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It's that time of year again - the crystal ball is being dusted off! Andy Welch shares his predictions for the year ahead and picks the new artists to watch out for.
By Andy Welch
"I never make predictions and I never will."
Ah, the unique wisdom and insight of Paul Gascoigne, there for all to see.
But maybe the Geordie genius had a point, whether or not he realised the irony of his statement.
Predictions in music are an odd business. At the end of each year a raft of critics, tastemakers and industry soothsayers proffer their pick of the artists they believe will be big in the subsequent 12 months.
There are even awards in place to back up the claims - the BRITs Critics' Choice Award and The BBC's Sound Of poll, which both showcase promising young talent, as chosen by a panel of journalists, broadcasters and influential music industry workers. (Quick disclaimer: I vote in both.)
Both have an air of the self-fulfilling prophecy about them. After all, if the journalists who single out these artists subsequently write copious amounts about them, surely they're going to succeed?
Well, in the cases of Adele, Florence + The Machine, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and Emeli Sande, the five recipients of the Critics' Choice BRIT since it was introduced in 2008, that's very much the case.
All five have gone on to massive success, although that was likely to have happened with or without this award.
This year, Tom Odell has beaten off the likes of Laura Mvula and AlunaGeorge to claim the title.
Odell, who also appears on the longlist for the BBC Sound Of 2013 poll, has been championed by Lily Cooper (or Allen as she previously known). He's signed to her label and writes haunting piano ballads, perhaps perfect in the post-Someone Like You musical landscape we now find ourselves in.
The people who signed Mvula, meanwhile, will also be hoping to sell her to the same soulful voice lovers who bought Adele's 21, although Mvula's idiosyncratic, offbeat arrangements make her music more interesting than Adele's, and therefore less palatable to the mass market.
The band most likely to succeed next year, however, aren't British. They're Los Angeles sister trio Haim. Their debut EP Forever was released early in the year, while a string of live shows in the UK over the summer created the kind of music industry buzz that many thought wouldn't happen again.
They eventually signed to Polydor, and will release their debut album in the spring with the help of producers James Ford, who has worked with Arctic Monkeys in the past, and Paul Epworth, who masterminded Adele's 21. If there is going to be a sound of 2013, it's likely to be theirs, like Destiny's Child covering Fleetwood Mac.
Guitar bands haven't been having a good time of it over the past few years. Of course, when we say 'guitar bands', we don't just mean bands who happen to play guitars - that's never going to go out of fashion.
The term more refers to groups, predominantly male, who make attitude-heavy music and wish they'd been old enough to live through Britpop. There are always a handful of exceptions, The Vaccines being the most recent, but on the whole the genre has been in a dire place.
George Ergatoudis recently said he believed guitar bands were on their way back, putting the horse slightly before the cart. After all, he is head of music at BBC Radio 1, the most influential station in the country, and in these days of declining music press circulations one of the few outlets still capable of dictating taste to the nation. If he says guitar bands are coming back, then that's what's going to happen.
Thankfully, there's no shortage in quality, and if the likes of Dog Is Dead, Peace, Swim Deep, Kodaline, Charlie Boyer And The Voyeurs, Embers, Temples, Blackeye and The Strypes get the airplay, they'll almost certainly win the fans. Thanks to the success of Tame Impala's second album Lonerism this year, expect a psychedelic tint to any guitar music that breaks through.
In more straightforward pop, there's A*M*E, or Amy Kabba to her friends. Originally from Sierra Leone, Kabba moved to Lewisham in south west London when she was eight. Now, she's signed to Gary Barlow's label Future, and has a batch of quirky, chart-ready pop songs to her name. Game Boy is especially good.
Of all the records I'm excited about being released next year, Night Beds is at the top of the pile. It's the vision of one man, Winston Yellen, a 23-year-old from Colorado Springs who, by the sounds of his debut Country Sleep, owns a lot of music by Jeff Buckley, My Morning Jacket and Big Star.
He must have recently had his heart broken, too, and wants to sing about it. But far from being morose, the album is positively joyous. Make the effort to hear it in February when it's released, you won't be disappointed.
Enough of the new bands. What of established acts returning with new albums?
Everything Everything, The Joy Formidable, Villagers, Adam Ant, Biffy Clyro and Local Natives are all releasing albums in January, putting paid to the idea nothing much happens after Christmas, while February's big releases come from Foals, who unveil their phenomenal new album Holy Fire on the 11th of the month, and Johnny Marr, who delivers The Messenger two weeks later.
It will be the first solo album proper from Marr, who of course cemented himself in musical history as one of The Smiths before going on to join or form a string of other bands such as Electronic, The Pretenders, Modest Mouse and The Cribs.
Seeing him up front and not at the side of the stage might take older fans some getting used to. But having heard the album, it's no vanity project and he definitely deserves his time in the spotlight.
Later in the year there are new releases from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Queens Of The Stone Age, Lady Gaga, Eminem and even Jimi Hendrix, whose estate has found an entire album of unreleased material, People, Hell And Angels.
Illegal downloading might be killing the music industry, but on this evidence there's no danger of talent running out. 2013 is going to sound fantastic.
:: Note to editors - This is an amended version of MUSIC 2013 adding the winner of the BRIT Critics' Choice Award


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You exercise your body to stay physically in shape, so why shouldn't you exercise your brain to stay mentally fit? With these daily exercises you will learn how to flex your mind, improve your creativity and boost your memory. As with any exercise, repetition is necessary for you to see improvement, so pick your favorite exercises from our daily suggestions and repeat them as desired. Try to do some mentalrobics every single day!
adjective :: Accompanying; conjoined; attending.
noun :: One who, or that which, accompanies, or is collaterally connected with another; a companion; an associate; an accompaniment.
"It will be forgotten, on the one hand, that jealousy is the usual concomitant of love, and that the noble enthusiasm of liberty is apt to be infected with a spirit of narrow and illiberal distrust." --Hamilton, Alexander
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Word of the Day : Veneration
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Word of the Day : Deliquesce
Word of the Day : Prolix

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From Jamail Plaza, with Baker Institute in the background, the formal entrance to McNair Hall is impressive. A massive doorway celebrates not only the nature of studies happening inside the building — highlighted by robust bronze sculptures of the iconic bear and bull — but also the nature of the man for whom the business school at Rice University was named. Except during Hurricane Ike, the bronze doors always stand open to welcome students, alumni, prospective students and any visitors to the Jones School. They are a constant reminder to anyone who passes through them of who Jesse Jones was and how he influenced a city and a nation with his leadership and compassion.
Jones' legacy of service endures today through his lifelong contributions toward the common good. As early Houston's foremost builder, as chairman of the National Bank of Commerce, and as publisher of the Houston Chronicle, he inspired the city to grow beyond its small town borders. He was the Houston Harbor Board's first chairman and led the effort to complete the Houston Ship Channel. As chairman of the federal government's Reconstruction Finance Corporation, he stimulated economic recovery during the Great Depression and, later, as Secretary of Commerce, helped prepare the nation and its allies for global defense during World War II.
Jesse and his wife Mary Gibbs Jones established the Houston Endowment in 1937 to formalize and perpetuate their philanthropy. The couple had donated more than $1 million during the early years of their marriage, and through the endowment it was their intention to help create and develop institutions and organizations that would nurture Houston's people and encourage the city's growth.
To the careful observer or anyone on a formal university tour, the doors illustrate the many accomplishments of Jesse Jones and tell a great man's story. Commissioned by McNair Hall architect Robert A.M. Stern, the doors, the tympanum above the doors, the columns and wings, as well as the bull and bear on pedestals flanking the doorway, were all designed and created in bronze by Kent Bloomer Studio in New Haven, Connecticut.
Each door measures 3'1" wide, 8'8" high and alternates foliated panels with shallow relief plaques. There are 10 themes depicted between the two doors — railroads (RFC), government (Secretary of Commerce), agriculture (RFC), World War II mobilization (RFC), Houston Ship Channel and shipping, Houston Chronicle, electrification of rural areas (RFC), Federal Housing Authority, lumber and banking.
The tympanum is a stylized version of the Houston skyline, with the Gulf Building, built by Jesse H. Jones, centrally featured. The bull and bear embody the American capital markets. The bronze columns and wings recall details from Rice's beloved Lovett Hall, designed by Ralph Adams Cram, and make reference to the university's symbolic owl. To stop for a moment on the threshold of McNair Hall and study the doors is an opportunity to take in another story that makes up the vibrant history of Rice University. Recounted in bronze, Jesse Jones' vision for business and public service continues to serve as a great model to all who enter the school that bears his name.


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Data Support
Determine Which Program is Blocking or Using a Port in Windows XP
Last Updated: Tue, 15 Dec 2015 > Related Articles
How to use DOS commands and the Windows Task Manager in order to determine which programs are using or blocking ports in Windows XP.
In Windows XP, use the netstat command to display the process identifier (PID) of the program that is currently using the displayed port. For example, entering the command netstat -ano would display the following results:
|Local Address
|Foreign Address
To use the netstat command, perform the following steps:
- Click Start.
- Click Run.
- Type 'cmd' and click OK.
- In the DOS window type netstat -ano and press enter.
- This will give a list of all ports actively being used and the PID's that relate to the programs using those ports.
This shows us that port 80 is being monitored by the program with process identifier (PID) 888. Using the Windows Task Manager we can match this PID to the program that it is associated with. This will tell us what program is monitoring port 80.
To open Task Manager and match the PID's to a program:
- Press CTRL+ALT+DELTE.
- Click the Processes tab.
- If the PID column is not viewable then:
- Click View.
- Click Select Columns.
- Place a check mark next to PID (Processor Identifier).
- Click OK.
- Click the column header labeled as "PID." This will sort the processes by their PID number allowing the customer to easily find the PID they are looking for and the name of the process it is assigned to.
- Once this information is found, you can close the program that is using the port if you wish to do so.
All steps complete.
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- Contact Us Online Email Us
- Find your nearest Service Center
- Give us a call 24/7 Phone Support
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US Open champion Justin Rose faces a lengthy wait before he can begin his bid for a second major title in the US Masters, which gets under way on Thursday.
Rose has been drawn in the penultimate group for the opening round at Augusta National, teeing off at 1:48pm local time with Open champion Phil Mickelson and four-time major winner Ernie Els.
And fellow Englishman Lee Westwood has to wait another 11 minutes before he can get his 64th campaign for a first major title up and running, the 40-year-old in the last group out along with American pair Harris English and Russell Henley.
Defending champion Adam Scott, looking to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles, tees off at 10:41am alongside US PGA champion Jason Dufner and England's Matt Fitzpatrick, the 19-year-old US Amateur champion from Sheffield.
Scott is one of three players who can overtake the absent Tiger Woods as world number one this week and the other two - his fellow Australian Jason Day and Sweden's Henrik Stenson - have been drawn together with American Dustin Johnson at 1:04pm.
Pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy is in the group behind Scott at 10:52am along with young American stars Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, while British amateur champion Garrick Porteous partners former Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal - the last European winner at Augusta in 1999 - and 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover at 11:36am.
Craig and Kevin Stadler are the first father and son to play in the same Masters but have been kept apart in the draw, former champion Craig out with Scott Stallings and Martin Kaymer and Kevin paired with 1991 champion Ian Woosnam and John Huh.
With 97 players in the field, former Open champion Stewart Cink and South African Tim Clark make up the first group out in the tournament proper at 7:45am, with Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer again acting as honorary starters five minutes earlier, the legendary trio hitting tee shots on the par-four first before retiring to the clubhouse.


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Marian shrine vandalized in Israel
Friday, April 4, 2014
Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal of Jerusalem expressed grave concern about the vandalizing of the Shrine of Our Lady at Deir Rafat near Jerusalem. The perpetrators, believed by some to be Jewish radicals, have not yet been apprehended.
Visiting the site on April 2, Twal said, "We condemn these attacks in the strongest terms. We feel sorry for the young people who carried them out. At the same time we ask ourselves what's behind it. At what school do they learn such a mind-set?"
"Such acts are bad for us Christians, but also for Israel. I don't believe this is a proper way to receive the Holy Father here next month."
"But they are also bad for those who do such things. I hope the Israeli authorities apprehend the perpetrators and hold them to account."
"At the same time this will not be enough. The main thing is to institute a new kind of education imbued with greater openness and respect towards others."
The Patriarch told international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that he couldn't explain why Christian institutions in particular have been the target of such attacks for years now.
"We should ask the people who are behind them. This is where cloistered Sisters pray for peace in the Holy Land. They are completely apolitical. I came here to encourage the Sisters to have no fear."
"I will also ask them to pray for the perpetrators. I think these people are sick."
During the previous night, unknown persons had sprayed blasphemous graffiti in Hebrew on the outer walls of the shrine to Our Lady Queen of Palestine, such as "Jesus is an ape and Mary is a cow."
They had also slashed the tires of cars parked nearby.
In other graffiti, the US was compared to Nazi Germany, a possible reference to the current peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians which are being supported by American mediation.
Church leaders and Israeli authorities suspect that the perpetrators are members of the so-called "Price Tag" movement, comprised of youth opposed to initiatives that oppose Jewish settlements in the Israeli-Occupied Territories.
These radical vandalize Palestinian property, including mosques, and perpetrate attacks on Israeli security forces as well.
Christian targets are chosen, analyst says, as such attacks spark greater international attention. Patriarch Twal had already complained about the attacks in his 2013 Christmas message when he said,"We realized that in our Diocese this year, there has been an increase in acts of vandalism carried out by extremists that affected some twenty holy places or places of worship."
In fact, dozens of attacks on Christian institutions have been reported in the past few years. Among other things, Christian cemeteries in Jerusalem were desecrated, church walls were daubed and the door to the Trappist abbey of Latroun between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was set on fire. Israeli authorities have repeatedly condemned these acts.
But those affected often complain that investigations and the pursuit of perpetrators are very sluggish. The Shrine at Deir Rafat is the central Marian shrine in the Holy Land. Established in 1927 by Patriarch Luigi Barlassina, the Mother of God is invoked here as the "Queen of Palestine." This title does not imply a political opinion, as the adoration of Mary under this name has been practiced since long before the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948.
For a number of years, three Servite Fathers have served at the shrine. There are also 12 nuns of the contemplative community Sisters of Bethlehem living in strict retreat at this place. The shrine's pilgrimage festival is celebrated at the end of October.
The Sisters were not available for comment. Father Roch Boulanger, a member of the Servite community, said that prayers were being said for the perpetrators.
"Perhaps their sin will provide an opportunity for them to change their ways," the Canadian priest said.
With picture of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fuad Twal, at Deir Rafat near Jerusalem (© ACN)


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Frequency Band Splitter and Reversioning Stereo and Mono for 5.1
About This Episode
In this video, Principal Worldwide Evangelist Jason Levine showcases a feature from the past for Adobe Audition — the Frequency Band Splitter. He'll step you through the basic process to leverage this unique filter for reversioning and remixing mono and stereo material, as well as the basic technique to create 5.1 listening experiences sourced from mono or stereo masters. The video includes a peek at the unique Center Channel Extractor filter, which can be used to isolate vocals from stereo recordings or even remove them.
Get the latest tutorials, information and more about any Adobe cloud solution on Adobe Learn.


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Click here to open a pdf of NTPI ORL Instructor Bios.
Geri Bowman, EA, CPA, USTCP
Geri Bowman, EA, CPA, USTCP became a NPTI Fellow in 2008. She has served on the NTPI Planning Committee for two years and is the incoming Chair. Bowman worked for a local CPA firm for 22 years before opening her Mogadore, Ohio practice in 2011. She enjoys the challenge of transitioning representation clients into compliant taxpayers. After three years as a discussion leader, she is teaching in Level 2.
LG Brooks, EA
LG Brooks, EA is a senior consultant at The Tax Practice, Inc. in Dallas, Texas, a representation firm. He has been in the field of taxation for more than twenty-five years and has been in practice full-time since 1990. Brooks' areas of practice include tax representation, tax consulting, tax preparation and pre-Tax Court litigation support services. Brooks received a BA from Bishop College in Dallas. A popular speaker, he presents to numerous tax and accounting societies and has addressed attendees at several annual IRS Tax Forums. Brooks is an NTPI Fellow and teaches in the NTPI Level 1, Level 3 and the Graduate Level in Representation tracks.
Salvetore P. Candela, EA
Salvatore P. Candela, EA has been preparing taxes since 1986, became an enrolled agent in 1998, and a Fellow of NTPI (National Tax Practice Institute) in 2000, and has been a speaker around the country. He is the owner and founder of The TaxAdvocate Group, which is focused on tax controversy resolution and has offices in New York. His firm represents taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS, and is committed to helping taxpayers resolve their IRS problems. Candela is an NTPI Fellow, and after being a discussion leader for three years, in now a Level 2 instructor.
Catherine Clow, EA
Catherine Clow, EA is an NTPI Fellow, class of 2000. Clow has served as the NTPI Planning Committee Chair since 2011, and is a past Chair of the NAEA Education Committee. She serves on the board of the Best in the West Education Foundation. Clow has been a Level 2 instructor and discussion leader for the past eleven years. Her practice in Grass Valley, California specializes in individual and business tax preparation and representation.
Marc Dombrowski, EA
Marc Dombrowski, EA has specialized in representation since 1994. He is vice-president of Tax Help Associates, Inc., a Buffalo, New York firm that focuses on collection issues. Dombrowski's extensive experience as an instructor includes a variety of collection representation courses at NAEA chapter and state meetings and he has taught for IRS on e-Services. He is a well-known speaker and author for popular industry publications including EA Journal. His recognized expertise has allowed him to become a contributor for CNBC Money Talk. He is a proud NTPI Fellow and is a Level 2 instructor.
Bert Hartmann, EA
Robert (Bert) Hartmann, EA is a proud member of NAEA and a founding member of the Northern Nevada Society of Enrolled Agents. He serves as president of the Best in the West Education Foundation. Hartmann firmly believes that his NTPI education provided him the necessary tools to become a better representative for his clientele. Hartmann is an NTPI Fellow and has served as an NTPI instructor for eight years. Hartmann is a Level 1 and Level 2 instructor.
Amy King, EA
Amy L. King, EA become an enrolled agent in 2004, and opened King Tax Service LLP in Enumclaw, Washington. Currently her firm prepares over 750 individual tax returns and works over fifty audit cases a year. King served as a director for the Washington State Society of Enrolled Agents for four years. When not immersed in tax issues, she enjoys the company of her best friend and husband Joe, and their three grown children. She is a proud NTPI Fellow and a Level 2 instructor.
David Miles, EA
David F. Miles, EA is a consultant with 20/20 Tax Resolution, Inc. with over fifteen years of tax resolution experience. Miles works nationally as a taxpayer representative focusing on state and IRS collections. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont. Miles is an active educator of other tax practitioners in the Greater Denver area and is regularly published in the EA Journal, most recently in the July/August 2012 edition. He has been interviewed on tax topics for various news articles as well as television, and was a panelist on Tax Talk Today in November of 2012. Miles is a Level 1 instructor.
Alan Pinck, EA
Alan Pinck, EA is currently the NAEA Education Committee Chair and has previously held board positions including president for the Mission Society of Enrolled Agents. He taught for CSEA Super Seminar and teaches a Part 2 SEE preparation class. His practice in the San Francisco Bay Area specializes in personal & business tax return preparation as well as audit representation. Pinck serves as a Level 2 instructor.
Don Rosenberg, EA
Don Rosenberg, EA is a sole practitioner representing taxpayers before IRS and state authorities. Rosenberg received his BS from Lehman College, the City University of New York and a MA in Political Economy from the New School for Social Research. Currently, he is an adjunct instructor at Hostos Community College in the Bronx, New York, and serves on the NYSSEA Board of Directors. Rosenberg is an NTPI Fellow and NTPI Level 2 instructor.
Sherrill (Gregory) Trovato, EA, USTCP
Sherrill Trovato, EA, USTCP, MST, MBA has a Southern California firm specializing in tax prep and controversy representation. She has authored articles in CCH's Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure and NAEA's EA Journal. Trovato developed and teaches "Preparing to Practice before the US Tax Court" to tax practitioners who report an impressive pass rate on the Tax Court exam. She is a past NAEA president, NTPI Fellow and a regular instructor for the NAEA National Conference. She was recently appointed to IRSAC. Trovato teaches in the NTPI Levels 1, 3 and Graduate Level in Representation tracks.
Linda Wegge, EA
Linda Wegge, EA has been practicing in the tax and accounting field for thirty years and has been an enrolled agent since 1996. Wegge specializes in representation, tax preparation and accounting in the Chicago area. Wegge is an NTPI Fellow and Level 2 instructor.
Aaron Whitaker, EA
Aaron Whitaker, EA was the recipient of the IRS Scholarship for Accounting Majors in 1972 and retired from the IRS as an Associate Chief in the Appeals Division in 2006. Whitaker passed the CPA examination in Pennsylvania in 1982. He was an instructor of multiple technical courses for 27 years with the IRS. He is a member of the NAEA Government Relations and Education Committees. Whitaker specializes in representation issues before the IRS, and preparation of individual and small business tax returns. Whitaker has served as a Level 2 Discussion Leader for the last four years and is now a Level 2 Instructor.


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Great cities have great neighborhoods. But not only has Metro Detroit long neglected its most walkable, urban neighborhoods, it has actively undermined them through sprawl.
Despite the fact that population growth has been flat for forty years (there are fewer people in Metro Detroit today than there were in 1970), we've kept building new subdivisions. Metro Detroit is now 50% larger than it was in 1970. Think of the madness of that. Despite the fact we could all comfortably live in a fraction of that space — in suburban, single-family homes no less — we've kept pushing ever outward, leaving behind the communities at the region's center.
These are the communities with the greatest potential for urbanism. Places likes Detroit, Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Ferndale. While generally car dependent today, they are centered around small downtowns and have walkable street grids. With the right reinvestment, these communities could create an urban alternative for Metro Detroit — an area where more people live in apartment buildings and condos than single-family homes, an area where it's easy to walk to the store or bike to work.
But the sprawl of the region actively undermines this future. The problem is not suburban living per se — even Detroit proper is dominated by single family homes. The problem is that suburbia is so dominant and so overbuilt. For forty years, there have been more homes than households in Metro Detroit. So every time a new subdivision is built — and new ones are built all the time — older blocks of homes in less desirable areas lose value. They can't compete with the lower taxes and bigger homes of the exurbs, and developers aren't interested in reinvestment because it's cheaper to build new. So these older blocks end up blighted or even abandoned.
Historically, most of the damage has been in Detroit. The Detroit Parcel Survey found that a third of all residential land in Detroit is now vacant — a figure that never ceases to astonish. But the blight is also visible in the 'burbs. Older suburbs like Hazel Park and the southern end of Warren have long struggled to maintain their retail and commercial corridors. Dying malls and empty factories are becoming common sights. Post-housing bubble, they are struggling to keep houses occupied, too.
For the cycle to ever end, and for urban redevelopment to have a fighting chance, we need to curb regional sprawl. It's the necessary counterpart to "rightsizing." Consolidation of the urban core must be matched by growth controls at the edge. If it's not — if we simultaneously build our urban corridors up and our suburban edge outward without population growth — we'll only further squeeze the areas in the middle, letting more historic communities slip into needless decline. And the damage will increasingly be felt not in Detroit but in the older suburbs that most closely surround it.


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It's time for international bloggers to #MeetSouthAfrica!
The trip will see these bloggers cross the country on four different itineraries that will traverse every province, giving them the opportunity to tell the stories that South Africa has to offer to potential travellers around the globe.
Some of these bloggers have been to South Africa before, while others will get to experience our country for the first time. We're all really excited, especially me, as I'll be travelling with one of the groups and covering our activities and special experiences.
The tours all lead to Durban, where South African Tourism will host a #MeetSouthAfrica bloggers' event at which travel trade and tourism products will get the opportunity to listen to some of these top travel bloggers share their travel experiences ahead of INDABA 2013.
The 15 bloggers selected through the iAmbassador programme are:
- Keith Jenkins – Velvet Escape
- Melvin Boecher – Traveldudes
- Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll – Uncornered Market
- Matthew Long – LandLopers
- Simon Falvo – Wild About Travel
- Kate McCulley – Adventurous Kate
- Claudia Saleh – Aprendiz de Viajante
- Ale Staut – Tudo al dente
- Diego Pons – Viajando Con Diego
- Ana Pilar – Tripwolf
- Nadine Pober – thenadwork
- Jeremy Kunz – Reisewerk
- Aldana Chiodi – Magia en al Camino
- Elin Reitehaug – Taste of Slow
These bloggers will be using the #MeetSouthAfrica hashtag on Twitter throughout their journey, and will be blogging all their experiences along the way. Join in the conversation by using #MeetSouthAfrica and let the bloggers know what they should experience and see while in South Africa!
Check out the video invite below that was sent to these bloggers!
Category: Events


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NIJ seeks proposals for research and evaluation related to violent victimization. Research proposed may be focused at the Federal, State, local, tribal, juvenile justice policy and/or practice level. NIJ is particularly interested in proposals examining one or more of the following topics: Intersection of race, ethnicity, and violent victimization. Effectiveness of services for victims of violent crime. Victim/Offender overlap as it pertains to violent crime. Sexual orientation and/or gender identity and violent victimization.
Learn more.
© 2016 National Sexual Violence Resource Center – Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-04 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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FIREFIGHTERS were called to a derelict house in Winterbourne last night where a fire is believed to have been started deliberately.
The blaze had taken hold in the detached house on Down Road at 6.20pm.
One crew from Yate and one from Patchway attended the scene and two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and extinguished the blaze using a high pressure hose reel.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Stephanie Mounsey said: "No-one was inside the house at the time and no-one was hurt.
"It is believed to have been started deliberately."


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Polar ProTrainer 5 is a dynamic, advanced piece of software that gives you a deeper understanding of your training based on heart rate zones, speed, distance, time and increasing/decreasing heart rate.
Step 1: Plan
The benefits of proper planning before you train are essential, that way you can estimate the intensity of your workout, set your goals, keep to them, and most importantly, see your fitness gradually improve over time. Once you're happy with your planned sessions, you can transfer them straight to your wrist unit. And if you want to adjust the duration of your session whilst you're training you can do that manually on the wrist unit too.
Step 2: Train
During training there are six different display settings that can be viewed on your wrist unit – these will help you to follow your training plans and meet your training objectives. Each row is fully configurable so you can scroll through and select what information you want displayed whilst you're training. Stay on your current phase target by pre-setting the zone alarm.
Step 3: Upload/download
Polar ProTrainer 5 software is completely versatile. It enables you to transfer up to 21 pre-planned training sessions to the wrist unit (via IrDA infra-red link) and then, once you've trained, download the results back to your computer for analysing. If your computer doesn't have an IrDA connection built in, you will need a Polar IrDA USB 2.0 Adapter.
Step 4: Analyze
For quick analysis, you can review recorded data on the wrist unit display immediately after training. However, once it has been transferred to the Polar Pro Trainer 5 software, that's when you'll get a real understanding of every aspect of your training session in exacting detail. You can then select any point during the training and analyze and compare your data against previous sessions using easy-to-understand graphs.
Step 5: Follow
Now it's time to take what you've learnt from the results of your previous training sessions and improve on it. The great thing about Polar ProTrainer 5 is that you can follow your progress over time and use your training history as a tool for future goal setting and planning.


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From breaking news to debate and conversation, we bring NZ the news as it happens.
Dita Von Teese, Kelly Osbourne and fellow stars at London Fashion Week, reveal which items of clothing they just can't give up.
Latest NZH Video
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters spoke at a pre-election business conference in Wellington on Wednesday and talked about debt levels. He called the glow of the Pre-Election Fiscal Update results an illusion and warned that the next financial shock is imminent. (Video/NZN)
There's nothing quite like the smell of whale breath on your face in the morning. Source: Otago Daily Times
President Donald Trump is blaming the media for the widespread condemnation of his response to a Charlottesville, Virginia, protest organized by white supremacists that led to the killing of a counter-protester. Source: AP


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Forum:How do you ask the administration a question
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
Note: This topic has been unedited for 2147 days. It is considered archived - the discussion is over. Do not add to unless it really needs a response.
How do you ask the administration a question and how long does it usually take to respond
- You go to their talk page and ask the question, it depends largely on who you ask but not too long I'd imagine (SIGN POSTS LIKE THIS: ~~~~) ~Sir Frosty (Talk to me!) 03:37, October 7, 2011 (UTC)


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Out-of-form vice-captain Stuart Broad may face a battle to retain his place as England eye their biggest challenge yet in India.
Pace bowler Broad was passed fit despite suffering a virus on the eve of the second Test, and then appeared well short of his best in a match dominated by spin and famously won by England to level the four-match series at 1-1. Alastair Cook's tourists therefore have a realistic ambition again to become the first from England to win a series in India since 1984-85.
Their next stop is Kolkata on December 5, and with Steven Finn demonstrating his recovery from a thigh strain by taking four wickets for the England Performance Programme in Mumbai, Broad's inclusion is far from guaranteed.
Bowling coach David Saker has spelled out the magnitude of England's task, the "X-factor" Finn can bring to the team - and the Broad "issue" which must be confronted.
"To win (a series) over here is as big as any challenge," said Saker, whose two-and-a-half years so far with England have included an ICC World Twenty20 trophy and a historic Ashes win in his native Australia.
After Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann accounted for 19 of the 20 India wickets with spin at the Wankhede Stadium, and James Anderson bowled impressively too with scant reward, Broad may struggle to beat Finn to the second seamer's position at Eden Gardens.
Saker candidly acknowledged that Broad has a point to prove, saying: "There's a little bit of an issue, there's no doubt about it. He hasn't bowled as we would have liked, and he'd be the first to admit that.
"He's not the first bowler to come over here and find it hard. The great fast bowlers have had success over here. Stuart's probably not a great yet. He has to learn ways to become great - it's a learning time for him."
After his bowling stint on Tuesday, Finn tweeted: "Good to be back on the park today. 16 overs is gonna hurt in the morning though", and Saker is wary of assumptions about the tall seamer's fitness until he has safely negotiated the EPP's three-day match.
"We've got our fingers crossed he gets through, number one. If he gets through unscathed and bowls well, his name will definitely be talked about for selection," added Saker. "He's got that X-factor, a bit of pace, that height that always means you could get variable bounce over here - so his name will be bandied around for sure for that second seamer's spot."


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A number of people have been complaining about blog posts in Facebook groups. So in an attempt to clean up Facebook I have created this group. If you like to read blogs from all over the world or write a blog of your own? Pleas go to this group! The idea is once we have a large enough following people will only advertise their blog in that group. This will help with all those posts that you see all the time in all the groups you belong to. So join us on Facebook today
Also if you want to know even more about Costa Rica we host a facebook group called Gringo's Expats in Costa Rica. Check that out as well.
We also have a facebook page for Best of Costa Rica you can find it here. Stop in and give us a like please.
Last but by no means least we have an Amazon store. So please visit this page to buy all the things you would on amazon. You can reach it by going to http://www.bestofcostarica.net and clicking on the link to the Amazon deals and discounts page. We get a 4% commission on anything you purchase and we take a portion of the commission and donate it to local Costa Rican Charities. As of now one is really using it so we have not raised much money. If you are shopping for something not listed in our store let me know and I will be happy to fix that so you can get what you need. We have listed as many categories as possible. So let us know. Also on that page is a list of affiliates that we get a % from. Again we get from there also adds to that charity fund. The trip adviser pays us the most in commissions. So if you are planning a trip to Costa Rica or anywhere else in the world use our link on that page!
Pura Vida!


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ESSENDON knows its injury list this season will be scrutinised after a horrendous 2012 campaign resulted in more than 20 soft-tissue injuries.
A focus more on endurance training with some players shedding weight has the Bombers hopeful their injury woes are over.
Captain Jobe Watson, one such player to have embraced the new plan, has been buoyed by the performance of a playing list determined to lift from a disappointing 11th last season. The Bombers were 8-1 last season but faded, sparking a review of their fitness program.
''A few guys have been conscious about getting a bit lighter as the game is moving a little bit more into an endurance style,'' Watson said on Friday.
Several players around the league were caught out last season focusing on muscle and bulk rather than endurance.
This meant some struggled to run out games or found roles they once flourished in were now harder to control.
Essendon coach James Hird said in November he wanted his players to improve their aerobic capacity.
A month out from the opening of the NAB Cup, Watson said the health of the playing list had also buoyed spirits, with the players benefiting from a high-altitude training camp in Colorado in November.
''The most pleasing thing has been the numbers we have training at the moment,'' he said.
''There's maybe one or two guys who aren't able to complete it and they're only a few weeks away.
''Just to be able to get the work into such a large majority of the group has probably been the biggest difference from 12 months ago.
''It just means they're not coming in underdone and trying to catch up and when you're trying to catch up it means you're pushing harder and that can lead to some injuries that we did have 12 months ago.
''To be able to get the work into the guys we have just means we can really set the platform up and it gives you a bit of a safety net.''
New football operations manager Danny Corcoran, the former boss of Athletics Australia, has played an important role in the fitness and sports science areas. Dean Robinson, nicknamed ''The Weapon'', remains a fitness boss.
Watson said Michael Hibberd and Michael Hurley had impressed, with Hurley, capable of dominating as a key forward or defender, another to shed kilograms. He has also recovered from wrist surgery.
''He has certainly noticed the difference being lighter. It's noticeable out there on the track,'' Watson said.
Scott Gumbleton was on restricted duties on Friday as he recovered from a hamstring strain, while Watson said Jake Melksham was primed for a strong campaign.
Watson, 27, is off contract this year but the Brownlow medallist could be offered a five-year deal when negotiations intensify with his management firm.
■Former Adelaide defender Nigel Smart is to become the Crows' chief operating officer on March 1.


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HOUSTON - Nearly a dozen children were taken to hospitals after the van they were in was involved in a wreck.
Houston police said the driver of an SUV hit a van carrying 11 children on West 43rd near Ella about 8 a.m. on Friday.
The children suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospitals as a precaution, officials said.
The driver of the van, Stephanie Worrell, said she was shaken up.
"I remember a loud crash sound before I realized we were hit from the back," she said. "I had a few (children) screaming for their parents. They were shaken up, frantic tears on eyes."
Investigators said the driver of the SUV, Sonia Noemi Martinez, 28, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.
The van was operated by Eagle Achievers Academy, which provides transportation to other schools.
"I think it's terrible someone would be in a school area drunk," said Cassandra Meyers, the academy's director. "It's unfortunate children had to go through this trauma today."
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Plenty of cool stuff I've found recently for Fallout 3. Read on…
On Twitter, I came across a link to a blog called The Adventures of Tobasco da Gama. In this post, our hero (we'll call him the Lone Wanderer), discusses his plan to tour DC in a Vault Suit. A man of his word, check out the pics on Flickr.
Recently the 2009 MIXX awards were announced — celebrating creativity in interactive advertising. Among the award winners, Fallout 3 was awarded a Gold Award for Product Launch. Special thanks to AKQA (who also won an award for McDonalds and Flip Video) and everyone else that worked on the campaign.
At Planet Xbox 360, there's a new list of the Top 10 Gaming Moments to Experience Before You Die. It's a good list that points out how many great titles there have been this generation. Click here to find out what Fallout 3 moment made the list.
Ready to take on some Fallout trivia? The Escapist has two quizzes — in Heroic and Legendary flavors.
At Kotaku, Todd Howard was featured in a recent piece titled, "Is Single-Player Gaming In Danger Of Extinction?" — written by Michael McWhertor. Here's a snippet from Todd:
"[Multiplayer is] the most requested feature we get," says Todd Howard, executive producer of The Elder Scrolls series and Fallout 3 at Bethesda Softworks, so far resistant to the trend this generation. "So we do consider it every time… and every time it loses, but I suppose you never know."
Moving on, I caught this pic from EPICponyz that you might recognize from here..:)
To conclude this wrapup, here's three videos to check out from YouTube. This one caught my eye because of the great work done on creating the BoS armor. Also be sure to check out this Fallout 3 Medley, and yet another fantastic fan video from Drakortha.


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Does a vinilla installation of ubuntu on the same laptop with the same stick?
I've been using unetbootin for quite some time now and never had any problems like what's going on now. The problem I'm having is when I use unetbootin to make BackTrack boot off a usb everything goes fine loading the image onto the USB stick, then it comes time to reboot, so I reboot. This is when the problem starts. I choose to boot off usb drive within the bios (like i've always done) and the computer just locks up and becomes unresponsive. At this piont the only option I have is the power button. It does this on multiple laptops. I've tried using different usb sticks, loading BackTrack via unetbootin on different computers, tried different Versions of BT (BT3, BT4-pre-release & BT4-pre-final), even reformatting the sticks to FAT and FAT32. I tried googling this problem with little results. I am out of ideas. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thank you.
BTW i'm using the windows version of unetbootin.
Does a vinilla installation of ubuntu on the same laptop with the same stick?
pureh@te's tutorial covering persistent LiveUSB install over at OffSec. Unetbootin is kind of poor-man's USB install anyway - you'll much more fun and a better (persistent) setup when doing it the right way.
So about that persistant setup. I get a message saying "failed to write 4092 bytes [sender] no space left of device
write failed on /mnt/sdc1/casper/filesystem.squashfs no space left"
Edit: Also it says "error in file IO (code 11)
connection unexpectedly closed"
I've think I found a pattern, but not sure why this is. I've used imageburn to write an image of windows 7 to a usb stick and this is when the problem starts to occur... Any ideas?


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Posted by: Casey Saxton on Aug 29, 2013
Ask a Specialist: Are Earwigs Damaging to My Garden Plants?
Ask a Specialist: Are Earwigs Damaging to My Garden Plants?
Answer by: Diane Alston, Utah State University Extension entomologist, firstname.lastname@example.com or 435-797-2516
Earwigs are common garden pests in northern Utah. They chew into buds, leaves, flowers and fruits of many plants, including tree and cane fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Their typical damage is small, ragged holes chewed in plant tissue. Earwigs will chew off corn silks and hide inside ripe apricots and peaches next to the pit. However, they are omnivorous and will also eat decaying debris and pollen and are opportunistic predators of other insects. Earwigs are active at night and seek protection during the daytime. If you see chewing injury on plants but don't see active insects, return at night with a flashlight to look for them. Their eating habits and behaviors make them both a pest and a beneficial insect. The best management is a balance of protecting plants from injury while reaping the benefits from the biological control and organic matter decomposition they provide. Their prey includes aphids, caterpillars and other small garden insect pests.
The European earwig (Order Dermaptera, which means "skin wings" to describe their leathery wings) was introduced into North America from Europe. The common name "earwig" comes from a myth that it would climb into the ears of humans and chew into the brain, but this is false. The first record of its presence in Utah was in the 1930s. Earwigs are now common pests around the home and in commercial crop production throughout northern Utah.
Eggs hatch during May in northern Utah. A female may produce a second brood if food is available. The young (called nymphs) and adults will walk an average of 30 feet per night and disperse into vegetation and trees to find food. Management includes trapping, exclusion and insecticides. Consider this information in developing a management plan for earwigs.
* An inexpensive and easy trap can be made from rolling up 4-inch strips of one-sided corrugated cardboard with the ridges facing inward and tying it onto a tree trunk or plant stem. Earwigs will seek shelter in the traps during the day. The cardboard rolls can be opened up, the earwigs dumped into a container of soapy water, then the cardboard can be tied again to the trunk. These traps become more attractive after repeated use since earwigs leave odors behind that attract others. Adding food bait, such as wheat bran or germ, can increase earwig catch.
* A trap that is best suited for flower, herb and vegetable beds can be made from a plastic yogurt or sour cream container. Punch five or six 1Ž4-inch diameter holes around the top of the container and add 1Ž2 to 1 inch of vegetable oil with smelly bait, such as meat juice (liquid from canned tuna works well), bacon grease or soy sauce. Place the lid on the container to keep out rainfall and irrigation water as well as animals that may want to eat the bait. Bury the container into the soil so the holes are 1 to 2 inches above the surface. Check the traps several times each week, dispose of dead earwigs and replenish the trap with fresh bait.
* Earwigs will climb trees and plants to feed on fruit. Prevent this by placing a band of sticky adhesive, such as Tangletrap™, around the trunk or stem. Brush or spray the adhesive on a surface, such as duct tape, to protect tree bark.
* Earwigs can also be nuisance pests when they enter buildings to seek shelter. Seal cracks and crevices, install under-door sweeps and ensure that screens are tightly sealed to help prevent their entrance. Remove vegetation and debris (including mulches) next to buildings in areas where earwigs may enter such as near doorways and basement window wells. Apply insecticides as a barrier treatment around foundations.
* Use traps and exclusion barriers first before resorting to insecticides. To conserve beneficial insects, only apply insecticides when deemed necessary. Insecticides that are effective for earwigs and registered for use around the home include spinosad, carbaryl, diatomaceous earth, azadirachtin, malathion, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, and pyrethrin. Always read the insecticide label for registered uses, application and safety information.
For more information about earwigs, see the USU Extension fact sheet at
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/earwig-orn.pdf or watch a video on how to make homemade earwig traps athttp://utahpests.usu.edu/htm/video-fact-sheets.
Direct column topics to: Julene Reese, Utah State University Extension writer, Logan, Utah, 84322-4900; 435-797-0810; firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/4/2013 (1589 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I harbour a secret passion for an activity that is not generally discussed with friends or family. I consider myself a "closet nudist" or naturist. Years ago I discovered the exhilaration and sense of freedom of a nude beach and have visited Manitoba's nude beaches whenever possible. I'm truly in love with the experience. My wife doesn't share my passion for naturism and condemns the subject, so my visits are secret. I go alone, simply to enjoy the wonderful experience of spending a day in the sun as nature created us -- hard to explain the sensations to anyone who has not experienced a nude beach. Despite what most people think, it is the most non-sexual experience ever. All shapes and sizes of people enjoy the "lifestyle" and it is truly a non-judgmental experience. Never before have I felt such an inclusive environment. It is far more relaxed and laid-back than any "clothed" beach. I don't want to forgo my visits, yet I feel ashamed at hiding this from my wife. I know she'd disapprove and want me to stop going. Am I being too selfish to try and hang on to this pleasure for myself? -- Closet Nudist, Winnipeg Area
Dear Nudist: You have one life on Earth. In this life, your wife has a right to expect faithfulness, but she doesn't have the right to dictate everything you do. Tell her naturism is what you love on sunny afternoons in the warm weather. Invite her to come along every time you go, briefly and cheerfully. She refuses again? Just say pleasantly, "OK then, I'm off for a day in the sun. See you later." She is going to hit the roof over this, at least at first, but there may be some relief for her, too. What do you tell her when you disappear for these afternoons? Maybe she's been turning a blind eye to what she thinks is an affair. It's time to be honest. Let her know who you are, and what you do and extend an invitation, even if she spits at it. One day she may actually come with you, out of curiosity.
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: My husband is a drinker and a tightwad, but I have figured out a way to come out on top. When he drinks, he also gambles on the VLTs. When he comes home from the bar and passes out, I steal money out of his wallet and, if he notices anything strange, I tell him he lost it at the VLTs and doesn't remember. That's plausible and he buys it. I'm $50 to $150 richer and go shopping for the day. He shakes his head and wonders if he should quit going to the bar. The one thing that might make him quit drinking is losing money. Our bank accounts are now separate and everything we own is in my name. You see, there are ways to work things out so everybody wins. -- Tips From a Smart Lady, Elmwood
Dear Tips: Everybody has a different take on what makes them happy, and your method seems to be working for you. However, stealing money for happiness probably isn't your first preference. Consider using some of that money to talk to a counsellor about what you want to do with the rest of your life, rather than living from week to week, making do with an alcoholic and a gambler. Someday you may want a better solution for yourself.


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You can still listen to BBC iPlayer Radio via your browser by visiting bbc.co.uk/radio
Eddie Mair presents coverage and analysis of the day's news.
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Politicians and public figures talk candidly over lunch with reporter Becky Milligan.
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Matt Damon: Sarah Palin is like 'a really bad Disney movie'
Matt Damon basically Jason Bourne'd Governor Sarah Palin in the face today while in Toronto promoting ONEXONE a Canadian children's charity. His major concern seems to be what happens when John McCain kicks the bucket in office if the Republicans win?:
"You do the actuary tables, there's a one out of three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn't survive his first term, and it'll be President Palin. It's like a really bad Disney movie, "The Hockey Mom.' Oh, I'm just a hockey mom from Alaska, and she's president. "She's facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. It's absurd."
I… uh… wow. Okay, guys, try not to completely light the comment board on fire then piss on it. Otherwise, how else will I know how you truly feel about Kim Kardashian's ass? See? I care about the issues.


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Swelling in the ankles and feet is common after you have been sitting
or standing for long periods of time (positional swelling).
Long airplane flights or automobile rides are common causes of lower
leg swelling. You have an increased risk of positional swelling if you have a
job (such as being a surgical technician, assembly line worker, or teacher)
that requires you to stand for long periods of time.
Try the following home treatment measures to help relieve symptoms of
positional swelling.
Hot or humid weather commonly causes your hands and feet to swell
(heat edema). Heat edema also may increase the risk of positional
Last Revised:
April 2, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine & David Messenger, MD
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. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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Idle No More gathering in Revelstoke on New Year's Day
The Idle No More protest movement will host a first event in Revelstoke on New Year's Day at the Revelstoke Community Centre starting at 1 p.m.
Organizer Michelle Cole invited everyone to attend. "It's a very simple gathering of people in support of Idle No More and [Attawapiskat] Chief [Theresa] Spence and our land," Cole said in an interview with the Times Review.
The Idle No More protest movement began in December, inspired partially by the hunger strike by Spence, who is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The grassroots movement focuses on ongoing issues with treaty rights and also focuses on the federal government's omnibus Bill C-45, which has been severely criticized for hollowing out environmental laws
"[It's] just another effort to strip the land of its resources and beaver out," Cole said of the legislation. Bill C-45 included changes to the Navigable Water Protection Act, removing the vast majority of protected rivers, lakes and streams from the legislation.
"This whole thing about how we can go from 2,500 protected rivers one day and only having 82 the next – that's just mind boggling," Cole said.
Chief Spence is in the 20th day of her hunger strike. The movement has sparked protests and demonstrations across the country.
"It's about sustainable human relationships, that's what Idle No More is about, and moving towards a fair and reasonable approach to governing Canada," Cole said.
The gathering in Revelstoke is, "open to aboriginals and settlers alike," Cole said. "It's an open forum. I'm weaving the basket. I've invited people to bring drums and placards and their families. It's a peaceful gathering – there's a couple of us practicing a few songs. I'll open with aboriginal protocol – we'll just see how it goes from there."
Cole is the co-chair of the Aboriginal Education Advisory Committee in Revelstoke, but said she was organizing the event independently of that role.
It's hoped the event will raise awareness about First Nations in the Revelstoke area. "This was a very thriving aboriginal community at the time of contact," Cole said.


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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The debate over the future of public employee pensions turned into a kind of actuarial trench warfare Friday, as a state-commissioned report about the Florida Retirement System came under fire before a party-line vote to overhaul the plan.
The House Appropriations Committee voted 13-9 to approve a measure (HB 7011) that would close the traditional, "defined benefit" pension plan to all employees who are hired on or after Jan. 1.
Those employees would instead be enrolled in a 401(k)-style "defined contribution" plan.
With the vote, the bill is now one committee stop away from the House floor.
The bill passed the GOP-controlled committee despite Democratic questions about a study by Milliman, a state consultant, and objections that lawmakers still hadn't seen a study on disability benefits, due out later Friday, or death benefits.
Meanwhile, Robert Dezube, who leads Milliman's work on Florida's system, apologized for the first draft of the study of the costs and benefits of moving to a defined contribution plan. That draft was later withdrawn after Milliman conceded that it made mistakes.
"I don't have really a good answer," Dezube said when asked why lawmakers should trust the new study. "All I know is we spent the two weeks going over this study with a fine-toothed comb."
But critics said that the new study -- which House Speaker Will Weatherford has used to argue that the plan will save Florida taxpayers $9.8 billion by 2043 -- is still flawed. Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, has set the pension overhaul up as one of his top goals of the 2013 session.
Bradley Heinrichs, the president and CEO of consulting firm Foster & Foster, said he was confused by the study's contention that closing the traditional pension would save money and by some of the costs that appeared in the study.
"It doesn't pass my smell test," said Heinrichs, whose firm works counts about 200 public employee pensions among its clients.
Sarabeth Snuggs, the retired director of the FRS pension plan, also said that the study's conclusions were dubious. And she pointed out that one of the drivers of the report's projected cost for the defined benefit plan was that employees enrolling in that plan seemed to be older now -- something Snuggs attributed to younger workers joining the optional 401(k)-style plan the state already offers.
"If you really want to shore up the pension plan, then let's do a study to see what closing the investment plan would do," she said.
Democrats and other opponents of the plan say the real goal is to help the money management firms that would gain thousands of customers with the change.
"This can be characterized as a taxpayer windfall to Wall Street, who are probably smacking their lips at the access to a defined pool of money to play with," said Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg.
Republicans, though, defended the Milliman study and said that the plan would protect taxpayers from risks associated with a defined benefit plan. They also pointed out that most corporations offer a defined contribution plan now.
"I think it's responsible, I think it's realistic and better represents the world we live in," said Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples.
Copyright 2013 by The News Service of Florida. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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UPDATE: "The Simpsons" responded to this interview with a new chalkboard gag before the Sunday, April 15, episode proclaiming that "The true location of Springfield is in any state but yours." Check it out.
From This Story
Related Content
Claudia De La Roca: So take us back to the Simpsons' foundational moment. In 1987 you were waiting for a meeting with James Brooks and you started sketching. What were you thinking?
Matt Groening: I had been drawing my weekly comic strip, "Life in Hell," for about five years when I got a call from Jim Brooks, who was developing "The Tracey Ullman Show" for the brand-new Fox network. He wanted me to come in and pitch an idea for doing little cartoons on that show. I soon realized that whatever I pitched would not be owned by me, but would be owned by Fox, so I decided to keep my rabbits in "Life in Hell" and come up with something new.
While I was waiting—I believe they kept me waiting for over an hour—I very quickly drew the Simpsons family. I basically drew my own family. My father's name is Homer. My mother's name is Margaret. I have a sister Lisa and another sister Maggie, so I drew all of them. I was going to name the main character Matt, but I didn't think it would go over well in a pitch meeting, so I changed the name to Bart.
Bart. Why?
Back in high school I wrote a novel about a character named Bart Simpson. I thought it was a very unusual name for a kid at the time. I had this idea of an angry father yelling "Bart," and Bart sounds kind of like bark—like a barking dog. I thought it would sound funny. In my novel, Bart was the son of Homer Simpson. I took that name from a minor character in the novel The Day of the Locust, by Nathanael West. Since Homer was my father's name, and I thought Simpson was a funny name in that it had the word "simp" in it, which is short for "simpleton"—I just went with it.
Did your father contribute anything besides his first name?
My father was a really sharp cartoonist and filmmaker. He used to tape-record the family surreptitiously, either while we were driving around or at dinner, and in 1963 he and I made up a story about a brother and a sister, Lisa and Matt, having an adventure out in the woods with animals. I told it to my sister Lisa, and she in turn told it to my sister Maggie. My father recorded the telling of the story by Lisa to Maggie, and then he used it as the soundtrack to a movie. So the idea of dramatizing the family—Lisa, Maggie, Matt—I think was the inspiration for doing something kind of autobiographical with "The Simpsons." There is an aspect of the psychodynamics of my family in which it makes sense that one of us grew up and made a cartoon out of the family and had it shown all over the world.
Any other commonalities between your father and Homer Simpson?
Only the love of ice cream. My dad didn't even like doughnuts that much.
The name Homer has been wall-to-wall around you—your father, your son, Homer Simpson. What does the name mean to you?
My father was named after the poet Homer. My grandmother, his mother, was a voracious reader. She named one son Homer and another son Victor Hugo. It is this basic name, but I can't separate the name Homer from The Iliad and The Odyssey and from Odysseus, even though Homer is the teller of the tale. I think of it as a very heroic name in that Homer, even though he is getting kicked in the butt by life, he is his own small hero.
OK, why do the Simpsons live in a town called Springfield? Isn't that a little generic?
Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon. The only reason is that when I was a kid, the TV show "Father Knows Best" took place in the town of Springfield, and I was thrilled because I imagined that it was the town next to Portland, my hometown. When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name. I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, "This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield." And they do.


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Monday, 28 January 2008
The first nail in blogging's coffin?
I got an e-mail today. Does it look familiar to any other bloggers out there?
I am writing to draw your attention to a new online platform we have put together. Our President and Chairman is Pierre Chappaz, co-founder of Kelkoo, and our name is ebuzzing.
ebuzzing allows bloggers to earn money by publicising things they actually like, and even to define their own price for doing so.
They browse ad campaigns posted by advertisers, then create content for their blog highlighting those products and services that they genuinely wish to talk about and are paid for each article.
You can learn more about ebuzzing on our Blogger's Page and also our FAQ. And we would love you to sign up and be part of our community of bloggers.
So just to be clear, they're offering you money to take ads, and turn them into editorial on your blog. In other words, they're bribing you to deceive the people who are kind (or sad) enough to read your blog that it's not advertising at all, but the genuine opinion of someone whose words they, for some reason, value.
I said no.
The whole thing made me a little sad. But when I'm feeling low, I always find the tonic that puts a smile back on my face is Heineken, brewed in Holland since the 187os to an unchanged recipe that uses only the finest hops and barley and is available in all good off-licences - at prices that won't put a hole in your pocket!
Friday, 25 January 2008
Goodbye large scale British brewing
The offer, through newly-formed joint venture Sunrise Acquisitions, will see Carlsberg take full ownership of Eastern European joint venture Baltic Beverages Holding, as well as S&N's French, Greek, Chinese and Vietnamese operations. Heineken will own S&N's operations in the UK and Ireland, Portuguese, Finnish, Belgian, US and Indian operations.
This means John Smith's - the UK's largest ale brand - will be owned and run by Heineken. I wonder if they'll do the brand as much justice as Carlsberg did Tetley?
It does mean that the likes of Greene King, Fuller's, Wells & Youngs and Marston's are now the largest British brewers. I quite like that.
The slow death of a once wonderful brand
... to this, in five short years.
Never mind what beer you drink - how do you drink it?
This all comes from new research published yesterday by SABMiller. I have to declare an interest - if you listen to British regional radio stations you may have heard me yesterday commenting on the results alongside Dr Max Farrar, a sociologist.
In a week when the national media COMPLETELY ignored the fact that binge drinking levels are falling across the board, it was great to get exposure for a positive story that shows how beer drinking shapes and illustrates our culture.
The SABMiller research was conducted with a big sample size across 15 European countries. Increasingly these countries are homogenous when it comes to the kind of cars they drive, the kind of fast food or expensive coffee they neck or the trainers they wear, but as is always the case, ask about beer and you still see a rich variation between nations.
If you have the appetite for some lazy stereotyping, it's impossible to resist noting that compared to the 77% of generous Brits, only 16% of Germans would buy a round if they weren't sure it would be reciprocated that night.
But it's when you look behind the figures that you start to appreciate the differences in how we drink beer, even as we all drink it for the same reasons. In a British pub you're going to the bar for each round - it makes sense for one person to go. And while you may not get your drink back that night, you'd expect it to even out over a period of weeks. If you never bought a round, you'd soon become known as "the bloke who never buys his round", and that's a stigma in British society on a par with being known as "the bloke who likes to hang around school playgrounds".
But in many other countries, you're getting beer served at the table and you get a bill at the end of the night. It makes much more sense to split it - why would one person insist on paying for all the drinks?
The sexes thing shows that what we say and what we do are not necessarily the same. Only 30% of women think it's right that their partner should pay for all the drinks. How many men would agree that this is what their partner believes? Turning that round, how many women would agree that their man is happy always to treat them to all their drinks without a murmur of complaint?
The report also shows that beer is considered a perfectly acceptable drink across a wide variety of occasions - at a wedding, at a restaurant meal, at home with the family. We all know that on here, but it's nice to see that around 80% of people agree.
The report's available on SABMiller's website and, if nothing else, provides plenty of fuel for impassioned banter down the pub. Where, I believe, it's your round.
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Looking forward to seeing extensive coverage of this story in the Daily Mail over the next few days
23 January 2008 Source: just-drinks.com editorial team
The number of people in the UK that are drinking alcohol irresponsibly has fallen, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The General Household survey said yesterday (22 January) that, between 2000 and 2006, the number of men that drank over 21 units a week has reduced by 6% and the number of women who consumed over 14 units per week has decreased by 5%.
Binge drinking among 16-24 year-old men has also continued to decline in the last year, with levels among young women in the UK stabilising, the statistics revealed.
The survey also demonstrated that awareness of alcohol units has risen from 79% of the population to 85% in the last ten years.
Commenting on the survey, the_Portman_Group's chief executive, David Poley, said: "It is pleasing that the long-term trends in the nation's harmful drinking levels continue to improve. More people are now aware of the risks associated with harmful drinking and have changed their drinking accordingly. There is still a long way to go to eradicate the problems caused by alcohol misuse which remain deeply embedded in our culture. But the evidence suggests that the sensible drinking message is getting through to people."
Hang on... I thought more liberal licensing laws were going to result in the end of civilisation, like theyhave in every other country around the world that has a relaxed attitude to drinking? I'm confused...
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
We're all only here for the beer
In September this year it'll be ten years since I first had the idea to write a book on the social history of beer. I figured I'd write that book, then once I was published I could move on to write about other subjects, maybe even get cracking on my novel.
It would take me almost five years to get the book published, and over that time I became obsessed with beer. I'm now writing my third book on the subject, am marketing editor of a beer trade magazine, talk about beer on radio and TV, and spend every spare minute writing and thinking about beer, and most of my money on travelling the world learning about beer and beer drinkers. It pays me less than I need to live on, and I abandoned a lucrative career in advertising to do it. The novel is a distant memory. It would probably have been shit anyway.
Why does beer exert such a powerful hold?
That's the key question. I suspect my answer may be a little different than it is for many beer bloggers, but I hope anyone who cares about beer will at least respect it, even if they don't entirely agree. I'm defensive about it, because it automatically brings up the subject of beer snobbery again.
The people we/I call beer snobs love the amazing variety and intensity of flavour and character they get from lovingly-brewed craft beers. They believe small brewers who are doing what they love make the best of these beers. And they belive that these small brewers, lacking the marketing muscle of the macros, need all the support they can get to make their voices heard. I agree strongly on every point. But for me, the beer world is bigger than this. Beer is more important.
When I started writing about beer I loved cask ale, but not exclusively. I was thirsty to find out more about American micros, but my knowledge of Belgian beer stretched as far as Stella Artois and Hoegaarden, and they were my favourite beers. Don't get me wrong - I preferred the taste of Pete's Wicked Ale or Sam Adams Boston Lager when I could get them, but beer for me has always been about more than taste.
What first fascinated me about beer was the way that, in my old marketing days, when we did focus groups beer would engage a marketing-weary audience more than any other product was capable of. Young lads determined to look cool in front of their peers would talk about it with a passion and enthusiasm otherwise reserved exclusively for their football team.
When I decided to find out why, I discovered that beer is the most sociable drink in the world, and always has been. The ancients drank beer from communal pots through long straws not because they were poor, but because it was more sociable that way. When we really admire someone, we say "He's the kind of guy you'd like to have a beer with," not a cup of tea or glass of wine. The pub remains an environment where you leave the cares of the world at the door and treat each other with respect, as equals, and beer is the soul of the pub. Beer is why pubs are like this and wine bars are not.
The history of beer is the history of ordinary people. Beer brings history alive and makes you realise what it would have been like to be a seventeenth century diarist or thirteenth century pregnant woman, the strong birthing ale on standby for when labour began.
Beer remains the most popular drink in the world. While customs and habits vary, the underlying truth of beer is constant - getting together to relax with friends, in a safe environment, kicking back and being your true self.
If you were reading the fifth paragraph and thought to yourself "Why is he talking about Pete's Wicked Ale and Boston Lager? There are far more characterful brews out there. Sam Adams is little better than a bland macro", ask yourself if you're really getting what beer is all about. One of beer's strengths versus wine is the fact that it's not elitist and difficult. Of course there are better beers than Boston Lager. But that doesn't mean that Boston Lager, or Heineken, or even (God forgive me for saying this) Budweiser are completely without merit. If you cannot agree with that because you only ever see beer in terms of product character, and if you always judge product character in terms of "more is better", then I'd argue you're only seeing a small part of the whole picture.
Like most beer fans, given a perfect choice I'd always go for a resiny IPA, spicy Belgian saison or vinous Imperial stout. I'd much rather give my money to a guy running a one barrel plant who's excited because he's just got his first bottling line, goes to bed dreaming of new recipes and wakes up itching to brew, than I would to a corporation run by former Coca-Cola marketers who view beer as just another marketable beverage. But that's me and my drinking, and that's about as significant as an atom on a football field in the whole world of beer. If promoting the virtues of (please, please have mercy) Bud Light was the only possible way to get someone to even consider allowing beer past their lips, then I'd do it.
Beer's beauty is its unparalleled scope, its amazing variety, its depth of meaning in the world.
This blog will continue to cover the efforts of the biggest and smallest brewers in the world. It will judge beers and beery initiatives on thier own merits. It will call out rubbish, and celebrate the good stuff. It will be irreverent at times, because beer should never take itself too seriously.
If I write a piece on, say, Heineken and its efforts to introduce a genuine continental serve to the UK, before you post a reply explaining that Heineken are corporate whores and there are far better lagers out there - I KNOW. So does everyone who is likely to read this blog. If someone else comes up with something amazing about the history of Miller in the nineteenth century and you want to tell them that Miller beers are now characterless compared to most micros - guess what? They probably know that too. But there may still be something of value in what they're writing.
Beer is a broad church, and I've realised that's what I love most about it. I am not saying writers who meticuolously analyse flavour profiles of obscure micros and nothing else should start writing about beer culture or corporate marketing. I'm glad they do what they do and I find it very helpful. I'm simply asking that those guys recognise they're dealing with just one facet of what makes beer the best drink in the world.
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Two great words, together at last
Spotted today outside The York, Islington, London. Every now and again, but increasingly rarely, marketing is capable of genius and poetry. Let the man (or woman - but I'd bet particularly heavily that this one was a man) who coined the phrase "Pie Gala" be given a knighthood for services to the pub industry.
If only it wasn't detox month...
Monday, 7 January 2008
For Christ's sake, cheer up!
Now, I'll be the first to admit that one of the world's biggest corporate multinational brewers is a curious fit with the tiny brewery sitting in the middle of one of its yards, but some of the ignorant, ill-informed vitriol aimed at the site in Burton made me laugh, then made me angry, then very sad.
I'm going to sound like an apologist for Coors simply because they made my trip to India possible (though just to make it clear, they brewed the beer - they in no way sponsored the trip, and they certainly don't need my help). Anyway, it's not just this one issue - this is merely an example of an attitude that sometimes makes me think of jacking in beer writing. I just don't want anyone normal to think that I'm in any any like these sad, fanatical conspiracy theorists.
The subtext of the whingers is that because White Shield is now owned by Coors, it is therefore shit. Hmm. That'll be why it won Champion Bottled Beer at GBBF in 2006, why sales are up by over 50% year on year, and why brewer Steve Wellington was named Brewer of the Year by the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group last year is it? Or are these just more examples of corporate cronyism?
There are some astonishing claims made on the forum: most astonishing of all is that White Shield is a 'mediocre' beer. But it's also asserted that White Shield is not really brewed here at all, that it is made in a factory, that it has no individual character, and that what was formerly known as the Museum Brewery no longer brews small batches of individual and eclectic one-off beers.
As someone who brewed such just such a small batch beer there last year, I beg to differ. You don't even have to go that far - just walk into the brewery tap and you've a choice of several beers not available anywhere else. If the people writing this garbage had visited the brewery or taken the trouble to find any out any facts about White Shield by any means whatsoever, they would have quickly realised what drivel they were talking.
The White Shield Brewery is owned by Coors but is given near-total autonomy. It still creates boutique beers for individual landlords, and White Shield is still an astonishing beer, all of which is brewed on the premises. Steve Wellington is a universally respected brewer of enormous integrity.
Rant over.
The point is, there's an attitude in beer appreciation that's the same as the one I used to have when I was a teenage indie kid: back then, we thought anything on a major label was shit, anyone who actually got into the charts had sold out. It seems lots of beer fans enjoy being just as miserable as I was then. Big brewers churning out bland lager are easy hate targets, but when they start to show some interest in characterful beers, the vitriol only increases. Why?
It was the same when Inbev launched Artois Bock. The beer hasn't fared brilliantly, it could have been marketed better, but here was the world's biggest brewer creating a characterful Belgian ale and getting a shitstorm from many sides of the beer community for its efforts. Inbev do some really, really scummy things and often operate against the interests of beer drinkers, but this was not one of those times. It's basic psychology that if you want to change someone's behaviour you praise the the good at the same time as you condemn the bad. Otherwise, how can you blame them if they just carry on as they were?
This attitude doesn't exist in, say, the whisk(e)y world. Michael Jackson used to judge single malts owned by Diageo on their merits alongside those from tiny distilleries. It's a blight on beer that we can't do the same, and it should come as no surprise when people dismiss the entire beer community as whining Luddites.
I believe we should be trying to persuade Inbev, SABMiller and Coors to turn their huge drinker bases on to more characterful beers, to use their huge marketing muscle to help develop a more eclectic drinking scene.
But am I wrong?
Is there a case for saying that craft beer should be the exclusive preserve of small craft brewers, that it's healthier and more attractive overall if great beer was kept entirely separate from huge corporations driven by shareholder value who may somehow taint it?
Friday, 4 January 2008
The campaign for real ale is almost two hundred years old!
Where does the term 'real ale' originate?
Any CAMRA member or beer historian will tell you that in the early seventies, four discontented beer drinkers founded the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale, before amending this to the snappier Campaign for Real Ale, coining a term to differentiate cask conditioned ales from what they saw as worthless, ersatz fizzy brews.
Whatever disagreements I've had with CAMRA in the past, I've always said that this was a PR masterstroke. So I was astonished to discover this loaded term being used long, long before CAMRA's hated keg beers were even a twinkle in some demonic corporate brewer's eye.
On April 13 1809, the Calcutta Gazette carried countless ads for beer. Most of these were for pale ale (not yet referred to as India Pale Ale), the majority promoting "HODGSON'S very best PALE ALE, Brewed for this Climate and warranted of a Superior Quality."
But one ad was different. I couldn't make a copy of it, as the paper would have disintegrated, but it read:
To be sold by Public Auction
By Williams and Hohler
At their Auction-room
On MONDAY next, the 17th April 1809,
ONE Hundred and Forty-three Dozen
of excellent REAL ALE, warranted
good, the property of an Up-Country Trader,
leaving of business.
For the convenience of Purchasers, it
will be put up in lots of Three Dozen.
So what was the 'false' ale they were seeking to differentiate from? Well, maybe keg ale, or something similar to it, is older than we thought too. W L Tizard, a Professor of Brewing, wrote the following in his account of how to brew beers for export in his 1843 book Theory and Practice of Brewing:
"It is imperatively necessary that all extraneous vegetable matter which forms the yeast, lees &c. be removed; because the agitation during the voyage would otherwise produce extreme fretting, leakages and premature acidity."
So 'real ale' is beer that still has yeast present in the cask, whereas other beers have the yeast removed. If IPA and other nineteenth century beers had all their yeast removed, does that mean they were not technically real ales at all, but the forerunners of the dreaded keg?
And could the ad above therefore be evidence that some CAMRA hardliners have perfected time travel and gone back to protest against what might be an uncomfortable bit of trivia for anyone who thinks the only decent beer is one that is carrying on a secondary fermentation in the cask? Or is the fight for cask beer older than we thought?


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Is there any mechanism for marking a thread as [SOLVED]?I've had people ask me if this is possible a couple of times now, but couldn't find a definitive answer.If there isn't any possibility of doing this, would this be a useful feature to have?How hard would it be to implement?
There is no mechanism it's up to the OP to respond with a "thank you, problem solved", etc. There also can be many different quality answers to some questions. The poster completes the cycle by indicating (s)he had solved the problem and acknowledged politely the assistance (s)he received.
My thinking was only that when I'm trying to solve a problem and come across a long forum thread via Google, I'm more likely to read it if it is marked [SOLVED], as I know it has been brought to some kind of conclusion and not left hanging.Maybe it's just personal preference.Thanks.
The title can be altered by mods if needed, but it can be a tricky area to determine if something is truly solved or not. Often times, you'll see answers that the OP was happy with, but then someone else will step in and point out the flaws / shortcomings of the current answers and suggest something better. So on balance, it's probably safer to leave a question open in case something better might be offered.
A case in point: Solved here: http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?920460-Javascript-Calculations-not-working-in-IE8-and-below-Pleeeeease-Help&p=5247112#post_5246487Improved here: http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?920460-Javascript-Calculations-not-working-in-IE8-and-below-Pleeeeease-Help&p=5247112#post_5247103Say no more
<cheeky>Or maybe leave the thread open, in case there are better answers.</cheeky> :lol:
Harumph!!I've never been so insulted ... etc etc
Seriously though, that's a good point.Maybe marking the thread as [SOLVED] would discourage others from contributing.I never thought about it like that.
I still think there should be some kind of way of saying thanks to people that have helped you though ...
I agree, and there's an ongoing debate about how best to do it. For the moment, we have to be satisfied with the end of year awards (see my signature)—an imperfect system but better than nothing.
Do you know if there is a thread accompanying the debate which I could follow?Who would be responsible for the decision to implement such a system?
For the most part, it's been discussed amongst staff at this stage.
Oh, ok.Well thanks for the info.
It did come up recently in some user feedback, and reignited the issue, but it's hard for people to agree on the best solution. From time to time there's a request for rep points, but they have been dismissed because they are to easy to game (certainly my experience from other forums). Others would like some kind of upvote system, such as on Stack Overflow, but to me at least, that makes threads too confusing. I prefer to follow the discussion as it happened and decide for myself. Then there are suggestions for some kind of Like/thumbs up button, but again, that seems too easy to game to me. There are also some forum add-ons (or at least one) that can be used as a kind of thankyou system. Then there's the suggestion of a private button that you could hit once for a member in a calendar year, which would count as a vote towards the end of year awards. But the downside is that the thanks is not public then. All the same, I still don't see the problem with just saying thanks within a thread if someone has helped you.
Oh, right.I appear to have participated in that discussion and forgotten about it
I kind of like the idea of votes counting towards the end of year awards, as essentially you want something that will motivate people who like to contribute, but which is not easily gameable.Oh well, let's see what happens.
That's my preference, too. Most people who are helped here throughout the year are not around at the end of the year when voting happens, so it's harder to establish who has really been helpful during the year.
So, just out of curiosity, who would have to make the decision to implement such a feature or not?
Ultimately it's up to the forum admin (perhaps in consultation with the greater SP HQ), of course, but not without with general agreement from the community (or at least those on staff). The aim of the forums is to meet the needs of members, so if it really appears that it would benefit us all, and is feasible from a technical/economic viewpoint, there's no reason it shouldn't happen. We just need to work out what's actually needed. Things have been suggested over time, but there hasn't been a passionate push for anything in particular so far. It does feel like we are building towards something, though.


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War journalist and author Damien Lewis will be speaking and signing books at Bath Cats & Dogs Home.
Mr Lewis will speak about Ant, the puppy which took to the skies and saved countless lives during World War Two. Ant was later awarded the Dickin Medal for Bravery.
The talk will take place at the home on Thursday, March 27, at 6.30pm.
Tickets can be bought by calling (01225) 750 192 or emailing firstname.lastname@example.com
Tickets cost £10 per person with all proceeds going to the home at Claverton Down, which covers an area of more than 650 square miles throughout Bath, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Dogs, cats and small animals in need are brought in by the public, dog wardens and RSPCA inspectors.
For more information visit www.bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk


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New Jersey State Library
From Ancestry.com Wiki
State Library Bldg.
185 W. State St.
P.O. Box 520
Trenton, NJ 08625-0520
The New Jersey State Library has essentially the published complement to the New Jersey State Archives, including genealogies, histories, periodicals, guidebooks, maps, atlases, and indexes, with its book catalog searchable on its website. The library's collection, however, is stronger for the southern and central parts of the state than for northern New Jersey. There are also newspaper clipping files, phone books, directories, and folders of material and correspondence arranged by family name, as well as microfilms of the federal and state censuses. The state library is one of the two depositories for the state's DAR collection.


text:
Used 2009 GMC Values
Read more Read less
2009 GMC Values & Prices: 2009's GMC Sierra has proven to highly durable and to hold exceptional value. In 2009 GMC warranties were adjusted; the 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty was downgraded to exclude pressurized fuel systems, engine control module, transmission control module, throttle body assembly, and clutch/pressure plate for manual transmissions.
Select a 2009 GMC model below to get used trade-in values and retail prices
(2018 - 1926 including exotics and classic cars)
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