text:
Jobs day warning: Philly Fed flashing red - Wolf out at UBS - New this a.m.: CFPB report on student loans - U.S. speeds exit from Wall Street bailout - House approves defense budget
By Ben White ( email@example.com; Twitter: @morningmoneyben)
JOBS DAY WARNING: PHILLY FED FLASHING RED - A lot of the economic data came in very weak on Thursday (even recessionary) including jobless claims and existing homes sales. But nothing was more troubling—for the White House and the economy—than the Philly Fed index which came in at a super low -12.9, not as bad as last month's but still a horrible figure. The Philly Fed index averaged 7.7 for all of last year. Even worse? The employment index fell to -8.4 from 1.8. This means the July jobs number could be terrible, possibly even go negative.
Story Continued Below
Should that happen, Obama's 39% approval rating on the economy in the latest NYT/CBS poll could prove the high water mark. If the economy starts losing jobs between now and November this election is over no matter how many hits Mitt Romney takes on his taxes and Bain Capital record. ... Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank, emails M.M.: "Bad news. The Business Outlook Survey Diffusion Index component of the Philly Fed report posted a -8.4, its worst reading since September 2009, implying a LOSS of 102,000 jobs in July. When it comes to job growth, the trend is not our friend." Ablin's chart comparing Philly Fed to non-farm payrolls. http://bit.ly/LZuv5H
ASIA DOWN ON EURO FEAR - Bloomberg: "Asian stocks and the euro declined amid concern Europe's debt crisis is dragging on global growth and as China pledged to keep curbs on its property market. Oil dropped from the highest level in nine weeks ... China won't relax property control policies and will instead seek to keep a 'firm grip' on the real estate market to prevent a rebound in housing prices, Xinhua News Agency said ... U.S. initial jobless claims were higher than estimated, and measures of manufacturing activity and sales of existing homes missed estimates" http://bloom.bg/Q8XtBp
WOLF OUT AT UBS - Robert Wolf, chairman of UBS in the Americas and President Obama's top fund-raiser and best friend on Wall Street, is leaving the bank. Wolf had taken some significant heat within the Swiss institution for his close ties to the president—who is deeply disliked across the industry— and his high public profile. Here is the note Wolf, who did not respond to an MM request for further comment, sent around Thursday afternoon: "I am extremely excited to announce that after spending 28 years at two firms, UBS and Salomon Brothers, I have decided to form my own consulting and advisory firm 32 Advisors, LLC. In addition, I am delighted that UBS will be a client of mine where I will focus on providing client advice and solutions." ... Here is the official email announcement, sent by, among others, UBS Americas CEO Bob McCann, who had waged an internal battle with Wolf: http://bit.ly/O1iiey
NYT's Michael de la Merced and Ben Protess note that the 32 in 32 Advisors refers to Wolf's UPenn football team number. http://nyti.ms/OLwLYl
REMEMBER THE BACK-DOOR BAILOUTS? - A little birdie emails MM: "The Federal Reserve's weekly balance sheet released today shows that all three Maiden Lane vehicles - widely criticized by Elizabeth Warren, Neil Barofsky, Darrell Issa and others as money sinks - are now fully repaid and on track to make the USG a substantial profit." http://1.usa.gov/PcJO6b
ON TV IT'S ALL ECONOMY, ALL THE TIME - Per the great Elizabeth Wilner of Kantar Media's CMAG, writing in Ad Age: "Of the 27 spots aired by big-spending presidential advertisers over the past month, 24 have focused on an economic issue or issues. Seven different advertisers produced them. Yet so many draw from the same checklist. Superimposed statistics, charts and signs. Newspaper headlines and TV talkers. American workers, either stressed out at home (in attackers' ads) or high-fiving the visiting ... Obama at work (in his own). And factories -- lots of factories, loading docks and assembly lines, mostly abandoned but some humming (again, depending on whose ad they're in).
"Watching them all, you might think the vast majority of Americans clock in at the plant every day. Except for a handful of folks who work in some sort of lab or as commentators on financial TV news. These commentators and their video-game graphics of stocks, earnings, entitlement debts and all manner of deficits are presidential advertising's chief ambassadors of the 88% of GDP that isn't manufacturing." http://adage.com/u/2AxKha
PAUL RYAN: GET BACK TO BASICS - Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) in an FT op-ed: "The highest barrier to a new economic boom is the defeatism of those seeking to manage the west's decline. ... In November Americans will choose between two visions of our future. If we make the right choice, it is not too late to chart a course to renewed prosperity. If we make the wrong choice, the US will succumb to European sclerosis, with painful consequences for the free world. ... Structural reforms that convincingly reduce debt and ignite growth are what we need to prevent those outcomes. We must restructure the 20th-century entitlement state so important programmes can succeed well into the 21st century" http://on.ft.com/OdGHf1
GOOD FRIDAY MORNING - Great to see some of you at last night's POLITICO Pro Finance pre-launch dinner. Great insights all around the table. Thank you so much for coming out.
POLITICO PRO BREAKFAST WITH GARY GENSLER - If you missed last night's dinner, make sure you join POLITICO next Wednesday July 25th at 8:00 a.m. for a preview of Pro's newest vertical. POLITICO reporters and our guests will discuss the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act. Special guest: CFTC Chair Gary Gensler. Event takes place at P.J. Clarke's. Open to the public but please RSVP: http://bit.ly/Q55G9O
DRIVING THE DAY - Mitt Romney campaigns in swing state New Hampshire with an event at 12:10 p.m. ... Obama continues his Florida tour with an event in Fort Myers at 11:20 a.m. ... From there it's on to Orlando for an event and then wheels up for D.C. in the evening ... There is no significant economic data released which is just as well given the horror show on Thursday.
MOVIE BLINK: "DARK KNIGHT RISES" - NYT's Manohla Dargis: "After seven years and two films that have pushed Batman ever deeper into the dark, the director Christopher Nolan has completed his postmodern, post-Sept. 11 epic of ambivalent good versus multidimensional evil with a burst of light. As the title promises, day breaks in 'The Dark Knight Rises,' the grave and satisfying finish to Mr. Nolan's operatic bat-trilogy." http://nyti.ms/McleT4
DRIVING NEXT WEEK: OBAMA OUT WEST AND IN NOLA - Per Chicago HQ: "[O]n Monday, July 23, President Obama will begin a three-day trip to Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Louisiana. The President will travel to Reno, Nevada for an official event before traveling to Oakland, California for three fundraising events on Monday. On Tuesday, July 24, he will deliver remarks at a Grassroots Event in Portland ... Then he will attend two fundraising events in Portland. Tuesday evening, the President will travel to Seattle, Washington for two fundraising events. On Wednesday, July 25, he will travel to New Orleans, Louisiana for an official event. He will also host two fundraising events in New Orleans."
NEW THIS A.M.: CFPB REPORT ON STUDENT LOANS - Per release off embargo at 12:01 a.m: "Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education released a report that describes the risky practices and debt that stemmed from the boom and bust of the private student loan market in the past ten years. According to the CFPB's estimates, outstanding student loan debt in the United States topped $1 trillion in 2011 -- $864 billion of federal student debt and approximately $150 billion of private student loan debt."
SHOT - "'Our findings reveal that students were yet another group of consumers that were hurt by the boom and bust of the financial crisis,' said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. 'Too many student loan borrowers are struggling to pay off private student loans that they did not understand and cannot afford.' ... 'Subprime-style lending went to college and now students are paying the price,' said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan."
CHASER - CBA President Richard Hunt emails MM: "CFPB releasing study tonight regarding student lending, but purposely left out 93 percent of the market by not including federal student loans. I just can't come up with good analogy."
FULL REPORT - http://bit.ly/MNvTlI
BUSINESS AND OBAMA: MARS AND VENUS - WP's Zachary A. Goldfarb: "Obama has repeatedly embraced three titans of American commerce, General Electric, Boeing and JPMorgan Chase, showering their chief executives with praise and adopting policies that benefit the companies. ... Yet these companies — from the C-suite to the rank and file — have shown little enthusiasm for the president. Top executives have repeatedly criticized his rhetoric and his policies or have declined to support some of his most significant proposals. Employees, in a contrast to 2008, have scaled back financial support for Obama's campaign. The president's relationship with GE, Boeing and JPMorgan offers a window into his sometimes-strained dealings with corporate America. He has for 3 1/2 years tried to nurture better connections to business, inviting top executives into his inner circle, promoting manufacturing and exports, and pumping money into a weak economy. But he hasn't always received a positive reception, with executives complaining about his tone and his policies" http://wapo.st/MyQTTi
THE BIG MONEY: MAYER GETS $70 MILLION DEAL - Reuters' Alexei Oreskovic and Peter Lauria: "New Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer's compensation package could total more than $70 million in salary, bonuses, restricted stock and stock options over five years, according to a regulatory filing ... Mayer's pay package is made up of $1 million in annual salary, as much as $2 million in an annual bonus, and $42 million in stock options and other awards, as well as $14 million in 'make whole restricted options' for forfeiture of compensation from Google ... Also, by including some stock grants, Mayer could earn up to a total of $20 million a year, or up to $100 million over five years, a Yahoo spokeswoman told Reuters. As the first female Google engineer and one of its earliest employees, Mayer's net worth is already estimated to be as much as $300 million" http://reut.rs/OzW4Al
TOP WOMEN IN TECH - TIME's Sam Gustin MAYER : "One hopes for a day not too far away when the appointment of a woman — yes, even an expectant mother — as CEO of a major American company is noteworthy not for gender, but for the executive's experience, accomplishments and track record of achievement. Hopefully one day soon lists like this one will no longer be necessary. But until then here is a collection of the most influential women in technology, led off by Mayer herself. ... Even before she was named CEO of Yahoo!, Mayer was one of the most respected executives in Silicon Valley, but her appointment to lead [Yahoo] ... instantly makes her one of the most prominent female chief executives in the world. ... An accomplished engineer with a keen eye for design, Mayer has built a reputation as a brilliant, intense, and tireless executive with a passion for improving 'the user experience." http://ti.me/LBDSHh
FRIDAY FUN-DAY - Per progressive group Demos: "Wall Street Scandal Match-Up
Match the email with the scandal! With the two-year anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act approaching, we thought it would be helpful to package — in a special way — a look back at the high crimes of the financial sector -- a few that precipitated the legislation. The excerpts below are from actual emails sent by traders, executives and Wall Street insiders during the subprime mortgage crisis, financial crash, and LIBOR scandal. Test your scandal skills by matching these quotes with their authors." http://bit.ly/Q8i60G
BLACKROCK TO SUE OVER LIBOR? - FOX Business' Charlie Gasparino: "BlackRock, the world's largest money management firm, is weighing what action it should take, if any, in light of allegations that major global banks manipulated a key interest rate that could have depressed investment returns for many of its customers ... A person at the firm with direct knowledge of the matter says the firm will have a better handle on its decision, including the possibility of litigation against big banks at the center of the scandal, within the next week or so. The issue for BlackRock and many other big money management firms involves the lower returns on money market funds that came as a result of banks allegedly colluding to artificially depress [Libor]" http://fxn.ws/Lwft16
CONGRESS TO UPGRADE LIBOR PROBE - FOX Business' Channel's Peter Barnes: "A Congressional investigations subcommittee plans to widen its probe of the LIBOR interest rate scandal ... 'We want to expand this investigation a little bit,' Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) told Fox Business in an interview ... He chairs the oversight and investigations subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. He added that a subcommittee hearing on the matter is 'a real potential.' Last week, Neugebauer demanded and received background documents from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) relating to its knowledge and handling of manipulation of LIBOR by Barclays bank of London. ... Neugebauer said he is preparing another request for information from the FRBNY, this time covering the three U.S. banks that participate in setting LIBOR—JPMorganChase, Bank of America and Citigroup" http://fxn.ws/NBXjyb
BIG IDEA: LIBOR IS BASED ON ... NOTHING - NYT's Peter Eavis and Nathaniel Popper on pg. B1: "It is an open secret in the banking world: the interest rates for many mortgages and loans are based on a benchmark that is largely guesswork. The flaws in the rate-setting process ... have been exposed by the latest banking scandal. ... But even if banks do not deliberately manipulate the rates, the benchmark remains vulnerable. Banks derive the rates from estimates rather than real market data. So the benchmark, a measure of how much banks charge each other for loans, does not necessarily represent actual borrowing costs. This weakness has only been exacerbated in recent years, as banks have mostly stopped lending to each other" http://nyti.ms/NXzZb9
TOP STORY: U.S. SPEEDS EXIT FROM WALL STREET BAILOUT - WSJ's Gregory Zuckerman and Serena Ng on pg. A1: "The U.S. government is speeding up efforts to sell billions of dollars of remaining assets that were acquired in the controversial bailout of the financial system four years ago ... The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve are planning to sell assets ranging from bank shares to troubled mortgage securities as part of a final push to extricate the government from the aid doled out in the financial meltdown. Some of the biggest names on Wall Street—including Blackstone Group ... Allianz ... Pacific Investment Management Co., Fortress Investment Group LLC and Oaktree Capital Management LP—are eyeing some of the assets ...
"Some of the assets have appreciated in value, and the government has recouped most of its money and completed many sales at a profit, while others have languished. A positive conclusion to the bailout could reflect well on ... Obama as the election campaign heats up. To be sure, the government remains in the red on its investment in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also still holds large stakes in [AIG] .. GM and Ally Financial Inc. that it spent a total of $68 billion on and may not fully recover ... The Treasury, which invested $245 billion in more than 700 banks, has so far collected $264.7 billion from its bank programs." http://on.wsj.com/NChRYB
DODD-FRANK MEETING LIST - Per the Sunlight Foundation: "In the 24 months since President Obama signed the bill into law, federal regulators have heard overwhelmingly from the biggest banks, according to a new Sunlight Foundation analysis of financial regulatory agency meeting logs. ... Looking at public meeting log records for the three major federal financial agencies—Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission—the top 20 banks and banking associations met with regulators on average a combined 12.5 times per week for the last two years, for a total of 1,298 meetings. The same regulators only had 242 meetings (about 2.5 per week) with reform-oriented groups. ... [Meeting leaders Goldman Sachs — 181 ... JPMorgan Chase — 175 ... Morgan Stanley — 150 ... Bank of America — 122 ... Citigroup — 102"
HOUSE APPROVES DEFENSE BUDGET - POLITICO's David Rogers: "The House approved a nearly $606 billion Pentagon budget bill Thursday evening after agreeing to cap core defense appropriations at 2012 levels — $1.1 billion below what had been recommended by the Republican leadership. The freeze marks a modest but still important turning point in the budget wars with 89 Republicans joining 158 Democrats on the key 247-167 vote ... [T]he final bill — approved 326-90 — remains more than $6 billion over the stricter defense caps set in the Budget Control Act for the Pentagon. But the GOP support garnered by Mulvaney on his amendment and earlier votes on Pakistan and Afghanistan funding reflected a greater willingness by Republicans to cut from security appropriations" http://bit.ly/PomXIC
MICROSOFT POSTS FIRST LOSS - FT's Chris Nuttall in San Francisco: "Microsoft reported its first loss since becoming a public company in 1986 as it wrote down the value of its online business and deferred revenues expected when users upgrade to its forthcoming Windows 8 .. The quarterly net loss of $492m, or 6 cents per share, compared with net income of $5.9bn, or 69 cents per share, in the same period last year. Apart from these exceptional items, the world's largest software maker reported record fourth-quarter sales, sending its shares up 2.5 per cent to $31.44 in after-hours trading ... During its new fiscal year starting this month, Microsoft plans to release Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Windows Server 2012 and its Office 2013 productivity suite" http://on.ft.com/NLBq1D
CITI GETS DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AWARD - Per release: "Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, announced Citi of New York, N.Y., has been selected to receive the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. An Air National Guardsman with Citibank in Sioux Falls, S.D., nominated Citi. Fifteen employers will be honored with this year's Freedom Award, the DoD's highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve employees." http://bit.ly/MN7KeV
DEMS DROP ESTATE TAX PLANK - POLITICO's Manu Raju and Seung Min Kim: "Senate Democratic leaders are eliminating a provision to tax wealthy estates in order to shore up support within their ranks for ... Obama's election-year tax plan, senators and aides said Thursday. Since there was no consensus in the Senate Democratic Caucus over the levels to tax estates transferred after a person's death, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told senators Thursday he'd drop that provision.
"The move could limit defections in his caucus and put the focus on this season's central campaign fight: Whether to extend Bush-era tax rates at 35 percent for the top 2 percent of earners or let them increase to the ... While the Obama tax bill has no chance of winning the 60 votes needed for passage, Democrats want to muster at least a simple majority of senators so they can blame Republicans for protecting wealthy families at the expense of a tax break for 98 percent of Americans" http://bit.ly/MNgwJY
** A message from U.S. Bank: U.S. Bank strives to be a partner of choice to make a meaningful impact in communities where we live and work. The U.S. Bank Supplier Diversity program works to identify, develop and build strong relationships with certified small and diverse business enterprises that are qualified to supply U.S. Bank with quality products and services. Over the past five years, U.S. Bank has increased its spending with diverse suppliers by 36 percent. Read more: https://www.usbank.com/en/corporate_responsibility/diversity-and-inclusion.html **


text:
Minichino: Title game was fantastic to watch
Spartans end all doubts by shutting out Brookstone
Famous aviator's son returns to Athens to honor his father
Thompson: Seeking help from the faith community
Air show to hit Ben Epps runway in bicentennial event
'Worship casual' is the dress code of the day
Community invited to Cedar Shoals dedication
Misspelled street signs to be replaced
Car and truck show Sunday in Winder
Taize Sung Prayer service at First Presbyterian
Decision to go with Helmey pays off
Rebs knock Gators from tourney
Polk's ejection thrills Miss. State fans
Tennessee eliminated by Florida
Gamecocks oust Bulldogs from SEC tournament
Leading economic indicators rise in April
Cedar Shoals hosts spring game
UGA to compete in cycling championships
Bishop: A little hard not to be a fair weather friend of 'Friends'
How much bigger can Merlefest get?
Cautious spending on art causes headaches for auction houses
Doctor studies benefits of medical marijuana
Ornamental grasses gaining modern popularity
Georgia peach crop forecast very good despite late freezes
Henning: Learning the lessons of Paul and the art of safe recycling
Zell Miller needs to stay right where he is
Dioxin exposure is another reason to avoid eating meat
Belief that rape victims ask for it is moronic
Area needs more camps for disabled adults
UGA closing in on ex-Penn State guard Jon Crispin
Questions about John Doe 2 still haunt Oklahoma City bomb case
Former champion skier arrested on pot charges
Head-on collision with bus kills truck driver
China charges U.S. scholar with spying for Taiwan
Independent voters on rise in Georgia
Ex-mob insider testifies against Gold Club owner
Demonstrators girding for prison stay
Carter says power woes not near crisis of '70s
Judge: Gotti won't have to testify in trial
Census shows single-father households on the rise
Navy crew honored for performance, courage
Effort launched to save students stuck in cave
Israeli planes attack West Bank
Air Force doctor pleads innocent
Man arrested in scam involving Niki Taylor hospital photos
Power bill boost meets opposition
Bush condemns Mideast violence
Crosswalk change hits Clayton like a ton of bricks
Bush paints bleak energy picture
Energy woes not about sacrifice, yet
Mayor charged with murder in race riot
One egg, beat well is recipe for lively British campaign
Third arrest in school bomb plot case
Evidence problems found in probe of FBI Okla. office
Officials say Georgia safe from blackout threats
Teacher pay hikes lagging behind inflation
County mails out property reassessment notices
Athens to host state Green Party convention
Spartans back for more: Academy's veterans lead young team to third straight title game
Zoo day: Volunteers teach and learn at zoo
Spartans back for more: Academy's veterans lead young team to third straight title game
Zoo day: Volunteers teach and learn at zoo
Progress carries a price: Businesses deal with street work
Zoo day: Volunteers teach and learn at zoo
Harmonize your home: Ancient art of feng shui does that and more
Soft-spoken standout: Defending champ focused on team
Progress carries a price: Businesses deal with street work
One loss turned Bulldogs' season: No. 3 Georgia
Harmonize your home: Ancient art of feng shui does that and more
Familiar territory: Athenian eager to start first NCAA tournament
Prep Athletes honored at News Building
Living Large: Magill's influence shaped tournament, Georgia athletics
Harmonize your home: Ancient art of feng shui does that and more
Crosswalk change hits Clayton like a ton of bricks: County spending $4,500 to replace gray bricks with red clay ones
Prep Athletes honored at News Building
Spiritual milestone: Baccalaureate services mark students passing into life
Sign of the times: State project hopes to make citizens more aware of pollution in river watersheds
Prep Athletes honored at News Building
Warriors, Gladiators look to advance to state semis
Conroy: Defense plan defines fuzzy thinking
Mendenhall: Airport Open House events would have Ben Epps' spirit soaring
Tant: High court lights fire under medicannabis advocates
Georgia needs to begin buying land now for rail lines
Ruling shouldn't stop consideration of medicinal marijuana
Big Unit and company one-hit Cubs
Minichino: Title game was fantastic to watch
Patience may be key in long road back
Spartans end all doubts by shutting out Brookstone
Prep Athletes honored at News Building
Avalanche bury Blues' comeback bid
Magill: Hall to honor two gentlemen of tennis
Raptors force Game 7 with Sixers
Braves win on wild pitch in ninth
Pavin takes Colonial lead with second-round 64
NBA draft lures many, but not Duke guard
Cedar Shoals hosts spring game
Radke spoils Cone's Boston debut
Mickelson, Furyk share Colonial lead
McBride able to learn from uncle Glavine
Warriors, Gladiators look to advance to state semis
Activation of Smoltz sends Giles to minors
Yankees squad turning Bronx into Steal-town
Phils stop streaking Cardinals
After OT escape, Blues can tie series against Avs
2001 High School Athletes of the Year
Congress views new Internet music sales network
Bruins would love shot at Stanford
Depth of field story of tourney
Cardinal hopes to add to impressive resume
One loss turned Bulldogs' season
Magill: Teacher joins Californian Hall contingent
South Campus to trade asphalt for greenspace
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
While some San Francisco 49ers are upset about a tape where a New Orleans Saints' coach allegedly calls for his players to injure their opponents, one prominent 49er is defending Gregg Williams.
Cornerback Carlos Rogers played for the suspended former New Orleans' defensive coordinator, who gave a fiery speech the night before his team played the 49ers in the playoffs this year.
Rogers took to San Francisco sports radio station KNBR to defend his former coach from his days with the Washington Redskins.
The recently resigned corner said the idea of Williams running a bouny system are being taken out of context.
"It wasn't a bounty system," he said. "I'm close to Gregg, and I'm not trying to be biased. He's one of the coaches I admire and would always love to play for. But, it wasn't a bounty system."
Instead Rogers said players in Washington would encourage each other to get a legal hit on an opponent or wager on who would get an interception.
"It all started, when you'd be in the (defensive backs) room, just making wagers," he said. "Every DB put $100 in the pot. There'd probably be 10 of us in the room, that week, somebody get an interception, they'd get that $1,000. That's basically what it was. You make a big hit, you put some money in the pot. It wasn't about all these guys putting money in the pot for you to intentionally hurt somebody."
Rogers said Williams would be involved with some of the money being thrown around but not in the form of a bounty system.
"What Gregg do, is if you be late, I think it was like $1,900 fine by the league," he said. "If you miss a meeting, I think it's $9,600 or somewhere up in that area. What he'd do, you don't have to pay that (to the league), you'd pay $2,000 or something, but he'd just keep it in the room, you'd just keep it in the pot, and the guys that do perform, 'OK, $1,000 if you get an interception. You get an interception return for a touchdown, you get $1,500.' Stuff like that."
Rogers said the 49ers and most NFL teams talk about taking particular players out but not in the sense of illegally injuring them.


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Posted by
Serena Tramonti Media and Advocacy Officer
6th Sep 2013
Kelly Paes has just joined the team here at Oxfam in Manchester - she is our new community and activism coordinator in the North of England. Find out what Kelly thinks of her first few weeks - and how you can get in touch with her to get involved in any of our campaigns.
This is my third week at Oxfam and I can genuinely say I absolutely love my new job. My role is Community Campaigns Coordinator in the North of England. That means that my job is to mobilise and support the many hundreds of supporters and activists who believe in Oxfam's goals and want to raise awareness and take action on issues of injustice - and how excited am I to be in this position?!
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues in our Manchester office and around the country; they are helping me figure out how the whole machine that is Oxfam operates and they have made me feel part of the Oxfam team from day one.
Of course I already knew I would be working with some fantastic people and for an amazing organisation - I am inside one of the world's most dynamic charities with people's rights at the heart of everything it does.
I can't wait to meet all of our activists in the North of England and work together with them to bring about change. In the next coming weeks there will be so many exciting campaigns and events to get stuck into and to be part of. And, if we stick together, we can make a huge difference to inequality and injustice.
I will be blogging about our campaigns and what is happening in the North in time to come. In the meantime if anyone would like to get in touch, feel free to email me - email@example.com or on Facebook: Kelly OxfamNorth
Blog post written by Serena Tramonti
Media and Advocacy Officer
More by Serena Tramonti
© 2017. Oxfam is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SC039042).
Oxfam GB is a member of the international confederation Oxfam.


text:
Big guns ! Big guys ! Small.... ?
I'd guess so...
This will cheer up those backroom boys among you who've ever had a strong desire to let a server have it with an arsenal of weapons, but didn't have a Springfield Armory M14, Heckler & Koch MP5 or IMI Uzi to hand: Marvellous, and we offer a round of applause to keepgoing.biz, which promises to protect your data in …
Big guns ! Big guys ! Small.... ?
I'd guess so...
Huh - that's where I sometimes go to shoot. I hope to hell they cleaned the place up afterwards.
BTW - that's an M11 in .380ACP (aka 9mm Short), not a Mac10, which is a .45ACP
Nice to see they pushed the boat out there, a crappy old Compaq Desktop EN that might possibly have been as advanced as a P3, a skanky old G2 ML370 rack mount that's missing it's front bezel and what looks like it might have been a HP P4 mini tower. Way to raid the junk room guys.
I prefer the HP vids where they fire a .50 cal through an EVA or create a gas explosion in a server room and destroy kit that wasn't rescued from the bin.
It appears to me that there wasn't any active comms to that server (or electricity for that matter) so I'm wondering how it was being backed up???
"We keep you going, no matter what happens!"
So if there's a simultaneous attack against all data centers they use, plus someone finds out where the off-site backups are stored and blows them up, everything just keeps going? It sounds like the cloud dream come true, but is more likely an invitation for litigation with a strap line like that!
If only those boys could be recruited to "service" some servers in Hong Kong and certain Eastern Bloc countries...
If you have the IP address and evidence for the ones in HK, I know exactly who to contact.
It took six JATO packs, but it worked...
'nuff said.
Keepgoing.biz? Nah. Stick the backup copy on a DVD, and leave it on a train. It'll emerge in a newspaper office somewhere, from which, as history has proved that for a small fee it can be safely retrieved.
Bloody pointless exercise. Rednecks shooting something that hasn't fought back. Yet.
What a bunch of dicks.
they properly disposed of the equipment according to WEEE legislation afterwards.
I too noticed the World War 2 guns. I am ashamed to realise that I know most of those guns names despite living in a country where they are quite illegal. Computer games are a bad influence!
They are working without earplugs and backstop?
And automatic weapons too, which are (IIRC) quite difficult to get/own, even in the US. Especially a 50-cal! What kind of outfit are these guys? Or where exactly in the US are they based?
Should that not be 'Mobile Firepower', in keeping with IT jargon?
They where sending packets to a server, afterall...
If they were in London, they'd have about 50 fines up the a*s - littering, pollution, making a nuisance, blah.
Lucky bugs; felt great to see them screw the servers
Missed out on the grenades, napalms and nukes, eh?
One of them was holding the Tommy gun by the magazine!
If they don't don't know what a forestock is for they shouldn't be allowed near guns (even American ones).
Now if you had a Vickers MG, you could shoot up server racks for hours without stoppage*
*that's stoppage of the gun, server performance would drop off rapidly
Restores it to what? There's nothing left!
It is an interesting ambiguous business but with solid virtual based ethics, which would give IT a ..... well, Real and SurReal Advantage wouldn't be misleading.
"What is you actually do in the war, Daddy? " .... is one of those questions which would have an answer worth listening to, if well articulated by VentureNetworkers .... http://www.vnetinc.com/Pages.aspx/About-Us-Overview.
Holding the thompson by the mag can cause jamming (not the musical kind) and cause a group of redknecks to laugh at your firearm ineptitude.
It would be a shame if something.... happened to it
I wonder where they got those weapons? They are things I have absolutely no need for but, I want them anyway. I live in the midwest US where there are plenty of firearms but I've never seen any of those around.
Right up until the end I thought they were demonstrating a new way to dispose of sensitive data so that it couldn't be recovered. What a sham! What a disappointment!
These are the guys who can never let anyone get the last word in a flame war.
I'll bet their online avatars are total badasses.
Pretty pointless demonstration though. I guess our company doesn't need them because we have guards at our building's entrance.
One of those guys used to our President.
I don't see a MP5 in there. I see someone with what looks like a GSG-5 (with a real suppressor over the fake can that comes with it) shooting at the equipment.
btw: most guns in the US are not suppressed or automatic. It takes a lot of paperwork and money to get automatic weapons. Most civilians who legally own weapons use simple semiautomatic or bolt-action/pump-action/lever-action weapons. It costs a lot of money (we're talking several thousands) to get a legal automatic sear or an automatic weapon and anywhere from a $200 to $400 fee to get approved by the ATF, not to mention requiring a Chief Law Enforcement Officer to sign off on it (or barring that, a trust, which is more money).
Those hicks/yokels/rednecks/etc. that you see shooting automatics and lobbing grenades/cannons/etc. constitute less than 5% of the lawful gun-owning populace.
>>>Bloody pointless exercise.
There has to be a *point* to having fun now? My - what a grey, depressing world you must live in. Oh, wait - it's England. I get it now :)
>>>Rednecks shooting something that hasn't fought back. Yet.
I seem to remember that they were good enough to have seen off the English pretty sharpish back in the day - hope your Orwellian surveillance-society is keeping you safe when you cower in your bed at night, forbidden from even punching a burglar yourself.
God forbid you find a gun in your garden and try to do the right thing - get banged-up for 5 years, eh?
To be honest mate, I think in your quoted situation, business continuity MAY be a moot point... Most of your employees would be dead, and America will be under invasion. Which UNLESS that simultaneous attack was carried out by us, would probably be bad news.
Still, I need to look at business continuity... Perhaps I'll throw that scenario in the DR plan and use it as an excuse to see if I can get away with sentry guns, minefields, and an armoury in the server room...
For emergencies of course...
You can now downsize employees safe in the knowledge that after they have returned and massacred the remainder you can Keep Going.
... you really can't beat a 50 cal !!!
Network admins are between the lusers and the servers. I say these guys were shooting in the wrong direction...
What are you complaining about it looked like a pretty green data center to me.
Is it me or did that video look like the tech geek equivalent to the guns and babes video Samuel Jackson is watching in Jackie Brown? Still just to let our euro readers not have the common misconception that America is a Judge Dredd society with everyone packing heat right out of the cowboy movies, most in America don't need guns to get a hardon. I have lived in some of the most gun friendly areas in America and in any decent sized city you very rarely ever see a gun and if someone has one you can guarantee they will get our overzealous redneck polices attention (one thing I do miss about living in Europe is how the people actually look at the police force for most part as helpful public servants instead of redneck assholes out to put the hurt on you because you ain't one of them). You just hear from the very loud lunatic fringe like the woman that was packing heat to her daughters soccer game legally and then was shot by her husband in a domestic dispute less than year later (http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/10/gun-toting_soccer_mom_is_shot.html)
Guns are their to protect you and it is lies that they increase your odds of dying of a gunshot wound by 42x if you have a gun in the house. Still I would rather the rednecks play with their guns out in the woods and burn off testosterone than bottle it up and blow up abortion clinics.
Eddie Shoestring... only needed a Baseball Bat when he reformatted his IBM Mainframe.
British restraint. Those who lived through the '70s will recall that Eddie was an IT person before he became a Private Detective. He had become overwhelmed by a need to reconfigure the machine he worked with..... (grin).
not your show size, guys.
(always wanted to say that)
... how they _legally_ got their hands on sound suppressors?
Didn't HP already do this, and rather better (HP-UX, Linux, NonStop, VMS, Windows restart times compared) a couple of years ago? June 2007 is when the "disasterproof" server video appeared on Youtube but they'd already done one for storage stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMCHpUtJnEI for the "disasterproof" servers video
http://h20338.www2.hp.com/enterprise/w1/en/solutions/storage-disaster-proof-solutions.html for the video and loads of in-depth backup material
Disclaimer: I hate HP as much as you do, but just occasionally they get something nearly right.
A group of gun totting rednecks are able to storm into our data centre, start shootin' the shit of everything in sight and according to KeepGoing.biz, I am supposed to happy in the knowledge that the company will be able to contyinue to function. Fuck that, fuck the servers, the backups and the company I'm getting the hell out of dodge
It's like sex. Get out of the IT basement, into the sunlight and actually try it ... you might like it. For sex I recommend the kitchen ... lots of tables and counter space.
Interesting. Worth a test. I have a couple of TB waiting for just this to happen. And we have only a couple of dialin lines available for backup. Hello? Miss? Anybody there? Thought so... :-)
But the demonstration was nice. Are they available for consulting? There's this customer, see, and their infernal IT sucks...
but I still wouldn't use their services. Sure they can abuse servers with nice weapons, but they haven't proven they can maintain data; only destroy hardware.
1) They actually got PAID to do that!
2) They should have started at 88mm and got bigger
3) I defy any real sys admin to look me in the eye and say they weren't a little big jealous!
4) When they opened fire, I almost had a "happy ending" moment.
5) That video was almost as liberating as the time I had my cell phone "accidentally" run over by a tank.
I'm with the rednecks here, should I seek professional help?
I've never shot up a computer but I did take some old AMD and Cyrix processors out to the range. On one, I'd tried drilling through the brown ceramic coating over the chip but just scratched it with a high speed steel bit. Turns out a .45 ACP and 7.62 Tokarev both made the chips shatter very prettily.
"My - what a grey, depressing world you must live in. Oh, wait - it's England. I get it now :)"
Er, no. I'm in Finland. True freedom. (Except from the taxman, natch! ;)


text:
A month or so I stopped in at Steven Smith. It's a really charming little shop that had been pissing me off for months. You see, they're only open Mon-Fri and I can usually only make it to Portland on a weekend. Ok, that's out of my system…
The shop is charming and the gentleman working there was really friendly, which I like. He sat me down and had me sample their four RTD teas. I walked out with two bottles of this one and two of the Hibiscus.
This is a really light, floral, fruity concoction that I'd be satisfied to drink all day, every day. It's made with apple and pear infused water in small batches.It's naturally a little sweet. It's also very refreshing.
I recommend a trip into the shop if you can make it on a weekday. I also really highly recommend this tea. It's extra yummy.


text: My wife and I were on a cruise recently and one of the activities on the ship was playing the Wii Sports games on a big screen. One of the games was a souped-up bowling game in which the player goes through 10 stages of bowling down progressively more pins. When we got home from the cruise we purchased a Wii Console. It came with a Wii Sports disc, but the disc does not have the bowling game mentioned above. It also does not contain some variations of some of the other games that were on the Wii Sports disc on the ship. Is there more than one Wii Sports disc? And if so, how can I get the additional disc(s)?


text:
What do Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, U.S. President Barack Obama and Jesus Christ have in common?
Give up?
According to John D. Gilliand, all three have made him feel threatened. In response, he filed a restraining order against them in Florida.
Gilland also said that Tebow, Obama and Jesus were all a part of gangs and have made gang symbols at him. He also told the Alachua County Court that he had felt threatened by them.
I was trespassed from the Kangaroo Gas Station on University for saying T-Bo sucks, Gilland wrote in his petition. I personally hate any type of exercise although I feel Billy Blanks has a wonderful video.
For those who dont know, Billy Blanks is the creator of the exercise video Tae Bo.
The court denied Gillands petitions the same day they were filed, but Tuesday afternoon, Gilland filed a sworn statement against Tebow and Obama in attempts to get the court to reconsider his request.


text:
I found 19 resolutions that the present Congress proposed for "balanced budget amendments." Fourteen of these House and Senate resolutions were presented by Republicans, and five were presented by Democrats. All of the resolutions have similar provisions, including many loophole-phrases such as "unless," "except" and "estimates;" and most resolutions do not pay any of the national debt principal. The greatest differences are the tax, debt and court exclusion provisions. None forbid the use of "earmarks."13 comments on this story
The Republican resolutions require a two-thirds vote in each House of Congress to raise taxes (even in time of war), require a three-fifth vote in both Houses to raise the debt limit, exclude all courts to rule with regard to increased revenue issues (unprecedented) and take effect five years after ratification. The Democrat resolutions take effect sooner and require a majority vote to raise taxes or raise the debt limit.
All these resolutions which propose a "balanced budget amendment" sound like the responsible thing to do and are good re-election ploys, but they cannot produce an honest balanced budget because of the many loopholes.
It is unlikely that we will see a real balanced national budget until there are new members in Congress with non-campaign leadership in the White House.
E. Grant Rees


text:
Prove that if a^2+b^2 is a multiple of 3 then both a and b are multiples of 3.
How many pairs of numbers can you find that add up to a multiple of 11? Do you notice anything interesting about your results?
Imagine we have four bags containing numbers from a sequence. What numbers can we make now?
Replace each letter with a digit to make this addition correct.
Make a set of numbers that use all the digits from 1 to 9, once and once only. Add them up. The result is divisible by 9. Add each of the digits in the new number. What is their sum? Now try some. . . .
Caroline and James pick sets of five numbers. Charlie chooses three of them that add together to make a multiple of three. Can they stop him?
How many noughts are at the end of these giant numbers?
Imagine we have four bags containing a large number of 1s, 4s, 7s and 10s. What numbers can we make?
Powers of numbers behave in surprising ways. Take a look at some of these and try to explain why they are true.
Find some triples of whole numbers a, b and c such that a^2 + b^2 + c^2 is a multiple of 4. Is it necessarily the case that a, b and c must all be even? If so, can you explain why?
Carry out cyclic permutations of nine digit numbers containing the digits from 1 to 9 (until you get back to the first number). Prove that whatever number you choose, they will add to the same total.
Take any pair of two digit numbers x=ab and y=cd where, without loss of generality, ab > cd . Form two 4 digit numbers r=abcd and s=cdab and calculate: {r^2 - s^2} /{x^2 - y^2}.
Prove that if the integer n is divisible by 4 then it can be written as the difference of two squares.
Three dice are placed in a row. Find a way to turn each one so that the three numbers on top of the dice total the same as the three numbers on the front of the dice. Can you find all the ways to do. . . .
This addition sum uses all ten digits 0, 1, 2...9 exactly once. Find the sum and show that the one you give is the only possibility.
Pick the number of times a week that you eat chocolate. This number must be more than one but less than ten. Multiply this number by 2. Add 5 (for Sunday). Multiply by 50... Can you explain why it. . . .
Choose any three by three square of dates on a calendar page...
Here are three 'tricks' to amaze your friends. But the really clever trick is explaining to them why these 'tricks' are maths not magic. Like all good magicians, you should practice by trying. . . .
Six points are arranged in space so that no three are collinear. How many line segments can be formed by joining the points in pairs?
Can you convince me of each of the following: If a square number is multiplied by a square number the product is ALWAYS a square number...
Consider the equation 1/a + 1/b + 1/c = 1 where a, b and c are natural numbers and 0 < a < b < c. Prove that there is only one set of values which satisfy this equation.
What are the missing numbers in the pyramids?
The nth term of a sequence is given by the formula n^3 + 11n . Find the first four terms of the sequence given by this formula and the first term of the sequence which is bigger than one million. . . .
Take any whole number between 1 and 999, add the squares of the digits to get a new number. Make some conjectures about what happens in general.
Which set of numbers that add to 10 have the largest product?
A composite number is one that is neither prime nor 1. Show that 10201 is composite in any base.
Try to solve this very difficult problem and then study our two suggested solutions. How would you use your knowledge to try to solve variants on the original problem?
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
Write down a three-digit number Change the order of the digits to get a different number Find the difference between the two three digit numbers Follow the rest of the instructions then try. . . .
Eight children enter the autumn cross-country race at school. How many possible ways could they come in at first, second and third places?
Is the mean of the squares of two numbers greater than, or less than, the square of their means?
Use the numbers in the box below to make the base of a top-heavy pyramid whose top number is 200.
Find the largest integer which divides every member of the following sequence: 1^5-1, 2^5-2, 3^5-3, ... n^5-n.
Find the smallest positive integer N such that N/2 is a perfect cube, N/3 is a perfect fifth power and N/5 is a perfect seventh power.
Is it possible to rearrange the numbers 1,2......12 around a clock face in such a way that every two numbers in adjacent positions differ by any of 3, 4 or 5 hours?
You can work out the number someone else is thinking of as follows. Ask a friend to think of any natural number less than 100. Then ask them to tell you the remainders when this number is divided by. . . .
The country Sixtania prints postage stamps with only three values 6 lucres, 10 lucres and 15 lucres (where the currency is in lucres).Which values cannot be made up with combinations of these postage. . . .
Take any prime number greater than 3 , square it and subtract one. Working on the building blocks will help you to explain what is special about your results.
I am exactly n times my daughter's age. In m years I shall be ... How old am I?
Can you explain why a sequence of operations always gives you perfect squares?
I start with a red, a blue, a green and a yellow marble. I can trade any of my marbles for three others, one of each colour. Can I end up with exactly two marbles of each colour?
Arrange the numbers 1 to 16 into a 4 by 4 array. Choose a number. Cross out the numbers on the same row and column. Repeat this process. Add up you four numbers. Why do they always add up to 34?
Clearly if a, b and c are the lengths of the sides of an equilateral triangle then a^2 + b^2 + c^2 = ab + bc + ca. Is the converse true?
There are 12 identical looking coins, one of which is a fake. The counterfeit coin is of a different weight to the rest. What is the minimum number of weighings needed to locate the fake coin?
From a group of any 4 students in a class of 30, each has exchanged Christmas cards with the other three. Show that some students have exchanged cards with all the other students in the class. How. . . .
If a two digit number has its digits reversed and the smaller of the two numbers is subtracted from the larger, prove the difference can never be prime.
A standard die has the numbers 1, 2 and 3 are opposite 6, 5 and 4 respectively so that opposite faces add to 7? If you make standard dice by writing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 on blank cubes you will find. . . .
A little bit of algebra explains this 'magic'. Ask a friend to pick 3 consecutive numbers and to tell you a multiple of 3. Then ask them to add the four numbers and multiply by 67, and to tell you. . . .
You have been given nine weights, one of which is slightly heavier than the rest. Can you work out which weight is heavier in just two weighings of the balance?
Euler found four whole numbers such that the sum of any two of the numbers is a perfect square...


text:
ANIMAL lovers from Bristol will be taking part in a national Day of Action to raise awareness of the death of male calves in the dairy industry tomorrow (Thursday, September 29).
Members of veggie group Viva!, based in Stokes Croft, will be holding a peaceful demonstration with banners and leafleting in Broadmead, by Tesco, on the corner of Union Street.
At noon they will be staging a farmer 'shooting a calf'*, as a photo opportunity.
The group will be joined across the country by fellow Viva! supporters, as part of their Death By Chocolate campaign, which recently exposed the shooting of baby calves, torn from their mothers at birth, by South West dairy farms supplying confectionery giant Cadbury. This included Harwood Gate Farm, Little Sodbury, near Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire.
Despite the myth of contentment, dairy cows are the hardest worked of all farmed animals. She nurtures a growing baby inside her while simultaneously producing unnaturally high quantities of milk - up to 39 litres at a time.
Kat Affleck, Viva! campaigner says: "To keep the flow going, she is forcibly impregnated every year and her babies are taken away a day or two after birth - year after year.
"One hundred thousand male calves each year get shot (or killed in another manner) or are dead at birth. That means in the last decade a million male calves have died unnecessarily, all for the production of milk and dairy products. People need to be made aware of this and that there are cruelty-free alternatives.
For more information about the Death By Chocolate campaign, visit www.milkmyths.org.uk
*Person in a costume being 'shot' with paper 'gun'
For more information about this media release, contact press officer Helen Rossiter on 0117 944 1000 or email email@example.com or campaigner Kat Affleck on 0117 944 1000.
The bloody secrets held by Cadbury were revealed recently by Bristol-based animal group Viva!, who covertly filmed dairy cattle at numerous South West dairies supplying the company, including Harwood Gate Farm, Little Sodbury.
A film showing a baby calf being callously shot here had over 36,000 hits on YouTube. View our footage.
Visit www.milkmyths.org.uk for more information on the Death By Chocolate campaign.


text:
Artist description:
Shot at abstract...kind of.
Canvas Draw Created Nov 08, 2011 338 x 470px Unless noted Copyright 2011 TheInsideJoke.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
Thank you!
wow! colorfully hypnotizing! great job :) 5h
Thanks Luna! Knowing you and your dessert/candy fetish, this probably looks like skittles to you, doesn't it? lol
fun to look at!
Thank you muchly!
very pretty!!! 5h
:P back at ya. Thanks though.
5h :P
Sweet very colorful!
Woot! Yay, thank you.
5 rates!


text:
HONGKONG-LEUNG:REFILE-NEWSMAKER-Tough, pro-Beijing Leung to lead wary Hong Kong
By James Pomfret
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong picked a Beijing-loyalist and businessman, Leung Chun-ying, as its next leader on Sunday following a scandal-ridden election race that sparked protests and intensified public frustration about a lack of democracy.
Leung, 57, is a self-made surveyor, former senior Hong Kong government adviser and known as a suave, and at times ruthless, political operator with close ties to China's Communist party.
A high-flying member of Hong Kong's elite, Leung forged a business career in property surveying before playing an important mediating role between China and Britain during negotiations leading up to the city's handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997.
Dubbed the "wolf" for what some describe as his steely edge, the tall, trim Leung has been labelled a secret Communist Party cadre -- an accusation he denies -- by some of staunchly capitalist Hong Kong's media and politicians.
"That the Communist Party Central Committee agreed to choose an underground party member as the chief executive is all too clear," said Florence Leung, a former party cadre who published a book on Hong Kong's underground Communist movement.
But Leung, in his first public comments following his victory, sought to put such talk to rest.
"I am not a member of the Communist Party. I am not a so-called underground member of the Communist Party. In fact, I'm not a member, and have not been a member of any political party anywhere in the world," he said.
Initially considered the underdog, Leung staged a late charge as early front runner Henry Tang's campaign sagged over scandal, including one over a love affair and another involving illegal construction at a family villa.
The seven million people of Hong Kong have no say in their choice of leader. Instead, Leung was selected by an elite 1,200-member election committee filled with Beijing loyalists, among them tycoons and business professionals.
Few people expected a Leung victory but as Tang floundered, officials in Beijing's Hong Kong Liaison office, particularly more leftist factions, apparently lobbied the election committee to back Leung, according to media reports.
Leung faces a legislative investigation into a conflict of interest related to a multi-billion dollar arts hub in the city.
During a campaign debate, Tang accused Leung of proposing the use of riot police and teargas to quell a protest in 2003 over proposed anti-subversion laws that many feared would erode liberties.
Many are apprehensive about his image as a hardliner.
"The situation will be very tough. Many people do not like his top-down management style and his deviation from the core values of Hong Kong," said Dixon Sing, a political scientist. "He has been extremely politically conservative and hardline."
In 2010, Leung was asked whether he supported the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. He replied that China's former paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, should have been the first Chinese to win the award.
The son of a policeman, Leung studied Estate Management at Bristol Polytechnic in Britain. He went into real estate and was chairman of property brokerage firm DTZ's Asian arm before he resigned in November to run for Hong Kong leader.
He campaigned on a "one heart, one vision" populist agenda, pledging land for cheaper public housing and greater welfare.
Leung was made the head of the Basic Law Consultative Committee of Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, when he was just 34. He later became a member of China's powerful preparatory committee, which oversaw Hong Kong's transition.
A father of three, Leung is a member of China's leading political consultative body and was once convener of Hong Kong's Executive Council, the city's highest policy-making body.
"To the seven million people, I solemnly pledge that after I take office, the freedoms and rights that they enjoy will be maintained under my administration," he said on Sunday.
(Additional reporting by Sisi Tang; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Robert Birsel)


text:
surf tommrow in long island, i have a really good drylock xcel 4/3 btu has no hood, i know boots and gloves are deffinitly gonna happen but im lookng for some opinions on if i should wear a hood or not?
Results 1 to 7 of 7
Thread: Do I need a hood?
Hybrid View
May 1, 2009, 02:42 PM #1
Do I need a hood?
nah i haven't been wearing one in jersey for over a month. gets a little chilly if you have to duck dive a couple times in a row but besides that its fine
May 2, 2009, 12:52 AM #3Member
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- Aug 2008
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- 63
agreed, should be doable without the hood. depends on your tolerance for ice cream headaches - after duckdiving a couple in a row may get a bit cold, but again should be a go even without the hood
Last edited by latedrop; May 2, 2009 at 12:57 AM.
May 2, 2009, 01:26 AM #4Junior Member
- Join Date
- May 2009
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- 1
hey, where you goin out at? I was trying to def. make it out tomorow morning/afternoon before work or sunday...I don't know many people who surf here, so i'd definitly like to paddle out with someone...haha havnt been out yet this year...
May 3, 2009, 11:21 PM #5
well i acculy went out on friday and i didnt have a hood or gloves and i had a 3/2 and i lasted about like 1 and a half then i got gloves ....i surfed at manasquan
May 11, 2009, 08:03 PM #6Junior Member
- Join Date
- May 2009
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- 1
Im looking to surf in lido beach, in long beach, Long Island. I have A 3/2 without any bootys or gloves or a hood... How long should I wait to go, because forecasts say 53 degree water


text:
See All
Video Recipes
"Pachakam" means cooking in kerala and Pachakam.Com welcomes you to the magnificent world of easy and healthy Indian cooking with a probe into the fascinating Indian cooking recipes. Cooking is not just about making food but is an art of presenting your culinary skills to those who love food with a different flavor and Indian cooking, by no means is an exception.
Left over chicken with other ingredients
Category :
Published On: 28 May 2012
English: Salad Cucumber
tamil: Kakkarikai / Mullenvellari
malayalam: Salad Vellari / Mullenvellari
telugu: Dosa Kayi / Mullu-Vellari
kannada: Mullu Souche Kayi / Southe Kayi
hindi: Khira / Kheera / Kakdi
Bengali: Sasha / Sausha
Gujarati: Kakdi
Konkani: Moggey / Thoushen / Thavshen / Tause
Marathi: Sitalchinni
Oriya: Kakudi
Punjabi: Kira / Tar
Tulu: Thekkarae
Kashmiri: Laa'R
for more details, click the name of the ingredient
English: Parsley
tamil: Kothamalu Illai
malayalam: Seema Malli
telugu: Kothimeera Jati
kannada: Kottambari / Achu-Mooda
hindi: Ajmood / Ajmooda Ka Patta
Bengali: Parsley
Gujarati: Ajmo
Marathi: Ajmoda
Oriya: Balabalua Shaga
English: Sesame Seeds
tamil: Ellu
malayalam: ellu
telugu: nuvvulu
kannada: ellu
hindi: til
Oriya: raashi
English: Pepper Powder
tamil: Kurumulagupodi
malayalam: Kurumulagupodi
telugu: Miriyaalu / Miriyala Tige / Savyamu
kannada: Menasina Kalu / Karimenasu / Ollemenasu / Menasu
hindi: Kalimirchi / Kada Mari
Bengali: Goal Morich / Kala Morich
Gujarati: Mari / Kadamari / Kalamari / Kalomirich / Golmirich / Kala-Mircha
Konkani: Miriyakonu / Mirsang / Miire / Mirin
Marathi: Mire / Kale Miri
Oriya: Golmarich
Punjabi: Kalimirchi
Tulu: Eddae Munchi
Kashmiri: Marutus
Urudu: Kali Mirch / Siah Mirch
English: Salt
tamil: Uppu
malayalam: Uppu
telugu: Uppu
kannada: Uppu
hindi: Namak
Bengali: Laban / Noone
Gujarati: Meethu
Konkani: Meet
Marathi: Mith
For preparing left over chicken salad, in a small bowl mix in olive oil, soya sauce, sesame seeds, mustard sauce and pepper powder. Keep this sauce aside.
In a big bowl, mix in left over chicken pieces, lettuce, celery, cucumber, parsley, carrot, peanuts, mozerella cheese and salt. Mix it well.
Pour in the sauce and mix well.
Left over chicken salad is ready. Serve immediately.
Malabar Style egg bonda...
Fish in coconut milk - Special Fish Curry...
Muringakka chemmeen curry is a prawn curry in a coconut base...
This is a spicy pigeon dish that tastes great with chapati o...
Nizana Shammas is a hosewife who has lots of interest n cooking. She is an expert in providing various traditional recipes.
Renukadevi Kumanan is a well versed person in providing varities of South Indian recipes and also some modern recipes. She used to try varities of recipes from different cuisines.
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text:
The Commonwealth Games baton arrived in India on Friday evening for a low-key start to its journey around the world. It was no surprise to those in the city that the baton's arrival has not quite managed to wrest attention away from the major national festivals taking place at the same time.
India is a nation of festivals. When organisers in the country realised the baton was due to arrive on the same weekend as the Durga Pooja and Dushera festivals were due to start, they suggested the date was not suitable. The Diwali festival (the Festival of Lights) also takes place between mid-October and mid-November)
"We don't have enough security to provide for these events,'' said Vijay Kumar Malhotra, acting president of the Indian Olympic Association, which was planning a number of events around the baton's arrival.
Loading article content
"We spoke to the police commissioner and the government but none were able to help us. Therefore we can't allow the typical 400m relay that takes place, because we need to deploy people for security but that's not available to us."
Durga Pooja, which started yesterday, and Dushera, which begins today, have made it difficult for the relay to take centre stage.
One of the few times this city went out of its way to celebrate a non-religious commotion was when the Commonwealth Games was staged here in 2010. Despite the negative reports that preceded those Games, athletes, fans and the media ended up experiencing what was broadly seen as a successful event.
They finally put India on the map of sporting nations and the country now even aspires to host the Olympics at some stage.
Indian security agencies remain mindful that religious festivals, in particular, are a time they grapple with terrorist threats. In October 2005, three bombs placed in busy New Delhi markets a day before the Diwali festival began killed 62 people and injured hundreds more. Many other such attacks have taken place at this time of year.
"There's always an extra threat of terrorism during festivals," said Malhotra.
The Queen's Baton Relay began its 190,000km journey following its grand launch by the Queen, as the head of the Commonwealth, at Buckingham Palace in London on last Wednesday
Malhotra received the baton at New Delhi airport from Commonwealth Games Federation honorary secretary Louise Martin on Friday evening, before it was handed to the Indian representatives at a reception that night.
He was accompanied by a group of 12 Indian athletes, including Commonwealth Games gold medallists Krishna Poonia (discus), Gagan Narang and Samresh Jung (shooting), Deepika Kumari (archery) and K Ravi Kumar (weightlifting).
Yesterday morning, the baton was taken to the Taj Mahal, the site of the Indian Army's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, before heading to Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, the venue for the first ever Asian Games in 1951 and host of the 2010 men's hockey World Cup.
But even as the baton and the athletes made their way from one part of the capital to another, I would not describe the scenes as a media frenzy. A photo session at India Gate, one of Delhi's busiest places, didn't draw the excitement one may have expected.
Later in the evening, the British Embassy hosted the athletes and the baton at its residence. This morning, there will be another photo session at Qutab Minar, a Unesco World Heritage site.
Samresh Jung, who won two gold medals for shooting at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, acknowledged that the big Indian festivals had neutered some of the excitement of the Games baton relay.
He told me: "It was a great moment to visit India Gate with the baton. It's always a privilege. I also had the honour of bearing the Queen's baton in its opening ceremony run in the stadium for the 2010 Games. This time around it was a very different feeling because very few were there. And that is mainly because of Diwali.
"The Commonwealth Games has now turned into a world-class event and I look forward to going to Glasgow next year."


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Batala (Pb): A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her uncle at Mulowali village in Dera Baba Nanak police station area here, police said today.
The accused, identified as Satnam Singh, was going to drop the girl to her parents house from her aunt's house in Dera Pathana village, they said.
On the way, the accused allegedly took her to a secluded spot and raped her, police said.
He later threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone, they said.
But she brought the incident to her mother's notice, police said.
An FIR has been registered against Satnam for rape, police added.


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Nathan Barge, MA '99
Harrisonburg, Virginia
As director of the "Welcome Center" of the Harrisonburg public school system, Nathan Barge leads the team that registers, evaluates and places hundreds of incoming students. About half of these come from households that speak a language other than English. Barge himself speaks Spanish, in addition to his native English, having spent 14 years with his wife, Elaine, in Latin America as a volunteer with Mennonite Central Committee.
In the early 1990s, Nathan and Elaine led grassroots groups from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to Colombia to take classes with teachers and practitioners with the JustaPaz organization, four of whom helped shape CJP: John Paul Lederach, Vernon Jantzi, Ricardo Esquivia, and Paul Stucky. The older of two Barge daughters, Rebecca, was born in a war zone in El Salvador, and the family was almost killed when caught in a battle. Co-workers were imprisoned and interrogated. The family also lived through an earthquake.
Such experiences drove home the fragility of life and helped them to understand the common expression, "I will see you tomorrow, God willing." Nathan entered EMU as a graduate student in 1995 as a way of processing what the family had experienced, retooling for new work, and studying a subject that interested him.
As he neared the end of his MA studies, he started a restorative justice program in Harrisonburg in 1999, but left it in 2004 for the school system job. The move was necessary to put the family on better financial footing before the Barge daughters entered college. Nathan continues to do volunteer work as a mediator and restorative justice practitioner. Formerly, he was board president of Gemeinshaft, a Harrisonburg program to assist ex-prisoners to transition to living productively in mainstream society.


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Fans of high quality pop music, here comes a new tip for you. New York-based duo MS MR are about to release their first full-length studio album which will be released on May 14 via Columbia Records. The records fist single is called Fantasy and it doesn't hide its hit potential. These two have already been on tour with MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS which you can recognize a bit while listening do Fantasy. You can do that right here.
MS MR on NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION


text: Joe Raedle, Getty [ Flu Cases in Wyoming on the Rise By Amy Richards January 3, 2014 Wyoming Department of Health spokeswoman Kim Deti says its not too late to get a flu shot. Read More Category: Features Tags: flu cases in Wyoming, fLU SHOTS Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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Welcome to the group! Please feel free to introduce yourself!
My name is Julie and I'm a stay at mom to two great kids. I created this group to get to know more Hmong mommies, make friends, and to have fun conversations. I'm really excited and look forward to meet everyone!
I'm Kia... From California... pregnant with my 2nd child. I'm also a stay at home mom. Artistic, creative and love to meet new exciting people. I'm a self motivator... I'm planning to further my education... I'm here to network and shrare my thoughts and ideals...
hope to meet more hmong mommies! have a good one!
Hello Hmong Moms. Today i just decided to search for the word hmong and found that we have a goup of hmong mommies on here. I'm super excited. I 23 years old and currently 24 weeks with my little one in my belly. Its soo amazing, it's like feeling life in the making. My husband wanted to have a rat baby (the chinese zodiac sign) becasue he's a rat and so am I, so here we're waiting patiently for our rat baby, due Nov. 1st. I'm currently working full time in the summer and full time student majoring in Education. But school doesnt start till Sept. Decided to take the summer off. I'm super excited, so stop by and share me your experiences as moms, I could use it and love to hear it.
Hello Hmong Mommies, my name is Gao Yang and I live in St. Paul, MN. I have 2 boys and just had my 3rd, a little girl 2 months ago. Like one of the Hmong Mommies on here, I also thought I would put in the word Hmong just to see what would happen, and Wow, here I find you guys. I would love to add each of you guys as my friend...:)
hi hmong mommas',
I am an older mom of a hmong child gifted to me, he is a brilliant and wonderful child of many talents and surprises, he is green hmong and I am always seeking mor einfo on hmongs and green hmong traditions so he may know all he can o fhis bio. dad's culture.
i have my own ways as Indian mix and only seek for him to know more fo his. He is 3 yrs with I.Q. of a 4 1/2 to 5 yr old and he is very proud of what he does know hmong. I am here to see if I can learn more for his sake so if anyone would like to help with that, it'd be great if not then fine just dont insult, ...... I simply love everything about my lil one, whatever he loves I love, interested in, I am also, ....... He is not of my gene. pool and he is not adopted however, he is my very own very precious blessing straight from GOD and I will do whatever it takes to ensure he is loved, respected,....... well educated on all things and well rounded as a whole person, he is as the expression goes ' the very breath I breathe!"
He has a couple traditional 'play' type outfitts and a 20 dollar belt tha tI havent a clue wher to get money for ( except to wait untill festival in summer up in Mn. again) or hwo to sew on money, tie belt,.... and what other traditional things that go with for a fancy traditional outfitt, Ive seen pics of such things however, apparently didnt know how to ask fo ritems th eright way, especially when its at a plce where all things of all hmong culture/groups are. apparently one must know exactly what to ask for or else walk around in a huge area seeking each item from thousands of differant things while knowing exactly what each thing looks like or is called,.. the heat got to me before i could pull off determined search.
Anyone with patience and willingness to help can feel free to pm me or place here, thanks.
Hey! I'm Carrie Vang and I have 2 wonderful baby boys. I am a stay at home mom and live in California. I am glad I found this group! I hope to get to know you all better.


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[lin_video src=http://eplayer.clipsyndicate.com/embed/player.js?aspect_ratio=16×9&auto_next=1&auto_start=0&div_id=videoplayer-1365968439&height=480&page_count=5&pf_id=9624&show_title=1&va_id=4017356&width=640&windows=2 service=syndicaster width=640 height=480 div_id=videoplayer-1365968439 type=script]BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – Augustine Rutherford hasn't used his driveway in weeks.
"The weight of my car would probably demolish the foundation of the driveway," he said.
He parks his car on the street in front of his house and walks to his garage.
A sinkhole, which at his last measurement was about eight and a half feet wide and five feet deep, is of growing concern for Rutherford, more so than a year ago when he first noticed it.
It sits near the edge of his driveway, right behind his garage. He fears that it will eventually reach his house, a mere 21 feet away.
Mr. Rutherford says that his neighbor, who owns the property, had several engineers come out to take a look at the hole and they say it may not be an act of nature. They explain there's a possibility a broken drainage pipe that runs right down the side of the property could be the culprit.
"He's called county and state officials trying to figure out what to do. One of the persons they recommended told me it would probably have to be the property owner or the property owner would probably have to get in touch with the builder."
Since it is private property county officials say it isn't their responsibility. The owner of the property, Rutherford's neighbor, had the hole filled with dirt and cement but it all eventually collapsed.
Mr. Rutherford has spent months searching for answers and a solution before the hole extends to the foundation of his home.
We've done some research and here are a few things you can do if a sinkhole happens on or near your property. You can contact your property or homeowner's insurance company, consider contacting a geological or geo-technical engineering company to assess the situation and if the sinkhole is in a residential neighborhood affecting public safety contact the city or county engineer's office.


text: Hey folks. I've been itching to rejoin the 1911 family and could use some feedback. I'm looking to pickup a classic government model with a more Mil-spec look. I've thought about picking up a cheaper GI model like a RIA or Auto Ordinance and replacing some of the sub-par parts with quality stuff, but would it be worthwhile to just spend more up front and pick up something like a Springfield Mil-Spec or Colt 1991? Anyone have any suggestions on a good quality classic 1911. I'd like the price to stay as low as possible, but I know quality doesn't come cheap. I want the clean classic look, but it has to be reliable. I'm leaning towards carbon steel (blued, parkerized, etc.), but I do like Stainless models too. Any thoughts?


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Boy gets to be new 'Chief for a Day' after donation to K-9 unit
There is new Detroit police chief in town - at least for Wednesday.
Carter Widmer arrived in a helicopter for his day-long stint as Detroit's top cop. He earned the spot after making a generous donation to the department's K-9 Unit.
Showing up like a boss, the new mini chief of Detroit police 7-year-old Carter Widmer arrived to work in style.
Chosen to be "Chief for a Day," Wednesday the Macomb boy's parents say that Carter with his grandma, decided to donate $250 to the department.
Carter's dad is a Detroit police lieutenant for the special response team.
"They decided to donate to the K-9 unit in Detroit," said mother Kelly Widmer. "And this is how it all started. We were just amazed."
Future police officer and dog lover Carter was sworn in as the official top dog.
Carter got to meet the bomb detection dog Fletcher and the other men and women in blue.
Carter says he wants to work for the K-9 unit or the SWAT team.
"We're just proud of him for his generosity," said Lt. John Widmer. "Thinking to give to others."
This tiny police chief plans to send more gifts overseas to another officer and his dog, reminds everyone this holiday season: "Giving is better than getting."


text: There's nothing like a jazzy, dance-filled Broadway musical to get in the holiday spirit, as two of our favorite stage and screen stars discovered on December 18 at After Midnight! Five-time Tony winner Audra McDonald took in the matinee performance at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, and Tony nominee Jonathan Groff saw the evening performance. Both stars went backstage after the show to congratulate Fantasia Barrino, Dule Hill, Adriane Lenox and more. Click below to share in the meet-and-greets, then get tickets to see the show yourself!


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Extreme Networks Powers Upcoming Heart Hall of Famer Series with Pro Football Hall of Fame
Events Highlight Dedication to K-12 School Districts
May 05, 2014, 08:40 ET from Extreme Networks
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Extreme Networks (Nasdaq: EXTR), a leading provider of high performance network solutions, today announced upcoming events throughout the month of May with the Pro Football Hall of Fame's (PFHOF) Heart of a Hall of Famer series, part of the PFHOF's educational outreach program that provides students the opportunity to engage and learn from legendary Hall of Fame players about how to achieve success on and off the football field.
Live interaction with a Hall of Fame player is provided to students in-person or via video conferencing, which is broadcasted to schools around the country. The video conference program, powered by Extreme Networks, offers an interactive educational experience for students to learn about character, overcoming hardship and achieving success in life. Each session in May will discuss what it takes beyond athletic skill to make it into the Hall of Fame and how those character qualities can be applied to everyday life. The upcoming Heart of a Hall of Famer events in May include:
Who: Andre Tippett, 2008 inductee and linebacker for the New England Patriots
When: Monday, May 5 from 9:45 a.m. - 11 a.m. ET
Where: Live at Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio
Who: Jan Stenerud, 1991 inductee and first "pure" placekicker to enter the Hall of Fame
When: Wednesday, May 7 from 11 a.m. - noon ET
Where: Via VC software at Kansas City School District
Who: Mike Haynes, 1997 inductee and cornerback for the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Raiders
When: Monday, May 12 from noon - 1 p.m. ET
Where: Via VC software at San Diego Community College District
Who: James Lofton, 2003 inductee and wide receiver selected to play in eight Pro Bowls
When: Wednesday, May 21 from noon - 1 p.m. ET
Where: Via VC software at San Diego Community College District
For a full list of upcoming Heart of a Hall of Famer events and how to participate, visit here.
Additional Resources:
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Partnership Press Release
- "Lasting Lessons In Character From The Pro Football Hall Of Fame" Blog Post
- Heart of a Hall of Famer Program
- Extreme Networks K-12 Education Solutions
- Extreme Networks Higher Education Solutions
- Extreme Networks Mobility Solutions
- Connect with Extreme via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+
About Extreme Networks Extreme Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXTR) is setting a new standard for superior customer experience by delivering network-powered innovation and market leading service and support. The company delivers high-performance switching and routing products for data center and core-to-edge networks, wired/wireless LAN access, and unified network management and control. Our award-winning solutions include software-defined networking (SDN), cloud and high-density Wi-Fi, BYOD and enterprise mobility, identity access management and security. Extreme Networks is headquartered in San Jose, CA and has more than 12,000 customers in over 80 countries. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.extremenetworks.com.
Extreme Networks and the Extreme Networks logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other names are the property of their respective owners.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including without limitation statements as to the features, performance, and benefits of Extreme Networks products, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to risks and uncertainties, including network design and actual results of use of the product in different environments. We undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking information in this release. Other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are contained in the Company's 10-Qs and 10-Ks that are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. http://www.sec.gov.
About the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the National Football League, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's mission is to Honor the Heroes of the Game; Preserve its History; Promote its Positive Values; and Celebrate Excellence Everywhere. For more information, please visit ProFootballHOF.com; @ProFootballHOF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Media Contacts:
Greg Cross Extreme Networks 408 579 3483 firstname.lastname@example.com
Jennifer Grabowski Racepoint Global 617 624 3231 email@example.com
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140204/NE58480LOGO
SOURCE Extreme Networks


text: My phone all but died yesterday (see my other post) and was forced to do a factory reset. I went through and only re-installed apps that did not state about preventing the phone from sleeping. Most days I unplug my phone at 6am and its completely dead by 2pm. I unplugged today at 8am and at 2pm its at 75% to 80% (normally unplugging at 8 it would be at 30% at 2pm. I dont know if its the factory reset, or not installing apps that keep the phone from sleeping or what the deal is, but wow. My usage has been the same today if not more than normal cause of reinstalling my apps and re setting everything up from doing the reset. When I looked at my phone a few minutes ago to see if I have to do my normal afternoon recharge and it was still near full, I about SH#T myself.


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Kodak KS-100 Solar Charger
The US$30 Kodak KS-100 solar charger is the most straightforward, easiest to carry, and least expensive recharging device we tested. It's also the smallest, fitting into a jacket pocket, small camera bag, or purse.
You can prop up the Kodak charger on a fold-out stand to get the most of the light at an angle, or you can hang it from a hook. It comes with a USB-to-mini-USB connector, but Kodak doesn't provide any extra adapter cables. The unit's enclosed AA nickel metal-hydride batteries could theoretically pop into a compatible camera or other gadget, but you can't swap different batteries into the Kodak unit. Also missing from the Kodak package is an AC wall adapter, but you can give the Kodak model a head start by powering it via USB from a port on your computer.
You must set the device either to accept power or to provide power, by flipping a switch to In or Out--an extra step compared with the Brunton Freedom. Reaching the Kodak's embedded switch was impossible without a pen, a pin, or a twig. The Kodak LED shines red while charging and green when ready to go. You have to switch its power status from In to Out before plugging in a phone or other gadget for charging.
The KS-100 comes with no adapters, just a USB-to-miniUSB cable. The USB chargers that accompanied our test BlackBerry Bold, iPod Touch, and HTC Droid Incredible plugged into the Kodak unit, though the only phone that the KS-100 fully charged was the BlackBerry--and even then only after we left the charger outside for a couple of days. Overall, the Kodak charger seemed slower to accept a solar charge than the Freedom was. Most of the time, the KS-100 seemed to offer a just trickle of power. The company says that charging a device from the KS-100 should take no longer than charging it via USB from a computer.
It might be wise to stash the Kodak charger in a sunny location so that it will be fully loaded when the need arises. Though it doesn't seem powerful enough for frequent usage, if left to marinate in the sun long enough to charge fully, the Kodak KS-100 could provide the energy boost you need for a handheld device.
nPower PEG
The US$149 nPower PEG stands apart from other devices reviewed here as the first portable kinetic energy charger. The NPower PEG if sold online in five flavors: Apple, BlackBerry, HTC, LG, and Motorola, with additional adapters priced at between US$7.50 and US$15 each.
Its maker, Ohio-based Tremont Electric, sent PCWorld a prototype unit for testing. In that form, the nPower PEG resembles a squat, green baton, with only one button and a mini-USB port.
Notwithstanding its small size, the nPower PEG feels about as heavy as a full bottle of water--a deterrent if you want to travel light. It's too clumsy take along on a jog, unless you need an arm-toning weight. Also, it's best to store the nPower PEG upright, which can be tricky if the device is floating around in a bag, though a narrow pocket can work. Unlike the Hymini, the nPowerPEG advertises no optional mounting accesssories. A Velcro tape workaround isn't a great idea, since the necessary shaking loosens the tape.
The nPower PEG works on the Faraday principle, with a magnet within the device moving inside a coil. Our mini-USB cable tip stuck to the magnetic nPowerPEG, which should probably be quarantined from laptop screens, although the company says credit cards are safe.
The company sent us the prototype nPower PEG fully charged, and all five LEDs lit up when we pressed the single button. Connecting a BlackBerry Bold appeared to deliver a charge for several minutes. It's supposed to hold a charge for a year. But a couple of weeks later, none of the prototype nPower PEG's LEDs showed any sign of life. Shaking the sample unit vigorously by hand for 30 minutes made no difference, nor did walking around with it upright in a large purse for 40 minutes, including up and down several flights of stairs. When we pressed the nonresponsive button more firmly, one-third of the button broke off--and still no lights.
Hopefully, the final model of the nPower PEG that ships to customers will work. Something like this could be very useful in a pinch, especiallly as piezoelectric technology improves and can lead to smaller, lighter motion-generated charging.
Worthwhile for Work?
Owning a solar or wind charger won't solve the annoyance of having to pack a motley assortment of cables and adapters; in fact, it could add to the headaches--if you were to lose one of the minuscule cell phone adapter tips, for instance.
For professionals who don't want to bother with powering up a power supply, some off-grid chargers aren't worth the trouble. A laptop, a USB cable, and any necessary adapters can satisfactorily replenish handheld gadgets, as long as they're within reach. Hand-crank power packs that slip into a glove box or laptop bag are commonly sold at hardware stores and can give cell phones a short-term boost.
On the other hand, solar and wind chargers offer the added benefit of a longer life span, the freedom of tapping into power outdoors, and the option to connect to a wider variety of devices.
If you want to look green, busting out a tiny renewable-energy device may impress certain clients. But specific professions and work styles seem a better match for off-grid chargers than do most cubicle-dwelling jobs. An environmental engineer testing soil quality, for example, might like the Brunton Freedom as an emergency energy supply for a GPS device, camera, or smartphone. Even a globetrotting business traveler might find a solar charger useful when international wall adapters are unavailable.
More companies are trying to bring a wide range of portable solar, wind, fuel-cell, hand-crank, and even yo-yo-like charging devices to market. In the years to come, more electronics will likely integrate solar and other renewable forms of energy into their designs. Apple, for instance, could be plotting a solar-powered iPhone. When solar, wind, or motion power are baked into gadgets and accessories, the charging experience should become more seamless and convenient than it is with the available stand-alone chargers.


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Walmart stores around Rhode Island have unloaded an ocean of beautiful palms- two varieties, about 4-5 feet tall in plastic pots. Palms make great backdrops for bulbs, nice vertical space-fillers for the Maundy Chapel of Repose, and of course, best of all- ideal decoration for next Sunday- Palm Sunday. The best part is the price TEN- that's $10 per pot. Hurry on down today because I will bet they will be a hot sale item over this weekend. After Easter potted palms look stately in your guild hall, flanking a podium, a stage, next to the piano in a handsome cachepot, lounging in the rectory by the fireplace, or having a summer vacation in their pots outside. This is a great bargain- don't miss it!
Attention Walmart Shoppers!
19 Friday Mar 2010


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Paid Notice: Memorials
Published: February 9, 2007
RILEY--Bob. 5/31/55 -2/9/06. In loving memory of a compassionate father, husband and musician. Bob spent nearly 30 years playing drums, guitar, percussion, and synthesizer while producing, writing and sound designing on the NYC music scene. Bob spent his career playing and recording with artists as diverse as Brian Wilson, Madonna, Chaka Kahn, Shawn Colvin, Luka Bloom and Mary Fahl. He also worked closely with downtown artists Bob Telson, David Van Tieghem, Peter Gordon, Linda Hudes and Glenn Marrow. Closer to his heart was his own seminal rock band Grace Pool, cofounded in the late 80's w/ song writer/vocalist Elly Brown, his wife of 22 years. Their two releases for Warner/Reprise were received with critical acclaim and regarded by many as underground classics. Bob will be remembered for his extraordinary musical versatility and brilliance. His innate humanity, goodness and patience were cherished by all who knew him. Bob is survived by is wife Elly, son Will (13), daughter Tess (7), mother Nancy Gruber, and sister Kate Riley. Remembrances can be sent to the Elaine Riley Educational Fun for Will and Tess, P.O. Box 5263, Brookfield, CT 06804.


text: Many people believed that the Black Death was the result of God punishing them for their sins. There were some religious people who believed that they could drive the devil away and wash away their sins. These people were called Flagellants. They would strip naked, and then beat themselves or each other. This, they believed , would relieve them of their sins.