The town of Chichen-Itza was established during the Classic period close to two natural cavities (cenotes or chenes), which gave the town its name "At the edge of the well of the Itzaes". The cenotes facilitated tapping the underground waters of the area. The dates for this settlement vary according to subsequent local accounts: one manuscript gives 415-35 A.D., while others mention 455 A.D. The town that grew up around the sector known as Chichen Viejo already boasted important monuments of great interest: the Nunnery, the Church, Akab Dzib, Chichan Chob, the Temple of the Panels and the Temple of the Deer. They were constructed between the 6th and the 10th centuries in the characteristic Maya style then popular both in the northern and southern areas of the Puuc hills.
The second settlement of Chichen-Itza, and the most important for historians, corresponded to the migration of Toltec warriors from the Mexican plateau towards the south during the 10th century. According to the most common version, the King of Tula, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, or Kukulkan as the Maya translated the name, reportedly took the city between 967 A.D. and 987 A.D.
Following the conquest of Yucatán a new style blending the Maya and Toltec traditions developed, symbolizing the phenomenon of acculturation. Chichen-Itza is a clear illustration of this fusion. Specific examples are, in the group of buildings to the south, the Caracol, a circular stellar observatory whose spiral staircase accounts for its name, and, to the north, El Castillo (also known as the Temple of Kukulkan). Surrounding El Castillo are terraces where the major monumental complexes were built: on the north-west are the Great Ball Court, Tzompantli or the Skull Wall, the temple known as the Jaguar Temple, and the House of Eagles; on the north-east are the Temple of the Warriors, the Group of the Thousand Columns, the Market and the Great Ball Court; on the south-west is the Tomb of the High Priest.
I think Chichen Itza suffers from Citizen Kane Syndrome.
Citizen Kane is the film which was ranked #1 on the Sight and Sound survey of directors, which is conducted every 10 years. As such it has been given the label of the "greatest movie ever made".
More often than not, when people see it they are disappointed because it isn't the greatest movie they've ever seen. The expectations are so high that they feel let down, even if they would have otherwise thought it was a great movie.
Chichen Itza was recently named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. As such, when you visit it you have very high expectations.
Chichen Itza is absolutely deserving of its world heritage status. The main pyramid is the best preserved Mayan structure I've seen and also the most impressive. The ball court is also the largest and most impressive I've seen of all the Mayan ruins I've visited. It is almost as if you could play there today.
Given its status as one of the 'wonders of the world', I guess my expectations were higher than they should have been.
Usually, the only images you see when you read about Chichen Itza is the pyramid. In fact, when I did research before the trip, I had a hard time finding photos of anything other than the pyramid.
If you take the city as a whole, I'd say it is less impressive than Tikal or maybe even nearby Tulum. That being said, it is still one of the best Mayan ruins you can visit.
My suggestion for visiting isn't to come with expectations of this being one of the greatest things in the world. It is a top-notch Mayan ruin, and that is what you should expect.
Getting to Chichen Itza is easy, but might take a bit of time if you are coming from Cancun or Playa Del Carmen. It is about a 2-2.5 hour drive from Cancun. Expect to pay tolls 4 times on a round trip from Cancun. There are many guides you can hire for an hour once you are on the grounds. There are many day trip options available from Cancun if you don't want to rent a car. Expect to pay around $100-150 for the trip.
If you are a world heritage hunter, this will probably be your top attraction if you are in the region. If you just want to see Mayan ruins, Tulum and Coba are closer and are also impressive.
The Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico. It is located in the Yucatan region and is attributed to the Mayan civilization. The site was inscribed by UNESCO in 1989 and is visited by an average of 2 million tourists annually.
The history of the Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza dates back to the Late Classic to Early Postclassic period. This massive pre-Columbian city was built by the Mayan people and is now known as an important archaeological site. The naming of the site as a UNESCO property was crucial in aiding to its preservation.
The Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza is a massive archaeological site that is linked to the ancient Mayan civilization. It is located at the northern center of the Yucatan Peninsula, which is known today as Mexico. This archaeological site is one of the most important monuments for the Mayan empire. It is also among the largest cities in the Mayan civilization during that time. Many experts would also suggest that they had a diverse population that is evidenced by the fact that the site featured many architectural styles.
The Temple of Kukulkan, or more commonly known as El Castillo (or The Castle), is the focal point of the Great North Platform. This step pyramid rises up to 30 meters in height. There are also nine square terraces that make up this temple. As for the sides of the pyramid, they are about 55 meters at the base with an angle of 53 degrees. It is common for the Mesoamerican culture to superimpose large structures over the ones that are much older. The El Castillo is the ideal example of that.
There are 13 ballcourts that were identified by archaeologists after several excavations in the area. These structures provide evidence to the Mesoamerican culture's fondness for ball games even during the prehistoric period. The Great Ball Court near El Castillo is considered as the largest and best preserved of its kind in ancient Mesoamerican civilization.
The Yucatan Peninsula is dominated by limestone plains and it did not have rivers or streams. Instead, they had natural sinkholes that are referred to as cenotes. This type of natural formation is when the water table is exposed on the surface. The Cenote Sagrado, or Sacred Cenote, is considered sacred because it is a place of pilgrimage for the ancient Mayans.
This is a complex that is made up of large stepped pyramids surrounded by carved columns that depict images of warriors. Hence, it is called as such.
This structure is located south of the Temple of the Warriors. It is a series of exposed columns in three distinct sections. However, expert archaeologists believe that these columns are ruins and that they supported an extensive roof system by the time of its use.
View my complete list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mexico.


See the full Pappadeaux menu with prices, including the lunch menu, kids menu, and the Pappadeaux seafood menu.
Prices at Pappadeaux may vary from location to location.
Find the official Hompage for Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen here.


So how far off is LMDE 3?
As far as I know, no it's still active and being worked on. Not like Stretch went stable all too long ago, takes the people behind Lmde time to put together the new release, ad in Mint branding and tools etc etc. Though honestly hope they do step up their game. Overwhelming majority of what's used in Lmde has already been put through Debian's exhaustive screening process. So not so much a criticism just an observation. Shouldn't need much by way of additional testing by anyone else. Shouldn't be an over long delay in putting out a new release that's based on it. Only 2 cents and Mint HQ does the work involved so what's, when's etc being their total right to decide.
Again, not criticism just pointless thoughts on this. Ideally a Debian stable based distro would stay closely in step with the Debian releases ( RC's release candidates) and shortly after the official release goes stable, the based distro's branded release iso comes out and does too. Very quickly afterwards. Again though I don't have to do the work and sure Mint HQ has other things to focus on, address and improve that take priority. With limited resources available.
It is important for Linux Mint to continue to support LMDE as a fallback option in case Ubuntu ever disappeared and as a development target for the many projects and technologies we work on to guarantee compatibility outside of Linux Mint. It's a lot of work to support two separate distributions of course (I can't think of any other project doing that in fact) and LMDE which started as an experiment has obviously a much smaller audience than Linux Mint itself. For these reasons, LMDE is usually very important but not very urgent.
A lot of people asked about LMDE 3 and we now have some information about it.
First, it will be, as predicted, based on Debian Stretch and the codename for LMDE 3 will be "Cindy".
We're planning to release LMDE 3 in the first quarter of 2018 and it will ship as a single edition with Cinnamon 3.8.
Here are minimal 5 Threads opened up in the past 3 weeks which are all about what's going on with LMDE. In every single one of them the same rumors occured or better "uihuih when or whenever" whistles out of the longcase clock.
PLEASE: Just read all the threads where "LMDE 3" is in the headline FIRST... and then think about `why 10 times the same question isn't right`at all!
And think about why 10 times the same satisfying answer isn't enough, too!
I was also wondering about the fate of the LMDE distro until I saw that post by Clem in October News. Debian seems to be in such a political fray ever since 2014 over systemd, that I no longer look at it as being at the pentacle of Linux "stability". I sort of, at least philosophically, gave up on Debian after the demise of Ian a couple of years ago. I'm still following Devuan and its downstream distros like "Refracta", and play around with them in virtualbox. Devuan rallies on, even though they only have 5 developers on their team. Once LMDE 3 comes out, I'll probably give it a shot on one of my laptops, bare metal style.
Move from rim to hub: know the wheel.
Well, yes there will only be a LMDE 3 Cinnamon ISO file but you can of course install MATE or any other desktop environments later if you want to.
LMDE 2 has a newer release of MATE than will be in LMDE 3. That's because Linux Mint maintained the latest release of MATE for LMDE 2. On LMDE 3 it would instead come from the Debian stable repository and that focuses on stability and security (you only get security updates for MATE, no new releases). You could potentially use the Debian testing repository to get a newer version of MATE but I can understand this being a disappointment if you were using MATE on LMDE 2.
We are still waiting for bug patches for LMDE2. We are months behind.
Missing features since the May 1.18 "update" have been patched by Mate months ago. Drag/drop to panel is most important for me, but updated LMDE2 still is broken. Fresh install and it works. This was reported long ago but apparently ignored by Mint/Ubuntu.
We would like to resume using LMDE but it no longer fits our work flow.
sdibaja wrote: Missing features since the May 1.18 "update" have been patched by Mate months ago. Drag/drop to panel is most important for me, but updated LMDE2 still is broken. Fresh install and it works. This was reported long ago but apparently ignored by Mint/Ubuntu.
I ended up with Debian Stretch Mate, it is pretty slick.
I just tried Debian 9.2 and it's humongous , Hope Clem can trim it down and optimise it for LMDE 3.
Lucap wrote: I just tried Debian 9.2 and it's humongous , Hope Clem can trim it down and optimise it for LMDE 3.
How did you install (iso name, what desktop, etc)?
Debian installs, for me, have always been reasonably small - more so than Mint.
Sorry to be vague , I meant as in pre-installed apps on the Menu as i don't use 60% of the stuff in Mint.


text:
Clothing Products
AMERICAN ANGELS
AMERICAN ANGELS Trademark Information
patrick chemoul
Men's and women's denim jeans, shirts, jackets, t-shirts, skirts, sweats, tank top
mens womens denim jeans shirts jackets tshirts skirts sweats tank
This is a brand page for the AMERICAN ANGELS trademark by patrick chemoul in los angeles, CA, 90028.
Write a review about a product or service associated with this AMERICAN ANGELS trademark. Or, contact the owner patrick chemoul of the AMERICAN ANGELS trademark by filing a request to communicate with the Legal Correspondent for licensing, use, and/or questions related to the AMERICAN ANGELS trademark.
On Monday, June 24, 2013, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for AMERICAN ANGELS. The USPTO has given the AMERICAN ANGELS trademark serial number of 85968578. The current federal status of this trademark filing is ABANDONED - AFTER INTER-PARTES DECISION. The correspondent listed for AMERICAN ANGELS is PATRICK CHEMOUL of 6753 HOLLYWOOD BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90028-4623, . The AMERICAN ANGELS trademark is filed in the category of Clothing Products . The description provided to the USPTO for AMERICAN ANGELS is Men's and women's denim jeans, shirts, jackets, t-shirts, skirts, sweats, tank top.
ABANDONED - AFTER INTER-PARTES DECISION
Goods and Services: Men's and women's denim jeans, shirts, jackets, t-shirts, skirts, sweats, tank top
Last Applicant/Owner: patrick chemoul
Disclaimer: ("AMERICAN")
Clothing, footwear, headgear.
Trademarkia-Network law firms can help you incorporate a business around your AMERICAN ANGELS trademark in less than 5 minutes. Trademarkia makes the process easy and convenient, so start now!
PATRICK CHEMOUL is a correspondent of AMERICAN ANGELS trademark.
Please Rate and Review for AMERICAN ANGELS
AMERICAN ANGELS is providing Men's and women's denim jeans, shirts, jackets, t-shirts, skirts, sweats, tank top.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Synopsis : The stevia plant leaves are about 40 times sweeter than sugar and the sweetener derived from them is no less than 200 times sweeter than sucrose.
In the 1980's, artificial sweeteners took the world by storm. The introduction of alternatives to sugar, albeit artificially manufactured, initially had a lot of promise.
However, as more and more complaints about small ailments such as headaches, dizziness, weight gain and increased cravings have seen the light of day, the public has been looking more critically at the use of these so-called miracle sweeteners in the past few years.
Querying Google for aspartame or sucralose for a few minutes will instantly return large numbers of user complaints, and they are ever-growing.
That is why lately there has been a slight but distinct shift in consumerism. People are turning more and more towards natural alternatives in order to support a healthier lifestyle, either from personal choice or from a place of inevitability. Natural sweeteners such as honey and agave syrup are good overall choices; however they can still be high on calories and have a considerable glycemic load.
To answer this question, we have to take a look at the turbulent history of the sweetener, also called "sweet leaf" or "honey leaf". In the late 1900's, a Swiss scientist by the name of Moses Bertoni, who was studying the habits of the indigenous tribes of South America at the time, was amazed when he noticed the natives were using dried leaves of a small plant to sweeten their "mate", a type of herbal tea. The plant - which would later be called "Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni", seemed to possess healing powers as well: the natives would use the leaves to treat cuts and bruises, and to lower blood pressure.
Since then, the stevia plant has been studied intensely by a whole army of scientists.
They found out that the raw leaves are about 40 times sweeter than sugar, and that the sweetener which can be derived from them is no less than 200 times sweeter than sucrose. What's more, the sweet leaf can be used to lower blood pressure in individuals suffering from hyperglycemia - although it does not lower blood pressure when blood sugar levels are normal. Since the sweetener has zero calories and scores a zero on the glycemic index chart, it is also a popular choice among diabetics.
While artificial sweeteners are known to worsen cravings by throwing the body's natural ability to count carbs off balance, many people have found that stevia actually suppresses their cravings for sugar and calories. Some companies already produce stevia-based chewing gum, because the sweet leaf has the same ability as some sugar alcohols, in that it prevents bacteria from forming layers of dental plaque.
As a baking blend, and so on.
The sweet leaf is 100% soluble in water and retains its stability in temperatures of up to 392 degree F, which makes it ideal for a whole lot of sugar free recipes.
If you're keen on growing stevia yourself, the best way is to buy a plant at a local gardening center and using plant cuttings to propagate new plants. You can grow the plant from its seeds as well but this is much harder to do, as the seeds have a very low germination rate. The plant needs a lot of warmth and sunlight: in fact, the more sunlight it is exposed to, the sweeter the leaves will turn out in the end. Frost is the sweet leaf's worst enemy.
It is generally assumed that the main reason why stevia is still relatively unknown to so many people, is because of FDA interference. After all, a natural sweetener, many times more powerful than sucrose, with additional health benefits could mean serious damage to the revenue of both sugar and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, the two biggest earners in the sweetener industry.
The most striking story is that of Stevita Co. Inc, one of the pioneers of stevia production. In 1998, the CEO was forced by the FDA to destroy all of his stevia products and literature containing stevia recipes. They claimed that there was not enough evidence to support stevia's safety. But when local news picked up on the story, the FDA had no choice but to allow Stevita to continue with its work. Today, the company has grown into one of the biggest stevia retailers in the USA.
There have been numerous studies on the safety of stevia, with greatly varying conclusions.
Some studies question the safety of the sweetener, claiming it to be possibly carcinogenic and to cause impotence. It must be noted that these studies are very much outdated, conducted by the FDA and sponsored by aspartame-producing companies. Supporting the fact that a dirty game was being played to keep stevia off the market, are independent studies that indicate not only stevia's safety, but also its beneficial effects like eliminating candidiasis, hyperglycemia and even successfully countering the beginning signs of diabetes.
In 2008, both Coca Cola and Pepsi noticed the potential of the sweet leaf and subsequently swayed the FDA's vote on stevia.
Both companies have their own patented stevia-based sweetener now - called Truvia and PureVia respectively - based on stevia's sweet component rebaudioside A, and are working on incorporating these sweeteners into their product line. Only these highly refined versions have received GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status from the FDA; other companies that produce stevia still have to label their products as "dietary supplements", rather than sweeteners.


Konstantinos Liaramantzas is a young illustrator from Greece who started making Coloring Books in 2016.
His first publication "Greece Colouring Book" was released in 2016 by the leading Greek publisher Psichogios Publications.
He has released a couple of Free Colouring Pages and aims to release many more in the future.
Greece Colouring Book is available here !


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text:
There are the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the People's Choice Awards, the CMAs, and every other prestigious award you can think of. And then, there's the most prestigious award of all: the Studicus Selects 2010, a random collection showing the ups and downs of the year through pictures, videos, and other stuff. I mean, we're talking high-class.
I usually do this on the cusp of the New Year, but as I was sick last week, I didn't get around to it. So now I proudly present: Studicus Selects 2010.
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
(You can check out the Studicus Selects archives below. Scroll down for this year's "winners.")
Worst Upgrade, Cell Phone Category: I upgraded my iPhone 3G to the new iOS and let me tell you, my phone did not like that; not at all. Programs stuttered, the Netflix streaming video app didn't stream more than five seconds at a time, and my phone laughed at me when I tried to multi-task. I downgraded my phone to the previous iOS (hey, internet tutorials are fun!)...and then realized I hadn't saved my phone contacts anywhere. If you haven't heard from me in a while, now you know why: I lost your phone number because I am stupid.
Best Video Game Sequel, Games I've Played Category: Mass Effect 2. I loved the first Mass Effect game. I beat it four different times with four different Commander Shepards. I beat it on its hardest difficulty...something a reflex-challenged video game chump like me only does when he loves a game. Mass Effect 2 wasn't quite as thrilling as the first game...there's something about the first part of a series that's so satisfying, to dip into a new world you knew nothing about before and immerse yourself in it. Mass Effect 2 didn't have that effect on me because there weren't as many "new" things to discover. I still played the crap out of it and even liked the stupid mini-game where you scan for elements. The hardest difficulty setting kicked my butt, however.
Best Video Game, Nostalgia CategoryBOOMSHAKALAKA! NBA Jam returned this year, thanks to EA Sports and greed. There's a long story about this...NBA Jam was originally going to be a Nintendo Wii exclusive and a downloadable game for the Xbox 360 and PS3. However, the new NBA game that EA planned to pawn off on fans--NBA Elite--turned out to be a flaming dog-bag of crap, and EA decided to cancel the game. NBA Jam became a full-fledged title for the two HD systems. I haven't played all the way through it yet, but I can kind of dominate with the Pacers as Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy. HE'S ON FIIIIIIIIRE!
Biggest Letdown, Cinematic Experience: Iron Man 2. I loved the first Iron Man. Loved, loved, loved. So, my expectations where unrealistically high for the sequel, which packed too many new characters into a movie that also tried desperately to be the setup for the mega-team-up "Avengers" movie. I watched it again the other day--it's a good movie--but it's missing some of the "fun factor" that the first Iron Man had. It just feels like they tried to pack in too much stuff, Tony Stark wasn't quite as likable of a rogue, and the middle of the movie dragged tremendously. I didn't hate it...but I wasn't enamored with it either.
Best Purchase, Entertainment Category: I'm an amateur Photoshopper and even more amateur video editor. So amateur, in fact, that I do not use Photoshop, but actually Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X3 (actually, I used to use Ulead Photoimpact, but when I got a new computer, the license wouldn't transfer, so I had to buy a new program). I also played around with the demo for Corel Videostudio Pro...and discovered a bundle deal that included both programs for a good price. So, I started churning out videos (all of them are embedded below). I haven't put together a video in a while because I've been writing a lot more...but there's also the fact that the Colts haven't lost a game since I stopped producing them. So there's that.
Most Surprising Non-Award, Non-Existent Writing Career: If 2010 was anything, it was the Year I Wrote. The coolest thing was seeing four of my short stories get published in separate anthology series. The "non-award" referenced in the title concerns the story "In Memoriam," which took the coveted Editor's Choice award in the Autumn Issue of "A Thousand Faces." Other stories--"The Bank Loan," "Rise of the Super-Hero," and "The Stuntman"--were also published (see here and here).
Here's a brief summary of each story that's found its way into print this year:
In Memoriam: The loss of a firefighter stings a community; more so, after the man's double-life as the mysterious "Wraith" is revealed. Those who know the man mourn his passing during a memorial service and all witness a chilling sight that defies explanation.
The Stuntman: Thrilled that Hollywood plans to make a movie about his life as the Amazing Marvel, Stan Kirkpatrick presses his agent to land him the starring role. The producers have a different idea, hiring a rising, hot-shot star, and relegating Stan to the role of indestructible stuntman.
The Bank Loan: Frustrated at his inability to get a bank loan, Baron Gallant confronts the loan officer who refused to sign off on his request. The loan officer soon learns why the superhero needs the money after Gallant's rival begins ransacking the city.
Dawn of the Super-hero: Over the course of an extraordinary week in the 1930s, a Midwesterner learns about the rise of super-powered beings around the country through newspaper accounts and radio reports. But when the world's first "super-villain" threatens to destroy New York, the man's thirst for knowledge is overtaken by his will to act.
And, perhaps more exciting, I'm not finished yet! Two more stories have been accepted for publication in 2011. One of them comes along with an actual check!
The Villain: The Blue Avenger and his arch-nemesis Heckler engage in their final showdown, and it looks like the villain has the upper hand. Memories of their past encounters assault the Avenger, who retraces the bitter steps leading up to their final fight, culminating in a desperate act that will forever redefine the hero's crusade against crime.
Absolution: Paralyzed after saving a woman under attack by two thugs, a man gets a second chance from on high. Armed with a divine mandate, he takes the name "Absolution" and embarks on a single-minded quest to rid the world of the wicked and corrupt.
Best Investment, Non-Existent Writing Career: I attended the 2010 Midwest Writers Workshop, and it was money well spent. I learned a lot about the writing business, got some good advice, had my work critiqued by a couple of agents, and even had a request for one of my book manuscripts. The request didn't pan out, but it means that I'm on the right track when it comes to pitching my work, writing summaries, and formulating my book synopsis. I'm especially tickled by the following picture showing yours truly sitting with author Dan Johnson during a round-robin table discussion!
Biggest Letdown, Sporting Event: Let's face it, 2010 didn't get off to the best start. First, the Colts lost to the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl, spawning that commercial showing Tracy Porter's interception that plays 8,000 times during an NFL broadcast. It's like a knife jabbed in my back...and then twisted, twisted, and twisted. BUT WAIT! There's a tie for this category: Butler's heartbreaking loss in the NCAA Championship Game. Oh man...the Bulldogs will probably never, ever get there again. Coach Norman Dale even provided the team with some reminders, but Butler couldn't pull it off. Although, thanks to Sports Science for interrupting the Butler-Duke rematch to show us how close Gordon Hayward's shot almost came to going in. That didn't sting at all. I'm still proud of both teams...it's just, when you get there, you need to make the most of it. You never know when you'll get there again.
Best Purchase, Reliable Auto Category: After my Pontiac Grand Am betrayed me, I had to do something drastic. I'm talking something Fredo-style. So I took Grand Am fishing...and...well, you know the rest. In his place came our 2008 Hyundai Sonata. It's quiet, fuel-efficient, and awesome. I'm a boring guy, and it's a boring car. We're a perfect match.
Longest Ear-Chewing Moment, Wife Category My wife went on an epic journey to Sandusky, Ohio, to see a man I've barely even heard of. His name is Peter Facinelli and the ladies tell me he's oh-so-good-looking (and from Twilight). Six hours, two bathroom breaks, and two trip-interrupting train stops later, she and a friend stood in line to see Mr. Heartthrob himself. Hugs were given, autographs were signed, and I haven't heard the end of it. STILL.
Posted by Matt Adams at 9:47 PM
Labels: a thousand faces, christopher walken, in memoriam, mass effect 2, nba jam, peter facinelli, Studicus selects, the stuntman, twilight, walken in a winter wonderland, year in review
January 29th Update
Taco Bell marketing wrapped in tortilla of lies!
Developing a signature style
Writing tics
Reggie Miller Writing Continuum 1/20
Awesome co-workers come through
I love keycards
Your Reggie Miller Writing Continuum Update 1/19
Your Reggie Miller Writing Continuum Update
Latest Reggie Miller Writing Continuum Update
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award
Reggie Miller Writing Continuum Status
The horror of horror
Saturday's Reggie Miller Writing Continuum Status
Reggie Miller Writing Continuum
O Cinematic Quandary
How Juggling Multiple Projects Feels Like Return o...
Office Work, Outta Sight
My favorite writing websites
Writing Distractions
First draft complete!
On outlines and ideas
Seeing it Both Ways
Dust off your playoff shoes...
Not off the press, Second Edition
So, what are you working on?


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Grafenried är en ort i kommunen Fraubrunnen i kantonen Bern, Schweiz.

Grafenried var tidigare en självständig kommun, men den 1 januari 2014 blev den en del av kommunen Fraubrunnen.

Källor

Externa länkar

Orter i Bern (kanton)
Tidigare kommuner i Bern

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Principal Mutual Funds is a subsidiary of the Principal Financial Group, which is one amongst the leading investment managers in the world. However, it is officially managed by the Principal Pnb Asset Management Company. This mutual fund company offers profitable investment options to both retail and institutional investors across India. The Principal Arbitrage Fund-Direct Plan – Monthly Dividend is one among the open-ended schemes offered by the Principal Mutual Fund. It majorly invests in the arbitrage opportunities in the cash and derivative segment to fulfill its investment goal.
The direct plan of this scheme enables the investors to conduct the investment process without the involvement of any intermediary like broker/agent/distributor, etc. thus allowing one to save on the distributor expenses. The expense ratio of the direct plan is slightly lower than the regular plan. The monthly dividend option helps the unitholders get steady income at regular intervals along with long-term capital appreciation after the completion of the investment tenure.
The sole motto of this fund scheme is to generate capital appreciation as well as consistent income for the unitholders by chiefly investing in arbitrage opportunities in the derivative and cash segment of the equity market. Apart from the equity derivatives, this fund also invests a small portion of its portfolio assets in debt and money market instruments.
Exit Load 0.50% - If the units are redeemed or switched out before the completion of a holding period of 30 days from the allotment date of the units, the unitholders will be charged this exit load. Nil – If the units are redeemed or switched out after the completion of a holding period of 30 days from the allotment date of the units, the unitholders will not be charged exit load.
NAV: The Net Asset Value or NAV of the Principal Arbitrage Fund is calculated by dividing the net assets by the number of units that are pending on the valuation date. The NAV is calculated up to 4 decimal places to get the final amount. The calculated NAV will be disclosed on the official website of the fund house (www.principalindia.com) as well as the website of AMFI (www.amfiindia.com) by the end of every working day by 9:00 p.m. It will also be sent for publication on a daily basis in 2 leading newspapers which are distributed nationwide.
Liquidity: The Principal Arbitrage Fund being an open-ended mutual fund scheme allows the unitholders to sell and redeem the units on every business day at the pertinent NAV rates. Ideally, the redemption proceeds will be paid to the unitholders within 10 days of official acceptance of the redemption request by the fund house.
Benchmark: The benchmark index of the Principal Arbitrage Fund is CRISIL Liquid Fund Index. Based on the outcomes of this index, the profits and gains of this particular fund are assessed.
Mr. Rajat Jain having more than 28 years of experience in portfolio management is the fund manager of the Principal Arbitrage Fund. He has been managing it successfully for the last 2 years. Mr. Jain is also the Chief Investment Manager of Principal Pnb Asset Management Co. Pvt. Ltd. Before joining Principal Group he has worked with SBI Mutual Fund. Apart from this scheme, he also handles the Principal Asset Allocation Fund of Funds, the Principal Global Opportunities Fund, and the Principal Nifty 100 Equal Weight Fund.
Why should you invest in the Principal Arbitrage Fund - Direct Plan – Monthly Dividend?
High returns: The Principal Arbitrage Fund invests in arbitrage opportunities within the growth-oriented equity segment to generate attractive returns for the unitholders. The monthly dividend scheme of this fund allows investors to get constant income.
Low-risk investment: This scheme is good for investors having a low-risk appetite. If you don't want to take high risk while investing in mutual funds but still want to get the best returns investing in this fund is a good option.
Regular income: The best thing about this scheme is that it enables you to get a steady income by means of regular dividend payouts. If you are in need of regular payment then subscribing to this scheme will be a profitable deal for you.
Direct investment: You can invest in this fund online without the involvement of any intermediary like brokers, agents, or distributors. Hence, you can save a good amount of money on the distributor fees. Moreover, the expense ratio of this fund is also less.


The oldest, full-intact commercial sailing vessel to have been lost and found in the Great Lakes is explored with a VideoRay. Check out the full story in Wreck Diving Magazine .
VideoRay thrusters have played a crucial role in many of the winners and top teams at Robosub over the years. At the 2015 competition Mark Fleming, VideoRay's San Diego employee, had a unique offer. Teams who could use the brand new technology in VideoRay's "Mission Specialist" thrusters almost a year before they were commercially available. This allowed VideoRay's engineering group to receive feedback on all aspects of the thrusters – performance, durability, features, and software. While several teams received thrusters, none were as serious or as demanding as Cal Tech's team.
Early in their testing several materials issues arose, and not only did Caltech provide feedback, they wrote a technical paper on their analysis and recommendations. These issues were then addressed before customer shipments. Other suggestions on improvements to control and feedback software are being evaluated for implementation in future releases.
The collaboration with Caltech has resulted in the industry's most powerful, efficient, and advanced thruster in this size and weight category. The fact that is both more powerful and efficient was key to victory in a battery-powered environment like Robosub. Control and feedback are far more advanced than any other option, including VideoRay's previous industry-leading Pro 4 and Pro 3 thrusters.
We greatly appreciate the help we received from Caltech, and look forward to working with their robotics teams for years to come.


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Trigger and Lucille: The Famous Guitars Quiz
by Alia Hoyt Aug 20, 2018
Gary Miller/Getty Images
If you think only rock stars can be famous, think again. Many of their guitars have achieved legendary status in their own right. Find out why with this quiz.
You scored
Who invented the electric guitar as we know it today?
Adolph Rickenbacker
Leo Fender
All were critical to the evolution of the electric guitar, but it was a 13-year-old Paul who used an old photograph needle wired to a radio speaker to turn his acoustic guitar into a thing of the future.
Which was NOT the name of one of Jimi Hendrix's favorite guitars?
Black Beauty was Hendrix's A-list guitar, which he rarely, if ever used in performance. He famously lit Black Widow on fire in an attempt to upstage The Who's Pete Townshend, but rumor has it that he switched out the beloved axe with a replica just before the critical moment.
Who is Willie Nelson's beloved guitar, Trigger, name for?
Roy Rogers' horse
Named for Roy Rogers' steed, Nelson has played his favorite guitar for more than 50 years! The instrument has been saved from a fire and even hidden away when the IRS came a-calling.
Winnie the Pooh's sidekick
A trigger-happy friend of Nelson's
Which guitar god hand-made his electric axe with his father, and used it throughout his career?
Way before forming legendary rock band Queen with Freddie Mercury, May was a poor kid. So, when he asked his father for an electric guitar, the two crafted it themselves using items found around the house, like a knitting needle, mother-of-pearl buttons and a bicycle saddlebag holder. The guitar was dubbed "The Red Special" and has always been May's favorite.
What happened to Joni Mitchell's 1956 Martin D-28 before it was given to her?
It was rescued from a fire.
It survived a shrapnel hit.
The guitar, which remained Mitchell's favorite until it was stolen in the mid-1970s, was given to her by a Marine captain back from Vietnam.
It was completely refurbished following extended time in the ocean.
What name did B.B. King always give his guitars?
Lulu Mae
B.B. King actually ran into a burning building to save his guitar. He later found out that the fire was started by two men fighting over a woman named "Lucille," so thereafter he dubbed all of his with the moniker.
Which rocker couldn't find the sound he wanted in a conventional guitar, so he took apart three different models and created his own super-guitar?
Named Frankenstat, Van Halen's guitar was cobbled together by pieces of a Gibson Les Paul, Gibson ES-335 and a Fender Stratocaster.
How much money did Bonnie Raitt drop for "Brownie," the guitar she's played ever since buying it in 1969?
Raitt, who pioneered the slide guitar sound, found an unpainted Fender Stratocaster for a real bargain price of $120 while out and about at 3 a.m. one morning.
Which country legend did Neil Young name his axe for?
Fittingly dubbed "Hank," the guitar once belonged to Williams, who was a major musical influence on Neil Young.
Which famous guitar has an entire book written about it?
David Gilmour's "Black Strat"
"Black Strat" has been Gilmour's guitar of choice since 1970, but it has been modified so many times over that guitar/equipment tech and friend Phil Taylor actually wrote a book about its evolution.
André Segovia's "Hauser"
Vernon Reid's "ESP Mirage"
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Stars are giant nuclear fusion reactors and we wouldn't exist without them. Find out how much you know about these twinkling lights with our quiz.
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An important design principle established very early on was the intention that the designs should help to personalise the ward spaces and give each ward a distinctive identity. We also looked closely at existing wards and how they were organised.
One key element that we took away from this process was the way in which some wards used bands of colours to frame individual bedroom doors particularly for the ASD spectrum patients. We used this as a starting point to develop unique designs that gave each ward a distinct identity with a name such as Acorn (relating to the the overall natural theme) which in turn dictated the use of the relevant graphic which was then deployed at the ward entrance off the main circulation, the bedroom ensuites, staff base manifestation and the dining room wall coverings.


KTM engineers made a few key changes to the 2017 KTM 450 SX-F from the 2016 Factory Edition model.
Hear KTM's David O'Connor and TWMX Magazine's Rich Taylor break down the 2017 KTM 450 SX-F.
If gold is what you're after, a 450 SX–F is what you get. Thanks to its compact engine delivering explosive but controllable power, it's the weapon of choice for the .
The 2017 KTM 450 SX-F and all other motorcycles made 1894-2019. Specifications. Pictures. Discussions.
Shop NORTHLAND MOTORSPORTS in Flagstaff Arizona to find your next KTM 450 SX–F Motorcycles. We offer this and much more, so check out our website for .
Find ktm 450 sxf for sale ads in our Motorcycles category. Buy and sell almost anything. 2017 KTM 450 SX-F Off Road Bike 449cc. Dealer used. 2017 KTM 450 .
2017 KTM 450 SX-F Parts & Accessories at RevZilla.com. Free Shipping, No Hassle Returns and the Lowest Prices – Guaranteed.
Get the parts you need for your 2017 KTM 450 SX-F at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. We offer a huge selection of parts and accessories to keep your machine .
2017 KTM 450 SX-F. DROP THE HAMMER. If gold is what you're after, a 450 SX-F is what you get. Thanks to its compact engine delivering explosive but .


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FIRE > Newsdesk > Under Pressure, Appalachian State Revises Licensing Policy
Under Pressure, Appalachian State Revises Licensing Policy
by Peter Bonilla
As The Appalachian, a student newspaper at Appalachian State University (ASU), reported last week, the Appalachian State chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has successfully intervened on behalf of students whose speech was threatened by ASU's trademarking and licensing policy, resulting in changes to the policy to make it more compatible with principles of free speech and fair use.
ASU student groups and university departments are, in most cases, required to ask for approval from ASU's Office of Trademarks and Licensing when producing materials using ASU's logos or variations of the university's name. According to the ACLU, however, ASU overstepped the parameters of its policy in denying licensing for two t-shirts, one of which read "Appalachian: The Beer & Football University," and the other of which said "Shame on App State: Support the Workers Rights Consortium." Neither of the shirts was intended for commercial use, and the students were not acting on behalf of any student group or university department. As The Appalachian reports:
The ACLU contacted the university over the matter, saying the T-shirt was protected under free speech, and Appalachian provided the Office of Trademarks & Licensing with too much discretion in deciding which T-shirts would be allowed.
"I understand the desire to protect the university's image, but administrators overstepped their trademark authority and violated free expression rights," President of the ACLU Appalachian chapter Clark C. Anderson said in a statement.
Fortunately, ASU University Attorney David Larry was quite receptive to the ACLU's comments, and acted accordingly. Larry even conceded that the ACLU "actually researched some questions that had been troubling me for some time."
Larry went on to clarify to The Appalachian that the policy is not meant to infringe on students' free expression rights, saying that while students may be denied for licensing, App State cannot stop them from printing, which students can still do at an unlicensed printer. A legal disclaimer has been added to the office's website, stating that "it is not the intent of Appalachian State's policy to limit or prevent or to require the licensing of activity that would not infringe or dilute Appalachian State's legal rights, e.g., the legitimate exercise of the constitutional right of free speech or trademark or copyright fair use."
Given the zealousness with which universities protect their images, this is all rather refreshing. As Torch readers have read, FIRE was recently forced to intervene at the University of California, Los Angeles, when it threatened a former student maintaining the site ucla-weeding101.info, which it claimed was an illegal use of the university's initials. FIRE was similarly spurred to action in 2005 when the University of California, Santa Barbara attempted to shut down a critical site called "The Dark Side of UCSB."
Meanwhile, the ACLU continues to examine Appalachian State's licensing policies to determine whether the requirement that student groups submit licensing applications is itself consistent with free speech. Hopefully, its observations will be met with the same good faith from Appalachian State.
Schools: Appalachian State University


We are pleased to announce that Vaulted House has been included as one of the highlights of this year's Open House Dublin programme.
We will be giving tours as part of the festival on Sunday 15th October 2017. Places can be reserved here.
Open House Dublin, presented annually by the Irish Architecture Foundation, takes place from Fri 13 to Sun 15 October 2017.


No liberal democracy, political party, market economy, or human right is set in stone. People created these concepts, and people have the power to destroy them. These social constructs are often elevated to the rank of universal laws or endowed with a sacred permanence; they carry on, immutable, even when utterly stripped of the spirit in which they originally came into being.
If I had not seen the thousands of people protesting in the streets of Spain, peacefully demanding legal reforms to laws governing their political existence, perhaps I would lack the confidence to write the following: we are witnessing the demise of state systems made up of political parties as we know them today.
Occupy Wall Street and the Spanish protests of 2011 and 2012 made the same claim that the thinkers who make up the group Krytyka Polityczna and many other groups have been making for years: we need to analyze the absence of real political choice, as well as the lack of differences between parties in their economic policies. No ruling leftist party can, or will, implement socio-democratic reforms, whether it wants to or not; this is a consequence of globalized developments that relate to capital and not democratic choice. These developments, such as the competition between national states to introduce the lowest tax rate, have led to a system in which social-democratic economic policy within a single state is practically impossible. Such a policy would increase the national deficit, lower stock prices, and chase investment into neighboring countries, threatening the stability of the entire national economy. Those socially rejected by a powerless Left turn instead to firebrand populist campaigners, thus fueling other conflicts over such issues as abortion and immigration or creating new symbolic spheres of discord.
One can still pretend that differences, and therefore pluralism and diversity, exist—or rather, continue to exist. Yet these are merely empty excuses, which fail to resolve any social problems. Indeed, they become problems in themselves, focusing the media's attention on the parties and taking with it the attention of the electorate. Hence, the "cartel" of the same parties remains in power, all the while acting as if it is engaged in a real democratic struggle over real issues, as if differences have not disappeared. No, they claim, not only have they not vanished, but they live on, in Herculean proportions!
How much longer are we going to pretend that this is democracy? How much longer will we fool ourselves into thinking that voters have any real choices? Is the artificial polarization of our political system really the pluralism that we promised ourselves, at least after 1989 in Poland?
We are witnessing the demise of state systems made up of political parties as we know them today.
This illusion of choice is present almost everywhere in the Western world. Political opponents absorb one another, old parties wither away, the spaces created for new alternatives never appear, turning instead into hollow voids, and risking the shutdown of the entire democratic system. And because it is conformists, rather than nonconformists, who are more likely to accept this state of affairs, the political scene is increasingly dominated by the former. Silvio Berlusconi, Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande, Angela Merkel, and even Barack Obama, not to mention our own Donald Tusk, build kaleidoscopic political coalitions in which "public relations," political marketing, and teleprompters replace programs of meaningful political action. Image becomes privileged above all else, as if the whole thing were no more than a well-cast, never-ending soap opera about power, rather than a project that aims to achieve a political goal. In this way, a new elite of permanent party politicians is created, into which one can at best be co-opted; at the same time, success now requires no more than an easily recognizable public persona, something to be pursued and cultivated at all cost. Celebrity politicians will always find a place in some party, plastered in substantial quantities of television studio make-up and spouting cheap sound bites, utterly stripped of any true vision or honor.
Society, or rather the masses, is now confronted with a new social contract: we will take any steps necessary to gain power. To this end, we will jettison any ideological ballast along the way. But don't worry! Despite all this, we will be able to manage the economic crisis, the building of motorways and atomic power stations, the national deficit and other administrative wrangles. The problem is that this kind of escape from politics turns out to be effective in the process of securing power, but completely useless when it comes to exercising it. Western economies have fallen into a deep crisis, while the European Union has found itself frozen and powerless in an accelerating downward spiral.
How much longer are we going to pretend that this is democracy? How much longer will we fool ourselves into thinking that voters have any real choices?
If such an escape from politics were even possible, perhaps we would need to accept it as a necessary evil. But all it is good for is the creation of a sanitized line of fire against right-wing populists (from the Greek Golden Dawn to the American Tea Party). The spirit currently evaporating from present-day liberal democracies was once a useful tension between political ideologies with the idealistic hope that the best one would win. Compromises happened frequently. However, a compromise between ideals or policies is completely different from opportunistic evolutions in a collective public image. Political parties today are as good at dumbing down the public as are most television programs. It seems as if whoever first abandons any spirit of mission ends up victorious. This kind of thinking may make economic sense in the media, but not in politics.
In the long run, what happens in the political sphere reflects what happens in the public sphere. The commercialization of an increasing number of social spheres has led to the dissolution of society all the way down to individuals, each competing with one another at every possible step. Political communities have been transformed into a modernized "state of nature," in which once again homo homini lupus est(man is a wolf to man). And so perhaps it is not only the concepts of systems of political parties or liberal democracy that are coming to an end, but even society itself in an increasingly disenchanted world.
One of the most perceptive observers of this process was Czesław Miłosz; in our current predicament, we would do well to pay careful attention to his writings. His most political essay, The Captive Mind, published in 1951, was not only a dissection of communist ideology but the unmasking of a system in which the appearance of a lack of alternatives insidiously enslaves even the most enlightened minds. It is not repression that Miłosz warns us against most vigorously, but rather the ponderous weight of ideology—an ideology that can crush both the individual and any democracy which individuals create; an ideology that forces obedience by making alternatives seem inconceivable.
This holds true not only for the totalitarian ideologies of the twentieth century but for the ideologies we encounter now. Indeed, Miłosz's skepticism toward the heralding of "The End of the Age of Ideologies" should not be read as analogous to the belief that another ideology such as communism can again enslave people. He would observe that this enslavement is taking place before our very eyes; the steady degeneration of life down to its base physiology results in a "cattle-like existence," which Miłosz described in his 1995 in The Year of the Hunter as, "papu, kaku i lulu" ("They eat, they drink, they multiply, and they are content—but why?"). This kind of life, predominant in modern consumerist capitalist states, was also described by Miłosz in 1969 in his prophetic Visions from San Francisco Bay, as a paradoxical consequence of ever-advancing individualization.
Today, the radical perspectives of both Left and Right seem equally improbable in a world characterized by liberal irony, something nearly all of us delight in. We refuse to take ourselves too seriously. We are reluctant to become engaged, animated, or active, feeding our reluctance with a sense of shame both crippling and near-universal. The "prison of ridicule" built by regimes of cynical thinking has turned out to be as frightening a tool of coercion as the old punishment of being locked up in a real prison.
Today, the radical perspectives of both Left and Right seem equally improbable in a world characterized by liberal irony, something nearly all of us delight in.
In analogous fashion, the German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk has noted the transition between classical enlightenment critiques of ideology, in which social evils were accounted for by false perceptions of reality, and today's attitude of conscious resignation. It is no longer the case that people "act unknowingly." Rather, "they know very well what they are doing, but still, they do it." It is no secret that we live in an exhibitionist age; the question is, how can we get ourselves to rise up from our all-too-comfortable seats in the audience?
Since we are dealing with an overwhelming paralysis of action rather than the debilitation of minds, there is no need for any complicated new arguments. Confronted by the breakup of society as a result of the individualization and mercantilization of nearly all spheres of public life, we need more than a new political narrative to unite and mobilize ourselves to put our self-interest aside and trust one another enough to engage in making social change. People will not risk their own careers if they are not sure that others will do the same. It is not fear that paralyzes people, as it did in the twentieth century. It is the shame of falling behind in the rat race.
What may really persuade people to come together is common experience as the experience of commonness. It is undertakings rather than abstract theory. In today's world, it is not the argument or emotion that can form social bonds, but common actions that build real and long-term trust. Sociologists express concern about the decrease of social capital, what Robert Putnam calls the phenomenon of "bowling alone." Less is written about how one can act politically in such a "post-society." It appears that "social glue" cannot be produced on a mass scale. "Together," in real life, refers to a very few, later to a few dozen, at most to a few hundred people, if it is to be a real together, one that derives from common experiences. But the power of close-knit people is enormous, and their determination is far greater than that which emerges from the logic of the market or NGOs, much less the glitzy but desiccated party structures.
The "action plans" proposed in the past works of such East European thinkers and activists as Jacek Kuroń and Václav Havel suggest a way forward. The theory and practice of small groups does not guarantee the creation of a social movement. Yet, no such movement can be created without it—without islands of trust. Perhaps their absence explains why recent mass outbreaks of discontent, such as the Indignados and Occupy, were merely protests and did not develop into social movements.
It would appear that the traditional parliamentary democracies can offer no fundamental opposition to the automatism of technological civilization and the industrial-consumer society, for they, too, are being dragged helplessly along by it. They are manipulated in ways that are infinitely more subtle and refined than the brutal methods used in the post-totalitarian societies.
And these were not the views of a naïve idealist. As president of the Czech Republic, Havel did not silently accept the "realities" of power. His autobiography was originally entitled Keep It Short. Please (in English, it is To the Castle and Back: Reflections on My Strange Life as a Fairy-Tale Hero). Havel picked the title to protest the stupidity of commercialized media, which he believed turned everything into a thoughtless form, and against the journalists who accepted this. Yes, we know, said Havel, that this is the norm, and those who do not comply will be hidden away under a hat. But maybe if more of us did not comply it would be much easier to think in fresher and more helpful ways. For Havel, we are all shoppers at the grocery store who can either accept the imperfect world around us or challenge it. We will remain this way as long as this imperfect world is based on almost universal indifference.
I believe in structures that are not aimed at the technical aspect of the execution of power….There can and must be structures that are open, dynamic, and small; beyond a certain point, human ties like personal trust and personal responsibility cannot work….They would be structures not in the sense of organizations or institutions, but like a community. Their authority certainly cannot be based on long-empty traditions, like the tradition of mass political parties, but rather on how, in concrete terms, they enter into a given situation.
Jacek Kuroń organized such groups to resist Communist rule in Poland. He helped form such groups as "The Commandos," which initiated student protests in March 1968 (with Adam Michnik, among others), and the Workers' Defense Committee, a vital forerunner of the Solidarity movement. Kuroń paid a lot of attention to two ideal types of groups: expressive and instrumental. Expressive groups derive from a bond that is formed between people "who share the same experience, read the same books, have the same viewpoints." They show "incredible strength and resilience." Instrumental groups, on the other hand, concentrate on an external aim. They are more formalized, regulated, and aim for efficiency. The latter are more familiar to us; this "cold" element, ubiquitous in today's world, overshadows the warm one. Kuroń and Havel envisioned not a conservative utopia of organic communities but a well-balanced mixture of the warm element of a solid social bond and the cold element, reliable and effective.
What we need now are not nuclear power plants generating more energy for wealthy post-societies but plants capable of producing social glue that would restore societies. We must rebuild interpersonal relationships for change, first through actively organized groups and then through social movements.
Sławomir Sierakowski is the leader of Krytyka Polityczna (Political Critique), based in Poland with branches in Ukraine and Russia. It is the largest movement of left-wing intellectuals, artists, and activists in Eastern Europe. He is also director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Warsaw. This open letter to political parties was published in the weekend edition of Gazeta Wyborcza (June 18–19, 2011). Its publication sparked months of debate, which included, among others, essays in response by the social theorist Zygmunt Bauman and Poland's former president Aleksander Kwaśniewski. Portions translated from the Polish by Klara Wojtkowska.
The title of this essay is taken from the famous text written by two Polish dissidents, Jacek Kuroń and Karol Modzelewski, in 1964. In this letter they criticized a new ruling and bureaucratic class in communist Poland. The wordplay is based on the word "Partii," which in the genitive case can mean in Polish both "party" and "parties." The first party is the (one and the only) Polish Communist Party, the second is the current Polish (but not only Polish) party system.


TRANSNATIONAL PROJECT MEETING – participation open to teachers only!
Please meet us in the main lobby of the Hotel Ibis Parliament at 18.15. The restaurant is within 25 minutes walk from the hotel.
Participants are invited to wear something representative from their home country, such as traditional costumes!
Please meet us in the main lobby of the Hotel Ibis Parliament no later than 9.10 am.
Romanian participants will accompany you to the university ASE where language and intercultural workshops take place.
The university ASE is within about 35 minutes walking distance.
"Ô mes amis, je ne fais que demander ce qu'est la danse! La question et la réponse poétique et «polonaise».
Place: Club Latin Dance, Baratiei Street, No. 33: situated in the city center, 5 min. walk from the University Square. Free entrance, more than reasonable prices (beer, water: 1,2€; cocktail: 3,33 €), air conditioning. The club opens at 22.00/22.30.
Participants are free to visit Bucharest by night, to go to a dance club etc. See our suggestions in the Oportunidance Bucharest Practical Information leaflet!!!
You can post proposals in the FaceBook Event and find other participant interested in the same activities!
Practice your intercultural skills to make new friends, to find out more about other countries or to participate in a common activity with other participants!
Please bring the feedback forms you received at the beginning of the event! We will collect them after lunch.
Walking to the city center. Instructions for the cultural activities of the day.
Please meet us in the main lobby of the Hotel Ibis Parliament no later than 10.15 am.
Romanian participants will accompany you to the starting point of the walking tour (Oportunidance Studio (downstairs – about 20 minutes walk from the IBIS Hotel).
BUCHAREST & ROMANIA: HERITAGE AND HISTORY: city center walking tour, city quest & intercultural games in teams of 10 participants – different nationalities – organized by our partner Open Doors. Travel outside the box.
Starting point: in front of the Oportunidance Studio (downstairs), Brezoianu Street, No.23.
The lists of teams will be available before the activity.
Do not be late! Different teams will go in different directions!
Please fill in and bring us the feedback forms you received at the beginning of the event!
Participants are free to visit Bucharest in small intercultural groups, go to a museum, spend time in a café in the historical city center, go to a park.
See our suggestions in the Oportunidance Bucharest Practical information leaflet!!!
You can post proposals in the FaceBook Event and find other participants who want to accompany you!
ASE – Academia de Studii Economice, Mihai Eminescu building - Dacia Boulevard, No. 41, 5th floor, Sector 1 (building number 1 on this map : http://student.ase.ro/harta-cladirilor/ ).
Oportunidad Studio – Palatul Universul, Brezoianu Street, No. 23-25, 5th Floor, Sector 1 (See a map here : http://www.oportunidad.ro/images/rocketlauncher/contact/img1.jpg).
Accommodation for 3 nights (1, 2, 3 September), breakfast included, in DOUBLE rooms for 40 international participants at:Hotel IBIS BUCHAREST Palatul Parlamentului City Centre, Izvor Street, No. 82-84, Sector 5, Bucuresti. (See a map here :http://www.ibishotels.ro/hotel-ibis-bucuresti-palatul-parlamentului/contact).
As mentioned in the Erasmus+ Projects' Guide, international participants need to make sure they have international travel insurance valid during the whole duration of the event, which is not covered from the project's budget!


The Alamance District is providing a chance for Scouts to earn the Automotive Maintenance Merit Badge. The class will meet at ACC from 6:00-8:00 June 6, 13, and 20. There is no cost for this class. To register, please e-mail Amber Honeycutt (threescoutsmama@yahoo.com).


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The Creator Economy
'Crap optimized on crap': The agency challenge with data
February 8, 2017 | By Yuyu Chen
Every media agency today emphasizes the importance of data. But most shops haven't quite grasped the pulse of data-driven marketing. Ad executives gathered at the 4A's Data Summit on Tuesday and discussed their biggest challenge in transforming their agency to be a data-driven organization.
Major issues include data quality, siloes on the client side as well as the difficulties in finding the right talent.
"It's crap optimized on crap."
Speaking to a room of hundreds of ad executives, Rishad Tobaccowala, strategy and growth officer for Publicis Groupe, noted in his keynote speech that "the way we think about data is all wrong" to the point where major companies still have the mindset of gathering all the data. But the reality is, except for Facebook and Google, no company has good data. The quantity of data doesn't matter — instead, it's the insights that are gleaned from the numbers by real people solve problems.
"We become so data-obsessed that the whole digital marketing doesn't work because it's just crap optimized on crap," said Tobaccowala. "If you think data is the new oil you are wrong. The whole idea of refinement is a big deal."
Clients aren't organized well.
Data quality aside, siloes within client organizations are another big challenge faced by media agencies. Large companies typically have various in-house teams that own different pieces of data without talking to each other, while they expect their agency partners to see across that and assemble those datasets together, which is becoming detrimental to client strategy, said Sharona Sankar King, evp and head of marketing science for BBDO.
"It is less about technology and more about culture," she said. "It is really important to break down the siloes between the teams."
Tom Miller, vp of data solutions sales for agency Merkle, echoed the same sentiment. "The challenge is to bring people into the same room, have centralized data and make it useful for everyone in the organization," he said. "It all comes down to [profit and loss statement] ownership: If I go to a client and say 'Give me that piece of data and you could be successful,' they may not want to because they feel that they are letting something out."
Find talent who can see insights.
All the data in the world, even the best data, isn't worth much without a human being to extract value from it.
If your sales data shows that 80 percent of your consumers buy one or two units of your product, while 20 percent buy four or five units, there are two ways to look at the data: You can analyze the numbers without thinking their implications for advertising, and say "The majority of people don't purchase more than two units," or the person who can apply the numbers to advertising would say "Let's target the 20 percent who buy the most" and divide your product portfolio.
"Finding a person who can extract an insight from data applicable to advertising is different from finding someone who is good at numbers," said Elizabeth Crawford, svp of strategy and insights for Match Marketing Group.
Trending in The Creator Economy
How YouTube is calculating creators' ad-revenue shares for Shorts
Future of TV Briefing: TikTok's revenue-sharing terms are turning off some creators
Brands are redefining the rapidly growing creator economy
Can Snap make it as an AR company?
The real question Snap faces is whether adding AR elements to its platform will help it continue growing in the face of competition and uncertainty.
Beyond Ads
How NFTs could evolve for brands — now that marketers know what they actually are
NFTs are finally growing out of crypto novelty into next-gen loyalty tools. Tyler Moebius, founder and CEO of SmartMedia Technologies, explains where else they can go.
Why digital clutter is driving brands to rethink the value of newspapers advertising
GE, Equinox, Take 5 Oil and agency TBWA New York are among those investing in newspaper ads to generate social media buzz in an ever-more cluttered digital environment.
The 'retirement' of M&M spokescandies raises questions about viral marketing, edgy content
Marketers have mixed feelings and questions about the value of viral, stunt marketing after M&M's "retirement" of its spokescandies.
There is a growing list of issues that TikTok needs to resolve, but marketers seem unfazed and continue to be enthralled by the platform.


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Southseas Healthcare
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Narita shares her passion for Otara
Proud Otara residents Narita Vaivai and her supportive husband
Ask Narita what she thinks of Otara and her eyes will swell with pride, saying "It's my home."
Narita Vaivai is a community health worker and program coordinator for the Pregnancy and Parenting Education Service in the counties Manukau area for SouthSeas Healthcare, and a proud Otara resident.
"Otara is my home. I was born and raised here. Following my education, I made it a personal goal to return in a professional capacity to help serve the families of my community."
"My husband was also raised in Otara, so it was always going to be home for us and for our children. We have three wonderful children aged 10, 9 and 3 years old, two of whom are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)."
"Having two children with Autism means a lot of things. It means verbal communication with them is challenging, routines are a must, and extra support services are required. It also means we get to see how they experience the world. It teaches you to take the time to listen rather than talk, how to understand rather than assume and more than anything, it teaches you about who you are as a person."
Living with Autism has altered Narita's outlook on life.
"My husband and I are definitely a strong team but not without a supportive network behind us, both our families who love our children unconditionally"
"Family is always my first priority so time with my husband and children is definitely at the top of my list. My working life is separate from my home activities, so when it's family time, it's family time. I leave work at work."
"I've been working at SouthSeas Healthcare for a year now, and I've loved being able to be amongst the people in our community and being able to continue my learning."
"I feel so privileged, in my role as a coordinator for the Pregnancy and Parenting Education Service, to be able to meet many of our young Pacific pregnant women."
"The service provides for women and their families in our community an opportunity to learn about the physiology of pregnancy, the changes they will experience, and how to best cope with these changes as they begin this significant phase of their lives."
"With us here at Southseas and through the service we provide, we help women recognise their powerful role as a woman, a mother, a partner and a wife in this pregnancy journey, that they truly are spiritual and physical vessels for our future generations, and that life begins with them and in them."
"I have so much passion for my Otara community and SouthSeas Healthcare allows me to share that. It also helps me to spend quite a bit of time with my children and to make sure they have all the care they need."
Narita spent Mother's Day with her family, making sure she was there for her children.
"I love my family and I also love my community. I wouldn't live anywhere else as Otara is home and I want my children to grow up and be a part of a community that shaped me," says Narita.
2020 New Year's Honours - congratulations to our Pacific recipients
Festive season clinic opening hours 2019
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South Seas Healthcare
Physical address: 14 Fair Mall, Auckland 2023
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*Easy booking is for non-urgent GP or Nurse Appointments, if you require an extended appointment or other services e.g. driver's medical please call our reception team.
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South Seas Healthcare is Otara's largest Pacific health provider, delivering a range of clinic, community and social services throughout South Auckland. Our vision is excellent health and well-being for Pacific people and all communities. Continue Reading
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Pixie McKenna
Home > Speakers > Pixie McKenna
TV & Radio Presenter, Media Medic
Pixie McKenna is a practising GP and TV presenter who educates corporate audiences about health, both physical and mental, wellness, and stress. Although she has become known as an expert on ailments and conditions outside of the ordinary, Pixie is an expert on all aspects of health, such as sexual health, women's health, and health promotion, and is a fantastic speaker to educate and armour your organisation against stress. Pixie also has extensive experience speaking to teenagers and young adults, so she is a perfect fit to educate teenagers and young adults on the aforementioned topics.
Best known for her role in Channel 4's primetime BAFTA-winning medical series 'Embarrassing Bodies' and 'Embarrassing Bodies: Live from the Clinic', Dr. Pixie McKenna is the UK's leading female media medic. In addition to her work on the hit show, Pixie has presented Freaky Eaters for BBC 3 trying to tackle some of the UK's weirdest food phobia and fetishes, Channel 4's Food Hospital where she probed the myths and realities about food and health advice, and Health Freaks also for Channel 4 where she dealt with bizarre home remedies and put the ones she believed might work to the test! Pixie recently co-presented You Should Really See a Doctor for RTÉ Television, which saw her meet the invisibly sick, the obviously sick and the people who thought they were sicker than they really were. The series followed several patients as they went on a journey to discover their true diagnosis. She also fronted Pixie's Sex Clinic (RTÉ Television) – the first Irish TV series dedicated to education in sex, sexual health and behaviour, all with a healthy dose of tongue in cheek and playful winks. Pixie also recently co-presented The Health Detectives on Channel 4 with Cherry Healey, and her latest doc for the channel Staying Healthy: A Doctor's Guide aired in February. Dr. Pixie's sequence of child development books with Igloo Books kicked off with the first of the series 'Dr Pixie's First Foods' in January 2016. Including over 100 healthy meals for weaning your baby, the book is dedicated to helping parents prepare for the transition from milk to solids.
Her second book 'Dr Pixie's Meal Planner' was published in June 2016 and focuses on how to plan and prepare effortless, balanced meals for growing children during the various stages of weaning. In addition, Pixie has just published two sets of Flashcards with Igloo Books – 'Activities You And Your Baby Will Love and Activities You And Your Toddler Will Love'. Pixie is also a practicing GP in London. Outside of filming, she also spends her time writing columns for the Irish Mail and Dare Magazine, as well as appearing on Irish chat show The Ray D'Arcy Show. She is also Superdrug's Health and Wellbeing Ambassador, providing regular top tips and advice. Pixie is an accomplished speaker on a variety of medical topics, with sexual health, dermatology, women's health and health promotion being her specific interests.
Given her extensive experience on-screen and high level of expertise in Health and Medicine, Pixie would be the ideal speaker for any occasion. Her topics include but are not limited to:
Mental health, identifying stress and combating it.
Physical health, how to create and maintain a healthy diet.
Sexual health.
Women's health.
Dermatology.
Health promotion.
To book Pixie McKenna for your event, contact Front Row Speakers on +353 1 485 3991 or email [email protected]


In addition to his position at Bard College, Goodstein directs two national educational initiatives on global warming: C2C and The National Climate Seminar. In recent years, he has coordinated climate education events at over 2500 colleges, universities, high schools and other institutions across the country.
Goodstein is the author of a college textbook, Economics and the Environment, (John Wiley and Sons: 2010) now in its sixth edition; The Trade-off Myth: Fact and Fiction About Jobs and the Environment (Island Press: 1999); and Fighting for Love in the Century of Extinction: How Passion and Politics Can Stop Global Warming (University of Vermont Press: 2007). Goodstein's current research focuses on the economics of global climate change, a subject on which he has spoken widely. Articles by Goodstein have appeared in, among other outlets, The Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Land Economics, Ecological Economics and Environmental Management. His research has been featured in The New York Times, Scientific American, Time, Chemical and Engineering News, The Economist, USA Today and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Goodstein received his B.A. in Geology from Williams College and his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan. He serves on the editorial board of Environment, Workplace and Employment, is on the Steering Committee of the Economics for Equity and Environment: E3 Network and is a Member Scholar at the Center for Progressive Reform.


Excerpts from Skift: Travelers in 2016 come to travel agents because they need help, which has always been the bottom line. But it's not always because they don't know how to book online, or that they're too busy to book themselves or don't know where they should travel to. Travel agencies that get the job done without letting technology muddle that become more important. The new kind of travel agent is a technologist, one that is is taking root on messenger mobile apps and even in brick and mortar stores around the world.


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Home Neurology ARTIS icono biplane
ARTIS icono biplane is the ideal solution for a wide range of disciplines and procedures. Neuro procedures – and particularly stroke treatment – benefit from revolutionised cone beam CT image quality with syngo DynaCT Sine Spin and syngo DynaCT Multiphase depicting 8 perfusion phases. Lateral Plane Switch enables multidisciplinary usage between cardiologists and radiologists without compromises. With full body (165 cm) lateral plane coverage, there's no need to compromise during abdominal procedures either. The system is particularly suited for neuroradiology procedures, such as removing stroke-causing blood clots, thanks to improved 2D and 3D imaging that can also lower the amount of radiation delivered to the patient.
Moreover, quick switching between the 2D and volumetric modes can help to track procedural progression with greater ease. Because the imaging C-arm can now move quickly and in new ways, the company claims that "the areas of the cranial base and skull cap can now be represented with practically no artifacts in a 3D visualisation". The system is expected to be made available in Europe later this year. It is not yet for sale in the United States and there's no word on when that may happen.
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The innovation committee of the German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft - DLG) has recognised numerous innovations from John Deere and partner companies with three gold and 10 silver medals. The award winning innovations were selected from 311 entries and will be presented at this year's Agritechnica, the world's largest agricultural equipment fair (10-14 November 2015 in Hannover, Germany).
"The large number of awards is a result of the company's continuing high investment into research and development," said Chris Wigger, John Deere's Region 2* vice-president sales & marketing. "We are particularly proud that our industry partners and service providers can take a lot of the credit for achieving these significant results. As our industry undergoes a paradigm shift towards more integrated technology, these jointly awarded intelligent solutions clearly demonstrate John Deere's commitment to system openness and our willingness to collaborate with partners. Arable farmers and contractors will benefit from these developments," Wigger added.
System which monitors and adjusts the spacing between the knives and the shearbar of the forager's cutting drum on-the-go. High precision sensors incorporated in the shearbar continuously measure the spacing between knives and shearbar and monitor the sharpness of the knives.
Nutrient management system for the precise application of organic or mineral fertilisers (nitrogen and phosphate) as required. The system allows a holistic view from harvest to harvest and includes technologies that provide highly precise fertiliser application. Knowhow and technologies contributed by distinguished business partners are integrated to enable a fertiliser application that is regulation compliant with the German fertiliser directive (DVO).
Intuitive decision support tool to ensure a timely and precise application of pesticides. The partnering companies integrate application recommendations, adequate solvents handling, operator support, application handling, automatic compliance with buffer zone requirements and seamless documentation into a comprehensive solution.
Flexible system to quickly link a 1.7-tonne ballast weight to the bottom of the tractor chassis from the operator cab. EZ Ballast does not compete for linkage space needed for implements and helps to optimise the weight distribution of the tractor. Thus, it helps to enhance productivity and to reduce the cost of operation.
The world's first self-learning headland management tool for a tractor. The headland management system automatically records all handling steps activated by the driver, and saves useful commands to propose their re-use on the next suitable occasion.
System to automatically optimise the distribution of traction force on tractors equipped with four-wheel drive. Depending on axle load, wheel slip and actual tractor speed, four-wheel drive is automatically engaged or disengaged as required, thus enhancing operator comfort by reducing stress and misuse.
3D Camera System to monitor the immediate periphery of a machine; display of up to six different types of view to enhance operational safety of tractors and harvesting machinery; increases safety of manoeuvring, front loader and transportation work.
ICA2 is the first fully integrated and market-ready system for the optimisation of combine settings. Apart from grain losses, grain quality will also be included in the optimisation process. After setting and utilising ICA2, even a novice operator will be able to maintain expert operator performance throughout the harvest day.
First combine simulator that provides a real operating environment for the year-round training of combine drivers. State-of-the-art software enables realistic machine handling and a 'true' harvesting experience, whereby individual learning modules provide step-by-step training of increasing complexity.
The newly designed Active Yield system automates the time-consuming calibration steps required to measure crop yields. To achieve maximum yield monitoring precision, manual weighing of samples is made obsolete.
Innovative solution for the harvesting of silage. By integrating the forager's 'intelligent' spout control and the real-time synchronisation of transport vehicles with the forager, the driver can be relieved from stress with the support of sensors as he approaches a field, begins to harvest and completely fills the trailer.
For the first time, a manufacturer offers a comprehensive quality assurance system covering the whole drilling process. The system provides sensor-based monitoring, control and documentation of drilling and includes new automated solutions which significantly enhance plant distribution and seed placement in varying conditions. Ultimately, this frees up time for the operator, who can concentrate more effectively on the actual drilling process.
Control of all the major settings of a combination tillage implement from the tractor cab. Once a major component setting is re-adjusted, the settings of the remaining elements are automatically adjusted in turn. The TrueSet concept lays the foundation for new solutions within the framework of precision tillage applications.


To book artists and talent such as Brian Edwards for your corporate event, convention, or fundraiser, just use our Find Talent Form or Contact us.
Preforms the vocals and guitar live, with the bass, drums, some background guitar, and backup vocals recorded himself on a digital recorder. Overall volume can be adjusted to fit any room size, which alows people to talk while enjoying live music. Available for all occasions. Live music for less than the price of a D.J.
To book an artist such as Brian Edwards or other big name talent for your Corporate Event, Private Party, Fundraiser or Convention, let one of our mediator agents negotiate with managers, agents and artists to achieve the best possible entertainment experience.
Just fill out the Talent Request form for "Brian Edwards", so that one of our experienced professionals can contact and book this artist for you. We make booking entertainment and booking musicians easy! So get started with the preliminary Talent Request form and let us use our negitiating skills to get Brian Edwards booked for your next event.


XTERRA Knoxville, part of the XTERRA Southeast Regional series, is one of the toughest and most exciting triathlons and is an XTERRA USA Championship Qualifier. Knoxville's Urban Wilderness presents a unique playground for mountain bikers and trail runners alike. Winding through the Urban Wilderness, participants will encounter plenty of rocks, roots, and climbing to test their grit. XTERRA Knoxville will take participants through five parks, featuring the old quarries and hills of East Tennessee with a perfect balance of neighborhood backyard feel. This triathlon features a 1200m swim through Mead's Quarry, 16.6 mi mountain bike course, and a 4.6 mi trail run. The top 3 winners of each age division will be awarded at the prize ceremony.