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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Liberalisation of the Legal Profession
On the UK side, there has been a significant amount of information available to the public (through press reports, presentations made before the UK parliament, etc ) regarding the reasons for the negotiations and the extent of liberalisation (very shortly, UK firms want to be able to set up on their own without having to enter into joint ventures with Indian firms). Worryingly (but not surprisingly) there has been no concrete information on the Indian side (except a few statements of denial by the Chairman of the Bar Council). I understand that the Commerce Ministry had posted a paper on its website last year, but I have not been able to find that paper. Again from sporadic news reports, I understand that India is represented by the Chairman of Bar Council of India, the vice-chairman of the Bar Association of India and Rajiv Luthra of Luthra & Luthra on the joint committee. I am not aware if there are more people on this committee.
What worries me is the complete lack of public debate in India. There has been no effort (atleast not publicly known) by anyone to study the impact that any such move may have on the vast legal profession. Opinions (ranging from- it will not affect litigating lawyers, it will be great for young lawyers, to it will be disastrous and render many lawyers jobless) vary about the effect, but these opinions are merely based on intuition and hope (or cynicism). For example, no effort has been made to draw lessons from the impact on the accounting profession in India following the entry of the multinational accounting firms. Such a study could through light on the potential impact on the legal profession (though the two professions are not organised in the same manner) if foreign firms are permitted to enter into India. There have been one or two opinions in news papers by chartered accountants warning the legal profession! One of the opinions warns that there has to be internal liberalisation allowing the profession to be better organised and ready for any external competition.
Given the emotions that this issue has raised in the past, I have a feeling that it will be difficult to have a reasoned public debate. It is therefore vulnerable for special interests to influence the outcome, one way or the other. Consequently, I fear that we may be presented with a fait accompli, and then we will have the usual efforts to rationalise whatever has happened. For example, will the bar council regulate foreign firms practicing in India. Will there be different practice rules? Issues like advertising and sharing profits with people other than advocates will become challenging for foreign firms who are not subject to such restrictions.
Also, what is the process for any such liberalisation. It probably requires a modification to the Advocates Act and rules thereunder. Even if the statute is amended, will the bar council be able to make rules given popular emotive opposition?
Based on sources close to the negotiation (this sounds like investigative journalism now) I understand that the Indian negotiators have made proposals which sound ( to me) completely unrealistic and probably constitutionally invalid. One of the proposals is said to have been that only those Indian law firms that have been registered for 10 years should be permitted to enter into joint ventures with foreign law firms (Article 14 anyone?).
Personally, I am not sure if liberalisation is a good thing or not. I have not studied the issue in any detail to decide one way or the other. There will clearly be certain benefits (better training, better organisation, etc) and some burdens.
I hope that some of you will take the time to give some thought to this issue and post comments which will hopefully generate a larger reasoned debate in the country.
10 comments:
- Ritwick said...
I'm sure foreign firms will be welcomed by every Indian corporate lawyer - except equity partners of entrenched firms like AZB, Amarchand, JSagar etc. People like the Shroffs, the Luthras, the Duas, the Zia Modys etc. have been lobbying to keep foreign firms out because if foreign firms come in, they'll lose all their MNC clientele. Everyone knows Indian clients pay shitall. For every additional year the foreign firms are kept away, its a few more crores in their bank accounts.
I haven't understood why the common lawyer on the street should have a problem with the entry of MNC firms. It won't make a bit of difference to their lives.
- Protima said...
I have a very simplistic (and therefore open to correction!) understanding of this issue. Liberalization of the services sectors is occuring as a part of the obligations that India has under international trade agreements like GATS but the actual process of implementing our obligations will be by way of changes within the regulatory framework existing currently. So any steps that will be taken should be done in a manner that the existing public policies are not ignored, domestic interest and needs are given importance and provisions are made to strengthen domestic business to make them capable of competing with international players. All of this will have to be done in a way that we do not overstep or violate the boundaries of our international obligations, subjecting us to future negotiations and/or complaints. Studying other service sectors where liberalization has already occured and results are there for all to see will be a huge asset, as suggested in the post. I think there is a need for practicing lawyers, legal scholars and public policy interest groups to organize themselves and begin a series of round tables to throw light on what lies ahead on the road to liberalizing the legal regime in India. Each round table can be first conducted at a regional level, and a national body can then convene to study the results of the regional rounds. Needless to say, every effort of this nature will have to involve, or at least invite to be involved, members of the committee that is actually working towards the process of setting up a framework of liberalizing the legal profession.
- Aditya Swarup said...
I totally concur when you say that there hasnt been much public debate in this country on this issue. As a law student, I would like such firms to enter the Country.
Now that you have brought up the issue, i hope people start talking about it.
- Srinivasan said...
In the context of "liberalisation" of law practice by allowing foreign firms, it is also important to bear in mind the role of legal professionals may predominantly vary from country to country. In an interesting study done in 1969, analyzing the role of legal professionals in India with respect to their counterparts in Western nations, Marc Gallanter argues that the lawyers in India are primarily concerned with the conceptualism, litigation appeals
as opposed to the expansionist view taken by American lawyers by involving themselves in business advise, negotiating, shaping the regulatory environment (before it is put in place)and broad social planning. See Link
It would be interesting to know from practicing lawyers, how far has legal profession changed in India since 1969.
- Protima said...
In my limited understand (and therefore one that is open to being corrected) liberalization of the legal system has to take place as a result of the obligations that India has under the multilateral trade treaty, GATS. However the changes that need to be made to make us compliant will mean changes within the national regulatory framework, with a delicate balance of compliance with our international obligations and internal public policy. As suggested in the post, a study in the accounting industry will help assess the parameters within which positive changes should be implemented. But in parallel there needs to be a study within the legal profession to see what changes have taken place in the profession, what needs to be done to strengthen the domestic practice environment to enable an equal competetive scenario with international firms and the most practical way to implement changes that are best suited to the legal environment in India. The practicing, teaching and public policy think tank interests have to organize themselves as soon as possible at a regional and a national level to start series of dialogues on this front. Involving people from the commission will be crucial because they will be able to get a sense of the direction in which they recommendation for changes should be. I know this sounds simplistic, but any change has to take place in a practical manner, and that will not be possible unless there is a smooth flow of information from the legal community to the committee that is implementing/preparing plans to implement the changes.
- Raman Jit Singh Chima said...
Hasn't the considerable growth of commercial law firms (ranging from general practice ones such as Amarchand Mangaldass, Luthra & Luthra, Trilegal etc along with the numerous boutique firms) put an end to the idea that the Indian legal professions is solely dominated in the manner that Marc Gallanter found it in 1969? My own personal view is that while the legal profession has dramatically changed thanks to the opening up of the economy in 1991, the Bar Council of India never adapted itself much to these changes, especially the growth of commercial law firms since they don't affect the traditional constituency that the Bar Council has focused on.
- Arun Thiruvengadam said...
One scholar who has published recent academic work on the Indian legal profession, focusing in particular on the increasing importance of the corporate law firms in the 1990s, is Oliver Mendelsohn of La Trobe University.
In a recent piece, he focuses on corporate law firms in Mumbai in particular: Oliver Mendelsohn, The Indian Legal Profession, the Courts and Globalisation, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, Vol. 28, no.2, August 2005.
Hi Harish,
Regarding the paper published by Commerce Ministry, I have a copy of the same and would be happy to forward it to you. Do let me know your email ID. You can mail me at email@example.com
In addition there is an interesting debate going on the website of legalweek. I am sure you would find it interesting. the link to this debate is http://www.legalweek.com/Navigation/27/Articles/1029301/Editor's+Comment+That+passage+to+India.html
The owners of Indian law firms ("Owners") have been reported tyo cite the following reasons for supporting their cause of non-opening up of Indian legal sector:
(i) The Indian partnership does not allow expansion beyond 20. So Indian firms suffer a number limitation as opposed to foreign firms.
(ii) advertisements are prohibited. So unfair advantage to foreign firms who wont face such limitation (at least in their home jurisdictions).
(iii) foreign firms have easier (and cheaper) access to capital.
(iv) sharing of revenues with non-advocayes in India is not possible.
Although, I can debunk all of the above four in detail, i am hard pressed for time so will only say that with LLP bill becoming law the first (and biggest) point goes out of window. Advertisement restrictions would equally apply to foreign firms in India and in relation to their Indian practices and the Indian lawyers working with them.
There is no capital requirement for law firms, unless you count computers and office equipment as capital. In any way human beings are the capital for all law firms. Lawyers rather than machines need to be invested into. I rather nod discuss the pathetic low salaries provided to Indian lawyers (until very recently at least). Anyways banks provide loans and the real estate in most cases is a personal property of the family owning the law firm.
Even foreign firms have restrictions on non lawyers being partners. In any way the foreign firms can easily be made subject to such requirements.
The real reason is entirely different. I undertsnad that the take home of Owners (of top firms)is more than even top performing partners of Magic Circle.
Owners are known to prefer a JV model so that they can get the first bite at the cherry and capitalise the profits for themselves. I am also confident that if JV model comes into play, the Owners will advocate a Press Note 18 like provision too!
However, with the recent exodus of Indian lawyers to foreign firms, I wonder how long can Owners be able to sustain practices without quality being affected.
Don't you think it makes sense to permit foreign law firms (or firms of accountants) to operate in India only on a reciprocal basis? If the GATS is to mean anything, then lawyers in India should correctly have access to markets in Europe and N. America. I think the expatriate Indian communities are a potentially huge market for existing Indian law firms to service.
That said, it makes sense to examine the process by which the Europeans and N. Americans regulate foreign law firms. Do they have different regulations for international and domestic firms? And so on..
Foreign law firms are coming. With a spineless government (regardless of the political party forming the government) enamoured of all things foreign, it is inevitable.


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Today, delegations representing the United States and the Seychelles initialed the text of a U.S.-Seychelles Open Skies Agreement. The Agreement, which will be applied on the basis of comity and reciprocity pending entry into force, will liberalize our bilateral aviation relationship.
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For more information about Open Skies, please visit: http://www.state.gov/e/eb/tra/ata/
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Enjoy spill-proof sipping at work or on the trail with the 20 fl. oz. CamelBak eddy™ water bottle.
Redesigned cap and bite valve provide faster flow and enhanced durability
Flip, Bite and Sip. No tipping required (though possible: just remove the straw)
New, sleek shape fits in the hand and most cup holders
Dishwasher Safe: All parts are top-rack dishwasher safe
Durable and spill-proof
Easy to carry: Integrated loop handle makes it easy to clip a carabiner or carry with the crook of a finger
100% free of BPA and BPS
Wide-mouth opening is easy to fill with ice and water and a breeze to clean
CamelBak Big Bite™ Valve is compatible with CamelBak® eddy™ and CamelBak® Groove® bottles
CamelBak® Got Your Bak™ Guarantee: If we built it, we'll Bak it™ with our lifetime guarantee.
CLEANING THE EDDY The bottle, bite valve, straw and lid can be cleaned in the top rack of the dishwasher or by hand with warm, soapy water. Pull off the bite valve and straw from the cap. If you like to use a bottle brush, we don't recommend forcing a brush through the Bite Valve slit. If you have the brush kit, run the small brush through the straw.
For a deeper cleaning, add a drop of mild soap or tablespoon of bleach to a clean glass jar filled with water. Drop the bite valve, straw and cap into the solution, and tightly close the jar's lid. Shake the mixture around for 30 seconds, and then let the parts soak for about 15 minutes. Rinse and shake dry.
To re-assemble the lid: Flip the stem collar (the component the bite valve attached to originally) to the open position. Orient the bite valve so the finger tab points towards the front of the cap. Push the bite valve firmly onto the stem collar. Press the straw back into place on the bottom of the lid. Ensure the straw covers the notches completely.
First-time use: What's the clear thing on top of the cap for? Do I remove it or cut it to drink?
The clear thing is the CamelBak® Big Bite™ Valve. This patented feature provides easy drinking and spill-proof safety. Do NOT remove or cut this piece to drink. Simply bite it slightly and sip as you would out of a straw.
Can/How do I freeze the CamelBak® eddy™ with bite valve?
You can freeze the bottle but make sure:
We also recommend that the bite valve stem NOT be flipped up or down if there is any frozen water in the tube. Wait until thawed.
Can I use the CamelBak® eddy™ in high-altitude/ low-pressure environments (i.e. airplanes, mountain altitudes, etc)?
Yes, but with special care because pressure can force liquid out through the straw. Keep the bottle right side up with the bite valve in the closed position. Remove the straw for additional protection. Expect a bit of "spurt" during the first sip. You may also twist the cap open to release any pressure and then close before your first sip.
Can I put hot liquids in it?
We do not recommend using with hot drinks because the experience will be similar to drinking hot liquid through a straw.
What happens if I put sports drinks/juice in the CamelBak® eddy™?
Use of any of these drinks in the bottle is fine, but thorough cleaning after each use is recommended.
Can I use with carbonated beverages?
You can use any beverage in the CamelBak® eddy™, however we do not recommend the use of carbonated beverages with the straw configuration because pressure can force liquid out through the straw. To use with carbonated beverages, we recommend that you remove the straw and drink via "tip and sip."
What max temperature (freezing/boiling water) can the CamelBak® eddy™ withstand?
The CamelBak® eddy™ can withstand being filled with boiling water or stored in below freezing temperatures. We do not recommend boiling the bottle itself. Is the CamelBak® eddy™ microwave safe?
Feel free to use the CamelBak® eddy™ to warm up liquids (ie. up to a minute), but we don't recommend cooking your dinner in it. Do NOT microwave with the cap in place as it contains metal screws that are not microwave safe.
Does the CamelBak® eddy™ work with back country purifier filters/microfilters?
The CamelBak® eddy™ is compatible with filters that adapt to a 63 mm screw top opening (in other words, it's compatible with most filters on the market).
Does it hold residual taste?
No, there is no residual taste in the bottle materials, and it's also stain-resistant. Some sports drinks and other flavored beverages can leave behind residue of flavor oils that could require extra cleaning.
What happens if I take the straw off?
Removal of the straw allows a "tip and sip" mode of drinking.
(based on 33 reviews)
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Most Liked Positive Review
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This is a great product, but if this is your first time using, it may not be as easy to just bite and sip. You actually have to pull apart the slit at...Read complete review
This is a great product, but if this is your first time using, it may not be as easy to just bite and sip. You actually have to pull apart the slit at top so you can drink. So take off the rubber mouth piece at the top. Then pull apart at the tip. Once the slit is open, it is works great.
Most Liked Negative Review
I've only had this water bottle for 3 months and it leaks and the mouth piece won't say down
Reviewed by 33 customers
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Cute as a button
By Peggy the Grandma
from Memphis
About Me Casual/ Recreational
Comments about eddy .6L by CamelBak:
Bought this for my 7 year old granddaughter. It is just the right size for her age. She is already the envy of her cousins. I will be ordering one for the other 5 now.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Best water bottle!
By Jess
from Cincinnati, OH
Probably the best water bottle I've owned! It's lightweight, durable, and doesn't make water taste weird. The handle is ergonomic and makes carrying it on ling hikes easy. I take it on hikes and take it around campus. I love the straw and that it's spill-proof, I usually just throw it into my backpack without any worries.
Great, small camelbak!
By Caitlyn the Camper
from Minneapolis, MN
This product is so cute. The color is great and the size is jut right for daily use, at the gym, etc. I would want something bigger for camping or adventures, though.
By Lo
from Ventura, California
This water bottle is my new best friend. I take it with me everywhere! It is easy to refill and totally durable. Another thing that's nice is that it's quiet when you take a drink. A lot of other water bottles are very noisy and annoying.
I love it!
By J The College Student
from Rhode Island
About Me Environmentalist
I use this bottle every day when i go to class. It fits perfectly in the side pocket of my bag. Its easy to use, a pretty color, and I have no complaints about it what so ever.
Nice bottle
By ggao
from Los Angeles, CA
It's a great bottle in general. The only thing is that I have to bite down in order to get the water out, which is not what I'm used to.
By tim
from chicago
gymdifficult to open
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
The Perfect Waterbottle
By The water drinker
from Tiburon CA
I bring this water bottle with me everywhere, and that is what is so great about it. It is so versatile, I can bring it with me everyday to school and also I can bring it on runs and when I go outdoors without worrying about it getting scratched. It holds the perfect amount of water and comes in great colors!
Great product with a unique sense of style!
By Minny
from Austin, Tx
The delivery was on point! The water bottle has a unique color and is definitely a recommended good brand. Handy, easy to carry.
By Jax
from AZ
This product is cute and really easy to use. I would suggest biting the nippy a few times to get it to work, but other than that it works great! I use this for Gymnastic practice, school, working out, or even just relaxing. There are some down sides to this though. When the bottle starts to get older, it will start to leak, due to the seal on the bottle wearing out. When I put it in my backpack for school, it tends to leak on my books and get everything wet. I would recommend putting a sock over it to stop it, at least that works for me. Another downside is that it starts to mold in the Nipple/Nippy of the bottle. The mold doesn't really go away, even after several washes. This doesn't always happen, i just bought a new one a couple months ago and it seems to be fine. It holds a lot of water, and it really helpful on the go. My whole family has one and it's a great product overall.
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Oh That Neon Sign
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
There's just something cool about vintage neon signs. If you are lucky enough to find one in good condition with an eye catching message, it can bring an element of fun and wit to the design of your space. With roots int he 1940′s and 50′s, the creation of a neon sign embraces a hand-made process, and each sign is unique. Like many things, handcrafted neon signage is becoming something of a lost art with few craftsman still building, designing and creating these one of a kind works.
Thankfully, Todd Sander's studio Roadhouse Relics, creates these beauties, the old fashioned way, one by one, by hand. In an interview with Fast Company, he reveals a bit of the process he respects and honors in the development of his work.
"Everything is done by hand, from scratch," he says. "Exactly the way they were in the 1940s." Each creation follows a pretty standard process, honed with decades of experience.First, a concept is sketched on grid vellum–"a lot of grid vellum"–and the motif is made into a transparency which is projected full-size onto a wall. Next comes the patterns: master, print, neon, metal, and mounting. In the end, sheet steel is spot-welded together and enhanced with touches of sign painters' paint. Authentic neon hardware–made the same way it has been for some 70 years–holds the finished product together, and vinegars, scuffing pads, and a matte finish clear coat are applied to weather each piece."
So, when that wall in your living room is screaming 'Neon', a vintage find, or a custom weathered vintage sign might be just the call.
Images and excerpts sourced at Fast Company Design
Tags: Fast Company Design, Glass Art, interior design, neon, Neon Sign, Roadhouse Relics, Todd Sanders, Vintage Signage
Pews and Perches
Posted by Cynthia | Filed under Musings
There's nothing like a design competition to activate the creative community. It is a wonderful way to challenge conventional thinking and encourage the unexpected. Wallpaper Magazine partnered with the Royal Institute of British Architects to provide designers the opportunity to do just that. The program was simple. Design a bench. From the assembled projects, the Zombie bench by emerging practice NEON, formed by George King and Mark Nixon is a standout, hands down. Go ahead take a seat.
Images sourced at http://www.wallpaper.com
Tags: architecture, interior design, neon, product design, Royal Institute of Architects, Wallpaper Magazine, Zombie Bench
Spotted: Neon Table Legs
Posted by Erin | Filed under Inspiration, Musings
Neon decor and bright, bold accents are all the rage today, yes? But little makes those vibrant hues pop more than when paired with natural wood. Take these neon table legs, for instance:
Image via Apartment Therapy
Image via Dezeen
The perfect blend of classic materials and trendy shades, neon table legs are today's answer to livable and modern pieces that will stand the test of time.
Tell me, would you try this trend in your own home? Or are you still a bit neon-shy?


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What is RM Cash
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Comments On Mar 27, 2015:WORKS GREAT NO MORE SCRATCHES
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Comments On Aug 10, 2013:Since Craftsman stopped selling their cheap rubber ones I bought these. They were perfect for doing suspension work and also work on delicate pieces you don't want to mar.
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Comments On Apr 23, 2013:a bit small but work well, wish they were longer and wider
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Comments On Dec 10, 2012:Well made
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Leprechaun's Golden Bookmark
Source: Babycenter Community
Mom Rating
Ages: 6-8+ years
In: Arts & Crafts
Instructions:Create a Rainbow bookmark leading you to a pot of Leprechaun's gold to help you hold your place!
Craft Project Directions:
To make this craft project you will need colored construction paper, scissors, crayons, cotton balls, and other materials to decorate your Lerpechaun's Golden bookmark. To begin cut out a long narrow rectangular with an end that curves to the right. This will be the base for your rainbow bookmark. Next take your crayons and color rainbow stripes on the rectangle you just cut out- transforming it into a beautiful rainbow. Next glue on a number of cotton balls at the end of the bookmark which curves to make a cute cloud. Now cut a small black pot from black construction and glue that to the other end of your bookmark. Also cut out small yellow circles from yellow construction paper. Add these to the pot as Leprechaun's Gold. Let your creation dry and use it to hold your place or give it to someone special.
(From the website.)
Similar activities:Leprechaun hat, Dancing Leprechauns, Leprechaun Fingerplay, Lucky Leprechaun, Leprechaun Search, Little Leprechauns, Leprechaun Wishes, Leprechaun Finders, Leprechaun's Lemonade, Leprechaun Bookmarks, Leprechaun Kisses, Leprechaun Masks, Grow a Leprechaun, Leprechaun Treats, Leprechaun Ladder
Tags: art , children , craft , creative , st. patrick's day
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With the huge success of Steven Spielberg's recent movie, "Lincoln," it is a great time for any historian to come out with a book on Abraham Lincoln and anything surrounding him or the American Civil War. Historian Glenna R. Schroeder-Lein has, however, recently come out with a fascinating study of the medical history of the Lincoln family that would arguably gain attention and praise no matter when it was released.
For decades — even generations — historians and laymen alike have wondered and theorized whether the Civil War President, the Great Emancipator, suffered from one or more serious medical disease(s) that may have influenced his life, his mind or even the ultimate time of his death. Likewise, the possible medical conditions of his wife and children have long fascinated historians not only for their own sake but also for the possible connections they may have had to Lincoln himself.
So, did Abraham Lincoln suffer from Marfan syndrome, cancer, mercury poisoning, syphilis? Was Mary Lincoln clinically insane? Did Willie Lincoln die in the White House from typhoid fever or something else? These are some of the questions Schroeder-Lein addresses in her new book, Lincoln and Medicine, a volume in the Concise Lincoln Library series published by Southern Illinois University Press.
Schroder-Lein, a manuscripts librarian at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Ill., and author of three previous books, including The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine, does a wonderful job of outlining and surveying all the possible medical diagnoses of Lincoln without getting bogged down by her own personal conclusions. Rather, she attempts to identify and "take into account" all the possible major theories of Lincoln's medical life as a way to update the scanty offerings on the general subject.
In fact, as Schroeder-Lein points out in her introduction, while there have been numerous articles published on Lincoln's medical history, and a few diagnosis-specific books offered, there has not been a general overview volume on this topic since the 1933 book, Lincoln and the Doctors: A Medical Narrative of the Life of Abraham Lincoln, by Milton Shutes.
(Continued on Next Page)
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Carbonite Celebrates Backup Day By Helping Small Businesses Save Money On Cloud Backup
BOSTON, March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As Backup Day -- a global movement encouraging computer users to protect their digital files -- approaches on March 31, a study from Spiceworks™ sponsored by Carbonite found that data protection continues to be a challenge for small to medium sized businesses. Carbonite, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARB), a leading provider of cloud backup solutions, reminds small businesses that backing up their files can be a cost- and time-efficient practice that protects their most valuable data. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120124/NE40289LOGO )Small businesses are unsure about data backupA recent Spiceworks study found that 30 percent of small businesses believe their backup plan is insufficient. And in fact, they may be correct -- 45 percent of respondents said their organization had experienced data loss and 14 percent were never able to restore their lost business information. According to the study, one of the reasons small businesses lack a formal disaster recovery plan is because they do not have the budget. When you consider that it costs the average small business on average $9,000 to recover their data, an affordable and reliable backup plan like Carbonite Business, which starts at just $229 per year, is an inexpensive way to protect valuable data before it is too late. "The most important asset any business has is their data. Without it, businesses can't keep track of inventory, can't invoice customers, can't run payroll and can't ensure that their business goals are being met," said Pete Lamson, SVP of Cloud Backup, Carbonite. "Backup Day is a good reminder to take a look at your current data disaster plan and backup strategy so you can protect your files before the unthinkable happens." Carbonite offers affordable business data backup plansCarbonite Business automatically backs up an unlimited number of computers for an annual flat fee of $229 with 250GB of storage included. Carbonite BusinessPremier backs up an unlimited number of computers and servers with 500GB of storage included for $599 per year. Should storage needs surpass the GBs provided, businesses can easily add supplemental storage packs to expand their protection. Plus, with its recent acquisition of Zmanda, a leading provider of server and database backup, Carbonite is able to more fully address the backup needs of small businesses. For more information about Carbonite, and to start a free trial of Carbonite online backup services for your small business this Backup Day, visit http://www.carbonite.com. About CarboniteCarbonite, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARB), is a leading provider of online backup solutions for consumers and small businesses. Subscribers in more than 100 countries rely on Carbonite to provide easy-to-use, affordable and secure cloud backup solutions with anytime, anywhere data access. Carbonite's backup solution runs on both the Windows and Mac platforms. The company has backed up more than 300 billion files, restored nearly 20 billion files, and currently backs up more than 350 million files each day. For more information, please visit www.carbonite.com, twitter.com/carbonite, twitter.com/carbonitebiz, or facebook.com/CarboniteOnlineBackup. Media Contacts:Megan Wittenberger Carbonite email@example.com 617-421-5687 Heather GordonFinn Partners for Carbonite firstname.lastname@example.com 310-552-4123 SOURCE Carbonite, Inc.
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iMedia Connection Article Highlights:
When asked about how his ad agency relationship, an online publisher might respond, "Agency? What agency?"
That's an extreme example, but one that may make many publishers nod in agreement. Over the past few months, the digital content shift has changed the relationship between advertising agencies and online publishers. In the United States, online ad spending has just surpassed print. This means that publishers' sales houses and agencies must develop a new kind of relationship if they are to have one at all.
For example, last year a major online publisher in France sold one of its banner ads by posting it on eBay. The publisher reported very positive results.
How can agencies play a role in this new game?
The changing digital space is nothing to smile about for many publishers or agencies, nor is the proliferation of free content. Agencies can support online publishers by finding new ways to quantify the value of ad space, integrate content with brands, and charge again for formerly free online content.
Revenue management (RM), including the concepts and software solutions, offers just that. RM originates in the travel industry. Anyone who has ever purchased a last-minute ticket to Paris in August or Denver over Christmas has felt the sting of this reality. The value of a seat changes depending on the time of travel, destination, and the number of days until takeoff. Airlines greatly increase their rates as a result of their RM, otherwise known as yield solutions.
How does this relate to media?
Seats are perishable, just as are spots, ads, or banners. Therefore, in the media business, RM solutions help businesses free up ad space and increase revenue for any media. Moreover, RM solutions can help publishers and advertising agencies negotiate more effectively, adding more value to both parties.
No human mind could possibly track all the demands and cancellations of every client over time. Even if you think you can, you often provide inflated discounts to certain clients while wrongly punishing others. RM systems record behavior, make projections, and offer pricing models based on constantly updated information. The result is that loyal clients will be rewarded and receive discounts based on actual versus perceived value.
For example, let's say Client A buys 10 percent of the available ad space early in a TV season, but always cancels 3 percent at the last minute. Let's say Client B will pay more and rarely cancels. Our solutions will warn the sales house not to accept the first offer of Client A in order to retain some of the ad space for B.
How can this apply to new technology?
The iPad, soon to be accompanied by various other fancy handheld ways of consuming the work of publishers, will force publishers to adapt quickly. The Economist has been successfully making the transformation; it remains a subscription-only publication and has the most subscribers of any online publication via the iPad. In fact, the magazine is willing to go 100 percent digital if that's what the world demands. At a media conference in 2009, The Economist announced its uncertainty about maintaining a print addition in five years. This means that all revenue will have to come from subscriptions and digital advertising. RM can help the magazine through digital channels as successfully as it can via print.
Apple's iPad and other devices may even provide better tracking information, making the system's recommendations that much more powerful. Advertisers will always want to be where there are eyeballs and credit cards, and these are both still everywhere. Loyal, affluent readers remain glued to The Economist. RM solutions can help online publishers quantify the value of their advertising across all media from banner ads to pay-per-click ads. Their ad space still has value and adding other metrics allows us to simply deepen the solution. All the demands for ad space are fed directly into the system, updating constantly and reallocating the ads to ensure that reach goals are met. In this sense, online media becomes more like television.
With more immediate feedback on readership — similar to overnight ratings — publishers and advertisers will be able to know if a given campaign reached the numbers assumed and if they reached their target number of clicks. They can manage the campaign live, extending it to reach optimum numbers or retracting if the ad flops. Advertisers and publishers can adjust in real time and agencies can help them do this with RM tools.
For agencies today, the majority of print planning relies on surveys conducted often no more than two times per year. TV advertisers and agencies, on the other hand, have benefitted from overnight ratings for many years. As a result, they can adjust campaigns throughout the season. Agencies and advertisers can now work similarly with online publishers. The information of demands and readership, along with other metrics available (such as click-throughs), can be reported, offering a better measurement of campaign success.
How many solutions are in the marketplace?
Currently, revenue management solutions are available from Telmar Worldwide and Mereo in France. There are also similar services available from RSG Media Systems, Rapt, Yield Solutions, and Fivia. While all good companies, these solutions cover only some media and therefore provide a less comprehensive solution for all media sales houses.
Overall, the RM solutions available on the marketplace have bridged the gap between advertising agencies and online publishers' sales houses. Now, media owners can benefit from knowing the true value of their media. Meanwhile, agencies and advertisers can now be rewarded for their loyalty and receive pricing proposals more in-line with the true value of the opportunity.
As the Indigo Girls often belted out, "Everything is different, but nothing has changed."
Stanley Federman is chairman and CEO of Telmar.


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Snowman Garland
Source: Babycenter Community
Mom Rating
Ages: Baby
In: Arts & Crafts , Holidays
Instructions:From Family Fun magazine...
"Whether you live in a cold or warm climate, your kids can have fun rounding up these decorative little snowmen. String them together, and they look great as a doorway or banister adornment. Or you can hang them singly as tree ornaments.
For a simple, printable pattern of this craft, try our snowman.pdf. Note: This is a .PDF file. So if you don't see the pattern after clicking on it, install a copy of Acrobat Reader (free download).
2 different-size jar lids (we used one with a 2-inch diameter and another with a 3-inch diameter)
4 or more 9- by 12-inch sheets of white craft foam
Puffy paints
Ribbon, fleece, and felt
Small pom-poms
Tacky glue
3 yards or more of thin ribbon
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Create a template by tracing the jar lids (the smaller one above the larger one, their rims touching) onto the cardboard and cutting out the snowman shape. Use the template to draw snowmen on the craft foam (we fit six per sheet) and cut them out.
2. Now your child can use puffy paints to add facial features and buttons. While the paint dries, she can cut out ribbon or fleece scarves (about 12 inches long) to tie around the snowmen's necks, as well as brimmed felt hats or stocking caps -- complete with a small pom-pom glued to the end -- to glue on their heads.
3. To string the snowmen into a garland, loop the ribbon once around the back of each of their scarves. Keep the loops loose enough that you can slide the snowmen into place along the strand."
Similar activities:Cottonball Snowman, Snowman Search!, RITZ Snowman, Snowman-on-a-Stick, Lightbulb Snowman, Snowman Pin, PORCH SNOWMAN, Jolly Snowman, Frosty the Snowman, Snowman Suncatcher, Snowman Paintstick, Coconut Snowman, Sock Snowman, Snowman mobile, Styrofoam Snowman
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Gov't sets wage increase for many of its workers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many federal workers and contractors who earn the minimum wage are getting a raise next year.
Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez has issued a rule to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10. The higher level applies to new federal construction and service contracts beginning Jan. 1.
President Barack Obama had announced the raise earlier this year, but Perez moved to put it into effect.
In a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Perez said no person who works a fulltime job should have to live in poverty.
Perez is calling on Congress to raise the minimum raise for all workers. The Senate passed such a bill earlier this year but it stalled in the GOP-led House.


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ComedySportz History
How did ComedySportz start?
ComedySportz was started in 1984 in Milwaukee, WI by Dick Chudnow, who based it on the competitive Theatresports improvisational techniques of Keith Johnstone from Calgary, Alberta. Expansion began with the addition of Madison, WI, in 1985. The first Comedy League of America National Tournament was held in 1988, with 10 teams participating. The World Comedy League now has grown to a bunch of teams.
Who are some of our legends?
Roger "Hubba Hubba" Huebner (1950-2005)
When did each team begin play?
Who's won the tournaments?
* Team America was composed of 18 All-Stars from around the league.
Other tournaments include the 1989 LA Invitational (won by LA), and the 1995 Moyer Theatres ArtQuake Championship in Portland (won by LA).
© 2008 World Comedy League, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Tuscany, 2013
painting by artist Fabio Cembranelli
This painting is available directly from the artist.
"Simply gorgeous!!!!"
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Images may not be reproduced without the permission of the artist.


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Vanderbilt - Georgia Tech Postgame Quotes
Dec. 21, 2013
Recap | Box Score | Notes | USATSI Photos | Dubois' Photos
Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings
Opening Comments:
"I am very impressed with our team... I thought we came back with purpose."
On Vanderbilt's Defense:
On Vanderbilt Guard Dai-Jon Parker:
On Vanderbilt's Screens:
On Vanderbilt's Momentum:
Onwhether or not they were frustrated defensively early because Georgia Tech was hitting a lot of shots early on:
Onthe difference in the team's performance in the games this week
Senior Guard Kyle Fuller
On what changed between the first 15 minutes and the last 25 minutes of the game as far as Vanderbilt getting the looks that they needed:
On what he is is trying to do when he comes in off the bench like he did today:
Onfeeling more comfortable at the point:
Georgia Tech Head Coach Brian Gregory
"I thought we played well in the first half. We found open looks and passed the ball well and then I though we played really good defense in the first half."
"They lean heavily on their go-to guys. Odom played exceptionally well. Siakam played well in the first half. Parker and Fuller combined for a pretty good stat line, they scored 25 points and had nine assists, which is what you need."
On struggles of Georges-Hunt and Carter Jr.:
On Daniel Miller:
On Vanderbilt's run at the end of the first:
Men's Basketball Headlines
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Vanderbilt Commodores


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How to Build a Kitchen Column
Learn how to build a column on a knee wall to separate the kitchen from the rest of the home.
Use a tape measure to measure, mark and level the whole perimeter of the soffit.
Measure the first pieces of 2x4s to cut for the bottom ledger.
Transfer measurements to the 2x4s and make the appropriate cuts using a chop saw or circular saw.
Install the 2x4s to the existing studs under the drywall using 2-1/2" wood screws and a screw gun. Attach them completely around the perimeter.
Measure, cut and attach the parallel supports to the walls by toe nailing them into the existing studs.
Measure, cut and attach the cross bracing to keep the frame firmly attached.
Measure and mark the top plate area. Lay the level perpendicular to the existing frame to determine where to attach the top plate.
Measure and cut the pieces for the uprights, which will keep the whole frame together.
Once the whole frame is finished, measure and cut the drywall pieces and attach them with 2" drywall screws.
Install the corner bead, which will make the seams tighter and protect the corners of the soffit.
Spackle and sand your drywall, and then paint with your desired color.
We love to DIY. You love to DIY. Let's get together.More DIY Social
See the latest DIY projects, catch up on trends and meet more cool people who love to create.


text: Sabaton is a Grammis-nominated power metal band from Falun, Sweden formed in 1999. The band's main lyrical themes are those of historical wars. This is heard in albums Primo Victoria, Attero Dominatus and Coat of Arms where all of the songs, except final tracks, take inspiration from historical battles or war. Lyrical content drawn from World War II and World War I is prevalent and includes songs about battles and leaders on all sides of these conflicts.


text: chrisp2711 May 10, 2013 4:57 PM MotoGP » Ezpeleta: BBC to BT like 500cc to MotoGP Obviously Ezpeleta has gone after the dollars/pounds/euros and does not give any thought to the viewers. Where I live I am unable to use the services of BT so I am st---ed. If Ezpeleta dares to show his face at Silverstone I will give him my views in no uncertain terms. Don't worry Mr E., I do not condone violence. TO ALL THE FANS aAT SILVERSTONE- make your views known to him. Loud and clear Reply Report abuse 0 agree 0 disagree


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What could be the potential problems? Looking at the layer's data fields/form the one thing that isn't filled is the Native SRS and its source, but I have already passed in the projection info as it shows up as a source for the EPSG. So why wouldn't it be showing up? My formatting is right. By the way, I'm stating this in a general sense because I'm doing this programmatically using a python script, but unfortunately I haven't seen any instances of anybody doing the same.
I am getting a blank layer preview from geoserver after Quick Exporting my shapefile to postgis and then getting postgis to point to geoserver [closed]
closed as off-topic by PolyGeo♦, BradHards, Paul, Jason Scheirer, Fezter Oct 12 '13 at 21:53


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Our Details
Revd Dean Henley firstname.lastname@example.com
Date Adopted by PCC: 21 03 2012
Date presented to APCM: 10 04 2012
Date sent to Bishop: 22 03 2012
Date review date: 03 03 2013
Parish: Clophill
Benefice: Campton, Clophill and Haynes
Deanery: Ampthill and Shefford
Archdeaconry: Bedford
Our Looking
Three things we have seen about our parish and our world
- There is a mix of private and social housingin what is generally an affluent area of rural Bedfordshire.
- The village has a strong sense of identity and there is a cohesive approach between the various institutions and organisations.
- A tremendous willingness to engage in public service and voluntary work in Clopill itself, and the wider area.
Three things we have seen about our church
- St Mary's is at the heart of the village.
- We have a good working relationship with the Methodist Church in Clophill.
- Church is open every day - it is well resourced and well utilised by the congregation and the residents.
Our Discerning
How we want to be described in five years' time.
A community faithful to the Gospel; worshipping the loving God who created us and communicating that love in the way we care for those who are vulnerable or in need. An inclusive community which seeks to welcome and embrace the diversity of human experience, both within the congregation and il the village we are called to serve.
Our three key priorities for the next five years.
- To maintain our current focus on the mission of the Gospel.
- To keep our vision on the horizon and not at our feet - work with children & monthly lunches shared with Clophill Methodist.
- To encourage vocations to all forms of ministry, eg. readers, intercessors, chalice assistants, and also ordained ministry.
Our five key SMART goals for the next year or more.
- To develop our liturgical life; to encourage more participation in the musical element of our worship, eg. choir, music group.
- To develop existing opportunities for learning & spiritual development both for enquirers & members, eg. Alpha, Lent & Advent.
- To increase the numbers of those taking part in leading worship.
- To invite the Diocesan Vocations Officer to preach at one of our services.


text: This French Schweppes commercial starring Uma Thurman leaves me with so many questions. Why is she dressed like the Chiquita Banana Lady? How many bracelets is she wearing on her right arm, exactly? Didn't giant hair bows go out with the 1980s? Are all French commercials like this? Why do I suddenly want to listen to Madonna's first few albums? So confused. [Hat tip to Dlisted.com.]


text:
Brigitte Nielsen 039Recovering alcoholic039
Posted by cnn 195 weeks ago
Watch the latest breaking news, politics, entertainment and offbeat videos everyone is talking about at CNN.com. Get informed now!
Remembering Leslie Nielsen A Master Of The Art Of Not Being Funny
Posted by digg 283 weeks ago
We pause to remember Leslie Nielsen, an actor who knew very well that his job wasn
Official Beer Mile World Record 457 by James Nielsen
Posted by videosift 101 weeks ago
James "The Beast" Nielsen sets a new World Record in the Beer Mile and becomes the first person to ever break the once-thought-impossible 5 ...
Cheap Trick Dream Police
Posted by fark 255 weeks ago
With Rick's trademark 3-guitar solo as an intro! Maniacal. That's the only word to describe Rick in this one. From the famous Chicagofest...
Police Squad Epilogues Fake Freeze Frames by Leslie Nielsen
Posted by reddit 323 weeks ago
Clips of the "Epilogues" from the spoof TV show Police Squad!, where Leslie Nielsen and the others always faked a freeze frame.
Video Power Rundown Nielsen to Track Netflix Viewers
Posted by msnbc 166 weeks ago
Video on msnbc.com: Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg wants to help women break the "glass ceiling," and tv ratings company Nielsen will not ...
Video Meet The Volunteers Willing To Go To Mars And NEVER Come Back
Posted by ilpvideo 112 weeks ago
There were 200,000 people who applied to participate in a project called Mars One. It's a private enterprise to establish a permanent human settl...
The Sounds of Women039s Curling
Posted by popscreen 115 weeks ago
collected by 2 users
A montage from the 2014 Olympics Women's Curling competition. In order of appearance: Qingshuang Yue (CHINA) Lene Nielsen (DENMARK) Qingshuang ...
Falco meets Brigitte Nielsen 1987 Body next to body
Posted by videosift 210 weeks ago
At the end of 1987 Falco announced his return with the single "Body Next To Body." It was produced by Giorgio Moroder and featured a duet wi...
Sneak Peek 6
Posted by digg 217 weeks ago
Here's a peek from Photoshop Product Manager Stephen Nielsen of a tool that will add blur to any image without masks, layers or depth maps.
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text:
Recommend a Friend
By Phone Just ask your friend to call our orderline on 0141 774 6437. We'll do the rest.
Online at www.totsbots.com Your friend will automatically get £5 discount by entering REC/TB12 at the checkout. To receive your £10 voucher your friend should enter your name and contact details in the fields provided when placing their first order. You will receive notification from us that your account has been credited with a whopping £10! The more friends you recommend, the more your credit account builds, so what are you waiting for?
Go on, tell your friends about us!
Terms and Conditions
- The number of friends that can be recommended is unlimited
- To recommend a friend, you must have previously purchased direct from totsbots.com
- The £5 off your first order excludes customers that are already on our database having purchased directly from us before
- Only one coupon per household/physical address will be honored. Customers residing at the same address are not eligible
- All persons recommended must be over 18
- The voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer
- Not open to trade customers
- Both customer orders must be placed directly through the TotsBots Glasgow office or online at www.totsbots.com/shop
- A cash alternative or equivalent will not be available
- Minimum order value £50
- Gift voucher valid for one year from date of receipt


text:
I had to go to Rhode Island for work recently, so I took a detour to Savers in East Providence to see what they had.
The East Providence location is HUGE, much bigger than my local Savers… the space could have been a good-sized TJ Maxx before it became Savers.
There was the same basic organization (color and size) that makes it so easy to shop at Savers, but there was at least 3x as much stuff than at my local. I only had an hour, so I powered through the store, using Snake Eyes, and concentrated on women's clothing, practically skipping books, housewares and bedding.
The quality of merchandise is much better at E. Providence, and that is reflected in the prices. Things were priced $2-4 more than at Danvers. The selection was quality, though. Very few Forever 21 and Wal-Mart branded clothes. I found an amazing dove grey silk cocktail dress, that was perfect for dancing (light, airy, allowed for movement, easy care) but it just didn't fit right, so it went back to the rack. I got a cute Harry Potter t-shirt, a classic A-line black skirt, and a pair of ass-tastic jeans. The kind of jeans that make your ass look fanastic. The kind of jeans that come along once in a blue moon. The kind of jeans I don't have to take in at the waist or wear a belt. The kind of jeans that are worth every penny, and thankfully, cost a penny junder $10. Which is the only way I can afford $130 jeans.
I like the styles of clothing they have, and I wouldn't mind going back if I'm down that way again.


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Put a new face on fun!
No matter what your experience level, you can turn everyday faces into sweet, funny or frightening works of art that move, laugh, grow and always make people smile! The first half of this book features fun, friendly transitions, such as birds and butterflies, puppies and princesses, knights and night skies. Part Two crosses over to the dark side with strikingly horrible, downright unnerving personas, including vampires, zombies, gargoyles and other foul, freakish creeps.
Full of friendly instruction for beginners and fresh inspiration for seasoned painters, this book will help you make art as original as the face that is painted!


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« August 2009 | Main | October 2009 »
September 27, 2009
Lou Brock Fan Club asks: Soto or Hill
There's a good post over at the Lou Brock Fan Club, asking where the likes of Geovany Soto and Koyie Hill line up on the Cubs depth chart. (Link)
Phil steps back and looks at the statistical comparison between Soto and Hill and concludes:
With starts fairly evenly divided between the two men, the Cubs are a laboratory right now in the effect of catching intangibles-pitch selection and general in-game captaincy and coaching-on the outcome of a game.
It's a good read. Go read it. (Link)
Posted by Byron at 2:05 PM | Comments (0)


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by Heather C.
My first experience with the concept of eating seasonally and locally was with sweet corn. I came from a corn growing area where stands sprouted on roadsides when the crop was ready. You gorged yourself because when it was gone it was gone. No grocery store carried corn on the cob. When I went to school in TN I found corn on the cob in the store. I was so excited that I could eat it more often. But it tasted awful. I thought I cooked it wrong but soon realized that that was the difference between fresh from the farm and store-bought.
I did the Eat Local challenge in August last year. That changed my way of thinking about food. I live in central Ohio surrounded by corn fields but never explored the food sources in my area.
I found many small farm stores in my area and a few small farmer's markets. I had planted a garden three years earlier when we moved here but found out that my ambition outweighed my talent and enthusiasm for gardening. Last August when I was looking for local food my garden was sitting empty.
My interest didn't end when the challenge did. I'm much more aware now of where my food is coming from. I've found it sad that other people just don't "get it" when I discuss this with them. I've developed a strange interest in canning and freezing. I've also planned to restart my garden on a more manageable scale. Today I planted two dwarf apple trees. Hopefully they will be the start of a small fruit orchard.
So what will be available in May in Ohio? Not much unless you love lettuce. The official frost free date here is May 15. The farm stores in my area are opening on the first Saturday in May. I did just get a recipe for dandelion jelly. I considered making it because it is the one plant that we have growing in abundance here but I hardly ever use jelly. I found some mint growing in my garden today. So far that's it around here.
My goals for the challenge?
- Find a consistent source for free-range eggs.
- Start my garden
- Find a freezer for preserving food this summer
- I want to be surprised by the variety of food I find in May.
I'm not holding my breath on the last one but I'm hoping!!
Heather C. lives in rural central Ohio. She writes Based On A True Story...


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Reviews for Puzzle Kingdoms [Playfire]
Doesn't worth the moneyxkutiv | Feb. 7, 2014 | See all xkutiv's reviews »
I've bought this game since it appeared to be quite nice on the pictures and good for a casual session of gaming. On the casual point I was right, but on the "good" part I wasn't. The gameplay is hideous, I've tried to get the hang of it without any luck. As for the price, the big value for this game is if the price was 5$, in that case yes it's a great deal!
Interesting average gameFinka_Karfein | June 17, 2012 | See all Finka_Karfein's reviews »
Puzzle Kingdoms follows the story known from Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. Pity that the plot in PK is poor apart from funny moments thanks to Drong. And do not expect side-quests. There is no sign of them. Gameplay is innovative. You can plan your attacks, save power for later crush or deal many less painful stings. AI does not stand and watch and repays you with the same and more. It's good also that there are numerous units, spells and artifacts to choose from but bad that the gameplay is highly repetitive and thus monotonous. Graphics are good when it comes to dialogues (what else can you do in such a game) but what makes it bad is the spell effects. There are nearly non-existent and similar with most of the spells. Puzzle Kingdoms is saved however with great soundtrack which keeps the player going further. Multiplayer is nice but you cannot battle with prepared hero from the single campaign and there is no online play, just hot-seat. The game is an average one but for people tired with Puzzle Quests and Gyromancers it will be a nice alternative. I can recommend you to buy PK but only while it is on a really good hot deal because 20$ is an utterly ridiculous price (even 10$ would be still a bit too much).
Good gameplay, limited multiplayerArthan | May 22, 2012 | See all Arthan's reviews »
Music is best in series yet but it's let down by limited multiplayer and minor visual bugs. Gameplay is rewarding most of the time but some annoyingly difficult enemies may tempt you to /ragequit.


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First Winter Watch of the season
posted 11/29/2011 11:41:58 AM |
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Winter is on it's way here. My dogs ought to be happy, the knuckleheads.
Today it's all rain for now, but I guess after 11 p.m. it's going to change over to all snow, and we could get anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of that white stuff.
I am so not ready for this! Although, I know my dogs will be happy.
Oh well, it's Michigan, and it's the end of November, what do I expect? huh? Right? Yep, no sense in complaining about it, isn't going to stop Old Man Winter from showing up early this year.
Ever wonder where that term, "Old Man Winter" came from? I always have. I mean, when I think of "cold", I think of comments saying women are "frigid", so, why not "Old Lady Winter"?
Or is that men can be frigid too?
I understand the whole "Mother Earth/Mother Nature" cause women are loving and nurturing and all..........and it's true doggone it!
And why is it "Jack Frost" instead of.......oh I don't know, "Jill Frost"? Oh wait, I know!!!
It would be "politically incorrect" to leave the guys out. Got it.
So, here it comes, the first snow fall of the season. I'm sure I'll be out there digging out the driveway mumbling about what a bunch of knuckleheads my dogs are while I'm listening to them romp and have a good ole time playing in the snow. Good thing they are cute dogs or I'd have to stay mad at them.
Then again, after I get done clearing the driveway, I could join them in the backyard and enjoy the first snow fall too instead of bitching and griping about it. Maybe. Depends on my mood. You all know how moody us women can be.
Now, I've gotta dig out the electric blanket and get it put on the bed. I got a new one this year.
So I oughta be nice and toasty this winter!
Plus, a few of the blankets from the hotel were taken out of service for rips, one is one of those Vellux (spelling?) blankets, and the other is a feather quilt blanket. The quilt is on the bed...and OMG, those feather quilts are awesome!!!!
The Vellux, I've had a few of those over the years and they're good for snuggling under while watching tv. Why should I spend money on a Snuggy when I can get blankets for free? I got one of those quilts for my parents and Mom loves it!! My youngest sister is asking for one, so I told my co worker in laundry next time one of those is taken out of service, to let me know.
Ok...I'm off to hanging out for a while. Don't have class till 6 p.m. anyway. And all of my homework is caught up and done. After tonight's class, there is only 2 days left for all of my classes. This semester went by fast! Ok, I'll wrap this up...play nice everyone!
note: Yes, I changed the title. I'm female, I'm allowed to change my mind without explanation.
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Blogs by sugarnspice005:
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Catching up with an old friend
Let's dream a little here
Well then
How have attractions changed?
A repost of a cool video
I read this over on MD and wanted to share it
Yes it is possible
Ok, let's talk Christmas stuff
This is too cool
Happy Birthday to Ewe!!!
Did I see what I thought I saw?
First Winter Watch of the season
Moving out
We are a spoiled generation
Turkey Day this week
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It's Friday night!
Now I've gone and done it
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
Has the world always been so ugly?
Short game I guess
Well come on people
Ok ladies, let's be honest
post a comment!
Nov 29 @ 2:22PM
Or is that men can be frigid too?
Well... IMO, certain male parts shrink and hide when it gets really cold out
- so between the two, men
get the honor of the title: "Old Man Winter." But... that's just me!
Nov 29 @ 3:46PM
I'm ready .. got my shopping done .. bring the Old Man and his Mother and Jack and Jill ..I'm ready to get snowed in
Nov 29 @ 5:29PM
Wow..........we have already gotten the first signs of winter a couple of weeks ago. Its been colder than ............well as my daddy use to say ...........colder than a witches tit............now I never understood that comment either but since he was sleeping with my mama........i often wondered if that was a dig at her..........
I hate winter..........and if i didn't have to drive in it I would be certainly happy about it but i play cards two nights a week and I go to my b/fs on friday and saturday nights..............thank god the rest of the time he comes to my house or I would give up having him...................lol no not really............but i do hate driving in the snow and ice.
Nov 29 @ 8:32PM
Snow is a four letter word and you can has my share, k?
Nov 29 @ 10:56PM
You make snow sound almost fun
but come on now even us southerners know better that that!
I wish I was there to hide behind a tree and hit ya with a snowball!
Nov 29 @ 11:02PM
It's rained and rained here and water is backing up because they didn't get the leaf pickup done and now they're clogging the drains. Flood warnings galore. Then it changed to snow...big, fat, wet flakes and surprisingly it didn't melt but stuck and built up fast.
We got maybe 4 inches...heavy, wet snow with water standing under it. Roads are treacherous and will get worse as the temps fall. The wind is picking up and it's colder than....
a well digger's ass....
Funny, my ex husband use to say "colder than a witch's tit" and my late husband said "well digger's ass."
It was just beautiful today as the snow stuck to the trees and everything else. But I don't have to get out and drive in it so I guess I can admire and enjoy it...for now anyway. January? Enough already!
Nov 30 @ 12:56AM
I'm glad its Yall instead on us!!
RJ has wished this state with that Crap!!!
She really needs HELP!!!!
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First Winter Watch of the season


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A hostname is a unique name created to identify a machine on a network. In computer networking, a hostname is a label that is assigned to a device connected to a computer network and that is used to identify the device in various forms of electronic communication such as the World Wide Web, e-mail or Usenet. Hostnames may be simple names consisting of a single word or phrase, or they may be structured.
In Funtoo Linux,
/etc/conf.d/hostname is the master configuration file for setting a hostname. In OpenRC framework
/etc/conf.d/foo is the configuration file for a corresponding Init script
/etc/init.d/foo. With the case of hostname, default value is set to localhost, means when system boots and OpenRC's
/etc/init.d/hostname script started a hostname getting only localhost name. How it looks? In your shell promt this will look in following way, an example for root:
localhost # Hello :)


text:
May 5, 2016
Tis the season for ticks and mosquitoes which is why Governor Mike Easley has declared May 21st - 27th is Tick and Mosquito Borne Illness Awareness Week in North Carolina.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 292 cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever were reported in the U.S. by the end of April and 225 of those cases came from our state.
During 2005, there were 625 cases in North Carolina and 49 cases of Lyme Disease.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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76th Latham Alumni meeting held
Originally published June 5, 2013 at 8:36 a.m., updated June 5, 2013 at 8:36 a.m.
The 76th annual Latham School Alumni meeting was held Sunday, May 26, at the school.
The opening ceremonies were conducted by Faye Moser, president, the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Moser and the invocation was given by Barb Walter.
A meal prepared by Bobbio's Eatery, Tipton, was served to the 57 alumni in attendance.
The minutes and treasurer's reports were read and approved. the president expressed appreciation to committee chairpersons Brenda Bates, nominating; Mary Coleman, food; Jeannie Imhoff and Rhonda Fogelbach, decorating.
Special recognition was extended to member of the following graduating classes: High School - 1933, Elizabeth Prine Medlin, oldest living graduate; 1943, Gale Hays Teeple and Ellen Griffin Wray.
Grade School - 1943, Dean Irey; 1948, Sylvia Coffelt Sanders; 1953, Mildred Spencer Becker, Norma Barnett Blankenship, Ruby Hill Gerber, Jewel Dix Hall, Lawerence Rogers, Jack Allee; 1958, Barbara Allee Walter, Rosella Hofstetter Butterfield, Mike Moser, Bill Vogel; 1963, Terry Coffelt Brown, Connie Henderson Baepler, Darrell Bolinger; 1993, Amber Pardoe Bolin, Justin Fulks and Eric Miller.
Present and former teachers in attendance were Leah Jean Willson and Jeannie Imhoff.
The deceased members the past year were: Louise Foster Branch, Edna Mae Gordon Gray, Donna Lehman Eagle, Larry Volkart, Harlan Dowell and teacher Hazel Jobe.
The officers for the year 2013-14 are: President-Brenda Allee-Bates, Vice President-Ruby Hill Gerber, secretary-Lois Bayne Murphy, treasurer-Sue Ann Hall Loesch. Committee members for the new year are Ruby Hill Gerber- nominating, Jeannie Irey Imhoff and Rhonda Irey Fogelbach-decorating, and Norma Barnett Blankenship, food.
Those in attendance were Blanche Fulks Imler, Noel Bayne, Raymond Hall, Ellen Griffin Wray, Gale Hays Teeple, Leah Jean Willson, Lula Bayne Rohrbach, Dean and Rosalie Irey, Sylvia Coffelt Sanders, Bill and Norma Barnett Blankenship, Jack Allee, Lawrence and Anita Rogers, Clyde and Ruby Hill Gerber, Bill and Mildred Spencer Becker, Dean and Jewel Dix Hall, Curley and Grace Hall Wood, Linda McBroom Peck, Mary Allee Coleman, Elaine Harrell McQuillen, Warren Hutchison, Mike and Faye Allee Moser, Bill and Sally Vogel, Jack and Rosella Hofstetter Butterfield, Gary and Barbara Allee Walter, Lois Bayne Murphy, Joe and Glenda Miller, Don and Terry Coffelt Borwn, John and Connie Henderson Baepler, Darrell Bolinger, Jim and Cheryl Barbour Duvall, Brenda Allee Bates, Rhonda Irey Fogelbach, Sue Ann Hall Loesch, Jeannie Irey Imhoff, Johnny Roush, Karlene Bestgen, Donna O'Neal Branch, Kenny Teeple, Eric Miller, Andy and Amber Pardoe Bolin, Justin and Mandy Fulks
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the Pledge of Allegiance. Forget Elizabeth Smart. Where in
the world is Jose Padilla?
Matt Taibbi
In a sequence of events that should turn every American literally white with terror before the awesome power of our media apparatus, a former gang member-turned-would-be terrorist was dug up out of a pit after being held illegally for a month, offered to the entire world as public enemy number one for about ten minutes, and then tossed back into purgatory, apparently to be officially forgotten for the rest of eternity.
Ask anyone, even the people you're sitting with right now, what associations come to mind when you mention the name Jose Padilla. In 100 cases out of 100, the answer you'll get will run along the following lines: terrorist, suspected Al-Qaeda member, ringleader in a plot to explode a "dirty bomb" in Washington. As for visual images, the only one ever offered for anyone to recall later on was the notorious mugshot, a single grainy picture of a clearly nonwhite person that on June 11th was plastered on the front page of every major daily newspaper in America, as a crude but chilling portrait of the Dark Threat looming over our good society.
All of this is the frightening result of the continuing union between a ruthless, space-age propaganda machine and a pliant consumer population with an attention span of about eight seconds. Because the Padilla story will never be revisited, neither the accusations we associate with his name, nor the emotional effect of the mugshot image, will ever be undone. We all bought the story-- but should we have?
Even the most cursory review of the timeline of the Padilla story reveals that, far from being a simple story of a foiled terrorist plot, this was in fact a masterpiece of orchestrated propaganda, a brilliant manipulation of the biography of a common criminal for a variety of dramatic political objectives. From Willie Horton to Iran-Contra to Watergate, the lessons of almost every major political snow job of the past quarter-century were mined to yield a bag of tricks used flawlessly and compellingly for three short weeks.
Here is a timeline of the Jose Padilla story, stretched out to cover a period slightly longer than fifteen minutes:
May 8: After returning from Pakistan, Padilla, an American of Puerto Rican descent who now calls himself Abdullah al Muhajir, is "detained" by the FBI. No charges are filed, but he is nonetheless transferred to a jail in New York, where, in clear violation of the law, he will remain in custody without a charge until June 9.
No word of Padilla's arrest is leaked to the media at this time, and there appears to be no hurry to make the matter public. He is simply an anonymous person rotting quietly behind bars. But a few seemingly irrelevant events would soon coincide to push Padilla to the surface.
The first development was an earlier May 1 ruling by a New York Federal Judge named Shira Scheindlin, who on that date released a Jordanian-born college student named Osama Awadallah. Awadallah had been held in jail for three months without a charge on the grounds that he had lied to investigators about knowing one of the Sept. 11 hijackers. Scheindlin ruled that "Relying on the material witness statute to detain people who are presumed innocent under our Constitution in order to prevent potential crimes is an illegitimate use of the statute."
The judge's ruling declared Minority Report-style policing illegal. In order to detain someone, even as a witness, Scheindlin ruled that the detention had to be in connection with a crime already committed, not one that the suspect might commit in the future.
This statute applied directly to Padilla, who, as fate would have it, was being held within Scheindlin's jurisdiction. Whether or not his case would be made public, it was fairly clear that Padilla would eventually have to be moved.
The second thing that took place was a May 30 announcement by John Ashcroft that the Justice Department would now follow new rules in determining how investigations into the lives of individuals might occur. The new set of rules threw out the old standard of "reasonable suspicion" of criminal activity, and allowed agents to conduct fishing expeditions for up to a year into the private lives of individuals.
The third thing that happened was the emergence of a whistleblowing FBI agent named Colleen Rowley, who on May 21 sent an open letter to FBI Director Gary Mueller outlining a series of bureaucratic oversights that led to a failure to pursue valid leads on terrorist activity prior to September 11. Rowley would eventually testify before Congress on June 6 and 7-- in other words, on the Thursday and Friday before news of Padilla's arrest was made public.
What Rowley was alleging was that American field intelligence agents were working fine as is (among other things, Rowley described her Minneapolis office's frantic attempts to obtain permission to arrest would-be shoe-bomber Zacarias Moussaoui as early as August, 2001) , and that the real security gaps were caused by bureaucratic incompetence in the agency's upper echelons. Her testimony, which made front-page headlines all across America, directly contradicted the earlier assertions by Ashcroft that what was needed were vastly expanded police powers of the type he proposed in his May 30 announcement.
BEAST readers may recall that at the end of that week of June 7, and throughout that weekend of June 8-9, the Bush administration briefly came under fire for apparently failing to act in the face of serious terrorist threats last summer.
All of that ended when, on June 10, John Ashcroft announced from Moscow that the United States had Padilla in custody. On the heels of accusations that it had previously failed to prevent major acts of terrorism, the Bush administration was suddenly announcing... that it just had prevented a major act of terrorism.
It was significant that the foiled plot Ashcroft revealed involved a weapon far worse than a jetliner crashing into a skyscraper; the prevention of a radioactive "dirty bomb" explosion suddenly turned, as Joseph Heller might have called it, the black eye of Rowley into a big fat feather in the administration's cap. In the blink of an eye, the Rowley story disappeared from the newspapers.
It may seem gratuitous to point out that just thirteen years before, George W. Bush's father waved the face of a menacing-looking black inmate named Willie Horton at voters at the very moment his poll numbers seemingly approached the point of no return. But I don't think it is. People like John Ashcroft know exactly what they're doing when hand out a grainy mugshot of a convicted Puerto Rican murderer to the national press, and announce that this is the face that was plotting to nuke Washington. Not the kind of thing that is going to inspire a reasoned response from most middle-class Americans.
It also may seem gratuitous to point out that a) Bush's father's administration once withheld documents from Iran-Contra prosecutors on the grounds that they would compromise national security b) Dick Cheney has withheld documents pertaining to the Enron story on the grounds that they would compromise national security, and c) that Bush himself withheld what it said was proof of Osama bin Laden's guilt in the Sept. 11 bombings, on the grounds that it would compromise national security. But I don't think so here, either.
On June 14, the Bush administration announced that Padilla-- an American citizen-- would not be tried in a criminal court, or even given a military tribunal. The reason? Evidence offered in public might compromise national security. If it looks like a duck, and acts like a duck, it's probably a duck-- and the administration's decision not to try Padilla looked very much like an excuse to avoid admission that there was not much in the way of evidence against their suspect.
Padilla, meanwhile, had been declared an "enemy combatant" by Bush on June 9, and moved from New York to a military detention center at the Charleston Naval Weapons center in South Carolina. Soon after his detention became a public matter, the administration issued a series of seemingly insane statements about their intentions regarding their American suspect.
Donald Rumsfeld came right and made a flat announcement: "We're not interested in trying him at this time." Other Bush spokesmen told reporters that Padilla would remain in jail "until we're done with Al-Qaeda." Due process, the right to face one's accuser, all of this was tossed out the window in this series of alarmingly casual statements by Bush officials.
This unprecedented rollback in civil rights scored scarcely a blip in the national media, however. About the strongest statement that the press could muster on the matter was a blase filler line like this one at the end of a June 11 Reuters story:
"Civil rights groups have criticized the way the government was treating [Padilla]."
The lack of uproar over Padilla's detention was presumably due to the fact that the suspect himself appeared impossible to sympathize with; it was hard to think of Padilla's experience applying to any of us, since none of us were flying around the world, meeting with Al-Qaeda officials, and plotting to explode radioactive bombs.
Then again, maybe Padilla wasn't, either. Just days after his detention was made public, the government quietly leaked word through a number of channels that the Padilla threat was maybe not all it was cracked up to be.
On June 11, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz even told CBS: "I don't think there was actually a plot beyond some fairly loose talk."
A day later, government officials admitted that they had no physical evidence linking Padilla to a bomb plot-- no bomb materials or even documented attempts to obtain bomb materials, no diagrams, not even a chemistry textbook.
Soon after that, it came out that most of the government's case against Padilla rested on information given to them by Abu Zubaydah, a former Al-Qaeda operative who had been feeding U.S. investigators with a steady string of warnings and doomsday predictions-- none of which ever came to pass-- ever since his capture in late March. Zubaydah's status as a Guantanomo songbird had become the stuff of such legend that even before the news of the Padilla's arrest was made public, observers began to question the information he was feeding us.
Even a dumb reactionary glossy like Time magazine was confident enough to be publicly skeptical of Zubdayah. Here is that magazine's assessment of him on May 24, two weeks before the Padilla story broke:
"How do we know if he's telling us the truth? This is, after all, Zubaydah's last dance: as long as he keeps tossing out things, stringing us along, he's useful, privileged, treated with respect by his interrogators, like a Cold War era captured agent. Once that's no longer true, his life will turn very, very nasty. Zubaydah has every reason to lie, to throw his captors off the trail, to sow fear and doubt, to poke the U.S. so that his al-Qaeda fellows can observe how we react."
The Bush administration was now enthusiastically taking the word of admitted Al-Qaeda operatives to throw Americans in jail.
The flimsiness of the case against Padilla did not make the papers much. Not that it would have mattered. They could have given both sides of that story equal time, and Padilla still would have lost out. "Case Against Padilla Called 'Circumstantial'" is no match, effect-wise, for "Suspect in Dirty-Bomb Plot Held." Once you let a genie like that out of the bottle, you can't ever get it back in, even if you want to. And the national press made it clear that nobody wanted to.
The political benefits provided to the Bush administration by the Padilla business were both obvious and not so obvious. The immediate benefit, obviously, was in defusing the Rowley story. But a more abstract benefit was Padilla's usefulness in providing another excuse to expand police powers. I would bet the Rigas family's offshore holdings that before this year is over, the Bush administration will use the Padilla story to make an explicit connection between urban American street gangs (read: poor nonwhite criminals) and terrorism.
The mere thought of this should send chills up every black or Hispanic spine in America. After 9/11, the government now has the power, the mandate, and the obvious inclination to make the drug war look like a silly frat prank. And as long as every network and 500 newspapers are lining up to help the cause, they will be unstoppable.
Where do you draw the line? How do you define the difference between a foreign enemy and an American with rights? The answer is that, after Jose Padilla, there is no line anymore-- and no one now can really pinpoint when and how it disappeared, since none of our journalists covered its passing.