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In HIV and AIDS
Can cats get HIV?
Cats cannot catch HIV off humans but they can catch FIV (Feline imunnodeficiency Virus) from other infected cats which is very similar to human HIV. Just like the human vari…ety, FIV attacks the cat's immune system; weakening it and leaving the cat prone to a variety of illnesses and infections. FIV is most often found in blood, saliva and other fluids. The most common means of transmission is through bite wounds. FIV, like HIV, can also be transmitted via sexual activity, and the infected mother can pass it onto her kittens. While there is no cure, a cat can live many years in relative comfort with the right care and proper treatments. (MORE)


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Author: pbiapprove Date: 2012-10-17 18:30:02 +0000 (Wed, 17 Oct 2012) New Revision: 19737 Modified: pbi/update/pbi-meta-9 Log: PBI-9 Meta-Update: CPUlimit Modified: pbi/update/pbi-meta-9 =================================================================== --- pbi/update/pbi-meta-9 2012-10-17 18:28:27 UTC (rev 19736) +++ pbi/update/pbi-meta-9 2012-10-17 18:30:02 UTC (rev 19737) @@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ App=CLEX;Miscellaneous;http://images.pbidir.com/progicons/clex.png;CLEX Team;http://www.clex.sk/;GPL;Text;file,manager;CLEX is a file manager with a full-screen user interface written in C with the curses library. It displays directory contents (including file status details) and provides features like command history, filename insertion, or name completion in order to help the user to construct commands to be executed by the shell (there are no built-in commands). CLEX is easily configurable and all its features are explained in the on-line help.;; App=CMatrix;Miscellaneous;http://images.pbidir.com/progicons/cmatrix.png;Chris Allegretta;http://www.asty.org/cmatrix/;GPL;Text;toy,matrix;CMatrix - show a scrolling \'Matrix\' like screen (curses based) CMatrix by default operates in \'eye candy\' mode. It must be aborted with control-c. If you wish for more of a \'screen saver\' effect, you must specify -s on the command line. For usage, use cmatrix -h. If you have any suggestions/flames/patches to send, please feel free to do so. Please do not critique my code, I know I\'m a hack -) I just got the urge to write this one evening, and decided to see how fast I could do it. It\'s probably not particularly portable or efficient, but I\'m pretty sure it wont hog *too* much CPU time. This software is provided under the GNU GPL. I am in no way affiliated in any way with the movie \'The Matrix\', just a big fan.;; App=CPUburn;System Utilities;http://images.pbidir.com/progicons/cpuburn.png;CPUburn Team;http://freecode.com/projects/cpuburn;GPL;Text;system,stress;CPUburn contains several utilities for stress testing various x86 CPUs. To get the most of out of these utilities read the documentation under share/doc/cpuburn.;; +App=CPUlimit;System Utilities;http://images.pbidir.com/progicons/cpulimit.png;Angelo Marletta;http://cpulimit.sourceforge.net/;GPL;Text;CPU,limit;The cpulimit program throttles back a process\'s CPU usage. This allows the user to slow down jobs that would otherwise choke the processor. It is also helpful on laptops where we want to avoid generating a lot of heat.;; App=Cabextract;Archivers;http://images.pbidir.com/progicons/cabextract.png;Stuart Caie;http://www.cabextract.org.uk;GPL;Text;cabinet,cab;cabextract is Free Software for extracting Microsoft cabinet files, also called .CAB files, on UNIX or UNIX-like systems. cabextract is distributed under the GPL license. It is based on the portable LGPL libmspack library. cabextract supports all special features and all compression formats of Microsoft cabinet files. Quick links Microsoft cabinets vs InstallShield cabinets
* Bundled extras
* Using cabextract
* Changes since 1.1
* FAQs
* CAB History
* Credits Microsoft cabinet files are used by Microsoft and others to distribute all kinds of data and software: core Web fonts, Longhorn videos, operating system updates and video codecs, to give some examples. Microsoft cabinets are also used as the installation format for Windows CE software.;; App=Cairo-Dock;Desktop Utilities;http://images.pbidir.com/progicons/cairo-dock.png;Cairo-Dock Team;https://launchpad.net/cairo-dock;GPL;Graphical;dock,launcher;Cairo-Dock is a light and eye-candy dock to launch your programs easily. It uses Cairo / OpenGL to render nice graphics (many in correlation with Compiz) with hardware acceleration. It\'s fully configurable and customizable and can be a taskbar too. You can easily plug applets into it or in a desklet mode.;; App=Calf;Audio;http://images.pbidir.com/progicons/calf.png;Krzysztof Foltman, Thor Harald Johansen;http://calf.sourceforge.net/;LGPL;Graphical;audio,synthesizer;The Calf project aims at providing a set of high quality open source audio plugins for musicians. All the included plugins are designed to be used with multitrack software, as software replacement for instruments and guitar stomp boxes. The plugins are available in following formats: - DSSI (both synthesizers and effects, GTK+ GUI is included) - Standalone JACK client application with GTK+-based GUI - LADSPA (only effect plugins, GUI not available unless host supports DSSI-style GUI for LADSPA), with LRDF. Note that use of LADSPA is strongly discouraged, as the limitations of the standard may cause serious inconvenience.;;

subset: commoncrawl


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Gainesville (Ga.) Gainesville vs Cummings (Ga.) West Forsyth
Gainesville quarterback Deshaun Watson is one of the top 2014 prospects in the state of Georgia and he was on and off Thursday night. He finished with four touchdowns, but he also had four interceptions. He had 304 yards passing and 60 yards rushing, but his team lost 32-30. Watson, a Clemson commitment, showed good arm strength, a quick release, and the ability to get yards on the ground in this game. He was throwing the ball a little late which led to some underthrown passes.
Mohamed Camara played outside linebacker for West Forsyth and he mixed in a little time at running back too. He is a 6-foot-2, 205 pound athlete that could play some strong safety on the next level because of his size and skill-set. The South Carolina commitment did well at playing his assignments and he showed great leadership skills on the football field in this game. He was in on a few plays, but he wasn't around the ball all that much in this one. He played with energy, he likes to play physical, and he will chase the ball down.
West Forsyth's top prospect looks to be 2014 offensive lineman Andrew Marshall. He lined up at center and the 6-foot-3, 260 pound junior was impressive. He really fired off the ball, he got to the second level well, and he looked to finish his blocks. He has good enough feet to slide over and play guard on the next level, but he may stay at home and play center.
Gallatin (Tenn.) Station Camp vs Hendersonville (Tenn.) Beech
This game featured arguably the top two juniors in the state of Tennessee. Right now, it looks like Beech's Jalen Hurd has the edge on being the top '14 prospect in Tennessee over Josh Malone. He is a 6-foot-3, 205 pound athlete that made big plays at running back in this game. A week after running for 460 yards and scoring five touchdowns, he was held to just 38 yards on 11 carries in the first half of this game. The first play from scrimmage in the third quarter scored from 80 yards, then 60 and finished the night with 233 yards on 20 carries. What stood out most about Hurd is that he runs with power, loves contact, and has good pad level.
Josh Malone is a prospect that looks the part as soon as you see him. He is a legit 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds and has good length. He scored the only touchdown for either team in the first half on a 30 yard reception against a double-team. He was used more as a decoy than he was a primary receiver for much of the game, but he made a few plays, and he blew a couple of opportunities too as he dropped a couple of passes. He has great size, he gets out of his breaks well, and he has a lot of potential. He needs to be a little more consistent catching the ball and continue to mature physically.
John Garcia, Jr., Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Montevallo (Ala.) vs Birmingham (Ala.) Fultondale
From the first few plays of the game, it was clear that the season-opener for both teams would belong to Alabama commit Ardarius Stewart. The four-star talent played quarterback, free safety and handled the return duties for the Wildcats – making a big impact at each position. With the ball in his hands, Stewart accounted for 281 yards of offense including 151 yards on the ground via just six carries. He was 7-of-10 as a passer, throwing for three scores. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete made big hits as a safety, but was truly special in the open field. He has excellent speed, but the most impressive part of his game was his savvy with the ball in his hands. When speed wasn't enough, Stewart elected to use a spin move, stiff arm, back-jukes and pin-point cuts as he stabbed one way to get a defender's hips turned before chopping his feet and taking off the other way. His five scores in just over a half of playing time all came in gaudy fashion.
Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton vs. Alpharetta (Ga.)
Even in a game with a dozen BCS-type prospects participating, it was clear who the most impactful was. Alpharetta quarterback Josh Dobbs, an Arizona State commit, was about as good as it gets in this one. It wasn't just his 234 yards passing and 138 yards rushing, it was how the numbers came to be in the tough 35-28 loss. He accounted for each of the Raiders' scores because of his patience and composure. Even with elite pass-rusher Carl Lawson (four-star defensive end committed to Auburn) breathing down his neck on seemingly every pass attempt, Dobbs kept his eyes down field and used quick moves to avoid Lawson and company more times than not. After his freed up some time for his safety and to allow his wideouts to separate, Dobbs was as accurate as ever. But when he did decide to take off and run, his long stride took over as extended the game with smart decisions to slide and/or get out of bounds.
The aforementioned Lawson was in mid-season form. He only sacked Dobbs twice on the night, but his elite skill was evident as he pressured the QB just about every time he dropped back to pass. Lawson featured a speed-rush, spin-move and a gravity-defying dip-and-rip that all allowed him to stay in the backfield – even against double teams at times. He must work on breaking down when he gets to the signal-caller, but Lawson's motor and combination of strength and speed make him the elite talent he has seemingly become over the past few years.
What kept Miton in the driver's seat for most of Friday's game was its running game. Behind arguably the best offensive line in the Peach State (Cory Helms, Eason Fromayan, Josh Harris and Nick Wilson all have BCS offers), Peyton Barber was special. The Ole Miss commit doesn't have that third-gear to break through on long runs, but it doesn't matter. The senior running back showed that SEC combo of power and moves that has defined most of the conference's elite backs. His 225 yards were consistent from the first quarter to the end of the fourth, when it was his job to seal the win. Barber seems fully recovered from last season's ankle injury. His cuts were quick, his vision was superb and he hit the hole with top-notch burst before capping each run with determination and the ability to fall forward.
Jamie Newberg, National Recruiting Analyst
Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern at Corbin (Ky.) Lynn Camp
Madison Southern is home to one of the top running back prospects in the Class of 2015 in Damien Harris. Harris, 5-foot-11 and 204-pounds, had a super start to the 2012 football campaign, rushing for five touchdowns on scoring runs of 30, 43, 29, 28 and 21-yards. This is a well-built back, especially in the lower body. He already squats 420 pounds and runs with power and the ability to break tackles. Harris also has terrific speed. Harris has very good vision and balance. He runs hard between the tackles and has a great burst and bounce to the outside. It was his first action of the young season as Harris has been sidelined the past two weeks with a slight shoulder separation.
Geoff Vogt, Florida Recruiting Analyst
Plantation (Fla.) vs. Hallandale (Fla.)
Cornerback Sojourn Shelton (Plantation) is one of the top pure cover corners in South Florida, but in this game had to play against the run. He did that, despite his size (5-8/160) and more showing some good physicality.
We thought Monty Nelson (Plantation) was very under-rated headed into the game, and think so after the game. He is a big body (6-1/300) that likes to bang and could be an ideal nose guard at the next level.
The under-classmen were led by Plantation tight end Ravian Pierce (6-3, 210), Hallandale defensive back Jon Jackson (5-11, 175), Hallandale offensive lineman Ronald Nielly (6'4, 275), and Plantation athlete Chris Lammons (5-11, 170).
North Miami (Fla.) vs Naples(Fla.)
Naples running back Manny Morgan went off on Friday night. The 5-foot-7, 190 pound senior ran for 278 yards on 24 carries and also caught a 73-yard TD pass. Morgan is durable, consistent, and ultra-reliable and should see his stock rise over the next couple of months.
Naples junior quarterback Kilton Anderson (6-2, 190), sophomore running Back Max Joseph (5-11, 180) and freshmen wide receiver Tyler Byrd (5-11, 160) are also players to keep an eye on.
North Miami has a pair of 2014 prospects to keep an eye on. Wide receiver Stanley Clerveaux (6-3, 180) had a brilliant game with a pair of great catches. He looks like one of south Florida's best receivers for the next cycle. Running back Charles Romane (5-8, 175) was the other offensive catalyst for North Miami. Ultra quick and explosive, he could be an ideal slot receiver or cornerback at the next level.
Miramar (Fla.) vs Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee
Manatee quarterback and Mississippi State commitment Cord Sandberg (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) was his usual consistent self. The southpaw made several plus throws, made yards with his feet, and was in complete control of the offense all afternoon.
The Manatee defensive line proved it is perhaps the state's best. Seniors Derrick Calloway (6-1, 310), Blake Keller (6-2, 220), and Marquis Dawsey (6-1, 210) team with junior DeMarcus Christmas (6-3, 280) to give the 'Canes a formidable front. Calloway (USF, Arkansas, USC) and Keller (UCF commit) had the best days constantly playing in the Miramar backfield. Calloway can't be moved off of the ball. Keller blocked a punt and scooped it up for a TD. Manatee junior running back Trevon Walters showed that is capable of following in the footsteps of Ben Axon, Mike Blakely, and Leon Allen. He was equally impressive running and receiving. Miramar senior wide receiver Sean Avant provided the lone highlight for the Patriot's with an acrobatic catch in the end-zone for the games first score. He is starting to see interest pick-up and Miramar is developing a rich tradition at wide receiver with Stedmon Bailey, Ivan McCartney, and Malcolm Lewis making plays at the next level. The Patriot's are a young team and have plenty of talent coming up through the program.
Mike Bakas, Florida Recruiting Analyst
Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips vs. Apopka (Fla.)
A transfer from nearby Boone, Alton Meeks (6-3, 215) played really well in this game. He showed a good ability to manage the game. He did a very nice job of spreading the ball around to all of his talented pass-catchers. He is a big, strong kid who can also tuck the ball and run it up inside and get the tough yards on the ground. He completed 13-of-26 passes in this game for almost 200 yards and two touchdowns. The Cincinnati commitment, the 91st-rated quarterback nationally by Scout, is off to a solid start this season and certainly looked like a BCS-caliber quarterback prospect in this game.
Marcel Harris is a talented safety prospect (6-1, 210) and a very good addition to the DP defense this season. He starred at South Lake High last season and is now one of the best players on DP's roster. He has ideal size for a safety prospect, and does a nice job of coming up and making a lot of plays near the line of scrimmage. Because of his size and ability to make plays in the box, it's easy to see why some people believe he'll end up being an outside linebacker at the college level. He is, however, a very good athlete who can change directions, show some explosiveness, and he displays some ability to make things happen with the ball in his hands in the return game.
There wasn't a better player on the field on this night than Dr. Phillips safety Matt Milano. Milano (6-0, 195) plays in the box most of the game and is very active in there. He seems to play with good instincts and he's able to be around the ball a lot. He's an explosive tackler at times and makes a good number of plays behind the line of scrimmage. He even scooped up a fumble and nearly took it back for a score in this game. Milano projects as a strong safety in college, one who can drop down into the box and make a lot of plays near the line of scrimmage. He has committed to Boston College.
Amy Campbell, Florida Field Reporter
Gainesville (Fla.) vs. Yulee (Fla.) Yulee running back Derrick Henry may have had a record-breaking game, but that didn't stop Gainesville from taking the 51-28 victory. Henry moved into third place on the state of Florida's all-time rush yards list, behind only Emmitt Smith and Kelvin Taylor. The five-star running back rushed for over 300 yards in the game and scored three of the four Yulee touchdowns. Henry plans to announce his decision between Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, on September 28th. Florida wide receiver commit
Chris Thompson had a huge night for the Gainesville Hurricanes. Thompson scored four touchdowns on the night: three catches of 47, 16, and 3 yards, and one 20-yard pick six. Running backs Raph Webb and Tony James also put up strong performances. James is a junior with offers from Florida, Miami, Ohio State, and more.
Live Oak (Fla.) Suwannee vs Madison (Fla.) Madison County
Madison County put a 49-7 beat-down on Suwannee Friday night. Florida State offensive guard commit Ira Denson played both sides of the ball and dominated anyone in his path. 6-foot-4, 320-pound Denson looks like a grown man playing with little boys. 2013 cornerback Shedrick Williams looked great on both side of the ball. Williams says Arkansas leads for his skills but he also likes Florida, South Florida, and South Carolina. 2014 running back Deon'Taye Oliver was one of the biggest contributors on the Madison offense. Oliver has no recruiting interest yet, but if he continues to play the way he did Friday, that will change.
Michael Clark, Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
Virginia Beach (Va.) Salem vs. Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside
Salem quarterback Bucky Hodges is very raw, but he has a huge upside. The Virginia Tech commit was 15-26 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He has a very strong arm and is very athletic. Hodges beats you throwing and running the football. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Hodges already resembles current Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas. While he will need to work on his mechanics, Hodges has high football I.Q., is very coachable, and has the potential to be a special player for the Hokies.
Andrew Motuapuaka admitted he did not have his best game. However, the Virginia Tech commit has all the tools to be a very good linebacker at the next level. Motuapuaka reads and reacts well. He also plays with good pad level and does a nice job using his hands to shed blockers. At 6-foot, 220 pounds, he does not have prototypical size, but he runs extremely well. Overall, he is a very good pickup for Virginia Tech.
Kwamane Bowens impresses me more every time I see him. Although he is the top wide receiver in Virginia, I am convinced that he could also be a very good cornerback or safety at the college level. At receiver, he does a nice job getting in and out of his routes. Bowens is very good after the catch and is also a dangerous return man. He has 10 scholarship offers, but has been quiet when it comes to his recruitment. On offense, he finished with four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. He also added an interception on defense.
Bayside's Quin Blanding is one of the top prospects in the 2014 class. Despite losing 37-7, he played hard the entire game. Blanding, who is 6-foot-2, looked noticeably bigger. He is up to 200 pounds, which is about 15 pounds heavier than last season. While he is being recruited to play defense, Blanding also plays at receiver for Bayside. On offense he had eight receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, he made several tackles and had a few pass breakups. The elite junior does it all. Blanding showed good speed, quickness, and ball skills. He is also a leader and smart football player.
Salem's game plan was obviously to make someone other than four-star Bayside running back Taquan Mizzell beat them. Mizzell showed flashes of why he is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country. But overall, behind a young offensive line, he struggled. Salem's front seven dominated and they shut down the Virginia commit. I expect him to bounce back this week.
Jamez Brickhouse is a prospect that you will hear a lot about over the next few seasons. Brickhouse is only a sophomore, but the 2015 cornerback is going to be a big-time player. He doubled as a receiver, where he had three catches for 34 yards and also broke up a few passes on defense. He has all the tools to be an elite cornerback. He plays much bigger than his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame. Brickhouse showed great feet, instincts, and the ability to play zone and man coverage. I expect him to be the next star from Bayside.
Wadesboro (N.C.) Anson vs. Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County
As expected, Tyrone Crowder dominated. He currently plays offensive tackle for his high school team, but will make the transition to guard at the next level. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound Crowder is very strong and physical. He is also extremely athletic and gets to the second level with ease. He has good feet and plays with tremendous leverage. The four-star prospect will get on the field early in his college career.
Dakwa Nichols saw limited action in Richmond's blow-out win over Anson, but took advantage of his opportunities. The N.C. State commit finished the evening with eight carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He is a shifty back with great speed. Nichols has very good vision and hits the hole hard. He will need to add weight and get stronger. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Nichols flew under-the-recruiting radar, but has all the tools to be a good college football player.
Devante Covington was very impressive. Anson made a point to run away from the defensive end. There is a lot to like about the 6-foot-4, 220-pound South Carolina commit. The Richmond County defensive lineman was extremely physical on Friday and dominated whoever tried to block him. Covington is a long, athletic prospect. He has the frame to add a lot of weight and his best football is ahead of him
Alex Norton is often overshadowed playing beside Tyrone Crowder. However, Norton is a very good offensive lineman. He is a good athlete and showed good technique. Norton has a great motor and plays until the whistle blows. The Richmond County offensive guard is a smart football player who gets the job done. He is up to six offers, with the latest coming from Furman. If nothing changes, someone is going to get a steal on signing day.
To read the other regions please click on the links below -


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On Tuesday's episode of The Starters, the guys discuss how many Hawks should make the All-Star team, a frustrated Derrick Rose, and the Suns' chances of making the playoffs. That, plus teams poised to make a 2015-16 turnaround, must-invite dunkers, Russell Westbrook's "we executed" scrum, and whether Kobe Bryant could replace Chuck on TNT. more info: http://goo.gl/xQhEfd
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I certainly can not say that any of this did not work out really well for me. The job that I had was just about ready to go away forever when this old friend of mine from the Army tracked me down. He had to work hard to find me, since I had moved five or six times since the last time he and I had worked together. He told me to get down to Fort Hood for an interview, they wasted no time. He had one of these nice apartments at Stone Oak in San Antonio and he needed a roommate, although he was not that interested in whether or not it was me. Still I just sold my pick up truck and got on a plane down there. It all went perfectly smoothly. Continue reading "Starting a Contracting Job in Texas"
Best Rates for Selling Scrap Metal
A guy offered me a couple hundred dollars in order to clean out his property and get all of the junk off of it. I thought it'd be a pretty standard job, and that'd I'd make a reasonable amount of money for the effort put into it. But it turns out that guy had a ton of good scrap metal and so I am going to make way more than I had expected. I am excited and I am looking at scrap metal prices right now, trying to find the place nearby that has the highest rates for buying scrap metal. I want to make as much money as possible, so I will be willing to drive a little further to sell it, if it means that I will get a significantly better price for the metal I am going to sell.
I am not really sure how much money all of this is going to be worth together, because I haven't weighed it, and of course, scrap metal is bought by the weight of the metal you sell usually. Of course there are some exceptions to that, such as appliances can be purchased based on quantity sometimes, or electrical and computer hardware as well I think, but I have never sold any of that stuff.
I am kind of curious to know how much scrap I have all together, but I am not going to try to figure out how to weigh it on my own, and in spite of my curiosity, I am just going to wait until I actually sell it to find out how much I had. I am sure it will be a pretty good payday for me, and I should do this type of job more often, though I am sure it won't likely pay off like this very often.
The Master Bedroom and Bath Are Huge!
Some people think that I have it rough since I am a single father raising a teenage daughter, but I actually think I am really blessed. I know a lot of fathers who are divorced are only able to see their children on a limited basis, but I am able to see my daughter and spend quality time with her on a daily basis. When her mother relinquished custody so she could remarry and start a fresh new life, my daughter and I looked at Hattiesburg MS apartments together.
I wanted her to be involved in every aspect of finding the perfect apartment for the two of us because I figured this was going to be a rough transition for her. It turned out to be exactly what she wanted though, as she later told me that she never did get a lot of love or attention from her mother. I knew she would never be able to say that about me. Continue reading "The Master Bedroom and Bath Are Huge!"
Fast Service is Always a Great Thing
Boy, when you get one thing fixed in your life, another thing happens. I can only chuckle. There is no sense in getting upset about things that you have no control over. If you let that happen, you can get overwhelmed very quickly. There was a small fire in my apartment building recently. That meant I needed to do some renovation. But then, just days later, one of the AC units went out, and some help for hvac in NYC was next on my schedule.
The fire started thanks to one of my tenants smoking in bed. I had heard that cigarette companies had begun putting a fire retardant chemical in all cigarettes to try to stop that happening. And that is true, but that does not mean that there will never be any issues, as evidenced by what happened in my tenant's unit. Continue reading "Fast Service is Always a Great Thing"
Our Place is Pest Free Now
After living in a cold weather state where many months of snow often kills many insects off each winter, I was simply not prepared for the amount of insects that reside where we now live. When my wife and I moved into a new place in NYC, I was overwhelmed at how tough it was to keep so many different unwanted creatures out. I really did not know that pest control in NYC is such a big deal.
First of all, there is not a lot of space in the city, and many people are crowded into buildings. If one neighbor has a pest problem, it is pretty much a sure thing that the neighbors nearby do, too. This is when many people try to load up on cans of bug spray at the store and have no luck getting rid of the pests on their own. Not to mention that most people do not know where the best places are to spray are. Most people spray a little under their bed, outside their door, and around a baseboard or two. That simply is not enough. Continue reading "Our Place is Pest Free Now"
The New Location is About to Open
The boss has me out looking to figure out what we are going to provide for door gifts in Singapore. We are going to open up a new location right after the start of the New Year and we are doing everything to make sure that it all goes as smoothly as it is possible. The fact is that we are looking for great word of mouth in the area, because we know how precious that is. If you start out on the wrong foot with the locals, that can be fatal in our line of business. Continue reading "The New Location is About to Open"
Company Registration for Home Businesses in Singapore
I recently moved to Singapore with my family due to my husband's job transfer. I felt isolated being in a new country not knowing anybody. My husband was out working every day while I was in our new home tending to our three children. After a while, the days seemed to run together for me. My husband and I discussed what I could do to occupy my time. I decided to start a home business selling homemade quilts. My only concern was company registration in Singapore for my new business.
Starting a home business in a foreign country was definitely going to be a challenge for me. Making the homemade quilts was going to be the easy part since I have been a seamstress for 17 years. Continue reading "Company Registration for Home Businesses in Singapore"
Have This Great Hobby Idea
I have been looking for a new hobby for a good long time and I have found one, but it looks like it is going to be a bit more expensive than I would have liked. I spent about a hundred and eighty dollars to buy rc tank from this web page the other day. After I got it this friend of mine and I played with it for a couple of hours and we got this idea, but it would be really complicated to make it work. We were thinking that you should be able to fix it up so that you can play tank on tank combat with the view that you would get as the tank commander. Of course there are different ways that you can fight a tank in real life. Continue reading "Have This Great Hobby Idea"
I Did Not Want to Go to University
I really did not know what I wanted to do with my life after finishing my basic education as a teen. I knew that I did not want to go to university for four years, but I also knew that I did not want to be stuck in a dead end job for the rest of my life either. I did realize that education was key, but I had to figure out just how I wanted to get more education without getting bored with it. When I looked into a music school in Singapore, it was as if all the puzzle pieces had finally clicked together the right way.
I have always enjoyed music. I don't know anyone my age who doesn't. I never considered a career in it because I was just thinking about what I see on the front lines. I have been to a lot of concerts, but I only gave consideration to what was in front of my eyes there. I never thought about all the other people who make music a possibility. Continue reading "I Did Not Want to Go to University"
Good Recruiters Get Any Corporation the People That Are the Best Fit for the Jobs
I used to be personally responsible for hiring every single one of our employees when my wife and I first started this business. She said that I had the knack for choosing the best people for the job. She said she was too willing to give anyone a chance and stopped interviewing after the first few candidates. Now we are so busy with the franchising of our business that the hiring of more corporate personnel was getting very tedious. The worst part was sorting through those who were not a good fit for our company. We hired expert corporate recruiters to help us get only the best candidates to be interviewed.
I used to spend hours in the evenings looking at resumes and trying to read into them to discover some clues about personalities before I would call a candidate for an interview. For executive positions I would ask around in my network for anyone who already knew the person. Plus, there are laws of what you can or cannot do when checking out a potential person for a job. This business was complicated enough. Continue reading "Good Recruiters Get Any Corporation the People That Are the Best Fit for the Jobs"
We Wanted to Refinance Our House
My husband and I started talking about getting our house refinanced not long ago. We knew that we should have no problem getting it done, and it would really help us out financially. We looked into the process since we had no idea what all we had to do to make this happen. I didn't want to just walk into the bank and put it all in their hands, because I wanted to maintain as much control as we could. I did a search for Sacramento house appraiser for Sacramento appraisal after reading that this was a necessary part of getting refinanced.
There is not a bank around that will refinance a house without it being appraised. Continue reading "We Wanted to Refinance Our House"
An App That Has Appeal
I am a tech junkie, even though I haven't a clue on how any of it came to be. I have probably three dozen apps on my smartphone, and even more than that on my tablet and computer. Some of them are for pure entertainment while others are practical apps that help me manage some aspect of my life. When my husband asked me for my opinion on an app idea that he had, I thought it was brilliant. I know I'm biased, but I told him to find a Singapore app developer immediately, that is how confident I was in his idea for a new app. Continue reading "An App That Has Appeal"
Apartment is Better Than Our Rented House
We were living in a small house we rented. We did not get along with the landlord. We always needed some things fixed, and he was always slow getting it done, if at all. Some things I did myself at our expense. I always was against moving into an apartment. At least with a house, we had more privacy. Or so I thought anyway. Our house was really close to others on the street. Sometimes I could hear the neighbor's TV blaring when I was trying to sleep for third shift work. My wife had me look at parkatbouldercreek.com to see how I liked how the apartments looked. I was against moving into an apartment, but she asked me to just go and take a look with her.
Our lease was already expired. We were staying month to month. The landlord was just happy to have someone paying the rent who was no trouble. Continue reading "Apartment is Better Than Our Rented House"
Cable Gets the Movies First
A lot of my friends watch movies through streaming services, but I don't because of my Internet service provider. My connection speed isn't that great, and on top of that, I have to deal with a monthly data cap. If I go over the cap, then I have to pay an extra $10 a month for every 50GB I go over. There are no other providers in my area, so I just avoid watching movies online. Instead, I watch movies through my cable provider. This service lets me watch a lot of free movies on the major movie channels, while also allowing me to rent moves for a few day, or even own them as long as I maintain my subscription to the service.
I prefer to watch movies on my television rather than online anyway, because my laptop screen is only 13 inches, while my television screen is 50 inches. Being hunched over a cramped space like the one on my laptop to watch a movie is not one way that I want to spend my evening. If I had company over, we would have both needed to huddle over the laptop to watch the movie if we used streaming.
Last week, I invited my friends over for a movie watching party. I rented a movie through the cable service, and my friends were surprised to see it. This movie was not available on any streaming service, so they hadn't seen it yet. That was another benefit for having cable service. There are a lot of movies that make it to cable before they get on the streaming sites, and unless you want to wait to see them, you would be better off having cable. We watched the movie, and after it was done, I rented another one for us to enjoy.


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Written and Illustrated by Chris Sturgill
Standard Comic
Black & White
Page Count: 32
Walter discovers he has the stolen samples. And he's being followed. Soon he's learning more about the shape of the conspiracy he's stumbled into, only to reveal deeper, more pressing questions–such as what are the "eggs?" And what is Walter becoming? In the giant-sized, 32 page "Answers and Questions," the mystery deepens and the action heats up!
Welcome to San Francisco, in the near future, a crowded, chaotic city in a world transformed by the next great technological shift–the Blue Revolution. Nanotechnology has been harnessed to cure everything from cancer to short-sightedness while the planet has only gotten messier. Walter Norris doesn't care about any of this. He just wants to celebrate his birthday, but a chance encounter drags him into a dangerous world of conspiracy and intrigue. If the Blue Revolution is based on lies, then what is the truth?
Egg, #3 TM and © Chris Sturgill. All rights reserved.
Tony says, "Great art and a well thought out science fiction story makes this a great read!"


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JUDGMENT Alok Kumar Basu, J.
1. Appellant Narayan Prasad Sen was convicted under Section 489B/511 and also under Section 489C of the IPC in connection with Shankar Mukherjee, being suspicious of the movement and action of the appellant, reported the matter to the CBI authority and according to suggestion and advice of CBI officials, a trap was laid down on 22nd January, 1995 at "Gyan Sweets" where the appellant was supposed to come along with counterfeit currency notes for exchange.
2. On 22nd January, 1995 as per previous plan, CBI officials were present along with independent witnesses and appellant was apprehended within the shop along with 23 number of 500/- rupee currency notes and 57 number of 100/- rupee currency notes.
3. On interrogation of appellant and without, getting any reasonable explanation from him over his possession of so many counterfeit currency notes, the boarding house at. Sealdah where the appellant was staying temporarily was also searched and a Rs. 100/- denomination note was seized. Search was also made at the official quarter of the appellant at Coachbehar Fire Service Station and a 500/- rupee currency note was seized.
4. CBI, on receipt of a regular complaint from Shankar Mukherjee and after seizure of counterfeit currency notes, started investigation and in course of investigation, obtained expert's report regarding the counterfeit notes and after being satisfied with a strong prima facie case about possession of counterfeit notes by the appellant and his intention to transact with those counterfeit notes, CBI submitted charge sheet against the appellant recommending his trial in open Court under Section 489B/511 and under Section 489C of the IPC.
5. The learned Sessions Judge of City Sessions Court at Calcutta, from the necessary papers placed before it. framed charge against the appellant and since the appellant denied the charge and pleaded his innocence, CBI authority was asked to produce evidence to substantiate the charge framed against the appellant.
6. CBI during trial examined 14 witnesses in all including Shankar Mukherjee, the complainant, several witnesses to search and seizure, Mr. S.K. Joshi. the technical officer of bank note press who submitted report on examination of the counterfeit currency notes and officers of the CBI including the investigating officer.
7. Appellant, during trial and also during his examination under Section 313 of the Cr. PC took a specific plea that out of inter-union rivalry, Shankar Mukherjee hatched a conspiracy against the appellant and in connivance with CBI officers, a concocted case was prepared against the appellant.
8. The learned Sessions Judge of City Sessions Court, after considering the evidence produced by CBI during trial particularly with reference to the search and seizure taken place at "Gyan Sweets", came to the conclusion that appellant, was found in possession of several counterfeit currency notes and with reference to the report of the expert and statement of the expert as P,W,8, the learned Judge came to the conclusion that all the currency notes found in possession of the appellant were counterfeit notes. The learned Judge mainly banking upon the statement of Shankar Mukherjee P.W. 10 followed by search and seizure of the appellant came to further conclusion that appellant had the intention to exchange the counterfeit currency notes and the learned Sessions Judge, therefore, accepted the prosecution case and held the appellant guilty for the offence both under Section 489B/511 and under Section 489C of the IPC.
9. Appearing in support of the present appeal. Mr. Safiullah after making a general attack against the veracity of the prosecution evidence and thereby calling in question the propriety of the conviction order recorded on such evidence, in fact, has challenged the order of conviction and sentence mainly on legal point.
10. Mr. Safiullah both by his oral submissions as well as by presenting a written note submitted before us that CBI is undoubtedly a creation of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 as amended time to time and from Section 3 read with Section 5 and Section 6 of the said Act, it is very much clear that without consent of the concerned State Govenment, CBI has no authority to entertain any criminal complaint or to start investigation regarding such complaint and to submit the charge sheet.
11. Mr. Safiullah both through his oral submission and written note has taken much pain to convince this Court, that by entertaining the complaint from Shankar Mukherjee and without getting prior consent from the State of West Bengal, CBI, in fact, transgressed the domain of the State Government as provided in the Constitution of India more specifically in Article 246 read with Schedule VII of the Constitution of India. Mr. Safiullah submits that it may be argued on behalf of the CBI authority that even on faulty investigation Court can take cognizance and complete the trial resulting conviction of an accused person and only when the accused person would successfully prove that he suffered real prejudice and there was actual miscarriage of justice by such faulty investigation, the Court will come forward to grant, appropriate relief, but, this argument is of no value so far the present, case is concerned, where the State of West Bengal, in fact, suffered from its constitutionally guaranteed position from the illegal and unauthorized Act of the CBI.
12. Mr. Safiullah to substantiate his point that without consent of the concerned State Government, CBI cannot have any authority to investigate into a case within the territory of the particular State, has referred to the decision of the Division Bench of the Patna High Court in the case of J.N. Sahay and Ors. v. The State of Bihar reported in 1982 Cri LJ page 410 and thereafter Kaji Lhendup Dorji v. CBI and Ors. reported in 1994 SCC (Criminal) page 873 and finally K. Chandrasekhar v. The State of Kerala and Ors. reported in 1998 Cr LJ SC page 2897.
13. Mr. Safiullah finally contends that from the entire evidence on record it is found that charge against the present appellant under Section 489B/511 of the IPC was not proved at all since there was no satisfactory evidence to prove all the necessary ingredients of Section 489B of the IPC and accordingly, the conviction order against the appellant under Section 489B/511 of the IPC cannot, be sustained either in fact or in law.
14. Mr. Ranjan Roy. representing the CBI authority, has placed before us the material evidence available with the record and submits that a huge amount of counterfeit currency notes was found in possession of the appellant and the recovery of said currency notes was made following a written complaint that appellant intended to exchange those counterfeit currency notes for genuine currency notes. Mr. Roy contends that P.W. Shankar Mukherjee lodged the complaint regarding possession of counterfeit currency notes by the appellant and also regarding the intention of the appellant to put those currency notes in circulation and thereby to make material gain in the form of collection of genuine currency notes. Mr. Roy submits that following the complaint of P.W. Shankar Mukherjee. CBI officials with the help of independent witnesses like Pradip Kr. Roy, Pranab Saha, Pradip Thakwani recovered the currency notes from the possession of the appellant and on examination of those currency notes by P.W. S.K. Joshi, a Government expert it was ascertained that those currency notes were counterfeit notes. Mr. Roy submits that from the cross-examination of all the material witnesses and also from the reply given by the appellant during his examination under Section 313 of the Cr. PC, it is very much clear that appellant could not impeach the credibility of P.W. Shankar Mukherjee or the credibility of those witnesses who were present at the time of search and seizure. Mr. Roy contends that appellant himself admitted that he met P.W. Shankar Mukherjee on 20th January, 1995 and also on 22nd January, 1995 at "Gyan Sweets" wherefrom the recovery was made by the CBI officials.
15. Mr. Roy, therefore, concludes that in this particular case CBI produced overwhelming evidence to bring home the charge framed against, the appellant and the learned Sessions Judge rightly placed his reliance on such evidence to hold the appellant guilty of the offence under Section 489B/511 and under Section 489C of the IPC.
16. On the point of law as raised by Mr. Safiullah to challenge the order of conviction and sentence, Mr. Roy has referred to the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Union of India v. Prakash P. Hinduja and Anr. .
17. Mr. Roy with reference to the decision contends that the Hon'ble Supreme Court relying on an earlier decision of the Court in the case of H.N. Rishbud reiterated in the case of Union of India v. P.P. Hinduja and Anr. (supra) that an invalid investigation does not nullify the taking of cognizance or trial based there on and a defect or illegality in investigation however serious, has no direct bearing on the competence or the procedure relating to cognizance or trial.
18. Mr. Roy contends that in the case of Prabhu v. Emperor, reported in AIR 1944 SC page 73 and Lumbhardar Zutshi v. King. AIR 1950 Privy Council page 26, the Court held that if cognizance is, in fact, taken on a police report, initiated by the breach of a mandatory provision relating to investigation, there can be no doubt that the result of the trial which follows it cannot be set aside unless the illegality in the investigation can be shown to have brought about a miscarriage of justice and that an illegality committed in the course of investigation does not affect the competence and jurisdiction of the Court for trial.
19. Mr. Roy submits that it is accepted position of law that CBI under the scheme of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act is required to take prior consent while investigating into a criminal complaint within the geographical area of a particular State, but, if a citizen of a particular State approaches the CBI alleging commission of such a crime over which CBI has authority to investigate and the commission of such crime has far reaching consequence not on that State alone, but, on the whole of country, the CBI can accept the complaint and investigate and only if the accused person succeeds afterwards in establishing that he suffered real prejudice for taking action by the CBI and not by the State police and really there has been miscarriage of justice for the action taken by the CBI, the Court will certainly quash the proceeding holding inter alia that investigation by CBI was bad.
20. Mr. Roy contends that Mr. Safiullah both through his oral submission as well as through his written note has argued as if not the present appellant, but, the State of West Bengal has become the victim of the so-called faulty investigation, but. that cannot be actual parameter to raise the points and when Mr. Safiullah did not succeed in convincing this Court about what prejudice the appellant has suffered, it cannot be of any avail to Mr. Safiullah to argue that CBI transgressed the domain of the State Government by investigating into the case without the consent of the State Government. Mr. Roy, therefore, submits that the law point taken by Mr. Safiullah may be of academic interest, but, it cannot be of any help for his client and that point must be rejected and the present order of conviction and sentence must be upheld.
21. In this appeal we have the privilege to consider the written note placed before us both by Mr. Safiullah appearing for the appellant as well as by Mr. Roy representing the CBI authority and we have considered both the written notes along with oral submissions put forward by the learned advocate of both the sides.
22. It will not be out of record to mention that Mr. Safiullah was very much candid and clear that his only point to challenge the order of conviction and sentence centers around the question of legality and propriety of the investigation started by the CBI on the basis of a complaint from a citizen within the territory of this State.
23. Mr. Safiullah in spite of our request and asking could not satisfy us as to how the appellant was prejudiced or whether there was really any miscarriage of Justice from the investigation of the complaint by CBI.
24. We find from Notification No. 228/8/89 - AVD. II, dated 07.09.1989 that CBI has the authority and Jurisdiction to investigate into any allegation relating to commission of an offence under Section 489B and 489C of the IPC and at the same time, we agree with Mr. Safiullah that there was no consent derived from the State Government in the matter of investigation into the complaint of Shankar Mukherjee relating to the commission of the offence by the appellant under Section 489B and 489C of the IPC.
25. From the decisions referred to by Mr. Safiullah we further gather that under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. 1946, consent of the concerned State Government is a condition precedent for starting any investigation by the CBI within the territory of a concerned State.
26. Now, the crucial question for consideration is if in a case there is an allegation touching an issue which has far reaching consequences and which, in fact, affects the economy of the country as a whole and if a citizen on bona fide and good faith lodges a complaint before the CBI authority considering the gravity of the alleged offence and CBI authority starts investigation and finally submits charge sheet and a trial is concluded on such charge sheet whether it is open to the person concerned to raise the plea that CBI by such investigation without the consent of the State Government transgressed the domain of the State Government from the constitutional point of view and if the person concerned does not agitate any prejudice suffered by him for such investigation without the consent of the concerned State Government.
27. It is pertinent to mention that in the case of CBI v. Rajesh Gandhi and Anr. reported in 1997 Cr LJ page 63 at para 8 it was observed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court that the decision to investigate or the decision on the agency which should investigate does not attract principles of natural justice. The accused cannot have a say in who should investigate the offence he is charged with. Similarly, in this particular case, the appellant cannot have any choice as to who should investigate regarding the complaint lodged against him by a citizen. The question, however, will remain for consideration as to whether without consent when CBI investigated into the case and submitted the charge sheet and subsequently the Court having taken cognizance thereon commenced the trial, the appellant can raise this question without canvassing the prejudice suffered by him or without highlighting the miscarriage of Justice resulted from such investigation without consent.
28. We find that almost identical question as raised in this appeal came up for consideration before the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Union of India v. P.P. Hinduja and Anr. (supra) and to appreciate the points taken by Mr. Safiullah and Mr. Roy in this regard we may profitably quote para 20 of the said Judgment below:
An incidental question as to what will be the result of any error or illegality in investigation on the trial of the accused before the Court may also be examined. Section 5A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. 1947 provided that no police officer below rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police shall investigate any offence punishable under Sections 161, 165 and Section 165A of the IPC or under Section 5 of the said Act without the order of a Magistrate of the First Class. In H.N. Rishbud (supra) the investigation was entirely completed by an officer of the rank lower than the Deputy Superintendent of Police and after permission was accorded a little or no further investigation was made. The Special Judge quashed the proceedings on the ground that the investigation on the basis of which the accused were being prosecuted was in contravention of the provisions of the Act, but, the said order was set aside by the High Court. The appeal preferred by the accused to this Court assailing the Judgment of the High Court was dismissed and the following principle was laid down: .
The question then requires to be considered whether and to what extent the trial which follows such investigation is vitiated. Now, trial follows cognizance and cognizance is preceded by investigation. This is undoubtedly the basic scheme of the Code in respect of cognizable cases. But. it does not necessarily follow that an invalid investigation nullifies the cognizances or trial baaed thereon. Here we are not concerned with the effect of the breach of a mandatory provision regulating the competence or procedure of the Court as regards cognizance or trial. It is only with reference to such a breach that the question as to whether it constitutes an illegality vitiating the proceedings @ page-SC 2622 or a mere irregularity arises. A defect or illegality in investigation, however serious, has no direct bearing on the competence or the procedure relating to cognizance or trial. No doubt a police report which results from an investigation is provided in Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure as the material on which cognizance is taken. But it cannot, be maintained that a valid and legal police report is the foundation of the jurisdiction of the Court to take cognizance Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is one out of a group of sections under the heading "conditions requisite for initiation or proceedings." The language of this section is in marked contrast with that of the other sections of the group under the same heading, i.e. Sections 193 and 195 to 199. These latter sections regulate the competence of the Court and bar its jurisdiction in certain cases excepting in compliance therewith. But Section 190 does not. While no doubt, in one sense Clauses (a), (b) and (c) of Section 190(1) are conditions requisite for taking of cognizance, it is not possible to say that cognizance of an invalid police report is prohibited and is. therefore, a nullity. Such an invalid report may still fall either under Clause (a) or (b) or Section 190(1) (whether it is one or the other we need not pause to consider) and in any case cognizance so taken is only in the nature of error in a proceeding antecedent to the trial.
29. The Court after referring to Prabhu v. Emperor AIR 1944 SC 73 and Lumbhardar Zutshi v. King AIR 1950 PC 26 held that if cognizance is, in fact, taken on a police report initiated by the breach of a mandatory provision relating to investigation, there can be no doubt that the result of the trial, which follows it cannot be set aside unless the illegality in the investigation can be shown to have brought about a miscarriage of justice and that an illegality committed in the course of investigation does not affect the competence and the jurisdiction of the Court for trial. This being the legal position, even assuming for the sake of argument that the CBI committed an error or irregularity in submitting the charge sheet without the approval of CVC. the cognizance taken by learned Special Judge on the basis of such a charge sheet could not be set aside nor further proceedings in pursuance thereof could be quashed. The High Court has clearly erred in setting aside the order of the learned Special Judge taking cognizance of the offence and in quashing further proceedings of the case. 1945(46) Cri. LJ 119 : 1950(51) Cri. LJ 644."
30. As we have already stated Mr. Safiullah both in his oral submission as well as through his written note challenged the action of the CBI in the matter of taking up of investigation without the consent of the State Government mainly on the ground that by doing so CBI ignored constitutional mandate touching our basic principle of constitution, but, not a single word was uttered by Mr. Safiullah to satisfy us that there was any prejudice caused to his client or there has been any real miscarriage of justice and following the ration of decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court as mentioned in para 20 already referred, we are of clear view that this point of Mr. Safiullah has got no force at all in the eye of law.
31. Now, coming to the merit of the present appeal, we find that CBI authority in presence of independent witnesses recovered huge amount of counterfeit currency notes from the possession of the appellant and report of the expert sufficiently corroborated that those notes were really counterfeit notes and from the evidence of P.W. Shankar Mukherjee, we have sufficient reasons to hold that appellant had not only in his possession those counterfeit currency notes, but, he had the real intention to put those currency notes into circulation for his material gain and thereby having regard to the prosecution evidence which was not impeached in any way during trial, we hold firmly that appellant was guilty of both the offence under Section 489B/511 of the IPC as well as Section 489C of the IPC and the learned Judge made on mistake in placing reliance on the prosecution evidence and in convicting the appellant accordingly.
32. Thus, having regard to the submissions of both the sides along with their written note, we are of the view that there is no merit in this appeal.
The appeal is, therefore, dismissed.
The order of conviction and sentenced passed against the appellant are hereby confirmed.
We find from record that appellant was released on bail after admission of this appeal and we hereby cancel the bail bond of the appellant and direct him to surrender before the learned Trial Court within 15 days from this order failing which the Trial Court will take steps in accordance with law to send the appellant to jail to serve out the sentence.
Send a copy of this Judgment and order to the Trial Court immediately along with entire record.
Xerox certified copy of this Judgment and order may be supplied to the parties on making proper application and after complying with all necessary formalities.
The prayer for certificate to prefer appeal before the Hon'ble Supreme Court is considered and rejected.
Pranab Kumar Deb, J.
33. I agree.


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CAMINO — The Amador-El Dorado Unit of Cal Fire has launched its own website which contains pertinent information for everyone living within the boundaries of Amador County, El Dorado County and portions of Alpine, Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties.
"This is a really exciting time for us. We worked very hard over the last year putting this website together and we hope you like it. Through the Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit website you will see who we are, what we do, and the breadth of services we offer residents on a daily basis," said Unit Chief Kelly Keenan. "I hope you will take a few minutes to see what we are all about by visiting us at www.fire.ca.gov/aeu/."


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Jay and Kori (Kastendieck) Stifel, St. Charles, announce the birth of a son, Parker Alan Stifel. Born Nov. 15, 2013, at St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield, he weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces.
Maternal grandparents are Alan Kastendieck and Jim and Robin Ottomeier, all of Washington. Paternal grandparents are John and Cecilia Stifel, Mentor, Ohio, and Bruce and Janet Colbert, Wentzville. Great-grandparents are Raymond Kastendieck, Washington, and John Andryc, Maumee Ohio.


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"Of all the wines you drank in 2012, which one was your favorite?" That's not unlike being asked about your favorite wine, a somewhat disturbing question because I try not to have "favorite" wines. That question does, however, give me a chance to discuss how almost any wine can be a favorite at any given time because of the circumstances surrounding its consumption.
But the question that launched this column was very specific. Which one? No wiggle room.
At first I formed answers off the top of my head. Was it that velvety Cabernet served in carafes at a little bistro near Yountville? Was it that Adelsheim Pinot Noir a long-time friend shared with me while we caught up with one another? Was it the gold medal winning rose at the Indiana Wine Fair at Story? How about that twenty-old bottle of Sangiovese found in the cellar of an Italian restaurant in a rural Vermont village?
Favorite, of course, does not necessarily mean the best, though often the two are inseparable. There is an old wine saying that the best wine is always the one you have at the moment. So I gave some thought to the best. A week in Napa and Paso Robles offered me a number of candidates. Samples from Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, and Indiana didn't quite add up. Neither did the New York State red with lunch at the hotel near the Albany Airport.
I had to go to my notebook. After a review of single page notes describing some thirty bottles, I dismissed any thoughts of favorites and focused on attributes. When I came to a page that read very much like a page read several minutes earlier, I paused for a review. The notes didn't lie. They were almost identical, though the bottles had been consumed and the notes jotted almost two months apart and with different people and with a different meal. I had my answer: A 2006 Meyer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hestan Vineyards Winery in Napa Valley.
Hear that Mark Herold? Mark considers this the second wine of the Hestan Estate, but obviously my palate reacted to its opulence and length, not once but twice. Alas, I had bought only two bottles of it. But I have my notes. Both pages.


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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique subset of CD1d-restricted T lymphocytes that express characteristics of both T cells and natural killer cells. NKT cells mediate tumor immune-surveillance; however, NKT cells are numerically reduced and functionally impaired in lymphoma patients. Many hematologic malignancies express CD1d molecules and co-stimulatory proteins needed to induce anti-tumor immunity by NKT cells, yet most tumors are poorly immunogenic. In this study, we sought to investigate NKT cell responses to B cell lymphoma. In the presence of exogenous antigen, both mouse and human NKT cell lines produce cytokines following stimulation by B cell lymphoma lines. NKT cell populations were examined
Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are one of the few cancers of which incidence has increased over the past thirty years. NHL are a large heterogeneous group lymphomas, of which >80% arise from B cells. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype; it is an aggressive lymphoma with heterogeneous clinical behaviors. DLBCL accounts for 25%–30% of NHL among adults in the United States and although 60% of patients respond well to current therapy and have prolonged survival, the remainder succumb to the disease [
Clinical studies have demonstrated that while immunotherapy can effectively treat lymphoma, many patients relapse [
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique subset of lymphocytes that recognize lipid antigens in the context of CD1d, a non-classical MHC class I molecule and serve as a link between the innate and adaptive immune system through their expeditious release of a number of different cytokines (as reviewed in [
α-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) is the prototypical NKT cell agonist [
Several studies have sought to ascertain the role of NKT cells in modulating anti-tumor immune responses to B cell lymphomas [
All donors gave written informed consent before enrolling in the study. The Institutional Review Board at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) approved this investigation. Peripheral blood was collected from patients undergoing treatment at the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center at the UMSOM. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed in our patient population using cytogenetics. Data shown are from newly diagnosed patients prior to treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC) were also obtained from commercial vendors. Specifically, buffy coats were purchased from Biological Specialty Corporation and peripheral blood from two different, newly diagnosed MCL patients was purchased from AllCells, LLC (Alameda, CA, USA). PBMCs were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque (Amersham Pharmacia Biotek, Uppsala, Sweden) density gradient centrifugation. Human primary B cells were isolated using the Pan B cell isolation kit from StemCell Technologies (Vancouver, BC, Canada) according to the manufacturer's instructions. NKT cells were isolated and expanded as previously reported [
Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME, USA). IL-14α transgenic mice and c-myc transgenic mice were generously provided by Dr. Julian L. Ambrus Jr. (State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences), and bred in specific pathogen-free facilities at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. All experiments were performed in accordance with procedures approved by the University of Maryland School of Medicine animal use and care committee. In order to generate the BV-MCL mouse model, we crossed c-myc transgenic (TG) mice with IL-14α TG mice to obtain double transgenic mice (DTG), as previously described [
The Vα14+ NKT cell hybridoma cell lines DN32.D3 and N38-3C3 have been described [
To measure NKT cell responses to B cell lymphomas, murine B cell lymphoma lines were incubated in the presence or absence of exogenous antigen (200 ng/mL), washed and cocultured (5 × 105 cells/well) with the NKT cell hybridomas (5 × 104 cells/well) in triplicate wells in 96-well microtiter plates. After a 20- to 24 h coculture, supernatants were harvested, and IL-2 was measured by ELISA, as it is the prototypical cytokine used to assess their activation [
Mouse B cell lymphoma lines were stained with PE-labeled mouse CD1d-specific antibody (clone 1B1, Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA). Human B cell lines were analyzed for surface expression of CD1d by flow cytometry. Cells were stained with PE-labeled human CD1d specific clone CD45.2 (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA) or 51.1 (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA). Isotype control staining was performed to demonstrate specificity. Liver mononuclear cells were stained with anti-mouse TCRβ mAb (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA) and PBS57 loaded- (α-GalCer) CD1d tetramer (generously provided by the NIH tetramer facility, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA) to determine the percentage of NKT cells. Data were acquired using an LSR II (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA) and analyzed with FCS Express V3 (De Novo Software, Los Angeles, CA, USA).
Spleen sections were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and sent to the Histology Core at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, for paraffin embedding and sectioning. Five-micrometer sections were prepared and used for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining by the Histology Core Services (University of Maryland).
It has been previously reported that murine splenocytes do not present an activating endogenous antigen to NKT cells [
B cell lymphoma mediated activation of mouse NKT cell hybridomas. (
The level of CD1d cell surface expression on tumors is thought be directly correlated with NKT cell mediated cytotoxicity. High levels of CD1d expression result in higher tumor cell death, whereas low levels of CD1d expression result in minimal tumor cell lysis [
Healthy human NKT cells are stimulated by human B cell lymphomas, but circulating NKT cells are reduced in lymphoma patients. (
We next assessed whether CD1d expression on the B cell lymphomas correlated with CD1d-induced cytokine production by NKT cells. We found that in the absence of exogenous antigen (α-GalCer), human B cell lymphomas did not activate NKT cells (
To examine the role of NKT cells during lymphomagenesis, splenocytes were harvested from wildtype C57BL/6, tumor-free and tumor-bearing DTG and c-myc transgenic mice (
NKT cell responses are impaired during lymphoma progression. (
The DTG mouse model is characterized by an initial leukemic phase and all of the mice have been reported to develop a B-cell malignancy within 4 months, which is preceded by high peripheral white blood cell counts that are 1.5 to 3 times higher than controls at two months [
Activation of NKT cells reduces tumor burden
3.5. α-GalCer Stalls Progression of MCL-BV
Several studies have shown that the use of immunomodulators is effective in controlling hematological malignancies by initiating or restoring the host anti-tumor immune responses to poorly immunogenic or immunosuppressive tumors. In a previous study, it was reported that a single therapeutic vaccination of irradiated, α-GalCer loaded autologous tumor cells was sufficient to inhibit the growth of established tumors [
Activation of NKT cells with a single dose of α-GalCer (i.v.) increases survival in a mouse model of MCL-BV. (
Although MCL responds well to initial therapy, almost all patients relapse within 1–4 years even after intensive therapy. A more aggressive form, the blastoid variant presents at an earlier age and patients have a mean survival time of less than 20 months [
Given the anti-tumor role of NKT cells, we examined the percentage and
Similar to work by Mattarollo [
How do NKT cells regulate anti-tumor immunity and how does their activation result in a sustained increase in their number and function? Our data suggests that healthy primary human NKT cells specifically recognize and respond to B cell lymphomas, when appropriately stimulated. This results in higher levels of IFN-γ production, which is important for anti-tumor responses. α-GalCer-induced cytokine production,
The authors would like to thank Pat Lesho and Nancy Tait, our research coordinators, for managing sample collection, and the patients and healthy donors who allowed their samples to be studied. This work was supported by grants from the American Cancer Society, NIH/NCI K01 CA131487, R21 CA162273, R21 CA162277, and P30 Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Program to T.J. Webb.
J.L., W.S., P.B.S., C.P., K.M.Y. and I.V.T. performed research, analyzed data, and helped write the manuscript. A.S.K. and M.F. contributed samples and reagents and helped write the manuscript. T.J.W. designed and performed research, analyzed and interpreted data, and wrote the manuscript.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.


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Today, I told my boyfriend that I don't like his facial hair and that he should shave it off. He replied, "You first." FML
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By bojangles - / Saturday 28 February 2009 00:34 / United States
Today, I was on a crowded bus when the woman behind me vomited. The guy next to her was a sympathy puker. So were 3 other people. There was no room to escape. FML
By MiscHats - / Friday 14 December 2012 12:28 / Australia - Elsternwick
Today, I was playing with my vibrator. I was getting close when all of a sudden it short-circuited and made a sound like a laughing clown, scaring me half to death. FML
By Geckosrock99 - / Friday 31 August 2012 02:45 / United States - Riverbank
Today, my boyfriend texted me, saying, "I'm running a bath. Wanna come over and learn about water displacement?" I excitedly drove over, thinking he wanted to have some fun. No, he really did want to teach me about water displacement. FML
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Today, I was holding my 3 year old brother, and apparently he thinks it's hilarious to pull my tank top down and scream ''BOOBS!'' in public. FML
By Anonymous / Thursday 16 February 2012 19:41 / United States


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Former PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira recently spoke to GRACIEMAG.com about Randy Couture's departure from the UFC and as well as the possibility of him fighting the winner of Vera-Sylvia for the vacant title.
"I am realy sad. I realy wanted to fight him. I hope there's a chance he comes back." Minotauro also said that there's been a change of plans with Couture's decision. "My strategy will change, once I will no longer have to face such a experienced and skilled guy to get to the title. My next fight is set to take place on February 3rd, but I'm uncertain about the opponent. If it's kongo, it will not be for the title; If it's Vera or Sylvia, the belt will be for grabs. I'm flying to the USA to watch Anderson Silva's bout and I'll probably know who's going to be my adversary," completed the former Pride champion.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira made his UFC debut in July at UFC 73: Stacked against Heath Herring. Despite being in serious trouble early after eating a head kick, Nogueira fought his way back to earn an unanimous decision victory. Minotauro sports a mixed martial arts record of 30-4-1 with victories over the likes of Josh Barnett, Sergei Kharitonov, Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Filipovic, Semmy Schilt, and Mark Coleman. Nogueira has also gone the distance with PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko twice despite dropping an unanimous decision to the Russian heavyweight both times.
Mixed martial arts powerhouse Bodog Fight is teaming up with an organization founded by two of the biggest names in the sport.
Bodog Fight will sponsor the next event by Oregon-based SportFight, an up-and-coming MMA promotion founded by Team Quest marvels Randy "The Natural" Couture and Matt "The Law" Lindland.
Bodog Fight Presents: SportFight 20, The Homecoming will take place October 27 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The co-main events will feature Bodog Fight's Chael Sonnen (20-8-1) and Kyacey "Ice Cold" Uscola (13-9) in a middleweight bout, and a welterweight battle between Chris "The Professor" Wilson (13-3) and Derrick Noble (22-9-1).
"We are delighted to be working with SportFight," said Bodog Fight's billionaire creator Calvin Ayre. "Joining forces will allow us to bring some of the world's best mixed martial arts fighters to fans in the Portland area."
Continue reading "BodogFight Presents: SportFight 20"
News and Notes
- The Nevada State Atheletic Commission has overturned Donald Cerrone's Sept. 5 victory over Kenneth Alexander after he tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide.
- In a sit down with Yahoo! Sports, former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva discussed a variety of subjects including steroids, Chuck Liddell, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and more.
Actually, they do test in Japan. I was tested before and after my fights in Japan. But if you are thinking of Mirko (Cro Cop) and Shogun as examples, Mirko may have lost because he has so many other things going on in his life, such as his duty in government, and his business. Shogun went through a lot of changes before he fought in the UFC. He changed his home, he changed his training, and he changed fighting organizations. I don't know why they lost their fights in the UFC; only Shogun and Mirko understand the reasons why they lost.
- Sticking with Yahoo! Sports, Kevin Iole posted a mailbag article yesterday and in it he stated that non-UFC sources say that the contract Randy Couture signed before fighting Tim Sylvia was for four fights paying between $13-15 million.
Non-UFC sources say that the contract Couture negotiated and signed before his comeback fight against Tim Sylvia in March is for four fights and between $13 million and $15 million, which puts him behind only Chuck Liddell, at four fights and $17 million, in the UFC salary pecking order. Those numbers are believed to include percentages of pay-per-view money.
- In a recent interview with MMAWeekly, Chris Lytle spoke about his upcoming fight with Thiago Alves and also provided his thoughts on being labeled a "utility fighter".
"(The UFC has) told me this, 'Chris, we can call you at any time and you're going to be in shape and we can put you in with anybody.' It's not like, no, this guy's too tough for Chris," said the Indiana native.
"At the same time, they're trying to utilize me not towards my best interests at times. It's probably not a good label, but if I had less skill, I wouldn't have it. It really speaks to the level of my ability to fight."
Media Links
Sports Illustrated: Q & A with Chris Horodecki
MMAWeekly: Alan Belcher Version 2.0
The Fight Network: Familiar Territory
UFC: Patience is no virtue for Jason MacDonald
UFC: Words of Wisdom with Brandon Vera
Sherdog: Behind the Curtain: Zuffa's Finances Come Into Focus
Radio Schedule
12-1 PM - Tagg Radio
1-3 PM - The Savage Dog Show
3-4 PM - Fight Network Radio
3-5 PM - The Beatdown
9-10 PM - MMAWeekly's Sound Off
11 PM - Knockout Radio
News and Notes
- MMAWeekly is reporting that Hermes Franca has left The Armory and he is now in the process of opening his own gym in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The gym will be opening in November. It will be inside of a boxing gym called Palm Beach Boxing Club that will now also house Team Hermes Franca.
The gym can be found at 1611 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Fla. Interested parties can call at either 561-833-2131 or 561-319-6608.
- Ricardo Arona told Tatame that he has not signed with M-1 but he has received offers from organizations in Canada and the USA.
Bablefish Translation:
"I did not close with the M-1. I heard very on this for ai, but I did not receive no proposal to fight against the Stench. Pra you to be sincere I nor know this event", I said Arona, that he intends to still make a fight this year. "It arrived some proposals of Canada, of the States and Japan, but I am waiting best the proposal to still close a fight in December", disclosed the BTT.
Reports surfaced earlier this week that Hardcore Championship Fighting in Canada was interested in acquiring the services of Arona. HCF has been on a tear lately signing the likes of Aleksander Emelianenko, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Renato "Babalu" Sobral.
- MMA Madness caught up with Ken Shamrock to get his thoughts on a variety of subjects including his brother, Frank Shamrock.
MMA Madness: Frank has openly stated he's willing to fight you. Is the feeling mutual for you?
Shamrock: Do you want the complete and honest truth?
MMA Madness: Yeah, let's hear it.
Shamrock: Frank is the kind of guy who will only fight someone if he thinks he can beat them. He won't fight me unless he talks enough crap that he gets pushed into it by the fans. He might even price himself out of the fight just to get out of it. He's done that before. He walks around saying he's the Lion's Den guy and this and that. He was probably my third best guy when I was training them all, behind [Jerry] Bohlander and [Guy] Mezger. Also, Frank has problems against people who can take him down and he knows I would take him down. Look at his fight against Renzo [Gracie]! I can knock him down and punch him out. He's my brother and all, but don't think for a second that I wouldn't fight him.
- MMA Junkie has teamed up with "The Bubba the Love Sponge Show" and will become the MMA content provider for the show's official website.
Media Links
Sherdog: Akiyama to Fight Kang in Korean HERO'S
Sherdog: New Japanese MMA Event, Association Introduced
MMAWeekly: Karo Not Worried About Facing Chonan
The Fight Network: Manager Snubs IFL
UFC: Sylvia's Quest for a Third Belt Begins Saturday
Radio Schedule
12-1 PM EST - TAGG Radio
1-3 PM EST - The Jordan Breen Show
3-5 PM EST - The Stephen Quadros Show
3-4 PM EST - The Fight Network Radio
9-10 PM EST - MMAWeekly's Sound Off
11 PM EST - Knockout Radio
Steve Sievert recently sat down with PRIDE Welterweight Champion Dan Henderson to collect his thoughts on the UFC's current way of paying their fighters. It seems that Randy Couture wasn't the only one unhappy about the situation:
"It seems like guys could be happier," Henderson said. "Part of the problem is that they had a couple, three bad shows and got killed in Ireland (at UFC 72) on the money. And, possibly the fact that they spent a boatload of money buying Pride and didn't do anything with it; they are trying to make some cutbacks, and the fighters aren't overly happy about that."
The most interesting excerpt from the interview was when Henderson revealed that he had actually turned down a proposed contract extension from Dana White prior to UFC 75:
The 37-year-old Team Quest fighter has one bout left on the Pride contract he brought with him to the UFC. White offered an extension, but Henderson didn't bite. He thought the offer was low and chose to take the fight against Quinton Jackson at UFC 75 under the terms of his Pride contract, which left him with no opportunity for a fight bonus.
Despite assurances from White that he would be taken care of in the UFC, Henderson is waiting for what he thinks is an equitable offer.
"He was telling me that, 'We haven't had guys leaving. We take care of the guys, that's why they're happy. We don't want guys that are unhappy,' " Henderson said about initial negotiations with White. "I haven't seen that."
At this point, though, Henderson isn't ready to follow Couture out the UFC door. His preference is to stay with the organization and he wants to "give the UFC a chance" to bring another offer to the table.
So now it's not only the disagreement of what weight class Henderson should fight in that's holding things back, it's his contract now too…
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia discusses his loss to fellow former champion Randy Couture at UFC 68 and why Brandon Vera, his scheduled opponent at UFC 77, might not be as talented as everyone believes he is with ESPN.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture discusses his recent resignation from the UFC and the reasons behind it with ESPN SportsCenter anchor Brian Kenny. Kenny also reads some quotes from UFC President Dana White concerning the situation.
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan made an appearance on The Underground yesterday providing his thoughts on Randy Couture's resignation from the UFC.
"I was working on UFC Wired today when I heard about it. First I thought Randy just decided to retire when he heard Fedor signed with another organization, but then after reading his quotes it obviously runs much deeper than that. I have no idea who makes what, but I do know that I'm honored to have had the chance to know Randy and I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to watch him compete. He is a very rare human being, the kind that comes along only once or twice in a lifetime. He's one of the few people that I've ever come across that's both a kind hearted, friendly, happy guy, and a furious, relentless competitor. He's also one of the rare human beings that fully maximizes his potential in his pursuits. I sincerely hope that there's a way that they can work all this out, but if not, all I can say is that I learned a lot just watching him perform, and I feel very fortunate to have met him."
Yesterday UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture announced that he was severing all ties with the UFC after they failed to land top ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. As Rogan stated the problems seemed to run deeper then just Fedor. Couture was quoted saying, "I'm tired of being taken advantage of, played as the nice guy and basically swimming against the current with the management of the UFC."
For all of the details on the Couture resignation check out the following links:
Randy Couture Leaves the UFC
The UFC's Biggest Battle in the New Generation
The UFC has won battles in the past.
All we have to do is look no further than the tale of how Zuffa came in and saved the promotion that was nearly driven into the ground by Senator John McCain and the idea that mixed martial arts was nothing more than human cockfighting. Fast forward almost seven years later and the UFC has become the driving force behind MMA's giant growth in popularity in recent years.
Now the UFC is seemingly on top of the world. Yet they have another battle to take on.
Continue reading "The UFC's Biggest Battle in the New Generation"
This day already had a lot of news going around. Well I've got some news alright.
Brian Knapp of The Fight Network is reporting that UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture has decided to leave the UFC, citing the UFC's failure to sign Fedor Emelianenko as one of the main reasons for him walking away:
In South Africa shooting scenes for his lead role in the upcoming feature film "The Scorpion King – Rise of the Akkadian," Couture made the announcement official in a letter to UFC president Dana White. The UFC's inability to land PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko played a prominent role in the decision to walk away, according to Couture.
"I appreciate this opportunity the sport of MMA and the UFC has given me," the UFC Hall-of-Famer said. "However, I'm tired of swimming upstream at this stage with the management of the UFC. It only makes sense at this point in my career to fight Fedor Emelianenko, and since he's now signed with another organization, I feel like it's time to resign and focus on my other endeavors."
This is absolutely insane. I don't even know what to say right now. A huge blow to the UFC. I'll have more on this throughout the day/night.
Update 3:07 PM: MMA Weekly has confirmed Couture's resignation from the UFC with representatives of the Xtreme Couture training facility.
Some immediate reaction from the fellow blogs and others:
Five Ounces of Pain: Report: Randy Couture leaves the UFC!
Bloody Elbow: HUGE NEWS: Randy Couture Leaves UFC
MMA Junkie: Report: After UFC's Failure to Sign Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture Leaves UFC
UFC Mania: No Fedor, No Couture: Reigning UFC heavyweight champion resigns
Wrestling Observer: Couture quits UFC
MMA HQ: Randy Couture Leaves UFC
UFC Daily: Report: Randy Couture Leaving the UFC, Vacating Heavyweight Title
Sprawl N' Brawl: Couture leaves the UFC!!
411 Mania: Randy Couture Quits UFC
FOX Sports seems to be the only "mainstream" news source to have picked up on the story so far.
Update 3:32 PM: Sherdog chimes in with some exclusive quotes from Couture himself:
"The motivation for the decision is two-fold," he continued. "I know Fedor (Emelianenko) just signed with another organization and that's the only real fight that makes sense for me at 44 years old as the heavyweight champion of the UFC. That's the fight I wanted and if that can't happen it doesn't make sense for me to compete with all these other guys. And then obviously that's not going to happen now. And, two, I'm tired of being taken advantage of, played as the nice guy and basically swimming against the current with the management of the UFC. I have a lot of other things going on in my life that I'm doing just fine with. I don't need the problems. I don't feel like I get the respect I deserve from the organization, and that's motivation No. 2 for the letter of resignation that was sent today."
So it seems that Couture's decision goes far deeper than just the UFC failing to grab Fedor. It's almost like a flashback of 1997, when Couture first encountered problems with the UFC.
Update 4:08 PM: UFC President Dana White has released this official statement on the situation:
"I'm not surprised at all by Randy's decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn't fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts.
He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it's a great move for Randy's acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top.
As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I'm ready to promote him."
Couture's agent has stated that Randy's contract was on a fight-by-fight basis. However Dana says that Randy is still under contract with him no matter what. Hmm…
Update 5:32 PM: An official statement via Randy's official site.
More reaction:
CP: Couture retires from UFC
Baltimore Sun: Shocker! Randy Couture quits UFC
Yahoo! Sports: Couture stuns MMA world with retirement
NBC Sports: For Couture, a matter of Pride
Five Ounces of Pain: Randy Couture and Dana White release statements
More and more people are pointing out that Randy hasn't announced his "retirement" which continues to lead me to believe that a battle between Couture and White is inevitable when it comes to Couture's status with the UFC. Of course this could all mean nothing if White's remarks about his promotion of Couture were just like his claiming of Josh Barnett still being under contract with Zuffa earlier this year.


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Office Cat likes his old Victrola, but it's a bit light on connectivity options. Fortunately, this iTypewriter has arrived to solve a problem that literally no one had. It's a landscape iPad dock that includes an old-fashioned, noisy typewriter keyboard – no Bluetooth connectivity here, it actually operates little hammers with conductive tips that tap out the keys on the iPad's on-screen keyboard. Just don't try to erase your mistakes with Tipp-Ex.
Source: Pocket-Lint
The weather's very changeable at the moment – how is Office Cat to regulate his temperature while riding about on his vintage motorcycle? That's where this All-Weather Motorcycle Helmet comes in – it heats and cools your noggin as you ride using an evaporative cooler powered by a solar panel to chill you and a heater built into the liner for the winter months. Sadly Kickstarter won't allow the project on so Office Cat asks you to tweet the story in the hope it can find funding for mass production.
Source: Engadget
All weather motorcycle helmet
The idea of Livescribe, a pen that records your writing for uploading later, freaked out Office Cat. The IRIS Notes Express 2 and Executive 2 have gone one better – they don't even need special paper like Livescribe, just a clip at the top of the sheet you're writing on. They'll record 100 pages and even have an adapter that connects directly to an iOS device. At a mere US$100 (£63), Office Cat will certainly be buying one. For his secretary.
Source: Engadget
Ever a fan of competition, Office Cat has found an electric skateboard racing a sports car. The Gnarboard Trail Rider can go from 0-28mph in 1.9 seconds, but the C5 Corvette has a 5.7L V8. Who you got?
Source: Gizmag
Pens that read your writing
Office Cat has sent many a speaker tumbling from his desktop because he can't resist playing with the wires – so these JBL Jembe Bluetooth enabled desktop speakers would save him a lot of expense. Not only do they look great and cost a mere £70, they pack in Harman TrueStream tech for top ear tickler technique.
Source: Engadget
Remember Final Fantasy II? Office Cat does, he's been around forever. The game was never released outside Japan – but a US prototype NES cartridge has been put up for auction on eBay for a whopping US$50,000. Office Cat is rummaging through his loft in search of 8-bit rarities even as he speaks.
Source: CNET
Follow Stuff Office Cat on Twitter (@StuffOfficeCat)
See more from Stuff Office Cat
Today's main stories
Windows Phone 8 quad-core handsets leaked
World's first folding electric car
UPDATED! New Grand Theft Auto V screenshots show off transport and leisure


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Donald Trump's 7-Year-Old Son Wears Caviar Moisturizer
- Donald Trump's 46th wife Melania Trump smothers her caviar anti-aging moisturizer on their seven-year-old son, Barron. Just in case you wanted confirmation the rich are different from you and I. [Glamour]
- Selena Gomez is being criticized by Hindu groups for performing in a bindi at the MTV Movie Awards. [Daily Mail UK]
- Burgeoning pornographic actress Farrah Abraham from "Teen Mom" allegedly tried to recruit actor Carson Underwood to be her "boyfriend" so they could share faux-lationship problems with the world on VH1's "Couples Therapy." [Starcrush]
- Clothes with fake boobs in them are apparently a thing? Please, please don't. [NYMag.com]
- Wendy Williams is joining the cast of "Chicago" on Broadway as Matron Mama Morton this summer. No idea she could sing. [ONTD]
- Designer Tory Burch is launching her own fragrance. It smells like lacrosse sticks and daddy's credit card. [Racked]
- Everything you need to know about dying your hair red. Proceed with caution. [Fashionista]
- Here's "The Great Gatsby" soundtrack sampler that I know you want to hear. [BlackBook Mag]
Email me at [email protected] Follow me on Twitter.
[Photo: Splash News]