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Friday February 22 - Rain, hail, cold...and pitstops
Edd Straw
If you were to come up with one word to describe the final day of this week's Barcelona test, it would be 'cold'. If you were to go for two words, and keep the language clean, it would be 'very cold'.
Romain Grosjean even suggested a bold rule change to incorporate heaters in the cars after a day in which frost-bite was a more serious danger than the barriers. Unfortunately, the FIA is unlikely to approve such a change because of the potential for heater-blown diffusers.
Even AUTOSPORT's live test commentary team had a few moments when the fingers were seizing up through cold.
As if to stress the fact, Mark Webber greeted the media at the end of the day decked in a snood (among other warm items of clothing).
"I can't remember having a full day this cold," he said. "Early in the morning, it's pretty fresh, but it was a very, very cold day of testing.
Though cold, Webber said the conditions were at least consistent © LAT
"Actually, conditions were pretty consistent, pretty stable, although probably not very representative at all of what you would have on a grand prix weekend. [Except] maybe a Nurburgring on a Saturday morning."
This was certainly Nurburgring weather. At least, it was to a point, for while the legendary track in the Eifel Mountains has a proud history of snow interrupting events, it was hail that marked the nadir of today.
Thankfully, it was during the one-hour lunch break, although Valtteri Bottas did find himself caught in it while conducting some press activities after his morning in the car. But as a Finn, he was well qualified to deal with it.
Bottas was among the drivers with the most to gain today, enjoying the chance to complete pit-stops after Williams had cunningly allocated the final day of the test, which was always the most likely to be wet, to practice.
Of all the things that new drivers have to learn, the pit-stop is the one that could go the most catastrophically wrong. And the Finn had very good reason to enjoy today more than most as he has never made a full racing pit-stop, outside of inevitably slower stops to change tyres because of weather conditions. The Australian Grand Prix will be the first time he has ever done a 'normal' in-race stop.
He wasn't the only rookie to revel in the conditions. Esteban Gutierrez took the opportunity to move along his learning curve in such conditions and was given licence to explore the limits. He certainly enjoyed himself.
Bottas and Williams practiced numerous pitstop drills © XPB
There were a couple of off-track moments, but when the first wet grand prix of the year comes round, he might have very good cause to look back fondly on a thoroughly miserable day in Barcelona.
But by and large, it was a day of frustration for the 11 teams, particularly for those who have yet to undertake serious race runs and are in need of more tyre data.
There are only five days between now and the start of the final pre-season test at the same venue and the Australian Grand Prix, once a distant objective, looms very large.
For now, the chorus of "it's too early to say" continues to proliferate with pretty much every driver uttering some variation of that phrase in the eight days of testing banked so far.
Even now, the final upgrades and development parts expected to appear at the final test are being finished off in the team's manufacturing departments and time is running out.
Formula 1 2013 is about to get very serious indeed.
Thursday February 21 - All eyes on Sutil
Matt Beer
There is a distinct hierarchy in the intensity of post-session media scrums at Formula 1 tests.
The Hamilton/Alonso/Vettel-level superstars require an elbows-out, on-tiptoes approach to get a dictaphone through the throngs. The midfield meetings are much more civilised affairs, and for some backmarkers the 'scrum' becomes a one-on-one.
Force India is normally a destination where bruised ribs are unlikely.
But amid what the team insists is definitely, definitely not a shoot-out for (probably) the final vacant seat on the 2013 F1 grid, Adrian Sutil's audition drew a press clamour worthy of title contenders.
Faced with a cluster of outstretched dictaphones so close that had he been Nick Heidfeld, they would've nustled his beard, Sutil slipped straight into F1 veteran mode.
Sutil left no doubt about his speed © XPB
He recounted his day's programme with the detached formality of a full-time regular mid-season, rather than someone who hadn't been in the cockpit since November 2011.
It was only at the end of his opening answer that he clicked out of routine, grinned and added "...and it's nice to be back in a Formula 1 car!"
As Sutil pointed out, Force India knows all it needs to about him. He was within the family for six seasons, from his impressive Spyker test outings in 2006 to his exit from the race seat.
Today, he said, the challenge was just to prove that no rust had gathered during his year on the sidelines.
"I think it was important for them to see me back in the car, how I behave, what my speed is," said Sutil.
"From the first lap I was quite on the pace and I think they were quite surprised. That was nice. Their faces were all quite happy."
This 'not-a-shoot-out' stretches far beyond Sutil and Bianchi's back-to-back performances this week. The off-track considerations are really the only nebulous quality in the mix as both contenders are far from strangers in the Force India garage.
Sutil openly admitted that there were commercial elements at play ("otherwise they would've confirmed a driver in January"), and acknowledged that 2014 engine supply might be a factor, with Force India's current partner Mercedes understood to have a passing preference for Sutil, and his rival Bianchi deeply embedded with alternative engine firm Ferrari.
Whichever way Force India swings, its choice will attract scepticism. Sutil has 90 grands prix under his belt, but in that near-century of races he never impressed enough to trouble top teams' radars. Bianchi's recent seasons have had their flaky moments, he hasn't won a title since Formula 3 despite great expectations, and Force India has already said it didn't expect him to be race-ready for another year.
Sutil is now hoping for a quick decision by Force India © XPB
Sutil's conviction for his 2011 nightclub incident also hovers in the background. Rarely mentioned and technically not a factor at all, it is nevertheless an ingredient most driver choice quandaries lack.
Overall, though, the stress lays with Force India, rather than Sutil, whose mood was more sanguine and serene than exasperated and impatient. He did chuckle, however, when predicting a decision "in one week", noting that "a few people in the team have been saying for a month that in one week they will do the decision..."
As he admitted, for a 30-year-old to make a comeback after a one-year absence is little drama. If the hiatus starts stretching any further, re-acclimatising will be far harder.
There was an underlying sense that Sutil feels he has nothing to lose. He's had a perfectly respectable F1 career, he might squeeze a few more years and a few more decent underdog results in. He might not. It's worth a punt. He may literally be fighting for his F1 career, but he also has nothing to prove.
"If this doesn't work, there's always something else to do in life," Sutil mused. "I haven't checked out what my plan B is at the moment. I want to have this cockpit and I'm trying everything for it. There are many other categories and I'll have a look afterwards.
"The team know me very well. If there's business going on behind it, I can't really influence it.
"But I'm standing here as a driver ready to race."
Wenesday February 20 - Tyres bewilder
Sam Tremayne
Increased uncertainty, increased performance: two key components of Pirelli's pledge for the 2013 season. We will have to wait until Melbourne to assess the latter promise, but the first has already become the dominant topic of conversation.
After four days at Jerez and two days at Barcelona, teams and drivers are finding the 2013 compounds' high degradation rates a hindrance to their respective programmes. Long runs are being cut short or completed at much slower speed, while medium and short runs fall away after a handful of laps. Uncertainty? You bet.
"At the moment we are still learning about the tyres, but it's a big concern," Sergio Perez reports.
"These days, just by going around the circuit you are wasting a lot of energy on the tyres."
It's not an entirely new situation; teams faced a similar battle acclimatising to Pirelli's aggressive compounds in testing last year. By the season's end, one-stop races weren't uncommon.
Perez said there was little he could do to ease tyre degradation... © XPB
Particularly in the early stages, Perez and Sauber actually profited from the confusion, their ability to find and maintain the sweet spot producing podiums in Malaysia, Canada and, later on, Italy. But while he argues that a driver's style could make a difference last year, Perez says this year's offerings are simply degrading too quickly.
"Before you could do more as a driver," he says. "Now, it doesn't really matter what you do. Obviously you can help the tyres last a bit longer, but at the moment the tyre is very weak, so there is very little that the driver can do to help the degradation."
While that may have implications for Melbourne - a multitude of stops are already been talked of as a possibility for Formula 1's 2013 opener - the point, says Nico Hulkenberg, is that it is affecting how teams go about their pre-season preparations.
"The continuity and consistency hasn't been there today and that makes testing very hard," he explains. "Can you get a feel for the car? Yes, but not for very long...
"It's difficult with the tyres. It's challenging to make them last longer and get some proper testing. It's a gradual degradation, but still there is only a lap or two where you can feel them. I only ran on the medium and hard tyres, and that was the case [with both].
"I'm not negative about it. There's still work to be done, still room for improvements, but we have to take it as it comes."
As both Perez and Hulkenberg explained, the picture is clouded by the low ambient temperatures at Barcelona.
...an issue worsened by the cold temperatures at Barcelona © XPB
Three degrees Celsius in the morning became 12C in the afternoon, but it's still far from representative of what you'd expect - or perhaps hope for - when F1 returns to the Catalunya circuit in three months time for the Spanish Grand Prix. Crucially, it's also conducive to graining, a problem also suffered at Jerez two weeks ago.
Because of that, it's dangerous to make too many predictions for Melbourne. F1 teams do, after all, have a canny way of adapting to the latest challenges thrown their way. Higher temperatures may play into Pirelli's hands, while teams will figure out ways of negating the rapid degradation experienced so far. We're back to the uncertainty.
Depending on your stance on tyres, that can be good or bad. More uncertainty and more stops could produce potential thrillers and watching trackside, the speed disparity between fresh tyres and scrubbed sets was striking.
It could also upset the order. Or, as Hulkenberg put it, introduce an element of a lottery into what appeared to be a fairly stable handover from last year's running order. Adapting, then, is once again the name of the game.
"What happens in testing is not necessarily what happens in the season; I'm really not sure at this point but it could be that we have races with a few more pitstops this season," Hulkenberg says.
"I'm relaxed about it. New year, new situation."
Tuesday February 19 - The phoney war starts
Edd Straw
A complete set of 2013 machinery, the first outing of the year for last season's star driver and a move to the best Formula 1 test circuit in Europe all adds up to pre-season testing hotting up, in terms of intensity if not ambient temperature.
Vital as it is, testing is the embodiment of a phoney war and the four days of running at Jerez a couple of weeks ago was a preamble even to that.
With Williams and Fernando Alonso joining the fray today, it's now all systems go at a track that is far more representative of the kind of venues that these cars will race at during the year.
There has been a lot of talk about Williams opting to mess the Jerez test, but technical director Mike Coughlan left no doubt as to his feelings on that venue.
He was damning in his evaluation of the relevance, or lack thereof, of running at Jerez, making you wonder why F1 doesn't just go with his suggestion of taking up permanent pre-season residence in Catalunya.
Maldonado gets up to speed in the FW35 © XPB
"To begin with, we didn't plan to do Jerez at all," admitted Coughlan. "We only did Jerez because Pirelli was bringing its new tyres and we felt it would be better to run with the old car so that we had a known platform.
"I'm sure that a lot of people went to Jerez with a new car, new driver and new tyres and got lost. We didn't.
"If it was Barcelona, then we'd have gone, but it was Jerez. Jerez is unique; very high degradation, very aggressive, very rear-limited. You have to ask yourself is there really a track we go to that is even a similar type? And with weather conditions, you have to say 'do we learn a lot?'
"Barcelona is very good. We all have lots of simulations of the track. It's easy to get to, cheap flights, nice hotels. I'd rather see three tests at Barcelona."
Not that there will be a great deal of time for the Williams team to enjoy the local sights and gastronomic delights. Aside from a row about the legality, or otherwise, of the vane that sits atop its Coanda channel into which the exhaust pipes lead, it has some serious work to do in playing catch up for that missing first test.
Alonso didn't feel he missed much at Jerez © LAT
You could say the same for Alonso, who completed a marathon 110 laps on his first day behind the wheel of an F1 car since last year's title-deciding Brazilian Grand Prix.
"I feel OK," said Alonso. "Just the neck is now a little bit stiff. But it's normal for the first day. Whatever neck training you do, the car is a killer on that.
"Always the first day is difficult. It depends how many laps you do but even the first lap in the first day if you do 100 laps of Barcelona, it's normal."
Alonso certainly wasn't keen to waste his time doing donkey work at Jerez - a privilege that his status as Ferrari's talisman affords him. His words after his first day of running were pretty positive, although there was a hint of equivocation, suggesting that while Ferrari is in a much better position than it was this time last year, there's still a lot to be done.
Either way, he will have a more clear understanding of his team's position having sampled the car at Barcelona - a venue where any aerodynamic weaknesses are ruthlessly exposed. That's why the drivers generally look forward to getting to this part of Spain rather than the south west.
Ricciardo just wants to be in Melbourne © LAT
"You do," said Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo. "But at the same time May normally brings different track conditions. I think it is a better picture of where everyone is at [compared to Jerez] but I highly doubt that we will have the cool conditions we have now in May.
"It's frustrating that you know maybe what works here today won't work in May. Maybe what you are scratching your head about here could work in May.
"There is still a little bit of an unknown but you will start to get a clearer picture."
That's a phrase that will be tossed around a lot over the next month or so. It's a tired cliche but one that is steeped in reality. No wonder the more straight-talking of the drivers admit to champing at the bit to get out to Australia and race.
"I get a big frustrated with testing to be honest, I just want to go racing," admitted Ricciardo.
"I guess testing could be a bit more exciting... if it were racing! That probably doesn't make sense, but I just can't wait for Melbourne!"
Unfortunately, for fans, teams and drivers alike, the opening race of the season is still a month away.
For now, we'll all have to be satisfied with picking through the bones and half-truths of this phoney war.


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Look and listen <I>The Interpreter</I>'s muffled message
It was quite a coup for director Sydney Pollack to get recent Oscar-winning actors Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn together in a movie. They're just the most obvious indication of the care he lavished up and down the line to make The Interpreter the first-class entertainment it is.
We're not talking about great art here, but great craft. Some people might use the words interchangeably; but as Kidman's character, United Nations interpreter Silvia Broome, points out when citing the difference between "dead" and "gone," I could lose my job for confusing them.
Silvia is being interrogated by Secret Service agent Tobin Keller (Penn) about her politics. She claims to have overheard an indication of a plot to assassinate an African president when he addresses the General Assembly.
"She is the United Nations," someone says of Silvia, the daughter of a British mother and white African father, who was born in the U.S. but raised in Africa.
The African leader, Gen. Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), is coming to defend himself against a recommendation he stand trial in international court for the "ethnic cleansing" he's carried out in his country, Matoba. (Using a fictional country allows the film to take a tough stand without alienating any international markets.) The president he deposed, Kuman-Kuman (George Harris), is living in exile in Brooklyn.
It's apparent that Zuwanie is a bad guy, but it's not certain that anyone else is any better. Zuwanie's head of security (Jesper Christensen) is one of those suspicious characters who might as well wear a sign announcing he's up to something, but what it is will still surprise you. Silvia subscribes to an African philosophy, "The only way to cure the grief is to save a life"; but because of her knowledge, the would-be assassins have targeted her, too.
It's noted early that Silvia is governed by what she hears, while Tobin's focus is on what he sees. The viewer must pay attention to both, because a lot of information in The Interpreter is presented almost subliminally– an image glimpsed as part of a photo montage or a phrase overheard while words are coming at you in three languages at once.
That may sound like a lot of work– and it would be if Pollack hadn't done his job so well. He's also masterfully combined thriller elements with the political and personal. Tobin's estranged wife died in an accident two weeks ago. Silvia lost most of her family in Africa.
Of course, there's– if not sexual tension, at least an air of possibility– between Silvia and Tobin; and for backup, Tobin has a partner on the Secret Service Dignitary Protection Squad, Dot Woods (Catherine Keener), who has a bit of a crush on him. On the job, Dot gets to tell a lap dancer, "Please don't touch the prime minister." (Director Pollack cameos as their boss.)
The Interpreter is heavier on suspense than action. It gives you a halfhearted chase through Manhattan traffic, a climax that appears to emulate the original Manchurian Candidate, and assorted bits of violence, but your mind will race faster than your heart.
As absorbing as The Interpreter is while you're watching it, you'll have no trouble leaving it behind in the theater. Message movies are cool, too, but sometimes you just want to have a good time, be put through a wringer, and emerge unscathed.
If that's the case, The Interpreter speaks your language.

subset: commoncrawl


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FT213: "Rich liberals support a large welfare state to assuage their wealth guilt." —Old Pithy
Fundamental Truth
Rich People become Liberals so People don't Shame them for their Obscene Wealth
Rich people love being rich. They love their mansions. Their expensive cars. Eating at the finest restaurants. Drinking the finest wine. Going on lavish vacations. Going to the best parties. Hanging with the beautiful people. And rich men especially like the sex with beautiful young women their wealth can make happen. To quote the Eagles song Life in the Fast Lane rich people love having everything all of the time.
Some of the richest people in the United States are liberals. Yes, those same people who argue for income and wealth equality. Hollywood stars. Televisions stars. Authors. And music stars. Who are everything they stand against. They're part of that evil 1%. And they live very ostentatious lives. Their wealth is over the top. Bling. Cars. Cars with bling. Nothing but the best. And then some. This wealth is okay, though. But those in the 1% other than them? Government should raise their taxes to take as much of it away as possible. And we should all shame them for daring to have such obscene wealth.
Of course, rich liberals like their obscene wealth. They want to keep it. And they want to continue their lavish lives. But they don't want people shaming them. They want people to love them and adore them. So they buy whatever they're selling. Movies, televisions shows, books or music. They don't want anyone shaming them for their obscene wealth. So they do something very simple to avoid that shame. They become public liberals.
Only those Businesses that Continually Please their Customers Succeed
Liberals can have the most obscene amounts of wealth without anyone shaming them for that obscene wealth. Why? Because they belong to the 'right' political party. The one that argues against income and wealth inequality. So they get a pass. Which is why so many rich people are liberals. They want to be left alone. And their call for higher taxes on rich people? Well, they're so rich that they can hire the best accountants and tax attorneys to help them shield their wealth from the taxman. There's a reason why the tax code is so convoluted and not a simple flat tax like conservatives want. To help rich liberals keep their money.
Then there are rich liberals who have too much of a conscious. And they feel guilty for having obscene wealth. But not guilty enough to give their wealth away. These liberals are vehemently pro big government. They want a massive welfare state. To assuage their wealth guilt. So they can continue to enjoy their obscene wealth. Their 1% wealth. Without having to feel guilty about it. Such as, presumably, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart.
Jon Stewart is a very well-read and intelligent man. He knows a lot of stuff. Unfortunately, though, he draws many wrong conclusions with that knowledge. He favors big government. And a vast welfare state to help those in need. He trusts government while distrusting corporations and businesses. Because, as he has said, we have no vote with corporations and businesses like we do with government. Via elections. But he's wrong. We do have a vote with all corporations and businesses. The moment they stop treating their customers right those customers go to other corporations and businesses. Most new businesses fail within 5 years. And some big companies that have been around for years fail and go out of business. Why? Because their customers DO have a large vote in whether they succeed or not. And only those businesses that continually please their customers succeed. Something you just can't say about government. For no matter how much they anger the people little ever changes.
Not only is there Income and Wealth Inequality there's also Income Tax Inequality
Fox News has been talking about people scamming the welfare state. Highlighting a surfer dude in California as a typical welfare cheat. Stewart lambasted Fox News for that. Saying one person (or two or three, etc.) does not mean all people on welfare are gaming the system. Although he uses that very logic to point at corporations caught in wrong-doing. Saying they represent all corporations and businesses. And he joins the choir about how rich corporations and rich people are not paying their fair share of taxes. And how some of these rich corporations and rich people are hiding their income and wealth from the taxman. Despite their paying the lion's share of all taxes.
According to the National Taxpayer's Union, when it comes to income taxes it's rich people paying the most. So not only is there income and wealth inequality. There's also income tax inequality. Through recent years the top 1% of income earners has paid approximately a third of all income taxes. The top 5% has paid more than half of all income taxes. And the top 10% of income earners has paid about 70% of all income taxes. While the bottom 50% of income earners, the people rich liberals want to help, pay about 3% (or less) of all income taxes.
You don't have to raise tax rates on the wealthy. They're already paying a disproportionate share of all income taxes. In fact, if you cut tax rates and cut business regulations to help rich business and rich people get even richer more tax revenue would flow into the treasury. This would be a good thing. Rich people getting richer. And more people becoming rich. This should be what everyone wants. Based on the amount of taxes rich people pay. So we should stop trying to help the less fortunate by raising taxes on the rich. And creating more onerous regulations for businesses that benefit the less fortunate. Like Obamacare. For it hurts the profit incentive. Which prevents rich people from getting richer and paying more income taxes. As well as dissuades people from becoming business owners or expanding their businesses. Which means fewer jobs. Fewer hours in those jobs. And the replacement of costly people with machines. It's because of these things that median family income has fallen under the Obama administration. Which is the last thing any good liberal should want. This is why rich liberals have got to stop supporting a large welfare state to assuage their wealth guilt. It's killing the middle class. And destroying the jobs that could pull the less fortunate into the middle class. And beyond.
Tags: 1%, businesses, corporations, guilt, higher taxes, income, income and wealth inequality, income tax inequality, income taxes, jobs, Jon Stewart, less fortunate, liberals, middle class, obscene wealth, rich, rich liberals, rich people, shame, taxes, wealth, wealth guilt, welfare state


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Site of the Day Web Design Gallery
Site of the Day - it is a bright and original example of the last tendencies and techniques that can be used in order to realize your creative urge and to inspire you for new ideas and images, proposing different types of creative compositions that can be formed as a whole one. Site of the Day offers you to discover the most successful project of the day that skillfully united creativity and working experience in a proper proportion and correlation thus forming a perfect incarnation of knowledge and artistic unity. Looking for modern techniques and bright images, you can be sure in finding them here, always new and the best ones,realized in a Site of the Day.
Ffk Wilkinson
- URL : www.ffk-wilkinson.com
- Category : Games
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- Added : Sep 28, 2007


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Editor's note: Newt Gingrich is the new co-cost of CNN's "Crossfire," which starts September 16. A former speaker of the House, he was a candidate in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries.
(CNN) -- News that the United States is considering a military strike on Syria in response to the Bashar al-Assad regime's suspected use of chemical weapons suggests we could soon see an American bombing campaign on the war-torn country.
The atrocities that took place in Syria recently, such as those that have been taking place there for almost two years, are deplorable and inhuman.
Before bombing Syria over the regime's latest crimes, however, we should stand back and ask, "And then what?"
Bergen: For U.S., Syria is truly a problem from hell
A brief bombing campaign in Syria might make the United States and its allies feel like they are doing something, but it will prove nothing.
We have already abstained from getting involved in the civil war for two years and have chosen not to respond to evidence (albeit less clear) of another chemical attack this year.
Before bombing Syria we should ask " and then what?". A brief bombing campaign makes us feel good but proves nothing.— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) August 26, 2013
We have already concluded that as terrible as the civil war is, it cannot be our war. The bombing will not change this -- and then what?
Both sides in Syria are bad. One side is a brutal dictator, and the other includes Islamists and terrorists who are dangerous already and who would be brutal in power if given the chance.
We will not spend the time, money and blood to create a desirable side in Syria. There is no victory to be had there.
Syria is not the greatest threat in the Middle East to U.S. or world security. The Iranian regime is working every day to get a nuclear weapon. It poses a direct threat to Israel's survival and a long-term threat to America.
Iran matters. Iran is working every day to get a nuclear weapon. Iran is direct threat to Israel's survival and long term threat to America— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) August 26, 2013
The conflicts in Syria, Egypt and Libya are small threats compared with the disaster that could ensue and the lives that would be endangered if Iran succeeds in its drive for nuclear weapons.
We should focus more on the truly big threat ahead of the headlines of the day -- or we will be reading much worse headlines in the future.
Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.
Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Newt Gingrich.


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Wow, haven't posted in a few weeks. Sorry! Here's some new content, just added to my radio archives. I usually post the files well in advance of updating the web page, so if you subscribe to the podcast, you'll enjoy almost immediate gratification. Podcast instructions are on the archive page.
December 6, 2012 Jane McAlevey, author of Raising Expectations (And Raising Hell), on how to revive the U.S. labor movement [The KPFA version of this show was a fundraiser. If you like these shows and want to keep them coming, please consider contributing to KPFA. If you do, mention "Behind the News"!]
November 29, 2012 Frank Bardacke, author of Trampling Out the Vintage, on Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers
November 22, 2012 James Galbraith on the fiscal cliff • Walter Benn Michaels, author of this and this and this, on the election and the victory of left neoliberalism


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Clash of the Crews 2012 Presented by Arnette
Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 by Rob
Photos and words by Rob Meronek
Footage by Joe Pelham
Footage by Joe Pelham
HiDefJoe Footage
|Blake Carpenter grew up and got good in what seems to be overnight. This nollie heelflip crooked grind is a small part of his contribution to Midtown winning it.
|Blake made a clean one later, but all I got was the slide out version. That's king sized snaps right there.
|Another reason Midtown came out on top was Chris Blake. That perfect looking frontside bluntslide is switch.
|Nick Blanco's nollie flip almost looks like a sideways airwalk.
|One of the best looking skaters out there this weekend was Brad Cromer. Schaefer refers to that as "handsome" to let you know he's not talking about the skate style when he says someone is looking good. That's a fakie flip.
|Can you even pick a VIP for Midtown? They all ripped and contributed equally to their win. That's Devin Abreu with a kickflip back lip.
|Danny Fuenzalida took a break from worldwide tours with Weezy and joined the MIA team this weekend.
|If you were deep in the backwoods of Hazard County, Georgia, you might think someone was referring to the hot pursuit of local ladies when they mentioned "chasin' trau." Chason Trau, thanks for making the trip down to Tampa from Georgia. Next time, bring Jona.
|HiDefJoe's hard at work on the edit already.
|Schaefer's boys here that he hired to DJ had us a bit concerned on the kind of music that would be played, especially after seeing their choice of earlobe decor, but it actually turned out not too bad. We only had to cancel a few songs like some terrible Red Hot Chili Peppers here and there.
|Jimmy Mastrocolo on a back smith for Westside.
|When the crowd became unruly and began chanting for Clem's signature cover boy stunt, he had no choice but to get core and throw it down.
|For Dylan Perry, the gap to front board on that thing got away this time, but the front crook was nailed.
|Eli Williams can be found in Georgia chasin' trau with Jona and the Hazard County crew.
|The old guy on the Hazard County team can nollie flip the rail? Damn, Matt Fink.
|John Montesi shows you all what a ho-ho plant is.
|Jonathan Conde - nollie cab flip.
|Paul Hart - switch heel.
|Mike Peterson's still got it like that.
|TJ Harris - nollie big heel hanging on by a toe.
|Yonis Molina - nollie frontside feeble.
|TJ Harris - nollie 360 flip at the buzzer.
|DailyBS, famous thumb, and Mike Peterson.
|The Westside crew ended up in 6th.
|Congrats to the Midtown crew. We have a giant engraved wrasslin' belt on the way out to you to display in your shop all year. Thanks everyone for coming out to the first Clash of the Crews at SPoT.
|Ed Selego, thanks for bringing the MIA crew, a Florida hurricane, and letting us take over doing Clash of the Crews at our joint.
Lowcard Mag Footage
Clash of The Crews! from lowcard magazine on Vimeo.


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Ansel Adams: trees.
New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2004. Quarto, dustwrapper, black and white photographs. This book presents some fifty of Adams' finest photographs of trees - a wide range of imagery from towering redwood groves to flowering orchards; majestic pine forest to leafy deciduous woods; wood and bark details to gnarled..... More


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We know how it is. You love your significant other, but time passes, libidos decrease, and you're no longer that hot-and-heavy couple of the past. Whether it's work, having kids or one of the many stressors in life that decrease our sex drive, we know what you really want: to get back to it!
While we're always fans of getting out of a sex rut by donning some sexy lingerie, getting kinkier in the bedroom or any other method--there's also something you can do to increase your libido, too, by eating foods that will naturally improve your sex drive. Here are some healthy foods make you want it more, more, more!
1. Avocado
Originally called Ahuacuatl by the Aztecs (a.k.a. the "testicle tree"), they are actually dense in carotenoids, fiber, potassium, vitamins B6 and E, which are said to heighten arousal and increase the intensity of orgasm. Eat up!
2. Jennifer Lopez
This Boricua singer, actress, dancer and entrepreneur has too many wax figures for us to count. This is the newest in Lopez's honor, unveiled for Madame Tussauds New York in January 2015. We'll... let it speak for itself.
3. Almonds
The smell of almonds supposedly is an arousal tool for us ladies. But beyond that, they're rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that are needed for the production of hormones like testosterone that aid in reproductive function, fertility and a healthy libido. Can we have some?
4. Strawberries
Looking to boost your libido and get some extra energy for that sexy sweat session tonight? Opt for these delicious berries, which contain vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, iron and fiber, all of which can help! Hand them over.
5. Carrots
These orange delicacies may be a bit better for your hombre, since they're filled to the brim with Vitamin A. It's vital for sperm production, so make sure he's injesting plenty of it throughout his day--especially since it's such a great snack! Let's do it.
6. Rocket Lettuce
Did you know that Romans used this type of lettuce to increase their libidos? They were onto something, since it is rich in Vitamin A, which can help stabilize the production of sex hormones. Plus, the strong taste is said to stimulate your taste buds and make your mouth more sensitive. Yowza!
7. Asparagus
Thanks to the green veggie being an excellent source of potassium, fiber, vitamins A, C, B6 and folic acid, it is said to boost histamine production that helps both sexes in achieving orgasm. Plus, it's a good source of collage for good reproductive health. Serve us seconds!
8. Watermelon
In 2008, a study by Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center studied citrulline, one of watermelon's phynutrients. Apparently, it has the power to relax blood vessels, just like Viagra! So if your man is having some erectile dysfunction issues, this is a good one to try. More, por favor!
9. Peaches
For a little, ahem, enhanced performance in the bedroom, try some peaches. They are packed with vitamins and nutrients like potassium, phosphorus and iron. Plus, the high levels of Vitamin C help to improve sperm count and reduce sperm clumping. We'll have some for dessert.
10. Crimson Cranberries
It may not be the sexiest-sounding thing, but cranberries are rich in Vitamin C, which has been clinincally proven to keep sex glands running. Plus, Vitamin A is important for reproduction and the circulatory system (meaning blood to you-know-where), so it's time to try these out. We're in!


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+myConnections: Engage your community - connect to news, events and information you care about. View more information...
View your community's facilities and features online with the new Facilities Module.
Personalize your online experience to stay up-to-date on news, events and other information.
Parking on any public street, court, or alley within the city limits is hereby prohibited between the hours of 3:00 am and 6:00 am with the exception of Sundays and the following holidays:
New Years Day
Martin Luther King Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
4th of July
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Christmas Day
It is the intent of the City of Plymouth to keep streets as clear as possible between the hours of 3:00 am and 6:00 am. Fewer vehicles on the street during these times provides for better street maintenance in the form of cleaning and snow removal. In addition, clear streets promote crime deterrence and offer the police department better visibility while conducting neighborhood patrols.
Parking on any public street court, or alley within the city limits is prohibited between the hours of 3:00 am and 6:00 am with the exception of Sundays and holidays (70-93).
The City Manager is authorized to establish procedures for the issuance of permits for parking overnight on city streets and municipal parking lots (70-95).
Applications for Overnight Parking Permits are available at the Police Department front counter within City Hall or online parking permit application.
Applications must be completed in their entirety and submitted with all required documentation. Completed applications will then be turned over to the Police Department's Ordinance Officer to review and investigate the need for a permit per this policy.
It shall be the policy of the City and required that the vehicles shall fill all available parking spaces, as determined by the building code for vehicles including the garage and driveways. A parking space shall be considered available if the original construction was for the parking of a vehicle. This includes garage space that is being used for storage and not available for vehicle parking. If garage space is being used for storage it shall be included in the available parking spaces for that residence. Be advised that driveway space, garage space, the number of vehicles and the size of vehicles are all taken into consideration during the permit process.
In order to receive a parking permit, all vehicles must be registered to the residence address requesting the permit. Further, the driver's license of the person requesting the permit must show a valid City of Plymouth address for the location in question.
There shall be a $25.00 fee paid to the City of Plymouth for Overnight Parking Permits. This fee shall be used to cover the cost of the permit as well as processing the permit and the necessary Ordinance Officer investigation related to the permit. Permits for on-street parking are valid from July 1 through June 30. (Prorated by application date).
It is understood that specific situations arise from time to time in which overnight on-street parking may be necessary. Such situations are considered temporary and infrequent. They may include emergencies, home or driveway construction, and out-of-town guests. To facilitate this need, the Temporary Overnight Parking List has been established to provide authorization for such temporary and infrequent situations.
Temporary overnight parking authorization will be limited to no more than 14 days in a calendar month. In extreme cases, additional days may be permitted at the discretion of the Chief of Police or his designee. BE ADVISED, it is your responsibility to make sure that Sundays and holidays are not included with your 14 days selection. Sundays and holidays selected in error will count towards the 14 days in calendar month.
There is now a new online portal to enter your information into the Temporary Overnight Parking List. The website is available at: Online Overnight Parking System


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Masks | Snorkel mask or scuba mask for your Sabah Adventure!
Masks, without a mask your scuba diving or snorkel day trip in Kota Kinabalu it is going to be a little slow... We have a nice range of masks all them offer you great value for money and comfort.
Without a snorkel mask your eyes get very wet...
A mask, also known as half mask, snorkel mask, scuba mask or dive mask is an item of equipment that allows snorkelers, underwater divers, scuba divers and free-divers to see clearly underwater. However surface supplied divers (They would not be seen dead in snorkel mask :-) ) usually use a full faced mask but generally a diving helmet. However, in some circumstances the half mask may be still be used. If we want to be able to see underwater then we need a mask. This is because when the human eye is in direct contact with water as opposed to air - its normal environment. Light entering the eye is refracted by a different angle. The eye is then unable to focus the light. But by providing an air space in front of the eyes using a snorkel mask, scuba mask or full face/diving helmet. Then the light enters normally and the eye is able to focus correctly - Like magic you can now see Nemo.
I can see! Thank you snorkel mask and scuba mask
When the diver descends with his trusty scuba mask the ambient pressure rises. Because of this it becomes necessary to equalise the pressure inside the mask. If pressure is not equalised with the ambient pressure then a barotrauma also known as mask squeeze is possible. This is easily done by blowing sufficient air out through the nose into the mask to relieve the pressure difference. However most persons when scuba diving or snorkelling naturally breath a little out of there noses with out knowing. You can only equalise this space if the nose is also enclosed in the same air space as the eyes. When ascending there is no need to equalise as it is all done automatically by our very smart little bodies.
Lenses for your masks - If you wear glasses on dry land why not treat yourself to some corrective lenses. These lenses can be installed a selected range of snorkel mask and scuba mask. Once fitted they allow normal vision for persons with focusing defects. But, if you use contact lenses normally these can still be used with both snorkel mask and scuba mask.
The range of masks for both use as snorkel mask or scuba mask is vast. Not just colours and styles but also there general fit and design. Each brand or design has a different field of view. Masks come in all shapes and sizes just like me and you. At our Wisma Sabah shop in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia we stock a wide verity of masks so we strongly recommend you visit for a fitting - snorkel mask and scuba mask what ever you want we can help!
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Huntsman: 'Sane Republican' ready for his moment
There's a question that Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman loves to pop out from time to time as he campaigns across New Hampshire: "What language do you want me to answer in?"
Tossing out a sentence or two in Mandarin gives Barack Obama's former U.S. ambassador to China an opportunity to showcase his foreign policy credentials and position himself as a cultural bridge-builder. Not to come off as too highbrow, though, Huntsman also adopts a fake New Hampshire accent at times and joshes about eating lobster rolls for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Both ploys hint at the challenge facing Huntsman, whose defining moment in the Republican presidential race could be here, and now, in the towns and villages of New Hampshire.
After sitting out the Iowa caucuses and investing all his hopes in this state, Huntsman has struggled to find a voice that resonates with voters. The former Utah governor is proud to announce that he's no longer "the margin-of-error candidate" - in New Hampshire, at least. But he'll need to do far better than that for his campaign to continue after Tuesday's primary.
"Who's that guy?" a factory worker asked as Huntsman visited a plant in Keene recently.
The answer - Huntsman's biography - is complex.
He's an Obama administration appointee running in a GOP primary where candidates have been working to out-conservative one another.
He's a Mormon navigating a process typically dominated by evangelicals.
He's a Harley-riding, high-school dropout who frequents taco stands, and the son of a billionaire businessman.
Here's what Huntsman, 51, would have you know, first and foremost: "I can get elected."
To expand on that, he offers himself as the "sane Republican," one offering "good, center-right, pragmatic, problem-solving leadership."
"We've got to have someone who isn't being teed up by the establishment," Huntsman says in dismissing his GOP rivals.
Huntsman has never been traditional or establishment.
Growing up in Utah, he ditched the end of high school to play with local jazz and rock bands.
Those years ended when he briefly enrolled at the University of Utah through a program that granted him admission without a high school diploma. He then went on a Mormon mission to Taiwan, where he learned to speak Mandarin.
He later attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in political science, then entered public service and eventually worked for President Ronald Reagan and both Bush presidents.
In 1993, after leaving his post as ambassador to Singapore, Huntsman became president of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation and eventually CEO of Huntsman Family Holdings, the umbrella company for the multibillion-dollar corporation founded by his father.
Huntsman first ran for Utah governor in 2004, winning with 57 percent of the vote.
As governor, proposals to significantly boost education spending and a repeal of the tax on food garnered him support from moderate members of both parties. He also supported school tuition vouchers, pushed through a mostly flat income tax and backed a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in 2004.
In the 2008 campaign, the most effective argument that Democrats could muster was that Huntsman was unlikely to serve his full second term. They were right.
Senators lavished so much praise on him during his confirmation hearing to be Obama's ambassador to China that Huntsman said he hoped to fare as well at his funeral. Taking up his post in Beijing amid sometimes unsteady U.S.-China relations, Huntsman prodded the Chinese on human rights and worked to expand U.S. engagement with the growing economic powerhouse.
Huntsman was expected to be a force in the 2012 presidential race long before he officially joined the crowded field in June.
The 51-year-old California native offered a unique set of qualifications as a former GOP governor with experience working under presidents of both parties.
Perhaps it's the connection to Obama, but Huntsman has struggled to win over the more conservative voters who typically dominate Republican primaries.
Despite his more moderate positions on global warming, the war in Afghanistan and gay rights, Huntsman offers himself as a "consistent conservative."
"Don't mistake a moderate temperament for a moderate record," he admonishes.
That points to another Huntsman challenge - his low-key demeanor.
Huntsman freely admits that he's not a verbal bomb-thrower in a political era where brash rhetoric is often rewarded, particularly by a Republican electorate looking for a nominee who will aggressively take it to Obama. Huntsman tries to turn his style into a positive, saying that he's outlining goals that are achievable, while his opponents are "campaigning on a bunch of nutty ideas to whoop up folks in a crowd."
In recent days, Huntsman has gotten more pointed in drawing a contrast to the other Mormon ex-governor in the race, front-runner Mitt Romney, whose conservative convictions also have come under question.
"People want to know your core," Huntsman says. "I haven't been on three sides of all the issues."
Friends and colleagues describe a man who puts a priority on family and authenticity.
"He'd rather lose than be inauthentic," says wife Mary Kaye, a near-constant companion in New Hampshire.
The couple has seven children, including one daughter adopted from China and another from India.
Their three oldest daughters, whose tweets as (at)Jon2012girls have a big following, generated a huge amount of buzz with a video spoof of an ad by former rival Herman Cain. They donned oversized glasses and fake mustaches to look like Cain's campaign manager.
Huntsman, who so far has loaned his campaign $2.2 million of his own money, says he's getting a second look now from voters who dismissed him at first because he'd crossed the partisan divide to work for Obama.
He's looking at the jumbled results from Iowa, and hoping they suggest that voters still are open to somebody else.
"There's a whole lot of blue sky for the rest of us," he said.


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Join us at Downtown Campus, Room RV101 for an information session covering our Applied Technology Programs at Pima Community College (PCC). Our target audience are new students or someone thinking about applying to PCC.
Programs described in this information session include:
*Aviation Technology has their own orientation sessions at the PCC Aviation Technology Center. Please go to the program website page for dates and times.
You will be able to learn about:


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See more from the Micuna Life Max collection.
Brighten your nursery with some color and a dash of playfulness with the Micuna Life Crib. The modern design and easy-to-switch spindles lets you transform your crib into a masterpiece. This crib is for anyone that loves playing with color patterns.
The set includes both the Crib Base and the Spindle Collection. A spring latch system makes it easy to assemble and disassemble the spindles, meaning you never have to have the same crib two weeks in a row. It's your own custom-made crib! An additional perk, the crib converts to a toddler bed with conversion crib.
- Spindles made of solid beech wood sourced in sustainable forests.
- 2 different mattress heights for optimum comfort for baby and adults.
- Easy, removeable spindles in multiple color options.
It takes 3 sets of Spindles to make the Life Crib. If you would like to customize the spindles, please call 877-882-2624
Additional Info
|Product Dimensions
|55" x 33.5" x 30.5"


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Services Rehabilitation & Therapy
Pulmonary Rehab
Did you feel winded the last time you tried walking up the stairs? How about feeling exhausted after a simple walk down the street? If you've been experiencing breathing difficulties, then pulmonary rehabilitation may benefit you. Our program includes a personalized plan to help you become healthier and able to resume the activities that enhance your life. In time, we can help you experience improved breathing, increased endurance, and better overall health!
Monday, Wednesday & Friday:
Starting at 11:00 a.m.
What You Expect from the Pulmonary Rehab Program
- Exercise - increase endurance, strength, and flexibility.
- Education - learn how the lungs work and what activities affect your breathing.
- Medication and Equipment Use - know how and when to use medications and oxygen.
- Breathing Techniques - gain control over shortness of breath.
- Lifestyle Changes - learn how to pace yourself during normal activities and ways to help keep your lungs healthy and functioning properly.
Your Pulmonary Rehab Team
Our team of medical professionals is specially trained to treat people with lung disease. As part of the program, they will teach you about the unique characteristics of your condition and the skills to manage it. And - as long as you keep exercising and using those skills - you'll continue to enjoy benefits even after the program ends!
Schedule Your Pulmonary Rehab Session
To make an appointment, call 815-562-2181, ext. 2520. Please note that a physician's referral is required.


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There are lots of articles and essays of interest to modern Pagans out there, sometimes more than I can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.
- The New York Times profiles Baba Heru Semahj, a New York police officer turned Kemetic priest. Quote: "He performs weddings, funeral services and Kemetic cosmological holiday services. He has bestowed his blessings and jewelry on the likes of the jazz bandleader Sun Ra, the controversial Judge Bruce Wright and celebrity clients like Wesley Snipes, Erykah Badu and Ben Vereen, he said. Mr. Semahj had five children with his first wife. His second wife, Queen Afua, is a priestess, healer and midwife who runs a Kemetic-themed wellness consultancy and writes books." You can find Baba Heru Semahj's jewelry studio, here.
- In Iraq, young men and women who are considered "emo" are being targeted and killed by conservative militias. The Western subcultural style is perceived as a marker for homosexuality and devil worship, and local authorities tasked with protecting social minorities are completely ill-equipped to handle the problem. The New York Times correctly points out that it was the Iraqi government that first labeled emo kids as a Satanic menace that should be eliminated. Activists claim that up to 90 people have been killed so far in this purge, usually beaten to death with cinder blocks.
- The Houston Chronicle covers the controversy over Nigerian witch-hunter Helen Ukpabio's impending visit to Texas. The local churches hosting Ukpabio deny any abusive behavior or child exorcisms within their congregations, and Ukpabio won't respond to requests for comment. The Chronicle notes that Ukpabio's website claims "there is hardly any family without witchcraft, " and Harvard scholar of indigenous African religions Jacob Olupona calls Ukpabio's teachings "completely unacceptable." You can read more about Ukpabio and her visit to America, here.
- Chas Clifton notes that the latest issue of The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies went to press last month, and its contents are now available online. PDFs of book reviews and of Caroline Tully's article, "Researching the Past is a Foreign Country: Cognitive Dissonance as a Response by Practitioner Pagans to Academic Research on the History of Pagan Religions," may be downloaded free. I'm particularly looking forward to reading "John Michell, Radical Traditionalism and the Emerging Politics of the Pagan New Right" by Amy Hale. I got previews of both aforementioned papers at the recent AAR Annual Meeting in San Francisco, and they each should do an excellent job in sparking needed discussions within modern Paganism.
- OC Weekly profiles Lon Milo DuQuette on the release of his new solo CD "I'm Baba Lon." DuQuette, has written several texts on magick and the occult, and recently released a novel entitled "Aleister Crowley – Revolt of the Magicians" (for which I interviewed him). You can hear a live preview of the album, here.
- Kirk Cameron finds himself a defender against "totalitarian" gays in David Krayden of the Canadian Centre for Policy Studies. Krayden notes that "promotion of homosexual behaviour is in itself a throwback to the attitudes and opinions of ancient pagan civilizations." It's a lucky thing that Cameron is an expert in infiltrating open-to-the-public Pagan rituals!
- In November, Minnesota votes on a state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Local religion professor Anant Rambachan, a Hindu, points out that Christianity isn't the only religion that has opinions about divisive social issues. Quote: "Our state is home also to significant numbers of people of other world religions, including my own Hindu tradition. It is important that our voices also be offered in the public square. This amendment threatens to enshrine in law the perspective of particular religions and marginalize others." Once you start enshrining Christian morality into law, you inherently limit the religious freedoms of non-Christian faiths.
- Local media here in Eugene, Oregon have been documenting the work of Alley Valkyrie, a Pagan and part of Occupy Eugene, who has been fighting Eugene's "exclusion zone," saying it unfairly targets the homeless population. Valkyrie herself was recently ticketed for violating the restrictive guidelines, which include sitting and leaning on planters and other structures. Police have backed off that ticket, no doubt trying to avoid further negative publicity. For more on Valkyrie's work, check out this story on the Eugene Occupy movement.
PNC-Minnesota has an interview up with Paganicon guest-of-honor Christopher Penczak. Quote: "Our great challenge will be how to join the world as an adult religion. I believe in the new age, the new eon, a new era of consciousness. Paganism has so much to offer the world's religions. To do that we need to speak a similar language and understand each other. We need some similar institutions, whatever they turn out to be. The challenge is how to do all that in a public venue and still maintain ourselves as having mystery teachings."
- Phil Hine weighs in on Queer Pagans, Queering Paganism, and how all that relates to the current dialog over gender in the Pagan community. Quote: "In America, there are signs that the constroversy sparked by the exclusion of transgendered Pagans at Pantheacon this year and in 2011 is also provoking a closer critique of Pagan discourses around sexuality, gender – and despite the surface rhetoric of being "inclusive" – how Pagan praxis actually works against this, producing seperations and boundaries. I see these projects as the beginnings of conversations that I hope will spiral outwards into wider areas…"
- BBC radio program "Heart and Soul" looks at the aftermath of last year's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which in part explores how the disaster has affected practitioners of Shinto. Quote: "Mass graves have meant the impossibility of carrying out Buddhist or Shinto rituals and 'a spirit of an ancestor who's not properly memorialised can cause problems for the living because the spirit is unhappy and not looked after properly'." You can read more about this at The Wild Hunt, here.
That's it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of them I may expand into longer posts as needed.


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North Carolina authorities recover bodies of young cousins in construction pit collapse
STANLEY, N.C. -- Authorities on Monday recovered the bodies of two young cousins buried when a wall of dirt fell on them while they were playing in a hole at a home construction site in North Carolina.
The bodies of the 6-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy were pulled from a 24-foot-deep pit in the town of Stanley, outside of Charlotte, said Lincoln County Emergency Services spokesman Dion Burleson.
"We've been working a horrific scene here," Burleson told reporters gathered near the rural site on a two-lane road.
Crews had been searching for the children since Sunday afternoon, when the boy's father called 911 to report the collapse. Officials were on the scene within minutes but couldn't get to the children.
The father had been digging with a backhoe on the site earlier in the day, said County Sheriff David Carpenter. He would not say what was being built or if the man was doing it alone or had professional help.
Burleson described the pit as 20 feet by 20 feet with a sloped entrance leading down to the 24-foot bottom. The children were at the bottom of the pit retrieving a child-sized pickaxe when the walls fell in on them, Carpenter said.
He said his deputies would continue to investigate what happened. Authorities have not released the names of the father or the children.


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2021 Bray Yacht Design Long Range Explorer Motoryacht
- Description
- View Full Specifications
- Year:
- 2021
- Length:
- 125'
- Engine/Fuel Type:
- Twin / diesel
- Located In:
- United States
- Hull Material:
- Steel
- 76973-2060844
- Call for Price
Designed as a world cruising and personal exploration vessel, the Explorer class is for adventurers who want to circle the globe. It's heritage is from the offshore supply vessels and the working fishing fleets of the Pacific Northwest. A robust ship of proven sea keeping ability she is fitted with a bulbous bow for efficiency as well as roll reducing fixed/active stabilizer keels. She will be the primary residence for an experienced owner with ocean cruising under his belt. The extensive range, on-board water makers, and great storage capacity make trans - ocean crossings a matter of course.
The large machinery space is fitted with twin slow-turning diesel engines and twin generators with wet stack exhausts. A hydraulic cruising generator is also specified. The accommodation level has four staterooms with an on-deck master suite. The main deck lounge opens out onto the main deck where the personal sub, seaplane or helicopter, jet skis, windsurfers, kayaks, and dinghies are to be kept. With the equipment off-loaded this area becomes a 26' x 40' sunning and activity area. Tennis anyone? The professional galley and dining room are forward and occupy the full width of the ship. The bridge has direct access to the anchor windlass forward, the side decks, the aft wing stations, and the upper aft deck. The helm area is large and complete with chart table, electronic charting, flag lockers, and radio communication area. There is plenty of room for guest seating in the observation areas as well as the sky lounge aft. The upper aft deck overlooks the main deck, for spectators and sun worshippers who do not want to be disturbed. Up the outside staircase to the large fly bridge you will find a barbecue, sun pads, and plenty of lounging space. Many bridge controls are duplicated here for running the ship from 'up top'.
The steel hull and aluminium superstructure have over 3" of insulation as well as double paned windows for maximum comfort in all climates. There are four watertight bulkheads and the vessel meets the ABS Rules for Motor Pleasure Yachts of unrestricted service. All equipment on board from anchors and rode to the fire fighting and emergency bilge pumping system are 'big ship' design. The piping and wiring are also of commercial standard.
The Explorer is a rough, tough, no nonsense, go anywhere class of vessel with the comfort and equipment to do it in style. The raised bow and protected side decks challenge the sea and the high bulwarks protect the sailors on board. The covered decks shield from rain and sun to meet the demands of a wide range of climate. Once at a remote anchorage, equipment can be lowered off the main deck to explore the depths, play in the wind and waves, or fly off for a picnic on an untouched beach.
Please contact designer's agents Bruce Biddick +1-858-735-7078 email@example.com or Christy Fletcher +1-858-775-2232 firstname.lastname@example.com
For more information on new construction opportunities with Bray Yacht Design and Research Ltd. visit our website at www.cfbmarine.com
CFB Marine Group is conveniently located at Marina Cortez on Harbor Island directly across from the San Diego Airport with our branch locations at Chula Vista Marina in the South Bay and at Driscoll Boat Works on Shelter Island.
Please contact Bruce Biddick CFB Marine Group at +1 858-735-7078
Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:
Builder: Custom
Designer: Bray Yacht Design and Research Ltd.
LOA: 125 ft 0 in
Beam: 29 ft 0 in
LWL: 112 ft 0 in
Maximum Draft: 10 ft 0 in
Engine 1:
Engine Brand: Caterpillar
Engine Model: C18
Engine Type: Inboard
Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel
Drive Type: Direct Drive
Engine 2:
Engine Brand: Caterpillar
Engine Model: C18
Engine Type: Inboard
Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel
Drive Type: Direct Drive
Fresh Water Tanks: (1453 Gallons)
Fuel Tanks: (8454 Gallons)
Displacement: 275 ton
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
Other Boats from CFB Marine Group
Bray Yacht Design
Long Range Explorer Motoryacht
Unknown, United States
Bray Yacht Design
Ocean Condo
San Diego, CA, United States
Bray Yacht Design
Ocean Explorer Motoryacht
Unknown, United States
Bray Yacht Design
Unknown, United States
Bray Yacht Design
Ocean Series Long Range Sportfisher
Unknown, United States
Bray Yacht Design
Ocean Series Long Range Sportfisher
Unknown, United States


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DETROIT – 2 people are recovering after being shot in a robbery at a resale store on Detroit's west side.
It happened at A-Z Resale on W. Warren near Piedmont Saturday night.
"He just walked in right away with a gun," said the store owners nephew, Muhammad Aldirawi.
Local 4 was told the suspect walked into the store and started shooting. The stores owner was hit in the side. The suspect then demanded a customer hand over her purse. She complied but was shot after.
The suspect allegedly took $500 out of the purse and ran.
Both victims were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover.
When police arrived, there was no trace of the gunman. A K-9 tracked his scent but the trail went cold a few blocks down the road.
Investigators believe the suspect had a get away car waiting for him.


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VIA KT266A Motherboard Roundup - January 2002by Mike Andrawes on January 18, 2002 4:48 AM EST
- Posted in
- Motherboards
AMD remains very focused on CPUs and only rises to the role of a chipset manufacturer when it's absolutely necessary. Case in point would be the release of the AMD 760 chipset which enabled DDR SDRAM to be used on Athlon platforms, and more recently the AMD 760MP/MPX platforms that finally brought dual processor support.
AMD has relied in third party manufacturers to supply chipsets for their CPUs for the longest time. Back in the Socket-7 days it was Intel that provided the majority of the chipsets, and eventually VIA took over the role. The Athlon itself would have never succeeded had it not been for VIA's support but as any business mind will tell you, it's dangerous to put all your eggs in one basket. AMD began encouraging other chipset manufacturers such as ALi, SiS and eventually even NVIDIA to develop Athlon platforms.
Around the Computex 2001 timeframe VIA was feeling quite a bit of pressure as it seemed like motherboard vendors were tempted by SiS' 735 and the then forthcoming nForce. Fast-forwarding to the present day, many of VIA's fears were unwarranted.
While the SiS 735 exhibited excellent performance combined with a very low cost, motherboard manufacturers were not quick to adopt the solution. Other than ECS' extremely low-priced K75SA, there were no more than a handful of boards made based on the 735 chipset.
Even more of a disappointment was the launch of NVIDIA's nForce. We still firmly believe in the capabilities of the chipset but what was originally the highlight of Computex fizzled at its official shipping launch in late 2001. There is still much potential for the chipset with more affordable solutions coming this year but it seems like we were all a little too optimistic about how revolutionary NVIDIA's first shot at a PC chipset would be. The nForce platform will be an interesting one to keep an eye on, but it's not destined to replace VIA's role in the Athlon's growth anytime soon.
This leaves us with by far the most desirable Athlon platform on the market - VIA's KT266A. While most manufacturers won't touch their Pentium 4 chipsets with a 10 foot pole, there isn't a single motherboard manufacturer in Taiwan that isn't happy to feature the KT266A chipset. Much of the success of the AMD Athlon XP's launch can be attributed to this chipset which performs so very well and allows the processor to truly spread its wings. With a chipset this important, how could we not make a roundup out of it?
In this roundup, besides KT266A boards, we also threw in two boards using the latest stepping of ALi's MAGiK 1 chipset - the ASUS A7A266-E and the Iwill XP333. On the KT266A side, we have a total of 14 candidates; they are the ABIT KR7A-RAID, AOpen AK77 Plus, ASUS A7V266-E, Chaintech CT-7VJDA, DFI AD70-SR, ECS K7VTA3, EPoX 8KHA+, FIC AN11, Gigabyte 7VTXH, MSI K7T266 Pro2, Shuttle AK35GTR, Soltek SL-75DRV2, Soyo AY-K7V Dragon Plus! and the Transcend TS-AKR4.
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Anonymous User - Monday, September 29, 2003 - linkHow do I get my Engine to Memory clock to run synchronous for my Epox 8kha+ board Reply


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Robber pulls knife, store clerk pulls sword in New Bedford
A New Bedford convenience store clerk pulled a sword on a man who tried to rob him while armed with a knife.
The man with the knife ran from the man with the sword, according to New Bedford police.
According to police, the assailant walked into the Lucky Seven Grocery store Tuesday just before noon, and pointed a knife at the 24-year-old clerk.
In response, the clerk pulled out a sword he kept behind the counter, New Bedford Police Detective Captain Steven Vicente said. The knife-wielding man fled the County Street store.
The clerk was unharmed and no money was taken.
Police described the assailant as a white male approximately 40 years old, 5-foot-9, heavy build, with a brown mustache. He was last seen wearing an olive green winter coat, blue jeans, and white-and-blue sneakers.
Anyone with information is asked to contact New Bedford Police.
Be civil. Be kind.Read our full community guidelines.


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Heidelberg's Schreier Gives Farewell Speech to Industry Journalists (Video)
HEIDELBERG, GERMANY—Dec. 12, 2012—Bernhard Schreier, retiring CEO of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, paid a surprise visit to a group of U.S. and European journalists who were touring Heidelberg's Wiesloch-Walldorf facility in Germany on Tuesday.
Relaxed and in good spirits after running the press manufacturing company for almost 13 years, Schreier said he wanted to meet one last time with industry journalists, including North American Publishing Co. titles In-Plant Graphics (IPG), Printing Impressions and packagePRINTING, to thank them for their years of coverage of Heidelberg.
IPG Editor Bob Neubauer captured Schreier's address, which he said was his last official action with Heidelberg, on video. To emphasize the finality of the act, when Schreier had finished speaking, he removed his red Heidelberg tie for the last time and presented it to the journalist he has known the longest—Yvon Guémard, editor of the French graphic arts magazine Caractère.
Schreier said he felt good about new CEO Gerold Linzbach since he had wanted the new CEO to come from outside the industry to bring some new perspective. "It was an ideal choice," he said.
Schreier said he has no plans to look for a new company to run, but noted that he will continue to monitor the printing industry from retirement. "I'm so close to the business that I will carefully observe what's happening around the world in this industry," he commented.


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Online shopping is expected to reach record highs this holiday season due to an increased demand caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. As a result, shipping carriers are anticipating increased package volumes that may lead to carrier shipping delays. These potential delays can result in customers receiving their packages later than expected.
While we cannot control any possible delays from the shipping carriers, we will continue to do everything possible from our end to help ensure that orders are processed quickly in our warehouse so we can provide customers with the best possible shopping experience.
As a valued member of Steelers Nation, we wanted to share this information as early as possible so you could make informed decisions on your shipping choices at checkout. We encourage our customers to plan accordingly and place any time sensitive orders early this holiday season. We thank you for your continued support of The Pittsburgh Steelers.
Valid through 11:59PM ET 12/6/2020, or while supplies last, receive a free Pittsburgh Steelers Water Bottle (Style #177590, a $24.95 retail value) with every online Steelers Pro Shop purchase at shop.steelers.com of $150 or more.
Free Pittsburgh Steelers Water Bottle will be automatically added to cart. This offer is valid while supplies last. Offer not valid on previously purchased merchandise, gift cards, vendor direct items, custom items, game used, or team issued items. This offer is not redeemable for cash, and offer's value will not be refunded on merchandise returns. Discount promotion and associated terms and conditions subject to change at The Steelers Pro Shop's sole discretion.Valid online only. Excludes Heinz Field, Grove City Premium Outlets and Tanger Outlets Steelers Pro Shop stores.
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This came in from the Forest Speaks:
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:20:09 +0100
From: saska haramina <saska1978@...>
To: email@example.com
Subject: maybe some people who record in The Cave might be interested in this?
Quality music at a fair price and fair pay for artists: music,
done right.
"In these days of diminishing sales within a crumbling music industry,
the innovative idea is king!
How do musicians earn some money, and music-lovers get a good
deal? It seems like
www.tentracks.co.uk have one kind of solution. Based in Edinburgh but
concentrating on quality sounds,
with a strong Scottish flavour, they've set up a great scheme... and only
absolute misers would complain
about 10 tunes per month for £10 per year! I'm looking forward to the
range and depth of styles and
genres on each month's tentracks, with established names sidling up to
fresh, under-the-radar acts.
To kick things off, they have those masterful 'selectas' and possibly the
hippest DJs in the UK,
'Optimo Espacio' curating the first batch. What a great start! It promises
to deliver month after
month, and I wait to see how things progress - all hail the new
- Vic Galloway, BBC Radio 1
On 10 October 2008 at 10.10pm tentracks.co.uk launched to the public.
Every month each channel on this music
download site offers its users a new bundle of ten tracks for £1, and
gives 60% of revenue generated back to
the artists. Subscriptions for a year are only £10, giving subscribers 120
tracks over the year, and artists
the opportunity to reinvest in their work and continue to make music.
We are currently running two channels; The Police Box and Optimo who
together represent diverse and excellent
pickings from the current Scottish music scene.
The Police Box represents modern folk, electronica and
The Aliens - Sunlamp Show
Punch and the Apostles - Asylum
Foxgang - White English
Black Diamond Express - Jack
Action Group - Wedding Bell Craze
King Biscuit Time - I Let Her In
FOUND - Found can move (MAPA remix)
Joe Acheson Quartet - Dust
Talkingmakesnosense - Set Status
Broken Records - Ghosts
Optimo represents world-renowned future-music
Den Haan - Metamorphosis
Detachments - Fear No Fear
Black Affair - I Go Out (Feat. The Cockandbullkid)
Truffle Club - Gone Blue
Ming Ming and the Ching Chings - Gone Blue
Findo Gask - Va Va Va
Tattie Toes - Shanty
They Came From The Stars I Saw Them - Moon Song
Big Ned - Spoiled Rotten
X-Vectors - The Crimes of Comiskey Park
To us, this is music done right.
Please visit www.tentracks.co.uk
and see for yourself.
"I think that if more people follow the Ten Tracks mould then it will be
great for bands...
when you've spent a lot of money and effort putting a record together, of
course you want
to be able to sell and earn money so you can go off and make another one."
- John Maclean, The Aliens
Notes for Editors:
www.tentracks.co.uk is operated and owned by Music Subscriptions Agency
LTD. The Skinny magazine is its official media partner.
All media and interview enquiries are welcomed. Founders Ed Stack and
Rupert Thomson are available for interview.
Please contact email@example.com or Sophie Kyle at The
Skinny for more information 01314674630.
Ten Tracks can be reached by post at The Drill Hall, 30 - 38
Dalmeny St, Edinburgh EH6 8RG.
Tentracks.co.uk is a platform for the marketing
and retail of music which responds to online music listening culture in a
way that has not been achieved to date by the major music industry. Sets of 10 bands provide a track each per
month. All 10 are available to listeners for £1 per month (or £10 per
year). The bands involved cross-promote each other via
their social networks. The tracks are also advertised each month in
free arts and culture publication The Skinny, who are partners in the
business. The Skinny distributes 32,500 copies around Scotland every month.
Over time, the listener-base will grow,
providing significant fees to each band for their work. Musicians give tentracks.co.uk no ownership
rights, and have the freedom to remove their track from the site after its
release month has ended (though there are incentives to stay on). At as little as 10p a track, the price
structure is almost but not quite 'free'. This great value for the
listener, and means artists are remunerated for their exposure in a way
that is not possible from most free downloads, illegal or otherwise. Listeners' behaviour has changed in a way the
old industry has failed to appreciate, but we understand the benefits of
radio-play and commercial broadcast, and do not impede other income streams
for musicians. Tentracks.co.uk is liscenced by MCPS-PRS. The tracks are without the restriction of DRM.
Scotland is uniquely placed in terms of
geography and creative potential to be host to this new, more economical
and honest way of doing music business, but we are looking for partnerships
elsewhere in the UK and internationally. If you'd like to work with us, get
in touch on firstname.lastname@example.com.
10 Tracks
Records, publishing, shop etc.
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: 10 Tracks
Thanks for the recommendation Saska, we would indeed be keen to hear from anyone with new recordings.
Best bet is to email firstname.lastname@example.com with links to your stuff.
And, if you like our music and the way we're working, please tell your friends. Happy listening!
Best bet is to email firstname.lastname@example.com with links to your stuff.
And, if you like our music and the way we're working, please tell your friends. Happy listening!
Re: 10 Tracks
i love ten tracks! Thanks for putting it together.
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1


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All-Star Castro starting to step into spotlight
HOUSTON -- Being an All-Star is a whole new world, as Astros catcher Jason Castro continues to find out.
Castro made his first public appearance Saturday morning since the All-Star Game, signing autographs and interacting with fans at the Sony Store in Houston's Galleria Mall.
While the event was low-key by professional athlete standards, it was well attended and another sign that the former first-round pick is becoming a face of the franchise.
"One of the things we enjoy as players is being able to meet fans and get out in the community a little. It's something we embrace," Castro said. "Being right after the All-Star Break, it was nice to see so many people out there in support of not just me, but the team too."
Whether it's starring in "Which Wich" commercials locally, signing autographs or being recognized as one of baseball's elite, Castro is becoming synonymous with the Astros' rebranding and rebuilding effort.
It would seem a strange match, given that Castro is more a quiet leader and low-key personality than a gregarious figure.
But the Stanford product is widely considered among the team's nicest players and he's also shown initiative in the community.
Last month, he and his wife hosted the Castro's Kids Book Drive at Minute Maid Park to help supply the Houston Independent School District with more reading resources.
"I tell you what, if we're going to have a guy represent this team, I want it to be Jason Castro," said manager Bo Porter. "I've said this before; if I'm looking for someone to bat third and marry my daughter, it's him."
As for dealing with some of his new-found fame, the soft-spoken Castro said he's not shy about being a public figure.
"I'm fine with it. It doesn't bother me at all," he said. "It's part of being a good player. Hopefully, the better we play and the more this rebuild goes along, the more attention we will get. That's a fun part of it, not a burden. We need to get used to that."


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How did you get involved?
It's actually a bit of a quirky story – I became involved in the effort's to save the Hector and Maui dolphins during the attempt to be the first man to free dive 100m in free diving. We called it Project Hector because 100m is a 'hectometer' – and to raise awareness of what's happening to Hector's Dolphins. We did the project, and it was a huge success, but my dedication to the cause didn't end – so I've kept on campaigning.
How endangered are they?
Extremely. There's only about 7,500 left worldwide – down from a population of 29,000 in the seventies. The Maui's Dolphin sub-species of Hector's Dolphins is thought to have only about 50 left in the population.
You've only had one chance to swim with them…
I've swum with other dolphins in the wild many times – where I live in the Bahamas, you see the Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, and Bottle-nosed Dolphins as well. But the swim with the Hector's Dolphins was a really magical experience. It was in early 2011 when I was in New Zealand, and went to a place close to Christchurch – only a short encounter. Five or ten minutes. But even that was something I'll never forget. They're the 'Mickey Mouse' of the cetaceans – the dorsal fin is shaped like Mickey's ear. They're all soft curves with colored shapes, gray and white, all over the body.
World champion freediver Will Trubridge wants to raise awareness to protect the endangered Hector's Dolphins.
It's much different to swim with a dolphin than any other marine life, no?
Or even terrestrial life. Alongside them, watching them and watching you, it's very apparent from just the look in their eyes that they are aware of you, studying you, curious about you. It's a look you don't get from other animals even cats and dogs. Maybe some monkeys. They're very present, very aware creatures. Being alongside that and encountering that is a very incredible experience.
Any other marine life you've bumped into down below?
All the interactions I've had with big marine life were dolphins, sharks and manta rays. I've never actually swum with whales yet, never had the opportunity! That's something I'd like to do. I've been in the water when humpbacks were close, just haven't spotted one. In my childhood was with a dubong – it's like a manatee – in Vanuatu. We didn't know about him, although he was quite famous – the locals had been feeding it for years, and it was living all alone in the harbor. We jumped in to go snorkeling, we almost got blown out of the water by a bus-sized hunk of flesh trying to mate with anything it found. As a kid that was quite intimidating!
How can we help the fight to save them?
The organization NABU is leading the fight to save the Hector's Dolphin – the goal is a complete ban on trawling or gill nets in their habitats. But we are up against a very stubborn and short-sighted government. You can learn more at hectorsdolphins.com
Diving offers a unique chance for humans to observe marine animals in their native environment. Stay tuned to for even more incredible stories of divers and the denizens of the deep sharing space beneath the surface of the sea!
What is your favourite marine animal and why?
Share your story on Instagram by April 23 and tag your post with #suuntodive
The three most inspiring posts will win easy-to-use, nitrox-capable, large-displayed Suunto Zoop Novo dive computers. For the terms and conditions click here


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The world economy has seen many changes this year. Interestingly, in many cases theory seemed far from what happened practically in the global financial markets. While many questioned the effect China on various economies, Eurozone was going through its own tough phases with Greece in turmoil and an ongoing refugee crisis.
For long, geopolitics seemed to have started playing an important role in deciding the destiny of global financial markets and even if an economist may predict the direction of an economy according to applied theory, he may miss out some crucial developments, which he probably thought were too insignificant to be considered. 2015 has seen similar developments where nearly every market affected the other, irrespective of how much contribution one made to the other's GDP.
The reason could be that globally financial markets remain highly interconnected and if not through investments then through trade, the influence remained inevitable.
This article highlights four important economies that could make a difference to global financial markets.
China has been going through either a huge transition or seems to be in just an economic mess. The emerging market considered one of the strongest seems to be losing its shine when compared to bigger economies. However, underestimating the contagion effect this emerging market can have on global financial markets is completely wrong.
June-July-August has been turbulent periods for the Chinese stock markets and not only emerging markets but also advanced nations like Japan and US faced the repercussion of China's slowdown. As China shifts from state oriented to market oriented system, it will remain important to many economies, both emerging and advanced. Until then, China's economy remains vulnerable to any changes it makes and this could spread wide volatility across financial global markets.
With Greece having faced elections on September 20, re-election of Alexis Tsipras, the current situation may not change much for Greece. However, the creditors of Greece may remain in doubt regarding the capacity of Greece to pay off what it owes. While many investors have already exited from Greek markets, having sold their Greek bonds, the contagion effect across other markets seems highly unlikely.
Having said that, Eurozone may face some tough decisions, as it decides on some terms regarding rescue packages offered to Greece. Under the memorandum of understanding, Alexis Tsipras had agreed to some very strict terms for Greece (that include labor market reforms; liberalization of consumer markets; and fewer benefits for civil servants). However this was in return of a rescue bailout package of $97.2 billion.
The creditors might be getting firmer with Greece with regards to any further bailouts being offered and this could mean higher regulations on the country. Whether Greece stays in the Eurozone or not may be a question the common currency union may collectively decide. So far, it does seem that Greece and Eurozone do not want an exit.
However, for other international creditors like the IMF and The World Bank, such a decision (for Greece to continue being a part of Eurozone) may come in the form of more rescue packages and more bailouts for Greece.
Considering the uncertainties in the markets, the delay in interest rates by the Fed seems like a right decision. Emerging market concerns remain important for the Fed and since inflation is well below the target rate with employment not reaching its fullest, the delayed interest rate hike is well understood.
The largest economy has been waiting for a Fed hike for a long time now and with the interest rates hovering to a close zero, it will not have been completely wrong to say that its time, they raised it.
However, since markets are connected closely, any slow down in China and Canada can affect the US markets adversely. Besides this, since the inflation is lower that the target rate of 2%, chances are that the Fed will wait for a rate that is slightly closer to the desired rate. While December interest rate hike by the Fed is highly likely, a lot depends on how markets, inflation and employment indicators behave until that period.
But, whenever that happens, markets will react, even though they may show less risk and more volatility.
Amidst the global turmoil of emerging market leader China, Eurozone, and US, developments in Japan may seem to be getting ignored. According to Haruhiko Kuroda, the governor of the Bank of Japan (BoJ), Japan may likely sink back to a "chronic disease" of deflation after two years.
China's financial outlook and Japan's poor economic data has raised questions about Abenomics. Abenomics had been designed to end deflationary conditions across the country and Bank of Japan rightly resorted to "qualitative and quantitative easing", but according to Paul Sheard, chief global economist at ratings agency Standard and Poor's (S&P)," they didn't have fiscal policy on their side."
Regulatory reforms have been rather slow in Japan. The reaction to falling oil prices have been quite different in the case of Japan. The consumption of other goods should have gone up with reduction in oil (reduced energy costs), however the opposite was seen. Private consumption has failed and indicators like sale in department stores also fell. Japan's economy has seen the toughest times and how 2015 will shape up for the world's third largest economy still remains a mystery to many.
The Four Uncertain Economies to Watch in 2015 is republished with permission from the Financial Keyhole


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Pennsylvania lawmakers provide us gifts that keep on taking -- an antiquated system of state-run liquor, beer and wine sales, education funding that rewards the rich and robs the poor, an unfunded public pension liability worth $48 billion, and, our personal favorite, the property tax as a means of funding public education.
But for the lawmakers themselves, gifts keep on coming their way.
A recent analysis by The Associated Press, reported last week by PA Independent, showed lawmakers claimed more than $43,000 in gifts in 2012 on financial disclosure forms. That only includes the gifts of more than $250 value that are required by Pennsylvania financial disclosure laws.
'These gifts are there for one reason: to create preferred relationships with policy makers that other taxpayers are not able to have,' said Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a group which supports reforming the state's policy for political gift-giving, PA Independent Watchdog reporter Eric Boehm wrote in a recent article.
Kauffman makes the point that some states have a full ban on gifts, a policy that Pennsylvania watchdog groups would like to see here.
'Ten states have full bans on gifts for politicians, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Another 31 states have monetary limits, ranging from $3 per day in Iowa to the Texas limit of $500 for gifts and another $500 for entertainment per year. ... Pennsylvania is one of just 10 states with no monetary limits on gifts, though Pennsylvania law specifies that gifts may not be given or received if they are intended to influence decisions,' Boehm's report stated.
The report goes on to list examples that range from tickets to the Super Bowl or Phillies games to travel to places as exotic as Turkey and Ireland.
Price tags cited range from a $100 gift of an autographed Phillies bat to $10,900 for a trip to Turkey for a Lancaster state senator hosted by a cultural exchange group.
And, how does a better understanding of Turkish culture give a Lancaster Republican a better understanding of Pennsylvania needs?
Not surprisingly, the gift giving goes beyond the Legislature to include Gov. Tom Corbett.
Examples included a Corbett $11,000 trip to France in 2012, with the cost covered by the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, which sponsors trade missions. 'While there, the governor received one of the more unique gifts reported by state policy makers: a $275 fountain pen. Corbett also got two Turkish robes and towels, along with a vase and plate, valued at $275 from the Turkish Cultural Center Pennsylvania,' PA Independent reported.
This report makes it clear that gift giving and lobbyist controls are among the reforms needed in Pennsylvania.
As long as our elected officials accept travel, sports events tickets and expensive gifts, we cannot trust their loyalties.
In a state government as filled with corruption and illegal influence peddling as Pennsylvania has shown to be, the legal influence peddling is just the tip of the iceberg.
Reform has to begin somewhere in this bloated and inefficient state government.
Eliminating gifts to elected officials seems a good place to start.


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Firefighter falls through roof at Lincoln Heights house fire
A firefighter fell through a roof at a house fire in Lincoln Heights.
A Lincoln Heights police officer confirmed to WLWT News 5 that a firefighter fell through a roof at a house fire in the 1100 block of Van Buren Avenue.
The firefighter was quickly rescued and was not hurt.
Firefighters from Lincoln Heights, Wyoming, Evendale, Springdale, Woodlawn and Reading responded to the fire.
Fire officials said the firefighter was from the Wyoming Fire Department. His name was not released.
Firefighters said that when they arrived, there was heavy fire and smoke. Several firefighters went on the roof of the home to help ventilate the fire when one fell through.
Two boys, ages 13 and 15, were home at the time of the fire and escaped through a basement window. The children's mother arrived home when the fire started and helped them escape. They were treated from cuts from broken glass.
Investigators have not said how the fire started.


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Friday, March 15, 2013
10 Months
Cy you weigh in at 32 and half pounds.
Cy you are crawling.
Cy you are eating sold food
Cy you just moved into our new home and have a room all to yourself for the first time!
Cy your are starting to jabber
Cy you smile and giggle all the time
Cy you are wearing 2T clothing
Cy you are wearing size 6 diapers
Cy you are a joy to everyone that is around you
Cy you light up when your brother and sister are in the room
Cy you love your daddy, you want to be were ever he is at right now
Cy we love you so much!
Posted by Lindsey at 11:06 AM
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The Dirty Cookie® Cookie Shot Bulk Party PackFood & Mints
The Dirty Cookie Party Pack is the perfect addition that makes any meeting, conference or trade show more memorable. A Dirty Cookie is a chewy and delicious 1.5 oz shot glass shaped cookie that can be filled with your favorite drink for a wonderful sip and bite experience. Made fresh weekly and shipped frozen via 3-day, they have a shelf life of 3 weeks from the shipdate at room temperature, so be sure to plan your requested shipdate for maximum freshness on your desired hand out date. Available in Cookies & Cream or Chocolate Chip with Ghirardelli chips, ingredients are nut free but made in a shared kitchen. Gluten free option not currently available. Exact PMS color match on digital CMYK printed sugar paper icing is not available, some colors will appear muted. Patented mold design.
Pricing & Options
Customize your product based on the available color options and decorating methods. If you need more information, simply add this product to the Wish List and we will get back to you with answers.