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COVID-19 INFO - Showroom closed Nov 5 - Dec 2
Regular price
including VAT.
Our OE style of side steps and running boards are for drivers who want to maintain the original look of the brand without having to pay manufacturer prices. Manufactured and tested to the same rigorous standards of the original manufacturer, these premium quality side steps and running boards offer multiple practical applications for every day city and country driving. Comes as a complete kit; 2 steps and a full set of brackets and fixings appropriate for your vehicle.
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Estimates of whale population size based on genetics versus historical records diverge greatly, making it difficult to fully understand the ecological implications of the large-scale commercial whaling of the 19th and early 20th centuries, but a comparison of DNA samples from modern and prehistoric gray whales supports the idea that the population was substantially larger pre-whaling and saw a sharp, recent decrease that is consistent with whaling as the cause. The full results are reported May 9 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Previous estimates of pre-whaling population size in gray whales using historic records and census modeling suggest there used to be about 15,000 to 35,500 eastern Pacific gray whales. In contrast, estimates from genetic data suggest a much higher original population size of about 78,000 to 116,000 individuals. This discrepancy, though, could be explained by a pre-whaling decrease in population. The authors of the current study, led by Elizabeth Alter of City University of New York (York College), set out to test this hypothesis.
They isolated DNA from whale bones excavated from archaeological sites, ranging from about 150 to 2,500 years old. By comparing these sequences with sequences from modern whales, they determined that a severe decline in whale population occurred recently, suggesting that the original population size was indeed larger than estimated based on historical record and arguing against population decline caused by any pre-whaling forces.
"Retrieving DNA from ancient whales allows more direct insights into their population histories than using modern DNA alone. In this case, we were able to look at pre-whaling specimens of gray whales, and found that the genetic data are consistent with a sharp and recent bottleneck -- very likely the result of commercial whaling. As methods for retrieval and analysis of ancient DNA improve, we'll be able to increasingly refine population histories for heavily exploited species like whales."
|Contact: Jennifer Laloup
Public Library of Science

subset: commoncrawl


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We all know to eschew the bedspreads in hotels since they are notoriously filthy, but now we have a new thing to worry about while staying in a hotel: towels.
A maid at the Beijing Mehood Hotel in Beijing was caught cleaning the toilets, showers, floors, and even tea cups with the same towels that guests use to wash, according to China Daily.
An undercover reporter from Beijing News captured the acts on camera and video.
"We apologize to our dear customers and will rectify our management," Zhou Jia, the general manager of the Beijing Mehood Hotel, said. Hotel management said that the maid has been suspended.
This is not the first time a China hotel has come under fire for misusing guest towels. Last year, Home Inns Group, which has more than 1,800 hotels across China, had a similar scandal when its Qingdao branch was reportedly caught using filthy cleaning tools and providing unsterilized cups, according to China Daily.
You may want to start rethinking washing your face with a hotel towel—especially in China.
Watch the video below:
SEE ALSO: Take A Tour Of China's New Donut-Shaped Hotel
Join the conversation about this story »


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Sandwich Delivery Driver
- $9.00 - $9.50 Hourly
+ Tips
- Part Time
- Employee Discounts
- Employer Fairly Likely to Respond
Did you ever want to be a superhero? Can you here the cries for help? …..A mom's desperate call because her son forgot his lunch at home and she can't leave work, The assistant whose Boss wants her to order lunch for the big meeting and have it in just 20 minutes and that guy who finally got the girl of his dreams to have lunch with him but it has to be a fast one because she has a work deadline……Oh no, what do they do? Call Jimmy Johns where we make fast 30 second sandwiches so our delivery is fast and can save the day!
If you said, YEAH, I want to be a hero, then this is the job and the company for you!
Atlas Franchise West is So Cal's largest Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop franchisee and we're looking to build a high energy team of Delivery Drivers! Do you have what it takes to be a Delivery Driver? I'm glad you asked!
As a Delivery Driver you will be the hero of the everyone's day, participate in making fast sammies on our fresh bread and delivering them to our neighbors. Sound like fun? Give us a call and join the team!
- Must be 18+
- Must have own vehicle, driver license, and auto insurance
- Must be coachable
- Must be energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and charismatic
- Spread the love through making and selling freshly made JJ's sammies
- Blow your customers away with genuine greetings and goodbyes
- Blow your Manager away with your amazing personality and service to customers
- Blow your coworkers away with your team player attitude
- Blow yourself away with the incredible career opportunities and growth we offer!
This is a part time position. What could be better than a job where you get to be the hero and make people smile every day AND get paid for it? Atlas Franchise West is always looking for In-shop Sandwich Makers, Drivers, Store General Managers and District Managers throughout So Cal. If you know some other FREAKS who might be interested, tell them to apply and if you both get hired, there's a bonus in it for you! This position is eligible for Driver Mileage Reimbursement daily cash out and Tips.
You are seeking employment with Atlas Franchise West an independently owned and operated franchisee of the Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC system. You are not seeking employment with Jimmy John's Franchisor, SPV, LLC (the franchisor of the Jimmy John's system) or any of its affiliates, which are separate and wholly independent companies from Atlas Franchise West.


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Zombie Dead Race : On mydrivinggames.com, you can play free online flash games with Zombie Dead Race online, find the fun and happy day.
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WASHINGTON – The White House says President Barack Obama has spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh ah-bay) about North Korea's nuclear program and a territorial dispute with China.
The two leaders agreed in a phone call Wednesday to collaborate to end Pyongyang's (pyuhng-yahng) nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The White House says they also discussed the need for stability and dialogue about the East China Sea.
Japan and China are engaged in a long-running dispute over islands both claim in the East China Sea. The issue came up this month when Obama met in California with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng).
The White House says Obama and Abe also discussed Japan's entrance into a Trans-Pacific Partnership, an Asia-Pacific trading pact. The U.S. approved Japan's entry into pact negotiations in April.


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Michael L. Carlebach Photography collection
- Collectie
- 1971-2008
University of Miami Professor Emeritus Michael L. Carlebach's photojournalism career began in New York and Washington DC. Upon coming to Florida, he worked briefly as staff photographer for the Miami Herald. In 1973, he began teaching at the Unive...
Carlebach, Michael L.


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This fall Barnard's academic departments welcomed a number of new faculty members, with a diverse range of research and teaching interests. Here, some of the incoming professors answer questions about their work and lives.
Chana Etengoff, Term Assistant Professor in Psychology
My scholarship examines how cultural and sexual minority groups navigate relational and sociocultural prejudice and discrimination.
Leymah Gbowee, Distinguished Fellow in Social Justice
As Barnard's inaugural Distinguished Fellow in Social Justice, Nobel Laureate and Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee will also serve as a Barnard Center for Research on Women Transnational Fellow, a Fellow in Residence at the Athena Center for Leadership Studies, and will be teaching and guest lecturing in Barnard's Africana studies program.
Read more.
Jue Guo, Assistant Professor in Asian & Middle Eastern Cultures
Specific research topics include divination and healing, death rituals, funerary and burial practices, and everyday life in early China. I study these themes from an anthropological-historical perspective as well as the way they are theorized in comparative studies.
Daniel Kato, Term Assistant Professor in Political Science
I study American Politics with a specialty in American Political Development. I am currently working on my manuscript on lynching and liberalism.
Leonor Pons Coll, Term Associate Professor in Spanish
My research is in applied linguistics. I love the fact that Barnard is a small liberal arts college with an extraordinarily friendly environment and that I am able to teach to smaller class sizes, which is a very important part of teaching a foreign language.
Leah Meisterlin, Term Assistant Professor in Architecture
My research focuses on issues of spatial justice, informational ethics, and the effects of infrastructural networks on the construction of social and political space.
Premilla Nadasen, Visiting Associate Professor in History
What I find most exciting about being at Barnard is that this is a women's college. I've always been interested in women's issues and I identified as a feminist from a very young age—even before I fully understood what the term meant.
Megan O'Neil, Term Assistant Professor in Art History
My research is on ancient Maya art and archaeology, with an emphasis on stone sculpture from archaeological sites in southern Mexico and northern Guatemala.
Sedelia Rodriguez, Lecturer in Environmental Science
I am a geologist and igneous petrologist. My research focuses on large igneous provinces and the eruptions that have occurred all over, throughout history.


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Barton S. Mitchell, a retired asphalt paving company executive who was active in Maryland Republican politics and enjoyed collecting vintage cars, died Sunday of lung cancer at his Lutherville home. He was 73.
"Bart was just a larger-than-life character who sucked all the air out of the room and loved playing the part of the 'Big Cheeeze,' which those who knew him called him. Everything with Bart was big, big, and I will miss him," said former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a longtime friend.
"Maryland will miss him, and thousands of his friends will miss him. He was passionate about his hobbies, the family business and his friends. He was always a condition-less friend," said Mr. Ehrlich.
"Bart was in money circles. That's what he did. He raised money," said Helen Delich Bentley, the former congresswoman and chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission.
"He was interested in getting more people in office and he felt very strongly that it was important for the country to have a strong two-party system, and he gave his all to get us there," said Mrs. Bentley, who added that Mr. Mitchell worked with Jim Knott to raise money on several of her campaigns.
"He was big in stature and had broad shoulders. He sort of took over a room whenever he came into it, and he always did a good job," said Mrs. Bentley.
The son of E. Stewart Mitchell and Irene Barton Mitchell, Barton Stewart Mitchell was born in Baltimore and raised on Bellemore Road in Roland Park.
After graduating from McDonogh School in 1958, he earned a bachelor's degree in 1962 from Washington & Lee University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
After graduation, Mr. Mitchell served in the Coast Guard for six months before joining the family asphalt business, E. Stewart Mitchell Inc., which had been established by his father in 1941 on Ridgewood Avenue in Northwest Baltimore. The company became a leading marketer, transporter and applier of all types of liquid asphalt.
Mr. Mitchell was 28 when he took over the company in 1968 after his father's death.
In addition to E. Mitchell Stewart Inc., Mr. Mitchell had owned or controlled the Bituminous Emulsion Co., MDG Inc., Mitchell Industries Inc. and Montgomery Construction Inc.
In 1976, Mr. Mitchell and two partners, Bob Surface and Ron White, established Superior Paving Corp. in Gainesville, Va., which has grown to be the leading hot-mix paving firm in Northern Virginia. It operates nine hot-mix plants and a 10th through an affiliated plant.
"I guess I first met Bart about 1969 or 1970. I was working for a paving company in Fairfax, and we were buying our liquid asphalt from his company in Baltimore," said Mr. Surface.
"So we started Superior Paving Corp. in 1976, and have gotten along fine and dandy ever since then," said Mr. Surface, who is now retired from the company.
"Bart was a studious thinker and a visionary. He was very much a micro-management guy who had a head for the minutiae," said Mr. White, former chairman and CEO of Superior, who is now vice chairman. "He always saw the big picture and put together the strategy to get us there. He was a big presence among our employees, who very much liked him."
Mr. White said his partner easily took control of a situation.
"People always paid attention to what Bart had to say. He was such a great partner, and no one could have anyone better to provide the leadership to get us down the path," he said.
Mr. Mitchell retired in 1995 and handed E. Stewart Mitchell Inc. to his son, David Mitchell of Severna Park, who operated the business until closing it in 2011.
Another son, James Mitchell of Warrenton, Va., is now the president of Superior Paving, while Mr. Surface's son, Frank Surface, is CEO.
In 1983, Mr. Mitchell, who had been cooperating with state and federal officials investigating Maryland highway contracts, was sentenced to several months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy in a bid-rigging scheme.
Mr. Mitchell "was the key event, the way the investigation got off the ground," a source who was close to the investigation told The Baltimore Sun in a 1983 article. "Without his participation, [federal and state] investigators would have nothing."
Mr. Mitchell was a past president of the Maryland Asphalt Association and the Maryland Highway Contractors. In 1981, he was named to the board and later served as chairman of the National Asphalt Pavement Association. He was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2010.
Mr. Mitchell had served as an officer, including president, of the Baltimore Skipjacks minor-league ice hockey franchise for 14 years, and had been the owner of Southern Maryland Marine.
He served on the boards of Roland Park Country School and Boys' Latin School.
Mr. Mitchell had long been active in Maryland Republican politics, fundraising and working on campaigns.
"I first got to know Bart during my first year in Congress, and our friendship took off and we became very close. He later was also one of my top fundraisers. He loved Maryland and Maryland politics," said Mr. Ehrlich. "He was the kind of guy you could call in the middle of the night, and he'd give you the shirt off his back, money, a job or whatever you needed, and that's why people loved him so much."
"He was an incredible guy who had friends everywhere. He took his friendships seriously and had been a great mentor to me," said John C. Reith, a longtime friend. "He was good to his employees. He was good to everyone."
"Besides times spent with his friends and family, where he was known as 'Cheeeze,' other hobbies included powerboating and collecting vintage American automobiles," said his daughter, Kimberly Mitchell Wolff of Roland Park.
Mr. Mitchell's collection — which included 16 cars — featured a 1933 Ford panel truck, a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado and a 1957 Thunderbird. It even included three Chevrolet Corvettes, two from 1967 and one from 1986.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Friday at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.
In addition to his two sons and daughter, Mr. Mitchell is survived by his wife of 38 years, the former Elizabeth "Beth" Snow; another son, Stewart Mitchell of Bozeman, Mont.; two stepsons, Jeffrey Maddrey of Chevy Chase and Greg Maddrey of Wayzata, Minn.; and 15 grandchildren.


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Price Range
5 Piece Saucepan Sets
See our listing of 5 Piece Saucepan Sets below. 5 piece cookware sets are ideal for those who need a basic cookware set straight out of box ready to go. 5 piece cookware sets typically consist of 3 three saucepans of varying sizes. Depending on the range, there is usually a fry pan and a stockpot or steamer included, please note the contents may be subject to change depending on the manufacture. The five piece sets listed below vary in quality and accommodate all types of budget. The saucepan sets featured below are quality cookware with decent weighted bases at affordable prices. The smart buyer knows that if you invest once in your saucepans and look after them following the recommended guidelines then you will have them last a lifetime. Please ensure you choose induction ready cookware if you have an induction hob!
Now €99.99
Now €319.00
Now €249.99


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Stella Scaramangos
Constant Contact customer
"I got just the look I wanted."
Stella Scaramangos is the creator of TheWholeScoopBlog.com—a website that promotes healthy living via plant-based recipes, reviews, and more. While Stella's motivation to start a blog came from her children, her confidence to create a site on her own came from using our intelligent website builder. "The drag-and-drop feature was so simple," she told us. Now that Stella's had a small taste of what our platform can do, she's eager to dig in and try more.
Marissa Tilley
Constant Contact customer
"Marketing is everything."
Marissa Tilley knows formalwear. After spending the better part of her twenties walking in dozens of couture fashion shows, Marissa took the leap from the runway to run her own business. When a slow start prompted her to expand her shop online, she enlisted the help of our email marketing services. Since then, Marissa has watched her email list—and monthly sales—grow by the thousands. Looks like we were a good fit.
Peter Lovis
Constant Contact customer
"The drag and drop editor—so good."
Peter Lovis sure knows cheese—and how to market to his customers that come from near and far. He's the proud propietor of the Concord Cheese Shop, located in downtown historic Concord, MA. With the help of his right hand man, Steve, Peter uses Constant Contact to connect with cheese lovers everywhere, and to expand his customer base, subscribers, and more.
Andy's a Marketer.
And all it took was Constant Contact.
"Constant Contact is my marketing department."
You can't help but feel the sense of community when you walk into A&J King Bakery in Salem, Massachusetts. From the locally sourced fruit in their scones, to the regulars you see in here every week, it's that community feel that makes this place feel welcoming. Like home. And it takes a lot of hard work to create that environment.
That's why they decided to use Constant Contact. Owner Andy King says he can design beautiful newsletters "in the time it takes to make a cup of coffee." He sees a tremendous return on investment each time he sends out an email, and the simplicity lets him focus on doing what he does best—making a delicious impact in his community.
Paul's a Marketer
And all it took was Constant Contact.
"It's not a nice-to-have. It's a must-have."
Co-founder Paul Reynolds wanted to do more than just open a bookstore, he wanted to go back in time. His shop would not only sell great books, toys, & art supplies, but inspire creativity and self-expression in kids and adults.
And while he fosters a great community inside the walls, he needs the tools to stay in conversation with his customers after they leave. So he turned to Constant Contact. "When we send a newsletter, we know it'll move the needle" he says. It's an easy way for Paul to connect with his customers online, so that they can continue growing relationships in the store.
Jason Talbot, Artists for Humanity
And all it took was Constant Contact.
"50% of our donations come from our end-of-year email."
Raising funds for a better world.
Artists for Humanity (AFH) engages under-resourced urban youth in the creative process as a means for both social change and entrepreneurship—providing teens with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in art and design.
As a nonprofit, AFH relies heavily on donations to run its programs. And co-founder Jason Talbot relies on Constant Contact email marketing for the tools to raise funds and spread the organization's mission. He requests donations directly from AFH's email campaigns—and it's working. In fact, half of their annual donations come from their end-of-year email appeal.
Eran Lobel, Element Productions
And all it took was Constant Contact.
"Using Constant Contact has been really powerful for growing our business."
Telling the right story to the right people.
The commercial production business has changed a lot since Eran Lobel opened Element Productions in 1998, but the work is still all about one thing: storytelling. In a visual industry like this, it's important to show—not just tell—your story.
Constant Contact has helped Eran feature Element's work for over 14 years. As business has grown and clients have diversified, he's now reaching out to more and more people. By segmenting contact lists, he can send relevant messages to different audiences. Then our powerful reporting tools enable Eran to see what content is working—and when it may time to tell a new story.
Dawn's a Marketer
And all it took was Constant Contact.
"What's really rewarding about owning a small business is getting to know my customers."
For Dawn Noble, owner of La Provence in Rockport, Massachusetts, owning a business isn't just about opening your doors, but creating a warm, inviting and authentic environment. This creates a connection with her customers as she gets to know them, and they feel invested in both her and her business.
Dawn says that Constant Contact is the easiest way for her to stay connected to her customers after they leave the store, which drives more traffic to her website and back to her store for return visits. For Dawn, success is owning a great, local business and making a big impact in her beach town. We couldn't agree more.
Luke's a Marketer.
And all it took was Constant Contact.
"Sending out emails has given me a lot of feedback in what people are interested in."
Luke Adams has a passion for working with glass, and he enjoys spreading that passion to others. It's why he opened up his own studio. And while Luke knows everything there is to know about glass, he didn't know much about marketing his business.
Like a lot of small businesses these days, a lot of Luke's relationships with his prospects starts online. So he counts on Constant Contact to continue those relationships, and to keep those prospects and customers coming back to his studio.
Wings and Hooves are Marketers.
And all it took was Constant Contact.
"My favorite part is...everything."
Wings and Hooves provides therapeutic horseback riding instructions and horsemanship activities to children and adults with special needs. And with that, they provide hope, courage and self-confidence to all who participate.
For them to operate and help as many people as they can, they rely on volunteers and supporters. They count on Constant Contact to stay in touch with them. "Constant Contact saves us time, is very, very easy to use, and makes it easy to reach our supporters across the country." Spending such a little time to effectively communicate with their customers allows them to get back to the stables and "help others fly hoof to hoof."


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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities on Tuesday recovered the body of a second worker who was killed when an Omaha manufacturing plant collapsed, while federal investigators tried to pinpoint a cause of the industrial accident that killed two and injured 17.
Interim Fire Chief Bernard Kanger said authorities retrieved the body from the International Nutrition building at 3:45 p.m. Authorities believe no other people are in the building.
Kanger said the two men killed were found on the second floor, but the bodies were not near each other. Thirty-eight people were in the animal feed and supplement plant on Monday when it collapsed.
Authorities said they recovered the body of 53-year-old Keith Everett, of Omaha, on Monday night. The second worker killed was identified Tuesday evening as 47-year-old David Ball, of Omaha.
Crews from Omaha and Lincoln had suspended their work Monday night because of shifting winds, cold temperatures and the dangerous rubble. They restarted Tuesday morning with a team of specially trained firefighters. The team also took a structural engineer to help make sure their efforts didn't further destabilize the crumpled structure, putting rescuers at risk.
"After hours of hard work under extremely dangerous conditions, members of both teams were able to recover the (second) victim," Kanger said.
Meanwhile, authorities were still trying to determine a cause.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators were on the scene of the accident Tuesday morning as they took the lead in investigating the collapse, OSHA spokesman Scott Allen said.
It was too early to know what might have caused part of the three-level International Nutrition plant to collapse, Allen said. The plant makes nutritional products that are added to livestock and poultry feed.
Some witnesses reported hearing an explosion before a fire that burned some workers and the partial collapse of the plant.
"There are many questions yet to be answered about what caused this disaster, but I am confident that the answers provided by federal, state and local officials can offer lessons that will help avoid tragedies like this one in the future," U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said in a written statement.
One company official cast doubt on reports that an explosion caused the collapse and fire.
Kim Nguyen, the international marketing manager for the company, said an investigator told company officials there was no explosion, "only a collapse of the building." She said she could not recall the name of the investigator, and said the person did not know what caused the building to collapse.
Nguyen urged people to wait for investigators to complete their study before drawing conclusions.
"This is a nightmare to people here," Nguyen said. "It's just shocking to everyone right now. We work as a family."
Calls and emails to other company officials were not immediately returned Tuesday.
Besides the two deaths, 17 people were injured, including 10 workers who were sent to hospitals. Hospitals reported that four of the 10 had been released by Tuesday.
Monday's deaths were not the first workplace fatality to occur at the plant.
OSHA records show International Nutrition was assessed more than $13,000 in penalties for a 2002 accident that killed a 45-year-old worker. The worker died when he fell into a moving mixer that he was cleaning.
The plant also was cited for six safety violations in 2012, ranging from a lack of facilities to flush dangerous chemicals from workers' eyes and skin to concerns over lacking safeguards for some equipment.


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Job Duties & Responsibilities
Want to work with one of the nation's fastest growing auto insurers? Not looking for a desk job? At GEICO, our Auto Damage Insurance Adjusters are the primary ambassadors of our renowned customer service and deliver on GEICO's promise "to be there".
Through our industry-leading, paid training, you'll learn the ins and outs of automobile damage to prepare you to directly assist our customers after accidents or other disasters. We'll equip you with the latest technology and all the tools you'll need to be successful. Our auto damage claims adjusters provide outstanding customer service on a daily basis by working in local drive-in locations, GEICO Auto Repair Xpress shops and the field.
Candidate Qualifications
High school diploma or equivalent
Bachelor's degree preferred
Ability to attend an extensive 12-week training program that includes 4 weeks in Ashburn, VA
Solid computer, grammar and multi-tasking skills, and mechanical aptitude
Good customer service skills
Must be able to work flexible schedules and independently
Strong attention to detail, time management and decision-making skills
Good driving record
About GEICO
For more than 75 years, GEICO has stood out from the rest of the insurance industry! We are one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing auto insurers thanks to our low rates, outstanding service and clever marketing. We're an industry leader employing thousands of dedicated and hard-working associates. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, we offer associates training and career advancement in a financially stable and rewarding workplace.
Our associates' quality of life is important to us. Full-time GEICO associates are offered a comprehensive Total Rewards Program*, including:
401(k) and profit-sharing plans
Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
Paid vacation, holidays and leave programs
Tuition reimbursement
Associate assistance program
Flexible spending accounts
Business casual dress
Fitness and dining facilities (at most locations)
Associate clubs and sports teams
Volunteer opportunities
GEICO Federal Credit Union
Benefit offerings for positions other than full-time may vary.
GEICO is an equal opportunity employer. GEICO conducts drug screens and background checks on applicants who accept employment offers.
How to Apply
Click "Apply for Job" to complete your application. You will need an active email address and phone number. Once you begin your application you can save it and access it later. Please include all recent work history and any other work relevant to the position you are applying for.
Geico Insurance
Posted 2 months agoVIEW JOBS
Geico Insurance


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Fallon to replace Leno on 'Tonight Show,' NBC finally confirms
It's official: Jay Leno will step down from his hosting gig on "The Tonight Show" and be replaced by Jimmy Fallon.
NBC confirmed on Wednesday what had been television's worst-kept secret. The succession plan calls for Leno to wrap up his 22-year reign in Spring 2014, which marks the end of his current contract. Fallon, who currently hosts the "Late Night" show at 12:30 a.m. will take over at that time.
As previously reported, "The Tonight Show" will return to its original home at 30 Rock in New York and will be executive-produced by "Saturday Night Live" head honcho Lorne Michaels. He replaces longtime executive producer Debbie Vickers.
"Congratulations Jimmy," Leno said in a statement. "I hope you're as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you're the old guy. If you need me, I'll be at the garage."
Added Fallon in a statement, "I'm really excited to host a show that starts today instead of tomorrow."
"Jay Leno is an entertainment icon, making millions of people laugh every weeknight for more than 20 years," said Steve Burke, Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal. "His long reign as the highest-rated late-night host is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to his viewers and to NBC. We are purposefully making this change when Jay is No. 1, just as Jay replaced Johnny Carson when he was No. 1.
"Jimmy Fallon is a unique talent and this is his time. I'm thrilled he will become the sixth host of 'The Tonight Show' at exactly the right moment, in conjunction with our coverage of next year's Winter Olympic Games from Sochi, Russia."
On Monday night, Leno and Fallon did their best to indicate there was no bad blood between them by performing a "duet" that mocked the ongoing speculation about their late-night fates.
There was no word on who will replace Fallon as the front man for "Late Night," but it has been widely speculated that "SNL"'s Seth Meyers is the odds-on-favorite for the job.


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Flight time from London
Greater flexibility on bookings
Book now, change laterFind out more
Be whisked to the buzz of Barcelona
Flight time from London
Distance from London
709 miles
Get ready to explore the capital of Catalonia by booking flights to Barcelona with British Airways. Whether you're looking for a cultural city break, a slice of urban beach life or a laid-back getaway, you can count on a wonderful flight with our fantastic British Airways cabin crew. Embrace the holiday feeling during your flight before you arrive in invigorating Barcelona.
Make plans to visit a lively destination with it all on a Barcelona holiday. Sit back and relax during your flight to this creative city before immersing yourself in the thriving lifestyle of this medium-sized metropolis. When you fly in economy (Euro Traveller), you can choose a great value fare with hand baggage only or pick a ticket that includes 23kg of checked baggage allowance and free seat selection 24 hours before you fly. Alternatively, our business (Club Europe) fares offer access to private lounges, priority boarding and extra space on board.
New options to change your date, destination or cancelFind out more
Planes cleaned from tip to tail and key surfaces disinfectedFind out more
Face masks, sanitisation and HEPA-filtered airFind out more
You can fly direct from London to Barcelona with British Airways.
Flights to Barcelona depart from London Heathrow (LHR) and last around two hours. With multiple flight times, your journey to the city-meets-beach of Barcelona will be easy breezy. Due to Covid-19, schedules and airports are subject to change. For the latest information, check our timetable.
Select the cabin to suit you, whatever your budget, taste or style, whether you journey in economy (Euro Traveller) or in business (Club Europe).
Read our Barcelona travel guides for more inspiration on what to do when you arrive.
With dazzling summer temperatures hitting an average high of 28°C, the city-beach blend of Barcelona is a best of both worlds destination.
Spring time can rise to 20°C and is a pleasantly quiet time to visit the cities main attractions. This cooler season makes it comfier to wander around the city without breaking a sweat. Come May and June, the city sees more faces as the weather starts to heat up for a glorious summer. July and August champion the peak season for Barcelona, as the hottest months. Soak up the Mediterranean climate, with highs peaking in the 30°C's and the average summer sea temperature hovering at a refreshing 20°C.
Autumn is delightful in the city, with warming temperatures of early 20°C's and cooler evenings, which makes sleeping that tad easier. From around November, colder temperatures creep in, as does the rain with scatters of showers. Night time will be even chillier, so pop in extra clothing layers and a rain jacket. Explore the wonders of the city outside of the summer peak with cheaper air fares.
To find our cheapest flights to Barcelona, use our lowest fare finder.
Direct flights from London to Barcelona take around 2 hours. You can fly from London Heathrow (LHR) or London Gatwick (LGW) to Barcelona Airport (BCN). British Airways provides several direct flights to Barcelona from London. Choose from a variety of daily flights with a selection of departure times.
Barcelona Airport (BCN) is just seven and a half miles from Barcelona's city centre. Hiring a car gives you the freedom to make your way to the city in your own time, as well as venture further afield. Drive along the coastline of Costa Dorada or Costa Bravo to explore little seaside villages or discover pretty vineyards in valleys and on mountaintops.
You can also reach Barcelona's city centre via the Aerobus bus service or the RENFE R2 Nord train; you can also hop in a taxi from outside of the arrivals area. The ride will take about 30 minutes and cost around 30 euros. Alternatively, make your trip away even easier by pre-booking an airport transfer to your Barcelona hotel before you travel. You'll be given the opportunity to add a shuttle or private door-to-door transfer once you've booked your Barcelona flight or holiday.
If you're travelling on a British passport you will not need a visa to visit Barcelona. If you're from a country outside the EU, you may need to apply for a visa in advance of your trip. You can find out more information, check your visa requirements and apply by visiting the IATA Travel Centre.
Which cabins can I book when I fly to Barcelona?
Our economy cabins are great value for those looking for cheap flights to BCN:
Business cabins are located at the front of the plane, with the middle seat kept free for extra legroom and added comfort.
1. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself fully hydrated throughout the flight and beforehand. Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake during the flight and before it will aid this, and could also help you sleep.
2. You can beat jet lag by adjusting to your new time zone as soon as you board the plane to Barcelona time. Use our jet lag calculator to find out more.
3. Move around regularly during the flight and do some simple stretching exercises to keep blood flowing. The slowing of blood circulation is one of the most common side-effects of jet lag.
Our Barcelona hints and tips will have you feeling like a local in no time
Although tipping is optional here, expectations vary in different situations. If you sit at a table for a drink or dine in a restaurant, a 7-10% tip is expected. However, if you sit at a bar for a drink or to chow down on tapas, you might get giggled at for tipping – because it isn't expected here. Taxi drivers should be tipped between 10 cents to 1 euro for short trips and bellman 1 euro for carrying luggage. Tour guides should always be tipped; hand out 10 euros for a one-hour tour.
Spend an afternoon at the enchanting Parc Güell. Take a bus, hop on the metro or walk to one of Barcelona's most beautiful icons. Wander around Gaudi's hillside paradise, soaking up the colourful mosaic marvels. From here, you can gaze out over the whole city. Make your way to Carmen Hill to reach this picturesque hot spot in the Gracia neighbourhood.
Take a break in the cooler spring temperatures in Barcelona, reaching highs of 20°C in the day. This allows you to stroll through the city without over-heating. Take your trip in the summer for sun, sea and sand. Soak up the average highs of 28°C, hit the beachside and cool down in the shade with a sangria. Autumn stays pleasant, with balmy temperatures and winter gets chillier with patches of rainy days.
Where to stay
Whether you want a spot on the seafront, a retreat tucked in the cultural corners of the city or accommodation on the hillside, our carefully selected Barcelona hotels will suit you – whatever your budget.Book a stay
What to eat
Famous for delicious plates of tapas, tantalising pans of paella and scrumptious sangria, Barcelona is a foodie hub for all. Saunter through Mercat de la Boqueria, an indoor food market bursting with fresh smells of local produce, tapas from specialised stalls, pizza stands and more.
Things to do
Immerse yourself in the sensational surroundings of this city. Join a walking tour and stroll the charming streets to see architectural wonders, hop on a bicycle and ride along the beach promenade. For an urban aquatic adventure, take a rowing boat out on the lake at Parc de la Ciutadella.Things to do
Make sure your trip to Barcelona is truly unforgettable by talking to one of our European travel specialists.
If you're not ready to dip yourtoes in the ocean, make asplash in the infinity pool


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Research has shown that sexual activity often decreases after a heart attack due to the fear of having another one, which could cause a person's death. But research has proved that this common perception among the masses today is quite wrong.
Experts say the belief that sexual activities can lead to a second heart attack consists of a little bit of truth, but research suggests that it is largely exaggerated. People can have sex after their heart attacks. In fact, the more you exercise -- including having sex -- the better your odds.
As a safety precaution, "You sort of have to test yourself on the sidewalk before you test yourself in the bedroom," says Dr. Gerald W. Neuberg, cardiologist and director of the intensive care unit at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "Sex is physically therapeutic. Like other regular physical activity, it's heart-healthy -- good for your circulation, metabolism, and reducing future heart-disease risk."
In 1996, a team of scientists at Harvard University conducted a study of more than 800 heart attack survivors. Their results, published in the JAMA, showed that the chances of having a heart attack while having sex were about two in a million in the subjects who already had and survived one attack. The study also found that the people who exercise have lesser chances of having a heart attack than those who do not.
"While there is some truth to the mythology," said Murray Mittleman, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an author of the 1996 study, "the absolute increase in risk is so small that for the vast majority of people it should be one less thing to worry about."
After having a cardiac arrest once, there must be several changes in a person's lifestyle to lead a better and normal life and to prevent another one from happening. Those people who were sedentary sluggards certainly can't afford to continue their lives like that. They need to start regular exercise. Exercise strengthens the heart, burns calories and raises stamina. It also improves the mental health of the patients, who may be in a state of depression and anxiety.
Light workouts are also permitted for these patients.
"While it is generally accepted that exercise training for people with coronary artery disease improves vascular function, controversy still exists regarding the right level and right format of exercise," said Dr. Margherita Vona, lead author of a study.
Heart patients should also cut back on food that is bad for their heart and arteries. Food that contains excessive fats are not supposed to be consumed. Mostly, the heart-healthy foods are vegetables. Salt is also supposed to be used as little as possible in their diets.
Those patients who smoke also have to break that habit, which is extremely dangerous for them, in order to prevent a second heart attack. The patients also have to consume different kinds of medicines and tablets to keep the cholesterol level of their bodies low and also to keep the density of their blood low. This prevents the blood from clotting in any part of the body.


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The Oregonian did a nice write up on Stuff. Check it out!
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Enhance Your Sales With Magento ECommerce Platformsoftwaredev0 May 21, 2013 9:32 AM
Taking your business online? What if your present website starts selling online and wants to keep track of all your orders and securely charge your customer's credit cards (Manage and Accept Orders).
An eCommerce solution will help you to enhance your sales channels on the internet. What if you get a solution that turns your website into a sales person that sells 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?
Is it sufficient to have a website for your products or services and sell it online? The answer is YES, but what about the custom look and feel, easy to access, easy to use; user friendly and most important is payment transaction & security?
You can go sell your products & services online with a new eCommerce webstore built within a weeks' time.
Magento is an eCommerce Platform with 5 million downloads.
The Magento ecommerce system has been widely adopted by online retailers with 150,000 sites known to use itranging from smaller ecommerce websites to large multinational businesses such as Harvey Nichols and Samsung.
Magento is a feature-rich eCommerce platform solution that offers merchants complete flexibility and control over the functionality of their online channel
You're not limited to any predefined website design, navigation or payment methods. The solution is highly flexible and can be customized for a wide variety of stores. Magento has one page check-outs, SEO friendly, one can built multi-lingual and multi-currency webstores. The solution also has inbuilt features eg. Inventory management, customer management, order management, analytics & reports, and many more.
Here are some top eCommerce Features of Magento:
1. Store management
2. Catalogmanagement
3. Catalog browsing
4. Category management
5. Product management
6. Product browsing
7. Search functionality
8. Shopping cart
9. Check-outs
10. Payment methods
11. Invoice management
12. Tax calculation
13. Shipping method and carriers
14. Admin management
15. CMS management, Static Blocks Inventory management, RSS Feed
16. W3C validation
17. Sales & Marketing Coupons or Promotion management
18. SEO friendly urls
19. SSL Security Support
20. Mobile commerce
21. Social Media Integration
22. Amazon EC2 Setup
23. Third-Party Applications and Extensions
24. Speed optimization
25. And many more...
If you are the owner of an eCommerce business, choose none other than the Magento eCommerce platform for Website Development / designing. Expert Magento Designers facilitate customers to reach business for 24 hours, 7 days in no time.
Magento Developers (Magento Certified Developer and Magento Certified Developer Plus) ensures Magento implementations with usability best practices and optimized for ultimate conversion while delivering the best eCommerce solution for any retailer that includes Magento Consultation and more.
Check out Why Should you Choose Magento!


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Assign SMTP relays
You can assign purchased SMTP relays to certain email addresses, in your Workspace account. You can also remove all SMTP relays assigned to a specific email address.
Note: Keep in mind that your purchased SMTP relays can take up to 24 hours to become available.
- Log in to your GoDaddy account.
- Click Workspace Email.
- Next to the account you want to use, click Manage.
- Click the email address you want to use.
- Click Show additional options.
- Next to SMTP relays per day select the number of SMTP relays you want to assign to that email address.
- Click Save.
Next step
- Even if you run out of SMTP relays, you can still send email through Webmail.


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Sweet adieu: Hershey chocolate birthplace meets wrecking ball
HERSHEY, Pa., - Demolition crews are clearing the last remnants from the Hershey Co. site where the famous chocolate maker gave candy lovers their first Kiss more than 100 years ago.
A new occupant will be moving into the 24-acre (10 hectare) property on East Chocolate Avenue in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where Milton S. Hershey opened his first sweets factory in 1905. In the years since the first teardrop-shaped chocolate Kisses rolled off the production line in 1907, newer and more innovative incarnations of the factory have occupied the site.
Wrecking crews are now clearing the site for the new owner, said Hershey spokesman Jeff Beckman. Westwood Properties, a real estate investment company based in Garden City, New York, bought the property in 2011 but has declined to reveal plans for its future.
"It would be premature to comment on a specific next use," said Westwood general partner Isidore Mayrock.
In the village named after the chocolate company founder, where street lights are shaped liked Hershey's Kisses, nearly the entire factory site is being demolished, with work expected to be finished by summer 2014.
Only 3 of the 24 acres have been spared and are being converted to office space, Beckman said.
Village residents said they were disappointed that the birthplace of an American icon was not being preserved.
"I was hoping they would at least use some of the old factory for tours," said Kathi Sopp, 52, who has lived in Hershey since 1987. "People should be able to always smell the aroma of chocolate and sweat from generations of workers in this town."
Chocolate-making at the site ceased in April 2012, when manufacturing operations were moved about two miles (3 km) away to an expanded facility in West Hershey, a $300 million construction project that updated the company's manufacturing technology.
About 600 employees lost their jobs in the transition, said Frederick Boltz, business agent at Chocolate Workers Local 464, the union representing the employees. About 700 of the current 1,000 union workers are from the former factory, company officials said.
Boltz said other employees were given severance packages or took early retirement.
Hershey's, best known for its chocolate bars and confections, also makes Reese's, Jolly Ranchers and Twizzlers. The company said it employs 4,800 people at Hershey and two other Pennsylvania sites, an additional 4,000 people elsewhere in the United States and another 5,200 people worldwide.
In addition to the village, a private philanthropic boarding school, an amusement park and the international candy company, as well as an entertainment and resorts conglomerate, are all named after Hershey, who died in 1945.
This has been a year of change for some of Pennsylvania's best-known companies. In February, famed investor Warren Buffett said his Berkshire Hathaway Inc would team up with a Brazilian financier to buy Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Co. in a $23 billion deal.


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Spreading the Love of God to Balham & Beyond
Welcome to Ascension Church
Ascension is a church community based near Clapham South tube station in London, and online with people joining in from all over the world.
At this church you'll find a real mix of people from a variety of places, age groups and backgrounds and with all kinds of different interests and quirks. We are driven by the conviction that God loves every human being and together we try our best to share this love in and around our community. Whoever you are and whatever you believe, you are welcome at our Church. Please come exactly as you are.
Sign up to be kept up to date with our latest events
What's On
Ascension Balham
Ascension Church Malwood Road, SW12 8EN
Sunday Service at 10.30am
Children are welcome at Ascension. At our Sunday morning service we provide a space in which kids delight in playing with friends, know they are loved by God, learn how to follow Jesus every day and experience the Holy Spirit. We also think it's important for children and young people to have time worshiping together with the whole Church family after which they go into groups. We also have a crèche for the under 3s and all our children's workers are fully DBS checked to ensure maximum child safety in all our activities.
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Nick & Amanda Heavens - May 26, 2019
Making Good Work
Scripture References: Colossians 3:22-25, Colossians 4:1
From Series: "Scattered Servants"
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The parish of Ascension takes the safeguarding and care of children and vulnerable adults very seriously. Further information about this can be found at Safeguarding.


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A light-heavyweight bout between French kickboxer Cyrille Diabate (17-7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Australian grappler Anthony Perosh (11-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) apparently will be part of UFC 138.
Diabate recently announced the fight via Twitter, though UFC officials haven't formally confirmed it.
UFC 138 takes place Nov. 5 at LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. The main card airs in the U.S. on Spike TV via same-day tape delay.
Diabate vs. Perosh likely will be part of the preliminary card.
Diabate, who posted a 32-8 pro-kickboxing record during a career that ended in 2005, is 11-2 in MMA since then. In fact, the 37-year-old has won seven of his past eights, which includes his current stint in the UFC. He's sandwiched a pair of wins over Luiz Cane (TKO) and former WEC champ Steve Cantwell (decision) around a submission defeat to Alexander Gustafsson in his three UFC appearances.
Perosh, meanwhile, recently succeeded in his fourth try at a first UFC victory. The 39-year-old went 0-2 in his first UFC stint in 2006. He then made a return at UFC 110 in his native Australia and suffered a TKO loss to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in 2010. However, after sitting out the next year due to injuries, he returned at the recent UFC 127 event in Australia and posted a submission victory over Tom Blackledge back in February.
For more on UFC 138, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Cyrille Diabate)


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2nd Quarter 2012 One Million Pillowcase Featured Fabrics
Fabric Line: Rainforest Buzz by Cheri Strole. Available June 2012.
Andover Fabrics
Fabric Line: Flock by Thomas Knauer.
View the entire Flock collection and download a free pattern.
Shannon Fabrics
Fabric Line: Body: Moo Moo Blossom Cuddle; Band: Cuddle Cow. Uses Pillowcase Pattern 23 – Plush Fabric Pillowcase.
Moda Fabrics
View the entire Welcome to Bear Country! collection.
Paintbrush Studios
Fabric Line: Flutter by Ro Gregg. Available now.
Robert Kaufman
Fabric Line: Fly Away by Amy Schimler.
Westminster Fabrics
Fabric Line: La Dee Da by Erin McMorris for Free Spirit
Fabric Line: Bollywood Bliss by Jane Spolar.
Andover Fabrics
Fabric Line: Tokyo Rococo by Carol Van Zandt.
Click here to view all the fabrics in this collection and download a free pattern.
Shannon Fabrics
Fabrics are from the Mar Bella Cuddle Collection.
Moda Fabrics
Fabric Line: Tend the Earth by Deb Strain. Available now.
Paintbrush Studios
Fabric Line: Calypso by Ro Gregg. Available now.
Robert Kaufman
Fabric Line: Grandeur 2.
Designer Spotlight – Jane Spolar
"Quilters and their generosity have been an important part of many communities adding color, design, artistry and often literally warmth. The community may have gone global, but I think quilters' generosity has kept up! I am very happy to add these pillowcases to the others, each an act of loving kindness we quilters have the opportunity to give." – Jane Spolar
Jane used pillowcase pattern #15 to created her pillowcases. She used fabrics from her Bollywood Bliss line for Northcott Fabrics.
View the entire Bollywood Bliss line.
Westminster Fabrics
Fabric Line: Brandon Mably March 12 Collection.


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Starting work on a 5.45 conversion.Was wondering if an AK 47 trigger guard would work?
Wanting to have more of an original look, I plan on removeing the mag release also and want to replace with an original guard and mag release. Just wanted to know if it would work before I drill it out.
A 47 trigger guard will work fine. The only difference is the later 74s had a dimple in the mag release.
Be careful fitting an AK47 trigger guard/mag catch to a 5.45 rifle. The 47 mag catch is usually cut shorter than one for a 74, and you may wind up with a loose mag. You can always Tig up the catch, if you are so equiped, or replace the catch!


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Asia Pacific News Openings/Renovations DoubleTree by Hilton Enters China's Fujian Province With The Opening Of DoubleTree by Hilton Putian
Newly Built 337-Room Hotel is the 12th Doubletree by Hilton Property in China and the First Internationally Branded Hotel in Putian
December 31, 2012 // Franchising.com // MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Worldwide announced the opening of its first hotel in Fujian province. DoubleTree by Hilton Putian, the 12th DoubleTree by Hilton property in China, offers 337 contemporary guestrooms; including 23 suites, three restaurants, a lobby lounge and a well-equipped fitness center with a 25-meter heated indoor swimming pool and a spa. It is the first internationally branded hotel in Putian.
"The opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Putian marks Hilton Worldwide's entry into Fujian Province and is another milestone in our ongoing expansion in China, where we have more than 110 properties in the pipeline. We plan to continue to accelerate our growth and bring world class brands like DoubleTree by Hilton to more cities across China," said Martin Rinck, president, Hilton Worldwide, Asia Pacific.
Situated in the central Chenxiang diplomatic and commercial district, DoubleTree by Hilton Putian is located across the street from the new government center. It is convenient to the Putian railway station, where high speed trains can whisk passengers to the nearby cities of Fuzhou Xiamen in less than an hour. The hotel also offers business and leisure travelers easy access to many local attractions such as Meizhou Island, the hometown of Mazu and the origin of Mazu Culture, Putian South Shaolin Temple and Jiulong Valley National Forest Park.
Guests of DoubleTree by Hilton Putian will enjoy the characteristic features of more than 320 DoubleTree by Hilton locations in 26 countries around the world including a warm welcome for every guest at check-in with the brand's legendary chocolate chip cookie, an array of upscale amenities and guest services, rewards from the Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program, and a unique and committed culture of care.
"Putian is the latest in a long list of growth markets in China for DoubleTree by Hilton," said John Greenleaf, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. "We are delighted to introduce our world class, yet locally resonant brand of warm hospitality to the city. Business and leisure travellers will experience our warm, caring service culture and understand why guests of our DoubleTree by Hilton hotels become loyal, repeat customers."
The spacious, contemporary guestrooms start at a spacious are equipped with impressive technology and amenities, including LCD flat-screen television with international satellite stations, MP3 alarm clock, in-room climate controls, laptop-size safe, signature DoubleTree by Hilton Sweet Dreams bed; marble bathrooms featuring separate bathtub and rain shower, as well as Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries. High-speed broadband and wireless internet access are available throughout the hotel. Business travellers can enjoy the comforts and conveniences of the executive rooms on the uppermost floors, offering express check-in/out, personalised butler service and access to the exclusive 29th floor executive lounge.
The hotel's three food and beverage outlets offer a variety of culinary delights. Guests may start the day with the signature Wake Up DoubleTree Breakfast at the all-day dining restaurant, sample fine Cantonese cuisine at the specialty Chinese restaurant, Kanto which boasts a stunning view of the city, or try the best of local Fujian cuisine at the Yuxi Chinese restaurant, which serves fresh, seasonal cuisine in 15 private dining rooms.
For informal meetings and relaxation, the LongYan lobby lounge provides a comfortable retreat, while the JAM (Just Ask Me) service supplies a variety of delicious take-out food; from the most popular Haagen-Dazs ice cream to freshly brewed Italian coffee, imported British tea and freshly baked breads and desserts.
The hotel is fully geared to handle the most elaborate conventions, corporate meetings and banquet events. The spacious 1,200-square meter ballroom, which is divisible into two or three rooms, can accommodate up to 650 banquet diners or 1,260 guests seated theater-style. Located on the same floor are seven flexible function rooms equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities including WiFi access and a Business Center offering a full secretarial service.
DoubleTree by Hilton Putian also boasts upscale fitness and health facilities, which include a range of services available to both hotel guests and local residents. The fitness center features world renowned Precor equipment as well as an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, and steam room. The Spa, which includes six treatment rooms, offers a full range of treatments to rejuvenate the body and soul.
DoubleTree by Hilton Putian is located at No.2276 Middle Licheng Avenue, Chengxiang District, Putian, Fujian, 351100, China. For more information or to make a reservation please call the hotel directly at +86(0)594 235 8888 or visit the hotel's website at www.putian.doubletree.com
About DoubleTree By Hilton
With a growing collection of contemporary, upscale accommodations and more than 320 hotels in gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations in 26 countries, DoubleTree by Hilton hotels are distinctively designed properties that provide true comfort to today's business and leisure travellers. From the millions of delighted hotel guests who are welcomed with the brand's legendary, warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in to the advantages of the award-winning Hilton HHonors guest reward programme, each DoubleTree by Hilton guest receives a satisfying stay wherever their travels take them.
To find out information about any DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, travellers may visit our website at www.DoubleTree.com or contact their preferred travel professional. Social media users may connect with us at www.facebook.com/doubletree, www.twitter.com/doubletree and www.youtube.com/doubletreehotels. For the latest news, story starters and fact sheets about our brand, reporters and bloggers may visit our DoubleTree by Hilton Global Media Centre at www.doubletreebyhiltonglobalmediacenter.com.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
SOURCE DoubleTree by Hilton
Maggie Giddens
Director, Global Brand Public Relations, Hilton Worldwide
+1 703 883 5346
Suki Pan
Hilton Worldwide
+86 (21) 2321 6819
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We're not suggesting you need help in that area, but if you do… Thingdom is a genetics game presented like a virtual pet sim, designed to teach kids mating – and how who you do it with alters babies.
There's a routine bit of foreplay first, as ever, in which you feed, stroke and play with your blob-like Thing. Then after impressing a potential mate via a mini game, it's down to business. Following a successful mating process you're presented with a few example babies, complete with an explanation of the dominant and recessive genes they inherited from their parents. Which is when it got too complicated and we stopped playing. [Thingdom via The Guardian]


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Ha! That's sort of overstating things. It makes me say in my head "My...don't we think highly of ourselves?"
This place will always be my bloggy first love, but for now, I'm not sure when I'll be back. Maybe I'll post here on occasion, maybe this is it. I don't know.
Meanwhile, I'll be hanging out at my new digs: sarahs32flavors. If you were relieved when you thought it was over, just don't click on that link. But I'd sure love to have you over at the new place!


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Update: Giant "Flying Creatures" Sighted in Las Cruces, New Mexico and San Antonio, Texas
I-Team: Expert trying to identify mysterious bird flying around S. Texas
Joe Conger
KENS 5 Eyewitness News
"Even though it was dark, the thing itself was black. The blackest I'd ever seen," said Frank Ramirez.
Years ago, Ramirez thought he was after a prowler in the back of his mother's Southwest Side home. But what greeted him on the garage rooftop still gives him goosebumps now.
"That's when the thing up there turned to me, and it was in a perched state, and it started to turn," he said. "It started to move its arms and this giant blackness was just coming out. At that point, I dropped the stick and I ran."
Ramirez sketched a drawing of the large, bird-like creature. The image is disturbing, and similar to dozens of sightings across San Antonio and South Texas.
"If you were to take a man's face and pull his chin down, just like a stretched face," said Ramirez.
"If you were to take a man's face and pull his chin down, just like a stretched face," said Ramirez.
"I was just terrified and as I was running. I just thought it was going to carry me off or something."
An earlier KENS story about a large, prehistoric-like bird drew more than 100,000 hits on MySanAntonio.com. More than a few people in San Antonio came forward to say they'd seen the creature, too.
One woman contacted KENS by e-mail, saying that because of our story, she now knows she's not crazy.
KENS caught up with cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
Gerhard recently wrote a book, called "Modern Sightings of Flying Monsters" on the large, dark birds.
"When investigating mystery animals, it's important to point out that there are vast areas of land, even here in South Texas, that remain uninhabited," said Gerhard. "If an animal like big bird does exist, it certainly needs some habitat, somewhere to hide."
The Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge has 88,000 acres, and the marshes and prairies are home to 413 species of birds, but no flying pterodactyls.
"Raptors of all kinds, from hawks to falcons, come throughout. Our most common is the Harris Hawk, " said Park Ranger Stacy Sanchez.
But even Sanchez admits that blogs spiked with reports this summer of something.
"People were posting about a very large, raptor-like bird, and they were talking about an 18-to-20-foot wingspan. I don't know ... It's kind of a myth," said Sanchez.
"We know that it's rare, and we know that this area's been pretty popular hangout in the past," said Gerhard.
Gerhard has been installing cameras in Harlingen, where Guadalupe Cantu wants his big bird sighting documented and validated.
Ramirez, an eyewitness sketched the creature. p>
Back in San Antonio, Ramirez has mounted an outdoor light to keep the creature at bay.
"I know what I saw. It took me more than a week to step out of this house. I wouldn't step foot out of this house," said Ramirez. "It had this very, very horrible demeanor-look on its face. Like I was lunch," he said.
On Nov. 21, Gerhard will be featured in a History Channel documentary called "Birdzilla."
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X3: Terran Conflict Announced
X3: Terran Conflict will be a "culmination of the X trilogy," with the final chapter centering around Earth and its relationship to the rest of the universe. The PC game will also feature more missions than any previous title in the series, and allow players to take on the roles of various characters, such as a military pilot.
Look for X3: Terran Conflict in the third quarter of 2008.
From The Chatty


text: Wynonna has postponed a series of concerts after her husband Michael Scott "Cactus" Moser, 55, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident late Saturday (Aug. 18) near Hill City, S.D. Moser, who scored four No. 1 country hits in the '80s, as a member of the band Highway 101, plays drums in his wife's band. The couple were riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycles prior to Saturday's scheduled concert at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel and Casino in Deadwood, S.D., when Moser drifted across the center line of the highway and collided with the driver's side door of a Chevrolet Malibu. Wynonna, who was riding ahead of Moser, was not involved in the accident. Moser was transported to an area hospital and is being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries. Saturday's concert was postponed, as well as four other dates scheduled later this week in Canada. "The outpouring of prayer and support from friends, family and fans has been a blessing," she said in a written statement. "Cactus is a champion. I love him deeply, and I will not leave his side." Judd and Moser were married on June 10 at her farm near Nashville.


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| 10.8°C Belfast
Malky Mackay has apologised for sending text messages he admits were "disrespectful of other cultures" - but claims they were "part of friendly text banter".
The former Cardiff boss and Iain Moody are alleged to have shared racist, sexist and homophobic texts when the latter was head of recruitment at the club.
The pair were sacked by the club last season and the Welsh club have sent a dossier to the Football Association alleging misconduct.
The League Managers' Association issued a statement on Mackay's behalf which read: "If Malky has caused any offence by these two isolated matters he would wish to sincerely apologise."
The LMA claims the club searched more than 10,000 private text messages and found two from Mackay that were "with the benefit of hindsight, very regrettable and disrespectful of other cultures".
The statement added: "These were...sent in private at a time Malky felt under great pressure and when he was letting off steam to a friend during some friendly text message banter.
"The LMA does not condone in any way any potential breach of equal opportunities laws but would also point out that out of over 10,000 text messages and 70,000 documents produced over a long period of time it may not be a complete surprise that some inappropriate comments can sometimes be made by employees, like Malky, working under great pressure in highly charged situations."
However, Mackay was said to be "very concerned about seriously inaccurate and misleading reports" in the media.
The statement continued: "It has never been alleged that he wrote any homophobic or sexist messages and he has confirmed he did not do so.
"Further, there are incorrect and damaging suggestions that he sent a whole host of offensive and unpleasant messages that are simply not true and which give a grossly distorted and unfair view of Malky's involvement in this matter.
''Malky finds it strange that these matters were only raised with the FA and in the media now, eight months after his employment ended and the day before he was reported as being offered the opportunity to become manager of Crystal Palace FC.
''Malky cannot of course comment on the nature of any conduct or communications alleged to have been made by others.
''Malky has said that he will be fully co-operating with any FA investigation and that he looks forward to putting the record straight thereafter.''
Press Association Sport understands Cardiff's sending of the dossier to the FA was not deliberately timed to have any effect on Mackay's candidacy for the Crystal Palace job.
Meanwhile, Moody resigned as sporting director of Crystal Palace on Thursday.


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New Movies This Weekend at Parkwood Cinemas: Chimpanzee – The Lucky One – Think Like A Man
This weekend wild Chimps, romantic Sparks and clueless Men make the play for your green at the box office.
For movie showtimes, visit our friends at Parkwood Cinemas.
A 3-year-old chimpanzee is orphaned after his mother is killed by rival chimps. After a harrowing escape and rejection by all the other females in the band, he's adopted by the leader of his troop. But the attention showered upon him by the aging male could be the end of their tranquility, as marauding chimps oust the troop from their territory. Narrated by Tim Allen. If you see this film in it's opening week, a portion of the box office take will be donated to The Jane Goodall Institute.
The Lucky One
From the novel by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook), a Marine (Zac Efron) travels to North Carolina after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman (Taylor Schilling) he believes was his good luck charm during the war.
Think Like A Man
Four friends conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey's relationship advice against them. Stars Gabrielle Union (7th Heaven), Jerry Ferrara (Entourage) and Kevin Hart.


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(Pocket-lint) - The Kindle Fire HD brings to the UK something missing from Amazon's armoury: a tablet. With the Kindle E Ink reader now firmly lodged in the hands, and minds, of many, the most important thing about this particular tablet might not be the operating system or the tech specs, but the Kindle name.
While the iPad is a household name, rival tablets have struggled to establish themselves: Android devices come in at every size, price and experience, but the iPad is the name on everyone's lips. With the iPad mini entering the fray, the Kindle Fire HD has everything to fight for.
But does this tablet offer anything you can't get anywhere else? Will this distilled Android-based tablet appeal, or does it miss the mark? Should you pick the Kindle Fire HD over the iPad mini or the Nexus 7?
From the front the Kindle Fire HD could be any 7-inch tablet. There's nothing that screams Amazon, just the gloss of the Gorilla Glass finished display shining back at you, the surface is punctuated only by the front-facing camera. There are no other controls or markings.
Flip Amazon's tablet over and the Kindle branding is still rather understated, sitting on the band that transects the back of the device. This band has grills at each end, housing the Dolby stereo speakers.
The finish of the back is matte black. It's tactile, with softly curved edges that make the Kindle Fire HD both easy and secure to grip. It measures 193 x 137 x 10.3mm, so it's hardly the slimmest tablet around and at 395g, it's heavier than both the iPad mini and the Nexus 7.
But it feels solidly built and nice to hold and that's the important point. There's no sign of creaking or warping as you manipulate this tablet. Even though you're not paying a premium price for it, the quality it still there.
The sides of the Fire HD house the various buttons and connections, although these are kept to a relative minimum. In terms of physical ports you have a micro HDMI and Micro-USB on the bottom of the tablet; the right-hand side offers a 3.5mm jack along with a volume rocker and power/standby button.
Those physical buttons are actually rather small and can be fairly tricky to find, the standby button especially, but its flush profile means it won't be pressed accidentally if you rest the edge of the tablet on a table.
Overall, it's a solidly designed and built tablet. It perhaps lacks the panache of the iPad mini, which is thinner and lighter and finished with a premium aluminium back, but the Kindle is £100 less.
Hardware and display
Sitting at the core of the Kindle Fire HD is a dual-core 1.2GHz OMAP 4460 processor, which is no stranger to Android devices. It's pretty powerful, but with the amount of work that Amazon has done to the Fire HD, it's difficult to tell if the most is being made of it.
This can be seen in the performance, which can occasionally seems a touch on the slow side. Things like rotation can sometimes be just a little unresponsive, and the unlocking action on the screen feels like it needs more snap. Perhaps Amazon has opted for a slightly slower pace, but to us it feels like the Kindle Fire could do with revving its engine a little more.
The display, of course, is one of the most important aspects of the Kindle Fire HD. It is a 7-inch, IPS, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution display. That gives you a nice tight 216ppi, which is typical of this size of tablet, matching the Nexus 7, but sharper than the iPad mini.
The Kindle Fire HD will give you nice crisp details and everything looks sharp, be it websites or the text of your favourite book. Colours are nice and vibrant, although the whites are a little on the yellow side when set against a superior display, like that on the HTC One X+.
There is plenty of brightness on offer too, but this where we hit one of the important points about the Kindle Fire HD: this is a conventional backlit LCD display rather than E Ink that you'll find on the Kindle ebook reader devices. Although this widens the functionality of the device hugely, it means it's much less effective outdoors in bright conditions.
Although Amazon pushes the glare-reducing display, we have to say that this display is very reflective, more so than many smartphones we set against it. This means outdoor use is hampered because you have to deal with reflections. As is the case with all tablets, this is a device for your home rather than when lying on the beach beside the pool.
Homepage and navigation
But with a device like the Kindle Fire HD, the tech specs are only a small part of the equation. We live in a world where content is king and on tablets, this is a more critical point than anywhere else. Ease of access, simplicity of use and freedom to do everything you want are key factors.
Although the Amazon Kindle Fire HD is an Android tablet, it has been totally reworked to suit Amazon. There are some tell-tale indicators of Google's OS, but much of what you might expect to find here isn't. That's no bad thing, as long as you're aware that's what you're getting.
Power the device on and you're greeted with a homepage that gives you a content timeline. The most recent things you've been reading, playing, listening to or browsing will sit on this line, so you can flick across and return to content easily.
This is topped by a navigation bar that offers up all the major areas the Fire HD offers: shop, games, apps, books, music, videos, newsstand, web, photos, docs. Whenever you're on the homepage, these are the things you have access to, as well as search.
There's also a swipe down bar at the top (very Android) which gives you hardware controls, like volume, brightness and Wi-Fi, as well as access to the settings for the device. You'll also get notifications here and yes, if you don't want them, you can hit the button to clear, or swipe them away.
When in applications, a sidebar control opens up. Typically this offers an on-screen home, back and menu buttons, as well as some context-specific controls based on the app you're in, like fullscreen, for example. It's all logical, intuitive and poses no problem when it comes to using the device.
Kindle Books
One of the reasons the Kindle Fire HD is available at such an attractive price is that Amazon is banking on selling you content. When you sign in to your Fire HD, as with any other Kindle device, you are then linked in to your Amazon account.
This means you'll get access to content you have previously purchased. Books you might have bought through the Kindle store previously will appear on your device, along with any music you've bought from AmazonMP3. Of course, this being Amazon, the content doesn't just pile in to eat up your storage, but sits in the cloud until you retrieve it.
Anyone with a Kindle will have experienced this: you can free up space on your device by sending content back to the cloud "archive". It's a system that works well, and as you search for content on the Kindle Fire HD, you'll get used to the system that offers up cloud and device viewing options, and then further "store" options for buying new stuff.
Starting with books, this is very much the Kindle experience you probably already know and love. You can browse and buy from Amazon's extensive catalogue and Prime members can also borrow from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. As we said, the Kindle Fire HD isn't as natural a reading experience as using a traditional E Ink Kindle, but we've still found ourselves flipping into reading a book when sitting on the sofa with the Fire HD.
Fortunately, as this is connected to the Kindle ecosystem, Whispersync will keep track of things, so if you then move to reading on a different device, it will sync to the same page.
The reading interface gives you a range of options at a quick press. You can change the font, background colour, or fire up the X-Ray feature, which will reveal character details so you can find out a little more.
Music matters
Visually, the music interface looks a lot like the Kindle store, with the option to browse content that's on your device or in the cloud. We like AmazonMP3 and the app gives you access to music, with track samples on request, that you can download and move around as you please.
Because AmazonMP3 has a generic Android app too, anything you buy through the store can easily be downloaded on to your phone as well. You can always access your Amazon music through a browser too, so downloading to your PC to move to any other device isn't a problem. This is the sort of freedom we like.
The Kindle Fire HD sounds great too. With Dolby speakers on the rear, we have to say that this is probably the best sounding tablet we've ever come across. There is a richness to the sound quality that isn't common from a device of this size and even bass is appreciably produced.
The volume levels are also really impressive and this is one of the first tablets where we'd seriously sit down and watch a movie without wanting to use headphones. Headphones will give you a more immersive experience, but on the Kindle Fire HD the speakers are really good too.
Content: Freedom to move
Of course, this being an Android tablet, you have the freedom to simply and easily add your own content. Connecting the Kindle Fire HD to our office Mac saw the familiar Android File Transfer app appear, so we could drag content on to the device.
Once in place, you'll be able to access this content much as you would anything else on your Kindle. Head into the specific section and in many cases you'll find it sitting there. In the case of something like music, photos or docs, again you'll get the option to switch between cloud or device content and download cloud content you want locally.
The video service on the Kindle Fire HD in the UK comes from Lovefilm; videos you add you'll have to access through a separate app, called "personal videos", so things start to look a little fragmented when adding videos. This is also true of some other miscellaneous file types, like app APKs, for example, which just get lost in the memory, so downloading a file manager app is vital if you plan to add lots of content yourself.
A range of common file formats are supported (you can find the full list on Amazon's website), but this does mean you can just dump a lot of content into the Kindle at your leisure. There is one thing that isn't natively supported and that's epub book files, so if you have a stack of epub books already, you can't just move them over and start reading.
There are various ways around this, such as using an app like Calibre to convert your non-DRM files to an Amazon-friendly format before you move them to your device. But if you have existing protected book files, you'll need to hunt for a work-around.
Video: Lovefilm, others, and your own
In the US, the Kindle Fire offers a different approach to video, which gives you more freedom to browse and buy. In the UK, the video offering on the Kindle Fire HD comes from Lovefilm. We've already looked at the app in some detail and we won't repeat all that information.
READ: Lovefilm for Kindle Fire HD pictures and hands-on
The Lovefilm app is nice to use, returning films quickly and syncing across your Lovefilm apps on other devices. This means you can pause on one device and resume on another, very much like you can with Kindle books. Movies look fantastic on the display and, as we've said, sound great through the speakers.
The big point to realise is that Lovefilm is a subscription service. You'll have to pay monthly to get access to that content. It's integrated right into the video tab of the Kindle Fire HD which is where the problem arises. If you decide you'd rather use a service like Netflix, you have to access that through apps, rather than the existing video heading.
As we've already mentioned, any video you move across to the Kindle Fire HD won't fall into that video tab either, you'll have to access it through Personal Videos. This means the video experience can be a little bitty if you don't simply plump for Lovefilm's service.
Lovefilm Instant has a reasonable selection of titles on offer, but it's hampered by the inability to go offline. It's a streaming only service, so as soon as you want to take your Fire HD out of the house, it's almost redundant. Stepping on a 15-hour flight? You'll need to source and sideload any video content you want to watch.
That's a minor irritation and nothing that a regular tablet or smartphone user will struggle with, but it doesn't fit with the simplicity of the books or music experience. What we really want to see is a download option for your movies. This is an area where the iPad mini trumps the Kindle, as the iTunes option will simply let you rent or buy a movie to download and take with you.
We found that HD content played back well, although some files it struggled with, dropping frames as though it lacked the power to play them back. If sideloading is what you'll be doing, it's worth testing what will work, to get things running smoothly for your video.
Amazon AppStore
This being Amazon's take on Android, you don't get access to Google Play. Instead, you have the Amazon AppStore. This is an "editorialised" Android market, with Amazon having the say on what makes it in. In some cases you'll find it is exactly as you get from Google Play, but in some cases you'll get a Kindle Fire version of an app.
Generally speaking much of what you might be looking for is there, so your main social networking apps like Twitter are easy to find and offer a similar experience to the rest of the Android world. There is also a range of games, along with GameCircle that keeps track of progress and scores, although a quick search for favourites like Disney's Where's My Water? came up lacking.
Returning to video, it's great to find that services like Netflix are on offer, as is the BBC iPlayer for those looking to catch up on everything from Auntie. However, beyond that, things start to pale. There's no Sky Go or ITV Player, which is a little disappointing, but as the Kindle Fire HD has just launched in the UK, we'll grant it a little stay of execution.
However, customers looking for everything out of the box might not be so lenient: the Nexus 7, with the wider coverage of Google Play, has much of this covered and the iPad mini, adopting everything in the Apple AppStore, certainly does.
Otherwise, the Amazon AppStore experience is nice and clean. It's easy to browse and download new apps and again, there's the option to archive apps you've purchased to the cloud if you don't want actively to use them. There is also a free app of the day offered, so you can get your hands on a paid-for app.
It there's something you particularly want, but isn't on offer from Amazon, then you can again sideload it. Seasoned Android users will be comfortable doing this, but it comes with a word of warning: some apps won't work as they're intended to and we found that in some cases we couldn't open menus.
Contacts, email, calendar
You might take it for granted that an Android device will tap into your Google account and seamlessly pull in everything in the Googleverse to your devices. You can add accounts to the Kindle Fire HD to access things like email, contacts and calendar, with a number of services, including Exchange, recognised.
Google is perhaps the one you'll be most interested in. We found that we didn't get the freedom to select as many options as you do on native Android, however. We couldn't, for example, sync contacts from different Google accounts and we couldn't find multiple Google calendars in our accounts.
However, the contacts, email and calendar apps are all rather nice. It's easy to share content via email - pictures for example - or to fire up an email to contacts. The reminders system from the calendar works as you'd expect on Android, with an alert in the notifications area.
There is no mapping in place though, so if you have addresses in your calendar and you want to know where that next meeting is, then you're sort of stuck. Address detail does get highlighted in blue as though it's a link, but it isn't. Worse still, you can't copy it to paste into a third-party map like Nokia Maps or the browser.
Although these basic functions are covered, it doesn't feel as complete or as comprehensive as you'd get on a regular Google tablet. For those looking to stay in touch, that's probably not a problem, but if you've wider aims for the Kindle Fire HD then the solution here is slightly lacking.
On of the biggest uses for tablets is browsing the web, meaning you get the benefits of a larger display without having to fire up a laptop. In the case of the Kindle Fire HD, you have the Silk browser, which Amazon has lavished attention on.
On of the big features of the browser is accelerated page loading. We set it side-by-side with Chrome on the HTC One X+, both on the same Wi-Fi network and we couldn't see any discernible difference in loading times between the two devices.
There are a number of nice features, however, such as a reading mode which reformats the text and dumps the adverts, great for reading reviews on Pocket-lint.com. You can also tell the browser to serve mobile or desktop pages depending on your preference. We'd go desktop, because there's plenty of space on offer here for a full web experience.
The address bar also offers direct searching with a choice of Google, Bing or Yahoo search engines to choose from. Overall, we found the Kindle Fire HD to be a perfectly good browser and have little to complain about.
Amazon's keyboard is also pretty good. The touch response is fast enough, with long presses serving up numbers on the top row.
Final points
The battery inside the Kindle Fire HD claims to give you 11 hours of use. This seems about right from our testing, but will vary based on what you use the tablet for. If you leave your tablet in standby you'll find the battery draining away fairly quickly over the course of a few days.
There is an optional PowerFast (£17.99) for the Kindle Fire HD that will charge it in four hours, otherwise you're looking at around 13 hours to charge from a regular USB port.
There is a front-facing camera that's designed for video calling, so you can use Skype to keep in touch with friends and family. The experience is very much as it is on any other Android tablet, so it all works nicely.
The Kindle Fire HD wants to be the complete package, from hardware to content. The price makes it attractive and there are various options on offer: higher storage at £209 and the "with offers" alternative, which knocks £10 off the price in exchange for pushing some adverts your way. The model on review here was without offers, so we can't comment on exactly what that adds to the experience.
In aiming to be the complete package, the Kindle Fire HD succeeds to a point: sourcing content and having that seamlessly integrated into the experience from Amazon makes everything easy and simple for users. If this is all you are after, then the Kindle Fire HD will suit you as an affordable home tablet with plenty on offer.
But the real question is whether there's anything here you can't get elsewhere. Although the interface is unique and the option to stream Lovefilm movies is exclusive to this Android tablet (at the moment), much of what's on offer here can be replicated elsewhere.
The Kindle and the Amazon MP3 Android apps, for example, offer almost the same experience, and exactly the same content. Projecting beyond these things, Google's native offering for Gmail, calendar and contacts just feels like it works better. Then you have Google Maps and the wider selection of apps in Google Play and the similarly priced Nexus 7 looks like the better device.
READ: Nexus 7 review
Then there's the question of the iPad mini. Apple's device is a similar size but of course comes with an App Store that's packed full of bespoke tablet applications. The downside is it's £100, more so it's the expensive choice.
All in all, the Kindle Fire HD is a nice safe tablet. It's a better choice than some of the cheap tablets out there, but the fiercely competitive price of the Nexus 7 makes this a harder device to sell. The integration of the content is nicely done, but beyond that, you're a slight step behind.


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MIAMI – A man who grew up working in his father's hydraulic hose shop in Miami will soon become crew chief for one of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds jets.
Victor Cifuentes makes hydraulic hoses in his Miami shop. He used to do it with his son Gus.
"Right there, at the counter, he says, 'Daddy, I'm leaving. I'm going to the Air Force,'" said Cifuentes. "I said, 'What?'"
"It was a good learning experience then," said Air Force Staff Sergeant Gus Cifuentes.
Gus said he saw a Thunderbird as a child and decided as a college student he wanted to work on one.
"I was thinking in the back of my head, 'Hey, maybe I could become a Thunderbird,'" he said, "but I didn't even think I would have the opportunity to actually become one."
Gus said his experiences in his dad's shop put him on the Thunderbird's radar screen.
"Luckily, I have some friends that have joined the Thunderbirds and they might have asked them to see what type of person I was," he said.
The screening process took about a month. Finally, word came that Gus was selected as crew chief for one of the multi-million dollar F-16s.
"I'm always out there putting in extra time just to make sure the aircraft is safe for him to fly back because he as well has a family that he would like to come home to at night, same as me," said Gus.
"I'm very happy for him because he really loves that," said Victor. "What he's doing, he loves. He's the best guy in there."
Gus, his wife, and young son will soon leave Lajes Air Base in Portugal and travel to Nevada where the Thunderbirds train. He is set to report to the Thunderbirds in August.
Gus also plans on stopping in Miami.
"Sometimes, customers will come by and I'll be there helping him," Gus added. "It's just a good time spending time with my dad."
Victor plans on turning over his business to his son at some point.


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Enter Hardtied Now!
PD Makes Trina Nervous
Trina Michaels looks comfortable at first, as she is driving out to the farm with PD, but as he gets to talking she begins to get nervous. The idea that they will be isolated in the mountains, miles from any help, where no one can hear her scream for help finally starts to set in and it is both terrifying and incredibly hot. Trina needs to feel vulnerable to feel alive and PD makes that happen....
Read More
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