text:
Every Wednesday is Saints Community Project day at the Club….
Funding secured for the Saints Community Project
Brackley Town FC has secured £11,779 funding from the National League Trust in partnership with the Premier League and the Professional Footballers' Association for our Saints Community Project programme. This is the fourth year running that the project has been generously supported with a grant from the Trust.
As many of you will know, every Wednesday is Saints Community Project day at Brackley Town Football Club.
Recognising there was an opportunity to provide support and social activities for Brackley residents who felt isolated or lonely in their daily lives, the Saints Community Project first opened its doors on a Wednesday in Sept 2015. It was believe that community spirit in Brackley had diminished over the years, as the population had increased, people's lives have changed and some residents had become isolated.
Initially the Saints Community Project was a themed day of actives, held once per month, for members of the local community to enjoy. It was immediately evident that once per month did not satisfy the demand and more was required, so a weekly event was organised under the guise of a coffee morning which has now become so much more.
Of course none of this would have been possible without the support of the football club, volunteers and local goodwill but the key to its success has been adequate funding and the announcement that the football club have successfully secured funding from the National League Trust for another year is excellent news. Now elderly residents of Brackley, people with learning disabilities and those with mental health issues will continue to enjoy the benefits they derive from the Community Project.
The National League Trust is a partnership between the the National League, the Premier League and the Professional Footballers' Association. They have each contributed funds to support all Football National League member clubs to help develop their community activities.
Over the last four years the Community Project has continued to go from strength to strength with over 50 senior members of our community coming along every week to enjoy a cup of coffee and a natter with old friends and making new acquaintances. The project is run by Kim Grantham and a group of kind volunteers, who serve coffee and cake and also prepare a home-cooked lunch for those who want to have a bite to eat.
Brackley Town Football Club offers the perfect venue and the Saints Community Project is able to host a whole range of activities to bring people together, put something back into their lives and create a sense of purpose.
Kim Grantham, Project Co-ordinator said "We bring together a range of people, passing on social and life lessons, building a friendship network, creating a network of support and advice to help people feel more empowered and secure in their daily lives".
The Project has developed some great partnerships with organisations within the community over the last year include our local police, local Waitrose supermarket, Brackley Town Council, Bracken Leas Primary School, the School of Life, our football club fans' group - the Brackley Massive; the list goes on. Without our partners' support by way of donations, funding and voluntary help this project could not be what it is now.
The Brackley branch of Tesco Supermarkets is a very strong partner of the Community Project, continuously offering produce and voluntary help at coffee mornings and for the themed events such as celebrating Brackley Town FC's FA Trophy success, being entertained by an in-house produced pantomime, dancing and singing, being entertained by a variety of performers and celebrating events such as Valentine's Day, Easter and Christmas. The Project has also organised some exciting days out with coach trips to Millets Farm and Hatton Country Park.
The local police regularly visit the Community Project to advise of the latest scams or frauds and provide talks on the law and legal rights. The Project also provides a lists of recommended and trusted traders and carers. Saints Community Project provides a safe, secure, accessible venue with activities, laughter, fun, a home cooked hot meal and hopefully lasting memories. Project Community Project members are encouraged to become involved in small projects.
In addition to funding from the National League Trust, the Project recently secured £2000 funding from Tesco's 'Bags for Help' to purchase a TV and visual aids equipment. The Community Project kicked off 2019 with an exciting day of "New Year Racing" including a pig race, using the new audio visual equipment.
The Saints Community Project is open to everyone every Wednesday in the Park Suite, Brackley Town FC's clubhouse, from 10am to 1.30pm with event days being longer. All the details can be found on the notice board just inside the clubhouse or on the web site.
Volunteers are always welcome, please speak to Kim if you would like to become involved.
You could also register to get regular news updates NEWS UPDATES
See some memories of past events MEMORIES
A member of the team will contact you within 24 hours.


KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress™ is a national, grassroots organization founded to politically empower the Filipino American community.
Build the capacity of Filipino American leaders through programming, leadership development, mentorship, and community building.
Support progressive allies and public servants who represent the interests of the Filipino American community in key decision making offices.
Influence policy decisions that would impact the Filipino American community.
Our mission is to mobilize the Filipino American community and build partnerships to increase our electoral power, advocate policies that affect our community, and develop leaders to represent us at every level of government.
KAYA supports policies that empower the community to ensure the current and future generations have a strong, supportive community and access to the services and opportunities to fulfill their aspirations.
We advocate for fair, transparent, comprehensive, and humane immigration reform that treat people with dignity. We will continue to stand with immigrant communities and fight back against any xenophobic rhetoric that seeks to stifle the progress that we have made as a country.
We support the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act and will continue to promote access to affordable, quality and linguistically competent health care, including comprehensive reproductive, mental and behavioral health care for all Filipino Americans.
While we are appreciative of President Obama's executive actions on the implementation of a Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program, we believe that more must be done. We will continue to fight to ensure that all Filipino World War II Veterans and their families receive the benefits promised to them decades ago.
All children and families should have access to a high quality education, from cradle to career. We will do this by supporting polcies that increase federal student aid for higher education, undocumented student access to education, and key issues such as affirmative action.
Filipino Americans have had a profound effect on the labor movement. In this current national and political climate where immigrant rights are being attacked and quickly eroded, domestic workers are pushed even more into vulnerable and exploitative working situations. We will continue the fight by supporting partnering with organizations that promote education on workers' rights.
From access to high quality data to the ballot box, we believe all people regardless of language, national origin, race, gender, and class should have equal access to pursuing the American dream.
Stay updated with KAYA events, updates, and opportunities to get involved by joining our listserv.


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Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM)
Ravikant Samatham, Steven L. Jacques, Paul Campagnola
Separation of the two optical scattering properties, the scattering coefficient (μ s) and the anisotropy of scattering (g), has been experimentally difficult in tissues. A new method for measuring these properties in tissues uses reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). Experimentally, the focus at depth z is scanned down into the tissue. The measured data is the exponential decay of the confocal reflectance signal as a function of the depth of the focal volume, R(z)=ρexp(-μz), summarized as a local reflectivity (ρ) and an exponential decay constant (μ). The ρ and μ map uniquely into the μ s and g of the tissue. The method was applied to three mouse skin tissues: one wild-type (wt/wt), one heterozygous mutant (oim/wt), and one homozygous mutant (oim/oim), where oim indicates the mutation for osteogenesis imperfecta, a bone disease that affects type I collagen structure. The mutation affects the collagen fibrils of the skin and the assembly of collagen fiber bundles. The anisotropy of scattering (g) at 488 nm wavelength decreased from 0.81 to 0.46 with the added mutant allele. There was a slight increase in the scattering coefficient (μ s) with the mutation from 74to94cm -1. The decrease in g (toward more isotropic scattering) is likely due to the failure of the mutant fibrils to assemble into the larger collagen fiber bundles that yield forward scattering.
Journal of biomedical optics
anisotropy of scattering
reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM)
scattering coefficient
Dive into the research topics of 'Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
laser microscopy Physics & Astronomy 100%
Laser modes Engineering & Materials Science 98%
Optical properties Engineering & Materials Science 85%
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Chemical Compounds 80%
Microscopic examination Engineering & Materials Science 74%
mice Physics & Astronomy 72%
Collagen Chemical Compounds 65%
Samatham, R., Jacques, S. L., & Campagnola, P. (2008). Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). Journal of biomedical optics, 13(4), [041309]. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2953195
Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). / Samatham, Ravikant; Jacques, Steven L.; Campagnola, Paul.
In: Journal of biomedical optics, Vol. 13, No. 4, 041309, 2008.
Samatham, R, Jacques, SL & Campagnola, P 2008, 'Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM)', Journal of biomedical optics, vol. 13, no. 4, 041309. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2953195
Samatham R, Jacques SL, Campagnola P. Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). Journal of biomedical optics. 2008;13(4). 041309. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2953195
Samatham, Ravikant ; Jacques, Steven L. ; Campagnola, Paul. / Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). In: Journal of biomedical optics. 2008 ; Vol. 13, No. 4.
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title = "Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM)",
abstract = "Separation of the two optical scattering properties, the scattering coefficient (μ s) and the anisotropy of scattering (g), has been experimentally difficult in tissues. A new method for measuring these properties in tissues uses reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). Experimentally, the focus at depth z is scanned down into the tissue. The measured data is the exponential decay of the confocal reflectance signal as a function of the depth of the focal volume, R(z)=ρexp(-μz), summarized as a local reflectivity (ρ) and an exponential decay constant (μ). The ρ and μ map uniquely into the μ s and g of the tissue. The method was applied to three mouse skin tissues: one wild-type (wt/wt), one heterozygous mutant (oim/wt), and one homozygous mutant (oim/oim), where oim indicates the mutation for osteogenesis imperfecta, a bone disease that affects type I collagen structure. The mutation affects the collagen fibrils of the skin and the assembly of collagen fiber bundles. The anisotropy of scattering (g) at 488 nm wavelength decreased from 0.81 to 0.46 with the added mutant allele. There was a slight increase in the scattering coefficient (μ s) with the mutation from 74to94cm -1. The decrease in g (toward more isotropic scattering) is likely due to the failure of the mutant fibrils to assemble into the larger collagen fiber bundles that yield forward scattering.",
keywords = "anisotropy of scattering, optical coherence tomography (OCT), osteogenesis imperfecta, reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM), scattering coefficient",
author = "Ravikant Samatham and Jacques, {Steven L.} and Paul Campagnola",
journal = "Journal of Biomedical Optics",
T1 - Optical properties of mutant versus wild-type mouse skin measured by reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM)
AU - Samatham, Ravikant
AU - Jacques, Steven L.
AU - Campagnola, Paul
N2 - Separation of the two optical scattering properties, the scattering coefficient (μ s) and the anisotropy of scattering (g), has been experimentally difficult in tissues. A new method for measuring these properties in tissues uses reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). Experimentally, the focus at depth z is scanned down into the tissue. The measured data is the exponential decay of the confocal reflectance signal as a function of the depth of the focal volume, R(z)=ρexp(-μz), summarized as a local reflectivity (ρ) and an exponential decay constant (μ). The ρ and μ map uniquely into the μ s and g of the tissue. The method was applied to three mouse skin tissues: one wild-type (wt/wt), one heterozygous mutant (oim/wt), and one homozygous mutant (oim/oim), where oim indicates the mutation for osteogenesis imperfecta, a bone disease that affects type I collagen structure. The mutation affects the collagen fibrils of the skin and the assembly of collagen fiber bundles. The anisotropy of scattering (g) at 488 nm wavelength decreased from 0.81 to 0.46 with the added mutant allele. There was a slight increase in the scattering coefficient (μ s) with the mutation from 74to94cm -1. The decrease in g (toward more isotropic scattering) is likely due to the failure of the mutant fibrils to assemble into the larger collagen fiber bundles that yield forward scattering.
AB - Separation of the two optical scattering properties, the scattering coefficient (μ s) and the anisotropy of scattering (g), has been experimentally difficult in tissues. A new method for measuring these properties in tissues uses reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM). Experimentally, the focus at depth z is scanned down into the tissue. The measured data is the exponential decay of the confocal reflectance signal as a function of the depth of the focal volume, R(z)=ρexp(-μz), summarized as a local reflectivity (ρ) and an exponential decay constant (μ). The ρ and μ map uniquely into the μ s and g of the tissue. The method was applied to three mouse skin tissues: one wild-type (wt/wt), one heterozygous mutant (oim/wt), and one homozygous mutant (oim/oim), where oim indicates the mutation for osteogenesis imperfecta, a bone disease that affects type I collagen structure. The mutation affects the collagen fibrils of the skin and the assembly of collagen fiber bundles. The anisotropy of scattering (g) at 488 nm wavelength decreased from 0.81 to 0.46 with the added mutant allele. There was a slight increase in the scattering coefficient (μ s) with the mutation from 74to94cm -1. The decrease in g (toward more isotropic scattering) is likely due to the failure of the mutant fibrils to assemble into the larger collagen fiber bundles that yield forward scattering.
KW - anisotropy of scattering
KW - optical coherence tomography (OCT)
KW - osteogenesis imperfecta
KW - reflectance-mode confocal scanning laser microscopy (rCSLM)
KW - scattering coefficient
JO - Journal of Biomedical Optics
JF - Journal of Biomedical Optics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sofa Newy 9893P from Beltá, designed by Sergio Muñoz Design. Newy has been designed to fit the needs of our times.
Newy has been designed to fit the needs of our times taking into account all the details of the product and the manufacture of upholstered furniture. It presents a contemporary aspect thinking in all kinds of spaces whether in the home or public environment, contract. Its wide seated and its dimensions have been developed always thinking comfort without leaving aside the aesthetics. The shape defines an asymmetric line that provides an innovative, modern and elegant character.
1. Solid and brushed pine wood structure, with the edging of the friction zones to prolong the life of the suspension, formed by elastic band Nea with quality guarantee 10 years, covered with foams of 30 and 60 kg / m3, .
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If you want a different configuration than the tab of this product, go to the contact section, we will be happy to serve you and offer you all possible alternatives.


How to download TNPSC medical officer answer sheet?
TNPSC maternal and child health officer answer key 2019 was released. Applicants who are looking for recent govt careers had applied for the recruitment. The TNPSC board conducted the examination and released the TNPSC health officer answer key. Candidates can download the Tamil Nadu PSC health officer answer sheet after completion of examination. Aspirants can download the TNPSC maternal child health officer ans key from the official site tnpsc.gov.in.
Tamil Nadu state public service commission carries all the recruitments in the state. It fills the vacancies of Group A and Group B by conducting Group I, II, III and IV services examinations in Tamil Nadu state government. It recruits eligible candidates who are fit for their job role. So the TNPSC carries the recruitments till the end of selection process. It releases all the recruitments belonging to the state government and its departments. Recently TNPSC maternal and child health officer recruitment 2019 was released for few vacancies. Huge number of applicants had applied for the recruitment through tnpsc.gov.in. The board issued the admit cards and released the TNPSC maternal and child health officer answer key 2019 as per selection process.
TNPSC health officer answer key was released. The board has intimated the selection process as written examination and interview. As per the hiring process it conducted the examination in September 2019 and released the TNPSC maternal and child health officer answer key 2019-2019. Candidates who attended the examination can download their answer key from tnpsc.gov.in. Applicants who are looking for latest medical officer jobs had utilized this opportunity. They prepared well for the examination by collecting the examination syllabus, pattern, and exam model papers. One who attended the examination is eagerly looking for results. But the board issued Tamil Nadu PSC health officer answer sheet.
The TNPSC maternal and child health officer answer key is very help fill for the applied candidates. They can check their attempted answers by downloading the Tamil Nadu PSC health officer answer sheet. One who is looking for graduate govt careers had applied for the recruitment and waiting for the results. The examiners prepared the examination TNPSC maternal child health officer ans key. Candidates can download the TNPSC health officer answer key to check whether they are qualified in the examination or not. After checking the answer key from tnpsc.gov.in, they can come to a conclusion whether they have qualified or not.


How Dangerous Are Black Widow Spiders?
The Black Widow Is A Venomous Spider- But Is It Dangerous?
It is widely known that the black widow spider delivers a potent venom that can cause death. Some claim that it is 15 times more powerful than the venom of a rattlesnake. But, what is not so widely known is that black widow spider bites hardly ever lead to death here in the United States. While the venom from this spider is definitely powerful, it is meant to take down much smaller creatures than a human. But, that does mean it doesn't hurt. A bite from a black widow can be quite painful. And the symptoms associated with black widow spider bites are unpleasant, to say the least.
So, "how dangerous is a black widow spider?" It depends on your definition of dangerous. If your definition of "dangerous" is something that can kill you, the black widow spider isn't all that dangerous. Here in the U.S., where there is quick and easy access to medical care, the critical symptoms caused by this spider can be avoided.
If your definition of dangerous is something that can cause a painful bite that can lead to nausea, chills, fever, muscle cramps and spasms, stomach and body pain, shock, and severe high blood pressure, then this species of spider is definitely dangerous. But, even in this, the level of danger can vary. Black widow spiders are able to decide how much venom they are going to inject. If the venom dose is low, the resulting symptoms will be low. Symptoms vary depending on age, physical health, and other factors, as well. For one person, a bite may cause days of sickness. For another, there may be hardly any symptoms.
It bears mentioning that black widows are not aggressive spiders, in general. If you startle one, it is more likely to run away than it is to bite you. Bites usually occur when this spider is pressed against the skin. This can happen when you slide into bed with a black widow tucked beneath the covers, when you grab something in your yard to flip it over and put your hand on a black widow, when you slide your foot into a shoe that has a black widow hiding in it, or some similar situation.
How dangerous something is should also be evaluated by the level of risk. If you don't have any black widows on your property and have never seen a black widow, the danger is low. If, on the other hand, you see black widows every time you move things around in your yard, or when you go into a storage area to grab something, the danger is much higher. Quantity of spiders is definitely a factor.
Black widows are a shiny black color with a bright red hourglass symbol on the bottom of their abdomen. Since it is the only shiny black spider you're going to find crawling around on your property, the hourglass symbol is seldom needed for identification.
If you see a black widow, it is likely to be in its web, which should look like a tangled mess. But, all of those tangles aren't an accident. It isn't that this is a lazy spider. Black widows eat larger prey than other spiders, and their webs need to be more robust than a simple sheet of tender fibers.
Pull covers back before getting into bed.
Shake footwear before sliding your feet in.
Reduce clutter in storage areas and other secluded places.
Be cautious when going into dark, warm, and secluded locations within your home, or into secluded places around your home. These spider love crawl spaces, the underside of decks, and piles of brush.
Be cautious when turning anything over in your yard. Consider wearing gloves if you'll be working in the yard.
If you see black widows on your property, and you're in our extensive service area, let the team here at Action Pest Control help. We help home and business owners get rid of black widow spiders. And spiders are one of the pests your technician will look for during a routine inspection, if you choose to sign up for year-round pest control.
For more information, or to set up service, reach out to us today. While black widows aren't necessarily dangerous, it is better when they're not around.


CeCe Sammy is one of the globe's leading vocal and performance coaches who works from London and Los Angeles. She is known for her TV appearances, on screen and behind the scenes contributions as a vocal coach, TV judge, advisor, talent scout and trouble-shooter on various music and entertainment shows.
© 2019 CCA-Entertainment - All Rights Reserved.


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Greff selected for OMPA board
Home / News / Press Releases / Greff selected for OMPA board
Jim Greff of Prague has been recommended to fill a vacant spot on the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority's (OMPA) Board of Directors. The recommendation was made by the Nominations Committee and confirmed by the Board of Directors at its Aug. 14 meeting. It will be voted on at the 2014 Annual Electors Meeting on Sept. 11 at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Greff has worked for the City of Prague for 33 years, spending the last seven as City Manager. Previously, he served as Water and Wastewater Superintendent, Public Works Director and Assistant City Manager with the city.
"My wife, Betty, and I moved to Prague in 1981 to raise our family in a small-town atmosphere. I started working for the City of Prague later that year," said Greff, who also has served 25 years with Prague's volunteer fire department. "I feel that my working knowledge of all phases of city operations has helped me in my transition to City manager, and I feel that my insights can be an asset to the OMPA Board, as well. I appreciate the opportunity to serve our member cities."
Greff currently serves on several regional boards, including the Lincoln County E-911 Trust Authority, Central Oklahoma Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Route 66 Community Partners and the Central Oklahoma Economic Development District Board of Directors.
He is a Certified Municipal Official through the Oklahoma Municipal League, and received the Marvin Hicks-Al Middleton Meritorious Service Award from Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma in 2011.
The Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) is a municipal joint-action agency created for the purpose of providing an adequate, reliable and affordable supply of electrical power and energy to Oklahoma's municipally owned electric systems. The Authority presently serves 39 municipally owned electric systems in Oklahoma. As a consumer-owned public power entity, OMPA is owned by the member cities it serves.


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Dec 28 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (REVIEW)
Marc Morin
written by Marc Morin (@thetwoohsix)
Peter Jackson and company return with part 2 of The Hobbit trilogy and The Desolation of Smaug promises to be their biggest and boldest achievement so far. There's so many actors and actresses in this movie it would take the same amount of time to read the list as it would be to watch the movie itself...which is 161 minutes long! That extensive list does feature Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Orlando Bloom, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, and Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the dragon known as Smaug.
Picking up right where An Unexpected Journey left off, we find the company of dwarves along with Bilbo (Freeman) the Hobbit, and the wizard Gandalf (McKellen) being pursued by Azog the Defiler (Manu Bennett) and his orc army. After making their way into the rotting Mirkwood Forest, they find themselves in one predicament after another including being captured by the elves of Mirkwood who harbor no good tidings for dwarves that invade their land.
This is also where we get to see Legolas (Bloom) as well as his captain Turiel (Lilly) enter the story as they start out as enemies, but soon become more sympathetic to the company's cause. At least Turiel is as she quickly gains a particular interest that goes against both Legolas and his father Thranduil's (Lee Pace) ideals and she sets off to help the company against the orc army that is still in hot pursuit. After a whirlwind river sequence that could easily turn into an amazing theme park attraction, Bilbo and the dwarves (Gandalf has gone off to take care of some other business) head to Laketown which is their last stop before reaching the Lonely Mountain where Thorin (Armitage) is hoping to kill the dragon Smaug and reclaim his lost kingdom.
As I mentioned a moment ago, Gandalf is off on his own looking for clues as to the identity of the mysterious Necromancer and he quickly discovers, with the help of Radagast (Sylvester McCoy), that evil has progressed farther back into Middle Earth than they had originally thought. Meanwhile, back in Laketown, the company has enlisted the aid of a man named Bard (Evans) to help them prepare for the final journey to the Lonely Mountain although he has reservations about their plans to awaken a menace that has lied dormant for decades.
I actually had to watch this movie twice before writing my review as there was just so much going on, I wanted to make sure I had properly absorbed it all (visuals and story) to be able to give you my best impression of how I felt after seeing it. Bottom line, this is a very entertaining movie that movie goers of all ages will get a kick out of. The action is very upbeat and actually not quite as cartoon looking as in the first movie although the heroes do continue to breeze through the orc army like a knife through warm butter taking away any sense of real danger or mortality. This is necessary though as the whole tone of this trilogy is much lighter than the Lord of the Rings movies which take Middle Earth down a much darker path.
There will be a lot of die hard Tolkien fans that won't like some of the additions made by Peter Jackson and company and, while I can understand that, I really don't have a problem with it. Sure, there is the unavoidable topic of making a relatively short story into three movies so there are more tickets to sell, but I am also really starting to see where they are going in fleshing things out and setting up everything that takes place in the Lord of the Rings. Believe me, I grew up reading the books and I love them dearly, but I really don't have a problem with how the movies have turned out so far.
As far as acting, there really isn't much to talk about other than there are a few silly lines that have to be delivered and the exposition in the dialog is a little excessive. Yes, Thorin, we have already been told three times that we have to get to the mountain by a certain day or all is lost...thanks, though...again. Ian McKellen is great as always as Gandalf and all the guys that play dwarves seem to be having a great time playing their parts. Martin Freeman continues to play Bilbo to absolute perfection as the character has so many conflicting emotions and is never quite sure of what he wants to or is able to do, but has resigned himself to the fact that he is a part of this adventure so he needs to just get on with it. I truly believe that we couldn't have asked for a better actor to play this most important of characters and he is delivering at every turn.
Visually, this is one of the most beautiful movies you will ever see. Definitely see it in 3D and I also recommend checking out the high frame rate option as well although IMAX is not a must since it was post converted. Like I said before, some improvements have been made to make the movie look less like a cartoon than the first one, but this is still a fantasy movie so there are a lot of wondrous and magical things going on that have to be computer animated and, not matter how technology progresses, your eyes can still see the difference pretty quickly. That being said, Peter Jackson and the very talented folks at Weta Digital seem to have a firm grasp on all the technology they have at their disposal, I just wish they would pull back once in a while instead of doing some crazy stuff just because they can.
For me, one of the things that seems to be missing from this trilogy is the sense that each moment we see on the screen is utterly important and every bit of dialog has a certain poetry to it that made the first trilogy such an amazing achievement. Sure, based on the source material, there is less to work with here, but it really doesn't seem like the same careful attention to every single detail is being utilized and, while the movie is enjoyable, I wouldn't put it or An Unexpected Journey on the same level as their predecessors. This, plus the inclusion of all the stuff that never existed in the book is sure to get the die hard fan base all riled up, like how Liv Tyler's Arwen character was added to LotR although she was at least pulled from Tolkien's books instead of being made up entirely by the filmmakers.
With this movie, there is no shortage of fun going on and the visual spectacle alone should be enough to satisfy the average moviegoer. The one thing you will want to be prepared for is how, since this is the middle segment of a three part story, there is a pretty significant cliffhanger ending that may leave you going "Show me more, right now!" even more so than The Two Towers did back when those movies were coming out. Bottom line, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a great movie that is going to rake in gigantic piles of cash at the box office and is seriously worth every penny.
the hobbit, desolation of smaug, movie reviews, twoohsix.com
Jan 11 Twenty-Thirteen: Thanks for the Memories
Dec 26 Blizz Con 2013
Jun 26 Maleficent (TwoOhSix REVIEWS)
Jun 16 TwoOhSix.com Reviews: Man of Steel
Apr 7 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (TwoOhSix.com REVIEW)


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Agent Provocateur è un'azienda britannica specializzata nella produzione di lingerie fondata da Joseph Corré e Serena Rees, con 100 negozi in 13 nazioni. Nel 2007 3i, il fondo di private equity, ha comprato l'80% della compagnia per 60 milioni di sterline.

Storia

Agent Provocateur fu fondata dagli allora coniugi Serena Rees e Joseph Corré, figlio di Vivienne Westwood; il primo negozio aprì a Soho, su Broadwick Street.

Dopo il divorzio dei fondatori nel 2007, Agent Provocateur è stata acquistata da 3i; Garry Hogarth è al 2008 il CEO.

Dopo l'acquisto la compagnia si è espansa aprendo negozi in 13 nazioni.

Prodotti e marketing

Nel 2000, Agent Provocateur ha prodotto il suo primo profumo, chiamato anch'esso Agent Provocateur.

Nel marketing Melissa George, Chloe Hayward e Elettra Wiedemann sono comparse in una campagna pubblicitaria di John Cameron Mitchell, dove si incitava le donne a prendere il controllo del proprio destino indossando lingerie.

Nel dicembre 2001 Agent Provocateur ha prodotto un cortometraggio pubblicitario dove Kylie Minogue cavalca un cavallo indossando la lingerie della compagnia.

Kylie Minogue nel 2001 e Kate Moss in 2006 hanno posato come modelle; Maggie Gyllenhaal ha sostituito Kate Moss come nuovo volto della loro linea nel 2007.

Nel gennaio 2014, Hailey Clauson è al centro di una campagna chiamata "Behind Closed Doors", fotografata da Miles Aldridge.

Controversie
Agent Provocateur ha avuto alcune pubblicità proibite dall'Advertising Standards Authority britannica perché giudicate "degradanti per le donne".

Galleria d'immagini

Note

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Two Italian women were allegedly kidnapped to clean house and avoid public shame.
News-wise, Italy is having a bad week. First, there came a story about a 43-year-old Italian man who allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend from a bar in Genoa, brought her to his house and threatened to hurt her if she didn't do his laundry and wash his dishes. (Note to dude: Hiring a maid is easier and won't land you in jail.) Then, along came an even more bizarre story about a 47-year-old woman, Maria Monaco, who was allegedly imprisoned by her mother and siblings for 18 years in a locked room in the family's house in Rome; she was found "surrounded by filth and cigarette butts." The alleged reason for the kidnapping? She became pregnant out of wedlock.
Holy retro imprisonment, Italy! Before the week is over, I'm expecting a headline along the lines of, "Woman held captive because dinner was cold."


You definitely see the "body horror" elements Trank has promised come into play, and I have to admit, the Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic stretching effects looks pretty cool in the small glimpses we get here. We also get our best look yet at Dr. Doom, or whetever the hell he's called here, which is nice.
Like I said, I'm not entirely stoked on this, but it looks more and more interesting the more we see. Fantastic Four hits August 7. Check out the trailer below.


An express railway line which offers a connection between Jerusalem, Ben-Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv within 28 minutes at a speed of up to 160 kilometers per hour. The line ends at an underground railway station 80 meters deep at the entrance to Jerusalem. A multi-disciplinary design and construction project (Design Build) that includes civil engineering: preparations for railway tracks and installation areas, production and laying of prefabricated concrete tracks, laying of tracks from Latrun to Jerusalem, construction of escape tunnels and service tunnels. Installation of electromechanical systems: electricity, low voltage systems, infrastructure for railway contractors, plumbing and fire extinguishing, air conditioning, ventilation and smoke removal. Maintenance of the systems for 10 years. This is the first logistical and engineering challenge of its kind in Israel. Working in narrow tunnels (built using the TBM method) tens of kilometers long, using dozens of teams at the same time. Daily transportation of workers, mechanical-engineering equipment, concrete mixers and other transportation vehicles within the tunnels. The project was carried out to world-class standards due to meticulous day-to-day planning and coordination, meticulous scheduling and engineering optimization, and the development of dedicated methods and solutions.
Planning and execution. Incorporating foreign knowledge during implementation of the project |Casting of system blocks (length: 40 km, volume: 90,000 cubic meters) |Sub-Base casting (length: 44 km, volume: 70,000 cubic meters) |Installation of electric sleeves from rigid pipes (about 1,500 km) | Installation of high/low voltage cables along the length of the system blocks and in the technical rooms and connecting tunnels (length: about 1,000 km)| Manufacture and installation of hundreds of high and low voltage boards |Installation of cable ladders and lighting fixtures (length: 44 km)| Installation of piping and fire extinguishing systems (length: 44 km): Fiber optic lines, FM-200 systems and main and secondary communications cables |Installation of smoke removal systems and introduction of clean air in case of emergency |Installation of unique fire doors manufactured by Booth (England) and multi-barge in 60 tunnels |Construction of technical rooms, escape corridors and underground systems in 60 tunnels |Connecting an advanced prefabricated factory (5,000 square meters) for the production of 7,000 concrete slabs (a unique Max Bögl patent) weighing 9.5 tons each and with maximum precision |Prefabricated transport and installation of concrete conveyance using dedicated mining equipment manufactured by Metalliance, France| Laying of the railroad tracks along the route. Maintenance for 10 years.


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Nelly Drell
Nelly Drell (born 1979 in Tallinn) studied painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts (1998-2000) and later continued her studies at Miami University (BA, 2001) and the New York Academy of Art (MA, 2003).
Drell's paintings are bold and realistic, displaying a multitude of figural compositions. She isn't afraid of experimenting with different styles. Since 1995, Drell has exhibited her paintings at dozens of group and personal exhibitions. In 2001 she won the Miami International Fine Arts College Young Visual Artist Award and in 2008 the SMV-prize in the Estonian Artists´ Association's annual exhibition. She is a member of the Estonian Painters Union since 2004 and member of Estonian Artists´ Association since 2012.
By Nelly Drell
Sheep Shearing
Figure in green
By Helle Lõhmus
Fisherman's wife
By Heiki Kähr
By Zile Ziemele
National Forest
By Eve Viidalepp


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Sharon Lee Smith
Sharon Lee Smith Active (In Renewal)
Sharon Lee Smith is a Nursing - Intravenous Certification licensed to practice in Colorado. The address on file for Sharon Lee Smith is 130 PANORAMA DRIVE, FLORISSANT, CO, 80816-0816. This licensed professional license is current. The license was granted 02/10/2005 and expired on 08/31/2014.
Last updated at 2020-01-17 00:16:13 UTC
Class: Nursing - Intravenous Certification
Status: Active (In Renewal)
130 PANORAMA DRIVE, FLORISSANT, CO, 80816-0816
Sharon Lee Smith Active
Sharon Lee Smith is a Nursing - Licensed Practical Nurse licensed to practice in Colorado. The address on file for Sharon Lee Smith is 130 PANORAMA DRIVE, FLORISSANT, CO, 80816-0816. This licensed professional license is current. The license was granted 06/24/1999 and expired on 08/31/2016.
Class: Nursing - Licensed Practical Nurse
Sharon Lee Smith is a Occupational Therapy - Occupational Therapist licensed to practice in Colorado. The address on file for Sharon Lee Smith is 10783 Vista Rd, Parker, CO, 80138-0138. This licensed professional license is current. The license was granted 01/01/2009 and expired on 01/31/2015.
Class: Occupational Therapy - Occupational Therapist
10783 Vista Rd, Parker, CO, 80138-0138
Are you familiar with Sharon Lee Smith's work?


Seattle-Renton, WA Ipe Wood Supplier - IpeWoods.com,For your convenience we offer a location in Seattle-Renton, WA to pickup your Ipe Decking Wood. We are your source for Seattle Ipe Wood.
Building a Deck - What is the Best Decking Material? - Lot-Lines,The best looking deck often reflects some architectural elements from the house and uses them in the deck. ... The cheapest decking material on the market is probably pressure treated .... We live in Washington State where it rains A LOT!!!
Natural Decking Material | King County Custom Deck Design ...,... Decking Material. West Coast Decks has over 25 years of experience. ... A soft wood with natural beauty and an abundant supply. Most tight knot ... The most popular size for decking is 5/4 x 4. Requires a ... They do require a maintenance program to keep them looking good. ... WA License # WESTCCD905DU We Accept.
Understand Your Decking Options - NewHomeSource.com,Wooden balcony with seats and table creating a perfect view into a forest of trees. .... a listing of deck builders by state, as well as other deck-building resources.
Best Wood for a Deck | Hunker,Dec 19, 2017 ... The best wood decking can withstand the ravages of both sun and rain for ... it tends to be less expensive in the western states than elsewhere.


Take the pledge to vote early in the Alberta election.
Voting early is the best thing you can do to re-elect Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP team. Take the pledge and we'll send you everything you need to know to get your vote in. Plus, you'll help our volunteers reach even more Albertans ahead of the election.
Voting early is easy! You can vote by Special Ballot anytime at your local Elections Alberta office.
If you're heading out of town, be sure to vote before you go.
You can vote at (almost) any Advance Poll in Alberta.
Thanks for pledging to vote early.
For every supporter who votes early, our volunteers can reach up to 70 more voters. That adds up, and has a huge impact.
Let's not wake up on April 17 wishing we'd done more.


It is often difficult for guests to define a favorite part of their visit to Antone Ranch. It may be fighting their first trout on the line or listening to a bugling bull elk in the rut that first comes to mind. But often it is the collection of activities, memories, and wonders on this blessed land that are so rarely seen, felt, and experienced in unity that impresses upon them.
From sunup to sundown, each day brings with it endless opportunities for unforgettable memories. Perhaps beginning atop horseback and ending watching an array of colors on the horizon, one thing remains certain—the possibilities for adventure are, indeed, boundless.


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Ukrainian mobilization to proceed as planned - Poroshenko
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has said that the country's Security Service (SBU) has identified 19 individuals among pseudo-journalists and pseudo-public figures who were waging an anti-mobilization campaign.
"A powerful campaign was launched two weeks ago - an information war against Ukraine in a bid to disrupt the mobilization. This involved so-called journalists and public figures who today are posing the same threat as the enemy on the front," he told the government in Kyiv on Wednesday.
SBU has also established "where the anti-Ukrainian activity originated from, with 19 vociferous critics having been held to date," the president said.
SBU will continue this work at the president's behest. "There will be no compromise on this matter," Poroshenko said.
"This anti-governmental activity has nothing to do with democracy and the freedom of speech," he added.
The mobilization will "go as per plan," though at a different pace depending on the region, he also said.
Press Digest: Obama and Merkel stake out position ahead of Minsk talks>>>
Russia-Ukraine relations petro poroshenko News Ukraine


Welcome friends. I hope you've experienced a volatile market this week because Nifty is trading in a range. I must say the dip in the market was buying opportunity in quality stocks. This week our Proven Multibagger Segment has a stock which colors people's life.
Yes, today's stock is one of the finest multinational company of our country, lead by Ashwin Choksi and one of the finest CEO K.B.S Anand. It has presence in more than 60 countries. With 75+ years of innovation in the paint industry Asian Paint has become leader in this sector. It is also awarded as Forbes Asia's Fab50 Company, four times in a row. There is no doubt that Asian Paint is a top fundamental bet for investors in long term wealth creation.
Now let's talk about return it has given to it's share holders.
You can clearly see this is a perfect example of uptrend and in 2012 this share was available in ₹260.
At that time no person could have guessed about its potential except few smart ones. Investors should always look for value investing and this stock is a pure bet of value investing. It has already touched the level of ₹1500, that is 476% absolute return in six years. You also would have enjoyed dividend which it is giving continuously.
Now this is trading near ₹1300. This is just because of temporary sentiment of market which is mainly for weak rupee and crude oil price. But I believe even at this price this stock is attractive for investing. In my opinion for a safe bet one can invest around ₹1250-1260 and could expect the price ₹2000-2500 very soon.
That's all for today. This is totally on my research. Before investing you should take advise of your financial adviser.


text:
namespace MonoGameEcs
{
    using global::System;
    using global::System.Threading;

    public enum UpdatePhase
    {
        Main,
        Render,
    }

    public struct EntityId
    {
        public static EntityId NewId()
        {
            EntityId newId;
            newId._id = _random.Value.Next();
            return newId;
        }

        private int _id;

        private static int _seed = Environment.TickCount;
        private static readonly ThreadLocal<Random> _random = new ThreadLocal<Random>(() => new Random(Interlocked.Increment(ref _seed)));
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I will be going to a tiny little lake in the Catskills in NY to visit with family at a place we used to go often when I was a child. It's very quiet and serene, and hopefully full of watching nature, visiting with family and old friends, and a good book. The perfect medicine!


I`m an Independent Professional in Industrial, Graphic and Branding, Interior Spaces and Set Design who also loves the Arts, I put all my knowledge in new Digital Art, I started working in design projects since 2004 until now: 1999 - 2004 Professional Degree in Industrial Design and Brand Design - UPB Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín - Colombia. 2007 - 2008 Postdiploma in Interior Spaces Design - Istituto Quasar, Rome - Italy. 2007 Master in Set Design - IED Istituto Europeo di Design, Rome - Italy. 2009 Workshop in Digital Film Making - New York Film Academy, Orlando - USA. My email: paolandrea.camargo@gmail.com Twitter: @AI_4_ever I have the Schengen and US Visa for travel. My Digital Art Exhibitions: Long Process, I created my Digital Art from 2009 to 2010. 2013 all summer from July to September The Story of the Creative Expo at the gala opening held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation for Arts and at the See Exhibition Space Gallery in New York City. Expo March 2015 at The Makers Exhibition held in the Bogotá Design Festival Event. Expo May 2015 in the Medellín Design Week Event.
Digital Art Light Paintings. In my work I always put the energetic essence of life, its vibration, symbolism, significance and evolution, leaving a trail of healing in every being who observes it. (Created images and video) Concept: Multidimensional Multiverse Energetic Field: It's the real life, is the life energy that moves us all, is not related to any philosophy, is the life energy and the connection with the universe that the human beings must see because they still fail to visualize. I made the invisible visible to everyone who observes my digital art. Is the life energy to levels in high speed, motion , vibration, frequency and different dimensions, both macro and micro universes network between all making only one huge being that support and generate life, from the smallest particle such as the quark to infinity. The person who want to observe my digital art interacts with it and can change the vibration, only changing the frequency of the light of the digital art picture depending in his emotions, the digital art piece becomes the person who observes it and the person becomes the digital art piece as they are all one.


Discovering Mechanisms of Epigenetic Gene Regulation in the Malaria Parasite.
EFFECTIVENESS OF HPV VACCINE IN REDUCTION OF VACCINE TYPES CIRCULATING AMONG YOUNG WOMEN.
Genetic and epigenetic control of developmental competence.
HOW DOES THE UNILAMINAR BLASTOCYST FORM AN EMBRYO?
Modern reptiles with ancient toxins: the molecular origin and evolution of novel bioactive proteins from squamate dental glands.
Protecting the Australian chickpea industry through knowledge of the current Ascochyta rabiei fungal population and risk to resistance breeding strategies.
A barley cellulose synthase-like CSLH gene mediates (1,3;1,4)-beta-D-glucan synthesis in transgenic Arabidopsis.
A novel mutation in the Nfkb2 gene generates-an NF-kappa B2 "Super repressor"
Aberrant cell expansion in the elongation mutants of barley.
Analysis of mammalian proteins involved in chromatin modification reveals new metaphase centromeric proteins and distinct chromosomal distribution patterns.
Bisphosphonates regulate cell growth and gene expression in the UMR 106-01 clonal rat osteosarcoma cell line.
Comparative phenotypic resolution of spontaneous, D2-like and D1-like agonist-induced orofacial movement topographies in congenic mutants with dopamine D2 vs. D3 receptor "knockout"
Conserved (CT)n.(GA)n repeats in the non-coding regions at the Gpdh locus are binding sites for the GAGA factor in drosophila melanogaster and its sibling species.
D1-like dopamine receptor-mediated function in congenic mutants with D1 vs. D5 receptor "knockout"
Dexamethasone enhances SOX9 expression in chondrocytes.
In vivo and in vitro correction of the mdx dystrophin gene nonsense mutation by short-fragment homologous replacement.
MLYCD mutation analysis: evidence for protein mistargeting as a cause of MYLCD deficiency.
Partially functional Cenpa-GFP fusion protein causes increased chromosome missegregation and apoptosis during mouse embryogenesis.
Region-specific expression of the helix-loop-helix gene BETA3 in developing and adult brains.
SiRNA-mediated reduction of alpha-globin results in phenotypic improvements in beta-thalassemic cells.
Targeted Deletion of the S-Phase-Specific Myc Antagonist Mad3 Sensitizes Neuronal and Lymphoid Cells to Radiation-Induced Apoptosis.
The genetics and transcriptional activity of the cellulose synthase-like HvCslF gene family in barley.
The molecular basis of X-linked spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda.
The skeletal manifestations of the congenital disorders of glycosylation.
Transcriptional suppression of Sox9 expression in chondrocytes by retinoic acid.
Protein nutrition as therapy for a genetic disorder of bone?


« What would you like to know about recycling?
What is funny to me is that real plates were always the standard before. Tim Horton's had real mugs and plates not that long ago but now it is too expensive. What is so sad is that the long term environmental costs will be paid in the future, while the companies make their profits now.
I think it's a great idea! And I don't think real plates are more expensive than styrofoam ones. If you add the annual expenses on plastic or styrofoam plates it'll probably end up being more than real plates. Nowadays, plates and glasses are cheap, and they don't have to be made in China. I bought a set of 16 glasses in the USA and I only paid $8.00 plus a low tax of 4% in upstate NY.
I hope they implement this idea in all the food courts in Montreal and across the country.


Ueda, J.; Miyano, S.; Tanabe, S.
The YAlGaO:Ce-Cr compound is one of the brightest persistent phosphors, but its persistent luminescence duration is not so long because of the relatively shallow Cr electron trap. To compare the vacuum referred binding energy of the electron trapping state by Cr and lanthanide ions, we selected Yb as a deeper electron trapping center. The YAlGaO:Ce-Yb phosphors show Ce:5d → 4f green persistent luminescence after blue light excitation. The formation of Yb was confirmed by the increased intensity of absorption due to Yb:4f-5d at 585 nm during the charging process. This result indicates that the Yb ions act as electron traps by capturing an electron. From the thermoluminescence glow curves, it was found that the Yb trap makes a much deeper electron trap with a 1.01 eV depth than the Cr electron trap with a 0.81 eV depth. This deeper Yb trap provides a much slower detrapping rate of filled electron traps than the Cr-codoped persistent phosphor. In addition, by preparing transparent ceramics and optimizing Ce and Yb concentrations, the YAlGaO:Ce(0.2%)-Yb(0.1%) as-made transparent ceramic phosphor showed super-long persistent luminescence for over 138.8 h after blue light charging.
Ueda J, Miyano S, Tanabe S. Formation of Deep Electron Traps by Yb Codoping Leads to Super-Long Persistent Luminescence in Ce-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Gallium Garnet Phosphors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2018.


The holiday and Christmas season is the perfect time to let your patients and business associates know that you appreciate them. Reward them with Christmas-themed stickers, prizes, décor and more. Browse our selection of Christmas-themed recall cards and greeting cards.


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Leaf Stone residents robbed Sat.
Armed robbers ambushed a group of Newton County residents late Saturday night, threatening them at gunpoint before making off with purses and computer equipment, according to a Newton County Sheriff's Office report.
The group of three women and one man were returning from work around 11:40 p.m. and had just reached their doorstep at Leaf Stone Apartments when two young black males jumped up from behind the bushes, brandishing a black gun and a silver gun.
The perpetrators were described as being in their early 20s with one wearing a baseball cap and the other wearing hooded sweatshirt.
One of the victims said the walkway around their apartment was poorly lit and located next to an area of thick bushes and underbrush. The two men were apparently waiting for the group.
"When they jumped out we got so scared. I was screaming so hard, they told me to 'shut up and be quiet or I'll shoot you,'" she said.
Despite the noise, she said none of her neighbors appeared or came out, even afterward.
"Normally, there's a whole bunch of teenagers up there. But that night, nobody was out there," she said. "Nobody came out. It was really spooky."
According to the report, the robbers demanded the group's laptop computers and purses and then fled on foot. Deputies searched the area after responding to the 911 call and posted a lookout description but nothing was found.
The 23-year-old victim said she moved out of the apartment immediately the next day.
"I'm just scared. I can't stay there no more," she said. "I guess it's what you call PTSD [post traumatic stress syndrome]. I'm scared it's going to happen to me again."
She paused. "I hope that never happens to me again."
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the NCSO at (770) 786-7605. Anonymous tips can be left online at www.newtonsheriffga.org by clicking on "Anonymous Tip," or by calling (678) 625-5007.
Thoughts on 9/11
Hurricane price gouging
Congratulations General Mills


Whether you work with customers or businesses, provide services, or sell goods, it is important to know your rights and obligations and how consumer laws affect you and your business.
The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) is the national law for fair trading and consumer protection. There is also state fair trading legislation.
Businesses that are not informed of their obligations under fair trading legislation may be in breach of the law and be at risk of liability where a complaint or claim is made by a consumer, a competitor, or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
We can help you understand how these laws impact your business and provide you with strong legal representation if a claim has been made or is being threatened against you or your business.
Australian Consumer Law. Kachur Legal, Dunsborough Lawyer.
Australian Consumer Law. Dunsborough Lawyer, Busselton Lawyer, Agribusiness. Wills and Estate Planning, Business and Personal Legal Services. Whether you work with customers or businesses, provide services, or sell goods, it is important to know your rights and obligations and how consumer laws affect you and your business. The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) is the national law for fair trading and consumer protection. There is also state fair trading legislation. Businesses that are not informed of their obligations under fair trading legislation may be in breach of the law. At risk of liability where a complaint or claim is made by a consumer, a competitor, or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). We can help you understand how these laws impact your business. Provide you with strong legal representation if a claim has been made or is being threatened against you or your business.


To imagine a place inside out, picture it as if you're working or living there, requires imagination. Luckily I have that in spades.
Born in San Francisco, I've worked in traditional animation as a, well, animator, and designer of props and backgrounds on hundreds of projects, the game of the latter being 'believe that you're living in that world, and see how it feels,' which, in turn, naturally takes us to interior design. The rest is tools, color sense, humor, an ability to read the client, adaptability, an eye for detail, knowing where to find that perfect something, planning ahead, utilizing what the client has, and hard work.
And having fun with it. That's the most important part.
My other career(s) include screenwriting, illustration, graphic novelist, catering, Trompe-l'œil artist, chimney sweep, and an undercover op for a detective agency.


US 59 has been under intensive construction since 1989, when the section of the Southwest freeway from Shepherd (a few miles southwest of downtown) to BW8 SW was widened. It took most of the 1990's to rebuilt the Eastex freeway from downtown to IAH. Current construction in progress focuses on the far southwest and northern segments, as well as a central segment. Starting from the southwest and going northward, current activity is summarized in the table below.
This is a major reconstruction of the US59/I10 interchange and expansion of US59 to provide a distribution system into downtown.
Photo taken June 2000, looking northward towards the 59/10 interchange. The existing US 59 facility is the second structure from the left. At the time of this photo, the southbound traffic had been diverted to a new structure (1st on left), and the northbound traffic was diverted to the old southbound lanes.
As the photo suggests, this is a major expansion. All the ramps are intended to distribute traffic onto the downtown streets. I took the photo from one of those new ramps. Not shown in this photo are the new direct connectors to I-10, which actually follow a path far away from the main freeways and cut through a warehouse district.
This section of freeway is currently 10 lanes and depressed in a trench. The expansion project will widen the trench to add two new HOV lanes. This is definitely NOT a California-style HOV project (where HOV lanes are taken from the interior emergency lanes) !
The most interesting feature of this project is the four long-span arched bridges over the trench. The existing cast-in-place concrete spans with center supports are being removed and replaced with 217 ft (66m) long single spans. This will allow flexibility in the configuration of the 10 main lanes and 2 HOV lanes.
In 2001, a second $58 million contract will be let just east of the section currently under constrution. The existing elevated main lanes just will be demolished and the freeway will be placed in a trench. This will be a difficult construction project, which will likely cause severe traffic disruptions.
Originally, TxDOT planned to add a second elevated deck for HOV to the existing elevated freeway. The local neighborhood is high-income and very "inner loop" (read liberal and anti-freeway), so they wanted nothing of the second elevated deck. The next proposal was to make the existing deck wider to accomodate the HOV lanes. This was feasible, but right-of-way was severely constrained on the north side by a historic structure and on the south side by high voltage lines. The neighborhood still wasn't happy, because they really wanted to get rid of the elevated freeway. A leading candidate under consideration at that point was to put the freeway in a cut-and-cover tunnel. Fortunately, the cost eliminated that option. The final plan places 59 in a trench. There is talk of building a "signature" bridge where Montrose will cross the trench.
Looking west, this is the freeway trench in June 2000 during a closure for bridge demolition. Four existing bridges are being replaced with single-span arched bridges. One of the old bridges is shown in this photo.
June 2000 bridge installation at Mandell street, looking east.
As of June 2000, two arched bridges were in place. There will be a total of four in this project. The next project to be let in 2001 will add two more arched bridges. This view is towards the west.
This photo was taken in August 2000 during the freeway closure for the installation of the last of the four arched bridges. This view looks west.
This is the existing 10 lane elevated freeway that will demolished and placed in a trench. Tentative project letting is 2001 for this $58 million project.
This is the existing bridge at Montrose Blvd. Montrose is the main roadway to and through the Museum District, and neighborhood interests considered the overpass to be a detriment to the Museum District gateway. The freeway will be placed in a trench, and there is talk of building a "signature" bridge over the trench.


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The Pennsylvania Historical Association (PHA), founded in 1932, is a non-profit volunteer organization committed to promoting interest in Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic history. It publishes a journal, Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, as well as the Pennsylvania History Studies Series, which provides succinct overviews of themes and issues in Pennsylvania history.  With support from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the PHA holds an annual meeting in a different Pennsylvania location each fall and joins other organizations in sponsoring history programming such as Pennsylvania History Day and ExplorePAHistory.com.

History
The PHA was born of a conversation between historians Roy F. Nichols and Lawrence Henry Gipson at the 1928 annual meeting of the American Historical Association (AHA). Nichols had developed an interest in doing local history, which he offered as a solution to concerns within the AHA that historians outside of large cities lacked the resources to undertake serious research. Nichols joined with Gipson and others to imagine an organization that, unlike its peers—which included the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (1824), the Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies (1905), and the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (1913)--would serve all commonwealth historians while remaining independent of institutional and geographic affiliations. In following years, an emergent nationwide interest in regionalism spawned by the New Deal's various cultural programs encouraged a receptive audience in Pennsylvania for Nichols' idea. Several meetings in and around State College, PA during 1932 laid the groundwork for an organizational constitution and planning for the PHA's first annual meeting, which convened in Bethlehem, PA at Lehigh University in 1933.

Since its beginnings, the PHA has played a formative role in generating scholarship on Pennsylvania history and shaping archival collections throughout the commonwealth. At the time of its 75th-anniversary commemorations, PHA membership counted 800, including historians, teachers, and others with an interest in Pennsylvania history, and a wide variety of organizations including college and university libraries; secondary schools; public libraries (both state and local); research libraries, historic sites, and museums. Annual 3-day PHA conferences continue to be held at different locations throughout the state, featuring new research on topics in Pennsylvania history, and visits to historic sites of interest.

Mission
"The purpose of the Pennsylvania Historical Association shall be to promote interest in, reading of, or study of Pennsylvania history, especially as it relates to the larger context of American and world history. To achieve this purpose, the association shall engage in a variety of pertinent activities, including publishing materials and holding meetings of a scholarly nature."

Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies
Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies is a quarterly journal that publishes the best of current scholarship on the history of the commonwealth and the region. In addition to regular articles, the journal features annotated documents, book reviews, and reviews of museum exhibits, films, and historical collections. Published since 1934, Pennsylvania History is the official journal of the PHA.  All back issues of the journal—beginning with Vol. 1 (1934) and continuing up through Vol. 72 (2005)--are freely available.

References

External links
 The PHA official website.
 For more concerning the PHA's history, see the 75th anniversary special issue of Pennsylvania History 75:3 (Summer 2008).

Organizations based in Philadelphia
History of Pennsylvania
Historical societies in Pennsylvania


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Akira Yamaoka, awakening: We need your help!
Akira Yamaoka » Silent Hill: Complete Soundtrack
BeatmaniaIIDXTranceJapaneseAnimeJ-rock
AKIRA YAMAOKA (山岡晃, Yamaoka Akira, born on February 6, 1968 in Niigata, Japan) has composed music for dozens of Konami video games. Yamaoka attended Tokyo Art College, where he studied product design and interior. He joined Konami on September 21, 1993, after previously being a freelance music composer.
He is best known for his work on the Silent Hill series for which he composed all the music and sound effects in all seven current games (excluding Silent Hill Play Novel for Game Boy Advance). Read Full BioAKIRA YAMAOKA (山岡晃, Yamaoka Akira, born on February 6, 1968 in Niigata, Japan) has composed music for dozens of Konami video games. Yamaoka attended Tokyo Art College, where he studied product design and interior. He joined Konami on September 21, 1993, after previously being a freelance music composer.
He is best known for his work on the Silent Hill series for which he composed all the music and sound effects in all seven current games (excluding Silent Hill Play Novel for Game Boy Advance). Some of the music from the first four games was also remixed and used in the Silent Hill movie. He also played a doubly important role as producer of the third and fourth Silent Hill games (which were available for PlayStation 2/PC and PlayStation 2/Xbox/PC). His music from Silent Hill 2 was performed live in 2005 at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany and at the world-premiere of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony Live! on May 27, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, where Yamaoka himself accompanied the orchestra with an electric guitar. As well, Yamaoka actively composes music for Konami's Bemani line of games, particularly, the Beatmania IIDX series.
His first original, non-soundtrack album, iFUTURELIST, was released in January 2006.
He joined Konami on September 21, 1993 after previously being a freelance music composer. He is most well known for his work for the Silent Hill series of video games, for which he composed all the music and sound effects in the whole series (excluding Silent Hill Play Novel for the Game Boy Advance and Esperándote in Silent Hill, composed by 村中りか (Rika Muranaka)). Since Silent Hill 3, he is playing a more important role as the series' producer, also continuing with his music composition working.
Yamaoka's sound commonly contains strong melancholy undertones and generally identifies with the dark ambient, industrial, trip-hop and rock genres. Since Silent Hill 3, he also started working in collaboration with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Joe Romersa for vocal compositions.
Much of his work from previous titles has been compiled for the 2006 Silent Hill movie adaptation, directed by Christophe Gans.
His music from Silent Hill 2 was performed live in 2005 at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany. Yamaoka also performed music from Silent Hill at the world-premiere of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony Live! on May 27, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, and accompanied the orchestra with an electric seven-string guitar. He also composed songs for Konami's Bemani series, which has also featured tracks from Silent Hill.
His first original album, iFUTURELIST, was released in January 2006. He also wrote the theme of 101%, the main show of the French TV channel Nolife.
On December 2, 2009, it was announced that Yamaoka was leaving his long term employer Konami.
Before working as a video game composer, Yamaoka initially sought a career as a designer, but instead became a musician after studying product design at Tokyo Art College.
In 1993 he joined Konami to work on the game Rocket Knight Adventures 2. When Konami began searching for a musician to compose Silent Hill's score, Yamaoka volunteered because he thought he was the only one capable of making the soundtrack.
Yamaoka stated in a 2009 interview that his favorite game creator is Suda 51 and his favorite video game is No More Heroes.
01awakening
02Theme of Laura
03Promise
04Promise (Reprise)
06Room of Angel
07True
08White Noiz
09Theme of Laura (Reprise)
10Null Moon
11A World of Madness
12Alone in the Town
13The Day of Night
14Laura Plays the Piano
15Ordinary Vanity
16Magdalene
17Love Psalm
18Prisonic Fairytale
19Heaven's Night
20Noone Love You
21The Darkness that Lurks in Our Mind
by Akira Yamaoka
愛しき思い 願い溢れ 切ない定めだろう
儚い記憶 戸惑いも無く 彷徨い続ける
眠らず 言葉も無く 溶けゆく白い涙
いざ目覚めよ
闇を砕き光を 幾千の時を超えて
祈り抱え君に 送るよ願いを込めて
Contributed by Alexander I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AKIRA YAMAOKA - awakening -S2 MIX-
AKIRA YAMAOKA - awakening
awakening - AKIRA YAMAOKA
Akira Yamaoka - Awakening Of A World Of Peace
Silent Hill OST - Awakening
Akira Yamaoka - Awakening, 143BPM. Genre, Trance ^^ IIDX11 RED ^^ 【BMS】
aura awakening ver.
Foreordained awakening
SHO Complete Soundtrack - Spirits Awaken
Silent Hill Complete Soundtrack - Awakening
Silent Hill Complete Soundtrack - Foreordained Awakening
Underworld Awakening Akira Yamaoka
ライオン好き / AKIRA YAMAOKA - beatmania IIDX 9th Style
Silent Hill OST - Foreordained Awakening
SH2 Born From a Wish CST/OST - Awakening
spirits awaken
loud awakening
[IIDX 9th] テクノチョップ / 昭和企業戦士荒山課長 / AKIRA YAMAOKA [SPA7]
Angels Awakening
Suddenly awake
Silent Hill 2: Silence is Also a Sound
Eternal rest
"Awakening"
AKIRA YAMAOKA - SHIFT
Devil's Bazarr
SH4:TR Complete Soundtrack - Building - Loud Awakening
AKIRA YAMAOKA - Heavenly Sun (IIDX VERSION)
【高音質】Beatmania IIDX 11 RED 28 awakening
AKIRA YAMAOKA - iFUTURELIST
[テクノ歌謡] AKIRA YAMAOKA - bit mania
Heavenly sun - Akira Yamaoka
AKIRA YAMAOKA - QUICK RESULT
Deb D & Wander - Emotion (From Akira Yamaoka)
iFUTURELIST / AKIRA YAMAOKA
AKIRA YAMAOKA - tant pis pour toi
Silent Hill 2 Sound Design - Akira Yamaoka
AKIRA YAMAOKA - EMPTY OF THE SKY
Akira Yamaoka - Stage Completed (Sine Mora OST)


text:
Honor Hall Of Recognition
Honor Hall Recipient
She's heard the phrase most of her adult life.
Everybody from the lady working the cash register at a gas station in Metter to a middle-aged man leaving a football game at Sanford Stadium has stopped her with this simple inquiry.
"Are you Louise Hill?" they ask.
Her friends call it The Louise Factor.
As in, if you're trying to get to a ballgame on time and Louise is in your party, plan on making plenty of extra stops along the way.
"She has more friends than anybody I've ever known," said Laura Meadows, one of Hill's many friends and longtime colleagues who serves as director of the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
Hill laughs off the fame.
"I've just been around a long time," she will say, waving her hand and pointing out much of her career was spent in high visibility roles that took her all over the state conducting leadership training's.
The truth is much deeper, though. Hill is remembered across the state – beloved, even – because she spent her 40-year career investing in communities and people, listening to their problems, guiding and encouraging and gently offering solutions.
"She has always been very selfless," Meadows said, "and she's always been about other people. She just has that natural instinct to bring out the best in people."
"I guess if there's a gift in it, something about me made me approachable," Hill reluctantly acknowledged. "I've had that all my life, going back to my days as a (4-H) camp counselor."
The impact of the 4-H program on Hill's life can't be overstated. It was there she learned that a good leader is one who builds relationships. Many of her friendships can be traced back to summer camps spent at Rock Eagle in the 1970s.
"It was really formative for me and framed a lot of my early life choices," Hill said. "I can't imagine what my life would look like without 4-H."
BSHE, 1979
MED, 1986
1979-1996 – Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, leadership program developer
1996-2003 – UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, director of development and alumni relations
2003-19 – UGA Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, public service faculty
Walter B. Hill Award for Distinguished Achievement in Public Service and Outreach, UGA Public Service and Outreach, 2011
Lead faculty for Vivian H. Fisher Public Service and Outreach Leadership Academy
FACS Distinguished Alumni Award, 2004
FACS Pacesetter Award, 1989
FACS Alumni Association board president
Louise Hill Community Leadership Development Fund
Upon Hill's retirement in 2019, the Fanning Institute established the Louise Hill Community Leadership Development Fund. Through this fund, the Fanning Institute will work with communities that are underserved in leadership development because of a lack of resources to create, restart and/or revamp adult and youth community leadership development programs.
To donate to the fund, visit www.fanning.uga.edu/give
Fellow 4-Her Arch Smith said there was something unique about Hill even as a teen.
"She made great decisions and had sound judgment," said Smith, who now serves as the state 4-H leader and director. "I think that 4-H experience was just the foundational experience that allowed her to become the expert on leadership that she became."
After receiving a degree from what was then the UGA College of Home Economics in 1979, Hill began her career at the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation in Macon, developing leadership programs for the organization's volunteer leaders and helping launch the Georgia Agriculture in the Classroom program and the Georgia Agri-leaders Institute.
"My mindset early on was creating environments where learning could take place," Hill said. "It's not about what I did or said, it was about creating those environments for learning and growing."
Hill returned to Athens in 1996 to serve as director of development and alumni relations for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Even during the interview, she quickly established herself as a trailblazer in a male-dominated environment by laying out a bold vision for the college's fundraising strategy.
"I told them 'If you're not willing to do some of what we've talked about, don't hire me. I'll just drive you crazy and we'll lose our friendships,' " Hill said, before smiling. "I guess I did OK though. They hired me."
A friendship with J.W. Fanning, who served as UGA's first vice president for services, helped lead to Hill's next and final stop as a member of the faculty of the UGA Fanning Institute for Leadership Development in 2003. There, she helped establish leadership programs that impacted nearly all of Georgia's 159 counties.
"Louise's legacy is vast," said longtime friend Katrina Bowers, senior director of development for the UGA Terry College of Business. "By investing in individuals and empowering them to step up wherever they are planted, communities are being changed, and you can trace a lot of positive community change back to a pupil in Louise Hill's classroom."
It's a legacy partly defined by a terrifying moment in 2011 when Hill woke up one morning and could not move her legs.
A diagnosis of idiopathic transverse myelitis, a rare and mysterious swelling near the spine, resulted in paralysis and months of intensive therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
It put her in a wheelchair, but it did not crush her spirit.
"She just rose to the occasion," Meadows said. "Even for people who have known her, the amount of perseverance she has shown has just been remarkable."
Since her retirement in October 2019, Hill hasn't slowed down. She's involved with fundraising for Leadership Georgia's 2020 Athens program and is eager to get more invested in the local community. She is particularly interested in finding additional ways to advocate for people with disabilities.
"Even now as I think about my next phase of life, I'm almost overwhelmed because I see too many opportunities and I know I've got to select some," she said, laughing.
Her spirit, her legacy, is best captured in a quote attributed to Michelangelo that is etched in paint above her fireplace: "I am still learning."
"That's just Louise's mantra," Bowers said. "She is always learning and finding a way to teach, and I think Louise will learn until the day she dies."
Past Honor Hall Recipients
FACS Alumni in the Bulldog 100
FACS 40 Under 40
FACS 100 Centennial Honorees


text:
Anonymous Instagram page pokes fun at USI
Jeana Everhart, Staff Writer|December 4, 2018
Lauren Wojcuich said she heard about the @usi.meme Instagram page at the beginning of the semester from a friend and was "cracking up at it." She followed the page quickly afterward and fell in love with its hilarious university memes.
"I think it's because we go to USI, and it's all USI specific. It's all super relatable, and there's something for everyone that goes to USI on the page," the senior communication studies major said. "If you eat at the Loft, there's something for you. If you've ever snuck food into the library, there's something for you. If you live on campus, there are memes about that."
The page posted first in September with 34 likes. The profile has grown with 1,281 followers and nearly each posted meme receives around 400 likes. Students can send in their own memes as well to be posted by the anonymous user on the profile's story or page.
Wojcuich said a meme is anything that circulates widely in a culture and is also our generation's way to express problems and laugh about them.
"Our generation really likes dark humor," Wojcuich said. "And memes are a way to use dark humor disguised as someone else's words. When you put it on a photo it's less personal, but it still happens to all of us and it's funny and horrible. But it's fine because it's a meme."
Wojcuich said the page is also a way to further build community within the university.
"We're creating an online community on Instagram. We have the USI classes on Facebook," Wojcuich said. "I think this opened up a whole new door for Instagram relations of USI students."
Dakota Ward recently started following the Instagram page as well. After being recommended the page, Ward said she decided to follow it after scrolling through the hilarious content.
"Not only are the posts relatable, but so are the comments," the sophomore English education major said. "People can share real-life feelings or experiences in the comments."
Ward said the page connects to students not only because of the meme format, but because many of the posts are close to home.
"It's unique to this campus, and although it's sometimes general college humor, a lot of it takes place or has taken place on campus," Ward said. "Only we really know what they're talking about. Our minds are going a million miles an hour, sometimes it's nice to sit back and get a joke you don't have to think about too much."
Ward said it's good to have a university meme page to provide the much needed humor in student's stressful lives.
"It provides a college humor that we can't get anywhere else," Ward said. "It allows us to talk and even meet new people since they're already so close."
Wojcuich encourages every student to follow the @usi.meme Instagram page.
"If you like to laugh and enjoy your life, then you should follow it," Wojcuich said. "And if you have an idea for a meme, send it in and it might get posted."
@usi.meme
usimemes
Students report struggling around holidays
Quarantine Life as a Freshman
Catching up with Starbuck's Donna
How has James the bus driver been since March?
Student Art Show goes digital
Former student paints for the cats
To stay or go: living as an international student during COVID-19
Voting Eagles Episode 3: state IDs
Counseling Center Director: 'It's okay to be anxious' in this time
Students, faculty push on despite online learning difficulties


A London man claims he tore a ligament after being crushed against a refrigerator in a fight for discounted deli meat.
Oliver Sanders, 31, was shopping at a TESCO store, one of a large crowd of shoppers who were waiting by a meat counter for staff to bring out reduced meat before the store closed.
Sanders was crushed by a frenzied mob and heard his knee crunch when he was crushed against the fridge. Basically, he was being shoved in one direction and his knee was being forced the opposite way. The injury caused him to have to take a trip to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with a torn ligament, and he has missed two days of work.
"More people are going to get hurt. It's always a free for all," he told The Sun.
Dang. Read more at Coverage Mail.


In a splendid display of patriotism, Australian and German fans began their World Cup tour in South Africa on high, making the most of the brilliant weather to soak up the atmosphere at the beachside FIFA Fan Fest before heading to the stadium for the ultimate finale to the weekend.
The unique 350m long arch, a staggering 106m above the pitch, was the perfect backdrop for a crowd that was almost as energetic as their teams were on the field. Said Socceroos supporter Alex Brown: "The stadium is like a modern day coliseum. In fact, on our way here, we thought there was a pre-match taking place because of the noise and vibe. I live in England now and believe me, I want to move to South Africa".


Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, which is a big investor in SoftBank's Vision Fund, will use the fund to invest between $5 million and $30 million in European start-ups.
Mubadala has secured around $200 million from SoftBank Group for its new $400 million fund that aims to back European start-ups, reported The Financial Times.
Last week the fund's executive said that Mubadala Ventures was planning to launch a technology-focused, $400 million European fund this year, and it will be run from a new office in London.


Discussion in 'General Electronics Chat' started by philipm, May 12, 2013.
I'm working on a small board that uses a CREE XP-E emitter, that features an electrically neutral thermal pad for heatsinking.
It's quite a compact board, so it would be easier to connect the thermal pad straight to the ground plane. I appreciate that if I make this connection, heat will be conducted to all components that have a ground connection. However, for optimal LED performance, I'm aiming to run the board at no more than 50C. So I don't think this is much of an issue?
With this consideration in mind, is it still a good design choice? Any other reasons you wouldn't want to do it?
From the data sheet P = 1.5 -> 3 W thermal resistance = 9 deg/watt, so tjunc max = 150 Deg. So if your board runs at 50, the junction will run at 50 + 27 = 77 degrees max. Very good, are you sure that your PCB will be running at under 50 degs, when it is dissipating 3W?
This should answer your questions..
Many thanks, I had missed the PDF from Cree. It's very clear : "The pad is electrically isolated from the anode and cathode of the LED and can be soldered or attached directly to grounded elements on the board or heat sink system."
In terms of the heat dissipation, I intend to vary the duty cycle to ensure that the board doesn't go above 50C. Indeed, I was actually thinking of using a PID algorithm to target 50C on the board, ensuring we get the most from the LED without overheating.


text:
#ifndef ASGNDLG_H
#define ASGNDLG_H

#include "console/screen.h"
#include "asgnscr.h"

class AssignCommandsDialog : public Popup {
    AssignCommandScroller *mpScroller;
    void draw ();
public:
    AssignCommandsDialog (Screen& screen);
    virtual ~AssignCommandsDialog ();
    virtual void run ();    // replace event loop
};

#endif


Honor the mom-to-be with this sweet blue baby shower invitation. These invitations work equally well for a baby shower or a sip and see. If needed, we can add a photo or text to the back at no extra charge. You may leave a note to your designer if you have any special requests. Otherwise, we will layout your invitation and details to resemble the sample shown.


text:
TAGS: Islam Islamic Law Muslim History
ISIS beheading Islam through its actions!
March 15, 2015 | Articles & Papers	| Daily Sabah
The recent videos showing ISIS members destroying Mosul's museum and with it the loss of Iraq's and world cultural and historical heritage are woefully sickening. The actions are undertaken supposedly on the basis of Islamic interpretation and an attempt on the one hand to destroy idols and on the other adhering to a strict prohibition on art and figurines that cast a shadow. Treating the museum pieces as idols that might cause people to worship and associate any religious purpose to them is an insult to human intelligence and more so to every believing Muslim. To claim this destruction is intended to protect Muslims from "shirk" – associating anything with God – implies that Muslims are so fickle in their theological understandings that they are unable to distinguish between history and human contributions that would cause them to easily fall into major sin by taking these statues as partners to God. The group using this logic might itself believe this to be the case, and as such, its members are so fickle that the statues are so powerful on their own that they might cause individuals to fall away from their state of belief.
If the destruction is based on the second claim then one has to assert that the prohibition is not a categorical one. An important distinction is made between individuals who are creating or constructing figurines as objects of worship and ascribed with power akin to the Divine by creating these statues versus preserving history. The notion that statues casting a shadow constitute an act of unbelief thus must be set aside and removed is rather a new innovation in terms of Islamic law. Muslims in general stayed away from fashioning human statues from fear of objectification of historical and religious figures as well as venerating the statues rather than the ideas central to Islam; nevertheless, animal statues and shapes of all types were rather common across the centuries.
Situating ISIS on this issue is an important aspect since they embrace the idea that the cause of Muslim decline and loss of worldly power is the supposed emergence of innovations in all matters pertaining to Islam and straying from the pure and undistorted message. The statues and all other forms of Islam are wrong and a distortion of purity of the faith, but the exception, indeed, is the self-serving claim of ISIS and all those of its ilk. They are on a mission to purify Muslim societies of all innovation through mass murder, beheadings and destruction of people and heritage alike so as to arrive at a pure and uncorrupted Islam, which they and they alone define. Islam is victimized by ISIS's innovation and the tradition is decapitated of its ethical and moral foundation in people's minds.
Critically, the many statues in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt and much of the Muslim world have been in existence and protected from the ignorant rabble throughout the centuries – what has changed! No one of scholarly repute past or present has ever ruled or demanded their removal to protect Islam and Muslims. Indeed, the Quran calls on the believers to walk the earth and examine what earlier civilizations have accomplished and take it as a lesson to be humble and not filled with arrogance due to power and dominion in the world since no power is everlasting.
The distinctive character of earlier periods in Islamic history is preservation of human heritage, collecting and studying it so as to understand the societies that produced such works and drawing important lessons from it.
It is a sign of intellectual and civilizational maturity to be able to preserve and examine elements of human contributions, while being in total opposition and an anathema to one's own understanding and belief. How do you deal with infantile behavior shaped and given meaning only because of guns and brutality! How to answer such claims of protecting faith, while ISIS's ignorant actions cause people to flee religion altogether since they are exhibit A to the brutal, closed-minded and irrational nature of supposed religious people! At the same time and as much attention is paid to ISIS's horrible crimes against human heritage it still falls in line with the killing and murder visited upon the people that have been put to death in a grotesque manner and celebrated through global media display. If statues are idols to be destroyed, then for sure ISIS videos and actions are the permanent objectification of evil, an electronic construction of statues and idols. Destroying idols and humans while creating videos, images and literature to recruit, is the highest level of theological incongruity. In this regard, ISIS leaders constitute themselves as human deities defending a religion they managed to obliterate and a God no longer accessible except by means of severed heads and grotesque violence. Iraq, interestingly enough and of all places in the world to engage in destruction, is known as the cradle of civilization and a living lab to look back at what human sophistication produced throughout history. Muslims at the peak of their power in Iraq itself built institutions, opened libraries, bookstores, hospitals and paid the weight of books in gold even for works diametrically opposed to everything Islam stood and advocated for.
Using the prophet's iconoclastic moment in Mecca to peddle a murderous ignorant campaign is an insult to the prophetic legacy and misusing history to introduce an innovation never seen before. What can we say when innovators with guns are fighting to stop an imagined innovation! It is a sure thing that the ignorant have inherited the earth, and they know not what they have for they are incapable of thinking beyond their inanimate internal selves that have fossilized into a self-warship as a substitute for worshipping a living and merciful God.


text:
March 15, 2015 in Comedy
First Hit: Funny, long winded at times, and a convoluted story that didn't quite work.
Story starts with Dan (Vince Vaughn) leaving the company he works for because the person he works for, Chuck (Sienna Miller), is reducing his commission again. He storms out of the building and meets Timothy (Tom Wilkinson) who has been let go because of his age and Mike Pancake (Dave Franco) who is a challenged employee.
They agree to form a company together and go into direct competition against their old company. They believe they've scored a great contract but have to go to Germany to close the deal. When they get there they find out they are a fluffer (a company that is part of the bidding process to make a competitor, his old boss, look good).
However they decide they can win the contract and work to close the deal. What I thought was the funniest situation in this film was Dan having to stay in a museum as part of an art installation. His bed, everything, was able to be viewed through glass by the museum attendees. The name of the artwork he was installed in was American Businessman #42. Another funny scene was the steam bath scene.
There are also some very touching scenes of him and his son and daughter as they talk through life situations.
Vaughn was typical Vaughn and he's really not a character in a movie but more of himself in a particular role. Fast-talking, occasionally intelligent, and mostly a wise ass. Miller has a minor role and was OK. Wilkinson was really pretty good in his role as the old codger who's trying to get a little more out of his life before he dies. Franco was funny and carried off the naivety required with aplomb. Steve Conrad wrote an amusing script. Ken Scott's direction was adequate.
Overall: There were some funny bits, but overall it was a let-down.
Tags: Dave Franco, film, film review, film reviews, films, Ken Scott, movie, movie review, movie reviews, movies, Sienna Miller, Steve Conrad, Tom Wilkinson, Vince Vaughn


Digital Biophilia was a collective group of interactive installations featuring renowned Wellington photographers and digital artists working in collaboration.
The collective installation explored the contemporary relationship between humans and natural systems. The focus of Krishna's work was to highlight the ability for contemporary society to readily modulate the extent of these natural systems impact on the physical condition.
Biometric readings are made of the participant using an X-box Kinect and as the participant "touches" each floating node on the projected screen. By interacting with the nodes the users are then in real-time downloading weather data sets from various locations around the world.
The weather and biometric user data are then used to drive the design of a generative landscape and soundscape for the user to experience. The unique landscapes generated are printed at the exhibition site as a token of their interaction.


SWCRR Stop Work Order Imminent?
"Over the next 10 years, we are going to see more changes in the way people use our transportation systems than we have in the last 50 years. Given the rapid changes we expect to see, it is important that we rethink how we plan our network. As demographics and technology change and evolve, we need to ensure we are not planning to encourage urban sprawl. Outer ring roads do not align with that vision and I would like to confirm future network planning will not include outer ring roads."
Given this much-appreciated strategic decision, YYC Cares calls on Minister Mason to issue an immediate "stop work order" to KGL Constructors regarding the Southwest Calgary Ring Road (SWCRR) so that design changes can be made. For example, the highly contested earthen berm bridge crossing across the Elbow River valley, Calgary's most biodiverse river valley, no longer requires the "ultimate design" of 16-lanes and 5 bridges. This means that the amount of work can be scaled back, which in turn minimizes the harm to the protected Weaselhead Natural Environment Park and the 24 wetlands that are within this transportation utility corridor. Cost savings from the reduction of this ring road and associated interchanges from 16 lanes to 6 or 8 lanes can then be used to build a better bridge across this very special river valley, i.e. a clear span bridge that complies with flood plain management best practices and the spirit and intent of the Flood Recovery & Reconstruction Act. With the reduction of scale, the highway alignment can then be pushed further away from homes along highway 8, 37th Street and 101st Street. We are also calling on Minister Mason to build proper noise attenuation berms and to reduce the impact of gravel hauling along highway 8. These are all reasonable requests and requests that residents along the TUC have been requesting since 2005.
Given this change in strategic direction, we trust that Minister Mason will do the right thing and issue an immediate stop work order to facilitate design changes to the SWCRR.