I've already posted about homemade ketchup in my most about making my first hamburgers from scratch. I wasn't completely happy with the ketchup back then, and I've been experimenting a bit to find a recipe I liked better based on a recipe posted by ChgoJohn. That recipe makes a very spicy ketchup, and I've made a few changes to suit my own tastes. That is the nice thing about cooking from scratch: you can tune the ketchup just the way you like it. For example, you could leave out many of the spices from this recipe to make a more basic ketchup. Here's my version, in which I have reduced the amount of spices and changed the cooking times. I've used canned tomatoes, as they are better than what is available fresh around here. If you do use fresh tomatoes, make sure they are very ripe. It's okay if they don't look perfect — they're gonna be turned into ketchup after all.
Roughly chop the bell pepper, onions, jalapeño, and garlic.
Pour the tomatoes with the juices in a casserole or Dutch oven.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.
Pass the mixture through a food mill twice.
First with a coarse sieve.
…and the mustard and paprika.
Make a spice pouch with the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, mace, celery seeds, peppercorns and bay leaf.
For this you can use a piece of muslin or a disposable hairnet, a trick I learned from Auldo.
Add the spice pouch to the casserole. The pouch will allow the spices to give off their flavor without the spices ending up in the ketchup.
After 30 minutes, remove the spice pouch.
Simmer the ketchup until it has the desired strength and thickness. This can take an hour or longer.
To try the ketchup, freeze a small dish for half an hour. Put a teaspoon of the ketchup on the dish to cool it quickly. Then taste the ketchup. As ketchup is eaten at room temperature, it is better to taste it this way instead of when it's still warm. If the ketchup is still too thin or not strong enough, simmer it longer until it is to your liking.
Finally, season the ketchup to your liking with salt, freshly grated nutmeg, and cayenne pepper.
Put it in clean (sterlized) jars when it is still hot, and turn over the jars to allow the hot ketchup to sterilize the jar from the inside after it has been closed. When handled like this, the ketchup will keep for a very long time in the refrigerator. If you are into canning and such, you could process the jars to be able to store the ketchup at room temperature.
Beef short ribs teriyaki are amazingly tender and juicy when cooked sous-vide. The bag juices can be reduced for a very flavorful sauce that is not just teriyaki but also beefy.
I don't normally eat ketchup, but I want to try this! Sounds great, will be making it at some point.
Great, let me know how it turns out.
I don't eat much ketchup either — for sure don't put it on everything.
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment. Would love to hear how it turns out!
Excellent food experimentation. So much work to get some ketchup. I assume that the end result is excellent too.
I will definitely try this and experiment with alternatives to brown sugar that are lower glycemic options like coconut palm sugar (which tastes a lot like brown sugar). So exciting to have a healthier option to the store bought stuff!
There is a place near us that serves smoked ketchup. Since trying it, I have wanted to make my own. I think this is a great place to begin!
Lovely recipe!!! And your resulting ketchup looks so nice and thick! I've been making my own for a couple of years now. Don't know why I waited so long. Next time I'm following this recipe to compare. Thanks!
I wish I could taste your recipe, Stefan. Save me some. I am intrigued by your subtle use of warm spice. The sugar and apple cider vinegar are tried-and-true in catsup. As for the big question: what most amazingly scrumptious catsup-related posts shall follow? Well-done (this coming from an American, so you get extra chef points).
Now I don't use a great deal of ketchup but always have some in the house. Have always bought it methinks!! But this recipe is fun, fun, fun! And most of the ingredients are naturally already in one's pantry. So it's a case of finding time and a sauce making session will be on 🙂 !
I really enjoyed making homemade ketchup using Chgojohn's recipe. It's pretty darn tasty, too. The barbecue sauce I made with the smoked ribs when you were here was based on John's ketchup. Now that I've made it, I'm sure I will tinker with it, too.
Wow. This looks like a cool thing to try – making your own ketchup from the finest ingredients. Thanks man!


text:
HomeCOVID-19COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, November 29, 2021
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, November 29, 2021
Summation of COVID-19 Federal Responses | COVID-19 | November 29, 2021
Key points in this update:
Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson announced that they have all begun working on Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine boosters that should be ready in early 2022.
Omicron has not been detected in the U.S., although National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci warned it will "inevitably" reach the U.S. soon. Dr. Fauci stated it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information about the transmissibility, severity and other characteristics of the variant.
The FDA also authorized three new COVID-19 diagnostic tests.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began distributing $7.5 billion in American Rescue Plan funding to providers in rural areas for COVID-19 relief funds.
The Biden administration awarded $1.5 billion in scholarships and student loan repayment assistance for healthcare workers.
White House and Federal Agencies
The Biden Administration announced that 90% of federal employees are vaccinated.
The Biden administration announced that all essential foreign travelers into the United States (U.S.) must be fully vaccinated by January 22. This adds to existing vaccination requirements for non-essential foreign travelers.
The Biden administration asked a Cincinnati-based federal appeals court to reinstate the workplace vaccine mandate that requires businesses with over 100 employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. A court order is preventing the mandate from taking effect while legal challenges play out.
Economy, Vaccines, Testing and Treatment
The World Health Organization (WHO) held an emergency meeting on Friday and identified a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, as a variant of concern (VOC).
The variant was first identified on November 24, 2021, in South Africa.
Details about the transmissibility, severity, and other characteristics of the variant are still unclear. The fact that omicron has more mutations than other variants causes concern that omicron could be more transmissible and/or cause more severe symptoms than previous variants. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci stated it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information.
Omicron has not been detected in the U.S., although Dr. Anthony Fauci warned it will "inevitably" reach the U.S. soon.
The Biden Administration announced travel restrictions from regions of Africa where the variant has been active.
President Biden gave an update today on the federal response to Omicron.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccines for all adults over 18.
Pfizer announced that their COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in kids aged 12-15.
The FDA stated that Merck's COVID-19 treatment pill is effective, but requires further assessment for use during pregnancy.
Medicare announced that it will cover the cost of COVID-19 booster shots for those older than 65 and for immunocompromised individuals.
A survey revealed that 74% of Americans consider their lives to be "back to normal" since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study showed that there is no risk of serious adverse events for individuals over 75 after receiving a COVID-19 booster vaccine.
A study indicated that there is an increased risk for blood clots in COVID-19 patients after hospitalization.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing an increased rate in stillbirths among pregnant individuals amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study showed a 35% increase in calls to mental health hotlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New data shows racial minorities and psychiatric patients are at increased risk of mortality from a COVID-19 infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
Cases in the U.S.
CDC Statement on B.1.1.529 (Omicron variant)
Overall U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Wed, 24 Nov 2021 06:00:00 EST
Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination
Possible Side Effects After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens
COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People
COVID-19 Vaccines for People Who Would Like to Have a Baby
Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination
Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, January 20, 2022
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance to recommend N95 masks to Americans to…
The National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts that "just about everybody"…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, December 23, 2021
Pfizer says the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine regimen it tested on children did not consistently provide sufficient immune response…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package io.nextop.client.node.log;

import io.nextop.Id;
import io.nextop.Message;
import io.nextop.client.node.Head;
import io.nextop.log.Log;
import io.nextop.log.LogEntry;
import io.nextop.log.Outs;
import rx.Observer;
import rx.Subscription;

import javax.annotation.Nullable;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.logging.Level;

public final class RemoteOut implements Log.Out {
    private final Head head;

    private final Object mutex = new Object();
    private final Map<String, LogState> mostRecentMessages = new HashMap<String, LogState>(32);

    public RemoteOut(Head head) {
        this.head = head;
    }

    /////// Log.Out ///////

    @Override
    public boolean isWrite(Level level, LogEntry.Type type) {
        return false;
    }

    @Override
    public int lineWidth() {
        return Outs.DEFAULT_LINE_WIDTH;
    }

    @Override
    public int keyWidth() {
        return Outs.DEFAULT_KEY_WIDTH;
    }

    @Override
    public int valueWidth() {
        return Outs.DEFAULT_VALUE_WIDTH;
    }

    @Override
    public int unitWidth() {
        return Outs.DEFAULT_UNIT_WIDTH;
    }

    @Override
    public void write(Level level, LogEntry.Type type, String ... lines) {
        // Do nothing
    }

    @Override
    public boolean isWriteUp(Level level, LogEntry.Type type) {
        return true;
    }

    /** thread-safe */
    @Override
    public void writeUp(final LogEntry entry) {
        // writes to a key replace the previous pending write on that key
        // this is essential to avoid a backlog while using V_PASSIVE_HOLD_FOR_ACTIVE_RADIO

        final Message logMessage = Message.newBuilder()
                .setRoute(Message.logRoute())
                .setContent(LogEntry.toWireValue(entry))
                .set(Message.H_PASSIVE, Message.V_PASSIVE_HOLD_FOR_ACTIVE_RADIO)
                .set(Message.H_YIELDABLE, true)
                .setGroupId(Message.LOG_GROUP_ID)
                .setGroupPriority(Message.LOG_GROUP_PRIORITY)
                .build();

        Subscription s = head.receive(logMessage.inboxRoute()).subscribe(new Observer<Message>() {
            @Override
            public void onNext(Message message) {
                // Do nothing
            }

            @Override
            public void onCompleted() {
                endSelf();
            }

            @Override
            public void onError(Throwable e) {
                endSelf();
            }

            private void endSelf() {
                synchronized (mutex) {
                    @Nullable LogState state = mostRecentMessages.get(entry.key);
                    if (null != state) {
                        if (logMessage.id.equals(state.id)) {
                            // remove self
                            mostRecentMessages.remove(entry.key);
                            state.subscription.unsubscribe();
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        });

        LogState state = new LogState(logMessage.id, s);

        synchronized (mutex) {
            @Nullable LogState previousState = mostRecentMessages.put(entry.key, state);
            if (null != previousState) {
                previousState.subscription.unsubscribe();
                head.cancelSend(previousState.id);
            }
            head.send(logMessage);
        }
    }

    private static final class LogState {
        final Id id;
        final Subscription subscription;

        LogState(Id id, Subscription subscription) {
            this.id = id;
            this.subscription = subscription;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Obesity in adolescence and young adulthood constitutes a serious and widespread problem (approx. 8.5% of 14-17-year-olds are obese), with many consequences for those affected and considerable consequences for society as a whole. In research and applied therapy, however, a neglect of the specific developmental situation and an undersupply are apparent for precisely this age group.
The aim is to develop and evaluate an indication- and development-specific training program for the therapy of obesity in adolescents and young adults (16-21 years). The program should bring about a reduction in weight status as well as an increase in the quality of life and counteract the consequences in a preventative manner. A consideration of age-appropriate and gender-specific themes, risks and resources as well as the situation of socially disadvantaged young people characterise the intervention program. The didactic procedure will equally be adapted to the age group through the use, for example, of visual media (DVD-Video) with "peers as models". The main question of interest is: Can an age-specific intervention (YOUTH), compared to the usual, age-unspecific intervention ("treatment as usual"), bring about an improvement of treatment effectiveness (BMI_SDS; quality of life)?
The concern is with a multi-centre, prospective controlled study including quantitative cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys. The study is divided into three large work steps: a needs analysis, the program development and an evaluation study. The needs analysis comprises qualitative focus interviews (N=20) and a questionnaire survey (N=200). Building on their results, the contents and the procedure of the training measure YOUTH will be developed. In cooperation with three rehabilitation clinics, the new training program will be implemented and tested in terms of its effectiveness in a sample of 125 obese 16-21-year-olds. For purposes of comparison, a control group (N=125) will be surveyed, which takes part in the usual rehabilitation program. The evaluation study comprises four measurement time points (at the beginning and end of rehab; 6- and 12-month follow-up). In a subgroup (N=50), data on exercise and nutrition behaviour will be measured, using questionnaires and through pedometers and electronic diaries ("ecological momentary assessment", EMA).


text:
Mayors Eric Garcetti & Mitch Landrieu Participate in Axios Discussion on Leading a City-Driven National Infrastructure Plan
Mayors Join Forum to Discuss How Local Leaders are Using Infrastructure Innovation to Drive Cities into the Future
Los Angeles, CA — On Friday, November 3, U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) President and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will be joined by policy experts to discuss infrastructure innovation in American cities. Axios will host the event in Los Angeles.
While Washington is paralyzed by dysfunction and has failed to deliver promised infrastructure overhauls, mayors have taken the lead to leverage improvements to create jobs, promote lasting resilience, and boost regional economies through transportation upgrades and water management in a quickly changing climate.
New Orleans (LA) Mayor Mitch Landrieu, USCM President
Los Angeles (CA) Mayor Eric Garcetti, USCM Infrastructure Task Force Chair
Dr. Mory Gharib, Director of the Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies at California Institute of Technology
Dan Katz, Director of Global Policy and North America Projects at Hyperloop One
Mike Allen, Executive Editor, Axios
Conversation on the collision of infrastructure and innovation in cities of the future, hosted by Axios
8:00 am PT
Ticket Concourse
Los Angeles Union Station
800 North Alameda Street
By Sara Durr|2017-11-02T12:54:46-04:00November 2, 2017|Media Advisories, News|


text:
Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in Japanese EFL University Classes: Causes, Coping, and Locus of Control
http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/ Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 2008, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 181–191 © Centre for Language Studies National Univ...
Author: Irene Cummings
1 downloads 0 Views 98KB Size
Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in Japanese EFL University Classes: Physical, Emotional, Expressive, and Verbal Reactions
Foreign Language Anxiety among Intermediate-level University Students of Japanese
Anxiety in EFL Classrooms: Causes and Consequences
TEST ANXIETY IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING ABSTRACT
Coping with stress and locus of control
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY AND ADVANCED EFL LEARNERS: AN INTERVIEW STUDY
The relationship between language learning anxiety and language learning motivation among Iranian intermediate EFL learners
The Relationship between Foreign Language Anxiety and Language Learning Strategies among University Students
LANGUAGE ANXIETY CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES. Diplomski rad
An Investigation of Chinese University Students Foreign Language Anxiety and English Learning Motivation
Need for Service Learning in Compulsory Foreign Language Education in a Japanese University Setting
Creative Writing in Pairs: Pedagogic Possibilities in Japanese University EFL Classes
Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety: A Study of Chinese Language Learners
Anxiety: Causes and Management
COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING: A CASE OF THE STUDENTS OF JAPANESE
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY: WHAT IS THIS?
The Hindrance of Doubt: Causes of Language Anxiety
Issues of Computer Assisted Language Learning Normalization in EFL Contexts
Foreign Language Learning Motivation and Anxiety among Iranian Students in the Philippines
THE TECHNIQUES OF ACCELERATED ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING IN EFL CLASSROOM
Language Learning Strategies and Vocabulary Size of Iranian EFL Learners
Cooperative Learning and Learners Opportunities to Participate in English Foreign Language Classes
Foreign Language Reading Anxiety: Korean as a Foreign Language in the United States
DISTANCE LEARNING AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/
Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 2008, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 181–191 © Centre for Language Studies National University of Singapore
Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in Japanese EFL University Classes: Causes, Coping, and Locus of Control Kenneth E. Williams ([email protected]) Sophia Junior College, Japan
Melvin R. Andrade ([email protected]) Sophia Junior College, Japan
Abstract The effect of anxiety on foreign language learning has been the subject of a growing body of research, which has focused mostly on students studying foreign languages in the United States and Canada. The present study, in contrast, examined anxiety in Japanese university EFL classes in regard to the type of situations that provoked the anxiety, the perceived cause of the anxiety, and the ability to cope with the anxiety. Based on questions used in a cross-cultural study of emotion responses (Matsumoto, Kudoh, Scherer, & Wallbott, 1988), a survey was conducted among 243 Japanese learners in 31 conversational English classes at four-year universities in Japan. Findings indicated that anxiety was most often associated with the output and processing (in the sense of mental planning) stages of the learning process and that students attributed the cause of anxiety to the teacher or other people. Other findings were that the effect of and response to anxiety were associated with gender and perceived ability level.
1 Introduction Foreign language learning anxiety has been the subject of a growing body of research that indicates anxiety routinely affects many language learners. Although in the past there were few studies of classroom anxiety of Asian learners, the number of such studies has been growing (see Table 1). The findings of this research as a whole indicate that foreign language learning anxiety is equally prevalent among Japanese and other Asian learners. The present study aims to contribute to this body of research by seeking to more specifically identify both the situations that provoke anxiety and the coping mechanisms that Japanese university English-as-a-foreign language (EFL) students used when they experienced this anxiety. In addition, it investigated the Japanese learner's perception of locus of control1 with regard to the anxiety-provoking situations, a topic that has received little attention in the literature. On the basis of the findings of this study, we offer suggestions on ways that classroom anxiety can be reduced or prevented. In this paper, the expression "foreign language learning" refers to the formal study of a foreign language in a classroom setting.
Kenneth E. Williams and Melvin R. Andrade
182 Researcher Brown, Robson, & Rosenkjar (2001)
Subjects 320 Japanese university students in Japan
Burden (2004)
289 Japanese students in the university conversation classes
Hashimoto (2002)
56 Japanese students at a university in the United States
Anxiety exerted a strong influence on perceived competence and negatively affected their willingness to communicate.
A combination of anxiety, cultural, and personal factors contributed to the lack of participation in discussions.
Kondo & Yang (2003)
168 Chinese students in English-medium business classes at a university in Hong Kong, 148 university students in Japan
Osboe, Fujmura, & Hirschel (2007)
62 first-year university students
Tajima (2002)
84 Japanese university students in Japan
Takada (2003)
148 first-year Japanese junior high school students 220 Japanese junior college and university students in Japan
Yamashiro & McLaughlin (2001)
Findings Students who had higher scores on a cloze test tended to have high anxiety scores on the FLCAS (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986), contrary to what would be expected.* About half of the 289 Japanese students suffered from anxiety similar to what Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope found in their 1991 study of American foreign language students.
Classroom anxiety was associated with three main factors: low proficiency, speaking activities, and fear of negative evaluation by classmates. There was a positive correlation between low anxiety and utilization of small group activities in oral English classes. There were differences in anxiety levels between majors and non-majors on the one hand, and students whose previous experiences included having native-speaking friends, traveling abroad, and passing standardized achievement tests on the other. Anxiety levels and motivation were unrelated to previous English language study in elementary school. Higher levels of anxiety tend to indicate lower levels of proficiency and a higher level of motivation may lead to a higher level of anxiety, which in turn may lead to a lower level of proficiency
* Because these learners were enrolled in an intensive English for Academic Purposes program at an American university branch campus in Japan, they were not representative of the typical Japanese university EFL students. Table 1: Research on Foreign Language Learning Anxiety of Asian Students
2 Background There are particular characteristics of formal foreign language learning that have the potential for provoking anxiety in learners. For example, language learning anxiety has been attributed to the inability to present one's ideas and opinions as well as one can in the target language, which can undermine self-esteem and threaten one's self-image (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986). In addition, the inability to pronounce words correctly or use correct grammar can lead to negative evaluation (real or perceived) by others. Moreover, confusion and embarrassment may result from the inability to comprehend spoken and written input. These types of anxiety contribute to making formal foreign language learning a particularly unpleasant experience for many learners (Horwitz & Young, 1991; Horwitz, 2001; Young, 1999).
Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in Japanese EFL University Classes
Research has examined many variables related to foreign language learning anxiety. These variables fall into two main categories: situational variables and learner variables. Situational variables include, for example, course level, course organization, course activities, instructor behavior and attitudes, and social interaction among learners (Jackson, 2002; Oh, 1992; Oxford, 1999a; Samimy, 1989; Spielmann & Radnofsky, 2001; Young, 1991). Learner variables include, ability (both perceived and actual), age, attitudes, beliefs, culture, gender, learning styles, and personality variables among others (Brown, Robson, & Rosenkjar, 2001; Campbell, 1999; Dewaele, 2002; Ehrman & Oxford, 1995; Gardner, Day, & MacIntyre, 1992; Gardner, Smythe, & Brunet, 1977; Gregersen & Horwitz, 2002; Oxford, 1999b). These independent variables interact in complex ways that create anxiety-provoking situations for many students. In addition to the multiple variables mentioned above, another complexity of classroom anxiety is that it may occur during one or more stages in the learning process. These stages are input, processing (mental planning), and output. In experimental studies, researchers have investigated the effect of induced anxiety during each of these stages as well as the relationship between this anxiety and the ability, character traits, gender, and other learner or situational variables (Bailey, Onwuegbuzie, & Daley, 2000; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994; Onwuegbuzie, Bailey, & Daley, 1999). Thus, to understand foreign language learning anxiety in classrooms, we need to look at not only what provokes it (the causes) but also how it affects the stages of the learning process. Another aspect of classroom anxiety to take into consideration is how learners cope with it. Because coping has not been discussed much in the EFL literature, it is necessary to look at related research in other fields. Of particular interest, is a study by Matsumoto, Kudoh, Scherer, and Wallbott (1988), who compared the emotional responses of Japanese and Americans university students to emotion-eliciting events involving anger, disgust, fear, guilt, joy, sadness, and shame. The goal of their study was to evaluate four aspects of the emotional process: (1) the ecology of emotional experience, (2) the regulation and control of emotion, (3) the subjective evaluation of emotion-eliciting events, and (4) the verbal, nonverbal, and physiological reactions. One finding was that the American participants tended to attribute the cause of the event to other people, whereas the Japanese counterparts tended to attribute it to chance or life. Another difference between the groups was that more Japanese than Americans believed that in the emotion-eliciting events investigated no action was necessary. The researchers concluded that "this finding is consistent with the findings about attribution of responsibility for the event: if one is reluctant to make an attribution of responsibility, or attributes responsibility to other forces, then one's coping ability is limited, and is reflected in the belief that no action is necessary" (Matsumoto et al., 1988, p. 279). 3 Research questions The aim of the present study is to identify and rank the situations that provoke anxiety in Japanese university EFL classes, in particular conversational English classes. In addition, it seeks to identify the ways students perceive and cope with these situations. Specifically, the following questions are addressed: 1. What specific classroom situations provoke anxiety? 2. Who or what do the students think is responsible for the anxiety? 3. How do the students cope with the anxiety?
4 Method 4.1 Participants The participants were 243 randomly selected students at six private universities in Japan.2 All were first- and second-year non-English majors enrolled in 31 conversational English courses taught by 6 native speakers of English. Classes ranged in size from 20 to 30 students, were coeducational, and were not divided by ability level. Ages of the students in the sample ranged from 18 to 21. There were 132 males and 111 females. The amount of exposure to English and speakers of English outside of the classroom was not assessed; however, English was a required subject on the universities' entrance examinations, and Japanese university students have typically studied English in junior and senior high school for a total of six years. 4.2 Questionnaire The questionnaire used in this study was an abbreviated version of the questionnaire Matsumoto et al. (1988) used to compare differences in emotional responses between Japanese and Americans. The questions (see Appendix) were adapted for the foreign language learning context and translated into Japanese. They were then tested with a target group of 50 first- and second-year university students. Based on feedback from the students and colleagues, revisions were made, and the revised Japanese version was back translated into English to check for accuracy. 4.3 Procedure Students in the 31 classes completed the questionnaire during class time midway through the first semester. The questionnaire did not ask for any information that could be used to identify individual students. The students were informed that the survey would have no effect on their grade. 4.4 Data analysis After incomplete questionnaires were eliminated from the initial pool of 260, 243 remained for analysis. First, the two authors of this paper read the open-ended responses in which the students described situations that provoked the anxiety. Then they worked together to establish categories and a coding scheme to ensure intercoder agreement (Brown, 2001). The results were summarized (see Table 2) and descriptive statistics were prepared for the question concerning responsibility (see Table 3), the students' perceived ability levels (see Tables 3, 4 and 5), and the distribution of coping responses (see Table 6). Finally, a chi-square test was used to determine if there were any significant differences attributable to gender or perceived ability in the distribution of coping responses.
Foreign Language Learning Anxiety in Japanese EFL University Classes Rank order 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Causes of anxiety Did not know how to say something in English Speaking in front of others Worried about pronunciation Being called on by teacher and waiting one's turn Worried about grammatical mistakes Did not know how to respond to the teacher's question Confused between English and Japanese Embarrassed to use simple or broken English (Reason not clearly stated) Did not understand teacher's question or comment Worried if one's English is understood or not Could not respond quickly or smoothly Remained silent (mind went blank) Talking with unfamiliar classmates Worried about one's ability level compared to others Did not understand other students Talking about personal affairs Had no idea or opinion about the topic Misunderstood teacher's question Role-play Did not understand spoken English Did not understand long written sentences Did not do homework First encounter with a native English teacher Totals
No. of % of students students 32 12.99 30 12.15 25 10.45 23 9.32 19 7.91 16 6.78 16 6.50 15 6.21 12 5.08 11 4.52 10 4.24 7 2.82 6 2.54 4 1.69 4 1.69 3 1.41 2 0.85 2 0.85 1 0.56 1 0.28 1 0.28 1 0.28 1 0.28 1 0.28 243 100
Category of anxiety processing output output input processing processing processing output – input output output processing input input input output processing input output input input output input –
Table 2: Causes of anxiety reported by the students
f %
Self 34 13.99
Teacher 123 50.61
School 24 9.87
Friends 15 6.17
Relative 2 0.82
Fate 10 4.11
Chance 21 8.64
Stranger 7 2.88
Other 7 2.88
Table 3: Perceived responsibility for the anxiety (n = 243) 1 (low) 2 3 4 f 52 51 45 43 % 21.40 20.99 18.35 17.70 Notes. M = 3.11, SD = 1.69, percentages rounded
6 11 4.53
8 (high) 3 1.23
Low female 61 1.98 0.81
Table 4: Perceived ability level (n = 243) Male
High Low High High Low ability ability male female male n 132 111 20 148 12 8 87 M 3.01 3.21 6.59 1.96 6.67 6.50 1.93 SD 1.76 1.62 0.77 0.80 0.78 0.76 0.79 Notes. "low ability" = Likert scale 1-3, "high ability" = Likert scale 6-8 (see Table 2)
Table 5: Distribution of perceived ability level by gender (n = 243)
243 3.11 1.69
All Male Female High Low N 243 132 111 20 148 Question 3-1: "I did not think that any action was necessary." Agree 45 (18.52) 24 (18.18) 21(18.92) 3 (15.00) 25 (16.89) Disagree 198 (81.48) 108 (81.82) 90 (81.08) 17(85.00) 123 (83.11) Question 3-2: "I believed that I could positively influence the event and change the consequences." Agree 60 (24.69) 39 (29.55) 21(18.92) 9(45.00)** 29(19.59)** Disagree 183 (75.31) 93(70.45) 90(81.08) 11(55.00)** 119 (80.41)** Question 3-3: "I believed that I could escape from the situation and avoid negative consequences." Agree 99 (40.74) 53 (40.15) 46 (41.44) 12 (60.00)** 48 (32.43)** Disagree 144 (59.26) 79 (59.85) 65 (58.56) 8 (40.00)** 100 (67.57)** Question 3-4: "I pretended that nothing important had happened and tried to think of something else." Agree 80 (33.06) 34 (25.76)** 46 (41.44) ** 4 (20.00) 52 (35.14) Disagree 163 (67.08) 98 (74.24)** 65 (58.55) ** 16 (80.00) 96 (64.86) Question 3-5: "I saw myself as powerless and dominated by the event and its consequences." Agree 99 (40.74) 56 (42.42) 43 (38.74) 2 (10.00)* 67 (45.27) * Disagree 144 (59.25) 76 (57.58) 68 (61.26) 18 (90.00)* 81 (54.73) * Notes. ( ) = percentage, * p < .05, ** p < .01 level (chi-square) Table 6: Distribution of coping reactions
5 Results and discussion 5.1 Situations that provoke classroom anxiety The situations that provoked anxiety as reported in the open-ended question are summarized in Table 2. Anxiety for these learners was most often associated with processing (mental planning) and output-related tasks. Fear of making a bad impression or receiving negative evaluation associated with the inability to express oneself clearly and correctly was the most often cited sources of anxiety. Connected to this fear was the feeling that one was less capable than other students in the course. These results are consistent with those reported by Burden (2004), who studied a similar population of Japanese EFL learners, and Kondo and Yang (2003). Overall, anxiety related to processing and output accounted for 75% of the total number of anxietyprovoking situations reported. In this regard, the Japanese students were similar to American students in that they tended to experience anxiety as a result of not being able to achieve a goal, specifically the desire to express themselves effectively (Matsumoto et al., 1988). Specifically, anxiety was often associated with tasks involving speaking in front of others. Most commonly mentioned was having to stand before a class to deliver a prepared speech either by reading aloud or from memory. In particular, having to deliver a self-introduction at the beginning of the course, either in front of the class in a small group, was frequently mentioned as a source of high anxiety. Also frequently mentioned was feeling uncomfortable when being stared at by other students while speaking. In this case, the students were especially uncomfortable with the long silences that occurred while they were trying to think of something to say. Speaking in front of others in small groups or pairs, however, was less a problem or not a problem at all if the participants knew each other well. Other common sources of discomfort were not being able to express what one wanted to say, having to use simple or broken English, making grammatical mistakes, and concern about incorrect pronunciation. Not knowing how to respond to the teacher's question was also a source of anxiety even though the content of the question was understood. Another source of anxiety was the procedure the teacher used for calling on students. Some students reported anxiety when the teacher used random selection, complaining that they always felt on edge not knowing when or if they would be called on. On the other hand, when the teacher called on the students in a predictable order, other students reported increasing anxiety as their turn approached. Perhaps a predictable order would provoke less anxiety for the class as a whole, but we cannot say if the intensity of anxiety is more or less in one case or the other based on this study.
To deal with these sources of anxiety, situational interventions involving both classroom activities and teacher behavior have been discussed, for example, ways of effectively presenting input and correcting errors (Burden, 2004; Campbell & Ortiz, 1991; Daley 1991; Lucas, 1984; Phillips, 1999; Powell, 1991; Spielmannn & Radnofsky, 2001; Stroud & Wee, 2006; Vande Berge, 1993; Vogely, 1998; Young, 1991; Young 1999). Although it is clear from studies such as these that foreign language learning anxiety can be effectively managed, the experience of Koch and Terrell (1991) shows that there is no universal solution.3 Generally speaking, however, activities that relate to the learner on a personal level and raise the learner's feeling of confidence provoke less anxiety and create a greater degree of comfort. Confidence-building activities can take many forms. For example, learners can be given regular chances to utilize skills and knowledge they have already acquired, leaving them feeling "I can do that!" and "I know that!" In this regard, learners should have some flexibility in choosing tasks that they enjoy, find interesting, and showcase their individual strengths. Some learners enjoy the challenge of impromptu role-playing in front of the class, but others abhor it. The latter group might find it more to their liking to write an original dialogue and read it aloud in a small group. Learners need many opportunities to experience success in ways that they feel comfortable. These points are explored further by Oxford (1999a). 5.2 Who or what the students thought was responsible for the anxiety In half the cases (50.61%), the students felt that the teacher was responsible for the anxietyprovoking situation (see Table 2). A distant second was the students themselves (13.99%). Considering that the sources of anxiety reported in Table 2 indicate output and expression as the main causes of student anxiety, fear of negative evaluation in the eyes of the teacher may be the explanation for this result. In contrast to Matsumoto et al. (1988), this data does suggest that Japanese students are not reluctant to attribute the cause of emotion-eliciting events to other people or themselves rather than to "chance" or "life" in general. Whether or not the teachers were actually the cause of the anxiety is unknown, but teachers should not ignore the fact that the students thought so. In that regard, we suggest teachers keep in mind the situations that most commonly provoke anxiety (see Table 2) and consider ways they might modify their lesson plans and teaching techniques if anxiety appears to be a problem in their classes. For example, the teacher could increase the amount of wait-time for the learner to respond. Forcing the learners to respond before they are ready or leaving them in uncomfortable silence is likely to create anxiety. If the learners appear unable to respond, the teacher can provide hints and prompts to elicit a successful response. Second, if the learners still cannot come up with an appropriate answer, they can be taught to respond with utterances such as "I really don't know," followed by "Maybe someone else can answer that," or "Could you help me?" that would effectively avoid embarrassing silence. Teachers need to evaluate their learners and the goals of the class to decide what conversational strategies they need, teach them, and encourage the learners to use them. These expressions can be distributed as a handout, written on a blackboard, or posted on the classroom wall where they can be easily seen during the lesson. If the students have name cards on their desk, the expressions can be written on the back. 5.3 How the students coped with anxiety In response to the anxiety-provoking situation, a large majority of the students (81.48%) indicated that they should have taken some action (see Table 6); however, a nearly equal number (75.31%) did not think they could positively influence the situation, and 59.26% did not think they could avoid the situation. Within this group, more high perceived ability students (45.00%) than low perceived ability students (19.59%) thought that they could influence the situation. Thus, for many students, there was a feeling that they should do something, but at the same time they felt
that whatever they might do would be ineffective. Consequently perhaps, two-thirds of the students (66.94%) could not ignore the situation or get it out of their minds easily, and 40.91% indicated that they felt powerless and dominated by the event. Interestingly though, a majority (59.09%) still maintained a feeling of control despite the general pessimism. A chi-square test of the data found near-significant and significant male-female differences on the ability to influence and ignore the event. More males (29.55%) than females (18.92%) felt they could exert positive influence on the situation, and more females (41.82%) than males (25.76%) were able to put their minds on other things and pretend that nothing important had happened. A significant difference was also found between high and low perceived ability students for feelings of efficacy also emerged. Students with low perceived ability (45.27%) felt powerless and dominated by the event more often than students with high perceived ability (10.00%). Nevertheless, over half of the low perceived ability students (54.73%) maintained some feeling of control. This difference may be attributed to the fact that this question asked about perceived ability, not actual ability, so the gap between high and low actual ability in this study may not be so wide on average. To cope with anxiety, several types of learner interventions have been suggested: cognitive restructuring, written reflection, relaxation training, skills and strategy training, and support groups (Crookall & Reitzel, 1991; Foss & Reitzel, 1988; McCoy 1979; Oxford 1999b; Price, 1999). Many students (81%) felt that they should have taken some action (but did not), and 75% believed they could not influence the anxiety-provoking situation they reported. Furthermore, the most common emotional reaction was that their mind went blank, and over a quarter of the students reported an inability to concentrate. One way of handling these problems is to provide students with conversational strategies to deal with situations that they feel they are unable to control. For example, native speakers of English may say, "That's a good question," when they are asked a question to which they do not know the answer, and they want time to gather their thoughts before they speak. Other responses such as "Could you repeat the question?" and "Could you give me a moment to think?" could also be effective fillers when their mind goes blank, and they are unable to concentrate. Further suggestions can be found in Phillips (1999). 6 Conclusion This study addressed three research questions. The first sought to identify and rank the anxietyprovoking situations in the foreign language classroom. We found that students reported a wide variety of events. Among these, anxiety was most often associated with the output or processing stages of the learning process. Next, we sought to identify who or what the students thought was responsible for the anxiety. The majority of students attributed the cause of anxiety to the teacher or other people. The third question investigated how the students coped with anxiety. Most students felt frustrated and helpless, although students who perceived themselves as having higher ability indicated a greater sense of resilience. We think these findings have two main implications. To optimize desired outcomes for all learners, teachers should be aware of anxiety-provoking situations and take steps to minimize their negative impact. At the same time, learners may benefit from being explicitly taught how to cope with these situations. Many ways to prevent and manage foreign language learning anxiety have been reported. The complexity of teaching and learning, however, means that what may work in one case may not work in another. Further research on the actual effectiveness of these techniques in diverse classroom settings would be a welcome contribution to foreign language learning anxiety research. In closing, it should be noted that the results of this study are based on questionnaire data and not direct observation of student and teacher behavior in the classroom. Thus, we do not claim that anxiety the respondents attributed to the teachers was actually caused by what the teachers did or did not do in a specific situation.
Locus of control is a term used in psychology to refer to who or what an individual believes is responsible for an outcome. An individual who thinks he/she is personally responsible for the outcome of an event is said to have internal locus of control, whereas an individual who thinks the outcome was determined by outside factors is said to have external locus of control. 2 This group of participants was the subject of a two-part study conducted by the authors of the present paper. Results of the second part of the study, which investigates the physical, emotional, expressive, and verbal reactions of the participants to classroom anxiety, will be reported separately. 3 Koch and Terrell (1991) observed that oral presentations, skits and role playing, and defining a word in the target language were the most anxiety producing for at least a fifth of the foreign language students in their study. In contrast, the activities that the learners reported being the most comfortable with were interviewing other students, imagining situations, and ranking preferences. Interestingly, they also found that the same activity could have the opposite in effect on different groups of students. Lack of error correction and lack of grammar instruction, while meant to lower anxiety, actually seemed to raise anxiety in many students. Similarly, about one half of the learners indicated that imagining situations was a comfortable activity, but about one-fifth considered it anxiety producing.
References Bailey, P., Onwuegbuzie, A.J., & Daley, C.E. (2000). Correlates of anxiety at three stages of the foreign language learning process. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 19, 474–490. Brown, J.D., Robson, G., & Rosenkjar, P. (2001). Personality, motivation, anxiety, strategies, and language proficiency of Japanese students. In Z. Dornyei, & R. Schmidt (Eds.), Motivation and second language acquisition (pp. 361–398), Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. Brown, J.D. (2001). Using surveys in language programs. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Burden, P. (2004). The teacher as facilitator: Reducing anxiety in the EFL university classroom. JALT Hokkaido Journal, 8, 3–18. Campbell, C.M. (1999). Language anxiety in men and women: Dealing with gender differences in the language classroom. In D.J. Young (Ed.), Affect in foreign language and second language learning: A practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere (pp. 191–215). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Campbell, C.M., & Ortiz, J. (1991). Helping students overcome foreign language anxiety: A foreign language anxiety workshop. In E.K. Horwitz & D.J. Young. Language anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications (pp. 153–168). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Crookall, D., & Reitzel, A.C. (1991). Dealing with anxiety: Some practical activities for language learners and teacher trainees. In E.K. Horwitz & D.J. Young (Eds.), Language anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications (pp. 141–150). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Daley, J. (1991). Understanding communication apprehension: An introduction for language educators. In E.K. Horwitz & D.J. Young (Eds.), Language Anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications (pp. 3–13). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Dewaele, J. (2002). Psychological and socio-demographic correlates of communicative anxiety L2 and L3 Production. International Journal of Bilingualism, 6, 23–38. Ehrman, M.E., & Oxford, R.L. (1995). Cognition plus: Correlates of language learning success. The Modern Language Journal, 79, 67–89. Foss, K.A., & Reitzel, A.C. (1988). A relational model for managing second language anxiety. TESOL Quarterly, 22, 437–454. Gardner, R.C., Day, J.B., & McIntyre, P.D. (1992). Integrative motivation, induced anxiety, and language learning in a controlled environment. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 14, 197–214. Gardner, R.C., Smythe, P.C., & Brunet, G.R. (1977). Intensive second language study: Effects on attitudes, motivation, and French achievement. Language Learning, 27, 243–261. Gregersen, T., & Horwitz, E. (2002). Language learning and perfectionism: Anxious and non-anxious language learner's reactions to their own oral performance. Modern Language Journal, 86, 562–570. Hashimoto, Y. (2002). Motivation and willingness to communicate as predictors of L2 Use: The Japanese ESL context. Second Language Studies, 20, 29–70. Horwitz, E.K. (2001). Language anxiety and achievement. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 21, 112– 126. Horwitz, E.K., Horwitz, M.B., & Cope, J.A. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70, 125–132.
Horwitz, E.K., & Young, D.J. (Eds.). (1991). Language anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Jackson, J. (2002). Reticence in second language case discussions: Anxiety and aspirations. System, 30, 65– 84. Koch, A.S., & Terrell, T.D. (1991). Affective reactions of foreign language students to natural approach activities and teaching techniques. In E.K. Horwitz & D.J. Young (Eds.), Language anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications (pp. 109–126). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kondo, S., & Yang, Y-L. (2003). The English Language Classroom Anxiety Scale: Test construction, reliability, and validity. JALT Journal, 25, 593–598. Lucas, J. (1984). Communication apprehension in the ESL classroom: Getting our students to talk. Foreign Language Annals, 17, 593–598. MacIntyre, P.D., & Gardner, R.C. (1994). The Effects of induced anxiety on three stages of cognitive processing in computerized vocabulary. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 16(1), 1–17. Matsumoto, D., Kudoh, T., Scherer, K., & Wallbott, H. (1988). Antecedents of reactions to emotions in the United States and Japan. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 19, 267–286. McCoy, I.R. (1979). Means to overcome the anxieties of second language learners. Foreign Language Annals, 12, 185–189. Oh, J. (1992). The effects of L2 reading assessment methods on anxiety level. TESOL Quarterly, 26, 172–76. Onwuegbuzie, A.J., Bailey, P., & Daley, C. (1999). Factors associated with foreign language anxiety. Applied Psycholinguistics, 20, 217–239. Osboe, S., Fujmura, T., & Hirschel, R. (2007). Students' confidence and anxiety in L2 speaking activities. Languaging, 10, 32–35. Oxford, R. (1999a). Anxiety and the language learner: New insights (pp. 58-67). In J. Arnold (Ed.), Affect in language learning. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Oxford, R. (1999b). "Style wars" as a source of anxiety in language classrooms. In D.J. Young (Ed.), Affect in foreign language and second language learning: A practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere (pp. 216–237). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Phillips, E.M. (1999). Decreasing Language Anxiety: Practical techniques for oral activities. In D.J. Young (Ed.), Affect in foreign language and second language learning: A practical guide to creating a lowanxiety classroom atmosphere (pp. 124–143). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Powell, J.C. (1991). Foreign language anxiety: Institutional responses. In E.K. Horwitz & D.J. Young (Eds.), Language anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications (pp. 169–176). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Price, M.L. (1999). The subjective reactions of foreign language students to natural approach activities and teaching techniques. In E.K. Horwitz & D.J. Young (Eds.), Language anxiety: From theory and research to classroom implications (pp. 101–126). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Samimy, K.K. (1989). A comparative study of teaching Japanese in the audio-lingual method and the counseling-learning approach. The Modern Language Journal, 73(2), 169–177. Spielmann, G., & Radnofsky, M.L. (2001). Learning language under tension: New directions from a qualitative study. The Modern Language Journal, 85, 259–278. Stroud, C., & Wee, L. (2006). Anxiety and identity in the language classroom. RELC Journal, 37, 299–307. Tajima, M. (2002). Motivation, attitude, and anxieties toward learning English as a foreign language: A survey of Japanese university students in Tokyo. Gengo no Sekai, 20(1/2), 115–155. Takada, T. (2003). Learner characteristics of early starters and late starters of English language learning: Anxiety, aptitude, and motivation. JALT Journal, 25, 5–30. Vande Berge, C.K. (1993). Managing learner anxiety in literature courses. The French Review, 67, 27–36. Vogely, A.J. (1998). Listening comprehension anxiety: Students' reported sources and solutions. Foreign Language Annals, 31, 67–80. Yamashiro, A.D., & McLaughlin, J. (2001). Relationships among attitudes, motivation, anxiety, and English language proficiency in Japanese college students. In: P. Robinson, M. Sawyer & S. Ross (Eds.), Second language acquisition research in Japan: JALT Applied Materials Series, Vol. 4 (pp. 19–33). Tokyo: Japan Association of Language Teachers Press. Young, D.J. (1991). Creating a low-anxiety classroom environment: What does language anxiety research suggest? Modern Language Journal, 75, 426–439. Young, D.J. (Ed.). (1999). Affect in foreign language and second language learning: A practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom atmosphere. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Appendix: Questionnaire Items 1. In as much detail as possible, please describe a situation or event in which you felt anxiety in an English conversation class. 2. Who do you think was responsible for this event in the first place? Check one, the most important of the following: (1) ___yourself (6) ___ fate (2) ___your teacher (7) ___ chance (3) ___ the school (8) ___ strangers (4) ___ close friends (9) ___other things/people (5) ___ close relatives 3. How did you evaluate your ability to act or to cope with the event and its consequences when you were first confronted with this situation? Read each statement and agree or disagree by circling your choice. 3-1 I did not think that any action was necessary.. Agree Disagree 3-2 I believed that I could positively influence the event and change the consequences. Agree Disagree 3-3 I believed that I could escape from the situation and avoid negative consequences. Agree Disagree 3-4 I pretended that nothing important had happened and tried to think of something else. Agree Disagree 3-5 I saw myself as powerless and dominated by the event and its consequences. Agree Disagree 4. How would you evaluate your English ability at the time of the situation or event you described above? Circle one: (Poor) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (Excellent)
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Nestled on the edge of Richmond's lifestyle retail hub at the Paris end of Swan Street, Richmond, Momu is a furniture and homewares store brimming with a unique collection of designer goodies for a worldly and eclectic interior. Set over two floors in a New York loft style space, Momu offers a beautifully curated collection of classic and contemporary furniture, rugs, lighting and objets d'art – it's literally a treasure trove of gorgeous pieces for every corner of your home.
Founded on a passion for interior design, Momu is a family business that opened in 2005 when well-established Melbourne Interior Designer Richard Gasking became increasingly frustrated by the lack of interesting products at his disposal to create a unique and sophisticated aesthetic in the homes he was styling. Now run by his sons Lec (also an interior designer) and Marcel (marketing director), who now oversee all buying, they are the creative duo steering the business into its next phase.
While the furniture and objects found at Momu are sourced from countries far and wide, such as Belgium, France, Morocco and Japan, they are also committed to supporting local manufacturing and offer a custom upholstered furniture service and hand carved timber pieces that are all made in Melbourne. So if you're yet to discover the treasure trove of interior inspiration at Momu, do yourself a favour and visit this decadent Melbourne store or get lost in their beautiful products all available to purchase online here. Expect to find good old fashioned service from a highly qualified interior design led team, and a timeless collection of furniture and homewares which tastefully fuse classic and contemporary styling.
Momu, 550 Swan Street Richmond, or visit their online store.
Words by Aimee Tarulli, Interiors Editor, Archer Interiors. Find me on instagram here.
Images styled by Aimee Tarulli & Photographed by Martina Gemmola.


text:
Classified.
By D. Randolph and Russell Maloney
The New Yorker, July 4, 1942 P. 9
A lady, volunteer ambulance-driver, was notified that her fingerprint card, which had been sent to Washington for filling, had been returned; it had been filled in wrong, or something. While she was at the police station, giving out with more fingerprints, she happened to see the card that had been sent back. Stamped across the front, in bold red letters, were the words "Obsolete Female." As soon as the emergency is over, she plans to ask Washington just where they got that idea.
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Annette Lang has contributed to the fitness industry in numerous roles; she has worked in sales, personal training, and education. Lang was the Program Director for the first Equinox Fitness Training Institute and Reebok University Personal Trainer Master Trainer Team. She has been speaking at international conferences as well as developing and teaching education classes for many years. Lang has a Master's degree in Health Education and is a certified personal trainer working privately in New York City, NY.


This last video covers a typical matte painting workflow with a simple example. Matte painting is the art of producing believable backgrounds for film and games. Here, we'll see how high resolution geometry can be projected onto lower resolution proxies and then tweaked using the Viewport Canvas. Our goal is to deliver the final matte paintings on optimized rendering scenes while maintaining good perspectives.


Celtic faced an Aberdeen team today at Celtic Park with a head to head record this season that had both teams with two wins each.
Celtic's one league loss of the season came against Aberdeen at the end of February and that was two weeks after a cup exit with Aberdeen the culprits that time too. So head to head this season they'd won two to our two. Celtic were up against it today playing an Aberdeen team who have had their best season in a decade and who have beat Celtic on their last two meetings, including knocking us out of a cup.
Both teams were evenly matched from the whistle and traded blows for the first 20 minutes with 2 good goal opportunities for Commons and Stokes. But it was Scott Brown that got a break and buried the Aberdeen net with a left footed shot on 25 minutes. However, the lead only last 3 minutes as Adam Matthews gifted ex-Celt Niall McGinn a goal after a tame back pass that never made it back to big Fraser Foster which allowed McGinn to walk the ball in.
Matthews managed to redeem himself just before half time after some clever play in the Aberdeen box where he laid on Scott Brown to slot home his second of the game and take Celtic down the tunnel with a one goal lead.
Celtic started the better team in the 2nd half with a couple of half chances before some interplay with Anthony Stokes and Charlie Mulgrew around the Dons box eventually seeing stokes stretch for a shot that hit the back of the net on 53 minutes. But like the first half Aberdeen pegged Celtic back minutes later after their player of the match and left back came from the halfway line to riffle a neat finish past Fraser Foster. The referee seemed to ignore a bag full of fouls on Celtic players but Johnny Hayes had a stone wall penalty turned down after Ambrose clearly took him down in the box. Having survived a penalty scare and a possible sending off, a well deserved Kris Commons followed shortly with a goal that came in the 70th minute and put it a dint in Aberdeen hopes for the fourth time.
Commons hit goal number 5 and his 30th of the season in the last 5 minutes of the game and was shortly later substituted to a standing ovation.
Celtic are in action again midweek and away to a St Johnstone team that's also had a good season and still have a cup final to look forward to. The league with then wrap up next Sunday at paradise with the visit of Dundee Utd with Celtic currently on 95 points and 95 goals.


Four years ago today, my family and I were taking a trip to the beach. Since we had to go through the Atlanta metropolitan area to get to the Atlantic Ocean, we decided to visit with family. We were stuck in Atlanta traffic and Michael Baisden interrupted the music to say that there were reports that Michael Jackson was dead.
With no disrespect to Mr. Baisden, I did not believe him. Over the years, there had been countless rumors of Michael Jackson's death and I assumed this was another hoax. Besides, he was the King of Pop, he couldn't possibly be dead!!
We were shocked and hurt. Our entire vacation was filled with his memories and songs.
Today is the fourth anniversary of his death. R.I.P King of Pop. May your legacy live on.
Where were you when you heard Michael Jackson had died? Tell us your stories.
This entry was posted in Pop Culture and tagged 2DopeSistahs, Death, Michael Jackson by Christie. Bookmark the permalink.
I was driving from the airport to my mother's house when I heard it. I didn't think it was true, so I called and asked a friend if she had heard the news. Then, I called my mother and asked her to turn on CNN, and she confirmed it. It was so sad, not just his death but the the way his life had gone in the years before he died. Talented people are often such tortured souls.
I also wish that his family can find peace, especially his kids, who he tried so hard to keep out of the public's eye.
By the way, do you notice which MJ picture I posted? I chose brown MJ. Lol! I almost chose MJ with the nose that he was born with, but I was afraid some people may not know who he was. Lol!
I was driving my friend to work after class when I heard the news on the Michael Baisden Show. It was crazy! Then I saw confirmation on 106 & Park and CNN. As a college kid I knew it was real once BET and CNN and FOX reported the same thing!
Lol @ "I knew it was real once BET and CNN and FOX reported the same thing!" You couldn't trust BET alone?
Funny, it seems like everyone was listening to Michael Baisden that day.


20 years ago everybody wanted to be in a band. 10 years ago everybody wanted to be a DJ. Today everybody wants to be a comedian. There are more comedians in America than ever before, getting up every night at clubs and theaters and whatever weird little local holes in the wall will give strangers a mic and five minutes of spotlight. It can be overwhelming if you're a comedy fan, so let Paste pick out the best comedians you'll be laughing with soon. All of these ten are already well-established on the club scene, but any of them could easily take that next step into theaters and, perhaps, even arenas. Who could be the next Aziz Ansari, Louis C.K. or Sarah Silverman? Check out the ten comedians below to find out.
Aparna Nacherla doesn't reinvent the wheel—this is observational comedy. But there's something special here, in the way the she so succinctly reveals the surreality of being alive in the year of our lord two thousand and whatever. Is it the way that she specifies that she got cat called "last summer?" Is it her long bit on the evolution of clickbait listicles ("Sometimes it's like 'Two Birds!'")? More likely it's in the way she says things like there's nothing weird about them, the same way I can casually drop "my therapist said," into conversations with my peers like that's a really chill thing to do. We live in interesting times, and it seems counterintuitive not to just say that, and be saying it all the time. To paraphrase Nancherla, I'm not sure how you could read a newspaper and come to the conclusion that everything is fine.


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Question: What is the branch name for UBIN0547697 IFSC code?
Answer: The branch name for UBIN0547697 IFSC code is JHANKHERA.
Question: What is the branch code of JHANKHERA, UNION BANK OF INDIA?
Question: What is the MICR code of JHANKHERA, UNION BANK OF INDIA?
Answer: It is used to make the process easy of cheques clearance, documents, and other processes within in the bank itself. The MICR code of JHANKHERA, UNION BANK OF INDIA branch is NA.
Question: What is the full address of JHANKHERA, UNION BANK OF INDIA branch?
Answer: The full address of JHANKHERA, UNION BANK OF INDIA branch is AT POST JHANKHERA BLOCK GANGOH DIST.SAHARANPUR UTTAR PRADESH PIN 247451.
Question: What is the ZIP CODE of JHANKHERA?
Answer: The ZIP code of JHANKHERA, SAHARANPUR, UTTAR PRADESH is 247452.
Question: What are the different ways to send/receive money from other bank accounts to JHANKHERA branch?
Answer: There are following 3 ways to send/receive funds online from other bank accounts to JHANKHERA, UNION BANK OF INDIA branch.
The bank is located at JHANKHERA SAHARANPUR city. SAHARANPUR is an integral part of UTTAR PRADESH. You can find branch other details such as JHANKHERA MICR code, JHANKHERA pin code, JHANKHERA Branch code, JHANKHERA zip code and more here.
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Fourth Amendment Unreasonable Search & Seizure Rights
When is a Search Warrant Necessary?
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects Americans from unreasonable searches by the government. That means that absent an emergency situation or other legal exception, a police officer must have a search warrant before conducting a search of your person or property.
How a Search Warrant is Obtained
The Fourth Amendment requires that searches be specific and reasonable. That means that a judge will only approve a search warrant if law enforcement is specific as to the items and location it wishes to search. Law enforcement must also prove that probable cause exists that a specific item is located in a specific place.
Whether the warrant gets issued or not is up to the judge's review. If a judge finds that law enforcement has met its burden of probable cause and has included enough specificity in the request for the warrant, then the judge will issue the search warrant. The suspect is not present during this proceeding and is not given an opportunity to present his or her argument against the issuance of a warrant. However, in later proceedings the suspect may argue that a search warrant was improperly granted.
When a Search Warrant is Not Necessary
There are a few situations when law enforcement is exempt from obtaining a search warrant. Those situations include:
Consent: Law enforcement can request to enter a person's home or search a person's belongings. If the person consents to the search and gives law enforcement express permission to conduct the search then a warrant is unnecessary.
Plain View Doctrine: Law enforcement does not need a search warrant to obtain evidence that is in plain sight. For example, if an officer is walking down the street and sees a person with drugs in the park then the officer may arrest that person and keep the drugs as evidence even though a search warrant was not obtained. This exception exists because individuals do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they are in plain view.
Emergency Situation: If the police are in hot pursuit of a felon and follow that alleged felon into a home or other private area then they do not need a warrant to obtain evidence that is in plain sight when they enter the building.
For example, a police officer may witness a robbery or an assault and begin to pursue the criminal to make an arrest. If the criminal flees and takes refuge in a private residence then the police may follow him and they do not need a search warrant to enter the home nor to collect evidence that is in plain sight or within the reach of the alleged criminal.
Police may also enter a residence without a warrant if they hear a person screaming for help or have reason to believe that a person or property is in imminent danger and that harm would result in the time it would take to obtain a search warrant.
Search Incident to Arrest: Police officers may search the body and immediate surroundings of a person whom they take into custody. The courts have allowed this exception to the search warrant rule in order to protect police officers from people who may have concealed weapons.
Search warrants are the government's way of balancing an individual's Fourth Amendment rights with the societal interest in limiting crime and protecting the public. Therefore, the general rule is that a search warrant must be obtained before the police conduct a search but exceptions to that rule exist to protect police officers and society from harm.
Speak to an Experienced Fourth Amendment Unreasonable Search & Seizure Rights Attorney Today
This article is intended to be helpful and informative. But even common legal matters can become complex and stressful. A qualified fourth amendment unreasonable search & seizure rights lawyer can address your particular legal needs, explain the law, and represent you in court. Take the first step now and contact a local fourth amendment unreasonable search & seizure rights attorney to discuss your specific legal situation.
Enter your location below to get connected with a qualified Fourth Amendment Unreasonable Search & Seizure Rights attorney today.
Additional Fourth Amendment Unreasonable Search & Seizure Rights Articles
What Is A Search Warrant?
Wrongful Incarceration Due to Police Planted Evidence
What Is Probable Cause?
What If I Agree To The Search?
The Search of Cars at the Time of Arrest
If A Police Officer Knocks On My Door And Asks To Search My Home, Do I Have To Let The Officer In?
What Is The Plain View Doctrine?
What Is The Fourth Amendment?
Does the Fourth Amendment protect all searches?
What Is A Plea Bargain?
Search LawInfo's Fourth Amendment Unreasonable Search & Seizure Rights Resources
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Fourth Amendment Unreasonable Search & Seizure Rights Videos
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Strip Searches - When Are They Legal
When Do The Police Need A Warrant To Search My Home


Thanks to its Escalation Rules module, DeepDesk allows you to create automatic rules to manage repetitive tasks.
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Using together the powerful feature of escalation rules with email integrations, you can configure as much reminders as you wish.
Thanks to DeepDesk you can decide to be notified before, during and after an event occurs with customized emails from web interface.
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Do you have a maintenance contract that is expiring and you want to notify the customer? Thanks to escalation rules and automatic notifications you can send the appropriate reminder in the right moment.
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DeepDesk allows you to easily manage your service, processing real-time the automation rules.


A few months after the tragic events in Paris and heightened security measures, Belgium is once again under security alert level 5, but this time for a good reason: to rise above the frustration caused and to celebrate the local garage-synth-punk music scene in its very own Belgian way. The creative mind behind the concert night is Elzo Durt, artist, DJ and one half of Belgian-French record label Teenage Menopause. He is known for his provocative and humorous visuals featuring Queen Fabiola or Bin Laden and it's no wonder then that he also didn't hold back for the poster of this event, which depicts current Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel disguised as a jihadist. We got in touch with the five French and Belgian bands that will be rocking the stage at Magasin 4 on 12 March to hear their point of view on the whole shebang.
Regal, formed five years ago in Lyon, left France for Brussels a little while ago. They've already published three albums and are currently working on their fourth record, mixing styles from dreamy country and pop to garage rock.
Formerly a trio but now a duo, Liège-based Le Prince Harry, formed in 2006, is known for their raw electro synth-punk. They've already released four records, with 2012's "It's getting worse" being the one you shouldn't bypass. The two-piece also just published a video to their new track "Chemistry".
Charnier is a Belgian new-wave trio active since 2013. Their first mini-album, previously published on Wool-E tapes, is now coming out on Weird Son Records as a limited edition vinyl in 300 copies. After the release, Charnier will be packing for a spring tour around Europe.
You'll need to decide for yourself if you want to take Keeper Volant seriously or not. What's for sure: they'll entertain you with original lyrics heavy with typical Belgian humour and their very particular style, which they describe as "French lover punk", a surprising mix that is all about girls, cars and football. At the moment they're looking for a label to release their brand new EP.


In Crimson: Steam Pirates, plumes of black smoke fill the blue Caribbean sky as Thomas Blood's pirate fleet steams ahead—over, above, and below the waves. On the surface, ships bristle with swivel cannons and lightning guns. Above, zeppelins drip with incendiary bombs. And below, silent and deadly, submarines stalk their targets, torpedoes at the ready.
Command your fleet and your Steampunk crew using an elegant action interface. Crimson: Steam Pirate's turn-based gameplay provides an addicting mixture of strategy and action as you anticipate your enemies' moves and counter them, luring them into a deadly hail of weapons fire while uncovering the mystery brewing in the Caribbean.
Presented by Bungie Aerospace and conceived by the mind of Harebrained Schemes' Jordan Weisman, creator of the MechWarrior, Crimson Skies, and Shadowrun universes.
Ancient Trader HD is the best (non-cardboard) idea to ever hit the iPad, bringing stellar and traditional board gaming action to the iPhone's big brother.
Here they are, the best iPad apps this week. Was your favorite on our list?


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Entries from April 2018
Thomas couple to celebrate 50 years
in Anniversaries
Wednesday, April 25. 2018
Gary and Sandy Thomas will celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, April 28 in the social hall of Hopewell United Methodist Church. The couple was married April 28, 1968 at Hopewell. [Full Story »]
Bryant and Cox to wed on April 28
Brenda and Herbert Bryant of Baxley are proud to announce the upcoming marriage of their daughter Christine Mae Bryant to Spencer Marcel Cox, son of Bruce and Alice Jones Cox of Surrency.
Dowdney and Johnson to wed
Daniel Evan Johnson is happy to announce the upcoming marriage of his daddy, Daniel Derek Johnson, son of Daniel "Danny" and Nancy Johnson to Jessica Lauren Dowdney, the daughter of Andy and Janey Dowdney, all of Baxley. [Full Story »]
Summer Feeding Program to be held
Appling County School Nutrition will provide breakfast and lunch meals at no cost to students 18 years of age and younger through the summer feeding program. [Full Story »]
Photos from Chamber Gala are now available
The Baxley-Appling Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that the photos from the Diamond Jubilee Chamber Gala area now available. You may view the photos on Facebook by visiting the Baxley-Appling Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. Once you log on, go to the photo albums, and the Diamond Jubille Gala album can be viewed. [Full Story »]
in Legal Notices
The following are Legal Notices published in the 4-18-2018 edition of The Baxley News-Banner. [Full Story »]
Questions raised about board member living outside district
in Headlines, News
By Jamie Gardner
For weeks The Baxley News-Banner has received telephone calls from members of the public expressing concern over whether or not Appling County Board of Education (BOE) member Justin Orvin is living in his district (BOE District 5). The News-Banner met with Orvin and Superintendent Dr. Scarlett Copeland on March 28 to address the concerns. [Full Story »]
Tree Trek participation leaves Baxley in its tracks
By Bryan Shipes
Each year eager participants line up to grab their race bib and t-shirt. The Trek Trek includes 5K and one-mile races. There were approximately 50 runners for this year's event. The overall male winner for the one-mile race was Briley Reyes and the overall female winner was Alexandra Uribe. The overall 5K male winner was Frankie Williams and the overall female winner was Alexandra Uribe. The overall 5K masters male winner was Rafael Estrada and overall 5K masters female winner was Leah Head.
Sherry Miller Calhoun
in Obituaries
Sherry Miller Calhoun, age 69, of Savannah, died Friday, April 6, 2018. [Full Story »]
William Vance Reynolds
The Rev. William Vance Reynolds, age 77, of McCaysville, passed away on Friday, April 13, 2018 at his home, surrounded by his family. Rev. Reynolds was born on November 13, 1940 in Surrency to the late John Henry Reynolds and Lois Johnson Reynolds. He was a Southern Baptist and a member of First Baptist Church McCaysville/Copperhill, active in the Baptist Men and on the committee for the Golden Nuggets senior ministry. Rev. Reynolds had the opportunity to participate in mission work on the Navaho Reservation at Four Corners, New Mexico, Jamaica and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. For the past twenty-five years, he had the opportunity, through ChildFund International, to sponsor two children, Carlos Reyes Reyes and Brayan Josue Perdomo Villanueva who lived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He was a retired school teacher in Georgia, author of several historical books set in the south, a Southern Baptist Minister, and a faithful contributing writer of the "Reel Memories" column in the Fannin Sentinel for almost ten years. He enjoyed part-time truck driving with his brother during the summers and Christmas vacations and helped finance his college education working at night as a movie projectionist. Rev. Reynolds was an avid fisherman, read his Bible regularly, enjoyed research, and leisure reading. He enjoyed watching old Westerns on television. He also enjoyed traveling throughout the United States with his family. Rev. Reynolds received his Associate in Science degree from South Georgia College, Douglas, GA; Bachelor of Science and Masters in Education from Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA and an Education Specialist degree from the University of Georgia, Athens. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, John Reynolds and Loy Reynolds, and sister, Annie Reynolds. [Full Story »]
Truman Simmons
Truman Simmons, age 72, of 143 Griffin Rd., of Baxley passed away Wednesday morning after an extended illness. [Full Story »]
Random thoughts on preachers, politics and sweet Vidalia onions, among other things
By Dick Yarbrough
Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Dr. G. Gil Watson, aka, the World's Greatest Preacher, up and retired after two decades of trying to save my sorry soul. Not only was he my preacher, he was and is my friend. He did his best to resuscitate me. He just didn't have a lot to work with. [Full Story »]
By Mary Ann Ellis
Visiting a grieving family at a funeral home is a sad task at best, but when you are a part of the grieving family, things are even worse. What do you say? How do you convey the feelings welled up in your heart? Such was my situation Sunday night in Hazlehurst at Wainright-Parlor Funeral Home as I hugged my cousin Max whose lovely wife went to Heaven on Friday last. Both Max and Maude are 90 years old and have been faithfully and lovingly married for nearly 72 years. [Full Story »]
The problem with "church folk"
By Billy G. Howard
One subject that seems to be virtually unavoidable, no matter the circumstances, is that of religion. That was a topic among many included in a recent lengthy conversation with a man I'll identify as Mr. Fred. He reported his efforts at trying to embody the characteristics of Jesus though not having an affiliation with any local church. When pressed on the issue of significance held in the biblical directive to not forsake the "assembly of the saints" Mr. Fred had spoken of an unfortunate incident that altogether deflated his faith in the church. [Full Story »]
Weekly arrest report given
The following are arrests made by the Appling County Sheriff's Office from April 6 – April 11. [Full Story »]
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In order to reduce the carbon footprint of the agricultural sector and expand sustainable coffee production in the future, the government of Costa Rica is implementing a coffee NAMA (NAMA Café) through a participatory process between 2011 and 2021.
At the level of coffee farmers and the field technicians of mills, the NSP Café is implementing capacity building measures for efficient fertilizer use and additional low-emission practices, like the provision of shade trees. These measures will increase coffee production per ha and, at the same time, reduce GHG emissions.
In order to reinforce a multipliable model in the coffee sector, a total of 21 demonstrative farms of 1 ha in all of the coffee regions of the country will be chosen. Good Agricultural Practices (GPAs) will be applied on these models, thus increasing productivity and lowering GHG emissions. These farms will serve as training centers for the growers who own them and for at least 10 other growers of their respective community. Each farm will represent a team of one technician of an extension service and one grower. Each team will present a proposal for the improved management of the farm that includes targets to increase in productivity and reduce GHG emissions.
246 (225 growers and 21 technicians).
All coffee producing regions of Costa Rica.


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Liverpool council worker swindled £22,000 benefits - and will keep her job
Authority questioned over decision to keep employee after Disability Living Allowance scam
Liverpool Town Hall
A Liverpool council employee caught falsely claiming £22,000 in benefits is set to keep her job.
Jacqueline Simpson swindled more than £22,000 of taxpayers' money through dishonest Disability Living Allowance claims but it is unclear if she even faced formal disciplinary action.
The authority defended its position by saying the crime was not linked to council funds – an approach labelled "negligent" by one critic.
Simpson was handed a six month community order and placed on a curfew after being sentenced at Wirral magistrates' court last month.
Read all our stories on Liverpool Council by clicking here
Court documents reveal that in 2008 the 54-year-old, of Carr Gate in Moreton, "dishonestly made a statement or representation to the Department for Work and Pensions which was false" because her physical capabilities were greater than she had stated in the application.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Simpson falsely received £22,466 and "at the time of the offence she was working at Liverpool council".
The ECHO understands Simpson, believed to work in the council's Housing Options Service, is set to remain a council employee following her prosecution and a statement from the authority appeared to suggest she may not even face official disciplinary action.
Cllr Steve Radford, leader of the Liberal Group, described this as a "worrying precedent", adding "once again the city council has taken the line of least resistance".
He said: "Whilst it's difficult to comment on individual cases without knowing all of the facts I would expect anyone in a position of access to private and confidential funds or any position of being in charge of disbursement of public funds to have the need to be seen as acting with integrity and competence.
"Committing benefit fraud of not insignificant monies I think calls that into question and I would expect at the very least to have an investigation into the credibility of the person... not to ask the question in a professional competence review is an act of negligence by the council."
A spokesman for the authority said: "The council does not normally comment on matters involving an individual employee, however this case was not linked to fraud involving Liverpool city council funds in any way.
"In general terms, when an employee is charged with, or convicted of a crime, we assess the situation to determine the potential impact on the employee's specific job and on their employment in general. In cases where there is a potential impact the council will apply its disciplinary procedures."
He refused to clarify whether Simpson had faced any formal disciplinary action as a result of her prosecution.
Steve Radford
Moreton


AC2 or AC3 which one did you have more fun with?
AC2 by far for me.
- Controls for freerunning feel too dumbed down.
- I like the fact that Connor is a humble person but feels really ignorant and impulsive in a weird way sometimes.
- unclear side objectives in combination with side objective glitches.
- The storyline feels cramped.
AC2 was done better, but Ezio got so old (literally and figuratively) that the "anyone but x" sentiment was pretty much uniform in the community after revelations.
AC3 had more fluid and interesting gameplay and environment, but AC2's setting/targets were just superior and Ezio was much more of a charming character....Connor and Hayworth were more dramatic/serious but just as awesome. Also, I think also having a whole community of assassins in AC2 set it apart from 3. In 3 you were pretty much on your own which felt a little disjointed. If Connor was not Native American and the story was not so emotional, I think it would have been a big fail (in my opinion).
Tough call. Assassins Creed 3 is is great in every way, but it does change or remove things we were used to. All AC2 changed or removed was the mission structure. I prefer AC2 simply for that fact, but AC3 is still the best in the series.
Please make sure you posting in the correct Forum directed to you by the Sticky and Announcement if you are posting Spoilers.
You may also want to edit it with paragraphs so it is easier to read.
-AC1 a introduction into a whole new genre that had a story not always found in video games, in a time period rarely visited. repetitive, but groundbreaking.


I am a student of Organizational Health. My favorite recent read is The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni. At Thermo we are passionate about our culture of team work and our culture of outstanding customer service. That focus leads to our culture of success.
In addition to championing the Thermo Culture I lead the sales, strategic planning, and finance arms of our industrial controls engineering business. With offices from NJ to CA I have the opportunity to work closely with our staff and customers around the country.
My four kids and I also follow the snow conditions at Vail very closely and check on the status first hand as often as we can.


Parents and students at Winthrop University will have to wait until the end of this month to start budgeting for the fall semester's expenses.
The Winthrop board of trustees and President Anthony DiGiorgio on Friday decided to meet later this month to set tuition and fees for the academic year that begins in August.
DiGiorgio said cuts in state funding and economic challenges such as energy and food costs have made the most difficult budget circumstances in 20 years.
South Carolina is expected to fund 18 percent of the university's operating revenues in 2009, down 2 percent over two years. State appropriations have been cut 26 percent since 1990.