Pool and Billiards are games played halfway on the table and the other half in your mind. You might have observed by watching the pros on TV that the more calm players are the better they play. The truth is that those who are more composed and calm in spite of the pressure of the game have better chances of seeing the good shots and make better decisions.
Fledgling pool and billiards players need all the nuggets they can get in order to move forward in this exciting game. The billiards tips you'll find below will help you get a grasp of the fundamentals.
You can say that a major portion of the game play in pool or billiards rests on planning your moves. It takes a certain degree of mental discipline to remain calm when faced with game pressure. How calm and relaxed you feel will definitely affect how you plan your moves. It will also affect your strokes and gain the advantage in the game. In other words, stay calm, plan ahead, and win the game in your mind.
Steeling yourself for every move is important. The most important shot you will ever make in this game is the one you are about to make. Concentrate on the shot you are making and brush everything else aside. When you're at the table, learn to ignore everything including the current score.
Let's face it, not every shot and not every stroke anyone makes will always be flawless. Even pool professionals make strokes that are off. During these situations, remember that there is nothing wrong with patiently going for a safety. A rule of thumb is that whenever you don't feel comfortable about a shot you're about to make then go for safety.
It is a fact that not all pool/billiards tables are perfectly straight. You should also expect that different tables will be made from different materials. Knowing the material and characteristics of the tables you're going to play on will give you the edge in your game.
The type of felt on the table will have an effect on how the balls behave. If it is made out of cotton then you should expect it to run a little slower and not as good as those made of a combination of cotton and nylon, like that for Simonis felt for instance. Cotton reacts to humidity thus affecting the play.
Every billiards/pool beginner should make it a habit to watch how pros play the game. There is no better way to jump start your game than to pick up game nuggets from the very best.


The ethos of Campion House is based on the values of trust, loyalty, kindness and respect. The staff of Campion House believe in the fundamental importance of these qualities in the development of the character of our boys.
Boys work hard and learn to organise their time effectively so that they can also relax and enjoy themselves. Popular recreational activities include five-a-side football, seven-a-side rugby, music, art, cookery and the occasional game of Scrabble.Campion boarders undertake their public examinations during their time in the house and, whilst they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own study time, they do so under guidance from the resident academic staff.
Campion House has produced a number of Senior Prefects over recent years and a significant number of successful Oxbridge candidates. We are proud of this and are dedicated to building on this success for many years to come.


The CEE offers a variety of matierals for loan ranging in themes related to environmental education. For specific requests, please email us.
The Water Quality App and Lesson Resources are designed to allow educators to teach water quality science through hands-on experience. This includes allowing the user to record data on and iPad or iPhone and provides information on how to analyze abiotic factors to determine water quality. Also included is a field guide to local benthic macro-invertebrates and a form that will informs the user how calculate the streams Pollution Tolerance Index (PTI) to determine the water quality. Click here to download the Water Quality App.
We have also developed a curriculum that completely covers the NGSS standard MS-LS2-4 to accompany the app. Click here to access the lesson plans.


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Gerda Weissensteiner OMRI (born 3 January 1969) is an Italian luger and bobsleigh pilot who competed from the late 1980s to 2006. Competing in six Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles luge event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, and together with Jennifer Isacco she won the bronze in Turin in the two-woman bobsleigh at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was the first Italian sportsperson to win Olympic medals in two disciplines.

Luge career
Weissensteiner was introduced to luge by her uncle at the age of seven, initially sledding on natural luge tracks. She won a World Junior Luge Championship title in 1988.

Weissensteiner won eleven medals at the FIL World Luge Championships, including two gold (Women's singles: 1993, Mixed team: 1989), three silvers (Women's singles: 1989, Mixed team: 1990, 1995), and six bronzes (Women's singles: 1995, 1996; Mixed team: 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997).

She was also won seven medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with two golds (Mixed team and Women's singles: both in 1994), two silvers (Women's singles: 1990; Mixed team: 1998), and three bronzes (Mixed team: 1988, 1990, 1996).

Weissensteiner won the overall Luge World Cup title in women's singles twice (1992-3, 1997-8). She took a total of 13 wins, eight second places and eight third places in World Cup races. She was also the flagbearer at the opening ceremonies of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. Her Olympic triumph was dampened by the death of her brother in a car accident a few days later: during his funeral, a burglar broke into Weissensteiner's home and stole her gold medal. Following the Games she retired from luge, becoming a youth luge coach.

Bobsleigh career
Weissensteiner returned to sledding as a bobsleigh pilot in 2001. She finished seventh in the 2-woman bobsleigh (with the former biker Antonella Bellutti, a gold medalist in track cycling) at the 2002 Winter Olympics. After the 2002 Games she teamed up with sprinter Jennifer Isacco, who she competed with until her retirement from the sport. Their best finish in the Bobsleigh World Cup was third twice in the two-woman event. (2002-3, 2003-4 (tied with Germany's Susi Erdmann)). She finished sixth in the 2-woman bobsleigh event at the 2005 FIBT World Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The following year, Weissensteiner and Isacco finished second in the European Championships, and Weissensteiner joined Erdmann as being one of only two sledders to win a medal in both bobsleigh and luge at the Winter Olympics.

She retired from all competition after the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. That year she was appointed as a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In addition she has a rhododendron named after her: this was part of a collaboration between the Accademia dei Georgofili and the Italian National Olympic Committee to name an azalea after each medal winner at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2006 Winter Paralympics. Subsequently, she returned to youth coaching in luge as well as working as a press officer for the Italian Luge Federation.

See also
 List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
 List of athletes with Olympic medals in different disciplines
 Italian sportswomen multiple medalists at Olympics and World Championships

References
 1988 luge women's singles results
 1992 luge women's singles results
 1998 luge women's singles results
 2002 bobsleigh two-woman results
 Bobsleigh two-woman Olympic medalists since 2002

External links

1969 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Bolzano
Italian female bobsledders
Italian female lugers
Bobsledders at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Bobsledders at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Lugers at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Lugers at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Lugers at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Lugers at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Olympic bobsledders of Italy
Olympic bronze medalists for Italy
Olympic gold medalists for Italy
Olympic lugers of Italy
Olympic medalists in bobsleigh
Olympic medalists in luge
Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Italian sports coaches
Germanophone Italian people

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Beranda › Jambi
The King and the Ghost (The Story of Hantu Pirau)
Raja dan Hantu | Edisi Indonesia
Folklore from Jambi
ONCE upon a time, there was a kingdom in Jambi. The king was so powerful. He always protected his people. He mastered martial arts and supernatural power. The kingdom was so peaceful. Other kingdoms never had any plan to attack. There were no criminals. The king would punish anyone who did against the law.
Sadly, their peaceful life then was disturbed. It was not by other kingdom attacking Jambi. or the criminals. Instead it was by a ghost! A ghost came and disturbed the people's life! People said the ghost as Hantu Pirau.
The ghost also came in the dusk, when the sunset and it was almost dark. The ghost only scared children who were still playing outside their homes. The ghost never scared the adults. When the children saw the ghost, they always screamed. They were very frightened!
The adults were so angry with the ghost. They have tried many ways to catch the ghost but they never succeeded.
One of them had an idea. "Why don't we tell this problem to our king? He's so powerful, right? Let's ask for his help."
"l agree. I think this problem can be solved only by the king. Let's go to the palace," said another person.
And most of the parents came to the palace. They were so upset with this ghost. The ghost had made their children unable to sleep and that made many of the children sick. The parents really wanted to catch the ghost and get rid of it from their place.
"Your Majesty, we have a big problem. We need your help."
"What can I do for you?" asked the king wisely.
"A ghost often disturbs our children. It comes in the dusk and scares our children. We don't know what to do, Your Majesty."
"Don't worry. I know how to catch the ghost. Now, I want you to prepare fishing net. Put it in front of your house," said the king
The parents did not understand why they had to set the fishing net in front of their houses, however they still did it anyway.
Later all the fishing nets were all set in front of the houses. In the first night, nothing happened. Thev were still waiting. In ' the second night, nothing happened either. And finally in the third night, in one of the fishing nets something was caught.
The creature looked like a human however it was so small and looked so scary. The creature was also able to talk with humans.
"Hey release me now!" said the creature.
"I know the voice," said one man.
"I think we just caught Hantu Pirau. Let's report this to the king!"
Later the king arrived. He brought a sword.
"Hmm... so this is the ghost that often scared the children" said the king.
He continued, "I will kill the ghost with my sword now!"
Suddenly, the ghost was screaming.
"No!!! Please don't kill me. I will do anything as long as you don't kill me," said the ghost.
"Do you promise?" asked the king.
"I promise, Your Majesty," said the ghost.
"Alright, I want you to leave our kingdom now and never come back. And if I hear you are here again, I will kill you!" said the king.
"I promise, I will leave the kingdom now," said the ghost.
And the ghost really left the kingdom. He kept his promise not to return to the kingdom anymore. Since then people lived happily. However the parents still forbid their children to play outside when it was dark. They asked their children to stay at home. ***
Tags: Jambi
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Master of Biosciences - MBio
A levelAccess to HE DiplomaGCSE/National 4/National 5International Baccalaureate Diploma ProgrammePearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)Scottish HigherUCAS Tariff
A-levelAccess to HE DiplomaGCSE/National 4/National 5International Baccalaureate Diploma ProgrammePearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)Scottish HigherUCAS Tariff
A,B,B
To include grade B from A Level Biology or Chemistry. Practical elements must be passed.
45 Level 3 credits with a minimum of 128 UCAS Tariff points, including 40 points from 15 credits in Biology or Chemistry
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants will also need at least three GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above, which must include English, Maths and Science. Equivalent Level 2 qualifications may also be considered. EU and Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/
To include Higher Level grade 5 in Biology or Chemistry.
BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science accepted, depending on modules studied.
128 UCAS Tariff points to include a minimum of 40 points from an Advanced Higher in Biology or Chemistry. A combination of Highers and Advanced Highers accepted.
From a minimum of 3 A Levels or equivalent qualifications. To include 40 UCAS Tariff points from A Level Biology or Chemistry or equivalent qualification.
The MBio Biology degree at Lincoln covers a diverse range of subject areas while allowing you to develop your own specialisms. Students join a vibrant academic community in the School of Life Sciences and benefit from research-focused teaching by academics. There is an emphasis on practical work, with students conducting their own projects alongside academics and practising researchers. You can participate in two residential field trips in the UK, enabling you to study animals and plants in the wild. There is also an overseas field trip available in your third year as part of the optional 'Overseas Field Course' module.
The first year of this degree introduces students to the different elements of biology, including metabolism, evolution, ecology and genetics. In the second year, students can choose to study modules including biomolecules, animal health and disease, animal behaviour, immunology, plant-animal interactions and conservation biology, alongside training in research methods. In the third year, students can select specialist modules including veterinary parasitology, genetics and bioethics, infection sciences, transfusion and transplantation, animal cognition, biotechnology, and forensic anthropology, in addition to undertaking an individual research project to develop independent investigation skills. The final, Master's year of the MBio Biology degree comprises a laboratory or field-based research project with the other half dedicated to modules on research and employability skills, including grant writing and website preparation.
For the most up to date module information, please visit the course page for this programme on our website. Some programmes provide you with the opportunity to focus your study in a particular area through optional modules. Timetabling arrangements may limit the availability of some optional modules to some students. As the options often reflect staff research interests, they may alter over time due to staff availability.
The way students will be assessed on this course will vary for each module. It could include coursework, such as a dissertation or essay, written and practical exams, portfolio development, group work or presentations to name some examples. Throughout this degree, students may receive tuition from professors, senior lecturers, lecturers, researchers, practitioners, visiting experts or technicians, and they may be supported in their learning by other students.
Lincoln (Main Site)
Biology (non-specific)
Science, engineering and production technicians
Natural and social science professionals
The recession was tough on biology graduates, and although the jobs market has improved for them - a lot - it's still not back to where it was a few years ago. If you want a career in biology research — and a lot of biology students do - you'll need to take a doctorate, so give some thought as to where you might do it and how you might fund it (the government still funds doctorates for good students). A lot of graduates also take 1 year Masters courses to specialise in this wide and deep subject - most students take a standard biology course for their first degree and then specialise in subjects like ecology, conservation or marine biology later. Hospitals, universities, biotech firms, zoos and nature reserves and clinical and scientific testing are common industries of employment for biology graduates.
What's it like studying a degree in Biology
Biology with Science Foundation Year


November kicks off the holiday season with high expectations for festive times with your friends and family. Thanksgiving is the holiday when I feel grateful for the people in my life. It lifts my spirits and increases my feelings of well-being and happiness. If your marriage is already happy, gratitude can make it stronger. If you're struggling and want a strategy for how to fix an unhappy marriage, read on.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reflecting on the meaning of gratitude, and in particular, about how feeling and expressing gratitude can help couples feel connected and build happier marriages.
I first learned about being grateful from my father when I was about seven. After Sunday supper with my Irish immigrant grandparents, as we headed back to our house in the suburbs on a small highway in my father's '59 Ford Fairlane, we'd pass by a couple of housing projects and run-down multi-family housing. Every time, my father would point out how lucky we were to live in our own nice house in a safe town. Always remember that, he would tell me.
In my teens, my father taught me to be grateful for the people who helped me: teachers, grandparents, family friends — never mentioning himself, curiously. Then, as an adult, my understanding of gratitude gradually expanded.
These days I do my best to try to appreciate people for not only what they do, but also, for who they are. The way I'd admire a rose in full bloom or a maple tree with crimson leaves in autumn or the sea lit up by a harvest moon. I am better at this some days than others and work toward progress and not perfection.
Researchers in the field of positive psychology have discovered that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness and optimism. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
According to the research of Robert Emmons, a leading scientific expert on gratitude, gratitude is a "relationship-strengthening emotion because it requires us to see how we've been supported and affirmed by other people." When we perceive that others appreciate us, we value our relationship with them.
Related research by Sara Algoe and colleagues, found that grateful couples feel more satisfied in their relationship and closer to each other. Moreover, grateful couples are more likely to stay in their relationships according to the research of Aime M. Gordon, Ph.D. a social-personality psychologist at the University of California. San Francisco.
How does gratitude help a couple feel more connected and happier ?
Dr. Gordon published a series of studies which explored the question of how gratitude helps couples. The research findings show that gratitude helps a relationship thrive by promoting a "cycle of generosity". That is, one partner's gratitude can prompt both partners to think and act in ways that convey gratitude to each other and promote commitment to their relationship. This cycle of generosity is self-perpetuating, kind of like how falling water generates energy.
In a nutshell, the researchers found that in moments of gratitude people recognize the value in their partner. What we value we want to hold onto, which motivates us to be a good partner to maintain the relationship. This dynamic sparks a positive cycle: the experience of gratitude evokes a stream of good feelings which in turn seem to promote behaviors that help people feel more connected and and happier.
For example, one study found that people who felt grateful to their partners were observed as being better listeners. In turn, a person with a partner that listens will usually feel appreciated and valued. The appreciated partner is more apt to express gratitude to the listening partner. A cycle of generosity is sparked by the grateful person who listens and generates a flood of positive emotions. Both grateful partners focus on maintaining and protecting the relationship that makes them feel so good.
Gratitude helps fix an unhappy marriage.
Gratitude can make a good relationship great and help fix an unhappy marriage. One of the most common reasons for an unhappy marriage is because one or both partners does not feel valued or appreciated. Another key reason for marital unhappiness is people don't know how to communicate without fighting.
Of course, it is important to distinguish unhappy relationships from unhealthy relationships. Being grateful that an emotionally abusive partner doesn't call you names for 24 hours or a chronic liar tells you the truth is not going to stop the damaging behavior. Physically or emotionally abusive and highly volatile relationships require serious professional intervention.
Shhh it's a secret! Every day for a year, write a reason you are grateful for your partner in a gratitude journal or on sticky notes that you collect in a box. Give the journal or box to your partner on their birthday or your anniversary. A daily practice will help you feel gratitude every day.
Even though you're on a secret mission, your partner will feel the gratitude vibe and hopefully vibe it back. A daily spark of gratitude is all you need to light the fire. The gratitude journal will be a gift that keeps on giving by keeping gratitude cycling in your relationship.
Thank your partner for something every day. It can be for completing a chore, for making you happy, for marrying you, or for their sense of humor or generous spirit. Thank them and be grateful for what they do, and even more importantly, for who they are. Thank them for doing chores even if the chore is their job and you expect them to do it. The point is to show that you notice and appreciate them and the mundane tasks may even feel easier.
Give your partner compliments on their appearance, cooking, strategic thinking, keen wit, bright insights, good nature — both in private and in public. Compliments and words of appreciation in the presence of others are worth their weight in gold.
Really, really listen. When your partner speaks, lean in, and make eye contact (ahem… put down the device). Respond thoughtfully in ways that show you heard and appreciate what they are saying.
Appreciative couples also use touch. Holding hands, hugging, a stroke on the arm , a shoulder rub, or a pat on the leg go a long way.
Jumpstart the cycle and start to fix an unhappy marriage.
You don't need to sit idly by when you occasionally feel unnoticed or neglected. Instead, spark the feel-good cycle of gratitude by being grateful or showing appreciation. Do it even when you are longing to get it. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you put in motion.
The secret to gratitude in marriage is practice. Practice gratitude consistently until it becomes a habit. Gratitude is one of the best ways to fix an unhappy marriage. You'll be delighted when the cycle of generosity kicks off. You'll feel more goodness and love flow in your relationship and over time you'll be happier.


President/Creative Director at Mad Men Marketing, overseeing the strategic expansion, and creative direction of the agency.
Imagine this: You have a website that has an online store. You've stocked up on inventory, set up your fulfillment strategy, created an online advertising campaign and all of your goals in analytics, and you are ready to start selling.
On the first day, you see that people are clicking your ads and coming to your site. You check daily until the end of the first week. Many people are coming to the site to browse your product -- exciting! Then, you look at the end of your first month, and you are not selling as much, if any, of your product. How is this possible? Your ad campaigns are sending in traffic and people are adding your product to their cart, but low and behold, no purchases. What gives?
Cart abandonment is a common issue I've seen over the past 13 years of running successful online advertising campaigns. In fact, according to a 2017 Statista report, nearly 70% of all carts are abandoned. Another report titled "Primary Reasons for Cart Abandonment in the U.S. in Q4 2016" shows that 86% of carts were abandoned because of the cost of shipping. The next closest reason for abandonment, at 72%, was that the cost of the order became too expensive.
• Bake in the cost. Add in the cost of shipping to the total cost of the product so you are working to be transparent with your customer.
• Offer free shipping. This would be preferred to the above as to stay competitive with Amazon Prime.
• Make an offer for free shipping. Offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount for signing up for an e-blast.
• Create a 'free shipping' countdown. Just like you'd see on a site like Ticketmaster, add a countdown clock at the time of checkout. This is a way to create fear and opportunity costs for waiting to place the order.
• Offer online exclusives. My 7-year-old drags me to Target on a monthly basis to look at their in-store exclusive offers. This can work online, too. Create products exclusively for your online store that relate to your traditional products. This is a great option for special items and collector's editions.
• Remarketing Campaign: After a consumer visits your website, starts shopping, fills their cart, goes to check out and then leaves, you need to follow them around. Advertise your above shipping offers through remarketing campaigns.
• Email Campaign: As I mentioned above, one free shipping incentive would be to ask consumers to sign up for your email list. For those with abandoned carts, this is a good chance to reach out to them one-on-one. Remind them about what they put in their cart. Through email, you have the ability to constantly sell them once you sign them up. Do not skip this step in the process.
• Video OTT Ads: Hit all the emotions with both sight and sound. Create an aggressive Google Display/YouTube campaign to help restate your offers.
How long should you be advertising to an abandoned cart customer? This is a loaded question that would require a full understanding and strategic brief. But for the sake of this article, let's say the abandoned product is a retail product you have a large inventory of. In this case, you could turn your shipping strategy above into a direct response ad. This creates a perception of scarcity.
Generally speaking, the problem many companies run into is a lack of understanding of the fundamental elements of digital advertising. But it's the same as any other form of advertising, with the most important things being reach and frequency.
I believe too many companies get caught up in the analytics that digital advertising presents. And the real-time connection to this data makes too many companies impatient. You need to be able to commit to a digital strategy to see if it works. I still see companies throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars toward TV ads, and that is nothing but a "wait and see" medium for the most part.
But digital usually gets only incremental consideration for budget purposes and then never fully gets the time it needs to be effective. Would you put up a billboard for a month and then ask to have it taken down after two days because it hasn't generated phone calls?
If you implement a proper strategy and create ads based on personas that communicates clear "what's in it for me?" value to your customers, it's likely you will win more often than not. But again, it takes time to create reach and frequency, and you cannot forget that fundamental advertising need. I hope the above lists will give you some insight to combat the cart abandonment phenomenon. Happy selling!


MCI Suisse SA has reserved a large number of hotel rooms at very competitive rates in various hotels in different price categories. The majority of the hotels are located either in the city centre or near Palexpo.
Geneva attracts many tourists, and due to the high demand for accommodation during this period, we recommend booking before Wednesday 12 July 2017 to ensure availability.
MCI will be happy to assist you in all your accommodation needs for EADV 2017.
Hotel reservations will be made on a first come, first served basis.
We recommend booking before Wednesday 12 July 2017 to ensure reservation in your preferred hotels.
EADV cannot validate hotel reservations via sources other than those presented by MCI as MCI is the only official mandated housing bureau for this meeting.
With careful research and dedicated negotiations, MCI works on your behalf to provide hotel room blocks of a high-quality standard at a discounted rate. For the best customer service and guaranteed hotel rooms, attendees and exhibitors should make their reservation through the official housing agency link provided on the bottom of this page.
It is important to be aware that you may be contacted by phone, fax, or email by third party companies that act as travel agencies, wholesalers or destination management companies to solicit you with aggressive or deceptive tactics for room reservations. Room Poachers and pirates may also misrepresent themselves as the official housing bureau and may illegally use the meeting name or logo.
Select your hotel among our best choice of hotels.
In order to assess your hotel needs, we kindly ask you to provide us all the information requested in the form.


With the first quarter of 2019 coming to a close, it's easy to forget the retail sector since the holidays are a distant memory, but the recent rally in the sector is a reminder to investors that they should consider adding retail-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to their portfolios.
While strength in the retail sector piggybacks off of strong consumer spending, there has been a lot of movement within the sector that could make for some interesting ETF plays. For example, shares of Bed, Bath & Beyond surged 25 percent with activist investor interest–moves like this that could shake up the core foundation of longstanding retailers and inject a new lease on life, particularly those that are struggling.
According to the NRF, sales this year should total more than $3.8 trillion–a figure that does not include sales from automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. Additionally, the NRF numbers showed a continuing trend of growing online sales as consumers shift from brick-and-mortar stores to the internet. Online and non-store sales rose 10.4 percent higher last year and the NRF is predicting more of the same for 2019.
With more activist interest, buyouts and divestitures, the retail sector could be an interesting space to play for the rest of 2019. Here are three ETFs to consider.
XRT seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the total return performance of an index derived from the retail segment of a U.S. total market composite index. In seeking to track the performance of the S&P Retail Select Industry Index, the fund employs a sampling strategy.
It generally invests substantially all, but at least 80 percent, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index represents the retail segment of the S&P Total Market Index ("S&P TMI").
XRT is up 11.93 percent year-to-date.
RTH seeks to replicate as closely as possible the price and yield performance of the MVIS® US Listed Retail 25 Index. The fund normally invests at least 80 percent of its total assets in securities that comprise the fund's benchmark index. To be initially eligible for the index, companies must generate at least 50 percent of their revenues from retail.
Retail includes companies engaged primarily in retail distribution; wholesalers; online, direct mail and TV retailers; multi-line retailers; specialty retailers; and food and other staples retailers. So far this year, RTH is up 8.82 percent.
IBUY seeks investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield of the EQM Online Retail Index. The fund will invest at least 80 percent of its total assets in global equity securities that comprise the index, which will primarily include common stocks and/or depositary receipts, such as ADRs and GDRs.
The index seeks to measure the performance of global equity securities of publicly traded companies with significant revenue from the online retail business. The index methodology is designed to result in a portfolio that has the potential for capital appreciation.
IBUY is up 22.22 percent YTD.


"...Weekly grocery circulars often read "feed a family of 4 for under $10!". I'm sure most of you have laughed at this as I did. As a result, I began to wonder what does dinner really cost for my family of 8? So I set a challenge for myself and I figured if I kept it under $5, I was doing good..."
A very busy day prompted me to make this weeks Under $5 dinner. After thinking of all I had to do during the day and the meetings I had that night I decided the crock pot was the way to go. I really need to use mine more. I love being able to just throw the ingredients in, give it a little stir, turn it on and wait until dinner time. An added bonus is that you can use cheaper cuts of meat, perfect for an under $5 dinner.
This time I used a Pork shoulder roast which I got on sale for 78c lb at Winco Foods. At such a great price I got 2 and saved one for another meal. I went for bone-in instead of boneless and saved 20c per lb and picked one that didn't have much bone in it. Steamed cabbage makes a nice side dish. I was in such a hurry that day I didn't bother to make a gravy from the drippings but you could do that if you wanted. My family really likes ketchup though.
Trim fat from meat. Season well. In a large pan, brown meat on all sides. Place carrots and potatoes in crock pot. Add onions, celery, garlic, roast, seasonings and 1 1/2 c water. Cover, cook on low for 10 -12 hrs or high 4-6 hrs.
When roast is almost done wash cabbage and cut into large wedges. Steam until tender.
A couple of things you may have noticed.
I don't count things like salt and pepper and other seasonings in my totals. I figure these are things that you already have and the cost is really infantisimal.
I usually don't peel my potatoes. To me it's just extra work and the peel is where all the vitamins are anyway!
Finally, when the garden is in, the salad or in this case the cabbage is cheap and plentyful, so make sure to plant a garden. For great gardening tips checkout our raised bed gardening blog.
For my "Works for me Wednesday" tip I've shared something I learned from the school of hard knocks. I Hope it will work for you too.
My family and I tend to be somewhat spontaneous and have been known to decide to go somewhere at the drop of a hat. That's part of what summer is about right?
A problem that we ran into is that after deciding we wanted to go we had to spend way too much time packing up all the gear that we needed. Children became frustrated and mom got frazzled trying to grab everything while reassuring the kids that we were "almost ready", eventually forgetting something important and arriving much later than desired.
In a hurry I'd decide to just run to the store to buy some item I had at home, just so I could get out the door. Just the way you want to start an outing with the kids, right?
My solution to this was to keep a "Summer Fun Bag" in the back of my car stocked full of the things that we would most likely need for our outings, which for us was usually to the lake.
Now, if we want to go somewhere the list of what to grab is significantly shorter and everyone is in a better mood and able to have a good time.
Below is a list of some basic things to keep in your bag. You may want to add to it depending on what your family likes to do.
Passive solar design is one of the simplest ways to improve your home's value and save electricity at the same time.
Passive solar design is a clever way of using the sun's natural heat and light energy in your home. An example is the use of different building designs and materials to effectively cool and heat your home. What's so appealing about passive solar design is that it requires little upkeep, it is easy to setup, it improves the value of your home, and you can benefit from tax breaks.
When working out the passive solar potential of your home, you need to consider how it was built and what materials is was built from. The ideal position for your home would be either be on flat land or on a sun-facing slope. Also, in suburban areas, any trees nearby should be deciduous to shade your home in summer, and let through the sunlight in winter.
If you plan to build a new home, make sure it is designed so that the majority of it faces the sun. Also, the size, type and shape of your windows will affect how much sunlight and natural heat your home gets.
1) Direct gain - direct heat from the sun shining on a surface.
2) Indirect - this is heat given off from objects heated by sunlight.
3) Isolated - the hot air that circulates through your home.
The get the most out the the above 3 heat sources, you should try install large windows on the sun-facing side of your home, as this will allow the most sunlight in.
But there is no point designing your home to let in a lot of natural sunlight and warmth if that energy cannot be stored for later use. Ideally you would want to use materials that absorb sunlight and radiate that heat for a long time. In winter, to get the most out of the natural heat in your home, you could close off cold, unused rooms from the rest of the house, and sit in the sunnier, warmer rooms during the day.
During summer, the right length roof overhangs or eaves can be used to control the amount sunlight and heat in your home. The eaves should be wide enough shade out the intense midday sun, but let the let low-angle sunlight through during dusk and dawn to light up and warm the home. Again, the right trees and shrubs can be planted to regulate the house's seasonal exposure to the sun.
To make your current home more energy efficient, an easy way would to get the latest windows that can retain up to 50% more heat. Than can cost up to 15% more than traditional windows, but they will save you a lot of energy and money in the long-run.
Also known as Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows, double-glazed windows are great at letting through sunlight, but retaining that natural heat inside. Some of them have multiple panes of glass with a gap of argon or krypton gas to store the heat. Also to reduce heat loss, make sure your windows and doors are well-sealed.
What your windows are made from can make a big difference too. While metal framed windows generally conduct heat out the house, wood, vinyl and fiberglass frames insulate the heat better. Always ensure any modern windows bought have labels issued by Energy Star or the National Fenestration Rating Council. These labels provide statistics on how effective and efficient the windows are at retaining heat, which helps you purchase the right windows for your conditions and budget.
The whole idea behind passive solar design is to use the sun's natural heat in such a way that it reduces your energy consumption and expenses. So before going out and getting the latest and greatest passive solar design and products, always weigh up the cost involved with how much you will save in energy bills in the long-term.
While using the sun's heat is one way of reducing your energy costs, another is to build your own solar/wind power system. Learn how you can do this for under $200 by getting your copy the Earth4Energy Guide for FREE and start saving up to 80% on your energy bills. Or, read the full Earth4Energy Review first.
This weeks recipe is a kids favorite, Sloppy Joes. You should like it too since it's pretty quick to make. The recipe was a friends submission in our church cookbook. Thanks Tamara. I used ground turkey since it was on sale. There were some good deals that helped make this an under $5 meal. Since there is no dairy make sure you get your 3 servings of milk at another time in the day, or you could top these with some grated cheddar cheese (37c/cup).
Brown meat, onion and bell pepper till meat is done. Add soup, water, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Simmer, uncovered for 10 min. Split and toast buns. Serve meat mixture on buns.
You may have noticed that I have a tossed green salad at most of my meals. It's what I grew up with and now continue with my own family. I remember my mom saying that you should always have something green with your dinner. A salad is an easy and healthy way to do that. Plus, you can vary the ingredients so much. I always use a leafy lettuce - no iceberg, since it's more nutritious.
Finally, when the garden is in, the salad is cheap and plentyful, so make sure to plant a garden. For great gardening tips checkout our raised bed gardening blog.
It pays to know people! Believe it or not some medical practices offer discounts or special services for referrals. Financially, it makes lots of sense for them. If one patient brings another, then, that's more money that they make. So, it's nothing for them to toss you a freebie or a co-pay reduction. Imagine the finances that they rack up for all of those visits, tests, and of course referrals! But more importantly, if you trust your health care provider, then it's good to tell others about them. Why not do it and get a little financial break along the way?
Making the effort to avoid those high priced designer drugs! Buy generic drugs whenever possible. You will get the same results and the price for a 30-day supply could be as low as $1. If you run after the higher priced, name brand drugs you can expect to pay lots of money, sometimes more than $200 for the same or less! There is usually lots of medical research to support the fact that generic drugs are the same as the designer ones. They simply are there for saving cost conscious people money!
Watching for eyeglasses deals! You will see them throughout the year, but especially around back to school time. These eyeglasses deals usually can range from as high as discounts of 50-75% to actually free specs for certain family members. Additionally, there are always loads of coupons in the Sunday newspaper that can be used for reduced pricing or buy-one-get-one deals on glasses. If your family is low to moderate income, check your child's school or the local hospital which usually knows or offers children free eyeglasses to ensure that they are able to perform properly in school.
Grab those gift cards! Many drug stores offer actual money or store gift cards when you transfer your prescription to them. Unless you are in a deep relationship with the pharmacist, you could get lots of cash and gifts just by switching stores! For many people, this is a no-brainer and they do it every time they get a new prescription.
Clipping those coupons! Check the local circulars, the in-store flyers, and the Sunday newspaper for coupons for different health care services and products. You may be surprised at what you can actually get for free. From exams to drug samples, these coupons may end up being a lifesaver for you or someone in your family.
When it comes to saving, cost conscious customers can get the discounts every time with a little research and effort. Even in an economy crisis, you and your family can be well taken care of and can have all of your health care needs met on the cheap!
As a renowned connoisseur on saving money in daily life, Alexandra Vrugt has written many articles on how to manage on less. You can get a free version of her Ebook '15 Top Ways to Save Money' by going to her MakeEndsMeetOnline.com site.
I came up with this weeks recipe one night when I was desperately trying to figure out what to make for dinner out of what I had in my house - ever been there? So instead of running to the store, I adapted a recipe I had for scalloped potatoes and ham with what I had and what my family likes. Here is the result.
Mix soup and sauce in a 13 x 9 dish. Add potatoes, ham and onions. Stir to mix well. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 oven for 1 hr.
I realize many who read this may not have powdered cheese sauce or know what it is. Think of it as the cheese sauce that comes in a box of cheap macaroni and cheese. I buy it in a #10 can to have in my food storage since my family LOVES cheese. More about food storage in later posts.
I've included a couple of alternatives to this, along with their prices and subsequent totals.
This week it's breakfast for dinner. A local grocery store had eggs on sale so I knew it was a great time to do something a little different. Aside from being extremely cheap, this meal can be made pretty quick.
In a large skillet cook celery, onion and garlic in butter till tender. Add bullion, water, potatoes to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 15 min or till potatoes are tender. Uncover, simmer 5 min more or till broth is slightly thickened, stirring often.
While potatoes are cooking prepare the eggs.
In a large skillet melt butter. Meanwhile wisk eggs till fluffy. Add eggs to skillet and cook till partially done. Add tomatoes and onions and continue cooking till done. Add cheese and stir to distribute. Serve immediately.
Saturday was a beautiful day! Not just because the sun was shinning but because of the bright pink and green signs saying "Yard Sale" tacked on light poles around our town.
It was my first yard sale of the season and it didn't disappoint. What first caught my attention were some area rugs that my mother-in-law needs. I could tell by the prices on them that this was a "we want to get rid of this stuff" type of sale. I ended up leaving with a steam juicer that looks as if it had never been used. I paid $9 for it! Quite a good bargain since I saw one that looked just like it in a catalogue for $129 and another for $149.
Have a budget. You can really break the bank at these sales. It's easy come home with an armful of stuff. So before you leave your house have a certain amount of money that you will spend and when it's gone, you're done.
Start early. If it's a good sale like the one I went to this past weekend, a lot of the good stuff will go fast. Caution. Don't go too early. If the sign or ad says it starts at 8 am don't be there at 7:30 rummaging through boxes that they haven't put out yet.
Test it before you buy it. It's not a good deal if it doesn't work.
Don't buy something just because it's cheap. As I said before, it's easy to come home with an armload of stuff and your house will end up full of things you don't need and you'll have wasted your money. Those nickels and dimes really do add up.
Make a list of things that you do need. Sometimes it's hard to remember exact details of what you needed so make a list including dimensions and sizes. Also, ask family members what they need or what they use, have to buy, or even replace most often and keep a running list, so you can fill it when the opportunity presents itself. You definitely could call this "opportunity shopping".
For our $5 dinner this week I have a classic, Shepherds Pie. I like this recipe because it's quick and also versitile. You can vary the soup and vegetables for a different twist. I've tried cream of chicken soup with broccoli and tomato soup and green beans. Again I served this with a tossed green salad. I usually make this on nights when I just don't know what to cook or if I have a meeting since it really is fast to make.
In a medium pot boil washed, skined and quartered potatoes till tender. Meanwhile brown ground beef and chopped onion till beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. Season well. Add cream of mushroom soup and mixed veggis. Stir to mix well. Place in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Mash potatoes and spread on top of meat mixture. Bake in a 350 oven for 25 min. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake 5 min more or till melted.
Now on a few of my posts, I mention giving to charities. Some may say this is not frugal, but I think it is, let me explain. You see most financial planners will tell you to give to charity because it just seems to help out the bottom line, they often say they're not sure how it works, but that it does. Well, I know it works from personal experience and I'll see if I can explain the reasons why.
First, I've noticed that those who do give wind up paying more attention or better manage there resources. Second, there's an old saying that says "you receive through the whole you give", meaning if you give through a little tiny whole, that's how you'll receive, but if you give through a large whole that's how you'll receive.
I often describe it as the "Box of Chocolates" theory. Where I have six children and if I had a box of chocolates and I knew if a gave it to one of my children they would keep it all to themselves, but if I gave it to another child they would share it with all the rest, who would you give it to? Everyone always answer that question the same... the one that would share.
I believe life is no different, God blesses those who share the chocolates. So give it a test and see what happens.


text:
Cloudflare (NET) to Report Q2 Earnings: What's in Store?
Zacks Equity Research Zacks
Aug 4, 2020 9:46AM EDT
Cloudflare NET is slated to release second-quarter 2020 results on Aug 6.
Notably, the company completed its initial public offering (IPO) in September 2019. Ever since, it has reported three quarterly earnings. In the last reported quarter, the company's bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 33.3%.
The company expects second-quarter revenues between $93.5 and $94.5 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the top line is currently pegged at $94.3 million. Moreover, the consensus mark for loss has remained unrevised at 6 cents per share for the past 30 days.
Let's see how things shaped up prior to this announcement.
Cloudflare, Inc. Price and Consensus
Cloudflare, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Cloudflare, Inc. Quote
Cloudflare's diversified customer base is anticipated to have aided top-line growth during the second quarter. At the end of first-quarter 2020, the company had 2.8 million free and paying customers. Moreover, as of Mar 31, 2020, the company had roughly 89,000 paying customers across more than 160 countries.
Large customers (annual billings of more than $100,000) were 536 at the end of the March-end quarter. The company's large customer base witnessed a CAGR of 80% during the 2016-2019 period. This momentum is likely to have continued in the to-be-reported quarter as well on elevated demand for its cloud-based solutions amid the pandemic-led remote working wave.
Further, the company's recurring subscription-based business model provides relative stability to its top line despite the disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Additionally, solid demand for security solutions, which became imperative due to aggravated cyberattacks, bring-your-own device policies and a zero-trust approach, is likely to have supported the top line in the quarter under review.
However, Cloudflare's significant exposure to small and medium businesses (SMBs), the worst-hit cohort by the pandemic, is expected to have impeded growth in the quarter to be reported.
What Our Model Says
Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Cloudflare this season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP, and Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell, before they're reported, with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Cloudflare currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3 and has an Earnings ESP of +6.38%.
Other Stocks With Favorable Combinations
Here are some other companies, which, per our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:
Cogent Communications Holdings CCOI has an Earnings ESP of +11.66% and carries a Zacks Rank of 2, at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Synaptics SYNA has an Earnings ESP of +10.6 % and currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2.
Benefitfocus BNFT has an Earnings ESP of +6.25% and carries a Zacks Rank of 2, currently.
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Here is a little fun card featuring a digi stamp from Bugaboo which I have coloured with promarkers. Once I had made a tag with it I used a distressing tool around the edge of the tag and coated it with glitter. I then added an eyelet and some silver glitter ribbon. My base card as you can see is hologram mirri card. I then added 3 strips of blue sparkly paper. I made the moon from glitter card by punching a circle and using the same punch, punched into it to get a crescent shape. A few hologram peel off stars finishes it off.
Totally amazing card. I really love the holographic mirri card and your image is so cute.
Oh wow, that is so cute Christine, I love it!
Aww this is so cute and fun! Thanks so much for sharing at Crafty Ribbons!


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text:
// Copyright (C) 2016 The Android Open Source Project
//
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
// You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
// limitations under the License.

package com.google.gerrit.server.query.account;

import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
import com.google.common.primitives.Ints;
import com.google.gerrit.common.errors.NotSignedInException;
import com.google.gerrit.index.query.LimitPredicate;
import com.google.gerrit.index.query.Predicate;
import com.google.gerrit.index.query.QueryBuilder;
import com.google.gerrit.index.query.QueryParseException;
import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Account;
import com.google.gerrit.server.CurrentUser;
import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser;
import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountState;
import com.google.inject.Inject;
import com.google.inject.Provider;
import com.google.inject.ProvisionException;

/** Parses a query string meant to be applied to account objects. */
public class AccountQueryBuilder extends QueryBuilder<AccountState> {
  public static final String FIELD_ACCOUNT = "account";
  public static final String FIELD_EMAIL = "email";
  public static final String FIELD_LIMIT = "limit";
  public static final String FIELD_NAME = "name";
  public static final String FIELD_PREFERRED_EMAIL = "preferredemail";
  public static final String FIELD_PREFERRED_EMAIL_EXACT = "preferredemail_exact";
  public static final String FIELD_USERNAME = "username";
  public static final String FIELD_VISIBLETO = "visibleto";

  private static final QueryBuilder.Definition<AccountState, AccountQueryBuilder> mydef =
      new QueryBuilder.Definition<>(AccountQueryBuilder.class);

  public static class Arguments {
    private final Provider<CurrentUser> self;

    @Inject
    public Arguments(Provider<CurrentUser> self) {
      this.self = self;
    }

    IdentifiedUser getIdentifiedUser() throws QueryParseException {
      try {
        CurrentUser u = getUser();
        if (u.isIdentifiedUser()) {
          return u.asIdentifiedUser();
        }
        throw new QueryParseException(NotSignedInException.MESSAGE);
      } catch (ProvisionException e) {
        throw new QueryParseException(NotSignedInException.MESSAGE, e);
      }
    }

    CurrentUser getUser() throws QueryParseException {
      try {
        return self.get();
      } catch (ProvisionException e) {
        throw new QueryParseException(NotSignedInException.MESSAGE, e);
      }
    }
  }

  private final Arguments args;

  @Inject
  AccountQueryBuilder(Arguments args) {
    super(mydef);
    this.args = args;
  }

  @Operator
  public Predicate<AccountState> email(String email) {
    return AccountPredicates.email(email);
  }

  @Operator
  public Predicate<AccountState> is(String value) throws QueryParseException {
    if ("active".equalsIgnoreCase(value)) {
      return AccountPredicates.isActive();
    }
    if ("inactive".equalsIgnoreCase(value)) {
      return AccountPredicates.isNotActive();
    }
    throw error("Invalid query");
  }

  @Operator
  public Predicate<AccountState> limit(String query) throws QueryParseException {
    Integer limit = Ints.tryParse(query);
    if (limit == null) {
      throw error("Invalid limit: " + query);
    }
    return new LimitPredicate<>(FIELD_LIMIT, limit);
  }

  @Operator
  public Predicate<AccountState> name(String name) {
    return AccountPredicates.equalsName(name);
  }

  @Operator
  public Predicate<AccountState> username(String username) {
    return AccountPredicates.username(username);
  }

  public Predicate<AccountState> defaultQuery(String query) {
    return Predicate.and(
        Lists.transform(
            Splitter.on(' ').omitEmptyStrings().splitToList(query), this::defaultField));
  }

  @Override
  protected Predicate<AccountState> defaultField(String query) {
    Predicate<AccountState> defaultPredicate = AccountPredicates.defaultPredicate(query);
    if ("self".equalsIgnoreCase(query) || "me".equalsIgnoreCase(query)) {
      try {
        return Predicate.or(defaultPredicate, AccountPredicates.id(self()));
      } catch (QueryParseException e) {
        // Skip.
      }
    }
    return defaultPredicate;
  }

  private Account.Id self() throws QueryParseException {
    return args.getIdentifiedUser().getAccountId();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I wouldn't go so far as to say that Kaspar makes a secret of the way he produces these works, but there's some mystery to them. To their obviousness, among other things. Both the furniture works and the glass ball works are almost painfully obvious gestures. The one, seemingly endless iterations for no good reason. The other, seemingly endless redundancy for no particularly good reason. In each case: endless, exasperating possibilities. I'm going to be frank, and it's going to seem inopportune, but you could even say we're facing as many possibilities as needs allow. As many colorful iPhone cases as you'll find for sale on Canal Street, as many plastic Happy Meal toys as McDonald's will produce, as many vintage clothing stores as now span the globe. Then again, my point exactly: How many do we actually need? What is need after all?
Need might be demand, and not in the sense of basic needs, but in the sense of a society, its industry, and the socioeconomic interests that get communicated to us publicly, privately, and in any digital space with an ad-based revenue model. Essentially we're talking about the need for consumers to consume. For industry to grow and tech to grow with it and for consumers to continue their habit of being subjects, semi-public subjects, in contemporary society via semi- public consumption.
The glass ball works maybe not so much, but the furniture works are the product of Kaspar being a consumer. He goes through the motions of your everyday, somewhat design-inclined, bourgeois bohemian furniture shopper. He made an at least half-assed investment of time and energy into getting a sense for what people like or liked and buy or bought, for what genres are out there, and how he might be able to get a hold of certain pieces. An air mattress — Walmart, duh. One Spaghetti chair by Belotti, a Saarinen chair for Knoll, an Eames table. This metallic green fiberglass throne – omg one of the founders of the Memphis group – did you see Bowie's Ettore Sottsass stuff for sale? He knew. And a shabby chic white wooden chair. It just screams 'studio'. Or 'Berlin'. Or 'Airbnb'. Anyway, anything other than 'corporate campus'.
Yea, so Kaspar went through the motions and researched these things and bought them or borrowed them. He could do the same thing again and again and fill any space you throw at him. The result is kind of homey and kind of a furniture store showroom. Kind of 80s, kind of 2000s, kind of now. It's kind of tasteful, but is it really taste if it's something so standard you can pick it up at shops in 'fun' neighborhoods in most major cities? I mean, Kaspar's here is not even such discerning taste, because it accomodates pretty much everything. (Like a Pinterest search for 'furniture'.) This design classic can make that IKEA shelf fade into the background or look totally natural, very contemporary. And then there's the idea that of course IKEA shelves or whatever are historically specific and also aesthetically specific and will ultimately have some historical and aesthetic value, if they don't already. The whole group of works can accommodate knock-offs and pieces that have seen better days just as well. A knock-off or a chaise longue missing its signature cover is just another in this chain. Everything's connected because they're all of a type, so as long as that holds true, isn't overpowered by some other quality or story or significance, then this one fits, and that one too, and that one.
I recently started to ask myself whether this isn't some kind of contemporary sublime – in an era of staggering manufacturing capabilities, an infrastructure wherein conspicuous consumption makes inconsistency in terms of quality and insufficient functionality irrelevant through sheer number of offerings and speed. Where the uneven distribution of resources or poor working conditions or socioeconomic (and sometimes political) inequality are if not obscured as least eclipsed by the drive to grow and consume and upgrade possessions. Divine excess and staggering choice and utter banality.
Referring to a series of digital photos he took of Lake Zurich (10,000 and counting), Kaspar described "a mirror in which you search for deeper things, but just reflect yourself." Face to face with a work that refuses to give any more, that at most could be related to a few sentiments that lead nowhere, he admits: "The rejection of depth would almost amount to aggression." The anonymously authored website Contemporary Art Writing Daily calls the result "a wall between you and Kaspar like a guillotine". They talked about Kaspar's furniture works as a method for producing yet another "extreme of blankness". So we stare baldly at a real, widespread sense of desire, demand, need? And sense the insatiability, the profound endlessness, the categorical absurdity.
The glass balls are unlikely to be such a familiar form. They too, though, are obvious and potentially endless. Kaspar says he likes the idea of lists because you can add an item or take one away, but as long as you maintain a critical mass of items, you still have the list. The handblown glass balls strung casually on pieces of rope – with knots between the balls – function similarly. Within the system, each element is treated the same. The balls' colors and effects have effectively endless possible permutations. The rope could be endlessly long. The balls' order could be endlessly permutable. And ultimately, the object is endlessly banal.
As I said before, Kaspar's means of production are no secret: These glass balls were blown by Esteban Salazar in New York according to a traditional method in combinations of colors and effects specified by Kaspar. In fact, the balls are exceedingly beautiful if utterly useless for anything other than decoration.
The exasperating insistence of these works – both the furniture and the glass balls – is part of their mystery. They could go on and on. Their mystery is also the result of the unspectacular reskilling involved in their creation. And a product of the insufferable genericness that such hi-tech, resource-rich, global industries – as in the case of the furniture – and such traditional, detail-oriented cottage industries – as in the case of the glass balls–are surprisingly still capable of. Material may tend towards entropy, but goods and their markets apparently tend toward banal homogenization. Still, from something so familiar, so obvious, and so exceedingly banal – something that requires superlatives to describe.
This project was supported by Pro Helvetia.


text:
West Lebanon, New Hampshire
Mascoma River, West Lebanon, NH. Photo (2005) by Kenneth Mays.
In 1811, when Joseph Smith was about 6 or 7 years old, he moved with his family to Lebanon, now West Lebanon, New Hampshire. The Smith family stayed there for about two years. Their rented home was situated close to the Mascoma River near the present-day intersection of Main and Benning Streets. The site is just east of the Connecticut River separating New Hampshire from the state of Vermont. In 1812-1813, while the Smiths were living in West Lebanon, many people in the Connecticut River Valley were taken ill and a significant number of those died of Typhus Fever. Most in the Smith family were taken ill as well. Young Joseph suffered a number of puzzling and painful symptoms which subsequently morphed into an illness known as hematogenous osteomyelitis, a serious infection of the bone in his leg. Five miles away was Dr. Nathan Smith, founder of the Dartmouth Medical School at Hanover, NH. Dr. Smith was a recognized specialist, decades ahead of his time with regard to this particular ailment. He was able to save Joseph's leg that otherwise would have required amputation. That notwithstanding, young Joseph suffered greatly and required some three years to heal and walked with a limp the rest of his life.
The site of Joseph Smith's boyhood leg operation. Photo (1985) by Kenneth Mays.
The rented home where the surgery and recovery took place no longer stands. It was torn down in 1967 and replaced by the business seen above. That structure was later torn down and replaced by a fast food business (red and white roof seen in the image below at the far right). The Mascoma River is seen in the foreground.
Mascoma River, near the site of Joseph Smith's boyhood leg operation. Photo (2005) by Kenneth Mays.
From West Lebanon, the Smiths moved to Norwich, Vermont where they stayed during the years 1814-1816. Devastated financially because of medical bills, things got even worse for the Smiths because of three successive years of crop failure during that period.
The site where the Smith rented home in West Lebanon, New Hampshire is located just east of the Connecticut River and just north of I-89 as it leaves New Hampshire and continues on to Vermont. From I-89, take exit 20 at West Lebanon and go north on highway 12A. Almost immediately will be the intersection of Main and Benning Streets. On the northeast corner of that intersection is a fast food restaurant (2016). That is the approximate site where the Smith home once stood. The gps coordinates are: 43°37'59" N; 72°19'04.75″ W.
Mascoma River, near the site of Joseph Smith's boyhood operation. Photo (2005) by Kenneth Mays.
Surgical instruments available during the time of Joseph Smith's boyhood leg operation. It is presumed that Dr. Nathan Smith would have used instruments similar to these. Photo (2002) by Kenneth Mays.
Dartmouth Medical School, founded by Dr. Nathan Smith. Photo (1989) by Kenneth Mays.
Site of Joseph Smith's boyhood operation. Photo (2005) by Kenneth Mays.
A. Gary Anderson, et al., in LaMar C. Berrett, ed., Sacred Places, Vol. 1, 69-73.
Lucy Mack Smith, in Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor, eds., The Revised and Enhanced History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 72-77.


An Australian national was produced in the Denpasar district for his involvement in drug charges and for trying to abscond from Bali with false documents.
The accused Shaun Edward Davidson has stolen the travel documents of two men and was arrested by Australian Immigration officials.
He was arrested two months ago by immigration officials.
According to the Prosecutor Ika Lusiana, said that Davidson used fake passport to move out from Bali. He obtained by paying Rp 1.5 million to the local guy.
The Court may sentence seven years of prison to the Australia, if he is found guilty in the case.
Davidson entered Indonesia last year on January 28, to appear before Perth Magistrates court in connection with the case related to drug selling or supplying.
The further hearings of the case will be held in the month of July 2016. Davidson is in the police custody.


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Goku vs. Frieza: What Made it the Fight of the Century?
Libertas July 15, 2019 July 16, 2019 0
Culture, writing
It was the crest of a tidal wave of tension, a climax which highlighted the polar opposition of their two characters. Standing in the blue corner was Frieza, the tyrant that had crushed the hopes of the galaxy, a monster with depths of power both unknown and frightening. Fighting out of the red corner was Goku, a hopeful, jovial soul that was the last survivor of a people that Frieza had exterminated.
It's these elements that made Goku vs. Freiza one of the greatest fights I've ever seen in any medium. Even if you aren't a fan of Dragon Ball Z, it's a fight well worth studying. Storytelling is a crucial skill to master in the 21st century. It's the key to sales and seduction. The Goku vs. Freiza saga, specifically on Namek, is one of the most well crafted you'll ever see.
Specifically, DBZ does such a brilliant job with this battle by using the following elements…
The contrast between protagonist and antagonist, which builds into a perfect clash of the titans.
The progressive creation of hopelessness in the audience through ominous rumors and numerous false dawns.
The forced change in the protagonist's character.
The antagonist finally getting his comeuppance, which proves Cicero's theory of morality correct.
Fitting these into the tried and true three act structure of storytelling.
Together, these techniques create a full, rich narrative technique that you can learn from in creating your own stories.
Building the Fight
It took a long road to get there, which made the hero's victory all the more satisfying.
The lives of Frieza and Goku begin to intersect after the latter's battle with the Saiyans Vegeta and Nappa. Goku defeats them both, but his friends Yamcha, Chaozu, Tien, and Piccolo all died during the fighting. To bring them back to life, Goku, his son Gohan, and his friends Krillin and Bulma must go to Namek to retrieve the Dragon Balls and make a wish for their revival.
Unfortunately, the former sustained serious injuries during the fight with Vegeta, so he will need to heal up and rejoin the rest later.
After their arrival on Namek, Goku's friends learn about a figure named "Frieza." They don't see him initially. They just learn that he's a horrible monster – infinitely superior to the already frightening figures they come across on their journey, like Dodoria, Zarbon, and the Ginyu Force. Like them, Frieza and his forces are on Namek looking for the Dragon Balls, but in Frieza's case, he wants to wish for full immortality, so that he can keep the galaxy crushed in his iron fist forever.
Goku and his friends see the destruction that these people have brought to Namek. They're all terrifying, even to Vegeta, and yet, they're just senior officers under Frieza. Goku defeats Captain Ginyu, who had billed himself as the second strongest fighter in the universe, but it's all just a preview of things to come.
To this point in DBZ, we still haven't seen Frieza fight. We've only heard what he's capable of. That's about to change. We will now see in full force just how terrifying Frieza is, but it isn't time for the full main event just yet.
Injured from his fight with the Ginyu Force, Goku rests and heals as Frieza approaches. The climax will have to wait for later. Vegeta fights instead, but DBZ leaves its audience knowing that he's doomed.
This part of DBZ sets the stage for the climax by building up the antagonist through the use of mystery. The good guys at first only hear rumors about the bad guy, but those rumors get progressively more dreadful, creating anticipation in the audience for events to come. The contrast between the main antagonist and his henchmen, and the knowledge that the latter makes the former look like ants, add weight to the rumors.
In effect, Freiza's coming is the first disaster in the three-act formula of storytelling. He's been promoted as a monster in the first act. Now we have to see him in action. Hearing about him is no longer enough if we're to understand the truth. Thus, the second act begins.
The terror of the universe stands out compared to his goons. Next to them, he looks diminutive and less tough. Vegeta knows better. He's terrified. Nevertheless, through the use of the Saiyan ability to get stronger after a near death experience, he feels more confident.
The fight begins, and Vegeta is actually doing well, but Dragon Ball Z now gives us the shocking truth – this was only Frieza's first and least powerful form. He has a second…
And a third…
And a fourth…
These transformations, getting progressively stronger, serve to highlight just how hopeless the situation is for the heroes. Every time they think they have some kind of advantage over this monster, it's snatched away by yet another surprise. In fact, the villain's transformations are the second disaster in the three act structure of Dragon Ball Z's Namek story. They're demoralizing and serve to highlight the Goku vs. Frieza fight in greater relief.
Kind-hearted, gentle, and grilled in a never-say-die attitude, Goku is hope itself. Frieza is the antithesis. He kills hopes. He crushes people. He cares about nothing but his own power. The entire Namek saga was about building this contrast. Now these two opposites are at last about to fight.
Vegeta raises the stakes a full order of magnitude with an ugly revelation – Frieza was the one responsible for destroying the Saiyans. As Vegeta dies, he does so with a dying wish – that the tyrant who exterminated the Saiyan race falls from the hand of a Saiyan. Only one person is capable of doing that now.
It's another burden our hero needs to carry. The odds are now stacked even more against the babyface as he does battle with the monster heel for the title. The main event on Namek has been set.
Goku vs. Frieza
Taking up the Saiyan battle standard isn't a responsibility that he wants. He had previously done everything he could to run away from his Saiyan identity, so disgusted was he with their antics on Earth. Yet, as Frieza gets closer to revealing the full extent of his power, Goku's options are narrowing. His best shots, the Kaioken x20 and the Spirit Bomb, failed. He's even on the verge of quitting, before someone talks sense into him.
Still, defeating Frieza would take more than Goku then had, and things got worse. Frieza kills his best friend, Krillin, right in front of our hero's eyes. He had to stand and watch, helpless. The fight was basically over as Goku ran out of options.
The story had reached its third and biggest disaster. The hero had failed. He needed a miracle. There was only one glimmer left – the reason why Frieza had exterminated the Saiyans – the legend of the Super Saiyan. The hero's only hope remaining was that the legend was true.
He now needed to come into full contact with his Saiyan identity if he was going to win this fight. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to accept who he is and avenge his people.
Part of that meant doing something he wasn't accustomed to. Like Vegeta, he embraced his rage and unleashed pure fury after Krillin's death. His hair turned gold and his eyes blue-green. His power increased dramatically. The miracle, the way out of the third act, appeared before our eyes.
The myth was true, after all! A Super Saiyan had been born.
And, in the best moment of DBZ, Goku embraces his identity in full. Like Achilles, he now had only one thing on his mind – Frieza.
The final battle is brutal as the tyrant needs to unleash his full power and even a blast that will destroy Namek to level the odds in his favor, but to no avail. His past has finally come back to haunt him and he needs to pay the piper. The Saiyan has triumphed.
Yet, just because Goku has won, doesn't mean that he can go back to being the same person he was. He has accepted his Saiyan identity now. It would dominate the rest of the Dragon Ball Z story. As always, war leaves the victor changed as much as the vanquished.
Develop your characters this way. Create contrasts between hero and villain. Build the latter up into a hated figure that inspires fear and dread with seemingly no way out. Then give him his comeuppance. It's worked for thousands of years for a reason, but too many people ignore it.
Learn more about the power of contrast in persuasion by reading Stumped.
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The countdown to the World Cup in Russia is getting faster and the Super Eagles are not left behind as countries fine-tune their preparation for the Mundial.
Over the international break, the Super Eagles played two friendly games against Poland and Serbia with the two test matches producing different results.
As PREMIUM TIMES continue to weigh in on the chances of Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup, it speaks with another ex-international, Ben Iroha.
PT: How would you rate the preparation of Nigeria for the World Cup and does the preparation give you any form of motivation that the country will do well in Russia?
Iroha: I feel confident and comfortable that the boys will do very well. The preparations have been good, so far so good, they have had some good friendly matches and for a couple of years, they have been together with the new coach, so I am confident they will do well.
PT: Nigeria has never gone past the second round in the World Cup since USA '94 when you and your teammates took the world by storm. What do you think is responsible of this?
Iroha: It was a different team that went to USA '94. We stayed together for five years, that was from '89 when Westerhof took over for the 1990 Nations Cup. The thing is that you cannot do miracle or magic overnight. Now the coach is doing well, getting the players together. Even if they don't go that far in this one, if they stay together, they will go far. I am confident of these boys and the coach is doing ok.
PT: Let us look at the left-back position you played for the Super Eagles, it seems to be one of the problematic positions in this present set-up, what do you think can be done to solve the problem?
Iroha: These days, you don't need a natural left back to play for you in left back, you just need a winger; somebody that can play like a midfielder; who will go forward and move back quickly as well. In those days, we played like midfielders, so it is about giving the player confidence.
The coach will look around and find the right person for the job. It doesn't need to even be a natural left footer. Look at what is happening with Ashley Young in Manchester United, right-footed player playing left back and doing it very well. So he just needs to look around for that person who has that kind of movement with energy. That person would fit the bill at left back.
PT: Looking at Group D of the World Cup where the Eagles will be playing from, what are the chances of Nigeria against the trio of Croatia, Iceland, and Argentina?
Iroha: My brother, it is open. These our boys will do well, I won't tell you that we would be first or second, but we will do well and we will have a big chance of qualifying because the group is open.
These boys have played Argentina and we know Argentina. That may be our toughest obstacle, but we would go through.
Like I said earlier, in football anything can happen, and it is open but I am tipping one of the African nations to go all the way.
PT: It has been a while since we heard from Iroha, what have you been up to since you quit playing football?
Iroha: Right now, Ben Iroha has taken a break from football and has returned to personal business. When the opportunity presents itself again, I will take up my passion again.
Football remains a vital part of me and I would always do my best to contribute meaningfully in any capacity I can.
PT: We are very grateful for the audience.
Iroha: It was a pleasure, regards to all my fans, let's keep supporting our team in every way we can , by God's grace they will do us all proud in Russia. Thank You!