Your love for experiencing new tastes in the world of alcohol will surely take you places once you discover to comprehend the heady taste of absinthe liquor. Although absinthe is very strong in bottled form you can surely enjoy it once it's diluted and sweetened according to provided directions.
Absinthe began in the early 1800s as a multi-purpose medicine to treat soldiers, patients and also children against a range of diseases. This green colored potent drink is made from Artemisia Absinthium or Grande Wormwood and also contains sweet anise and fennel among additional ingredients. However, should you wish to experience the pleasure of drinking absinthe green fairy as it is also known then you need to merely use genuine absinthe as the base of your respective drinks. You will also need to learn on how to prepare the milky-green absinthe alcohol drink at home employing an intricate procedure that lasts for a couple of minutes.
Although absinthe was banned in America and most countries in Europe right from early 1900s as a result of high levels of thujone in wormwood which was supposed to cause hallucinations along with other adverse reactions in the drinkers body, it was welcomed back into most countries towards the end of the century. Most countries have a restriction on the level of thujone which can be contained in each kilogram of absinthe. Thus, you too can easily locate absinthe liquor in select bars or cafes in your city.
You can even make your own absinthe at home with an absinthe kit and can even go with black absinthe or red absinthe if you prefer a change from the original emerald green color. It is simple to locate several absinthe brands over the internet too and should choose your favorite brand from a reputed online dealer before you buy absinthe online. The genuine absinthe fairy will certainly give you an extremely pleasant buzz once you start sipping on the prepared drink right in your house.
It is the intricate process involved in preparing absinthe at your home that contributes towards the fun theme. Artistic and antique-looking absinthe accessories including an absinthe fountain, absinthe glass, absinthe spoon and also absinthe posters framed in attractive frames will provide a regal atmosphere to savor your freshly prepared absinthe drinks. You can also opt for different brands of these spirited drinks such as absente absinthe and pernod absinthe which are both made using slightly different ingredients and processes yet somehow provide that wonderful taste and heady absinthe effects whenever you drink it.
You can also invite your buddies over to drink absinthe together in order to collectively enjoy drinking this potent drink and to find out the perfect absinthe drink in a fun way. Additionally you can invest in genuine antique accessories if you have the required money to grab rare memorabilia manufactured in the last century to boost the atmosphere of your absinthe parties.
Absinthe is surely an exhilarating and mythical drink which has faced several hardships during the past. However, this invigorating drink is slowly making its presence felt in several countries throughout the world since the ban regarding this has now been lifted. You too can now legally appreciate the bittersweet taste of absinthe liquor if you're a liquor connoisseur out in search of a rare and wonderful drink.


text:
Q: Several hashes into grid I have several hashes
hash1 = { :c1234 => 0.7, :c1237 => 0.8, :c1634 => 0.6, :c1224 => 0.3, :c1291 => 0.1 }
hash2 = { :c1234 => 0.5, :c1136 => 0.2, :c1634 => 0.7, :c1524 => 0.1, :c2291 => 0.9, :c2391 => 0.7 }
hash3 = { :c1234 => 0.3, :c1136 => 0.4, :c6321 => 0.5 }

I need to create matrix from these hashes like
numhash c1234 c1237 c1634 c1224 c1291 c1136 c1524 c2291 c2391 c6321
hash1     0.7   0.8   0.6   0.3   0.1     0     0     0     0     0
hash2     0.5     0   0.7     0     0   0.2   0.1   0.9   0.7     0
hash3     0.3     0     0     0     0   0.4     0     0     0   0.5

numhash = 3 (number of hashes)

Please help me to do it in Ruby.

A: You should store your hashes not in many local variables, but instead in an enumerable collection, like an Array or Hash. For example, using a hash to name each hash "row":
data = {
  h1:     {c1234:0.7,c1237:0.8,c1634:0.6,c1224:0.3,c1291:0.1},
  cats:   {c1234:0.5,c1136:0.2,c1634:0.7,c1524:0.1,c2291:0.9,c2391:0.7},
  kittens:{c1234:0.3,c1136:0.4,c6321:0.5}
}

def print_grid(data)
  cols     = data.values.flat_map(&:keys).uniq.sort
  head     = data.keys.map(&:length).max
  template = "%#{head}s | #{cols.map{ |c| "%#{c.length}s" }.join(' | ')}"
  puts template % [ "", *cols ]
  data.each do |row,pairs|
    values = cols.map{ |col| pairs[col] || 0.0 }
    puts template % [ row, *values ]
  end
  puts "", "numhashes: #{data.length}"
end

print_grid(data)
#=>         | c1136 | c1224 | c1234 | c1237 | c1291 | c1524 | c1634 | c2291 | c2391 | c6321
#=>      h1 |   0.0 |   0.3 |   0.7 |   0.8 |   0.1 |   0.0 |   0.6 |   0.0 |   0.0 |   0.0
#=>    cats |   0.2 |   0.0 |   0.5 |   0.0 |   0.0 |   0.1 |   0.7 |   0.9 |   0.7 |   0.0
#=> kittens |   0.4 |   0.0 |   0.3 |   0.0 |   0.0 |   0.0 |   0.0 |   0.0 |   0.0 |   0.5
#=>
#=> numhashes: 3

If you change the last map to...
values = columns.map{ |col| pairs[col] || "-" }

then you get:
        | c1136 | c1224 | c1234 | c1237 | c1291 | c1524 | c1634 | c2291 | c2391 | c6321
     h1 |     - |   0.3 |   0.7 |   0.8 |   0.1 |     - |   0.6 |     - |     - |     -
   cats |   0.2 |     - |   0.5 |     - |     - |   0.1 |   0.7 |   0.9 |   0.7 |     -
kittens |   0.4 |     - |   0.3 |     - |     - |     - |     - |     - |     - |   0.5

A: hash1 = {:c1234 => 0.7, :c1237 => 0.8, :c1634 => 0.6, :c1224 => 0.3, :c1291 => 0.1}
hash2 = {:c1234 => 0.5, :c1136 => 0.2, :c1634 => 0.7, :c1524 => 0.1, :c2291 => 0.9, :c2391 => 0.7}
hash3 = {:c1234 => 0.3, :c1136 => 0.4, :c6321 => 0.5}

all_hashes = [hash1, hash2, hash3]
all_keys = all_hashes.flat_map(&:keys).uniq

puts "#{all_hashes.length}\t#{all_keys.join("\t")}"
all_hashes.each_with_index do | hash, i |
  puts "hash#{i}\t#{all_keys.map { | k | hash[k]}.join("\t")}"
end

A: Try
numhash = { :hash1 => { :c1234=>0.7,:c1237=>0.8,:c1634=>0.6,:c1224=>0.3,:c1291=>0.1 }, :hash2 => { :c1234 => 0.5, :c1136 => 0.2, :c1634 => 0.7, :c1524 => 0.1, :c2291 => 0.9, :c2391 => 0.7} }

and so on...
Then you can access value through numhash[:hash1][:c1237], for example.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package com.sun.syndication.io.impl;

import com.sun.syndication.feed.WireFeed;
import com.sun.syndication.feed.rss.Channel;
import com.sun.syndication.feed.rss.Description;
import com.sun.syndication.feed.rss.Guid;
import com.sun.syndication.feed.rss.Item;
import org.jdom2.Element;

import java.util.List;

/**
 */
public class RSS094Parser extends RSS093Parser {

    public RSS094Parser() {
        this("rss_0.94");
    }

    protected RSS094Parser(String type) {
        super(type);
    }

    protected String getRSSVersion() {
            return "0.94";
    }

    protected WireFeed parseChannel(Element rssRoot)  {
        Channel channel = (Channel) super.parseChannel(rssRoot);
        Element eChannel = rssRoot.getChild("channel",getRSSNamespace());

        List eCats = eChannel.getChildren("category",getRSSNamespace());
        channel.setCategories(parseCategories(eCats));

        Element eTtl = eChannel.getChild("ttl",getRSSNamespace());
        if (eTtl!=null && eTtl.getText() != null ) {
            Integer ttlValue = null;
            try{
                 ttlValue = new Integer(eTtl.getText());
            } catch(NumberFormatException nfe ){
                ; //let it go by
            }
            if (ttlValue != null) {
                channel.setTtl(ttlValue.intValue());
            }
        }

        return channel;
    }

    public Item parseItem(Element rssRoot,Element eItem) {
        Item item = super.parseItem(rssRoot,eItem);
        item.setExpirationDate(null);

        Element e = eItem.getChild("author",getRSSNamespace());
        if (e!=null) {
            item.setAuthor(e.getText());
        }

        e = eItem.getChild("guid",getRSSNamespace());
        if (e!=null) {
            Guid guid = new Guid();
            String att = e.getAttributeValue("isPermaLink");//getRSSNamespace()); DONT KNOW WHY DOESN'T WORK
            if (att!=null) {
                guid.setPermaLink(att.equalsIgnoreCase("true"));
            }
            guid.setValue(e.getText());
            item.setGuid(guid);
        }

        e = eItem.getChild("comments",getRSSNamespace());
        if (e!=null) {
            item.setComments(e.getText());
        }

        return item;
    }

    protected Description parseItemDescription(Element rssRoot,Element eDesc) {
        Description desc = super.parseItemDescription(rssRoot,eDesc);
        String att = eDesc.getAttributeValue("type");//getRSSNamespace()); DONT KNOW WHY DOESN'T WORK
        if (att==null) {
            att = "text/html";
        }
        desc.setType(att);
        return desc;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Losing TextInput's focus when Keyboard closes I have some TextInput components inside a ScrollView. The problem si that if I am closing the keyboard with return or android back button, the TextInput selected is still focused and I have to tap two times to focus another TextInput.
Here are the components I am using:
<ScrollView style = {styles.scroll}>
                <KeyboardAvoidingView styles={styles.container} behavior = 'padding'  enabled>
                    <View style={styles.header1}><Text style={styles.title}>Blue Line Notes</Text></View>
                    <View style={styles.headerDesign}></View>
                    <View style={styles.header2}></View>

                    <View style = {styles.items}>
                        <TextInput
                            style = {styles.subject}
                            onChangeText={(noteTitle)=> this.setState({noteTitle})}
                            value={this.state.noteTitle}
                            placeholder='Raport Number/Note Indentifier'
                            placeholderTextColor='grey'
                            underlineColorAndroid='transparent'>
                        </TextInput>
                    </View>
                    <View style = {styles.items}>
                        <TextInput
                            style = {styles.calltype}
                            multiline = {true}
                            numberOfLines = {3}
                            onChangeText={(callType)=> this.setState({callType})}
                            value={this.state.callType}
                            placeholder='Call Type/Other Information'
                            placeholderTextColor='grey'
                            underlineColorAndroid='transparent'>
                        </TextInput>
                    </View>
                    <View style = {styles.items}>
                        <TextInput
                            multiline = {true}
                            numberOfLines = {8}
                            style={styles.textInput}
                            placeholder='Notes'
                            onChangeText={(noteText)=> this.setState({noteText})}
                            value={this.state.noteText}
                            placeholderTextColor='grey'
                            underlineColorAndroid='transparent'>
                        </TextInput>
                    </View>

                        <View style = {styles.items}>
                            <TouchableOpacity onPress = { this.saveNote.bind(this)} style={styles.addButton}>
                                <Text style={styles.addButtonText}>SAVE</Text>
                            </TouchableOpacity>
                        </View>
                </KeyboardAvoidingView>
        </ScrollView>

What I think I need to do is to lose the focus of the TextInput when the keyboard closes. That is something I am struggling with. Can someone show me how to do it properly?

A: Try keyboardShouldPersistTaps="handled" as ScrollView attribute. I tried the same on your given code and it worked. You can look more into the property details here.
Hope this will help!


Crafted curtains and blinds can create a completely new feel to your bedroom, living room or entire home. Don't know where to start…let us show you.
Curtain specialists create unique, custom curtains for any room in your home. Your curtains can make or break a room, have you got it right?


Evansville-based Old National Bancorp has signed an agreement to buy the 65 Indiana branch offices of Charter One, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Charter One is owned by Citizens Financial Group of Providence, R.I.; Citizens is owned by Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc.
The deal includes $397 million of deposits and $15.9 million in loans.
Charter One has five locations in the Indianapolis area.
The purchase price will be determined when the deal closes.


News items related to pet food recall as issued by the Send2Press Newswire service on behalf of the noted news source.
TRUMANSBURG, N.Y. – Apr. 11 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In spite of the sincere efforts on the part of dog and cat food manufacturers whose products have been affected by the pet food recall to get the word out to their customers, cats and dogs are still getting sick and dying. 'It's been almost three weeks since the first news reports of deaths and illnesses occurring in our nation's cats and dogs from their having eaten potentially tainted pet foods and treats,' says Upstate New York small animal veterinarian, Dr. Richard Orzeck.
DANA POINT, Calif. – Apr. 3 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist announced today a comprehensive holistic plan to help heal pets affected by the pet food recall. 'Pets affected by the pet food recall can greatly benefit from a balanced homemade diet and nutritional supplements that will help detoxify the kidneys and liver,' says Susan Blake Davis, veterinary nutritionist.


On the other side of Fraz's Private Island is his beach house. It's fully equipped with all the things he wanted that he found on Ebay with the gold he found worth $900,000,000.00 when he went treasure hunting on a recent trip on his Pirate's Ship. He has all the comforts of home, as he wants it, and the beach house has cloning abilities so he never runs out of chocolate, spam and wine gums. He also has spare bedrooms for his house guests as well has a large master bedroom that over looks the sea. There is much more to his Island that meets the eye. If you ask Captain Fraz, he may tell you what else.
About this painting: Watercolors, ink, a bit of digital and some merging from Fraz's Portrait.
You might also like Binky's Beach House here, and here .
Oh boy, a beach house! Just like Binky has! But I think mine is better, though. Mainly because it's MINE!! And it's all nice and shaded, too!
I'm going to hide out over here until those guys get the comic strip site over at Wombania working again. All I want to say is, it wasn't my fault! I was on my pirate ship eating pancakes!
Yes, you stay over here all you want, after all…it is your place. Once the Wombania site is working as it should I will double check the links.
We need one of those food scanners over at Chris's house!
Now we've all got to have a big weekend Beach House party so everyone can come over and have fun at my new house! And we'll have a big BBQ every night, too! And Binky can shoot off some of his rockets for fireworks!
Tell your Genie you want one of those for Chris' house. I'm sure he would appreciate the savings on his food bill….and give him a chocolate cookie.
It will be a nice change of scenery for Binky to take off in his rockets at your place.
Yeah, no cooking as long as the food scanner and my genie hold out!
Well, we'll be BBQing, though!
I wish school was over, I want it to be summer!
I hopefully your Genie didn't grant that wish…you don't want to waste your wishes. School will be out soon.
Yes to BBQ! BBQ Spam, pancakes for you, corn and burgers for me, and whatever everyone wants they can have BBQ'd We could even BBQ Kroten and Papoe's food and the dogs too!. I'll make the sweet tea.
School's never out soon enough, though!
It's almsot the weekend again! Almost. Except for Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday. . .
Yeah, those days are nothing. Friday night is almost here and you know what that mean don't you? Saturday morning pancakes…spam stuffed with chocolate syrup topped with wine gums!….Yay!
I wondered where you guys were. I keep gettin' and error message.
Autumn, have you ever been to Wombaina to meet all the Wombies?….if not, you should swing by.
I really like the style of this one, the watercolors with the inked lines. It's very inviting and very nice. And of course the subject is pretty good, too!
Bring em all…there's plenty of fuel and land to take off on!
And water to crash land in!
He's got everything he could want, but I'm sure he want something else. But that okay. What Fraz wants…Fraz gets.
Of course you can stay at my Beach House, Soma! You're one of my official pirates, remember? And besides, all that gold needs to be counted. Well, it needs to be spent at least!
That much money. And here I was putting all my hopes on Binky and being nice to him. Fraz, I really meant that you were my favorite all along.
I think I might not believe you, but that's okay! You can still come to the party and have fun and all you can eat! And all the gold you can carry!
Thanks George! You always say the kindest things about my artworks…thank you.
That's an interesting idea, George!
Beautiful, Deb! I love the colours.
Yeah, I can always use more pirates!
Ian would make a good pirate if he would leave his outer parent/adult at home of a while.
Yeah, we don't want any parents on our pirate ship telling us what to do!
Nope, we don't need any of those on board. You have a Genie to call on for emergencies. Hmm…I wonder how many wishes you have left though.
I wished for unlimited wishes, so that shouldn't be a problem! I wouldn't know what to do if I ran out of wishes!!
This is really beautiful, Deb.
Thank Cha! As you know, painting Fraz is always so much fun!
You need to come pirating with us, Cha!
She will. She was busy painting all of you Wombies this week though.
The colors in this are to lay me down and live in. I don't need spam or wine, just this house on the beach with these colors, thank you very very very much.
No, thank you! You don't have to eat the spam or wine gums, but the chocolate might be nice….never ending supply. 🙂 I know, I know, our waistlines screams for mercy, but whatever right.
I'm glad you enjoyed this painting, Val…thank you!
Fraz does…:-) lol I'm glad you like it, Sue!
Thanks for coming by, my friend. It's always a pleasure to hear from you, Sue!
I don't know what I'll be doing next either, and I'm him!! But I don't want it to stop!
It's like a new adventure every day!
I guess you did some Graffiti. ;-)…good job, Fraz!
Cha just did a really cool one of them…go check it out.
Glad you like my painting!
Really? I'd better go find out what I got into!
Yep! I had never been to Morocco before!
And being a prince was pretty awesome, too!
You've been to a lot of places lately. I'm losing track of all you've been doing and where you have been going…you better keep a journal, Fraz!….I mean Captain Prince Fraz!
And don't forget I'm running for President and Prime Minister and King, too!
I got back. I'm having a great time watching all the art you all have done these days. I hope you are doing well!
Finally you back! Missed you bunches, Nuno!
Thanks, Nuno! I've been having a lot of fun with my recent artwork. Maybe I'll just start painting whatever makes me happy!
Did you lose your connection out there on the islands? Hope everything's okay.
Yes, I was out of commission since the night before last due to a storm, but it's working now…thanks for asking, Binky!
Well it's good that you're back! And not blown away or something.
Well, I'm not blown away, but a few of my tomato plants got blown to pieces. But that's okay…I got others.
Fraz looks like one happy little dandylion…. I mean Dandywombat. Love this!!!!!
A Dandywombat…hmmm, you just might have given me an idea, Loon! Thanks!
I've never been a dandywombie before!
Your already a dandywombie!…that's a good thing Fraz. Well, I'm not sure how it would look as a painting but, you sure have a dandy wombieality.
For some reason I keep winding up in the spam folder…even on my own site. Anyone have any idea why.
I tried changing my url to see if I would not be spam anymore. It's not safe to be spam with wombats in the area.
Sure, I do have a few extra hundred million dollars buried out back!
If I told you, you'd have to help me spend it!
Yes, go there…you won't be sorry. We're all happy on Fraz's Island.
What a great little spot Fraz has. It would be a great escape from our winter weather. Can I rent it?
I don't know if he'd rent it or not…He has to live there when he goes to his Island. I think he has a side guest house….Hmmm.
Fraz, hit the add Guest house button on the special key-board I left you. I will make one for you, then you can decide if you want to rent or not.
You can't rent it, but you can stay here as long as you want. I even have a pirate ship now! With your navy background, you could help me sail it and find more treasure!
He is going to love this!
I AM GOING FOR A WALK ………….
IT'S STILL NICE OUT AND VENUS AND EARTH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE SUN TONIGHT – WON'T HAPPEN FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS ……..
You go for a walk and enjoy yourself….you deserve it, Cat!
Thanks too for such a fun day in at Fraz's Island Beach House! We'll do it again sometime!
I've got to get some Kodiak cakes to try that!!
You can stuff your own pancakes with spam, Fraz!…they might even be better!
DEFINITELY ……A ZILLION PERCENT …..
Say hello to your sister for me!
IT WAS A BEAUTIFULLLLLLLLLLLLLL ONE …..
THE DREAM WAS SO WEIRD….AND YEAH IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS WOMBIE DAY ………WELL WOMBIE WEEK SO FAR …..
I WILL BE AROUND ……….
Wow, you and Binky were doing a science project! It must be so neat to remember a dream with that kind of detail. Mine fade away once I wake up. I'm sorry you missed that Science Centere thing. 😦 Who's website?…Binky's?
This week can be anything you want it to be. But I'm like you, kind of hung up on the Wombies this week and all what their about. Did you know that Wombat Day is in October? Binky will give us the exact day when it gets near…or you can look on his website for the exact day.
I'll be here too. I may fool with some artwork, but I always check my blog for more recent comments.
I'm going to have another glass of water and a bowl of blueberries for breakfast right now.
YEAH I HAVE A MEMORY LIKE CRAZY – EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE ONE .,…….
I CAN REMEMBER SO MANY DREAMS ……..
I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SCIENCE CENTRE'S WEBSITE .
"But later doesn't exist…now does. " LOVE THAT …………..
BLUEBERRIES ROCK———- SUCH GOOD BERRIES………….
HAVE A GOOD BREAKFAST ….
I AM CLEANING MY PLACE TODAY AND I WILL BE AROUND …….FOR SURE …….
THAT VIOLET ——– SHE IS THE MISCHIEVOUS ONE 🙂 !!!!!!!
Silly that I thought you meant Binky's site…what was I thinking.
I love blueberries. I can't always get them fresh for not being in season but still buy a large bag of frozen…yes, very good for you.
The Wombies made the mess!…not surprised, nope, not one little bit. Better get them two it check.
Now which one is which? Looking at their picture from my view going left to right are their names Violet and Daisy, or Daisy and Violet?
The official Wombat Day is October 22!
But Chris says every day is Wombie Day with us around.
Violet sounds lazy like her cousins Dink and or course Winky.
🙂 HIYA ….PLACE IS CLEAN ……….
I never did get back on the computer yesterday…got hung up outside caring for the veggie plants in all the pots on the deck….they look a little pathetic.
CHILLED TO THE MAX – NO HEADPHONES ON MY EARS YESTERDAY – THAT WAS A FIRST !
AFTER CLEANING UP MY APT. – SEEMINGLY – THERE WAS A MORE FREE FEELING ……….
I love rainstorms! Sounds like you had a one pouring it out of the sky with great force for it to feel like hail.
Oh yes, I clean home is always brings on a feeling of freedom….no chores left to hinder ya.
It's sunny here today…suppose to be all week.
You have a most beautiful afternoon…whatever is left of it, and a fantastic evening. Restock your spam, chocolate and wine gums for the Violet and Daisy!
Aunt Deb…it's a great painting!!! I love it. It looks digital but still looks non-digital. I bet I am not making sense here 😉 well forgive my young age.
Sure, Kroten! And you can sail around on my Pirate ship as the Official Turtle Pirate, too! I think Papoe might be too young for that.
GETTING LOST IN HERE …….
LOVE LOVE TO READ YOU ON WOMBANIA …..
The show is wrestling, Cat. Don't know if you like that sort of thing. I use to hate it, now…well, I'm a fan. Weird huh.
I love my Wombies and Wombania…I just can't do enough for them!
I WILL CHECK IT OUT FOR SURE 🙂 ……..
NOW THAT WOULD BE FUNNY !!!!!!!!!
YOU SO ENCOURAGE ME TO HAVE FUN …….
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE ……..
I NEED A NAP ………….!!!!!!!
Oh we have to be ourselves to be happy!
So many people just don't know how to have fun, or just won't let themselves have fun…it's a shame.
You're such a sweet and very kinds friend to share your thoughts of how you feel with us. I am thankful for that…I'm sure Soma is too.
Wombania is out to conquer the world with happiness. And I know Fraz will be the one to get the job done!
You have a good name, sugah! I have to fix dinner then I'll be watching Impact Wrestling this evening.
Thanks Cat…it's not on for about 2 more hours yet.
But I gotta get back to the stove.
You have sweet dreams…don't wreck your sleep for tonight.
NOW I SLEEP ….WOMBANIA WOULDN'T EVEN LOAD ……THAT IS A SIGN …..
U ARE VERY WATCHFUL OVER ME AND I SUPER APPRECIATE THAT ……….
TOTALLY FEEL THAT VIBE …..
I'll be watching my wrestling in 20 minutes, so if you don't see me the rest of the evening you will know why.
When you sleep tonight, you sleep with the angels!
I FELL ASLEEP LIKE A ROCK WOMBIE AT MIDNIGHT I THINK .
SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER – SINGING IT INSIDE MY HEART …….
I AM GONNA TRY AND STAY OFF THE COMPUTER TODAY ….
AS LONG AS WOMBANIA DOESN'T DO ANOTHER COMIC STRIP OR SOMEONE DOEN'T POST SOMETHING WOMBASTIC ….I SHOULD BE FINE 🙂 LOL …..
DO YOU THINK THE WOMBIES WOULD LIKE ELLA FITZGERALD….
I AM GONNA SLEEP A LITTLE LONGER …………..
Show was fine considering it was Impact Wrestling. I prefer WWE on Monday's and Friday nights.
Didn't eat Cheetos. I forgot that it wasn't my night to snack on them…I had a bowl of diced cantelope instead.
Sweetie…you are more than welcome!
I don't know if the Wombies would like the song or not. We'll just have to wait and see if one of them comment about it in here.
You have a nice day off the computer and naps.
On his own island – WOW!
Fraz gets everything he wants, even and island!


Video: Fringe Festival / "Sonnets For An Old Century"
In August 2014, twenty students from the Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Department traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland to participate in an opportunity of a lifetime: performing at the Fringe Festival - the largest arts festival in the world.
Each summer, musicians from around the world come to Interlochen for a week-long musical retreat at the Chamber Music Camp for adults.
You might think that actors at Interlochen spend all their time in performance or rehearsal, but they also spend hours each day in the classroom where they learn skills and techniques from seasoned professionals.
If you are a serious classical solo singer, the Interlochen vocal artist summer program for high school students is excellent preparation for training at the college, university, or conservatory level.
Video: Interlochen Arts Camp "Moments"
We're pleased to announce that our "Moments" video won Best in Show for Web Video, Non-Profit at this year's W3 Awards! The W3 Awards honor creative excellence on the web, and is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts.
Video: Repertory Theatre: "Henry V"
Follow Harry, as he tackles one of Shakespeare's most challenging roles in the Interlochen Arts Camp production of Henry V.
The junior visual arts program is a great opportunity for younger artists in grades 3-6 to develop creativity and fundamental art skills.
Students in the Intermediate Filmmaking summer program learn how to bring their ideas to life on the big screen.
Five for Fighting performed at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and we thought it would be a great time to showcase some students from Interlochen's singer-songwriter program as an opening act.
Take a behind the scenes look as the musicians in the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra prepare to perform the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar.
The Tony and Grammy Award-winning performer Heather Headley made a surprise visit to theatre students during summer 2010. She worked with all theatre students, but especially the cast of Aida, a title role that she originated on Broadway.
At Interlochen, you can spend three or six weeks immersed in the world of jazz. Our faculty of accomplished performers and educators will help you broaden your understanding of jazz and develop your improvisational and performance skills.
In the fall of 2012, theatre students at Interlochen Arts Academy collaborated with [title of show] creators Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen to adapt their show for a larger cast.
The theatre arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy is designed for young artists who are serious about their craft. Through Stanislavsky-based performance training, students explore the full potential of their own unique resources.
Video: Arts Academy Theatre: "West Side Story"
Spring 2012, in collaboration with the Music and Dance divisions, the Interlochen Arts Academy Theatre Arts department staged a production of "West Side Story" providing an opportunity for students to explore a landmark work from the canon of American musical theatre.
The music program at Interlochen Arts Academy combines pre-professional training and college-preparatory academics. We offer instrumental music, vocal music, music composition, and singer-songwriter programs for grades 9-12, as well as a post-graduate year.
At Interlochen Arts Academy, motion picture arts students receive in-depth instruction in all aspects of film production, with artistic and technical resources unparalleled at the secondary school level.
An overview of the dance program at Interlochen Arts Academy boarding high school.
A behind-the-scenes look at the culmination of the 2009 Intermediate Musical Theatre Production, Little Shop of Horrors.
Ken Ludwig, two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright, spent two weeks with students from the High School Repertory Theatre Production summer program as they worked on a production of his play Midsummer/Jersey.
Highlights from the 2010 summer trumpet institute.
Students in the Musical Theatre Audition Intensive Program work with a team of experienced professionals and university instructors to gain experience in all areas of audition preparation for college and professional theatre training programs.
Franz Liszt's Les Préludes, conducted by Jeffrey S. Kimpton. The final performance of Interlochen Arts Camp 2014, yet just the beginning of a journey for so many of these young artists.
A look back at the first 50 years of the Interlochen Arts Festival, and some of the diverse names who have graced our stages.
After a lifetime surrounded by the music of Nashville, an aspiring musician makes the journey to Interlochen to learn, create, perform and network with his musical peers as part of the singer-songwriter program at Interlochen.
An excerpt from the March 2014 winter dance concert, and just one example of the cross-discipline collaboration that students at the Academy engage in. The performance included music, dance and set design from visual arts.
The Academy Orchestra, under the leadership of Carolyn Watson, Conductor, perform Divertimento for Orchestra by Bernstein. November, 2013.
A performance by students in the Advanced String Quartet summer program.
Three Academy students returned from South Bend, Indiana with silver medals after performing at the 2013 Fischoff Competition, the world's largest chamber music competition.
Video: Piazzolla from "The Four Seasons"
The Y Trio from Interlochen Arts Academy performs the Piazzolla from "The Four Seasons."
Interlochen Arts Academy students perform the first movement allegro from a Debussy string quartet.
Bill Church (IAA '89), Director of Theatre, reflects on what has changed and what has remained constant from his time as an Academy student and now as a member of the faculty.
In the Motion Picture Arts summer program at Interlochen Arts Camp, students from all over the country study screenwriting, production, documentary, and animation.
During the summer, young visual artists from all over the world travel to Interlochen, where they can refine their skills or explore new mediums of expression. Take a look at the students, faculty and creativity that happens in the visual arts program at Interlochen every summer.
Moments from Summer Arts Camp 2013, featuring "An Unbreakable Bond," a poem written by Kylie Lohrenz, Creative Writing, and narrated by Nailah Mathews, Creative Writing.
Interlochen's President, Jeffrey Kimpton, leads viewers on a journey through the accomplishments and advancements of the past ten years.
A video overview of Interlochen College of Creative Arts, which offers arts programs for adults of all ages.
Parents of Interlochen Arts Camp students share their experiences and how Interlochen has shaped their children's lives.
In April 2013, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra visited the Interlochen campus to conclude a months-long partnership with students at Interlochen Arts Academy.
In the summer of 2013, Interlochen Arts Camp launched a new six-week musical theatre program for junior students. The junior musical theatre program helps students build a foundation in acting, dancing and singing.
Video: What is a Word?
Young writers at Interlochen have the rare opportunity to hone own their voices and vision. Meet a few of these writers as they explore the power of language and ideas.
Video: Academy Singer-Songwriters perform "Hold the Floor"
"Hold the Floor" was the first collaborative piece by this group of singer-songwriter program students.
The 2009 Future of Cinema Film Festival took place in May, and featured guest filmmakers Adrian Belic, Logan and Noah Miller, as well as representatives from the ARRI Group, which manufactures cameras and lighting equipment.
Interlochen president Jeffrey Kimpton takes you on a tour of the Mallory-Towsley Center for Arts Leadership, which houses the Interlochen College of Creative Arts.


Iran, officially the "Islamic Republic of Iran" (جمهوری اسلامی ایران), is a country in Western Asia.
The name "Iran", which in Persian means "Land of the Aryans", has been in use natively since the Sassanian era. It came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as "Persia". Both "Persia" and "Iran" are used interchangeably in cultural contexts; however, "Iran" is the name used officially in political contexts.
The 18th-largest country in the world in terms of area, Iran has a population of around 75 million.
It is a country of particular geopolitical significance owing to its location in three spheres of Asia (West, Central, and South). Iran is bordered on the north by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. As Iran is a littoral state of the Caspian Sea, which is an inland sea, Kazakhstan and Russia are also Iran's direct neighbors to the north. Iran is bordered on the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by Iraq and on the northwest by Turkey.
Tehran is the capital, the country's largest city and the political, cultural, commercial and industrial center of the nation. Iran is a regional power and holds an important position in international energy security and world economy as a result of its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas. Iran has the second largest proven natural gas reserves in the world and the fourth largest proven petroleum reserves.


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Giants Add 2 Relievers Before Deadline
The Giants stayed relatively quiet on Saturday as the non-waiver trade deadline came and passed. They did pull the trigger on two small moves in order to bolster their bullpen, adding lefty Javier Lopez from Pittsburgh and righty Ramon Ramierez from the Red Sox.
The Giants and Brian Sabean apparently re-visited the most logical trade options for the team in the hours leading up to the deadline, including re-starting the Corey Hart talks with Millwaukee and they even were in talks regarding a potential 3-way deal involving the D-Backs and Blue Jays that included n ames Kelly Johnson, Jose Bautista, Jason Frasier and Scott Downs. However, in the end, they came to the realization that there just weren't any deals that made enough sense for them to pull the trigger on. Every team wanted either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner, and Brian Sabean wisely kept the team's strength in-tact. Still though, I think he gave up a tad too much in order to get Javier Lopez in here. I like Lopez and believe he'll help this bullpen a lot, but the Giants had to give up Joe Martinez and Jon Bowker. Now, neither of those guys have significant roles with the Giants, so they won't be missed immediately, but both of those guys will end up starting in Pittsburgh. Basically, the Pirates just traded a middle reliever, for a 27 year-old starting pitcher who will go right into their rotation, and a 27 year-old outfielder who should hit 20 hr's per year with a full playing load, to come in and start in right field for them. I'd say the Pirates got the better in this deal in the long-term, although Lopez could provide a Jeremy Affeldt (2009 version) type upgrade to this bullpen if he comes in strong.
I don't quite understand the Ramon Ramirez deal as much as the Lopez trade. The Giants desperately needed another lefty so Lopez was a necessity (Bochy was relegated to using Jonathan Sanchez to get an out in Friday nights game due to no other left-handed options), but Ramirez wasn't exactly dominating in Boston (4.46 era, 1.30 WHIP) and doesn't really appear to be an upgrade over the rest of the right-handers the Giants have in the pen right now. What Sabean is hoping for, is that Ramirez will revert back to his pre-2010 form, when he sported a 2.74 era and a .226 BAA and nearly a K per inning in 140 innings between '08-'09. It's going to be interesting to see what the Giants to in order to make room for Ramirez on the 25-man. Obviously, Lopez will slide into Joe Martinez's spot, but it's not clear on what will happen in order to clear room for Ramirez. If I had to guess, I'd say he replaces Santiago Casilla or Guillermo Mota. Neither has been particularly effective of late, in fact, all the right-handers in the Giants' bully have been hit around a bit lately. The Giants gave up minor league releiver Daniel Turpen, who has had a strong 2010 season in AA.
So, although they still could make a deal before the August 31'st waiver deadline, it appears as if the Giants are content with standing pat, sitting just 2.5 games out of first place in the West and atop the NL Wild Card standings. Somewhat lost in all the trade deadline speculation and rumors, the Giants have also had a few interesting things happen already in the series with LA. Tim Lincecum debuted a new delivery on Friday night, and it resulted in 7 strong innings, 9 strikeouts and his 11th win of the season. Lincecum was backed by Aubrey Huff's 20th jack and Juan Uribe's 15th longball of the year. Aubrey Huff continues to look like the best valued free-agent signing of last offseason, now hitting .313 with 65 RBI and a .959 OPS to go along with his 20 homers, and I really wish Sabean would extend his contract another year already. I'm fairly confident that he's going to become the first left-handed hitting Giant, not named Barry Bonds, to have 30-home run season since the team moved into AT&T Park. He's not discouraged by hitting in this park, and it's tough to find hitters, especially of the left-handed variety, that you can say that about. Only question is whether or not Huff would have interest in coming back. He's having a great year, but he may think that if he were playing in a more hitter friendly yard, he'd be putting up even better numbers. Not to mention, after his big season, he's going to get some lucrative multi-year offers from other clubs.
Giants Have Options as Deadline Nears
The Giants continued their 2nd half magic Wednesday with another extra-inning victory over the Florida Marlins in a wild one, 10-9. And with the way the team has been thriving right now, it must have Brian Sabean in a tough spot, with the trade deadline looming (72 hours and counting), as he decides whether to add or stand pat.
When I saw the headline the other day from MLB Rumors that said the Giants were interested in Scott Podsednik, I was at first surprised, but then I remembered, this is Brian Sabean after all, and when he sets his sights on a player (the Giants have had interest in Podsednik more than once in the past too) he never gives up. What does surprise me, and upsets me to a degree is that he's spending his time focusing on adding a leadoff guy, while Andres Torres (4-6, 1 hr, 3 RBI Wednesday) does all he can to prove himself. I mean, I'm not totally sold on Torres as the future leadoff man for the Giants, but right now, I'd say he's doing an admirable job, and if the Giants are going to add a bat, it should be one that they'd hit in the middle of the order, not at the top. The popular name floating around right now is Jorge Cantu, who's having a less-than stellar .260, 10 HR, 54 RBI campaign with Florida. If that is indeed a target, I'd just assume stand pat. I'd rather give Travis Ishikawa at-bats right now than Cantu to tell you the truth. If they are going to make a move, a few realistic names I'd like Sabean to look at would be another Marlin by the name of Dan Uggla, Pittsburgh's Garrett Jones, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman or Corey Hart, but only if the price is reasonable. I don't really see the Giants having enough or wanting to part with enough to get Prince Fielder, but that rumor just refuses to go away.
An area which the team also needs help at, and an area that has been hurting recently is the bullpen. They've given up 6 runs in this Marlins series alone and all have been crucial runs. I'm not worried about Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo or Denny Bautista, but the rest are expendable if you ask me. What they really need is another lefty, or Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Runzler to each return strong here in the next week or so. Even when Affeldt and Runzler back, this bullpen could use a shot in the arm and some reinforcement. A few guys Sabean has apparently been looking at are Scott Downs and former Giants' top-pick David Aardsma. Relief pitchers are one of the easiest positions to come by this time of year, I just hope the Giants can get a quality one and either of those two guys would fit the bill. As far as guys I'd be stingy with when it comes to trading chips, I came up with a list of 12 Giants' prospects that I'd be extremely cautious with and would only use to obtain a player for the long-term. Here are the names I came up with: OF Thomas Neal, 1B Brandon Belt, OF Francisco Peguero, 2B Charlie Culberson, SS Ehire Adrianza, SP Zach Wheeler, SS Brandon Crawford, OF Roger Kieschnick, c/1B Tommy Joseph, 3B Chris Dominguez, SP Eric Surkamp and SP Jorge Bucardo. Everyone else in the minors in my mind is expendable and a few guys that I think could draw at least some interest are OF Jon Bowker, IF Connor Gillespie, RP Henry Sosa, SS Emmanuel Burris OF Darren Ford, SP Craig Westcott, SP Joe Martinez, RP Jason Stoffel. Of those "expendable" guys, I actually believe Bowker, Stoffel and Burris may have somewhat of a market, and the other guys could be decent deal-sweeteners. Even Jesus Guzman could have some appeal to an AL team desperate for right-handed power off the bench/DH.
The one thing different for Sabean this time around is that he does leverage, this year more so than any in the last 7 years, in that he doesn't really "need" to make a move for the Giants to stay in contention, and other teams can't really hold a gun to his head in negotiations this time around. Should be interesting to see what goes down, I'll certainly be watching closely.
San Francisco Giants: Hottest Team in Baseball?
The second half of the Major League Baseball season is barely 2 weeks old, but since it started, there hasn't been a team hotter than the Giants in all of baseball.
Since the 3 day break, the Giants have gone 9-2, and lost those 2 games by a combined total of 3 runs. It's been the two rookies that have grabbed most of the headlines over the last two weeks, with Buster Posey extending his hitting streak to 18 games on Sunday, and Madison Bumgarner getting stronger with each outing at the big league level. Over that 18 game hitting streak, Posey's hitting .467 with 7 home run and 23 RBI and a 1.300 OPS. Talk about video game numbers! I don't really like making comparisons unless I really see something in a player, but I can't help but be reminded of a right-handed Joe Mauer with even a little more power, when looking at Posey. If Posey can somehow manage to get to the minimum plate appearance number in order to contend for the batting tittle, I'd put my money on him winning it. He's currently sitting at .371 with 178 at-bats and chances are that he will reach that minimum of 450 plate appearances (not sure on exact number needed) that he'd need in order to be eligible for the batting title. I'll tell you this much, he's the hottest hitter on one of the hottest teams in baseball and it's no surprise the Giants are 14-4 over that span. If he doesn't win Rookie of the Month for July, it would be a crime.
The other prominent Giants' rookie to really step up and claim his spot on the 25-man roster for good is Madison Bumgarner. The 20 year-old power lefty was a little bit of an afterthought in Giants fans minds after a sub-par spring and a slow start in the minor leagues, but he's come on strong and is throwing as well now than at any point in his professional career. MadBum won his 4th consecutive start on Saturday, shutting down the Diamondbacks in Arizona with 7 strong innings that included 7 strikeouts. The Giants have to be pleased with the way Bumgarner has responded after taking a couple of tough luck losses in his first 2 starts of the season. A lot of 20-year old's would have lost their confidence and probably let the situation get worse, then ultimately find themselves back in the minor leagues. Instead, Bumgarner stayed focused and positive and all the sudden he's 4-2 a month later. The success of Bumgarner cannot be overlooked, as it really has rounded out, or completed the Giants rotation. For years now the Giants have kept a 5th starter that was basically keeping the seat warm for Bumgarner, and finally, the Giants rotation is flying at full-force, and it's showing. Even with Buster Posey's emergence, and the solid output from Aubrey Huff, without Sandoval and Rowand hitting, the Giants lineup will not be a strength, so for them to be 13 games over .500 at this point is truly a tribute to their pitching staff.
Walking Wounded: The Giants did lose a couple of players to the 15-day DL this weekend. Eugenio Velez took a Pat Burrell line drive off the face in the dugout and even though he ended up OK considered what happened, the Giants will still shelve him for 2 weeks. He's being replaced by Ryan Rohlinger. Joe Martinez also was recalled a few days ago to replace Jeremy Affeldt who has a strained oblique and will miss 2 weeks as well.
Giants Take 3 of 4 From Mets
The Giants offense really started to pick up early in July up until the all-star break, and it looks like they've picked right up where they left off. They started off the 2nd half of the season by taking 3 of 4 from the Mets and like always, got tremendous starting pitching in the process.
Timmy Lincecum started the 2nd half with a complete game shutout on Thursday night, allowing just 6 hits while striking out 5 batters and needing just 110 pitches to get through one of the better lineups in the NL. Lincecum was followed by an even stronger performance by Barry Zito, who allowed just 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 in 8 strong innings to earn his 8th victory of the year. It was a big start for Zito who had hit a rough patch over the last month, and only won 1 game after May 16th. Matt Cain continued to add to the Mets offensive frustration Saturday with 7 strong innings, allowing just 3 hits and 2 runs. The Mets did touch up the Giants bullpen for 2 runs after Cain departed, but Andres Torres, Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval provided all the offense the Giants would need. Torres and Posey each hit their 8th home run of the season and Sandoval had just his 2nd 3-RBI day of the year and first 3-hit day since May 31st. The Mets were able to salvage the fourth game of the series Sunday, although Jonathan Sanchez continued the trend of dominant starting pitching. Sanchez went 7 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts. Unfortunately, the Mets got to Chris Ray and Brian Wilson for a run apiece which ultimately cost the Giants the game and the sweep.
What was a little surprising to me was that Bruce Bochy didn't give Travis Ishikawa some more at bats in the Mets series. Ishi was arguably the hottest Giants' hitter going into the break, and got just 1 start in the 4-game set. He did get the call to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning of Sunday's game with the tying runs in scoring position, and he delivered a game-tying single off of ace closer Francisco Rodriguez which pushed the game into extra innings. Right now, Ishikawa is as hot as any Giant not named Buster Posey or Aubrey Huff, and I think he needs to be given a steady 2 weeks worth of at-bats to see if this hot streak of his is real or not. If it means that Torres, Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell need to rotate in the 2 outfield spots next to Aubrey Huff in order to get Ishi into the lineup more, then so be it. Another positive in giving Ishikawa playing time right now is that he could be showcased as possible trade bait. The July 31st trade deadline is less than 2 weeks away and with the Giants right in the thick of the playoff race, and knowing that they haven't reached the postseason since 2003, something tells me they're going to be active. They may not make an earth shattering addition, but I do think they're going to attempt to upgrade somehow. There just hasn't been a ton of trade talk on the Giants front so far. I mentioned in our last post a list of premiere hitters who could likely be had for the right price, but the only name that has been directly linked to the Giants is the Brewer's Corey Hart. The right fielder would be a very nice add to the Giants lineup, just not sure the Brewers asking price fits with what the Giants are willing to part with.
Up Next: Now the Giants will play host to the sputtering LA Dodgers. The Dodgers just got swept by the Cardinals in St. Louis and only mustered up 9 runs in the 4-game set. I'm stoked to see how Madison Bumgarner does in his first second half start after looking so good in his first couple of starts.... Also, in roster news, the Giants recalled Eugenio Velez and sent down Joe Martinez to make room.
Giants Set to Begin Second Half
The 2nd half of the Major League Baseball season officially begins tonight, and the Giants hope they will pick right up were they left off before the break when they won 6 of 7 and had their offense clicking on all cylinders.
What really kept the Giants afloat for much of the first half was their spectacular starting pitching. All of their starting pitchers have era's below 3.76 and all of them and all should have winning records, although Matt Cain has once again pitched through some terrible luck. For a while there in early-mid June, it looked like 4 of the Giants 5 starters had legit shots at making the all-star team. All of them (besides Todd Wellemeyer) had era's under 3 and had winning records. They were thriving even though they weren't getting consistent run support. Unfortunately, they haven't really been able to get their offense and starting pitching clicking together at the same time. For much of the first half of the year though, the Giants offense has been very inconsistent. It took them a while to find their best leadoff man (Andres Torres) and a couple of their big hitters like Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe really didn't get going until May and June. The guy they were counting on really carrying the offense, Pablo Sandoval, has not been nearly the factor that he was in '08-'09, and I think that was a big reason why the offense was so slow out of the gate. However, ever since Buster Posey's arrival, it seems like the Giants offense has stepped it up a notch.
Posey's emergence has helped equal out the under-performance from Sandoval, and has really solidified the middle of the Giants batting order. That along with the solid outputs they're getting out of Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe has helped shape the best Giants lineup since the early 2000's. Keep in mind also, that they are doing this without Mark DeRosa (out for season with injury) and without getting very much out of Aaron Rowand (.238, 8 HR, 27 RBI). Even though Posey has been a big part of the Giants offensive turnaround, he wasn't the most valuable player for this team in the first half. That honor would have to go to Aubrey Huff, who's quietly put together one of his best halves of his career, and has turned out to be an absolute bargain at $3 million for 2010. Entering the 2nd half, Huff is hitting .295 with 17 bombs and 54 RBI to go with a .921 OPS. There were plenty of people who didn't even think Huff would hit 17 homers all year playing at AT&T Park after hitting just 15 last year with Baltimore. I'd have to say the two biggest contributors and most important pieces to the Giants lineup in half #1 were Huff and Andres Torres. The 31 year-0ld Torres has been huge at the top of the lineup where Aaron Rowand failed so miserably. He's cooled off a little lately, but his .281 average, .378 OBP and 17 steals at the leadoff spot has given the Giants their best production out of that slot since when Ray Durham was used there in his first few years in San Francisco.
It's all going to come down to offense for the Giants in the second half, and that's pretty much what everyone was expecting all along. The trade deadline is just around the corner (July 31st) and the Giants could go out and really put themselves in a good spot with another big bat. Their bullpen is rock solid, and their starting pitching, especially after the arrival of Madison Bumgarner, doesn't need any work. Even their lineup is starting to round into shape, but if they could just get one more corner outfielder, or possibly even a first basemen who could rake, it would really help their chances of winning this division. They may have found that extra bat in one of their own, Travis Ishikawa, who's been on fire since being inserted into the starting lineup. If they're going to go outside the organization, there are a bunch of options out there. A few that come to mind right off the top of my head are Lance Berkman, Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, Dan Uggla and Garrett Jones.
Giants Cruise Into All-Star Break
Heading into July, the Giants were sputtering and fans started to panic a little bit. However, over the last 10 days, the Giants seem to have hit their offensive stride, it's just too bad they did it just in time for the all-star break.
All of the sudden, over the last week, the Giants offense has just exploded. They've scored 53 runs over their last 7 games, good for about 7.5 runs per game, and they've gone 6-1 in that span. One guy who's really flown under the radar in this first half has been huge over the last week, and that guy is Travis Ishikawa. Before July 1st, Ishikawa had just 36 at-bats all year, but since July 1st, he's collected 25 at-bats and has been extremely productive with those ab's (.385 with 1 hr and 8 RBI). Ever since the Giants traded away Bengie Molina, they've they've been working with some extra at-bats and Ishikawa has taken full advantage. So much so, that Giants fans are going to be expecting to see more of him when the Giants resume play on Thursday against the Mets. When Ishikawa plays first, Aubrey Huff has moved back to left-field, which once again takes the bat out of either Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowannd or Andres Torres hand, but with the way Ishi is playing, you have to do it in order to make room. Also, besides his clutch hitting, Ishikawa has always been a plus defender over at first base and although Huff has done a very good job over there this year, having Ishi there really strengthens the infield defense.
Speaking of Aubrey Huff, Giants management has to be pleased with the way his year has gone as we hit the un-official halfway point in the year. I remember before the seasons started, he was asked a ton about how he's going to deal with that huge right field space at AT&T, and early in the season, he had a few balls knocked down out there that would have been home runs almost anywhere else. However, he's showed his veteran savy, and has figured it out. He's hit 9 of his 17 first half home runs at home, and looks to be quite comfortable hitting in the pitcher-friendly confines of this yard. There hasn't been many left-handed power hitters who have come in and had success here, outside of Barry Bonds, but Huff looks to be one of those rare cases. Because of that, I think it would be wise for the Giants to try and extend him another year right now if possible. He's probably going to hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs and will get a multi-year deal somewhere if he hits the market, so why not give him a 1 year, $7 million extension right now if he'd do it. If Ishikawa continues to emerge in the 2nd half of the year and claims first base, then Huff can play the outfield in 2011, as he's shown the ability to do so this year.
Up Next: Up next here at The Giants Baseball Blog, we'll get into our first half review of the Giants season up to the All-Star break and discuss what needs to change in the second half in order for the Giants to win this wide-open division where 4 teams are separated by 4 games or less.
Giants Minor League Report
With the draft in June taking up most of our organizational focus, it's been a couple months since we've had a chance to take a look at whats happening down on the farm with the Giants' minor league affiliates.
Since our last minor league update, the teams top-2 prospects have finally been called-up to the Big Leagues, and I think it's for good this time for both guys. With those two up with the Giants, the guy who has stepped into the spotlight in the minors this year has been Brandon Belt. The 22 year-old put up ridiculous numbers in the first half of the year in San Jose (.383 avg, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 18 SB and a 1.121 OPS in 269 at-bats). Then the 6'5" first basemen got the call-up to AA Richmond last week, and arrived with a bang there as well. In his first 3 games with the Squirrels, he's got 5 hits in 11 at-bats, including 2 more solo home runs. The Eastern League has traditionally been a tough hitters league, so if he can keep this up there, that would be huge. The way Belt has kind of came from under-the-radar to bust out like this really reminds me of the way Pablo Sandoval did it in 2008. He had a few solid years in the minors prior to that year and was a guy on the rise, but nobody saw an offensive explosion to the extent that he showed in '08 at all levels he stopped at. Not saying Belt is going to be the next Panda, but he very well could be the next young successful hitter to join Buster and Pablo up with the Giants at the big league level.
Speaking of hitters, one of the Giants top-5 prospects has really started to turn his season around, and that guy is Thomas Neal. I discussed Neal a bit a few posts back, and even though his overall numbers for the year don't jump out at you (.283, 8 hr, 44 RBI), he really has gotten stronger as the year has gone on. Again, he's in that Eastern League, so I didn't expect big time numbers from him anyway, but was still expecting 20 hr/85 RBI and around a .300 avg and I still think he could make it there. A couple other Giants prospects in AA haven't had quite as much success though. Roger Kieschnick (.251, 4, 23) and Brandon Crawford (.244, 7, 22) and a guy I had some expectations for after the spring he had, Darren Ford (.235, 4, 26, 25 sb) really have struggled all year. I was hoping Crawford would fair a little better, seeing that he's already spent some time in AA prior to this year, but that hasn't been the case. The only real notable arm in AA currently is 22 year-old Clayton Tanner who's been decent, going 4-5 with a 3.28 era and a .239 BAA. Only negative with Tanner is his inability to strike people out. He's got just 39 in 82 innings of work.
Down In San Jose, the Giants have one guy I'm keeping tabs on, somebody who's been in the system for a few years now, but just turned 21, and that guy is Charlie Culberson. The 2nd basemen has really found his swing in his 4th professional season. It's kind of a surprise too, because prior to this years breakout (.322, 10 hr, 51 RBI, 12 sb, .894 OPS) he was carrying a career minor league average of .254 and had only 6 home runs in nearly 1000 minor league at-bats. The rest of the young Giants prospects, and most of the guys who were taken in the '09 draft are with low-A Augusta. Third basemen Chris Dominguez, who I really liked when the Giants took him in the third round last year, is hitting .275 with 12 homers and 53 RBI. 2nd rounder Thomas Joseph hasn't been quite as good, but has been heating up and has 9 homers and 44 RBI on the year (.325 with 3 jacks and 7 RBI in his last 10 games). Zach Wheeler has been out since the middle of May, so there's nothing new to talk about with him, but he's scheduled to return after the all-star break, so hopefully we'll be seeing the 6th overall choice from 2009 back in action very soon. Also, although he's not in Augusta, Emmanuel Burris has come back from his groin injury and has started off well in Fresno now giving the Giants a versatile and speedy middle infield option if they need one in a pinch.
Giants Deal Bengie Molina to Texas
The Giants traded away one of their longest tenured position players on team, sending Bengie Molina to the Texas Rangers for reliever Chris Ray and a minor leaguer.
Bengie wasn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball lately, and started to lose more and more playing time after Buster Posey was called up towards the end of May. He'll always be remembered best for his clutch hitting, leadership and his ability to catch and call a very good game. A big reason why the Giants signed him to come back this year was because of the way he has handled their young staff and nurtured these guys along. He's been basically the only catcher the Giants' young arms (Cain, Lincecum, Sanchez, Bumgarner) have ever thrown to at this level and although I expect them to be fine on their own, they now have a new responsibility with Bengie Molina no longer back there for them. Eli Whiteside got the first start back there on Wednesday, but I fully expect Buster Posey to be the everyday catcher for this team by the end of the year. They still may play him a couple times a week at first base to keep his legs fresh, but he's going to be behind the plate more often than not.
The Molina trade also opens up the outfield log-jam a little bit. It will allow Aubrey Huff to return to first base full-time, leaving the 4-man rotation of Pat Burrell, Andres Torres, Aaron Rowand and Nate Schierholtz to carry the load. Unfortunately, this means Aaron Rowand gets his full-time gig in center back, which really is hurting the lineup with this funk he's in. The Giants just don't have many other options right now outside of Rowand though. Schierholtz isn't really hitting, and even though John Bowker keeps tearing up the PCL, he can't seem to get it together each time he gets called up to the show. The one guy who I'm keeping an eye on is a prospect who's been mentioned here plenty in the past, and that is Thomas Neal. He started off slowly in AA ball, bat has really come around of late. In his last 10 games in AA, he's hitting .341 with 4 homers, 12 RBI and a 1.107 OPS. In one of those games, he hit 3 home runs in 5 at-bats. Now, he's not getting a call-up anytime soon, but if this is a sign of things to come, he could definitely be on the radar come August.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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LAS VEGAS, Nevada, October 19, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Hillary Clinton defended partial-birth abortion within minutes of the beginning of the third and final presidential debate.
"Roe v. Wade very clearly sets out that there can be regulations on abortion so long as the life and health of the mother are taken into account and when I voted as a senator, I did not think that that was a case," Clinton told moderator Chris Wallace, who asked about her record of voting in favor of partial-birth abortion.
"If you go with what Hillary is saying, in the ninth month, you can take the baby and rip the womb out of of the mother, just prior to the birth of the baby," Trump retorted. "Now, you can say that that's okay, and Hillary can say that that's okay, but it's not okay with me because based on what she's saying...You can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month on the final day, and that's not acceptable."
Clinton responded, "That is not what happens in these kind of cases, and using that kind of scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate." However, she admitted, "this is one of the worst possible choices any woman and her family has to make."
Clinton proceeded to compare forced abortion with birth, the natural end of pregnancy.
"I've been to countries where governments either forced women to have abortions like they used to do in China or force women to bear children like they used to do in Romania," she said. "And I can tell you the government has no business in the decisions that women make with their families in accordance with their faith, with medical advice, and I will stand up for that right."
"And honestly, nobody has business doing what I just said--doing that as late as one or two or three or four days prior to birth," Trump said in reply.
During the first few minutes of the debate, Clinton also promised to stand with America's largest abortion chain, Planned Parenthood, and to prioritize support for Roe v. Wade and "marriage equality" in her selection of Supreme Court justices.
Information about abortion procedures can be found here.


The IRS is dropping its proposal that would suggest those giving large donations to nonprofits and charities to provide a social security number.
The IRS introduced the amendment in September as a means to better "store, maintain and readily retrieve" taxpayer information.
However, nonprofits lashed out against the proposed changes, saying that most small charities would not equipped to securely store databases of social security numbers, leaving the information open to hackers.
Nonprofits were also concerned that the proposed amendments would result in a sharp decrease in large gifts from wary donors. Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, told Scripps in December that he would expect a sharp increase in $249.99 donations if the amendments passed.
The IRS took suggestions on the proposed changes until mid-December. The measure received nearly 38,000 comments , many of them from concerned members of nonprofits.
Score a win for the nation's charities and their donors and a loss for the Obama Administration's IRS.


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Police officers plan to set up a DUI Checkpoint at an undisclosed location this weekend, as part of an effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities, according to a press release issued by the Citrus Heights Police Department. Officers from the CHPD Traffic Unit will be stopping drivers who pass through the checkpoint and checking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. and continuing until 2 a.m. Officers will also be checking for valid driver's licenses, and "will strive to delay motorists only momentarily," according to the release. CHPD acquires funding for its checkpoints through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and has found the results to be successful -- with the Department reporting that its last checkpoint resulted in two DUI-suspect arrests, 15 citations and three impounded vehicles. The six-hour checkpoint was held on August 1 and screened 820 cars at the intersection of Greenback Lane and Birdcage Street.
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By Mike Hazlip— Citrus Heights police are asking the public for help in identifying a suspect in an attempted armed robbery that occurred two month ago.
DUI Checkpoint Planned in Citrus Heights
Police officers plan to set up a DUI Checkpoint at an undisclosed location this weekend, as part of an effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities, according to a press release issued by the Citrus Heights Police Department.
Officers from the CHPD Traffic Unit will be stopping drivers who pass through the checkpoint and checking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. and continuing until 2 a.m. Officers will also be checking for valid driver's licenses, and "will strive to delay motorists only momentarily," according to the release.
CHPD acquires funding for its checkpoints through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and has found the results to be successful — with the Department reporting that its last checkpoint resulted in two DUI-suspect arrests, 15 citations and three impounded vehicles. The six-hour checkpoint was held on August 1 and screened 820 cars at the intersection of Greenback Lane and Birdcage Street.
"The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes," the release reads. "Research shows that crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough."
The Department is also planning a "DUI Patrol Saturation" for September 1, as part of its ongoing effort to reduce accidents and fatalities in Citrus Heights.
Like local news? Sign up for The Sentinel's free Weekend Edition to get one email each Sunday with all local news and no spam, ever. (Click here)
Citrus Heights Police Arrest 3 in Weekend DUI Checkpoint


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Alonzo Church memoir
Title: Alonzo Church memoir
Creator: Coulter, E. Merton (Ellis Merton)
Creator: Mitchell, William L. (William Letcher)
Inclusive Dates: 1865, 1976
Extent: 1 folder(s)
Repository: University of Georgia Archives
Alonzo S. Church was born April 9, 1793 and died May 18, 1862. Alonzo Church joined the faculty at the University of Georgia as a professor of Mathematics while a Presbyterian minister. He later became president of the University of Georgia from 1829-1859. A stern disciplinarian, Church's puritanical ethos clashed with the student body, resulting in periods of campus unrest in each decade of his tenure. Additionally, he clashed with Joseph and John LeConte who refused to serve as disciplinarians of the student body. This series of confrontations led to an erosion of attendance. As a result of the crisis, a commission was formed which produced the Mitchell Report of November 1855. They advocated the creation of a school of science, law, teacher education, and agriculture, as well as the addition of a professor of modern languages to the faculty.
William Letcher Mitchell was a professor of law at the University of Georgia School of Law.
The collection consists of a memoir of Alonzo Church, D. D. (1793-1862) minister and former president of the University of Georgia, was written by William L. Mitchell for Reverend John S. Wilson and the Presbyterian Synod of Georgia on 20 September 1865, as part of the Synod's project "to prepare a memorial record of each one of the ministerial members who have departed this life since the erection of the Synod." Included in this collection is a Xerox of an early typescript of the original, a recent typescript, copy of a cover letter to Dr. E. M. Coulter, and note from Dr. Coulter pertaining to the memoir. This memoir, although somewhat fragmentary, is an important record of the life of Alonzo Church, his university policies and administration, and, by inference, Athens during the antebellum period.
Alonzo Church memoir, ms1051, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.
Athens (Ga.) -- History.
Church, Alonzo
College presidents -- Georgia.
Coulter, E. Merton (Ellis Merton)
Presbyterian Church -- Clergy.
Presbyterian Church -- Georgia.
Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.. Synod of Georgia
University of Georgia -- Administration-- History--19th century
University of Georgia -- Presidents--Biography
Wilson, John S. (John Simpson)
1 1 Memoir


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Posted by Chris Copeland on Jan 12th, 2021
SYNNEX (NYSE:SNX) posted its quarterly earnings data on Sunday. The business services provider reported $5.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.83 by $1.38, Briefing.com reports. SYNNEX had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 2.06%. The business had revenue of $7.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.26 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year.
NYSE SNX traded up $0.54 on Tuesday, reaching $88.23. 35,259 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 523,133. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.52. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $95.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $123.28. The company has a market cap of $4.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.40, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.51. SYNNEX has a 12 month low of $21.25 and a 12 month high of $89.86.
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Several equities research analysts recently commented on SNX shares. TheStreet cut SYNNEX from a "b-" rating to a "c" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus downgraded SYNNEX from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $156.00 to $85.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 8th. Loop Capital raised their price target on SYNNEX from $140.00 to $170.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Barrington Research dropped their target price on SYNNEX from $160.00 to $90.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 9th. Finally, Smith Barney Citigroup lifted their target price on SYNNEX from $95.00 to $100.00 in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. The stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $118.11.
In related news, insider Michael Urban sold 350 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.76, for a total value of $51,016.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 10,610 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,546,513.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Kevin M. Murai sold 4,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.62, for a total value of $665,252.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 8,358 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,208,733.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 23,153 shares of company stock valued at $3,352,059. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
SYNNEX Company Profile
SYNNEX Corporation provides business process services in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Technology Solutions and Concentrix. The Technology Solutions segment distributes peripherals; information technology systems, including data center servers and storage solutions; system components; software; networking, communications, and security equipment; consumer electronics; and complementary products.
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Brig. Gen. Mark Yenter, commander, Pacific Ocean Division, left, passes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers command colors to Lt. Col. Douglas Guttormsen, commander, Honolulu District, during the COE-Honolulu District change of command ceremony held Friday on Palm Circle, Fort Shafter. FORT SHAFTER — Lt. Col. Douglas Guttormsen became the 67th commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Honolulu District in a military ceremony held Friday, on historic Palm Circle, here.
Brig. Gen. Mark Yenter, commander, COE-Pacific Ocean Division, hosted the ceremony during which outgoing commander, Lt. Col. Jon Chytka, and incoming commander, Guttormsen, passed the ceremonial flag symbolizing the official change of command.
During the ceremony, Guttormsen and his family were presented with fresh flower lei, a Hawaiian symbol of welcome. The Chytka family also received lei as a tribute to their service, here.
Chytka will be the deputy commander of the COE-Afghanistan Engineer District North in Kabul, Afghanistan.
During his tenure, Chytka met the challenge of successfully leading the district in executing all mission requirements: military construction, civil works, international and interagency services, real estate, regulatory, environmental services and emergency management support.
Chytka led a highly motivated staff in support of U.S. Army military construction, transformation and grow-the-Army initiatives at Hawaii Army posts, including barracks renewal on Wheeler Army Airfield, the renovation of several historic quadrangles on Schofield Barracks, construction of several new Army training facilities at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island of Hawaii, the initial construction of the Schofield-to-Helemano trail and Drum Road, and the start of construction for a new Army Reserve Center and warehouse on Fort Shafter Flats.
U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, the Corps and contractor Nan Inc. also joined forces under Chytka's tenure to construct a six-story, state-of-the-art, energy-efficient barracks at Fort Shafter.
During Chytka's tour, the district awarded the contract for architect-engineer services for the design of the future headquarters of U.S. Army-Pacific.
Under Chytka's leadership, the district continued military construction support for the Air Force's C-17 bed-down initiative, which included the completion of a clear-water rinse facility, a parking ramp, the first new flight line hangar at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, since the 1930s, and construction of the Distributed Common Ground Systems facility.
The district also completed the construction of a brand new, state-of-the-art hydrant fueling system at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to service C-17 and other aircrafts.
Through Chytka's initiative, the district stood up, fully staffed and deployed the inaugural 565th Engineering Detachment, better known as a Forward Engineering Support Team, and provided extensive design, cost-engineering, personnel and reach-back support to other districts within POD.
During Chytka's tour, the district provided significant civil works support to the state of Hawaii, successfully completing a dredging and shoreline enhancement project at Kikiaola Harbor in Kaui; completing repairs to deep draft harbor breakwater in Port Allen, Kaui; expanding the Ala Wai watershed study; and providing technical information on various shoreline configurations for the Waikiki Natatorium study.
For his outstanding work and contributions at Honolulu District, Chytka received the Meritorious Service Medal.
Guttormsen comes to the district after serving as the operations officer for the 130th Engineer Brigade at Schofield Barracks.
He will command an organization of about 370 engineers, scientists and support staff serving the Pacific region, including Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Kwajalein.
The district's current program is valued at about $2 billion.


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Q: Making my android app become faster I'm currently making my second android app using android studio.
And for some reason I feel that each time an OnClick method is called which is swiching between intent there's a delay of about half a second before it starts proccessing.
This fact makes my app not that smoothly.
An example:
@Override
    public void onClick(View view) {
        switch (view.getId()){
            case R.id.mButton:
                startActivity(new Intent(this,devPage.class));
                break;
    }

So, I wanted to ask whether if this is the common way to swich layout?
And if there's is a different click event which has shorter response time?
And if you have any tips for making app perfomance better I would like to hear.
Thank you very much for your time!

A: First - What kind of device are you using, if you're using the emulator, you need to consider that this is not the actual device and it can run much faster in one,
Second - try to declare the intent before
public void onClick(View v) {

Intent intentShipmentOut = new Intent(getApplicationContext(),ClassName.class);
startActivity(intentShipmentOut);
}

A: I used the Android Monitor and saw that my app was using much allocation memory to make it flow slower than I wanted.
In addition my code was complexed, and I managed to make it simple with the same result.
I am not sure if its true but each time I'm switching intents I also call finish() method to free the unneeded activities.


Our cognitive abilities and decision-making skills can be dramatically hindered in social settings where we feel that we are being ranked or assigned a status level, such as classrooms and work environments, according to new findings from a team of researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and four other institutions. The finding flies in the face of long-held ideas about intelligence and cognition that regard IQ as a stable, predictive measure of mental horsepower.
\"You may joke about how committee meetings make you feel brain-dead, but our findings suggest that they may make you act brain-dead as well,\" says Read Montague, director of the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory and Computational Psychiatry Unit at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and corresponding author on the paper.
At the outset, all of the subjects did worse than expected on this \"ranked group IQ task.\" But some of the subjects, dubbed High Performers, were able to improve over the course of the test while others, called Low Performers, continued to perform below their expected level. By the end of the computer-based test, the scores of the Low Performers dropped an average of 17.4 points compared to their performance on the paper-and-pencil test.
\"What we found was that sensitivity to the social feedback of the rankings profoundly altered some people\'s ability to express their cognitive capacity,\" Quartz says. \"So we get this really quite dramatic downward spiraling of one group purely because of their sensitivity to this social feedback.\" Since so much of our learning—from the classroom to the work team—is socially situated, this study suggests that individual differences in social sensitivity may play an important role in shaping human intelligence over time.
Throughout the 20th century, IQ was used in different arenas as a way of sorting or classifying people into niches. Because people believed it to be a more abstract notion of cognitive ability, it was thought to have strong predictive validity of mental capabilities even from age six. But IQ was always measured in social isolation. \"That reflects a long tradition of intellectual history, of considering rationality and cognition to be this isolated process,\" Quartz says. \"But one of the things that we\'re learning more and more in social neuroscience is the role of our social contexts and the social adaptation of the brain.\" Understanding the role social context plays and its differential impact on the brain may ultimately help educators and others to design more effective learning environments.
In addition to Quartz and Montague, additional authors on the paper, \"Implicit signals in small group settings and their impact on the expression of cognitive capacity and associated brain responses,\" are Kenneth Kishida of Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Dongni Yang of the Baylor College of Medicine, and Karen Hunter Quartz of the University of California, Los Angeles. Montague is also affiliated with the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging in London. The work was funded by the Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellowship, the Kane Family Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.


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Cannabis Lube Could Be the Secret to More Female Orgasms
Written by Annie Gabillet
Women are getting screwed in the bedroom. A recent survey identified a "pleasure gap" present in many heterosexual relationships. In the survey, 91 percent of men said they climaxed during their last sexual encounter, compared to only 64 percent of women. Men also didn't seem aware of the discrepancy: 85 percent of them said that their last female partner had in fact orgasmed. Luckily, a clued-in partner and some innovative sex products can change this. Specifically, the emerging cannabis wellness market is addressing female sexual pleasure. And cannabis lube might just help women achieve orgasm equality.
Why Cannabis Lube Is Different than Regular Lube
Instead of compensating for a lack of natural vaginal lubrication, cannabis lube is designed to encourage arousal. In other words, these products can actually turn you on. "When THC is absorbed vaginally, it works as a vasodilator, enhancing sensation and increasing blood flow," explained Rachel Washtien, co-founder of the intimate oil company Quim Rock. "Whereas traditional personal lubricants work as supplements to your natural lubrication, cannabis infused lubricants actually increase your body's natural vaginal lubrication," she said. The result is less pain and more pleasure.
This innovation could be the female answer to Viagra, which has been used to enhance male sexual arousal for decades. Viagra leads to an influx of blood flow to the penis. "Similarly, our intimate oil leads to an increase of blood flow to the female sex organs, creating the increased libido effects that exist in so many male-focused products," Rachel Washtien said.
Cannabis Content & Media Photographer Jennifer Skog
How Cannabis Lube Works
Research has shown that marijuana may have a positive impact on your sex drive. Quim Rock's intimate oil combines the aphrodisiac powers of cannabis with tea tree to create a sensual and therapeutic formula. In fact, their cannabis lube only has three ingredients: coconut oil, cannabis oil, and tea tree oil. According to Washtien, this final product will increase your libido, enhance sensation, and increase natural lubrication. But the tea tree oil also makes it a vaginal health supplement that can help prevent UTIs and yeast infections.
So how does cannabis lube make you feel during sex? Ashley Manta, who runs the lifestyle brand The Cannasexual, describes the sensation as mildly cooling. "After waiting the recommended amount of time, she said, "I used a vibrator and had an explosive and powerful orgasm. Then another." Even women who don't typically need a lubricant are fans of the heightened sensitivity. As for male partners, the penis does not absorb cannabis the same way as the vagina. But it may give a partner a light buzz if they perform oral sex on a woman who has applied it. And it is rapidly absorbed through the anus.
The Difference Between Cannabis Lube and Regular Lube (Aside From the Obvious)
Unlike regular lube, which you would likely apply right before you have intercourse, cannabis lube can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes to kick in. Quim Rock's Washtien likes to think of it as foreplay for your foreplay. "Our cannabis infused lubricant is intended to be used not only during sex, like most commercial lubes, but at any point to set the mood," Washtien explained.
"Women are able to have a real experience of pleasure rather than focusing on the goal of orgasm," explained Dr. Shannon Chavez, a sex therapist in LA who recommends cannabis lube to her patients. "There is a mind-body connection when it comes to sex and a big mental barrier for women is getting in the mood and feeling erotic," she continued. Dr. Chavez believes that when a woman has positive sexual experiences with the aid of cannabis products she will have more overall sexual desire and awareness around her own needs. "Positive sexual experiences lead to more pleasure and libido," she said.
Cannabis Pleasure Products to Try
Quim Rock's current offerings are oil-based, but they're planning to expand the product line soon to incorporate products that can be used with latex condoms. The brand Foria also has a cannabis-infused intimate massage oil (called Pleasure) available in California, Colorado, and Canada. In addition, Foria's Awaken line is available worldwide, since it doesn't have any psychoactive properties.
Image via dosist
If you're looking for other ways to work weed into your sexual routine, check out dosist. While it's not cannabis lube, dosist creates vaporizer pens that deliver a precise dosage of cannabis for a specific effect. Among their offerings are arouse by dosist and passion by dosist, created to enhance sensuality. With so many options available, you can do your part to close the pleasure gap.
Featured image by Núria Estremera
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Annie Gabillet
Annie Gabillet is a freelance journalist living in San Francisco. As a former editorial director at PopSugar, Annie helped launch various sites, including their sex and culture vertical. And in 2016, she went to the White House to interview First Lady Michelle Obama about her legacy. When she's not working on lifestyle features, Annie writes about her passion for clean beauty on her website: https://safemakeupproject.com/
Pingback: Destigmatizing Sex With an Orgasm-Tracking Vibrator


The before school morning program is running again this Spring.
Located in the Burkland gym starting March 1stgoing through May 5th.
They meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 7:55-8:40.
school to help get their brains focused throughout the day!
continue to be active during the winter and spring months!
two age groups and will compete for the best time in swimming, biking, and running distances.
Ages 11-13: 200 yard swim, 6 mile bike, and 1 mile run.
Also a great trampoline park!
Ice Skating ~ 306 calories per hour!
Sledding ~ 408 calories per hour!
Cross Country Skiing ~ 408 calories per hour!
Building a Snowperson ~ 285 calories per hour!
Having a Snowball Fight ~ 319 calories per hour!
Making a Snow Angel ~ 107 calories per 30 minutes!


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Tigers World Cup for supporters
Leicester Tigers are organising a number of events for supporters at Welford Road during the Rugby World Cup period.Ahead of kick-off in the World Cup, Tigers are planning a pre-season home fixture on Saturday, August 29 and then Welford Road hosts international rugby with the Marcos Ayerza Testimonial Challenge between Leicester Tigers and Los Pumas on the opening weekend of September just two weeks before the Argentina squad open their own World Cup against the All Blacks. England 2015 will attract rugby fans from around the world during September and October, and Tigers will be opening the doors to all supporters for events around England fixtures and matches being played in the city. All of England's fixtures in the pool stages will be shown live on the big screens in the Final Whistle at Welford Road. To assist the club in preparing catering and staffing, entry for supporters is £2 but this is redeemable against food and refreshments inside. Tigers are also organising exclusive World Cup dinners hosted by one of the club's former international players and includes special World Cup entertainment. Tickets for these events are £25 adults and £10 juniors for season ticket holders, and £30/£15 for all other supporters. Tickets for the big screen and dinner events are already available now at the Tigers ticket office or online by clicking here. The club are also planning Tigers World Cup days for supporters at Welford Road around the fixtures being hosted in the city. Join us at our Tigers World Cup fanzone on Sunday, October 4 on the way to the match between Argentina and Tonga, and share our Tigers Open Day on Sunday, October 11 when Argentina face Namibia at Leicester City. The Kings of the North fixtures involving Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks start during the knockout stages of the World Cup. The first Welford Road fixture is against Newcastle Falcons on the weekend of September 19 will include the return of Tigers In The Park, a family community event based at the stadium and at Nelson Mandela Park opposite. Kings of the North fixtures are included in Tigers season tickets 2015/16. Match ticket details for all other supporters will be announced soon. Check the Tigers club website for more details soon.


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