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Frustration, relief and confusion.
Those are the emotions of small-business owners in the wake of the "fiscal cliff" deal that defined some key tax provisions for businesses and individuals, but left a lingering cloud of uncertainty.
Last week, Congress prevented the nation from falling off the fiscal cliff with a bittersweet compromise. Some business owners said they were relieved that the provision included a permanent fix for the estate tax, but they complained about the immediate sting from the decision to not extend the 2 percentage point reduction in the Social Security payroll tax.
"What do we do? What is really there?" are questions that small-business owners are asking, said J.A. Lesemann Jr., managing member of the Huntersville, N.C., firm Lesemann & Associates and chair of the N.C. Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Lesemann suggests that business owners advise their employees that the payroll tax holiday is over. In 2011 and 2012, workers' Social Security payroll taxes were reduced to 4.2 percent, down from 6.2 percent. Meanwhile, employers continued to pay 6.2 percent of an individual's total wages.
Business owners and their advocates expressed concern about tax increases on higher-income earners and the delay on deciding on spending cuts to address the debt ceiling.
"As long as the federal government does not have a plan to reduce spending and address the deficit, small-business owners are very concerned in very close future months that the plan that Congress proceeds with will include tax increases," said Gregg Thompson, the North Carolina director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
Mary Brogan, spokesperson for the National Small Business Association, said the lingering national debt could have a chilling effect on growth as businesses hesitate to take on additional employees or debt.
"Consumers, business-to-business transactions, I think everybody is going to tighten things up," Brogan said.
Accountants for small businesses, however, touted components of the deal that will allow some owners to make retroactive expense deductions, encourage the purchase of new equipment and extend some small-business tax credits.
Many small-business owners expressed concern about the immediate effect of the payroll tax increase, but they said it would take a while to understand how other aspects of the legislation would impact their bottom line.
"(The payroll tax) is going to hurt my employees. It is going to hurt me. It is going to hurt everyone," said Brian OliverSmith, CEO of Urban Planet Mobile, a Durham, N.C., company that provides mobile digital education products.
OliverSmith is also worried about the impact of increasing taxes on individuals and families earning more than $400,000 and $450,000, respectively.
Businesses such as Urban Planet Mobile expand with the assistance from other business owners, OliverSmith said.
"So if you tax them too aggressively, that goes away," OliverSmith said.
Brogan said the lowered tax threshold impacts a limited but important group of business owners — those who are more likely to expand and hire new employees. The limit creates a fairness issue for businesses that pass through income to owners.
Certain shareholders will face a maximum 39.6 percent tax rate, whereas a Wal-Mart or an AT&T is going to be close to a 35 percent tax rate, Brogan said.
S corporations, businesses in which shareholders report profits and losses on individual income tax returns, might want to think about a change in structure, but will face other tax challenges as different entities, accountants said.
"It is kind of that conundrum that they are in," said Tim Robinson, an accountant with Raleigh, N.C., firm Hughes Pittman & Gupton. "Which is better?"
Despite the concerns, business owners, their advocates and accountants applauded some aspects of the changes.
The legislative compromise includes a change for the estate tax exemption, which was scheduled to drop to $1 million, but will remain at $5.12 million. The maximum tax rate will rise 5 percentage points to 40 percent after reaching that $5.12 million threshold.
The adjustment is key for Mike Strowd, co-owner of Maple View Farm in Hillsborough, N.C. If Strowd's two daughters were to inherit half the farm under the proposed lower exemption, they would probably have to sell some of the land to pay the tax.
"Then you wouldn't have enough property for Maple View to exist," Strowd said.
Increased allowable expensing under Section 179 of the tax code and the extension of the bonus depreciation could be a huge benefit for small businesses, Robinson said.
Limits for Section 179, which allows small businesses to deduct qualified equipment purchases, dipped from $500,000 in 2011 to $125,000 in 2012. The threshold was scheduled to drop to $25,000 in 2013. The fiscal cliff package bumped allowable expensing back to $500,000 in 2013 and 2012, retroactively.
The bonus depreciation, which allows businesses to recover up to 50 percent of the cost of qualified purchases, was also extended through 2014.
—Bush tax cuts: Permanently extends the 2001 and 2003 income tax cuts for individuals and families earning less than $400,000 and $450,000 respectively. Taxable income above those levels faces a 4.6 percent increase to a maximum rate of 39.6 percent.
—Estate tax: Extends the current $5.12 million exemption level, but the maximum rate will jump from 35 percent to 40 percent.
—Section 179 expensing: Increased allowable expensing of $500,000 is extended for 2012 and 2013.
—Bonus depreciation: The increased 50 percent bonus depreciation rules for investment in new property and equipment remain in place for possessions placed in service before the end of 2013.
—Payroll tax reduction: Didn't extend the 2 percentage point reduction in workers' Social Security payroll tax that was enacted two years ago on employees' portion of the payroll tax.
—Capital gains and dividend taxes: Capital gains and dividends for individuals and families earning below $400,000 and $450,000, respectively, will remain at 15 percent. For those above those thresholds, the dividend tax rate will increase to 20 percent.
—Alternative minimum tax: Includes a fix for the alternative minimum tax, which will increase the exemption amounts to $50,600 for individuals and $78,450 for couples.
Source: MCT Information Services
Fiscal-cliff Changes in Tax Law to Affect Small-business Owners
Frustration, relief and confusion.


text: Johny Hendricks' path to the pinnacle of the welterweight division has been quick and devastating for his opponents. Bigg Rigg's 3 Knockout of the Night performances in his past 5 fights have put him on the cusp of a title shot. See how his focus has never been sharper as he heads into UFC 158.Tags: Carlos Condit, johny hendricks, mma, MMA NEWS, ufc, UFC 158, ufc news, ufc on fuel tv

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Join Date: Jan 2005
Fan#: 18416
Location: the armpit of TN, Memphis, TN
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Originally Posted by
YES! I'm getting tired of the "Ford customer service" posts. What are they actually helping with?
Originally Posted by
Ziggy Cockburn
I just can't stand every time I try to have a conversation with a service person at Ford with whats wrong with my car, I get treated like I'm an idiot.
Also what is "Deysha" going to escalate?
Originally Posted by
Anyone else see this one coming like a freight train?
Guys, you should be thankful that Ford Corp is paying any attention to our little website at all. As you can read above, a call from Corp will cause a dealer to get off their butts and diagnose something. In defense of the dealer, I cannot fix a vehicle that doesn't present a problem. It has to run wrong, throw a code, or something for me to be able to figure it out at all. Now that most cars have platinum plugs installed at the factory- that's just one more clue I won't be able to use.
I've always been impressed since day one when Deysha first appeared in Tech chat many moons ago. I'm happy that Ford is taking an interest in the E-world of auto repair, and until recently I haven't seen FCS intrude on repair threads on older Foci that are out of warranty.
What I'm saying is that y'all need to lay off my GFF's
As far as suggestions go, Deysha and Natasha, first off thanks for helping our members who are having trouble with their dealers- that will really help Ford Corp in the long run. Second, is there any way that you can search for TSBs or other assistance in helping our users with older cars diagnose their issues? Most problems on here have simple causes, but every once in a while I run into something beyond the knowledge of our users. When it comes to repairing a car that is more than 6 years old, I don't think anyone is going to go to a dealer if they feel that they can repair it at home. The ones who are going to take it to a dealer aren't the kind of people to post on these websites, and likely already have an extended service contract.
Be eclectic.
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Baton Rouge (Louisiana, US), Apr.17 (ANI): Louisiana's Indian American Governor Bobby Jindal has suggested that former Vice President Dick Cheney should tone down his criticism of President Barack Obama.
Cheney has repeatedly criticized Obama's national security policy, saying recently on CNN's "State of the Union" that Obama's decisions "raise the risk to the American people of another attack."
Asked to respond to Cheney's remark during an interview ABC's "Good Morning America," Jindal said: "I don't think we should question President Obama's patriotism or his intentions."
"I think Democrat or Republican, we should all agree that our current president, our former president would obviously want to do everything they could to keep us safe," he said. "Let's give the new administration a chance. Let's not question their intentions. Let's have a real debate on their policies," Politico quoted Jindal, as saying.
The Republican governor praised Obama for "showing more flexibility when it comes to Iraq than maybe some of the campaign rhetoric suggested."
"I am, quite honestly, pleasantly surprised. That's the kind of pragmatism, listening to the commanders on the ground, I think is very important," Jindal said. (ANI)


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If you agree that rethinking, reusing and revitalizing Philadelphia is an investment that provides a significant return for Philadelphia's neighborhoods, join us.
The Community Design Collaborative is pleased to offer sponsorship opportunities that connect with your customers, business, and mission and invest in a unique revitalization effort with exciting possibilities.
Your sponsorship of Infill Philadelphia will help restore the competitive edge of urban neighborhoods and engage an audience of over 5,000 design practitioners, community development experts, policymakers, funders and the media. Sponsors will receive recognition at events, in printed materials and publication, on the Infill Philadelphia website, and other valuable sponsor benefits.
The third phase of the initiative — Infill Philadelphia: Industrial Sites — is being presented in partnership with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and is partially underwritten by the William Penn Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development, the CRE Foundation, and Urban Land Institute Foundation with additional support from community program partners Drexel University Facilities, Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.
For More Information:
For information, download Infill Philadelphia sponsor information or contact Carryn Golden at firstname.lastname@example.com or 215.587.9290.


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Colombia - Medellin II - Celebration of Family 2011
During the celebration of family day that occurred the 16th of October of 2011, in the neighborhood SantamarĂa in MedellĂn Colombia, the participation of Solidary was present, organization that has within its main objectives to keep families together, coming out like a main foundation for our society. The development of this event was possible with the collaboration of Gloria Nancy Ruiz. . This day was shared with this beautiful community, enjoying a time to love and remember that there are many reasons to smile. Beyond the gifts the hearts of the people were filled with hope and love for life, Thanks to Solidary for making possible these unforgettable moments. Said Gloria Nancy Ruiz.
Durante la celebraciĂłn del dĂa de la familia que se realizĂł el dĂa 16 de Octubre del 2011, en el barrio SantamarĂa en MedellĂn Colombia, estuvo presente la participaciĂłn de Solidary, organizaciĂłn que tiene como uno de sus principales objetivos el mantener unidas a las familias, destacando su importancia como cĂ©lula principal de la sociedad. Este dĂa se compartiĂł con esa bella comunidad, disfrutando de un tiempo para amar y recordar que hay muchos motivos para sonreĂr. Más allá de los regalos se llenaron todos los corazones de esperanza y amor por la vida, Gracias a Solidary por hacer posible estos momentos inolvidables. Said Gloria Nancy Ruiz.
Was We provide not only a hygienic environment, balanced & nutritious food, clothing, and shelter but also education with love and affection, and above all morals, basic family values and culture. We are working to help needy people all over the world.To find your local office of Solidary and the programs we are development you are invited to visit us.
Medellin II - Celebration of Family 2011 Juan de Acosta, Colombia Christmas in Tolu Christmas in Medellin Christmas in Cali Medellin San Andres - Rotary Club
Chapter Volunteers
All international volunteer opportunities are arranged through your local chapter Solidary national headquarters is unable to match volunteers with international assignments. Use our Chapter Locator on Humanitarian Work on the left menu to find the chapter closest to you.


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Posted by Sam (YA Librarian) on November 9, 2011
The iPad doesn't need any introduction, I know. However, what you might not realize is that the Young Adult Department has its very own iPad2 for use in the Library. You bet that I'm bringing that baby down for people to test out on National Gaming Day! We have a good selection of games on it, including, Robot Unicorn Attack, Infinity Blade, and (my personal nemesis) Plants vs. Zombies*.
(Infinity Blade)
(Robot Unicorn Attack)
*Not pictured due to me needing a serious break from that game. Oh, I'll be back PvZ. I'll be back!


text:
Pyramid SolitaireHow To Play
Pyramid Solitaire is a variation of traditional solitaire. At the start of the game cards are dealt face up in a pyramid shape. You need to clear the entire pyramid by trying to add cards up to a total of 13. In Pyramid Solitaire you can only play cards that are completely uncovered, or that appear on the 3 discard piles at the bottom of the screen. To clear the cards in this version of solitaire, locate two uncovered cards that total 13 and click each of them on sequence. They will then be removed from the pyramid. You can also click any King alone, as it has a value of 13. You may deal 3 new cards from the deck to the discard piles at any point in the game. You do this by clicking on the face down deck. To win you must clear all of the cards in the pyramid. If you score 36 points or more you may deal the cards again; otherwise you have to start the game over. The cards in the deck can only be dealt once to the discard piles in this version of solitaire.. If they have all been dealt and you cannot clear any more cards, you have reached the end of the game. Card values: Aces = 1 Jacks = 11 Queens = 12 Kings = 13 All other cards = Face Value
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Community church events scheduled
'Christianity for Skeptics'
Does God exist? How can anyone believe in religion when science has neither a need nor a place for God? Is evolution happening today? If God is a God of love, why do we suffer and die?
Creation Ministries International is coming to the Indiana area soon with answers to these important questions. Come and hear Dr. Jonathan Sarfati expose the bankruptcy of the evolutionary myth. You'll be amazed to see how weak the scientific evidence for evolution is.
See the presentation of "Christianity for Skeptics" at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 9, in the Toretti Auditorium in the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The program will include a question-and-answer session.
Online: www.creation.com
Yard sale
SAXONBURG — A two-day yard sale benefiting Lutherlyn Day Camp will be held rain or shine from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 20 and 21 in Centennial Hall at St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 110 State St., Saxonburg.
Vendors can sell their items for $10 a table. Donations also are being accepted (no electronics). For tables, contact Gayle Gundlach at (724) 352-4205 by June 18. Setup will take place June 19.
The Community Day Camp will be held July 13 to 18 at St. Luke's church.
Women's fellowship dinner
PENN RUN — The Penn Run Christian Outreach Center, 75 Grace Center Road, Penn Run, will hold a women's fellowship dinner from 1 to 4 p.m., June 21.
Tickets are $10 each and are available at the Penn Run Christian Outreach Center. Entree choices are baked chicken or steak. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Anyone interested must make a reservation by June 14 by calling (724) 349-6973 or (814) 743-5491. Leave a message and a return phone number.
Proceeds will be used for local mission work.
Sunday concerts
ROBINSON — The Robinson Church of the Brethren will hold gospel and contemporary Christian music concerts at 6 p.m. Sundays at the church, High Street, Robinson. The schedule is as follows:
• July 13, Contemporary Christian quartet, OneVoice, and the gospel duet Abraham's Promise
• Sept. 21, Southern gospel music, CrossOver


text:
General Electric Co (GE.N) on Monday pledged to invest $2 billion in Africa by 2018 to boost infrastructure, worker skills and access to energy
Haiti's historical mecca is expanding to the world. Cap-Haïtien will soon welcome a newly expanded and transformed int'l airport.
Sierra Leone has declared a state of emergency and called in troops to quarantine Ebola victims
The doctor leading Sierra Leone's fight against the worst Ebola outbreak on record died from the virus on Tuesday
U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday gave a preview of a summit he will hold with African leaders next week
A female suicide bomber blew herself up at a petrol station in northern Nigeria's biggest city of Kano on Monday
A huge fuel depot in Libya's capital burned out of control on Monday
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports the global initiative to wipe out polio, which includes a campaign in Nigeria
Missing Air Algerie plane from Burkina Faso has crashed: Algerian official
Zimbabwe held its first public interviews on Tuesday to fill vacancies at the Supreme Court, taking a step towards complying with a new law that eventually could weaken President Robert Mugabe's tight grip on the country.


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Nugget's good, maybe good enough to be in a TransWorld video.
It appears X Games has employed technology from the Navy to protect their camera men.
David "Gravity Defying" Gravette, drifting ollie to fakie.
That LA vato look. Bless it Nick Trapasso.
Jake Duncombe's excited face.
Who better to oversee your nosegrind than Adam Dyet? David Gravette does it.
Elissa Steamer came in her relaxed attire. Women's street isn't until Sunday.
Omar Salazar appeases the fans.
Media and bros.
Chris Pastras handles the mic.
Tony Tave suffers the agony of… I'm not sure.
Gotta get the shoes ready. A pre-game lace-up.
Crooked grind. The new warm-up.
See. Sierra Fellers.
Nyjah goes front tailslide on the obstacle that's an ode to that one spot in Miami. Reminds me of the Muska… the tailslide, I mean.
I ran into Phillipa Rattray, Keegan Sauder and John Rattray after the contest. There's this thing on the Olympus where you can make people look like a drawing. I call it the Aha "Take On Me" feature.
Then, we went with Keegan Sauder over to the Big Air at the LA . Maybe it's a little extreme, but the venue kept reminding me of the marching hammers part in Pink Floyd's The Wall.
See what I'm talking about?
This thing.
John Rattray said it didn't look that steep. Then, he got close and he took it back.
Nothing like someone pulling a 540 to get some perspective. Couldn't get any closer than this, but it gives you a good idea of how immense the thing is. Jake Brown won it. Bob got second.
To see more Olympus X Games Coverage, click here.


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That's It!
The ad says you can find "it" on eBay <ebay.com>. I saved a search for the surnames Feyler and Feiler, and I get e-mails with new items for bid. One was a vintage album with 335 photos. I recognized the name Katherine Feyler, my grandmother. Of all the photos the seller could've uploaded, he chose one of Katherine. He'd bought the album at an estate sale in Florida; my grandmother was from Ohio. A mystery.


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Beautiful colour
By Caroline
from Mississauga
These legging are soft and the colour is nice. I have not used it yet but will in the summer months.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Nina Leonard Cropped leggings
By GLORIA, the Fashion Diva
from FREDERICTON
I love them! Comfortable, colorful, stylish. I love Nina Leonard fashions. I have several.
( 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Great Fit and comfortable
By Maureen
from Thunder Bay, Ontario
at first i ordered a med, but had to return for a small, but they do not fit as displayed in the picture, but more of a relaxed leg and since i'm petite in stature, they are much longer. i ordered the cobalt/blue first and later the lime green to match with a top from another line also in a small and they make a great set. they are exactly the same material and have had many compliments from both especially when asked where did you purchase your capri set? i knew which line of items matched, so ordered both to create this affect and it worked out perfectly. i wish the capris did fit closer, but they still are quite flattering. the cobalt also matched an earlier faux wrap top from Lennie's line and created yet another set that worked out very well.
( 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Love them
By Eve
from Stouffville, Ontario
I have 3 pairs and I love them.
( 3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
By Andrea
from Georgetown, On
I ordered the Nina Leonard cropped legging in lime green & love them. They are so comfortable...I actually ordered a large the first time & found they were a little big but decided to keep them anyway because of the comfort but I also ordered a second pair in meduim & they fit perfect.They wash very well & not a wrinkle to be found.
These cropped leggings are really soft.
By Red
from Edmonton, Alberta
I really like these leggings. They are dressy and casual. They are really soft material too.


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20 July 2011
2.2 Sanitary and Hygienic Measures
A. Agricultural Commodities
The US has extensive requirements for the importation of animals and animal products and plants and plant products. Additional restrictions or complete prohibitions may be imposed on countries where certain plant and animal diseases are deemed to exist. These diseases include, but are not limited to, high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), exotic Newcastle disease (END), rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), swine vehicular disease (SVD), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), exotic Alternaria, a broad range of plant pests, etc.
In addition to any restrictions and prohibitions enforced by the USDA and other government agencies, the FDA oversees and enforces the Bioterrorism Act. Among other things, this law requires domestic and foreign facilities to register with the FDA if they manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption in the US. Imports from non-FDA-registered facilities are prohibited.
a) Plants and Plant Products
The importation of plants and plant products is subject to USDA regulations and may be restricted or prohibited. Plants and plant products include fruits, vegetables, plants, nursery stock, bulbs, roots, seeds, certain fibres including cotton and broomcorn, cut flowers, sugarcane, certain cereals, elm logs and elm lumber with bark attached.
APHIS regulates the importation of plants and plant products through phytosanitary (plant health) certificates, permits, importation rules, import prohibitions and inspections. A phytosanitary certificate is an official document issued by an exporting country certifying that the shipment conforms to US phytosanitary import requirements and is free of pests and diseases that do not exist in the US. Anyone wishing to import certain plants and plant products into the US is required to have a phytosanitary certificate. Also, certain endangered species of plants may be prohibited or require permits or certificates for entry.
Import permits are required for certain plants and plant products, including fruits and vegetables. APHIS can take up to 30 days to issue a permit. It is not necessary to apply for a permit for each importation, provided that the original permit (a) specifies all import requirements for all the commodities that will be imported and (b) has not expired.
To monitor plants, cuttings and seeds entering the country, APHIS has established 17 plant inspection stations at or near major ports of entry throughout the country. At these stations, inspectors work with specialists to locate, examine, and identify exotic pests, diseases and noxious weeds.
Certain agricultural commodities (including avocados, dates, filberts, grapefruit, table grapes, kiwifruit, olives, onions, oranges, Irish potatoes, plums, raisins, tomatoes and walnuts) must meet US import requirements relating to grade, size, quality and maturity. These commodities are inspected and an inspection certificate must be issued by the FSIS to indicate import compliance.
The FDA also regulates plants and plant products, particularly fruits and vegetables.
In December 2003, APHIS indefinitely suspended importations of Ya pears from mainland China due to the presence of a fungal disease. This prohibition was lifted in February 2006. Current US regulations permit the importation of Ya pears from the mainland Chinese provinces of Hebei and Shandong if those pears have been grown, harvested, and packed for export under certain conditions and if China's national plant protection organisation certifies that those conditions have been met. The requirement that Ya pears from Shandong Province undergo cold treatment for the Oriental fruit fly was eliminated on 31 March 2008.
In December 2005, APHIS amended the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of fragrant pears from China under certain conditions. To be eligible for importation, the pears must be grown in the Korla region of Xinjiang Province at a production site that is registered with the national plant protection organisation of China. In addition, the pears must be packed in insect-proof containers that are labelled in accordance with the regulations and safeguarded from pest infestation during transport to the US.
In August 2007, APHIS amended the fruit and vegetable regulations to establish a notice-based process that streamlines and expedites approvals for new fruits and vegetables. These changes did not alter which fruits and vegetables are eligible for importation or how the risks associated with those commodities are evaluated or mitigated. The new process still requires that a pest risk analysis be conducted; however, if this analysis shows that the commodity's risk can be sufficiently mitigated by one or more of four designated phytosanitary measures (i.e., inspection upon arrival, certified origin from a pest-free area in the country of origin, treatment for pests in accordance with the regulations and/or inspection and certification by the national plant protection organisation of the exporting country that the commodity is pest-free in the country of origin), the commodity is eligible for a more streamlined approval process. Commodities whose risk cannot be sufficiently mitigated by one of these measures continue to be subject to the regular rulemaking process.
In 2005, APHIS suspended the importation of all mainland Chinese handicrafts made from wooden logs, limbs, branches or twigs greater than one centimetre in diameter until a more thorough evaluation of the pest risk associated with those articles could be conducted. The reason for the ban was the increased infestation with live wood boring beetles and other pests of a range of handicraft imports from the mainland, including artificial trees manufactured from a composite of natural and synthetic materials, garden trellis towers, home and garden wood décor and craft items. However, APHIS determined in 2009 that these articles can be safely imported from the mainland provided certain conditions are met, including treatments, phytosanitary certificates and inspection and box identifications. Accordingly, APHIS issued a proposal that would lift the ban on the following handicrafts where wood is present: carvings, baskets, boxes, bird houses, manufactured Christmas trees, garden and lawn/patio furniture, potpourri, silk trees (typically artificial ficus trees), trellis towers, garden fencing and edging, and other items composed of wood. The proposal was still under consideration as of 15 March 2011.
b) Seeds
Seeds must be free from pulp and require a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin. Importations may or may not require a written permit and treatment, depending on the seed in question. Shipments are detained pending the drawing and testing of samples.
Coated or pelleted seeds may enter the US only if each lot is accompanied by an officially drawn and sealed seed sample drawn from the lot before the seed was coated or pelleted. Seeds whose importation is prohibited include bamboo seeds (prohibited from all sources), peanut seeds (prohibited from China and various other countries), potato true seeds (prohibited from most countries), wild rice seeds (prohibited from most countries), barberry seeds (prohibited from all sources), coconut seeds (prohibited from most sources), cutgrass seeds (prohibited from all sources), sprangletop seeds (prohibited from all sources), mahoberberis seeds (prohibited from all sources), mahonia seeds (prohibited from all sources), mango seeds (prohibited from most sources), prunus seeds (prohibited from all sources not meeting certain importation conditions), Rutaceae genera seeds (prohibited from China and other locations where citrus greening or citrus variegated chlorosis is present), seeds of all kinds when in pulp, etc.
c) Livestock and Animals
A permit for importation must be obtained from APHIS before the following items can be shipped from the country of origin: (1) all cloven-hoofed animals (ruminants), such as antelope, camels, cattle, deer, sheep, and giraffes; (2) swine, including the various varieties of wild hogs, and the meat from such animals; (3) horses, asses, mules, and zebras; (4) all avian species including poultry and pet birds; (5) animal by-products, such as bones, bone meal, blood meal, glands, hair, untanned hides, wool or secretions of ruminants and swine; (6) animal germ-plasm, including embryos and semen; and (7) hay and straw. In addition, all animal imports must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate. Entry of animals is restricted to certain ports that have been designated as quarantine stations. All non-domesticated animals must meet the requirements of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
d) Meat, Poultry and Egg Products
The FSIS is responsible for ensuring that domestic and imported meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome and accurately labelled. Foreign countries that export meat, poultry and egg products to the US are required to establish and maintain inspection systems that are equivalent to those of the US. The FSIS audits foreign inspection systems and re-inspects meat and poultry at the port of entry to ensure that foreign countries have maintained equivalent inspection systems.
If the FSIS deems the foreign country's inspection system to be equivalent to the US system, a proposed rule is published in the Federal Register announcing this determination and the FSIS' intent to list the country as eligible to export meat, poultry or egg products to the US. After consideration of public comments, a final decision is made on country eligibility and, if favourable, a final rule is issued. That foreign country's inspection system is then responsible for certifying individual exporting establishments to the FSIS and for providing annual re-certification documentation. The FSIS regularly conducts on-site audits of the eligible foreign inspection systems to ensure that they remain equivalent to the US system.
Foreign inspection certificates are required to accompany all imported meat, poultry and egg products. These certificates must indicate the product name, establishment number, country of origin, name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, quantity and weight of contents, list of ingredients, species of animal the product was derived from and identification marks. The certificate must also bear the official seal of the foreign government agency responsible for the inspection along with the signature of an agency official. This certificate must be in both English and the language of the foreign country.
Occasionally, some circumstances could result in the suspension of eligibility and an interruption of trade. One example is if an emergency sanitary measure is implemented by the FSIS to address a hazard that is so severe that no product can enter the marketplace from a foreign establishment until the control is in place. A second example could be if an exporting country does not provide satisfactory documentation of an equivalent sanitary measure. A third example could be if a system audit reveals that an exporting country is not implementing a public health sanitary measure in the manner that the FSIS initially determined to be equivalent.
Permanent withdrawal of eligibility, like initial approval of eligibility, can only be accomplished by rulemaking. The FSIS may, however, take action to ensure that products from a particular country are not admitted into the US if they are adulterated or misbranded based on specific findings during on-site audits, because of port of entry re-inspection failures, or other means.
Mainland China is not eligible to export to the US poultry products that are slaughtered in domestic establishments. The FSIS issued in April 2006 a final rule allowing processed poultry products from mainland China to be imported into the US if they are processed in certified establishments from poultry slaughtered in certified slaughter establishments in other countries eligible to export poultry to the US. Among other things, this regulation requires that those poultry products be subject to re-inspection at the pertinent port of entry for transportation damage, labelling, proper certification, general condition, accurate count, defects and microbiological contamination. However, no mainland Chinese facilities had been certified to export to the US as of 1 February 2011 partly due to efforts by the US Congress to block the implementation of the FSIS final rule. These efforts were abandoned in September 2009 with the approval of an agricultural appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010 that allowed the USDA to move forward with the implementation of the final rule provided it complied with certain conditions.
APHIS issued an interim final rule that, effective 24 January 2011, prohibits or restricts the importation of bird and poultry products from regions where any subtype of HPAI is considered to exist. The new restrictions cover bird and poultry products from mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sudan, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam. While previous import restrictions were limited to regions where the more dangerous H5N1 strain of HPAI had been deemed to exist, APHIS indicates that it had already been applying a de facto ban on imports from regions with any HPAI subtype because all foreign regions where HPAI is considered to exist are also regions where Exotic Newcastle Disease is considered to exist. The separate import restrictions for regions with any HPAI subtype will allow APHIS to better protect against the introduction of END and HPAI and allow the agency to remove countries from one disease list but keep them on the other list if necessary.
Regions will be added to this list immediately after APHIS receives reports of outbreaks in commercial birds or poultry from veterinary officials of the national government of the region and/or the World Organisation for Animal Health. A region will be removed only after APHIS completes an evaluation, makes it available for public comment through a notice published in the Federal Register and responds to any comments received.
Under the new regulations, carcasses of game birds, if eviscerated with head and feet removed, may be imported from regions where END is considered to exist but may not be imported from regions where any HPAI subtype is deemed to exist. Carcasses or parts or products of carcasses, including meat, of poultry, game birds or other birds, may be imported from END/HPAI regions if packed in hermetically sealed containers and if cooked by a commercial method after such packing to produce articles that are shelf stable without refrigeration. Additionally, carcasses and parts or products of carcasses may be imported if they are accompanied by a certificate that is signed by a fulltime, salaried veterinarian of the government agency responsible for animal health in the region and that specifies that the articles were cooked throughout to reach a minimum internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
APHIS also replaced the previous prohibition on the importation of birds that had been vaccinated for END with a prohibition on imports of live poultry, birds (including hatching eggs) and ratites that have been vaccinated for any H5 or H7 subtype of avian influenza. Furthermore, APHIS has banned the importation of live birds and poultry that transit regions where HPAI of any subtype is considered to exist because there could be significant risks of these animals contracting HPAI en route to the US.
The US has determined that Hong Kong and mainland China are not free of rinderpest or FMD. As a result, there is a prohibition, with certain exceptions, on importations of ruminants, swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat of any ruminants or swine from Hong Kong and mainland China. Restrictions are also placed on imports of swine, pork and pork products from Hong Kong and mainland China because US authorities believe that classical swine fever and swine vesicular disease is present in those locations.
APHIS amended the US import regulations in April 2008 to allow the importation of uncooked pork and pork products from regions where CSF is considered to exist if those products originate in a region free of CSF and meet certain other conditions with respect to processing and shipping. CSF-free regions include Australia, Brazil (Santa Catarina State only), Canada, Chile, Fiji, New Zealand, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, a number of European countries and certain Mexican states.
APHIS further amended the US import regulations effective from 14 January 2010 to allow imports of cooked pork skins (pork rinds) from Hong Kong, mainland China and other regions affected with CSF, SVD, FMD and/or African swine fever under certain conditions. These conditions include:
- cooking using specified methods (i.e., pork rinds must be cooked in oil for at least 80 minutes when oil temperature is consistently maintained at a minimum of 114°C, or they must be dry-cooked at 260°C for approximately 210 minutes after which they must be cooked in hot oil at 104°C for an additional 150 minutes);
- processing at an approved facility eligible to have its products imported into the US under the Federal Meat Inspection Act; and
- a requirement for pork rinds to be packed in clean new packaging that is clearly distinguishable from packaging used for pork or pork products not eligible for export to the US.
In addition, shipments of foreign products must be accompanied by a certificate issued by a government official who is authorised to issue the foreign meat inspection certificate required under USDA regulations.
APHIS also amended effective from 14 January 2010 the regulations governing the importation of animal by-products to require that bird trophies from regions with END meet certain requirements or go directly to an approved establishment upon importation into the US. As a result of this amendment, bird trophies from Hong Kong, mainland China and other regions not free of END may be imported into the US provided they are treated after arrival at certain approved facilities. Bird trophy imports from Hong Kong and mainland China would also require a permit obtained from APHIS prior to importation because those two locations are not deemed by the US to be free of HPAI.
e) Cheese, Milk and Dairy Products
Cheese and cheese products are subject to USDA and FDA requirements. Most importations of cheese require an import licence and are subject to quotas administered by the USDA. The importation of milk and cream is subject to the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and the Import Milk Act. These products may be imported only by holders of permits issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA.
The US imposes additional restrictions on imports of milk and certain milk products of ruminants and swine from countries where rinderpest or FMD has been deemed to exist, including Hong Kong and mainland China.
f) Insects
With the exception of importations made for scientific purposes, USDA regulations prohibit the importation of live insects that may pose a danger to agricultural crops (e.g., vegetables, fruits, trees and field crops), as well as any eggs, pupae or larvae of such insects. Packages containing live insects (or their eggs, pupae or larvae) that are not pernicious to crops or trees are permitted entry into the US only if they are covered by a permit issued by APHIS and not prohibited by the FWS.
B. Restrictions on Wildlife and Pets
The importation of live wildlife (i.e., game animals, birds, plants) and of birds' eggs is subject to certain prohibitions, restrictions, permits, and quarantine requirements imposed by several government agencies. Imports of wildlife and their parts or products must be declared at designated FWS ports unless an exception is granted prior to the time of import. Commercial importers of wildlife must obtain an FWS licence. Certain mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, molluscs, other invertebrates and plants may be prohibited entry without the prior issuance of a permit either from the foreign wildlife authority or from the FWS.
The importation into the US of any wildlife or its parts or products is prohibited if the wildlife was captured, taken, shipped or possessed contrary to the laws of the foreign country. Endangered species of wildlife and certain species of animals and birds are generally prohibited entry into the US and may be imported only under a permit granted by the FWS.
Imports of birds (pets, migratory birds, falcons) are subject to the quarantine requirements of the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)'s Public Health Service. Quarantine space must be reserved in advance of import. Prior to export, health certificates must be obtained. As mentioned above, the US has established a prohibition on the importation of unprocessed bird and poultry carcasses, parts, and products (i.e., chickens, doves, ducks, geese, grouse, guinea fowl, partridges, pea fowl, pheasants, pigeons, quail, swans and turkeys) from countries where HPAI has been found to exist, including mainland China and Hong Kong. This prohibition also covers live birds and poultry that transit regions where HPAI is considered to exist or that have been vaccinated for any H5 or H7 subtype of avian influenza, as well as any hatching eggs of vaccinated live birds or poultry.
The importation of feathers or skins of any bird, except for scientific and educational purposes, is generally prohibited. This prohibition does not apply to fully manufactured artificial flies used for fishing or to personally taken, non-commercial game birds. Feathers or skins of the following species are permitted entry: chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, geese, ducks, pigeons, ostriches, rheas, English ring‑necked pheasants, and pea fowl not taken from the wild.
The importation of birds, cats, dogs, monkeys and turtles is subject to the requirements of the CDC's Public Health Service, Quarantine Division; APHIS' Veterinary Services; and the FWS. The importation of live turtles, tortoises and terrapins with a carapace length of less than four inches, and the viable eggs of turtles, tortoises and terrapins, is allowed by the CDC's Public Health Service only under strict requirements as to purpose and quantity. The Public Heath Service does not allow the importation of live, non‑human primates, including monkeys, as pets.
The importation of marine mammals and their products into the US is prohibited, unless specifically exempted under an international treaty. The importation of live lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, cheetahs, jaguars or cougars, or any hybrid combination of any of these species, is also prohibited unless certain exceptions are met.
The FWS enforces a ban on the importation of most African elephant ivory and any products made from it. The ban covers all commercial and non-commercial shipments, although there are limited exceptions for antiques, trophies and personal household effects.


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Rob Ford says he was showing "leadership" when he blitzed a Scarborough ward with robo-calls, but the councillor targeted by the automated message calls it "political thuggery" and says the mayor is a "bully and a liar."
Councillor Paul Ainslie said Tuesday the mayor crossed a line when he "carpet-bombed" his ward with the robo-calls last week, and he plans to take his case to the city's integrity commissioner. The mayor's response: He was just doing his job.
The verbal donnybrook is the latest issue to polarize city councillors and the newest sign of the bad blood between the mayor and Mr. Ainslie – once a strong ally.
Mr. Ainslie was the only Scarborough councillor to vote last week against plans to replace the Scarborough RT with the subway extension favoured by the mayor. He introduced an unsuccessful motion at council to stick with the original light rail plan. Mr. Ainslie resigned Friday from Mr. Ford's executive committee in the aftermath of that vote, and the robo-call went out to residents of Mr. Ainslie's Scarborough ward that night.
After a long weekend in which the mayor used his radio show to defend the calls and vowed to make more, Mr. Ainslie held a news conference to say the bad behaviour has to stop.
"I am here to start the fight back against a bully and a liar," Mr. Ainslie said.
"This mayor – and his brother – will use whatever means or platform they have to demonize those who point out the apparent truth when they've stepped over it," he said later. "Well, let me tell the Ford brothers this: 'I'm not scared of you.'"
The mayor responded saying he did nothing wrong. "That's my job – to tell taxpayers how their money is being spent. I don't know what he is so upset about," he said.
Mr. Ford said he wrote and recorded his message in his office Friday at the urging of his brother, Councillor Doug Ford. He said he is covering the "few hundred bucks" it cost.
"I don't know what I did wrong here," the mayor told reporters. "My brother came up with the idea and I did it probably as soon as we finished council. I wrote out a script, bounced it off some people, taped a message and it went out probably five minutes after I did it."
Asked about being labelled as a bully and a liar, Mr. Ford responded: "For telling people how their money is being spent. That's leadership."
Doug Ford said his brother has the right to "use his phone" to inform the people of Toronto. "We"ll see what the integrity commissioner says, but I don't see anything wrong with making a phone call telling his constituents how he voted," he said.
Toronto lawyer John Mascarin, a municipal expert, said council's code of conduct prohibits the use of city hall resources and equipment for election-related activity and addresses "discreditable conduct," which includes bullying and intimidation. Whether the calls violate these sections is not clear, he said, but likely call for an examination by the integrity commissioner.
In a copy of the call obtained by The Globe and Mail, the mayor says "It was extremely, extremely unfortunate that your councillor, Paul Ainslie, was the only Scarborough councillor who did not listen to his constituents and voted against the Scarborough subway."
Councillor Jaye Robinson, who was dismissed from Mr. Ford's executive earlier this year after she suggested the mayor should take a leave to address his personal issues, said the tone of the call is clearly critical of Mr. Ainslie. "There is nothing positive about it," she said. "It was a tactic of intimidation."
Councillor John Parker expressed dismay at the comments coming from both sides. "I think the best way to respond is to rise above it and not engage in name-calling or snivelling," he said.Report Typo/Error
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Syria's Civil War: The View From A Damascus Shrine
By Mark Goldberg On May 29, 2013 · Leave a Comment · In National Public Radio
Traveling to Damascus gives you a view of Syria's war turned inside out.
The international community talks of arming Syria's rebels against President Bashar Assad, but in the capital many people still hope the rebels will lose.
That's the thinking we found around a Muslim shrine in Damascus, a tribute to the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad. She lived centuries ago, but a Damascus doctor we met spoke of her in the present tense.
"We love Sayida Zeinab," he said. "We like Sayida Zeinab. We respect Sayida Zeinab."
We wanted to visit, so the doctor offered to guide us there. We arranged to meet beside the highway leading toward the shrine. He leaned into our car window to talk, though like many people here he asked us not to use his name.
Sayida Zeinab is holy to all Muslims, though the Shiite sect maintains the shrine, which is in a Shiite neighborhood. The doctor said it's surrounded by many guards, out of fear that Sunni extremist rebels will destroy it.
"They do not believe in shrines. The terrorists have Wahhabian ideas," he said of the Wahhabi, followers of an especially austere brand of Islam.
Assad's government has relentlessly said the rebels are foreign terrorists. There is no evidence that all of the Sunni rebel groups oppose Shiites, though it is clear that some are extremist Sunnis. Fear of them has bound Shiites and other minority groups to Assad's regime.
The shrine is in an area of heavy fighting, but the doctor said he has never missed a day of work at a hospital nearby.
"I have been working in Sayida Zeinab for 25 years as a doctor," he said.
He offered to lead us there. Our cars raced down a highway, the Damascus airport road, past bombed-out buildings on either side. And then we arrived at a series of military checkpoints.
We walked a busy street until we saw the shrine's golden dome. We arrived in a courtyard with walls covered in elaborate blue tiles. Words echoing off those walls showed which side of the battle lines the shrine is on.
The announcer was marking the deaths of three men killed in the war — martyrs, the speaker said, fighting for Assad's government.
The guards of the shrine include men from Lebanon. They are allies of Assad, longtime veterans of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. They believe Syria has become the scene of a proxy war between Shiite Iran and Sunni Arabs, including the rulers of Saudi Arabia.
The guardians also include local men, like a former sheep dealer who joined a volunteer defense force.
Let's not hide behind one finger, he said, adding: We all know there's a conspiracy against us. He said: There is nothing wrong with us pulling together with people who share our beliefs.
Beneath the shrine's golden dome we entered a room of brilliant light. Every wall and the ceiling was covered with mirrored tiles. Pilgrims put their hands on Sayida Zeinab's tomb.
One young mother, with a baby in her arms, paused to talk through a translator.
"Why do you support the government, the regime?" I asked.
"Because I saw by my own eyes, because I saw by my own eyes how the army saved us and the rebels want to kill us," she said.
Nearby, a caretaker of the shrine said he also backs Assad.
He said Syrians are too "ignorant" to "import" "foreign" ideas like Western democracy.
When we left the shrine, we walked down the battle-scarred street behind it and arrived in the local hospital. There we met again with the doctor who was our guide.
"Twenty percent of the people of all Syria love the president too much. And 20 percent may hate the president too much. But the rest, which is 60, loves their country," he said. "They do not want their country to be destroyed."
The doctor said he does not love Assad too much. He even dared to say that others could do better. Yet he strongly disapproves of the rebels.
"I am with any revolution who change for the better, who changes for democracy. But I do not agree with any revolution who destroy the country," he said.
In Syria's elections, Assad has always been the only candidate: It's a yes-no referendum on his rule. The challenge for Syria's rebels is to finally present some plausible alternative — a new system of government in which terrified Syrians might believe.
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
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Ticket hours: noon-6p Tues-Fri
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KRCC presents ARLO GUTHRIE
Pikes Peak Center
Saturday July 13, 2013 8pm
reserved seating through Ticketswest.com
7th Annual Blues Under The Bridge – July 20th, 2013
WATERMELON SLIM & THE WORKERS, JOHN HAMMOND, BLUES CARAVAN W/ JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR, THE SLIDE BROTHERS, D.B. REILLY, and THE JUST US LEAGUE
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KRCC Member tickets on sale for $25. General Public tickets on sale for $35. VIP tickets $91.50. Day of show tickets $40 at the west gate. Tickets available through www.TicketFly.com or at KRCC.
Pre-festival Party Friday July 19th from 5-8pm at the Wyndham Grand Mining Exchange with Watermelon Slim, and Big Jim Adams!
Pre-festival shows at Jack Quinns with:
BJ Estares and Route 66 on Wednesday July 17th at 7:30pm!
The Delta Sonics with Al Chesis on Thursday July 18th at 7:30pm!
Austin Young on Friday the 19th at 9pm!
KRCC presents TAB BENOIT
Colorado Springs, City Auditorium
Wednesday, July 31st
KRCC Member Tickets on sale now for $16 at the KRCC Studios.
General public tickets on sale through www.AMusicCompanyInc.com .
KRCC and the Fine Arts Center present VIEUX FARKE TOURE
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Monday August 5th, 7pm
KRCC tickets on sale now for $15 at KRCC.
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KRCC presents DIANA KRALL
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Pikes Peak Center, Saturday October 12th, 2013 8pm
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KRCC presents BONNIE RAITT
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Wednesday, October 16th 8pm
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I don't post here much but I do Golfmkv and others like stanceworks. figured i would post this here as well and try to get tex cool
Just following the trends. I suck at taking pictures but I do anyway.
It is coming on 3 years and just shy of 70k on my 09 GTI. Bought new in March 2009 only options being DSG and heated seats.
It has been a slow progression and I will forget a lot of minor details but here is my timeline/build thread/photo dump.
I will skip the same old boring stock, and stock on lowering springs.
In the fall of 09 my girlfriend decided to rear-end a poor MKV Jetta. I was ready to murder her and spend the rest of my life in jail, but all bad things happen for a reason(yea right) and it actually turned out pretty well.
I also picked up a set of Mercedes e-class wheels in 17"x8" et 38 and mounted the stock 225/45 ballon jobs on them.
So in January of 2010 the repairs were done and a boser hood was added!
After that I did a rear muffler delete and made up a short ram intake setup for it on the cheep.
Next project was the rear "hidden" hitch and bike/snowboard rack
In the spring of 10' I painted the wheels black, this is the first and last set of black wheels I will run except for the steelies on my truck.
I also added a votex rep lip
I drove around the for a bit like this all the while hating the 4x4ness and big ass tires
July 10' was the first time I looked at my car and kinda liked it.
FK Silverline +X with no helpers, 205/45 falkens, tinted tail lights and mirror turns were all done around this time.
September 10' I turned 24 and went to my first real VW show H20i. It really was so much fun it really set in how fun the VW scene is even though it's full of *******s and haters.
I also painted my wheels gunmetal and lowered the car more. I absolutely loved my car like this, it is what I think the best my car has been so far.
December 2010 I bought a set of winter wheels, as well as two full sets of Corvette wagon wheels in 17"x8.5" et56 and 18"x9.5" et63.
I ordered four 27mm adapters from motorsports-tech and four 205/40r18 Nitto neo-gen tires.
Final specs are 9.5" et 36
test fit
I rushed and mounted them after stripping them completely in raw cast aluminum.
The days following mounting them I was still playing with the fitment than I got stuck doing stupid christmas driving and trucking people around and the rear quarters got totally ****ed/burnt/kinked at -2.5 camber.fml
In between christmas and me plowing during a close to 2' of snow on the 26-27th I managed to max the rear camber, pull the rear fenders, raise the car 1/2", do a full check over on the car, pack, and finish building my friends badd 73' Honda cb500. This was all in preparation for a 3 week long road trip on the 29th from Long Island along the south west all the way to L.A. and San Diego.
I managed to destroy my rep lip on that trip.
There are a lot of pictures I never posted from that trip just because we cut it so close we had to pretty much rush home from the grand canyon and I was to burnt to post pictures.
Spring 2011 I notched my frame lowered the car more and got some new wheels.
Work VS-MX wheels in 18"x8"-9" et38 with 205/40-215/40 tires.
I picked up an OEM Euro lip from Kevin at EE Militia. I made it to a few shows and meets including Waterfest where I took zero pictures because it was too hot and I was lazy.
I took a trip to New Hampshire, drove the car up the Mt. Washington Auto Road and took some more pictures.
I also upgraded to flickr from photobucket at this time.
So with H20i coming up I was in save mode so I did one mod with some pop.
I rattle canned the faces and hand cleaned and polished 160 gold work bolts (that were all mint under all the dirt)
I disliked the red smiley with the green so I tried to paint it green 30 minutes before leaving for Ocean City, that didn't work so I ran no smiley.
My friends B5 S4 getting a uni tune and the reason I didn't kill my gf when she crashed the car.
Random H20i shot


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but some years do seem worse than others for some reason.
Some years we have a hot summer, some years we don't. If you can predict the cycles of nature in advance, maybe you should go work in the futures markets. ;) Hey, at least I'm not in denial. I know there are varroa in the hives; even if I don't see too many.The varroa sure aren't slowing them down this summer. I was out working in a field behind my bees when all of a sudden I was surrounded by a cloud of bees. You never like to see that happen. :(


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World XI faces wounded Aussies
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If the World XI one-day players fancy their chances of catching Australia on the rebound from a disappointing England tour, a quick look at the record book provides sobering reading.
Australia has lost only one of its past 16 ODI series anywhere.
Its home record is formidable. It lost a three-match winter encounter against Pakistan at Telstra Dome in June 2002, when none of the Australians had picked up a bat in two months.
And it failed by one point to make the final of the triangular series against South Africa and New Zealand earlier that year.
Otherwise the last time Australia lost a home series was in 1996-97, also to Pakistan.
This is a team that over the past six years has won almost 80 per cent of its matches while scoring at 5.29 runs per over.
During that time it has taken the past two World Cups and established an unrivalled streak of 21 consecutive wins.
Australia's highest score in the limited overs format, 359, was not the product of some ill-matched slogfest against a minor team in a jungle clearing somewhere.
It was in the World Cup final against India in 2003, for the loss of two wickets. The Indians were then bundled out in less than 40 overs.
This is a cricket team.
So are its opponents.
From the drawn one-day series in England come the two undoubted stars, Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.
The multi-talented Flintoff would be the first picked in any world team, perhaps even in front of Adam Gilchrist, which is saying something.
Pietersen doesn't have to say anything. An average of 87 speaks for itself, regardless of the fact that he has been in international cricket less than a year.
One of the enduring images of the 2005 England-Australia series is of Pietersen clubbing the ball to and over the boundary rope. Like Flintoff, and Ian Botham before him, his mishits go for six.
The two England players are, however, just the start of things for the world XI.
Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Chris Gayle - take your pick in the batting order.
Then who do you throw the ball to? Choose between Shoaib Akhtar, Shaun Pollock, Flintoff (of course), Daniel Vettori and the wizardous Muttiah Muralitharan.
It's an awesome lineup of talent, on paper.
If they perform at anything like their potential, the World XI will be hard to beat.
But gathering players from disparate backgrounds and countries in a short space of time, and forming them into an effective unit is notoriously difficult.
Pollock has less than a week from the time they touched down in Melbourne until they walk out for the first game at Telstra Dome.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes the Ashes defeat is all the incentive his players need.
Already a team with close personal bonds, they have circled the wagons against criticism of their performance in England.
"That might be one of the slight advantages we do have over this team who haven't been together and played as a group yet," Ponting said.
"But the other thing we've got in our favour is we have a bit of a point to prove now as well after the last tour."
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Hey y'all! I'm really excited to announce that I have a panel proposal in South by Southwest's Panel Picker contest! The title of my proposal is " Dealing With Internet Drama In Feminist Discourse". Exciting, right? I would really like to attend SXSW, so if you'd like to help me, please click on the link below to vote for my panel!
Click here to vote for RMJ!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Vote for RMJ in PanelPicker SXSW 2011!
Posted by RMJ at 12:03 PM
Labels: panelpicker, self-promotion, sxsw
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MERGER GRIEVES HEIFETZ.; New York's Calm Over Orchestra Amalgamation Surprises Him.
Jascha Heifetz, who will be assisting artist today at the last appearance of the New York Symphony Orchestra this season and the last before its amalgamation with the Philharmonic, gave voice yesterday to the growing feeling of disappointment among musicians of the city ...
April 01, 1928
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Snowflake Bag
The sweetest bag in town this little snowflake bag is filled with a 1 oz. tub of Maple Cotton Candy, a jar of Maple Frosted Nuts and a large leaf of Jed's Maple Candy…mmm…delicious!
Would you like to Request a Catalog, or Join Our Mailing List?
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Order Jed's Award-Winning Maple Products
using our secure on-line shopping cart,
our printable order form,
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We accept checks, money orders and credit cards.


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Free personalized radio that
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Making Promises
Features of This Trackfolk influences
latin influences
intricate melodic phrasing
thru composed melodic style
major key tonality
melodic songwriting
electric guitar riffs
a prominent accordion part
acoustic rhythm guitars
vocal duets
latin percussion
and many other similarities identified in the Music Genome Project
These are just a few of the hundreds of attributes cataloged for this track by the Music Genome Project.show more
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Redfin's Free Home Buying Class in San Jose, CA
Team Redfin
Wednesday, July 25, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (PDT)
Event Details
Thinking about Buying?
Our free class, hosted by our local agent, Brad Le, will get you on the right track. Plus we provide free dinner and a drink!
What We'll Cover:
- Is buying for you?
- Bay Area home prices, inventory levels, and market conditions
- Finding an agent & tolls for your home search
- Home finance for pre-approval to mortgages
- Quick review of the purchase process & special property types (short sales, foreclosures)
Your Host, Redfin Agent Brad Le
Brad Le is the lead agent on Redfin's Silicon Valley Team. He's helped over 160 people buy and sell. Want to meet him before the class or just have a quick question? Feel free to give him a call at (408) 457-6719 or email him at email@example.com. He's happy to answer all of your home buying and selling questions.
Free and Never any Obligation
Our mission is to reinvent real estate. A big part of this means we want you to be as informed as possible about buying or selling a home. Attending this class doesn't obligate you to work with a Redfin agent; just come to learn, eat, and drink!
When & Where
Hotel Valencia
355 Santana Row
San Jose,
Wednesday, July 25, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
Team Redfin
From the way we pay our agents to our easy online tools, Redfin is a brokerage that has reinvented how to buy or sell your home. With Redfin, you'll see all the information, get honest advice at every turn, and be able to move faster and smarter. Get better results at a lower fee for a deal that works in your favor.


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Your Cat, Your Life
The Scoop
Cat News, Politics
Meow-Out-Loud Humor
Cat Chic
Gear and Glam
Your cat loves a clean toilet -- don't we all? Catster's singing Cat Lady, Sarah Donner, explains why.
Cat Breeds
Foods & Treats
Health & Care
Behavior & Training
Cats & Cleaning
Cat of the Day
Other pets in your family: MAGGIE MAY(in loving memory) | Monroe Meow | MARLEY | McCoy
Copyright © I-5 Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Knowing when - and what - to let go of with garage sale
May 31. 2014 7:10PM
I know, I know - I sound maudlin, sad. Alas, as I progress in life, as I move on in years, I realize more and more that it's time to let go, occasionally admit defeat, move on.
In the early '90s, I traveled with three friends to Turkey. Yes, the first Gulf War was in full force, but it did not stop us from jumping a plane from Holland to Turkey to spend some time on its beautiful southern coast on the lovely Mediterranean Sea - the coast of the country in both Asia and Europe. And when I was there, I purchased some leather shorts.
And I wore them. A lot. In Europe. On dates. With tights.
I thought them pretty fabulous, and now they adorn a closet in my house where they have hung for, yikes, two decades. Twenty years. I will never wear those shorts again ... and yet I find it hard to part with them.
But I did put my daughter's stilts in the sale. Actually, she did. I was a little sad thinking I now have a home without stilts. I love walking on stilts. It's one of my favorite childhood memories. And I was good. I could walk up and down the street for hours, stilting up curbs, even stairs.
Last week, I happened upon a game of Four Square at my school and joined in. When I was 10, I was quite good - adept - and often made it to the "King's Square" and ruled the game. I tried re-living that dream and slipped and fell while trying to return a pretty good spike from 12-year-old Kate. Yup. I slid on that pavement so hard, I saw stars. I now have a knee brace and crutches - and while I suppose crutches have something in common with stilts, they are not nearly as entertaining.
Nevertheless, once my knee heals, I'll don some orthopedic shoes and play again. I simply have to. Maybe I'll just stretch more before I serve the ball. I'm not ready to sit out a good Four Square game.
"Budget Vogue" appears here the first Sunday of each month. Susan Dromey Heeter's other column, "Down to Earth," appears the third Tuesday of the month in the Union Leader's At Home section. Email her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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GREG FITZSIMMONS - 4 Shows
Mixing an incisive wit with scathing sarcasm, Greg Fitzsimmons has achieved success as a stand-up, Emmy Award-winning writer and host on both radio and TV. He has also made more than 50 visits to "The Howard Stern Show," and hosts "The Greg Fitzsimmons Show" on Sirius XM's "Howard 101," in addition to putting out the hugely popular "FitzDog Radio" podcast twice a week.
A frequent panelist on E!'s hit show, "Chelsea Lately," his book, "Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons," climbed the best-seller charts and garnered outstanding reviews from NPR and Vanity Fair. In addition the four Daytime Emmys he won as a writer and producer on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," his honors include "The Jury Award for Best Comedian" from The HBO Comedy Arts Festival and a "Cable Ace Award" for serving as host for MTV's "Idiot Savants."
In his spare time, Fitzsimmons is currently developing pilots for both Nickelodeon and VH1, where he's also made many appearances on "Best Week Ever" and the "I Love the..." series. His writing credits include HBO's "Lucky Louie," "Cedric the Entertainer Presents," "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" and "The Man Show," among others. He has two half-hour specials on Comedy Central, and in 2008, he took his career to a new level when he hosted the 25th Annual "AVN Adult Movie Awards" on Showtime.
*Sat @ 10:30 - SPECIAL NASTY SHOW w/ GREG FITZSIMMONS*
Not for the faint of heart or easily offended, join Comix for a show where lines are crossed and common decency is left at the door! Greg Fitzsimmons will put on a truly uproarious show that can only be described as, you guessed it, Nasty Good! Unapologetically honest and personal, with no regard for the overly sensitive, you will be saying out loud "who would even think of that!"
Need a good laugh? Stop by COMIX At Foxwoods Comedy Club & Bar to see the best national club headliners, cutting-edge alternative comedy and musical variety acts, along with superb local talent. In addition, we have open mic nights and the COMIX 3/4/5 Happy Hour (the Best Happy Hour drink specials in Foxwoods) – Wednesday through Sunday from 5 pm - 7 pm.
Note: Our COMIX Comedy Club has an age restriction of 21+. Our shows in the Fox & MGM theaters do not have this age restriction.
COMIX has partnered with FOXWOODS to offer the best comedy/hotel deal in Connecticut. Laugh Out Loud with our unbelievable hotel package.
Due to contractual obligations with our talent, all tickets once issued are non-refundable after 24 hours.
COMIX is located just a short drive from Hartford, Providence, New Haven, Boston, or Worcester – in the center of Foxwoods Resort Casino. (Exactly the place you'd imagine finding a comedy club, in the middle of the woods. No… really.)
COMIX is the perfect spot for private parties and special events. Birthday parties, meetings, conventions, bachelor/bachelorette parties, cult gatherings, shopaholics anonymous meetings… you name it, we'll accommodate it – ComixAtFoxwoods.com
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text: Does anyone else find it strange that in Brown's interview in today's News that Brown said that Detroit brought him back to soon after his surgery. As I remeber it Brown called Delfino everything but a baby when Delfino didn't make Brown's timetable. Oh how different it is when the shoe is on the other foot. If I were at todays game I wouldn't cheer or boo because for every good thing Brown did he did something bad. Go Pistons make New York suffer the indignities of a sound thrashing.


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Does the 2nd Amendment trump the 1st Amendment?
A recent article in the NY Times resurrected the firing of Dick Metcalf from Guns and Ammo Magazine. Metcalf was an editor and featured columnist for G&A for many years. Up until he wrote an article suggesting that it was time to begin a discussion on the limits, if any of the 2nd Amendment, his credentials among gun aficionados was impeccable. It turned out that Metcalf was fired because his employers feared that his continued association with G&A would negatively impact its relationship with its big advertisers, who happen —surprise, surprise— to be major firearms manufacturers. Judging from the hate mail Metcalf says he's received, it would seem that some folks got so irate over the idea that the 2nd Amendment had any limits at all, they were willing to shut him up, to the point of homicide. (For a quick look at what some of the limits are, or might be, go to http://agauchepress.com/2013/12/21/a-second-amendment-pop-quiz/ )
About two months later, Duck Dynasty's patriarch, Phil Robertson, got suspended by the A&E channel for expressing opinions in public derogatory of gays. While the issue was not fleshed out, it seems clear that A&E's executives feared the sponsors of Duck would not like one of their stars alienating a segment of their customer base. So here again, a private employer disciplined an employee for speech that their advertisers wouldn't want associated with their brand. However, in this case, unlike the Metcalf affair, the Ailes/Limbaugh troglodyte faction began screaming about free speech. Suddenly they became gung ho 1st Amendment champions to shame the ACLU.
To hear the spin and hype oozing forth from Fox and Idiots-On-The-Air you might think there was a constitutional question here. In case anyone is in doubt, the constitution applies to the government's use of power to stifle free speech (1st Amendment) or to limit firearms (2nd Amendment.) Private employers can justifiably terminate or suspend an employee who pisses off an advertiser or its customers. Just how long does anyone think Megyn Kelly would last at Fox if she came out while confessing she was a socialist?
The difference between the Metcalf and Robertson cases, as we all know but are reluctant to address, is only one of substantive issues. If you want to talk about limits to the 2nd Amendment, you've got no 1st Amendment rights. But, according to the spittle that contaminates the right-wing airwaves, if you want to put the hurt on gays or lesbians, you've got a constitutional right. So I guess the answer to my initial question is that the 2nd Amendment trumps the 1st over there in the far reaches of right-wing land. Mao Tse Tung said, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." I wonder how they would feel to discover they agreed with him.


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Free personalized radio that
plays the music you love
Selected Discography
Track List: Constricting Rage Of The Merciless
Track List: Blood For The Master
Track List: Carving Out The Eyes Of God
Track List: A Haunting Curse
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They slayed.....
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posted by joe .
if 8 g of vinegar is added to baking soda to form 24 g of c02 and other products, how much baking soda did you need?
The chemical reaction is
HC2H3O2 + NaHCO3 -> NaC2H3O2 + CO2 + H2O
24 g of CO2 is 0.545 moles. (it is not clear if the 24 g applie3s to CO2 or ALL products. You will need the same number of moles of NaHCO3, but there is something wrong with the problem. You would need a lot more than 8g of acetic acid, and even more of vinegar, which is diluted acetic acid.
Here is another way of looking at your problem. If ALL the products have a mass of 24 g, then all of the reactants must have the same mass. That would imply that 16g of baking soda was used. The reaction may not have been stoichiometric, and not all of the baking soda may have been consumed.


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Sri Lanka: Coastal Resource Management Project
Validates the completion report's assessment of the project, which aimed to establish integrated management of coastal resources to improve their sustainability. IED overall assessment: Successful
Validates the completion report's assessment of the project which aims to establish integrated management of coastal resources to improve their sustainability. Targets were that (i) the Coast Conservation Department would implement coastline protection and stabilization measures in seven specific coastal stretches by 2005; (ii) six special area management plans would be implemented by the Coast Conservation Department by 2004 in collaboration with coastal communities and nongovernment organizations; and (iii) the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation would manage two safe, efficient, and hygienic harbors and two anchorages by 2005. IED overall assessment: Successful
- Project Description
- Evaluation of Performance and Ratings
- Other Performance Assessments
- Overall Asssessment, Lessons, and Recommendations
- Other Considerations and Follow-Up


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|Performing Arts
A classic style radio drama, updated for today with a full sound design and a large cast of actors. This audio drama focuses on a group of survivors in a world on the brink of collapse. We air 3 episodes a month, taking a week off between chapters.
Parental Advisory
September 10th, 2012
Episode 100 of 153 episodes
Chapter 33 - "Red Winter" Part 2 "The view from above" - Come back Sep 17th for the next episode!
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In a time where we're all threatened by a rhetoric of hate from the people in power; A Gay And A NonGay challenges many of our differences head on and promises that no matter who you are, or what you're into (Bruce Springsteen or Britney), love is love and gay and nongays can be friends.

An independent podcast from James Barr (@imjamesbarr) and Dan Hudson (@DanHudson). Contact us on Twitter, IG or Facebook @gaynongay


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The BBC has been criticised after it sold just 21 readings from its thousands of hours of archive children's radio programmes, despite the sale being deemed a "priority" by the BBC Trust two years ago.
The corporation was told to explore "every opportunity" to make its archive available to commercial operators, such as digital radio station Fun Kids, to "breathe new life" into licence fee-funded content for which there was no window at the BBC.
But the trust's review of the BBC's children's services, published on Tuesday, revealed that to date just 21 separate readings had been made available.
The report said that management had "underestimated the time and resources the process would take" and blamed "confused lines of communication between the executive and third parties" which led to "several misunderstandings about what titles can be released".
The opening up of the corporation's archive followed the decision, four years ago, to scrap all children's content from the BBC's five main radio stations, now confined to an online offering and a daily hour-long programme on digital station, Radio 4 Extra.
But the trust found low awareness of the Radio 4 Extra show, with the station not mentioned by a single one of more than 8,000 children who took part in the report.
Matt Deegan, programme director of Sony award-winning children's radio station Fun Kids, said: "We have had two years of conversations about content.
"We felt as licence fee payers had paid for it, it makes sense to broadcast it on a children's radio station that hundreds of thousands of kids listen to.
"The negotiations were protracted and the content was valued at a level that makes it commercially unviable. The sad thing is that licence fee payers who paid for it will never hear it again."
The trust said the BBC had to do more to open up its children's radio archive, and find ways to increase awareness of its audio offerings across radio and online.
Radio 4 Extra has an average weekly reach of 1.7 million, but of those only 26,000 are children aged 10 to 14.
Susan Stranks of the Sound Start group, which campaigns for children's radio, said: "It's indefensible that the BBC Trust continues to support this abrogation of public duty to young listeners in their review.
"This seemingly irrational support calls into question the trust's somewhat conflicted position, as having officially and unquestioningly authorised the cuts and changes made in the BBC's strategy for children's audio [in] 2011.
"The trustees' only caveat was to prioritise release of redundant [licence-funded] children's radio archive to commercial rivals. Two and a half years later, due to unforeseen copyright problems, this still has not happened."
The BBC's challenge is that there is no natural home on any of its radio networks for children's programming. Its Radio 4 children's series, Go4It, was axed because the average age of its listener was over 50.
Any attempt to launch a dedicated children's radio network, for which the BBC has shown little or no enthusiasm, would not only be hugely expensive but also face serious regulatory challenges.
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Book Interview: 'Mirror, Mirror'
07/22/03 12:00AM By Neal Charnoff
| Download MP3
(Neal Charnoff) Most of us begin our day by preparing ourselves in the mirror. The commonplace nature of this morning ritual makes us think of mirrors as just mundane objects we use in our daily lives. But in fact, the human ability to see and interpret our own reflection is unique in the animal kingdom.
In the new book "Mirror, Mirror: A History of the Human Love Affair with Reflection," Colchester author Mark Pendergrast tells the story of the mirror's historical, practical and metaphorical place in our world.
Mark Pendergrast has previously written books on false memory, the Coca-Cola Company and the history of coffee. He joins us in our Colchester studios.
"Mirror, Mirror " is published by Basic Books. Pendergast will sign copies of the book Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Barnes and Noble in South Burlington.
(To hear the interview, click on the "Listen" icon.)


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2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06: One Part ZR1, One Part Throwdown for Porsche
The track-worthiest Vette gets forced induction and gobs of race-car tech.
Chevrolet certainly is hoping to expand the Z06's appeal, and a big part of that mission involves a tide of development work to massage some of the spookiness out of the car's behavior at the limit. Anyone familiar with the outgoing Z06 is well versed in that car's challenging limit behavior, which takes a skilled driver to manage. Based on the new C7 Stingray's friendlier and more accessible performance envelope, we suspect the new Z06 will be better in this regard. That said, we won't know for certain until we drive it, but one thing that's sure to find the Z06 more buyers is Chevrolet's introduction of an automatic transmission option.
Dubbed 8L90, the new eight-speed might have a torque converter like your dad's Malibu, but it's quite the beast. First, it has the highest torque capacity of any GM automatic extant, the better to handle that LT4, and second, GM claims it can upshift eight hundredths of a second quicker than Porsche's instantaneously quick PDK dual-clutch automatic. Other bonuses include manual control, a compact design that fits it into the same space as the Stingray's six-speed automatic, eight fewer pounds of mass than the six-speed, and the fact that it's destined for regular Vettes next year. For enthusiasts, the same seven-speed manual with driver-selectable rev matching that's standard in the Stingray is standard in the Z06.
Today, ZR1 is Spelled Z-0-6 . . .
Underneath, the Z06 for the first time closely resembles the Stingray. Previous cars used an aluminum chassis, compared to the regular Corvettes' steel units; now with the C7 Vette using aluminum, no major changes were needed for Z06 duty, and both are now made in-house at GM's Bowling Green, Kentucky, Corvette facility. Of course, Chevrolet didn't leave the platform totally alone. Whereas the Stingray uses a steel torque tube (ideal for quelling NVH issues from the Active Cylinder Management system), the Z06 gets a thick carbon-fiber unit that shaves weight and maintains acceptable NVH properties. Carbon fiber is also used for the hood and the removable roof panel. That's right, the Z06's lid is no longer fixed, and Chevy says despite this, overall chassis rigidity is up 20 percent versus its predecessor; with the roof in place, that improvement swells to 60 percent.
When it comes time to slow down the Z06, drivers will lean on massive two-piece steel brake rotors (measuring 14.6 inches in diameter up front and 14.4 in the rear) clamped by six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. The Z07 package, as you'd expect, swaps this gear for even larger 15.5 front and 15.3-inch rear carbon-ceramic rotors said to be borrowed from the outgoing ZR1; they save 23 pounds and bring more-favorable thermal performance. GM's excellent Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) adaptive dampers are standard, as is an electronic limited-slip differential with a hydraulically actuated clutch that can vary diff action in tenths of a second. These two features, along with the eight-speed automatic, when equipped, can be manipulated via the same drive mode selector found in the Stingray. Weather, Eco, Tour (default), Sport, and Track modes remain, each with a unique calibration for the steering, throttle map, Active Fuel Management, exhaust, MRC dampers, traction and stability control, and the gauge-cluster display.
Just as the C7 Stingray's interior took a major step forward in niceness, so does the Z06's, which comes standard with a "wrapped" cabin. This means everything is covered in stitched, soft-touch materials, and buyers can further deck it out with full Nappa leather with micro-suede and carbon-fiber accents. A unique flat-bottom steering wheel further sets the Z06 apart, as does a new optional Performance Data Recorder for drivers keen on documenting their on- and off-track shenanigans. A pair of seat choices are available: a regular "GT" seat and a hard-core Competition Sport seat with substantial bolsters. Both chairs' frames are rendered from lightweight magnesium, and if they're as good as those in the regular Vette, we'll be smitten.
Okay, so we're betting this rundown of the Z06 has read something like an exclamatory spec sheet. But that's the way we think the Corvette team would like it—if Mr. Juechter can spend a handful of minutes detailing a single vent, we can use this space to list the technical triumph that is the entire car. How good is the Z06 shaping up to be? We're told it shattered the course record at GM's Milford Road Course on its first time on the track. Let us remind you that almost no development or tuning work had been done to the car at that point—Chevy simply bolted the pieces together and went for a lap time. Think what it could do after a year of fine-tuning. Now for the best part: All of this C7.R-for-the-street business won't cost you any more than the old Z06. As Tadge Juechter himself put it—in between explaining the aerodynamic value added by the tiny spats ahead of each front wheel and detailing how the C7.R's three-percent fuel-efficiency bump (thanks to direct injection) will save one pit stop over a 24-hour race—"if you could afford the old Z06, you'll be able to afford the new Z06."