text:
Champions League Message Board
Erik Hartberg Erik Hartberg Mar 14, 2008 19:30 Flag
Champions League Quarter Finals
First things first, the draw in full:
Arsenal vs Liverpool
Roma vs Manchester United
Schalke vs Barcelona
Fenerbahce vs Chelsea
There's absolutely no question about what the highlight for fans of English football will be but how will this all pan out? Who will win the Champions League?
The Semis will see Arsenal/Liverpool v Fenerbahce/Chelsea and Schalke/Barcelona v Roma/Manchester United.
Who's going to make it through to the final?Sort: Newest | Oldest | Most Replied Expand all replies
A Yahoo! User Apr 5, 2009 07:30 Flag
latest fantasy soccer news: http://www.fantasysp.com/scr/
You know, when I read the sort of inane drivel that you have posted today I feel embarrassed to be associated with Liverpool Football Club. What has Liverpool actually acheived during the past 5 years. An FA cup win on penalties against West Ham United, and a Champions League win on penalties against AC Milan. We could have easily ended up losing both those finals, indeed in both games we were not even the better side. So I say to all Liverpool supporters; get a reality check! Yes we beat Real Madrid and Manchester United in the same week, but we caught both of them on an absolute off day. Are Liverpool good enough to win the Premier League? I think not. Are Liverpool good enough to beat Chelsea? maybe, but not definately. So lets not get ahead of ourselves, we don't want to sound like a bunch of little up-starts do we. Wait until we have actually won something before you start bragging. Liverpool have not won the league since 1990 for god's sake, that's 19 years ago!
Chris you really must be the dumbest person i've come across in a long time. If you said this things in a pub you'd get ur teeth knocked out .....by me!! You think Arsenal and Chelsea are better teams than Liverpool>>>>>> wake up , anyone who knows anything about football would know that Lpool are the last team you wanna meet in Europe because of the pace and passion they play with.
And you think that if they were to meet Utd in the final that Liverpool wouldn't thrash them AGAIN , take a trip down to your local Supermarket and buy a big jar of coffee and SMELL IT!!!!
Utd have got the easiest draw by a mile AGAIN whereas if Lpool can make it past the toughest team (Barcelona , in case your littlebrain hasn't worked it out yet) then NO ONE will stop them . FACT FACT FACT. And i'm not a Liverpool Fan I just happen to know how to count to ten , which makes me far superior in intelligence to you. Hope the big words didn't confuse you .... you #$%$
LOL, you do know that Riise is not the first player to conceed an own goal in CL history. Yes he's probably gutted but YOU now have the tricky problem of not conceeding an away goal or two. Don't count your chickens yet, the goal gave you a slight advantage, but its only slight.
Karmachameleon Karmachameleon Apr 24, 2008 20:19 Flag
I meant 'disappointment'. Least I could do is spell it right!!!
Karmachameleon Karmachameleon Apr 24, 2008 20:17 Flag
Leg 1 of the semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool was boring as hell. However boring, it's the number of goals that hit the back of the neck which count. Thanks to Liverpool's Riise, (cheers mate!!) Chelsea has a headstart in the 2nd leg at Stamford Bridge next week. I'm confident that Chelsea will beat the Reds, no problem. Liverpool fans shout the loudest and make the most annoying noise but what good is that when the team are scoring own goals?! A bit of a let down I would imagine. I've seen better play in my son's football team at school.
Good luck Liverpool fans, you'll need it. Disappointemnt is not far away!!! LOL
A Yahoo! User Apr 6, 2008 00:22 Flag
chelsea is gonna win
dey're gonna beat fenerbahce 3-0 at home n face liverpool onlii 2 beat dem 1-0 on agg.
den we're gonna verse schalke in da final
- 1 Reply to A Yahoo! User
yeah and i bet you 100 millions pounds chelsea wont make it to the final!!. chelsea is not a big team, you will pretend to be a big club untill abromovich goes away with his money, then watch chelsea!!!
What happened to Chelsea? Do you still think that we were lucky? Do you know that Kazim, the first goal scorer is from Turkish Cyprus?
i think it is going to be arsenal vs man utd....i really would not like to meet man u again but i believe that is what the boys will have to overcome
- 1 Reply to Matt
Hey its gonna be a bad day 4 ManU & Chelsea 2day. I swear they wld be booted out & the semis would have Barca, Arsenal, Fernabache & Roma. As 4 Ronaldo (ManU), he is more of an athlete than a soccer player, he won't even have one shot on target
ARSENAL would be the European champions, whoever disagrees with me should come & see me
Liverpool won't win the Champions League - they have to play two all English ties, assuming Chelsea can beat Fenerbahce (which isn't much of an assumption) and Arsenal and Chelsea are both better teams than Liverpool, the league table is pretty good testiment to that.
Furthermore key to Liverpool's success in the Champions league, and in both the previous Chelsea ties, is having the crucial second match match at Anfield - this time, they will play the semi-final second leg at the Bridge.
So all in all not a good draw for Liverpool - and if you want the icing on the cake - Man Utd would beat them in the final even if they did make it.
- View More Messages


text:
Find Hotel Availability and Rates
Saskatoon Experience Pass Plus
Request this pass at the time of booking your hotel and redeem for amazing free offers!
If you like food, come to Saskatoon - it is that simple. The dining experience is unrivaled and with more restaurants, per capita, than any city in Canada. With everything from specialty deli shops to a rustic Italian pizza joint, we have you covered. Lovers of ethnic cuisine will find authentic Mexican, Burmese, Indian, Thai and Jamaican restaurants. Looking for more waist-friendly options? Or have a specific dietary requirement? Rest assured, there are plenty of veggie and gluten-free eateries to choose from.
Map View
Basic Listings
Saskatoon Farmers Market Co-op
Phone: 306-384-6262
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Saskatoon Station Place
Phone: 306-244-7777
Website: http://www.saskatoonstationplace.com
Scarlet Restaurant
Phone: 306-667-0182
Seasons Cafe & Eatery
Phone: 306-665-8121
Toll-Free: 1-888-888-4374
Website: http://www.heritageinn.net
Solar Gardens & The Firestick Cafe
Phone: 306-280-2762
Website: http://solargardens.ca
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Spadina Freehouse
Phone: 306-668-1000
Website: http://www.thefreehouse.com
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Spicy Bite
Phone: 306-373-4770
Website: http://www.spicybitecanada.com
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Spicy Time Restaurant
3401-8th Street E Unit 5
Saskatoon SK S7H 0W5
Saskatoon SK S7H 0W5
Phone: 306-665-4747
Website: http://www.spicytime.ca
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Stonebridge Cafe & Lounge
Phone: 306-683-9567
Website: http://www.fourpointssaskatoon.com
Stovin's Lounge
Phone: 306-683-6912
Toll-Free: 1-800 268 1133
Website: http://www.deltahotels.com
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
boston celtics
Thank You Bosh.........Career Mix *Original Audio* (Toronto Raptors- Miami Heat) 2010- 2011boston celtics 3y ago
Check Out the Latest Making the Callboston celtics 55m ago
Prospects Comment on Aingeboston celtics 1d ago
Warriors' Draymond Green tackles Celtics' Marcus Smart & Evan Turner to get himself open.boston celtics 1d ago
Check Out the Latest Making the Callboston celtics 1d ago
What If Jahlil Okafor Is Traded to the Boston Celtics?boston celtics 2d ago
Game 4 Live | Golden State Warriors vs OKC Thunder | 5/24/2016boston celtics 2d ago
Game 4 Live | Golden State Warriors vs OKC Thunder | 5/24/2016boston celtics 2d ago
Replay Center on Draymond Green's Groin Kickboston celtics 3d ago
4/17 Practice Report: Next Man Up Mentalityboston celtics 3d ago
Check Out the Latest Making the Callboston celtics 4d ago
Amir Johnson Highlights vs. Indiana Pacers (14 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists)boston celtics 4d ago
WBZ-TV Breaking News - Larry Bird retires from Boston Celtics - 1992 (Part 3 of 3)boston celtics 4d ago
Reliving the Returnboston celtics 4d ago
Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks - NBA Playoffs - 5.17.87 - Johnny Mostboston celtics 5d ago
Barkley Tells a Fan. "Kiss My Ass"boston celtics 6d ago
Celtics Get #3 Pick in NBA Draftboston celtics 1w ago
Baylor's Taurean Prince talks about his #Celtics draft workout, Yale gameboston celtics 1w ago
Isaiah Thomas talks after #Celtics land third pick in lotteryboston celtics 1w ago
#Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca talks about getting the third pickboston celtics 1w ago
Should Celtics Trade The No. 3 Overall Pick?boston celtics 1w ago
Boston Celtics, Danny Ainge Presser after NBA Draft Lottery - Full Audio Versionboston celtics 1w ago
Making the Callboston celtics 1w ago
NBA 1987-88 / PlayOff / ECSF 4G / 16.05.1988 / Boston Celtics - Atlanta Hawksboston celtics 1w ago
Isaiah Thomas Seals the Deal | Hawks vs Celtics | Game 4 | April 24, 2016 | 2016 NBA Playoffsboston celtics 2w ago
Thank You Bosh.........Career Mix *Original Audio* (Toronto Raptors- Miami Heat) 2010- 20113y ago
- all star game
- all stars
- all-star
- allen iverson
- amir johnson
- aston martin
- audio mix
- baron davis
- baseball
- basketball
- best of times
- boston celtics
- carmelo anthony
- chris bosh
- d wade
- dallas mavericks
- dance
- demar derozan
- denver nuggets
- derrick rose
- dunk contest
- dwight howard
- dwyane wade
- east west
- fair use
- football
- free agency
- gilbert arenas
- guinness world record
- hard times
- history
- hockey
- hot sauce
- interviews
- jarrett jack
- kobe bryant
- la clippers
- la lakers
- lebron james
- miami
- miami heat
- michael jordan
- music
- nate robinson
- national basketball association
- nba
- nba champions
- ncaa
- non-profit
- paul pierce
- slam dunk
- slam dunk contest
- slow motion
- snakes
- soccer
- sonny weems
- soulja boy
- speedy claxton
- spud webb
- standing ovation
- the best of times
- the free
- the future
- top 10
- toronto
- toronto raptors
- tracy mcgrady
- world cup
- world records
- yao ming
THE ORIGINAL VIDEO IS BACK AND BIG THANKS TO http://www.youtube.com/user/sRecollet 4 helping me keep my original audio. THANK YOU CHRIS BOSH ORIGINAL AUDIO MIX DOWNLOAD LINK IS UP: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ULWHLBQ2 WATCH IN HD (DISCUSS, COMMENT & RATE) Thanks Chris for your memories in T.O. You tried your best to fill Vince's shoes but...................you just couldn't. Vince will always be remembered as the greatest Raptor of all time even through the hard times but your number #2 in our hearts. Leaving as the all-time franchise leader in points, rebs, and blocks was a great milestone for you. Hope you'll have a great time in Miami and help D wade out being his Robin. We can't wait to play you and Miami during season and all you deserve is a standing ovation for putting your heart in the Raptor's franchise through the best of times and hard-times. I still wished you would of handled the free agency situation more professionally and not putting down Toronto in the dirt with just a tweet. So Toronto Raptors Fans are you guys happy with CB leaving? To me honestly it doesn't matter he wasn't really a superstar player. Bosh is more of a complementary player for example; complementing D Wade. As Raptor Fans let's look at the future and potential of the young core ( Demar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson , Andrea Baragani, Marco Belineli, Jarrett Jack, and etc. Miami Fans are ya'll excited with the addition of Chris Bosh? ENJOY THIS 9 MIN MIX OF CHRIS BOSH SIT BACK, AND WATCH IN HD. Footage courtesy of the NBA, ESPN, and The Toronto Raptors. Music Courtesy of WMG VIDEO IS SOLELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES Copyright Info "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use" Ignore Tagz Below: Carmelo Anthony,Tracy Mcgrady,Shaq, LeBron, Dwight Howard All-Star Dance-Off,Slam Dunk Contest,Top 10,NBA Draft 2008,Dwight Howard Superman dunk,AND1,Hot sauce,Lebron james,la lakers,Boston celtics nba champions,La Clippers,Denver Nuggets,Allen Iverson,Dallas Mavericks,East West All star game,nba record,nba street vol 1,2,homecourt,I Challenge Baron Davis,greatest in nba history,shot,block,steal,Michael Jordan's Final Shot 98,Baron Davis, Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, Tracy McGrady, Stephon Marubury, Yao Ming, Gilbert Arenas, Kobe Bryant, Speedy Claxton, Paul Pierce, Nate Robinson, Allen Iverson, and Ben Gordan,Soulja Boy And Lebron James Interview ,Kobe Bryant Jumps Over Car(Aston Martin) Slow Motion,Kobe Bryant Car Jump Exposed,fl, ncaa, baseball, soccer, futbol, football, Nba, basketball, mlb, hockey, nhl, paris fifa, poker, golf, world cup,Guinness World Record,Spud Webb Dunk Contest,the best of derrick rose,Kobe Bryant Jumps Over Pool w/ Snakes


text:
Best real amateur porn site with 1600+ naked amateur girls and 2000+ sex videos. Daily updates, unlimited downloading and streaming at Mofos.Visit: Mofos
Megan wanted to show off her sexy new lingerie, so her BF grabbed a camera and recorded her teasing him with her natural tits and big round booty. Dude fucked her in all of her holes, making her cum while he was balls deep in her amateur asshole!


text:
Which one would you stay in?
Which one would you stay in?
Either actually. I've not stayed at either one, so I'd like to try them both.
I'd go with Caribbean. Coronado has a convention image to me.
I week in one and another week in t'other! there problemo solved!
But what if the first one was really great and the second one didn't live up to it. :wink:
ooer.... back to the drawing board
I've stayed at CSR and wanted to stay at CBR, so it's a toss up!
I really liked CSR, except for the food court. Had very poor service there. Happily, many others love it. And from the photos I've seen, it appears they've renovated it a bit since I stayed there in 2003!
I do prefer the location of CBR to that of CSR. However, never had an issue with buses to/from CSR, despite the size of the resort.
There were several conventions when I stayed at CSR. Not a bad thing, although I suppose the food court and TS restaurant could be a bit busy at times. However, you don't see most of the convention attendees during the day, so the resort tends to be a bit deserted. Not a bad thing if you're having a quiet day at the resort!
I'm in agreement with Taja (as usual )Originally Posted by Taja, post: 38416
I liked the resort a lot, beautiful actually! We found the bus services was always busy with convention folks but other than that, fine.
HOWEVER the food court, having apparently been run by a non-disney company, lacked a certain something. It had a good choice, better than other places, but the service and the tip automatically added on to the whole meal did annoy me
I've had a wander round CBR grabbing photos for this site over the last year, and would have said I'd prefer CS BUT with the new pirate based rooms at CBR well I'd like to try them!
Disney information? Try our online guidebook at http://wdisneysecrets.com
Get your own Disney Countdown at http://toys.wdisneysecrets.com


text:
- Sold for: Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Item Category: Ceramics
- Source: eBay
- Sold Date: Nov 23, 2006
- Channel: Auction House
CANONSBURG CHINADescription This auction is for 63 gorgeous, elegant pieces of fine china from CANONSBURG in the lovely "MOSS ROSE" pattern. Beautiful pink flowers with grey and green stems and leaves complement this classically elegant, bright white china with brilliant brushed gold band at the scalloped rim. Just absolutely lovely, and in fantastic condition!
Unless otherwise noted, all pieces are in wonderful condition with no chips, cracks or repairs. Gold bands are beautiful with very little wear. Would make wonderful additions to your collection, or a great gift! THE HALLMARK OF QUALITY, CANONSBURG hallmark.
Pieces Include:
12 Dinner Plates - Measures @ 9 1/4" diameter, 9 plates in very good condition, 1 plate has a chip, 2 plates have crazing
12 Bread & Butter Plates - Measures @ 6 1/4" diameter, 9 plates in very good condition, 1 plate has a chip, 2 plates have crazing
12 Berry Bowls - Measures @ 5 1/8" diameter, 6 bowls in very good condition, 6 bowls have crazing
11 Cups - 10 cups in very good condition, 1 cup has 2 chips on rim
12 Saucers - 7 saucers in very good condition, 5 saucers have crazing
2 Oval Platters - Measures @ 8 1/2" x 11 1/4", 1 platter in very good condition, 1 platter has crazing
2 Round Vegetable Bowls - Measures @ 8 3/4" x 2 1/8", both bowls in very good condition Payment and Shipping Info Payment Options
Credit Card, Money Order / Cashier's Cheque, PayPal, Personal Check
Shipping UPS, US Postal Service
Sales Tax 5% for in-state buyers / 0% for out-of-state buyers Terms NO RESERVE! Payment must be received within 10 days of the end of the auction. Winning bidder to pay shipping cost plus insurance (28 lbs. from 21014). I will gladly combine items for shipping if you win more than 1 of my auctions.
I accept PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, money orders, and checks. Checks take 10 days to clear. Please email for international rates or if you have questions/comments.
Thanks for bidding! Please check out my other auctions.
trendywendy"> Mpire Listing Tools and Auction Management. Save Time and Money.


text:
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2007 - Somalia
|International Federation for Human Rights
|Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
|Publication Date
|19 June 2008
|Cite as
|International Federation for Human Rights, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2007 - Somalia, 19 June 2008, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/48646677a.html [accessed 27 May 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.
Political context
In January 2007, the troops of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), backed by the Ethiopian army, regained control over the capital, Mogadishu, and over most of the central and southern parts of Somalia that had formerly been controlled by the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). The change had no effect on the security of the population. On the contrary, violence and instability increased with the fighting between the insurgents and the TFG/Ethiopian forces. Both sides were guilty of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law: bomb blasts, blind firing of mortars, suicide attacks, firing on the crowd. It is estimated that street fighting caused the death of several hundred civilians. Admittedly, in March 2007, following the adoption of Resolution 1744 by the United Nations Security Council, 1,600 troops belonging to the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) arrived in the country, but their presence did not stop the violence.
Between October and November 2007, fighting further intensified, causing many deaths among the civilian population. Cases of rape, abductions and looting have been reported. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at the end of the year, around a million and a half persons were in urgent need of assistance and protection.
At the end of 2007, no political solution had been found, and calls for dialogue with the insurgents continued to be thwarted by the demand for the prior withdrawal of the Ethiopian army.
Obstacles to humanitarian action
In such a context of war, the humanitarian organisations are facing considerable obstacles in carrying out their work, in particular in their efforts to protect the civil society: constant checks of their movements, ambushes and robbery of humanitarian convoys, high taxes levied on humanitarian assistance, acts of harassment, arbitrary arrests, abductions. The abduction on December 26, 2007 of two members of Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans frontières – MSF), Ms. Mercedes Garcia, a Spanish doctor, and Ms. Pilar Bauza, an Argentine nurse in Bossasso, the capital of the Puntland, in the north of the country, drew media attention to the situation of violence and anarchy that has existed in Somalia throughout the year. The two women were released on January 2, 2008.1
The delivery of humanitarian aid by sea is also made difficult by the resumption of piracy off the coasts of Puntland and Southern Somalia, used as a means to finance the war effort. Military escorts have not prevented several vessels from being attacked, jeopardising for instance the activities of the World Food Programme.
Physical attacks and arbitrary arrests of defenders
Anyone attempting to mention publicly the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed in connexion with the conflict in Somalia runs the risk of being targeted by serious acts of reprisal. For instance, an eminent defender, Mr. Isse Abdi Isse, Director of the KISIMA Organisation for Peace and Development, was shot dead on March 14, 2007 while attending a conference held with the support of UNICEF on the socio-psychological support for children affected by the civil war, drought and floods.2
The parties to the conflict are clearly bent on silencing human rights organisations. In such a situation, independent journalists try to fill the gap by denouncing human rights violations, becoming in turn the subjects of serious exactions. Consequently, most of those responsible for independent media have left the country. For instance, according to the Somalia Press Freedom Observer, eight journalists were killed in 2007, half of them in targeted assassinations carried out by contract killers.3 Among them were important media personalities, including the Co-founder of Radio Horn/Afrik and the Director of the publishing conglomerate Shabelle Media. In addition, fifty-three journalists were arrested. And early in the year three journalists, Mr. Ali Abdi Dini, Mr. Mohamed Omar Sheikh Ibrahim and Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Rashid Farah, were arrested in Somaliland and sentenced to two years' and five months' imprisonment in an unfair trial, after they had published in the Haatuf newspaper a series of articles accusing the President of Somaliland of nepotism and corruption. Mr. Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, editor of Haatuf, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for "obstruction". The newspaper's publishing licence was withdrawn. And lastly, on December 16, 2007, a French cameraman, Mr. Gwenlaouen Le Gouil, was kidnapped by an armed group while making a film on clandestine emigration in Puntland. He was released on December 24.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH).
1 See MSF Press Releases, December 27, 2007 and January 2, 2008.
2 See Press Release by the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders' Network (EHAHRD-Net), March 16, 2007.
3 The eight journalists killed were: Mr. Ali Mohammed Omar, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi Khalif, Mr. Abshir Ali Gabre, Mr. Ahmed Hassan Mahad, Mr. Mahad Ahmed Elmi, Mr. Ali Iman Sharmarke, Mr. Abdulkadir Mahad Moallim Kaskey and Mr. Bashir Nur Gedi. In this regard, the Presidency of the European Union "strongly condemn[ed] the killing of two journalists in Somalia and reiterate[d] its support to all who work to promote freedom of expression and strive for impartial media and accurate information. Mahad Ahmed Elmi and Ali Iman Chamarke were prominent voices in Somalia whose work was essential to promote democracy and reconciliation" (See Press Release 12389/07 (Press 190), Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union condemning the killings of two Somali journalists, August 21, 2007). Likewise, in its Resolution P6_TA (2007) 0544, adopted on November 15, 2007, the European Parliament "condemn(ed) the TFG's systematic harassment of journalists, its closure of media outlets and its failure to investigate the killing of journalists, all of which have deeply damaged independent reporting in Somalia".


text:
Arpan Desai's WebLogXML w/ Cheesehttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/atom.aspxTelligent Evolution Platform Developer Build (Build: 5.6.50428.7875)2003-05-20T23:13:00ZPerformance of System.Xml in the .NET Framework V2http://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2005/06/07/426398.aspx2005-06-07T23:29:00Z2005-06-07T23:29:00Z
Vindication tastes so sweet: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/java/compare/xmlperf/default.aspx

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxXQuery in the .NET Framework - Revisitedhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2005/04/29/413347.aspx2005-04-29T09:50:00Z2005-04-29T09:50:00Z
As I was catching up on email this afternoon, I noticed that Stylus Studio had sent out an XQuery-related newsletter which contained an interesting campaign to "save XQuery on Microsoft .NET 2.0". As I read through the email, a few issues and questions arose for me which I felt would be best addressed by one of my famously, non-frequent blog posts.

Issue: The basic premise of this petition is to convince Microsoft to ship XQuery as part of.NET Framework 2.0.
We have been in feature freeze for the .NET Framework quite some time now. Heck, we recently released Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2, which includes .NET Framework 2.0 Beta 2, and are well on our way to RTM. There's no throwing features like XQuery in at this point in time, sorry. If you'd like to know why we made the decision to cut this functionality, we posted our reasoning online several months ago.

Issue (this one's a minor nitpick): The email states that the ".NET Frameworks ship only every 3 or so years".
Hmm, let's see:

Version 1.0 shipped as a part of Visual Studio .NET 2001
Version 1.1 shipped in Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Windows 2003
Version 2.0 will be shipping as a part of Visual Studio .NET 2005 and SQL Server 2005

The .NET Framework will also ship as a free, standalone SDK and redistributable, just as it has in the past.
<marketing_plug>In addition, we will be releasing free "Express" versions of Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005. See previous product links for details.</marketing_plug>

Question: What's so important about having XQuery in the .NET Framework?
One of the fundamental design points of System.Xml was extensibility. We decided well before we wrote our first line of C# that we needed to lay out an infrastructure that was extensible by everybody. There's no reason why somebody else can't provide an implementation of XQuery which sits outside of the .NET Framework; and do it just as well as we can. (hint, some enterprising people are already working on this)

At the end of the day, we sat down and talked in depth to a lot of people about XQuery before we came to this decision. On the .NET Framework, developers felt that XQuery added an unnecessary complication to an area which we should be focusing on the basics such as simplification and performance. We took this feedback seriously and redoubled our efforts regarding general usability and performance (more on this in a future post or MSDN article). On SQL Server, on the other hand, users felt that XQuery was an excellent fit for performing operations against the new native XML datatype available in SQL Server 2005.

I believe our current positioning shows that Microsoft is still commited to XQuery as a technology overall, but we're not going to push it in areas where it doesn't provide a significant value-add over what's already available. That said, we are obviously keeping an eye on people adopting XQuery both inside and outside SQL Server in order to help us plan for the future.

As always, feel free to post comments or email me directly: arpande at microsoft.com

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxPobre Markhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2004/12/25/332376.aspx2004-12-26T06:01:00Z2004-12-26T06:01:00Z
The Grinch (the watch, not Mark)

Apparently Mark's ongoing saga with this "SmartWatch" is just that: ongoing. I remember when he walked into my office earlier this year and showed me his nice, new, shiny watch and the fact that with the press of a button (or two), he could figure out when/where his next meeting was. This single feature made me an instant fan. Forget the news, the weather, my horoscope?, and whatever useless pieces of information they think is interesting on a 1-inch display. All I wanted to know was the time and location of my next meeting.

Initally, I balked at the price of the watch in combination with subscription requirement. Then Mark's watch went out. After the first watch self-destructed, I was still torn whether to get it or not. After the second watch died, I became suspicious...very suspicious. In fact, I remember the moment the smartwatch fell out of favor:

While we were at TechEd 2003, a few of us decided to go out to dinner. After a long meal, somebody asked Mark what time it was and he replied, "five past twelve". Amazed at how much time we had spent just at dinner, we decided to walk back to the hotel. On the way back, a random person on the street asked what time it was. This time Mark replied, "quarter past twelve". As we walked away, the person started to shout that we must have had the wrong time. We laughed it off, after all, who was the one with the watch? Once we got back to the lobby, we noticed that there were still quite a few people milling around. Seemed a bit strange for midnight. We decided to have a drink before we went to sleep and on our way to the bar, somebody noticed that it was, in reality, just after ten o'clock. Mark looked at his watch again. The watch claimed it was 12:20...January 1st. Apparently it reset just as we were finishing dinner. Who had the watch, indeed.

That did it, no watch for me. Man began keeping track of time approximately 5,000 years ago and we continue to make progress today. I'm sure that over five millenia, there have been many badly designed timekeeping devices. This is pretty high on the list in my opinion.

Salvation, refound

A little known fact is I used to be a developer on the Smartphone team way back when (circa 2000). Once they were released state-side, I always planned on getting one. Initially, I had to wait for the contract on my phone ran out. Once that happened, the only model that seemed interesting was the Motorola MPx200 which was lacking two features which I wanted: bluetooth & camera. Acutally, I never thought I'd want the camera, but who gets a phone thesedays without it? So I figured I'd wait it out until the MPx220 was released. So I waited...and waited...and waited.

Then I went to XML 2004. On the flight to Washington, DC, Dare took out his new toy: A new, shiny...Audiovox 5600. After playing with it for five minutes, I was sold. So I took the plunge and when I got back to my house a week later, there was a package from FedEx waiting at my front door. Within ten minutes, no joke, it ported my old number and I was synching with the Exchange server. I was especially proud of that second part since I had worked on the synchronization framework and written the first version of ActiveSync on the smartphone OS. (Although Andy likes to think that they threw all my code away once I joined the Dark Side aka became a Program Manager)

One month later, I can say that I'm thrilled with the Smartphone..and I'm not the only one. The smartphone, and the Audiovox in particular, is spreading like wildfire inside the company. The viral effect is beyond anything else I've seen, even puts the iPod effect to shame. As for the smartwatch, I can only hope that Mark has better luck in the new year. BTW, I'm sure that he's an EXTREMELY exceptional case. I know other people with smartwatches and they've never had a problem with it.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxTimeshifting not always a good thing?http://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2004/12/15/316200.aspx2004-12-15T23:47:00Z2004-12-15T23:47:00Z
I love PVRs. They let me timeshift television shows so that I can watch whenever I want. One good thing about PVRs is that I KNOW what I'm watching isn't stale. I know that the ten episodes of "The Daily Show" on my Media Center aren't all current, but heck, they're still hilarious.

Timeshifting on MSDN TV is a different story. As Jeff noticed, MSDN decided to post an episode that mfussell taped earlier this year. As with just about everything that Microsoft develops, there has been a significant amount of thinking and churn that's happened since then....making portions of the episode completely incorrect. Lesson learned: Timeshifting on MSDN TV is not a good thing.

Oleg picked up on Jeff's post and expanded on some of the disappointments he sees with what we're shipping in Whidbey now compared to what the episode said. Although I agree with some of his gripes (some of this stuff should have made it into V1.1), I think the main problem is we haven't done a good job of explaining why we made some of these changes. I'm partially to blame for that, so let me try and rectify.

XmlDocument is (once again) the preferred store for XML
Today, V1.0/1/1, there's the XmlDocument which virtually everybody uses as their XML store. There's also the XPathDocument which has better performance in some query scenarios, but it's not editable.

At the beginning of Whidbey, we took a look at the XmlDocument and "decided" that the performance can't be fixed. So what's the answer? Bolt all sorts of interesting features onto XPathDocument! Editable XPathNavigator? Add it to XPathDocument! Type support? Add it to XPathDocument! Later in the cycle, we decided to reinvestigate the performance issues of the XmlDocument. Thanks to some work done by the CLR team in Whidbey and some fresh eyes, we realized that maybe the performance issues weren't insurmountable. So what's our new story for XML stores? Keep using the XmlDocument. You now have typing/validation support and editable XPathNavigator support (Jeff should be happy). We're also doing a lot of performance work so that we can effectively obsolete the XPathDocument in the long run. BTW, addressing performance and usability of the XmlDocument is going to be one of my main objectives going into the future.

XQuery/XSLT
This should be an entire post, possibly even a book, in itself. As the Program Manager for XSLT and XQuery in Whidbey, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. I'll try and cut to a few fundamental facts on this one...of course I'm sure there will be some lingering questions/disagreements from many of you:

- Neither XQuery 1.0, nor XSLT 2.0, will be finalized until probably the end of next year (2005). <opinion type="personal">Based off how many times both of these specs have already slipped, literally, years; I'm not confident even on that timeline.</opinion>

- Whidbey is scheduled to release before this time. Regardless of whether Whidbey slips beyond this, we can't plan our release on this fact. <opinion type="personal">I don't think Whidbey will slip. Recently, the organization has done an excellent job of locking down this release.</opinion>

- When we say that we're not going to support something, this goes for pretty much EVERY feature, it simply means we're not shipping in our stack at that point in time. We may implement it down the road. It does NOT mean we've written it off completely and forever.

- When we do decide support something, it should have a pretty long lifetime. XQuery 1.0 and XSLT 2.0 are huge undertakings. Writing an implementation is, surprisingly enough, is one of the simpler factors. Making sure it's scalable makes things a little harder. Getting the quality high enough so it's enterprise-ready (btw, this is much, much more than passing XYZ test suite) is pretty difficult. Getting tooling support like query generators, debuggers, and profilers is a substantial amount of work on top of everything else. Investing this much into a couple of unfinished standards? Maybe not the best idea.

So was XQuery a black hole? Maybe, but some good came out of it. For example, we came up with a new query architecture to support both XSLT and XQuery. Our Whidbey XSLT implementation is built on this architecture and the performance of this implementation, well, blows the socks off XslTransform. Another major benefit was our ability to provide feedback to the XQuery/XPath working groups in finding issues in the standard. This aspect of early implementation is often trivialized, but it's an important step in validating a standard.

The remaining 95%
There are literally hundreds of enhancements that were made to the rest of System.Xml in Whidbey from simple things like implementing typed accessors on XmlReader/XmlWriter/XPathNavigator for usability to rewriting the XmlReader to double its performance...Not to mention the new XML tools support in Visual Studio (should be another book in itself). Sometimes our team doesn't do the best job of conveying this information because we become too enamored with some specific problem-set we're trying to solve.

As you can tell from my blogging history, I don't have the best record in terms of regular posts; maybe that will be my New Year's resolution. However, I'm always accessible via email. My alias is arpande. If you have any questions or want to start a friendly debate, feel free :)

-Arpan

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxXPathNavigator and the DataSethttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2004/08/24/220047.aspx2004-08-25T06:21:00Z2004-08-25T06:21:00ZAn article I recently wrote about an XPathNavigator over DataSets is currently running on MSDN (http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnxmlnet/html/datasetnav.asp). Might be an interesting read if you ever perform XPath queries or XSLT transformations on top of DataSets.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxObligatory cheesy conference posthttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2004/05/26/142609.aspx2004-05-26T22:01:00Z2004-05-26T22:01:00Z
It seems that most members of the the blogging community succumb to posting a "Yesterday at the -Insert Name- Conference...", so who am I to rock the boat.

Yesterday at TechEd 2004, Mark gave his talk on "XML Today and Tommorrow"...basically a rundown on how people use our bits in the current version of the .NET Framework and some of the improvements we're making in Whidbey. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it because I was meeting with some customers, but from feedback I got from talking with several customers afterwards, it went quite well. Rumor is there was applause when he demoed some of the XQuery functionality we're introducing. That's good for my XQuery talk on Friday.

In the afternoon, I went an saw Dave Campbell's talk on SQL Server 2005 "Yukon". He went through all the new features of Yukon, several of which I had no absolutely no clue we were doing. Sometimes we suffer from a sort of product myopia because we're too busy to understand what everybody else is working on. Dave did a great job of showcasing everything and tying it together. One of the interesting features I actually have been keeping an eye on is data partitioning. I think our story there is going to be killer.

Later, I met up with Andy and Luca, of ObjectSpaces fame, and we attended a Birds of a Feather talk on Object/Relational Persistence Frameworks (and really anything else O/R related). The delay of ObjectSpaces seemed to be a disappointment to several of the attendees. We discussed several other available frameworks and the design/coding pains that everybody has experienced with them and ObjectSpaces. An interesting point that one of the attendees brought up was that he'd like to see a general (pluggable) persistence framework which would enable him to persist to relational sources, XML, etc. This is one of those ideas we've been throwing around internally for several years.

After the BOF, we met up with Mark and the four of us attempted to go a really good Szechuan restaurant called Spicy City. Unfortunately, it was closed when we showed up at 9pm, so we decided to go back to the Gaslamp District and find something else. I suggested Trattoria La Strada, an Italian favorite from my college days. We had a nice, relaxing dinner which included a few courses of amazing food, a nice bottle of chianti, and some grappa to finish. After dinner, we attempted to find some sort of a dive bar to hang out in, but Gaslamp thwarted us by only providing fine upstanding establishments. We decided beggers can't be choosers :)

That concludes my cheesy post.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxPromises, promiseshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2004/05/13/131408.aspx2004-05-13T20:27:00Z2004-05-13T20:27:00Z
So much for for blogging more regularly. But if there was ever a reason to start up again, Mark's recent post on XSLT 2.0 and Dare's response are as good a reason as you can get. As the XML Query (XPath, XSLT, XQuery, anything else) Program Manager for the .NET Framework, it's time for me to chime in.

First, we're not abandoning XSLT 1.0. Far from it, we've completely rewritten our XSLT implementation from scratch in Whidbey (XsltCommand) in order to solve the major performance issues we had with the current implementation. Our original intention was to meet MSXML 4.0's incredible performance. I believe we'll surpass this goal by the time we release.

XSLT 1.0 will still be a (the?) core scenario for the query team, even in the Whidbey timerame. Transformation is a vital piece of functionality in most XML processing pipelines, this will not change in the forseeable future. The question then becomes, what is XSLT 2.0 bringing to the table that makes it compelling. We're not interested in implementing a standard just so we can tick off a checkbox on some feature list. We're here to solve customer problems.

Several years ago we sat down and evaluated the intentions of both XQuery 1.0 and XSLT 2.0 while they were both in their infancy. We looked at the pains our customers were telling us they were having. We looked at where we anticipated their pains would be in 5 or 10 years. This yielded some interested conclusions:

People wanted a more powerful XPath...and all they had was XSLT. We saw (and still see) case after case of people who need some advanced querying functionality and shoehorning XSLT to solve the problem. XPath 2.0 doesn't solve the problem either because the scenarios required some XML construction in the results.

XSLT syntax and programming paradigm is not user friendly. This was Mark's main point and is something we've heard from developers over and over again. Syntax is an easy problem to solve, just make a human-friendly alternative. However, the programming paradigm is quite hostile to anybody who isn't a fan of LISP. This is a fundamental issue many people have with the language.

ASP.NET 2.0 is a phenomenal product. Many of us believe that one of our key XSLT scenarios, HTML generation, will be greatly diminished with the ease in which an ASP.NET solution can be developed. There will still be cases for XSLT on a web server, however this will be reduced in time.

These data points left us two real conclusions:

Implement both XSLT 2.0 and XQuery in the .NET Framework

Implement XQuery in the .NET Framework

There was much deliberation on this topic and we concluded that we were satisfying the transformation scenarios our customers had, but were failing on the core query scenarios. Given that we don't have infinite resources, we felt that having a strong XPath 1.0, XSLT 1.0, and XQuery 1.0 implementation was more important than having a mediocre XPath 1.0/2.0, XSLT 1.0/2.0, XQuery 1.0 story.

This is a bet that Microsoft is making. We're putting a stake in the ground and saying we want XQuery to be defacto XML query language. SQL Server 2005 will have a native XML datatype which will utilize XQuery. We're also talking with other product teams which use XML extensively to get them on the wagon. Again, this is to ensure that long term we have a strong, consistent message rather than a weak, fragmented one.

For those of you attending TechEd 2004 in San Diego this year, feel free to check out DAT327. Michael Rys and myself will be presenting a session on XQuery in SQL Server and the .NET Framework. You'll be able to grill us in person :)

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxTim Bray / RSS Bandit strikes againhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2003/09/23/56839.aspx2003-09-24T03:29:00Z2003-09-24T03:29:00Z
 Tim Bray, of XML co-creator fame, was just interviewed by News.Com. In the article, he gives a good overview of why XML was created and the possible solutions that were available at the time. Few other things of note:

 Positive things to say about Microsoft and XML. He likes Visual Studio .NET's easy integration with web services. I appreciate the fact that he mentions he's seen the Office 2003 XML schemas. There's a lot of FUD out there regarding the openness of the XML with regard to Office 2003. For those of you non-believers, start believing.

 Apparently feels the XmlReader API in System.Xml was a good step forward. Wait till he sees what we're doing in Whidbey. :)

 He mentions he doesn't believe that XML could be done at the W3C today. I completely agree. The various W3C WGs are bloated, monolithic beasts that can rarely agree that <text STYLE="font-family: Courier;">true == true</text> . If you don't understand how more representation can be a bad thing, go watch Star Wars - Episodes 1 and 2. The Republic Senate == W3C.

 Our very own dareo has written an article on revamping RSS Bandit. As always, a good read. I really like the ability to apply stylesheets to the feeds for a custom look and feel.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxPDC, XQuery, and mfussellhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2003/09/23/56838.aspx2003-09-23T09:30:00Z2003-09-23T09:30:00Z
 That special time of year has finally come: Microsoft is hosting PDC (Professional Developers Conference) at the end of October. For those of you not completely in the know, PDC is where we get to reveal all the cool technologies we've been working on. There are several sessions of particular interst this year this year:

 .NET Framework: Exploring What's New in the Base Class Library for "Whidbey"
 The BCL guys have done a great job of adding a lot of needing functionality to the framework.

 .NET Framework: What's New in System.Xml for "Whidbey" - mfussell
 My boss is giving a talk on what our team has been working on for the past few years.

 Programming "Indigo": Building Services and Connected Applications
 Should be a good overview of what to expect in the web services world

 Introducing "Avalon," the Next Generation of Windows Presentation Services: A Technology Overview
 These guys are doing some cool stuff. 'nuff said

 Visual C# "Whidbey": Language Enhancements
 Some new cool features being added to C#, won't spoil the fun here

 Developing Data Applications for Devices with Microsoft SQL Server"! CE 3.0
 SQL Server running on a smartphone. How much techier can you get :)

 Building Database Applications with SQL Server "Yukon": XQuery, XML Datatype - arpande
 What can I say, shameless plug for a talk I'm giving. The current plan is to go over the XML support in Yukon and how it integrates with client technologies.

Programming SQL Server "Yukon" Using Managed Code: Building Store Procedures, Functions, and User-Defined Types
 More Yukon goodness/essentials.

 ASP.NET: Overview of ASP.NET "Whidbey"
 Another bread and butter talk. Can't miss this.

 Apart from the talk mentioned above, the INETA has agreed to have an XQuery BOF (Birds of a Feather) talk. This will be a great opportunity to have a round table discussion with members of the product team at Microsoft implementing XQuery and with other conference attendees who have an interest in XQuery.

 And last, but not least, mfussell (Mark Fussell) has joined the fray of Microsoft bloggers. Mark is responsible for keeping Dare, Joshua, and myself in line, especially when we start coming up with crazy features which would take years to implement. Although wrangling us is already a full time job, he still managed to find time to write a book on the new features of System.Xml. Check it out.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxLazing Aroundhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2003/09/15/56837.aspx2003-09-16T00:16:00Z2003-09-16T00:16:00Z
 This past weekend I had two tasks I wanted to accomplish:

 Buy a new watch

 See michaelb's baby

 What I actually did:

 Saturday
 Went to Fry's, bought some component cable
 Went to see Once Upon a Time in Mexico.  It was interesting to note that the teenagers didn't seem to enjoy the movie very much, probably because they've never seen El Mariachi or Desperado.

 Sunday
 Went to Home Depot & Staples to pick up random tools and things
 Helped my friend, Jason, (bi)wire up his new speakers

 Which brings me to the real reason for this post.  Jason's new speakers are quite impressive, to say the least.  He had broken them in over the past month with some generic Radio Shack cable.  Yesterday we broke out the real cable and we had enough left over to bi-wire the front left & rights (note: they actually support tri-wiring!).  Anyway, after a bit of fine tuning, we started throwing every acoustically impressive CD and DVD at it and it sounded quite good.

 I think an SACD player may be next in line.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxPicking Up Steamhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2003/09/08/56834.aspx2003-09-09T01:49:00Z2003-09-09T01:49:00Z
 Just got back from a relaxing week in beautiful southern california.  Mid-80s, not a cloud in sight...basically perfection.  Fry's, (mom's) food, friends, and most importantly, strong drinks.

 Anyway, back in the real world, we're conducting usability tests on V2 of System.Xml this week.  So far the results haven't been that surprising.  Our 'suspect' areas are indeed causing confusion with the participants.  One item of solace for us is they were playing with (now outdated) Whidbey Alpha bits and we've already cleaned/fixed many of the problems they mentioned.

 Hopefully we'll get some more good feedback from the usability participants this week.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxI'm lamehttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2003/08/27/56829.aspx2003-08-28T03:23:00Z2003-08-28T03:23:00ZWell, so much for my grand plans for blogging. Three months and I haven't posted anything. I admit it, I am quite lame. Luckily, nobody reads this with the exception of Dare who has the secret hope that I will join him in his blogging exploits. Alright, here's my New Year's Resolution for 2003 (it's a good thing I didn't make one earlier): I will blog on a more regular basis. There, done.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxPrimushttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/arpande/archive/2003/05/20/56825.aspx2003-05-21T06:13:00Z2003-05-21T06:13:00Z
 About me:
 Well, my name is Arpan Desai and I'm a Program Manager with the SQL Server group at Microsoft.  I work on the System.Xml stack in the .NET Framework, focusing on XML querying.

 What you'll find on my blog:
 I'm going to mainly focus on 'XML Tips & Tricks', but I'll also dive a bit into other diversions such as HTPCs/HDTV/Pretty much anything technology related.

MSDNArchivehttp://blogs.msdn.com/MSDNArchive/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashx


text: Final Sale A pair of acid wash skinny jeans featuring zippered leg openings with tonal bows. Darted waist. Exposed zipper placket with hook-eye closure at the back. Stretchy. Woven. Unlined. Lightweight. DETAILS: 26" approx. inseam, 26" waist, 8" leg opening, 9.5" rise, 14" thigh girthMeasured from Size 26 98% cotton, 2% spandex Machine wash cold, tumble dry low Imported Product Code : 2040002943


text:
What is this?
I guess Ian is busy that night, huh? Ha ha ha. I crack myself up.
Frank just tweeted this...he will be "on" from 6:00 until 7:00 pm PST. That is 9:00 to 10:00 pm EST, if you're not a mathematician.
I am the FeedWatcher and every summer I am a Big Brother addict. Live feed updates, gossip, and other tidbits. Yes, I post spoilers.


text:
To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog:
On January 14, the California Supreme Court overturned a long-standing state limitation on the fraud exception to the parol evidence rule. Riverisland Cold Storage, Inc. v. Fresno-Madera Prod. Credit Assoc., No. S190581, 2013 WL 141731 (Cal. Jan. 14, 2013). Generally, the parol evidence rule limits the use of evidence outside a contract itself to contradict or add to the terms of the contract. The exception allows a party to present extrinsic evidence to support a claim of fraud. In California, the Supreme Court in 1935 established a rule in Bank of Am. etc. Assn. v. Pendergrass, 4 Cal. 2d 258 (1935) to limit the fraud exception to evidence that establishes an independent fact or representation, a fraud in the procurement of the instrument, or a breach of confidence concerning its use. That Pendergrass limitation excluded evidence of a promise at odds with the written contract. The instant case involved two borrowers who entered into a restructured debt agreement with a credit association after falling behind on their payments. After the credit association sought to foreclose on the borrowers for failing to perform under the agreement, the borrowers sued the association, claiming that its vice president had promised terms different from those reflected in the written contract. The Supreme Court affirmed the intermediate appellate court's holding in favor of the borrowers that evidence of an alleged oral misrepresentation of the written terms is not barred by the Pendergrass rule; concluding that Pendergrass was "an aberration," it overturned the rule. The court determined that the Pendergrass rule was out of step with established state law at the time it was adopted and was improperly supported in the court's 1935 decision, and reaffirmed that the parol evidence rule was never intended to be used as a shield to prevent proof of fraud. The court did not address whether, in this case, the borrowers had presented evidence of reasonable reliance on the promised terms, particularly given that the borrowers admit to having not reviewed the contract. That issue will need to be first addressed by the trial court on remand.
See more »
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
© BuckleySandler LLP
Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
Sign up to create your digest using LinkedIn*
JD Supra provides users with access to its legal industry publishing services (the "Service") through its website (the "Website") as well as through other sources. Our policies with regard to data collection and use of personal information of users of the Service, regardless of the manner in which users access the Service, and visitors to the Website are set forth in this statement ("Policy"). By using the Service, you signify your acceptance of this Policy.
JD Supra collects users' names, companies, titles, e-mail address and industry. JD Supra also tracks the pages that users visit, logs IP addresses and aggregates non-personally identifiable user data and browser type. This data is gathered using cookies and other technologies.
The information and data collected is used to authenticate users and to send notifications relating to the Service, including email alerts to which users have subscribed; to manage the Service and Website, to improve the Service and to customize the user's experience. This information is also provided to the authors of the content to give them insight into their readership and help them to improve their content, so that it is most useful for our users.
JD Supra does not sell, rent or otherwise provide your details to third parties, other than to the authors of the content on JD Supra.
If you prefer not to enable cookies, you may change your browser settings to disable cookies; however, please note that rejecting cookies while visiting the Website may result in certain parts of the Website not operating correctly or as efficiently as if cookies were allowed.
Users who opt in to receive emails may choose to no longer receive e-mail updates and newsletters by selecting the "opt-out of future email" option in the email they receive from JD Supra or in their JD Supra account management screen.
JD Supra takes reasonable precautions to insure that user information is kept private. We restrict access to user information to those individuals who reasonably need access to perform their job functions, such as our third party email service, customer service personnel and technical staff. However, please note that no method of transmitting or storing data is completely secure and we cannot guarantee the security of user information. Unauthorized entry or use, hardware or software failure, and other factors may compromise the security of user information at any time.
If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, you must immediately notify us of the problem by contacting us at email@example.com. In the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your user information in our possession or control may have been compromised, we may seek to notify you of that development and, if so, will endeavor to do so as promptly as practicable under the circumstances.
Except as otherwise described in this privacy statement, JD Supra will not disclose personal information to any third party unless we believe that disclosure is necessary to: (1) comply with applicable laws; (2) respond to governmental inquiries or requests; (3) comply with valid legal process; (4) protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of JD Supra, users of the Service, Website visitors or the public; (5) permit us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain; and (6) enforce our Terms & Conditions of Use.
In the event there is a change in the corporate structure of JD Supra such as, but not limited to, merger, consolidation, sale, liquidation or transfer of substantial assets, JD Supra may, in its sole discretion, transfer, sell or assign information collected on and through the Service to one or more affiliated or unaffiliated third parties.
This Website and the Service may contain links to other websites. The operator of such other websites may collect information about you, including through cookies or other technologies. If you are using the Service through the Website and link to another site, you will leave the Website and this Policy will not apply to your use of and activity on those other sites. We encourage you to read the legal notices posted on those sites, including their privacy policies. We shall have no responsibility or liability for your visitation to, and the data collection and use practices of, such other sites. This Policy applies solely to the information collected in connection with your use of this Website and does not apply to any practices conducted offline or in connection with any other websites.
We reserve the right to change this Policy at any time. Please refer to the date at the top of this page to determine when this Policy was last revised. Any changes to our privacy policy will become effective upon posting of the revised policy on the Website. By continuing to use the Service or Website following such changes, you will be deemed to have agreed to such changes. If you do not agree with the terms of this Policy, as it may be amended from time to time, in whole or part, please do not continue using the Service or the Website.
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, your dealings with this Web site, or if you would like to change any of the information you have provided to us, please contact us at: email@example.com.
Already signed up? Log in here
Back to Top
Explore 2016 Readers' Choice Awards
Copyright ©


text:
UK Immigration Law
Ask an UK Immigration Law Question, Get an Answer ASAP!
Good morning
Australian nationals do not require prior entry clearence purely for visiting the UK. The length of stay would be decided by immigration official at the UK airport that she flies into. She would just need to explain her reasons for coming eg 'spending Xmas with my boyfriend'. She may be granted up to 6mths leave as genral visitor but she could not work here uring that time.
I would agree that she should go to the Continent before visit expiry and return on 2 Jan 2010 (if that the guidance that British High Commission has given her for student visa).
I do not think that non-expiry of working holiday maker visa or future start of student visa would be a barrier for her proposed general visit ('tourist visa' as you say).
Hope that helps. Kind regards
Please click green button to accept answer.
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.
The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided "as is". To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the "Verified" symbol in the Expert's profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).


text:
See All Contributors »
CFTV: Rodney Coe talks fall camp | News | Football | Cyclone Fanatic
Twitter: @ChrisMWilliams
Facebook: Cyclone Fanatic
Nice interview. Seems like a guy who has it together. Interesting to hear his grandfather's prediction for him.
What's the story with the "Faster Family" shirts?
Forum Rules
All content owned by CycloneFanatic.com - All rights reserved 2005-09. By viewing this website you agree to the Terms of Service, Site Rules and Legal Disclaimer. The words, views, images and opinions expressed or provided by users do not reflect the opinions or views of CycloneFanatic.com or Iowa State University. The names, words, symbols, and graphics representing Iowa State University are trademarks and copyrights of the University protected by the trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America and other countries and are used on this web site under license from the University. Original site design, premise & construction by Jeremy Lind.


text:
Senior Member
Last Activity: 24th May 2016 07:40 PM
About Me
- About icesteve
- Service provider
- U.S.A. - Verizon
- City
- Baltimore
- Home country
- United States
- Interests
- Android Application Development
Most Thanked
Post Summary
Santod, I have an BIG issue. Might've bricked my phone. I was using not this latest build, but the one before, from late July. My audio started to artifact super hard, so I was about to reboot it. Went to send a text real quick, and my phone sh...
will be posting more, started converting live wallpapers I have made into these.
Anyone get wallpaper scrolling to work? Its turned on in my tweaks setting but doesn't work :( Sent from my HTC6435LVW using xda app-developers app It works with live wallpapers I have tried, just not images. If I recall nits said he would fix ...
Mark me down as having a normal volume panel as well. No WiFi issues here! One question I have though: since I'm on a regular S6, is there a way to disable the edge screen function since I will never use it? I can see that small sliver of white ...
With hangouts or stock MMS? I'm modernity concerned about the stock app. Sent from my Droid DNA using Tapatalk Just tested the stock app and SMS and MMS work. Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


text:
Height og hubrisOctober 06,2012
So, "No public value in airing texts," eh? I think there was plenty of value in it, innocuous though those particular published texts may have been.
I find it galling to watch public meetings, in person or on cable, and see elected officials either texting each other or "consulting" their laptops while someone else is speaking. It's the height of hubris, as was Mr. Hooper's hand-wringing letter of apology/explanation. There is no explanation for this. The public deserves more focus and attention. Goodness only knows what has been texted in the past and what back door agreements have been forged before our very eyes without a single public word uttered.
I'm very grateful to Secretary of State Condos for squarely placing a frozen size 11 up against their collective butts. Also, kudos to you, Times Argus, for flipping over the rock so we can all see what's underneath.
Christopher Maloney
BarreMORE IN LettersMontpeliers largest cemetery, the Green Mount Cemetery on ?L?ower State Street, has cemetery... Full StoryI have seen Jules Rabins comments on Israel several times in the newspaper, but I wonder if he... Full StoryPresident William Jefferson Clinton may have the morals of an alley cat but there is only one... Full Story
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed


text:
Modern Languages and Literatures offers a variety of undergraduate courses and program options in Comparative Literature and Culture, Digital Humanities, German Language and Culture, Italian Language and Culture, and Spanish Language and Linguistics and Hispanic Cultures. Courses in Hindi, Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, Persian, Korean, and Russian language and culture are also offered.
Dr. Cristina Caracchini has written about XX Century Western Poetry, Italian Avant-Garde, Neo Avant-Garde, and Italian-Canadian literature. In the Italian Studies program she teaches courses such as Italian Journeys and Rome: the Eternal City; in the CLC program her teaching spans from the first year Ideas and Apps that Changed the World to grad courses such as What Poetry Knows. Learn More
MLL Professor named Graham and Gale Wright Distinguished Scholar
Alena Robin, Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, named one of the Graham and Gale Wright Distinguished Scholars for 2016. Read more
Comparative Literature professor interviewed by the National Post
MLL Professor and Undergraduate Chair among the 2015 cohort of Teaching Fellows.
MLL Alumna has students create handmade children's books in Spanish
MLL bringing program students together in one course
CulturePlex Lab shows history may remember Paris attacks by one tweet from One Direction


text:
Edit Article
How to Move a Pen Without Touching It
This article teaches how to have a pen at stand up position without blowing on it, knocking it over or touching it. Seem impossible? Read on.
This article has been tagged as a stub.
That means it's off to a good start, but still has room to grow into a more helpful resource. Until the article reaches its full potential, it will be hidden from search results. Can you help it flourish? If you think the article offers complete and accurate instructions, feel free to remove this tag.
1Stand the pen up on one end. The cap end works best, but either end that you can balance it on is fine.
2The first method is to take a pair of safety scissors and carefully and patiently lower one of the holes around the pen. Once it is at the bottom, carefully and slowly move it along using the scissors.
3The second method is to take a plastic spoon and fork. Put the cupped end of the spoon on the top of the pen, holding it down enough to control the pen. Then, take the fork and use it to push the pen from the middle, adjusting the spoon so that it doesn't slip.
4The third method is to take a notepad and use it to carefully push the pen forward very very slowly.
Community Q&A
Ask a Question
- As it was said before, the cap end of the pen works best to balance it on.
Article Info
Categories: Stub | Tricks with Objects
In other languages:
Italiano: Muovere una Penna senza Toccarla, Português: Mover uma Caneta sem Tocar Nela
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 3,440 times.
Did this article help you?


text:
Gebrüder Hepp Pforzheim Silver Ashtray
- Sold for: Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Item Category: Metals
- Source: eBay
- Sold Date: Aug 05, 2007
- Channel: Auction House
Shipping is OPTIONAL. You may pick this item up in Keene, New Hampshire w you will pay NO Shipping, "Handling", or Sales Tax.
Please carefully read my description and check out the photos BEFORE asking questions or bidding.
This is a Silver ashtray made by Gebrüder Hepp Pforzheim of Germany. It's age and origin are self-evident. It's marked 90 in the small box next to maker's mark in photo which I believe means 90% silver content. Condition is good with some wear to heavy silver. The base measures 5 1/2" by 3 1/2" and it stands 4 1/4" tall. This rare and valuable ashtray goes on the auction block with a modest opening bid and NO RESERVE. Shipping is quoted to lower 48 state destinations, but, as always in my auctions, you are welcome to pick it up in Keene, New Hampshire about 90 minutes west of Boston, north of Hartford, and east of Albany, w NO TAX, "handling" or other gotchas EVER APPLY.....ONLY your winning bid. COMBINE SHIPPING? ABSOLUTELY! Whenever it's possible for me to combine winnings into a single shipment to save you money, I will do so.
Bid on as many of my items as you wish with confidence that I'll make every effort to pack and ship them together for the lowest total cost practical. If they don't end at the same time, let me know after you win the first item that you're waiting for others to end and I'll work with you. If you wish to communicate with me AFTER the auction ends, please include your email address in your question because eBay message forwarding will NOT allow me to reply after the auction has closed. If you get a "Second Chance" offer by email after the item sells, be SURE to go to your "MY EBAY" and check to see if the message appears t Unfortunately, some fraudulent "second chance offers" are being sent by crooks and ONLY REAL ONES will appear in your MY EBAY message center so do NOT send any money to anyone whose message isn't t
Please read a sampling of my extraordinary feedback and then bid with confidence.
Questions are always welcome but please read the entire description before asking. The answer is probably in the description. If you wish to communicate with me AFTER the auction ends, please include your email address in your question because eBay messge forwarding will NOT allow me to reply after the auction has closed. Please use " ask seller a question " link above for brief questions and feel free to call me at during the day with longer questions or those requiring complex answers. As a licensed auctioneer, I sell a wide range of items but my expertise is in consumer electronics and antiques, so please bear with me if my description of items outside those areas are weaker.
I make every effort to treat others as I wish to be treated. are my rules and terms:
I Guarantee items to match the description. Items that differ substantially from the description may be returned at buyer's expense for refund of BID price ONLY.
Items that substantially match the description but NOT the buyer's expectations MAY NOT be returned.
I make every effort to describe items accurately and completely and to be conservative in my claims. Some items, like auto stereo components may NOT be returned once the package has been opened and items described as NEW and that qualify for manufacturer's warranty may NOT be returned but should be delivered to manufacturer or manufacturer's authorized warranty service facility for repair in the event of failure during the warranty period. If you request it, I will furnish a retail bill of sale to support your warranty claim.
I NEVER charge "handling charges" or any other bogus added fees or Sales Tax. My "shipping" charges DO include cost of packing material and are averaged so a few buyers pay less than my actual cost, and a few somewhat more.
Charges for lower 48 by my choice of delivery method are ...


text:
Download VCard
Phone: 239-687-3936
Fax: 239-331-5101
Download VCard
Phone: 239-687-3936
Fax: 239-331-5101
Condo & HOA Law
Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning
Probate and Trust Administration
Real Estate
Corporate Formation and Acquisitions
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Florida, 2008
"I chose law as my profession because I'm passionate about it. The way I see it, passion is the best vehicle to accomplish great things."
Mr. Adamczyk is the Managing Partner of the Firm's wills, trusts and probate practice. He also provides counsel on community association matters and represents buyers, sellers and lenders in real estate transactions.
Additionally, Mr. Adamczyk meets with estate planning clients, drafts trust and estate related documents, oversees probate and trust administration, attends community association board and membership meetings, and drafts governing documents and amendments to community documents. Mr. Adamczyk is also responsible for creating business organizations, limited liability companies and corporations through corporation representation.
Mr. Adamcyzk considers his greatest professional accomplishment to be that which he achieves on a daily basis: helping his clients accomplish their goals.
University of Florida, Levin College of Law, J.D., 2008, Cum Laude
• Law College Council, President, 2007 – 2008, Treasurer, 2006 – 2007
• Florida Journal of International Law, Member
• Jessup International Moot Court, Competition Member, Coach
• University of Florida Student Supreme Court, Associate Justice, 2008
• John Marshall Bar Association Student of the Year, 2008
University of Florida, B.A., 2005, Magna Cum Laude
• Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society
Cambridge University, United Kingdom, 2004, Upper Second
The Florida Bar, 2008
American Heart Association, Charitable Estate Planning Advisor of the Year, 2012 – 2013
"Are Your Employees Really At-Will?", Southwest Florida Business Today, 2013
"The Importance of Respecting the Corporate Structure", Southwest Florida Business Today, 2012
"Estate Planning Concerns in Second Marriages", Simply The Best, 2016
Covenant Church of Naples, Pianist
Storytellers Creative Arts, Board of Directors, 2013 – 2015
American Heart Association, Charitable Estate Planning Volunteer, 2012 – 2013
American Red Cross, Florida Southern Gulf Chapter, Board Member, 2015 – Present
The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you FREE written information about our qualifications and experience. This website is designed for general information only. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship.


text:
Skip to comments.Sen. Inhofe on Obamas Global Warming Claims: The President Just Made that Up
Posted on 01/17/2014 8:50:04 AM PST by Olog-hai
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) told a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee hearing today that the president must have fabricated two oft-repeated climate claims.
Both statements are false, Sen. Inhofe said of Obamas global warming claims, since neither the EPA nor the U.N. IPCC climate group can provide any supporting statistics [ ]
(A)nd through letters to you, Ms. McCarthy, and on the record in this Committee, weve asked the EPA to provide us with the data backing up these two statements, the two statements made by the president, but they dont have any data and referred us to the UN IPCC. And, their scientists, apparently, the EPA thought they were the source of this. Well, we went there and they had nothing to back it up, so apparently the president just made that up.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Total fraud. Always has been. No news here — move along folks.
The current oval office slug lies all the time. He's a democrip. They lie. America's real problem is not so much the democrips being what they are, it is the lack of republicant real opposition to the lies and the people ignoring the lies and allowing the democrips and republicants to completely and utterly disenfranchise the sovereigns, We The People.
Obama doesn't make it up. He's too lazy to do analysis. He just repeats what suits his own personal gain.
Obama is an ideologue. Lying comes with the territory.
Waitaminit... a 'Pubbie suddenly got enough spine to call the Great and Powerful "0" on a lie... in front of cameras?
Suddenly my world is unmade.
"There are no ends; there are only means."
The Occupunk of the Offal office lies again.
RINOs sometimes do that. Then they back off with tail between legs.
He got those facts from this respected scientist
Obama's in the habit of making stuff up huh? So what are going to do, Jim, next time he tells you to vote for tax increases with the promise of future cuts?
Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.
You haven't been paying attention. Inhofe has been pointing out global warming lies for years.
Don't read too much into it. When King Zero needs him, the Old Boy will be there.
Obozo does nothing more than READ what they put on the teleprompter.
Doing what Inhofe does best: Talk a good game.
Believe me, there would be multiple 60 Minutes segments on The President's Lies if he were Republican.
Along with segments on his genetics if Obama himself had an R beside his name. "Is President Obama even black at all?"
Zero is now a climatologist?
everything he says he knows, is provably false and everything he says he didn't know, it is provably true he did. has there ever been a bigger liar in office? no.
I get po'd when I see these forest fires and know that MANY are because they're overgrown woodlands with no fire trails or access roads or brush clean up...and then read you can't use your fireplace.
Your headline "The President just made that up" reminded me of something Carry_Okie made up. Dishonesty is moving in like a London fog that won't lift.
One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.
The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.
For all those who innocently ask "why?"...
Sparky needs to understand - the press doesn't work for us... they work for democrats... If we say something they don't like they trash it or ignore it - they don't broadcast it.
sorry, I forgot my /sarc tag.
Of course the Dork-O-Dent made things up.
He does not have the mental ability to understand even the low level "pretend science" provided by the D- grade "scientists" that perp this garbage.
If one wants to know where the STEM hopefuls who got Ds in calculus and advanced stats go, just look at some of those "peer reviewed" articles on the subject.
He's just made up everything from his name on.
Imhofe is retiring at the end of 2014 so he feels free to say what he's thinking.
:) It's all good.
Everything that the Climate Alarmists say is made up.
Everything the POTUS says is a lie.
Aren't Senators SUPPOSED to let us know what's going on i.e. talking?
Voting the right way might be a start. Instead he voted for a huge tax increase then said he voted for the largest tax cut in history.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
July is coming up quickly. What type of a Christmas in July discount works best for you?
1. Free US Shipping with orders totaling $15
2. 15% discount with orders totaling $20
3. 20% discount with $30 purchases
The one with the most votes wins and the discount will be available in both my Etsy and Artfire shops.
Vote in the poll and I'll make it happen.
Two for Twos-day 5/31/16
12 hours ago


text:
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Drawing Lines-All Lives Matter
I find it funny that those people who try to draw a line in the sand to make you decided who's lives matter most are the ones who actually make divisions with these lines. The second you make a stand that your race, religion, or whatever else is equally important is the moment you segregate yourself from the rest of society. I for one do not have to justify to anyone where my loyalties lie based on the types of friends I have. Anyone that knows me can tell you that I love based on character and not on lifestyles and appearances or beliefs. The race card needs to be put away for good. Al Sharpton needs to pay his taxes, stay his fat ass at home, have a coke, and a smile, and shut the fuck up. Heres why. Have you ever turned on BET which is exclusively for african americans and seen a performer do stand up? How many times do white people become part of the act? "white people be" is the cornerstone of a lot of black comedy. When the popular culture is blacks calling blacks the "N" word it opens the doors for narrow minded people to feel free to classify them as that word. It's not right but the example is never set. As far as our men in blue go. They are here for a reason, and that is to protect us. That should not be forgotten. Social media and media in general has sensationalized them for all the wrong reasons. People make mistakes. Doctors, Soldiers, Priests, everyone. That doesn't mean that we turn our backs on them all when there are a few bad apples in the group. I will re-state what I've thought all along. ALL LIVES MATTER!!! If you don't believe this, you are part of the reason our country is so divided. There will always be ignorant people among us and we will never agree on everything but tolerance and love for humanity can take us a long way. These traits are taught and not inherited through genes, it can be fixed. I'm all over the place but for now I leave my soapbox with what I always leave you with. I love you ALL, you're beautiful.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Mis-Match.com? The Mystery of Online Dating
Everywhere you look there is a new dating website popping up for those who are in search of a life-mate or for people who just want a little company. A little company is code word for one night stands by the way. It seems like the online dating market is flooded with sites for any tastes that the public might have. There is Match.com, Christian mingle, Farmers only, Pork your sister etc... I for one never went this route to find anybody but lately I've seen a lot of success from my friends who use this method to date. Some may argue that the intimacy level may not be there but the lack of pressure to hump makes it easier to get to know the person without any type of interference or sexual obligation. I guess with new technology it's easy to see if you have chemistry through text and email. For me, it solidifies that people are more likely to bond if they are physically attracted to the person. How many horror stories have you heard of online daters who were disappointed by the way the date actually looked as opposed to the profile picture? In that case I would just post a picture of a platinum credit card. Of course I'd have a lot of explaining to do when I'm doing dishes at the restaurant after our meal. I'm thinking that the reason it works is because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the preliminary would be first actual dates. Wheres the fun in that? The best part of dating is letting the other person find out just how fucked up you are on their own! When it comes to this method of soul searching some say its the easy way out, others say it's the smart way. I say, to each his own. Some hunt with a rifle, others with a bow, I prefer stalking-Elmer Fudd style. I don't care or judge how you meet them, as long as you end up happy. Well, until next time. I'm off to start my own online dating website...BrokeAssMexican.com
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Go Fund Me, Then Go F@#k Yourself
Charity is a staple of life. There will always be an unbalance of wealth in our society as there always has been. These days with technology the field has turned in a weird way for charitable causes to get exposure. Long gone are the days of the Jerry Lewis telethon. These days instead of rolling out a BBQ pit and selling plates for a benefit, you can just go online, set up an account such as Go Fund Me, and watch the loot roll in. My only question is...what justifies a legit campaign? I mean, I see people who are in desperate need. A loved one suddenly passes away, medical bills become overwhelming, and so forth. I get it, i really do. I had tens of thousands of dollars of medical bills last year and it really took a toll on our finances. I'm just not on board with the people looking for handouts so that there is no disruption in the lifestyle they live. Musicians have become the worst. The same assholes who were on MTV cribs a few years ago are pleading with their fans to fund new projects and albums. Kiss my ass on that one. I just got an email from one of my favorite bands asking to pledge money on their new project only months after the lead singer is bragging about the Aston Martins and Ferrari's he drives to his mansion. Horse shit. Another thing, if you don't have the common courtesy to say hi at least once a year or ask how I'm doing, please don't insult me and ask for money. Internet panhandling has become a real epidemic. No, I don't want to donate so your kid can go on vacation out of state. My ass can hardly afford gas and groceries. I don't mean to sound bitter but it pisses me off that the real people in need are getting overshadowed by the people who are taking advantage of the system that is designed to help THOSE IN NEED. Lets take a step back, and re-prioritize what is important in life. When there is a will, there is a way. When you are far from desperation, you can make things happen on your own. Peace, as always.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Striking Out On Oil
These days the oil industry is suffering in America. To the joy of consumers, gasoline prices have fallen. To the oilfield workers, this spells disaster. I've been reading a lot in social and other media that the oil workers' lives are falling apart because of the mass layoffs and lack of work. My take on this...tough shit. EVERYBODY takes risks in what they do for a living so if you want sympathy from me, you won't get it. Where was the sympathy for the mass public when for years oil execs all the way down to field workers were banking on HUGE profits that came out of our pockets? We struggled daily to get by because of the necessity for this commodity. I remember being gifted a tattoo for christmas last year and while sitting at the shop waiting for my appointment there was a young oilfield worker bragging to me that he made so much money in the field, he couldn't spend it fast enough. He was paying for his third large tattoo that week with his per diem check that he didn't need for necessity. My tattoo was a huge splurge as far as cost. I thought, wow...I'm in the wrong business. The thing I take from this is-when the economy suffers, it effects everyone. You have to manage your money as if the flow won't be there tomorrow. Those in the salon or hair or nail business know that when things get tough financially for people, their services usually get cut first. Risk and reward is the name of the game. Food servers that bust their ass like everyone else know that when the budget tightens for people, eating out becomes less of a priority. Name any field out there and there are risks in the career you choose. I respect anyone who makes a living by working for it whether it's the kat laying down pipe in the oil field or the janitor that takes the trash out at the office. This is a wake up call to all. So when oil skyrockets and oil prices become outlandish again and the oil workers get un-laid the hell off, maybe then they will remember that maybe it's time to put a little money away for a rainy or especially a dry day. Until next time, Peace to all.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Celebrity Crushes-Good or Bad for Relationships?
Crushes are normal. Unless it's for another species, they are healthy ways to admire beauty and awe or respect for people who may or not be attainable to you. Relationships on the other hand are bonds that are meant not to be broken. So, what happens when you have a crush on an unattainable person while in a relationship? For most, it's harmless. For others, it's forbidden. I think the difference in the two revolves around a few things. One, TRUST. If your significant other can't trust you, good luck talking to them about anything else you have an attraction to. Second, SELF-ESTEEM. If your spouse lacks self-esteem on any level there is no way that they are gonna be ok with the comparisons drawn to anything else. Third, RESPECT. Some spouses feel disrespected when it comes to their partners looking anywhere else for gratification. I think I have it easy. I have all three when it comes to my relationship. I trust my wife, am very confident in myself, and don't feel disrespected on any level by her. Our communication is pretty bad ass to handle anything like that. She has a crush on Adrien Brody. It's not hard to compete with a guy who looks like Gonzo and Kermit from the muppets had a baby and starved it. She also likes Jason Staham. That one would worry me a little bit. He could slap me on national T.V. and all I'd be able to do is apologize for pissing him off. I don't think she has much to worry about on my end. All my crushes look like my wife anyway. Fairuza Balk and Sarah Miller are pretty close. The one that doesn't is Laura Calder but she lives in Canada so I don't think my wife is worried. She has said that it would be different for her if these people were accessible to me. I wouldn't worry if I were my wife, crushes to me are fantasy. There are boundaries in fantasy though. Look back at what I said about respecting your partner. Just remember, beauty should be admired but not worshipped. Crushes are normal, as long as the line isn't crossed based on your significant others' comfort level. Till next time, I gotta go. I have a French Food at Home marathon planned for today.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
So Close, No Matter How Far...
I'm a social media whore pretty much. I get off to the idea that I can stay connected with people I can't normally see on a regular basis and especially those who live long distances from me. This weekend opened my eyes a bit. We drove down to the Texas coast which by normal standards is a hell of a road trip. Only there was I able to meet up with old friends that live merely minutes away from me. The question was raised on the beach as we caught up and reflected. "Why do we have to drive 200 miles to hang out when we're normally 5 minutes away from each other?" The past few weeks a friend of mine and sister in law spearheaded a reunion for all of the people that went to our high school. The response was less than overwhelming. Again, why? Why is it ok to see each other in passing at a funeral or a hospital but we can't sacrifice enough time to get together for a meal or just to show our appreciation for each other? We are so comfortable being one with each other via a social media site but not face to face. I have friends on Facebook that I rarely ever spoke to and some people I flat out never met in person. We are comfortable with divulging intimate details of our lives with strangers on the biggest open outlet known to man but ask them to come over for a drink and all of a sudden things are awkward. It's time we stepped it up. I genuinely care about my friends and if I have to organize a reunion every few months to see them, then thats what I'm gonna do. Hell, if I have to see 800 pictures of your newborn every day, at least let me meet the little guy/girl. I mean that in a smart ass way of course but I hope you get my point. Life is short, peeps. I much rather say goodbye to you with a hug and not while looking in a casket. Until next time, I love you all, you're beautiful.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Peace, Love, and Confusion
I sit at my laptop a bit of a mess today as I woke up to some disturbing words aimed my way. I know I'm not the best type of friend to have. I hate schedules, appointments, and I hate rushing. I have a gigantic family and several friends so it's impossible for me to spend as much time as I'd like with everyone I want to. My demeanor is simple, I don't like to have any enemies or have anyone with negative thoughts about me. I do my best to be someone who is enjoyable to be around. My favorite thing in the world is to make people laugh. I've said a million times that life is too short to have any kind of negativity in my life. So why did these words destroy my day before it started? Because I felt that I'd failed. I failed as a friend, a person, and I failed someone who I care about and respect. My intentions are never to hurt anybody. Maybe I've undermined how enjoyable I can be. I don't know. In retrospect it will teach me how to move forward and be everything that I want to be as a person. A better husband, father, and most of all, friend. I learn from things that happen to me and don't take things for granted. I radiate love but at this moment I feel that inside me is a black heart. They say time heals, in this case I pray it does. I have so many regrets in life that I can't get back. The only thing I can do is dust myself off and push forward. Till next time, I love you all....you're beautiful.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)