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Economic downturns take a heavy toll on a country's citizens. It can cost some families a job or a house... or a baby. Research shows that the stress of economic hardship may increase the likelihood of miscarriage, especially if the growing baby is male.
The Telegraph reported on a study by Swedish economists Simona Bejenariu and Andreea Mitrut. These researchers looked at data from Romania, where severe financial reforms were made in 2010. All public sector employees took a 25 percent pay cut and a reduced childcare allowance.
Bejenariu and Mitrut then looked at the birth rate from 2010 to present, comparing it with birth statistics in 2009 before the economic trouble. The study authors found that the overall birth rate fell to its lowest mark in more than half a century.
Baby boys, especially, were likely to suffer from the economic shock since their heterogeneous chromosomes (XY, rather than XX as in females) may be more fragile. Fewer boys were born, and more miscarriages were recorded. Interestingly, the male babies that survived to full term during tough economic times were healthier on average than children born during normal times. Survival of the fittest.
The effect seems to be worst if a pregnant mother suffers severe stress in the first trimester. This is the time when growing fetuses may be most vulnerable to adverse conditions. Stress later in pregnancy, depending on the cause and severity, is often less harmful.
Study authors suggest that less income can lead to poorer prenatal care, more stress hormones in pregnant mothers, and sub-optimal nutrition. All these can contribute to higher miscarriage rates. Numerous studies have shown that maternal stress negatively affects a developing fetus, causing permanent damage or even death.
It's something policy makers should consider before enacting sudden, harsh financial measures, study authors conclude. The effect of severe recession, and the government's response to it, may have more far-reaching consequences than previously realized.
I think it's amazing most babies turn out as well as they do, considering the stressful world we live in. I became pregnant with our third baby during the recent U.S. economic downturn. We were stressed about the same things as everyone else — money, job security, home stability. I shouldn't have been surprised when my doctor told me our baby's blood tests showed a high likelihood of Down Syndrome. We agonized over decisions to get further testing, and doctors asked us if we wanted to abort the pregnancy. Never. Our baby wouldn't be tossed aside just because she'd been swimming in my stress chemicals.
Well, everything turned out fine. The baby was born healthy and perfect. But I certainly got a taste of how stress might affect a pregnancy. It's easy to see how catastrophic events, or even high levels of everyday stress, can wreak havoc on a defenseless baby. I made a point of consciously minimizing stress as much as possible during subsequent pregnancies.
Has stress ever affected your pregnancy? Share experiences below.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons


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Board Urges Ouster of Airports Director
Gabi Ophir's six-year career as director-general of the Israel Airports Authority seems to be ending in tears.
Gabi Ophir's six-year career as director-general of the Israel Airports Authority seems to be ending in tears. Claiming a loss of confidence in Ophir due to his poor functioning, the board of directors is demanding his ouster just a year after recommending to the Transport Ministry that he be given a second term.
The management board, headed by chairman Ovadia Eli, yesterday expressed its lack of confidence in Ophir and recommended that Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz fire him.
However, before doing any such thing, Mofaz will hold a hearing for Ophir.
The board argues that Ophir neglected to handle burning issues such as safety at Israel's main airport, Ben-Gurion International, and labor dissatisfaction that culminated in sanctions, which grounded flights. Also, the directors maintain that Ophir had poor relations with key people at the Airports Authority, including the legal counsel and chairman Eli.
The board convened yesterday at nine in the morning at Ben-Gurion International Airport to discuss whether to recommend Ophir's ouster. The night before, the judge at the Tel Aviv Labor Court, Sara Meiri, rejected Ophir's motion to issue an injunction that would block the board from convening.
In her opinion, Meiri wrote:"The authority to terminate the term of an incumbent director-general of the Israel Airports Authority lies in the hands of the transport minister, in consultation with the board of directors. Since the board has no such authority, the motion before us is inappropriate and there is no place for our intervention."
While the board may not have had the power under the law, it does have the power to voice a recommendation. After a five-hour meeting yesterday morning, the directors decided to recommend that Ophir be let go.
At the board meeting, Ophir commented that the claims against him were groundless. "I will not lend a hand to improper governance at the authority, or to political appointments. Because of that, and based on my opposition to the underhanded change made in worker recruitment procedures, a smear campaign against me began."
Ophir vowed to take his case to the High Court of Justice within days. He added at the meeting that the battle against him isn't a personal one but all about vested interests. "There is a principle of integrity involved, and I will fight over it," Ophir said. "As long as I'm here, I won't let anybody, however high in rank they may be, try to divert the authority from its path."
Ophir had been director-general of the Airports Authority for about six years, following a 33-year career in the arm. Never before, he said, had he been treated as the No. 1 danger to Israeli security.
"Unhappily, I feel that the recommendation has already been finalized, not to say sewn up in advance. I will therefore present my arguments to the transport minister or any other official empowered to hold a hearing," Ophir said.
For their part, Airports Authority directors complained yesterday that Ophir was conducting a smear campaign of his own about political appointments ostensibly carried out by chairman Ovadia Eli,in order to distract attention from complaints about his - Ophir's - mishandling of airport safety issues and his management skills.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Latest Posts | Latest posts from our site.
World Tai Chi Day
Roger Rutz (in the white shirt)
This year for the 16th annual World Tai Chi Day (World Tai Chi & Qigong Day) PCOM … Read More
2016 World Tai Chi Day Chicago
On April 30th of this year, the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine-Chicago (PCOM) is holding an event called 2016 World Tai Chi Day Chicago.
… Read More
World Tai Chi Day in Chicago
Focus Tai Chi and The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) are happy to announce a public event we're calling World Tai Chi Day … Read More
Classes are taught on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in downtown Chicago.
65 East Wacker Place, Chicago IL 60601
Sign in at the front desk then just grab an elevator and come up to the 17th floor and look for room 6!
2 pm - Kung Fu basics, stances and self-defense applications
3 pm - tai chi basics, qigong basics a short form plus self-defense applications.
Get in shape and have some fun 12 years old and up. Adults welcome!


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All quotes tagged Desperation
(499 quotes found)
"Nowadays not even a suicide kills himself in desperation. Before taking the step he deliberates so long and so carefully that he literally chokes with thought. It is even questionable whether he ought to be called a suicide, since it is really thought which takes his life. He does not die with deliberation but from deliberation."
"All futurity seems teeming with endless destruction never to be repelled; Desperate remorse swallows the present in a quenchless rage."
"But what is the use of preaching the Gospel to men whose whole attention is concentrated upon a mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive?"
"Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape."
"Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention."
"That is why, no matter how desperate the predicament is, I am always very much in earnest about clutching my cane, straightening my derby hat and fixing my tie, even though I have just landed on my head."


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I made the mistake of asking my friend if there was anything in particular I could bring to her daughter's baptism. She said I didn't need to bring anything, but she would really love for me to decorate her daughter's cake for her. Apparently it's tradition to use the top tier of your wedding cake as the baptism cake for your firstborn (I don't have children so I had no idea!) and the cake is in the shape of a heart. She's asked me to "decorate the top with a cross and have the words Congratulations on your Baptism, Emma on one side and the date underneath".
I'm terrified - I've never piped text before. My handwriting isn't exactly neat, so I've always been too afraid to wreck my cakes by trying it!
My experience with decorating is limited mainly to cupcakes (piped swirls and flowers, shaped fondant and gumpaste flowers) and really REALLY simple cake frosting (as in smooth top and sides and piped shell borders - I prefer to spend more time eating them haha).
Er.. I'm thinking what she's asking for may be a bit beyond my level of expertise..?
Would there be a simple way of pre-piping the text and then transferring it to the top of the cake (so I can practice without causing any permanent damage to the cake)? Or should I just tell her that her faith in me, as much as it is appreciated, may be unmerited and she should really take it to a professional?
Any tips, advice or ideas would be gratefully appreciated and of course I won't be offended if I'm told to step away from the piping bag and leave it to the pros! =)


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Teenager wins two awards at World Dairy Expo in Madison
His mother, Rene Johnson, whose brother and parents run the farm, made a deal with Otis, 13.
He liked showing Brown Swiss in 4-H because "they're more friendly than other ones," Otis said.
"My agreement with him was that if he still liked it after three years, we would buy him that breed," Johnson said. "So we did last year."
It paid off in the show ring.
Otis and his heifer Just So Agenda Chorus brought home ribbons, trophies and awards from competitions around the state this summer, including two awards at the World Dairy Expo in Madison earlier this month.
Otis won the Junior Champion of International Brown Swiss among a field of other kids while also winning the Reserve Junior Champion of the open show.
"They've always, I guess, really liked her," Otis said of Chorus. "I have had a really good summer with her."
It was his second year showing at the world expo, but that didn't help the nerves. The Evansville 7th-grader admitted he was nervous.
The awards mark the end of the show ring for Chorus here as the family sold her to a farm in Canada. But, Otis plans to raise her first calf, due in about two months, and hopefully show it next year.
His advice for other kids?
"You can't always win, and hard work pays off."
Last updated: 6:43 pm Thursday, December 13, 2012


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Internal nostril
Revision as of 21:16, 3 October 2005 by WikiConvertor (Talk)
Internal nostril --> secondary choana
The definitive choana opening into the nasopharynx, after the nasal chambers have been lengthened by the formation of the secondary palate.
Synonym: internal nostril.
Please contribute to this project, if you have more information about this term feel free to edit this page.


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PIKT is cross-categorical, multi-purpose software for monitoring and configuring computer systems, administering networks, organizing system security, and much more. PIKT is intended primarily for system monitoring, and secondarily for configuration management, but its versatility and extensibility evoke many other wide-ranging uses. PIKT consists of a sophisticated, feature-rich file preprocessor; an innovative scripting language with unique labor-saving features; a flexible, centrally directed process scheduler; a customizing file installer; a collection of powerful command-line extensions; and other useful tools.
PLOTICUS is a command line utility for creating bar, line, pie, boxplot, scatterplot, sweep, heatmap, vector, timeline, Venn diagrams, and other types of charts and plots. ploticus is good for automated or just-in-time graph generation. It handles date, time, and categorical data nicely, and has some basic statistical capabilities. It can output to GIF, PNG, SVG, SWF, JPEG, PostScript, EPS, and X11. You can use convenient preset options or create complex scripts with rich and detailed color and style operations.
PostgreSQL is a robust relational database system with over 25 years of active development that runs on all major operating systems. It is fully ACID compliant, and has full support for foreign keys, joins, views, triggers, and stored procedures (in multiple languages). It includes most SQL92 and SQL99 data types, including INTEGER, NUMERIC, BOOLEAN, CHAR, VARCHAR, DATE, INTERVAL, and TIMESTAMP. It also supports storage of binary large objects, including pictures, sounds, or video. It has native programming interfaces for C/C++, Java, .Net, Perl, Python, Ruby, Tcl, and ODBC, among others, and exceptional documentation.
PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine) is a portable message-passing programming system, designed to link separate host machines to form a ``virtual machine'' which is a single, manageable computing resource. The virtual machine can be composed of hosts of varying types, in physically remote locations. PVM applications can be composed of any number of separate processes, or components, written in a mixture of C, C++ and Fortran. The system is portable to a wide variety of architectures, including workstations, multiprocessors, supercomputers and PCs.
RealPlayer plays streaming audio and video over the Internet in real-time. It plays RealAudio, RealVideo, MP3, 3GPP Video, Flash, SMIL 2.0, JPEG, GIF, PNG, RealPix, RealText, Ogg Vorbis, and Ogg Theora. It is available for Windows, Macintosh, Pocket PC, Nokia 9200 Series, Nokia 7650, Palm OS 5-based handhelds, Linux, Solaris, and many Unix variants.
The rlpr package makes it possible (or at the very least, easier) to print files on remote sites to your local printer. It includes BSD-compatible replacements for `lpr', `lpq', and `lprm', whose functionality is a superset of their BSD counterparts. In other words, with the rlpr package, you can do everything you could do with the BSD printing commands, and more. The programs are all smaller, cleaner, and more portable than their BSD equivalents, and supported on just about any POSIX.1 system.
rsync is a replacement for rcp (and scp) that has many more features. It uses the "rsync algorithm" which provides a very fast method for remote files into sync. It does this by sending just the differences in the files across the link, without requiring that both sets of files are present at one of the ends of the link beforehand.
Messaging and collaboration software.
A graphical frontend to libparted.


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Turn its frown upside down: fill it with gifts
|Send To
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|* Shipping charges to be displayed in the Order Summary page
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Easter is a time you realised that you are truly loved. So let your love for your friends and family show through the endless beauty of this amazing gift hamper from Ferns N Petals. A beautiful hamper of faux flower arrangement of artificial carnations arrangement in a fiber pot along with 100 grams Ferrero Rocher chocolates and FNP Easter special greeting card will fill your house with the beauty that will last forever.
Since this product is shipped using the services of our courier partners, the date of delivery is an estimate. Your gift may be delivered a business day prior or a business day after the chosen date of delivery. A courier product is delivered separately from other hand delivered products. No deliveries are made on Sundays and National Holidays. Our courier partners do not call prior to delivering an order, so we recommend that you provide an address at which someone will be present to receive the package. The delivery cannot be redirected to any other address. All courier orders are carefully packed and shipped from our warehouse. Soon after the order has been dispatched, you will receive a tracking number that will help you trace your gift.
Keep the artificial flowers indoors, away from heat and dust. Clean them using a soft cloth. Store your chocolates in the refrigerator. If they are exposed to high temperatures, they may begin to soften, compromising the appearance and flavour. Please refer to the expiration date on the package and consume your chocolates before that. Do not fold the card. To prevent the card from getting dirty, always keep it in the envelope provided.


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Simple Run Blocker is a portable tool which can prevent users on your PC from running certain applications.
Getting started is as easy as dragging and dropping an executable onto the program. Click "Save Settings" and that application may be blocked right away. (We found we had to restart Explorer before it worked - sometimes twice - but if you just reboot your PC then the restrictions should kick in.)
If you really want to lock down a PC then you can have Simple Run Blocker run in a "whitelist" mode. You could then add Word, Excel and Outlook on a work PC, for instance, and users wouldn't be able to launch anything else.
Simple Run Blocker doesn't install any low-level blocking mechanism of its own. Instead it's really just a very basic way of accessing the standard Windows Software Restriction Policies, so you can be sure that it's going to be reasonably effective and safe.
There's still scope for problems, though, if you accidentally block something important, and in the worst cases you might find your system won't start properly. The solution is to reboot into Safe Mode, relaunch Simple Run Blocker and adjust or remove your restrictions.
Version 1.3 changes:
1. [ Fixed ] – Hide Drives Function doesn't run properly on Windows 8.1
2. [ Fixed ] – "Block all except the List below" feature undo problem (*)
3. [ Fixed ] – Some minor Bugs fixed and Button effect changed


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Believe it or not, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have been married for three years now. It seems like just yesterday they tied the knot.
Recently, their third wedding anniversary passed, without much notice. You would think that a couple who are as famous as Shelton and Lambert are would shower each other with lavish gifts, but that's not their style. Fame and money aside, these two are very down to earth.
The lack of celebration wasn't intentional, but rather Shelton and Lambert are one of the busiest couples in country music. Lambert has been breaking records with her new album 'Platinum,' and Shelton has a large role in the popular show 'The Voice.'
So, what did Shelton decide to give Lambert as a late anniversary gift? Well, it wasn't something that Shelton could wrap and hand to Lambert per say, but during the CMA Fest Shelton drove down to Lake Texoma to fix up an old boat that belongs to the couple. He wanted to surprise Lambert when she returned and give her some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
What a sweet gesture from the 'Doin What She Likes' singer. It seems that Shelton really does live by the words he sings about.
– QC Writer, The New 103.7 Charlotte


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After being married for 6 years, Shellie Zimmerman has called it quits and filed for divorce from her husband George Zimmerman, just 2 months after his acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
Shellie Zimmerman appeared on Good Morning America this morning and said George Zimmerman was selfish to the core. Shellie has had trouble with the law herself and pled guilty on August 28th to misdemeanor perjury.
She was sentenced to a year of probation after being accused of lying about the Zimmerman's finances and expressed being upset that George wasn't in court supporting her as she had supported him when he was on trial.
Since his acquittal back in July Shellie states George's behavior as "brand New" and said "He's been making 'poor decisions' and 'He feels invincible'".
Read More HERE


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Natural Gas Pipeline Company Of America
Seventh Revised Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 04/18/2008, Docket: RP08-319-000, Status: Effective
Original Sheet No. 453 Original Sheet No. 453 : Pending
Rate or Negotiated Rate Formula or the value of that bid utilizing
the Recourse Rate in lieu of the Negotiated Rate or Negotiated Rate
Formula consistent with said Section 49. A bidder may only submit a
Negotiated Rate or Negotiated Rate Formula bid with the prior
written agreement of Natural or if the existing Agreement contains a
Negotiated Rate or Negotiated Rate Formula provision in the same
rate form.
(b) To exercise the Right of First Refusal, Shipper
must provide Natural with notice of its intent to do so in a form
specified by Natural and must submit such notice on or before the
later of: (i) six (6) months prior to the expiration of the
existing Agreement; or (ii) one (1) month after receiving written
notice from Natural that the Shipper may utilize these Right of
First Refusal procedures; provided, however, that a Right of First
Refusal may not be exercised later than three (3) months prior to
the expiration of the Agreement unless mutually agreed between
Natural and the Shipper. The Shipper's notice must specify a
desired term of service and the desired MDQ in total and at each
primary point. If the requested MDQ is greater than the existing
MDQ in total and at each primary point, any such increase shall be
treated as a request for new service under the applicable Rate
Schedule and only the original MDQ shall be subject to the Right of
First Refusal under this Section. The Right of First Refusal may
apply to a portion of the original Shipper's then effective service.
Any notice specifying a decrease in MDQ in total or at any point
shall not affect the existing Agreement during its remaining term.
Natural is not obligated to accept any notice which specifies a
primary point path which results in a reduced rate as compared with
the primary point path in the existing Agreement; provided, however,
that a Shipper shall have the one-time right to adjust its path to
the extent provided in Appendix C to the "Stipulation and Agreement
on Reserved Issues" filed February 8, 1995 in Docket No. RP93-36.
(c) Within fifteen (15) days after receipt of a notice
under Section 22.3(b), Natural shall post on the Informational
Postings portion of its Interactive Website an Announcement of
Capacity Availability Subject to Right of First Refusal (Capacity
Announcement) which shall: (i) specify the original Shipper's
service rights; (ii) indicate the availability of such service as of
the date the existing Agreement expires, subject to the Right of
First Refusal; (iii) state the maximum rate applicable to such
service; (iv) set out any other information required by this
Section; and (v) solicit bids for such service. Such Capacity
Announcement shall be maintained, and bids accepted via Natural's
Interactive Website or other mutually agreed means, for a period of
one (1) month from the initial posting.


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The cigarette smugglers among us
Porous duty-free enforcement allows quick turnaround
Matt Potter 1:30 p.m., Nov. 17
If there is a doubt left in anyone's mind concerning whether Andrew Cashner should be a starter or a reliever, a brief examination of Tuesday's game holds proof that he's more than ready in the starter's role. Cash threw into the eighth inning, and the Padres scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to stun the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, 3-2.
Certainly, the ninth inning heroics will be lauded and getting over on Baltimore closer Jim Johnson will make headlines. But Cashner's effort shouldn't be relegated to nothing more than an honorable mention.
The Padres got on top of Baltimore in the second inning when Carlos Quentin blasted his fourth home run off of starter Chris Tillman. Cashner then gave up a home run to Ryan Flaherty in the bottom of the third inning, and both squads played a 1-1 tie for a long while.
The Orioles scored in the eighth inning, when Alexi Castilla ran for Flaherty after a walk, and he stole second base and took third on Nick Hundley's throwing error, and then scored when Steve Pearce singled. But the Padres came back thanks to Chris Denorfia and Everth Cabrera in the top of the ninth inning, and Huston Street closed the affair nicely.
But Andrew Cashner's effort shouldn't be lost here. He gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on five hits and a walk in 7 1/3 innings. The bull pen wasn't taxed, and Cash was efficient in his 92 pitches, and he gave his team the chance to come back in this game.
And the Padres needed it, after being swept by the Rays. The Orioles are a better team than they have in Tampa Bay, and this win was necessary. The Padres could use a win Wednesday as well. Especially what with going up against Freddy Garcia, a pitcher they cut in spring training.
This is baseball, in that yesterday's cut is your next opponent. In that Andrew Cashner was supposed to have been a closer, but all arguments against him being a starter now seem moot in point. Cash is a starter, and a damned good one, lucky for the San Diego Padres.
Wednesday morning, the Baltimore Orioles will seek revenge on the San Diego Padres. Freddy Garcia was cut loose in spring training by the Friars but he'll take his (0-1, 4.26) record on the hill for the Orioles against Jason Marquis (4-2, 3.48) for the Padres. Game time is 9:35 AM PDST, so brew your coffee and tune in. Radio 1090 AM is there for you, along with Fox Sports San Diego. Time Warner Cable survivors can find their favorite early-morning bar and suck down some bloody marys, and accept our condolences.


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Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin
In Depth
Taking Time to Raise Children Didn't Slow Franklin's Career
Before Politics, Franklin Dreamed of Becoming a Ballerina
Why Women Leaders Needn't Worry About Standard Male Model
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin spent more than a decade working behind the scenes of Atlanta's City Hall. She developed a reputation as a workhorse who could get things done. But after a corruption scandal rocked then-Mayor Bill Campbell's administration, Franklin decided it was time to become a candidate for that office.
In 2002, Franklin campaigned as a reformer and won handily. That was the easy part. She inherited a huge budget shortfall, the widespread mistrust of voters, and a sewer system on the brink of collapse. Her approach to turning things around surprised many people. She did what some would consider political suicide. She cut city jobs, raised taxes, and spent millions repairing the water works.
Then Franklin won re-election in 2005 by a landslide. The same year, Time magazine named her one of America's five best big-city mayors. She's also the first woman mayor the city has ever had — and the first African-American woman ever to run a major southern city.
Mayor Franklin talks with Michel Martin about why she decided to enter politics.


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Interview: Rachel Liel
Battle over New Israel Fund is for nation's soul
Both sides in the public debate raging around the activity of the New Israel Fund (NIF) agree on one thing: this is a battle for Israel's soul.
The fund's detractors claim that the organisations funded by NIF are actively undermining Israel's security, supplying information to anti-Israel groups and calling for the indictment of senior Israeli officers and ministers on war crimes charges.
NIF executive director Rachel Liel does not mince her words either. "This is a battle over what Israel we want to live in," she says, "for the image of our society and the values that lead it. Is it an Israel that stays true to the values of its declaration of independence, or an extreme nation which delegitimises freedom of speech, a less democratic and non-inclusive society?"
Ms Liel began her new job a short while before the campaign against NIF, led by right-wing student organisation Im Tirzu, was launched in January. She has been spending most of her time over the last few months trying to refute the charges. So far, however, she has only seen the campaign intensify.
Knesset members from a number of parties are now trying to pass new laws that will make it much harder for human rights organisations to operate in Israel and receive foreign funding. Politicians, media figures, actors and singers have joined Im Tirzu to brand NIF and its affiliates as an anti-Zionist coalition that will stop at nothing to give succour to Israel's enemies.
So far, Im Tirzu has published two detailed reports on the fund's activities, backed up by poster campaigns. One featured a crude cartoon of NIF president Naomi Chazan with a horn on her head and another showed Israeli leaders on "wanted" posters and behind bars.
The first report claimed that 92 per cent of the Israeli sources that appeared in the report compiled for the United Nations Human Rights Council by Judge Richard Goldstone, supporting the claim that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, were supplied by organisations funded by NIF. The second report lists NIF-affiliated organisations that have called for Israelis to be put on trial for alleged war crimes.
Ms Liel denies, however, that NIF funds were used to attack Israel's record in a biased manner. "These organisations prepare their own reports - this is what they were set up to do," she says. "The reports are then published and Goldstone made use of them, but the figure 92 per cent is grossly distorted. Maybe 2 per cent of his report came from these sources.
"People have to understand how human rights organisations work. After the Gaza operation they called upon the government to investigate allegations. This is what human rights groups do after any military operation or war, anywhere in the world. If the government had conducted an open investigation, there would have been no Goldstone Report.
"These investigations should strengthen Israel. Personally, I am very uncomfortable with Goldstone's report, especially the claim that Israel intentionally committed war crimes and attacked infrastructure."
She says that the fund is categorically opposed to personal persecution of IDF officers. "Our official position is that we don't give money for this kind of thing. There might be an organisation that received funding from us in the past for a specific project but we would never fund prosecution. If we found out that one of our organisations had been using our funding for this, we would have to consider discontinuing our support."
In its three decades of existence, NIF has provided over $200 million, largely from foreign donors, to over 800 groups dedicated to social change in Israel. These include the main human rights movements, organisations working for minorities' rights, religious pluralism, women's rights and the protection of the environment.
Now that the public storm has slightly abated, Ms Liel is prepared also to engage in a bit of soul-searching.
"What really disturbs me is that the human rights groups have not succeeded in convincing the public that human rights is not about right or left politics. These same groups will also fight for the rights of minority groups on the right. The Association for Civil Rights defended Yigal Amir's right to marry while in prison," she says, referring to the murderer of Yitzhak Rabin.
"We should examine ourselves and think a lot more about how we reach a wider public that we have failed so far. The organisations put a lot of effort into writing reports and Supreme Court petitions. Maybe we should be putting less energy in the legal field, treat the Supreme Court as a last resort and invest more in creating a wide grassroots movement."
She maintains that changing the group's anti-Israeli image is possible.
"NIF's vision is to promote the values of Israel's declaration of independence, that the state 'will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex'. No document better describes what we believe.
"In addition, we have always been steadfastly against refusing to serve in the IDF, and we have never funded anyone calling for that. Israel has its defence needs and we are also resolutely against any calls for boycott or divestment. The OECD just announced that Israel is going to be its new member. Does anyone really think that it could join such an organisation if it did not have the kind of progressive legislation that we have been promoting for the last 30 years?"
- Shabbat shop ban demand
Shabbat shop ban demand
- 'Gifts for Bibi' investigation is 'in final straight'
'Gifts for Bibi' investigation is 'in final straight'
- Israel on fire: Counting cost of a nationwide i...
Israel on fire: Counting cost of a nationwide i...
- Barbra Streisand will never tour again
Barbra Streisand will never tour again
- Jewish Canadian student still missing in Peru
Jewish Canadian student still missing in Peru
- Jewish cemetery wins design prize
Jewish cemetery wins design prize
- Palestinian police help recover stolen Torah scrolls
Palestinian police help recover stolen Torah scrolls


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Skip to comments.Lots of Harry Potter Books in China, Not All of Them by the Author
Posted on 07/31/2007 5:17:17 PM PDT by JACKRUSSELL
(SHANGHAI)--China could not wait for the official release date of the seventh book in the worldwide Harry Potter publishing franchise, a little more than a week ago. It came out here with an identical title a full 10 days before the official worldwide English language release - in a wholly unauthorized version.
Chinese writers and their fans are not having it with the idea that the seventh installment is the last word in the best-selling series, either. No one can say with any certainty what the full tally is, but there are easily a dozen fake Harry Potters on the market here already, and that is counting only bound versions of the mystery/adventure stories that are sold on street corners and can even be found in school libraries. Still more versions exist online.
Although they may bear her name, the proliferation of Harry Potter books here has nothing in common with the originator of the series, the British author J.K. Rowling, save for the appropriation of her famous characters' names. Here, the global Harry Potter phenomenon has mutated into something altogether Chinese: a combination of remarkable imagination and startling industriousness, all placed in the service of counterfeiting, literary fraud and copyright violation.
Wang Lili, editor of the China Braille Publishing House, which published "Harry Potter and the Chinese Porcelain Doll" in 2002, one of the numerous knockoffs here, said: "We published the book out of a very common incentive. Harry Potter was so popular that we wanted to enjoy the fruits of its widely accepted publicity in China."
The attitude reflected in Wang's comment goes a long way toward explaining not only the explosion of unauthorized Harry Potter literature in China, but also the much larger problem of rampant piracy in China, where travelers can find six different knockoffs......
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Yeah, and they're watching Lupin reeeeeal close 'round full moon time.
OMG, that is TOO funny.
Business as usual.
How far are you in, btw?
I have this bad habit of falling asleep at night....{sigh...}
How far are you? Or are you done?
Oh, I be done. I got it the Saturday it was released at noon, and finished right around 6:30 Sunday evening (I had crochet class Saturday afternoon).
Are you just lovin' it?
Yes! Action-packed every minute.
I got mine last Sunday and plan to really go on all cylinders Friday when we have some down time.
My boss's grown son back home alerady finished it and sent my boss a list of names of who dies. He keeps threatening to tell me, but he wouldn't really do it.
A friend of mine went to buy the book the Saturday afternoon it came out and while she was there some guy ran into the store and shouted out the ending.
She said there were several grown men who had just purchased copies who actually chased the guy out of the store hitting him with their books.
I understand Cho Chang overthrows Voldemort in this one.
Or was it Ka Ching?
I'm SO surprised!
LOL. that's true.
Another good point about this story: most people have no idea the level of corruption in Asian and Middle Eastern society. Corruption is not only tolerated, it's expected. It's simply part of the culture.
The Chinese don't see it as stealing someone else's work when they publish these knock off Harry Potter books. It's just another business opportunity. The notion of "stealing" or "copyright violation" never even crosses their minds.
"The notion of "stealing" or "copyright violation" never even crosses their minds."
This is the Chinese year 4705, the copyright on books published way back in the early 2000's expired centuries ago.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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text: Hi guys! My gas gauge hasn't worked for a while now. Turns out its the gauge itself. Anyways I replace the guage with a spare fuel gauge from a 91 dash I used for my 140 mph conversion on my 88. Replaced gauge placed a 85 ohm resistor on the body side sending unit connector. Installed needle at half way on fuel guage. Turn power on and my needle spins over to the opposite side of cluster(the blind side). Any ideas or thoughts why it would do this? Both gauges have the same ohm readings. I'm open for any suggestions on a fix. Thanks


text:
University of Alabama-Birmingham offensive line coach Will Friend is poised to hold the same position at Georgia, the Athens Banner-Herald has learned.
Friend is a former All-Southeastern
Conference offensive lineman at
Alabama in the mid-1990s who was a graduate assistant at Georgia in 2003 and 2004.
Background checks were said to needed before the hire could be completed.
One coach who was interested in the opening to replace Stacy Searels said he was told by somebody at Georgia that Friend was in line for the job. That coach said he believed Friend was the only
candidate that was brought in for an interview.
Friend has been the offensive line coach for the past four seasons at UAB under former Georgia offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Neil Callaway.
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LONDON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Charlie Wise was cleaning out the trunk of the second-hand car she has just bought when she found a 8-foot-long boa constrictor flicking its tongue.
"I bought a car, come home to clean it out to find a huge live snake in the boot," 23-year-old Wise told the Daily Mirror. "It's huge and scary. We screamed and slammed the boot."
Wise's friend came and wrapped the snake in a towel and took it to an animal rescue center. She called Christopher Morrison, the man who sold her the car, to tell him about the incident. He said the snake was actually his pet and he lost it while trying to transport to a friend's house in a cage.
"I checked everywhere. I had ripped that car to pieces. I thought it must have got out. I wouldn't leave it," said Morrison.
"We wouldn't have sold it if we thought it was in there," said Morrison's girlfriend and the car's former co-owner Sammi Larkins.


text:
#TheOrangeZone talks Texas Bowl
Tue, 10 Dec 2013 03:06:16 GMT —
A season's worth of hard work is now rewarded with a bowl bid for the Syracuse Orange.
SU will square off with Minnesota in the Texas Bowl on December 27th in Houston, Texas.
Our Orange Zone co-host, Damien Rhodes is a great resource to talk to for this bowl. Obviously, he starred for the Orange and played in a bowl game, but he also played with the Houston Texans in 2006.
Check out my conversation with Damien by clicking the video player.


text:
- Price$1,300,000
- Beds4
- Baths4
- Sq. Ft.2,675
- Acres1.11
- Built2017
105 N New Ballas, Creve Coeur
New development of contemporary, mid-century-inspired homes in an unparalleled location. The planned residences synthesize the inspiration of mid-century homes with contemporary design sensibilities and topography of the individual sites. Through understanding the integration of architecture with landscape, furniture with product design and art with life in general, mid-century modern design aims to create a complete solution for living. As holistic, practical, design driven architecture aligned with both the past and future, these residences will appeal to families, couples and individuals focused on lifestyle-living with modern sensibility and a focus on energy efficiency. Welcome to 105 N New Ballas
Essential Information
- Price$1,300,000
- Bedrooms4
- Bathrooms4.00
- Full Baths3
- Half Baths1
- Square Footage2,675
- Acres1.11
- Year Built2017
- TypeNew Construction
- Sub-TypeSingle Family
- StyleOther
- StatusActive
- Basement Type8 ft + pour, Partially Finished, Sump Pit/Pump, Walk-Out
- AmenitiesCeiling Fan, Covered Porch, High Speed Conn.
- FeaturesSome Underground Utl, Walk-In Closets
- Parking Spaces3
- ParkingAdditional Parking, Attached Garage, Garage Door Opener
- # of Garages3
- Lot DescriptionInfill Lot
- WindowsAtrium Door(s), Low-E, Pocket Door(s), Some Insulated Wndws
- ConstructionFiber Cement, Frame
Additional Information
- Date ListedJune 17th, 2016
- Days on Market524
Community Information
- Address105 N New Ballas
- AreaParkway North
- SubdivisionEmerald Green Estates
- CityCreve Coeur
- CountySt Louis
- StateMO
- Zip Code63141
- InteriorOpen Floor Plan, Special Millwork, Walk-In Closets
- AppliancesDishwasher, Disposal, Microwave, Range Hood, Range/Oven-Gas
- HeatingGas, Forced Air 90+
- CoolingCentral Air
- Has BasementYes
- Basement8 ft + pour, Partially Finished, Sump Pit/Pump, Walk-Out
- FireplaceYes
- # of Fireplaces1
- FireplacesGas
- Stories2 Story
School Information
- DistrictParkway C-2
- ElementaryBellerive Elem.
- MiddleNortheast Middle
- HighParkway North High
Listing Details
- Listing OfficeKeller Williams Realty Stl
Information from Third Parties, Deemed Reliable but Not Verified.
Listings displaying the MARIS logo are courtesy of Mid America Regional Information Systems Internet Data Exchange.


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text:
Governor's Deer Opener comes to Otter Tail County
By Tom Hintgen / Perham Focus
After an eight-year absence, the Minnesota Governor's Deer Hunting Opener is returning to Otter Tail County.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty hunted in 2005 near Perham, and this year Gov. Mark Dayton will be hunting in the Fergus Falls area. The hunt will take place on opening day of the general firearm deer season, on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Otter Tail County deer hunters take pride in hosting governor's deer hunting openers. Included are deer hunters from in and around Perham, Pelican Rapids, Battle Lake, Henning and Parkers Prairie.
The governor will host community and youth activities to bring attention to a pursuit that has nearly 500,000 Minnesota participants and contributes nearly half a billion dollars to the state's economy.
"Many lakes, prairies and forested lands make Otter Tail County popular and plentiful for hunting," said Richard Tomhave, a member of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. "We're happy that Gov. Dayton is coming to our county for this, the 11th annual Governor's Deer Hunting Opener."
This year's field day events will be held at the West Otter Tail County Fairgrounds and Prairie Wetlands Learning Center in Fergus Falls. A Big Buck luncheon will begin at 12:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at the fairgrounds. Dayton will address luncheon attendees at 1 p.m.
Other luncheon speakers, in addition to Dayton, will include Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr, Explore Minnesota Tourism Director John Edman, and Mark Johnson, executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association.
Other events will include a trap shooting exhibition, a pair of professional trick shooters and entertainers, and a youth field day for area elementary students who will participate in various hunting-related activities.
For more information, visit www.mngovernorsdeeropenmer.com.


text:
Social Selling: How the Web Made Traditional Selling Obsolete
The traditional act of selling solutions is no longer viable.
In a recent post by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing, he makes a strong point that the Internet has dramatically changed the way we sell. He asks, "Has the Internet made the salesperson an unnecessary cost?"
It used to be a salesperson's job to find out what the customer needed or wanted and provide solutions for those desires. Today's consumer is savvy and has access to every kind of data needed to make their own decisions–they arrive at their own solutions. What's more is they're socially-empowered to collect and share their experiences on Social networks.
Selling "the cheapest", "the best", or "the latest" of anything now is an endeavor seen as interchangeable and unremarkable. These claims mean nothing with your customer has friends who're telling them otherwise. Selling solutions leads you down the dead-end road of selling on price. The customer perceives one salesperson is as good as another. The transaction is a commodity. There's no real connection, which makes the experience forgettable.
Despite all these changes, studies show people still want to work with salespeople they know, like and trust. Gratefully, salespeople today have a new set of tools available to build, nurture and convert leads. They're no longer tethered to selling from price.
Welcome to Social Selling.
By developing a clear brand persona, your salespeople can scale their message through technology that's designed to engage in collaborative sales conversations which establish trust with the buyer. They can create mutual value in this new form of selling without wrestling control of the process from the customer.
Salespeople who understand how to market themselves effectively using Social networks control their destiny and increase sales for your store. There will be no more adversarial showroom antics, only comfortable sales to buyers who have established relationships with you and your staff through Social Media and trust they're getting a good deal.
To do this effectively, salespeople must become familiar with who they are and how they want to be perceived in the marketplace. A "marketing-minded" salesperson:
- Creates their own ideal selling opportunities.
- Thinks like a publisher and builds their own expertise and influence on the web.
- Works in partnership with the store's marketing team to communicate a consistent message.
How will you facilitate this shift for your salespeople? Seth Godin says, "The best way to learn marketing is to do the marketing. When you put your ideas in the world, then, and only then, do you know if they're real. Not expensive, merely frightening."
Unless you've been under a rock lately, you've recognized we're in the middle of a culture change. A change not only in the car business but in most every other culture you choose to name. Change does take time and with this histrionic shift in the role of salespeople, many dealers won't adopt it for years (to their own detriment).
The solution now is to foster trust and provide your buyer with every piece of information it takes to help them buy. Choosing the right marketing messages and engaging them ensures they'll buy from you.
Social selling is the future. Now is the time for you and your salespeople to embrace this new way of thinking and get out of the commodity business. No one wins in the race to the bottom.


text:
Great movie performances and a fond farewell to the first season of Callan's Kicks are our selections tonight.
Callan's Kicks, RTÉ One, 9.35pm
Young master Callan finishes his impressive debut run with his most ambitious sketch - delivering the history of hurling in four minutes. With guest stars DJ Carey as a guardian angel and Seán Óg Ó Hailpín as Mr Motivator, the Life and Death of a Hurler captures the hopes, disappointments, dreams, disillusionments and glories of the greatest game. Callan's Kicks charts one hurler's life from the cradle to the grave with a warts and all perspective on local GAA. It coincides with another epic weekend in the Championship as Cork and Tipperary prepare for battle in the All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park on Sunday. The final episode of the series concludes with a final address from Taoiseach Enda, another cooking lesson with Rachel Allen, Christy Moore losing the rag, and a fond farewell from Dobbo himself.
Nebraska, 10:15pm, Sky Premiere
Bruce Dern gives a career-best performance in this film, which explores the ravages and regrets of old age, albeit in a quirky and humorous way. Dern plays Woody Grant, an addled and ornery alcoholic who receives one of those letters telling him that he has won a million dollars. Accompanied by youngest son David (Will Forte), he sets out to get his 'winnings'. And so begins a road-trip of family dysfunction, lessons learned and secrets revealed - in gorgeous, photo album black-and-white. Nebraska fits perfectly with director Alexander Payne's other travelling-and-thinking comedy-dramas, About Schmidt, Sideways and The Descendants, and, just like those movies, makes sure that the laughs and lump-in-throat moments are never too far away from each other.
Bruce Dern and Will Forte
Dog Day Afternoon, 11:10pm, UTV
Al Pacino and his late, great Godfather co-star John Cazale unleash the magic in the much-missed Sidney Lumet's 1975 masterpiece. Based on real events and opening with a glorious Elton John track (Amoreena), it tells the story of Sonny and Sal, two criminally inept bank robbers with the most unusual of motives. Nominated for six Oscars and winning Best Original Screenplay, this is one of the must-sees of American cinema's golden era. So set the science television to record it and lose yourself later in its humour and heartbreak.
Sonny: "Is there any special country you wanna go to?"
Sal: "Wyoming."
Sonny: "Sal, Wyoming's not a country."


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|July 12, 2009, 02:03 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 15, 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 380
Attempted Break In
I am typing this to solidify in my mind what I have learned from this incident, hear your suggestions, and perhaps allow others to learn from this incident as well.
To set the stage: it's 2:56am and 9 days before my wife and I move out of our home to another state.
We hear glass shatter. My wife yells "what was that?" We both have handguns (loaded, unchambered) within reach (no kids), as well as a phone, but I leave them behind when I investigate because we are packed up and I assumed something breakable had fallen over, or something big had fallen over and broken our window.
Next door to our bedroom is the kitchen and that's where I see that the vertical blinds are swinging slightly--suggesting the sliding glass door window was broken. This is doubly puzzling since I see no glass on the floor and there is nothing in the room that could have fallen over to break the glass. Through a gap in the swinging blinds I see broken glass on the patio and a brick.
I tell my wife to call 911, chamber my Glock 21, and take a barricade position just inside the bedroom door. My wife is on the phone with 911 who is vectoring a unit to us. She has a chambered Taurus 24/7 with her. At this point, I do not know if the break in had failed, if it was a diversion so others could enter through another window, or if one or more people will try to enter again. I am thinking multiple armed intruders since only an unarmed idiot would attempt to break into an occupied house in Texas. (Upon telling my neighbors what had happened, the majority said something like, "if somebody came into my house, they would get shot.")
I felt adrenaline, but not so much that I felt jumpy or out of control. My wife later said the same thing. Much to my surprise, two separate units arrived within 5 minutes. 911 said help had arrived and then hung up. I was hoping they would provide a more positive handoff to the cops, but they did not. I waited until I saw flashlights and heard the cops talking in my backyard and patio before we put the guns away. (More on this later). One cop then knocked on my front door and I opened it.
The cursory investigation showed the muddy tracks of a young adult on my patio (I had watered the lawn that night). A brick from the neighbors retaining wall was on our back patio. The would-be intruder had thrown the brick at my sliding glass door, but it had only shattered the outer pane before bouncing back. It did bow the glass or door sufficiently to bend the frame and disturb the vertical blinds. A search of the area did not reveal any other signs of the intruder. The cop said it was likely criminal mischief rather than attempted burglary or home invasion. While the neighborhood has slowly grown seedier, there is very little crime in it. My neighbors later commented that there were several gangsta types in the neighborhood and they tend to come out at night.
The cop took my info and asked if I wanted to press charges if they found somebody. I said yes and he appeared surprised that I would...I think because he had made it clear that the likelihood of finding somebody was slim, and now somebody would have to investigate further anyway (and this would be months from now due to a backlog of cases). By the time the cops left, it was about 4:30am. My wife and I dozed and watched TV for an hour or two until it was time to get up for work. That night and the next day, my wife and I discussed our actions.
1. Initial reaction. Glass shattering is not a normal house sound at 3am. I should have grabbed the Glock and passed the phone to my wife immediately, then attempted to evaluate the house by listening for intruders while barricaded and phone at the ready. Had the glass broken completely, one or more armed intruders could have been outside my bedroom door in seconds as we were the first door on the right (no hallway...we open into the combined dining/living area). I am not sure if my decision to explore the house first was a product of my being asleep 5 seconds ago...I did feel wide awake and the adrenaline was starting. I am concerned that my wife's exclamation of "what was that" combined with my spidey-sense hinting that it was possible that something could be amiss was not sufficient to compel me to grab gun and phone. I didn't even think of them. It is almost as if I forgot they were there.
2. House exterior. My wife and I are penny pinchers. We never turned on the porch or patio lights. In fact, the light by the garage/backyard gate was burned out. We didn't even know how to turn on our backyard security light. When our neighbors turn on their security lights, they light up our front and backyards (we are a ranch, our neighbors are both 2-story homes). We failed to notice that they had stopped using their security lights...possibly due to hard economic times. Unlike most of our neighbors, we park both our cars inside our garage. We keep the blinds closed at night. We have no lights on inside the house when we sleep. In retrospect, it is likely the intruder thought the house was vacant or its occupants were on vacation. Other factors: the gate to the backyard was not locked though there is a place for a padlock. The gate opens to the side of our house where there are no windows (on our neighbor's house) facing our house. An intruder can enter our backyard unobserved. The area behind our backyard is a drainage area that is overgrown with vegetation. It is not hard to scale our fence due to electrical boxes on either side of the fence...you can climb onto one, leap the fence, and land on another.
3. Weapons Handling. When the cops arrived, I put my Glock away and told my wife to safe her 24/7. She said she could not. She handed it to me to try and the lever would not move to safe. I turned on the light and saw that the pistol was not in full battery. In the excitement of the moment, she had rode the slide forward while chambering a round, and the round had not chambered properly. It was slightly nose up so the gun was not in full battery. It would not have fired if she needed to use it.
We had a lot of sleepless nights as we packed up that week. Was it criminal mischief? Did some kid do this on a dare? Did they do it in revenge for some perceived slight? Or did a burglar find an occupied house rather than an unoccupied one? Perhaps the intruder was unwilling to give more warning to me and the neighbors by re-throwing the brick to break the other pane of glass. More ominiously, maybe they were testing our alarm system (we don't have one or a dog, but we do have a security system sign outside our front door) or they were testing the cops' response time. (I am happy they arrived so quickly...perhaps it would deter someone who was watching...especially if they thought we had an alarm system. By the way, according to the cop, break-ins in our area tend to be smash and grabs during the day when people are at work. They come in through the sliding glass door and ignore the alarm--just grab what they see and get out within a minute or two before anyone can respond).
In any case, we had to prepare for the worst. We fixed our lights and learned how to use them. We told our neighbors to watch out for each other. Since we were moving in days and did not care about how the house looked inside, we placed boxes in front of windows and doors so anybody who tried to get in would have to deal with a maze of obstacles while we barricaded.
We also started thinking about the house we would be moving into. We will have an alarm system. We will use our existing exterior lights and add motion-activated security lights. We have a neighborhood watch and already have relationships with some of our neighbors. The house itself is deep inside a development that is difficult to escape from without being seen. The phone will now be beside my wife's bedside. My wife will spend more time at the range with her 24/7.
We sleep better now but will never forget the shocking noise of shattering glass at 3am.
"Its better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it." -- Clarence Worley in True Romance
Last edited by Dabull; July 12, 2009 at 02:15 PM.
|July 12, 2009, 03:10 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 20, 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 10,170
Generally, I think you came to most of the right conclusions when looking at this in retrospect. A few things that should be pointed out however:
1. Never ever investigate a bump in the night unarmed. I can think of few things that would be less pleasant than coming face to face with an intruder armed with nothing more than harsh language. Also, flashlight should be within reach of both you and your wife and used when investigating strange noises.
2. I see no reason that your handguns could or should not be kept with the chambers loaded particularly if you and your wife are the only occupants of the house. If, for some reason, you don't feel comfortable keeping the chambers loaded on your particular handguns, I'd reccomend considering a different weapon platform that you feel comfortable keeping in a better state of readiness. Given the unpredictable nature of these situations, a gun that can be easily brought into action with one hand is preferable.
3. Make your home as difficult to break in to unnoticed as possible. An alarm system is a good idea but I know that this isn't always financially possible. Sliding glass doors are a particular area of concern as their locks aren't always particularly sturdy and an individual of moderate strength could probably pull hard enough to break the lock. In my house, we keep a 2x4 cut to the appropriate length wedged lengthwise between the slider and the frame at night to prevent this. An intruder could, of course, simply break out the slider or a window but this makes much more noise and would most likely, as it did in your situation, alert you to the intrusion. Other exterior doors should be either solid wood or steel and fitted with deadbolt locks.
4. Reinforce your barricade position. Definately fit your bedroom door with a lock and use it if you take up your barricade position. Also, you may want to consider adding a longarm such as a shotgun or carbine to use in your barricade position. Finally, keep a cell phone close by in addition to your land line. A clever intruder may cut phone lines prior to breaking in.
Smith, and Wesson, and Me. -H. Callahan
Well waddaya know, one buwwet weft! -E. Fudd
All bad precedents begin as justifiable measures. -J. Caesar
|July 12, 2009, 05:33 PM
Join Date: June 30, 2008
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 35
I couldn't agree more. Great job on your conclusions. Have a game plan for any situation that can arrise, and stick with it. Noises in the house are not investigations for you. Like Webleymkv said, barricade and arm yourselves in your room and get on the phone with 911.
I recently had a scare similar to this. I have a two story house with motion sensors all downstairs, and sensors on all doors and some windows. 3 am, alarm goes off. I am upstairs sleeping and it takes me a second to figure out what is going on. As soon as I figured it out, I jumped into action with my plan that I had thought through.
1) Shut bedroom door
2) Grab shotgun, pistol, and phone
3) Chamber round in shotgun and call 911
4) Set up shop behind my bed with shotgun pointed at door and pistol laying beside me, 911 on speaker phone
5) Inform 911 of name, address, what is happening, where you are in the house, and that you are armed
6) Wait on reinforcements, keeping 911 on the phone while authorities are en route and while they search your perimeter
7) a) If all is good and there is no break-in, tell 911 to tell the authorities you are unarming yourself and coming to the front door
b) If all is not good, throw key (with breakable glow stick) out to authorities and tell them to check downstairs ONLY, re-iterating that you are armed upstairs, with a possible armed burglar in the residence.
8) Play the rest by ear...there is no telling what will happen after this. Communication is KEY...up to the second updates if possible.
Turned out my rear motion sensor went off, possibly someone who tried to peep into my window to see what I had that they wanted. I only got to 7a, which I am perfectly happy with, but I had made up my mind that I might have to defend myself with deadly force that night. It was a real eye-opener, as I am sure yours was. Thanks for sharing your story, hope mine can offer some more insight.
|July 12, 2009, 06:08 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2008
Posts: 195
you can buy small battery operated door and window alarms for $10 ea and the battery last for a yr or more.,they dont use any power unless window breaks or someone pounds on your doors., sportsmanguide sell some rather cheap $150 or less video mointering cameras that hook up to your tv, i know because i had problems with some teenagers awhile back and installed all of the above equipment around my place and the last time they banged on my door i took their pictures on camera thru video and when the 120 decibal alarm went off it scared the crap out of them.,turned out it was local kids looking for kicks at 11pm at night.i prosecuted all 4 of them thru the DAs office and much didnt give a rats behind about it when the boys parents tried to talk me out of it.they had done it several times and i believe would have keep it up had they not been caught.it also turned out the 2 older ones had been involved with several B&Es in the area involving tools in peoples garages.i also told his dad this., it a bleeping good way for his kid to get shot,period. im almost to retirement and i dont plan on having a bunch of smartasses rip me off,its not a good feeling when someone screws with your home late at night and i was armed.i have found that lights turned on deter alot of crap and learned alot about security after these incidents,never gave it much thought until then and i live in the country.it aint just the citys problems anymore?if it ever was.in all my yrs out here never had a problem then bang.,kinda wakes you up! quick. its been quit the last yr or so.
|July 12, 2009, 06:59 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2008
Posts: 195
i also bought a phone which ties into my land line,when i leave on vacation i set it to call my cell no matter where im at it runs on motion detection and i can listen to what goes on in my house 200 miles away and decide if its an intruder and call the local sheriffs dept and my neighbor quite quickly i might add.so far the only persons its caught is me and my wife returning from vacation,but it gives give a bigtime piece of mind while im away.cost only $60 from sportsmanguide but there are better companys.just go to their site and type in security and do a search,you might be surprised at the low cost of home security these days?its alot better then nothing thats for sure.
|July 12, 2009, 07:27 PM
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 21,031
If you want to just run a single incandescent 60watt bulb 12 hours a day you can do that for less than $3 a month.
Go with one of the new CFL outdoor floods and you can get that number down under $1.25 a month.
For those not in TX, unless you live on the East Coast or in CA, AK or HI your average cost will be less than what I've calculated.
Did you know that there is a TEXAS State Rifle Association?
|July 12, 2009, 07:52 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2008
Posts: 195
that why i like motion sensing floodlights set for 5 minutes then off,the phone is made by a company called TeleSpy.biz just got off of their website, i must say this,it didnt cost me nowhere that much off of SG. you ever have trouble at your home late at nite it surely will wake you up to current matters in our sociaty,i miss the old days when you could leave the front door unlocked,im afraid for sure those days are over for good.
|July 13, 2009, 01:21 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 15, 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 380
@rshanneck2002...I hope to incorporate many of your features into my security system.
Thanks all...and eager to hear more opinions and advice!
"Its better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it." -- Clarence Worley in True Romance
|July 13, 2009, 04:27 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 27, 2005
Location: Crescent Iowa
Posts: 2,971
I have floods that light up the entire yard and parking spots n our farm. Plus some dogs.
Dogs went off last year. hit the floods 2 young guys run away a car leaves, I go out to find a brand new 5 gallon gas can and a new rubber hose. glad I didnt shoot them kids, I sure would have felt bad as I did that stuff way back in the 60s when I was a kid.
|July 13, 2009, 08:31 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 22, 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,222
Two things you might want to consider:
1. Replace the burnt out light on your patio and maybe keep it on for a few nights until you feel safer. If not, keep it on all night if it makes you feel better. Small price to pay for your safety and your wife's safety I would think.
2. You might want to consider purchasing your wife a revolver (.38 Special) instead of the automatic. As you and your wife found out, automatics out of battery will not fuction properly. You certainly won't have that problem with a revolver. Also, no safeties to worry about (like on the automatic). In an emergency situation like you just experienced, things like that happen if you are not 100% familiar with your weapon, (sometimes happens even if you are). With a revolver she can just point, aim and pull the trigger (if she has to). Much easier in a crisis type situation. Glad you both are okay and good luck.
|July 13, 2009, 11:40 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 15, 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 380
Hi Skydiver,
We fixed the lights and did end up leaving them on all night. BTW, the incident occurred late June...we have since moved and are working on the new house.
My wife has shot her dad's .357 but prefers autos. She has a Makarov and a Taurus 24/7. She was listening for intruders in the far side of the house when she chambered a round...so she "rode the slide" to be quieter. She didn't realize it might cause the gun to feed improperly (which it did). We've worked on that already.
"Its better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it." -- Clarence Worley in True Romance
|July 14, 2009, 12:25 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: January 7, 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,578
Thanx for sharing your story. I think you told it wonderfully, not only that, but you made great self observations... and I think I'd agree with everything you concluded.
The only thing I can really say though is.....
Your Wife needs a different defensive hadgun... The 24/7's are not reliable enough for me in that kind of sittuation. Sure it's better than nothing, and it will probably work. But I've had a 24/7 jam up on me, and the owner of it told me it happens what seamed to be quite a bit.
Now, not to boast. But my XD will always chamber the round, any round. always, I could ride the slide back and I'm sure it would slide right into the chamber... (I'll have to test that)
|July 14, 2009, 01:09 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 7, 2006
Location: Reno, NV.
Posts: 1,026
Great job handling yourselves. The only things I can consider for suggestion (since you're asking):
1. Leave the guns loaded and chambered (for me, safety off too). Every handgun I own is left that way for piece of mind: I know every handgun I own just needs to be pointed and squeezed. No fumbling with the safety, no chamber checks if time won't allow. Pick it up and go bang.
If the wife had needed her gun with the round not properly going into battery it would have been disastrous. If hers was already properly chambered, ready-to-rock, it would've been better.
2. Outside lighting. Very important, whether you're at a ranch style home or the middle of suburbia. Everyone pinches pennies, but with the options for LED's and florescent now-a-days, no excuse. My rented home has 120watt equivalent florescent bulbs at all exterior fixtures. My fiance's home with her mom has motion lights with florescent spot lamps equipped.
One good perk is if you turn the interior lights off with a bright exterior setup, you'll be able to black out the interior to the outside world. Almost a one way mirror affect with the dark interior and bright exterior. Won't always work out that way, but it's one of my thoughts.
We're buying a home for the two of us now, and it will have security lights at all corners that can light up all walls.
Rock out with your Glock out!
|July 14, 2009, 03:30 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 25, 2008
Posts: 891
The cop took my info and asked if I wanted to press charges if they found somebody. I said yes and he appeared surprised that I would...I think because he had made it clear that the likelihood of finding somebody was slim
Slim to none, is what he meant. Like, zero.
The cops will not lift a finger to investigate this crime.
We had [note past tense] a nice rental house in Atlanta, it got burglarized 5 times, the cops always took at least a half hour to arrive at the scene of the crime, and they never lifted a finger to try to catch the bad guys. Never took a fingerprint, nothing.
The thing was, there was a small "gangsta" neighborhood just 5 blocks away, and there was NO DOUBT that the bad guys lived in that neighborhood. There were only 200 houses in that little neighborhood. I told the cops that they almost certainly had the prints of the robbers in their own files.
It didn't matter, they would never take a print.
On one occasion, the robber's belt had broken off, I found a chunk of his belt on the floor. Looked like evidence to me.
I handed it to the cop, he just tossed it in the garbage.
As for the problem with your wife's gun, what are you doing giving a semi auto to a female?
Get real, and get a nice .38 revolver for her.
Simple is better than complicated.
|July 14, 2009, 08:06 AM
Join Date: June 29, 2000
Location: Rupert, Idaho
Posts: 9,550
Women, can operate and shoot anything a man can. Don't think so? Ya don't get around much, now do ya!?
The one thing we try not to do, here at TFL, is to divide us, as owners and shooters. Attitudes like the one displayed above, will get you sacked from this board.
|July 14, 2009, 08:28 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 22, 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,222
Antipitas post:
Well, I have to agree with Antipitas.
Women can certainly shoot and handle any type of pistol that a man can handle. My wife is an excellent shot with her Glock 19 and even likes to shoot my Wilson Combat .45 auto, (she carries a S&W mod. 60 in her purse).
Its all in how you are trained and how you practice, (with any weapon). Using a revolver is just simpler is all, (less complicated, no racking a round, out of battery, jams, etc). However, if properly acquainted and trained on any automatic, a woman can do just as good a job. "Go Ladies"..........
|July 14, 2009, 09:04 AM
Join Date: June 8, 2008
Posts: 3,552
I saw an episode on one of the gun shows last week in which a young lady who had switched from CAS to what I think may have been IPSA was showing her stuff with a long-slide semi-auto. She said she started training about two months before a match, shooting a couple of hundred rounds every day.
That said, some people have trouble racking the slides of some pistols, and there is apparently an issue with limp-wristing with some people.
One also reads that some women--and some men--don't like the recoil of a lightweight snub revolver. Heck, I don't either! However, my wife did just fine with my Model 642 with 130 grain non +P loads last week.
Skydiver, I saw that you like the LCR, and I intend to try one out as soon as I can.
|July 14, 2009, 09:36 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 22, 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,222
Oldmarksman: Ruger LCR
Yes, I really like it. The Ruger LCR is quite a different looking pistol from what we are used to, but it grows on you. I love the lightweight and concealbility of this little 5 round SD package. Pretty accurate too, even with +P ammo. Good luck.
|July 14, 2009, 10:43 AM
Join Date: May 16, 2000
Location: Washington state
Posts: 7,489
mellow_c ~
It is possible to jam any semi-auto by riding the slide. Some are more prone to it than others, but none of them are completely immune to being used improperly.
simon ~
I'm glad Antipitas saw your comment before I did. He addressed it well.
Kathy Jackson
My personal website: Cornered Cat
|July 14, 2009, 07:11 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 15, 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 380
As others have pointed out, it did not feed properly because she rode the slide in order to be quiet and better listen for BGs. It was dark and she did not notice that it was not in full battery. She did not use her fingers to check because she was also holding the phone to 911 operator.
Given the situation, I don't think she will ever forget to slingshot a slide from now on (assuming we do not just keep them loaded).
Other than this mistake, my wife is a fairly experienced range shooter. She just lacks experience dealing with guns in real BG situations...kind of like me.
Agree that cops will not do anything and the BG got away. I will still do my part to fight crime, even if it is going on record to say I will prosecute.
"Its better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it." -- Clarence Worley in True Romance
Last edited by Dabull; July 15, 2009 at 07:28 AM.
|July 15, 2009, 12:53 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: January 7, 2008
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,578
pax, Yeah, I figured that.
I just dont like 24/7's for a defensive firearm.
|July 15, 2009, 07:41 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 7, 2008
Posts: 282
Just a couple things.
As was suggested, use something to jam the sliding glass door. We used a metal tube when I was a kid.
You pointed out you use the CFL's, that'll save you a bunch of money for lights that are always on. However, in motion lights I'd recommend using the regular bulbs designed for them. We've tried several different types and brands of CFLs on our motion lights, and for some reason they burn out fast. Thinking its because it takes them a few moments to heat up.
One other thing you may wish to consider is a very bright flashlight. Its a trick I picked up from one of the local LEOs, but makes sense. If they're in complete dark, and looking at you, hitting them with a very bright light [think surefire, melt its nylon case if left on, bright] will cause some temporary blindness that buys you a few precious moments.
Too many to list...enjoy em all!
|July 17, 2009, 09:54 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2008
Posts: 195
jag you are completely right,blind the butthead and gain up to five seconds and it should be over if needed,hopefully not
|July 18, 2009, 04:38 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 27, 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 383
My wife told me that she did not want to deal with anything that could malfunction or anything that she had to disengage safeties or cock or rack or any of that other jazz.
So she has my .38 snub. This is not my opinion or choice, this is just the law she layed down to me. Personally I am about to let her keep the .38 and drop my semi for a .357 wheel gun my self for HD.
don't worry I will not tell my lady to step aside and let the man handle the job. Her trigger finger is itchier than mine, I might take friendly fire if I do not get out of her way.
|July 18, 2009, 06:21 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: January 29, 2005
Location: Orlando FL
Posts: 1,448
Noises in the night? It would need to be Harley in the kitchen to wake my Wife! A dropped teaspoon wakes me, two of the energy saver bulbs illuminate the front of the house, switch on at night, off in the morning.
Glock19 and a Surefire flash light on the bedside table, chambered (of course!) the G19 that is.
You did good, the best result? is the awareness you now have.
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text:
Three state-managed Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and one national wildlife refuge offer lands for public use including hunting:
Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area
Located in west Colbert County, near the town of Cherokee and bordering the Natchez Trace Parkway, 34,500 acres offers hunting for both small and large game. A public shooting range is located in this area as is the world's only Coon Dog Cemetery.
Lauderdale Wildlife Management Area
Located in west Lauderdale County, near the town of Waterloo, this 13,000-acre area offers hunting for both small and large game.
Seven-Mile Island Wildlife Management Area
Accessed from the Tennessee River and by land from the north side of the river, this area has acreage of just under 6,000 and offers small game, waterfowl and deer (archery only) hunting.
Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge
Located adjacent to Seven Mile Island WMA, this refuge of just over 1,000 acres offers small game hunting.
The Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) has over 19,000 acres of property available for public use, including hunting, along the Pickwick Lake reservoir in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. No permit is required when hunting TVA lands in Alabama, although a hunting license is required.


text:
Thu 12th Jul 2012 10:00amshoresurf's Gwithian Surf Report
A Clean but weak waist high wave in light SSW winds. Call 07855755556 for surf instruction, hire, surf holidays & 4cast or follow shoresurf link fore more info.
View the Gwithian Surf Report and Forecast. shoresurf's Reports have received a total of 703589 views.
This report has received 351 views since 12/7/12.


text:
£210,000 Offers over
This spacious and extremely well presented THREE BEDROOM DETACHED BUNGALOW is located in the picturesque village of Luncarty. Luncarty is located four miles north of Perth between the A9 motorway and the River Tay providing excellent access to all of the excellent roads links within central Scotland. There is also a direct cycle path from Luncarty to Perth. Close to local amenities which include a primary school, clinic, supermarket, and public house. It is within easy access to Perth City Centre via a regular bus route or car in just a few minutes. Perth offers a variety of independent and major retailers, cafe quarter, primary and secondary education, bus and railway stations, hospital and numerous sport and recreational facilities.
Sure to appeal to a variety of buyers this property comprises entrance hall, lounge, family kitchen, shower room, three bedrooms and a family bathroom. Warmth is offered via electric heating and the windows are double glazed throughout. Externally this property benefits from a driveway leading to a detached double garage as well as attractive and well maintained gardens. The rear garden is enhanced by a large decked area. Early viewing is highly recommended to appreciate the fantastic location and generous accommodation on offer. Please call to arrange an early viewing. EPC Rating E
Entrance Hall - 6.58m x 4.75m (21'7 x 15'7 )
Lounge - 5.31m x 3.71m (17'5 x 12'2 )
Family Kitchen - 5.16m x 4.14m (16'11 x 13'7 )
Master Bedroom - 4.09m x 4.04m (13'5 x 13'3 )
Bedroom 2 - 3.66m x 2.92m (12'0 x 9'7 )
Bedroom 3 - 3.63m x 2.51m (11'11 x 8'3 )
Bathroom - 1.96m x 1.63m (6'5 x 5'4 )
Shower Room - 3.12m x 2.21m (10'3 x 7'3 )
This house description is based upon information supplied by the owner, or on behalf of the owner. These property particulars are produced in good faith and do not constitute or form part of any contract. s1homes do not take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained in this document.
If a property value displays '0', don't worry it just means no properties have been sold in that area during that time.
Sold house price data is supplied to us by the Registers of Scotland, a government department responsible for compiling and maintaining property registers, every month. There can be a delay of up to 3 months from when a property is sold to being recorded with Registers of Scotland. We provide house price data for your information only, we do not accept any liability for any errors. If you have noticed any incorrect information, please contact Registers of Scotland.


text:
If those three questions had you running to Google it might be time to brush up on your tech slang and IT acronyms.
Well, WWNO. That's code for Walker Wheels Need Oil. Or in plain English, you might be getting old.
Cache: Cache is a web browser or web server feature which stores copies of web pages on a computer's hard disk. These copies serve as a 'memory' for your server, and make it quicker to load pages that you've visited before.
Graymail: Not quite spam, but not the sort of inbox mail you jump to open either. Graymail is usually unwanted emails that get instantly deleted. Those weekly sale alerts from that international retailer? The daily updates from the blog you started following three years ago? Emails about your gym's latest 'bring a friend' day? All graymail.
Big Data: Big data basically is any set of information so vast that regular digital analytical tools are rendered useless. In 2012 it was classified as ranging from "a few dozen terabytes to many petabytes of data." Commercial companies want to use big data to learn more about their customer's internet history, buying patterns and lifestyles – but this obviously raises concerns over internet privacy laws.
Cloud (and Cloud Computing): The Cloud is a philosophical way to talk about the internet – in all it's intangible, ethereal glory. Cloud Computing refers to applications and services that operate purely over the internet – like file storage systems (like Dropbox), content distribution (BitTorrent) and social networking services (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).
Bandwidth: A measure for the speed (ie the amount of data) you can send through an internet connection. The more bandwidth you have, the speedier the connection.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): HTML is the language of the web. HTML is a set of tags used to define the content, layout and formatting of the web document. Web browsers use the HTML tags to define how to display the text.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): The methods used to boost the ranking of a website in a search engine like Google, by using keywords relevant to that site's content.
Cookie: Information from a web server, stored on your computer by your web browser. The purpose of a cookie is to provide information about your visit to the website for use by the server during a later visit. Cookies are often what are tracked by 'big data' collecting sites.
Hotspot: A hotspot is a physical space where you can access the internet wirelessly through Wi-Fi. Cafes, airports and public buildings often create hotspots to keep people hanging around. Yay for free internet. Clever kids can create your own hotspot using an internet enabled iPhone.
IoT (or the Internet of Things): The 'internet of things' refers to web or app-enabled appliances outside the usual tech suspects like laptops, phones and tablets. Think stovetops, air conditioners and personal fitness trackers. These devices, or 'things,' connect to the internet to allow for greater user control and real-time intelligence.
Python: A high level programming language used by coders to build websites.
Web Spider, Crawler or Bot: An automated computer programme that searches the internet for web pages. Google and other search engines use spiders to find and index pages on websites. They can also be used to spam sites, and 'bot farms' can 'fake traffic' by sending millions of automated clicks to a designated website.
Honeypot: Basically a super high level security system that lures and then traps would-be computer hackers or spammers, like a honeypot. Clever, huh?
Vlog: Vlogs are video based blogs, often used to best effect for hair and makeup tutorials, how-tos and first person diary-style entries.
IBT: In between technology. As in, "My phone's just run out of juice, I'm out of the office and won't be home for another hour. #IBT"


text:
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Our First Time Swinging— Fun with a younger couple.
Mizz and I and Her and Him— Pairing with our old regular gal and her man for a night...
A Cuckold's Journey Ch. 01— Husband is surprised when prudish wife has sex with another.
A Happy New Year— Two Couples, a New Year's Party, and sexual openness.
Amber Ch. 01— Her first time at a swingers party.
Indian Couple Swap Ch. 02— Indian couple's swapping story.
Blame It On The Night Ch. 02— The First Fuck Couple.
An Evening with Friends— A couple-swap story.
But I Won't Do That Ch. 07— Jemma takes control; Parker gets his share.
Wife Swap Story Caught on Email— Sexy wife gets more than she asked for at a swapping party.
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text:
Flamingo's First Christmas
Red and green lights? Decorated palm trees? Just what is the flap going on in Miami in late December? Flamingo is on a quest to find out in Day's (Double Those Wheels ) holiday story with some South Florida flash. The perky pink bird soon stumbles, literally, upon a number of Christmas traditions. The novice's viewpoint brings comic perspective to the holiday: he's nearly trampled in the shopping rush and then spies a long line of kids waiting for Santa ("They weren't going anywhere fast"). After some humorous missteps, Flamingo finds he can play a special role in the Christmas chaos after all. Robinson's (The Useful Moose ) tall oil paintings emphasize Flamingo's lanky legs—and all the good-natured silliness of the book's scenario. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)
Release date: 11/01/2005


text:
There is a difference between a WBFS "formatted drive" and a WBFS "file". WBFS format is the same concept as fat32, ntfs, etc... it is a drive format type. Converting an iso to a wbfs file is just that, a file type with the extension .wbfs, which can be put on a fat32 or ntfs formatted drive.
Use a program like WiiBackup Manager to convert the file. WBFS Manager 3.0 is exclusively for working with wbfs formatted drives. It will not work with a NTFS drive.


text:
Tech Comm Toolbox is a brilliant website by Char James Tanny that provides a directory of tools, consultants, and conferences. The site offers several ways to find what you're looking for: by category, by alphabetical name, or by search.
Char used WordPress to create the site, relying heavily upon categories to organize the information. Users can submit entries to be added, and they can comment on everything that's listed. The next time you're looking for a tool, definitely check out the Tech Comm Toolbox.
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I'm a technical writer based in the California San Francisco Bay area. Topics I write about on this blog include technical writing, authoring and publishing tools, API documentation, tech comm trends, visual communication, technical writing career advice, information architecture and findability, developer documentation, and more. If you're a professional or aspiring technical writer, be sure to subscribe to email updates using the form above. You can learn more about me here. You can also contact me with questions.


text:
DartAmf provides a native Dart interface to a BlazeDS backend using AMF.
It is using the dart:html HttpRequest so it will work in a browser but unlikely to work from a commandline without modification.
Based heavily on a modified https://github.com/davidef/amfjs/ (Apache 2.0 License) which was based on Surrey's R-AMF (AMF 99) implementation https://code.google.com/p/r-amf/
How To
Sample of creating an amf channel and invoking a call
Amf channel = new Amf('http://my-server/messaging/amf');
channel.invoke("destination", "operation"
(result) => print("Success $result"),
(error) => print("Error $error"));
Custom classes need to be registered before you can receive them as Dart typed objects.
class Animal {
BigInt extends num {
Amf.registerClass("server.package.Animal", Animal);
Amf.registerClass("another.server.package.BigInt", BigInt);


text:
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Canvas Draw Created Jan 17, 2012 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2012 Suryo.
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.
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Lovely draw!!!
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Oh This is WONDERFUL!!!! 5/5!
Amazing Art!
very nice cool draw
Very beautiful, love the colors. 5/5h
applaud - it's beauty , plus a collection of favorite
beautiful! fave and collection.
VERY nice! Great colors and I like the texture you've created...5/5
Beautiful abstract. Nicely done. Love the colors


text: No pain, no gain is a valid statement, but so is Work smart, not hard. Reaching fitness doesn't have to be a painful journey of blood, sweat and tears if you plan it correctly. In order to drop some extra pounds with the least amount of effort and feel accomplishment without feeling much loss, check out the following tips for …Read More »


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Please note our Medical Liaison team are only able to assist with enquiries from medical practitioners. For patient enquiries please telephone 07 3163 8111.
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text:
|Problems? Is your data what you think it is?
Re: (jeffa) 3Re: My first stab at OO perl...by frag (Hermit)
|on Jul 17, 2002 at 03:49 UTC ( #182316=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
Although you should know that Damian uses ref($caller) extensively in his book (see all the CD::Music examples). I'm not saying that's right, but it makes the context of the recommendation to read the book sound sort of self-contradictory.
Me, I've been castigated by merlyn for using ref($caller), and I've (sort of) come around to his view. That is, $obj->new() just always struck me as a perfectly reasonable way to obtain a new, 'blank' object of the object's class. Expecting it to clone just never made any sense to me (if you meant it to clone, you'd've named it clone(), right?). But I've come to sense that I'm in the minority on this one, and calling $obj->new() hasn't ever been truly necessary in my code anyway; if this is going to be that confusing to that many people, then it's a de facto bad idea. (Though still, I'd like to know how many people would really be confused by this, and how many wouldn't be, but are just saying that someone else may get confused.)
-- Frag.
In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom


text:
If you start your own seeds or do any sort of transplanting I have 3 words for you … ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! That means you should pay attention to what I'm about to say. Sometimes it also means a tornado is coming, but in this case it does not.
I got a fancy doohickey for Christmas for making paper pots this year and I love it. It's just a column of wood and a recessed base. You wrap newspaper around it, smush the bottom together and WHAMMO, you have a paper pot.
I love it. It looks nice, it feels nice and best of all … it works. That isn't always the case with doohickeys.
The only problem with it is, it only makes one size of pot. Smallish. Which is fine for something, not so fine for others. Lettuce? Small pot is fine. Tomato plant? Not so fine.
So I went searching around the house for something that would replicate what the doohickey did, and the most reasonable facsimile I could come up with was a straight sided bottle. Wine bottle, vinegar bottle, juice bottle … anything as long as it has straight sides AND a recessed bottom.
Sorry for yelling, but it seemed the best way to make my point.
Wanna make paper pots? Grab some newspaper, a bottle with A RECESSED BOTTOM, and … well that's it actually. That's all you need. Read on and you'll find out how to make the paper pots and WHY your bottle needs to have a recessed bum.
Rip or cut a piece of newspaper. It should be the height you want your pot plus an inch or two. One inch if your pot is narrow, two inches if it's wide.
This is an approximate measurement.
Roll your bottle until all the paper is wrapped around it.
See there? That's the recessed bottom.
Now starting with the seam of the newspaper, push the paper into the recessed bottom. If you use a can or bottle, or something that isn't recessed on the bottom, the paper won't stay in position and your bottom won't form. Then your plant will fall out the bottom. See? The bum is important.
Continue to push the newspaper in until it's all wrapped under the bottle. Push it hard with your fingers or hand. This will help crease the newspaper and make it more inclined to hold it's shape and not fall apart.
You now have a paper pot. My apologies to everyone who thought they were going to end up with weed. Now go finish your Cheez Doodles.
Now fill with soil and add your teeny, tiny transplant.
The moral of this story? Nothing. There is no moral to this story at all. Now go make a pot.