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Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Uncommon, Mostly Useless, or Completely Useless Word of the Day
1.>An article of movable personal property.
2.>A slave.
This word is: Uncommon and Completely Useless
Why: We no longer have slaves, that's why, and even if we did, couldn't we just call them slaves?
Pretentious Factor: 9 (You are a completely pretentious asshole if you use this word, ever.)
Community College Notes
Here are the notes I took in my English 100 class yesterday unedited:
- Writing is voodooNow I will attempt to explain just why I wrote these sorts of things in class.
- community college blows, you will not get a quality education out of one
- The girl in front of me won't leave her purse alone, it must be her
- It is disgusting that this college lets banks, credit card companies, and magazine sales companies post their advertisements in our classrooms, seems a bit fishy to me
- This teacher is retarded, retarded but she has an MA in ?something? - She just said "Yoga bitch!"
- Fuck!!!!! This class is going to blow
- I need 4 notebooks or something like that
- I think the guy sitting next to me is homeless, he smells, and has grass stains all over his shoes
- Writing is voodooIt seems to me that some people have studied the English language for so long that they have begun to assign it special magic powers that it of course does not possess. Or perhaps they have studied it so passionately because they originally thought that it had magic powers. For example: an essay about a boring topic, if written well, will be a pleasure to read. Or also, if you use enough big words people will think you are smarter and your essay about "a bunch of crap" will mean more to them.
I'm sorry but if a person can express their ideas clearly and SIMPLY, then what more do they need to know. Apparently to be a student in college you have to nitpick the grammar and composition of writing and speaking to death. Apparently you need to know more about the English language than you know about the rest of the world we live in. And of course, (I never get sick of hearing this) 'You'll be surprised how much of what you learn here will be useful later in life.' Surprise! You won't be using any of it.
- community college blows, you will not get a quality education out of oneI say this because the quality of instructors I have encountered so far seems to be lacking. I couldn't possibly imagine these people teaching at a real university.
- The girl in front of me won't leave her purse alone it must be her lifeline.She kept getting into her little blue purse. She got out her glasses, some lip balm, and dug around in there at least 20 times without actually getting anything out of it. The strange thing was, she did this all one-handed and every time she opened and closed it. I kept thinking "Why don't you just leave it open if you're going to get back into it in 10 minutes?"
- It is disgusting that this college lets banks, credit card companies, and magazine sales companies post their advertisements in our classrooms, seems a bit fishy to meThere were advertisements for all kinds of scams on the bulletin board. In fact there were more scam advertisements up there than there were flyers about school activities. These institutions have no principle whatsoever; I can't believe they tolerate this sort of thing. The student government gets money for putting up this garbage in our classrooms. I just think it shows an attitude of apathy towards the well being of the students.
How many college students are overwhelmed by credit card debt and bills for things they thought they could afford but can't? The answer is probably most, and these sick fucking people know this and they exploit it to its fullest. They don't care about America or its students they only care about money. They don't care if what they are doing is wrong or harmful to society, they just have someone's pockets to fill and that's their job.
- This teacher is retarded, retarded but she has an MA in ?something?Well she just doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I find that of the graduate students I've encountered in my lifetime, not a whole lot of them are as smart as you'd think they would be. Let's put it this way for as long as she's been speaking, studying, and teaching English she sure does mess it up. Crap you should hear her read, she reads out loud like a 12 year old.
- She just said "Yoga bitch!"She told us this amusing story about when she was in school and her professor took yoga. Her professor would expected them to be there at 12 but sometimes wouldn't show up herself until 12:30 without informing the students because she was at her yoga class, hence the "Yoga Bitch!"
- Fuck!!!!! This class is going to blowI don't really need to explain this do I? It's a pass/fail with a lot of garbage essay writing.
- I need 4 notebooks or something like thatI have to get a system for keeping four different sets of notes, some of which will have to be turned in. Yay!
- I think the guy sitting next to me is homeless, he smells, and has grass stains all over his shoesHe shows up late, is 10 minutes late getting back from our 10-minute break, and doesn't have anything including a pen. His hair is all screwed up on his head like he just woke up. He smells something fierce, like cigarettes, turf, butthole, and laundry that haven't been washed in a month. In fact his laundry has all of the appearances of not being washed, ever. I'm specualting that he mows lawns for a living due to the grass stains on his sneakers, he'd probably call it landscaping.
At least he isn't one of those compulsive jigglers who make the desks jiggle all of the time from bouncing their knee up and down. But why the fuck did he have to sit right next to me? I obviously make him nervous, as I intended to, but for some reason he had to sit right next to me. Maybe it's because I made the dumb mistake of making eye contact when he walked in the room 20 minutes late. Really though it's hard not to want to look into the eyes of the excessively late if but only to wonder what could possibly make them so tardy.
So that's what my English 100 class is like, I honestly didn't learn anything else from it. Partly because their was nothing to learn and partly because I couldn't keep my mind focused on the drivel pouring out of the instructors face hole.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Uncommon, Mostly Useless, or Completely Useless Word of the Day
1.> A predatory attack; a raid.
2.> Damage or loss
This word is: Uncommon
Why: Everyday conversation just usually doesn't call for it. Also when people use 'depredation' they are typically describing the condition of the ravaging or attack, and most people will be satisfied in just stating that there was a ravaging, attack, degrading of condition, and so on, while avoiding going into detail or using colorful words like 'depredation'.
Smart Factor: 10 (Depredation is just such a sexy word, I like to imagine that only novelists use it in everyday conversation.)
Need Help
1.> How to use meta tags, or how to get my blog into google period?
2.> What bit of html I should look for to change the width of the text on my blog?
I appreciate any help anyone can offer me. Blogger sent me an automated e-mail when I asked them about it.
So Much For Daily Posts
Speaking of a bunch of hooey. My girlfriend works in a personal care home. Currently she is taking care of one lady who is on hospice care and is of course dying. This lady's daughter came in and placed crystals all over her body to give her more peaceful energy for passing on to the other side or some bologna like that. After spending the whole day realigning her mother's chakras, or whatever, she mentions to my girlfriend that she thinks christianity is a bunch of hooey. How's that for warped? Christianity is a bunch of hooey but my crystals and new age weirdness aren't.
Granted I also think christianity is a bunch of hooey, but I can't help but rate crystals on an even higher level of hooeyness than christianity. Maybe it's because christianity isn't the new religion du jour and new age pseudo-hippy crap is, I don't know.
Is that unfair of me to think so? I can't decide if I am being unfairly sympathetic towards christianity or overly hateful towards new age pseudo-hippy garbage. Perhaps I think less of the pseudo-hippy garbage because it is usually associated with drug use and the marijuana culture of which I am so familiar.
In other news Terri Schiavo finally died and the pope is on his way. Good news for the depraved, YAY!
Honestly though, I think the Terri Schiavo ordeal was a good lesson for stupid people who need to learn from the media's sensationalism because they can't form their own opinions without the TV's permission to do so. This is a new world we are living in, people need to get themselves accustomed to it.
Well, that's all, hope I have more for you soon. I also hope I don't forget my blog exists again.
Also, enjoy the links I just put up on the sidebar, and let me know if any of them die and I will fix them.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Uncommon, Mostly Useless, or Completely Useless Word of the Day
Intoxicated; drunk.
This word is: Uncommon and Completely Useless
Why: Just imagine using it in everyday conversation. Also there are a multitude of synonyms to replace it.
Smart Factor: 2 (Using this word might make you sound cooler than Pauly Shore, hence the 2 instead of a 1.)
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Too Bad Our Culture Made Me Forget Japanese
Neurological Differences in Sexes May not be Biological
The president of a major university is under fire for suggesting that neurological differences have been found between men and women.
Naturally, all egalitarians have been raising a stink – the same stink raised when a book called "The Bell Curve" suggested that differences in standardized test scores between white and black people meant that whites were "just smarter."
A similar mistake.
Psychologists and pediatricians often refer to "neuroplasticity" – the phenomenon that a newborn's brain (any species) is practically a blank slate. For example: an infant is biologically equipped to
speak any language; it just forgets all the languages it doesn't hear, making room for techniques like walking. Through neuroplasticity, we've found that almost no part of a human being is innate – rather it's grown. What's the first thing a little boy baby hears? "Oh, he's so strong!" And a little girl baby? "Oh, she's so beautiful."
Anybody paying attention should realize that the differences in the way men and women are grown don't stop there. Gender
roles are cultural, not biological – and as culture using animals, that deeply affects our minds. It's no surprise there are neurological differences between men and women; our fatal error lies in assuming that those differences are natural.
Richard Hartnell
I read this piece of work today in the Bellingham Herald, my favorite newspaper in the whole world. This letter was sent in to Scott Ayers the editorial page editor for the Bellingham Herald. Why some people feel it is necessary to voice their opinions in the newspaper is beyond me?
My first problem with this piece of work is his reference to "The Bell Curve". He quotes "The Bell Curve" as stating that white people are "just smarter" than black people. "The Bell Curve" never once said anything like that; it only stated that white Americans scored better than black Americans. The findings of "The Bell Curve" had nothing to do with Africans in Africa, Southern Indians, or any other people than American citizens.
Second, Neuroplasticity doesn't quite mean what Richard wants it to mean. It means that the brain can form new neural connections in order to repair injury or for some other reason that no one has yet defined (except Richard). The theory of neuroplasticity does not suggest that the human brain isn't born with genetic or innate abilities, only that it changes and has the ability to change. While I support the idea that culture can affect how one's brain develops, I don't in any way support the idea that a child born with Down syndrome will win a Nobel Prize such as Richard would suggest.
Also, I have a bit more faith in our culture than Richard perhaps, but I don't believe boys or girls are raised any differently concerning math. I've never once encountered anyone praising boys' math or science abilities over girls', that doesn't even begin to make sense. Tell me if this sounds like a normal thing to say, "Susie, you just aren't good with science because you're a girl." Or how about "I don't know why you study math so much Billy, you're a boy, you're naturally good at it." Maybe I missed it when the "Super Cool Math Toy for Boys" was invented. Really, that's all that Lawrence Summers, President of Harvard University, is suggesting is that boys test higher at math and science than girls and that perhaps it's physiological. If it was cultural then I'm sure Richard would've named the culture in which women do better with math and science. Or perhaps that culture doesn't exist?
What poor Richard doesn't understand is that humans are a sexually dimorphic species, meaning males and females of a species are markedly different, there is no way around this. This refers to every aspect of our bodies including our brains. In fact everyone knows that hormones affect our thinking, why else would people using steroids (male hormones) go into fits of rage. No one ever went into a fit of rage because of taking birth control pills. Everyone has known a woman who gets a little weird around that time of the month. Therefore it is simple to surmise that based on our hormonal makeup alone, men and women's minds are different. Hormones affect thinking, why not chromosomes?
I'd like to mention that children are not grown like potatoes they are raised, and culture is not something we "use", it is (in my opinion) the expression of a survival mechanism common to all social mammals. It is, by itself, in many ways innate. I believe we are born with culture and without anyone to imitate we would make our own personal culture.
Finally, I just don't know anyone in their right mind who would go along with this: "For example: an infant is biologically equipped to speak any language; it just forgets all the languages it doesn't hear, making room for techniques like walking." As I've started saying, "Some people are only concerned with the dialogue, not what it means." In other words it appears that some people say things just because they sound nice and not because they mean anything at all. We'll get to that later, maybe that'll be tomorrow's post.
Uncommon, Mostly Useless, or Completely Useless Word of the Day
1.> Sudden impairment of neurological function, especially that
resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage; a stroke.
2.> A sudden effusion of blood into an organ or tissue.
3.> A fit of extreme anger; rage.
This word is: Uncommon and Mostly Useless
Why: I've never heard it spoken, nor have I spoken it. "Stroke" and "fit" seem to cover it well. I suppose occasionally one might need to refer to the point at which someone goes from fine to retarded in an instant, but like I said, I've never heard it.
Smart Factor: 8 (Only if you can use it in a sentence that absolutely calls for it. In which case you personally deserve a smart factor of at least 8.)
Monday, March 14, 2005
Uncommon, Mostly Useless, or Completely Useless Word of the Day
Irritable or short-tempered; irascible.
This word is: Uncommon and Completely Useless
Why: First of all it's generally considered slang. Second I have never heard it spoken; I've only ever encountered it in writing. Finally there are quite a number of more common and readily understandable ways to say "snarky", such as "grouchy" or even if you wanted to use a word that made you appear intelligent or privy to some esoteric manner of speaking, you could say "cantankerous", that's a cool word.
Smart Factor: 5
(Side Note: Isn't it annoying when the dictionary uses an uncommon and completely useless word to define another uncommon word?)
Methimazole, Hives, and a Touch of Irony
It all started with hyperthyroidism, (no this isn't a form of alien's are gods pseudo-scientific philosophy that holds the thyroid to be a symbiotic divine being that lives within our necks waiting to be harnessed through meditation so that we may channel an extra-dimensional force in order to attain enlightenment, quit smoking, and lose weight), a condition where the thyroid is overactive. The thyroid is the metabolic pacemaker, it affects all areas of the body especially digestion and heart rate.
With my heart rate skyrocketing and my body weakening I sought help in the form of doctors. I had options, try taking pills to calm it down or have it ablated with a radioactive iodine pill. Which would you have chosen? I chose none of the above. Instead I waited until my heart palpitations got bad and then got a prescription for Propranolol.
The palpitations got better but I still felt like crap almost a year later when I had the opportunity to go to another doctor. So on his advice I started taking Methimazole a thyroid inhibitor. Three out of one-hundred people taking Methimazole experience side effects, so 3%. I just happened to be in the 3% margin and broke out with giant hives all over my body while my esophagus swelled almost closed.
I've never even seen a hive in my life so I thought I was getting some weird disease like rheumatic fever, polio, or meningitis. I had also considered for a moment the possibility that I was going to star in a new reality show series called The Plague, where contestants die, come back to life, and compete on national television for brains.
I never wanted to take any pills in the first place, in fact I'd have been happy to go through life without ever taking another pill. I take vitamins but I won't take a Tylenol if I have a raging headache, I will take a bath and eat wasabi instead. I feel like life is full of natural pains and these are reasonable and if you can deal with them without medication then do so.
The reason I started taking any medications was because I was in a bad position (mostly I didn't have health insurance and America hates poor people), I was having unreal palpitations, it was scary and I thought I was going to die. That's what it took to get me to take pills, and then because my guard was down, later I allowed my endocrinologist to prescribe another pill. Can you see the irony? As soon as I let my guard down I get screwed over with serious side effects. The worst possible side-effects were a necrotic liver and death, I guess I lucked out this time.
To further prove the incompetence of the medical system I continue my tale. I go into the emergency room complaining of severe heartburn AND hives. At the time it felt like really bad acid reflux or something, but I also had hives, and I said that I thought it was an allergic reaction to my medicine. They never listen, the doctor said that the hives just looked like bug bites and gave me a prescription for Prevacid. What a completely asinine fool. So being comforted by their infinite wisdom I go home and go to bed. I wake up feeling fine the next day, UNTIL I took my morning pills, vitamins Propranolol and Methimazole. I suffered all day until about 11:PM I couldn't take it anymore and went back to the ER. Now that my hives were enormous and I couldn't swallow they take me seriously. They gave me a powerful antihistamine, and I ask, "Is it possible that I could be allergic to this too?, to which he replied, "That's a very good question." Thanks teacher, I already had one drug interaction and what's their solution, MORE DRUGS of course. How dumb can you be? Well I'll tell you how dumb. I took the pill because I'm a bit of a gambler, I figure with the odds of this killing me I could win the lottery three times, so what the heck.
Good news I'm alive and my hives are subsiding, mostly because I didn't take Methimazole this morning I'm sure.
My abstinence with medications has paid off in the past, I am rarely affected by common maladies. I barely ever get sick, if I get a headache I have learned to ignore it even when it is really painful which is more useful than learning to swallow a pill, and it costs less money.
My biggest issue is antibiotics, the last time I took an antibiotic was when I was a child. I'm not dead, and I have had colds, though less and less frequently. You need an immune system, if every time a person gets a cold or influenza they take antibiotics, how are their bodies ever going to get stronger against these illnesses? On the rare occasion that I am sick I will be sick for no more than 24 hours. When I say sick, I mean "feverish," or "shouldn't go into work or school," not "I have a little cough or a runny nose."
I even survived pneumonia once with nothing but 3 days of sleep, water, and a small bowl of mashed potatoes. Though I wouldn't do it that way again, it worked. Now I would go to the doctor if I had pneumonia, but never if I had a cold or a small infection.
Also, what's with all of these antibacterial products you see everywhere? Never bought any of them and I'm not covered in infectious sores and scabs. I never put Neosporin or even a Band-aid on a cut or scrape. I once had a hole the size of a nickel in my shin where you could see the bone and that healed up fine with no serious infection. I always hear people say things like, 'If I don't put Neosporin on it it will get infected.' It will get infected anyways, and guess what, you won't die from it. Most every cut or scrape gets slightly infected with bacteria, but that's just life, you get a scar and you're fine. Soon we'll have anti-bacterial bread, antibacterial paper, or my favorite antibacterial bullets. I think that's actually marketable.
Another thing I take issue with is the drug companies. At some point they got the brilliant idea that they could market their drugs directly to the consumer instead of through the doctors. They have since come up with a heap of gimmicks in order to sell their drugs at higher prices. Does anyone else think it's screwed up that they market their pills by brand name just like they are Nike sneakers. Some people will only buy brands because they think it's better, you know who you are, sick freaks.
So now we have patients and doctors sold on this idea that some drugs that are identical to cheaper ones are better, or maybe they're just sold on the idea that they are saving money by buying the generic made by the same company, maybe that's the real scheme? Everyone knows that some people will buy something just because they think they can save money.
While it's nice to live in a capitalist society it has it's shortcomings. Do I think the government should step in and muzzle the irresponsible drug companies? No, I think the drug companies should be an honest business, and not try to push as many pills down our throats as possible. Medications are a necessary part of a working society, they should be proud to fulfill that need. They can still make a lot of money by being the best, they don't have to resort to conniving marketing schemes.
In theory I believe that's the way capitalism is supposed to succeed, the people with the best services succeed. Now it seems like whoever has the best brand name or other superficial and unnecessary quality wins, and I think America suffers in it's own stupidity for it. Perhaps the government could urge the companies to change their policies, but of course never force them to change unless it violates someone's rights. That's just not the way it works is it? I believe we have party hackery and greedy lawyers to thank for that.
One last thing, I have a quote from USA Today,
Drug side effects and other related health problems reported to the Food
and Drug Administration reached an all-time high in 2004, a
government estimate shows.
Perhaps it's time we lay off the drugs a bit?
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Divided We Fall
CNN's" Exit Polls
What the exit poll says to me is that a simple census could've predicted George Bush as the winner. Really that's beside the point though, the thing I want you to notice is how perfectly cut in half we are. It was a really close election and it just boggles my mind how divided we are about how the government should run our country. You'd think that with as many people as there are in the US, and with as long as we've been at this whole democracy thing, we'd have fewer issues for the politicians to bring up during the elections. I really don't think the elections of yesteryears were quite so close as they've been in the last 20.
Granted our culture is constantly changing, people are quite different now than they were in the 50's. I just don't see how we could've changed so much that no one agrees on anything anymore.
To me it appears convenient for the politicians though. Somewhere close to half the country isn't very happy that our president is GW right now. The half that is happy because he is president now, was in the same position when Clinton was in office.
"Impeach him!", they cried, but to no avail. Perhaps they'd be happier with a man like Quayle?
What I'm trying to say is that with half of the country taking turns being completely unhappy with our government (the presidency is just a good example), we are getting desensitized to feelings of malcontent for our government. Just think of how many people there are in the US dissatisfied with our government. Is it so hard to imagine that those numbers are growing?
So I am thinking that the longer we spend disgruntled over the condition of our government the easier it becomes for our government to do as they please without concern for what's best for the individual.
What I'm suggesting is in no way any sort of conspiracy theory. I think that individual politicians have an idea of how they think the world should be. If the people will still vote for them even when they barely support the politicians views then they are free to exercise those views.
With more and more issues making it into the political arena, it's getting easier for the politicians to get the votes they want without having to address any real issues. For example: abortion, this isn't a real issue, it's a total cop out. The people who are against it are only against it because they've been led to believe that it is acceptable to tell other people what to do with their reproductive organs. It doesn't matter how you look at the issue the fact is that it will remain legal. So regardless of a politician's stance on abortion they aren't going to do anything about it. You might as well vote for the politician whose favorite color is coolest. If they do get into office with an anti-abortion stance the most they will do is support some virtually meaningless restriction just so that they can keep the anti-abortion voters for re-election. Same thing with gay marriage, the only reason it isn't legal is because the votes aren't behind it. It should be legal even though much less than 51% of us are gay or support their right to marry. It's just not a real issue. Gay people should be able to band together and ask their government to recognize their union, right? Then big daddy government should say "Ok, we'll right it down and make it official." at least you'd think.
Politics just isn't about people anymore, and it has nothing to do with common sense. It's turned into this I'm better than you contest or something.
I really don't believe that we the people of the United States of America get a lot back from our government. It seems the government is more concerned about whether or not gay people can marry than they are about a healthcare system that works. Not only that but I'll bet you more of the people are worried about whether gay people can marry than affordable healthcare. It gets more press coverage I believe.
I've heard some people say that the news media are pawns of the government, that may be true, but I think it's the other way around.
Uncommon, Mostly Useless, or Completely Useless Words
1.> A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a
leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.
2.> A repetitive or incantatory recital: "the litany of layoffs in recent months by corporate giants"
This word is: uncommon and mostly useless
Why: I've never said it or needed to. I rarely hear or read it and when I did I never even bothered to look it up before because it was never imperative to understanding the text or speech. Also, I've never encountered it in a dialogue.
Smart Factor: 6
The Smart Factor is how smart using the word makes you sound on a scale from 1-10. 10 is something like using antidisestablishmentarianism in a sentence that legitimately calls for that word. 1 is like anything Pauly Shore used to say in his movies when they were still being made, way back in 1992 bu-u-u-u-dy.
I hope you liked the Uncommon, Mostly Useless, or Completely Useless Word of the Day. I look forward to sharing more of them with you.
Is Our Government Ours?
Perhaps it always was this way, was actually intended to be this way, and I'm just a bit naive for buying into the ideal America of our perfect founding fathers I was sold in the public school system. It was such a nice story though about utter honesty, liberation, majestic bombs bursting in the air. I just have all of these Disneyesque images of wise and intelligent men in polite debate about the future of this country. Ben Franklin flying a kite, George Washington and his Father's cherry tree, or perhaps Thomas Jefferson's immortal words like, "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Too bad we couldn't bring Jefferson back from the dead, or maybe his campaign promises were just as likely to come true as today's politicians.
Rage Against the Machine sings "We gotta take the power back."
I'm just not so sure we ever had it to begin with.
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Bumbling Federal Agent
Because Only Police Are Trained in Safe Handling Procedures
I guarantee he's getting paid to speak in front of students about how evil guns are. To top it all off he shoots himself, because he has no common sense. Now every kid in that room is deathly afraid of guns because he just showed them that even when a police officer is handling them they go BANG for no reason.
Maybe I've been living in a pipe dream, but I really didn't think that the government was paying cops to go to schools to tell kids that guns are evil, scary, and dangerous. Now I know that when it comes to our rights we are up against our government.
Honestly there are 5 year olds who never would've made the same mistake that bumbling idiot made. Almost any child of a gun owner knows better than this. It's too bad he didn't shoot himself in the face, really. That guy is worthless garbage, or at least his training was.
Don't forget, if you pay taxes you just paid that guy to shoot himself in front of a bunch of kids, and you're paying for his hospital visit. I wonder exactly how many dollars of taxpayers hard earned money went into his training?
One more reason to believe this guy is a simpleton is that there is no such thing as a Glock 40. Perhaps he meant a Glock that shoots 40 S&W bullets? Though if he knew what he was talking about he would have just called it by it's model number because every Glock 40 caliber has it's own number, either 22, 23, 24, 27, or 35. He also mentions that 50 cent, too short, and all of the rappers sing about the "Glock 40", which is simply not true. The words "Glock 40" do not appear in any rap song, if you can find it in a popular rap song I will buy you a "Glock 40".
One last thing, does it perhaps appear that this guy has been using steroids? He is utterly massive. Maybe he doesn't use steroids, but I doubt it. He is a DEA officer so I think it's odd that steroids are ok for him, but drugs aren't ok for anyone else. Ask any body builder, you don't get that huge without steroids.
The Statist Thugs of Quincy, Mass.
Strange Visit to Quincy Police Dept. and a little something about the QPD from the DOJ .
Now for those of you who aren't familiar with firearms rights jargon and aren't quite sure what "shall issue" means exactly, I'll explain. Shall issue means that the state shall issue a permit to carry a concealed pistol if the applicant meets the legal requirements to do so. In all shall issue states that means at least that the applicant is not a felon or mentally adjudicated (meaning not a whackjob as per the state's definition). In some states that also means they have received adequate and certified training in the safety and proper use of a pistol.
The other side of that is "may issue" meaning those states might give you one if they feel like it. It usually means your chances of getting one are slim to none unless you are "connected", rich, or both.
Here is a link to a map of shall issue vs. may issue vs. haha you moved to Wisconsin: Shall/May_Map .
I just got a heads-up on Massachusetts, apparently they are shall issue about non-high-capacity shotguns and rifles only (Thanks Bruce). So the impression I get, based on Jesse C. Cohen's recount of his experience with them and the DOJ's audit information, is that Quincy's boys in blue think they can run the show however they want, regardless of state law.
It seems to be a growing trend in police departments across America to run things their way. In departments like this they are all buddies and the area judges are ex-cops as well. They all pal up and protect each other, instead of reaching out to the communities with friendship or an assurance that they are there to protect and serve. Rarely do we meet a cop who is a member of the community first and a police officer second.
This only concerns the corrupt departments and individuals, this is not to say that the majority of police officers aren't fine individuals or responsible and fair police officers. My biggest complaint is that it's only too often we hear of an individual's encounter with the police, and the words protect and serve just don't come to mind.
I just can't think of one instance in my life where I was glad to see a police officer and I doubt I'm the only one who feels this way. Of the times I've had any encounters with law enforcement I was always the bad guy and they were sure to point this out to me regardless of the fact that I was always courteous and helpful towards them. This is not to say I'm a criminal, just that perhaps there were times in my life where I dressed like one, like when I was a rebellious teenager.
These good ol' boy police departments are an issue in my opinion. They grant themselves more power than they deserve. I think it is the communities job to give the police power, as the laws were written by people of the community be it local, county, state, or federal laws. The laws don't come from god, they are not absolute, they are always subject to our approval, and we do have the power to change them. I don't think we should tolerate the police as if they are the law. They are only the servants and enforcers of the laws, our laws and we cannot let them use our laws to gain the authority to rule our lives like tyrants. These attack-dogs need a shorter leash.
I believe too many people fear the police and will just go along with whatever corrupt thing they decide is the law for that day. Much like the Chief of Police in Quincy thinks he makes the concealed carry laws. If he didn't think people were just going to go along with whatever he said, then the fellow mentioned in Jesse Cohen's story would already have his permit and be able to defend himself from the criminals that the proactive police are unable to prevent retroactively. Apparently Chief Crowley is not only the absolute ruler of the people of Quincy, but he is also a mind reading psychic who can stop people from getting mugged, raped, murdered, etc. before it even happens. So no one in his jurisdiction needs a permit to protect themselves, they all live in Crowley's eden.
To me, this is utterly intolerable, illegal, and just plain wrong. I hope Chief Crowley and his coconspirators go to jail for a long time, that's what they deserve. It is a federal offense to conspire to deny someone their civil rights under the badge of authority. Though I'm sure you're all aware of the old adage about what you can do in one hand and do in the other to see which fills up quicker and I think it probably applies to this circumstance. I doubt we'll ever hear another word of it. Worst that will happen to Crowley is a paid suspension, and a small article about it in the back of the local newspaper. We'll see...
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If this Doesn't Piss You Off
Or you can check out all of mASS BACKWARDS a great blog about how messed up Massachusetts can be.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Terrorism, Democracy, Video Games, and Luis Vuitton
The reason I am saying that video games and laziness are terrorists is because I felt it was my turn to jump on the bandwagon and further the cause of the war on ideology. It just seems to me that if you want to make someone your enemy all you have to do is call them a terrorist and all of your buddies will agree to help out with the witch hunt. I always thought you had to commit an act of terror, or something like that, before people started calling you a terrorist, much like to be a scientist you have to commit an act of science. Apparently that isn't true in anymore.
It seems though that terrorists have become the new "they" or "them", they are the new "they" of today. When you need to complain about something or scare someone just use "the terrorists" in your complaint or fear mongering instead of "they" or "them". For example: 'We need to ban 50 caliber rifles because terrorists can get them and shoot down planes, or blow up chemical tanks with them.' or my favorite 'We need to start regulating lasers and laser diodes because terrorists can blind pilots with them.'
Maybe soon we will be hearing stuff, like 'Outlaw abortion, it's what the terrorists want!' or 'Goth kids are just terrorists in training.' maybe even 'Homosexuality and gay marriage is just a plot to undermine our traditional American values, weakening our social structure and making it easier for the terrorists to invade, burn our bibles, and make the women wear black hoods.' Perhaps we are actually already hearing these sorts of things in various conversations throughout the US. Much like during the cold war, drugs, hippies, and rock music were all just secret communist plots to erode our democratic values.
Steve Radke of Ferndale, Washington wrote a letter to the Editor of the Bellingham Herald asking. "How do soldiers who kill civilians differ from terrorists?" My answer would be simple; the soldiers are killing people that they think are terrorists. People like you who support this notion that there are terrorists everywhere make it easier for us to go to war with other people. You make it easier for the soldiers to follow orders, really you do.
Speaking of letters to the editor of the Bellingham Herald, here is an excerpt from a letter by Glenn Stewart of Ferndale, Washington:
"Spreading democracy is no guarantee of a peaceful world; to suggest such a thing to the American people, who face serious problems, is an insult. Our mission is to make this democracy work, only then should we take it on the road."
To which I reply; "What do you mean our democracy isn't perfect, when even the girls at the county assistance office have Luis Vuitton purses?"
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Also when encompassed in polysyllabic pseudo-intellectual conversation the word definitely is always used to say ' I agree'. Or maybe it just seems that way to me. For example, "Wow! That was really interesting." "Yeah, definitely."
One last thing, I'm not naming any names, but the same person who wrote this, "I won't profess to be your (or anyone's equal) on the question of metaphysics." also wrote this, "No illiterati there. If I had to correct every cunt's English, I'd need an army." Indeed they would, as the army would be doing all of the work. Not all of us are cut out to correct other's grammar and spelling.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Innocent Until Proven Terrorist
I can't even begin to explain how unnerving this is to me, but I'll try. First of all, the article says to me that there are people who will buy into this crap, otherwise it wouldn't be in the New York times. That alone is unsettling enough.
The article presumes that just because someone is on a terrorist watch list that they are terrorists, or at least someone to be nervous about. My most intense qualm with this is the old saw "innocent until proven guilty", of which I (unless I missed something like a patriot act or whatever) believe the justice system is still supposed to uphold. Being as I have been the victim of not-so-innocent-until-proven-guilty treatment myself, I take personal issue with this. It is a really terrible position to be in when you are arrested and jailed for a crime you didn't do, and of which you were later acquitted of. Let alone all of the people who belief you were guilty even after the fact and treat you accordingly. It's just ugly and ignorant to treat people that way.
Lastly the only reason the article was written in a way to foster concern amongst it's readers is to serve the agenda of the gun-grabbing lobbyists. The author, as I am coming to know him, is nothing more than a lap dog for gun control advocates and the Brady Campaign. Do a search of his name and the word gun or brady campaign and you'll see exactly what I mean. If it is an article and he wrote it, it is probably about how guns are evil, and now that "Terrorist" is the new way to say evil, he can write about both at the same time. YAY!
I'm sure glad that this new wave of fear-mongering is keeping honest and truly talented writers in business. Now that the cold war is over and there are no more evil Russian invaders to blame for all of the draconian laws being passed they needed something.
Damn it all, but the media is just not on our side. They do not have the citizen's best interests in mind when they write this crap. So why do they do it? Is it because it's sensational, or is it because it's what people want to or expect to hear? I don't know why they report the pseudotruth skewed the way they do, but it's just plain wrong. We really should stop paying for it, it's getting out of hand.
Monday, March 07, 2005
It all began with a brief conversation I had with a person the first (and hopefully last) time we met.
I'm not going to get into specifics but here is the gist of our verbal exchange; "You know what it's like, you're a Scorpio." she said. "No... ...I don't!" I replied. Then she said, "You know when no one gets you because you are too deep."
Needless to say I was disturbed to find out that she actually assumed that everyone thought along the same disfigured lines as her. Of course I didn't say another word to her after that.
My point is that "deep" had no place in that conversation at all. If that conversation were based on an exchange of fact and not metaphysical perception it would have gone like this; "Do you ever get frustrated because you want to do something different than everyone else?" she asks. "Not anymore. Why?" I replied. "Well, it's just that I am trying to push my creative boundaries and instead I end up just doing weird random things and then making up the meaning for them as I go along. It's quite easy to do, and in no way reflects a genuine or mature attitude." she says. "I understand where you are coming from. Why don't you stop worrying about how unique and individual you appear to others and start focusing on honesty and integrity?" I said. To which she exclaimed, "Wow! I think you're right. Perhaps all of this time I've spent in pursuit of justifying my random and dishonest behavior as a genuinely creative ability, was because I was afraid I wasn't good enough to interact genuinely with others in a manner of earnest. Maybe I should just quit trying to be creative and unique? It really hasn't gotten me anywhere."
In my experience decent people just don't refer to people as "deep" or "shallow". What purpose would it serve to label another as deep? Would they say thanks, and feel special. I just think that honest people would rather hand out better insults and compliments than deep and shallow. It really serves no purpose to consider someone as deep or shallow, or the worst of all "OPEN-MINDED".
People think just the way they think and they believe just what they believe. I don't see how one could deem one person as open minded and another as close-minded. What is the tangible difference between the two? Is one a Buddhist and the other a Methodist? Does one believe in Karma and the other not? Or perhaps one is prejudice and the other is not? If that's the case why not just say they are prejudice, if that is what they truly are?
Quote of Edie Brickell: Choke me in the shallow water, before I get too deep (This is from the philosophy is the top of the cereal box song.)
I wish someone would drown everyone in the metaphysically deep and/or shallow waters who uses the word DEEP to describe nonsensical behavior and/or prose. Or at least try.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Purpose of This Blog
As a pampered male who spends his days isolated in a white box with brown puke colored/smelling carpet, I have come to know myself very well. I am living the solitary life and have become my only friend. I suppose you could say I'm the Humanist/Atheist version of a monk. I spend my days entirely devoted to my god, or rather my lack thereof. I also still find plenty of time for an utter lack of indulgence in delectation or any but the very slightest amount of recreation at all.
At this point I will have to apologize for my wordiness. I promise it won't always be this bad. I usually detest the loquacious type, but today I'm feeling garrulous. Which would also explain why I am starting a Blog. Enjoy.


text:
Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
(written from a Production point of view)
Summary Edit
- From the book jacket
- Roll Call: The crew of the USS Excalibur: Captain Mackenzie Calhoun: An unorthodox, decisive young captain who loves his crew and his ship, and loves testing their limits even more. Commander Shelby: A woman of strong opinions and strong values, Shelby never hesitated to tell her captains when she thought they were wrong, and Mackenzie Calhoun won't be any exception. Burgoyne 172: The chief engineer of the Excalibur, with the decisiveness of Calhoun, the strength of Shelby, and the gender of both. Burgoyne is a Hermat, and when s/he sets his/her sights on you, s/he isn't an easy... person... to refuse. As the Thallonian Empire succumbs to violence and insurrection, the USS Excalibur prepares to launch on her humanitarian mission of mercy. But her departure is destined to be a memorable one, as Calhoun contends with an unexpected stowaway, a stormy relationship with his crew, and – light years away – frightened refugees aboard a dying ship.
- Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.
Background information Edit
- Collected in the Star Trek: New Frontier Omnibus.
Characters Edit
- Canon characters listed below are linked to the main article about them. Non-canon characters are not linked, but those that recurred, appearing or being mentioned in more than one story, are defined further in New Frontier characters.
Main cast and recurring characters Edit
External link Edit
- Into the Void at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
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text:
Hyundai and Kia to Offer Free FICO Scores to Customers
IRVINE, CA -- June 26, 2014: Hyundai Capital America ("HCA"), a top-10 U.S. captive auto finance company, which does business as "Hyundai Motor Finance" and "Kia Motors Finance", today announced it has partnered with FICO , a leading predictive analytics and decision management software company, to be the first captive auto finance company to provide free FICO® Scores to customers as part of the FICO® Score Open Access program.
Starting today, HCA will offer free FICO® Scores to new customers enrolling in the new 2014 "College Grad" Programs offered by Hyundai Motor Finance ("HMF") and Kia Motors Finance ("KMF"). Customers participating in these programs will start receiving their FICO® Scores from HMF and KMF on a quarterly basis, beginning this fall.
In addition to receiving their FICO® Scores, HMF and KMF customers also will be given on-line access through the respective websites to tools to help them understand and track their FICO® Scores. These tools will include the top two factors currently affecting the customers' individual FICO® Scores, as well as provide educational content to help customers understand their credit score.
"We're continuously looking for ways to deliver added benefits to our customers," said Tim Devine, senior vice president of sales, marketing, insurance & servicing for Hyundai Capital America. "We're proud to offer customers in our college grad programs free access to their FICO Scores. It's a meaningful way for us to help make buying or leasing a car as transparent and customer-friendly as possible. It's a fantastic way for us to demonstrate how we value their business and want to continue serving their needs for years to come."
"For many college grads, a car is their first major purchase," said Jim Wehmann, executive vice president of Scores at FICO. "We applaud Hyundai Capital America for helping college grads understand how to build a strong foundation for their financial house by giving them free FICO Scores as well as information that will help them better understand and manage their financial health."
About Hyundai Capital America's college grad program Hyundai Capital America, through its Hyundai Motor Finance and Kia Motors Finance brands, offers special incentives to help recent graduates purchase or lease a new vehicle. To qualify, candidates need to be within 6 months of graduating or have graduated within the past 24 months from an accredited 2 or 4 year college or university, nursing school, or master's or doctorate program. Benefits may include 90 days before the first payment is due and a $400 rebate on top of any manufacturer's rebates. Full details are available on HMFUSA.com and KMFUSA.com.


text:
Grand Theft Auto Lawyers
Locate a Local Criminal Lawyer
What Is Grand Theft Auto?
Grant theft auto is the theft of a vehicle. If you steal a car with the intent to keep the vehicle permanently, you have committed grand theft auto. For example, stealing a car for the purpose of "joyriding" is not considered grand theft auto. However, you will have committed grand theft auto if you sell any part of the stolen vehicle.
In order for defendant to be convicted of grand theft auto, the prosecutor must show that the defendant:
- Took or drove a vehicle
- The vehicle did not belong to the defendant
- The defendant did not have consent or permission to take or drive the vehicle
- The defendant intended to permanently deprive the owner of possession
In most jurisdictions, grand theft is not limited to the theft of vehicles. Grand theft auto can also apply to boats, motorcycles, RVs, and campers.
How Is Grand Theft Auto Different from Carjacking?
Grand theft auto and carjacking are similar in that both involve stealing an automobile. However, the two crimes differ in terms of the manner in which a vehicle is stolen. Grand theft auto can occur without any violence at all, and often a person is not even present in the vehicle. Carjacking, on the other hand, is always a violent offense that involves the forceful taking of a car from a person.
The defendant can be convicted of robbery if he took the vehicle from the victim's immediate possession through force, fear, intimidation.
What Are the Likely Consequences of Grand Theft Auto?
Grand theft auto can either be a misdemeanor or a felony. Most states set a certain amount of money as the cut-off line between the two. For example, selling more than $400 worth of the vehicle in California is considered a felony. Whether you are guilty of a misdemeanor or felony, any of the following consequences are likely:
- Imprisonment
- Parole or probation
- Community service
- Paying restitution (i.e. payment to the victim for any damage and/or loss)
- Other fines
- Probation
The defendant charged with grand theft auto can also be charged with other related crimes that occurred in commission of the theft. The defendant can be charged with burglary if he broke into a garage or home in order to take the vehicle and/or the defendant can be charged with robbery if the defendant used force, fear, and intimidation in the victim's immediate possession.
What Are the Legal Defenses for Grand Theft Auto?
The crime of grand theft auto mainly requires that the defendant did not have consent and/or permission from the owner to take and drive the vehicle and the defendant intended to permanently deprive the owner. If these elements can be negated, then a defendant cannot be charged with grand theft auto.
- Intent: If the defendant took the car and intends to return the vehicle back to the owner after use, then the defendant has not committed the crime of theft of the vehicle, but may be liable for joyriding since owner never consented to defendant to take the vehicle.
- Consent: If the defendant received consent and/or permission from the owner to take the vehicle, then the defendant cannot be charged with grand theft auto since he did not have intent to permanently deprive owner and the owner allowed the act to occur.
How Can an Attorney Help Me?
Grand theft auto is a serious automobile crime that can severely affect the rest of your life. If you are charged with grand theft auto, consult an experienced attorney to learn more about your rights, defenses, and the complicated legal system.
Consult a Lawyer - Present Your Case Now!
Last Modified: 08-08-2014 03:10 PM PDT
Link to this page


text:
The Study Of Fiscal Sustainability For The Case Of Overindebted European Countries
This study aims in analysing the fiscal sustainability for the case of European countries most affected by the economic downturn and sovereign debt: Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain. For that purpose, we apply fiscal reaction function which indicates the speed and the size of government response to shocks on public debt. We use annual data ranged on 1995-2013. The results show that only for the cases of Italy and Portugal governments managed to fulfil the conditions for a sustainable fiscal policy. For these countries, the response is positive and immediate. On contrary, for Ireland we detect a negative reaction in the sense of a decreasing primary surplus to the increase of public debt by 1 p.p.. For the cases of Greece and Spain, the results are not statistically significant and we cannot conclude whether fiscal policy is sustainable or not. But we can emphasize a positive reaction to the increase of public debt cost in the case of Spain.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Volume (Year): 16 (2012)
Issue (Month): 4 ()
Pages: 43-62
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| Postal: Casa Academiei, Calea 13 Septembrie nr.13, sector 5, Bucuresti
Phone: 004 021 3182419
Fax: 004 021 3182419
Web page: http://www.icfm.ro/
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Luiz de Mello, 2008.
"Estimating a fiscal reaction function: the case of debt sustainability in Brazil,"
Applied Economics,
Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 271-284.
- Luiz de Mello, 2005. "Estimating a Fiscal Reaction Function: The Case of Debt Sustainability in Brazil," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 423, OECD Publishing.
- Francisco Carballo-Cruz, 2011. "Causes and Consequences of the Spanish Economic Crisis: Why the Recovery is Taken so Long?," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 58(3), pages 309-328, September. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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text:
Porter Air Lodging Deal
Thank you for choosing Jay Peak. We're offering discounted lodging deals for Porter Air passengers flying from Toronto to Burlington.
All rates are per night, for a family of 4 in a studio suite.
Package includes:
- Lodging in the Hotel Jay or Tram Haus Lodge
- Kids 14 & under stay free
- Ski packages include daily tickets valid at both Jay Peak and Burke Mountain
- Kids 14 & unders ski free (with parents on a Ski + Stay or Ski + Splash + Stay package)
- Waterpark packages include unlimited daily access to the Pump House Indoor Waterpark
- Free waterpark access for kids 3 & under
- Daycare for kids ages 2-7
- Free internet access
- Access to the Hotel Jay Fitness Center
You'll also get more than $200 in free vacation extras at Jay Peak and Burke Mountain.
There are a limited number of packages available at these rates. Once availability hits a certain threshold, rates will increase. Rates are subject to change without notice. From rates are for a studio suite in the Hotel Jay or Tram Haus Lodge. Ski + Stay packages are only available in the Tram Haus Lodge; all Hotel Jay packages include access to the Pump House Indoor Waterpark. A family of 4 means 2 Adults and 2 dependant children 14 &under. Daycare is based on availability and must be reserved at least 48hrs in advance. Rates do not include tax or a $15 daily resort fee which will be added to your final bill at check out. This deal is available from January 1st, 2013 to March 30th, 2013; 2-night minimum. Call (800) 451-4449 if you'd prefer to reserve by phone.


text:
Right now I'm looking for people to fill my time, mostly during the day. I have a lot of time on my hands, looking for people to spend it with.
I have an FtM/Genderqueer Boyfriend/girlfriend, and a girlfriend. I love them both dearly, but am open to the idea of more companionship.
Movies: Thank you for smoking, Fight Club, But I'm a Cheerleader, I Heart Huckabees
Music: A Fine Frenzy, P!NK, Leigh Nash, Circ
2. Breakfast
3. I-Phone
4. Laptop
5. My flogger
6. Handcuffs
I tend to get along well with a lot of women, but I'm very picky about guys. My ideal man needs to:
1. Be kinky
2. Wine and Dine me
3. Be willing to put off sex at least until the third date.
4. Have some talent at writing sex naughty things to me. If you can't make love to me effectively with language, I have little hope for your ability in bed.
5. Send me an interesting first message explaining what you want. It should also reference that you know I'm trans, since some people don't read profiles.


text:
Chain Lightning
From a top-selling fiction writer comes a romance set amid Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Their association is supposed to be strictly business, and they are very different people. But the tropics create a different world. And for Mandy and Damon, paradise is only a heartbeat away.
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text:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - For merger arbitrage funds playing this year's hot deal-making market, one exchange-traded fund has pulled ahead - on the upside and the downside.
With a 3.5 percent year-to-date return, the IndexIQ Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA.P), or MNA, is handily beating its actively managed mutual fund peers. But it lost ground twice as fast as those peers when two high-profile deals collapsed recently.
The fund's volatility may reflect the way it is managed. As a passive index fund, it follows a rules-based approach, adding shares when a new deal is announced and selling them when a deal closes, and changing its portfolio just once a month. In contrast, the actively managed, merger-focused funds rely on human judgment and tend to jump in and out of stocks more frequently.
The impact of the way MNA is managed can be seen in recent events. When Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA.O) suddenly pulled its bid for Time Warner Inc (TWX.N) earlier this month, MNA got stuck holding overpriced Time Warner shares and dropped 2.2 percent in two days, while the six merger arbitrage mutual funds tracked by Reuters fell between 0.29 percent and 0.79 percent over the same period.
MNA also took a hit on its holding of shares of T-Mobile U.S. Inc TMUS.N after a bid for that company imploded earlier this month
Year-to-date, though, "MNA is really running away from the pack with respect to performance," said Paul Britt, a senior ETF analyst with research and analytics firm ETF.com. MNA's 3.5 percent return is far ahead of the returns booked by the six actively managed merger arbitrage mutual funds, which range from a 2 percent loss to a 2.37 percent gain.
Merger-arbitrage funds aim to eke out steady returns by playing the spreads between a company's market price and the price at which it may be acquired. Because they focus on deals that have been announced, they tend to have much smaller returns than hedge funds that may make riskier bets. Institutional investors and financial advisers use merger arbs funds to diversify and add returns to their portfolios.
They have been attracting assets this year, as global deal volumes have risen to their highest level in seven years, to $1.75 trillion in late June, up 75 percent from the year-ago period, according to Thomson Reuters data. Assets in MNA have doubled since the end of December to $57.23 million and are on track to triple, said Kevin DiSano, an executive vice president at IndexIQ.
Time Warner is still the third largest stock held by MNA, with a 6.56 percent weight, as of Friday, even following Twenty-First Century Fox's withdrawal of its offer for the company. Time Warner Inc shares have dropped about 8.3 percent since the start of the month.
That's been hard on the fund, concedes DiSano, though he said the automated nature of the portfolio can serve it well over time. People might sell too low when a deal collapses, he says.
"By keeping it in the portfolio until the next rebalance, you're at least giving it an opportunity to rebound a little bit," he said.
Reporting by Ashley Lau in New York; Editing by Linda Stern and Leslie Adler


text:
West Mifflin clinches playoff berth in wild way against Elizabeth Forward
If you are going to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in four years, you might as well make it memorable.
West Mifflin and rookie coach Jeff Smith aren't going to forget this one anytime soon.
The Titans blew a pair of leads; overcame an unusual ruling by the home plate umpire that stifled a fifth-inning rally; had an assistant coach ejected; got three solid innings of relief from an unlikely source; and scored seven times over the final two innings of a 13-9, three-hour marathon win over rival Elizabeth Forward at Wylie Field.
The win — the Titans' sixth straight — not only guaranteed West Mifflin (10-2, 8-1) a playoff spot, but puts it in position to win its first section title since 2008.
"I am very happy for them and for the team in general," Smith said. "They have worked hard to get here. They've took some lumps over the years to get here, so it is good to finally see them get rewarded."
Conversely, the loss severely damaged Elizabeth Forward's playoff hopes. The Warriors (7-7, 3-5) are 2 1⁄2 games behind South Park (8-5, 6-3) for the final playoff spot in the section with four games left.
"We know our backs are against the wall a little bit in the section, and that we are going to pretty much win them all to have a shot," Elizabeth Forward coach Frank Champ said. "Winning this one would've helped us a lot."
West Mifflin banged out 13 hits off three Elizabeth Forward pitchers and did most of its damage at the top of the order.
Zach Fodor (1 for 2, four runs scored), Ryan Kandsberger (3 for 4, three runs scored), A.J. Olasz (2 for 3, 3 RBIs) and Dan Howard (3 for 4, 5 RBIs) combined for nine hits and eight RBIs while No. 5 hitter Ryan Catalogna chipped in with a key sixth-inning single that gave the Titans a lead they would not relinquish.
EF got three hits from Garrett Martell and two from Jake Terrick.
"It was an awesome game because we were fighting the entire game," Kandsberger said. "We weren't even thinking about getting into the playoffs today. We were just focused on winning the game."
Rarely used Dom Robinson made that possible.
Robinson hasn't pitched since throwing two-thirds of an inning a month ago, but relieved starter Zach Salmon in the fourth with West Mifflin trailing 7-5, and didn't allow an earned run in three innings while striking out seven.
"Him coming in there and mowing them down was just eye-opening to me," Howard said.
But apparently not as eye-opening to West Mifflin as a strange ruling by the home plate umpire with runners on first and third and one out in the fifth. EF reliever Ryan Wardropper's pickoff attempt was thrown into right field scoring Salmon. However, it was ruled the ball wasn't put in play yet by the umpire, thus negating the play.
WM managed to score only one run in the inning to make it 7-6 and assistant coach B.J. Pugh was ejected after the inning ended for arguing.
Smith wasn't happy with the rule, either.
"They weren't looking for any kind of call there and everybody thought the ball was in play and he steps out of his bounds to make a call and that shouldn't have happened," Smith said. "We kept our cool and it might've been a spark, I don't know. It seemed to have been."
But first, EF added a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 9-6 with the big hit being Wardropper's run-scoring triple.
"We had the lead and needed just six outs but couldn't get them," Champ said.
West Mifflin got run-scoring hits by Howard, Catalogna and Robinson in the sixth to take an 11-9 lead then sewed up a playoff spot in the seventh with RBI singles by Olasz and Howard to make it 13-9.
"We always have bigger expectations than playoffs, but it means a heck of a lot to us," Kandsberger said. "Really, I just want to see a 2014 on the banner in our gym so bad now."
Mark Kaboly is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com or via Twitter @MarkKaboly_Trib .


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DC Previews 'Batman: The Return Of Bruce Wayne' Covers #1-6
We've assembled a (rough) augmentation of the covers to demonstrate their overarching and slightly subliminal Bat insignia motif. It's a really nice touch on the part of Kubert, who carries Wayne through multiple time periods with style in his respective caveman, pilgrim, pirate, cowboy, noir detective and superhero Batsuits.
Since the initial announcement of the series back in '09, many fans have compared the dress-up dynamic of the series to Kenner's old "Legends of Batman" action figure line, which placed the Caped Crusader in period costume for Elseworlds scenarios. All I can say is that I hope DC Direct is ready to spring into action with toys upon the series' April launch.
[Take a look at all six covers after the jump]


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Award-winning since 1998
It is our passion to be among the best in terms of design – and to create projects at the highest international level. Having won more than 400 prizes for design, 42 of which were gold medals, we lead the field among creative design agencies in Germany today.
In 2013, Mutabor was awarded the honorary title of 'Red Dot: Agency of the Year 2013' by the initiators of the Red Dot Awards, the world's biggest and most renowned design awards. This title is awarded each year to an agency that has gained international visibility continuously producing convincing work over a long period with an outstanding creative performance.


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Team Edition Pedigree Hoody CAL
College football season is a few weeks in and now it is time to pick up that hoodie or tee to represent! I'm a Cal girl to the core. BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS
Crimson Tide. Weird mascot, AWESOME football team.Tags: sports, university, football, college, college football, bcs, Alabama, crimson tide, bowl seasonAdded 8 Years Ago from ESPN Shop
These hoodies are the vintage logos from college football and look super comfy. They only have about 10 teams, but it's worth checking to see if yours is there.Tags: nike, sports, vintage, logo, university, football, college, college footballAdded 8 Years Ago from ESPN Shop
All you USC fans out there, decorate your dorms and bedrooms with this huge vinyl decal on your wall. It also comes in other major college team styles.Tags: sports, decorate, university, decals, wall decor, fall, design, autumn, footballAdded 8 Years Ago from ESPN Shop


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Sometimes a wide-angle lens just will not do!
de Harvey A Duze
Acerca del libro
One of my favorite photographic activities is to create panoramic photographic images. Here is a collection of some of my favorite photos, some of which are being published for the first time.
Acerca del creador
Over 40 years of professional and creative photographic and graphic design/desktop publishing experience, including handling a wide range of corporate and editorial location and studio photographic assignments, graphics to illustrate presentations and both print and Web-based publications, logos and corporate identities and the creation of both speaker-support and self-running "kiosk" PowerPoint presentations, and Web-based HTML and Flash slideshows. While the majority of my work has been done in the Northeast, U.S., I've also traveled to other parts of the U.S. and Canada, as well as overseas to Ireland and Italy. In recent years, urban and rural landscapes, nature and people have been my favorite photographic subjects.
Inicia sesión o crea una cuenta para publicar un comentario.


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- Healthy Eating
- About Our Products
- Recipes
- Online Ordering
- Our Mission & Values
- Blogs
- Store Departments
NET WT 16 OZ (1 LB) 454g
Made with milk from cows not treated with rBGH. The FDA has said there is no significant difference between milk from cows treated with rBGH and untreated cows. No test can now distinguish between milk from treated and untreated cows.
Cultured pasteurized grade a organic milk, pasteurized organic cream, stabilizer (organic tapioca starch, organic guar gum, organic locust bean gum), microbial enzymes, vitamin a palmitate.
Contains milk ingredients. Produced in a facility that processes eggs and soy.


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On this Father's Day Sunday in America the world of pro wrestling/sports entertainment had a week that most father's would likely cringe at for both TNA and WWE. Later today TNA offers up 'Slammiversary' and WWE finally exhaled with regards to The Authority vacating the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
On Monday night the prognosis for Daniel Bryan's health as he recovers from his recent neck surgery obviously took a turn for the worse with him not appearing on Raw as The Authority of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon stripped him of the WWE World titles. Now at the end of the month at 'Money In The Bank" the ladder match normally for the briefcase will be fore the vacated titles. More matches occurred on both Raw and Smackdown to have superstars qualify for a shot at the titles. Right now five man are entered: Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro and U.S. Champ Sheamus. Also on Raw we saw the "new" Seth Rollins as a member of Evolution plus an odd team up as John Cena tagged with The Shield to defeat all three members of the Wyatt Family.
Thursday night on Impact, TNA finalized there plans and card for 'Slammiversary' on Sunday night. As Eric Young was able to win two of the three matches he had with Kenny King, Bobby Lashley and MVP he was able to name a stipulation for his TNA World title match versus MVP. He made the match tonight a steel cage contest in the hopes of keeping out King and Lashley. Apparently though things have changed for the Main Event as MVP will no longer be in the match and the winners of the matches between Samoa Joe versus Bobby Lashley and Austin Aries versus Kenny King will be added to make it a triple threat for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. The TNA Knockout Champion Angelina Love found out who will be her challenger for the title on the pay-per-view as Gail Kim emerged from a triple threat versus Madison Rayne and Brittany to contend for the title.
We are unsure why there was a last minute change to the TNA World title match at 'Slammiversary' tonight, possibly an injury to MVP, or perhaps part of the ongoing storyline between MVP and TNA President Dixie Carter? When that information come to light we will share it with you of course.Tags: Daniel Bryan, Dixie Carter, Eric Young, MVP, Slammiversary, TNA, World Heavyweight Championship, World Title, Wrestling, WWE


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Total Hairspiration: The Best Celebrity Bangs
Good bangs can make all the difference between having just-okay hair and a totally amazing 'do. When "banging," you really need to consider both the shape of your face and how you want your hair to interact with your cheekbones. Not every face can carry off every bang. Accordingly, we've provided some fringe inspiration to make sure that you get the most "bang" for your haircut buck.


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James Blunt has split from his model lover Petra Nemcova.
It is surely sad to say, but James Blunt and Petra Nemcova have ended their romance.
A source told Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper, "Rumors got back to Petra that James had been partying with loads of gorgeous girls in Ibiza over the summer. They had a huge row during London Fashion Week last month and now it is all over."
Detailing on what happens between the pair, it is said that Blunt has infuriated the beautiful Czech model after allegedly cheating on her with a string of girls, including Australian TV presenter Tania Zaetta.
Though Blunt is desperate to work things out with Petra, the 27-year-old model indeed is unsure whether she can trust him again. "She's agreed to meet him a couple of times to try to work things out but it isn't looking good", the source added.


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Wed 20th Aug 2014 | News
Mixamo, Inc announced today that it has launched a brand new pricing strategy geared to meet the needs of animators and studios at every level. The new strategy includes more affordable pay-per-use pricing for Mixamo's services, as well as three cost-effective and flexible pricing tiers, called "Starter", "Indie" and "All Access". The new pricing goes into effect immediately and can be viewed on the Mixamo pricing page.
"Our mission is to democratize 3D character creation by making it more accessible to artists at every skill level. However, our community kept giving us feedback that our pricing wasn't as accessible as our technology," said Stefano Corazza, CEO of Mixamo. "So we embarked on a months-long pricing analysis and polled over ten thousand customers. The result is a new pricing strategy that is far more flexible and provides pricing levels that meet the needs of our growing and diverse user base."
In addition to paying for Mixamo's services on a "pay-per-use" basis, the new pricing strategy consists of three main pricing tiers.
Pay per Use - Some Mixamo users just want to purchase one animation or one session of auto rigging. Those prices have now been reduced and simplified, lowering the per use cost of Mixamo's services and making them easier to understand.
Starter - Starting at $25/month or $250/year, this brand new pricing level targets beginning animators and new users of Mixamo's services. It includes five animations per month, access to the entry level character creator software Fuse Basic, unlimited auto rigging of Fuse characters, and a free 15-day trial of Mixamo's facial animation software Face Plus.
Indie - This mid-tier pricing gives animators 10 animations per month, the full-featured Fuse character creator, unlimited auto rigging of Fuse characters, and full access to Face Plus and Mixamo's level of detail (LOD) services, Decimator and Skeleton.
All Access - While not new, this pricing level has been re-designed from top to bottom. In addition to everything offered in the Indie package, All Access includes 50 animations/month, unlimited auto rigging, and premium support. It costs $150/month or $1500/year. If users sign up for the yearly plan, there is no cap on the number of animations they can access.
Mixamo's animation service is designed to save animators time and money by making it easier to model, rig and animate 3D characters. The new pricing adds even more savings into the process. While exact savings may differ depending on the complexity of a given project, animators can expect to save hours in rigging alone using the Auto Rigger, and even more time using Mixamo's easy-to-use character creator software Fuse and/or it's pre-made animations. Even advanced animators using Autodesk® Maya® or 3ds Max® can import their models into Mixamo's auto-rigger and apply animations in a matter of minutes, rather than hours or even days.
The new pricing is available to anyone who signs up for a Mixamo account and is available starting today. Users can stop and start monthly payments at will, depending on the length of given projects.


text: The heat is on — the iPhone 4S is officially open for preorder on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint networks. Though there weren't many big upgrades (besides the amazing 8MP camera, the bump in processor speed, and the impressive Siri voice assistant application), these babies will probably still sell like hotcakes. Given the fact that the latest device was announced just hours before Steve Jobs passed away, I'd like to think that the iPhone 4S was called that as a tribute to the man himself. iPhone 4Steve has a nice ring to it.


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FUN times on the Fantasy: Carnival Fantasy Cruise Review by mguernsey
Overall Member Rating
FUN times on the Fantasy
Destination: Bahamas
Embarkation: Charleston
We are a family of six. Our ages are two adults, 14, 12, 10 and 5. Because of our large crew we had to book two staterooms. This ship does not offer family suites that can accommodate more than five as other cruise lines do, but the value makes it affordable.
Because the price of airfare is outrageous we decided to drive into Charleston from Michigan. Finding the ship was easy. You could see it from a mile away. Getting to it, however, was a different story. Do not trust your GPS. It will lead you to a museum. Finally, after driving some time through downtown Charleston, we saw signs that simply said "CRUISE" with arrows. We followed these signs and ended up in a huge More parking lot where our luggage was quickly taken out of our car and our passports were checked. We still didn't know if this was our cruise, but hoped so since our luggage was taken. We were then told that we couldn't park for another almost 2 hours. We left and got lost. After two hours we had to stop a police officer to ask where to go. We had no idea where to park. Finally we ended up back in the same place where we dropped our luggage off and were escorted to a huge warehouse where our car was to be parked for the duration of our cruise. This came with a price tag of $86. I guess this is a reasonable price considering parking in Chicago is that per day.
After parking we were bussed to the cruise terminal. A very short drive from the warehouse. We then waited in line at the cruise terminal for some time while our documents were checked again. This is where you get your sail and sign card(a magical card that you use for your identification, your room key and any purchases during your cruise.) You cannot use any other monetary forms once onboard. A word of wisdom to everyone. Be sure you keep track of what you are spending especially if you are on a budget. All funds do not come out of your account until several days AFTER your cruise. If you are using a debit card it would be super easy to overdraw your account.
After we received our room keys we went to our rooms to drop off our bags. We had rooms U130(an interior) and U80(a grand suite.) The interior was a cozy space. It had a large closet, a small bathroom with stand-up shower and enough room for three single beds. That's about it. Be sure to bring your own alarm clock. They do not provide a clock of any sort and when you are in an interior you have no idea what time of day it is. The interior was nothing special, but everyone hung out in the suite anyway. The Grand Suite was amazing! When you entered the small hallway there was a walk-in closet to your left and the bathroom to your right. This was a full size bathroom complete with Jacuzzi tub/shower combo. Pass the hallway was a large living space with a king sized bed, a large vanity, a sitting area with a pull out sleeper sofa, coffee table, side tables, arm chair, wet bar area stocked full of wine glasses. After that was the highlight of the suite… the balcony! The balcony was complete with three deck chairs and enough space for six to watch the scenery as we sailed away. The only complaint I have about this suite it that there was no alarm clock and there was only ONE useable plug in the entire room to charge a cell phone, kindle, Nintendo ds, iPod, fan, curling iron… the list goes on. Note to self… bring a power strip next cruise. You will be amazed with your room steward. These people work extra hard. I think they hide around the corner because as soon as you leave your room it is cleaned up like magic. I swear they have a magic wand or something. My steward called me by name the minute I walked into my room and asked me if I had any special requests. I asked for ice and he delivered it twice a day! Impressive!
Lunch on the Lido was just average. Your normal grill items with a Mongolian Wok. The same throughout the cruise. They did add some different items to the buffet on a daily basis though to change it up a bit, but it was still a basic mass produced buffet. The deli was pretty good with simple sandwiches and the pizza was just ok. You had to wait quite a while if you wanted anything other than cheese and pepperoni. The buffet closes at 3pm, so the only options after that is either pizza or room service until dinner time.
We ate in the main dining room every night. This was the highlight of our cruise. The staff was exceptional! I cannot say enough positive things about our servers Maximo and Deddy! They knew us by name and treated us better than we have ever been treated in even the most finest of establishments. Maximo and Deddy anticipated our every need. They knew to bring chocolate milk to the boys and a martini to me as soon as we sat down. They knew our 5 year old was a picky eater and would not even think of a children's menu. They treated us as if we were royalty. For our 5 year old they took time and made her little oragami' and napkin animals that she treasures. She felt like a true princess when they catered to her. She even cried the last night of our cruise because she didn't know who was going to cut her steak when we got home. As for the food… excellent. We tried things such as shark and alligator. Everything was presented so artfully. We almost hated to eat our masterpieces.
Breakfast at the buffet was just ok. The waffles were right from the package and cold(I actually witnessed this.) The only thing good was the omelette station. Seaday brunch at the main dining room was great. I wish they offered this every day. There were some very creative dishes. The best was room service for breakfast. Have your marked selections hanging on your door by 5am and they bring you what you wish at the exact time you choose. Be sure to order the bagel with smoked salmon. Delicious!
Room service had simple fare. Bring dollars to tip the staff. The taste bar was a nice addition. The ship map kept telling us there was a sushi bar, but to our disappointment we couldn't find it.
The ship itself was rather small, but you could still find areas to have an intimate conversation. Cats lounge was festive with its décor, Cleopatra's lounge was quiet and comfortable. There were three main bar areas and all were packed with the partiers. I purchased the Cheers program which was kind of convienient for me. You are allowed 15 alcoholic beverages with unlimited soda every day of your cruise(about $280 with taxes and gratuity.)I tried to drink my allotted beverages, but couldn't. It was well worth it though.
The ONLY pool, other than the adults only pool was VERY small. There were 2 hot tubs. One of them was literally packed with 36 children. I counted. My kids refused to swim because they said the pool smelled of urine. The 2 waterslides were average. Splash park very small. Miniature golf course was nice. Ping pong was a favorite with the boys. The only upsetting thing was there was no basketball court which the boys were looking forward to.
The dance club was fun, and the shows were amazing. Comedy club was a blast. The only bad thing is that some of the more major activities overlap each other. If you went to the late show you were missing the adult comedy show, etc. Activities on board were not that exciting unless you like art auctions and watch sales. That is most of what they offer. Bingo was overpriced ($20 per card most often) and you even had to pay to enter a raffle for a free cruise. I do have to say that our last day at sea was a COMPLETE bore. The shows were re-ran. There were not many other activities other than, you guessed it, last minute art and watch sales. We didn't do much except for stay in our state room and pack. Yawn!
The kids clubs were hit or miss with the kids. The 5 year old absolutely loved Camp Carnival and the 12 year old loved Circle C. Our 10 year old was in that age group where he was still in Camp Carnival but is not the type that wants to do art activities or listen to story time. He did participate in dodgeball though, but that is it. Our 14 year old(a few weeks until she turns 15) was still in Circle C. She absolutely hated this. She was stuck in a group with a ton of immature 12 year olds and was miserable. We tried to get her into Club O2 and this was possible, but she was completely turned off so she stuck with us the ENTIRE time. Yay! No adult alone time for us… ugh. The kids should have to take a test or something for placement. Carnival should not assume that just because a kid is 10 he wants to do 10 year old things. These kids have lived a little and are not accustomed to activities in their age group.
As for the shore excursions we did an all inclusive beach day in Freeport and an island beach day in Nassau. See the Carnival website for full review of these excursions.
All in all it was a great trip. Again, the service is unbeatable. If you are looking at a cruise for your next vacation do yourself a favor and spend a little more for a suite. You will not regret this. Of course, book with Carnival. Your FUN awaits! Less
Published 05/23/14
Cabin review:
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Folks – Just around the corner is the famous MAX conference aka Adobe MAX 2008. I have to admit this is by far the one event I can't miss even as a Adobe employee. It's an amazing place to collab and learn new techniques you never knew possible. I love feeling the energy and excitement from everyone that attends the conference and since its in San Francisco there is no telling what will happen! There will be over 200 sessions and 50 labs + plus pre-event labs…phew I hope I can maintain during this event. 🙂
On the plus side for me at least the convention center is only a couple blocks away from my casa. I was thinking of throwing a Fireworks party (with no "real" fireworks people) if anyone is interested and wants to hang out with Fireworkers.
Get your reservation now, dont wait! I know a lot of you will wait till the last minute and then realize its too late. (slackers!)
Adobe MAX 2008


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Aveda All-Sensitive Moisturizer Reviews
Great For Sensitive skinThe only reason for the 9 instead of a 10 is the price and I had to go out of my way to a salon to buy it. But I have very reactive skin so finding a cleanser that doesn't cause my face and neck to break out is hard. No perfumes, no dyes. — 8 years, 4 months agoleo1999 | 678 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 1 people said helpful
Old formula was betterI used this years ago, and find the new formula isn't as moisturizing and seems watered down. Too expensive for body use! — 3 years, 1 month agoNotJustGingerly | 143 reviews
Good, but not that great for dry skinI'm not sure that this lotion gives enough for the skin to drink up for those of us with pretty severely dry skin. It's great that it doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy, etc, but i'm also left putting on a ton and still feeling itchy afterwards. It has no dye and no strong fragrance so that is good but not for me. — 4 years, 1 month agoFemme | 23 reviews
Thanks to a hotel!I tried this the first time as a sample left in my hotel room. Feels great/not greasy. I especially like it on my legs, as they get dry and itchy. The fragrance could be improved, however, I realize this is meant to be for sensitive (allergic) skin. My boyfriend (so, it's good that it's not fragrant) likes it too. — 8 years, 3 months agoPussykat | 43 reviews
feels lushiousThis stuff feels so nice on your skin! I use a acne cream first (clinique) and let that dry and then smooth this over my face it feels just like a nice cooling moisturizing treatment. I use much heavier moisturizer at night but this is wonderful for the day time. I love everything about this (except i wish it came with built in sun screen but I don't think it could be "all-sensitive" then because I'm sure someone is allergic! — 8 years, 7 months agotamzzy | 37 reviews
Not all-sensitiveMy skin must be hyper-sensitive because this product burned the first time I applied it. After I got over the searing pain, I found out that it doesn't moisturize as well as I thought it would. — 9 years, 3 months agoflycasual | 21 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 2 of 2 people said helpful
priceyI love this moisturizer. It works great with my oily skin, but at $32 a bottle, can't always afford it. — 9 years, 4 months agoluvwii | 25 reviews
decent moisturizer!I would have to say for oily skin this works nicely. It doesnt make your skin less shiny but it is water based so its good for combination skin. The only draw back is sometimes I have to layer it for a little more moisture, and the smell isnt the most pleasant. But if you want a dewey, non pore clogging moisturizer this is worth a try. — 9 years, 4 months agomakeuplover25 | 34 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
If you have acne !This is the best. Pure, unsented, and wont clog your pores. Works wonders — 9 years, 6 months agosnivle77 | 3 reviews
Lightweight for sensitive skinThis is a good lightweight lotion for sensitive skin, however, it didn't moisturize as good as I would like. — 9 years, 6 months agogypsy58 | 11 reviews
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 7/6/2013 (1534 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A decade ago, Lizzie Shumba set out to convince farmers in northern Malawi changing what they grew on their small plots of land would directly benefit the health of their children.
Now she has proof planting soybeans, groundnuts and other legumes -- and introducing them into the local diet -- has reduced child malnutrition by two-thirds in the catchment area of the Ekwendeni Hospital, which serves about 75,000 people.
"Now our children are healthy and they are no longer admitted" to hospital for malnutrition, explains Shumba, program coordinator for the Soils, Food and Healthy Communities Program in Malawi by telephone from Toronto.
Shumba visits Winnipeg next week for a two-day international conference on fighting world hunger, organized by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Christian relief and development organization.
The conference also includes a free public event addressing the question, "How will the world feed nine billion people?" (Thursday, June 13, 7:30 p.m., at Elim Chapel, 546 Portage Ave.)
By 2050, the world population is projected to increase to nine billion, up from the current seven billion.
"We want to have a conversation about three approaches that make a real difference in terms of hunger," explains organizer Stuart Clark about the public event.
Projects like the one in Malawi, which began in a hospital catchment area of 600-square kilometres and now has spread to neighbouring jurisdictions, demonstrate hunger and malnutrition can be solved from the ground up, says Jim Cornelius of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which supported the Soil, Food, and Healthy Communities program in the southeast African country.
"Most of the progress in reducing hunger in the world is the result of actions being taken by national governments and their own citizens," he says. "The solution to hunger is two things: a livelihood and a social safety net system."
An estimated 800 million people in the world deal with food shortages and malnutrition, but the prevalence of hunger is still significantly less than when the food bank was first conceived by the Mennonite Central Committee in the mid-1970s.
"This is not a hopeless cause," he says, pointing to statistics showing about 16 per cent of the world population deals with hunger, down from 38 per cent 40 years ago. "The possibility of ending global hunger is realistic, but it's not inevitable."
In 1983, the MCC invited other churches to join them in addressing world hunger. Now 15 church agencies representing 32 Canadian denominations are involved in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Over the years, getting food to hungry people has changed due to technology, says Cornelius. Gone are the days when the organization shipped grain donated by Canadian farmers directly to hungry people halfway around the world. The organization still accepts Canadian-grown commodities, but it converts those donations into cash so their international partners can purchase food on site.
"We used to joke that it would be nice if we could just email the food," Cornelius says. "We're not far away from making (electronic) transfers to people who need it through their cellphones."
What hasn't changed in three decades is the willingness of Canadian Christians to support the organization, which used its $40-million budget last year to feed two million people in 37 countries.
"It still goes back to the Old Testament principles of setting aside some of your land for the poor and hungry," says Cornelius. "We're still about sharing."


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Blog Reboot
Posted on March 23rd, 2010 (07:03 pm)
I'm going back and forth with what to do with my webspace. Now that I have a steady job that (barring county wide layoffs) I can't conceive of leaving I no longer feel compelled to fight for my page rank on google in order to look relevant to any tech-savvy employers I might apply to. Also, since everyone I know is on facebook, that's become my primary forum for making a fool of myself.
Need ideas...


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BrockmeierThe Brockmeier Piano Company was established in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1908. Their factory was located at 199-203 Canal Street. The Brockmeier Piano Company offered a line of upright pianos, player pianos, and baby grand pianos during the first quarter of the 20th Century. The firm was known for building good quality, durable instruments. In addition to building pianos under the Brockmeier name, the firm also built organs and pianos under the 'Moreland' brand name. The firm went out of business before 1930 due to the Great Depression.
Brockmeier Piano Advertisement Early 20th Century Advertisement For The Brockmeier Piano Company, Circa 1915