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Not Accountable: Why Brilliant 15th-Century Italian Accounting Rules Are Sometimes of Limited Use in China 1 commentDec 21, 2009 8:45 AM
In the history of business, there are no innovations more important, transformative, valuable and widely-used than Luca Pacioli's. Yet, few know his name. He never made a fortune and likely spent most of his adult life in prayer and cloistered meditation.
Pacioli was a 15th century Italian mathematician and monk who first codified the system of double-entry bookkeeping. This made modern corporate management possible, by providing a standardized and generally foolproof system for summarizing a business's financial condition. Pacioli's system of offsetting credits and debits remains very much the basis of all modern corporate accounting.
I looked around, but couldn't discover when double-entry bookkeeping, Pacioli's brainchild, was first introduced to China. It is certainly pervasive now. The principles of corporate accounting, like mathematics, don't change as you move across national borders. In private equity investing, the process of assessing a company's performance and attractiveness as an investment will be a function, ultimately, of its profitability and net asset value. Pacioli's methods are the tools to determine both.
Yet, there are times when I think Pacioli's accounting principles are no more useful a tool in private equity investment in China than his fellow Italian Marco Polo's travelogues are to current-day tourists visiting the Great Wall. They are better than nothing. But, you will still need to do a lot of your own strenuous legwork.
The reason is that accounting principles are not widely applied in the management of many of the better private SME in China. They are entrepreneur-led businesses. Usually the most complete statement of the businesses financial worth is not to be found on a company balance sheet, but in the mind of the entrepreneur. Some of this is by habit, other by design, to thwart any unwanted outsider, especially the taxman, from knowing exactly what is going on in a company.
It's worth recalling that many of China's most successful publicly-traded companies, including Baidu, Suntech, Alibaba, were private SMEs not that long ago. They had the same sort of accounting (or lack thereof) that the best of China's private SMEs have today.
One example from my own work: I made a first visit to an excellent company, with a thriving retail business and brand that's both well-established and well-known in large parts of China. I was immediately impressed and asked the finance director for the company's last year's revenues and profits. "I don't know," she replied. Quickly, it became clear she wasn't being coy or secretive. She genuinely did not know. "Only the boss knows", she explained, looking over at him.
He looked momentarily baffled, as if the question had never been posed before, and then did the calculation aloud. He knew precisely how many products he manufactured last year, the average selling price, and unit profit. So with a little multiplication, we were able to get to a number. Turned out, revenues were well north of USD$65mn, and net profits over $7mn. Very solid numbers. We later brought in an accounting firm to do a trial set of financials, and in fact, the true figures were about 15% higher than that first calculation by the boss. Apparently, he hadn't fully consolidated the results from an outsourced production facility.
It's a great company from every perspective – except if you're trying to evaluate it quickly, using a statement prepared using Luca Pacioli's principles. Anyone attempting to assess the company using such methods is going to hit a wall, right at the outset.
The company, like many others of China's best private firms, does not track its performance with a set of financials, or commission an annual audit. Management stays rigorously attuned to operational details, to cash in the bank, to inputs and outputs, to seizing any available economies to fatten its profit margin. Most often, none of this is ever summarized in a P&L or balance sheet. The boss doesn't need it. He lives and breathes it every day.
Any PE firm looking to evaluate the company needs to do the same – spend time at the company, with the boss, in the factory, and get a feel for how the business is running. If you make it a precondition before any visit to have a set of financials, you're going to be spending a lot of time anchored to your desk, or visiting only companies that are so hard-up for cash that they've spent a good chunk of money getting financials done, to please potential investors. Even in China, an audit done by a local Chinese accounting firm can cost well over USD$50,000. I'd rather have that that money spent where it can do more good, like building the business.
Some good private Chinese companies do have audited financials. They are usually the ones with sizable bank loans. An annual audit is often a covenant of such loans. But, in my experience, most good Chinese companies, with little or no debt and no urgent need to attract investors will not have the sort of financials that some PE firms want to see at the start.
In China, a set of financials should not be an absolute prerequisite for PE investors. The first step should be to understand the business operationally, and then pay a visit, if the industry and business model both seem attractive. You learn more in two hour site-visit than you would in two days combing through financials. Besides, any PE firm will commission its own audit, usually by a Big Four accounting firm, before it invests, during the due diligence phase. So, no one is committing money blindly. Eventually, Luca Pacioli's principles will be put to work. The only issue is whether this is a first step, or one that comes later in the process.
Accounting rules have enormous value. Double-entry bookkeeping has never been improved upon, in the 500 years since Pacioli wrote the rules. But, in private equity investment in China, an over-reliance on financial statements, especially as a first-step in getting to know a company, will distort more often than it clarifies. As brilliant as he was, Luca Pacioli could not have anticipated the singular conditions and management style of the current generation of China's successful private entrepreneurs.
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Its hard not to agree with everything you have said. My early professors used to say that many accountants "Cross their T's and dot their i's and miss the boat!" However, I cant imagine spending a lot of cash on a company without at least two years annual financials, the last four quarters, and the last month. And if the statements were prepared in-house, I would want my guys to examine the balance sheet items in detail at the end of the most recent period.
General Mills' Stunning Success In China $GIS http://seekingalpha.com/a/1n6kz Dec 17, 2014
The 'children' Of Deng Xiaoping — Toronto Globe And Mail http://seekingalpha.com/p/243ul Dec 13, 2014
China's Giant Banks: Learn How They Overprice And Misallocate Loans While Treating Borrowers Like Conmen http://seekingalpha.com/a/1mekn Dec 2, 2014
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The Victoria's Secret Angels are currently in London for the filming of the annual runway show (which airs December 9th—we can't wait!), and three of our favorites were snapped wearing three of our favorite denim brands: Lily Aldridge wore Paige, Karlie Kloss wore FRAME, and Behati Prinsloo wore THVM. They were photographed outside of the London Edition hotel, looking bubbly and bright as ever.
Images via Denim Blog.
Do you have a favorite angel? Tweet at us and tell us which!
—DT Staff
Tags: behati prinsloo, karlie kloss, lily aldridge, models off duty, skinny jeans, Victoria's Secret, victoria's secret angels, victoria's secret fashion show 2014
Because every girl needs a bit of pink and red in her closet (and because Valentines Day is fast approaching), we've rounded up some denim in hues from flirty candy-pink to fire-hot red, all in the spirit of making sure you look your most stellar on cupid day. Whether you're hanging out with the girls and a pitcher of sangria or having a date with the guy you met at the American Apparel clearance sale, we've got you covered for colored denim chic.
1. American Apparel Stretch Bull Denim High-Waist Slim Skirt ($54) – buy it at American Apparel.
2. Rock and Republic Skinny Leg "Plain Wrap" in Pink ($148) – buy it at Rock and Republic.
3. REPLAY Spring-Summer Stretch Skinny Jeans in candy pink ($130) – buy it at YOOX.
4. Victoria's Secret Animal Print Denim Skirt ($58) – buy it at Victoria's Secret.
6. DIESEL NEVY J Bootcut Colored Wash Jeans (on sale for $43) – buy it at DIESEL.
7. American Apparel Stretch Bull Denim High-Waist Cuff Short ($46) buy it at American Apparel.
8. Wildfox Jeans Jean Jeggings in Red ($182) – buy it at Boutique To You.
9. Diane von Furstenberg Jailie high-rise paint-effect skinny jeans (on sale for $130) – buy it at The Outnet.
? ? !
—Jackie Racer & Michelle Christina Larsen
Tags: American Apparel, Diane von Furstenberg, Diesel, jeans to wear on a date, pink denim, purple denim, red denim, rock and republic, valentines day, Victoria's Secret, wildfox couture
Yes, I do love my J Brands and don't we all wish we could own a Lanvin + Acne denim dress, but unfortunately, pricey designer labels are not an option for most of us. Do not fret my fashionista friends, you don't need to spend a lot of money to look great. With a small budget and a savvy shopping attitude, denim can be found at bargain prices!
American Eagle Outfitters Spandex Leggings, $39.50
Jeggings, the most versatile item to own. Wear them with flats and a t-shirt for a cool casual look.
Express Smocked Denim Jumpsuit, $49.50
This cute jumpsuit is great for a picnic in the park while all eyes are on you.
ASOS Denim Tuck Jumpsuit, $37.61
Who would of thought a denim jumpsuit could look this sexy? Sex it up with mile high heels and a statement necklace.
Jolt Ruffle Romper, $42.00
A sweet romper for the girly girl.
G by Guess Blair Cuffed Denim Capris, $44.50
Get ready for spring with a great pair of capris paired with heels or a great pair of wedges.
The Limited Denim Skirt, $69.50
Every girl's got to have a great little denim skirt. This one thinks out of the box with the thin sheer panels. Take it from day to evening, with a canvas wedge for day and platform heels by night.
Victoria's Secret Chain Purse, $34.50
A quilted denim bag will add a playful punch to jeans and a t-shirt or a cute little shift dress.
DV by Dolce Vita Ontario Sandal, $49.95
Think Talitha Getty poolside in a kaftan with her man servants feeding her grapes.
Forever21 Denim Braided Sandals, $14.80
A great pair of sandals to kick around in on the beach or out on the town.
–Nikki Cho Russo
Tags: American Eagle, ASOS, DV by Dolce Vita, Express, Forever21, G by Guess, Jolt, The Limited, Victoria's Secret

subset: commoncrawl


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Kate Hudson is ready to start a family with her rocker boyfriend, Matthew Bellamy, a source confirms to PEOPLE.
"They couldn't be more excited," the source says of Hudson's being pregnant. "Kate is really happy. She was always excited to have kids again at some point."
The actress, 31, who has a son, Ryder, 7, with ex-husband Chris Robinson, has been dating Bellamy, 32 – the British frontman for the rock band Muse – for about nine months.
Last summer, early in their relationship, Hudson called Bellamy "lovely," and said that the two were "just learning about each other and it's wonderful."
She added: "I do believe in love. I believe that when you really open yourself up to love, it's the most beautiful thing."
In a 2007 interview, Hudson talked about how motherhood had changed her whole outlook on life. "You realize after you have had children that you'll never love anything more than your child," she said.
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Gold's Gym of Venice Beach fame is moving to Santa Clarita into the space vacated by the closure of Borders bookstore on Town Center Drive in Valencia.
Completely redesigning the interior and building an outdoor pool, the fitness club should open in August or September of this year, said Angel Banos, who, along with his brother Willie, own and operate nine of the clubs in the Greater Los Angeles market. Angel serves as CEO, and Willie as COO.
After building a chain of high-end shoe stores a couple of decades ago, the Banos brothers sold their chain and in 1987, opened their first Gold's Gym franchise in North Hollywood.
Today, the men own a string of gyms throughout Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties.
The men became early innovators in the fitness gym experience — bringing with them their experience as retailers and applying what they learned in the retail business to serving customers at a fitness club.
"There is a very high level of interaction with customers in the retail business," Banos said. "We brought this type of awareness to the industry."
The Banos brothers work hard to change that customer experience by maintaining a very high level of engagement with its customers. The duo ensures members are in touch with, and have access to the staff, pretty much on a daily basis, he said.
"We communicate while you're at the gym. Our personal trainers and staff speak with the members," Banos said.
The pair's philosophy of being in constant contact with the club's members is two-prong: human-touch and technology, integrating both to constantly find out what customers need and want.
"We also do a lot of surveys," Banos said. "If we can, we change two to three things around for better customer service.
But moving into the cavernous space left by the former book retailer requires that Gold's Gym build out to add numerous features for clients.
Moving into 34,000 square feet, the owners are adding large group exercise and cycling rooms to create a sense of community among those serious about fitness, Banos said. The gym will also offer Zumba, Pilates, yoga and kickboxing classes and hold boot camps.
In addition to the outdoor swimming pool, the gym also will be equipped with a "pro shop," offering clothing and retail items.
The fitness services offered and interior design of each Gold's Gym is customized to fit each community.
Referring to the designs at each gym as architectural products, Banos said he and his brother are very detail-oriented, paying attention to the way they build and make a club feel, from the walls, to the lighting, to the flooring, he said. The clubs are packed with a lot of amenities, towel services, personal trainers, beautiful locker rooms and showers, Banos said.
"Every little thing matters. We're huge believers in cleanliness."
Success at a price
In 2005, Angel and Willie were featured on "Making It," a television show that highlights the contributions of small-business enterprises.
In a bio from the show, the brothers initially faced an uphill battle after fleeing with their family to Los Angeles from Cuba during the revolution, but have since become one of the top franchisee owners of Gold's Gyms by applying their retail background to the experience of being a fitness club member.
The franchise owners have eight other Gold's Gyms located in North Hollywood, Hollywood, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Culver City, Fullerton and downtown Los Angeles.
And becoming a Gold's Gym owner does not come cheap. The company looks for well-capitalized investors who have a minimum net worth of $800,000, of which $300,000 must be liquid cash.
"They've been in business (with Gold's Gym) for over 20 years," said Rich Drengberg, vice president of sales and marketing for Gold's Gym. "They know what they're doing."
The Banoses have approximately 90,000 members and more than 700 employees at its eight other clubs, Banos said. And they'll probably hire another 50 to 75 employees at the new location to start, Drengberg said.
Despite several fitness centers located in the Santa Clarita Valley, Banos said he doesn't feel there is a lot of competition for what they offer.
"We are so different in our offerings," he said. "We attract people that aren't in other gyms."
Saying Gold's Gym is not an institutional club, but a "third place" away from one's business and home, Banos said the club caters to a community that is serious about health and fitness whether a member be a lawyer, plumber or soccer mom.
"In this market, we've not only survived, we've thrived," Banos said. "We've expanded our growth, our venues, our programming and our team member training."
And he feels they have found a great location for becoming a community center in the SCV.
The fact that Gold's Gym attracts those who are resolute about their health is one of the reasons Santa Clarita was selected as a location.
Healthy community
The Banoses own Gold's Gyms in other Westfield malls, Angel Banos said. They also have gyms next to movie theaters in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, so they're familiar with operating in a similar setting as the Westfield Valencia Town Center where the Edwards movie theater sits next door.
"We've been looking at the area for many years," Banos said. "We felt there was a viable community for us, and we wanted to take the health experience to a higher level."
The community has great demographics, and is full of people who want to be healthy and stay in shape.
"We're very good with families," he said. "Part of the war against obesity is to change the consciousness of the eating and health habits. We work with you to show you how to live 24 hours a day."
The company as a whole, with more than 600 locations worldwide, is a big supporter of the American Diabetes Association.
"They picked this market, it's a great market and a place they've been looking at for a long time," Drengberg said. "We're very excited about it."


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To gather the photographs for the Junkyard Find series, I do a lot of walking around self-service wrecking yards, and mostly I'm just tuning out the common cars as background noise. You know, the 15-to-20-year-old Detroit stuff that won't have any collector value until almost all are gone (as happened with the Pinto and Vega). The chaff. Right now, the Taurus/Sable is king of the Ford sections of these yards (I counted 188 of them in a 300-car section in a California yard not long ago), but you also see large numbers of Tempos and Topazes. Once I decided to pay attention to the lowly Tempo, I was surprised by the number of not-particularly-trashed examples I found at my local yard. Today, and just today, let's pay attention to one of the most common vehicles in American self-serve junkyards today: the Tempo. (Read More…)
Tag: ford tempo
From the blooming tree in the photo, it's obvious that I didn't just shoot this Tempo recently. But then it wasn't just this past spring either; it was a year and a half ago. Why have I been temporizing? Few cars leave me feeling more conflicted than the Tempo: is it a Deadly Sin or a Greatest Hit? But I find myself in a temporary state of equanimity today, so let's see if we can't put the Tempo into proper perspective. Tempus fugit; it's now or never. (Read More…)


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Don't let it get away!
Keep track of the stocks that matter to you.
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With the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index up 65% since the start of the year, it's clear that the biotech sector performed extraordinarily well in 2013-but which stocks were the biggest winners? Several small-cap and mid-cap biotech companies posted returns of 200% or more through the middle of December this year, and, in this series, I review the 15 biggest movers of 2013. Let's continue this review with number 5 on the list, Puma Biotechnology (NYSE: PBYI ) .
With nearly a quarter of global research and development spending focused on oncology drugs in 2011, it's not surprising that a number of the drugs being developed then are getting closer to approval, including Puma Biotechnology's neratinib.
Impressive results so far
This isn't the first time Puma's CEO Alan Auerbach has sought to bring next generation cancer treatment to market. The first time was with Cougar Biotechnology, a company Auerbach sold to Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ ) in 2009. At Cougar, a focus on prostate cancer produced the uber successful Zytiga, which is on track to reach blockbuster billion dollar status over the coming year.
At Puma, Auerbach is ushering forward neratinib as a treatment for stage 2 and higher breast cancer. So far, results for nerabinib appear promising. Recently reported data from a phase 2 trial suggest combining neratinib with paclitaxel may outperform a combination of Roche's (NASDAQOTH: RHHBY ) blockbuster drug Herceptin with paclitaxel in HER2 positive patients. Outperforming Herceptin could prove big for Puma given Herceptin generated $466 billion in U.S. sales alone during the third quarter for Roche.
Puma gained control of neratinib in a 2011 licensing deal with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE ) . Pfizer dealt the drug as part of its aim to consolidate research efforts around fewer candidates in a bid to more quickly offset sales lost to patent expiration of high profile drugs like Lipitor.
Since, Puma has ramped efforts to position neratinib as one of the most promising drugs in industry pipelines.
In March, the company announced a head-to-head phase 3 test of neratinib, combined with former Roche blockbuster Xeloda, against GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE: GSK ) Tykerb plus Xeloda. Data from that 600 person trial is expected in 2015 and if it proves successful in improving progression free survival, the company could move quickly to file for FDA approval.
Riding a one-trick pony
Puma investors will have to hope neratinib succeeds in those late stage trials given it's the only drug in Puma's pipeline. That makes Puma a bit rare among the best performing biotechs this year. Most emerging plays have more than one novel compound and are targeting multiple indications.
That means Puma investors are exposed to significant risk if anything goes wrong in terms of neratinib's safety or efficacy. However if it does succeed it may clear the way for an acquirer to step up similar to what Johnson did with Cougar.
One potential suitor may eventually be Pfizer because the company is already entitled to receive royalties on eventual sales of the drug. An argument could also be made that Johnson's relationship with Auerbach through Cougar or Roche's desire to protect Herceptin could make them interested in a deal. And we shouldn't count out Glaxo either.
If Puma decides to go-it alone, eventual approval could prove very lucrative given $16.5 billion was spent on breast cancer in the U.S. in 2010 and as much as $25 billion could be spent caring for those with the disease by 2010, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Either way, Puma's $3 billion market cap is pretty rich for a company without any revenue and only one product in its pipeline.
Another incredible growth stock to watch now
Opportunities to get wealthy from a single investment don't come around often, but they do exist, and our chief technology officer believes he's found one. In this free report, Jeremy Phillips shares the single company that he believes could transform not only your portfolio, but your entire life. To learn the identity of this stock for free and see why Jeremy is putting more than $100,000 of his own money into it, all you have to do is click here now.


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Protection From Ex-Spouses
Protecting your assets from an ex-spouse is getting easier. My state, South Dakota, joins Nevada in tightening protections on special trusts set up to shield holdings.
Both out-of-staters and South Dakotans can set up one of these vehicles here – they're called domestic asset protection trusts, or DAPTs – to protect assets from former spouses and other creditors. My state permitted the trusts in 2005, and this year made breaching them harder than ever for ex-husbands and ex-wives, as Nevada has done.
Typically, after you set up such a trust in a state that offers them, creditors have a year or two to make claims on the assets inside a DAPT. But divorcing spouses were an exception in every place except Nevada: They had an unfettered ability to tap DAPTs. Recently, though, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed a Nevada-like law that protects the assets from the moment you transfer them into a trust. Starting July 1, South Dakota trusts also are off-limits to divorcing spouses' future claims.
This change does not allow divorcing spouses to hide assets from one another, cheat ex-spouses out of alimony or avoid paying child support. Someone who owes alimony or child support to a former spouse cannot get out of that obligation by contributing assets to a DAPT. Any amounts owed at the time the trust is established must be paid. Attempting to avoid legitimate obligations through a DAPT is fraud.
What the new wording means is that, once a divorce settlement is struck, former spouses cannot come back later and make new claims against an ex-wife or ex-husband's protected assets.
For many people, this change is irrelevant. Many divorcing couples, probably the majority, don't have many financial assets and have never heard of a DAPT. They work out a financial settlement, go their separate ways, and that's that.
Yet there are cases where this new law could make a huge difference. Here are just two examples:
Suppose that at the time a couple divorces, the husband just started a construction company. It had more debt than assets and wasn't making any money yet. Several years later, business is booming and he is well on his way to becoming wealthy. Even though his ex-wife was not involved in building the company, she tries to benefit from his post-divorce success by suing for a share of his assets. He can protect those assets by contributing them to a DAPT.
Or suppose a divorce settlement required the wife to pay her husband a one-time cash amount in exchange for his share of their house and acreage. Several years after the divorce, he isn't doing so well financially. She still lives in the house, however, and the value of the property has increased significantly. He sues to amend the original agreement, in an effort to claim part of the real estate. But his attempt to change the agreement after the fact can't touch that property if she transferred it to a DAPT.
While DAPTs will likely hold up to legal challenges in the states that offer them, according to legal experts, there is not enough case law yet to know how courts may treat them.
Until now, Nevada was the only state whose DAPT laws did not make an exception for former spouses. This change in the South Dakota law makes the two states very comparable in their DAPT provisions. It's one more reason for asset protection professionals to find South Dakota a great place to do business.
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Rick Kahler, CFP, is president of Kahler Financial Group in Rapid City, S.D.
AdviceIQ delivers quality personal finance articles by both financial advisors and AdviceIQ editors. It ranks advisors in your area by specialty. For instance, the rankings this week measure the number of clients whose income is between $250,000 and $500,000 with that advisor. AdviceIQ also vets ranked advisors so only those with pristine regulatory histories can participate. AdviceIQ was launched Jan. 9, 2012, by veteran Wall Street executives, editors and technologists. Right now, investors may see many advisor rankings, although in some areas only a few are ranked. Check back often as thousands of advisors are undergoing AdviceIQ screening. New advisors appear in rankings daily


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"She deserves it," DWTS executive producer Conrad Green tells PEOPLE. "And a significant portion of our viewing audience believes that, too."
Palin, 20, has consistently received the lowest scores from the judges this season. Yet she's survived nine weeks of eliminations, beating out this season's more accomplished contestants like Audrina Patridge, Rick Fox, and Brandy.
Some are questioning her staying power, saying that the show's voting system needs to be examined, but Green insists, "There's nothing in the voting system that looks at all strange."
Speculation has arisen about whether members of the Tea Party, many of whom strongly support Bristol's mom Sarah Palin, are involved in an organized effort to promote Bristol.
On one conservative Web site, Freerepublic.com, some of the site's 300,000 registered users have recently used discussion threads to encourage votes for Bristol. One asked users to "make liberal heads explode and vote for Bristol" on Nov. 8 to advance her to the semi-finals.
But Jim Robinson, who founded the site, says there is no larger plan at work. "An organized conspiracy? I sincerely doubt that," he told PEOPLE. "The Tea Party's not that organized!"
And Green agrees that there's no stuffing of the virtual ballot-box, saying that the entire process – text votes, call-in votes and email votes – "is all overseen by the Broadcast Standards team, independent of us and the network to make sure that everything is absolutely done scrupulously."
While some say the show's credibility is in question after this year, Green says this isn't the first time a less skilled dancer has made it to the finale.
"Quite often it's been the one who's the most popular or someone who's captured the public's imagination because of their performance or who they were," Green says. "You can argue whether or not she deserves to be there more than someone else who the judges have assigned to be a better dancer, but then make sure you vote for that person. It's not rocket science."
Contrary to a report that the show is looking into overhauling it's voting system to give the judges' scores more weight than audience votes, Green says that's not the case.
"Everyone is having a go at our system, but unlike American Idol, our professional judges count for half of the total for each couple, so there's already a built-in attempt to make the dance quality matter," Green says. "We set the rules down and this is the game and if this is how it turns out, then this is how it turns out. I think it's absolutely fair."
One change Green is contemplating is extending the voting hours following the Monday, Nov. 22 performance show, the first of season 11's two-night finale. That way, Green says, "given all the fuss, we have a bit more time for people to vote so everyone gets a chance to have their say."
With reporting by SANDRA SOBIERAJ WESTFALL
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2 Comments
Hello I'm from Israel and I want to say that it is the most amazing groop of playrs and I canot wait to season 5
I want Sam and Andy will be together for ever !!!
When will you send to Israel the 5 season ???
I would like Andy and Nike to be together they make a perfect couple!!!!


text: Voice Mail Notifications and ADP Emails Lead to Blackhole Exploit Kit Posted: 13 Sep 2012 02:00 PM | Ran Mosessco | 1 comment(s) Since Blackhole Exploit Kit 2.0 was recently introduced, we wanted to give our readers a few examples of how they might get exposed to this threat through email. Websense® ThreatSeeker® Network has recently intercepted a few malicious email campaigns that try to lure the victims to Web pages that host this popular exploit kit. Some of the themes were new to us and some familiar. One posed as voice mail notifications from Microsoft Exchange servers, another mimicked ADP invoice reminders, and a third thanked the recipient for signing up for a premium service of accountingWEB.com. Like other malicious social engineering campaigns, these email campaigns try to lure victims to click links that ultimately lead to pages hosting Blackhole Exploit Kit. A lot of the email messages pretend to come from trusted sources (well-known establishments, or the victim's own infrastructure), and try to catch the reader off-guard by focusing their attention on something urgent, like money matters. Websense customers are protected from these threats by ACE™, our Advanced Classification Engine. The malicious emails contain links that redirect to Blackhole pages with new obfuscation, but we don't think these are Blackhole 2.0. We suspect it won't be long, though, until we come across similar campaigns that use the new version. ADP is one the largest names in payroll services, so it's no surprise that a spoofed ADP notification email is used as a lure. Here's an example marked as high priority, with the subject line "ADP Invoice Reminder": Let's follow one of the possible redirection paths: hxxp://allbarswireless.com/HXwcDdQ/index.htmlhxxp://ash-polynesie.com/AjVSXvus/js.jshxxp://22.214.171.124/tfvsfios6kebvras.php?r=dwtd6xxjpq8tkatbhxxp://126.96.36.199/links/differently-trace.php Please refer to our previous blog post to learn more about the landing page. Here's a different lure - emails pretending to come from the victim's Exchange server, telling them that they have new voice mail. The text invites the reader to click the link: "Double click on the link to listen the message." Subject lines include "Voice Mail from NNN-NNN-NNNN (NN seconds)": The redirection chain here is similar: hxxp://www.tryakbar.com/tLbM3r/index.htmlhxxp://sportmania.so/JP3q2538/js.jshxxp://126.96.36.199/tfvsfios6kebvras.php?r=rs3mwhukafbiamcm The landing page shows similar content to the previous example. See here. Another scheme thanks the user for signing up for a premium service. Subject lines include "Thank you for activating paid services": Different redirection chain, but the landing page hosts Blackhole, with a very familiar path: hxxp://www.svstk.ru/templates/beez/check.phphxxp://bode-sales.net/main.php?page=3c23940fb7350489 And finally, the familiar theme of FDIC notifications claiming your wire transfer ability was suspended. Subject lines include "You need a new security version," "Suspended transactions," and "Urgent! You must install a new security version!" Here again, simple redirection leads to typical "/main.php?page=" type URLs. hxxp://kahvikuppi.org/achsec.htmlhxxp://afgreenwich.net/main.php?page=0f123fe645ddf8d7 Note that as part of the update to Blackhole 2.0, we are much more likely to see URLs like those used in the first two examples, rather than the latter two, due to the dynamic URL generation capability. Comments Tod said on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 1:59 PM Thank you very much for the information and the screen shots. I received an email that looks exactly like the 'paid services' example you mentioned. I must admit, the 'paid' part made my anxiety level go up, but I was not going to click on anything until I did some research. I landed on this web page and now I am convinced that I was wise to just delete the email. Thanx again, tod Leave a Comment Name: (required) Email address: (required) Comments Remember me


text:
Karina Smirnoff may have a mirror-ball trophy and a dream job on Dancing with the Stars, but she still has a birthday wish.
"All I want for my birthday is for Tim Tebow to dance on Dancing with the Stars," she said Saturday, not long after Tebow and his Broncos team were ousted from the NFL playoffs by Tom Brady and his Patriots. "Tim is a very talented athlete, that was clear when we saw his performance this past season with Denver."
Celebrating her 34th birthday in Las Vegas, the newly single Dancing champ began at Sugar Factory and was joined briefly by fellow pro Mark Ballas, who had just finished up his duties as a judge at the Miss America pageant.
Later, she danced the night away at Gallery Nightclub with several friends. Of course, in the next season of the Dancing with the Stars, she's hoping to have a football-playing partner.
"He can run, jump, pass, throw touchdowns," she told PEOPLE. "All [that] is missing is to see if he has the dance skills. That would make him an all around athlete and someone that I would love to dance with on the show."
Karina Smirnoff Wants Tim Tebow on Dancing with the Stars
Jesse Grant/WireImage; CSM/Landov


text:
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September 28, 2016
Hospitals Are Mining Patients' Credit Card Data
Posted on Jul 6, 2014
Medical centers are jumping aboard the bandwagon of privacy invasion as they buy data on millions of patients both to anticipate when they'll get sick and for their own financial purposes.
Shannon Pettypiece and Jordan Robertson describe the development at Bloomberg Businessweek:
But there are concerns of abuse and self-interest on the part of hospitals:
Read more here.
—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
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Goldman Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys
The National Park Service has invited the public to the world premiere of "From One Generation to the Next," a CD and DVD that share the story of Cajun and Creole music in Louisiana. The CD/DVD release party is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9.
The release will kick off at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park with the following events:
• 2 p.m.: DVD film premiere;
• 3 p.m.: Cajun music jam; and
• 4 p.m.: Reception featuring Acadian syrup cake and coffee.
Admission to the center, located at 250 W. Park Ave. in Eunice, and events is free. For more information call (337) 457-8499 or www.nps.gov/jela.
At 6 p.m., the fun will continue at Rendez-vous des Cajuns, the weekly live music show hosted at Eunice's Liberty Theater hosted by the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center and the City of Eunice.
The show will feature the "From One Generation to the Next" all-stars, including Sheryl Cormier, Reggie Matte, Briggs Brown and Goldman Thibodeaux.
Tickets are $5 and are available at the door. The Liberty Theater is located at 200 W. Park Ave. in Eunice. For more information call (337) 457-4389.
"From One Generation to the Next" grew out of the interest shown by Prairie Acadian Cultural Center visitors in the musical heritage of south Louisiana. The center's National Park Service rangers are also musicians and longtime local residents who understand the power of music when telling a story.
The CD features local musicians playing traditional Cajun and Creole tunes, and an enclosed booklet shares the origins of each song and explains its place in Louisiana music history.
The DVD includes interviews with the musicians, concentrating on how they learned to play Cajun and Creole music and especially on how it has passed from one generation to the next.


text:
Montreal-based cheese maker Saputo Inc. will pay US$1.45 billion to buy Morningstar Foods, a U.S. company that makes a variety of dairy and non-dairy products.Morningstar has about 2,000 employees and 10 manufacturing plants in the United States.It had the equivalent of C$1.6 billion in revenue during the 12 months ended September.By comparison, Saputo (TSX:SAP) had about $1.7 billion of revenue in its second quarter alone.The company says the addition of Morningstar will immediately bolster Saputo's earnings.Saputo has said it plans to expand in the United States but has downplayed speculation it might acquire the company that makes Twinkies snack cakes.
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I usually enjoy off days, but not with the state of the Yankees these days. We didn't even play last night and lost a half game because the Bosox beat up Detroit 7-1.
So that makes us 8 1/2 games behind the Bosox going into tonight's contest at Chicago. Wow. It's hard to believe. Can't help but continue to think that this whole mess started during the last game in Oakland last month. First, we found out that both Mussina and Pavano were going on the DL, then, with a two-run lead and Mariano on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, we blow it and lose the game, and series, to Oakland.
Now we're 8 1/2 games out of first place.
Well, although I am worried, I keep reminding myself that it's only May 15. We have 12 more games against Boston and, with all due respect, you know they have a big losing streak in them somewhere along the way.
Now it's up to us. The pitching has been good lately, the hitting hasn't. We have to find a way to get both things going.
I'm confident Mike Mussina will give us another quality start tonight. He'll give us a chance to win. And even though we haven't done anything against lefties this season (very odd since we usually kill them), hopefully we find a way to get some timely hits against Chisox southpaw John Danks, who is 1-4 with a 4.33 ERA.
We've been facing enough lefties (not sure if we're going to see Mark Buehrle in this series) where it should help us get ready for two more this weekend, when we'll face Met southpaws Oliver Perez and Tom Glavine.
Anyway, just like me, the Yanks can't look ahead to the weekend. Let's take it one game at a time and, realistically, try to take 2 of 3 from the Chisox before we invade Shea.
I'm still confident we can get going. Obviously, the sooner, the better.
Either way, remember, in a perfect world, we'd all be Yankees.


text:
Erath to get new fire station
ERATH - The Town of Erath held its monthly board of aldermen meeting Monday night to discuss the state of several ongoing projects including the long-term recovery phase from Hurricane Rita.
Town Engineer Gene Sellers presented the board with two phases of Hurricane Rita recovery, which includes street improvements and the allocation of nearly $1 million in awarded funds to go toward the construction or remodeling of the police and/or fire stations.
Nearly three years after Hurricane Rita impacted the town of Erath, the town has received funding to repair some of the damage caused by flooding and heavy winds. Sellers explained to the board that the first phase of the long-term recovery project is to repair streets damaged by Rita. This phase will begin after the federal department conducts an environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine the success of the repairs, and to highlight any potential problem areas, i.e., flooding, elevation and drainage. Sellers said the EIS is set to begin this week, and repairs will soon follow.
The second phase of the recovery project was discussed by the board, along with Sellers, who decided to spend the awarded $909,868 to go toward the construction of a new fire station, or stations, in order to accommodate elevation requirements and accessibility. Sellers explained the $909,868 can be used to construct a new facility, otherwise the town would only receive 50 percent of the appraised value of the existing facility, which was appraised at $90,000.
Erath Mayor George Dupuis stated that the board can decide to use $45,000 of the allocated funds to renovate the existing fire and police facility, but no more because of the 50 percent of cost stipulation.
Police Chief Gerald Hebert said he is happy with his facility the way it is, and to choose to help the fire station would automatically give him more room at the current police station.
"I want to put the money to better use," Hebert said. "I don't need to build a new building." Therefore, the board discussed constructing a new fire station, which is a need in the area.
Fire Chief Wayne Mouton said the existing fire station is in desperate need of repairs to the walls, roof, and interior, which has survived two floods and the heavy water damage that followed two hurricanes. In addition, he said, in order for the fire station to receive a better rating, he needs covered truck bays for his six trucks, and without the bays he will not get credit for the newly purchased equipment the department acquired this year.
The board asked Sellers to look at the new fire station in Kaplan as a starting point for the Erath fire station to possibly be built on the town's old nursing home property. Sellers explained that it may be possible to construct a new fire station and remodel the police station utilizing the total amount of awarded funds. The board voted to move on devising plans for a new fire station without delay in order to spend the money that took three years to get there.
Before adjourning, Police Chief Hebert recommended installing a new stop sign to slow down Margaritaville traffic through the adjacent neighborhoods, and announced adding two police officers to the police reserves, Jason Nguyen and Chad LaPointe. Hebert also noted his department received 32 calls for fireworks, which were banned by a restricting ordinance, but added he did not issue any citations. The board agreed to mail a letter to residents prior to July 4 and December, to let them know about the ordinance and the penalties associated with it.


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Fuji x100 - a few questions
Started Oct 7, 2012 | Discussions thread
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(unknown member) • Senior Member • Posts: 1,321
Re: Fuji x100 - a few questions
In reply to GaryJ12 • Oct 7, 2012
I don't use the camera the way you plan to use it, but I would have at least one spare battery charged at all times.
The shutter lag is not an issue from a shutter button half press. I think the spec is 100 ms. Otherwise, the AF and aperture movement does increase the lag. I never found this to be an issue, but it does bother some people.
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Pennsylvania�s top law enforcement officer was convicted, resigned and faces a jail sentence. This week, we learn the top prosecutor in the state�s largest jurisdiction is the subject of an expanding FBI probe. Philadelphia�s district attorney, Seth Williams, is on the hot seat.
New York City already knows the potential risk first-hand. In 2012, superstorm Sandy ripped through the city and flooded its subway system. To prevent future flooding, the city hopes that giant inflatable "plugs," made of interwoven Kevlar belts and...
The incentives save you money in the short-term - but many analysts have argued that this will eventually come back to haunt you and basically mess up the whole drug market.
She is not simply the oldest active ranger in the National Park Service — Soskin helped shape what the park has become, first as a consultant and later as an interpretive park ranger, and she's even been honored by President Barack Obama for...
"And we would have a duel, that's how angry I am, and I would not put my gun in the air, I guarantee you, I would not be (Alexander) Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes because he is a snot-nosed little runt and he has not done a damn...
Despite what some may have you believe, you're never too old for
On Thursday's Tonight Show, staunch Democrat Barbra Streisand stopped by to sing a duet with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (Jimmy Fallon caked with about 25 pounds of orange makeup).
Fox released a new trailer for
It�s hard to beat the new �Ben-Hur� for historical accuracy. The teeth, perfectly straight, gleaming white. The dreadlocks, gray and magnificent. Bob Marley would be proud. The Limey accents, pristine and offering indisputable proof that British...
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Guest Voice: Probation, parole officers protect public safety
Today in America, there are more than 5 million juvenile and adults on community supervision, and most of these individuals are monitored by probation officers and parole agents. In Pennsylvania, one out of 28 adults is under some form of criminal justice control -- imprisonment or on probation or parole.
Gov. Tom Corbett has proclaimed July 21-27 as Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week in Pennsylvania. This proclamation prompts the question that we frequently get: "What do probation officers and parole agents do?" Answering that question can be difficult due to the complex range of activities officers and agents participate in.
Adult probation officers and parole agents supervise offenders who have been sentenced to probation by the courts or released from prison after serving their minimum sentence of incarceration. Their duties include monitoring compliance with court and release orders; assisting offenders in obtaining needed services, such as housing and employment; overseeing the reintegration of offenders; visiting offenders at work and home; administering drug tests; and providing services and support to crime victims.
Juvenile probation officers supervise youths between the ages of 10 and 21; they are mindful of the vast differences between youths and adults. The juvenile justice system focuses equally on three goals: community protection, victim restoration and youth redemption. The juvenile justice system believes that youths have strengths and are more capable of change.
Through this balance of supervision, enforcement and problem-solving case management, probation officers and parole agents work with offenders to ensure that they follow their conditions of release. These officers and agents also help offenders transition successfully into the community. When offenders have access to these interventions and services, they are much more likely to succeed, less likely to commit another crime, and the public is safer.
Community corrections professionals will frequently talk about the different hats they wear in meeting the range of their job requirements. Some days they wear the hat of a police officer and conduct investigations of probation/parole violations or conduct surveillance operations. Other days they wear the hat of a case manager and provide referrals and support for offenders in need of social services. Another day they wear the hat of a counselor and facilitate offender groups.
Probation officers and parole agents must be competent in addressing a myriad offender issues -- substance abuse, child abuse, domestic violence and mental illness. By providing these services, the officer/agent serves as an advocate for the victim, the offender and the community.
Officers and agents work hand in hand with community groups and social service agencies to provide offenders and victims with the support and services they need. In addition, they maintain partnerships with law enforcement and other justice agencies to share information and expertise in safely and effectively managing offenders in their communities. Through implementing a balanced approach of surveillance, case management and supervision, probation and parole agencies work toward their primary goal -- ensuring the safety of the community.
Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week is a time to recognize and honor the dedicated and caring professionals who work to make the Erie area safer and provide opportunities to offenders to change their lives and build significantly better futures.
JEFF SHAW is chief of the Erie County Adult Probation Office.
ROBERT BLAKELY is chief of the Erie County Juvenile Probation Office.
PATRICIA LIGHTNER is district director for the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole.


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Local Musicians Chosen For Regional Unity Festival
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One Family Gathering
Internet related
(Seattle, WA) - A Seattle based group self-described, as the One Family Gathering will be hosting a three-day unity festival featuring localSeattle artists and musicians. The One Family Gathering, found athttp://www.onefamilygatheri ng.org on the World Wide Web, will be simultaneouslyhosting a rave, a barter fair, and a music festival at their first event, May 2-4 incentral Oregon.The festival, described as an impressive undertaking by John Malson, President ofSyndicate Cosmetics, provides a venue for local and regional acts of diverse talentsto expose themselves to audiences normally outside their fan-base. The One FamilyGathering offers a chance for us to come together as one and celebrate our diversityin a safe environment, said the festival s creator, Bud Weather, an alternativelifestyle consultant with General Specifics LLC, Seattle. This is a gathering of true equals on all levels and points of view or expression, said Sean Smith, One Family Gathering s communication facilitator. The festival usesa set of online tools created by Google that allow for collaborators to share andsimultaneously edit documents. This set of tools is called Google documents and isstill in beta testing.Weather, an eight year veteran of festival production scene, says he is developingthe festival as an answer to the problems that have arisen with other festivals. Because we make significant use of Google s tools to create and manipulate thedocuments that define our organization, we have been able to develop a bottom up structure where facilitators on any level can make changes that effect the wholefestival, Weather said.For the One Family Gathering, 70 performance groups are currently being selectedincluding Jahson Ites, Jack Burton, Seraphim, Cntrl Alt Delete, DJ Sticky, DJ4NORML,Dj Eff, Min.d, Transient, Electric Avenue, Dough Boy, Ben 's Jazz Kit, Rat CityRukas, Daphnie, Jensen, Tommy Dean, Hippinshlog, The Ronz, Norman Baker, Bijhan,Naugahyde Nights, Renegade Minstrels, Wehrwolve, Pressure Suit, Essential I,Huckleberry, SpiritMoon, Laurianne, Matt Zeltzer, HannaH*s Field, Deep SleepNarcotics Company, and many more. These artists are being selected from a largenumber of genres ranging from break-beat techno and Celtic melody to Seattle punkrock. Weather explained that, these performers represent a broad cross section ofpeople who all consider themselves to be, Family .Only a few weeks old, the One Family Gathering has managed to organize and develop athree-day outdoor music festival, rave, and barter fair from the ground up usingGoogle facilitated tools to collaborate online. The One Family Gathering is poisedto be the first event attempting to combine the elements of trade culture withInternet collaboration.More than 4000 music lovers and alternative lifestyle enthusiasts are expected toconverge on central Oregon May 2-4, 2008, for the One Family Gathering. Set in thehigh desert, One Family Gathering promises to entertain with over 70 musicperformances, a trade market, exceptional food vendors, and much more.
Source: Express-Press-Release.com
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Vanessa Williams must be trying to make up for lost time. After not releasing any new recordings for seven years, she returned to the pop scene last October with the Christmas CD Silver & Gold. The former Miss America follows that up quickly with another holiday-pegged disc, a collection of '70s love songs that arrives just in time for Valentine's Day. Although these classy covers of everyone from Melissa Manchester to the Fifth Dimension can't top the originals, they will hardly snuff the candlelight out of a night of romance. Williams, an underrated singer who never oversells a song, sets a soft, sensual mood with smooth-jazz revamps of the Jackson 5's 1971 hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" and Stevie Wonder's 1979 chestnut "Send One Your Love." And her string-laden version of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is pretty if predictable. But Williams's tasteful approach can sometimes be a little too bland. She hardly has the soulful firepower to compete with Chaka Khan's original vocal on "Everlasting Love." Two duets produce mixed results: "With You I'm Born Again," with George Benson, generates a gentle warmth, but she and James "D-Train" Williams suck all of the funk out of "I'll Be Good to You."
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Never Can Say"


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Washers and dryers are usually relegated to the basement or laundry room, out of sight except when we need them to do our dirty work. Since they're tucked away, they rarely have the kinds of eye-pleasing (or at least eye-not-offending) designs as the machines we keep in our kitchens.
But if you look hard enough, there are some laundry machines with the looks to match the beauty of their interior engineering. Here are some of the most stunning machines out there.
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Nothing beats the sublime beauty of a desert lake, its azure waters shimmering dreamily against the golden hues around it, green grasses waving invitingly in the breeze, beckoning to thirsty animals and weary travelers.
Drop Tube Reservoir, Montana
Drop Tube Reservoir is located in Powder River county, Montana. Find dining and lodging options near Drop Tube Reservoir.
Check out local things to do such as local golfing (Rolling Hills Golf Course, Lakeview Country Club and Ponderosa Butte Public Golf Course), hiking (Cap Rock Nature Trail).
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I have found it's trial & error as far as sodium/potassium and magnesium, since our needs are so individual.Stuff I am trying to figure out:
I'm not sure how much sodium I need. It is hot and humid here so I lose a lot through sweat, but even drinking a glass of broth I'm under 3000mg sodium (according to FitDay where I am tracking everything I eat). I was feeling weird until I added the broth, but I'm not sure how to tell if I need more.
I intend to eat as much as I want, but I need to figure out what to do on days I eat a lot to stay under 50 carbs and not over do the protein. Any yummy, filling, fat only snack ideas?
What works for me is to salt all my cooked food with sea salt, 400 mg Magnesium before bed and bone broth a few times a week. I can't eat much fruit due to FODMAPS-intolerance, but if you can, avocados are a decent source of potassium (and fat!) Or bananas pre-exercise would work.
If you need a bit more boost in your carbs as you transition, worry not! Just eat them before a run/workout and your blood glucose won't be spiked so much.
Some folk do better dropping the carbs cold turkey, others need more of a transition, or they tend to binge.
I eat a lot of brie, iced creamy cocoa (cream with coco, sweetener to taste), and paté. I would eat avocado/guacamole if I could!
Oh and here's Peter @ Hyperlipid's chocolate butter recipe (UK measurements!):
One 100gm chocolate bar (85% or 90%), One 250gm block of economy butter, 45ml double cream, 15 or 30ml honey and some vanilla. Melt, pour in to an ice cube tray, freeze, pop out of tray while frozen, keep in fridge until consumed, not very long...


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Star Tracks: Monday, May 16, 2016 42 years, 2,191 covers and 55,436 stories from PEOPLE magazine's history for you to enjoy
Latest News!
- WATCH: Dancing With The Stars Listen up! Usain Bolt Wants in
- Read the Cover Story: Brad & Angelina Split After 12 Years: It's Over
- American Horror Story's Denis O'Hare: Even the Actors Are Surprised by the Show
- Princess Kate and Prince William Get Gifted Pint-Sized Life Vests for Prince George and Princess Charlotte
- WATCH: Wendy Williams Sounds Off on Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna
People Top 5
LAST UPDATE: Tuesday February 10, 2015 01:10PM EST
PEOPLE Top 5 are the most-viewed stories on the site over the past three days, updated every 60 minutes
- June 23, 1980
- Vol. 13
- No. 25
Thanks to the magic of reruns, my favorite TV character, Rhoda Morgenstern, is still with us. Valerie Harper did a wonderful job playing the "ugly duckling" who delivered such classic observations as "When you're single and over 30, there is no such thing as just dating—unless you're Gidget." Thank you for the delightful cover photo of the swan (PEOPLE, June 2).
Robin Roberts
Clemson, S.C.
For those of us who don't have the pectoral region of an 18-year-old girl, please tell us what weight-lifting technique Valerie Harper used.
Chelsea Cross
Fairfield, Conn.
Tony Cacciotti recommends a series of exercises performed lying on a bench. Start out with three-to-five-pound weights and gradually increase them by two to three pounds every two to three weeks, to a maximum of 10 pounds each. Slowly repeat each exercise five or six times, with elbows locked. Inhale as you start and gradually exhale. 1: Extend arms toward ceiling, drop them to the side, parallel to the body. 2: Again, arms to ceiling, then back over head in a circle and around toward body, ending with arms in starting position. 3: Reverse #2. 4: Arms toward ceiling, then back over head to a V position, hold for a second, return to starting position.
Elizabeth Fishel
I find it hard to believe that although "little information exists about the psychology of sisterhood," there isn't a more definitive statement than author Fishel's suggestion that we are primarily characters from Little Women, furious with each other over borrowed clothes. On behalf of my two sisters and myself, thumbs down!
Mary M. Dean
I was astonished to read in the Chatter section that I "shouldered aside" an already seated guest to be at "Joan Kennedy's immediate right at a table for 10 in a chic, wine-only French restaurant" in San Francisco. I was asked to sit at her right by Robert Fitzgerald, Senator Kennedy's cousin and the man in charge of seating arrangements. I further read that I then "produced a bottle of vodka from a paper bag" and "brandished it at Joan." The vodka was given to me by the proprietor, Robert Bitton, who knows I am not overly fond of wine. I did not "brandish" it. I placed it on the floor behind my chair. I did not say to Mrs. Kennedy, "This used to be your favorite, wasn't it?" When someone from your magazine phoned to check this story, I said, "It's a good story, but it never happened."
Herb Caen
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco
PEOPLE'S source, who was sitting at the same table, stands by his story. When PEOPLE first asked Caen about the incident, the columnist replied, "I don't remember saying it, but somebody told me I said it. I can't deny it."
John Silber
As a freshman at BU, I shouted with a mixture of surprise, umbrage and joy at seeing your article on Boston University President John Silber. While 60 Minutes and Tomorrow tended to show Silber as an intelligent, righteous, authoritarian man, PEOPLE revealed him as human. I may not agree with Silber's methods or opinions, but I have a greater respect for him after reading PEOPLE.
Darryl Morgan
Kenmore, N.Y.
Stop John Silber! He's a menace to mediocrity, a threat to complacency and a hazard to failure. Worst of all, the guy is just plain competent.
B.G. Mancheski
Branford, Conn.
William Murray
I don't agree with William Murray's wanting to reinstate prayer in the public schools, but I agree with his assessment of his mother. I attended a lecture by Ms. O'Hair in 1978 and it appeared to me that her crusade was more a neurotic compulsion based on hatred than a logical appeal to separate church and state in every area.
Sue Fawcett
Austin, Texas
I have already sent in for my box seat ticket for Judgment Day. Just want to make sure I'm close enough to watch the expression on Madalyn's face when she sees God.
G. Westover
Picks & Pans
Martin Gottfried's Visitors' Guide to Broadway left out quite a few excellent items. What happened to: Vanities, Gertrude Stein, Table Settings, Happy New Year, Home, The Roast, White Chicks, A Kurt Weill Cabaret, Black-stone!, I'm Getting My Act Together?
Martin Kreinik
New York City
Gottfried replies: "My theater picks were chosen on the basis of personal taste and their chances of lasting the summer. Some have already closed and others are on the brink. Of course, the bottom line remains: to each his own."
Roman Welzant
In your May 26 issue, you said Roman Welzant would soon go on trial in Baltimore for killing one teenager and wounding another after he and his wife had endured years of harassment. What happened?
John Rea
Boulder, Colo.
After nearly 11 hours of deliberation, a jury found Welzant innocent of all charges. The jury heard testimony that the dead boy had been drinking and that the other youth may have touched the 68-year-old Welzant before the shooting. Welzant and his wife, Genevieve, with daughter Nancy above, plan to move as soon as possible.
More in the Archive
Today's Photos
September 24, 2016
Kendrick Lamar and Ellie Goulding, Plus Rihanna, Miley Cyrus & More
Treat Yourself! 4 Preview Issues
The most buzzed about stars this minute!


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Review Details
Organic Cotton CuddlyWrapProduct Rating: Product Review (submitted on August 21, 2013):
The fabric is VERY soft and stretches perfect. I loved the colour choice but it was a bit pricey. There are definitely other carriers out there that do the job and I admit I own some for quick convenience but I still prefer this wrap. It's especially great for newborns since it's easy to give baby extra head support and coverage for feedings. I know carriers say don't bend over with baby in them but I was totally confident in the cuddlywrap's support and YES I do laundry with baby in. I bought this with baby #1 and currently on baby #2 with it. It's definitely easy to wash compared to other wraps.
The DVD did a good job of explaining though I admit I watched it more then once. I don't like that the edges drag if you are by your car putting it on to get baby out but I often solved this by putting it on me Before leaving the house so its ready to go, it kinda looks like a nifty tee if you put it on just right.
Like another reviewer said its nice not to have buckles. My baby now when I use my other carrier gets folded ears, minimal head support when asleep in it, over heads, and buckles in her face...all things she doesn't get with this wrap.
Honestly, I used my other carriers when she was born and wished for a better one and a sling too and realized I already had everything I wanted in this wrap and feel in love with it all over again.


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OLTL and AMC
are cutting back to 2 days a week... AMC will be Mon and Wed
and OLTL will be Tues and Thurs.
one life to live...
and AMC is ALL My Children
Quoting jbyrd898:
what is oltl?
did you watch them all at once? I watched daily right after the kids went off to school, untill my day care kids showed up, I like them 30 minutes. I like them 4 days a week too... Hope the 2 days a week people still tune in...
Quoting Clubpenguin:
I like this. It's too hard to sit in front of the computer to watch all the episodes
I wasn't doing a good job of keeping up with them, but that's my fault, LOL. I am having trouble with having to sit through the commercials-I am sooooooo used to looking at Bold and the Beautiful (and Young and the Restless) and being able to spin through all the commercials. The difference between looking at something that is 20 min and something that is 30 min feels a lot bigger than it should be.
I have cafemom opend and when the ads come on I switch over...
Quoting PinkDragonFly:
I have cafemom opend and when the ads come on I switch over...
I'm looking at them on TV.


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Sources: Pa Patient Saf Advis [abstract], Pediatrics [abstract], JAMIA [abstract], Bloomberg
quote: The problems is not the system but the people operating it. It's entirely different than what they are used to. The increase in errors is because more hospitals are adopting the new systems. The major complaints and problems pretty much tells you operating errors. Transition is always hard and sometimes chaotic


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With sharp claws and lithe bodies built for jumping, cats are capable climbers. For most of them, though, climbing up is a lot easier than climbing down. Unless you like spending your afternoons coaxing a scaredy cat out of a tree, take steps to deter your kitty from climbing.
Items you will need
- Carpeted climbing tree
- Aluminum foil
- Chicken wire
- Zip ties
Step 1
Keep your frisky feline inside. This will prevent her from climbing trees while protecting her from predators, disease and cars.
Step 2
Provide your cat safe climbing activities indoors, such as a window perch or a carpeted climbing tree. This should help ease her natural urge to climb.
Step 3
Determine how high your cat can jump up her favorite tree, then wrap aluminum foil around the tree at this point, extending upward a couple of feet. Your kitty won't want to walk on the foil and will stay below it on the tree. Check the condition of the foil periodically and replace it when necessary. If the foil begins peeling, your cat will find a way to climb above it.
Step 4
Place a chicken-wire cone around trees your cat is fond of climbing. About 5 or 6 feet up from the ground, wrap chicken wire around the trunk so that one end is tightly wrapped around the tree while the other end extends and fans out at least a couple of feet from the tree. Secure the wire with zip ties. Your cat will not be able to climb the wire or jump over it.
- Consult your vet or a cat behaviorist if your kitty won't stop climbing or is putting herself at risk.
Photo Credits
- Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images


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Gravel Conveyors - Office - Zionsville, IN - Phone: (317) 873-8686
Jet Star Inc - Zionsville, IN - Phone: (317) 873-4222
Peters Industrial Equipment Inc - Zionsville, IN - Phone: (317) 873-3373
Pock Eugene Jr - Zionsville, IN - Phone: (317) 769-3772
Star Leasing Company - Zionsville, IN - Phone: (317) 733-4550
U-Haul CO - Independent Dealers- Zionsville - Zionsville, IN - Phone: (317) 873-8764
Zionsville Lawn Equipment Inc - Zionsville, IN - Phone: (317) 873-4766
Freight forwarding, in Zionsville, denotes the act of organizing shipments for individuals or companies. The carriers used in the process include airplanes, trucks, ships and railroads.
Freight forwarding typically deals in moving cargo to an international destination. Commercial invoice, shipper's export declaration, bill of lading and other documents required by the carrier or country of export, import, or transshipment are some of the typical information reviewed during freight forwarding. Freight forwarding is generally of two types- Domestic & International. However, in some countries, no such distinction prevails.
Governor Cuomo Announces 900 Solar Projects Underway Through 26 Community Solarize Campaigns Across The State
"Solarize" campaigns are encouraging homes and businesses throughout the state to install solar – State will support another 31 "Solarize" campaigns set to begin this spring (Long Island, NY) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 900 solar projects are underway through 26 community "Solarize" campaigns across New York State. A component of the NY-Sun program and the Governor's..


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If you've been following GamerTell, which I hope you have, I'm sure you've noticed the recent focus on Pyrodactyl Games' Unrest. A Kickstarter success story, this narrative-driven adventure just released and grabbed me. I connected with the game and fell in love, then finished it with a broken heart. Frankly, Unrest's "ending" left me wanting to riot.
Shocked, appalled, incensed, and upset, I immediately emailed Pyrodactyl Games' Arvind Yadav for answers. I had to know why Unrest ended like it did. There was so much unsaid, and I was craving closure. Yadav graciously granted me an interview, unfortunately it brought me no resolution or peace. The interview is spoiler-free when it comes to the story – but go in knowing that it does heavily address the fact that only one character stars in multiple segments and that every playable character's tale ends in a cliffhanger.
GamerTell: Why is Asha the only character with multiple "chapters" within Unrest? Why does the player never return to any of the other characters' stories?
Arvind Yadav: Creatively, we wanted the main characters' chapters to stand on their own (apart from Asha, whose arc is deconstructive of a traditional RPG protagonist). Practically, follow-up chapters would make the game fractally complex to design and program. We had a choice between showing more viewpoints in Bhimra or dedicating all of our resources to one or two, and given our creative goals (and financial restrictions), we had no choice but to go with the former.
GT: Do you have any creative reasons for not providing resolution to any of the characters' stories within the game?
Yadav: Yes, absolutely. Morality in RPGs tends to be a matter of action and consequence; you rob a man, get five evil points, he dies, your party's reputation decreases by six. Providing this much focus on ends, not means, has a reductive effect on how players interpret those systems.
Unrest offers the idea that sometimes, there is no right and no wrong decision–sometimes actions must be weighed and judged without knowing what the consequences will be. Even someone playing the game a second time has no way of knowing whether Tanya's marriage to Hanu will end in an uneasy alliance or an abusive, miserable domestic hell–and each time the player chooses, they must choose not based on what the outcome will be, but on what they feel is right.
GT: Who made the decision to end Unrest on a cliffhanger, and why?
Yadav: The decision emerged organically. One of the main ideas of the game is that casting Unrest's story as Asha's Heroic Narrative–her fall from safety, her struggle to survive, her triumphant rise to power–is absurdly, inherently artificial. Obviously the story of Bhimra's troubles began far before Asha came into being, and obviously it will continue long after she gets her "happy ending." Unrest has a cliffhanger ending because to the real story, the story of Bhimra – told in part through Tanya, Bhagwan, and Shyam – has no clean ending.
GT: Was the abrupt end due to a lack of funds?
Yadav: We might have tied a few things up if we had more money, but if we weren't happy with how the game ended, we would have kept working on it. This game was made by a team of five on a budget of $30,000 over the course of 1 year – and to be honest, that is not enough money to pay enough wages to one person, let alone five. During the year, one of us worked at Home Depot, and three of us had to freelance alongside making the game to pay the bills.
GT: Did you anticipate positive or negative reactions from players when they reached the end of Unrest? What did you want people to take away from the game?
Yadav: We've had a lot of both positive and negative reactions to the game, but even most of the negative reactions are inherently positive. Certainly the game frustrates some by not answering all of the questions it raises, but for the most part, those are the questions we want to stick with the player. If they walk away fully understanding the context and stakes of a decision and still wondering if they'd done the right thing – that's ultimately far, far more meaningful to that player than if we'd simply told them, "Yes, you did," or "no, you didn't." Of course, you are free and welcome to disagree with our interpretation.
GT: Will there be any Pyrodactyl Games-created mods that will tie-up Unrest's loose ends?
Yadav: At the moment, no mods are under discussion. If created, such mods would probably answer more small questions than large ones. This might change depending on how Unrest does, we definitely would add to the story if we were able to sustain ourselves while doing so.
GT: Is a sequel in development? If so, will it import players' Unrest save files so each characters' stories can continue from where they left off?
Yadav: No sequel is planned or under development. If created, it is improbable we would draw from player save files. We would be more interested in exploring new issues than revisiting old ones, and would do so only if we thought we could complicate or re-examine those scenarios in an interesting fashion.
I suppose I understand better now why Unrest ended the way it did, but I still can't help feeling cheated out of a story. I can honestly say I'll never play it again, even if it would mean seeing some different takes on events, because I can't get over the feeling of being robbed of a complete story. To me, a cliffhanger feels more like a cop-out than an attempt to depict a situation that could have no "clean ending."
Unrest is immediately available on Steam. Windows, Mac, and Linux players can pick up a copy for $14.99.


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Belkin F8N651ttC00 Folio Stand for Iriver Story HD e-Reader - BlackItem#: B20-7215 | Model#: F8N651TTC00
Currently Out Of Stock!
You May Consider This Alternative
Belkin Folio Stand for Iriver Story HD e-Reader Product Details
Belkin F8N651ttC00 Folio Stand
Providing a protective folio and stand in one package, the Belkin F8N651ttC00 Folio Stand delivers the best security for your Iriver Story HD e-Reader. With multiple viewing angles, manage to read your favorite books conveniently. Delivering a sleek design, it envelops your device and avoids the occurrence of scratches, damages, dings and bumps. The Belkin F8N651ttC00 Folio Stand also comes with a cover for protecting your screen and a smooth inner lining for your device. Boasting a lightweight design, be able to experience the best security with the Belkin F8N651ttC00 Folio Stand.
What It Is And Why You Need It:
- Durable construction; deliver outstanding security from scratches and scuffs
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- Multiple viewing angles; read your favorite stories conveniently no matter what position youre in
A Closer Look
Related Items
Manufactured by: Belkin
Warranty provided by: Belkin
UPC No: 722868836699
Mfg Part No: F8N651TTC00
Box Size:
( Length:9, Width:6, Depth:1)
Shipping Weight: 0.4500 pound(s)
Dimensional Weight: 1pounds
What is Dimensional weight?
Click here for full warranty and support information
- Belkin logos are registered trademarks of Belkin. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


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A hangover that is so bad you can't even remember your phone number, pin number, etc.
I drank so much last night, I can't even remember where I parked. I've got some serious Brain Cloud today.
B2thaHizo tarafından 14 Temmuz 2008, Pazartesi
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Top Definition
When you are getting a blowjob from a girl and instead of cumming in her mouth, you pull out and shoot a load in her nose. It goes into her brain and explodes and oozes around like a "brain cloud".
Dude, I was totally getting a hummer from that cheerleader you did last week and instead of cumming in her mouth like you did, I totally pulled out and shot her a brain cloud up the nose!
dirtybuccaneer tarafından 8 Ağustos 2009, Cumartesi


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- Flat Rate Shipping. Any Size Order! -
- A Portion of Proceeds Benefit Baltimore Ravens Athletics -
HOME Baltimore Ravens Gear Baltimore Ravens Auto Accessories $40 to $60 (6 items) Product ID: 1567603
Main Content
- Imported
- Standard nine-piece ratchet set with rigid hand driver (socket range: 3/16"-1/2")
- Blade style automotive fuses: (1) 10-amp, (2) 15-amp, (1) 20-amp
- Standard slip joint pliers
- Roll of red electrical tape
- Tire pressure gauge
- Insulated ring and spade terminals (3 each)
- Printed graphics
- Flathead screwdriver
- Instructions included
- Plastic scraper
- Jumper cables: Approximately 8'
- Philips screwdriver
- Triangular carrying case with exterior, reflective hazard warning sign
- Work gloves: 65% Nylon/35% Cotton
- Officially licensed
- Emergency kit
- Jumper cables: .20mm x 60 (15 gauge) copper connectors
- Imported
- Brand: Picnic Time
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Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


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Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences
-Division of Plant and Soil Science
Kearneysville| TFREC - Tree Bark Research
Welcome to KTFREC - Tree Bark Research Archive
This site was designed to provide a place to learn
about the anatomy and physiology of tree bark, fungal canker diseases that affect tree
bark, the wound responses of injured tree bark, and the role of wound responses in the
resistance of living tree bark to wound pathogens. Black and white photomicrographs are being updated with color images as time permits.
The term " bark" is used most often in a nontechnical context and refers to
all tissues external to the vascular cambium (Srivastava 1964, Esau 1965). Accordingly,
the bark is an aggregation of organs and tissues that includes phloem and secondarily
thickened tissues from the secondary plant body, as well as epidermis, cortex and phloem
derived from the primary plant body (Esau 1965). The term bark was used by earlier authors
in a technical context in reference to all dead tissues exterior to a deep-seated periderm
(de Bary 1884, Büsgen and Münch 1929). Contemporary authors refer to this aggregate of
dead tissues, which consists of alternating layers of periderms and associated tissues, as
"rhytidome", a term often considered synonymous with the term "outer
bark" (Eames and MacDaniels 1947, Esau 1965). The living organs of the bark consist
of the phloem and the living tissues of the innermost periderm, the phellogen and
phelloderm. All living tissues have been collectively termed the "inner bark"
(Eames and MacDaniels 1947). Borger (1973) provided an excellent discussion of the
development and shedding of characteristic bark types. Trockenbrodt (1990) has provided an
informative survey and discussion of terminology used in the bark anatomy literature.
Borger GA 1973 Development and shedding of bark. In: Kozlowski TT (ed) Shedding of
plant parts. Academic Press, New York, 205-236.
Büsgen M, Münch E 1929 The structure and life of forest trees. John Wiley, New York.
de Bary A 1884 Comparative anatomy of the vegetative organs of the phanerogams and
ferns. Oxford Univ Press (Clarendon), London, New York.
Eames AJ, MacDaniels LH 1947 Introduction to plant anatomy. 2nd ed, McGraw-Hill, New
York, 427 pp.
Esau K 1965 Plant anatomy. 2nd ed, John Wiley, New York, 767 pp.
Srivastava LM 1964 Anatomy, chemistry, and physiology of bark. Int Rev For Res
Trockenbrodt M 1990 Survey and discussion of the terminology used in bark anatomy. IAWA
Bull 11:141-166


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Millions of Hispanics are expected to vote in the 2012 presidential election, according to the bipartisan National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund.
The group of Latino office holders predicts that 12.2 million Hispanics will cast their ballots in November, up from 9.7 million in 2008.
The reason for the increase is that an estimated 50,000 Latinos reach voting age every month.
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, talked about the power of the Latino vote, including its impact on GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney, on CBN News Channel Morning News, Feb. 14. Click play to watch.
Sleeping Power House? Latinos Combat Voter Apathy
Fla. Church Leaders Get Out the Hispanic Vote
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
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Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting? Are you facing a difficult situation?
Find peace with God, discover more about God or send us your prayer request.
Call The 700 Club Prayer Center at 1 (800) 823-6053, 24 hours a day.
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
CBN News is a national/international, nonprofit news organization that provides programming by cable, satellite, and the Internet, 24-hours a day. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.


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Top Definition
Gifey amiably refers to the male wife of a gay male couple.
As Steve was irritated having to label his spouse as his 'life partner', and then unfortunately having to explain who was the husband and wife of the relationship, he decided to call his spouse 'gifey' of which his friends and acquaintances immediately understood the relationship, in all its form and glory.
โดย J Sylvester 27 มีนาคม 2007
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?


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Source: LG
quote: No, actually - worldwide it still leads all the competition, meaning that your exact question and argument could be accurately directed at yourself. What you're probably doing is taking a single country in isolation to make an invalid point. And even in the US which I assume you are referring to - both sets of customers rated their phones very high.
quote: To take a page out of your book of context, the US is where the bulk of Apples sales are and where Apples sales are comparable to the Android competition. Worldwide Apple is week.


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Family Vacation Day Three: Similarities are Not UniversalCasey Mullins
Day three started at one of Florida's hospitals, where Cody was taken back in a wheelchair because he could barely walk straight and was putting off a weird shade of green. The doctor looked him over for about five minutes and came to the conclusion that his ears were filled with fluid and he had a sinus infection which is what was causing his vertigo. Cody was so sick he didn't even notice a double ear infection or sinus infection. Prescriptions were written, filled, taken and Cody was put back to bed. Before we left the doctor joked "Hey, no roller coasters today." What she didn't know is we actually had passes waiting for us at Universal Orlando for the day.
Once Cody was medicated and safely in bed I packed up the little girls for a chilly day at Universal Orlando. The last time I was at Universal Orlando I had pneumonia (only I didn't know it yet) which means the only thing I enjoyed was a Butterbeer, mostly because it was the first thing I managed to keep down in 48 hours. I had made a mental checklist working up to this trip of rides I wanted to go on, but with Cody being sick and it being awfully chilly for Florida (high of 50) many of the rides simply weren't options which was okay because here's the first thing I learned about theme parks with toddlers…
Even if Cody had been with us and the weather had been a balmy 78 we still couldn't have accomplished much in one day, we haven't nicknamed Vivi 'Pokey Little Puppy' for no reason. Her first ride was the Woody Woodpecker roller coaster. SHE WAS A FAN! "Again?" she asked. The first time I took Addie on a roller coaster she cried and refused to go on it again. Even when Addie was bigger and I managed to get her on another roller coaster the ride still ended in tears. She's not exactly an adventurous child when it comes to roller coasters, but hook her to a zip line and she'll jump off just about anything. We winded our way over to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where there was a bigger roller coaster Vivi was able to go on called "Flight of the Hippogriff." I was expecting tears at the end but she was all smiles and begging to go again.
So we went again. And again. And again.
Vivi rode that roller coaster six times in a row and the only reason we stopped is because my brain was having a hard time keeping up with the rest of my body after the fifth time on. Addie only rode it twice. Another huge difference between the two? Addie didn't like Butterbeer (which, what?) while Vivi got sugar drunk off the stuff.
We made stops on Jurassic Park island where those little girls could have played all day, there was also a ride called the "pteranodon flyers" that looked easy enough, but once it started I was terrified Vivi was going to go flying out of her harness to her death. She on the other hand wanted to do it again.
The Dr. Seuss part of the park was popular with both girls, but by then the sun was setting, Vivi was tired and it was cold which means we quit while we were ahead. We made it home to Cody who was sitting upright but still looking awfully rough, going to Universal with us would have done him in forever.
New family goal? Go to Universal Orlando for longer than a few hours when all of us are healthy and the weather is warm. It's a really cool park, I have friends who will only go to Universal Orlando when they visit Florida and while we're not quite there yet, I can see why it's their favorite.
More on the logistics of a big theme park like Universal with a toddler later, but for now? Day three was not a total loss for the girls.
Family Vacation Tally Day Three:
Bodily Fluids: 1 (Total for the week: 3)
Crying Fits: 0 (Total for the week: 5)
Best! Day! Ever! Declarations: 0 (although I did get one Best! Mom! Ever!
Tantrums: 0 (Total for the week: 2)
Things Eaten Off the Ground: 0 (Total for the week: 2)


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The legislation would require insurers to provide their policyholders with an easy-to-understand disclosure notice detailing their coverage in the event of a catastrophic occurrence; specifying how and when to file a claim; outlining their rights if a claim is denied or a settlement offer proves insufficient, and telling them where and how to obtain coverage for catastrophes.
Assemblymen Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island) and Matthew Titone (D-North Shore) joined Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) Friday in announcing the proposed bill.
"Communities like ours on Staten Island have waited long enough for action by insurance companies," said Cusick.
"This inaction is resulting in an unnecessary and unacceptable delay for those who have lost so much."
A companion bill would require insurance companies to expedite claims for storm damage; numerous Staten Islanders whose property was damaged in Hurricane Sandy have complained that the insurance companies are not holding up their end of the bargain.
Also, the Assembly's Insurance Committee will hold public hearings to examine the response of insurance companies in the aftermath of the storm and to take further steps to aid property owners during such damaging events.
"The long road to recovery doesn't end when the waters recede," said Titone.
"For communities like those on Staten Island that weathered Superstorm Sandy, the Homeowner Bill of Rights and the Prompt Processing of Claims legislation helps to ensure that home- and business-owners have the coverage they need to rebuild following these increasingly frequent and violent natural disasters."