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ChallengeHER Charlotte, NC
US Small Business Administration, Women Impacting Public Policy, and American Express OPEN
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Please join us Wednesday, August 20, 2014 from 08:00am – 12:00pm for ChallengeHER—Charlotte, NC held at the Federal Reserve Bank. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and American Express OPEN (OPEN) have partnered to host women business owners for this special contracting event. Join the ChallengeHER movement to help empower the success of the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program!
WOSB federal contractors can have a unique opportunity to:
- Participate in Federal Contracting 101 and WOSB program workshops.
- Get contracting advice and learn about resources in your local community.
- Receive updates on current Procurement Policy and the WOSB Program
- Hear insightful real-life success stories from women business owners.
- Network with peer mentors and other WOSB and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) firms working in your field.
A few special notes on our program:
- A photo I.D. will be required for registration.
- Event registration and networking will begin at 8:00am and the program will begin promptly at 9:00am.
- Remember to bring ample business cards for networking purposes.
Event Details:
ChallengeHER—Charlotte, NC
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 from 8:00am – 12:00pm
Registration and networking begins at 8:00 AM, programing will begin at 9 AM.
Fedearl Reserve Bank
530 East Trade Street
Charlotte, NC
Cosponsorship Authorization # (13-6100-57). SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact: (Aditi Dussault (202) 205-6767)
This Web site is provided as a public service under Cosponsorship Authorization (13-6100-57). It may contain links to non-U.S. government information. Inclusion of such links does not constitute or imply an endorsement by SBA. SBA is not responsible for the content, accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of linked information. Please use caution when considering a product, service or opinion offered by a linked Web site.
When & Where
Federal Reserve Bank
530 East Trade Street
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EDT)
Add to my calendar


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Detecting infectious and autoimmune antibodies with a DNA nanomachine
October 7, 2015
An international team of scientists has developed a nanomachine using synthetic DNA for rapid, sensitive, low-cost diagnosis of infectious and auto-immune diseases, including HIV, at the point of care. It aims to replace the current slow, cumbersome, and expensive current process of detecting the protein antibodies used for diagnosis.
An antibody causes a structural change (or switch) in the device, which generates a light signal. The sensor does not… read more

subset: commoncrawl


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This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
Weeds Black Embroidered Beanie
The TV show Weeds is a great mix of humor and drama. This beanie will keep a fan of the program warm throughout the winter. Even if they're not slinging on the corner, they'll still be dealing in serious style.


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#1: Shea Moisture?!?
I really want to try the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Conditioning Milk or the Coconut & Hibiscus Curl and Style Milk but they're not sold anywhere near me! And my mom won't let me buy online cuz she doesn't trust them. Does anybody have any they don't use that I could buy from you? Or can someone get some for me and send it? I'll pay full price + shipping thanks in advance!


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You're My Dawg, Dog: a Lexicon of Dog Terms for People, written by award-winning author Donald Friedman and illustrated by New York Times Op-Ed creator and designer, J.C. Suarès, is the clever and charmingly illustrated 94-page book that every one of the 78 million pet dogs in this country will want to get for his person! On a single page, you will find quotes from Shakespeare and Rihanna, Pre-Socratic philosophers, Black Sabbath and the NASDAQ.
DogTipper is giving one lucky dog two copies of the book (one for the winner and his or her favorite dog lover), using the Rafflecopter below. Meanwhile, here's an excerpt from the book. Take a sniff!
Hot dog (n) A precooked sausage, a frankfurter or weiner, usually served on a bun and de rigueur cuisine at a baseball game. From the early accusation that dog was the primary constituent of the emulsified meat that is stuffed in the casing. 2. (adj) Someone who performs daredevil stunts or shows off. "Herb, ever the hot dog at chess, loved to offer his queen in sacrifice." Sometimes used pejoratively to describe a self-aggrandizing or nonteam player. 3. An exclamation of pleasure; also "hot diggity dog!" With the exception of Pat Boone and maybe Sarah Palin, last known public use was in 1958.
Dog's breath (n) Abusive slang for the halitosis suffered by some people, implying, of course, that dogs' exhalations are malodorous
Lucky dog (n) A very fortunate person, sometimes used to imply undeservedly so. "Herb, that lucky dog, won the lottery the same week his company Amalgamated Schmaltz was awarded a no-bid, cost-plus military supply contract for Iraq, and Paramount gave him a million dollars for the rights to his story."
Underdog (n) The person, group, or entity expected to lose a competition or a political race. Election night, 1948, Truman was so much the underdog that the Chicago Tribune confidently headlined Dewey as victor even before the results were in.
Big dog (n) The boss, an important personage, or the most competitive in a field. 2. The constellation Canis Major. 3. The Boston Dynamics Big Dog robot, which looks and sounds like a giant mutated insect, can carry several hundred pounds for hours over any kind of terrain without losing its balance even when violently kicked from the side or traversing black ice, and without complaint. See it on YouTube.
From You're My Dawg, Dog: A Lexicon of Dog Terms for People by Donald Friedman & J.C. Suarès. Welcome Books. © 2013 Donald Friedman. Illustrations © 2013 J.C. Suarès. www.welcomebooks.com/dawg
Got a "dog" term you didn't see in the book? Send it in to Welcome Books and you could win a You're My Dawg, Dog poster. Go to the page at READERS' SUGGESTED DOG TERMS www.welcomebooks.com/dawg for details.
How to Enter
As always, we've got lots of ways to enter in the Rafflecopter below; you can enter with as many or as few entry methods as you like. This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses. The giveaway ends at 12:01am ET on March 12, 2013. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: The book's publisher is providing prizes for this giveaway.


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Join the Port of Subs® Family
Own your very own Sliced Fresh franchise!
Restaurant Ownership Never Tasted So Good
Guests have been enjoying the great taste of Port of Subs®' sandwiches for over 40 years. In 1972, two brothers from New Jersey opened a modest submarine sandwich shop in Sparks, Nevada called the "Sub Shop". John Larsen, a Public Accountant who had been advising the Sub Shop owners, seized the opportunity and purchased the business in 1975. After taking the helm, Larsen sponsored a community-wide contest to choose a new name. In a review of more than 10,000 contest entries, Port of Subs® was born.
Today, Port of Subs® has over 140 restaurants and is expanding throughout the West. We have stayed true to our beginnings and still make each sandwich fresh to order as our guests look on.
Sandwich's Best-Kept Secret…
The industry recognizes Port of Subs® as one of the top franchising opportunities.
Ranked for Entrepreneur Magazine's "Franchise 500" in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Port of Subs® has the U.S. Small Business Administration stamp of approval.
Port of Subs® is a member of the International Franchise Association.
Port of Subs® participates in the IFA's Vet-Fran Program.


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music / Reviews
Styles of Beyond – Reseda Beach Review
The careers of members of Styles of Beyond has been a very turbulent one in the music industry. For years the group consisting of emcees Ryu and Tak seemed to be on the verge of breaking through to the mainstream. After a loud underground buzz they were heavily featured on the album The Rising Tied by Fort Minor (Mike Shinoda's rap alias). With the success of the album and the friendship with Shinoda, the group signed to Shinoda's label at Warner Brothers and began crafting their major label debut which was to be released in 2007. However after label head changes, the album was left in limbo and which caused Ryu and Tak to go their separate ways (mainly out of frustration with the music industry).
After many years, Ryu along with longtime friend Apathy, were able to secure the album rights from Warner and release the album in its original format. Does the album stand the test of time and show that major labels know nothing about good music when it comes to hip hop, or should the album have been left in the scrap pile?
Track listing
1.) Here We Go (Produced by Scoop Deville)
2.) Hard (Produced by J. Dilla)
3.) Sugar Honey Iced Tea (Produced by Vin Skully & Co-Produced by Cheapshot)
4.) Take That f/ Celph Titled (Produced by Aqua)
5.) Call My Name (Produced by Apathy)
6.) Bumble Bee (Skit) Starring Alex 2Tone
7.) The Pirate Song (Produced by Vin Skully & Co-Produced by Apathy)
8.) Damn (Produced by Vin Skully & Co-Produced by Cheapshot)
9.) Dumb It Down (Produced by Apathy & Co-Produced by Mike Shinoda)
10.) Howdy Doody (Produced by Cheapshot & Co-Produced by Vin Skully)
11.) Live from Ibiza (Skit) Starring Alex 2Tone
12.) You Love Us f/ Somaya Reece (Produced by Vin Skully)
13.) Shut Everything Down f/ Celph Titled (Produced by Vin Skully & Co-Produced by Apathy)
14.) Dunky Fividends f/ Apathy (Produced by Vin Skully)
15.) Second To None f/ Mike Shinoda (Produced by Mike Shinoda)
16.) The Valley (Outro) Starring Alex 2Tone
Right from the get go, the album comes out of the gate strong with the Scoop Deville produced "Here We Go" which has Ryu and Tak sounding as if the track was created yesterday. If you thought that the long delay would have caused the album to feel dated then this intro type song really curbs your feel, with Tak spitting lines"
"I'm really sitting pretty on this escalade, I'm riding up
Till I burn this city, what a pity for the fire trucks
Fellas seem to think we up and vanished in the mist, nope
Now we back SOS, panic at the disco
Ya, open up the curtain now I'm at the scene,
Alive and I don't need to red bull to give me wings
Ever since I had the dream floating above me,
I've been following my success as a token of study
Killer rap locks in the fitted cap, peeling you chinchillas so ones iller, split them with the axe
Alright then, can I get some like dam
Put your hands together for the Fort Minor hypemen,
On the road, sipping Jack before the show,
Never know which way theses tricky dice are going to roll,
Here we go, get it while you can bro, grand finale from the valley, smile for the camera."
While "Here We Go" had the group rhyming in familiar territory, the track "Hard" has the group somewhat expanding their sound on the aptly produced track from the late J. Dilla. It is a shame that this album faced so many delays, as many people may think that this track was produced after Dillas passing. Additionally, it somewhat curbed any later collaboration, which likely would have happened after the popularity that this track will likely receive in the underground. The flow and rhymes by the group fits right over Dilla's production and the thought that they could have worked together more often is sad.
While the album does hold together well, there are some definite 'mainstream' sounding tracks on the album. The most obvious seems to be the very strange sounding Pirate Song, which is about Ryu and Tak getting as drunk as a Pirate. The track lacks the regular character of the group and even though I think it was supposed to be more of a comedy song, ala "Got Some Teeth" by Obie Trice, it somewhat fails on all levels. As well the first single "Damn" is a vanilla type track, that is a decent mainstream track, but unfortunately the album version lacks that punch found on the promo single which has Micheal Buble providing the hook. While Buble absence was due to the album not being released on Warner brothers, after hearing the original, the album version is nowhere near as good. Additionally this is one of the few songs that feels dated, where the group mainly spits lines such as "signed to Machine Shop, Warner got my back now".
While the minor missteps the group likely was pressured to make for the major label somewhat leave a skippable section in the middle of the album, the front and back ends of the album more than make up for it. The Apathy produced "Dumb It Down" has the group making fun of themselves for dumbing down their songs for the mainstream, and even samples the Trashmen's Surfin Bird (mostly made famous by Peter Griffin's Bird is the Word from Family Guy). Tracks like "Howdy Doody" and "Sugar Honey Ice Tea" again will have longtime fans of the group happy, as the Vin Skully & Cheapshot produced track will have heads nodding to the rapid fire flows of Ryu and Tak. Closing the album, the track "Second To None" featuring Mike Shinoda, really reminds fans of the chemistry that the group had with Shinoda and of what could have happened had Shinoda had more label clout or fought harder for the group.
In the end Ryu and Tak made a mainstream album that will still satisfy their longtime fans and really do prove that major labels know nothing about hip hop music. I really think with the right marketing push the album and group could have been a great success. While there are some flaws, you still have to give credit to Ryu and Tak for releasing the album as it was, the way it should have been heard. Hopefully the release of this album, will be someone of a rebirth for the group, who reportedly have been back in the studio working on some new tracks. If the group can get back to where they were without this album, hip hop and music and general will be very fortunate.
For more information on Styles of Beyond or to purchase the album Reseda Beach visit The Demigodz Store
Be for we start, be sure to check out some of our exclusive interviews as well as follow me on Twitter.
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Jedi Mind tricks
Tech N9ne
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The 411: The group finally released their major label debut, and the result is an album that will still satisfy their longtime fans and really do prove that major labels know nothing about hip hop music. The chemistry that Ryu and Tak have on the mic, is something that is rarely found in hip hop. While there are some flaws, you still have to give credit to Ryu and Tak for releasing the album as it was, the way it should have been heard.
|Final Score: 8.5 [ Very Good ] legend


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Erin's Profile
Thank you for visiting my little shop<erin's window> !
I am a Japanese living in Australia for a quite long time now. Mother of a 6 y.o. girl.
B. Visual Arts(1st Class Hon) University of Sydney
"erinswindow" is a small creative space in my garage/art studio, where I work with clay, fibre and paper. I love working with these natural materials directly in my hands – for me it means connecting/re-connecting with materials, nature and myself. I think it is my first step working towards a kinder world where we live more mindfully within our environment.
Each piece is one-of-a-kind, entirely hand built, hand painted with love and care, born in my hands one by one to meet you. My thoughtful figures carry stories about walks in the nature, one's inner strength,…
- Female
- Born on July 3
- Joined December 30, 2008
Favorite materials
drawing, mixed media, collage, photography, felt, fiber, wood, unglazed ceramics, paper, wire, doilies, embroidery
- Erin
- Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Handmade one-of-a-kind objects by Erin


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BIND-ing with Big Pharma
Cambridge nanoparticle biotech signs 3 deals
Credit: Unknown
A small Cambridge biotech has inked three deals this year with major drug firms — Amgen, Pfizer and now AstraZeneca — which could net $1 billion for the maker of nanoparticles that promise to deliver drugs more efficiently to where they are needed in the body.
"This is a clear indication that nanomedicine has reached an inflection point," said Scott Minick, CEO of BIND Therapeutics. "The pharmaceutical industry is realizing it's a very important technology."
|The article you requested has been archived
- More On:
- BIND Therapeutics
- Scott Minick


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text: The rig loaded up and ready to leave the station! Mt. Shasta looming in the distance traveling up the 5 freeway. My family thought the town of "Weed" was hilarious. Just a pretty lake on our way to Bend, Oregon. The scene for Stage 1 of the Cascade Cycling Classic: Mt. Bachelor. I ended up in the winning break and got 6th overall on the day. This was right before the start of my last race in Bend, Oregon. Driving back to our campground at LaPine State Park was always a treat. I ended up finishing 5th overall in the CC after 3 days of racing. My girls were the best support team ever. We found a rope swing in the Deschuttes River near our campground in Bend, OR. Sisters, Oregon was a great lunch stop on our way to the coast. My girls liked these crossing flags you got to wave... Foster Lake was a perfect break to our drive to the coast. We would usually stop and jump in some kind of body of water everyday. My camper set up at South Beach State Park in Newport, Oregon. The beach trail behind our campground heading to the coast, which was always windy and cold by the way. Gorgeous dunes on the coast of Oregon. Everyday we made some time for hike to the beach through the dunes. My daughter Emma leads the way. The unforgiving coast of Northern Oregon. Another landscape shot. Lily and Emma hug each other tight for warmth on South Beach. My girls had a nice time playing house in the jetty leading in to Newport. In Oregon a hoodie isn't a fashion statement, you wear it for warmth. Downtown Newport: A hardworking port. Lily thought the bike racks shaped liked bikes were pretty cool. So did I. We stepped away from the campground for a huge dinner in the town of Bend one day... The best place to get away from the wind was on the sand. This unnamed crab shack in Newport was one of the best lunches I've ever had. We visited America's Largest Sea Cave! This is the entrance of the sea cave. Here is the inside of America's Largest Sea Cave. A parting shot of the sea cave. The sea lion rookery right outside of the sea cave. This is where they get busy and make babies. My girls took advantage of the opportunity to mug a couple of sea lions. My cousin drove up from Eugene for dinner at Mo's in Newport. The Sacramento River where we camped driving home. We all started the day by jumping in at this beautiful spot. Another view of the might Sack River. Our last campsite at Sycamore Grove in Red Bluff, CA. Thanks for checking out my pics! Photo 1 of 1 Continue Gallery


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Phillies' Franco has a grand ol' birthday
For second straight year, club's No. 3 prospect celebrates with homer
By Ashley Marshall / MiLB.com | August 27, 2014 1:27 AM ET
Having a birthday during the season might not be too much fun for a professional baseball player. When you're born between April and September, there's a good chance you'll be subjected to curfews and the quiet bus in lieu of parties.
But athletes also can embrace going to their place of business on their special day. As in the case of Philadelphia's No. 3 prospect Maikel Franco, whose "office" just happens to be the hot corner at Coca-Cola Park.
The 6-foot-1 right-hander celebrated his 22nd birthday by slugging a fifth-inning grand slam in the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs' 5-4 win over the Syracuse Chiefs. It marked the second time in the past two years that he went yard on his natal day.
"That was fun for me," Franco told the (Easton) Express-Times. "I hit one last year on my birthday, and this year coming in, I tried to do the best I can and put good contact on the ball and it flew. I was happy with that."
On his last birthday, MLB.com's No. 57 prospect belted his 30th long ball of the season for Double-A Reading.
This year's shot was Franco's 16th of the season and increased his RBI tally to 75. He's got five homers in his past 10 games, over which time he's batted .435 (17-for-40). It was his first four-RBI game of the year and his third career grand slam.
Franco previously blasted a bases-clearing homer in Reading's 14-5 rout of visiting New Britain last Aug. 11. He first accomplished the feat on June 29, 2012 during Class A Lakewood's 6-1 win over Hagerstown.
Signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent in 2010, the Dominican Republic native is in his fifth year in the Minors and his first in the International League. He had a breakout year in 2013, hitting 31 homers and plating 103 runs across two levels between Class A Advanced Clearwater and Reading.
"I see a pretty talented young man who is improving and getting better," Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage told the Morning Call. "He learned what it's all about the first few months, and now he's swinging at better pitches. His pitch selection at the plate is what it comes down to."
Lehigh Valley's Sean O'Sullivan (6-10) allowed three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out four batters over six innings.
Syracuse's Blake Treinen (8-2) yielded five runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He issued four free passes and struck out three batters.
Ashley Marshall is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AshMarshallMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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Demonstrating a commitment to future generations, HCM will meet or exceed all environmental regulations.
We will fulfill the mandate expressed by our Environmental Policy through the following actions:
HCM was one of the first auto assembly plants in North America to acquire ISO 14001 certification, a worldwide standard for environmental management. Under ISO 14001, companies are expected to demonstrate continuous improvement. HCM monitors the program to ensure current activities conform to the ISO standard. Regular audits of our environmental practices by an external agency ensure we retain our certification. HCM currently recycles 99% of its production waste, and is working to achieve 100% recycling, which would make it Honda's first facility in North America to achieve this.
HCM manages its operations to reduce its waste generation, and has undertaken many activities under each of the 3R's: reduction, reuse, and recycling. Our efforts were recognized by the Recycling Council of Ontario, who presented HCM with both a Platinum Award and the "Outstanding Business" award at their April, 1999 awards ceremony. As well, HCM was recognized at the Voluntary Challenge and Registry awards ceremony in March, 2002, as "Best New Submission", along with receiving a "Gold Champion Level Reporter" status.
Each year, HCM Associates and their families volunteer to participate in a tree planting activity in conjunction with other community groups. In the last five years, Honda Associates and their familes have planted over 72,000 trees and shrubs and participated in an annual cleanup of debris from the stream in Alliston, Ontario. HCM has been recognized by the Town of New Tecumseth with a Certificate of Appreciation as well as officially commended by the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority for their work on Spring Creek.
HCM supports the North American Honda objective of lowering CO2 emissions from its manufacturing operations. We do this by setting annual targets to reduce energy consumption in our facility. As of the end of 2012, we are on track to achieve our 2020 target.
During non-production hours, all departments have systems in place to match equipment or lighting required to the activity planned. The goal is to be a "silent factory" when we are not building vehicles.
HCM continuously analyses process conditions and identifies inefficiencies. HCM has been recognized by Enbridge Gas for several equipment innovations that have conserved natural gas.
As equipment is upgraded, it is replaced with more efficient versions. For example, a new robotic line in the welding department uses less electricity and compressed air than the original line. We have also replaced high bay lighting with newer technology and upgraded many motors.
Many Associates have contributed energy reduction ideas through our quality circle and suggestion programs. All Associates participate in our efforts through everyday activity such as ensuring exterior doors are closed, turning off switched equipment at the end of a shift, or turning off lights when leaving a meeting room.
As an ISO 14001 certified company, HCM has a system in place to monitor federal, provincial and municipal government reporting requirements. HCM has been reporting to the federal National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) since its inception. This is a public database available through the Environment Canada NPRI website. Starting with the 2010 reporting year, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment has added some further public disclosure requirements (O. Reg. 455/09). One requirement of this regulation is to post accounting information for selected substances on the internet. To view this information for the current reporting year click here.
Effective in 2012, facilities who meet the reporting criteria must explore options for reducing the use or creation of the listed substances and prepare a "Toxics Reduction Plan". A summary of the plan must be posted on the internet. Accordingly, we have posted a link to HCM's Plan Summary and Certification below. It is important to note that HCM recognizes total Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) as a significant environmental aspect and sets goals to reduce or control emissions of these substances through a variety of investment and other activities; therefore, although we do not have specific activities in place for some of the substances listed in the Plan, we still are working toward reduction through our overall VOC reduction efforts. To view the summary report for the current reporting year, click here.
As required by the Ontario Environmental Protection Act, HCM has an Environmental Compliance Approval for emissions of regulated contaminants to the atmosphere. One of the conditions of the Approval is that HCM make the current Emission Summary Table and Acoustic Assessment Summary Table available to the public on its website. To view the tables click here.


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Clearly not argyle socks, just using the sizing from the pattern. First and only pair of socks he'll ever get from me. chiagoo red needles TAAT magic loop dec 26-the gussets are done so I can do the heels tomorrow! dec 28-boths heels are done, just have to finish the legs and gift these things. Dec 31-I don't think he's getting these socks. I think I'll give them to someone much more deserving. ~I talked to Eric and he has the right sized feet, so he'll be getting these! Jan 2-one 1x1
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Civilian Military Combine - NEW YORK CITY
Civilian Military Combine
CMC is the world's fastest growing community of Hybrid Athletes, combining 4+ miles of obstacle racing with our revolutionary first challenge, The PIT.
Mud washes off, wounds heal, and sore muscles recover, but the pride that comes from conquering a CMC will never fade.
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


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Having won its first MLS championship, now comes the hard part for the Columbus Crew.
Tough as it is getting to the top -- remember this is a team that won the Supporters' Shield in 2004
before fizzling in the playoffs and hadn't been back to the postseason since - any coach and any player in any sport will tell you staying up there is a true test of championship mettle.
"Everybody's always out gunning for you in every game," Landon Donovan said about his time in San Jose, the 2001 champion that lost in the 2002 playoffs and
rebounded to win in 2003. "Everybody wants to knock off the champs so they bring their 'A' game."
The Crew's ownership, Hunt Sports Group, is engaged in discussions regarding the
contracts of double MVP (regular season and MLS Cup) Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Coach of the Year Sigi Schmid.
Columbus holds an option on Schelotto's contract but doesn't have enough salary to retain him without utilizing the Designated Player option, and Schmid - who is Seattle's first choice to coach the
expansion team when it begins play next year - will be free and clear by the end of the week.
This year, Columbus used allocation money it received for missing the 2007 playoffs and
acquired in trades to bump up Schelotto's compensation ($250,000 in base salary, $375,000 guaranteed, with a total value of more than $600,000) from the $150,000 base he was paid last year.
But it won't receive that money this year, so to keep Schelotto - even at his current price -- without stumping up DP money it must accumulate allocation money in trades with other teams or
with its portion of a player sale, which could be defender Chad Marshall. Even so, there are benchmarks by which a portion of a player's compensation must count against the cap, which is one
reason a DP counts $400,000 no matter how much his contract is worth. The Crew, for example, if it somehow acquired a lot of allocation money, could not charge $50,000 against the cap on a $650,000
In the case of Schmid, according to sources, he earned about $175,000 - not counting bonuses, which should be considerable - this year, and has rejected an offer of
approximately $300,000. That's a sizable bump, but with Seattle apparently willing to pay a lot more, Schmid may feel somewhat undervalued. Prices for coaches have also escalated around the
Since Schmid signed up in Columbus three years ago, Juan Carlos Osorio jumped ship in Chicago to nearly double his salary (in the range of
$400,000) with the Red Bulls, and HSG is paying - again, according to a source -- coach Schellas Hyndman, who came to MLS after three decades in college
soccer, more than it is currently paying Schmid.
Both in New York and in Los Angeles, Bruce Arena makes far more than any other coach, yet in LA
he's also been asked to repair and rebuild a sinking, burning shipwreck. Houston pays Dominic Kinnear, a two-time MLS Cup winner, much more than Schmid.
In the jubilant Crew locker room Sunday night, players buzzed a few teammates with hair clippers yet saved their "A" game for Schmid, dumping three huge Gatorade buckets of cold water over his
head and spraying him unmercifully with champagne. He charged into a crowd of observers and journalists to find refuge in the coaches' room, only to bellow, 'Who locked the f------ door?!"
Once the mayhem had subsided, somewhat, he assembled his team, wiped the water and champagne from his hair and eyes with towels, then proclaimed, "No practice tomorrow." A mighty cheer answered
Six years ago, Columbus won its first title by beating the Galaxy, 1-0, in the U.S. Open Cup at Crew Stadium. On the losing side that night was Schmid, who had won his first MLS Cup
just four days earlier at Gillette Stadium, when Carlos Ruiz scored in overtime to down the Revs, 1-0.
As Schmid changed clothes in the coaches'
room - someone had arrived with a key - outside the door Clark Hunt talked about the 2002 Open Cup, and what it meant to him and his father, the late Lamar
Hunt. "I've got that ring on right here," he said, displaying his right hand. "We had a great team that year and so did the Galaxy, and we were fortunate to catch them on a short week after
they'd beaten the Revolution.
"What made it really special was that my dad was there. That was probably the last championship game he attended. In total he won something like 13 during
his life and that was the last one, but we had a great time that night. And the party's going to be sensational tonight."
If the party is to continue, the frugal economics of Hunt Sports
Group may have to be stretched.


text: Posted March 22, 2009 Taibbi sorta personifies that furious middle class rage that used to typify american journalism before it was corporatized. About Thomas Friedman, he said... On an ideological level, Friedman's new book is the worst, most boring kind of middlebrow horsepoo. If its literary peculiarities could somehow be removed from the equation, The World Is Flat would appear as no more than an unusually long pamphlet replete with the kind of plug-filled, free-trader leg-humping that passes for thought in this country. Ten minutes after his talk with Nilekani, he is pitching a tent in his company van on the road back from the Infosys campus in Bangalore: As I left the Infosys campus that evening along the road back to Bangalore, I kept chewing on that phrase: "The playing field is being leveled." What Nandan is saying, I thought, is that the playing field is being flattened... Flattened? Flattened? My God, he's telling me the world is flat! This is like three pages into the book, and already the premise is totally fuged. Nilekani said level, not flat. The two concepts are completely different. Level is a qualitative idea that implies equality and competitive balance; flat is a physical, geographic concept that Friedman, remember, is openly contrastingironically, as it were with Columbus's discovery that the world is round. he also hates hillary clinton, for example, but for reasons most of you will not identify with. The other conspirator, of course, was Bill Clinton himself. By screwing everything that moved and especially by publicly engaging, with the irritatingly wide-eyed and much younger Monica Lewinsky, in the kind of weird and interesting sex most older career women only experience in fading memories or at exorbitant per-hour rates in third-world vacation locales, Bill turned his wife into the ultimate martyr for modern feminism. Hillary was educated, driven and accomplished, a super-woman who brilliantly matched wits with CEOs and senators on live national television, and what did it get her? A one-way trip to the sexual scrap-heap, followed by a late middle age lived out as an unsmiling promilitary curmudgeon with a fast-rusting vagina endlessly haunting the Sunday morning news magazine shows, with nothing left to look forward to but the questionable rewards of power and ambition, and a thicker neck every year . . . Hillary's life story, in other words, spoke to the deepest fears of the modern liberated woman, who by the turn of the century was beginning to have serious doubts about what was waiting for her at the end of the rainbow. He's been giving interviews and attending debates about the economic crisis for the last few months, and it's finally come together in this massive piece. Yes, it appears in Rolling Stone, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. any writer or photographer worth anything throughout the past fifty years have contributed to the magazine. It's pretty long but well worth the read. Here are some choice examples. People are pissed off about this financial crisis, and about this bailout, but they're not pissed off enough. The reality is that the worldwide economic meltdown and the bailout that followed were together a kind of revolution, a coup d'état. They cemented and formalized a political trend that has been snowballing for decades: the gradual takeover of the government by a small class of connected insiders, who used money to control elections, buy influence and systematically weaken financial regulations. The crisis was the coup de grâce: Given virtually free rein over the economy, these same insiders first wrecked the financial world, then cunningly granted themselves nearly unlimited emergency powers to clean up their own mess. And so the gambling-addict leaders of companies like AIG end up not penniless and in jail, but with an Alien-style death grip on the Treasury and the Federal Reserve — "our partners in the government," as Liddy put it with a shockingly casual matter-of-factness after the most recent bailout. the party selling CDS protection didn't have to post any money upfront. When a $100 corporate bond is sold, for example, someone has to show 100 actual dollars. But when you sell a $100 CDS guarantee, you don't have to show a dime. So Cassano could sell investment banks billions in guarantees without having any single asset to back it up. Secondly, Cassano was selling so-called "naked" CDS deals. In a "naked" CDS, neither party actually holds the underlying loan. In other words, Bank B not only sells CDS protection to Bank A for its mortgage on the Pope — it turns around and sells protection to Bank C for the very same mortgage. This could go on ad nauseam: You could have Banks D through Z also betting on Bank A's mortgage. Unlike traditional insurance, Cassano was offering investors an opportunity to bet that someone else's house would burn down, or take out a term life policy on the guy with AIDS down the street. It was no different from gambling, the Wall Street version of a bunch of frat brothers betting on Jay Feely to make a field goal. Cassano was taking book for every bank that bet short on the housing market, but he didn't have the cash to pay off if the kick went wide. as the subprime crisis was exploding, the Government Accountability Office criticized the OTS, noting a "disparity between the size of the agency and the diverse firms it oversees." Among other things, the GAO report noted that the entire OTS had only one insurance specialist on staff — and this despite the fact that it was the primary regulator for the world's largest insurer! "There's this notion that the regulators couldn't do anything to stop AIG," says a government official who was present during the bailout. "That's bullpoo. What you have to understand is that these regulators have ultimate power. They can send you a letter and say, 'You don't exist anymore,' and that's basically that. They don't even really need due process. The OTS could have said, 'We're going to pull your charter; we're going to pull your license; we're going to sue you.' And getting sued by your primary regulator is the kiss of death." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Banh Ph'o' Thu'o'ng Hang
Chantaboon Rice Stick
Royal Blossom
Ingredients - rice flour and water.
Thanh Phan Dinh Duong.
Any thoughts??
ETA: (sorry, I forgot about moderated status and then I couldn't edit the post because it hadn't posted and I went to bed before it did post) I did google the name of the noodles and came up with instructions to soak in warm water for an hour (here: http://importfood.com/nogl4001.html


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Indiana only lost by three runs, so it was easy to see the difference in the game as the Indians fell to 1-4 on the season.
"The game was definitely ours to be had, but 10 errors, 11 walks, that's not a good formula for success," Indiana coach Ryan Davies said following the Indians' 13-10 loss to Greensburg Salem in their WPIAL Section 2-AAA opener Tuesday in Greensburg.
Indiana held an 8-4 lead after 4½ innings but gave up eight runs in the fifth inning alone.
"We're a much better team than the way we're playing right now," Davies said. "We just have to play better defensively."
Indiana's Sean Thompson slugged two home runs and finished 3-for-4 with four runs scored and five RBIs.
A right-handed pitcher committed to play for Virginia Commonwealth University, Thompson struck out three and walked two in three innings as the starter.
Trent Ream took the loss, with no strikeouts and three walks in 1 1-3 innings.
Ryan Creps went 2-for-3, and Ream and Zach Schultz also had two hits. Creps had a triple and Jordan Hudzicki had a double. Creps, Ream and Cole Shaffer scored two runs apiece.
Indiana (1-4, 0-1 section) visits Laurel Highlands today.
BLAIRSVILLE 14, MARION CENTER 4: Host Blairsville improved to 4-0 with a six-inning, mercy-rule victory over Marion Center in a Heritage Conference game.
Blairsville freshman Ryan Shirley had eight strikeouts and two walks, throwing all six innings in his first start.
"He threw really well," Blairsville coach Mark Zerfoss said. "We told him before the game, just throw strikes. … He's not overpowering, but he had good control and hit his spots."
Rickey Shirley went 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, and Cam Livingston finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. John Distefano cracked a triple for one of his two hits.
Scott Thompson scored three runs and Ryan Shirley and Anthony Faulk had two each, and Corey Ramsden drove in two runs.
Matt Shank scored three runs for the Stingers. Matt Janosko went 2-for-3, and Hunter Stiteler had two RBIs.
Shank took the loss, striking out four and walking two in four innings.
Blairsville plays host to United today, and Marion Center (2-1) welcomes Ligonier Valley on Friday.
UNITED 7, PURCHASE LINE 5: Kolt Jarvis hit an inside-the-park home run and a double and tossed five innings as the winning pitcher in United's victory over Purchase Line in a Heritage Conference game in Armagh.
United's No. 2 hitter, Jarvis homered in the first inning, part of a four-run outburst for the Lions. He finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
"Jarvis had an outstanding game," United coach Jerry Hammack said. "He was just all around today."
Purchase Line fought back with three runs in the third inning, but United never lost its grip on the lead.
United's Calvin White smacked a two-run double in the first and finished with three RBIs. Tayler Sheriff, Beau Sheriff and Ben Smith had two hits each. Tayler Sheriff had a double.
Jarvis had eight strikeouts and walked two.
Darren Bingaman went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for the Red Dragons. Evan Ober went 2-for-3 and scored two runs, and Austin Patterson was 2-for-3 with a double.
Bingaman took the loss. He struck out five and walked four in four innings.
Both teams play today. United (1-2, 1-2) travels to Blairsville, and Purchase Line (0-4, 0-3) visits Penns Manor.
RIVERVIEW 11, APOLLO-RIDGE 0: Riverview scored 11 runs in the first inning and put away Apollo-Ridge in a five-inning, mercy-rule-shortened WPIAL non-section game in Spring Church.
Mitchell Johnston led the Vikings, going 2-for-3 with a double.
Apollo-Ridge (0-2) plays host to Deer Lakes today.


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After his family was brutally brow-beat within an inch of their lives, Alex donned a cape and a mask, and became… The Comparator!
Sure, most villains were thoroughly confused when he started talking about apples and oranges, or the quality of Mac OS X in relations to Windows 8, but hey, while they were confuzzled, he made his move! The bad guys stood not a chance against he who compared one thing to another… The Comparator!
But what is a Comparator without a Compadre, a Companion, if you will, a… Chum. Now, craigslist might be a good way to find a Lil' Comparor buddy, or maybe just browsing the /r/compare channel of reddit, but instead the The Comparator set up a web site at thecomparator.com, with the hopes of finding others who love to compare things.
But what? 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) versus Star Trek (2009)? Dammit, Jim! 2001 better be better and win that one! Metropolis (1927) versus Donnie Darko (2001)? Damn, that's a tough one!
Right now The Comparator is starting with movies, but I can see it branching out to include, well, anything. Even certain fruits or fruit-based operating systems. Check it out, and if you like it (or hate it) give them some feedback!


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Yeah, well, no one ever said people were super consistent. :) Keep a level head and use opportunities when you get them to educate.
This is a discussion on Hypocritical people who want things their way within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; Last night, while at work it was pretty slow and quite, so one of the coworkers turned the DVD A Few Good Men on. The ...
Last night, while at work it was pretty slow and quite, so one of the coworkers turned the DVD A Few Good Men on. The one that put it in is the one that claims he can not handle any foul language, but can sit and watch something chock full of foul language. The same also seems to have an issue with folks with guns, just because when he was younger and didn't know any better, blew a hole in his ceiling with a shotgun and then got rid of it. It amazes me how so many can sit and throw stones about things, but turn around and say, well, it's only a movie, and I can block my eyes and ears. I guess some just want it exactly their way or no way at all. Another had also made a statement that we all have different morals. I am not sure what that means. But looking at the state of affairs in most cities with crime, I guess I can see how our "different" morals are working.
Also, my sister was over at the house Saturday afternoon while I was getting ready before heading out to go to work and noticed the IWB holster and XD and rolled her eyes and calls me crazy, asking for trouble. This comes from the same one that was held up a couple times while she was working, and couldn't do much except comply. I can see why she does not need a CCW, she has the Irish temper and it shows quickly.
All I can say is that I am glad and proud of the folks that put this site together for all of us to use and share and to at least let each other know that we are not the crazy ones, but at least looking out for OUR own good and well being. This is a good place to call HOME.
Thanks to the moderators and backbone of DC
Never argue with idiots - they'll drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
Yeah, well, no one ever said people were super consistent. :) Keep a level head and use opportunities when you get them to educate.
"...whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one." (Luke 22:36)
Christianity and Self Defense from a Biblical Perspective
The best thing to do that works for me is to confront their hypocrisy and stupidity directly, usually in public; that way, when they make stupid baseless statements, everybody will hear it and their will be little doubt as to the quality of the grey matter between the ears....
To the co-worker I would say: Only someone like you would be stupid enough to pick up a loaded weapon without checking it, and blow a hole in your ceiling; we can see this lack of intelligence in the way you perform here at work....
To your sister I would say: I am not looking for trouble, just prepared adequately for when it crosses my path.....
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined". - Patrick Henry
I don't have a problem with people that blow a hole in their cieling and then decide they don't want to have guns around. My problem is with the ones that believe that if they shouln't have one then no one else should either.
Schucks I thought it was a political thread talking about congress.
Its a shame that youth is wasted on the young.
The one that made the statement has come up with other things that he has decided he does not like or want to participate in, so then its it a waste of time and no one should be allowed. As far as my sister, I just look at here kinda like a dog does to the owner with the head tilted and stare to figure out some of the logic. She seems to have just taken the current sense of things and accepts them. That's why there are sheeples and sheep hearders.
Never argue with idiots - they'll drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
Don't do what I do,do what I tell you,I tend to steer away from hypoctrites,they cannot be trusted IMHO,they will tell you your their best friend and trash talk you behind your back.They seem to have double standards and control issues
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,"
--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC .


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Research Article
Physiologic Conditions Affect Toxicity of Ingested Industrial Fluoride
Journal of Environmental and Public Health, Volume 2013, Article 43940 2013
by Richard Sauerheber, B.A. Biology, Ph.D. Chemistry, University of California,
Here is a summary of the main findings, to view the article in its entirety please access the link above.
Synthetic industrial fluoride compounds lack calcium and are listed toxic substances. The fluoride compounds, sodium fluoride NaF and fluorosilicic acid H2SiF6, added into municipal water for human ingestion purposes are synthesized artificially by industrial reaction and have been used as rodenticides, insecticides, and pediculicides, with acute oral lethal doses in experimental animals comparable to arsenic and lead. Controlled human clinical trials for safety and effectiveness have never been completed with water treated with either sodium fluoride or fluorosilicic acid.
Fluorosilicic acid is not a source for fluoride in any natural water supply. The use of fluorosilicic acid introduces substances that do not belong in normal fresh water supplies. Its infusion adds three substantial ingredients that are not components of pristine fresh drinking waters namely fluoride, silicic acid and sodium unlike natural fluoride in water which is always accompanied with calcium dissolved salts.
Industrial fluoride added to drinking water forms intact corrosive hydrofluoric acid under acidic conditions that prevail in the stomach of man and animals. Ingested fluoride from water enters the bloodstream as an artificial component, not a normal constituent, and disrupts inter-molecular hydrogen bonding and forms inter-atomic hydrogen bonding. Fluoride influences calcium homeostasis. Calcium homeostasis or calcium metabolism is the mechanism by which the body maintains adequate calcium levels.
The decision to infuse industrial fluoride compounds into public water supplies to permeate the blood and organs of consumers with fluoride as an ingested dental prophylactic was an error that resulted in serious consequences. Insidious effects that can occur on musculoskeletal, neurologic, renal, reproductive, and endocrine systems from long-term ingestion of fluoride in water emphasize the seriousness of fluoridation particularly in soft water regions lacking antidote calcium.
Adding substances in water that are unnatural, harmful, illegal, and without purpose violates universally accepted consumers' and patients' rights of refusal since fluoride at sub-saturation levels is not easily filtered.
Toxicity of Industrial Fluorides
The fluoride that is absorbed into the bloodstream arises chiefly from public water supplies. But substantial amounts are assimilated also from foods, toothpaste , mouth rinses, some bottled waters and fluoridated drugs.
Fluoride is not a normal constituent of the mammalian bloodstream, It has no nutritive value
or physiologic function but has been believed by some to be useful for teeth based on an initial correlation with natural calcium fluoride in drinking water. Calcium fluoride CaF2 is found in natural minerals and is not labeled toxic. Natural fluoride is accompanied with antidote calcium to prevent acute lethality and reduce chronic toxicity. Blood-borne fluoride regardless of source is neurotoxic and should be avoided from any source by individuals with neurologic conditions such as autism and Alzheimer's disease.
Natural calcium fluoride is considered insoluble while Industrial synthetic fluorides are fully soluble and are all toxic calcium chelators. Calcium chelators are molecules that bind calcium and cover the ion in a way that it is no longer available for cellular metabolism.
Industrial fluorides are completely absorbed by the body but natural fluoride minerals (CaF2) are poorly absorbed. Soft waters with low calcium levels allow more efficient absorption of fluoride while hard water regions are more protected from fluoride assimilation. Fluoride toxicity thus depends on its environment.
Although large populations are reported to safely consume 1 ppm fluoride in water for long periods of time, this is when it exists naturally as calcium fluoride at this level. The assimilation of ingested fluoride is drastically minimized by calcium ion in the gastrointestinal tract. This would suggest that individuals with higher blood calcium would be more resistant to fluoride toxicity and individuals with lower blood calcium levels would be less resistant to fluoride toxicity.
The reported adverse consequences of adding fluoride lacking calcium into public water supplies include effects on man, animals, and the environment. Ingested industrial fluoride incorporates chiefly into bone with an ion exchange process that is irreversible and thus not physiologic.
Fluoride associates with positive charged ions in particular aluminum, calcium, and iron. Thus, its toxicity depends on the environment in which it resides.
Fluoride tends to associate with and bind calcium ion. Calcium is concentrated throughout the body including teeth, bones, ligaments, aorta, skeletal muscle, and brain. the most crucial physiologic function requiring calcium that is sensitive to industrial fluoride at acute levels is the beating heart.
Unlike skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle requires extracellular calcium ion from the bloodstream to couple electrical excitation of the cell membrane with contraction of cardiac muscle fibers. Each time the heart contracts, calcium fluxes into the heart cells from the extracellular fluid. When the heart relaxes, the calcium is pumped back out of the cell allowing the fibrils to relax. Lowered extracellular calcium ion levels block contraction of the heart. fluoride ingestion causes decreased activity of the free calcium ion with blockage of heart contractions.
A fluoride ion solution made in soft or distilled water has a higher chemical activity or chemical potential compared to the activity of the ion at the same concentration when accompanied with calcium or magnesium in solution.
Industrial fluoride in drinking water can cause GI distress in human subgroups because fluoride converts to HF in the stomach. As HF, fluoride gains entry into the bloodstream. Even at low concentrations, HF can aggravate and prevent healing of ulcerated tissue. In the acidic environment of the stomach, 96% of fluoride is present as HF. Lower concentrations of HF can cause pain without visible damage. Human case studies proved that abdominal discomfort occurs from drinking 1 ppm artificially fluoridated water. In a careful placebo controlled double blind clinical study, 1 ppm fluoridated water caused GI discomfort in 7% of subjects. The more elderly the person with slower gastric mucosa turnover, the more likely symptoms can develop. In the presence of ulceration or gastric carcinoma, industrial fluoridated water must be avoided.
Fluoride at any concentration forms abnormal inter-atomic hydrogen bonding (H+- -F-) and disrupts normal intermolecular hydrogen bonding (H+- -N or H+- -O) in water and macromolecules. It is a general enzyme inhibitor in some cases at 0.2 ppm , the blood level reported in residents of 1 ppm fluoride water areas.
Assimilation of industrial fluoride from water into the bloodstream in humans can be seemingly well-tolerated for long time periods because bone efficiently traps the fluoride to minimize exposure to soft tissues. Bone is the final resting site for 95% of all retained fluoride.
Fluoride accumulates from consumption in a 1 ppm fluoride water region, in the absence of other known sources, to 2,500 mg/kg in two years and to 3-4,000 mg/kg lifetime. Bone weakening occurs around 3,500 mg/kg. Before bone weakening occurs, the abnormal incorporation of fluoride that is irreversible affects calciu whole body metabolism.
Fluoride ion has no functional purpose in the normal cell, when present it binds to calcium and magnesium ions affecting their chemical activity. Since fluoride is not a normal bodily component, there are no endocrine mechanisms to mobilize fluoride from bone after binding. It is not surprising that fluoride cannot be removed from bone. As an insidious poison, it can affect calcium homeostasis as it accumulates during lifelong exposure. The accumulation can slowly progress from bone weakening to arthritis-type bone pain and, in some regions of the world with high endemic fluoride in water, to total immobility.
Once fluoride enters the bloodstream and then bone tissue, its chemistry is pathologic since the fluoride has entered the sanctity of a living organism, As bone becomes loaded with fluoride over the lifetime of exposed individuals the continuous consumption of fluoride with reduced binding sites available in bone can cause accumulation in soft tissues, including brain in ligaments, tendons, and aorta. Fluoride from consumption in water is found in all tissues but concentrates in bone, thyroid, aorta, kidney, and pineal gland in the Brain.
Long term exposure appears to decrease IQ in children even from natural fluoride in water. Alum used as a clarifying agent in public water systems produces residual aluminum ion (~0.05 mM). Fluoride complexes with aluminum in the acidic stomach and is assimilated. Binding of aluminum to abnormal brain proteins in Alzheimer's and in mammals that causes pathologic effects indicates caution in consuming aluminum fluoride from water in the presence of brain abnormality.
There are no cures for either bone fluorosis or brain degeneration.
Systemic fluoride at sub-acute levels incorporates into atherosclerotic plaque in coronary vessels of cardiovascular disease patients directly revealed with PET scans in a study at the Veterans Administration Healthcare Center, Los Angeles. Fluoride is accumulated by the aorta and concentrations increase with age that reflect calcification that occurs in this artery [16], again the extent determined by water hardness and all sources of fluoride exposure. Chronic ingestion of sub-acute concentrations of fluoride from drinking water weakens heart muscle in animal studies and can cause alterations in heart function in humans. Per capita cardiovascular deaths increased after Grand Rapids, MI and Newburgh, NY began industrial fluoridation (U.S.P.H.S. Congressional Record, Mar 24, 1952). 1,059 heart disease deaths yearly occurred in 1948 in Grand Rapids, MI after 3 years of fluoridation but 585 yearly before fluoridation; N.Y. News, Jan 27, 1954 reported after 9 years fluoridation in Newburgh NY 882 heart deaths per 100,000, 74% above the National average. Increased incidence of EKG abnormalities were reported to occur in patients having tooth fluorosis in high natural fluoride areas.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has never approved fluoride compounds for ingestion in the U.S. The FDA has written that fluoride is not a mineral nutrient and has labeled fluoride in water an uncontrolled use of an unapproved drug. In 1966, the FDA banned the sale of fluoride compounds intended to be taken internally by pregnant women. And yet, industrial fluoride is consumed by the general public in those 70% of all districts that artificially fluoridate water.
No Federal agency accepts liability for the unnatural fluoride infusions, The FDA wrote that added fluoride is a contaminant for regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA considers intentionally added fluoride a water additive, accepts no authority for its regulation, allows states and cities to fluoridate, but offers assistance in the use of chemicals certified by the private
organization the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). The NSF denies liability for use of fluorides and does not publicly disclose all safety or effectiveness data for its use as a water additive nor does it perform toxicity testing. NSF labels fluoride in water a contaminant, as does the EPA, except
when added purposely as an "additive". But additives are chemicals that treat water for sanitation, not to treat humans through internal ingestion. Chemical supplier data sheets also place liability on the end user.
The CDC endorses the practice but shuns liability and regards fluoride in water as a supplement ingredient for teeth, which only the FDA is authorized to regulate. Water districts rely on state health departments for safe conditions of use but these departments are under the CDC and also refuse liability and assign liability to the cities and local authorities themselves who appear the least knowledgeable on the potential biological impacts of fluoride exposure on consumer health.


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Keep Only What You Need
- A binder makes a good alternative to an expandable folder as an organizational tool for pages you want to save; tear those out, then discard the magazine or catalog.
- If there's a magazine whose issues you haven't so much as cracked the binding on in six months, consider canceling the subscription. If you're inundated with catalogs you have no interest in, call the companies and ask to be taken off their mailing lists.
- Pack up designated discards for recycling day, or donate old magazines to charitable organizations or your local library or hospital.


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Nice picture.
This is a discussion on 1st 1911 (pic) within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Bought my first 1911 today. Ended up picking up a S&W 1991PD commander length. I put 200rounds of FMJ through it today and it ran ...
Bought my first 1911 today. Ended up picking up a S&W 1991PD commander length. I put 200rounds of FMJ through it today and it ran like a champ. I can see why people fall in love with 1911s!
Nice picture.
Be Observant and Be Safe.
Current: DW V-Bob 1911, S&W 442, Springfield XD9sc, XDm9,
and Glock G26, G19, G23C, and SIG P226-40 TT, and Ruger GP-100, and Beretta 92FS
Former: Taurus 92SS, SIG P220 TT, S&W 360, SIG P239-40, Ruger 22/45 MKII
Very sweet! Have a great time with her.
-"I may get killed with my own gun, but he's gonna have to beat me to death with it, 'cause it's going to be empty." -Clint Smith
That's great, good looking 1911!
"Praise the Lord & pass the ammunition"
Nice firearm. You're good to go with that nice pistol.
Fine SD carry gun.
Liberty Over Tyranny Μολὼν λαβέ
Love S&W revolvers (5ea.) and really like the look of your 1911. Have 2 Springfield 1911's, one full size and a Champion but might have to invest in another Smith of the semi auto type for the collection. Make that will invest. Nice gun!
Sportsterguy-NRA Life Member
Molon Labe!
Join the NRA today, or don't complain when your guns are taken away!
Very nice indeed! The longer I'm here, the more I miss a 1911 pistol. One thing about it though---if I had one again, all my others wouldn't get to see carry like they do now. I've got alot of options now, and I sort of like that. Is there a support group for previous 1911 owners who are subject to being around current 1911 owners? Threads like this are kind of like second hand smoke to me after I've quit. Know what I'm sayin'?
Very nice.
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson
Nemo Me Impune Lacesset
Very nice. Good choices in edged tools as well.
eschew obfuscation
The only thing that stops bad guys with guns is good guys with guns. SgtD
congrats , but carefull 1911s have been known to be addictive lol .
Make sure you get full value out of today , Do something worthwhile, because what you do today will cost you one day off the rest of your life .
We only begin to understand folks after we stop and think .
Criminals are looking for victims, not opponents.
1911's. They are sweet, a'int they??
"We must remember that one man is much
the same as another, and that he is best
who is trained in the severest school."
~Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War
Hooray 1911, I'll be done when I have 20 or 30.
You made a BIG mistake now...you're addicted! There is only one cure, more 1911's...you'll see!
Nice addition to the 'family'.
Proverbs 27:12 says: The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Certified Glock Armorer
NRA Life Member
"Dont be afraid to go after what you want to do, and what you want to be. But don't be afraid to be willing to pay the price." - Lane Frost


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Which tires are the best for X5
Hello Bimmer pundits, can anyone please help me in choosing the right tires for my BMX-X5 (2004) model. Originally they came with Michellin Energy MXV4 plus (255/55/R18). I have never tried any other tires other than Michellin. Since the MXV4 plus are either out of stock or back ordered. Some say they are discontinued.
My question is, Can I go with Bridgestone Turanza or any other tire vendor? Which tire vendor is the best? Online reviews for Michellin Vs other vendors is confusing. Appreciate your input in this regard.
www.tirerack.com : click this link and find their link for their tire decision guide.
Tire choices is like finding a mate/spouse/etc...there is not enough info in your brief post to really recommend a tire. We don't know you or your personal preferences, what continent you live on, where you drive, how you drive, what weather conditions you drive in. We also don't know what's important to you in a tire...ride, handling, price, tread life, mileage warranty. etc. What if you want a summer tire, or an all season tire...or perhaps you want a 2 tire (spring/summer/fall & winter) set-up.
Take the time to do some research that at least narrows your search down to a type & a few brands. Then at least you can ask forum members their impressions of they type/brand you're considering. To come out of the blue with a tire recommendation from someone that lives in Florida versus someone that lives in Minnesota can give you completely different recommendations.
Yokohama Geolander.
I just put a second set of Toyo Open Country tires.
My driving is a mix of what the northwest offers (freeway, city, out finding trails, and the mountain). Got 50k out of their 40k tires, and they now have a 60k tire for the same price.
Sort of depends on where you drive and what you want to do.
Just installed Continental DWS Extreme Contacts. Awesome tire and the ride quality is smoother than the previous Michelins. Work great in the rain and snow.
Ditto on the Conti DWS Extreme Contacts
I too like the Continental DWS Extreme Contacts. Nice tires, good handling, good ride.
A Michelin tyre with the star sign clearly shown on the tyre wall is the best you can put on your x5, according to BMW, but they're expensive. I'm using Hancook, a Korean tyre, very thick and strong for all conditions. My cars handling is superb on these tyres, and cost $375AUD each. The engineers at my BMW service centre also like them, and after 3 years and 30000kms, are wearing well.
Friends, thanks for all your responses. I live in NJ and I am looking for all season tires. The OEM tires for my X-5 were Michellin Energy MXV4 plus. I am a simple plain driver and not looking for any extras...
I have an 2005 X5 4.8is and have ran Michelin for the 1st 4 years. But I found that they were too soft & wear out way too soon, especially the rears. So I went to Continental DWS Extreme. They handle great & wear way better & were half the cost. I also reseached this for quite some time before I purchased them. The OEM spare tire was Continental too when I purchase the car from the dealer.
I put on General Grabber UHP and am very happy with them, great in the wet.
Just an alert however, check to see if they have a mileage warranty. Michelin's didn't for the larger tires. My Continental DWS Extreme had 50,000 miles.
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Annually at the end of November - The Nutcracker Market offers values such as originality and rarity as far as the selection of merchants, products and services, with a magical setting inspiring a sense of wonder so typical of the holiday spirit. Exhibitor categories include, among others, jewellery, dinnerware, local products, interior and outdoor décor items, body-care products and toys.
Refer to the website for a detailed schedule and venues.


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Encontrar un ejemplar en la biblioteca
Encontrando bibliotecas que tienen este material…
|Tipo de documento
|Todos autores / colaboradores:
Shunryū Suzuki; Trudy Dixon; Huston Smith; Richard Baker
|0834800799 9780834800793
|Número OCLC:
|"Informal talks on Zen meditation and practice"--Cover.
|138 pages ; 21 cm
|Beginner's mind --
Right practice. Posture ; Breathing ; Control ; Mind waves ; Mind weeds ; The marrow of Zen ; No dualism ; Bowing ; Nothing special --
Right attitude. Single-minded way ; Repetition ; Zen and excitement ; Right effort ; No trace ; God giving ; Mistakes in practice ; Limiting your activity ; Study yourself ; To polish a tile ; Constancy ; Communication ; Negative and positive ; Nirvana, the waterfall --
Right understanding. Traditional Zen spirit ; Transiency ; The quality of being ; Naturalness ; Emptiness ; Readiness, mindfulness ; Believing in nothing ; Attachment, non-attachment ; Calmness ; Experience, not philosophy ; Original Buddhism ; Beyond consciousness ; Buddha's enlightenment --
Zen mind,
|by Shunryu Suzuki ; edited by Trudy Dixon with a preface by Huston Smith ; and an introduction by Richard Baker.
Zen mind is one of those enigmatic phrases used by Zen teachers to throw you back upon yourself, to make you go behind the words themselves and begin wondering. "Is it what I am doing now? Is it what I am thinking now?" The innocence of this first inquiry--just asking what you are--is beginner's mind. The mind of the beginner is needed throughout Zen practice. It is the open mind, the attitude that includes both doubt and possibility, the ability to see things always as fresh and new. It is needed in all aspects of life. This book originated from a series of talks given by Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki to a small group is California. His approach is informal, and he draws his examples from ordinary events and common sense.--From publisher description.
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Although it hasn't quite been released yet, iMovie and Garageband – two of the most exciting applications so far for Apple's second-generation iPad – are now available for download through the App Store at $4.99 each. Both applications are available on the Mac as part of the iLife software suite, but their iOS counterparts look a little more fun! iMovie … Read More
Apple's iPad 2, iOS 4.3, Smart Cover and More
This week we saw the new iPad 2 being unveiled at the special media event on March 2nd where Steve Jobs gave everyone a pleasant surprise by attending the event. The coming week will prove to be even more exciting as Apple's second gen iPad will go on sale on March 11th and we will also see the release of … Read More


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Turmoil, conflict, war, economic meltdown, stress, divorce, chronic health disorder and grave hostility among God's people have grown to epidemic proportions.
The Bible gives us God's perspective in Genesis 1:2-3 when he saw the world in a choatic condition in total disarray and out of sequencial order.
God's word is the solution and remedy for all that baffles you.
Genesis 1:2-3 says, "And the earth was without form and void. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."
The very next scripture, Genesis 1:4, indicates that God saw the light, and that it was good.
The preceding scriptures give us great insight to the wisdom and power of God. A close analysis of these scriptures show us how we can bring divine intervention, order and peace into our personal or family situations.
The actual conditions that existed did not impress or move God. God said in the original text "be light" and he saw light. It is paramount in the lives of the believer that we learn and know the word of God.
Jesus says, in Matthew 4:4, "But he answered and said, 'It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' "
It says in Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
What I am trying to convey to you is that we are God-like creatures. According to Genesis 1:26, "God made man in his own image and likeness and gave him dominion or a controlling influence in his environment."
In essence, the success or failure of any person's life is based upon the voice that one chooses to hear. If one obeys and decrees in agreement with what God says, he will eat the fruit of his lips. But if we live with a negative attitude of unbelief and fear, our lives will always be in mass confusion.
Remember man is a speaking spirit. It says in Mark 11:22-23, "And Jesus answering saith unto them, 'Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.' "
In conclusion, remember that you have already been blessed in heavenly places, but the devil stands between you and your blessings. Defeat him as Jesus did in Matthew 4:4.
Bishop Arthur V. Verrett Jr. is pastor of Faith+Dominion and Power Ministries, 129 Samuel St., Houma. He can be reached at 868-2328 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Columns represent the opinions of the writer, not necessarily this newspaper.
God's word may be solution for you
Turmoil, conflict, war, economic meltdown, stress, divorce, chronic health disorder and grave hostility among God's people have grown to epidemic proportions.


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Recipes >
Jamaican Flank Steak
- 1 one-pound flank steak, trim off any excess fat
- 1 1/4 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- FOR THE CHIPOTLE BUTTER (Yields 1/2 cup):
- 1/4 pound (1/2 stick) butter, completely softened at room temperature
- 2 canned Chipotle chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 recipe Chipotle butter
The rub and chipotle butter turn this inexpensive cut of beef into a truly memorable dining experience.
Why Try? Flank steak is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat, yet very flavorful.
Foodie Byte: Be careful not to overcook and remember to slice against the grain for maximum tenderness.
- For the Chipotle Butter - In a small bowl, cream butter with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the other ingredients until evenly blended. Taste and add more salt if needed. Use plastic wrap to shape and smooth, mold butter into log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and transfer into refrigerator.
- For the steak: Half hour before grilling coat the steak with the oil and pat on all of the rub coating evenly on both sides. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt. Grill until medium rare about 12 to 15 minutes turning the steak every 3 to 4 minutes to ensure even cooking. The thickest part of the steak should register 135-140°F. Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes, then slice. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch slice and set a slice or two on each steak while still warm.
- Make the rub: Mix all the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Nutritional Information
Calories 463, Carbohydrates 3g, Cholesterol 153mg, Fat 36g, Fat Calories 316, Fiber 2g, Protein 32g, Saturated Fat 19g, Sodium 597mg. Daily Values: Calcium 59.04mg 6%, Phos 239.71mg 24%, Copper 0.12mg 6%, Zinc 5.52mg 37%, Panto 0.67mg 7%, Magnesium 28.63mg 7%, Iron 3.14mg 17%, Vitamin B6 33%, Vitamin C 4%, Vitamin B12 35%, Vitamin D 4%, Vit E-a-Toco 6%, Vitamin A 24%. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.


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But the industrial logic of the merger is graphically evident: Fewer flights, more crowded cabins.
Reality-TV series have, over time, gleefully charged to the extreme edge of how graphically they could show childbirth.
Incidences of gay men being hanged in public have been graphically reported upon.
After a few minutes, the two men stop fighting and begin passionately and graphically to make love.
She visited it three times, the last visit being so graphically described by Sir Walter.
This change in composition is graphically represented in Figure 6.
As I gazed at the square, I could graphically visualize the scene portrayed in the picture.
graphically written is his visit to Thiers on behalf of Rochefort.
And in the same way palatalization existed in a great many words where it was not graphically represented.
Can it be that so graphically described by Brother Syngleton Spyke?
"vivid," 1570s (implied in graphically), from Latin graphicus "picturesque," from Greek graphikos "of or for writing, belonging to drawing, picturesque," from graphe "writing, drawing," from graphein "to write" (see -graphy). Meaning "of or pertaining to drawing" is from 1756. Related: Graphically. Graphic design is attested by 1956. Graphic equalizer is from 1969.


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My Life as a TaskRabbit
Standing in the living room of his luxurious two-bedroom apartment, which has sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay, Curtis Jackson informs me that I am a terrible housecleaner. There are soap stains on the walls of his master bathroom and pools of water gathering near the edges of the tub. My Roomba vacuum, we discover after a lengthy and humiliating search, is out of power and stuck under a bed. There's an entire room that I didn't know about and thus never cleaned. I also neglected to take out the trash and left the living room coated in the noxious perfume of an organic cedar disinfectant. "I respect what you are trying to do, and you did an OK job in the time allotted," he says. "But frankly, stick to being a reporter."
The apartment is one stop in the middle of my short, backbreaking, soul-draining journey into what Silicon Valley venture capitalists often call the distributed workforce. This is the fancy term for the marketplace for odd jobs hosted by the site TaskRabbit, the get-me-a-soy-latte errands offered by the courier service Postmates, and the car washing assignments aggregated by yet another venture, called Cherry. These companies and several others are in the business of organizing and auctioning tedious and time-consuming chores. Rob Coneybeer, managing director of the investment firm Shasta Ventures, which has backed several of these new companies, says the goal is to build a new kind of labor market "where people end up getting paid more per hour than they would have otherwise and find it easier to do jobs they are good at."
The idea of posting or finding jobs online isn't new. Craigslist, the pioneering Internet bulletin board, allowed the primitive, gentle folk of the 1990s to find day work, not to mention cheap dates. These new services are different, partly because they're focused and carefully supervised, and partly because they take advantage of smartphones. Workers can load one of these companies' apps on their location-aware iPhone or Android device and, if the impulse strikes, take a job near them any time of day. Employers can monitor the whereabouts of their workers, make payments on their phones or over the Web, and evaluate each job after it's accomplished. The most capable workers then rise to the top of the heap, attracting more work and higher pay. Lollygaggers who don't know how to recharge their Roombas fall to the bottom of the barrel.
Distributed workforce entrepreneurs and their investors are thinking big. They compare their startups to fast-growing companies such as Airbnb, which allows people to rent out their homes. In this case, the assets for rent are people's skills and time. Leah Busque, a former IBM software engineer who started and runs TaskRabbit, says thousands of people make a living (up to $60,000 a year) on her site, which operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and five other cities. "We are enabling micro-entrepreneurs to build their own business on top of TaskRabbit, to set their own schedules, specify how much they want to get paid, say what they are good at, and then incorporate the work into their lifestyle," she says.
Venture capitalists have bet $38 million on TaskRabbit and millions more on similar startups. Other distributed labor companies, with names like IAmExec (be a part-time gopher) and Gigwalk (run errands for companies) are being founded every day. Listening to this entrepreneurial buzz all summer, I got a notion that I couldn't shake—that the only way to take the temperature of this hot new labor pool was to jump into it.
Day One: TaskRabbit
Steve H. wants me to weed his lawn. Specifically, it's a wood-chipped side yard pocked with crabgrass and velvetleaf, which runs the length of his home in Oakland, Calif. He explains that his wife has rheumatoid arthritis and can't perform this kind of work. (It's not clear what his problem is.) As we meet, their Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix warmly greets my right leg.
I'd won the right to weed Steve's yard with a $40 bid on TaskRabbit. As the sweat drips down my back under the hot East Bay sun, I suspect that I sold myself short. My bid, placed after clearing the site's mandatory criminal check, was the lowest of several. Steve concedes he got a bargain. They are kind people, Steve and his wife, and they furnish me with cold water, gloves, and a composting can. Two hours later I'm done, and they tip me $10, paying TaskRabbit with a credit card, so there's no awkward exchange of cash (later I can withdraw this money from TaskRabbit via check or PayPal). Steve also gives me a positive review on the site.
Looking to augment my micro-entrepreneurial income, I peruse the TaskRabbit listings. I bid to help Danielle D. unpack some boxes and to save Josh L. the embarrassment of delivering a dog crate to his ex. I lose out on both jobs because I've been underbid—or maybe I'm scaring customers off by confessing upfront that I'm a journalist. Just as the day is turning into a bust, I place a successful $25 bid to help Jeff R. break down boxes in his garage. I jump in my car and drive to his home in southern San Francisco.
Although he's accumulated the most formidable mountain of empty boxes I've ever seen, Jeff R. is personable. He too has arthritis and has used TaskRabbit to find someone to wash the exterior of his house, paint a room, and move furniture. "I can't do much until I get my knees replaced," he says. Breaking down the boxes is vigorous work, but he keeps me company. As before, my heart sinks when he tells me how much I lowballed my bid. The job takes about an hour, but I'm shocked to learn that Jeff expects me to haul all the flattened boxes away. I leave with a packed car and the sense that I have somehow joined the community of urban recyclers who forgo vehicular hygiene.
Things have gone well though, and now I'm cocky. I bid to clean the two-bedroom apartment with grand views, placing what seems like a fair $32 offer because "Curtis Jackson," the founder of a biotechnology firm, has advertised the task as a one-hour job. (Jackson is not his real name; he asked me not to use it, which is fine because I am not a real housecleaner.) I bring my Roomba and some cleaning supplies and am horrified to see the state of the bathrooms, which do not appear to have been cleaned in some time. I make a total hash of it, using a single, disintegrating sponge for the entire house, streaking his windows and mirrors and catastrophically overapplying Soft Scrub. Curtis is clearly disappointed when I attempt to leave. It would take him a few days to pay me, and he wouldn't leave a review. Trust me, an army of Marriott chambermaids could not have cleaned that palatial spread in one hour.
At the end of the day I stink of cardboard and organic cedar. I call Chris Mok, a top-ranked local TaskRabbit who earns up to $1,500 a week. Mok was laid off from his job as an art buyer at Macy's in 2009 and now spends most days, including weekends, on handyman assignments such as assembling Ikea furniture. (TaskRabbit also uses him as a spokesman.) His advice: Focus on one type of job because you develop a clearer idea of how to bid for each task. "Never underestimate your worth," he tells me, way too late.
Day One earnings: $125
Mood: Exhausted
Day Two: Cherry
Travis VanderZanden has an ambitious goal: to build the first nationwide car wash service. His year-old startup, Cherry, is tackling the $19.5 billion car wash market by harnessing a small army of unskilled workers with free time, outfitting them with washing kits and iPhone apps and sending them out to clean cars where they're parked. "There's a huge unemployed population in this country so we have no shortage of people applying to be a part of this," he says. The service is live in San Francisco and San Diego, and there are plans for rapid expansion. For a day, I'm going to help by donning a salacious red Cherry T-shirt with the slogan, "let the car wash come to you."
I start by visiting Cherry's offices and spend the first hour watching training videos ("don't forget the door jambs"). Then I'm apprenticed to Kenny Chen, 29, an experienced car washer with lanky arms and quick hands. We descend on a parked black Honda on a busy street in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood. We will never meet the owner; she has ordered and paid $35 for the deluxe interior-exterior package from the Cherry app on her iPhone and has left her car unlocked.
In the ingenious, waterless Cherry system, washers use a series of towels and a proprietary cleaning solution that the company describes only as "eco-friendly." As we scrub, Kenny says he dropped out of college but wants to go back to get his degree in criminal justice. Because he's good at washing cars, he gets paid $15 an hour; as a newbie I would earn $12.50 per hour. As we move to the Honda's roof, Kenny points out that the car is parked directly under a bottlebrush tree buzzing with scary-looking bees. For a pregnant moment, we stare at each other. Then he clambers up and does not get stung.
The inside of the car is a horror show. Goldfish crackers litter the back and an uneaten peach decomposes under the passenger seat. Again, Kenny is unperturbed. "This is nothing," he says. "Sometimes there's so much dog hair it's like there's a nest in the car." After we're done, we lock the car and leave.
We drive a few blocks to wash a black Toyota, and then I'm cooked. My back hurts, I've gotten sunburned, and it's only 2 p.m. The next day, I ask for a review from Kenny. "You can tell he tried to be thorough," he wrote on Cherry's site. "Two points of concern: Brad needs to look out for traffic and watch for missed spots on the exterior."
Day Two estimated earnings: $50
Mood: Sore
Day Three: Postmates
TaskRabbiting felt ignominious. Washing cars for Cherry was physically grueling. Joining the Postmates messenger corps was both. The startup, says founder Bastian Lehmann, aims to be a "Fedex within a city." Customers submit orders via Postmate's "Get it Now" smartphone app to have something delivered—groceries, say, or a sandwich. The job is then routed to nearby smartphone-toting couriers who compete to be the first to press "accept" and take the job. Unlike infamous dot-com era flameouts Kozmo.com or Webvan, Postmates holds no inventory. The courier has one hour to buy and deliver the goods in murderous city traffic. A timer on the phone helpfully ticks down the seconds, Jack Bauer-style.
At Postmates HQ, I'm issued a debit card and an iPhone pre-loaded with the courier app. I pay for the deliverables with the debit card, customers pay me via the app, and Postmates cuts me a check at the end of the day after taking a commission of around 20 percent. Unlike the other couriers, I decide against a scooter or bicycle and stick to my cardboard-scented station wagon. This raises the specter of a parking ticket. I chance it.
My first job requires buying pastrami and andouille sandwiches at a barbecue joint called Memphis Minnie's and delivering them across town. I barely make it in time, but the feedback is instantaneous: The customer signs for the order by tapping out his signature on my iPhone and adds a $5 tip. For my next job, I wait 30 minutes in line at the Blue Bottle coffee stand at the Ferry Building to buy four drip coffees and two soy cappuccinos and then rush them to a law firm across the street. I only spill a little. "We're having a primer on patent law so, as you can imagine, this will be well received," says the employee who greets me. Tip: $7.
After missing out on several jobs because I don't hit "accept" fast enough, I buy two teas from a boutique coffee shop and deliver them to an apartment building. Next: Whole Foods to buy and deliver groceries to an employee at Postmates, who I assume is just wondering how I'm doing. I tell her what I've learned: People generally don't look messengers in the eye, and there's nowhere for couriers to use the bathroom.
By late afternoon my car is out of gas, my iPhone out of juice, and my bladder out of room. I've made plans for Days Four and Five of this experiment but opt to return to my sheltered life at the keyboard. It's not that I've grown cynical. I'm actually beginning to think these companies may be building something significant: a uniquely American safety net for the unemployed or underemployed, who will now have somewhere to turn when they need to make money. "If you weren't out washing that car you'd probably be sitting at home twiddling your thumbs," says Hal Varian, Google's chief economist. "Improving the efficiency of finding jobs is a really big deal, even if it's sporadic work." My three-day haul won't feed my family. But the systems are in place, the underlying tools such as smartphones are ubiquitous, and the companies are growing rapidly.
For one of my last jobs, I deliver two burrito bowls from Chipotle to a video-game engineer a few blocks away. On the way home, I have another thought: Perhaps these startups are encouraging a whole new level of American sloth. We've outsourced housecleaning, car washing, and Ikea-furniture assembling. Now we can't even expend the energy to get fast food. But maybe I'm just bitter. The engineer only tipped me three bucks.
Day Three earnings: $50.69
Mood: Grateful to be done


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ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré announced in New York that worldwide mobile cellular subscribers are likely to reach the 4 billion mark before the end of this year.
Dr Touré was speaking at the high-level event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in New York, where he also participated in UN Private Sector Forums addressing the global food crisis and the role of technological innovation in meeting the MDGs.
The MDGs were adopted following the United Nations Millennium Declaration by UN Member states in 2000, representing an international commitment to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development that would include making available the benefits of information and communication technologies. ICTs have been recognized as an important tool to achieve the MDGs.
Since the turn of the century, the growth of mobile cellular subscribers has been impressive, with year-on-year growth averaging 24 per cent between 2000 and 2008. While in 2000, mobile penetration stood at only 12 per cent, it surpassed the 50 per cent mark by early 2008. It is estimated to reach about 61 per cent by the end of 2008.
"The fact that 4 billion subscribers have been registered worldwide indicates that it is technically feasible to connect the world to the benefits of ICT and that it is a viable business opportunity," said Dr Touré. "Clearly, ICTs have the potential to act as catalysts to achieve the 2015 targets of the MDGs." [More...]
© Copyright 2017, International Telecommunication Union
The information presented within this blog comes from various organizations around the world. ITU encourages users to seek more detailed information from the original source through the links provided.
Links to third-party websites are provided for the convenience of all users. The ITU is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content on these third-party websites. ITU does not offer any guarantee in that regard nor does ITU endorse the third-party organizations, their sites or content.


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Greek Life 101: Round Robin
Hi ladies!
I'm super-excited to start rushing a sorority this spring semester! My first event, Round Robin, was a total blast, and I can't wait for bid day next week. Check out my video below to get the whole scoop!
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