text:
This fall, Diet Coke is re-introducing its stylish cropped logo design for its aluminum can just in time for fashion week, and launching a new, refreshed ad campaign. The campaign is the latest evolution of Diet Coke's iconic "Stay Extraordinary" platform and features a modern, bold look on the Diet Coke can, a series of
Diet Coke Gets Makeover
MAPCO Express Adds Odysii Suggestive Selling Platform
"Every transaction represents a new opportunity to create an optimal shopping experience for our customers," says president of MAPCO Express. MAPCO Express has partnered with Odysii Inc., a global provider of marketing intelligence software solutions for one-on-one marketing and suggestive selling at the point-of-purchase. MAPCO is using Odysii's suggestive selling platform to take suggestive selling
Del Monte Fresh Fruit Fuels the Miami HEAT
Del Monte becomes the "Official Fresh Fruit of the Miami HEAT". Del Monte Fresh Produce and the Miami HEAT has entered into a sponsorship agreement where Del Monte will be the "Official Fresh Fruit of the Miami HEAT" for the next three years. In addition to collaborating on advertising and promotional programs, Del Monte Fresh
Heineken Welcomes Colbert
Colbert to lead a team of more than 80 sales and marketing professionals. Heineken USA has appointed Jeffrey Colbert as region vice president sales, central region, effective immediately. In his new role, Colbert reports to Scott Blazek, senior vice president of sales, and is responsible for driving HUSA performance and delivering results through the effective
Heineken Appoints Senior Director of Regional Marketing
Johnson brings more than 20 years of marketing and business development experience to Heineken USA's Regional Marketing team. Heineken USA has appointed Darrell Johnson as senior director, regional marketing. In his new role, Johnson will report to Kheri Tillman, vice president of trade marketing and sales strategy, and will be responsible for leading the regional
Vertis Communications Wins Five Certificates of Excellence
Vertis Communications has received five Certificates of Excellence from Graphic Design USA's 2010 American Packaging Design Awards for its creative packaging designs for Hershey. In 2009, Hershey turned to Vertis to create innovative designs that would achieve consistent brand messaging for multiple products in various stages of retail availability and consumer acceptance. From ideation for


text:
Byron Nikolaidis wrote: > > Hi, ... > > I have tested other types besides timestamps, like int4, and they seem > to work fine as a versioning column. So, we could use the postgres > 'xmin' column, if we displayed it in SQLColumns. It seems to always > update so you wouldn't have to worry about a trigger. I'm not sure what > end-users would think about seeing these ugly columns in Access? Any > thoughts about that? Is'nt there some way in ODBC to return some kind of _system_ columns, like there are system tables ? I think that PostgreSQL is not the only database that has system columns Hannu
Next: From: Jose' Soares Da Silva Date: 1998-06-12 10:18:01 Subject: Re: [INTERFACES] Re: M$-Access'97 and TIMESTAMPs Previous: From: Matthew Date: 1998-06-11 21:56:30 Subject: crypt compile problem
Next: From: Yingpling Lu Date: 1998-06-12 08:30:53 Subject: how to bulky-copy data in postgreSql Previous: From: Byron Nikolaidis Date: 1998-06-11 21:36:03 Subject: Re: [INTERFACES] Re: M$-Access'97 and TIMESTAMPs

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You either love the look of the Honda Ridgeline or hate it. Not much has changed in the truck since its introduction in 2005 (as a 2006 model) and a midcycle update in '09. The midsize crewcab — though some would dispute it's actually a truck — still is packed with useful standard features.
Appearance: Lyra thinks the Ridgeline has a "sleek urban look." Of course, she's not exactly objective: Lyra owns a 2008 Ridgeline RTS and loves it. (Peter thinks it has an appliancelike appearance.) The Ridgeline has a stout stance and a profile that takes some getting used to — its high frame slopes down toward the back. Up front, the angled headlights, combined with a revamped grille, give it a stern look. Lyra thinks the truck looks better with the optional roof rack and running board.
Exterior: Some call the Ridgeline a sport utility truck. (Chevy's Avalanche, also a unibody vehicle, is another.) The word utility certainly is accurate: The bed, which is wide enough for a 4- by 8-foot sheet of plywood, also has a lockable weatherproof trunk with 8.5 cubic feet of space. (Just know: If you're hauling something in the bed, it's difficult to access this space.) The bed is made of a steel-reinforced composite that resists most of the bad stuff the average do-it-yourselfer can throw at it. The two-way tailgate made us both applaud: It flips down or opens sideways like a door for easy access, and there are eight tie-down cleats in the bed. The Ridgeline is tow-ready, including a trailer hitch, high-capacity radiator and a heavy-duty transmission cooler. But the RT trim lacks a trailer harness for the wiring.
Performance: The unibody construction makes the ride quieter and more stable than a traditional body-on-frame truck. Its rigidity also means better handling, especially in turns. Lyra found the throttle response to be improved over her '08. The 3.5-liter V-6 is Honda's workhorse and has enough power for most (family) uses, but don't expect to put it to work like the competition in the can-you-top-this TV commercials. Even if the Ridgeline isn't made for off-roading, there is all-wheel drive. Still, the little truck can haul — up to 5,000 pounds. Lyra tows her 4,300-pound race trailer just fine. But for a V-6, the mpg (15/20) is weak.
Interior: There's comfortable seating, room for five adults and lots of storage. The rear seats can fold up for extra space, or there's storage under the seats. Honda fixed a few of Lyra's pet peeves in the update: The cruise control button is now on the steering wheel instead of the bottom of the dash. The headlight dial is guarded so you don't accidentally turn it on with your knee when exiting. You can now plug in your MP3 player. Bonus: a 115-volt plug.
Our 3 favorites
Peter Couture
Cabin: It's comfortable, like Honda's cars.
Storage: Love the "trunk" in the bed and the two-way tailgate.
Utility: This is the Swiss Army knife of small trucks.
Lyra Solochek
User friendly: In-bed trunk, two-way tailgate, flip-up seats, storage nooks. Fantastic.
Ride: Independent suspension in the rear gives it a smooth ride. "It doesn't feel like a truck," is a common response from passengers.
Reliability: My Ridgeline has never let me down.
The bottom line: Whether the Ridgeline remains in Honda's lineup after this year is a subject of conjecture. For now, this is a right-sized truck that will suit many families' needs for a vehicle that can handle DIY projects and towing.


text: On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 09:22:41AM -0400, Skipper Seabold wrote: > Yes, of course. I have a login already, thanks. How quickly I > forget. I will have a look at the docs and add some examples. Thanks a lot. Such contributions are very valuable to the community. Gaël


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Heidi Klum and Victoria's Secret Angels Attend Grand Opening of Victoria's Secret Lexington Avenue Flagship Store in Red Dresses
Which Angel in Red Is Most Fab?
Is there a sexier sight than sizzling Victoria's Secret Angels dressed in fire red? I think not. Selita Ebanks, Marissa Miller, Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Doutzen Kroes all gathered at the Victoria's Secret Lexington Avenue flagship store for its grand opening ceremony. Selita opted for sheer, Marissa chose a mini tank dress, Heidi stood out in a print, Alessandra wore Herve Leger, and Doutzen went for shimmer. All are hot, but which angel in red is most Fab? Oh, and don't forget to watch the 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show live tonight at 10 p.m. EST/PST on CBS.


text:
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Careers at the Beadles Group
The Beadles Group represents Kia, Jaguar, Land Rover, Skoda, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volkswagen from fourteen motor retail centres across Kent, Essex, South-East London and Surrey. We employ over 400 staff dedicated to providing exceptional customer service.
We recognise that a successful business is built around the quality and contentment of its people - they are the biggest asset. We strongly believe we work best on the simple virtues of trust, sincerity, commitment and pride.
Moreover, at Beadles Group, the aim is to create an environment that is enjoyable and non-adversarial, providing challenges, career development and professional fulfilment.
Here you will find information on current vacancies, modern apprenticeships and much more. If there is not a current vacancy that matches your needs, you can register your details so that we will contact you if a suitable vacancy arises.


text:
Erich Kasten: Doctors don't understand Body Integrity Identity Disorder
What do doctors typically say when confronted with someone who wishes to amputate a perfectly healthy limb? I have been studying people who have this desire, known as Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) ,since 2006. Many of the patients I have met complained that they were misdiagnosed as psychotic or delusional when they reported their desire for amputation.
To asssess the scale of the problem, my colleague Dorothée Neff and I sent a description of a typical BIID patient to 83 doctors in Britain and Germany. As we expected, only around four in ten correctly diagnosed the condition. Almost 30% got it absolutely wrong.
Some misdiagnosed the malady as Body-Dysmorphic Disorder, which causes sufferers to believe that a part of their appearance is in some way defect. Others thought the patients had Somatisation Disorder, a condition associated with persistant feelings of internal pain that cannot be explained by a medical problem.
What's more, only one of the doctors said they would support the patient's desire for amputation. A handful said they would give qualified support, but the bulk — 91% — said they would deny the request.
That is concerning because amputation appears to be beneficial for BIID patients. Together with my colleagues Sarah Noll and Peter Brugger, I interviewed 21 BIID amputees. Some had paid a surgeon in Asia for the operation — perhaps the same surgeon who appears in Do No Harm, a recent MATTER story about BIID patients. Others had put a leg in dry ice, or shot themselves in the knee, so that they could then force a physician to cut off the damaged limb.
Psychological therapy, therapeutic drugs and relaxation techniques had done little to help these people, and had sometimes increased their desire for an amputation. By contrast, all of them told me that surgery had changed their lives for the better. None regretted the operation. They experienced several problems regarding the quality of life (e.g. swimming, riding a bicyle or walking in uneven terrain), but these were bearable in contrast to the happiness brought by having fulfilled their wish. And many had told close family members about the true reasons for their amputation. I believe that these results show that amputation is a possible treatment for BIID, at least when other therapies have shown no effect.
I'll finish by sharing some of the things that the amputees told me:
"I'm still feeling this lightness. I recognize a total normality. At any time I would repeat this operation, only sometimes I regret I've not had it 10 years earlier."
"After my stump had shrunk enough, I was able to put my stump through my crutch and rest it on my crutch handle. I knew then that I had finally arrived. I was a real amputee. I had to learn to do some things differently, especially while travelling, but it all worked out for the best. I wasn't on an emotional roller coaster because I was past all the healing and issues I was concerned about."
"More than happy. Since the first day I felt complete."
"After more than 7 years as an LAK amputee, I'm still extremely happy and content with my amputation and my stump! I can't imagine NOT being an amputee. I feel as though my body is now in tune with my mind! I do not regret my choice to get an amputation at all. Yes, there are times where it is and can be a challenge, it's still better than all the suffering I lived through until I got my amputation. I love waking up and seeing my stump there. My stump is still very erotic and I do not suffer from any pain at all, including no phantom pains."
Erich Kasten in a psychologist at the Medical School Hamburg in Germany.
To read more about the science behind BIID, and to hear the stories of other BIID patients, read Do No Harm, a story from the new digital publisher MATTER. The story is free to access, but we rely on paid members to support the in-depth journalism we produce — and we'd greatly appreciate your support. Membership costs just 99c per month.


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Hi everyone, I'm looking to buy a home theatre system under $1000 and I've narrowed my options down to the following:
Option 1:
Jamo S426HCS3 speaker system with a Denon X1000 for the AVR Total price of this would be around $800 for me, leaving some money left over for a Subwoofer.
Option 2:
Wharfedale - VR-300 speaker system ($799) and then a much cheaper AVR
Option 3:
YHT-799AU HTIB system. Comes with a pretty good AVR: The Yamaha RX-V475 and with the Yamaha 150 series for speakers (costs me $1100)
Option 4:
There is also a Harman Kardon HTIB system here: http://www.jbhifi.com.au/home-theatre/harman-kardon/5-1-channel-networked-home-theatre-pack-sku-429584/
which costs me $977
I am a beginner in the audio game and by no means an audiophile. However, I'm just looking for the speakers that will offer me the best audio quality in my budget. Please note that the room this is for is a 6m x 3m dedicated home theater room. Please ask me if you need any more information, any advice is appreciated.
Note: I've heard great things about the Andrew Jones Pioneer speaker pack on this forum but unfortunately, its $1200 here in Australia and out of my budget. Are there any other such systems that I should look for?
Thanks heaps!
I would start with a Denon 1713 from www.accessories4less.com They are a reputable seller and buying factory refurbished is a good way to save some money. The 1713 is pretty much identical to the X1000.
The NXG NS-BAS-500 is a great subwoofer choice. I would say it's probably the best option under $300 and there is a good review of it at hometheatershack by Jim Wilson.
With the rest of the budget, I would go with The Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers. Two pairs of the BS22 and a C22 to give you a nice 5.1 system. You should have enough left in the budget for some speaker stands and cabling from www.monoprice.com.
Samsung PN60F5300 | Denon AVR-1713 | EMP E55Ti | EMP E56Ci | EMP E5Bi | Outlaw Ultra-X12
or the Pioneer set that everyone's talking about.
EDIT: Oops...I just read the last part of your post.
for a receiver I'd get something like what trasnmaniacon suggested (accessories4less especially) but I'd go a little higher and purchase the 1913 model or an equivalent Yamaha.
will let you know if I can think of anything else...
Who AM I
Speakers -- Snell K7 > Canton GLS 2 > Boston VS240
Receiver -- Integra 50.2
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Click on the headline (link) for the full text.
Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage
Greens target key sectors in new climate change policy
Marie McNicholas, National Business Review New Zealand
The Greens have come up with a new climate change policy which rejects both a simple carbon tax and emissions trading in favour of an emitter-pays approach that does not exempt agriculture.
They say their solution is simple and fast and offers the best features of carbon charges and trading while ensuring taxpayers are not left holding the estimated $600 million bill for New Zealand's Kyoto liabilities come 2012.
The aim is for every part of the economy to feel at least some of the international price of carbon before being exposed to international trading after 2012 and without forcing consumers and most businesses to trade directly in carbon.
Under the plan, transport and energy prices would likely rise to reflect that fuel importers, miners and power generators will be made responsible for buying Kyoto emissions units (carbon credits) to cover carbon they or their products burn.
These units would be transferred to the Government for reinvesting in measures to combat climate change.
Agriculture would lose its blanket exemption from emissions liabilities, and would have to buy Kyoto units to cover the growth in emissions since 1990, caused mainly by conversions to dairy farms.
However, the Greens propose this liability rest with the processors rather than individual farmers, which effectively means Fonterra.
( 2007)
See also Coal mines to go if climate policy is Green.
Super funds have role in climate change
Call for action on climate change policy
Christine St Anne, Investor Daily
Superannuation funds have a fiduciary role in climate change policy, University of NSW Adjunct Professor Frank Muller said at the Conference of Major Superannuation Funds yesterday.
"Super funds have a fiduciary duty not just a social responsibility in climate change policy. Their long-term liability matches the long-term nature of climate change's risks and opportunities. Their broad membership base means that super funds have the interests of many not just a few," Muller said.
Super funds are essentially universal owners of capital and this makes them interested in the long-term health of the economy, he said. Muller outlined a number of practical initiatives that superannuation funds could take in addressing the challenge of climate change.
He said super funds should support the reporting, rating and index measures in climate change policy, revise their portfolio by taking into consideration climate change risks and opportunities, and factor carbon pricing into their investment decisions.
Other initiatives suggested by Muller included looking at investments in clean technology and renewable energy, and upgrading the environmental performance of their buildings.
Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) executive officer Joanne Saleeba supported Muller's view on the role of superannuation funds in climate change policy. ..
(27 Mar 2007)
See also Institutional investors to urge tough U.S. climate policy.
Putting carbon emissions in neutral
Mathew Murphy, The Age
CITY West Water will today announce that it will become the first carbon-neutral water authority in Australia.
Under the plan, the water company will commit to becoming carbon neutral by June 30, which will mean the equivalent of 8000 tonnes less greenhouse gas being released every year.
There are no plans to pass the cost of the scheme on to City West Water's customers.
Managing director Anne Barker told The Age the outcome could be achieved through avoiding emissions, reducing energy use, using renewable energy and then offsetting any remaining emissions. ..
City West Water is one of three retail water businesses in metropolitan Melbourne owned by the Victorian Government.
(26 Mar 2007)
Is this a case of the lung cancer victim who quits smoking altogether or just switches to low-tar cigarettes? Melbourne's water storages are in dire straits after years of drought.-LJ
The geriatric climate change imperative
Peter Curson, Online Opinion Australia
Much has recently been written about the potential impact of climate change on Australia and the world, including the possible health effects. But climate change is not going to take place in a social vacuum and it seems clear that some groups of Australians are likely to be more at risk than others.
There would seem little doubt that the rapid ageing of Australia's population, the related increase in chronic illness, disability and medication-dependence, and the continuing retirement migration to warmer parts of the continent, loom large and will help define vulnerability to climate change in the future. ..
There are a number of things that we need to do. First, we need to appreciate the role of a changing climate on the aged, and we need to develop public education campaigns designed to draw attention to their increasing vulnerability.
Second, we need to develop long-term care and support structures designed to cope with an ageing population in a changing climate. Most of the 37,000 who perished during the European heat wave of 2003, for example, were elderly, either living alone or resident in severely short-staffed aged care facilities, most without air-conditioning. Would we do better in a protracted heat wave? ..
Peter Curson is Emeritus Professor in Medical Geography at Macquarie University and Adjunct Professor in The Centre for International Security Studies, at The University of Sydney.
(27 Mar 2007)


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New research reveals that children are actually the key influencer for parents choosing their next holiday destination.
The study, by Dubai Tourism and comissioned in partnership with psychologist and social commentator Honey Langcaster-James reveals that our holiday patterns spilt the average British family into five distinct holiday typologies:
- Modern Day Waltons – taking inspiration from the classic American dream, these families spend all their time together to create fantastic memories
- Frugal Families – parents who save and look for the best deals whilst planning and during their breakaway
- Culture Vultures – families who use holidays to explore and experience new customs and cultures
- Clingers – for this tribe, holidays are used as a chance to make new friends and to add to their address book through socialising
- 50:50 – it's an equal split when this family go away between spending time as a couple and spending time as a family
However of these five groups, research shows this year's most prominent tribe is The Modern Day Waltons, as families taking a break search for a destination that offers the opportunity to create those special memories made through spending quality time together.
Ian Scott, UK and Ireland Director of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, comments: "As families plan and book their 2012 holidays we at Dubai Tourism wanted to get an insight into what it is driving holiday decisions. Every family is different and it is really interesting to see these five typologies emerge around how as a nation we choose to holiday. With people having to be more cautious with cash yet also working longer hours than ever, children are at the heart of parents' decisions when choosing their family holiday destination. As a destination, Dubai is committed to offering families a great value holiday experience and in partnering with psychologist Honey Langcaster-James, we have gained a valuable insight into British holiday habits and the role family time plays in their holidays."
Modern Day Waltons
In families that fit this category, children are the power-players when planning a holiday as 69% of parents admit that their choice of destination is made as a family, whilst ensuring the holiday will expand the children's horizons and show them new things. In addition, staying together and ensuring quality time is spent as a family whilst on holiday is the most important aspect of a breakaway. When asked what the key priorities are to bring back from a holiday, two thirds of parents admit it is the memories of the time spent together as a family, as well as 60 per cent who said it was to enjoy and be able to reminisce about fun memories and anecdotes.
Honey Langster James, psychologist and social commentator comments: "Modern families now have the opportunity to travel further afield and explore the world together so it's no surprise that some families want to experience a bit of culture as well as just take time to relax as a family. However, there are distinctly different types of families with some preferring lots of sightseeing and group expeditions and others preferring a chance to relax and have the kids catered for at a stimulating kids club while they relax by the pool. For this reason families should take time to consider which type of family they are and carefully choose a holiday that meets their individual needs. It's about making sure the right family get the right package for them that's key to making happy memories for years to come!"
Frugal Families
For Frugal Families they still want a break, but value for money and free local activities are the driving force to avoid breaking the budget. When choosing a destination, it's also about ensuring mum and dad are not digging too deep into their pockets with just under a fifth admitting they are influenced by price.
As purse strings tighten further in 2012, over a fifth of parents admit one of the most important things to bring back from their holiday is the knowledge they've stuck to the budget set out before travelling.
Tribal Trends
Whilst Frugal Families and the Modern Day Waltons lead the family tribes for 2012, other interesting outtakes from the research include;
- Culture Vultures, these families focus on learning and education for their holidays as over a fifth of parents admit the key priority from a breakaway is to open the children's eyes to new experiences, customs and cultures
- It's not always about the children on a 50:50 tribe trip, 17 per cent of parents begin planning nights out as a couple when they've booked their holiday and start providing the kids with choices for them to do too. In addition, over 1 in 10 confess they find having to amuse their children if the babysitter is ill or the kids club is cancelled the most irritating aspect about going on holiday as a family
- For Clingers, going on holiday is all about interacting with other families as 30 per cent of parents admit the key priorities when taking a break are plenty of family friendly areas and activities for parents and kids alike, so they're able to meet like minded families


text:
I had a somewhat disturbing thing happen to me recently when I attended the local movie theater in Lakeport. While purchasing my ticket, the man behind the counter asked me where I had gotten the information regarding the time of the film.
I told him I had gotten it from the local newspaper. I also added that I appreciated them publishing that information weekly. He asked if I was aware that I could get the same information off of the Internet. I told him I was not really inclined to do so, as I do not have my computer on most of the time, and it was always easier to clip the listings for the week from the paper and keep it handy. He again said it was easily accessible on their website, and started to explain that it was too expensive for them to keep putting it in the newspaper. I then commented that it was also keeping our newspaper in business. He had no comment for that.
I do not know if our theater is owned locally anymore. I suspect it is not.
If the owners were to take a look at the demographics for Lake County, I am sure they would discover that the majority of us are in our senior years.
Many, many seniors have no access, nor interest in accessing the Internet. I think that they would be better off spending the extra advertising dollars to keep the listings in our local newspaper than to rely on the information coming only from their website. I truly believe their audience numbers might decline if not.
I believe that living in beautiful Lake County means supporting our local institutions. Our local newspaper is not perfect, but is the best source for local news and events.
Part of participating in the community I live in is buying locally and supporting local businesses.
Lorrie Gray


text:
Mental Health
Have Mental Health Questions? Ask a Psychiatrist Online
Hello, this is Jean, a mental health therapist to assist you.
You describe a lot when you say "a manipulative drug addict". That comes with a whole lot of crazy making stuff for the entire family. What you describe is very difficult since the rest of the family can not "make her" stop using or to stop acting in the way she does. What the family can do is find ways to not enable her like you have tried to do.
Her mother, I'm sure has good intentions in supporting her, making excuses etc. but she sounds like the major enabler. It's a tough balance between caring and loving an addict, but not enabling. She sounds like she is taken care of with regular money coming in, others having to manage her money. Something in this formula needs to change in order for change to happen. However, again you are powerless to change her.
How do we get the mother 'onboard'? She thinks we are ganging up and plotting against her baby girl, we are no longer accepting bad behavior.
Others around her will need to make those changes. Your partner may want to consider giving up his job if the mother continues to enable- she will only continue doing what she is doing unless, like I said, someone changes something. She has a pretty "nice" set up with others taking care of her business, regular money coming in etc. She will need to feel uncomfortable in order to be prompted to change- others not catering to her every need.
Hello, by the way. The discussion with the mother needs to be done in a very kind and loving way. Providing the mother with information about addiction, enabling, recovery etc. may help her to begin to understand. I'm sure her mother is very afraid if she "lets up" her daughter will suffer, get hurt, die... Would all the siblings be able to meet together first to come up with a plan of how and what to say to their mother? It's a great start that you and your partner and others are not accepting the bad behavior.
Her monthly allowance can be cut off, but it have to be directed to her children, who will continue to enable her and/or control her. My sister in law has been scamming everyone for years, and her kids are good at it also.///As a group, the 3 of them are a destructive force of nature..
Her children have had a good teacher. More than anything you and your partner identifying those things you can change or have an impact on and the many things you don't such as her and her children. Sometimes someone, or a family has to hit a buttom to realize "this is not working" and something needs to change.
Her overdose scare only lasted a few weeks, she is only happy when she is in a self destruct mode, and causing havoc with all of those around her..she remains the center of attention.
If there is no movement nor motivation for change with her, the children, and their mother- you and your sig. other may have to remove yourself from this toxic environment for your emotional health.
Sadly, as you are experiencing, this is a family illness. Each of those involved have to decide for themselves what they will allow, and participate in. She sounds pretty chronically ill- emotionally and addiction.
That is what we have tried to do, along with other family members..we have all seen the light.. and now it is all my partner's fault, turning everyone against the sister///
I know you asked how do you help them find peace. That would be the ideal conclusion to this situation, I'm not so sure the prognosis is so great.
The projection of blame onto your partner makes sense if he's the one taking a stand- he's doing the right thing- putting even a small change into play.
Your partner is to be commended for taking those steps, brave, stepping out the sickness, while some stand around silent and enable the hot mess.
I am afraid that there will never be a happliy ever after... maybe a good screen writer would help us turn this mess into something entertaining for others!
Yes- reality is better than t.v. In addiction and the family there are many unspoken rules, such as don't talk nor have an opinion- your partner is breaking that- GOOD.
This woman is 50 and continues this insanity- very sad for her and the family- destructive too all around her.
I will pass it on, he feels like he is the bad guy, and hurting his mother hurts him, I wish someone would take his side in this
It would be awesome if the mother would seek out Alanon- support for those who love an addict.
I'm rooting for your partner to be brave, take a stand, honestly it may help her in the end.
For now the two of you removing yourself from this as a way to take care of your self is the best you may be able to do. Good luck reasoning with the addict and the coaddict with her mom and children right?
Thank you, ***** ***** all we can get!
It's plain ole insanity because you are not dealing with a rational and reasonable person- look at its as so different from how you operate that she could be from another planet.
What you believe in your world is not the same in her world- foreign
You and your partner could also consider Alanon- those that attend focus on working their own steps coping with the sickness in the family. Wow what control she has as the center of attention.
What happens though others around her try to control- begins looking like codependency- putting her and the illness ahead of self and the rest of the family.
She's in the center and the family is running circles going nowhere fast- tired just thinking about it!
Is there anything else you wanted to comment on?
Sadly, and I'm sorry, but the "being apart" as a family may be needed, at least for now.
all this is starting to take a toll on our relationship as well, I;ve learned to be quiet and voice my opinion
It's very taxing for all of you- that's where the separation may be healthy- but your partner will have to make those hard decisions himself. No matter what shape our family is in- it's still our family. The family is driven truly to help her, but it gets messed up and can be more enabling cuz it allows her to keep on keepin on.
If there is nothing else.. Thank you so much for posting. Let me know if I can assist you again. Please rate me so I can get credit.
I agree, you have been most helpful, and my partner says he feels validated, knowing a professional is on his side..maybe that will take some of the stress away
Good- any little bit can help!
Best wishes on this journey for you and your partner.
good night! thanks again
My pleasure!
It would be most appreciated if you rate me in order for me to get credit Thanks!
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These joined hands are from a sculpture of a dancing couple that's situated at the far end of the Jakopič promenade in Tivoli Park, near the park's eponymous castle which houses the International Center of Graphic Arts. It's one of my favorite sculptures in Ljubljana, and a nice place to end a three-hour hike through the park's snowy hills and trails. It's also a pleasant snap with which to remember very enjoyable Sunday afternoon company.
For the dancing sculpture-curious among you, a few more snaps: a shot of the pair taken about a month ago, another of the young man taken today, and the last showing the view they share of the park's main promenade, facing east. And if you're still longing for more, check out a vidblog I put together a little over a years ago composed of 1200 pics, with the pair –naturally!– making a cameo appearance. Enjoy!


text: Hi everyone. My name's Adam and i'm an.... not really I'm just about to buy my first Audi, a lovely nagaro blue S3 and can't wait to get hold of it. I'm sure i can find loads of information from all the other Audi owner's on here about the cars and what sort of mods people have done. Cheers


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We are frequently asked by estate agents to recommend which estate agency software package they should use in their business. Of course, this is not a "one size fits all" question, and the answer depends on so many factors, which include:
- do you do sales, lettings or both?
- what are your specific function requirements (different systems have different areas of strength)?
- how do you want to balance cost vs service and product quality?
- if you do lettings, how deeply do you need the system to go into property management?
- how many offices do you operate, and are they run as one business or all independently?
- do you need one central system, or are you willing to use more than one system (eg one to run the office admin, another to run the property management side of your lettings business)?
- what integration do you want with your website, both to get properties published on your website, but also to integrate all the enquiries generated through your online marketing back into the software system?
- or do you want to go even further and future proof your business further with a proper integration between your software and your website?
- do you want a web based system, or an installed system in your office?
- how important is mobile and tablet usage to you?
We work with a wide variety of software companies, and would be pleased to discuss your requirements with you, in order to make an informed recommendation. It's a big decision, as you are likely to use the same software provider for many years, and it will be a very important part of your daily operations, and an important part of your ability to compete effectively: please contact us so we can help you make the best decision for your business.


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Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Serafinowicz is a writer, actor, comedian, voiceover artist, composer, sometime director and undoubted Twitteratus. He was the voice of Darth Maul in 'The Phantom Menace', the angry flatmate in 'Shaun Of The Dead' and directed the video for Hot Chip's 'I Feel Better'. That's a cool CV. He is also the author of 'A Billion Jokes: Volume 1'.


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ST. PETERSBURG — Police officers swatted at bugs and checked their cell phones. Mayor Bill Foster shook hands with passers-by. A squad car sat idle — there was no need for it Wednesday night.
The plan had been to spend the evening outside City Hall, telling homeless people that police now can enforce a 2007 ordinance that prohibits sleeping in public rights of way. The only catch? There was no one to talk to.
Police and officials were hard pressed to find homeless people downtown on Wednesday, this in a town where just a few months ago nearly 200 people regularly slept in parks and on sidewalks, especially around City Hall.
"For the first time, we didn't have to clean up the street. There was nobody here last night," said Robert Marbut, a consultant hired by the city in October to help deal with homeless issues. "Everything's coming together."
Police haven't been able to enforce the city's public sleeping ban before because of a lack of available beds in area shelters.
Now that Pinellas Safe Harbor, the county's homeless shelter, is operating with excess capacity, police have started giving homeless people options: go to the shelter, find somewhere else to sleep or be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.
"Those who really want to exercise the right to sleep on a sidewalk need to do in another county," Foster said Wednesday.
Police approached about 29 people Tuesday night, the first night that the ordinance could be enforced. About 23 went to Safe Harbor; others went to hotels or other shelters.
On Wednesday night, officers waited outside City Hall to offer assistance again, but few people walked by. Williams Park and Mirror Lake, traditional stomping grounds for the city's homeless, were nearly empty.
One woman, wiping tears from her eyes, approached Officer Rich Linkiewicz outside City Hall and asked for help. Marbut helped her into a police van.
"Hop on in, dear. You're fine. Hang in there," he said before Linkiewicz drove her to Turning Point, a local detox facility.
Foster, who followed officers on patrol Tuesday night, said he was surprised by how well the ordinance has been received.
"I truly expected some resistance, but people are very grateful," he said. "(Tuesday) night was amazing. We had 100 percent compliance."
Still, some are skeptical.
Pat Alston, 52, who's been off the streets for eight months, said it's hard for the homeless to transition once they move to a shelter, and many return to the streets or continue using drugs and alcohol.
"I've been talking to a lot of people about (the ordinance)," she said, sitting in Williams Park at dusk Wednesday night. "People will come out (of the shelter), drink, get high and then go straight back. It's very easy to get stuck."
Police say they're not looking to arrest the homeless — just get them off the streets. However, officers will arrest repeat offenders or people who refuse to leave the right-of-way, police spokesman Mike Puetz said.
Marbut usually circles downtown until midnight or 2 a.m., taking stock of the city's homeless. When he arrived last year, it wasn't unusual to find 180 people in Williams Park alone. On Tuesday night, he found just two in all of downtown.
"I wanted to wake people up and tell them what I saw," he said, laughing.


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Value Investing does not always involve purchasing stocks that trade at a discount to their perceived future cash flows. In fact, some value propositions are not predicated on the assumption that the market will eventually recognize the underlying value and subsequently bid up the price of an under-valued equity. Buffett referred to these special situations as Workouts.
Students of value investing may be aware of the Buffett Partnership coup which unlocked the underlying value of Sanborn Map is the late 1950s. Sanborn Map traded around $45 per share but had an investment portfolio which amounted to about $65 per share.
The problem Buffett encountered was dealing with the Sanborn board which consisted of various members of the insurance industry who used the company's products but had little interest in separating the investment portfolio from the business. The management and board viewed the excessive liquidity as a rainy day fund without regard to best interests of shareholders. Further, the board owned very few shares of the company and held little in the way of motivation to unlock the underlying value.
Buffett had spent many months buying up the shares for himself and his family as well as successfully encouraging others in his investing sphere to do likewise. His fellow investors included the likes of Walter Schloss, Fred Stanback and Henry Brandt, all of whom continued to buy up the stock. The idea was to purchase sufficient shares to effectively take control of the company and force a tax-friendly separation of the investment portfolio from the operating business. Once the two entities were separated through a tax efficient method which involved swapping the investment for stock, shareholders would be free to sell their shares and recognize a substantial gain.
Finally in early 1960 Buffett's extended efforts became successful and Sanborn Map exchanged a portion of the investment portfolio for company shares. As part of the deal, the Buffett partnership tendered all their shares.
What Is a Workout?
A workout is a special situation where an investor does not rely upon the market to record a gain on his investment. The workout may be a direct result of shareholder activism which is intent upon unlocking the value, as in the case of Sanborn Map, or it may be a simple arbitrage play where a favorable spread exists between the buyout price of a company versus its current offer price. Other examples would be spinoffs, special dividends or various hedging techniques. For instance, Benjamin Graham was known to utilize a simple hedge of going long the preferred and shorting the equivalent common stock to grind out profits during certain market periods.
Workouts can take many forms but they do not come without risk. An investor had better be quite sure that a merger is certain to take place if he is willing to purchase common shares at a price that is just slightly lower than the take-over price. If the merger fails for any reason, the price of the stock is almost certain to drop to well below the price that the arbitrage investor paid for his shares.
Further, sometimes a buyout offer is not taken seriously by the market and the arbitrage premium is little more than a mirage. Case in point, in the spring of 2005, George Schultze made an unsolicited bid for Imperial Sugar (formerly IPSU) merely because he was perturbed at the low price of the stock. While the offer temporarily spiked the price of the stock, Wall Street quickly recognized that the offer was not serious. Unsavvy arbitrage investors who took the $17 buyout offer at face value were burned when the stock soon dropped below the price at which it was trading prior to the "attempted takeover."
TATT as a Workout Strategy
Last month financially troubled KMN Industries who is the controlling shareholder of TAT Technologies (NASDAQ:TATT), was served with a petition which granted a lending institution the right to enforce a lien against KMN. The purpose of the lien was to usurp the shares of TATT which KMN held as collateral for an outstanding loan. On Oct. 23, the lending institution filed a petition requesting the appointment of a temporary holder for the enforcement of that lien.
No formal announcement has been made; however, it appears that over 50% of TATT stock is now controlled by a lending institution. When a bank seizes majority control of a company, the most likely result is that the company will be sold in the near future. In other words, the current TATT situation is not so different from Buffett's position with Sanborn Map in the late 1950s, although the goal of the lending institution will likely involve selling all the assets of TATT rather than merely dispersing its excess cash and investment. Similar to the lending institution, Buffett had no real interest in owning the map business; instead he wanted to liquidate the investment portfolio which was not reflected in the value of the stock.
As of last quarter, TATT had around $7 per share of net current assets and a tangible book value of about $9 a share. Included in those current assets were approximately $2.70 per share in cash and short-term bank deposits. It is highly probable that the lending institution could sell the assets of the business at a price of somewhere between its net current asset value and its tangible book value.
Concluding Remarks
Successful investing in workouts or special situations is a matter of risk versus reward and it remains imperative that the investor demand a sufficient margin of safety without regard to the nature of the catalyst. In the case of Sanborn Map, Buffett's activism and his seat on the board provided the key catalyst necessary to unlock the value of the company. Still, had Buffett's activism failed to separate the investment portfolio from the business, it is unlikely that his investment would show much of a loss. The price to book value was low enough and the company's profits were sound enough that the stock would have likely languished near the price that Buffett was paying for his shares.
Value investors frequently hold on to stocks that sometimes appear to be terminally undervalued. Net-nets frequently languish for long periods absent of a catalyst. Such has been my experience with TATT. I have held the stock patiently for over four year and I have averaged down along the way. It been my expectation that its earnings would eventually increase as various cycles in the aircraft industry reemerged.
It now appears that a sale of the company rather than increased profitability will provide the needed catalyst to drive the price per share higher. Even if the sale of the company does not materialize as I anticipate, the stock still holds a substantial margin of safety in the form of a 33% discount to its net current assets.
Disclosure: Long TATT
Value Investing does not always involve purchasing stocks that trade at a discount to their perceived future cash flows. In fact, some value propositions are not predicated on the assumption that the market will eventually recognize the underlying value and subsequently bid up the price of an under-valued equity. Buffett referred to these special situations as Workouts.


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Arkansas legislators OK statement on same-sex marriages
LITTLE ROCK (KATV)--In yet another attempt to ban same-sex marriages, Republican Senator Jason Rapert pushed a measure, that's been approved by the Arkansas Legislative Council, urging the state Supreme Court to uphold a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages.
Since it's a non-binding resolution, this means it will be forwarded to the Supreme Court, as Rapert hopes they will take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to uphold Circuit Judge Chris Piazza's ruling or overturn it.
Since Judge Piazza's ruling that banning same-sex marriage in Arkansas was unconstitutional in May, more than 500 same-sex couples flocked to county courthouses to obtain their marriage licenses. Many did before the Supreme Court blocked the ruling pending an appeal.
Now, Rapert continues to make a push to uphold what the voters decided back in 2004 defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
"That's what they did Amendment 83 and this legislature represents the people of Arkansas," said Rapert. "And the people of Arkansas also already showed that they still believe that marriage is between one man and one woman and we represent their interests."
On Friday, the state's Legislative Council approved Rapert's measure that accuses Judge Piazza of failing to uphold his oath to uphold the Arkansas Constitution.
"Really all this is a red herring, and as a tax payer in the state of Arkansas, I'm very concerned these pieces of legislation that Jason Rapert keeps pushing are costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Drew Pritt, part of the LGBT community and also known as a political activist.
Not everyone is agreeing with Rapert, Democratic Senator David Johnson says Judge Piazza was following the law and noted judges in other states have made similar decisions, he said it's not like "all these judges are going off the rails."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
London, United Kingdom, 2009/02/24 - Jim McNiven, the founder of digital engagement agency Kerb, and video games veteran David Lau-Kee have joined forces to launch a company that will create and distribute games titles for the rapidly emerging Games 3.0 market.
Kerb Games will specialise in developing next-generation, persistent browser-based online games that move players from the traditional hardcore online gaming environment to networked and community-oriented, social-media aware settings. This business focus will allow Kerb Games to position itself at the heart of the future online games market, which is being dubbed Games 3.0, and places a growing emphasis on user-generated content. It will also develop games for new and emerging platforms such as the iPhone.
Jim McNiven will lead the company as chief executive officer and will be responsible for strategic development and marketing. He will also continue to lead the Kerb agency as managing director. David Lau-Kee, as non-executive director, will provide business guidance and support the companys growth into the mainstream games industry.
Kerb Games will focus on the growing demand for community-engaged experiences to which men and women from a much wider age range are increasingly dedicating online time. For example, in one sector of the broad Games 3.0 environment - casual gaming the growth rate is 20 per cent annually and worth well in excess of £1.6 billion, according to the Casual Games Association.
The new company is working on a number of games slated for release in the next year that will tap the creativity of this growing games community by opening up the playing environments to user-generated content.
Jim McNiven founded digital engagement agency Kerb in 1996 and the company has been a pioneer of viral gaming. Kerb's Flash games have been played by in excess of 350 million users worldwide. Its clients include Sony PlayStation, Microsoft, Samsung and Channel 4.
Jim McNiven, CEO of Kerb Games, comments: We are developing Kerb Games alongside the Kerb agency to harness the creative skills and knowledge we have amassed over the past decade. Kerb has an unrivalled reputation for creating some of the best advertising games in the market. But it has also been at the forefront in the creation of persistent browser based MMORPGs.
We currently run Project Rockstar, a game with a vibrant community of almost 200,000 music lovers managing over one million virtual bands. The game has exceeded 26 million page views in the space of a month and has a busy forum that regularly results in a single post getting thousands of replies.
David Lau-Kee comments: The games industry has for too long relied on either accident and circumstance or imported IPs and outrageous marketing spends to generate its hits user engagement is either random or paid-for. At Kerb games, were applying years of experience of web analytics, viral marketing and web community development to truly engage with our audience our games are ground-up designed for the web-connected, Games 3.0 generation.
Written by / Agency / Source: Liberate Media
Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)
Traffic Booster: [/] Quick Newswire Today Visibility Checker
Distribution / Indexing: [+]


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Teenmaar News : Mudragada Calls Off Strike, Amma Mobiles, Ramdev Assets - V6
Mon, Feb 08, 2016, 11:14 PM
The AP Government's talks with Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham are succeeded and he called of the hunger strike today afternoon. Mudragada Padmanabham is offered with lemon juice by Minister Atchennaidu to call of his protest and the Government has communicated him that the time frame for Manjunatha Commission would be reduced basing on the possibility. Watch Teenamaar News on various issues.


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Messy homes tend to attract bothersome pests, such as insects, rodents, and fast-talking vacuum salesmen. Deter invaders with this Groupon.
Choose from Three Options
- $75 for one two-hour housecleaning session by two cleaners (a $150 value)
- $129 for two two-hour housecleaning sessions by two cleaners (a $300 value)
- $189 for three two-hour housecleaning sessions by two cleaners (a $450 value)<p>
Groupon customers can also choose to add an annual membership for an additional $29 (normally a $69 value). In addition to reduced hourly rates, Pretty In Pink members enjoy guaranteed seven-day scheduling on cleaning services, or they receive 50% off those services. Memberships begin on the day of activation and are valid for only one address.
Pretty in Pink Cleaning Services
The expert purifiers from Pretty in Pink Cleaning Services show up on doorsteps equipped with home-sanitizing tools that abolish domestic dirt and dust during in-depth scrubbing sessions. All grime-eliminating plans are customized to meet a client's domicile-dusting goals, regardless of the home's size or number of boarding raccoons. Brooms dance up stairways and sponges skate across bathroom surfaces. Cleaners whirl through houses and apartments like gleam-leaving dervishes, taking out trash, vacuuming, and washing windows. If clients are dissatisfied, a tidying brigade will return to re-scour surfaces at no additional charge.


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I need some help with my breast implats: Are they too high?
- Paula24
- Desenzano Italy
- Last updated: 5 years ago
At first the Doctor said I need lifting,but then he changed his mind and telling me that augumentation only is gonna be succesfull anyway,so I did like he said(only augumentation).1 month after surgery they look so bad,but he said is because the left breast (left breast was much more bigger and lower than the right onealso before augumentation) so he did for me a surgery around the nipple,just to make them look equal.
After this surgery he asked me to be patient for 1 more month and to do massage all time,so I did like he said but now I have 2 months and they still look bad, I need some help here please,maybe there are girls who had same like me.... are the breast implants 2 high? maybe they should be lower or will drop in time?should I wait another 2-6 months? Thank you


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Musings From Lewis And Clark National Historical Park
It was raining when I got to Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Since I've recently had enough rain to keep me satisfied for a good long while, I didn't go out to the replica of Fort Clatsop where Captains Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the rest of the Corps of Discovery spent an uncomfortable three months in the winter of 1805 and 1806.
- By Lee Dalton on September 4th, 2015


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No Gold: Visits to China Down in 2008 Despite Olympics
The number of visitors to China dropped by two million last year to 130 million, despite the enormous fanfare and draw of the 2008 Olympics. It was the first decline in visitor numbers since 2003, when an outbreak of SARS knocked the country off desired vacay location lists.
The slump has been attributed to the weak economy, which hasn't been kind to the tourism industry as a whole, stricter visa restrictions before the Beijing Olympics, as well as a May earthquake in the southwest of the country.
Only 389,000 foreign tourists visited Beijing the month of the games, including travelers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, according to the Beijing tourism bureau. That number is much smaller than the 500,000 the bureau expected. China built the world's largest airport terminal before the Olympics and most of the major hotels in Beijing underwent costly renovations and changes from top to bottom.


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Salmon rescue plan takes giant step forward
Published 10:00 pm, Friday, January 19, 2007
The best hope for saving Puget Sound chinook salmon got its official blessing Friday from federal officials responsible for protecting endangered species.
The challenge is huge: to reel salmon back from their precipitous decline, boosting population sizes tenfold or more while the equivalent of two Seattle's worth of people move into an already populous region, building homes and paving green spaces all around the Sound.
The price tag is steep. The effort could cost $1.1 billion by 2015.
But the level of enthusiasm is high -- and it's widespread.
This is "a shining example" of what can happen when diverse, local groups come together and craft a recovery plan, said Bob Lohn, head of the Northwest regional office of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency that approved the plan.
"It's been a long, arduous process," said Joan McBride, deputy mayor of Kirkland. "It started many years ago, and I think this is a day to celebrate."
"The plan adopted today puts us on the right track," said Allison Butcher, chairwoman of the Puget Sound Endangered Species Act Business Coalition, a consortium of transportation, development, energy, real estate and construction industries.
For five years, groups including business owners, tribal members, environmentalists, scientists, farmers, government workers and elected officials met around the region devising recovery plans for salmon.
The strategies were tailored to match the needs of the residents and the landscape of 14 river basins around the Sound.
They were driven by the desire to solve at the local level the problem of vanishing salmon. No one wanted the federal government to come in and dictate a recovery plan.
Then all of the watershed plans were compiled into an overarching blueprint for recovery. The plan fulfills a requirement of the Endangered Species Act and was deemed "the largest and most comprehensive" recovery plan ever approved by the federal government, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
And still the hardest work lies ahead.
"The big challenge is implementation," said Doug Osterman, a King County employee coordinating salmon recovery in the Green and Duwamish rivers and along 90 miles of marine shorelines. "We're really going to rely on state and federal governments to come through with the funding."
In recent years, local, state and federal governments have provided about $60 million annually for projects that help salmon, with each contributing about $20 million. That's not enough, experts said.
"We are currently spending about half of what is necessary to recover the salmon," said Jim Kramer, executive director of Shared Strategy for Puget Sound, the non-profit group formed to coordinate and lead the effort to create the plan. "This has to ramp up over time."
Gov. Chris Gregoire recently announced that she'll include $50 million in her budget to make streams and seaside areas more hospitable for fish.
Getting more money could become a little bit easier with approval of the plan. Over 10 years, the strategy spells out clear steps for helping salmon, steps backed by scientific research.
The groups implementing the plans in the 14 regions around the Sound have gone through an exercise to prioritize which projects are most important. They have selected a set of projects that they hope to complete within the next three years.
Many restoration projects have been started and some completed since Puget Sound chinook, Hood Canal summer chum and Lake Ozette sockeye were declared threatened in 1999.
In the Duwamish River, an emphasis has been placed on making the waterway safer for small salmon. Decades ago, the river was straightened and dredged to accommodate industrial activities. That eliminated wetlands and shallow, protected stretches where young salmon heading from the river to the Sound could seek refuge and acclimate to the salt water.
So a $4.5 million project is under way to rehabilitate a former industrial dumping ground in Tukwila located on the shores of the Duwamish.
"It's going to be a mudflat area, so when the tide comes in from the Duwamish, it has shallow slow-moving water for salmon to hide out and eat bugs," Osterman said.
In the city of Normandy Park, Osterman is working on a project with about 15 property owners to remove a shoreline wall of giant boulders and concrete stretching one-quarter mile along the Sound. The wall has cut off the flow of sand and dirt toward the shore, robbing the beach of sand that's needed to replace what's lost in storms and from the tides.
"We've got to work together and support the most important things that need to be done," Osterman said.
While work is already under way, the strategy isn't entirely complete.
There is uncertainty about how global warming will affect salmon survival. Summers are expected to get hotter and winter snowpacks that feed many Northwest streams are expected to be smaller and melt sooner. That means there will be less water in the streams when they're already at their warmest temperatures and lowest levels -- dangerous conditions for cold-blooded fish.
The plan hasn't answered key questions about how clean the water needs to be and how much water needs to flow through the rivers.
"Until those gaps are filled with actions that are going to provide the healthy rivers and healthy marine environment, we're not going to reach our goals," said Rob Masonis, Northwest regional director for the environmental group American Rivers. "That needs to be addressed immediately."


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While anyone in the digital space has likely had a fast and furious year to date, email marketers are feeling particularly smart and savvy, having hung around in the seemingly moribund industry during some dark days. Many marketers shifted to search and social (not to mention, real estate, banking, and other areas that were more appealing in the early 2000s) when email and digital were left for dead. Believe me, I know, as I started my company in 2002 when people acted like I was starting a leper colony, not an email marketing agency.
This year to date, email has been bubbling over with attention, money, and new businesses (actually, an entire new category) centered around delivering emails to an opt-in list of interested consumers. The halfway mark presents an opportunity to see what has happened in the email world to date in 2011.
- Email software as a service (SaaS) company, Responsys went public (and at least two other ESPs are rumored to be prepping their S1s) and is currently valued at over $750 million. Not bad for a company that's primary business is providing the platform for companies to send emails.
- Daily deals has created a 1999 boom-like category that previously existed offline (coupon aggregators like Valpak), but in its online form has created monstrous valuations and frothy entries to the market (I'm sorry, but I can't help but think of Pets.com when I hear Petsimply.com is a daily deal offering for pets). Check out this infographic for an overview of the market and remember, despite the hype and talk of apps and multi-channel success, these companies depend on email marketing.
- Data security issues have threatened the email industry (and, of course, many others, which either shows email is lucky or the security issues are truly an epidemic, or both), but email shows it is resilient enough to not let it be a fatal blow. The fact that consumers can get over potential security issues speaks to the value they are getting in their inbox.
- Spam continues to decline. While numbers like these can often be suspect, email is still a real issue and a thorn in any permission marketer's side, but the average Internet user has become more sophisticated and now expects spam to be part of the online experience and one they can live with as long as those great offers from their favorite brands keep coming their way.
- Social and mobile have reconfirmed email is the de facto glue of any Internet experience. It doesn't matter if Facebook is your go-to site or you spend most of your web time on a smartphone, email is undoubtedly playing a role in these activities.
- Email programs are actually getting smarter and better. The Relevancy Group reported untargeted email programs increase costs by as much as 3.6 times those of targeted programs. If lowered costs don't get you moving away from pure broadcast messages, how about your customers want localized, personalized, and customized email content and offers? Does your program deliver on this premise, as 2011 has certainly seen email get local and customized with subscribers as the beneficiary?
- Acquisitions, healthy ones at that (not $0.05 on the $1 ones), have crossed over into the email world, which has been noticeably quiet on the mergers and acquisitions front for the better half of the last decade. For example, WhatCounts (formerly Mansell Group) has seemingly come out of nowhere to become a major player by gobbling up email firms (see the articleon this week's acquisition of Blue Sky Factory). I asked its founder and president, Allen Nance, why he was so confident in the email space, and he told me:
"We continue to be extremely positive on the email marketing industry specifically because the ROI is proven and repeatable. Ultimately marketers gravitate towards winning channels and email is a winner. We view email as still very early in its evolution and feel confident that it is primed for innovation."
Let's not pull out the bubbly yet, but email deserves to put a nice bottle on ice and reflect back and look forward to ensure its continued success. What are some other 2011 email accomplishments and challenges worth noting?
Related reading
How rich media can bring your emails to life
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Sold for $ 7,700
This 1965 Mercedes Benz 220S "Fintail" Sedan would be a pleasure to drive with the luxuries offered from Mercedes-Benz this model year. Although Mercedes-Benz never regarded these cars as a "Fintail", the name caught on quickly due to the noticeable American-style fins protruding from the rear of the sedans. This sedan is equipped with a 2.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission. Other options include power steering, power brakes and dual carburetors from the factory. The deep burgundy paint contrasts nicely with the tan interior. This Mercedes-Benz has undergone a complete cosmetic restoration, and still retains its entire original interior.
Please note title in transit for this car


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Health-related projects run by voluntary and community groups in Maldon could apply for grants from the Provide Foundation.
Applications for grants of about £5,000, or £20,000 for a special project, can be made.
The Provide Foundation was set up by community interest company Provide, which was based in Maldon.
It has recently given grants to St John Ambulance to train parents and carers in Maldon in first aid for children and to the Maldon Pioneers Association, which supports adults with learning disabilities to be independent.
Visit essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk. Decisions on applications will be made in October.


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BASKETBALL: Leopards will host Medway Park Crusaders at Basildon Sporting Village on Sunday afternoon (4pm) as they look to add a third piece of silverware this season.
Having already clinched the Division One championship and National Cup, Dejan Mihevc's team now start the play-offs against a Crusaders side who finished eighth in the table.
The Kent team ended the campaign with 12 wins and as many losses in their debut season in the top flight of English basketball.
They were the last side to beat Leopards in league play when a visiting side minus star forward Ousman Krubally went down 93-83.
Since then Leopards have reeled off 19 straight league win and won 21 out of 22 games in all competitions to complete a league and cup double, but coach Dejan Mihevc still wants more from the season: "We're excited about the play-offs, and we want to finish the season with a win. The supporters have been great this season, and we want to reward them with a victory in our final home game."
The winner of Sunday's tie will face either Worthing Thunder or Leicester Warriors in the semi-final at the Amaechi Centre in Manchester on Saturday April 28, with the final at the same venue the following day.
While Leopards lost that league game in Canterbury in December, they have won both other games against the Crusaders this season. A high-scoring encounter in October saw the Big Cats come out 103-92 winners in the National Trophy, before a comfortable 78-61 win at Brentwood in March saw them continue their winning streak in the league.
The Big Cats wrapped up their league campaign on Easter Sunday with a comprehensive 106-88 victory against Thunder in front of a large crowd at Basildon Sporting Village.
Despite being without starting centre Zak Wells, who is on a week's trial with Italian top division side Rimini, Josh Steel who was playing for England under-16s and the injured Bradley Wilkinson, the Big Cats dominated the game and led for all but the first 13 seconds.
They never looked back as Vernon Teel scored six of the first 10 points, and the lead only briefly dropped into single figures after Leopards went into the first break with a 33-21 lead.
A 15-8 start to the second period saw Leopards blow the game open, and their 56-40 half-time lead quickly ballooned to 74-51 after five second half minutes.
The home side were still 20 up going into the fourth period, and despite coach Mihevc running his whole roster during the closing stages, they comfortably recorded a third win of the season against the south coast side.
Vernon Teel recorded his ninth triple-double of the season with 30 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in under 25 minutes. Ousman Krubally kept his run of double-doubles going with 18 points and 11 boards in 22 minutes.
Simonas Bublys, who started in place of Wells repaid his coach's faith in him with 16 points and nine rebounds, while David Buchberger needed on 19 minutes to finish with 15 points, five rebounds and as many assists.


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Americans know Jackie Chan best for his cheery, acrobatic performances in action movies such as "Rumble in the Bronx" and "Rush Hour," made successful by his amazing martial artistry and self-effacing comedy. Chinese know Chan, a Hong Kong native, for largely the same reasons. But they also know him for something most Americans might find surprising: He is passionately political, a staunch defender of the Chinese Communist Party and harsh critic of anyone he sees as opposing Beijing. Today, that includes the United States.
Chan, responding to widespread criticism of China's recent censorship of a popular newspaper, insisted in a Chinese TV interview that the United States is "the most corrupt country in the world." He scolded Chinese who criticize their country in a way that foreigners can hear or see, adding that he's careful to only praise China when giving interviews in the U.S.


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A new curriculum is being adopted nationwide and moving into place this school year. The Common Core State Standards will replace traditional teaching methods and materials. To introduce this sea-change in education, Superintendent Pat Johnson held two forums this week to explain the transition to parents.
More than 1100 families were invited to attend one or both of the forums held Nov. 12 at Willits High School. About a dozen parents attended.
Johnson's presentation included videos explaining why the new plan was being adopted and how students will be tested in the future. Videos of a fourth grade math class and a sixth grade English class were shown so parents could see the new teaching method in action.
"The emphasis in the classroom is going to be developing logical processes to solving a problem. Students are not just going to memorize a set of answers to a situation. They're going to develop the steps we have to go through to solve that problem," Johnson said.
"This is really a very exciting time for us in education. If you really think about it education should always be evolving."
Parents expressed concerns about that evolution and losing the unique experience in local schools. Group learning and problem-solving are at the center of the new plan.
"You're showing that they're working in groups. And yet their testing vehicle is they're sitting in front of a computer by themselves," said a retired teacher in the audience. "The primary function is the ability to read that computer screen."
All testing for the CCSS is done on computer. The WUSD is currently assessing its computer needs and additional expenditures related to the change.
"Our goal as a district is to be able to make sure our students, number one, are comfortable with manipulating that computer," Johnson said.
A block grant from the state of $330,000 has been given to the WUSD for teacher training, technology and instructional materials for the CCSS. State Superintendent Tom Torlakson released additional funds from the grant this week. The total amounts to about $200 per student.
Johnson also addressed concerns the group nature of the instruction method might potentially leave some students behind. Johnson said instructional aides may be used to assist in classrooms where needed.
Laura McAlister who has two children in the district wanted to make sure the district wasn't just cutting back on school instruction or hours.
"Some people are concerned that they're just switching to computers instead of teachers," she said after the meeting. "I was mainly concerned about the budget being cut. I was afraid they were cutting back instead of giving more, but they're not."
McAlister's concerns about the budget were assuaged but not her worries over the new curriculum.
"No, I think there's a long way to go. There's a lot of settling out to do. It's a huge change going on," she said. "I don't think they know what they're going to do yet. I don't think they know how the kids are going to react. Our kids are the guinea pigs. That's what I see."
McAlister prefers keeping the old-style curriculum, lengthening the school day and increasing teacher salaries.
Johnson has a clear vision of the new style of teaching required for the CCSS and what it will do for students.
"When we adopted the state standards, I got excited as a teacher. Because as a math/science teacher I was now going to be able to introduce social studies into my classroom as well. Why did science develop what it developed? Because the pressures of the society were demanding that somebody do something," she said. "We're finally giving students that comprehensive view that nothing acts independently. Nothing. Not just in Willits. Not just in the U.S. But globally, nothing acts independently."
Adopted by the State of California in 2010, the CCSS is a single set of educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in math and English. Although voluntary, adoption of the CCSS allows states to be granted a waiver from some of the strictest requirements of No Child Left Behind Act, passed in 2001.
The Willits Unified School District will begin implementing the plan this year and will use the Smarter Balanced testing program beginning in the spring of 2015 to monitor the results. More than 45 states have adopted the CCSS.


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MEGADETH Frontman On Upcoming Press Junket - "The Interviews May Be Really Short, Because If I Get Asked Anything Antagonistic It Will Be Over"
May 27, 2009, 8 years ago
MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine has checked in with the following update:"Droogies!
Wow, the last week has just slipped right past me and here we are getting ready to start mixing, mastering (no worries here), and sequencing the record. We have all of the 12 songs done and ready to be revealed soon.
I am also going to start doing interviews for the new record and of course the upcoming Megadeth and SLAYER dates in Canada. Let me assure you though, the interviews may be really short, because if I get asked anything antagonistic or I am told, 'Someone said this and someone said that,' it will be over. I don't care.
I am honestly looking forward to these dates, and hopefully more than just breaking the ice and doing four concerts with some old friends. I currently have the flu so this is going to be short.
I love you all and thanks for checking in on me here, and at TheLIVELine."
Dates for the Megadeth / SLAYER co-bill are as follows:
June24 - GM Place - Vancouver, BC
26 - Rexall - Edmonton, AB
27 - Saddledome - Calgary, AB
29 - MTS Centre - Winnipeg, MB


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Hands Need Sweet Loving Too!Your hands will love being pampered with this sweet treat, just don't let them feed it to your face! Cake's luxury hand cream is packed with rich nutrients and a sweet smelling aroma to leave the hands feeling soft and comforted. The price may seem high, but a little bit of this will go a long way.
Lightweight, absorbs quickly, not greasy.
Expensive, lightweight, fragrance.
Nourish moisture-thirsty, parched, dry hands, elbows and other rough patches with Cake's Milk Made Velveteen Hand Creme. It also makes a great addition to a gift basket. Use frequently for maximum results or, for a more intense therapy session, put on a pair of moisture-retaining therapy gloves immediately after applying the product. For external use only. Do not use on the face.
Texture / Consistency / Thickness / Viscosity
This milky white, lightweight but rich hand creme isn't runny or too thick either. Initially, it feels a bit greasy until it's fully absorbed in to the hands, at which point it leaves them feeling velvety soft, not slippery. Only a small pea sized amount is normally needed to moisturize both hands. It does leave a slight sheen on the hands until washed off.
Cake Beauty prides itself on using 90-95% high quality, natural ingredients in all of its products. This creme is free of parabens and contains nourishing mango and shea butters, in addition to marshmallow plant extract, which has medicinal properties, anti-oxidants to combat aging, and it can also help to lighten the skin.
Cake Beauty prides itself on using 90-95% high quality, natural ingredients in all of its products. This creme is free of parabens and contains nourishing mango and shea butters, in addition to marshmallow plant extract, which has medicinal properties, anti-oxidants to combat aging, and it can also help to lighten the skin.
Taste / Aroma
A hint of raspberry and vanilla sweeten this hand creme, but don't make the aroma so overpowering that it's irritating to the wearer, unless an aversion to scented products is an issue. It's subtle but noticeable and is sure to please anyone who enjoys bakery scents. An unscented version is available directly from the manufacturer's website.
This creme performed well, without leaving the hands too slippery; however, it was necessary to re-apply after hand washing. For those who are looking for heavy duty moisturization, this may not be enough, but it does make a good everyday choice and the quality is better than the inexpensive drug-store brands.
The product is packaged in a flip-top, 3.4 fl. oz. tube that is convenient for travel and can stand-alone on a flat surface. Just a slight squeeze will dispense the product, without too much coming out, so long as it's not squeezed too hard. When you are close to empty, it can be cut open to get out the last drop.
Personal comments
I wasn't quite sure I'd like this hand creme; I've tried so many that I know exactly what I'm looking for. At first I wasn't able to pinpoint the scent (I tried to guess it myself without looking online), but now that I know what it is, the scent is obvious. I generally prefer unscented hand creams that are super rich, but I've only found one that performs up to my standards (true blue spa from Bath & Body Works); however, the price of the that is comparable to this one, so I won't find myself refusing a tube of this if someone gives me one. Honestly, it's worth buying a good hand cream if you ask me, and Cake's Milk Made is pretty darn good!
Follow-up commentary 6 months after original review
I found this to be a very nice hand cream; however, my teenager liked it even more and stole it from me! It appears that she is enjoying it as well, so if you like this one, HIDE IT!
This product was provided free of charge to the reviewer. This review is in compliance with the FTC guidelines.
Thanks for the review! I got a free trial of the True Blue from BBW and ooh! If this is anything like that I'll have to pick some up!
Great review! I am so glad to hear the ingredients aren't all yucky in these! I was hoping they'd turn out great, especially for that price. The rasberry vanilla sounds amazing! That's one of my fav lotion scents. Thanks for the super helpful review. I'm wishlisting this asap!
This is on my next to order list. That True Blue stuff works amazing but I never liked the way it felt on my hands. If I recall it has paraffin in it. Leaves a slick feeling I couldn't deal with.
Have you tried the Philosophy Hands of Hope or the Aveda hand cream I forget the name of right now? Those are my two favorites and I'm wondering how this compares to those (if you happen to know).
great review
aweosme review ty
Thank you for the review and sharing how it is non-greasy.
thanks! looks nice, expecially the scent
Great review! Thanks!
Great review.
Thank you so much!
nice review thanks
nice review
good review
i guess the fragrance appeals to lots of ages
Great review!
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