Buy MJ merchandise and catalog, to show he still he'll be the biggest selling of the year.
'The Man Behind The Dance' New MJ Documentary by LaVelle Smith Jr.
Are The Dr Freeze Sessions Vocally The Best Of MJ's Career?
Anthony Pellicano released from prison - do you expect him to sell out Michael Jackson?


In additional to this, there will be a £3 fee for each visit.
If you are only intending to use our services once or twice a year, you don't need to pay the annual charge. You just pay £5 for the first 4 hours of each visit, after which the charge will be increased to £8. If you go over the paid time you should pay the additional £3 on your return.
Wheelchair hire will be charged at £5 per day with a £20 deposit.
Scooter hire will be charged at £10 per day with a £150 deposit.
Yes you can borrow a wheelchair. Pop into the office between 0915 and 1630 today and they'll sort you out. If you are not an existing customer you will need to join so bring some ID showing your address. It will cost £15 to join plus £10 for the weekend hire and a £20 refundable deposit. We take cheques or cash but not cards. Any questions please ring 01895271510.


text:
Intentional fatal metallic phosphide poisoning in a dog—a case report
Andras-Laszlo Nagy1,
Pompei Bolfa2,
Marian Mihaiu3,
Cornel Catoi4,
Adrian Oros1,
Marian Taulescu4 &
Flaviu Tabaran4
Metallic phosphides are extremely toxic pesticides that are regulated in their usage. Information concerning the impact of metallic phosphides on human health is abundant. Data regarding the clinical pathology of phosphide poisoning in humans or domestic and wild animals is largely incomplete with only a few cases of metallic phosphide poisoning being reported every year, especially in humans. For the majority of cases reported in dogs the data are vague or incomplete. Here we report a complete and detailed description of pathological changes in a case of intentional metallic phosphide poisoning in a dog including an exhaustive examination of the brain.
A 1 year old, male, Belgian Shepherd crossbreed dog with a clean medical history and no observed clinical signs prior to death, was submitted for post mortem examination. The dog was found dead by the owner. Near the body a suspect mix of bread, fat and a blackish powder was found. The owner announced the authorities and submitted the animal and the possible bait for forensic examination. At necropsy, multisystemic necrotic and degenerative lesions were observed. Histological exam confirmed the presence of necrotic and degenerative lesions of variable severity in all of the examined organs. The toxicological forensic examination revealed the presence of the phosphine gas in the gastric content and the bait.
Metallic phosphide poisoning is a rarely reported entity, since the diagnosis of intentional poisoning with these compounds is a great challenge for forensic pathologists and toxicologists. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing the lesions completely in veterinary forensic toxicology. We assume that the toxic shows systemic endotheliotropism and damage of the endothelial cells responsible for the hemorrhagic lesions and for the secondary ischemic necrosis in various organs. This report will contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis in cases of acute metallic phosphide exposure in animals.
Metallic phosphides are effective rodenticides and insecticides widely used for over 100 years for the control of pests and to protect grain [1, 2]. Due to their toxicity to humans and domestic animals, the use of metallic phosphides (such as zinc and aluminum phosphides) is strictly regulated, being restricted to certified applicators. Following oral and inhalation exposures, metallic phosphides are classified as category I toxicants (high toxicity) in the United States of America [3] and acute toxicity category II (acute tox. 2) in the European Union [4]. In the past, before rigorous regulations were implemented, technical products were sold in shops, the baits for rodents were prepared directly by the consumers, a fact that led to accidental deaths in small children and pets. Moreover, numerous cases of suicide were reported [1].
Because of their extensive use as high efficient grain fumigant and rodenticide, low price and permissive legislation over the past two decades, a dramatic increase of human casualties following accidental or suicidal ingestion of phosphide pesticides was observed in developing countries as India and Iran [5–7]. Even if the information concerning metallic phosphides impact on human health is abundant, data regarding the incidence and clinical pathology of phosphide poisoning in domestic and wild animals is largely incomplete. This is mainly because the toxicosis is not well recognized by veterinarians, because the clinical signs and symptoms are nonspecific [8]. Moreover, reports of pathological changes in dogs poisoned with metallic phosphides are often vague and limited to gross descriptions or generally incomplete due to examination of only one or a few organs.
Here we describe the detailed post mortem, histopathological and toxicological findings from a dog that died following metallic phosphide poisoning.
A 1-year-old male, Belgian Shepherd crossbreed dog with a clean medical history and no observed clinical signs prior to death, was submitted for post mortem examination, to the Pathology Department of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The owner went to work in the morning, left the dog in the yard, and found him dead approximately 7 h later. Near the body there was a suspect mix of bread, fat and a blackish powder (Fig. 1). Since it was the third dog found dead over the last 5 years in the same yard, by the same owner, he announced the veterinary authorities and submitted the animal and the possible bait for forensic examination. Written informed consent was obtained from the owner of the dog for the publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Gross aspect of the bait, a mix of bread, fat and a blackish powder
A complete post mortem and histopathological examination were undertaken less than 24 h after death. For histology, the samples were fixed in 10 % buffered neutral formalin, embedded in paraffin, and 4micrometers sections were made. The slides stained with Hematoxylin–Eosin (H&E) stain. From the brain 5 coronal sections were made, starting from the frontal lobe to the cerebellum as previously recommended [9]. Thus, section 1 was through the telencephalon, section 2 interested the telencephalon and the anterior region of the diencephalon, section 3 and 4 were taken through the telencephalon and the posterior region of the diencephalon while section 5 was made through the metencephalon. The brain tissue slides were stained with H&E and Cresyl violet.
Gross postmortem examination revealed multisystemic necrotic, haemorrhagic and degenerative lesions. In the proximal digestive tract (oral cavity, esophagus and stomach) a partially digested, haemorrhagic material was observed as a result of hematemesis. The stomach mucosa was severely congested, presenting in the fundic and pyloric regions multiple, acute erosions and approximately 200 ml of digested blood (Fig. 1a). The liver was enlarged, friable, and congested, presenting multifocal large foci of acute necrosis and haemorrhage (Fig. 1d). Kidneys were enlarged and congested. In the heart multifocal areas of myocardial necrosis and haemorrhages were seen, with one area visible close to the apex (Fig. 1g) and on the pericardium. In the brain, grossly meningeal congestion was the most striking feature (Fig. 2a). Multifocal petechial or ecchymotic haemorrhages were also observed in the parietal pleura and mediastinum. Severe bilateral pulmonary edema and petechial haemorrhages on the surface of the lungs were also observed (Fig. 2d), with presence of a frothy reddish fluid in the trachea (alveolar edema). Multifocal petechial haemorrhages were also visible in the cranial mediastinum, in the area of the thymus.
Gross and microscopic changes associated with acute metallic phosphide poisoning in the stomach, liver and heart. a Stomach, grossly there was diffuse congestion of the gastric mucosa, acute erosions in the fundic region and presence of digested blood covering the mucosa; (b) Stomach, diffuse congestion in the submucosa; most blood vessels are polled with red blood cells (H&E stain, original magnification 100X); (c) Stomach, superficial epithelial necrosis with desquamation; a few neutrophils and lymphocytes are visible adjacent to the eroded areas (H&E stain, original magnification 200X); (d) Liver, grossly the organ was congested, friable with multifocal areas of hemorrhage and necrosis; (e) Liver, microvesicular steatosis in the central area, diffusely congested sinusoid capillaries; in the center and in the upper left side of the image, clusters of inflammatory cells are visible (predominantly neutrophils); at the periphery (right side and upper left side of image) a mixture of coagulative necrosis and haemorrhage is observed (H&E stain, original magnification 200X); (f) Liver, central area of acute coagulative necrosis with loss of nuclei surrounded by congestion and haemorrhage (H&E stain, original magnification 200X); (g) Heart, apex, an area of myocardial necrosis and haemorrhage; (h) Heart, myocardial necrosis characterized by homogenization of sarcoplasm with loss of cross striations and micro haemorrhages(H&E stain, original magnification 200X); (i) Heart, fragmentation and loss of myocardial fibers, necrosis of the capillaries walls and haemorrhage (H&E stain, original magnification 400X)
During the post mortem examination, samples of gastric content and urine were collected and submitted along with the presumptive bait for toxicological examination to the national reference laboratory of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Agency of Romania in Cluj-Napoca. The silver nitrate test was used for the identification of the phosphine gas from the mix of bread, fat and a blackish powder as well as from the gastric content [10].
The predominant histopathologic finding in the stomach was severe congestion in the lamina propria and submucosa (Fig. 1b) and superficial epithelial necrosis with desquamation (Fig. 1c). In the liver, we observed: multifocal, acute coagulative necrosis with a few infiltrating neutrophils and macrophages (Fig. 1e) as well as multifocal areas of haemorrhage (Fig. 1f) and mild microvesicular mid-lobular steatosis. The renal cortex showed acute, diffuse tubular necrosis as the main histological finding, sometimes with loss or pyknotic nuclei or with discrete intracellular edema and mild vacuolar degeneration. The hearth showed multifocal areas of myocardial necrosis with loss of striations, fragmentation of myocardial fibers, degenerated nuclei and disrupted capillaries with consecutive haemorrhages (Fig. 2h and i). In the brain the most consistent change was congestion of blood vessels of all sizes (Fig. 2b). Multifocally the endothelium of small or medium sized blood vessels was discontinued resulting in discrete areas of haemorrhage, especially at the level of the telencephalon (Fig. 2c). Mild gliosis was observed multifocally throughout the different areas analysed (Fig. 2b) with no evidence of neuronal injury (Fig. 2c – inset). In the lung parenchyma histologically there was diffuse pulmonary congestion and edema, multifocal areas of capillary necrosis and consecutive haemorrhages (Fig. 3e and f). Overall, the histopathological lesions showed systemic endotheliotropism of the toxic evidenced by necrosis of blood vessels and consecutive haemorrhages as well as areas of ischemic necrosis of parenchymatous cells of different organs such as the liver, kidney or myocardium.
Gross and microscopic changes associated with acute metallic phosphide poisoning in the brain and lungs. a Brain, acute, diffuse meningeal congestion; (b) Brain, at the level of the telencephalon, small sized blood vessels are congested and there is mild gliosis (H&E stain, original magnification 100X); (c) Brain, an area of hemorrhage is observed (H&E stain, original magnification 200X), The inset shows a viable neuron with presence of Nissl substance (Cresyl violet stain, original magnification 1000X); (d) Lung, grossly, acute severe, diffuse pulmonary congestion, edema and multifocal petechial to ecchymotic hemorrhages are visible on the surface; (e) Lung, alveoli, congestion and hemorrhage with thickening of interalveolar septa (H&E stain, original magnification 200X); (f) Lung, severe, diffuse, alveolar congestion, edema and multifocal haemorrhage (H&E stain, original magnification 100X)
The toxicological examination confirmed the presence of the phosphine gas in the gastric content and in the bait. The urine was tested negative for the presence of phosphines.
The current report describes pathological and toxicological findings in an intentional poisoning with metallic phosphides in a dog. Poisoning with metallic phosphides in dogs can be accidental by direct ingestion of bait for different pests or by eating tissues of metallic phosphide-poisoned animals or it can be intentional. The forensic necropsy report has to be complete and clear and needs to contain all the information that may be relevant to a court case. The toxicity of these compounds is mainly due to the phosphine gases (PH3-known as phosphorus trihydride or hydrogen phosphide) liberated in contact with water and hydrochloric acid from the stomach [1]. Phosphine gas can be liberated even after the phosphides interact with the moisture in the air, or with the moist of the respiratory epithelium. Therefore acute poisoning with these compounds can occur after direct ingestion of metallic phosphides or indirect inhalation of the phosphine gas. Although in humans the phosphines are reported to produce toxicity following inhalation and oral exposure, currently only oral toxicosis was reported in dogs [8, 11].
Humans are very sensitive to phosphide compounds. This is exemplified by reports on the accidental occupational exposure in metallic phosphide manufacturing factories [2]. Because a part of the phosphine gas is also eliminated unchanged from the tissues or in the expired air, occupational exposure of physicians and veterinary staff members who treated or examined zinc phosphide poisoned patients has been reported [12, 13]. Owners should be informed about this risk of inhalation exposure to phosphine gas especially during transport of intoxicated animals to veterinary clinics. The transport should be done in well ventilated vehicles. There has been one reported case of a dog owner that required emergency medical care after his dog, after ingesting phosphide compounds, vomited in the car while the owner was driving to the veterinary clinic [8].
Most of the cases of zinc phosphide rodenticide toxicity reported in the veterinary literature resulted either in no clinical signs or in various clinical signs manifested in decreasing order as gastrointestinal signs, generalized malaise, central nervous system (CNS) signs, respiratory signs and cardiovascular signs [8]. These signs were in agreement with the gross and microscopical findings found by our study. The previously reported overall survival rate in cases of zinc phosphide rodenticide toxicity is 98.3 % (from 342 dogs) with only 5 dogs that didn't survive: 1 was found dead by the owner, similar to our case, 2 dogs died during hospitalization, and 2 dogs were euthanized [8]. Currently, some type of decontaminant procedure remains the main treatment for phosphide toxicosis similar to most toxicoses in veterinary medicine [8]. The objectives of the decontamination procedures should include the reduction of gastric acidity, as this is having a substantial effect on phosphine gas production. Thus, as reviewed by [8], either administration of liquid antacids like magnesium or aluminum hydroxide and calcium carbonate or a solution of sodium bicarbonate should be performed before the gastric content is eliminated (either through lavage or emesis). Charcoal remains the option for decontamination.
The exact mechanism of action of the metallic phosphides is yet not known, but it was showed that PH3 inhibits cytochrome c oxidase which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, a decrease of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) production followed by metabolic shutdown and multiorgan dysfunction [5]. Metallic phosphides also increase the production of reactive oxygen species causing oxidative stress with all its pathologic effects on different cell components, at least in insects and rats [5]. As a result, depending on the dose, the lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, and CNS can be irreversibly affected [1, 5]. In our case, we believe that most of the lesions were caused by damage of endothelial cells in various organs (lung, liver, brain, myocardium and kidney). This resulted in hemorrhages and ischemic necrosis of parenchymal cells in the myocardium, liver kidney and heart.
Metallic phosphide poisoning is reported sporadically in veterinary medicine. We describe here the gross and histopathological lesions associated with acute metallic phosphide exposure in a dog, showing that the toxic is mainly responsible for systemic acute necrotizing and hemorrhagic type of lesions, mainly targeting endothelial cells with secondary ischemic necrosis in the affected tissues.
H&E:
Hematoxylin-Eosin
PH3 :
Phosphorus trihydride
ATP:
Adenosine triphosphate
Gupta RC. Veterinary Toxicology, Basic and Clinical Principles, 2 edn: Academic Press, Elsevier; 2007. p557-559
Proudfoot AT. Aluminium and zinc phosphide poisoning. Clinical toxicology. 2009;47(2):89–100.
Agency USEP. RED facts: Zinc Phosphide. In. Washington, DC; 1998: 1–8.
Community TCotEE. Council Directive 67/548/EEC. In. Edited by Community EE; 1967. https://osha.europa.eu/en/legislation/directives/58. Accessed 13 Feb 2015.
Anand R, Binukumar BK, Gill KD. Aluminum phosphide poisoning: an unsolved riddle. J Appl Toxicol. 2011;31(6):499–505.
Bumbrah GS, Krishan K, Kanchan T, Sharma M, Sodhi GS. Phosphide poisoning: a review of literature. Forensic Sci Int. 2012;214(1–3):1–6.
Soltaninejad K, Nelson LS, Bahreini SA, Shadnia S. Fatal aluminum phosphide poisoning in Tehran-Iran from 2007 to 2010. Indian J Med Sci. 2012;66(3–4):66–70.
Gray SL, Lee JA, Hovda LR, Brutlag AG. Potential zinc phosphide rodenticide toxicosis in dogs: 362 cases (2004–2009). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2011;239(5):646–51.
Bolon B, Butt M. Fundamental Neuropathology for Pathologists and Toxicologists: Principles and Techniques. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 2011. p. 163.
Gurjar M, Baronia AK, Azim A, Sharma K. Managing aluminum phosphide poisonings. Journal of emergencies, trauma, and shock. 2011;4(3):378–84.
Casteel SW, Bailey Jr EM. A review of zinc phosphide poisoning. Veterinary and human toxicology. 1986;28(2):151–4.
Sudakin DL. Occupational exposure to aluminium phosphide and phosphine gas? A suspected case report and review of the literature. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2005;24(1):27–33.
Tsai RJ. Occupational Phosphine Gas Poisoning at Veterinary Hospitals from Dogs that Ingested Zinc Phosphide — Michigan, Iowa, and Washington, 2006–2011. In.: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6116a3.htm. Accessed 12 Feb 2015.
This paper was published under the frame of European Social Fund, Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2007–2013, project no. POSDRU/159/1.5/S/136893. Patrick Butaye is thanked for the critical reviewing of the manuscript.
Department of Veterinary Toxicology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Andras-Laszlo Nagy & Adrian Oros
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies
Pompei Bolfa
Department of Animal Production and Food Safety, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Marian Mihaiu
Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Cornel Catoi, Marian Taulescu & Flaviu Tabaran
Andras-Laszlo Nagy
Cornel Catoi
Adrian Oros
Marian Taulescu
Flaviu Tabaran
Correspondence to Pompei Bolfa.
ALN carried out the histological study and drafted the manuscript. PB helped to draft the manuscript and performed the data analysis and interpretation. MM participated in the manuscript design and coordination and helped drafting the manuscript. CC was involved the histopathological data analysis. AO performed the toxicological analysis and revised the manuscript. MT participated in the post mortem examination and helped to draft the manuscript. FT carried out the post mortem examination and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Nagy, AL., Bolfa, P., Mihaiu, M. et al. Intentional fatal metallic phosphide poisoning in a dog—a case report. BMC Vet Res 11, 158 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-015-0495-5
Phosphine
Veterinary forensic medicine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Post 757 Colts Baseball Program has participated in fall baseball the last several years and will continue this in 2018. Players participating with Post 757 fall teams will have an opportunity to focus more on fundamentals while receiving instructions from our coaching staff. Post 757 fall rosters are primarily filled by players that are active in the Post 757 Program. Schedule will be out later but players should expect to play Sunday doubleheaders and practice one or two times during the week - we do this so players can do bullpens, hitting workouts and defensive work in the fall.
Players interested in Post 757 Baseball should contact our coaching staff. High school players participating in football or other school sports in the fall are discouraged from participating in fall baseball but exceptions can be made.


text:
College of Media & Communication
CoMC
CoMC News and Information
Gwinn selected as CoMC's Summer 2021 commencement banner bearer
Liz Inskip-Paulk
Kinsey Gwinn, a senior advertising major from Houston has been selected as the Summer 2021 banner bearer for the College of Media & Communication commencement ceremony.
Gwinn was nominated for her outstanding academic record as an undergraduate student.
"I'm very honored to get to do this," she said. "I've put in a lot of hard work to do the best I can and I'm so happy that the faculty and staff recognize that."
"Bearing a college banner at commencement is the highest academic honor to distinguish a student," said David D. Perlmutter, Ph.D., professor and dean of the College of Media & Communication. "We are so proud of Ms. Gwinn and her unique achievement representing her graduating class and the College of Media & Communication."
"Kinsey is every professor's dream student," said Cyndie Buckle, a CoMC instructor in the Department of Advertising & Brand Strategy. "She is an amazing designer with an eye for detail. I know she will leave a mark on the advertising industry!"
Gwinn is grateful for the quality time that she spent with college personnel.
"Advertising is an amazing academic program and I think it's the people who make it that way," she said. "CoMC is a very special place on campus. Everyone is so compassionate and really wants you to succeed."
Gwinn has been very active during her undergraduate years.
Not only was she a member of Kappa Tau Delta, the academic honor society for journalism and mass communication majors, but she also belonged to Alpha Lambda and Delta Phi Sigma, additional honor societies for high-achieving students.
Additionally, she completed an internship with TTU's prestigious National Wind Institute.
Gwinn's future plans include completing her master's degree in mass communication at TTU with the end goal of working for either an advertising agency or in an in-house agency.
Gwinn's advice for current students? Try to make connections with the other students and faculty while you're completing your classes.
"One of the reasons I've chosen to stay with TTU for my graduate program is because of the great contacts I've made with fellow students and faculty," she explained.
"Don't just intake the information given in class but actually connect with those who surround you," she said.
tags: Advertising, Alumni & Friends, CoMC News and Information, Students
Like College of Media & Communication on FacebookLike College of Media & Communication on Facebook
Follow College of Media & Communication on twitterFollow College of Media & Communication on twitter
Subscribe to College of Media & Communication on YoutubeSubscribe to College of Media & Communication on Youtube
Follow College of Media & Communication on InstagramFollow College of Media & Communication on Instagram
Connect with College of Media & Communication on LinkedInConnect with College of Media & Communication on LinkedIn
Texas Tech University, Box 43082, Lubbock, TX 79409
© 2022 Texas Tech UniversityNov 10, 2021 11:08 AM
Which program are you interested in?
Programs & Majors
Undergraduate Programs Home
Creative Media Industries
Digital Media & Professional Communication
Media Strategies
Public Relations & Strategic Communication Management
Graduate Programs Home
Ph.D. in Media & Communication
M.A. in Mass Communication
M.A. in Strategic Communication & Innovation
Graduate Certificate in Advanced Digital & Social Media
M.A. Scholarship & Financial Aid Info
Ph.D. Scholarship & Financial Aid Info
Prospective Students Home
Transferring? Learn More
Current Students Home
Technology Recommendations
Basics of Writing Exam
Student Work Gallery
Advising Home
Virtual Schedule Builder
New Technology Request
Email Technology Support
About Our College
Dean's Student Ambassadors
The MC Magazine
comc@ttu.edu
Pioneers of TAB
Lectureships
Morris Lectureship
Buesseler Lectureship
Give to the College
Center for Communication Research
Center for Communication Research Home
Outpost Social Media Lab
Outpost Social Media Lab Home
HIHIC
HIHIC Home
TTU International Film Series


text:
package io.github.hsyyid.essentialcmds.cmdexecutors;

import io.github.hsyyid.essentialcmds.internal.CommandExecutorBase;
import io.github.hsyyid.essentialcmds.utils.Utils;
import org.spongepowered.api.command.CommandException;
import org.spongepowered.api.command.CommandResult;
import org.spongepowered.api.command.CommandSource;
import org.spongepowered.api.command.args.CommandContext;
import org.spongepowered.api.command.args.GenericArguments;
import org.spongepowered.api.command.spec.CommandSpec;
import org.spongepowered.api.text.Text;
import org.spongepowered.api.text.format.TextColors;

import javax.annotation.Nonnull;

public class AddRuleExecutor extends CommandExecutorBase
{
	public CommandResult execute(CommandSource src, CommandContext ctx) throws CommandException
	{
		String rule = ctx.<String> getOne("rule").get();
		Utils.addRule(rule);
		src.sendMessage(Text.of(TextColors.GREEN, "Success! ", TextColors.YELLOW, "Added rule."));
		return CommandResult.success();
	}

	@Nonnull
	@Override
	public String[] getAliases() {
		return new String[] { "addrule" };
	}

	@Nonnull
	@Override
	public CommandSpec getSpec() {
		return CommandSpec.builder().description(Text.of("Add Rule Command")).permission("essentialcmds.rules.add")
				.arguments(GenericArguments.onlyOne(GenericArguments.remainingJoinedStrings(Text.of("rule")))).executor(this).build();
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In a market like this one, it's impossible to tell what is going to happen next. The smell of fear has been in the air with greed cowered by uncertainty. Greed may push back soon with earnings, and particularly guidance, dictating the short term path whilst oil and China, amongst other macro factors, will continue to dominate the overall direction.
Overall I remain cautious on equities with a downward bias. I am sticking to my conviction stocks whilst keeping cash on the sidelines until I find a blatant bargain or two. Notwithstanding that stance, it's always good to look at your positions and see if some risk management re-weighting is called for. And that's the reason for a quick look over Apple before its earnings next Tuesday.
Apple is in a hapless position currently and likely has to blow away the December quarter estimates (on the number of iPhones sold, the average price, and the gross margin received) PLUS give a strong March quarter guidance to move up in a meaningful way. Given that a repeat of the outstanding results of last December's quarter (see post here) compared to current expectations is improbable, I would suggest Apple could trade around or below $100 for a while yet. Analysts, whilst screaming about its valuation, have become increasing negative on the December quarter and guidance for their Q2 quarter. Apple may struggle to come in much above the top end of its guidance of 77.5 million iPhones (it has come in above guidance for 5 consecutive quarters albeit at a steadily reducing level above the top estimate).
The geographic split of revenue, as per the graph below, will also be closely watched to see if China's economy is impacting Asian growth.
Despite its best efforts, Apple remains primarily a phone company with last year's iPhone revenues making up two-thirds of the total, as per the graph below (with my estimates for Q1).
I played with some estimates to stress the view on an AAPL valuation below $100. Taking a jaundice view of adjusting average analyst non-GAAP estimates for 2016 and 2017 plus some pessimistic estimates of my own on 2016 and 2017 (with iPhone slowing to sales of 220 million and 200 million compared to around 230 million for 2015), I estimated the forward PEs, excluding net cash (currently around $150 billion), as per the graph below (based upon diluted GAAP EPS, not the adjusted EPS analysts love) using tonight's close of $96.30. The multiples are quarterly point estimates using the share price one month after the quarter's end.
The graph above clearly shows the swings in sentiment on Apple over recent years as the market grapples with the future demand for the iPhone after each upgrade cycle. Tuesday will indicate whether the current concerns about iPhone sales and margins peaking are justified. Other concerns, such as a possible $8 billion tax bill from the EU, pale in comparison to those iPhone concerns. Notwithstanding these real concerns, forward multiples of below 8 look too low to me given Apple's operating record (unless you buy into the Apple could be the next Nokia thesis which I don't).
By way of a comparison, my estimate for a similar graph for Google is below (again using diluted GAAP EPS). Google will be another stock where earnings for Q4 will be very interesting as they split out their figures in line with the new Alphabet structure and (maybe) demonstrate again their new emphasis on cost control. Expectations look high based upon its current valuation.
The comparison does reflect positively on Apple's current valuation multiple and I'm happy to hold the AAPL position I have. A key outcome from the AAPL earnings call will be if Cook can provide sufficient catalysts for Apple's value to trade significantly above $100.
Follow-0n Evening 26th after earnings: Over the next few days and weeks, I'm sure the chatter about Apple and the iPhone will likely get over-bearing. The delicately posed share price of $99.99 before earnings will come under pressure. Q1 revenues were at the lower range of expectations and Q2 guidance at $50-$53 billion is weaker than expected. China revenues showed slowing growth. On the positive side, the average revenue per iPhone in Q1 was higher than expected and operating margins were strong. I revised down my estimates for AAPL's 2016 and 2017 diluted EPS (to $9.15 and $8.60) and iPhone sales to 210 million and 190 million. The revised revenue splits and forward PE multiples (at share price of $99.99) are shown below. Thesis, as per post above, on AAPL's valuation remains basically unchanged although the share price see some selling pressure in the short term.


text:
LMTW : Chapter 2 – The Famous Masters and Outstanding Disciples, Part 4
Author: Su Youbing
Translator: EXandros
Miss Tong of the Tong's household had long been a topic of discussion by people during their leisure. Whether it was about the fact that she was in her twenties and yet she was still unmarried, or her vicious temperament, it was enough to discuss her for three days and three nights. Now that she had suddenly hang herself — although it was unknown why, some busybodies had long linked this matter to Tao Mo's visit to Mr. Yichui's residence. There were even rumors that Miss Tong did not want to get married to County Magistrate Tao. She cried to her parents, but it was fruitless and thus, she chose to hang herself.
In short, all kinds of rumors shrouded the entire county like snowflakes, and the eve of the New Year became noisier.
Even though Miss Tong was said to have hanged herself, her death caused an uproar, and the county's yamen still had to conduct an investigation. When Cui Jiong received the news, he took the coroner to autopsy the corpse. Although there were no rumors yet at that time, the Tong's household was a rich and influential family in the locality and they also had an affinity with Mr. Yichui. He must not treat them without proper respect and examine her from head to toe very carefully.
Miss Tong's parents cried so hard, but they had no grievances in the least. Obviously, they had foreseen this result.
Cui Jiong interrogated for half of the day. After seeing that nothing was suspicious from the human testimonies, material evidences and the corpse, only then did he return to the county's yamen to report to Tao Mo.
Tao Mo immediately sobbed when he heard about it. Although he did not intend to marry that Miss Tong, those words from Mrs. Yichui still got them involved in some kind of a relationship. He did not know if Miss Tong was really like what rumors had it — that she took it too hard and committed suicide for fear of being married to him. If this was the case, it was really his big sin.
Three days after Miss Tong passed away, Mrs. Yichui brought gifts and came over to visit.
In the beginning, Tao Mo was oddly ridiculed by her show of goodwill. Now that Miss Tong had passed away, it was impossible for them to get married. Later on, he found out that Mrs. Yichui had heard those slanderous gossips that had spread in the city, and had caused him trouble because of her impulsiveness, so she came to visit this time to offer him her apologies.
Tao Mo originally did not take these things to his heart. He thought that during the time at his hometown, the rumors he had received were more than these and he regarded these as nothing, let alone this purely fictitious matter. He immediately took this opportunity to console her from her grief.
After much consoling, Mrs. Yichui's eyes were red, "It was Yinghong who didn't have the good luck. County Magistrate Tao, if she had seen you and found out that you're actually a tender and considerate man, she wouldn't have to take things too hard."
Tao Mo's face was red being praised like that, "Madam, I'm underserved of these compliments. A dead person can't come back to live. If Miss Tong knew that you would be so sad like this, she'd feel uneasy in the afterlife."
"How could she not feel uneasy, I'm just afraid that she hated me." Mrs. Yichui sighed, "I didn't kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of me [1]."
([1] An excerpt from the book "The Thirty-nine Accounts from the Jin Dynasty" which also talks about Zhou Yi [269-322], a high minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, whose courtesy name was Bo Ren. This line literally means that although one didn't have the heart to hurt that person, that person was hurt by oneself and suffered injuries because of oneself.)
Tao Mo stared blankly and said: "Who's Bo Ren? Why did he die, too?"
Mr. Yichui was dumbfounded, soon afterwards, she burst into laughter and said: "Teacher, you're exactly as what rumors have it — unlearned and completely illiterate."
Tao Mo awkwardly responded: "Among the rumors, there will inevitably be some truth."
"Speaking of which, it's all my fault. Teacher, I got you entangled into these embroidered stories and malicious gossips. Rest assured, I'll certainly refute those rumors for you," Mrs. Yichui promised him.
"Actually, as long as it won't ruin Miss Tong's name, it doesn't matter to me."
Mrs. Yichui hurriedly responded: "They shouldn't talk about you like this. Your Excellency, you're still unmarried. Letting these rumors spread around would only keep the fine ladies away from you."
"That's just fine." Tao Mo blurted out.
"What?" Mrs. Yichui looked at him in dismay.
Tao Mo knew that he had a slip of the tongue, so he immediately looked at Old Tao, who was standing beside him, and asked for his help.
Sure enough, Old Tao lived up to his expectations and said: "What my Young Master meant was, it's good to keep such women who believe in these rumors away."
Mrs. Yichui suddenly laughed and said: "Still, it's Your Excellency who has keen insights." She had noticed Old Tao from the beginning. She had followed Mr. Yichui for so many years and did not dare to say anything else, yet she still had the ability to judge people. Although the old man in front of her was not outstanding in appearance, his temperament was calm. He was definitely not an ordinary person. Compared to him, it was actually this Young Master Tao Mo who appeared to be awkward, "This Old Master is…" She could not help asking.
Tao Mo replied: "This is my housekeeper, Old Tao."
Old Tao politely said: "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Yichui."
"Venerable Old Master, I certainly don't deserve this favor." Mrs. Yichui gently waved her hand and pretended to look at the window, "It's getting late. I better go back home. Your Excellency Tao, may I please trouble you with Yinghong's case? She suffered many mishaps in her life. Please help her rest in peace in the afterlife."
Tao Mo did not understand what she meant, but Old Tao did. After sending Mrs. Yichui off, he entrusted Hao Guozi to ask Cui Jiong if there was nothing suspicious about the case, so that she could finally rest in peace.
Cui Jiong originally worked so hard on the case because it had connections with Mr. Yichui and the Tongs. Now, when he saw Mrs. Yichui came to visit and after Old Tao basically dropped a hint, even if he did not know the reason, he also did not grasp this unnecessary intention again. Soon, he dealt with the suicide case accordingly.
When things had advanced to this point, they must come to a temporary closure. Who would have thought that before the first wave subsided, a new wave had risen?
It was another morning where Tao Mo was sleeping in, when the drum outside the county's yamen was beaten loudly.
Hao Guozi rushed in his room. He pulled Tao Mo up to get him dressed and helped him wash his face, then he hastily sent Tao Mo off to the court after cleaning up.
Poor Tao Mo had not totally awakened yet when he sat down on the chair, until someone knelt down below him.
"You… what's the matter?" He put forth his strength to rub and rub his eyes.
"Your Excellency! Master, I beg for justice!" Anger was written all over the man's face and a pair of big eyes stared at Tao Mo like two nails, trying to nail him to the wall.
Tao Mo was terrified by his look. His voice trembled when he asked, "What injustice? Please speak."
"I want to sue the Tongs and Tan Yang's County Magistrate for killing Tong Yinghong!"
His voice was loud, and if every word he spoke were thrown on the floor, they would make a sound.
Tao Mo was confused, and after quite a while, he responded: "Tan Yang's County Magistrate is…me."
"You are indeed, Your Excellency." The man thought that Tao Mo was playing dumb, and his anger somewhat escalated.
Secretary Jin looked at him and shook his head. Indeed, the testimony of three men could create a tiger in the market. Although he did not know the relationship between this young chap and that Tong Yinghong, it seemed that he must have been confused by the rumors that Tao Mo really wanted to marry the girl. In the past few days, Secretary Jin also heard a lot of gossip and just chuckled over it, moreover he was also present when Mrs. Yichui talked about wedding matters. It was given that he knew that Tao Mo was truly innocent and could not even be more innocent.
Tao Mo asked: "Why do you want to sue me?"
"Your Excellency Tao! Let me ask you now, do you or do you not want to marry Tong Yinghong?"
"Of course not." Tao Mo replied quickly.
That man was annoyed, "Your Excellency, a true man must be a man of character, should be able to support both heaven and earth, and handle matters by himself. Your Excellency, could it be that you want to become a good-for-nothing cuckold?!"
"Impudent." Secretary Jin was unable to listen to him much longer, so he could not help but rebuke. He did not know why Tao Mo tolerated him, but to let such a man blurt out big words at the court was really disgraceful. He turned and said to Tao Mo, "Your Excellency, this man has made irresponsible remarks and is too reckless. Your Excellency, please put order in the court."
Tao Mo was puzzled as he asked: "How can I put order?"
Secretary Jin was so angry yet laughed, "Use the gavel!"
Tao Mo came to. That gavel which was put on the table was not only worth for its look, but it could also be lifted up and down. He looked at the man, and the man glared proudly back at him.
Tao Mo thought for a moment, in the end, he knocked on the table with the gavel and said: "Every word that I say is true."
"…" Secretary Jin was not angry with the man anymore, he only wanted to throw out the one who was currently presiding the court.
Tao Mo replied: "It's not me who spread it."
The man said hatefully: "Your Excellency, are you brave enough to deny that you've ever fancied Yinghong?"
"I'm certain that I've never taken fancy of her," Tao Mo answered honestly.
The man's face turned crimson with anger. He had planned for the worst before he made the drum rolls. His close friends were also ready. If he had any slight mistake with his accusations, they would immediately invite Mr. Lin Zhenyong's disciple to become his litigant to defend him. It was better if Tao Mo extorted a confession from him by torturing him and letting him suffer from injuries. He was willing to accept it no matter how serious it was. However, no matter what kind of plans he had, the result in front of him was unexpected. It was as if he was allowed to punch, yet he was punched back with a ball of cotton, which felt like there was no effort exerted.
Could it be that this county magistrate planned to act shamelessly until the end?
He heard that some of the litigants were good at endless wrangling, but he did not expect that this county magistrate was also one of those masters. After thinking about it, he simply crossed his heart, suddenly stood up and said: "Tao Mo! The gods are watching, so don't think you can get away with anything. Face your conscience. Yinghong died of injustice, how can you sleep at night?"
Tao Mo heard this and touched the spot where his heart was and replied: "If Yinghong really died of injustice, as the parental official, I must preside over justice for her!"
The man glared at him, and suddenly stormed off in a huff.
In his imagination, no matter how Tao Mo endured silently, he would still be enraged by someone looking down at his own court. However, the strange thing was, he walked all the way out from the county's yamen without any reproach and obstruction. Tao Mo and those servants at the yamen seemed to have lost their voices. Even the angry secretary remained silent.
Looking at his surprised close friends outside the county's yamen, the man was also at a loss.
Jubo : Text 039. The Brothers Returned Home
BMHS : Chapter 36.1 – It says it will
One thought on "LMTW : Chapter 2 – The Famous Masters and Outstanding Disciples, Part 4"
Ahhh, Tao Mo, you pure Child. Those around you are trying to taint you with their Bad intentions, but you must keep being that awkward, oblivious pure soul.


The Contra Costa Crisis Center manages an extraordinary database of useful resources and information for County residents. You can access social service and health information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling the three digit, toll-free number "211" from any phone. Nearly 700 agencies and organizations contribute to provide more than 1,600 services and programs to County residents in need via the 211 database.
Each month, 211 Contra Costa receives more than 3,500 calls from County residents who need help.
n addition to calling 211, you can access their information on the 211 Contra Costa website, and even launch a live chat session if you'd prefer. The site also has important Contra Costa County Resource guides available in English and Spanish.


text:
Q: The '.' operator on null nullable How is it that you can access null nullable's propery HasValue?
I looked to the compiled code, and it's not a syntactic sugar.
Why this doesn't throw NullReferenceException:
int? x = null;
if (x.HasValue)
{...}

A: That's because int? is short for Nullable<int> which is a value type, not a reference type - so you will never get a  NullReferenceException.
The Nullable<T> struct looks something like this:
public struct Nullable<T> where T : struct
{
    private readonly T value;
    private readonly bool hasValue;
    //..
}

When you assign null there is some magic happening with support by the compiler (which knows about Nullable<T> and treats them special in this way) which just sets the hasValue field to false for this instance - which is then returned by the HasValue property.

A: Like BrokenGlass said, an int? is actually a Nullable<T>.
Structures always contain a value.  Usually you cannot set a structure variable to null, but in this special case you can, essentially setting it to default(Nullable<T>).  This sets its contents to null rather than the variable itself.
When you set a Nullable<T> to a value, it uses an implicit operator to set Value = value to the new value and HasValue = true.
When you set Nullable<T> to null, it nulls all of the structure's fields.  For a bool field such as HasValue, null == false.
Since a Nullable<T> variable is a structure, the variable can always be referenced because its contents is null rather than the variable itself.
There's more information on structures in the Remarks section of the MSDN page struct.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


3 Car Garage, This house is approximately 2400 sq ft, surrounded by lovely homes. Bring your creative spirit, the possibilities are endless. It has been well loved however, not updated. Large great room, formal dining area and guest bathroom downstairs, upstairs offers 3 good size bedrooms and 2 baths and a nice loft area as well. With some sweat equity and investment $$ this could be a showstopper of a home for your family.


The CAKES BY PATTI (PATTI A SOWDER) company was registered on , in . Current status of the organization and type Sole Proprietor. The registering agent is located at the address . Get the credit report on the CAKES BY PATTI (PATTI A SOWDER). Governing persons are: PATTI A SOWDER. Credt score.


What is keeping Southwest Airlines from flying to Hawaii?
Southwest Airlines, the nation's most popular domestic carrier, plans to begin selling tickets to Hawaii as soon as the end of this year, with flights taking off next year.
That was one of the takeaways from a conference call between executives of the Dallas-based airline and analysts during a discussion of third-quarter earnings.
During the Thursday call, analysts were anxious to get details about the timing of ticket sales to the Aloha State by the low-cost carrier. For good reason: The more competition on a route, the lower airfares will drop.
"Our goal continues still to be to sell tickets at the end of this year and operate flights early next year," said Michael G. Van de Ven, chief operating officer at Southwest Airlines.
The delay has to do with a certificate needed from the Federal Aviation Administration called ETOPS, which stands for Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards. Planes that are ETOPS certified are tested to operate safely for extended periods of time — at least 60 minutes — away from an airfield or airport even after an engine failure. Flights from California to Hawaii can take up to six hours.
Van de Ven said the review process began about 12 months ago, when Southwest Airlines announced its plans to fly to Hawaii, and the FAA process typically takes between 12 and 18 months to complete.
Southwest Airlines has said that it plans to fly to four airports in Hawaii from Oakland Metropolitan Airport, San Diego International Airport, Mineta San Jose International Airport and Sacramento International Airport. Flights from Los Angeles International Airport may be added later, airline officials said.


These emails were written during my stays in Africa. They reflect my perceptions at the time. I have learned to see many things differently since with, I hope, a richer understanding of what can be attributed to cultural differences and what must be understood as personal strengths and failings. The learning curve is long, and it's not over yet. But this is how things seemed to me as they were happening.
I'm here and safe. It was very hard at first, with jet lag fogging everything up and medicinal side effects making me paranoid and weird. But all is now wonderful and amazing. We have been presented to the queen mothers, and have received their blessing on our project. We will be receiving our African names in a formal naming ceremony on Sunday. We will then belong to Manye Mamiyu, the queen mother -- she will be our mother. We're very excited about that.
We've met about twenty of the beadmakers, and will be starting our classes tomorrow. I so hope I am able to help. My three partners seem to be in good agreement with us about how the project should be approached and carried through -- with complete honesty at all times and trust in each other. All of the parents have advised that this is the way for us to be. It's all very good.
Our host family has been wonderful to us. Their home is comfortable and welcoming. We have settled in now, and are very happy and excited to be here.
My thanks to everyone who helped get me here. Words can't express the experience we're having already.
Sorry about the long delay in communicating. The internet cafes here leave something (almost everything?) to be desired.
That said, here's the short version. If I live to be a thousand years old, nothing is ever, ever likely to be as magical and fulfilling as this trip has already been.
The classes are going extremely well -- the level of intelligence and talent among the students is astounding. You show them something they've never even seen examples of until right then and the next thing you know they are inventing whole new designs and even innovating technically. It has been a lesson in "It takes a village to teach a class." Everyone helps, from Megan and my partners in the project to the students helping each other. It's wonderful to see.
My partners are hard-working and seem to be very dedicated. We are still working through a few cultural differences, but we seem to be in perfect agreement about the nature of the project itself, the directions we should take in furthering it, etc. My youngest partner has become my personal assistant in class, teaching others the things he has learned just by watching me once. We plan to let him take over the teaching and monitoring of the producers once I have gone. He is only nineteen.
Bernard is one of the nicest and most gallant young men I have ever met. Nothing is too good for us. We aren't allowed to do our own laundry or clean our own sandals or even carry our own water from the well. It has made us extremely uncomfortable at times, but he will hear no arguments. I suppose maybe he feels that this is what he has to give us, just as we have brought some things to them. I don't know. Maybe there are traditions here that I'm unaware of.
My oldest partner is energetic, driven and assertive, yet receptive to suggestions. His whole family has been wonderful to us. It has been an extremely rare opportunity to see this part of the world from the inside, in so far as it is ever possible for outsiders to do so. I am very grateful.
I would trust, and have already trusted, these young men with my life. We have walked through mazes of alleys in darkness so thick we couldn't see our hands before our faces, with them holding our hands or arms to steady us. We have faced down angry bead makers who were sure that I represented some non-governmental organization with deep pockets, and that I was, or we were, withholding funds meant for them. Within three days of arriving here, I felt perfectly comfortable handing my heavy bag over to Bernard to carry for me, complete with passport, debit card and cash. Not even a twinge of doubt.
The heat is extreme. I go everywhere armed with a liter of water, several handkerchiefs to wipe away the sweat, and a straw fan. The food is tasty but very oily, an odd choice for such a hot climate, it seems. But I eat it. Running water was a dream that did not come true -- the taps are supposed to run three days a week, but so far that hasn't happened. Showers are a bucket of cold well water dumped over the head, which works out surprisingly well. I've never been happier in my life.
We had our naming ceremony last Sunday, and much to our surprise, we were made queen mothers in recognition of the work we are doing here. I am now Manye (Queen) Dede Adanki Banahene III, and sometimes people greet me as Manye in the royal neighborhood. Megan is Manye to the Youth Dede Tsaako Banahene II. We are literally members of the royal family now, and have been allowed to enter places that no one goes unless they are related. We were introduced to the ancestral spirits and accepted by them, and we were marched around the district after the ceremony by way of introduction to the people. This weekend we will go to the festival with Manye Mamiyu (our mother), and we will dance.
I'd better sign off. These computers crash often. My thanks to everyone who helped to get me here. I've told stories here of all the generosity I experienced before I came, and my partners are grateful to all of you.
This one will have to be a bit short--the lights are flickering in this internet cafe, so I'm afraid my computer might crash.
Things are still going well. We're becoming more focused in our goals, with a firmer idea of how to proceed and who will do what as we work towards gaining not-for-profit status. Classes are still great--the best was this morning, when we had one focused on sustainability. During class, we managed to solve the last problem we were struggling with--making our own crimp beads. We, as a class, figured it out. It was a wonderful, triumphant moment.
I taught all afternoon under a tin roof, completely drenched with sweat. I loved it. These new students, like the others, were remarkably creative. We still have a few challenges ahead. It's difficult to make the students understand that the time they are spending is an investment in the future. They keep veering back towards believing that we should be buying the projects they are making in class. I wish we could, but this would not be empowerment, and anyway we don't have the money. We're working hard to make them trust us and see the value of the ongoing income benefits, rather than focusing on the losses of time and materials now. But it's difficult when you are struggling just to put food on the table. Now is paramount. They are used to having to let tomorrow take care of itself.
More soon. The lights are blinking again.
This continues to be the most fascinating experience of my life.
We spend much of our time trying to unravel the threads of local politics, which have kept some of the bead makers suspicious of our motives and resources. The proliferation of NGOs in Africa, many of them, apparently, corrupt, has infiltrated the thinking of many of the people here, so that when someone like me comes, they assume they will be receiving money. When it isn't forthcoming, they assume we are pocketing it ourselves or giving it to our friends. It is very difficult to establish trust and to make the students understand the long term benefits of their current investment of beads and time off from work.
But we now have a core group of extremely talented students, only one of whom still seems to be having trouble accepting the concept. We think he'll come around. One of the best-established bead makers, Mr. Israel, has been very helpful in gradually persuading the others to believe in what we are trying to do. He tells them, "Manna doesn't fall from heaven often. Be grateful for it when it does." How strange to be thought of as someone bringing manna!
Despite the complications, the people here are lovely, warm and friendly. The whole enterprise has been an exercise in trust from the beginning anyway, for me as much as for anyone. I had to learn to trust my partners' intentions enough to make the trip; my friends needed convincing that the whole thing wasn't just some kind of a scam; my partners had to convince their doubting parents (they thought we might be smugglers!) to believe in us and welcome us into their homes; and now the bead makers are having to learn to trust our motives. This was a wrinkle we weren't expecting. But it must be very difficult for them when their trust has been betrayed so many times. We are simply a phenomenon that is outside of their experience.
None of this has mitigated the pleasure I've taken in this adventure. It's simply the reality here. We hear the phrase "This is Africa" over and over, accompanied by a resigned shrug. I didn't come here to be sheltered from that reality, but to embrace it and try to understand it. And there are many things and customs here that are better in many ways than those at home. For example, while the slow and unpredictable "Africa time" is often frustrating to our Western minds, and while it doesn't mesh terribly well with doing business internationally, the slower pace -- the attitude that what doesn't get done today will get done some other time (not necessarily tomorrow) -- is certainly healthier, less stressful.
We had our first official business meeting last night, during which we began mapping out a business plan. But we are still casting about for a good name, something that captures a sense of Africa and a sense of what the project is about, yet something that is, at the same time, musical or catchy. If any of you have any good ideas, they would be very welcome.
The Harmattan started blowing here a few days ago, bringing its dusty, dry heat down from the Sahara and making the days, if possible, even hotter. The four or five degree difference feels huge, even to the local people. The pace of life has slowed even further. Some kinds of effort just don't seem worth it.
But we're carrying on. It's our last week, and some things will be much, much harder to accomplish once Megan and I have left. Last night we began "buying" the designs that will be in the first American catalog. I put "buying" in quotes because, at this point, we have very little money left and can pay very little for them, and then only for the best of the pieces the bead makers designed and made in class. After minor tweaking for consistency of workmanship and materials (many of them were made early on, before we had found locally-available substitutes for most of the products), we will begin marketing the products in the U.S. When an item sells, the designers will be paid for their beads and for their labor if they choose to produce the item themselves. If they prefer to let someone else produce the items, we will have a small work force waiting in the wings. Either way, the designers will receive a royalty payment for every item that sells for allowing us to use their designs. It was the only way that we could come up with that the bead makers could get some money now (which was crucial in terms of gaining their confidence, but difficult with our current, almost non-existent budget); some money when an order is placed; and some long-range return on the investment of time and creativity they have made during this past month. Over time, we hope the royalty system will help them to understand the value of investing in the future. It will be a completely new experience for most of them to get money for doing nothing whatsoever right now. They are used to living completely hand-to-mouth.
Tomorrow we will have our last class. We'll be working on perfecting our workmanship, making sure that each worker knows the standard of quality that will be expected of him or her. No doubt there will still be a few rough edges -- with a few exceptions, the general attitude is that pretty close is good enough.
I'm starting to feel a good deal of wistfulness at the prospect of leaving next Monday. It will be hard to go. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing friends, my family and my faithful companion dog, Hannah. In many ways, it will feel very good to be home -- I can hardly wait to flush my first toilet without having to fill the tank with well water first! But I'm not looking forward to the frenzy of activity that awaits me almost immediately upon my return. Somehow, I'm going to have to find a way to keep a little bit of my new "Africa time" sensibility. Some things really can be put off until tomorrow if the alternative is too much stress and too little time for just being with friends and enjoying life. It's a good lesson to have learned.
This will probably be my last email before I leave, but I'll be in touch once I get back. Watch for a follow-up article in the Mobile Register at some point. It will, I hope, feature some of the wonderful photos Megan and Bernard have been taking, as well as more details about the trip.
As always, thanks to everyone who contributed to this project. This phase has been a great success, and I have increasing confidence that things will continue to progress in a good direction.


text:
The break is over – pre-season starts here.
Schools still haven't broken up for summer and the Euro 2016 Final isn't until Sunday but Liverpool aren't hanging about waiting for anyone this summer with pre-season beginning this evening when they travel across the Mersey for a match against Tranmere Rovers.
This season is the one where the Jurgen Klopp era gets underway in earnest. Last season he came in with proceedings already underway and took Liverpool to two finals without being able to do a great deal to halt the club's decline in the league. Now, with the ink still drying on a new six year contract, Klopp begins his first full season in charge.
The poor league finish and the defeats in both of those finals meant the Reds did not qualify for Europe this season and that in many ways might be seen as a blessing. The last time Liverpool came anywhere near winning the league was in 2014 when a Brendan Rodgers side capitalised on a lack of European football by taking their title challenge right to the wire. Can Klopp go one better this season? If you fancy the Reds' chances check out Thats A Goal for the latest odds.
The game against Tranmere will give some of the club's younger players and one or two fringe players the opportunity to show the manager a little more of what they can do, an opportunity that will be much rarer in the season itself with Klopp far less likely to need to rotate his squad over any concerns relating to tiredness or fatigue.
For some players it might also serve as a brief moment in the shop window as Klopp continues to get his squad into the shape he wants it to be, with more players surely to be brought in and any number still to be shown the door. Of course the game is also designed to get the players themselves in shape with Klopp hinting last season that he felt his squad were struggling to meet the physical demands of the pressing game he likes to use.
The Liverpool involvement in Euro 2016 came to an end with Germany's departure last night, Emre Can the last Reds player taking part in the tournament, but all those who went over are yet to return to training, along with Philippe Coutinho who was involved all too briefly in the Copa America.
Goalkeepers Simon Mignolet and Danny Ward are amongst those still to come back from France and that means Jurgen Klopp gets the chance to start his new goalkeeper Loris Karius between the sticks should he choose to.
Outfield the boss is likely to make any number of changes as he eases the players back but there could be a debut at some point for new boys Joel Matip and Sadio Mané with Klopp also getting a first opportunity to see at close hand whether or not Lazar Markovic should be part of his plans.
Other attacking players on hand for Klopp include Danny Ings and Roberto Firmino but with so many of the Reds midfield away with their countries we could see Brannagan and Chirivella given the nod this evening.
Sakho is still under the cloud of his UEFA doping charge and unlikely to be involved but Dejan Lovren is available at the back as is Alberto Moreno. Jon Flanagan may well be one of those players Moreno has to battle for a place against this season but with Clyne away with England Klopp is likely to give both a run-out.
Kick-off is at 7pm and the game is being shown live on the club's official TV channel.


I think one of the worst parts about getting older is having less energy, waking up tired, and feeling "blah" most of the day.
It's hard to get anything done – work, gym, family time (kids), running errands, etc. You can't even enjoy your free time when you're just exhausted all the time and don't want to do anything other than sleep or just watch TV the entire time.
Now, add in memory problems, forgetfulness, brain fog, and feeling unmotivated all the time and now you really feel old.
And because of the lack of nutrients in our diet and extra stressful lifestyles, people are feeling "old" in their 30s and 40s, more so later in life.
I think this is why so many people are addicted to caffeine products. You need that cup of coffee, soda, or some energy drink just to get you to feel NORMAL.
Unfortunately, anything with caffeine increases your stress hormone cortisol, causes adrenal fatigue, lowers your thyroid production (thus, slowing your metabolism) and decreases your testosterone.
Today I'm going to give you a quick summary of 6 anti-aging, "energy pathways" that will increase your physical energy and improve your memory plus, help you look and feel younger at the same time.
As an added bonus, you'll be more motivated, driven and happier.
No caffeine. No jitters. No crashes. All natural ways.
Increase Mitochondria – one of the most important metrics of whole body health. It's found highest in your muscles, including your heart.
Increase ATP – Similar to Mitochondria and essential for survival.
Increase Acetylcholine – Low levels lead to dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Increase Oxygen Uptake & Circulation – Both decrease in aging, leading to muscle and memory loss.
Unfortunately, even if everything in your life is perfect, all of these 6 energy pathways decrease as you get older because of the negative changes in your hormones.
DIET – what you eat/drink and don't eat/drink.
EXERCISE – what kind, how often, duration and intensity.
NUTRIENTS – this includes specific vitamins, herbs, plant extracts and amino acids.
STRESS MANAGEMENT – this has to do with your mindset and it's probably the MOST important factor, least understood and HARDEST to control.


Photo of mesos plastic surgery and Laser Center – Lady Lake, FL, United States. Photo of …. It was my first visit at this clinic for a Microdermabrasion with Linda.
Dr. Isaac Mitchell, MD is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Lady Lake, FL and has been practicing for 16 years. He graduated from Bowman Gray School Of Medicine in 1997 and specializes in orthopedic surgery, joint reconstruction orthopedic surgery, and more.


Declaring bankruptcy can take quite a toll on your life, as well as your credit rating. Because of this, people tend to look at bankruptcy as the end of potential home ownership.
While bankruptcy is a serious issue and should only be undertaken as a last resort, it is not the end of the world. In fact, it is the start of a whole new world where you get a second chance to rebuild your credit.
You will have to wait for some time, but you can eventually qualify for a home mortgage after a bankruptcy – and the wait may not be as long as you think. You do not necessarily have to wait for the full 7-10 year period that a bankruptcy would appear on your credit report. The length of your wait depends on what type of bankruptcy you have, how the debt is discharged, and how efficiently you rebuild your credit.
Here are the steps to take toward your new post-bankruptcy home.
Discharge the Debt – The first step is to discharge your debt to clear the record. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy may sell your non-exempt assets to pay off your creditors to the extent possible. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, a payment plan is set up and you use your regular income to pay back some portion of your debt to your creditors.
The American Bankruptcy Institute reports that approximately 70% of personal bankruptcies are Chapter 7 bankruptcies. However, lenders consider Chapter 13 bankruptcy as less damaging and easier to recover from than Chapter 7.
Rebuild Your Credit – The best way to start is with a secured credit card that limits you to the amount on deposit in a corresponding account. Use it in small amounts each month and make regular payments. Make sure that other bills are paid on time as well. Over time, your credit score will rebound.
You can also use an installment loan to rebuild your credit. Simply make your payments on time and to the correct amount. However, ensure that your installment debt is not too large for you to make your payments successfully.
Keep a close eye on your credit reports and check that there are no errors in the report that could scuttle your efforts.
Save for a Down Payment – You will need a suitable down payment to qualify for a loan after bankruptcy, and may have a difficult time qualifying with less than 20% down. If you can get a loan, the interest rate will probably be unfavorable.
Consider Your Options – The waiting period for loan options differs depending on the type of bankruptcy and the lender backing.
For a conventional loan, you will need to wait four years from the point of debt discharge for Chapter 7 (two years for Chapter 13 bankruptcy).
FHA and VA-backed loans require waiting two years from a Chapter 7 discharge, and require twelve months of agreed-upon plan payments without incident in the case of Chapter 13 bankruptcy. You will also need to supply a suitable explanation for the bankruptcy.
USDA loans require a two-year wait after discharging Chapter 7 debt, one year after discharging Chapter 13 debt, or one year of suitable Chapter 13 plan payments.
Remember that you still have to meet the same mortgage loan qualifications as everyone else regarding debt-to-income ratio, stable income, suitable down payments, and other qualifications.
If you don't meet the criteria, you can look at seller financing or other non-traditional lending, but the risks are higher for both parties involved. You may have a more difficult job convincing a homeowner to finance your purchase of their home than you would with a bank.
The real key to acquiring a mortgage after bankruptcy is to show that you have gained control of your spending and any other circumstances that led you to bankruptcy in the first place. Every action you take, both positive and negative, contributes to the overall picture with the lender. Choose your actions wisely, and you can be back in your own home in a matter of a few years.


text:
#4476140 - 05/31/19 03:46 AM Re: Deep Immersion DiD campaign -- Player Instructions (UPDATED 28 Nov 2018) [Re: Raine]
Wulfe, thanks so much for the comments. While I'm going to miss James's friends (especially Lemoine and little Devienne), the first installment of the Escadrille Americaine story has gripped me. You've painted the different mood of the place quickly and well.
Lou, I love the Norwegian Swan livery! It didn't take you long to get blooded in No 70.
Maeran, wonderful vignettes, both the letter and the death of Tilley and Howell's landing.
Fullofit, Gaston is a man possessed. France will have to come up with some new gongs just for him. Wonderful stories and excellent flying in the vids. I envy your skill.
MFair, I think we'll need to ride different steeds in 3 Squadron before we go roping those Walfische.
Carrick, three kills already. Careful of those two seaters!
Collins is back in France...
An Airman's Odyssey – by James Arthur Collins
Part Forty-One: In which I come home - from home
The scene had not changed a bit. In the east, an intermittent rumble of guns. The engine whine and banging of the tender as it lurched away across a rutted bit of track. And in front the neat row of Bessonneau hangars, each with four machines. Corporal MacInch, a rigger, gave me a cheery wave and a cry of "You're back, sir! Good to have you here." My boots crunched along the familiar gravel path that led to the long wooden building behind the hangars and bordering on a small orchard, the squadron office. I dropped by bag beside the step and bent to pat Hobble, the three-legged dog that had adopted B Flight. Inside I found Major Harvey-Kelly in shirt sleeves, pounding on a typewriter.
"Mr. Collins reporting for duty, sir," I announced with a smart salute. The Major turned with a broad grin and headed over to shake my hand.
"Welcome back, Collins. I've been hearing the most wonderful stories about the trouble you've caused in London. Couldn't get you back soon enough, they say. Let me buy you a drink and tell me all about it." He fetched his tunic and led me outside to his car. Just then I saw Jericho leading Moon to the stables. I stood in the car and shouted to him as the Major began to drive off. "Meet us in the C Flight mess!"
The car squealed to a stop outside the Café du Progrès where the ladies Defossez were peeling potatoes. This was our dining area, although we had set up a bar and anteroom in an adjacent farm building. The Major asked the younger Mme Defossez for un morceau de fromage and some wine and we headed into the back room where the flight took its meals. Our hostess appeared with a large clay jug of claret, a board, a quarter round of a delicious half-hard cheese and a piece of Camembert, and half a loaf of fresh, warm bread. I suddenly realised that I was starving and did my best to tell the tale of my encounter with Max Aitken while feeding my face.
Major Harvey-Kelly was genuinely concerned about my mother's condition, but I told him I'd walled that off nicely and it would not affect me. "That's good," he said, "because I want to give Captain Mealing a bit of a rest. He's not due for leave or HE for a little while, but I have him as Acting Technical Officer. He is still C Flight commander, of course, but I want to limit his flight time. You'll be leading much of the time – temporary, acting, unpaid. You know the drill."
I was flattered and told him so. I ventured the comment that Sergeant Bayetto was the most experienced fellow we had and should be considered for a commission. The Major concurred and I had the impression he was working on that plan already. He brought me up to date. We'd had a few losses – all new pilots or observers. C Flight now consisted of Captain Mealing, a chap named Whistler, a recent arrival named Lewis, and me. I was to billet with the Poidevins once more, which delighted me. I had brought them some fine cakes from Fortnum and Mason and was impatient to see them again. Lawley and Williams, the observers who roomed there with me, had both been invalided out. Lewis was now there, and so was an observer named Chickering. The Major stood to leave just as Jericho arrived at the door. It was like Old Home Week. Jericho grabbed my should like a vice and shook my hand until I begged him to stop. It was time to tell the Aitken story all over again.
We polished off most of the cheese and nearly all of the wine (I use "we" liberally on the last point, for Jericho asked for a coffee), and I lit a cigarette as my cowboy friend told me about a hair-raising tangle with the new Roland two-seaters. He was about to start another tale when I sat up and swore.
"I almost forgot," I said. "This arrived at Hounslow yesterday morning as I was preparing to leave."
I passed an envelope to Jericho. He stared at the American stamp and the return address: M. Sigurdsson and he unfolded it and read. The beginning was mainly commenting with my Dad's death and the family moving to England and my role in the business. Jericho read the last paragraph.
"Tell your friend that I was in Tupelo, Mississippi, last week and scouted out Mrs. Cameron's place. I forgot the parcel you sent me at home but need to go back next week. By the time you get this letter, Mrs Deemer Cameron will know her son is in uniform, in France, and in one piece. Regards, Mike."
Jericho smiled like a kid at Christmas. "Say, Pard," he said. "Do you think the landlady has any more of that wine?"
The first few days were a blur. May was coming to an end, the sun was up until after eight, and we were flying at least two patrols each good day. On 27 May I led an artillery spotting show south of the Somme. Wilson was letting out the antenna wire when he spotted three Fokkers climbing towards our flight of three Moranes. He quickly cranked in the cable and readied the Lewis. I waggled our wings and turned to meet the Huns. The fight did not last long. I heard the gun hammer away while I held the Morane in a shallow spiral. After a minute, or perhaps less, the firing stopped. I saw Lewis's machine circling above. His Hun had gone. Bayetto was turning with a Fokker off to the north, but held the advantage. Then I noticed a ribbon of dark smoke trailing from a yellow machine a thousand feet below and a half-mile to the east. One of the Huns was damaged. I reached back and pounded on Wilson's back, and then pointed ahead. We dived, gaining on the stricken Hun. I blipped the engine as we drew alongside and Wilson began firing in short bursts. The Fokker's propeller stopped and its gentle glide grew steeper. The machine was over a small wood and the pilot struggled to put it down in a rough clearing, but it stalled and fell into the trees. I noted the position – two miles northwest of Péronne.
"The Fokker's propeller stopped and its gentle glide grew steeper."
There was no need to worry. Lewis came alongside, pointed at the column of smoke rising from the wood, and gave me the "OK" sign. Wilson and I had our fourth victory.


text:
#pragma once

#include "Mesh.h"
#include <assimp/material.h>

struct aiMaterial;
struct aiMesh;
struct aiScene;
struct aiNode;

namespace GlassEngine
{

	class Model
	{
	public:
		~Model();

		Model(const char* path)
		{
			this->loadModel(path);
		}
		void Draw(Shader& shader);

	private:
		std::vector<Mesh> meshes;
		std::vector<Texture> textures_loaded;
		std::string directory;
		/*  Functions   */
		void loadModel(std::string path);
		void processNode(aiNode* node, const aiScene* scene);
		Mesh processMesh(aiMesh* mesh, const aiScene* scene);
		std::vector<Texture> loadMaterialTextures(aiMaterial* mat, aiTextureType type,
		                                     std::string typeName);
	};

}


God, he and Adobe are cut from the same cloth! Spazz! I know the feeling RE: impending pet mortality. Sometimes I'm completely frozen by it.
In other news, how the hell am I going to keep up with this fantastic blog in the post Reader era?


LONDON, always humming the classics.
The place which echoes the silences of Classic Rock; London! When you've grown up listening to Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Amy Winehouse, Rolling Stones, Florence + The Machine, Adele, Coldplay and more; you are naturally inclined all your life to visit the magnificent culture that London has to offer.
But you know, it's much much more than that. LONDON'S existence revolves around its history. The monuments which represent London, known worldwide. The London eye, the murky Thames River, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge, Tower of London, The red telephone booths, the red busses, The Buckingham Palace, the endless parks, London's famous Fish & Chips and of course, the famous Tea from England!
Right by the river Thames, this giant Ferris wheel gives the view of the London skyline, the Big Ben, Westminster abbey and so much more. Since 2015, it's been called as the Coca-Cola London Eye, as per the agreement signed in 2014. The 32 capsules on the London Eye are representative of the 32 London boroughs. The structure is 443 feet tall and it's Europe's tallest Ferris wheel. Tip: Go during sunset and see London changing its colors.
For bookings & more insight click here.
This sea life aquarium is located on the south bank of Thames River, right next to The London Eye. Its home to one of Europe's largest collection of Global Marine Lives. It is involved in several breeding programs including the Cuban crocodile, seahorses, butterfly goodeids, and jellyfish, and works with many conservation organizations including Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Save Our Seas, and Shark Trust. You might as well go ahead and adopt a shark. Help save the specie! For bookings & more information click here.
POPPIES FISH AND CHIPS, the best of London!
If you wish to have Fish & Chips while in London, this is the place to have it! It's claimed to have London's best Fish & Chips. Disclaimer: If you're an Indian, don't expect the fish to be succumbed with spices and chilies. It's definitely not how Indian's would cook their fish, but isn't that the reason why you're in London? To experience it the British way!
The best way to travel around, is via the London tube. Understanding the routes can get a bit complicated at first, but its quiet simple actually. You can also download an app to get you where you want to go, to make the commute easier. Don't forget to click a photo besides one of those UNDERGROUND signs.
The Westminster Abbey is in the heart of the city. Right next to Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament. You can get a guided audio tour to really understand and learn the history of the place. It is mainly a gothic abbey church in the city of Westminster.
Visit Westminster Abbey for more information.
There's a lot more that London has to offer. The bakeries are a must go places, if you're one to relish on desserts. Then, there's the O2 arena. This is where all the concerts usually take place. It has amazing restaurants by the side as well. Also, for the tennis fans, there's the Wimbledon Stadium. They arrange guided tours to take you through the entire area, telling you about all the famous matches that have been played on a particular court. That's one experience you must do. Then of course, get a fake-candid photo clicked next to any of the London's famous RED TELEPHONE BOOTHS.
I agree completely. Do you ?
Have you been to London? Tell us anything that you think we might have missed. Also, let us know if you found this blog useful.


text:
Dalglish: What Rodgers needs to do in order to challenge Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea
BRENDAN RODGERS needs help to transform Liverpool into title contenders, according to Paul Dalglish.
Chisanga MalataUFC Columnist
The Northern Irishman is under immense pressure following the Reds' 1-0 defeat to Hull yesterday evening.
The loss to Steve Bruce's side leaves the Merseysiders seven points behind fourth placed Manchester United - who are now the overwhelming favourites to secure the last Champions League spot.
A number of frustrated Reds fans have called for Liverpool to sack Rodgers, who has failed to a land trophy in his three years at Anfield.
Dalglish, who is the son of Anfield legend Kenny, doesn't think the club should part company with the former Swansea chief and has urged them to bring in an 'experienced football figure' to help the under pressure Reds chief.
"I don't think it is the right thing to get rid of Brendan Rodgers now, Dalglish told talkSPORT.
PAUL DALGLISH: Paul Dalglish has urged Liverpool to bring in an experienced football figure to assits Brendan Rodgers [GETTY]
"I was surprised when Brendan was given the job in the first place, but now he has been in the job for three years he has shown signs of getting more used to the level of expectations and pressures and how to manage a big club.
"I don't think it is a case of getting rid of Brendan Rodgers. I think it is more a case of trying to get somebody in to help him. There is no point taking the three-year learnings of a young manager to then go and change things.
"More important for me would be to get somebody in to help him who has been there, done it and won things. If you look at the Liverpool staff at the moment, there are not many people who have much experience at winning.
"Liverpool really want to start winning things, and somebody who can help him win would be they most sensible solution, rather than to try and change everything."
FIFAMessi, Ronaldo and Lewandowski's controversial votes for The Best FIFA award revealedRobert Lewandowski was named The Best Men's Player for the second year in a row at FIFA's virtual award ceremony on Monday, but his votes may surprise some fans
Michael Jordan went through body transformation as he was getting "brutally beaten up"
NbaNBA legend Michael Jordan underwent a dramatic body transformation in the early-1990s during his time with the Chicago Bulls, putting on more muscle to defeat the Detroit Pistons
Arsenal Fan TV originals and where they are now from bust-ups to tragic deaths
YouTubeArsenal Fan TV has pioneered the fan channel movement in the past 10 years - but here we take a look at what happened to some popular members, from tragic deaths to bust-ups
Andy Murray hits out at Australian Open 'boos' - but fans think it was Ronaldo 'SIU'
Andy MurrayAndy Murray blasted the crowd for their 'booing' as the former British no.1 defeated world no. 23 Nikoloz Basilashvili in a thrilling match at the Australian Open
Non-league Wembley FC star Raheem Belgrave, 29, drowns swimming in river on holiday
FootballNon-league goalkeeper Raheem Belgrave has tragically died after drowning on holiday in his native Trinidad and Tobago aged 29, his club since 2018, Wembley FC, have announced
Manchester United FCCristiano Ronaldo branded "prima donna" for "irritating" Man Utd actionsManchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has been slammed by one of the club's former players and told to stop acting like a "prima donna" following his interview last week
OnlyFans model has 'vagina lift' surgery ahead of posing for Playboy magazine
Strictly and Playboy beauty Nadiya Bychkova 'splits' from fiancé Matija Škarabot
Strictly Come DancingNadiya Bychkova, who danced with Dan Walker on the 2021 series of the hit BBC series Strictly Come Dancing, has reportedly split from her footballer fiancé Matija Škarabot
Mum heard spooky music for two years until she was finally diagnosed with brain tumour
CancerConfused mum-of-three Dawn Clark spent two years hearing bizarre sounds that weren't really there, which an MRI scan eventually revealed to be a symptom of a brain tumour


Umaro needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 9 designs submitted by 5 freelance designers.
Anthony is a great designer. He is easy to work with, responsive and has great ideas. We engaged him to work on our entire site and so far everything is fantastic! I would not hesitate to use him again and cannot think of one negative.
Creation of a fully usable 1 page PSD template for the Spore fan site sporefans.com. Site will be using wordpress backend so keep that in mind.
The site will be coded for a tableless css/xhtml layout for use on WordPress, DO NOT create this site to look like a wordpress blog though. It will have the following sections, header, body(sidebar-content) and footer.
Here goes, I need a layout for my Spore fan site called sporefans.com . I will be using word press as a backend and the design is pretty straight forward. I will give you a lot of detail of how I want it laid out, its just up to you to make it all pretty.
Here are a button and banner I had made, I do not have the PSD's but feel free to use that general colour for the logo or anything.
The site will not be your normal size to fit a 800 screen, my audiance are gamers that will require a 1024x rez to play the game, so you can design the site to be 950 width or similar. I just spit the design up like that so you have an idea of the major sections, you can create it all in 1 wrapper or container, but it must be in one of those. Take a look at http://wow.azzor.com/ . I would also like some type of background image that fades like that. The biggest thing im looking for is the backgrounds of all the div's and areas to flow in together nice.
1 - Logo, nothing too fancy needed, must have URL.
3 - the buttons there are to bring attention to major sections of the sites, or contests we might be having. So have the following buttons atleast "Latest News" "Spore Forums" "Spore Strategy Guide"
1- Nav bar - First Off, Your normal Nav bar, Main headings and link to pages.
3- Content Area - This will hold either the word press news, or word press page area.


text:
cask "obs" do
  version "27.2.1"
  sha256 "21bdd4cb8c0e766c7e63741c46667a2a0b0a93810cad6afa15ac7e157560fab2"

  url "https://cdn-fastly.obsproject.com/downloads/obs-mac-#{version}.dmg"
  name "OBS"
  desc "Open-source software for live streaming and screen recording"
  homepage "https://obsproject.com/"

  livecheck do
    url :homepage
    regex(%r{href=.*?/obs[._-]mac[._-]v?(\d+(?:\.\d+)+)\.dmg}i)
  end

  auto_updates true

  app "OBS.app"

  uninstall delete: "/Library/CoreMediaIO/Plug-Ins/DAL/obs-mac-virtualcam.plugin"

  zap trash: [
    "~/Library/Application Support/obs-studio",
    "~/Library/Preferences/com.obsproject.obs-studio.plist",
    "~/Library/Saved Application State/com.obsproject.obs-studio.savedState",
  ]
end


This is skilled work involving general maintenance and repair.
An employee in this class is responsible for serving as principal assistant to a supervisor of personnel engaged in general maintenance and repair of municipal buildings, facilities, equipment, and devices. Employees assists supervisor by directing a workforce and maintaining office files and paperwork. Tasks are of more than average difficulty requiring employees to exercise reasonable initiative and independent judgment. Employees may be required to work irregular hours. Under general supervision, employees regularly receives instructions from a building maintenance supervisor with work being reviewed through observation and results obtained.
Serves as principal assistant to a building maintenance supervisor in directing general maintenance and repair activities including carpentry, painting, plumbing, welding, roofing, plastering, masonry, and electrical repair on municipal building, facilities, and equipment; instructs personnel in use of safe work practices.
Distributes work orders and explains to crew the nature of assignments to be performed; performs demonstration of work sequences, as necessary; inspects work for conformance to accepted standards; transports people, materials, tools, and equipment to and from sites.
Reads, interprets, and works from blueprints, diagrams, and schematics; measures angles, distances, and elevations; builds concrete foundations to facilitate proper installation; builds forms for concrete structures such as sidewalks and curbs, manholes, and pipelines, etc.; prepares electrical and telephone service for Tampa Convention Center events.
Installs and repairs suspended ceilings, tile walls, and floors to facilitate the upkeep of buildings; installs and repairs doors and door fixtures; replaces/repairs fences; installs construction signs and barricades in order to reroute traffic; removes graffiti throughout the city (e.g. traffic control boxes, public buildings, etc.).
Maintains up-to-date inventory and payroll records; compiles necessary reports; orders supplies and equipment, when assigned by the supervisor.
Oversees maintenance and repair operation in absence of supervisor.
Considerable knowledge of: methods, practices, tools, and materials used in general maintenance and repair of buildings, facilities, and equipment; occupational hazards and appropriate safety precautions.
Ability to: perform and instruct others in performance of a variety of building maintenance and repair activities requiring physical strength; oversee and review work of others; maintain records and compile reports; establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
Skill in: use and care of hand tools, power tools, and other related equipment; operation of various types of motor vehicles.
Graduation from an accredited high school or vocational school and three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in building and mechanical maintenance and repair work; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.


Ranch dressing maintains a very popular spot in the hearts of many American consumers, so a new partnership between POP! Gourmet and Hidden Valley is sure to come as welcome news to snack enthusiasts.
The new collaboration includes the Hidden Valley Ranch Wavy Chips and the Hidden Valley Ranch Popcorn, which are both made with the same tasty herbs and spices you'll find in the namesake dressing. The snacks will be available at a variety of retailers this fall and help to expand on the popularity of the brand's original ranch dressing for consumers seeking new flavor and food formats to enjoy.
The new POP! Gourmet and Hidden Valley snacks are both gluten-free and infused with tasty buttermilk for an authentic taste.


text:
Apt. es el quinto álbum de estudio de la cantante chilena Nicole, el primero que trabaja de forma independiente bajo su propio sello Chika Entertainment Inc. Fue producido por la misma cantante junto al músico James "Jimmy" Frazier. El álbum está compuesto de 10 canciones, de las cuales ocho fueron compuestas por la cantante en compañía de Frazier.

"APT" (Apartament) fue grabado en el estudio del departamento de Nicole (por eso el nombre del disco). Posteriormente la cantante viajó a España y Londres para su mezcla y masterización, respectivamente, trabajo en el que contó con el profesionalismo y talento del ingeniero en sonido Barry Sage y Bunt Stafford-Clark (quien ha trabajado con Suede y Radiohead). La placa incluye un tema inédito del cantautor argentino Leo García "El Camino" y una nueva versión para el clásico del grupo Blondie "Rapture".

En noviembre del 2007 el disco se reeditó en Chile, bajo la distribución de La Oveja Negra, incluyendo 4 videos promocionales en pista CD-R y una pista adicional.

Del álbum se han desprendido los sencillos: «No me confundas», perteneciente a la banda sonora de la película Se arrienda de Alberto Fuguet; «Si vienes por mí», primer sencillo oficial del disco; «Veneno», una de las canciones más tocadas en Chile durante el 2007, y posteriormente rota en radios «Culpables» con altísima rotación en MTV Latino, y «El camino», sencillo-B para radios y televisión, de corte romántico.

Lista de canciones

Enlaces externos
 Enciclopedia de la Música Popular
 Nicole, Discos GS

Álbumes de Chile de 2006
Álbumes de Nicole

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Rhônes
Lytton Springs
Vintage Tracker
Ridge Recommends
The Rise of Ridge
Berry Bros. & Rudd's Deputy Content Editor, Sophie Thorpe, has written an article that was submitted and published via a writing competition for JancisRobinson.com. Sophie visited our Monte Bello winery and writes about the positive experience she had on he mountain that day.
"It was just two months after news of Paul Draper's retirement had hit the wire that I visited Ridge, pictured above, on my very first stop on a Grand Tour of Northern California. Once I had established how to drive an automatic and how not to freak out about being on the wrong side of the road, I hit the highway from San Francisco out to Santa Cruz Mountains, just a short hour from the city, then on up a terrifying dirt track…"
© 2023 RIDGE VINEYARDS


text:
destino 23rd January 2023
The Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, the Provincial Council of Alava and the Basque Tourism Agency Basquetour have presented the project for the new Green tourist card at the International Tourism Fair FITUR. The acquisition of …
destino 11th January 2023
The good results achieved by British Airways in 2022 have encouraged the company to repeat this route. The British airline has already put on sale the tickets for the flights of the whole campaign, …
destino 9th January 2023
After two years without Tamborrada, everything is now ready for the drums and barrels to sound again. For weeks now, the adult and children's companies have been rehearsing the melodies of Raimundo Sarriegui. The …
Christmas programme in Hondarribia
destino 16th December 2022
Tomorrow there will be a chocolate workshop aimed at families, for which it is not necessary to register in advance. In total there will be around fifty activities aimed at offering citizens and visitors …
The Itzulia will start in Vitoria-Gasteiz on 3 April.
Next year's edition will be held between 3 and 8 April, at Easter, between Vitoria-Gasteiz and Eibar. The race will finish in the Plaza Unzaga in the city of Eibar, after six stages. The …
Christmas 2022 in Destinos Euskadi
destino 30th November 2022
Bilbao and its "Christmas Light Bilbao will be illuminated from 30 November until 8 January, with more than 1,230,000 LED lights, between 18:00 and 22:00 every day. The ice rink, the Christmas market and …
Guided tours of San Telmo Castle in Hondarribia
Hondarribia Town Council will open the doors of the castle of San Telmo and promote a process of citizen participation to help define the future of this significant historical building. The guided tours will …
Michelin-starred restaurants in the Basque Country in 2023
destino 22nd November 2022
The Michelin Guide 2023 has announced the traditional distribution of stars that accredit the best restaurants in the world. This is the complete list, by historical territory, of the Basque restaurants awarded. Araba/Álava Two …
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao celebrates its 25th anniversary
destino 21st November 2022
It is 25 years since the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened its doors to the Basque citizens for more than a month. From 25 October to 2 December, visits to the gallery will be free …
Return to the streets the Alarde de Hondarribia
destino 8th September 2022
Joy, sport, good atmosphere, culture, tradition, gastronomy and activities for all audiences are the proposals that the city offers. The festivities begin on September 7 with the txupinazo, the children's running of the bulls …