text:
Double-dipping? Man decries rougher justice for black workers
Butch Wells was bothered when he learned that a former employee of his may have been collecting unemployment benefits during the 18 months she earned a paycheck from him. What intensifies his anger is that three others charged with welfare fraud– all of them African American– are getting prosecuted while his ex-employee may be allowed to negotiate her way out of trouble.
Do some government agencies criminalize benefits fraud while others steer clear of the courts? It looks that way.
For example, in early January, three African-American women were arrested and charged with felony welfare fraud for allegedly collecting from Charlottesville's Social Services. That same week, Wells says he was contacted by a Virginia Employment Commission investigator looking into allegations of double dipping about one of his former employees, and the investigator said she'd be meeting with the former employee, who is white, to set up a repayment plan.
From April 2010 to November 2011, Wells, who owns a home health care business called Tassco II, says the ex-worker was paid more than $52,000. And according to his estimates, during that time, she could have reaped as much as $30,000 in unemployment benefits.
"The three arrested for welfare fraud are African American, and one they're negotiating with is white," says Wells. "It has a hint of impropriety."
Police say Kianna Taylor, 22, allegedly took more than $6,000, Selena Jones, 47, almost $9,000, and Susan Taylor, 46, more than $13,000.
"We negotiate all the time," says Diane Kuknyo, director of Charlottsville Social Services, which filed the welfare fraud charges. "If the amount we're looking at is under $1,000, we'll attempt to negotiate. If it's more than $1,000, it goes to the commonwealth's attorney."
"We're not looking to give someone a criminal record," says Kuknyo. "But if it's systemic, we will go forward." She declined to comment specifically about the alleged welfare fraud case, other than to note, "It's not a racial thing. It just happened to be three African Americans on the police blotter."
It may be a matter of different agencies having different enforcement standards. At the Virginia Employment Commission, getting the money back appears to be the first order of business.
"Whenever we find out someone is collecting unemployment money and is employed, we contact the person and try to get it paid back or set up a payment schedule," says VEC spokeswoman Joyce Fogg.
If repayment isn't made, Fogg says, the cases could go to court. Declining to respond to the allegations about Wells' former employee, she says the VEC won't discuss specific cases. Nor would investigator Debra Brockwell, with whom Wells says he talked. She referred a reporter to media person Fogg.
In 2011, the VEC paid out $631 million in unemployment benefits, says Fogg, and sometimes, what looks like fraud might be just a misunderstanding.
That doesn't seem to be the case in Washington, D.C., where nearly 90 city workers were suspended February 6 and face firing and prosecution for allegedly collecting unemployment benefits at the same time they were receiving District of Columbia paychecks.
Wells' former employee, Louise Bodenstein, denies she received unemployment benefits while working.
"Those are false statements," she declares when contacted by the Hook. "[Wells] has some sort of ax to grind," she says.
"I have no ax to grind," says Wells. "I'm not trying to get the welfare ladies off. They stole my tax dollars. So did Louise Bodenstein."
Wells says he'd just like to see all alleged purloiners of taxpayer benefits treated the same. Otherwise, he points out, "What's to stop me from filing for unemployment?"
38 comments
Don't discriminate. Lock 'em all up!
Unemployment benefits are basically the state paying the disenfranchised to not revolt.
And the state using taxpayer dollars to exert control over the disenfranchised's voting preferences, etc.
I only stole a little bit so its ok. Funny how people rationalize poor behavior, especially when they get caught.
Perhaps it is Mr. Well's business that has contributed to this............does he pay a "living wage"?
Looks like Wells is looking for some free buzz for his business. If the white woman stole less than $1,000, then so be it. The system negotiates all the time in all matters criminal.
As for that silly last comment: "What's to stop me from filing for unemployment?" Well, again, if you file, make the fraud for less than $1,000 so you can negotiate. Is that worth it, Mr. Wells?
I see the prism through which Mr. Wells views the world.
R.I.P.: Johnny "Quaker" Oates
"Do some government agencies criminalize benefits fraud while others steer clear of the courts? It looks that way."
Common sense dictates that they should , There is a big difference between a "person" going to social services and affirmativiely LYING on applications to get money and someone who was on unemployment and failed to make certain timely notifications.
If there is a difference between two agencies enforcment procedures the leap to it being a racial issue is quite large and has no logical basis in fact.
But it certainly gives a lot of fodder for those who like to point out glaring examples of the race card being played without merit.
After reading this story again the "Hook" should investigate "The Hook" for writing stories in an attempt to inflame racial discourse amongst its readership.
This is a no brainer and Mr Wells should have been told that (politely) when he called.
This story does no service to anyone and is unfair to the agencies by making unfounded allegations. If Mr Wells can find where the city declined to prosecute whites for the same offense then that would be news. The city says that circumstance does not occur.
This city has enough real racial divides without red herrings being tossed into the mix.
"From April 2010 to November 2011, Wells, who owns a home health care business called Tassco II, says the ex-worker was paid more than $52,000. And according to his estimates, during that time, she could have reaped as much as $30,000 in unemployment benefits."
Big difference between $30,000 and $1,000, folks. Maybe Well's estimate was off by factor of 30, maybe there are some commenters trying to distort the facts so as to make the black people look like liars and the white people look like absent minded professors.
Or maybe it's the Commonwealth distorting the facts and hoping you'll take their word for it. Happens all the time.
"Perhaps it is Mr. Well's business that has contributed to this............does he pay a "living wage"?"
Plenty of people make do with a lot less than WHAT THE ARTICLE SAYS THE PERSON IN QUESTION WAS PAID. "From April 2010 to November 2011, Wells, who owns a home health care business called Tassco II, says the ex-worker was paid more than $52,000" Is that a living wage or not Skip?
Unemployment benefits over that period would have been far greater than $1000. In fact the article estimates them at $30,000. Even if that estimate is double the actual amount, then it is thousands of dollars greater than the amounts the other women were charged with taking. White collar crime by white people is still crime and ought to be prosecuted, not swept under the rug.
The fact that a state agency did not prosecute and the city agency did shows racism. Why? Because everyone knows whites can get unemployment because they work and blacks get welfare because they don't.
Back in the mid- eighties, I was in a jury pool for the city's prosecution of a white woman for welfare fraud. Since then, I guess whites joined the Welfare To Work program and got jobs so they could collect unemployment and blacks didn't. Clearly this is an example of racial division.
This is the kind of crap that will be brought before the city's proposed Human Rights Commission on Discrimination, Diversity and Racism. And I guarantee you that commission will take it up because of the reasons I gave above.
Maybe this has something to do with the fact that the white lady makes 52 grand a year and it's worthwhile trying to negotiate a payback plan because she can actually afford to pay it back but the black folks, maybe those three don't make 52 grand a year and never gonna be able to pay it back. It might be more about money and practicality than race.
Unemployment benefits never were the political football that welfare benefits were in the 80s and 90s. To deny it was due to the fact that it was perceived that black people were more likely to receive welfare benefits is to deny reality.
So welfare "fraud" was criminalized whereas unemployment "mistakes" were not. Who can forget Ronald Reagan railing against "welfare queens"?
The same forces at work that result in decades of imprisonment for crack possession and months or years for powder cocaine of equivalent quantity. The same forces that result in the AP reporting that blacks are "looting" while whites are "finding" goods after Hurricaine Katrina.
AFTER THE FACT people are able to rationalize it all and find reasons why this racism makes sense. JWG shows this. Essentially he says, "whites make more money so therefore they shouldn't be imprisoned."
Don't expect it to change. Of course all these people are responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, if the people making the laws are racist, then racist results come out of equal application of the law.
Whoa, meanwhile, I realize it's routine around these parts to misconstrue everything I write about anything, but you've topped them all. Unemployment benefits may not used to have been a political football, but they sure are now. I'm not the one enacting, rationalizing, or enforcing the law either I'm just making the observation that race probably has nothing to do with this, it's probably about doing whatever is possible to recover the money without spending yet more tax dollars to imprison people.
b17- it was a facetious statement..........get it?
You see it in wingnut's comment. The welfare recipients are "lying" and the UEB recipient made a "mistake".
Sort of like how black people "loot" and white people "find".....
The same people would say, "of course black people should be locked up more, they're scarier!!!"
I guess unemployment benefits can be used as a political football but I think only by those who can't see the forest thru the trees.
The only two questions are
1) would they have prosecuted his employee if she was black?
2) Would the city have let the the women go if they were white?
Linking the two is racebaiting. Either the city is treating different races different or they are not.
Either the state unemployment office is tretaing different races different or they are not.
Would it be fair to check out the library and see if they forgive fines differenlyt depending on race?
Did the hook ask what race it was that referred the three black women over to the Commonwealth attorney? Did you ask if the protocols for referrals ever have exceptions?
If there are exceptoons what would that criteria be?
Also, what was the context of the fraud in all cases... It seems that The employee claimed innocence, perhaps letting her tell her side would have provided context.
I am a reader with inside knowledge of this situation, and I can say that The Hook, namely Lisa Provence, has completely failed to actually do any investigative journalism for this article.
1. Lisa takes the words of Butch Wells as truth. He came to her with this story, and she assumes what he is saying is true. She did no true investigation. When she contacted Louise, she did not receive any real answers...she got a sound bite. Wonderful he says/she says...but no actual investigation.
2. Butch Wells has been investigated several times for giving employees 1099s instead of W2s. Ms. Bodenstein was one of these "employees."
3. When an officer was sent to check on Ms. Bodenstein's employment status with Mr. Wells' company (Tempco, NOT Tasco II), he told the officer that she was not an employee, and that he was reimbursing her for services rendered. His tune changed LATER, when she found employment elsewhere and left Tempco. THIS is when he reported her to the IRS (NOT like the article states), after having KNOWINGLY paid her for 18 months without the proper tax forms. He was well aware of the situation, but will undoubtedly deny it to save face.
4. When Ms. Bodenstein left Tempco, having found gain, LEGAL (W2s and all) employment elsewhere, Mr. Wells not only contacted the IRS, but also The Hook, and is filing suit against Ms. Bodenstein for money that she supposedly owes him from when Tempco was started. No "ax [sic] to grind"? In addition to this, he has told former clients that she had been caught embezzling money from the company, which is unequivocally false. Why did he do this?
5. Tempco, which is now defunct, had a history of questionably legal practices. For example, as a home health care service, they often failed to provide background checks for their care providers, and in at least one case allowed a caregiver with no criminal background check (who incidentally DID have a criminal background) to give care to a client. The caregiver was also never given a W2, and instead a 1099.
I could go on, but frankly, the comment section of an online article is hardly the place, especially when the level of investigation indicates a complete ineptitude of the author. Perhaps instead of simply taking a person at his word, you should try to think of WHY this person may be bringing you this story. This is supposed to be a source of news, not a tabloid.
Identify yourself, please.
Or maybe you don't want to cause you're afraid someone might sue you. Understandable.
Maybe if you gave your name Lisa could give you a call and hash out what really happened in a forum broader than a comment board.
But she'd probably want to put your name in print.
as stated earlier
"Perhaps it is Mr. Well's business that has contributed to this"
This story just seems like another symptom of a more fundamental disease in this town. It seems to me that where there's smoke there is fire. Race and racial discrimination keep popping up all over the place, in this story, in the recent action by VO about discrimination in the management position is City Hall, the DT Mall story... ' That says to me the Dialogue on Race has be ineffectual in dealing with real issue, its just a lot of middle class people talking around real problems. Why doesn't the Hook cover that?
it also screams that this proposed Commission on Human Rights was an appropriate policy action and will have a lot of work to do and could be looking formally and with rigor into the causes of these recurring problems along with inequality in the judicial system, incarceration, employment, mental health, etc. Oh and it could be helping individuals with real discrimination complaints to get some real relief
The fact that thew City Council delayed its implementation to get more data or or know tow to the Chamber of Commerce or whatever just seems like a waste of time. How many more stories about racial discrimination do they have to read to face up to the fact that there are real problems of racism and discrimination in tis town and that something serious and concrete beyond words and more studies has to be done. The City Councilors are politicians not change agents. They know what needs to be done but don't have the mettle to do it.
I am struck by how the Hook can cover tis story but spent zero ink on the proposed Human Rights Commission that was about dealing with these kinds of problems at the systemic level. Maybe there is just more advertising in sensational stories like this one and the Systemic issues are just too complex for them (except for Dave McNair of course).
reeks of a romantic relationship gone bad. why else would these people fall on their own swords in an effort to slay the other? just sayin'
"I am struck by how the Hook can cover tis story but spent zero ink on the proposed Human Rights Commission that was about dealing with these kinds of problems at the systemic level."
DUDE, it is articles like this that claim discrimination without evidence that cause all the problems. The human rights commission would allow people with vendattas to make claims whenever they were fired and blame it on race gender religion whatever and the employers would have to prove that the person deserved to get fired.
This story needs way more investigation because right now it looks like he is just playing the race card with no evidence other than two unrelated agencies handling slightly similar issues differently. If either ageny would have handles it the same had the races been switched there is no issue about race to be made.
So the paper should be the venue for investigating this? I think those that proposed the Human Rights Commission saw it as a way to conduct those investigations in a more private way protecting those who are alleged to be discriminating from undue privacy violations and unfounded allegations until the case was founded by neutral investigators using formal procedures. The way it is now, maybe there is no discrimination, maybe there is but those who are being accused of discriminating are guilty by media report, that wouldn't be the case with a Human Rights Commission like the one in Prince William County. Just say'n.
Well this is an accusation against the government which is EXACTLY where it should be investigated.
The human rights commission wanted to stick its nose into private business where a fired employee could accuse the employer fo firing them for their race gender sexual preference. etc. The problem is it makes employers afraid to fire a lousy worker if they are in this group and it makes for a tough workplace. The other employees hate the boss and the bad employee and it causes all kinds of problems. if he does fire them and they compliain then some ACLU wannabe from the city subpenas all the employers records and even interview notes from other applicants and makes him explain WHY he fired someone or didn't hire them over someone else. Meanwhile the dirtbag is free to go to the Hook (or wherever )and start some BS. There are laws to protect against discrimination. We don't need more.
There is a difference between firing someone because they are a lousy employee and because they are not like you. The Commission processes are sensitive to that difference. If it turns out that someone has falsely accused someone of discrimination and they were really fired because they were lousy employees, the Commission investigator would find no cause for further action and the lousy employee would have no cause for action based on discrimination.
There are laws to protect against discrimination, the Commission would have just made those laws local and allowed people with real and actual discrimination complaints able to get some relief more quickly and with less coast than going to an attorney or the EEOC in DC. It would have also protected the employer from false accusations. We have to remember that not all accusations will be false. Some people do suffer from age, religion, gender, race discrimination. And in those cases, the Commission process would have made it less costly for the employer as well. If there was a Commission process people would not have to go to the press as a city investigator would be getting at the real issues, again protecting everybody. Once the Commission investigator finished the investigation and if there were no founded cause, it would be clear to everyone that the allegation had no merit.
A Commission appointed by the City Council would have no standing to send an investigator to Richmond to investigate a State agency such as VEC or the judicial branch of government. Think of it as a department of City government if that helps. How would a department of City government go the Richmond and investigate the state government. So your going to walk in and tell a state agency (VEC) that we want all your prosecution records because we hear (someone contacted The Hook) that you prosecute differently than the Charlottesville Social service department
@CP- Why would an employer first hire someone and then fire them because
they are not like you"? Makes no sense...
@CP- Where did you get this trust in Gov agencys. This group with their agenda are going to abuse their authority just like every government agency ever created.
I just want to appreciate all the comments that explore the issue beyond what was presented and note the questions still to be answered. It gives me hope for these interactive news forums.
If anyone has ever worked for a large company then they know that these large companies treat minorities, gays . blacks and disabled way different than the rest. They can be lousy employees and managment looks the other way because they don't want a lawsuit. You will notice that the lawsuits that are brought are almost always because some jerk in the warehouse shot off his mouth. not because an executive decided to get rid of the (insert minority here).
If someone is discriminated against then they can file a lawsuit. The city will just hire people who think that all minorites are "owed" something and harrass employers and landlords.
The other thing is that a lot of what people call "discrimination" is actually cultural differences that make it hard to find a good fit. Is it discrimination if you ask an employeee to pull up his pants? Is it discrimination if you ask him to pronounce the word ask as "ask"?
If a person comes to rent your apartment with his subwoofers shaking the windows and you know that your elderly renters will call you at all hours of the night to complain are you wrong to assume they might continue that if you rent to them? Suppose they come to fill out the application drunk and arguing? Unless you have the ability to prove that their race/gender/sexual preference wasn't the reasonyou turned them down these commisions harass you. Once you see what they did to your neighbor you learn not to cross them and start hiring unqualified people because you might be a "statistical" racist.
We have all walked into a business and wonder why the employer hasn't fired the person in front of us years ago.
That does not mean that whites are not bad employees but companies can at least fire them without a risk of a lawsuit.
The biggest lie in the world.....
" hi I'm from the Government and I am here to help"
"That does not mean that whites are not bad employees but companies can at least fire them without a risk of a lawsuit. "
That's really not true, just like most of what you are claiming.
The federal government did help investigate Lexis Nexis in C-ville. They were turned in to the feds (you can guess by who) because Lexis was paying no overtime for any editors for years and years stating they were salary and thus no overtime. The law specifically stated if you are putting in no creative effort of your own but just going by set rules, editors were to be paid overtime. After a year investigation by federal attorneys, Lexis volunteered and changed and paid some back wages. I think only attorneys could have done it. I have no confidence that a City department of non attorneys could have done anything against a major employer like the feds did against Lexis Nexis.


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Subject: Value Chain, Finance & Investments (VFI) Deposit Date: 2016 Kind of Data: spatial data Author Name: Arjasakusuma, S.
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May 21, 2017 - General
Gaveau, D.L.A.; Salim, M.; Arjasakusuma, S., 2016, "Deforestation and industrial plantations development in Borneo", https://doi.org/10.17528/CIFOR/DATA.00049, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), V2The dataset reveals forty-two years (1973-2015) of forest degradation by the logging industry, and conversion to industrial oil palm and pulpwood plantations in Borneo, shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. To view the data online, please visit: Atlas of deforestation and in...
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For some reason, Chevy decided it would be a good idea to run a giant 'Silverado Strong' ad in the home of the Red Sox, aka team 'Boston Strong.' Amazingly, Reddit got that shut down. Surely this isn't the first time a car company's PR team royally screwed up?
What is the worst PR blunder committed by a car company that you can remember? Something that completely blew up in the faces of an automaker and helped bring shame to their products?
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Lunch for One: Summer Set at Cha An
We have featured Cha An once before on this Lunch for One column, but we're back again with a look at their recently launched Summer Special lunch sets. The set runs $17 and includes any tea and dessert in addition to the main Reisei Gayu lunch.
Working our way from the top left, there's warm, salted salmon flakes, then two types of pickles (one sweet and one sour), radishes in a chilled, gelatinous broth, and a single tart ume plum. At the bottom right is a dish of sauteed squid, shoyu-laced, savory, and spiked with chili powder. All this is to be eaten alongside the bowl of rice bathed in cold bonito broth. Perfect for those hot days when you're craving rice, but can't bear thought of any warm food.
Tale a closer look at the rice bowl—along the colorful tangles of toasted sesame seeds, diced cucumber, and sprouts, there's a handful of tiny colorful pearls that look like tapioca. "Seaweed Pearls," the waitress corrected. The pearls are solid and firm, crunchy to the bite. Flavorless, but completely edible, and a beautiful aesthetic addition to the bowl.
The best part of the set is being able to choose any tea (there's a large and well edited selection of teas) on the menu, including the pricier ones, which makes this lunch set a truly awesome deal. I usually go for the Matcha Float, though the Lavender-Mint tea is an equally refreshing and much lighter summer drink.
Dessert changes daily, but it will usually be a super flaky and sugar-dusted mille-feuille tower sandwiching various sweets. On one recent visit it was milk chocolate mousse spiked with berries. On others? Both matcha and strawberry creme.
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8 Things You Should Never Do With Your Money, According to Experts
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The Welsh Books Council have announced the names of the winners of the Publishing Trade Awards at a special ceremony held in Aberystwyth in the presence of Alun Ffred Jones AM, the Heritage Minister.
'Publishers in Wales are to be warmly congratulated for the high standard of the books they are publishing at present,' said Elwyn Jones, Director of the Welsh Books Council,'and it was a pleasure to honour and acknowledge the work of the winners of the various categories. The book trade is indebted to the publishers for their continuing efforts to produce attractive and popular books, and the financial support given by the Welsh Assembly Government ensures that the publishing industry in Wales will continue to develop further.'
Alun Ffred Jones added,'It was a great pleasure to be present at the ceremony to honour the work of the publishers; the nature and high standard of the output is reflected in the sales of books from Wales, in both languages. We all take pride in our fine literary tradition, and the Welsh Assembly Government is pleased to support our culture through the provision of a wide range of books for readers of all ages.'
Highlights of the awards ceremony were broadcast on the S4C programmeWedi 7on Friday 12 March.
Winners of the Awards for English-language Books fromWales
FICTION BESTSELLERPublisher: AccentBring It Back Home, Niall Griffiths
POETRY BESTSELLERPublisher: SerenSunday at the Skin Launderette, Kathryn Simmonds
NON-FICTION BESTSELLERPublisher: AccentThe Hardest Test, Scott Quinnell
CHILDREN'S BESTSELLERPublisher: PontA Nod From Nelson, Simon Weston
MOST BORROWED LIBRARY BOOKPublisher: SerenBlue Sky July, Nia Wyn
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION (CHILDREN)Publisher: Pont (Gomer)Merlin's Magical Creatures, Graham Howells
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION (ADULTS)Publisher: GomerRandom Deaths and Custard, Catrin Dafydd
PHOTOGRAPHIC / ART BOOKPublisher: GomerFrom Africa to Iceland, John Rogers
Winners of the Awards for Welsh-language BooksFICTION BESTSELLERPublisher: GomerO Ran, Mererid Hopwood
POETRY BESTSELLERPublisher: GomerDauwynebog, Ceri Wyn Jones
NON-FICTION BESTSELLERPublisher: Y LolfaCofio Grav, Keith Davies
CHILDREN'S BESTSELLERPublisher: GomerChwarae gyda Cymro, Caroline Jayne Church
MOST BORROWED LIBRARY BOOKPublisher: GomerMae Mali Eisiau Mwy, Joseph Theobald
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION (CHILDREN)Publisher: AtebolMathiadur(Geiriadur Mathemateg Cyntaf), Robin Bateman
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION (ADULTS)Publisher: Y LolfaPlu,Caryl Lewis
PHOTOGRAPHIC / ART BOOKPublisher: GomerRhyw Deid yn Dod Miwn, Iwan Llwyd
Return to top of page
Books from Wales on-line
The Welsh Books Council's information resource for the book trade.


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Aerosmith has reunited with Jack Douglas, who produced the band's key 1970s albums, and quietly recorded a new studio album even as its lead singer traded jokes with Jennifer Lopez on "American Idol."
Steven Tyler said Aerosmith was finishing two final songs for the as-yet-untitled album, its first since 2004's "Honkin' on Bobo," and that he expected it to be released in about three months.
Joined Wednesday by Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer at a Los Angeles mall, Tyler revealed three track titles: "Legendary Child," ''Beautiful" and "Out Go the Lights." Earlier in the week, the band announced that its 18-stop US "Global Warming Tour" begins June 16 in Minneapolis.
"We will not let you down," Tyler told reporters and cheering fans.
The "Idol" judge is engaged to model Erin Brady. Asked in an interview about what will be his third marriage, Tyler joked: "I cannot stop falling off stage and falling in love."
Tyler said he reached out to Douglas — who produced 1974's "Get Your Wings," 1975's "Toys in the Attic" and other seminal albums from the multiplatinum Boston band — and the other group members joined him in Los Angeles. The group's 15th studio album will feature tunes built around guitar riffs from tour jam sessions and some previously shelved songs.
"We have a lot of songs that are very dear to us that we've written over the years," Tom Hamilton said. "And we can feel it when it's the perfect time to whip them out. And we're having that kind of experience now."
Tyler said he had used elements from tracks that didn't make previous albums.
"All the things that are left over aren't necessarily finished. So we take those riffs and we do them again," he said. "Because they are Aerosmith riffs. They're our children, so to speak."
The four members of the band — guitarist Brad Whitford did not attend — arrived at the mall in separate vehicles but seemed in good spirits and played down their famed infighting.
Tyler acknowledged that the band had argued over which songs to include: "Are we going to Tom's or Joe's or mine? It's always a fight. And plus it's a whole lot more," he said. "I think what you guys should be worrying about is the fact that we're still together after forty years and what you're about to hear, which is a new record. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."
Perry had leveled criticism at "Idol" in the past but credited the show for lifting Tyler's spirits.
"He's having a great time. I think he's happier now doing it, frankly," Perry said.
Hamilton said the band will benefit from Tyler's experience on a live television show: "Everything from how to appear to the public, how to go for it. ... As long as the rock is there, everything is cool."
Online: http://www.aerosmith.com
Aerosmith promises new album in 3 months
Aerosmith has reunited with Jack Douglas, who produced the band's key 1970s albums, and quietly recorded a new studio album even as its lead singer traded jokes with Jennifer Lopez on "American Idol."


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Again this year we will be holding a blender conference in Sydney Australia at the same time as the Blender Conference in Amsterdam, the 15th and 16th of October 9am till 5pm both days.
this is a call of interest, and to let people know that it is happening and to find if anyone is willing to present tutorials, projects, working examples, or anything in general. if there is anything specifically you would like to see send us an email and tell us... we know this year is going to be bigger and greater then last year.
This year Tim has also set up a brilliant new web site for his personal page, as well as the 'official' Blender Conference.AU web page, so sign up to www.sutabi.tk/timmeh and when you sign up there is a option to be notified of Blender Conference.AU updates... or send us an email at blenderconfau at gmail.com (yay we have a gmail this time... no hotmail for us ) with subscribe in the subject line... if you have any interest at all in coming, or would like to find anything else out about this event please give us an email.
Hope to see you there, Levon and Tim
Australian Blender Conference 2005
Discuss and propose activities, arrange carpools, share hotel rooms, arrange dormitories...
Moderators: jesterKing, stiv
Post Reply
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
Does anyone know what the dealio is with this conference? I emailed Levon about it in July but received no response. It's less than a week away and Levon doesn't answer emails. The mentioned website is all but gone containing just a "coming soon" picture. Should my friend and I scratch the date off the calendar or does anyone know if it going ahead?
Post Reply
4 posts • Page 1 of 1


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The Divine Play of Sri Rama (Brahmarupananda)(right-click to download: 36 MB)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
in the News:
Swamiji is making his way into American newspapers—see the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Huffington Post. Now also in the BBC.
Facebook - Vedanta Center


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NOTE: When communicating online, your Marine's privacy is as important as Operational Security. Please respect YOUR Marine's privacy!
Friday: 3/6
Sunday: 1/6
You'll find unit-specific homecoming shirts available from our EGA Store, where 100% of the proceeds benefit the outreach programs that support you and your Marine.
Learn about regional Marine family support groups in your area, or learn how you can start your own with advice and tips from us!
Thanks to All Who Participated!
Sunday, September 25, 2011, marked the third year Marine Parents encouraged individuals and communities across the country to participate in the Luminary Initiative on the last Sunday of September in honor of Gold Star mothers.
It was an even bigger success this year, and we thank all who participated by lighting luminaries outside of their homes and holding local ceremonies.
Click here to keep reading and view photos.
Marine Corps Birthday Box Campaign
We have received some very generous contributions to our Birthday Box Campaign, and we'd like to thank you for helping us ensure that our deployed Marines have a very happy birthday!
We are 3/4 of the way to reaching our goal of collecting 1200 Hormel Turkey Dinners the Marines can enjoy on Thanksgiving, and we are 1/4 of the way to collecting 1200 Olive Drab T-shirts.
Let's get these Marines some clean T-shirts! Many times some Marines in Forward Operating Bases can go without a shower or a place to launder their clothes for several days or weeks at a time.
Click here to donate T-shirts for deployed Marines.
Click here to learn more about the Birthday Box Campaign.
"Happy Birthday" to All Marines November 10
Few celebrations are more important to a Marine than the Marine Corps Birthday on November 10th each year. Help us send them warm wishes by writing a "Happy Birthday" card or letter to a deployed Marine.
It takes only a few minutes, but it means so much to these guys. Send your cards and letters to:
MarineParents.com, Inc.
Attn: Happy Birthday Marine
PO Box 1115
Columbia, MO 65205
Click here if you'd like to purchase a special Marine Corps Birthday card to write in and send back to us.
Available from the Marine Parents EGA Store
Our online EGA Store offers homecoming T-shirts complete with your Marine's unit crest on them. The design to the right is an example of our 1/5 homecoming shirts. All unit homecoming designs are available on T-shirts, polos, long sleeve shirts and hoodies. You choose the color.
We also have unit homecoming garden flags and mugs.
Click here to browse our Marine homecoming shop.
Join or Start a Support Group
For some Marine family members, it may be easier to connect and share their thoughts and emotions in person or in a relaxed group environment rather than in an online forum. If you think you would benefit from face to face support, consider checking our our Regional Support Group page on Marine Family Network.
On this page we list support groups across the nation whose coordinators have worked with us to be added to the list, so we know they are legitimate. All you have to do is visit the page, contact the group coordinator and check the page often for more information on the group's next meeting.
The page also offers information for starting your own support group if there is not a group in your area.
Click here to browse the support groups.
Meet Neil Schalk, Purple Heart Marine
Purple Heart Marine Neil Schalk, has once again joined Team Marine Parents™. He will be running the Mankato Marathon on October 22nd. He won't be just running, but he'll also be carrying a 5' x 3' American Flag on a pole for the full marathon. His efforts are to raise money for Purple Heart Hero Support™.
"After increased combat effort in Afghanistan, it got me thinking about the 5th floor at Bethesda," he says. "I know what it's like to be there [in the hospital] and what great support Purple Heart Hero Support™ offers. I do what I can now since I can't go back."
Let's help Neil reach his goal of raising $500 for Purple Heart Hero Support™! He just started fundraising, but we know we can get him to the $500 by October 22nd!
Click here to donate to Neil's cause.
Send Us Your Photos!
Marine mom Connie from Iowa posted this photo of her grandaughter Gracie on her Marine Family Network page, and we thought it was adorable and wanted to share it with you. Connie took photos of each of her grandkids holding the 1st battalion rally towel from our EGA Store in support of her son who recently graduated from Bravo company.
Thanks, Connie, for allowing us to share this photo! We love getting photos from our readership, especially if they include any of our EGA Store gear, so send them on over! Email your photos to email@example.com and we'll feature them in our newsletter as well as in our Semper Family photo gallery. Click here to view the gallery.
We hope this week's edition of our email newsletter has been useful for you and your family. If there are topics you would like us to address, or if you have other suggestions for the newsletter, please contact us.


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This week's challenge over at TMITA/PCC is brought to us by Olga Jewell. The challenge is 1,2,3 Create. Which means using 1 Paper Cupcake image, 2 Ribbons and 3 Buttons. This is my take on it. The image I used is "Happily Together" which was one of the give-a-way images for last week.
So, I have my one image "Happily Together" by Paper Cupcakes, 2 ribbons; the purple ribbon going across the poms poms and then I made my second ribbon into a bow, hope that works, and then my 3 buttons in my flowers. I used my Bic Mark-its to color the image. I really liked how this card turned out it just feels so happy to me. :O)
Here is a card I made last week when my mom came over. We made pop-up cards because she wanted do the challenge card. This is my pop-up card that I made that day. I decided to use 3 smaller images and and I colored them with my Bic Mark-its and added stickles to the bunnies. I really liked how Kim added her stickles on her bunnies so I did the same on these bunnies.
This is the inside and the bunny pops up, but it is kind of hard to tell, but the image is fairly large so I had to keep it somewhat close to the back so although it pops up it only sets about an inch from the back.
Mondays are one of my busiest days to get things done, so thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
March 22, 2010
Magical Monday - 1,2,3 Create
Posted by Nina at 6:00 AM 8 comments
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Well, soon I'll have to send applications(?) to schools and such stuff, but there's a problem with where I live... There are no programming classes! o.o
Anyways, I'd like to know what optioins I could have in England? xP I'm only soon done with 10th grade (So I think college is next?) so is it possible to learn programming, hopefully C++ in the next year, in England? I'd like it even more if it was London xP
I just need suggestions and some options to choose from, so any advice is appreciated!
Thanks in advance!


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http://mmajunkie.com A unique selling point of Tachi Palace Fights in recent years has been its flyweight division.
The California-based promotion has recruited talent aggressively and built a roster that includes several of the world's top-ranked 125-pound fighters.
With recent news that the UFC is soon to add the sport's lightest class to its roster, you'd think Tachi would be bracing itself for a exodus of talent, and naturally not be too happy about it.
But Tachi Palace entertainment coordinator Jeremy Luchau today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that it's been the plan all along to ship off the organization's best to the world's biggest fight promotion.
"We're here to prepare fighters for the next level of competition," he said.
Prior to this past Saturday's UFC 131 event, UFC president Dana White said his promotion is adding a flyweight class "like, really soon." He said the UFC already has put out feelers to those in the 125-pound division and spoke of the possibility of a grand-prix tournament to crown a champion.
"We bring the guys in, sign them and start putting on fights," he said. "You figure out who the best is, and you have a title fight."
The new class could pop up by year's end, though White did not have a concrete time table.
Still, that leaves a half year to assemble a roster from an international talent pool. And while a good chunk of the world's best come from overseas, where Japan's Shooto promotion has long championed the little-guy scene, several top-10 fighters reside with Tachi, including the exquisitely afro-ed Mamoru Yamaguchi, Ian McCall, Jussier Da Silva and Darrell Montague.
That means big opportunity is on the horizon.
"Finally," said Montague, who this past February took the promotion's 125-pound crown from Ulysses Gomez, in response to the UFC's plans. "Hopefully, after I get another win at Tachi, they'll sign me. That's what my second thought was."
Montague is expected to fight McCall in his first title defense at Tachi Palace Fights 10, which takes place Aug. 5 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif. And not that any fight isn't important, but the prospect of making it to the big show certainly has raised the stakes for both fighters.
"It makes every fight important from now on," McCall said. "I'd like to be in the UFC as No. 1 in the world. I'm No. 3 right now, and that's cool, but No. 1 is a lot better."
Building a division that's traditionally been the hardest to promote has been a labor of love for Tachi. If the kids go off to college, Luchau said the promotion simply will focus on finding new talent and may put increased effort into the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.
That the UFC is interested in flyweights is a huge measure of success. There's no turf to fight over.
"We're a proving ground for fighters," he said. "We're not trying to grow too big and compete with the UFCs and Strikeforces or the Bellators of the world. We're a regional promotion, and we're just trying to do the little things we can do well.
"Although we've focused really heavily on those four or five guys over the past year and a half, there are still other guys who haven't gotten their chance that are going to be able to prove they belong in the UFC."
Meanwhile, the little guys are thrilled at the possibility of regular work. Keeping a full fight calendar has been difficult, and at the regional level, the financial incentives are few. It's led several U.S.-based fighters to take fights at bantamweight, where the WEC flourished in recent years prior to its incorporation into the UFC. McCall is one such veteran who's done so. After going 1-2 in the WEC, he returned to the flyweight division and flourished.
There are also a few guys on the UFC's current bantamweight roster that might welcome opportunities in the flyweight division, such as Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson.
The point is that there's enough work to go around.
"Everybody focuses on the negative of, 'Oh, the UFC is going to come and take all your guys,' but the reality is the sport has grown so much, and there's so many fighters right now that it's great that these guys get to go to the next level, and we get to find the next stars," Luchau said. "Our job is to work hard on developing talent.
"If we can do that, then we're doing our job."
(Pictured: Darrell Montague)


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What our clients say about us?
Reviews and comments from our satisfied customers
Domestic Cars & Trucks, near Kingwood, TXI have a 24 year old truck, they showed me the items that was recommended and things that should be addressed in the future. They worked on the front suspension and I'm impressed with the professionalism of the front office and the mechanics. Two thumbs up.
General Services, near Kingwood, TexasAs always great service very prompt and efficient
Heating and Cooling Services, near Kingwood, TXGreat, professional service, excellent repairs, affordable, and very respectful! Highly recommend Kingwood Service Center!
Car & Truck Care, near Kingwood, TexasMy entire family has been using Kingwood Service Center to service and repair our cars and trucks for over 20 years. I have never met more honest, trustworthy and professional service providers in my life. I have recommended Derek and Dan to countless friends and neighbors over the years. Each and every one of them have had excellent experiences as well. I give KSC my highest recommendation.
Brakes, near Kingwood, TexasBeen coming to Kingwood Service Center for 21 years for all our vehicles. Dan, Derek and the entire staff have and are always outstanding and stand by Parts and Service. When part have failed early or something wasn't right they fixed it without question. Our children are now using the Service Center, we all highly recommended Kingwood Service Center you just can't find better in the Kingwood or Houston area, tried others that just don't match up!!!
My family has been coming to Kingwood Service Center since before I had my license. I am now 27 and living downtown, yet I still only bring my car to Dan and his amazing crew. They are so kind and helpful. I am a true believer in leaving it to the experts and that is exactly what they are!
Kingwood Service Center is not just the most honest repair shop, but likely the most honest of any shop. If they told me my blinker fluid was bad, or the air in my tires stale then I would absolutely believe them. Their work is always outstanding. I have used them for years and will continue to do so.
Another excellent experience at Kingwood service center. Knowing they are there gives me peace of mind. They have been caring for my family's cars for over 25 years.
The best service I have ever had and will use these guys for every problem we have with our vehicles. We called for appointment on Monday for AC problems on Jeep Wrangler 2012 and job was complete in the same day. Great job guys and we will return for any other problems we may have ?
Everyone in my family brings their cars here because we trust the team at Kingwood Service Center to take great care of us. They know us by name as we walk in and provide great service. They let us know when something needs to be replaced or if it will last a little longer. They never try to sell us on something we don?t need, they just provide all the options we have and let us decide what to do. I will always bring my car here for repairs!
Kingwood Service Center is by far the best place to take your car! They do not try and up-sell you on things you do not need. They are very professional, polite, and quick. Thank you, Dan and the rest of your crew!
The Kingwood Service Center is an outstanding auto repair shop and the only place we have experienced such a high degree of integrity, automotive skills and customer service. You can't ask for better people like Dan, Bryan and the rest of the crew. They treat your vehicles like it's their own - ensuring all repairs are needed and done right. We will continue to put our auto safety and peace of mind in the great hands of Kingwood Service Center! Thank you.
Great service! Great people! Only place to have your car work done!
Always open and honest about repairs, and stand behind their work. They have taken care of my automotive needs for the last 20 years.
Great service and honest.
Excellent customer service. Great value and did all work on time. Would definitely recommend.
Wow, what an amazing company! The customer service and attention is exceptional! They go out of there way to personally reach out and give you updates on your vehicle. I?m extremely satisfied with their work on my cars and trust them wholeheartedly. Thank you Kingwood Service Center.
Kingwood service center came highly recommended from my pastors at Journey Church. They need to have a 10 star rating instead of a five star, and I would give them 12 out of 10 stars. The customer service is overwhelming And the technical skill level of their technicians is unmatched. Myself and my family will continue taking our vehicles to Kingwood service Center for all of our repair and maintenance needs. Every time we have taken our vehicles to Kingwood service Center, the experience Is more than completely satisfying! A good honest and God loving bunch.
Kingwood Service Center has always treated me well, they're extremely knowledgeble giving me the best options when servicing my vehicles. I've been going there for years.
KSC looks after our three cars. They are service oriented which starts with freindly reminders like oil changes, tire rotation and scheduled service which keeps our cars well maintained. When one needs repaired by KSC it stays fixed. They help us keep our cars a long time. There's a lot of piece of mind when you've got a good mechanic like KSC. That's why we've been customers for 18+ years.
These guys did a great job. My new radiator fan looks good and works like it should and my ac is blowing cold. I believe there?s good management here. People who believe in quality work and getting things done right. They didn?t tell me what they thought I wanted to hear, they told me what I really needed to know and that?s customer service I can respect. They were very respectful and easy to talk to. If I have anymore problems I?ll be coming back to Kingwood Service Center.
The guys at Kingwood Service Center do great work and in a timely fashion as best they can. Been using their services for many years. They treat you like family. Highly recommended.
Always very helpful and works with us in a timely manner.
They were recommended to be as a place that will treat you fairly with good service....I have been going there for 3 years and it is always consistent fair and reasonable service.
Dan and his team down here have always delivered and given me honest work for fair prices. We come here whenever we're in Kingwood.
My family and I have been coming here for years and will continue to do so. We've always been treated well, excellent service, and excellent work on a variety of cars from Honda minivans to BMWs. They go above and beyond expectations every time we take a car in.
Kingwood Service Center came highly recommended to us when we first moved here 7 years ago. Now we recommend them to anyone looking for honest, reliable, friendly car care. They have taken care of special requests for our vehicles and have provided superior customer service year after year.
Fantastic service! Served all three cars in Kingwood Service Center with full satisfactory. Staff there are extremely friendly, knowledable and helpful. Price is quite reasonable all the time as well. Serviced my Lexus there and everything was great! No need to drive a long way to dealership to service Lexus anymore!
Great service, affordable prices, on time, great people, and honest. What more could you want? Been using them for over 20 years to service our vehicles. I want to give Derek, Dan and all the guys TOP Props and thanks for your work and service.
First time going here and was extremely satisfied. The service was reasonably priced and everyone I spoke with was very helpful & professional. Planning on recommending Kingwood Service Center to family & friends!
Been a customer for years. Great service, reasonable prices, and I trust them to get work done right.
The staff here is honest and thorough, not only was our van repaired we were educated on how to keep up our maintenance in the future.
Friendly, Trustworthy, Excellent work every time. What more do you need in a mechanic?
Amazing customer service and quality of work.
Quick and efficient service every time at a reasonable price.
Before heading out on our annual grand kid vacation, I took the van to KSC for a "once over" just to make sure it was in good safe working order. Ken and company did their usual fantastic job of checking up, tuninging up, and brightening up the ole buggy. We appreciate the extraordinary personal attention paid by the whole staff and their professional approach to long term maintenance for all our vehicles.
We've been coming to the Kingwood Service Center for about 8 years now and are very happy with the service, quick response and reasonable prices. Repairs that have to be done are explained well and the cost is appropriate. We have also tried other car dealerships and service shops and have been disappointed. We do not take our cars anywhere else. We appreciate all the hard work they've done on our cars keeping us safe on the road.
As always, top notch service from Kingwood Service Center. Fast, efficient, friendly and very reasonably priced. Best in the area!!!
Absolute professionals at Kingwood Service Center. I brought my vehicle in for brakes as I heard a grinding noise backing out of my driveway. Derek and his team checked out my brakes and assured me all was okay (I probably had something from the storm that caused this sound). They could have easily putnew brakes on my car and I would have been none the wiser. I appreciate their honesty! To boot, they fixed and fastened my engine splash guard. I was not charged one dime. This team went above the call of duty. Found my repair shop. Thank you Kingwood Service Center. People, give these pros a try!
The team at Kingwood Service Center is extremely professional and perform quality work. I was impressed with the courtesy offered to me as a relatively new car owner. Dan and the team helped guide me to make informed and responsible decisions on my vehicle. I would definitely recommend KSC!
This by far is the best auto repair facility I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Derek and Dan are top-notch managers at the way they run the operation. JP is there head mechanic, who is incredible and knows his stuff!! More importantly, they stand behind their work! Their prices are fair, and they always do what needs to be done to make things right with your car. If I lived on the southside of Houston, I would still not take my car to anywhere but to Kingwood Service Center. Customers for Life!!
Very honest people!!! They have always taken good care of me. When I needed a new battery and it came time to pay, my bill was almost $50 less than they quoted me. Told me they found another battery for less.. Never does that happen. Very prompt as well. Will always have my business for sure!
Best auto service center around! Derek and his guys are terrific. Thanks for ALWAYS taking care of me and my vehicles.
Friendly staff. Fast service.
This place is the most honest in the business! My family has gone here over 20yrs and have referred many people here. Everyone that I've sent has thanked me. Never a negative feedback. They are professional and knowledgeable and get the job done right and NO HIDDEN FEES!
I live in the neighborhood for years but have never used Kingwood Service Center until now. Fast, very polite and professional, and knowledgable. Thank you! I will use them again.
Excellent, trustworthy service. They gave me such honest advice to repair my car, that they lost money in the process. I've been using this garage for about a year and will continue to go back to them for their reliability.
I have been a customer of Kingwood Service Center for over 20 years and they have always done their work with honesty and integrity for a fair price. I always trust in their service and won't take my vehicle anywhere else for repair needs. They are highly recommended.
Took my truck in with concerns about a sound I was hearing. Derek was very honest with me about my truck and we worked through what it could possibly be and what it isn?t. These people are good honest workers, not like big dealerships. I highly recommend them.
We recently moved to Kingwood a few months ago and I started taking our vehicles to Kingwood Service Center due to the proximity to our home. The added plus was that they provide the absolute best customer service I have experienced in the automotive industry. Every employee greets you and they make you feel like they are truly thankful you walked in the door. They are incredibly professional and known what they are doing. They have saved me thousands of dollars by giving me the truth of what is actually needed and not trying to upsell me for unnecessary work. I am an executive in the customer service industry and Kingwood Service Center is the standard in regards to providing a great customer experience. I will always bring my vehicles to them first. Thanks guys.
Great service and staff!
These guys are great. I moved out of the area but come back at every opportunity to have maintenance on my Escape.
Great service .. quick and very friendly . I am making them my regular service center! Thank you
The service here is great reasonable pricing also.
I was concerned about a plastic guard flap falling off the bottom of my Corolla. These guys looked at it and said it was just missing a few pin screws and they had some extra ones in the back and reattached it FREE OF CHARGE! This is the kind of neighborly experience I love about Kingwood. Additionally, I was in and out of there in less than fifteen minutes! I look forward to returning as a paying customer.
An Auto Repair Shop that you can trust is incredibly valuable. These guys do great work, have a great attitude, and don't try to upsell you at every opportunity. They have a loyal customer in me for many years to come.
We wouldn't take our cars any place else. Love these guys.
A/C still works great. Great work and fair price. I highly recommend these guys.
This is where everyone should be taking their vehicles to for service! Honest, dependable people! Years ago I used this for my old Ford Escort and just had to visit with my Mustang! They are polite, honest, friendly people! Hats off to Dierke, Dan, and the others! Single woman I am and some would say don't trust anyone! I know I can trust these guys! Please visit if you need something simple or something major ~ you will not be disappointed ~
My daughter Jennifer was having a confusing electrical problem on her Marnio. She went to the dealer several times and could not figure it out. She even got a rental car for 4 days as the dealer trouble shot it. She has two boys and even bought a battery starter to make sure the car would start. She used it 3 times with kids in the car. To say the least this working mom was at wits end. A great coworker told her about Kingwood Service Center and within hours the problem was solved. I can't begin to tell you how she called me, her dad, that taught her about car maintenance all her life to tell me about your great service. I felt so helpless 200 miles away to help her. Today she called to say how your company helped her beyond anyone's imagination...to include get a warranty battery free. Thank you so much and my God always bless your work and your business. You are beyond top of the line. Big thanks.
I have found my new mechanic in Kingwood! I took my car in for an oil change and routine maintenance. I was in and out in less than an hour. Everyone was very friendly, courteous, and professional. The owner is a very nice, friendly, and down to earth guy, Kingwood Service Center sets the bar high for quality customer service.
I can tell you in one word why I take my car to KW Service Center: TRUST. Trust is earned, and these guys have certainly earned my trust. I've been a customer of KW Service Center since 2006. They know my old Honda better than I do, and they keep it running efficiently with quarterly maintenance checks. I never worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere. If I need repairs, they give an honest assessment and work with me financially. Dan, Dierke, and Troy have always been courteous and call me by name when I walk in the door--even when they are busy. I would never take my vehicle to anyone else.
Everything about this shop deserves more than 5 stars. The hospitality alone will keep you coming back. Quality of service is top notch and they do absolutely everything they can to make sure you are 100% satisfied.
Always helpful and stands behind their work.
These guys are great diagnosticians. They find the root or problems much faster than other shops.
The Kingwood Service Center offers excellent service! They have reasonable prices and friendly, honest people. We were customers for over 21 years and have never had a single complaint. I have always been able to trust their word and the service they deliver!
Always good service at reasonable prices AND good communication. We drive 40 miles each way and worth it!!
They put a new AC in my wife's car about 2 1/2 years ago and it was an excellent job and the air still blows ice cold.
Great service, affordable prices, on time, great people, and honest. What more could you want? Been using them for over 20 years to service our vehicles. I want to give Derek, Dan and all the guys TOP Props and thanks for your work and service.
They could not fix my car, because it needed parts they don't make anymore so it would be a custom job with custom parts, but they told me what was wrong and did not charge me. I have had other shops charge for diagnosis, and this shop did not. Thankyou


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I recently received an email asking for advice about setting up client "advisory" councils to help owner/advisors better understand the needs of their clients. Here's the short answer: client councils don't work. Sure, they seem like a good idea; key clients sitting around talking, bonding with the senior advisors, and sharing their experience with the firm, and insights into what the firm does well and what it could do better. What could go wrong? Plenty. In my experience, client advisory councils are way more trouble than they are worth. Here's why.
First, lets' start with the honesty issue. Most clients aren't, by nature, dishonest, of course, but it's human nature to avoid being critical. When you get them into a group, for instance, and other folks are talking about how much they "love" what the firm is doing, many people are reluctant to bring up things they don't like. In fact, we've had clients on advisory boards continually say great things and then just slam the firm in our client surveys. Unfortunately, this is far from an unusual occurrence.
Then there's the problem of getting helpful suggestions. Most clients don't know what they need; that's why they hire an advisor to tell them. As most advisors know, clients are constantly bombarded with bad ideas in the media and from friends and family—ideas that their advisors often have to spend considerable time convincing them to forget. A client council just creates one more forum for those ideas to get an audience.
What's more, typically, clients don't have a realistic perspective of what tools, products and services are out there to help them with their needs. One of the primary jobs of an advisor is to sort through all the financial services noise and recommend solutions and strategies that make sense. At best, a council could be a sounding board for adding some new services or strategies to the firm, but as they are almost always client-specific, it's almost always better to do this on a client-by-client basis, which can include a complete explanation of why a new idea is a good idea for each particular client.
Finally, there's the unavoidable issue of leaving some clients off the advisory council. While creating such a group can strengthen ties to key clients, it also can send a negative message to those who are not selected: who wants to hear that he or she isn't a "key" client? As far as I can tell, there's no good way to word it so as to avoid this underlying implication. Even rotating who's on the council really doesn't solve the problem.
On balance, advisory councils usually create more problems than they solve. If you're determined to create one, I'd recommend including as many clients who own their own businesses as possible: because they face many of the same challenges that you do, they have a better perspective, ask more questions about the realities of available resources, and understand employee issues.
However, most of them still don't won't financial services backgrounds, and I'd predict that sooner or later, you'll regret starting the council.


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Compiz is a compositing window manager for the X Window System. The window manager features take care of manipulating user-visible top-level windows of all applications, such as arranging them. Drawing the window decoration (borders and titlebars) and implementing buttons and menus in it is further separated into a desktop environment-specific window decorator. The compositing features direct window drawing to off-screen buffers and draw the buffers on-screen while applying various visual effects. They should also take care of input redirection in case the window is drawn in different geometry than the logical information in the X server, but this is not possible in the X Window System yet (perhaps sometime after X.Org 7.2).
Although the X Window System architecture would provide for the separation of the window manager and the compositing manager (see
xcompmgr), the current practice is to combine them as their implementations are dependent.
Project organization
Compiz is implemented as a core application (directory
src/) including the entry point
compiz (
src/main.c) and a low-level, shared-object plugin system (
src/plugin.c), and the plugins themselves (directory
plugins/). The
decoration plugin communicates with the separate window decorator process (
gtk/window-decorator/gtk-window-decorator.c). Another architecturally important plugin is
gconf which implements configuration through gconf when loaded, and all the other plugins can be configured via gconf. The
dbus plugin implements more general inter-process communication, allowing both configuration and action triggering.
The programming interface of Compiz (
include/compiz.h) contains the interfaces of X, OpenGL, GLX etc. All the core parts and the plugins use the this interface plus any additional ones. The extension points are pointers to functions with
Proc in their name, and plugins manipulate them with the WRAP and UNWRAP macros. Plugins can also register timeouts with
compAddTimeout and file descriptors for I/O with
compAddWatchFd (
In addition to the official plugins included in the Compiz repository, there are a number of third-party plugins.
Data model
One delicate issue is the synchronization of state between Compiz, the X server, the applications, and any window management tools such as pagers. Some data in Compiz is authoritative whereas some tries to reflect server state. Some data is updated only after server messages, some data is updated when a request is made. This means results of some actions are visible directly and some only after they have made a round-trip to the server. The
fade plugin makes immediate changes by other plugins appear slow. Another issue is the huge amount of slightly different situations and their combinations, such as focus policy with respect to application windows, dialog windows, override-redirected windows, desktop windows, background windows, non-top-level windows...
The main global variable is
CompDisplay *compDisplays. This is the root of a hierarchical data structure which reflects the X Window System model of a display with screens (represented by root windows) with (top-level) windows. For example,
CompDisplay contains
Display *display and
CompScreen *screens. Each of
CompWindow contains
CompPrivate *privates which the plugin macros (see below) use to store their additional data.
CompTexture represents a GLX texture and contains
CompMatrix matrix.
CompScreen contains
CompTexture backgroundTexture,
CompWindow contains
CompTexture texture, and
CompIcon contains
CompTexture texture.
CompIcon represents an icon with width and height, and contains
CompTexture texture.
CompScreen contains
CompIcon *defaultIcon,
CompWindow contains
CompIcon **icon.
Plugin structure
See also A Simple Compiz Plugin Walkthrough for a concrete example.
Each plugin includes
<compiz.h> to get access to the application programming interface.
Plugin information
Compiz gets a handle to a plugin in a shared-object file (such as
/usr/lib/compiz/libscale.so for
scale) by calling its
getCompPluginInfo, which returns a structure of information and further function pointers (a
vTable). Via these function pointers, the plugin is initialized by a call to
init and
initDisplay each. For each screen and window,
initScreen and
initWindow are called respectively.
finiDisplay and
fini get called for cleanup.
gconf is loaded, it follows calls to
initPluginForDisplay/Screen with calls to
getDisplayOptions and
getScreenOptions. For each option,
gconf then reports any initial deviation from the default value and subsequent changes with calls to
setDisplayOption and
getVersion is used to check that the plugin has been compiled for the right version of Compiz and thus returns the value of the constant
In addition to the function pointers, the plugin info contains an internal
name, a user-visible
shortDesc, and an explanatory
longDesc for identification of the plugin. The fields
deps and
nDeps can express dependencies between loading of plugins. The fields
features and
nFeatures can provide a list of exclusive names that the plugin reserves from other plugins and provides to them.
Plugin macros
init, a plugin can call
allocateDisplayPrivateIndex, at
initDisplay call
allocateScreenPrivateIndex, and at
initScreen call
allocateWindowPrivateIndex. The indices can be used at the related initialization to set a pointer to an allocated structure of plugin-dependent information on each display, screen, and window.
The plugin code typically defines macros for getting the private structure for a given public structure, and for defining a fixed-name local variable pointing to the private structure.


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Kriega R35 Ultimate long-Distance Pack 35 Litre Capacity Motorcycle Backpack
Vendor: Kriega
Available: Sold out
More info
Please Note:
**This item is available online only, if you need to pick up or try it before buy please message us first, we will order the particular size in. it will take 2-3 days**
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For all faulty items please us by e-mail. Please Note: For all returned non-faulty items, the buyer is responsible for shipping and handling fee for re-sending the item back to buyer.(In 7 Days)
We have NO responsibility on the shipping and handling fee on any returned items. The return item must be in new condition with the tagsandpackages, otherwise we will not accept any refund after checking and will offer a replacement.
1.We aim to make our descriptions as complete as possible but if you've any questions before purchasing, please get in touch with us.
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3.We stock in store around 90% of the products we put online. In some instances, we may not have the product in stock until an order was placed. For special or clearance products, please allow us to confirm your order within 24 hours in case the item be sold in our retail store. In these cases, the item will be cancelled from the order and a full refund is given by way payment was received.
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Our preferred method is PayPal (it is quick and easy to sign up for an account at paypal.com if you do not already have one).
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1. Moto Hub
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5. For high value orders we may require verification of address before we ship. This is done to protect the interests of both you and us.
6. We reserve the right to use an alternative arrangement in the event that courier does not cover your area.


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U.S. travel during the Christmas and New Year's holidays will rise for a fifth straight year to reach a record, boosted by more automobile trips, AAA said.
About 94.5 million people will journey 50 miles or more from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, the nation's biggest motoring organization said in a statement today. That's up from 94 million a year earlier and the most in data started in 2001.
People will travel more because the 12-day holiday period is a day longer this year and Christmas Day is a Wednesday, according to AAA, based in Heathrow, Fla. That makes it easier to plan vacations and other trips.
"While economic growth has stagnated and consumer confidence has fallen, Americans will not be Scrooges when it comes to traveling this year," Marshall Doney, AAA's chief operating officer, said in a statement.
A record 85.8 million people will travel by car and truck, up 0.9 percent from 2012. About 91 percent of holiday travelers will drive, up 0.2 percentage point from 2012.
The number of air travelers will decline 1.4 percent to 5.53 million and make up about 6 percent of the total, little changed from 2012.
Other modes of travel, including bus and train, will account for 3.3 percent of trips, or 3.1 million travelers, 4.2 percent less than a year ago.
The lowest average published airfares will fall 2.5 percent to $199 for round-trip tickets, AAA said. The daily rental rate for a mid-sized car will jump 15 percent to $63.
Almost 30 percent of Americans will take a trip, traveling an average of 805 miles, up from 760 last year, at a median cost of $765, up from $759.
Regular gasoline at the pump, averaged nationwide, declined 1.9 percent this year to $3.228 Monday, AAA said on its website.
AAA's projections are based on research by IHS Global Insight of Lexington, Mass.