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Coalition launches alternative to secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership
MONTREAL, Canada, juill. 24 (APCNews)
Coalition to TPP negotiators: It's time to move beyond secret meetings and join with the public to chart a better course for our digital future.
The Fair Deal Coalition has launched a new initiative that will give internet users a platform to discuss what copyright should look like under the TPP. The Coalition's tool "Your Digital Future" invites organisations from all sectors and countries to discuss what kind of copyright law the TPP countries need in order to encourage creativity, participation, and innovation.
The Fair Deal Coalition will take this wide-ranging feedback and bring it directly to TPP decision-makers, ensuring that the voices of the broader internet community are heard.
"Your Digital Future" is a crowdsourcing initiative, hosted at http://OpenMedia.org/DigitalFuture. This new tool will be used to gather input from citizens and businesses on what they think today's copyright laws should be, and what they think their digital future should look like.
Society at large should have a say in the important laws that shape our use of the internet, how we access information, and even conduct business. This initiative seeks to correct the stark imbalance in the TPP talks between the interests of old media conglomerates and the rest of society including citizens, internet users, innovative businesses and creators.
The announcement comes as TPP negotiators wrap up their latest round of closed-door meetings in Malaysia. Leaked documents show that copyright terms in the TPP could actually render many basic online activities illegal, hinder innovation and cost users money. The copyright demands in the TPP would never pass with the world watching, which is why the negotiations are secret.
What Fair Deal Coalition members have to say about Your Digital Future:
Francisco Vera Hott from ONG Derechos Digitales, Chile: "While there is a growing demand for transparency and inclusiveness in public policy making, the TPP Agreement is being discussed under a level of secrecy that doesn't allow people to even know its contents, and much less be part of those discussions. We need new tools like this to get people involved in the debate by enabling them to join discussions where the public interest is at stake."
Maira Sutton from the Electronic Frontier Foundation: "Hollywood and other content interests are using TPP to push forth an extreme copyright agenda around the world. The IP policies they're lobbying for in TPP will permanently affect our rights to free expression, privacy, and innovation online. For this TPP to ever be relevant or legitimate throughout the 21st century, the public's voice must be heard and our collective concerns must be addressed."
Susan Chalmers from Internet New Zealand: "Ironically, if the TPP copyright chapter was open for public discussion, countries would probably end up with better legal standards for their citizens — ones that support innovation and economic growth, access to information, and make less of an intrusion into how we use and build the internet. The idea behind Your Digital Future is to have that public discussion, whether invited or not. Now, TPP decision-makers will know how their constituents feel."
Joy Liddicoat, coordinator for APC's Internet Rights are Human Rights project: "Those governments negotiating the TPP which only last year publicly committed to open, multi-stakeholder processes for internet governance at the WCIT and ITU meetings on international telecommunications regulation should be called to account. The use of secret trade negotiations to develop internet regulation is blatant circumvention of fundamental principles which lie at the heart of the internet. The blatant contradiction between secret copyright negotiations that will affect internet rights and open internet policy must be challenged."
TPP meetings took place in Malaysia from 15-24 July 2013. Negotiators have indicated that they are in the "home stretch", with leaders of the participating countries expecting a resolution sometime in October. However, reports have indicated that the intellectual property provisions have been quite a "challenging" issue for those behind the agreement.
Over 15,000 people have now signed a petition at http://OurFairDeal.org, which demands that negotiators reject copyright proposals that would restrict the open Internet, access to knowledge, economic opportunity and our fundamental rights.
Internet users around the world can tell decision-makers that it's time to open up their secretive process and let our voices be heard by speaking out at www.OpenMedia.org/DigitalFuture.
About the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
The TPP is one of the most far-reaching international free trade agreements in history. We know from leaked TPP draft texts that participating nations would be bound to much stricter and more extreme copyright laws than now exist under current national laws. Negotiators are from 12 of the TPP negotiating nations—Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Peru, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States. Negotiating documents are classified—unless you are one of just 600 industry lobbyists permitted to participate.
About the Fair Deal Coalition
The Fair Deal Coalition is made up of a diverse group of public interest and business organizations across the Pacific region along with thousands of people who are concerned about costly and harmful internet censorship rules being imposed through the TPP. Members of the Fair Deal coalition include:
Affinity Bridge, Article 19, Australian Digital Alliance, Australian Library & Information Association, Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Internet NZ, BCFIPA, The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), Consumers International, Council of Canadians, Creative Freedom, Demand Progress, Derechos Digitales, Electronic Frontiers Australia, Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF), Engine.is, Fight for the Future, FreePress, Gen Why Media, Hiperderecho, Library & Information Society of New Zealand, Movements for the Internet Active Users, NZRise, NZOSS, OpenMedia.org, Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, Scoop, Tech Liberty NZ, TechDirt, Tuanz, Tucows, TradeMe
About the Association for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international network and non-profit organisation founded in 1990 that wants everyone to have access to a free and open internet to improve lives and create a more just world. http://www.apc.org
Media Contacts
David Christopher
Communications Coordinator, OpenMedia.ca
Mallory Knodel
Communications Manager, APC
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2008 Meritage, Napa Valley
Our 2008 Meritage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec. Lush tannins and intense fruit flavors of black currant, blackberries, plums, and cocoa combine on the palate for an excellent structure. Our Meritage is full, supple, and rich with a lengthy finish that will leave you lingering for more. Our 2008 Meritage is a combination of: 54% Cabernet, 19% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Malbec.
Detailed Notes

subset: commoncrawl


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Main Street Charm
This town of 18,600 overlooking Long Island Sound is so New England picturesque that former president Bill Clinton singled it out in his memoir, My Life, as an "especially old and beautiful" favorite during his time at Yale. But at a mere 36 square miles along the Connecticut shoreline, Madison is easy to miss—and residents happen to like it that way.
Almost exactly halfway between New York City and Boston, Madison attracts a sophisticated mix of professionals—lawyers, accountants, architects—as well as a growing community of artists. They frequent the town's independent boutiques and family-owned restaurants, most of which are housed in the two-story shingled and redbrick buildings (many dating from the 1930s) that line Main Street. In the summer, a scenic green in the heart of downtown hosts outdoor concerts and a farmers' market.
Left: R.J. Julia Booksellers, a Publisher's Weekly Bookseller of the Year and the crown jewel of downtown


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Read the "Specific Details".
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After shipping your items will be delivered within 1-10 business days.


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RoF is Overpowered
I'm bringing this up again, even if ND doesn't fix it in Uncharted 3, they better not put ANY Rof mod in UC4. It's the only Mod that directly increases TTK. RoF has no repercussions either, the recoil increase is laughable the only other downside is loss of ammo but that can easily be fixed with the use of Daredevil, Ammo Award, or a Stat Hat.
RoF M9 was the only gun that was able to go head up effectively with the Pre-Nerf FAL and Pre-Nerf GMAL both of which have already been weakened. Then why is RoF still here.
RoF M9 is the fastest killing long gun not counting the Dragon, it's incredibly effective for BF why is it here? The RoF Arm Micro is the strongest pistol for BF and Steel fisting even faster than the Para 9.
I'm creating another complaint thread so what it worked for the G-MAL.
Re: RoF is Overpowered
Re: RoF is Overpowered[ Edited ]
IMO, the m9 even without the rof mod is OP (know that i haven't complained about anything in this game being OP except for the current m9 and maybe the shotty before the hopping technique was nerfed (what you should get from that is i didn't think any of the other "OP" weapons that were nerfed because of all the complaint threads weren't truly "OP"; i don't bandwagon))
why i think it's OP even without the rof mod:
- it does a substantial amount of damage from distances that it shouldn't be able to; ability to kill people from far distances (accuracy is too high / recoil too low, take your pick) (sometimes it even has a better / faster killing efficiency than weapons that should be suited to be better for long distance battles)
- stopping power is unbelievable on this gun, people thought it was bad on the g-mal (which it wasn't) it doesn't always occur, but when it does, it completely stops people in their tracks
- the recoil is too easy to counter (steady force up while ever other long gun is completely different; ak sways left and right as well as moving up, g-mal isn't steady since it's a burst fire, kal is all over the place, fal depends on your shots (since it's semi-automatic), dragon is obvious)
- and the last reason is that it's Cogburn's favourite weapon so they will never nerf it, if anything they will buff it
i get why they made the m9 in the first place, since it's an easy to use gun for newer players to start out with but once they get good at the game, weapons like the g-mal, fal or, dragon should be there to provide the experienced players with a better gun, ie: the m9 should be an average weapon: easy to use, killing effiency low but still gets the job done farily easy, while the other weapons (being the g-mal, fal, and dragon) should be difficult to use but when you're good at it should be able to kill people faster or more efficently than the easy to use weapons
for example: the t-bolt is a difficult weapon to use but, when you get good at it you start killing people easily ... it shouldn't be the easiest a weapon is to use - the easier / faster it is to kill someone ... this is the balance problem this game has
edit: it removed some of my spaces
so explain this to me please.
Ok so m9 rof i see it mostly on dlc am I right its there ive had the best games ever.
I have to say this balance thing before ll the nerfs ive seen so many people go head up with rof with the ak the gmal the fal the kal was aimed i remeber when in the games i played (long gun side).And the micro (pistol side ) para raffrica not the tau it sucked back then.They could then but...
when all the nerfs happened people started looking for glitches dteaming and modstincking.
the multiple patches (cause and effect) (cause people complain messin up the game.). (effect game slowly got broken) the tau really is the only gun that needed something.
gettin tired of all the complaining
when the rageful players in the game caused it
i mean whop to doo you got killed no 1 gives 1
u either suck, aim was off or ur cought off gaurd it happens


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Take a risk on liability insurance
While running your small business, you might not feel you have enough time for risk management. Yet, whether you're ready or not, risk is always present and can result in liability. Nevertheless, preventive measures and liability insurance may protect your business and your employees from costly lawsuits.
As you research the options, take the time to understand why your business might need insurance. A few questions to ask include the following:
- What could go wrong?
- What can we do to prevent this?
- What should we do if it does happen?
- How will we pay to fix it?
When you look at your operations and around your premises, you may notice that a number of hazards are present. Addressing these potential problems and eliminating as much danger as possible are part of an effective risk management plan. You can then follow this plan and present it to any prospective insurers. Risks and hazards may change over time, so keep current by periodically reviewing your plan.
Your next step is to choose a commercial insurance agent or broker. Those familiar with your business or industry may provide the best and most cost-effective insurance for your specific needs. Ask yourself which losses could bring your business to a halt; plan to insure against them. These losses could be due to:
- Damages to your premises
- Customer injuries or accidents
- Defective products or services
- Loss of production time due to an extended shutdown
Risk can range in scope. You may not be able to prevent a fire next door or a broken water main, but you could avoid damage to important items within your own premises by planning ahead. Likewise, to avert accidents, it could be useful to inspect for hazards such as slippery surfaces or poor lighting on a regular basis.
Prevention can save you a lot of time and money, but there is always the chance that an unforeseen event may occur. Arm yourself with the appropriate insurance for your small business to be better prepared for the unexpected.


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Despite the progress of neuroscience, I still don't know my own mind
Brian Hayes
The late Valentino Braitenberg took a distinctively quantitative approach to the great puzzles of neuroscience. With his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany, he spent more than two decades counting and measuring the cells of the mammalian cerebral cortex. The facts and figures he gathered did not solve all the mysteries, but any proposed answers will have to take his data into account.
A neuron in the human cortex (specifically, a pyramidal cell) has a frizzy nimbus of dendrites that extends throughout a volume of roughly 1 cubic millimeter. But the cell does not fill this entire volume; on the contrary, it shares the space with 100,000 other cells in a densely woven thatch of dendrites and axons. The combined length of all the dendrites in this volume is about 450 meters; the total length of the axons is even greater, more than 4 kilometers. In this tangled skein of nerve fibers, you might imagine that every cell would cross wires with every other cell. But Braitenberg found that most of the cells make no contact with one another. Choosing any two neurons that have fibers extending into the same cubic millimeter, the probability that they share a synapse is only 2 percent.
However, this sparse connectivity does not mean that the cortex breaks down into isolated clusters of cells. A signal from any neuron can reach all the other neurons in the entire cortex—all 20 billion of them—after passing through no more than two or three synapses. The cortex is a "small world" network, like social networks in which everyone is connected by chains of friends of friends.
On this evidence Braitenberg argued that the cortex is "a device for the most widespread diffusion and most intimate mixing of signals." He suggested that this architecture is just what would be expected in an associative memory. Incoming signals spread rapidly throughout the cortex, reaching nearly all the neurons. Each possible combination of inputs evokes a different response: One set of cells is activated when we encounter quacking and waddling creatures, another set recognizes the barking and tail-wagging ones.
Questions remain about how such a system would reliably distinguish a boundless spectrum of possible patterns. At one extreme, every concept is associated with a single neuron; this is the notion of the "grandmother cell," which lights up when granny enters the room. Cell assemblies might be seen as a broader version of the same idea, with overlapping populations of cells representing percepts and concepts. Braitenberg favored an even more diffuse scheme, in which concepts are embodied in the global state of the entire network.
Not everyone goes along with this view of the cortex as a large, undifferentiated memory organ. Indeed, there is much compelling evidence that regions have special functions, such as vision and speech. Braitenberg believed these opposing theories of the cortex could be reconciled.
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text: I look to the right and a computer animated young woman who is relatively clothed and in a position on a young man that's better left to the imagination. All it says on the link is "I M V U" and "get started." Needless to say, I did not but I'm surprised to see that advertised on here.


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[quote user="BigBlue2010"]Reese has been very consistent in how he drafts and acquires TE's.
Boss - 6th rd
Beckum 3rd rd
Pascoe 6th rd and cut by 49ers
Ballard undrafted and practice squad
At this point I don't see him suddenly waking up and saying "I've been wrong, I should draft a TE in the first round." I am not saying this because of how I feel about the guys being mentioned or even because of how I feel about Reese's drafting. Its purely an observation.[/quote]
That's purely circumstantial with their respective years. Giants drafted a TE in the first before.


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Power A Pro Pack Mini Remote
While there are more mature titles like Dead Space Extraction and Metroid: Other M, the Nintendo Wii is still largely viewed as a family-friendly console. As such, many of the most popular titles are supposed to be fun for all ages and that includes the younger set. Unfortunately, the regular Wii Remote might be a little too big for little Jimmy's hands.
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I am winding down the hives now. I treated half of them with a sugar dusting and the others I left alone.
The hives are reduced down to the smallest amount of supers. I use all mediums. Some are in 3 supers and a couple in 2 supers.
I could not get them to draw more comb out. So I removed the empty supers.
I reduced the entrances down smaller to keep any mice out. And I removed the top vented super I used all summer.
They are down to a SBB, reduced bottom entrance and a small top entrance in the inner cover for ventilation. I will
add a piece of 1 inch hard insulation under the top cover next month.
I have been feeding 2-1 sugar syrup since the middle of August so they could build up stores for winter. I pulled all the feeders yesterday.
I also gave each hive one pound of pollen patties each for brood development while I was feeding syrup .
Well now they are busting at the seems! The hives are full top to bottom and side to side with bees, larvae and honey. Each hive has at
least one full super of honey for stores. Lots of brood in all stages. I am worried they may swarm for more room.. I don't have any extra drawn comb
and I don't think there is time to raise a queen or get one mated if I did, so a split is pretty much out. If I take any frames out all I have is foundation to put
back in the hive.
Hence the challenge. Should I try and do something to keep them from swarming or do nothing and let them do what they want?
What a wonderful experience bee keeping is!!


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An inexperienced young female / male rimpod, who perfers (or not) engauging in rough anal sex "a pounding" by means of inanimate objects. The use of dildo's; the unsheathed butt cap of a badminton / tennis racket, paddleball grips and splintering wooden flag poles to name a few.
"Glory and sacrifice", shouted the novice bung podling as the Master Reampod did the nasty.
by Tbird January 21, 2007


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Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Studios
Release Date: Spring 2005
Platform(s): PlayStation®2
ESRB Rating: "E" for Everyone
Genre: Racing
Multiplayer: 2-person multiplayer
Enthusia Professional Racing™ is the driving simulation that emphasizes skill behind the wheel, not under the hood.
Get behind the wheel and experience the sensation of racing actual cars. As in the real world, Enthusia emphasizes pure driving skills and ensures that winning is a result of ability rather than how much money has been spent tuning a car. Maintaining a subtle balance between the power of the car and the driver's skill, Enthusia promises to deliver the ultimate driving experience for racing fans of all abilities.


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Water fun and hills
Trip Start Oct 16, 2012
136Trip End Apr 20, 2013
Map your own trip!
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Once we got back on the road again, we were joined by a young guy, who was training to become a teacher. He had a fairly fast looking road bike and had hopped on it when he saw us cycle past. We chatted for about half an hour as we cycled along
We pulled in for a quick drink stop at around 10.30 but somehow it was about two hours before we started to cycle again. We had drinks, and decided to heat up our left overs from our meal last night. The caf� was pretty basic and the woman didn't comment on us heating our food over the camp stove just outside. Whilst having our lunch we noticed that people had their swimming costumes on at the bottom of the parking area. On closer inspection we saw that they were swimming in the stream, which had a deep pool area below some small waterfalls. It looked so inviting, as we stood in the blistering heat, so it was an easy decision to make to join them for a bit. We were soon stripped down to our underwear and enjoying the cold water with the locals for a while. The Colombians seemed to be a lot more confident in the water, than anyone that we saw swimming in India, and it was great to enjoy the fun with them.
After a while we forced ourselves to get back out and to pedal on further, as we had a further 20km to make it to arrive at some accommodation, which we anticipated would involve some hill climbing. After a couple of kilometres we crossed the river that we have been following for the past few days, and immediately started an ascent into the hills. I won't lie, it didn't feel good. We gained about 900-1000meters in elevation, over about 15 kilometres. It was slow going, as our legs seem to have forgotten what to do and it took us about 3 and a half hours to cycle the 15kms. As we plodded up we had sweat dripping from every square inch of our bodies and I thought we resembled a sticky, sweaty un-fairytale of "hansel and gretal", but instead of leaving a trail of bread behind us, we left big drips of sweat every couple of seconds
I was really pleased when we cycled in to town to find numerous hotels and as soon as we checked in to one, the woman brought us both cervezas! All was well again; I was looking out over an incredible view of lush green vegetation covered hills, it was noticeably cooler and I had a beer in my hand. The hotel lady was really friendly and cooked us up a feast of two different types of soup, and a plate of beef, rice, a salad and a fried banana, on the side. We noticed that the girls had caught a scorpion in the kitchen, but we were way too hungry to let it worry us and way too tired to let it keep us awake.


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By Douglas B. Reeves
Many school districts will find that their present curriculum already includes a good deal of the Common Core State Standards. However, most schools also will find at least a few areas in which teachers and administrators need to make substantial changes to be ready for the standards' implementation and the assessments that will support them.
Here are five essential actions for every school district planning to implement the Common Core.
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Sharing my love of all things shabby, thrifty, crafty and cheap! Formerly known as One Cheap B*tch.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Menu Holder Inspired by Mamie Jane's
I spray painted it pink and then used sandpaper to shabby up the edges. Then I printed out my cafe and menu images and used some Distressed Ink to "age" them. I used mod podge to glue them to each spot on the front.
Now I have the perfect spot to store our takeout menus!
Linking to: Between Naps on the Porch: Met Monday and the Graphics Fairy: Brag Monday.
16 comments:
- Paula said...
Cute project! I think my grandmother had a piece similar to this in her kitchen. Using it for takeout menus is a good idea.
- June 19, 2011 at 6:50 PM
- MessyMissy said...
AH!! SO cute. I love the Graphics Fairy. That's a great idea too...a collection on menus in a nice spot (instead of up on the fridge like mine). :-)
- June 19, 2011 at 6:53 PM
- Allison Shops said...
This is a cute idea. Mine are hidden in a corner of the pantry.
Dropping by from Met Monday. I hope you'll come see the safari nursery.
- June 19, 2011 at 7:13 PM
- Heaven's Walk said...
Hi Jeanine! Cute idea! What did you print those graphics out on? I'd love to try something like this. :) Thanks for stopping by my blog and becoming a new follower! I just love meeting new blog friends and sharing creative idea! Looking forward to getting to know you! :)
xoxo laurie
- June 19, 2011 at 8:35 PM
- Donna said...
Perfect! I just love it, and the graphics are wonderful! Love the pink:)
- June 19, 2011 at 9:17 PM
- acorn hollow said...
It is a great idea we only have 2 menus and no one delivers. So it wouldn't get much use at my house.
- June 20, 2011 at 3:28 AM
- Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...
That's cute and a good idea! Do you have the link to Jane's?
- June 20, 2011 at 3:55 AM
- Janette@the2seasons said...
Thanks for stopping in to visit us. My mother had an organizer like yours that hung in our kitchen as long as I can remember. Good reuse of a vintage find.
- June 20, 2011 at 4:32 AM
- A Rosy Note said...
Oh, how cute! What a good idea :)
- June 20, 2011 at 7:08 AM
- Sharon Wengel said...
Hi , It's Sharon from Sharon's Wannabe Cottage , If you see a tote you like , email me and I will make you one like it . firstname.lastname@example.com .
- June 20, 2011 at 9:35 AM
- Cindy Adkins said...
Oh, this is super-cute!! And I love the graphics on it!! They look fabulous!
- June 20, 2011 at 10:51 AM
- Darlene said...
Very elegant - and I love the soft color too!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Happy to meet a new (to me) blogger!
- June 20, 2011 at 2:19 PM
- A Cottage Muse said...
Doesn't Jane have the best ideas!! I call her McGuyver!
Love your version...I agree with Darlene...it looks elegant!
- June 20, 2011 at 3:25 PM
- Jane said...
Hi Jeanine,
Thanks for the shout out! I love your version, it's a great use for the old letter holder. I just love both the Menu and Cafe typography, it really does lend an elegant look to the piece.
Now you have inspired me to go find one of those letter holders!!
- June 20, 2011 at 5:20 PM
- Pam - diy Design Fanatic said...
Very nice project!It's really cute!
- June 20, 2011 at 6:46 PM
- Abby's Paperie Garden said...
Hi Jeanine, thanks so much for your visit, it's so nice to meet you! I can't wait to take a look around your beautiful blog.
- June 20, 2011 at 7:34 PM


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USPSA Production/IDPA SSP&ESP
Glock 34 Sevigny Competition sights (FO front); 147gr Precision bullets loaded to 135PF; Kytac holster; Kytac (IDPA) and CR Speed (USPSA) mag pouches.
Robert's Web Site
I believe Travis was shooting a 40S&W built on a STI frame. (Most People in limited shoot 40S&W using STI or SVI Frames)
STI Guns Web Site
Dawson Precision
Para-Ordnance site
Shooters Connection Web Site
There are several other places to pick one up > the ones above are just a sample.
No Idea on the Money


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Consider writing a standard operating procedure to ensure tasks are completed uniformly on your operation.
by Chelsey Johnson, Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Intern
The workforce on a modern dairy farm is both multigenerational and multicultural. Without training, each employee will likely perform each task differently; therefore, you need to provide clear instructions. In order to ensure that tasks are done with uniformity, consider writing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for tasks that require consistency.
An SOP is a documentation of the specific steps necessary to complete a task. If taken seriously, an SOP can help your farm improve uniformity and reach measurable goals.
Consider these steps when writing an SOP:
1. Have a goal in mind. You must identify the reason why an SOP is needed. For example, a milking procedure SOP could be written to maintain a low somatic cell count or reduce the occurrence of mastitis. Consider your goals when designing your SOP.
2. Choose a format. Decide on a format that works best for your operation such as a simple list of steps or a graphic organizer. If language is a barrier, consider using pictures to make each step clearer and facilitate communication.
3. Discuss the first draft. Remember, in order to receive results from an SOP, your employees must take ownership in improving the consistency of a procedure. Show your employees the first draft and ask for input on areas that might be confusing or changes they think need to be made. Also, ask for an opinion from someone outside of your farm, such as a field service expert.
4. Try out the procedure. Once you feel you have designed a practical plan for a procedure, observe it in action. If you created a milking SOP, observe each step while your employees are in the parlor. Then you can visually see if adjustments need to be incorporated.
5. Make your final draft available. Once you have created a final draft, provide a copy to each employee who is involved with the task. If possible, hang the SOP in an area where it can serve as a continual reminder of the procedure.
6. Train, maintain and audit. In order to see results from your efforts, you must train your employees to follow the SOP. Make sure your employees understand the importance of consistency with the specific task, and audit the procedure on a regular basis to make sure the steps are being followed and original goals are met.
SOPs are used in many types of businesses and organizations. To find a more in-depth description and a sample SOP, visit the following links:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4455615_write-standard-operating-procedures.html http://www.labmanager.com/?articles.view/articleNo/3312/article/8-Steps-to-Writing-an-SOP
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Chelsea Home Furniture
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As the long-running British comics institution The Dandy breathed its last this week – at least, its last print-based breath, before its reinvention as an apparent multimedia extravaganza for the digital age – a number of columnists (most of whom probably hadn't even thought about The Dandy or indeed any other British comic for twenty or thirty years, but that's not the point here, so let's not get sniffy) stepped forward with an assortment of different laments.
One of these was Telegraph tech-blogger Mic Wright, who in a piece titled – presumably by an editor – Desperate news for Dan: The Dandy goes digital-only, sucking the life out of its characters admits that he feels "downhearted" that its stable of characters will now only be available digitally. Mic goes on to say:
One of the joys of receiving a comic when I was a child was having something I owned and being able to build a collection. Though that is obviously still possible with the digital files, it feels less tangible… Behind the glass of a tablet, comics feel less alive. There's a kind of alchemy at work in a traditional printed comic – the coming together of story with the paper and the ink – that's missing in the digital recreations. It's as if the life has been sucked out of the characters.
Instinctively, there's nothing inherently wrong with what Mic is saying. There's certainly nothing unreasonable about it. Indeed, I'm picking out his article not because I disagree with it violently – and I like Mic as a person and a writer, we're mutual Twitter followers although we've never actually met, and I certainly don't want you to think I'm going "hur hur look at this idiot in the press", because that's not it at all – but because it expresses a view that up until very recently, I probably would have espoused myself.
But as I read Mic's piece, took in his opinion – a gut feeling that he's perfectly entitled to – an odd thing happened. I felt obligated to shout from the rooftops about how bloody great digital comics are.
Now, here's the thing. I'm a collector. I love comics, as objects. I always have done and probably always will. As I write this, I'm sitting directly in front of an Ikea Billy bookcase that contains two shelves packed full of TPBs (with bigger hardbacks like my Absolute Sandman editions having to live elsewhere in the room due to lack of space), with the remaining four shelves holding, at last count… ooh, approximately 1800 or so single issues? While there are lots of regretted one-off purchases among those, there are great swathes of singles that I'm terribly proud to have accumulated complete or near-complete runs of – either as they've been released (Ultimate Spider-Man) or bit by bit throughout adult life (the Giffen/deMatteis Justice League). While myself and my futurewife have tried to cut down on the amount of extraneous crap in our house over the last year or so, it's a hard and fact truth that we both just bloody love stuff. And I, in particular, if I'm OCD about anything, am anal about having collections of things. If I have issues #1-18 and #20 of something, then you can guarantee I'll be trying my hardest to get hold of #19 from somewhere, even if I'm not bothered about reading it (or even if I already have). All in all, I'm a quintessential physical comics buyer.
Meanwhile, although I've had a collection of .CBR and .CBZ files sitting on my PC for many years – I'm not going to pretend I've never pirated a comic, but let's not go into that whole debate right now, suffice to say I'm a lot more honest than I used to be – I'd never really gone wholesale for the whole digital comics thing. But when I started to see how good comics could look on an iPad – and how easy it all was – my head started to turn.
And then, recently, I got a Nexus 7. It didn't present me with my first opportunity to legally buy digital comics – I'd bought the odd thing on my iPhone when I needed to read it but couldn't get to a comic shop quickly enough, although was often frustrated by Comixology's insistence on employing the "guided view" reading scheme when actually, I could read the whole page fine on the phone's little Retina display – but it certainly opened a massive door. Aside from the fact that I simply wanted more of an excuse to hold the gorgeous little thing (in much the same way as my first Kindle led to a fresh explosion in reading "proper" books again), introducing tablet computing into my life coincided nicely with the Marvel Now! relaunch, giving me the chance to try out a load of new series while at the same time starting to trim away the increasingly disappointing DC arm of my pull list. It naturally made sense to start picking them up digitally, being as how a new era was beginning in which they were all available on the day of release.
After a few weeks of reading more digital comics than physical, a few things have struck me. First of all, and most obviously, is just how smooth and straightforward the whole experience is. Okay, so the Comixology app isn't without its flaws – some of which I've even directly discussed with the support team on Twitter – but the fact remains that there is suddenly a huge library of comics, classic and new, available in an easy-to-reach and (mostly) cheap manner. In order to cover Days of Future Past in the latest episode of our podcast, I didn't have to fork out for a TPB that included far more issues than the actual titular two-part storyline – I spent less than £2 getting them both digitally. They were delivered instantly, rather than my having to (a) find somewhere that still sells back issues and (b) find the money to buy two highly sought-after issues from 1980.
Similarly, if I want to catch up with Hawkeye – not having realised in advance that it would be great or that it would be impossible to find a copy of either the first couple of issues anywhere in London after the fact – or if a particular issue of something else inexplicably proves far more popular than usual and disappears before Wednesday is out, then I can hop on and get those as well. It's such a great way of keeping up with periodical comics that I'm actually now changing my plans to buy certain later new series releases in hard-copy form from the beginning, as Marvel Now feels like such a distinctively "digital" concern to me.
All of this would be moot, however, if – as Mic asserts – comics were stripped of their life and power by the transition into the digital form. But here's the thing: they aren't. It's fair to say that if you're reading a particular comic in the best possible hard copy form – and we are talking overblown, amazingly-printed on gorgeous-paper, Absolute edition quality here – then no digital version will ever compete. But otherwise? Hey, they look pretty darned great. Colours are deep and rich and lively. Image quality is often ridiculously sharp. Even on a 7-inch screen, you can take in a whole page and not be missing out on closer-in detail – I can only imagine how good things look on a 10-inch screen (well, I don't have to imagine, because I've looked at other people's, but you know what I mean). And hey, it's not exactly difficult to pinch-and-zoom on a particular image, a much preferable option to the Kryten-style moving your head closer to the page.
I recently read two of my favourite comics runs on my tablet over a few days' commuting, two series that are noted for having especially outstanding art: Whedon and Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men and Morrison and Quitely's All-Star Superman (yes, alright, they were CBRs, but I do own both runs in physical form as well already; in fact, in the latter case, twice). In both cases I was actively amazed by how good they looked digitally – in some ways, even better than on the page (I was particularly struck by how sharp some of the famously smaller and picked-out details of Quitely's art looked).
(A third point about digital, albeit one that is probably more specific to me and only a few more sad cases like me, is that it takes away the "Well, I'm onboard now" guilt of buying certain series. If I'd been reading Morning Glories digitally I'd probably have given up months ago due to the increasingly frustrating Lost-like wilful impenetrability of the story; but because I've already bought twenty-odd issues that sit there on my shelf looking at me accusingly, I feel like I'm in it for the long haul, and dropping out partway through an arc would just be silly. And that isn't the first time that's happened to me with a particular book. Digital comics eradicate almost entirely the risks in trying out a single issue of something new. I didn't really like either of the first issues of Uncanny Avengers or A+X – but only one felt like a waste of money, because only one was bought physically.)
Physical comics will never go away, of course. Even now, there are series that I'll continue to buy in that form – partly out of that collector's instinct (I'd have gone digital on DC's superhero books as well as Marvel's already, but the New 52 titles I'm still buying are ones I've been onboard with since day one), and partly because certain series (I'm largely thinking of things like Saga, Powers and Casanova here) do make an effort to make the floppy single issue a desirable object in its own right. And besides, I could never quite give up the enjoyable experience of flicking through the racks, and taking a monthly stack of books to the till. Nor would I want every 1980s back-issue I ever read to be in digital form – not when I could enjoy the faded yellow pages, distinct "paper stored badly for decades" smell and all of those magnificently tantalising Captain "O" adverts.
And no, I'm not saying that the end of the Dandy as a print concern is entirely a great thing. I would imagine, for example, that its publishers may well use the fact that it's now digital-only as an excuse to make everything cheaper – and that could well be a bad thing for the writers and artists who work on it. But on the whole, I think the disappointment that The Dandy will no longer be on the shelves is one borne out of nostalgia – and it's nostalgia for something that simply isn't as relevant to the kids of today. Something like The Phoenix shows that print comics for kids can and should still exist – but if the Dandy characters are worth surviving well into the 21st Century, then they're more likely to do so if they can be introduced via a medium with which their target audience are now so much more familiar. And it is a medium in its own right – you don't need to be Scott McCloud to see how looser the restrictions are.
So, yes. Print comics are, of course, great. But so too – and to my eternal surprise – are their digital cousins. And they deserve to be celebrated rather than simply seen by default as a poorer, backup alternative.
Hell, I might even buy the first Digital Dandy. Even though I did always prefer the Beano.


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AOL Partners with Promote Iceland to Launch Inspirational Campaign
Feb 23, 2012
In partnership with Promote Iceland, today we've launched an innovative cross-platform campaign, Inspired by Iceland, that will raise awareness around Iceland as a year-round holiday destination by delivering inspirational content spanning our editorial sites and AOL advertising platforms.
Inspired by Iceland is the first Europe-wide marketing campaign that fully integrates a comprehensive suite of AOL advertising products, creative solutions and innovative platforms – including the first Project Devil ad with a live camera feed. Working hand-in-hand with the client and agencies from the outset, we've been able to push the envelope in our creative efforts in delivering a campaign that's groundbreaking and sure to make an impact with our users.
The campaign also marks the launch of The Huffington Post UK Inspiration, a new section of HuffPost UK that enables brands to communicate directly with prospective consumers via video, blogs and social media. The section goes live today with a number of exclusive blogs and interactive competitions lined up to begin next week.
To learn more about the program, visit the Inspired by Iceland sponsored page on HuffPost UK.
AOL partners with Promote Iceland for pan-Euro campaign bit.ly/xwuUa7 @brandrepublic @AOLPR
- AOL Europe (@AOLEurope) February 23, 2012


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Dan Ariely:
Beware conflicts of interest
In this short talk, psychologist Dan Ariely tells two personal stories that explore scientific conflict of interest: How the pursuit of knowledge and insight can be affected, consciously or not, by shortsighted personal goals. When we're thinking about the big questions, he reminds us, let's be aware of our all-too-human brains.
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This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page.
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Lance Armstrong In 2012: On Exercise, Diet And Why He Won't Go Into Politics
Lance Armstrong's name is synonymous with fitness, health, and more than anything else, success. His seven wins at Tour de France after beating testicular cancer set him on a path to philanthropy with the Lance Armstrong Foundation (better known as Livestrong), and he doesn't seem to have stopped during his "retirement." He's getting set to take part in his second Ironman event this year on April 1, in Texas, in order to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii in October.
Armstrong was in Toronto earlier this year to launch a new line of fitness equipment in partnership with Canadian Tire, and The Huffington Post Canada had a chance to sit down and talk candidly with the man who inspired 80 million yellow bracelets.
The Huffington Post Canada: This is the first line of fitness equipment you've ever done -- so why now?
Lance Armstrong: For whatever reason, maybe it's because of my story, but people associate Livestrong with exercise and physical fitness, health and lifestyle choices like that. So to build on that, the question is, who's your logical partner, who can make reliable, durable, trustworthy equipment, because you don't want to have a piece of equipment that people are disappointed with if you're putting a name or a brand on it.
HPC: How involved were you in the process of designing the equipment?
LA: Not that closely. Obviously, I come from one background, and the people that design fitness equipment have been doing it for years and years, and they know what works and doesn't work.
HPC: And what's your own workout regimen?
LA: I exercise everyday. I swim, I bike, I run and I go to the gym. It's anywhere from an hour to six hours a day.
It is difficult to do when you're on the road. If I know I have a four, five day stretch travelling, then you build up to that and factor in a few recovery days, which essentially is what these end up being. I mean, I'll fly home this afternoon and I'll literally ride home from the airport, because my bike's with us. So you just somehow fit it in.
SEE: 8 Things You Didn't Know About Lance Armstrong. Interview continues below:
... currently ages 12, 10, 10, 2 and 1. For those who are old enough to do so, they were the last in their grades to start riding bikes. Lance Armstrong waves to his one year-old son, Max, as his children, Isabelle, Luke and Grace look on, on July 20, 2010 in Pau, Southwestern France. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)
The Engine 2 Diet, created by Rip Esselstyn (who just happens to be one of Armstrong's training partners), is a plant-based diet focused on natural, organic foods. According to Armstrong, he's less tired physically and sharper mentally than he's ever been.
He may love his new Engine 2 diet, but Armstrong readily admits he's not prepared to go all the way with it yet, sticking to it for breakfast and lunch only. "I still want to have a glass of wine at dinner," he says. Lance Armstrong drinks champagne during the 20th and last stage of the 91st Tour de France cycling race in Paris, 25 July 2004. (PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images)
Although there have been rumours that he's running for office, Armstrong has dismissed those, explaining that bipartisanship is far more beneficial for his organization. He also notes that it would be too difficult to drag his young kids through the "nasty nature of that world." New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Lance Armstrong tour the Union Square Green Market October 30, 2009 .(TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
When he's travelling with his bike, he'll just hop on it and ride home. And you thought you were being good taking public transit? Fans cheer on Tour de France seven-times winner, US Lance Armstrong, as he rides on July 11, 2010 in the 189 km and 8th stage of the 2010 Tour de France cycling race. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)
Armstrong will be participating in his second Ironman event this year on April 1, in an attempt to qualify for the World Championships in October. Lance Armstrong waits for the start of the Ironman Panama 70.3. triathlon in Panama City, Sunday Feb. 12, 2012. The race consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)
"If we don't somehow stem the tide of childhood obesity, we're going to have a huge problem," he says. "It's all about prevention. I mean, prevention is a key factor with so many types of cancer, so whether that's encouraging kids to exercise, or even encouraging adults to exercise, whether that's encouraging kids to not smoke, encouraging kids to stop smoking -- all these preventative measures have, I think, been ignored for the most part." Lance Armstrong gives a speech during the Livestrong Global Cancer Campaign Launch visit to cancer survivors at Groote Schuur Hospital on March 11, 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
... but he does consider wearing them part of a prevention strategy. "I mean, people can do whatever they want," he explains. "Whether it's not smoking, whether it's wearing a helmet, putting on your seatbelt -- these are all simple measures that we know to save lives." A man takes a cycle helmet in a new B'Twin bike shop in Lille, northern France, on the inauguration day of the 'B'Twin Village', a bike complex, on November 18, 2010. (DENIS CHARLET/AFP/Getty Images)
HPC: For you, being involved with athletics as a child was very important. Is that something you're stressing with your own kids?
LA: Yeah, I try. That's a trickier scenario and proposition and dynamic, because they know that their dad was a professional athlete, so I don't want to be that guy that's like 'you have to be the best at this and this.' I basically insist that they do something. They don't have to necessarily love it, they certainly don't have to be the best, but they have to do something to stay active. Otherwise, they'll go crazy and I'll go crazy.
HPC: In terms of the Livestrong mentality, obviously getting kids started early on a healthy lifestyle is important -- is that something that you advocate?
LA: Oh yeah. If we don't somehow stem the tide of childhood obesity, we're going to have a huge problem. If you just look at the rates of obesity and where they originate -- it always starts in the southeast [United States], and they eventually, almost like a cancer, kind of grow further to the northeast, and then it stretches out west.
And at the same time, we have this huge segment of our population that's getting older, and as we know, cancer is a disease of the older population, so at some point these are going to cross, and we'll be in a place where we can't keep up with that. It's all about prevention. I mean, prevention is a key factor with so many types of cancer, so whether that's encouraging kids to exercise, or even encouraging adults to exercise, whether that's encouraging kids to not smoke, encouraging kids to stop smoking -- all these preventative measures have, I think, been ignored for the most part.
HPC: Do you have a certain way you approach food?
LA: I didn't for a long time until about a month ago until I started messing around with this new diet.
HPC: What changed?
LA: I started swimming again, and I swim with a guy [ed's note: former triathlete Rip Esselstyn] who started basically a food program called the Engine 2 Diet, which is a plant-based, 100% natural, organic diet. His dad was a famous cardiologist who did Forks Over Knives, and was President Clinton's doctor. Clinton has gone to a completely vegan diet and he's essentially erased his heart disease.
It's basically whole grains, different types of beans, kale salad with creative alternatives for dressing. They'll bring out something that looks like a brownie, but it's not a brownie … though it tastes a bit like a brownie. So I did it for one day, then two days. Then I branched out and started doing it at breakfast and lunch. I still insist that I get to do whatever I want for dinner. But it's made a significant difference in just in a month.
HPC: What kind of difference?
LA: Energy level. Even when you're training really hard, it's normal that you would have certain things for lunch or certain things for breakfast, and then have this dip, or almost like a food coma … I don't experience that anymore. My energy level has never been this consistent, and not just consistent, but high. I'm a big napper -- I couldn't even take a nap these days if I wanted to.
The other thing -- I expected to get rid of that dip, but I didn't expect the mental side of it, and the sharpness and the focus that I've noticed. And I was the biggest non-believer, I was like 'whatever man', and I'm in. I'm not doing dinners yet, but breakfast and lunch, I'm in.
HPC: Do you think it's pretty sustainable?
LA: If I were to stay in Austin, it's very sustainable. It's harder when you get on the road, of course -- I mean, you walk out that door and breakfast is sitting there. None of that [muffins, croissants, etc.] is on the Engine 2 diet. So it gets harder and harder. But you can even travel with stuff. Breakfast is not hard, you bring your cereal and then you go to the store and buy almond milk, you buy bananas to put on top of it. If you plan, then it's possible.
HPC: On a different topic, there were rumours that you were thinking of running for political office, but you've refuted that. Why?
LA: Our job is to represent that community [of people with cancer]. And at the same time, we have to ask politicians for certain things, whether it's funding or whether it's to be a volunteer at an event. Politics are personal, so as soon as somebody picks a side, people get upset about that.
The other part is just the nasty nature of that world and the way that the media -- not to fault them, but the way that it's just so hard on these people running for office. I mean,I could never put my kids through it. Even just having their dad being me and whatever's gone on the last 20 years as an athlete … their world is different. You go into politics and it's ruthless.
HPC: One last question. There's been a lot of discussion lately about helmet laws for bikes and general cyclist safety. Do you think biking should be a viable mode of transportation, not just for exercise?
LA: I definitely think it should be one of your options. But it's a simple question with a deep answer, and the answer is that in order for it to get to that place, we have to provide the infrastructure for people to make that choice and say, 'this is cool, I've got a protected way to work, and I'm not going to get buzzed by a car and it's going to be safe, and when I get to work, I'm going to put my bike there and I'm going to take a shower and I'm here.' But there's not the infrastructure for that.
There are places that have done a better job. Portland, Oregon won't build a mile of road without a mile of bike path. You can commute there, even with that weather, all the time. Even Lexington, Kentucky, Boston, Massachusetts, places that you would never think made it an initiative for their cities to do that.
I'm not sure that I totally support forcing or mandating [helmets]. I mean, people can do whatever they want. I look at it like 'I've got five kids, I've got an organization to run.' If I'm not here, or if I'm in a bad spot, then it wouldn't be good. So that's the choice that I make on a daily basis, which again, goes back to the prevention thing. Whether it's not smoking, whether it's wearing a helmet, putting on your seatbelt -- these are all simple measures that we know to save lives.


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You are here : Wallpapers > Anushka Sharma wallpapers > Anushka Sharma Photos in Black Dress
Anushka Sharma looks very beautiful and hot in Black Dress. Here we present some images of Anushka Sharma in Black Dress and hope you will enjoy and like these pictures of Anushka Sharma
Anushka Sharma is an indian film actress. She debuted with film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in 2008 which also featured Shah Rukh Khan. She later received acclaim for her role as Shruti Kakkar in Band Baaja Baaraat (2010).
She born on 1 May 1988 and her father is Col. Ajay Kumar Sharma, is an army officer and her mother Ashima Sharma is a housewife.
She studied in Army School and graduated with specialization in arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She later moved to Mumbai to further pursue her modelling career, where she currently resides.
Sharma says she originally wished to make it big in the modeling world but had no strong aspirations for films. She began her modeling career at the Lakme Fashion Week as a model for Wendell Rodricks's Les Vamps Show and was picked to be Rodricks's finale model at the Spring Summer '07 Collection. Since then she has done campaigns for Silk & Shine, Whisper, Nathella Jewelry and Fiat Palio
In December 2011, she re-united with her Band Baaja Baarat team of Ranveer Singh and Maneesh Sharma for Yashraj Films's Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. Upon release, the film under-performed at the box office.
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We are among the best in the world at integrating wind energy into the power system. Placing cables underground wherever possible, our goal is to create an invisible transmission grid.
We develop the natural gas system to prepare it for tomorrow's energy solutions. We construct new international pipelines and are committed to making gas more eco-friendly, for example by mixing it with biogas.
Tomorrow's energy system builds on renewable energy. So we regularly strengthen our electricity and gas systems to gear them to wind and biogas, thus optimising international energy exchange.
We aim to create the world's best energy system based on renewable energy. An intelligent energy system that utilises the energy from wind turbines to the full.
Tomorrow's energy system is based on renewable energy. That is why we encourage the development of green energy technologies to the benefit of the Danish society.
Do you want to help to create tomorrow's energy solutions? Go to work happy? Have professional colleagues of the highest calibre? We are 550 committed employees and always on the lookout for skilled colleagues.
We serve the interests of society and own the energy 'motorways'. We are responsible for supplying Denmark with electricity and natural gas, ensuring fair competition and promoting green energy solutions.
LocationThe demonstration will take place on the Danish island Bornholm with more than 50 % electricity consumption from renewable energy production.
Of a total of 28.000 customers on Bornholm, approximately 2000 residential consumers will participate with flexible demand response to real-time price signals. The participants will be equipped with residential demand response devices/appliances using gateways and "smart" controllers. Installation of the smart solutions will allow real-time prices to be presented to consumers and allow users to pre-program their automatic demand-response preferences, e.g. through different types of electricity pipe contracts. "Automation" and customer choice is one of the key elements in the EcoGrid EU concept.
Real-time market conceptA real-time market concept will be developed to give small end-users of electricity and distributed renewable energy sources new options (and potential economic benefits) for offering TSO's additional balancing and ancillary services. To make the EcoGrid EU solutions more widely applicable, the market concept will be designed for existing power exchange(s). Because of the test site location on Bornholm, the real-time market concept will first be operational in the Nordic power market system.
Strong industrial participationStrong industrial participation and innovative experiences from related European and US Smart Grids RD&D projects will contribute to the development and implementation of robust ICT platforms and information architectures. This is the key to allow all distributed energy resources to participate actively in the real-time power market.
BudgetThe total budget for EcoGrid EU is € 21 million of which approximately half is financed by the EU. The project is running for 4 years from medio 2011.
Please click here for more information at the EcoGrid EU official website.
You are welcome to contact us if you have specific questions about this page. See contact particulars in the top-right corner.
You can find our general contact information here.


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SOMERSET, KENTUCKY -- I have the phone service so my kids can call me when home from school etc. I could be on the phone with them and the phone will go out. Cable only works when hooked up to my TV. Why do I pay so much for extras when I don't get them? I call and they tell me after 35 minutes of holding that I have to be home between 8 am and 7 pm... Really, who is that inconsiderate of someone's time? Time Warner is the worst experience and rudest company ever! I would rather have nothing at all than to keep allowing this company to rip me off!
ATHENS, OHIO -- Our son is a TV news producer on a channel only carried by Time Warner. We got the extended package to see his work once he changed jobs from PBS. The DVR has been a nightmare. I've kept a log of the first 24 calls since January but misplaced it. One day last week I was cut off 4 times in quick succession. Nearly all of the cures involved waiting while the tech person coached me through rebooting the DVR. This took about 15 minutes and was enough time to usually miss his piece.
Even more aggravating is when I switch to another channel during an ad during his program and when I return I'm frequently presented wish a black screen that says his channel isn't currently available. When I call tech services they say it usually has to do with sunspots. If NBC, CBS and ABC can broadcast through a satellite from New York to Ohio 24 / 365 why can't other stations???
One nice thing about Time Warner is that their service people who visit the house are decent folks totally different species from the ones on the phones. Another is that TW internet troubleshooting has been quite helpful over the years. They even speak Mac!
OHIO -- Hello. My name is ** and I have a serious consumer message to pass on regarding a very well known and trusted company: Time Warner Cable. On the first of the month my fiancé and I moved from an apartment to a rental home in a neighboring town. We contacted Time Warner several days in advance to make sure our service would be transferred to our new home without interruption, we rely on the service because my fiancée is currently a college student and needs internet access. This Monday the installers came to the new place and hooked up the service with no problems.
The next day we called Time Warner to make sure the service at our previous address was disconnected so we wouldn't end up with two bills. Here is the problem: When we called they informed us that the installers did not transfer our account to the new house, but rather opened a new account and now we had two running. Here is where it gets really bad: They say we not only have those two accounts.. but also an account from 2005-2006 that has an outstanding balance, and that it is from when we lived here (our new home) in 2005-2006.
For the record, and we also have proof, we have NEVER lived at this address in the past. In fact, we have never had Time Warner until last summer, at our previous address. We are like most other people, we have had late payments with the company over the past 5-6 months that we have been customers.. and never once was this 2005-2006 outstanding balance mentioned.
Time Warner records show my fiancé's social security number on the questionable account, along with MY cell phone number.. which I did not have in 2005 or 2006. I did not even know him during those years. I wasn't even living in the state of Ohio at that time and he wasn't living at this address. I feel like something is messed up in their computers because this issue didn't surface until this week. I really don't know what happened but now they are expecting us to pay this balance that isn't ours and I really wonder how safe ANYONE's information is with Time Warner because I am witnessing his personal information get tacked onto accounts that are not his.
They are now saying that we have to jump through several hoops just to prove that we are not lying, and they are suggesting identity theft. Well I don't know about you but that is one hell of a coincidence... that someone that lived in this apartment 5 years ago happened to steal his identity and we just happened to move to this place now and conveniently the bill that we have never seen in our lives resurfaces... We have called a few times in the past two days, and have even been denied the chance to speak to a supervisor on several occasions. THESE COMPANIES NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!
Been a TW Cable residential client for over 2 years now and since day one I have had this same issue. My HD channels for the most part have good quality but some experience macroblocking. This is something that I am sure most of you have experienced and the easiest way to explain it is pixelation of the picture when it starts to freeze or turns into small cubes of the picture. When this occurs it will be almost impossible to tolerate any show as it will constantly slowdown, speed up and become distorted.
When you are paying $150+ for your cable TV service you expect problems like this to be solved in a timely fashion but with TW Cable this is not going to happen. First off you can expect the run around. Customer service told me for months that I need to reboot my cable box and they would boost the signal. Doing this 20-30 times didn't help and I was able to have a service engineer come to my home to check the equipment in and out of the home. Nothing was found and he left with the expectation that his boss or foreman would take the next steps in correcting this issue.
Weeks later the service team came back and they did the exact same thing the first team did and were not able to fix the problem. After 4-5 service visits I reached my limit and called the President of the residential services department Mr. Jeffrey Hirsch. Mr. Hirsch assured me that the problem would be resolved and I would be credited after the problem was fixed. He told me that I would not have to pay for such poor service so I stopped making payments on my account in August 2010.
During that time the cycle of lies and useless service visits continued and Mr. Hirsch used his assistant to communicate with me. She called and told me that the problem is not being ignored and a senior foreman would look into it from the pole. Nothing was done and the problem still continues.
During this time I was informed by one of the service techs who candidly told me that they know about the problem in my area and it's "Network" related. He told me that the problem is that during peak hours, TW Cable cannot support the amount of voice/video and data that it sells to its customers with the current network infrastructure so the problem will continue. He was the only honest person I spoke to at this organization. What he said makes perfect sense because the problem is more apparent during prime time hours.
Now I know more people have this issue besides me and I want to organize a class action lawsuit against TW Cable for oversubscribing clients to an insufficient network that can't support the services which they sell. Today my cable service is shut off, no credit was issued and no repairs have been made in over 7 months. If you feel the same way as I do and want to do something about it then join me in forming a legal movement to financial restitution and compensation. We should not be abused by these monopolies and franchised companies. They abuse their rights and the PSC should hear us and do something. IF not the PSC the FCC too.
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA -- I've had to take four digital boxes back to TW in the last two months. The first box I returned could not receive a signal after TW tried to send me one through their lines so I was asked to take the box down to their facility near Fox Hills. When I exchanged the box, I asked the Service Rep if I could have a new box and she informed me that there were no new boxes and that all of the boxes were refurbished. I took the second box home. The box was wrapped in plastic and when we removed that, we noticed immediately that there were scratches over the top of the box. My husband hooked the box up properly. The box didn't work.
I took the second box back to TW and was given another box. The second box lasted about 2 months and we lost our service an hour before the TW service center closed on a Thursday evening. I returned the third box and by 3:00 PM Friday, the box went out. We went through the rebooting procedure and even called the company for a signal. The box could not receive the signal from TW. Time Warner sent a really nice Cable Repairman on Saturday to check the newest box. He performed diagnostic testing and the box received the signal. He also informed us that there are no new boxes unless a customer has HDTV which we don't have.
He even informed us that the boxes available for their use were all repaired boxes. He stated that all of the service repairmen were frustrated by this as it makes them look bad. When he left our home, our cable was up and running and we were satisfied with the good people that work for the Time Warner family. On Sunday, about 3:00 PM, the fourth cable box went out. I called TW and was told to reboot and wait 20 minutes for it to reset itself. It didn't reset so I called TW again and was told to do the same thing and wait five minutes.
I even asked the phone representative to stay on the phone with me but he wouldn't as he was busy with other calls and of course, the box never reset. When I called back TW, I spoke with a very nice Rep who understood our frustration and who tried her best to let me know that she was there to help me. But in the end, all she could do was ask her Supervisor to get us another home service call which will be on Tuesday. TW promised to send out a Supervisor to see why we keep having this problem. We already presume that this Supervisor will temporarily correct the problem and that eventually, the FIFTH box will not last long.
I've been a Consumer of cable TV for 22 years. I must say that some of the people who work for Time Warner do the best that they can do with the equipment that they have available for their customers. I do however, believe that Time Warner is not fulfilling their contract by sending out faulty and refurbished equipment that doesn't work properly. Service is constantly interrupted by this deceit and incompetence by whomever repairs the boxes.
Although TW is willing to give you a small credit for your discontinued service, they apparently are not willing to have more digital or cable boxes manufactured and service guaranteed for their Customers. My family and I are discussing other options for TV at this time and if Time Warner doesn't do something for their PAYING customers, they'll lose us after 22 years of cable service.
PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA -- Aha! I could almost cry with utter joy! We finally dropped TWC and went with DirecTV. Wow! I had no idea that this was what television was REALLY about! I feel like sending a great big "Thank You" card to TWC Corporate because thanks to their lousy treatment and horrible customer service, we have been brought out of the 'Dark Ages' and introduced to the "Genie" (included with service not EXTRA as TWC charges for every single thing) and literally hundreds of included channels in our package.
I asked the VERY polite and efficient, knowledgeable installer how business is for DirecTV, and asked if there was any people such as ourselves switching from TWC. He said they are very busy with newly subscribed installs and to that I smiled and laughed... I said "I'd bet the people dumping TWC might be likened to great numbers of lemmings jumping en masse from the cliffs!" Thank YOU TWC for causing me to shop around... I would have never known what a great service DirecTV is or about the fantastic options and myriad channels without your lousy service! Oh and the picture is so vivid on our new flatscreens, too. Bye Bye TWC.
Hope you figure it out before you end up out of business! Within this past year we decided to cancel the HBO & Showtime premium channels. We were asked if we wanted anything added and we said yes to a particular sports channel. Like the flip of a switch, instantly the premiums disappeared, literally. HOWEVER, quite a number of 'regular' channels also disappeared that we indeed did want and were used to enjoying regularly. BIO, ID, H2, Hallmark, Science, and a few others were suddenly GONE! When we called to inquire about the missing channels we were told that those were under an "old" plan that we got when we signed up 10 years ago.
We were told that we could easily get them back but that we would have to pay $8 EACH for them!!! The CSR who handled our premium cancellation call did not disclose the fact that we would be losing all of those channels and I was fit to be tied - I was so angry. This is deceitful business practice and I utterly detest TWC for this. One other thing, after seeing commercials "clipped" with such a redundant pattern of regularity (a solid 2 years +) I decided to file a complaint against TWC with the FCC and FTC about the ads not being played but TWCs never being omitted.
While those agencies didn't contact me about my complaint I will tell you that it must have gotten the proper and immediate attention of their investigators. It was almost an overnight improvement of 100% because EVERY advertiser was suddenly getting the ad played in its entirety. Finally, the businesses were going to actually get what they were paying big bucks for. Whether or not I can be credited for that bit of justice, no one can say. I was pretty struck by the fact that this hadn't been brought to light in those couple of years; it was done methodically, the ad-cutting.
In that complaint I mentioned that I, myself, did not have ads running for my own business, but that if I had I would have been on the path to a lawsuit for TWC's bad faith and breach of contract, to start. TWC willfully omitted ads to obviously insert more ads for themselves. The minute I start to see that occurring again I plan to file another complaint with each agency. We can't get the Verizon internet here, and we HAVE TRIED (signal too weak) but if we could we would assuredly dump TWC in an instant. TWC keeps adding more Spanish and other foreign language, and sports channels, which is another sore point with us.
WHY can't folks order what they want to pay for? We have absolutely NO USE for most of the crap they peddle in channel line-ups. We know we are paying way too much for a fraction of a product where cable t.v. is concerned. The internet "Roadrunner" service is awful, too. The mailbox is tiny, the problems are many...but the connection is good using a different browser.
My husband insists on relying on that terrible email of TWC's and I think he is just too old to make a change to a simpler service like Yahoo or Google, etc. Internet service is definitely not their forte. We wouldn't dare to ever allow them to "bundle" or bungle up a phone service after what we have been through.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI -- I got home from work today to find out my Time Warner cable TV service was having a problem. The picture on the TV was jumping and freezing and repeating itself over and over. Called TW customer care and got the 1st local live voice and as always says "I'm so sorry for the any problem you are having". She proceeded to send a "reboot" to the cable box and to just hit the power button when it comes back and it will be fine. She says "goodbye". The box reboots and the picture comes back fine as expected but there is NO sound at all.
I call customer care again and hit tech. support again and I get ** in Costa Rica and he after telling him what happened just 5 mins before he sends another "reboot" to the cable box and we wait the 5 mins it takes to reboot itself and it all comes back on, picture good as before and still NO sound. He says "let me send it another signal", 5 more mins go by still no sound and then tells me that I must have touched or unplugged something as there is nothing wrong with the service or signal. I assured him nothing was touched at all which it wasn't.
Only thing touched was the power button on the cable box as instructed. He says he will report it as an outage and to wait for a service tech in 24 to 36 hrs. Then hangs up. I called a 3rd time - got same guy. Told him same thing that we had just spoke and he had me go through it all again and then tells me that there is an outage and that I was the 5th person he had talked to today in the last hr in my area. When on the 1st call with ** he stated to me that I would be the 1st one that called on an outage in my area and it hadn't been reported as of yet. All this within 5 mins per him. 1st lie to me by TW tech help.
Next I call again hoping for a local person like the very 1st call. But no such luck I get Costa Rica again and another tech does the exact same thing reboots and tells me to wait 24 to 36 hrs and I'll meet a service tech and to be there or it wouldn't get fixed. Now mind you I work some 60 miles away from my office and for me to take off it's a cost of $125.00 for a half day's work and drive to and from for me to meet the service tech that I think is coming. I complain about the lost time they have forced me to take and the lost wages I have to lose. They offered a $10.02 credit to my account for a day lost of cable service.
I just did some quick looking and for a mere 15 dollars more than I pay now I AM switching to Dish Network and we have another carrier for internet that is a bit faster and a bit cheaper. So guess who wins this one Time Warner. You don't. Your service techs Need to learn something besides "let's reboot the box". It cost you a long-time customer.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN -- The physical address of Time Warner doesn't matter; the whole of their company is the same no matter the service locations. What an unbelievable shifty company this is. *First off don't go to digital if you haven't yet, and I highly suggest using a different provider or not having any cable television at all. Okay so we switched to digital, and of course it costs more for two reasons: they charge $11 more per month to just have digital, and you can't have it in more than one room without paying more for that, too; which, I'm very glad about because it sucks and we have regular cable still in the other rooms.
My complaint to them has been that when you're recording two programs you cannot watch a third... you have to watch one of the two you're recording. Umm.. that doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Why would I record something that I'm watching already? For most general purposes this makes no sense at all. I called Time Warner the other day... The representative checked our account and said... "nope you should be able to record two and watch a third", but still it isn't working that way. I called this evening and immediately was told that no I cannot record two and watch a third. I have to watch one of the two I'm recording.
I go over and over why this makes no sense... that a twelve-year old genius can engineer better than that and that a twelve year with a low IQ can make better sense of that than them, but they keep saying it makes sense to them. Finally after going on in circles they say "Yes it is possible, but you have to pay more for it." Okay... so we already pay for subpar crappy programming and now we should have to also pay to record! WTF! When you bring up the subpar crappy programming, they always revert to, "Time Warner does not choose the programming." Oh really?
My response is, and was, TW can certainly employ their salespeople to negotiate better programming, but obviously TW doesn't care to, so yes... TW is responsible for the programming they charge for. Not only that but they are 100% responsible for what they do charge, and it should be a hell of a lot less for what customers are not getting. Digital sucks. Everything is delayed while you wait. The few extra channels you do get LOL... are only shows that regular cable channels already have but they circulate them to the few channels that are new to you. We're looking into another provider.
Terrible Programming: you get virtually next to nothing except very old shows and movies, reruns, and massive paid programming. The newer movies they offer are usually one-star movies - even if they give them more stars, and Lifetime doesn't count… that has to be the worst network ever! Why should anyone have to pay for premium movie channels? Why, because they give absolutely nothing worthy unless you do, but then still… STILL you're paying for massive reruns there, too.
Other programming like for example True Tv… which was Court TV before that, and then it was something else before that; all the same shows over and over, but sometimes with a different narrator LOL - as if that is going to go right over our heads. Something like Animal Planet, History, and Discovery channels (just as examples) - forget it - you get so few new shows per year and the rest of the airing is just reruns over and over and over again.
Regular television channels actually offer much better programs, and we can rent whatever else we want without these absurd fees. Just imagine paying maybe one hundred to a very maybe two hundred dollars per year instead of over one thousand dollars per year for NOTHING MUCH.
CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA -- Took over 25 mins for online chat agent to come online. Prior to trying online help, I tried to call TW customer service. A recording came on and then hung up on me... tried this several times all resulted in a recording and hang up. Called a different dept. (Billing), which answered right away(???). I explained problem to billing rep ** who refused to give her employee number. She then transferred me to the same line that (again) hung up on me.
Hello, I have been with TW Cable now for 7 years. Most of the time paying $200+ in monthly fees. Recently, I accidentally wrote a check for $298 to TWC on an account that I rarely use...and the check was returned to your collections dept 3 weeks later and my services subsequentially were shut off immediately. I had also paid the statement balance off over and above that $298 a few days afterwards the original $298 payment...in cash leaving a Zero balance. I made good on the $298 returned check + all TWC service charges that were added the very next day after shut-off at a local TWC office.
When I returned home I checked my bank account and only then found out that TWC billing had tried to put that check through 3 separate times on that account drawing a $35 service charge on my account each time for a total of $105 in bank charges. I immediately called a supervisor in billing dept and told him the situation. He stated that it was NOT company policy to put the check through multiple times and that I should FAX a copy of my bank statement to TWC banking services dept for a credit for 2 of the 3 bank service charges.
I had actually called more than once and was told both times that it was TWC billing policy to only attempt cashing a check once before it is returned. Both supervisors also stated that I would be given a credit for those charges if I faxed a copy of bank statement to your banking services dept. So, here I am two weeks later after doing exactly what I was told and I get a voice message form TWC banking services dept saying that I will get ZERO CREDIT for the bank charges!
Why was so much of my time wasted and where is the mitigation of financial hardship or damage to the customer who is obviously not in a good financial standing at the moment anyhow? Why would you people so frivolously try and exacerbate a situation from bad to worse by shoving a check through a customer's account over and over at $35 a pop!!!??? Anyway, I have never been so kicked and run around so carelessly and recklessly by a utility company as I have with TWC. So, after 7 years this where I say goodbye to your company.
I have cancelled my service as of May 1st and will go to FiOS or Satellite service. Don't really want to but I am disgusted by your company's callous actions. I was really surprised that the last Supervisor would actually let me cancel my service rather than give me a measly credit of $70 when I pay you guys nearly $1700/year! Especially, when you caused me unnecessary cost and hardship! I have got my parents and my sister to follow suit in cancelling your service as well... after all, family's got to stick together! Total damage to TWC... probably about $5k per year lost revenue. You guy's really know how to shoot yourselves in the foot!


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2004: SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately financed craft to leave Earth's atmosphere and reach the edge of space. With self-taught civilian test pilot Mike Melvill at the controls, SpaceShipOne was released by its carrier craft and fired its hybrid rocket motors at an altitude of 47,000 feet over California's Mojave Desert. As Melvill steered the […]
All posts tagged 'Burt Rutan'
June 21, 2004: SpaceShipOne Reaches Space
- June 21, 2011 |
- 6:55 am |
- Categories: 21st century, Business and Industry, Space Exploration


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Discussion in 'Off The Beaten Track' started by Ozzisk8tr, Oct 11, 2012.
Thanks! It was kinda funny. Fortunately for me, our elementary school was good about such things and my children didn't miss much time -- except for when my son had his ruptured appendix removed. However, the high school was a bit ... different. A few people there were a bit nasty and set in their ways regardless of explanations. Then there were so many others who went beyond the call of duty to help my son when he was dealing with depression and thoughts of suicide. Guess it all depends upon the school -- those working at it and those attending.
I certainly get it, I'm a teacher, but it still feels inappropriate. It would be a funny joke but being that this is supposedly real, I don't know, I think it goes too far.
It is not real. Snopes link:
I care not if it's real. I think every teacher (no matter what they teach) at least once has thought these things. I thought it was a funny take on a situation.
My mom was a school secretary for 22 years and got to answer all these calls. She thought it was hilarious when she heard it long ago.
I only put up the link to clarify that it was not used as any school's outgoing message (which I would think is obvious as it does not identify a school by name and no school would not identify in an outgoing message) because a poster felt it was not funny because it was "real".
I think it is very funny and after some of the garbage I went through when teaching (including being stalked by a parent who was a police officer--can't report that to anyone who will put a stop to it), I don't really feel like parents should always be treated with kid gloves the way they are.


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Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960), still the highest-grossing foreign-language film of all time.
Once upon a time, every movie had to open in a conventional 35mm theater run to make money. This made for a kind of financial egalitarianism; a $100,000 horror movie would have to open in a theater the same way that a $5,000,000 movie would have to; there were no DVDs, streaming videos, video on demand services, or even cable. While no one would want to go back to the analog age, as this blog itself demonstrates, the fact remains that from the dawn of cinema until the late 1980s, foreign films had a solid chance in the US market, and were roughly divided into two groups: commercial cinema and art cinema. But no matter what the label was, every film still had to open in a theater to make money — there simply was no other market.
Commercial foreign films, such as Italian westerns or horror movies, or Japanese science-fiction spectacles, were hastily dubbed into English and dumped into theaters on a mass basis, and made their money back. More serious fare, such as Fellini's La Dolce Vita – which I wrote about in a 2010 article in the web journal Senses of Cinema – were presented with subtitles, and no one seemed to mind. Eventually, La Dolce Vita, too, was dubbed for wider distribution, although this version never really caught on, and audiences of the period were discerning enough to notice that replacing the actors' voices in the film essentially destroyed Fellini's work.
But La Dolce Vita — which is one of my favorite films of all time, and perhaps the best examination of modern pop throwaway celebrity culture ever created – made the bulk of its money in a subtitled version, and thus audiences were educated from a very early age to realize that there were many different kinds of films available. There were American films, of varying degrees of budget and artistic ambition – and often some of the lowest budget films were the most artistically ambitious — and then there were foreign films, and the junk was dubbed, while the better films were presented aurally and visually intact, with subtitles. But now it seems that dubbed or subtitled, no one is going to foreign film anymore, except for Bollywood films, which have a huge audience throughout the world, as well as here in the States.
As Richard Corliss, who knows his way around cinema history, writes in an article in Time Magazine, "you probably know about Blue Is the Warmest Color, the French movie with the lesbian lovers romping through a five-year affair. But chances are you haven't seen it. For all its ballyhoo and bravas, Blue has earned only about $2.1 million at the U.S. box office. Given the high price of art-house tickets, that means only a couple hundred thousand people have paid to see it in its three-month American run — fewer than the number that bought tickets to Ride Along this past Tuesday.
These are hard times, maybe the end of times, for a kind of film that accounts for only about one in every 200 tickets sold in the U.S. But before we get to the depressing news about the current state of foreign-language films in the States, consider a time when this tiny niche was a tremendous niche — representing about 5%, not 0.5%, of the domestic market — and when foreign films were thought essential to any true cinephile's education and appetite.
We speak of the 1960s. Giants like Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa and François Truffaut strode the earth; and their favorite actors — Marcello Mastroianni, Max von Sydow, Toshiro Mifune and Jeanne Moreau — became icons on this side of the pond. Mastroianni and the rest provided the best directors with faces and personalities that charmed the foreign-film audience across America. And soon other movies with these stars appeared in U.S. theaters. In the early '60s, as many as 30 Italian films reached U.S. shores.
That's because of the startling success of Fellini's La Dolce Vita, which, in terms of tickets sold, is still the highest-grossing foreign-language film of all time. It earned $19.5 million in U.S. theaters in 1961, when the average ticket price was just 69 cents. In today's dollars, that would be $236 million — more than the domestic gross of 2013 hits like Oz the Great and Powerful and Thor: The Dark World. In 1966, Claude Lelouch's A Man and a Woman, a race-car love story starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimée, grossed the modern equivalent of $107 million. Three years later Costa-Gavras's political thriller Z took in what would be $92 million today. As the moguls would say, real money.
Two quick reasons for the appeal of foreign-language films in the '60s: They had a higher IQ than the average Hollywood movie — making works like Fellini's 8½ and Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad the subjects of earnest debates at penthouse cocktail parties and on college campuses — and they were sexier, exposing flesh along with their vaunted angst and anomie. A third reason: they gave any American with cinematic wanderlust a view of other countries and cultures. Here were people and ideas so different, perhaps forbidding, yet often enchanting.
At the end of the decade, Hollywood grew up fast, with copious infusions of sex (Midnight Cowboy), blood (The Wild Bunch) and double-dome philosophizing (2001: A Space Odyssey). That's an oversimplified way of saying that American movies had recaptured the conversation [. . .] Another factor: Americans lost interest in other cultures; we were not only No. 1, we were the only 1 we cared about. With foreign films' monopoly on intellectual maturity and adult themes broken, they receded to specialty status: canapés for connoisseurs."
I'm afraid that Corliss is right; the multiplexes, as I have observed many times before, play simply the biggest hits in a very tight playlist, and no one seems to have for more thoughtful cinema anymore. The big news these days is the upcoming Superman/Batman team up, and ComicCon rules the box office. Not much chance for anything enlightening there. In the 1960s, and until the late 1980s, theaters gave audiences a choice, simply because they had to — theaters were the only venue available. Now that the studios can dump smaller films on VOD or streaming, you can forget about a theatrical release. Which means that most people will never hear of it, which means most people will never see it, which means that if you want thoughtful film viewing, it's either the VOD foreign cable channel, or a a DVD, or Netflix.
But it's not the same as seeing it on a big screen, and at the same time, it has much less cultural impact. This is bad for American viewers, bad for the future of cinema, and portends an endless array of nonstop comic book movies with no content – just action, action and more action, like the Fast and Furious franchise. There's nothing wrong with that, if all you want is to see a bunch of cars crashing and things being blown up. But it would be nice to have a choice, available to all and widely publicized. Once, you had such a choice. Now, you have no choice at all.
Foreign films led the way to a more enlightened cinema – what has happened to that cinema today?
For more free articles and videos, visit my website at wheelerwinstondixon.com


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The mental affliction where ridiculously expensive housing in the City of Calgary, Alberta seems normal. This is transferable to any city with insanely high housing prices.
When new people move to Calgary and see how high housing prices are they are usually shocked. This proves they haven't been infected with Calgaria yet.
by The Glunk December 30, 2011


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Governor Mark Dayton announced today that schools across the state will be canceled on Monday. The National weather service is forecasting the coldest temperatures in a decade across the state, prompting the governor to make the call.
The governor's statement says that he made the decision today in order to "give school administrators, teachers and parents sufficient time to plan for these closure."
Low temps for Sunday night across Northern Minnesota are forecasted to be between 30 and 40 below zero.


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GTA V Mouse Cursor for GTA IV
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was created by bloodfighter
Posted on July 20, 2013 8:58PM by WadOEh128
No it wasn't. He made one (of terrible quality) so I made my own from scratch.
Posted on July 21, 2013 8:42PM by DRUZZRIN12296
ohh, sorry
Posted on July 22, 2013 2:20AM by WadOEh128
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