text:
\section{\label{section-introduction}Introduction}
In 1981, Dicke proposed a concept of interaction-free measurement (IFM)
\cite{Dicke}.
However, current discussion of IFM appears from the following problem
stated by Elitzur and Vaidman:
``Let us assume there is an object that absorbs a photon with strong interaction
if the photon approaches the object closely enough.
Can we examine whether or not the object exists without its absorption?''
\cite{Elitzur-Vaidman}.
The reason that we do not want to let the object absorb the photon is
that it might lead to an explosion, for example.
Elitzur and Vaidman themselves present a method of the IFM
that is inspired by the Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
Then a more refined one is proposed by Kwiat {\it et al}.
\cite{Kwiat-Weinfurter-1}.
An experiment of their IFM is reported in Ref.~\cite{Kwiat-White}.
The IFM finds wide application in quantum information processing
(the Bell-basis measurement, quantum computation, and so on)
\cite{Azuma-3,Azuma-4}.

According to the IFM proposed by Kwiat {\it et al}.,
the absorbing object is put in the interferometer that consists of $N$ beam splitters,
and we inject a photon into it to examine whether or not the object exists.
The probability that we can find the object in the interferometer arrives at unity
under the limit of $N\rightarrow\infty$ in the case where the interaction
between the object and the photon is strong enough and perfect.

In this paper, we consider the IFM of Kwiat {\it et al}. with imperfect interaction.
In ordinary IFM, the absorbing object is expected to absorb a photon
with probability unity when the photon approaches the object closely enough.
However, in this paper, we assume that the photon is absorbed with probability $1-\eta$ ($0\leq\eta\leq 1$)
and it passes by the object without being absorbed with probability $\eta$
when it approaches close to the object.
We estimate the success probability $P$ of the IFM,
namely the probability that we can find the object without the photon absorbed,
under this assumption.

This problem has been investigated in Ref.~\cite{Azuma-3} already.
In Ref.~\cite{Azuma-3}, although a correct approximating equation
of the success probability of the IFM
with the imperfect interaction is derived,
its derivation is wrong.
Hence, we give a right treatment of this problem in this paper.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[scale=0.65]{KWinterferometer3.eps}
\caption{\label{KWinterferometer}Interferometer of Kwiat {\it et al}.
for the IFM.}
\end{figure}

In the rest of this section, we give a short review of the IFM proposed by Kwiat {\it et al}.
They consider an interferometer that consists of $N$ beam splitters
as shown in Fig.~\ref{KWinterferometer}.
We describe the upper paths as $a$
and lower paths as $b$,
so that the beam splitters form the boundary line
between the paths $a$ and the paths $b$
in the interferometer.
We write a state with one photon on the paths $a$
as $|1\rangle_{a}$
and a state with no photon on the paths $a$ as $|0\rangle_{a}$.
This notation applies to the paths $b$ as well.
The beam splitter $B$ in Fig.~\ref{KWinterferometer}
works as follows:
\begin{equation}
B:
\left\{
\begin{array}{rrr}
|1\rangle_{a}|0\rangle_{b} & \rightarrow &
\cos\theta|1\rangle_{a}|0\rangle_{b}-\sin\theta|0\rangle_{a}|1\rangle_{b},\\
|0\rangle_{a}|1\rangle_{b} & \rightarrow &
\sin\theta|1\rangle_{a}|0\rangle_{b}+\cos\theta|0\rangle_{a}|1\rangle_{b}.
\end{array}
\right.
\label{definition-beam-splitter-B}
\end{equation}
[The transmissivity of $B$ is given by $T=\sin^{2}\theta$,
and the reflectivity of $B$ is given by $R=\cos^{2}\theta$
in Eq.~(\ref{definition-beam-splitter-B}).]

Let us throw a photon into the lower left port of $b$
in Fig.~\ref{KWinterferometer}.
If there is no object on the paths,
the wave function of the photon that comes from the $k$th
beam splitter is given by
\begin{eqnarray}
&&
\sin k\theta|1\rangle_{a}|0\rangle_{b}
+\cos k\theta|0\rangle_{a}|1\rangle_{b} \nonumber \\
&&\quad\quad
\mbox{for $k=0,1,...,N$.}
\end{eqnarray}
If we assume $\theta=\pi/2N$,
the photon that comes from the $N$th beam splitter goes to
the upper right port of $a$ with probability unity.

Next, we consider the case where there is an object that absorbs
the photon on the paths $a$.
We assume that the object is put on every path $a$ that comes
from each beam splitter,
and all of these $N$ objects are the same one.
The photon thrown into the lower left port of $b$
cannot go to the upper right port of $a$
because the object absorbs it.
If the incident photon goes to the lower right port
of $b$, it has not passed through paths $a$ in the interferometer.

Therefore, the probability that the photon goes
to the lower right port of $b$ is equal to the product
of the reflectivities of the beam splitters.
It is given by $P=\cos^{2N}\theta$.
In the limit of $N\rightarrow\infty$,
$P$ approaches $1$ as follows:
\begin{eqnarray}
\lim_{N\rightarrow\infty}P
&=&\lim_{N\rightarrow\infty}\cos^{2N}(\frac{\pi}{2N}) \nonumber \\
&=&\lim_{N\rightarrow\infty}
[1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{4N}+O(\frac{1}{N^{2}})] \nonumber \\
&=&1.
\end{eqnarray}

From the above discussion,
we can conclude that the interferometer of Kwiat et al.
directs an incident photon from the lower left port of $b$
with probability $P$ at least as follows:
(1) if there is no absorbing object in the interferometer,
the photon goes to the upper right port of $a$, and
(2) if there is the absorbing object in the interferometer,
the photon goes to the lower right port of $b$.
Furthermore, if we take large $N$, we can set $P$ arbitrarily
close to $1$.
Therefore, we can examine whether or not the object exists in the interferometer.

\section{\label{section-IFM-imperfect-interaction}
The IFM with imperfect interaction}
The IFM introduced in the former section is realized
by beam splitters and interaction between the absorbing object and the photon.
In this section,
we consider the case where the interaction is not perfect.
(We regard the beam splitters as accurate enough.)
We assume that the photon is absorbed
with probability $1-\eta$
and it passes by the object without being absorbed
with probability $\eta$
when it approaches close to the object.
We estimate the success probability $P$ of the IFM
under these assumptions.

We assume the following transformation
in Fig.~\ref{KWinterferometer}.
The photon that comes from each beam splitter to the upper path $a$ suffers
\begin{equation}
|\bar{0}\rangle
\rightarrow
\sqrt{\eta}|\bar{0}\rangle
+\sqrt{1-\eta}|\mbox{absorption}\rangle,
\label{imperfect-absorption-process}
\end{equation}
where $0\leq\eta\leq 1$ and $|\bar{0}\rangle=|1\rangle_{a}|0\rangle_{b}$.
$|\mbox{absorption}\rangle$ is the state where the object absorbs the photon.
We assume that it is normalized and orthogonal to
$\{|\bar{0}\rangle,|\bar{1}\rangle\}$,
where
$|\bar{0}\rangle=|1\rangle_{a}|0\rangle_{b}$
and
$|\bar{1}\rangle=|0\rangle_{a}|1\rangle_{b}$.

From now on, for simplicity,
we describe the transformations that are applied to the photon
as matrices in the basis $\{|\bar{0}\rangle,|\bar{1}\rangle\}$.
Writing
\begin{eqnarray}
|\bar{0}\rangle
&=&
|1\rangle_{a}|0\rangle_{b}
=
\left(
\begin{array}{c}
1 \\
0
\end{array}
\right), \nonumber \\
|\bar{1}\rangle
&=&
|0\rangle_{a}|1\rangle_{b}
=
\left(
\begin{array}{c}
0 \\
1
\end{array}
\right),
\label{definition-basis-vectors}
\end{eqnarray}
we can describe the beam splitter $B$ defined
in Eq.~(\ref{definition-beam-splitter-B}) as
\begin{equation}
B=
\left(
\begin{array}{cc}
\cos\theta & \sin\theta \\
-\sin\theta & \cos\theta
\end{array}
\right),
\label{definition-matrix-B}
\end{equation}
where $\theta=\pi/2N$
and the absorption process defined
in Eq.~(\ref{imperfect-absorption-process}) as
\begin{equation}
A=
\left(
\begin{array}{cc}
\sqrt{\eta} & 0           \\
0           & 1
\end{array}
\right),
\label{definition-matrix-A}
\end{equation}
where $0\leq\eta\leq 1$.
The matrix $A$ is not unitary because the process
defined by Eq.~(\ref{imperfect-absorption-process})
causes absorption of the photon (dissipation or decoherence).

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[scale=0.8]{imperfectIFM-N-exactP01.eps}
\caption{\label{imperfectIFM-N-exactP}
Results of numerical calculation of
the success probability $P(N,\eta)$
from
Eqs.~(\ref{definition-basis-vectors}), (\ref{definition-matrix-B}),
(\ref{definition-matrix-A}),
and (\ref{definition-fidelity-IFMgate}).
With fixing $\eta$, we plot $P(N,\eta)$
as a function of $N$ and link them together by solid lines.
$\eta$ is the rate at which the object fails to absorb the photon.
$P$ and $\eta$ are dimensionless quantities.
$N$ is the number of the beam splitters.
Four cases of $\eta=0$, $0.05$, $0.1$, and $0.15$
are shown in order from top to bottom
as solid curves.}
\end{figure}

The probability that an incident photon from the lower left port of $b$
passes through the $N$ beam splitters and
is detected in the lower right port of $b$ in Fig.~\ref{KWinterferometer}
is given by
\begin{equation}
P(N,\eta)=|\langle\bar{1}|(BA)^{N-1}B|\bar{1}\rangle|^{2}.
\label{definition-fidelity-IFMgate}
\end{equation}
We plot results of numerical calculations of
the success probability $P(N,\eta)$
defined by Eqs.~(\ref{definition-basis-vectors}), (\ref{definition-matrix-B}),
(\ref{definition-matrix-A}),
and (\ref{definition-fidelity-IFMgate}) in Fig.~\ref{imperfectIFM-N-exactP}.
With fixing $\eta$, we plot $P(N,\eta)$ as a function of $N$
and link them together by solid lines.
In Fig.~\ref{imperfectIFM-N-exactP},
the four cases of $\eta=0$, $0.05$, $0.1$, and $0.15$
are shown in order from top to bottom.

Seeing Fig.~\ref{imperfectIFM-N-exactP},
we have the following question.
If $\eta\neq 0$, at what value does
$P(N,\eta)$ converge in the limit of $N\rightarrow\infty$?
At first glance,
$\lim_{N\rightarrow\infty}P(N,\eta)$ seems to depend on $\eta$.
However, Fig.~\ref{imperfectIFM-N-exactP} lets us expect
$\lim_{N\rightarrow\infty}P(N,\eta)=1$ $\forall\eta$.
In the next section, we show that this expectation is true.

\section{\label{section-Evaluation-success-probability}
Evaluation of the success probability}
In this section, we examine $P(N,\eta)$ defined in Eq.~(\ref{definition-fidelity-IFMgate})
for large $N$.
For this purpose, first we derive an exact formula of $P(N,\eta)$,
and second we expand $P(N,\eta)$ in powers of $1/N$ with fixing $\eta$.

First we derive the exact formula of $P(N,\eta)$.
We note the following.
Eigenvalues of the matrices $A$ and $B$ are given by $1$ and $\sqrt{\eta}$.
Thus, $\lim_{N\rightarrow\infty}P(N,\eta)$ never diverges to infinity.
We let $BA$ to be an upper triangular matrix $D$ by unitary transformation $U$ as follows:
\begin{equation}
D
=
\left(
\begin{array}{cc}
x & y \\
0 & z
\end{array}
\right)
=
U^{\dagger}BAU,
\end{equation}
where
\begin{eqnarray}
U
=
\left(
\begin{array}{cc}
U_{00} & U_{01} \\
U_{10} & U_{11}
\end{array}
\right),
\label{definition-matrix-U}
\end{eqnarray}
\begin{eqnarray}
U_{00}
&=&
\frac{(1-\sqrt{\eta})\cos\theta+r}{\sqrt{s}}, \nonumber\\
U_{01}
&=&
\frac{(1-\sqrt{\eta})\cos\theta-r}{\sqrt{t}}, \nonumber \\
U_{10}
&=&
\frac{2\sqrt{\eta}\sin\theta}{\sqrt{s}}, \nonumber \\
U_{11}
&=&
-\frac{2\sin\theta}{\sqrt{t}},
\end{eqnarray}
\begin{eqnarray}
r
&=&
\sqrt{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}\cos^{2}\theta-4\sqrt{\eta}\sin^{2}\theta}, \nonumber \\
s
&=&
4\eta\sin^{2}\theta+[(1-\sqrt{\eta})\cos\theta+r]^{2}, \nonumber \\
t
&=&
4\sin^{2}\theta+[(1-\sqrt{\eta})\cos\theta-r]^{2},
\end{eqnarray}
and
\begin{eqnarray}
x
&=&
\frac{1}{2}[(1+\sqrt{\eta})\cos\theta-r], \nonumber \\
y
&=&
-\frac{1}{\sqrt{st}}(1-\sqrt{\eta})\sin^{2}\theta
[2(1+\sqrt{\eta})\cos\theta \nonumber \\
&&\quad
+\sqrt{2}
\sqrt{1-6\sqrt{\eta}+\eta+(1+\sqrt{\eta})^{2}\cos 2\theta}], \nonumber \\
z
&=&
\frac{1}{2}[(1+\sqrt{\eta})\cos\theta+r].
\end{eqnarray}
We obtain $D^{N-1}$ by induction as follows:
\begin{equation}
D^{N-1}=
\left(
\begin{array}{cc}
X & Y \\
0 & Z
\end{array}
\right),
\label{definition-matrix-D-N-1}
\end{equation}
where
\begin{eqnarray}
X
&=&
x^{N-1}, \nonumber \\
Y
&=&
y(x^{N-2}+z^{N-2})+xyz\frac{x^{N-3}-z^{N-3}}{x-z}, \nonumber \\
Z
&=&
z^{N-1}.
\label{exact-components-D-N-1}
\end{eqnarray}
From the above calculations, we obtain the exact formula of $P(N,\eta)$ as
\begin{equation}
P(N,\eta)=|\langle\bar{1}|UD^{N-1}U^{\dagger}B|\bar{1}\rangle|^{2}.
\label{exact-formula-fidelity-IFMgate}
\end{equation}

Second we expand $P(N,\eta)$ in powers of $1/N$ with fixing $\eta$.
(We note $\theta=\pi/2N$.)
We can expand components of the matrices $B$, $U$, and $D$  in powers of $1/N$
as follows:
\begin{eqnarray}
\cos\theta
&=&
1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N^{2}}+O(\frac{1}{N^{4}}), \nonumber \\
\sin\theta
&=&
\frac{\pi}{2N}(1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{24N^{2}})+O(\frac{1}{N^{5}}),
\label{components-B-expansion}
\end{eqnarray}
\begin{eqnarray}
U_{00}
&=&
1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N^{2}}\frac{\eta}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}}+O(\frac{1}{N^{4}}), \nonumber \\
U_{01}
&=&
\frac{\pi}{2N}\frac{\sqrt{\eta}}{1-\sqrt{\eta}}
[1+\frac{\pi^{2}}{24N^{2}}\frac{2+2\sqrt{\eta}-\eta}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}}] \nonumber \\
&&\quad\quad
+O(\frac{1}{N^{5}}),\nonumber \\
U_{10}
&=&
\frac{\pi}{2N}\frac{\sqrt{\eta}}{1-\sqrt{\eta}}
[1+\frac{\pi^{2}}{24N^{2}}\frac{2-3\eta+\eta^{3/2}}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{3}}] \nonumber \\
&&\quad\quad
+O(\frac{1}{N^{5}}),\nonumber \\
U_{11}
&=&
-1+\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N^{2}}\frac{\eta}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}}+O(\frac{1}{N^{4}}),
\label{components-U-expansion}
\end{eqnarray}
and
\begin{eqnarray}
x
&=&
\sqrt{\eta}
[1+\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N^{2}}\frac{1-\eta}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}}]+O(\frac{1}{N^{4}}), \nonumber \\
y
&=&
-\frac{\pi}{2N}
[1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{24N^{2}}]+O(\frac{1}{N^{5}}), \nonumber \\
z
&=&
1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N^{2}}\frac{1-\eta}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}}+O(\frac{1}{N^{4}}).
\label{expansion-components-D}
\end{eqnarray}

Next, from Eqs.~(\ref{exact-components-D-N-1}) and (\ref{expansion-components-D}),
we expand components of $D^{N-1}$ in powers of $1/N$ with fixing $\eta$.
$X$ and $Z$ can be written as follows:
\begin{eqnarray}
X
&=&
\sqrt{\eta}^{N-1}
[1+\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N}\frac{1-\eta}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}}+O(\frac{1}{N^{2}})],
\label{expansion-component-X} \\
Z
&=&
1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N}\frac{1-\eta}{(1-\sqrt{\eta})^{2}}
+O(\frac{1}{N^{2}}).
\label{expansion-component-Z}
\end{eqnarray}
In Eq.~(\ref{expansion-component-X}), a factor $\sqrt{\eta}^{N}$ appears.
We never expand $\sqrt{\eta}^{N}$ in powers of $1/N$
and regard it as a constant.
Because $N$ is a large number, we can assume $\sqrt{\eta}^{N}\ll 1/N$.
Thus, we can write $Y$ in the form,
\begin{equation}
Y=
-\frac{\pi}{2N}\frac{1-\sqrt{\eta}^{N-1}}{1-\sqrt{\eta}}
[1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{8N}\frac{1+\sqrt{\eta}}{1-\sqrt{\eta}}]
+O(\frac{1}{N^{3}}).
\label{expansion-component-Y}
\end{equation}

Substituting Eqs.~(\ref{definition-matrix-B}),
(\ref{definition-matrix-U}),
(\ref{definition-matrix-D-N-1}),
(\ref{components-B-expansion}),
(\ref{components-U-expansion}),
(\ref{expansion-component-X}),
(\ref{expansion-component-Z}),
and
(\ref{expansion-component-Y})
into Eq.~(\ref{exact-formula-fidelity-IFMgate}),
we obtain an expansion of the success probability $P$ in powers of $1/N$
as follows:
\begin{equation}
P(N,\eta)=1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{4}\frac{1+\sqrt{\eta}}{1-\sqrt{\eta}}\frac{1}{N}
+O(\frac{1}{N^{2}}).
\label{expansion-success-probability}
\end{equation}
Hence, we can let $P$ get close to unity arbitrarily by increasing $N$.
[If we make $N$ larger, the reflectivity of the beam splitter
$R=\cos^{2}(\pi/2N)$ becomes larger and gets close to unity.]

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[scale=0.8]{imperfectIFM-N-approxP01.eps}
\caption{\label{imperfectIFM-N-approxP}
Results of numerical calculation of the success probability $P$
as a function of $N$ with $\eta=0.1$.
$\eta$ is the rate at which the object fails to absorb the photon.
$P$ and $\eta$ are dimensionless quantities.
$N$ is the number of the beam splitters.
A thick solid curve represents an exact result from
Eqs.~(\ref{definition-basis-vectors}), (\ref{definition-matrix-B}),
(\ref{definition-matrix-A}),
and (\ref{definition-fidelity-IFMgate}).
A thin solid curve represents an approximate result
from Eq.~(\ref{approximating-eq-P}).}
\end{figure}

From Eq.~(\ref{expansion-success-probability}), we obtain the following
approximating equation of $P$ for large $N$,
\begin{equation}
P
\simeq
1-\frac{\pi^{2}}{4}\frac{1+\sqrt{\eta}}{1-\sqrt{\eta}}\frac{1}{N}.
\label{approximating-eq-P}
\end{equation}
In Fig.~\ref{imperfectIFM-N-approxP},
we plot results of numerical calculation of the success probability $P$
as a function of $N$ with $\eta=0.1$.
A thick solid curve represents an exact result from
Eqs.~(\ref{definition-basis-vectors}), (\ref{definition-matrix-B}),
(\ref{definition-matrix-A}),
and (\ref{definition-fidelity-IFMgate}).
A thin solid curve represents an approximate result
from Eq.~(\ref{approximating-eq-P}).
Seeing Fig.~\ref{imperfectIFM-N-approxP},
we find that Eq.~(\ref{approximating-eq-P}) is a good approximation to $P$
for large $N$.

\section{\label{section-conclusion}Conclusion}
We show that even if the interaction between the object and the photon is imperfect,
we can let the success probability $P$ of the IFM get close to unity arbitrarily
by making the reflectivity of the beam splitter larger
and increasing the number of the beam splitters.
We obtain an approximating equation of $P$ with the imperfect interaction.
To overcome the imperfection of the interaction,
we need to prepare a large number of beam splitters
and let their transmission rate get smaller.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Here are eight ambulatory surgery centers that have been planned, opened or expanded within the past month.
The Center for Spine Interventions plans to open a physician-owned, single-specialty ambulatory surgery center in Douglasville, Ga. Construction on the project is expected to cost $900,000 and begin in the first quarter of 2015.
The Greater Gaston Center, a joint venture between a group of physicians and Physicians Endoscopy, could open in Gastonia, N.C., in December of this year.
Laser Spine Institute, based in Tampa, Fla., will open three new ambulatory centers in three Midwestern cities this year: Cincinnati, Cleveland and St. Louis.
Restoration Eye Care, the practice of Timothy McGarity, MD, broke ground on a new ambulatory surgery center, LASIK clinic and cataract clinic in Columbia, Mo.
The Spine & Pain Physicians Surgery Center opened in Smyrna, Tenn. The surgery center was founded by Graf Hilgenhurst, MD, an interventional pain medicine physician and anesthesiologist.
Industry Mega Mergers: What Do the AmSurg-Sheridan & Surgery Partners-Symbion Deals Mean for ASCs?


text:
Browse: Home / 2018 / August / 30 / David Lemieux vs. Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan Conference Call Transcript
David Lemieux vs. Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan Conference Call Transcript
Posted by Danny Serratelli on August 30, 2018 in National News, Press Releases | Leave a response
LOS ANGELES (AUG. 29, 2018): ERIC GOMEZ: This fight will be part of the televised Pay-Per-View, as you know, for Canelo-Golovkin II and we are very excited about this fight. The former IBF middleweight championship Lemieux out of Montreal, he's going to be fighting against the Irish Warrior, Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan, tremendous record, 28-2, 20 knockouts, from Cork, Ireland. This special fight will be live at the T-Mobile Arena on September 15, part of the undercard on the HBO Pay-Per-View where the main event will be Canelo-Golovkin.
This epic event will be produced by HBO beginning at 8:00 PM ET, 5:00 PT. We are excited to bring you both of these fighters, so you guys can ask them questions and you can talk about their fight.
As many of you know, they have gone back and forth a little bit on social media. Also, on the card, not on the call today, is the Mexican rising star Jamie Munguia defending his title against Brandon Cook, and Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez will also be fighting against Moises "Moi" Fuentes on the card.
You can still purchase tickets at the T-Mobile Arena. You can go online at WWW.T-Mobile Arena.com or WWW.AXS.COM or 1-888-9AXSTIX. Closed-circuit tickets are available, and you can buy them at the MGM or at the Mandalay Bay, the Mirage or the Luxor. Those are moving pretty well, as well.
Before we introduce you to the fighters and have them say a few words, I do want to thank our amazing supporting sponsors: The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING," Hennessy, "Never Stop, Never Settle," O'Reilly Auto Parts, Fred Loya Insurance, Interjet, Venom, and Fathom Events.
Now, I want to first introduce you to Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan and I'll have him say a few words.
Can you tell us about your training, how it's going, and looking forward to this fight?
GARY SULLIVAN: I can't wait. I'm really excited for this fight. My first time fighting in Vegas. Excited about the whole event and my training is going really good. Got some really good sparring partners. Saunders recommended some sparring partners that he used in preparation for Lemieux, so I've been using those guys and feeling really good.
That's great. Thank you very much, Gary.
Now, the former champion, David Lemieux, if you can make some opening comments, as well, please.
DAVID LEMIEUX: It's been a long time I've been waiting for a big fight like this. I'm extremely ready and I'm extremely excited. I expect — that I haven't seen in a while. I'm very prepared for this fight. It's been a long time I've had a preparation like this. It's going to be devastating.
ERIC GOMEZ: That's great. That's great. Thank you.
Q. A question for both Mr. Lemieux and Mr. O'Sullivan. Some see this as a make-or-break fight for both of you. Do either of you see it that way or do you simply see this as a fight that you just need to focus on exclusively and not worry about the bigger picture?
DAVID LEMIEUX: This fight is about getting back on top, so I'm preparing myself for that.
GARY SULLIVAN: Firstly, nothing personal against Mr. Lemieux. I think it's going to be a good night for me and I'm not really concerned about Lemieux. I'm looking at the bigger picture. I'm looking at Golovkin-Canelo, ringside to watch after I beat Lemieux, and I can't wait for those guys.
Q. I spoke to Billy Joe Saunders, a common opponent of both of you guys, and he says that he has no doubt that Spike O'Sullivan is going to win. What do you say to that?
DAVID LEMIEUX: That's because he didn't fight Lemieux in top shape. I'm going to be in top shape against spike. So, Saunders, I wasn't at my top, but I will be against Sullivan.
Q. Does that mean anything to you, that a common opponent is picking you in the fight?
GARY SULLIVAN: I think he's correct. He went no Lemieux's backyard and beat Lemieux convincingly in Quebec, whereas I went to London and walked into his own backyard and gave him a much better fight than Lemieux did, and I'm now a much better fighter than I was then. I'm going to be the one that's going to win the fight.
Q. I know this match right now — maybe the winner for fighting Canelo or Golovkin, what is it going to take for these guys?
ERIC GOMEZ: Obviously both fighters are top middleweights. They are definitely in the Top-10, probably five, in the middleweight division.
So the winner is going to be in a very good position to fight any of the champions, whether it's the winner of Canelo-Golovkin or any of the other champions. You know, both guys, this is to get to the next level and to get to that championship stage. This can very well be an eliminator to become one of the top contenders for any of the champions.
Q. I know O'Sullivan is having a great moment right now, was in the mix for Golovkin and for Canelo in December, so he needs to prove that he deserves this spot, and David Lemieux — he has the experience, the best opposition right now because this fight — to win this fight.
ERIC GOMEZ: I guess, David, you can answer first. How do you feel about being in this big position on this under card, and do you feel you'll be ready if you win the fight to fight the winner of Canelo-Golovkin?
DAVID LEMIEUX: Definitely, I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while now to get back on top and I'm very confident that I'm going to not just beat O'Sullivan but look amazing against him. I'm extremely confident and I can't wait for fight night. Give the fans what they want to see.
ERIC GOMEZ: Same question for you, Gary.
GARY SULLIVAN: What is the question?
ERIC GOMEZ: The question was how do you feel being in this big spotlight, and if you win the fight, do you think that you would be in position to fight the winner? Do you think that qualifies you to fight the winner of Canelo-Golovkin?
GARY SULLIVAN: Who is going to get the start on September 15 — I'm ready for Golovkin or Canelo, would be fantastic display given what I just.
Q. My first question is for David. Obviously this fight is the most totally different style in terms of the matchup that you had with Saunders, but I wonder, I know that there's been a lot of conversation that the winner of this fight could go on and challenge the winner of the main event. With a loss to Saunders that was totally one-sided, you did score a victory in your last fight in May against a journeyman opponent and you also had a fight that was cancelled — why do you think a fine over Gary O'Sullivan should put you into a title fight?
DAVID LEMIEUX: Well, you know, going back to the last few years, I've been working against a lot of injuries that has not been fixed and it's been put in the past. I'm in tremendous shape and feeling great. I can use both my hands. I can use everything. I can use all my tools.
So I think Lemieux is back and about to demonstrate what I can do against O'Sullivan on the 15th. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised what I bring to the table, and it's going to be an exciting fight. I'm not the guy I was against Saunders.
Q. When you look at a David Lemieux resumé, you see several solid fights on there, several fights you won and several you lost. When you look at Spike's record, he has a great record, also, but not necessarily the level of opposition that you have. When you look at his record, what do you see?
THE MODERATOR: I see whatever the opposition — that he lost and also quit when the opposition was really intense against Eubank. So there's some flaws in his abilities that I'm going to take into consideration and on fight night, I'm going to execute and I'm going to use that against him.
Q. When you look at Lemieux's resumé, he's been a world champion and he's fought some of the best fighters including GGG, some other guys. What makes you think that you're in position to take him out in this fight and move on to your goals of fighting for a world title?
GARY SULLIVAN: Well, you refer to my defeat against Eubank, I got an injury — I think — since I came up that I was going to fight him, I didn't know a great deal about him. I watched him with Billy Joe Saunders, Toribio. He got up there, got knocked down easily.
He talks about knocking me down and putting me out cold and all that. I've never even been on the canvas my entire career and he's been down numerous times. He's been beaten by several different opponents of several different stylistics fights, like Toribio — all different styles of fighter have beaten him. I think it's going to be a really good night for me. I'm going to shine. It's going to be nice beating a former world champion, as well. Looks good on paper.
Q. Do you look at this match up with David as an opportunity to have sort of your coming-out party? You've had televised fights in America, you fought Douglas on television. This is the first real big-name opponent that you'll be in with. Is this the Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan Coming Out Party?
GARY SULLIVAN: Yeah, I would agree with that. I think the night in Quebec was a great fight there, and Douglas — beating Lemieux — I think Lemieux is going to be an easier fight for me than Douglas, no doubt about that.
Q. If you were to win the fight, do you have a preference of the champion that you would want to fight, either GGG or Canelo, one of those two guys?
GARY SULLIVAN: I have no preference. Both great fighters and I'd like to fight either one of them.
Q. David, that same question. If you win this fight against Gary on the 15th, do you have a preference of who you would like to fight for the title? Would you like a rematch with GGG or could you like to fight Canelo? Which is the guy you fight?
DAVID LEMIEUX: I'm going to fight Canelo first and then I'm going to get my revenge versus GGG — after Gary O'Sullivan.
Q. David mentioned earlier in the call that he's not the same fighter that he was when he fought Saunders. He said he was injured in training camp in that fight. What do you make of what he has said was the reason why he lost to Billy Joe Saunders?
GARY SULLIVAN: I think it's just an excuse. You look at David, distant look like a guy that trains like I do, doesn't train like he's an athlete — gets tired in a lot of his fights. Doesn't look like a guy that trains as hard as I do. I don't think he's going to win this fight.
Q. What did you think that night? Did you think it was going to be as convincing of a win for Billy? Did you think he would beat David in that way?
GARY SULLIVAN: No, I didn't. I had a good feeling he would beat him but I didn't think he would beat him as convincingly, Lemieux being a former wormed champion and that. I thought he was a better fighter.
Prior to that I thought he was better than that. I didn't know a great deal about him and the more I look into him, all the fights, I've watched a lot of his fight, and I'm not surprised Billy Joe could beat him like that. I didn't think it was going to be as easy as that, as it was for Saunders.
Q. Without giving away any of your game plan, what have you noticed when you've studied David Lemieux?
GARY SULLIVAN: I think he's a one-trick pony. He does the same thing over and over again in all his fights, all the fights I've watched. He's just does the same thing over and over and over again. So, you know what's going to be coming.
Q. You mentioned a few minutes ago that you think the fight will be even easier for you than the Douglas fight was. Why do you feel that way?
GARY SULLIVAN: He's more similar in size to me. He's there to be hit and I hit hard and I'm accurate. So I think I'm going to be able to land on him with more frequency than I was on Douglas, with footwork and speed and longer irons — a tougher task against Douglas than it will be against Lemieux.
Q. Spike, I wanted to ask you about the fact that you mentioned that you're using sparring partners like Billy Joe Saunders used when he prepared for Lemieux. Billy Joe obviously really dislikes David Lemieux a ton. Curious if he went out of his way to offer you some advice on this fight or if you reached out to him?
GARY SULLIVAN: I think Lemieux — making up excuses and coming out with that crap. I think that kind of pissed off Billy Joe — I think Lemieux pissed him off and so he wanted to diss me and getting the sparring partners to replicate Lemieux — (indiscernible. )
Q. After the Billy Joe fight, you said that you weren't 100 percent and dealing with some injury stuff but you say for this fight you're on your game and you're in shape. If this fight doesn't work out for you, what do you think that says about — I'm wondering if this fight doesn't go your way, do you reconsider if this is something that is boxing — at this level, really what David Lemieux is capable of?
DAVID LEMIEUX: This fight is definitely going to go my way. You guys watch and see, and I'm going to make spike eat all his words. To say any excuses against Billy Joe or whatever — I'm not giving uses. I'm giving facts. But now let's see what happens on September 15. The fight is done and let's just walk the walks and see what's up.
Q. This obviously is meant to be a really action-packed fight and you guys both come forward. Are you looking to steal the show from — obviously it's the biggest fight of the year in the main event but are you looking to turn some heads just with this being an action-packed fight?
GARY SULLIVAN: There's no doubt about that, I'm going to steal the show in spectacular fashion and I'm going to absolutely obliterate Lemieux.
David, you know, it's nothing personal. I wish you good health with your family after the fight, man. It's nothing personal. You're just on my road and I got to get you out of my road to get to the bigger fight. As I say, I wish you health in the future man and I wish you a happy time with your family. I'm sorry but you're in my way and I'm just going to have to beat you.
DAVID LEMIEUX: Won't worry, I'm going to beat your ass. It's not going to be no walk in the park. Don't think it's going to be an easy fight. I'm not coming here to lose. I'm going to come here to destroy you. You'll see. You'll see September 15th. Keep training hard at the gym. You're going to need it. You're going to need every round, you're going to need it, trust me.
GARY SULLIVAN: Maybe I'll bring my dogs leash to bring you for a walk then on the night.
DAVID LEMIEUX: Keep talking, you're going to see.
Q. How do you see the main event playing out?
DAVID LEMIEUX: I think Golovkin has the edge. It's going to be an interesting fight. Golovkin is a great fighter. Canelo is a great fighter. I thought it was very — I thought it was Golovkin's fight in the first one, so we'll see how they train. I think if Canelo really wants to fight, he's got the talent to do it but I think Golovkin is not an easy fighter to beat.
GARY SULLIVAN: It's going to be hard to call. The first fight was a very good fight and I expect this one to be a very good fight. I'm not sure who is going to win it but it's going to be interesting to watch, though.
Q. Spike, you said that you improved a lot — you were impressive against Douglas. How specifically do you think you've improved?
GARY SULLIVAN: Specifically, I'm more dedicated. I'm a proper athlete these days. I'm very dedicated to my training, which I wasn't always throughout my career. The past, I suppose two years, I've been very dedicated to being a proper athlete.
I think the old Spike, there's no comparison. I see that in my weight. I make weight really easy now. I look different. My body shape is different to before and you know, it's easier when I come to training camp now. I'm just working on my technique and boxing skills, rather than what David does, losing weight in camp. I used to do that one time, as well, myself, and it's not so good. It's more like Weight Watchers than training camp for a fight. That's the difference in me right now.
Q. How much do you believe in momentum and confidence, coming off the big win over Douglas, the same day you lost to Saunders, how much will that play into the fight? How much do you beat in momentum?
GARY SULLIVAN: I believe obviously the momentum is with me. I'm a pressure fighter. I believe David's time has come and gone. He's had his time in the past and he's had a few heavy losses. He's got a number of beatings and so I think the ball is certainly in my court.
Q. David, you talked a lot about the injury against Saunders. Just how bad was your shoulder, and did you have to have surgery?
DAVID LEMIEUX: It was pretty bad. Surgery was something I looked into, but I didn't want to be off for a full year so I tried to avoid it as much as I could and leading up to the Saunders fight, I said it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay, but you know, obviously it wasn't.
So we tried different things, and finally, we tried different things and something worked and it's been good ever since. We're sticking with that plan and it's been going great, so we don't need the surgery right now. I keep training, and everything is solid. I have my left hand back, so I'm back to 100 percent and not 50 percent.
Q. What exactly was the injury?
DAVID LEMIEUX: It was a tear in the labrum.
Q. You've been in this position before where you're coming off the GGG loss and you were fighting a fellow puncher in Curtis Stevens, you and got the big knock out. Do you think you can replicate that against spike?
DAVID LEMIEUX: I think Spike resembles a Curtis Stevens style, but I think he's less of a boxer than Steven was. Maybe a little more of a puncher, Steven — I didn't see much of his punches. Maybe he's a bit harder of a puncher.
But I'm not really worried. I'm the hardest puncher in the ring on September 15, so I'm very confident in my abilities and everything I'm going to bring. I'm going to be in great shape. I'm concerned about absolutely nothing. All the skeptics, you know, that say, oh, is Lemieux going to come back. Well, I'm going to show you all on September 15: Lemieux is going to come back and Lemieux is going to do a lot of damage in the middleweight division.
And the weight issue is no longer an issue.
Q. The weight issue, how have you cleaned that up?
DAVID LEMIEUX: The weight issue, it's been cleaned up. I changed a lot of things. As I fighter, I think all fighters know that it's easy to mess up with the weight, but changed a lot. Changes have been made. I'm stronger than ever and my body is going to be much different, so you guys will see on September 15.
Q. Where do you see yourselves in the fight? Do you see yourselves as the favorite or as the underdog?
GARY SULLIVAN: I see myself as the favorite. Easily the favorite. I have to be the favorite.
DAVID LEMIEUX: I'm the favorite. There's been — I'm the favorite in the fight. Everybody knows that, and there's been some surveys done on the Internet and all of them point out to me. I think I know what to expect.
Lemieux is back.
GARY SULLIVAN: You'll be on your back.
DAVID LEMIEUX: You're going to see who is going to be on whose back.
Q. Like to say hello to David and Spike. My first question goes to Spike. There's a lot of young fighters in this Irish boxing scene right now. Is there a young fighter that in particular is keeping an eye on and do you expect a large Irish crowd come September 15?
GARY SULLIVAN: Yeah, there's a great core. Sean O'Kern (ph) he's a really good fighter. I think he's about 15-0. He's trained at my gym in Ireland. A good fighter moved through the ranks. I think he's the one to watch out for mostly in my opinion.
I think the Irish love Vegas. There will certainly be a good few Irish at the fight.
Q. It seems like coming off a loss, you only get stronger mentally. You have a great knockout over Curtis Stevens, a few big wins. Seems like you almost have something to prove mentally going into this fight. Is that how you feel just coming off a loss that you have something to prove to show the people that you are an elite level fighter and you've just caught a bad break in the Golovkin and Saunders fights?
DAVID LEMIEUX: Yeah, well, actually I have a lot to prove. The last two years haven't been in my favor but things have changed. I'm ready to be back on top, so I'm ready to give the best of what I got, and I'm ready and I'm more ready than ever to do it against a guy like Spike O'Sullivan. Let's give the fans a great show.
ERIC GOMEZ: Thank you very much.
Canelo vs. GGG 2 is a 12-round fight for the middleweight championship of the world presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions. Munguia vs. Cook is a 12-round battle for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Lemieux vs. O'Sullivan is a 12-round middleweight clash presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Eye of The Tiger Management in association with Murphy's Boxing. Gonzalez vs. Fuentes is a 10-round super flyweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING," Hennessy, "Never Stop, Never Settle," O'Reilly Auto Parts, Fred Loya Insurance, Interjet, Venom, and Fathom Events. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 15 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at a special time of 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
"24/7 Canelo/GGG 2" is streaming on HBO GO and HBO NOW. Canelo's fifth "24/7" appearance and Golovkin's third, "24/7 CANELO/GGG 2" is the latest installment of the acclaimed franchise that began in 2007.
Limited tickets for Canelo vs. GGG 2 are still available, and are priced at $5,000, $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, $800, $700, and $500 not including applicable service charges and taxes. There will be a limit of eight (8) per person at the $5,000, $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, $800, $700 and $500 price levels. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets are also available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.
Tickets are on sale for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. GGG 2 at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage and Luxor are priced at $100, not including applicable fees. Seating is general admission at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage while Luxor will have assigned seats. Tickets may be purchased at any MGM Resorts International Box Office, by phone with a major credit card at (800) 745-3000 or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/canelovsggg2.
Posted in National News, Press Releases | Tagged david lemieux, gary o'sullivan, GGG
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text:
A Terminally Ill Marine get his wish granted..
Sgt. Josh Franks was deployed 3 times before being hit by an IED on his last deployment, thankfully, he suffered no physical wounds because of the amount of armor on his vehicle, but he did develop some minor headaches.
After coming back from overseas and going through some routine checkups, SGT Franks got some very bad news. Josh was diagnosed with an inoperable Brain Tumor that will take his life. As you can see from the pictures below, the brain tumor has greatly affected Josh just over the past 12 months and Josh does not have much time left.
Josh had a wish that he wanted to come true and that wish is that he wanted to go to a Dallas Cowboys game. So with a phone call from Josh's wife to Operation Once in a Lifetime, Josh's dreams came true this past Saturday by not just going to a Cowboys game with his wife, father and brother, but having a group of Marines in Dress Blues waiting for Josh in a lower level field suite at the game.
Thank you to everyone who supports Operation Once in a Lifetime and all of our Military Service Members and their families.


The duration of a course, as well as its exact contents, depend on the educational needs of the specific group of learners. Therefore, the first step in the designing of the course will be to identify the specific needs of the learners. A detailed questionnaire should be distributed to the target group and their answers will be measured qualitatively and quantitatively. The questionnaire will measure the IT level of the learners, their previous experience in e-learning or other distance education methods, their learning and communication patterns, etc. Those answers will form the basis of the course's planning.
Α bibliographical research in each country's social, political, educational and technological background is also essential in order to understand the prospective learners and plan a program that fits their needs as well as their customs. Unfortunately, as Robinson (1995, p.225) pinpoints, a significant amount of research and studies based on the subject of student support and communication in e-courses has been developed on the basis of an analogous cultural context: the formal, institutionally-based higher education of the developed world. The imposition of this context has created a false "norm" and has undervalued the importance of diversity in the development of open and distance educational courses.
The study and analysis of the bibliography and the questionnaires will enable the educational team to develop a course, with respect to the diversity of the specific learning community. The findings will be used particularly in the designing of the communication methods and patterns and the system of student support.
The course will be designed in order to provide high levels of interactivity between learners. The students will have a lot of opportunities to communicate with each other in both synchronous and asynchronous ways, exchange viewpoints and, the most important, undertake team-work projects. One of the most significant advantages of the online distributed courses is the ability to bring people from diverse cultures closer by creating multicultural learning communities. Thus, the collaboration between students will add value to the students' learning experience, since it will offer them the chance to view the world from a wider perspective.
The projects and assessment exercises that the students will undertake will be practical, in forms of realistic scenarios. For example, in the thematic field "Understanding your learners" (see below), the students may be asked to draw up a list, of which elements are important in knowing their learners and cast interviews on a real group of learners. Since the prospective students of this course are already working in the field of education, they won't encounter any difficulty in accessing a sample.
Of course, the aforementioned thematic fields are indicative, subject to change depending on the findings of the research.
ROBINSON, B. (1995), Research and pragmatism in learner support, in Lockwood, F., Open and Distance Learning Today, Routledge, London.
Introductory course on E-learning 7.7 of 10 on the basis of 2789 Review.


text:
The Charming Life of Izzy Malone
By Jenny Lundquist
Izzy Malone, a spunky girl who wants to be part of an elite rowing club, must first attend a very unique charm school in this first novel of a brand-new duology.
Izzy Malone isn't your typical sixth grader. The stars are her only friends, and after only a month of middle school she's already set the record for the most trips to the Principal's office.
The only place Izzy feels at peace is when she's on the open water, and more than anything else, she wants to become a member of the Dandelion Paddlers, her school's competitive rowing club. When Izzy's antics land her in hot water, her parents enroll her in Mrs. Whippie's Charm School.
Izzy receives a letter, a shiny gold bracelet, and instructions telling her how she will "earn her charm." Izzy must earn her first charm and actual charms—by performing a series of tasks and good deeds.
After completin some of the tasks—to Izzy's surprise, she actually finds herself enjoying the course. But when one of her attempts at doing something good is misinterpreted, she fears her chances at passing the course—and becoming a Paddler—are slipping away. With some unexpected friends there to support her, can Izzy manage to earn her charms and stay true to herself?
1 TOAD GIRL
The bracelet and the first charm appeared the day I punched Austin Jackson in the nose. I didn't mean to slug him. His face just got in my way. It was a bruising end to a disastrous first month in middle school.
You know that kid in class that everyone secretly (and not-so-secretly) thinks is weird? The one people laugh and point at behind their back, the one who gets picked last in gym class, the one you wish you hadn't gotten stuck with for a science partner?
At Dandelion Middle School, that kid is me, Izzy "Don't Call Me Isabella" Malone.
Truthfully, my slide into loserdom started in elementary school and was pretty much an established fact by the time sixth grade started last month. It's partly because my mouth often has a mind of its own. But I think it's also because there are a bazillion other things I'd rather do than talk about boys, clothes, and makeup, and I refuse to wear strappy sandals and short skirts.
(If you ever catch me wearing strappy sandals or a short skirt, you have my permission to kick my butt.)
I do like skirts, though. Really long, colorful ones I get from Dandelion Thrift. I like to wear them with my camouflage combat boots.
I call the look Camohemian.
"I don't understand how it could be locked," Ms. Harmer, my English teacher said, tugging on the door of our classroom. "Fifteen minutes ago it was open."
"Does this mean class is cancelled?" I asked. Our class was held in an outdoor portable. The day was chilly but sunny, and being stuck indoors writing another round of horrible haikus was the last thing I wanted to do.
"No, Isabella—"
"Izzy," I said.
"—that is definitely not what that means. Everyone wait here while I go to the teacher's lounge to look for my keys. Lauren, you're in charge while I'm gone."
Lauren Wilcox smiled, all angelic-like. "I will." After Ms. Harmer left, Lauren's smile pulled back, like a beast baring its fangs. "You heard her. I'm in charge."
Students clumped off into their cliques. Being the class outcast, I am thoroughly cliqueless, and normally I'd sit by myself. But today I was planning to change all that.
Lauren and her friends claimed a grassy patch of sunlight—kicking out a couple other girls who'd gotten there first. I stared at them and squared my shoulders, preparing myself to do some major strappy-sandal smooching up. Lauren and her crew are the sixth-grade members of the Dandelion Paddlers, a competitive after-school rowing club. Lauren's family owns the aquatic center on Dandelion Lake, and you need to get in good with Lauren if you want to be a Paddler.
I learned that the hard way last summer during Paddler tryouts. I thought the fact that I was a great rower would be enough. There were four open spots, and they all went to Lauren's friends—even though I came in fourth during the timed heats. The last spot went to Stella Franklin, who had somehow managed to become BFFs with Lauren over the summer. I'm guessing the fact that Stella can kiss butt faster than a frog can catch flies has something to do with it.
But I wasn't about to give up. Being on the Paddlers is a big deal in Dandelion Hollow; when my dad was my age he was on the boys' team. He's taken me rowing for years, and we trained for tryouts all summer. Dandelion Lake is my favorite place in the world. I love being on the open water, where the only thing I feel is the wind in my hair, and words like "odd" and "strange" blow away like dead leaves on a blustery autumn day.
Lauren's locker is right next to mine, and this morning I took an extra-long time loading up my backpack so I could listen while she told her friends they were one Paddler short since Emily Harris moved away last week. I figured now was my chance.
"Hi," I said, plunking down next to Lauren. "It's weird Ms. Harmer can't find her keys, right?" I took the headphones from my iPod out of my skirt pocket and twirled them around, like I was bored and just making conversation.
Lauren blinked at me like I was a species she didn't recognize.
"Um, excuse me," Stella Franklin said. "What makes you think you can just sit here?"
It's a free country, is what I wanted to say. "I want to join you" is what I blurted instead.
"You want to join us?" said another of Lauren's friends. A husky blond girl who was wearing a chunky red headband over her ponytail.
"I mean, I want to join the Paddlers." I looked at Lauren. "I know you have an open spot, and last summer at tryouts I finished ahead of her." I jabbed my finger at Stella, who swelled up like a puffer fish.
"You did not! We tied."
"Nope," I said, twirling my headphones. "I beat you by three-tenths of a second."
Lauren leaned back and looked me up and down. I sat up straight, trying to appear taller. I'm pretty short, but what I lack in size I make up for in won't-quit-till-I-die persistence.
"I only have winners on my team," she said.
"I'm a winner," I said. Only my voice squeaked a little, and "winner" came out "wiener."
"Did you just call yourself a wiener?" Headband Girl asked.
Everyone laughed, and I counted silently to ten, because my patience was all puckered out.
"I think if you saw me paddle again," I said, crossing my legs, "then you'd realize I'm much better than—"
"What are those?" Stella interrupted, poking at my combat boots. "Those are the ugliest things I've ever seen. Don't you know boys don't like to get up close and personal with girls who wear boots like that?" She poked me again.
"You keep running your mouth," I snapped, smacking her hand away, "and these boots will get up close and personal with your face."
Darn it! The mouth strikes again!
Lauren directed her gaze to Headband Girl, who seemed to take it as a silent command. She snatched away my headphones and flung them in the air. They circled once in the breeze before landing on an overhanging branch of a nearby tree. Then, one by one, Lauren, Stella, Headband, and the rest of them stood up and left in a line of ponytail-swinging nastiness, leaving me sitting alone, while the rest of the class watched me, waiting to see what I would do.
Yeah, stuff like this is pretty much why I think middle school stinks.
Let's just pause for a moment to consider my options. I could:
a. cry, which would only convince them I didn't belong on their team.
b. kick Headband's butt into the next county. (Or try to, anyway. It's hard to appear threatening to someone who has biceps the size of Nebraska.)
c. get my headphones back.
Here's the key to surviving as a middle school outcast: Pretend you don't care. Pretend you have such great self-esteem that everything just rolls off your back. Most important:
Don't show weakness. Ever.
I chose option C. I have a thing for trees, and I'd wanted to climb this particular one for a while. I eat lunch under it every day, on account of the fact that the cafeteria usually smells like burnt burritos.
Plus, it's not like I have anyone to eat with, anyway.
I stood up and stretched. A skip, a hop, and a shimmy later, I was scrambling up the trunk.
"Go, Izzy!" shouted Austin Jackson, who, at the moment, still had a bruise-free face. A few other kids started cheering; Lauren and the Paddlers were already forgotten.
See what I mean? Pretend you don't care. Works like a charm.
I braced my hands against the rough trunk. The star-shaped leaves were the color of a fiery peach, and they whispered in the breeze. The air smelled sharp and crisp, like shiny red apples, and I breathed deep, enjoying being a little bit closer to the sky.
"Toad Girl is crazy," Stella was saying down below. I pretended not to hear. I also pretended I didn't know that was what most of the kids at Dandelion Middle called me. Stella the Terrible and I went to elementary school together and she gave me the nickname at her fourth-grade slumber party, when I put a toad in her sleeping bag. (I swear, that girl can howl like a werewolf on a full moon.)
I hadn't meant to do it. I just got bored watching everyone else test out Stella's lip gloss collection, and I started playing with her brother's sand toad, Count Croakula. I guess I must have lost him. But Stella swore up and down I'd done it on purpose, so I wasn't invited to her birthday party last year. I wasn't invited to a lot of birthday parties last year.
Turns out, most girls would rather put on lip gloss than play with sand toads.
"Come down from there! You'll get us all in trouble!" Stella was now standing under the tree. Lauren must have dispatched her to keep me in line. "Come on. Ms. Harmer will be back any minute."
"Leave Izzy to her solitary pursuits," said Violet Barnaby, who liked to use fancy words. She was sitting off to the side by herself, scribbling in a glittery purple journal. "Ms. Harmer won't find her keys in the teachers' lounge."
"How do you know that?" Stella demanded.
"Because I have them right here." Violet produced a key ring and jingled it.
The class gave a collective gasp, as Violet was known for being an A student who never got in trouble. I took the opportunity to climb up the branch. Slowly, I inched my way across it, where my headphones dangled in the breeze.
"Hey, Toad Girl!" called Tyler Jones. "Think fast!"
He lobbed an orange at me. It missed by a few feet and Austin said, "Tyler, you moron! Get out from under there. . . . I said, Get Out!"
"Ouch! All right, all right. I'm going!"
I kept inching forward, and stretched my fingers out to get the headphones. From up here I had a good view of several clusters of maple trees, which in late September were all colored in shades of gold and red and orange. A part of me wished I could stay up here forever, away from the middle school mean girls, who circled like sharks below me. I picked a few leaves and stuck them in my pocket, so I could paste them into my leaf collection later.
"What's going on?" came Ms. Harmer's voice. "Is someone up there?"
Startled, I lost my balance and fell. I caught myself on the branch and swung—gymnast style—through the air, landing right in front of Ms. Harmer.
"Ta-da!" I said, throwing my hands in the air.
A few kids applauded, but Ms. Harmer's face turned purple. "Go to the office. Now!"
As I walked away, I heard Stella say, "Excuse me, Ms. Harmer? You should probably send Violet to the office too. After all, she's the one who stole your keys."
Jenny Lundquist
Jenny Lundquist is the author of The Charming Life of Izzy Malone, Seeing Cinderella, and Plastic Polly. She grew up in Huntington Beach, California, and earned a degree in Intercultural Studies at Biola University. Jenny has painted an orphanage in Mexico, taught English at a university in Russia, and hopes one day to write a book at a café in Paris. Jenny and her husband live in northern California with their two sons and Rambo, the world's whiniest cat.
Publisher: Aladdin (September 19, 2017)
Ages: 8 - 12
Age 12 and Up
Children's Fiction > Girls & Women
Children's Fiction > Social Situations > Friendship
Children's Fiction > Social Situations > New Experience
Book Cover Image (jpg): The Charming Life of Izzy Malone
Trade Paperback 9781481460316
More books from this author: Jenny Lundquist


Tokyo is still a smoker's heaven.
Despite tougher laws enacted last year, smokers can light up in some restaurants and bars. Tobacco advertising is allowed on television, cigarette packages don't contain graphic health warnings, and tobacco is cheap compared to other major cities.
However, don't expect to puff away at next year's Tokyo Olympics.
Organizers on Thursday announced a stringent ban on all tobacco products and vaping devices. Smoking will be banned at all indoor and outdoor Olympic and Paralympic venues, plus within all perimeter areas of the Tokyo Games.
Organizers say the prohibition is tougher than regulations for the last two Summer Olympics in London and Rio de Janeiro.
"Tokyo 2020 aims to leave a legacy of improved health for the country at large," organizers said in a statement.
Japan's national legislature last year approved a ban on smoking inside public facilities, but the measure was seen as weak and excluded many bars and restaurants.
Tokyo's city government separately enacted tougher rules last year to protect from second-hand smoke. All provisions kick in during the run-up to the Olympics.
Smoking is still allowed in small eateries and bars. They make up half of Japanese establishments, where it's common to see a customer eating with chopsticks in one hand and a cigarette in the other.


text:
India Appoints Michael Patra As RBI Deputy Governor
FILE PHOTO: CCTV cameras are seen installed above the logo of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) inside its headquarters in Mumbai on February 7, 2019
India's government appointed career central banker Michael Patra as one of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) four deputy governors for a three-year term, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
He will fill a vacancy left by former deputy governor Viral Acharya, who resigned last June, six months before the scheduled end of his term in office.
Acharya cited personal reasons for his departure, but had previously clashed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over an erosion of the central bank's independence.
He was the third key senior central bank official under the Modi government to resign, following the departures of former RBI governors Raghuram Rajan in 2016 and Urjit Patel in December 2018.
Patra, currently an executive director at the RBI, had applied for a deputy governor's post in 2017.
He has been a part of the central bank's monetary policy committee since its inception, and has long been viewed as a monetary policy hawk.
However, since Governor Shaktikanta Das took office in December, Patra has voted for three successive rate cuts and has said the economy needs fiscal support in the current environment.
"It's an excellent decision. He is an accomplished monetary economist with not just strong academic credentials but also has rich understanding of ground level economic realities of India. This is the best choice in my opinion," said Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief economist at L&T Financial Holdings.
Tags: Michael Patra, Pratirodh, prime minister narendra modi, Raghuram Rajan, RBI, RBI deputy governor, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, Reserve Bank of India, Urjit Patel, Viral Acharya
Previous Opposition Parties Discuss Anti-CAA Protests, Campus Violence
Next Satya Nadella 'Saddened' By India's Citizenship Law


The Edmonson County Conservation District, in partnership with the Kentucky Division of Forestry and the Edmonson County Fiscal Court, will be having a tree seedling giveaway on Friday April 12, 2019 from 9am-3pm (or while supplies last) at the District office, 100 Washington Street, in Brownsville.
There will be a limited number of Redbud, Pecan, Persimmon, Black Walnut and Bald Cypress seedlings available.
Students at Kyrock and South Edmonson will be receiving pine tree seedlings this week.
Participants are encouraged to share their tree planting experiences on the Edmonson County Conservation District Office Facebook page. For more information call the Edmonson County Conservation District Office at 270-597-2761.


Reading Time: 3 minutes A huge news of Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 Update 4 was that the Veeam Backup Free Edition has been discontinued. What does it means? No more free "version" for backup VMs? No… simple it means a new (and better) for to backup your VMs for free (but only for small enviroments).


Siltbuster will be presenting on the latest changes to environmental legislation and how common construction site activities can cause pollution incidents. A selection of case studies will demonstrate best practice for the treatment of pollutants including: Silts, Oils, and Concrete Wash Water.
New Technology – Concrete Canvas (CC) is a flexible, concrete impregnated fabric that hardens on hydration to form a thin, durable, water proof and fire resistant concrete layer. Learn how this innovative material is being used as a rapid alternative to conventional concrete in ditch lining, slope protection, bund lining, gabion reinforcement, concrete remediation, culvert lining and more.
Vertase FLI is a leading brownfield and contaminated land remediation, enabling and environmental contractor. We work for development, house building, manufacturing and petrochem sectors delivering complete remediation solutions & development ready platforms together with our clients and their teams.
Geotechnical Design using Percussion Driven Earth Anchors (PDEA®)" Platipus will cover the prediction of load theory and testing and how it relates to conceptual proposals and indemnified designs. This will be presented through specific case studies encompassing erosion control, slope stabilisation, retaining walls, sheet piling and drainage applications.
Geosynthetics Limited provides "inspired solutions for civil engineering" through its team of design and application engineers.
Using extensive knowledge of product and applications the team are developing an enviable reputation for innovative and sustainable solutions that not only achieve the desired objectives but also save time and reduce costs.
We aim to promote and lead innovation throughout the UK to deliver sustainable geosynthetic solutions for an improved environment by working with our partners to ensure a responsible and reliable approach, through a successful and dedicated team.
Geobrugg globally develops and manufactures protection systems made of high-tensile steel wire. These safety systems are used for reliable protection against natural hazards such as rockfall, debris flow, landslides, avalanches, or as a safety measure in building and mining tunnels, in fish farms, motorsports, architecture, and proving grounds. Geobrugg high-tensile steel wire nets and meshes are characterized by their strength, high energy absorption capacity and supreme durability. More than 65 years of experience and close collaboration with research institutes and universities make Geobrugg the leading expert for safety solutions.
DYWIDAG-SYSTEMS are specialist manufacturers and suppliers of geotechnical systems, including ground anchors, soil nails, mesh facings and mini piles. DSI lead the field in drilled geotechnical systems and have been associated with many large and complex projects globally: UK examples include Chelsea Barracks Ground Anchors, Watford Cutting Slope Stabilisation and Battersea Power Station Redevelopment and the A465, Heads of The Valleys Widening.
Richard Kennedy will be speaking about the range of solutions and service available from DSI with particular focus on slope stabilisation systems including case histories that highlight the benefit of the combined service approach that DSI can offer.
130 years ago Maccaferri invented Gabions and dramatically changed civil engineering's landscape. We are still changing it today. We work everyday to find better solutions for our clients. We make innovation happen around the world and we offer ongoing support to establish relations built on solid trust.
In the UK Maccaferri are able to offer a wide range of engineering solutions on a supply or supply and installation basis.
Envirosoil (Remediation) Ltd specialises in Soil Stabilisation. We offer this technique as substitutes for the importation of primary or secondary aggregates and the export of waste to tip. This results in a saving at least equal to the disposal cost of the waste material. Other spin offs include a 70% reduction in the consumption of diesel in the execution of these activities, a 95% decrease in HGV movements onto and off site, and the elimination of waste to tip equal to the quantity of primary and secondary aggregate required on site.
Large diameter high capacity piles beneath existing footings and slabs through 40mm diameter holes.
High capacity ground anchors through existing retaining walls.
Ground Consolidation for enabling works in basement construction and underpinning to control water and potential settlement.


A few weeks ago, I sat down to work through the Gospel passages for the Sundays in Lent. I enjoy the challenge of trying to put together a bit of a "sermon series." We clergy folk tend to be pretty pleased with ourselves when we can come up with series like this, because it makes the whole season seem to hang together. It also gives us the rare occasion to enjoy the feeling of our sermons building upon one another. In a season like Pentecost, that is so very long, we really don't have that opportunity. And Advent is rather short for a series, not to mention it's often chock full with a whole host of other things and early preparations for Christmas. So, by the time Lent rolls around, I'm usually pretty excited to sit down and come up with a sermon series.
I ran into a snag this year, though. I had no problem finding the common threads, the themes that I would weave together throughout the weeks of Lent. It was a joy, actually, to watch it all begin to emerge through study and prayer. The problem was, I couldn't come up with a name. Now, I know, that probably sounds a bit silly. But try to imagine for a minute that you're me - and you're rather nerdy about these things. It might feel important to you, too?
Each week, I'll be talking about something that begins with the letter "P". But really, who wants to listen to a sermon series called, "The P's of Lent"?
So I grappled with this for quite some time. Even until today, actually. On the first Sunday in Lent I preached about the Pilgrim journey of Lent - the faithful, but sometimes lonely road. I wanted to focus on the idea that when we begin Lent, or we decide on something to give up or take on - there needs to be a purpose, a specific goal. Something that allows us to draw closer to God. Last week, I focused on the promises of God. The promises that God makes to all of us who are Pilgrims both in Lent - and in life - who find ourselves journeying to God.
And this week, as my sermon continues to take shape - there are other "P-words", too. But still, no title for this sermon series.
Finally today I found myself completely frustrated by this. And then I realized - no one was likely to be bothered by this except me. And it was time for me to let it go.
Letting go is also part of our invitation in Lent. As soon as I let go of my desire to come up with a totally brilliant title for a Lenten sermon series about words that begin with P (I know, it does sound ridiculous), I was able to focus on things that were much more important. And, in fact, I was able to draw nearer to God.
We all have things in life that we need to let go. Sometimes they're actual objects - items round the house, or tokens stuffed in boxes at the back of closets. Sometimes they're ideas. But in any case, letting go of the things that block us and hold us back is a good spiritual practice. That's why, perhaps, that "de-crapifying" Lent challenge has gone round Facebook and turned out to be so popular. (If you've not seen that, it's the challenge to throw out one thing, or in some cases, donate a bag of things for each day in Lent.) It's because all of us live these terribly cluttered lives. And sometimes we desperately need to go through it, label it, chuck some of it, and give up on some it. Today, for me, that was a title for a sermon series.
What was it for you? What do you need to let go of - be it an idea, a relationship, an object, or a habit - that will allow you to enjoy tomorrow a little bit more - and to hear God's voice more clearly?


text:
Q: How to Upload Images using React, fetch, and Django REST I'm encountering a bit of a roadblock in my dev work. I'm trying to upload a photo that I'm sending using FormData in fetch. I'm guessing my problem is in my content header or my back-end handling. Eitherway, I can't seem to find a way around it. I hope you guys can help me
general.js - this is my handler for a request
 export const postDataWithImage = (url, data) => {
        return fetch(url, {
            body: data, // must match 'Content-Type' header
            credentials: 'same-origin', //pass cookies, for authentication
            method: 'POST',
            headers: {
                'Accept': 'application/json, application/xml, text/plain, text/html, *.*',
                'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=utf-8'
            },
        })
            .then(response => response.json()); // parses response to JSON
    };

user-creation.js - my actual usage of the function above (sending multiple data)
heres an image of the data I'm sending
![1] https://imgur.com/leBlC7L
const data = {...this.state, ...form};
        const formData = new FormData();
        Object.entries(data).forEach(([key, value]) => formData.append(key, value));

postDataWithImage('/users', data)
            .then(data => {
                if (data.error) {
                    console.log("theres an error");
                    this.setState({
                        error: data["error"]
                    });
                    console.log(this.state.error);
                } else {
                    console.log(data["data"]);
                }
            })
            .catch(error => message.warning(error.message));

views.py - my backend handler using Django REST not: this returns me an error either byte has no attribute 'get'... or an empty ModelDict for request.FILES
  @staticmethod
    def post(request):
        print(request.body.get('image'))
        print(request.FILES)
        if "username" not in request.data or "password" not in request.data:
            return Response(data={
                "error": "Missing username or password"
            }, status=400, content_type="application/json")
        return Response(data=data, status=200, content_type="application/json")

Please help me I'm really stuck. Thank you!

A: I faced similar problem using Vue.js and Django.
Finally I noticed that the problem was that: boundary was not set to the header.
The solution is to remove headers from your request like this:
fetch(url, {
            body: data,  // assume this is some binary data
            method: 'POST',
})

Then, your browser will automatically add proper headers for your request. And you will see boundary field which is added by your browser in your request headers.

A: Try to remove the "Content-Type" from the headers of fetch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Alter GET variable in Wordpress I am working on a wordpress self-hosted website, with the standard .htaccess settings:
In the website, I have a page called "animalpage". Using my rewrite settings, it is shown in the address bar as http://www.example.com/animalpage.
I am using a custom page template and am processing some things, which include the use of GET variables. For instance:
if (isset($_GET=['word'])) { echo $_GET['word]; } So, http://www.example.com/animalpage?word=cat will display "cat".
The problem I have is rewriting the URL so that it can look like: http://www.example.com/animalpage/dog, still being able to access "dog" as the GET variable.
I am not too good with mod_rewrite rules to begin with, but working from within a wordpress installation is throwing me an extra curveball.
Does anyone know what I need to add to my .htaccess to achieve this?
Thank you!

A: Old version:
RewriteRule ^animalpage/([a-z0-9]+)/?$ animalpage?word=$1 [NC,QSA]

Revisited:
RewriteRule ^animalpage/([^/])/?$ animalpage?word=$1 [NC,L,QSA]


Based on information from CARETS as of 4/19/2019 4:11 AM CST. The information being provided by CARETS is for the visitor's personal, noncommercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties visitor may be interested in purchasing. The data contained herein is copyrighted by CARETS, CLAW, CRISNet MLS, i-Tech MLS, PSRMLS and/or VCRDS and is protected by all applicable copyright laws. Any dissemination of this information is in violation of copyright laws and is strictly prohibited. Any property information referenced on this web site comes from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program of CARETS. This web site may reference real estate listing(s) held by a brokerage firm other than the broker and/or agent who owns this web site. The accuracy of all information, regardless of source, is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be personally verified through personal inspection by and/or with the appropriate professionals. IDX by Commissions Inc.


text:
Loft Film Fest
Support The Loft Cinema
Brand New Digital Restoration!
While vacationing on a remote island retreat, a family's already fragile ties are tested when daughter Karin (Harriet Andersson) discovers her father has been using her schizophrenia for his own literary means.
"Through a Glass Darkly is one of the best and certainly the ripest of Ingmar Bergman's creations." – Richard Corliss, Time Magazine
As she drifts in and out of lucidity, the father (Gunnar Björnstrand), along with Karin's husband (Max von Sydow) and her younger brother (Lars Passgård) are unable to prevent Karin's harrowing descent into the abyss of mental illness. Winner of the 1962 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and featuring an astonishing lead performance by Andersson, Through a Glass Darkly presents an unflinching vision of a family's near disintegration and a tortured psyche further taunted by God's intangible presence. (Dir. by Ingmar Bergman, 1961, Sweden, in Swedish with English subtitles, 91 mins., Not Rated)
Share via Email: Through a Glass Darkly Share via Twitter: Through a Glass Darkly Share via Facebook: Through a Glass Darkly Share via Google+: Through a Glass Darkly
THE LOFT MONTHLY FILM GUIDE
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There are many non-profit organizations that accept Bitcoin donations. They range from organizations that focus on fighting hunger & poverty to animal welfare to farming solutions in developing countries to elementary school education. Even non-profit universities are accepting bitcoins.
Bitcoins are a great way to receive donations from individuals who might not otherwise not choose to donate cash. All bitcoin donations are treated as non-cash contributions.
What is Bitcoin? Why are we accepting bitcoins?


Notwithstanding the rainy spring, Bencista's kitchen garden is flourishing by Chris (the Kitchen gardener) Having gardened for many years in England, I was greatly looking forward to working under the abundant Italian sun. Despite the Italian spring feeling incredibly English this year, with more days being wet than dry, the crops in Bencista's organic kitchen-garden ("orto") are now beginning to flourish. Picked in the morning and cooked the same day by our great chefs; zucchini, insalata, ravanelli, bieta, cicoria, and cavolo nero are now regularly being turned into delicious, simple Tuscan dishes for our guests. We await the summer bursting and the suns strong southern energies ripening our pomodori, piselli, and bacelli. Dining at Bencista' is the perfect way to enjoy wonderful Tuscan food grown completely organically in the hotel's park. The Pensione's attention to sustainability also flourishes in the orto thanks to a fruitful mix of old techniques with innovative ones. Come and try it yourself – and do not hesitate to take a look around the orto to see where the food comes from! We are sure you won't be disappointed!
Growing local – Bencistà shortens its food chain From spring 2016, Pensione Bencistà will enhance its countryside's roots, creating a new kitchen-garden to supply and delight the guests of the restaurant. Bencistà's kitchen-garden will bring an exciting new facet to the visitors' wellbeing by enriching the quality of the food-experience we offer our guests. On top of enjoying delicious Tuscan recipes on our stunning terrace, Bencistà's clients will now be able to appreciate the countryside's roots of the Pensione by eating freshly picked vegetables coming directly from our garden! Moreover, while walking around the park, clients will have the opportunity to meet Chris, the kitchen-garden manager. Just out of his training in the Royal Botanic Garden of Kew, London, Chris will be available to offer explanations and demonstrations on the delicious fresh plants you will feed on in the restaurant. Quality and sustainability of food have long been themes that deeply touch the Simoni family, and this year we have decided to actively participate in the growing discussion around the topic of food. Bencistà is planning to do so by returning to make productive use of the park surrounding the villa, re-establishing some of the food production that was once traditionally practiced on these fertile soils. We indeed believe this is an ethically meaningful and 'taste-full' choice that will heighten our guest's awareness and experience. Buon appetito!
Ora a colazione abbiamo anche delle deliziose brioches, pain chocolat e abbiamo incominciato a fare la granola fatta in casa con semi e frutta secca biologici.
Ora a disposizione dei nostri ospiti i bollitori per il thè in ogni camera.


The Indalo Man symbol surrounds me everywhere I go in my home Province of Almeria, Spain. It was about time I used him in my jewellery!
These little earrings are hand forged from sterling silver wire and hang from my own silver ear wires at approximately 1.5" in length (3.5cm, if you prefer), making them suitable for everyday wear.
The original paintings were found in a cave near Velez Blanco in 1868 and are said to be between 4000 and 6000 years old. Depicting a man holding a rainbow over his head, this icon was first adopted as lucky symbol by the town of Mojacar (just down the road from me) and then by the whole of Almeria Province. You will find him painted on houses, carved into hillsides, stuck to the back of cars and in all the gift shops. Now you can dangle him from your ear lobes!
The earrings pictured were a special commission for a customer but can be made to order. I can also put them on posts intead of hooks if you wish.


text:
How To: Get an Official SCRABBLE Rating to Play in Tournaments
Many new players wonder how one actually gets a rating in SCRABBLE. Now, we're talking about an official rating, not one you would get on SCRABBLE Beta or with the ISC WordBiz player — I mean an "Official SCRABBLE Rating". A rating that allows you to play in the National SCRABBLE Championship (NSC), which is held once every year (sometimes two).
The latest NSC was held on August 7–11, 2010 at the Hotel InterContinental Dallas at 15201 Dallas Parkway in Addison, TX. Nigel Richards won the $10,000 first place prize, and soon moved on to the 2010 World Players Championship (WPC). If you think you have what it takes to compete in the 2011 National SCRABBLE Championships, it's time to get yourself a rating, or you're just another SCRABBLE genius without anything to show for it.
So, how do you earn a SCRABBLE rating?
First, before answers, you must have an overall knowledge of the system:
In the past, players needed a National SCRABBLE Association (NSA) Official Rating to enter the NSC, but that has all changed now, thanks to Hasbro.
The NSA was directly sponsored by Hasbro, who provided funding which allowed the NSA to govern all SCRABBLE Official Tournaments and Clubs in North America, including the NSC. It was the only organization running licensed SCRABBLE activity in the United Stated and Canada. But in January, 2010, Hasbro dropped regular funding to the NSA, and in turn, the NSA forfeited their command.
Hasbro and the NSA (still operating under Hasbro's direction) are now focusing their moneys in recruitment tactics and endorsing and governing school clubs and tournaments, like the National School SCRABBLE Championship, along with casual SCRABBLE play.
So, if the NSA doesn't provide SCRABBLE ratings anymore, who does?
With the anticipated lack of funding from Hasbro, the NSA transferred responsibility for official clubs and tournaments, over the course of 2009, to the newly formed North American SCRABBLE Players Association (NASPA).
Since funding is no longer provided by a powerhouse such as Hasbro, the NASPA runs off the fees imposed on its members. An annual membership costs $30 US (regardless of residence: US, Canada, overseas) and a $0.50 US fee, per player, for every game played. Without paying these fees, you will not be able to play in sanctioned tournaments and have your personal achievements officially recognized.
Okay, so now that that's out of the way, how do you get an "Official SCRABBLE Rating"!?!
The answer is simple: Play in any rated tournament affiliated with the NASPA. That's it — besides paying membership dues, as stated above.
Basically, you can't play in the SCRABBLE Championships until you have earned a rating, and you can't earn a rating until you have played in one NASPA-sanctioned tournament, and you can't play in NASPA-sanctioned tournaments until you have paid your dues.
You will enter your first tournament game as an "unrated" player.
Now that you've paid NASPA dues, where do you find these SCRABBLE Tournaments?
To find a tournament to earn your very first SCRABBLE rating, check out the NASPA Tournament Calendar. It provides you with information on all upcoming sanctioned tournaments.
So, what about these ratings? How exactly do they work?
Well, as an unrated player, your rating will first start to grow after your first tournament game. As you continue to play in NASPA-sanctioned tournaments, your rating matures based on your wins and the ratings of your opponents.
This numerical rating decides which level you will be placed in tournaments, and also determines if you qualify for certain tournaments, such as the World SCRABBLE Championship (WSC).
NASPA provides a Rating Calculator to see your progress.
But how is the rating determined?
Figuring out your Official SCRABBLE Rating is not as simple as one might think. As stated before, your numerical rating is based off your initial tournament rating, then the rating of your opponents, and next your win-loss record.
To fully understand the mathematical calculations of ones NASPA SCRABBLE rating, it's best to visit the source for answers. Check out the Overview for the ratings system directly from NASPA. But that's for those who already have a rating. To find out how one computes an "initial" rating, which is ten times more complicated, check out the page (a detailed description) on how an Initial Rating is determined, in pseudocode.
For more general information on SCRABBLE ratings, visit the Ratings page, which also includes a list of monthly rankings for official tournaments, and check out the Tournament Results page for detailed results, also known as "cross-tables".
Scrabble Adventures: The Adventures of a Tournament Scrabble Player is a great place to learn about tournament play through personal experience. There's an article entitled "A closer look at Scrabble ratings" that picks apart the statistical rating system, and tells you the (possible) secret behind raising your tournament SCRABBLE rating, which is as simple as "opening" the board up.
"...when experts suggest playing a more open style, they do so because an open game plays to their advantage because they can score more. That's why they can get scores in the high 400s, 500s, and even 600s while lower rated players struggle to reach 400. To get better, the best way would be to improve your ability to score rather than trying to limit your opponent from scoring."
Also, check out this fun thread started on Facebook for SCRABBLE Beta: Scrabble for Beginnerds 101: Ratings, The Elo System.
So, now that you know all the facts, what now?
GO PLAY!
Panuopl Sujjayakorn (Thailand) & David Wiegand (Portland) in the NSC in 2005
For more information, visit the NASPA FAQ from their website and SCRABBLE FAQ provided by Steven Alexander. Also check out some interesting and funny facts about SCRABBLE and its history.
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Become a judge for Magic: The Gathering
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How To: Use Philidor's position to win the chess endgame
How To: Mate with a bishop and knight versus a king in chess
How To: Play the board game Tigris and Euphrates
Scrabble Challenge #5: Put Your 2-Letter Word Skills to the Test
How To: Spell the word CIVIC without a "C" or "V" in Scrabble
How To: Play Settlers of Catan board game
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News: Holy Moly—Scrabble is Getting Scrabbled
News: SCRABBLE RULES! Official Tournament Guidelines (PDF)
News: Win at Scrabble (The Dirty Way)
News: $10,000 First Prize for the Upcoming 2010 National SCRABBLE Championship in August
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News: "In Scrabble, anything is possible"


The handy and robust RREN bypass garden shears with non-stick coated blades and bright galvanized cutter body permit precise and clean cutting due to the bypass technology. May be stored safely, thanks to the sturdy rotary catch. They are suitable for left and right-handed users. For delicate and precise pruning. Coated blades for non-stick pruning and easy cleaning.


*Its a whole year since the tragic incident with Grenfell Tower happened in London. Still no arrests and still no answers. What exactly has changed?
1 Grenfell. A Year On. What's Changed?? ??
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Tech Help at Holgate Library Registration opens Wednesday, February 26, 2020.
Tween Council at Capitol Hill Meeting Room First come, first served.
Tech Help at St. Johns Meeting Room First come, first served.
Ayuda con computadoras / Computer Help at Gregory Heights Meeting Room First come, first served.
Computer Help at Gregory Heights Meeting Room First come, first served.
Teen Council at Hollywood Library First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at Woodstock Library First come, first served.
Toddler Storytime at St. Johns Library First come, first served.
Family Storytime at Rockwood Library First come, first served.
Preschool Storytime at Sellwood-Moreland Library First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at Northwest Library First come, first served.
Preschool Storytime at Troutdale Meeting Room Free tickets available 15 minutes in advance.
Toddler Storytime at North Portland Library First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at Gregory Heights Library First come, first served.
Book Babies at Holgate Meeting Room First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at Capitol Hill Meeting Room First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at Central Library Story Theatre - Children's Library First come, first served.
Book Babies at Kenton Meeting Room First come, first served.
Writing Through It at U.S. Bank Room - Central Library First come, first served.
Adult Literacy Tutoring at Community Room - Central Library First come, first served.
Программа детского чтения / Russian Storytime at Rockwood Meeting Room First come, first served.
Toddler Storytime at Woodstock Library First come, first served.
Preschool Storytime at Northwest Library First come, first served.
Book Babies at Gregory Heights Library First come, first served.
Preschool Storytime at Holgate Meeting Room First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at Troutdale Meeting Room First come, first served.
Toddler Storytime at Central Library Story Theatre - Children's Library First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at Kenton Meeting Room First come, first served.
Book Babies at Capitol Hill Meeting Room First come, first served.
Tiny Tots at North Portland Library First come, first served.
Tax Help at Central Library Computer Learning Center See event description for registration details.
Tax Help at North Portland Library See event description for registration details.
English Class at Holgate Meeting Room First come, first served.
Pageturners at Hillsdale Meeting Room First come, first served.
Tech Help at Albina Library First come, first served.
Acuarelas y Libros / Watercolors and Books at Gregory Heights Meeting Room Registration opens Thursday, February 27, 2020.
Preschool Sensory Storytime at Hollywood Library First come, first served.
Legos @ the Library at Hillsdale Library First come, first served.


I can't imagine homeschooling without Sonlight!
I have used several grade levels of Sonlight, Level 2 and 3, Advanced Readers, Level 4, Level 6, and Level 200, Church History, and we have been absolutely delighted with all of them.
My husband still talks about the memorable stories he's read to our son at night before bed, a special time he jealously guarded. We have been unable to part with our books because of the wonderful memories they helped create.
We used Level 200 Church History when he was in 8th grade. He loved it! I nearly sent the books back when they arrived because they seemed closer to college level than 8th grade, and some of them were rather boring, but it was a wonderful year for our son, who needs advanced options. He thanked me several times for ordering that level for him. We don't recommend one of the readers in Level 200, The Flames of Rome, for boys his age.
We love the quality of the books, the way various subjects are addressed, the study guides for questions and testing that Sonlight provides, the format of the lesson plans, the fascinating approach to history that Sonlight uses, which has embedded details into our son's mind which I don't think I ever learned, or quickly forgot.
We have followed Sonlight's suggestions for other subjects, such as math, vocabulary and science, and have always been pleased. If your children love to read, which they will if you start them on Sonlight early, the books provide hours of rich, memorable educational experiences, and lots of opportunity for thought-provoking discussions.
Every year since Level 6, there has been at least one or two books that we might have preferred our son not read, for various reasons. In the case of The Flames of Rome, there was too much sexual content. Some books were quite sad, which in our case wasn't helpful, but it is realistic. However, when our son spent two full years in school, we disagreed with books used at times, and the classes spent weeks on them. At home, we could control how much time we spent and how we handled the material, or whether to read the books at all. Sonlight usually warns parents about the content of controversial books.
Truthfully, I can't imagine homeschooling without Sonlight. Our soon needs the social outlet of school, but every year Sonlight beckons us back with their fantastic collection of books and material in the next package we need.


WHY CHOOSE WIRRAL COUNSELLING CENTRE?
We will endeavour to make you feel listened to and understood when you talk with your own, dedicated counsellor at Wirral Counselling Centre. It may be this is the first occasion in a long time that some of our clients feel they are actually being listend to proprly and with the attention we all need. This, by itself, can make some people feel better within themselves, and many people are suprised how they suddenly find themselves talking more than they have done in a very long time.
We have a growing team of qualified therapists and counsellors who practice a range of therapies and techniques to support you and help with any issues you may have. These can include anxiety, depression, relationship issues, drug or alcohol dependency, as well as many others.
Tailored therapy to suit your needs.
Private, secure parking for clients and a discreet entrance to the building.
As all of our counsellors are members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and are on the BACP accredited register, you can be sure of our professional competence and the quality of our work.


And it took me one and half minutes solitary reflection to come to the inescapable answer. That meant I was going to sit through a long talk and a rowdy shouting match of people quoting Kant and Heidegger and maybe Russell Brand for all I know, while in a state of intellectual frustration and an inebriated sense of intellectual superiority.
Either there is such a thing as physical truth or there isn't – they are the two alternatives we're being asked to decide between.
If it's true that there is such a thing as non-physical truth, then the answer is "yes".
If it's true that there is no such thing as non-physical truth, then that is actually an example of a non-physical truth so the answer is still "yes".
The only reason it took me all of a minute and a half to figure that out is that I had already enjoyed a very expensive glass of Chimay and was at the same time wiping up a pool of our cat's vomit off the kitchen floor.
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