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Thursday, February 4, 1999
DJIA 9304.50 -62.31 (-0.67%) S&P 500 1248.49 -23.58 (-1.85%) Nasdaq 2410.07 -83.34 (-3.34%) Russell 2000 417.79 -5.95 (-1.40%) 30-Year Bond 99 13/32 -12/32 5.29 Yield
Earlier this week, the Fool's Alex Schay (TMF Nexus6) highlighted the attention investors pay to the progress drug developers show in bringing new products to market. One company currently under the microscope is Trimeris Inc. (Nasdaq: TRMS), which raced ahead $4 3/16 to $25 3/16 today after the company's developmental T-20 drug, meant to block the entry of HIV into cells, earned "fast track" designation from the FDA, which speeds the review process. Good news about T-20, currently in the second of three trial stages, pushed Trimeris stock up nearly 85% in one session about three months ago. News of fourth-quarter losses of $0.56 per share, worse than the year-ago $0.45 and a penny below the three-analyst estimate reported by First Call, didn't dampen the enthusiasm much today, if at all; companies like Trimeris typically post deep losses while their products are in the pipeline.
Speculating that a company's product will eventually be made commercially available is a time-honored practice, but jumping into lesser-known brokerage stocks on optimism about online investing is this week's flavor. Jersey City's M. H. Meyerson & Co. (Nasdaq: MHMY) is exhibit A, skyrocketing after Tuesday's announcement that it plans to offer online trading -- albeit not until late 1999 at the earliest. After today's jump of $4 15/16, or 66.39%, to $12 3/8, the shares three-year history spent mostly between $1 and $3 a piece seems a faint memory, with the company's relatively small public float churning tirelessly away. Also leaping ahead on the outlook for Internet brokerages was J.B. Oxford (Nasdaq: JBOH), ahead $3 7/8 to $15 7/8 today and reaching intraday levels more than 880% above Friday's close. The Fool's own Louis Corrigan (TMF Seymor) takes a look at some of the forces currently pushing stocks skyward in today's Lunchtime News.
QUICK TAKES: Several retail companies moved ahead today on January sales news, traditionally reported en masse on the first Thursday of each month. Children's apparel retailer Gymboree Corp. (Nasdaq: GYMB) ran ahead $1 7/8 to $10 3/8 on an 11% same-store sales boost, while casual apparel merchant Paul Harris Stores (Nasdaq: PAUH), which reported an 11% comp sales boost, took $9/16 to $7 3/4. Click here for an expanded list of monthly sales figures... Building, aerospace, and industrial control systems designer Honeywell Inc. (NYSE: HON) sweetened $3 1/16 to $71 1/2 after saying it expects full-year 1999 EPS of between $4.95 to $5.05, compared with First Call's $0.498 consensus... Regional communications services provider CapRock Communications (Nasdaq: CPRK) expanded $4 3/8 to $15 7/8 after announcing an agreement with Enron Corp.'s (NYSE: ENE) communications subsidiary to build a $100 million fiber optic network in Texas.
Investment banking and securities company Eastbrokers International (Nasdaq: EAST) raced ahead $3 3/8 to $8 after agreeing to acquire privately held Lloyd Wade Securities of Dallas for an undisclosed sum... Information databases firm Dialog Corp.'s (Nasdaq: DIALY) American depositary receipts took $11/16 to $6 3/8 after launching an Internet-based business information service for German customers of CompuServe... Drug developer Albany Molecular Research (Nasdaq: AMRI) swelled $3 1/2 to $23 1/2 after selling 2.5 million shares for $20 each in its initial public offering. After reaching as high as $85 3/4 today, Perot Systems Corp. (NYSE: PER), the computer services firm headed up by presidential infomercial purchaser extraordinaire Ross Perot, finished with a gain of $4 to $65 7/8.
Cardiac medical device maker St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ) pumped up $2 to $26 1/16 after announcing the first implant of a new pacemaker system... Beauty products direct seller Avon Products (NYSE: AVP) painted on $4 3/16 to $43 1/2 after CEO Charles Perrin said in the company's earnings press release that Avon expects to meet internal earnings targets in 1999... Computer-aided design and manufacturing software developer Parametric Technology (Nasdaq: PMTC) snagged $1 1/4 to $14 3/16 on news that Italian automaker Fiat Auto SpA made a $3 million order for software and service.
Christian website operator Didax Inc. (Nasdaq: AMEN) was raised $1 1/8 to $11 11/16 after it said National Discount Brokers (NYSE: NDB) will become the first online trading partner on the money channel of its Crosswalk website... Financial services company Atalanta/Sosnoff Capital (NYSE: ATL) sent out a statement today saying it was not aware of any reason for its stock's rise of $2 1/16 to $10 9/16... World Color Press (NYSE: WRC) brightened $1 11/16 to $26 after Robert Burton, CEO of the print and digital information management firm, said "multiple acquisition efforts appear ready to come to fruition," reporting Q4 EPS of $0.63 that beat last year's figure by a dime and market projections by a penny.
Mining company Cyprus Amax Minerals (NYSE: CYM) shone $1 5/16 to $11 1/16 after Morgan Stanley boosted its rating on the company to "strong buy" from "outperform." The brokerage upgraded three copper companies this morning, with Phelps Dodge Corp. (NYSE: PD) moving ahead $4 1/2 to $47 1/2 after earning an upgrade to "outperform" from "neutral," while Asarco Inc. (NYSE:AR) took $1 1/2 to $15 1/16 on an identical upgrade... Automated semiconductor fabrication systems developer PRI Automation (Nasdaq: PRIA) advanced $3 13/16 to $40 15/16 after Morgan Stanley Dean Witter upgraded the stock to "outperfrom" from a "buy" rating... Drug developer ICOS Corp. (Nasdaq: ICOS) took on $1 5/8 to $28 7/8 after earning a "strong buy" rating in new coverage from Prudential Securities, which set a 12-month price target of $40 per share.
Earnings Movers:
Boston Communications Group (Nasdaq: BCGI) up $1/4 to $9 1/4; Q4 EPS $0.03 vs. loss of $0.08 last year; estimate: $0.01
Cambridge Technology Partners (Nasdaq: CATP) up $2 15/16 to $31 1/16; Q4 EPS $0.26 vs. $0.17 last year; estimate: $0.25
Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) up $2 1/4 to $84 11/16; Q4 EPS: $0.73 vs. $0.63 last year; estimate: $0.72
CompUSA (NYSE: CPU) up $3/4 to $13 7/8; fiscal Q2 EPS: $0.17 vs. $0.36 last year; estimate: $0.16
Global Directmail (NYSE: GML) up $1 1/4 to $18 7/8; Q4 EPS $0.31 vs. $0.34 last year; estimate: $0.28
International Aircraft Investors (Nasdaq: IAIS) up $1 to $7 1/2; Q4 EPS $0.32 vs. $0.75 last year; estimate: $0.18
IXC Communications (Nasdaq: IIXC) up $13 1/4 to $46 1/4; Q4 EPS loss of $1.17 vs. loss of $0.84 last year; estimate: loss of $1.59
MGM Grand Inc. (NYSE: MGG) up $15/16 to $31 9/16; Q4 EPS $0.41 vs. $0.57 last year; estimate: $0.35
SDL Inc. (Nasdaq: SDLI) up $11 3/8 to $59 1/2; Q4 EPS $0.28 vs. $0.13 last year; estimate: $0.21
Timberland Co. (NYSE: TBL) up $5 3/8 to $56 11/16; Q4 EPS $1.80 vs. $1.48 last year; estimate: $1.66
Healthcare management information systems company Cerner Corp. (Nasdaq: CERN) was trounced $7 1/16 to $16 15/16 after posting Q4 EPS of $0.24, which was a penny ahead of the First Call mean estimate. However, at least nine brokerage firms lowered their ratings today after the company placed the blame of delayed contracts on the information technology industry's default boogeyman, Mr. Y2K. Suddenly, a feared cutback in IT spending by healthcare providers has many observers spooked, reminiscent of last year's ERP woes. Fellow healthcare info manager IDX Systems (Nasdaq: IDXC) lost $3 1/16 to $33 15/16. McKesson HBOC (NYSE: MCK), which by some estimates will receive up to half of its pro forma operating profits this year from the business of recent acquisition HBO & Co., dropped $7 5/8 to $65. QuadraMed Corp. (Nasdaq: QMDC) also dropped $4 to $22 7/8.
Satellite systems designer Orbital Sciences Corp. (NYSE: ORB) dropped $4 1/4 to $34 1/2 after saying non-cash accounting charges at two of its subsidiaries will result in Q4 EPS below the $0.23 expected by the nine analysts surveyed by First Call. Of course, the firm's revenues and backlog figures should be in line with estimates, but those all-important earnings numbers took precedence in traders' eyes today. The consensus view appears to be that the charges are a non-event as far as Orbital's financial health is concerned -- the first charge was due to a $130 million increase in the value of a contract, while the other was related to product development costs. While far from offering irrefutable proof of what some would categorize as Mr. Market's "efficiency deficiency," today's drop does raise questions about his mental health in these earnings-obsessed times.
QUICK CUTS: Networking products company 3Com (Nasdaq: COMS) slid $3 3/16 to $34 3/16 after cutting the street prices of its Palm III and PalmPilot Professional Edition personal digital assistants by about 20%... Brawny paper towels and Dixie paper cups maker Fort James Corp. (NYSE: FJ) was besieged today and fell $4 7/8 to $30 3/8 despite reporting Q4 EPS of $0.63, a penny above the First Call mean estimate. However, the company said tough year-over-year comparisons and higher marketing expenses due to competition will result in fiscal 1999 earnings flat with last year's results "through at least the first half of the year"... Telecom equipment maker Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) lost $7 1/8 to $102 7/8 as Lehman Brothers reiterated its "neutral" rating, saying the company's share price is "ahead of itself," according to Reuters.
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) tanked $2 to $18 15/16 before being halted around 3:15 p.m. Eastern time. After the halt, the company said it could see an operating loss in Q1 based on a "re-assessment of competitive conditions." Fellow chip maker National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) lost $1 1/16 to $12, and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) shed $8 9/16 to $130 1/8... Financial services firm MONY Group (NYSE: MNY) dropped $1 to $27 after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company's Mutual Life Insurance Co. of New York unit is being investigated for possible accounting fraud by the SEC. The company said the allegations are "without merit" and were part of an earlier class-action lawsuit against MONY, which was thrown out... Nursing home operator HCR Manor Care (NYSE: HCR) lost $1 3/4 to $25 after posting Q4 EPS of $0.45 (excluding charges), missing the First Call mean estimate by a penny.
Enterprise workflow and electronic forms automation company JetForm Corp. (Nasdaq: FORMF) skidded $5 1/4 to $6 after saying delayed contracts caused by Y2K issue "distractions" on the parts of its clients will result in a fiscal Q3 net loss of $0.36 per share, below the First Call mean earnings estimate of $0.13 per share... Pharmaceutical promotions consultant Boron, LePore & Associates (Nasdaq: BLPG) tumbled $12 5/8 to $16 1/8 after reporting Q4 EPS of $0.24, a penny below both last year's results and the Zacks mean estimate. The company also announced that COO Gregory Boron is leaving to "pursue personal interests"... Israeli telecommunications systems designer ECI Telecom (Nasdaq: ECILF) lost $5 5/8 to $37 after saying its Q4 revenues rose a less-than-expected 15% to $214.8 million.
A quartet of assisted-living companies fell this morning after Dow Jones Newswires reported that BancBoston Robertson Stephens suspended its coverage of the industry on fears that an upcoming government report may take the companies to task for their pricing policies. Sunrise Assisted Living (Nasdaq: SNRZ) lost $3 3/8 to $38 1/4, CareMatrix (AMEX: CMD) slid $5 3/8 to $18 5/8, Balanced Care Corp. (AMEX: BAL) dropped $1/2 to $6 1/4, and Alternative Living Services (AMEX: ALI) slipped $4 1/16 to $21 13/16... Optoelectronic technology-based devices maker OSI Systems (Nasdaq: OSIS) slumped $1 1/2 to $8 3/8 after posting fiscal Q2 EPS of $0.20 (excluding charges), which was $0.02 short of the First Call mean estimate.
Danish networking products developer Olicom A/S (Nasdaq: OLCMF) sank $1 7/16 to $5 1/4 after reporting a Q4 loss of $1.31 per share (excluding restructuring charges), which was much worse than the loss of $0.59 per share forecasted by the two analysts surveyed by Zacks... Financial planning and tax preparation firm Gilman + Ciocia (Nasdaq: GTAX) lost $2 15/16 to $15 3/8 after reporting a fiscal Q2 loss of $0.01 per share, missing the Zacks mean earnings estimate of $0.03 per share... Life sciences and pharmaceuticals products company Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MTC) dropped $2 1/8 to $47 1/4 after seed developer Pioneer Hi-Bred International (NYSE: PHB) filed a federal suit against the company, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets and genetics by Monsanto's recently acquired overseas seed corn business.
An Investment Opinion
by Dale Wettlaufer
The Weakness of Relative Strength
Beware "relative strength" as a measure of a stock's attractiveness. While there are useful aspects of this statistic, there are overwhelming weaknesses, too.
Relative strength measures a stock's performance versus all other stocks in a universe being measured. It's usually expressed by percentile with 1 percentage point increments. Thus, if a company's stock has outperformed 900 stocks out of a universe of 1,000, its relative strength (RS) will be 90. Its usefulness stems from its telling a short story about how much shareholder value has been recognized by the market over a period of time. For investors, the thinking on buying high RS stocks is this: You want to acquire shares of companies where sales, earnings, or cash flow are growing and you want to be involved with businesses that have proven they can build shareholder value.
There are problems with relative strength, though, just as there are problems with other one-shot indicators such as beta. For beta, one has to know how many data points are being gathered if the covariance coefficient means anything. For relative strength, you want to know its composition if the data are to mean anything. For instance, if you're measuring relative strength on a five-year or ten-year basis, then you're looking at a relative indicator of how the company has built shareholder value over a longer period of time.
But not all relative strength indices are the same. The best-known relative strength data comes from Investors' Business Daily. There's a huge flaw with that data, in my opinion. It's not simply how a company's stock has done over the last year. The most recent three months is given a double weighting in a year comprised of four quarters. In the trailing twelve months, then, each of the first three quarters are weighted at 20% apiece and the most recent quarter is weighted at 40%. You can see the problems that would arise from that data.
A company's stock can have a great first quarter, stay in line for the two subsequent quarters, and then have a poor fourth quarter. Even if the company and its stock have had a good year in absolute and relative terms, the most recent quarter is going to color the relative strength performance under this weighting scheme. If you're using RS as a forward-looking indicator, then perhaps the weighting helps, since the market is supposed to be telling you something with the fall of a stock. You should ask why a stock is down. But just because a company's stock starts to slip below an arbitrary relative strength threshold does not mean it should go off your research list.
One should realize that the stocks of excellent companies are not going to outperform every quarter of every year. But if you filter your world through the RS indicator, you're going to miss the most attractive points to add money to an investment. It's a bizarre situation when relative strength all of a sudden tells you that a company that was attractive last quarter is less attractive because it has been marked down this quarter.
Personally, I think it's a non factor in selecting companies for investment. I'm sure you can backtest these things and say that high relative strength companies do this or do that. That's okay if that's your bag -- I'm not going to try to dissuade you from believing that investing is all science and no art, even if I don't agree with you. Good investment returns can be had on companies whose stock has been crushed or whose stock has crushed the market over the last year. I would just like to call attention to the failings of the standard relative strength data people use. They are:
1. It only measures one year, when management's ability to create value relative to the rest of the competing investments is better judged over longer timeframes; and
2. It overweights the most recent quarter, distorting full-year performance and dissuading those who take high RS as gospel from considering investments where quality AND good value compound to provide portfolio outperformance.
In all, push relative strength way down or off your list of things to consider in researching a company. There are much better uses of your time and much more relevant data to consider.
Please see the Motley Fool's Conference Calls page for call information and links to synopses.
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E-mail the Fool News Team
and we will start working on the story.
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or respond to individual questions.
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David Marino-Nachison (TMF Braden), a new Fool


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Upper crusts
Page Tools
From top: Spanakopita, Steak and mushroom pie, Empanadas. Photos:
Marina Oliphant
The only trouble I have once I've decided I want to bake a pie is deciding on which one to make.
I love pies made from a rich stew of beef or lamb in a thick, dark sauce or braised pieces of chicken with leeks or mushrooms. What could be more warming and comforting in winter? And I especially like French pork pies, which are perfect for lunch with cornichons or a little chutney.
My favourite is Morocco's exotic and festive b'stilla, made with layers of filo pastry over a saucy pigeon mixture cooked with saffron and various spices, enriched with eggs and finished with a light sprinkle of cinnamon and icing sugar.
When I discovered empanadas in Spain, I couldn't get enough of them. They have a deliciously sweet, sometimes spicy and colourful filling but the best thing about them is the flavour you get from the sherry and olive oil in the pastry.
Spanakopita, a great combination of spinach, fetta and mint, is extremely quick to make.
On pastry, I have to say I'm a little divided. When it comes to making a meat pie, I rather like lard pastry. It's better as a base because it won't go soggy and the flavour is great - though this is sadly lacking in the commercial variety found in supermarkets and the days are gone when most butchers prepared good quality lard on the premises. I've opted for a shortcrust pastry for the steak and mushroom pie.
1 bunch spinach
100g fetta
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 tbsp roasted pinenuts
1 egg, beaten
3 green onions, sliced
1 tbsp grated parmesan
About 10 sheets filo pastry
150g butter, melted
Preheat oven to 180C. Pick the spinach leaves and wash thoroughly. Cook in salted boiling water for a few minutes then drain and rinse. Squeeze any excess water out and chop roughly.
In a bowl, combine the spinach, crumbled fetta, mint, pinenuts, egg, onions and parmesan. Season with a little pepper.
Take a sheet of filo and lightly brush with the melted butter. Lay another sheet over the top, brush again with butter then fold in half lengthways. Spread about 2 tbsp of mixture over the pastry and roll the pastry so that you have one long piece. Now roll the length around into a snail shape and tuck the end underneath so that it stays put. Brush with butter and refrigerate while you repeat with the rest of the mixture. You should get 4-5 snails.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden. The spanakopita can be served hot or just warm and reheat quite well. I like to serve them with a little salad as a light lunch.
Serves 4 as a starter or a light meal.
Steak and mushroom pie
700g gravy or chuck beef
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 large onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
50g butter
2 heaped tbsp flour
500ml red wine
1 sprig rosemary
1 small piece orange rind
1 bay leaf
15g dried porcini mushrooms (optional), soaked in 1 cup water
400g mushrooms, sliced
For the shortcrust pastry
360g flour
270g butter
4-5 tbsp cold water
1 egg, separated
Cut beef in 4cm cubes. Heat a heavy-based pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the beef all over. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a casserole pot with the remaining oil and cook the onion and garlic until quite brown, season with salt and pepper and push to one side. Now add the butter and flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add the beef, red wine, rosemary, orange rind, bay leaf and porcini mushrooms with their liquid. Stir well, bring to the boil then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook for 90 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add sliced mushrooms and cook a further 5 minutes then allow to cool.
For the shortcrust pastry
Take butter from the fridge 30 mins before using. Put the flour on the kitchen bench; chop butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the flour. Lightly rub butter into the flour, then make a well in the middle and pour in 4 tbsp of the water. Quickly and lightly work the flour and butter together using the heels of your hands to smear the mixture across the bench - it will come together in lumps; add a little extra water if too dry; don't overwork it. Refrigerate in plastic wrap for 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 180C. Take a 23-26cm round pie dish and grease with a little butter. Roll out half the pastry with a little flour and line the bottom of the dish. Beat the egg white with a fork and brush over the pastry. Return to the fridge for 10 minutes. This will seal the pastry and prevent it from going soggy.
Pour the beef mixture into the pie case and trim the edges 2cm from the filling. Roll the other half of the pastry out to about 5mm and lay over the top. Cut a little slit in the middle to allow steam to escape. Beat the yolk with 1 tbsp water and brush over the top of the pastry. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Serves 6.
For the pastry
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
Pinch salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
For the filling
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red and 1 yellow capsicum, seeded and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/2 chorizo sausage, chopped small
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Egg wash
For the pastry
In a bowl, combine the flours and salt and pour in almost all of the olive oil and sherry. Work together using a wooden spoon or your hands - you may need to add all the oil and sherry, depending on the flour.
Turn the mixture out onto a bench and knead lightly until you can form a ball. This pastry will feel quite wet and is not to be over-worked - its crumbly texture relies on a light hand. Rest it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
For the filling
Heat olive oil in a pan and cook capsicum and onion until soft and lightly coloured. Add the chorizo and cook for a further few minutes before adding the peas. Cook for 5 mins, remove from the heat, add eggs and parsley and season. Allow to cool.
To assemble the empanadas Preheat oven to 180C. Take about 70g of pastry and roll out to about 5mm thick. Place a small tablespoon of the mixture on one side, brush the edges with a little egg wash and fold over. Press the edges with a fork or the back of a spoon and brush over with the egg wash. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and pastry, place empanadas on a tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. They are delicious hot or cold.
Serves 4-6
Styling: Caroline Velik
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subset: commoncrawl


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A Senior Drug Benefit: One Tough Pill
By Howard Gleckman
It must be an election year. Over the next month, Washington will be bursting with plans to provide seniors with a generous new prescription-drug benefit. By the end of May, the Republican-controlled House hopes to roll out a $350 billion, 10-year plan that will both provide a modest benefit and restructure the basic Medicare program. The GOP strategy is to pass the measure by the Fourth of July.
By contrast, Senate Democrats are preparing several more-generous versions -- each of which could cost hundreds of billions more. And Senate centrists may offer a middle-ground plan that would resemble the House GOP bill in size but be less ambitious in restructuring the overall Medicare program. Left in the dust: a $180 billion plan that President Bush has proposed.
The chances that any of these grand schemes will be signed into law this year are slim. Still, public backing for a drug benefit runs high, and lawmakers may choose to approve a largely symbolic -- and far more modest -- program, if only to relieve the political pressure. Some possibilities: coverage for outpatient cancer drugs or a measure that would allow pharmacies to import lower-cost drugs from Canada.
At this point, lawmakers not only disagree about the size of the benefit but they're also far from consensus on its structure. How big a premium should seniors pay? How high should the deductible be set? Should seniors be fully covered for the cost of drug treatment for chronic diseases? "We're a long, long, way from settling anything," says one top Senate GOP staffer.
In addition, Congress faces bitter divisions over how seniors should get the benefits. Some lawmakers, such as Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) want to add it to the traditional Medicare program. Others, such as the House GOP leaders and Senator John Breaux (D-La.), insist that seniors should be able to buy the coverage through private insurers. The powerful drug industry is pushing hard for a private plan.
And all the plans have one other problem: money. With Washington suddenly facing deficits for years to come, lawmakers are going to have to find a way to pay for such a hugely expensive new program. Where will lawmakers get the $500 billion-plus the plan will end up costing. Raise taxes? Cut other programs? Just increase the deficit? Nobody has any good ideas.
The fate of any drug benefit lies largely with Hill Democrats. Most are convinced that the issue is a political winner at a time they're struggling to get traction against an immensely popular President. An Apr. 2-4 poll by party strategist Stan Greenberg reported that 45% of those surveyed have more confidence in the ability of Democrats to address the Medicare drug problem, while only 22% prefer the GOP. Greenberg calls the issue "meat and potatoes" for Democrats.
And therein lies an interesting twist: Because the issue resonates so strongly with voters, many Democrats don't want it settled before November. Instead, they would prefer to deride GOP drug plans as insubstantial, vowing instead to enact one of their more-generous versions next year.
Republicans figure they need to neutralize the issue for fear of a big voter backlash if they're blamed for inaction this year. They're betting that passing their own version in the House will protect them from voters' wrath.
Besides, such a step might even force Senate Democrats to cut a deal -- giving the GOP an October signing ceremony in the Rose Garden. If not, they hope that passing a bill in the House will at least allow them to blame Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) for blocking a drug measure, just as they have blasted him for stalling other important bills this year.
Some day, Washington will add a drug benefit to Medicare. As prescription medicines become an increasingly important part of health care, it makes little sense to have an insurance program that excludes drugs. But it may take another election -- or two -- before the pols finally get around to doing it.
Gleckman is a senior correspondent in BusinessWeek's Washington bureau. Follow his views every Tuesday in Washington Watch, only on BusinessWeek Online
Edited by Douglas Harbrecht


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Friday, 26 May 2017
Written by // Kimutai Kemboi,
Categories // Social Media, Kimutai Kemboi, Activism, African, Caribbean and Black, General Health, Mental Health, Health, International , Living with HIV, Media, Opinion Pieces
The best way to win a battle is to avoid what is being fought for. It sounds like a simple statement but has an immense impact. This is what has made me the person I am today: strong, courageous and optimistic.
Many people have asked me why I always post HIV related issues and disclose my status publicly, I do it for a purpose. I know it is a very sensitive issue but the reason behind it is more significant than its sensitivity and that is why I talk about it like anything else, without fear.
I want to make it clear that I don't regret being HIV positive, but want to make the HIV virus regret getting into my body, and I am not ashamed to say it publicly since shame is another virus on its own. I have a simple body that cannot comfortably host the two viruses, you know. I must disown one to comfortably host another.
"They will come back to their senses, the tension in you will also be over and you will not feel any pain as they grill you. Their talk will last for a week and soon they will have nothing more to say about you."
I found that disclosing my status was the best tool to end stigma and all other sorts of negative perception that people had towards me and surely it worked out. This is what has always kept me strong and an inspiration to many since everybody admires my courage in speaking point blank!
Since then, I have realized that nobody talks about me because what I say is ten times more than what they would have said. I exhaust everything they knew about me and leave them with nothing to add on. This has curbed talk behind my back.
The other reason for going public is to instill hope in the hopeless, especially those in denial, that there is life after contracting HIV. People need to understand that this is just an infection and that it does not kill unless we allow it to. though given a chance it surely will. They need to know that it is manageable and that a person can lead a normal life.
Disclosure has been a great weapon in my fight against stigma, the best weapon, I think. They will come back to their senses, the tension in you will also be over and you will not feel any pain as they grill you. Their talk will last for a week and soon they will have nothing more to say about you.
You may not realize the benefits of disclosing yourself but I am telling they are really there and you will have inspired many in one way or another. And remember the biggest beneficiary is you, since you will live a more stress free life.
I am a living testimony to this; at times I forget I am HIV-positive only to remember it when my time to take medication comes. Otherwise no thought about my condition runs through my mind. With this and adherence to medication, life expectancy is a must-beat figure.
So let us maintain a positive attitude, adhere to medication, eat well and enhance our physical fitness; these things scare HIV away and before it comes back you will be a year away, like laughter before a tear drop hits the ground. Make this lifestyle fun and you will always smile at it.
I wish you well and long life.
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We had our inaugural Affiliate Summit Twitter Chat last night and it was a frenzied, fun, and informative time.
Daniel M. Clark (@QAQN) was our expert guest and he fielded questions from me and other Twitter chat participants.
Check out the podcasting Twitter chat transcript.
Questions covered by Daniel included…
- How do you decide on topics to podcast on?
- How frequent do you recommend podcasting?
- Is there a standard length for podcasts?
- Which software do you use to record podcasts?
- Which software do you use to edit podcasts?
- Where can I upload and post a podcast?
- How do I get a podcast up on iTunes?
We also talked about headsets to use, monetizing podcasts, and outsourcing podcasting voiceovers on Fiverr.
Contact Affiliate Summit if you'd like to be the featured expert on a future Affiliate Summit Twitter chat.


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Around my house
I too will resume regular posts starting tomorrow (I didn't receive enough pet entries for today anyway). I thought since I had time this long weekend to do a bit of organizing and photography, that I would share my latest home endeavours. Nothing too serious, mostly just some rearranging to fit all the things I had purchased in Almonte last weekend.
Once again, my kitchen shelving has been reorganized. When I was digging through the basement a few weeks ago looking for items to sell at the Ottawa Antique Show, I came across a vintage brass tea set (?) and some brass pineapples that I had thrifted and bought on Etsy several years ago. I could not let these go, so instead I tried incorporating them in my shelving display, along with my new Catherine Holm bowl I am totally stoked over (and coordinating pot I already had).
Catherine Holm bowl from Samantha Howard Vintage ~ vase from The White Monkey ~ Oaxacan vase bought in Puerto Vallarta ~ thrifted brass pineapple ~ silver egg bought in Puerto Vallarta ~ thrifted brass flower frog ~ Lumberjack candleholder by Normann Copenhagen from The Modern Shop ~ Catherine Holm pot from Etsy shop CrankHeartPony
Love that print (in my new vintage frame) by Emily McDowell purchased at Hello Yellow ~ vintage pot from Almonte ~ vase from The White Monkey
Vintage pot from Almonte ~ Oaxacan skull from Puerto Vallarta ~ candleholder by John Ward from General Fine Craft ~ thrifted Dansk candleholder ~ Hay Denmark scissors from The Modern Shop ~ air plant from Sparrow Floral Design
Saturday while running errands, my husband took us to a wood shop called KJP Select Hardwoods. *SIGH* So many glorious slabs of the most beautiful wood I have ever seen. I spotted a piece of Claro walnut that I had to have. I decided to use it on my dining table as a sort of tray for a centrepiece.


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Just a few days after we heard from rapper Azealia Banks about how "tacky" rap music is, homegirl goes and drops a new song on us. Last night, right around the time that New Year's Eve was starting up, Azealia released a song titled BBD for our listening pleasure. According to the rapper, BBD is NOT the first single from her forthcoming debut album Broke with Expensive Taste. In a series of tweets, she reveals the title of her soon-to-be released first official album single and then she unveiled the lyrics to this just-released freebie. Click below to listen to BBD and see what you think.
NEW MUSIC: "BBD" – AZEALIA BANKS Prod. By Apple Juice Kid & Sup Doodle / "BBD" is NOT the first official single from "Broke With Expensive Taste".. / The first OFFICIAL single from "Broke With Expensive Taste" is called "MISS AMOR" and its coming with a B side called "MISS CAMARADERIE" / Y'all know i love dropping songs tho! lol :-D
Let me get that,
Let me get that oooh,
I get it when I get that ooh,
I spend it when I whip that
Flossin' on them haters,
It's that boss – the bitch, that caker.
Trick dad's born to tip that shaker,
He's forfeiting all that paper,
Niggas coughing off that 8th of-
I wanna hit them vapors,
It's that sporty bitch that game 'em,
They calling me super sega – hit that
I'm just really out here livin
Something like the new edition
They say im poison what's the difference ?
BBD – Michael Bivins
All my bad bitches do it
Bad bitches do it, (4x)
I'm just stuntin in stilettos,
Holla playa hello,
All them dusty bitches jello (jealous)
I'm rising, I split that ghetto…
It's that time, look at that bezel
Dining with that cello,
Freaky finer china fellow,
He's pumpin banana yellow – get that
Let me get that,
Let me get that oooooh.
When I spit that, ima spit that oooooh
When i hit that, lemme hit that ooooh
I get it when I get that oooooh
I spend it when I spend that oooh
I spend it when I get that oooh
Fine, feminine – I whip that woop
Dram-Drama? Niggas get that deuce.
Ram-bam-a-lamma flip that loot.
Gam champ – her jiggy jam on loop.
Damn fam, what ya man gon do?
I get it when I whip that woop
I spend it when I spend that loot
Wilding wit my bitches
I be stylin with my bitches,
Pretty eyes and long extensions- they smiling in all them pictures.
I be rising with my bitches,
Riding with my bitches,
We the finest of them bitches
We diamonds – it's diamond district !
Get that ice nigga, ice nigga
Bitch wanna freeze like white winter.
She needs the g's , that price went up
She need to see that bright shimmer
He wanna get that nice,
Wanna fit that slice, wanna see that spice simmer.
She want it with that white nigga…
Peachy-pinky-piped nigga
Be's what it be's "little breeze by the sea" -az, been about that life nigga.
Tits out with ya wife, nigga.
I'm bringing out the dyke in her.
XOXO fine scissor sister, 69 – whip that
I get it when i get that
I spend it when I whip that.
Let me get that,
Let me get that oooooh.
When I spit that, ima spit that oooooh
When i hit that, lemme hit that ooooh
I get it when I get that oooooh
I spend it when I spend that oooh
Honestly, I don't think this song is tacky at all … I actually quite like this song. It's unclear if BBD is an outtake that didn't make the album or if it's going to be released officially at some point but it's a great song, I think. Azealia Banks is best when she focuses on her music and leaves her personal commentary offline. I'd rather hear great stuff her than read embarrassing interview quotes. The girl is talented, I can't wait to hear what else she's got in store for us. Her album is supposedly due out in February.0


text:
Darveshan Di Mehndi - Book By Amrita Pritam
Authors: Amrita Pritam
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Language: Punjabi
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text: Hello, I am the proud owner of an 09 GMC Sierra. I just went turkey hunting with a friend and as we exited the truck to try our luck one of the shot guns glanced the radio and smashed the radio display. it broke the lens and LCD behind it:grrrrrr: no biggie just get on the internet and find replacement lens and LCD right :grrrrrr: WRONG it is no were to be found. I have been able to find many places that will fix it for me (for a price). I would like to think that if I could find the parts I know I could fix it. The LCD just plugs into the circuit board and the lens is probally glued on or something to that effect .....right? any advice or assistance would be awesome. And Yes we both got turkeys that day so it made the radio thing a little easier to deal with. TANKS


text:
Everyone claims their theology is biblical. Which means "biblical" is used by everyone and so many different approaches use "biblical" that "biblical" diminishes in value. It becomes, sad to say, little more than a claim to authority. What does it take for you to say something is "biblical"? Does biblical theology (as historical description — [Read More…]
Archives for November 2012
When is Theology Truly "Biblical"
Wish Dreams and the Church: Mark Stevens
This post, by Mark Stevens, concerns Bonhoeffer's famous expression about wish dreams and the church. The most challenging words I have ever read on the subject of community come from a little book by Dietrich Bonheoffer entitled, 'Life Together'.[1] Alongside Henri Nouwen's 'In the Name of Jesus' it is one of the best books on [Read More…]
Abortion Rates Down
From WaPo: After years of holding steady, new Center for Disease Control data shows that the United States abortion rate has fallen to an all-time low. It dropped 5 percent between 2008 and 2009, the most recent years for which data is available, the largest decline in the past decade. The big question for public health researchers [Read More…]
When I am Ordained, I Shall Wear Purple
From Fulcrum: When I am Ordained, I shall wear Purple by Mia Smith With acknowledgement to Jenny Joseph's original poem When I am ordained, I shall wear purple with killer heels and bright red lipstick And I shall go round preaching from the Bible …The liberating truth that Jesus calls women and tell those who [Read More…]
Christ the King Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and [Read More…]
Standing with the Ukrainians Today
This Saturday, Nov. 24, the Ukrainians commemorate a sad memorial day–"holodomor" ("harvest of death"), the Stalin-engineered, forced famine of 1932-1933 in which 7 to 10 million Ukrainians died. Stalin had the world press suppress this "holocaust" and not until the middle 1980s did the whole world come to grips with what Stalin did to the Ukrainian farmers. This video contains some graphic scenes, [Read More…]
Some Good News
From Steve Johnson: Are you better off? Is there good evidence for progress? Over the past two decades, what have the U.S. trends been for the following important measures of social health: high school dropout rates, college enrollment, juvenile crime, drunken driving, traffic deaths, infant mortality, life expectancy, per capita gasoline consumption, workplace injuries, air [Read More…]
Weekly Meanderings
Let's pray this is a Middle East sunset of peace. Blog post of the week by Neil Godfrey: "The best way to understand just how 'non-religious' or 'non-biblical' are the books of the New Testament — that is, to understand just how much a product of their own wider Greco-Roman literary culture are those books [Read More…]
Shifting Population
Some are rejoicing that the "white Christian strategy" is losing while others in the church are wondering where to focus… but these numbers, if accurate, are worth pondering. Source: The Daily Beast. Click on the image for a full screen shot. [One of the most annoying features of posts like this for me is when [Read More…]
Top Ten Worst States…
… in which to retire: Here are the 10 worst states for retirement, and some of the reasons why each is on the list. With this MoneyRates.com ranking the No. 1 spot is the worst of the worst. 10. Rhode Island — high property taxes 9. Maryland — high property taxes and other costs 8. [Read More…]


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What to do about a student who wears a Nazi-related armbandBreaking News
Meanwhile, Andrei Chira, a freshman, continues to wear the armband, which he says is part of standing up for what he believes in.
Chira said Wednesday that the band – which depicts a symbol similar to a swastika — is his way of showing support for National Socialism. Believers in the "Blood & Honour" philosophy have traditionally been associated with "white pride and white power," according to the Web site of the American National Socialist Party.
However, Chira said that racial and ethnic issues are not the reason he wears the band and that he doesn't support anti-Semitism and racism. Rather, he ascribes to the philosophy that it's important to "think about what you believe in," and he said he favors the concept of nationalism over party affiliation.
Chira grew up in Irvine, California after his family moved there from Romania when he was 4. In high school, he said, he often wore pins that proclaimed his support for National Socialism.
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Darren Michael Peterson - 12/12/2005
If he is wishing to promote Nationalism then an American flag with "My Country, Right or Wrong" should be sufficient.
As can be expected, a young person is exploring ideas and the freedom that college offers.
Sadly, he does not seem to really understand the implications of Nationalism. It is not super patriotism... it is an emotional reaction to anything different, anyone who disagrees and is centered in hatred.
- Smithsonian launches campaign to raise $10 million for women's history initiative
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- Diane Ravitch says the Democrats paved the way for the education secretary's efforts to privatize our public schools
- Mark Moyar explains why he came to believe the Vietnam War was winnable
- How should Texas high schoolers learn history?


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Bigberry Digital is a London based digital agency, specialising
in delivering maintainable websites driven by Umbraco.
Find out who chose us as their digital agency of choice to
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text:
Date of Stay: January, 2010
In all our years of camping, we have never come across such an example of someone who should not be a manager of anything let alone a business requiring people with superior customer relation skills. This manager (she) couldn't have cared less about our concerns. The most concerning being that of the non-existent Wi-Fi. When we called with our reservation we specifically asked about the Wi-Fi, as we needed it for our business. "Oh, yes. It's park-wide." HARDLY. Anyway, needless to say, we would never consider returning or, frankly, recommending this park to anyone.
Date of Stay: January, 2010
Although we had to cut our time here short, we were very pleased with this park. It was primarily the small mobile home type units with scattered sites available for RVs. We were warmly welcomed by the folks at the front desk as well as by our neighbors, also from BC! The park was very neat and clean and everything was as promised. We would definitely plan to return should we visit the area again.


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Midwest Auto Recycling950 Greenlee Ln Marengo, Illinois United States of America
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
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#1 General Comment
Midwest Recycling/Tri city llc /Dwayne Ronczkowski
SUBMITTED: Sunday, July 07, 2013POSTED: Sunday, July 07, 2013
DO not work for this guy either !!!!! I did some tree trimming and mowing at his new building he leased in wisconsin and only ended up with 300.00 out of 700.00 for labor owed and materials and gas added up to 165.00 for a total of 865.00. He will also refuses to sign any contracts for work . Address is 2431 n. 30th st Milwaukee wisconsin. He told me he was shutting down midwest recycling in ILL. and moving business to milwaukee under new name of Tri City LLC.He will tell you he owns the building and after research I found out he does not own it ,He is leasing it so u will not be able to put a lien on the property!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have more info on this guy but I hope this helps anyone wanting to do business with him (WARNING DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH HIM YOU WILL GET SCREWED)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Borders, Buses and Boats
Trip Start May 27, 2009
6Trip End Dec 22, 2009
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Where I stayed
Hotel Europa 2
Way too early of a start today! Was up around 5am and by 5:45am we were standing on the side of the road waiting for the 6am(ish) chicken bus into La Ceiba. By 6:30 it still hadn�t come past but someone heading into town offered us a ride so we jumped in the box with the two others who were already in there (Don�t worry mom and dad, this is completely different than hitch-hiking!). I was a bit sad watching the jungle disappear as we drove down the rode.
We got dropped off at the edge of town and from there we caught a collectivo taxi to the bus station. As soon as we pulled up to the bus station a guy was there asking us where we were going and grabbing our bags. He ran over to a bus and threw us on one that was just about to leave, perfect timing! At each town, people come along the side of the bus and on the bus to sell food and drinks, so bought some coconut bread in Tela for breakfast
The bus station in San Pedro Sula has two levels and we had been told we arrive on top and just go downstairs and we will find the buses to Puerto Cortes. Sure enough, we had just entered the hallway when a guy asked where we were going and then ran down one of the wings whistling, stopped a minibus pulling out for Puerto Cortes and threw us on. Just before we left town we were stopped by the police and �"solo hombres" (only guys) had to get off and line up for a weapons search. Another cop came on and checked all us girls passports and then we were off again.
Almost in Puerto Cortes and one of the guys we had been doing our best to have a conversation with (the search got everyone talking to each other) starting saying Guatemala, Guatemala! We had told him we were heading to Puerto Barrios, he whistled at the driver, then yelled to him we were going to Guatemala. The driver jumped out and flagged a chicken bus stopped on the opposite side of the road. The minibus driver grabbed our bags and the chicken bus guy motioned for us to run across the highway and then pulled us into the back of the old American school bus. I love how there is absolutely no waiting time for connections, just one bus to the next
We spent way too long on that bus, I know the old man on the minibus was just trying to help, but it took almost 3 hours for the one hour ride. A man came on selling snow cones (with carmel on top??) which made the hot bus ride a bit better. It was also great for people watching! We made it to the border, changed a bit of money with one of the many guys at the border and then walked through to immigration. On the other side we caught a colectivo minibus to Puerto Barrios.
One quick stop when the driver had to jump off and get our passports stamped. I was a bit nervous at first, the bus was pretty full and he was asking us to hand over our passports and we were already way past the border. I was relived to see the small writing saying Immigration on the little building he ran into. It was a nice ride, even if there were about 25 people packed into the van and hanging out the side of the door. The road goes through a bunch of pineapple and banana plantations and, since the van was too full to close the door, there was an awesome breeze!
We arrived in Puerto Barrios, a tiny port town that doesn�t really give you the best and safest feeling, and found a cheap (and safe looking) hotel for about $15
Sat June 13
Horrible sleep last night, car alarms and barking dogs all night, and I�m a heavy sleeper! By 6am I was up from good and couldn�t sleep anymore. We were ready by 7and headed out for some breaky (soupy beans, scrambled eggs, fresh mini tortillas and sour cream), to get our passports stamped and to get our ferry tickets. We had to pay $10US to leave Guatemala and $25 for the boat ticket to Punta Gorda, not cheap! Went back to grab our bags and then headed down to the port a block away.
We left Puerto Barrios in a little boat and an hour and a half later we were in Punta Gorda, Belize. They had a band playing in the center square and the streets seemed to be packed with people and vendors, it seemed like a very colorful and lively little town on a Saturday afternoon
We caught the chicken bus (that just means old American school bus that gets packed, stops a lot, and is cheap) up the coast to Independence. The money collector let us and the couple other travelers know when we arrived and then we got off and walked through the dirt street town to the waterfront where we caught a water taxi to Placencia.
A truck, a taxi, a minibus, a chicken bus, a packed colectivo, a shitty night, a boat, another chicken bus and a water taxi and we had finally made it to a beach in Belize!! Placencia is such a cute place, it�s filled with colorful houses, a lot of which are on stilts. It has a long beach on the wast side and mangroves back to the mainland on the west. We made a quick email stop (overdue after our extended stay in the jungle) and then grabbed some dinner. Ground beef tostadas hit the spot!
We ended up sticking around the place, which was right on the beach, to try out our first Belikins (Belizean beers), listening to the live reggae-ton band and meeting some of the locals and fellow travelers. I think I am going to like this place!


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The Geography of a Mixed-Race Society
The pattern and level of separation among ethnic groups continues to change, and there are certainly more mixed neighborhoods both in cities and suburbs than two decades ago. The immigration flows of the past decade have substantially altered the ethnic mix and neighborhood mixing. In addition, multi-ethnic individuals themselves are altering the level of mixing among racial and ethnic groups. The research in this article shows that those who report themselves of more than one race have high levels of residential integration both in central cities and suburbs. These residential patterns can be interpreted as further evidence of tentative steps to a society in which race per se is less critical in residential patterning. The level of integration, for Asian mixed and black mixed is different and substantially higher than for those who report one race alone. The research in this article builds on previous aggregate studies of mixed-race individuals to show substantial patterns of integration in California's metropolitan areas. Copyright (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc..
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Volume (Year): 40 (2009)
Issue (Month): 4 ()
Pages: 565-593
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PoE and IP-Over-Coax Energize Efficiencies
Find out why PoE eliminates the need to install additional cable to power security devices, how IP-over-coax can help facilitate a winning bid, plus the upselling advantages offered by PoE midspan devices.
Ronnie Pennington March 5, 2013
IP-over-coax has been around for several years, but more dealers/integrators are now using it as awareness increases. It's less expensive to transmit Ethernet signals across existing coaxial cable with Ethernet adapters than installing new structured cable. IP-over-coax can provide a cost edge when bidding on a competitive job and could mean the difference in winning the project or not.
Using existing coax infrastructure to transmit IP signals also saves the expense of having to remove unterminated wire from a jobsite, which may be required by building codes. The labor of removing existing coax is in addition to the cost of pulling new structured cable for Ethernet. These factors can substantially drive up the cost of an installation.
There are functional advantages, too: Coaxial cable can transmit Ethernet signals further than category cable without needing repeaters. The distance advantage can provide a reason to pull new RG-59u (coax) cable to a warehouse or light pole that is more than 328 feet away. IP-over-coax can transmit data at distances up to 1,500 feet (or five times farther) on RG-59u. It's a much less expensive option than the alternative of fiber cabling and fiber transceiver modules for longer distances.
IP-over-coax also provides additional bandwidth using a single cable, which allows multiple cameras to use one coax cable. Supplementary cameras can be added to an installation without the need for more cables, which is another way to reduce costs.
In short, IP-over-coax can help dealers/integrators secure more jobs as a result of lower costs to the end user. They can also save money by using fewer installers on a project, perform installations faster to increase customer satisfaction, as well as perform more projects using their existing workforce.
The Path to Higher Profits
Education and training are critical elements for any dealer/integrator looking to take advantage of these new technologies to increase business, efficiency and profits. Training is often available directly from a manufacturer or through a local manufacturer's rep firm or distributor.
Dealers/integrators that take advantage of training from multiple manufacturers can better understand how each supplier uses these new technologies in its product lines and provide knowledge that can help them choose the best options for their customers. Local reps can often visit an integrator's business to train employees about a supplier's product line.
These new technologies are more useful in some markets than others. For example, larger installations are more likely to leverage PoE technology, so being proficient in using the technology can help position dealers/integrators to bid on larger jobs.
In the case of IP-over-coax, the better economics of the technology can position a dealer/integrator to bid more competitively on more jobs, especially retrofit jobs that are replacing analog video systems with IP devices. In either case, both PoE and IP-over-coax solutions can effectively help dealers/integrators expand their businesses.
Ronnie Pennington is a National Accounts Manager for Altronix Corp.
Article TopicsBusiness Management · Systems Integration · Business · IP Systems · IP-over-Coax · PoE · PoE Technologies · All Topics
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It's just been one of those weeks. A week where I was desperate for perspective. I felt like I was drowning... drowning in a sea of tantrums. Our kids seemed triggered by even the smallest things and yet very significant. I would be happy if we had 3 meltdowns in one day instead of 8...one after another. Well intentioned. loving, supportive friends just didn't seem to understand that feeding our children, hugging our children and showing them extra, unnecessary attention just throws them back a few steps... which means more attachment work for Sol and I. It's discouraging as we watch our children regress when another friend/stranger tries to show them care.
They become confused, insecure and detached again...hence the tantrums.
In their traumatized, hurting minds, anyone that feeds or hugs them is their caregiver.
We can't expect our kids to understand.
In the midst of so many battles, it can be so frustrating that it's easy to forget....
forget why and how we got here...only 7 months ago.
I needed to be reminded again....
I read old blog posts, looked at pictures from our first trip to Ghana and then came across this video that I had put together while we were waiting for our children to come home.
I was reminded.
Reminded of how much I love my kids.
Reminded of this incredible gift that I've been given of being their mother... forever.


text:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its new methane reduction rules aimed at limiting emissions from oil and natural gas operations from the wellhead to the distribution city gate. The rule includes elements targeting hydraulically fractured oil wells—something the New Source Performance Standards did not cover in 2012. The new standards would be expected to cost the industry about $370 million to implement annually by 2025, but bring in $460 to $550 million in benefits. It is not expected (at least by EPA) to be a limiting factor for future domestic production.
U.S. production averaged 72 Bcf per day in August. An extended maintenance season this summer has moderated some production growth in all areas of the country. Still, current average daily production year to date has been 4.0 Bcf higher than the same period in 2014.
Visit this link to download the full Natural Gas Market Indicators report. Topics covered in this week's report include: Reported Prices, Weather, Working Gas in Underground Storage, Natural Gas Production, Shale Gas, Rig Counts, Pipeline Imports and Exports, and LNG Markets.
Please direct questions and comments to Chris McGill at email@example.com or Richard Meyer at email@example.com.


text:
I posted earlier in the month about replacing my drivers mat in the car I've just bought. The passengers mate and the back two mats are in perfect condition and are genuine BMW parts.
Where can I get a genuine drivers mat from?
I phone my local stealers and they had one for £60 which would take 6 weeks to order. I think he said the full set of mats would take 3 days to order and I could have them for £75.
Thanks for your help.


text:
New Zealand Blog
Google news for Kiwis
Announcing Google's CS4HS recipients for 2017
Monday, May 8, 2017
Helping educators to confidently teach digital technologies provides students with lifelong skills that enable them to solve problems and develop critical analysis skills.
Computer Science for High Schools (CS4HS)
program has been running in Australia and New Zealand since 2011 and in that time has trained more than 9,000 teachers.
Through hands-on professional development workshops the program provides teachers with the skills and resources they need to teach computational thinking and computer science concepts in fun and engaging ways.
Ali Duncan, a primary teacher at Ladbrooks School in Christchurch, along with other members of her school's faculty, attended the first CS4PS (Computer Science for Primary Schools) run by the University of Canterbury in 2016. She says the workshop "made me feel more confident to expand my learning (a tiny bit of Python, robotics, Scratch) and being more open in general to conversations around these areas with my children and colleagues".
Ladbrooks School students at the BuzzOff Challenge
Since the workshop Ali has become a driving force in her school for computer science and STEM programs. The students "love learning computer science, they enjoy sharing with their parents and making those connections". Through the CS4PS workshop, Ali's class was invited to the University of Canterbury's BuzzOff BeeBot challenge last year which was a fantastic learning experience for the students and showcases the ongoing support for teachers fostered by the CS4HS program.
We're excited to announce the 2017 CS4HS Awards that will continue to inspire and empower teachers like Ali around Australia and New Zealand.
2017 CS4HS Funding Recipients
Auckland University of Technology
The University of Canterbury -
Primary Workshop
The University of Canterbury -
Secondary Workshop
Victoria University of Wellington
Posted by Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community & Outreach Manager, Google Australia & New Zealand
A remedy for your health-related questions: Google Search launches health info in the Knowledge Graph
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Think of the last time you searched on Google for health information. Maybe you heard a news story about gluten-free diets and Googled "What is celiac disease?" Maybe you were planning a trip to Bali, so you looked up "Zika virus" so you could take precautions. Or perhaps you were worried about a loved one, and searched to better understand their condition and prognosis.
Starting toda
y in New Zealand, Goog
le search results will show information for over 900 commonly searched for health conditions. The new health feature will include an outline of the condition, symptoms, treatment, and prevalence according to age at the top of search results. For some conditions you'll also see high-quality illustrations from licensed medical illustrators. Once you get this basic info from Google, you should find it easier to do more research on other sites around the web, or know what questions to ask your doctor.
This feature has been developed as more people turn to Google to help with their health queries. In fact,
1 in 20 Google searches are for health-related information
That's why we've surfaced
trusted, quality healt
h information right in Google Search. We hope this will help people find the information they need more quickly and easily.
We worked with a team of medical doctors (led by our own Dr. Kapil Parakh, M.D., MPH, Ph.D.) to carefully compile, curate, and review this information. All of the gathered facts represent real-life clinical knowledge from these doctors and high-quality medical sources across the web.
Each fact has been checked by a panel of at least ten medical doctors at Google and the Mayo Clinic for accuracy.
That doesn't mean these search results are intended as medical advice. We know that cases can vary in severity from person to person, and that there are bound to be exceptions. What we present is intended for informational purposes only — and you should always consult a healthcare professional if you have a medical concern.
We hope this information will empower you in your health decisions – so the next time you need information on measles or treatments for tennis elbow, Google will be a better place to start.
Posted by Isobel Solaqua, Program Manager
Visit Vanuatu on Street View, and journey under the earth's surface
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
More than a thousand miles off the coast of Australia is the remote country of Vanuatu, an archipelago of 80 tiny islands – brimming with lush green jungles, pristine black sand beaches, and nine erupting volcanoes.
Starting today in
Google Maps
, we invite you to join us on a journey to the edge of one of the largest boiling lava lakes in the world on the Vanuatuan island of Ambrym. To get inside the active volcano,
we partnered with explorers Geoff Mackley
and Chris Horsly, who repelled
400 meters into the Marum crater with a
Street View Trekker
collecting 360-degree imagery of the journey down to the molten
lava lake, which is roughly the size of two football fields.
"You only realize how insignificant humans are when you're standing next to a giant lake of fiery boiling rock. It's like looking into the surface of the sun," said Mackley.
"Standing at the edge and feeling the heat lick your skin is phenomenal," said Chris Horsly after returning from his descent into the crater. "I hope that by putting this place on the map people will realize what a beautiful world we live in."
is defined by the
desolate 39 square mile volcanic
hosting two active
volcanic cones
alled Benbow and Marum.
But the tropical island is also home to more than 7,000 people who live in the rainforest down the mountain.While the volcano has played a significant role in defining their history due to unpredictable eruptions and influence on agriculture and environment, they've learned to live in harmony with this beautiful yet deadly natural phenomena.
Chief Moses in the local village of Endu explains,
"We believe that the volcanoes Marum and Benbow are devils. If you go up to a volcano you have to be very careful because the two volcanoes could get angry at any time. We believe that Benbo is the husband and Marum is the wife. Sometimes when they don't agree there's an eruption which means the spirit is angry so we sacrifice a pig or fawel to the volcano." As part of the Google Maps journey,
Chief Moses of Endu invites you to take a walk through his village and hopes you'll be inspired to visit this sacred place he calls home.
Cyclone Pam
a few years ago, the country has been rebuilding its infrastructure. Now Chief Moses and his village are ready to welcome travelers rs back to Vanuatu to experience its stunning beauty and learn about its cultural traditions. He believes making Vanuatu more accessible to the world is a key step in the island's recovery and ability to establish a sustainable economy and preserve its culture.
In Street View you can wander the streets of 81 countries and visit incredible historical and natural sites around the world like the
Samburu National Park in Kenya
The Grand Canyon
, or
New Zealand's walking tracks
. Today, for the first time, Street View is going beneath the surface and into the heart of the earth—enjoy exploring Vanuatu's
Marum Crater and Endu village at Ambrym
Posted by Alex Starns, Street View Program Manager
Keep track of your favorite places and share them with friends
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Is your bucket list etched in your memory, or scribbled on a dozen post-it notes scattered around your home? Have you ever promised out-of-town guests an email full of your favorite spots, only to never get around to clicking send? Starting today, you can create lists of places, share your lists with others, and follow the lists your friends and family share with you—without ever leaving the Google Maps app (Android, iOS).
Getting started is easy. Simply open the Google Maps app and find that Dim Sum spot you've been wanting to try. Tapping on the place name and then the "Save" icon adds the place to one of several pre-set lists like "Want to Go" or "Favorites." You can also add the restaurant to a new list that you name yourself, like "Finger Lickin' Dumplings." To recall the lists you've created, go to Your Places (in the side menu) and then open the saved tab. Icons for the places you've saved to lists will appear on the map itself, so you'll always know whether one of your must-try spots is nearby.
Because sharing is caring, we made it easy to share lists like "Best Views in Auckland" via text, email, social networks and popular messaging apps. Whenever friends and family come to town, tap the share button to get a link and start flexing your local knowledge muscles. Once you send a link to your out-of-towners, they can tap "Follow" to pull up the list from Your Places whenever they need it. Here's how it all works in real life:
The lists you follow are with you wherever you take Google Maps and are viewable on mobile and desktop—and even offline. Next time you're on a trip, download offline maps of the area in advance and you'll be able to see all the places you've added to lists on the map itself.
With the millions of landmarks, businesses and other points of interest in Google Maps, there's no shortage of places to try. Now that we've got the world mapped, it's your turn to map
world with Lists—from local hotspots to bucket list destinations worlds away.
Zach Maier, Product Manager, Google Maps
Bringing Shopping Ads to New Zealand - connecting shoppers and retailers online
Monday, February 13, 2017
As thousands of New Zealand students returned to school this month, here's a stat that might not surprise some mums and dads out there: New Zealand
searches for "backpack"
have grown by 21% since this time last year. But it's not just backpacks, searches for the latest fashion, tech and school supplies are surging. Maybe you are searching online today for the perfect Valentine's Day gift? More than half (
) of Kiwis use the Internet to compare products, prices or features to help make purchase decisions.
We know that this type of research can take time, so we want to help streamline the process for Kiwi shoppers. Today we're rolling out Shopping Ads - image based ads that help shoppers find the products they're searching for and quickly connect with the merchants who sell those products - in New Zealand. You'll now see them alongside your Google Search results.
So if you're searching for lunch-boxes or laptops, you can find exactly the one you're looking for — and easily connect with a retailer who sells it.
Retailers, reach people when they want to buy what you sell
If you're a business, you can use Google Shopping campaigns to promote the products you sell, boost traffic to your website or local store, and find better qualified leads by putting product images, price, and business name in front of people searching on Google. Like search ads, you only pay when people click through to your website. Instead of targeting based on keywords, however, these ads are targeted based on the product data you provide. Learn more
Whether it's back to school supplies or maybe you're looking for a Valentine's Day gift,
shopping ads
can help you find what you're looking for every time. Top marks for that!
Posted by Aaron Berger, Product Manager for Google Shopping
Working around the clock to protect your privacy and security
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
There are plenty of things we can all do to be safer and more secure online. Having a strong and unique password on different accounts is a good start - who hasn't recycled the same combination of your pet's name and the numbers '1-2-3'? We've all been guilty of that at one stage or another.
Other measures include exchanging personal information only on encrypted sites, and keeping your software up to date with the latest patches - these tried-and-true tips have never been more important and effective. Take our
two-minute Security Checkup
to protect your account and adjust your security settings, and learn more about other ways to keep your Google Account secure at
But this
Safer Internet Day
, we wanted to give some insight into how our systems protect you automatically - on Google and beyond. No switches to flip or buttons to click, just the stuff that happens in the background that keeps you protected around the clock while you go about your day.
Outsmarting phishing to protect your Google Account
Spam emails take advantage of your trust in friends and businesses to try and steal your username and password
An email may look like it came from someone trustworthy, but it might be a wolf in sheep's clothing. This spammy message is trying to phish you—trick you into giving away your personal information—and then give its authors access to your account.
Luckily, we've built lots of smart armour into Gmail that helps to block dodgy messages before you ever see them. Our systems anonymously examine thousands of signals on Gmail - where a message originated, to whom it's addressed, what's contained in the message, how often the sender has contacted the recipient in the past - to determine which messages are safe, and which ones aren't. We then filter the vast majority of this nasty stuff out; the average Gmail inbox contains less than 0.1 percent spam.
Even that's not enough, though, because the bad guys can be pretty clever. For example, a fraudster could steal your username and password because you accidentally shared them on an especially deceptive scam site. But even if attackers have your credentials, our systems are still able to block them and keep your account safe - something we did hundreds of millions of times in 2016. That's because we aren't just making sure you've typed the right password.
We also look for subtler signals to confirm the sign-in is you and not someone else: Are you using the same device that you usually use? Are you in a familiar location, or somewhere far away that you haven't been to before? Scammers leave behind a trail of clues that help us inspect each log-in attempt and compare it with the picture of a safe log-in that our systems have painted based on billions and billions of other log-ins. If something looks fishy, we'll require more verifications designed to thwart bad guys, send notifications to your phone, or email you so you can quickly act on anything that looks unfamiliar.
On the web, on Android: we've got you covered
We use similar security tools to help make the web and a huge variety of Android apps and devices safer, too.
For example, have you ever clicked a link and seen a red warning, like this one below?
A Safe Browsing warning: red means stop!
Safe Browsing
at work, strongly suggesting you should avoid visiting a site because it probably contains "badness," like malware or a phishing trap. Similar to the way we crawl the web to deliver search results, Safe Browsing crawls for bad stuff that might be harmful to you or your device. It's always hard at work: We show
tens of millions of Safe Browsing warnings
every week on more than
2 billion devices
, across a variety of web browsers.
For our Android users, we developed an "app analyzer" that builds on Safe Browsing's technology to specifically hunt for dangerous Android apps, wherever they may be, and warn you before you install one. If an app doesn't pass the app analyzer test, it's not be allowed in Google Play.
Detecting the obvious badness — sites well-known for phishing scams, ransomware that locks your device until you pay a fraudster — is relatively easy. But the stealthier badness is only detectable by measuring billions of signals across sites and apps. If this sounds similar to the way we approach spam protections on Gmail or suspicious logins into Google, that's because it is! The ability to understand badness on a large scale enables us to find the clues bad guys didn't even know they were leaving behind.
We have a responsibility to keep you safe on Google, and help make the web more secure as well. We're constantly improving our automatic protections, but we want to give you the controls to adjust your security settings as well.
Don't forget to take our
Security Checkup
and learn more about other ways to keep your Google Account secure at
, and happy Safer Internet Day!
Posted by Darren Bilby, Security Engineering Manager - Infrastructure Protection, Google Australia
Did someone say homework? Online safety tips for back-to-school week
Friday, February 3, 2017
From Kaitaia to Bluff, thousands of students across New Zealand headed back to school this week. Along with new books and uniforms, many students will be getting new devices and exploring new things online. It's an exciting time for students, but parents and carers might be looking for some tips on encouraging responsible online behaviours - in and out of the classroom.
Managing privacy and security
The new year and the lead up to
Safer Internet Day
is a great time to check in with the privacy and security settings on your account (or your child's).
My Account
gives you quick access to settings and tools that let you safeguard your data, protect your privacy, and decide how your information can make Google services work better for you. You can update your password, check out your personal information and change your account preferences.
More parental controls
So the kids are home from school and ready to relax… many families are already enjoying the
YouTube Kids app
, and now you can have more control over what your kids watch in the app. A new
parental control feature
gives parents the tools to decide what content is right for their family and the option to block videos or channels. Because you're logged in, the videos and channels you block in
YouTube Kids
will remain blocked across all your devices. You can also tailor the experience for based on age and set a timer to limit screen time for your kids, so the app alerts when the session is over.
Google in the classroom
Our back-to-school update wouldn't be complete if we didn't share some updates about
Google for Education
tools, which more than 70 million students and teachers around the world use every day. We've introduced a new generation of
, launching later this year, with new features such as stylus, world facing camera and easy access to Android apps, and our education team is working with schools around New Zealand to support 'bring-your-own-device' programs.
Google Classroom
has been
to make it easier for teachers to give individual attention to students. Stay tuned for more updates on this…
So, a bit of homework (completely optional, of course)! Hope these tips help you and your kids to stay safe and make the most of the web as the school term begins.
Posted by Suan Yeo, Education Evangelist, Google Australia and New Zealand
A career in tech starts with a plugged-in teacher
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Computer science education provides students with lifelong skills that enable them to solve problems and develop critical analysis skills.
Computer science (CS) is more available in classrooms across New Zealand than ever, thanks to the Digital Technologies curriculum, and so equipping teachers with the everything they need to teach CS and computational thinking has never been more important.
"A lot of students come out of school able to push the right buttons, but don't know how to approach real-world problem solving. We need to teach students how to tackle problems that seem unsolvable," says Leanne Cameron, CS4HS grant recipient.
It also helps them prepare for the careers of the future that will certainly involve digital skills and combining computer science with other disciplines like health, science, agriculture, art and more to solve complex challenges and design innovation solutions for the world.
Other CS4HS recipients have delivered hands on practical workshops to teachers all around New Zealand to equip them with both the knowledge and the skills to engage and excite students in the opportunities that computer science can lead to.
CORE Education
, a 2016 CS4HS recipient, developed an
online introductory series of webinars
to give teachers the resources and confidence to teach the foundation concepts of CS with year 7-10 students.
Applications are now open
for our 2016 CS4HS program in Australia and New Zealand, and will remain open until 19 March 2016.
If you want to know where computer science can take today's students, check out
Careers with Code
. In the future, young Australians will use computer science to do great things, and it will all start with a great teacher with a passion for the topic.
Posted by Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community & Outreach manager
A tiny difference can make all the difference
Friday, December 16, 2016
At Google we often talk about trying to solve the really big problems - connectivity, communication, organising the world's information.
Sometimes we take on ideas so large it could almost seem preposterous - like organising all the information on the internet, or using artificial intelligence to translate languages.
Google has engineers in Australia working on all kinds of global problems. We have the largest
Google Maps
team in the world - no surprise given that Google Maps was born in Sydney; we are working to transform the way businesses operate in a digital world; we're helping people in emerging economies make the most out of the internet in spite of poor bandwidth.
We are also in a unique position to help others solve big problems using technology, and through our philanthropic arm
we donate more than US$100 million and a further US$1 billion in products and resources every year to non-profit partners tackling some of the biggest social issues we face.
Google Australia & New Zealand managing director Jason Pellegrino, Infoxchange chief executive David Spriggs and Google.org director Jacquelline Fuller.
One of those partners is
, which is transforming the way society tackles homelessness.
It's hard to believe, but one in 200 people is homeless. You may also be surprised to know that roughly eight out of ten of those homeless people has a smartphone.
For many homeless people their smartphone can play a decisive role in determining their outcome. Infoxchange saw the opportunity to provide people in need with location-based information via their mobile, helping connect them with essential things such as food, counselling, employment services, legal support and a safe place to sleep.
Earlier this year it launched
Ask Izzy
, the world's first, nationwide mobile website connecting people who are at risk with essential services. Ask Izzy was developed with support from Google, News Corp and REA Group.
It is exactly the kind of problem-solving that motivates people at Google; not only did we fund the development, but a number of Google staff helped develop the technology and assist with user testing.
The mobile site was co-designed by those who have experienced homelessness. It's also free, anonymous, and the data usage costs nothing if you access it via Telstra's network.
The people at Infoxchange have been amazing partners because of their passion for the issue of homelessness, for the partners they've been able to bring together to make this project happen, and for their belief in the power of technology to make a real difference in people's lives.
Ask Izzy was launched in January by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and has now been used more 250,000 times - many more times than Infoxchange expected.
Launching Ask Izzy in January, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Lucy Turnbull spoke with people who consulted on the design of Ask Izzy.
The next step for Infoxchange and Ask Izzy is to create a national database that understands how people are using essential services so that policymakers can ensure they are available where they are needed most.
This Christmas if you wish to donate to Infoxchange go to
so they can put pocket-sized mobile phone chargers into the hands of homeless people - for just $15 you can ensure that when they need that little bit of extra charge for their phone, it's there for them.
A single power card will charge their phone for four hours. An extra phone charge in the pockets of people in need can help them find a bed, a shower, a meal, a friend.
Even when we're seeking to make big changes to society, it's the small things that often matter the most.
Posted by Alan Noble, Director of Engineering, Google Australia
A Year in Search: The Moments that Defined 2016
Thursday, December 15, 2016
From Rio to Kaikoura, here's what Kiwis searched in 2016
It's that time of year again, when we look back on all the things New Zealand searched for.
It was the year you 'caught 'em all,' navigated natural disasters – and made Harambe a hero. We said goodbye to some greats, made pancakes – and came together to celebrate.
To rediscover the events, people and topics that defined 2016 around the world,
watch our
So, in honour of all that made 2016 what it was, here's a wrap-up of the topics that caught our attention and brought Kiwis together in Search.
A year of real (and political) earthquakes
Shaken by quakes and possible tsunamis, Kiwis visited Geonet in droves for information, making it the top trending search for 2016. 'Kaikoura' also made it into the top 10 News searches for the first time. With the US election ranked second and Brexit ranked fourth in News, Kiwis grappled with political shifts,
and wondered about the way forward.
Punching above our weight
Joseph Parker led the list as the highest trending Kiwi, following his world champion title in Boxing earned this month. With New Zealand's haul of 18 medals at the Rio Games, including four Golds, Kiwi's Searches showed support and spirit for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, with Olympians and Paralympians making up half our most searched Kiwis. And of course, we backed the All Blacks who went up against Ireland and Wales in their biggest matches of the year.
Searches for skills
Our 'how to' searches highlighted the everyday challenges we face, like tying a tie, taking a screenshot and dealing with pimples. Our foodie flair came through as we looked make the perfect pancake, and cook quinoa just right. We also asked how to play Pokemon Go, showing we boarded the bandwagon which swept the country (and the world) in July.
Saying goodbye to the greats
This year the world mourned three of music's greatest with the passing of David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen. They weren't the only legends headed for the stars, with Alan Rickman and Muhammad Ali also passing away this year.
We're a curious bunch
Global issues and and timeless existential questions featured in 'what is' and 'why is' searches this year. Kiwis looked to learn about TPPA, Brexit and currency exchange rates. In a year of extraordinary surprise and upheaval, it's no surprise we came back to universal, esoteric questions – looking for meaning of life, for Matariki stars and wondering why the sky is blue.
And that's just a preview. To dive into the top trending terms of the year, check out the full trending and most searched lists*:
Overall Searches (Trending):
US election
Euro 2016
Earthquake NZ
Pokemon Go
Donald Trump
David Bowie
Royal Road
News (Trending):
Earthquake NZ
US election
Pokemon Go
Tsunami warning NZ
Orlando shooting
Global People (Trending)
Donald Trump
Usain Bolt
Hillary Clinton
Michael Phelps
Bernie Sanders
Meghan Markle
Bill Simmons
Simone Biles
Frank Ocean
Leonardo DiCaprio
Kiwis (Trending)
Joseph Parker
Aaron Smith
Eliza McCartney
Lisa Carrington
Jordan Mauger
Mark Hunt
Sophie Pascoe
Liam Malone
Mahé Drysdale
Brian Tamaki
Loss (Trending)
David Bowie
Christina Grimmie
Muhammad Ali
Alan Rickman
Leonard Cohen
Gene Wilder
Glenn Frey
Anton Yelchin
Sophia Hawthorne
Sporting Events (Trending)
Rio Olympics
Euro 2016
All Blacks vs Ireland
Melbourne Cup 2016
T20 World Cup
Super Rugby
Mitre 10 Rugby
All Blacks vs Wales
How to…?
(Most Searched)
How to make pancakes
How to tie a tie
How to draw
How to screenshot
How to play Pokemon Go
How to train your dragon
How to draw a dog
How to cook quinoa
How to get rid of pimples
How to lose weight
What is…?
(Most Searched)
What is my IP
What is the time
What is the weather in Wellington today
What is love
What is a URL
What is a class 2 licence NZ
What is TPPA
What is the Pound to the NZ Dollar
What is the meaning of life
What is Brexit
Why is…?
(Most Searched)
Why is there a leap day
Why is the sky blue
Why is the sea salty
Why is the sky blue for kids
Why is my nose always blocked
Why is my ear blocked
Why is Trump winning
Why is the sun yellow
Why is there Olympics
Why is the Sky Tower blue
(Most Searched)
Banana cake
Carrot cake
* Trending Searches:
What was hot in 2016?
The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2016 as compared to 2015.
* Most Searched:
What topped Google's charts?
The "most searched" queries are the most popular terms for 2016 — ranked in order by volume of searches.
Go to
to explore the rest of the 2016 Year in Search stories and top trending charts from around the world.
Posted by Camilla Ibrahim, Communications Manager, Google Australia & New Zealand
computer science
digital economy
doodle 4 google
google apps
Google Apps for Business
Google apps for education
google docs
google earth
Google Maps
Google places
Google Search
online advertising
product launch
real estate
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science fair
search ads
street view
workplace culture
Give us feedback in our
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text:
I wasn't really planning on selling these wheels or tires but I've been having a lot of problems with my UI and have bills to pay. Tires are new less than 50 miles on them.
Asking $1100 firm PM for best response
(I prefer local buyers, but will consider shipping)
I prefer to sell rims and tires together but Ill consider separating and selling each set
Tires: $580
Rims: $580
Wheels 1-4
Tread View
Wheel 1:
Wheel 2:
Wheel 3:
Wheel 4:
Wheels 4-1


text:
* Prices may differ from that shown
My brother in law is a professional DJ and as such his house is full of various DJ paraphernalia. He has one of these because it was on sale relatively cheaply. Kenwood is a well known brand and I know that they make a good stereo so I assumed that they would make a reasonable turntable. I think my assumption gave them too much credit!
The turntable looks like it has cut corners in production to save on costs. For starters, the actual plate (don't know the proper name for it) that you set the record on is only about seven inches in diameter, when, of course, the full-length lps are twelve inches. What they've done is they've cut out of the sides of the top cover so that the record sticks out.
The next problem with the turntable is how it operates. Turntables are supposed to pick the needle up when it gets to the end of the record, needle riding alongside the label in the centre. Well, this turntable doesn't, usually.
The main positive trait about this turntable is that the audio input jacks do not work with phono ports like classic turntables do. You can actually plug this into an auxilary port on your receiver, or any other port for that matter. this also makes it much, much easier to hook your turntable up to your computer, which can come in handy if you want to make mp3s out of things in your vinyl collection.
Overall...this turntable is not worth purchasing. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't suggest buying ANY belt-driven turntable, as mentioned before. The best way to go is a Techniques, they aren't trying to make cheap turntables. They make their turntables the same way they did decades ago. Yes, it'll probably be quite a bit more expensive than this, but it'll be much better quality, easier to work on, & you'll definitely get more life out of one.


text:
EDIT: Got Some
This is a discussion on WTB: 02 Bugeye Headlights....... within the Personal For Sale & Wanted forums, part of the ClubWRX.net Marketplace category; EDIT: Got Some...
EDIT: Got Some
Last edited by Snizzlerrs; 12-06-2008 at 10:07 AM.
FS: Turbo XS Hybrid 50/50 BOV / BPV - Brand NEW
i have brand new headlights and foglights w/ optic blue rockblocker film. the headlights don't have the film applied yet, the fogs do. I'll have to remember to get a picture up tonight, (at work now).
here's my listing of what's left from my totaled 2.5rs on nasioc:
02rs totalled - NASIOC
$300 for the set of headlights
$30 more bucks if you want the optic blue rockblocker, still in packaging.
$10 for the dark smoked rockblocker for the side signals
$80 for the set of fogs w/optic blue already on them
all are basically new, driven for a month or so until i was T-boned