Amazon's bringing free Kindle e-book rentals to Amazon Prime members, but a bunch of restrictions make the service less attractive than it could be.
The Kindle Owners' Lending Library, as it's officially called, lets Amazon Prime members check out one book at a time in one-month increments. If the member switches to another book when a month is over, the old book disappears from the device. Amazon Prime costs $79 per year, and also includes free two-day shipping on retail items, $3.99 overnight shipping and, as of last February, free streaming movies and TV shows.
Certainly, the addition of e-book rentals makes Amazon Prime an enticing service, but take note of the fine print, as reported by the Wall Street Journal: The service is not available through Kindle apps on non-Amazon devices, so you can't read lent e-books on iPhones, iPads or Android devices. Amazon hopes the lending service will drive people to its Kindle e-readers and upcoming Kindle Fire tablet.
Also, Amazon's e-book lending program only includes about 5,000 e-books. Although the rental selection includes more than 100 past and current New York Times best sellers, the six largest U.S. publishers aren't participating. As you might expect, they're afraid an e-book subscription service would cut into book sales and hurt their relationships with other book sellers.
Still, I'm glad someone is pursuing the "Netflix of books" concept. If major publishers some day come around, and if a competitor—say, Barnes & Noble—can bring e-book subscriptions to more devices than its own hardware, this idea could take off.
To access the rentals, select the "Kindle Owners' Lending Libary" category in the store on a Kindle device, or look for the "borrow for free" option on individual e-book pages.
I borrowed a book and was very disappointed to find I can only access it on my kindle. I was hoping to view movies on my iPad, but that's not possible either. Kindle prime is no bargain!
Very great post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to mention that I've really enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. In any case I?ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I'm hoping you write again soon!
I stream Prime videos on my iPad all the time. You just need a Flash browser. I use Photon which you can get in the app tore.


The gentleman who owned our house before my husband and I left this desk (i.e., escritoire. I love that word. With its French origin, it playfully rolls off the tongue) out on the curb one day. He allowed us to stop by briefly for measurements prior to our closing and when I saw the desk, I somehow convinced him that he needed to store it for me in our soon-to-be-new-home even though he was still living there. In retrospect, I feel slightly bad about my blatant disregard for his space. Oops.
The desk was substantial and in decent shape, had nice storage and great potential, but most of all, it was FREE! "Curbside freebies" are the best kind of furniture to work on. Because you find it on a curb, there is a near zero chance that the person will be in your home wondering what you have done to their mother's precious desk, nightstand, china cabinet, etc. And most importantly, I feel it gives me full license to experiment with the piece because what is the worst that can happen? There is no monetary investment aside from the products and tools used to transform the piece.
Admittedly, this desk has been in the works for some time now and has gone through several transformations. But in the end it was all worth it because I learned a lot.
First, I gave the whole desk a light sand to remove the old varnish. Next, I used wood putty to fill stress gaps around the base of the desk and in some of the joints. Once the putty dried, I lightly sanded the areas to make ensure a smooth finish. Still not satisfied with the look (some of the gaps were quite large), I repeated this process one more time.
The top of the desk had some divots and other signs of wear and tear but instead of power sanding it smooth, I used a screwdriver and a steel wood pad to scratch it up and ding it a bit more. Next, I primed the whole desk with Kilz primer. I didn't use the shellac version in this case because I wasn't concerned about some of the knots and other discolorations showing through.
Next I layered charcoal, smoky grey, and antique white paints and then sanded it (I alternated between different grits of sandpaper) to get the finish I wanted. In spots where the bare wood was showing through, I used wood stain (shade: Kona). I used a small painter's brush to apply the stain on the bare wood and then wiped it away quickly with a cloth to achieve the look I desired.
I am so pleased with how this piece turned out that I can't wait to get my hands on another escritoire!
es·cri·toire (noun): A writing table; a desk.
Ouch…I have given away lots of furniture that deserved another life. Wish I had your talent and initiative. This looks great!
Previous story O Driftwood Tree, O Driftwood Tree!


It is important when opening a business bank account that all of the aspects of the banking business be taken into consideration in terms of the benefits that State commercial banks have to offer in terms of the business and the business owner. Business banking comparisons will be necessary in order to find the bank that provides the best services for a particular company.
Because there are so many State commercial banks, a particular bank may offer certain options that will only partially meet some of the business needs, if at all. Therefore, a business banking comparison will be necessary in order to ensure that all of the financial activity and financial assets associated with the business will have only a positive gain when opening an account with a particular financial institution.
Because the banking business will prove to be quite competitive, it is important for a business owner to make a list of all of the features that he/she expects or requires from State commercial banks. Features such as location, fees, interest rates, online banking, and overall services are among some of the basic considerations to have in mind while making a business banking comparison.
Once such features are secured among several State commercial banks, the next step will be to evaluate what kind of fees or costs a bank may require for some of these services. Some may have no fees when it comes to transactions, though there may be a fee for online banking. Determining which services are most important to the business owner and the business itself will prove to differ with each individual case, but they must evaluated before choosing to open an account with any particular banking institution.
NEXT: What are the Best Business Bank Accounts?


Investing may be exciting with all the ups and downs, giving you good profits at one point, and losses at another point. It can be a very emotional thing for many people. Whether you are new to investing, or have been trading for a long time, there are some things which can help you maximize a trailing stop loss, and in turn minimize your losses.
The time to set limits, such as a trailing stop loss order, is important. Don't wait until you see the market dropping. Set the amount early, either before you purchase or when you purchase. That way you will not lose as much if the market drops.
It may be hard to believe, but investing can be a very emotional thing. Your emotions can be strongly affected when the market rises or falls. One trap many people find themselves in, is that of making decisions according to how they are feeling emotionally. Try, as much as possible, to keep your emotions out of your investment decisions. Place your stop loss order to help you in this area. That way you will maximize your profit, and limit your loss- all with a clear head.
Before you dive right in, watch the markets. Learn how they work. You may even want to try a demo before you jump in with real money. If you do this, you can see how a stop loss will help you in the long run.
Talk to brokers, read investment magazines, and consider services like ours . You will be amazed at how easy you pick up on how to do things, the order to do them in, the investment risks and how the market changes.
Preparation is great, especially when you have never participated in the market before. You are sure to lose less and maximize your trailing stop loss when you take the time and know what you want before you begin.


text:
Covid As a Source of Election Interference
Micha Gartz
– October 31, 2020 Reading Time: 4 minutes
AIER
Daily Economy
Just four years ago there was uproar about Russian interference in the US elections. There were protests, investigations and congressional hearings. Now we're approaching another, equally divisive election.
To what extent has the prevailing narrative around a pathogen called SARS-CoV-2 been influenced by the timing of the elections? You hear lots of speculation. If it is possible that a virus has been politicized to this extent, it is a scandal.
It is an election year, so one does wonder.
Let's look at how infectious diseases have historically been entwined with and influenced politics:
Disease has led to wars. In 1781 a Venetian ship arrived in the port of Malta carrying a sole sailor, who had survived a plague which had claimed the rest of the ship's crew. The Maltese authorities quarantined the sailor, and condemned the Venetian ship carrying Tunisian goods to be burnt at sea. Tunis merchants claimed compensation for the lost goods, which both Venice and Malta refused to compensate. War was declared, and fourteen Venetian ships were subsequently captured before the merchants received compensation.
Pandemics shift states' power distributions. Napoleon conquered most of Europe before leading his 600,000-strong army to invade Russia in 1812. Contrary to popular belief Napoleon's army wasn't defeated by the Russians: the spread of typhus decimated his troops. In 1346 the Black Death was adapted as an early form of biological warfare when the Mongols catapulted infected corpses over the besieged city walls of heavily-fortified Caffa.
Pandemic as pretence. Just as disease alters the balance of power, so too does it offer a political veil to pursue ulterior political objectives such as political manoeuvring and economic sanctions. Take for instance Russia's ban on outdoor gatherings greater than 5,000 people to 'prevent the spread of Covid' after the political opposition announced a rally in response to the suspension of presidential term limits. Or Germany's 1880 protectionist and nationalist economic policies banning American pork products over 'sanitary concerns.'
Domestic political legitimacy. Initial lockdowns were never completely lifted after the curve was flattened, and politicians now need to cover their asses for initially overreacting. With exclamations that "Covid is skyrocketing" and "The second wave is here!" constant, even minor increases in cases are blamed on domestic non-conformers to mask mandates and used to justify more lockdowns. After all, if Baker, Cuomo or Newsom suddenly did an about-face by opening up after hospital capacity was increased the public would begin to question why they were locked up – ahem, down – in the first place. The scene in Tangled where Rapunzel's mother sings "Mother knows best" after plotting to achieve her own nefarious ends comes to mind. Political success depends on how many people buy into your propaganda.
Propagandising disease. Around the 15th century society evolved away from explanations of plagues as punishments sent by God. Instead, pestilence was used to conveniently shift blame from domestic failures to 'plague spreaders and well-poisoners.' Propaganda-led attacks on foreign and domestic enemies (usually minorities) were variously used either to shore up or undermine political legitimacy. During the 1980s the Soviets attempted to portray the US as untrustworthy and vicious by advertising the similarity of AIDS to an easily manipulated form of a virus found in sheep. This largely failed to gain traction, partly because domestically it became linked to political elements 'undesirable' at the time (i.e. the gay community).
But in 2020 disease has more successfully been weaponized and used to fracture society all the way down to the family level. Under the 'all or nothing' lockdown approach we religiously follow, anyone who is from a high-risk state, not wearing a mask, or in disagreement with governor-approved 'science' has successfully been designated a public enemy. Any dangerously callous, uncaring, greedy or misinformed individual who diverges from the select narrative is quickly cajoled into silence. And this silence and censorship are being used to manufacture consensus.
Censorship to create 'consensus'. My colleague Jeffrey Tucker wrote a few months ago about the New York Times's Walter Duranty's coverup of deliberate famine in Ukraine (1932-33) by the Soviet Union. Jeff relates the events portrayed in the movie "Mr. Jones" to the very one-sided narrative concerning Covid policies pushed by the media which led NYT editor Bari Weiss to resign. This doesn't just happen in the newsroom: social media behemoths Twitter, Facebook, and search engine Google censor content classified as 'misleading' or 'against community standards.' Some argue that as private enterprises these companies maintain a right to deny individuals the use of their platforms. But one does wonder, when censorship is supposedly done to prevent the contagion of 'fake news,' if outsourcing power to foreign censors can ever be a suitable solution.
There is little incentive for politicians to admit to the inadequacies of the state – whether it be from poverty-induced famine, or lockdowns denying citizens access to medical care, education or mental health services. State governors' 'diligence' and 'preparedness' enabling them to 'control' the virus reinforces the importance and 'superiority' of the state (again, 'Mother knows best'). At the end of the day, political success depends on how we perceive disease and the (in)adequacy of responses to it.
After all, you should "never let a good crisis go to waste." Our domestic politicians certainly haven't – and I'm sure their foreign counterparts haven't either. As a hegemon and active player in global politics, the US is frequently seen as a stabilizing presence. Many nations rely on us remaining engaged in current affairs.
There is a very simple incentive leading states to interfere in one another's elections: certain candidates are likely to be more friendly (or at least less hostile) than others. Unfriendly nations have incentives to get far-right (or left) political leaders elected because controversial figures polarize voters, and domestic discontent forces states to focus more on domestic politics and security – and less on foreign policy. This leaves an adversarial nation free to focus on pursuing their own foreign policy objectives without pesky competition or opposition.
There are so many other ways to interfere in an election than to tamper with voting machines – manipulating perceptions of Covid is just one of them.
Micha is a full-time Research Associate at the American Institute for Economic Research. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in International Relations and National Security through Curtin University, where she gained a double degree in International Relations and Economics.
During her studies she participated in numerous extra-curriculars as Secretary of the Curtin Wall Street Club, participant in Curtin Business School's Wesfarmer's High Achievers Program and an intern at the West Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She has received full scholarships for Mannkal's Leadership Development Program, an advanced industry placement at the American Institute for Economic Research, and the 2018 Asia Institute for Political Economy summer school, organised by the Fund for American Studies.
Get notified of new articles from Micha Gartz and AIER.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We are happy to announce another new family member. Named after a loved and supportive family that has been our supporters for years, Bruno is a stunning under a year old Bobcat. He has not had an easy start at life. He was illegally purchased as a baby. The owner was heading to boot camp so asked her friend to babysit her bobcat. The friend thought that sounded cool a bobcat! Wow..so he transported this beautiful innocent fella illegally across 3 states to his trailer and was in a cage in his kitchen in PA. He quickly realized that the idea of caring for bobcat was way different then he expected so he called the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for help. To comply legally the directer called in PA Game Commission. Pretty soon 3 states were involved in this now criminal case. The agencies were going to euthanize Bruno. The babysitter learned of the fate this guy would face due to his and his friends bad decision so he called us and asked if we could please help. Thankfully upon calling the directer she was also doing everything she could to give officials another option. All 3 states and officials signed the bobcat over to us and we picked him up yesterday. He will be getting his first vet treatment and neutered very soon . We are so thankful for each officer, Pocono Wildlife and yes the babysitter who called us and them for help. While he made a huge mistake he did right by calling for help. Thank you. We have him in a temporary habitat...if you would like to donate towards his enclosure please do so!
Welcome! East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue is a non-profit animal sanctuary located in the rural foot-hill mountains of Fairfield, Pennsylvania.
Our unique sanctuary is home to more than 40 species of exotic animals including birds, carnivores, primates and reptiles.
The sanctuary provides homes for misused, abused, or otherwise cast out animals. These animals were displaced for many reason including; laboratory retirement, zoo surplus, or pet trade. For all of them, the rescue provides a lasting refuge where they will live the rest of their lives.
Living forever - not in a zoo - but a home.
We recently enrolled in a program called SHOW. We receive funds from proof of purchase seals on the back of bags from Legends, Pro Elite and Southern States feed bags. Mail us the proof of purchase coupons and we will do the rest.
Our auction will be held October 13, 2019. Start thinking about donating those items that we can in turn auction off! This is one of our best fundraisers and we depend on you to keep it going.
When doing your spring cleaning think about bringing clothes, shoes, and not-glass household items to the bin. We get a percentage and it helps families in our community as well.


text:
Adrift But Not Alone
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source & Format: Bought; Hardcover
Series: Starbound #1
Amazon | Goodreads
Summary (from Goodreads)
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.
Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder — would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.
Thoughts on These Broken Stars
I fell in love with this cover before I even knew what the book was about! Isn't it so gorgeous? I don't always love covers with real people on them where you can clearly see the "characters," this is an example of how it can be done really well. So, I rarely read science fiction or anything set in space, but I was definitely intrigued by the summary. The positive reviews started rolling in, and I knew I was going to give this one a shot.
These Broken Stars opens with a disaster: a "massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet." Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen, two people from opposite social classes. Lilac is wealthy and famous, but Tarver has just started to make a name for himself. When the two survive the crash, they have only each other to rely on.
Oh man, I loved this book! Lilac and Tarver are complicated and frustrating characters in the very best way. They argue and bicker, getting on one another's nerves constantly, which is basically the premise of every single one of my favorite love stories. SOLD. Despite their flaws, I really did enjoy getting to know both of them.
I loved that this was really more of a survival story than anything else. While I get the science fiction aspect, it wasn't an intimidating aspect. There's a romance that I loved, and lots of action/adventure as these two try to find their way back to civilization. The science fiction element does come into play at one point, and it contributes to one of the big reveals in the book. Some people may not love that part, but I liked it because it was so different. There's a sort of creepy feeling because they're stranded in a place filled with so many unknowns, and it set the tone perfectly for some of what was to come.
Each chapter opens with a portion of dialogue between Tarver and an unknown character, which I thought was a nice touch. You see Tarver's attitude, and it was really just perfect. There is a lot of humor in this book, even in the moments where it's dark or things are tense. Additionally, the pacing worked really well for me. Plus, there's a great moment where your jaw drops and the story suddenly ramps up to a whole different level. It really was just such a fun read, even when it was putting my emotions through the ringer!
This was such a fabulous read, and I was so glad I gave it a chance. I love that the story was completely resolved by the end of the book and that it's a series of companion novels. I had some lingering questions about the world, and that was probably my only complaint about the book. I couldn't fully picture everything that was described and there were a few things that didn't really make sense to me. I have a feeling that those will be likely be addressed in the books to come, and I can't wait to meet new characters and spend more time in this world!
So Quotable
"For a moment the image before us is frozen: our world, our lives, reduced to a handful of broken stars half lost in uncharted space. Then it's gone, the view swallowed by the hyperspace winds streaming past, blue-green auroras wiping the afterimages away. Until all that's left is us."
FILED UNDER: Review, So Loved It, Young Adult Fiction
Cassie G July 16, 2014 at 11:27 AM
I read this one a while back and really liked it, but the more and more I get distance from it, the more I realize how much it stuck with me. Like, I'm terrible at truly remembering books unless I adored them, and this one is still stuck with me, and I'm kind of wanting to go and read it again. It was creepy and unknown, and that's what I really liked about it.
Also, the cover? Gorgeous.
Cassie @ Happy Book Lovers
I really liked These Broken Stars too! It's such a surprising + different YA novel, plus it helps that I had the biggest crush on Tarver. I also really think that the writing is lovely in this one, and the story pretty compelling. I'm looking forward to more from this world, and am very excited for the next one! Glad you enjoyed it, Hannah.
Amanda July 29, 2014 at 9:51 PM
Yay I'm so glad you loved this one! I also liked that it was more about survival rather than science fiction. It just made the story grittier and more realistic in my opinion. And Tarver and Lilac had such a perfect relationship.
I agree that there were definitely unresolved questions regarding the worldbuilding, but I think I actually liked that. I feel like as a reader I was privy to the same degree of knowledge that Tarver and Lilac had while traversing the planet, no more, no less. And that was kind of refreshing. But I still do look forward to learning more through other stories and new characters. :)


E-Learning Training Courses Our IHE e-learning training courses are an excellent way to learn. These courses feature interviews with leading standards industry experts. We are also offering Computer Based Training (CBT) courses that allow individuals to train at their own pace and convenience. Seminars We offer numerous seminars covering a variety of IHE topics. These seminars are offered onsite as well as offsite at select locations around the globe. We can also put a specialized and dedicated training program together that meets your specific requirements based on your products, environment or target audience, such as sales, distributors, service, engineers, IT or PACS support organizations. Professional Services Each of our associates has more than 15 years experience in the medical imaging and information field. We can provide consulting on connectivity including DICOM, HL7 and IHE, as well as network security implementations applicable for healthcare institutions. Search Database Please feel free to search our extensive list of articles, books, manuals, regulatory updates, white papers, images, conference news, webcasts and newsletters on this subject.


Hi, my name is Mert Ozcan and I have a mixed background in architecture, interaction design and programming.
For quite some time now, I've been an enthusiastic practitioner of 3D, real-time graphics, computational design and procedural art.
I've started Momad to merge these fields and try to make sense of it. This is still a ride though, as I'm observing, making and sharing on the way.
Please let me know what you think of my work. I'll also be opening a store very soon to sell some 2D and 3D prints which will be exported from my real-time pieces.
I need computational help for my new media works. A lot of help.
Random snacks: raspberry (pi) and chestnuts!


text:
News 2016 May
Oyster City Challenge
May 22, 2016 / Joseph Dichiacchio
The race offered three route options: a three mile, six-mile and a 14.2-mile route. I opted for the six because for me, much more than that this early in the year isn't racing; it's surviving.
For some reason, racers tend to gravitate to the longer events, but I was pleased to see that the six-mile version actually hosted higher numbers this year and had some solid competition.
The course started in Apalachicola and took us through the marshes to a tight turnaround and return back to the starting dock.
When the starting horn sounded, I purposely stayed off the gas with the idea of conserving until closer to the last mile or so, especially considering that we were going against a tidal current. This is a real departure for me, as I generally jump off the line and then struggle the rest of the way to keep things moving.
Rick Baker made the jump this time. Taking off hot from the line with myself and John Mitchell settling in for the chase.
I had previously raced with Mitchell before and knew that he was a strong paddler with a background in Masters Sprint, so I opted to stay on him until late in the race.
We slowly caught Baker who abruptly slammed on the brakes, nearly causing Mitchell and myself to pile up. We thought he had seen a formidable water hazard, maybe a gator or a shark, but apparently he had caught weeds on the front of the boat and was trying to dislodge them. Not sure if he realized how close he came to dislodging John and I as well.
After that near miss, Mitchell and I came around and started to put in some distance on Baker. We began to settle into a nice relaxed rhythm as we traveled through the marshes, enjoying the scenery along the way, including an ancient, large commercial fishing vessel in the late stages of decomposition. Apalachicola is a small town that traces it's origins to harvesting oysters and the seafood industry, it has more contemporarily become a tourist attraction for those preferring to take in "Old Florida" and the solitude of the beaches as opposed to the crowded areas in other sections of the Sunshine state.
Fishing heritage intact
As we approached the turnaround, Mitchell called out something that I couldn't quite decipher. Next thing I knew, in a deja vu of earlier in the race, we were slamming on the brakes in order to bring our 21-foot boats to come to a complete stop and reroute ourselves around the turn buoy. I had wrongly assumed we were circling around with the marsh path.
This made for a bit of comedy as I narrowly avoided T-Boning his boat upon realizing a bit too late what was happening. We then began the hardest part of the race, turning a surfski on a dime in a tight section.
After that awkward endeavor was finally over, we set off for the remaining three miles towards the finish line. John started to pick up the pace on the way back to assure that coming around would have to be earned. As we approached the final mile, a large deep-sea fishing vessel pulled out directly in front of us. John and I got directly into it's wash and rode along for a few moments. Eventually, the exhaust became too much to bear. I pulled to the left of the boat hoping for oxygen and seeking some purchase on the side wake. I looked over and saw that John had taken the inside route of the boat wake closest to the shore. It seemed to me to be a bit of mistake as it looked like he would have less room to negotiate.
As I eventually came around the boat, I saw John flying up the other side with a good fifteen yards on me pouring it on for the finish. By this point we had approximately half of a mile to go and my competition was charging hard for the line. I put in everything I had to catch him but could not bridge up.
Important lesson learned; never trust a masters racer. Those guys are slick. Good race John Mitchell and thanks for the ride!
John took the overall, then myself and Pete Chaplin in second and third respectively.
In the 14.2, Rick Carter took first, with Ted Burnell coming in seconds behind. Shane Kleynhans finished in third.
William Schaet
Kata Dismukes finished first for the women in the 14 and came in fourth overall, with Dana Richardson in at second and Wyndy Amerson third.
Myrlene Marsa and Dana Richardson
CJ. Haynes took the win for women in the 10k, with Lyndsey O'Shea in second and Myrlene Marsa in at third.
Thanks to Joe Vinson at Kayak Trader for putting the event together. Looking forward to future installments!
Full Results: https://paddleguru.com/races/KayakTraderOysterCityChallenge2016
Georgia Bulldog!
Kata Dismukes
Rick Carter
Shane Kleynhans
Michael Herrin
Ted Burnell
Lindsey O'Shea, Ralph Dismukes, Mark Poole, and Lynn Marie King
May 22, 2016 / Joseph Dichiacchio/
Speed Vs. Drama ---Peter Morgan
Cory Hill---The World Is Not Enough


I recently got the following question on my Twitter feed: Do you feel meditation has really changed you? More relaxing, less stress? So on?
The short answer to these questions is YES! All of the above! But that answer isn't terribly helpful, so I thought it would be useful to share just how my meditation and mindfulness practice helps me to be a better parent.
Before we get into the details, I feel compelled to clarify something. As I have said many times, I am not the Dalai Mama. If any of you were to follow me around for a few days, or spy on me (in a totally non-creep way, of course), you would probably see me snap at my kids or sneak a peek at my smartphone or hide in the kitchen for a break.
You would see me being anything but mindful.
Is this a familiar scenario? You're sitting around the table, at home or at a restaurant. You and your loved ones have already talked about each other's days. You've already discussed the delicious meal and any upcoming plans.
And now you're sitting and maybe eating. In silence. Or maybe everyone is looking down and tinkering with their phones.
Or maybe you have lively, fascinating conversations when you're together. But you'd like to dig deeper.
That's where questions come in. Questions give us the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of each other, of ourselves.
Family values involve all of the ideas of how you want to live your family life, and they are often passed down from previous generations. They can help define behavior in various situations, help youth make good choices, and solidfy the bond that your family has. If your family doesn't already have these values in place, know that it is never too late to make a list.
Most of us use labels to talk about our concerns. I am stressed. I am sooo overwhelmed. I can't sleep. I am worn out. I am exhausted.
When you label something, it is likely you are pulling information (thoughts, interpretations) from your conscious mind. Therefore, when you label or describe something, you are filtering it through that narrow "10 percent" lens. Your descriptions of what's currently going on are probably actually memories of the past or projections of the future. But what you're really experiencing is actually slightly different.
Boyle notes that labels don't really get to the heart of what's happening within us. Labels are limiting. But when you speak about your experience, you're tuning into your feelings. You're getting specific. You're tuning into a range of information. You're tuning into yourself.
To bolster the results, Poldrack also fasted and drew blood on Tuesdays, which was analyzed to draw connections between brain function and gene expression. This step also showed definitive – and surprising – evidence of just how the brain reorganizes itself when it's low on coffee.
Runaway/homeless shelters document high levels of substance abuse among runaway youth, at least double that of school youth. These youth present a constellation of problems and research suggests that this population may be unique in the range and intensity of as- sociated problems. Most studies to date have collected self-report data on these youth; virtually no research has examined treatment ef- fectiveness with the population. Given the void of treatment outcome research with these youths, there is need for identifying potent interventions. Given that issues of engagement and retention must assume prominence in the development of new treatments, this article presents a family-based treatment engagement strategy successfully employed with a sample of substance-abusing youth staying in a southwestern shelter. Youth and primary caretakers are engaged separately by the therapist utilizing motivating factors appropriate to context of the families' lives and to the developmental position of the client. © 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
One of the major clinical innovations in the modern treatment of addiction is the Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training (CRAFT) intervention developed by Dr. Robert Meyers. CRAFT is an evidence-based, non-confrontational approach that can be used by concerned significant others (CSOs) to promote help-seeking and recovery initiation for a family member experiencing alcohol- or other drug-related problems. I recently (December 2014) had the opportunity to interview Dr. Meyers about the development, evaluation, and future of CRAFT. Please join us in this engaging discussion.


In this category the newsreader must have a small footprint…in every direction. Of course, size does matter, but resources used, like memory and processor. And the newsreader has to work extremely well, without any kind of issues. This year, mainly due to their portable version, Binreader has been our most used favorite. The simplicity of this downloader makes this one of the easiest newsreaders to use, and so time and again, we have found ourselves here at UsenetReviewz opening this client.
Looking back on the last year, Binreader has had quite an uneventful 12 months. They have made a few repairs, and added in support for HDMI streaming in Linux distros, fixed a few bugs, and added in more functions to the video preview. But when there isn't a lot going on, maintenance and support can be concentrated on more fully. They offer the newsreader for free, and almost every possible Operating System is supported.
Free and works on almost every platform, Android apps are coming soon.
Works for every provider, and easily configured.
Preview of downloads supported, but Mac users will need mPlayer.
Automatically repairs and unpacks your downloads.
Option to ignore PAR2 files unless needed.
SSL fully supports, as is Ipv6.
There are versions for every flavor, and any situation. They even have a portable version so you can load it to a removable media device, and carry it with you. Currently the latest version is 1.0 beta 3. This version adds in a lot of video functions, and lets Linux users have the option of streaming their previews to HDMI with more audio support. Nice!
We would like to thank the developers, support staffs, and any others involved in this for keeping this downloader free. Outstanding job folks, this wasn't the biggest factor in your selection for this award, but it sure weighed in along with all the other perks. If you would like to tell us how much you like or dislike our decision making for our awards, yo can send us a Tweet to @usenetreviewz.


What are the Pressing Questions on Integrating Faith and Economics?
As I continue researching the integration of faith and ethics, I am faced with a complexity of issues and activities on the fronts of morality (determinative of motivations and informing ethics), ethics (as the outworking of morality, i.e., what is or is not appropriate behavior), diversity (both the broad range of activities and in theological explanations), and so on.
But, I am most curious about what marketplace Christians perceive to be the most pressing questions pertaining to their understanding of why and how we experience or pursue the integration of our Christian faith and our economic activity, whether in employment, in mission / missions, personal and corporate spending and investment patterns, etc.
Most of us recognize this is an important topic, especially given the globalizing of economics and the volatility of economic instability and economic injustice.
So, I throw the conversation open and ask: What are the pressing questions on integrating faith and economics?
One of the hardest things for many Christians to understand is that once we "give" our life to Christ (as if God did not already own us–Psalm 24:1), how do we know what steps to follow or His plan for us or how to discern God's will?
In the West we have largely focused in recent history on personal salvation. We are saved individually. But the Bible is clear that we are also saved into a community and into a purpose. Both are lifelong commitments that serve God, serve others, and serve ourselves.
Humankind, male and female, were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). As a reflection of the Trinitarian community of God, Adam was given a partner, called a helpmate (for the division of labor) and wife (for the perpetuation of the species). They had a new community in an ideal setting. Their provision was available and, by comparison to after the Fall, their work was not stressful or laborious.
The Fall, that is, Adam and Eve's choice to disobey God, cast a pall over all of humanity and the rest of creation. Being put out of the Garden of Eden launched the largest project in the universe after creation: the mission of God. In theological parlance, that is known as the Latin missio Dei. It is what the rest of the story of the Bible is all about. Christopher Wright contends that God launched His mission with the choice of Abraham as the spiritual father through whom all nations would be blessed. But the coming of Christ, the seed of Abraham, was also the seed of Adam and Noah and every other generation that preceded him in his temporal lineage. The prophets also called Jesus the Son of David. The mission of God was in motion in the mind of God from before even creation and progressed according to His plan.
Wright has done the church and the world a great service in writing a book, simply titled The Mission of God. I promote it with the warning…it is comprehensive which means it is long, well over 500 pages. Fortunately Wright has a very readable style and the progression of the book is methodical in developing the thesis and what it means to us, as the church, as we pursue following Christ and ministering to the world.
The development of focus on personal salvation in the past century has undermined the church's efforts in God's grand scheme, His mission. That is not to say that personal salvation is not important. It is relevant as we each are given a new heart, a new disposition, and a new role in the world. Many of us (all of us?) are afflicted with a broad range of maladies, whether physical, economic, psychological, or emotional. Jesus Christ offers us the opportunity to overcome all that has been passed to us generationally or done to us by varying levels of our communities, whether those be impacts from dysfunction in our families, our local communities, our cultures, or the world at-large. He even grants us revitalization to overcome the inheritance of sin passed down, as like-kind progeny, all the way from Adam.
But a great deal of our personal healing comes from the realization that we are not alone. The sufferings we experience, the temptations we face, and the conditions of our lives are not uncommon. That is why Hebrews 3:13 instructs us to encourage one another daily lest we fall back into old patterns of ungodly belief and behavior. I have been burdened with my own set of issues. Many of those have been addressed and healed in Bible study, prayer, and personal discipline. Most of them have been worked out through a series of relationships with other Christians who have consoled me, encouraged me, exhorted me, even scolded me along the way.
But the greatest problem I have faced is getting over myself. This life, my "calling," gifts and talents . . . none of them are about me per se. God has created me and invited me to join Him as a son, a title I continue to aspire to through continuing the pursuit to know God and live in obedience. Hebrews is clear that I am becoming a son of God. It is a lifelong process that, like the coming of God's Kingdom is already-but-not-yet, sealed in eternity but playing out in temporal reality.
As I continue that pursuit and God continues to woo me toward Him, I become increasingly aware of His movement on a much grander scale than anything particularized to me or my life. God is in mission and we are invited to join in that movement. My particular role appears to have something to do with understanding what God is doing and why in the marketplace and in global culture in general.
God's mission is all-encompassing, turning all of human society back toward Himself and His original plan for humankind. In the research for my book, Eden's Bridge: The Marketplace in Creation and Mission, I reached the conclusion that all these "mountains," except family and church, fall under the umbrella of the marketplace, where we exchange value with society beyond the household walls (natural family) or the fellowship of the church (spiritual family). Whether it is the exchange of ideas and information (education and media), opportunities for self-expression (arts and entertainment), or matters of law (government), all these contribute to establishing (for good or ill) the order and well-being of society as relational interactions. Historically these activities were largely carried out in common (shared) public spaces such as the town square, or at the city gates or the threshing floor. All these, in my mind, fall under the marketplace umbrella because they are inextricably linked in the economic formation of society.
Borrowing from Bright, Hillman, et al, I created the chart below for my own thought development. I was able to see their priority statuses of each institution given what they provide each of us. I modified the original listing, changing "church" to "ideology" because, as we encounter the world as it is, it is obvious that there are many other religions or philosophic systems that inform morality and ethics.
The three "mountains" that I classify as Central Institutions are those that were created in the natural order of the Garden of Eden–family (Adam and Eve in procreative relationship), worship (walking with God in obedience), and business (mutually beneficial exchange for communal provision).* But all seven institutions are on God's radar in His mission of the redemption of all creation. Christian workers in all these arenas play a part in carrying that mission forward.
The challenge for the church today is to inform marketplace Christians as to their roles and responsibilities as vital to God's mission and to release them from the false bifurcation of secular vocation and sacred calling. How does your vocation and how you do your job carry forward that movement? How do your work and work ethic reflect and glorify God? What can you do to "redeem" your industry, your workplace, your position to bring God's Spirit, in power and truth, to bear in all the relationships touching your career?
It is a challenging question and one not easily answered but one that must be raised: when you go to work, or to the market, or to take in entertainment, or pursue education, or vote . . . are you on mission?
In recent decades two strains of theological development have gained a significant amount of attention: the theology of work and the theology of stewardship. Both have proven important in informing us about God's explosive movement in the marketplace, especially in the last few decades. I spent a fair amount of time investigating both these areas of concern in my own research over the past several years.
But I hit a wall when I came to Deuteronomy 8:18 – "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." In this passage, God is reminding Israel that their economic success does not emerge from either their inherent goodness or the diligence of their work. But there is little to nothing in the surrounding text to answer two critical questions: How did God give them the ability to create wealth?, and how does the increase of their wealth fulfill the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
Unpacking that verse in an attempt to answer those questions is what ultimately led to me writing Eden's Bridge: The Marketplace in Creation and Mission. While all this is taken up in detail in the book, I offer the following as a brief on the theological message it articulates: the marketplace is an institution of God, implicit in the creation narrative of Genesis 1–2 and vital to God's mission in the world (the missio Dei).
The first question – How did God give them the ability to create wealth? – is answered by two provisions God made for Israel – land and community. "How is wealth created" as a generic question is answered most simply by three economic components: access to the means of production, the division of labor, and advantageous exchanges between workers, i.e., trade. My quest to understand the interaction of these three, in effect, the functionality of a market economy, as a partial answer to the original question led me to the conclusion that the marketplace, as a means to create wealth (as abundance), is an institution of God. If that is so, I wondered if it was an original intent, that is, in creation or something that came later.
My curiosity led me to re-read Genesis 1–2, which I had read many times before but now from a different perspective. Were those foundational components of the marketplace present in the Garden narrative? Hopefully, the reader has already surmised the conclusion that I finally reached that they are indeed.
In creation, the Garden (the earth), like the land for Israel and now for all, is the foundation of the means of production. Given energy from the sun (and now through materials mined from the ground, gravity, such as tidal and wave energy, environmental energy, such as wind, and ground source, or geothermal, energy), the Garden produced all that the first family needed, not only to survive but to thrive. Adam had only to put forth what must be assumed to be a nominal effort to do well. The land, the eco-creation, is the primary means of production, and remains so even today as buildings, vehicles, electronic devices, clothing, food, and machinery are all constructed or derived from the elements of the earth.
Interesting to note, at least to me, is the realization that God never commanded Adam to work. To work and take care of the Garden, rather, were part of Adam's reason for being and in particular relationship to his physical context. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). To work and take on the responsibility of overseeing the Garden were, in effect, written into the DNA of what it means to be human in the sense of the purpose, at least in part, for our having been created. But this was Adam's work . . . alone. His "calling" to work and to stewardship, if you will, was in isolation.
Then God deemed that Adam was not to be or work alone, that it was not good. God did not simply create a wife for Adam to produce progeny and perpetuate the species. God first identifies Eve as the 'ezer neged, an appropriate or suitable help mate, in Genesis 2:18. She is not identified as wife until 2:24. Not only the foundational elements of labor and stewardship were established in the Garden but the introduction of Eve introduced the expectation of the division of labor.
The division of labor creates the opportunity for expanding economies. The first step is simply by making labor more efficient, dividing the tasks within a given project, whether as foundational as gathering food or complex as transnational manufacturing and marketing of goods. Efficiency gains are productivity gains, the foundation of creating new wealth as an abundance greater than can be produced alone. The division of labor, through increased efficiencies, allows for the development of specialized skills which further enhance productive efficiency within a community.
Thus far we have seen that God has provided, from creation, two of the three elements critical to the establishment of a market economy – access to the means of production (land, in this case) and the division of labor (to move work beyond work in isolation). The third element – exchange – brings up being made in the image of a Trinitarian God, a self-contained community.
Sadly, the only exchange between Adam and Eve given in the creation narrative is when she shared with him the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is easily understood that this awakened them to the determination of their own sense of morality. It was also the violation of the relationship they had with God.
But other exchanges between them are implied by the introduction of the help mate. A lone actor can be diligent and godly in both the mental and physical tasks of their work. A lone actor can also be diligent in protecting and optimizing whatever means of production, whether land, machinery, or information, is available. Hence, the theologies of work and stewardship can be taken as individual concerns. But Adam, even before the introduction of Eve, was never alone, and nor are we. He walked with God in the Garden and now we abide with a cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1).
For many of us, to walk with God (or even having an unseen cloud of witnesses) is largely an ethereal experience given that God is spirit and fundamentally intangible, having no body. The introduction of Eve made the idea of relationship tangible, visible, present in a real way. Adam may have been able to distance himself in his relationship with God if the Presence of God was ethereal but Eve was as real as real could be.
Adam was created in the image of God but his rebellion altered that image. His rebellion changed the relationship with God, who put him out of the Presence in the Garden, and it altered his relationship with Eve. At the heart of God's creation were two people, designed to work together as a reflection of the image of a holy God. They were designed to be holy as God is holy, that the character of righteousness and justice would dictate their relationships with God and with one another.
To move beyond the theologies of work and stewardship, in fact to create the biblical foundation and the fullness of those theologies, we must come to understand the theology of the marketplace, of the interpersonal exchanges between God and humankind, within the human family, and between humankind and the environment created for our sustainability.
The marketplace is the most pervasive institution in human experience. To some degree, every person is affected by economic interactions with others. At the heart of the theology of the marketplace is God's design for human community, that we live together in mutual support striving toward the re-establishment of God's reign in the world, that is, moral order directing and fulfilling economic, political, social, and environmental justice (though, given the multitude of directing moral philosophies, even within Christendom, how that justice works out remains somewhat open to interpretation).
In no way does the Bible endorse socialistic or communistic models of governance or economics as they have come to mean in the present day. It is for freedom that we have been made free (Galatians 5:1) . . . free from the penalties of sin and death, free to worship God without encumberance from within or without, free to become as God originally intended us to be. The governmental, social, political, and economic endeavors of God's children, however, are undertaken in obedience and response to God's leading and goodness toward righteousness and justice, by choice rather than by the coercive influences of state or sect.
Though the marketplace was established in creation itself, there was no need of profit for sustainability . . . only obedience to God. We now live in a fallen world and sustainability hinges on working with and within the world's system to a great degree. A re-oriented view of the marketplace, in Kingdom perspective, however, may lead us to pursue restoring godliness in our relationships with God and one another and, seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, allowing God the freedom to bless us anew as we cling to His ways and priorities, even if sometimes He asks us to risk worldly security beyond our understanding.
The marketplace, in God's original intention, was a means to more than sustain us. It is for us to enjoy Him and His creation in abundance. It is for us to develop holy living in relationships. Economic discipline is vital to our survival and flourishing, all of us, and many in our world are not flourishing. Jeffrey Sachs, in The End of Poverty, points out that we have sufficient wealth to end global poverty but lack the political will. Accumulation in the hands of too few keeps too many from the basic needs of nutrition, health care, education, and economic freedom. That is why understanding God's design and purposes for the marketplace, in creation and now moving toward redemption, is vitally important for the church and the world: because God cares for the least of these.
John Wesley was concerned that Christian faith undermines itself due to the increasing wealth of adherents. As Christ-followers gave up costly vices and began to live more frugally, their wealth increased. Unfortunately, that brought new temptations of costly clothing, richer dwellings, frivolous entertainment, and so on.
This is very much the conundrum facing many Christians in the West today. By global standards, many of us are wealthy. Even within our own context, many have increasingly expensive homes, automobiles, furnishings, and sumptuous meals. We have more than met our needs. We live in abundance and buy into a false gospel that says we deserve it.
God chose Israel, not because they were better than anyone else, but as an isolated nation through whom He could make a name for Himself. God had been and continues to work outside Israel (and now the church), often blessing the righteous to advance His agenda of transforming the world.
But wealth may be one of the greatest traps we can fall in to. We work hard, we plan and are prudent with our resources, we live well . . . and see it all as somehow something we deserve. But we thank God for blessing us for our diligence and call our part "being faithful." But our faithfulness tends to stop at our front door.
The average giving in churches in the United States is something around three per cent. Imagine the good that churches could do in their own communities and around the world if we simply adhered to the ten percent tithe. That does not touch the potential if we were to give sacrificially (the hallmark of God's love in His work on the Cross).
Acts 2:44–45 speaks of the church having "all things in common" and "sharing as anyone had need." Right now, even in our context there are thousands of Christians without jobs. How often, and to what depth, are the members of their churches aware or addressing the needs of those families? Unemployment has dipped to about 8.5% recently. That means 91.5% are employed. Even if we double the official rate, taking into account those who are no longer able to draw unemployment, 83% are still employed. Can four help take care of the one?
If we expand globally, our conviction should deepen. Our standard of living is still that to which much of the world can only dream to achieve. There are orphans in Indian and African facilities who remain unsponsored, often for as little as $25.00 or $30.00 a month to provide clothing, housing, education, and healthcare. There are millions unemployed who might be helped to build their local economies if even a small portion of Western portfolios were re-directed into small business, micro-venture funds (some even paying an annual return, albeit lower than optimizing a blue chip mix).
The church is faced with perhaps the greatest opportunity in history to be a witness to the glory of God. If we can strategize how to move capital into the communities of greatest need (both foreign and domestic) while also creating mechanisms designed to improve the odds of success (especially skills training and access to pertinent information), all boats can rise.
If the church will truly reach out to minister to the economic needs of its own, the world will see what Jesus said about them "knowing we are His followers by our love for one another" (John 13:35). James was absolutely right when he said that it is not enough to say "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," if we do not make accommodation for actually meeting their needs.
Will we take all this into consideration as admonition from God to step up and begin to be the followers and church we claim to be, or will we remain complacent, underfunding ministries and outreach to those in real need while we wallow in our comfort zones?
This essay will likely anger some, saying that I have resorted to manipulation and guilt. I would argue that I have only resorted to the directives of justice and righteousness of the Bible we claim to uphold and the leading of the God we claim to worship. This journey has been difficult for me. I have historically worked very hard to provide well for myself. God, in His wisdom, has chosen this season to re-direct my thinking.
I have chosen recently to focus on two passages from Scripture that speak to our needs and wants.
If we have any wonder why our possessions cause us so much worry and demand so much time and money to care for; if we wonder why the church in the United States is struggling to fulfill its mandate to lead social and political change; if we wonder . . .
The answer is most likely that we have focused first on our needs and desires rather than seeking to glorify God, willingly living in humility and with an attitude of servitude toward God and others.


This week's Torah portion begins, "Va-yetzei Ya'akov," which is typically translated as "Jacob left" or "Jacob departed" (Gen. 28:10). But the root of the Hebrew verb y-tz-a is significant; it is the same as in the "Motzi" blessing for bread ("brings forth") and "Yetzi'at mitzrayim," the Exodus from Egypt. According to Rabbi Yoel Kahn, the true meaning of this phrase: "Va-yetzei Ya'akov" is "And Jacob came out."
For both contemporary and classical commentators alike, it is not a stretch to read Jacob as a queer character. Like the trickster in folklore, Jacob is the marginal figure who lives on wits and subterfuge to control his stronger brother. Defying masculine stereotypes, known for his soft skin and domesticated ways, we read last week of Jacob's attempt to pass as his older brother Esau in order to secure his father's blessing.
When he realizes that his father knows the truth, Jacob runs from his home...Va-yetzei Ya'akov...And Jacob comes out. For queer and trans people, coming out is both a formative moment and an iterative process of identity development. But it is not exclusively for queer and trans people. The Torah is full of ancestral coming out moments. God says to Abram, Lech Lech - Go to yourself, Come out to yourself. Leave your comfort zone and your family's expectations and your preconceived notions of what a life might look like, and go become yourself.
In his book Halakhic Man, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik writes, "Judaism declares that a person stands at the crossroads and wonders about the path they shall take. Before them there is an awesome alternative - the image of God...herein is embodied the entire task of creation and the obligation to participate in the renewal of the cosmos...The most fundamental principle of all," Soleveitchik writes, "is that a person must create themself. It is this idea that Judaism introduced into the world."
Va-yetzei Ya'akov - And Jacob came out.
Next week we will read of Jacob's wrestling with an angel in which he is blessed and renamed Yisra'el. Yet another moment of coming out and self-formation from which we all descend.
Rabbi Yoel Kahn concludes, "The story of Jacob lends itself to being read as a classic coming-out narrative, but even if were were to retell it stripped of its campy details, the story remains appealing because of its truth and resonance with so much of human experience: the yearning to uncover and realize the authentic self...and the lifelong tasks of acceptance, integration, and connection." (Torah Queeries, p. 45).
As we enter the shabbat that precedes Trans Day of Remembrance/Resilience, I am a grateful to be part of a religious community in which so many of us feel safe and seen and able to come out. I do not take that for granted. And more so, to be part of a community in which so many of us have left some aspect of our ancestral homes, constantly coming out and into ourselves, in search of acceptance, integration, and connection.
Wherever we are on our journeys, may we each of us have a Shabbat Shalom!


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TOP 10 | West Holmes wrestler Cael Woods' lone loss comes in final bout
Editor's note: This is the sixth installment of a 10-part series chronicling the Top 10 area high school sports moments from the 2018-19 sports seasons. Spanning the fall, winter and spring campaigns, the spotlight will be on the most noteworthy moments involving athletes and teams from the area's high schools.
Coming in No. 5, West Holmes junior wrestler Cael Woods went undefeated all the way up to the Div. II state championship match before losing in overtime for the title at 113 pounds.
The following is an excerpt of the March 9 original story on the state title bout by DR correspondent Aaron Dorksen.
COLUMBUS – It would be hard to imagine a wrestler at the 2019 State Wrestling Individual Tournament who's dedicated more hours to the sport than West Holmes junior Cael Woods.
However, time was not on Woods' side in the Division II 113-pound state championship bout against Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy senior Jacob Decatur at the Schottenstein Center Saturday night.
Woods admitted he let up one second early and it cost him the championship.
Decatur came out of a scramble on top for a takedown with 1 second left in sudden-victory overtime to stun the previously unbeaten Woods and win the title match 4-2 in front of more than 11,000 fans.
The top-ranked Decatur (37-4) became a three-time state champ, while three-time state-placer Woods ended the season with a 47-1 record.
"I thought I was out of time and apparently the refs didn't think so and that's what they called," said Woods, who was expecting the match to go to double-overtime. "I thought they were going to blow the whistle and I was paying attention to the clock and wasn't really paying attention to the match. Rookie mistake."
Decatur and Woods, who split a pair of previous matches, were on the defensive throughout. Neither scored an offensive point in regulation.
Following a scoreless first period, Decatur went up 2-1 after he escaped and was then awarded a penalty point for a 2-0 lead when Woods inadvertently poked him in the eye.
Woods pushed the action, though, trying for several shots as Decatur repeatedly tied him up. A second stalling call against Decatur cut his lead to 2-1 after two periods.
Woods escaped early in the third period to knot it up at 2-all, but once again neither wrestler could find an opening to get a good shot attempt in.
Rather than getting the chance to settle the title in the second overtime (two 30-second tiebreakers), Woods will spend the offseason thinking about that heartbreaking one second.
"It's just going to burn, it's going to hurt and I'm going to take some time off and then go back to it," said Woods, who started wrestling at age 4. "Wins and losses, they don't define me. … I was thankful to run across the stage (for the finals) and to tech-fall my kid in the semis and I felt like I would really come out on top."
West Holmes coach Scott Vaughn questioned the lead official after the match to ask if the winning takedown was actually scored before time expired, but couldn't get the call reversed.
"It was a close call," Vaughn said. "(Assistant coach Greg Woods and I) were both watching the match and weren't necessarily watching the clock.
"I was just trying to make sure that there was still time. It's a heartbreaker to see a kid that works that hard lose like that and you've gotta give some respect out for a three-time state champ. (Decatur) has been there before and wrestled a smart match and did what he had to do. Maybe it wasn't Cael's time, but he'll have his time."
Cael Woods who placed eighth as a freshman and third as a sophomore, was trying to complete the first father-son state champ duo in area history. Greg Woods was first for Triway in 1990.


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Q: mathematical permutation code? One part of my app has 6 different inputs, where each input has 5 different possible values. This works out to 15,625 permutations. I'd like to believe that I don't have to code out every single one, but I'm really unsure. I've started coding it as if I have to code out every single one, but it got me thinking that there must be a better way. So I've come here to see if any more experienced coders know of a better way to do this.
Is there any other way? Other than having to code out every single permutation?
Equation Explanation:
There are 6 limbs (inputs). Each input depends on its percentage of leftover health. These dependencies (expressed as a percentage) are less than or equal to 0, greater than 0 and less than or equal to 25, greater than 25 and less than or equal to 50, greater than 50 and less than or equal to 75, and greater than 75. Each permutation will more often than not result in a different output. This output is displayed within the app for the user to use.
[EDITS] This is not a damage calculation. These are penalties applied to player stats based upon how much damage they've taken. The expected results either don't affect their stats or reduce their stats. Occasionally, the number subtracted is the same for different variables. If you look at the code below, you'll see that the number is the same for head > 0.0 && head <= 0.25 and chest > 0.0 && chest <= 0.25, as well as chest > 0.25 && chest <= 0.50 and leftarm > 0.25 && leftarm <= 0.50 and rgitharm > 0.25 && rightarm <= 0.50
[EDITS] I'll reply to the comments here:
@Frank N. Stein: Oops. Thanks for the correction :)
@aioobe: I've edited the equation explanation to hopefully clarify the expected outcomes.
@ian: Those values cannot be worked out as they're percentages. I would never be able to work them out.
@Marco13: It seems that way simply because I haven't finished coding every permutation out yet. On second thought, I don't think I need to display dead. I can just leave those permutations out of the calculations as it's taken care of in a different activity.
@aioobe: Is this better than enumerating the outcomes as suggested by @Ian and @Durandal.
@Danil Gaponov: Is this better or worse than what was suggested by @Durandal in his/her answer?
@Durandal: I've updated the equation explanation to hopefully be more clear about what I'm expecting for each of these outcomes.
Thanks for your patience :)
Would I be able to do something similar to this:
//  HEALTH
//  N > 0.75            == Full
//  N > 0.50 && <= 0.75 == HighHealth
//  N > 0.25 && <= 0.50 == MedHealth
//  N > 0.00 && <= 0.25 == LowHealth
//  N <= 0.00           == Dead

IE I could then write h == Full or h == Health.Full. This would make my life a lot easier would make the code much easier to read. Although, I'd still have to work out every single permutation, it'd be a little more manageable.
Another idea I have is to put these calculations in a different class and run it within the activity. Something like this:
//      SETTING DATA
//      WEAPON 1
//      MELEE
weapon1attack.setText(PenaltiesMeleeHelper);
weapon1accuracy.setText(PenaltiesMeleeHelper);
//      RANGED
weapon1thrownattack.setText(PenaltiesThrownHelper);
weapon1thrownaccuracy.setText(PenaltiesThrownHelper);
//      WEAPON 2
//      MELEE
weapon2attack.setText(PenaltiesMeleeHelper);
weapon2accuracy.setText(PenaltiesMeleeHelper);
//      RANGED
weapon2thrownattack.setText(PenaltiesThrownHelper);
weapon2thrownaccuracy.setText(PenaltiesThrownHelper);

Would any of these be possible?
[EDIT] Would an mathematical algorithm work? Let's say I have Checker that checks for the penalties every time the activity starts. If it finds a penalty/penalties, then it adds them all together for me and subtracts them from the appropriate stats.
For example:
// There are 3 main outcomes that are suffered for being damaged too much
// The reduction of parry (PRY), dodge (DOD), and damage & accuracy (AM)
// The deductions range from -2 to -5.
// I could declare Enums for each type

PRY2 = (- 2)
DOD2 = (- 2)
AM2 = (- 2)

PRY2 would be put into the equation if la > 0.50 && la <= 0.75 || ra > 0.50 && ra <= 0.75
DOD2 would be put into the equation if la > 0.50 && la <= 0.75 || ra > 0.50 && ra <= 0.75 || ll > 0.50 && ll <= 0.75 || rl > 0.50 && rl <= 0.75
AM2 would be put into the equation if la > 0.50 && la <= 0.75 || ra > 0.50 && ra <= 0.75 || c > 0.50 && c <= 0.75

PRY3 = (- 3)
DOD3 = (- 3)
AM3 = (- 3)

PRY3 would be put into the equation if c > 0.25 && c <= 0.50 || la > 0.25 && la <= 0.50 || ra > 0.25 && ra <= 0.50 ||
DOD3 would be put into the equation if c > 0.25 && c <= 0.50 || la > 0.25 && la <= 0.50 || ra > 0.25 && ra <= 0.50 || ll > 0.25 && ll <= 0.50 || rl > 0.25 && rl <= 0.50
AM3 would be put into the equation if c > 0.25 && c <= 0.50 || la > 0.25 && la <= 0.50 || ra > 0.25 && ra <= 0.50 ||

PRY4 = (- 4)
DOD4 = (- 4)
AM4 = (- 4)

PRY4 would be put into the equation if la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 || ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 || ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25 || rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25
DOD4 would be put into the equation if la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 || ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 || ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25 || rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25
AM4 would be put into the equation if la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 || ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 || ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25 || rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25

PRY5 = (- 5)
DOD5 = (- 5)
AM5 = (- 5)

PRY5 would be put into the equation if h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25 || c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25 || la <= 0.0 || ra <= 0.0 || ll <= 0.0 || rl <= 0.0
DOD5 would be put into the equation if h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25 || c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25 || la <= 0.0 || ra <= 0.0 || ll <= 0.0 || rl <= 0.0
AM5 would be put into the equation if h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25 || c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25 || la <= 0.0 || ra <= 0.0 || ll <= 0.0 || rl <= 0.0

// I'm not sure how, but somehow it would know, since it's PRY, then it knows to take the Enum and deduct it from the PRY slot and not the DOD or AM slots.
// Is this a step in the right direction?

Here's the code that I have currently (coding out every single permutation):
//      SETTING DATA
//      WEAPON 1
//      MELEE
        try {
            float STRF = NumberUtils.toFloat(pref.getString("strength", ""), 0.0f);
            float MCF = NumberUtils.toFloat(pref.getString("melee", ""), 0.0f);
            float W1AttF = NumberUtils.toFloat(pref.getString("w1attack", ""), 0.0f);

    // ALL LIMBS > 0.00 && h <= 0.25
            if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25 && c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25
                    && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25
                    && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 26));
            }
        // HEAD h > 0.25 && h <= 0.50
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.25 && h <= 0.50 && c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25
                    && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25
                    && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 21));
            }
            // HEAD h > 0.50 && h <= 0.75
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.50 && h <= 0.75 && c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25
                    && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25
                    && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 21));
            }
            // HEAD h > 0.75
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.75  && c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25
                    && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25
                    && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 21));
            }
        // CHEST c > 0.25 && c <= 0.50
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25 && c > 0.25 && c <= 0.50
                    && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25
                    && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 26));
            }
            // CHEST c > 0.50 && c <= 0.75
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25 && c > 0.50 && c <= 0.75
                    && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25
                    && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 26));
            }
            // CHEST c > 0.75
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25 && c > 0.75
                    && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25
                    && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 26));
            }
        // HEAD ONLY
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h > 0.0 && h <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 5));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && h <= 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText("Dead");
            }
        // CHEST ONLY
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && c > 0.0 && c <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 5));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && c > 0.25 && c <= 0.50) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 3));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && c > 0.50 && c <= 0.75) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 2));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && c <= 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText("Dead");
            }
        // LEFT ARM ONLY
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && la > 0.0 && la <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 4));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && la > 0.25 && la <= 0.50) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 3));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && la > 0.50 && la <= 0.75) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 2));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && la <= 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText("Dead");
            }
        // RIGHT ARM ONLY
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && ra > 0.0 && ra <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 4));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && ra > 0.25 && ra <= 0.50) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 3));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && ra > 0.50 && ra <= 0.75) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 2));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && ra <= 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText("Dead");
            }
        // LEFT LEG ONLY
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && ll > 0.0 && ll <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 4));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && ll <= 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText("Dead");
            }
        // RIGHT LEG ONLY
            else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && rl > 0.0 && rl <= 0.25) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString((STRF + MCF + W1AttF) - 4));
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0 && rl <= 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText("Dead");
            }

            else if (W1AttF == 0.0 || MCF == 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText("");
            } else if (MCF != 0.0 && W1AttF != 0.0) {
                weapon1attack.setText(Float.toString(STRF + MCF + W1AttF));
            }
        }
        catch (NumberFormatException ignore) {}

A: There's too little to go on what the desired result for each case looks like to go on. From the comments in the code I gather its some kind of RPG damage calculation.
It might be best to describe the problem in natural language first, or rather not the problem, but the rules governing the outcome of each combination of parameters. Looking at the patterns that emerge from the rules, its usually possible the define a reasonably small set of cases that can be expressed as mathematical formulas.
If you really want to have absolutely free control of the outcome of each case, you would need to enumerate the cases, and build a data structure containing the outcome for each possible case (e.g. a data file listing the outcome for each combination that is read into memory in some form).
Speculating on what I see in your code, I presume you are trying to figure out damage depending on location, weapon, defense etc.
This lends itself well to using simple mathematical formulas, e.g. first determine the location, and depending on that assign a dmanage modifier (pseudocode):
 modifier = 1.0; // defaults to "normal" damager
 switch (location) {
     case HEAD:
         modfier *= 2.00; // double damage
     case CHEST:
         modifier *= 0.75; // 75% damage
     default:
         // elsewhere: no change
         break;
 }
 // ... further modify based on other parameters like attack
 // type, defense type whatever you have

 // now figure out a base damage, purely fictional
 baseDmg = attack - defense;
 // we don't want negative damage in case def > att,
 // so if negative set to 1.0
 baseDmg = Math.max(baseDmg, 1.0);

 // caluclate final dmg using modifier
 realDmg = baseDmg * modifier;

 if (realDmg > life)
     // dead!
 else
     // ouch!

Try to break your rules down so you can write it like the example above.

A: You can create a method that converts your parameters to unique integer from 0 to 15625 (5^6) corresponding to your permutation, and then branch according to it.
Edit:
Another option may be to move this rules to a config file and process it in Java code.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A wide range of great value apartments, town houses and villas in this lesser developed part of Spain. Centred around the lovely resort of Mojacar but also covering inland towns and villages too.
Consider the historic commercial town of Vera and its splendid Vera Playa, the small port and super town of Garrucha, Villaricos, Turre, Albox, Almanzora, Arboleas, San Juan de los Terreros and many more. Miles of golden beaches, beautiful mountains and countryside. Towns and villages combining culture and history with all modern amenities.
Fly easily from the UK to local airports in Almeria, Murcia, Alicante and the new Covera airport in due course.


Understanding TCO (total cost of ownership), you'll see that rugged computers actually cost less than consumer grade devices.
When going out to purchase new mobile computers, most businesses may be tempted to base buying decisions solely on a product's purchase price. But because the purchase price does not reflect the real cost of the unit, this could turn out to be a costly mistake. To truly evaluate what a product costs, we need to look at the cost over the life of the product. This is known as the product's total cost of ownership (TCO).
Even if we do not know the term TCO, we often apply it in other areas of our life. When we are buying a new car, most buyers will do at least some research to find out about the vehicle's repair record. A cheaper car that spends half the time in the repair shop is no bargain.
The same concept applies with mobile computers. Computers taken outside of a safe office environment are going to be subjected to a lot of rough treatment. Drops, vibration, water, dust and extreme temperatures are only some of the conditions a computer may face in the field. It seems logical that you would not take a delicate piece of electronic equipment into a rough environment, but that is what happens more often that you would think.
Why? Because many buyers of mobile computers are lured by the lower initial purchase price into buying non-rugged or minimally ruggedized equipment solely because of the cheaper purchase price, failing to take into account the higher costs of actually using this equipment in the field. By failing to purchase the right kind of unit for the job and the environment, they will be paying a lot more in the long run than if they had purchased a more rugged, but more expensive, piece of equipment initially. In other words, the more expensive unit is actually the cheaper unit.
TCO takes into account all the actual costs incurred during the entire life of the product. TCO is comprised of hard costs (like purchase price, development, replacement, and deployment costs) and soft costs (training, repair costs, and downtime costs). As more organizations become more dependent on their mobile workforce, downtime costs have become increasingly important and costly. If a field service rep has a device failure at the start of his day, the lost service revenue and customer goodwill from all the missed service calls can be substantial.
A commercial unit has little or no protection against the environment. Durable computers generally have only rubber bumpers and perhaps a shock-mounted hard drive. Semi-rugged computers are tested to some MIL-STD-810F/G and IP specifications, and fully rugged units are generally fully tested to MIL-STD-810F/G and often totally resistant to both water and dust.
So what is the difference in the total cost of ownership between a commercial device and a fully rugged one in a reasonably tough environment? The Venture Development Corporation (VDC) is a notable independent research firm that focuses on rugged computers. They have performed TCO computations across the 4 levels of rugged computers across a number of common mobile applications. VDC computed the total cost for each level of rugged over a 5-year lifespan and then annualized the costs. These costs (broken down into hard costs and soft costs) are shown in figure 1 below.
It makes sense if you think of all the things that could happen to a non-rugged device in the field. For example, if we have a look at replacement costs. A fully rugged unit will often last at least 5 years. So if you purchase 100 fully rugged units, at the end of 5 years you will still have most of them still in operation. If you purchase 100 commercial devices and put them into a rugged environment, chances are that none of the original units will be operational at the end of 5 years. And some of those units will need to be replaced multiple times over the course of the 5-year period.
How many commercial devices do you need to buy before you have equalled the purchase price of a rugged unit? And that does not even include some of the other costs we discussed like downtime costs, the cost of deploying a new unit, and the cost of re-acquiring lost data. Ultimately, you need to carefully evaluate your own working situation to determine what your own total costs of ownership are going to be. If your mobile computer will not be working in rough environmental conditions, a fully rugged unit may be more rugged than you need. But buying the right level of rugged for the job to be done and the working environment is guaranteed to be the most cost effective in the long run.


I just watched ''The Battle For L.A. - Footsoldiers Vol.1'' and this is a good dvd. It documents the real hip hop scene. Shows the culture of hip hop in a true perspective.
There has been so much of the race thing lately because of Eminem's comments when he was young. This dvd takes hip hop back to where it belongs--in the streets.
If you have never seen a real street battle or if you have the thought that 8Mile showed you something, this dvd will expose you to the ''Real Street Battles''.
With MCs from Cali highlighted in the dvd, you see why the eastcoast artist stay out east. Anyone of these 'street Soldiers could give any ''bling bling'' artist a tough way to go. You see the Battle Rap of these street soldiers, and you understand that the ''diss'' songs that are out are not really diss. The Battle raps on this dvd make you want more. Straight up battles without all the bling bling and the other phoney hip hop ornaments. The only ''dressing'' here is the pure skill of some of these MCs.
The multi-racial make up of the soldiers proves race is not a factor in Real Hip Hop. Spitters of color, white spitters, latino spitters - male and female - and every facet of the spectrum show their skills.
There is even ''Break''en''. The dance that most call break dancing; a very skillful activity and a main stay in the hip hop culture. A true form of expression.
You get to hear the reason behind Battle Rap. And what it takes to be a Battle Rapper; from those doing the battles; the MCs themselves. And there is skill aplenty on this dvd.
This is true westcoast Hip Hop, filmed and featuring where hip hop started: in the streets.
All the ''burb'' hoppers and the younger hoppers who think that the bling bling of the eastcoast hip hop scene is the real hip hop , needs to see this.
Those who are exposed to street battles will find this entertaining, and those not exposed or who have never experienced a street battle will definitely walk away with new knowledge.
If there is any short coming in this dvd, it is the audio could have been a lil better and it could have been a lil longer. But then it would have been perfect, and nothing is perfect. This is as close as it can come though. Very informative and great perspective from the MC's view. A great inside look.
On a scale of 1-10, I would have to give it a 9.


This delicious spaghetti pasta has no pasta. Create a delicious Italian dish with spaghetti squash and up your protein with meat sauce. Make for dinner or for lunch.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds.
Put about 1/2 inch of water in a baking dish and place squash, cut sides down, in the dish.
Bake for about 45-60 minutes depending on the size of the squash or until soft. (Do not overcook).
Flip the squash over and use a fork to loosen the "noodles".
Brown ground beef, drain and add pasta sauce.


Natural Results is a proud stockists of the 'Sevene Pharma' Homeopathic Medicine Range. This range is gentle yet efffective and addresses different systems in the body: Respiratory, Digestive, Neurological, Circulatory and Urogenital. Digeodren pictured below is used to detoxify and protect the liver and to stimulate digestion. The medicinal plants used in the preparation of these medicines are all certified organic.


CoolSculpting® is a non-surgical procedure designed to reduce stubborn fat buildups in various regions of the body without the discomfort, recovery, or extended downtime often associated with surgical fat removal alternatives. For qualified candidates, the treatment can help produce a more toned and contoured aesthetic in the hips, abdomen, back, arms, and thighs. So how is CoolSculpting® able to do this? The answer is an innovative process known as "cryolipolysis," which basically freezes targeted fat cells to the point of destruction.
Every type of cell in our bodies is distinctively sensitive to a specific temperature. When in contact with the skin, CoolSculpting® applicators work to cool down fat (adipose) cells to a particular degree that only they are susceptible to, leaving surrounding structures like nerves, muscles, and skin tissues in the targeted region unharmed. Once this unique temperature range is attained, adipose cells crystalize and begin to break down over the course of several months. Eventually, these affected tissues are metabolized by the body and exit by way of natural processes.
The majority of women and men will be able to see visible results from their CoolSculpting® treatment within two to four months, though multiple sessions may be required to achieve an ideal outcome. Because cells fat that are destroyed will never return, CoolSculpting® results can be long-lasting as long as an overall healthy lifestyle is maintained following treatment.


Nice pose view showing attractive Miss Lotta Crabtree with her cute smile, curly hair style and elegant fashion dress. Miss Lotta was a well know California Gold Rush actress at a early age.
Photographer Stamp: Jose Maria Mora 707 Broadway New York, opened his own studio by taking over Gurney & Sons gallery in 1870 and was one of the famous celebrity photographers in NY.


John Debney's score for John Favreau's Christmas comedy Elf is, like the movie, a hyperstylized and witty celebration of all things Christmas. The largely orchestral score would fit seamlessly into shopping malls around that time of the year, particularly on tracks like "Main Title" and "Papa Elf." Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" is a major influence on the tiptoeing "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies"-like "A Stroll With Buddy" and "Weird Wonderland." Humorous cues such as "A Walk in the Park" and "Attack of the Little People" owe quite a bit to classic cartoon music. The score is a funny and apt companion piece for any fans of the Elf film, of which there are many.


Spent a few days playing with DLNA and WebDAV services. Ended up focusing on Gallery3 and Coherence. Wrote a start-up script for Coherence and developed a work-around to get Coherence to work with Gallery3.
3) I then added "-b" to the start-stop-daemon lines in "do_start" and removed "--pidfile $PIDFILE" from all lines in do_start() and do_stop().
Removal of "--pidfile $PIDFILE" is more of a personal choice. If you want to continue to use PIDs, leave "--pidfile $PIDFILE" in and add "-m" to the line. "-m" forces the start-up script to create a PID for Coherence because Coherence isn't written to return a PID to the start-up script. This works fine as long as you never run the start-up script while the service is already running. If you do this, a new PID is created that has nothing to do with the currently running service (i.e., you won't be able to stop Coherence with "service coherence stop").
Removing "--pidfile $PIDFILE" forces the script to act more like the "kill" function, where the start-up script looks for functions with the same name as itself and "kill -15"s the process. It's less elegant, but Coherence doesn't have a shutdown function so the two methods are more or less equivalent.
In any case, my version of the start-up script is here.
Coherence has a few modules, one of which allows you to show Gallery2-hosted graphics on your UPnP-enabled media player. Notice that I've said "Gallery2". Apparently, it plays nicely with Coherence. Unfortunately, some time in the past, I decided to be "cutting edge", installed Gallery3, and uploaded close to 500 pictures into it.
The problem with Gallery3 is that it's still in development and only recently acquired the Gallery_Remote module which allows Gallery2 to work with Coherence. I spent a few hours experimenting with Gallery_Remote, trying to get it to function. It appears to be very version specific and won't work with my build of Gallery3. At this point, I went looking for work-arounds.
My work-around idea involved setting up WebDAV so that Coherence and using davfs2 to trick Coherence into believing that it was serving files from a local dircectoy. A quick search of Gallery3 modules revealed that it did have a WebDAV module (one based on SabreDAV). I was somewhat successful in getting it to run but, for some reason, it refuses to serve up the first folder of pictures in the directory (works well with all others). Finding this unsuccessful, I removed the module.
My next approach was to use the DAV module that's built into Apache2. This turned out to be the proper approach. I used Adam Shand's notes in configuring Apache2. The only thing that Adam doesn't mention is that you need to run a2enmod for dav, dav_fs, and dav_lock. My version of the Apache2 configuration is here. Drop it in /etc/apache2/conf.d and restart Apache.
After that, mounting the WebDAV folder is quite easy. It is the same approach that I employed to get Knowledgetree to work as file storage for the in-house wiki. You only have to add a line to /etc/davfs2/secrets (e.g., "http://192.168.2.144/gallery-dav tim pAsSwOrD") and a line to /etc/fstab (e.g., "http://192.168.2.144/gallery-dav /var/www/gallerydav davfs rw,user,auto 0 0"). See the man page for davfs2 for more details.
After all of that work, I now have a media server which can supposedly speak to my wife's TV and my son's PS3. It's configured to serve up: music via Ampache, family photos via Gallery3, movie trailers from Apple iTunes, and streams from various Shoutcast stations. Keeping the service will probably be based on my wife's and son's reactions as the interface is a bit to rigid for my use (I prefer more flexibie solutions like Savonet).