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Increasing evidence demonstrated that inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) by aberrant promoter methylation is an early event during carcinogenesis. Aiming at developing early diagnostic or prognostic tools for various tumors, we took an EBV-associated tumor, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), as a model and developed a powerful assay based on "multiplex methylation specific-PCR (MMSP)". The MMSP assay was designed to detect tumor-specific methylation status of several NPC-related genes and was capable of acquiring multiplex information simultaneously through a single PCR reaction with the tiny tumor DNA derived from the direct body fluid close to the primary tumor. In this study, we collected paired nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and NPC biopsies from 49 NPC patients and twenty noncancerous controls. A panel of markers including two EBV, and two cellular TSG markers were applied in this NPC-specific-MMSP assay. We optimized the working condition of MMSP so that it provides information equal to that from the corresponding separate PCRs. The results showed that MMSP patterns of NPC swab were largely consistent with those of corresponding biopsies and significantly distinguished themselves from those of 20 noncancerous volunteers. Among the 69 samples (49 NPCs and 20 normal controls), the sensitivity of detecting NPC from NP swabs is 98%. The specificity is as high as 100%. In conclusion, being characterized by its noninvasiveness, high reproducibility and informativeness, MMSP assay is a reliable and potential diagnostic tool for NPC. It paves the way for the development of population screening and early diagnosis approaches for various tumor types.
Citation: Zhang Z, Sun D, Hutajulu SH, Nawaz I, Nguyen Van D, Huang G, et al. (2012) Development of a Non-Invasive Method, Multiplex Methylation Specific PCR (MMSP), for Early Diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. PLoS ONE 7(11): e45908. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045908
Editor: Pierre Busson, Institute of Cancerology Gustave Roussy, France
Received: March 19, 2012; Accepted: August 23, 2012; Published: November 5, 2012
Copyright: © 2012 Zhang et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This study was supported by grants from Cancerfonden, Cancerföreningen, SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), STINT (The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education), SSMF(Swedish Association of Medical Research) and by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB504301, 2011CB504304) and Natural Science Foundation of China (30660197), EU-Asialink grant (ASI/B7-301/98/679-034) and Nuffic (NFP-PhD 08/36) from the Dutch Academy for Sciences. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the second most common cancer in southern China and constitutes the main menace in this area. Patients in stage I and II disease have a significantly longer overall survival compared with those in stage III and IV. The 5-year survival rate for stage III or IV patients was only 54.5%, while it could be as high as 95% for stage I or II patients [1]. So, early diagnosis for NPC is essential in achieving a satisfactory therapy effect. Unfortunately, because of the non-specific local symptoms and the un-convenience of a fully clinical examination of the nasopharynx, the majority of NPC patients are only diagnosed when the tumor has reached an advanced stage [2]. Approximately 70% of newly-diagnosed NPC patients presented as advanced diseases with a poor prognosis [2], [3]. Thus, to find biomarkers for detecting early stage NPC and monitoring residual or recurrent tumor would help greatly in elevating survival probability and the choice of subsequent therapy.
As a 100% Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related tumor, the attempts for early diagnosis of NPC have been largely associated with the characteristics of EBV infection. Elevated serum titers of IgA antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA) and early antigen (EA) have been the most commonly used markers for screening and monitoring of the disease [4]. However, the sensitivity and specificity of this serological method are known to be low [5], [6]. Measurement of EBV load by real-time PCR claimed a high sensitivity based on laboratory studies, but its cut-off is hard to define as a single marker for diagnosis [7].
Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) by promoter methylation is an early event in the multi-step process of carcinogenesis. Aberrant methylation of p16 gene and O6-MGMT gene can already be detected from the patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma three years prior to clinical diagnosis [8]. Frequent aberrantly methylated TSGs in tumors have been used as molecular markers for the detection of malignant cells from various clinical materials. It provides possibilities of both cancer early detection and dynamic monitoring of cancer patients after treatment [9]. Aberrant methylation on TSG promoters is rather prevalent and tumor-specific among NPCs, which suggests its potential as an assay for NPC diagnosis. Several technical approaches are now available for analyzing DNA methylation status, such as Southern blot analysis, bisulfite genomic sequencing, methylation specific PCR (MSP), and methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion. Although considerable amounts of DNA are incorporated in these methods, the number of genes investigated in a single reaction is still limited. Recently, some approaches that allow high-throughput analyses of multiple CpG islands were developed, including methylation specific oligonucleotide microarray, restriction landmark genomic scanning, and differential methylation hybridization [6], [10], [11], [12], [13]. However, these techniques require sophisticated equipments for bioinformatic analyses, which limits its prevalence in the clinic.
In order to develop a method which is both informative and starting-material-saving, we designed an assay named multiplex methylation PCR (MMSP), by doing which we were aiming at getting methylation-based tumor-suggestive information from an optimal panel of markers including TSGs and EBV genes for the early detection of NPC. The MMSP assay was designed to provide the following information. 1) EBV infection. It helps to distinguish EBV-related tumors from EBV-unrelated tumor or normal cells. In this MMSP assay, a fragment of EBNA1 gene was amplified as an evidence of EBV infection of tumor cell. 2) The expression status of EBV-encoded oncogenic latent membrane protein (LMP1). LMP1 is the main EBV transforming protein in NPC. It could be unequivocally detected in 65% of NPC patients [14]. It has been shown to be tightly correlated with its promoter methylation [15]. NPC biopsies with unmethylated LMP1 promoter always express LMP1 protein. 3) The methylation status of two cellular candidate TSGs: Ras association domain family protein 1, isoform A (RASSF1A) and Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) genes. These two genes have been shown to be heavily methylated in 84% and 80% in NPC biopsies respectively, but with few exceptions not in normal NP epithelia [16], [17], [18].
The aim of the present study is to evaluate the capability of MMSP assay of detecting multiplex information and feasibility for diagnosis of NPC using tumor cells from NP swab as material. The MMSP assay demonstrated here is capable of simultaneously detecting methylation status of multiple genes, which are key regulators of diverse fundamental pathways. The informativeness and amenability of MMSP makes it suitable for clinical use.
Materials and Methods
Cell lines, NPC tumor specimens, normal nasopharyngeal epithelia and paired NP swabs
EBV-positive latency III Burkitt lymphoma cell line, Namalwa [19], has been shown to contain two copies of the EBV genome in each single cell and expresses all the six nuclear protein EBNA1-6 and three latent membrane proteins LMP1, LMP2A and 2B. Furthermore, RASSF1A and DAPK were demonstrated to be methylated in Namalwa cells according to our data. It was used as a positive control to test the robustness of MMSP technique in this study. It was cultured in RPMI medium at 37°C with 5% CO2. Human NPC cell lines CNE1, CNE2 (EBV negative, from Cancer Center, gift from Jianjing Chen, Sun Yat-sen University, and established by Zeng Yi, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, China) and TW03 (EBV negative, established by and a gift from CT Lin, National Taiwan University Hospital) [20] were cultured in IMEM (Gibco USA) containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). The immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69 (EBV negative, established by and a gift from SW Tsao, the University of Hong Kong, China) [20] was cultured in keratinocyte serum-free medium (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) supplemented with 25 µg/ml bovine pituitary extract, and 0.2 ng/ml recombinant epidermal growth factor, as suggested by the manufacturer. C666-1 is an NPC cell line with weak EBV positive (gift and established by Dolly Huang, Chinese University of Hong Kong) and was kept in IMDM with 10% FCS. C15 is an African-origin, EBV-positive and LMP1-expressing NPC xenograft [21] (gift from Dr. P. Busson, Institute Gustave Roussy, Paris). Forty-nine paired biopsies and swab from pathology-verified NPC patients and twenty normal volunteers were obtained and informed at First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (approved by the Ethical Review Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and Ethics Committee, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, Ref.no:00-312). Patients gave their informed consent verbally, which we recorded in the patient's file (history record). The paired NP swabs were collected from each subject by inserting cotton-tip sticks blindly from both the right and left nose to the nasopharyngeal wall. In brief, the patient's nasal cavity was sprayed with a 1% cocaine solution for superficial anesthesia. Cotton sticks were then inserted into the nasal cavity and moved until touch the nasopharyngeal wall. The cotton was swabbed against the posterior and lateral nasopharyngeal walls for several times. Then the cotton stick was withdrawn, and the cells were collected by dipping the cotton tip into 2 ml of saline and vortex for 15 second. After taking out the cotton tips, cell pellets were collected by centrifugation and were stored at −80°C until use.
DNA extraction and bisulfite modification
Homogenized biopsies and swab cell pellets were treated with TE buffer containing 0.5% SDS and 50 µg/ml proteinase K (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) for 3 hours at 56°C. High molecular weight genomic DNA was obtained by conventional phenol/chloroform and ethanol extraction. The bisulfite modification procedure was slightly modified according to the protocol of Alexander Olek et al [22]. In brief, 500 ng of genomic DNA in 9 µl volume was denatured by heating at 95°C for 5 minutes and immediately transferred to ice for 5 minutes. One µl of 3 M NaOH was then added and incubated for 15 min at 37°C. It was then neutralized with 10 µl of H2O and two volumes (40 µl) of 2% low melting point agarose was added into it. Thirty µl agarose/DNA mixtures were pipetted into two tubes containing 100 µl of chilled mineral oil to form agarose bead. Each bead was placed in an individual tube to which 200 µl of 5 M bisulphate solution (2.5 M sodium metabisulphite, Sigma; 100 mM hydroquinone, Sigma; pH5.0) was then added. The reaction mixture was incubated in darkness for 16 h at 50°C. Treatment was stopped by equilibration against 1 ml of TE buffer followed by desulphonation in 500 µl of 0.2 M NaOH. Finally, the beads were washed with 1 ml of H2O, and then used directly in PCRs.
The average amount of DNA equals 106–107 cell equivalents/brush and is quite reproducible per individual brush according to the study by Stevens et al [23]. In our work, we used cotton swabs, due to lower cost. The DNA recovery from these is slightly lower than that from brush, but the amount (5–15 µg DNA) and quality of DNA was validated to be good for PCR based experiments. The same protocol was used for small amounts of DNA with salmon DNA as carrier.
Multiplex Methylation Specific PCR (MMSP)
A cocktail of gene-specific primers was used to co-amplify EBNA1, unmethylated LMP1 (U-LMP1), and methylated RASSF1A (M-RASSF1A) and DAPK (M-DAPK). A house-keeping gene β-ACTIN was also included in the MMSP assay to monitor the quality and quantity of input template DNA and the efficiency of bisulfite conversion. Corresponding single MSPs were also performed to confirm the accurateness and density of amplicons. The sequences of PCR primer sets specific for methylated and unmethylated alleles of expected PCR product are summarized in table 1. For PCR reaction, 2 µl of bisulfite-modified DNA (16.6 ng) was added in a final volume of 25 µl of PCR mixture containing 2× PCR buffer, 3.5 mM MgCl2, 100 pmol deoxynucleotide triphosphates, primers (100 pmol each per reaction) and one unit of AmpiTaq Gold (Applied Biosystems, Branchburg, NJ). PCR amplification was performed at 95°C for 10 min, then followed by 34 cycles at 94°C for 30 s, 55°C for 45 s, and 72°C for 90 s. PCR products were analyzed by 3% agarose gel electrophoresis stained with ethidium bromide.
The feasibility of MMSP
In order to test the feasibility of MMSP to achieve the same readout as those from single MSPs, we used Namalwa cell line as a testing material. All markers in the MMSP system were supposed to show positive bands for bisulfite-treated Namalwa DNA. We compared the specificity and efficiency of MMSP assay using the corresponding five single MSPs as control. As shown in Figure 1, all the markers demonstrated highly specific bands in this MMSP assay. And there was an excellent concordance with the relative density of the five bands between MMSP and separate PCR reactions. These results suggest that MMSP assay is tenable both in principle and in reality.
Same amount of bisulfite converted genomic DNA of Namalwa cells were used as template for both multiplex and single MSPs. All the markers demonstrated highly specific bands in this MMSP assay. There was an excellent concordance with the relative density of the five bands including β-ACTIN as internal control between MMSP and single MSPs.
Detection of MMSP pattern in NPC cell lines
A series of NPC cell lines and xenografts were included in this study to further validate the reproducibility of MMSP assay. Among these seven NPC cell lines/xenografts, C666-1 and C15 are the only EBV-positive ones. C15 is also an LMP1 non-expressing cell line with heavily-methylated LMP1 promoters as confirmed by Western blot and bisulfite sequencing. The other five cell lines: CNE1, CNE2, HONE1, SUNE1 and HK1, are all EBV negative NPC cell lines [20], [21]. As shown in Figure 2, the hallmark for the presence of EBV in the MMSP assay, EBNA1, could be detected in the C666-1 cell line and the EBV-positive xenograft C15. Unmethylated-LMP1 could only be detected in LMP1 expressing xenograft, C15. All the rest of cell lines, which were EBV-negative, did not demonstrate bands for EBNA1 and LMP1 markers but they all showed aberrant methylation on at least one of the two TSGs included in the MMSP assay. The pattern for these five markers in separate MSP reactions was invariably reproduced in all the samples tested by the MMSP system, which further validate the robustness of MMSP assay.
All of the cell lines and xenograft showed aberrant methylation on at least one of the two TSGs included in the MMSP assay. The presence of EBV can be only detected in the C666-1 cell line and the EBV-positive xenograft C15. Unmethylated-LMP1 can be only detected in LMP1 expressing xenograft, C15. The other cell lines demonstrated negative bands for EBNA1 and LMP1 markers due to loss of EBV during cell passage.
Determining the sensitivity of MMSP assay
To evaluate the sensitivity of the MMSP assay, a serial dilution of DNA from certain number of Namalwa cells was performed. The serial diluted DNA was equal to DNA extracted from 640 cells, 160 cells, 40 cells, 10 cells, 2.5 cells and 1.25 cells was then bisulfite modified respectively and used as templates for MMSP assays. As shown in Figure 3, the known MMSP pattern with five markers could be clearly and faithfully exhibited with one single reaction of MMSP from as few as 10 Namalwa cells. Using the conversion estimate of 5 pg/copy of genome DNA, our data demonstrated an extremely high sensitivity of detecting multiple biomarkers from a minimum starting material of 50 pg tumor DNA.
A serial dilution of genomic DNA equal to specific number of Namalwa cells were bisulfite treated and used as templates for MMSP assays. Multiple markers can be co-amplified by a single reaction of MMSP from as few as 10 Namalwa cells.
Detection of MMSP patterns in NP biopsies and corresponding swabs
Forty-nine NPC biopsies and their corresponding nasopharynx swabs were included in this study to examine the reliability of NP swabs as the origin of material for MMSP assay. Twenty paired NP biopsies and swabs from noncancerous volunteers were also included as normal control. The results were summarized in Table 2. Representative MMSP results are shown in Figure 4. All swab samples from NPC patients and noncancerous controls showed easily detectable bands of the β-ACTIN gene in our MMSP analysis, indicating sufficient yields of genomic DNA and successful bisulfite conversion. Presence of EBV latent infection in the biopsy and swab samples was confirmed by amplifying EBV-encoded EBNA1 gene in the MMSP reaction. EBV DNA was detected in 100% (49 of 49) of NPC primary tumors and 98%(48 of 49) of their paired swab samples, but in none of the noncancerous controls. Sixty-three percent of NPC primary tumors and 55% of their corresponding swab samples showed unmethylated-LMP1 bands in the MMSP assay, suggesting LMP1 is expressed in these samples. The ratio of U-LMP1 in NPC samples is quite close to the reported ratio of LMP1 expression by western blot (65%) in NPC. The frequencies of promoter hypermethylation of RASSF1A and DAPK were 79.6% (39 of 49) and 67.3% (33 of 49) in NPC biopsy samples, while methylated in 57.2% (29 of 49) and 55.1% (27 of 49) respectively in the corresponding swabs.
Matched biopsies and swab samples from five NPC patients (NPC 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) and one noncancerous control were showed as examples. Water was used as a blank control. B: biopsy; S: swab.
In swab samples of NPC patients, 18.4% (9 of 49) exhibited tumor suggestive signal (positive PCR band) from all the four markers, 34.7% (17 of 49) from three of the four markers, 42.9%(21 of 49) from two markers and 2.0% (1 of 49) from one marker only. The MMSP pattern of 42.9% NP swabs (21 of 49) matched exactly with those of corresponding biopsies. If we regard the presence of EBV DNA with tumor suggestive information from any one of the other three markers as a diagnostic criterion for NPC, we reached a sensitivity of 98% in detecting NPC, which covers all the stages of NPC patients. No EBV or methylated markers were ever found in swabs of the noncancerous controls, suggesting a specificity of 100% (zero false-positive).
Gaining sufficient and high-quality tumor DNA is critical for the early diagnosis of cancer. A variety of body fluids and sampling methods have been attempted for the non-invasive diagnosis of NPC, such as serum or plasma from peripheral circulation, buffy coat, and NP swab. The quantity and integrity of cell-free DNA fragments from peripheral circulation specimens such as serum and plasma are usually compromised. Thus, the detection rates of methylated DNA from serum or plasma were proved to be very low [24]. Buffy coat yields DNA of higher quantity and quality; however the DNA is mainly from peripheral lymphocyte instead of from elapsed tumor cells. Among the noninvasive sampling methods, NP swab achieved the highest sensitivity and specificity since it gathers tumor cells by contacting the primary tumor directly [24]. NP swab has also other advantages such as ease of application and swiftness. These attributes together make NP swab extremely amenable for the diagnostic purpose.
A study by Esteller et al has shown that a panel of three to four markers could define an abnormality in 70–90% of each cancer type through detecting their aberrant methylation [25]. Further study showed that the EBV methylom present in cancer cells infected with EBV are significantly different as compared to that in human cells corresponding to benign diseases or in non-tumorigenic human B-cell-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines. Thus, epigenetic signatures from both human cellular genes and Epstein-Barr viral genes will be an ideal combination to discriminate NPC from malignancies of other origins [26]. In the present assay, four tumor-related markers and one quality control marker were included. EBNA1, a nuclear antigen encoded by EBV, was used as a marker for the evidence of EBV infection. The primers for EBNA1 were designed to amplify bisulfite-converted EBV genome, but do not distinguish methylated and unmethylated CpGs. The intensity of this marker for EBV presence has the potential of being semi-quantified for EBV load using Namalwa cell as reference. Few malignancies express the EBV-encoded onco-protein, LMP1. The LMP1 primers used in the assay specially amplified bisulfite-converted unmethylated alleles. Knowledge of LMP1 expression status in a specific NPC will help to further increase the specificity of MMSP and potentially provide information about the prognosis of NPC. In addition, the primers for two cellular genes were designed to amplify their methylated alleles only. RASSF1A is a strong candidate TSG for NPC. The RASSF1A protein could interact with DNA repair system and also induce cell cycle arrest. It has been shown to be frequently methylated in NPC biopsies and the aberrant methylation is tightly correlated with loss of expression of RASSF1A in NPC [27]. DAPK is a positive mediator of the programmed cell death induced by gamma-interferon. DAPK aberrant methylation is one of the most frequent epigenetic inactivation events detected in NPC. It has also been demonstrated to be associated with aggressive and metastatic phenotype in many human cancers [28]. Marker β-ACTIN serves as a quality control. It was amplified by primers based on the same strategy as EBNA1 gene. This marker could provide information if the bisulfite treatment is complete and if the template is of good quality. Recently, Hutajulu et al [18] investigated the methylation of DAPK1-promoter in NPC samples from Indonesia and The Netherlands. They also found some methylation of this promoter in healthy controls from the same area. One source of variation might depend on geographical and population-related differences in exposure to environmental factors. These differences may be reflected in different methylation patterns also in the control population. Ultimately one would of course like to identify promoters that can be discriminated based on methylation and can be used world-wide for screening. This aim can only be reached by studying many different populations. Hutajulu et al used different amplicon. We have screened 13 pairs of methylation primers located at different CpG sites of DAPK1 promoter including primers published and the detection of methylation varied (data not shown). As methylation found in healthy subjects can be rather low, the variable results might also be affected by experimental conditions, sensitivity and cut-offs.
Taking EBV presence marker (EBNA1) plus tumor suggestive signal from at least one of the other three markers as a positive criteria, we achieved a diagnostic rate of 98% in 49 NPCs. Noticeably, we successfully detected all of eight T1 NPC patients included in this MMSP study, suggesting that the alternation of panel markers reflects changes on the early stage of nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis. It will pave the way to develop MMSP as a population-based screening tool. Pattern and timing of methylation status in certain genes are demonstrated to be associated with defined biological behaviors [29], thus MMSP assay will not only provide the diagnostic information, but also has the potential of predicting the specific behavior of individual tumors. Both EBV load and methylation level of certain gene have been shown to be capable of monitoring disease relapse after treatment, suggesting MMSP may serve as a way of long-term guardian during NPC treatment in the clinic. It may also be possible to extend the application of MMSP assay for the diagnosis of other types of cancer by evaluating MMSP pattern with different panel markers on tumor DNA from other body fluids, such as detecting prostate cancer or bladder cancer from urine, cervical cancer by cervical swab, etc.
To set up a functioning multiplex PCR reaction with five genes is challenging. All designed primers detecting different genes must be amplified optimally in the same reaction without competition or interference. Primers have to be chosen so that the PCR products can be separated well in gels. It is material saving, which is important when only small amounts of DNA are available from samples. It provides another advantage in that the semi-quantitative detection of methylated genes becomes comparable between the different genes tested. Once set up it is also time saving (one instead of five reactions and conditions).
Screening of high risk population with serologic methods, notably IgA anti-VCA has proven to be a very useful method to identify persons at high risk and early cases. Identification of persons with high IgA anti-VCA titers would be an important approach to identify the methylation pattern of promoters in early cases. Unfortunately at this stage we did not have access to such material from our study area. All our patients with suspicion of NPC have been tested for VCA-IgA by ELISA, before taking swab and biopsy. Almost all of the patients were EBV-VCA-IgA positive by ELISA. However in the patient records these ELISA results were only reported as positive or negative, without any indication of the titer level.
In future studies it would be highly relevant to combine EBV-serology with MMSP to test enhancement of sensitivity and specificity in order to find early cases and persons at high risk.
In summary, we developed a method which can simultaneously detect the presence of EBV DNA and assesses multiple gene methylation status using only picograms of tumor DNA from NP swabs. The method is easy to be handled in clinic and requires only routine equipments. We demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of 98% and 100% respectively in detecting 49 NPC which include 19 early-stage patients. Further studies are required to testify the feasibility of MMSP assay as a population-based screening tool in NPC high-risk population as well as a way of monitoring tumor recurrence. Furthermore, the theoretical basis of MMSP may generate a new criterion for tumor classification from a molecular perspective. It will open the way to a host of innovative diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Author Contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: IE LH. Performed the experiments: ZZ DS SHH IN DNV GH SMH. Analyzed the data: ZZ DS LH. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: LH. Wrote the paper: ZZ DS JMM IE LH.
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Resorts, theme parks, and 300 days of sunshine a year ensure the Gold Coast, the most developed tourist destination and one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia, remains a popular destination year-round. Easter weekend and December through the last week of January and Australian school holidays are peak seasons. Around 80 km (50 miles)—an hour's drive—south of Brisbane, the Gold Coast stretches some 70 km (43 miles) from Labrador in the north to Coolangatta-Tweed Heads in the south, and has now sprawled as far inland as Nerang. Boasting an average daily temperature of 24°C (75°F), it has around three dozen patrolled beaches and 446 km (277 miles) of canals and tidal rivers: nine times the length of the canals of Venice.
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This week, we here at CRAVE took a look at the newest and best from comedians Brad Williams (Mind of Mencia, Jimmy Kimmel) and Adam Ray (Human Giant, 2 Broke Girls) over at the Toad Hop Network and their comedic duo's latest endeavor: About Last Night…
When you see a comedian on stage – you only get an hour of their prepared material at most. But now, Brad and Adam fill you in on what happens before, during, and after their sets. They tell hilarious tales from the road-life of standup comedy — subjects as diverse as groupies to sports to gambling to you-name-it.
With all the comedy podcasts on the Internet right now, what sets this pair above the rest is their chemistry. Hands down. Neither of them are overly crass nor playing some sort of angle. They're honest, quick, and very funny. Adam Ray may have the best Tony Danza impression of all time to boot.
Bottom Line: Every single week there seem to be more and more comedy podcasts that hit the airwaves, this one is best we've had in a long time. Dare we say — these two should receive a welcome invitation to your weekly audio schedule.
Oh, and did we mention that if you listen to the live-steam you can call into the show?
Listen right now or subscribe by clicking here.


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The Auto Channel's Automotive Teaching Institutions Guide
Find a college near you that offers training in automotive technology.
- Select the LOCATION in the box
- Use the "Start Search" button to begin your search.
© 2001 the Consortium for Automotive Education
Melissa Silberman, Principal of New York City Automotive High School, with students Juan Gonzalez and Jeremy Zamora, on The Auto Lab, November 4, 2006
December 2, 2006
- Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent, London, England - "Oh, You Park it Then"
- Russ Rader, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - "Top Safety Pick 2007 Winners"
- John Russell, Senior Correspondent, and Martin L. Walsh, General Manager, Hummer
- Keith Bradsher, Hong Kong Bureau Chief, New York Times - "Too Many Chinese Cars, Too Few Buyers, So Far"
- Glen von Nostitz, New York City Comptroller's Office Policy Director - "Highway Robbery: The High Cost of Automobile Insurance in New York"
The Auto Lab is an automotive broadcast series about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational format.
New programs air
Saturdays at 7:05am Eastern Time
AutoLab Host
Professor Harold Wolchok - Host of The AutoLab
This Week's Guest Automotive Experts - Saturday, 02 December 2006
Harold Bendell - Major World
Nick Giancaspro - Baychester Auto Repair Facility and Bronx Community College, City University of New York
Joe Guarino - Joe and Steve's Automotive Repairs
Howard Lepzelter - Bronx Community College, City University of New York
Michael Porcelli - Central Avenue Body Shop, and I-Car
Nick Prague - Maintenance Superintendent - Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Instructor in Automotive Technology, Bronx Community College, CUNY
Jordan Weine - Chairman, Gasoline and Automotive Service Station Dealers Association, and Bay Diagnostic Repair Facility


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2 Adults Charged In Circleville Riot Held On $500,000 Bond, Allowed To Attend Funeral
Two adults arrested on Monday in connection with a riot appeared in court on Tuesday.
Twenty-six-year-old Daniel Isaiah Harris and 18-year-old Angel Marie Haines are each charged with aggravated rioting.
A judge set bond for each of them at $500,000 but granted them a furlough to attend the funeral for 21-year-old Brittany Jeffers, who died after the riot that took place March 27.
Harris is Jeffers' uncle, and Haines is Jeffers' half-sister.
A grand jury will decide next week whether charges will stick.
Cameron Eby, 20, and Nicole Leasure, 37, who are also charged with aggravated riot, are still jailed on $500,000 bond, which a judge set on Friday.
Two 17 year olds, Brandon Bolin and Keely Martin, Leasure's daughter, also are charged and were ordered to be detained until their next court hearing.
Two additional juveniles, who 10TV News did not immediately name, also were issued summons to appear in court on Tuesday.
Police say the large argument stemmed from an attempted burglary report at a neighbor's house. Loved ones say Jeffers was beaten and stomped for no reason.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for continuing coverage.
Previous Stories:
April 1, 2013: 2 Adults, 2 Juveniles Also Charged In Connection With Riot Involving Circleville Mother Who Died http://bit.ly/10pTktD
March 31, 2013: Family, Friends Of Woman Who Died After Circleville Beating Participate In Peace March - http://bit.ly/10t7lq7
March 29, 2013: Circleville Mother Who Died After Beating Leaves Behind More Than Friends, Family - http://bit.ly/10t7l9x
March 29, 2013: Police Arrest 4 As 'First Step' In Case Of Circleville Woman Who Died After Beating - http://bit.ly/11SPiLi
March 28, 2013: Anonymous Police Tip May Have Sparked Severe Beating - http://bit.ly/15VTg6u


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Congress - Force the CDC to investigate Morgellons Disease
The undersigned citizens of the United States urgently request a U.S. government oversight hearing to determine why the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is taking so long to investigate the cause of Morgellons Disease. The CDC has admitted that it has been receiving citizen complaints of symptoms of this disease for over a decade. Letters from senators from a number of states to the CDC calling for action on this apparently infectious condition that now affects about 9000 families have resulted in NO apparent investigation thus far by the CDC. Recently, a government oversight hearing was called for to investigate complaints of contaminated pet food and determined that there was system wide failure by the FDA to protect pets from contaminated foods. We believe ill and suffering individuals are at least as important as sick pets. There were a number of pet deaths attributable to tainted pet food. At least 15 persons have died directly or indirectly after being affected by Morgellons disease and thousands more are suffering and becoming disabled. Most were misdiagnosed as being delusional by dermatologists, largely untrained in psychiatric conditions, using badly flawed inaccurate and unsupportable assertions in the literature. Scientists have identified some of the physical manifestations of this disease using dermatoscopes, microscopes, DNA analysis and chromatography. The manifestations of this disease are real, multisystemic and progressive, not delusional. However the etiologic agent has so far not matched any known human pathogen. There is no cure. Time is of the essence since one half of the 9000 people identifying themselves as ill with this disease have done so within in the past six months. This may represent an emerging epidemic. In our opinion, the CDC is failing in its obligation of \"controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases,\" and we, the taxpayers have a right to know why this is happening and to have the current apparent failure of the CDC addressed immediately.
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The wide receiver position has certainly become a point of emphasis for the staff at Ohio State. Urban Meyer's offense doesn't need giant receivers so much as it needs playmakers, but a receiver with the physical tools to shield off defenders or out-jump them for the ball is something any coach would covet.
Ohio State has had a spotty record with recruiting this type of player. In the 2014 class, for instance, the Buckeyes smuggled Johnnie Dixon out of Florida, but they also missed on Josh Malone, who is playing for Butch Jones at Tennessee.
The class of 2015 is off to a slow start at wide receiver as well. To date, none of Ohio State's 15 commits is a receiver, and four-star receiver Van Jefferson, the Buckeyes' top target at wide receiver, committed to Georgia over Ohio State and others Monday.
But don't fret—there are plenty of fish in the sea. Ohio State has been targeting other receivers, and the Buckeyes are good position with a few of them.
Christian Kirk
Christian Kirk is one of the best receivers in the country, and there is some mutual interest between him and OSU. The 5-foot-10, 191-pound receiver has visited Columbus twice, made more significant by Kirk travelling all the way from Scottsdale, Arizona.
His skills are unquestioned:
The bad news: though Ohio State may have been one his favorites at some point, it appears the Buckeyes are fading into the background. Kirk hopes to come back soon for an official visit, and if that visit happens (possibly for the Virginia Tech game) Ohio State could become a serious contender again. If it doesn't, Kirk won't end up in Columbus.
Lawrence Cager
Lawrence Cager has made a quick ascent in the 2015 class. The 6-foot-5 Maryland prospect performed well enough on the camp scene to receive an invite to The Opening, which led to scholarship offers from schools across the nation, including Alabama and Ohio State.
Cager recently released his top seven schools and has even named Ohio State his leader. He hopes to commit at the Army All-American Game, but Ohio State certainly wouldn't mind if he made a decision during his official visit for the Virginia Tech game.
Devante Peete
Devante Peete is the star wide receiver for a loaded St. Thomas Aquinas team in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At 6-foot-5, Peete is another one of the tall receivers Urban Meyer wants for the outside of his offense. He has the speed to be a vertical threat, and the frame and agility to get yards after the catch. But don't take my word for it.
Peete has a top three of Louisville, Miami, and Ohio State.
The chances are not as great as they once were of Peete landing at OSU, but some of his teammates are scheduled to be at the Virginia Tech game. If he makes the trip with them, things could get interesting.
Alex Stump
If Ohio State wants to find a homegrown wide receiver, Alex Stump is their top option. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver from Lakewood is well-rounded, though it's his size in particular that is earning interest. An offer from Ohio State would give Stump some serious considering to do; the problem is his commitment to Kentucky.
Kentucky, which has made serious inroads to Ohio recruiting, secured Stump's commitment in May. He took a visit to Stanford over the summer, but he re-affirmed that he was 100% to Kentucky. Most people think that Stump needed to camp in order to earn an offer from the Buckeyes, but with a good showing this season, that could change. Growing up in Ohio, Stump has an affinity for the Buckeyes; if an offer comes his way, it'd be difficult to turn down.


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CableTV.com Recommends Verizon Fios TV for your TV service
Independent customer surveys that evaluate cable companies and television services
available in your area say the best
choice is top-rated Verizon Fios TV. This company was rated as the
best TV service provider over the other satellite TV and cable companies in Front Royal,
Virginia because of their service quality and superior customer support.
Major networks are typically available nationwide, but TV packages in Front Royal may offer a different selection of smaller channels compared to even similar packages in the next town over. This means that channel selection is as important to consider as affordability when it comes to choosing the best cable company in Front Royal, VA. If it's important that you have access to all the Washington Redskins and games, for instance, you'll be more likely to get what you need with a premier package that offers more channels. With our info on the highest rated providers available in Front Royal, it's easier than ever to compare channels, prices, and extra features, and choose a provider you'll be happy with.
CableTV.com has the information you need to find the perfect TV provider. With CableTV.com, you get detailed ratings based on dependability, customer service, and other factors so you can easily find the best cable company in Front Royal, VA. Check the recommendations at CableTV.com and you're more likely to get a dependable cable provider that offers great customer service.


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Organizational Leadership & Governance; Management & Administration; Programs & Services; Governement Affairs; Board of Directors & Executive Committee; Professional Development; Editor & Publisher; B&B Magazine, WSNLA Directory & Buyer's Guide and Retail & Landscape Locator Guide, WSNLA.ORG and GardenWashington.com.
Account Management & Operations; Database Management; WSNLA Scholarship & Research Charitable Fund; Administration & Financial Reporting; Washington Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) program; Professional Development; and Utility Tree Certificate Program.
Email Holly Osborne.
1/19/2017Horticultural Research Institute Releases Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Bee Health in the Hor
12/12/2016House Fails to Address Critical H-2B Provision
8/23/2017Landscape Learning Lab | Seattle Pacific University Tree Walk
9/21/2017 » 9/30/20173-day CPH Plant Identification Study Course
Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association
34400 Pacific Hwy South, Ste 2
Federal Way, WA 98003
253-661-6055 | 800-672-7711
fax 253-661-6058


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Clarity Software to improve your ENGLISH grammar, study skills, PRONUNCIATION, READING and much more
For an introduction by Dr Mike Freeman: click here. [YouTube video clip]
On this page: tense buster, mindgame, study skills success, active reading, author plus, exercise generator, road to IELTS, business writing , clear pronunciation, English for hotel staff, and it's your job
CD ROMs to help with your grammar and study skills ... and use your English effectively!
Clarity software is now available as stand-alone CD ROMs or software for networks. In addition, many of the programmes are also available online as dedicated licences (on your server) or shared licences (on Clarity servers).
With a Dedicated Online Licence you can:
- personalise the software to your requirements
- use Author Plus to modify content
- use Results Manager for student tracking
FOR EDUCATIONAL LICENCES: see prices below
FOR CORPORATE LICENCES: available on request - please complete our online form and we'll send you a free quote
Tense Buster is ideal for presenting grammar to your students in class, and practising it in the self-access centre or at home. You can choose the level most appropriate to your students, from Elementary all the way through to Advanced, and the free Authoring Kit enables you to add your own activities. Tense Buster is used extensively by The British Council worldwide (they've bought more than 3,000 licences), and the Ontario School Board has more than 10,000 individual licences running across the province.
Tense Buster Online
Key features:
Covers 33 key grammar areas comprehensively.
Available for networks or online: use Tense Buster in class, for homework or for self access.
Choose from International English and North American English versions.
Integrates with Results Manager, Author Plus and VLE / LMS.
A 'well thought-out, motivating and systematic' approach to grammar. IATEFL Newsletter.
Tense Buster: - Elementary, Lower Intermediate, Intermediate,
Upper Intermediate and Advanced Levels:
Each level costs: 1 licence £45, 5 licences £90, 10 licences £155, 20 licences £225
Compilation of all 5 levels: 1 licence £180, 5 licences £355, 10 licences £615, 20 licences £895
If you are not sure, try the Tense Buster online demo
MindGame is a highly enjoyable, easy-to-use game designed by the world-famous author Mario Rinvolucri. Ideal in the classroom, the self-access centre, on the network or at home, MindGame is suitable for players aged eight to 80, who can play either against each other or against the computer. MindGame is extremely effective for learning finite language areas and, like many other Clarity programs, comes with a free Authoring Kit, which allows you to add games that are specifically designed for your own students.
Mind Game: - Elementary, Lower Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper
Intermediate and Advanced Levels:
Each level costs: 1 licence £30, 5 licences £60, 10 licences £99, 20 licences £149
or Compilation of all 5 levels: 1 licence £115, 5 licences £235, 10 licences £410, 20 licences £590
Officially adopted worldwide by the British Council worldwide from April 2003.
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Category: Study Skills, Exam Practice, Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing
Product includes: CD-Rom for installation, Getting Started manual forResult Manager, Clarity Authoring Guide
From £85 for 1 licence (NETWORK/STAND ALONE)
STUDY SKILLS Success helps with listening, reading, writing, research, grammar, vocabulary - even speaking. The program is extremely interactive and some sample activities include:
•a listening exercise where students use their prediction skills to complete sentences
•the planning and writing of a timed discussion essay
•preparing for a speaking test where learners assess the performance of other candidates and practise giving a short talk
•going online to develop an evaluation checklist for authentic websites
Study Skills Success Online
Key features:
- A comprehensive academic study skills program. Includes detailed work on web-based research.
- Makes extensive use of authentic academic materials.
- Adopted by more than 5 0 0 colleges, universities and schools.
- Integrates with Results Manager, Author Plus and VLE / LMS. Ideal for classwork, homework and self access.
If you are not sure, try the Study
Skills online demo
Key features:
- A comprehensive reading program at six levels.
- Extensive audio helps learners develop their chunking skills.
- Includes authentic articles, extracts from novels, websites.
- Helps students develop vocabulary strategies.
- Develops reading into other skills areas.
- Integrates with Results Manager, Author Plus and VLE / LMS.
The starting point for Active Reading is to present
texts which are relevant, stimulating and lively. Topics range
from advertisements for diets, to Internet posts on wireless gaming,
to ecotourism. Text types include newspaper and magazine articles,
brochures, emails, poems, recipes, stories and press releases.
So there's lots of variety, and topics to appeal to every
Active Reading comes at six levels, and equips learners with the whole range of practical reading skills. Here are just five:
1 - Identifying your reason for reading
2 - Scanning for specific information
3 - Understanding inference
4 - Vocabulary strategies
5 - Using headings and topic sentences
All units develop from reading to a range of skills activities which includes discussion, listening comprehension and essay writing.
Active Reading integrates with Results Manager and is ideal for classwork or homework.
To order please complete a short on-line form.
If you are not sure, try the Active
Reading online demo
Author Plus helps you design computer-based activities aimed at your students' exact needs from £85.
for online authoring
Exercise Generator is for busy teachers who want to produce really professional-looking paper-based reading and vocabulary activities, tests, homework and exam practice material for their students from £30
British Council's Road to IELTS provides:
120 hours of intensive work on vocabulary, reading, writing, listening and speaking
videos of the speaking test
the listening section includes timed academic and social listening activities
reading activities based on an impressive array of authentic texts
help to describe charts and tables;a wealth of these graphics and more than 70 exercises included
The number one objective of Road to IELTS is to prepare candidates for the exam. Not only are the extensive materials an invaluable resource, there are also detailed explanations of each question type and tips on how best to tackle the tasks. This means candidates are thoroughly prepared before they enter the examination hall.
Business Writing is aimed at intermediate to advanced level students who need to write business letters, emails and reports. The program includes ten units, each of which can be completed in under an hour, making it an excellent complement to a taught course. Topics include:
- The writing process
- Proofreading
- Organising information
- Successful emails
- Writing clearly
- Business reports
- Linking ideas
- A case study
- Business letters
- Reference
From £85 for 1 licence
If you are not sure, try the Business
Writing online demo
Product description:
Applying for a job in English is a daunting prospect for non-native speakers. It tests all the skills: reading the advertisement, writing the cover letter, and listening and speaking effectively in the interview. But while there's no shortage of ICT materials for general English or exam preparation, the ESL job-seeker has been left pretty much on their own.
Until now, that is. It's Your Job, takes a structured and analytical approach to the entire process of job-seeking, from deciding on your career all the way through to accepting a job offer and negotiating your salary. It does this by posing four key questions, and answering them through an eBook, interactive activities and interviews with employers.
1. What is the interviewer looking for?
In a series of video interviews, ten experienced recruiters from a range of sectors – IT, advertising, design, entertainment, education – talk in detail about what they expect from a candidate, how best to prepare for an interview, and how to shine when you get there.
2. What do I need to prepare?
An interactive eBook raises students' awareness of the complexity of the job-seeking process, looking in detail at how to research the company you are applying to, how to analyse a job advertisement and anticipate interview questions, and how to perform in group discussions.
3. What are the pitfalls I need to avoid?
In the Story Point section of the program, learners listen to a series of anecdotes from other job-seekers. Some were successful, others made basic mistakes: each story has a message for the job applicant.
4. How can I develop my skills?
A series of 40 interactive activities enables learners to test their strategies and build their job-seeking and language skills. This includes responding to sample job adverts, answering interview questions in real time, and studying the style of a follow-up email.
Applying for a job in another language is a huge challenge. It's
Your Job sharpens the skills, calms the nerves and smooths the
way to a job offer.
Many other products are also available from Clarity:
Prices excluding P&P and VAT.
All programs are Win 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP/Vista compatible and Y2K compliant


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Machined from certified 416R stainless steel for superior strength, durability, and accuracy.
Barrels are match grade, hardened to 40-42 HRC and cut broach rifled to shoot jacketed or lead bullets.
Technical Information
- Make: Glock
- Model: 19
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Ports: None
- Length: 4.72"
- Kit: Barrel with Thread Protector


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Western Neo-Aramaic is spoken by about 15,000 people in three villages - Ma'lula (معلولة), Bakh'a (بخعة) and Jubb Adin (جبّعدين), in the Anti-Lebanon mountains of western Syria. It is the only living Aramaic language that belongs to the western branch of Aramaic languages.
Each of the villages where Western Neo-Aramaic is spoken has its own dialect, which are influenced to differing degrees by Arabic. The dialect of Jubb Adin is the most influenced by Arabic.
Download Western Neo-Aramaic chart provided by Wolfram Siegel (Word doc, in German)
Information about Western Neo-Aramaic
Numbers in Western Neo-Aramaic
Aramaic, Bukhori, Hebrew, Jewish Neo-Aramaic, Judeo-Arabic, Juhuri, Karaim, Ladino, Yiddish, Yevanic
Akkadian, Amharic, Arabic (Algerian), Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Lebanese), Arabic (Modern Standard), Arabic (Moroccan), Arabic (Syrian), Aramaic, Argobba, Assyrian / Neo-Assyrian, Canaanite, Chaha, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, Ge'ez, Hadhramautic, Hebrew, Himyaritic, Jewish Neo-Aramaic, Maltese, Mandaic, Nabataean, Neo-Mandaic, Phoenician, Punic, Qatabanic, Sabaean, Sabaic, Silt'e, Syriac, Tigre, Tigrinya, Turoyo, Ugaritic, Western Neo-Aramaic


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''India have proved that their one-day side is consistent. Now they can challenge Australia," Akram told ESPN in an interview.
The former Pakistani captain said he was impressed with India's youth brigade as they have proved their selection time and again with Sri Lanka being their latest victim as they inflicted a 3-2 loss over Mahela Jayawerdene's side.
''Despite the loss of some of their key players like Virender Sehwag, the team has won the series. India have started to believe in themselves and in their ability and consistency. They can win matches without some of the big names,'' he said.
Akram also appreciated the performance of Badrinath and Kohli, who have also performed under pressure. ''The young team has a bright future,'' he remarked.
The left-arm pacer was all praise for Indian skipper and descibed him as an incredible leader. ''The wicketkeeper-batsman had been an incredible leader.''
''They have been playing cricket continuously for the last one year and there haven't been too many injuries. With this series win, India have again proved that their one-day side is consistent and the credit for that goes to the captain,'' he noted.
Commenting on Lankan sensation Ajantha Mendis, he said the spinner was definitely to watch out for in future.
''If Indian batsmen could not read him through the full series then he is definitely going to trouble other teams more,'' he added.


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explosivecombat - Solf J Kimblee
Journal Title: Accept that you are killing people. Don't forget them.
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text:
I'm a residential real estate broker with a great, tech driven agency.
A few things I love; NYC, interior design, cooking, restaurants, real estate, architecture, open houses, shopping, my dogs, fashion & design, people observing, politics/current events, wine, food, city walks, country drives, weekends away and kissing & cuddling.
A few things I dislike & avoid; loud, rude, crass, self absorbed, oblivious people.
Manners matter. I'm loyal and a great
listener. Healthy, neg, no drugs.
What I'm looking for?: someone who is tender, communicative, nurturing, sincere, thoughtful and considerate (I'm all those things and need that, too) Also, you gotta like fashion & shopping...
I'm the guy helping the elderly woman cross the street. A true Pisces, I'm sensitive and thoughtful. Reflective and romantic!
I like holding hands, being affectionate and I'm not afraid to show my feelings. I want someone emotionally available and ready to fall in love if the chemistry is right!
Helping others figure things out
Restaurant suggestions
Hailing a taxi
Book: A Single Man
Music: Adele and Maroon 5
Theater: Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago (the one with Bebe...) Pajama Game, South Pacific
Classic TV: Mary Tyler Moore, All in the Family, The Odd Couple, Friends
Recent TV: Modern Family, Summer Heights High, The Comeback, 24, Bravo TV
Favorite Brunch spot: The Standard Grill
Favorite Burger spot: Minetta Tavern
Best steak: Strip House
Favorite NY restaurant: Gotham Bar & Grill
Expensive shoes
My I phone
Connections with people I love
Happy memories
Amazing food
Bonus #7:
Laduree macarons
Double bonus: a hot shower (together?)
What's for dinner
The future
Why people can't stay to the right when walking on the sidewalk...
I have a "thing" for eyelashes...
I'm nostalgic, sentimental & reflective.
I prefer texting more than talking on the phone.


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The Department of Finance executive who told a staff member to deliberately give a journalist "vague" information about renovations at The Lodge says it "was not my finest moment".
Staff in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's office hid information about the $4.5 million renovation of The Lodge from the public by blocking the release of details asked for in a freedom of information request.
But the attempt to reduce information given to the community was made public upon the release of an email from a manager at Finance, John Owens, who told a staff member: "Don't identify the Prime Minister's Office as the decision makers, just leave it vague."
Fronting an estimates hearing on Thursday, Mr Owens, first assistant secretary in the property and construction division, said: "It was, in retrospect, not the most felicitous thing to say.
"We'd conferred with [the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, which had passed on the message from the Prime Minister's Office) that the journalist was not to have access and, wishing to keep the mechanics of that less than public, I sent that email, and perhaps in retrospect it was not my finest moment."
Mr Owens and his finance colleagues also told the hearing The Lodge would still contain asbestos when the work was finished.
This was despite the fact that the overarching renovation contract had been varied eight times, mostly because of the discovery of previously unknown quantities of the dangerous material.
There will still be asbestos sheeting in the residence when the Prime Minister moves back in, which will be safe as long as it is not disturbed.
Mr Owens told senators that asbestos had been found "pretty much everywhere", including around hot water pipes, in electrical conduits, in the roof and walls, as sheeting in the attic and in the basement and the laundry.
Comcare has been notified about the new discovery of asbestos or incidents at the site 11 times.
A car smashed through the wall of The Lodge in March and the hearing was told the crash also damaged a carport behind the wall.
The Finance Department is fixing the wall so it is returned to its previous standard. A review is under way into the external security of the Prime Minister's official Canberra residence, which observers have criticised.
Prime Minister Stanley Melbourne Bruce first moved into the colonial revival-style home, which was designed by architects Oakley and Parkes, in 1927.
Former prime minister Julia Gillard told journalists that possum urine was once observed making its way down the dining room wall during the visit of a foreign leader.
Mr Abbott has opted to stay in a $110-a-night room at Australian Federal Police College in Barton while the renovations are completed.
Taxpayers forked out $120,000 in dead rent as well as lease-termination and legal fees for a $3000-a-week Forrest house that Mr Abbott has not used, which was chosen by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet during the pre-election caretaker period.


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3 Recommendations
Snazzy's recommendation
I want this thing so bad. Fans of the popular British sci-fi show will love this replica of The Doctor's very own TARDIS. Runs your USB devices, and just for fun you can press a button to make the light flash and the time engine sound.
perlanegra's recommendation
Christmas wish 2009!
My Collections:
gadgetlover's recommendation
Need to connect a few USB devices to your computer? Do it in style with this Doctor Who Tardis USB hub capable of connecting 4 different devices to one USB port on a computer.


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Infusium (Moisture)ologie Conditioner Reviews
THE BEST!I have natural curly hair. I get comments from amazed onlookers everyday on how beautiful my hair is. I truly believe it is do to this brand of shampoo and conditioner. It is so moisturizing for how hard I am with the blowdryer. I leave the shower with silky soft hair and with no knots left. I have used this product for over 10 years and my brother (with the same hair) has too. Can't say enough. — 9 years, 7 months agoTaraHughes | 4 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 4 of 5 people said helpful
Softness & ShineThis conditioner works better than anything on my hair. Economical, too! — 9 years, 7 months agoGotGait | 3 reviews
dry hair fixed!Helps to keep my hair from getting that dried out look. Love it! — 9 years, 7 months agovidking | 5 reviews
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Silky shiny hairDetangles and shines your hair like nothing else this price, I use it often and get more compliments on my hair than with any other conditioner — 9 years, 7 months agomnwild | 6 reviews
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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J.J. Abrams Buys Rights to Mystery-Filled NYT Article
A New York Times article full of mystery and intrigue sounds like it could have come straight out of J.J. Abrams' imagination — which is perhaps why Abrams and Paramount bought the rights to the article and plan to make a movie out of it. Written by Penelope Green, the NYT piece tells of an old New York home where the owners "discovered secret panels and hidden clues that led them on a mystery-filled scavenger hunt." Variety has more details:
The Fifth Avenue home, described as a giant '20s-era co-op with Central Park views, was gutted several years ago at the behest of a couple, who later moved in with their four children. An architectural designer who oversaw the rehab job left behind a series of messages, games and treasures, unbeknownst to the family, who eventually unraveled a mystery that featured a poem, a book, a soundtrack and a host of historical figures.
In this latest example of a newspaper or magazine article catching the eye of a producer, Paramount ponied up somewhere in the mid-six figures for this true-life tale. It sounds like the story is right up Abrams' alley, though I wonder if this one will be a family-friendly adventure-type story. I think it could do quite well in that genre, don't you?


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The Mets were hoping Duaner Sanchez could get by with rest and therapy, but torn ligaments prevented that and he's undergoing shoulder surgery as I write this. He's gone for the year and Omar Minaya is saying he should be ready for spring training.
That doesn't do much good for the Mets now. They traded for Roberto Hernandez and he's been a reliable arm, but the key in all this might be Aaron Heilman. He has not pitched well for much of the past two months, and has to step it up now.
Lastings Milledge is back and he'll get the bulk of the playing time and there won't be a platoon with Endy Chavez.
Here's Mets' lineup vs. Marlins tonight:
SS Jose Reyes
C Paul Lo Duca
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
3B David Wright
2B Jose Valentin
LF Cliff Floyd
RF Lastings Milledge
RHP Mike Pelfrey


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The studio announces that it has struck a deal with the former 'Two and a Half Men' actor to end their dispute over his firing, but refuses to reveal terms of the settlement.
The feud between Charlie Sheen and Warner Bros. is finally over. On Monday, September 26, it was officially announced that they have reached a settlement in their legal dispute following the actor's $100 million lawsuit over his firing from "Two and a Half Men".
"Warner Bros. Television, Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen have resolved their dispute to the parties' mutual satisfaction," so it was said in a statement. "The pending lawsuit and arbitration will be dismissed as to all parties. The parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality over the terms of the settlement."
While financial details were not released, sources said Sheen will receive $25 million in initial payment which reportedly primarily covers backend participation owed to him. Moreover, the 46-year-old may keep receiving payments in syndication profits although the amount is not as big as the $100 million he was seeking in the lawsuit for wrongful termination.
The settlement comes exactly a week after "Men" returned for the ninth season to record ratings with Ashton Kutcher as the new lead actor. Meanwhile, Sheen's new sitcom "Anger Management" recently nabbed "The Drew Carey Show" creator Bruce Helford as a writer, executive producer and showrunner.


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Download: Low Quality Video - High Quality Video - Original Video
Wife enjoying large dildo till I aid her to a minute long orgasm.
By: cheur
Added: Jul 15, 2010
Time: 06:25
Votes: 11
Favorited: 18
Views: 69847
Categories: masturbation milf
- Posted by retep64 on 16 Jul 10
that rear shot was delicious sexy ass
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I think she liked that. Pity about the night vision camera though!
- Posted by hungteen4older on 15 Jul 10
mmmmm nice


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UPS Will Charge More for Christmas ShipmentsUPS typically sees its volume double from normal levels around Christmas.
10 Fun Facts About EasterIn honor of Easter being this Sunday, we've scoured the internet for some fun and fast facts about the holiday.
Should Employees Get Presidents' Day Off?Do you have Monday off?
How to Recover From Too Many Holiday PartiesHoliday-party season is in full swing, which means your liver will eventually be in need of some respite.
5 Important Travel Tips During Christmas HolidaysFor safe, smooth and stress-free journey, here are the five most important travel tips during Christmas holidays.
The Most Common Things We Screw Up During The HolidaysA new survey just found the four most common things we screw up over the holidays.
STUDY: More Companies Giving Extended Holidays for ThanksgivingIs the Friday after Thanksgiving a paid day off at your company? For more and more workers, it is.
10 Little Tips for Keeping Your Cool on Thanksgiving DayThe first step is to accept the reality: Thanksgiving is stressful.
Oprah's 2016 Favorite ThingsThank goodness for holiday bonuses!
Dunkin' Donuts Announces New Holiday Coffees and TreatsDunkin' Donuts celebrates the holiday season with its new lineup of coffees and treats featuring the awesome flavors of the season.
Walmart Names Its 25 Hottest Toys for the HolidaysStart making your Christmas list now with this years hottest toys!
5 Facts You Might Not Know About Cinco De MayoAlthough most of us use this day as an excuse to drink inappropriate amounts of tequila, the 5th of May is actually about a lot more than partying.


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One of Australia's most revered jockeys Kevin Mitchell has died at the age of 84.
Renowned for his deft skills in the saddle and his soft hands, Mitchell was also well known for the legendary plunges landed on his mounts in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
He teamed with Bart Cummings to win the 1979 Newmarket Handicap aboard Better Beyond, steered Phar Ace to an Adelaide Cup win in 1974 and claimed group 1 successes with Vite Cheval.
Mitchell was well respected within the industry and was regarded as one of the best judges in racing. His ride on Lost Horizon in the early 1970s landed arguably the biggest betting plunge in Australia since World War II.
Mitchell was known as a fine horseman but was a hard marker on rating a horse when being prepared for any race. As well as his successes in Australia, Mitchell rode extensively and successfully across Asia.
Long-time friend and fellow jockey Darryn Murphy said on Tuesday that Mitchell was not only an outstanding rider but a brilliant teacher.
Mitchell's daughter Kaye said that not only was her father a great jockey, but he was a wonderful sportsman at anything he chose to compete in.
Mitchell's wife, Vilma, passed away 11 months ago. He survived by his daughters Kaye and Trish and son, Bryan.


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Discover the new place for people who
appreciate fine food: gourmet cuisine and an inventive menu with high-quality seasonal
products. Our Sommelier is at your disposal to match your wine with the dishes
of your choice.
Voile gastronomic restaurant is
located in a unique environment amid lake and the mountains. The setting is
refined with tables in the dining room
or outside on the shady terrace opposite Lake Annecy.


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AN eSikhaleni police officer, a member of the Empangeni Public Order Policing Unit, died when his house went up in flames in the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to police reports, Officer S'thembiso Duze (37) was alone in his house at the time of his death. The cause of the fire is unknown.
eSikhaleni SAPS Spokesperson Lt T Mkhumane said initial forensics investigations at the scene showed foul play could not be ruled out.


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|Thread Tools
If you have little little ones (so no school) What's your schedule look like? What do you try to accomplish in a day? Do you do certain things on certain days? (Wash day? Grocery day?)
I'm ready (in July when new babe comes) to make the change from being a WOH/WAH to a SAH/WAH, and need help organizing my time. I will only have to WAH part time. The more strict the better! I need structure and can't function in "oh whenever" world.
I'm crunchy... Like a Dorito.
Mama to Sprout 4.09 and Bruises 7.11 handfasted to 9.07
nak...well, this is what is supposed to happen, not wht always does, lol! I WAH PT as well and my kiddos are nearly 10 months and 4 in April. I usually just set my laptop up at the kitchen table, which in my tiny house is in sight of most of the other space :) We don't go out much and cleaning happens kind of throughout the day as we are doing other things. Oh, and I try to do a "big" chore a day, like Vacuum everywhere Monday, mop Tuesday, Grocery shopping Wed., Bathroom on Friday, etc. just to spread it out a bit.
7-8 am Wake up, work for an hour or so while kiddos play/eat breakfast.
9-10 amStraighten up, get ready for outing if we are going somewhere.
10 am Outing or playtime, cleaning or work for me.
11 ish Put the baby down for a nap (or let the baby nap on my lap more usually!)
If baby goes down alone, this is one-on-one time for dd plus getting lunch ready. and more cleaning.
12ish: Eat lunch.
12:30 Outside time if it is nice out. OTherwise playtime, cleaning time, or maybe going out somewhere.
2 or 3 pm Work for me-dp comes home early some days for me to work or I work while they play. I generally get interrupted about 50 times during this time, but I do what I can! The baby needs to nurse down for his second nap somewhere in here too.
5 pm Get dinner started
5:30 or 6 pm Eat dinner
6:30 Bathtime if they need a bath, otherwise quiet play.
7 pm Get teeth brushed, jammies on, storytime
7:30 or 8 pm: Lights out for dd. Pray that ds goes to sleep sometime soon too, usually not :)
Back to work again as soon as I get the kids to bed, though ds usually only sleeps for 1-2 hours before I have to put him back to sleep. Repeat until I can't stay awake anymore!
Single mama to dd
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and ds
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and adding one more to the crew November 2016!
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Well we're not on a schedule. I have a 3 year old with ADHD and some sensory processing issues, and a 8 month old. We wake up around 7 am - 9 am, eat breakfest, sit around for a bit and fully wake up. Then we play, might do some songs, read, color, do puzzles, play with the wedgy blocks. Then around 11 am - noon it's lunch time. We eat lunch and then continue to play, pick up a bit, maybe do some crafts. ds2 will nap but ds1 will not. We'll play until super time and then we eat around 5 pm - 6 pm. After that we'll play some more or read but it will be more of quiet time as ds2 goes to bed around 7:30 pm or 8 pm. We play mostly, but I do homeschool ds1 some so we do a lot of educational play, reading, crafts, and other things like that. In the spring, summer, fall we're outside a lot as we're indoors a lot for the winter. ds1 does go sledding and plays outside some, but not much because I can't take ds2 out in the cold and snow.
We have a rhythm to our days. I find that they slip away otherwise (and if we want to go somewhere, it feels all rushed and discombobulated; not the feelings I want for our life).
drink milk/coffee/wake up/watch Curious George :)
get dressed
some AM chores--make beds, wipe down bathroom, empty dishwasher
this is our major "get stuff done" block. Playdates, deep cleaning (occasionally), parks, play outside, structured play with Mama, errands, library, grandma's house, etc. My baby likes to sleep late, then takes an on-the-go nap sometime in here. He sleeps pretty good in the car/stroller/in arms.
if we stay home, we go on a 1.5 mile walk just before lunch
Lunch around 12
rest time (everyone rests; baby and 2 year old sleep; 4 year old occasionally sleeps; mama occasionally sleeps)--Mama uses this time to *rest* my brain/surf/craft/blog
Active playtime--usually outside, but sometimes inside, too
3:30 pm start dinner prep. This is crazy early, but by doing it this early, I am not rushed, and remember, I hate the rushed feeling. So, if it's relaxed, it's no big deal to break to nurse the baby or whatever.
5:30-- Daddy's home!!
between 5:30 and 6--supper
playtime with the boys
baths if needed
7:30--bedtime for all the kids
9:30ish (sometimes earlier! LOL)-- bedtime for grownups
We try to follow a rhythm too! During winter we stay home a lot but do go for walks : ) In the spring/summer/fall we are at local playgrounds, gardening etc
Wake up
(sometimes babe wakes up before DD so we go downstairs quietly to let her sleep and I make coffee etc)
Nourish our bodies with breakfast
Clean up kitchen & do whatever big chore for the day I have planned (I am trying to declutter)
Homeschool stuff (letter of the day, craft ect)
Prep for lunch
Clean up from lunch
Quiet time [babe plays or naps and DD is allowed to watch Youtube or something]
Creative play while I do some more stuff on my to do list
Dinner Prep
Baths/stories/play bed around 7pm
And in between that do do museum days, play dates, family time, nature time, pot luck dinners etc
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2 Recommendations
whosdiary's recommendation
With the up-coming November election and the campaign trail heating up, rep your candidate/ party with this Dog Tees By Kwigy-Bo. This one is the "Demodog Tee" It's 100% Cotton, and available In: Blue Heather, Pink Heather or White.
My Collections:
Alyson's recommendation
if your pooch must wear clothing, at least make sure his political affiliations aren't questionable, too.


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Mitsubishi HC4900 LCD Home Theater Projector Review
Mitsubishi HC4900 Projector: Typical Capabilities
- Lamp Life
- Pixel visibility (for a DLP projector)
- Remote control overall, including layout, and range
- Number and types of inputs
- Remote Control's layout
Mitsubishi HC4900 Summary
It's going to be a tough call, if you are shopping for an under $3000 1080p projector. Here's how they stack up:
The HC4900 has the brightness advantage for movie watching over the other two LCD projectors, and, most likely, also against the Optoma HD80 (DLP) that we haven't reviewed yet. Most notably it is dramatically brighter than the Panasonic PT-AE1000U, which as the most film-like image of the 3 LCD based home theater projectors.
While the Panasonic might be more film like, the Mitsubishi is not only much brighter, but also much sharper, and it does it without the slightly "hard" image that I have used to describe the Epson Home Cinema 1080.
If you need maximum horsepower (lumens) in brightest mode, the Epson has the real advantage, but, overall, I favor the Mitsubishi in terms of picture quality.
What bothers me is the black levels. If they were better, (yes, if they were better, they would be the HC5000 and be $1500 more), I'd have to pick the HC4900 as the best of the sub-$3000 models. But since black levels leave much to be desired, the HC4900 simply remains a very good choice.
You, the buyer will have to make the call. If you choose the right type of screen (see my comments in the General Performance page), and especially if it is a 110″ or larger, the blacks can be well controlled, and the HC4900 may well be the best choice for many.
I have a hard time, on the other hand, with using the HC4900 for movie watching on a screen under 100″ diagonal, even with a high contrast gray surface. The problem is, the projector is bright enough, that on smaller screen sizes, you won't be able to get black levels to be dark enough.
It will be interesting to see how the 4th under $3000 projector compares. Optoma's HD80 has extremely limited placement flexibility, but should have a very good image. It won't shelf mount (which the HC4900 has no problem with), and even ceiling mounting, only as a 2-3 foot placement range, so a great many buyers can't use the HD80. The question is, which is preferred, if placement is not an issue.
We hope to have the HD80 in for review, and review posted within a month of this writing. Meantime, as you can see from the above, the HC4900 is a serious contender, with much brighter capability than the Panasonic, and, in my opinion, a more perfect picture quality than the Epson.
I must repeat this. If you choose the HC4900, pay great attention to your screen choice. To get the most out of this fine, yet affordable, Mitsubishi projector, you do need the right projector screen.
Congratulations to Mitsubishi, on the HC4900, and its earning of our Hot Product Award.
That said, life would have been better still, if Mitsubishi didn't build the HC4900, and instead brought the HC5000 within a few hundred of the HC4900's price. Of course, life isn't normally that convenient.
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GLOSSY, high society magazine Tatler has published its guide to the England's poshest old people's homes – with Amesbury Abbey voted as the grandest.
The September issue of Tatler features a handful of high-end homes, perfect for people in their autumn years to carry on living the high-life.
And they provide specialised nursing care too.
With its sweeping staircase, Corinthiam columns and its own fishing rights, the Palladian mansion, which stands in 35 acres of parkland in Amesbury, was described by Tatler as: "Easily the grandest home we |visited."
But while it is grand, the family business says it has kept its intimacy.
Founded by Mary Cornelius-Reid AM, MBE in 1972, the Amesbury Abbey Group has been owned and operated by her family for more than 40 years.
The former nurse set up Amesbury Abbey in 1980, determined to create comfortable homes for the elderly.
Manging director Naomi Cornelius-Reid said: "We are delighted to be included in Tatler's Best Places to Retire in Style list.
"We know we have beautiful homes and grounds, and it's lovely that they were recognised as being the most impressive properties.
"More importantly, we are incredibly proud of the quality of personalised care we provide and the home-from-home feel we create in these settings, so to also be recognised as the most intimate of the 'Best of' list is testament to our wonderful staff and family ethos, which only a family-run business can truly engender."
Mrs Cornelius-Reid added: "Mum would have been absolutely thrilled with the article."


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Cambridge Place Centre For Early Learning
Cambridge Place Centre For Early Learning (1452)
30 Denton Ave (Victoria Park / Danforth Ave.) Ward: 35
commercial, licensed child care,
serves children 0 to 6 years.
It is located in Apartment Building.
A child care fee subsidy may be available to help you with the cost of child care.
Program Offerings and Quality Ratings
|Early Years Programs
|Quality Rating
|3.83 / 5
|4.21 / 5
|4.17 / 5
|Before- and After-School Programs
|Quality Rating
|3.27 / 5
|Quality Rating
|Nutrition - Meals, Snacks, and Food Safety
|4.14 / 5
Centre Contact
- Phone: Charmaine Calim, 416-699-8636
- Website: www.cfel.ca
*Please note that by selecting the above link, you will leave the City of Toronto website. The City of Toronto is not responsible for the content of external websites linked from this page. Links are posted at the discretion of the City of Toronto and may be removed without notice.
More Information*
Centre escorts children to the following schools:
- Bus to Clairlea Public School
- Walk to Oakridge Junior Public School
- Walk to St. Dunstan Catholic School
Languages spoken by staff:
- Bengali, Cantonese, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Mandarin, Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) and Tamil
*This information has been provided by the child care. Please contact the centre for the most current information.
Program Support
Toronto Children's Services Consultant, Angela Robertson, 416-397-7953, visits this centre during the year and provides support and consultation to families and the centre as needed.
Special Needs Resource staff, Christie-Ann Brockest, 647-725-1265, is available to help this centre and the family when a child has an extra support need.


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Council: Teach Lake George boaters to inspect their own boats
An outdoor sports group is asking officials to hold off on a proposal to mandate boat inspections at Lake George.
The Post-Star reports that the Warren County Conservation Council asked the county Board of Supervisors to teach boat owners to inspect their own boats instead.
Jack Currie of Queensbury said anglers are concerned about the time and money a mandatory inspection plan would entail.
Lake George Supervisor Dennis Dickinson is one of the strongest proponents of mandatory boat inspections. He says invasive species like Asian clams and watermilfoil will ruin 32-mile-long Lake George if effective steps aren't taken.
Bolton Supervisor Ronald Conover said voluntary inspection programs have been tried in other states and haven't worked.


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The percentage of votes against was substantially larger than last year, when 14 percent of votes were cast against, and puts the company under pressure to make further remuneration changes under the "two-strikes" rule.
If 25 per cent of votes or more are cast against Aurizon's remuneration report next year, investors can vote to spill the board. About 18.6 per cent of proxy votes were cast against the award of performance rights to Aurizon chief executive
"The board believes our remuneration practices are operating effectively and are aligned to shareholders' interests," Mr Prescott told investors at the AGM in Brisbane. "To the extent our remuneration plans are designed to create wealth for shareholders and properly reward hard-working executives, I think we've got a very good plan."
The Aurizon chairman said there would be no increase in fixed pay for the company's top 80 managers in fiscal 2014, and that it had made other changes to satisfy investor concerns.
But both the Australian Shareholders Association and proxy group ISS recommended investors voted against Aurizon's remuneration report, arguing the increase in Mr Hockridge's base pay to $1.93 million from $1.65 million was "excessive" and his performance rights had low earnings hurdles.
Research by analysts at CLSA found Aurizon's remuneration packages were materially higher than peers in the transport sector.
The ASA called for Mr Prescott to resign, claiming it had been "disappointed" with his handling of remuneration issues in recent years, including permitting accounting changes gave management bonus payments may not have otherwise received and adjusting performance targets for unexpected events like the Queensland floods.
Mr Prescott said he had not considered whether he would be re-nominating as chairman at next year's AGM after having served seven years at the company.
He defended the company's progress into Western Australia's Pilbara region but admitted a deal in the Pilbara was not imminent. "That's on our horizon, but it's not something that's going to happen in the immediate future. We are not rushing in," he said.
Aurizon said it would be up to the Queensland government when they sold their remaining 7 per cent stake in the former state-owned company.
"We would certainly like to see the government sell," Mr Prescott said.
The former coal director of Brazilian mining group
The Australian Financial Review


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|From: David Herman (dherman at ccs.neu.edu)
Date: Fri Jan 16 14:06:58 EST 2004
> How does it compare to Mitch's EOPL parser generator. -- Matthias It should be less efficient than either SLLGEN or Scott's parser tools, but more general than either: SLLGEN is LL(1) and Scott's parser generator is LALR, whereas this code will accept any BNF grammar. It's inefficient because it's recursive descent and uses backtracking to try every alternate in order. However, given the amount of time I'd spent in undergraduate courses on parsers, I was surprised at how quickly and easily I was able to construct a working (sic) parser in a functional style, and I also think it came out rather elegant. I'm not sure how useful it would be in practice. The trade-off of efficiency (of LALR) for generality (of full BNF) is probably not worth it. However, since LL(1) is rarely powerful enough in my experience, SLLGEN wouldn't be my tool of choice. Scott's parser collection comes out the winner. Dave
|Posted on the users mailing list.


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Find information on every win, loss and tie, then dive into the stats on your own and see how NU stacks up all time against every team, in every bowl game, in conference play, season openers and more. With historical World-Herald front pages, photos, stories, key stats and more, our ever-growing Husker History page is your new home for taking a look back into the history of one of the nation's most tradition-rich programs.
The Huskers are 2-0 all time against Arkansas State in 2 games. The last meeting between these teams was on Sept. 15, 2012. Nebraska won that game 42-13.
Click here for the full series history
Click here for the full series history»
The Huskers are unranked this week in the AP poll.


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Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, more than 2,000 U.S. troops have been killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, that dramatically understates the human cost of this war, a war that is now nearly 11 years old.
A recent Time magazine cover story details the silent killer of our brave servicemembers--the tragically high suicide rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and other members of the service. The article describes how one Army helicopter pilot, who had flown 70 missions in Iraq over 9 months--70 missions over 9 months--waited on the phone for 45 minutes to speak to the Pentagon crisis line when he was in severe distress. The last communication his wife received from him was a text in which he said, ``Still on hold.'' Several hours later, she found him in their bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound to the neck.
A second victim, an Army doctor who wasn't deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, wrote an email to his wife minutes before hanging himself. It read:
Please always tell my children how much I love them, and most importantly, never, ever let them find out how I died.
Mr. Speaker, we can no longer deny the devastating mental health impact of repeated deployments, of continued exposure to explosions, horror, carnage and destruction. Of course, in an institution like the U.S. military that values courage and toughness, there's a reluctance to admit to depression and anxiety.
Sometimes that manifests itself in the worst possible ways. For example, one Army major general wrote an angry diatribe on his blog about the selfishness of troops who killed themselves or were leaving others to ``clean up their mess.'' He admonished:
Act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us.
It's about time, Mr. Speaker, that we lost that attitude because we're losing brave Americans at a terrifying clip. In fact, according to the Time article, more soldiers have taken their own lives than have died in Afghanistan. While veterans make up 10 percent of the adult population, they account for 20 percent of the suicides.
We are starting to see more awareness of this problem, thank Heavens. Secretary Panetta says the right things, but it's time to back up rhetoric. It's time to back it up with more resources because the fact is only 4 percent of the Pentagon's medical budget is devoted to mental health, about the same amount that we spend on the Afghan war every day and a half. We spend $2 billion a year to treat servicemembers suffering from psychological trauma, but we spend $10 billion a month on the war that is the root of much of that trauma in the first place.
Even if the Afghanistan war ended tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, so much damage is already done. We would still be left with a huge crisis that will require more resolve than we are seemingly prepared to muster. I would expect every Member who has enthusiastically supported this war to just as eagerly support what it takes to fight the suicide epidemic this war has caused. It's
time to stop the bleeding to make sure our heroes are removed from the conflict that is inflicting so much damage. We can start winning the war on suicide by ending the war in Afghanistan.
Let's bring our troops home now.
Source: http://thomas.loc.gov


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- Talk
- Site Feedback
You woke up Serious Eats!
For a while there it seemed as if everyone on this site was on a long post-New Year snoozer. No action. All of a sudden you woke up the site. It took posts about: the Mayor of NYC eating pizza the 'wrong way', a baby crying at poor Alinea, and the 'worst restaurant experiences in New York'. Thanks, there may be a lesson to be learned here...