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07/18/2011, Santorini, Greece
One of our "off boat" adventures this summer was a once in a lifetime trip to Greece! While there we visited the ruins in Athens, drove to the small village of Kotas and then we enjoyed a week on the Greek Isle of Santorini. On Santorini our friends chartered a crewed catamaran so we got to get out and sail, swim and enjoy a nice dinner and a sunset out on the water. We had a wonderful trip and I have posted an album of pictures from our day sailing in the Greek Isles.
|Blog Posts: Travels
05/08/2011, Isla Coronados
While enjoying Mother's Day on Isla Coronados we came across one of the Seagull nests that we'd seen when we passed through a few weeks ago. Only today we were delighted to see a couple new chicks where only eggs had been before!
It's kind of hard to pick them out in the picture because the chicks seem to be the same speckled camouflage color that the eggs were. If you look close you can see one egg still in the middle of the nest with one chick near by and the other one up near the brush above the nest.
|Blog Posts: Travels
We began the day hoisting the anchor at Punta Pulpito during a spectacular sunrise and after about an hour a light breeze came up and we were able to hoist the Spinnaker and enjoy the ride over the gently lapping seas.
You may have noticed from a lot of my posts that much of the "sailing" in the Sea of Cortez turns out to be motor sailing or just out and out motoring, so we love it when we actually get to be a true sailboat again. We've found sailing in the Sea to be much like sailing in Puget Sound -- you can do a lot of sailing if you're just going out to sail, but if you've got a specific destination that you want to get to you usually have to use the engine at least part of the way to be sure to get there before night fall. But on this short passage from Punta Pulpito to Isla Coronados we had plenty of time to get there so we enjoyed the luxury of being a sailboat again. There's nothing quite like the sound of a sailboat slipping through the water.
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Our second stop on our trip south brought us back to Punta Pulpito where we stayed over a day so we could enjoy the area a bit. We had a great day of snorkeling and both of the beautiful sunsets were enjoyed while watching small rays jump out of the water all around us! We'd just been remarking a day earlier how we haven't seen many rays jumping this year, and then we were treated to two spectacular shows!
We are "on the road again" heading south with plans to linger and enjoy all the beautiful anchorages in the Loreto area for the next two weeks. We're hoping that the crowds of boats that have been in the area following the big 3 day event in Puerto Escondido called Loretofest, are beginning to thin out as boats disperse for their summer plans. May is the month when people that haven't already left the Sea for the South Pacific or Central America either put their boat somewhere safe for the summer (in a marina or on the hard) and return home, or they begin the journey to the far north Sea to weather out the hot summer months.
|Blog Posts: Travels
05/04/2011, Santo Domingo
After a week and a day in lovely Santa Rosalia, we untied the docklines to begin our journey south. We stayed just a little longer than we originally planned in Santa Rosalia due to a BIG norther that blew for a few days creating BIG seas that nobody wanted to venture out in. So Wednesday morning, May 4th, boats throughout the Sea left their safe anchorages to be on their way, whether going north or south.
We went as far as Santo Domingo at the head of Bahia Conception. We stopped at this anchorage last fall as we headed south and it was a miserable rolly anchorage and we didn't bother to go to shore. But this time, with winds and seas predicted from the ESE it looked to be the perfect anchorage and it was. We enjoyed walking and the shell strewn beach before a nice swim and had a peaceful, calm night.
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As we entered the harbor here at Santa Rosalia we had a sense of coming home, just as we do when we get to La Paz.
Santa Rosalia is where Cetus spent a few months last summer when we went back "home" to the States and we spent many weeks before and after our trip. It's also where we rescued a little street cat we named Rosie who has become a great boat cat and nice addition to the Cetus crew.
We had a warm welcome as the marina workers grabbed our lines and greeted us, remembering us from last year, so we're very happy we decided to make the trip north to enjoy this charming place one more time before turning south again.
So now we have three places we call home: Gig Harbor because that's where we are from, La Paz where we have spent the last two winters and Santa Rosalia, our "summer" home.
|Blog Posts: Travels
Carly flew out of Loreto yesterday at noon and finally got home about midnight last night after her flight was delayed leaving LA and then dealing with the snow and high wind conditions in the Seattle area for her ride home.
We left Puerto Escondido early this morning enjoying a beautiful sunrise behind Isla Danzante. We're hoping to make it a long travel day with some wind for sailing since tomorrow the winds are supposed to die -- the calm before the storm -- as a big norther is supposed to blow hard Thursday and Friday so we'll be tucked into a protected anchorage for 2 or 3 days before continuing on towards La Paz.
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We returned to Puerto Escondido after our 3 island tour and caught up with our old friends on Prairie Oyster who returned to the Sea after being back home in Canada for the last 6 months. They accompanied us on our trip to Loreto on Saturday where we did a little sight seeing and shopping. When we stopped for lunch at a little cafe in town the words "Gig Harbor" caught our attention from a neighboring table, so Carly asked them if they were from Gig Harbor. Well, I turned around to see some familiar faces from back home! They aren't from Gig Harbor, but they are all members of Corinthian Yacht Club of Tacoma and sailed down with this year's Baja Ha Ha! Their boats, Kokomo, Intuition and Sound Effect are moored here in Puerto Escondido with us. Small world.
Today was a great adventure! We drove up to an old mission -- the 2nd to be built in the Baja Californina region. The 1st is the mission in Loreto, but this one was just fascinating as it hasn't been remodeled as that one has and you could feel how old it was. Built in the 1700's it was awe inspiring. And the drive to it up in the mountains was simply beautiful with several date palm oases along the winding road and a panoramic view of the Sea of Cortez in spots.
Tomorrow it's off to the airport for Carly, then we'll return and prepare Cetus to begin the journey down to La Paz, weather permitting.
|Blog Posts: Travels
Snow on the boat this morning so I hope you are enjoying the warm weather!!
We did the island trifecta with a stop at Isla Dansante this afternoon where we enjoyed some snorkeling, swimming and hiking to a great view of the Sea of Cortez.
Then after our short stop we motored the mile to Puerto Escondido and grabbed a mooring ball for the night with plans to do some land exploring tomorrow.
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When we left Puerto Escondido on Wednesday morning we planned to go to Isla Coronado but the weather forecast sounded like there could be some north wind in the night so we went to Puerto Balanda on Isla Carmen which has a bit better northern protection.
We had a fantastic day with perfect weather -- snorkeled with LOTS of bright colored fish and did a little beach walking and lots of relaxing, reading and talking and ended the night with a rousing game of Yahtzee.
The winds did come up a bit in the night, but it was a calm anchorage. The forecast for today called for flat calm so we decided it was a good day to hop over to Isla Coronado. So we hauled the anchor and when we got out of the protected harbor we were greated by some short choppy waves from the north and had a fairly rolly 8 mile trip over to Isla Coronados where we ducked in on the south side of the island to get out of the waves. If it does indeed become flat calm later today, we will go around to the east side of the island to the pretty white sand lagoon.
For now we're happy to be anchored in the pretty blue water and out of the rocky sea -- another beautiful day in paradise.
|Blog Posts: Travels
Carly flew in to Loreto yesterday and today we're heading out to the nearby islands for a few days to enjoy some swimming, beach combing, kayaking and snorkeling -- looks like we've got some perfect weather for it!
|Blog Posts: Travels
Our long travel day we had planned for yesterday turned even longer when we changed our destination along the way.
When we left Santo Domingo a little before 7 am we planned on a long day traveling to the popular anchorage at San Juanico some 45 miles away. No wind was forecast so it would be motoring the whole way. Luckily, the currents were with us, the seas were flat and we had a freshly cleaned bottom so we motored along at good speeds for old Cetus averaging about 6 knots (we usually use 5 knots as a planning number when calculating when we should reach our destination whether it's power or sail it's a good working number).
As we approached San Juanico, a couple hours earlier than we'd anticipated a swell began to pick up from the East. The anchorage is open to the East, so we knew it would be pretty rocky and rolly in there until the swell subsided. Then we heard someone from the anchorage talking to someone else that would be coming in later that day and they confirmed our fears that it was pretty rocky in there -- plus it was getting crowded with 6 boats in there and 4 more (including us) on their way. So I checked the GPS to see how long it would take us to get the the next stop on our itinerary: Isla Coronados. It was only 18 miles further and at the current speed it said we could be there by 5:30 pm -- sounds good, until you consider that sunset is at 5:45. It would be close -- especially if we hit some contrary current or winds that could slow us down. With the prospect of an uncomfortable night and the thoughts of having more time at lovely little Coronados, we decided to take our chances and go for it and our luck held. We dropped our anchor off the beautiful white sand beach protected from the rolly east swell at about 5:15 and we were swimming in the turquoise water at sunset! The anchorage was so calm it felt like we were at a dock last night and this morning we enjoyed kayaking and beachcombing and plan a hike to the top of the volcano tomorrow -- nice to be back in paradise.
We spent about 10 days on this lovely island on our way north last Spring, and it is still one of our very favorite spots in the Sea of Cortez -- it's a postcard perfect picture of paradise and we are thrilled to be here again to enjoy a couple days of "vacation" before we go into Puerto Escondido to have the boat hauled out to paint the bottom on Monday.
|Blog Posts: Travels
Had a nice little downwind sail from Punta Civato where we've been holed up waiting for the strong northers to die down so the buffalo would quit running and today was the day! We sailed the 14 miles with our Genoa out and it was a bit rolly with the remnants of the waves from the norther, but not too bad. We had a pod of about 100 dolphin join us for a half hour or so and they put on quite a show! It's great to be sailing again!
This anchorage is a bit rocky, as we've heard it could be, but we only plan to spend the night and be on our way tomorrow.
|Blog Posts: Travels
song! ;^) 5 years, 9 months to go and WE'RE going sailing, sailing!
Keep up the great posts!! At this point we are living vicariuosly thru the both of you!!
It was a pleasant day for our first time out traveling in the boat in 3 months. Sunny skies, smooth seas and dolphin jumping at our bow, but no wind for sailing so we motored the nearly 30 miles to Punta Chivato, one of our favorite stops when we headed north last April. We plan to spend 2 or 3 days here before moving on since a moderate Norther is expected to blow through Tuesday and we think this is the perfect spot to wait it out.
No internet, so I can't post any pictures, but we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset last night and had a great swim in the 70 something degree water. This is a nice little piece of paradise.
It's great to be out cruising again!
|Blog Posts: Travels
This morning we're busy with all the final preparations to leave Cetus here at the marina in Santa Rosalia while we travel to the States for 2 to 3 months.
Doing one last load of laundry, strapping down the dinghy, finishing packing and cleaning then we'll catch the 12:30 bus to Loreto where we'll stay in the Santa Fe hotel until we fly out on Thursday.
|Blog Posts: Travels
07/09/2010, flying in to Loreto
Despite the nasty cold I came down with a few days ago, my trip back home to Cetus in Santa Rosalia went very smoothly.
I had 3 large duffel bags full of "stuff" in addition to my 2 carry ons and I was a bit concerned first of all, how I was going to manage schlepping them from place to place, but most of all how I would get through customs without any problems.
I had a 6 am departure scheduled from SeaTac and my original plan was to be dropped off at the Inn at Gig Harbor where I would catch the Airport Shuttle, but my wonderful friend Liz bought me a trip to the airport in a town car -- she really saved the day! He was able to drop me -- and my heavy, awkward bags -- off right in front of the terminal where I could get a cart to push them in, where if I'd taken the shuttle, they let you off down in the bottom floor of the parking garage and it would have been a much bigger struggle to get them to the check in counter.
Check in went well, too. I was afraid a couple of my bags would be over the weight limit, but the heaviest weighed in at 49.5 so I was good to go and by the time I got through security and walked down to my gate, the plane had begun boarding so I walked right in without having to wait. Perfect!
I had a brief lay over in LA for my flight to Loreto then we were off. Once we touched down in Loreto the next major hurtle would be getting through customs because I did have a few "boat parts" with me. They did ask me about what was in the big bag after it went through xray and I said I had a couple things for the boat but that I had a list (friends had told me that having one might help if there were questions) and when I pulled out the list that was with my 10 year temporary import certificate that we got when we entered Mexico, he said that's all he needed to see. But I still had to push the famous Red Light/ Green Light button.
That's Mexico's system for determining who's luggage gets searched (though they will look if there's something odd looking on the xray) and it's always a bit nerve wracking -- for even though I'm not taking anything illigal into Mexico, it's still a very time consuming orderal and who knows what they might find suspicious and want some examination on. But luck was with me and I got the green!
Then it was off to the bus station. I had no idea when the next bus to Santa Rosalia would be leaving and figured I'd probably have a three or four hour wait in the small station, but once again things went smoothly and as I was purchasing my ticket, the bus pulled into the station! I bought a bottle of water and made a trip to the bano (bathroom) and I was on the road again.
Three hours after boarding the bus, and 14 hours after leaving Liz's house, we pulled into the terminal in Santa Rosalia and Terry and I lugged the bags the short distance (maybe about a block all the way to the boat) and we began unloading all the "stuff" -- it was like Christmas in July!
|Blog Posts: Travels
Cross your fingers we get a green light and that we see you two soon!
07/03/2010, Gig Harbor, Washington
I haven't been doing any blog updates since I flew up to Washington over a week ago. I have a wedding to attend this weekend and have been enjoying visiting with family and friends while I'm here for two weeks.
As enjoyable as it has been, I'm anxious to get back down to Cetus with Terry and Rosie next Thursday and get back to the simple cruising life and the beautiful Sea of Cortez.
I'm ready and excited for the challenge of surviving a Summer in the Sea!
|Blog Posts: Travels
06/12/2010, Baja California to San Diego
Our good friend Vicky from the boat Inspiration at Sea flew from El Salvador to La Paz last week so she could drive her van home to Canada. We caught a ride with her when she passed though Santa Rosalia and had a wonderful trip up the Baja with her.
It was a 14 hour day from the time we set out until we were checked in to our hotel in Chula Vista, but it all went very fast with all the amazing scenery along the way. Mexico's Highway 1 that runs the length of the Baja jumps from the Sea of Cortez, then up through the middle and along the Pacific Coast so the terrain was constantly changing and we were fascinated all day long. I snapped lots of pictures through the windows of the moving vehicles -- most places there isn't any shoulder on the narrow two way road to pull over-- both on the way up in the van and then on the bus ride back down and they are posted in our photo gallery under Roadtrip.
The main purpose of this adventure was to get to San Diego and buy some supplies that aren't available down here (at least at a reasonable price) and especially some things we wouldn't be able to bring down on an airplane. Specifically bottom paint for our planned haulout next fall and some special liquid cleaners for the windows and such, plus the CO2 cartridges for our soda maker (by Soda Stream -- we just LOVE it -- I'll put a link to their web page to the right).
We enjoyed a good night's sleep after the long drive (Vicky continued on for a couple more hours to a friends house in Newport!) we took the short walk to the nearby Enterprise Car Rental office and got a car for a couple days. We spent the next two days driving around San Diego to gather the various things on our list -- the majority of the purchases being at West Marine. In addition to the boat supplies we purchased food, clothing, water toys, DVDs and a few "household" items.
Back at the motel we removed packaging and played mental Tetris to get all of our purchases into the few bags and backpack that we felt we would be able to manage when we walked across the border to the Tijuana Bus station.
In between all of our running around searching for hard to find items (a new cover for Carly's surfboard for one) we managed to squeeze in some fun and went to the Galley Restaurant at the Chula Vista marina to see one of our favorite entertainers, Gary Seiler, do his regular Wednesday night show there. Then the next day we saw a movie (without subtitles!)
Friday morning we checked out of the motel and returned the car and had them drop us off at the border. Now we'd heard that walking across the border is pretty easy and they don't search everything you bring in, but we were really surprised that they don't even look at your passport! We got out of the car and walked about a block down an open air corridor with a few official looking people milling about, but nobody even looked our way and before we knew it we saw gates that led out into the streets of Tijuana!
That's when the fun began! We knew that the bus station was a short walk from the entry, but we weren't entirely sure where to go. We waited a few minutes by a tourist info booth, but when it didn't open at its scheduled time we walked through the gate where we saw lots of taxis thinking that would be the easiest way to go, even though it's a short distance.
Well, they immediately came to us and I asked how much to the bus station and we were surprised when he answered $15 -- it should have been more like $5. But another man (who seemed to be in charge of the drivers) said it would be $10 so we said what the heck and went with the guy. Terry made the comment that he didn't feel to good about the situation and then when the guy started driving far from the border crossing area (where we had been told by several cruisers we'd find the bus station) we both started getting a little nervous. When we grilled him on where he was going he said to the main bus station and that the one by the border was small and this would be better. Well, that explained the high fare for the trip, but we were still pretty leary about where this guy was taking us as we passed thru some "colorful" parts of Tijuana.
Finally the bus station appeared -- and we were very relieved that we hadn't made some stupid mistake. We were also glad to be out at the big station since it was about a two hour wait till the next bus south, and this station was set up more like a small airport with decent waiting areas and some shops and food vendors.
Then we were off! All set for our 15 hour trip to Santa Rosalia we got comfortable in our seats (unfortunately they weren't as comfortable as I'd hoped -- the buses have seen a lot of miles and even though they are "deluxe" they're old and worn) and enjoyed reading and watching the scenery until darkness fell. Then we read and dozed jumping off the bus at various stops for potty breaks and to stretch our legs.
At 7:00 pm (we started at noon) the driver pulled into a small station and announced that we'd be there one or two hours because something was wrong with the bus and they'd be sending a new one. So our 15 hour trip was getting longer.... Well the driver didn't speak English and there was only one other gringo on board (who spoke a little more Spanish than us) we couldn't really get a good grip on what was wrong with the bus or when the new bus would be coming along. After a couple hours (we could sit in the bus or the station or wander around) we got the idea that the new bus was actually going to be the next southbound bus that was scheduled to leave Tijuana at 4 pm. We kind of suspect that the problem with the bus was that it wasn't full enough (there were only about 12 of us on there since the majority that had filled it in Tijuana had gotten off in Ensenada and points north) and they wanted to save money by combining the two -- much like the airlines are doing now when they cancel flights that aren't full enough.
At 11 pm the bus showed up and we transferred our luggage to the new bus and were on our merry way. This bus was even more uncomfortable than the first one, but we managed to doze and the time actually went fairly quickly. We pulled into the Santa Rosalia station 19 hours after we left Tijuana. Luckily that station is only about a block from the marina so we were quickly back aboard Cetus and putting away all of our new goodies before settling in for a nice long nap.
All and all it was a very good trip, though a few times in the night I did start thinking of the bus ride as a bit more "ordeal" than "adventure", but all's well that ends well and we've got our new stuff!
|Blog Posts: Travels
We had a pleasant run down here from Punta Alercan on Friday -- very light winds so we motorsailed (and made lots of water!). We checked out two possible anchorages along the way, deciding to continue on to the known comfort of this bay. We were entertained along the way by numerous whale sightings and the closest was when one passed right in front of the boat, only about 10 feet in front of us!
We had a great hike across the desert hills to some nearby beaches. We're constantly amazed at the fascinating geology of the Baja -- I don't even know how to describe it.
Yesterday we had our first encounter with the bees that we've heard can be such a problem here in the Sea of Cortez. They come to the boats in search of fresh water and we've heard stories of boats being swarmed and their crews having to stay below until they finally leave. After we got back from our hike we went for a swim (a very short swim -- the water still is very cold here) and after we showered and hung our swimsuits out to dry a bee came by. I was afraid he might be a scout, and it wasn't long before a few more showed up. Soon there were maybe a couple hundred bees covering my swimsuit and other clothes which were hanging on the lifeline, apparently sucking the fresh water out They weren't bothering us in the cockpit, but we went down below all the same and after about an hour, when the clothes had dried they went on their way. We have nets and screens over all the openings, so we don't have to worry about bees or other bugs getting inside. After everything dried -- maybe an hour later -- they all left.
Today we awoke to what is usually a delight, but soon took on a sad note. We had several dolphin swimming around in our anchorage and as we sat and watched them we could tell that one of them was pushing something around and looking closer with the binoculars we discovered it was a small dolphin. It appeared that the baby had died, but the mother wasn't giving up and kept nosing it and lifting it trying to get it to swim. Sometimes she's just float by it with her nose touching in for a long time -- it was just heart wrenching. They're still out there as I'm writing this.
It's Memorial Day Weekend -- and the first time in 4 years we haven't spent it in Indianapolis watching the Indy 500!
|Blog Posts: Travels
We've begun our trek south towards Santa Rosalia and our first stop is in the beautiful anchorage just south of Punta Alacran (Scorpion Point).
Once again we've found a long white sand beach and beautiful turquoise water with some great hiking and plan to stay another day at least.
On shore is a small collection of deluxe yurts on shore forming the interesting all-inclusive resort, Las Animas Wilderness Retreat, that is only accessible by boat as it is 15 miles to the nearest road. It's a beautiful spot for a remote get-a-way and the yurts look clean and comfortable.
|Blog Posts: Travels


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Tampa man accused of killing ex-girlfriend's fetus
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 9:34 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 9:34 a.m.
TAMPA, Fla. — Federal authorities say the son of a Tampa-area fertility doctor is accused of tricking his girlfriend into taking an abortion drug to kill her unborn child.
A federal grand jury indicted 28-year-old John Andrew Welden on Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Welden forged the doctor's signature on a prescription for Cytotec, relabeled a pill bottle as "Amoxicillin" and told the woman his father wanted her to take the antibiotic.
The Tampa Bay Times reports incident occurred in March after an ultrasound at Dr. Stephen Ward Welden's office confirmed the pregnancy. The doctor is not accused of a crime.
Weldon's defense attorney characterized the actions as "aberrant" but pointed out his client has no criminal history. A U.S. magistrate denied bail on Wednesday. He faces up to life in prison.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.

subset: commoncrawl


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So far, yes. My last statement was for month number 25, and the credit was still there. Looks like I'm one of the few lucky ones.
Don't be so sure that your credit was automatically extended. About a year ago, there was a glitch that caused everyone to miss one month's credit. After that, DIRECTV extended the 24 month credit by adding an additional month for all/most people. Thus, I would not be surprised if your credit disappears next month, and I'm not sure that anyone has actually gotten a renewal of the credit without having to call in and jump through the required hoops with one or more CSR.


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6 Quarters for a Hug measures 38" x 58" when finished, though no one can measure the comfort such a hug gives to a child in crisis. This simple pieced design is made from six fat quarters & a background fabric. Pattern includes a color guide to help you create the strips you'll need for this "Make A Blanket Day" quilt. Not available for wholesale.
Item : PJL05


text:
In the last few decades, Bellevue has transformed from a "bedroom" community with a small employment base into a major business and retail center. More people (140,000-plus) work in Bellevue than live in it, making the city the second largest employment center in King County.
A diversified mix of industries exists in Bellevue, with retail and service sectors being the largest. Department stores, car dealerships and electronic/computer stores lead the retail sector. In the service sector, a high concentration of real estate companies, engineering firms, financial institutions and accounting firms are based in the city. Of course, there are many high-tech firms in Bellevue, including software development, Internet and network services and digital media/video games.
Several of the 25 largest public companies in Washington are here, including Microsoft, Expedia, Puget Sound Energy, a regional electric and natural gas utility, and PACCAR, a manufacturer of trucks and other heavy equipment. Newer companies in the city make up many of the top 50 fastest-growing public companies in Washington.
Bellevue is a major trading center, with two major highways — Interstate 90 and Interstate 405 — converging about three miles south of downtown. The Port of Seattle, the second largest container port in the United States, and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are both about half an hour away.
Bellevue Office of Economic Development
Office of Economic Development
450 110th Avenue NE
PO Box 90012
Bellevue, WA 98009
Phone: 425-452-7892
Fax: 425-452-5247


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Shubham Jain
Client Insights, Consultant, IBM Center for Applied Insights
The IBM CAI blog has moved - please bookmark and follow the new blog at http://www.ibmcai.com
In this post, I will explore some interesting facets of the mobile money market in India such as market opportunity, regulatory environment, market participants, and the way ahead for the market.
Market Opportunity: The Indian economy has shown strong growth in the recent years, making it a USD 1.3 trillion economy. It is predominantly a cash economy with more than 65% of all retail transactions (total transactions are estimated as USD 410 billion per year) being conducted in cash. According to Reserve Bank of India(RBI), the central bank of India, more than 57% of the electronic transactions happen through credit and debit cards and the rest through Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) and Funds Transfer.
In India, 40% of the population remains unbanked. In contrast, it is estimated that more than 70% of the 1.17 billion people in India own a mobile phone. Moreover, this subscriber base has been increasing by 20 million customers per quarter. Hence, with a huge mobile subscriber base and a very small percentage of the transactions taking place over mobile, the potential for mobile money to take off and replace cash is immense.
Regulatory Environment: Government and the Reserve Bank of India are the nodal agencies which formulate regulations pertaining to mobile money. The Indian regulatory system has been gradually allowing the expansion of new products and solutions aimed to take advantage of the vast opportunities in this space.
RBI recognizes that individual banks need to work in conjunction with operators, mobile devices and payment technologies. In 2009, it mandated that a bank account is needed to send money but in 2010, it allowed 'Other Persons' (non-banks/NBFCs) to issue m-based semi-closed instruments with certain conditions and caps on transfer amounts. As a result, banks started offering mobile banking services. Further in 2010, it allowed semi-closed instruments to be used for bill payments and ticketing services, also, and permitted issue of co-branded instruments.
In late 2010, an interbank system had been set up in India enabling instant money transfers between bank accounts via mobile phones. NPCI's Interbank Mobile Payment Services (IMPS) is India's first instant fund transfer facility in the retail payment sector. It provides an inter-operable infrastructure for the banks and facilitates real time money transfer facility to their customers through the mobile channel. The unique feature of this system is that banks can choose any mobile banking application of their choice. Interestingly, IMPS can be made available in all forms (SMS, USSD, thin client, thick client) and hence it can support the transactions directly from low end mobiles to high end mobiles.
Market Participants: As compared to mobile money deployments in other emerging economies like Kenya, Philippines and Uganda, the Indian market is at a very nascent stage in terms of market consolidation and volume of transactions. The Indian telecom market is quite fragmented with fifteen different mobile operators providing service to more than 900 million subscribers. Among them, BhartiAirtel, Reliance Communications and Vodafone together hold more than 50% of market share.
BhartiAirtel has recently launched its mobile money services across India, offering services like payment of utility bills, mobile recharges, purchase at retail outlets, person to person money transfer, etc. Only Airtel customers can use this service and transfer money to other customers on Airtel.
My Mobile Payments Ltd (MMPL), a mobile payment service provider, had recently announced the launch of 'Money-on-Mobile' (MOM). It is a M-Wallet service which permits a mobile phone subscriber to purchase a wide range of goods and services using the mobile phone instead of paying by cash, cheque, debit or credit cards. It offers services like mobile recharge, utility bill payments, purchase of bus and movie tickets, to name a few. It claims to be India's first operator and bank agnostic mobile payment system.
The way ahead: As outlined in my earlier post, though the opportunity is huge and growing, companies need to address security apprehensions associated with mobile payments and build the awareness of the technology and the product.
India's unique demography is an important factor to consider while taking strategic and marketing decisions during the 'launch' and 'scale' phases of mobile money deployments. Some of the notable factors are:
- It is estimated that 60% of the 1.17 billion population lives in rural areas most of which suffer from a lack of basic infrastructure and education. Companies generally face significant challenges in building the infrastructure and consumer awareness in these areas.
- Also, more than 50% of the Indian population is below the age of 25 years. This segment of population embraces new technology more readily but at the same time, it is a lot more value conscious and has little loyalty to a brand.
Besides offering regular services like person to person transfer, utility bill payments, mobile recharge etc. other useful revenue streams can be explored too.
- The internal remittance market – The internal migrant population is estimated to be around 100 million people. This market for internal remittance is estimated to be around USD 8 billion to USD 12 billion.
- Government payments market – Government of India offers a number of subsidy and support programs like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employee Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA), fuel subsidy, fertilizer subsidy and public distribution system which is estimated to be around USD 40 billion. A lot of it is wasted due to leakages and fraud in the distribution system. To ensure that the intended recipients do get their payments,mobile payments can play a very crucial role. The Indian government's 'Aadhar' program to provide a unique identification number to every citizen of India would further lend support to the rapid uptake of financial services and transactions over mobile.


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Into the last laps
Campaign 2012 | Inside the GOP's final push for the White House: As Republicans try to fire up the grassroots, many of those activists find more motivation in opposing a failed president than in supporting the Republican nominee
"Into the last laps" Continued...
TAMPA, Fla. - On a Saturday morning in a quiet strip mall in Clearwater, Fla., a handful of locals in a storefront office hover around a pink coffee maker and a plastic box of chocolate donuts.
Some discuss the Republican National Convention (RNC) that was set to descend on Tampa in two days. Others chat about church meetings and grandchildren as they stir powdered creamer into Styrofoam cups.
Nearby, Robert Arnakis intensely checks his mobile phone. The senior staffer at the Virginia-based Leadership Institute has worked on two presidential campaigns and consulted with officials in a dozen countries. In 2004, his work on the campaign of Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., helped topple former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
Still, as scores of Republican heavy hitters descended on Tampa in late August, Arnakis was here in a storefront office 25 miles away, preparing to address 35 volunteers at folding tables. The reason: Despite the convention glitz, Arnakis believes the key to this fall's election lies in this room.
If that seems overblown, the conservative consultant points to 2008: President Barack Obama's grassroots efforts crushed Republican nominee John McCain. Avoiding a repeat means mobilizing volunteers across the country in settings like these - a local chapter of the conservative Florida Family Policy Council (FFPC). "When you get in a room of 40 people, it's hard to imagine the impact on a national level," says Arnakis. "But across the country, you see the cumulative effect."
For conservatives hoping to recapture the White House, this year may hinge on the cumulative effect. With both candidates set to spend millions on television, radio, billboards, and mailings, campaign workers and independent groups on both sides are focusing on manpower: phone calling, door knocking, and talking with neighbors.
It's part of a broader strategy that recognizes at least two essentials: turning out enthused voters and winning over undecided ones. That means working hard in swing states and wooing key voter blocs. It also means mobilizing volunteers not only to convince like-minded voters, but to reach out to ones who aren't sure.
It's a delicate balance. But beyond the televised convention speeches, a few days in Tampa offered an inside glimpse into the GOP's final lap toward the White House. That lap includes choosing a central message, and deciding whether to embrace the social conservatives and grassroots activists that could help deliver the election, or stick to an establishment script that may feel safer.
Here in Clearwater, Eric Scharn isn't interested in the Republican establishment. He and his wife, Patty, have volunteered for the GOP in elections since 2000, but this year, Scharn is disgruntled. "It kills me what both parties are doing," he says. "They both stink."
Scharn is particularly discouraged over what he sees as the GOP leadership's distance from social conservatives and other activists, including Tea Party supporters. This year, Scharn and his wife will volunteer for just a handful of candidates, and for efforts by groups like FFPC to promote pro-life and pro-marriage causes.
Like others here, Scharn seems more angered with Obama than excited about the alternative - a common theme at the RNC. When former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed greeted pro-life and pro-marriage supporters at a convention event in Tampa, he began by asking the crowd: "How excited are you about Paul Ryan?"
Indeed, the vice presidential candidate created more buzz than Republican nominee Mitt Romney in some quarters. But the biggest buzz remained opposition to Obama, even in evening speeches by both Ryan and Romney.
John Stemberger, president of the FFPC, said that his group is enjoying an unprecedented amount of volunteers and resources during this cycle, but most of it is centered on stopping the president: "The energy is negative energy."
Perhaps that's enough motivation for some social conservatives and Tea Party activists, but what about undecided voters? Arnakis - one of two consultants leading the morning session in Clearwater for FFPC volunteers - tells the group they must learn how to talk to voters who haven't made up their minds.
Billy Kirkland agrees. Kirkland, who's helping with the volunteer training, is a staffer with Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition - a three-year-old group that reports 500,000 members and aims to register 2 million unregistered conservative voters by this fall.
Other independent groups have similar goals of reaching grassroots voters: Former Sen. Rick Santorum's Patriot Voices reports it will mobilize the former candidate's supporters for the fall elections. Others include Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, chapters of Focus on the Family, and local Tea Party organizations.
Still, the question remains: Are the grassroots interested enough? Dyan and Gery Cuprisin aren't so sure. The couple here at the Clearwater event is volunteering for the first time because of the apathy they see among friends and neighbors. "They're more involved in the latest shows on TV than what's happening in the country," says Dyan.
When their church - a non-denominational congregation of several thousand members - invited area churches to an informational forum on issues and candidates earlier this year, the couple says less than 50 people showed up.
Arnakis tells the group they should emphasize the importance of social issues in the upcoming election, but also learn how to talk to undecided voters about complex topics like Medicare and tax reform: "How did Jesus communicate?" he asks the group. "In stories and examples. He took hard concepts and broke them down."
That's a lesson the Romney camp should absorb. In a series of convention speeches in Tampa, a litany of Republican politicians spoke of the problems created by Obama. Fewer spoke of concrete solutions. In conversations with voters outside the convention hall, many spoke of "taking the country back" or stopping Obama, but fewer spoke of how to accomplish those goals.
Back in Clearwater, Kirkland says that's a problem when it comes to undecided voters. "An undecided voter doesn't care about a party message," he told the volunteers. "You have to talk to them about their issues."
For social conservatives, some of their issues didn't get heavy play during major convention speeches. Though Rick Santorum emphasized the importance of pro-life causes, and the GOP platform was pointedly pro-life, Romney devoted one line of a 37-minute speech to social issues: "As president, I'll respect the sanctity of life. I'll honor the institution of marriage."
Perhaps that was a political calculation after Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., caused an uproar by using the term "legitimate rape" when discussing abortion a week earlier. (An interviewer had asked Akin whether abortion should be legal in the cases of rape.)
By the middle of the RNC, the Obama campaign - which hadn't emphasized its pro-abortion stance - seized the controversy. A television ad running on large screens in the Tampa convention center warned that Romney favors overturning Roe v. Wade, and featured a woman saying: "It's a scary time to be a woman."
Tony Perkins - president of the Family Research Council and a Louisiana delegate at the convention - said the GOP shouldn't avoid the subject of abortion: "I think Republicans do themselves a disservice when they run from the fact that they are the party that protects life."
Indeed, with polls showing that pro-life sentiment is increasing in America, Perkins says: "It's something to run to - not from."
Gary Bauer, president of the group American Values, says social conservatives face pushback from the "financial elites" of the GOP who would like to avoid discussing abortion and marriage. "But the worst possible thing that the party can do is get in the crouching position and put their hands over their head," he said. Instead, Bauer says the party should emphasize that Democrats favor abortion in all circumstances: "The extremists on abortion are in the other party."
Extremism was on display a day later at a pro-life reception near the Tampa arena. While pro-life supporters gathered in a second-story reception area over a busy street, protesters from the group Code Pink gathered on the corner in full view of the window. They wore lewd costumes depicting female anatomy, and carried lewd signs. Upstairs, Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, dismissed the Democratic idea that the GOP is engaged in a war on women: "It's actually a war for women." Nance says it's a war rooted in compassion for unborn children and the women who carry them: "If you let the other side define you, you lose."
Social conservatives weren't the only grassroots group calling for a louder voice. A heated controversy over Republican Party rules erupted during the first day of the convention.
A controversial proposal by Ben Ginsberg - lead attorney for the Romney campaign - would have allowed presidential nominees under some conditions to choose or replace delegates before conventions. (Delegates are typically elected by state and local parties.)
Grassroots activists saw the move as an attempt to squelch the influence of candidates like Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who enjoyed widespread grassroots support during his presidential campaign.
That proposal didn't survive, but another one did: The GOP can now change party rules between conventions, instead of waiting for fuller debates on a convention floor.
Morton Blackwell - a Romney supporter and social conservative on the rules committee - was appalled: "It's the worst set of changes I've ever seen." The changes not only diminish the influence of those with less power than the GOP leaders, they're also counterproductive to winning supporters of candidates like Paul, he says: "We should be doing everything in our power to embrace those who lost the nomination. Not grind our heel in their face."
At least two Texas delegates said they wouldn't vote for Romney after the changes. Outside the convention center, Stephen Lee and Brad McCally sported the crisp blue shirts and white Stetsons of their delegation. Lee's cowboy hat also bore a sticker: "Ron Paul 2012." Both men were considering supporting the GOP by voting for Romney this fall, but Lee said: "The Republican Party just shot themselves in the foot."
It wasn't just Paul supporters upset over the changes. Julie McCarty - a Santorum supporter and a Texas delegate - said the changes squelch grassroots voices like Tea Party activists. "Now we're back at square one, trying to get the enthusiasm back up so we can go back out and campaign for Mitt Romney," she says. That's a problem the candidate could face among voters he'll need in a tight election. "I'll vote for him," says McCarty. "But I don't know how hard I'll campaign for him."


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Should You Save or Earn Your Way Rich?
It's a contentious personal finance debate: To stay out of debt and get rich, should we focus on controlling our small purchases, or put most of our effort into making the big gains in areas like earnings? DailyFinance asks three of the Web's most popular personal finance bloggers for their views.


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Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick will
undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a dislocated right shoulder the veteran
sustained on Opening Day.
An MRI taken Tuesday revealed torn cartilage in Ludwick's right shoulder, the
Reds announced. The team has not provided a timetable on how long the 34-year-
old, who served as Cincinnati's cleanup hitter during Monday's 3-1 loss to the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, will be out of action.
Ludwick suffered the injury while diving head-first into third base during the
third inning of Monday's opener. He was immediately removed from the contest
in favor of a pinch runner.
An integral part of Cincinnati's run to last season's National League Central
title, Ludwick was re-signed to a two-year contract by the Reds over the
winter and batted .275 with 26 home runs and 80 RBI over 125 games in 2012.
The Reds will formally place Ludwick on the disabled list prior to Wednesday's
game with the Angels, with Chris Heisey expected to be the club's primary left
fielder in the interim.
The Sports Network


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I'm new to the forums, figured I could try and find my answers here.
I've been trying to contact some from VMware Zimbra over the past month using their online submission forms for sales inquiries. We are switching email solutions, currently use Kerio and want off. However, I have yet to hear from anybody from Zimbra.
Are the form submissions answered? How does their phone support work, as I can't get anyone on sales either.
These questions are crucial when evaluating a product/service.


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MyBirthControlStore.com is designed for educational and informational purpose. You cannot use this information as a substitute for the medical advice provided by your medical practitioner or other health care professional. We encourage you to read all the information of product. If you are suffering from any illness or disease or health problem, immediately contact your physician. Do not use the information mentioned in MyBirthControlStore.com for diagnosing or treating a medical problem or disease as results and side effects may vary among users.
|Copyright © 2009 Birth Control . All Rights Reserved.


text:
The Laboratory Improvement Section provides registration and inspection of clinical laboratories, X-ray facilities, and mammography X-rays.
IBL regulates over 1,000 clinical labs across the state, including hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, and long-term care facilities. IBL's clinical lab inspector performs inspections for complex laboratories and monitors proficiency test events.
Over 1,600 X-ray facilities in Idaho are regulated by IBL under the Idaho Radiation Control Program. IBL's radiation physicists, trained by the Food and Drug Administration, perform the inspections.
Any Idaho laboratory performing tests on humans for the purpose of diagnosis, treatment, or assessment of health must have a license from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) program. The CLIA regulations can be found at the CMS website. This license certifies a laboratory's ability to accurately determine lab test results. If you have questions, please call 208-334-0528. Labs beginning operation must complete and submit the both of following forms:
Mammography facilities are inspected under an agreement with the FDA to perform federal inspections of Idaho mammography sites. These facilities are regulated by the Federal Mammography Quality Standards Act. The inspections are performed annually and are performed to determine machine accuracy and qualifications of technicians performing exams and radiologists reading film.
More Information:
X-ray facilities (e.g. medical, dental, veterinarian, chiropractic, academic, and industrial) are inspected based on Idaho Radiation Control Regulations. The purpose of these regulations is to reduce radiation exposure to Idahoans.
Idaho X-Ray Machine Licensure Forms:
Lab Improvement Section Manager:
Amanda Bruesch
Idaho Bureau of Laboratories
2220 Old Penitentiary Rd
Boise, ID 83712
Phone: (208) 334-0528
Fax: (208) 334-4067
E-mail: email@example.com
There are no announcements at this time. Please check back at a later date for more information.


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Stay Fit, Stay Well
8 Tips for Controlling Portion Sizes
Why portion control matters
When you have type 2 diabetes, you need to gauge portion sizes correctly, so you know how many calories and carbohydrates you're taking in and how they will affect your blood sugar.
Learning what a portion size actually isand eating that amountis tricky.
People are notoriously bad at estimating what, say, a cup of breakfast cereal looks like.
Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and updates from Health.com!


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Both ruthlessly ambitious and utterly devoted to his family, the head of the Borgia clan uses his position in the Catholic church to acquire and consolidate power, influence, and wealth. He is incredibly shrewd and manages to outmaneuver his rivals at every turn. He also enjoys the carnal pleasures of life, particularly the company of beautiful women. His undying devotion to his derelict favorite son Juan has been a chink in his otherwise impenetrable armor, and has wreaked havoc for him both personally and professionally. Juan's unfortunate fate has left Alexander reeling and untethered, and it may have provided his enemies the prime opportunity to destroy the Borgia family.
Jeremy Irons won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Claus von Bulow in REVERSAL OF FORTUNE. He is also a Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award, Tony Award, and SAG Award winner.
The British Irons has an extraordinary legacy of film, television, and theatre performances including: THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN, in which he starred opposite Meryl Streep; THE MISSION; and David Cronenberg's DEAD RINGERS. Irons starred in DAMAGE and M. BUTTERFLY before he made pop culture history as the voice of the evil lion Scar in Disney's classic THE LION KING. Irons showed his grasp of the action genre starring opposite Bruce Willis in DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE, and also starred as Humbert Humbert in Adrian Lyne's LOLITA. Other career highlights include: BEING JULIA with Annette Bening; APPALOOSA with Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen; and Bertolucci's STEALING BEAUTY. Irons received a Tony for his performance in Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING and most recently appeared in London in the National Theatre's NEVER SO GOOD and in the Royal Shakespeare Company's THE GODS WEEP. Irons is probably best known for his role as Charles Ryder in the cult TV serial BRIDESHEAD REVISITED. Irons joined Helen Mirren and director Tom Hooper in the award-winning television miniseries ELIZABETH I. He was also recently lauded for his portrayal of iconic photographer Alfred Stieglitz in the award-winning biographical picture GEORGIA O'KEEFFE.
In 2012, Irons was seen on the big screen in the award winning independent feature MARGIN CALL with Kevin Spacey and THE WORDS, with Bradley Cooper, featured closing night at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
2012 also saw Irons playing Henry IV in a series of three films for the "Cultural Olympiad for Britain 2012," BBC2 adaptations created in collaboration with Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes, directed by Richard Eyre. This series is now available on PBS stations throughout the United States.
In 2013, Irons stars in THE NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON, directed by Bille August, as well as BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, shot in Louisiana and directed by Richard LaGravenese.
Irons adds the credit of executive producer and featured actor in TRASHED, a Blenheim Production feature documentary directed by Candida Brady, which received a special screening at the 2012 Cannes film festival.


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FAIRFAX, Va. (WUSA) -- Eighty Virginia Task Force One (VATF-1) have returned to their Chantilly headquarters on Tuesday.
The team went to New Jersey to conduct search and rescue operations with other teams in areas hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. VATF-1 helped evacuate residents after the storm and gave other assistance.
Farifax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova was among the people welcoming the team back home. In a statement on Tuesday morning, Bulova said, "I am happy to welcome home Fairfax County's Urban Search and Rescue Team ... The members of VATF-1 really made a difference in helping those affected by the storm. Their hard work and selflessness have made Fairfax County immensely proud."
Maryland Task Force 1 was also scheduled to return home to Rockville on Tuesday afternoon. The team spent nine days in New York.


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State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2011 - Somalia
|Minority Rights Group International
|Publication Date
|6 July 2011
|Cite as
|Minority Rights Group International, State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2011 - Somalia, 6 July 2011, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e16d362c.html [accessed 1 June 2016]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Many Somalis regularly experience serious human rights violations, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or clan affiliation. These violations become more severe for both women and members of minority groups, resulting in the multiple discrimination that has come to characterize the lives of Somali minority women.
In September 2010, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) resigned and was replaced by Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. The year 2010 also saw the TFG lose more territory to insurgent groups, dominated by Islamist group al-Shabaab, who now control most of south-central Somalia. In mid August, the TFG's Constitutional Commission (IFCC) submitted a new draft Constitution to the Somali parliament and the cabinet for scrutiny. This was followed by a wider consultation process, with official launches in Galkayo, Galmudug, Garowe, Mogadishu and Puntland. However, by the end of the year minority communities remained largely unaware and excluded from the consultation process.
The '4.5' formula – designed to include minorities in political participation by allowing half a seat for all minorities for every four seats granted to members of the 'majority' clans – further limited the scope for the political participation of minorities in 2010. Although the exact size of the minority population in Somalia is unknown, population estimates are far greater than the proportion reflected in the 4.5 formula. And even with this system in place, the government is disproportionately dominated by members of 'majority' clans.
Having been postponed for two years, Somaliland's second presidential election took place on 26 June 2010, resulting in the victory of opposition candidate Ahmed Mohamud Silanyo. HRW reported that the election was 'reasonably free and fair' with the exception of one incident in the Sool region, where an individual was killed.
Large areas of both south-central Somalia and Puntland were affected by droughts in both early and late 2010. In March, the UN Security Council reported that over half of UN aid was not reaching civilians, due to it being diverted en route, although this was denied by the UN World Food Programme. According to news reports, al-Shabaab has banned more than 20 aid agencies from working in south-central Somalia. Taken in the context of Somalia's brutal and ongoing civil war, it is unsurprising that the UN Independent Expert on Somalia, Shamsul Bari, concluded from his visit that in 2010 that: 'Somalia continued to slide deeper and deeper into humanitarian crisis'.
South-central Somalia
South-central Somalia is populated by a number of different minority groups, who face considerable discrimination. These include Bantu, Benadiri and Bajuni fishing people. All these minority groups are diminishing in size, as thousands move to camps for internally displaced people's (IDPs) camps in Somaliland and Puntland and refugee camps in Kenya, where they face renewed discrimination.
Victims of multiple discrimination, minority women across south-central Somalia encounter barriers in every aspect of life, including access to education, health care and employment. One Bantu woman living in south-central Somalia told MRG:
'Ethnic minority women don't play a significant role on the social, [economic] and political platforms in mainstream communities. Most are illiterate and have no capability to improve their quality of livelihoods; most do household chores and other domestic errands mainly in the major clans' homes. Due to high poverty [levels] and discrimination against ethnic minority women, they do not have access to quality health care as compared to women from major clans who usurp all relief or other medical facilities.'
Fighting between militant Islamist groups and the TFG's forces, the African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM), gave rise to gross human rights violations and discrimination in Mogadishu in 2010. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported an average of at least 20 weapon-related casualties per day in Mogadishu, with intensified fighting during Ramadan, marking 2010 as the worst year for fighting in over a decade.
The version of Shari'a law that al-Shabaab enforces severely breaches international standards and includes a number of 'morality laws', such as dress codes for women, the systematic closure of cinemas, and bans on smoking, khat, music, television and sport. Both Amnesty International and HRW reported that girls in Mogadishu and other al-Shabaab-controlled regions, as well as in IDP camps and refugee camps in Kenya, were being forced to cook and clean for al-Shabaab soldiers, and were also forced to marry them in some instances. MRG and Al Arabiya also reported that al-Shabaab conscripted Bantu and Madhiban children into their militia.
Several minority groups, including Bantu, Benadiri and Christians, have been targeted by al-Shabaab for practising their own religions. MRG's 2010 report on Somalia revealed that Bantu women have been forced to wear the hijab, and that some have faced attacks from al-Shabaab members. In January, Compass Direct News (CDN) reported the murder of Christian community leader Mohammed Ahmed Ali, whose wife was subsequently forced to flee the country following death threats. CDN also reported the murder of 17-year-old Christian convert Nurta Farah in the Galgadud region. The teenager was shot dead after fleeing her family, who had beaten her and shackled her to a tree when they discovered she had converted from Islam to Christianity.
A 2010 HRW report also revealed severe restrictions placed upon women by al-Shabaab, including the continued obligation to wear the abaya, a garment supplied by al-Shabaab, which covers the entire body. Due to its expense, families can often only afford one per household, which in turn limits freedom of movement, as only one woman can leave the house at a time.
As in Somaliland and Puntland, minority women experience sexual violence in IDP camps in south-central Somalia. In one camp, three to five cases of rape were being reported every one to two weeks. However the actual number is likely to be higher, as many women do not report attacks due to stigma and fear.
Despite the relative success of the 2010 Somaliland election, tensions remain high in the Sool, Sanag and Cayn regions claimed by both Somaliland and Puntland administrations. June 2010 saw increasing tension between clans and competition over resources, leading to the displacement of thousands of civilians from these regions.
The maltreatment of minorities in Somaliland remains a significant problem. Somaliland's Gaboye minority held protests in Burao, Somaliland and London, UK in 2010, in order to 'raise awareness [of] the continual suffering of Somaliland, and the minority tribes in Somalia'. In particular, the protests focused on the unwarranted detention and abuse of two Gaboye men and a Gaboye woman in the Aynabo district of Somaliland. According to the protesters, Gaboye lack legal representation and access to justice, and also face violence in the Somaliland courts. Most notably, the Gaboye Minority Organization Europe highlighted an incident involving the abuse and kidnapping of two Gaboye women during a trial, in the presence of a judge and police officers.
In a July 2010 article published by the African Press International, Gaboye clan elder Ahmed Shide Jama identified some of the problems facing Gaboye, including discrimination in the labour market, and lack of political representation and access to healthcare. Moreover, he identified inter-marriage between clans as something treated as a problem, 'despite the fact that [Gaboye] are Somalis and Muslims' as well.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Puntland is home to about 35,000 IDPs, many of whom belong to minorities from south-central Somalia, displaced by civil war. These minorities face further and renewed discrimination in IDP camps. A UN database cites '409 incidents of rape, attempted rape/sexual assault, forced prostitution and domestic violence' between January and June 2010, with much of this sexual violence occurring in IDP settlements. The women who experience sexual violence in these camps 'are generally of minority clan origin, bereft of clan protection and often forced to engage in risky coping mechanisms', according to UN Independent Expert Bari. A Somali researcher who interviewed women in the Puntland camps for MRG reiterated the dangers facing minority women: '[M]inority women said they seemed to be more vulnerable because there will be no revenge for [sexual violence], or there will be no justice at the end.' Indeed, the researcher suggested that these women are seen as 'easy prey'. As a result, there is a demand for a more robust legal system 'that is accessible to women of all groups' and that recognizes the specific needs of minority women and girls. This is particularly important considering that most cases go undocumented, either because minority women's rights are often neglected by the legal system or because of the stigma associated with sexual violence.
Human trafficking remains a serious issue for IDPs in Somalia. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) emphasizes the susceptibility of IDPs and other vulnerable groups to trafficking, with the Middle East, Sudan and South Africa identified as some of the destinations for human trafficking.


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Football with the Pups
Join us for football every weekend! We have lots of TV's and lots of fun. October Drink specials: $5 Lucky Cocktails, $20 U Call it CRAFT Buckets, $2.50 Miller Light Draft, and $13 Domestic Buckets! We also offer Daycare, Boarding, and Grooming 7 days a week!
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text:
SD Unified rolls out iPads in a big way
District in third year of technology initiative
San Diego After putting more than 75,600 netbooks into the hands of students, the San Diego Unified School District has switched its focus to Apple iPads and will buy devices to outfit 340 classrooms before the end of the school year.
In all, the district plans to purchase around 25,700 iPad 2s at a slight discount from retail to roll out to its fifth- and eighth-grade classes as well as some high school classes by next fall. It is one of the largest deployments of iPads in K-12 schools in the nation and will cost the district more than $15 million.
San Diego Unified is in its third year of a technology initiative, dubbed i21, which is being funded by proceeds from a bond measure approved by voters in 2008.
The district began distributing the iPads to classrooms last week. After taking a break to accommodate state testing, officials will resume placing them in schools, prioritized based on need, in a process expected to last until late July. Phase two of the rollout will begin in September.
Teachers undergo a one-day training session on how to use the devices and are provided information and tips about educational apps. Additional training will be made available.
Darryl LaGace, Unified's chief information and technology officer, said the district opted to make the switch after weighing the pros and cons of the two types of devices. The district has spent more than $35 million on netbooks, he said.
A factor in favor of the iPads are the fact they are "instant on," meaning there is no delay or wasted time as they boot up. They also have a larger screen than netbooks, which make them a better option to replace traditional textbooks. Also, they have an extended battery life and can utilize a large collection of educational apps that are available.
The cons include the fact that the iPad isn't compatible with Adobe Flash so some software won't run on it, they don't have a keyboard or mouse and it is an additional platform the district will need to support.
"Over the past six months, we have been piloting iPads and Android devices in a variety of settings," LaGace said in a memo sent to principals in early March. "Although no device can do everything, the iPad clearly provides some of the best features while at the same time addresses some of the issues we have experienced with the netbook platform."
LaGace asked school administrators to state their preference by early March. He said the vast majority chose the iPad.
The district is spending about $370 for the iPads, a slight discount from the $399 retail price tag. It costs slightly less than this year's netbook, "which is right in at $389," he said. Its contract includes three-year warranties on the devices and other extras.
Each classroom will be given a bundle of 34 iPads and a cart, which the teacher will use to charge and sync the devices with a desktop computer and will use to download new apps or content onto them.
LaGace said the district has made switching to a new platform an easy step for students and teachers, including providing a way for iPad users to access the district's "cloud" to open files that are created on netbooks or teacher tablets. Each iPad will be equipped with a rubberized cover that should protect it from most drops and dings. Schools will get to choose whether the equipment stays on campus or goes home with students, he said.
At Pershing Middle School, all nine eighth-grade teachers have been trained on the devices to prepare for their arrival.


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I am looking for a 7mm semi dry wetsuit for the winter and was wondering what ones you would reccommend.
Hello, I actually have the ScubaPro nova scotia semi-dry suit and highly recommend it. http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-101/150559/ScubaPro-6.5mm-Nova-Scotia-Semi-Dry-Wetsuit---Jumpsuit-for-2012.html
A suit made so well you'll barely know you're wearing it.
The Oceanic Pioneer suit is an elegantly powerful collaboration between advanced thermal protection technologies, intelligent and innovative materials, and quality construction under the Oceanic name. This revolutionary suit takes advantage of an anatomic design paired with core thermal protection material 'Thermaskin', Oceanspan neoprene, Liquid Seams, Skin-in seals, and Spandura.
Form meets function.
The Pioneer suit is Oceanic's most advanced wetsuit to date and is available in 3/2mm, 5mm, and 7mm so you can choose the best thickness for your diving environment.
You could spend your whole life waiting for the perfect conditions...or you could use...
The key to making any wetsuit perform to its ultimate potential is by reducing water transfer, allowing cold water to enter the suit and keeping that trapped water from escaping. Thermaskin material does just that by retaining the water in its revolutionary Cross Rib Knit.
Thermaskin assists in thermal protection by trapping water in the indices of the knit, minimizing water movement throughout the suit. The diver's body heats the trapped water and provides an efficient insulator as you dive down to deeper depths as it will not compress.
Lavaskin, paired with our latest technology in sealing system features, helps retain body heat for longer, more injoyable dives.
ThermaskinTM insulation provides enhanced thermal protection by using the body to heat water trapped in itís revolutionary non-compressable cross rib knit.
Strategic use of OceanSpan super stretch professional grade neoprene in non-critical thermal areas for ease of entry and comfort.
Liquid Seams on the 5mm and 7mm suits prevent water from entering and are much more durable than stitching alone.
The Pioneer's neck collar may be easily adjusted for size and comfort while maintaining an effective seal.
Skin-in neck, wrist and ankle seals prevent water flow in from the neck minimizing or even eliminating water flow.
Skin-in on the backside of the zipper and along the back keep water out from entry points and also serve as a spine pad.
Pre-bent arms and legs provide superior fit and comfort during periods of extended wear.
SpanduraTM is used for construction of the rear and knees for durability and anti-slip.
Stress Disks applied at all internal seam intersections for added strength and durability
Reinforced shoulders prevent slipping and wear from straps


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Children admit vandalizing vacant home
Published: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 12:43 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 12:43 p.m.
Authorities say a group of young children broke into a vacant home Thursday and did thousands of dollars in damage by destroying interior walls, mirrors and windows.
The four youngsters, ages 11 to 14, told Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies they crawled in through a window of the home in the 2200 block of Southeast 68th Street and soon began breaking things inside, according to reports.
Deputies found large portions of drywall ripped out, holes punched into the ceiling, toilet fixtures and bathroom mirrors broken, light fixtures broken and several windows broken out. Damages were estimated at $10,000, reports state.
A neighbor said he heard loud banging coming from the home but thought it was due to repairs. He eventually decided to check out the noise and as he walked up to the house, a pole come flying out of a window. He saw the children leave the house and ride away on bicycles. The man followed the four and saw them enter a nearby yard, according to reports.
No charges were immediately filed as officers were waiting to speak with the owner of the house, who could not be reached Thursday.
- Carlos E. Medina
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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They are incredible animals! Good luck this fall.
My Outfitter in Alaska just took this monster brown with a client last week. The bear is 9'5" and has a 27" skull. I hope he leaves afew for me this fall!
They are incredible animals! Good luck this fall.
NRA Life Member OHA Life Member
Hunter for Life
That's a great bear. Someday, Someday!!!
Blue Skies Hunting Adventures
No desire to hunt this animal myself, but that's truly a beautiful bear. Congratulations.
Great bear! Great pic's!! Good luck!!!


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The 11 Oz. Full
Color Stoneware Mug is an attractive yet practical
promotional marketing tool. Along with making an impact when
your customers or employees sit back and enjoy their hot
beverage, they'll take notice of your company brand that's
printed on the mug.
This stoneware
mug comes with full wrap around custom print to display your
logo or any information you want to display including
contact information, slogan or photos. Great for business
marketing, family reunions or to be used to say "thank you".
Read More
JH Studios is a one stop
shop for business marketing products and
swag with over One Million
promotional items that can be custom imprinted
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SAM.gov registered vendor Cage# 5Y7D1 |
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accept all major credit cards and we ship
internationally on most products.


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|New Odyssey to perform Monday at HHS auditorium
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
|Wednesday, 10 October 2012 14:13
Gags, gusto and far more than simple guitar riffs mark New Odyssey's unique stage show which comes to Holyoke Monday, Oct. 15 at the Holyoke High School auditorium as part of the Phillips County Arts Council concert series. The show is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Three guys wield 30 instruments and combine their individual virtuosity to form a raucous production featuring comedy, skits and audience participation. Once it gets going, they start putting on costumes and getting people on stage.
Gary Todd, Michael Jay and Gary Polkow—the men behind New Odyssey—are a power-packed team with eclectic backgrounds ranging in areas like musical theatre, acrobatic tumbling and even synthesizer production.
Tubas, banjos and drums are just a few of the instruments the trio wields. They play a lot of oldies that people know, and it's family friendly and very energetic.
The comedic stunts take their performances far beyond the basics of a traditional concert, and the music oriented skits add a dose of zaniness. There is one act where one of the men dresses up as Elvis. Audience members can join in on the antics and get a chance to perform along with the music, honking horns or donning silly costumes.
New Odyssey will mesmerize the audience. Classic rock, country, novelty and specialty arrangements are the calling card of the concert.
Holyoke Enterprise October 11, 2012


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NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK - Saturday June 2, 2012. Super adorable couple Neil Patrick Harris and fiance David Burtka take their twin toddlers Gideon and Harper tot he park in New York City where the whole family enjoyed a relaxing Saturday.


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Hi, noobie here, searched lots but can't find an answer...
Installed free Desktop yesterday - all going well, received emails from server for 2 addresses, but today the Advanced Search button is missing.
Also, Send/Receive button doesnt seem to do anything. I don't know if it's supposed to indicate its working in some way, but it seems mail only comes through when I refresh due to a Preferences change (question 3, how do I refresh?). I'm set to refresh every 5 mins.
I've moved over from MS office outlook and it's still configured to receive email, would that affect anything? Should I remove these addresses from outlook?
All help appreciated (however if your answer includes words like admin UI, code or source, I probably won't uderstand what you're on about)
Zimbra Desktop 7.2.1 GA (build 11637) on win 8


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WHEELING - After Wheeling Park's game against Morgantown on Thursday night, one coach was talking as if she was pleased with her team's effort; the other saying his girls didn't play well at all.
The result didn't match the attitudes.
Though the Patriots did come back and tie it at a couple of points - the last at 43-43 before the Mohigans went on a 10-0 run, Morgantown trailed only once for the length of time it took to get down in the court in what proved to be a 61-53 victory against Wheeling Park.
Article Photos
Morgantown's Leah Taylor (12) dribbles past the guard of Wheeling Park's Haley Robb (10) on Thursday night.
''I thought we played a very ugly game, but I was very happy with the win,'' Mohigans coach Adam Henkins said. ''Any time you can come up here and (beat) a good quality team like Wheeling Park, you're very excited. I'll take that.''
The road-weary Mohigans (9-3), who were on the sixth leg of a seven-game road trip that started in Pittsburgh, made its way through Charleston, Parkersburg, Wheeling, and will end in Martinsburg on Saturday, didn't do anything particularly well, according to their coach.
''We turned the ball over too many times,'' he said. ''We didn't rebound the ball very well. We made some bad decisions on the offensive end. But we got a win. You're never upset about a win, especially on the road.''
It was a different tune for Wheeling Park coach Dee Davis, whose team is still playing without injured point guard Marissa Tucker.
''That's a big improvement,'' she said. ''I thought they played really well. There were some missed opportunities with some buckets we missed and they went down and scored on them. Some 3-point shots, deep rebounds, we didn't get back, let them score. There were like three or four little plays that hurt us.''
Each team scored scored 30 points in the paint and struggled mightily outside of it, with Park making only four shots beyond five feet and Morgantown hitting nine.
The Patriots were 2 of 17 from beyond the 3-point arc, with Haley Robb making both of those, and Morgantown was 4 of 15. Caroline Columbo hit a trio of 3-pointers for Morgantown. She was the game's high scorer with 17 points.
Despite his team leading much of the way, Henkins said he never felt good about it, simply because Park's Robb and Emily Puskarich ''can light it up at any time.''
They both struggled to find their touch Thursday with Robb going 3 of 12 from the field for 16 points (she was 8 of 10 from the free-throw line) and Puskarich hitting 5 of 11 on her way to 11 points.
Joining them in double figures was Kendra Johnson, who scored 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting.
''I think both Johnsons, especially Kendra, stepped up,'' Davis said. ''Now she's learning the game. She's only a sophomore, didn't get any playing time last year. Now she's starting and I really like her game.''
Leah Taylor added 13 points and Allison Thompson totaled 11 for the Mohigans.


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A Celebration of Martin Luther King's Legacy
AMES, Iowa – On the eve of the inauguration of the nation's first African-American president, more than 30 Iowa State student-athletes took part in a community celebration of Martin Luther King's legacy Monday at the Ames Middle School. The Cyclones explained the achievements of an African American in their respective sports to an audience of more than 100 children.
"We wanted to convey the importance of Martin Luther King day, to recognize the event and be thankful for the things he did for our nation," said student-athlete advisory council president and ISU men's golfer Eric Lindquist.
"We are a completely different nation now. His influence on our nation was nothing but positive."
Among the trailblazers cited by the student-athletes was Jack Trice. Trice, Iowa State's first African-American student-athlete, died from injuries suffered in a Cyclone football game at Minnesota in 1923. Today, his name graces Iowa State's football stadium and is the only college stadium named for an African-American.
Among the participants was women's track sprinter Leia Jackson. Jackson said the celebration was community wide.
"It was bringing the community together," Jackson said. "Having the kids there was obviously great. It's great for them to see the student-athletes from Iowa State as older role models. It was nice for the community to see what we are doing out of the context of our own competition. We chose an African-American athlete in each individual sport and used that person to demonstrate the challenges these people overcame in their lives."
It was Jackson's first time as a presenter at the Ames MLK celebration. Jamie Hurst of Iowa State student-athlete services says the presentation has become an annual event.
"It is always wonderful for our student-athletes to be invited to participate in Ames community events," Hurst said. "The Student-Athlete Advisory Council has participated in this event for many years and their enthusiasm for their continued involvement is significant."
The evening included music, with a performance by the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Choir.


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The National Street Rod Association has announced the dates for the Golden State Nationals coming to the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento.
The show will be held on Oct. 2-4, 2009. The participants and visitors to the Cal Expo Fairgrounds will be part of the largest automotive participation event in the area.
This year marks the eighth time the National Street Rod Association has chosen Sacramento as its host city for this event.
The National Street Rod Association (NSRA), with headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., has more than 53,000 members worldwide. Vehicles will be driven from all parts of the United States to make this a unique gathering of vintage automobiles featuring nearly every make, model and style of pre-1979 manufactured vehicles.
Spectators will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the best constructed, most beautiful vintage automobiles to gather in one place.
This event will include more than 80 manufacturer displays representing leading automotive specialty and aftermarket suppliers, as well as a "Women's World" area with arts and crafts.
For more information, visit us nsra-usa.com.
Golden State Nationals
Where: Cal Expo Fairgrounds Sacramento
When: Oct. 2-4, 2009
Hours: Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.;
Saturday 8 a.m.5 p.m.;
Sunday 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Cost: Adult: $14, Child: 6 to 12-$5, 5 and under – free.


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Cloette M. Schroeder
Cloette M. Schroeder, 78 year old, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away surrounded by her family Sunday, November 25, 2012 at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Remsen with Reverend William McCarthy officiating. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Remsen. Visitation will be anytime after 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27, 2012. There will be a parish rosary at 5:00 p.m. and a vigil prayer service at 7:00 p.m. all at the Fisch Funeral Home and Monument in Remsen. Condolences may be sent online to www.fischfh.com


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As a temporary measure for transitioning from my old mail server, I want Zimbra to act as the smtp relay for the old server. I think in Postfix you just setup the "mynetworks" in main.cf:
mynetworks = xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/24
or use one of the mynetworks_style choices.
But I have already been caught with DNS issues with my Zimbra install, so I want to make sure that setting mynetworks won't screw anything up.
( By default mynetworks_style = subnet, and I would be changing that, I think)
many thanks


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This could get interesting...I'm intrigued. No real comments other than that cuz I don't want to push you in any direction but let you go your own way with this and see where it goes.
Alright! So, as you can see, this is somewhat of an evolution on a previous map of mine. I finally managed to create mountains I am somewhat content with. (with help from isomage, for which I am quite grateful!)
I have now moved on to worrying horribly over borders, so I'm making progress. I put the borders on this map just as a quick example to demonstrate my singular somewhat poor idea for them. I'm not quite sure what to do for them.
I will update this when (or if!) I make further progress.
I would appreciate any and all comments or suggestions any of you have to offer.
This could get interesting...I'm intrigued. No real comments other than that cuz I don't want to push you in any direction but let you go your own way with this and see where it goes.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
I'm with Ascension. This looks like it could be very interesting.
My current worldbuilding experiment(s):
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
-W.B. Yeats
I'm not really feeling the style of those mountains, but I like the black and red colors. Makes me think of a radar screen or something.
Nice so far. The mountains look good from a distance, but not from close. just wavelines.
Really? I think they look pretty awful from a distance, but much better up close.
I have an alternate style I could show, but I just upgraded to Windows 7 the other day, so it'll take a bit for me to get everything in order.
Last edited by TheMeanestGuest; 01-13-2010 at 10:46 AM.
So, getting back into this after installing Windows 7 took longer than I thought it would, and I just started doing some more work on it this afternoon. So far I'm feeling pretty good about it, and just thought I'd post what I've got to show what sort of direction I'm going in. Obviously I've still got a fair amount of work to do, and I still have to make naval icons that I feel good about, but that shouldn't take too long. The area you should probably be looking at is in the southeast, just in case you didn't notice. As always, comments and advice are welcome.
Last edited by TheMeanestGuest; 01-23-2010 at 07:30 PM.
I like it a lot. Not that it's easy to read, but the cool factor generated by the unique look makes up for it.
Maps encourage boldness. They're like cryptic love letters. They make anything seem possible.
-Mark Jenkins
I'm always so curious what you people use to make these maps...
I like the red/black theme you have going on here, it's so Predator vision.
It also kind of reminds me of one of those velvet Elvis' you see here and there as wall hangings. Maybe we can get this printed on velvet when it's finished...now that would be sweetness.
Keep going, I too am interested in seeing how this develops.
When its over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking. -John Wooden
* Rivengard * My Finished Maps * My Challenge Maps * My deviantArt


text:
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text:
Red State Uprising Question 5: More of a statement about 'Never Again'
PP.76-77 I am regularly told my 'Never Again' holding my nose attitude to avoid electing wishy-washy, moderate Republicans will harm the country. I offer an example from the 1940's as to why we must all Never Again or we are doomed… The Supreme Court's decision in Wickard v. Filburn is a perfect encapsulation of the explosion of federal powers that occurred in the 1940's. In | Read More »


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(Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony has failed to score 20 or more points only
once this season and looks to lead the New York Knicks to victory once again
Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
Anthony has scored 20-plus points in 27 straight games and is averaging 31.3
ppg in his last 11. Anthony, who's played at least 40 minutes in five straight
games, led the Knicks to an 89-86 victory at Boston Thursday with 28 points on
11-of-28 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds.
Thursday's game also marked the reunion with Celtics center Kevin Garnett. The
two got into a verbal spat on the floor back on Jan. 7 and Anthony was seen
waiting for Garnett by the Celtics team bus. Video footage showed the two
still exchanging words and having to be separated by a large throng of
security people.
The two claimed to have worked things out.
"There's no grudges between myself and (Garnett)," Anthony said. "Whatever
happened, happened. We spoke about that and it's over with. I don't hold
grudges or anything like that."
Amare Stoudemire added 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Jason
Kidd and Iman Shumpert contributed with 12 and 10 points, respectively, for
New York, which has won three of four games and aims for its third straight
road win in south Philly. The Knicks are 12-8 away from home.
Following their tilt against the 76ers, the Knicks will head back to Madison
Square Garden for five straight games versus Atlanta, Orlando, Milwaukee,
Sacramento and Detroit.
The 76ers, who are in the thick of 12 of 13 games as the host, will begin an
eight-game homestand with the Knicks in town and are 11-10 at Wells Fargo
Center. Also scheduled to visit the City of Brotherly Love are the Grizzlies,
Wizards, Kings, Magic, Pacers, Bobcats and Clippers.
Philadelphia hasn't played eight in a row at home since March 26-April 11,
1986 and won't play on the road again until Feb. 13 at Milwaukee. The Bucks
handed the Sixers their most recent loss, a 110-102 setback Tuesday from the
Bradley Center.
Evan Turner had 23 points and seven assists, while Spencer Hawes added 21
points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers, who have dropped eight of 10 and 19 of
their last 26 games overall. Turner is averaging 20.5 points in his last two
"We're going through a rough time, everyone goes through them," said Sixers
guard Nick Young, who scored 20 points of the bench. "We have to rally
together. (Milwaukee) played as a team, they played the way we need to play."
Thaddeus Young had 11 points and nine rebounds in defeat and Jrue Holiday, who
was selected to his first All-Star game as a reserve, scored just nine points
on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor to go along with a game-high 12 assists.
Holiday is the youngest Sixer to make the All-Star team and is averaging team-
highs of 19.0 points and 9.0 assists.
The 76ers have been able to score the ball, but winning has been an issue.
Over the past five games, the Sixers are averaging 100.2 points after posting
just 87.3 ppg in the previous eight. They are 9-4 when hitting 100 points this
season and only 3-17 when scoring less than 90.
Holiday is posting averages of 20.1 points, 9.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds in
his last 14 games. In injury news for Philadelphia, veteran guard Jason
Richardson is expected to miss Saturday's game with fluid in his left knee.
Philadelphia was swept convincingly by New York in a home-and-home series back
in early November (4-5) and the two teams will meet again Feb. 24 at MSG. The
Knicks have won nine of the past 12 meetings with the 76ers, who have still
prevailed in 10 of the last 15 meetings as the host in this series.
The Sports Network


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Hello Kitty Digital Wristwatch: White
Item # 32848-201104
This digital wristwatch by Simmons Jewelry features a white south-north tank body with... more details
This digital wristwatch by Simmons Jewelry features a white south-north tank body with matching silicon band. The watch display window showcases Hello Kittys face with a cute bow. Includes a red collectors tin box.
- tin box is 3.5" x 2.75" x 3.25"
- watch face is 1.5" x 1.75" x 0.50"
Please review our terms of use for posting.
Displaying 1-9 of 9
Very pretty but it gets scuffed and dirty very easily, and needs to be rubbed off with soap and water.
great items
absolutely loved the watch
Super Cute
I really love that they made a digital hello kitty watch, but it's not all that I hoped for. I have to clean it super often and I don't wear it everyday. There is a lot of extra like left over strap to make it fit my wrist.
Hello Kitty Watch
my boyfriend got this for my birthday and i must say it is so cute, its a little wierd on how to set up the time but i got it. *Oh and it lights up when u push the side button to see the date.
i must say its the cuteset gift for a hello kitty lover.
LOVE this watch
I love this watch. I bought it to wear at the hospital for nursing school. Its cute & functional. I get many compliments on it every time I wear it and the Patients love it :)
Cute watch!
I wear this watch every day, and I love it! My only complaint is that the material the watch is made of gets dirty really easily - I should have gotten the black one so it wouldn't look so dirty! But I just take a damp cloth and wipe it down and I'm good to go again. Get this watch if you're a HK fan - I love it!
Do Not waste your time and money...
I had to send the watch back as the one I received did not work. Only the lower half of the screen showed any numbers.- DON"T WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Kinda turned green
I loved it a lot. The part where the metal meets the plastic edges turned gray and green. It did not matter what I cleaned it with it is stained that color.
battery dies quick
My mom bought me both colors and I absolutely love them. I wore them everyday but sadly the they stopped working I don't know if the batteries gave out in less than 6 months.