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Report: ALEC's influence in Florida broad
ALEC's critics also charge it with pay-for-play lobbying on behalf of corporate backers. The council counters that its critics are nothing more than political opponents with an ax to grind.
The groups - which include Progress Florida, Florida Watch Action, the People for the American Way Foundation, Common Cause and ALEC Exposed - released the report as the council's annual meetings in Salt Lake City got underway. ALEC's critics say they are trying to call more attention to the organization now in part because documents they recently obtained reveal more about the inner workings of ALEC.
"Despite claims to the contrary, ALEC's agenda is not based primarily upon ideology, but mostly upon pecuniary rewards for its corporate funders," the report says. "The resulting ALEC 'model bills' that have been adopted by ALEC 'task forces' have been introduced in Florida by ALEC representatives and have amended Florida statutes for the worse, harming the rights and opportunities of everyday citizens in the process."
ALEC's ability to shape the agendas of state legislatures across the nation has increasingly drawn scrutiny from liberal and Democratic groups in recent months, though veterans of state capitols have often been aware of the organization for years.
"Unfortunately, what we found is that that influence is very strong here in Florida," said Damien Filer of Progress Florida.
But Doug Clopp of Common Cause also said the state isn't that unusual.
"Florida is no different than dozens of other states where ALEC has a very, very firm grip - if not stranglehold - on the legislative process," Clopp said.
The report paints ALEC as a secretive organization that, contrary to its repeated denials, lobbies for certain legislation. It includes emails to ALEC members in Florida saying the group supports the policies that comprise certain bills, though the messages do not say the organization supports the actual measures.
The report also details corporately-funded scholarships used by lawmakers in Florida and other states attending the organization's meetings. And it goes line-by-line to show how significant portions of some measures proposed in Florida virtually mirror model legislation published by ALEC.
But Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a Panama City Republican who is the public co-chair of ALEC for Florida, said all the money in the scholarship fund for Florida was raised before stricter ethics laws were approved. And Patronis said he doesn't believe ALEC is engaged in lobbying.
He knocked the report as a collection of conspiracy theories that stretch the truth.
"I think it's some of the most interesting and entertaining creative writing I've seen in a long time," Patronis said.
An ALEC spokeswoman said the organization is not unlike the National Council of State Legislatures, a bipartisan group for lawmakers, and that the final say on model legislation is left to a board of elected officials.
"ALEC members are participating in the democratic process and exercising their right to free speech just as groups like Progress Florida are," Kaitlyn Bus wrote in an email. "The difference is that we are effective and enjoy broad, bipartisan support across the country."
FloridaWatch book jacket skewers Rubio as 'Traitor'
Is there a more contemptuous word in politics?
FloridaWatch, a pro-Democratic group that was passing out "Pink Slip Rick" and "Pink Slip Mitt" fliers earlier to protest Gov. Rick Scott and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is going after Marco Rubio and his new memoirs book, "An American Son."
The Orlando-based group is distributing copies of Rubio's book to the press with pink book jackets renaming the book, "Marco Rubio: Traitor."
Rubio is on a barn-storming book tour today and the next couple of days (see earlier post on Political Pulse.) He was in Orlando earlier today, headed for The Villages, Jacksonville and the Panhandle later, and then up the Atlantic Coast to Washington.
Along the way, journalists covering the tour are getting copies of the book with FloridaWatch's "Traitor" jacket.
Following Democratic talking points, the jacket cites old news accounts of Rubio, calling them "reviews." They declare Rubio a traitor to Hispanics for not supporting the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor (which took place before he entered the U.S. Senate;) a traitor to the middle class for his votes against education budgets in the Florida House of Representatives; a traitor to women for voting against the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act; and a traitor to seniors for stating, in a speech last summer, that Social Security and Medicare "weakened us as a people."
Besides the cover picture, recalling the famous artsy picture of Barack Obama from his 2008 presidential campaign, the inside of the book jacket also includes two very unflattering pictures Rubio, with hair blowing, and hugging Scott.
Fla. governor's top aide resigns amid scrutiny
Steve MacNamara wrote in a resignation letter Saturday that he would step down July 1. He wrote that "recent media attention I have been receiving has begun to interfere with the day-to-day operations of this office."
The Associated Press recently reported that while working for the state Senate, MacNamara helped steer a $360,000 no-bid consulting contract to a friend who now leads a task force rooting out state government waste.
The Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times reported about other contracts and how MacNamara clashed with one agency head over MacNamara's decision to let the state's film commissioner travel to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
MacNamara, who has been on unpaid leave from his job as a Florida State University professor, will be replaced by Adam Hollingsworth.
View this article in its original form here.
Thank you to all of our supporters who signed our petition to tell Pink Slip Rick to fire Steve MacNamara.
Broward Activists Gather for a "Tax Day Rally" in Sunrise
Organizations such as Florida Watch Action, Awake Broward, Broward AFL-CIO and Organize Now, let the afternoon commuters know how they feel about these three men and by coming out and holding them accountable for their extremist agendas.
Sean Phillippi and Amy Ritter both created the theme of the rally. They knew they wanted to have something on tax day and thought it would be fitting to make it a Three Stooges Event.
Ritter, who is the Director of Research for Florida Watch Action, a statewide watchdog nonprofit organization, said that while Floridians struggle to turn in their taxes on time and pay their fair share, "These three stooges, Pink Slip Rick, Pink Slip Mitt, and Wrong Way Rubio, continue to be out-of-touch cheats who have proven time and time again that they are beholden to corporations and wealthy CEOs and not the middle class."
Between Rick Scott's false promise of $1 billion for public schools when he cut $1.3 billion from public education funding last year, to Mitt Romney obviously hiding something by not filing his taxes on time, to Marco Rubio's betrayal of his own Hispanic community by not supporting the DREAM Act, these three stooges are clearly nothing to laugh about. It is important now more than ever that we hold them accountable for their disloyalty to the American people. – Amy Ritter of Florida Watch Action, Inc
Sean Phillippi, Facilitator of Awake Broward and Lighthouse Point resident said , "It was abundantly clear today that the middle class will not fall for Pink Slip Rick Scott's $1 billion trick when it comes to public education. The middle class showed up in force today, and they will continue to hold these job-killing, out of touch, anti-middle class crooks, cheaters, and traitors accountable."
Coral Springs resident and FAU Student Stephanie Rosendorf thought the turnout was great. "I'm hoping to be involved in more rallies in the future."
Click here to view this article on Tamarack Talk and to view their photo slideshow!
Florida Group Emerges With Web Centric Anti-Romney Campaign
A campaign attacking Florida Governor Rick Scott is serving as the template for a new online effort with Mitt Romney in its crosshairs. The year-long Pink Slip Rick initiative inspired Pink Slip Mitt, a campaign launched Wednesday by Florida Watch Action. So far the group has focused most of its campaign budget on online media, spending around $13,000 on anti-Romney websites and Facebook ads promoting them.
The anti-Romney campaign is the first the group has run in conjunction with the 2012 presidential race. "It's an outgrowth of our Pink Slip Rick campaign," said Susannah Randolph, executive director of Florida Watch Action. The progressive group has painted Scott, a Republican, as a job killer, and has now extended that message to attack Romney as "the job killing candidate" who "likes to fire people."
"The Internet is a great leveraging tool these days," said Randolph. "We pair it with on the ground action."
The group is promoting a "Pink Slip Mitt protest" to be held today at an Orlando paint store on its Defeating Mitt Romney Facebook page. "Mitt Romney is a job-killer who cannibalized American companies and middle class jobs while making investors wealthy during his years at Bain Capital," states the event page. "Let's give Mitt HIS pink slip on behalf of the middle class on Friday!"
Florida Watch spent $5,000 on Facebook ads targeting Florida Democrats and people who oppose Romney. "We're trying to utilize Facebook advertising and email outreach and video production that we hope goes viral," she said. In a video featured on PinkSlipMitt.com, Florida Watch Action captured an attempt by one of its supporters to hand Romney a pink slip after an event in Orlando. He ignored the activist.
In addition to raising awareness about Romney and what Florida Watch Action believes to be his history of "vulture capitalism," the group hopes the online campaign helps to "strengthen our strategies in reaching out to people...and get as many people on our list as possible," said Randolph.
Florida Watch plans to run more Facebook ads to promote the site and video, according to Randolph, who said the Defeat Mitt Romney Facebook page has been viewed by around 3,000 people.
Another new site from the group, HowMuchHasRomneyMadeSoFar.com, presents a dynamic national debt-style display of the estimated amount of money Romney has earned since he began running for president. The idea is to contrast Romney's earnings - now under increased scrutiny since he revealed his tax documents - with that of the typical middle-income family.
Governor Rick Scott made 57 promises on the campaign trail, how many of those did he keep?
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - As Governor Rick Scott puts the finishing touches on his second state of the state address, how did he do in his first year in office? He made a lot of promises on the campaign trail, so along with PolitiFact Florida, 10 News is checking to see if Scott is keeping those 57 promises, including the most important one: creating jobs.
While running for office, Governor Rick Scott made some very specific promises, making it easy for Aaron Sharockman and fact checkers at PolitiFact to keep tabs.
"We're going to track him over the course of his first term, how he lives up to the promises he made on the campaign trail versus how he's now governing it now in the governor's mansion," says Sharockman.
Scott's being ranked on PolitiFact's "Scott-O-Meter," and for his first year, he's kept 1/3 of those promises. He's not taken a governor's salary, he's sold the state planes, and said he would fight amnesty.
Of the 57 promises, 19 are what PolitiFact Florida considers a "promise kept."
"It shows his successes and he did try to...he has tried to govern on the platform that he campaigned," says Sharockman.
But what about that big promise, the one to create 700,000 jobs over seven years? When Scott campaigned, he said he'd create those jobs over what economists predicted would naturally occur, which is about one million jobs over those same seven years.
Sharockman says he was very specific in how he would do it. "I'm going to get 100's of 1,000's of jobs by reducing state's corporate income tax, I'm going to get 100's of 1000's of jobs by reforming the regulatory climate in this state."
Sharockman says that's now changed. He says the governor is taking credit for any and every job that comes into this state, which in 2011 was 100,000.
"At PolitiFact, we look at that and say,'That's not what you campaigned on.' Two things: one, that it'd be on top of what economists already projected and it'd be because of specific other promises that you made," says Sharockman.
He says those specific promises aren't really happening yet, therefore PolitiFact rates Scott: Stalled.
New poll: Voters say casinos could be economic boost, still very down on Gov. Scott
A day after a Senate committee grudgingly passed a bill to bring destination resort casinos to Florida, the first independent statewide poll on the issue shows that Florida voters narrowly support the idea but an overwhelming majoritymbelieves that casinos would be "good for Florida's economy."
The poll of 1,412 registered voters by Quinnipiac University was conducted Jan. 4-8 and has a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points. The casinos numbers: voters support the creation of "non-Indian casinos similar to those in Atlantic City and Las Vegas" by a slim 48-43 margin. A larger 61 - 33 percent margin believe casinos would improve state's economy and voters do not think that gambling is morally wrong by a 73-22 percent margin.
The poll also asked voters how they felt about the job being done by Gov. Rick Scott and the state legislature. Scott, who is scheduled to give his second state-of-the-state speech today, remains overwhelmingly unpopular a year after his inauguration with only 38 percent of voters approving of the way he is doing his job and 50 percent disapproving, up five percentage points since December. A similar majority disagree with his policies and are unhappy with the way he is handling the state budget.
The governor "has a long way to go to get into the voters' good graes and the high 40s percent range in job approval which is the minimum generally needed for re-election -- and less than three years to get there,'' said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Scott needs to bring home more of his own party members and improve his standing among independents."
Pollsters also offered a glimpse into what voters think of Scott's suggestions for shearing $1 billion from Medicaid and local hospitals in order to free up money for education, opposing it by an overwhelming 67-24 percent. Voters, however, support the decision by the Legislative leaders to cut another $2 billion from the budget rather than increase taxesas they open their 60-day session today.
Legislators, however, are even more unpopular than the governor with only 30 percent of voters approving of the job they are doing and 54 percent unhappy about it. Voters believe by a 48-39 percent margin that the state budget written by lawmakers is unfair to themand 56 percent of those surveyed are dissatisfied "with the way things are going in Florida today" while 42 percent are somewhat satisfied or satisfied.
The governor has never had an approval rating of over 38 percent since the Connecticut university began polling about him in May last year and he retains one of the lowest job approval ratings of any governor in the seven states in which Quinnipiac University conducts surveys, pollsters said.
Despite national number showing support for President Barack Obama wavering, however, 34 percent of Florida voters believe that the economy has gotten worse since Scott took office, 45 percent think it has stayed the same and 16 percent say it is better. They blame the governor, not Obama, by a 65 to 19 percent margin for the decline.
Voters, however, are bit warmer about Scott, a first-time politician, on a personal level - with 39 percent saying they like the governor as a person regardless of his policies, 34 percent saying they dislike him and 27 percent who say they don't know.
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, however, seem to be escape the blame for the electorate's disposition. A majority of voters approves of the way each of them is handling his job: Rubio by a 50-29 percent margin and Nelson by a 47-30 percent margin.
Brown noted that while voters narrowly support creating Las Vegas style casinos in Florida there are interesting partisan, gender and educational and age differences.
Republicans split 46 - 48 percent on casinos, while support is 51 - 40 percent among Democrats and 53 - 39 percent among independent voters. Women are divided 44 - 45 percent, while men favor casinos 53 - 40 percent.
Labor rally hosted on eve of legislative session
MIAMI (WSVN) -- A South Florida labor rally sent a united message to lawmakers on the eve of Florida's annual legislative session.
Hundreds of labor leaders, union workers and community members rallied inside the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, Monday night.
Among the many issues brought up at the rally included providing more support for working families. "With everything going up and our pay has been stagnant, it makes a difference," said single mom and school board employee Peggy Bule. "To stand up for what is right, which is being able to provide for our families."
"I'm in foreclosure," said Seth Skalrey of the International Union of Painters/Allied Trades. "I only work part-time. It's terrible. My income was in half of what it was."
United Teachers of Dade president Karen Aronowitz hosted the event and was clear about the outcome many at the rally hope to achieve. "What we want: appropriate funding for our schools, for public safety, for our public hospital," she said. "We want Miami-Dade County to receive its fair share."
Leaders representing teachers, health care workers and various other professions urged their members with similar experiences and interests to speak with one voice during this session and election year. "You have to organize like you've never organized before," said Andy Madtes of the South Florida AFL-CIO.
Attendees participated in a mass call-in to legislators as a small step toward possible change.
The Florida legislative session, set to commence on Tuesday, will discuss budgets for Florida's public schools, safety and health services. "And we need each and every one of you to be with us and stand with us for the next 60 days, at least the next 60 days," said Frederick Ingram of the United Teachers of Dade.
Those who spoke at the rally were short on specific solutions but clearly criticized Governor Rick Scott. "He gets up there and promises us that he's going to get us 700,000 additional jobs, 700,000 of them. Where are they?" said Richard Lydecker of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.
Governor Scott will give his State of the State address on Tuesday.
Fla. legislators likely to cut budget again
It's almost becoming an annual rite each year in Tallahassee: Another year, another billion-dollar plus budget shortfall.
Florida lawmakers head into their annual session in January confronted by a nearly $2 billion gap. This time around it is primarily caused by an unenviable combination of growing expenses in safety net programs such as Medicaid at the same a sluggish economic recovery is expected to keep tax dollars from growing significantly.
In the last several years, as the recession has taken its toll on the state's battered real estate market and unemployment soared into double digits, the Republican-controlled Legislature has tried nearly every way to balance the state budget. They've cut spending, they've eliminated state workers, they've relied on billions in federal stimulus dollars and one year they even raised taxes.
This coming session legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott have already ruled out one option: Raising taxes or fees as a way to help balance the budget. That means lawmakers will instead have to come up with another round of cuts.
"There's no easy choices in this budget year," said House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park. "It's a tough budget year and there's no magic bullet."
The governor has already given lawmakers his own recommendations that will likely be used as a building block for the final budget.
Despite the shortfall Scott has come up with own $66.4 billion spending plan that would significantly boost spending on schools by making steep cuts in what the state spends reimbursing hospitals to take care of patients enrolled in Medicaid. He also wants to shut down a handful of state prisons and eliminate some 4,500 state jobs.
The governor's second set of budget proposals are dramatically different from the one he offered shortly after was he first sworn into governor.
Scott in early 2011 called for a 10 percent cut for education, as part of a "jobs budget" that also called for nearly $2 billion worth of tax cuts as part of his push to jumpstart the state's economy.
Scott now says he's heard from Floridians that they want more money spent on education so he is pushing a budget that would boost public school spending by roughly $1 billion. His tax cut proposals, meanwhile, have been dramatically scaled back. This year Scott is calling for a modest change in the state's corporate income tax and a tax break for companies purchasing machinery and equipment that together would cost roughly $30 million.
Scott also hinted that he was willing to veto the entire budget -- and force lawmakers to do it over -- if they approve a budget that did not include a significant increase for schools.
Initially the governor was unwilling to say what a "significant" increase is, but he also says he likes what he recommended.
"I think the right number is a billion dollars," Scott said.
Scott's budget proposal drew a sharp response from Democratic legislators who accused the governor of pitting seniors and prison guards against teachers. The move also drew fire because the Medicaid cuts would fall hardest on not-for-profit hospitals. Scott led the nation's largest chain of for-profit hospitals in the 1990s until he was forced out amid a probe into Medicare fraud.
But Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, has called Scott's overall budget "very much reflective of what the Senate will be pursuing this year."
State employees could also find themselves getting targeted for budget cuts once again.
Last spring legislators forced public employees to start paying for a portion of their pension costs as a way to cover a nearly $4 billion shortfall.
Now legislators may go after state worker health care benefits as a potential source of savings. The state is spending nearly $1.9 billion on health care benefits for state workers, with about $1.45 billion coming from taxpayers.
The Scott administration earlier this year already negotiated new contracts with health maintenance organizations that limited the number of HMOs available for state workers and is expected to save the state more than $350 million over the next two years.
The governor, who currently pays $30 a month to cover himself and his wife, also has recommended that all state employees pay the same for health insurance. That's a move that would affect roughly 30,000 state workers, including Scott, his agency heads, managers and state legislators.
Rank-and-file state workers pay $50 a month for individual coverage and $180 a month for family coverage. Scott's push to require everyone to pay that rate would increase health insurance premiums for some employees by $1,800 a year for family coverage.
This would save close to $50 million.
But Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales and the Senate budget chief, has been looking at whether the state should revamp the types of coverage it offers state workers as both a way to save money -- and as a way to encourage state workers to stay healthier.
"When you go out and make a $5 copay, it's real easy to be out of sight and out of mind what the real bill is," Alexander said.
Alexander added "if we are going to spend $2 billion, I want to spend that $2 billion to get the best possible deal we can for the people."
State legislators normally pass their budget during their annual 60-day session, which usually starts in March. But this year's session begins Jan. 10 because the Legislature must also pass new maps for legislative and Congressional districts.
Haridopolos, citing fears of a "topsy-turvy" economy, has thrown out the idea of delaying a final vote on the budget until later in the year. The state's fiscal year doesn't start until July 1. He says that by waiting, legislators will have a better idea of knowing if the economy is truly recovering. That could change how much money lawmakers have to cut.
"I am very reluctant to pass a budget with numbers that are uncertain," Haridopolos said.
Cannon, however, doesn't want to come back in a special session later in the year and doesn't think there will be large enough swings to justify waiting.
"I find it highly unlikely that in two-months' difference we would see some massive increase in revenues," Cannon said.
Gov. Rick Scott's proposed budget includes $2.1 billion cut in Medicaid
TALLAHASSEE - When Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his proposed $66.4 billion budget last week, many people in the capital and around the state cast it as schools versus hospitals.
Scott's spending plan injected public education with a roughly $1 billion increase but cut $2.1 billion in reimbursements for Medicaid. The cut prompted a fast pushback from the Safety Net Alliance of Florida, a lobbying group that represents 15 of the state's biggest hospitals.
It estimates the cuts would cost its members $1.4 billion.
"That kind of cut is going to cost jobs in the community," said Tony Carvalho, the group's president. The budget reduction, he said, would among other services hurt trauma centers and graduate medical education.
Medicaid is a federal-state hybrid program that provides health care to low-income people and families.
The group estimated that Shands Jacksonville would face a $13.6 million cut in Medicaid reimbursements under Scott's proposed budget. Shands Gainesville would face a $63.5 million reduction. The biggest overall cut: $152.7 million at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
In a statement, Shands said it is still "working to understand the full impact of the budget proposal."
Scott, during his budget presentation, said the impact on the state was clear: Medicaid costs were out of control and not cutting them would put Florida in danger.
"No program has grown as fast and as much as Medicaid, and we must find ways to control the cost," he said. "If we do nothing, this program will bankrupt our state."
Total Medicaid expenditures in Florida were $21.5 billion last year. Scott's proposed budget has those expenditures at $19.4 million. Those savings will come from lowering the rate that hospitals are reimbursed for Medicaid services.
Of the cuts, $385 million is money from Florida taxpayers. The rest is from federal money the administration will give up in order to save the state dollars. The loss in matching funds, Carvalho said, further supports his argument.
"We are putting Florida's communities at risk by giving up the federal share of the money," he said. "This is not like deciding to build a road or bridge. These people are going to get sick anyway."
State Rep. Reggie Fullwood, D-Jacksonville, whose district includes Shands Jacksonville, says he would rather see a more "balanced" approach.
"Times are tough, but I think we need to make more incremental cuts across the board," he said. "These cuts are going to cripple hospitals."
He said the cuts are particularly tough because Shands Jacksonville serves low-income areas.
"It's really going to have an impact on my constituents," Fullwood said.
Scott said Florida is not unique and that needed Medicaid cuts extend beyond state boundaries and political parties.
"I was at the Republican Governors Association meeting last week, and every state is dealing with the same issue," he said. "It's not partisan. Republicans and Democrats are dealing with this issue."


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- Hotel Details
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The Royal Eighteen Resort & Spa Bali
4 StarsJalan Singosari Kuta Bali 80361
The Royal Eighteen Resort & Spa is found within convenient access to Ngurah Rai International Airport. Vacationers in the Kuta area can go shopping and dining at Discovery Mall after playing a few games at Paradiso Bowling and Billiards Center.
All rooms and suites boast stylish interior decor and outfitted with the latest in amenities such as flat-panel cable/satellite TV and bathroom with bathtub and shower. Suites come with separate living area or kitchenette.
The Star Restaurant at The Royal Eighteen Bali serves succulent Balinese, international, Western and Indonesian specialties all day. Sample cocktails and wines at The Star Bar and Lounge.
The Royal Eighteen Resort & Spa Bali guests can have pampering Balinese treatments at The Star Spa and take a soothing dip in the outdoor pool during on-site recreation. The hotel also has parking and high-speed Internet access for added convenience.
Hotel Facilities
- Concierge
- Restaurant
- Internet Access - High Speed
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- Spa / Wellness Centre
Room Facilities
- Bathtub
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- Kitchenette
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"This recipe is fantastic! Made it about 20 times usually with Corona Extra. I mix half of the butter in and pour the other half on top. Also good with cinnamon mixed in."


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Posted by DENISE0220
Kahlua and Frangelico cholcolate fudge cake with Chocolate Granache filling!!!Ingredients
- Chocolate fudge chocolate cake mix 1 instant chocolate fudge pudding 4 eggs 16oz ( 1 cup) regular sour cream 3/4 cups oil 1/2 cup Kahlua liquor 1/2 cup frangelico liquor 2 tbsp milk 120z semi sweet chocolate chips ( or two hands full) Filling 160z ( 1lb) semi sweet chocolate chips 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Cake: Add all ingredients except chocolate chips. Blend for 3-4 min. Grease pan(s) and I line the bottom of the pan with wax paper for easier cake release. If wax papper is too big then trace and cut it to fit. Once all ingredients are mixed add chocolate chips and blend for 30 sec. Bake for 45 min Fillig ( needs to be done night before or won't be thick enough) Bring the whipping cream to a boil in a sauce pan then add chocolate chips with stove off. Don't stir. Let sit for 5 min. Then just whisk by hand to make sure its all melted and mixed. Once cooled store in fridge until ready to use. Enjoy!!


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Investors Shed Fears, Forge Into Stocks
In the constant battle between fear and greed for U.S. investor sentiment, fear appears to finally be losing ground.
Individual investors are doing more stock trading. Mutual-fund companies are seeing money being put to work in both stocks and bonds. Advisers say they are hearing from investors who had been hunkered down for years but now are feeling more comfortable that another big meltdown isn't lurking around the corner.


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Featured Resources
Oregon Stem Cell Center Flow Cytometry Core
The Oregon Stem Cell Center Flow Cytometry Core provides investigators with "state-of-the-art" cell sorting technology to aid in the identification and isolation of stem cells from diverse tissues. The flow cytometry core uses the inFlux V-ES cell sorter from BD Biosciences, capable of successfully sorting hematopoietic cells as well as large and fragile cells recovered from enzyme-dispersed tissues. Learn more
People affected by rare inherited diseases need the reliable information that comes through quality genetic testing. The Collaboration, Education and Test Translation (CETT) Program helps bring new test to patients while encouraging clinical laboratory and research collaborations, and supporting the electronic collection of genetic and clinical data in public databases to leverage the information into new research and new treatment possibilities.
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Please note: the information on this page will be updated on a regular basis. If you find a link that is no longer active, or you know of a resource that you think should be listed here, please let us know.


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External scrutiny
In 2010–11, the Auditor-General tabled in Parliament the following reports by the ANAO related to the department's operations:
Report No. 22: Audits of the Financial Statements of Australian Government Entities for the period ended 30 June 2010
Financial statement audits are an independent examination of the financial accounting and reporting of public sector entities. This report complements the interim phase report and provides a summary of the final results of the audits of the financial statements of all Australian Government entities, including the Consolidated Financial Statements for the Australian Government.
Report No. 35: Management of the Overseas Leased Estate
The audit assessed the effectiveness of OPO's management of the overseas leased estate, as a companion to ANAO Audit Report No. 32: Management of the Overseas Owned Estate (previous audit in 2009–10). The audit examined whether the department has effective governance, reporting and funding arrangements in place to support the sound management and oversight of the overseas leased estate; effectively manages overseas leased chancery and residential property on a day-to-day basis; and manages the relationships with landlords and attached agencies effectively and adequately consults with stakeholders.
The report made one recommendation that the department review the current governance arrangements for the overseas leased estate, with the intent of more clearly delineating roles and responsibilities within the department. The department agreed with the recommendation and has undertaken appropriate steps to implement new governance arrangements during 2010–11.
Report No. 54: The Interim Phase of the Audit of Financial Statements of Major General Government Sector Agencies for the year ending 30 June 2011
The interim audit of agencies related to their financial reporting responsibilities was undertaken and included an examination of relevant internal controls, including information technology system controls.
Courts and administrative tribunals
The department was involved in a number of legal matters during the year. There were no decisions that had a significant legal impact on the operations of the department. Details of matters in which the department was involved are at Appendix 7.
Commonwealth Ombudsman
The Commonwealth Ombudsman investigated 18 issues with respect to the department's activities in 2010–11 and recorded one administrative deficiency. No formal reports were issued.
The process for all portfolio-related legislation has been managed effectively.
The department facilitated the enactment of the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 that entered into force on 27 May 2011 and the Australian Civilian Corps Act 2011 that entered into force on 13 April 2011.
The department facilitated the enactment and amendment of a number of regulations and determinations. Among them were the Australian Passports Amendment Determination 2010 (No 2), Nuclear Non-Proliferation (Safeguards) Amendment Regulations 2010 (No 1) and numerous Charter of the United Nations (Sanctions) Amendment Regulations.
We provided input to legislation managed by agencies within the portfolio and to legislation managed by other agencies that affected foreign affairs and trade portfolio legislation.
No reports were served on the department under section 30 of the Privacy Act 1988 (the Privacy Act), nor were there any determinations made by the Privacy Commissioner relating to the actions of the department under sections 52 or 53 of the Privacy Act.
No public interest determinations were sought from the Privacy Commissioner under section 72 of the Privacy Act.
No complaints were made directly to the department this year. The department finalised one investigation from a complaint received in 2009–10, finding that while no breach of the Privacy Act had occurred, the department had not acted in accordance with its internal policies. Those policies were reviewed and amended as necessary.
The Privacy Commissioner finalised one complaint it received in 2007–08, without investigating the merits of the privacy complaint, finding that the department had handled the matter appropriately through conciliation.
Parliamentary committees
The department made submissions and/or gave evidence to nine parliamentary committee inquiries. In addition, departmental staff appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties in relation to 18 proposed treaty actions (see Appendix 6 for further details).
Compensation for detriment caused by defective administration
Fourteen new cases were lodged under the compensation scheme for detriment caused by defective administration. Twenty-six cases were resolved during the year (20 from previous financial years). Thirteen payments were made from administered funds (including seven from previous financial years). In 11 cases, compensation under the scheme was found not to be warranted. Two cases were withdrawn. Ten cases remained in progress at the end of the financial year (two from previous financial years).


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Reviewed Braised Pork Sandwich with Spicy Tomato Broth (Tortas Ahogadas
Sep 26, 2011 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"Holy delicious. I used a fresh jalapeno in the sauce because it was readily available to me, and cooked the carnitas for an hour before pulling the lid off to reduce. The best thing Ive had off of a foodtv recipe in quite a while. Meat was tender and delicious (salted it after I pulled it out of the juice), and the hot salsa was subtle but the ..."


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The Raiders (13-5, 8-2 District 5-AAA) took control in the second quarter against McMinn County (2-20, 1-9 and breezed to an 81-56 win over the Cherokees in District 5-AAA basketball action.
It was just the opposite for the Lady Raiders who fell behind early and dropped a 57-41 decision to the Lady Cherokees.
Cleveland coach Jason McCowan felt if his Raiders could get out front they would be able to get into a comfortable rhythm the rest would take care of itself.
It took a quarter of basketball for Cleveland to find that rhythm, but when the Raiders overtook the Cherokees with a Jake Gibson 3-pointer in the second quarter, McCowan's theory played out the rest of the way.
"I knew McMinn has had a little trouble scoring and we did some things that were uncharacteristic on the road in a district game," he said. "I thought Jake did a good job of bringing us some energy in the first half. He made some really good defensive plays. It seemed like the ball was finding him in good spots and he just made the most of it."
Gibson scored 11 first-half points and finished with 13. Teammate Kendrick Thompson scored all 15 of his points in the first half and finished his triple-double night with 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Cantrel Ware and Anfernee Scott added 10 points each to the Cleveland win.
In all, an even dozen Blue Raiders put markers in the book for Cleveland.
"TyQuan had 24 Saturday and Jake chipped in with 13 tonight. We had a lot of kids score. Kendrick is going to get his points; he's a really good player for us. It's just a matter of who is going to be that next guy, and that's what we are looking for each night," said McCowan.
Gibson's second 3 with 4:43 left in the first half put the Raiders up 28-21. From there, Cleveland outscored the Cherokees 10-7 and led 38-28 at halftime.
Ware added a trey from the top of the key two minutes into the second half to put the Raiders out front 46-30. Colby Tatum added another 3 with just over a minute left to help cap a 20 point third quarter.
Enjoying a 17-point lead to start the fourth, Tatum put the finishing touches on his trio of treys with two more to put the Raiders out front by 23.
Kregg Ware added a final 3 in the closing seconds to give the Raiders their biggest lead of the night at 25 points to close out the 81-56 win.
"We're figuring out who we are and what role we are comfortable playing. I felt like with our lead we got a little big lackadaisical and didn't know who we were down the stretch. But anytime you win by 20 on the road, especially over here, you'll take it," said McCowan.
"We're happy with 11 in a row and move on to the next one and hopefully make it 12 in a row. We have a lot of games this week, but we all do. Heading toward district tournament next week we are excited about that and we're excited where we're at. We feel like we can stick our nose in there and get after it."
The McMinn County girls may not have a bag full of wins to show for a season's worth of basketball, but the seven wins earned by the Lady Cherokees (7-16, 7-3) have all been quality District 5-AAA victories.
The Cleveland Lady Raiders (10-10, 5-5) became McMinn County victim No. 7 Tuesday night after falling behind in the first quarter and failing to capitalize on several opportunities.
"We missed a lot of free throws in the first quarter. Those are gimmes," lamented Cleveland coach Mindy Kiser afterward. "We also missed seven layups in the first half as well as the free throws. Those are the free ones. Those are the points you have to go get. That was 12 points; we could have easily been tied at halftime."
The Lady Raiders failed to score in double figures in the first three quarters, falling behind by 22 points at the end of the third. Kiser's girls showed a brief sign of life at the beginning of third but again failed to follow up.
"In the third quarter there was a stretch where the first couple of calls went our way, then we decided not to go rebound. Then it was back to the free-throw line and when you are in somebody else's gym you can't put them on the free-throw line because they are going to make shots," said Kiser.
The Lady Cherokees led by 24 with just over three minutes left to play before settling for the 57-41 win.
"We didn't play well. We are in the same boat as McMinn as far as not playing as many games in very many days. McMinn played extremely hard tonight. We needed to be ready. We were there for a few minutes, then the whistles started blowing and we kind of lost our direction," said Kiser.
"Give credit to McMinn County. They played hard and did what they had to do to win the ballgame. I didn't think we guarded particularly well this time."
Cleveland 8 9 6 18 — 41
McMinn County 13 17 15 12 — 57
Cleveland (41) — Berry 9, Scoggins 9, Ware 7, Morman 7, Person 5, Stamatiadis 3, McClendon 1, Buckner, Crump, Walkup, Phillips.
McMinn County (57) — Keke Smith 19, Rachel Simbeck 14, Ebony Kelley 14, Dispensa 3, Thompson 3, Wilson 2, Robinson 1, Cornett, Burke, Bryant.
3-point goals: McMinn County 1 (Smith).
Records: Cleveland 10-10, 5-5 District 5-AAA; McMinn County 7-16, 7-3.
Cleveland 13 25 20 23 — 81
McMinn County 16 12 13 15 — 56
Cleveland (81) — Kendrick Thompson 15, Jake Gibson 13, Anfernee Scott 10, Cantrel Ware 10, Tatum 9, McRee 6, K. Ware 5, Dennard 4, T. Ware 3, Beaty 2, Vecchio 2, Goode 2, Brown, Bracero, Muniz.
McMinn County (56) — Rob Saxton 11, Armstrong 9, Marshall 6, Hammonds 4, Martin 4, Edgemon 4, Spradling 4, Brown 4, Lawson 4, Collins 2, Simpson 2, Hockman 2,
3-point goals: Cleveland 5 (Tatum 3, Gibson 2); McMinn County 2 (Saxton, Armstrong).
Records: Cleveland 13-5, 8-2 District 5-AAA; McMinn County 2-20; 1-9.


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Gear Review
the Nixon Chalet adventure...
Well to begin, I purchased this watch for a good friend of mines for a bday gift. She had been looking for this particular watch for quite some time. Lucky for me I was able to find it thru this site. I got the watch in a timely manner which was a perk. But to my dismay the watch was damaged(dents here and there). So I called and had the watch replaced. Then the second time came around and I received the watch and there was some scruffs and marks on it. So then I decided to call again to see if I can get the watch replaced again. The reps I talked to were a big help which made things easier to get the transaction complete. Sending me the proper UPS printouts to have it shipped out. When I got the watch it was in Uber condition. I guess you can say the third time was a charm. Overall the experience was good. Not any real hassle besides a couple days here and there I wasnt in much of a hurry but you kno how it is. You want it asap. Well the only thing to note about the watch it gets scratched easily. So becareful no to bang it up. You'll notice it but besides that its a banging watch, seems to attract peoples eyes and comments.
View More Details on Nixon Chalet Watch - Women's


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Tue, Feb 17, 09 at 20:18
HAS anyone ordered a Bradington Young leather piece? How did the leather compare to the swatch? I am near ordering & live very far from any stores that might have items on display. ANy help is appreciated |
Follow-Up Postings:
Please be more pacific on the type of leather: aniline dyed, semi-aniline, pull-up, pigmented, By-cast or..... Not many upholstery manufacturers have their own tanneries, so this kind question is not furniture manufacturer pacific, as it applies to all. |
I am not sure at this point which specific leather--it may change. I am looking at the finished ones that have an F at the end of the number. I understand this is best for my needs, I hear BY has re-graded some of their leathers & the one I liked has been upgraded to the London park from the Kingstown--so I guess it went up. My question is how close--if you ordered--was your leather to what you wanted--are you happy with the BY item? |
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Soupy Sales Dead 1926-2009 (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
by Meg at . CommentsSoupy Sales 1926-2009
Slapstick comedian Soupy Sales, aka Milton Supman, died Thursday night in a New York hospice at the age of 83. According to his publicist, he had been in ailing health for several years.
Sales claims to have been hit in the face with 20,000 pies over the course of his television career, which began in Detroit in 1953 where he hosted Lunch with Soupy. He appeared with imaginary animal characters including dogs named White Fang and Black Tooth, Hippy the Hippo and Willy the Worm.
He went on to appear in a comedy-variety show called Soupy's On and then it was on to national syndication with children's shows in New York and Los Angeles.
He was suspended from the network in New York in the 60's when he instructed children to dig into Mommy's purse, pull out the paper money and mail it to him at the station. Huge demonstrations in front of the television station forced network executives to reinstate Sales.
In the 70's and 80's, Soupy appeared as a regular panelist on the syndicated game shows What's My Line?, To Tell The Truth and The Match Game.
Sales hosted a radio in the 1980's in New York at the same station as Howard Stern. The two did not get along. There was a well-known incident of Stern's cutting the strings in Sales' in-studio piano at 4:05 p.m. on May 1, 1985. In recent years Stern revealed this was a stunt staged for "theater of the mind" and to torture Sales; in truth, the piano was never harmed. Stern named Sales as one of his childhood heroes, and has expressed regret over his harsh words and actions towards him.
Sales is survived by former Broadway and June Taylor dancer, Trudy Carson, and two sons, Hunt Sales and Tony Sales, both musicians who played with David Bowie, Todd Rundgren and Iggy Pop.
View more photos and video below.
What a genius in comedy: Lunch with Soupy , White Fang,Black Tooth, Willy the Worm,Pookie and the Soupy Shuffle. Hustle home so I could have lunch and watch his zaniness in early elementary school. A pie in the face was always a highlight and Willy the Worm was the sickest worm in all of DE-troit. When comedy wasn't blue and risque. Detroit wasn't the same when Soupy moved on.
There will never be anyone as cool as Soupy and as genuine.
Soupy was genuine! When he was in Detroit during the 1950's he would say hello to us when we encountered him on the street or in the Maccabees Building from which the TV station WXYZ broadcast his Lunch with Soupy and Soup's On (evening show for adults) programs. He was no celebrity snob! I last saw him at a comedy club in Ann Arbor many years ago; he did not use any vulgarity or blue material in spite of the intimate surroundings! I am very glad that I got to meet him on a few occasions!
I was living in the LA Area in the 60's and hurried home from high school at lunch just to watch one of the all-time funny men. Everyone in school mimicked everything Soupy did on screen. Talkng like Black Tooth or White Fang was a daily activity for many of us. I think the most important part of Soupy was his loyalty to his audience and spoke to us like we were part of his family. How sad that I just learned of his death. I heard nothing in the media. At 65 years old, I am also tearing up for someone I have many fond memories of and will miss.
Dante Quinn, at the risk that this reply may end up completely lost in the wind, DITTO andI have to agree with you about the lack of any REAL tribute to Mr. Milton Supman AKA Soupy Sales. Soupy lived and died in New York but most NY dailies only gave 3 or 4 lines if any at all to the remarkable work of Soupy Sales. Although I was born in the 70s and had an expatriate childhood, my childhood TV memori es were bathed in cable reruns as most of the countries my Dad was posted to were behind time with TV. Anyway I certainly remember and appreciate the comic relief of Soupy Sales. He had such natural charm and wit.
At least here on Bitten and Bound there was an article with pictures and merçi for that but some major newspapers didn't even bother to put a face to the man. As Peter Paul and Mary'(RIP) said...Where Have All The Flowers Gone...?
Dante Quinn, on October 25th, 2009 at 4:19 pm Said: Your comment is awaiting moderation. I am quite saddened by the loss of one of my great heroes and funny man, Soupy Sales. I grew up watching this man on TV when I was about 7-8 years old. What really gets me mad is that there was no real Tribute to the man or any real news broadcasts all weekend on the man, and his contribution to early TV. I only read a one column report on his death on the 3rd page of my local daily newspaper
. Its a shame that a celebrity like Mr. Sales now in death is almost "erased" from the memories of his talent. by the people that put him there. I see no other kind of children's programming on TV today. Where are the " Heroes," I grew up with other than learning how to surf the Internet. The only other one that was educational was Mr. Rogers
Neighborhood. I understand they may make a biopic on Soupy Sales. I would appreciate any response.
he looks like mel gibson! lol
83? Good grief I never imagined him to be that young. How time flies. Altho I wasn't around in the 60s my childhood was bathed in reruns of What's My Line and Tell The Truth. Soupy and Arlene Francis really marked my childhood.
I really liked Soupy and its only now that I notice the resemblance with GERARD BUTLER.
Sad news. My condolences to his family. It may seem corny but I have tears wellig up. Adieu Soupy. Rest in Peace my friend...


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OK, I will admit that the dunk isn't terribly acclaim-worthy upon first viewing. Just a little guy catching a big guy out of position and throwing down. Nice, but we've seen this sort of thing a kajillion times. That is a lot of times.
However, to really get the full impact of the dunk, you have to see the picture that was taken right before detonation. It's incredible.
Yep, that's a poster. Sorry, Zach.


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The Supersmile Whitening Dental Floss contains Calrpox which is a whitening agent that helps get your teeth whiter. This floss also contains baking soda which helps freshen your breath. Flossing is an important part of keeping a clean and healthy mouth. By removing debris and food particles from in between you lower your chances of getting cavities.
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I don't like this floss, it's too thin.
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We happily paid over $18000 to install pv cells and solar hot water wanting to make a significant contribution to a cleaner world. We've been slapped in the face by this policy. Please make our contributions count as additional to the mandatory target.
Unfortunately, Australia leads the world on climate change. It is time that we lead the world on tackling climate change. Words and rhetoric are meaningless unless they are accompanied by meaningful action. If you are serious about these measures then do it properly. As a resident of northern Victoria I face being among the first wave of Australian climate change refugees as my home town's water supply drys up. I have taken responsibility for my own impacts on the climate and laid out additional costs for Green Power, efficient globes, a bicycle, insulation and solar hot water only to find that this will count for nothing under your legislation. Please do whatever you can to prevent my and other's efforts being made meaningless. As a member of the Labor Party I am ashamed at the apparent cynicism of the Rudd government. I WANT to make a positive difference and am prepared to pay for that. However, I WILL NOT pay to allow others to pollute with what I pay for. There are much better ways to actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions and we should do it because it is simply the right thing to do. Voluntary action by individuals and small business should not just make it easier for big polluters to continue polluting. I want to make sure my actions make a difference. As a household who adopted green power in the early days we are alarmed that our decision to support this industry is being undermined by government policy. Please don't discourage people like us who have been paying extra for no economic return. There are a lot of people doing without other things to do this. Please don't include Greenpower in the mandatory target & take away the incentive. The actions the government are considering would undermine the Greenpower scheme and runs a very strong risk of wasting the money that I and others have set aside for carbon abatement. Unless all Greenpower is counted I wlll stop subscribing to it or any other Australian Government carbon abatement initiative and use the money to buy overseas carbon credits or private credits. I'm on 100% GreenPower and will be for the entirety of 2009. I am infuriated that, because of [the government's] policy, the impact of my goodwill will be a net increase in emissions compared to if I had started using GreenPower in 2010. We need to capture the value of our combined individual actions towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and this is an important step. After all the rhetoric about climate change leading up to the election I felt totally betrayed when the Prime Minister announced such weak targets for emissions reductions and the massive compensation for the major polluters. Then I learn that our solar panels and paying for 100% Greenpower will actually help the polluters. What a sham! The carbon lobby has obviously infiltrated this Government as much as it had the Howard Government. Every action that each individual takes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has to count, otherwise we might as well just give up. It is ridiculous to make individuals pay more to pollute less, while then allowing big business to pay less to pollute more. We are all in this together, and we all suffer when our environment is degraded. The little people are doing ALL the hard yards. As usual, big money and big polluters make NO sacrifices. I want my choices to count. Companies that advertise or promote green anything falsely should be penalised to the fullest. Assistance to companies attempting to do the right thing should be supported. Why is buying green electricity supporting all the wrong things? It is self defeating and uninspiring. It also makes you less inclined to support green plans in case the same thing occurs. If Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong don't correct the current design flaw of the CPRS, which makes it cheaper and easier for high emission polluters to keep polluting, their environmental credentials cannot be taken seriously. Much more needs to be done about climate change before we suffer greater temperature increases and natural disasters. Households may need to reduce our perceived standard of living, business needs to cut profitability and governments need to stop pandering to business and developing impotent, popularist policy. This is serious. Government needs to get its act together and be proactive to save this planet before its too late! I object to paying extra so the big polluters can continue to pollute. It seems the public is more interested in saving the planet than the Government is. We are renovating our home and want to make choices that count towards reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but find the conflicting information messages often confusing and frustrating. Can't we put the good of our Earth before the spin and the politics? Significant thought, energy and finance are sacrificed by individuals during difficult times in order to be accountable and responsible and therefore deal with the critical issue of greenhouse gas emissions. That this significant effort only counts towards reducing the accountability and sacrifice of big business is demoralising and unethical. With this legislation in place, no matter how many individuals contribute, and no matter the magnitude of their personal sacrifice, no difference will be made to the critical carbon emissions produced by Australia as a nation. I believe that is the last thing to motivate anyone (especially 'big business') to make their best effort. The more incentive there is for households to be green, the greener society will be! It's CHEAPER in the long run. If the government is sincere in its stand against climate change and the environment generally, it will ensure that the people that are investing their money to help the environment are not being "slapped in the face". It just doesn't make sense that in a state like Queensland, with so many "sun" hours, that solar hot water and solar power are not HEAVILY subsidised, so that the option is available to everyone... but I suspect the money the government receives from these polluting industries "speaks loudly"... As a family we have taken significant efforts to reduce our consumption of energy and water. We are not at all happy that our efforts over many years could be used by others to reduce their contribution. We will be considering the outcome of all political parties policies at elections (local to federal). The environment is a *key* voting issue for us. The general issue of profligate waste of resources, including energy, is a serious one regardless of ones view on the Greenhouse effect (which we do think is only too real). Tricky deals, or legislative oversights, will be remembered in this household. How can it be reasonable that people like me (and many I know) make personal sacrifices like cutting out air travel, using public transport, spending up on photovoltiacs just to find it will make not difference. It is deeply insulting to those of us who have demonstrated how much we care about protecting our wonderful Earth. I have bought 100% GreenPower for a number of years to support the development of Australia's renewable energy industry and to decrease my environmental impact. It is unfair that my purchase of renewable energy to avoid greenhouse gas emissions will help some polluter to emit more! I voted for the Labor government in the last Federal Election. I want the Labor government to fulfill the environmental mandate that voters handed to them - fair and responsible environmental action with care for our future. I don't want to be let down! I think it is more important to have to have a rigorous strong target - in line with what the science tells us is needed, but whatever target we have, we must design our scheme so that individual actions can and will make a difference. I am deeply concerned that the carbon reduction measures I have introduced in our home and home-based business will be negated by the (draft) legislation as proposed. Despite my strong belief that greenhouse gases must be reduced and are the individual responsibility of us all I feel my efforts are being undermined. This is a strong disincentive for me and the wider community to invest in further measures that will help our country to exceed the weak targets as proposed by the Rudd government. I will have to seriously consider the real value in investing further to reduce our carbon footprint. It is, as you say, insane that big polluters are given the right to expand their polluting to the extent we reduce it, the government must be mad, given that if we don't do anything about reducing global warming Australia maybe uninhabitable by 2050 (New Scientist , 28 feb 2009) This is ludicrous. People are forking out more cash to increase the demand for renewable energy, and to lower their household emissions - and the goose that designed the CPRS does not think this is worthy. That's rubbish! I say amend the CPRS to ensure GreenPower sales reduce the number of permits available to the major emitters. The CPRS in its present form disempowers consumers and will lead to apathy and disillusionment that action to reduce emissions by individuals in Australia will make no difference to the total emissions of the country. Consumers expect more from a CPRS in terms of setting ambitious targets and making everyone's efforts count. Let's get it right - fix the scheme and let us show that we are up for a real carbon reduction challenge. I purchased greenpower to ensure green house gases would be reduced, - every little bit counts! I am horrified to hear that big businesses can receive carbon polluting power for a cheaper price. They are obviously not being encouraged to reduce their power usage and my good intentions are therefore negated. This is corrupt and needs to be addressed urgently!! I expect the government to introduce measures that will help all householders reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and, moreover, to REQUIRE that they do so! Please Mr Rudd, take the lead to change our culture! Federal Government must change the proposed emissions trading scheme to make voluntary actions count. If they dont, it would change the way I vote - and I am sure the many thousands of others who have made a big effort to reduce our emissions would feel the same. We are voluntarily switching to solar power and hot water in our own home at considerable cost because it's the right thing to do! Make Big Business responsible too!! I wasn't aware of this flaw in the carbon trading scheme. I want my efforts to reduce my carbon footprint to make a difference, not give big industry pollutors an escape clause. Please plug this gaping hole in the system. It's important to encourage everyone (individuals, governments, companies) to conserve resources, because they are finite. The whole point of having a CPRS is to reduce emissions, not to subsidise big business to keep on producing more emissions. My efforts to reduce emissions are to protect the planet for my children; not give a free ride to polluters. I want my efforts to make a difference for my kids. In order to gain credibility within the community, it is essential that the CPRS ensures that personal, family and local actions to mitigate climate change are additional. Obviously, some fossil-fuel reliant businesses don't like being pressured to make substantial change, but they need to do so. National legislation and policy needs to apply firm pressure, not prop up industries that are increasingly leading us into real problems with climate. That is the whole point of the legislation. There is no point trying to make everyone happy on this. Legislation that is too even handed and balanced will not reduce carbon emssions. You have to tip the scales so that fossil fuel industries phase out. I'd like to declare how staggered I am by the ineptitude of creating a scheme which will (in its current form) actually have a detrimental impact on community actions to reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions. Why the Federal Government hasn't already made changes to the proposed system is beyond me! Why do Ministers not use common sense? Please fix the broken CPRS before it becomes law. It is beyond stupidity to think the Australian people will accept a situation whereby anything they do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will not achieve any additional greenhouse savings but, rather, will merely result in subsidies for the big polluters. We currently subscribe to green energy through our electricity provider, and we have included solar cells and a solar hot water system in our 2009 renovation plans. This is because we want to do our bit for the planet. Please don't allow others to pollute more just because we choose to pollute less. It reduces an individual's power to make meaningful change, and that is just plain unethical. Very disheartening to know my efforts just allow big polluters to pollute more... Strengthens the hands of the cynics in households and workplaces who think there's no point doing anything because the planet is stuffed anyway. With green power I want to buy and invest into energy produced by wind, water & sun. To think that my contribution actually supports high emmission industries is revolting. I thought this Government would get it right.....It won't stop me from making an effort to be more environmentally responsible, but it will make me think twice about who I vote for next time! When is the government going to start listening to people and scientists? Real, urgent action on climate change is what Australians need and want. Let's do this right way, the correct way for all people and beings; we share this planet... for all time, for everyone! I would rather not claim a rebate than subsidise big businesses to continue polluting. Promote solar power. Make it cheap. Put it in every roof. It will create jobs and put Australia ahead of the competition. It will happen sooner or later and we will be behind the game. Get real Mr Rudd! Why is it that consumers need to shoulder the burden of carbon emissions and not those directly respnsible for them ie power generation and big business. Please don't make this another issue of the tail wagging the dog. The target set is much too low and should not effectively be reduced by ignoring voluntary actions of consumers. I want my solar panels to count, not be flooded by a slack energy industry. How incompetent. This plan should be amended immediately! I want to know that the solar panels I've installed on my roof will really make a difference, and not help big business to get off the environmental hook. It would be far simpler to convert our coal fired power stations to solar thermal power stations with energy storage than running the flawed carbon trading scheme. If we phase out coal fired power stations we would reduce emissions by ~ 50%
I subscribe to 100% green power both at home and in my small business...I also voted Labor in the hopes that they would do something significant to help curb global warming. The CPRS is a grave disappointment and negation of my personal concerns and those of all other Australians who are doing their bit and expect the government they helped elect to also do it's bit.
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- Band + App + You = The Up System
UP® is a system that takes a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle. The wristband tracks your movement and sleep in the background. The app displays your data, lets you add things like meals and mood, and delivers insights that keep you moving forward.
- You, At A Glance
Know what's happening with you, instantly: Your sleep, your activity, what you're eating. The Home Screen is your daily dashboard. A way to quickly check in with your progress and see what your friends are up to.
- Designed For Everyday Life
UP was designed to fit seamlessly in people's lives. Real life. It's a thoughtful combination of engineering and design, custom-made for how we live—an intelligent computer wrapped around your wrist.
- Connect With Apps You Love
Complement your UP experience and connect to your favorite apps — or discover new ones — within UP.
Track your weight, map your bike rides, access extensive food libraries and more, and that data will be seamlessly integrated into your UP feed, lifeline and trends.
Tech Specs
- Materials & Care
- Splash-resistant, but do not submerge
- Avoid excessive bending
- Band: hypoallergenic TPU rubber
- Cap: TR-90 Nylon, plated in Nickel
- Cleaning: Apply Isopropyl Alcohol or alcohol-based sanitizer applied to a cloth or cotton swab
- Up Band Dimensions & Weight
- Small
- 52 mm W × 35 mm H (inner)
- 66 mm W × 50 mm H (outer)
- Perimeter distance: 141mm (inner), 198 mm (outer)
- 19 g
- Medium
- 63 mm W × 40 mm H (inner)
- 76 mm W × 54 mm H (outer)
- Perimeter distance: 167 mm (inner), 220 mm (outer)
- 22 g
- Large
- 69 mm W × 43 mm H (inner)
- 81 mm W × 56 mm H (outer)
- Perimeter distance: 180 mm (inner), 236 mm (outer)
- 23 g
- Power & Battery
- Lithium-ion polymer battery
- Up to 10 days of use between charges
- Charge time approximately 80 minutes via USB charging cable
- Sensor & Interface
- Precision motion sensor
- Single push-button interface
- Vibrating motor for notifications
- Dual LEDs
- Software
- Compatible Devices
- iOS 5.1 or greater
- Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or later
- See full list of compatible devices
In the box
- UP Band
- Quick Start Guide
- USB charging cable
Extra Accessories
Caps 3-Pack
- $9.99
- Onyx
- Mint Green
- Charcoal Grey
- Blue
- Orange
- Light Grey
- Dark Purple
USB Cable & Wall Charger
- $19.99
USB Cable
- $9.99
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UP? What does it do?
Band + App + You = The Up System
UP is a system that takes a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle. The UP and UP24 wristbands track your movement and sleep in the background. The app displays your data, lets you add things like meals and mood, and delivers insights that keep you moving forward.
How do UP and UP24 track my movement and sleep?
UP and UP24 use a precision motion sensor and powerful algorithms to passively track and quantify your steps, distance, calories, active time, and idle time. The UP app then calculates calories burned based on your age, gender, height and weight, along with activity intensity and duration. UP and UP24 use actigraphy to track your sleep, monitoring your micro movements to determine whether you are awake or asleep.
Will it work if I cycle, do yoga, or other non-step-based workouts?
The UP app allows you to log the duration and effort level of a variety of different workout types, so you get credit and estimated caloric burn for non-step-based activities. Additionally, the UP band has a Stopwatch mode that lets you "tag" the start and end of your activity. Once you've synced your band, you can enter the details of your workout.
How does UP track what I eat, and where do the nutrition guidelines come from?
We've made tracking what you eat or drink quick and easy, with the flexibility to go as light or deep as you want. This can be as simple as using a photo, or as detailed as capturing all the information in a nutrition label.
How does UP sync?
The new UP24 band was designed to wirelessly sync your data in the background using Bluetooth Smart. The original UP was designed to quickly and simply sync your data with your device using the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Carefully plug your band directly into the jack, and do not bend UP during sync.
What devices are compatible with UP?
Check out the current UP device compatibility list.
How do I get the app?
The UP app is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.
MoreIs it water resistant? Can I wear it swimming?
Your band is rain, splash, sweat, and shower-resistant, but you should remove your band before swimming, surfing, or exposing to other extreme conditions and activities like saunas and steam rooms. Do not submerge your band in liquids, including hot tubs or baths, at any time.
What is the band made of?
UP and UP24 is encased in medical-grade, hypoallergenic rubber. It is smooth, flexible and completely latex-free. The cap is made of Nickel and TR-90 Nylon. Inside, the bands contains sophisticated technology — a processing core, battery, vibration motor, sensors and memory — so treat your band with care and avoid unnecessary bending.
How should I take off/put on my band?
Bend your band just enough to take it off and put it on, one end at a time. Avoid excessive stretching and twisting, and take extra care when syncing or removing clothing.
How do I clean my band?
Clean the exterior of your band with Isopropyl Alcohol or alcohol-based sanitizer applied to a cloth or cotton swab. Do not submerge the band in any liquids.
How long does the battery last?
The battery in your UP24 band lasts up to 7 days and UP bands lasts up to 10 days when fully charged.
Which wrist should I wear it on?
We've found wearing UP24 and UP on your non-dominant hand delivers the most accurate results, but either wrist will work.
What is a Smart Alarm and how does it work?
The Smart Alarm is a great way to wake up feeling refreshed. Set up to four alarms, and UP24 and UP analyzes your sleep cycle to wake you with a gentle vibration, at the most ideal time within a 10, 20 or 30-minute window or an exact time you specify
What is an Idle Alert and how does it work?
The Idle Alert is a great way to remind you to get up and move. You can set an Idle Alert within the app, so the band will gently vibrate if you've been inactive for a period of time.
What data is stored on the band, in the app, or on my phone? What if I want to delete my data?
Your band will store up to nine months of movement and sleep data. You can delete any activity or sleep tracked in the band via the Help screen in the app. Performing a hard reset of the band will also erase all data from your band. Once synced, your data is stored in the Cloud so you can access your data anywhere, though the app will cache your most recent data to improve performance.
Is UP connected to Facebook or Twitter? Can I share my UP data through my existing social networks?
Currently, the UP app allows you to share your move, sleep, eat summaries through Facebook and Twitter. Also, UP allows you to create a team of your friends and family so you can share your progress and cheer each other on. You can connect with friends who use UP through your address book, Facebook and Twitter contacts, or by email lookup, and then choose what information is shared with them within the UP app. Only your name and profile image are publicly searchable in the UP directory.
How does Jawbone protect my privacy?
Jawbone believes your data belongs to you. We take the responsibility of protecting your data and privacy seriously. You must accept a friend request in order for any of your data to be shared, and you can also choose what information is shared. You can read more about our data privacy policy.
Always connected via Bluetooth.
Plug in to sync instantly.
- Wirelessly via Bluetooth® Smart
- Via 3.5mm headphone port on your device
App Compatibility
- iOS and Android
- iPhone 4s and newer
- iPod Touch 5th Gen and newer
- iPad 3rd Gen and newer
- iPad mini
- Android 4.3
- iOS and Android
- iPhone 3GS and newer
- iPod Touch 4th Gen and newer
- iPad 2 and newer
- iPad mini
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Sleep tracking
- Automatic summaries delivered every morning via push
- Smart Alarm®
- Power nap
- Sleep reports on sync
- Smart Alarm®
- Power nap
Movement Tracking
- Regular reminders to keep moving and hit daily goals
- Customizable idle alert
- Log workouts of all kinds
- Daily summaries of steps taken
- Customizable idle alert
- Log workouts of all kinds
Food Tracking
- Log food and drink to keep track of caloric intake
- Barcode scanner
- Expansive nutritional database
- Log food and drink to keep track of caloric intake
- Barcode scanner
- Expansive nutritional database
- Via USB to 2.5mm jack
- Via USB to 3.5mm jack
Battery Life
- Up to 14 days
- About 10 days


text: PGCC OPEID: 002089Program Code: ACCT.CPA.CT Program Level: Certificate Program CIP Code: 52.0399CIP Program Description: CPA Preparation Certificate CPA Preparation Certificate Program Code: ACCT.CPA.CT Applicants for the CPA Examination must have satisfactorily completed 150 semester hours including the attainment of a bachelor's degree in any discipline. Included within their 150 hours of college credits, students must have 57 specific credits of accounting and business courses. The CPA Preparation Certificate is designed to support students with bachelor's degrees in any non-accounting area in obtaining the accounting and business courses approved and required by the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy so that they can sit for the CPA Examination in the state of Mary-land. The following Prince George's Community College courses have been specifically approved by the Maryland State Board of Public Accountan-cy. Any substitution of courses transferred from other institutions is subject to the approval of the Maryland Board of Public Accountancy. CPA can-didates are advised to periodically check with the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy for any updates or changes to the exam requirements (410-230-6258). Program Concentration: Accounting 27 Credits Financial Accounting (ACC 1010, 1020 and 2010) All three courses must be taken to satisfy the Board requirement. 9 Auditing (ACC 2040) 3 Cost Accounting (ACC 2030) 3 Federal Income Tax (ACC 2210) 3 Other Accounting Courses Choose 9 credits from the following: ACC 1030, ACC 1040, ACC 1050, ACC 2020, ACC 2070, ACC 2080, ACC 2220 9 Program Concentration: Business 30 Credits Statistics (MAT 1140) 3 Economics (ECN 1030 and ECN 1040) 6 Corporate or Business Finance (ACC 2250) 3 Management (BMT 1600) 3 U.S. Business Law (BUS 1220 or BUS 1240) 3 Marketing (BMK 2510) 3 Oral Communication (SPH 1010) 3 Written Communication (EGL 1320 or 1340) 3 Business Ethics (PHL 1400) 3 Total Required for Certificate 57 Credits Expected Time to and Cost of Certificate Credits: 57 Semesters: 5 Time: 24 Months (Summer Required)Total Cost: $9,728 Tuition and Fees: $7,638 Books and Supplies: $2090 The expected time to degree is based upon the student being enrolled in 12 credit hours each semester. Summer enrollment is included. The expected cost is based on in-county tuition rates and no developmental course work. Student Completion and Debt Information Number of students completing the program between 7/1/2011 and 6/30/2012: 0Number of students from above who completed the program within the expected time: 0 Number completing with any student loan debt: 0 On-time completion is determined by the time period in which a student is enrolled in the program as indicated by their choice of major. Students graduating in a related degree and certificate program are not included in this calculation for total graduates or on-time graduates. Median Loan Debt: 0* Federal Student Loan Debt: 0* Private Loan Debt: 0* Institutional Financing Debt Plan: 0* Loan debt is only calculated for students during the time that they were enrolled in this particular program. If there are less than 10 completers, individually identifiable information will be marked with a *. Job Placement http://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk This web page contains links to third party websites. Prince George's Community College does not endorse or accept responsibility for the content or use of these websites. The college cannot guarantee the quality, availability, or functionality of linked pages. When visiting external websites, review the privacy policy and terms of use to learn how these sites may collect and use personal information.


text:
The capacity for meanness is shocking some days.
Some people are mean unintentionally, as with an offhand remark that isn't intended the way it's taken. Others react to a situation by hitting back with words based on ignorance or misunderstanding. Some attempt sarcasm and fail abjectly at it, instead being merely hurtful.
Still others work hard at their meanness.
Some of the comments made in the wake of last weekend's grease fire can likely be explained by any of the above but they are, nonetheless, mean.
Travis Nolt is 27 years old. Last November, he briefly put his name forward in nomination for the mayoral race. He withdrew from that and briefly stood for nomination as a school trustee.
He's a nice young man. Whenever I've run into him he's always friendly and talkative. And he's learning disabled.
Travis was one of the people in the duplex unit that was destroyed by fire. His picture was in The Daily News with a story about the fire Monday. The fire started when fries were being made on the stove.
After going through the stress of having to get out of the building before the fire consumed it, losing possessions and his pet hamsters, all one website reader could think of to say was that he looked like he shouldn't eat so many fries.
Others, who lived adjacent to the unit that caught fire, are angry because nobody came to warn them of the fire. Their concern is understandable but the tone of many of their comments isn't.
Some who weren't involved at all have weighed in with supposedly sage and knowing comments about whether those with disabilities should be allowed to cook or even be allowed to live on their own.
Those who were in the home when the fire broke out are supervised by Community Living B.C., which has been in the news a lot lately over provincial funding cuts. Cuts or not, my impression has been that CLBC works hard, and works well, to look after its clients.
Sometimes it's best to say nothing.
IVAN McLELLAND, it turns out, is well-remembered around here and elsewhere. I wrote about the legendary Penticton Vees goalie and heard back from some of his fans.
"The Penticton Vees. Who in Oliver didn't sit around the radio listening to the games," wrote Sheila. "The Warwick brothers were our heroes. You knew if someone crossed one brother there would soon be a pile-up with the other two brothers coming to the rescue. After I grew up and lived in other places I was surprised that not many folks remembered them. I still am. Thank you for remembering. Say hello to Ivan. It wasn't just boys who loved the game the Vees were our first celebrity heart throbs."
Another fan pleaded, "Can I tag along (to coffee with Ivan)? Please!!!! I'll be good, I promise."
The Penticton Herald got in touch Monday asking for the OK to run the column about Ivan and our story about the Penticton Vees hat.
And Tom from Chase tells me he drove the Greyhound bus that took Ivan from Vancouver to Penticton when the Canucks sent him to the Vees. They got talking, Tom phoned ahead to his wife from a stop in Princeton, and took Ivan home for dinner that night when they got to Penticton.
"He was a super, super person," Tom says.
© Copyright 2015 Kamloops Daily News


text:
On January 24, 2013, the Board of Directors of Boston Properties, Inc., the sole general partner of Boston Properties Limited Partnership appointed Joel I. Klein as a Director of the Company. Mr. Klein has worked for more than 40 years in private industry and government during which time he has gained significant experience in senior policy making and executive roles, as well as a broad range of legal matters. Mr. Klein has been a Director and Executive Vice President, Office of the Chairman of News Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of Amplify, the education division of News Corporation, since January 2011. From 2002 through 2010, Mr. Klein was Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education where he oversaw a system of over 1,600 schools with 1.1 million students, 136,000 employees and a $22 billion budget. He was the U.S. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bertelsmann, Inc. and Chief U.S. Liaison Officer to Bertelsmann AG, a media company, from 2001 to 2002. Mr. Klein also served with the Clinton administration in a number of roles, including Assistant U.S. Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1997 until 2000 and Deputy White House Counsel to President Clinton from 1993 to 1995. Mr. Klein entered the Clinton administration after 20 years of public and private legal work in Washington, D.C. Mr. Klein received a BA with honors from Columbia University and a JD with honors from Harvard Law School. He has also received honorary degrees from ten colleges and universities. He is 67 years old. [...] more
Stock awards | $1,318,576 |
All other compensation | $3,500,000 |
Total Compensation | $4,818,576 |
Fees earned or paid in cash | $81,667 |
Stock awards | $146,650 |
Total Compensation | $228,317 |


text:
Tax Appeal Consulting
In conjunction with RER, LLC, NJ Tax Appeal provides consulting services for homeowners looking for property tax relief.
About 30% to 60% of homeowners pay excessive property taxes, largely because the values of their homes— which are used to calculate taxes— are over-assessed. NJ Tax Appeal seeks to provide these homeowners with the knowledge and support they need to successfully appeal their property taxes via the court system, all the while serving as a cost efficient, yet equally effective, alternative to hiring an attorney to conduct the appeal.
We offer a wide range of assistance for property owners, including
- A detailed property assessment to help determine the property's actual value
- A list of recent comparable sales within the neighborhood
- A property tax card review
- One on one advising from real estate experts experienced in the tax appeal process
For further information on NJ Tax Appeal and its available services, please call us at 973-894-3004.


text:
Latest News
New Details: Lamar Odom Going To New York City To See His Kids
Lamar Odom is headed to New York City to see his two children with ex-girlfriend Liza Morales, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.
A family insider t… READ MORE
Lamar Odom's Ex Says They're Getting Professional Help For Teenage Dau...
Lamar Odom's teenage daughter Destiny Odom is struggling through depression and may be cutting herself and her mother exclusively told RadarOnline.com … READ MORE
Khloe Kardashian Vows To Help Stepdaughter, Following Her Emotional Tw...
Khloe Kardashian is ramping up her efforts to be a good stepmother as she vows to help Lamar Odom's 14-year-old daughter through an emotional and troubled t… READ MORE
Lamar Odom's Ex Liza Morales Reveals She Hasn't Had Sex Since They Spl...
Lamar Odom is happily married to Khloe Kardashian but his ex-fiancée and baby mama Liza Morales hasn't found love again and in a new reality show she admits t… READ MORE
When Celebrities Collide! Khloé And Lamar Meet Up With Jermaine
They say it's a small world and it certainly seemed that way on Friday when Khloé Kardashian and Lamar Odom bumped into Jermaine Jackson while … READ MORE
LeAnn Rimes Eats And Khloe Kardashian Entertains Family At Mavs Game
The Dallas Mavericks game was the place to be Friday night — especially for the jaw-dropping sight of LeAnn Rimes chowing down!
The sup… READ MORE


text:
"I think gamers get tired of doing the same thing over and over. We've slain dragons, beat up super villains, and shot at space marines over and over again. There's a level of burnout there. So when you throw in something like a morality system, it forces the player to stop running on autopilot, and think about their actions a bit more carefully. 'Shooting the bad guy' becomes 'shooting the guy who may or may not be bad,' and that in itself adds a unique twist to the gameplay."
These words from game developer Emil Pagliarulo describe the current state gaming for a maturing gaming audience and the engagement issues associated with the saturation of similar story arcs and experiences.
Interviewing several game developers that have created games with complex moral systems like Heavy Rain, BioShock 2, and Fallout 3, the Gamasutra article suggests two key learnings on how games can create an environment for compelling moral decisions:
- Establish a connection with the player
- Provide choices with significant moral consequences
Part of the argument proposes that black and white moral situations create less engaging scenarios for gamers.
Outside of games, we've seen how moral debates can galvanize a user base in the political arena. The movement of brands towards associations with sustainable ideals are indications of a consumer culture that is elevating itself beyond product benefits. Moral high-ground is the new positioning challenge.
Sustainability has spurred this, because it's easy to be good for the planet, though we've seen brands like American Apparel tackle other issues and clearly verbalize their position on immigration.
The challenge is to fulfill that second learning; create a direct link between the consumer's choice with significant moral outcomes. Whether those choices are to support or actively avoid it.
Brands that define their moral stances on complex issues have an opportunity to lead. By definition, they'll alienate consumers that disagree, but the trade-off will be earning a galvanized based of consumers that have been waiting to engage with a brand of similar values.


text:
My Turn Signal/Headlight switch broke recently. I ordered an aftermarket switch and its identical...
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