text:
A month or so ago, after the most recent OS X update (10.8.2), we've bumped into a problem that causes certain Macs to restart when intensively using Pixelmator. Sometimes, the app would stop responding without restarting a computer, or just cause some graphical glitches.
We did everything to find the root cause of the problem. We've researched a vast amount of information about OS X internals. We've torn down our Macs. We even reached out to Apple. Finally, the picture was clear: It's an issue with NVIDIA GeForce graphics card drivers.*
Although the issue isn't with Pixelmator, we didn't give up. We've searched for various workarounds, and then, we checked with you to see if any of them helped (thanks so much for being so patient and for taking the time to test those workarounds). But in the end, nothing worked.
Good thing, though—the guys at Apple are very helpful, and as soon as we hear about a solution, we'll let you know about it that very moment.
To prove our commitment to you and to brighten up the holiday spirit, we are soon to release a Pixelmator 2.1.4 update that comes with tons of quality improvements.
* The following Macs with NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards are currently affected: GT 120, GT 320M, GT 330M, 9400M, and GT 9600.


text:
Emilio Pucci Spring 2013
Peter Dundas knows who's going to be seen around in his clothes next summer: the hottest girls who like to show as much of their gorgeous bodies as possible without actually being arrestably naked in public. Some of these international sirens were popping up and down in their seats to be photographed in their trophy Emilio Puccis before the show, displaying eyefuls of plunging backs, and dresses with slashed flanks and sheer lace sides. The others were the models on the runway, flocks of whom are personal friends of Dundas, who'll now have no qualms whatsoever about the trend toward smothering themselves in such boring garments as looser shirts and fluid pants when he's around. Why, dear Peter lets us see straight through all of them!
It's a fine line Dundas is treading here between the fun-loving louche and the faint memory of the house of Pucci's Italian classiness. He'd picked "the opulence of Indochina" as his theme, so that meant lace and crystal ethnic-inspired embroideries, often layered under sheer veilings of organza and chiffon. In at least one case, no matter the finessing of layers in one long column dress, it was the very visible pair of black panties beneath that were the object of swiveling-eyed interest in the room.
Still, a man can't make a business on sheerness alone—and a woman needn't be an actual prude to wonder what she can buy from Emilio Pucci that covers her nakedness next summer. Dundas did have answers. His talent for cutting a tailored jacket was present (if you could drag your eyes upward) in a beautiful white jacket, paved with crystal embroidery, at the beginning. Other opacities were provided in his segue into sporty-cum-ethnic shapes: translations of blousons, jumpsuits, and wrapped jackets, decorated with dragon embroideries or mixed prints. A few came emblazoned with the house of Pucci heraldic insignia.
All of that caught some of the general crosscurrents of trends that are swirling around fashion at the moment. A calmer section of long, slim dresses at the end was stunning: the best, a single red, slashed-side cheongsam-influenced dress on Joan Smalls. Yet, there's a dimension to this house—all the swirly, summery psychedelic Pucci print of Principessa in the sixties provenance—which has been relegated from the runway recently. We know it exists, and that it'll be there in the stores, come what may. Somehow, it'll seem just as right-on trend as anything in the show today.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For instance sexual intercourse show that females want to get and male want to give ?
Which would imply that even thought men have superior intellect/physical strength etc...;that men are actually slaves, at the service of something else ?
Also the sado masochistic aspect of having sex would reveal the tendencies of the sexes
male as sadist ( agressivity, resistance) and female as masochistic ( tendency to surrender, avoidance)
Any intakes ?


text:
Street Chic: New York
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
|This chic color combination is proving to be the biggest color trend of next spring as well.
Name: Mary
Jacket: Tory Burch (shop similar: Vince)
Shorts: Club Monaco (shop similar: Blank Denim)
Sandals: Zara (shop similar: Topshop)
Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim
Want to see more street style? Check out our Tumblr and Pinterest!
More from ELLE:


text:
Bunny is a long-time Greenpeacer who started off as a deckhand on board the original Rainbow Warrior, then became campaign leader for the Pacific, then Executive Director of Greenpeace NZ, and is now executive director of Greenpeace International.
Today (21 September), around the globe, we mark Peace Day knowing that for many, peace is nowhere to be found. Not today. And unless things change dramatically, not any time soon.
2015 saw the number of refugees and displaced people reach record numbers - surpassing even post-World War II. It is with heavy hearts that we follow the news from around the world. The images are heartbreaking: a terrified child, a ruined hospital, a capsized boat, a city bombed to the ground, a community struggling for survival. For every image that catches the media's attention, many others go unnoticed. Suffering and grief beyond comprehension and beyond the limits of what people should have to endure, are the daily reality for many.
And while we cannot pretend to comprehend, we must, ask ourselves - what ... Read more >
Today marks the International Day against Nuclear Tests. Since 1945, more than 2000 nuclear tests have been carried out at more than 60 locations around the globe. Nuclear weapons were designed and tested to be the ultimate doomsday weapon, setting a legacy of fear and destruction. No other human invention had as much impact on the story of humanity in recent decades.
Greenpeace demonstrates against nuclear testing at the White House in DC during the 1st Bush Presidency.
Nuclear tests have shaped Greenpeace. They have been a part of our story as an organisation from the outset. They have been a part of my own story, both personally and professionally. Read more >
I was 24 when I first witnessed, in person, the disastrous impacts of nuclear testing on people, and on the environment. It was 1985 and I...
There is nothing quite like flying over the Brazilian Amazon. The forest spreads out like an endless green carpet, crisscrossed by ribbons of water, and goes on for as far as the eye can see. Banks of clouds break up the vast sky. As the green of the mighty Tapajós River comes into view, I know we've entered the territory of the Munduruku Indigenous People – my hosts for the coming days.
Greenpeace is working alongside the Munduruku to push for formal recognition of their land and to halt the massive São Luiz do Tapajós (SLT) hydrodam planned for the Tapajós River, in the very heart of the Amazon. I have come to meet with the Munduruku chiefs and show our global support for the protection of the Tapajós and the rights of the Munduruku who have lived here for generations.
The Munduruku... Read more >
UPDATE 1: Our investigations are going well. We've narrowed down what happened, and hope to have our email system back up and running later today or tomorrow.
UPDATE 2: We've managed to confirm that all your financial data is safe, and was not compromised at all. Phew! We'll be back online soon.
I'm writing this message because some of you will have been sent a spam email that appeared to come from us last night. It didn't come from us. If you received the message, please just treat it like all spam. Delete it, and don't click on the links.
We're really sorry, and right now we're working to find out how this happened, and how we can fix it.
What we do know is that yesterday evening someone got into the software we use to send you emails. They tried to send you a spam message about 'Lott... Read more >
Yesterday, at the United Nations meeting in New York, the New Zealand government announced that a vast stretch of its exclusive economic zone will be turned into an ocean sanctuary. It is the first time an area of New Zealand's EEZ has been fully protected from all mining and fishing and will be among the world's largest ocean reserves.
It is a very welcome move to preserve one of the most pristine and unique environments on earth. Well done Prime Minister Key.
Greenpeace has long supported the call for a global network of marine reserves to cover 40 percent of our seas and oceans and was one of the groups supporting protection of the Kermadecs. And the Rainbow Warrior has just completed a campaign in the Pacific exposing overfishing and illegal fishing activity in areas of interna... Read more >
1 - 5 of 30 results.


text:
Freddie Freeman Hopes to Stay Healthy Through 2013 » Freeman swing
No tags for this post.
This entry was posted on Monday, February 18th, 2013 at 5:13 PM and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
Nice. Real nice.
Nice. Real nice.
Sun Deckers beat us to this topic by a few hours.
Maybe Pete Jr. should save this article to show his future kids someday. It will help them understand why they don't get to visit their grandpa more often.
They were talking about this a few hours ago on an Astros board, too.
Eric Stratton, Rush Chairman. Damn glad to meet ya.
Once you take the bat out of his hand, it's all downhill.
"Baseball is a very, very complex business. It's more of a people business than most businesses." - Bob Castellini
That's telling it like it is
Go Gators!
Pete's rehabilitation is doing wonders. He may get into the HOF by 2500.
I met a guy once who went to school with Pete.He told them winning is everything and if you get second place you're just losers."
He said Pete was the type of guy who knocked the books out of your hands in the hallway.
If that was someone I didnt know, I would swear the guy is either drunk or a complete ass.
Sad thing is anyone who knows Pete knows he doesnt drink!!!
"Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard
I'm sorry...PETE ROSE is a tool and the US ARMY should have more forethought than having him in to speak to kids...once again, Army Intelligence asleep at the wheel.
(That was a joke...funny probably only to me and some those who are anti war...but there you have it)
"Sometimes, it's not the sexiest moves that put you over the top," Krivsky said. "It's a series of transactions that help you get there."
He did a similar thing in town last year at a camp in Cincy. Brilliant.
Before you continue with this tripe, check your facts.
BTW, there is a movie called Airbourne......about, believe it or not, rollerblade skating. It was filmed at Western Hills.....rent it some time.
"Is there a problem officers?"
What facts?My eldest brother DID go to school with Peter Edward....and Rose was a less-than-model student.
Before you continue with this tripe, check your facts.
The guy who told me?
You just confirmed it from where I sit.
I know a guy who worked on Airborn, said it was a joke movie, part of the rollerblade chase intercuts part of Cincinnati with part of Malibu, it's quite the gaffe.
Jack Black was the goalie in that movie. Seth Green was funny. I kinda liked it.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
SMWC Equestrian Team Wins at Regionals
October 22nd, 2010 | SMWC
The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Hunt Seat Equestrian Team hosted and won the first hunt seat show in its eleven-team region Saturday, October 16, 2010. The team posted outstanding performance as they earned the High Point Team award, with Purdue University finishing in second place and Indiana University taking third place.
Intermediate rider junior Whitney Mahloch (Plymouth, Wisc.) claimed the High Point Rider award. Nearly all of the SMWC team members earned a ribbon.
"Our students worked hard riding against tough competition," said Krista Steinmetz, hunt seat equestrian team coach. "The students had an excellent showing and represented Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in a positive and professional manner."
The team is off to a great start and hopes to repeat its last year's appearance in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) national competition. The next shows are on November 6-7, 2010 at Purdue University.
Below are the individual results from the October 16, 2010 show.
Open Fences
Alex Amos 6th
Intermediate Fences
Whitney Mahloch 1st
Novice Fences Class A
Hannah Reeley 1st
Ali Mahloch 3rd
Novice Fences Class B
Darby Hall 4th
Hannah Bardo 6th
Open Flat
Alex Amos 3rd
Intermediate Flat
Whitney Mahloch 1st
Hannah Reeley 3rd
Darby Hall 4th
Novice Flat Class B
Ali Mahloch 1st
Novice Flat Class D
Karen Cannon 1st
Cortni Bigley 3rd
Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter Class A
Devin Lintzenich 1st
Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter Class B
Jordyn Perrott 1st
Chelsey Sears 2nd
Natalie Brown 3rd
Abigail Paul 5th
Beginning Walk/Trot/Canter Class A
Tracey Dykstra 2nd
Beginning Walk/Trot/Canter Class B
Lauren Nelson 1st
Whitney Damron 5th
Comment on this article
This story has been moved to the archive and comments have now been disabled.


text:
In France, warning signals have gone off after Turkish Islamic creationist, Harun Yahya, made a mass mailing of free copies of his "Atlas of Creation" to schools across the nation. This caused concern in the scientific community:
Herve Le Guyader, a University of Paris biology professor who advised the Education Ministry on the Atlas, said high school biology teachers needed more training now to respond to the increasingly open challenges to the theory of evolution.
"It"s often taught in a simplistic way," he said. "We have to give them the philosophical arguments they need to respond."


text:
I have been using a vertical smoker for years and had my rib's down! I recently purchased a Brinkmann Cimmeron smoker (horizontal). I seem to be doing everything the same, but my ribs are very dry. I have the following thoughs as to why. The Brinkmann is more efficent and thus the ribs are over cooked. There is more air flow with the horizontal. The water in the vertical was directly under the heat source, in the horizontal, it is not. Or, I am so excited with the Brinkmann that I am drinking to much as I smoke and loose track of the time.
Anyone have any thoughts or opinions?
Thanks - JOHN


text:
Diabetes: Sample Plate Format
Use these pictures to help you visualize your next balanced meal.
Sample lunch or dinner plate
Follow these guidelines for lunch and dinner:
- Half the plate is non-starchy vegetables. This is about the size of your closed fist, although you can go back for seconds on these foods. Examples are broccoli, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, peppers, and salad greens.
- One-fourth of the plate is a bread, starch, or grain. This is about the size of half a closed fist. Examples are bread, rolls, rice, crackers, cooked grains, cereal, tortillas, and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, winter squash, beans, peas, and lentils.
- One-fourth is lean protein. This is about the size of the palm of your hand. Examples are beef, chicken, turkey, pork, fish, tofu, and eggs. (For the plate format, beans should be counted as a starch, not as a protein.)
- Add a small piece of fruit. A small piece of fresh fruit is about the size of a tennis ball. Or choose ½ cup of frozen, cooked, or canned fruit. You could also have a small handful of dried fruit or ½ cup (4 ounces) of 100% fruit juice.
- Enjoy a cup (8 ounces) of low-fat or fat-free milk. If you don't drink milk, you could substitute with 6 ounces of no-sugar-added yogurt, another serving of fruit, or a small dinner roll.
Sample breakfast plate
For breakfast, the concept is similar.
- One-fourth of the plate is a bread, starch, or grain.
- One-fourth of the plate is a protein.
- Include an 8-oz glass of fat-free or low-fat milk.
- Add a small serving of fresh fruit or ½ cup of canned fruit.
Current as of: May 23, 2016
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.
To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.
© 1995-2016 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
POLICE are appealing for information after attempts were made to burgle three premises in Barnards Green.
Criminals attempted to gain access to the Cold Chef, Court Road, some time between Friday and Monday morning.
And between Sunday night and Monday morning, attempts were made to break into the neighbouring Natural Choice and Barnards Green Optician in Barnards Green Road.
In each case, nothing was stolen.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, citing incident numbers 147s of July 28, for the Cold Chef, or 85s of July 28 for the other two.


text: An elegant late Georgian Property in a classical Garden square overlooking the sea just 200 metres from the Palace Pier. Within a few minutes walk of Brightons business entertainment and attractions areas. Brighton Conference Centre 10 minutes walk The Lanes theatres and nightlife are 5 minutes walk. Brightons Yacht Marina Sussex Cricket Club and Brightons Race Course and football Stadium are close by. Easy access to both of Brightons Universities with the Hospital just a 5 minute walk. Rooms are decorated in traditional and contemporary styles some with sea views and balconies. Extensive Breakfast Fayre including organic charcuterie and full vegan and vegetarian choices. Night Bar.


text:
Judge dismisses north Fla. voting fraud charges
Published: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 9:15 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 9:15 p.m.
TALLAHASSEE — A judge has thrown out charges against one defendant in a north Florida voting fraud case and defense lawyers on Thursday predicted that others would follow.
Circuit Judge Julian Collins this week dismissed felony charges against Montollis Roberson, a volunteer in the 2010 campaign of a Madison County school board candidate.
"I think it effectively is going to end the case," Tallahassee lawyer Robert Cox said. He said his client, a nurse who lost her nursing home job after her arrest, was "absolutely ecstatic."
Roberson was one of nine Madison County residents, including two elected officials, who were arrested in the case in 2011. Madison is about 50 miles east of Tallahassee.
She was accused of violating regulations for the distribution and collection of absentee ballots, but Collins cited a 1975 Florida Supreme Court ruling that says those provisions are discretionary rather than mandatory.
The judge also noted that the state conceded there had been no intent to cast a false or fraudulent ballot. Voters who received the absentee ballots said they were able to cast them for the candidates of their choice.
"The legal issues and the facts in this case are common to all defendants," said attorney Jami Coleman, who is representing another defendant, Raven Williams.
State Attorney Willie Meggs said he disagreed with the judge's decision, but added, "It's kind of OK." He said if nothing else, the case has shown the Legislature needs to tighten laws on absentee voting.
"It is an area prime for fraud," Meggs said.
Five other defendants are facing similar charges, including Williams and suspended Madison County School Board member Abra "Tina" Hill Johnson and her husband. Two other cases have been resolved through pretrial intervention.
Suspended Supervisor of Elections Jada Woods Williams, meanwhile, is facing separate misdemeanor negligence charges.
Johnson won the election by 28 votes. She and her campaign volunteers were charged with obtaining about 45 absentee ballots without proper authorization.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
A PUB DJ was caught almost twice the drink-drive limit when he was taking an epileptic friend home, a court was told.
Mark Fitzsimmons, 39, who was subject to a suspended jail term at the time, had got behind the wheel because his friend was unwell and the wait for a taxi was too long.
Fitzsimmons gave a test which showed 67 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 – Burnley magistrates heard.
The defendant, of Lloyd Close, Nelson, admitted driving with excess alcohol, last December 21.
He was spared prison after the bench told him it would be unjust to activate the suspended term as he had fully complied with other parts of it and it was almost at an end. Fitzsimmons was fined a total of £300, with a £25 victim surcharge and he was banned for 17 months. He must pay £85 costs.
The court heard the defendant, a stores team leader who worked part-time at the George and Dragon, Barrowford, as a DJ, had been there with his friend.
He tried to get a taxi but was told they would have to wait about 45 minutes, and 'foolishly decided' to take the risk to get his friend home as fast as he could.


text:
World Class RunnersRiddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
To follow us you must go
to all corners of the earth you know.
I go one way, and my brother goes the other
follow my sisters and they run into one another
My brother and I have our goals
that are far away from the others
We had a fight and now we stretch
to get away from each other
But my sisters never tire
and always run around
Smiling at each other
as they pass along the ground
The four who move all the time
Are the subject of this rhyme.
And I ask you who we are
Us four that stretch so very far.
AnswerI am North, my brother is South and my sisters are West and East.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this riddle, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top


text:
Out of the Humidor
(continued from page 5)
I was ecstatic to read your comments regarding the private lives of potential leaders of this country. I have long advocated exactly the same stand you made in your comments. It's too bad the "Powers that Be" will never come to our view as long as we have the best Congress money can buy. After your thoughts, I was carried to even higher levels of political ecstasy when I read the words of the Honorable Jesse Ventura, governor of Minnesota. Why, after years of my believing this and having the support of many of my peers, is there no groundswell of support for honest, capable, but imperfect candidates? I doubt if many of the critics or journalists who wave the flag of pot or sex would be willing to submit their own lives to such scrutiny.
William A. (Bill) Muller III
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Dear Marvin,
I can't help but comment on your editor's note in the August 2000 issue. While I agree with many of your points, I think your definition of "youthful indiscretions, or errors in judgment that are the fabric of the human experience" misses the mark. In fact, some of these indiscretions or errors in judgment are quite telling about an individual's honesty and integrity. Anyone who would purposely violate state and federal laws by using narcotics should be viewed as untrustworthy. Anyone who would stand before God and pledge an oath of fidelity to his or her spouse and then turn around and cheat is capable of anything. Who wouldn't they lie to? We must never forget that respect is earned, not bestowed. If someone does make a mistake, repents and asks for forgiveness, they have taken the first step to regaining their integrity.
However, it can take years to regain the same level of trust or respect that they chose to risk. Nearly everything in life is a personal choice, and it is our actions and how we face our "youthful indiscretions and errors in judgment" that develop us into the people we are today. While I certainly don't consider myself "perfectly ethical" or someone who has "never strayed from absolute righteousness," I have learned from my mistakes. I have also learned that there are some choices that can lead to utter self-destruction. I choose to avoid these. Thank you for your thought-provoking articles and furthering my enjoyment of smoking delicious cigars, a risk I choose to accept.
Jon Beplay
Gilbert, Arizona
Gilbert, Arizona
Editor's response: You make our point again. What has happened in this country is that potentially effective leaders who have learned from their youthful mistakes and are not repeating them as adults fear stepping into the political arena because of vicious personal attacks about their past that might come their way.
Dear Marvin,
On the one hand I, too, pine for the day when people of merit and character once again feel secure enough to run for political office. And I agree, in spirit, in a wholehearted fashion to your editorial. I would, however, offer the following: Has it not occurred to anyone yet as to why people with courage and quality do not run for political office much anymore? It would appear that the country is finally waking up to the painful reality that empty suits in the Congress and White House are making policy and laws. It goes well beyond the scrutiny of politicos by the media and points directly to the deep pockets of political pundits hell-bent to undermine their enemies.
Specifically, the radical right and Christian Coalition have done more to destroy our nation with soft money and clandestine politics, all designed to ruin the Democratic Party and its candidates. Need proof? All one must do is look back over the past eight to 10 years of Rush Limbaugh and Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and company laughing up their sleeves as America burns. Say what you will about Clinton's lying under oath, but it was a direct result of digging up enough dirt on a man's private affairs to catch him in a lie. It is absolute gospel that no president (or any other politician for that matter) has been subject to the level of mean-spirited, conniving and ruthless scrutiny as President Clinton has. Bar none. It was shameful how Newt manipulated the cameras at Clinton's State of the Union address culminating with Gingrich grinning directly into the camera like a school boy on time-out.
It was equally reprehensible how Limbaugh, Oliver North and G. Gordon Liddy turned an entire nation of voters into completely jaded cynics. It was unbelievable how the GOP got into bed with the Christian Coalition and Jerry Falwell's Silent Majority and shamelessly misrepresented the truth, over and again, on radio, Trinity Broadcasting, 700 Club and in video via the Clinton Chronicles, all in the name of God. Personal attacks, questioning his religious mettle, ridicule of Hillary and Chelsea--those are not family values. Then there are the philanderers who spent millions on ads and literature for front organizations such as Family First and supplied lawyers to harass and belittle the president.
The hypocrisy of Rep. Lee Burton (R-Ind.), Gingrich and others who slammed Clinton for his misguided sexual dalliances when they themselves either fathered children out of wedlock or had affairs before divorcing their first wife! I could go on.... And we wonder why nobody good runs for office anymore. But this magazine's coming forward now bothers me. Where was Cigar Aficionado when all this was going down? Afraid you might have lost subscribers, perhaps? Maybe, Marvin, you have answered your own question with your inaction. I'm voting Democrat. Care to join me?
Tim S. McGlasson
Visalia, California
Visalia, California
Editor's response: It's tough to win these days. The subject came up this year because it's a presidential election year. Would it have been appropriate in the 1996 presidential race or 1998 congressional races? Yes. And, in 1994, 1992, 1990 and in 1988. If we were worried about losing subscribers for every word we printed, we wouldn't be in business.
Dear Marvin,
In reading Governor Ventura's column, something very simple should have been made evident to the other 99.99 percent of elected officials in the United States--Americans have a growing dislike for the dysfunction that has become endemic in our political system. I made a bet with several friends that if Hulk Hogan succeeded in getting on the presidential ballot, he would win the presidency. My rationale was that the "serious" vote, the 36 percent of America currently voting, would split between the Democrats and the Republicans (with probably some serious defections within these groups) and the other 64 percent of America would go for Hogan as a major "stick-in-the-eye" of politics as usual.
It would only take 18 percent of the vote in this three-way for a Hogan-type candidate to win, and I'd predict him getting 25 to 30 percent, because there are truly that many embittered and poorly represented Americans. My grandfather once said, "If doing the right thing is a habit it is as easy as breathing. But if it is an option than life will be hard, long and brutish." The latter sounds like someone's life view for many of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Mark L. Walker
Mukilteo, Washington
Mukilteo, Washington
Dear Marvin,
I so much appreciate Cigar Aficionado magazine, and have for years. As an aficionado for more than 10 years, I have found this magazine such an insightful encouragement to my love of cigars. With the new format, I was at first taken aback seeing that you were backing away from your (our) prideful love of history's finest relaxation: cigars. But faced with the reality that the cigar boom has eased and that readership may be off, I came to a new realization: I would rather enjoy the same articles and insights about cigars with the new masthead and layout than to do without Cigar Aficionado magazine!
After all, the content has the same space and punch, but the packaging is broader-based. The magazine is not that much different. So thank you for finding a way to keep fueling the love that many of us have for cigars! Keep up the good work! I would just ask that you keep the passion for cigars coming through each issue. That will continue to help readers like me keep in touch with cigar news, profiles of other cigar lovers (past and current), and stories of cigar lovers with their pictures.
Wayne Evans
North Canton, Ohio
North Canton, Ohio
Dear Marvin,
After reading your article in the August issue on the political wind blowing against cigar smoking in Los Angeles, and sensing the antismoking mood in the country, which borders on hysteria, I would like to relate a story from my days as a medical intern. Although it involves a cigarette smoker rather than a cigar smoker, the point should come across well. I hope it demonstrates that sometimes, perhaps often, someone else's right to smoke may actually be more important than the antismoking person's "rights" to a smoke-free environment.
Sunday mornings can be a fairly quiet time in hospital wards, as many physicians prefer to start their rounds later than usual on this day of rest. This leaves the interns, who work around the clock, to provide most of the patient care during these hours. I was just such an intern once, fresh out of medical school doing my first rotation in general medicine at a major Chicago hospital. I had been working since the previous morning and was looking forward to heading home after morning rounds for some well-deserved sleep. But shortly before rounds were to start, I heard the "code blue" call come over the PA and my heart leapt into my throat.
Although I had taken cardiac training classes and assisted with other codes, I had yet to manage a full code. But this morning, for the first time, I would be completely responsible for saving someone's life. My pulse quickened and the sweat began to break as I began mentally rehearsing the correct medical protocols for cardiac arrest while running to the room. Squeezing between the nurses crowding the doorway and stepping to the bedside, I suddenly recalled the patient lying on the bed from earlier in my shift. It was about six hours before, and I was sitting in the lobby going over charts when a thin, gray-haired figure shuffled in.
He had the gaunt frame of a chronically ill cancer patient, and the gown he wore over his frail body gave him a ghostlike appearance as he passed. He mumbled a friendly greeting and sat wearily down in a lobby chair. Then I saw him reach into his gown and produce a crumpled pack of cigarettes. His thin fingers removed a single one, which he placed to his lips and lit. I was astonished! Smoking was not only forbidden in the hospital, but was rapidly becoming a moral anathema in society.
Yet, here I was, a physician, watching him fill the lobby with smoke. As a physician and a runner, I'm not a big fan of smoke, secondhand or otherwise. I was sure that many patients on the floor would have shared my feelings, since in addition to the health risks, there was also the concern about combustible oxygen. I considered this as I watched him smoke and soon began to feel the indignation of one who has had his "rights" violated. And as people cherish their indignation, so did I mine.
So my immediate reaction was to demand that the effrontery be removed. But as I watched this pale figure smoking in silence, I couldn't help but wonder if, at this particular moment, his contentment was more important than both my rights and the hospital's rules. Like everyone else, I have my rights, including the right to breathe clean air. But does every one of my rights need to be constantly guarded and fought for? And why should I be so anxious to push my rights in the face of another? After getting over my initial indignation, I realized that perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult for me to put my own desires aside and let him be. I continued my paperwork, finding that the smoke wasn't so stifling after all. It didn't drift back to any other rooms and was safely away from any source of oxygen.
I specifically recall thinking, for one brief moment, that this could be the last smoke of his life. After he finished his cigarette, he lifted himself with great effort and shuffled back to his room. I finished my work, collected my things, and left. I considered the irony as I walked through the smoke-filled lobby to the elevator. As a physician and hospital representative, shouldn't I have stood for good health, and enforced the hospital's sensible no-smoking policies? And as a bystander, should I have had to endure that smoke? But rather than ponder those questions at that late hour, I decided to forget the whole thing. No harm had been done, and I assumed that I would never see him again. But here he was staring up at me, his eyes only slightly more vacant than the night before. This ghostlike figure, whom I had deigned to let smoke only a few hours before, was now dying in front of me.
Determined to save my new patient, I went to work. My hands trembled as I pounded his chest with my fist, his vomit splashing onto my face as I desperately tried to bring some rhythm to his fading heart, some life to his stiffening body. IV lines were started and medications were given as I tried everything I could to stop this man from dying. After struggling for over an hour, I slowly realized that I would not be able to save him. I stopped the code and somberly signed my name on the chart, formalizing the first time I lost a patient. I eventually went home, but still couldn't stop thinking about the morning's events. At home, I sat on the side of my bed and tears filled my eyes. I had done my best, and failed. Despite all of my efforts, my first coded patient had died. I'm sure that it was not that final cigarette but the countless ones that came before that ultimately took this man's life.
That final one was simply his final pleasure. A pleasure that I could have taken from him by exercising my rights or enforcing the rules. During the years of intense training that a physician endures, there are certain moments that are burned into one's memory. Yes, I will never forget the look on his face, the sweat in my palms, and the fact that I could not save his life. But with those painful memories comes the comforting thought that at least I let him enjoy his last cigarette in peace and did not force him to go to his death with the bitter rantings of a self-righteous intern fresh in his memory.
Marc Deshaies, M.D.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois
Dear Marvin,
I've had two issues to become acclimated with the new look and sequence of your magazine. Thus, I have the following to report: One, I love words. Thus, I appreciate your emphasizing the word "aficionado" at the expense of "cigar." Further, the content of the articles is the major reason that I buy and read your publication. Two, I love cigars as well. I smoked my first in October 1993 at a famous Manhattan steak house. My second was at a popular Miami steak house in December 1995.
Ratings & Reviews
Search our database of more than 17,000 cigar tasting notes by score, brand, country, size, price range, year, wrapper and more, plus add your favorites to your Personal Humidor.


text:
climachill™ t-shirt
Regular Price 175.00 AED Now 99.00 AED
Product Code:
The Climachill™ t-shirt for men by adidas features a FORMOTION® design that allows for a smoother, natural-like movement when you are training; also its climachill™ engineering will drive away heat from your skin due to the porosity and heat-lifting aluminium within the fabric.
- climachill™ provides unmatched moisture and heat control
- FORMOTION® allows for an increased comfort and better freedom of movement
- Crew neck
- Contrast tipping on collar and sleeve hems
- Material Composition: 100% Polyester doubleknit
You can return your items for free within 14 days of purchase. Returns numbers must be requested within 7 days of receiving your order and you will have a further 7 days to return unsuitable items. For more information please refer to our Returns Policy page. We deliver straight to your doorstep across the UAE and GCC; if you require further information please refer to our Shipping Policy page.
If you need any assistance please use our chat.


text:
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to sources.
Longsword (DnD)Edit
The longsword is a straight, two edged sword with a hilt long enough to fit a second hand if necessary. The guard is tyically a simple cross but may have elaborate defences. It is only used as a slashing weapon and thus may be fullered, but would not have a spine or diamond sectioned blade.
As with many weapons in DnD it is a poor representative or misnamed version of its historical cousin. The historical arming sword closest fits the description of the DnD longsword. The historical longsword best fits the description of a bastard sword.


text:
The effect of GST on businesses depends on the type of customers they have. Goods or services supplied to other GST-registered businesses reduces the impact of GST. If your customers are not registered for GST, having to add GST will either make you less competitive, or reduce your after-tax income.
Q. My husband works in the building industry and is currently not registered for GST. He wants to register so he can claim the GST he is paying on tools and materials. Does this sound like a good idea?
A. It would appear that your husband has been in the building industry for some time and therefore has the majority of his large cost equipment items. In addition his annual income must not have exceeded $75,000 yet, the level at which he must register for GST.
If the majority of your husband's customers are GST-registered builders it will make sense for him to register for GST. This is because he can add GST to his hourly rate and still receive the same income plus be able to claim the GST he pays. For example, on an income of $66,000 he could add $6600 in GST, which his builder customers can claim back, and end up with $66,000 in income.
If most of your husband's work is done for private consumers he could be worse off by registering for GST. This is because the hourly rate he charges these customers cannot be increased to reflect the GST due to market place competition. He will then effectively end up with a one 11th reduction in income, which will be offset to a small extent by the GST claimable on his tools materials and other costs.
The best way to explain the impact of this is with the following example. If the expected annual income for your husband is $66,000, his total costs were $22,000, and he was not registered for GST, the cash profit he would earn is $44,000.
If, on the other hand, your husband was registered for GST this table shows what his cash profit would be:
GST Inclusive GST Net after GST
Total Income 66,000 6000 60,000
Total Costs 22,000 2000 20,000
Net GST payable to ATO 4000
Net cash income after GST 40,000
From this you can see your husband would be worse off from a net cash income point of view, after accounting for GST, by $4000 by not being able to increase his prices to take account of the GST he must pay to the Australian Tax Office.
If your husband was just starting out in business and had major tool, equipment and motor vehicle purchase costs, it might have been worth registering for GST. If the total set-up cost for his business was $55,000, and all of the items including the vehicle were purchased from GST registered businesses, using the previous example he could claim the $5000 in GST and be better off by $1000 in the first year.
Questions on small business tax or other issues can be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Tax for small business: a survival guide, by Max Newnham, is available in bookstores.


text:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The 35-year-old Jacksonville man facing dozens of federal charges of hacking into the email accounts of several celebrities faced reporters for the first time Friday afternoon.
Hours earlier, Christopher Chaney said nothing as he arrived at the Federal Courthouse surrounded by dozens of cameras, a few from national networks. After a brief hearing at which he waived his right to a preliminary hearing, he left, also without comment, in a limousine.
At a hastily arranged news conference outside his lawyers office Friday afternoon, Cheney made a statement but did not answer questions.
"I am very sorry for all of this," Chaney said. "What I'm most sorry about is that I had to drag my mom into all of this, and my family and my neighbors."
Chaney had told a television reporter the night after his arrest that he plans to plead guilty when he goes to Los Angeles to face 26 federal charges of identity theft, unauthorized access to a protected computer and wiretapping. At Friday's hearing, a date of that court appearance was set for Nov. 12.
If convicted of all charges, Chaney could faces up to 121 years in prison.
"Charges that's alleged in the indictment early 120 years in prison.People who murder kids don't get 120 years in prison," said his attorney, Christopher Chestnut.
Chaney is accused of hacking into the email accounts of actress Scarlett Johansson and other celebrities and downloading their private information, which led to nude photos of Johansson and other information appearing on the Internet.
| Uncut:
There were more than 50 victims in the case, including Mila Kunis, Christina Aguilera and actress Renee Olstead, authorities said. Others were identified only by initials and investigators wouldn't disclose if they were famous, but said victims named in the indictment agreed to have their identities made public.
In the televised interview, Chaney said he began celebrity hacking out of curiosity and it quickly became addictive, "seeing the behind-the-scenes of what's going on with the people you see on the big screen." He said he was almost relieved when the FBI seized his computers months ago.
He insisted that he never intended to blackmail anyone and that he had no part in posting the photos.
"Someone contacted me wanting the pictures," said Chaney, who is free on $10,000 bond. "I don't even know who it was. No, I didn't give that person any pictures. I never wanted to sell or release any images."
During his only interview prior to Friday, he said he wanted to apologize to celebrities for his actions.
"I know what I did was probably the worst invasion of privacy someone could experience. I'm not trying to escape what I did. It was wrong. And I have to just face that and go forward," he told the WTEV reporter.
A note on the front window of his parent's Westside home said he would not talk to any other reporters.
"I understand you are only doing your jobs. I do not resent this or blame the media for trying to get the 'hot' story. I deserve this. My family and neighbors do not. ... Again I apologize and know you have your jobs to do," he wrote.
Neighbor Keishay Hayes said Chaney was reclusive and he only saw him on Wednesdays when he took the garbage to the street and when he walked his small dog. His friend Destiny Gordon said that when she saw the FBI and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office swarm the house a few months ago, she thought someone had died.
Chaney hacked Google, Apple and Yahoo email accounts beginning last November and through February, then hijacked the forwarding feature so that a copy of every email received was sent, "virtually instantaneously," to an email account he controlled, according to an indictment handed up Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles.
He allegedly used the hacker names "trainreqsuckswhat," ''anonygrrl" and "jaxjaguars911," and also used the victims' identities to illegally access and control computers. Chaney is accused of damaging email servers that caused losses of at least $5,000 per instance.
Authorities wouldn't say whether Chaney was able to access email accounts via cell phones, but he was able to figure out secure passwords to various celebrity accounts through information that had been made public.
Chaney mined publicly available data and figured out passwords and security questions, officials said.
Authorities wouldn't say whether Chaney was able to access email accounts via cell phones, but he was able to figure out secure passwords to various celebrity accounts through information that had been made public.
Chaney was arrested by the FBI at his Westside home Wednesday morning and made his initial court appearance in the Jacksonville Federal Courthouse that afternoon.
Chaney was released to the custody of his parents on bail with one of several conditions being that he have no access to any computer or other device that has access to the Internet.
Channel 4 has learned that Chaney pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges in 1998 in a case involving Prudential Insurance.
Copyright 2011 by News4Jax.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Jessica Simpson might be a cow
Is that mean? Is that mean of me to call Jessica Simpson a cow just because she looks like she gained 80 pounds and forgot how to walk? I mean I don't want to be mean. So if that's mean just pretend I didn't even say it. Because she's not a cow. She's a person. With feelings. And emotions. And possibly hooves where her feet should be.
Thanks to the sextacular Kelly for the tip. I hear she once made Brad Pitt orgasm just by winking at him.
NOTE: Turns out she's filming an ad for Pizza Hut here, which I think really helps her case against being a cow. I mean geez, she might as well be doing a public service announcement for mayonnaise.


text:
All of those buybacks. All of those takeovers. All of that buying power. But it doesn't mean a thing in the last hour of trading, as we saw in that brutal close Monday.
Among the many companies with just-announced share buybacks were 3M (MMM), United Tech (UTX) and IBM (IBM), and these were down huge Monday -- the biggest percentage contributors to the decline in the Dow. With all these buybacks, you wouldn't think we'd see this torrent of surprisingly large, unbridled selling, totally unmet by anything other than the most meager buying.
But the buybacks can't be used in force to stabilize stocks at the end of the session, as that's regarded as manipulative. So the companies, which say they want to buy back as much stock as they can -- or have accelerated buybacks or are supposed to be active -- don't get to use those buybacks when they would be most effective.
That's why I have always preferred higher dividends to buybacks. The dividends are "in play" during every selloff. That is, we know a stock is a terrific place to go if a yield gets to 4% from a stock's decline, but a buyback doesn't even stop a futures-led decline.
Now, I know that buybacks can shrink float, and that this is what allows the earnings per share to rise -- but that's not what I am talking about. I am saying that, in a world where we are using stocks as fixed-income equivalents, the dividend is the thing that entices us -- not the buyback. The buyback is ephemeral for most, because so many of them don't even do anything but cancel out the stock options a company issues to management.
Of course, in January there were terrific fund flows, which come in all day and they can cushion the decline. That's why we'd been spared these kinds of hideous closes, as money in stabilizes the market better than does any buyback.
But the money in has dried up. That's why you have this moment, again, in which we see what stocks are like when the data are mixed and the public's already given up, or is spent, or is holding back, because of the tax holiday and the gasoline issue.
The spike of money in, it seems, was just a spike.
My hope had been for a gentle rally and stabilization on big down days, thanks to a combination of aggressive buybacks, more bountiful mergers and a public that recognized the tax law still favors stocks over bonds. That's what had been the case for the first seven weeks of the year.
Now the streak's run out. The question is, can it return anytime soon? I hate to say this, but it does feel as if it was nice while it lasted, and now we are back to the same old grind. There's just not enough money in. The market has come too far for yield support, and the buybacks aren't helping.
If the data weren't mixed, this wouldn't be an issue. The market could still go higher on multiple expansion. But, after the economic rebound post-fiscal cliff, the big lift has apparently stalled, making it much harder for stocks to go appreciably higher until the data improve.
All that said, I don't think stocks are going to get crushed here. I just think the volatility is back and that, once it's returned, it becomes very hard to make it go away again without more money in. Of course, it then becomes self-fulfilling, as the public is not going to come to a market that can lose 150 Dow points in 60 minutes, as was the case Monday.
For the bulls this is, indeed, a very unwelcome development.


text:
Mr. Smith sent me something highly disturbing today. For those who can't be bothered, Dr. Sanity has explained why she will quit medicine forever the day socialized medicine becomes a reality here in America.
Fair enough. But you can't give in, either!
[Read the rest of this article...]
With our Secretaries of State and Treasury both off in Beijing kissing all the ChiCom butt they can manage, Mr. Smith tipped me off to a piece by Jason Steck over at The Compass on the interconnected nature of the U.S. and Chinese economies.
Mr. Smith is concerned about the skyrocketing magnitude of our debt. I say you have to examine both sides of the equation.


text:
Hope you don't have to make bagels tomorrow.
Also, congrats to our contest winner Omar A. … I need you to email me your address, to email@example.com so we can send you the tickets.
Game 32. First of three straight at home, with Flyers in for Festivus, and Islanders back for Boxing Day Monday. Ya boys on a two-game winning streak.
Martin Biron vs. Evgeni Nabokov in goal.
Jeff Woywitka aggravated his foot injury this morning, so Tim Erixon remains in the lineup. Everything else remains the same, which means Sean Avery and Erik Christensen are prucha'd, Woywitka, Sauer, Eminger and Staal are all out injured.
Somebody go up in the crawl space and get the pole.


text:
Look, I understand your natural revulsion to Oliver Perez. When you last saw him as a Met, he was utterly terrible.
There's a real simple reason why, by the way. His fastball velocity dropped precipitously. He'd been at 93 MPH in his glorious 2004 season, even as high as 91.2 in his serviceable 2008 season with the Mets.
By 2010, he was down to 88 MPH. A below-average fastball isn't death to a pitcher with good command. But Oliver Perez was never accused of having particularly good command. So add a very hittable fastball to consistently getting behind in the count, and the results are pretty clear.
So goodbye, good riddance, Perez gone forever. Right?
Ted Berg pointed out that the Seattle Mariners' head scout was in Buffalo on Wednesday night.
Now bear with me here. This could well mean nothing. It could be simple due diligence. There's absolutely no reason to believe that the Mets are looking to acquire Oliver Perez, and plenty of reasons to think they wouldn't (see the fan revulsion, for instance). I'm really hoping the bolded statement allows me to avoid a bunch of people reporting that I'm perpetuating a rumored deal between the Mariners and Mets for Oliver Perez. I am not.
But allow me to make the baseball case for such a move, and not just because I enjoy writing about Oliver Perez more than perhaps anyone should.
1. Oliver Perez has been effective this year. That fastball is back up to an average of 93.4 MPH– a more than five MPH increase over his 2010 average with the Mets.
2. Oliver Perez has been especially effective against lefties throughout his career, and especially this season. In Triple-A, he struck out 24 lefties in 13 2/3 innings of work against them, posting a 1.98 ERA against lefties overall.
3. The Mets' bullpen needs help, especially from the left side. Justin Hampson could be an answer, but that's asking a lot from a guy who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008 and has fringe stuff. The newly-rediscovered Perez certainly doesn't lack for a major league fastball anymore.
4. Acquiring Perez wouldn't take much. The Mets don't have a ton of prospects to spare, while in-season relievers usually cost a premium. They don't necessarily have the means to add a reliever available for bloated salary reasons, like Huston Street. This is an acquisition that wouldn't cost much either way, and they could cut bait on Perez if he doesn't perform in New York.
So there it is. I've got a mixed record on Oliver Perez. I wrote back in 2007 that I believed he'd give the Mets 16 wins and an ERA of between 3.50-3.70. He checked in at 15 wins, 3.56 ERA. I also wrote, however, that re-signing him as a free agent after the 2008 season was a very good idea, even at the price they paid. Obviously, that one didn't work out.
Think of this: if he comes back and helps this unlikely Mets team in the second half of 2012, after performing well in the 2006 NLCS and solidly in 2007 and 2008, will he be forgiven?
More to the point: if he's a useful lefty the Mets can add to a bullpen in need of help for relatively little in salary or prospects, should Sandy Alderson really avoid acquiring him because he didn't perform well while his primary weapon was compromised?


text:
Brian Brushwood
- Located in Austin, TX
- Award-Winning magician tours nationally, performing his "bizarre magic" stage show at over 1,000 colleges, featuring fire eating, escapes, mind reading and insane stunts. As seen twice on the tonight show, and dozens of TV appearances.
- Host of "Scam School," named by iTunes as a "top video podcast" of 2008 and 2009, downloaded over 1 million times a month. Each episode teaches bar tricks, street crime, and ways to score free drinks.
- Teller (of Penn and Teller) says "Brian Brushwood just kills me. He's funny, dangerous, and brilliantly original. He's going to be really famous, very soon."
- Follow him on Twitter at @shwood
Brian Brushwood has spent the last 12 years touring nationally with his award-winning "bizarre magic" show. He's lectured and performed at over 1,000 colleges and universities, headlined 3 times at Universal Orlando (performing for over 200,000 people), appeared twice on "The Tonight Show," as well as made dozens of appearances on FOX, NBC, CNN, the Food Network and more.
His popular podcast Scam School, "the only show dedicated to social engineering at the bar and on the street," is now downloaded over 1 million times each month, and was named a "top video podcast" by iTunes in 2008 and 2009. His new comedy series NSFW was named a "top audio podcast" of 2010.
Just last month, his book "Cheats, Cons, Swindles and Tricks: 57 ways to Scam a free drink" hit the top 100 of all Amazon kindle books, and the book has remained #1 in Magic since.
Brian has many, many videos available to watch, but to get a taste of what he does, please follow the links below:
- "Bizarre Magic" live stage show - Award-winning live stage show performed thousands of times nationally and internationally:5-minute demo reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmoMiY0zAXAfull routines: http://shwood.squarespace.com/demo-reel/
- "Social Engineering: Scam Your Way into Anything" - based on "Scam School", it's a crash course on the art of manipulating others to do your bidding. By the end of the show, you'll not only know how to manipulate your friend,s you'll understand WHY we fall for scam artists... you'll see a scam artist coming from a mile away. Official selection at the 2009 SxSW interactive conference, now downloaded over 500,000 times:
part 1 - http://revision3.com/scamschool/anything
part 2 - http://revision3.com/scamschool/anything2
- "Scams Sasquatch and the Supernatural" - 80 minute lecture, presented at colleges nationwide: Ever wonder how those guys on TV seem to talk to the dead? What about ESP and psychic surgery? How do street scams and cons work? Want to know how YOU can trick your friends into believing you have psychic powers? We're talking hands-on experiments, a live performance of psychic surgery, free giveaways of cash and prizes, and all the secrets TV psychics DON'T want you to know.
live clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oChrKsea1Bw
Brian speaks on the 3 subjects above, so if you are interested in bringing him to your campus, please take a look at those to help you decide on a subject.
For SSA affiliates, Brian charges a discounted honorarium of $2500.
If you're interested in having this speaker come to your school and give a presentation, click here to fill out our online Speaker Request form.


text:
The father and coach of Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has been suspended from the ATP tour until further notice following an alleged assault.
John Tomic appeared in a Madrid court on Monday after being accused of headbutting his son's French training partner Thomas Drouet. He denied the charge, saying he acted in self defence, and will return to court on May 14 for a judge to decide his guilt or innocence.
Bernard Tomic is preparing to continue his French Open build-up at the Rome Masters next week but, as it stands, his father and coach won't be allowed to attend in a coaching capacity.
"Following last week's incident in Madrid concerning John Tomic, and the ensuing investigation, Mr Tomic's credential privileges have been suspended at all ATP tournaments until further notice," the ATP told AAP in a statement on Tuesday.
"The ATP's investigation into this incident remains ongoing."
It comes amid calls from Drouet for John Tomic to be thrown off the tour permanently.
"I want to help Bernard forbid his father from having access to tournaments," Drouet said in an interview published on Tuesday in French sports daily L'Equipe.
"I want him to be banned from the ATP and the WTA.
"He is a dangerous person, who has nothing to do in this sport of gentlemen.
"Drouet also claimed in the interview he saw the elder Tomic hit his son on more than one occasion, including last week."
John hit his son on the court, while we were training in Monaco," Drouet said.
"He punched him in the face. Blood was dripping from his mouth onto the court. Tuesday, he attacks his son, Saturday me, what's next?"
Drouet appeared at the Madrid court on Monday with his nose heavily bandaged and wearing a neck brace. John Tomic's lawyer Carmen Dieguez said his client had struck his son's training partner with his head only because his own arms were being held by Drouet and he had to protect himself from falling over.
Tomic opted for a court hearing rather than paying a fine, she told reporters. Drouet earlier said he had been "treated like a dog" by the coach and said the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation at Nice airport when John Tomic screamed at him for not getting some milk.
Bernard Tomic reportedly said he had been with his physical trainer at the time of the incident and had seen or heard nothing. A spokesman for the world No.53's management company IMG Tennis told AAP on Tuesday he was not available for comment on the issue and was "focusing on preparing on court for Rome."
Bernard Tomic has made a poor start to the European clay-court season and lost in straight sets to Czech veteran Radek Stepanek in the first round of the Madrid Masters.
Australian Davis Cup coach Josh Eagle is in Madrid and will provide whatever immediate help the 20-year-old Tomic needs.
Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter, coaching great Tony Roche and Tennis Australia's head of professional tennis Todd Woodbridge will also spend much of the next two months in Europe, taking in the French Open and Wimbledon.


text:
Heat Safety Tips and Information from Fairfax County
Aug. 10, 2009
News Highlights
More Information
With a heat advisory in effect today from noon to 8 p.m., Fairfax County encourages residents to stay safe by seeking relief from the heat.
Heat takes the greatest toll on the very young and the very old, especially children younger than 5 and adults older than 65. Intense summer temperatures also greatly affect people who are already sick or take certain medications, including diuretics, antihistamines, beta-blockers and tranquilizers.
The needs of Fairfax County's vulnerable populations, including the homeless, elderly and those with special medical needs, are heightened during conditions such as extreme heat. Residents are encouraged to take a few minutes to check in on individuals who need special attention to ensure their well-being. Residents who need immediate, life-saving help should call 9-1-1. For other safety help, call the public safety non-emergency phone number at 703-691-2131, TTY 711.
Residents may visit county facilities such as senior centers, community centers and libraries for temporary respite from the heat, however, residents should call the facility first to verify hours of operation.
To keep cool, follow this general advice:
- Drink plenty of water; avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages because they dehydrate the body.
- Stay indoors as much as possible. Spend time in an air-conditioned place if possible; resting for just two hours in air conditioning can significantly reduce heat-related illnesses.
- Slow down. Avoid strenuous physical activities or reschedule them for the coolest part of the day, usually the early morning.
- Eat light meals.
- Don't take salt tablets unless directed by a doctor.
- Wear light-colored clothing, which helps reflect sunlight.
- Wear sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Sunburn makes it more difficult for the body to cool off.
- Never leave children or pets unattended in a car — not even for a few minutes. Even with the windows slightly open, the temperature in a car on a 93-degree day can soar to 125 degrees in just 20 minutes and approximately 140 degrees in 40 minutes.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711


text:
A man has admitted to police that he killed a woman who went missing 14 years ago.
Martin Bell, who was arrested in Scarborough last week, appeared over a video link from Hull prison to Leeds Crown Court today accused of murdering Gemma Simpson, 23 from Harehills, Leeds who vanished after setting off to catch a bus.
Ian Cook representing Bell told the court his client had made a "full and frank admission to unlawfully killing her in interview to the police."
He said Bell, 44, had a psychiatric history and the issues in the case were likely to be "diminished responsibility or provocation."
That killing had happened in Harrogate and he said: "Inquiries are ongoing to locate the body."
Bell, recently of St Leonard's Crescent, Scarborough is accused of murdering Gemma between May 4 and June 3, 2000 at a flat in Knaresborough Road, Harrogate.
The case was before Leeds Crown Court because magistrates have no powers to consider bail in murder cases. Bell appeared before magistrates in York on Saturday.
Mr Cook told the court there was no bail application being made.
The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC remanded Bell in custody until July 22 for a preliminary hearing at which the timetable for his case will be set.
He told Bell that after consultation with the Presiding judge for the North Eastern Circuit he also hoped to set a trial date at that time.
The court heard custody time limits expire for Bell on January 9 next year.
Gemma was 23 when she vanished after telling a friend she was catching a bus into Leeds City centre in May 2000.
Last week Bell was charged after Jan Lamping, senior district crown prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside said they had been working closely with West Yorkshire police in connection with the case.
"Having carefully considered all of the evidence presented to us, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge this defendant with the murder of Gemma Simpson and that it is in the public interest to do so."
Gemma's family have said they can think of no obvious reason for her disappearance.
Her face has also featured on milk cartons and on the side of a fleet of 40-foot long lorries in a bid to appeal for information about her disappearance.


text:
Digital Photo Keychain
This keychain holds up to 60 JPEG or BMP photos and displays on a 1.4" LCD screen. It connects to either a PC or MAC via a USB cable, and comes with its own software and a rechargeable battery. Sure beats carrying those battered snapshots in your wallet! What will they think of next?


text:
Serves 12.
Using different color combinations, marble red, yellow, orange and small amounts of chocolate and white fondant together in different color combinations; roll out 1/8 in. thick. Cut marbled fondant using leaf and acorn cutters (35 used for design as shown). If desired, place on thin foam and vein leaves with veining tool. Place leaves in cornstarch-dusted flower formers to dry.
Bake and cool tree-shaped cake. Place on foil-wrapped cake board cut to size and shape. Prepare for fondant by lightly icing cake with buttercream.
Roll out chocolate fondant 1/8-in. thick. Cover cake with fondant, gently smoothing fondant with hands.
Pipe tip 3 moss green buttercream icing outline vines. Add fondant leaves with dots of icing.


text:
Advice Roundup
The Week's Worst Relationship Advice
-Judy McGuire
I have finally found – hands down – the world's worst advice columnist: Doc Love from AskMen.com. He "solves" every single question by telling the reader that he must by his book if he ever wants to get laid again. I mean, I wrote a dating book and I write several weekly columns about dating, but I'd never tell someone they had to purchase my book. (Though I would like you better if you did.)
Earlier this summer I had to talk a friend down after she was terribly insulted when her best friend picked someone else to be her maid of honor. I've (luckily) never been in a wedding party, but I've seen all the nonsense brides put their bridesmaids through and told her she'd dodged a bullet. After all, arranging the bachelorette party would no longer be her problem. No "penis pops" or male strippers charged to her credit card! She wouldn't have to plan a shower. Or buy a fugged out dress that she'd never wear again. Her friend's decision wound up saving her several thousand dollars and untold wear and tear on their friendship. By the time I'd finished with my pal, she was no longer in tears, but breathing a sigh of relief.
Carolyn Hax takes quite another tack with a woman similarly snubbed by a bridal buddy. Instead of pointing out the upside, Hax tells the woman: "[I]t's just this kind of horrid, thoughtless behavior that softens us up and teaches us not to entrust our happiness to others lightly. In the short term, as you have identified already, it also teaches us who our friends are, and whom we can trust. This here bride, not really your friend."
Oh, please. The bride was probably going to cause a family war if she didn't choose some cousin or whatever to stand up with her. I love my girlfriends and am happy for them when they wed, but I want no part of a mauve taffeta gown and a forced updo. Does that make me a bad friend? Maybe. But I'm OK with that.


text:
Perrier Bottled Water
If you want to jazz up your water, sans empty calories like those in oh, say Vitamin water and Propel, then go with Perrier! This water is natural, has ZERO calories, sodium or carbs! woo hoo for fashionistas staying slim and trim but want some bubly water rather than the flat bottled water


text:
DETECTIVES investigating two brutal stabbings in Colchester are incredulous people are still carrying knives.
Det Chief Supt Steve Worron, who is leading investigations into the murders of Jim Attfield and Nahid Al-Manea, said they are showing an utter disregard to the community.
In one incident, a suspect threatened to kill a man, 22, on Balkerne Hill at 3.30am on Saturday by stabbing him to death.
The victim fled unharmed.
Detectives have passed information to the murder investigation teams, but say the investigations are separate.
It followed a stabbing in a flat in Osborne Street on Sunday and a knife attack outside the YMCA in Magdalen Street on Friday.
Mr Worron said: "Carrying a knife in public shows an utter disregard to the community.
"My message to people who think about carrying knives is don't. My appeal to the public is if you see people carrying knives, call us."
Police are using special stop and search powers in the wake of the murders of Mr Attfield, who was found with 102 stab wounds, on March 29 and Nahid, who had been stabbed 16 times.
Officers can search anyone without needing to have a reason to suspect they are involved in a specific crime.
Nahid, 31, was found on Greenstead's Salary Brook Trail on Tuesday, June 17, at 10.40am.
The Essex University student from Saudi Arabia was living in Woodrow Way.
Jim, 33, of East Bay, Colchester, was stabbed 102 times on a path near Colchester's Castle Park. He was found on Saturday, March 29, at 5.50am.
Essex Police is running "separate, but parallel" investigations into the killings.
Saturday's attacker in Balkerne Hill is described as white, early twenties, about 5ft 11ins, slim, with short, dark, spiky hair. He had a pointed face with a large nose and prominent cheekbones.
He was wearing a black hooded top with a large pocket on the front, dark blue jeans and white trainers.
Officers working on the murder investigations are sharing details to see if they can find evidential links between the two but none have been found so far.
However police have not ruled out the possibility the same killer or killers were responsible given the similarities in the way the victims were killed and the locations.
Attempts to find a man in an Italian designer jacket who may have vital information about the killing of Nahid continue.
Work is also being carried out to find a couple who may have been sitting next to JIm at 11.30pm on Friday, March 28, on a bench.
Anyone with information call 01245 282103 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


text:
Silent Tracks By Andrew Kiss Open - Edition Print
Item # WX2-25256SOLD OUT
Silent Tracks By Andrew Kiss Open - Edition Print
Item # WX2-25256SOLD OUT
You May Also Like
Realtree Coir Doormat,18"x29.5"LBuyer's Club $9.09 Non-Member $10.09
Beware of Owner DoormatBuyer's Club $8.99 Non-Member $9.99
Beware of Owner DoormatBuyer's Club $7.19 Non-Member $7.99
- Details & Specs
Andrew Kiss's "Silent Tracks"... bring a fleeting moment from the great North Woods into your home at a VALUE PRICE!
Andrew Kiss came by his love of nature at a very young age. Born in Hungary just after World War II, Kiss and his family escaped to Austria and then to Vancouver Island in Canada. Needless to say he was then surrounded by, and captivated with the wildlife of that area.
He studied topographical drafting, making maps for forestry companies for about 18 years then, after experience as an advertising artist he began to dabble in oil paint. For some time, he worked from his studio in the back of his house in Williams Lake, British Columbia, and the family ran an art gallery where his son did all of his framing.Details:
- Unsigned open-edition print lets you bring home high-quality art without breaking the bank
- Expertly matted for maximum visual appeal
- Precision-crafted wooden frame with natural finish... makes the perfect centerpiece for any wall
- Frame size approx. 23 x 31", print size approx. 13 1/2 x 21 1/2".
A true masterpiece of wildlife art at an affordable price! Order ONLINE Today!
- Reviews
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Articles & Tips


text:
If Saints Row and Tomb Raider lets you play as woman, then why shouldn't Grand Theft Auto?
A female protagonist I personally think it's something different, if GTA V's meant to be the last GTA in its series (like I've heard from many people and seen on different websites and I can't remember which ones.) But likewise if there was a female protagonist, I'm sure it would be one of the most popular GTA games, I'm not saying make everything all girlie, maybe just the protagonist (who'd care about what she looks like) and if people say a female protagonist would be weak, I don't think so, look at Lil' Kim; she calls herself "The Queen Bee" and has an album called "La Bella Mafia" and she's a strong woman, and Beyoncé released a song earlier this year that has the lines "Girls, who runs this, run this/mother?" (depending on which music station you've seen the video on) and "Who run the world? (Girls)" and she's a female implying female empowerment and that she ain't to be messed with, also I saw on X-Factor one of the judges has a tattoo on her arm saying "The Female Boss", maybe none of this has anything to do with GTA V, but it shows that female's aren't all meek and got the body strength of a kitten, if anything is to be shown by is GTA III as it had the token female antagonist (and one of the best'' one (in my opinion) ever, did that make GTA III's sales flop? I doubt that, it's released a 10th anniversary edition, maybe if Rockstar sees this, her story line could be this, her name is Jentina Brown, as a kid she was a good daughter, got good grades at school, had dreams of being a doctor, a perfect housewife, but once she reached the age of 15, that's when it all changed, she got picked on at school, for being a smart girl and a pretty girl by some jealous girls, that's when she started to rebel, got in fights at school, enjoyed a bit of cockatoo (hint, hint), (I'm not being sexist or a bastard, I respect all aspects of the female body, grew up with an older sister who was proper and not a slag) did drugs, skipped school, had a boyfriend who was a gangster, been in and out of jail during his teen years (I'm not acting all holier than thou but it's her background story and one of my best friends was a bit like that, ain't seen her in a few years) that's what dragged her into the gangster world, the dreams of being a doctor became who could get the most $100 notes in her thong, be it on a pole/in the back of a man's Banshee, then her boyfriend, (the one from the trailer, he's a lot older than Jentina, he wears a lot of suits talks in a fancy accent, dreams of having a family, he's no one's fool, his front is drug pushing/pimping/money laundering) then one day he came home drunk and became abusive threatened he'd cut her throat as she asked him how much had he had to drink? She reaches out for a candlestick (a new weapon in the GTA series) whacks him with it, one of her neighbours heard the argument and the thud and calls 911, the police arrest Jentina, she gets a minimum of three years for self-defence (or whatever is the real time for doing it), she worries about when he gets released he'd come and finish her off (this could be the opening cutscene all this ) she goes back home, packs up a suitcase with clothes (or lack of clothes), money (enough for a flight on USAir to where ever GTA V's set in, she rings an old client of hers (he's about 38 and she's 29, he made a friendship with Jentina, he thought she was to good to be a stripper/prostitute and use to give her weighty envelopes with tips and always would tell her to buy something nice for herself) once she gets there she builds up her own empire (like how most sorry all of GTA games if you think of it), be it sleeping around with men/manipulating them into doing her stuff (something she's very good at) she'd end up being a drug lady, owned the biggest mansion hideout with a view of the ocean, a swimming pool, her own walk-in wardrobe, you name it. However near the end of the game, her boyfriend finds one of her phone bills and he phones the phone company to say it's been stolen can they tell him where it was last used, in where she's hiding, he gets the next plane to find her, goes to her first safehouse where her roommate lives, they get into an argument, her roommate he threatens him and gets killed, the boyfriend had a machete and cut his arm off with it and then beats him to death, Jentina then goes there for the next mission and sees that on the wall in blood is a message "I know where you are, meet me by the pier, I just wanna talk, nothing else, she goes there and sees him, they talk for a bit, but she took a gun with her, he comes after her, tries to strangle her, a gunshot is heard, the camera zooms into the water where her boyfriend's body is, she killed him, the last thing she says to him is "You stupid son of a bitch" she walks away, the camera shows her walking and her hailing a cab, the credits roll, the cab goes straight to her mansion she walks up the stairs to her bed, it shows her taking off a black dress, goes into a shower, closes the shower door, end of the credits, also you'd be able to customiseher hair from length to colour, she starts off as blonde with brown streaks, what she wears, from underwear to clothes even shoes, jewellery, make-up, you'll be able to go out clubbing, getting drunk, which would be better than GTA IV's way, you'd talk more like, "Did I leave my thong in there?" "Hey where am I?" "Oh shit I'm gonna puke," you'd be able to text/e-mail/shop online for food, drugs, clothes, booze, you name it, people yourself like "you got any missions for me?" "Do you wanna go clubbing?" even send pictures of Jentina to other male characters in the game. I'm not trying to say make it all girly, I'm just saying a female protagonist is what I'd like to see, I wish Rockstar would see these ideas. Also one of ideas is the radios, I would like a UK hip-hop radio station as well as an US hip-hop radio station (so players from America or other parts of the world could hear and compare the UK artist like Example, Bashy, Chipmunk, N-Dubz, Lady Sovereign, Shystie, Tinchy Stryder, Tinie Tempah, Ms. Dynamite to the artist we love on the other side of the pond (I'd love B.I.G.'s song "Juicy" and nasty Girl by him with 2Pac's song "Dear Mama" on them), I would also like to have a R&B station with Mariah Carey's song "Up Out My Face" with Nicki Minaj, I would love a UK garage radio, Drum & Bass radio station like MSX and a Dubstep station with Katy B's song "Lights On", I'd love a dancehall and reggae radio station and an Old school hip-hop station and a clubby/dance station, I would also love more fast cars, more missions, you name it, I want it to knock GTA III off of my top 10 games.


text:
The Texas House approved a budget Sunday that includes massive cuts to public education, Medicaid and, well, just about everything else. The House budget, which now goes to the Senate, would trim $23 billion from current state and federal spending over the next two years. Democrats in the House, who are outnumbered 2-to-1, say the cuts will have disastrous effects on key services.
As we noted the other day, the House budget includes an amendment that would require public colleges and universities in Texas with LGBT resource centers to spend an equal amount, dollar for dollar, on centers promoting "traditional and family values." The amdendment from Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, passed by a margin of 110-24.
The House budget does not include any additional money for the Texas HIV Medication Program, which will need $19.2 million more over the next two years to meet increased demand. The HIV Medication Program provides life-sustaining medication to 14,000 low-income people with HIV/AIDS. Last week, a Senate budget panel recommended providing the additional money. The Senate's version of the budget is expected to include $10 billion more than the House, and the two measures will then have to be reconciled. As one lawmaker put it, "Thank God for the Senate."
After the jump is the reaction to the budget of Democratic State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, who called the budget "shameful." Incidentally, Coleman proposed an amendment to the budget that would have required school districts to report incidents of harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The amendment failed by a vote of 97-49.
Writes Coleman of the final House budget: "I voted 'no' on this bill because in my 20 years as a state legislator, I've never seen a budget so devastating to children and seniors. All we've done today is move around the deck chairs as the Titanic sinks."


text:
This weeks round-up of landscape news and views from around the web
Big City Conservation: New York City's Hidden Biodiversity | Molly Marquand | Ecology.com
"Where every great city stands today, a natural ecosystem once thrived. London was built on a floodplain of the River Thames; New York was set up on great tracts of oak woodland; and Tokyo, the most populous metropolis in the world, once supported a lush and verdant subtropical forest."
Vietnam memorial designer says the Earth has lessons to teach us | John Conti | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Lin perhaps summed up her work best herself when she quoted a prayer attributed to the Chinook Indians of the Northwest: "We call upon the Earth to teach us and show us the way."
When Designing Space Moves Outside | Jane Parkins | Architecture Source
Due to its incredible benefits, both physical and mental, the connection between interior and exterior architecture has increased in popularity.
Urban areas need better planning | Elly Burhaini Faizal | Jakarta Post
Poor urban planning and over population have become the main challenges for city administrations in their efforts to minimize fatalities in times of disasters, officials and experts have said.
REWRITING A CITY IN NATURE | Diana Balmori | Urban Design Review
"Our understanding of nature has changed radically. Our ideas about urbanism must catch up. By rewriting the city (a semantic departure from "planning"), we will jar the public to this major scientific and philosophical shift in the interaction of nature and the city."
For more news during the week become a World Landscape Architecture fan on Facebook, Join our LinkedIN group, Follow us on Twitter @wlandscapearch or Weibo and then Circle us on Google+
Send your links to [email protected]
IMAGE CREDIT: Flickr User: Kristine Paulus


text:
2012 Ford Edge Values
A mid-size crossover SUV available with AWD, the 2012 Ford Edge is available with three different engines; 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 285 hp/253 lb-ft of torque, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 240 hp/270 lb-ft of torque, and a 3.7-liter V6 engine that produces 305 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. All engines are equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission which enables fuel mileage to fall within an EPA estimated range of 17 mpg city to 30 mpg highway, depending on engine and drivetrain selection. Features include panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, power liftgate, 22-inch wheels, HID headlights, push-button start, rear view camera, navigation system, capless fuel filler, and Ford SYNC®. Safety is comprised of adaptive cruise control, collision warning with brake support, blind sport information system with cross traffic alert, front-impact airbags, side-impact airbags, ovearhead airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control. The Edge is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.Read more Read less
A new smaller-displacement engine option appears for 2012--a 2.0L EcoBoost 4-cylinder that makes 240 horsepower yet helps the Edge achieve 24 combined mpg. SYNC now comes on the SEL. A few new colors are available, including Bordeaux Reserve Red Metallic, Mediterranean Blue Metallic and Earth Metallic.
Attractive, aggressive styling; interior comfort; available technology; three exciting engine choices
The Edge is now in its second generation, and Ford has upped the style and sophistication of its popular crossover. The result is an exciting alternative to competitors like the Nissan Murano, Chevrolet Traverse and Hyundai Tucson. With three great powerplants, athletic handling, loads of available technology and an MSRP starting at $27,640, the Edge provides real value in the crowded crossover segment.
Select a 2012 Ford Edge trim level
Edge-4 Cyl.
Wagon 4D Limited 2WD
Wagon 4D Limited AWD
Wagon 4D SE 2WD
Wagon 4D SE AWD
Wagon 4D SEL 2WD
Wagon 4D SEL AWD
Wagon 4D Sport 2WD
Wagon 4D Sport AWD


text:
Total: £0.00
Your order is guaranteed to arrive or your money back, no matter where you order from.
1st Class delivery by Royal Mail is £2.99 or choose our FREE 2nd Class service. We also offer a DHL Express Next Day, which you can add to yourorder for £8.99, which is next day guaranteed (weekdays only, when placed before 1pm)
1st Class Royal Mail deliveries arrive within 1-2 business days, 2nd Class within 2-4 business days.
View All Weight Loss & Detox
View All Sports Nutrition
View All Health Supplements
View All Beauty
View All Best Sellers
Yacon Root Pure is intended for healthy weight loss, digestion, blood sugar levels, and prevents constipation.
2 month supply of our Yacon Root extract for healthy fat burning, appetite control & constipation.
3 month supply, our top money saving package of our Yacon Root extract for healthy fat burning, appetite control & constipation.
© 2007-2017 Evolution Slimming
0800 043 0434 | email@example.com
Evolution Slimming, Sarre Business Centre, Canterbury Road, Sarre, Kent, CT7 0JZ, UK
Evolution Slimming Ltd is a UK Limited Company, Company Number 06417136
EU VAT Reg. No. GB979614952
*Disclaimer: Product results may vary per individual and results displayed in testimonials are not typical. Products are intended for use in conjunction with a diet and exercise regime. All testimonies displayed on this website are 100% genuine.


text:
HOUSTON - One woman asked KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Amy Davis about excessive toll road fees.
We expect to pay about $1.50 when we pass through most toll booths. But, the Harris County Toll Road Authority charged an Alief woman the regular toll fee plus $11 every time she passed a toll.
Davis got some answers about the hefty fees.
You don't have to be a math whiz to realize that $11 per toll can add up really fast.
But what's worse? No one told Sorcha Hysmith about the extra charges until she'd racked up nearly $1,000 on her EZ Tag account.
"It's a ridiculous amount of money," Hysmith told Davis. "And it's money that we just don't have."
Sorcha Hysmith's been strapped for cash since she was laid off last year.
She's working now, but says when the Toll Road Authority tried to add money to her EZ Tag using her debit card, the bank declined the charge.
"That's happened once or twice before since the layoffs. And I've gotten a note and called them and said, 'Just run the card through again. There's money in the bank now, so it'll be OK,'" Hysmith explained.
But this time when her bank declined the debit on Jan. 28, Hysmith didn't get a notice.
She continued to use the toll road to get to and from work until she got the first notice by e-mail 12 days later on Feb. 10. It told her there was a problem with her account. And it was a big problem.
"I had $96 in unpaid tolls and the penalties were $980, so I was floored," said Hysmith.
After Davis called, the Toll Road Authority told her it discovered the first three e-mails it sent were blocked by Hysmith's Internet server, but they say she is still responsible for the charges.
"We're very sympathetic to Ms. Hysmith's situation," said Lawanda Howse, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Toll Road Authority. "And so we have worked with her on several different occasions."
Hysmith admits that since she was laid off, she's had to ask the Toll Road Authority to waive penalty fees. She says no one told her there was a limit to the waivers.
"How can you hold a customer accountable for fees that she didn't even know about?" Davis asked Howse. "She didn't know she was in default and you guys have proof of that."
"Right," replied Howse. "What we can't be responsible for is knowing if her e-mail server did not send her the e-mail notification."
The Toll Road Authority said it will waive penalty and administrative fees once a year or up to three times over the life of the account.
Hysmith has had her account for 10 years, but the Toll Road Authority said she's out of chances.
HCTRA says the $11 fee is standard. Ten dollars is an administrative fee set by the Harris County Commissioners Court. One dollar is for attorneys fees set by the state.
Davis spoke with Hysmith's County Commissioner, Steve Radack. He put in a call to the Toll Road Authority, but he said they told him they couldn't waive the $980.
Radack said she could always take her complaint to a commissioner's meeting to ask for relief.
If you have a consumer question to "Ask Amy," send her an e-mail.Copyright 2006 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
6" Jawbreaker Practice Pad
Develop speed, power and precision with MEINL rapid-rebound practice pads. Carry a 6" pocket-sized pad and work on your chops anywhere. Or put a 12" on your snare drum or lock it into a snare stand, so you can warm up at gigs without driving your band crazy. Every drummer should have at least one, two or three…
- Features
- 6" diameter
Pocket size for drummers on the go
Mountable on a normal cymbal stand
Bottom side covered with rubber
- Design
- Jawbreaker


text:
The Office for Budget Responsibility is going to irritate lots of people this week. When it comes out with its assessment of the Budget, its multipliers and assumptions will come under attack. After years now (years!) of phoney arguments about the deficit, this will be A Good Thing. Indeed, all the Labour leadership candidates should embrace the new institution.
First, it should improve the credibility of the fiscal framework. No Briton can credibly claim that any fiscal rules could have any real disciplining effect: only an institution that can nip at the government can do that now. This framework offers the golden combination of clear red lines for governments and the flexibility to respond to as-yet-unforeseen economic circumstances.
Second, farming out forecasting should improve the quality of projections that inform fiscal decisions. As an excellent Social Market Foundation pamphlet puts it, an independent forecaster would help overcome some problems with internal forecasting:
- Organisational bias in projection-making: promotion, reward and status may be linked - most likely implicitly – potentially excluding valuable contrarian opinions from influencing fiscal projections. This effect may be particularly strong if fiscal decision-makers have significant powers over the institution. Indeed, academic research has shown that in several European countries, official growth forecasts used for fiscal policymaking are biased toward being over-optimistic.
- Policymakers risk being subject to group-think where all elements of fiscal policymaking are housed in the same institution with no institution charged with an "official challenge" role. For example a shared belief in what is actually unsustainable growth may be self-reinforcing and amplified if all the functions of a fiscal policymaking are combined in the same institution.
- When combined with the credibility associated with longstanding institutions, such as that of HM Treasury, this can also lead to another behavioural economic phenomenon known as anchoring, whereby other, non-governmental organisations take the cue for their economic forecasts from HM Treasury. This is particularly likely to occur since no institution wishes to stand out against received wisdom: for any independent forecaster it is far less reputationally damaging to be wrong with everyone else than to be wrong on their own.
At the moment, being seen to have credible forecasts is particularly worthwhile: investors have, in recent months, fixated on suspect growth forecasts. But all of those benefits rely on the OBR actually becoming independent – something it currently is not.
The body – now established on an interim basis – is a Whitehall beast. Sir Alan Budd, OBR chief pro tem, leads a team of Treasury lifers, based in the Treasury, running Treasury models. This is all forgiveable: the apparatus was set up rapidly and has yet to find its feet. It is important, however, that it does not become a permanent feature of the OBR.
The most important aspect of the institution's independence is staffing. OBR staff cannot be borrowed from the chancellor, going back to the Treasury at the end of a stint at the slide-rule. Otherwise they will still be creatures of their political masters. The OBR needs its own recruitment stream. (I'm sure George Osborne will be alive to this issue: he has long had an interest in the independence of Bank of England monetary policy committee members.)
As David Miliband has written, the OBR should, moreover, answer to parliament – not to the Treasury. Furthermore, MPs and peers should be allowed to submit written questions to the institution and it should be ultra-transparent.


text:
I tried a experiment with my two tier adjustable swing rack. I raised it to the highest position and put my rotisserie ring on. I was trying to do something similair to the pizza kettle.
I used a stone to cook on. I think it was to big and blocking air flow. Two were premade crust's. Used a garlic sauce and crab lobster meat and one had spinach. The mushroom pie was home made dough. Also used smoked cheese on the pizza.
Not my best pizza but it was still good. I will stick with cooking the pizza lower and forget about trying the rotisserie ring.