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Full-size countertop microwaves have capacities of more than 1.5 cubic feet and are ideal for families or for those who want to cook multiple dishes. Convenience features like rotating turntables and one-touch defrost and reheat functions are standard on these microwaves. Many also offer sensor technology, which determines when a dish is done by measuring the amount of steam it emits. Some also boast inverter technology, which helps cook more evenly, preventing hot and cold spots.
One such microwave that features inverter technology is the GE Profile JES2251SJ (*Est. $275) . This 2.2-cubic-foot microwave has 1,200 watts of cooking power and a 16-inch turntable that can accommodate nearly any dish. It has four sensor settings -- three for cooking and one for reheating -- as well as auto-defrost settings that automatically set the time and power level based on the amount of food to be defrosted. Other features include a stainless-steel finish and a warming mode to keep food hot until it's time to eat. Like most full-size microwaves, the JES2251SJ takes up a good amount of countertop space, measuring 24 inches wide and nearly 20 inches deep. Its warranty covers parts and labor for one year, but the magnetron tube (the element that generates microwave energy) is covered for five years.
The GE Profile JES2251SJ performs well in professional tests and owner reviews alike, praised for its ease of use, quiet operation and even heating. At ABT.com, it gets high overall ratings from more than 150 users. Many users say the machine is so powerful that they must adjust cooking times to avoid overcooking. We saw only a couple of complaints about breakdowns at this site; however, we did find a few more among the 20 user reviews at BestBuy.com. Still, considering the total number of owners who have reviewed this product, it appears that the overwhelming majority have had no problems with it.
A less costly microwave, the Panasonic Inverter NN-T945SF (*Est. $155) , also features inverter technology. Like the GE Profile, this microwave has a 2.2-cubic-foot capacity, sensor cooking, a stainless-steel finish and a keep-warm setting. Rated at 1,250 watts, the Panasonic microwave oven is slightly more powerful than the GE Profile, and it features detailed menus with step-by-step cooking instructions in a choice of three languages. This microwave measures nearly 24 inches wide by 19.5 inches deep, but it can be installed in a cabinet with the addition of the optional trim kit (*Est. $140). Like the GE Profile, this microwave carries a one-year warranty with five years of coverage for the magnetron.
The Panasonic Inverter NN-T945SF has earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, although it is not included in the latest rounds of microwave tests by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute. This microwave also scores well in a test by a leading consumer magazine, whose editors praise its heating and defrosting performance and general ease of use (although testers note that its noise level is merely average). More than 180 users at Walmart.com report similar results, saying the microwave cooks and defrosts very evenly and has plenty of power and capacity. We did see a few complaints of microwaves failing within three years of purchase, but most users report no problems.
The Whirlpool Gold GT4175SP also fares very well in professional tests. This microwave is somewhat smaller than the GE Profile, with a 1.7-cubic-foot capacity and a 22.5-by-17.5-inch profile. Its features include 1,200 watts of cooking power, 10 power levels, sensor cooking and reheating and a keep-warm setting. Its MaxWave cooking system releases microwaves from multiple points inside the oven to provide quicker, more even cooking and defrosting, according to the manufacturer. This microwave is available in white, black or stainless steel (for about $100 more). It comes with a one-year warranty.
In one professional test, the GT4175SP gets very good scores for cooking and defrosting performance, as well as ease of use and noise level. An older review at ConsumerGuide.com also praises this microwave, calling it "an excellent value" and naming it a Best Buy. This Whirlpool Gold microwave gets positive overall reviews from more than 75 owners at BestBuy.com. Users praise its large turntable and fast, even cooking, and they also say the microwave is quiet and easy to clean. However, we did see a handful of complaints about breakdowns (ranging from right out of the box to 21 months after purchase) and unhelpful customer service from Whirlpool.
Midsize microwaves have capacities of around 1.2 cubic feet, still a reasonable size for many users. In this category, we found the best reviews for the Kenmore 6633 (*Est. $140) . This 1.2-cubic-foot countertop microwave is rated highly by both professionals and owners. It's somewhat narrower than the full-size microwaves mentioned above, measuring just under 22 inches wide. It has a black exterior, electronic touch controls, sensor cooking and 1,200-watt cooking power. The Kenmore 6633 comes with a one-year warranty.
Professional reviewers give the Kenmore 6633 microwave oven high marks. It's the best performer among midsized microwaves in one recent test, thanks to its powerful defrosting action and easy-to-use control panel. It also earns a grade of B from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute. Editors praise the microwave's even heating and wealth of cooking options (with the exception of the popcorn setting, which they say "consistently underpops"). Users at Sears.com, where Kenmore appliances are sold, are mostly satisfied, with more than 90 owners giving the Kenmore 6633 an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5. Most say the countertop microwave is easy to use and heats evenly, and several like its small footprint. However, a few say that the door feels flimsy and the display can be hard to read. A couple of owners say the Kenmore 6633 stopped working within a couple of years.
Another strong overall performer is the Cuisinart CMW-100 (*Est. $150) . This 1-cubic-foot microwave is somewhat smaller than the Kenmore 6633, measuring 20.5 inches wide by 15.25 inches deep. Rated at 1,000 watts, it has a 12-inch turntable and a stainless-steel finish. It also features two-stage cooking, which allows the user to cook at two different power levels (for example, 15 minutes on defrost followed by 8 minutes on high). However, the CMW-100 countertop microwave does not include a sensor. It carries a three-year warranty, longer than most other microwaves.
The editors of Good Housekeeping recommend the CMW-100, saying it does a good job of defrosting, baking potatoes and popping corn. The reviewer at ConsumerGuide.com gives it high marks as well. Although the lack of a sensor is a downside, the reviewer finds the one-touch buttons and multi-stage cooking especially handy. We found close to 100 reviews for the CMW-100 at Buzzillions.com, compiled from sites such as Macys.com, ABT.com and Cooking.com. Overall, users award this microwave 4.6 stars out of 5, praising its stylish looks, even heating and easy-to-clean surface. We saw only a couple of complaints about breakdowns, representing a small percentage of users overall.
We found more mixed reviews for the Panasonic NN-SD688S (*Est. $180) . This microwave has 1,300 watts of cooking power and uses an inverter, a rare feature among midsize countertop microwaves. The Panasonic NN-SD688S also features a cooking sensor, dial and button controls and a 13.5-inch rotating turntable. It has a 1.2-cubic-foot capacity and measures roughly 23 inches wide by 18 inches deep. We found two single-product reviews of the Panasonic NN-SD688S that pay special attention to its inverter technology. Bryan Gardiner of Wired gives the microwave an overall rating of 7 out of 10, which translates to "good, but not quite great." Although he gives the Panasonic microwave oven high marks for defrosting and praises its capacity and design, he also says that it's bulky and loud. Another reviewer, Gregory Han of ApartmentTherapy.com, says that although the Panasonic does heat up and cook food more evenly than other microwaves, the wide assortment of cooking options can be "a bit daunting" to learn.
In professional tests, however, this microwave's performance is less than stellar. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute gives it a B-minus, saying that although its sensors deliver "precise results," it's also noisy and an energy hog. In another professional test, the NN-SD688S gets good scores for even heating, but only mediocre results for defrosting, noise level and ease of use. The Panasonic NN-SD688S gets generally good ratings from roughly 150 users at Amazon.com. Owners say the microwave cooks quickly and defrosts evenly, and they like its stylish design and intuitive controls. However, we saw quite a few complaints about durability, with users saying that their microwaves failed in anywhere from four weeks to two years after purchase and that getting repairs under Panasonic's one-year warranty proved difficult (the magnetron tube is covered for five years). We also saw a few complaints about overheating; one user says the microwave was "almost too hot to get near" after reheating food, and another reports that it "burned a hole in itself and started an electrical fire."
Compact microwave ovens usually have capacities around 0.8 cubic feet. Their small footprint can be an advantage in small kitchens, but they also tend to have less cooking power than larger units, which lengthens cooking times. The GE Profile SpaceMaker II PEM31 (*Est. $220) is on the large side for a compact microwave, with a full cubic foot of capacity. It is also nearly 24 inches wide, but only 12.3 inches deep and 11.2 inches high. In addition, it can be hung beneath a cabinet with an optional hanging kit, or tucked into one with an optional trim kit. This compact GE microwave has only 800 watts of cooking power, but it does include a sensor and an 11.3-inch turntable (which can be switched off to allow the microwave to accommodate larger platters). Other features include one-touch cooking functions, 10 power levels and auto defrosting. The GE Profile SpaceMaker II PEM31 is available in four colors: black, white, bisque or stainless steel (this last option adds about $50 to the price). Its warranty covers parts and labor for one year; the magnetron tube is covered for five years.
The editors of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute award the PEM31 a grade of B-plus, praising its accurate cooking sensors, compact profile and easy-to-use controls. A ConsumerGuide.com review dating from 2008 also cites this microwave's "ease of use and exceptional performance." The reviewer notes that the PEM31 is on the expensive side for a small microwave, but adds that its wide array of features and space-saving design justify its higher price tag. However, another professional publication gives the PEM31 a much less impressive review. Although it earns high marks for even heating and ease of use, its defrosting performance is poor.
We found about 190 reviews for the GE Profile SpaceMaker II PEM31 at retail site ABT.com. Users praise its design and say that it heats evenly and cleans up easily. Most also find the controls easy to use, although a few say they are confusing. We found fewer durability complaints for the PEM31 than for most small microwaves; only half a dozen users say their machines had problems out of the box or developed them soon after purchase. Overall, the compact microwave earns an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, and more than 90 percent of users say they would buy it again.
GE also offers a more basic SpaceMaker microwave, the SpaceMaker II JEM25DM (*Est. $185) . It has the same capacity, dimensions and power as the more expensive PEM31, but it lacks a cooking sensor and has fewer preprogrammed settings. Also, the JEM25DM comes only in basic black or white, and with only a one-year warranty. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute finds the JEM25DM not quite as strong a performer as its more expensive cousin, with a B grade overall. While they like its even heating pattern and easy-to-program controls, they say that the control panel is not well laid out. We found more than 400 reviews for this microwave from users at ABT.com and Buzzillions.com, most of them positive. Owners praise the microwave's attractive design, even heating and simple display, and they also find it easy to clean. However, its small capacity is a drawback, and some find the display confusing. We did see a few reliability complaints, but not many for the overall number of reviews.
For those who find GE microwaves too large or too expensive, a more basic option is the Danby DMW099BLSDD . This compact microwave, which comes in black, white or stainless finishes, has a capacity of 0.9 cubic feet and 900 watts of cooking power. It has 10 power levels and eight one-touch settings for foods ranging from popcorn to frozen vegetables. The Danby DMW099BLSDD also has a small footprint, roughly 19 inches wide and 14.25 inches deep. This small microwave has an 18-month warranty for parts and labor.
Although we found no professional reviews for the Danby DMW099BLSDD, it earns a 4.4-star overall rating from more than 125 reviewers at Walmart.com. Users find this little microwave stylish, easy to operate and a great value overall. They also like the one-touch cooking buttons, although several users report that it takes some time to get used to pushing a single number and having the machine start instantly. The most common complaint is that the microwave is so lightweight that pulling on the door handle sometimes moves the entire oven instead of opening it. Owners report fixing this problem with a variety of hacks, from piling weight on top of the microwave to putting no-slide drawer liner under it. We did see a handful of reliability complaints, but not many for the overall volume of reviews.
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The Series continues!
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Whether you are a beginner or an experienced modeler, Estes has the kit for you.
We have an enormous selection of model rocket kits that include sport fliers, multi-stagers, payloaders, scale NASA-based transports, military-styled missiles and classic Estes kits.
Estes rockets are grouped into four catagories: RTF (Ready to Fly), ARF (Almost Ready to Fly), E2X (Easy to Assemble) and Skill Levels 1 through 5.
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Blue Chalcedony and Sterling Silver Bracelet $ 649.99 Handcrafted sterling silver hinged-section bracelet of blue chalcedony with a toggle clasp. This bracelet can be adjusted from 7-1/4 inches to 7-3/4 inches long. The photo is enlarged to show detail.
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This VICTORIA jewelry roll features a medium weight flocked (velvet like) fabric in cream with a lace looking pattern complimented with a center stripe in Ivory Sheen.
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Murray State Graduate and former adjunct professor Yassin Sarr hails from The Gambia West Africa. She and her husband David Fox have, for the last 5 years, been working to empower Gambian girls through education.
Their organization, Starfish International, is working toward developing a comprehensive education program for girls from pre-school to graduate school. They are back in Murray for a visit. Yassin speaks with Chad Lampe about their work.


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Nov. 6—A Kansas City children's hospital has announced plans to ban sales of soda and sugar-filled juices from its cafeteria, gift shop and vending machines in a bid to fight childhood obesity.
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A Whaling Voyage 'Round the World: Melville's Inspiration Revisited
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, the Whaling Museum showcased one of the novel's most compelling sources of inspiration – Russell and Purrington's 1,300-foot-long moving panorama – in the Special Exhibit Gallery.
Russell and Purrington's 1,300-foot-long panorama
Visitors were given the opportunity to watch Museum staff and art conservators restore this engaging panorama; see selections of Benjamin Russell's beautiful watercolors; listen to narration based on this wonderful story; and hear music of the period. A digitized version of the panorama, presented on DVD, was also displayed as it was shown in the mid-19th century on a full-size stage.


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Galactic Civilizations II
The Diary of an Empire
From the Private Journal of Alan Bradly
on August 2, 2006 12:59:15 PM from
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Join Date 07/2006
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Hey, Uhh...I couldn't find a Fan fiction section, so I guess I will post this here. I have started to write a journal from the View point of Alan Bradly, the Terran Leader. Keep in mind that I am playing through a game and writing down what I Do in an interesting way I hope, so it won't be anything like the actual story besides, the begining hostilities with the drengin and friendlyness with altarians, Arceans and the Torians. Well...Please comment if you like it and tell me if you have a section to put this in, because I couldn't find one.
The Diary of a Empire
By Bruenor300
From the Private Journal of Alan Bradly
January 1st 2178
The Galaxy is a Dangerous place, especially for the race Homo sapiens. In the early twenty-second century, an Alien Probe arrived on earth from a distant, star-faring race that call them selves the Arcean Empire. When it first arrived there was much excitement and joyous celebration. But later, when they realized exactly how long this probe had been traveling. There was also the concern that there were not many intelligent civilizations out there. Unlike popular fiction of that era, where the galaxy was teaming with space-traveling races, there was only around half a dozen peoples running around up there.
From the Arcean probe, the Humans learned many things, like ways of communicating with other races. One startling fact was the slow rate of interstellar travel. Instead of the envisioned instantly moving from star to star, traveling was made by star gate, or not at all. A star gate is an immense, city-sized structure that bends space to make interstellar travel possible. Unfortunately, these gigantic portals took so much power that they were rarely used. It took an equivalent of billions of US dollars to send just one ship through. Needless to say, they didn't get much use.
In the fifteen years that the Probe was operational, it gave us the plans to build a star gate of our own. It is of much debate today, (2178) whither the Arceans meant to help us or conquer us, for their Plans had no off button. But that has no meaning now, as we have been past that.
The Star gate plans confirmed may theories and opened up many new ones. One of them was what where the Arceans and the Drengin, to name two of the space-faring races, Like? It seems that the Drengin had discovered nuclear power when we where still well into the Stone Age in East Africa. It also seemed that they seemed more imperialistic, no matter that we had to adopt a dictatorship in order to cope with the demands of a galactic civilization. It seems that their leader may have not even been Drengin.
Our shortness of information was probably one of the driving needs that made us invent the Hyperdrive. Interestingly enough, it wasn't a government contract that led to it. United Terra Dynamics Ltd. developed the Hyperdrive. It allows single ships, instead of a massive star gate, to bend space and travel rapidly through space. The Hyperdrive, In fact, allows a ship to travel ten times faster than a star gate ever did.
Our corporations had been allowed to trade a few specifications with the other races, and Hyperdrive went much the same. But instead, a few months after we gave this one away, we lost all contact with the other races.
It has been two years since that fateful day. We have had no communications with the other races. It has been a dark time.
But, Today, we are launching a ship that will change our world. Humans will no longer be confined to Earth. We will begin to branch out and begin our races legacy. Un fortunately, the others have had millennia to explore the galaxy and map it out. We have no Idea where the better planets are. But we shall begin our expansion today.
Along with the colony ship, Names the Santa Maria, The TAS Enterprise shall also launch from Earths Starport. It, as you can see, has been aptly named after the ship from the best of the ancient television series'. It has been equipped with the hardware to process any strange 'anomalies' that it may encounter. It has begun.
January 8, 2178
The Santa Maria has begun her journey to Mars, the only habitable planted near Earth. It may be only a class four, but it is a start. Hmm…Maybe I should explain the Planet Classing System. A Planet is classed by its habitability. Here is a run down.
Class 0: Totally Unusable
Class 1 Through 3: Barely Usable
Class 4: Mars
Class 5: This is Ceti-Alpha V!
Class 6-8: Unpleasant, Like Northern Michigan.
Class 9: Almost like Earth
Class 10-14: Earth-like
Class 15: Paradise
Class 16 and up: Theoretically possible but incredibly rare
As you can see, Mars is not quite a tourist favorite, but it'll do.
The Enterprise has also detected a Planetoid in the nearby space of our solar system, and is heading there now.
In an effort to catch up with the other races head start, we have commissioned the building of another colony ship, dubbed the New Beginning. It has also begun it journey, though its destination is not quit so defined. It is heading towards our nearest star, in hopes that it has hospitable planets.
January 15, 2178
The Enterprise has come upon its goal and has discovered the remains of a royal escort near the planetoid it was sent to intercept. It was full of many expensive goods and had a certain type of alcohol that seems to translate to "demon juice." I myself kept a cabinet full of the Demon Juice and the rest was sold to the astounding equivalent of 2500 Billion dollars.
The Santa Maria has landed on Mars and Set up its initial colony. Mars is a strange, yet beautiful place, seeming to have an alien quality to it. That if perhaps an omen of things to come, as all thing past this point will be completely alien. The colonists have also begun to construct a factory in order to help them with their later expansions.
January 22, 2178
Today, the Minister of Technology, Katelyn Frenter, Scurried into my office with news on a research project recently finished. Apparently, the colleges and research centers across earth and even the ones starting up on Mars have come up with some ideas on how to start organizing things on a galactic scale. They called it Xeno Research, a name that no one liked, but the only one they could all agree on. This opens up a lot of doors for future advancement.
Yeah, some of the parts I have taken from a few sources but i will make the rest my own. Enjoy!
Edit: Sorry about the first post I have no idea how to to sizes..
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Reply #1
Join Date 06/2006
August 3, 2006 1:58:45 AM from
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This game diary will be loooooooooooooong if you keep going like this, and if you do go like this I doubt you'll finish it.
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Reply #2
Join Date 07/2006
August 3, 2006 12:04:51 PM from
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Well, I got nothing better to do. I know it will be long, I am trying to do a month a day. Here is the Next one...
February 1, 2178
Not much has happened in the past week. We have begun research in refining the Hyperdrive, and another Colony ship, which will be named Entrance, has been commissioned. The Enterprise has detected a new anomaly and has begun heading towards it. It is in unexplored space, so who knows what they might find…New Beginning has continued its journey to the nearest star, and should be there in a matter of weeks. On a Different note, my youngest son, Charles, has graduated from the officer academy and has been assigned the rank of ensign in the soon to be launched ship.
February 8, 2178
In an amazing stroke of luck, as the Enterprise was heading for the new anomaly, it came near the Epsilon Solar system and Discovered a wonder. Their sensors have detected that the land and plant life on the Fifth planet in that system can support human life, and what's more, it is a class 19! Isn't it miraculous that the first planet that we find is so abundant in life as that! It is amazing! The Senate has even decided to pay to have the Entrance finished next week so that we can colonize this magnificent planet as soon as possible.
February 15, 2178
Katelyn came into my office again with some excellent news, besides that she saved a bunch of money on hovercraft insurance by switching to Hieco. The various researchers of the worlds (I love saying that) have refined the Hyper drive so that it takes up less space on our ships, so that we can put more of them on them. Specifications have already been drawn up for a new type of colony a ship that can go farther than ever before.
Also, the Enterprise has come upon the strange anomaly, which turned out to be an ancient graveyard of ships. One of the ships there was an ancient trade ship that had some schematics in it that greatly helped up improve the design of ours.
Unfortunately, the solar system that we had sent to new beginning to was completely void of life. So, TAS New Beginning has started to put the Midgard system behind her, and has started to head towards a new system.
February 22. 2178
The Enterprise has detected another anomaly very close to the Epsilon system and has begun to head there. They have discovered that the irregularity is some where inside a meteorite.
TAS Entrance, with my son aboard, has is just five and a half weeks away from Epsilon V. I can tell how much my son is excited from the way his subspace messages sound. It is amazing, in a little over a month; we shall finally have expanded beyond our own solar system…
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Reply #3
Join Date 03/2006
August 3, 2006 3:44:01 PM from
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Good job on the story. Keep it up, don't get discouraged.
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Reply #4
Join Date 07/2006
August 3, 2006 6:08:42 PM from
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Cudos to you. It must get really tiring having to document every single turn in the game. I don't know if I could do it.
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Reply #5
Join Date 06/2006
August 4, 2006 12:19:25 AM from
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Dude you're a good writer, ducumenting and adding story to every turn is amazing.
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Reply #6
Join Date 07/2006
August 4, 2006 11:54:46 PM from
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Thank you guys! Uhh...This may make me sound like a noob, but how do i take screen shots? Cuz my ship designs just, for now, build on the origional, but i still would like to post pictures of them. Well heres march anyway.
March 1, 2178
The TAS Enterprise at that meteorite and has discovered a strange type of plasma (The fourth type of matter after solid, liquid and gas, Like a soquidas) in the center of the Meteorite that has helped up polarize the plating of our ship. In essence, if we ever get attacked, it should help a little in the defense area.
It is also to be noted that contractors on Earth have completed the second of three Production "sectors", In essence meaning that around 80% of that areas resources a put towards manufacturing. The First was made in Mexico and the southern part of the US from California to Texas. The one just completed was made in the Caribbean and the southern part of the US from Florida to Texas. The next one will be centered around the eastern part of the US and parts of Canada. It has been decided that Europe will be centered on agriculture and the Northern peninsula of Africa will be a quadrant wide laboratory. There will also be a lab in Asia and the Starport is presently in Polynesia. The major networks of the world have decided to center in South America and Rio de Januaryeiro.
The Entrance has gotten within four weeks of Epsilon five and the Subspace communications from the captain have been most encouraging as to the type of life their probes have as yet detected. The messages from New Beginning are not as promising. Their sensors have still not picked up anything close to life and the colonists are beginning to get discouraged…
March 8, 2178
Katelyn Frenter floated into my office today…I think I may need to explain exactly what Katelyn is. She is the First Robot given AI. A team of experts from around the world designed Artificial Intelligence. They built her body and then with great expectation and on live TV, they inserted the last chip. She opened her mechanical eyes, looked around and said in a thick Brooklyn accent, " What the hell are you all looking at?" Apparently one of her creators made her personality just like his mothers…I pity the man. After that, the team didn't really touch her, for as they made new breakthroughs she upgraded her self. Here is a picture of what she looks like at the present.
As you can see, at the present she is a little rough around the edges, but she will improve. As I was say, Katelyn came into my office speaking some strange language. She soon told me that we had finished the universal translators and had begun production of them. The Translator, in stead of having massive data banks of the languages, instead picked up the brain waves of someone near him when they where talking and translated them into the wearers language. You don't even hear the alien speech as it sounds just like yours.
The Enterprise has detected another meteorite and has begun its approach on it. Other than that, nothing much has happened this week…
March 15, 2178
Katelyn has informed me that the laboratories of the worlds have formed into a consortium to decide what must be done if it ever comes to intergalactic warfare. The Session should be over in two week, and we shall get their Ideas then. The Enterprise is only one parsec away from the meteorite that we hope contains more wonders…
March 22, 2178
The Enterprise has discovered something amazing! They have found a new type of energy that the researchers there call Bitrun. It has no military value, but it has enormous commercial potential, so much that the products made with it are predicted to be smash successes. The first, a new type of diplomatic translators, is selling so good that the Terran Alliance Senate is seriously considering ordering a large quantity of them to trade with other civilizations.
We have begun communications with the Arceans, the Altarians, and the Torians in an attempt to trade a few of our technologies with them. The Arceans have decided to trade stellar cartography techniques with us for access to our new modifications of the Hyperdrive. These techniques allow us to pinpoint the positions of the planets in star systems we detect before we get in sensor range.
While the Altarians did not have any technologies that we cared to trade for, we decided to give them an offering or friendship in the form of the Hyperdrive Plus Schematics.
Our dealings with the Torians went quite well, as they had a number of techs that we did, not, as they also didn't have some of ours. They agreed to give us some solutions to our galactic economy problems, as well as our industrial problems as well, along with one of their scout ships for the some of our new propulsion techniques, some Ideas on how to communicate with of other civilization, and the blueprints of the universal translator. All of this greatly helped our friendliness towards each other.
Eventually we got up the courage to speak to the Drengin about tech trading, in hopes to cool some of the hostilities between us. They eventually agreed to trade us the new Hyperdrive schematics for some potential leads at to where to head in our eventual space militarization.
We have also again contacted the Arceans to trade our new space militarization and manufacturing techniques for one of their scout ships.
We then decided to trade our economic and industrial ideas, along with our weapon start ups, for both of the Altarian scout ships.
I think I need to go into detail on the events of the trade discussions… They where made via subspace communication, as we have not had the chance to set up embassies with them, as we have not even found their planets yet.
Lord Vega, the Arcean leader, is a common representation of his kind. Here is a picture of him.
He was a strange man…thing…beetle…Very stiff, he seemed at if he did not care for much but seemed very honorable.
Netro Mancer, The Altarian leader, on the other hand, was very likable and open, probably due to the fact that by some cosmic coincidence, both humans and Altarians look the same. Here is a picture of him.
He was very likable, as I said, and we talked of much, though we centered on the prophecy from their people explaining out similarity. It says that our two peoples were once conquered by the Precursors, their people being taken away and brought to Altaria, while we were left alone.
Tlas Kzenthia was a peculiar person to say the least. While he is the leader of the Torian Confederation, it came to our attention that he helps in all the building as much as possible. Here is his picture.
He was very energetic and the meeting went very smoothly. He is the first leader besides Netro that I have begun to like. Lord Vega is nice, but a little to stiff for me.
Lord Kona gave me chills, I half expected him to reach out and grab me from the screen to become his desert. Here is a picture of him.
A very blood thirsty man, dealing with him was unnerving. He specifically stated that the only reason he was giving us those military techniques was to give his people a "challenge"
The Entrance is only one week from its destination, Epsilon V soon to be Creation, and the people aboard are ecstatic to be able to colonize it. Just as the Enterprise said, there is an abundance of life there.
Speaking of the Enterprise, it has detected another anomaly and has begun its journey towards it. The people Aboard the New Beginning are starting to become depressed, as there is so far no sign of life near them.
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Hezbollah blames Israel for commander killingLebanon's Shi'ite militant Hezbollah group said on Wednesday one of its commanders was killed outside his Beirut home in an overnight attack it blamed on Israel. Israel denied any role in the killing of Hassan al-Laqqis, w More… |
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BEIRUT BLASTS: 23 killed near Iran embassyTwo suicide bombings rocked Iran's embassy compound in Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people including an Iranian cultural attache and hurling bodies and burning wreckage across a debris-strewn street. A Lebanon-based More… |
Lebanon plans $800m stimulus packageLebanon's central bank said a planned stimulus package for 2014 will offer around $800 million of incentives to support the country's economy, hit by war in neighbouring Syria and political turmoil at home. The programme w More… |
World must help Lebanon handle refugee flood: UnicefInternational donors must do more to help Lebanon absorb a flood of refugees straining its schools and public services, the head of the United Nations children's fund Unicef said. Lebanon, the smallest of Syria's neighbour More… |
Lebanon's Bank Audi profit down 5.5pcLebanon's Bank Audi reported a 5.5 per cent drop in its net profit for the first nine months of 2013 in comparison to the same period last year. The $261 million in net earnings, compared to $277 million for previous year, wer More… |
Thomas Cook sells units to Bahrain firmThomas Cook Group has sold its Egypt and Lebanon businesses to Bahraini firm Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo for $10.3 million. According to a statement on the Thomas Cook Investor Site, the transaction will be effected through the sale of More… |
50th anniversary of Porsche 911 markedPorsche Club Lebanon celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911 at ATCL, Kaslik, in presence of club members, media and fans. The venue witnessed a luxurious line-up of Porsche cars representing the seven generations of th More… |
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CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Spiced Chicken and Ham Spread
This is a great way to use you meat leftovers.By: Herald Staff Report,
This is a great way to use you meat leftovers.
Spiced Chicken and Ham Spread
1 cup coarsely chopped cooked chicken
1 cup coarsely chopped cooked ham
1 tablespoon minced sweet pickle
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
Run meat through grinder or food processor. In bowl, combine with pickle, lemon zest. Add butter, nutmeg, salt, pepper, Tabasco; mix until well-blended, smooth. Cover with plastic; chill about 30 minutes. Serve on thin rounds of rye bread or crackers.
Yield: About 2½ cups.
Approximate nutritional analysis per 2 tablespoons: 46 calories, 3 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 134 milligrams sodium, no carbohydrates, 3 milligrams calcium, 4 grams protein, 16 milligrams cholesterol, no fiber.
Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.
Tags: chef jeff, jeff tiedeman, one byte at a time, accent, life, updates, food, recipes, lifestyles, entertainment


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Head off to the bustling city of London for an amazing theatre and afternoon tea experience. You and a lucky friend or partner can see a West End show in top priced seats with fabulous views, followed by a decadent afternoon tea in the Lutyens Lounge of the Bloomsbury Hotel, which is an architectural delight, a classic grade two listed building steeped in history. The scrumptious tea will consist of scones with cream and preserves as well as cakes, pastries and finger sandwiches.
After you have indulged in delicious cakes and treats you can head straight to the theatre to take your top priced seats if you have matinee tickets, or if you have tickets for an evening show, enjoy the sights and attractions of the capital city while you wait. There will be a choice of shows available ranging from comedies, thrillers, musicals and dramas, so you are sure to find something to suit your tastes.
Treat yourself and a companion to a trip to the theatre, topped off with a delightful afternoon tea to make the experience just that bit more special.
On arrival at the Bloomsbury Hotel, between 13.00 and 15.00, you will be shown to your table where you can choose which tea you would like before being brought an array of cakes, scones, and finger sandwiches all designed by the executive head chef Paul O'Brien.
Once you have enjoyed your afternoon tea you will head to the theatre. Depending on what time your show is this might be straight away or a few hours later, in which case you will be able to explore the capital city and take in the sights and attractions of London. When you arrive at the theatre the usher will tell you where your top priced seats are and you can enjoy the performance with a fantastic view.
The availability depends on the chosen show. All shows are subject to availability and have strict schedules. Your afternoon tea will be booked on the same day as the show.
We recommend you book at least four weeks in advance to ensure that dates are available. This is only a guideline and we advise you to book as early as possible to ensure that dates are available before the expiry date listed on your voucher. All bookings are subject to availability.
The shows' start times vary between 14.30 and 20.00. Afternoon Tea will be before the show between 13.00 and 15.00.
Transport between the restaurant and theatre is not included.
Once a date has been booked you are unable to change or cancel the booking, in doing so you will forfeit the experience completely.
Please mention any special dietary requirements when making your booking.
Allocated seats will be the top priced available at the time of booking. These are normally located in the Stalls, Dress Circle or Royal Circle areas, depending on the show and availability for your chosen night.
The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary according to location.
The centres contracted with us hold public liability insurance. We also hold contingency liability cover. You will not be liable for accidental damage to equipment, except where damage has been caused as a result of recklessness or wilful negligence.
A cancellation indemnity, subject to terms, is included with every voucher.
All you have to do is pay for the experience you wish to purchase and we'll send a voucher and booking information to you or directly to the recipient, then you just need to check the info and book your experience.
For information on our packaging and delivery please click here.
Please note some locations indicated on the map may not be completely accurate and should not be used when planning directions.
We were looked after very well and the stadd were very good to us, So we would like to say a bit thank you to all. Branda Bray
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Times are finally changing. It will never be at the speed the GATA camp expects, yet slowly but surely our time is coming. The GATA camp will be proven correct and it will evolve into one of the most grotesque scandals in history … dwarfing the Enron, Madoff, MF Global and Barclays scandals combined, in terms of its effects on financial markets around the world.
First of all, it has come to my attention that in January 2011 JP Morgan, for some yet unknown reason, was compelled to stop manipulating the silver market. That is when the price of silver went vertical to the upside…
Silver practically went straight up to $49 an ounce. THEN, it collapsed for no apparent reason. That reason, from my most well informed source, was that JPM came back into the market in June. Now, if that is the case, JPM worked through some sort of auxiliary account to overnight raid silver in the earliest of May in 2011, because that is when The Gold Cartel/JP Morgan went into combative action in earnest to crash the price down…
Monthly silver price http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/SV_/M?...ache=1341620769
I hope to be able to explain more of this in the near future, but that is what I can put in the public domain for the moment.
But, there must be more for me to be jumping up and down like I am doing here, and there is.
To begin with, there is the Barclays LIBOR market manipulation scandal. Many of the participants are the same banks GATA has cited over the years for manipulating the gold and silver markets. Speaking of some of those banks…
Libor rate-fixing scandal spotlight now on Citi, JPMorgan
By Agence France-Presse Saturday, July 7, 2012 9:03 EDT
Yes, you know much about this, but the fact that this market rigging scandal is now evolving into the criminal stage is no minor event.
And, let me say this; JP Morgan's public declaration about being offside on a $2 billion dollar "hedge transaction" was not fully transparent. My sources tell me that was the case, but in addition, that what JPM CEO Jamie Dimon said at the time was camouflaging another serious financial problem. At the time it made little sense that a CEO would talk about a trade loss of that kind when his firm was making $18 billion dollars a year. The smell meter that the situation was much more serious than $2 billion lit up the light bulbs on the GATA camp scoreboard. Since then New York Times has reported the amount of the loss could be as high as $9 billion.
The bottom line here: my well informed source tells me that the Jamie Dimon lament is about a derivatives problem that also involves the silver position JPM took over for the Fed when Bear Stearns went belly up. I hope to have more particulars on this declaration in the near future. The main point is that JPM has some serious issues with their present short silver position and is having difficulty extricating itself from that position. Whether it has to do with coming up with a large amount of borrowed physical silver, I am not sure. We will stay on the case and report on any new developments.
OK, let us move on to why the gold/silver market manipulation scheme is getting that much closer to blowing up…
*Every GATA follower knows that the CFTC has been investigating JP Morgan's role in their manipulation of the silver market for nearly FOUR YEARS. All I can say that CFTC Commissioner Bart Chilton, whom I have met twice and have the highest respect for, has told me that something is going to surface (either way) on this matter in the next month or two.
*The Barclays LIBOR market manipulation scandal is just one more proof of what the GATA camp has been saying for eons … that our financial markets are blatantly manipulated. As the investigations into this scandal grow, it could easily lead into what certain banks have been doing in the gold and silver markets in anti-trust fashion.
*The latest revelations in Thomas Pascoe's expose in The Telegraph in London are likely to stir the pot further about the manipulation of the gold and silver markets. The article reads as if it was written by one of us in the GATA camp, as Pascoe makes one point after another that we made so long ago. Here it is again for your review…
Revealed: Why Gordon Brown Sold Britain's Gold at a Knock-Down Price
By Thomas Pascoe The Telegraph, London
Thursday, July 5, 2012
A great deal of Gordon Brown's economic strategy would strike a sane man as troubling. Not a great deal was mysterious. The orgy of consumption spending, frequent extensions of the cycle over which he would "borrow to invest," proclamations of the "end of boom and bust": These are part of the armoury of modern politicians of all political hues.
One decision stands out as downright bizarre, however: the sale of the majority of Britain's gold reserves for prices between $256 and $296 an ounce, only to watch it soar so far as $1,615 per ounce today.
When Brown decided to dispose of almost 400 tonnes of gold between 1999 and 2002, he did two distinctly odd things.
First, he broke with convention and announced the sale well in advance, giving the market notice that it was shortly to be flooded and forcing down the spot price. This was apparently done in the interests of "open government" but had the effect of sending the spot price of gold to a 20-year low, as implied by basic supply and demand theory.
Second, the Treasury elected to sell its gold via auction. Again, this broke with the standard model. The price of gold was usually determined at a morning and afternoon "fix" between representatives of big banks whose network of smaller bank clients and private orders allowed them to determine the exact price at which demand met with supply.
The auction system again frequently achieved a lower price than the equivalent fix price. The first auction saw an auction price of $10 less per ounce than was achieved at the morning fix. It also acted to depress the price of the afternoon fix which fell by nearly $4.
It seemed almost as if the Treasury was trying to achieve the lowest price possible for the public's gold. It was.
One of the most popular trading plays of the late 1990s was the carry trade, particularly the gold carry trade.
In this a bank would borrow gold from another financial institution for a set period, and pay a token sum relative to the overall value of that gold for the privilege.
Once control of the gold had been passed over, the bank would then immediately sell it for its full market value. The proceeds would be invested in an alternative product which was predicted to generate a better return over the period than gold which was enduring a spell of relative price stability, even decline.
At the end of the allotted period, the bank would sell its investment and use the proceeds to buy back the amount of gold it had originally borrowed. This gold would be returned to the lender. The borrowing bank would trouser the difference between the two prices.
This plan worked brilliantly when gold fell and the other asset -- for the bank at the heart of this case, yen-backed securities -- rose. When the prices moved the other way, the banks were in trouble.
This is what had happened on an enormous scale by early 1999. One globally significant US bank in particular is understood to have been heavily short on two tonnes of gold, enough to call into question its solvency if redemption occurred at the prevailing price.
Goldman Sachs, which is not understood to have been significantly short on gold itself, is rumoured to have approached the Treasury to explain the situation through its then head of commodities Gavyn Davies, later chairman of the BBC and married to Sue Nye, who ran Brown's private office.
Faced with the prospect of a global collapse in the banking system, the Chancellor took the decision to bail out the banks by dumping Britain's gold, forcing the price down and allowing the banks to buy back gold at a profit, thus meeting their borrowing obligations.
I spoke with Peter Hambro, chairman of Petroplavosk and a leading figure in the London gold market, late last year and asked him about the rumours above.
"I think that Mr Brown found himself in a terrible position," Hambro said.
"He was facing a problem that was a world-scale problem where a number of financial institutions had become voluntarily short of gold to the extent that it was threatening the stability of the financial system and it was obvious that something had to be done."
While the market manipulation that occurred when the gold reserves were sold was not illegal as the abuse at Barclays may have been, the moral atmosphere in which it took place was identical.
The crash which began in 2007 and endures still was the result of an abdication of responsibility across the financial sector. This abdication ranged from the consumer whose thirst for goods pushed him beyond into grave debt to a government whose lust for popularity encouraged it to do the same.
Responsibility is evaded by all bar those on whose shoulders it ought to rest. The gold panic of 1999 was expensively paid for by the British public. The one thing politicians ought to have bought with that money was a lesson in the structural restraints that needed to be placed on banks now that the principle that they were ultimately public liabilities had been established.
It was a lesson that could have acted to restrain all players in the credit market boom of the 2000s. It was a lesson nobody learnt.
Thomas Pascoe worked in both the Lloyd's of London insurance market and in corporate finance before joining the Telegraph. He writes about the financial markets. * * *
Perhaps Thomas Pascoe might like to read a portion of what I wrote for the Café on September 5th 1999, three weeks prior to the September 26th Washington Agreement announcement, one which sent the gold world into a tizzy.
Cafe des Scandales
It is fascinating to me that much of what we have covered in the Café over the past year is starting to synchronize and beginning to boil over a bit. Thus, I thought I would put some labor into this Labor day weekend and examine what is happening on the potential "scandal" front, as well as update The Café on the peculiar nature of it all.
Much of the hubbub about the manipulation of the gold market began early last fall. Then, Long Term Capital Management was supposedly taken off the hook on a 300 tonne "borrowed gold" short position by the financial entities that bailed them out. Since I had heard as early as May, 1997, that they might have this amount of gold exposure, it was no surprise to me to hear so many rumors floating around of this nature and I did not hesitate to publicly question the propriety of it all.
Our protestations caught the attention of Long Term Capital Management and their attorney, James G. Rickards, who sent us a letter, along with an affidavit from Principal, Eric Rosenfeld. Rickards stated that Long Term Capital Management denies any involvement in the manipulation of the gold market and Rosenfeld said to the Cafe, "None of LTCM, LTCP, nor their affiliates, has ever entered into any transaction involving the purchase or sale of gold, including without limitation, spot, forwards, options, futures, loans, borrowings, repurchases, coin or bullion, long or short, physical or derivative or in any other form whatsoever."
I responded to Rickards in a letter saying that the Café never accused LTCM of manipulating the gold market, nor did I ever say that that they "traded" gold. I strongly suggested that had "borrowed" 300 tonnes (approx) of gold and had gold exposure in a credit sense with the bullion banks and asked him for a response.
He never did respond to me and it was just announced over the press wires that he resigned from Long Term Capital Management to join another firm. I will now have to find out who their new attorney is and start all over.
Then there is information we received from a very sophisticated source that a blind trust for Hillary Clinton "shorted" gold instruments just prior to the Bank of England gold sale. Ironically, the media reported yesterday that the down payment for the Clinton's new home in Westchester County, New York, came from her blind trust.
It was strongly suggested to me from a source that we try and find out if Hillary Clinton has a blind trust at Goldman Sachs. The Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee and the Café now have allies looking into this matter. We are trying to find out who is handling her blind trust(s) or any other type of account she might have and, once identified, attempt to elicit a response about the gold shorting innuendoes.
Why would this be the H-bomb as far as we are concerned? Simply put, I have set forth much commentary linking The Clinton administration, the N.Y. Fed, Goldman Sachs, Long Term Capital Management, England's Exchequer, The Bank of England and Prime Minister Tony Blair. A revelation of this nature would solidify the link. For example:
*Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, is a former Goldman Sachs CEO. *Former N.Y. Fed Governor, Ed Corrigan is a senior partner at Goldman Sachs *London based senior partner, Gavyn Davies, is Goldman Sach's international economist and has close ties to Tony Blair. Davies wife, Susan Nye, is Chancellor of the Exchequer's office manager. *Dr Sushil Wadhwani, former Director of Equity Strategy at Goldman Sachs International (1991-95), sits on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee. The committee's duties include determining the Bank's objectives and strategy, ensuring the effective discharge of the Bank's functions and ensuring the most efficient use of the Bank's resources. *Jon Corzine, former Goldman Sachs CEO, has close ties to John Meriwether, chairman of Long Term Capital Management. *Former Fed vice chairman, David Mullins , was a partner in Long Term Capital Management which, of course, was bailed out in part by Goldman Sachs.
Exhibit 2 and further background information on the significance of the Hillary Clinton gold "shorting" story: this is commentary about the Bank of England gold sale from the document that I sent to Senator Phil Gramm, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee:
"Yet, the night before the BOE announcement (May 6, 1999), I feared duplicity and this is what I wrote in my Midas du Metropole commentary:
"We know 'the squad' are all lining up, one more time, to try and stifle a decent gold move to the upside. Deutsche Bank, Chase, Swiss Bank and Goldman Sachs were all there selling gold during today's session and, when they had to, even throwing the kitchen sink at the bull's attack. Deutsche Bank has been especially aggressive and noticeable in their selling the past few days. We got word late this afternoon that their bullion desk is calling their clients saying that the gold market is stopping at $290. I don't think Midas followers will be surprised when we tell you that big sellers late in the day today and taking on all bids were 'Squad' honchos Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. 'The Battle for Navarone' is an important stand for them, for if $290 is taken out to the upside, their long standing bearish position could begin to look a bit shaky."
The next morning I awoke to the Bank of England announcement. Since then the price of gold has collapsed over $36 - or almost 15% per cent - and the sale has ignited a furor all over the world, fostering talk of conspiracies, etc…
*GATA could not have been too far off base with what we knew about LTCM, the enormous hedge fund that blew up in September of 1998. For sure the bullion banks were protecting that size short position at LTCM because they were all doing the gold carry trade that T Pascoe is referring to. Do you think the these days very visable Jim Rickards would have come to London to make a presentation at GATA's Gold Rush 2011 conference at the Savoy Hotel last August if we were way off base?
*David Mullins? … partner at LTCM and former Fed vice chairman. No one is more involved in rigging the gold price than the Fed. The Fed coordinated the liquidation of LTCM including preventing the price of gold from taking out $300 on the upside.
*Phil Gramm? He never was any help to GATA. And his wife Wendy …. She was the chairman of the CFTC from 1988 to 1993. After a lobbying campaign from Enron, the CFTC exempted it from regulation in trading of energy derivatives. Subsequently, Gramm resigned from the CFTC and took a seat on the Enron Board of Directors and served on its Audit Committee.
What more needs to be said on that one!
*Which takes us to the notorious Jon Corzine, of MF Global scandal note. Farmers in the Midwest, and investors (some of whom I know) are still waiting to get the money back he and his firm stole from them when they went belly-up. Money that was supposed to be default free as per the CME and its faulty dictates. Money, that in part, went to JP Morgan. Seems like if there is a financial market scandal these days, JP Morgan won't be far away. And, of course, Corzine was a Goldman Sachs man at one time.
*Good ole Goldman "Hannibal Lecter" Sachs, as I called them for years. Goldman Sachs was the ringleader of The Gold Cartel from the beginning. Visibly, they were the largest short on the TOCOM in Japan for many years too. However, several years ago GS exited the gold market rigging scheme … before the price of gold really took off to where it is today.
From Corzine to Robert Rubin, who was the one who popularized the gold carry trade in the first place. We know this for a fact from the person who carried out his dictates at GS owned J. Aaron in London. Back then interest rates were relatively high and Rubin began borrowing gold on the cheap, selling it, and used the proceeds to fund its operations and market activities … just as Thomas Pascoe said in his article.
Rubin then took it a step further when he became US Treasury Secretary. The rigging of the gold price was the lynchpin of his much talked about "Strong Dollar Policy."
*Probably could go on and on, but you get the picture. What an incestuous story … the Blair Government, LTCM, the Clintons, the Fed, the Bank of England, Goldman Sachs. When the gold and silver markets finally BLOW UP, much of this will come out in the wash. Just a matter of time.
Thomas Pascoe mentioned Peter Hambro, who is quite the gentleman and quite a business success. I have met Peter a couple of times in London and very much enjoy his company. He sent me the following on January 3, 2000, which is related to this subject matter. You might find some of the details to be of interest. Anyways it can't hurt to have it out there on the public record again…
The following is an email I received from Peter Hambro on this correspondence.
Bill, My thoughts are simple on this:
* Here we have correspondence between, on the one hand, a genuinely interested and informed gold miner and, on the other the Governor of the Bank of England and the Number Two person at the UK Treasury.
* The questions I asked are reasonable and, in spite of what the Governor says, do not require any disclosure of confidential client information.
* Instead the UK Authorities steadfastly refuse to answer any of the detailed points.
* Either they have something to hide or they are failing in their duty to deal in the open manner with a UK taxpayer that Mr Blair and his New Labour government have promised. I hope that your readers will make up their own minds which. PH
That's all for now except to sum up and say the smoke is starting to billow as far as the gold/silver market manipulation scandal is concerned. Yes, it probably will take more time than I think to go mainstream, but it is a scandal whose time has come.
Bill Murphy is the editor of "Le Metropole Café", in which he analyses daily the Gold Market as well as current economic affairs. If you would like to become a Trial member and take advantage of the "free two week 'get acquainted' offer", please click here


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DOWNLOAD: Carbon Fund fact sheet (PDF - 594 KB).
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CI's regional programs and project development partners have been investing in conservation and supporting forest-dependent communities in more than 40 countries for decades. In recent years, CI has developed the largest portfolio of forest carbon projects — having raised more than $15 million to build local partner capabilities and develop more than 20 new carbon projects in 12 countries. In addition, CI is a leader in developing new scientific methodologies to measure climate mitigation potential of innovative projects, and co-founded the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance to increase carbon project quality and project designs that deliver environment and community benefits as well.
The Carbon Fund not only draws on successful projects within CI programs, but also actively seeks out projects developed by local communities, indigenous peoples, nonprofit and for-profit partners. Limiting support to those projects that are located in and around key biodiversity areas, and that adhere to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards, the Carbon Fund portfolio delivers robust emission reductions, supports local communities and protects rare and threatened species.


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Welcome to Apogee Message Board. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
When you write | |
Topic Started: January 19, 2007, 9:28 pm (87 Views) | |
Jabra_Pride | January 19, 2007, 9:28 pm Post #1 |
Try to imagine yourself in your characters position, nevermind the fact that you are probably at home safe and sound. Here are some hints. 1. Realism vs Absurdity So your doublesword weilding shotgun toting barbarian has just singlehandidly destroyed the Penguin empire and is now deciding on which of his one thousand girlfriends to marry (I actually read this story...*shudders*) how do you top it? Don't...yes your main character should do all if not most of the important stuff in the novel or short story, but don't chump change the small guys. Case in point, instead of wiping out the Penguin empire have your barbarian form a group dedicated to overthrowing the tyranical penguins, you get more plot for the buck. |
Don't worry about the world ending today, it's already tomorrow in Australia -Charles Schulz | |
Ogami | January 21, 2007, 6:41 pm Post #2 |
Astronaut Candidate
Maybe he should go get a DVD at Wal-Mart and watch that. It's anticlimatical to defeating the Penguin Empire, but there are some great $9.88 movies out there. -Ogami |
Jabra_Pride | January 25, 2007, 9:43 pm Post #3 |
Not to mention the $5.50 bin...although if you are a non spanish speaking person, you might have to dig for english films. (At least at my wal mart.) |
Don't worry about the world ending today, it's already tomorrow in Australia -Charles Schulz | |
Ogami | January 29, 2007, 10:50 am Post #4 |
Astronaut Candidate
I found The Crush in Wal-Mart's discount bin, starring Cary Elwes (Wesley in The Princess Bride) and Alicia Silverstone. Pretty funny to watch. They had discounted it from $5.50 to $2 it was so bad! I'm currently reading Harry Turtledove's "World War" series. It's an alternative history series spanning 7 books (at last count). The basic premise is that World War II was interrupted by an alien invasion. Maybe I'm just getting too old to read science fiction, but I can't help but read these books and just stare at the huge gaping plot holes as I go along. I'm just supposed to enjoy the fantasy, but I find myself nitpicking his work. (Normally I only do this with TV shows like Andromeda or Xena.) I think all writers should bear in mind to have fun and let the readers have fun too. Sometimes I enjoy authors just for how they make me laugh between the lines of the actual plot. (Like Cary Elwes being traumatized by Alicia Silverstone. Now that's comedy.) -Ogami |
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Stress and God's Built-in Neuro-sabbath
"For a few moments, it felt like our little church community was surrounded by glory. The wisdom of Christ in the hypothalamus was illumining the wisdom of Christ in the prophets and gospels."
Walking the Walk: Thoreau and the art of seeing nature
What can a practicing scientist in the 21st century—even a "bench scientist" like me whose scientific forays are confined to a laboratory—glean from a 19th century wanderer like Thoreau?
Evolution and Faith in Latin America, Part 2
As I read The Voyage, I often thought about Darwin's other famous work, The Origin of Species, and the delight that Darwin clearly took in the natural world. Writing about a tropical forest in Brazil, he found himself at a loss for words, "…it is not possible to give an adequate idea of the higher feelings of wonder, astonishment, and devotion, which fill and elevate the mind."
Francis Collins by the Book
Considering my own stance on the satisfying harmony of science and faith, you might be surprised to find on my shelves nearly everything written by Richard Dawkins (including "The God Delusion") and my late friend Christopher Hitchens (including "God Is Not Great"). One must dig deeply into opposing points of view in order to know whether your own position remains defensible. Iron sharpens iron.
Faith, Science and Metaphors
How do metaphors impact the dialogue between faith and science? We might start by asking: what are the framing metaphors at work in the current debates? Even using the word "dialogue" here suggests an implicit metaphor that frames my approach to the relationship between faith and science. Imagine substituting "dialogue" with "war;" that would conjure a completely different metaphorical framework.
Engaging Science in the Life of Your Congregation
With so many issues to discuss, Christians can easily get the feeling that science is always attacking the faith. It is essential to balance such conversations with positive responses to God's creation. After all, the primary response to the natural world in the Bible is to praise the God who made it.
Does Resurrection Contradict Science?
So what then does Resurrection mean? For Benedict it represents a new dimension of reality breaking through into human experience. It is not a violation of the old; it is the manifestation of something new.
Searching for Motivated Belief: Understanding John Polkinghorne, Part 2
To understand more clearly where Polkinghorne lies on the larger landscape of science and religion, let's consider his approach to the Resurrection. Many contemporary thinkers, including some theologians and clergy, believe that "science" has somehow made it impossible to believe in the Resurrection, the deity of Jesus, and even belief in the transcendent God of the Bible.
Psalm for the January Thaw
God shows himself not just in the orderliness of nature, but powerfully, joyously and always surprisingly in its beautiful "non-order" as well.
Creator of the Stars at Night
The God who created the cosmos is the God who came to us as a child in Bethlehem.
Series: Science and the Bible (22 entries)
This ongoing series written by historian Ted Davis begins with a brief synopsis of his personal background, and then goes on to reveal his passion for debunking "the now-common view that the history of science and Christianity is one of ongoing, inevitable conflict."
Frenetic Sequence
We tend to think of creativity in terms of flashes of insight and brilliance, of novelty, and especially of unexpected things bursting upon the scene. But creativity is no less creative and no less remarkable when it proceeds step by step, according to discipline, according to rule.
Stumble On
The song is built around the image of a river flowing through a canyon it has sculpted—an image that can easily be played out as a picture of the way that the Lord has been at work preparing a path for us in the material world, complete with signposts to his former and present activity.
Did David Hume "Banish" Miracles?
"I flatter myself," Hume triumphantly proclaimed, "that I have discovered an argument . . . which, if just, will, with the wise and learned, be an everlasting check to all kinds of superstitious delusion, and consequently, will be useful as long as the world endures."
Series: Divine Action in the World (5 entries)
In this talk, Professor Plantinga addresses the fact that many contemporary thinkers—including many theologians—believe that God cannot perform miracles, providentially guide history, or interact in the lives of people, as these activities would be contrary to science. Plantinga, on the other hand, makes the case that this popular view is mistaken; excluding divine action in the world is not a central feature of natural science itself, but a philosophical or theological preference that has been added on to science (and can just as readily be removed). Plantinga concludes that it is completely logical to accept the miracles of the Bible and support contemporary science.
David Lack: Evolutionary Biologist and Devout Christian
Charles Darwin's personal struggles and ultimate rejection of Christianity are well documented, and people are eager to link his loss of faith to his evolutionary theory. David Lack, on the other hand, began his scientific career as an agnostic, but shortly after publishing his famous book on the evolution of "Darwin's finches", he converted to Christianity.
Series: Asa Gray and Charles Darwin Discuss Evolution and Design (5 entries)
Many Christians believe that they face a painful choice-- either life was designed by God or it is an evolutionary product of natural selection. Charles Darwin himself believed in this dichotomy, and people ever since have felt the need to "choose sides". However, looking back at history, we find that one of Darwin's chief scientific colleagues, Asa Gray, did not share this perspective. In this three-part essay, part 1 charts the relationship of Asa Gray and Charles Darwin. Part 2 describes Darwin's struggle with the problem of natural evil and design in nature, and part 3 explores how Asa Gray was able to embrace evolution without rejecting the idea of design.
Series: Beauty, Science and Theology (3 entries)
It doesn't take a scientist to appreciate the beauty with which God has arrayed his creation. But scientists do have the opportunity (and training) to appreciate different kinds of beauty than do most non-scientists, whether they are ordinarily "hidden" in the extremes of scale, the elegant processes of an experiment, or in the abstraction of mathematics. Indeed the appreciation of various kinds of beauty has always played a critical role in motivating scientists to investigate the world, and in helping them decipher its workings. In the three-part essay, Ruth Bancewicz explores some of the ways beauty, science and theology intertwine.
Fine-tuning and the "Fruitful Universe"
I ask the question, "Why is the universe so special?" Now scientists don't like things to be special; we like things to be general, and our natural anticipation would have been that the universe is just a common specimen of what a universe might be like.


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Dressage Rocking Horse
Filed under: Children
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Next up for chips? 'Energy scavenging'
Microprocessors capable of sniffing out and harnessing energy from the environment could very well be the answer to power scarcity, according to an expert in embedded systems.
Jack Ganssle, chief engineer at The Ganssle Group, has been developing embedded systems since the early 1970s. In the last three decades, he has managed more than 100 embedded products, ranging from deep-sea navigational gears to security systems for the U.S. White House, and sold off three electronic companies.
In Bangalore, India, last week for the Embedded Systems Conference, Ganssle sat down for an interview with ZDNet Asia to discuss the future … Read more