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In September 2011, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson sued five out-of-state companies for making predatory payday loans; charging higher fees and interest rates than allowed by Minnesota law. These companies operated over the Internet using marketing slogans to lure consumers in tight financial straits.
Several months later, however, two other payday lenders that also charge higher rates and fees than Minnesota law generally allows are still openly advertising online with similar slogans.
These two lenders are U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo, which are both federally chartered banks. Banks argue that national bank pre-emption standards permit national banks to override state law in this circumstance. Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank both directly engage in predatory payday lending, charging vulnerable customers annual percentage rates (APRs) of up to 365 percent interest.
A new report released by Minnesotans for a Fair Economy details these predatory lending practices and their effect on consumers in Minnesota:
"Payday lenders don't consider whether the person can repay a loan before approving it. There are no credit checks. As long as someone has an ID, bank account and source of income, they can get a loan. Payday lenders profit most when consumers are unable to repay their loans.
"Most customers can't afford to repay the whole loan in just a few weeks, and if the payday lender deposits their check, it will bounce, costing the customer even more in fees. So instead of incurring bounced-check fees, the customer agrees to renew the loan and just pays the interest, or takes out a new loan to pay off the old one, leading to a cycle of debt that can last for months or even years.
"Just 15 percent of payday loan customers take out just one loan, and the average payday loan customer is indebted for more than half the year."
Predatory Payday Lending in Minnesota: How U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo Hurt Consumers with 'Cash Fast' Loans
The full report is available for download by clicking here. If you or someone you know has had a payday lending experience with U.S. Bank or Wells Fargo, we'd like to hear your story. Take a moment and fill out this form.
For more information about payday lending practices, visit the Center for Responsible Lending.


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THIS IS WHY EBAY CAN SUCK...I won this cape on ebay from Rick Foutch from MI..triple_a_auctions is his ebay ID..This guy is what gives ebay a bad name..Here is his auction item description<><><><>A1 cape! Everyone knows what a whitetail cape looks like so I didn't take a picture. Plus I didn't want to unthaw it just to take a picture and put the cape at risk, because it would have to be froze again, then you would unthaw it and the less time its out of the freezer the better. ANYWAY THIS IS AN AWESOME CAPE! It is-- 8 x 26x 28--- no holes and it has long northern hair from this hunting season.it is frozen and will be shipped that way.There will be 25.00 charge shipping 2 day. I would mount this myself but Im going into realestate and I just dont have time. Good luck bidding <><><><><><><><><><>Well I recieved it Thursday,1ST thing I noticed was the shipping,I paid $25.00 for 2nd day ,he sent ground and he paid $11.73..I knew right then I was in for a reaming..2ND thing it smelled sour and the skin was real rubbery,no kind of tan I ever saw..I cut into some thick spots and you could see it wasn't completely tanned if it really was..3RD, "NO HOLES" right there in black & white he say's "NO HOLES" I wonder what cape was he referring to ? Holes every where,15 stichable holes,some 2 inches long, 4TH, no tucking skin at all for the eyes & nose,very little around mouth,cuts all through the lips and chin area..Some of the one eye was shaved down below the lids..5TH, ear notched bad,no biggy ,kind of neat,old wound.."BUT" ear was never turned before the so-called tan,the other ear was fine except only half turned..6TH, hair was as poor as it could get,both sides of brisket very thin/rubbed hair..Right shoulder has what looks like reed shaved hair,looks like hell..I had emailed him several times during auction with some questions and even after I won about the money order and not one reply..I took a chance and sent the money figureing he might be away..All payment info was listed in auction..It's a shame ,the only awesome thing about the cape was the size..Yea I know I should of known with that "NO PICTURE" description..Now Mr.Foutch will not answer emails.."COMMON METHOD WITH LYING LOSERS"
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Just being a dumb ole hillbilly, to me laying something out to thaw, means it will be soft and workable.
Ad the prefix UN, that means to me to freezer as Un makes the word have an opposite meaning.
So to thaw would be to remove from the freezer.
UNthaw means to freeze. Un freeze is there such a word, or would it be unfreeze
You should know better with such a low feedback rating that this guy has! PLUS he already had negatives. You buy and sell on eBay more than I do (so far...lol), I NEVER NEVER buy from someone that has more than 1 negative (everyone can make a mistake). Plus I don't usually buy from a less than 200 feedback, tho that sometimes doesn't make a difference.
Better luck next time?
Take care!
"Unthaw" is much the same as a "Hot Water Heater." If the water is hot, why would you need a heater? Correct term is "Water Heater."
Just another 'dumb hillbilly's' observation.... =)
Earl, first I would like to say sorry to here about your ordeal. I dont know Ken or how to get a hold of him but hopefully this will get to him. My question is this could'nt he put in a new heading in the categories section like "Questionables Alert" or something like this, it sure seems to me it might help some of us from getting burned, want to buy something not sure about the person check the questionable. I know yours happened on e-bay but it still be put on here. Maybe this would help. Kevin
P.S. I know it would be diffucult but with the good people of the forum to help with it we could make it work.
That's why I don't buy capes on ebay, I have my sources that I have kept for years, and I buy from them straight out, I tell them this is what I want and how much is it ? one good source for capes is Midwest taxidermy 605-336-1459 or Brunko taxidermy he advertises in Breakthrough, you won't ger cheated there.
No mater how flat the pancake is there is always two sides.
Earl give us the item # so, i mit take a look.
I don't like to get taken either.
$177 Ouch, thanks for the heads up on this guy. I saw this auction and read His description prior to the close. Was leery of no PIC and His feedback so I stayed away. Like Gopher said it would be a good idea to have a Bad Dealer list for everyone to check for sales on this net. Sorry You got burned Rick (PS Not RICK FOUTCH)

subset: commoncrawl


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PHP-Nuke Installation Tutorial
How to Install PHP-Nuke
Installing PHP-Nuke manually is a little bit harder than the Fantastico Auto-Installer procedure. It involves downloading of the source tarball, configuring the application and importing a MySQL database.
Creating a subdirectory and a database for PHP-Nuke
First, let us prepare your account for the installation. We will need a directory where PHP-Nuke files will be uploaded and a database, where it will store its data.
Step 1 Create a directory for the PHP-Nuke files.
To create a new directory, please follow our CPanel -> FileManager tutorial.
If you would like manually to install phpNuke in the main directory of your website (and not in a subfolder), all you need to do is to upload phpNuke files in the public_html folder of your account.
Step 2 Create a MySQL database and a user.
Second, let us create the database and the user for phpNuke. Please, follow the instruction in the MySQL database and user tutorial and create a database for the PHP-Nuke installation. For example, you can call it nuke.
Your hosting account is now prepared for the PHP-Nuke installation.
Installing PHP-Nuke
Step 1 Download the PHP-nuke files.
We should now obtain the script files and upload them to your account. PHP-Nuke official web site is located at http://www.phpnuke.org and we are going to download the latest PHP-Nuke release from there. Here is a direct link to the latest source tarball:
Visit the page and download the latest zip file containing the phpNuke files. Once downloaded, please unzip it using any archive program (such as WinZip or WinRar) somewhere on your computer. This will create 3 different directories: 'html', 'sql' and 'upgrades'.
Step 2 Config.php
The phpNuke files reside under the 'html' directory, but before uploading them we will need to change the database configuration values in the 'config.php' file. To do so, please open the 'config.php' file inside the 'html' directory using your favorite text editor (preferably NotePad) and locate the following 4 lines:
$dbhost = "localhost";$dbuname = "root";$dbpass = "";$dbname = "nuke";
You should change them to reflect your newly created database and username. Change the words between the quotations with the right values.
$dbhost = "localhost";$dbuname = "username_nuke";$dbpass = "yourpass";$dbname = "username_nuke";
Step 3 Upload the PHP-Nuke files.
After you have modified the 'config.php' file and added the correct values, please save the file in the same directory and overwrite the previous one.
Now we should upload the PHP-Nuke files. This can be easily done using any FTP client program. You can check our FTP tutorial here.
Step 4 Populate the MySQL database.
Meanwhile, we will populate the database we have created earlier. Please, open CPanel -> phpMyAdmin tool and a new page will load. Please, select the database you have created from the drop-down menu at the left-hand side and wait for the right side of the screen to update. Once fully loaded, click on the 'Import' tab and then on the Browse button. This will open a file upload browser window. Please, navigate to the 'sql' directory, which comes with the phpNuke archive file and which we have previously extracted on your local computer. There should be only one file called nuke.sql. Double click on it and then click on the Go button. The process might take up to several minutes to complete and at the end you should see 'Import has been successfully finished' confirming that the procedure was completed successfully.
To finalize the installation and create the administrative user, please go to your admin.php page. In your case this will be either http://www.yourdomainame.com/subfolder/admin.php or http://www.yourdomainame.com/admin.php. Fill in the form and submit it:
You have successfully installed PHP-Nuke on your account.
lease, note that as of February 2006, for the latest official releases of PHP-Nuke you will be charged an appropriate fee. Learn more here.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/5/2013 (1548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Value Partners Investments has hit the big time.
The Winnipeg-based mutual fund company hit $1 billion in assets under management last week, and while such a threshold won't send the banks or insurance giants running for cover, it's a significant milestone for any firm that doesn't call Bay Street home.
The seven-and-a-half-year-old firm has seen its assets double in slightly more than three years in a market that has been far from smooth. It also has 115 advisers across the country, up from 50 six years ago.
VPI believes it can build on its Winnipeg success, too. Steve Norton, its director of research, said the company is looking at acquiring some property out East and hiring some talent to spread the good word.
"We're not flashy and we're not complicated. We're looking to expand and take the Winnipeg spirit further east," he said.
Value Partners has a different model and approach than most firms. The owners, who are a combination of advisers and employees, invest their own money alongside that of VPI's clients.
And that's one of the key success drivers, according to president Gregg Filmon.
"(Our advisers) were tired of being sold products and not being inside the tent for the decision-making process on how their clients were going to be treated," he said.
Filmon is optimistic VPI's assets will continue to grow, as it has a credible investment track record.
"We invest in businesses that are tough to compete with, tough to copy and that pay a growing stream of profits out to their owners," Filmon said.
In a highly consolidated industry, there will always be opportunities for smaller companies to provide a higher level of service and differentiate themselves from the giants, he said.
"I think we have a tremendous opportunity to provide a different experience," he said.
Norton is quick to note VPI's executive team measures itself by more important metrics than assets under management.
"We're more concerned with how much money have our clients made. You can have a $20-billion firm but if you haven't made anybody any money, none of it matters," he said.
Norton said in addition to being a coming-of-age number, $1 billion is also when you start to attract attention from potential suitors. VPI has had its tires kicked by a number of would-be buyers but when they asked if the company is for sale, they have been quickly rebuffed.
"No," Norton said firmly.
Charlie Spiring, vice-chairman of National Bank Financial, said he sees some of the same spunk at VPI his team at Wellington West Capital had for nearly two decades until it was sold to NBF two years ago. In particular, he likes the company's share-ownership model.
"I'm a big fan. They've done well and when you consider the market environment they've been up against the last couple of years, they've done very well," he said.


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A BASINGSTOKE woman is set to take up the challenge of walking 500 miles across three months to raise money to start up a partnership which will provide inspirational events for charities.
Karen Hodgson is aiming to walk 500 miles from May until August in order to raise the funds which will be used to pay for running costs of Inspirational Events Basingstoke.
Inspirational Events Basingstoke is an event management partnership which aims to organise events for charities to raise vital funds.
The 47-year-old said: "I do a lot of walking for charity and came up with the idea of doing so many miles until August. I am asking people to donate £1 per mile."
If you would like to sponsor Karen, contact her by email on firstname.lastname@example.com.


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BAEN Free Library - Harrington series
View Single Post
Posts: 114
Karma: 195
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Victoria BC, Canada
Device: Cybook Gen3
Originally Posted by
For fantasy from the free library try
Oath of Swords
by David Weber and
Lord of the Isles
by David Drake.
Regarding Erikson- I've read the two Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas and plan to read Gardens of the Moon soon. I sure wish the series was available in ebook form. Maybe Tor will offer Gardens as one of their promotional titles.
Wow, I can't imagine reading the novellas without having read the books! If you liked them at all I would definitely recommend the novels.
That being said, the first one is a little hard to get into, but it's worth toughing out. Erikson just kinda throws you in there and doesn't give you much background info on what's going on, and you have to figure out how magic etc works just by fitting things together on your own.
The neat thing about the series is that things are very often not what they seem, and even when you think you fully understand something you often find out otherwise a couple books later. There are also some very charming characters, although Erikson doesn't develop them quite as well in the early books.
Anyways folks, thanks for all your suggestions so far! I have a big long list written up, and lots of reading to do
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Thierry Neuville has expressed his disappointment after he had to retire from Rallye Monte Carlo
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Thierry Neuville has expressed his disappointment after he had to retire from Rallye Monte Carlo.
Neuville had begun the opening round in the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship strongly on Wednesday and following SS3 was fifth overall and the lead M-Sport driver.
However in the next and final test of the day he damaged the front wheel on his Qatar WRT-run Fiesta RS WRC when he clipped a deep rut. The 24-year-old was unable to continue and with no Rally 2/SupeRally on this event, he won't be able to re-start.
"We were working really hard to try and find a good rhythm and finish the rally. We were following the line on SS4 but there was a big cut and we knocked the wheel slightly against the side" Neuville recounted.
"We continued but something did not feel right at all. We stopped to check what was wrong and the front-left wheel had been damaged. Unfortunately we were not able to fix it.
"Obviously this is very frustrating for us as we were quite happy with the pace and running in a really good position [fifth place].
"Yes, this is a difficult rally and these things happen, but it is very disappointing for me."
M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson meanwhile was philosophical about the Belgian's retirement, although he still believes his other drivers - namely Neuville's team-mate, Juho Hanninen and Qatar M-Sport WRT duo Mads Ostberg and Evegny Novikov - can do well.
"There has certainly been some drama today. Sadly we lost Thierry on the last stage [SS4] while he was going well, which was obviously disappointing. But if you look at the time differences inside the top-ten, you would have to say that anything is still possible," Wilson confirmed.


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Posted by zroger on
This project is not covered by Drupal's security advisory policy.
This module provides per-language access control for creating and updating nodes by adding a list of checkboxes for each available language to the user add/edit form (only visible to users with 'administer users' permission). These language permissions are combined with the normal user permissions to give more fine-grained access control.
- When creating new content, the language select box will only contain those languages that a user has permissions for.
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Use at your own risk! It may have publicly disclosed vulnerabilities.
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Development version: 6.x-1.x-dev updated 23 Sep 2011 at 22:05 UTC


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Fears that consumers are reining in their spending ahead of Christmas were fuelled today after it emerged that sales volumes failed to rebound last month.
A predicted return to growth did not materialise, with official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealing flat sales volumes between October and November.
It comes after a much-worse-than-expected drop in October when retail sales volumes fell 0.8% month on month.
The CBI said yesterday that sales for the Christmas season had been "below par" as families try to make their budgets stretch as far as possible.
Excluding fuel, the ONS figures showed the total value of sales was up 2.5% in November compared with a year ago, below inflation of 2.7% in the same period.
The ONS said new models of tablet computers drove a 3.8% boost for household goods stores, but this failed to offset a 0.1% drop in food sales.
Clothes and shoes sales were also down by 0.1%, with department stores also seeing sales volumes fall.
But the ONS estimated that the proportion of retail sales online increased by 1.4% between October and November, with the average weekly spend in November at £711 million.
Across all retailing an estimated £7.3 billion was spent weekly in November, around the same as last year.
James Knightley, analyst at ING Bank, said the headline growth figure was a disappointing outcome following a decent bounce in consumer confidence in November. He expects overall GDP to be flat in the fourth quarter.
British Retail Consortium director-general Helen Dickinson, said the figures suggested that Christmas shoppers were slow out of the blocks as pressures on budgets and the outlook left people reluctant to commit to spending early.
But she said there were signs that shopper numbers had been building at a respectable pace throughout December, especially in recent weeks.
She said: "With Christmas falling on a Tuesday this year, this weekend will be the critical one - I'm expecting a last-minute rush but overall in sales terms it will be neither a bumper Christmas nor a disaster."


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Anastasia Brow Powder Duo Reviews
Best Brow Powder!I have used brow powders, pencils, you name it, but nothing worked well. I bought an entire Anastasia kit, and I LOVE it! This powder is perfect, but I would suggest having her applicator brush and spool as well. It is great to have 2 colors, they blend perfectly! I have had mine forever and it's still not even half used! — 6 years, 4 months agocat1110 | 12 reviews
Love this!The best brow product I've ever used. It has great staying power and having two colors lets you customize your shade. Very natural looking! — 6 years, 5 months agolorif631 | 20 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
DepthI like the two different colors that the Anastasia Brow Duo has to offer, it gives depth to the brow. The quality of the product is great, a little bit spendy but I have not found anything that I like better. The product did live up to its claims. I can wear the brow all day long without worrying about it smudging and it looks natural. — 6 years, 8 months agoJMW123 | 4 reviews
don't get itI just don't get what all the fuss is about. Made my brows look weird, like they were painted on. (yes it was applied with a brow brush) Maybe it is good if you have superthin brows to begin with, otherwise you'll look like two caterpillars. I'll stick to using a mascara wand. — 7 years, 2 months agorockhopper | 83 reviews
PerfectNatural looking brow filler. Lasts FOREVER. Simply perfect. I will never use a pencil again! FYI--I use this with the angled brow brush from this set and its perfect: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P211911 — 6 years, 11 months agoaleiknes | 6 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 2 of 2 people said helpful
Most natural brow product everI got a sample of this and fell in love. I never used brow products before because they always looked fake and awful. I bought a $3 brow brush/spoolie and apply it with the brush. I "spoolie" my brows afterward to groom and blend. Perfection! My 52 year old eyebrows, which are getting sparse, are filled in with natural looking color. It perks up my face and draws attention to my eyes....read more Since my hair is medium brown, I use the lighter shade in the brunette compact. I can also use the darker shade of the ash blonde color--both blend, both look like they belong. They powder stays put and doesn't smear either. Soft, natural and long lasting. Incredible! — 7 years, 6 months agobrendabee | 9 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 1 people said helpful
nothing new under the suni originally loved the concept of two co-ordinating shades next to each other in a tiny compact with a mirror, then i got to thinking-what's the point if the formulation and even the product is ordinary? there is no such thing as special brow powder- any matte, highly pigmented brown shades will do. add the $20+ price and the poor to average staying power of the powder and it's a pass. in fact, th...read moree whole anastasia line is just clever marketing when you think about it. brow products are nothing unique, just perhaps convenient. — 7 years, 12 months agolissasioux | 44 reviews
Do you like to fill in your brows easily?I really love the Anastasia Brow Pencil because it is easy to use. On a whim I decided to try the brow powder and found that it is a lot easier to use then I thought! I usually mix the two shades together and have found that is a perfect match to my hair. It takes no longer to use than the Brow Pencil but gives a different finish. Love it! — 8 years agoWhosethefairest | 1 reviews
Not the best color for ethnic beautiesI have thin, dark (black) eyebrows. I tried this product because my girlfriends use it. It looks great on them. In fact, I barely noticed they had anything on. Perhaps if the colors were darker I'd be pleased. The browns looked quite fake with dark brows. — 8 years agoLady_in_Bloom | 60 reviews
Love the textureI just bought this a couple days ago, and wish I would have known about it sooner! I already have Anastasia brow gel in clear, which I love because it keeps my dark thick brows in check. But I absolutely love this product! Even though it is a powder, it goes on very creamy and very bendable. I use the lightest side of the medium palate and it gives my brows an instant shape - I got the recommended brow brush in #7 and it is perfect for application. — 8 years, 2 months agonikkimarie8 | 19 reviews
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Two federal agencies have agreed to re-think their approval of a sprawling East Bay development after a legal challenge from Bay Area environmentalists. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has suspended its permit authorizing construction of a luxury home and golf course development, known as the Blue Rock Country Club. Thursday all parties asked the Court to suspend litigation. The project is planned on 1,642 acres of oak woodland, grassland, and coastal scrub ecosystem on Walpert Ridge in the City of Hayward. The Corps' suspension of the permit will allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to re-assess the impacts of the development on the Alameda whipsnake and the California red-legged frog, both federally protected species. As previously approved, the Blue Rock County Club would have destroyed wetland habitat and imperiled both the whipsnake and the frog. The two federal agencies had signed off on the project but were brought back to the table after Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund challenged the adequacy of the protection for the species.
"This is a major victory for anyone who supports a more intelligent, less destructive way of accommodating growth in our communities," said Earthjustice attorney Deborah Reames.
The two federal agencies agreed to review the development under pressure from a lawsuit brought by Earthjustice and co-counsel Brendan Cummings on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity ("CBD") and the Hayward Area Planning Association ("HAPA").
"We asked the Court to send the Fish and Wildlife Service back to the drawing board to start over and to set aside the Army Corps' permit in the meantime," said CBD attorney Brenden Cummings, "and this is exactly what they agreed to do."
On November 14, 2000, Earthjustice filed suit challenging the Service's failure to provide legally mandated protections for the Alameda whipsnake and the California red-legged frog in its original assessment of the Blue Rock project. At the same time, Earthjustice issued a warning to the Army Corps that it, too, could face charges if it failed to review its decision to issue a dredge and fill permit to the developer. The development site is part of recently designated critical habitat, necessary for the survival of both the whipsnake and the frog. The dredge and fill permit would have allowed the developer to destroy some of the last wetlands in the East Bay hills.
"Federal agencies have a duty to protect endangered species and their habitats, without exception. In the case of Blue Rock, they failed badly," said Jeff Miller of CBD. "Protecting habitat helps protect the very quality of life we enjoy here in the Bay Area. This is a victory for all Bay Area residents."
Thursday, the parties formally agreed to suspend the litigation over Blue Rock, in light of the Army Corps' February 22, 2001 suspension of its permit allowing the developer, Hayward 1900, to "dredge and fill" wetlands on the site. The Corps of Engineers has also formally requested that the Fish and Wildlife Service revisit its earlier conclusions.
In April of 1999, the Service issued a draft biological opinion concluding that the project presented a serious, pervasive threat to the survival of both the frog and whipsnake. However, after a summer of political maneuvering by the developer, Service officials made a sudden about-face. In December of 1999, over the objections of their own biologists, Service officials decided that the project would not jeopardize the species or their habitats, and that the project could proceed. The reversal came after intense lobbying by the developer of the federal agencies which was revealed by materials that surfaced as a result of Freedom of Information Act requests. Thursday's stipulation puts the project on hold and allows the Service a final opportunity to re-think that decision. "Hopefully," said Reames, "this time the agencies will reach a final decision based on biology and not politics."
"The developer has plans for how threatened species should behave," said HAPA's Sherman Lewis. "The biologists of the Fish and Wildlife Service disagree. The evidence indicates that the snakes and the frogs just might not cooperate."
Deborah Reames, Earthjustice, (415) 627-6725
Jeff Miller, CBD, (510) 845-4675
Sherman Lewis, HAPA, (510) 538-3692
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.


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TLA 2013: Business Management
Anthony Ricco, vice president of demand marketing, Citrix Systems
The sales process is all about identifying the likeliest prospects and focusing on them, using a method called lead scoring to determine who to focus sales efforts on. Such scoring is based on human assumptions and gut checks by the sales and marketing staff -- an inherently biased method and a self-fulfilling prophecy: What sales says is a hot lead, it makes into a hot lead based on its past experience. But because people have different perspectives and emotions, there is no science to this method.
At virtualization vendor Citrix, Ricco wanted to apply science to the process of lead scoring, to determine objectively where the best prospects were for sales to focus its efforts on. He sponsored and funded a systematic approach to demand generation and predictive analytics. The effort built a finely tuned scoring model based on the marketing industry's knowledge of implicit and explicit variables and cumulative scoring. As a result of this data-driven analysis, Ricco's marketing group reduced the number of leads to sales by 12 percent, increased the number of marketing contacts by 23 percent (meaning more engagement per contact), increased the sales rate (conversion) by 31 percent, and decreased the go-nowhere interactions (deactivation) by 21 percent.
To optimize the scoring model, Ricco's team applied predictive analytics to the marketing database from the last three years and identified 327 potential factors of lead conversion. It then ran logistic regression on a random sample of more than 1 million unique contacts to build a highly predictive model. The final model includes about 60 predictors with their relative strength.
"We can optimize for the volume of leads that marketing should send to sales. We know the capacity of our sales reps, and beyond a certain number of leads it doesn't make sense to burden sales with additional leads. Knowing the number of qualified leads we're generating based on our lead flows enables us to see our staffing requirements and informs us when we need to grow the team," Ricco says.


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Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
Review by Meteor5160
"Whoa... this blew me away"
I never played a Battlefield game, but as soon as I saw the previews for this game, I instantly decided that it was time. As I waited and waited for BF2: MC, I slowly became skeptical. Should I still buy it? There were three games I wanted, including Battlefield 2, and I sure didn't want to waste my $50.
As you can tell, I bought BF2: MC, and I couldn't be happier.
For the amount of things happening in this game, everything looks wonderful. The environments are a bit bland, but who cares? Everything else looks nice, especially the weapons and explosions. On certain weapons, you can clearly see the RIS rails that are used to mount scopes, flashlights, etc. Very cool. Very realistic as well.
Graphics: 9/10
I play airsoft, which is like a more realistic form of paintball. I know what it's like to be shot at with high powered guns, to have the whizzing of projectiles past your head. BF2: MC simulates this quite well. I have no beef with the sound whatsoever. As for the music, well... I;m just to caught up in the game to notice it.
Sound: 10/10
Alright... a game can look beautiful, have a powerful musical score, but when it;s all boiled down, a game is only good if it's gameplay is amazing.
Although Battlefield isn't really original, it still is stunning. It takes just the right amount of hits to kill someone with an assault rifle... it's survivable if you're ambushed, but extremely fair. The best way I can explain it, is in comparison to Halo 2. In Halo, it;ll take A LOT of ammo with most guns to bring down an opponent, and sometimes, your opponent stands very little chance. For example, you have a Battle Rifle and they have an SMG. However, in Battlefield, everything seems more fair.
What's more, vehicles are awesome. They're a bit hard to control at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a second nature.
As for the classes, there are five. Special Ops, Support, Assault, Sniper, and Engineer. Each have their own pros and cons, and each are useful in their own way and in certain situations.
As for controls, they're pretty crappy in terms of configuration. But don't let that fool you, the game still rocks.
As for Xbox Live, I haven't tested this, but if it's anything like single player, trust me, it'll be awesome.
The one thing that does bother me, is that there's no rifle-butt attack.
Gameplay: 10/10
---Replay Value
With very fun single player, and what seems to be a spectacular form of multiplayer, I'm not putting this down until well after the 360 release.
Replay Value: 10/10
Simply put: this game is stunning, and is quite possibly the best shooter I have seen on Xbox this far. Seeing as how the Xbox is coming to a close, I doubt any game will compete with this one.
Overall: 10/10
---To Buy or Rent?
Buy, buy, buy! With so much replay value, and just so much kick-buttness, how could you not buy this? Commence operation buy this game! Move out, soldier!
Reviewer's Rating: 5.0 - Flawless
Originally Posted: 10/27/05
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Water Damage Portland OR
Water damage Portland OR can be devastating to a home, inside and out. ARS is the team you want to handle the situation in your life. If you have just suffered a water damage loss, we are here to guide you to restoration by helping you to stay safe, protect your assets, and by completely undoing the damage done by flooding. The process begins with content packouts then follows with water removal, then complete structural drying and dehumidifying. Bacteria grows rampantly in areas of water damage, especially when sewage is involved, so the next step is often sanitation. Water can be hard to get out of carpet, but with the right equipment, often it can be saved and restored to like new condition. Depending on the extent of the damage, tearouts, de-construction and then reconstruction may be necessary. The relieving factor in these situations is that insurance covers this work completely.
Follow our guide below if you are or have recently experienced a water flooding situation. Call us immediately for superior immediate assistance. We can walk you through the home owner claims process. Let our 50 years of experience serve you.
Water Damage Portland OR
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U.N. To Discuss Syrian Pipeline, Aid To Palestinians
Syrian officials assured the former chairman of the U.N. sanctions committee on Iraq that it has not been taking Iraqi oil exports through a restarted Iraqi-Syrian pipeline, U.N. diplomats said on January 8th.
Peter van Walsum, until this month the Dutch representative to the U.N. and the head of the sanctions committee on Iraq, had met with Syrian officials at the end of December 2000.
Syrian officials have continually denied importing Iraqi oil, despite reports from industry sources that Iraq had begun pumping 150,000 b/d through the line to Syria in November.
The sanctions committee had asked van Walsum to obtain Syria's official stance on the pipeline, and the committee is expected to discuss the issue when it meets next week.
U.S. and British diplomats have suggested that Syria would be allowed to import Iraqi oil through the pipeline provided that it is approved as a third export route for Iraqi crude and all sales are conducted under the U.N.-administered oil-for-food program.
Damascus has not requested that the pipeline be considered a valid export route under the program.
The U.N. sanctions committee is also expected to consider Iraq's proposal that some of its oil revenues be diverted to provide food and medicine for Palestinians.
France, Russia and China had backed the request, but the U.S. and the U.K. have blocked any serious discussion.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said in December that he had promised to give 1 billion Euros ($945 million) in aid to the Palestinians.
A French diplomat on the committee said that aid for the Palestinians should not come out of funds used to assist ordinary Iraqi citizens, but rather out of an account set up to compensate Kuwaitis and other victims of the 1991 Gulf War.
U.N. diplomats tell Oil Navigator™ that there is not a consensus within the council to allow revenue from within the oil-for-food program or the compensation fund to be directed to aiding the Palestinians.
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)


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Quote:I guess you have to lock that triangle on very quick to keep the other guy from simply passing it over his head and taking side control?Or maybe I am missing something about the guy on top's weight distribution on his arms? Looks like he could shift weight to the other arm (the arm on the guy on the bottom), and pass the leg over.
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|Page (1) of 1 - 05/09/12
|email article
|print page
FixMeStick Launches First Ever Consumer-Ready USB Device for Removing Computer VirusesPartnership with 3 anti-virus leaders and a separate operating system means anyone can clean infections like the pros for a fraction of the price (May 09, 2012)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 05/09/12 --
Editors' note: A photo and a video are associated with this press release.
Computer viruses should be scared. Today, Montreal-based start-up, FixMeStick, has launched the first ever, consumer-ready USB device for removing viruses from infected PCs.
What makes this product unique?
The principles of the FixMeStick are not new to security IT professionals: multiple anti-virus engines increase the number of detectable viruses, and clean external scanning devices prevent viruses from hiding or from interfering with their removal. But, for the first time, FixMeStick has built these principles into a ready-to-go USB device that enables everyday users to do what the pros do (watch the FixMeStick remove the ZeroAccess rootkit that is blocking and hiding from desktop anti-virus software).
"This is about enabling everyone to rid their machines of malware," says co-founder Marty Algire. "And it will help people continue to enjoy their computers and the Internet."
The FixMeStick costs $49.99 for an unlimited number of uses on three PCs per year. Renewals can be purchased for $24.99 annually.
Co-founder Corey Velan explains, "The FixMeStick enables anyone to use the biggest advantage they have over Internet thieves: physical access to the PC. This way, PC owners can use the FixMeStick, a safe external device, to remove infections."
The FixMeStick is powered by three of the biggest names in anti-virus software: Kaspersky Lab, Sophos, and GFI.
"The FixMeStick is an innovative solution that delivers great value to consumers," notes Julian Waits VP, Strategic Relationships at GFI Software.
"This collaboration will allow organizations and their users to significantly minimize the impact of a malware infection," stresses Michael Rogers, Vice President, Global Alliances & OEM at Sophos.
And Stephen Le Hir, VP Global Business Development at Kaspersky Lab, says, "It's always a pleasure to see an innovative product, such as FixMeStick, emerge on the market. I am sure this innovation, boosted by Kaspersky Lab's anti-malware expertise, will help protect and cure millions of computers."
For more information, to request a sample FixMeStick to review, or to book an interview, please contact Jackson Wightman at email@example.com or (514) 605 9255.
About FixMeStick
Headquartered in Montreal, FixMeStick is a private company, founded by two IT security veterans, Marty Algire and Corey Velan. The company's namesake product is a Linux-based device that runs before Windows boots, enabling it to clean the PC while malware is inactive. It contains three leading anti-virus engines: Kaspersky, Sophos, and GFI's VIPRE, integrated behind a single full-screen application. The FixMeStick is set up and ready to go right out of the box. No additional installation is required and automatic updates are stored directly on the device. The FixMeStick is easy to support and any quarantine operation is 100% reversible. The FixMeStick works on any PC with a minimum of 512 MB of RAM.
Product video: http://youtu.be/sWczcru3C0w
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/FixMeStick
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FixMeStick
The photo associated with this press release is available at the following address: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20120508-fixme-800.jpg
The video associated with this press release is available at the following address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtYN3R7YL-A
(514) 605 9255
Copyright @ Marketwire
Page: 1
Related Keywords: FixMeStick , Consumer-Ready USB Device , Removing Computer Viruses , Marketwire, , IT (Information Technology), Security, Internet Technology, Business, Internet,


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I have a crush on a girl who I talk to/flirt with in class sometimes. This is my first real girl crush so it kind of scares me. I hope I don't sway towards women soon. I have always watched girl p*rn and have made out with a couple of my girl friends but that's it. I've always liked guys much better. I love my boyfriend though and I feel bad for crushing on this girl. He says if I can get her in a threesome with us, that would be fine. But the thing is, I don't think he would like if he found out I have feelings for her. What do I do?
Most Helpful Guy
1. the "rules" about cheating apply for girls just the same as for guys. So if you want to have some kind of relationship with this girl, you should break up with your boyfriend first.
2. IMHO casual sex with people you have real feelings for never works. So A 3-some with this girl and your boyfriend sounds like a bad idea. It'd be better to just have a 3-some with some other girl that you have no feelings for.31|20|0
I couldn't agree more with both points.
and don't have a 3 some with a random girl and your boyfriend. You don't want to risk him becoming attracted to her and if that happened it would be on you. 3 somes only work out when all parties are random. when all parties are single looking for some fun. If you have two girlfriend with one guy there could be jealousy. If there is a girlfriend and boyfriend bringing in a girl, the guy could be attracted to her and end up pursuing her.
@DOllface, thanks for the agreement and thanks for adding your perspective on the 3-somes. It seems a shame to me that a happy healthy couple would have to rule out such a fun event as 3-somes. (I love them, even though I have only had a couple) But I understand how the girl could feel threatened. I guess if a serious couple was going to have a 3-some, it would be up to the guy to make sure his girlfriend felt secure and not threatened.


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The Charlie Harper depicter is open to idea to make guest appearance on his former sitcom, although his character reportedly dies in the premiere episode.
Charlie Sheen is willing to return to "Two and a Half Men" although he was unexpectedly fired earlier this year. Speaking to Matt Lauer in the Friday (September 16) episode of "Today", he is up to Lauer's idea of him making an "amazing guest appearance" on the CBS series.
"Absolutely. If they wanted or needed it or thought that was a good idea, I'd be completely on board for that," so the former husband of Denise Richards said. He further gushed, "There's your closer. I'll be in the final episode."
Sheen, however, is aware that there has been buzzing report that his character Charlie Harper will be killed off in the first episode of upcoming season 9. He added, "Unless I'm really dead. There's no body at the funeral. There's no urn."
The 46-year-old admitted he is looking forward to finding out what happens to Harper. "I'm really curious about what happened to me. I'm not just looking at it just as what they're doing forward but I'm looking at it as what I left behind and how they're going to figure it out," he explained before adding, "So really, my hat's off to them, if they can pull it off."
Sheen additionally sang praise to his replacement Ashton Kutcher who will play internet billionaire Walden Schmidt, gushing, "I think he's gonna be great. I think he's got such charisma, great comedic timing, and he's such a handsome young man."
The new season of "Two and a Half Men" will premiere Monday, September 19 at 9 P.M. On the same day, Comedy Central will air a roast of Charlie Sheen at 10 P.M.


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|You are in: Football
Wednesday, 21 August, 2002, 21:11 GMT 22:11 UK
Hughes optimistic after friendly
Wales manager Mark Hughes refused to be downhearted after watching his side throw away a golden opportunity to beat Croatia.
A poor clearance by goalkeeper Paul Jones gifted Croatia a late equaliser.
But Hughes, who was denied the services of several key players for the away fixture, had no complaints.
"I was very pleased with my team, and their determination to get something from the game," he said.
"We knew it would be a difficult game with so many of our top players not here.
"But the new lads wanted to be involved and to prove they could play at this level. They certainly achieved that."
Hughes also refused to blame Jones, who had earlier made several crucial saves, for costing them the victory.
"Paul was disappointed with the goal we conceded, but these things happen in a game, it was a wet night, with a greasy ball and I'm not blaming him.
"I'd rather look to the good points, and that came from Nationwide League players who have shown me they are up to the task."
He continued: "We had new players who hadn't had the benefit of being in our squad before and been able to pick up on what we wanted.
"But they learned quickly and I couldn't have been happier with them."
His all-round performance also pleased Hughes, and the manager is excited about his future potential.
"It was a very special goal and underlined what quality he has," said Hughes.
"He is going to be a big, big Premiership player and also just as important for us in the future.
"He has very quickly become a senior player with us, despite his age. He's influential and has great confidence in his ability.
"It was one of the great international goals that people will watch over and over again."
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Laird Of Kosi
Scotty Kyle pulls up at a little cove on Kosi Bay's second lake in his little boat called Poch Mahon, the uneven chop making mooring a little trickier than normal.
Scotty is the resource ecologist for this area of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in South Africa's tropical north-eastern corner.
He also doubles up as the law in these parts.
"I remember once coming round a corner and nearly colliding with a speeding ski-boat. It ended up with an upside-down blonde in a bikini, the skipper leaping to save the beers, and me over the side into the water, still holding the steering wheel."
And he's the expert on the local fish traps, which the Portuguese sailors first noted 500 years ago.
We find fish trapper Amon Mkhize (72) just entering the water with a spear to check on his trap. No luck that day. Still, he radiated good health and humour. Amon usually catches kingfish, rock salmon, sometimes crabs. And he likes the old system of fishing. "I use what my grandfather used, the rope hand-made from strelitzia. I don't like nylon, because it doesn't let the small fish escape."
Nylon is just too fine and efficient, adds Scotty, and efficiency is the enemy of nature. The uneven knotting of strelitzia rope allows the fingerlings to escape and breed. As a result, these Kosi Bay fish traps remain one of the most sustainable fishing models in the world.
The Kyles invite us into their house, which resembles a snake park with comfortable seating.
Suddenly a strange creature waddles up, lightly striped, bright-eyed and wiffle-nosed. It's Mangus the mongoose.
We widen our eyes at this portly creature. "Yes," sighs Scotty, as Mangus devours a Scottish shortbread biscuit with mumbled snuffles of delight. "We call it Kyle's pear-shaped mongoose."
Category: Wildlife


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I've been on a collage kick recently. Here are a few of my latest favorite free story board and collage templates.
For Day 9 of Photoaday I used this free template From Krista Lund Photography. Thank you Krista I really like this!
This rounded corner 9 photo story board is at Clickin' moms and you don't have to be a mom to download the template. Thanks Beth for making this one.
This is from Maybemej-princess Estelle template. Thanks Molle I love your design style.
These two are also from Maybemej this is from her Vintage flower collection.
This is yet another free fun fall template from Mebemej. This is one came in a .png form so I just put the photos under it. I guess if I knew what I was doing I could make a clipping mask for each photo and have it all ready to go for each time I wanted to use it. But I'm too busy admiring other beautiful template and planning to use them sometime.
I just free handed these two together, no template.
I think there's something about stereotypes that we all love. I spend most of my time telling parents that their children will not have missing teeth from playing hockey and then I see this guy and my mind instantly says "Hockey player".
Free collage template for lightroom from Bob Shank photography.
This is from Helen Bradley's free collage templates. She always writes really helpful articles on Digitalphotographyschool. Thanks Helen.
Free button frames from Thaskindacool. Thanks Andrea I really like this.
free frame from photoDUDs. Please don't ask me what this plant is called, I forget even though I was just told it's name yesterday.
Technorati Tags: free,collage templates,PSD,Lightroom presets,gimp,photoshop templates


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Ryan Phillippe likes to cry
As if sensing that I needed validation for my post where I claim Ryan Phillippe's son would rather be the offspring of a pizza delivery driver, Us Weekly brings us news that Ryan bawled and cried like a little girl after his divorce from Reese Witherspoon:
"I was a physical wreck. I wanted to die…. I was ready to kill myself. I was not taking care of myself at all. I would wake up and cry and vomit."
However, the experience has made Ryan Phillippe a better actor. He can now cry on cue:
"Now, it's fucking easy," he says. "When I was younger, I didn't have enough to cry about. But since I've had kids, I feel my work has become better, because my life is fuller and more complicated, and I've experienced so many highs and lows."
Alright, let's talk about crying. If a man's seeing a beautiful woman naked for the first time and tears fill his eyes; not very cool. Perhaps he'd cry less if it were a dude. If he's been shot in the stomach and probably going to die, it's marginally acceptable to cry but frowned upon. There's really only one acceptable time for a grown man to cry, and that's when one of those Ewoks dies in Return of the Jedi. I mean, not that I do or anything. So what if they're just cute, innocent little teddy bears that live in trees and want to blow stuff up. That doesn't get to me. *sniff* No, man, I'm a castle of manliness. *sniff* Excuse me, I'm going to curl up in the fetal position for a little while and, uh, think about how much I love girls and steaks. And fixing tanks with my shirt off. Yeah, all that stuff I just said.


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Things I heard on the radio and read online yesterday about health care reform included how Taiwan and Australia got through health care reform and made health care available to everyone at a low cost.
In Taiwan, apparently, doctors don't get paid nearly as much as they do here. There, they are ordinary middle class citizens (like many would otherwise want to be here) who just want to make a decent living for them and their family and help their patients out. They don't require driving a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or owning a villa in the countryside as a summer home. At the same time, medical school there has only a nominal fee, compared to the exorbitant (>$50000) yearly prices here. They modeled their system after Canada's and the liberal party pushed it as a moral obligation as Taiwan has become a rich country and thus must bring up its poor people too. The conservative party initially resisted it (though not as strongly as Republicans do here) but saw resistance as futile due to increasing push from the liberal party; in fact, the plan got so popular that the conservative party later on tried to take credit for the plan by fully supporting it. Essentially the same thing happened in Australia. Both countries have national health care plans to provide for all citizens decent care.
I wish it could happen that way in the US as well, but it probably won't. The Republican Party is too vocal and too united for it to happen; it appalls me how powerful the party is and how it can make us look like such a backwards country at times. Furthermore, all of the planted protesters at town hall meetings are supposed to gain some sort of publicity for the GOP and thus make it look like that level of dissent is present in the entire country.
It saddens me that Obama is willing to do not the right thing by forcing the issue of a public option but the expedient thing by brushing off the idea to placate his political opponents. Hopefully once some groundwork is lain for a national health care system a public option can again come to the forefront of the debate.
Health Care Reform as of 25 August 2009
1 comment:
- AnonymousSeptember 8, 2009 at 8:03 PM
I really disagree: the quality of care in those countries (for example, Canada) is pretty pathetic. Financial motives are the incentive for doctors to be good in this system. I don't see anything wrong with that =/ReplyDelete
BTW This is freshy AND no I'm not republican. I'm libertarian.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Apologies for the slow posting of late. This is crunch time in my business, so I only get to blog at irregular intervals. Please keep coming back!
While I am presently elbow-deep in William Byrd's music, the government is busy screwing us over for a good generation or two. Strangely enough, the modern liberals I know are more upset about all these bailouts than self-identified "conservatives" are. We are in the midst of repeating the mistakes of the Herbert Hoover administration, and the FDR administration. I saw a cartoon the other day comparing McCain to Hoover, and the intended implication, certainly, was that both are do-nothing "losers." That, however, is not the real reason these two clowns deserve to be paired: In fact, both are economic interventionists. Hoover, by his interventionism, made the Great Depression much worse than it needed to be, and he prolonged it. I suspect that John McCain would do the same thing as president. So would Barack Obama.
"More regulation!" we keep hearing from people. But it's the regulation that has gotten us into this mess, the government's refusal to keep its grubby hands off private enterprise. Businesses are therefore left to make decisions based on what constitutes the best way to negotiate the law in a non-catastrophic manner, and real market factors get left aside in the gutter. The answer to all this is to de-regulate. Even the jobs going overseas are the result of government regulation that make it unduly difficult for businesses to run plants on American soil.
People keep insisting on the government's help, though. Friends, the government is not your friend. It is your enemy. It is screwing you in the front pocket (taxes) and in the back pocket (Federal Reserve), and upside down, backwards, and forwards.
Oh but don't worry! Sarah Palin is a libertarian, right? Right?????
Filed under: economics, politics | Tagged: Barack Obama, economics, John McCain, politics, Sarah Palin |


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Won't be buying a Sony any time soon.
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Jack Tingle
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Won't be buying a Sony any time soon.
Sony Pictures Television recently screwed Wheel of Fortune contestant Renee Durette out of a chance to win, due to her Southern accent. An accent that is rather like my faded Georgia one. Shockingly, she deemphasized a terminal consonant! (A G as it were.) As a result, I wrote the following to Sony:
"Dear Sirs:
Your recent mistreatment of contestant Renee Durette was insulting and shameful. Ms. Durette has an accent similar to my own Georgia roots. To call it 'vernacular' is an insult. If my wife pronounced 'barn' with her broad New England 'a', would you also insult her by calling it vernacular. If you are too cheap to pay her the modest sum you owe her, may you choke on it. If your judge made an honest miscall, correct it.
I will seriously attempt to avoid doing business with any Sony company until this is resolved. Perhaps forever. It works for me. I haven't bought a Toshiba-branded product since one of their divisions committed treason by selling submarine technology to the Soviets."
Too bad, Sony makes nice e-readers, but principles are important.
Jack Tingle
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Friday, March 16, 2012
Essential Learning Acquired By Vista Equity Partners
San Diego-based Essential Learning, which develops interactive education and learning software for behavioral and community health, substance abuse, corrections, developmental disability and child welfare organizations, has been acquird by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Essential Learning said that its existing senior management team will continue to lead the organization, with co-founder and President Lorraine Watson retiring. Essential Learning said it was advised by St. CHarles Capital on the transaction.


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A regulated market for living donor kidneys defended and recanted
Since the first successful renal transplant in 1954, many kidney patients saw their hopes for a better future dashed by the continuous lack of donor kidneys. A regulated market for living donor kidneys has been proposed in order to match supply to demand and to stop illegal and immoral practices of kidney acquisition. This paper presents an elaborated version of a regulated market for kidneys, discusses its advantages and defends it against the criticisms of lack of altruism, lack of free consent and overrepresentation of poor vendors. Next, the appealing commodification counter-argument is discussed but seems to fail on grounds of particularism and paternalism. Finally, both a communitarian and a contractarian argument are developed which I deem fatal for the moral legitimacy of a regulated kidney market.
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|Sep 2008
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| Web page: http://research.hubrussel.be
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Have HVAC Questions? Ask an HVAC Expert for Answers
Yes it will be in defrost If you are concerned about it go ahead and switch the thermostat to emergency heat and let it run on the inside part only tonight that way you can get a good night sleep tonight and the outside wont try and run.
here is a link to a manual it is the infinity control for Carrier but is the same control never the less. it will walk you through the setting of the emergency heat it will be best to switch it to it until the tech can come out. If you push the red button it should stage through to the emergency heat setting.


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Motorcyclist runs into light pole, is killed
A 28-year-old motorcyclist died early Thursday after crashing into a light pole, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers said Eric Cardona of Spring Hill was traveling north on U.S. 19 at a high rate of speed near Meridian Boulevard. He lost control of the 2007 Honda motorcycle, causing it to veer off onto the east grass shoulder. The motorcycle struck a light pole, flipped multiple times and threw Cardona. The Florida Highway Patrol got the call about 2:25 a.m. and were on scene by 2:41 a.m. Cardona was pronounced dead at the scene.
Man accused of repair fraud
A 48-year-old man was arrested on charges that he took hundreds of dollars from an elderly woman without performing the repairs he promised. Dale Allen Hall told the 81-year-old woman that her water softener needed to be repaired, and he took two payments of $200 but never returned to do the work, according to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report. Hall claimed to work for A1 Water Conditioning Service, which does not appear to be an active business, the report said. The deputy investigating the Holiday woman's complaint found four previous cases — dating back to 1997 — in which Hall allegedly took money for work on water softening systems but never performed the repairs. The victims ranged in age from 73 to 86. Hall, who had been locked out of his room at the Green Key Beach Motel at 6434 U.S. 19 for failing to pay his rent, was arrested Wednesday on a charges of scheme to defraud and violating his probation. He remained Thursday at the Land O'Lakes jail in lieu of $6,000 bail.
Jose Oscar Martinez, who was accused in May of raping a woman while two children were in the room, pleaded guilty Thursday to a lesser charge of felony battery. The victim, who is not being identified because of the nature of the case, previously filed an affidavit saying she didn't want Martinez prosecuted and she didn't want to testify against him. Authorities said he raped her while a 5-year-old watched and a 3-year-old slept in a crib nearby. In court Thursday, she said through a Spanish interpreter she just wanted to be left alone. "I don't want to see him anymore," she said. Martinez, 37, of 9831 Pangola Loop in Land O'Lakes, was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered not to have contact with the woman. Jail records indicate he is from Mexico. Immigration authorities have placed a hold on him, indicating he could face deportation.


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Moonstone LbNA # 7185
|Placed Date
|Dec 28 2003
|Palm Beach
|Boca Raton, FL
|Planted By
|Found By
|Last Found
|Feb 17 2014
|Hike Distance
"Moonstone" Letter Box
Sugar Sand Park
300 S Military Trail
Boca Raton, FL 33486
*stamp went missing and was recarved and replaced 11/06
*entire box went missing some time in 2006. Stamp was recarved and entire box was replaced and RELOCATED 11/24/07
To find the Moonstone Letter Box you must make a visit to Boca Raton's wonderful Sugar Sand Park. Park near (and VISIT!) the wonderful science playground called the "Children's Science Explorium". This is a wonderful hands-on science museum for children of all ages!! The park also has a wonderful ($1 per ride) Carousel as well as one of the most elaborate wooden science playscapes I have ever seen. If you are coming with children, plan on spending several hours here! (In the summer, make sure your children have swimsuits for the water section of the playscape!)
After visiting the park, find the walking trail which is behind the Explorium building. It is marked "Nature Trail". You may get to this path by exiting the back of the Explorium or by walking around the left side of this building.
Follow the path and have a leisurely stroll through this quiet, less populated area of the park. You will pass a picnic pavilion to your right which is a short distance away from the path. Keep walking. You will come to a second picnic pavillion which is much closer to the path. Pass it. A short distance ahead you will notice a small island in the middle of the path with palmetto bushes and a few pine trees on it. Pass this island. Just ahead you will see a bench on your right. Have a seat. You are very close! Notice the green stick (with the number 8) across the path and slightly to your left as you sit. Sit on the end of the bench which is closest to the "8" marker. The Moonstone Letterbox sits directly across the path from you! Behind and at the base of the Palmetto bush directly in front of you the Moonstone awaits your arrival!! The box is covered with pine needles and dried up palmetto leaves. Use a stick to poke a few times to locate it. By all means, be discreet!! If people are around, WAIT for a few minutes!!


text: National Guard issuing IDs to same-sex couples at all locations By David Gutman November 7, 2013 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia National Guard is now granting military ID cards, necessary to get benefits like health care, to same-sex spouses of National Guard members at all of its ID issuing locations.No one had been turned away from getting a military ID -- because no one had asked at a state-run facility -- but prior to last week, the National Guard had been issuing IDs to same-sex spouses only at its four federally-run facilities. The National Guard also has five state-run ID issuing facilities.To date, one ID card has been issued to a same-sex spouse at a National Guard location in Martinsburg, and the process has begun on one application at the Air National Guard in Charleston."The West Virginia National Guard's commitment to service members is reflected in its ongoing efforts to facilitate every request it has received," said Lawrence Messina, spokesman for the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety. "As state law provides for the National Guard to be governed and administered in accordance with federal law and regulations, it will continue to defer to the U.S. Defense Department directive on this subject."The DOD had twice notified all National Guard locations that they needed to issue ID cards to same-sex spouses. The first notification came on June 27, the day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.In striking down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, the court ruled that same-sex couples who are legally married in their states are entitled to federal benefits, like military family benefits, the same as other married couples. On Aug. 15, the Department of Defense notified all states that its system had been updated and that all locations should be issuing ID cards to same-sex spouses by Sept. 3.West Virginia law does not recognize same-sex marriages from other states.In a speech last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reprimanded nine states, West Virginia among them, for not issuing the IDs at all locations."All spouses of service members are entitled to [Department of Defense] ID cards and the benefits that come with them, but several states are refusing to issue these IDs to same-sex spouses at National Guard facilities," Hagel said.A Saturday Gazette-Mail article noted that West Virginia was not in compliance with that directive.Delegate Stephen Skinner, D-Jefferson, said that he spoke with National Guard leaders about the issue and was satisfied with their actions. Skinner is the first openly gay member of the West Virginia Legislature."It's clear to me that when the article was written and when the DOD released its statement, that the Guard's process wasn't finished, and so they explained everything they had done and that they were essentially working through it," Skinner said. "My understanding was the DOD was premature in condemning some of the states." Reach David Gutman at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-5119. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 WV Gov. Justice discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital after two-day stay 2 'Snubbed' Kyle Bosch trying to get WVU o-line right 3 Kanawha magistrate facing judicial misconduct charges 4 Capito slams Trump's Charlottesville response; WV GOP congressmen mum 5 Mission trip brings South Charleston, Haitian families together Low turnout expected for levy election Previous Story Probe sought of black lung lawyers, doctors Next Story


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All 2017-2018 School Choice seats have been filled.
School Choice Documents and Application:
For step-by-step instructions, please visit the NJDOE website: http://www.state.nj.us/education/choice/parents/process.htm
2017-2018 Student Application.pdf Send to Pittsgrove
2017-2018 Notice of Intent to Participate pdf Send to your RESIDENT DISTRICT
2017-2018 Timeline.pdf
2017-2018 Pittsgrove Township District Profile
What are the odds of your child being accepted into our School Choice Program?
Each year, the Pittsgrove Township School District receives more applications than there are seats available. For the 2017-2018 school year, the State of New Jersey has once again capped our School Choice enrollment. Please review our District School Choice Profile for information about this year's acceptance procedures.
School Choice Program Notification System
The Pittsgrove Township School District has established a notification system via REMIND that enables us to send updates regarding School Choice. Remind is a one-way text and e-mail system. All personal information remains confidential. We will never see your phone number, nor will you see ours.
If you are interested in receiving these updates via text or e-mail, please sign up following the instructions and link below:
Interested in attending Pittsgrove Township Schools?
The Pittsgrove Township School District offers an outstanding educational and social experience for children. Highly-qualified teachers, dynamic classroom technology and a robust extra-curricular program make Pittsgrove an excellent choice for the education of children.
Please review the information that is posted on this website and on the NJ Department of Education website at:http://www.nj.gov/education/choice/. For example, there are limitations on students from other districts who can participate in the School Choice Program.
Applicants must:
a) live within 20 miles of Pittsgrove
b) be chosen by lottery if the amount of interested students exceeds the amount of openings that we offer. Please see our District School Choice Profile for additional information.
In addition, please note that there are two distinct application timelines for students who currently attend public or private school. After reviewing all of the School Choice information, the next step to take in the application process is to contact your home district by December 1st with a "Notice of Intent to Participate" form.
Public and private school parents who are interested in School Choice should apply to Pittsgrove by December 1, 2016 using the "Student Application" form.
Those steps begin the process of participating in School Choice. We will contact applicants with further information after we receive all of the required paperwork by December 1st.
Please contact me with any questions about the School Choice Program, or if you would like to arrange for a tour of our schools.
Diane L. Garrison
Chief Academic Officer
(856) 358-3094, ext. 4013


text:
Dear Bob ...
I work in a company that was recently acquired. As background, the acquiring company was much bigger; ours was more profitable and growing more quickly.
[ Also on InfoWorld.com: What's the best way to serve up a reality check? Bob tells you how to kill employees' bad ideas -- but not their desire to innovate. | Keep up on career advice with Bob Lewis's Advice Line newsletter. ]
The CEO is trying to integrate the two companies. Instead of just imposing the acquiring company's way of doing things on us, he has recognized we must be doing some things better. His first step was to ask those in charge of parallel responsibilities to pool their knowledge to define "company best practices" in each area.
It is, by the way, something of a back-burner assignment -- to his credit, the CEO understands we're all stretched pretty thin already, and this is just one more thing to do.
I'm supposed to work on this. One problem: A few years ago, in another company, I had to terminate my mothership counterpart (call her "Shirley") for incurable incompetence. To say she bears a grudge is something of an understatement. The last thing on her mind is collaboration.
Our typical interaction goes something like this: I'll suggest something. She'll respond by explaining that this isn't how they do things. I'll remind her we're supposed to figure out better ways of doing things. She'll explain her way is best (without explaining why her way is best) -- so we make no progress.
I've informed my manager of the situation. He has tried to engage his counterpart across the organizational divide, but without success. Apparently, the corporate style over there is "leave us alone."
My manager has also told me that Shirley isn't the only example of the mothership having hired substandard performers. It appears the style there is to shop for bargains when it comes to hiring. While my situation is more extreme than most, I'm not the only person having trouble carrying out the assignment.
Any thoughts on how to handle this?
- Haunted by the past
Dear Haunted ...
If it was just you and Shirley, I'd say your manager should join you for several working sessions to facilitate things, inviting Shirley's manager to participate as well -- but not insisting on it if he/she declines. I also might suggest you try a heart-to-heart conversation with Shirley. This combination can sometimes work to start creating the habit of collaboration.
Yours isn't an isolated situation, though, I think a different approach is in order: Understand you're playing a game, and play to not lose. That's right, not to win, which could come back to haunt you, and you're already dealing with one ghost from your past.
When you and Shirley meet, document the results (or non-results) of the meeting as neutrally and accurately as you can, send the documentation to Shirley for review with the instruction, "Please respond by mm/dd/yy or we'll consider this version to be final," and note whatever comments and suggestions she provides in the official project folder for posterity. It's doubtful she'll publish anything that would put her in a negative light, and your providing a reasonable deadline doesn't give her the "I never agreed to this" escape hatch, so this approach boxes her in a bit.
To the extent you can, couple this tactic with a game of ping-pong, by which I mean doing what you can to keep the ball on her side of the table.
You might, for example, establish that the two of you will alternate scheduling and hosting your working sessions. When it's your turn, get the session scheduled a quickly as you can, make sure there's a formal agenda, and document the results (see above) promptly.
Now the ball is on her side of the table, and from what you describe, it will stay there quite a while. If too much time goes by, you might send a gentle reminder, but don't push very hard.
The point of all this? Your assignment is hopeless. It isn't going to happen, no matter what you do, because while you're ready to tango, Shirley has no interest in dancing, and she's embedded in a business culture that supports her in this.
What you're going to do is make sure your hands are clean, while periodically showing your manager the documentation that clearly demonstrates you aren't the cause of the delay so that he can back you up when the time comes. You're then free to spend the bulk of your time and energy excelling at your real job, because that's what you'll be evaluated on at the end of the year.
- Bob
This story, "Building bridges after a company acquisition," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Bob Lewis's Advice Line blog on InfoWorld.com. For the latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.


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eLDee the don is back with the first single off his 'Is It Your Money Vol.2' album which is scheduled to be released in September of 2011.
eLDee does a few things different on this track; he lets Sarz produce his own track (he usually produces all his joints) and features Trybe Records new acts K-9 and Sojay. If you recall, K-9 and Sojay were signed during eLDee's competition 'Top Talent' some months back where Sojay won and K-9 followed very closely.
The song has a techno feel to it and from the sounds of things, eLDee signed very good talent to his Trybe Records imprint.
Lovely Dance/Club track.
Produced by Sarz (DOWNLOAD)[audio:http://www.notjustok.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/01-Higher1.mp3|titles=01 Higher]


text:
Lemon Blueberry Tart Recipe
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- Dash salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup blueberry spreadable fruit
- 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk the egg yolk, water and vanilla; add to crumb mixture. Stir until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- 2. On a floured surface, roll dough into an 11-in. circle. Transfer to a greased 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; trim even with edge of pan. Place pan on a baking sheet.
- 3. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer.
- 4. In a small bowl, beat the filling ingredients; pour into crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
- 5. For topping, microwave blueberries and spreadable fruit on high for 1-2 minutes or until bubbly around the edges; stir. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Gently spoon over filling. Refrigerate until chilled. Yield: 12 servings.
Nutritional Facts
1 piece: 308 calories, 12g fat (7g saturated fat), 117mg cholesterol, 161mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (32g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
Reviews for Lemon Blueberry Tart
Average Rating
"fantastic lemon flavor. reminded me of a lemon square. but I altered the topping alittle by cooking 2 cups blueberries, 1/4 tsp cornstarch, l tbsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. water and cooked it down til it was thickened. Then added that to the top. I think its a better topping."
"I loved this dessert when our Country Woman staff voted it best in the magazine's berry recipe contest and have made it at home several times since. I found that it works well to pat the dough into the pan rather than roll it. The tart is pretty and luscious—a wonderful treat when blueberries are in season.Ann Kaiser, EditorCountry Woman"


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Bond's combat with villainous Silva is also highlighted in the freshly-released sneak peek, which presents tons of new intense scenes involving the pivotal characters in the upcoming 007 film.
Hot on the heels of his stunt of escorting Queen Elizabeth II during the opening ceremony of the Olympic games, James Bond gets back into various life-threatening actions in the newly-released trailer for "Skyfall". In it, the 007 agent can be seen faking his death with the help of M before getting back to life and facing his troublesome enemy, Raoul Silva.
A better look at Javier Bardem as Silva is offered in the fresh trailer. Sporting blond locks, Bardem appears to be channeling past 007 villain Max Zorin who was portrayed by Christopher Walken in "A View to a Kill". In addition to showing tons of gritty action scenes, the trailer reveals the pivotal roles of Q, Mallory, Eve and villainess Severine.
Little is known about the plot of "Skyfall", but Sony Pictures has teased that in the twenty-third film, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Serving behind the lens is Oscar winner Sam Mendes with Robert Wade, Neal Purvis and John Logan writing the screenplay. Starring as Bond is Daniel Craig, who is joined in the cast ensemble by Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe.
The much awaited British spy movie will make its way out onto theaters across the U.S. on November 9.