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Newspapers, blogs and other media outlets (including this one) are trumpeting the "breaking" news that John Edwards has admitted to fathering an out-of-wedlock daughter with mistress Rielle Hunter. Of course, this is not news in any real sense.
The National Enquirer first reported on the "love child" two years ago and now is crowing that the former presidential candidate "FINALLY admits to the world what The ENQUIRER has been telling you all along." It's only mainstream media outlets that have been reluctant to acknowledge the tabloid's reports or investigate the matter for themselves. As reported in "Game Change," the recent book on the 2008 campaign, "The Enquirer's exposé gained zero traction in the traditional press and almost none in the blogosphere."
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While bloggers eventually caught up, only now — long after Edwards' political career was finished — is the mainstream media piling on. And that's only because of Edwards' belated admission, which comes from purely self-serving purposes: He's trying to pre-empt the blow to his already-damaged reputation set to be thrown by former aide Andrew Young, who once claimed to have fathered Hunter's child but is set to expose the full story in a tell-all, "The Politician," to be published next month.
If there's a real story here, it's that the distinction between the mainstream news (such august papers as The New York Times and The Washington Post, and the major television networks' news divisions) and less traditional outlets (Web sites like the Drudge Report and Gawker and tabloids like the Enquirer) is an increasingly false one.
TRENDING: Gowdy Gets Asked To Investigate Trump, Instantly Makes His Move
Read More: By Paul Wachter, Sphere
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Mayer Brown has experience in many specific matters. Search the entire list.
Mayer Brown has more than 250 lawyers ranked by Chambers worldwide and more than 150 Peer Review Rated lawyers in Martindale Hubbell.
On August 26, 2009, the US Federal bank regulators released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) that responds to recent changes in US accounting standards for securitizations (see our June 22, 2009, Client Update "Big Changes to Securitization Accounting"). Under the accounting changes:
Current US rules permit banks to calculate their risk-based capital requirements without giving effect to consolidation of ABCP conduits under the existing standard for consolidation of "variable interest entities" (VIEs) — a category that includes most bank-sponsored conduits and qualifying SPEs. There is no comparable relief for consolidation of qualifying SPEs, which have previously been used to avoid consolidation of many term market securitizations. Nor is there comparable relief for the calculation of the regulatory leverage ratio for either conduits or formerly qualifying SPEs (which will now be subject to the same consolidation standards as other VIEs).
Many market participants at one time had thought that the existing relief for conduits would be retained and that comparable relief for at least some formerly qualifying SPEs might be provided, possibly along with some leverage ratio relief. However, regulatory attitudes towards the capital treatment of securitizations have changed dramatically in the credit crisis. As stated in the NPR: "the agencies believe that the broader accounting consolidation requirements implemented by the 2009 GAAP modifications will result in a regulatory capital treatment that more appropriately reflects the risks to which banking organizations are exposed."
As a result, the NPR proposes:
The agencies acknowledge that the increased capital requirements come at an unfortunate time and request comment as to possible adverse impacts on credit extension and economic recovery. They also discuss the possibility of a transition period to mitigate any such impacts (with specific discussion of a phase-in over four quarters) and request comment on the details of any such transition. Comments are also requested on several other matters, including the treatment of securitized loans in the allowance for loan and lease losses and the current limit on the amount of provisions that count as Tier 2 capital.
The NPR provides only 30 days for comments, commencing when the NPR is published in the Federal Register.
For more information about any matter raised in this Alert, please contact
Securitization or Financial Services Regulatory & Enforcement practices.
Learn more about our Securitization and Financial Services Regulatory & Enforcement practices.
Mayer Brown is a global legal services provider comprising legal practices that are separate entities (the "Mayer Brown Practices"). The Mayer Brown Practices are: Mayer Brown LLP and Mayer Brown Europe-Brussels LLP, both limited liability partnerships established in Illinois USA; Mayer Brown International LLP, a limited liability partnership incorporated in England and Wales (authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and registered in England and Wales number OC 303359); Mayer Brown, a SELAS established in France; Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C., a sociedad civil formed under the laws of the State of Durango, Mexico; Mayer Brown JSM, a Hong Kong partnership and its associated legal practices in Asia; and Tauil & Chequer Advogados, a Brazilian law partnership with which Mayer Brown is associated. Mayer Brown Consulting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd and its subsidiary, which are affiliated with Mayer Brown, provide customs and trade advisory and consultancy services, not legal services. "Mayer Brown" and the Mayer Brown logo are the trademarks of the Mayer Brown Practices in their respective jurisdictions.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Singaporeans and Permanent Residents of Singapore (the "Residents") must have a valid entry levy to enter the casino. Person eligible to enter casino must be 21 years old or above. All entry levies are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable. Entry levies collected are paid to the Singapore Totalisator Board for social or charitable purposes.
Day Levy: S$100
Annual Levy: S$2,000
• Residents and non-residents are to enter and leave the casino premises using lanes designated for residents and non-residents respectively.
• Residents are required to pay entry levy prior to entering the casino premises.
• Only persons 21 years old or above are eligible to enter into the casino premises.
• All entry levies once paid are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable.
• A fine of up to S$1,000 for entering the casino premises without paying entry levy is specified in section 116(6) of the Casino Control Act (the "Act").
• Residents are reminded to check their entry levy expiry via membership kiosks before exiting.
• Overstayers are reminded to purchase entry levies at the nearest cage counters or entry levy kiosks before exiting.
Entry levy can be purchased at:
• Levy counters at Resorts World at Sentosa Pte. Ltd. ("RWS");
• Internet levy payment portal page (www.rwsentosa.com); and
• Levy kiosks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)1. Do I need to buy a levy?
Only the Residents are required to purchase a day levy or annual levy before entering the casino. A day levy allows you to stay in the casino for up to 24-hour period from the first entry into the casino. You can also buy an annual levy that gives you unlimited entries to Singapore's first casino at RWS for 12 consecutive months from the first entry into the casino premises.
2. Must I buy the levy on the day I visit?
The day levy is valid for 30 days, while the annual levy will be auto activated upon first entry to casino or 90 days from date of purchase. You do not need a physical levy receipt to enter the casino premises. You just need to present your Singapore NRIC, Singapore Driving Licence, Singapore Armed Forces identification card, Singapore Civil Defence Force National Service identification card, Singapore Police Force National Service identification card, re-entry permit with passport, passport issued by the Singapore Government or NRIC collection slip issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, together with and original identification document issued by the Singapore Government which contains both a photo identification and date of birth (collectively known as "permitted identification documents") upon entering the casino premises.
3. What are the modes of payment for entry levy?
The modes of payment are:a.
Levy counter
Cash, NETS/ Direct Debit or credit card
Levy kiosk
NETS or credit card
Internet levy payment portal page (www.rwsentosa.com)
• Direct Debit method (e-NETS or other payment gateways);
• Credit Card method (credit card payment gateway)
4. What do I do after I have paid for a levy?
Patrons will get a levy receipt from our levy counters or levy kiosks, or an email confirmation from online booking. You are required to present permitted identification document when entering into casino premises via Singaporean/PR lanes at the casino entrance.
5. Can I go to two casinos with one entry levy?
Day levy and annual levy purchased for one casino cannot be used for another casino.
6. Is the entry levy refundable?
Under the CCA, the entry levy purchased is non-refundable unless it is approved by the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore if it is proved that it has been overpaid.
7. Can I buy a levy and split my 24 hours with a friend?
Entry levy purchased is non- transferable. A permitted identification document has to be produced at the entry for verification purposes before entering the casino premises. It is an offence to enter the casino premises without valid entry levy or using another person's permitted identification document to enter the casino.
8. How do you prevent minor from buying a levy ticket?
The patron is required to produce permitted identification document when purchasing entry levy at levy counters. Purchasing entry levy via internet levy payment portal page and at the levy kiosks will be rejected for patrons below 21 years old.
9. Do I have to buy the entry levy on the same day of my visit to the casino?
No, you are allowed to buy entry levy in advance. The day levy will be activated from the first entry into the casino premises, or 30 days from date of purchase, whichever is earlier. The annual levy will be activated from the first entry into the casino premises, or 90 days from date of purchase, whichever is earlier.
10. How do I know that my 24-hour stay is up?
The entry levy receipt does not indicate entry date and time. Patron is able to check their levy expiry date and time at the any of the membership kiosks in the casino premises. Patrons who wish to stay beyond their entry levy validity can buy a second entry levy from the cage counters or levy kiosks in the casino. (Patrons who exit after the expiry of their levy validity will be escorted to the nearest levy counters to pay for outstanding levy.)
11. Do I have to present my identification card at the exit to prove that I am leaving?
Yes, the residents should present their permitted identification document before exiting the casino premises.
12. What happens if I want to leave the casino for lunch and return later?
Patrons can enter/leave the casino freely as long as their entry levy is not expired.
13. Can I upgrade my day levy into an annual levy after I've seen the casino?
No, you can't upgrade day levy to annual levy.
14. Do I get any gifts for purchasing entry levy?
The casino operator is prohibited from reimbursing entry levy under CCA.
15. Why do you collect entry levy from patrons?
The entry levies collected from the patrons are submitted to Singapore Totalisator Board for public and charity causes. The casino operator does not keep any part of the entry levies collected.
16. Do employees get discounts off the entry levy?
No, the employees do not get discounts off the entry levy.
17. What would you do if I walk into the casino without buying a levy?
It is an offence to enter the casino without a valid entry levy ticket. The penalty of doing so is a fine up to S$1,000.
18. Are non-Singaporeans and Permanent Residents of Singapore ("non-residents") required to purchase entry levy before entering casino?
Non-residents are not required to purchase entry levy to enter the casino. However, it is a statutory requirement for non-residents to present either of the following identification documents before entering the casino:
Foreign passport with short-term immigration pass (Note: This includes group passports with the particulars and photograph of each member in the group);
Long-term visit pass with photograph identification;
Long-term visit pass without photo identification together with foreign passport;
Student pass with photograph identification;
Student pass without photograph identification together with foreign passport;
Work pass with photograph identification;
Work pass without photograph identification together with foreign passport;
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Identification Cards issued to Diplomats in Foreign Embassies and Professional Staff in International Organizations;
Special pass with photograph identification issued by the Ministry of manpower or the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority; or
Dependant's Pass issued by the Ministry of Manpower.
Gaming at a glance
Be dazzled by one of the world's newest gaming halls. Whether you relish a roll of the dice, appreciate good food, or simply love heart-pumping entertainment, Resorts World's gaming floor is the place where it all comes together.
More than just gaming, Resorts World Sentosa is where you can see Dale Chihuly's magnificent glass sculptures, taste some of Singapore's best culinary delights, and watch top-class shows - all these on top of a wide array of table games, slots and electronic games available.
Owned and operated by Asia's largest and oldest gaming operator, Resorts World Sentosa is unrivalled in its intimate knowledge of Asian gaming preferences. The place brims with activities 24/7 and is complemented by unparalleled customer privileges.
Our trained croupiers and hand-picked Guest Services Ambassadors will ensure our customers get an enjoyable experience.
For queries, email us at: email@example.com
Resort World Casino Gamblers please fall in here! Make your discussions live!


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CSA Options Shares still available for the 2017 growing season
Full Share $630
Half Share $395
Winter Storage Share $115
What you receive
The season will run from the first week in June until we the weather no longer permits. I expect this season to be a twenty weeks minimum. Boxes are delivered once a week every week of the season. Weeks do vary from June to October so you will get many different items from week to week. This is an example of mid season week. Tomatoes, pak choy, leeks, banana peppers, anaheim peppers, matchbox peppers, green bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant, baby yukon gold potatoes, garlic, green beans, sweet corn, watermelon, yellow onions, green onions.
Drop site locations
We have drop site locations in Eagan,Northeast Minneapolis, Uptown, Robinsdale, Highland Park, Exselsior, Woodbury, Edina, Phalen park and pick up in Northfield at Riverwalk Market Fair.


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> Here some pprof result using go 1.7.1 first and tip later: If I understand you correctly, you still have questions about memory management, but the nature of the question has changed from "why does this function keep increasing memory consumption" to "why does my program consume so much memory"? I think the former was answered. The latter boils down to the nature of Go memory management.
A variable called GOGC controls when the next collection will begin. "A collection is triggered when the ratio of freshly allocated data to live data remaining after the previous collection reaches this percentage." GOGC by default is 100, so you roughly double your used/allocated memory before you start freeing up objects. To monitor the collection cycles you can run your code with "GODEBUG=gctrace=1"[1] (see link at bottom for documentation). Go normally does not return all deallocated memory to the host immediately after deallocation. That would not be very efficient. Instead, scavenging happens on certain intervals. gctrace=1 will output information about that too, the documentation of the format is again at the link at the bottom. -- 1: https://golang.org/pkg/runtime/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "golang-nuts" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to golang-nuts+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.


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STO43: 5 Steps to Creating a Winning Lead Magnet
Click here to subscribe to the 'Smart Time Online Podcast' in iTunes
If you do not yet have a lead magnet in place in your online business, this podcast episode may very well change your life. A lead magnet is something you offer of high perceived (and actual) value in exchange for a visitors information, typically a name and email address.
It is the first step in converting a visitor into a customer – all while establishing extremely high goodwill, trust and rapport with those who sign up to get it. It is the foundation to creating a highly responsive email list, which is undeniably one of the most profitable assets you could possible have.
The catch is that a lot of solopreneurs and small business owners really have no clue how to create a good lead magnet that magnetically attracts prospects and leads into their funnel. Because of this, one may end up either giving up and settling on the "free newsletter" route, or end up publishing a "not-so-good" lead magnet and then wonder why it's not pulling in subscribers and leads.
In this episode, I'll reveal a 5-step outline that you can use anytime you create a lead magnet; one that can grow your income from the moment you publish it.
- The 5-step outline that I use in my own business to build highly profitable email lists that are full of people who like and trust you.
- Why step #2 is often overlooked, resulting in lost income and happy subscribers.
- How offering a _____ ______ will cement your "goodwill factor" in the marketplace, setting you out on the right foot among your new subscribers.
- Why specificity matters and why you're probably missing this point outright.
- Why (and how) having one lead magnet can be a very good thing for your business.
- Why stating the value of your lead magnet is critical for supporting perceived value.
- The difference between a $300 value and a $37 value (and which way you should lean).
- The ONE thing you should make sure is in place AFTER someone submits their name and email to receive your lead magnet (it has nothing to do with emails).
- If you do not yet have a lead magnet, CREATE ONE as soon as you can!
- If you already have a lead magnet, use this 5-step outline as a checklist and go back to improve on yours where needed.
- Consider creating more than one lead magnet to serve the specific needs of your website visitor segments. This will improve your list growth rate without any increase in traffic.
- Not having a lot of traffic is not a good excuse for not having a great lead magnet and accompanying process in place. Set it up now so you don't have to later.
- Download my 5-step outline PDF below and print it out for easy reference. Don't
- Would you like some 1-on-1 help? Click here
I honestly did not include this step in the podcast episode because I just didn't think about it until now. But it's a very important step – and it is to install a lead magnet and opt-in plugin on your website that makes it EASY to serve lead magnets. The one that I use on this site, which is my personal favorite and the one I recommend the most, is called Optin Monster.
Optin Monster makes it SUPER EASY to install timed lead manget pop-ups on your WordPress site, sidebar forms, slide-in forms and even on-click popups like the one on the upper right corner of my sidebar. You can even set up what's called an exit-intent popup, which only displays if a visitors cursor breaks the plane of your site (when they hover the back button, etc.).
I listened to a recent interview with the creator of Optin Monster and he mentioned that they were considering switching to a paid subscription model for the plugin. Although this isn't for sure and he could've just been "thinking out loud", I'd grab it now while it's still a non-subscription based model. It's not the cheapest plugin, but you get what you pay for and I honestly believe they could charge more for what it does. Check it out here.
- Optin Monster – what I consider to be the best lead generation WordPress plugin on the market today.
Want the perfect companion for creating winning lead magnets? This is it!
To subscribe to the Smart Time Online Podcast, use the link below:
PLEASE share it! It's easy… just use any of the 'SHARE' buttons below! Have a question about this episode? Leave a comment below and let's chat!


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I've always been a big fan of the "I love BlackBerry" app from EarlySail. The only problem with that application is that it really could be more advanced in its breakdown of how you use your BlackBerry. Today, we have a new entrant that looks to fill that void. SmrtMonitor is an application which tracks and monitors your BlackBerry usage in the background and actually breaks down your usage to percentages to give you a better idea of how you spend your time. Do you spend more time messaging people? Maybe you spend more time using a specific application? Now you can get a full break down of each, that is if you're not too scared to find out. SmrtMonitor is available for all devices 4.2+ and is currently on sale for only $3.99 until December 31st.
Introducing SmrtMonitor - Get A Complete Breakdown Of Your BlackBerry Usage!
Reader comments
Introducing SmrtMonitor - Get A Complete Breakdown Of Your BlackBerry Usage!
This is an initial release of SmrtMonitor. We are planning to have more features in our future releases :)
Of course, with ALL of our SMRT software, future updates (major or minor) are FREE for LIFE.
Happy New Year BlackBerry Nation!
I needed something like this since my stupid phone is always "busy" at inopportune times.
I'm sure there will be CB users who will find this app very useful. There's nothing wrong with believing that an app won't be useful for your BlackBerry, but all the unnecessary bashing is ridiculous.
app looks interesting but not something I am going to pay for. Going to check out that i love blackberry app. I would say that this app with its seemingly more advanced stats would be more marketable to entities who issue BB's to determine how the devices are being used. In that case it may worth the money to if a business finds out that employees are using their work issued devices more for personal use than production use.
I agree this isn't the most useful type of application, but it's still interesting. Now, I wonder if SmrtMonitor does count time spent listening to music or watching video, as device usaa. The moment I found out ILBB didn't count the hours I spent listening to music I ditched it because to me, that IS part of how I USE my BlackBerry.
i dont get the point of these types of apps...is it going to make me cut back on using viigo because i use it 75% percent of the week? no....it is going to tell me which app is killing my battery? no....what is the purpose except to just give a basic knowledge...and if that is the case, why would i pay?! idk....to each his own
This is the message I get on my Bold 9700 after nearly 2 weeks of good use. Now the app cannot open at all with this message showing.
I have written in to smrtguard.com's support - no answer witht he exception of their email auto-responder.
Judging from others who have experienced similar problems much earlier than me, there does not seem to be any persomal response to help resolve this matter.
I have paid for this app. I purchased it through the recommendation oof Crackberry. Crackberry should act on our behalf and resolve this matter.
Live with passion. LIFE IS SUPER FANTASTIC!!!


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As Western Journalism reported this week, New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy made headlines simply by answering a reporter's question regarding homosexuality. The second baseman – a self-identified Christian – was asked to share his opinion on playing alongside a gay teammate as well as the club's invitation of homosexual MLB star Billy Bean to serve as its "ambassador for inclusion."
Despite the fact that Murphy offered a compassionate and loving response, his team is apparently anxious to make sure he no longer publicly speaks on any subject aside from baseball.
Although he was merely answering a reporter's question, ESPN cited a Mets source who confirmed this week that Murphy will no longer be allowed to discuss his personal beliefs with the press.
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Tellingly, even Bean stood up for Murphy's comments, confirming that he has "tremendous admiration and respect" for the player.
"After reading his comments, I appreciate that Daniel spoke his truth," Bean said. "I really do. I was visiting his team and a reporter asked his opinion about me."
TRENDING: Gowdy Gets Asked To Investigate Trump, Instantly Makes His Move
The comments that seem to have prompted the Mets' censorship of Murphy included his belief that homosexuals should be treated with love and respect by the Christian community.
"I just think that as a believer trying to articulate it in a way that says just because I disagree with the lifestyle doesn't mean I'm just never going to speak to Billy Bean every time he walks through the door," Murphy said. "That's not love. That's not love at all."
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Share this article on Facebook if you support the First Amendment.


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The sunset view from the Trump World Tower at United Nations Plaza was magical and dizzying. High above Manhattan, we found ourselves eye-level with a glowing Empire State building. In the distance, the jeweled, twinkling arms of three bridges pointed the way to Brooklyn and Queens. But the lights also drew attention to a shadow… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Manhattan
Where the children go, the schools follow. In a sure sign that Lower Manhattan is adding more families than ever (our residential population has doubled in the last 10 years), a new child care center and pre-school has opened off Washington Street across from Battery Park City. Just up the Hudson in North Battery Park… Read more »
There are a few absolute life-changing moments for a woman: the birth of her children, her wedding day, and (most importantly) the moment she realizes she's over her ex-boyfriend. Hallelujah! It's that beautiful second when reality sinks in and you come to the realization that he was the one who was an absolute mess; that you are way… Read more »
"In other parts of the country people try to stay together for the sake of the children. In New York they try to work things out for the sake of the apartment." ⁓David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day It's time to knock a few years off my life and find an apartment in New… Read more »
"I used to ride in my father's rumble seat," Dad told me while we sat at the bar in Loftus Tavern. As Dad drank a short beer and I sipped a Coke, I wondered what's a rumble seat? He said, "It was a seat that hinged out of the back of the car; it felt… Read more »


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New figures show that 2007 has been a record year for customers changing electricity supplier with nearly three million switching so far.
Energy regulator Ofgem says that in the first seven months of 2007, 2.8 million customers switched their electricity supplier and 2.3 million switched gas supplier. Many of the electricity customers also switched gas.
Ofgem says the switching figure is the highest for five years, and attributes it to lower prices and better service.
Switch with Which?
The regulator advises customers to consider switching their supplier now to get the best deal for this winter.
On average in 2006, households using our dedicated switching site, Switch with Which?, saved £245 year, with first-time switchers most likely to make big savings – up to £500 in some cases.
Ofgem says customers who pay for gas and electricity by pre-payment meter have the most to gain from switching supplier.
Best deal
Ofgem Chief Executive Alistair Buchanan said: 'With 2.8 million households switching in the first half of the year, the heat is still on suppliers to offer customers the best deal for their energy.
'With winter drawing in and all suppliers having lowered their prices, now is a good time for all customers to check whether they are getting a good deal for their energy.'


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On Friday, February 5, 2016, the City of Tucson Environmental Services Department will unveil and begin delivery of five metal trash containers that have been painted with murals as part of an effort to reduce graffiti. Environmental Services contracted with the Tucson Arts Brigade to coordinate the project. Additional funding was provided by the Graffiti Resource Council in Washington, DC.
Five Tucson artists
have designed and painted the trash containers which will be provided to
businesses that have a high potential for graffiti and tagging. The
City, working with the Tucson Arts Brigade hopes the program will also
improve urban aesthetics and ultimately save taxpayers money on graffiti
Five artists were selected from 44 applicants who ranged from established painters to first-time muralists. The artists are Johanna Hand, Sasha Lewis, Niki Glen, Porter McDonald and Ruben Moreno. The city provided $5,000 in funding for the pilot program, which was matched by the Graffiti Resource Council, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit vandalism prevention organization.
Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik said, "City leaders have been working on this program for quite some time. Even though such initiatives may not end the exorbitant cost of graffiti abatement, they can potentially help save money as well as beautify the city."
The unveiling of the trash containers will be held in the parking lot, behind the Chicago Store in downtown Tucson on Friday, February 5, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. All five of the trash containers will be on display before being delivered to the business customers participating in the program.
Adopt-A-Mural Program: Preserve Tucson Murals - Adopt-A-Mural! Help Maintain Your City Wide Outdoor Gallery - Did you hear the news? Click this image to hear Tucson News Now Story We know you love the Arts Brigade murals, and now we need your help in preserving the...
5 months ago


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For some women, beauty can't be compromised even when they are pregnant. I know a lot of women still use the same beauty products during pre-pregnancy, some say it won't affect the baby because minimal amount can cross the skin's barrier unless you drink or eat those contents on beauty products, lol!
Babycenter.com lists skin care products containing harmful chemicals to avoid during pregnancy, while others may not believe on these, it is better safe than sorry. I shall give utmost priority to my baby's health than my face. Besides, there are plenty of other alternatives that can still give your face and body some pampering.
Some beauty products and harmful ingredients to avoid during pregnancy:
- Retinoids
- Salicylic acid
- Soy-based products
- Hair depilatories
- Anti-aging products that contain high doses of vitamin A
- Hair dyes
After learning that I'm pregnant, I readily stopped using my derma set and tried various safe products that will work on my skin. Fortunately, my skin didn't get zits and other skin problems after quitting from all those products. It's quite a savings too because I won't spend a lot buying derma sets, BB creams and powder foundation. So my beauty regimen now is just Cyleina organic soaps for face and body, Human Heart Nature's Tomato and Lemongrass facial wash and also HHN's shampoo and conditioner. I don't wear make-up so it's just baby powder and Burt's Bees lip balm for me. These products may not give me great skin but I'll just rely on the glow that pregnany gives. Besides, my husband still thinks I'm beautiful *wink*…


text: Schmood was a Yuzzum, working for Grappa the Hutt. This article is a stub about a character. You can help Wookieepedia by expanding it. AppearancesEdit Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood 6 (First appearance) In other languages ČeskyDeutschPolski Retrieved from "http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Schmood?oldid=6753478" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Legends articlesCharacter stubsCriminalsMalesYuzzum


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Can you think of a time when you set an impressive 'Personal Best'? Some of my friends run the Brighton Marathon each year and - whether they broadcast it or not - their primary aim is to beat their 'PB'. Yes, competition is deeply ingrained in human beings, even (or maybe especially,) when that competition is against yourself. For the Christian this can be problematic. Here is a live example: I know the greatest amount I have ever given in a Gift Day. I know that there is a March Gift Day just around the corner. I also know how much money I've got in my bank account, how much my house costs me, how much my car has cost me this month, and when my wife and daughter's birthdays are (February and January in case you were wondering.)
What unites the two thoughts above? Well, here is a confession: Sometimes it crosses my mind that if I can't beat my Gift Day 'PB' then I can't compete. My reasoning goes a bit like this - "Last time I was able to give hundreds, maybe thousands of pounds. Now, doesn't the fifty, twenty, ten quid, or whatever, that I am able to give this time can seem a little insignificant?" It's this line of thinking that has sometimes falsely convinced me that there's no point even giving 'this time round'. All because I couldn't match or beat my PB. What a horribly proud reaction, eh?! So, what are a couple of ways that believers can meet these thoughts with the guidance of God's truth?
1. Firstly, remember that "man looks on the outward appearance but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7) This is especially helpful if you replace 'man' in the the above quotation with your own name - try it! Essentially, God is concerned with your motive in giving and not primarily the amount. Jesus echoes this in his observation of the sacrificial giving displayed by a poor widow (Mark 12:41-44) We might look at our own 'outward appearance' to take our spiritual temperature but that isn't God's method.
2. Secondly, remember that God says 'the silver is mine and the gold is mine' (Haggai 2:8) In other words, whatever our subjective judgment of the value of a 'thing', God owns every thing! Our role is that of a steward and Jesus shows us in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) that stingy stewardship flows directly out of a faulty understanding of who God is (viz. that He is a 'hard' master and not gracious.) Knowing that He is Faithful gives us faith to give our money courageously to His church.
So whatever you are giving this time around, whether it beats your PB or not, know that God is fully delighted in all of His children all of the time. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the Father sees you as perfect as Jesus is because you are 'in Christ' (Ephesians 1:4-6) The fact of that kind of commendation and security alone should free us from the need to compete on the world's terms. We have been declared qualified to the utmost by the only Judge whose assessment actually matters! So let's give our money to this gift day as God has given each of us the means and the faith to do right now and enjoy partnering with Him in this great mission.


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On the week of September 22nd, the German Luftwaffe was shown to have glaring deficiencies: the Defense Minister, Ursula Von der Leyden, had requested two Transall transports to ferry her and the first planeload of $900 million in military equipment to Irbil in support of Kurdish forces fighting ISIS. Ms. Von der Leyden and her staff arrived, but the weapons did not, because the Luftwaffe had only one operational Transall at their disposal. The Germans then had to ship the weapons and trainers in separate aircraft – the weapons on a Dutch transport, and the German paratroopers on another plane what was forced to land in Bulgaria and wait for two days due to lack of clearance from the Iraqi government. To cap off the week, it was revealed that another Luftwaffe transport ferrying supplies to West Africa to fight Ebola had been forced to land with mechanical difficulties in the Canary Islands[1].
This coincided with a report that the German Eurofighter fleet was also suffering critical serviceability levels. Out of 109 aircraft in service, 35 are in long-term maintenance and 32 more are unavailable in the short-term for a variety of reasons; leaving only 42 aircraft capable training, exercises and missions[2]. This is well below Germany's NATO commitments to the Baltic States of providing 60 aircraft in the event of an escalation of tensions with Russia.
Germany is not the only nation facing issues with its Eurofighter fleet, though the Luftwaffe's budget restrictions and spare parts policies are exacerbating the situation[3]. The Eurofighter consortium that manufactures the Typhoon reported a fault in the rear fuselage that had caused a suspension in deliveries to Germany, Italy and Spain[4]. The fault does not affect flight safety or constrain flight operations directly, though fatigue limits for impacted aircraft have been reduced pending a solution being found and applied. The suspension in deliveries may have more to do with domestic politics and strained finances than anything else: Britain's Royal Air Force and Saudi Arabia continue to receive new aircraft despite the announcement.
All these incidents were merely the icing on the cake; the German government is well aware of the poor state of the armed forces. There has already been a parliamentary inquiry in the Bundestag; a report which revealed a frightening lack of preparedness across the Bundeswehr's major weapon systems[5]:
The report probably overstates the actual state of readiness: Der Spiegel reports that the officers involved in the readiness assessment were given "wide latitude" in the application of the criteria, with the Inspector General making last-minute and arbitrary changes to the findings. While spares are unavailable to keep existing systems in the field, the German military budget is being consumed by boondoggle new equipment purchases: the Eurofighter Typhoon was far over budget while the A400M global transport plane hasn't even been delivered yet despite massive cost and time overruns. The Luftwaffe hasn't yet signed a maintenance contract for the new plane, nor does it have sufficient trained mechanics for it when it does arrive[6]. At this rate, the Germans will soon be flying World War 2 era "Tante Ju's" for their transport needs.
Sweden was in an uproar last week due to reports of a Russian sub in her territorial waters. The Swedes, an "almost" NATO partner, mobilized their sea- and air forces, but failed to find the reputed Russian intruder. Newspaper reports went from panicky to mocking as the current Swedish efforts were compared to a false alarm in 1995 when the Nordic nation mistook the underwater vocalizations of minks as a Soviet submarine[7]. Yet the situation is not farcical at all: Russia has substantially increased its military activity and the aggressiveness of its posture in the Nordic–Baltic region this year:
- On the 22nd of April, two Tu-22 supersonic "Blinder" bombers escorted by four Su-27 fighters came within 35 kilometers of Sweden. While remaining in international airspace, these Russian jets simulated attacks on Swedish military targets. The Swedish Air Force did not react to this provocation[8];
- Russian aircraft violated Finnish airspace on May 21st, prompting this nation to scramble its jets[9];
- Russian aircraft violated Latvian airspace four times in 2 hours during military exercises on the 12th of June[10];
- Finnish airspace was again violated towards the end of August, four times over the course of a week[11];
- Russian jets violated Swedish airspace near the island of Öland on the 17th of September, prompting the Swedes to scramble their Gripen fighters to intercept the intruders[12];
Sweden can't be blamed for its failure to locate the alleged Russian submarine: the 30,000 islands in the archipelago near Stockholm are a sub-hunter's nightmare. With all the underwater rocks and sudden contour changes creating sonar echoes and pockets, finding even a mediocre sub captain would be like locating a needle in 30,000 haystacks. Yet the Swedes can be faulted for complacency and lack of preparedness. In 2008, the Swedes retired their last anti-submarine helicopters, reduced their navy to a size smaller than Norway's with half the population, and cut their defense budget year-on-year[13].
These Russian moves are all part of a larger pattern of activity meant to counter European and American pressure arising from the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Russia understands that the Baltic States are NATO's Achilles Heel: isolated, easily destabilized and exposed to Russian power. Yet NATO must defend them. Russia seeks to demonstrate to the Baltic region, including Finland and Sweden, that Russian military power is real, while NATO promises are hollow. Sweden is a key strategic power in the Baltic: the Russians want the Swedes stay neutral, and their tactics while heavy-handed might be effective. Exposing NATO's weakness both undermines support for European belligerency among the Baltic States, but also to makes membership unattractive to periphery nations like Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia: "See…they can't defend you."
This assessment would seem to be at least partially true: the European members of NATO are barely in a condition to defend themselves much less anyone else. Of the 28 full members of NATO, only 5 have consistently met the minimum defense spending commitment of 2% of GDP: the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey. Every other member state has been below that threshold for 5 out of the past 10 years, and in most cases, for 10 out of the past 10 years. This has contributed to a European defense deficit equivalent to 330 billion euros over the decade, a deficit that cannot easily be made up.
The average spending hides some important differences. The six principle European members of NATO, in terms of economy and population, by no means contribute at the average. France and the United Kingdom have consistently met the 2% target for spending, though their defense budgets have been under severe stress since 2009 and the advent of the Great Recession. Italy had also maintained the criteria until 2004, but has below it since then. Germany and the Netherlands have hovered around 1.5% for the past decade; while Spain has struggled for relevance[14] at barely 1% of GDP dedicated to defense.
Not only budgets have been slashed; troop strength has fallen and major formations have been eliminated to the point that NATO is a hollow shell of a few headquarters units and some light units that can be rapidly deployed to support America in our expected "future wars" of low intensity conflicts. The West German Army, the Heer, once formed the backbone of NATO's defenses against the Warsaw Pact in the most critical theater of a potential Third World War: Central Europe. The German Army has been slashed far beyond what was required in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) agreement signed in 1990:
Nor is Germany the only country that has gutted its standing army, though they are perhaps the most extreme example. Every European state has transformed its military organization into something smaller, lighter and more deployable. This made perfect sense as long as the most likely enemy was far away and lightly armed – like insurgents, guerrillas, and poorly equipped militaries with ancient equipment – or if you were going in after the Americans anyway. So long as there was no serious conventional military threat on the European continent, there was no cause for keeping large armies. As is so often the case with military planning, both assumptions have proven wrong.
The rise of China and the re-emergence of Russia as a significant regional military power – and more importantly as a regional destabilizer – has put paid to the concept of "Future Wars" as low-intensity conflicts. Europe must once again think of the possibility of a conventional war on the continent: and that means tanks, artillery, mechanized infantry and plenty of ordnance. Europe is deficient in all of these areas. The major European powers proved incapable of taking on a fifth rate African nation on their doorstep in the 2011 Libyan campaign, and the US had to intervene – much against President Obama's desire and better judgment – to prevent an embarrassing fiasco for our French, British and Italian allies.
The European Union today is a frightening mirror image of France in the 1930's: thoroughly disarmed, with the wrong strategic doctrine, riven by faction and permeated by pacifism and a justifiable abhorrence of war, yet aware of the rise of a menace to the east that must be met with a much stronger military. The French were dumbfounded with the speed of the Nazi rearmament program: the Wehrmacht went from non-existence in 1934 to continental dominance in just 5 years. They were not able to prepare themselves for Hitler's storm when it was finally unleashed and Great Britain was saved only by the geographical blessing of the English Channel.
European leaders are today beginning to awaken to the danger. They have cut their militaries to the bone and beyond. The Russia of Vladimir Putin is not the threat that the Stalin's Soviet Union was, but it is nevertheless a threat. Russian military capabilities are improving at a steady rate; improving, whereas European capabilities continue to move in the opposite direction. The European "heartland" today finds itself over a thousand miles from danger, but that can change in a disturbingly short period of time, as the fate of France in 1940 ought to teach us. It may not be true that Vladimir Putin remarked that he could have the Russian Army in Warsaw in two days[15]; but with the parlous state of Europe's defense forces, I wouldn't bet against it either.
Sources and Notes
[1] Alison Smale, "Seeking Global Role, German Military Stumbles," New York Times, 29 September 2014
[2] Sebastian Schulte and Nicholas de Larrinaga, "German Eurofighters facing serviceability issues," IHS Jane's 360, 06 October 2014
[3] Ibid.
[4] Andrew Chuter, "Manufacturing Fault Suspends Typhoon Deliveries to Germany, Italy, Spain," Defense News, 02 October 2014
[5] "Germany's Disarmed Forces: Ramshackle Military at Odds with Global Aspirations," Der Spiegel, 30 September 2014
[6] Ibid.
[7] Richard Milne, "Swedish hunt for submarine descends into farce," Financial Times, 24 October 2014
[8] Justyna Gotkowska, "Sweden's reaction to a simulated Russian attack," OSW, 24 April 2014
[9] Erik Brattberg and Katarina Tracz, "The Hunt for Black October," Foreign Policy, 20 October 2014
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] IBid.
[13] Simon Johnson and Alistair Scrutton, "Farce, defense cuts highlight hard task in Sweden submarine hunt," Reuters, 22 October 2014
[14] Contrast with tiny Portugal, which has, on average, dedicated 2.01% of its GDP towards defense over the past 10 years.
[15] Delfi and BBC, "Putin: Russian Troops could be in Vilnius, Warsaw, and Bucharest in Two Days," Atlantic Council, 18 September 2014


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The party season is quickly coming around and if you don't have the luxury of hiding under a duvet the day after the office party, it's always useful to have a few tools in your inventory to fake a fresh face.
If you're anything like me the day after a night on the tiles my skin feels in desperate need of moisture and refreshing. The Body Shop Nutriganics Drops of Youth* is an essential weapon for preparing your skin to fake a glow. The light fresh concentrate smells fresh and sinks in instantly, it's the perfect product to quickly pick you up if you spent a few extra minutes in bed. Before you go wild with the concealer, sometimes less is more when you're trying to fake functionality. I'm a big fan of the The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream* as it is very similar to my much tried and tested Origins Vitazing. It alters to your own skintone as you blend and is light and easy to work with. It won't cake or sit on the skin and really gives a healthy sheen to the skin.
Eyes are the window to the soul and a good eye gel or cream will do you proud in the fight against fatigue. This No Bags Allowed Eye Gel from Anatomicals is packed full of witch hazel which will battle your bags. It's also really purse friendly if you're looking for an affordable treat.
Finally I'd be lost without a good pair of lash curlers to open your eyes and make you look more awake, the good old Shu Uemura are always a winner in this department. Finally, I always need to fake a flush when I'm heading out the morning after the night before. I'm currently in love (again) with the Korres Lip Butter in Plum. It's perfect for looking rosy on the lips and if you're in a rush a small amount buffed into the cheeks is more than acceptable.
What do you do to fake a healthy glow after you've partied the night away?


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58 Cortland, Irvine CA, 92620 (Residential)
Sold Price:
5 beds , 5 Full baths
3,462 sqft
Status: Sold
Last Updated: 12/10/2017 7:59 PM
Description for 58 Cortland Irvine, CA 92620
Exclusive Arcadia 1Y Floor-plan, this beautiful home has 5 bedrooms including two master suites (1 downstairs and 1 upstairs) and one guest bedroom downstairs, plus an upstairs entertainment loft.
Sold Price:
Sold Date:12/09/2016
5 Full
3,462 (approx)
Exclusive Arcadia 1Y Floor-plan, this beautiful home has 5 bedrooms including two master suites (1 downstairs and 1 upstairs) and one guest bedroom downstairs, plus an upstairs entertainment loft.
Listing Information
Tripointe Homes
Common Hot Water Heater, Tankless Water Heater, Wa
School Information
Room Information
Family Room, Living Room, Foyer, Guest Room, Loft, Walk-In Pantry
Master Suite, 2 Master Suites, Walk-In Closet
Bathtub, Shower
Interior Features
Six Burner Range, Dishwasher, Gas Range/Cooktop, Microwave, Range Hood, Exhaust Fan/Hood, Carbon Monoxide Detector
Hardwood, Carpet and Other, Ceramic Tile
Central Air, A/C - Zone, Ceiling Fan(s)
Double Pane
Foyer Entry
Family Room, Outdoor Fireplace
Alarm -Smoke/Fire,
Breakfast Bar, Crown Molding, Granite Counter Top, High Ceiling, Kitchen Island, Open Floor Plan, Pantry, Recessed Lights, Foyer Entry, Fire Sprinklers
Exterior / Lot Features
2 Garage Spaces, 2 Parking Spaces, Driveway, Garage, Direct Garage Access, Side by Side
Spanish Clay Tile
Community Pool
Peek-A-Boo View
BBQ, Gutters, Sidewalks, Street Lights, Exterior Lighting, Rain Gutters, Security Lighting, Storm drains
Community Features
Community Spa, Community Pool, Community Tennis, Sport Court
Driving Directions
Cross Streets: Paragon and Portola Pkwy
Financial Considerations
Listing Price History
Irvine Real Estate
Irvine is located in California. Irvine, California 92620 has a population of 256,927.
The median household income in Irvine, California 92620 is $91,999. The median household income for the surrounding county is $75,998 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Irvine 92620 is 34 years.
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Another week has passed in the Atlantic Coast Conference and it is once again time to check on which programs are looking good to get to a bowl game and which ones are slipping away from that goal in what I am call… "ACC's Balling to the Bowls".
First off let's say that as of now the conference has five bowl eligible squads, three of them ranked, which means they are a lock for a post season game, with Duke (6-2), who should be in, but with one more win will secure themselves their second bowl birth in as many years. The Blue Devils have the week off, with their remaining schedule composed by NC State and Miami at home before ending with Wake and UNC on the road. Can Duke find a win in that quartet of games? Probably, but it would also not surprise me if they did not.
Once again this week will feature a match up of two undefeated squads in the Top 10, with the battle of the sunshine state, as #3 Florida State take on #7 Miami (Fl), both with seven wins in 2013. The one taking this one might just be the front runner to getting the BCS birth for the ACC. This will be once again the featured night game on ABC, and hopefully it is not the lopsided mess that FSU/Clemson was a few weeks back.
Clemson, who is ranked at number 8, is at 7 and 1 on the year, while slipping from the ranked squads is Virginia Tech, who was upset by Duke this past weekend, with a 6 and 2 record.
For the last four programs mentioned, if they were to lose the rest of the season they would still be heading to the post season. For Duke that too could be true, while for the rest of the conference there is work to do, beginning with…
Georgia Tech (5-3) is the next squad on the verge of at least a .500 season. With Pitt at home, followed by #8 Clemson on the road, then Alabama A&M at home and Georgia on the road the path to two games is visible, but definitely one win is achievable.
A team that also has 5 wins (along with 3 losses) and probably has an easier path to seven wins is Maryland. The Terps have Syracuse at home, VA Tech on the road, Boston College at home and NC State away. Both SU and BC should be wins for Maryland and that should set them to a seven wins for the season.
And now we get to the four win level, first with Pittsburgh (4-3) who has five games left, two against ranked teams in #25 Notre Dame and #7 Miami, along with Ga Tech on the road, North Carolina at home and Syracuse on the road as well. Doubtful that the Panthers will grab a win against the ranked squads, so they need to get two wins out of the remaining three, which can be done, but is not assured.
The other four win squad is Wake Forest, 4 and 4, and their road to six wins is also not an easy one. Syracuse on the road, followed by #3 FSU at home, then Duke at home and closing out the year with a road trip to Vanderbilt. While SU can be considered a win, FSU is definitely a loss, Duke might be coming into that game looking for its seventh win, and will not be a push over, and Vandy has played two Top 25 teams in S. Carolina and Georgia and kept both games respectable.
All the other teams are below .500 and are on the outside looking in right now. One game that will definitely be key for two teams in the conference is the rivalry battle in Tobacco Road as North Carolina (2-5) and N.C. State (3-4) battle it out. For the Heels this is a must win if they hope to find six wins on the season and for the Wolfpack this could easily be one of three games they have to win in order to achieve a .500 record.
The Heels probably shattered the hopes of Boston College to have a six win season last weekend, defeating them 34-10. Can they do the same this week? Only time will tell. Make sure you come back this Saturday morning to check out my predictions on the games for week ten in the ACC.
Plenty of games left in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and with each week you will see if any team gets closer to a bowl birth or if the slip farther and farther away from playing in December/January. And each and every week you can check out who those teams might be in the "ACC's Balling for the Bowls" post right here on AllSportsDiscussion!
Become a fan of the ACC on Facebook and follow the ACC on Twitter.


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We continue our discussion of the basics of How Many Miles To Babylon. Meanwhile, the war between Alec's parents is escalating as a world war becomes imminent. Frederick and Alec find level ground whilst discussing Alicia's domineering ways. Alicia decides Alec must go to war
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Could you please inform us of the nature of the problem?
The Christmas holidays are almost upon us and, let's be honest, nobody wants to study. However, this break can be a great opportunity to catch up on work if you are behind or be ahead for when you go back to school.


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With Mafia Wars' 28 million+ user heyday behind it, Zynga is ready to release a sequel. Mafia Wars 2 represents Zynga's first direct sequel to one of its top performing titles, and the developer is keen to deliver an experience that trumps the original.
Zynga announced the game last month with a flashy trailer that revealed very little about actual gameplay. Press outlets were invited to a more in-depth demonstration late last week.
Right away, we can see the difference in presentation. What was a series of screens and menus in Mafia Wars has been transformed into a bustling 3D idealization of the perfect crime-filled Las Vegas in the sequel. Players start out on their "turf" at the city's outskirts, where they can build the foundation of their criminal empires.
By constructing casinos, players get their cash flow going. Additional "businesses" like grow houses and DVD pirating dens supplement the players' fortunes. Almost immediately after establishing themselves, however, players find themselves under siege from other criminals. Protection structures like gun stores and banks help protect the business, while players can increase sales by hiring workers.
From the outskirts of the city, players can travel to the Las Vegas strip for story-based missions that pit them against rival characters and bosses. The city is controlled by seven different factions, each with their own location in the city. Similar to the core gameplay in the original, players can call upon their friends in combat to utilize their special abilities. Earnings from winning can be spent back on the player's home turf to expand them further, adding crafting for weapons, armor, vehicles and other helpful items. Players can specialize in crafting certain items and trade them with friends.
In addition to the home turf and story quests, Mafia Wars 2 offers player versus player combat. This unfolds in several specific arenas, including the Bone Yard, Area 51 and Badlands, where players confront and battle other players in asynchronous combat. These fights are based on the actual stats and items possessed by opponents, and fighting them adds them to a player's Rivals List. Players can then travel to the home turf of their rivals and attempt to rob them; rivals can also try to attack the player's turf. Players have a heat meter that fills as they're attacked by other players — as it fills, they become harder to attack, keeping players from continually griefing one another.
Zynga plans to have more than 200 pieces of weapons and armor items and 300 pieces of clothing in Mafia Wars 2 at launch. The resulting combinations create various character classes, a feature we didn't get to spend much time with in our demo.
Mafia Wars 2 will launch in "the next few weeks," worldwide in 16 different languages — including Japanese, Korean, and Thai. On the mobile side of the Mafia Wars franchise, Zynga is preparing Mafia Wars Shakedown for iOS devices. Consumer blog Games.com notes that this page replaces Mafia Wars: Atlantic City, suggesting that Zynga has scrapped HTML5 development for the time being.
Keep an eye out for Mafia Wars 2 on our AppData traffic tracking service for social games and developers.


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The Cat® C13 ACERT™ Industrial Power Unit is offered in ratings ranging from 287-328 bkW (385-440 bhp) @ 1800-2100 rpm. These ratings meet China Stage II, U.S. EPA Tier 3 equivalent and EU Stage IIIA equivalent emission standards. Ratings: 310-328 bkW (415-440 bhp) @ 1800-2100 rpm meet China Stage II, U.S. EPA Tier 2 equivalent andEU Stage II equivalent emission standards. Conveniently pre-configured for a wide range of applications, the Cat® Industrial Power Unit is a complete power package containing a radiator, flywheel, alternator and alternator wiring completely pre-assembled for fast, straightforward installation in a number of OEM, customer and packager applications. These fuel efficient units are ready made for irrigation, industrial, mining and other pump applications.
|China Stage II, U.S. EPA Tier 2 Equivalent or U.S. EPA Tier 3 Equivalent, EU Stage II Equivalent or EU Stage IIIA Equivalent China Stage II, U.S. EPA Tier 2 Equivalent or U.S. EPA Tier 3 Equivalent, EU Stage II Equivalent or EU Stage IIIA Equivalent
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|157 mm (6.2 in) 157 mm (6.2 in)
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|12.5 L (763 in³) 12.5 L (763 in³)
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|1692 kg (3730 lb) 1692 kg (3730 lb)
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Meets China Stage II, U.S. EPA Tier 3 equivalent or U.S. EPA Tier 2 equivalent, EU Stage IIIA equivalent or EU Stage II equivalent emission standards. U.S. EPA Tier 3 equivalent EU Stage IIIA equivalent available using EPA (U.S.) Flexibility and EU Flexibility. Also available for other regulated and non-regulated areas.
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text:
Opera House Lane on my walk to the bus stop last night.
Hey, I'm a student in Screen and Television, I was just wondering if I would be able to use this photo for a visual effect purpose?
Hi Matt,
Jackson here. You commented on my website earlier today.
All my photography is licensed under creative commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand License. This means you can use the image as long as you attribute the photo to be and that the purpose you are using it for is not comercial.
So please feel free to use the image if it meets these criteria.
If you did feel like kicking me a few dollars for my photo that would be most appreciated. You can do so at this link
. Pay what you like.
Also, it would be cool to see what you use it it. So keep me posted.
© 2017 JJW. Powered by WordPress.Premium Pixels Theme by Orman Clark


text:
It's a loaded topic for me, one that I've been meaning to muse about for some time. Well, tonight's as good a night as any. I just got in from a performance with Zivio, my Balkan folk dance team, at the University of Utah's multicultural night. And I've got a lot to think about.
I love to dance with Zivio. I love the peculiar, challenging rhythms of the music and the synergistic thrill of feeling everyone's feet in perfect time with your own. Step, stomp, cross, lift, touch, cross, grapevine, stomp, hop . . . it's such a tremendous feeling when your body goes on autopilot, and every muscle's like Yeah, we know this one. No sweat, so that while you tap out a dizzying sequence of steps you can be laughing and joking with the dancers around you. I love the display of precision and skill that is Balkan folk dancing. I love that it is inclusive and challenging and distinctive. I feel safe, and happy, and confident when I'm caught up in these dances, even on stage.
But not all dances are the same.
After our final number, the evening was wrapped up by a team of Brazilian drummers. Brazilian drums are incredible. They make statues and furniture try to get up and dance. And as the infectious rhythm worked into the brains of the crowd, they opened up the stage for an impromptu dance party. And this was where I started to panic.
Flashback! I am suddenly fourteen years old again, newly moved from a tiny town in southern Minnesota to the strange, huge metropolis of Salt Lake City. One of the girls in my church, in honor of her sixteenth birthday, throws a dance in the church building. (To this day, I don't know how she got away with that. Using the ward building for a private dance party? It is a thing I have never seen before or since.) Because I am now fourteen, and thus of age to go to dances, and because in this new environment I am expected to 'get out there and make friends' (Note: don't ever tell an introvert to do this), I show up.
It is dark, there is music, there are lots of people. The only person in attendance that I know at all is the birthday girl, who has little to no interest in me. So I hang at the side of the room, unsure of what to do, wishing I had someone to talk to.
Dances are about having fun, right? So I am probably expected to move into the middle of the room and dance in a fun manner. Dancing is supposed to be self-expression or something like that, right? It's a 'just have fun, enjoy yourself' kind of thing, right?
I find a corner of the space and start to dance. The only dancing I've ever done is in the kitchen of my own home, with no training, no mirror, no steps . . . just moving because there is music. So I dance, the only way I know how. Just on my own, to have fun. Because dancing is about having fun.
Soon I am surrounded by other people, girls my own age, dancing just as I am. I feel my spirits lift. Someone is dancing with me! This is fun!
Then they stop. They point, and they laugh. They were never dancing with me . . . they were mimicking me in mockery.
I run away and hide. I have been hiding ever since.
So there I was, watching this Brazilian carnival unfurl on the stage, with my hips and my knees and my feet all itching to dance to that addictive, thrilling beat. But every instinct screamed at me to stay away. Isn't it strange how one night back when you were fourteen years old can stay with you so intensely? How a bunch of adolescent girls, who by now have probably grown up into kind, sensible adult women, can leave such permanent scars in a thoughtless moment of self-indulgent cruelty?
I don't go to dances anymore. Not even the traditional mid-session dance at Lac du Bois, which is the safest, most affirming place that I know. I don't go to singles dances, to university dances. I don't go clubbing. Because I'm afraid that I'll dance, and end up back where I was at age fourteen: as an object of communal derision. Folk dancing is fine. Line dancing is fine. Anything with set steps, with a right way and a wrong way where I have learned the right way, is wonderful. But just dancing, free-form, to move and celebrate and have fun . . . that is not for me. Dancing as a form of self-expression is only acceptable if the self you're expressing is acceptable. Gotta love those lessons you learn in high school.
I danced tonight. A little. I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd walked away and hid in a corner and cried. But if I had, I'd be just as miserable, wishing I could dance and not daring to. Nothing bad happened, but somehow that doesn't matter . . . those girls are still laughing at me for daring to think that I might be as worthy to dance as anybody else.
I wonder who they were, and where they are now. I don't doubt they've forgotten that there ever was such an event as Julie Durr's sixteenth birthday party. And yet here I am, twelve years later, still crippled with self-conscious terror whenever the music starts.
I wish adolescence weren't required to graduate into adulthood. I wish there were a way to test out of it. Or, barring that, I wish that it would just end. Why does it have to linger on, infecting the rest of my life? After all these years, why can I still not just dance? I want to so badly. I'm still so afraid.
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Dangers of Dancing
1 comment:
I wish I could say it gets easier. :( The things that others have said or done, just to be mean, don't leave us as quickly as we would like to them to. I'm not going to say I don't still have issues. There are areas in my life where fear still rules me.ReplyDelete
But. With friends? With undying support from people who genuinely care, even when there are times that I feel like it can't possibly be real? I can find the freedom to simply be me, dancing or not. And the past hurts then start to hurt a little less.
It feels good to remind those memories that I'm an adult, they're outdated, and there are plenty of people that don't agree with them. So nyah.
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NEWS from our manufacturer………….
February 9, 2017 – Press Release
Nixall® Announces VetResponse® Poultry and Avian Care
Nixa, MO – Nixall®, a fast-growing brand of non-toxic, environmentally safe household, family, and animal wellness products, is excited to announce a new line of products, including Nixall® VetResponse® Poultry and Avian Care.
Whether for a flock on the farm or two or three chickens for the backyard urban enthusiast, Nixall® VetResponse® Poultry and Avian Care is veterinarian recommended and farmer approved for skin lacerations and abrasions, pecking sores, foot injuries and more. Keep in mind that healthy birds are more than just livestock, Nixall® provides the solution for the chicken, duck or turkey that can't stay out of trouble. Designed to be sprayed on foot injuries, skin issues, and pecking sores, Nixall® VetResponse® Poultry and Avian Care is safe for use around the eyes, ears and nose, and is the perfect product for skin and feather care, without turning to steroids or antibiotics.
All of the ingredients in Nixall® are naturally derived. The principle ingredient in Nixall® is hypochlorous acid, which is the same compound used by white blood cells to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. Essentially, Nixall® is an electrolyzed, oxygenated water. While Nixall® has proven formidable against a number of germs, the naturally derived product is safe enough to use on birds of all shapes and sizes.
"We have been committed to creating non-toxic solutions since the beginning," Owner Cap Briant said. "Our company and people are environmentally conscious and proud to be so and pass that character on to all we have the privilege to encounter along the way. We are stewards of the land – outdoorsmen, farmers, gardeners, ranchers – who all appreciate the opportunity to be able to do what we do."
One Nixall® user had a rooster that got "beat up" by a turkey, but with Nixall® on hand, she was able to nurse him back to health. "The turkey beat him up pretty good, but he never acted like it bothered him when I was cleaning it, even rinsing his eyes when they were swollen shut. Nixall® is amazing! I don't know what I'd do without it. This chicken would have died if not for Nixall®!"
The product is the perfect solution for farmers wanting to protect their health and wellness of their flock without the use of toxic chemicals. Nixall® can greatly extend the health of birds and can be used for the everyday issues that arise. All of Nixall®'s products contain hypochlorous acid and are formulated with varying concentrations to create a full line of products effective in several areas covering wound and skin care, to household cleaning or disinfecting, vet care and first aid. For more information on Nixall® VetResponse® Poultry and Avian Care, as well as the rest of the Nixall® product line, explore the company's website visit www.nixall.com.
CONTACT: Jill Neleman, VP Agriculture Division
1075 W. Kathryn Street
Nixa, MO 65714
September 21, 2016
Nixall®, a fast-growing brand of a new technology line of products for hospital, commercial, household, family, and animal wellness manufactured by Seriously Clean, Ltd., recently received notification from the EPA that their Disinfectant/Sanitizer product has added new kill claims of several important viruses, and yeast.
Nixall® Disinfectant/Sanitizer had already been named an EPA registered hospital disinfectant with kill claims for several bacteria and viruses. Seriously Clean Ltd. recent kill claim designations are; Adenovirus, Norovirus or Norwalk Virus, Rhinovirus, Rotavirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Candida Albicans. Nixall® Disinfectant/Sanitizer original kill list has been proven effective against C-Diff, E coli, Listeria, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, MRSA, VRE, Tuberculosis, HIV, Influenza A Virus, and H1N1.
"County health departments are getting a new weapon against Norovirus and it's made in Nixa Missouri," Milo Carter Senior VP of the Seriously Clean Ltd. Human Health Division said.
Nixall® Disinfectant/Sanitizer is the alternative to harsh toxic disinfectants in the Healthcare marketplace. Now, hospitals and long-term care facilities can rid themselves of MRSA, C-diff spores, TB, and Norovirus. Norovirus is also known as the "puking disease," infamous for its fast transmittal and violent symptoms. Norovirus/Norwalk virus has forced the closing of restaurants, cancelation of cruises, caused the loss of time and commerce, and jeopardized the health of the elderly. Nixall® Disinfectant/Sanitizer also kills many of the CDC's list of antibiotic resistant "Super-bugs," kills C-diff spores, and listed enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.
"Our customers can now create a clean, safe environment for their patients, customers, and employees without the risks associated with traditional disinfectants," Carter added.
Nixall® Disinfectant/Sanitizer is now one of the most effective disinfectants in the marketplace, can be diluted as a "no rinse" sanitizer, and it is safe enough to dispose of in sanitary sewers without prior approval from the EPA. Safe and effective, Nixall® Disinfectant/Sanitizer is the solution for any business whose main concern is the health and well-being of its customers and employees.
The Seriously Clean Ltd. line of products contain hypochlorous acid and are formulated with varying concentrations to create products that include a FDA 510(k) wound and skin care medical device, along with other products for commercial and household cleaning, disinfection/sanitizing, and animal care products.
Any questions? Don't hesitate to contact email@example.com


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How to Develop a Frugal Spidey Sense
Today's post is an awesome guest post from Mrs. Picky Pincher! She is the blogger and resident money-saving maven at Picky Pinchers. She writes about living the good life while paying off $225,000 of debt. Hope you enjoy!
It was the winter of 2014. I was a newly-minted adult with a college degree in my hand, face brimming with unbridled optimism. I sat in my newly furnished apartment, wearing my "grown-up" high heels and drinking a cup of Keurig-brewed coffee. I marveled at the wonder of credit cards and how I could afford nearly anything I wanted. The world was mine to explore and enjoy—thanks to the folks at Visa.
If it's not obvious already, I had zero clue of how I should manage my money. My apartment was full with objects I bought on credit and never used.
The infuriatingly spendy cycle continued without interruption—until I was hit with a surprise. It all started when I had a measly 23 cents in my checking account. "No biggie," I thought, "Payday is tomorrow!"
Except it wasn't. My company was going through rough times and payday was delayed. To make matters worse, I had to buy a new set of tires for my car, which clocked in at $600. I didn't have $600 lying around and promptly panicked.
I stumbled my way through the situation without grace and with plenty of crying over pints of ice cream. But it was a wakeup call. I had a variable income and I spent all of it each month. I had no savings, credit card debt, a car loan, and student loans looming on the horizon.
It was time for a change. I needed to develop my frugal spidey sense—and fast.
How I Developed A Frugal Spidey Sense
No arachnids were involved in my transition from a Spendy Susie to a Frugal Francine. But a few concrete steps helped me adjust my mindset.
The Envelope System
I had to quit my credit card habit cold turkey. Any digitized form of money was too tempting for my Amazon Prime obsession. I had to switch to cold, hard cash.
I went old school in my approach and used the Dave Ramsey envelope system. At the beginning of each month I withdrew enough cash to cover my groceries ($200), gas ($50), and 'fun' money ($50). I promptly locked my debit card and credit card in a safe so I wouldn't be tempted to use them. Bills like my rent and car loan were paid automatically through my checking account, so I didn't have to worry about those.
The envelope system was a little extreme, but it taught me the difference between wants and needs. I had $200 each month for groceries—and that meant I could either buy chocolate bars or I could buy a bag of rice. It took a few lean weeks to realize I had to prioritize real food over treats.
My mentality quickly changed as I realized I was an adult and had to make good decisions. I still built occasional treats into my budget, but only after making sure all of my necessities were met first.
The Three-Day Rule
Although my money management significantly improved after the envelope system experiment, I still had my spendy moments. If I saw a shiny $20 bill leftover in my envelope, I'd use it on a whim to buy more useless jewelry.
I knew the point of the envelope system was to build self-control, but there I was, making the same mistakes.
I decided to implement a three-day rule for any fun purchases. For example, I recently saw an incredible throw pillow at the store that perfectly matched our home's color scheme. Every fiber of my being screamed, "DO WANT," the second I saw the pillow.
I left the store without said pillow and mulled over the purchase for the next three days. I considered how badly I needed another throw pillow when we already had two (and Mr. Picky Pincher hated them to begin with). Would I appreciate the extra throw pillow in five years? Could the $15 be better spent elsewhere?
At the end of the three days I decided not to buy the pillow. I had bigger plans for my money, and I didn't need another object cluttering my house.
I've mentioned this method to other people and they've said it's deprivation. I don't think I deprive myself whatsoever; I just take the time to make calculated purchases instead of buying things on a whim. If anything, I feel more rewarded when I do go back to buy an item I really want. The delayed gratification feels like Christmas morning!
Make It Yourself
I honed my keen frugal spidey sense by taking on some DIY projects. I made my own throw pillows, sewed my own dresses, and made common food staples at home. Pinterest's DIY boards quickly became my best friend.
I realized that I could make exactly what I wanted for a fraction of the price. Homemade goods usually were the same or higher quality as things from the store—and I had fun making them! I didn't feel the need to buy movies, video games, or go shopping because I kept myself busy.
DIYing items had a fantastic effect on my frugal spidey sense. If I see a fancy fig jam at the store I think, "Ten dollars for this? Psh, I can make this myself for $2." I evaluate how much I would actually spend to make an item. If it doesn't fit my expectations, back on the shelf it goes.
Final Thoughts
Frugality comes in all shapes and sizes. It's about making prudent money decisions that you won't regret later. I know everybody has their own frugal spidey sense—it just needs to be nurtured. The financial peace of mind that's come with my frugal spidey sense has been so freeing. I wouldn't go back to my old ways even for one million chocolate bars.
We want to know: How did you develop your own frugal spidey sense?
Thanks for reading! Be sure to get updates on all of my latest posts by subscribing via RSS, following me on Twitter, and liking my page on Facebook!


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my fiero was running fine. I had just changed the rotors and brakes now it wont turn over.
my fiero was running fine. I had just changed the rotors and brakes pads. now it wont turn over. I replaced the starter and battery and still just a click when i turn the key. I have checked the voltages between the two bat terminals, they are at 12.53, when I check the voltage between the + and the block it changes to 12.43. any body know what this could be?
4 Answers
Check your grounds, I had a similar issue occur (it was with a different car, though). I had to clean the grounds on the car with a wire brush.
Ok, Any other suggestions. I replaced both the ground cable and the hot. same thing just click, click, click, when I turn the key. when I get under and try to jump the starter all I get is the same click. The motor is not frozen. I can turn it with the crank bolt on the dampener.
Time to check the battery and the starter. sorry for the basic suggestions. The voltage is a little low for my liking being that you should see ~13.5 at those locations. (I feel like you have an issue with your starter, honestly)
I put my charger on it and brought the voltage up to 15.25 and still nothing. I am thinking you are correct with it being the starter. I'm going to pull it back out tomorrow and have it tested. unfortunately it is brand new(not a rebuild). But as with all manufacturing there sometimes are lemons.
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The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra is one of West Alabama's premiere arts organizations, serving the Tuscaloosa area by providing high-quality musical experiences for arts lovers of all ages. The TSO contributes to the area economy through arts events that support local businesses and tourism.
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Complaint Review: Travel Service Network - Platinum Vacations
- Travel Service Network - Platinum Vacations
222 E. State St
Batavia, Illinois
- Phone: 800-2400428
- Web:
- Category: Travel Services
Travel Service Network - Platinum Vacations TSN distributors peddle worthless memberships for thousands ripoff Batavia Illinois
The sales team promised pennies on the dollar travel and great customer service. TSN was billed as the biggest company of its kind in the world with the best deals on travel of all kinds. Not only you, but your whole family could save all kinds of cash on trips.
Unfortunately, our experience with both TSN and Platinum Vacations was very negative and I feel that much of what we were told at the sales meeting was a misrepresentation.
Our first disappointment came when we did not receive our packages on time. We were told they would arrive within 10 days. They did not. Once the package did arrive, we were amazed at all the small print restrictions and deposits required to use the vouchers. To activate the 4 vouchers I received when we signed up, I had to send in a check for $558 almost immediately. Considering all the information you have to evaluate, not to mention the money you are required to send in once the package arrives in order to "activate" the vouchers, it seems to me in retrospect that this delay may be part of an intentional strategy to make many people fail to use the vouchers, as all the value of several vouchers disappears in 30 days.
Our plan to take a Valentine Day weekend in Vegas on one of the vouchers was dashed because of the long lead times required for the voucher. No matter, I thought, I'll just call up TSN and get a great deal. I'd already looked up what airlines offer nonstop flights out of Austin and had visited the Southwest Airlines web site, where I saw some pretty good package deals. After remembering what I'd heard in the Platinum sales meeting, I was sure TSN could do better.
Wrong! First I was offered a price for the hotel and flights that was several hundred dollars MORE than the Southwest Airlines website. When I told TSN this, they said this was because they were not quoting a package. I would have to talk to their package department, I was told. After spending what seemed to me to be an excessive amount of time on hold being told by a loop recording that I'll soon get the same great service some other member is enjoying at this time, I finally got an agent named Joan. This woman turned out to be a fifth-rate travel agent but, a first-rate liar. I told her about the flights I already had on the Southwest deal and about the hotel where Southwest would put us up. This was on Thursday, Jan. 23. She said she'd look into packages and get back to me by the end of the day.
Wrong! The next day, I called again trying to find out what happened. After languishing on hold for what seemed like forever, I finally got through to her. I didn't get the expected apology for not doing what she said she would. Instead she told me how very busy she was and promised to get back to me with something by the close of business. I offered a fax number where she could send me details, but she said email was easier (for her; not for me) so I gave her my email address. I kept checking the email all day, but nothing came. On Monday, I called yet again and got her voice mail. I left her a message that said I had not received anything from heragain! and asked her to call immediately. No response.
The next day, I gave up on Joan and thought I'd try my luck complaining about the lousy service I'd received to the customer service department at TSN. There I got Suzanne, who promised to look into the matter and call me back before noon. She almost did what she saida first for me with TSN. At a few minutes after noon, she called to say she'd spoken to Joan who claimed she did in fact email me and attempted to call. (No message ever appeared on my email or my answering machine.) Suzanne then faxed to me the message from Joan which had no flights or hotels listed and cost $63 more than what I'd have paid if I'd just signed up with Southwest the week before. When I asked for details, Suzanne said I'd have to go back to Joan for that, but of course she wasn't available, so after listening to more recordings about the great service I'd get any minute now I got someone else. I think her name was Rhonda. She was no help either. When I finally found out what flights TSN was holding for me, it was not the afternoon nonstop I'd told Joan about but a 7 a.m. morning flight that my companion could not make, which made the whole package worthless to me. Worse, I was told that any changes to that itinerary would cost considerably more. Still worse, I was told that TSN would not honor their price match guarantee because I hadn't faxed the Southwest itinerary to them the day it was taken off the internet. Of course Joan never asked me to fax it or I certainly would have. I have a copy to this day that plainly shows flights and hotel. By this time I'd had enough of TSN and went back to the Southwest website, but of course the price had gone up in the meantime. I was able to book the trip with the same flights, but the runaround at TSN ended up costing me an extra $228.
I tried later in the year to use TSN for other travel, but never found them to offer anything better than what anyone with web access can get with five minutes of research.
Within a month I realized this travel service was not what we'd been sold and asked Platinum Vacations for a refund. They demanded a certified letter and said they would consider it. I guess they're still considering it a year later.
And what about the vouchers? I had two vouchers for TSN dream vacations for 7 nights at any of the areas listed. We tried one and gave them 10 months to get us a condo in Cabo. Not available. Sorry.
To activate those, you must send a $50 deposit for both, or $100 total within 30 days of issuance. In addition, you must pay a fee of $19.90 per day (2 times $9.95 per person) or a total of $139.30 for each voucher, or a total of $278.60 for both vouchers. Then you must use both of these within one year or pay $75 extension fee, or a total of $150 to extend both vouchers beyond one year. It does not say how long that extends the voucher.
Here's another small print item from the family-friendly folks at TSN: You can't meet anyone from another family arriving at the same location at the same date.
For the flyaway vacation:
You must fill in the form and mail it in with a $100 deposit. Then you must book at least 60 days in advance and is the subject to availability.
For the "free" cruise:
For an entry level cabin you have to send a $179 deposit per person, or $358 that will be applied to port charges, government taxes and applicable process fees, which are not explained or listed.
Add up all this money they keep at no interest and all the restrictions, and you get what I consider to be bascially a scam. We never got reservations for anything and at the end of the year requested our deposits back. (If you don't ask for them back in time, they keep your money forever.)
Three months later after, after certified letters and several calls and emails, we finally received the depost money back. Of course the money for the memberships is down the drain and there is no way I would ever sign up for another year of this at $175 to keep that TSN service active.
If anyone representing TSN tries to sell you a membership RUN AWAY!
Austin, Texas
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This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 04/05/2004 01:51 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/travel-service-network-platinum-vacations/batavia-illinois-60510/travel-service-network-platinum-vacations-tsn-distributors-peddle-worthless-memberships-86651. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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A woman in Harrogate managed to capture a partial photograph of the man she says touched her bottom and tried to kiss her as she walked in the Valley Gardens.
Police would now like to talk to this man, pictured right, in connection with the indecent assault which allegedly occurred at around 5pm on Saturday, June 9.
Investigating detectives, of Harrogate CID, said a 24-year-old woman was taking pictures in the Valley Gardens when the man approached her.
"Clearly the behaviour of this man is completely unacceptable and I hope that someone will recognise him from the image and tell us who he is," said DC Fiona Ayre, adding that there have been a number of similar incidents in recent months.
Any witnesses, or anyone with information, is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Fiona Ayre. Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555111.