text:
Dateline Capitol Hill
On Sept. 28, President Obama signed into law Public Law 112-175, the "Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013." This measure – usually referred to as a continuing resolution (CR) – will fund all the operations of the federal government for the first six months of fiscal 2013, until March 27, 2013, at the same level of funding as the current fiscal 2012 budget. The House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 177 on Sept. 13 by a 329-91 recorded vote. The Senate voted on Sept. 22 to agree to the legislation by a vote of 62-30.
For the past several years, Congress has been unable to pass the 12 appropriations bills that fund the operations of all the U.S. government's departments, agencies and programs. Some of this difficulty is political, while some is philosophical. This year's excuse is the failure of last year's so-called "supercommittee" to agree to spending reduction targets. As a result, in January of next year, automatic spending cuts – called sequestration – will be implemented to begin to reduce federal spending virtually across-the-board.
Despite agreeing to fiscal 2013 funding levels that parallel 2012 funding amounts, H.J. Res. 117 does include a 0.6-percent spending increase, amounting to an additional $8 billion in funding to meet various contingencies. Several provisions included in the CR would:
Allow DoD to acquire supplies in other countries for use in Afghanistan;
Fund Overseas Contingency Operations at nearly $100 billion;
Allow additional funding for nuclear weapons modernization efforts, to ensure the safety, security and reliability of the nation's nuclear stockpile;
Allow flexibility for the Customs and Border Protection to maintain current staffing levels;
Allow additional funding and flexibility to sustain Homeland Security cybersecurity efforts;
Allow additional funding for the Interior Department and the Forest Service for wildfire suppression efforts;
Extend the current pay freeze for federal employees, including congressional representatives and senators;
Allow the launch schedule of new weather satellites to move forward, ensuring the continuation of critical weather information, especially in the event of weather-related natural disasters;
Require every federal agency to provide spending plans to Congress to ensure transparency and the proper use of taxpayer dollars; and
Allow additional funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet an increase in the disability claims workload.
The House Appropriations Committee has passed all 12 of the necessary bills to fund the federal government – seven have been approved by the full House – but none of these measures have seen the light of day in the Senate. The gist of these actions is that Congress is postponing the difficult questions of funding and cost-cutting to the lame-duck session after the November elections or to the 113th Congress, which will begin on Jan. 3, 2013.
Senate VA panel marks up veterans legislation
On Sept. 12, the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs conducted a business meeting in which it considered several pieces of legislation pending before the committee. Six pieces of legislation were considered, including:
S. 3340, introduced by committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., the Mental Health Access to Continued Care and Enhancement of Support Services (ACCESS) Act of 2012. This bill seeks to improve the provision of mental health care to members of the Armed Forces and veterans, to improve assistance to homeless veterans, to improve the provision of health care and benefits to veterans, and for other purposes.
S. 3322, introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2012. This measure would strengthen enforcement and clarify certain provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and chapter 43 of title 38, U.S. Code, and for other purposes.
S. 3313, also introduced by Murray, is the Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvement Act of 2012. This legislation would amend Title 38, U.S. Code, to improve the reproductive assistance provided by VA to severely wounded veterans and their spouses, and for other purposes.
S. 2259, introduced by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2012. This bill would provide for an increase, effective Dec. 1, in the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.
S. 2241, also introduced by Murray, is the GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012. This measure would ensure that veterans have the information and protections they require to make informed decisions regarding use of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance, and for other purposes.
S. 1707, introduced by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., is the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. This legislation would amend title 38, U.S. Code, to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes.
All bills were reported out of committee, but with some amendment. None of the measures have been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, but Murray said the necessary funding would be found before the bills are reported to the full Senate. It is hoped that these bills will be acted upon by the full Senate during the upcoming lame-duck session.
House hearing on DoD plans for sequestration
On Sept. 20, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), chaired by Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., conducted a hearing on "Department of Defense Plans for Sequestration: The Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 Report and the Way Forward." In August Congress passed P.L. 112-155, the Sequestration Transparency Act, mandating the Obama administration lay out specifics about the $1.2 trillion in cuts to domestic and defense programs that will start to take place at the beginning of 2013 if Congress is unable to agree on another deficit-reduction plan before the end of the year. They were given 30 days to comply. The White House released the 394-page report on Sept. 14, but the large, numbers-heavy report provides little insight into what would happen within DoD to accommodate the required $50 to $55 billion cut in defense spending in each year over the next decade.
These reductions would come on top of the $487 billion over the next decade already imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011. The budget cuts were enacted by Congress last summer as part of a larger deficit-reduction plan, but were designed to be so unpalatable to both parties that they'd come up with alternative spending trims to avoid hurting the military. But no solution has been reached as of yet. Congress was unable to find a compromise before their anticipated adjournment this week, and lawmakers aren't scheduled to return to Washington until Nov. 13 for legislative work until after the November elections.
The hearing featured Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale and the service vice chiefs in what turned into a forum for committee members to air their grievances about the automatic cuts and assign blame – to the president, each other, even themselves – for the scheduled spending cuts. But lawmakers of both parties agreed the planned cuts to the Pentagon, were they to go into effect, would be devastating. Nevertheless, DoD still hasn't started planning for them and this has infuriated congressional Republicans, "They only applied sequestration figures at the account level," a HASC staffer complained about the report, noting that "the language in the law said that we need to receive information at the program, project and activity level." DoD officials argued that 30 days was not enough time to produce this level of detail.
The difference is simple: Programs, projects and activities are specific things, like F-35 fighters and Stryker vehicles and destroyers. The funding for these items is aggregated, and therefore buried, in broader accounts, like Air Force aircraft procurement, Army wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, and Navy shipbuilding. Instead of providing the program-level data, the Office of Management and Budget provided the account-level data, which doesn't tell you much about which programs would be affected or how. For example, the $34 billion defense health account faces a $3.3-billion reduction if sequestration happens. But how that $3.3-billion cut would be accommodated within that particular budget account is not specified.
Earlier this year, The American Legion passed Resolution 1 that opposes any further cuts to the country's defense budget. It is anticipated that congressional leadership will focus on developing some alternative to the draconian sequestration process during the upcoming lame-duck session.
VA construction authorization measure signed into law
On Oct. 5, President Obama enacted Public Law 112-191, the VA Major Construction Authorization and Expiring Authorities Extension Act of 2012. The major provisions of this measure include:
- Authorization for construction of a mental health building at the VA medical center (VAMC) in Seattle, with a price tag of $222 million;
- Authorization for construction of a spinal cord injury center at the VAMC in Dallas in the amount of $155 million;
- Authorization for renovation of the surgical suite and operating rooms at the VAMC in Miami, for an amount totaling $41 million.
Further, P.L. 112-191 provided a one-year extension of authority for VA to:
Operate a VA Regional Office in Manila, Republic of the Philippines;
Provide treatment, rehabilitation and certain other services for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans;
Provide housing assistance for homeless veterans;
Continue VA's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans; and,
Continue the performance of medical disability examinations by contract physicians.


text:
Do More in 2014 – just like the New Generation Hyundai i10
I've been a youth worker for 20 years and I've never seen anything as powerful as football. It is the national game, everybody loves it and it acts as a great leveller – wherever you come from, you're an equal on the pitch.
At Street League, we use football to engage young people living in the most disadvantaged communities, then take them on an employability course, which eventually gets them into jobs that they need and deserve.
We work with those who have left school with few or no qualifications. Giving these people access to high-quality football coaches who can teach them something that they want to learn cuts through so many barriers. Building relationships with young people facing difficult challenges can take months – but on the pitch it takes just a few hours.
Being involved with football means that you are instantly part of a team and, with our young people, we find that the team attitude begins to permeate their lives in a positive way. They become accountable to their team. If they don't get up one morning and fail to come to the academy, their team-mates suffer. This helps the team become really strong. That carries through to when they are interviewing for jobs – the whole team is behind them, giving them the confidence to go on.
We also educate young people on how to find a job and get a CV together, while volunteer staff from our commercial partners [such as Hyundai] visit our academies to give them mock interviews and feedback from their interviewers. That means that when they go for a real interview, they have already tried it and understand it.
Beating youth unemployment is about finding creative ways to solve the problem. A lot of youth employability programmes expect young people to come and sit in a classroom straightaway.
If a young person hated school and did not respond well to the classroom, the way to engage them is not to ask them to go back to a classroom. We have taken a different approach to make learning appealing.
I joined Street League four years ago and we decided to focus our efforts on youth unemployment because it is such a huge issue. We estimate that around 20 per cent of the one million unemployed young people have a greater need because they live in disadvantaged areas and have no qualifications.
Among those one million unemployed young people, many are graduates or A-level students who will eventually find a job. In this economic climate, we see first-class maths graduates working in phone shops, so the downward pressure on those without qualifications is immense. To me, they are the real lost generation, and I'm driven by the fact that those young people deserve a chance to go into a job and compete on a level playing field, perhaps for the first time in their lives.
Four years ago, Street League was in three locations in England. Today it is in 10 locations across England and Scotland and we are about to open in a further five locations across the UK.
Eighty-one per cent of people who complete our course go into employment, education or training afterwards – and we only count them in that statistic once they have proof that they are fully participating, such as a payslip or acceptance letter, because we want to make sure we have given them an outcome.
We want to truly reach as many young people as we can with this model that works, not just celebrate numbers who have attended the course. We are here to change lives and so that is what we measure. And it has been tough for us to get to this stage. The climate is terrible for charity fund-raising but running Street League as a social enterprise has helped us to be efficient, get the most from the funding we have and therefore reach more young people.
Being realistic about what happens to people who do a course at Street League also helps us to make our programmes better and better.
A report by the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations last year said that even in a growing economy, there are still 7 to 9 per cent of young people who are always unemployed. That is structural youth unemployment and it has existed for 40 years. Youth unemployment is a problem worsened by a recession – but one that will continue beyond it.
That 7 to 9 per cent are the people who interest me and the people whom I want to help. If you can engage that group with something that they love, such as football, to help them do more with their lives, that has got to be a good thing.
To find out more about UK Street League, visit streetleague.co.uk
Inspiration, engineered
Lionel Messi proves it every time he graces a football pitch — big is not necessarily better and good things come in small packages. Like the world's greatest player, the New Generation Hyundai i10 has a brilliant all-round game that sets it apart from the rest.
The New Generation Hyundai i10 might be a compact car but that does not mean it is short on space or equipment.
Use the best-in-class boot space for a weekly shop, a picnic in the countryside or your gym gear. Fold down the back seats to extend boot capacity. Treat your passengers to best-in-class leg and headroom — perfect for that next adventure to somewhere new.
And having a small car need not mean missing out on big-car features either, such as air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and an optional heated steering wheel. Enjoy fuel efficiency of up to 65.7 miles per gallon combined*, meaning fewer trips to the petrol station, and a fun-to-drive, compact design.
Inspiration is everywhere. It's what you do with it that counts. Let the New Generation Hyundai i10 inspire you to do more.
For more information visit www.hyundai.co.uk/new-cars/i10
*Mpg figure applies to 1.0 66PS Petrol Blue Drive Manual model and is based on official EU test figures. This is to be used as a guide for comparative purposes and may not reflect all driving results.
This page forms part of a series on self-improvement.
Produced in association with the New Hyundai i10, Do More in 2014 aims to increase your personal drive, helping you achieve things you never thought possible.
Visit Do More in 2014 to read the latest self improvement challenges

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I am starting Black History Month about 5 days early. This thread is going to focus on Black Firsts, Inventors and Scientists.
First up, Henry Brown who created the Safebox or strongbox.
Prior to the invention, people often kept personal and valuable papers in simple wooden boxes in their homes or at local banks. These boxes provided no deterrent against burglars or bank staff reading them.
He developed a lockable, forged-metal container, divided into compartments, and patented his invention (number 352,036) on November 2, 1886.
This was a fire and accident safe container made of forged metal, which could be sealed with a lock and key. It was special in that it kept the papers separated.
Inventors often toil for their entire lifetimes creating devices which have beneficial effects on society for years – yet that inventor might gain recognition only after he or she has passed away. For others, even after they have gone, recognition is slow in coming despite their great contributions. Richard Spikes is such a person.
Little has been written about Richard Spikes in terms of his childhood, education and personal life. What is known is that he was an incredible inventor and the proof of this is in the incredibly diverse number of creations that have had a major impact on the lives of everyday citizens.
Over the course of his lifetime, Spikes developed the following inventions or innovations:
- railroad semaphore (1906)
- automatic car washer (1913)
- automobile directional signals (1913)
- beer keg tap (1910)
- self-locking rack for billiard cues (1910)
- continuous contact trolley pole (1919)
- combination milk bottle opener and cover (1926)
- method and apparatus for obtaining average samples and temperature of tank liquids (1931)
- automatic gear shift (1932)
- transmission and shifting thereof (1933)
- automatic shoe shine chair (1939)
- multiple barrel machine gun (1940)
- horizontally swinging barber chair (1950)
- automatic safety brake (1962)
Spikes inventions were welcome to major companies. His beer keg tap was purchased by Milwaukee Brewing Company and the automobile directional signals which were first introduced in the Pierce Arrow, soon became standard in all automobiles. For his innovative designs of transmission and gear-shifting devices, Spikes received over $100,000.00 – an enormous sum for a Black man in the 1930s.
By the time he was creating the automatic safety brake in 1962, Spikes was losing his vision. In order to complete the device, he first created a drafting machine for blind designers – by the time his braking device was completed, he was deemed legally blind. The device would soon be found in almost every school bus in the nation.
Richard Spikes died in 1962 but left behind a lifetime of achievement that few could parallel.
***Information courtesy of Wikipedia and About.com***


text:
From time to time I'll refer to the Frankston line on Twitter with the abbreviation FKN.
I'm not just trying to get a cheap laugh. Well okay, perhaps I am, but what people might not realise is that's actually the official station code for Frankston.
Good morning #Bentleigh. They're not lying about the 30 minute delays. #MetroTrains #FKNLine pic.twitter.com/PsL9LqbSVx
— Daniel Bowen (@danielbowen) March 7, 2016
Every station (and a good many other places, such as passing loops and sidings) in the state has a three letter code, used in railway circles. Occasionally you'll see them creep into the public arena:
Here's a complete list of Melbourne codes:
Read More …


text:
Reagrding "Malpractice Bill Debated" [April 2, news]: All malpractice lawyers have nationally published lists of "similar providers" who are willing to review cases and provide expert testimony. The problem for the lawyers is that they are expensive, and they have to be paid up front, regardless of the outcome of the case.
Changing the law to allow those with a lower level of expertise to review cases will save them lots of money.
Lawrence N. Rappaport, M.D., Avon
The writer is a retired radiologist.


text:
ECB lowers key interest rate
Fri., May 3, 2013
FRANKFURT, Germany – The European Central Bank cut its key interest rate to a record low 0.50 percent Thursday and announced other measures to help lift the euro area out of a stubborn recession.
The bank also extended its offer of unlimited, cheap loans to banks at least through July 2014. Previously, the ECB had planned to end the program as soon as this July
The ECB lowered its benchmark refinancing rate from 0.75 percent, as expected, at a meeting of its rate-setting council in Bratislava, Slovakia.
ECB President Mario Draghi indicated he was prepared to flex its muscles further in the face of high and rising unemployment and growing evidence that Europe's economy is getting weaker. He said the ECB stood "ready to act if needed."
Eager to jolt banks into lending more freely, Draghi said the ECB would even consider charging banks to deposit funds with the ECB by lowering their deposit rate into negative territory from the current zero percent. That would make room to cut the refinancing rate again because the bank likes to keep some space between the two rates.
Together, the measures announced by the ECB Thursday amounted to a grim recognition: despite record-low interest rates, European banks still remain cautious about lending to consumers and businesses, while some companies don't want to risk borrowing in a slow economy.
Draghi also delivered a warning to Europe's political leaders: Extraordinary actions by the central bank will not be enough to heal the region's economy. Governments need to accelerate efforts to cut excessive regulations and make Europe a more hospitable place for business.
The economy of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro certainly needs a boost. The ECB says the eurozone will shrink 0.5 percent for all of this year and unemployment is at 12.1 percent.
Many economists say clogged lending to small companies meant Thursday's cut will not do much good. Marie Diron, senior adviser to Ernst & Young, said her assessment was "slight disappointment that the ECB has done the bare minimum."


text: What are some things that I can buy with my snack credits that can be used as a small meal? I heard last year that you could buy a turkey leg on snack credit, but it turned out that you couldn't do it when we were there. So, what are legal things to buy with snack credits that eat more like a meal???


text:
- Description
- Data Sheet
- Suitable for (17)
- Reviews
RMS, Italy, is a prolific manufacturer of OEM quality aftermarket parts for many scooter brands, including Vespa Vintage and Vespa Modern parts. Their catalogue is extensive, with equipment made for even the most vintage of models.
This is an RMS Gasket between air filter and carburetor for Vespa Primavera 50 - 90cc. Replacing gaskets is an essential part when doing maintenance on a scooter. This is an OEM quality gasket for air filter / carburetor connection, simply swap with old gasket.
- for Vespa 50-90cc
- carburetor
Data Sheet
Name Gasket for air filter, RMS, Vespa smallframe, for SHB16 carburettor Item No. R100703970 Brand RMS Homologation No
Your product goes with the following manufacturers and their models:
Vespa Classic
50cc N 1963 - 1971 (V5A1T)
50cc R 1969 - 1983 (V5A1T)
50cc S 1963 - 1984 (V5SA1T)
50cc Special 1969 - 1972 (V5A2T)
50cc Special 1973 - 1975 (V5B1T)
50cc Special 1975 - 1983 (V5B3T)
50cc Sprinter 1971 - 1979 (V5SS2T)
50cc Super Sprint 1965 - 1971 (V5SS1T)
90cc 1963 - 1984 (V9A1T)
90cc Racer 1971 - 1974 (V9SS2T)
90cc Super Sprint 1965 - 1971 (V9SS1T)
125cc Primavera Nouva 1965 - 1967 (VMA1T)
PK 50cc S Automatic 1984 (VA51T)
V50 V90 PV ET8 50cc Special Elestart (V5A3T)
V50 V90 PV ET10 50cc Special Elestart (V5B2T)
V50 V90 PV ET12 50cc Special Elestart (V5B4T)
V50 V90 PV ET14 50cc SR 1975 (V5SS2T)


text:
The Samsung Galaxy S2 may not just be a face-lift from the Google Nexus S. The new phone is expected to have all of the bells and whistles as the attractive Nexus S, but exhibit a dual core processor as well. It will be running (at least) Android 2.3, but with the skinned modifications we see on every Galaxy S device.
This definitely seems like a case of deja vu seeing as the same incident happened between the Google Nexus One and HTC Desire; the Desire nearly having the same hardware as the Nexus One. When it comes down to it, deciding which phone to purchase will solely determine if the user prefers an unmasked version of the Android OS or one cloaked in a Galaxy S fashion.
[Via TechRadar]


text:
CELEBRATE one of Britain's greatest culinary delights and the town's famous crop at the Watercress Festival tomorrow.
The event draws together the local community and food-lovers from far and wide. The entire centre of New Alresford in Hampshire becomes a huge street festival, with Hampshire Farmers' Market and others creating a large food event showcasing the very best local producers.
Award-winning and well known local chefs share their passion for watercress during cookery demonstrations throughout the day.
There is also a festival market, music, dance, performers and a parade with the Watercress King and Queen who sit atop a horse and cart.


text:
|Bookshelf Home | Contents | Index | PDF
Using Siebel Tools > About the Siebel Tools User Interface >
About the Object List Editor
The Object List Editor displays the objects for the object type currently selected in the Object Explorer. If the object selected in the Object Explorer is a second or third-level object, two Object List Editors are displayed—the object for the type selected in the Object Explorer is in the bottom window. In the example shown in Figure 7, the top-level object is Applet, the specific applet is Activity Prospects List Applet, and the available Web templates are Base (selected), Edit, and Edit List.
In the same figure, the pencil icon (to the left of the applet name) indicates that the applet has been locked by the Siebel Tools user, so that modifications to it can be saved.
Inactive Objects
Inactive objects have the Inactive property set to TRUE, which inactivates the record in the repository table.
Changed Flag
After you edit a record, a check mark appears in the Changed property of the object. This indicates that changes have been made to the contents of the corresponding record since a particular date and time. If there is no check mark in the Changed property, it means that the object has not been changed since the date and time specified in the General tab of the Development Options dialog box.
The Changed flag cascades upwards through its parents. That is, when an object is edited or created, the changed flag is set for its parent object, if any, and for the parent object of that parent, and likewise up through the hierarchy. For more information, see Setting Change Date Preferences.
Pencil Icon
The pencil icon in the first (W) column of an object indicates that the object is locked and editable. In Figure 7, all visible objects are locked.
Property values in the Object List Editor can appear as drilldown fields (hyperlinks) when the value is the name of another object. You can click the drilldown to navigate to the associated object type.
To be able to use drilldowns in the Object List Editor, you must be assigned the Developer responsibility. Users are assigned responsibilities in the Administration - Application > Reproducibilities screen of Siebel applications. For more information, see Security Guide for Siebel eBusiness Applications.
|Using Siebel Tools


text:
Science Lab Ruffled Bodysuit
Bubbling and burbling
- Sweet ruffles for your sweet baby
- Made with organic cotton and dyes
- Features lap shoulders and snap bottom
Bubbling and burblingIt's chemistry that creates babies in more ways than one. Right, so, not these chemical elements, specifically. Which is probably for the best considering we see sulfuric acid on here.
Start out with an awesome fashion choice with this Science Lab Ruffled Bodysuit. The green onesie with white piping features chemistry equipment and three sweet ruffles. This tagless, preshrunk baby bodysuit is made from 100% organic cotton and manufactured using eco-friendly organic dyes. It has lap shoulders and a 3-snap bottom.
Product Specifications
- Science Lab Ruffled Bodysuit
- Perfect for your science-focused little baby
- Lap shoulders with snap bottom for convenience
- Materials: 100% organic cotton with eco-friendly organic dyes
- Care instructions: Machine washable
- Imported
Wanna chat about it?
Have questions about Science Lab Ruffled Bodysuit or your order? We monitor these comments daily, but it may be faster to email us directly or call us at 1-888-GEEKSTUFF.


text:
Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Nevada
I was suppose to be the executor of my dads will and the person who was second on the will never notified me.
Do i have any legal rights
1 Answer from Attorneys
It depends. If a probate was already opened, completed and closed, it is probably too late for you to step in and perform the duties that may have been done by someone else. If you were a named beneficiary of the estate and did not receive what your dad left to you, then you do still have a right to contest the result of the probate. If a probate was NOT opened, you have the legal obligation to go forward with that action to perform your job as the named personal representative (executor) of the estate. This begins with lodging the will with the County Court Clerk where Dad was a resident at the time of his death, then composing and filing a petition for probate if the value of the estate exceeded $20k.
You really need a capable Nevada attorney to review the facts of your matter and advise you on what must be done to get it all resolved. This is especially true if the other person did not do his/her duty in representing the estate and there are remaining issues of property distribution or other legal rights that have been disregarded.


text:
Have you ever heard of Toraja community?
If not, then we are gonna give you an interesting excerpt from the large book of their peculiar rituals.
As we all know that death and reincarnation amounts to different philosophies in different parts of the world.
Some believe in rebirth while others don't think likewise. They hold different opinions. Some say that there is no such thing as reincarnation-once death enfolds you in its claws, there's no looking back.
According to Indians, there is definitely a concept of rebirth. The most interesting thing in their beliefs is according to them, you change shapes and sizes or your whole existence based on your doing of this birth.
But we are here to discuss about Toraja society which is not a known community but now we will unveil their bizarre traditions in front of you.
The Toraja are an ethnic group of people indigenous to the mountains of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
They are known for their strange art giving rise to wood carvings of very different shapes, and their peculiar traditional, ancestral houses with huge, peaked roofs that looks like a boat on the top, known as tongkonan.
They are much obsessed with death. Their rituals includes burial sites carved into ragged cliffs, the traditional tongokonan houses which are always decorated with the horns of buffalos(it signifies wealth and used exclusively as resting places for the corpses of recently deceased people).
But this process don't take place immediately after death. The tradition is preceded by a very grand ceremony.
While the poor keep the body in another room of their houses, it takes place rather extravagantly between rich folks. It requires the presence of all the relatives. The body of the deceased is entombed within a coffin placed within burial caves, carved into limestone cliffs.
It takes weeks or even months to carve out such a shape. Therefore the final burial happens after a big gap.
If the deceased was rich, the ceremony will definitely be extravagant, the feast lasting up to a few days. So the party depends on the amount of wealth the deceased had enjoyed in his lifetime.
When finally the corpse becomes ready for burial, it is placed within a wooden box, and instead of burring it in the ground, they keep them in a special burial cave carved out for the same.
In the case of babies or small children it will be hung from a cliff with thick ropes until the ropes rot and the coffin falls to the ground, after which it will be reattached.
Watch video


text:
NEW ORLEANS – Mississippi native Faith Hill and husband Tim McGraw say they plan to donate proceeds from their summer concert to benefit Gulf Coast hurricane relief.
Hill and McGraw will perform July 5 at the New Orleans Arena as part of their "South2Soul II" tour. Hill is a native of Star, Miss.; McGraw grew up in Start, La.
"We will not stop, we will not forget, we will not quit, until we see our friends, our families and our neighbors returned to the lives that they once knew," the country singers said Thursday in a statement. "We hope to give everyone who comes out a few hours to just enjoy."
Proceeds will go to their new Neighbor's Keeper Foundation and other organizations assisting individuals in Mississippi and Louisiana who are suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Half of the floor seats will be given to Katrina volunteer workers, according to the statement.


text:
KAI RYSSDAL: Large companies with multistate business operations have long complained they get unfairly taxed by some state and local governments, merely because they have customers in those local jurisdictions. Businesses are looking for tax relief in states where they have no stores and no employees.
Instead of taking their case to state capitals, the business community has gone to Washington. The US House of Representatives is expected to vote today to limit states' ability to tax out-of-state businesses. Marketplace's Washington bureau chief John Dimsdale reports the bill has states crying foul.
JOHN DIMSDALE: Companies say in the past several years state revenue departments have raised income taxes on non-resident businesses. Maureen Riehl of the National Retail Federation says overlapping state tax laws sometimes hit companies with double taxation.
MAUREEN RIEHL: In most states the rule for any sort of state taking income taxes from a business has been that you had to have a physical presence. Those rules are being kind of tweaked by some states that are now looking at something they call an economic presence test.
States say they're just trying to keep up with changes in technology.
DAVID QUAM: It's a new economy where physical presence is not necessary to do business or earn income in a state.
The National Governors' Association's David Quam says out-of-state businesses are using electronic commerce and advertising to compete against local companies, and therefore should be subject to state income taxes. The NGA figures the Congressional bill will cost states more than $6 billion a year in lost revenue. And since state taxes are deductible from federal taxes, the bill means a boon for federal income at state expense.
QUAM: This is a federal corporate tax cut using state tax dollars. Those decisions need to be made by state elected officials. We'd encourage companies to come work with states to make this more uniform and address some of their concerns rather than try to eliminate taxation by running to Congress.
An identical bill in the Senate is still in subcommittee. Passage there, this year, is less likely.
In Washington, I'm John Dimsdale for Marketplace.


text:
Artist description:
No description entered.
Java Draw Created Oct 12, 2012 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2012 Kiiwiblog.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
paladin590 Oct 23, 2012
true story :)
Ghost_killah Oct 12, 2012
i like her expression :D
Thauwa Oct 12, 2012
Epic! (yes, smash that alarm! xD )
GiganT09011994 Oct 12, 2012
lolol KIWS MAD, KIWS SMASH THAT ALLARM xDD
Page 1


text:
Voters in four southern Minnesota school districts have approved a plan to divide one of the districts into the other three.
The McLeod West district is shutting down next month because of financial problems. Voters decided yesterday to consolidate McLeod into the three neighboring districts: Buffalo Lake-Hector, Glencoe-Silver Lake and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop.
Residents voted overwhelmingly to approve a plan the four districts had agreed upon. If the vote had failed, the district would have been dissolved by the McLeod County Commission.
McLeod West will be $2.5 million in the red at the end of the school year, which is more than two-thirds of its overall budget.
The vote needed to pass separately in each district for the consolidation to be approved, which is what happened. In the McLeod West district, the question passed 779-107; the approval in Buffalo Lake-Hector was 552-16; in Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop, 625-43; in Glencoe-Silver Lake, 1159-86.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


text:
'Duck Dynasty' Relative Zach Dasher Runs for Congress
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's 5th District congressional race has a new candidate with a "Duck Dynasty" connection.
Zach Dasher, a Republican whose uncle is the TV family patriarch Phil Robertson, announced Monday that he's running for the seat in the Nov. 4 election.
Dasher, from Calhoun, has never run for office. He says he received the support of his family — including his famous uncles and cousins — before announcing his candidacy.
The district's current congressman, Republican Vance McAllister, won the seat last year with support of the "Duck Dynasty" family. But after his election, security footage emerged that showed McAllister kissing a married woman who worked in his office.
McAllister announced he wouldn't seek re-election, but he's been less definitive recently, saying he'll make a decision by the August sign-up period.


text:
Mitt Romney is on the verge of delivering a knockout blow. The former Massachusetts governor leads in the polls heading into the Iowa caucuses. If he wins, especially by a large margin, he almost certainly will capture the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 10. Mr. Romney will have all the momentum, the big donors and - most importantly - the air of inevitability going into South Carolina and Florida. He may then be unstoppable in becoming the Republican presidential nominee.
That begs the question: Should conservatives support him? Mr. Romney is not a man of the right. Rather, he is a pragmatic technocrat who champions efficiency and market-driven growth. He is primarily a businessman, a numbers cruncher with a fetish for data and "analytical models." He represents the GOP's green-eyeshade wing: Budgets need to be balanced, spending never should outstrip revenues. It's not sexy; it's not inspirational; and it's not even truly conservative. A Romney presidency would not hack away at Social Security or Medicare. It would not substantially roll back big government, and it would not restore federalism and substantially devolve power to the states. In short, a Romney victory represents a triumph for the Republican establishment.
Yet Mr. Romney has one overriding virtue: He can defeat President Obama. In our television age, Mr. Romney has numerous strengths. He is very telegenic, he is attractive, and he looks presidential. Moreover, his moderate politics means he appeals to a vast spectrum of voters - independents, suburban women and disaffected Democrats. He can cobble together a majority electoral coalition.
Those who claim Mr. Obama can be trounced easily are living in a fantasy world. Despite his dismal performance and the sclerotic economy, the president has several strong assets. He has the power of incumbency. He has the mainstream media propping him up. Most important, he has bribed large segments of the electorate. Contrary to popular myth, liberalism has nothing to do with compassion. It is about expanding government in the service of power. Mr. Obama simply has been following the model established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt: Use massive public spending to buy votes. The nearly $1 trillion stimulus, Obamacare, the auto bailouts, nationalizing the student loan industry, record numbers of Americans on food stamps, the unprecedented extensions of unemployment insurance, Wall Street and housing bailouts, billions spent on the "green" economy and the record deficits - all have created potent political constituencies dependent upon government handouts. They will do almost anything to re-elect Mr. Obama; their very livelihoods are at stake.
This is why conservatives should not only rally behind Mr. Romney if he becomes the Republican nominee but support him enthusiastically. Mr. Obama is the most radical, destructive president in living memory. Defeating him is the most important issue for conservatives; everything else pales in comparison.
There is another reason to support a Romney candidacy: He will repeal Obamacare. Its costs are kicking in already. The benefits, however, don't really start until 2014. Obamacare is the president's signature legislation. It is a multitrillion-dollar entitlement that not only imposes government-run health care and rationing but threatens to break America economically. Its massive costs can only be paid through permanently high taxes. Its sole purpose is to fuse the middle class to a public health care system, making it dependent upon government handouts. It is central to his social-democratic agenda of transforming America into a European-style nanny state. Once the benefits - and the resulting dependency - begin, there will be no turning back. The 2012 election is the last chance to rescind it. After that, as with Social Security and Medicare, any attempts to reform it - never mind repeal it - will be denounced as "right-wing social engineering."
Mr. Romney's passage of universal health care in Massachusetts is well-known. It served as the basis for Obamacare - especially the individual mandate to purchase insurance. Mr. Romney is vulnerable to charges of hypocrisy from Democrats. Yet repeal is a seminal plank of his campaign platform. Should he win the White House, he could not - and would not - reverse himself. The result would be political self-destruction. Hence, Mr. Romney would block America's dangerous slide toward socialism and economic ruin.
Mr. Romney is someone who specializes in resuscitating dying companies. He spent decades at Bain Capital doing precisely that. America is like Lehman Brothers - overleveraged, overextended and drowning in debt. Mr. Romney aims to cut out the fat and fire the dysfunctional, failed old management; he will unleash the animal spirits of the private economy. He can reverse our decline and turn around the giant bankrupt corporation that is America.
The 2012 election is about one central reality: We are going broke. If the current trajectory continues, America will be Greece in four years. The country will have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. America will be crushed by its national debt, runaway deficits and huge entitlements. There will be no one to bail us out - not China, the European Union or the International Monetary Fund. We will be insolvent, racked by skyrocketing inflation and high unemployment, our social safety net shredded and riots in the streets. We will no longer be a prosperous republic; rather, we will look more like a disintegrating Third World nation. We are in the midst of a crisis. Ideological purity is a luxury we can no longer afford. If Mr. Romney wins the GOP nomination, I will back him. So should every conservative.
Jeffrey T. Kuhner is a columnist at The Washington Times and president of the Edmund Burke Institute.
Copyright © 2017 The Washington Times, LLC.


text:
ESL Job Feed is the most eclectic and broad source of ESL jobs and teaching positions available worldwide.?ESL Job Feed publishes links to ESL Job postings from a variety of sources including TESall, Total ESL, Yahoo!/Monster, Guardian Jobs, Chronicle of Higher Education, craigslist, TESOL Org, TEFL and many more. From conversation schools for beginners to university positions for teaching veterans,?ESL Job Feed is your source for English teaching positions worldwide.
Immediate English Vacancies in Shenzhen
Date 2013-03-20 04:03:15 Location : Asia:China
� Salary: 12,500-14,500rmb/mo ;
� 25 teaching hours/wk ( 60 minutes/ class ); 15 office hrs/wk
� Job Location: Shenzhen
� Start Date: ASAP
� School Type: Training Center
Other Benefits:
� Z Visa
� Airfare: 6,000rmb after contract completion
� Annual bonus: 2,000rmb
� Paid holidays
� English Native Speakers ( preferably already in China)
� Bachelor Degree
� must have more than 2 years ESL classroom teaching experiences
� TEFL/TESL/TESOL/CELTA Certificate


text:
Low Profile Fixed Windows
- Less frame and more glass offer a picture-perfect view.
- Ideal for vinyl window combinations since they are easily coupled with any other window style.
- Hydraglass 50™ warm edge technology on Super Spacer® platform.
- Concealed drainage system makes for an aesthetically pleasing window.
- Built-in weather seals. Wet glazed with co-extruded seal for maximum leak protection and structural integrity.
- Built-in accessory groove.


text:
- #ScrapbookOutdoors Project (44)
- Camping (82)
- Climbing (52)
- Cooking Outdoors (8)
- Customer Stories (52)
- Cycling (98)
- Days out (41)
- Events (35)
- Festivals (21)
- Fishing (29)
- GO Outdoors (74)
- Guest Blogs (15)
- Health and Nutrition (9)
- Horse Riding (12)
- National Parks (9)
- Outdoor Clothing (37)
- Running (35)
- Skiing (16)
- Staff Stories (13)
- Tents (10)
- Things to do in UK (16)
- Travel (48)
- Uncategorized (5)
- Walking (116)
'Like' GO Outdoors on Facebook
GO Outdoors on Twitter
What's on our mind?berghaus cairngorms camping camping stories campsites camp sites climbing competition cycle routes cycling england family activities family friendly fishing news go outdoors hi gear hiking instagram lake district loch lomond mammut mountain bike mountain bikes mountain biking national park national parks outdoor activities outdoors peak district pembrokeshire coast photo challenge photography rucksack running school holidays scotland tents uk wales walking walking boots walking routes walking stories walks yorkshire dales
Recent Comments
- Wolf Shankland on 5 Campsites to Try in UK National Parks
- Brandon on The Calibre Beastnut Is Born!
- Joe Ravenhill on The Calibre Beastnut Is Born!
Tag Archives: british lakes
Take in the beauty of these lakes, lochs and reservoirs in the UK
When the sun comes out, there's something inside of us that wants to head for the water. If a day on the beach isn't your thing, then some time in the tranquillity of some of the stunning bodies of water around the UK might be just the ticket. Here we list 15 for you to try, and an walking route for you to try that takes them in. Read more
Posted in Things to do in UK, Walking Tagged best lakes, british lakes, lakes to visit, lough, scottish lochs to visit, top lakes, top lochs, top reservoirs, uk lakes Leave a comment


text:
A nationwide campaign to end bullying of gay and lesbian teens landed on the front steps of an Augusta church Monday night.
More than 80 gay and straight Augustans gathered on National Coming Out Day to light candles, pray and sing outside the Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer. Augusta Pride, which organized the city's first gay pride parade this summer, co-sponsored the event.
Vigils were held across the country last night in response to a spate of teen suicides. In recent months, suicides of gay teens who were bullied have been reported in New York, California, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
"The headlines are unbelievable," said Issac Kelly, the president of Augusta Pride. "When there's bullying like this, there's got to be a response. We're pushing the issue all together as a nation tonight."
Candles were lit for the suicide victims, whose names were read. John Lennon's Imagine was sung.
"To gay and lesbian youth everywhere we say, 'You are valued,' " said the Rev. Jeff Pullium, the pastor of Metropolitan Community Church, which has ministries for gays and lesbians.
The vigil was inspired by the grass-roots campaign that has built since writer Dan Savage launched the It Gets Better project last month.
The campaign features You Tube videos with celebrities, including Tim Gunn, Cyndi Lauper and Ke$ha, offering encouragement to gay and lesbian teens facing bullies.
Efforts to raise awareness about the bullying will continue Oct. 20, when the color purple will be worn to show support for gay and lesbian teens.
Few teens feel they have anywhere to turn, which makes suicide feel like the only acceptable option, Kelly said.
"They don't know where to turn," he said. "We need to show them there are safe places."
On average, teens hear anti-gay slurs 26 times a day, according to Mental Health America, formerly the National Mental Health Association.
The organization reports that gay students are more likely to skip school because of fear and threats. Twenty-eight percent drop out, more than three times the average for straight students.
It takes a toll on school, relationships and health, said Alvin Rivers, an 18-year-old Augusta State University student who is gay.
"You're bullied by gay people who are in the closet because they want you to keep quiet," he said. "You're bullied by straight people. They think you've got a choice. It's got to stop."


text:
Uncertainties Create Potentially Attractive Valuations for Stock Pickers
Executive Summary
• Weakness in emerging-market equities has created attractive investment opportunities at the company level.
• Investor preference for index funds and exchange traded funds in emerging markets has resulted in some pronounced valuation distortions—providing a lush landscape for active managers.
• The current negative environment in emerging markets underscores the importance of a going-against-the-herd mentality.
• As recent valuations in emerging markets have become more attractive, we have been slowly adding select positions to our Brandes International Equity Strategy and Brandes Global Equity Strategy.
As true value investors, Brandes oft en moves against the crowd amid markets' constantly changing performance cycles. Take the recent equity market weakness in a number of emerging market (EM) countries for example. Over the last year, while macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns cast a cloud of uncertainty over the asset class in general, we started to see some interesting investment opportunities at the company level as a result of such market weakness.
We believe the recent material outfl ow from EM funds, and the resulting adverse impact on the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, highlights the importance of active stock selection.1 It also reveals the pitfalls in treating EM—or any market, country, sector, industry or risk factors (such as low-volatility strategies which seek to be less volatile than the underlying index they attempt to replicate) for that matter—as one homogenous group via indexing or exchange traded funds (ETFs). In our view, amid constantly fl uctuating markets, focusing on individual company fundamentals and the price paid to acquire these investments remains the greatest drivers of long-term investment outperformance.
Short-Term Macroeconomic Concerns Contributed to YTD Declines in Emerging Markets
Year to date through September 30, 2013, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index followed a bumpy path and ended down 4.1%, with many of the larger-weighted countries of Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia and China experiencing weakening currencies and/or equity markets. A number of factors contributed to market concerns:
• Fears of the Federal Reserve tapering its quantitative easing program
• Economic slowdown in China
• Existing and growing structural issues that vary materially from country to country—including large trade imbalances and rising debt levels (especially short- term borrowings)
• Worries over a replay of the Asian fi nancial crisis of the 1990s
After years of strong performance, emerging markets have recently underperformed developed markets (DM), as shown in Exhibit 1.
Recent Emerging-Markets Concerns, Fund Flows and Concentration of Indexes
Th e cautious view of investors is evident in the $11.7 billion (USD) massive outfl ow of invested funds from EM year to date through August 30, 2013.2
Over the last 10-plus years, a signifi cant amount of the assets that fl owed into EM was increasingly allocated to index funds and ETFs. In 2002, passive investment strategies accounted for only 11% of EM investments. By year-end 2012, that percentage had grown to 51%.3 In our view, a key drawback to applying a passive strategy in emerging-market investing is the risk of overconcentration, as illustrated in Exhibit 2. Here we show the level of concentration of the fi ve largest companies in Brazil, Russia, India and China2 (BRIC countries) is high compared to the level of concentration in the United States. This overconcentration may limit investors' opportunity set.
Additionally, particularly in the BRIC countries, the largest fi ve companies tend to belong to two sectors: financials and energy. As of September 30, 2013, roughly 75% of the total capitalization of the five largest companies in each of the BRIC countries was in these two sectors.4
As a specific example, an EM index fund (or ETF) would have allocated 9.4% to the consumer staples sector during the second quarter even though the top 10 largest EM stocks in this sector were trading at a loft y average price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 28x.5 The Brandes Emerging Markets Equity Strategy as well as the Global Equity Strategy and International Equity Strategy had zero allocation to these top 10 names as of September 30, 2013.
Pronounced Valuation Distortions Underscore Importance of Stock Selection
As index funds and ETFs experience large inflows, investors in these passive strategies may be essentially purchasing concentrated holdings without considering price or the possible lack of diversification. Th is lack of regard for price may produce some pronounced distortions in valuations, which could become very evident when large sums fl ow indiscriminately in and out of these same vehicles.
In this environment, being very selective in the stocks added to a portfolio and focusing on the price paid for the value received for the investment are basic tenets for a Graham-and-Dodd value investor such as Brandes. For an illustration of how this discipline adds value to Brandes portfolios, consider in Exhibit 3 our active dedicated Emerging Markets Equity Strategy. The Strategy has outperformed its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, as of September 30, 2013—especially during recent periods of substantial $11.7 billion EM outflows from the asset class, as referenced earlier.
Widening Valuation Spreads Provide a Conducive Environment for Stock Picking
In Brandes' view, the recent macroeconomic turbulence in EM and the corresponding outfl ows from EM funds have aided the attractiveness of EM valuations compared to those of developed markets (DM). As shown in Exhibit 4, on a price to book (P/B) ratio basis, EM now trades at a 25% discount to DM compared to a 15% premium in August 2010. Also shown is the allocation to EM in both our International Equity and Global Equity strategies, which has been increasing as EM valuations become more attractive (more on this later).
Even though EM stocks overall seem inexpensive compared to DM stocks, there are certain EM sectors and countries at both the high and low end of normal multiples. For example, the P/B ratio of consumer staples is trading at nearly one standard deviation above normal relative to the market while utilities is trading more than one standard deviation below normal.6 As shown in Exhibit 5, wide variations in P/E and P/B both current and 10-year average, exist between countries and markets as well.
We are also encouraged by the wide dispersion of returns between the best and worst returners (90th percentile vs. 10th percentile to remove outliers). Th e spread of returns was greater in EM than in DM and widened as the investment horizon lengthened, as shown in Exhibit 6. For example, over a 12-month period, the difference between the 90th percentile performers minus the 10th percentile performers in EM was 100% vs. 45% for DM.
As we study the widening variation in multiple areas in emerging markets such as country, sector, valuation metrics and dispersion of returns as illustrated in the preceding paragraphs, we are encouraged that a lusher landscape for stock pickers may be developing.
Increasing Opportunities and Thoughtful Allocations to Emerging Markets
We believe in the long-term favorable demographic trends in emerging markets, including young populations, a growing middle class and increasing disposable income. However, even with this positive backdrop, it is important to be selective amid a wide range of expectations reflected in individual stock prices.
As recent valuations in EM have become more attractive, we have been slowly adding select positions to our Brandes International Equity Strategy and Brandes Global Equity Strategy. As shown in Exhibit 4, in general, our EM allocations over the last 12 months have increased; from approximately 4% to 11% in Global Equity and from approximately 11% to 14% in International Equity.
If valuations within EM continue to become more attractive, particularly relative to those in developed markets, it is possible we could be adding to select positions in the future while being very cognizant of the varying degree of headwinds facing individual EM companies. Additionally, as mentioned in previous commentaries, many of our current developed-market holdings in International Equity and Global Equity are globally oriented companies that have EM exposure in varying degrees. If the prices for these DM holdings decline as a result of their EM exposure, we could decide to add to these positions, and thus provide another way to increase our indirect EM exposure.
Going Against the Herd Has its Advantage
The recent price and valuation volatility in EM—and of global markets over the long term—is a great reminder of the advantage an active Graham-and-Dodd value investor has over indexing and ETF strategies. Low U.S. interest rates have made alternatives seem more attractive in the past few years with resulting flow of funds potentially inflating some asset prices. We believe our bottom- up process and going-against-the-herd mindset could help us avoid overpriced investments and steer clear of the consequent potential underperformance.
Looking Ahead
As we search for additional EM opportunities in our global and international strategies, we will focus on the fundamentals of individual stocks and rigorously evaluate them, adjusting for each company's unique exposure to multiple challenges, as well as recognizing its underlying strengths. As always, with increased uncertainty in the market, we will demand sufficient discounts in the price we are willing to pay for the long-term value we get. As our experience has taught us, we believe patience is key when searching for undervalued opportunities in areas with volatile prices and/or challenging macroeconomic fundamentals.
We could see our allocations to EM continue to increase and we encourage you to speak to your Brandes contact about EM stocks that have been recently added to your International Equity and Global Equity portfolio as well as the performance year to date of our active value style vs. passive alternatives.
Th e markets are changing constantly. What will never change is our singular focus on pursuing undervalued opportunities on your behalf—in emerging markets and anywhere in the world. We believe this is the best way we can help our clients pursue their long-term investment goals.
Thank you for your continued trust and confidence.
60010 CLI 0913 Price-to-Earnings: Price per share divided by earnings per share. Price-to-Book: Price per share divided by book value per share The MSCI Emerging Markets Index with gross dividends is an unmanaged, free fl oat-adjusted market-capitalization index designed to measure equity market performance of emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index consists of 21 emerging-market country indices. This index includes dividends and distributions, but does not refl ect fees, brokerage commissions, withholding taxes or other expenses of investing. The MSCI Brazil Index is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid cap segments of the Brazilian market. With 79 constituents, the index covers about 85% of the Brazilian equity universe. The MSCI China Index captures large and mid cap representation across China H shares,B shares, Red chips and P chips. With 137 constituents, the index covers about 84% of this China equity universe.The MSCI Russia Index is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid cap segments of the Russian market. With 24 constituents, the index covers approximately 85% of the free fl oat-adjusted market capitalization in Russia. The MSCI India Index is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid cap segments of the Indian market. With 74 constituents, the index covers approximately 85% of the Indian equity universe. The MSCI Korea Index is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid cap segments of the South Korean market. With 105 constituents, the index covers about 85% of the Korean equity universe . The MSCI Russia Index is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid cap segments of the Russian market. With 24 constituents, the index covers approximately 85% of the free fl oat-adjusted market capitalization in Russia. The MSCI World Index with net dividends is an unmanaged, free fl oat-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets. The MSCI World Index consists of 24 developed-market country indices. This index includes dividends and distributions net of withholding taxes but does not refl ect fees, brokerage commissions, or other expenses of investing. The MSCI World – Pharmaceuticals in Exhibit 1 represents the performance of the pharmaceutical sector of the MSCI World Index. The MSCI Europe Index with net dividends is an unmanaged, free fl oat-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of the developed markets in Europe. The MSCI Europe Index consists of 16 developed market country indices. This index includes dividends and distributions net of withholding taxes, but does not refl ect fees, brokerage commissions, or other expenses of investing. The MSCI Japan Index with net dividends is an unmanaged, free fl oat-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance of the developed markets in Japan. This index includes dividends and distributions net of withholding taxes, but does not refl ect fees, brokerage commissions, or other expenses of investing. The MSCI information may only be used for your internal use, may not be reproduced or redisseminated in any form and may not be used as a basis for or a component of any fi nancial instruments or products or indices. None of the MSCI information is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. Historical data and analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance analysis, forecast or prediction. The MSCI information is provided on an "as is" basis and the user of this information assumes the entire risk of any use made of this information. MSCI, each of its affi liates and each other person involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating any MSCI information (collectively, the "MSCI Parties") expressly disclaims all warranties (including, without limitation, any warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, non-infringement, merchantability and fi tness for a particular purpose) with respect to this information. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall any MSCI Party have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive, consequential (including, without limitation, lost profi ts) or any other damages. (www.msci.com) The S&P 500 Index with gross dividends is an unmanaged, market-capitalization weighted index that measures the equity performance of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The index includes 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy, capturing 80% coverage of U.S. equities. This index includes dividends and distributions, but does not refl ect fees, brokerage commissions, withholding taxes or other expenses of investing. The portfolio characteristics shown relate to a single account as of date noted, deemed by Brandes to be generally representative of its standard account noted. Not every account will have these exact characteristics. The actual characteristics with respect to any particular account will vary based on a number of factors including but not limited to: (i) the size of the account; (ii) investment restrictions applicable to the account, if any; and (iii) market exigencies at the time of investment. The information provided in this material should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell any particular security. It should not be assumed that any security transactions, holdings or sectors discussed were or will be profi table, or that the investment recommendations or decisions we make in the future will be profi table or will equal the investment performance discussed herein. Portfolio holdings and allocations are subject to change at any time and should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell particular securities. Strategies discussed herein are subject to change at any time by the investment manager in its discretion due to market conditions or opportunities. Indices are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment. Market conditions may impact performance. The performance results presented were achieved in particular market conditions which may not be repeated. Moreover, the current market volatility and uncertain regulatory environment may have a negative impact on future performance. International investing is subject to certain risks such as currency fluctuation and social and political changes which may result in greater share price volatility; such risks are increased when investing in emerging markets. Additional risks associated with emerging markets investing include smaller-sized markets, liquidity risks, and less established legal, political, social and business systems to support securities markets. Emerging markets investments can experience substantial price volatility in the short term and should be considered long-term investments. Investments in small and medium capitalization companies tend to have limited liquidity and greater price volatility than large capitalization companies. The foregoing reflects the thoughts and opinions of Brandes Investment Partners® exclusively and is subject to change without notice. Brandes Investment Partners® is a registered trademark of Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. in the United States and Canada.
Uncertainties Create Potentially Attractive Valuations for Stock Pickers


text:
Model Description: APC RBC57 Replacement Battery Pack
Compatibility: SURTA1500XL, SURTA2000XL, SURTA2200XL, SURTA1500RMXL, SURTA2000RMXL, SURTA2200RMXL2U
Condition: Brand new fresh stock
Includes: RBC57 Replacement Battery (complete, plug and play installation)
Warranty:1 year full replacement warranty included, additional warranty is available
Life time expectancy: 3-5 years
Manufacturer: UPS Battery Center Ltd.
The APC RBC57 replacement battery pack is made with high quality batteries that were designed to provide excellent performance and long life in UPS applications. The batteries are brand new, fresh stock.
Our batteries are new and always fresh stock. The APC RBC57 battery cartridge is covered by our industry leading 1 year replacement warranty. Extended warranty of up to 3 years is available for your convenience. Our warranty is inclusive of shipping costs and is hassle free, the only warranty of this kind in the marketplace.
The APC RBC #57 is complete, no assembly of the battery pack required. Installation of this battery pack is quick and easy. Plug and play installation. This battery pack is hot swappable, when replacing the battery pack in the UPS there's no need to shut down the unit and the protected load.


text:
We have updated our Privacy Policy and encourage you to read it by clicking here.
It is important to understand that cloud computing is a continuum and not separate areas as described before.
To illustrate this fact, one can look at SaaS products that allow high levels of customization, almost to the point of being platforms such as force.com or Netsuite.
IaaS vendors too are gradually adding more functionality that see them become more platform-like, such as Amazon, equally PaaS vendors such as Microsoft are adding IaaS options.
For this reason it is important to look at individual use cases and workloads and match those carefully to the particular technology options open to the organization, e.g. not all applications are suitable for IaaS deployments, most applications will have to be re-architected for PaaS, and SaaS might not meet compliance requirements.
Given the continuum on which cloud technologies sit, this is unsurprising as the divides between the different layers of the stack shift.
NEXT: Cloud Relative Market Sizes >


text:
Well, you said you wanted a SPEW review, so here I am!
First of all, the style in which you wrote this in was really really good. It really felt like a newspaper article. The way you worded your sentences and the words you used just screamed "NEWSPAPER" at me. The thing is... I don't like reading newspapers. >.> For me, the newspaper layout just isn't interesting enough, I have a very short attention span, and nothing in the newspaper style jumps out at me. I think the very long paragraphs may put some readers off. I have as terrible habit of skipping to the dialogue or parts of the fic that are easy to read, so it took a lot to keep my eyes focused and in the story. As I said, it was written in the newspaper on style on purpose, and you pulled it off brilliantly. I just might suggest splitting up some of those larger paragraphs to make the story look more appealing.
To be totally honest, I have fallen slightly in love with your Charlie. He just felt so... real. You did a fantastic job with him, Kara. You should definitely write more Charlie stories! We don't know very much about Charlie, but everything you made him into was just so plausible. You made that amazing analogy of him, comparing him to Percy and all of his other brothers. I would paste in all the bits about him that were fantastic, but unfortunately than I'd have to paste in the entire fic... :-p I never really saw Charlie as a Percy type figure, but it seems like a logical idea. You even made him convincingly slashy. I know this was your first time writing slash, and I honestly thought it was really good! There were subtle hints of romance throughout the fic, and a few of them caught in my head well enough tp be copied and pasted into my word document for future reference in this review XD.
"Oddly, I was concerned about Oliver quitting his Quidditch career"
I can't even explain why that line stuck in my head and made me think romance. I think it was just the first sign that Charlie cared about Oliver and, at the very least, they could become friends. Then of course you had, in my opinion, the BEST line in the entire fic:
"As long as it isn't Rita Skeeter - she'll turn you into a troll who's been hit by too many Bludgers, or something like that..."
Oliver winked and said, "Oh, so you think I'm a–,"
I laughed so hard at that. Argh, it was just SO good! So in character and added a lighter note to a story that had been very dark up until this point. It also backed up this line:
"I'm still sure that I owed a great deal to Oliver. I don't really believe in lucky charms,"
Oliver seemed to walk into the room and take all the tension away with a wink and a joke. I can literally picture Oliver winking and making that joke. I think it is the cheeky wink that does it for me. I just wish we got to see Charlie's response!
I know I came up with the pairing behind this plot, but I think it is a lovely idea. I thought this was a very very hard prompt to write to, and I thought you did it excellently. As I have said above, your style and structure fit the prompt beautifully and your characterisation is just superb. There are so many non-canon elements to this fic that seem so canon to me because they are written so well. Like Molly wanting Charlie nearer to home. Then, to go back to my comment on your analogy of him, you show him in his first job at the ministry and how miserable he was. Making Charlie miserable at a desk job seems to likely and then it makes it seems even better when he gets his new job, and meets Oliver and realises he is happy again. You seem to have thought this fic through so perfectly, every minute detail flows through to the next.
You write he conversations they have, like I could never imagine doing. You don't use dialogue exactly, which again fits the newspaper style so perfectly. Because when you are recounting something you don't really want to put into words exactly what was said, because normal people can't remember every single word! But you sort of described what was said instead of actually using dialogue. I don't know if you researched newspaper styles, or consciously made it that way, but if you didn't hen W.O.W you have a natural talent for it :-p
Now, before I end this ridiculously long review, I just have to mention these two lines:
"And, maybe most importantly of all, I had a clean slate, and amazing people to help me fill it up."
"He frowned at his watch, almost as though it was the small device's fault that time had moved so quickly."
You have such a beautiful way with words, Kara. These two sentences simply ooze 'professional author' . It was a wonderful first chapter, and I can't wait for more!
~Russia xxxxx
I shall begin at the beginning. :D
The first thing that got my attention was how you paid homage to the column. I don't know if any of the rest of us did that. It was different and it had a great association with the prompt: The Stirring column used to be popular at one time.
Then, you took us to the Weasleys, my favourite family in the world of fiction. Normally, we don't get to read much of the Weasleys before Harry entered their lives, and I was happy to grab this opportunity to experience that. Charlie being close to Bill is something we see in canon, but added a dimension to it: Charlie's too humble to think he was as important to his older brother as it was the other way round. I found that interesting.
Your characterization of the mysterious Weasley brother was impressive; I think Charlie is the only one who the readers don't know much about, who we don't even meet that often. But your words breathed life into him. He always came across as an outdoor-type in the books, and it made sense to have him suffering with a desk-job. C'mon! A dragon-keeper would never be able to connect with a book-keeper's life; and yet, there he was, because he was a Weasley, and for a Weasley, family comes first.
I'd have loved to see more of his relationship with Oliver, because I think that was the core theme of this fic. (Please correct me if I am wrong.) As a standalone, I am not sure how much justice it did to Charlie/Oliver, but as an introduction, you can count me as a fan who's waiting for more.
Happy writing!
Author's Response: I'm very relieved that you liked Charlie; he has always been one of the Weasleys who fascinated me most, because (as you said) we hardly know anything about him at all... he was a brilliant Seeker and a Dragon Keeper (and I'm a rhymer, apparently), and JKR never had him marry - but that's it. I've been a fan for a while now, and I thought it was time I wrote a story about him myself. I'm very very anxious to get everything right...
You're right - the first chapter is more of an introduction really. The relationship fluff and society angst are yet to come, but they will. I didn't want to make this first chapter too long though, for several reasons (one of them being that I still have something to write about in later chapters :D)
Thank you very much for your great review :)
OOOH! Damn, I need to rewrite my Aberforth to something much, much better now. I LOVE this story. There's so few Charlie-centric fics out there, and this is very touching.
OOOH, a little hint for me about my lovely Oliver too ... what are you tryingto tell me?
You know one of the things I like about this is that the friendship between them is so natural, and the way they met again after all the years isn't at all forced. You've portrayed Oliver as a much lighter personality than usual and that's also a delight (Personally I think his heart was broken after ... well you know .. so he deserves some fun).
And now I have to get on with my Oliver sequel. Tarnation, Kara, I feel guilty now!
Author's Response: Oooh thank you, Carole! I've been looking forward to your review, lol :D Ah, but then there are even less Aberforth-centric fics out there from what I've seen, and yours was heart-breaking (though I should leave that for another review)! I'm glad you liked Oliver here. I see him as much less grim in his adult life; now that Quidditch IS his life, he's much more relaxed about everything else. Also, yes, he does deserve some fun, and a happy long term relationship, doesn't he ;) YES! Write a sequel! :D Again, thank you very much. I hope I can put up the next chapter soon... Kara
Hmm, Charlie/Oliver. I'm definitely interested. :-D
Charlie is, without a doubt, the most overlooked Weasley in the Potterverse, and every time I read something about him, I learn a bit about him and what I think he's like, as well as the author's POV.
I really like the way you portrayed him, uncomfortable with a 'day job,' confined by a desk, when what he really wanted was open air and activity. When a person is grieving, the last thing he needs is to have too much time to sit on his duff and think about what he's lost, but the change of career was perfect for him.
Very kind of Carole to lend you Oliver, because I believe that he works extremely well here. Catching up with an old friend after many years, only to find that your feelings have changed about them, is a great way to move on from a tragedy. Friends have that unique ability.
Your style really fulfilled my own personal notions of Charlie - not a big talker, but when he does, he's very well-spoken. The way you wrote it made him seem real, and that was powerful in itself without the story. The story, though, is a complete gem.
All right, I think that's enough out of me. My brain refuses to spit out anything more coherent than this at this point in time, so I shall check in with you again when the second part comes through the queue. Happy writing, and good luck with the Challenge!
P.S. - I noticed a couple of odd bits that might need fixing. Feel free to ignore me if I'm completely wrong (it happens...a lot).
I, in turn, told him about my new colleagues and my boss: Frank Alderton, and the Roman Rampart, an Italian Quidditch team Frank and I were going to meet at the end of the week.
The colon looks sort of wonky used this way. Maybe a plain old comma would fit more. And just a question...was 'Rampart' intentionally unpluralised, or was that a typo? I have no idea, so...(this is the part where you are more than free to ignore me, lol)
One day he just came downstairs and told everyone that this wasn't at all in Fred's spirit, and that we had to lighten up. I was skeptic at first too,
I think you meant either 'a skeptic' or just 'skeptical' here. There should also be a comma before the word 'too,' as well. I'm a comma freak, so, yeah...
Anyway, I think that's all of the important stuff. I'm glad to see the queue finally spit out your story (yay for LJ). Take care and happy writing.
Author's Response: Oh wow Jess, that was quick :D Thank you so much! I made a couple of changes after I read your suggestions. I have NO idea about skeptic(al) though... My brain went completely blank on that right now, and Safari's built-in spellcheck only knows "sceptic" anyway. Anywayyy, I'm really glad you liked the story so far! I'm really anxious about this (and Charlie), so it's very reassuring to get a nice review (and concrit) :D Thank you!


text:
All quotes by Bobby Ann Clark
(4 quotes found)
"The main thing is to get flood insurance if you live in Louisiana. Flood insurance isn't required but is a necessity, so it's best to get it."
"It's not necessarily replacement of your loan cost. It's replacement based on the value of your automobile."
"Anyone can contact us if they have discrepancies with adjusters' claims. If a homeowner disagrees with an adjuster's decision, they can file a complaint with the Louisiana Department of Insurance."
"If water comes down from the sky, it's homeowners. If it comes up from below, it's flood insurance."


text:
Last year's Inglis Sires Produce Stakes runner up Uate will return from a spell this weekend in the Listed 2012 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Sydney's Royal Randwick Racecourse.
The talented colt has not raced since October last year when he finished a disappointing eighth in the Coolmore Stud Stakes after a highly promising early career.
It was later revealed that his late 2011 campaign was impacted by a viral throat infection and trainer Kris Lees is confident the three-year-old is back to where he was when he made many in the industry take note at the start of 2011.
He won on debut in Newcastle in February last year before chalking up two more consecutive victories which included the Group 3 Skyline Stakes.
The winning run ended when Uate was beaten by half a length in the Group 1 Inglis Sires Produce Stakes by well known horse Helmet.
Uate will go in to the Eskimo Prince Stakes with plenty up against him including carrying the top weight of 59kg and a difficult barrier nine draw.
Trainer Lees said he would be surprised if he managed victory first up but expects a good performance from the colt.
"He will improve again off this run and the 59 kilos is a leveller because he's not a big horse," he said.
Uate has been nominated twice before this race but the weather has spoiled his return to the track until now.
"We're happy to go to the races now," Lees said.
"He had some setbacks last preparation but this preparation the only hold-ups have been uncertainty over the weather."
If Uate is to win on Saturday he will have to beat some quality horses including Fireball Quality Winner Nobby Snip who is chasing a third consecutive victory.
Uate is currently paying $13.00 to take top honours in the $100,000 Listed event.
With all the Randwick Guineas day action kicking off tomorrow get over to bookmaker.com.au and back your winners!
They have the best odds and if you sign up today, they are rewarding new customers with a bookmaker.com.au!


text:
Washita River Phase
"Mega Pit" (dark soil) eroding from a Washita River Village site near the Washita River
The Washita River phase brought larger villages to the same area where the earlier, Paoli Phase people lived. Corn, beans and squash were still important crops. However, some earlier crops like marshelder were no longer raised.
Washita River villages consisted of as many as 20 houses. These houses were generally smaller than Paoli Phase houses and had only two center posts. They had an interior storage pit dug into the floor, usually in the southeast corner.
|Through time, mussel shell becomes the tempering agent preferred in Washita River pottery. You can see the flecks of white shell in this pot. The surface is often smoothed rather than cordmarked and small, outward turned rims appear. Flat bases are common at this time. A variety of pot forms appear, but this small jar is a common type.
|A diverse diet still included deer, fish, rabbits, turkey, and mussels. Bison became more important to the Washita River phase people. Many bison bones are found at Washita River digs including bones made into tools like hoes and digging sticks.
Arrow points change through time. Side-notched and unnotched points replace corner-notched types.
A dramatic increase in trade goods indicates that the Washita River people developed trade ties with Caddoan groups to the east and Puebloan groups to the west.
Shell gorget from Washita River site probably traded from Spiro site in eastern Oklahoma
Artist rendition
of shell gorget
By 1500, many of the Washita River Phase sites had been abandoned for reasons that are still unclear. Some archeologists believe that a large migration of the Washita River people occurred to southcentral Kansas. Undoubtedly, small groups continued in the area.


text:
Photo by Marc Seliger
I like Lenny Kravitz.
This phrase could easily appear as No. 1 on David Lettermans Top 10 under the heading Top 10 Things a Music Critic Should Never Say.
Lenny Kravitz is the whipping boy of rock & roll. Air-guitarist critics rush to castigate his licks, lyrics and even fashion choices, giving themselves away by the level of their passion; the personal nature of many such attacks screams, This is bigger than the music!
The knock on Kravitz is that hes too referential, that he borrows too heavily from inspirations such as Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone and Led Zeppelin. His style has been derisively dubbed retrorock.
Shall we then call the Rolling Stones retroblues? Eric Clapton has openly copped to the soul he stole. When it comes to musical traditions, Madonna has slept around more than Heidi Fleiss. Critical darling Beck is a wanton borrower, but his Grammy-grabbing style is described as pastiche. Do I even have to bring up Elvis?
So why all the hateration when Lenny Kravitz digs his hand into the cookie jar? Because hes a black guy who plays rock & roll.
God, I wish it werent so simple, so disturbingly obvious, so American. But music has always offered one of the most revealing glances into the complicated nature of race relations.
In the 1950s, rock & roll (black slang for coitus) was openly referred to as nigger music. This is what made Elvis so exciting and dangerous (as early reactions to his live appearances attested): That ol boy did nigger like niggers, dripping with the potential to contaminate music everywhere.
A cursory look at MTV proves those racist concerns prophetic. Rock & roll has spread so thickly, you cant even see the black primer. White boys have usurped it to the extent that when a brother tries to play it, white critics say hes borrowing too heavily. Aint that a bitch.
Lenny Kravitzs new Baptism occasionally suffers from what Ive disliked about his earlier offerings: lazy lyrics (Im weak and Ive gone hazy/Im crazy for that lady). But more important, it represents much of what Ive liked: musical openness, and sincerity.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!
The CDs title, cover art and subject matter indicate Kravitz is having a little talk with God. Whoda thunk it Lenny a Jesus freak? Not quite; hes simply continuing his exploration of love in its many forms. Its just taken him seven studio albums to reach the baptismal font.
The sermon begins with a bouncing synthesizer and a spare snare helping Kravitz proclaim himself the Minister of Rock n Roll. I can heal you/I can save your soul/ . . . I can touch you/I can make you whole/I can bless it so it dont get old. Not E.E. Cummings, but if youve ever been to the love fest known as a Lenny Kravitz concert, the assertions arent so easy to dismiss.
The midtempo title track is about spiritual yearning. When the electric-guitar solo takes the baton from the acoustic and Kravitz intones, I dont want to know emptiness/Take me down to the water/Wanna be baptized in your love, you know hes feeling it. Storm, the funkiest cut, is yet another ode to the Almighty (and one of the few without a guitar solo on this decidedly rocked-out enterprise). Jay-Z drops a clever and heartfelt rhyme to help the funk-challenged get in the mood.
Tellingly, the best song on Baptism features balladeer Lenny alone with his acoustic guitar. On Destiny, the biracial rock star, struggling to claim a small piece of the music for the brothers, falsettos: There is no place where I belong/ . . . My life is about this song/ No one can live for me/No one can see the things I see/I walk this road/No one can tell me how to be/Its my destiny. Its one of the sweetest fuck-yous ever.


text:
404 index.php not found
Hi there. One of my wordpress sites has gone awol with the following message:
The requested URL /index.php was not found on this server. Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
The site is lifestylesolutions.co.nz
I have checked the files and can confirm that index.php is in the root folder – the file is the correct version.
What am I missing?
- The topic '404 index.php not found' is closed to new replies.


text:
TOMY International Inc., the subsidiary of TOMY Company Ltd. responsible for North America and Latin America, appointed two industry veterans to its newly-formed senior strategic leadership team. Effective immediately, Peter Henselerwill assume the role of president and Gregory Kilrea will join as chief operating officer. [Read more…]
TOMY Announces New Senior Leadership Team
Tomy to Acquire RC2 Corporation
Tomy Company, Ltd. and RC2 Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Tomy will acquire RC2 through an all-cash tender offer and second-step merger valued at approximately $640 million. The transaction was approved by Tomy's board of directors. RC2's board of directors has also approved the agreement and recommended that RC2's stockholders tender their shares to Tomy pursuant to the offer. Tomy, through a U.S. subsidiary, will make an offer to purchase all outstanding shares of RC2 common stock for $27.90 per share. The tender offer price represents a 30.9 percent premium to RC2's average closing stock price over the three-month period ended March 9, 2011, and a 27.2 percent premium over the closing price of RC2's common stock on March 9, 2011. The tender offer is scheduled to commence in 10 business days and is expected to close during the second quarter of this year. The tender offer is subject to certain customary conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of RC2's common stock on a fully diluted basis. The transaction is not conditioned on financing. Following completion of the tender offer, Tomy will acquire the remaining outstanding shares of RC2's common stock for $27.90 per share through a second-step merger.


text:
A 1930s Art Deco Ford dealership bit the dust last month downtown, but the Salvation Army-owned property continued to raise controversy and city policy questions Wednesday on the street and at City Hall.
Councilman Todd Gloria said when city code enforcement staff tried to serve a stop-work order at the Park Boulevard and Broadway, the Salvation Army's contractor, AMG Demolition, refused to obey and ordered city workers to leave.
The city action followed a Sept. 3 letter to AMG from Afsaneh Ahmadi, the city's chief building official, who said the Aug. 2 demolition permit was issued in error, because it authorized both the demolition and construction of a parking lot. In fact, Ahmadi said, construction cannot proceed until the Salvation Army investigates the archaeological and historic remains below grade and a new permit is needed.
But demolition and excavation continued and preservationists alerted the city. Gloria said city staff will return to the site with proof that the stop-order must be obeyed.
More fundamentally, Gloria said there is a disconnect between city decisions on the one hand and preservationists and the public on the other, when it comes to development projects.
"Very often people may be fine with a project," Gloria said. "It's the lack of information therof that alarms them," he said.
Mayor Jerry Sanders and City Attorney Jan Goldsmith's staffs were requested to return to Gloria's Land Use and Housing Committee, where the issue was reviewed Wednesday, to propose ways that future historic sites will not face premature demolition.
"It isn't just historic preservation," Gloria said. "Really every issue of development often comes from the community's desire to be involved in the process."Copyright © 2017, The San Diego Union-Tribune


text:
Used Cars or Pre-Owned Acura in Santa Rosa, CA
If you are looking for a quality vehicle without the new car pricing, Hansel Acura in Santa Rosa maintains a large selection of pre-owned cars and used Acura models. Purchasing a pre-owned vehicle from our Acura dealership means you can have the perfect car for you and your family at a fraction of the cost. Every vehicle on our lot has been through a vigorous inspection by our Acura mechanics, so you can rest assured that the used luxury car you purchase from Hansel Acura will provide years of enjoyment around the streets of San Francisco, Petaluma, Windsor, Healdsburg or anywhere your vehicle take you.
Browse our inventory bellow and see for yourself why we are the pre-owned and used Acura dealer people keep coming back to.


text:
Red Jacket Firearms...and their NFA gatling gun?
View Single Post
September 8, 2011, 11:34 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 29, 2007
Location: St. Louis, MO area
Posts: 4,039
In real life,if one of these young guys were near me in public,my hand would be going onto the butt of my revolver out of fear.They look like some king of gangbanger or wannabees.
Then I suggest you grow up or quit carrying a gun because you're likely to shoot somebody who isn't a threat.
However they look to you, it is not illegal to look a certain way. If you consider them to look like gangbangers, then you really need an accurate view of the current state of street gangs and to dial your prejudice down few notches.
The thread is concerning the legality of a gatling-style gun with shotgun barrels. I wonder if that might not be considered a destructive device more than a full auto... maybe that might be what makes it legal? But then, I would think that an electric drive would indeed make it a full auto. I admit I haven't seen many of the recent shows (they're piling up on the DVR).
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by Technosavant
Page generated in
seconds with


text:
The Employment Department has managed to get its proposed new deal on wages and conditions over the line in a staff ballot, by just 49 votes.
The result was a case of third-time lucky after the workforce in Public Service Minister Michaelia Cash's own department twice rejected deals, most recently in December by a similarly close margin.
Of the 1655 votes cast, 876 public servants voted yes to the deal that pays average wage increases of 2 per cent a year and 779 voted no, a winning yes-vote margin of 49 votes, or 3 per cent.
Elsewhere in the 150,000-strong Australian Public Service, mixed results are coming back from the present round of workplace ballots as departments and agencies try to extricate themselves from pay disputes that have been rumbling on since 2013 in some cases.
A wage offer was smashed, for the second time, at the giant department of Human Services last week by a margin of nearly 80 per cent to 20 per cent while the Australian Electoral Commission returned a 60 per cent no-vote.
In Defence, another behemoth department, an offer of 6 per cent over three years will go to ballot of its 19,000 public servants next Thursday, with the result keenly watched across the service.
The Community and Public Sector Union has been scathing of the inability of former Employment Minister Eric Abetz and his successor Senator Cash to persuade public servants in their own department to accept the deals on offer.
The union's national secretary Nadine Flood described the result on Thursday as "disappointing" but a "line-ball" outcome.
"Line-ball votes like this one signal a divided workforce, a million miles from Malcolm Turnbull's vision of innovative, productive and engaged workers," the union leader said.
"This is a disappointing result because we believe Department of Employment staff deserved a better deal and the fact remains that there are deep-seated concerns about these agreements, including from some of the staff who have voted for them."
But Ms Flood said the majority of public servants were still rejecting the deals offered under the Coalition's tough public sector bargaining policy.
"All up around 85 per cent of APS workers still don't have a new agreement and across the service the vast majority of people continue to emphatically reject dud deals based on the government's unfair public sector bargaining policy," Ms Flood said.
"It's less than a week since nearly 80 per cent of workers voted No in the largest Commonwealth agency, the Department of Human Services.
"Staff have recently voted in their thousands at other major agencies, with an 85 per cent No vote at the Australian Taxation Office and 91 per cent No vote at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
"This outcome won't change the fact that most of the ordinary mums and dads working in APS will keep on fighting until they get new agreements that protect their rights and conditions, and there's a reasonable pay offer on the table."
The minister welcomed the result on Thursday.
"Bargaining is a matter for agencies," Senator Cash said.
"I welcome this week's successful ballot – this is positive news for employees who will now receive a pay rise."


text:
Forgot your password? Enter the email address you signed up with and we will send you a link to create a new password.
Your password reset has been submitted to the address provided.
Words, letters, and/or numbers in stylized form
Agricultural, horticultural and forestry products and grains not included in other classes; live animals; fresh fruits and vegetables; seeds, natural plants and flowers; foodstuffs for animals, malt


text:
Luxuriously appointed. Exquisitely decorated.
Trump Turnberry, Scotland is a place where land and sea are just waiting to be discovered. Trump Turnberry offers a diverse choice of rooms, many of which offer similarly illuminating views over the famous links golf courses to the sea beyond. All guests of the resort enjoy access to the spa's facilities throughout their stay, 24 hour room-service and complimentary wireless internet access in all guest rooms and public areas.