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Photo: Bora S. Kamel (flickr)
Western interests have kept a cautious eye on the Egyptian elections as the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi groups have carved out a presence.
Journalist Nicholas Kristof spoke to both parties and voters in Egypt. Part of the Brotherhood's allure, he said, was its social services. The people saw their work on the ground.
Salafis have a reputation of being hardline, he said, but not all Salafis are the same.
Kristof wrote,
That reflected a common theme: People don't vote for Islamic parties because they seek Saudi- or Iranian-style religious repression. Rather, they vote for Islamic parties for the same reason Germans support Christian Democrats or Southerners favor conservative Christians: pious candidates are perceived as reflecting traditional values.
Egyptians head back to the polls for a second round of voting on Wednesday.
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Don't Allow Your Brain To Go On Vacation
Written by: Kuki
In 2011; 66-year-old Oscar Antonio Mendoza, a passenger from the Celebrity Solstice, died from injuries incurred as a result of a mugging, while he was strolling near the port in Naples, Italy.
This man died because a criminal spotted the Rolex watch he was wearing, and attempted to take it from him. Yes, the port area of Naples does have a reputation for being rife with criminal activity, but many of the major tourist sites in Europe are also well known habitats for professional thieves and pickpockets.
However crime is not restricted to "well known" areas of Europe, or anywhere else in the world. Crimes can occur even in "the best areas", and to "the best people". It is not however human nature to allow fear to deter people from leading their normal lives. If it were, no one would leave their homes.
Generally we try to reduce the risks of the things we're afraid of by managing our lives as well as we can; we call that using "common sense".
So, let's look for some recommendations for "common sense behaviour" while you're cruising.
-Don't look like a target –
When preparing to step off the ship in a port of call remember the story of poor Mr. Mendoza. Leave all of your jewellery in the safe in your cabin. Even faux jewellery, if it looks like it could be expensive, could draw unwanted attention toward you. While you may want to dress up on the ship, it's abbetter idea to dress down during a port visit.
Ladies; wandering down a street you're not familiar with, even if it's busy street, with a Coach, Louis Viton, or similar, bag hanging from your shoulders is a bit like walking around with a spotlight pointing at you.
Backpacks may seem useful, easy to carry, and can certainly serve their purpose. Just be sure to keep nothing of value in them; not digital cameras, cell phones, your cruise card ID, or worse yet, any cash or credit cards. The straps on your backpack can be cut, and the bag gone before you can even turn around. Some people will say the safest way to carry a backpack is reversed, with the bag in front of you, clutched towards your chest. In my view doing so points out to potential criminals that there's something in that bag that you value. Wearing the back pack reversed is certainly safer than wearing it normally. But for a shore excursion, or if you're touring on your own, I recommend a simple looking beach bag, or shoulder bag. It won't draw any unwanted attention in your direction. In fact, your goal should be to look just like everyone else.
-Don't carry a lot of cash –
Even if you feel you are carrying your cash in a safe spot, like a zippered pocket, if you make a purchase, you're going to have to take the cash out of its "safe place" to pay. When you do that, there may be someone nearby watching the transaction, and watching as you place your cash back in its (no longer) safe place. Carry a small amount of cash, and only one credit card, along with your identification. Place these items in a front pocket, along with a number of coins. This makes it much more difficult for even the best pick pockets.
-Be aware of your surroundings –
Don't allow fear of what might happen to dictate your activities; to end your sense of adventure and exploration. Just do what you do with your brain turned on. You can rely on your brain to direct you and keep you safe in most circumstances, if you keep it working, and pay attention to what is going on around you, and what the people around you are doing.
-A View From The Kuki Side of Cruising –
Posted: May 14th, 2014 under Paul Motter.
Comments: 5

subset: commoncrawl


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International Edition
September 26, 2017
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Romney tells voters he is willing to keep parts of 'Obamacare'
By Steven R. Hurst, AP Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 11:04 am TWN
WASHINGTON -- The dispute over American health care dominated the presidential race with Republican challenger Mitt Romney altering his stand on President Barack Obama's signature overhaul of the system, telling voters he would keep several important parts of the law that he has vowed to repeal.
Obama focused his attention in the pivotal state of Florida on the Republican ticket's stand on Medicare, the popular government health insurance program for the elderly and an issue that has been more favorable to Democrats.
Romney also said in an interview Sunday with NBC television that it was a "mistake" for congressional Republicans to go along with the White House on a budget deal that set up automatic spending cuts that include huge reductions in defense spending in the new year. His running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, helped steer that agreement through Congress.
In his first appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" program in more than three years, Romney said he wanted to replace the Obama health care plan with one of his own that included some of the most popular provisions of the incumbent's two-year-old law.
"I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course, there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place," Romney said in the interview taped Friday and Saturday. He cited guaranteed coverage for people with preexisting medical conditions, coverage for young people up to age 26 on their parents' plans and new insurance marketplaces.
The Obama plan, dubbed "Obamacare" by opposition Republicans, used as a model Romney's overhaul of the health insurance system in Massachusetts when he was governor of the state.
Romney's Massachusetts law and the one sponsored by Obama both require people to have health insurance. That would bring younger, healthier citizens into the system, lowering the overall risk for insurance companies.
Romney now insists, in line with the stance of his Republican party, that the so-called individual mandate must be repealed, but he offered no proposals on funding his health care plan. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, in suits brought by Republican opponents of the law, that the individual mandate — which establishes a tax penalty for people who don't purchase health insurance —is constitutional.
Obama Nets Hearty August Bounty
In a financial bounce, Obama and the Democrats raised more than US$114 million for his campaign in August, a campaign official says. The total far exceeds Obama's earlier monthly fundraising totals. He trailed Mitt Romney and Republicans in fundraising in July for the third straight month.
Romney's campaign reported it raised US$111 million in August. It's the third straight month the former Massachusetts governor has raised more than US$100 million. The figure represents his best one-month fundraising total.
Clash Over 'Voucher' Impact
The Obama campaign has been trying to change the subject from the economy after a weak government report on employment on Friday, the day after the convention closed.
Navy sends ships as Harvey gets downgraded
Trump to visit Texas as 'unprecedented flooding' follows Harvey
Trump pledges 'every asset at my command' to aid to storm victims
Louisiana braces for flooding as Harvey breaks rainfall record
Apple introduces new iPhone that can be unlocked with a glance
Merkel slams Turkish travel warning, says no need to fear Germany
Man makes bomb threat, police evacuate parts of Frankfurt airport
German village to seek expert advice on 'Hitler bell'
UPDATE: death toll jumps to 216 in Mexican earthquake
Texas judge temporarily blocks state ban on 'sanctuary cities'


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ASTON Rowant never recovered from a stuttering start and lost by six wickets in their Division 1 match at Slough on Saturday.
The toss was to prove crucial and after being put into bat in steamy conditions, Rowant mustered only 113 in 51.5 overs.
This was inadequate as the batting conditions improved and the hosts eased home in 25 overs.
The result leaves Rowant one place above the relegation zone, although still 27 points clear of Great & Little Tew.
From the moment they lost opener Richard Cook in the second over, Rowant struggled against the Slough seam attack.
Chris Watling and Tim Morgan both fell with the score on 26, and the prize wicket of Nick Ferraby came at 42.
Top scorer for Rowant was England Under 19 international Miles Hammond, who batted 76 balls for his 22.
No 10 Adam Muttitt added 18 before becoming one of two late victims for spinner Bobby Sher.
Ali Akbar returned the best figures of 3-32.
Rowant hopes were briefly raised when Waqas Hussain fell to the first ball of the Slough reply bowled by Wes Morrick, who also dismissed the other opener, Nabil Shah.
But the innings was dominated by Shaan Khan, who hammered 81 not out off 78 balls with 15 fours to speed Slough to victory.
Latest Sport news


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This page under construction and updating
Resources here have been gathered by the Portable Planetarium Committee. Susan Reynolds Button, committee chair, also is the long-time writer of Mobile News, which appears in each edition of Planetarian.
Do-It-Yourself Portables
The University of Washington's Astronomy Department (Seattle, Washington), based on experience in establishing its own mobile planetarium outreach, has published a Do-It-Yourself guide to making making your own.
Download by clicking the picture of the cover, or follow this link to arXiv at Cornell University.
DIY Planetarium
A dome-building guide from Adam Goss in Broomfield, Colorado. Click on the picture of the cover to download the pdf document.
Also check out his website at www.diyplanetarium.com
From Krieger Science
A site designed for home schooler science, but also open to anyone interested. Categories of science covered are anatomy, astronomy, chemistry, general commentary, measurement, mechanics, music, and optics.
In the astronomy section you'll find a number of downloadable materials, and also
How to Make a Digital Home Planetarium.
(Note: Be sure to also navigate to "Marvels in our Back Yard" from the "how to make" page.)
About Portable Planetarium Systems
IPS Affiliates: Portable Planetarium Contacts - Find assistance in your own country
6/19/2017Get Involved with IDP
6/14/2017IPS Conference Proceedings from 2014 Beijing and 2016 Warsaw
4/27/2017IPS collaborates with Planetariumforum.com
4/25/2017Nature article about IPS Data to Dome initiative
3/6/2017Women of NASA become Women of LEGO!
6/1/2017 » 9/27/2017IPS 2018 Abstracts due: 27 September 2017
9/30/2017Astronomy Day
10/4/2017 » 10/10/2017World Space Week
10/5/2017 » 10/9/2017XVI Baikal International Festival of Documentary and Popular-Science Films
10/7/2017 » 10/9/2017IPS Council Meeting


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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
San Francisco, CA, United States, 2010/08/10 - Small Businesses Invited To Share Personal Success Stories For Growing Their Email Marketing List.
Today marks the launch of a new community resource aimed at small businesses that are interested in growing their email marketing liststhereby increasing their sales. The VerticalResponse List Building Bank is a community for small businesses to post tips and tricks while learning more about new and improved list building tactics from their peers as well as the experts at email marketing company VerticalResponse. Following on from the success of the VR Marketing Lounge, a community forum for marketers to meet and share their expertise, VerticalResponse has launched this latest forum for small business owners.
"Once a small business decides to add email marketing to their marketing plan, the first question we get asked is 'how do I build my email list?' because customers know that growing their list often results in the overall growth of their business," said VerticalResponse CEO Janine Popick. "So we created a forum for customers, staff and other parties to submit their best practices and winning strategies for expanding the size of the email marketing lists."
The List Building Bank will provide small businesses with the following benefits:
A forum to share their success stories and recipe for growing their businesses through email marketing. If applicable, small businesses can also link their business website to their List Building Bank post.
Innovative social sharing features that allow small businesses to share their tips via social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon and Delicious.
An active community of VerticalResponse staff and customers who moderate the comments section and provide answers to marketing questions.
Small businesses are invited to share their submissions to the List Building Bank from today onwards via verticalresponse.com. Through the List Building Bank and other upcoming initiatives, VerticalResponse will continue to encourage education on successful email list building strategies and empower small businesses to thrive in the current economy.
About VerticalResponse
VerticalResponse, Inc. (verticalresponse.com) is a leading provider of self-service email marketing, online surveys and direct mail services empowering small businesses to easily create, manage and analyze their own direct marketing campaigns. VerticalResponse bundles email, online surveys and postcards to offer customers an integrated Web-based direct marketing solution thats intuitive and affordable. VerticalResponse is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Agency / Source: VerticalResponse, Inc.
Availability: All Metropolitan Area
Traffic Booster: [/] Quick PRZOOM - Press & Newswire Visibility Checker
Distribution / Indexing: [+] / [Company listed above is a registered member of our network. Content made possible by PRZOOM / PRTODAY indexing services]


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Sisters Academy Holds 'Philly Spectacular' Event
RADNOR, Pa.—Teamwork is an asset not only in sports but also in throwing the Armenian Sisters Academy's annual Family Night dinner. Chaired this year by Academy parents Christine and Dikran Asdourian, the Jan. 23 event was hugely successful due to an entire team of volunteers—over 50 parents as well as 16 eighth grade students. The "Philly Spectacular" theme drew one of the largest crowds in recent memory, and nearly 250 students, alumni, parents, and grandparents enjoyed each other's company at the Academy's Hovsepian Activity Center in Radnor, Pa.
It doesn't get much better than the standard Philadelphia fare of cheesesteaks, Philly franks, soft pretzels, water ice, and local Tasty Kakes. Eighth graders took requests for made-to-order cheesesteaks and ran them back to the cafeteria, where stations of fathers transformed into short order cooks. Alumnus Serop Buldukyan was the evening's DJ and kept the dance floor hopping with American and Armenian favorites. Students, many of whom were outfitted in their favorite team's jersey, earned prizes answering sports trivia questions. Parents had the opportunity to win one of several sports-related raffle prizes. A face painter transformed students into fairies, butterflies, and sports fans. Even the tables' centerpieces reflected the theme with paper maché footballs, basketballs, hockey, and baseball forms.
Alumnus Avedis Keshgegian thanked everyone for attending and especially thanked Mr. and Mrs. Asdourian for starting the after-school basketball program at the Academy and running it to this day. He spoke for all students when he thanked them for their support and dedication, and to all the coaches who have mentored players at the Academy. The Asdourian's son, Armen, an eighth grader, thanked his parents for creating the basketball program and giving him the opportunity to play with his friends. Lastly, eighth grader Christopher Selverian presented the Asdourians with a poster designed and signed by all current basketball players. He also thanked art instructor Armen Yepoyan for his help designing the poster, and the parents who created the centerpieces and raffle baskets.
In keeping with tradition, Principal Sister V. Louisa Kassarjian's birthday was celebrated by all, and miraculously, she turned 29, again! Another delightful part of the evening was Sister Louisa's announcement that Sister Hovanna Aroyan had joined the Academy faculty.
Sixth grader Stepan Cannuscio found the night "really entertaining," while his classmate Anto Keshgegian credited the "great food." Second grader Sophia Mangasarian's favorite part was the Tasty Kakes, while her classmate Rebecca Selverian liked being with her friends. Parent Adam Selverian summed it up well: "I loved the fantastic Philly theme, the jerseys, the huge crowd, and fantastic food. What a great night."


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There's a great article, entitled Bo Bice: Live on the Sunset Strip, at MTV.com. It's 3 pages long, but here's a sampling:
The big-haired blond singer standing center stage next to Bo Bice tonight isn't Carrie Underwood. He isn't nearly as cute.
It's 1 a.m. at the Roxy, and Bice has just been invited onstage by Metal Skool, the hair-metal tribute band that's been rocking Hollywood's Sunset Strip like a hurricane for the past few years.
On TV, Bo is the "rocker," but next to this motley crew of tattooed, leather-clad Whitesnake worshippers, he's "the guy who came in second on 'American Idol,' " as singer Michael Star introduces him.
"We're gonna give him a chance to prove himself, heavy metal-style," guitarist Satchel tells the capacity crowd as he tears into the opening riff of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine."
Bice smiles, grabs the mic and belts out a squeal that would make Axl Rose proud. He tosses his hat and swings his long hair in the air, saluting the room with double metal horns. He kicks in with the vocals just in time, nailing every line. By mid-song, he's racing around the stage, striking poses with the band. The crowd is going nuts.Heading to another legendary rock hangout, the Rainbow, Bice hops on a moped parked between tour buses. "This is my ride, my hardly Davidson," he jokes. "Brooke Burke, eat your heart out. I told you I'd make it. You could be riding on this!"
Bice has a big crush on Burke, though he's not exactly on the market. A few weeks earlier, he married his hometown sweetheart, Caroline Merrin Fisher. He doesn't reveal this tonight (although the word "wife" slips out once), but she's obviously on his mind. After climbing into a booth at the Rainbow, for instance, he follows up a compliment he pays the waitress by telling her, "I'm not hitting on you; I have a beautiful woman at home."When the show started months later, however, Bice's audition never aired. From then on he felt like an underdog.
"I said [to the producers], 'What's up with this a--hole Constantine getting all the play?' " Bice deadpans. " 'Why is Mr. Googly Eyes getting all the love? What's the deal? Am I chopped liver?' And of course they said, 'No, Bo; that is not the case you just are not as talented, and you can't pout.'
Bice jokes, knowing the media likes to think the two rockers were rivals. But he insists that Constantine Maroulis, who was his roommate during the show, is a friend. Bice always thought Constantine would finish higher than him (third behind Carrie and Anwar Robinson, to be exact), and was shocked to see him go earlier.When Bo made the top 24, he thought he would have to sell out with his song selections to stay alive. After nailing "Drift Away" (a Dobie Gray hit that Uncle Kracker recently scored with) the first week, though, he felt safe enough to test the waters with the Allman Brothers Band's "Whipping Post." The response was glowing.
"That was the floodgate for me," he says, pushing aside his half-finished plate of spaghetti. "Then I said, 'OK, I'm gonna push the envelope now; I'm gonna try to do everything I love. I'm not gonna worry about whatever they give me.' "
The pinnacle of Bo's run came the week before the finals, when Bice decided to sing Badlands' "In a Dream" a cappella. The producers warned him about taking the stage without the band, but he never flinched.Bice has no idea the band is about to invite him onstage, but that won't matter when he gets there. After the last few weeks, sitting in with other artists has become second nature.
First it was the "Idol" finale with Lynyrd Skynyrd, then Bonnaroo, where he popped up on stages with Willie Nelson, Trey Anastasio, Galactic and Boyd Tinsley from Dave Matthews Band. Bice considers each a landmark moment.
"One of the biggest barriers I'm trying to cross is that barrier of legitimacy, to where people understand I am a guitar player, I am a piano player, I am a songwriter," Bice explains. "I'm something more than some guy you've seen on TV. And to have the opportunity to play with those guys, to me, legitimized why I'm here and what I'm about."You can read the whole thing here. There are also pics."If it ends tomorrow, I want to be the guy that goes, 'Hey, I had a good run. I had fun with it,' " Bice reflects. "Then I'll open some kind of farm or some Swedish vibrator shop and sell bongs out of the back of my trunk for the rest of my life."
The farm is going to have to wait for now, though. Bo's wanted onstage.


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Clip credit to nattydreds42
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Myanmar Slide Guitarist Man Yar Pyae, U Tin, & colleagues joined the Traumzeit Festival 2011, in Germany while on tour.
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Entries open for 26 feature and 21 non-feature contemporary Indian films to compete in the Indian Panorama 2017 at IFFI Goa.
Goa Anti Tobacco Film Festival, 2017
Anti Tobacco Film Festival 2017, organized by the Entertainment Society of Goa is to select Ad Films and Short films to build...
The Academy Oscars 2017 pays tribute to Actor Om Puri
The Oscars 2017 pays tribute to the Veteran Actor Om Puri during its "In Memoriam"
Science Film Festival of India , Goa 2017
Building on the reputation of Goa as the destination for IFFI, The Science Film Festival of India, SCI-FFI aims to position as the sole destination for science
10 Popular Indian Celebrities seen at IFFI Goa 2016
The capital city of Goa transforms year after year for 9 days during the International Film Festival of India. Right from
Ali Abbas Zafar at IFFI Goa 2016
Ali Abbas Zafar is a Hindi film director and screenwriter. He started off as an assistant director for Yash Raj Films and then made his own directorial
Kunal Kapoor at IFFI Goa 2016
Kunal Kapoor is a Bollywood actor who shot to fame for his role in the film Rang De Basanti for which he received a nomination in the Filmfare
Tom Alter at IFFI Goa 2016
Tom Alter is a veteran Indian actor of American descent. He is best known for his work in the Indian film industry and has also worked in television and
Nagesh Kukunoor at IFFI Goa 2016
A chemical engineer by profession, Nagesh Kukunoor gave up his lucrative career as an environmental consultant in Atlanta and used
IFFI Goa 2016 Awards
The International Film Festival of India, Goa 2016 was inaugurated on the 20th of November with the presence of several esteemed dignitaries like the
Goa Fashion Weekend: IFFI 2016
The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) & M/S Canterbury, in association with Cherylyne Pret Couture and Vladimir
IFFI Goa 2016: Discussions at Serendipity Arts Festival 2016
Serendipity Arts Festival is celebrating its first edition in Goa. The festival is the brainchild of the


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Linda Cardellini of Freaks and Geeks fame delivers a blistering portrayal of a former military officer grappling with the minutiae of her recently reinstated civilian existence in Liz Johnson's debut feature Return, now available on DVD from Entertainment One. An uncompromising and often excruciating chronicle of the psychological repercussions of modern military engagement, Return refuses obstinately to offer solace or relief to its deeply wounded protagonist, making it a darkly intense, but ultimately rewarding character study.
Cardellini plays Kelli, a young military veteran returning home to her husband (Man of Steel's Michael Shannon) and two daughters following the end of an overseas tour of service. Attempting to readjust to her low-wage factory job and daily routine of parenthood and casual social interactions, Kelli finds herself unable to engage fully with the people around her, or to experience any sense of productive purpose or calm in her life. Driven by a combination of perplexed helplessness in the face of the inescapable changes that have occurred while she was away, and roiling unease triggered by unprocessed lingering combat anxiety, Kelli starts acting erratic, and her relationship with her husband becomes strained. As Kelli's life slowly and irrevocably continues to fall apart, she sinks deeper into confusion and despair, struggling to cope with the disparity between the overwhelming demands and expectations of working class domesticity, and the taut, hair-trigger lifestyle to which she has learned to adapt.
Return is a remarkably enveloping and cohesive first feature, though its thematic focus and slow-burning storytelling may make it too intense for some viewers. Michael Shannon is amazing as usual, but Cardellini's skittish vulnerability is what really sells it. The story development is harsh and unrelenting, and arguably one-dimensional at times, but the film's detached treatment and Cardellini's eschewal of showy melodramatics make it feel completely believable and relevant. The lack of overt political content, and the refusal to explain or comment on the specific nature of Kelli's trauma is also a bold choice – though it doesn't make a big deal out of taking a political stance, Return's premise aligns it pretty clearly with social protest cinema, much of which has a tendency to become awkwardly bogged down by trite sentimentality and pat, didactic solutions.
E-One's disc contains a commentary track with director Johnson and cinematographer Anne Etheridge, plus a reel of deleted scenes, mainly featuring excised bits of performance from Cardellini. Though its relentless pessimistic brutality is often uncomfortable, Return is a solid and emotionally devastating character portrait, as well as a subtly rendered indictment of American militarism and its destructive personal consequences.


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Ready for the freshest cup of coffee you've ever had? Roasting Plant Coffee Company in New York wants to serve it to you, with a tea spoon of ingenuity. They have created a modern robotic system called Javabot with the intention of creating the freshest, most flavorful cup of coffee available.
Walking into their store feels like stepping through a portal to the future. There are pneumatic tubes overhead transporting several variates of coffee beans to and fro. Grinding gears, a roasting station and brewing machines all whiz and whirl. Just as you begin to adjust to the all the visual and auditory stimulus, you are bombarded with the rich smells from this way and that.
If you're delighted with all the myriad choices Starbucks offers, you are bound to be in heaven within the confines of this engineering marvel. They have blends that can range upwards of eight beans, you specify the roasting process, and determine the temperature levels at which the coffee is processed. No idea which coffee is best suited to your tastes? The machine will make minute adjustments on your behalf and have 3 samples for you to choose from.
Javabot's turnover and potential profit must have a few investors licking their chops. It's a company aimed to produce a highly-customized product at a consistent quality, all in about 30 seconds. You walk in, place your order, and less than a minute later you have the perfect cup of Joe in hand and ready to soldier on into another day of stimulant assisted living.
Their first store in New York is a prototype. But I have a feeling once more people experience the machine they'll be coming back in groves, with franchise checks in hands.


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Gelion-Ascar Stockade
Revision as of 21:01, 29 June 2007 by Narfil Palùrfalas (Talk | contribs)
The Gelion-Ascar Stockade was a fortress built by Haldad of the Haladin to defend his people against Orcs. It was located south of Sarn Athrad, between the Gelion and Ascar rivers. It was laid siege to in the Battle of the Gelion-Ascar Stockade around FA 375, during which Haldad was killed and the stockade badly damaged. Eventually Haleth led the Haladin away, abandoning the refuge.


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- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Web site offers tips for recovering from a hurricane as well as applications for assistance.
- The American Red Cross Web site provides information on the kinds of assistance the organization offers including counseling, food and shelter.
- The Texas Attorney General offers a way for consumers to file complaints against price gouging and disaster-related scams.
- The Texas Division of Emergency Management offers disaster recovery information.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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CRIME WATCH SDSU police seek six men in sexual-assault case COLLEGE AREA:
San Diego State University police said they are seeking six men in connection with a sexual attack on a woman inside the Kappa Alpha fraternity house in the early hours of Nov. 15.
Police said the woman was forced into a bedroom of the house, near Hardy Avenue and 55th Street, by three men and assaulted. Three other men stood outside the room during the attack, which was broken up when another man entered the room and allowed the woman to escape.
San Diego State police are asking anyone with information to call (619) 594-1991, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at (619) 235-8477. Police also can be contacted via e-mail at email@example.com . –R.W.P. Bank robbers toss loot after dye pack explodes
Dye-drenched cash littered a street yesterday after bank robbers dumped their loot out of their getaway car, San Diego police said.
Three or four black men in dark, hooded sweat shirts and masks brandished pistols as they robbed Pacific Western Bank on Bernardo Center Drive. They ordered everyone to the floor and demanded money, police Sgt. Bob Dare said.
The robbers were given money with a hidden dye pack. They shoved the money into a bag and left in a white car, possibly a Lexus IS 300 with paper license plates. When the dye pack exploded, the men tossed the bag out a window, Dare said.
Officers found money scattered on the road near Lomica Drive. They also found a handgun. Some children flagged down an officer to give him cash and checks they had found, and a postal carrier reported picking up some money and taking it to the Rancho Bernardo Post Office for an officer to collect.
Witnesses told police one robber wore a "Scream" Halloween mask and the others had black bandannas over their faces. –P.R. Man with full backpacks suspected of burglary
LA MESA: A man seen trudging through a La Mesa neighborhood carrying heavy backpacks yesterday was more like a Grinch than Santa.
Stolen property from a burglarized home on Lubbock Avenue was in the packs, La Mesa police said. The man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of burglary tools.
A resident called police at 11:18 a.m. about a suspicious man around Lubbock and Pampa Street. The caller's postal carrier had told her he thought the man might have broken into a house.
Officers found a man with three backpacks and a laptop computer case. Other officers found a house that had been burglarized, police said. –P.R. El Cajon Valley High student stabbed in back
EL CAJON: A 17-year-old El Cajon Valley High School student was stabbed in a campus parking lot yesterday in what police said may have been a gang-related attack.
The boy suffered a wound to his back that was not believed to be life-threatening, El Cajon police Lt. Jim Redman said.
Redman said two people confronted the teen in the senior parking lot about 3:50 p.m. at the school on East Madison Avenue near June Way. One of the two pulled out a knife and stabbed the teen.
School had been out for an hour when the attack occurred, said Catherine Martin, spokeswoman for Grossmont Union High School District. She said three people in a vehicle stopped in the parking lot, and two got out to confront the teen and a second person.
Martin said a possible suspect was in custody, but a statement from police said the attackers, believed to be former students, were still being sought. –P.R. COURT WATCH
Alternate juror joins murder trial deliberations
EAST COUNTY COURTS: A juror was excused yesterday on the second day of deliberations in the El Cajon Superior Court trial of a man charged with strangling his wife in 2005 and burying her in the backyard of his home in Ramona.
No reason was given for excusing the juror, and an alternate juror was brought in. Deliberations resumed shortly before 11:30 a.m., said court spokeswoman Karen Dalton.
Deliberations began Nov. 25 in the murder trial of Keith Turner, but the jury had been excused for the rest of the week for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Turner, 57, admitted to sheriff's deputies in a videotaped interview that he killed Toby Turner, 44, then buried her in the back of his home on Oak Springs Drive.
Turner is charged with murder, but his lawyer said Turner hadn't planned to kill his wife. He said Turner was pushed to the breaking point by a wife who was a methamphetamine addict given to bizarre behavior and who was living off-and-on with another man. –R.H. ACCIDENT WATCH
Woman who fell off cliff identified; no foul play
SAN DIEGO: A woman whose body was found at the base of a cliff in Point Loma on Sunday apparently died in an accident, the county Medical Examiner's Office said.
Kristan Stephanie Wagner, 41, of Ocean Beach was identified yesterday by her father and brother, a medical examiner's investigator said.
A man walking along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard at the foot of Carmelo Street saw the woman lying on boulders at the base of a sheer, 60-to-70-foot cliff. The man called 911 about 1:40 p.m. Sunday. Paramedics confirmed that she was dead.
Wagner, who was dressed in denim pants, a blouse and a hooded sweat shirt, died of multiple blunt-force injuries, the Medical Examiner's Office said. The death was listed as accidental. San Diego lifeguard Lt. Greg Buchanan said Sunday that there were no witnesses to how Wagner fell onto the rocks or what she had been doing.
The scenic area, north of where Sunset Cliffs Boulevard ends at Sunset Cliffs Park, is a popular spot for walkers and joggers but is also known for its treacherous and sometimes eroding cliffs. –S.S. & P.R. Woman critically injured after being struck by car
ESCONDIDO: A 69-year-old woman suffered critical injuries when she was struck by a car about sunset yesterday on East Grand Avenue, Escondido police said.
The woman, whose name was not released, stepped off the north curb at an Arco gas station driveway and started across the street about 4:45 p.m. At the same time, a 59-year-old driver pulled out of the driveway and turned left into a westbound lane, police said.
The man's Volvo station wagon struck the woman. She hit the pavement and suffered major leg fractures, police said. She was taken to Palomar Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Police said it was unclear if the accident was primarily the fault of the driver or the pedestrian. –P.R. Carlsbad motorcyclist, 51, dies from crash injuries
NORTH COUNTY: A 51-year-old Carlsbad man died over the weekend after being injured in a motorcycle crash near Palomar Mountain, an investigator with the county Medical Examiner's Office said yesterday.
Ilija Petrovich and his wife were riding a Harley-Davidson east on state Route 76 near South Grade Road about 12:30 p.m. Saturday when the motorcycle ran into a stopped pickup, the investigator said.
Both were thrown from the bike, and Petrovich hit several mailboxes before landing on the ground. He suffered massive head injuries and was flown to a hospital, where he died at 4 p.m. Sunday, the investigator said.
His wife was seriously injured and was hospitalized, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said. –D.B. Man on tracks is hurt when trolley hits him
CHULA VISTA: A 70-year-old man who walked onto trolley tracks about three blocks from a transit station in Chula Vista was hit by a trolley yesterday afternoon.
The man suffered facial cuts and complained of back pain and was taken to the hospital, said Chula Vista police spokesman Bernard Gonzales.
The incident happened about 2:30 p.m. and shut down the northbound Blue Line just south of the Palomar Street Station for about half an hour, said Rob Schupp, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transit System. –C.M. FIRE WATCH
Family escapes blaze; four apartments damaged
SPRING VALLEY: A two-alarm fire yesterday gutted one apartment, damaged three others and displaced nine people for the night, officials said.
Two adults and three children, ages 6 months to 4 years, escaped when flames tore through their second-story apartment on Grand Avenue near Saint George Street in Spring Valley.
The couple told fire officials they may have left a candle burning on a bedroom dresser, San Miguel Fire Protection District spokesman Leonard Villarreal said.
A neighbor called 911 about 7:15 p.m. Flames were shooting out the front window of the unit when firefighters arrived. They called for additional engines.
It took about 30 minutes for 35 firefighters from San Miguel, Lemon Grove, Santee, Bonita and San Diego to control the fire. Villarreal said two other units, one unused, were damaged by smoke and fire, and a unit below sustained water damage. No total damage estimate was available last night. –P.R.
Staff writers Ronald W. Powell, Pauline Repard, Ray Huard, Susan Shroder, Debbi Baker and Chris Moran contributed to this report.


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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In an effort to increase donations to its food pantry partners, Meijer announced Tuesday that it has rebranded its signature hunger relief program, Simply Give, with the color orange to align more closely to the issue that continues to rise throughout the Midwest.
To celebrate the enhancement of its program, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer will stretch every customer's $10 Simply Give donation further April 11 to 12. That means for every $10 donation card purchase, Meijer will contribute $20, resulting in a total $30 donation.
"Orange represents the color of hunger awareness, and we wanted Simply Give to connect more closely to the issue at hand," stated co-chairman Hank Meijer. "Thanks to the continued support and generosity of our customers, team members and pantry partners, we've been feeding hungry families in the communities we serve for more than five years. We believe these changes will bring more awareness to the Simply Give program, and in turn, help us give even more to our food pantry partners."
Meijer began its Simply Give program in November 2008 as a way to help restock the shelves of local food pantries throughout the Midwest.
Since then, the program has generated nearly $8 million for those food pantry partners to distribute to hungry families. And, more importantly, those meals stay local, said Janet Emerson, EVP retail operations for Meijer. "We know how important it is to our customers that their generous donations remain in their local communities," Emerson said. "That's why each of our stores partner with a local food pantry during the Simply Give campaign."
During each Simply Give campaign, customers are encouraged to purchase $10 Simply Give donation cards that are then converted into Meijer food-only gift cards and given to the food pantry selected by the store. The Simply Give program runs three times a year; the spring campaign will run through May 12.
Although the spring campaign is seven weeks long, the opportunity for customers to get their Simply Give donations double matched will be April 11 to 12.
Customers can find the rebranded Simply Give donation cards on fixtures near the checkout, and grocery and pharmacy departments.


text: Can anyone tell me which one is the best one to use! I have seen on various web sites that both can be used, but books and older material still refer to buses as being correct (busses being the plural of buss, an informal word for kiss (originating from german??) anyhow, any ideas? busses or buses? I "feel" like 2 ss are ok, but is there a consensus? thanks!


text: Meta Battle Subway PokeBase - Pokemon Q&A Login Register All Activity Questions Unanswered Tags Users Ask a Question Rules Chat Would this Regigigas be legit? 0 votes 361 views i had to hack in the 3 regis but caught regigigas normally. the reason I hacked them in was because I wanted all the sinnoh legendaries but only have pearl. regigigas legit asked Sep 5, 2013 by Pokélink Please log in or register to add a comment. Please log in or register to answer this question. 1 Answer 1 vote Best answer Yep. If you caught it even if you had to use hacked Pokes to access it, it was still caught normally and therefore will be legit. Source: Experience answered Sep 5, 2013 by JarJar~ selected Sep 5, 2013 by Pokélink ok good i wanted to have as little hacked legendaries as possible. thanks commented Sep 5, 2013 by Pokélink No problem :) commented Sep 5, 2013 by JarJar~ is that your catch phrase or something commented Sep 5, 2013 by Pokélink Not really... I've said it like twice ever xD That's because not that many people leave comments on answers =/ commented Sep 5, 2013 by JarJar~ you've said it on all my answers commented Sep 5, 2013 by Pokélink Which is twice. I just like to be friendly and stuff to other users :) commented Sep 6, 2013 by JarJar~ So do i. This is actually a really long stream of comments with only 2 people commented Sep 7, 2013 by Pokélink Please log in or register to add a comment. Related questions Would I be able to obtain Regigigas in ORAS in this situation? Is this wonder traded Pokemon legit ??? Is This Celebi Legit? Is this Groudon legit? Is this Shiny Dratini Legit? Does this work for Regigigas? Do all 3 regis have to be caught by me to get Regigigas? I have an electric Charizard card, is it legit or fake? Useful Meta Posts How to change your username How to add a user avatar Why was my post hidden? The points system Question etiquette Flags vs Downvotes Anime FAQ


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Stencil Coral
Material: 0,15 mil clear stencil plastic Single overlay allover stencil. Sheet size: A3
Article number: Schablone Coral
Availability: In stock
€21,50 Incl. tax
Delivery time: after receipt of payment we will ship the goods (3-5 working days).
Annie Sloan Stencil were created to help with all your DIY projects and are very easy to use. You simply stencil the design, move the stencil over , up or down and overlap the last row of the design to get a perfect flowing pattern. They can be used on the wall, wood and even fabric.
- Material: 0,15 mil clear stencil plastic
- Single overlay allover stencil.
- Sheet size: A3
You can also wash and reuse them many times, always taking care to dry them well. After use it is advisable to keep them in their original packaging.
No specifications found
No reviews found...


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What would make your awesome new iPhone 6 plus even better? Adding a super cool EYN Wallet Case in White that adds even more features to your phone such as a kickstand, mirror, and wallet.
Tax is only charged if shipping to California. Visit our Shipping Info page for additional information.
We honor returns within 30 days from the original delivery date and offer free exchange shipping. Some restrictions do apply for built-to-order items, or very large items like furniture.
For additional details, or to initiate a return, please visit our Returns Page.
*Please note that while we do our best to have the most up to date product imagery, in-line changes will happen with brands and the actual product shipped may differ slightly.


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After many weeks of wearing the necessary but sometimes painful implement, it would feel extremely good to have it removed. The braces on your teeth correct but unfortunately leave indelible marks on your teeth that you will never be able to forget. The writer specifically refers to the glue and cement that the orthodontists use to embed the braces on to your teeth. When braces are removed, the cement and glue that were used to stick it with is left on your teeth. You will unquestionably need to have this taken off because of the following reasons.
Having your braces removed is something that you should be happy about because it will not only mean that you have been relieved of your dental problems, it will also add to your self-esteem. In addition to this, glue removal is also an important part of the process and therefore should not be neglected.
Moreover, open communication with your dental health care professionals is advisable. This will help you understand and accept the procedures that should be done. It will also lessen your worries and fears about the procedure.


text: Since I recieved so much great information from the boards, I wanted to make sure that I paid it forward and provided a quick review of our recent cruise on the Fantasy. Overall, we had a great time, however, I am on the fence on if we would do DCL again. (Please read before you bash me.) Who we are; Me, DM and DD, 14. We have traveled the world and are use to being on the go, go, go. This may add to our point of view. This is our 5th cruise, 2 HAL, 1 small ship in Egypt, and 1 small ship in China. Room 5530 - PERFECT!!! If you enjoy sitting on the balcony or sunbathing, this cabin is perfect. The extended balcony has two regular chairs and two loungers. My DD laid out there many hours and would fall asleep. I didnt mind the people looking down on us what so ever. Smoking - people around us smoked and it didnt bother me. In fact, many times I would be out on the balcony and the guy above us would be out there smoking and I wouldnt realize it until he made a noise. Wish every room had the extended balcony! Dining - Servers were "excellent". They really made coming to dinner a treat! Food - so so. Ship/Shows/CMs - The ship is beautiful! The shows were great although we did not do the first or last night. Every CM we encountered was great! Events/things to do on the ship - This is where we thought things were dare I say it...boring. It was hard for us to find something to do together. There were many teen events, adult events, and lots of stuff for the little ones, but there was very few things that me and my daughter could do together. She did not attend the teen club as she said the kids were "all like adults, with facial hair and stuff". She is a young 14. We do everything together. On our previous cruises with HAL, we found many things to do. They had events at least every hour where you could earn prizes, play games, etc. We never found this on Disney. I was surprised by this. Everyone likes to call HAL the "Old peoples ship", however, I think this is not true at all. We were constantly involved with activities on the ship. I thought that 3 (which turned into 4 due to Hurricane Sandy) ship days was to much. The pools were nice and the Aquaduck was awesome! Relaxing on decks 11 and 12 was nice. Midship detective was fun. Overall, there were many times we wished there was something we could go do but there wasn't. Again, we are use to being on the go all this time so this adds to my point of view. Will be back soon with some great memories, Pirate Night, Halloween Night, Excursions, and our brush with Sandy!


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Meet 11 Priests Who Are Doing Things the Church Has Never Done Before
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There are so many wonderful priests throughout the world coming up with innovative ways to share the Gospel. They are serving the poor, standing for life, evangelizing through social media, and much more.
We are proud to share the stories here that you might not be hearing about in the local news. Help us spread the word about the many priests who are doing good works for the Kingdom of God.
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11 Priests Who Creatively Bring Christ to Others
11 Priests Doing Extraordinary Things
All priests work hard to serve God and His people, but these 10 priests are involved in some truly innovative ministries. This is by no means an exhaustive list! We want to add many more to it. Please, let us know about more priests doing great things for the Kingdom.
Fr. Andrew
Fr. Andrew noticed both a need in his community and an underused large parish hall. His creativity led him to start a crowdfunding project that enabled him to establish the ministry SAFE. According to the website, SAFE serves a three-fold purpose, "Three major projects have been developed within SAFE; the Ambition Music Project bringing young people together from all backgrounds including those hardest to reach in a creative and stimulating environment; a Community Café ran in partnership with Loreto College and their Pathway's Department, offering students with special educational needs the opportunity to gain work experience and life skills whilst creating a social hub for the wider SAFE Gorton Project; and the Community Garden providing a place of peace and productivity for all members of the community."
Find out more by clicking the links in the quote!
Fr. Gregory Boyle
Fr. Boyle began Homeboy Industries in 1988 after noticing a need to help youth involved in gang violence. He was led to establish an elementary school, daycare, and a way for youth to find employment. In 1992, he started the Homeboy Bakery. According to the website, "The mission of Homeboys's model of social enterprises, to create an environment that provides training, work experience, and above all, the opportunity for rival gang members to work side by side." Each month they serve over 1000 former gang members and recently incarcerated people from the Los Angeles, CA area. They do offer nationwide shipping, so check out the website and order some food!! http://www.homeboyindustries.org/
Rev. Francis J. Hoffman "Fr. Rocky"
Fr. Hoffman, known better as Fr. Rocky, is the executive director of Relevant Radio (there's an app for that!). He is an author, speaker, and co-host of the radio show "Go Ask Your Father". There is something about Fr. Rocky that resonates with people. He ministers to over 2.5 million people through his Facebook page alone. More info here: http://www.relevantradio.com/programs/go-ask-your-father
Fr. Michael Gaitley
Fr. Gaitley is the author of several books that are changing people's lives by introducing them to the heart of Jesus, a consecration to Mary, and Divine Mercy. He writes in a away that is both easy to understand and up-lifting. These books are a sort of do-it-yourself retreat that can be done in your home. You can find his books at: https://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/speaker/fr-michael-gaitley
Fr. Jonathon Morris
Fr. Morris is a Campus Minister at Columbia University and director of programming for SiriusXM's "The Catholic Channel", but is best known for staying true to his belief's and the belief's of the Catholic Church as an analyst for Fox News. Find out more about him at: http://fatherjonathan.com/
Fr. Leo Patalinghug
Fr. Leo Patalinghug has a passion to evangelize through cooking. He began the web series Grace Before Meals which encourages families to eat dinner together around the table in order to strengthen relationships. Not only is he a well known chef, but he has been both a martial arts teacher and former break dancing choreographer. It's inspiring to see how his unique talents have been used to minister to others. Fr. Patalinghug also has a show on EWTN called Savoring Our Faith. You can find his web series (and recipes!) here: http://gracebeforemeals.com/
Fr. Frank Pavone
Fr. Pavone is the National Director of Priests for Life, Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, President of National Pro-life Religious Council, and Pastoral Director of Rachel's Vineyard. He travels around the United States speaking up for the unborn. Find out more about his work here: http://www.priestsforlife.org/frpavonebio.aspx
Fr. Dave Pivonka
Fr. Pivonka along with 4pm Media have put together a free series of 14 videos available at http://thewildgooseisloose.com to help people grow in their understanding and relationship with the Holy Spirit. The work put into this series has the power to transform lives.
Fr. Larry Richards
Fr. Larry Richards is the founder of The Reason for Our Hope Foundation. This ministry exists to evangelize through multimedia. They will reach over 15 million people this year with the message of the Gospel. Find out more: http://thereasonforourhope.org
Fr. Mike Schmitz
Fr. Mike Schmitz is the chaplain for Newman group at the University of Minnesota Duluth as well as the Director of the Office of Youth Ministries for the diocese. As part of his ministry with Ascension Press, he releases short Youtube videos on practical subjects from tips on prayer to getting enough sleep. You can find the videos on Ascension Presents Youtube Channel: http://bit.ly/1LQra1a
Fr. Bob Stec
Fr. Bob Stec is the Pastor of a church near Cleveland, Ohio as well as a leader for a mission community in the Dominican Republic. He is also the co-ordinator of The Fest – a Catholic festival with Christian music, family activities, speakers, Confession, Adoration, a Vocations tent, and an outdoor Mass that happens every August. There is no charge to attend. The Fest began small in the year 2000, but now draws in over 40,000 people each year. It is definitely a powerful way to evangelize and promote vocations. Learn more about The Fest here: http://www.thefest.us/
1 Step 1
Though this list is a good start, we know there are many more amazing stories of priests who are out there serving God's people with zeal and passion. We want to add to this list! Please share your story of a priest who is making a difference in the comments.


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Map of the ancient Near East during the Amarna Period, showing the great powers of the period: Egypt (green), Hatti (yellow), the Kassite kingdom of Babylon (purple), Assyria (grey), and Mittani (red). Lighter areas show direct control, darker areas represent spheres of influence. The extent of the Achaean/Mycenaean civilization is shown in orange.
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I made a version of Mom's Chocolate Cake. I made a lot of changes, so this comment really shouldn't apply to the original recipe but the cake flavor seemed a bit…watery. Can a cake be too moist?
I think a cake can be too moist….that is when it does not hold up well to cutting. Does it seem too watery because you know there is a lot of water? I am thinking of making this cake and adding cocoa like the Devil Foods cake.


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As the Web evolves, so can your business.
Wikis, blogs, webcasts, instant messaging, podcasts, RSS feeds--just keeping up with the definitions of new and ever-evolving technology is enough to make your eyes cross.
Concepts like e-mail, e-zines, e-newsletters, e-books, and online surveys are easier to grasp simply because they take something we once received in physical form and morph it into digital form. But virtual cities where real people can create an alternate reality and "live" online through their "avatar" identity and get sucked into real debt? Wait a minute!
Don't believe me? Here's an excerpt from an article on News.com:
"Second Life users can purchase virtual items with a pretend currency called Linden dollars--named for game creator Linden Lab. But they use real-life currency to acquire that virtual coin. In fact, there's an exchange rate between the two: One U.S. dollar will buy 271 Lindens, enough to buy a basic outfit for an avatar, which is the digital representation of a person."
While we're all busy professionals and must stick to the primary tasks associated with serving our clients and producing revenue, none of us can--or should--ignore what's happening on the bold, new Web frontier. There are ways for even the most technophobic advisor to use Web 2.0 tools to his or her advantage.
What Is Web 2.0?
The phrase Web 2.0 refers to the second-generation of web-based communities and hosted services such as social-networking sites, wikis, and folksonomies (see the Web 2.0 Glossary at the end of this article) that facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. Technologies such as intranets, weblogs, social bookmarking, podcasts, RSS feeds, social software, Web APIs (application program interfaces), Web standards, and a proliferation of online services have led to a significant shift in how people work and use the Web.
What we're seeing is a transition. Web sites are no longer isolated information silos, they are sources of content and functionality. Some even become computing platforms, serving Web applications to end-users. We are also seeing a social phenomenon: People have embraced the act of generating and distributing Web content. The phenomenon is characterized by open communication, decentralization of authority, and freedom to share and re-use information.
The good news/bad news is this: Now anyone can become an instant "author," pumping out information (or misinformation). The challenge--both for you and your clients--has become determining which sources are reliable and which are not. There is also an enhanced need for organization and categorization of content; technologies such as furl and digg were created to provide a solution.
But while the Web continues to evolve, human emotions and needs remain the same. Studies show that people go online for three things: To find information, to communicate with family and friends, and to shop. They often have their favorite sources of information and might set one site--a trusted blog such as the Huffington Post or a straight news source such as CBS Marketwatch--as their home page, and will they check it several times a day for key information and updates.
So what does this mean to you? Client and prospect behaviors are changing as fast as individuals find new solutions for their news, information, and consumer needs. That means that effective media relations and marketing is critical to your success as a financial planner, especially with boomers and the affluent, most of whom are online with broadband Internet connections.
In today's crowded marketplace, you know it's vital to differentiate yourself as the advisor of choice in your local buying area. Effective media relations and marketing can provide the differentiation you need. If you have a good online presence, it's quite possible that clients, strategic partners and even journalists will "stumble on" and reach out to you.
Great Aims on the Web
One great aim is to use the Web and other electronic communications to educate the public about personal finance, financial advisors, and the profession. Educated consumers make better clients and can more aptly select the right advisor to help them meet financial goals. When they choose a specific advisor, it's important to remember that they are choosing the person--someone with whom they feel safe, comfortable, and willing to share their deeply held hopes and dreams.
That means you need to humanize your Web site to build the relationship and establish trust. Fill it with process graphics and people pictures (the majority of which should represent the types of people you want to serve), audio messages from you and professionally produced video (preferably from larger organizations with whom you're affiliated). Make your Web site as "human" as possible. Put photographs of yourself and your staff in the "About Us" section, but never on the home page unless you are some sort of celebrity. If you'd like to take things a bit further and show a less formal side of your firm, create a "scrapbook" or "events" page; add photos (with captions) of you doing things you love, such as volunteering in the community, running a marathon, coaching Little League, hosting your radio show, accepting an award, or speaking at a conference.
If you use a brief movie on a splash page or an audio on the homepage, keep the wiz-bang Flash animations to a minimum and give people the opportunity to opt out, cancel, or somehow squelch the multimedia presentation--you want to emphasize the human touch and give people choice. Fill your virtual and media relations world with the sights and sounds of people. For instance, if you use e-mail communications, put your photo in the signature space. Give people lots of opportunities get a sense of you and your team. You want them to start thinking "this is someone I think I might like and trust."
In today's world, consumers expect you to have a Web site. It's one of the ways they gather information and determine if you're a viable resource. It takes the pressure off of them and gives them a safe way to check you out on their own terms. Still, it's amazing to me how many advisors don't even have a Web site (or, if they do, it's an embarrassingly bad one). Pay attention to your site; the key is to keep it simple, professional, and fresh. Don't have a Web site? Better get with the times.
Using Web 2.0 Tools to Build Trust and Visibility
If you want to branch out further, you might add podcasts, videocasts, webinars, e-newsletters, or a blog; then either post that information to your Website or push it out via e-mail to your firm's mailing list. Autoresponders such as AWeber make it easy to formulate and manage an e-marketing or client communications campaign. Services such as Constant Contact or I Make News give you attractive options for creating a custom e-newsletter, while companies like Advisor Products, Forefield, and HNW Publisher provide attractive semicustom options.
Consider making use of online survey tools, such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang, or add a clients-only section to your Web site. The clients-only section might provide access to their investment accounts and contain client-specific document vaults that contain wills and trusts, insurance policies, and other important documents in case they want to check on these without making a phone call. That can save you and your staff work too. Services such as Pete Wheeler's Family Office Network even allow you to set permissions to allow strategic partners (such as the client's CPA or attorney) to access certain portions of the online document vault.
Many advisors want to know if they should start a blog. My reply is a resounding "maybe." While a blog can provide another forum for you to express your opinions and share information, it can be time consuming. Blogs should be kept fresh to attract a following you'll need to post weekly or even daily reflections. In addition, many advisors tell me they plan on blogging about the markets and financial matters; this can be problematic from your parent company or broker/dealer's perspective, and it might not be allowed for legal reasons. Keep in mind, too, that a blog entry should be short and less formal than a Web site entry. If all you're going to do is post market commentary and educational content, why not go through the normal quality-control process and reserve that for your Web site?
Maintaining Balance
Keep in mind that the Web can be like a narcotic. Don't spend a lot of time pushing out electronic communications and creating grand Web sites, calling your e-efforts "relationship building," while, in reality, your relationships have begun to languish. Keep things in balance and don't get swept away with your own creative brilliance. You can be writing the best blog in the world, but do your clients and ideal prospects really care?
So the real questions become: Who is your target and what is important to them? What local organizations and virtual communities are they involved with? How are they using the Internet? How do they prefer to receive information? How do you most effectively connect with them . on their terms?
Many clients, even younger ones, still prefer a phone call and a hard-copy newsletter to e-mail messages and e-newsletters. They may have cell phones and iPods, but they're not likely to be reading your blog on their Blackberries. Time is precious, and unless you are providing the most compelling content, people are as likely to delete your e-mails as they are to read or forward them.
The truth is, we all suffer from information overload. And, now that anyone can become an overnight "author" by self-publishing an e-book, writing and distributing a white paper, posting articles on their own sites or creating a blog or e-newsletter, consumers have even more critical of information sources, tuning out all but their most trusted brands and, one hopes, ratcheting up their discerning mind.
When advisors ask me about using new media to build relationships with clients and prospects, my first questions are, "Who are your ideal clients, what are you trying to accomplish and why do you think this may be an effective method for achieving that goal?"
If your ideal clients spend their time interacting with peers through virtual means such as My Space, Linked In, or Eons, and you have the time and inclination to start your own blog or participate in an online community, then you might do well to invest in that effort. If, on the other hand, your ideal clients spend more time traveling, dining out, golfing, attending the symphony, or supporting the arts, you might focus your efforts on becoming visible in those circles through volunteer efforts, advertising in related directories and event programs, writing for associated publications, speaking at their meetings, and hosting affinity events. While your efforts may be focused on achieving visibility through traditional methods, you can supplement your campaigns by posting travel and lifestyle tips on your Web site, sending information via e-mail or creating an online calendar and event reservation system.
Web 2.0 Glossary
Podcast: A method of publishing audio files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost, for instant listening or downloading to their computer or music player (such as an iPod, which is where the "pod" in podcasts comes from).
Wiki: A collaborative Web application, generally open to the public. Wikipedia, a collaborative online encyclopedia, is one example.
Blog: A blog (or weblog) is a journal (or newsletter) that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or the Web site.
RSS: A family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, called a feed, contains either a summary of content from an associated Web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite Web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.
Social software: Programs that allow users to interact, share and meet other users--My Space, LinkedIn, and YouTube are examples.
Social bookmarking: Some sites allow users to post their list of bookmarks or favorite Web sites for others to search and view. These sites can also be used to meet others sharing common interests. Examples include digg, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon and furl.
Folksonomy: A way to tag and retrieve Web-based information (anything with a URL) for one's own later retrieval. Your tagging may sometimes be shared and open to others.
Online social network: Communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. They are primarily Web based, and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat, messaging, e-mail, video, voice chat, file sharing, blogging, discussion groups, and so on. For example, Eons is billed as "the first and largest online gathering place for people lovin' life on the flip side of 50!"
Intranet or "Web office": A private network (it resembles a password protected version of the Internet, usually confined to an organization). Allows work groups to collaborate in real time 24/7 via shared calendars with automatic reminders, libraries of information, discussion forums, contact management systems, and document archives.
Webcast or webinar: A seminar held on the Internet, linking participants via conference calls and PCs with access to the Internet. It can be a one-way presentation, or there can be interaction between the audience and host. (Check out MorningstarAdvisor.com's webinars here.
A recent convert to the LinkedIn virtual business community, Marie Swift is president of Impact Communications, Inc. While she loves the ease of connecting and sharing information via the Web 2.0 and is a self-proclaimed e-mail addict, she has not yet created an avatar. Visit www.impactcommunications.org for a link to her one-entry blog.
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20.01.2009 •
Shop NEWS
Style Monte-Carlo magazine presents a new concept with every issue. Thus they have already presented us with visual worlds on the subjects of "Mystic", "Hot", "Divine" and "Diva". Editorial emphasis is placed on architecture and design, art and photography – as well as all the other nice things in life.
Exclusive interviews with designers and personalities of medial interest such as top models, are a must, the resulting editorials are realized somewhere between Paris, New York, Africa, … which takes us to the "Mystic" issue of winter 08-09.
This sees Erin O'Connor, Sante D'Orazio, Jim Dine, Michel Troisgros, Grimaldi & Giarina and René Staud present their best sides. Erin seduces us with fear and longing, magic and secrecy. Sante D'Orazio doesn't need an explanation, he is one of the most in demand photographers of his generation.
The glossy also includes : Jim Dine, artist without a definition, star chef Michel Troisgros, who holds three Michelin stars. Grimaldi & Giardina, a friendship made in Italy, as well as René Staud, who knows how to combine wonderful cars with equally as breathtaking landscapes and architecture.
The fashion editorials feature Religious Diptych by Gray Scott, Supernatural by Amber Gray, The Backyard of Solace by Cel Jarivs, Happening of Spirit by Alaric Hammond and The Landscape of Dream by Jeff Olson. Beauty is everywhere, if only you have the eyes to see it … and we at GoSee have decided to present a detailed overview of the magazine's covers.


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Monthly Archives: September, 2012
Mayor to visit new sister city in Ontario
Jack Miner is the key to the connection between Westlake and Kinsgville. Born in 1865 when Westlake was known as Dover, Miner's family moved to Ontario when he was 13. He created a bird sanctuary on his farm, which today is a major tourist attraction in Kingsville.
Neglected dog's owner sought by Westlake police
The male dog, of a mixed breed, was found at the Bradley Road Nature Park around 7 a.m. Monday morning wearing a light-blue cloth collar.
Income tax group working on draft plan for mid-October
By Jeff Gallatin Westshore Local officials working on proposed changes to municipal income tax collection regulations have been asked to have a working draft ready for discussion at a mid-October meeting. Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland, who is representing her city as well as other Northeast Ohio cities in the talks, said state Rep. Cheryl […]
District 16 state representative candidates Baker and Meyer square off
Republican incumbent Nan Baker and Democratic challenger Andrew Meyer, a Rocky River attorney, squared off during a League of Women Voters forum, answering questions on issue ranging from the economy to school funding.


text: Kerry Meier fined $20,000 for hit that ended Cullen Loefflers season Posted by Michael David Smith on December 3, 2011, 6:18 AM EST Meier_Kerry Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler suffered a season-ending back injury when Falcons receiver Kerry Meier blindsided him with a block on Sunday. Now Meier is paying for the hit, too. The NFL fined Meier $20,000, reasoning that Meiers hit was an illegal blindside block to an opponents head area, Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reports. On the play in question (video here) Loeffler was running down the field to cover a punt when Meier drilled him. Loeffler never saw it coming. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...0-for-hit-that-ended-cullen-loefflers-season/ Am I missing something it looked like a clean block to me?


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12/3/2016 – Can I purchase these bottles as singles or only 12 at a time?How much are they if purchased one at a time?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, sorry. We sell these bottles only by the case.
7/8/2012 – can i use these to bottle root beer? i want glass bottles not the plastic ones they wont explode will they?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, these bottle are a good choice for making root beer/soda pops.
5/17/2010 – what is your phone number?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: We can be reached at (425) 355-8865Our toll free order number is (800) 850-2739
11/11/2008 – I am a diehard kegger, but would like to try bottling some of each batch to see how age treats my beer (it never lasts that long in the keg). Is it possible to add a "pinch" of DME or corn sugar to each bottle before filling to naturally carbonate? If so what would the appropriate amount of sugar be? And is this the best option?By the . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, this is possible. Try using about 1/2 teaspoon of corn sugar per 12 oz bottle. Slightly more, if using DME. It's difficult to be very accurate using this method, but it can be done.If using 1 liter bottles, try using about 1.5 tsp per bottle. Thank YOU. We enjoy this business, and hope it shows.
1/26/2008 – I live about an hour (if traffic is good) from the address on your website. Do you have an actual store or is everything here based solely online?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, we have an actual brick-and-mortar store in Everett, WA. People actually walk in and buy stuff!Our address is:Homebrew Heaven9121 Evergreen WayEverett, WA 98204Heck, you can actually call us on the phone, too! It's 425-355-8865. A person will actually answer as long as it's business hours!
11/5/2006 – I live in Seattle, can I come and pick up the bottles in Everett? Do you have a "brick and mortar" store?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: You sure can. It is literally made of bricks and mortar, in South Everett. Our address is:Homebrew Heaven9121 Evergreen WayEverett, WA 98204425-355-8865Hours are 10am-6:30pm Monday-Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturdaysand 10am-3pm on Sundays
9/25/2006 – I am starting to collect bottles from around town. I heard rumor from a friend that if I used a clear bottle I needed to do something additional to the beer, but then from another I heard that was for green bottles.Does is matter the color of glass bottle used in brewing? If so, what is the best glass color. And what additional work does . . .
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Clear and green bottles allow harmful light rays to affect the beer. If you keep your beer away from intense light, especially sunlight and florescent lights, it's not an issue.Brown beer bottles are the best, without a doubt.
4/30/2006 – in regards to e-z cap bottles...Can these be stored for long periods of time? I like to keep 22oz bottles with oxycaps for extended lengths of time. 2nd if there is no oxygen absorbing feture with these bottles, is there any thing that can be added to absorb oxygen?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, EZ Cap Bottles are good for long term storage.No, I wouldn't add any anti-oxidants. Simply not necessary.
2/2/2006 – BRILLANT WEBSITE! Can I get the 1 litre bottles with ceramic tops instead of plastic?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: No, sorry.
2/1/2005 – Where can I buy the hops to brew the beer? I live in Plainview, Texas....would love to brew my own. But, I need the ingredients to brew it. will buy your equipment, so....where can I buy the goodies to brew it?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Right here! We have a large selection of hops, yeasts, grains and everything you need in the way of ingredients. Here is a link:A good way to get started is to choose one of our ingredient (recipe) kits. They get you started the right way!
12/4/2004 – What type of cap is on your brown 1 liter swing top bottles?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: The cap itself is plastic (not ceramic).
3/25/2004 – I want to use the 33oz flip top to get beer from a brewery in Colorado. They do not bottle the beer and it only comes in kegs. How long can I expect the beer to last in the flip top bottles? I would like to buy from your store in person. Is that possible?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: It will last a long time if you fill it completely. No problem there. The problem is filling the bottle. You will get a fair amount of foaming as it hits the bottom. If you have a patient pourer, who can pour and then let it sit, then pour some more...it will work.Yes, of course you can buy in person. We're a real brick-and-mortar store . . .
11/10/2003 – do these come with gaskets or do you need to buy them separately?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Yes, these bottles come with the necessary gaskets. We also sell replacement gaskets if you need them.
11/2/2003 – My father wants to make root beer. I understand that you have ingredients for the root beer but where can i get the equipment to bottle and make the root beer in?
Response From Homebrew Heaven: Right here at Homebrew Heaven! We have bottling equipment in the Beer Brewing section, and food grade buckets etc in the Carboys/Fermenters section.See below for the links to take you there
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Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWKS), an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors enabling a broad range of end markets, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Isolink is shipping customized optical solutions to Varian Medical for radiation oncology applications. Varian is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy and brachytherapy. Isolink's emitter and detector arrays are radiation tolerant and help to ensure that the correct treatment doses are delivered to patients. "Skyworks is excited to be expanding our portfolio of analog solutions for a wide range of medical applications including radiation oncology, hearing aids, glucose monitors, heart defibrillators and patient telemetry," said Liam K. Griffin, executive vice president and corporate general manager at Skyworks. "Our design with Varian is just one example of how traditional analog end markets like medical are embracing connectivity and intersecting directly with Skyworks' core competencies. These are highly attractive markets for us, characterized by longer product life cycles, fewer competitors and higher margins." For more information about Isolink's optoisolator and optocoupler product portfolio, please contact a sales representative at firstname.lastname@example.com or visit the Isolink Web site at www.isolink.com. About Isolink Isolink is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Skyworks Solutions and the leading supplier of high performance and high quality optoelectronic radiation tolerant components worldwide serving the high-reliability, military, aerospace, hybrid, industrial, medical, and telecommunications markets. The company specializes in the manufacture of high-performance, high-quality miniature hybrids and hermetically sealed devices with high isolation voltage, common mode rejection and radiation tolerances for demanding environments. About Varian Medical Systems Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices. Varian is a premier supplier of tubes and digital detectors for X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications and also supplies X-ray imaging products for cargo screening and industrial inspection. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 6,400 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and 72 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com. About Skyworks Skyworks Solutions, Inc. is an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors. Leveraging core technologies, Skyworks supports automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, energy management, GPS, industrial, medical, military, wireless networking, smartphone and tablet applications. The Company's portfolio includes amplifiers, attenuators, circulators, demodulators, detectors, diodes, directional couplers, front-end modules, hybrids, infrastructure RF subsystems, isolators, lighting and display solutions, mixers, modulators, optocouplers, optoisolators, phase shifters, PLLs/synthesizers/VCOs, power dividers/combiners, power management devices, receivers, switches and technical ceramics.
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Why Jerry Jones, Cowboys are taking a 'we'll-see' approach with Kyle Orton, Josh Brent situations
IRVING — On the first day of minicamp, as the hot Texas sun beat down on the Cowboys as they ran from one drill to the next, owner Jerry Jones stood off to the side of the practice field and spoke about his team.
He spent a large part of this impromptu news conference on players who weren't even there.
Kyle Orton's absence, Josh Brent's future and Sean Lee's injury were all topics of conversation. The game of contract chicken taking place between the Cowboys and their backup quarterback was first up.
Head coach Jason Garrett has played a game of semantics in recent weeks, saying he expected Orton to participate in the minicamp. It should be pointed out he expects everyone to attend minicamp since it's mandatory.
Jones made it clear Tuesday that they knew the veteran quarterback wouldn't attend.
"Well, of course we were aware that he wasn't going to be here, and we're just handling all of our business with him the way the agreements call for,'' Jones said. "This is mandatory for him to be here and the consequences have been pre-negotiated when we did our contract.
"We have, the organization has, visited with his representation and so we'll just kind of let it play out from there.''
Orton appears to be wrestling with whether or not he wants to continue to play football. If he came out and announced his retirement, he would be required to pay back $3.4 million of his signing bonus. He would be allowed to keep that money if he's simply cut by the club.
Jones declined to say if Orton is contemplating retirement because he has not directly visited with the quarterback. He also declined to say whether Orton's agent, David Dunn, has been informed that the club has no intention of cutting the quarterback.
All Garrett would say is that he spoke to Dunn — who represents the head coach in addition to Orton — over the weekend.
"The bottom line is we're just playing this as we move along on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis,'' Jones said.
Orton can be fined up to $69,455 if he skips all three days of this mandatory camp. He can be fined $30,000 a day for every practice day he skips in training camp. The quarterback has already had $75,000 subtracted from his base salary of $3.25 million for failing to appear for a negotiated number of voluntary workouts.
"All you can do is come to agreements and you will then deal with it as it comes,'' Jones said. "But as far as what we're doing out here right now, what we need to be doing as it impacts the year, we'll see how it goes.''
Jones also addressed whether or not the door is open for Brent to return.
"His business with the league on reinstatement is just that — with the league,'' Jones said. "It's not with us. We do want to support him, but it would be way ahead of ourselves to talk about when, if, and how he would join the Cowboys.''
Brent retired from the NFL last year before he was found guilty of intoxication manslaughter for the death of teammate and best friend, Jerry Brown Jr. He must apply for reinstatement if he wants to play again. None of that can happen until next month.
The defensive tackle was released from jail earlier this week and allowed to spend the final 45 days of his sentence in rehab.
"The No. 1 thing the league is interested in right now is his rehabilitation,'' Jones said. "No. 2, the league is in the business of when somebody has rehabbed, when they have paid whatever penalties there are, then the league is in a position to want them to come back and play.
"So I'm relying on that.''
What Jones and the Cowboys can't rely on is when Lee will be able to return. The club has yet to put the middle linebacker on season-ending injured reserve. But the odds he will recover from surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament to play in 2014 aren't good.
"We're not counting on that, but we haven't done anything on the roster to preclude that from happening,'' Jones said of Lee's return. "I would have to say right now, we haven't made that decision [injured reserve], but it's his decision really for the most part.''
Lee, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher were the best players on a defense last season that ranked last in the NFL. All are gone. Yet Jones is confident the Cowboys will be better on defense in 2014.
"Because we were so bad last year there is no place but up,'' Jones said.
It remains to be seen if there will be a place for Orton and Brent.


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Tag Archives: Rahm Emanuel
Emanuel Gets Behind Count Down Timers For Red Light Cams
Emanuel just recently got behind a proposal by Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) and Ald. Anthony Beale (8th) to install pedestrian countdown timers at traffic lights where red light cameras are installed.
The city has 174 RLC intersections. 129 already have countdown timers with five more slated to be installed soon. Costs to install countdown timers at the remaining intersections are estimated to be close to $8 million.
The countdown timers give drivers the ability to see how many seconds are left before the green phase ends allowing them to either slow down or speed up to avoid running the red. The aldermen's current proposal would also add time to the traffic light's yellow phase–a change that has proven to decrease red light running, decrease crashes and improve safety.
Mayor's Sunday Parking Meter Promise Still Remains Unkept
Six months after the City Council passed a renegotiated parking meter lease, business leaders and aldermen in some wards say free Sunday parking has led to low meter turnover — which means fewer customers are able to park and shop in the neighborhoods.
Kevin Vaughn, owner of a handful of restaurants and bars, including Lakeview's Mystic Celt and Vaughn's Pub, said he was trying to find parking outside one of his businesses early Sunday morning and most of the metered spots were filled — a problem that began after free Sunday parking began.
"Eighty percent of the spots were filled at 8 a.m.," Vaughn said. "In Lakeview, Sunday is the second busiest commercial business day of the week. Ultimately [free metered parking] is bad for business."
The revised agreement with Chicago Parking Meters LLC made changes that the Emanuel administration said give the city more control over the meter system than the original agreement, and free Sunday parking was one major change Emanuel wanted to see in the new deal.
But that didn't sit well with a handful of City Council members.
Read more at DNA Info.
Speed Cams Issue 2,700 Violations In First Weeks Of Ticketing
Nine cameras near four city parks (Gompers, McKinley, Garfield, and Marquette) began issuing speed camera tickets with monetary fines between $35 and $100 between October 16th and October 22nd.
According to CDOT, speeding events have dropped by nearly two-thirds between the first of warnings and the third week in ticketing.
After the cameras were first installed back in late August and early September, warnings were issued for a period of 30 days. CDOT says each camera issued an average 507 warnings per day in the first week of operation. But by the third week of issuing tickets, violations for exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more had dropped to just 175 per day.
Speed Camera Tickets Begin At 3 Locations Monday
7 More Speed Cam Locations Start Ticketing By End Of Month
Three new speed camera locations at Washington, Douglas and Legion Parks began issuing tickets with monetary fines beginning Monday according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.
The three locations had issued warning notices for a 30 day period which was followed by a two-week period where no warnings were issued to insure all warnings were received in the mail by speeding drivers.
Although the law allows for $35 tickets to be issued for vehicles exceeding the speed limit between 6-10 miles per hour, and $100 fines for going 11 mph or more, the city will initially only issue tickets for drivers going 10 mph over the limit. The city says this speed threshold will gradually be lowered but gave no time frame for this.
CDOT also announced another four speed camera locations will start their ticketing phase by the end of November. This includes cameras at Abbott Park which will begin issuing violations next Monday, November 25th and at Humboldt, Major Taylor Park and another location in Douglas Park will start ticketing Saturday, November 30th.
Chicago Tonight Explains Chicago's Speed Camera Program
Channel 11′s Chicago Tonight has a solid run down on the start of ticketing at the city's first speed cameras.
Interestingly, they report Alderman Anthony Beale (9th) is questioning if one of the city's first Southside locations is a legitimate location for a speed camera.
First Speed Cam Tickets Begin At 6 AM Wednesday
Chicago's first two speed cameras will begin issuing $35 and $100 fines starting Wednesday at 6 AM according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office.
The two cameras, at 4100 W. Foster Ave. and 5100 N. Pulaski Road, both adjacent to Gompers Park, were installed back in August and after a 30 day warning period and subsequent grace period, the two cameras are finally ready to start mailing out tickets with monetary fines.
The city says all drivers are entitled to one more speed camera warning before a ticket with a fine attached is mailed.
200,000 Speed Camera Warnings Issued In First 40 Days, $100 Tickets Start Wednesday
The city got a taste of how prolific its new speed cameras could be, revealing Friday that 200,000 speeders were nabbed in a 40-day warning period, five times more than the speed camera vendor had ever seen from a set of cameras.
The warning period comes to end Wednesday near Gompers Park on the North Side. Live tickets will begin to be issued Wednesday to drivers caught going more than 11 mph over the limit. Those tickets will cost lead-footed drivers $100.
But despite have the legal ability to do so, the city will indefinitely delay issuing $35 fines to drivers who are caught going 6-9 mph over the limit. Drivers going 10 mph over will still face the $35 fine. The threshold for the $35 fine will be incrementally lowered over time according to CDOT's Scott Kubly. But he couldn't give a firm date when this will start.
"Basically, we wanted to focus on the outset on the most egregious speeders," explained Kubly.
The law requires warnings to be issued to drivers for 30 days after a speed camera is installed. Fines could technically start on the 31st day, but last week the city announced it will delay all fines for two to three weeks to ensure everyone issued a warning has ample time to receive it.
The cameras adjacent to Gompers Park, at 4100 W. Foster Ave. and 5100 N. Pulaski Road, were the city's first two speed-enforcement cameras when they were installed back in August.
Read more at DNA Info Chicago.
City Gives Drivers Brief Reprieve From Speed Camera Fines
Chicago's first speed cameras were supposed to begin issuing $35 and $100 tickets last week.
But the city has decided to give drivers a short, several-weeks reprieve before the first violations with fines start going out in the mail.
The city's first two speed-enforcement cameras installed near Gompers Park (4100 W. Foster Ave. and 5100 N. Pulaski Rd.) on the Northwest Side, began their requisite 30-day period on Aug. 26. During that month, warning notices were mailed to drivers exceeding the speed limit by 6 mph or more.
According to city officials, that warning period ended Sept. 25, and ticketing could have begun the next day. But even though warning notices have stopped being mailed, tickets have not been issued yet.
Bill McCaffrey, a spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office, said the city decided to delay issuing violations with fines to make sure drivers who were issued warning notices had received them.
Read more at DNA Info Chicago.
Chicago Announces 50 Speed Camera Locations
The Chicago Department of Transportation released a list today of 50 speed camera enforcement locations which are slated to be installed by the end of this year.
The city's Children's Safety Zone Program allows for speed cameras to be installed within 1/8 of a mile of a school or park. 28 of these initial 50 locations are being installed around parks with 22 locations going in around grammar or high schools. The program, if full implemented could have speed cameras at approximately 350 locations across the city.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein believe the speed cameras will convince drivers to slow down, obey the speed limit and ultimately reduce crashes and improve traffic safety, while critics believe the cameras are primarily to generate revenue.
"The Children's Safety Zone Program protects children and other pedestrians by reminding motorists to slow down and obey speed laws – particularly in school and park zones," said Gabe Klein Friday via press release.
Speed Camera Testing Begins At Four Park Locations
Testing of the Chicago's first automated speed enforcement cameras, installed near four parks, began Saturday according to city officials.
Technicians for the city's new speed camera vendor, American Traffic Solutions, will be testing the newly installed units including the high intensity flash units, for approximately the next two weeks says the Chicago Department of Transportation.
No fines or even warnings will be issued during the testing phase. Once testing is completed, speeding motorists caught by the speed cameras, will be sent warnings in the mail for the first month the unit is operational. CDOT says speed violation warnings will begin being issued by the end of August.