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No fears, my dear vegans! Tempeh can be delicious... and easy, like with this Lemon-Caper Braised Tempeh (new recipe). Now, with tempeh, I find it's important to infuse flavor... much like tofu. The beauty of tempeh though, is that it does have a natural nutty, earthy flavor. And while it's flavor (and texture) might take some getting used to for those accustomed to tempeh's better-known relative tofu, it is really very appealing when prepared the right way and with some of your favorite seasonings.
In this recipes, tempeh slices are first pan-fried to sear both sides.
<-- And just look at that golden-brown crust! That's flavah, flavah!
Then, the tempeh is finished by braising in a lemon-caper sauce. I add full slices of lemon as well as fresh lemon juice to the dish, since it infuses a lot of flavor (okay, and I think it looks pretty)! But, eating those lemon slices with your meal is optional, as they are quite bitter with the rind intact.
Now, 'spot the difference' in the photos! See here on the right, the lemon slices are part of the sauce... but in the large photos above, whoops, I forgot the lemon slices during that recipe trial. Which, of course meant that I then had to retest the recipe again to get a fully accurate flavor result.
Yeah, that's what happens to us cookbook authors that recipe test while multitasking mom duties! Had to start the recipe alllll over again another day....
not that I minded too much... it was delicious enough to make again!


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Heyey everyone. I've read many articles about handling exception but some do not discuss throws briefly and others do not discuss em at all.
I get the idea of try/catch blocks and somewhat of the reserved word "finally."
What i don't get is why one does not need the catch block when one adds throws Specific Exception or Exception in the main method. What happens when the specified exception occur? Explicitly, what does the reserved word throws do?
Any help is appreciated.

subset: commoncrawl


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On to the recipes for Friday's Favorite Finds! I found some really yummy things on Pinterest that I can't wait to make - check them out!
These all look wonderful! I'm especially taken with those cute taco cupcakes!
Congrats! That's a big deal. Love the "mini" recipes.
Congratulations on your blog veiw and following stats! Very exciting. Keep up the good work.
Congrats on the milestone of followers and views!!
I love the mini pizzas and little taco cupcakes. What a cute idea; I can see little ones really loving them,too.
Okay! These all look amazing!
Congrats on 100+ followers & over 10000 views! fabulous finds, looks yummy! Thanks for joining my blog followers and I am returning the favor :)
Each one looks better than the last...if that's possible! Awesome finds!
Congrats on your milestone! I'm a fan of the mini foods too, and those two look great. :)
I can't decide which one is better! everything looks cute and delicious, might try the cupcake tacos
These all look wonderful. This is my first visit to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
I've had taco cupcakes before - they are great! The burritos look delicious :)
Stopping by from FFF


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Syrian Government Forces Raid University Campus
And now to the Syria, where in the city of Aleppo today, government troops stormed dormitories at the main university. This after students turned out for mass protests yesterday. At least three students were killed during the raid. Dozens, if not hundreds, more were arrested. U.N. observers are currently in Syria to monitor whether the government and its opponents are complying with a peace plan. And that peace plan is supposed to allow for nonviolent protests. NPR's Kelly McEvers tells us more about what happened in Aleppo.
KELLY MCEVERS, BYLINE: It started at midday yesterday, when students all over the campus of Aleppo University began protesting.
MCEVERS: Up till now, protests at the university had been regular but small. This one was different. Thousands of students gathered in four different spots around campus to chant slogans against the Syrian regime. Syrian security forces showed up almost immediately and tried to disperse protesters with teargas and TASERs.
MCEVERS: This video shows frantic students trying to flee. Witnesses say some students threw rocks at security forces. The students ended up back in their dorms, a series of high-rise, apartment-style buildings. They continued protesting there. At some point, pro-regime students attacked the anti-regime students. And later that night, security forces showed up again, this time with guns.
MCEVERS: Witnesses say security forces shot at the buildings, then at the people. They say they went from room to room, rounding people up, stripping and beating some of them. Aleppo is Syria's biggest city and has long been thought of as a bastion of support for the Syrian regime. It's home to wealthy merchant families who stand to lose a lot if the regime falls. At the university are students from all over Syria, particularly from nearby cities like Idlib, cities that have risen up against the regime with mass protests and armed resistance. Many of these students stay in the dorms.
MCEVERS: This video shows the aftermath of the raid. Dorm rooms have been ransacked. Windows are broken. But still, the students went out to protest again today.
MCEVERS: Now, the University of Aleppo has been closed until further notice. Students were told to evacuate their dorm rooms. The final video of the day shows students standing in front of the university's main gate, stranded with their suitcases and bundles of clothes. As one student told us, this will stop our campus protests for now, but it will only make us want to protest more in the future. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Beirut.
Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Here's how her table looked:
Unfortunately, sales were not as strong as she was hoping. It turns out it was more of a $10 and under crowd, and while people ooh'ed and aah'ed over everything on her table, it didn't seem they were really there to shop. (My brother's girlfriend, on the other hand, had a table of homemade chocolates and candies and SOLD OUT. Again, I think it was that lower price point).
Of my stuff, all of the Moleskine notebooks sold, as did the pair of Chocolate Lollipop pillowcases and a couple of the stuffed birds. NONE of the quilted pillow sold. : (
But my mom is not discouraged. She's on the lookout for other sales ... maybe ones that are more craft-focused where the clienetele have a better idea of what they're shopping for. More to come, I'm sure!
On an unrelated note, have you voted yet? If not, what are you waiting for??!


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John Whitney's Catalog as Played Through Yooouuutuuube.
We are very pleased to announce the winner of the 2009 Featured Online Artwork of Internet Week NY, YooouuuuTuuube by David Kraftsow. YooouuuTuuube is a tool that takes video that has been uploaded to the popular video sharing website YouTube and unravels the video into frame-by-frame visualizations that recall Muybridge's famous 19th century photographic motion studies. YooouuuTuuube can be used as a trick to generate intoxicating moving imagery or as a precise tool that can quickly reveal the overall structure of a clip's lighting, editing rhythm, or content.
We would like to thank everyone for their wonderful submissions! If you happen to be in New York City during the next week do yourself a favor and check out the many events happening across the city in conjunction with Internet Week.


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Early Torah Study
Every Shabbat morning, we begin the day with an informal group at Temple to study parashat hashavua, the weekly Torah portion, in English. Led by one of the clergy, we analyze, question, and reflect on Judaism's central text. All are welcome — just occasionally or every week — and absolutely no background knowledge or familiarity with Hebrew is necessary!
Led by Rabbi Lustig.


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I'm now up to a new chapter in the book which focuses on bread from The Auvergne. This area of France produces most of the grain used by the country's bakers - many old varieties of wheat and rye are grown here at high altitude. The breads of this region complement the basic rustic local cuisine. The Auvergnat bakers do not like sour bread, and their ryes are very mild compared with those of Germany and Austria.
So the first loaf in the chapter is one I have made ages ago on one of my random roams through the book. It is the couronne (which translates as "crown" in English) and looks like a giant bagel. It is a white loaf that is considered to be a specialty bread of the Auvergne.
I was making my loaf for a "Christmas ham bake" (19 men baking hams on Weber coal grills and drinking rather a lot of beer, while the women gossip and children amuse themselves!) this afternoon, but was out Thursday and Friday night after work, so I had to really plan ahead. So I refreshed my starter on Thursday before I went to work.
Starter uses a stiff levain (45g) and is fed with 50g water, 95g AP flour and 5g whole wheat. I let this sit and do it's thing all day at RT. I made the dough after work - 340g water (warm), 500g AP flour, 125g starter and 10g salt. Since I had to be out of the house minutes after I arrived home, these ingredients got roughly mixed together and slapped in an oiled bowl. I left this on the bench whilst I went out and socialised @ about 7pm - I did mean to put in the fridge, but was in such a hurry to get out the door completely forgot.
Coming home at 12.30am (and on a school night! Shame on me!) the dough got a bit of a knead, stretch and fold and shoved in the fridge. Next morning when I crawled out of bed having had insufficient sleep and far too much to drink the night before, I gave it another stretch and fold, biffed it back in the fridge and despaired that I had to go to work feeling quite so rotten!
So Friday night after work, I gave it another stretch and fold, let it rest for about 1/2 hour and then shaped it. This requires you making a fat baguette shape about 18 inches long (so the book says), but I made it long enough that I could make it into a ring-shape and still have a decent sized hole in the middle.
I covered it with a dish towel and put it inside a couple of plastic bags, and yep, it got shoved back in the fridge again! This has got to be one of the most retarded loaves I've ever made!
This morning I took it out of the fridge, heated my oven up to 200C (400F) and baked it for about 45 minutes. So despite it's prolonged cool storage it looks pretty good for always being in a rush at each step!
I don't have a crumb shot as are taking it to my friends this afternoon, will try for one, but aren't holding my breath! The circle wasn't as good on this loaf as on my previous bake, I seemed to taper the ends too much and not join them properly. Here is a photo of my first attempt at this bread:
A much better "couronne" shape, but not as good a gringe! Will have to do it again and try and achieve a better shape.
Happiness is making bread!


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We will ship items within two business days from the date the order is received. The cutoff time is 9:00 am Pacific Standard Time. All orders received after that will be processed on the next business day. Shipping days are Monday through Friday. Special season and holiday dates will be posted periodically. Make sure you enter any special delivery instructions on your order.
We require a receipt signature for all shipments. Free standard ground shipping on all orders above $50.


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Apple releases iPhone 4 Case Program app
Apple's free iPhone 4 case program has finally launched and it's come in the form of an app. Available for download only on an iPhone 4, users will be able to use the app to order their choice of either an Apple bumper case or 1 of 7 third party cases. According to the official Case Program website:
- Download the iPhone 4 Case Program app from the App Store.
- Launch the app on your iPhone 4 and sign in using your iTunes Store account or Apple ID.
- Select your Bumper or case.
For iPhone 4 purchases made before July 23, 2010, you must apply no later than August 22, 2010; otherwise, you must apply within 30 days of your iPhone 4 purchase. To qualify for this program, you must purchase your iPhone 4 by September 30, 2010.
While subject to change, the current lineup of free cases includes the likes of: Speck's PixelSkin HD Case, Â Speck's Fitted Case, Belkin's Shield Micra, as well as Griffin's Reveal Etch case. It does appear that the only way to receive the complimentary case is through this app, so if you already own an iPhone 4, be sure to download it from the link below and enter the required info.
Apple Inc., iPhone 4 Case Program, 0.8 MB- Free


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Throughout the past week, the networks of NBC News have featured segments about autism, the fastest-growing serious developmental disorder in the United States. With as many as one in every 166 children born with some form of the disorder, it's a topic that interests millions of Americans. Thousands of you contacted us suggesting we address the possible connection between autism and childhood vaccines. Click "launch" above to hear contrasting viewpoints from two medical professionals as well as a discussion of the issues between NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and chief science correspondent Robert Bazell.
© 2013 NBCNews.com Reprints


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Welcome to the Kumoricon Forums! Remember: Have fun! – Forum code of conduct.
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
YAY~ so exciting! I want to enter, but I don't know if that will end up happening. Still, totally awesome that it's begun! X3
I fail to see the deadline to this contest -.-what is it? cause this sounds like so much fun
I got to the winner Announcements late as it was, I also don't know if everyone picked up their prizes.Winners by CharacterChoco-tan: Diana Kiester Straw-tan: Meg (aka Meg-chan)Men-tan: Ashley Roland (aka ShinigamiSquirrel)Green-tan: Sarah Bartash (aka Antares)Reverse-tan: Sarah Bartash (aka Antares)Thanks to everyone who competed, we liked all of your designs but we were looking for a pretty specific "spirit" for each Tan. We only got a couple of other entries so all of the competition was close, the other entries will be posted with the winners here:http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk9/pockyclub/Pocky-Tans/


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See how Toyota vehicles compare against the competition. Start by choosing your Toyota vehicle and a competitor to learn more on how they stack up.
Backed by Toyota's heritage of toughness, it's the pickup truck that defines off-road cred, proving itself daily as it conquers extreme terrain all over the globe. It's the stuff that's made Tacoma one of the most sought-after nameplates in trucks, and this rig is only getting better. New for 2018 is Toyota Safety Sense ™ P (TSS-P)
Toyota Safety Sense™ P24 — an advanced suite of active, high-tech safety features. And best of all, it comes standard on every 2018 Tacoma. So wherever your weekend takes you, you can bet that Tacoma's got your back.
See how the 2018 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 Double Cab TRD Sport compares against the 2018 Nissan Frontier CREW CAB 4X4. To help lower the cost of ownership, the 2018 Tacoma 4X4 TRD Sport V6 6AT Double Cab's fuel economy (city) is 18 while Frontier Crew Cab 4X4 PRO-4X 5AT's fuel economy (city) is 15. For power and performance, the horsepower on Tacoma 4X4 TRD Sport V6 6AT Double Cab is 278@6000 while 261@5600 on Frontier Crew Cab, and the Tacoma has 300 more pounds of Maximum Towing Capacity than the Frontier. Also, a power vertical sliding rear window is standard on Tacoma 4X4 TRD Sport V6 6AT Double Cab, whereas not available on Frontier.


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- Tips
- May 31, 2019
Part Time Maid Services | Maid Service Houston
Part Time Maid Services | Maid Service Houston
Part Time Maid Services | Maid Service Houston
Most of our clients are not home during their appointments. Some clients leave keys with their front desk staff or let us in before they leave. Other clients give us a key, so in this case we can clean without disrupting your work. Also we have clients who feel more comfortable being home during cleaning . Whatever your preference, we are happy to make your HomeClean experience pleasant and convenient.
Our Regular Cleaning covers:
– dust and wipe all reachable surfaces ,
– polishing all furniture,
– tidying up,
– sweeping and mopping the floors
– cleaning bathrooms: sink, mirror, bath and toilet
– cleaning the kitchen
– wiping down all surfaces
– cleaning microwave
– stove and sink
– removing trash.
Deep Cleaning is a comprehensive top to bottom cleaning, its different from Regular cleaning, it covers areas which aren't traditionally covered by a regular clean:
– full and deep dusting including all the corners
– under the furniture ( when its not heavy )
– behind kitchen appliances, scrubbing title in bathrooms
– clean all doors , switches , baseboards
– windows (interior)
– inside the oven including oven door glass,
– clean fridge inside plus stainless steal
We recommend a Deep Clean if you had not have your apartment professionally cleaned within the past 3 months or before scheduling recurring service with HomeClean.
We have many loyal as well as AirBnb customers, they are extremely valuable for us and we are available 7 days a week from 8am -10pm.
Sunday is the only day when our office is closed, but you are always welcome to reach us by email and we will get back to you promptly .
We're on call 24/7
Operating Hours
Contact US Today
Thank You


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I've realized a desktop application based on Qt Mobility for displaying maps and adds some landmarks in real-time (like QGeoMapObject). I've to see the track of some vehicles... I've used the code that can be downloaded here.
To manage the map, I've used a QGeographicsGeoMap object.
I want to have a cache for using my program also without an internet access.
Is it possible?
What is the way to do this?


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Service & Parts
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Look for this link on your favorites:
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Nice 2007!! Pipes, hwy pegs, riders back rest, grips, detachable tour pack. Please call: 321-259-1311
Space Coast Harley-Davidson is an authorized Harley-Davidson® dealership serving the Palm Bay, Florida area. We are proud to carry a large selection of new and pre-owned inventory. When you are ready to invest in a new motorcycle, our friendly and knowledgeable sales, financing, service, and parts departments are prepared to make sure your experience is outstanding, from assisting while you're making your choice to ongoing maintenance and customization. At Space Coast Harley-Davidson, we value the opportunity to create a long-term relationship with our customers, and we do that by giving you the best customer service available. Stop by and see us today.
The advertised price is based on MSRP of the model shown in black, excluding tax, title, licensing, registration fees, destination charges, added accessories and additional dealer charges, if any.
While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors do occur so please verify information with a customer service rep. This is easily done by calling us at (321) 259-1311 or by visiting us at the dealership.
**With approved credit. Terms may vary. Monthly payments are only estimates derived from the Bikes price with a 72 month term, 5.9% interest and 20% downpayment.
*Number of views in last 30 days
† Based on 2007 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
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(321) 259-1311Call Now
1440 Sportsman Ln NE • Palm Bay, FL 32905Get Directions
Open Today! Sales: 10am-6pm
Open Today! Service: 10am-5pm
Open Today! Parts: 10am-5pm
Phone: (321) 259-1311http://maps.google.com/?q=1440%20Sportsman%20Ln%20NE%2C%20%2C%20FL%20-6323%2C%20US%2C%20Palm%20Bay%2C%20FL%2032905


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Jos Buttler has admitted to mixed emotions after replacing his friend and county team-mate, Craig Kieswetter, in the England one-day side in India.
Buttler was preferred to Kieswetter for the fourth match in Mohali and will retain his place for the final game of the series in Dharamsala, although he may yet lose his spot to Jonny Bairstow for the matches against New Zealand next month.
For now, though, Buttler is focusing on making the most of his opportunity with bat and gloves and knows he has to be ruthlessly professional despite the circumstances of his selection.
"My opportunity has come from the demise of a friend and that's not ideal, when your mate misses out, but it's a huge opportunity for me and one that I want to take," he said. "It is a bit tricky, because Craig and I are good friends and have been for a number of years... I don't think this will change that; this is the world of professional sport and there are only 11 spaces in the England side, that a lot of people want."
Buttler, who made his Somerset debut when Kieswetter was on England duty three years ago, has been taken a little by surprise by his elevation to the wicketkeeper's position. Having replaced the rested Jonathan Trott he envisaged competing for a batting slot but ensured he spent plenty of time working with Bruce French, the England wicketkeeping coach.
"I didn't really see wicketkeeping coming, but I've been working hard on it before Christmas," he said. "My keeping is still a work in progress, but I think that will improve as time goes on, especially with the amount of work I'm putting into it. It's something I think I'm developing and something I think can become a strength of mine.
Buttler gave a brief glimpse of his batting ability in Mohali with a nine-ball 14, which followed powerful cameo appearances in Twenty20, including two unbeaten innings against India before Christmas and a 10-ball 32 against South Africa at Edgbaston last September.
At some stage the ODI format will test his ability to construct a longer innings - something a List A average of 56.89 suggests he can do - but at the moment he is concentrating on giving some impetus to the latter stages of England's batting effort.
"The other strength of my game is trying to be destructive at the end of the innings," he said. "It's something I have done for Somerset in the last couple of years and hopefully it's something I can bring into the international game."


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Health Ranger's Citrus Body Soap 12oz
$ 15.95
$ 13.95
Points What's This?
Health Ranger's Citrus Body Soap 12oz
(Made with Organic Coconut and Olive Oils)
Health Ranger's Citrus Body Soap is made with the finest organic coconut and olive oils and is free of harsh chemicals. This premium liquid soap has a luxurious texture that washes away dirt and rinses clean, leaving your whole body feeling rejuvenated. Just the right touch of citrus provides a pleasantly refreshing scent. Laboratory verified for safety and purity. 100% China-free, non-GMO and non-synthetic.
- Glyphosate-Tested
- Non-GMO
- Laboratory-Verified
- China-free
Ingredients: Potassium cocoate (coconut) oil*, Potassium olivate (olive) fruit oil*, Potassium sunflowerate (sunflower oil)*, Shea Butter* , Aloe Vera Juice*, Orange Essential Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil, Spearmint Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid.
*Organic ingredient
Contains no irradiated or genetically modified ingredients.
Product of USA.


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A plan to lengthen France's four-day school week has failed to win nationwide support, and the country's biggest teacher's union says fewer than a quarter of students will have the new schedule for the next academic year.
The Education Ministry wanted at least half of the country's schools to start a 4 1/2-day week. Tuesday's survey from the SNUipp teachers union indicates that only 22 percent of schools will do so. The other schools will keep the old schedule for at least another year.
French schools now have Wednesdays and weekends off. Officials say children have fewer class days than their counterparts in Europe or the Americas _ 144 days compared with an annual average of 187 _ but have longer days _ from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.


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T.I. On ESPN's First Take! (Should Vick Be Worried About His Starting Job?)
"T.I., Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless discuss Michael Vick's job
security in Philadelphia." - ESPN
Posted by @Worldstarvids
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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Green Island is the closest coral reef to Cairns, and located on the inner side of the reef it doesn't have the crystal clear water found on the outer reefs. However, this pretty coral cay is a great place to snorkel, and also has a few good dive sites.
Green Island is easily reached on a day trip out of Cairns and is very popular with snorkelers, and for good reason. Around the island are coral gardens and sea grass beds, where a good population of reef fish can be seen. Snorkelers are also likely to see turtles, reef sharks and stingrays. The jetty is a popular snorkelling site as well, as schools of fish linger between the pylons.
For divers there are coral gardens to explore in depths to 15 metres. In deeper water divers will see lionfish, batfish, turtles, reef sharks, moray eels, nudibranchs and octopus.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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A brand consulting company has named Apple as the most valuable brand in the world, according to its annual report.
The Best Global Brands report from Interbrand, a branch of Omnicon Group, named Apple as No. 1, while the previous No. 1, Coca-Cola, has fallen to No. 3. Last year Apple held the No. 2 spot. It's the first time since 2000 that the soft drink company hasn't been No. 1, according to the New York Times.
So why Apple? Jez Frampton, global chief executive at Interbrand said that it was only a "matter of time" with its $98.3 billion brand, which rose 28 percent from last year. Coca-Cola only had a 2 percent rise to $79.2 billion. Also add that Apple is in the tech sector, a hot industry, and Coca-Cola didn't have much of a chance.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
That may reflect why Google rose from fourth place to second, fourth place went to IBM, and fifth place to Microsoft. Samsung was No. 8, while Intel placed 9th.
However, not all tech companies tasted success. BlackBerry, which was No. 93 last year, has fallen off the list. Nokia, which was No. 18 last year, fell to 57th place, the largest fall in the report.
Interbrand lists its methodology for the ranking of companies as the following:
- At least 30 percent of revenues must come from outside the brand's home region
- It must have a presence in at least three major continents, as well as broad geographic coverage in emerging markets
- There must be sufficient publicly available data on the brand's financial performance
- Economic profit must be expected to be positive over the longer term, delivering a return above the brand's operating and financing costs
- The brand must have a public profile and awareness above and beyond its own marketplace.


text: Kitchens February 10, 2012 Photo Gallery: Budget Kitchen Decorating Tips Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Save This Print This Comment Get big impact with little expense. Update your faucet for a new look. The faucet draws a lot of attention and is the most used fixture in the kitchen, so even this single change can make a big difference. Chrome gives a sleek look, or try something trendy like a matte black to add some edge. Create your own gradient backsplash. When designer Jennifer Reid and her family renovated their house, they chose high and low additions to make sure they stayed within budget. They wanted a gradient or shaded tile effect for the backsplash, but it was expensive, so they purchased tile and created the effect for themselves by exchanging the dominant grey tiles for white ones. Ready-made cabinets from The Home Depot and Ikea hardware also cut costs. See more affordable home reno tips in our photo gallery. Paint your bulletin board to add a dash of colour. This compact kitchen used to be crowded and dysfunctional, with a jumble of cabinets, little storage and a bad layout. A fresh coat of white paint brightens up the space; the island is placed to allow for easy traffic flow and cleverly incorporates a built-in microwave and dishwasher. Get more design ideas from our budget kitchens photo gallery. Mix inexpensive butcherblock with bold black cabinets for a town-and-country feel. The combination of brass pulls, soft wood and gentle blues create a friendly Euro-farmhouse flavour in H&H executive editor Beth Hitchcock's renovated kitchen. Watch Suzanne Dimma tour this kitchen in our Online TV segment. Use salvaged beams for open shelving. After structural and water issues demolished their home reno budget, Danielle Nicholas and husband Greg Bryk, from the W Network show Building Bryks, made cost-cutting decisions with their kitchen. Beams salvaged during the renovation became handsome but inexpensive shelves, and the poured concrete counters are virtually indestructible. Use a restricted colour palette and collections of organic accessories for a chic look. In his apartment's original all-white kitchen, designer Brad Ford uses wood accessories to create a cohesive neutral and white colour scheme. A large movable cart with a butcherblock top provides ample storage in the pint-sized space. Customize cheap and chic baskets with numbers for much-needed storage. Numbered baskets across the top of the upper cabinets provides much-needed storage, warmth and texture to the basic white kitchen, while a hanging pot rack acts as a functional 'chandelier.' A butcher-block topped island doubles counterspace, and when two stools are added, creates a casual breakfast spot. A vintage chest, acquired from a university science lab, holds linens, flatware and baking utensils, freeing kitchen cabinets for larger items. See more of this space in our Online TV home tour. Find more great ideas for small spaces in our Small Space Solutions gallery. Refit a flea-market find with new pulls and an aluminum top. Stylist Heidi Lewis fell in love with this chest, acquired through a friend who worked at a university science lab. "Usually I only buy vintage if all it needs is a good scrub," she says. "But this piece was too good to pass up — I was determined to make it work." Now it houses linens, flatware and baking utensils. Above, basic Ikea shelves are dressed up with decorative wood brackets. See more of this space in our Online TV home tour. Forego a full reno and refresh old cabinets with a coat of paint. In this kitchen, oil-rubbed bronze hardware offers contrast against white cabinets. Floor-to-ceiling storage keeps clutter out of sight. Define inexpensive, big-box store white subway tiles with dark grout for an on-trend look. Fresh greenery and stainless-steel appliances offer a modern, airy feeling. Incorporate painted flea-market furniture and budget-friendly country accents. Pale blue tiles set in a diamond pattern add texture to this kitchen's crisp white cabinetry. "I know the rug looks like something you'd find in your grandmother's home," says homeowner Richard Ouellette. "But I think it's fun — it doesn't take itself too seriously." Use paint for a dramatic feature wall and forego the expense of tile. Toronto design consultant and stylist Alison Booth broke through walls to create her vision of the perfect home. In the kitchen, modern hits include a dramatic black feature wall, chunky Corian countertops and industrial wire pendant lights, while rattan bar stools, off-cut oak floors and a rough-hewn bowl keep the overall look soft. See more beautiful interiors with gorgeous flooring in our photo gallery. Build out cabinets around appliances to give them a more custom look without the expense of counter-depth units. Cameron chose classic white cabinets to contrast with the dark Hanstone countertop and graphic rug. Handmade water-hued tiles add gorgeous texture and shine. Larger industrial-inspired stainless-steel appliances make cooking easier and elevate the look of the generously sized kitchen. The cabinets around the fridge were built out to give it a more custom look without the expense of a counter-depth unit. Deep drawers for pots on either side of the stove make reaching things much easier. See the "Before" photo in our Kitchen Makeovers gallery. Embrace the kitschy features of your old kitchen. H&H style editor Michael Penney and his wife Sara decided to embrace the kitschy features that made their old kitchen charming. They wanted a bistro/farmhouse feel, so they painted out the cabinetry in a soft blue with a touch of grey, and splurged on new stainless-steel appliances, an American Standard farmhouse faucet, and Carrara marble counters. Read more about their kitchen inspiration. Read all about Michael's new house — including before shots and DIY projects — in his blog, tour through each floor on Online TV, see the full story in our June 2011 issue, and browse all before and after photos in the online gallery. Make a style statement with vintage green bottles or other collectibles. Michael Penney and his wife Sara chose glossy white subway tiles in the kitchen to keep the attention on open shelving baskets and arrangements. Woven baskets overhead and underneath conceal clutter, and a rolling table is the perfect spot to create a vignette with carafes and plants. Read more about their kitchen inspiration. Read all about Michael's new house — including before shots and DIY projects — in his blog, tour through each floor on Online TV, see the full story in our June 2011 issue, and browse all before and after photos in the online gallery. Swap boring lights with pretty pendants to layer character into a rental. Apart from swapping the contemporary pendants for industrial-style ones, the only other changes applied to this condo kitchen are pure decorating. H&H style editor Michael Penney added vintage pottery, hits of copper and weathered herb pots to give the new space a well-used feel. See the "Before" photo in our Kitchen Makeovers gallery. Also, watch a video tour of Beth Hitchcock's former condo hosted by Michael. Use affordable Ikea cabinets for a stylish and sleek look. The edgy Marcel Wanders damask wallpaper was a find from a trip to Glasgow. On the adjacent wall, floor-to-ceiling charcoal mosaic tile creates a striking contrast. Affordable Ikea cabinets look stylish and sleek. See a video tour of Cameron's kitchen! Use a vintage table in lieu of an expensive, blocky island. Using store-bought cabinets, an apron-front sink and classic finishes, design editor Cameron MacNeil created a relaxed space. The glass-fronted cabinets, open shelves and butcher-block counters are key to the room's casual feel. Watch a tour of Karen Kain's cottage on Online TV. See more beautiful cottage kitchens in our photo gallery. Visually expand a space with white. The narrow kitchen of this Laurentians, Que. cottage seems wider because of the white cupboards, simple backsplash and uncluttered storage. Views to the lush surroundings can be enjoyed while washing dishes. See more white cottage photos in our gallery. Hide a dishwasher and lower shelves with a curtain. Sticking to as few types of glassware as possible will keep costs down, and create a neat look when lined up. Inexpensive open shelves, old wine casks and a wicker basket holding condiments create an unfitted and European look. For more cheap and chic cottage decorating ideas, visit our photo gallery. Refit a flea-market cabinet with a kitchen sink for character. Walls are covered in beadboard panelling for a classic rural look. The original spruce floor is stained ebony and finished in glossy lacquer to create contrast. For more beautiful French country interiors, see our photo gallery. See more great cottage and country rooms in our Cottages & Country Houses gallery, Traditional Cottages gallery, plus see more cottage photos. Get a high-end aesthetic at a low price from a big box store. Martha's new line of kitchens for The Home Depot brings a high-end aesthetic to the big-box store. Architectural corbels, synthetic marble counters and detailed cabinetry are what make this kitchen. Frosted glass on upper cabinets conceal contents and shelves keep cookbooks within easy reach. Cups and glasses line up on shelves in the same colour as the cabinets. To see a full list of our reno trend predictions, view our 2011 Reno Trends photo gallery plus, find out which trend looks Lynda Reeves and Suzanne Dimma like most, as well as what our design editors want this year for their own homes. Opt for an intentionally unfinished look. Exposed rustic planks and beams give this cottage kitchen a dramatic sense of height. The darker wood farm table and Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs break up the monochromatic palette. The overall 'unfinished' vibe of the kitchen, complete with linen curtains covering lower shelves instead of closed cabinets, offers even more character. See more photos in our White Cottages gallery. Install stainless-steel counters instead of marble or granite. Vintage wood signs, exposed black iron hinges, old metal buckets as vases and a ticking-striped fabric Roman shade all read as country. Paired with white walls, a sleek countertop and drop sink with on-trend painted grey cabinets, however, the look is clean and fresh. See more modern country interiors in our photo gallery. Go right to the ceiling to take advantage of all available wall space. Keeping less-frequently used items, such as appliances or serving bowls, on the top shelves means more storage space below for everyday items. The extensive use of canisters and baskets keeps this open shelving area from looking messy or cluttered. Get more great storage ideas in our Organization Tricks photo gallery. Embrace a small window to avoid the big expense of enlarging it. Homeowners Jane and Jeff Wood were able to splurge on high-end appliances by using Ikea's Abstrakt and Rubrik systems in lieu of custom cabinetry. Affordable white subway tile and open shelving made the small window blend into the space, eliminating the big expense of enlarging it. A white and steel palette keeps the room bright and fresh, and accessories like a tea towel and stand mixer inject colour and personality. Get more budget-decorating ideas in our gallery. Remove upper kitchen cabinet doors and staple grasscloth wallpaper to the back for expansive-looking open shelves. Rustic baskets above the shelves and a mod '60s light fixture emphasize the height of style expert Michael Penney's former kitchen. A wallpaper feature wall also draws the eye up and out to the window view. Use a secondhand cabinet from Craigslist as a stylish and budget-savvy island. The wood in this buffet was in good condition, so Michael made the uncharacteristic decision not to gunk it up with paint. The pegboard — an homage to Julia Child's kitchen — offers valuable storage space. Use unfinished wood for a contemporary rustic look. Cottage owners Juli Daoust and John Baker installed the kitchen cabinets themselves and kept the original stove, knowing they would be mostly barbecuing. An under-counter fridge with pullout drawers saves space. "It was a $600 floor model," says John. "We added our own plywood panelling and wood handles." See more modern cottages in our photo gallery. Author: lmurphy Tags: budget kitchen Up Next Photo Gallery: Stylists' HomesView gallery


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Despite widespread perceptions, Israeli Jews aren't becoming more antagonistic toward Israeli Arabs. So concludes a new survey that also shows how Israeli Arab attitudes toward Jews have turned harsher.
The past four years have seen a wave of legislation that many Arabs and civil rights advocates view as attacks on the civil rights of Israel's Arab citizens. The most prominent example, the so-called Nakba Law, permits cuts in government funds to private nongovernmental organizations and state-funded institutions that mark Israel's Independence Day as Nakba Day, a common Palestinian reference to the occasion, which means "catastrophe day" in Arabic. The term, which offends many Israeli Jews, connotes for Israeli Arabs expulsions, land expropriations and loss of rights that they associate with the day.
Religious leaders and social activists have also mounted campaigns that are openly hostile to equal rights for Arab citizens. Most famous was the plea by right-wing rabbis in 2010 for Jews to refuse to rent or sell homes to Arabs. So-called "price tag" vandalism attacks against mosques by right-wing settlers in response to what they view as offensive government concessions to the Palestinians have also turned lately to Israeli Arab targets within Israel's pre-1967 borders. Earlier they took place only in the occupied West Bank.
But the Index of Arab-Jewish Relations in Israel, an annual survey, suggests that the Israeli Jewish public does not support these developments. In fact, the survey's findings indicate that even as some mainstream politicians, rabbis and activists on the right are upping the ante against Israel's Arab minority, the general Jewish public is becoming more conciliatory.
"Whatever the media thinks, Jews have not become more extreme," said Sammy Smooha, a senior professor of sociology at The University of Haifa who directed the survey, during his presentation of the survey's findings at a June 30 conference in Jerusalem. The conference, attended by Jewish and Arab academics, public figures and politicians, was dedicated to debating the study.
The survey, which interviewed 700 Jewish citizens and 700 Arab citizens, is co-sponsored yearly by Haifa University and the Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank that declares its mission as advancing democratic values in Israel. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7%.
Among other things, the survey's findings suggest that the 2010 plea issued by state-funded rabbis to keep Arabs from moving into Jewish neighborhoods has fallen on deaf ears. According to the survey, the number of Israelis who are prepared to accept Arab neighbors has climbed by 10 percentage points over the last decade — and 7 percentage points since 2008. A majority of Israeli Jews are still against the idea, but the portion accepting it has grown to 45.7% from 34.5%. Openness toward Arabs attending Jewish schools has also grown, to 54.8% from 51.5%.
Over the past decade, mainstream political forces, especially within the Yisrael Beiteinu party, have raised question marks over even the citizenship of Israeli Arabs. The leader of the party, former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, argued that citizenship and its attendant rights should be contingent on pledging allegiance to Israel as a Jewish state. But this campaign seems to have had little if any impact on public opinion.
When the campaign was at its height, during the general election of 2009, the proportion of Israeli Jews who said that Arabs have the right to live in the state as a minority with full citizenship rights was actually at a high of 78.8%. Today, the figure is down slightly to 75% — but still 2.4% higher than it was a decade ago.
Smooha told the Forward that he believes that the politicians' antagonistic stands toward Arabs has helped them in their competition against each other for hard-line Jewish voters, but has not swayed the attitudes of others toward Arabs. "The anti-Arab campaign is just successful in helping them to keep their constituents," he said.
Nevertheless, some academics have dismissed the survey's findings.
"If the political system does not reflect the will of the people, then Israeli politics is different in its politics than any democratic country, and I don't trust that," said Amal Jamal, author of the 2001 book "Arab Minority Nationalism in Israel: The Politics of Indigeneity."
Jamal, a member of Israel's Druze minority and head of Tel Aviv University's graduate program in political science and political communication, told the Forward in an interview that he thinks the statistics show only that Israeli Jews have become savvier in telling pollsters what they think people want to hear. "Public diplomacy is part of the Israeli political culture; people want to be seen abroad as a prosperous democracy and peaceful society," he said.
Jamal believes that a large section of the Jewish public is on board with hard-line politicians, but that this sector of the public just "doesn't want to be that blunt."
Meanwhile, in contrast to its findings on Jews, Smooha's survey of Arabs shows that those citizens have become more antagonistic toward the state and toward Jews.
Over the past decade, the proportion of Israeli Arabs who deny Israel's right to exist has skyrocketed to 24.5% from 11.2%. Only 12.2% feel that Israeli citizenship is the most important aspect of their identity — down from 29.6% in 2003. And some 58.6% think it will be justified if Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza start a third intifada should the stalemate in the peace process continue.
Smooha believes that the figures reflect a spiral of disillusionment in the Arab sector stemming from the collapse of the Oslo process, Israeli military actions in Gaza and the growth of the Jewish radical right in the Knesset and in public life. In his understanding, while these phenomena failed to radicalize the Jewish public, they "succeeded in reinforcing the alienation of the Arab minority and in engendering growing fear of a collapse of democracy among the elites of the center and the left."
Muhammad Darawsha, co-executive director of the Abraham Fund Initiatives, a nongovernmental organization devoted to Arab-Jewish coexistence in Israel, said that the figures point to a deep crisis in relations between Arabs and the state. An "internal intifada," or protests by Arab citizens like those seen in October 2000, is a real possibility, Darawasha warned. Twelve Arab citizens died in those mass protests as a result of what an official government commission later judged to be excessive force by Israeli police.
"October 2000-type clashes could happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and we should cherish the moment it's not happening," Darawasha said.
Arab antagonism has some surprising expressions. When questioned on the Holocaust, one-third of Arab respondents replied that it didn't happen — even though the Holocaust is part of the compulsory curriculum in Arab schools.
According to Darawsha, this doesn't reflect a real conviction that there wasn't a Holocaust. Arabs, too, he seemed to argue, are not always truthful in such surveys. "It's more a matter of poking peoples' eyes — saying that we know if we deny this, it will hurt you," Darawasha said. "In order to make the Jews more upset and angry, people are prepared to poke their eyes."
Paradoxically, though anger and alienation among Arab citizens toward Jews and the state are growing, Arabs also displayed a desire for further integration with both. Some 72.8% want to see Arab parties joining coalition governments. No Arab party has ever been brought into government, though ultra-Orthodox parties opposed to Zionism and to the state have been.
More than 45% of Arabs were also open to their children attending Jewish high schools, and more than 55% were open to living in Jewish neighborhoods. Still, these were down from 71% and 66%, respectively, a decade ago.
In Smooha's reading, though, these levels remain notably high. And the reason for this, he said, is that Arabs view integration as a "channel of social mobility."
This mindset led Arabs surveyed to take issue with their political leaders. Some 76% said that their leaders should deal more with settling daily problems and less with Israel's dispute with the Palestinians. They were similarly skeptical about the energy that their leaders invest in trying to curb the Jewishness of Israel, with 62.4% supporting the idea that Arabs should fight more for civil and socioeconomic equality than for peace with the Palestinians and a change of the state's Jewish character.
Smooha said: "Most Arabs in Israel today are pragmatic: They want a better standard of living, better services, less exclusion, and social and economic equality… a solution to their daily problems."
Contact Nathan Jeffay at email@example.com
Israeli Attitudes Toward Arabs Soften — But the Feeling's Not Mutual


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What is the meaning of SAMAD and SAMADIYYA??? please elaborate these terms.
As-Salaam alaykum,
The second Ayat of Surat Ikhlas of the Holy Qur'an (112:2) reads:- "ALLAHU SAMAD".. that is Allah is Eternal and Absolute. If Allah is SAMAD, then we are the SAMADIYYA of Allah. The Samadiyya of Allah refers to 2 aspects, namely:-
(1) His Absolute Independence from all things.
(2) The Absolute dependence of all things on Him.
Thus when you lift that cup/glass to drink water, it is only BY and THROUGH the Mercy of Allah [as Rahman and Rahim] that your thirst can be quenched... this is the REALITY of things and the wisdom of our reciting the 'Basmala when eating, drinking, driving etc
The way we understand and believe affects the way we behave and act. Does water remove thirst? Does the fire have the power to burn or not? When Prophet Ibrahim, alaihis-Salaat Was-Salaam, was placed into the fire by his enemies, what happened? It became 'Bardan Wa Salaman', a place of security and tranquility.... because Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, Creates, Controls and gives effect every single second, to every single creation, at any time He Wishes.
When we, as Servants of the Creator, say 'BISMILLAHI RAHMANI RAHEEM', we affirm the reality of things... ie that it is only by and through the MERCY of Allah, do things occur/happen, including quenching your thirst with a cup of cold water. And by our affirming this with faith in our reciting the 'Basmala, Allah then sends His Blessings (Baraka) upon the acts we do.
What is the meaning of SAMAD and SAMADIYYA??? please elaborate these terms.
As-Salaam alaikum,
Our Lord and Creator (ALLAH- Glorified is He) described Himself, in Surat Ikhlas (chapter 112) of the Holy Qur'an as al-SAMAD... Being SAMAD is one of His Attributes. It is a little difficult to translate SAMAD in one word. As adopted by Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Ali, in his "THE HOLY QUR'AN- TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY", I believe we can traslate the term SAMAD in 2 words as follows:-
(1) ETERNAL: Allah is Eternal without beginning or end.
(2) ABSOLUTE: He is not limited by time, place or circumstance- before whom all other things/places are mere shadows or reflections.
The latter implies 2 things to us all... That ABSOLUTE Existence can only be predicated of Him, all other existence is temporal and conditional. And two, ALLAH is dependent on NO person or things, but ALL Persons... all things are DEPENDENT ON HIM, thus negating the idea of gods and goddesses who ate, drank, wrangled and plotted, depended on the gifts of worshipers.
Best Regards.
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After the visit to Bellevue Bistro that I discussed a couple days ago, I scurried down the street three doors to Three Tiers. While having lunch a woman walked by with cupcakes and I knew I had to find them! Sure enough - Three Tiers was just a couple doors away!
Their website and cards are such a nice design. The owner is very sweet and chatted me up about my blog and her shop. Her mom runs the Mrs. Teapots a few doors down.
But for my trip - it was all about the cupcake. They have a few assorted varieties for sale - anything other than cupcakes has to be pre-ordered. The ones shown above are like a Hostess Cupcake.
Honestly I don't remember the names of what I got. The one on the left had caramel frosting with chocolate & toasted coconut. The one on the right was strawberry frosting I think.
The caramel frosting was delicious! I actually don't like caramel but this was just flavor and I loved it. The cake was nice - nothing special. The frosting is also more towards the whipped rather than buttercream - for those who know what they do and don't like.
Why Should You Go? All in all - it's a very cute shop. The cakes look great as well. Bellevue is so full of places - it's perfect for a Saturday afternoon with your friends - have lunch, shop and then get dessert - there are LOTS of options!


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AP's Hananel Weakly Covers Union's Threats Against USPS-Staples Retail Partnership
Presumed union member (the News Media Guild) and Associated Press reporter Sam Hananel's Sunday morning coverage of union threats against a pilot partnership between the U.S. Postal Service and Staples Inc. fails to deliver on at least three counts.
First, while noting that American Postal Workers Union (APWU) boycott threats ended a similar effort at Sears stores in the late-1980s, Hananel "somehow" forgot to note its aftermath, which resulted in even wider distribution of USPS products by non-union workers. Second, Hananel ignored the fact that USPS's main competitors, UPS and Fedex, both already have large networks of relatively convenient nonunion retail shipping outlets – compared to most post offices, which are separate-trip, standalone locations. Third, and most critically, he fails to note that the APWU's demand to have its members staff the Staples counters, even ignoring the wage differential, would be an extraordinarily counterproductive waste of labor. Excerpts from his coverage follow the jump (bolds are mine):
Postal Service, union wrangle over Staples outlets
The opening of Postal Service retail centers in dozens of Staples stores around the country is being met with threats of protests and boycotts by the agency's unions.
The new outlets are staffed by Staples employees, not postal workers, and labor officials say that move replaces good-paying union jobs with low-wage, nonunion workers.
"It's a direct assault on our jobs and on public postal services," said Mark Dimondstein, president of the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union.
The dispute comes as the financially struggling Postal Service continues to form partnerships with private companies, and looks to cut costs and boost revenues. The deal with Staples began as a pilot program in November at 84 stores in California, Georgia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as a way make it easier for customers to buy stamps, send packages or use Priority and certified mail.
Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said the program has nothing to do with privatization and everything to do with customer service and driving up demand for the agency's products.
"The privatization discussion is a ruse," Donahoe said in an interview.
I suspect that many customers who use Staples for UPS shipping would be interested in having the less costly USPS alternative available for less urgent packages. Thus, its presence at Staples should be a USPS revenue booster, and increased package volume would have the potential to increase employment at USPS distribution centers.
Postal service jokes are easy, but I should also note that USPS has greatly improved its package tracking capabilities in the past several years, and that past worries customers would have had about packages disappearing into the wilderness have largely disappeared.
… Union leaders fear that if the Staples program is successful, the Postal Service will want to expand it to more than 1,500 of the company's other stores. That could siphon work and customers away from nearby brick-and-mortar post offices, taking jobs from postal workers and even leading traditional post offices to close.
… The union plans to hold "sustained" protests this month at Staples stores in the San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., area that would be expanded elsewhere. Union officials also are considering how they can exert pressure on Staples shareholders.
"If Staples insists on continuing to refuse to staff those stores with postal workers, we're going to urge people to take their business elsewhere," Dimondstein said.
What if Staples buckled, and allowed postal workers union members to staff the stores? They would have nothing to do for most of their shifts.
The Staples employees responsible for the USPS counters aren't standing there all day long waiting for customers to walk in. I haven't been in one of the pilot stores, so I can't know for sure, but my guess is that Copy Center employees who already have UPS shipping duties will be responsible for the USPS counters. Such employees currently spend no more than 90 minutes during a typical 8-hour shift handling UPS customers, and might eventually spend a similar amount of time with those who wish to use USPS. The more effective Staples employees will also make sure that customers are aware of potential other products and services they may wish to purchase while they're in the store.
If unionized postal workers occupied the Staples in-store USPS counters, they wouldn't be able to do any other work in their stores, and as a result would usually be sitting on their hands at least six hours of each 8-hour shift. They also would be far less effective at promoting the store's other products and services. It would be a lose-lose situation, and it won't happen.
Presumed union member Hananel at AP didn't make the obvious point, either because he doesn't understand it himself, or because he knew it would get in the way of a story which will seem compelling to business-ignorant readers.
Hananel also didn't note that the USPS's retail efforts didn't end with the late-1980s Sears shutdown. Instead, it moved "to negotiate deals with individual mall outlets rather than with such national chains as Sears."
Most readers also know that the USPS has vastly expanded its stamps-only efforts into grocery stores and other retail outlets. Some of these are staffed by the APWU's supposed "brothers and sisters" who are members of other unions.
It hasn't been that long since USPS had a very close brush with bankruptcy, and its finances are still not in anything resembling good shape. The APWU's best hope is that its employer can build its package business with greater retailer presence and at best slow down its member attrition. It's living in a dream world which may include the AP's Hananel if it thinks retailers are going to let unionized postal workers occupy portions of their stores.
Cross-posted at NewsBusters.org.


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Obama: Avoiding fiscal cliff is "urgent business"
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Obama is appealing to key lawmakers to compromise and cooperate on the "urgent business" of avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff.
He spoke as he convened congressional leaders Friday at the White House for an opening round of deficit talks -- their first meeting since the election.
Obama has insisted any deal involve higher taxes on the top 2 percent of income earners. Republicans leaders are vowing to resist rate hikes as job-killers, though they've signaled they're open to added revenue through curbs on deductions and credits.
The combination of tax hikes and automatic spending cuts will hit New Year's Day unless lawmakers and Obama act. Top economists have warned the nation could be plunged back into recession if they don't.


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It's still a work in progress -- one more session in about two weeks to get some color in the background and it should be complete. The arch behind His eyes is a mystical aura/dinner plate that will have some cooler colors (blues, greens) emanating from it.
The first image, below, shows just the black outline after it had healed for about two weeks. The second image is after color was filled in and was taken the day after the work was done, which is why it looks a little blotchy. I'll post another image shortly after it's finished.
The art was drawn and applied by Eric Eye ([email protected]) at Lucky Devil Tattoo Parlor in Seattle http://www.luckydeviltattooparlor.com/. He's a fantastic artist and I highly recommend him and Lucky Devil. I was surprised to find out that a number of people there had already heard about FSM and were excited about this tattoo when I came in with the idea. Word is spreading and His reach is far.
Code: Select all
Oct 8, 2008 - Black outline only | Oct 22, 2008 - Body color done


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Place the water, yeast and 1/3 cup olive oil in a measuring cup. Mix and let sit for 4 to 5 minutes until the yeast dissolves and mix again.
Place the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl and mix to combine. Pour the yeast mixture into a food processor and slowly add the flour. Pulse several minutes until a ball of dough forms. Remove the dough and place in a lightly oil medium mixing bowl. Cover with a damp, warm cloth and place in a warm area to rise until double in size, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Punch down the dough and form into about 12 equal-size balls of dough. Using your hands roll each ball into long sticks of dough about 10" long x 1" thick and place on a pizza stone or baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush oil on the top of each breadstick. Sprinkle gomasio on half of the sticks and Eden Shake on the others. Let rest 5 minutes or so. Bake for about 15 minutes or so until slightly golden. Remove and serve with hot Eden Pizza Pasta Sauce.
Per serving - 247 calories, 9 g fat (33% calories from fat), 6 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 284 mg sodium


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Windsocks & Spinners
Sub Categories
- Windsocks
- Flags
- Windsock Accessories
- Spinners
Yorkshire Caravans is authorised by the FCA with Limited Permission to conduct certain credit related activity. We are a credit broker/intermediary and can introduce you to a limited number of lenders who provide funding. We may receive commission or other benefits for introducing you to such lenders.
Superfast South Yorkshire Connection and Innovation Vouchers Scheme provide eligible SMEs with funding to improve their broadband connections and/or introduce digital innovations into the business.
Yorkshire Caravans is a Caravan Dealership, established in 1931, specialising in the retail of New and Preowned Caravans and subsequent product ranges. Our main aim and focus is to offer the highest level of support and aftercare too our customers and recognise new and innovative technology can help us to achieve this.
Yorkshire Caravans has received funding from The Sheffield City Region European Regional Development fund (ERDF), part of the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) portfolio 2015 to 2020.


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Meridian Health Services is a progressive healthcare organization that believes in treating the "whole person" integrating physical, mental and social well-being to help people achieve their optimum health. This approach connects treatments and doctors working together to heal both the body and mind for total well-being.
Not only does Meridian's – more... spectrum of services connect medical and behavioral health, but also delivers programs focused on human services like independent living support, job skills training, foster care for special needs children, to counseling and support services for victims of child abuse. Meridian is the first and currently only behavioral healthcare system in Indiana to offer such care.
Simply, Meridian helps people cope and gives families hope to make the most of their lives. – less


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I know it is illegal to hit a person and drive off; so why is it legal to hit an animal and drive off?
To the editor:
My name is Taylor Rutter and I am 12 years old.
I know it is illegal to hit a person and drive off; so why is it legal to hit an animal and drive off?
On July 21, I saw a cat who had just been hit by a car. The poor thing was flipping and flopping in the middle of the road. I told my grandma to stop and pull over to help it somehow. When she pulled over on a side road, another lady pulled over to help. She said she saw it too and couldn�t leave it there to get run over again. So they went across the road to make sure it wasn�t their pet.
The family across the street said it was just a stray that had been hanging around for a while. The man who lived in the house went to his backyard to get his shovel. All three of them went back to the cat in the road. My grandma had an old rag that she was holding, so when the man was trying to push the cat into his shovel, my grandma picked up the cat with her rag and put it on the side of the road. She left the rag covering the cat so it would be less likely for a bird to get to it.
I got out of the car (where I had been all along) and took some pretty flowers I had picked earlier that day and sprinkled them over the rag. I sad a little prayer over the cat and went back to my car. My grandma and the other lady said goodbye, and we all left.
No adult or kid should have to go through what we three ladies went through. Even though the cat was just a stray, someone still might love him or take care of him. I know from experience that sometimes if they are �just strays� that they are still taken care of. Both of my cats were strays when they found us.
I know if that cat was a human in the same situation, the person who hit it would be in jail for who knows how long; but for an animal, a person just hits it and drives away and that�s OK?
All I�m saying is that there should be justice for a person that hits an animal and drives away leaving it in the road.
Just think if it was your pet instead of that little cat � you would be devastated and want justice, wouldn�t you?
It is not fair for any animal, stray or pet, to go through this. Do the right thing because animals matter.
Taylor Rutter
Midway Park


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Tesoro refinery acid accident burns 2 workers
2 workers burned at unit that had leak last month
(03-11) 08:32 PDT RODEO -- Two contractors doing maintenance work at Tesoro Corp.'s refinery near Martinez suffered burns Monday when they were splashed with sulfuric acid, an accident that occurred in the same processing unit where two employees were burned by acid last month, officials said.
A federal safety board said late Monday that it would investigate the cause of the latest incident. The agency also said it had not received full cooperation from the oil company in its probe of the first accident, which the federal board said was more serious than Tesoro has described.
The latest accident happened when sulfuric acid spilled on the two contractors' necks at 10:50 a.m. at the Golden Eagle Refinery at 150 Solano Way, said Maria Duazo, a Contra Costa County hazardous materials specialist. The men were taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek with injuries that were not life-threatening, she said.
Both maintenance workers were wearing protective garments, Duazo said.
Other workers with knowledge of what happened said the two had been splashed with acid while working on a pipeline, though the circumstances were not immediately known. The men were initially protected from injury by their protective suits, but some acid remained on the garments and drained onto their necks after the men took decontamination showers, the workers said.
Tina Barbee, spokeswoman for the San Antonio company, said in an e-mail that the workers had been conducting planned maintenance. One of the men was released from the hospital Monday while the other "remains at the facility for observation," she said.
Site of previous accident
Peter Melton, spokesman for Cal/OSHA, the state's worker safety regulatory agency, said the contractors had been working on pipes in the same unit where two Tesoro employees were burned by acid Feb. 12. The pipes carry sulfuric acid to be mixed with butylene to boost octane levels in gasoline.
The two workers in the February incident were not wearing proper protective gear when a broken pipe sprayed acid on them. They were treated for first- and second-degree facial burns at a Sacramento hospital and released the same day.
The incident was scrutinized by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which investigates the causes of accidents at chemical plants. Tesoro allowed federal investigators into the refinery the day after the workers were burned but barred them from future visits, saying the incident was minor and did not warrant a federal probe.
Investigators return
The safety board wrote a letter in protest and, after federal investigators subpoenaed Tesoro for documents, the company allowed inspectors onto the refinery grounds again this month.
Safety board spokeswoman Hillary Cohen said late Monday that federal investigators had received "some cooperation" from Tesoro in their probe of the February accident. But the company "has yet to provide some of the key documents sought" and did not preserve some evidence from the incident, she added.
"One eye-opening document that the team did obtain is a Tesoro engineering calculation estimating that 84,000 pounds of sulfuric acid was released in the Feb. 12 incident," Cohen said in a statement.
She said it was "hardly the minor release that Tesoro has been describing to the public."
Tesoro's Barbee said the company disagreed with the safety board's assessment. She said the federal agency "failed to acknowledge that the release was contained in a process sewer, which is part of the system's design. The amount of (sulfuric acid) released to the environment was classified as minor according to regulatory requirements."
She added that Tesoro "placed no restrictions on the amount of time the (safety board) teams spent at the scene. We also provided documents and space to work at the refinery and facilitated interviews of employees with knowledge of the incident."
The Chemical Safety Board's investigative team left the Bay Area last week, but an inspector was expected to return to the refinery by Monday night to look into the latest accident.
Workers expressed fear
State inspectors with Cal/OSHA ordered Tesoro's octane unit shut down Feb. 18 after finding several possible safety violations. In justifying the shutdown, investigators said workers "feared" dealing with the sulfuric acid and that a pipe had broken apart in workers' hands days after the spill.
After the company completed retraining and safety checks, the state agency allowed Tesoro to reopen the unit Feb. 28.
The state agency said it would also investigate the latest accident.
Jaxon Van Derbeken and Henry K. Lee are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: email@example.com, email@example.com. Twitter: @jvanderbeken, @henryklee


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The White House on Tuesday made a holiday appeal to Iran to return a retired FBI agent and two other Americans being held in the country.
Robert Levinson, the former FBI agent, disappeared during a business trip to Iran's Kish Island in March 2007. The United States believes the private investigator and father of seven was abducted and is being held in Iran. Levinson's case was a topic in recent negotiations between U.S. and Iran aimed at addressing Iran's nuclear program and improving diplomatic ties.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday that Obama specifically raised Levinson's case as well as those of U.S. citizens Saeed Abedini and Amir Hekmati, who have been detained in Iran, during a telephone conversation earlier in the fall with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Abedini is a pastor from Boise, Idaho; Hekmati is a former U.S. Marine whose family lives in Michigan.
"It is our view that all of these Americans should have the opportunity to come home," Earnest told reporters traveling with Obama in Los Angeles. "The U.S. government has made a respectful request of the Iranian regime during this holiday season to consider on humanitarian grounds releasing these three Americans, or at least releasing the two Americans we know are detained and locating the whereabouts of the third, Mr. Levinson."
A written statement the White House released before Earnest spoke said the U.S. remained committed to finding and bringing home Levinson, who is from Coral Springs, Fla.
"We respectfully ask the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to assist us in securing Mr. Levinson's health, welfare, and safe return," the statement said.
Hekmati's sister Sarah Hekmati said Tuesday that she and her family hope more frequent discussions between U.S. and Iranian officials lead to her brother's release after more than two years.
"We feel more reassured that Amir's case can be raised now with this bridge that's been built … and we can be closer to a resolution," she said.


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Turks Cashing Into Global Jihad At Our Expense
While the propaganda war rages internationally, here at home we all know what is up or down. Even before the raid occurred and our young men were nearly lynched alive by Islamic Jihad savages, FM Lieberman was calling this just another effort at delegitimizing our state's very being. The questions should be where is the enemy and how do we neutralize him?
Time to pin the tail on the Donk.. er Turkey.
This Gaza blockade run was financed in Turkey & supported by Erdogan himself. The implicit intention was to smear and propagandize against the State of Israel while simultaneously elevating the Islamist status of Turkey. Merely the latest, but perhaps most egregious act in a long line by the Turks trying to inflate Turkey into a regional Islamic power at Israel's expense.
From friend to (almost certainly) foe
TURKEY, THE AKP (Justice and Development Party) and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are new players in this drama. In its second term the AKP, the self-styled "conservative" Islamist party, has retreated significantly from its "moderate" image and accelerated its internal anti-secularism agenda.
One of the signs of this Islamization process has been the manifest anti-Israeli policy of the Erdogan government. It began with an official visit of the Hamas leadership in Turkey in February 2006, continued with Erdogan's attack on President Shimon Peres at the 2009 Davos Conference, the downgrading of military cooperation between the two allied countries and a continuous diplomatic crisis. [...]
We have for some reason allowed the level of outright Islamic nonsense emanating from the Turks to reach stratospheric levels..
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu lashed out Tuesday at Israel's attack on a Gaza aid flotilla and by extension the Obama administration's reluctance to immediately condemn the assault that left at least nine civilians dead.
"Psychologically, this attack is like 9/11 for Turkey," Davutoglu told reporters over breakfast in Washington before going to the State Department to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. He referred to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in which al-Qaeda hijackers used commandeered U.S. airliners to kill nearly 3,000 people.
Beyond the insulting absurdity of that statement the Turks come out looking more like 9/11 truthers than anything else when some sanity is applied here, seeing as they were the ones who actually orchestrated this entire propaganda effort in the 1st place. The fact that this effort was pieced together by actual terrorists while they innocently shout from the victim-hood mountain tops, only makes the Turkish protestations all the more obscene.
The Terror Finance Flotilla – Weekly Standard
The Turkish organizers of the Gaza Strip-bound flotilla that was boarded this morning by Israeli commandos knew well in advance that their vessels would never reach Israeli waters. That's because the organizers belong to a nonprofit that was banned by the Israeli government in July 2008 for its ties to terrorism finance.
The Turkish IHH (Islan Haklary Ve Hurriyetleri Vakfi in Turkish) was founded in 1992, and reportedly popped up on the CIA's radar in 1996 for its radical Islamist leanings. Like many other Islamist charities, the IHH has a record of providing relief to areas where disaster has struck in the Muslim world.
However, the organization is not a force for good. The Turkish nonprofit belongs to a Saudi-based umbrella organization known to finance terrorism called the Union of Good (Ittilaf al-Kheir in Arabic). Notably, the Union is chaired by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, who is known best for his religious ruling that encourages suicide attacks against Israeli civilians. According to one report, Qardawi personally transferred millions of dollars to the Union in an effort to provide financial support to Hamas. [...]
Were we so pre-occupied with maintaining our once fruitful Turkish relations that we somehow overlooked all this? With the result being sending our boys armed with paintball guns into a Jihadist hornets nest? Not exactly a stellar planning or intelligence moment frankly.
Turks Playing with Fire
Meanwhile beyond instigating this whole affair, funding it, and driving the resulting PR bonanza the Turks have also pulled their ambassador, initiated the UN Security Council meeting condemning Israel, and now threaten to actually escort future similar convoys using the Turkish Navy!
Why not just declare war on us & be done with it? Some in the US are awakening to the threat, while we in Israel seemingly prefer to coddle it..
The Turkish Power – Weekly Standard
The most ominous aspect of the flotilla incident is Turkey's involvement. The flotilla bound for Gaza, in violation of the blockade, was allowed to leave a Turkish port. The main sponsor was a Turkish charity known for ties to jihadist groups. The Turkish diplomatic and governmental apparatus sprung into action at the first sign of trouble — which of course there was, since the "peace activists" onboard the flotilla were masked and armed with lead pipes and knives.
Why is this troubling? Because Turkey is a member of NATO. It's sought to join the European Union for years. For decades, it's been a key military ally of the United States. Now it's at the forefront of a global movement to delegitimize America's ally Israel.
The main factor behind these developments is the rise of Recip Tayipp Erdogan's AKP. Some years ago, Christopher Caldwell pointed out in our pages that as Turkey democratized, it would also become more Islamic. And that means certain elements, influential elements, of its government and society would become more Islamist. The trend that few have noticed is that these elements are pulling Turkey out of the Western alliance structure and toward the Middle East. The break began in 2003 when the Turks denied the U.S. Fourth Infantry the ability to invade Iraq from the north.
Since 2005, Americans have been worrying about Iran's ambitions for regional hegemony. Maybe it's time we started worrying about Turkey's regional ambitions as well. [...]
What has been our reaction?
Did we pull our Turkish Ambassador as well? Did we assault Turkey verbally? Defend ourselves from the Turkish verbal assaults themselves? Cease arming the Turks with our high technology weapons? No. We are too busy treating the symptoms instead of curing the disease.
Ehud Barak our defense minister held sensitive conversations with senior Turkish officials, apparently his goal was not to vigorously defend Israel or put a stop to this sham, but to make sure that our multi-million dollar UAV sales to the Turks were still on. Sounds like a good deal, for the Turks that is. What are they holding over us? Naked pictures of Barak eating a shawarma!?
Meanwhile the Turks have canceled 3 joint military exercises with us, on top of the cancellation of another last year. Now they are also utilizing their position in NATO to call for another inquiry – This NATO one being beyond the UN games they have already played in the last 48 hours. Wonderful. They got the UN to chew us out, Europe is onboard, and now soon the Atlantic alliance itself will berrate us publicly.
10-0 Turkey. Israeli public less than amused
While our leaders stick their heads in the Turkish beach sand, the public is outraged..
Israelis protest Turkey, flotilla
Several protests condemning the violent attacks on Navy commandos by activists on board the Gaza flotilla and expressing support for the Navy were held at Israeli university campuses and highway intersections on Tuesday.
On Monday evening, around 500 protesters waving Israeli flags demonstrated outside of the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv. Protesters chanted slogans in support of the IDF and held up signs which equated the Turkish government with Hamas.
Planning a Turkish vacation? Beyond the fact that the Israeli govt is advising you never leave your hotel, there is also the fact that you will probably be traveling alone..
Workers reject Turkish vacations
Turkish tourist sites will have to make do with tourists from Europe this summer. Israeli workers will take their custom to Cyprus and Greece, if the intentions of workers' committees are fulfilled.
Vaadim, a firm coordinating information about economic activity among workers' committees in Israel, published a statement saying that after the wave of anti-Israel propaganda led by Turkey and Turkey's rapprochement with Iran, together with its dominant role in the "Freedom Flotilla" to Gaza, workers' committees have declared that workers will not go to Turkey for their vacations – "not even for free." [...]
Lieberman & Ayalon Humbled?
A few months ago when the Foreign Ministry started turning up the Turkish heat, the left in Israel went bananas. The resulting insanity termed sofagate, and ensuing calls for resignations had less to do with maintaining already brutal Turkish ties and more to do with trying to marginalize Lieberman & Ayalon of Israel Beitenu from what I could garner.
Is this the reason the government is now so accommodating of this egregious Turkish behavior? Were we once bitten twice shy and now our officials are loath to risk political heat with Turkey? It better not be, because it's time to go on offense, and stop playing Turkish defense. We are under assault from Turkey, and so far the Israeli government response has been well, non-existent.


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This exclusive edition Disk, designed by Fernando Vieira, comes with a numbered and signed certificate of authenticity. Printed on a .045" thick aluminum sheet, this print is crisp, high gloss, lightweight, and water resistant. It comes with a proprietary 1/2" aluminum shadow mount allowing for easy installation.
Masks have been used dating back to the beginnings of lucha libre in the early part of the 20th century, and have a historical significance to Mexico in general, dating to the days of the Aztecs. Early masks were very simple with basic colors to distinguish the wrestler. In modern lucha libre, masks are colorfully designed to evoke the images of animals, gods, ancient heroes and other archetypes, whose identity the luchador takes on during a performance. Virtually all wrestlers in Mexico will start their careers wearing masks, but over the span of their careers, a large number of them will be unmasked. Sometimes, a wrestler slated for retirement will be unmasked in his final bout or at the beginning of a final tour, signifying loss of identity as that character. Sometimes, losing the mask signifies the end of a gimmick with the wrestler moving on to a new gimmick and mask. The mask is considered sacred to a degree, so much so that fully removing an opponent's mask during a match is grounds for disqualification. During their careers, masked luchadores will often be seen in public wearing their masks and keeping up the culture of Lucha Libre, while other masked wrestlers will interact with the public and press normally. However, they will still go to great lengths to conceal their true identities; in effect, the mask is synonymous with the luchador. El Santo continued wearing his mask after retirement, revealed his face briefly only in old age, and was buried wearing his silver mask. More recently, the masks luchadores wear have become iconic symbols of Mexican culture. Contemporary artists like Francisco Delgado and Xavier Garza incorporate wrestler masks in their paintings. Although masks are a feature of lucha libre, it is a misconception that every Mexican wrestler uses one. There have been several maskless wrestlers who have been successful, particularly Tarzán López, Gory Guerrero, Perro Aguayo and Negro Casas. Formerly masked wrestlers who lost their masks, such as Satánico, Cien Caras, Cibernético and others, have had continued success despite losing their masks.
Sao Jose dos Campos , Brazil


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Hollywood's Paramount Pictures says a new edition of the board game Monopoly based on its film classic "The Godfather" is now available.
Produced by USAOPOLY, under license from Hasbro and Paramount Licensing, the game was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic gangster picture.
"Reminisce and relive 'The Godfather' story anew as you play America's favorite game with a killer instinct the Don would respect," a news release said.
"Expand your family's interests by amassing property and influence as you seek to bankrupt those around you. Buy, sell and trade the likes of Woltz International Pictures, Moe Green's Casino, Joe's Diner and Hyman Roth's Home as you muscle your way to an empire. Make them an offer they can't refuse as you vie for the Corleone Long Island Home and Corleone Lake Tahoe Estate (the prime properties traditionally occupied by Boardwalk and Park Place.) Travel the board with one of six game tokens: the horse head, cannoli, Genco Olive Oil tin, the Don's limo, a dead fish or the tommy gun."


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In his recent guest blog, "On severance tax issue, oil and gas producers have the burden of proof," Andrew Thomas states that it's the responsibility of oil and gas producers to make the case as to why increasing the severance tax is unfair. I want Mr. Thomas to know that Ohio's oil and gas industry has been arguing against the Kasich administration's severance tax proposal before residents and business leaders throughout the state, and it's an argument that we're winning. As president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, I've had the opportunity to present the industry's viewpoint against increasing the severance tax to more than 20 chambers of commerce throughout the state, often in tandem with a representative from the governor's office. To date, seven chambers have voted to oppose the tax increase, while just two have come out in support of the administration. Others are currently debating the proposal or have opted to remain undecided until more information is available. The industry has also made its case to numerous farm bureaus and landowner groups in eastern Ohio that have voiced concerns about the negative impact increasing the severance tax could have on their communities, which after decades of economic decline are beginning to prosper from oil and gas development. Though Mr. Thomas' column does correctly acknowledge the complexity of Ohio's oil and gas tax framework and that the severance tax doesn't tell the whole story, as an Ohio-based oil and gas producer who actually pays these taxes, there are a few points that I believe must be clarified. Mr. Thomas raises the question about how much the commercial activities tax (CAT) will impact Ohio producers if much of the oil and gas produced will be sent out of the state. Ohio is a major energy-consuming state that's home to many refineries and manufacturers that require a steady supply of oil and natural gas. For this reason, the CAT tax will remain a key factor in determining the overall tax burden for oil and gas producers. He also describes the severance tax as a "gross proceeds tax," which is correct. While the average citizen might think the 4%, off-the-top tax the administration is proposing might not sound so bad, it's important to understand that despite conventional wisdom the profit margin on oil and gas production is extremely low at approximately 7% after tax. With a profit margin that low, 4% right off the top equals a big chunk of a producer's profits and hinders its ability to reinvest into its business and employees. Mr. Thomas also touched on how an apples-to-apples comparison between states' severance tax rates is not necessarily fair. He mentioned that Texas' severance tax is higher than Ohio's, but, unlike Ohio, Texas has no income tax. What he failed to mention is that Texas also offers generous abatements to oil and gas producers to offset the severance tax. As for his statement that the public has a right to share in the profits from mineral production, the truth is that all Ohioans are already beginning to reap the benefits of expanded oil and gas development. Increased natural-gas production has resulted in record-low prices that benefit consumers who rely on gas for heating and cooking. Residents will also benefit from increased job and economic opportunities and increased tax revenue. A study conducted by Kleinhenz & Associates estimates that tax revenue from oil and gas development could be $1.05 billion beginning in the year 2015 under the existing tax structure. The additional revenue could be used to bolster local and state budgets or pay for an income-tax cut. Just as Mr. Thomas believes it's the responsibility of oil and gas producers to prove why raising the severance tax is a bad idea, we in the industry, as well as many legislators and residents, believe that the Kasich administration needs to prove why its proposal is a good idea — an idea based on sound logic, facts and figures — not on pie-in-the-sky, trillion-dollar fables and fairytales. That has yet to happen.
Jerry James is president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and of Artex Oil Co.


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Please join me as I develop an on-line community that supports, empowers and motivates women with cancer
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Between the Headlines. You Choose.
13 comments:
- Sally Church said...
Nice post, Jody - thanks for summarising this - I learned a lot!
- May 17, 2012 at 8:26 AM
Thanks for posting this, Jody. It's so important to take some time to really read through the studies and understand the science, not just react based on headlines. Thanks for providing some needed clarification. And women should ALWAYS feel that they can ask questions - it's their care.
- May 17, 2012 at 8:31 AM
- Jackie Fox said...
You are one heck of a journalist. THANK YOU for putting your formidable intelligence to work on this.
- May 17, 2012 at 10:13 AM
- 3laine said...
Great post - great info and really informative. Fascinating stuff!
- May 17, 2012 at 12:44 PM
- The Accidental Amazon said...
Great post, Jody. Looking behind the headline hype is crucial to advancing real understanding. Thanks for another stellar analysis.
- May 17, 2012 at 9:39 PM
Sigh! I so wish I had known then what I am learning now Jody about treatment options. I feel so angry when I realize all the wrong choices I made (not knowing any better) at the time of my treatment from full axillary clearance (no lymph nodes involved - not necessary) to fertility implications and now brachytherapy options. I am living with the longer term consequences of these decisions but at least I know that by spreading more information like this, we can help those who come after us, to make more informed decisions for themselves.
- May 18, 2012 at 8:43 AM
- Jody said...
Oh, Marie, I truly feel badly for the array of consequences you're still dealing with from treatment. It's one thing when you understand that you may have some side effects down the road. But life-altering consequences puts that on an entirely different scale. It certainly reinforces the need for all of us to keep advocating in the way we do.
I'm increasingly convinced that we need to find a way to find more women at the point of diagnosis -- when some of the decisions with the life-long consequences are made.
Thanks for reading, Amazon:)
- May 18, 2012 at 12:41 PM
- The Accidental Amazon said...
Marie, your comment certainly resonates with me and with many. Still living with long-term, lasting consequences of treatment myself, and I get tired of talking aboout them and putting up with them. But one long-term, lasting consequence of all this is that we are all blogging about it, hopefully making it better for others. Hugs to you.
- May 19, 2012 at 5:05 AM
- Jan said...
Jody, this information is critical to the breast cancer community. How many patients even know about the axial dissection study, let alone the new radiation options? Without knowledge from Dr. Google, bloggers or their doctors or nurses, they forge ahead with blinders on. I'm going to share this post with my facebook readers. It's must reading, even for those who are at risk for, or have, lymphedema. xx
- May 19, 2012 at 4:03 PM
- Beth L. Gainer said...
Jody, thank you for this very informative post! You are an awesome reporter, and giving us this information is so useful. I had the full axillary node dissection, and I've had lymphedema. It all could've been avoided, but at the same time, science is ever-changing, hopefully for the better,
Exciting things are on the horizon.
- May 20, 2012 at 7:26 AM
- Jody said...
Thank you both - Beth and Jan. I agree; unless we keep getting the information our to our readers only those whose surgeons are up-to-date on current practice will benefit. That is alarming to me...since medicine, like many multi-layered systems are slow to change. In some ways patients are moving faster. We need to make sure that newly diagnosed women are aware of information like this.
And Beth - yes, I had the full axillary node dissection as well and that caused a string of problems, including lymphadema. It's wonderful that a woman's mortality won't be affected by bypassing a full dissection...under the right circumstances, of course. Amazing, indeed.
- May 20, 2012 at 2:41 PM
- David Haas said...
I have a quick question about your blog, do you think you could email me?
- May 24, 2012 at 11:35 AM
- Mihir Sarkar said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- June 9, 2012 at 10:55 AM