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Tag Archives: Novella
"The Visible Filth" (Review)
Chapbooks, Nathan Ballingrud, Novella, This is Horror
The Visible Filth
by Nathan Ballingrud
The roaches were in high spirits. There were half a dozen of them, caught in the teeth of love. They capered across the liquor bottles, perched atop pour spouts like wooden ladies on the prows of sailing ships. They lifted their wings and delicately fluttered. They swung their antennae with a ripe sexual urgency, tracing love sonnets in the air.
You know you're in for a treat when the second word of a book is "roaches".
The Visible Filth, a 2015 chapbook published by the U.K.'s This is Horror, was not my first encounter with the unique genius of Nathan Ballingrud. A month or so before I first encountered the novella in December of 2015, I had read his Shirley Jackson Award-winning collection, North American Lake Monsters. And it was deservedly award-winning. The stories hidden between its pages resonated with incredible power: horrifying, but moreover haunting, heart-rending, for their astonishing realism amidst the horrors – not unlike the excellence Scott Nicolay has brought us in his work. "Wild Acre" and "Sunbleached" (the former having slightly stronger impact, the latter being much darker in plot) draw their horror not from the indeed terrifying creatures which inhabit their plots, but from the reactions of our characters to their situations, to their personal issues and the way the monsters reflect those issues, literally painful and gut-punching portraits of realistic people trying to piece their lives back together after traumatic events. "S.S.", a non-supernatural tale, follows a young man struggling to fit in, finally turning to a white supremacist group for some hope at finding a niche – a white supremacist group more horrifying than the gruesome sadomasochistic rituals the boy's mother inflicts upon herself.
But, as much as I would love to review North American Lake Monsters (which you should buy as soon as you can), that is not the purpose of my current post. I am here to review his second publication, a novella entitled The Visible Filth, as aforesaid.
The eerie cover art by Pye Parr hooks you in and you open the book, as if some unknown force is dragging you along. It is a nice, clean, small book, concise in every way, disguising the utter horror of its contents. Truly, design is not appreciated enough, nor is the tender art of book-making itself, so I feel I should take a quick note on the nicely spaced lettering on the crisp white pages, and the smooth dustiness of a paperback cover.
The Visible Filth follows Will, a bartender in New Orleans (Ballingrud has lived and worked in New Orleans, and this cannot be clearer during the reading of this book: he paints a very nice picture). Skating carelessly through life, placidity goes out the window when he finds an apparently lost cellphone in the bar following a grisly gang fight. Hoping to give it back to the owner the next night, or report it the cops that occasionally stop by, he takes it home. But that life he's skated through? The ice has just broken.
Ballingrud, who's always been a master of characterization, really flexes those abilities in the novella. That's one of the advantages of the form – more room to develop the cast. Ballingrud plays to that, and the strengths of the format are clearly expressed in their fullest potency here. He carefully evolves the characters and their struggles – Will's strained relationship, his jealousy, his fears and wants. The storyteller captures every part of our protagonist in perfect relief, and, even in the shadowed areas of his character, probes into their personal affairs. And this in-depth characterization of Will has a major impact on the perspective and storytelling. "The roaches were in high spirits", yes, but nobody is bothered by them – but Will. We feel his fears (though we may not share them), his anger (even if it isn't always justified), his depression (though he may deserve it).
And though the other characters do feel like real people, and though we do empathize with them immensely, we're seeing the story from Will's perspective, and we still see them how he sees them. It's an amazing technique, really getting into the one character, so when the horror starts to come into play, it isn't just a story. It's an experience.
The cover of Ballingrud's first collection, North American Lake Monsters: Stories.
There's another advantage to the horror novella: atmosphere. This is really the strongest point of the entire story. It's so deliciously oppressive, and will stay with you long after the page is turned – piggybacking you for a long, long time, whispering dreadful things in your ear, warning you not to open the door for fear of what is on the other side. There were times during the reading of this book where I was shaking my head and audibly muttering "No, no, no", yet I did not put the book down. In fact, I struggled to put the book down. Though the images are haunting, they force you to keep reading, and I can imagine that I – if left unrestrained – would devour the entire book in one sitting.
Another peculiar strength of the atmosphere is the form in which it shows up. There are plenty of gruesome images in this book – some of the most disturbing things I've ever read in my entire life – but those images weren't the ones that stayed with me the most. It was the implications, the horror of wondering what's going to happen next, the delicate suspense. Don't get me wrong – the more explicitly horrifying scenes did indeed linger with me. But the subtler things were worse. For example (some very slight spoilers in this sentence), it wasn't the pictures in one scene that scared me the most (ghastly though they were); it was the accompanying text messages.
That atmosphere is the vehicle the ultimate horror rides in, and Ballingrud purposely keeps this horror vague, putting up only just enough road signs for the reader to form some obscure opinion of its meaning (not unlike the work of Matthew M. Bartlett). These opinions will inevitably vary from reader to reader, which will certainly make The Visible Filth a ripe topic for discussion amongst horror/weird fanatics. But we won't be able to come to an answer, and maybe we're not supposed to. The atmosphere tells its own story, and the horror is veiled thickly behind it, occasionally probing gently into the light.
This almost unbearably heavy suspense builds up to a grisly conclusion, something that words like "nasty", "gruesome", "vile", "revolting", "appalling", "disgusting", and "Satan's morning breath" do not do justice to describe. Even "Sunbleached", one of the darkest stories I have ever read, dared not tread this far into the realms of gross-out. It's a strong, shocking conclusion that wraps up The Visible Filth with neither a bang nor a whisper, but the fluttering love sonnets of roaches.
You can buy "The Visible Filth" (on Amazon) here, and you can buy Ballingrud's excellent first collection, "North American Lake Monsters", here (also on Amazon). You should really just buy both. I will be interviewing Mr. Ballingrud shortly, so stay tuned…


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Madoff mess could force Islanders out
Larry Brooks
Social Links for Larry Brooks
Lives have been ruined, so this would not rise anywhere close to that level, but the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme that ensnared the Wilpons and has the future of the Mets' ownership in severe doubt, is all but certain to claim another victim:
The Islanders.
There will be no arena in Queens for Charles Wang or, more importantly, a potential buyer, to move the club to when the Islanders' lease at the Coliseum expires following the 2014-15 season.
There will be no other arena in the area to house the Islanders, whose current owner has never once indicated he is amenable to discussing an alternative to his DOA Lighthouse project.
Queens represented the best chance to keep the Islanders here, and the Wilpons, who had expressed preliminary interest, represented the best, if not only, chance to get such an arena built.
Given NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's previous testimony under oath in the Coyotes' case in Phoenix, it wouldn't have mattered whether Wang would have been a part of it, for a new arena adjacent to Citi Field would have been an appealing enough site to attract buyers committed to keeping the team in New York.
Now, though, the fate of the franchise seems to be entirely in the hands of Wang, who has given no indication whatsoever that he plans to do anything other than run out the clock until the lease expires and then flee.
The Islanders will be without a lease, the Islanders will be without an arena, the Islanders — or the team currently known by that name — will be in Quebec City, in a new arena almost entirely financed by taxpayers with dreams of bringing the NHL back to their wonderful city.
It's a doomsday scenario for the Islanders, and a nightmare for their fans, who have four years in front of them to watch the sand run through the hourglass, and will have to decide whether it's worth it to buy tickets and help defray the cost of developing John Tavares and all these draft choices, when another fan base will reap the rewards.
Mathieu Schneider
, a long-time union activist expected to become a lead member of Donald Fehr
's NHLPA administration, told Slap Shots this week the issue of concussions and eliminating head shots from the game is paramount to the players and to the executive director.
"It's the No. 1 priority on our list right now," said Schneider, who retired last summer after a 20-year NHL career. "We're looking to make changes through a combination of equipment changes, rules changes, and a shift in the culture that would make the game safer."
We're told by a variety of individuals the Players' Association would support stiff suspensions for players found guilty of targeting the head, but want assurance sentences would be applied under guidelines requiring consistency; in other words, not 20 games for one player and six for another guilty of essentially the same crime.
We're told as well the NHLPA is awaiting action and/or recommendations from the league GMs and Board of Governors before proposing specific rule changes through its representation on the competition committee.
It is, by the way, becoming impossible to listen to Penguins coach Dan Bylsma
continue to leap to the defense of Matt Cooke
, all the while enabling the winger's predatory behavior even as Pittsburgh seethes about the David Steckel
play that has imperiled Sidney Crosby
's season.
Carolina GM Gentleman Jim Rutherford
, whose 2011-12 budget isn't going to budge whether the Hurricanes make the playoffs or not, is almost certainly going to have to move impending free agent defenseman Joni Pitkanen
, even if that hurts his team's chances to qualify for the tournament.
The Rangers, who have an assortment of players on Entry Level contracts the cost-conscious 'Canes covet, should be in on the big, powerful defenseman, who would also improve the power play.
By the way, do you think Kings GM Dean Lombardi
is still leaning back in his chair with his feet up on his desk, laughing at his and his club's inability to sign Ilya Kovalchuk
as a free agent?
Was poetic justice, wasn't it, that Leafs GM Brian Burke —
who testified at the Kovalchuk circumvention hearing that No. 17 was in actuality a $10 million player the Devils would be getting at an unfair $6 million cap bargain rate — to see himself proven correct (who said for a change?
) on Thursday with his very own eyes?
It's understandable Chicago GM Stan Bowman
wants to sign Keith Seabrook
to an extension before his salary arbitration eligible Group II free agency kicks in, but is this really the best time of the year to conduct contract negotiations?
It's not as if the Blackhawks are going to be playing into June, or anything.
Don't know about you, but I doubt Alex Kovalev
's two seasons in Ottawa would have been any easier for GM Bryan Murray
to swallow no matter how the IIHF would like the NHL to spell the Russian's name.
There have been plenty of mistakes in Ottawa, Cory Clouston
among them, but did Dany Heatley
destroy that team, or what?
Finally, from Page Six: Which Mickey Mouse management whose team was on a road trip told a veteran player who had been waived earlier in the day to the spend the night at the airport awaiting an early morning flight to join his AHL team rather than put him up at the team hotel?
Read Next Devils defeat Sharks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


New York, July 16, 2013 — TIAA-CREF, a leading financial services provider, today held the CREF1 annual meeting at its Charlotte, N.C., campus. TIAA-CREF provides retirement plans, IRAs, mutual funds, brokerage services, life insurance, college savings plans, trust services and outsourced endowment management services to the non-profit market.
Assets under management – TIAA-CREF's assets under management ended 2012 with $502 billion. Assets under management have continued to grow in 2013, standing at approximately $523 billion as of June 30.
Capital reserves – TIAA-CREF's capital reserves also remained at record levels in 2012. By year's end, TIAA's total adjusted capital was more than $33 billion. This measure of the company's financial strength is critically important because it underscores its ability to fulfill the promises made to provide clients with lifetime income.
Continuing to strengthen its retirement business – With a market share of approximately 80 percent in the higher education space3, TIAA-CREF is also bringing its depth of experience to new clients in the K-12, healthcare and government markets in places ranging from Boston and Arkansas to California, North Dakota and Rhode Island. For instance, the company is providing public K-12 educators with retirement plan investments with lower fees and financial education and advice, which can translate into significant savings and additional accumulations for teachers over the course of their careers.
Meeting the evolving needs of clients – The company is making a significant investment in its Individual Advisory Services business, growing the numbers of advisors and local offices so that it can reach more clients and help them achieve their personal financial goals.
Diversifying revenue streams – The company has further diversified its revenue streams. For example, the TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company has grown its premiums by 85 percent year over year, providing a competitive life insurance offering to help families build financial well-being.
Expanding advice and education services – Over the last year, TIAA-CREF has expanded the resources available to clients, including an updated online resource center, new online retirement planning tools, and an enhanced, more interactive financial education program. These updates will help TIAA-CREF drive increased client engagement and better outcomes. Already, two-thirds of clients who participate in a TIAA-CREF retirement plan advice session take positive action – choosing to save more, revisit their allocation or rebalance their portfolio.
Offering new investment options – To further broaden clients' investment choices, TIAA-CREF launched two new mutual fund offerings – the TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund and the TIAA-CREF International Opportunities Fund.
Promoting college planning and savings – TIAA-CREF is working with the Council of Graduates Schools and leading universities to develop financial education programs for students. Fifteen grants were awarded to universities for their participation in the program, and an additional 19 schools have signed on as program affiliates. Earlier this year TIAA-CREF launched the AARP College Savings Solutions program from TIAA-CREF, which is designed to provide comprehensive education and information on college savings plans to AARP members.
In addition, TIAA policyholders expressed support for the organization's executive compensation policies through an advisory vote on the compensation of TIAA's named executive officers. Preliminary results of the TIAA advisory vote on executive compensation show that approximately 79 percent of TIAA policyholders who voted approved of the quality of TIAA's executive compensation plan and disclosure, including its connection to performance, achievement of TIAA's business objectives and creation of long-term value for policyholders.
1 CREF is a SEC-registered investment company and the companion organization to TIAA, a New York-based life insurance company.
2 For its stability, claims-paying ability and overall financial strength, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (TIAA Life) are one of only three insurance groups in the United States to currently hold the highest possible rating from three of the four leading insurance company rating agencies: A.M. Best (A++ as of 6/15), Fitch (AAA as of 9/15) and Standard & Poor's (AA+ as of 7/15) and the second highest possible rating from Moody's Investors Service (Aa1 as of 8/15). There is no guarantee that current ratings will be maintained. Ratings represent a company's ability to meet policyholders' obligations and do not apply to variable annuities or any other product or service not fully backed by the issuer's claims-paying ability.
3 Source: LIMRA, Not-for-Profit Market Survey, first-quarter 2013 results. Based on a survey of 28 companies; TIAA-CREF assets under management by market segment estimated; segment breakdown based on 20 companies.
Per S&P criteria, the downgrade of U.S. long-term government debt limits the highest rating of U.S. insurers to AA+ (the second-highest rating available). There is no guarantee that current ratings will be maintained. Ratings represent a company's ability to meet policyholders' obligations and do not apply to variable annuities, mutual funds or any other product or service not fully backed by TIAA's claims-paying ability.
TIAA-CREF products may be subject to market and other risk factors. See the applicable product literature, or visit www.tiaa.org for details. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuveen Securities, LLC, Members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products. Annuity contracts and certificates are issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), New York, NY.
College Savings Plans are managed by TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (TFI).
Life Insurance is issued by TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (TIAA-CREF Life) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA).


Leis have become a popular and beautiful way to honor and celebrate loved ones, special occasions, or your next party or luau. Our leis are made fresh to order, and can usually be picked up the same day.
In addition to orchid leis, we also offer traditional ti leaf leis, maile-style leis and lei garlands. This year we are also offering plumeria (flown in from Hawaii) or tuberose to add a sweet tropical scent to your lei.
Here is some pricing related to the samples shown above, which should assist you when ordering a lei from Island Home and Garden.
Maile Style Ti Leaf Lei: $55. Add orchids for $5.00.
Any of the above leis with plumeria or tuberose, add $5.


It is well known that children spend too little time playing outside nowadays and spend too much time watching screens. I came across this project of a modern playground design and think it is a good example of the design process..
Intersecting wood-clad volumes create a playground for children in a Massachusetts suburb to scurry through, clamber over and zip-wire from. The Five Fields Play Structure was designed by Brandon Clifford of Matter Design and Michael Schanbacher of FR|SCH Projects.
The duo consulted the project's prospective users – the local children – during the design process. Set on a sloped site, the play structure is made up of a series of cuboid sections all clad in the same light-coloured timber. These elements slot together and connect at various points, creating routes with rope obstacles to be conquered along the way. One of the boxes forms a tall lookout, while another provides a jump-off point for a 66-foot-long (20-metre) zip wire.
Due to the slope, the structure cantilevers at its end so a shelter is provided underneath. The whole structure is scaled to ensure children can pass through with ease, but adults can still gain access in case of an accident.
"Designing a play structure intended for kids is a unique and challenging project," said the duo. "While there are irreducible standards that manage accessibility and function in the daily lives of adults, play is neither standard nor strictly functional." Without intending to limit access to any specific part of the structure, possible entrances are suggested using colourful graphics by designer Johanna Lobdell.
I think it is a very interesting project; when you ask the childrens' opinions and take their needs into account when designing, the playgrounds will be more attractive to the children and maybe will be reason enough to play outside more.
Parts of the text from Dezeen.


LGY-PCIE-MG expansion card enables easy and cost-effective migration to a superfast 10GbE network.
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TeraStation 5810DN is available partially or fully populated with Native 10GbE, and capacities up to 64 TB.
Buffalo launches SSD NAS to provide businesses with lightning fast speeds.
Buffalo wins four Red Dot Awards for high quality design of its latest TeraStation NAS range.
Buffalo Europe announces series of unmanaged 10GbE network switches.
Buffalo launches 12-bay rackmount NAS to deliver enterprise performance at small business prices.
Buffalo enhances storage flexibility for users on the go with stylish portable external SSDs.
Buffalo Europe redesigns NAS to improve speed and reliability of storage for businesses.
Buffalo Europe speeds up businesses with 10GbE NAS and switches.
Buffalo launches ultra-lightweight hard drive.
Buffalo's TeraStation™ WSH delivers improved reliability, performance, and speed for businesses.
Buffalo enhances flexibility and usability for home users with two NAS devices.
A 2TB NAS aimed at the office and priced at £320.
Buffalo Technology launches the DriveStation Media (HDVSAU3).
Proof that network-attached storage needn't cost the Earth.
Buffalo Europe partners with data recovery experts Kroll Ontrack.
Harder than your average portable storage drive.
Buffalo launches economical, feature-rich NAS solution for small businesses.
Buffalo Technology announce extended warranty for TeraStation™ customers, up to a total of five years.
Buffalo launch large capacity NAS solution aimed at offering greater speed and flexibility.
Buffalo launches durable storage device for consumers.
Our second NAS is a dual-bay LinkStation 421!
Buffalo improves reliability and performance for businesses.
WD® Collaborates With Leading NAS Manufacturers Giving End Users a NAStravaganza!


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The Avid Reader: Sandra Cisneros on Elena Poniatowska
Having a Coffee with One of Mexico's Great Novelists
By Sandra Cisneros
The little hand serving me coffee is also the hand that wrote the novel La 'Flor de Lis.' It seems absurd a writer of such worth should bother serving coffee to anyone, but it's precisely this humility, this willingness to serve others, whether it be coffee, or novels, or testimonies, or tamales, that makes Elena Poniatowska—Elenita—as familiar to Mexican cab drivers as she is to Mexican professors; yet she remains relatively unknown in the English-speaking world.
Last month I visited Elena at her home in Mexico City and again she served me coffee in the same room where we first met the summer before the big earthquake of 1985. Back then I was just a toddler writer tagging along with Norma Alarcón, founder of Third Woman Press. Like countless pilgrims before and after, we went to Elena to ask for something. And because Elena is the goddess of a thousand teats, she receives us, serves us coffee, answers Norma's questions about the writer Rosario Castellanos, gives us anything we want.
The next time we meet, it's the spring of 1988, Santa Barbara. By then I have The House on Mango Street as a way of introduction. La 'Flor de Lis' has just been released and Elena dedicates my copy in a handwriting like sewing machine embroidery. Elena writes, "We should make Chicana lit known in Mexico."
Elena makes good on this wish. She volunteers to translate my novel with the naive belief it will be easy, and serves as its reverse coyote, carrying me south to Mexico. Ay, I'm so heavy, but she doesn't put me down until I'm delivered safely on the other shore.
Like many Latin-American writers, Elena found her career start in journalism, work her parents regarded as "poco elegante." Elena's best-known works are translated into English, hybrids between testimony and reporting; Here's to You, Sweet Jesus, the Mexican Revolution as told by a woman who served as a soldier, and Massacre in Mexico, about the '68 student uprising and slaughter by the Mexican government, which she wrote, she says, because she didn't want to be an accomplice to impotency.
Even now at 86 years of age, while at work on a novel, Elena's still meeting newspaper deadlines, though she says, "What I want the rest of my life is to write (novels), because I've already been a journalist." But it's precisely this border crossing between journalism and literature that has allowed her to reach readers who couldn't afford books, through countless chronicles, essays, and interviews.
"Like countless pilgrims before and after, we went to Elena to ask for something."
Yet it's a book not yet translated into English I come back to, La 'Flor de Lis.' Or rather, this novel comes back to me. Maybe because I've moved south and now live in Mexico. Maybe because, like the protagonist, I too am haunted by the desire to belong, that eternal wish of every immigrant displaced by choice or history. Or perhaps this is only true of women like me, immigrants whether they stay or go.
La 'Flor de Lis' is a love story about mother and motherland. Mexico is a matriarchal culture in which mothers are revered as goddesses, and a goddess, la Virgen de Guadalupe, is revered because she is the mother. But the novel careens from this theme when a working-class priest arrives to upset the social order.
This is a novel about an immigrant's shifting allegiance from the First World to the Third, from France to Mexico, and casts an intimate but critical light on the French community in Mexico that lost its haciendas during the revolution.
It is also the author's history, a story told in a magic mirror, a reverse fairy-tale. The book parallels Elena's childhood and adolescence, the experiences that set her on a path to serving the nobodies that history forgot; daughters of real royalty fleeing a Europe under siege during World War II.
La 'Flor de Lis' details what it means to be Mexican, what it means to fall in love, and what, after all, it means to be a woman, because the novel is steeped in the body of a woman, in the body of that country—México, lindo y querido—in the way a woman loves, in the minutiae that make up a particular culture.
En la Avenida San Juan de Letrán, arriba del Cinelandia, tomo clases de taquimecanografía . . . camino entre la gente hacia la Alameda. Me siento junto a los chinos que platican en un semi-círculo parecido al Hemiciclo a Juárez; allí también los sordomudos se comunican dibujando pájaros en el aire; me hace bien su silencio, luego escojo una banca junto a la estatua Malgré tout y miro como los hombres al pasar, le acarician las nalgas. Las mujeres, no. Me gusta sentarme al sol en medio de la gente, esa gente, en mi ciudad, en el centro de mi país, en el ombligo del mundo.
I too like to sit in the belly button of the world. Nowhere else have I felt quite at home as in this book. Nowhere else have I read a writer describe the intimate joy of scrubbing a courtyard with a bucket of suds and a broom. But it's el Zócalo, the city center, the belly button of Mexico City that the narrator wants to scrub out of pure love.
I once accompanied Elena to the Librería Gandhi near her house, walking arm in arm, out of respect, out of love. And when we entered the bookstore, the crowd parted like the Red Sea. "Elenita, Elenita!" I might as well have been walking with La Virgen de Guadalupe. And like the modest Guadalupe, Elena was beneficent with everyone.
Looking after others is Elena's occupation. She has spent a lifetime doing just that, making herself available to anyone who knocks on her door and needs a wrong righted. That's why she's so tired. That's why the people of Mexico adore her, for being so brave and standing up to presidents. It's not such an easy thing to do in a country where it can cost you your life.
"Like the protagonist, I too am haunted by the desire to belong, that eternal wish of every immigrant displaced by choice or history. Or perhaps this is only true of women like me, immigrants whether they stay or go."
Elena grieves that Mexico is a country where no one reads, where some can't read, where even the current president can't name three books he's read, where libraries gather dust, where crimes like the disappeared 43 students of Ayotzinapa go unpunished. But because Elena believes in God as well as politicians, she hopes there will be a change with the president-elect.
Once, descending a spiral staircase, I followed Elena and noticed, for the first time, a whirlpool on the crown of her head where her hair was beginning to thin, and this made me want to hold her, keep her safe, stave off her aging, because she's been a North Star to me, a light, steady and constant, in the time of darkness.
When I ask Elena if she would like to win a Nobel Prize, she says, "No. You know what I want? I want everyone in my country to go to bed having eaten more or less the same (amount)."
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others," Gandhi said. And that ultimately sums up La 'Flor de Lis,' or how a writer like Elena learned the work of service is the greatest work we can do.
Copyright © 2018 by Sandra Cisneros. By permission of Susan Bergholz Literary Services, New York City and Lamy, NM. All rights reserved.
Elena PoniatowskaLa Flor de LisSandra CisnerosSarabande BooksThe Avid Reader
Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, whose work explores the lives of the working-class. Her awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates and book awards nationally and internationally, and most recently Chicago's Fifth Star Award, the PEN Center USA Literary Award and the National Medal of the Arts, awarded to her by President Obama in 2016. Founder of awards and foundations that serve writers and a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico, Sandra Cisneros earns her living by her pen.
16 Books You Should Read This November
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Mark Dery, Born to be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey (Little, Brown and Company) Do...


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Q: How do format each comment in an excel spreadsheet? I would like to format all the existing comments in my active excel spreadsheet. I have been trying to use the following code:
Public Sub FormatNote()
 If Not ActiveCell.Comment Is Nothing Then
  OrganizeElements
 End If
End Sub

Public Sub FormatNotes()
 For Each ????? In ActiveSheet.Comments
  OrganizeElements
 Next
End Sub

Public Sub OrganizeElements()
 ActiveCell.Comment.Shape.TextFrame.AutoSize = True
 'And many other formats
End Sub

Formatting a single comment works. However, formatting all the comments does not. What do I use after the "For Each"? Originally, I was using "Dim Note as Comment" and then using "For Each Note..." and that seemed to work OK but it had other problems. I am trying not to use variables until I understand the code more fundamentally. How do I refer to each or all existing comments in the active sheet and then do something with them?
Thank you

A: This would be the approach you're looking for.
Have in mind that you're working with the ActiveSheet object
Code:
Public Sub FormatNotes()
    Dim targetComment As Comment

    For Each targetComment In ActiveSheet.Comments
        OrganizeElements targetComment
    Next targetComment

End Sub

Public Sub OrganizeElements(ByVal targetComment As Comment)
    targetComment.Shape.TextFrame.AutoSize = True
    'And many other formats
End Sub

Let me know if it works

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Wood Shed has been bringing the highest quality Amish made furniture to Wisconsin for over 29 years. The craftsmanship of the furniture is simply unmatched as each piece is more than merely furniture but works of art. Their pieces are made from many types of woods which can be stained to match any home or cottage. In addition to their furniture they offer all the inside and outside décor that you could ever imagine. They also have Jam, popcorn and candy which either Amish made or made locally in the community. Do not forget about their tours! Give them a call a few days ahead of time and they will have a tour guide ready for you. The tour guide will ride along with you and show you the Amish Community of Augusta Wisconsin and if permitting stop at an Amish floral shop, general store, and bakery while giving facts about the history and the culture of Amish.


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* contents with conflict markers out.
* conflict when the user is done.
* find the conflicted paths.
* record their resolutions. And drop $GIT_DIR/MERGE_RR.
* NEEDSWORK: shouldn't we be calling this from "reset --hard"?


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We can provide a consultation prior to selecting a puppy or new dog for your home. This guides you towards the best breed and/or temperament to fit your family. It is important to know what you are looking for when choosing a new dog, including what actions and signs are both positive and negative. We''ll help you start out on the right paw! Competitive obedience, dog sport, or other specific requests can be accommodated.


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You are here: Home » Blog » 2021 Ultimate Guide of Fiber Optic Cable Adapter
2021 Ultimate Guide of Fiber Optic Cable Adapter
Views:134 Author:Site Editor Publish Time: 2021-01-12 Origin:Site
In the optical fiber communication system, in order to meet the needs of flexible connection between different equipment and systems, there must be a kind of active connection device between the optical fiber and optical fiber, optical fiber and device (including active device, passive device, and optical fiber sensor), optical fiber and instrument, optical fiber and the system, which enables the optical signal to be transmitted according to the required channel. The device that can achieve this function is called a fiber optic connector adapter, which is the most indispensable optical passive device in the optical fiber communication system.
With the further development of optical fiber communication, different countries and different manufacturers have successively developed different fiber connector adapters. According to incomplete statistics, up to now, there are about 30 types used internationally. Generally, fiber optic adapters can be divided into single mode fiber connectors and multimode fiber connectors according to different transmission media. According to the structure of the connector, it can be divided into FC, SC, ST, LC, MTRJ, DIN, MU, MT, etc. According to the shape of the fiber end face, there are FC, PC (including SPC or U generation), and A generation. According to the number of fiber cores, there are simplex (single-core) and duplex (dual-core) types. There are many types and varieties of matching adapters, each with its own technical characteristics. But their functions are the same, that is, to connect the optical fiber (optical cable) plugs together to connect the optical fiber.
The requirements for the adapter are mainly low insertion loss, high reflection loss, good repeatability, stable environment, and good mechanical performance. The cladding diameter of a single-mode fiber is 125 um (equivalent to the thickness of a hair), and the diameter of its core (light-transmitting part of the fiber) is only 9 um. The task of the optical fiber connector is to accurately butt the 9um cores together so that 98% of the light can pass through. The technical requirements are very precise. There are many kinds of adapters, this article only makes a simple analysis of FC-type adapters.
The basic structure of FC type adapter
The FC-type adapter uses a sleeve structure, and this connector consists of a pin and a sleeve. The pin is a precision sleeve, and the optical fiber is fixed inside the pin. The sleeve is also a precision-machined sleeve (with opening and non-opening). The two pins are connected in the sleeve and ensure the alignment of the two optical fibers. The principle is: the outer cylindrical surface of the pin is used as the reference plane, and the pin and the sleeve are closely matched. When the coaxiality of the outer cylindrical surface of the fiber core, the outer cylindrical surface and the end surface of the pin, and the inner hole of the sleeve are processed very precisely, the two pins are butted in the sleeve to achieve the alignment of the two optical fibers.
From the rationality of this structural design, the feasibility of batch processing, and the use effect, the processing technology can achieve the required accuracy. At present, this structural design is the most widely used, and it is the mainstream of connector development today. FC, SC, ST, and other adapters all adopt this structure.
In the use of the optical cable coupler, the sleeve is the same important part as the pin. Its function is to maintain the precise alignment of the pin and the fiber core to ensure 90% light transmission. There are two main structures:
① Slip on the opening. The open sleeve is the most commonly used in connectors. Its main dimensions and technical indicators are: length (L) 11.4 ±0.1mm; outer diameter (D) 3.2 ±0.1mm; inner diameter (d) 2.49mm; inner hole finish is 14. The elastic deformation is less than 0.005mm; the insertion loss is ≤-0.2dB. The open sleeve is made of materials with good elasticity, such as phosphor bronze, bronze, and oxidized ceramics. When the pin is inserted into the sleeve, the supporting force of the sleeve to the pin should remain constant. However, the amount of sleeves made of phosphor bronze and bronze is very small. Most of them are sleeves made of zirconia ceramics. Because zirconia ceramics have superior properties in smoothness, elastic deformation, and coupling with ceramic pins than phosphor bronze and bronze.
② The sleeve is not open.
This kind of sleeve is rarely used in connectors, but it is more used in the connection of optical fibers and active devices. Its shape and size are basically the same as the open sleeve. The difference is that its inner hole diameter is 2.5 + 0.005mm, which is 1um larger than the outer diameter of the pin. Not only can the pins be inserted smoothly, but the gap should not be too large so that when the optical fiber is connected to the luminous tube and the detector, the repeatability and interchangeability meet the required indicators. The sleeve is a very important part of the optical adapter, which directly affects the insertion loss of the fiber optic cable ends.
Mechanical parts of the fixed sleeve
The design of the mechanical parts of the fixed sleeve is determined by its machining process. Different machining processes can produce different structures. Therefore, different companies have designed the appearance structure that conforms to the process and is simple to process. It can be divided into the one-piece type and split type; and the shape includes square, round, rhombus, combined shape, etc. The appearance is mainly designed and produced according to the needs of users.
1. Split type
Generally, the mechanical parts of the split fixed sleeve can be divided into 5 components, which are usually called 5-piece fiber optic cable adapters. The 5 parts are respectively a pair of flanges, 2 small metal sleeves, and inner cavity metal rings. Two small metal sleeves are assembled together, and the open sleeve is installed inside for fixing. The flange is the shape of the adapter, the protruding part is a nut, and its base is to ensure that the optical cable coupler is fixed where needed and to fix the mechanical parts inside.
The adapter flanges of this structure are generally coupled together by screws, which is convenient for disassembly. This facilitates the replacement of other damaged parts, and it is also an advantage that other structures do not have. However, due to too many parts, the flanges are difficult to completely overlap during assembly, so a new type of split structure design is available. To improve on the previous basis, a small metal sleeve is directly generated on a piece of the flange. Another small metal sleeve is also directly generated on the other flange. The inner cavity metal ring is directly generated at the bottom of a flange. The assembly process of this structural adapter is simple. The sleeve is placed in a small metal casing, the two flanges are fastened together and then riveted with rivets. This is more convenient and quicker, accurate in alignment, low cost, beautiful in appearance, and good in the hand. But it cannot be disassembled after riveting.
2. All-in-one
The one-piece type means that the two flanges are connected into one body, and there is no inner cavity in the internal structure, and there is no need to fix the inner cavity metal ring parts of the small sleeve, which is less and simpler than the split type. One-piece adapters of this structure are now widely used. Its assembly process is first press the small metal sleeve into the flange connecting body, then put the sleeve in the small metal sleeve, and then press the small metal sleeve in. The two small metal sleeves have different dimensions. However, two sleeves need to be pressed into the assembly of this fiber optic cable ends, and the size of the sleeve is strict, and the tolerance accuracy is high, otherwise, the flange cannot be pressed. There are also integrated adapters that only press one sleeve. It uses the latest machining methods to completely connect the small metal casing and the flange together. When assembling, just put in the sleeve and press on the small metal sleeve. This kind of conjoined structure design avoids the accumulated tolerances of individual parts in the processing process, fundamentally guarantees the accuracy and tolerance of the various dimensions required by the adapter, ensures the accuracy of the coupling of the pin body in the fiber connector adapters, reduces additional loss, and improves return loss.
Performance of fiber optic adapter
The optical performance of the fiber cable adapters should be considered, as well as interchangeability, repeatability, tensile strength, temperature, and the number of plug-ins.
1. Optical performance
The requirements for the optical performance of the fiber optic cable coupler are mainly the two most basic parameters of insertion loss and return loss. Insertion Loss is the connection loss, which refers to the loss of the effective optical power of the link caused by the introduction of the adapter. The smaller the insertion loss, the better, and the general requirement should not be greater than 0.5dB.
Return Loss optical power, and its typical value should not be less than 25dB. In practical adapters, the pin surface has been specially polished, which can make the return loss greater, generally not less than 45dB.
2. Interchangeability and repeatability
Optical connector adapters are universal passive components. Generally, the same type of fiber optic adapters can be combined arbitrarily and used repeatedly. The additional loss introduced by this is generally less than 0.2dB.
3. Tensile strength
For a finished optical cable coupler, it is generally required that its tensile strength should not be less than 90N.
It is generally required that the optical fiber adapter must be able to be used normally at a temperature of -40 ℃ ~ + 70 ℃.
5. Mating times
The fiber optic cable ends currently used can generally be plugged and unplugged more than 1000 times.
Insertion loss generation
Insertion loss refers to the optical power attenuation caused by the connected adapter to the system (that is, the relative decrease in the output power of the optical adapter relative to the input power). The insertion loss is mainly caused by the deviation between two consecutive optical fibers. If the two optical fibers are arranged in a straight line and the deviation is zero, the insertion loss caused is minimal. But the possibility of realizing the actual docking of the fiber optic cable adapter is very small. Because of the different cores of the fiber core and the fiber cladding, the misalignment of the fiber cladding and the pinhole, and the concentricity error between the pinhole and the outer diameter, etc., will cause the lateral deviation between the fibers. The longitudinal gap and the quality of the end face in the optical fiber connector are also one of the factors that cause the insertion loss. The UPC plug contact method commonly used in recent years has better solved the longitudinal gap problem. In this way, the pin and the fiber end face are spherically polished, so that the two opposing pins have meshed together under the action of external force so that the apex of the meshed fiber is deformed and flattened to form a sufficient butt of the fiber and reduce the fiber joint the longitudinal gap.
The mechanism of insertion loss is:
1. Mismatch of core (or mode field) size (see Figure 1)
2. Numerical aperture mismatch (see Figure 2)
3. Mismatch of refractive index distribution (see Figure 3)
4. End face clearance (see Figure 4)
5. Axis inclination (see Figure 5)
6. Lateral offset or concentricity (see Figure 6)
In the actual connection of the optical fiber system, the influence of these factors may exist at the same time, and the total loss is the superposition of each loss. In order to reduce the insertion loss, the influence of the above-mentioned various factors should be avoided in the design and manufacture of the optical fiber adapter.
With the continuous development of optical fiber communication technology, especially the development of high-speed local area networks and optical access networks, fiber optic cable adapters will be more widely used in optical fiber systems. At the same time, more and higher requirements have been put forward for optical cable couplers. The main development direction is miniaturization and low cost, but the requirements for performance are getting higher and higher. In the next period of time, various newly developed fiber optic cable ends will form a pattern of "each has its own strengths and each has its own use" together with traditional FC, SC, and other adapters.
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i need to know if there is a place in the world that is unowned and i could go there and just rough it for a few months. I've tried researching this but the search is to broad.
What do you mean by "rough it for a few months"? Tent in the forest? Anyplace in Canada. Go into town all scruffy and wild-eyed to buy your crate of instant noodles, they'll know what you're up to, and won't ask questions.
Most of the planet is unowned. Unless you have a particular meaning of owned.
That's possible. National possession is not quite the same as ownership, but I can see it could br thought of that way. If we ignore the title and look at only his post, then all he needs is a small boat and some supplies: he can take to the ocean.
There are thousands of places you could go, if you are looking for somewhere that is "unowned" though, i think Ophiolite is right and the international waters is about the only place you could go. Scandinavia or Canada would probably be your best bet.
Just in case you are not already aware of this. You must research throughly the food that can be found wherever you plan to go, how to prepare it and cook it. Any dangers that you may face such there as bears, land slides and how to deal with them. Take a first aid course. Make sure you are properly equipped with high quality tools (and the correct ones) knife, axe, first aid kit, proper clothing, cooking utensils etc.
If you do not have much experience in the type of environment you plan to travel in, you should take a couple of courses to prepare you for it. You can find plenty of them online for a reasonable price. If you have no experience you must do the above and read "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer for a taste of what can go wrong and also buy a copy of "The SAS Survival Hand Book" by John 'Lofty' Wiseman and practise as much as you can from the book particularly firelighting, shelter building, hunting, traps, preparing food, navigation and finding and cleaning water.
A satellite phone could save your life in the event of trouble.
If I had enough money I'd visit Antarctica, no question. AFAIK, most of it is totally unowned.
No, but I have a cabin on unserviced island and have lived in relatively isolated town where a lot of back-to-the-land types and various misfits would venture for necessities. Just a few months I assume you'd be living in a tent or camper, so you could squat on quasi-public timber land because of your light footprint. Most of British Columbia province is still "crown land" and not privately owned. Finding a site is easy: It's almost anywhere outside the tiny portion of settlements. But the thing is, you've got to find some source of income away from civilization. Some guys operate a portable sawmill or do other odd jobs, some do burglaries, or grow marijuana.
If you want your own country, I suggest Hans Island. It's the subject of territorial dispute between Canada and Denmark, being smack on the Canada-Greenland border. Neither side actually wants the tiny rock, but legally it must be contested. So if someone raised a proud new flag of the sovereign Hans nation I think we'd all be glad just to write that problem off the books.


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Home CoronaVirus Trump put on dexamethasone, a steroid recommended for severe cases of Covid-19
Trump put on dexamethasone, a steroid recommended for severe cases of Covid-19
Doctors for President Donald Trump said on Sunday that they had started treating him with dexamethasone, a steroid that has shown promise for critically ill patients but could harm those with less severe cases of Covid- 19.The revelation, which is part of an optimistic briefing on the president's condition, raised further questions about Trump's health as the 74-year-old battles the virus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans.
Dr Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious disease physician at the Boston University School of Medicine, said steroid treatment suggests that Trump has a level of inflammation that justifies steroid use despite the drug also suppressing the immune system.
"That they made the conscious decision that the benefit of giving steroids outweighs the risk implies a higher degree of severity than we knew on Friday and Saturday," Bhadelia said in an email.
Another expert, Dr Vin Gupta, said the revelations from doctors could indicate Trump may be suffering from pneumonia.
"The treatment doctors report they have given suggests the president has COVID pneumonia of at least mild severity," said Gupta, a faculty member at the Institute for Measurement and Evaluation of University of Washington Health.
The briefing took place outside the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where the president has been treated since Friday.
White House doctor Dr Sean Conley said the president's medical team had started treating the president with dexamethasone. The treatment came in response to two incidents in which Trump's blood oxygen levels fell below normal in recent days.
Conley also said Trump could be released as early as Monday and said his health was improving.
Bhadelia said she generally wouldn't reject someone who had just been on steroids.
The announcement by Trump's medical team complicated assessments of the seriousness of the president's case, especially in light of the shyness surrounding details about the president's health.
According to the World Health Organization, dexamethasone has been shown to reduce 28-day mortality in patients with severe and critical cases of Covid-19. In contrast, the organization found that it "may increase the risk of death when given to patients with non-severe cases" of the disease.
The WHO has defined severe cases of Covid-19 as causing blood oxygen levels to drop below 90%. Healthy adults typically have blood oxygen levels of 95% or more. Rapid breathing or other signs of respiratory distress can also cause a case to be considered serious.
A study cited by the WHO showed that dexamethasone reduced mortality to around 22.9% compared to 25.7% for people receiving usual treatments.
Trump's medics declined to say how much the president's blood oxygen level has dropped, beyond saying it was not recorded in the 1980s. Conley said the rate of d Trump's blood oxygen was 98% on Sunday.
Dr Scott Gottlieb, who led the FDA from 2017 to 2019, said the president's two drops in blood oxygen levels did not suggest a strong recovery.
"I'm concerned about O2 because it means his lungs are affected (COVID-19 is the disease and now he has it)," Gottlieb said in an email. He added, "If they're going to fire him tomorrow, that would mean he's HIV negative. I do not think it is possible. "
Gottlieb added: "The low oxygen levels and the claim that 'chest imaging was showing results consistent with his condition' suggest he may have lung pneumonia. "
On Saturday, Conley dodged questions of whether the President had received supplemental oxygen. Then, on Sunday, Conley said the president's oxygen levels dropped on Friday and Saturday, and he revealed the president received supplemental oxygen on Friday.
However, it was not clear if Trump received oxygen on Saturday. When asked about it on Sunday, Conley deferred to the nursing staff.
"I should, I should check with the nurses. I don't think – if he did, it was very, very limited. But he's not on oxygen, "Conley said. "The only oxygen I ordered that we provided was this Friday morning, initially. "
The president's medical team did not disclose his state of health, forcing the public to read between the lines.
"I didn't want to give out any information that might point the course of the disease in another direction, and in doing so, you know, it turned out that we were trying to hide something, which was not necessarily true," explained Conley. on Sunday.
Still, it seemed curious to doctors that the president would only need supplemental oxygen once or twice, in light of the dexamethasone treatment. The National Institutes of Health Covid-19 treatment guidelines note that dexamethasone has only shown positive effects in patients requiring supplemental oxygen.
"Dexamethasone is an incredibly common steroid. But not at the high doses used in COVID-19, which is why the NIH recommends NOT using it unless the [patient] requires supplemental oxygen, "wrote Dr. Kavita Patel, former executive director of clinical transformation at the Brookings Institution's Center for Health Policy, in a Twitter post Sunday.
"No oxygen for a second here or there," she wrote.
– CNBC's Shepard Smith contributed to this report.
Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the board of directors of Pfizer, a Tempus genetic testing start-up and biotech company Illumina. Pfizer has a manufacturing agreement with Gilead for remdesivir. Gottlieb is also co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings'and Royal Caribbean«Healthy Sail Panel».
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Sean Conley, the President's doctor, did not say if the President received supplemental oxygen on Saturday.
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Baez's grand slam powers Cubs to win
Olympic champion Lundby laments ski jumping's weight issues
Adam Rippon looks back at his role in 2018 Olympics
Dissed: Olympic snowboarders still irked by secondary status
Quintana picks up first victory since May 5 for Chicago
June 29, 2019 Updated: June 29, 2019 11:56 p.m.
Chicago Cubs' Javier Baez follows through on a grand slam home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2019, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Gary Landers)Gary Landers
Javier Baez hit a grand slam Saturday, and Jose Quintana went six innings for his first victory since May 5, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 6-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
The NL Central leaders are 14-14 in June. They need to win the final game of the series to avoid their first losing month since May of 2017. They've had 12 straight winning months in the regular season.
The benches and bullpens cleared after Pedro Strop hit Yasiel Puig in the thigh with a pitch in the eighth. Puig slammed his batting helmet to the ground and walked toward Strop while yelling and gesturing, but players intervened. Puig had taunted Cubs baserunner Albert Almora Jr. from right field during the series opener.
Reds manager David Bell was ejected by plate umpire Mark Wegner in the ninth after Dillon Maples hit Jose Paraza with a breaking pitch.
Baez, voted the NL's starting shortstop for the All-Star Game in Cleveland, connected in the eighth off Jared Hughes to help Quintana (5-7) get his long-awaited win.
Marlins 9, Phillies 6: Neil Walker homered and drove in three runs to help Miami rally from a five-run deficit and beat Philadelphia for the fifth consecutive time. The Marlins fell behind 6-1 before starting their comeback when Walker snapped an 0-for-15 skid with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. He contributed an RBI single in Miami's six-run seventh, and JT Riddle delivered a tiebreaking two-run double off Adam Morgan (2-3). Morgan and Juan Nicasio each gave up three runs in one-third of an inning.
Rays 5, Rangers 2: Brendan McKay took a perfect game into the sixth inning of his major league debut as Tampa Bay beat Texas. McKay (1-0), a two-way prospect taken fourth overall in the 2017 draft, didn't allow a baserunner until Danny Santana flared an opposite-field single to right with one out in the sixth. The left-hander allowed one hit, a walk and struck out three in six innings. After walking Shin-Soo Choo with two outs in the sixth, McKay ended his 81-pitch outing by striking out Delino Deshields on three pitches. He walked off the field to a standing ovation. Avisail Garcia homered for the Rays.
Twins 10, White Sox 3: Nelson Cruz and Max Kepler both hit two home runs, Miguel Sano went deep, and Michael Pineda threw six solid innings to lead Minnesota to a victory. Cruz hit a pair of two-run homers, connecting against Ivan Nova (3-7) in the first and launching a 469-foot shot to center off Jose Ruiz in the ninth. That gave him three multihomer games this season and 30 in his career.
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Tigers 7, Nationals 5: Miguel Cabrera had three hits and three RBIs as Detroit rallied twice and snapped an eight-game losing streak. The Tigers rebounded from a three-run deficit in the fourth inning and erased a two-run deficit in the seventh when Niko Goodrum singled to cap a three-run rally.
Blue Jays 7, Royals 5: Danny Jansen hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Cavan Biggio launched his first career grand slam and Toronto beat Kansas City after starter Marcus Stroman exited early with a cramp in his non-pitching shoulder. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who recovered after blowing a one-run lead in the top of the ninth.
Orioles 13, Indians 0: Andrew Cashner threw seven innings of three-hit ball, Renato Nunez had two of Baltimore's four home runs and the Orioles clinched their first series win since April.
Rockies 5, Dodgers 3: Jon Gray pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Charlie Blackmon homered to lead Colorado past Los Angeles.
Brewers 3, Pirates 1: Brandon Woodruff cruised to his 10th win of the season, Eric Thames homered and tripled, and Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh.
General Standards and Practices


Have you ever lost momentum towards your workout plan midweek? Or even worse — didn't start on Monday, so you scratched the week all together to start fresh next Monday?
How about this scenario, you are at the gym but keep getting distracted by text or social media and just can't get into a rhythm?
I hear these challenges daily and wanted to put them to bed. This week's Coaching Conversation addresses the steps you need to take to make your next workout incredible, to make you feel locked in, focused and in the zone to get the results you've been waiting for.
Did you like your 5am club email this morning?
I hope the title provoked your interest and planted a subconscious seed.
Did you get right out of bed or have a hard time getting up?
Did you hit the snooze button?
Please leave a comment to keep the conversation going and I'm personally wondering what you do to win your battle each morning?
Have you ever wanted to talk with your partner about their health and didn't know how to have the conversation?
Maybe you decided to try to talk with your partner about their health and the conversation went horribly wrong, which happens to 99% in this situation, you are not alone.
Today, I tackle this controversial subject, so next time you will know what to say and how to say it, so you don't end up in an argument, on the couch, or in a break.
The big idea of this week's Coaching Conversation is how to have "the health talk" without talking about it.
As always, your comments and questions keep the conversation going and I appreciate hearing from you.
Today I wanted to share a story with you I've never shared before.
The learnings have shaped me into the man I am today.
As I discuss my fear, I hope you are able to identify your fear and use it to create personal excellence.
I also hope you like the new look and feel of today's Coaching Conversation. With your great feedback, questions and comments we are creating a conversation that will not just be information but truly make a transformation.
Grateful for you and how you show up in the world.
What is your favorite event of the year? For some people it's the Superbowl, Grammy's, Oscar's, but for me its March Madness, hands down, its not even close.
March Madness does not only represent a tournament where the best college basketball teams get together and play to see who is #1 (sure, of course I'm rooting for Duke and want to see Coach K cut down another net), but it also is a time of year that represents change.
The seasons are changing, from a cold and long winter, into a season of spring, renewal, hope, and adventure. It's also nostalgic for me because of all the memories associated to March, from Spring break days, to skipping school with my best friends every year for the Thursday and Friday games which always will provide the biggest upsets (sorry Mum), to all the emotion that the best college players in the land share on and off the court.
To honor this very special time of year I want to share with you a motivational / highlight reel of the All-Time leading scorer of Duke Basketball history and NBA superstar JJ Redick. He's one of the hardest working people I've had the privilege to work with, dedicated to his family and strong man of God.
I hope the video inspires, motivates, and helps you take your game to the next level. If you cheer for Duke during the NCAA tournament that would be a bonus. So get your popcorn out no butter needed, hummus and celery, coconut water, and Zesta-C, tissue box (because it does get emotional), and pick a favorite team.
PS: A new season of the Coaching Conversation with yours truly is starting up in April with some special guests and a new look and feel. Hope you enjoy and as always, leave your comments and questions below and I'll be sure to answer them.
Have you ever felt so incredibly grateful that you had to share it with someone?
That someone is you this week.
In this week's Coaching Conversation, I share with you an exercise that if done properly will get immediate results and create momentum in all areas of your life. Feeling stuck?
This exercise will get you moving in the right direction and have you feeling grateful for what you already have.
Start to see your life from abundance.
I refer to the 30 Day Think Well Challenge in this weeks video, which is the last and final part of my 90 day Move well, Eat well, and Think well challenge. In the last 90 days I have given away my best stuff and shared the FYCmethod that I practice with my celebrity clients for free, for anyone that signed up.
Don't worry if you missed it, I'll be starting it up again soon with New updates. For now, I hope you enjoy this week's coaching conversation and remember, you are celebrated in public for what you do in private.
PS: Remember to share a comment in the section below and keep the conversation going!


Bagan cruise is one of the significant and most interesting programs designed for tourists in the journey to the golden land. We offer 2 kinds of cruises: classic and luxury. Each bears its own characteristics but both of them are planned to bring wonderful experiences and unforgettable memories for those who travel to this legendary land. Take a Bagan cruise to float on the mighty Irrawaddy River to forget all your daily pressure and create an incredible Bagan travel for yourself.


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Q: Jquery Mobile - Recursos Olá, é possível usar apenas alguns recursos do jQuery Mobile? Eu gostaria, por exemplo, de usar o "transitions" dele apenas. É possível? Se for como fazer?
Obrigado!

A: Sim é possível.
Basta fazer o download customizado nesse link: http://jquerymobile.com/download-builder/


To start any membership with us you will need to complete the On-Ramp.
The On-Ramp includes your first month of Unlimited Membership starting from the date of your Session.
We only offer one Membership, this way you can make as much use of the gym with no limits imposed on you. You pay for one month, you use the gym as much as you can for one month.
You can attend ANYTHING on the timetable.
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Dr. Barnes could not, and would not, deny the Lord said what he said in Scripture. His only recourse (as is the case with all who deny the real presence), ultimately, was to claim Jesus was speaking "metaphorically." And after all, he had to be… right? I mean, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" In other words, his ultimate objection to the Catholic and biblical position is not so much rooted in the text as it is in a fundamental incredulity when it comes to the words of the text.
I argued in that debate, and I will again in this post, that if we examine the text carefully, not only is there nothing in it that indicates Jesus was speaking purely metaphorically, but the text itself actually points in the opposite direction.
Compare these to John 6. Jesus plainly says, in verse 51, "I am the bread come down from heaven and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" (vs. 51). The Jews immediately respond, as I said above, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'" They certainly understood him to mean what he said.
In our debate, Dr. Barnes had a very interesting rejoinder to this point. He claimed, in essence, that in at least some cases when his listeners misunderstood our Lord, he purposely made no attempt to clear up the misunderstandings. And Dr. Barnes then cited three more examples claiming this to be a pattern in the gospels.
No matter how one interprets Jesus' response to Nicodemus beginning in John 3:5, he doesn't come close to saying anything like, "Amen, amen I say to you, unless you climb back into your mother's womb a second time and be born anew, you cannot have eternal life." He says you must be "born of water and spirit… the wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (vs. 5-8)." This seems to me to be clarification that he is not speaking about climbing back into a mother's womb. Being "born anew" is a spiritual experience that transcends literal birth from a womb.
2. In John 4:7-15, Dr. Barnes claimed, Jesus left the famous "Samaritan woman at the well" in her misunderstanding when she thought Jesus was offering her literal, physical water. But is that really what we find in the text?
Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
It seems clear that the woman then understood that Jesus' words were metaphorical concerning the "living water," because she immediately "left her water jar," went back to her fellow countrymen and urged them to, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ" (verses 28-29)? And according to verse 39, "Many Samaritans… believed in him because of the woman's testimony." Notice, she did not go and say, "You've got to meet this man that will give us a limitless supply of water!" She came to realize Jesus was about much more than filling war jars.
How is it that you fail to perceive that I did not speak about bread… Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
There is much more about the text of John 6 and the greater context of the New Testament in general that make a "Catholic" understanding of John 6:53 unavoidable. In our debate, Dr. Barnes and I grapple with many of those texts.
1. If Jesus was clearing up the point here, he's a lousy teacher because he didn't get his point across. According to verse 66, "many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him" immediately after this statement. They obviously still believed his earlier words about "eating [his] flesh" to be literal because these "disciples" had already believed in and followed him for some time. If Jesus was here saying, "I only meant that you have to believe in me and follow me," why would they be walking away?
2. Jesus did not say, "My flesh is of no avail." He said, "The flesh is of no avail." There is a big difference! He obviously would not have said my flesh avails nothing because he just spent a good portion of this same discourse telling us that his flesh would be "given for the life of the world" (John 6:51, cf. 50-58).
"The flesh" is a New Testament term often used to describe human nature apart from God's grace (see Romans 8:1-14; I Cor. 2:14; 3:1; Mark 14:38).
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.
The resurrected body is spiritual and indeed we can be called spiritual as Christians inasmuch as we are controlled by the Spirit of God. Spiritual in no way means void of the material. That would be a Gnostic understanding of things, not Christian.
Jesus wants to ensure the apostles do not fall into a sort of crass literalism that would see the truth of the Eucharist in terms of gnawing bones and sinew. It is the Holy Spirit that will accomplish the miracle of Christ being able to ascend into heaven bodily while also being able to distribute his body and blood in the Eucharist for the life of the world. A human body—even a perfect one—apart from the power of the Spirit could not accomplish this.
Thus, Jesus words, "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail" refers to the truth that it is only the Spirit that can accomplish the miracle of the Eucharist and it is only the Holy Spirit that can empower us to believe the miracle.


8/09/2011 · How to clean grout haze weeks after installation Discussion in 'Ceramic and Stone Q&A ' started by CaryC, cleaning ceramic tile; grout haze; Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > CaryC Member. Our new porcelain tile floor was not cleaned properly at the time of installation. The installer has been back to fix some other issues, and has washed the floor with vinegar & water, but the haze is still apparent... 12/06/2016 · I've used the side of my grout sponge that's meant to remove haze but it isn't removing anything. I tried using a vinegar mixture but that didn't do anything to it. I know that there is a haze remover but it seemed like it was for true ceramic tile though. I was worried that it would damage my new tile.
How to grout tile grouting and techniques knowing how to remove grout haze will make finishing up any tiling so much easier name 00438 jpg views 9908 size 22 0 kb how... Use a putty knife to remove as much excess dried mortar or grout from your ceramic tile floor as you can. Hold the putty knife so that the blade is at a 45-degree angle. Scrape away the mortar or grout using a quick, back and forth motion. Use a plastic putty knife because a metal one may damage the floor.
13/07/2006 · I've just tiled around a shower/tub and across the floor in front with 'fieldstone/granite ceramic tile'. The grout manufacturer suggests leaving the grout on the tile for 20 mins before wiping off.