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Tories not backing down from spat with chief justice
'Not in the Supreme Court Act': Justice Minister Peter MacKay
The Harper government did not back down Monday from its unprecedented public spat with the chief justice of the country's highest court.
Indeed, Justice Minister Peter MacKay escalated the feud, implying that the Supreme Court went beyond the strict wording of the law to nix the appointment of Marc Nadon to the top court's bench.
- Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin more than just a 'sitting judge'
- Storify: MP Irwin Colter answers question on the Harper-McLachlin spat
- Nadon spat between Harper, chief justice McLachlin called 'disturbing'
It was the Nadon decision that triggered a tit-for-tat war of words last week between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.
Last March, the court found Nadon ineligible to sit as one of three Quebec judges on the Supreme Court because he came from the Federal Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court Act specifies that Quebec judges must come from either the province's Court of Appeal or Superior Court, or have at least 10 years standing at the Quebec bar.
However, MacKay told the House of Commons on Monday that, "prior to the ruling" of the top court, there was nothing in the act that "prohibited the appointment of a Supreme Court judge who had come through the Federal Court."
"That is not in the Supreme Court Act," MacKay asserted.
MacKay trying to 'replead his case': NDP
He reiterated that two former Supreme Court justices and legal experts consulted by the government advised that Nadon was eligible for appointment to the top court.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair accused MacKay of trying to "replead his case" rather than accept the top court's ruling.
"The way Mr. MacKay's behaving today, you'd almost think that he was watching the playoffs and he thinks that Supreme Court judgments are a best-of-seven series," Mulcair said outside the Commons.
"They lost."
Last week, Harper accused McLachlin of inappropriately trying to make an "inadvisable and inappropriate" phone call to warn him that there might be an eligibility problem with Nadon's appointment.
"I think if people thought that the prime minister, other ministers of the government, were consulting judges before them or -- even worse -- consulting judges on cases that might come before them, before the judges themselves had the opportunity to hear the appropriate evidence, I think the entire opposition, entire media and entire legal community would be outraged," Harper said Friday.
"So I do not think that's the appropriate way to go."
Warning came before Nadon chosen
She said she was consulted by the parliamentary committee vetting potential nominees, as is customarily done.
While she warned MacKay of a potential eligibility issue, McLachlin said she expressed no opinion on the merits of the matter.
Nevertheless, MacKay stuck Monday to the government's version of events.
He said he advised Harper that he "did not need" to take a call from McLachlin on the eligibility issue, stressing that "neither the prime minister nor I would ever consider calling a judge where that matter is or could be before the court of competent jurisdiction."
Mulcair accused MacKay of complicity in Harper's attempt to "intimidate" the Supreme Court.
"It's a unique, unprecedented situation to have a prime minister and a justice minister taking potshots at the highest court in the land," Mulcair said.
"We know the vituperative and combative character of Mr. Harper but we've never seen this before."
'Unprecedented smear'
Liberals zeroed in on a National Post column which triggered the feud, which cited anonymous Conservative sources saying the government was furious that McLachlin had "lobbied" against Nadon's appointment.
Liberal justice critic Sean Casey called it "an unprecedented smear" of the chief justice and a breach of the confidentiality rules that surround the judicial selection process.
Montreal MP Stephane Dion noted that only five Conservatives knew that McLachlin had been consulted on the appointment: Harper, MacKay and the three Tory MPs on the parliamentary selection committee.
He demanded to know which of them leaked misinformation about her role.
MacKay declined to comment on "disgruntled, unnamed Conservative supposed sources."


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subset: commoncrawl


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About two years ago I went ahead and painted two of my bedroom walls orange. It's a light pumpkin orange. When I decided to do it I didn't think about the fact that the only holiday it goes well with is Halloween and possibly Thanksgiving.
I really want to decorate my room for Christmas but Orange isn't traditionally a Christmas color. What can I do to make my room a tad bit more Christmasy?


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2015 Tour De Fresh
Team Member: Mark Swanson
Event Name: Tour de Fresh Events
Tour de Fresh wrote -
Tour de Fresh, presented by The California Giant Foundation, is the first-of-its-kind, collaborative event that unites the most significant brands and influencers in the fresh produce industry for a four-day cycling event that raises funds to benefit the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. The inaugural event, in 2014, raised over $142,000 and placed over 40 salads bars in communities in 11 states (including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia).
The goal of the 2015 Tour de Fresh and its participants is to privately finance 100+ new salad bars in school districts across the country. At a cost of less than $3,000 per salad bar per school, sponsors and participants alike strongly believe that providing healthy eating opportunities for school children should be a requirement.
Both academic research and actual experience in schools across the country are increasingly demonstrating that school children significantly increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables when given a variety of choices in a school fruit and vegetable salad bar. When offered multiple fruit and vegetable choices, children respond by trying new items, incorporating greater variety into their diets, and increasing their daily consumption of fruits and vegetables.
The benefit of salad bars in schools extends beyond the healthy foods consumed during the breakfast or lunch hour. Increased daily access to a variety of fruits and vegetables provides a personal experience about choices that can shape behavior far beyond the school lunch line. Children learn to make decisions that carry over outside of school, providing a platform for a lifetime of healthy snack and meal choices.
The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity has endorsed schools using salad bars and upgrading cafeteria equipment to support providing healthier foods to kids. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine concluded that schools need to add as many as two servings of fruits and vegetables daily to meals in order to meet children's basic health requirements.
Many school districts are either unaware of the benefits salad bars can bring to their students, or have been unable to afford the basic equipment needed to adopt this strategy. The powerful health benefit that can come with a modern, food-safety compliant salad bar is too often blocked by the prohibitive capital cost in many school districts. Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools is creating the opportunity make change.
Organized by
This is a direct to organizer fundraiser.
The Team: $156,783 TOTAL RAISED SO FAR
Report this page — Let Us Know if you think this page is breaking the law or the GoFundMe Charity Terms


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| 4.7°C Belfast
Inmates are reported to have taken over part of a prison wing.
Officials at HMP Northumberland confirmed a "disturbance" was under way, but dismissed as "speculation" the suggestion of a stand-off between inmates and guards.
A spokesman for Sodexo, which operates the prison, said: "We can confirm there is a disturbance at HMP Northumberland.
"It is confined to part of one wing of the prison and we are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible."
The incident has been ongoing since around 7.30pm.
The Sodexo spokesman added: "It is not quite resolved yet."


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United Launch Alliance launch of a Atlas V 531 Rocket
United Launch Alliance was scheduled to launch a Atlas V 531 rocket as part of the NROL-101 mission. The launch window for the Government/Top Secret mission was on Fri, Nov 13th, 2020, 5:32 PM EST from Space Launch Complex 41 Cape Canaveral, FL, USA. There was a 90% chance for favorable weather conditions. Don't miss this exciting rocket launch! Watch the launch video of the Atlas V 531 and experience the excitement for yourself.
Space Launch Complex 41
Atlas V 531
Atlas V with 5m Fairing, 3 SRB, 1 Centaur upper stage engine.United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.


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If you are looking for a spacious and beautiful leather bag, then our soft leather tote bag is what you are looking for. It's beautiful, spacious and comfortable. Thus it has all the attributes a super purse must have. Whatever your life situation is, it will be exceptionally suitable. Therefore, don't overthink what your next leather bag should look like. You are looking right at it.
- Hammered leather
- Polyester lining
- Semi-rigid structure
- 2 compartments
Outside part
- Protective metal feet on the bottom
Inside part
- Inside zip pocket
- 2 pockets
- Zipped compartment
- Can fit A4 format
- Golden hardware
- Magnetic button closure
- Handle drop 22 cm
- Dust Bag
- Height – 10.63″ (27.00 cm)
- Length – 17.32″ (44.00 cm)
- Width – 5.71″ (14.50 cm)
- Weight – 1.65 lbs (0.75 kg)
Materials and Tanning
This leather tote bag is made of hammered leather. It was diligently used for the exterior part to ensure durability, classy look and comfort. The interior is covered with polyester. It makes sure that the bag's practicality is at the highest level possible. Therefore, in addition to easy and convenient storing, searching and navigating within, it also becomes easy to maintain and keep it clean.
The color of the tote bag is extracted by a method called vegetable tanning. The whole process includes the use of hands and requires nothing less than the highest quality of natural dyes. We guarantee that the dyes are pure and natural, containing NO unethical and/or harmful ingredients. This method allows us to retain the natural look of leather while adding the uniqueness and authenticity to each and every bag. In addition, vegetable tanning method gives the leather natural smell of earth, which makes the item even greater.
You will also find a dust bag included in the package, which is necessary in case you have to store your tote bag. The dust bag will keep it in the best possible shape while protecting it from sun, dust, accidental stains and scratches.


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Elane Photography v. WillockTo book an interview, click on the "Book an Interview" button on any page at ADFmedia.org.
Monday, April 07, 2014
Description: Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys represented Elane Photography and its owners, Jonathan and Elaine Huguenin. In 2006, Elaine received an e-mail from a woman about photographing a "commitment ceremony" between her and her same-sex partner and asking if Elaine would be "open to helping us celebrate our day…." Elaine politely declined to use her artistic expression to communicate a message at odds with her beliefs. The woman who approached Elaine, Vanessa Willock, easily found another photographer for her ceremony—and for less money. Nevertheless, Willock filed a complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Commission. After a one-day administrative trial in 2008, the commission ruled against the Huguenins and ordered them to pay $6,637.94 in attorneys' fees to Willock. The case then made its way through the New Mexico state court system, and the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the ruling. In a concurrence accompanying the court's opinion, one of the justices wrote that the Huguenins "now are compelled by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives," adding "it is the price of citizenship."
Govt punishment of NM photographer stands, compelled speech problem unresolved…for nowOther lawsuits concerning govt-forced speech working way through court system
Monday, April 07, 2014
Attorney sound bites: Jordan Lorence | David Cortman
Nonetheless, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Elane Photography and its owners, Jonathan and Elaine Huguenin, point out that the central concern in the case—government punishment of Americans for declining to create or promote messages with which they disagree—is alive in other ADF cases moving forward around the country.
"Only unjust laws separate what people say from what they believe," said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence. "The First Amendment protects our freedom to speak or not speak on any issue without fear of punishment. We had hoped the U.S. Supreme Court would use this case to affirm this basic constitutional principle; however, the court will likely have several more opportunities to do just that in other cases of ours that are working their way through the court system."
"Americans oppose unjust laws that strong-arm citizens to express ideas against their will," added Senior Counsel David Cortman. "Elaine and numerous others like her around the country have been more than willing to serve any and all customers, but they are not willing to promote any and all messages. A government that forces any American to create a message contrary to her own convictions is a government every American should fear."
A July 2013 Rasmussen poll found that 85 percent of Americans believe a Christian photographer has the right to say no if asked to create pictures at a same-sex ceremony that conflicts with the photographer's religious beliefs. The editorial boards of both The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Times agreed.
Other cases in the legal pipeline that could potentially reach the U.S. Supreme Court include the following:
- Pronunciation guide: Huguenin (HEW'-gun-in), Lorence (LOHR'-ents)
Additional resources: Elane Photography v. WillockScroll down to view additional resources pertaining to this case and its surrounding issue
Monday, April 07, 2014
Previous news releases:
- 2014-03-24: US Supreme Court holds off deciding whether to hear NM photographer's case
- 2013-12-16: Broad support for NM photographer reflected in new briefs filed with US Supreme Court
- 2013-11-08: Photographer asks Supreme Court: Is abandoning my freedom the 'price of citizenship'?
- 2013-08-22: NM Supreme Court: Price of citizenship is compromising your beliefs
- 2013-08-22: NM Supreme Court to Christians: There is a 'price' for your beliefs
- 2013-03-08: Is artistic freedom in jeopardy?
- 2012-08-17: NM Supreme Court will hear case of photographer fined for adhering to her faith
- 2012-06-04: ADF will appeal NM court's decision against photographer
- 2009-12-16: ADF to appeal court decision against NM photographer
- 2008-07-01: ADF files suit disputing N.M. commission's ruling against Christian photographer
- 2008-01-25: ADF attorney available to media following hearing in complaint against N.M. photographer
Historical resources:
- Audio: Ronald Reagan speech on religion in American public life, Aug. 23, 1984 (The World and Everything In It, 3:59)
Legal documents, related news, and other related resources available in the right panel when this page is viewed at ADFmedia.org.


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Welcome to a series of lessons about early American immigration! These lessons are part of a six week unit my district is implementing all about the United States of America, including the people, The Preamble, and the presidents. This week, we'll work on reading informational text and historical literature to meet the 50/50 ratio of fiction to informational text in the Common Core. The students take a step back in time, to enjoy a daily update from our principal narrating a historical journey from being an emigrant to becoming an immigrant of the United States. Please watch this short video to see some highlights of these lessons. Thank you!
*Please note: Lessons one and two were taught in the same day. We used our computer lab time to complete lesson one, and then completed lesson two during our shared reading time.
Immigration clip art in lesson banner, and other documents purchased from MelonHeadz.
Principal's Immigration Script: Each day this week, our principal is narrating a pretend historical journey beginning with the emigration from our homeland through becoming an immigrant of America. I've specifically included facts and details that the students will be encountering while reading their informational text and literature this week. This will help them make connections, review, and get them excited as they hear an update from their principal daily. Thank you, principal Gravel! (See Resource File: Principal's Script Immigration Week - Friday)
We're completing the informational text, Ellis Island (A True Book), today.
Vocabulary: To support the students with their content vocabulary this week, I've created an "Immigration Vocabulary" page with important words, and a place for students to add new words. I introduced this page on Monday, so today I just remind students that they can use the page as a reference for content vocabulary, and add their own words to the back as they're reading. This helps my travelers work toward RI3.4, determining the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words. (See Resource File: Immigration Vocabulary and Student Sample)
Sequencing: Today, we continue to read and sequence the steps of emigration through immigration in early America. I begin by reviewing the skill of sequencing, or putting something in chronological order. Today, we read chapter five, "After Ellis Island", to complete our informational text. As we read, we are careful to pay close attention to the nonfiction text features, and monitor our comprehension. After finishing the chapter, we go back, skim, and scan to find the most important steps of this chapter. Students record their chronological steps on Post-it notes.
10. If the immigrant passeed all of the tests, they're given a landing card, and are now an immigrant of the U.S.A.
Please note: I've included a photo of a student's Post-it notes from the end of the week. This is after the whole book is read. (See Resource Files: Sequencing Poster; Chronological Post-its)
The students take all of their Post-it notes and complete a sequence WS to sequence the order of emigrating through becoming an immigrant. (See Resource File: Sequencing WS and Sequencing Student Samples)
I ask the students to get right to work on their historical fiction immigration story and work, as this is the last shared reading time we have to work on this set of activities. (See Resource File: Historical Fiction Literature Analysis)
The students finish up their Historical Fiction Literature Analysis. I walk around the room and assist and monitor as needed. (See Resource File: Immigration Literature Samples)
Note: We will be sharing our experiences with these stories at the beginning of next week. The students will get into groups of the same story, and get a short amount of time to share, and then we will share as a whole class. The focus of our conversations will be centered around our standards of character traits, emotions, and evidence, as well as asking and answering the Who?, When?, Why?, Which?, Where?, What challenges?, and What adjustments? questions stems. We'll compare and contrast the different stories with each other.
At the end of each week, we revisit our unit essential question. The essential question helps tie the "big idea" of our unit together. (See Resource Files: Unit Four Essential Question SMART Notebook File and Picture)
*Note: I've included a picture of the essential question page in case you don't have a SMART Board or software.
Below are some additional resources from this unit of study. I hope you find these helpful whether you are completing a similar topic, theme, or standards. Thank you!
Preamble Resources: As part of our unit, my students had to define and interpret The Preamble to The Constitution. They had to practice reciting it, and created acrostic poems to show their understanding. Here are the documents I created to help with these jobs, and a few samples of my student poems from Google Drive. (See Resource Files: The Preamble to The Constitution; Understanding The Preamble to The Constitution; The Preamble Acrostic Poem Planning Page; Student Samples 1-4)
I was contacted by a few teachers that are interested in my literacy posters, so I've included them here. You'll notice the "Sequencing" poster used within the lesson above, and others used in my other lessons on BetterLesson.
I use these posters throughout the day, across the curriculum. I created them, then had them enlarged slightly to about 11 X 14 size at a local office store. I hope you find them helpful in your classroom. (See Resource Files/Posters: Ask Questions, Author's Purpose, Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Connections, Context Clues, Drawing Conclusions, Fact and Opinion, Figurative Language, Main Idea and Supporting Details, Making Inferences, Predictions, Sequencing, Story Elements, Summarizing, Visualize and Use Senses)
*Clip art on the posters was purchased from Giftseasonstore on Etsy.


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Nintendo has been ordered to pay $30.2 million in damages to Tomita Technologies after a jury found that the company infringed on a patent for glasses-free 3D displays. The ruling found that Nintendo used the technology in the Nintendo 3DS without permission.
The case revolves around a patent for a "Stereoscopic image picking up and display system based upon optical axes" filed by Sejiro Tomita, a former Sony employee, in 2003.
In arguments heard in a federal court last month, Tomita presented evidence that he had met with several Nintendo R&D engineers in 2003 to show off a prototype of his technology. Nintendo argued that Tomita was one of many potential vendors that it met with and that the patent was overly vague in a number of ways. The judge disagreed, noting in his decision numerous similarities between the 3DS' stereoscopic display and the one described in Tomita's patent.
The ruling could have been much worse for Nintendo; Tomita had originally asked for over $292 million, or $9.80 for every Nintendo 3DS sold.
In a statement, Nintendo said it was "confident that the result will be set aside" and that "the jury's verdict will not impact Nintendo's continued sales in the United States."


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Click to view Tcho's high-tech chocolate factory—appropriately, created by founders of Wired magazine—is the very opposite of the bearded, artisanal hipster Willy Wonkas at Mast Bros. in Brooklyn. They even use words like "beta" to describe test batches of chocolate.
It's interesting that they're now making chocolate for Starbucks, but more interesting is the fact that "many of the factory's most vital functions can be controlled via iPhone," according to the Feast. Their chocolate is undoubtedly tasty, but it shies away from the origin-obsession currently in vogue for both coffee and chocolate—chocolates are described via flavor notes, not where they come from. They're only bean-to-bar chocolate factory left in San Francisco. [The Feast]


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I design and develop websites according to the latest standards and demands. I focus on the end-users experience and goal.read more about web design
I create beautiful identity and brand design for any size and industry. I want to bring your visions to life through creative and impressive branding.read more about identity design
I can help you with a better ranking in the search engines. I offer a wide range of SEO solutions that will help you get ahead of your competition.read more about SEO


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Groupon has acquired Hyperpublic, a small company that develops location-based technology that can be integrated into other applications.
Hyperpublic said on its website that Groupon's acquisition represented "a huge win for our team, our investors and everyone who contributed to our company over the past two years." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Groupon, which held an initial public offering in November, offers online coupons for businesses. The offers are often contingent on how many people sign up for a deal. Groupon collects a fee from sales of the deals it advertises.
Hyperpublic would appear to be a good fit for Groupon, as one of its products, an API (application programming interface) called "Geo Deals & Events," shows local deals and events depending on where a person is located, such as concerts.
For those entities using the API, Hyperpublic will pay a fee for each click-through to an offer. In a blog post from last September, Hyperpublic wrote that performance-based rates would be forthcoming.
Another one of its products, called Places+, allows users to search for local businesses, restaurants and points of interest from within an application using the API.
In light of the acquisition, Hyperpublic said it will shut down Places+ and Geo Deals & Events on March 2. At that time, all user data will be deleted, the company said in a question-and-answer document on its website.
Hyperpublic suggested that developers look to other location services, such as CityGrid, Facebook's Graph and Fourquare's Venue Database, among others.


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phillip wrote:may I have a copy too?????Maarten wrote:Hello René,
Since nobody has answered your post yet, I'll have a go.
If you want a copy, just pm me your address etc and I'll make you one. Are you from Belgium or the Netherlands? I googled your name (René Van de Wiel) and found a metal-business in Holland... Is that you? Just curious...
Let me know if you still need this on dvd, ok?
I am in England UK


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Drs. Pamela Jukes and Lisa Murley of the School of Teacher Education presented a research paper titled, "Technology and Teacher Candidates: Setting the Bar Higher."
Dr. Lisa C. Duffin, Department of Psychology and SKyTeach, presented a research poster titled, "What Motivates People from STEM-Related Career Trajectories to Change to Teaching?"
GSKyTeach graduates Mollie Robertson and Lori Froedge presented research papers titled, "5E Instruction Model Workshop: The Underpinning of Extraordinary Mathematics Lessons" and "Grade Cam Making Grading as Easy as Snapping a Picture," respectively. Both graduates were mentored by GSKyTeach Executive Director Dr. Martha M. Day. Dr. Day presented a research paper titled, "GSKyTeach at Western Kentucky University, Preparing STEM Teachers for Service in High-Needs High Schools."
The GSKyTeach program was established in 2009 through a Teacher Quality Partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Education in an effort to improve the quality of mathematics, physics and chemistry teachers in high-needs high schools in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky. To date, the GSKyTeach program has awarded master's degrees to 29 individuals who are now serving as mathematics, physics and chemistry teachers in Louisville High Schools. The GSKyTeach program is jointly operated through Ogden College of Science and Engineering and the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at WKU.
Contact: Martha Day, (270) 745-4411.


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Kansas Senate passes bill voiding local gun rules
Supporters say patchwork of local regulations confuses gun owners
The Kansas Senate has approved legislation that would strip cities and counties of their power to regulate firearms and nullify existing local gun ordinances.
The 34-2 vote Wednesday sends the measure to the House.
A House committee has endorsed a similar bill, but the chamber hasn't taken it up. Supporters are hoping a version will clear the Legislature this week and go to Gov. Sam Brownback.
The Senate bill would ensure that the open carrying of firearms is legal across the state, but local officials could still prevent it inside public buildings.
Supporters said a patchwork of local regulations confuses gun owners and infringes upon gun-ownership rights guaranteed by the state and U.S. constitutions.
Opponents contend cities and counties know best whether gun restrictions are appropriate for their communities.


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Scepter of Siva Spiral. Horn with bone inlay 00g, Organic Body Jewelry. $3600$36.00You'll find something.
Organic Body Jewelry :|: GARUDA OrganicEarrings.com :|: tribal jewelry
* by purchasing our Organic Body Jewelry you are supporting traditional crafts & families. ...enjoy your exotic nature.Organic Body Jewelry : gauges - bone body jewelry - wood body jewelry - horn body jewelry - piercing jewelry - tribal body jewelry - gauged earrings - tribal gauges
Our piercing jewelry, organic body jewelry, tribal jewelry and gauged earrings are hand crafted with precision skills by artists in exotic organic and natural materials to bring these gauges to life. SEE THE SIZE CHART AT BOTTOM OF PAGE.
Organic Jewelry
GARUDA & Western Bohemian | exotic. natural. organic: Our earrings for stretched lobes and piercing jewelry, including wooden earrings, tribal earrings, carved jewelry, bone earrings and bone jewelry are fair trade, handmade and created by traditional artists. We also offer a range of faux gauges and tribal earrings, for those with standard size piercings.
Our carved jewelry, wood jewelry and bone jewelry, and our fair-trade ethics, are fantastic. Here is where and how we do what we do:
Feel Good About Your Purchase! By purchasing Western Bohemian carved jewelry & tribal jewelry you are supporting traditional crafts, and the families that make them. All of our Organic Jewelry, tribal jewelry, carved jewelry, pendants, silver and bone jewelry are hand carved one piece at a time. Western Bohemian strives to provide quality, unique, hand-crafted Earth-friendly products to satisfy the soul and beyond... Your purchase supports traditional crafts and families and is a choice to purchase jewelry produced in an environmentally responsible way. Our wooden earrings are hand-crafted by traditional people of natural materials. Our materials are responsibly harvested and we support their craft and culture, while improving the quality of their lives and providing jobs where there may otherwise be none. We work directly with the craftspeople to create our original designs in wood jewelry and all of our natural jewelry, and also include some traditional favorites. We stand behind the quality of our product and the aesthetic of its design. If our product fails you in any way, we will do what it takes to make it right.
Materials: Source and Harvesting Practices:
Our exotic tropical wood is sustainably harvested or recycled. Our carved wood jewelry, carved bone jewelry and organic body jewelry is created by traditional artisans with pride. Carved in select wood, this organic jewelry shows the rich colors of the natural wood.
Light weight and smooth, this richly colored exotic dark wood in tones from deep chocolate to purplish-red-brown is finely carved and polished by hand to create our handmade jewelry.
Sonokeling, Sonokembang.
LATIN NAME: Pterocarpus Indicus
ORIGIN: Indonesia, East Jawa (Java), Blitar regency.
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Plantation Grown, though it can be wild harvested under government control. Tree must have minimum diameter of 30 cm before cutting, the trees are replanted in the wild harvest setting.
OTHER DETAILS: This exotic wood has a beautiful colors from a deep purplish and red-brown with golden brown highlights and comes in a range of color. It is still abundant and responsibly grown and harvested. The variety we use is Sonokeling.
HIBISCUS WOOD Earrings
This exotic wood is wood from Asia. Light weight, strong and smooth, in a range of unusual colors from a greyish greenish black to a warm walnut color, sometimes also resembling the colors of sono wood, is smooth and has a matte finish by nature, but can be polished to a high shine by hand with the correctly trained skilled artists. It is finely carved and polished by hand to create our natural jewelry.
OTHER COMMON NAMES: Waru.
HARVESTING PRACTICE: the source we use offers Plantation Grown Waru. The trees re-sprout freely from the stump after cutting.
EBONY WOOD gauges
LATIN NAME: Diospyros Celebica.
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Recycled.
OTHER DETAILS: RECYCLED. Ebony wood is in danger! All of our ebony wood is made of recycled wood, and much of it is made from the remnants of altars, carvings and antique furniture.
ARANG WOOD Jewelry
This natural, exotic, black wood has a smooth and lustrous, almost oily appearance and ranges in color tones from deep chocolate to smooth black. It is carefully selected and finely carved and polished by hand to make the best wood jewelry possible.
LATIN NAME: Diospyros Confertiflora
HARVESTING PRACTICE: wild harvested.
OTHER DETAILS: This beautiful exotic wood is naturally black in color, hence the name which literally translates to charcoal wood. The earrings made from it are beep black and amazingly durable, resembling ebony wood.
This exotic wood, cherished for its color and strength is called the ivory of wood or sometimes referred to as crocodile wood because the bark of the tree resembles the scales on the back of a crocodile. Light weight, strong and smooth with beautiful ivory like color, it is finely carved and polished by hand to create our handmade jewelry.
OTHER NAMES: Panggal Buaya (Spine or scale of Crocodile).
LATIN NAME: Zanthoxylum Rhetsa.
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Grown in a Plantations or Wild Gardens. The Wild Garden is a kind of community garden that is shared by local families.
OTHER DETAILS: Crocodile wood is almost ivory in color, and is sometimes referred to as the ivory of woods due to its smooth finish and creamy color.
SABO FRUIT WOOD Earrings
OTHER DETAILS: This wood has a natural fleshy tone that varies from a light skin color to red peach.
Our Source: The Sabo Wood comes from wild garden on land of the family of one of our master carvers. By chance, they have the trees growing there and they cut it themselves for our use and to help the family.
COCONUT WOOD and SHELL : Coconut Earrings
OTHER COMMON NAMES: Coconut Palm
LATIN NAME: Cocos Nucifera.
HARVESTING PRACTICE: the coconut shell is left of the harvesting of coconut for food and oil. The wood is plantation grown, home grown in wild farms in the village.
OTHER DETAILS: Recycled. Coconut is an amazing food and grows in great abundance. The shell is also used to create art, earrings, and cookware.
tribal earrings - organic earrings - gauged earrings - wood faux gauges - wood jewelry - wood pendants - carved earrings : Fair-trade. Hand-carved by traditional artisans whose family has been carving for hundreds of years. Organic and morally sourced.
Handmade, natural and organic…
All of our jewelry are Fair Trade, handmade by highly skilled traditional artisans from only Earth-Friendly natural and organic materials. All our materials are responsibly harvested. We work directly with the craftspeople to ensure the utmost in quality and satisfaction.* By purchasing this product you are supporting traditional arts and culture, helping the craftsmen and their families to improve the quality of life.
Care for your Organic Piercing Jewelry:
This fine organic jewelry is made out of natural, biodegradable materials and should be treated with care and respect.
- clean occasionally, as needed, with a mild soap and water.
- dry thoroughly. condition your jewelry lightly with jojoba oil or another natural oil.
- do not soak in anything, do not boil or autoclave.
- store in a cool, dry place. (such as your dresser top or jewelry box.)
- do not leave for extended time in your car, sunny window, or other hot or sunny place.
- do not leave your organic jewelry in a place where it may become wet. (such as on your bathroom sink or in the shower.)
other notes: Our earrings with organic posts fit comfortably in normal pierced ears and are 99.9% hypo allergenic. If your ears are recently pierced or very sensitive, you may experience slight discomfort at first. We recommend oiling the post slightly before you put them in your ear the first time with jojoba oil or a similar gentle and natural oil to help alleviate any discomfort.
Piercing Jewelry care:
Western Bohemian Jewelry fine wood jewelry and natural jewelry are made with natural materials and should be treated with respect. *our jewelry should only be used in well healed piercings.*
cleaning: Clean occasionally with mild soap and water. Dry. Oil your bone, horn or wood jewelry lightly with jojoba oil or another natural oil intended for natural jewelry. Please do not soak in anything, do not boil or autoclave! storage: Keep in a cool, dry place. (like your dresser or jewelry box.) Do not leave for a long time in your car, sunny windows, or other hot or sunny place. Do not leave your carved jewelry in a place where it will be wet.
Other Things to Know:
Our wood earrings with posts made for regular pierced ears fit comfortably and normally for 98% of people. If your ears are recently pierced or very sensitive, you may experience discomfort due to the size of the earring post of our wooden or organic tribal earrings. We recommend oiling the post slightly before you put them in your ear the first time with jojoba oil to relieve discomfort. You may also like our Faux Gauge earrings, handmade and carved in wood, bone and horn, these have a sterling silver post for the carved earrings, and look like gauged earrings.
Our organic water buffalo bone is beautiful. An ivory-like natural white cream color, it is a durable and timeless material, however you should take care not to drop it, as it will break. Our bone jewelry will last a lifetime and into the next. The raw material is processed to clean it to purity, then carefully sectioned into workable pieces that can be carved and polished smooth by hand.
Our horn jewelry is made from carefully selected horn in beautiful colors, and sectioned into workable sized pieces, carefully sorted by color and thickness to be made into this timeless and cherished jewelry. It should be cared for and oiled on occasion. The beautiful horn in its deep black and turtle shell-like colors is more and more difficult to obtain morally, as it needs to be from adult aged bison, traditionally never killed until they are too old. as so many jewelry producers have sought this material, the water buffalo of Asia is being harvested-out at a young age. We do not make much of this horn jewelry now, so as to be certain that our bison are loved and respected.
WATER BUFFALO BONE and HORN, LATIN NAME: bubalus bubalis. ORIGIN: South-East Asia HARVESTING PRACTICE: The bone and horn we use is a by-product of meat production and farming practice. OTHER DETAILS: Recycled. The water buffalo of South East Asia is a domesticated animal. It is used to plow fields and carry loads. They are well treated and important to the survival of the native people. When they are too old to work, they are eaten and all part of the animal are utilized. They are never taken in pursuit of the bones and horns!
About the horn earrings and jewelry:
Horn is very much like your hair or fingernails in nature, and requires care. The horn needs to be conditioned, and should be oiled to protect it
as we suggested earlier. This will maintain the color and preserve the smooth surface.
About the carved bone earrings and bone jewelry:
Try not to drop it, sit or step on it. The bone does not need to be conditioned, but may be oiled to protect your bone earrings as we suggest in the beginning of this page. This will cause the color to deepen into an ivory like-tone, not bone white.
MOTHER OF PEARL, LATIN NAME: ORIGIN: molluccas, Indonesia HARVESTING PRACTICE: skin diving to deep reefs, the shells are found already dead. OTHER DETAILS: Recycled. OUR SOURCE: Recycled. We use shell that is a byproduct of production of fine mother of pearl bowls from a silver factory in a nearby city. We choose to recycle the best quality pieces from the remnants of their production
Feel Good About Your Purchase! By purchasing Western Bohemian carved jewelry and tribal earrings you are supporting traditional crafts, and the families that make them. All of our natural jewelry is hand carved, one piece at a time. Western Bohemian strives to provide quality, unique, hand-crafted Earth-friendly products to satisfy the soul and beyond... Your purchase of Western Bohemian fair-trade jewelry supports traditional crafts and families and is a choice to purchase a product produced in an environmentally responsible way. Our adornments are hand-crafted by traditional people of natural materials. Our materials are responsibly harvested and we support craft and culture, improving the quality of life and providing jobs that showcase talents and skills. We work directly with the craftspeople to create our original designs for all of our jewelry, and also include some traditional favorites. We stand behind the quality of our product and the aesthetic of its design. If our product fails you in any way, we will do what it takes to make it right.
Our jewelry lines:
There are a variety of names that people use to refer to our lines of carved jewelry and hand-crafted accessories. We also have a large selection of styles from modern and sculptural to Maori, Asian, Mayan, borneo, Dayak, Baroque, Gothic, Spiral, Swirly, triangle and some that are simply beautiful. Our carved bone pendants, wood pendants and horn pendants are some of the best that exist, and we are very proud of our family of craftsmen for all the dedication to making amazing things for us to share with you, and also very grateful to all of you for promoting quality artistry and fair-trade jewelry.
Kind regards,
Western Bohemian Jewelry
This fine carved Organic Piercing Jewelry and wooden hand-carved gauge earrings are intended for use in stretched or gauged piercings that are well healed.
Organic Jewelry : bone jewelry - wood jewelry - horn jewelry - carved jewelry - tribal jewelry - organic earrings - faux body jewelry - tribal earrings - organic gauged earrings - tribal gauge earrings : Fair-trade and unique handcrafted organic jewelry...
A brief history of piercing and lobe stretching
The piercing and stretching of the ears is a time honored tribal tradition practiced by many cultures across the globe for centuries.
Lobe stretching as a cultural practice has spread around the planet, and the people who participate in it hold ear piercing and lobe stretching in ritual regard and as a rite of passage, mark of knowledge and method of beautification. In every human populated continent there exists a community of people who use piercing and organic jewelry as sacred adornment.
Some peoples ears naturally stretch over time due to the wearing of large or heavy jewelry. Whether your ears are stretched naturally, professionally, or by yourself, you can use the following size chart to determine what size gauged jewelry will work for you.
Gauges in sizes 00g, 0g, 2g, 4g, 6g, 8g, 10g, 12g and reversible size stretchers.
Find the largest size jewelry or organic gauged earring you have that will fit in your ear piercing.
Measure it with a caliper or other device and compare the measurement to that listed numerically on this chart. As all computer displays are different sizes, we do not recommend that you hold the jewelry to the image for reference, as it will most likely be incorrect.
* By purchasing GARUDA carved jewelry and handmade earrings you are supporting traditional crafts, and the families that make them. OrganicEarrings.com strives to provide quality, unique, handmade natural jewelry to satisfy the soul and beyond... Your purchase supports native crafts and families and is a choice to purchase a handmade piece of artwork produced in an environmentally responsible way. Our carved jewelry and accessories are handmade by traditional people of organic local materials.
We take great pride in the quality our carved jewelry, organic jewelry, earrings and wood jewelry. please let us know if there is anything we can do to make it better.
Kind Regards,
Western Bohemian + GARUDA Organic Earrings
Handmade, fair trade and amazing...
...enjoy your exotic nature...
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Rocky Outdoor Gear has been in business since 1932, manufacturing footwear and apparel for serious outdoor enthusiasts, public safety professionals, military personnel, and industrial workers.
Rocky Outdoor Gear offers an extensive collection of boots and shoes made with top-of-the-line materials such as Gore-Tex, Thinsulate, Cordura, and full-grain leathers. Whether you're looking for a U.S. Postal Service-approved duty shoe or a waterproof boot for weekend hiking trips, Rocky has a perfect pair for you.
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Resistance is futile. Every year a veritable nutcracker army marches across the Bay Area, leaving few theaters unravaged by teeming mouse armies, nibbled gingerbread soldiers and the dreaded sugar plum fairies.
Constantly adjusted, revamped and reinterpreted, "The Nutcracker" seems indestructible as a harbinger of the holiday season, anchored by Tchaikovsky's enchanting score, E.T.A. Hoffmann's fanciful dreamscape plot and numerous roles for budding dancers. Here are some recommended productions:
San Francisco Ballet
The formerly obscure utensil's conquest of America started on Christmas Eve 1944, when the San Francisco Ballet presented the American premiere of the unabridged "Nutcracker" at the War Memorial Opera House. While Helgi Tomasson re-imagined the tale as an adventure set in San Francisco's Pacific Heights, circa 1918, he employs Tchaikovsky's unadulterated score in the sequence intended by the composer. It's a dazzling production that has lost none of its glow since premiering to rave reviews in 2004. Runs Dec. 7-28 at the War Memorial Opera House (301 Van Ness Ave.). Tickets are $20-$265, 415-865-2000, www.sfballet.org
Ballet San Jose
The latest addition to Bay Area's "Nutcracker" ranks is Ballet San Jose's production, newly choreographed by Karen Gabay, a long-treasured member of the company. Borrowing Paul Kelly's beautiful sets and Theoni V. Aldredge's lavish costumes from American Ballet Theatre's 2000 Kevin McKenzie production, Gabay's version features live accompaniment by Symphony Silicon Valley under the baton of the company's new music director and conductor George Daugherty. The production runs Dec. 8-23, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts (255 Almaden Blvd.). Tickets are $30-$105, 408-288-2800, www.balletsj.org.
Oakland Ballet
The Oakland Ballet presents artistic director Graham Lustig's fine version of the "Nutcracker," which has quickly become one of the company's defining works. Transplanting the ballet to the early 20th century, Lustig centers the action firmly on Marie (the name of Hoffmann's original protagonist, changed in many "Nutcrackers" to Clara). Featuring the Oakland East Bay Symphony directed by Michael Morgan, the production is enhanced by the Paramount, an opulent Art Deco masterpiece. The show goes on Dec. 22-24 at Oakland's Paramount Theatre (2025 Broadway). Tickets: $20-$59, 800-745-3000, http://oaklandballet.org.
City Ballet School
City Ballet School presents its 10th anniversary season of "The Nutcracker" featuring 90 students ages 6 to 19. Pleasingly sophisticated and geared to families, the choreography is by Yuri Zhukov, the renowned choreographer and former principal dancer with Kirov Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, and the school's artistic director, Galina Alexandrova, a former dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. This production is staged Dec. 8-9 at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts Theatre (3301 Lyon St.). Tickets: $20-$35, 415-392-4400, www.cityboxoffice.com.
Mark Morris Dance Company
Returning to Cal Performances after a three-year hiatus, Mark Morris' singularly zany take on "Nutcracker" — "The Hard Nut" — pours a welcome torrent of rum into the Bay Area's holiday punch bowl. A persistently playful and imaginative reinvention of all things "Nutcracker," "The Hard Nut" is set in the woozy 1970s and features a menagerie not envisioned by Hoffmann, including Barbie doll ballerinas, G.I. Joe soldiers, and snowflakes a-leaping. With nearly 100 costume changes, a lavish set, and Tchaikovsky's magnificent score performed by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir, "The Hard Nut" is a delicious confection all too easy to swallow. As a bonus, Morris makes his Berkeley debut in the role of Dr. Stahlbaum/King. The production runs Dec. 14-16 and Dec. 20-23 at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall. Tickets: $30-$110, 510-642-9988, www.calperformances.org.


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Mo. lawmakers vote to cut license bureau funding
Drivers could have problems getting licenses if cuts remain
Missouri residents could be unable to get driver's licenses if a funding cut passed Monday by the Missouri Senate were to ultimately become law.
The elimination of funding for Missouri's driver's license bureau was perhaps the most dramatic proposal in a Senate budget plan chock full of reductions intended to grab the attention of executive branch officials accused by some senators of being uncooperative or less than forthcoming when describing how they spend state money.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Kurt Schaefer, the architect of many of those message-sending cuts, said he was seeking leverage over state officials as he leads a Senate delegation that will meet with House members in the coming weeks to negotiate a final version of the 2014 budget. But other senators wondered about the effect if the proposed cuts actually become law.
If the entire $3.5 million allotment for the Motor Vehicle and Driver Licensing Division ultimately is eliminated: "They will not be able to issue any driver's licenses," Schaefer, R-Columbia, acknowledged.
Other funding cuts in the Senate budget plan target the administration in the Department of Revenue, which oversees the licensing bureau, the Department of Public Safety and the computer section of the state Office of Administration - all of which have drawn Republican ire for their roles in collecting and distributing information about concealed gun permit holders.
Republican lawmakers have asserted that people's privacy rights have been violated by a new Department of Revenue policy intended to cut down on fraud in which licensing clerks have made electronic copies of people's personal documents such as birth certificates and concealed gun permits. Nixon recently ordered an end to the copying of concealed permits, but that has not quelled Republican frustrations.
As part of an inquiry into the new licensing procedures by the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Missouri State Highway Patrol recently said it had twice obtained a list of people holding concealed gun permits and provided the information to a disability fraud investigator in the U.S. Social Security Administration. The patrol got the comprehensive list with the help of the state's computing division, which extracted data kept by the Department of Revenue as part of its responsibility for issuing photo identification cards to concealed gun permit holders.
The Social Security Administration has said it was unable to read the computer disks of information and so destroyed them.
The Senate budget plan would eliminate all 37 full-time employee positions in the driver's license division while also cutting $7 million from the Revenue Department's administration, $9 million from the computer technology division and $20 million from the administration of the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Highway Patrol.
Several senators expressed concerns about the sweeping nature of the cuts.
"I want to make sure we're not affecting people who basically caught friendly fire who didn't do anything wrong," said Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City.
Other proposed Senate budget cuts had nothing to do with the controversy involving driver's licenses and concealed gun permits.
For example, the budget bill for the Department of Natural Resources reduces funding for regional solid waste management districts.
Schaefer said his intent is to try to force "reform" of the districts, which he contends are too plentiful and spend too much of their money on administration. Some Democratic and Republican senators objected, saying the districts had an important role in encouraging recycling.
Senators were debating and passing the state's proposed $24.7 billion budget in 13 separate funding bills. Legislators have until early May to agree on a final version to send to Gov. Jay Nixon.
Like the House version passed previously, the Senate budget omits the more than $900 million of federal funds that Nixon had sought to expand eligibility for Medicaid health care coverage to lower-income adults. The Senate and House versions have only slight differences on the amount of funding for public K-12 school districts. Both chambers have essentially agreed with Nixon to boost the state's $3 billion basic aid pool for public schools by about $65 million.


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a love poem with shoulder/armpit in the name can only be ace!
There are no photos with those IDs or post 3055 does not have any attached images!
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Home-Cooked: Prawn Noodles - PerutBesi's Style
>> Wednesday, December 21, 2016
When you're too lazy to bother with recipes & you don't purposely purchase ingredients for a meal, you're exactly like the PerutBesi! Welcome to my world in the kitchen! I rarely buy ingredients specifically to cook something, but I'll check what I have in stock & I'll think of something to cook...hahaha...yeah, it may not be the best way, but it has been working so far...
I've been experimenting on prawn noodles twice. Last night was my 2nd time cooking prawn noodles again & I think it tasted pretty good :) The hubs approved with a big smile on his face *yay*
What made me think of cooking prawn noodles last night? Well, it's the home-grown kangkung (the Thais call it "morning glory") that I've just harvested - it has to be cooked & enjoyed, right? :D
I'm sharing a simple "recipe" of sort with steps on how I prepared my version of prawn noodles (it's all "agak-agak"/by estimation method). It may not be exactly like the original, but I think it tasted pretty good to us. Heh. If you're picky, you may not want to follow my recipe. But if you're an "explorer" like yours truly, then enjoy this journey of discovery! Feel free to tweak the recipe according to your preference! :)
* serves 2 persons. If you don't take pork, you can use ikan bilis/chicken as well, I'm sure.
Ingredients for soup (Set A)
- garlic, 5-6 cloves chopped/blended 'til fine
- shallot, 3-4 bulbs chopped/blended 'til fine
- chili boh paste, approximately 2 tablespoons
- dried shrimps, 3-4 tablespoons
- ikan bilis/dried anchovies, 1 handful
- cooking oil, 2 tablespoons or more
Ingredients for soup (Set B)
- fresh prawn shells (I used just 10 prawns + at least another 15 prawn shells from previous consumption; I just ate the prawns & kept the shells with their heads in the freezer)
- pork bones for soup, 2 palm-size pieces (if you have more, your soup will be tastier, so you can use however much you can afford to add into the soup...hahaha...I just had 2 more pieces left in the freezer, so that's all I used)
- rock sugar, 1-2 pieces to taste
- salt, 1 teaspoon or according to your preference
- chicken stock/cube, optional (I didn't use it as I don't have any in the kitchen, but it'll make the soup tastier, I'm sure)
Ingredients for the overall dish
- noodles, cooked, drained & set aside (you can use the yellow noodles, vermicelli/meehoon, or like me, use those air-dried Vit's noodles)
- kangkung, at least 2 handfuls, blanched/pre-cooked (I just used however much that I harvested from my garden)
- fresh prawns, shelled (that same 10 prawns in Set B)
- egg, hard-boiled & halved
- fried shallots, optional (I didn't have & was too lazy to fry them on the spot)
- beansprouts, as much as desire, optional (I didn't purchase beansprouts)
1. Bring a pot of water to boil.
2. Add in the pork bones.
3. Add in the fresh prawn shells. If you want it to be more fragrant, you can fry/stir-fry the prawn shells with the other ingredients of Set A first before adding to the pork-based soup.
4. Keep the soup boiling on medium flame & proceed with the next part of the preparations.
6. Add the chopped garlic & shallots & fry 'til fragrant, but not 'til it starts to brown.
7. Add the dried shrimps & ikan bilis into the garlic+shallots mix & fry 'til fragrant. I had a pre-fried dried shrimps + ikan bilis + chili mix, so I used that instead of individual ingredients.
8. Add the chili boh paste into the pan & stir-fry 'til the paste mixes well with the other ingredients.
9. Add the paste into the soup & stir/mix well.
10. Do a taste-test before adding the rock sugar & salt &/chicken stock. (this is because the chili boh paste + dried shrimps + ikan bilis can be rather salty)
11. Scoop/filter out all the prawn shells & pork bones. (I allowed the soup to boil with all the ingredients for another 10-15 minutes before filtering the prawn shells + pork bones)
12. Discard the prawn shells.
13. Peel off the meat from the pork bone & set aside.
14. Blanch the fresh prawns in the soup 'til cooked. Set aside.
15. "Assemble" your noodles, veggie, half the hard-boiled egg, prawns & pork in a bowl & add the prawn-pork soup into that same bowl.
Tadaaaa! PerutBesi's version of simple prawn noodles! Bon apetit!
Me thinks me is quite a good "agak-agak" chef,
Read more...


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BCG deftly bridges traditional pricing models with advanced techniques in big data analytics and client research to help insurers develop better pricing models and new customer propositions. In a fast-evolving industry, this comprehensive roadmap can very quickly bring a boost of 2% to 8% of an insurer's top-line revenues.
Our approach doesn't simply update your pricing policy. It closely aligns with your firm's overarching business strategy and goals, adjusts to changing consumer preferences and marketplace realities, and builds in pricing capabilities organizationwide to ensure adaptable and sustained success.
Most critically, we enable your staff to effectively price your product portfolio and design new customer propositions. We work directly with your staff during the assessment and implementation phases to help them learn critical pricing skills, understand evolving pricing models and inputs, and understand changing customer expectations and willingness to pay. The end result is that your team is fully able to set the right pricing strategies in a changing market long after our consultation is completed.
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Throughout this process, we put in place infrastructure, processes, and practices that will provide your company with the sharp managerial oversight and organizational change needed to translate business strategy into a disciplined, dynamic, and successful pricing strategy.


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Anthony Weiner, Eliot Spitzer haven't earned second chance (Other Views)
In the movie "Broadcast News", the uber ethical producer played by Holly Hunter chastises the inexperienced reporter played by William Hurt for "crossing the line." The problem, replied the bewildered Hurt, is that the line keeps moving.
Hello, Eliot Spitzer. And a howdy-do, Anthony Weiner.
Both disgraced politicians are back in the spotlight after having been forced to resign in the wake of sexual scandals -- then-Congressman Weiner for "sexting" pictures of his private parts, then-Gov. Spitzer for soliciting a prostitute.
They've both crossed the political line, wouldn't you say?
But wait: Weiner is running for mayor of New York City and Spitzer has just declared for New York City comptroller.
Both men will face Democratic primaries to see if enough people in their political base are willing to forgive and forget and offer them the opportunity to carry the party's banner in the general election.
This being a land of second chances, where formerly impossible-to-survive transgressions now seem little more than tiny potholes in the political highway, Weiner and Spitzer obviously believe they successfully can resurrect their political careers.
Indeed, polls show Weiner has become the candidate to beat in the mayoral primary. Too soon to say what the tea leaves reveal on Spitzer.
Meantime, both can take heart in recent examples of political comebacks, not the least of which was President Clinton's amazing rebound after the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's election to Congress after lying about his whereabouts to cover-up an extramarital affair of his own.
All of which begs the questions, where is that aforementioned "line" and what does it take to cross it?
"The behavior recurs because comebacks work," Bruce Buchanan, a professor of government at the University of Texas, told Bloomberg News. "Clinton, Sanford, and others have won forgiveness. Why shouldn't Spitzer? Disgraced politicians want to go back to doing what they do well, and many are immodest enough to give it a try."
"People in their natural goodness understand the fact that we err," Spitzer said in an interview with Current TV. "We sin. We pay a price and hopefully continue. ... I made significant errors. I stood up, accepted responsibility, resigned. It's now been five years. I hope the public will extend its forgiveness to me."
It's one thing to forgive, quite another to elect men like Weiner and Spitzer when they've violated the public trust.
Weiner apparently didn't commit any crime in the legal sense, but he sure did demonstrate a lack of judgment and an excess of hubris. Is this the guy New Yorkers want as the city's chief executive.
Spitzer ("Client 9") wasn't arrested, as are many johns, for patronizing a prostitute. Perhaps the legal system felt his public humiliation and gubernatorial resignation were punishment enough. But consider: As a former prosecutor himself, how could he have not known surveillance all but assured he'd get caught breaking the law? Again, hubris. Is this the guy New Yorkers want as guardian of the city's money?
Of course it's a shame that these men suffered such falls from grace politically.
Whether or not you agreed with them on the issues, there was little doubt (aside from their rather volcanic tempers) that they were qualified to serve.
That doubt is now infinitely greater.
Forgive Weiner and Spitzer? If they're wives can do it, so can we.
Forget what they did and return them to positions of guarding the public trust?
No thanks.


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On benetton.com you can find an extensive selection of products from our women, men and kids catalogues, as well as special collections and online exclusives. There are new items coming in all the time, so be sure to visit us often!
For each product, you will find a detailed description of the style and materials, as well as wash and care information.
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When your order is shipped, we will send you an email with the tracking number and the link to the courier's website, where you can see the delivery information.
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Israeli Gun Laws Are Much Stricter Than Some U.S. Gun Advocates Suggest
Israeli Gun Laws Are Much Stricter Than Some U.S. Gun Advocates Suggest
The United States stands truly alone in the developed world for its lax gun laws, which have contributed to Americans owning guns at a far higher rate than anyone else. The National Rifle Association, in its pushback against calls for gun restrictions after the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, has portrayed things somewhat differently. NRA chief Wayne LaPierre has drawn comparisons to Israel, saying that the U.S. should follow Israel's example of loose gun laws and of responding to mass shooting by posting armed guards at schools.
LaPierre echoes a number of commentators who oppose gun restrictions and cite Israel as an ideal example. The argument goes like this: Israel has lots of guns and lower rates of gun violence, so clearly the problem with America is not our guns but something else.
The only problem is that Israel actually has quite strong gun restrictions and very low gun ownership rates, some of the lowest in the developed world. This confusion has gotten so bad that even Israeli government officials are now chiming in to knock back the claims, though the NRA is seen as a close ally of the U.S. Republican party, which positions itself as strongly backing Israel.
LaPierre appeared to take his Israel-model advocacy a step too far when he declared on Meet the Press this weekend, "Israel had a whole lot of school shootings, until they did one thing. They said we're going to stop it and they put armed security in every school and they have not had a problem since then."


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Shrewsbury, Vermont
|This article is a stub. Help us to expand it by contributing your knowledge. For county and town page guidelines, visit U.S. County Page Content Suggestions.
Shrewsbury is a town in Rutland county, Vermont. It was formed in 1761 in N.H. from Bennington county. The probate and court district for Shrewsbury is Rutland. For more information, contact the town at 9832 Cold River Rd., Cuttingsville 05738. On the attached map, Shrewsbury is shown as 20 in Rutland county.
For information about the state of Vermont see Vermont Family History Research.


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Finally, the happy day comes when you accept an offer for your home. Accepting the offer is more complicated than just saying, "Yes." We'll actually fill out a contract that restates the offer, the contingencies, the specifics of the property being sold, and a target date for closing.
"Closing" is the actual moment of sale for your property. You'll receive a hefty cashier's check (probably from your buyer's mortgage company) and hand over the keys. It's a big moment, but there's still work to be done to get ready for it.
Closing usually takes place a month after you accept the offer. This gives the buyer time to get final financing approval, and allows time for the final title search and other legal hurdles. A successful title search proves that you actually own the property and have the right to sell it. If you checked your property's status early in the process, this should be fairly low-stress. The buyer's mortgage company also may require an appraisal and/or home inspection before closing.
What the Seller Does Now
You have two main jobs at this point: getting ready for closing, and getting ready to move out. As your agent, we'll be coordinating most of the closing details with the title company and other players; ideally, you simply show up and take the money. However, we'll keep you informed throughout the process so that you know how everything is going as we prepare for the big day.
You will also need to prepare to vacate the property - after closing, it won't be yours any more. If you've already had an offer accepted on your new home, it's time to set closing for that sales and arrange your moving date. Or, if you're still looking for your new home, you'll need to arrange temporary housing and storage.
There probably will be several people at closing: ourselves, you, the buyers, their agent (if any), and representatives of the title and mortgage companies involved. I'll be with you as you sign and initial papers and accept payment for your home; we'll both take a look at what you're signing to make sure it matches what we've agreed to with the seller. Then, once all the paperwork and checks have changed hands, you're done.
Selling a home is one of the most important events in your financial life, and it's important to have a professional on your side to make sure you get the best deal for you. Call or send us an email to get the process started.


text: C. L. McCollum By Kira Butler Posted December 20, 2016 In C. L. McCollum2016-12-202017-01-03http://www.kirabutler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/kirabutler_brand_logo-01.pngKira Butlerhttp://www.kirabutler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/clmccollum.jpg200px200px 0 Kira Butler Kira Butler is a speculative fiction writer heavily influenced by the gothic tradition with particular affinities for low-key, supernatural, folk, and occult horror. She lives in Montreal where she works, writes, reads, and periodically kills her characters. Recent PostsThe Old Yard at StoweUpcoming YA Horror Novels of 2017Upcoming YA Fantasy Books of 2017Articles for Horror Writers: On the craft of writing scary


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The sun rose this morning, which was only the second most predictable episode of the past dozen or so hours. Leading the pack was the absolute certainty that the National League would find a way to lose the All-Star Game.
And they did. They made the world wait a little longer than usual, but that only made it — to the extent that one took it to heart — that much more frustrating or annoying or painful. Painful's probably a bit much. By Thursday, the result will have receded quickly from consciousness and by October 22, when the World Series is scheduled to commence in the American League ballpark, there is technically only a 1-in-16 chance that it will have much resonance around here.
Still, it's a midsummer irritant and it was utterly predictable. Ever since it was decided It Counts, you can count on the National League to develop sweaty palms and to have slip from their grip leads and opportunities. In 2003, "we" led 6-4 in the eighth and lost 7-6; in 2006, it was 2-1 N.L. entering the ninth, 3-2 A.L. when it was all over; last year it was right there for the taking, the National League rallying from down 5-2 in the ninth to make it 5-4, then walking three times to load the bases with two out, only to let the other side off the hook.
It's embarrassing in its regularity. It's always coming and it always makes the league we play in look bad. It's the only night of the year when you can watch the Phillies' closer take a loss, the Braves' catcher be a split second late with a crucial tag and the Marlins' second baseman extend one too many innings with a case of the clanks and derive no joy from it.
As for the us within "us," I knew (I mean knew) Billy Wagner would cough up a late-inning lead if given the chance, just as I knew (knew) Brad Lidge would end the evening before J.D. Drew could trot in from right to pitch as Terry Francona swore later was his post-Kazmir contingency plan; McCarver and Buck practically wept with delight that poor Tito was spared the agony of forcing young Scott to throw baseballs for a second inning. Wagner's been pitching well in games that indisputably count, so this isn't Mets closer here-we-go-againism talking. It's just…certainty. You know the Wagners and Lidges and Hoffmans and Gagnes will not get the job done on this particular stage. There's no logical reason to infer it except it keeps happening so you come to the conclusion it will happen again. As a fan of a National League team with fond if distant memories of when you just knew your team's league would win these things, you'd prefer to be proven wrong. But for a dozen years, you never are.
But I was proven wrong about one All-Star matter and I'm happy to say so. I thought I'd be saving money at the barber because I'd have pulled all my hair out from being exposed to the deluge of holy hosannas showered down upon Yankee Stadium this week. But I've still got my hair and my barber can count on me swinging by at some point in the near future.
Was the YS angle, like the NYY business in general, overblown, overwrought and overbearing? Oh, definitely. That Western civilization will even proceed after the final EVER All-Star game EVER played at Yankee Stadium EVER is a bit of a surprise if you took your cues from Fox. The implication that every baseball player, every baseball fan and every New Yorker is in some kind of awe and some kind of mourning at the very idea that Yankee Stadium will close (and that another Yankee Stadium allegedly just like the old one will open) strikes at the heart of everything we've found overblown, overwrought and overbearing as a matter of course since approximately the last time the National League won an All-Star Game.
But so what? That's my big revelation this morning. So the All-Star Game, nominally involving representatives from 30 teams, was practically pre-empted by a Yankfest wankfest. It was as predictable as Wagner blowing a save and no less displeasing on contact. We're Mets fans. We don't need to hear it, we don't need to see it, we don't need to be reminded of it. It will only rev up again come September and quite possibly October.
We know that. But so frigging what? We've got our own thing.
In the last few days, a few well-meaning columnists have gone the semi-contrarian route and written "by the way Shea" pieces, as in by the way, Shea Stadium is also in its last season. The hook is invariably "while it's not Yankee Stadium," as in Shea does not have that kind of history, Shea does not have that kind of aura, Shea does not get this kind of attention. Then a few grafs painting Shea as absurd, some stray quote from a fan or a player (Chipper Jones this week) with "yeah, but" fond memories and a begrudging shrug that "it, too, will be missed by some weirdos anyway."
It's well-meaning in its lefthanded way, but it's foreign to me. I'm one of those weirdos who has been very much focused on it being the final season of Shea Stadium, on the history of Shea Stadium, on the aura of Shea Stadium, on giving every ounce of my attention to Shea Stadium until there is no Shea Stadium left to receive it. I'm not interested in Yankee Stadium, the 33-season wonder that masquerades as having been a constant since 1923. It's understandable that there are people who are and the past week has certainly provided a platform for those folks.
Let 'em enjoy it or mourn it or sit in awe of it. That's their prerogative. That they do is irrelevant in terms of your, my and our ruminations on the final days of Shea. That they can't find two nice words for Shea without adding "while it's not Yankee Stadium" is kind of rude, but also irrelevant. I don't take my cues from Fox, I don't take my cues from ESPN, I don't take my cues from the local columnists with little feel for their constituency. I can figure out what's important to me for myself. Shea is important to me. Shea gets my attention. Everything else where last seasons of stadiums is concerned amounts to background noise.
I was on the fence between reflexively holding my hands over my ears and singing a loud la-la-LA! to drown out the YS propaganda that would overwhelm All-Star week (and, naturally, overshadow the Mets' piddling nine-game winning streak) and actually taking advantage of the fact that the All-Star festivities were unfolding in my backyard. After seeing one DHL bag after another parade by me Sunday and Monday, I decided to give in to curiosity and take part. Stephanie and I bought a couple of tickets to the FanFest and attended yesterday.
We knew it would be all Yanked up, we knew the Mets would be an afterthought, we knew it could get suffocating, but we went. And boy did we enjoy ourselves. The NYY influence — one aisle of the Javits Center was renamed Derek Jeter Boulevard, for crissake — was pervasive but somehow easily ignored. It was a baseball event, not a Yankee Way indoctrination seminar. There was enough to dwell on that wasn't pinstriped. There was plenty to marvel at and drool over. My favorite: the actual Mel Ott Award, still given to the National League home run leader every year, even if few any longer invoke the name Mel Ott. There was way too much to buy, and I certainly did, somehow managing to pass up the bargain-priced game-used Expos home uniforms from 2004. Though I didn't have the patience to stand in line for anything except free Taco Bell tacos, I could plainly see the Glider, Ed Charles, mere feet from me, dispensing autographs and eliciting smiles.
Ed Charles! Mel Ott! The Expos! Free tacos! All my baseball fetishes lined up for my indulgence on a Tuesday afternoon. Who knew?
There were loads of Yankees fans, sure, but also loads of Mets fans and fans from just about every team in North America. It was a baseball community for a few hours, people wearing their colors, people nodding at each other, people reaching across the badly named aisles to be a part of something that doesn't come around very often. The cynic in me left early. The fan in me bought a couple of relatively affordable bobbleheads and hung around.
Baby Ruth set up a booth where you could record "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on CD. Since there was no real line for it, Stephanie and I, decked out in orange and blue, ducked in and gave it our best/worst. When we came out, we were greeted by a Yankees fan waiting to go next. "Nice," he said. "Very nice."
Better to have sung in harmony than to have covered my ears.


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I LOVE Mila Kunis a lot. I will watch her in almost anything. Even Friends With Benefits. Which is why I'm so gutted that this is happening. That whatever it is with Ashton Kutcher is more than just shamef-cking. Unless shamef-cking now includes getting dressed up for a romantic Italian dinner.
Mila and Ashton were at Giorgio Baldi on Saturday night. They've been seen together several times the last few weeks and also leaving each other's homes. And as much as I would like to believe her denials, there's only one option here - they're on and she's into it and I can't understand why.
Because Ashton Kutcher is a dick. Not just because he cheated on Demi Moore - but yeah that too - and not just because he's too dumb to write his own tweets and not just because he's an arrogant talentless piece of sh-t but if all that wasn't enough it's also because he's not kind. Shouldn't they be kind?
What does it say about Mila Kunis that she can stand to spend time with Ashton Kutcher? Does it matter? Should it matter? It matters. Does she simply not see it in him or worse... does she see it and not care? Either way it's disappointing. Mila Kunis seems like the kind of girl, unmistakeably the child of immigrants (we recognise it in each other), who'd rather be a bitch than a disappointment. Where is she now?


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(New York, NY) The National Lacrosse League (NLL) and the Professional Lacrosse Player's Association (PLPA) have announced that the parties have reached accord on a new one-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covering the 2013 NLL season. The terms for the agreement were negotiated during a July 12th bargaining session held in Buffalo, NY. The parties have also agreed to continue negotiating on a long-term CBA for the 2014 season and beyond.
On June 25th, the league's Board of Governors unanimously elected to opt out of the final two seasons of the prior CBA. The recently completed 2012 season was the fifth year of the prior agreement that was agreed to prior to the 2008 season. That agreement had provided for either party the right to opt out of the final two years of the 7-year agreement.
The league anticipates the release of the 2013 season schedule in early September.


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Get Your Daily Dose of Planetary Landscapes
April 19, 2012
SETI Institute research scientist, Nathalie Cabrol, has a new Facebook page that celebrates planetary sciences, knowledge, and the spirit of human exploration. Dedicated to those, in the long lineage of explorers, who dare to look beyond what the eyes can meet, invent tomorrow, and find their way to its destination.
Like the page and get your daily dose of planetary imagery at http://www.facebook.com/PlanetaryLandscapes


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Focus on the Family's John 3:16 Ad During Broncos Game Results in Salvations
If sports fans didn't know the message behind John 3:16 before, they do now.
Focus on the Family (FOTF), a Christian ministry based in Colorado Springs, aired a 30-second TV spot during the AFC Divisional playoff game between the Denver Broncos – a team led by Christian quarterback Tim Tebow – and the New England Patriots. The commercial showed children quoting and explaining John 3:16.
"There's been a lot of buzz lately about what John 3:16 says, and we wanted to help people understand it without having to run to their computer to look it up," Jim Daly, president of FOTF, said in a statement. "For Christians, the verse is the essence of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and when you have good news you want to share it with as many people as possible."
Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media relations for FOTF, told The Christian Post on Monday that John 3:16 became the top trending topic worldwide on Twitter after the advertisement aired. He says that it is difficult to gauge precisely what kind of impact the video had, although most of the responses the organization has received have been positive.
"My estimate would be that only about 3.16 percent of the comments have been negative," he said jokingly.
John 3:16, which is perhaps the most widely known Bible verse in the Christian community, first became a hot internet topic over a week ago when Tebow made reference to it following his team's overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 8.
Internet searches for the verse were further fueled by Tebow's stats during the Pittsburgh game, in which he threw for 316 yards and averaged 31.6 passing yards.
The game against the Patriots went a much different way, however.
Despite what some thought to be a divine victory the week before, the Broncos quickly fell behind against the Patriots and entered halftime trailing 35-7. It didn't get much better, either, as they went on to lose by a final of 45-10 in a game where Tebow, who is used to playing hero, completed just 9 of 26 pass attempts and failed to score a single touchdown either in the air or on the ground.
Despite the blowout loss Saturday, however, the FOTF ad helped John 3:16 to again become the number one trending topic on Twitter for the second time in about a week.
Internet evangelists from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) took advantage of the trend last week by setting up a web page explaining the verse. Near the end of the week, the BGEA reported that 9,000 people had visited the website and 170 people began a relationship with Jesus Christ as a result.
The John 3:16 commercial isn't the first FOTF ad that Tebow played an important role in. The organization also ran a pro-life ad during Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 that featured Tebow and his mother, Pam.
Schneeberger hopes that the new commercial will lead hundreds or even thousands of people to Christ.
Dave Grumme, pastor of creative communications at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas, sent a Twitter message to FOTF saying that his children were saved through the commercial.
"Both my sons just saw your commercial and gave their lives to Christ as a result. Thank you. #John316," Grumme Tweeted.
Although it is unclear whether or not FOTF will air the commercial again, Schneeberger thinks they probably will.
"It's a good ad about the Good News, so there's a really good chance you'll see it again," he said.
Jeff Schapiro


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Totem Tribe II: Jotun official website will be deployed next week
Posted 06-15-2013 at 08:10 AM by berserker
We managed to put together official website for TT2 which will be available at www.totemtribe.com
We will be deploying it next week and after extensive testing will make it available live to everyone. Hopefully testing won't take too much time and website will be available next week too.
You might ask why it took us so long to setup a basic website where there are a lot of website engines and frameworks available, both commercial and free ones. The answer is, because website is built around the game itself and with launching it we are launching part of the game as well (the technical part that handles accounts, registrations, logins, etc.) and website is basically a superstructure on top of Totem Tribe 2 account server.
Thus, this post is one of the last blog posts here, future news will be posted on the new website, and forums will be moved as well.
Tags: asdf4962, deployment, jotun, phpinfo();, totem tribe 2, website
Total Comments 36
Goodbye Berserker! See you there!
Posted 06-15-2013 at 06:33 PM by n0cDk3y
Posted 06-15-2013 at 07:01 PM by An81angel
Posted 06-15-2013 at 07:06 PM by berserker
Posted 06-15-2013 at 07:59 PM by anneer
Posted 06-15-2013 at 08:10 PM by jeresandy
Updated 06-15-2013 at 08:12 PM by jeresandy
Posted 06-15-2013 at 08:35 PM by berserker
Berserker. Is this sight going away? All of your other news will still be here correct? Just TT2 will be on new sight or am I misunderstanding?
Posted 06-16-2013 at 01:35 AM by brendatimj
Cool and I'll see you over there.
I'm wondering one thing though, there are like 40,000+ members, a good deal of them are probably spambots, so how will you deal with those and inactive members when you do the initial transfer to the new site and forum so that it doesn't clog up the game account database?
Posted 06-16-2013 at 05:19 AM by smjjames
Spambots that posted spam at least once are banned. We will not transfer banned accounts. But 40000 is not that large amount, it will not clog up the database that much. Furthermore later when we launch the game if player does not play the game and don't have any posts posted on forums will be considered empty and inactive and will be deleted.
Posted 06-16-2013 at 05:53 AM by berserker
There are not much news here aside TT2 anyway and we are focused on TT2, so there is no point on having news and forums here when TT2 moved elsewhere. This site will not go away, but news and forums will be forzen and kept only for archive purpose. All TT2-related activity will be going on separate site.
Posted 06-16-2013 at 05:56 AM by berserker
Whoohoo! So looking forward to playing :)
Will we be able to change our usernames on the new site? Maybe I want a different one...
Posted 06-16-2013 at 04:50 PM by
The anticipation is huge. Can not wait.
Greetings from Germany.
PS: Sorry, my english is not so good.
Posted 06-16-2013 at 07:03 PM by bigbirky
Posted 06-16-2013 at 08:33 PM by berserker
Thanks for the clarification berserker.
I'll see you on the new site then, but I will miss this one since I've been checking it daily for 2 years.
Posted 06-16-2013 at 10:52 PM by brendatimj
Can't wait...
I'm checking this site everyday...
Posted 06-17-2013 at 07:36 AM by TheKid
Thanks berserker!
Posted 06-17-2013 at 09:14 AM by
woohooo!!!!!!!!great work!!!
Posted 06-21-2013 at 11:00 AM by fireball1471
Berserker...I am so excited. It is so close to being a reality.
Posted 06-22-2013 at 12:17 AM by Amazed1
Not up just yet, but patiently waiting.
Also wondering what the surprise thing is you said (or I think you said) would reveal when the site goes up.
Posted 06-22-2013 at 02:44 AM by smjjames
The week is up. Waiting not so patiently...
Posted 06-22-2013 at 12:38 PM by vivia


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"The Biggest Loser" will, it seems, be shedding a cast member.
In an official statement, former tennis star Anna Kournikova, who was hired to be the celebrity trainer for season 12 following the departure of series veteran Jillian Michaels, confirmed that she would not be back for season 13.
"I enjoyed my time on the 'Biggest Loser' ranch," said Kournikova. "Although I will not be returning as a full time trainer on season 13, I will always be a part of 'The Biggest Loser' family and my commitment to bettering lives through health and fitness will continue."
U.S. & World
Despite rumors of backstage tension, there has been no official reason given for the decision.
Selected Reading: MSNBC, Reuters, Deadline Hollywood