones and speakers. All these features are still executed in the analogue, not digital domain to preserve the original music format. Used along with the analogue volume control, the diminutive size of the micro iDSD belies its uncanny ability to drive virtually anything and everything!
And so much more….with the amazing Crowd-Design program, we are over the moon that you, the customer was central to the development of the micro iDSD. The micro iDSD is literally bursting with features – such as Direct/Pre-Amp, 3.5mm input, SPDIF Input/Output and much, much more. You will have to see it to believe it.
- DSD512/256/128/64, Octa/Quad/Double/Single-Speed DSD
- DXD (768/705.6/384/352.8kHz), Double/Single-Speed DXD
- PCM (768/705.6/384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz)
- PCM - Bit-Perfect Processing/Minimum Phase/Standard
- DSD - Extreme/Extended/Standard Bandwidth
- DXD - Bit-Perfect Processing
- High-Speed Asynchronous USB 2.0 (32bit/768kHz) input
- SPDIF Coaxial/Optical inputs
- Audio input: 3.5mm
- SPDIF Coaxial output
- Audio output: 6.3mm
- RCA Line out (2V xed/2V-5V variable)
- Turbo (8.0V max/4,000 mW @ 16 Ohm)
- Normal (4.0V/1,000 mW @ 16 Ohm)
- Eco (2.0V/250mW@16 Ohm)
- Battery: Lithium-polymer 4800mAh
- Power System: USB BCP V1.2 compliant up to 1500mA charging current
- Power (max): < 2W idle, 4W max
Check out some great reviews - Hi-fi+ / Androidguys Review / Headmania Review / Mono and Stereo Review
For further information, see the manual here


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One of the “mystery teams” swooped into the Carlos Correa sweepstakes last night and landed the top free agent of this offseason. That “mystery team” is the Minnesota Twins, who have just completed a roster overhaul that has them looking dangerous heading into the 2022 season.
The Twins cleared a ton of money the other day, when they got Josh Donaldson’s contract off the books in a deal with the New York Yankees. Now they have re-invested that money in Carlos Correa, signing the 27-year-old superstar to a three-year, $105.3 million deal.
This move makes the Twins an instant contender, bolstering their lineup with one of the best two-way players in the sport. At the same time, it is a shocking turn of events for Correa, who ends up signing a short-term deal that gives him the flexibility to become a free agent again in the near future.
Correa Lands One-Year Deal After All?
Over the past couple of days there had been rumblings that Carlos Correa may look to sign a one-year deal in free agency, instead of landing the decade-long contract we were all expecting.
Corey Seager signed a 10-year, $325 million contract earlier this offseason, which was supposed to set the market for Correa. Instead of setting the market, it may have stole it. Correa never received the type of long-term contract he was looking for to top Seager.
Instead, Correa went the high AAV route, signing the largest contract ever for a infielder in terms of average annual value.
Correa’s new contract provides him ultimate flexibility to maximize his earning potential over the next couple of years. He likely wanted to receive $35 million a year over a long-term contract, but when that wasn’t available, he instead takes it over the next three seasons.
Still, the chances of Correa actually playing out this entire contract is rather slim, as it really is a one-year deal masquerading as a three-year one. Correa can opt out of his contract after each season, allowing himself the security of a three-year pact, but the flexibility to hit the open market again after a strong season.
If Correa plays the same way he did last season, the shortstop will hit free agency again next year at the ripe age of 28. He will have no qualifying offer attached and also could enjoy a better market in an offseason that isn’t interrupted by a lockout.
There is also the Scott Boras wrinkle to this, as it had been reported that Correa’s new agent would stand to benefit greatly from him signing a one-year deal. Because Correa switched representation mid-offseason, his old agent would have been the beneficiary of whatever contract he signed. Now next offseason, that money will go to Boras.
Minnesota Twins Complete Roster Overhaul
When we were still in the middle of the lockout, Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton wrote about how the Minnesota Twins were quietly building a future contender. Well there is nothing quiet about this build anymore, as the Twins have been churning out headlines over the past week.
First the Twins made some small moves around the edges, trading catcher Mitch Garver to the Texas Rangers in a deal that landed them shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and pitching prospect Ronny Henriquez. For about 24 hours, it looked like IKF would be the new shortstop for the Minnesota Twins.
Turns out the Twins had different plans altogether, later re-routing IKF to the New York Yankees in a deal that also helped shed $50 million in salary owed to Josh Donaldson over the next two years. Minnesota got Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez in the deal, giving them a glove-first infielder and a bat-only catcher to bolster their lineup.
Those moves were nice, especially paired with another trade that Minnesota made (prior to the Donaldson deal) to acquire a de facto ace for their barren rotation, landing Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds.
Still, the Twins needed to make one more big splash to become legitimate contenders and shortstop seemed like the most obvious position of need. Trevor Story was thought to be the perfect fit, but when it became clear that Carlos Correa could also be had on a short-term deal, Minnesota put all their chips on the table to land the best free agent on the market.
Correa is coming off arguably the best season of his career. He not only had a great offensive season but also took home the Platinum Glove for being the league’s top overall defender. The 27-year-old has an absolute cannon of an arm at shortstop and is coming off a season where he was worth 20 defensive runs saved.
Having great defense up the middle is always a recipe for team success and there might not be a better combination at the two premium positions of shortstop and center field than Correa and Byron Buxton. Both players have injury concerns in their past, but if they are healthy this season, you would hard-pressed to find a better two-way duo than Buxton and Correa.
Last year, Correa hit .279/.366/.485, with 26 home runs, 92 RBI and a 134 wRC+. Buxton was limited to 61 games due to injury, but still hit .306/.358/.647, with 19 home runs and an absurd 169 wRC+.
The ceiling of the Twins season relies on their two superstars being healthy and productive, but that is a worthwhile gamble to take when you haven’t won a World Series since 1991.
Even with the addition of Gray, the Twins are still thin on pitching, both in their starting rotation and their bullpen. There is not much left in free agency, so the Twins have to hope to get some breakout performances internally to be able to make it through the season.
Still, with the expanded playoff in place, the Twins have given themselves a real chance to make it back to October this season. And once they are there, don’t count out the combination of Correa and Buxton to carry the Twins on a deep playoff run.

domain: news


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Columbia University American historian Alan Brinkley discusses the return of the word “liberal” to mainstream American political discourse in the wake of Barack Obama’s recent inaugural address. Writing at The New Republic, he gives readers a quick primer on the use of this word in 20th-century America. Here is a taste:
Over a century ago, liberalism meant civil liberties, political freedom with limited government, and laissez-faire economic policy — not making an effort to change the nation. That idea lasted through the nineteenth century. One early twentieth-century scholar, remarking on the history of the Bill of Rights in the nineteenth century, described it as “140 years of Silence.” Only the wealthy and powerful supported those rights.
Before World War I, liberalism—then called “progressivism”—tried to build a broadminded government reaching out to people across the nation. But the growing power of corporations and massive inequality in the nineteenth and early twentieth century made liberalism almost meaningless. Not until the 1930s, when Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal used the word, did Americans—and their government—make a more powerful “liberalism”. The New Deal was an effort to give ordinary citizens rights that had been almost forgotten. That definition of liberalism remained powerful from the end of the New Deal into the 1960s.
The turmoil of the late 1960s—the battles of civil rights, the fiasco of Vietnam, the unraveling of the American economy— created a new radicalism of the right and a left that made liberalism seemed obsolete to many people. Liberalism has not yet fully revived from that era into our time. If liberalism remains an ideal, it still remains a weak one.
But the liberal creed remains one that even many conservatives, if they thought about it, might agree with. Modern liberalism means liberty for speech and the press. It means freedom of religion and a separation of church and state. It provides equal rights under the law. Other elements of liberalism have begun to emerge in our own time: protecting the environment, securing social security and health care, stopping unnecessary wars, supporting the poor, feeding the hungry, helping the homeless.

domain: sociology


Scent diffuser Background
The fragrance diffuser, also known as scent diffuser machine, scent air machine, or scenting system, is the current high-end user scent marketing method derived from the product.
Atomization technology is the key to making fragrance equipment work best. As a carrier of fragrance coverage, its diffusion effect is very important. At present, many brands of fragrance machines are using two fluid atomization technology to produce fragrance equipment.
The main components of the perfume diffuser are composed of a micro air pump, atomizer, and working program control panel. After the perfume diffuser starts, the air compressor pump generates air pressure and then delivers the airflow to the atomizer to form a strong pressure, so that the essential oil in the essential oil storage tank is impacted into small atomized particles. These particles spread the fragrance to all areas through the central air conditioning fresh air duct or with the airflow.
Nanometer particles ensure ultra-high utilization rate of essential oil fragrances; negative ion state can be suspended in the air, will not fall low or cling to surfaces; smallest airflow around diffusion ensures diffusion of fragrance; through central air conditioning diffusion can achieve large area coverage; strong atomization can instantly change space into having fragrance aroma.
High efficiency of essential oil atomization, uniform diffusion, fine atomized particles, long retention time, high use rate of essential oil, wide-coverage, suitable for 100 to 10000m3 of various commercial places space fragrance.
The difference with the aromatherapy machine
The diffuser is not the same as the aromatherapy machine, it does not need water, and there is no humidification or moisturizing function.
Incense diffusers have personal use diffusers, large space diffusers, on-site direct use of the diffuser, and the need to access the new air conditioning large diffusers.
Essential oil atomization diffuser is mainly for some hotels, bar chains, KTV, office buildings and sales centers, car 4s stores, shopping malls, stores, clubs, and other high-end business or consumer places, through the diffuser to make the fragrance of essential oils atomized into ultra-tiny fog fragrance particles spread out, we go to the hotel when you can smell the faint fragrance when you walk through the door, is diffused by the fragrance system.
Generally will also be installed in the new air ducts, central air conditioning ducts, or air conditioning vents, so that the entire space emits a comfortable fragrance, to achieve the purpose of fragrance marketing.
Scenting equipment uses fragrance essential oil, fragrance necessary oil concentration is very high and pure, and a bottle can be used for a long time. The scent after atomization is natural, soft, refreshing, and comfortable.
Micro air pump in the application of fragrance diffusion system analysis
Most fragrance diffusion systems need a micro diaphragm pump for its stable transmission of high-pressure airflow. For example, in the waterless essential oil diffuser, the role of the micro air pump is to use the principle of the high-speed flow of compressed air to make the essential oil into particles.
- compact design, reducing weight and size as much as possible, reduce production and transportation costs.
- Essential oil atomization for the continuous process, micro air pump continuous pumping air, the pump life requirements are high.
- Whether it is a home or commercial equipment, the entire fragrance diffusion system’s mechanical operation of the noise is as slight as possible.
- Accessories and materials upgrade to ensure long-life operation.
- Optimize the motor structure, and auxiliary sound-absorbing materials, and reduce noise.
- Optimize the structure of the pump body, and adjust it to the best installation position.
Micropump product recommendation
A multinational company providing fragrance diffusers for various scenarios – from individual stand-alone devices to commercial diffusion system solutions – relies on a special mini compressor used in specially developed fragrance diffusers from BODEFNLO China. The compact pump is quiet and vibration-free and is equipped with a brushless motor, which makes it more independent and efficient than all other devices currently available for this purpose.
BODENFLO miniature pumps have a wide range of atomization-related applications. Such as silent diffusers, foam spray cleaning machines, dosing high-pressure fogging machines, hand low-temperature steam sterilizers/guns, fogging/UV sterilization robots, backpack-type electrostatic sterilizers, etc.
1. BD-03WB miniature diaphragm liquid pump
Description: Micro liquid pumps, brushless motor, rated working voltage 24V, flow rate 200ml/min at 3bar water pressure.
Advantages: small size, low noise, self-priming, smooth flow, long life, and corrosion resistance.
2. BD-04AB micro air pump
Description: Micro diaphragm air pump, brushless motor, rated working voltage 12V, no-load free flow 13-14L/min, blowing pressure ≥250kpa.
Advantages: compact structure, low noise, long life.
3. BD-07WB miniature diaphragm liquid pump
Description: Miniature diaphragm liquid pump, brushless motor, rated working voltage 24V, at a maximum pressure of 10bar, flow rate 1L/min.
Advantages: static electricity, corrosion resistance, high pressure, self-priming, smooth flow, long life.
4.BD-08AB-S miniature compressed air pump
Description: Miniature piston air pump, brushless motor, rated working voltage 24V, no-load pumping flow 50L/min, pressure ≥ 600kpa.
Advantages: compact structure, lightweight, high temperature, and high-pressure resistance, long life.


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If you are to receive one of these calls, you are instructed to call your local law enforcement agency.
(Switzerland County, Ind.) – The Switzerland County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about recent scams that have been affecting residents.
One of the scams that resurface from time to time is the “Publishers Clearing House” scam. These scam calls have been coming to many residents.
“The complexity, the technology, and trickery these people use never ceases to amaze me so it's very easy to fall victim,” said Sheriff Brian Morton.
As always, if you are contacted by somebody requesting your personal information, bank information, etc. Do not release that information over the phone. If you are to receive one of these calls, you are instructed to call your local law enforcement agency.
Since this is a “Publishers Clearing House” scam, the balance every day provides information regarding some tips of what to look for if you’re ever contacted by someone claiming to be with the organization.


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Gourmet food, excellent coffee; including a convenient drive-thru service if you are busy and friendly staff make Pump@123 a popular place for diners in Toowoomba. Try their delicious desserts or treat yourself to a scrumptious breakfast or lunch.
Looking for the best pool fencing set up but don't know where to begin? Get in touch with the team at Pool Fencing Perth. We tackle everything related to pool fencing! From installations and repairs there is nothing we won't do or help with.
Authentically Asian yet proudly Australian, at Hakka we pride ourselves on being the market leader of Asian foods in Australia. We offer high quality, time saving solutions for today’s busy kitchen: Asian gourmet, finger food and meal ingredients.

domain: food


Liverpool have completed the signing of defender Ragnar Klavan for an undisclosed fee from Augsburg. NMD For Sale . Who is Ragnar Klavan? Get the full lowdown on Liverpools new signing from Augsburg The experienced Estonia international has been brought in as cover at centre-back as Mamadou Sakho and Joe Gomez both have injuries while Tiago Ilori, who could have been a fall-back option, is heading to the Olympics with Portugal.Klavan, who has more than 100 caps for his country and has had four seasons in the Bundesliga, told the clubs official website: Im really honoured to be part of this amazing club, this amazing team. Estonia defender Klavan spent four seasons in the Bundesliga Its hard to put it into words because its been a dream of mine for 22 years to come to the Premier League and be a part of this amazing club, Liverpool.The Premier League is the most attractive league in the world and you always have amazing players here. This is the home of football. Sky Sports Fantasy Football Who makes your XI this season? Pick your team here to win the ￡25k jackpot. Jurgen Klopp sees the 30-year-old as the ideal man to offer back-up and leadership in much the same way as Kolo Toure did before his departure this summer.Klopp has been in the market for a defender with Toure no longer at the club and Sakho set to miss the start of the Premier League season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Heres a look at Ragnar Klavans stats after his move to Liverpool was completed Joel Matip was brought in on a free transfer earlier this summer and started Sundays friendly at Wigan alongside Dejan Lovren.Matip was replaced towards the end of that game after a foot problem recurred, but Klopp does not expect the injury to disrupt the Cameroon internationals pre-season. What does your club need? What do the Premier League clubs need in the transfer window? Also See: Who is Ragnar Klavan? WATCH: Liverpool teen scores in win Wigan 0-2 Liverpool Liverpools standout kids NMD Wholesale .The law passed on Friday, in a 128-62 vote in the lower chamber of parliament, was prompted by FIFA bribery scandals in recent years.Switzerland-based sports leaders such as FIFA President Sepp Blatter and IOC President Thomas Bach are now classed as politically exposed persons in wider legislation covering money-laundering. NMD Replica .com) - The Boston Bruins announced Monday that the team has signed goaltender Niklas Svedberg to a one-year contract.ROME -- Key defender Giorgio Chiellini was included in Italys preliminary 30-man World Cup squad Tuesday, ending doubts that he might face a code of ethics punishment for his three-match ban with Juventus. United States-born forward Giuseppe Rossi also made it, having just returned from a four-month layoff due to a right knee injury. Among those who missed the cut were forwards Alberto Gilardino and Pablo Osvaldo, Sunderland winger Emanuele Giaccherini, attacking midfielder Alessandro Diamanti, who recently joined Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, and Zenit St. Petersburg fullback Domenico Criscito. The forwards included are Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano, Alessio Cerci, Mattia Destro, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and Rossi. On Monday, Chiellini was banned by the Serie A judge for elbowing Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic in Juventus 1-0 win Sunday. But Italy coach Cesare Prandelli apparently viewed the incident as not having any intent of violence. Last month, Roma forward Destro was left off the squad for fitness tests while he served a three-match ban for punching an opponent, and several other players have missed matches due to similar code of ethics violations. Prandellis latest squad announcement was made with a press release by the Italian football federation -- with no comments attached. Also left out was 17-year-old Udinese goalkeeper Simone Scuffet, hailed as the next Gianluigi Buffon. Torinos 24-year-old fullback Matteo Darmian was a surprise inclusion. Parmaa goalkeeper Antonio Mirante was left off the 30-man list but was called up to train with the squad in case of an injury to the three goalkeepers selected -- captain Gianluigi Buffon, Salvatore Sirigu and Mattia Perin. NMD Sale. Its Buffons ninth call up to a major international tournament, moving him level with former Germany great Lothar Matthaus as the top Europeans -- and it would have been 10 if Buffon hadnt been injured for the 2000 European Championship. Four-time champion Italy is in Group D with England, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Final 23-man squads are due June 2. ------ Italy: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain). Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gabriel Paletta (Parma), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter Milan). Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (AC Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Romulo (Hellas Verona), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain). Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Mattia Destro (Roma), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Fiorentina). ' ' '


text:
|Who is it?||Actor, Producer, Director|
|Birth Day||June 19, 1912|
|Birth Place||Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States|
|Age||108 YEARS OLD|
|Died On||May 22, 1986(1986-05-22) (aged 73)\nNew York, New York|
|Cause of death||Heart attack|
|Resting place||Roosevelt Memorial Park Trevose, Pennsylvania|
|Occupation||Actor, director, producer|
|Spouse(s)||Arlene Francis (m. 1946–1986; his death)|
Gabel was first associated with Orson Welles when he played Javert in his six-part radio adaptation of Les Misérables (1937). He became one of the original members of Welles's Mercury Theatre repertory company. On the stage Gabel portrayed Cassius in Caesar (1937), a critically acclaimed modern-dress adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy streamlined into an anti-fascist tour de force, and starred as Danton in Danton's Death (1938). On radio, he played Professor Van Helsing in "Dracula" (1938), the debut episode of The Mercury Theatre on the Air.
Gabel's most noted work was as narrator and host of the May 8, 1945, CBS Radio broadcast of Norman Corwin's epic dramatic poem On a Note of Triumph, a commemoration of the fall of the Nazi regime in Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. The broadcast was so popular that the CBS, NBC, Blue and Mutual networks broadcast a second live production of the program on May 13. The Columbia Masterworks record label subsequently published an album of the May 13 production. The production became the title focus of the Academy Award-winning short film A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin in 2005, the 60th anniversary year of the broadcast.
In 1947, he directed his only film, The Lost Moment. Gabel appeared in few films over his career, usually in small roles. A notable large supporting part was as crime boss Tomas Rienzi in Richard Brooks's Deadline U.S.A. (1952), starring Humphrey Bogart. Gabel played another mob figure in a Frank Sinatra private-detective film, Lady in Cement (1968), then co-starred again with Sinatra in Contract on Cherry Street and The First Deadly Sin.
Gabel won the 1961 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor for the comedy Big Fish, Little Fish; he was also noted for his performances in the Broadway productions of Baker Street, in which he played Professor Moriarty; The Rivalry, in which he played Stephen A. Douglas.
Gabel played businessman Mr. Strutt in Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964), and the Psychiatrist in the Billy Wilder version of The Front Page (1974) with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. He was a frequent guest panelist on the popular CBS Television Sunday night game show What's My Line?, on which his wife, Arlene Francis, was a regular panelist.
Martin Gabel died in New York City from a heart attack, on May 22, 1986, aged 73.

domain: artistic


Training Wheel Hero
Join Date: Jun 2013
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Turn signal issue
I have an aftermarket integrated LED taillight that does both brake and turn signals. The light is obviously red but the turn signals flash yellow and red. A few weeks ago I noticed my brake light would not light up when hitting the brakes and that my left hand turn worked properly but the right would just flash red instead of red and yellow. I found that the handlebar brake switch was messed up so I took it apart and cleaned it up. At that point everything was fixed. The brake light worked along with both turn signals. Last night I was out on a ride with some buddies and they noticed the right signal was not flashing yellow again.
I have messed with all of the wires but really have no idea what the problem is. The brake light is still working correctly. I know the tail light is not messed up because I had it fixed but I just dont have enough knowledge of how to troubleshoot the issue.
Has anyone had this issue and have any ideas?


text:
Mod don`t work :(
Bronze Age: Space
A downloadable mod
Bronze Age: Space is a total conversion mod for Bronze Age, converting a fantasy-historical city/empire builder into a space 4X.
It is also designed to show what is possible within a Bronze Age mod. The entire mod is open source (MIT license), and can be found on Bitbucket.
A new world generator has been added, creating a region of space filled with planets and asteroids. This new world type has resources needed for the new races, and lacks resources needed by the vanilla Bronze Age races.
Spacefaring humans, with a variety of ships, and an economy that favors settling on both planets and asteroids, and trading between them.
Mysterious aliens that are best suited to living on asteroids. They have a strict caste system, where their best structures and units require a member of the nobility to operate.
The seekers tend to keep to themselves, but you may be forced to attack them in order to access the precious Tritium that can only be found on asteroids.
Pirates plague the spacelanes, and will occasionally demand tribute. Don't take them lightly, as their attacks will get more vicious as your settlements grow larger.
Issue Tracker - for upcoming features and known bugs
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
i seem to not be able to have ais because when ever i start the game for this mod i will never get a ai is this on purpose or a bug because i have deleted the mod then download it again and still no ai
I haven't had a chance to update Bronze Age: Space to be compatible with the latest version of Bronze Age yet.
Found a Bug:
I think you forgot to remove the "No Structure" Build requirement from the upgraded plasma turret, because it says I need an empty hex to upgrade.
Good catch, thanks
By the way, what kind of expansions are planned for this? I'd love more spacefaring races.
Great one, but with time there is a big FPS drop, so game is not playable, like you said its probably because seekers got huge. But fighting with ships is fun, and introducing power as a resource (replacing administration points) generated by solar panels, good step. Looking forward for new patch dealing with seeker overpopulation.
There should be a small patch next week, with a couple bug fixes, tweaks, and compatibility with Bronze Age 2.4
(I think I may even prefer it to the original.)
First off, i'd like to congratulate you on this really cool mod you've managed to get together Shawn. But i have noticed some really weird bugs such as the one in the photo. I assume it's something to do with your modified world generator that's making this, but tile-specific improvements don't seem to understand the tiles their on. This issue also applies to the copper mines; at least for me.
Edit: Come to think of it, my buildings list includes none of those in the screenshots. Did i incorrectly download it?
Which race did you pick?
The Terrans are the new space race. The terrain in the solar system map wont work with the vanilla Bronze Age buildings.
I'm getting heavy lag after my city grows too large; it's almost unplayable.
Other than that its good (From what i have seen, anyway).
F2 will bring up the performance window. Could you screen shot it?
Seems the Seekers settlements have gotten too big. I can put a cap on their settlements which will prevent the problem from reoccurring, but that won't do anything to salvage that save, unfortunately.
There are some performance improvements coming in Bronze Age 2.4 that should help though. That will probably be next week.
That's pretty cool, you should link to it from the main bronze age page so it gets more exposure. I'm only aware of it from an email from itch.

domain: game


text:
Sitting on a shelf
This sadly was the case with The war of Don Emmanuel's nether parts. I must have bought it in the late '90s, having recently read and loved Captain Corelli's mandolin. A colleague had read Louis de Bernieres' Latin American sequence, and heartily recommended it. So I bought a copy, read a few pages, and didn't take to it. It has sat on my bookshelf ever since, lonely and unloved.
Then the other day I happened to notice it, was in the mood for something Latin American, and picked it up. And I loved it. Absolutely adored it. Proving that books, like people, have the hope of redemption. My reaction to it now was, I think, odd, because I certainly had problems with it when I first tried to tackle the novel 15 years ago.What's so strange is that reading reviews of Don Emmanuel, it's fairly clear that critics either tended to love it or loath it. You either get it, and respond to it, or it's just too way out. Something in me as a reader must presumably have changed in the interim.
The novel is set in an imaginary Latin American country (probably most closely modelled on Colombia, with a hint of Argentina, and Chile's Pinochet regime), sometime probably in the 1970s/80s. Trouble erupts when the selfish Dona Constanza decides to divert the course of a river to fill her swimming pool. As the villagers protest the army marches in determined to make a crisis out of a relatively minor drama. Meanwhile in the jungle magical things are happening, a young Indian girl is killed, along with her pet jaguar, by a landmine; and soon the villagers are beset with a plague of friendly cats, and persistent hilarity.
The hilarity is needed, because life generally is pretty grim. A corrupt regime bolstered by the dregs of the army turns on its own people; and life becomes more and more violent, as innocent victims are tortured and "disappeared" by an increasingly evil military regime.
The novel is quite astonishing mixing a great deal of humour, eroticism, a huge dose of magic realism (which seems to find Latin America a natural homeland) and some quite stunning violence. The
realistic violence set against such a background is disconcerting, but I think works all the better for that, portraying the regimes that dominated South America in an earlier time for the abhorrence that they were.
It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Some will find the juxtaposition of realism and magic realism a decidedly uncomfortable mix; but I adored this novel and heartily recommend it to anyone. I just hope that the other two novels in the sequence - Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord and The troublesome offspring of Cardinal Guzman are every bit as good.

domain: literature


Note: Select a region before finding a country.
Occasional rain, mainly early
Rather cloudy with a shower
Mostly cloudy, showers around
Expect showery weather Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon
Dec 22, 2013; 5:00 AM ET
Gusty winds expected across Scotland.
of sunlight, then sets at
of moolight, then sets at
A powerful storm will bring disruptive weather from Spain to France and Italy for Christmas Day. more >


In 2016, it’s still cell phone cameras, not public reports, that give the public the closest view of the most contentious interactions between residents and law enforcement.
Even after deadly shootings in many cities, and broader conversations about race and use of force by police, many agencies still give the public little information about how and when force is used in their communities.
But in a major nod to transparency, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police released a six-year analysis of force incidents reported by officers. The report, which is the first of its kind, looks at racial disparities, injuries to residents and officers and the various types of force used.
Pittsburgh did not benevolently start keeping this data. A 1997 federal consent decree required the Bureau of Police to track every force incident to be reviewed by supervisors. That practice continued after the decree was lifted.
Below are key findings that show how force is used locally and how Pittsburgh compares to other cities. While deadly force is mentioned, the majority of the report focuses on less drastic (and far more common) types of force.
The review, which was requested by Chief Cameron McLay, covers incidents reported from Jan. 1, 2010, through Oct. 31, 2015. If force was used but not reported by officers, it doesn’t appear in the analysis.
Charts are taken from the report. SRR refers to Subject Resistance Reports, which are forms officers are required to file after force incidents.
Force relates to your skin color
In Pittsburgh, force is disproportionately used against black residents. The city is one quarter black. But 57 percent of force incidents involved a black resident during the six years. This is “higher than expected,” the report said, even after considering differences in arrest patterns by race.
The disparity exists in every year, though it was less severe in 2014-2015.
Force totals are down
Force incidents are declining — but that’s recent. In 2013, the city peaked with 1,700 incidents (compared to the rest of the period). In 2014 and 2015, the average is around 1,500 incidents.
The total number of arrests is down, too. And because arrest totals dropped more drastically, more arrests involve force than in earlier years. Overall, one in 10 arrests involves force.
Some officers use force five times as often
Using force – for most officers – is rare. Somewhere between one and five force incidents was typical for most officers during the six years. But for some, it happens over and over; 120 officers reported using force more than 25 times. That is more than five times the typical tally for most officers.
Officers who use force more often are hurt less often. They hurt residents at higher rates.
Fewer Tasers, fists
What does “force” actually mean? That can vary. The most common type is “forcible handcuffing,” though takedowns, punching and kicking and Tasers are also used, not to mention deadly force.
Officers punched or kicked residents in about 10 percent of incidents. They used Tasers in about 6 percent of incidents. Over time, those techniques have become less common, compared to forcible handcuffing.
Below is a breakdown of incidents based on the seriousness of the techniques.
Tougher on South Side
If you’re bar hopping on Carson Street, there’s a much higher likelihood you’ll see (or experience) a force incident. Police in Zone 3 routinely lead the department in use of force.
The area also has a high number of arrests, but not at levels to explain the high numbers. But the report says the type of arrest may matter because the area has lots of bars and, therefore, lots of alcohol, leading to the type of “public order” offenses that police say may require more force.
Are we better or worse?
Overall, force incidents make up a sliver of all interactions the police have with residents. But how does Pittsburgh compare to other cities? We actually don’t know. Most cities don’t make this data public, and if they do, differences in definitions can make comparisons difficult.
But a 2009 study of force by police in 12 U.S. cities gives some context.
In Pittsburgh, residents are injured in a third of force incidents. In the 12 cities, that number is 39 percent. Officers were injured here in 10 percent of incidents, compared to 14 percent in other cities.
Suspects here resisted in 47 percent of incidents. In the 12 cities, they resisted in 77 percent of incidents.
What else don’t we know?
While the report gives the most data to-date on use of force, there are also several questions the department can’t yet answer.
Among those are: How are cases resolved in court? Why do reports of resistance differ for one race for specific types of crime? Are certain tactics more commonly used by police in certain zones?
The report mentions several steps to ensure force is used properly, including crisis intervention and implicit bias training, as well as increased accountability when force is wrongly used.
See the full report here.
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text:
Recently, I read a book entitled “Self Made Man” by Norah Vincent. Norah Vincent goes undercover as a man for about 18 months. In this journey, she tries to submerge herself into the male life through joining a male bowling league, going to strip clubs, going on dates, joining a monastery, working for a sales company, and joining a male therapy group of the sorts.
One of the most interesting chapters was that focused on her experience as her male disguise, Ned, in a Red Bull sales company at Clutch Advertising. Vincent describes the environment as one filled with desperation for promotions and an influx of money. The speech by the salesmen had a great deal of focus on sexual achievement and desire. The top salesmen and managers would boast of their gorgeous wives who they would have never otherwise dated had it not been for their financial success in the sales business.
“You want to be that top guy, because that’s what’s going to get you the house, the cars and the wife” Norah recalls her boss, Dano, stating (page 164).
It’s this mentality which drives people to continue working hours throughout the day selling products door to door. It hits on the necessity of confidence and, even more so, ego.
One article, “Salespeople Need More Ego, Not Less”, written by Chris Gillespie, as published by Marketo, explores the need for ego in the field of sales. It states that having a strong sense of ego– or “a person’s sense of self-esteem”, as the article defines it- not only allows salespeople to make more sales, but also to have the thick skin required to perform the job. When it comes to sales, especially when selling door to door, it can often be quite intimidating and will result in a great deal of rejection. In order to be able to not take this personally, one must have a strong sense of self to become an efficient salesperson.
An article published by Harvard Business Review entitled “What Makes a Good Salesman“, as written by David Mayer and Herbert M. Greenberg, examines the declining ability of businesses and employees to sell themselves to others. In order to increase the sales ability, a study done over seven years of field research concluded that “Our basic theory is that a good salesman must have at least two basic qualities: empathy and ego drive.” (Greenberg and Mayer, 2006). Both Greenberg and Mayer explain that good salesman have to want to sell something not because of the money, but because of a personal and ego-related drive to do so. It is this type of personal connection to the sale which sparks success.
This chapter and the focus on sales and its relation to ego is so interesting to me because I recently attended a sales pitch done by Southwestern Advantage. What I had thought would be an informational meeting about a vague summer internship a man had told my class about a few weeks prior which my friend convinced me to attend soon revealed itself to be a pitch for college students to join the company– or “start their own company”, as they like to put it”– to sell their $690 books for 80+ hours per week throughout the summer to make an average of about $8,000 (mind you, that this is an average and does not account for taxes).
What I found so interesting was the presenter of Southwestern Advantage’s own apparent boasting of how much sales had developed his self confidence- his ego- in a positive way which has set him up for the rest of his life, making him not only a hit with women but also financially secure. It was interesting to see the words of the apparent necessity of ego in sales to be so vivid in the presentation I witnessed. It makes sense to me why an ego is necessary. In the end, we all need some self confidence to survive the world. But I wonder how much ego in sales is too much, or if there even is a limit.


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Dr. Bihari, by 2003, had been treating 350 AIDS patients using LDN in conjunction with accepted AIDS therapies. During 7 years of treatments,between 1996 and 2003, over 85% of his patients showed no detectable levels of the HIV virus — a much higher success ratethan most current AIDS treatments, and with no significant side effects.
It is also worth noting that many HIV/AIDS patients have been living symptom-free for years, while taking only LDN with no other medications.
Two studies in the African country of Mali, demonstrated LDN’s successful use in HIV/AIDS, as published in October, 2011 in the Journal of AIDS and HIV Research.
TNI BioTech Inc
Biotechs Poised For Big Gains In 2012!
Additionally, in the mid-1990s, Dr. Bihari found that patients in his practice with cancer, such as lymphoma or pancreatic cancer, also benefited from LDN. People with autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, also often showed prompt control of disease activity while taking LDN.
There have been a number of Phase I and Phase II trials involving the use of LDN and it is important now for TNI BioTech, Inc. to complete the work of Dr. Bernard Bihari and others. The company believes, with the acquisition of the portfolio, it will be able to move forward with Phase III trials involving LDN, which will be marketed under the trade name IRT-103.
Dr. Nicholas Plotnikoff, Chairman of TNI BioTech, Inc., states, “I worked with Dr. Bernard Bihari for many years and I believe acquiring all of the technology of Dr. Bihari will allow the company, we hope, to move forward to phase III clinical trials in both the United States and Africa within the next 12 months. In our opinion, LDN holds great promise for the millions of people worldwide with autoimmune diseases or central nervous system disorders or who face a deadly cancer. It could prove to be the first low-cost, easy to administer, and side-effect-free therapy for Cancer, HIV/AIDS, MS and Crohn’s disease.”
“The Opportunity’s Coming… Are You Ready?”
It’s no secret that the biotech sector is potentially setting itself up to deliver huge gains in the months ahead.
*Titan Pharmaceuticals (TTNP) jumped 11,900% in 10 months…
*Genitope (GTOP) rocketed 1,455% in just 10 days!
*Cell Therapeutics (CTIC) soared 4,360% in less than 3 months!
*Keryx Biopharma (KERX) gained 3,733% over 9 months…
*Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA) advanced 3,314% in 7 months…
“The Money’s Coming… Are You Ready To Grab Your Share?”
About TNI Biotech, Inc.
TNI BioTech, Inc., is a biotech company combating fatal diseases through the activation and mobilization of the body’s immune system using our patented immunotherapy.
Our products and immunotherapy technologies are designed to harness the power of the immune system to improve the treatment of cancer, infections such as HIV/AIDS, chronic inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune diseases.
Our proprietary technology, therapies and patents, will be used to treat a wide range of cancers. Our most advanced clinical programs involve immunotherapy that works by isolating a patient’s lymphocytes and then incubating them together with Methionine Enkephalin (MENK) in an enriching external incubation system. After incubation the patient’s lymphocytes are re-infused back into the patient where they combat and destroy tumor cells.
However, even though Management considers any condition that results in altered-immune response a target for investigation, the Company will most likely pursue additional investigations for MENK as a valuable candidate in the treatment of the following:
– Autoimmune states such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis;
– As an adjunct to antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases;
– In cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatments or surgery;
– Patients with AIDS, in combination with retroviral drug therapy; and
– In wound healing or herpes viral infections.

domain: medical


Mountain2Mountain’s long time advisor and Combat Apathy Ambassador, Heidi Volpe came to me with an idea.
She told me she had been sharing my TEDx talk about the Power of Voice. ”Your TEDx talk is the heartbeat of what Mountain2Mountain is all about. Its not about building a school, or literacy projects, or any myriad of things Mountain2Mountain does, its about the overarching theme of the power of voice. So let’s amplify the voices in support of women and girls around the world. How could children and communities use their voice and put that energy into action?”
How, indeed. That’s the hard part.
Yet the latest chapter in Mountain2Mountain’s vision is a domestic program, called Strength in Numbers that is all about voice. Finding it. Amplifying it. Using it to take a stand. Empowering others to use theirs. The theme of voice has always been there – we just didn’t hear it.
Heidi created a way for schools and communities to creatively use their voice, and make it heard, in a visual and stimulating way. The Penny For Your Voice Project is simple in its beauty.
Step One: Get a bucket or donation jar, some pens, a tree, download the hangtags, and get your creative hat on…. and you’re ready to launch your tree.
Step Two: Put a penny in the bucket, write down your biggest wish for the women and girls of the world, hang it on the tree.
Step Three: Document the process with video, photos, and share some of the wishes, and we’ll post them here so that every tree has a voice, every school and community involved is heard.
Get creative – use a tree, create a tree, paint a tree, this is perfect for schools and communities to rally around the power of voice and the belief that women and girls deserve to be heard! Traditionally, wishing trees were specific trees that people left their wishes on that they believed to have spiritual powers. Many trees had were specifically coin trees – and coins were left by or in the trees as an offering. Much like a wishing well is used today.
Heidi launched the first tree in Topanga, CA this December at her local nursery. We’ll be creating a tree with a group of artists in Kabul this spring. Our participants in the Strength in Numbers program will all be creating trees in their communities after the camps. I’ll be reaching out to schools I’ve spoken at previously to get involved and we’ll be sharing the stories and wishes and voices HERE in creative ways.
The pennies, quarters, and hopefully dollars raised will go towards Mountain2Mountain’s continued work to empower and create value with women and girls in conflict zones – ensuring that a ripple of change continues thanks to the power of voice!


Market and Government operate in a strictly integrated way. For this reason it is not possible to deal solely with improving the Market. But it is also necessary in some way
to reform the Government system.
As in the Market it is necessary to integrate the Customer in the Product creation process, in Government it is necessary to develop Participatory Policies.
Today there seems to be a lot of confusion about the trends that are developing on the Market. That is, for each Trend, there are…


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The most amazing Apple Cranberry Pie with a crisp and flaky golden crust and juicy sweet apple filling. The apples and cranberries pair really nicely together and the most amazing combination is serving the pie warm with a cold scoop of ice cream.
- 1 cup (16 Tablespoons) butter, very cold
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 6–8 Tablespoons ice water
- 3 lbs apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- egg wash – 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon water or milk
- I start out with placing the butter and the water into the freezer while I am taking out the rest of the ingredients and getting everything set up so that they are extra cold.
- Place the flour, salt, and sugar into a food processor and add the cold butter pieces. Pulse until there are pea-sized pieces of butter in the flour.
- In a medium bowl or cup, combine the egg, sour cream and 3 Tablespoons of ice cold water. Pour this mixture into the flour and pulse to combine again. Keep adding more water, one Tablespoon at a time until the pie dough starts to come together. Don’t overmix it.
- Dump it all out onto the counter and quickly knead it together until all the loose flour is incorporated into the dough, but don’t overwork it. Be very quick, since you don’t want your warm hands to melt the butter in the dough. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each in parchment paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place into the refrigerator to chill at least for 1 hour. You can store it in the refrigerator a few days or in the freezer for a month.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the cranberries in half and toss with 1-2 Tablespoons of the sugar. I like to do this because cranberries are really tart and this gives the sugar a better chance to soak into the berries and sweeten them up a bit.
- Peel and slice the apples and place them into a large bowl with the cranberries, the rest of the sugar, lemon juice and salt. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. Drain all the juice that will accumulate in the bottom of the bowl. I got almost 1/2 a cup! This will keep the pie filling from becoming too watery.
- Add the flour to the drained filling and toss it together until all the apples and cranberries are coated in flour.
Assembling and Baking the Pie:
- Roll out one of the discs of the pie dough into a 12-14 inch circle.
- Ease it gently into a deep dish pie plate.
- Keep the pie dough cold at all times. Fill the pie with the apple cranberry filling and dot the top of it with the 2 Tablespoons of butter.
- Place the filled pie into the refrigerator while you work on the top crust.
- Roll out the second pie crust and make it into a lattice top, or whatever kind of topping you like. Crimp the edges of the pie to make a pretty edge all the way around. Brush the top of the crust with the egg wash.
- Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 50-60 minutes.
Keywords: Apple Cranberry Pie, How to Bake an Apple Pie, Traditional Apple Pie recipe, Classic Apple Pie Recipe, Apple Pie a la mode


NORTH MANKATO — North Mankato added a healthy $650,000, or 31 percent, to its general fund balance in 2012 and its utility funds had a good year.
However, the general fund balance — sort of like a city's checking account, used for both regular payments and unforeseen expenses — isn't all usable. That's because the debt service fund owes $1.7 million to the general fund to help pay back old special assessments.
“Once debt service becomes flush and you have this fund balance you’re where you’ll need to be,” said Kyle Meyers, government partner at Abdo, Eick and Meyers. The accounting firm went over the city’s 2012 annual report Monday evening, and Meyers’ report was generally positive.
“As a whole, they’re probably OK,” Meyers said after the meeting.
Getting the debt service fund “flush,” as Meyers put it, was not a topic of Monday’s meeting. Those unpaid assessments were discussed during a June meeting, which will be followed up by a work session later this month. Instead, Meyers went on a fund-byfund account of the city’s financial position.
Having a healthy general fund — which supports services like streets, parks and public safety — is important for several reasons. For example, it gives a city flexibility to handle emergency expenses and unexpected reductions in state aid.
Measuring the fund balance as a percentage of annual spending, a common measure, North Mankato’s general fund balance rose to 46.2 percent, up from 33.2 percent in 2008. Though an improvement, similar-size cities had a higher average general fund balance of 76 percent of their annual spending in 2011.
For example, the drinking water fund had an operational surplus of about $340,000. And even after interest payments and fund transfers, it ended up about $126,000 in the black. However, the fund owes about $1 million to those debt service funds, presenting a long-term problem.
The utility fund in the worst shape is the sewer fund, which had an operational surplus of about $50,000 but lost about $77,000 after fund transfers, the third year in a row of losses.


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We reviewed Zero 7’s Yeah Ghost.
Within the first few weeks of this being released, I decided to check Zero 7’s new album out on their MySpace account and I can remember not liking the tracks I heard. Nearly a year and a half later and I’m wondering what I was listening to. Coming three years after The Garden, much was expected of the downtempo duo. The Garden was a creative step ahead of the previous two albums in terms of musical depth and vocals and garnered significantly more plaudits than When It Falls and probably the most since their debut album Simple Things. With this in mind, it went without saying that the group would continue this diverse trend for the new album and they didn’t disappoint.
The album opens with a short instrumental (if you can call it that) called Count Me Out. Something of a sound design type track which may seem superfluous to some but it really does set the tone for the rest of the album, much like an appetiser at a party. The first full track Mr McGee is probably the best of the bunch and maintains the same kind of vibe from The Garden: upbeat but smooth. Eska Mtungwazi’s vocals are a new breath of fresh air having heard the likes of Sia Furler, Tina Dico and Sophie Barker. A certain type of soul that gives the music a different kind of body. Swing is more of a folksy/dream pop track and unlike many indie pop songs of today, this one is quite likeable, providing it doesn’t find its way onto an Apple or a Match.com advert (and no, that’s not Sia singing, it’s Binki Shapiro, although the likeness is almost uncanny). Everything Up (Zizou) is different to most Zero 7 outings in that it could easily come straight off a debut rock album and be seen as a decent filler. Featuring vocals from Henry Binns and paying homage to Zinedine Zidane. It goes a bit D&B/dubstep towards the end, which is a nice unique touch. It might not be what you’d expect from them and yet you can still feel familiar with it; this must be what Freud meant by Das Unheimliche. Pop Art Blue is very much a more uptempo version of Home with vocals very similar to those sung by Sophie Barker. Medicine Man, like Mr McGee, has the same kind of speed and effect and therefore the same soulful Mtungwazi voice attached. Ghost Symbol is a electronica sampler’s dream, without sounding like a locate has prowled across a MIDI keyboard for four and a half minutes. There are elements of dustup in terms of sound and tempo, which may or may not have been an intended invitation for remixes (which has been duly taken up – check out Julio Bashmore’s remix, very good). Sleeper is a trip hop/Massive Attack-esque track without attempting to draw any scrutinising comparisons. No prizes for guessing whose vocals appear on this one (hint: she’s got soul). Solastalgia is what would happen if a song from Simple Things was a bottle of wine and left to mature for eight years. Or if you left a primate for a few million years and came back to find it had evolved a bit. Soft, slightly eerie and haunting. Perfect. The penultimate track, The Road, is a sombre piece which is very well placed towards the end as not to spoil the mood of the overall album. Mtungwazi offers her voice for the fourth time on the LP and does this song the justice is deserves. Something for the end of a CSI Miami episode for sure, much like the whole Zero 7 catalogue. The final track, much like the opening one, is something Amon Tobin would be proud of. All Of Us certainly a decent mix of music and interesting sound design sampling and a nice touch to end an enjoyable electronic album from the masters of downtempo.
To a few reviewers, this wasn’t a good album. To remain unbiased and retain my subjectivity, I didn’t read them. After hearing it for myself and taking away the fact that I’m a big Zero 7 fan, I don’t think I’ll be reading them anytime soon. The group have managed to expand continuously on what they have created for the past eight years to produce their most musically diverse album yet, delving into different genres for inspiration, something they hadn’t done in their first two outings. While Simple Things probably remains their magnum opus, it seems their other M.O. has been altered slightly without them faltering. If all musicians could do that, we’d have a better set of music charts and I’d be reviewing more albums. Alas, I’ll stick to what I know.


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THERE is a packed programme of events planned at this year’s Callander Highland Games, which goes ahead later this month.
Callander and District Round Table have again pulled out all the stops to ensure that there will be plenty for the expected big crowds to enjoy when the event goes ahead at Ben Ledi Park on Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26.
Damian Sharp, chairman, Callander Round Table, said: “Callander Highland Games are without doubt the best value family day out this summer.
“We have the best Highland Games athletes from across the world taking part in the Homecoming Highlander Challenge, including 2007 World Champion Gregor Edmunds.
“And we have much more on offer with a police dog show, Junior Highland Games, the Golden Lions Army Parachute Display team, Highland dancing, pipe bands and lots of stalls.”
The Junior Highland Games, being run by the Callander and West Perthshire Rotary, takes place on the Saturday of the games and is open to children of primary school age.
For the first time, tickets, including family tickets, are also available online.
The games website can be found at callanderhighlandgames.co.uk


text:
CayBeach Caleta Location & Neighborhood
In Caleta de Fuste. Beach.
CayBeach Caleta Room AmenitiesCayBeach Caleta amenities are in All rooms unless noted otherwise
- Air Conditioning
- Cable/Satellite Television
- Internet Access (Wireless)
- Car Rental
- Currency Exchange
- Laundry Room
- Common Area Internet Access (High Speed & Wireless) (additional fee)
- Health Club
- Hot Tub
- Pool (Children's Pool, Outdoor Pool)
- Golf Course
- Shopping Mall/Area
Hoteliers! Is your listing up to date?
With over 130,000 hotels in our database, no other source compares to our depth of information. Click here
to review and be sure the travel professional knows your hotel’s latest details.

domain: travel


text:
Think, for a moment, in terms of billboards. Think of marquees, flyers, handbills, throwaways and full-page ads. COMMAND PERFORMANCE: THE WASHINGTON SENATORS. MOST EXCITING TEAM IN BASEBALL. MUST ENTERTAINMENT. Or, LIMITED ENGAGEMENT, THROUGH WEDNESDAY: THE WASHINGTON SENATORS. BASEBALL'S MOST FASCINATING TEAM. What's that? The moribund Washington Senators "exciting"? The last-place Senators "fascinating"? Preposterous. All right, that too.
But no longer a team ignored. All those years—generations, it seems—are past when a writer only needed to summon up a word like "inconspicuous" ("rotten" might have been better) to characterize the Washington club. The Senators are not to be ignored anymore. They virtually thrust themselves onto the daily sports page, a delightful, unlikely medley under an unorthodox, enlightened leadership.
Observe the fascinating Senators as spring training games began in Florida last week. Their owner, who has been in the baseball business only three years, does so many things wrong that the writers in Washington cannot stop writing about him. His name is Bob Short and he traded half his infield against everybody's wishes for Denny McLain, and he is so sorry about what he did that he cannot stop grinning.
McLain is the Senators' new star pitcher. He was a notorious character twice suspended from baseball last year, but before that he was a 31-game winner for Detroit in 1968. There have been years when the entire Washington team had a very hard time being a 31-game winner.
Then there is the newly enrolled star outfielder who has a lawsuit pending that challenges the structure of baseball. His name is Curt Flood and he hit .293 in 12 years as a St. Louis Cardinal. When the Cardinals traded him, Flood refused to go, flouting the reserve clause, and sat out last season to cultivate, he says, a hate for the Cardinals. He has written a book on his travail and has passed out copies to his new teammates. Flood gets almost as much attention in Florida as McLain.
The incumbent attention-getter is Frank Howard. He wears size 13 shoes and weighed 297 pounds when he reported for duty in Pompano Beach three weeks ago. Howard became so big a star in the off season that his manager has told him he cannot play the outfield unless he lets some of himself go. When Howard is asked how much he weighs, he gets a pained look, as if his shoes have shrunk.
Howard's other position is first base, which he shares with Mike Epstein. Epstein is another of the interesting cases that have infiltrated the Senators. Epstein has been told again and again what a great potential he is, and on occasions in the past he has demonstrated that this is not idle flattery. Usually, however, Epstein has given management the impression that he will set a record for sulks and dudgeons before he ever leads the league in singles and doubles. He-has started off the spring in midseason form—his face a pantomime of indifference and boredom whenever he comes to bat. Indifference happens to be the one thing the team's manager cannot stand.
The manager's name is Ted Williams. Williams always begins the spring by confessing that he would rather be someplace fishing. This is a front Williams puts up, like a duck blind, to keep writers and the team's owner from getting too used to having him around. The fact is that Williams loves being one of the best managers in baseball and he has quit forecasting his imminent retreat to the front office. It is possible that for pure pleasure Williams would prefer more than anything else to be settled behind the batting cage at home plate, pointing out the inevitable flaws in his mediocre hitters. That or needling his second-string catcher.
The second-string catcher is Jim French. Ordinarily Jim French would be a Senator to be ignored, except that he represents a kind of synthesis of the team's fresh spirit. French is not big (5'7"), but at 182 pounds neither is he lithe. He hit .211 last year and one home run and did not steal a base. He is, however, the fastest tongue on the team and is irrepressible. He considered his terrible record and asked for a raise. For a time he was even a holdout. He told Williams a man's contribution can be measured in more ways than hitting and fielding. Williams agreed with him.
Last week Williams put French in left field for an intrasquad game. French made a spectacular catch of a routine fly ball, and when he came into the dugout he said, "Just like picking cherries out there." "Yeah," said Williams in mock anger. "Out there you better keep your helmet on. It could be dangerous for you."

domain: sports


text:
A few months back I was informed that Strathmore Artist Papers put a call out to the world of artists asking for new art works for their 2014 Card Art contest, so naturally I sent a few images their way. I thought why not, you gotta start some where. With fingers crossed I hoped that maybe I could be one of the luck ones to have my artwork and name on a box of blank cards, offering inspiration to others. It was just the other day I heard back from Strathmore, it was a very nice email and the Strathmore team thanked me for my interest, etc. At the end of the wonderful letter they regretted to inform me that they did not select any of my images a winner. Bummer! You win some and you lose some, but art is subjective and the three images that were selected are really great! In the end I was and am still happy that I had put myself out there and gave it ago. I’m gonna try again next time around, because you never know when yours will be the perfect fit. Congratulation to the three winners you all have created a wonderful work of art. To everyone like me who just went for it, Good Job! Way to put yourself out there and see what happens. Here is the link to the 2014 Card Art Contest. http://www.strathmoreartist.com/greeting-card-contest.html
Until next time, have a great adventure with an art supply!
I am back and am ready to start sharing my art and art experiences with you once again. I fell off the wagon of one a days, but I hope to get right back on again. I have been working on a few paintings, block prints, cards, and one of my newest loves, handmade books. This week I had the pleasure of playing with Golden Artist Colors newest product a watercolor called QoR. This is a Very cool product with a few unique colors, and not to mention it’s a something ‘new’ for the watercolour world. The paint constitutes quickly and the saturation of colour is FABULOUS. I really did enjoy my play time with this product, and I will be adding a few QoR colors to my collection of watercolours. If your into watercolour give this new product a try you will not be disappointed. Other than product playing I’m just working away and doing me best to keep my art up to date and available on line, I have even updated my blog pages. I did not add a ton of new works, but instead added the links to other sites that have my work rotating. I feel like this is the best way as I am always creating and honestly these websites are just easier to add art to. Here on Trina Ganson Blog I hope to continue to share what I am learning about art materials, my art experiences, and add pics that relate to those topics. Perhaps you’ll find some time to explore the web links and see a few other artists that might inspire you to give something a go.
Until next time, thanks for keeping in touch.


text:
Actor Matt Damon spotted on UNL campus
University officials confirm Matt Damon is in Lincoln.
The 42-year-old actor joined a student he mentors on a tour of the University of Nebraska Lincoln campus Wednesday, officials said. The identify of the student was not released.
He was seen wearing a New Student Enrollment name tag that simply read, "M Damon."
Students posed for pictures with the star and shared them on various social media sites.

domain: celebrity


**** I'm reopening this BUG. I just spent about a week trying to build a two node cluster on Windows 2008 using the following Drive layouts. During the install I select the "R" drive as my disk I then change the locations of the system database to R:\Production. I then alter the location for user database and log to R:\Production\Databases and R:\Production\Logs (This is done during the setup screen).
I use mounted drives to build my multi-node clusters. I have a root drive, in this case “R”, that is sized to be 1GB. Then have a mounted drive call “Production” that is mounted under “R”. I then have two more mounted drives, Databases and Logs that mount under Production.
R: -> Root Drive
R:\Production -> Production folder is a Mounted drive under R:\
R:\Production\Databases -> Database folder is a mounted drive under R:\Production
R:\Production\Logs -> Logs folder is a mounted drive under R:\Production
R:\Production\Backups -> Backups folder is a mounted drive under R:\Production
Size of drives:
Production 50 GB
Database (various sizes)
Logs (various size)
Backups (various sizes)
The Cluster install is telling me that my Disk R is not valid because there are dependencies in place. I’m using mounted drives and have setup dependencies between the “Root” drive in this case “R” and the mounted folders “MP Production” and “MP Logs” MP Production is where I place my MDF files and MP Logs is where the LDF files go.
This check needs to be removed or made optional


text:
About Crazy Drift
Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled drift adventure in Crazy Drift, the ultimate online game that will test your racing skills to the limit. Take control of powerful sports cars and unleash your inner racer as you slide through hairpin turns and conquer challenging tracks.
The controls in Crazy Drift are designed to be intuitive and responsive, allowing you to easily navigate the twists and turns of each course. Use your keyboard or gamepad to precisely steer your vehicle, mastering the art of controlled slides and maintaining your speed through corners. With practice, you'll be able to execute jaw-dropping drifts with ease.
As with any racing game, Crazy Drift has its own set of rules. Your goal is to complete each track within the shortest time possible while accumulating as many drift points as you can. The more precise and stylish your drifts are, the higher your score will be. Keep an eye on the track layout, as some corners may require different techniques to achieve the best results.
To succeed in Crazy Drift, it's essential to find the right balance between speed and control. Timing is crucial - learn when to initiate your drifts and when to straighten out to maintain momentum. Experiment with different cars, each with their own unique attributes, to discover which one suits your drifting style the best.
Strategies can play a significant role in your success. Focus on maintaining a smooth racing line while maximizing your drift points. Look for opportunities to link multiple drifts together for combo bonuses, but be careful not to overdo it and lose control. Learning to anticipate the track layout and adjust your speed accordingly will give you an edge over your opponents.
It's also essential to keep an eye on your rivals. Study their techniques and take advantage of any weaknesses they may have. Use your drifting skills strategically to overtake opponents on corners and claim the top spot on the leaderboard.
In Crazy Drift, the thrill of high-speed racing and the satisfaction of perfectly executed drifts come together for an unforgettable gaming experience. So, buckle up, put the pedal to the metal, and show off your drifting prowess in this action-packed online game!

domain: hobby


text:
Well thanks to all of you who came and played with my little sketch last week. You made it look very special indeed, thanks again to Kim So I did the random picky thing and he behaved himself remarkably well, he didn't throw any nasty notes at me this week either ;)) He was very good and he picked Shelly Email me Shelly and include the challenge number in your title please. I can then sort you out your prize. I ask for those details, I hate getting them mixed up with all my emails about the African lottery wins. I'm just not sure when I bought the tickets but I've got $450,000,000 dollars in a bank account..... apparently!
Right enough drivel, are you still awake? Well this week we'd like to see you use some traditional colours on your Christmas cards. Now all these Christmassy challenges are excellent (for me) I've never been so far ahead with my cards! Thanks me! This week we're sponsored by Lili of the Valley and the winner will get a stamp from the recent magnolia Christmas kit too! That part of the prize is courtesy of my good buddy Debbie so a double win!
So here's what the Gorjussettes have made;
So pretty fab huh? I love these rich traditional colours. So we'd love to see what you come up with, and hey I need a few new ideas myself! Oops I didn't realise I'd actually typed that! It was a thought really...
Remember there;s some super stamps for the lucky winner.
Please enter via Mr Linky, link to your entry and not your whole blog. New work only and no back dating folks.
Another fun challenge. I don't get here as much as I would like to. But, I do enjoy the visit when I do.ReplyDelete
gorgeous dt cards, love these colours. janexReplyDelete
I love traditional Christmas colours... is it too early to put the tree up? :DReplyDelete
Thanks for the challenge!
Samantha B (Sparkly Moo) x
I hope I will have chance.ReplyDelete
It's a beautiful challenge
Fantastic DT creations!!!!
Good luck everyone.
What a great challenge to help inspire us ALL to create more Gorjuss Christmas Cards!ReplyDelete
The DT projects are fantastic! It was a pleasure to join in!
A great challenge to get us into the Christmas Spirit. Hope I'm in with a chance. Linda xReplyDelete
Thanks for letting me play, the Dt work is fantastic, Blessings HildeReplyDelete
FABULOUS CHALLENGE! LOVE ALL THE GORGEOUS CARDS!ReplyDelete
What a great challenge! Beautiful cards DT!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous DT creations. Hugs, HannaReplyDelete
I just love the Christmas season so that was an easy challenge for me. The design team made wonderfull creations!ReplyDelete
This works perfectly with a christmas card I made with a Kraftin Kimmie stamp, little unusual, but for an artist in my life!ReplyDelete
Great challenge! It is sure helping me get my cards done in time.ReplyDelete
Thanks for a great challenge, hope there's enough green on my card to qualify :-) DeeReplyDelete
I love Christmas cards. I have posted my latest project full of traditional color.ReplyDelete
Great DT's cards!ReplyDelete
Thanks for inspiration!
Hope I'm in time to play along with you on this, great Challenge. Janet TReplyDelete
This was a fun challenge. Hope I am in time to play along with you this time.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the challenge. Your DT work is beautiful!ReplyDelete
Great cards by the DT. They are a hard act to follow!ReplyDelete
Thank you for the challenge.ReplyDelete
great cards! such a fun challengeReplyDelete


text:
The Greek parliament will vote late Thursday on a deal to change Macedonia's name to the Republic of North Macedonia, the Athens News Agency reported.
A draft name-change deal between Greece and Macedonia will be discussed by lawmakers on Wednesday and Thursday before the vote.
On Sunday clashes between police and a group of masked protesters left several injured in the capital as tens of thousands demonstrated against the name change deal with neighbouring Macedonia.
According to the government, "the incidents were provoked by extremists, members of the Golden Dawn, who attempted to enter parliament".
Seven people who were arrested on Sunday have been charged, including two Turkish men and one German woman.
Seventeen civilians and 25 policemen were injured, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.
A wide range of Greek political parties, from the far-right Golden Dawn to the Socialists, oppose the accord to rename Macedonia.
But it could nonetheless be approved by the required 151 deputies in the 300-seat parliament in the coming days.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' leftist Syriza party has 145 deputies and enough independent deputies have pledged their support to secure approval.
Macedonia's parliament backed a constitutional revision to change the country's name 10 days ago. But for the deal to go through, the change must also be approved by Greek lawmakers.
Macedonia is a former Yugoslav republic, but for most Greeks it is the name of their history-rich northern province made famous by Alexander the Great's conquests.


text:
A look at Dublin traffic congestion from a pedestrian's viewpoint in 1969.
This 'Newsbeat' report by Frank Kelly takes a view of Dublin from the pedestrian's perspective in Dublin's North inner city. From Gardiner Street, Abbey Street, Talbot Street and around Liberty Hall, the report looks at the lack of pedestrian crossings and the difficulty of crossing the road in the busy Dublin traffic.
This episode of 'Newsbeat' was broadcast on 2 December 1969.
The previous month 'Newsbeat' had looked at the same issue of Dublin traffic congestion from a taxi driver's perspective.
'Newsbeat' was a half-hour feature programme presented by Frank Hall and ran for 7 years from September 1964 to June 1971. 'Newsbeat' went out from Monday to Friday on RTÉ television and reported on current affairs and issues of local interest from around Ireland. The final programme was broadcast on the 11 June, 1971.

domain: geography


text:
Rafting in Nepal is rapidly growing as one of the most favorite outing sport among adventure travelers. Nepal has various levels of rivers which some of most popular whitewater rivers are busy and operating trips there all the year round. All of rivers which used for rafting in Nepal are flow from the Himalayas. Thus, the rafting is whitewater adventure trip in Nepal. The wonderful experiences behind rafting as viewing close contact of hidden Himalayan treasures as well encounter with real Nepalese local culture of different places in remote. As Nepal is being broad range of diversified country in the world it has many levels of rivers to challenge for every whitewater thrill seeker which are also suitable for both single and multi day trips. The major rivers of Nepal are originated from high Himalayan glaciers and lakes, passes through by cutting edges of several mountains, crashes into rocks which make to form wide range of thundering rapids so holiday trip to rafting in Nepal will be absolutely fun of excitement and unforgettable.
Nepal has several rivers for whitewater rafting & kayaking and some of them are Trishuli river, Sun Koshi river, Bhotekoshi, Kali Gandaki, Karnali, Seti rivers etc. Which has possibly road access facility and by few days trek to reach at rafting putting point. Day rafting trip allow you to enjoy 3 hours on river and a lunch, necessary river equipments and after trip you will be provided transport to transfer your next destination. And multi day general river trips or expedition trips combined both rafting and camping together and you will be provided all the necessary equipments –foods, camping gear, transportation and other required logistics of the trip. However, river rafting trips are also ideal for combine with different packages of holiday trips together likewise after and before the trek or wildlife safari tour or with overland journey to different places.


text:
The contents of issue #11 may come as a surprise to our readers, not because of our interview with Nathan Oliveira
, but because we have cowboys here. With regard to Oliveira, little need be said to those who know his work or, better still, know the artist himself. To those for whom our interview will be an introduction, I can say the sense of the artist’s integrity and substance, which comes through in the interview, is only deepened when meeting the man in person. His painting reproduced on the front cover [slightly cropped] exemplifies how at times, almost miraculously, something takes up residence in paint and suddenly comes to life. The painter’s marks “take on credibility” as Oliveira would say, that elusive quality so seldom met, a quality that reminds us why we keep going back to art with a kind of hope.
I struggled to find a phrase that might work as a theme for our apparently disparate content, because we do have cowboys: Jim Brooks and Doug Groves. We have ranch culture, rawhide braiding, cowboy poetry and song, horses and saddle making. And as different as these seem to be from the paintings of Nathan Oliveira and some of the other material in this issue, nevertheless, underneath I came to feel there are connections. Oliveira says, “I believe in a kind of fundamental man…” He also spoke of his childhood experiences growing up among apricot orchards. “Nature” came to mind. Ranch life. The close relationship with animals. But the word alone is just an empty place holder. “Lost and Found” could have worked, or “Past and Present,” too. How many of us realize cowboys still exist and live a life not yet completely disconnected from its ancient past? But my efforts to find a felicitous phrase for this issue came up short. The words were flat, whereas the material is not. The material in this issue, were it to be designated in a couple of words, would require words of actual power because the things touched upon go deep. As it happened I ran across just such suitable words in a collection of C.G. Jung’s writings: “Civilized man is in danger of losing all contact with the world of instinct, a danger that is still further increased by his living an urban existence in what seems to be a purely man-made environment.” He also says, “it is the body, the feeling, the instincts which connect us with the soil. If you give up the past, you naturally detach from the past; you lose your roots in the soil.” He also pointed out that “the life of instinct, always the most conservative element in man, always expresses itself in traditional usages.” The words seem appropriate for issue #11.
I did not have Jung in mind when I talked with Jim Brooks
or with Doug Groves
, the two cowboys interviewed, but listening to what Brooks and Groves say happens to bring Jung’s words to life. It was a rare treat meeting them both, and I’ll leave the surprises in these delightful interviews for the reader to discover.
The cowboy arts material, by which I mean all the material related to the ranch/cowboy ethos, owes its presence here to my friends Jan and Andy Boyer, who talked me into visiting Elko, Nevada last January to attend the city’s twenty-first Cowboy Poetry Gathering. I’ve written about some of my reflections
and memorable experiences in those few days, but not included was how I found myself one afternoon at the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko looking at an exhibit of photography by Adam Jahiel
. Jahiel’s photos are simply luminous, and I knew right away I wanted them in the magazine. Jahiel was gracious enough to allow this. The image on the inside front page is an example of his work with the warm tone intact, but even though the warmth is lost in the inside reproductions, still the beauty of the images remains. While looking at them more of Jung’s words came to mind. Due to our remoteness from nature, he writes, “animals have lost their numinosity.” Looking at the photo to the left as well others of Jahiel’s photographs, one may get a sense of the meaning of this phrase of Jung’s, the numinosity of animals.
Included also is a small portfolio of photographs by Charles Reilly
, who lives in Berkeley. I think these speak for themselves. At the last minute, I discovered Michael Light’s meditation on nuclear weapons, a collection of government photos of US nuclear tests. It had to be included, but our two pages here open only a small window. And of course, there is Indigo Animal. Rue Harrison’s second book is now in print [in color]. Books one and two comprise an ongoing narrative [a third will follow] which anyone who relates to this animal would surely love having.
Finally many of you will notice a design change on the cover. From the very beginning it has always bothered me hearing people say “works plus conversations.” But who could blame them? The plus sign doesn’t look much like an ampersand. But the “plus” always cut a nice figure graphically. Nevertheless, our name has always been "works and
conversations," and now we can prove it with an ampersand we like. But the “plus” couldn’t leave our cover all at once, so we’ve given it another job, at least for this issue.


text:
Ali Zafar's cute looks have already earned him many fans. The actor who's just back from a concert in Orlando in the US is now
busy preparing for his first action role in Shaad Ali's film that also has Ranveer Singh and Parineeti Chopra
`I am working hard at the gym to build my physique for the role, ` says Ali, who has four films in hand. In a free-wheeling interview
with CS, the actor talks about his Hangover-style vacation in the US, acting and the music culture in Pakistan.
Bonding with buddies
I have six very close friends from my college days. We got together at Miami after my concert and took a small vacation. It was an
In Miami, we chilled out at the beach and got tanned. In the evenings, we would hang out at the clubs that
dot the seaside town. Then, we proceeded to New York, where we gorged on various cuisines. One of my friends knew all the good
eateries in NYC, and he made sure that we had a super experience.
I don't think I can categorise myself as a method or spontaneous actor. I would say that I believe in performing as per my director's
I am open to doing workshops if I am asked to and I am equally cool with the idea of getting my lines on
the day of shoot. Being a thorough professional is very important for me, though. The good thing is that I am quite relaxed before the
And I don't stress a lot about my scenes, co-stars, dialogues, etc, which helps me think creatively all the time.
Anxiety and creativity don't go together (laughs).
Yes, multi-tasking can be tough. Acting, composing, lyric writing and singing for London Paris New York was quite a task. I used to
feel totally drained, at times. However, I have always loved challenges.
The best part of being in a creative space is that
work doesn't seem like work (smiles). I would love to act, sing and compose in my future films as well. As of now, I am focusing to
get out of my cute guy mould.
Music's in the air
I think music is present in every Pakistani. It has something to do with the legacy of Sufi saints or maybe the philosophy of Hazrat
Amir Khushro. You will find a singer or a music enthusiast in every family who lives in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
feel that singers have more freedom in Pakistan. Here in India, the aspiration of every singer is to become a successful playback
singer. That's not the case in Pakistan. Our film industry is quite small, so the singers are the real celebrities.


Associated Bank settles racial discrimination complaint by HUD
Associated Bank will finance almost $200 million in mortgage loans in predominantly minority areas of Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota over the next three years as part of an agreement to settle a federal racial discrimination complaint.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which accused Associated of disproportionately denying the loan applications of African-Americans and Hispanics from 2008 through 2010, called it the largest HUD-initiated redlining settlement the agency has reached.
"This settlement sends a strong message that HUD does not tolerate practices that unfairly restrict an equal and open housing market," HUD Secretary Julián Castro said in a statement Tuesday. "Discriminatory lending practices have too often cut off too many creditworthy families from the opportunities they need to thrive. This agreement will ensure that more Americans can fulfill their hopes and aspirations."
HUD also alleged that Associated, which is the largest bank with headquarters in Wisconsin, "underserved" neighborhoods with significant African-American or Hispanic populations, despite demand for residential mortgage loans in those areas.
HUD said it conducted an analysis of Associated's mortgage lending activity and concluded it made up a smaller share of the market in higher-minority population census tracts than elsewhere.
Associated, while denying any allegation of illegal discriminatory lending, has agreed to take a number of steps in the agreement.
Among them is to finance multimillion-dollar amounts of mortgage lending in various parts of the three states over three years: Chicago market, $144 million; metro Milwaukee market, $36 million; Lake County, Ill.-Kenosha County market, $10.8 million; Minneapolis-northwest Wisconsin market, $3.6 million; and Racine, $1.53 million.
Some of the loans will come with reduced interest rates, down payments or closing costs — about $10 million worth in all, HUD said.
Associated said in a statement the "conciliation agreement" with HUD "requires a number of actions by Associated that are a continuation of its existing community lending and education efforts."
"Associated is pleased to have concluded these discussions and will fully comply with the agreement. Doing so aligns with our ongoing commitment to our customers and communities where we do business," said Philip B. Flynn, Associated president and chief executive.
Flynn added: "We agree with HUD that we can improve our performance in some of the communities and neighborhoods we serve. We remain committed to the promotion of homeownership and lending in those areas."
The company said it has already implemented a number of enhancements to its lending practices.
Training, new branch locations, special financing programs and home repair grants are among the initiatives Associated agreed to with HUD.
According to HUD, Associated will: provide nearly $3 million to help existing homeowners repair their properties in predominantly minority communities; pay $1.4 million to support affirmative marketing of loans in the affected census tracts; and commit $1.35 million for community reinvestment and fair lending education and training.
Associated, in denying it treated applicants or borrowers differently, said it hired an outside firm, Charles River Associates, to conduct an analysis and review of "a substantial subset" of the residential loans made by Associated from 2008 to 2011. Associated said the firm found "no evidence of disparate treatment on a prohibited basis."
HUD, however, said its analysis concluded that, compared with others, Associated's lending in mostly minority census tracts was lower than in other neighborhoods, and the difference was statistically significant. HUD's analysis covered five metro areas from 2008 to 2013.
Associated said that in more than 150 years in business, this was the first time it was accused by a regulator of lending discrimination.
HUD acknowledged that, since Associated was informed of the complaint, the bank has undertaken initiatives to help meet the lending needs of people in minority census tracts.
For example, Associated has opened new branches in or near mostly minority areas in Milwaukee and Racine, and plans to open a new branch in Chicago, at an estimated cost of more than $6 million.
HUD said Associated is expected to open four loan production offices in predominantly minority census tracts — three in the Chicago area and one in the Milwaukee area — in addition to the three new branches.
Early in 2014, HUD said, Associated started a corporate fair lending committee to oversee the bank's fair lending activities and compliance with fair lending laws. The bank also now reviews all residential loan applications that are denied.
Since 2011, Associated has made more than $2.2 million in down payment assistance to 292 low- and moderate-income borrowers.
The settlement is not expected to affect Associated earnings.
Terry McEvoy, a bank analyst with Stephens Inc., said he didn't think the HUD agreement would change investors' view of Associated stock, noting that the period involved in the complaint was from 2008 to 2010. If anything, he said, it puts to rest uncertainty over the outcome of the complaint.
"The company has a long history in both urban and rural markets and I believe understands the role they play in each community," McEvoy said. "Associated has changed their lending practices and quantified the amount of financing the bank will provide to families in those three states."
Recent national business updates from the Associated Press