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Mortgage Rates Become Housing's Thorn
As buyers face higher borrowing costs, home sales are showing more signs of falling.
Slideshow: Research Resource Guide
Explore the wealth of statistical research NAR provides to help you focus your business, help your clients, and plan for the months ahead.
Video: Pending Home Sales Slide in September
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun talks about pending home sales, which declined for the fourth consecutive month in September as higher mortgage interest rates and higher home prices curbed buying power.
Severe Inventory Crunches Finally Easing
The inventory problem that has plagued many parts of the country over the past year is showing signs of improving.
Pending Home Sales Continue Slide in September
Pending home sales declined for the fourth consecutive month in September, as higher mortgage interest rates and higher home prices curbed buying power.
Where are Global Buyers Searching in the United States?
Find out which U.S. cities were of greatest interest to foreign buyers during October 2013, and which countries the buyers were from.
Commercial Sales Rise 10.7% in Q3
Third quarter fundamentals in REALTOR® commercial markets maintained a positive trajectory, despite headwinds from the government shutdown and budget debate.
The Latest on State by State Job Growth Rates
In his latest blog post, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun analyzes job growth rates by state.
Commercial Real Estate Market Survey
See what commercial practitioners had to say about market performance, sales and rental transactions, challenges, and expectations.
Mortgage Rates Higher Amid Budget Crisis
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped to a 4.28 percent average this week, as rates edged higher leading up to the federal budget deadline, Freddie Mac reports.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Frank(enstein) Antenori is an angry man. Lately he has been terrorizing the villagers. (He bears a remarkable resemblance to Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein.) Previously we have reported that Frank had threatened the Pima County Board of Supervisors to extort an appointment from them to Jonathan Paton's senate seat. And he had an agry exchange with the editor and publisher of the Arizona Daily Star threatening a GOP boycott of the newspaper (largely successful) until a conservative as angry as Frank is hired to write for the editorial page.
This week, Frank is angry about those "welfare queens" of Ronald Reagan myth and legend. He wants to deny them foodstamps to feed their children if someone from the GOP Taliban morality police reports them to a 1-800 number for sneaking a puff of a cigarrette, or a sip of beer, or sneaking a peak at HBO or Showtime. (Those of you on corporate welfare are of course free to continue with your three-martini lunch followed by a Cuban cigar. Frank will join you later.)
A "hostile" Frank Antenori threw a wrench into the compromise budget deal yesterday with an amendment that links passage of the budget to the House corporate bailout package. Hostile amendment slows House passage of budget bill Frank wants the proposed temporary sales tax increase used to fund corporate welfare. (Actually his goal is to delay long enough to block any special election and, failing that, to defeat the temporary sales tax measure. He is just using this for leverage to get what he really wants, the corporate bailout package.) See Craig's post for more on the budget.
And Frank is itching for a fight with the federal government over national regulations on, of all things, light bulbs. Tucson lawmaker carries torch for light bulb battle with feds:
Rep. Frank Antenori, a freshman Republican from Tucson, said he is hoping one of his bills provokes lawsuits with the federal government that will challenge its use of the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause.
That bill was approved Feb. 10 by the House Commerce Committee. It would allow light bulb manufacturers to make and sell incandescent light bulbs in Arizona, provided they don't sell them in other states.
Antenori said that would allow Arizonans to continue using the bulbs past 2014, when the federal
government has said all light bulbs sold in this country need to meet new efficiency standards.
If his bill, H2337, is signed into law, Antenori said he expects the federal government would determine that federal regulation pre-empts the state law because the feds are entitled to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause. But because the bulbs wouldn't be sold in any other states, Antenori said Arizona could challenge that ruling in federal court."That will trigger a lawsuit, which is really the intent of this bill," he told the committee. "This is a mechanism to let us go to court."
In other words, Frank is a "Tenther," who still believes in the antiquated and entirely discredited theory of "nullification" of federal law by states advanced by John C. Calhoun during the time of Andrew Jackson. The nullification theory eventually led to secession and Civil War. Is that what you really want Frank? It is also based on a misreading of long-ago discarded "commerce clause" cases overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court decades ago. You're wasting your time, Frank.
Wouldn't it just be easier to buy yourself some of Uncle Fester's Mystery Light Bulbs? Get over yourself Frank, before you actually hurt someone.


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Since the theme I'm using doesn't show links to other pages here's my personal blog
This one is pretty much just dedicated to reblogging things. This one is my personal. So more like journal posts - and only stuff I've written 99.9% of the time.
So yeah, feel free to stalk me. Not that anyone probably will but that's okay. Just putting this out there in case there is/are anyone who is interested.


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Collin County - Being Responsible to Taxpayers
Collin County added a page to its Web site in July 2008 labeled "Financial Transparency," which now includes check registers for its three primary accounts — General, Direct Deposit and Healthcare (broken down by department description and line item account). It also includes utility costs for the past year, trend analysis for the past five years, and a Citizen's Report that recasts the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) into a more readable summary of county operations. In addition, there are links to the past four annual reports, past and current budgets, and other financial reports and policies.
The project was suggested by County Judge Keith Self, after seeing the State Comptroller's Web site. County Auditor Donald W. Cozad is responsible for the project, which was accomplished in-house at no additional cost. Randall Rice, First Assistant Auditor, maintains the link to the Web site. Rice uses Cognos, IBM software for forecasting, budgeting, and reporting to search existing data in the county financial system by bank codes. Rice created macros to reformat data and edit confidential items that should not be made public, including the names of children and parents involved in child support payments and payroll data. The Web site includes an electronic request form to make it convenient to request additional public information.
Besides placing a prominent link on the existing county Web site, Collin County issued press releases to announce the new page and received positive feedback from the public. When one citizen sent a letter to the editor in the local newspaper with a critique, Rice responded by posting the data in a protected Excel format, enabling citizens to download and analyze it in any way they wished. Future additions include showing new financial trends, listing the salaries of all public officials, posting county auditor policies, and adding monthly and quarterly reports to make them more accessible and more readable.
According to Rice, this best practice has resulted in savings in staff time due to fewer phone inquiries and open record requests. He also sees two more important positives: (1) improved public perception that "their government is open and honest," and (2) "a better internal awareness on the part of county employees that they are public servants and responsible to taxpayers."


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Boonyod wants panel to probe study trip
- Published: 5 Oct 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: News
Democrat Party list MP Boonyod Sukthinthai will petition the House panel on parliamentary ethics to probe the House speaker's controversial study trip to Britain.
Mr Boonyod said yesterday that the inquiry by the House committee on parliamentary affairs found that House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont's study trip for academics and reporters followed proper procedures and receipts had been submitted for all expenses.
Although legal action could not be taken against Mr Somsak for the expenditures involved, the House panel should compile a report in order to make it clear that the overseas trip was inappropriate, the Democrat MP said.
This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.


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Preventing ice dams during the winter season
As we get ready for winter around Wisconsin, we are helping you keep your home safe during those frigid months - including the all-important task of ice dam prevention and maintenance. Carole Meekins and Charles Benson were joined by Dan Gramann from Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling.
Read More »Found Footage Festival: Best of the Midwest
The Found Footage Festival is a showcase of odd and hilarious videos. It's coming to Milwaukee on Friday, November 29, 2013.
Read »Tips for a terrific turkey! Part 3: stuffing
Chef Michael Feker shows us how to make the perfect Thanksgiving stuffing.
Read »


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Comments for Timber! The Aftermath of the Washington Logging Collapse
Produced by Jessica Roberts
Other pieces by Jessica Roberts
Summary: What happens after an industry collapses?
Review of Timber! The Aftermath of the Washington Logging CollapseJessica's feature was a story of a specific locale with obvious universal connections about the personal side of changing economies. That attracted me and I wanted to know how this particular work force would adapt...or not. The stories were intimate, real, personal but some of the audio was a bit hissy and muddy. I liked the report but think it could be edited substantially. Some nat sound could have enhanced the progression while creating a very real location in the theater of my mind. Jessica, having lived there, brought a unique perspective to the story without undermining the report or overshadowing the stories of the workers. |


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Monthly Archives: August 2011
finishing up in Rikuzentakata
Today was, sadly, my last day working with Project Tohoku. I leave in an hour on the overnight bus, and I really don't want to go.
Today's work was again based in nearby Rikuzentakata. It was a cloudy day, with some bleak and depressing weather… but quite an eventful day in terms of the Photo Project! NHK, the national news service, came to shoot video and do interviews. Wynne was interviewed multiple times, because a local group also stopped in to see what was going on. It was a little nerve-wracking to be so cautious and meticulous with photo cleaning whilst having video cams stuck in your face! So our photo team will be featured on Japanese news; no idea when, where, or how to find it though.
Today I took a lot of photos and some video. When I get to a place with better internet connection, expect quite a deluge!
Awesome news and what All Hands is doing
At the dinner meeting last night, Chris Turner, our project director, announced the Project Tohoku has officially been extended until mid-November! This is news we've all been waiting and hoping for, so the mood last night on base was fairly celebratory despite the fact that the rumour has been circulating since before I even arrived. Volunteers have been given the opportunity to return or extend their stay.
It's welcome news, because it still feels like there is so much left to do. Even though we finish jobs on a daily basis, there is no shortage of opportunities.
To give you an example of what work we're doing presently, here is the job list for this week:
~Ceilings for Honma: this job entails a gutting team going to work for a woman in the local community. They will be tearing out old drywall and a ceiling in a building where the tsunami floodwaters reached the second floor. There is mould and mildew in these old walls and ceiling, so it poses a health concern. This team needs to work carefully to preserve the beam structure whilst removing the mouldy/mildewy materials.
~Highways: I've talked about highways in earlier blogs. This job will go on for as long as the city gives All Hands new areas to clear. The team will work to clear drainage ditches on either side of the highways as well as beautifying the sidewalks and the areas alongside the road.
~Massaki Canals: this is another job similar to the old ditch bitch brigade. Originally, the team for canals and ditches worked on both drainage ditches and drainage canals. Now a team has been dedicated to clearing a canal system that runs through rice fields in Massaki, a nearby community. The canals are still filled with debris from the tsunami, and no water can flow through until they're cleared.
~Food Distribution: now that temporary housing has been built, people are slowly being moved from evacuation facilities to temporary housing. They will stay there until they can rebuild their homes. The downside to this (or at least one of the MAJOR downsides) is that government assistance ends when they move into the housing. Food is one of the things included in the benefits ceased, so many times the people face shortages. All Hands goes to their emergency housing facilities and distributes food to families in need.
~Rikuzentakata "Mould Appreciation Society": This team goes into a warehouse where valuables and belongings are kept. When people find things they think should be turned into authorities, they give it to them, and the authorities in turn stuff it all into various warehouse in the communites near where they are found. The team has found THOUSANDS of photo albums, items like yukatas, family scrolls, cameras, books, and so much more. The problems? Everything was turned in immediately after the tsunami, and is still damp. The place is so incredibly full of mould and mildew that the team has to take a mandatory break every 20-30 minutes to breathe fresh air. It's truly awful. The people working this job have dubbed their task "Mould Appreciation" because everything is covered in it. They are the ones who sort through the photo albums for the photo cleaning team.
~Rikuzentakata Photo Cleaning: this job entails careful cleaning of photos recovered after the tsunami. They clean the mud and bacteria from the photos and dispose of the mildewed albums so photos can be put into new albums, provided by the community. When the new albums are put together, Mari-san, a local woman, takes them to a building where they are displayed on shelves for the people in the community to come and find their pictures.
~Gutting for Sano: another gutting job, similar to the first.
~Kessenuma Satellite Project: This job is based in Kessenuma, another nearby community. The team here is dedicated for at least a one-week-per-time basis: if you sign up for it, you live on site (not at our base or at the Fukushino Sato Centre) for a period of at least one week. They are working on completely gutting two apartment buildings.
~Society for a Foamless Society: this is an off-and-on project, possibly finished now. An old fish factory had to remove its refrigeration insulation, which was HORRIFICALLY smelly and full of mould and mildew. In order to dispose of it, the foam had to be broken into fist-sized or so pieces. Since it came in sheets the size of a car or truck, this took some time and effort.
If I can get to a better internet connection later today, I will try to upload photos of differnt work. It's been difficult to do lately, with uploading a single photo taking about 45 minutes. Hoping it goes better this afternoon!
And on my day off? I'll be taking lessons on how to properly put on a yukata! Not much point in having one if I can't wear it!
An emotional day
Today marked my fifth day at the Rikuzentakata Photo cleaning project, as well as my first day as team leader. Wynne, the regular team lead, needed a mental/physical break from doing photos. Terri and I volunteered to each work a day for her so she could do something different for the first time in three weeks.
Usually, photo cleaning is a 3-day commitment, since it involves training the volunteers how to safely clean photos, and the more damaged photos require some experience. Wynne usually gave the more heavily damaged albums to the longest-term volunteer there; newbies got the least damaged and therefore easiest ones.
This is significant to explain, because today I had a team comprised of newbies, with one repeater. We have been joined at Project Tohoku by a group of Habitat for Humanity volunteers from Tokyo. They come down once a month, and only stay for two days. This was the situation for Terri yesterday and myself today. What this meant is that all the people working there the last two days have done only easy albums… but they did a LOT of them.
Terri started off the morning with me, sorting the albums they had cleaned yesterday. There were piles and piles of them. After we got a handle on them, Terri rejoined her group next door (who were sorting through valuables stored in a warehouse). The day before, one of our bus drivers, Sato-san, had looked at the photos and got very excited. He recognised friends of his in some of the photos the volunteers were cleaning. Terri mentioned this to me, but we both reckoned it would figure in much later down the road.
During our morning break, a car pulled up and a couple got out. They didn't speak any English, and most of the volunteers working on photos didn't speak much English either. They seemed to be asking where to get photos, so we were trying to explain how the Rikuzentakata community centre holds a photo library each weekend for people to look through and reclaim their pictures. The language barrier was quite frustrating, to all of us. As we were speaking, Terri and another HFH volunteer emerged from the warehouse and wandered over to us. As she got closer, Terri gasped and pointed to the man. "It's Poser!" she told me.
"Poser" was the nickname the volunteers had given a man who appeared in almost every album they had cleaned yesterday, and a few we had cleaned this morning. She had seen his picture so many times that she recognised him. She ran into the photo room and came back out with one of the albums. She opened it and pointed to his photo, pointed to him in photos of a baseball team, and showed him. His surprise and pleasure were immediate. His wife, however, did not share his enthusiasm. She turned to the volunteer who came with Terri (the only Asian in our little cluster besides the couple) and spoke rapidly. He turned to us and asked if we had any more albums, and explained that they were Sato-san's friends. We most definitely did. I got the ones I knew of, and brought them out. The woman reached for them with trembling hands and held them a moment before opening them. When she opened up to a photo of a little girl of about 6 flashing a peace sign, she gave a cry and held her hand over her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears, and she literally could not speak. Her husband laid a hand on her shoulder (an extremely rare gesture of emotion for Japanese people) and whispered to her. She cried there for a few moments, then turned to the HFH volunteer and slowly, gulping a lot of air, began to speak in broken sentences. His eyes widened, and he turned to us and quietly told us that the couple had lost their daughter in the tsunami, along with all their photos. They had been praying that some of their photos of her had survived, so they could have some memories of her. Not only had we found HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of them, but they were all perfect. Most photos are damaged, some badly. It's rare to find some in excellent condition, but these were like new. They both were so overcome that they could barely say thank you.
I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.
They returned in the afternoon to see if we had found any more of their photos (we had) and they took a look at the photos we were working on. They studied all the wet photos hanging, and looked through the finished albums. They found some photos of friends and some of theirs we hadn't recognised as belonging to them. They were much more expressive this time, and thanked us profusely.
It was very moving, and above all, it was a reiteration that this work is important and meaningful to the people here.
along the highway – with update!
These are the view from my work site yesterday. Highways are physical labour in the strictest sense. You are either on ditch clearing (shovelling dirt, mud and debris from drainage ditches and cleaning them out) or beautification (sweeping up after the ditchers and cleaning up the edges of the sidewalks and road). I was on beautification team.
I don't have time to complete the stories from yesterday, so check back for an update and more photos in about 12 hours. I'm off to Rikuzentakata again!
Okay, so let me flesh out this post!
Highways are the evolution of my old "Ditch Bitch" job. The mayor of Ofunato was so pleased with the work All Hands did in the city of Ofunato on the drain and canal system that he passed along a new job, highway ditches. Now the volunteers are cleaning out the drain system along the main highway. It runs along the coast, and since Ofunato is situated like a cove, there are a lot of neighbourhoods through which it passes. There are sidewalks along one side, and we also helped clean up the sidewalks as well. There is a slope on the other side of the sidewalk, so there have been a lot of mud and debris and plants dumped on the sidewalk. It's out in the open, but since the cars are always moving along the highway, volunteers have to be cautious. It's the longest ongoing project of All Hands' Project Tohoku, and they usually send out large teams each day.
The group has attracted the attention of the residents of the local communities. The women have sort of adopted the group, and every day during the afternoon break, they shower the volunteers with drinks and snacks. In fact, this particular day, they had so many snacks that my hands were full and I had to keep saying no thank you again and again. The women all behave like grandmothers, fussing over everyone and commenting about new volunteers. They're absolutely lovely, and they check in on us several times throughout the day and offer their bathrooms for breaks.
I was reunited with an old friend from last trip here to Ofunato, Mikado. She is from Ofunato, and works with the volunteers every Saturday. I'm SO glad I chose Saturday to work on highways! She has been working with Devin on highways since ditch bitch days. We saw each other on the bus and hugged and laughed. I had the complete pleasure of working side by side with her for the whole day. I love this, because she tells me about the city and points out things of interest. She shows me little details I would otherwise never know, like that the large boats in the harbour are cleaning debris (including bodies) from the ocean floor. She remembered my two girls, Kourtney and Mirina, and even surprised me with gifts to bring back home to them. We had talked at length my last visit, and I was really touched that she remembered so much, and that she did something so thoughtful.
Bah! Internet connection here isn't working well, so I can't load more photos right now. I'll try to update (again) with a few more photos so that you can see the highway group and some more shots of the lovely view we had.
Befrienders Worldwide and some Karaoke
Today marked my fourth day working on Photo Cleaning in Rikuzentakata. Sunday I'll be back, team leading for a day so Wynne, the regular team leader, can have a much-needed break. Tomorrow I'll be back at Highways (formerly known as Ditch Bitches, a la Sara Bereilles!) for a good muddy physical challenge.
Today when we took our lunch break, five of the ladies working at the Rikuzentakata project headed down to the restrooms. It's a five-minute walk, but totally worth it, since they have Western-style toilets! While we were starting back to site, we were stopped by a small group of Japanese people sitting outside the community centre. They asked what work we were doing, and how long we each were staying in Japan. They were very appreciative of all the work All Hands is doing, and expressed their gratitude most beautifully. It turns out that they work for an organisation called Befrienders Worldwide. They go to disaster areas and offer emotional support to the victims. This is NOT easy work, as Japanese people do not express emotions comfortably. Their culture does not encourage opening up and sharing emotionally. These people definitely have their work cut out for them. They said they have to find ways to encourage the people to open up, like activities, games, and gifts. The work they do is vitally important, and we tried to express our appreciation and admiration to them.
They waved us off and thanked us again, and then they brought out a small assortment of gifts and gave them to us. Gift-giving is a very integral part of Japanese culture, and to refuse a gift is exceedingly rude. To them, the work we do is a gift. So in return, they gave us beautiful hand-painted fans. We chatted to them for quite a while, and asked to have our photo taken with them.
Tonight, one of our bus drivers requested the company of a few female volunteers for a special favour. (Hahaha, it's nothing risque!) One of his friends has a daughter, Reika, who is in sixth grade and wanted to do karaoke with some of the volunteers from other countries. So Grace, Hadley, and I packed into their van and headed over to the karaoke place the volunteers refer to as "Big Cat's".
We joined her and her mum and little brother (age 6) in a room, and the music flowed. She had the most amazing voice! And she definitely knew more Celine Dion songs than I knew existed… as well as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and more of the like. Everyone sang except the driver, who came with us, but he joined in ever so briefly when I sang a really really old song from pre-WWII. When his friend noticed him singing, he promptly stopped. It was a fun time, and I was surprised to learn that karaoke here is considered something families can go do together. Even Reika's little brother did some songs!
We're heading into the weekend, and we're about to be joined by 36 more volunteers from Habitat for Humanity. Things are about to get a lot more cozy….
Sleeping with the Homeless
Because today has been a pretty low-key day, and everyone's run-down and tired, there aren't a lot of interesting anecdotes to share. Photo Rescue today found a few naked photos of a baseball team, but we had a fairly quiet day. So instead of giving you a new story, I'll share an old one.
My last trip to Japan was full of little adventures. Travelling in a foreign country can be hazardous and entertaining, but occasionally it can be very stressful, especially if connections are missed and language barriers exist. The return journey from Ofunato back home turned out to be all of the above.
Shinkansen, or bullet trains, are slowly returning to normal services. They are fast and comfortable, but they're expensive compared to the other options. One of the Japanese staff at All Hands, Masa, found out about a special deal going on: 1/2 price shinkansen tickets from a nearby hub! Naturally, I took advantage of the much faster route back to Tokyo, and it was blissfully quick and comfortable. The only problem was that I got back to Tokyo 5 minutes after the last train for the Narita airport left. My flight back to the States departed from Narita in the morning, and it's an hour and a half journey from Tokyo to Narita. I sighed and figured I would check on hotels, and if I couldn't find one, I'd just stay the night in Tokyo station.
After calling around and wandering into a few nearby hotels, I reached the conclusion that I did not want to pay upwards of $300 for a few hours' sleep in a hotel, so finding a comfy quiet spot in the station seemed the best plan. I wandered with my backpack and bag for a while, then settled in a designated meeting point area. Traffic through the station started to slow, and I was nodding off, when the station guards came through and started nudging people out.
Apparently, the station CLOSES at night.
As you can see, this foiled my crafty plan. So I let myself be herded out to the steps of the station and took a look at the options.
The night was chilly, but not cold, and there was a fairly brisk breeze. So, priority number 1: shelter. Also, the sky was threatening to rain. Make that COVERED shelter. And the streets stayed busy despite everything else shutting down, so trying to find someplace on the quiet side was also necessary. After checking the different station entrances, I found one that fit all my criteria. The steps were freezing cold granite, but they were protected and out of the elements. I claimed my spot.
It wasn't long before a Japanese man carrying a bundle tied with string joined me. I watched in fascination as he untied his bundle, which turned out to be newspapers and broken-down cardboard boxes, and started fashioning a sheltered little bed. The boxes became little walls, and a sort of covered canopy. The newspapers, he made into mattress and blankets. He removed his shoes, in typical Japanese tradition, and climbed into his makeshift sleeping tent. Awed at his ingenuity and innovation, I turned back to reading my kindle. Minutes later, he was joined by another man with a similar bundle. Then a polished-looking businessman approached with his wheeled suitcase. He had his bed packed inside the suitcase. More and more men followed, camping out on the steps there, until over a dozen men were sleeping all around me.
I felt really out of place. I was foreign, not homeless, and simply waiting to move along to my next destination. I kept awake, slightly nervous at being surrounded by homeless people. Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, and my experience thus far had been that theft is rare in Japan, but that didn't really stop me from feeling ill at ease in this situation. I kept my eyes on everyone.
A little while later, a white-haired, stooping woman walked up. She moved slowly, and stood around surveying the area before she came down the stairs. To my complete surprise, she walked right up to ME. She had a small shopping bag filled with magazines, and she held out a magazine to me. Thinking she had noticed me reading my kindle and was offering me more reading material, I tried to decline. She shook her head and again offered it, pantomiming sitting down on the magazine. Then it struck me that she was concerned about me sitting on the cold steps all night, and she was offering me part of all she had. I had been feeling sorry for myself, and here she was, selflessly giving of the little she possessed. It was a very humbling moment. I accepted the magazine with as much grace and humility as I could and thanked her. She nodded and found a spot among the others, huddled up, and went to sleep.
I sat there on those steps and had a few epiphanies that night. That little homeless woman taught me and reminded me of so much that night. I remembered why I had come to Japan in the first place. I also realised that even being uncomfortable and displaced, I still had so much to be thankful for. The chance to work in Ofunato was indeed life-changing, and I was ashamed of myself for losing sight of the original purpose I had in joining up with All Hands. It was a good lesson to help me keep the memory and the experience fresh in my mind and heart.
Life on Project
I've been talking a little bit about getting here and about what we are doing on the individual job sites, but I realised I haven't said much about what it's like day to day here in Ofunato.
We have two separate bases here for All Hands. Together, they house about eighty volunteers. Sakari base holds the headquarters and full-time staff office. Accommodations are more primitive here. Running water is a fairly new development (last trip, there was no HOT running water), and there are now bucket showers available. Bucket showers consist of a couple small stalls with a plastic curtain, a large bucket you can fill with water, a small stool, and a little ladle you can use to pour water over your head. Toilets are port-a-johns outside, guarded by monster spiders. The sleeping quarters are communal, both sexes. Makes things interesting! Everyone gets a bunkbed, and you're expected to keep your stuff relatively contained. There is a small washing machine, but no dryer, so bunks and anything that hangs across or has a sort of pokey end becomes a hanging line for clothing to dry. The downstairs open area is where people can hang out, where everyone eats, and where you can access internet. The internet signal can only accommodate so many people at a time, so when someone tries streaming a movie, there's lots of grumbling.
The Fukushino Sato Centre is up the hill, roughly a half hour walk (or a five minute drive). It's a centre for handicapped and disabled adults, but with so many people displaced by the tsunami, it has become temporary housing for evacuees… and overflow All Hands Volunteers! In some ways, it's much nicer in terms of luxuries. They have both Japanese and Western toilets (with heated seats and bum washer!), as well as a traditional style Japanese bath. The building is airconditioned and has a little park beside it. The volunteers there share the amenities with the evacuees, so their rules are a little more strict. No alcohol, lights out and all quiet by 10 pm. Baths are also regulated, with All Hands Volunteers restricted to use of baths between 9 and 10 pm. No kitchen for use there, so eating is limited to snacks, coffee, and non-perishable breakfast food.
We all meet at the Sakari base at 8 am to travel to job sites. By 8.30, the two buses will have distributed volunteers to the sites, usually making two trips each. From the time we arrive on site, we start work. One 15-minute break at 10.30, then lunch is delivered to site at noon. Lunch is served in bento boxes. Bentos are basically like little compartmentalised boxes, with a specific variety of foods in each compartment. Rice, pickled veg, some meat, a curry or noodles, and usually something else. It can be kind of random, and you never know what to expect. Today's lunch had rice, flaky-battered deep fried fish, pickled stuff, bacon-wrapped carrots and (a single) green bean, some sort of boiled mushrooms, and a bit of pork with paper noodles. Sometimes it's hard to tell what things are; I've learnt it's best not to ask. Another short break at 2.30, then start cleanup at 4 pm. Tools get cleaned, supplies get packed, work areas get tidied up. Buses pick us up, then it's back to Sakari base. There, we unload tools and equipment we took to job sites and head in for dinner. Dinner is usually a hodge-podge of Japanese food and American food, with rice and fruit always making an apppearance. Once everyone's queued for food and is sat down eating, we have nightly meeting. Here, we cover what was done during the day's work, introduce new arrivals and say goodbye to departing volunteers, sign up for the next day's jobs, and cover announcements. After meeting is wrapped, the FS Centre residents take a bus back to their base, and everyone is free to use their time for showers (if they're at Sakari), internet, shopping, visiting, or sleeping. Bedtime is 10 pm for the FS folks, and whenever you like for Sakari folks. You're on your own for a wakeup call and breakfast.
Tuesdays are the volunteers' day off. The laundrymat and the karaoke bars are common destinations. This week, we hit a karaoke bar Monday night with a group of 30 and squeezed into a tiny private room. Smoking is permitted, and drinks are paid for by the hour. Tuesday night, we held a BBQ of sorts. Chris #3 ran the grill, and volunteers made kebabs, salads, and many other delicious things for everyone to enjoy.
Satoshi, Mark, and Chris, who run the show here, joined us late into the evening. We don't get to see them dressed up often, but they were GQ'd up for a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden.
Photo of the BBQ and karaoke are forthcoming… they aren't great, but at least you get to see some of the amazing people I get to work with.
Rescuing Memories
Some work is satisfying in the sense that afterward, you stretch your aching muscles, look back over the job you've just completed, and see how much you've accomplished. Other jobs you can't measure by what you can see. Yet others, it's all about what you see…
Yesterday was such a day. One of the jobs here in Project Tohoku is a Photo Restoration/Photo Rescue. Becci and Tree work with photo retouchers all over the world to repair and restore precious photographs. The work is nothing short of amazing. But they and their contacts can only manage so much. It's left to others to do some of the basic "rescuing" of the piles and piles of photo albums, baby books, and random pictures turned in as the communities clean up from the tsunami.
What the teams do is go through the piles, try to dry them out as much as possible, determine what is salvageable, and set about cleaning them. Different photos require different methods of cleaning, and each task has to be undertaken with the most delicate of touches, the most careful of hands.
Most of the photos I worked with were RC prints. They can be submersed in cold water to be cleaned, and so long as they are just covered in mud, it's really easy to manage. Some of them are damaged as well, and if you remove the mud, they start to lose colours. Once the colours are gone, the damage is irreparable. It didn't take long to see how even the barest of touches could remove everything if the photos are even slightly damaged. It's painstaking work. We wear latex gloves, masks, and work with precision tools.
I got two albums; the first was a family album, the second a baby album. The first was more damaged. It was heartbreaking to see some of the photos lose colours and disintegrate in your hands. I think the worst of it was that the parents taking the photos had taken each others' pictures with their children, and every photo of the mother and the son were ruined. I think I could handle seeing a few shots here and there of my own pictures, or a few of my girls, not survive, but the ones of us together? I think it would be like losing the memory itself. Thankfully, there were a lot of photos in the album, and the family has many memories they can once again relive through pictures.
The second album had been made into a sort of baby book. It chronicled a little girl from birth til about age 9 months. The photos were accompanied by little handmade captions, drawings, and postcards. Seeing how much love and time had gone into the album was moving. It drove me to take even more meticulous care than the last. The photos themselves weren't good ones. The parents weren't especially skilled with a camera. But the love for their little girl shone through in every shot. Even the blurred ones.
Even though we didn't see the fruits of our labours from that day's work, one of the drivers for All Hands, a local resident, glanced through an album we had finished. He gave an excited exclamation, and told Wynne, our project leader, that he knew someone in the photos.
The reason that's something to note is that we had no idea whose photos we were cleaning. The albums were turned into a community centre, and they just stored them in a building. The citizens will have to come to the centre and look through them to see if they can find anything that belongs to them. Can you imagine having lost everything you own, only to find a few precious family photos, cleaned up and repaired by anonymous people from all over the world, who cared enough to take the time, never knowing if you would be able to find them or reclaim them? But as word spreads, more and more people are coming to see if they can find their treasured memories.
The lady in Rikuzentakata in charge of the photo "warehouse" came to see us yesterday. She showed Wynne pictures of the photo library they set up, where local citizens could walk through shelves of finished albums to try to find some of their own. Wynne teared up to see that what her investment has borne. It's little things like that which make every aching muscle, every crick in the neck, every hour spent doubled over in painstaking effort worthwhile. Each of us would do it all over again, day after day.


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Battle For The East End: Jewish Respones to Fascism in the 1930s
A mother and her three daughters....sharing their inexhaustible sexual favours between the same young man, each other and anyone else who enters their web of depravity. From a chance encounter on the stairway witha volutptuous young girl, the narrator is drawn to become the plaything of four rapacious females, experiencing them all in various combinations of increasingly wild debauchery, until they one day vanish as mysteriously as they had appeared.
Described by Susan Sontag as one of the few works of the erotic imagination to deserve true literary status, this novel remains Pierre Loüys' most intense, claustrophobic work; a study of sexual obsession and monomania unsurpassed in its depictions of carnal excess, unbridld lust and limitless peversity.
Product Code: 4865
Author: LOUYS, Pierre
Publisher: Creation Books
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National Park Spotlight: Hike-In Lodging
Some National Parks have unique backcountry lodging options: ranches, camps, and even chalets. Staying in one is somewhere between staying in a campground and staying in a great lodge. After a rewarding—and often challenging—trail, you'll leave the crowds behind and get closer to nature while still having a bed to sleep in. Expect spectacular settings but not luxurious amenities. To take advantage of these unique hike-in lodgings, you'll need a sturdy backpack, a sleeping bag, and your own food. TIP: Book far ahead, as many take reservations up to a year in advance.
Granite Park and Sperry Chalet, Glacier National Park
Montana's Glacier park has two backcountry lodges left over from when early travelers arrived by train and toured on horseback. From late June to early September, hikers (and riders) can venture beyond Going to the Sun Road to stay overnight in bear country in relative luxury. It's a shorter hike to Granite Park Chalet (image, right) which has a kitchen for guests use (bring your own food). Sperry Chalet offers meals and has great views of Gunsight Peak, Mt. Edwards, and Lake McDonald.
High Sierra Camps, Yosemite National Park
Six backcountry camps in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are open from Mid-June to mid-September. Each camp is unique, whether it's the alpine setting of the highest elevation camp, Vogelsang, or Glen Aulen's "beautiful valley." Platform tents have dorm-style beds; some camps even have hot showers. Independent hikers should try applying through the lottery system but Yosemite Mountaineering School also runs guided multi-day hiking trips.
LeConte Lodge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This Eastern park is a hiker's paradise for its many trails through old growth forest. For a special stay on the Tennessee side, take either the 6.5-mi Trillium Gap trail or the steeper Alum Caves Bluffs trail to rustic cabins at 6,360 feet near the summit of Mt. LeConte. Deck rocking chairs are the perfect place to take in the mountaintop views and star-gaze away from civilization. The lodge is open from late March to late November and family-style meals are served.
Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon National Park
You can reach Phantom Ranch by riding a mule or hiking down one vertical mile below the Grand canyon's rim. In a grove of Cottonwood trees on the north side of the Colorado River, the cabins and lodge were designed by architect Mary-Colter in the 1920s. Rustic dorm-style lodging is available year-round and there's also a canteen. Book mule and multi-day rafting trips up to a year or two in advance. Hikers should book up to 13 months ahead.
Image courtesy of Hiker 1 on flickr
Member Comments (1) Post a Comment
There is backcountry lodging at other National Parks too. The first two that come to my mind are North Cascades and Sequoia.
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Hi guys, i'm very new to these forums so please go easy on me.
I currently have a setup in which my modem connects directly into my wired standard router which then goes to my PC and Xbox, is it possible to connect a wireless access point or similar hardware to one of the ports of the Router to connect to my PSP via Infrastructure mode?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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recipe reviews for:
"This cognac- and creme de cacao-flavored pie is great for company. Make it ahead of time, so the filling has time to chill."
Cooking Level: Intermediate
My Profile | Cooks I Like Reviews | Photos | Recipes | Menus | Blog
Cooking Level: Expert
Holiday cookies, cakes, pies, and breads. Get recipes and inspiration.
Get time-saving recipes to save your busy life.
Find just the right recipes for your holiday get-togethers.
Rich, quick, and delicious, this amazing chocolate pie has it all.
See how to make an amazingly simple, silky chocolate pie.
This easy pie is dense with dark-chocolate flavor.


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Creating love animation software: Cross-platform software to create animation, Create Flash Animations Fast !, Animated GIF creator, editor, optimizer and more.
PM Animation 1.0.16
(not rated)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://www.nexpixel.com | ||
Type: Shareware | Releases: Sep 02, 2010 | ||||
Cost: $39.95US | Developer: NexPixel LLC | ||||
The PM Animation is a cross-platform,2D animation software product. It comes with an intuitive user interface and comprehensive functions for creating frame based animation. The software can be used to easily transform a still image into an attractive animation in the formats of animated gif, AVI, QuickTime Video and Flash SWF? with sound which can be synchronized with the animation. |
file size: 897k | Keywords: 2D Animation, animation, Video, flash projector to video, image effects |
More on creating love animation
Romantic Love Letters Free Sample 1.0
5/5 (1 votes)
Platforms: | Homepage: visit | ||
Type: Demo | Releases: Jan 19, 2005 | ||||
Cost: $24.95US | Developer: Love Letters Inc | ||||
Instant Love Letters to Win Any Heart, Anywhere, Anytime!!! Love Letters are a great way to capture the love or your dreams, surprsie him/her with love notes, win back your wife or husband, become more than friends, bring the romance back in your life, seduce a friend or lover, enhance your sex life!!! For only $24.95, you can Guarantee that our Love Letters will bring the love and passion that you desire!!! |
file size: 371k | Keywords: games, Free Love Letter, love, Romantic Love Letter, letter |
3 Secrets Reader 2
(not rated)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://www.3secrets.net | ||
Type: Trialware | Releases: Aug 01, 2004 | ||||
Cost: $24.95US | Developer: 3 Secrets | ||||
Truth about Men Women - Relationship Advice - These two e-books, 3 Secrets to a Woman's/Man's Heart, divulge the secrets of the LOVE Relationship and what it takes to get that special someone in your life. It's not about what they like it's about what attracts them and what they respond to. You won't need love poems or greeting cards to help you, as you will have the knowledge and knowledge is the key to success. |
file size: 4070k | Keywords: horoscopes, love advice, Math, cupid, birthday |
the TAB Lite 2.2
5/5 (1 votes)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://www.the-tab.com | ||
Type: Demo | Releases: Jun 29, 2004 | ||||
Cost: $79.00US | Developer: Digital Video s.r.l. | ||||
The TAB Lite is an easy-to-use software, ideal for creating in a few steps with amazing results your own cartoons. You can create your heroes by drawing and painting images, but most of all, by animating them with the TAB 2.2 Lite powerful features. |
file size: 13671k | Keywords: VECTOR BASED, EDITOR, 2D ANIMATION, animation, PAPERLESS ANIMATION |
IconCool GIF Animator 5.70.70116
(not rated)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://www.iconcool.com | ||
Type: Shareware | Releases: Jan 16, 2007 | ||||
Cost: $29.95US | Developer: Newera Software Technology Inc. | ||||
IconCool GIF Animator is a professional and easy-to-use GIF animation software tool. It can create animated GIF banners, buttons and any other pictures for your web sites easily. IconCool GIF Animator can export animation in animated GIF, AVI, MPEG, FLI, FLC as well as SWF formats. Not only IconCool GIF Animator can assemble existed pictures into animation but also has the formidable function such as creating, modifying, editing and optimization. |
file size: 16050k | Keywords: animation, GIF animation maker, Animated GIF Maker, image, animation program |
Anime Studio Debut Windows 6.0
(not rated)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://my.smithmicro.com | ||
Type: Shareware | Releases: Jun 09, 2009 | ||||
Cost: $49.99US | Developer: Smith Micro, Inc. | ||||
Bring your imagination to life! Anime Studio is your complete animation program for creating 2D movies, cartoons, anime and cut out animations. Create your own desktop animated shorts in the style of SouthParkStudios.com and JibJab.com or use it to produce full-length animation for film, video or streaming over the web. |
file size: 262282k | Keywords: Complete animation program for creating 2D movies, cartoons, Creates 2D anime, animations |
Motion Artist 3.0
(not rated)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://www.e-frontier.com | ||
Type: Shareware | Releases: Feb 01, 2006 | ||||
Cost: $49.99US | Developer: e Frontier America | ||||
MotionArtist 3.0 makes creating Flash animation fast and simple. Script-free and affordable, with a cool library of ready-to-use Flash content, MotionArtist is the Flash animation solution for everyone, from first-time Flash users to advanced Flash designers. MotionArtist puts you on the fast track to exceptional, fast-loading flash animation. |
file size: 121k | Keywords: flash player, gif, dwg to bmp, animation, compress SWF |
the TAB 2.2
5/5 (1 votes)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://www.the-tab.com | ||
Type: Demo | Releases: Jun 29, 2004 | ||||
Cost: $395.00US | Developer: Digital Video s.r.l. | ||||
The TAB has been created to satisfy the needs of cartoon artists, animation designers and web-animation companies who need a quick and powerful tool for their creations, eliminating the tedious slowness of the hand-drawn animation. Animators with traditional animation background, accustomed to high-end animation programs, will find in the TAB a new exciting alternative tool to draw, paint and animate their cartoon characters. |
file size: 19531k | Keywords: PAPERLESS ANIMATION, cartoon, WEB ANIMATION, flash player, VECTOR BASED |
Profit Gadget 220.127.116.11
(not rated)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://logicfish.co.uk | ||
Type: Commercial | Releases: Oct 24, 2010 | ||||
Cost: $97.00US | Developer: Logicfish Software | ||||
Profit From Creating Your Own Profitable Software By The Bucket Load! Are you looking for a great way to create instant software applications you can sell or distribute to your customers in double quick time? If the idea of creating software fills you with dread worry no more - because today's your lucky day, you're going to love Profit Gadget . . . |
file size: 949k | Keywords: create, creating your own software, membership, design your own software, software |
Love Puzzles 1
(not rated)
Platforms: | Homepage: http://FreeeSpirits.com | ||
Type: Freeware | Releases: Feb 28, 2002 | ||||
Cost: $0.00US | Developer: FreeeSpirits | ||||
What is life without love? Even the soppy kind is better than none whatsoever, but of course our quest for true love has often kept us busy for whole lifetimes. And when we finally find it, we don't always know what to do with it! Puzzling stuff, love and romance. So we made some puzzles for you to send to that special person in your life. They're free, so help yourself to as many as you like, and go make someone happy. |
file size: 322k | Keywords: Free software, credit card processing, free greeting cards, free, romantic jigsaw puzzles |
For searches similar to creating love animation see "Related searches" under the category listing.


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More Long Division Word Problems
Improve your math long division skills by solving the word problems. Read each word problem, write an equation to solve it, and find the answer. Make sure to check your answers using the answer sheet!
For more division practice, click here.
Updated on Jul 6, 2011
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Stayed one night recently, room was very ordinary and worst part the air conditioning not working had to have sliding door facing pool area open to be able to breathe. Door lock broken on main door to room, looked like someone had tried to kick door in! Décor a bit tired and yes the sheets look like something from the... More
- Also Known As:
- John Hunter Hotel
- John Hunter Hotel Muswellbrook


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Talia Medallion & European Vintage Washed PercaleNursery Bedding Collection
Exhibiting the perfect balance of earthiness and elegance, our medallion-printed nursery bedding is adorned with hand-embroidered French knots in aqua and raspberry for rich color and unexpected texture.
- Bumper is sewn from soft, 100% cotton with lofty polyester fill, hand-embroidered French knots and stitched corners to help position bumper in crib
- Ties should always be positioned outside of the crib and secured tightly and bumper should be removed when baby can sit up or pull to a standing position
- Sheeting is made of soft 220-thread-count percale; pillowcase has a European end-flap closure
- Crib skirt, quilt and sham are 100% cotton; sham reverses to solid and has an envelope closure
- Bumper, crib skirt, quilt and sham are imported; sheeting is made in Portugal
- Machine wash
- Sheeting is Oeko-Tex® Certified
Color Options
European Vintage-Washed Percale Crib Fitted Sheet
Save 10% on 2 or more.
Create your own three-piece crib set with any bumper, crib sheet and crib skirt, and receive a 10% discount.
Discount Applied in Cart. Terms and Conditions Apply.


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(jiří macek) The studio of Olgoj Chorchoj has designed a new concept of floors made from solid wood for the Czech company of Ardeco. Using contemporary technologies of wood treatment, they endowed the system with a powerful character that enables the user to create unexpected organic ornaments. It is no wonder that the floor was nominated for Editors Award at the ICFF in New York this year.
Ardeco specializes in the processing of solid wood, i.e. flooring, doors, bookcases, and tables. Its artistry can be seen in many reconstructions of historical buildings all over the world and in many contemporary projects as well. The designers from Olgoj Chorchoj designed the organic floor as a vision of the ultimate possibilities of wooden flooring when using contemporary wood cutting technologies on NC machines and lasers. However, a very unified product was created, which enables its use in compliance with customer requests.
"We tried to apply simple organic shapes onto the surfaces. The first sketches showed that ornaments grew into interesting optical effects, mainly when they were put together on a larger surface. We thought this was very interesting and tried to develop this idea," explains Michal Froněk from the studio of Olgoj Chorchoj. The first implementations in Paris and Cairo demonstrate they were right in their judgment. The organic floor by Olgoj Chorchoj shows character and power in large halls and rooms where traditional parquets and castle mosaics become boring. However, its applications on smaller scales, where they are not dominating but surprising – are also charming.
Olgoj Chorchoj: The Restl...
Olgoj Chorchoj: Skyscrapers
czech design, interior, wood


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Jonathan Roberts
(Created by Jane Doe)
Jonathan Roberts (born Jonathan Robert Stubenrauch on April 20, 1974) is an American professional ballroom dancer. He decided to take up dancing after he received a free trial at a local dance studio and enjoyed it. He currently resides in California with his wife and former dance partner, Anna Trebunskaya.


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2011 South Dakota Code
Title 37 TRADE REGULATION
Chapter 20. Standard Weights And Measures
§37-20-1 Federally supplied weights and measures adopted as state standards.
SD Codified L § 37-20-1 (through 2011) What's This?
37-20-1. Federally supplied weights and measures adopted as state standards. The weights and measures received from the United States under a resolution of Congress approved June 14, 1836, and any new weights and measures received from the United States as standard weights and measures in addition thereto or in renewal thereof, and supplied by the state in conformity therewith and certified to by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall be the state reference standards of weights and measures.
Source: SDC 1939, § 63.0201; SL 2006, ch 187, § 3.
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. South Dakota may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.


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Banksy Sold Art On Saturday In Manhattan For $60 And No One Knew
Moral of the story: Buy everything from every street vendor because you never know who really made it.
Moral of the story: Buy everything from every street vendor because you never know who really made it.
Alternate title: New York Shitty.
Meet the Fordham Rams — New York City's undefeated college football team, the pride of the Bronx. F-U! F-U! F-U!
The shut down of the internet's biggest drug market might have serious consequences on the quality of drugs that show up in your home town.
Rent-free spinning cube in the middle of NYC's Astor Square? Sign. Me. Up. UPDATE: Yeah, it's definitely a stunt by lululemon founder Chip Wilson.
Grace Helbig, the internet's princess, stopped by NYC for a hot minute, and here's what her fans had to say.
Despite what you might've heard, it takes a lot more than killing a cockroach and crying on the subway.
"This is my community. It's not the side of Harlem I've come to know and not how I've been embraced," he tells BuzzFeed in his first comments since Saturday's brutal attack by a group of young men.
Plus the glorious new "pet sushi" photography trend, the time the U.S. almost nuked itself, and an artist who is bringing the ghosts of Google Street View to life.
The annual Tribute In Light returned to Manhattan Wednesday on the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Aymann Ismail of ANIMALNewYork teamed up with BMX master Tyrone Williams for a video that shows all the fun you can have on one of New York City's most divisive icons.
Photos to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks from inside the memorial on Wednesday.
The moneyyyy, OMG the money.
What are your favorite NYC moments?
Drop this bird knowledge casually at your next party, much like a bird drops a bomb on a windshield.
There are tons of ways to pretend that New York doesn't have the highest cost of living in the country. Behold, tourists and New Yorkers with sorry wallets: your guide to a free week in NYC.
Did you know that there are more people in New York than there are vegetarians in the United States? Put that in your hummus and smoke it.
This city changes you, man.
SPOILER ALERT: A whole lot better than you'd think.
TV's Dr. Oz was on the scene attending to victims until help arrived. WARNING: Graphic photos.
Weiner fatigue. "You might be surprised to hear this, but I actually like it better this way," the ex-frontrunner says.
"There's something romantic that comes from placing a dancer in these surroundings."
Paul Sahner of NYC Grid has put together an amazing set of side-by-side comparisons of the city throughout the decades.
But she only supports stop-and-frisk in Manhattan because "you can't expect us to live by the same rules we dictate to other people for heaven's sake!" The host thought she was joking (as did we when we first heard it), but she insisted she wasn't. You be the judge.
As the Spitzer name returns to headlines and the case returns to trial, the plaintiffs turn their attention to the New York City comptroller candidate. "This has nothing to do with Eliot," says a spokeswoman.
Anthony Weiner, New York mayoral candidate, sat down with BuzzFeed's Ben Smith to talk about the race, his sexting scandal, and cats.
In March 1955, photographer Ed Feingersh followed Marilyn around the city for a week — the results were some of the most iconic photos ever taken of her.
He attempted to detonate a 1,000-pound bomb in October 2012.
Whether you're an adventurous New Yorker or a tourist looking to make a few unconventional stops, consider paying a visit to some of the city's little-known gems.
Boozy brunch is New York's favorite sport.


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On The Cover: Everyone whose path you cross in life has the power to change you.
Emily believes in destiny. She's waiting for the moment her real life begins.
Sam wishes he could escape. He's spent his life being dragged from place to place by his father. But he could never abandon his little brother.
Then everything changes. Because Sam meets Emily.
This tender story of star-crossed love is both romance and thriller, and a compelling exploration of the power of human connection.
This book captivated me from start to finish. You'd never know that this is a debut novel, as the writing is so compelling and flows beautifully. It's sparse, but I feel that it really works with this story as it's essentially a modern-day fairy tale and so the style doesn't really lend itself to complexity. There's so much packed into what is a relatively short novel, but none of it feels rushed – the plot moves along at a comfortable pace and there weren't any slow parts for me. It did require a little suspension of belief as some of the things came together a little too easily, however this fits in with the general style of a fairy tale and so it really didn't matter too much to me. The thing that makes this novel, though, is the characters. The main characters, Emily and Sam, are complete opposites, yet they are perfect for each other. It was really heart-wrenching to watch their relationship develop so quickly and then be torn apart. The main star of the show though, for me, was Riddle – Sam's younger brother. I couldn't help but feel protective towards the kid and he instilled in me a real emotional attachment to the story as a whole. After these three main characters came a host of other characters who had smaller, but still important, parts to play. The chapters in the book move around, telling the story from the perspectives of the different characters in the book and, where a new character is introduced, we find out how they came to be where they are before we find out how they fit into the story. I liked this, because it made for more believable characters and therefore a more believable story.
I loved this story and I took from it a message of hope and of faith in humanity. I will be on the lookout for future books from this author.
Format: Paperback, 312 pages
Publisher (this edition): Piccadilly Press, 2012
Source: Free review copy provided by Newbooks Magazine
My rating: 5/5


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- March 8, 2013
- 8:09 p.m.
- Suggest removal
- Reply to this post
nyuk_nyuk_nyuk writes:
in response to veroman1:
you are full of it, bush policies and his veto pen was in charge. nothing survived the senate filibusters and bush veto to change the trickle down insanity and the unfunded wars and the un regulated commercial banks and the wall street rape of the crimes they pulled off with sophisticated trading policies they themselves could not understand. rewriting recent history is a lot harder than rewriting how we stole america from the natives we encountered 400 yrs ago.
Keep the blinders on!
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Ugh. You know how sometimes you have days or weeks where things just don't seem to go your way? Well, it's my turn. I started my morning forgetting about an 8:30am appointment and missing it. Plus, I also found out I emailed the wrong version of a sensitive document to a business colleague. Arg. I suppose I'm not focused on what I'm doing, which is pretty unusual for me. Which brings us to last Sunday. I owe a race report for PMNC, and it's coming. You probably see the DQ in the results column of my home page. I'll tell the highs, the lows, the whole scoop.
Thanks for keeping checking in.


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March 30, 2012
Caption Contest Winner Announced!
By Dave Hurteau
While away on a Louisiana turkey hunt with the outrageously generous Busbice family (the folks behind Wildgame Innovations and Synergy Outdoors, about which I'll be writing more soon), I asked Bestul to pick his favorite captions among the nearly 400 you provided for the photo here in last week's contest. I say this so you'll know whom to blame.
Our nine runners up, in no particular order are:
Jebediah finally let the kids pack their own lunch for school. --WHOSURDAD
Amish drive by. --diplomat019
Levi Yoder's horses all lived in fear of "being sent to the back of the wagon." --Bob
"To celebrate the bountiful harvest of the day, tonight we'll party like it's 1699." --Redford
The New Amish delivery service called Deer 2 You was given high marks for tasty meat, but low marks for delivery times.. --Jesse Brown
You don't EVER mess with an Amish-man's turnips... --PA009
At least we know it wasn't spotlighted... --Zach Baldwin
In amish country there is no such thing as fast food --olinger302
On the next episode of "Survivor: Lancaster, PA…." -–Sparky42474
And the winner of the Cabela's pack, cleverly playing on the award we recently gave to his prize--Cabela's excellent Bow and Rifle Pack--is hunterjp88, with:
F&S Best of the Best 1779 Winner for "Game Carts"
Congrats, hunterjp88. We'll be contacting you soon about your new pack.


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Class Action Against Hospital Involving 45 Deaths During Hurricaine Katrina Settles
From The Courthouse News Service
By SABRINA CANFIELD
NEW ORLEANS (CN) – A class action involving deaths of patients at a major New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina has been settled. Forty-five bodies were recovered from Memorial Medical Center, then owned by Tenet Health Systems, after the August 2005 storm left 85 percent of New Orleans underwater.
The terms of the settlement were not released.
The plaintiffs are family members of people who died at Memorial, employees of LifeCare Hospitals, a health care company that leased space from Tenet, and visitors to the hospital who were trapped by the storm.
Rick Black, a spokesman for Tenet, said in a statement Wednesday: "This has been a long and difficult situation for all concerned, but the parties are pleased to be able to announce that an amicable resolution has been reached subject to court approval at… (Continued...)


text: Last week was the official start of Fall and that means the school year has began, the leaves will be turning and falling and trick or treaters will be knocking on your door sooner than you think. But before you pull out your pumpkins, black spider webs and witch hats, I want you to consider something different this year… something glamorous! [Read more...]


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Reviews, reviews, reviews...
FreakScore is a weighted average of all aggregated professional and user review scores. Read more
This product has a FreakScore of 7.4* out of 10 based on 2 scores.
*Score is uncertain and deviates toward category average due to low number of scores.
Fully-Integrated Controls 4:1 Compaction Ratio Touch-Toe™ Read more
Best Price at Amazon


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Want to start Aikido in Coventry? Look no further. Chishin Dojo is the only Aikido club in Coventry and the UK to directly follow both Hiroshi Ikeda sensei and Mike Sigman. We have several skilled and recognised teachers in the club who will show you their Aikido and help you to discover how you can also do the same things with your body.
We are a small, friendly and open-minded Coventry Aikido Club. Chishin Dojo was formed in June 2007 with Hiroshi Ikeda sensei kindly giving our dojo its name and interpreting this as "know one's self, one's heart; to (get to) know another person's heart - to connect heart-to-heart." We are located in Coventry, not too far from the city centre. Chishin Dojo are members of Aikido For Daily Life.
Two of our teachers share a common connection through a sadly missed local teacher - Tom Moss (6th Dan) who passed away in 2003. We have a friendly, welcoming atmosphere in the club and try to maintain the feeling we all felt whilst Tom was still alive. We directly follow the teaching of Hiroshi Ikeda sensei with emphasis on his internal elements. Our main focus for the Tuesday class is an analysis and study of internal strength and how it relates to Ueshiba's Aikido thanks to Mike Sigman.
Please feel free to come along and watch or join any of our classes – they are all open and everyone is welcome. Your first 2 weeks are free and we will cover your insurance for you. The best way to experience Aikido is to step onto the mat and have a go yourself, so please get in touch.
We welcome students from all associations no matter your grade or style.
Chishin Dojo
Unit 4 Hotchkiss Way
Binley Industrial Estate
Chishin Dojo, a member of Aikido for Daily Life and affiliated to the British Aikido Board, welcomes students from all walks of life no matter your gender, sexuality, race, religion, nationality or ethnicity.


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Top speed 155 mph (250 km/hr)
0-100 km/h 5.7 seconds / 0-60 mph 5.3 seconds
Engine power output 130hp / 96kW
Price €51,000+ / USD $67,238+
Ironically, the Monotracer (nee Ecomobile) is green, eco-friendly, and featured on Treehugger!
VEHICLE & BODY STRUCTURE for the Ecomobile / Monotracer
Self-supporting composite-monocoque made from glass-, kevlar- and carbon
tissues bonded by epoxy-resin reinforced with crash and roll bars. Engine frame,
steering head and stabilizer axles made from aircraft grade alloy steel.
Front suspension Marzocchi 50mm USD-fork, rear Monolever shaft swingarm.
Gull-wing-door with integrated sunroof, opening to the left.
Glazing made from tinted PMMA in aviation quality.
Baggage compartment of 200 Litres in the rear.
4 cylinder-in-line-BMW-K-engine 1171 ccm, 16 valves, liquid cooling.
Dry reinforced monodisc clutch. Sequential PG-gearbox with 4 forward speeds and
electrically unlockable reverse, shifted by push-button-selector on left handlebar.
Automatic clutch optional.
Reinforced BMW-shaft drive.
3 brake discs 320 mm Ø with 4-piston-hydraulic callipers, fully integrated
electronic ABS. Ceramic brake discs and brake pads, ASP anti spin control optional.
Electrical stabilizer servo system, computer-supervised with cycle-time < 0,5 sec.
Semi-automatic, hydraulically operated softmode system optional.
RECARO-contour-seats with 3-point-automatic-safety belts.
Interior covers in high-tech-tissues and sound proofing padding.
Airconditioned + heated ventilation system of ample flow with intake air filter.
Tempomat cruise control, frontal airbag, Bi-Xenon-lights, CD-players optional.
Motorcycle-type handlebars with extended functions. Clutch pedal left, gear- and
stabilizer-ops-switches left, integrated brake ops by pedal, aux-brake-lever and
twist-throttle right.
Empty weight: 460-485 kgs. depending on options
Max. weight: 685 kgs.
Tank capacity: 50 ltrs. / 14 USG
Dimensions: L = 3,65 m B = 1,25 m
(Stabilizers up) 1,40 m (down) H = 1,52 m
Service: 25.000 km / 15'000 miles or annually – whichever is first
Engine: 96 kW / 130 HP at 8750/min, max. torque 117 Nm at 6750/min
Motronic-controlled injection
3-way-catalytic converter.
Acceleration: 0-100 kph = 5,7 sec.
Top speed: > 250 kph.
Brake distance: 100-0 = 43 m
Turning circle between walls: 8.5 m
Consumption(ISO 7118): 4,15 l/100km at constant 90 kph
5,05 l/100km at constant 120 kph
Basic price ex factory € 52'500.- (+ local VAT)
2 years warranty / 25 years use guaranteed for composite + metal structures


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42 eBehold fmy servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, gin whom my soul delights;
hI have put my Spirit upon him;
ihe will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 ja bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
khe will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged1
till he has established justice in the earth;
and lthe coastlands wait for his law.
who created the heavens mand stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
nwho gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 "I am the Lord; oI have called you2 in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you pas a covenant for the people,
qa light for the nations,
7 rto open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
sfrom the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
tmy glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
uand new things I now declare;
10 vSing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth,
wyou who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,
lthe coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,
the villages that xKedar inhabits;
let the habitants of ySela sing for joy,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in lthe coastlands.
13 zThe Lord goes out like a mighty man,
like a man of war ahe stirs up his zeal;
he cries out, bhe shouts aloud,
he shows himself mighty against his foes.
14 For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out clike a woman in labor;
15 dI will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,3
16 eAnd I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
fthe rough places into level ground.
17 gThey are turned back and utterly put to shame,
and look, you blind, that you may see!
19 Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,4
or blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 hHe sees many things, but does not observe them;
ihis ears are open, but he does not hear.
21 The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake,
to magnify his law and make it glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and looted;
they are all of them trapped in holes
jand hidden in prisons;
they have become plunder with none to rescue,
spoil with none to say, "Restore!"
23 Who among you will give ear to this,
will attend and listen for the time to come?
24 Who gave up Jacob to the looter,
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
in whose ways they would not walk,
and whose law they would not obey?
25 So he poured on him the heat of his anger
it set him on fire all around, kbut he did not understand;
it burned him up, lbut he did not take it to heart.


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You are currently viewing the beta version of the new AMM site. Click here to return to the current site.
A three-day waiting period for payment for certain scrap metal items has been added to legislation that is now before the Michigan House of Representatives.
Wisconsin recyclers United Milwaukee Scrap LLC and Schulz's Recycling Inc. have merged their operations to create a stronger presence in the region, the companies said Oct. 2.
Nucor Corp. supports raising the user fee that provides revenue to the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, Rob Roberson, materials and logistics manager for Nucor Steel Berkeley in South Carolina, told a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on freight transportation.
Pull-A-Part LLC has continued its acquisition spree, purchasing El Paso, Texas-based Mega U Pull, a self-service yard, for undisclosed terms.
The Alabama Supreme Court has sided with Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. regarding a post-accident investigation report at one of its subsidiaries.
The Indian steel scrap market appears to be divided, with larger producers marking a gradual return and smaller producers still waiting on the sidelines.
Stainless steel scrap broker/processor buying prices have weakened as flat nickel tags continue to weigh on the market.
Uncertainty over scrap supply and a push by producers toward higher steel prices have reversed sentiment in the Midwest, with market participants now speculating that October scrap prices will likely stay unchanged for obsolete grades.
Secondary aluminum alloy prices remained unchanged Sept. 30, with market participants saying producers were attempting to hold the line on prices and fend off lower quotes from consumers.
Export prices for zorba, a nonferrous auto shred, have dipped slightly over the past week, with shippers noting that a recent uptick in U.S. supply had weakened the market.
Spain collected 3 billion steel drink cans in 2012, up 3.4 percent from 2011 levels, according to national association for drink can producers Latas de Bebidas.
Japanese ferrous scrap exports totaled 643,000 tonnes in August, down 11.6 percent year on year but up 7.5 percent compared with a month earlier.
Mid-Atlantic ferrous scrap market participants are speculating that prices will fall in October, with some attributing the possible dip to steady scrap flows and weak demand.
Four ferrous scrap bulk sales to Turkey and one to South Korea kept U.S. exporters busy last week as demand picked up on marginally softer prices.
PSC Metals Inc. is expanding its St. Charles, Mo., scrapyard and adding services to generate another source of shredder feed and maximize the facility's potential.
Japan's domestic scrap prices rallied in the last week of September after falling the previous week.
U.S. export prices for bulk shipments to Turkey slipped a few dollars this past week after almost two weeks of inactivity as Turkish mills push for lower prices.
Alter Trading Corp. will purchase recycler Columbus Metal Industries LLC, the scrap metal processor and broker said.
Smelter-grade aluminum scrap prices remained mostly steady during the past week, as limited volatility on the London Metal Exchange coupled with tepid trading activity led to a "wait and see" attitude among buyers and sellers, traders said.
Due to a reporting error, a storyposted to the website Sept. 16 misstated AMM's East Coast Ferrous Scrap Export Index settlement price. The correct price as of Sept. 16 was $344.48 per tonne.
The former owner of a North Carolina scrap metals buying center has been sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,495,721 in restitution on charges of tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Ferrous scrap price offers into Vietnam have retreated in tandem with weaker international prices and sluggish domestic steel demand, sources told AMM sister publication Steel First this past week.
Tri Metal International LLC has obtained a conditional land use permit from the city council in Houston, Alaska, allowing it to open its second scrapyard in the state in order to take advantage of a rail expansion project.
Scrap processor Cronimet Corp. will open a stainless steel recycling facility in Cheyenne, Wyo., next month, the company said.
Will more metals companies discontinue health care coverage for their employees in light of the Affordable Care Act?
June 20-21, 2013 New York
This is day five of my job and I am listening and finding out what is going on. It won't take long. I am not one of these guys who does analysis paralysis, and I know we need to move fast.
--Sean Garber, ISA


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So I was going to play it safe and wait until after Tuesday's Iowa Caucus to do an analysis of the Republican Presidential race. That would have been cowardly! So following are my predictions for the January contests:
IOWA (January 3): Gingrich has been seriously damaged by negative ads, and a less than effective response to those attacks. Once the front-runner, I don't see him finishing better than 4th. Never fear, Gingrich fans, I see him making a comeback starting in South Carolina. Second and third place I see as a close call between the surging Santorum and the perpetually stagnant Romney. I like longshots so I'm picking Santorum to pull off a shocker and edge out Romney for second. That's right, I'm looking at a Ron Paul victory in Iowa. I think the caucus procedure feeds into the passion of his supporters, and he's close enough to pull out a win. It's lack of passion that I see hurting Romney.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (January 10): Now to a state where a lack of passion can be seen as a virtue! I don't see any way Romney fails to win this one. Bachman will either be gone after a disappointing finish in Iowa, or just going through the motions until she drops out after New Hampshire. I don't see Santorum resonating with New Hampshire voters and expect him to finish fourth, or possibly even fifth behind Perry. I know Huntsman is banking on a strong finish in New Hampshire, but I think he'll probably be diappointed, and join Bachman in leaving the race. Gingrich should have been second, but I think he'll only begin his rebound after Iowa, leaving Dr. Paul with another high ranking at second, albeit distant to Romney's first place.
SOUTH CAROLINA (January 21): Far enough from Iowa's damaging advertising blitz, I think Newt will be in recovery mode by the time South Carolina rolls around, I expect a first place finish there. Romney's tactics won't endear him to southern voters, but his first place in New Hampshire will attract some who will see him as the "inevitable" nominee giving him a marginal edge for second, with Paul a very close third. Santorum will round out the field at fourth, with Perry probably sticking around until after Florida, but finishing with less than 2%.
FLORIDA (January 31): The big prize goes to Gingrich who will be in full recovery, and will probably take Florida comfortably. A Rubio endorsement for Romney would make it a closer race, but would indicate Rubio fishing for the Veep nod, and probably wouldn't be enough for Romney to finish higher than second. Ron Paul takes a solid third, Santorum is barely noticeable, Perry is gone, and it's a three man race going forward.
LOOKING AHEAD: This would leave the battle between Romney and Gingrich, with Paul as the gadfly that just won't go away. In most political seasons this would be a two way race with concessions made to Ron Paul to insure that he doesn't mount a third party candidacy, but the times they are a changin', and conventional wisdom may no longer be as dependable in a different world. Besides some of his more radical views, the main thing holding back support for Paul is the sense that he is not a serious candidate... he can't win. A strong showing in the first four primaries will go a long way toward dispelling that view and cause many voters to take a second (or maybe first) look at Ron Paul, as he becomes the beneficiary of what is essentially a weak republican field. The question then is, will Paul capitalize on this by moderating to make himself palatable to a broader range of voters. When running from the fringe, radical positions inspire passion which brings you support, but to broaden his base he'll need to tone it down a bit or he will be discarded. I still see Ron Paul as the only candidate of either party that people are voting FOR, as opposed to merely against someone else, that translates to votes. I think the anger people have with the "politics as usual" status quo is being greatly underestimated, and if Ron Paul can capitalize on that emotion while broadening his appeal and making full use of social media to compensate for his dismissal by the main-stream media, he may actually become a contender. That being said, I think the odds are against that happening. Ironically, I don't think he's a good enough politician to pull it off! That leaves it to Romney and Gingrich to duke it out, and it's way too early to say how that will play out. Romney's strength is that he is unexciting and steady, Gingrich's is that he is intriguing and inspiring... whichever one deviates from those strengths will lose the race.
Of course this is all rather like picking the winners for Sunday's football games, but it's my educated guess. Now that I have my neck on the line I'd love to have some company! Let me know your predictions!


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Home » Specialty Travel » Condo and Villa Vacations
For those looking for the perfect home away from home experience or maybe just for ways to save money when traveling with a group, renting a condo or villa is often the perfect choice. Whether you plan to leave the country or just your neighborhood, amazing rental houses, condos and villas can be found in almost every corner of the world!
Big Bear Lake is home to southern California's premier ski resorts of Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. Combined, these ski centers offer 75 trails, 20 lifts and seven snowboard parks, which means you are guaranteed to have a good time on the slopes no matter what your skill level.
Kissimmee, Florida is a great location to reach all the Orlando, Florida attractions your kids have been dreaming about visiting. And it also a great place to find a huge selection of condos, villas and rental houses to fit every taste and budget.
Tuscany has become one of the world's most beloved destinations. Gorgeous villas and restored farmhouses dot the rolling green hills of Tuscany, inviting not only painters but fortunate visitors to take advantage of their beauty and relaxing character.