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Video made Ken cry...
1.36pm Thursday 19th April 2012
Made in Mitcham: The campaign film that made Ken Livingstone cry.
Made in Mitcham: Truth about Ken's video
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Academics . Liberal Arts . Courses
Ceramics: Multiples/Moldmaking
Course No. CER 248-348-448 Credits: 3.0
Faculty Seth Nagelberg
The class will be engaged with the concepts of multiples in the making of contemporary functional, sculptural and design works. Mold making; such as drain cast, press molds and other production techniques will be utilized along with the use of 3-D modeling. when necessary. There will be lectures that address technical issues and artworks made of clay, both historical and contemporary. Required of all majors. Open to all.
Daniel Tranberg
Dan Tranberg has published more than 750 articles on art and has exhibited his paintings in more that 40 exhib...more
While at CIA, you'll learn from the masters through our rigorous, world-class curriculum and connect with working professionals to begin your career.

subset: commoncrawl


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Princeton engineers have developed new technique for revealing images of hidden objects may one day allow pilots to peer through fog and doctors to see more precisely into the human body without surgery.
A Princeton-led team of researchers has discovered an entirely new mechanism for making common electronic materials emit laser beams. The finding could lead to lasers that operate more efficiently and at higher temperatures than existing devices, and find applications in environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics.


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Freeway without tolls 'unimaginable'
Page Tools
The head of the consortium behind the Mitcham-Frankston tollway rains on plans to remove charges.
Connecteast chief executive Anthony Shepherd has all but ruled out the State Opposition's proposal to remove tolls from the future Mitcham to Frankston freeway, describing a toll-free road as unimaginable.
In a bold statement, the head of the road-building consortium said its contract with the Government was binding and delivered benefits to taxpayers and ConnectEast shareholders.
"Obviously we'll look at any deal (to remove tolls), but I just cannot imagine that situation arising, to be blunt," said Mr Shepherd, speaking at the opening of contractor Thiess John Holland's freeway project office.
"I'm sure that, in the event that there is a new government, they will look at this contract and see the value for money... I cannot imagine anybody thinking they could do better."
Mr Shepherd said ConnectEast was open to discussions with the Opposition "as long as it's on a sensible basis".
Mr Shepherd joins others in the business community, including Australian Shareholders Association chairman John Curry and Leighton Holdings chief executive Wal King, who have cast doubt on Opposition Leader Robert Doyle's ambitious - and uncosted - pledge to seek the removal of tolls from the $2.5 billion, 39-kilometre road.
Mr Doyle yesterday insisted that tolls could be removed from the freeway if the Liberal Party was elected in November 2006.
"I'm going to investigate every avenue by which we can deliver a toll-free Scoresby... and that's why I have persuaded our federal colleagues to leave $560 million in federal money on the table," he said.
The Opposition has commissioned an unnamed firm to report on the scope for renegotiation of the Government's contract with ConnectEast. The report is unlikely to be released by the end of this month, as previously expected. Abolishing the tolls could cost $7 billion, according to advice provided to the Government by accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, a figure the Opposition has disputed even without its own costings.
Mr Doyle said he would be delighted to speak to ConnectEast if it was interested. "I want to do this in a co-operative way and get this project done, but I want it done toll-free," he said.
The State Government broke a 2002 election promise when it decided to impose tolls on the road, threatening up to 10 seats in Melbourne's east.
Under present arrangements, motorists will pay $4.84 for a weekday car trip along the length of the tollway, which is due for completion in November 2008.
Mr Doyle will head to Geelong today for a two-day meeting with Liberal MPs, in preparation for the new parliamentary year. Although denying there was a hit list for ageing members, he signalled that preselection issues could be on the agenda - "it's like a job application every electoral cycle", he said.
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|Photo by Alyssa Richardson
|Deviant Art
|Photo by Alyssa Richardson
|Photo by April Reinoehl
|Collaborative photo shoot by Alyssa Richardson and April Reinoehl
Hi. My name is April, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to bypolar-bear, and also to tell you a little about it. This account is actually run by two different photographers. I am one, and my old friend is the other. Her name is Alyssa. While we both use digital cameras, if you look, you'll see that our styles are quite different, which gives this account a variety you rarely see in one gallery. That being said, I hope you enjoy your visit. Thanx for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon. ^^
Current Residence: Here
Favourite genre of music: pretty songs
Favourite photographer: Alyssa ^^
Favourite style of art: All kinds
Operating System: NASA computer
MP3 player of choice: The Pretty kind
Shell of choice: Susie sell's sea shells by the sea shore
Wallpaper of choice: My artwork (Am I self centered..? )
Skin of choice: blemish free, and a little tan
Favourite cartoon character: Kenshin Himura. ^__^x
Personal Quote: Rise above your circumstances and make them reach up to meet you


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At Glance
Rehoboth Drilling Company
The provision of clean and safe water for whatever use is not just business for us – it is a calling. This is probably where we stand out amongst our peers.
We view each encounter with our customers not just as a business opportunity but as an opportunity to building long term mutually edifying relationships as well.
Drilling Services
Total Drilling Services
We are specialists in top-level urban developments offering services such as
- Borehole Servicing and Rehabilitation
- Borehole Drilling, Installation and Development
- Water Reticulation Design and Installation


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A look at the sidelines of the two teams competing for the MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl Class 5 championship at the Edwards Jones Dome Nov. 30 was a sight in itself.
On one side was Parkway Central, which had just over 30 players dressed for the game. On the other sideline, Lee's Summit West dressed over 130 players, meaning that several players had the same number.
It was No. 28 on the Titan side who had the game of his life in the biggest game of his high school career.
Logan Cheadle intercepted three Zackery Lazenby passes (Lazenby had thrown only four picks in his previous 13 games) with one of them going for a touchdown in a convincing 51-14 Titan victory. It was the third state championship for the Titans, their second in Class 5.
Lee's Summit West won its first title in 2007 as it again defeated Parkway Central 35-0 in Class 4. The other Titan championship came in Class 5 in 2010 as the Titans defeated Webster Groves 44-21.
Titan coach Royce Boehm likes to dress freshmen, thus the large number of players dressed Saturday night.
"I just like to give them the experience of being dressed for a state championship and it also gives them five more weeks of practice," Boehm said.
Cheadle was one of the freshmen dressed for the win over the Statesmen and he said that he did, indeed, make it to the field during that championship.
"I went out once to pick up the (kicking) tee," he said.
Cheadle was much more involved in the state title game as he tied a state record with his three interceptions. The record is shared by four other players.
That made up for the regular season when Cheadle was blanked in the interception statistic.
"The quarterbacks in Kansas City showed me respect and didn't throw the ball my way very often," Cheadle said. "I thought that might be different with a St. Louis team. I have been waiting all year for a game like this. My coaches put me in positions to make plays and I was able to make them."
Two of the interceptions came in the second quarter. Both were converted into Lee's Summit West touchdowns as the Titans had a comfortable 30-7 halftime advantange.
"They covered extremely well," Lazenby said. "Their secondary was outstanding."
Cheadle capped off his memorable game with not only the record-tying third pick, but this one resulted in a touchdown as he picked off Lazenby and took it to the house from 38 yards out in the third quarter. That gave Lee's Summit West a very comfortable 44-7 lead.
Cheadle had his hands on what could have been pick number four which would have put him in the record book by himself. He was not able to haul that one in but was all smiles as he celebrated with his other 130-plus teammates.


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The Brown on Green Report: Is Paul Ryan My Clean Energy Buddy?
Mike Brown | Posted 10.23.2012 | Canada Politics
Read More: Barack Obama Mitt Romney, China U.S. Energy, Mitt Romney Barack Obama, Mitt Romney Energy, Koch Brothers, Barack Obama Energy, Koch Brothers Energy, Clean Energy, u.s. Energy Policy, Paul Ryan, Green Energy, Canada Politics News
By now everyone knows that Mitt Romney's new friend, Paul Ryan, is a climate denier, so the environmental community is going nuts. But I think they are out of sync. Paul Ryan is going to be their best friend -- whether he knows it or not. Maybe mine, too. I'm an investor in "clean" energy, as in anything that works to provide energy (or use energy) that reduces the impact of too much carbon.


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COMC Black Friday prices already!! Selling Port as well...
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Treflan Herbicide Granules
Now in a larger 4 lb bag for the same price as the 1 lb bag! The presence of weeds during crop establishment can greatly reduce yields because the onion is a very shallow-rooted crop and cannot compete very well for water and nutrients. Don't let weeds take over your onion crop! Treflan provides pre-emergent weed and grass control in your transplanted onion garden, and can also be used with most vegetable transplants and flower gardens. It prevents newly germinated weeds and grasses from getting established.
To use: Apply before transplanting to control obnoxious weeds such as lambsquarter, purslane, grasses, thistle, and pigweed. 4 lb bag will treat up to 4,800 sq. feet of planted area.
Order 2 or more for just $16.95 each!
Customer Reviews of Treflan Herbicide Granules
Average Rating: Write your own review


text:
Sony Electronics dsc-p71 Free Driver Download
Manufactured By:
Sony Electronics
File Name:
Camera Drivers
Video Tutorial: How to Download & Install a Driver
Device Name
Supported Operating Systems
Windows 98SE, Windows 98
Link to Page
Uploader Notes
number 1 driver everybody is looking for. When unzip it will download driver hook up camera turn power on. go to my computer on desk top and find removable disk, open that and find two files (dcim) is for pictures and (mssony) is for movies. I hope you enjoy your sony dsc-p71 camera. i do. had a hard time finding this one, but am glad to share with you. E-mail me if any problems email@example.com. I only try it on windows 98\98se and windows me all worked don't know about xp. I'm to poor to get a real computer. take care and god bless.
Uploaded By
undercover42002 (DG Member) on 4/28/2003
Driver Package
dsc-p71_usb.zip (1.5 MB)
Related Drivers
Search All Sony Electronics dsc-p71 Drivers
DriverGuide.com - Download Choice
Direct download is available only to our Premium Members. Free members are required to use our DriverGuide installer or consider these Premium options:
DriverGuide.com - Using DriverGuide's Installer
DriverGuide's installer software (Windows only) simplifies the driver installation process. It safely downloads and verifies your driver and then assists in the installation of it.
You may notice that the file size of the installer software is much smaller than the file size of your actual driver. The reason is that first the installer setup file is downloaded, and then the installer software does the work of fetching your driver from our fastest download server.
The installer setup file has been certified safe by leading-class virus and malware scanners.
Sometimes anti-virus software can report false positives. If this happens to you, we encourage you to submit the file you download to VirusTotal (a free, independent service which identifies malicious content) where you will see dozens of other anti-virus scanners report the file is perfectly safe.
The installer setup file may include a purely optional advertising offer which you are free to decline. We only work with trusted advertising partners.
Note: Windows only. Mobile, Mac OS and Linux users can choose other download options by deselecting the installer checkbox below the download button.


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ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
UPS Store Eureka Springs103 E Van Buren, #13 Eureka Springs, Arkansas USA
UPS Store Eureka Springs Refused to ship gold, called me a criminal for owning gold Eureka Springs Arkansas
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
First I ask to ship my gold coins. I am told I am a criminal just for owning such things. Then I get a box and get the run around about who I am. I hav e a United States passport that says WHO I AM, so there. but they are really prejudice about anything they think is un american so watch what you do here, they will invent nonsense if possible. better to avoid. I wish I had.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 10/08/2013 08:51 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ups-store-eureka-springs/eureka-springs-arkansas-72632/ups-store-eureka-springs-refused-to-ship-gold-called-me-a-criminal-for-owning-gold-eurek-1090541. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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#1 Author of original report
Exactly, my americanism is on the line here
SUBMITTED: Saturday, October 12, 2013POSTED: Saturday, October 12, 2013
this is exactly why no one should ship with you. You suspect everyone and report everyone.
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#2 Consumer Comment
It appears that you have a personal problem, not a complaint.
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, October 09, 2013POSTED: Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Perhaps it's only semantics to you, but there is a significant difference between being unamerican and not American. It is very nice that you have a United states passport. With restriction, it allows one a period of time to be in the United States without additional privileges over that which any citizen enjoys. If this were never the case, the United States would not be a country anyone would have any desire coming to in the first place (especially while taking into account the integrities this country has lost in the past few years). It appears that you are explaining that your experience escalated into a problem, but you are vague as to what the complaint regards.
There's nothing wrong with shipping gold coins, so please elaborate on the issue explaining what your problem was about. If you were trying to insure gold, you'll need a certificate of that gold detailing it's purity. Since the gold was in the form of a coin, you would not be able to process a claim. No carrier insures any form of cash.
Showing a valid form of I.D. is mandatory at any and all UPS facilities, whether it be a The UPS Store, hub customer counter, or a retail middleman business. Requiring I.D. is for security, not to inconvenience your little world.
Curious. You mentioned 'they are prejudice about anything un american'. The term unamerican alone would raise an eyebrow with any American, would it not? Or do you feel America has reached the point of being more unamerican than American? Gold is not unamerican. Owning gold coins is not unamerican. Skin color is not unamerican. Your cash trade in any American business is as good and anyones. What specifically is your point as to why anyone would treat you as "un american"? In detail, assuming your word is true, describe the events and words exchanged so that readers may understand your concern. What nonsense are you claiming they invented? Was there anything of your personal conduct that you would be less than proud to reveal during your bothersome experience, or anywhere else for that matter?
And by the way, prejudice, real or perceived, is an ethics issue. It is not a 'ripoff'. If you persist on wasting energy over petty issues of which any recourse offers no constructive compensation, you'll have little or no energy left to pursue what ever may be left of the American dream.
"So there."
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#3 Consumer Comment
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, October 09, 2013POSTED: Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Just how did they know you were shipping Gold Coins? Not only that but how come once they told you that it was criminal why did you THEN look for a box? How come you didn't walk out right then and there?
Also, just how much in coins were you shipping, where were you shipping them to, and what type of gold coins were they?
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


text:
Posted by admin on Jul 9, 2012
Adolf Hitler personally spared a Jewish man who served as his commander during World War I from persecution or deportation, according to a letter recently uncovered by a German newspaper.
The letter, signed on August 27, 1940 by Hitler's henchman Heinrich Himmler, ordered that Ernst Hess, a judge in the western city of Dusseldorf, was "not to be importuned in any way whatsoever…as per the Fuehrer's wishes."
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text: The Veranda Suite includes a teak veranda with floor-to-ceiling glass doors and patio furniture. This suite is beautifully appointed with all the comforts of home, including a marbled bath with a full-sized tub. A walk-in closet with a private safe. A cocktail cabinet that is continuously stocked with your preferences. And feather-down pillows fluffed by your diligent suite stewardess each evening.


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1 Nanny Job Found
Part-time Nanny
Posted by Chanda H. on 5/4/2017
- 16 miles away (Lafayette, LA)
- $10–15/hr
- 2 children
I need someone who would be available to travel on occasion and take care of my baby when I work on the road. These would be a handful of trips per year for 1 1/2 to 2 weeks time per trip. A couple of these trips would be in Europe so a passport would be needed. They would also need to be available... More


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Pillars supports children of prisoners to give them the guidance they need for a positive future. We are making generational change.
Paul Joyce (Bartercard) - Pillars
- $80.00 donated
- 2 generous donors
I'm taking part in the Fight for Youth Charity Boxing Event to support Pillars.
Pillars is an innovative long term, prevention programme serving children with a parent in prison. Services are delivered by professional social workers and volunteer mentors, their parents and their family / whanau through one on one social work support, children of prisoners mentoring, and strengthening families meetings.
I'm taking part in the Fight for Youth Charity Boxing Event to support Pillars.
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Enth Degree is the event company behind the successful Fight for Christchurch and Battle of the Rebuild charity boxing events that have raised over $1 Million for numerous Charities since 2010.
Our major events are Black Tie and we do not move from that standard. With a red carpet entrance it is a night of glitz and glam with the who's who of the Christchurch, all with the outstanding objective of raising funds for numerous charities.
Come and join us for a night not to be forgotten and enjoy the wide array of entertainment and excitement on offer.
Kia Kaha Christchurch!
All funds raised benefit:
Participating in:
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text: I bet you had an explosive cat after all that cabbage, Back in the 80's Beale street was being rebuilt, they had a pub crawl on the Square mid town Mphs, you could get a Diver a small bucket with a little bit of everything , don't remember much after that. My party days have over for many years , done enough in my 20-30's to last a life time. High blood pressure and heartburn has taken over so it's just a beer or wine now and then maybe a sip of bourbon on a cold rainy day


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Where are u honey
Michele, hope to seee you again soon!
Merry Christmas!!!
EXCELLENT foot fetish show!
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ColorofChange Calls For Less Violence on Real Housewives of Atlanta
ColorOfChange, a Civil Rights organization that strengthens African Americans political voice, is tired of Bravo Tv's portrayal of African American women. According to The Hollywood Reporter the civil rights organization was in outrage when two of the housewives had a physical altercation during the reunion. The reunion aired on Sunday.
The Housewives in question were Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams. Moore throwing a slew of verbal attacks and Williams throwing the first physical blow with a hair pull. ColorofChange released an official statement, highlighting that Bravo Tv has an integral part in exploiting the Black image for its own gain. The statement reads: "After weeks of promoting the RHOA reunion altercation, on Sunday executive producer Andy Cohen finally condemned the violent behavior of cast members — completely ignoring the staged hostile environment that provoked the altercation and the troubling pattern of violent, stereotypical portrayals of Black people across many of Bravo's Black reality franchises,"
In a statement the Hollywood Reporter acquired, ColorofChange Campaign Director, Arisha Hatch gives her thoughts, "We've been in contact with NBCUniversal last week verbally and shared concerns in writing — specifically about this Real Housewives of Atlanta confrontation that was coming up."
Rather than calling for cancellation, the civil rights organization is asking for a a "no excessive physical confrontations policy" to be implemented. The full statement is on the ColorofChange website. Here is a snippet from the statement, speaking to the overall lack of positive representations of Black women, "From the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion to the second season of Married to Medicine, the physical violence displayed during Bravo's Sunday primetime lineup was deeply alarming…Research shows that dehumanizing portrayals of Black people on television lead to real world consequences for Black folks—influencing how we are treated by doctors, judges, teachers, and lawmakers. No matter how entertaining, this should be the last fight between Black women that Bravo profits from."
Itoro Udofia is a first generation Nigerian writer, educator and singer/songwriter. You can find her work and follow her at http://www.itoroudofia.com/


text:
Total solar eclipse over North Carolina
The Great American Eclipse slides across the southwest corner of North Carolina at the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The highest point in these mountains is Clingman's Dome with an expansive vista.
If the crowds are manageable, a high unobstructed spot in these mountains may be an appealing venue to watch the eclipse. The reason is that from a high vantage, you'll also have the chance to see the surrounding landscape darken and brighten again as totality races across. But be sure to have a clear vantage unobstructed by trees.
Andrews, North Carolina is on the centerline of the path of totality and will see 2 minutes and 39 seconds. Franklin will enjoy 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Since the portion of North Carolina within totality is small, the Moon's shadow will pass quickly. The total solar eclipse first touches North Carolina at 2:33 p.m. EDT and exits at 2:49 p.m. EDT.
Dan McGlaun of eclipse2017.org has a great page dedicated to detailed eclipse predictions for communities within the path of totality in North Carolina at http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/states/NC.htm


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This is quickly becoming Obama's summer of discontent.
On Friday, the perilously liberal Newsweek columnist Eleanor Clift offered readers a shockingly dour piece about the state of the current White House resident's reelection campaign titled "In Focus Group, Independent Voters Souring on Obama":
How tough an uphill climb does President Obama face with independent voters?
If the findings of a focus group conducted this week are any indication, a steep one indeed.
Clift then shared with readers some findings from Democrat pollster Peter Hart's recent study in Denver, Colorado.
First, it's clear Obama's attacks on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's time at private equity firm Bain Capital aren't working.
But according to Clift, it's far worse than that for Obama:
They generally agree that the economy is improving, but Obama doesn't get credit for a recovery that, while slow, is moving in the right direction—the core of his message for a second term. A few cited what they called "little things" Obama has done for the economy, like reining in credit-card companies, but no one could cite major accomplishments that would measure up to the expectations aroused by Obama as a candidate who promised to bring about transformative change.
All of this inconvenient truth coming from one of the most liberal columnists in the country not working for the Nation magazine. She even offered a tip for Obama's opponent:
There's an opening, too, for Romney if he can build on the general impression voters have of him as a good businessman, and "make voters feel comfortable that he's not going to dismantle everything we have," says Hart, when it comes to health care and other social support programs.
Clift concluded:
Asked how each [candidate] would perform if they were lost in the forest with nine friends, the group concluded Romney would use his super-duper expensive phone to call for help, with Donald Trump and wife Ann Romney topping the call list, while Obama would give a pep talk and then retreat to the sidelines. There's the campaign in a microcosm.
For Obama, this was a devastating departure from how voters responded to a similar question four years ago, when they said then candidate Obama would work with you, reason with you, and bring out the best in you. This time, says Hart, there was "no sense of leadership." These are hard-nosed assessments five months out from the election, and the Obama campaign ignores them at its peril. Hart is a highly respected pollster with four decades of experience. Soft-spoken and generally cautious in his conclusions, people pay attention when he sounds the alarm.
To be sure, this is by no means Clift giving up on Hope and Change.
Instead, one gets the sense that many unashamedly liberal commentators like her are deeply concerned their Messiah might not win in November, and they're offering such opinions to help him get through this obvious rough patch.
The hard part for them is giving this kind of advice without increasing the angst their liberal readers are feeling.
Regardless of the challenge, it's nice to see someone so devoted to Democrats and leftwing policies offering some rare balance.
It of course is a metaphysical certitude she'll be tacking aggressively to the left next week to prevent a decline in her readership.
Liberals need the truth administered to them in very small, infrequent doses.
To receive my articles hot off the presses follow me on Twitter ow.ly/btalc and Facebook ow.ly/btald.
— Noel Sheppard (@NoelSheppard) June 9, 2012


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Banks seek ways to mitigate European bonus curb
By Carmel Crimmins and Kirstin Ridley
DUBLIN/LONDON (Reuters) - From paying housing costs to devising "loyalty" payments, banks in Europe are already looking at ways around a cap on bonuses for their top staff agreed by European politicians on Thursday.
If unable to circumvent the new rules, then some banks are likely to review the nuclear option of leaving the region to ensure they can still attract star traders and rainmakers put off working in "low income" London, Paris or Frankfurt.
"The banks are notorious for getting their way when times are tough," said Jason Kennedy, chief executive of financial recruiters Kennedy Associates.
"What Brussels is doing is putting European banks at a disadvantage compared to their U.S. rivals, and it is not something they will tolerate. They will definitely come up with interesting schemes to bypass this."
Firms have already offered top bankers from the U.S. large housing allowances in order to persuade them to come to London, and the curb on bonuses is seen as making it harder still to attract the best in the industry.
Banks in London have a history of finding ways around payroll legislation they don't like. In the 1990s some paid part of their employees' salaries in exotic forms such as gold bullion, diamonds and fine wine to avoid a form of payroll tax.
Senior bankers warned that the curbs would hurt European firms with large investment banking units, such as Barclays (BARC.L: Quote) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE: Quote), and benefit rivals such as U.S. bulge-bracket firms and up-and-coming Asian players.
"There is a risk that if the level playing field is not maintained, the real talents in Europe will move out," Severin Cabannes, deputy chief executive of France's Societe Generale (SOGN.PA: Quote), told reporters at a conference in Abu Dhabi. Continued...


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If the combat AI remains the most disappointing part of the Civilization V experience, the Gods & Kings expansion renovates the diplomacy system into one of the best. It might even be my favorite in the whole series. Even without that handy numerical readout of the negotiator's likes and dislikes, my dealings with the AI nations feel more sensible and consistent than ever before.
Now, as a point of reference, I've always enjoyed the diplomatic machinations in Civ V. No more irritating computer players by refusing to trade away Industrialism for Horseback Riding. Instead, research agreements are tantamount to a 30-turn truce everyone wants to honor because of the big prize at the end. I've had games where the stability of my empire balanced on a stack of foreign luxury imports, defensive pacts, and city state alliances that spanned the globe. It's the first game in which it feels possible to cultivate a landscape of not-enemies into a system of mutually beneficial friendships.
City states also have more influence over world affairs. New quests reward whichever player can produce the most Faith, Culture, or new technologies in a specific number of turns. Others offer material gratitude to an empire that uses the new extortion option to threaten a rival city state. It might seem like an easy way to earn a nationwide boost for a while, but victims are quick to seek the protection of another major civilization. The political standoff that occurs when another major power tries to bully a city state you've sworn to protect is a truly awesome addition to the game.
I absolutely love the political maneuvering Gods & Kings brings to the table. No single element redefines the experience, but taken all together, the diplomatic ripples created by espionage, city state quests, and well-meaning treaties build to create great surges in international relations. The turbulence is at once more unpredictable and more organic than in any previous game in the series, firmly establishing diplomacy as my favorite part of the expansion.
Such a shame.
Too Long; Didn't Read Version
A wide range of diplomatic additions make AI civilizations and minor city states more interesting to negotiate with than ever. That includes espionage, but without the military leadership to back up their posturing, the path of peaceful coexistence is less enticing than it should be.
- Games: Sid Meier's Civilization V
- Developers: Firaxis
- Publishers: 2K Games


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Presidential Dollars
A new series of circulating dollar coins was launched in 2007 to honor the former Presidents of the United States. Each year, four different coins are released with obverse designs featuring a likeness of the presidents. The reverse design features a depiction of the Statue of Liberty that will be used throughout the series.
The Presidential Dollars incorporate special edge lettering. This convention was used to allow more space on the coin for larger and dramatic artwork. The lettering currently includes the date, mint mark, and motto "E Pluribus Unum." Prior to 2009, the motto "In God We Trust" also appeared on the edge, but was later moved to the obverse.
The edge lettering has produced a number of unique errors. This is the result of the two step process initially needed to produce the coins. Coins are fed into a machine which strikes the obverse and reverse in the first step. The struck coins are then fed into an edge lettering machine in the second step. Potential errors include missing edge lettering, doubled edge lettering, or lettered blank planchets. In the later years of the series, the production process was streamlined to reduce the number of errors.
For 2007, the Presidents honored on the series included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. During this first year of the series more than one billion coins were struck for circulation. There were high hopes that the series would spur the widespread circulation of $1 coins within the United States.
Despite a warm reception from collectors, the new $1 coin series did not achieve widespread circulation. A stockpile of excess coins gradually built up within Federal Reserve vaults. In late 2011, the Treasury Department announced the suspension of production for circulation, although the series would continue to be produced in the limited quantities necessary to fulfill demand from collectors.
The most recent years of the series have featured better known Presidents, bringing renewed attention to the series. Recent issues have honored Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 2015, the series will honor Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.
On this site you will find a selection of Presidential Dollars for sale. This includes all presidents issued from 2007 to present. Available products may include individual coins, 25-coin rolls, or high grade coins certified by leading third party grading services PCGS or NGC.


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Pretty Little Liars
I LOVE Pretty Little Liars! It's one of my favourite shows!
I love Spencer and Hanna, because Spencer is a genuis, plus love her style, and Hanna wears amazing clothes.
I haven't read the books, but I think A is Alison or her twin. In one of the episodes, in Ali's room, you can see that there is a picture frame with a poem about having twins, and in the picture frame, there are two blonde girls and Ali's brother. SO Alison clearly had a secret twin, also meaning that Spencer had a secret sister!
Cece and Nate are both really suspicious, and so is Ezra, but I don't understand why Ezra would want to kill Ali, he has no obvious motives.
Mona and Caleb are definitely not A, because they have admitted to being "A", which means that they are not actually A. I thought it was Noel Kahn at first, but I'm looking at other perspectives.
A lot of people think Aria is part of the A Team. Which I partially believe. In the episode where there were dolls of the liars, Aria's doll was wearing a black hoodie.
Let me know what you guys think! :)


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IRVINE - Just as it had in recent years, Harvard-Westlake's girls water polo team arrived at William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center with the star, looking to Princeton commit Morgan Hallock to carry the Wolverines to another CIF Southern Section final.
But Palos Verdes had the strength in numbers and the Sea Kings' collective unit was too deep Wednesday for the top-seeded Wolverines in the Div. III semifinals.
Carly Radov had 18 saves and No. 4 Palos Verdes scored nine first-half goals to snap Harvard-Westlake's 10-match postseason winning streak - including back-to-back Div. IV titles - with a 12-7 victory.
Palos Verdes (18-9), which captured the Div. II title in 2010 before competing the past two seasons in Div. I, will face No. 2 Los Osos (22-10) - a 12-6 winner over Arroyo Grande - in Saturday's final at Woollett.
"We have such good chemistry and everyone on the team has a role and everyone fulfilled that role," said Palos Verdes' Ellie D'Ambra, who had four goals and two assists.
"When someone had an opportunity, they were able to step up and take advantage and they finished. And Carly was amazing. She's the one who holds us together.
"We're just a really strong unit."
Harvard-Westlake (24-8) scored the first goal in each half, converting 6-on-5 advantages in both situations, but Palos Verdes responded by scoring six of the next seven goals in the first half and three of the next four in the second half.
Hallock's lone goal gave the Wolverines their only lead, with Palos Verdes quickly responding with a pair of counterattack goals to seize momentum and the Sea Kings never relinquished control.
"Morgan is a great player and you're not going to stop her, you just have to try to limit her opportunities," Palos Verdes coach Patrick O'Brien said. "I thought the girls played hard and did a great job carrying out our game plan. We wanted to make someone else beat us from the outside. The staple of this team is defense and I couldn't be happier with our effort."
Radov blocked Hallock on a breakaway just before halftime, maintaining Palos Verdes' 9-3 advantage.
"It definitely made me happy," Radov said. "You always pick people out on the other team that you need to pay attention to and when you block their best player on a one-on-nobody, it gives you the confidence that you can do almost anything."
It certainly appeared that way during stretches for the Wolverines, who had near-post shots turned away, lobs tipped over the crossbar and point-blank attempts knocked down by Radov.
Kirsten Gargas had four goals, with Kendyl Johnson scoring twice for Palos Verdes.
"The bottom line is we didn't play well enough," Harvard-Westlake coach Brian Flacks said. "You can't give up nine goals in a half or get outscored 5-1 in a quarter and expect to win a game like that, especially the way (Radov) was playing. We fell behind and we could never get back into it."


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...which is why I'm so excited to introduce today's guest-blogger. Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Joniak-Grant is a dear friend of mine. We met in graduate school at UCLA, and I immediately admired Liz's intelligence, compassion, and witty sarcasm. However, what I didn't see immediately was that Liz is physically disabled, even though she looks pretty normal (okay, gorgeously, fashionably, curvaliciously normal!). Several months ago I asked Liz if she would be willing to share some of the insights she's gleaned on the topic of body image, as a result of having a body that is invisibly disabled. Here is what she wrote:
When Kjerstin asked me to write an entry for her blog, I wondered if I had anything to contribute to a discussion about body image and mirrors.
|Meet Liz!
I only have three mirrors in my house. Two only show me from the chest up, and the third is a full length mirror that hangs on the back of a closet door that doesn't open easily. The only way I can see myself is if I get into the closet (which has no light) and stand about 5 inches from the mirror. It doesn't provide the most useful or accurate view of my body, but I've had this set-up for nearly 3 years and haven't bothered to change it. Laziness? Partially. But this also derives from the unique relationship I have with my body, one that loosens me from the chains of mirrors.
My relationship with mirrors is shaped by three realities of my existence.
Reality #1: I'm (dis)abled (not handicapped, not differently abled, just plain old boring disabled). What does this have to do with not looking at myself in the mirror and obsessing less about my looks? I just don't have the energy. So much of my time is spent in doctor's offices, at physical therapy, and doing exercises to help overcome my physical limitations that most mornings, and especially evenings, I don't want to waste extra energy looking at, analyzing, and comparing myself to some ideal. In my adult life, I have been a big believer in "good enough is enough" and I do my best to embody that (pun intended!) when I can.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not some highly evolved being who has drunk from the fountain of "I'm beautiful no matter what!" elixir; I have doubts like everyone else. Indeed, I'm currently designing a lovely sign to hang on my neck for all to see, that says "FYI, my recent weight gain is due to my medications and my doctor says there's nothing I can do about it." I think it calls for glitter! When I do look in a mirror, of course I notice if my makeup is smudged or if I have a spot brewing. But what I notice more than these things is my posture. How am I standing? Can I pull my shoulders back more? Are they even? Is my head sitting squarely above my shoulders? Is my chin tilted properly? This brings me to...
Reality #2: I use my mirrors as tools. In the brief moments I spend looking in the mirror each day, I answer the above questions, do my best to make the necessary corrections, and then get a move on with my day (well, assuming I can actually move that day!). My body focus is much more about function than appearance; I've learned that focusing on one's appearance is a luxury reserved for those who can take their fully-abled body for granted. I don't know anyone who, in the middle of a hideous migraine, could give two shits about what their hair looks like or if they have a pimple; they just want it to stop. Pain is more motivating than vanity. This is why most of the time I spend looking in the mirror is during physical therapy. There, I have a job to do. I need to work on getting better and reducing my pain. During therapy, the only comparisons I make are to myself. Finding improvement in my body's function, rather than appearance, is what makes me feel most beautiful and happy.
Reality #3: I get stared at by other people. A lot. Even though I'm disabled, I often don't look it. Oh sure, I have those craptastic days, when I'm half limping and my head is completely tilted. (Cue sympathetic stares and pushy questions like, "What's WRONG with you?") But usually, if I'm feeling that bad, I just stay home. But on most days, even though my body has severe limitations, I probably don't look like most people's stereotype of a "disabled person." And so I hear comments, generally angry, suspicious, or just plain puzzled. (i.e., "You know this parking is for the disabled, right?!," "Hummphh, why can't she just pack her grocery bags herself? I'm in a hurry!") Traveling via airport is my own personal hell but I'll leave those entertaining stories for another day (call me and I'll tell all over a pitcher of gluten-free beer!).
Getting back to my point, I've realized that no matter what I do, people will always find something off/wrong/whatever about the mismatch between my "normal" appearance and my limited abilities. So, why should I waste my time and energy staring at myself and worrying about what others see? Here's the kicker though: the limitations of my body allow me the privilege of seeing exactly how wasteful appearance obsessions are, not just for people like me, but for everyone.
I know I've got better things to do, and I suspect that you do too.
|Guilty as charged:
I love it when Liz drives because we can almost always find a parking spot!
And let's face it, the only opinions that should really matter to us are those of our true friends and loved ones. My friends LOVE riding along in my car for the "rockstar treatment" (aka disabled parking spots) and they also don't mind that I carry a back cushion with me wherever we go, including fancy-schmancy restaurants. They, and my husband, love me whether it's a good day or a bad day and whether I'm rocking no makeup, a lumpy ponytail, and practical shoes, or if I'm done up to the nines. I am loved for my inner beauty and that feels amazing even on my worst days.
So, what do you think? Is vanity a luxury? How has your body's dis/abilities shaped the way you feel about your looks?


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Charles Sherba Benefit with Kronos Quartet
Central Congregational Church
February 14, 2014
Admission: suggested donation $50-100
Please join us for this Extraordinary Concert on Valentine's Day to Share the Love in support of Charles Sherba, Concertmaster of the RI Philharmonic, beloved teacher and friend to our community. The famed San Francisco-based Kronos Quartet, in the midst of their world-wide 40th anniversary concert tour, is making a special trip to Providence to play this benefit concert. Program: Poetry Reading by Coleman Barks. Beethoven Piano and Wind Quintet. Rebecca Clarke "Prelude, Allegro and Pastorale" for viola and clarinet
Central Congregational Church
296 Angell St
Providence, Rhode Island
296 Angell St
Providence, Rhode Island


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One of the more remarkable aspects of the UK media's shambolic reporting last week of the Met Office's latest short-term global temperature forecasts is the way in which many journalists based their stories on inaccurate and misleading spin from the Global Warming Policy Foundation, without mentioning that the lobby group for climate change 'sceptics' still has not revealed its secret source of more than £1 million in funding.
The Met Office published on its website on 24 December its latest global temperature forecasts to 2017, which updated a previous decadal forecast published in 2011. The new model data show that, while global average temperature is expected to increase at a less rapid pace than indicated by the previous forecast, most of the calendar years between 2013 and 2017 will probably be warmer than 1998, the hottest year in the Met Office's HadCRUT3 database, which extends back to 1850.
The Met Office's web page states:
"Global average temperature is expected to remain between 0.28°C and 0.59°C (90% confidence range) above the long-term (1971-2000) average during the period 2013-2017, with values most likely to be about 0.43°C higher than average.
"The warmest year in the 160-year Met Office Hadley Centre global temperature record in [sic] 1998, with a temperature of 0.40°C above long-term average. The forecast of continued global warming is largely driven by increasing levels of greenhouse gases."
The Met Office's new forecast data show that the long-term trend in global temperature from 1970 to 2017 is expected to be a warming of 0.15°C per decade. Measured over the shorter period of 20 years from late 1997, during the peak of the major El Niño which elevated global temperatures, to 2017, the linear warming trend is expected to be lower than the long-term trend, at about 0.06°C per decade. And measured from 2007 to 2017, the rate of warming is expected to be higher, at about 0.18°C per decade.
But because the Met Office did not issue a media release to alert journalists to the new results, it was not reported by the UK media until the Global Warming Policy Foundation on 7 January published an inaccurate and misleading online summary of the temperature forecasts by Dr David Whitehouse, its 'science editor', under the headline "Met Office forecasts no global temperature rise".
Dr Whitehouse, a former BBC science correspondent, has been churning out a steady stream of error-filled articles on the Foundation's website to try to cast doubt on the evidence for climate change. His description of the Met Office's latest findings was similarly flawed. He claimed, for instance, that there has been "a global temperature standstill (from 1997 to present)", which is a favourite falsehood disseminated by climate change 'sceptics' and their promoters in the media, such as David Rose of 'The Mail on Sunday' and Christopher Booker of 'The Sunday Telegraph'.
In fact, the Met Office's HadCRUT4 database of monthly global temperature measurements shows very clearly that the linear trend in temperature between January 1997 and November 2012 (the figure for December 2012 has not yet been published) is a warming of about 0.05°C per decade, which is statistically significant at the 95 per cent level when simple linear regression using ordinary least squares is applied to the data (it should be noted that it is very difficult to determine whether temperature trends over such short timescales are really statistically significant because of autocorrelation effects).
Dr Whitehouse claimed that this supposed "standstill…could continue to 2017" and "would mean a 20-year period of no statistically significant change in temperatures". But again this is untrue, as the linear warming trend of 0.06°C per decade in the Met Office monthly recorded HadCRUT3 and forecast data from November 1997 to October 2017, when analysed with simple linear regression using ordinary least squares, is statistically significant at the 95 per cent level. This warming rate over the 20-year period is just under half the long-term warming rate since 1970, and would mean that global temperature will probably rise by about 0.12°C over these two decades.
Yet, despite these fatal flaws, some unwitting news journalists rewarded the Global Warming Policy Foundation for its public relations efforts with coverage of the Met Office's findings, laced with the same spin that had been added by the 'sceptics'.
The main culprit was the 'Today' programme on BBC Radio 4, which included the following headline in its news bulletins throughout the morning on 8 January:
"The Met Office has revised downwards its projection for climate change through this decade. The new figures suggest that although global temperatures will remain above their long-term average, there will be no further substantial warming up to 2017."
In fact, the Met Office's data suggest that the linear rate of warming between 2007 and 2017 will probably be higher than the long-term trend from 1970.
The report on the BBC website, like the radio bulletin headlines, failed to acknowledge the Global Warming Policy Foundation as the source of the story, but referred misleadingly to "an apparent standstill in global temperatures" and stated:
"If the forecast is accurate, the result would be that the global average temperature would have remained relatively static for about two decades."
Following the misleading coverage by the BBC, the Met Office published on its websitemore background about the short-term forecast, stating: "Small year to year fluctuations such as those that we are seeing in the shorter term five year predictions are expected due to natural variability in the climate system, and have no sustained impact on the long term warming".
However, the Met Office's clarification was ignored, and the prominence of the BBC reports prompted a characteristic herd reaction from many parts of the UK media, which surprisingly regurgitated the Global Warming Policy Foundation's line.
For instance, 'The Daily Telegraph' claimed that "the Met Office has downgraded its forecast for global warming to suggest that by 2017 temperatures will have remained about the same for two decades", under the headline 'Global warming at a standstill, new Met Office figures show'.
Meanwhile, the 'Daily Mail' reported that "the Met Office has admitted that global warming has stalled", and "officials say that by 2017, temperatures will not have risen significantly for nearly 20 years". The article prominently featured quotes from Dr Whitehouse.
And the 'Daily Express' misled its readers even further with the statement: "The great global warming debate was blown wide open again yesterday when the Met Office predicted cooler than expected temperatures for the next five years". The article, under the headline 'Surprise surprise... global warming has stalled, admits Met Office', included extensive quotes from Dr Whitehouse and his boss, Dr Benny Peiser, the Director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation.
It is very surprising that the Global Warming Policy Foundation found it so easy to persuade the BBC and many national newspapers to reproduce its inaccurate and misleading propaganda about the Met Office's short-term global temperature forecast.
The Foundation has been engulfed in controversy since it was launched by Lord Lawson of Blaby, its chairman, in November 2009, just three days after the so-called 'Climategate' emails, which had been illegally hacked from the University of East Anglia, were posted on the websites of climate change 'sceptics'.
The Foundation, which is registered as an educational charity, has been caught numerous times disseminating inaccurate and misleading information about climate change and has steadfastly refused to reveal its main sources of funding.
The Foundation's latest accounts for the year to 31 July 2012 (PDF), which were quietly posted on the website of the Charity Commission on 20 December, reveal that it received £408,641 from unnamed donors in 2011-12. This is in addition to receivingtotal donations of £140,834 (PDF) in 2010-11 and £494,625 (PDF) in 2009-10, meaning the Foundation has been given more than £1 million from secret donors over the past three years.
The Foundation's latest accounts include a statement from Lord Lawson, ending with: "I am most grateful to all our donors for their loyalty and continuing support, without which we would not exist". Asked about the identity of the donors on a BBC Radio 4 programme last October, Lord Lawson admitted that many were his friends, but refused to name any of them.
'The Guardian' revealed in March 2012 that billionaire businessman Michael Hintze, a leading donor to the Conservative Party, has given money to the Foundation. However, the Foundation's website states only that it is "funded overwhelmingly by voluntary donations from a number of private individuals and charitable trusts".
The website also boasts that the Foundation has "encouraged media to become more balanced in its coverage of climate change". Lord Lawson and his colleagues will no doubt be delighted with their latest propaganda coup, persuading many parts of the UK media to disseminate a distorted account of the Met Office's new research, while escaping any serious scrutiny from journalists over their funding sources.
I can see nothing inaccurate in this BBC statement:
"The Met Office has revised downwards its projection for climate change through this decade. The new figures suggest that although global temperatures will remain above their long-term average, there will be no further substantial warming up to 2017."
Note the word 'substantial'.
Yet, Bob Ward rights pages trying to claim it (and similar statements) are wrong or even dishonest. Such twisting of the truth by Ward is not credible and only devalues his position.
Its interesting to see James Hansen is in closer agreement with the BBC statement rather than Ward, so will Ward now attack him?
"The current stand-still of the 5-year running mean global temperature may be largely a consequence of the fact that the first half of the past 10 years had predominantly El Nino conditions, and the second half had predominantly La Nina conditions."
(Hansen Jan 2013)
And another Hansen quote from same document:
The five-year mean global temperature has been flat for the last decade, which we interpret as a combination of natural variability and a slow down in the growth rate of net climate forcing. - James Hansen et al.
A measly £300k a year? John Gummer makes that in a week and how much oil money has Al Gore recieved this week?
For the good of your cause you really should avoid mentioning figures that show just how little funding your critics have rather than trying to out their donors.
Also, given the threats by greenpeace, "We know who you are. We know where you live. We know where you work" and so on, it's pretty clear why people would not like to share their identities with you eco-loons.
Bob Ward needs some lessons in rudimentary statistics. If he wants help there are dozens of PhD qualified experts among our 200 members at Principia Scientific International who may be willing to oblige him.
They will confirm that there has been no statistically discernible trend in the global temperature anomaly since 1997 i.e. nothing to suggest warming or cooling. If Bob Ward disputes that then he is either (a) statistically inept (b) dishonest or (c) both
I don't think the Met Office has any skill at all at this decadal forecasting malarkey.
Might be wrong though, can someone post a link where the Met Office big up their decadal forecasting skills and brag about the number of decades they've got them right.
Also, can someone post the 'game is up' page. That's where the Met Office describe how HadCRUT would have to track for them to throw in the towel on this sort of thing and give the funding back.
Is the drought over yet?
So in our desperate struggle to hold back the awful apocalypse that will result from 0.05 degrees warming per decade, we are spending... just how many billions of dollars again?
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These arguments are echoed by prominent commentators including the director of the Copenhagen Consensus Centre.


text:
Why oh why does the form always go to the 'PersonalDetailsFormStep', no matter what the choice of 'AreaChoice' is? See the following for code:
I don't see it...
This site requires you to update your browser. Your browsing experience maybe affected by not having the most up to date version.
Why oh why does the form always go to the 'PersonalDetailsFormStep', no matter what the choice of 'AreaChoice' is? See the following for code:
I don't see it...
Anyone? The multiform module is excellent (and overlooked as I can not find many posts about it in the forum) except for this little problem I have...
Does it call the getNextStep() method at all? a) its not calling that or b) $this->loadData() is not returning anything.
Thanks for your reply, willr.
AFAIK, it seems getNextStep() gets called. Also, the value of AreaChoice is written in the session variable. I very quickly checked loadData() with an echo and that seems OK as well. The thing is, weird things are happening in the if-else statement. It goes to whatever step I define after the 'else' statement...
I believe your problem is because "AreaChoice" is not available until the step is saved. MultiForm::next() will check for what the next step is, before saving the current step's data.
Also, you should probably do your getNextStep() check by checking for AreaCode as an array index, because it's currently a pointer to a property on $this->loadData() e.g.:
public function getNextStep() {
$data = $this->loadData();
if($data['Gender'] == 'Male') {
return 'TestThirdCase1Step';
} else {
return 'TestThirdCase2Step';
If we have a look at MultiForm.php, specifically the next() method contained in that file:
public function next($data, $form) {
// Get the next step class
$nextStepClass = $this->getCurrentStep()->getNextStep();
if(!$nextStepClass) {
return false;
// custom validation (use MultiFormStep->getValidator() for built-in functionality)
if(!$this->getCurrentStep()->validateStep($data, $form)) {
return false;
// Save the form data for the current step
I think it's perfectly acceptable to assume you can use the current step data to determine where to go next. The problem is the above code doesn't do that. Ideally, the above code would call $this->save() first, before checking $this->getCurrentStep()->getNextStep()
You could have a go at fixing this by copying the next() method from MultiForm into your subclass for the form you're making, this will override the default behaviour when someone clicks the Next button in the form.
In the mean time, I'll open up a ticket at http://open.silverstripe.com to get this fixed for a future multiform release.
Hope this helps!
Sean, thanks for your reply! I'll give it a try again, with the suggestions you provided.


text:
Hope you had a great Turkey Day!
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Woodbridge, VA, USA < change city >
Reception Sites (32)
Photographers (61)
DJs (45)
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Madigan's Waterfront
201 Mill Street
Occoquan, VA, United States
Reception Sites, Restaurant...
1 rating, 2 reviews, 9 weddings
Very professiona. Elagant. Food is outstanding. On-side wedding planner, Cathy, i...
Springfield Golf & Count...
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2 ratings, 1 review, 7 weddings
By far the best location we could have chosen. We were on a limited budget since ...
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401 Belmont Bay Dr
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We brought our own chairs and used the land facing the Occoquan River and Belmont...
Buckhall Volunteer Fire ...
7190 Yates Ford Rd
Manassas, VA, United States
Reception Sites
1 rating, 1 review, 3 weddings
Call this place a blank slate. We had about 140 guests and it was not very crowd...
Fort Belvoir Officers Club
5500 Schulz Circle
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
Reception Sites, Caterers, ...
6 ratings, 3 reviews, 32 weddings
Beautiful Place but the air condition did not work in the pre reception area on a...
Elizabeth's on L
1341 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005, USA
Ceremony & Reception, Recep...
3 ratings, 3 reviews, 5 weddings
I am very excited to be using this venue for my wedding reception in just a few w...
Hilton Springfield
6550 Loisdale Rd
Springfield, VA 22150, US
Hotels/Accommodations, Rece...
2 ratings, 2 reviews, 17 weddings
The Hilton Springfield was very accomodating, and were both friendly and professi...
The Mount Vernon Inn
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Mount Vernon, VA 22121, USA
Reception Sites, Ceremony S...
1 rating, 1 review, 16 weddings
The Inn decorates itself -- so you don't have to spend much on flowers or decorat...
Waterford At Springfield
6715 Commerce St
Springfield, VA 22150
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3 ratings, 3 reviews, 9 weddings
Horrible experience! The site is very typical for a wedding so I can't say anyth...
Eden Try Estate and Mano...
6818 River Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22407, U.S.A.
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1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
This place has a barn for receptions. Very nice place, on the expensive side. Cer...


text:
Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
rare Etruscan coffee table
$38,500 purchase
made in USA, c. 1965
material acid-etched and patinated bronze over pewter and wood
size 60 w x 30 d x 17 ½ h in
description Incised signature to edge of table top: [Philip Kelvin Laverne]. Signed with applied paper manufacturer's label to underside: [Philip Laverne Galleries Ltd. Works of Art 74 Wooster Street New York New York 10012].
condition Faint surface wear relegated to lower edge of base. Overall excellent vintage condition.


text:
Our mission is to impact our communities, cities and our world with the life transforming power of Jesus Christ by creatively and passionately communicating the good news of God's Word and His Kingdom. And training people to live and serve in their God-given inheritance by the Word and Spirit of God!
Living a Blessed Life from Lakeside Worship Center on Vimeo.
Sunday Worship @ 11:00 a.m.
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Thursday night Discipleship Training every other Thursday @7:00pm
Friday A.R.T.C. @ 6:30
Mens Breakfast @ 8:30am First Saturday of the Month
Revive Women's Group @ 6:30pm First Tuesday of the Month


text:
Honda has launched it's new CTX 1300 and CTX 1300 Deluxe motorcycles at the Milan Bike Show. This new model is aimed at the luxury touring market and brings a powerful V4 engine. This new motorcycle is a cross between a sport touring motorcycle and cruiser and offers the best of both worlds; high performance and great comfort. This motorcycle is designed combining the comfort and technology to create great riding experience for motorcyclists looking for excellent real-performance with cruiser ergonomics and functionality.
The new CTX 1300 is powered by a fuel-injected and liquid cooled 1,261 cc V4 engine. It get its engine from the ST1300 Sport Tourer and makes around 117 Bhp of power and 117 Nm of torque. It has a 5 speed manual transmission gear box and shaft drive to drive the rear wheel. It redlines around 7000 rpm and is designed to be extremely ride-able around town with very good fuel economy. Honda has decided to exclude the Dual-Clutch transmission from this model and hence it won't be available in the CVT form. This also helps keep its price lower and helps bring in more customers to purchase the new CTX.
It has a very rider friendly, cruiser ergonomics. The seat has a height of 29.1 inches makes it easy to mount and place your feet firmly on the ground. At 328 kgs it is indeed a heavy motorcycle, therefore aimed at the experienced riders. The rear wheel is a massive 200-sized tyre while the suspension allows you to tweak its pre-load adjustment for the inverted front forks and twin shock absorbers at the rear respectively.
One of the main highlights of this model is the purposeful instrument display and storage area. It has two big analogue gauges that shows you the speed and engine revs. While the LCD screen shows trip information include fuel level. On the Deluxe model it has a Bluetooth-enabled audio system powering two speakers placed on either side of the instrumentation. It also brings two storage compartments along with USB connectivity for charging all your electronic devices. Other features available on the slightly more expensive Deluxe model are self-cancelling turn signals, traction control and ABS added to its powerful hydraulic disc brakes. The Deluxe version also gets an all black treatment for its frame and wheels.
Technical Specifications:
Engine: Liquid-cooled 1261cc V-FourBore and Stroke: 78.0 x 66.0mmCompression Ratio: 10.0:1Fuel Delivery: PGM-FI, 36mm Throttle BodiesClutch: Wet multi-plateTransmission: Five-speedFinal Drive: ShaftFrame: SteelFront Suspension: 45mm Inverted ForkRear Suspension: Twin Rear Shocks with spring preload adjustmentFront Brakes: 310mm discs with four-piston calipersRear Brake: 315mm disc with single-piston caliperCurb Weight: 328 kgWheelbase: 64.5 in.Rake: 28.5 deg. Trail: 4.5 in.Seat Height: 29.1 in.Fuel Capacity: 19.30 litresColors: Metallic Black, Gray Blue Metallic, Candy RedWarranty: One Year, unlimited-mileage
We hope to see this motorcycle see the light of day in India. Although it is highly unlikely we can expect this to come along with the Goldwing from HMSI i.e., if HMSI decides to get its international line-up to India. It's a possibility with other international manufacturers bringing their best motorcycles to India. We could see the CTX on roads in the near future.
Watch the Promo video of the 2014 Honda CTX1300


text:
"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
"You can't stay mad at someone who makes you laugh."
"You're not famous until my mother has heard of you."
Jay Leno (born James Douglas Muir Leno on April 28, 1950, in New Rochelle, New York) is an American comedian and late-night TV host. He was featured in several movies and TV shows before becoming a regular substitute for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show in 1987. He officially replaced Johnny in 1992, becoming the hottest chin on TV. After a false retirement in 2010, Jay officially stepped down as host of The Tonight Show in early 2014 — he was replaced by Jimmy Fallon.
Best Known For:
Jay is best known for hosting The Tonight Show on NBC.
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Despite his massive fame, Jay Leno appears to be a simple man with simple taste. He has been married to Mavis Leno since 1980, but the couple apparently decided never to have children. You might also be surprised to learn that Jay is dyslexic. He has said he doesn't smoke, drink or gamble, either. Basically, he's a saint.
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My husband and I are big fans of co-bedding with our kids. Our son slept in our bed until he was five, and our four-year-old daughter sleeps with us most every night. My daughter now wants to sleep in her own room like her older brother, but my husband refuses. He said he enjoys cuddling with our daughter. He goes out of his way to make certain she sleeps between us so he can hug her throughout the night.
No lectures about the evils of co-bedding. This is a normal sleeping arrangement that has been considered the norm for thousands of years by most societies.
I understand that sleeping with your children has become increasingly fashionable in recent years, with about 10-15% of parents reporting that their children ages 5 and older regularly sleep in the family bed. However, this should be a decision made by both parents about what works for them and their kids.
Your little girl is telling you she wants her own bed, so clearly this isn't working for her. The issue is really between you and your husband, as he is apparently saying he'd rather hug his daughter than you.
Your letter raises many questions about the health of your emotional and physical relationship with husband and his connection with his daughter.
You both need to have a long and serious talk!
My three young kids are extremely well behaved at home and at school. The only time they act up is when my husband watches them. He doesn't want to take them anywhere or even stay alone with them because of their temper tantrums. Would it help for the kids to talk with someone?
Before seeking professional help, speak with your husband about how he is managing the kids' misbehaviors. Discuss specific expectations for the children, and how you handle their bad behavior.
I've found that when kids act well with one parent but not another, it is typically due to the lack of clear expectations and consistent consequences. The ineffective parent typically deals with misbehavior by ignoring or giving warnings that are seldom enforced. Let your husband know what works for you, and I suspect the children's behavior will change very quickly when he adopts a similar approach.


text:
CELEBRITY: Grammy 2012 Line-UpPosted: February 11, 2012 Filed under: Celebrity, News, Photography 1 Comment
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards are this coming Sunday, February 12th.
Here are a few pics of the some of the confirmed performers and nominees at the event.
For a full list of nominees, check out Grammy.com
And come back next week for new images of the pre-show red carpet arrivals and the winners.
See all our Grammy-related images
CELEBRITY: Queen Elizabeth II Celebrates Diamond JubileePosted: February 10, 2012 Filed under: Celebrity, Entertainment, News 2 Comments
Monday, known as Accession Day in the Commonwealth, was the quiet beginning of five months of events for Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family as she celebrates 60 years on the throne.
Traditionally, Accession Day is not celebrated in the United Kingdom, as it marks the passing of the previous monarch. Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952.
The highlight of her Diamond Jubilee celebration will be a long holiday weekend in the U.K. in early June, when the Queen and the royal family will lead a flotilla of 1,000 boats on the River Thames. Sir Paul McCartney will headline a concert performed in front of Buckingham Palace the same weekend.
Elizabeth is the 2nd longest reigning British monarch.
Do you know whose reign was celebrated during the last Diamond Jubilee? Tell us in the comments below!
See all images of Queen Elizabeth
CELEBRITY: Katy Perry to Perform at the Grammy'sPosted: February 5, 2012 Filed under: Entertainment, News, Photography 1 Comment
Katy Perry will perform at 54th Annual Grammy Awards next Sunday – February 12, 2012!
See all our images of Katy Perry
IN CELEBRITY – 18th Annual SAG Awards!Posted: February 3, 2012 Filed under: Entertainment, News, Photography 1 Comment
Thanks to the recent launch of the Crestock Celebrity Collection, we've now got images of red carpet arrivals, awards ceremonies, movie premieres and all your favourite celebrity events – perfect for editorial use – starting from just $1!
The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild awards were held Sunday in Los Angeles, California at the Shrine Auditorium.
The SAG awards are a recognition for excellence in film and television. Members of the Screen Actors Guild are nominated for the awards by a randomly selected group of their peers and colleagues who are also professional actors and members of the Guild. The Screen Actors Guild is an American Labour Union representing upwards of 200,000 film and television actors from around the world.
The awards have been held annually since 1995 and are a popular television event. They are considered a leading indicator of the Academy Awards, which will be held in just a few weeks (on February 26th).
Highlights of Sunday's event included several wins for the movie The Help including "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture", the 2nd SAG win for Modern Family as "Best Comedy by an Ensemble" in Television, Alec Baldwin's win as "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series" for 30 Rock and Betty White's win as "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series" for Hot In Cleveland.
The long parade of arrivals on the red carpet is always a big event for television viewers – and this year was no exception, immediately spawning lists of best and worst dressed "awards" before the show even started! Here are some of the ladies on the Best Dressed lists for the evening:
All images in the Celebrity Collection are available for editorial use only, which means they are good for use "on/in websites, blogs, TV, magazines, newspapers and books (no covers and maximum circulation 250,000), plus prints for personal use."
See the complete license terms alongside each image prior to downloading. They are not available with a subscription. See more information on the Celebrity Collection
See all the SAG award images
New! The Crestock Celebrity Collection!Posted: February 1, 2012 Filed under: News, Photography 1 Comment
Launched just last week, we now have 1.5 million celebrity photos – for editorial use – available from just $1!
Allowed Uses
FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY on/in websites, blogs, TV, magazines, newspapers and books (no covers and maximum circulation 250,000), plus prints for personal use.
Prohibited Uses
ANYTHING OTHER THAN EDITORIAL USE. Directly promoting a product or service, advertisements, commercials, electronic resale items such as templates and wallpapers, album covers, packaging, print on demand goods or prints for resale are not permitted.
See the Crestock Celebrity Collection
Introducing our new 250 credit packPosted: February 1, 2012 Filed under: News 1 Comment
Over the past few months, we've had several requests for a package of image credits that was bigger than 100 but smaller than 500.
It was such a great idea, we created a 250 credit pack. And at 15% off our regular price (1 credit = $1), it's a great deal at $212. That's just 85¢ per credit!
To buy a package of credits, just click Buy Credits and Subscriptions in the top left corner of the website, beside the search bar.
You'll see a list of all of our prices, including all 7 credit packages, now ranging from 10 credits to 1000 credits. Price breaks start with a purchase of our 50 credit pack. All credits are valid 1 year from purchase.
Selecting a package of credits will take you immediately to PayPal, where you can complete your transaction with either a credit card or your PayPal account.
And don't forget that credits can also be used for our brand new Celebrity Collection!
Have any other suggestions for us? We'd love to hear what you think!
Contest: Can You Write the Funniest Caption?Posted: January 27, 2012 Filed under: Contests, Entertainment 10 Comments
Congrats to Brooke in the US for her winning caption of "It was love at first bite!" Thanks to everyone who entered!
Write the funniest caption for the image below to win 100 FREE image credits!
Post your caption for our chosen image as a comment for your chance to win 100 FREE image credits.
We'll choose the funniest among all the entries next Thursday, February 9th, at 3PM ET. Good luck!
Watch for our announcement of the lucky winner – and the next contest on Friday, February 10th!
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text:
Get DVD Talk Feeds
The Movie
At its core, 3 Steps to Heaven is a murder mystery, but how it goes about solving that mystery makes it a bit harder to categorize. Sean, our heroine's boyfriend, drowns in a river, and when she discovers he spent the previous night with three famous people, she hunts them down to find out the truth. Unfortunately, each member of the trio seems to be able to provide only part of the story. They're also rather unlucky, which makes her task all the more difficult.
Far from the usual movie-star female, star Katrin Cartlidge has a look that's similar to that of a Greek whore, or perhaps Eastern European street trash. Plain and somewhat undesirable, she is perfect in the role of a woman who really has no idea what she's doing. As she holds a gun, shaking and misfiring, she has the part of an amateur private dick down cold. The film makes sure to point this fact out early and often, including a pretty funny bit in the elevator that's unexpected and sets the tone for the rest of her quest. Her self-confidence increases as she moves forward, but the tics remain, making for a fully realistic revenge-driven performance.
The three witnesses, a real-estate mogul with a "Scarface" complex, a politician with a potentially damning secret and a TV star partying past her age, make for some interesting confrontations, though they're each more annoying than the last. It would seem like being able to empathize with these three would make the girlfriend's efforts more complex, but instead, you almost want them to be off'd. Throw in the problem with the heroine's motivation (the problem being a relative lack of said motivation), and one doesn't know who to root for. Though a good anti-hero is welcome any day around these parts, a pointless set of killings doesn't help anyone.
Though it sounds like the plot would make for a hard-boiled crime story, the film is actually loaded with dark comedy, as each witness' world is loaded to the brim with ridiculousness. A ballet-practicing enforcer, a gimp-friendly basement dungeon and a goofy shoot-out try to bring a light touch to some heavy material. Unfortunately, these touches seem out of place in comparison to the heavier aspects of the movie. Similarly, attempts to ratchet up the drama or emotion, like a sex scene between the girl, Sean and herself, fall flat thanks to scenes that don't fit being butted up against each other.
Though a British TV movie, the film looks better than your usual network fare, as director Constantine Giannaris actually beat Trainspotting to the punch, creating movie energy with fast edits, interesting camera movement and other similar creative touches a year earlier than the drug hit. Today though, the techniques seem almost old-hat. That doesn't mean they don't work. One scene has four characters, but only one is actually speaking live on-screen, with the television and answering machine forming the sides of the dialogue triangle. It's an innovative use of voiceover, especially for an older film.
The DVD
It took almost 10 years, but 3 Steps to Heaven arrives on U.S. shores in a one-disc released, packed in a standard keepcase with an insert listing the chapter stops. The menus, done in static anamorphic widescreen, have a London theme that is as different as art could be from the cover of the DVD case. They look like two different movies. Options include scene selection, captions and subtitles and play movie. Captions and subtitles options include English for the Hearing Impared, French and Spanish. The scene selection menus feature still previews and titles for each scene.
The Quality
A heavily "designed" film, the look is as important as anything else in 3 Steps, which makes the DVD presentation key. For the most part, the anamorphic widescreen video looks good, though there's some occasional dirt and damage. Some grain is evident as well, but it's not in any way distracting. Colors are good, though slightly red, while the detail level suffers slightly from a softness in the transfer. A decent transfer for a 10-year-old independent foreign film. The audio is better, though only a Dolby 2.0 mix. The center channel carries the show, but a better-than-expected amount of activity can be heard in the surround field. The music is especially active.
The Extras
As is the case with most Miramax catalog releases, there are no extras on this DVD. Two trailers, Finding Neverland and Miramax 25th Anniversary, are found at the beginning of the DVD, but the Neverland preview can be skipped with the menu button.
The Bottom Line
I will admit, I'm kind of stuck on the cover art. I hate to see cover art that's such blatant false advertising. But I'll try and move on.... The movie itself is stylish and rarely does it get boring, but once the concept is established, it becomes a waiting game. You know that the story can't end till all the players get their turn at bat. While some might find the gratuitous (and frequent) nudity to be a worthy distraction while sitting in this film's waiting room, its not enough to help you ignore the fact that the story isn't exactly what one would term "deep." A barebones release, it would be difficult to recommend more than a rental for 3 Steps. It feels like once you get all the "surprises," there's not much left to sustain interest.
*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.


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Homerange v1.0
Homerange v2.0
RIKA World Champion Target Return System
For a PDF file showing how to set-up the system - Click Here
We stock Edelmann targets, which we believe to be the best available. Printed on the finest cross grain card it will punch clean clear holes, allowing easy scoring even with a loaded target.
As well as standard single bull targets we have a selection of strip targets to further reduce costs for home practice or club use. For full details of Edelmann targets see:
PDF file about Edelmann targets
The most most common question we are asked is, "Which is the best pellet for
my gun?" This of course a difficult question to answer, but before we get
too involved, let's put it into perspective.
As long as we're talking good quality match pellets (such as H&N, RWS, Vogel, etc) even the worst grouping pellet will still easily hold the x-ring on a pistol target. This means that even a high level competitor is not likely to ever benefit much from batch testing to find the ultimate grouping pellet in his pistol. Having said that however, it's a nice feeling to know that your gun/pellet combination shoots a tight one-hole group, and the effort of testing for peace of mind could be considered time well spent, if only from a self-confidence point of view. But you should never have the illusion that it will make a noticeable difference to your scores.
Air Rifle is a little different, since a ten ring of .5mm makes the best possible accuracy far more important. Anything less than a tight slightly oval hole would mean perfect scores are not possible.
Just to further cloud the issue, simply knowing the diameter of the pellet used in the factory to shoot the best group does not mean your gun will always shoot the best group with that diameter. We see just as much variation between pellets of different batches, even if they are sized exactly the same. So you may well have one testing session when a 4.49mm .53 gram pellet may shoot the best. Twelve months later, with different batches, the winner could easily be a 4.50mm in .50 gram. There is no way of knowing in advance.
Our advice? By all means if you can test your gun easily, do so. If you shoot a pistol and have no way of testing it, stick to the factory test diameter and be happy. If you shoot something like an IZH, which comes with no test target, try standard sized good quality pellets and you will have great accuracy. Testing single stroke pneumatics and spring powered guns is very difficult anyway. But try to keep the whole concept in perspective, it's not worth losing any sleep over.
This is a typical factory test group from a match air pistol. Some
factories will specify which pellet size was used, as well as brand of
Vogel Sport pellets, available in 4.49 and 4.50mm
Vogel Match Pellets;
Yellow - .50 gram for old single stroke pneumatics and spring powered pistols, available in 4.48, 4.49, 4.50 and 4.51mm
Green - .53 gram for pre-charged pistols and all rifles, available in 4.48, 4.49, 4.495, 4.50, 4.51mm
More Vogel pellet information at: Pilkgun's pellet page
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Pilkington Competition
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Monteagle, TN 37356
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Pilkington Competition
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Monteagle, TN 37356
Phone: 931-924-3400
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
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Winter Weather Impacts Businesses Drastically
SMH Auto Sales in
"Things break a little easier when it's really cold, so when you have one car in your driveway and we have 100 in ours, we have a little bit more of a maintenance to do. So, it's been a very expensive winter for us," said Dennis Thigpen, Finance Manager at SMH Auto Sales of Frederick.
And they're certainly not alone, AAA says they've had a record breaking season with over 183,000 calls in the month of February. AAA saw a 77 percent increase Tuesday alone for service calls for the Mid-Atlantic area. In the month of February, 37 percent of those calls were for tow service, 26 percent battery related and 18 percent tired related.
While this could be a pain for many, it's good news for some.
"As it gets cold they come in all at once as opposed to spread out throughout the whole month but yes the cold weather has shaken loose a lot more batteries this winter," said Chris Gist of Battery One in Frederick.
Battery One said they were able to fill two pallets of dead batteries from customers, in just two days.
"Cold days we're changing 20-30 [batteries] a day, we sold probably about 100 a day to people, it depends not everyone has us install the battery," said Gist.
AAA said last month they handled nearly 47,000 battery related calls for the Mid-Atlantic area. According to research, AAA said when its 32 degrees outside a car's battery loses about 35 percent of its strength and at zero degrees it loses about 60 percent.
Experts say car batteries usually last between three to five years, and that periodic testing and cleaning can help maximize its longevity.