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If the Tea Party took over famous comic strips09/29/10
Sorry that it is a slide show...but it is still funny. See them all.
Never say 'No' to Panda09/22/10
Would you eat a genetically modified fish?09/20/10
We've been eating genetically modified (GM) vegetables for years so I don't really have a problem with eating GM fish. These alarmists that make a big deal out of it are the same people that say it's also dangerous to irradiate food. Of course, people have been irradiating food ever since the discovery of fire (infrared).
Koalas are dirty whores09/17/10
The world's koala population is being ravaged by Chlamydia.
The best of Anna Nicole Smith09/16/10
Most of this is just horrible acting but it is worth it for the 3 helicopter scenes where someone has to tell her every line she says.
Cross a US Senator, maybe get auditted by the IRS - Cross a Thai Senator, get your ass kicked!09/14/10
Two retired professional Muay Thai kickboxers, who are now Thai Senators, fought on the steps of their Parliament to promote the National Sport of Thailand. If only US Senators were this athletic...
Here's some high school football nostalgia for Paul and Gianmarc09/13/10
- Down by two.
- 5 seconds left in the game.
- Starting from their own 20.
- Starting QB injured and replaced by the starting RB.
- Heroics.
See here for far more detail about this amazing play.
Know your rights - douchebag becomes hero for standing up for his rights09/13/10
Paul Lukacs is a blogger who does business in China all the time. Recently on a return trip from China he refused to answer any of the silly "business or pleasure" questions which resulted in blowing the mind of the Customs Agent that was asking him the questions. They detained him for 30 minutes while they tried to come up with something to charge him with but ultimately let him go. In the comments section of his original post, lots and lots of people called him a douchebag (which he is) but a lot also commended him for standing up for his constitutional rights of privacy (for which he SHOULD be commended).
In answer to those questions, he posted 10 points which show a great understanding of the constitution and US law. The takeaway is this. Anytime you speak with a cop, you run the risk of lieing (accidentally or not) which could result in you going to jail like Martha Stewart. This is a must read.
The greatest political Ad in the history of the Internet09/07/10
I am gonna tip my hand here and announce that I will probably be voting every incumbent out of office this year. That said, if I lived the the 36th Congressional district in California, I would be voting for Mattie Fein because incumbent, Jane Harman, is apparently the girlfriend of Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Parody is the foundation of the First Amendment!
About all those repressed childhood memories of trauma...09/07/10
So...those repressed childhood memories of the priest molesting you in the confessional? Yeah, you made them up (or your psychologist did). Turns out that traumatic events like being sexually assaulted are actually made STRONGER by the trauma, rather than the folklore idea of them being buried. It makes sense. Some of my strongest memories are the worst memories from my past: first time I was beaten up, when my ex cheated on me, the time Bailey almost died, etc.
So where do those memories come from? Most likely crazy people looking for sympathy or inept psychologists.
The fit has hit the Shan09/03/10
Chinese authorities are throwing a fit with people named Shan because it contains a rare Chinese character that doesn't exist in most word processors. As a result, they are forcing them to change their names.
|Blog by Nucleus | Design by Ringtones | Chinese Bad Words - 破壞性的自由 | Tunisian Bad Words - الحرّيّة التّخريبيّة


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October 15, 2008
China's weapons laws are among the world's toughest. Its blanket ban on private ownership of rifles, pistols and even gun replicas is a core tenet of social policy. Still, a gun culture is taking hold, says the Wall Street Journal.
In response, the government holds gun-surrender drives, appealing to citizens with posters in subways to turn in arms with no questions asked, or even for cash:
- A six-month campaign this year netted 79,000 guns, 1.8 million replica guns and 5.75 million bullets, the Ministry of Public Security said last month.
- A similar effort in 2006 turned up 178,000 guns and 638,000 replicas in four months.
The Ministry of Public Security says its police increasingly face armed and aggressive suspects. Most Chinese police aren't armed, and they sometimes are provided little more than a uniform to do their job. An emerging market for bulletproofing underscores the need. Meanwhile, possession of a single gun is grounds for a prison sentence of as long as three years, and the penalty for a gun crime often is execution:
- In July, a Shanghai man drew a prison sentence of 12 years, and his wife 11 years, for possessing three guns and 600,000 bullets, plus peddling weapons on the Internet.
- Chinese authorities say they dealt with 4,666 gun cases last year.
- Officials often respond to sensational gun crimes in the United States and elsewhere by affirming the need to maintain tough laws.
Gun control was introduced in 1966, after children aiming a Spanish rifle at sparrows near Tiananmen Square shot out a window in the Great Hall of the People, according to an official history of the Ministry of Public Security. Authorities grew more vigilant after the violently suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations of 1989, and after rapid economic growth began to spur social tensions. The government imposed the current rules in 1996, forbidding the private manufacture, sale, transport, possession, import or export of bullets and guns, including replicas.
Source: James T. Areddy, "Staring Down the Barrel: the Rise of Guns in China," Wall Street Journal, October 14, 2008.
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text: Massimo Marchiori, a professor at the University of Padua in northeast Italy, has launched a new search engine, Volunia that aims to integrate search as well as social networking. Deriving from the Italian words volo(flying) and luna(moon), Volunia is the fruitful result of three years of hard work put in my Marchiori. Apart from speeding up the process of search, Volunia will also allow users to interact with registered users who are searching for similar content on the same web page. Apparently, there is some history involved between Marchiori and Google, as Marchiori created the algorithm that was later used in Google. In the 1990s, Marchiori was teaching at MIT, Larry Page, the future founder of Google, approached him at the conference where he presented his algorithm titled 'HyperSearch'. Marchiori has been quoted as saying, <em>"Page was fascinated by it and asked if he could use it. Since it was not patented, he used it in the best possible way."</em> Essentially, the Volunia search engine is built of two main features. When a user enters a website, the toolbar offers to create a personal map of the site with all its sections, putting the "volo" in Volunia in terms of "overflying the content", as Marchiori intends it. The second feature is the "media" button which provides the user with an instant display of multimedia content to speed up the search. There is also the availability of social box which enables real-time interaction with other users on the site. Marchiori named his new concept as Volunia as he wanted to highlight the quantum leap his social search engine delivers. The site was launched on Monday and is operational for registered users. Though, it will take a few tweaks here and there, Marchiori promises that it will be open to all users by next week. Source: corriere Image Credit: idearappers


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Celebrate the wine country lifestyle with our unique loyalty program. Jordan Estate Rewards allows customers to accrue points for access to exclusive food and wine experiences.
When you join, for every dollar you spend at Jordan, you'll earn points to redeem toward private tastings, dinner parties and more at Jordan Estate in Sonoma County. Unlike a wine club, there are no annual shipments, and your points never expire.
Membership is complimentary and automatic when you join our mailing list. You'll receive 3,000 bonus points for signing up, and you'll continue to earn three points per dollar for all purchases made—either in person at our winery in Healdsburg, by phone or online. To experience a reward, you simply use your points and pay a redemption fee. The higher the membership level, the lower the cost to redeem a reward. Once your purchases total $500, you will become a Silver level member.
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Explore these ideas and much more!
Explore related topics
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F30 / F31 / F32 / F33 / F34 / F36 (2012 - current)
The sixth generation BMW 3 Series Sedan F30/F31/F34 and the first first generation 4 Series Coupe F32/F33/F36. Get the latest 3 and 4 series pricing from our ordering and pricing guide sticky thread.
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F30 335i convertible questions
I had a couple of questions and hoped someone might could shed some light on the F30 convertible!
First- does anyone know when (and if?) it will be out?
Second- Does anyone have an idea as to the curb weight of the f30 335 convertible? The F30 335 sedan is almost 150lbs lighter than the E90 335 sedan, and I am hopeful the convertible will be much lighter also. I test drove a 335i convertible and liked everything except for the weight, at 4000 pounds it was just too heavy for my personal preference (which is the reason I ultimately chose the 135i convertible). However, I would love a 335 convertible if they shaved off some pounds, as the 3 series just feels much more refined than the 1 series to me (obviously). Anybody have any idea or commentary on this?
The F33 will be out in 12 - 18 months. Weight estimates will be around closer to that time.
Present - '06 E90 330i sport; Past - '04 E46 ZHP, '00 E46 328i
www.bmwcca.org member #388003 - Use me as a referral & you could win a one day ///M Driving School!!
The F30 335i is not 150 lbs lighter than the E90 version. They're about the same I think, or the F30 may be slightly less (50 lbs at most I think). I would not count on the F33 335i convertible being much lighter than the E93 version, if at all. That is unless they decide to go back to a fabric top rather than a folding hard top. That seems unlikely though.
If you really want a light convertible I'd suggest looking at a Porsche Boxster or possibly a BMW Z4. You give up the back seat, but that's pretty much a necessary trade-off in order for the car to not weigh in the 4000 lb range.
Last edited by E36toF30; 07-23-2012 at 01:39 PM.
I stand corrected. I must have misread the specs because I went back and re-checked, they are about the same. I guess my eyes were seeing what they WANTED to see.
I love little roadsters. I came out of an s2000 before this, it was a blast, even despite the lack of torque. We had a Boxter S and I've test driven several Z4 (including the famous M), which was fantastically fun. All great cars.
However, for now, I have to be a 1-car person, and that car just really needs 4 seats and a trunk. I don't expect roadster performance from a cabriolet, but I'd like for it not to be a cow. And I also want the refinement from the 3 series. Haha yes, I want to have my cake and eat it too. I suppose I could pick up a CPO 335 cab with the n54, JB4 it, and oversize the tires a couple sizes (assuming they wouldn't rub and would fit); that could at least give me a larger footprint and decrease my pounds-per-horsepower...or just suck it up and get an m3....now I'm just rambling
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Bruce Lee is one of those unique individuals with which people of every rage, creed, nationality and social condition can identify equally. His life is an example of constant struggle against adversities, personal overcoming, continuous learning and an inner search focused to grow as a human being, to know himself and, over all, to apply that knowledge.
His is a remarkable story, from the inexhaustible source of experience that was his infancy in Hong Kong, where he became a child film star, through his love and most sincere and absolute dedication to the martial arts, his inexhaustible yearning for knowledge, his love for studying, his relationships with big film stars such as Steve McQueen, James Coburn or Roman Polanski (among many others), to the racism and rejection of Hollywood.
His return to Hong Kong to become the biggest film star in Asia with just four films, made first Hollywood and then the whole world bow at his feet and recognize his incalculable worth as a human being, martial artist, actor and source of inspiration to millions.
His untimely death in 1973 at only 32 turned him into a legend and gave him the status of a cult figure. Three decades later, his example continues inspiring millions worldwide. This is his story.


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Reviews: michalgaszczyk338
- michalgaszczyk338
- Poland, Male, 25-30
- Novice Nomad
PubLove @ The Crown, Battersea, London, England
It's ok is you are visiting for a second, not so much if you are planning longer stay. If you wish to experience some real london, choose sth closer to the centre.
Hostelworld Mobile Apps
Book on the go with the new Hostelworld mobile apps.


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Do you need to clone your MAC? With my cable modem, the tech used my
notebook computer to setup. When I hooked up my Linksys router to the
modem, I had to put the notebook's MAC in to the Linksys router under
the 'clone MAC address' page.
I notice Monowall has the same feature on the WAN page.
-- Joel
Wyatt Draggoo wrote:
> Hi folks,
> I have used m0n0wall several times in the past, so I figured setting up a box for a cable modem
connection at our new apartment would be pretty straight-forward.
> Well, of course not.
> In short, the problem is that the WAN isn't getting an IP address. Both of our laptops in the
house receive one, as does the Linksys wireless router (that I am relegating to an access point once
this is working). The NICs for the LAN and WAN side are the same model, and I can connect on the
LAN side, so I don't think that's the issue. I'm also using the same network cable for all of the
connections to rule out a faulty cable.
> My process:
> 1) Remove power from the cable modem
> 2) Wait roughly 15 seconds
> 3) Unplug the network cable from the current device
> 4) Plug the network cable in to the device I am testing
> 5) Power the cable modem back up
> 6) Power on the device to test, if necessary (not necessary for the OS X or XP laptops, not sure
if it's necessary for m0n0wall, so I have if off when I plug it in, and then power it on)
> I have also switched the LAN and WAN side NICs, so I know both NICs are working.
> I spent nearly 4 hours on Sunday trying to figure out what simple, little thing I missed.
> Any ideas?
> Thanks,
> Wyatt
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: m0n0wall dash unsubscribe at lists dot m0n0 dot ch
> For additional commands, e-mail: m0n0wall dash help at lists dot m0n0 dot ch


text:
found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
I am already neutered, housetrained, in need of an experienced adopter, up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and not good with cats.
He has a sad story...
His owner, a senior had become very ill and was in and out of the hospital over a 6 month time period. Oso's owner recently passed away.
The owners son decided he didn't want to take on the responsibility of Oso so he brought him to the local shelter and signed him off to be euthanized.
The shelter contacted our rescue for assistance.
We also have noticed signs of human abuse since he does flinch at times, he has been let down by humans and we are helping him to trust again.
Oso is a good boy but right now he is feeling displaced.
We are helping Oso through this poor boys tough time.
His foster family is working with him and he is doing very well, he is improving each day.
Oso will now lay his head on her lap for affection, very sweet.
Oso gets very excited to go on his walks!
He does tire easily since he is such a big boy and he need frequent water.
Oso can be a lazy boy and he also enjoys his frolics out in the yard as much as his rest in the home.
As with all of our rescued dogs we will be very picky with the loving home we choose for Oso, he is relying on us to place him in a forever loving environment.
If you are interested in our Oso please go to our website and fill out our adoption application
Thank you for your interest in our handsome boy!
Oso, a San Diego American Pit Bull Terrier/Mastiff dog was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a American Pit Bull Terrier/Mastiff for sale in San Diego, or seeking a American Pit Bull Terrier/Mastiff dog from a breeder in San Diego.


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Used by Timmins Police, EMS and OPP.
If you don't have a digital scanner, OPP can be heard on VR01.
Here is a link for the CNI(Criminal Name Index) codes. They are used by OPP dispatcher when dictating a criminal record to the officer on the air :
4Delta - Cochrane Detachment
4Foxtrot - Kapuskasing Detachment
4Gulf - Kirkland Lake Detachment
4Lima - South Procupine Detachment
Being in Timmins, you will only be able to hear Delta, Foxtrot and Lima units. The Northeastern OPP Communication Centre is located in North Bay. (That's why when officer call dispatch the say « 4Lima901 North Bay»)


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Underfunded rural districts would annex into El Dorado Hills Fire, but retain identities
The last remnants of El Dorado County's rural fire districts aid-to-fire subsidies will expire by the end of the year, leaving Western Slope fire chiefs desperately seeking a fiscal life raft for the six rural districts whose revenues don't meet the costs of fire and ambulance service.
The Chiefs Association called a second meeting of Western Slope fire officials last week to follow up on an October 2010 proposal from Rescue Chief Tom Keating and former El Dorado Hills Chief Brian Veerkamp to annex some or all of the fiscally troubled agencies into the El Dorado Hills district.
Keating led the meeting without the recently retired Veerkamp at his side, but citizen Veerkamp was in the audience, and provided a summary of California's convoluted post-Prop 13 local government funding machinations, which led first to the aid-to-fire subsidy to keep the rural districts afloat, and its upcoming termination.
Local Agency Formation Commission Executive Officer Jose Henriquez explained that an annexation would provide relief from the revenue-sucking "Education Revenue Augmentation Fund," or "ERAF," which redirects up to 10 percent of the revenue from most special districts to local schools. El Dorado Hills' fire district enjoys a "multi-county" exemption from ERAF because it serves a portion of Sacramento County.
Veerkamp explained that the ERAF relief wouldn't hurt local schools because their funding is guaranteed by the state, which would have to backfill any loss of ERAF funds.
Longer term, the chiefs hope a reorganization would also open the door for streamlined fire districts to collect a larger portion of the property tax revenues currently split by local government, fire service and schools.
Henriquez explained how new "service zones," based on the existing rural fire districts, could be annexed into El Dorado Hills fire with relative transparency to both residents and firefighters in the districts, which could retain their identity and even their elected fire boards, renamed as a "fire commissions" or "advisory boards," with most of the authority they currently wield.
Existing taxes and assessments could be transferred to the new service zones. "Each district could retain what it brings to the table," Henriquez said.
Henriquez's research found that annexed districts are in a gray area of state law and as such, "They're still a question mark," he said.
The state controller is disputing the right of newly annexed areas in Santa Clara County to inherit an ERAF exemption. By contrast, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District gained an ERAF exemption by merging with American River Fire in 2000. The merger survived a subsequent legal challenge.
Henriquez said his sources in the California Legislature indicate that El Dorado County would likely be able to extend El Dorado Hills' exemption similarly.
His memo of Nov. 18 states that LAFCO's legal counsel advises the chiefs to get an opinion from the state attorney general because of the undefined legal nature of expanding ERAF exemptions, an action that would require assistance from either county counsel or a state legislator, and could draw attention to the matter and tempt state officials to remove the exemption.
Henriquez advised that, with the support of the county, including Auditor-Controller Joe Harn who has been skeptical of the annexations in the past, an attorney general opinion is unnecessary. He further suggested getting Assemblywoman Alyson Huber and State Sen. Ted Gaines on board, in case they need to defend the action in the Legislature.
Recovery of $1.7 million ERAF loss in Garden Valley, Georgetown, Latrobe, Mosquito, Pioneer and Rescue would go a long way to making those districts fiscally whole, said Keating.
In addition to the ERAF savings, the chiefs would like to see local property taxes reallocated to the 13 percent level that aid-to-fire was based on. District 1 Supervisor John Knight was present at the meeting, but said he couldn't promise the board's support for a redistribution of local property tax revenue. Harn previously opined that other agencies, equally desperate for their share of property tax, would likely not go quietly into the night.
Nonetheless, Henriquez advised the chiefs that their timing was good. "You have a lot of things working in your favor. There are people at the state who are aware of your situation here and would help us move this thing along."
Funding alternatives
John Bliss, a civil engineer with SCI Consulting, presented other funding strategies to the assembled fire officials.
A "special tax" requires two-thirds voter approval, which Bliss called a "high bar" in the current political climate.
Most California fire districts are having better luck with "benefit assessments," he said. Despite being more complex, an assessment is easier to get approved, requiring a simple majority of property owners, weighted by valuation. The funds must be focused toward fire suppression rather than ambulance service, said Bliss.
Before asking the voters to approve anything, Bliss advised the fire officials that they should be able to demonstrate recent cost cutting actions and be prepared to argue that their pensions and salaries aren't out of line with the region.
Proposition 172 and Hotel/Motel Tax revenues are other funding sources the county could redirect to fire service, said Keating, with a nod to Knight, who in turn suggested that the existing "CSA 7" tax, a $25 per household annual tax for West Slope ambulance costs, might be a better source of relief for rural fire districts.
Knight suggested adding a cost of living provision to the CSA 7 tax and raising the tax rate for parcel types that place high demands on emergency medical response. He also suggested allowing CSA 7 funds to be used for advanced life support engines, which rural districts could use for both fire and EMS.
Henriquez agreed that the CSA 7 tax is the quickest way to infuse cash into the broke districts and reminded fire officials that annexing and reforming fire districts would be a complex and time consuming process, and could face opposition along the way.
Keating promised that the chiefs would continue to work with the county, gain more concrete information on potential annexation, tax or assessment measures, and try to determine where they might garner support or encounter opposition for each approach.
He also said he wanted give the El Dorado Hills Fire Board members time to confirm their support of the proposed annexations. He promised another general meeting when he has progress to report.
"Meanwhile, we have to keep looking at other options to save money and demonstrate that we're working together and streamlining, that we're not just throwing money at it and nothing's going to change," Keating said.


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Jose Pou
Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes
Psychotic Chihuahua Ren and his dumb-as-a-post sidekick, Stimpy the cat, are back for more outrageous adventures in this bawdy collection, which includes uncensored episodes never aired on television. "Naked Beach Frenzy" finds the demented duo serving as restroom attendants in the ladies' shower at a nude beach. In "Altruists," Ren and Stimpy aid a widow and her youngster, while "Stimpy's Pregnant" features the birth of Ren's baby.