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Santa Rosa Island officials flew the double-red flag – no swimming – over Pensacola Beach in Florida after a swath of thick oil washed ashore from the Gulf oil spill June 23.
Two days later, against the warnings of federal health officials and based on a visual survey of the beach, the local island authority director, Buck Lee, reopened the beaches for swimming, urging residents and tourists to come back to the beach. Officials left the ultimate decision on whether it was safe to swim to beachgoers.
This week, health officials in Escambia County, Fla., which includes Pensacola Beach, reported that about 400 people claimed they felt sick after visiting the beach and swimming in the Gulf.
The massive oil slick hovering off the shore of the US Gulf Coast threatens an entire tourist season that, in Florida alone, represents $65 million in revenue.
The situation in Pensacola Beach points to the growing difficulty of balancing the potential and largely unknown health effects of a spill making only localized landfall against the political and economic motivations of hard-hit beach communities facing a canceled summer.
"Perception is a bigger enemy than reality, because would-be visitors are not willing to really do the research or take even a small amount of risk," says Adam Sacks, managing director of Tourism Economics, a consultancy firm in Wayne, Pa.
Testing by the University of West Florida in recent days has indicated small amounts of dissolved petrochemicals in the water near Pensacola Beach.
"There are molecules dissolved in the water and you can't see them," Dick Snyder, a biologist at the University of West Florida, told a local TV station. "We don't know how much of that there is, but we suspect there's a lot,"
Federal officials have urged caution about swimming in areas not only near the spill, but also where oil actually came ashore, and where tides buried some of the oil smudges. Federally managed National Seashore beaches on both sides of Pensacola Beach remained closed to swimming.
"My recommendation to the Santa Rosa Island Authority was to keep the beach closed until we can get a better handle on the actual material out here and to get more of it up," EPA official Charlie Fitzsimmons told the Pensacola News-Journal June 25.
Local officials took a different tack.
Water quality tests that take three days to complete have proven useless because of the daily, even hourly, movement of the slick along the shore, says Mr. Lee, the island authority director. Instead, officials are relying on life guards scouring the 8-mile beach to look for oil – as well as the common sense of bathers.
"If you see oil in the water, don't swim in it, and hopefully people will have enough sense not to do that," says Lee. As to reports of people feeling sick, he says, "People have different reactions. You and I may go in the water, swim around, look for shells and come out of the water and your eyes may be burning and mine may be fine. It affects different people different ways."
Another problem for local officials weighing the bathing risks: Scientists don't know the health effects of dissolved petroleum in the water. "Someone needs to invent that test," says Lee.
From the Pensacola Beach Pier, residents reported seeing families with kids swimming in water near a sheen and a concentration of emulsified oil bobbing on the waves.
The situation reminds some residents of the 1975 movie "Jaws," in which the mayor and beach businesspeople don't want to close the beach because it would ruin the Fourth of July weekend, despite reports of a man-eating shark in the area.
The health effects of the oil and chemical dispersants used in the cleanup have become a major issue in the Gulf oil spill. Many cleanup workers are bused in from low-income urban areas, including from Anniston, Ala. A BP contractor told a Monitor reporter at a dock in Bon Seceur, Ala., on June 25, "Don't ask the workers any questions."
The Louisiana Health Department says 108 workers have become ill from working the oil spill. Some health effects have been attributed to working in heavy hazmat suits in the Gulf summer heat.
In Pensacola, health officials have swapped advisory signs that urged against swimming for 35 "oil impact" signs along the beach that tells residents to be on the lookout for oil, and to swim at their own risk. The EPA is setting up decontamination stations along the beach to help beachgoers clean oil off their bodies.
The diverse nature of the spill's effect on beaches has complicated the manner in which officials warn residents – especially as the economic implications are becoming clear. Pensacola Beach is experiencing a hotel cancellation rate of 75 percent as the height of the summer season approaches.
"We have a situation that changes from one hour to the next, from one tide to the next, from wave to wave, from one wind direction to another," Escambia County Health Department Director John Lanza tells the Pensacola News-Journal.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist told the "CBS Morning Show" this week that he went for a swim on Pensacola Beach after BP crews cleaned it up. He said continual testing done by the county has shown that the waters are clean. "There isn't a toxic nature," Governor Crist said. "It's much more of a nuisance than anything at this point. But it is safe."


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Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces Of Rock recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Michael Schenker. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
69 Faces Of Rock: The new album, "The Temple Of Rock", is released under your own name. What sets it apart from MSG records?
Michael Schenker: It's a good question... Let me think about it. MSG originally is with Gary Barden on vocals, and, of course, I've done many records without Gary. I think the whole concept is because I am focusing on the whole past. So, it's like a Michael Schenker effort, not so much like I am focusing on a particular band with a particular lineup. It's like I'm playing SCORPIONS, UFO, and MSG live. All classics from my life, so it's similar to the way the album was developed. It was more focused on that in general, rather than particular line up you may know from the past.
69 Faces Of Rock: Just as you were caught by surprise by the previous question, the audience was caught by surprise with this release. Especially considering the very successful reunion with Gary Barden in the very recent past.
Michael Schenker: Gary is away in Thailand. He has a personal situation, but for me it was a time to celebrate the "hand-made rock" again. I wanted to combine my whole efforts in such a way. You know, nothing was really planned. I started off very regularly. It was just a time to make a new album. Gary wasn't available anyway, he went out to Thailand. So, I've decided that now would be the time to do something that is more connected to the summit. Summit, like the sum of the past. I actually had no plan, really. I was actually working on a touring project with Pete Way and Herman Rarebell. I wanted to play "Strangers In The Night" (UFO) material because I hadn't played it for a long time. So, we got together in England, and we were living close to each other. I started rehearsing with Herman all the time, and then Pete showed up at some point. So, we did rehearse for a tour in mind, and while we were doing that I was also doing a demo at Michel Voss's studio. And I asked him to help me out with guide vocals. And when he was singing, I was very impressed with how he sounded. I liked his vocals, and I've offered him to do the vocals on the next record. He's already expressed the interest to work with me in the past. So, I said, "Here's your chance," and that wasn't planned either. But the universe is the driver, and I just kind of do my part. It just moves forward anyways. And then Herman and Pete heard the material, and they wanted to do it, too. So, I had a rhythm section, which was kind of unique because of the SCORPIONS-UFO connection. And then as we were doing it, I was like, "Let's invite some other musicians from the past." I've created a list, and you know, many of them were available, and so we did some recordings. And then Michael Voss did the intro using his voice, and it was amazing. I was like, "It would be great to get a big name actor with a distinguished voice to do that." At the same time, I was getting a request to play on William Shatner's album, and I was like, "Wow, this is perfect, this is the guy." So, we've asked him if he would do the introduction, and he agreed. So, I've played on his album, and he did the spoken-word introduction on my record.
69 Faces Of Rock: The current tour reunites you with Robin McAuley, who also makes an appearance on the new album. How did you decide that Robin will be the singer you'll use on the tour?
Michael Schenker: I didn't decide. What happened was Michael Voss signed up with some record company, and then he was busy doing other things. So, I was like, "What am I gonna do now?" But Robin was on the album and Doogie [White] was on the album. So I put two and two together, and figured that one of the these guys should work out since they were all on the album. And so, as we coordinated, I just somehow put together different line ups as to who was available, and in what continent. And that's how we've ended up putting it together basically. And with Robin over here, we're pushing "Lover's Sinfony" obviously as a song. And Doogie is on "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead", and that's becoming a hit in England right now. And with Michael Voss, we're gonna be pushing "Hanging On". So, we have kind of three strong songs worldwide. And again, I don't know what the whole meaning is behind, but something's in the making and it just seems to be working kind of almost effortlessly.
69 Faces Of Rock: After 40 years of performing and making records, are you still as passionate about making records and touring?
Michael Schenker: More! What happened was, I had a very fast beginning, for whatever reason. And the developing time began. All learning, focusing on developing as a person, and as a musician. Experimenting, doing all sorts of different things. That's why I put MSG together because it was not my assignment to be the part of rock machine that did what everybody did in the '80s. I did my part, and then my brother took over. I did my developing time. And now that we kind of coming to the finish line of the hand-made rock, I feel that we are celebrating now. And somehow, for some reason, all of a sudden I'm having a lot of fun being on stage again. I'm loving doing the things that I thought was never possible in the past. But as everything seems to be coming to the final stages, and I want to be part of it. So, it's like the train is moving forward, and I'm in it.
Read the entire interview from 69 Faces Of Rock.

subset: commoncrawl


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TERA is a stunning fantasy MMO that features fast-paced action combat; a vast, gorgeous world; and highly customizable characters. Best of all, TERA is FREE to play!


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A cure to improve memory - works for any age
If you want to re-move messages from our list click here or write us:
But 1p there is another j1p way to think about pbrain aging. The brain responds to all j1p the same insults as the rest pof the body - stress, 1p poor diet, toxins, j1p lack of exercise or sleep, p nutritional deficiencies, 1p and more. j1p All we have to do is give the p brain a tune-up and we can see 1pmiracles. j1p In todayâs blog I will give pyou nine tips that will 1p allow you to do j1p that. But first, letâs look pa little more closely at 1p the magnitude j1p of this problem. Sometimes 1p the practice of j1p medicine lags behind the science, p and sometimes the practice gets 1p ahead of the j1p science. Genetic testing puts us p squarely in the middle of that dilemma. 1p We are at a j1p crossroads, where the old p ideas we have about disease and diagnosis become less 1pmeaningful as j1p we understand more and more p about the importance of individual differences in determining 1p illness. This is a time 1p when personalized j1p medicine will replace p medicine based on diagnosis p and disease.


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|Gopher City Kansas hosts a beauty contest. The winner, Elvira Plunkett, and her mother go to Hollywood...
|Directed by:
|Edward Sedgwick
|Buster Keaton, Anita Page, Trixie Friganza, Robert Montgomery, Fred Niblo, Edgar Dearing, Gwen Lee, John Miljan, Lionel Barrymore, William Haines, William Collier Jr., Dorothy Sebastian, Karl Dane, David Burton


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This is new from the experts at the N.C. Budget and Tax Center:
Labor force decline still driving drop in unemployment for many metro areas
RALEIGH (April 29, 2014) — Despite falling unemployment rates, most of North Carolina's metro areas are still waiting for meaningful job creation, according to new jobless numbers released by the Division of Employment Security this morning. Nine out of the state's 14 metros saw weaker job creation over the last year than they did over the same period in previous years. In 7 of 14 of the state's metro areas, the drop in the unemployment rate between March 2013 and March 2014 was driven by a shrinking labor force and not by large-scale employment growth.
"Too many of North Carolina's metro areas are waiting for a jobs recovery. The labor force is continuing to shrink and job creation remains anemic across the state," said Allan Freyer, Public Policy Analyst with the Budget & Tax Center, a project of the NC Justice Center. "If we were truly seeing a robust recovery, every metro area would be creating more jobs each year than they did the year before, but this is just not the case. Too many metros have yet to recover the jobs they lost during the recession."
Several examples include:
- Although Winston-Salem saw its unemployment rate drop from 7.8 to 6.1, only 6 percent of the drop in unemployed people over the past year came from those workers moving into jobs. The other 94 percent simply dropped out of the labor force altogether. Winston-Salem experienced no net job creation over the last year, its worst performance since 2011.
- In Greensboro, fewer than 13 out of every 100 formerly unemployed workers moved into jobs last year, despite seeing its unemployment rate fall by 2 full percentage points. The other 77-out-of-100 simply dropped out of the labor force altogether. Greensboro also gained just 1,200 jobs since last March, the weakest job performance of any year since 2010.
- In Fayetteville, the unemployment rate fell from 8.8 in March 2013 to 7.5 in March 2014. The metros saw both the number of employed people and the labor force go down—meaning that 0 percent of the falling unemployment rate can be attributed to the unemployed moving into jobs. They just dropped out of the labor force, likely due to lack of available jobs. Fayetteville actually lost 100 jobs over the last year, and now has fewer jobs than in March 2011.
- Even Charlotte, historically a leader in employment growth, is beginning to see its rate of job creation begin to slow. The metro created 20,700 jobs last year, less than the 21,000 jobs created last year, and the 22,700 jobs created the year before.
- Asheville created 3,800 jobs over the last year, which may sound like a lot, but it represents slower employment growth than what the metro averaged the year before.
The data released by the Division of Employment Security is subject to revision and should be interpreted with great caution.


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Internet Or Sex? Study Shows 46 Percent Of Woman Said They Would Give Up s3x For Internet!
CBS reports More woman are turned on by their laptops instead of their lovers. According to a new study. 46 percent of woman say they would give up sex, rather than go without internet access for two weeks if they had to choose
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Lastest film version is a Lloyd Webber 'Phantom' all the way
For the record, Gaston Leroux's 1911 novel, "The Phantom of the Opera," has been filmed no less than seven times, including the 1925 silent classic with Lon Chaney, a multi-Oscar-winning 1943 version with Claude Rains and a 1962 cult-favorite with Herbert Lom.
Its surefire formula also has worked even more spectacularly on the stage: Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical hasn't been off the boards since its 1986 opening, and, with box-office receipts of $3.2 billion, is arguably the biggest grossing theatrical event of all time.
And now it works, very nicely indeed, as a film version of the musical. After a 15-year struggle to get off the ground, it's finally here, and even without Michael Crawford in the lead, "Phantom" fans are likely to think it was worth the wait.
With zero concessions to movie-audience demographics and no toning down of its rococo splendor and over-the-top melodrama, it's a strange entry for today's movie audience, which tends to prefer cynical musicals ("Chicago," "Moulin Rouge") and it's sure to be dismissed by many critics as pure kitsch.
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But it's hard to imagine a more faithful celluloid translation of the stage phenomenon. The cast is good, the score is sublime, the visuals are sumptuous and it speeds along with a delirious romantic power that, if you let it, can sweep you away.
The element that separates this production from earlier, lesser movie versions of Lloyd Webber's rock operas ("Jesus Christ Superstar," "Evita") is the controlling hand of Sir Andrew himself. This time he did it his way, and he not only takes music and co-screenplay credit, he's listed as the movie's sole producer.
His seemingly odd choice of Joel Schumacher ("Batman and Robin") as director also has paid off. A competent Hollywood veteran with no particular style of his own and the confidence to play it straight, Schumacher stages the film in a style that's closer to classic MGM than MTV: fast-paced and energetic but incorrigibly elegant.
Even better is the casting of 18-year-old Emmy Rossum as Christine, the Phantom's musical protégé and bondage victim. Opera-trained and movie experienced (she was Sean Penn's daughter in "Mystic River"), she carries the movie with an unaffected grace and charm, and a voice that sounds like the cling of Waterford crystal.
The rest of the ensemble also clicks, if not as stunningly: Gerard Butler as the tormented title character, Patrick Wilson as the blander third point of the love triangle, Minnie Driver as a comically spoiled diva and Miranda Richardson as a dresser (who, for some reason, has the Paris Opera company's only French accent).
Every frame of the production is opulent and dreamlike almost beyond description, and its voluptuous interior design, sets, costumes, makeup and computer effects are all Oscar worthy. Especially impressive is a groundbreaking flashback sequence that visually transforms a ruined 1919 opera house to its 1870s glory.
In final analysis, of course, all the above is merely a backdrop for the rock-operetta score, and your experience of the movie will depend on how you relate to a style that has become (at least critically) somewhat unfashionable since the '80s. Non-fans may squirm for 143 minutes, but true believers will be in heaven.


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It is time for kids to start getting ready to head back to school and parents will be looking for healthy food while kids will be looking for something tasty. Luckily you can have both with the multitude of organic foods that are avaliable.
Earthbound Farm is a great option when it comes to getting fruits and vegetables into your diet. They offer great bagged lunch packers of organic apple slices, organic mini-peeled carrots, organic carrot dippers with ranch dressing, grab and go salads and organic raisin snack packs. Earthbound makes it easy for you when you have to get lunches packed in the morning, not only are they already packed snacks, but they are healthy and the perfect size and of course they are organic. Parents, don't be afraid to take some of these to work as well, these are a much better choice than the vending machine.
If you are going to spread something on your toast in the morning, take a look at Crofter's Organic Superfruit Spreads. Each jar contains one pound of premium organic fruit and it is sweetened with fair trade sugar. Crofter's Superfruit Spreads are going to make you forget about using jams or jellies or anything else that tries to pass itself off as a fruit spread. Listen to these flavors; North America Superfruit is cranberry and blueberry, South America Superfruit is an exotic blend of Maqui berry and passionfruit, Europe Superfruit is pomegranate and black currant and in my opinion the one that packs the most flavor and got me hooked was the Asian Superfruit, which contains a bright blend of yumberry and raspberry. You really can't go wrong with any of these spreads, and I would suggest you give them all a try.
Late July Organic Snacks are not only great tasting, but this family run business is really dedicated to promoting an organic lifestyle and the benefits that go with it. This summer Late July introduced their mini endangered animal sandwich cookies that are not only full of flavor, but your kids will love the designs and 10% of the profits go to the Jane Goodall Institute. Late July also has some tasty crackers, I would suggest the sharp cheddar sandwich crackers, very tasty!
If you are looking for one line of products that will keep your kids happy for the entire year, Salba Smart organic snacks are a sure bet. Salba Smart makes pretzels, tortilla chips, salsa and 100-calorie snack packs that are perfect for lunch boxes. Salba simply put is really a super-grain, it is all-natural, has no trans fat, it is gluten free, it has almost no carbohydrates and one serving provides over 3,000 mg of Omega 3's and over 5,000 mg of dietary fiber. The benefits of Salba is almost endless, but at the end of the day just know that your kids will really enjoy the taste of all of the Salba Smart products and you can enjoy knowing that each time they reach for a snack, it will be one that is good for them.
Explorer's Bounty has introduced a line of organic crackers called Tribal Stone Crackers. If you are looking for a healthy snack when the kids want something to munch on, this is the one to give them. Not only is this the first snack to be made from Rainforest Alliance Certified Yuca, but they also contain no added sweeteners, they are gluten free, allergen and fat free and are also vegan friendly. They also taste great and come in an assortment of flavors.
To go with some snacks you have to throw a sandwich in the lunch bag and most kids love peanut butter so if you want to go organic and have some great taste Santa Cruz organic peanut butter is a great choice. Santa Cruz also carries an entire line of organic products, this is one company that can take care of a number of your snacking needs.
It is a fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you need give your body some fuel to get going and one of the best products to give your kids the right start is Chia Goodness breakfast cereal. Chia is no doubt a name that sounds familiar from those popular plants the Chia Pet, but who knew that chia was good for you to eat. Chia Goodness comes in three flavors and you just need to mix it with water and you are ready to go. You can also mix it with yogurt or fruit and the best part, other than that taste, is that it has five times more calcium than milk and more Omega 3 than salmon or flaxseed. A true superfood your kids will love.
For more information on Earthbound Farm, visit: www.ebfarm.com
For more information on Explorer's Bounty, visit: www.explorersbounty.com
For more information on Chia Goodness, visit: www.ruthshempfoods.com
For more information on Late July Organic Snacks, visit: www.latejuly.com
For more information on Crofter's Organic, visit: www.croftersorganic.com
For more information on Santa Cruz Organic, visit: www.scojuice.com
For more information on Salba Smart products, visit: www.salbasmart.com


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The Internets
We are ready to crown this week's grand champion. Let's bring back from Jingle All the Way, Danielle Sherman, from Shaq to the Future, Rebecca Rindler, from We Are the Champions, Emily Skrezec and from Fruity Films, Ester Bloom.
EISENBERG: Our puzzle guru, Mary Tobler will crown our winner.
MARY TOBLER, PUZZLE GURU: All right. His final-round is titled, The Internets. In this game, every answer will be a word or phrase was the letters N-E-T in it in consecutive order somewhere. For example, if I said, it's the steel blade sometimes attached to the end of a rifle, you'd answer bayonet. We're playing this spelling bee style, so one wrong answer and you're out. You'll only have a few seconds to give us an answer. Last person standing is our ASK ME ANOTHER grand prize winner.
Remember, the letters N-E-T will appear in consecutive order. And here's a hint, the letters may span across towards. Are we ready? First up, Danielle. A stinging insect with nests that you should avoid stirring up.
DANIELLE SHERMAN: Hornet.
GURU: Correct.
GURU: Rebecca, NBC, Fox and HBO are all examples of television what?
REBECCA RINDLER: Networks?
GURU: That's right.
GURU: Emily, a scientific field that deals with topics like heredity and cloning.
EMILY SKREZEC: Genetics?
GURU: Nice work.
GURU: Ester, featuring the heads of various executive branch departments, it's the president's top group of advisers.
ESTER BLOOM: Cabinet.
GURU: That's right.
GURU: Danielle, one of the founders of Impressionism, this French painter is perhaps best known for his water lilies.
SHERMAN: Monet.
GURU: Correct.
GURU: Rebecca, popular arboreal shape and sent for car fresheners.
RINDLER: Nettles.
GURU: I'm sorry. That's not were looking for. Emily, can you answer it? Popular arboreal shape and sent for car fresheners.
SKREZEC: I want to say peppermint, but I know it's not right.
GURU: No. Were looking for something with N-E-T. Ester?
BLOOM: Pine tree.
GURU: Pine tree is correct.
GURU: That means Rebecca and Emily, I'm sorry but you're out. Thank you so much, both of you.
GURU: So we're down to the final two, Danielle and Ester. Next up, Danielle, she was the first female attorney general in U.S.
SHERMAN: My mind is completely blank right now.
GURU: Ester, can you answer this for the win? She was the first female attorney general in U.S. history
BLOOM: Janet Reno.
GURU: That's correct.
GURU: Thank you, Danielle. Congratulations, Ester.
EISENBERG: Ester, you are our big ASK ME ANOTHER. And for your grand prize, our VIP Hannibal, has agreed to take you with him to an NBA game.
EISENBERG: Oh, yeah. Plus, you get an autographed copy of his comedy special "Animal Furnace" and tickets to his comedy show in Brooklyn. Enjoy.
EISENBERG: And thank you so much to Hannibal Buress.
EISENBERG: That is our show. Thanks for listening. If you would like to come to a live taping of ASK ME ANOTHER at the Bell House in Brooklyn, just go to amatickets.org. And you can be a puzzle player anytime, anyplace, by downloading our podcast from iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn.
ASK ME ANOTHER's puzzle guru is Mary Tobler.
GURU: Hey, my name anagrams to Later My Bro.
EISENBERG: Our house musician is Jonathan Coulton.
GURU: Thou Jolt A Cannon.
EISENBERG: Our puzzle editor is Art Chung, with additional puzzle writing by Kyle Beckley, Scott Baswell, Jizya Madigan, Brock Mahan and Jim Newman. ASK ME ANOTHER is produced by Jessie Baker, Josh Roguson, John Asante, Eleanor Kagan and our intern, Annabel Bacon, along with Portia Robertson Migas and Eric Newsome.
We are recorded by Valve Tone Recordings and David Herkin. We'd like to thank our home in Brooklyn, New York, the Bell House.
GURU: Hot Hill Blues.
EISENBERG: And our production partner, WNYC. I'm Her Ripe Begonias.
GURU: Ophira Eisenberg.
EISENBERG: And this was ASK ME ANOTHER from NPR.
Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
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National Puppy Day was last month, but who really needs a special day to bring a puppy home? Anytime you bring a puppy home is a special day so we have 5 Steps To Puppy Adoption that have been provided by Found Animals Executive Director Aimee Gilbreath to help make your home puppy perfect.
Found Animals is a non-profit organization which aims to reduce the euthanasia rate of pets in animal shelters by taking them from shelters and adopting them out to loving pet parents. The organization has been finding homes for pets since 2008.
1. Understanding the benefits of adopting a puppy - While it is easy to melt at the sight of an adorable puppy, the first thing to understand is that your new furry friend will require a lot of time, energy and patience. With that in mind, puppies (and pets in general) can be amazing companions that give unconditional love to their owners. They often times become part of the family and their unique personalities are something to marvel at. Be prepared to fall in love.
2. Finding your puppy - With so many ways and places to look for a puppy the options can be overwhelming. Petfinder is a great place to start! Petfinder is an online database that features over 300,000 adoptable pets from 13,477 adoption groups across the country. All of these groups offer pets that are current on their vaccinations, spayed/neutered, microchipped and ready to go.
3. Choosing the right puppy for you - The real key to finding the right match is making sure that you bond with the puppy and its unique personality. Energy level is another important factor to consider. Remember that this is a long-term commitment so don't rush it. Be sure to introduce everyone in your household to your potential new friend before making your final decision.
4. Understanding your new companion - Every animal has just as much unique diversity as a human and often times troublesome behaviors are just their way of communicating their needs. Once those needs are understood and met, you will quickly re-establish harmony with your puppy and get back to enjoying their cute and lovable ways. Puppies especially have lots of energy and a need to play! Providing them with toys and other pets to play with is a simple way to meet their natural need to socialize, run and have fun.
5. Keeping your puppy healthy and safe -Now that you have selected your new puppy, it is important to keep them healthy and safe. Make sure to provide your puppy with regular veterinary checkups to ensure that they are always up to date on their vaccinations. Try and keep your dog in a closed off area, provide them with an I.D. tag and if possible, microchip them to ensure they are never lost for good. A microchip is a device that is about the size of a grain of rice and contains a unique serial number that can be linked to your name and contact information through a microchip registry database. It is permanent and one of the best ways to prevent your pet from getting lost and ending up in an animal shelter. Now that you have them, you want to make sure to keep them!
Aimee also had some tips to help keep your new puppy or the dog you have had for years safe during the summer. Make sure if you have an indoor pet that you take them out to use the bathroom right before bed to refrain from having to let them out in the night. This could save them from unwanted run-ins
with wildlife looking for water. If you feed your pets outside, keep pet food picked up between feedings as to not attract animals. Finally, try eliminating brush and other places where wildlife can take shelter in your yard. Wild animals like to venture down the mountains especially in California so always be aware of where your pet is and if there are wild animal sightings in the area.
For more information visit Found Animals


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Pakistan: Bhutto's son launches political career
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The 24-year-old son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto launched his political career Thursday with a fiery speech before thousands of cheering supporters observing the fifth anniversary of his mother's assassination.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's speech comes several months before national elections are expected to be held. He is too young to participate in the elections himself — the minimum age is 25 — but is likely to be a key asset for the ruling Pakistan People's Party. The party's popularity has plummeted since it took power nearly five years ago as the country has struggled with a weak economy and bloody Taliban insurgency.
Before dawn on the same day, dozens of militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two tribal police posts in Pakistan's northwest, killing two policemen, officials said. Twenty-one other policemen are missing and presumed kidnapped.
Zardari was made chairman of the Pakistan People's Party after his mother's death but has mainly played a background role until now while he completed his studies at Oxford University in Britain.
"I want to tell you that thanks to God he has completed his studies, but now is the time of his training," his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, told the crowd of supporters Thursday in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh village in southern Sindh province, site of the Bhutto family mausoleum. "He has to study Pakistan, he has to learn from you and he has to work according to your thinking,"
The Bhutto family has played a prominent role in Pakistani politics for much of the country's 65-year history. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the Pakistan People's Party and served as both the country's president and prime minister in the 1970s. He was eventually hanged in 1979 after Gen. Zia ul-Haq seized power in a military coup.
Benazir Bhutto twice served as prime minister in the 1980s and 1990s but never completed a full term. Her governments were dismissed both times under the cloud of corruption allegations by presidents who were close to the country's powerful army. She was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack on Dec. 27, 2007, shortly after returning from self-imposed exile to participate in national elections.
After her death, the Pakistan People's Party rode a wave of public sympathy to garner the most seats in the 2008 elections, and Asif Ali Zardari was elected president. But the popularity of both the party and the president has fallen significantly since then as the government has failed to address pressing problems, such as Pakistan's shortage of electricity and stuttering economy. The government has also struggled in its fight against the Pakistani Taliban, who have killed thousands of people in attacks throughout the country.
Rasul Bakhsh Rais, a political science professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences, said it was not a surprise that the Pakistan People's Party unveiled Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in an attempt to boost its fortunes in the upcoming elections, which are expected by June at the latest.
"This is Pakistan and dynastic politics is the norm," said Rais. "Bilawal is perhaps the only card left in the chest of the Pakistan People's Party."
Both Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father sought to whip up the emotions of the crowd Thursday by shouting "Long live Bhutto" and "Bhutto is alive." Many of the supporters waved the red, black and green flag of the Pakistan People's Party and held pictures of Benazir Bhutto and her father.
"If you kill one Bhutto, one thousand more Bhuttos will emerge," said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
He took a swipe at the judiciary, which has clashed with the current government, by asking why people arrested for suspected involvement in his mother's murder have yet to be convicted.
But some critics have questioned why Zardari has not done more to push forward the investigation during more than four years as president.
The president at the time of her death, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, blamed the Pakistani Taliban for the attack, and five suspected militants are facing trial for alleged involvement in the killing. The Pakistani Taliban have denied targeting Bhutto.
A Pakistani court issued an arrest warrant for Musharraf last year over allegations he played a role in the attack, which he has denied. Arrest warrants were also issued for two senior police officials accused of negligence in the assassination. Prosecutors accused one of the officials of failing to provide proper security for Bhutto and the other of cleaning the crime scene before evidence could be collected.
A U.N. investigation into the assassination said it could have been prevented and blamed all levels of government for failing to provide adequate security. It also accused intelligence agencies and other officials of severely hampering the investigation into those behind her murder.
The attack on the tribal police posts before dawn Thursday took place in the town of Darra Adam Khel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, government officials said. The town is located near Pakistan's tribal region, the main sanctuary for Taliban militants in the country.
Security forces have launched an operation to try to recover the 21 missing policemen, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will likely fall on the Pakistani Taliban.


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Go back the missing mental concentration; transform your productivity and outcomes you have desired for therefore long that you experienced!!!
Let's say there was finally a means to accomplish all of the goals and dreams, you have been considering for years, as well as wrote it down in your secret diary? Imagine if there was an operation set up to get over the mental gravity and distractions that hold you back from accomplishing your goals and dreams. What if there was clearly ways to achieve everything and still have a structured personal life?
Architect and Entrepreneur, Renil M. George presents remarkable findings and process that has helped him achieve remarkable success as an entrepreneur, by honing in on mental concentration and ultizing the different processes described which he learnt from various mentors.
Here are the top five reasons, why you ought to look at this book. In this book you'll learn:
� How to eradicate distractions and procrastination from a life
� How to work with the missing part of goal setting techniques
� How to spotlight your priorities
� How to help make the right environment for productivity
� How to manage yourself for better mental clarity and concentration
� Bonus: Using nutrition and vitamins in order to make yourself the most productive and focused you can be!
Buy this book How to enhance your mental concentration and focus, while increasing your productivity by reducing the majority of your distractions.
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Our friend singer Iggy Azalea's Shrinkabull puppy JELLI (aka
"Shrinkabull's Jam Don't Shake Like That Jelli") had an appearance on
MTV's "House of Style". Please watch & support Iggy Azalea's
Shrinkbully puppy JELLI. Here are JELLI's fan page on
Twitter! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVE & SUPPORT :)
Welcome to Shrink-A-Bull English Bulldogs & French Bulldogs, coined as the cutest Bulldog breed in the world! Our web site was created to help educate animal lovers around the world about the wonderful English Bulldog breed, rare colored black tri, blue English Bulldogs & French bulldogs. Our family consists of multiple generations of true bulldog lovers. Bulldogs just make us happy :) I feel a bulldog could make just about anyone happy. Our goal is to let our bullie kids do their job and make you smile when you visit them on our site! We breed pure bred English Bulldogs & pure bred French Bulldogs on the small side. We do not mix breeds! Please see: About Minis.
We are the proud home of: "INT CH SHRINKABULL ACE IN THE HOLE B.Y.BLUES AKC C.G.C." (CLICK HERE) Ace is the only rare tri color english bulldog in the world to achieve a real AKC / FCI type Championship, "REESE" aka "LIMITED EDITION DARK CHOCOLATE REESE" (CLICK HERE),
the first known dark chocolate tri color male English Bulldog in the world, Blue Moon aka "ONCE IN A BLUE MOON" (CLICK HERE)
is the ONLY blue tri color male French Bulldog in the world as of 2011, "Titan" aka"SHRINKABULL TITAN OF TROIX" (CLICK HERE)
one of the most famous Hollywood celebrity bulldogs who ever lived and "Winston Jonas" aka "SHRINKABULL SIR WINSTON JOHAN JONAS"
(CLICK HERE) now owned by Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers :)
Please navigate our site to meet our one-of-a-kind bullie kids! We are a family breeder. Our dogs live as loved family pets. Every litter we have is hand raised from birth and never left alone. Many of our English bulldog puppies have went on to celebrity and showbiz families, such as famous singers, producers, models, American Idol actors, actresses and celebrity athletes. Several of our bulldogs are now Hollywood celebrity magazine mascots. Many of our english & french bulldogs do acting, modeling & therapy work themselves :) They make great therapy dogs as they LOVE meeting people and they make everyone smile :) However this is just a beloved hobby that we have a passion for. Most of our french & english bulldog puppies go to loving pet homes to sleep on someone's couch & be cherished by their families. Our Bulldog puppies make the best child you could ever bring into your family, always ready to give you love & they never let you down :)
(About Us).
Please bookmark our site as you will find information on almost every bulldog topic you will need to know about English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs & rare color bulldogs. We are always adding more information :) We have tons of pictures of our bulldogs to share with you.
Below see videos & pictures of our some of our bulldogs (keep scrolling many photos)!
Video below of our " Shrinkabull Titan Of Troix" on his photo shoot with actress ANALEIGH TIPTON after the GREEN HORNET movie premiere!
CLICK for more about Titan.
Video below of our bullie baby "Titan" on his photo shoot with hollywood actress SHAY MITCHELL from NBC hit TV show Pretty Little Liars!
CLICK for more about Titan
Blue english bulldog pictures. Blue bulldog puppies for sale pictures. blue tri AKC bulldog photos. Blue english bulldogs with blue eyes. Blue bulldog puppies pictures. Joe Jonas puppy Winston Blue english bulldog puppies photos. Ace In The Hole is a beautiful blue bulldog puppy. Blue english bulldog with blue eyes.
Blue english bulldog pictures. Blue bulldog puppies pictures. More blue tri bulldog photos. Blue bulldog with blue eyes. Blue bulldog pictures. Joe Jonas puppy Winston is Blue english bulldog puppies pictures. Also Joe Jonas blue tri bulldog pictures of Winston. Blue bulldog with blue eyes.Blue english bulldog pictures. Blue bulldog puppies pictures. More blue tri bulldog photos. Blue bulldog with blue eyes. Blue bulldog pictures. Joe Jonas puppy Winston is Blue english bulldog puppies pictures. Also Joe Jonas blue tri bulldog pictures of Winston. Blue bulldog with blue eyes.
Rare blue English Bulldog with Blue eyes
English Bulldog pictures & miniature English bulldog pictures.
Please see
English Bulldog pictures, miniature English bulldog pictures, mini English Bulldog pictures.
www.miniature-englishbulldogs.comE-MAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Aero Mid Grey Space Saving Horizontal Designer Radiator - 600mm high x 850mm wide
Key Features
High output
Cost effective - every model under £399
Modern subtle convex flat panels with virtually no gaps between them
Dark grey air flow caps
Slimline - low projection from wall
100% aluminium, no stainless or steel pins used, fusion welded rather compression constructed
Lightweight, even by aluminium standards, good for fitting and couriers
All vertical models and the 600mm high x 660mm wide horizontal model can be made into towel rails with chrome plated towel bar attachment
When sold as central heating, it can only be fitted with side entry radiator valves
Available in matt black, matt anthracite, matt mid grey and matt white. There are 8 stocked sizes in the range made up of 4 vertical models and 4 horizontal models. These sizes have been carefully selected to suit UK homes and provide a heating solution for every room in new or old houses. In particular, the 600mm high horizontal models make Aero a great refurbishment choice when upgrading from old white horizontal panel radiators.
All vertical models of Aero and the 600mm high x 660mm wide horizontal model can be used as heated towel rails. Just purchase the additonal Aero chrome plated towel bar. The bar stylishly loops across the front of Aero and discreetly connects on the reverse. These towel bars are a low cost optional extra and are available in the accessories section. All towel bars are polished chrome plated to contrast with the matt radiator colours.
The Aero is a 2018 re-design of the well-established designer flat panel steel radiators. Now made from aluminium, the Aero is lighter and more efficient and is finished in contemporary matt colours that coordinate with modern UK interior furnishings and design. The harsh rectangular steel flat panels are now replaced with a subtle convex panel with softened edges. The spaces between panels is reduced to almost zero so that the whole radiator flows visually from end to end. The side profile of the radiator is more visually appealing than mild steel equivalents and the dark grey air flow caps, both top and bottom, are a desirable design feature. In short Aero is a new breed of designer radiator that meets new levels of expectation demanded for the contemporary home.
Aero are slimline high output designer radiators. This means that the total projection into the room (from the wall to the front edge of the radiator) is very low by designer radiator standards. This makes Aero a sleek design that is unobtrusive and ideal for limited spaces (behind doors or in hallways for example) where it is desirable to have your radiator as close to the wall as possible whilst still providing a good heat output. The fittings brackets are also finished in the same colour as the radiators.
Cost Effective
The Aero range brings high class, high quality designer radiators within the budget of most households in the UK. With every radiator in the range being less than £400 inc vat and delivery, it is now possible to complete a whole house with designer radiators, not just a statement in one room, without breaking the bank. Even the chrome towel bar to convert to a bathroom radiator can be as little as £22 at retail inc vat. These stylish radiators increase property attractiveness and values.
Aero is very energy efficient because it is manufactured from aluminium. With the hidden hot water tubes distributing heat internally around the radiator, the individual front panels act as heat transmitters, drawing heat from the water tubes at the rear and then convecting and radiating heat out of the radiator and around the room. These panels transmit the heat from the radiator into the air very quickly and because the surface area of these fins is so large, Aero only needs 40-60% of the water content of a similar designer steel radiator to achieve the same heat output. Your energy bills should reduce by installing this aluminium designer radiator range.
Construction & Materials
Manufactured using advanced aerospace fusion technology. Unlike most aluminium ranges on the market which are made using compression connections of mild or stainless steel, the aerospace technology allows the Aero range to be made from 100% aluminium. This gives the Aero long term anti-corrosive properties. It also creates stronger and more stable water tight internal connections.
Being 100% aluminium and constructed using advanced technologies means the Aero is one of the most lightweight ranges on the market. And even though the aero range is extremely lightweight, there is no compromise on high heat output, which is more than 7000 Btu for the 1800mm x 660mm wide model. The lightweight nature and efficiently low water content of Aero, make it perfect for plasterboard walls and other less strong walls. These are useful advantages over standard, heavy mild steel radiators with large water content. Of course, it also makes the radiator easier for couriers to deliver and also easy to fit for the installer.
|Fuel Type
|Central Heating
|Product Type
|BTU (t60)
|Height (mm)
|Width (mm)
|Inlet Connection
|Inlet Location: Side Or Underside
|Pipes Through Wall
|Recommended to use Flat Fronted Valves
|Pipes Through Floor
|Recommended to use Angled Valves
|Depth wall to front (mm)
|82 to 102 (two possible bracket settings)
|Wall to centre of inlet (mm)
|33 (Based on minimum bracket setting)
|Pipe Centres (mm)
|850 plus valve width
|Light Grey
|Outer Finish
|matt textured, light grey
|Core Material
|5 Years


text: ERPO25-030VC is a new three-wheel sit down electric series designed with a narrow width and tight turning radius, allowing operators to maneuver more efficiently in constricted areas or congested loading docks. The series offers 2,500 or 3,000 pounds of lifting capacity, making the product ideal for light manufacturing and food processing. The riders are 39.2 inches wide and have an outside turning radius of 55 inches for the ERPO25VC model and 57.2 inches for the ERp030vc model. Both models are equipped with AC motors, providing smooth acceleration and travel, torque and lifting performance. In addition, the trucks feature a rear wheel drive motor, single steer tire, drum brakes and a manual parking brake. The masts on the ERP-VC models feature a variable lap design to improve mast rigidity and forward visibility through decreased channel stack width. The series provides flexibility to customize the hydraulic and traction performance, which increases operational efficiency. The truck can be programmed to maximize performance for a particular application.


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A$AP ROCKY - Long Live A$AP (Explicit)
Buy Now!
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/LONGLIVEASAP
Music video by A$AP Rocky performing Long Live A$AP. (C) 2012 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
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The 2010 Video Music Awards are about to be shaken and stirred.
Boozy and bawdy comedian Chelsea Handler revealed that she will host MTV's annual awards show, reports Entertainment Weekly.
"Everyone knows that when you think of rap music and hip-hop, you think of 'Chelsea Lately'," she said by way of making the announcement on her show.
U.S. & World
"This has been a huge year for hip-hop and rap, and it is well-known that I have the closest ties with these communities — musically and sexually," Handler said. "I am to rap and hippity-hop, what Warren Buffet is to finance, minus the sex."
The "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea," author takes over for outlandish British comic star Russell Brand, who hosted the last two years.
Known for her acidic wit, Handler will have quite an array of stars to savage, as Justin Bieber, Drake and Kanye West are all scheduled to peform. Ke$ha, Emma Stone, Penn Badgley and Alshley Greene are among the slated presenters.
West's appearance will almost certainly be a point of attack for Handler due to his infamous bum rush of country star Taylor Swift at last year's awards.
The show is set to broadcast live from Los Angeles September 12 at 9 p.m.
Alert the FCC.
Selected Reading: EW, Us Magazine, MTV.com


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Ministers may face conflict of interest, says Tunku Abdul Aziz:
"If you have no power, you cannot abuse it. Civil servants have a lot more power than their political masters and ministers"
'With a population of 31 million, Malaysia has a ratio of one civil servant to almost 20 people.
'To compare, the news report cited corresponding figures for several other countries: Singapore (1 to 71 people), Indonesia (1:110), South Korea (1:50), China (1:108), Japan (1:28), Russia (1:84) and Britain (1:118).'
To keep graft in check, politicians should not be appointed to run government-linked companies, said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission advisory board chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim (pic).
He said politicians holding GLC positions may face conflict of interest leading to abuse of power and responsibility.
In an interview with Bernama, he said: "Many appointments are made for political reasons. If you are appointed to a position with unanimous power, there are decisions you have to make on a daily basis, weekly, monthly and whatever.
"And in making these decisions, there will be some demands made on you because of your connections, your relatives, your friends and also your cronies."
Tunku Abdul Aziz said this trend of abusing power because of conflict of interest has been happening since long ago, and may be stopped if the appointment for a top post in a GLC was conducted with "proper selection and screening".
Tunku Abdul Aziz said the selection process must include going through the candidate's background and track record.
He said there were always people out there who wanted special treatment, to have the advantage over their competitors.
"They don't care how it is done (as long as they get the job)… This is where corruption starts."
Tunku Abdul Aziz said that proper recruitment procedures and techniques could help achieve transparency and accountability, which are essential for top management.
"We can make corruption unprofitable business by making it more difficult to put your hand in the till."
He believes that corruption is now taking place at the operating level.
"Ministers cannot sign or award contracts. But directors in some departments can do it. This is where abuse of power takes place," he said.
"If you have no power, you cannot abuse it. Civil servants have a lot more power than their political masters and ministers (in awarding contracts)," he said.
He noted that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was now catching a lot more "big fish" than before the appointment of Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad as the new head in July last year.
Tunku Abdul Aziz said MACC was a dedicated highly professional team focusing on the root causes of corruption while catching the crooks.
Time to trim the civil service
FINALLY, the Government has itself described the civil service as bloated.
To his credit, Second Finance Minister Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani openly and honestly stated that the civil service, although bloated, will not be reduced but will instead be made to multi-task to improve productivity. This statement is serious but also worrisome.
We now have one civil servant serving 19.37 people. The ratio is 1:110 for Indonesia, 1:108 for China, and 1:50 for South Korea. We won't compare ourselves to the low ratio of 1:71.4 in Singapore because it's a small island with hardly any rural population.
But why is our civil service so bloated? Firstly, we recruited rapidly to give jobs to the boys when the output from the education system expanded. We even had an "Isi Penuh" programme at one time. That is we rushed to create jobs and filled them fast!
Secondly, unlike the private sector, we rarely retrench staff even in bad times. We hardly sack anyone for inefficiency and even wastage of public funds.
Thirdly, the civil service has become a sacred cow that has to be handled gingerly for fear of reaction against the federal and state governments at the ballot box!
Life is relatively comfortable especially at the lower levels of the civil service. Salaries are better than before, pensions are secure, health provisions are generous, and the drive to be more productive is soft. In fact, there is now a strong manja-manja attitude towards civil servants.
The demand to join the civil service is high but the supply of jobs is slowing down considerably.
The Government should decide to reduce the size of the civil service to prevent the strain on the budget deficits, especially in the future.
Salary and pension bills are going up whereas productivity is not publicly perceived to be improving. Those who deal with civil servants often tell us more about the undue delays, corruption and "tidak apa" or lackadaisical attitude shown on the ground towards the public.
The Government should appoint a high-level task force, if not a royal commission, to examine ways and means of trimming the civil service to an efficient and reasonable size.
To start with, the Government should revise its stand on not reducing "the 1.6 million strong bloated civil service." If it finds it difficult to reduce the civil service, then please freeze recruitment or make it more sparing and definitely more selective. Please go for more quality rather than quantity!
The civil service is huge because the public sector has been designed to be inordinately large. This has evolved because the private sector has been denied and deprived of greater opportunities to serve the public.
There are many government services, facilities and works and supplies that can be provided more efficiently by the business sector. In fact, this could be the way forward for more bumiputra contractors and other races to participate more actively and competitively to serve our society better.
The cost of maintaining the civil service, at RM74bil in 2016 for salaries and allowances, is not sustainable.
The pension bill of RM19bil per annum, without any contribution to the GDP by retirees, is also unbearable in the longer term. At the same time, according to Johari, revenue from palm oil and other commodities have been falling drastically. So where do we go from here?
It is basic economic and financial logic that we cannot afford to cope with rising salary expenditure and lower revenue. It is much more difficult to raise revenue than to cut expenditure.
The Government has said that our fundamentals are strong. Indeed, they are reasonably healthy at this time. But at this rate of a growing civil service that is now acknowledged as bloated, we cannot afford to assume that the economic and financial fundamentals can continue to be strong for much longer.
My appeal then is for Government to more actively seek to reduce the size of the civil service and to act without undue delay. Our good economic fundamentals are being seriously threatened and we must preserve and protect them from further risks.
TAN SRI RAMON NAVARATNAM , Chairman Asli Center of Public Policy Studies
An effective civil service does not burden Govt
IN a recent interview with a vernacular newspaper, Second Finance Minister Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani brought up a matter that is seldom highlighted publicly – the size of the Malaysian public sector.
He said the country's 1.6 million government employees formed "the world's largest proportion of civil service".
With a population of 31 million, Malaysia has a ratio of one civil servant to almost 20 people.
To compare, the news report cited corresponding figures for several other countries: Singapore (1 to 71 people), Indonesia (1:110), South Korea (1:50), China (1:108), Japan (1:28), Russia (1:84) and Britain (1:118).
Johari was making the point that a major challenge for the Government was the rising costs of running the public service system.
This is particularly tough when there is a decline in the taxes and other receipts collected from the oil and gas and palm oil industries.
However, he added that there were no plans to reduce the civil service head count.
The minister has won praise for bringing attention to an issue that many have long felt deserves public awareness and discussion.
Emoluments are by far the biggest component of the Government's operating expenditure, and that cost has kept expanding.
Back in 2006, emoluments totalling RM28.5bil made up 26.5% of the operating expenditure. A decade later, the percentage is estimated to be 35.7%. To pay its employees this year, the Government has allocated RM77.4bil, which is 36% of the budgeted operating expenditure.
And let us not forget the retired civil servants. According to the Public Services Department, there were 739,000 public service pensioners in 2015, and every year, 23,000 people join this group.
In 2010, the Government spent RM11.5bil on pensions and gratuities, accounting for 7.6% of the operating expenditure. In the Budget 2017, retirement charges will come to RM21.8bil, about 10% of operating expenditure.
Although Johari did not appear to use the phrase in the interview, others were quick to talk about the "bloated civil service".
It should be pointed out that measuring and comparing the sizes of the public sector can be tricky and misleading. There are different ways of defining a civil servant. And the width and depth of a public service system is very much determined by the country's prosperity and policies.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development looks at public sector employment as a percentage of total employment. In 2013, the average among its members was slightly above 19%.
In Malaysia, civil servants represent 10.8% of our labour force. Perhaps, the public sector is not bloated after all.
On the other hand, we must bear in mind that the number of government employees is growing faster than the country's labour force.
But we cannot discuss quantity and ignore quality. The issue here is not about how large our public service system is; it is whether the system is larger than necessary.
No matter how big, the numbers make sense if they yield excellent results and lead to robust revenue growth.
At a time when the Government is pushing hard in areas such as innovation, productivity and good governance, the civil service ought to lead by example.
There are already ongoing efforts to transform public service in Malaysia and surely the hope is that these initiatives will result in greater transparency and accountability, enhanced competitiveness, and a high-performance culture,
What is also absolutely clear to us is that the Government's financial obligations are increasingly heavy, and much of this has to do with the emoluments and pensions it pays.
It is realistic to expect the Government to be more prudent in its hiring of new employees. It cannot afford to be the country's default employer and young people are wrong to blame the Government if there are no civil service vacancies for them to fill.
The public sector's primary role is to serve the country's needs effectively and efficiently. It cannot do that if it is a burden to the Government and ultimately the people. -The Star Says
Man charged with taking RM80k bribe – Nation | The Star Online
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Our North Shore trip with the extended McCracken crew was a great adventure for the whole family. Between the 12 or so of us, we shared three cabins right on the water. I mean RIGHT on the water. Steps from our front (or back) door was Lake Superior.
While the shore was more one large rock, than the millions of small Lake Superior rocks we are accustomed to, it did make for some fun adventures.
For the most part the weather was great... it was a bit warm to start the trip, but we survived due to multiple fans in the cabin. As a matter of fact, it was enjoyed so much, we are already booked for 2016! See you in 11 months North Shore!


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First look 2.4 UI & Macro PTR notes.
I just wrote an extended look at the whole PTR patch notes post, but I love me some UI and Macro stuff. And there are some really, really wild things coming out for us geek type people.
For example, the combat log will now be able to identify friend, foe, possessed either, neutral… Oh, just go here and start reading. No, wait. Several pages later is one line that I want to add – because I don't think you'll read that far. "The Raid UI now can display the range of players relative to you. The option to enable this is in the Party & Raid section of the UI Options."
Scream. Squeel. Healers, REJOICE. Sure, I can't get a solid on range to the bad guy, but I can KNOW who is and who is not in range. YES.
There is now the ability to send certain textures (graphic images) in text messages (chats). No, no imports. Players are restricted to the raid icons. Yes, you can say "Mikey, you have [star]." Oh, and a bonus that will annoy a lot of folk who like to be annoying? If you get a message from someone claiming to a GM, look to see if there's a graphic icon as part of the username. Yes, really. Think of it as an "official ID card."
For those writing and using addons, a REALLY nifty feature. The control panel can be made an extension of the UI control panel. You know, where you use escape and choose it.
One released with real hesitation: UnitInRange(unit) . Uses Flash/Cure range as test, range cannot be adjusted. yes no, is the unit within 40 yards? Why no other ranges? Bots. 40 isn't the range most of us would have chosen.
And allegedly there's more coming.
2 Responses to "First look 2.4 UI & Macro PTR notes."
Hello there,
Hoping to get a bit of help with this macro….
I was using it for the first time on Kara last night. first pull it worked fine, after that it would return an error message on later pulls saying I could not shackel that mob, even when targeted. I tried to manually /clearfocus between pulls with no joy. ended up changing to a generic:
/cast [target=focus] Shackle Undead
and manualy setting focus prior to each pull. it got me through last night, but was hoping you could help make it work correctly.
this is the macro I started out with.
#showtooltip Shackle Undead
/clearfocus [modifier:shift]
/clearfocus [exists,dead]
/focus [target=focus,noexists]
/cast [target=focus] Shackle Undead
thanks in advance for any suggestions, I am stumped.
Try using this instead:
#showtooltip Shackle Undead
/clearfocus [modifier:alt] [target=focus,dead] [target=focus,help] [target=focus,noexists]
/focus [target=focus,noexists]
/cast [target=focus] Shackle Undead
Set the target you want to be the focus as your target and run this macro. The first time you run it for that target it will set the focus and then cast the spell. The next time you run the macro on that same focus it will just cast the spell on the focus without clearing anything.
I also added a raid announcement:
/ra Casting Shackle on %f
Also, I just downloaded an addon called Aftercast that allows you to set emotes and announcements to run after the spell is cast so you will not announce the shackle if you do not have a valid target.
I used an announcement that will post in raid chat only after the cast is successfully started:
/aftercast +start /ra Casting Shackle on %f
(This line would be inserted prior to the /cast line in the macro.)


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Team Player: David Bonifacic '86 Leads Manhattan Engineering Firm, Gives to Athletics
David Bonifacic '86 co-founded WB Engineers|Consultants, headquartered in lower Manhattan, in 1999. As CEO, Bonifacic manages WB's engineering, marketing, and financial teams as well as the strategic initiatives of a growing 90-employee firm. WB was founded during the dot-com boom and built its early business on data center design work. In the wake of 9/11, when lower Manhattan firms needed quick renovations, reconstruction, and relocation, WB was there to help them rebuild.
Now Bonifacic is giving to his alma mater, contributing to help build and sustain Stevens Athletics and its facilities, teams, and programs as a faithful member of the Varsity S Club.
"Athletics toughens you, prepares you for the world and balances you as a person," he points out. "Just as Stevens academics prepared me for the technical challenges of my job, Stevens Athletics prepared me for teamwork in a business environment."
Bonifacic was raised in Queens, commuting to Hoboken by subway and PATH train before deciding to move on campus. He starred as a six-foot-six-inch center on the Ducks' basketball team and still ranks third all-time in career rebounds. After receiving a bachelor's in mechanical engineering in 1986, he began working as a project engineer and principal specializing in the management of corporate interiors, data centers, and infrastructure projects. Ten years after founding WB, he earned a master's in strategic communications from Columbia University.
Bonifacic gives to Stevens Athletics, he says, because athletics help students understand teamwork — a critical skill for business — and create a better university experience. He sees that tradition continuing today: his son D.J., a sophomore majoring in business and technology, follows in his footsteps as a member of the men's lacrosse team.
This year, Bonifacic directed his giving to both the Men's Lacrosse Fund and the general athletics fund and has joined the Stevens Athletics Advisory Board alongside his wife Elaine. In addition, he has participated in the Stevens Golf Outing, an annual fundraising event held on local links.
"I spread it around, but my gifts always go to some form of athletics," he says.
"During the first meeting I had with David, he shared stories of his basketball days at Stevens; I knew immediately how much he appreciated his time here," said Michelle Schleibaum, Associate Director of Development for Athletics. "It has been a pleasure to work with David and see him become more involved with the University, both as an alumnus and as a parent of one of our lacrosse players."
"We are grateful to those like David who recognize the impact athletics have on our students and the Stevens community."


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Ever wonder just what your doctor is furiously scribbling down in her notes as she examines you? Patients often still lack access to the notes their doctors take about their care.
Now what's called the OpenNotes program has tested the not-so-radical idea of giving thousands of patients optional access to their doctors' notes. At the outset, doctors were concerned that they would have to spend a lot more time answering questions from patients. They also feared that the notes would confuse or worry patients.
None of these scenarios came true, according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Most docs said that they didn't change a thing and OpenNotes actually improved their interaction with patients. Patients loved the access, too. More than 5,000 patients viewed at least one doctor's note and completed the study survey during the yearlong trial. And 99 percent wanted to continue to have access to the info. Most also reported that it helped them stick to doctor's orders by checking in on their checkups.


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A CORNER OF South Korea is in the grip of a frenzied hunt for valuable space souvenirs, following a rare meteor shower there last week.
Hundreds of people have been scouring hills and rice paddies for meteorites near the southeastern city of Jinju after the shower on 9 March, some of them armed with GPS devices and metal detectors, according to media reports.
"Media hype claiming that chondrites (a type of meteorite) could bring you a bonanza sparked the fever for space rocks," an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea (CHAK) told AFP.
Local greenhouse owners have put up signs warning off trespassers after the first large chunk of rock, weighing around nine kilograms (20 pounds), was found in a greenhouse near Jinju.
A second piece weighing four kilograms was found by another local resident.
Scientists confirmed that both rocks, found in the two days after the meteor shower, had come from space.
A US meteorite-hunter has been handing out business cards in the local area, asking people to sell him any shards they find, the Korea JoongAng Daily said.
Prime Minister Chung Hong-Won suggested the government should secure them for research or as a natural monument.
The CHAK official said the agency would designate any meteorites found as cultural assets to stop them from being taken out of South Korea.
Ownership of the meteorites remains a legally grey area because of the lack of relevant provisions in South Korean civil law, the official added.
A space rock was last found on its soil in 1943, when the Korean peninsula was under Japan's colonial rule.
Meteor showers occur when hundreds of meteors — fragments of dust and rock that burn up as they pass through the Earth's atmosphere — light up the sky in a spectacular display.
Meteorites are meteors that do not burn up completely, surviving the fall to Earth.


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Home › Classroom Resources › Lesson Plans
Lesson Plan
Preparing a Character for a New Job: Character Analysis through Job Placement
|9 – 12
|Lesson Plan Type
|Standard Lesson
|Estimated Time
|Four 50-minute sessions
|Lesson Author
Revere, Massachusetts
In this lesson, students find a job for a character in a text they have read, prepare a resume for their character, and help them prepare for a job interview. Students first identify characteristics of effective resumes. After exploring an online introduction to writing a resume for a character, students search job ads for jobs that would be appropriate for a specific character from a text they have read. They then analyze that character, looking for direct and implied information about the character and textual evidence of the character's strengths and weaknesses. They work in small groups to write a resume for their character, based on their analysis. Finally, they explore interviewing tips and techniques and write ten job interview questions and accompanying answers designed to highlight the character's strengths.
Though the examples in this lesson focus on The Glass Menagerie, many other pieces of literature can be used.
Drama Map: With this online tool, students analyzing a play can map out the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution for a variety purposes.
Writing Resumes for Fictional Characters: This online tool offers tips for writing resumes for fictional characters that could also be applied to resumes for students themselves.
Resume Workshop: Purdue's OWL offers this comprehensive guide to creating an effective resume.
In her English Journal article, "Walk with Light': Guiding Students through the Conventions of Literary Analysis," Judith Burdan explains that "For many students, literary analysis is primarily a means by which their teachers demarcate the gap between the students' naïve or inept readings of literature and their own, more sophisticated ones, and students are not reluctant to point out their sense of vulnerability" (23). This lesson plan challenges students to move beyond this understanding of literary analysis to engage in a sophisticated transaction with the texts they read. As students search for details in the text and match the character's personality to potential jobs, they engage in deep textual readings. Teachers not only test student knowledge of plot and character descriptions but also have students learn the important skill of resume preparation and polishing, which will benefit them in their job or college application process.
Further Reading
Burdan, Judith. "Walk with Light': Guiding Students through the Conventions of Literary Analysis." English Journal 93.4 (March 2004): 23-28.


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This publication presents monthly information on sales of new motor vehicles in each state/territory in original, seasonally adjusted and trend estimated terms. The original data are sourced from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. Sales data are available for passenger vehicles, other vehicles and total vehicles at the state/territory and national levels.
The percentage change of 4.0% was chosen because the average absolute percentage change over the last 9 years has been 4.0%.
This edition includes changes to the seasonally adjusted series and the trend estimate series as a result of the annual re-estimation of the seasonal factors.
Table 1: New Motor Vehicle Sales
Table 2: New Motor Vehicle Sales by State/Territory of Registration
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Better performance, lower latency, and streamlined statistics are just some of the new features you can expect to find in the vCenter Server in version 5.1. The VMware performance team has published a paper about vCenter Server 5.1 database performance in large environments. The paper shows that statistics collection creates the biggest performance impact on the vCenter Server database. In vSphere 5.1, several aspects of statistics collection have been changed to improve the overall performance of the database. There were three sources of I/O to the statistics tables in vCenter Server—inserting statistics, rolling up statistics between different intervals, and deleting statistics when they expire. These activities have been improved by changing the way the relevant data is persisted to the tables, by partitioning the tables instead of using staging tables. In addition, by removing the staging tables, statistics collection is more robust, resolving the issues described in KB 2011523 and KB 1003878. Scalability is also improved by allowing larger inventories to be supported because they don't take so long to read/write data from the old staging tables. The paper also includes best practices to take advantage of these changes in environments where vCenter Server has a large inventory. For more details, see vCenter Server 5.1 Database Performance in Large-Scale Environments.
Here are the URLs for the paper, "VMware vCenter Server 5.1 Database Performance Improvements and Best Practices for Large-Scale Environments":


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French actors Jean Dujardin (The Artist) and Cecile de France (Hereafter) will lead Eric Rochant's romantic thriller, Mobius. According to Variety, Mobius is set in Monte Carlo and the world of high finance. Dujardin will play "an experienced spy tracking a powerful oligarch suspected of laundering money through his bank," with de France co-starring "as a bright young trader". The movie is currently in pre-production and aiming for a winter 2012 release.
Dujardin is an actor you need to keep on your radar. He's almost a lock for a Best Actor Oscar nomination for The Artist (he already won the Best Actor award at Cannes), and you should check out his spy-spoof movie OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, which is currently on Netflix Instant. The Artist opens in limited release on November 23rd. Click here to read my review and hit the jump to check out the trailer.
Here's the official synopsis for The Artist:
Hollywood 1927. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), it seems the sky's the limit – major movie stardom awaits. THE ARTIST tells the story of their interlinked destinies.


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David Fleming's posthumous book tour!
by Shaun Chamberlin on September 8th, 2016
So, after years of work from me, and decades from David, the day is finally here – the official publication date for his astonishing lifework!!
In truth, demand has already been such that the distributors have been struggling to keep up, but they're ramping things up now, and the real promotional push starts here 🙂
Last week I circulated an email with full details of the books, the early reviews, tour events etc, but since two additional dates have already been added since, I thought I'd post an updatable listing of my tour here:
***Edit – Book tour details (including footage of past events and details of future ones) have now been moved here.***


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As war rages on several fronts and much of the Middle East and northern Africa is in turmoil, the most popular figure in the Obama administration is Hillary Clinton – an activist Secretary of State who seems to be all over the world, participating in if not directing every aspect of US foreign and military policy.
Secretary Clinton has been a chief spokesman for President Obama's position on Egypt and Libya as well as a behind-the-scenes force in getting the United States to lead a coalition of nations providing the bombs and missiles necessary to keep the Libyan rebels from being overwhelmed by the forces of Muammar Qaddafi.Apparently, most Americans approve.
Gallup reported this week that Clinton's favorable rating is now 66 percent, up from 61 percent last July and her highest rating to date while serving in the Obama administration. She's rated more positively than Obama (54 percent), Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (52 percent), and Vice President Joe Biden (46 percent).
"Clinton's popularity may be partly due to the nature of the secretary of state position, which is somewhat above the fray of partisan politics and focused on defending US interests globally," writes Lydia Saad of the Gallup polling organization. But Ms. Saad also notes that Clinton "is seen in a favorable light by 45 percent of those who separately say they disapprove of the job Obama is doing as president."
Free from the need to deal with domestic issues or the rough-and-tumble of economic and budgetary matters, Clinton is not tethered to Washington.
"Two years into her tenure as America's 67th secretary of state, she has out-traveled every one of her predecessors, with 465,000 air miles and 79 countries already behind her," reports Newsweek in a recent lengthy piece headlined "The Hillary Doctrine." "Her Boeing 757's cabin, stocked with a roll-out bed, newspapers, and a corner humidifier, now serves as another home as she flies between diplomatic hot spots, tackling the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, tensions with Iran and North Korea, the Arab-Israeli peace process, and, now, the serial Middle East upheavals."
If there is a "Hillary Doctrine," it's the betterment of conditions for girls and women around the world.
In part, that may explain the gender gap in her approval rating. Seventy-two percent of women view her favorably, compared with 59 percent of men. This is especially true of her own cohort; 77 percent of women 50 and older hold a positive view.
Clinton has been a polarizing figure – particularly early in the presidency of her husband, Bill Clinton.
Conspiracy theories swirled about her involvement in the death of deputy White House counsel Vince Foster (which had been ruled a suicide), her legal work on behalf of a failed savings and loan institution, and her appointment as head of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform early in her husband's first term.
Her favorability rating those days was down in the mid-40s.
When Bill Clinton first became involved in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, she laid the charges to "a vast right-wing conspiracy." But when then president Clinton admitted the affair and the House voted to impeach him, most people perceived her as the victim of adultery.
At a time when she was viewed sympathetically, her favorability rose to a high of 67 percent. But it dropped it again when she first ran for the US Senate from New York – some saw her as a carpet-bagger, as had been the view of Robert F. Kennedy when he won his Senate seat there in 1964 – and during the contentious 2008 presidential campaign.
Since then, her leadership within the administration and her relentless work on behalf of the United States around the world has brought her solid prominence and high regard – both among world leaders and on Capitol Hill. She follows two other women who served as secretary of state and enjoyed favor with the public: Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright.
Clinton has ruled out serving another term as secretary of state in an Obama administration, fueling speculation about presidential ambitions for 2016.
"While Clinton's broad appeal would seem an auspicious foundation for seeking the White House, the presidential track record of secretaries of state is not," observes Gallup's Saad. "The last time a former secretary of state won the presidency was James Buchanan in 1856."