text:
Silicone Watch Band 20mm Black Sport Watch Band Rubber Jelly With Tri Fold Clasp 7 1/4 Inch Length
This black Silicone watch band is a good choice for a standard to heavy use watch. The ultra soft Silicone band is extremely flexible with elastic like properties and can easily be adjusted and still fit flat and comfortably on your wrist. The durable Silicone will not deteriorate and it gives the band a tougher and longer life. It has a matte finish similar to the "jelly" watch straps. It has a "link" pattern on the band. The band features a heavy duty silver tone stainless steel tri-fold clasp that makes the band size adjust easily at any time. The Silicone is flexible and resilient requiring very little or no break-in period. All of our Silicone bands are waterproof, but it is recommended to wash them with hot water and soap once a month.
- New Silicone sport replacement watch strap
- Silicone watchband measures 20mm wide and approximately 7 1/4" inches long with buckle included
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- Clasp size is 18mm
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- Material of Band:
- Rubber or Silicone
- Width of Band mm:
- 20
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- Black
- Length of Band:
- Regular Length 7 - 7 ¾ inch


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An environmental activist group called "Friends of the Earth" held an event on June 4, 2013 in San Diego, California, in which they featured former NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko and former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan. The event seems to be part of the group's ongoing effort to shut down San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant that provides (if the two reactors are operating) 20% of electricity in San Diego County.
I suppose Mr. Naoto Kan to the people outside Japan ("hero" who "saved" the world from the bigger disaster) is like Mr. Toru Hashimoto to some people inside Japan ("hero" who speaks the uncomfortable truth).
So what did Mr. Kan tell the adoring US audience? It looks like the same stuff he's been selling for the past two years: TEPCO wanted to abandon the site, and he was the one who stopped them from doing so.
As far as I'm concerned, he was the prime minister of Japan who hid behind a middle-level manager at TEPCO when the water with low-level contamination had to be discharged into the ocean to make room for the highly contaminated water. Kan's cabinet didn't notify the neighboring countries, didn't have the guts to announce the discharge. Instead, a manager at TEPCO did the press conference, and then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said they sent a fax to IAEA about the discharge and that it should be sufficient.
From Friends of the Earth blog (6/4/2013):
Former Japanese Prime Minister Naota Kan warned today that restarting the damaged San Onofre nuclear reactor is driven by the same industrial and regulatory forces in the United States that are seeking the restart of Japanese nuclear reactors. He told a nuclear safety seminar that the worst-case nuclear accident at Fukushima-daiichi would have required evacuating a 190-mile radius from from the disaster, an area in which 50 million people live, threatening the entire future of his nation.
The major safety risks of restarting the San Onofre nuclear reactor located between Los Angeles and San Diego was put in the context of the devastating accident at Fukushima during an international seminar held at the San Diego County Government offices today.
Guest of Honour, former Prime Minister of Japan, Naoto Kan, described in detail the March 2011 accident at Fukushima-daiichi, the consequences of the earthquake and tsunami that led to the meltdown of three reactors, the threat from the hundreds of tons of high level nuclear waste spent fuel at the site, and the ongoing challenge to control the hazards at the site today.
...Naoto Kan described how the operator of the Fukushima-daiichi nuclear reactors, Tokyo Electric Power Company, wanted to abandon the site. Kan refused to accept this given Fukushima's six reactors and the hundreds of tons of spent fuel pools that would devastate central Japan.
Naoto Kan told the seminar that it would have been be such a terrible disaster, many times greater than Chernobyl, that it would be definitely necessary to evacuate Tokyo and wider region. Naoto Kan explained that he was confronted with having to consider a worst case scenario that would have required a radius of 190 miles from Fukushima to be evacuated affecting 50 million people.
Kan told of the 160,000 people that remain displaced from Fukushima, with families scattered across Japan.
"Until March 2011 I thought about how to safely operate nuclear power. After Fukushima, my whole mindset has changed … and that we must now not operate nuclear reactors," said Naoto Kan.
(Full article at the link)
In Japan, if the "industrial forces" mean electric power companies, yes they want to restart. They are bleeding money. Regulatory forces? If that means the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, so far they haven't shown much eagerness to restart anything anytime soon, to the surprise of many in Japan. The ones who want the restart of nuclear power plants in Japan are in those municipalities where nuclear power plants are located. They want money (government subsidies, electric power companies' gifts and donations), they want jobs.
Even when there is no government subsidy, Mayor of Tokai-mura, where J-PARC (that leaked radioactive gold and mercury into the environment through ventilation fans without anyone realizing that the extra-strong proton beams had evaporated the gold plate in their Hadron Collider by accident) is located, wants the restart of J-PARC experiment as soon as possible. Why? Because it is such a prestige and honor to have an advanced technological facility like this in his village!
(Never mind they were using ventilation fans like any household or restaurant kitchen...)

subset: commoncrawl


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June 11, 2013
With the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia a group of students and teachers from the Serbian Prizren Theological Seminary in Kosovo and Metohija has been visiting Moscow since June 4. The group is headed by Bishop Theodosije of Raska-Prizren, the rector of the seminary and a member of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Serbian guests have come to venerate Relics of the Russian Church and to familiarize themselves with Russian culture and history. Their visit has been organized by the Russian Orthodox Church within the framework of the aid program for the Serbian Church on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.
The seminary in the city of Prizren renewed its work two years ago after several years of neglect. At present the educational process in the seminary and the restoration works are going on simultaneously. The seminary complex in Prizren needs large-scale repairs as it was burned down by the mob of Albanian pogrom-makers in 2004. In summer 2012, the Russian Orthodox Church transferred to the Prizren Seminary 200,000 euros collected with the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia in the Moscow Sretensky Monastery. Thanks to this help, the seminary managed to repair several buildings and to accept students for the next term. At the present time, fundraising is continuing to restore the seminary complex.
For several days of their stay in Russia, the group members have already visited the Churches and museums of the Moscow Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Tretyakov gallery, the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy, the Convent of Protection in Moscow, Optina Monastery, and other holy sites. Everywhere a warm welcome was given to them.
On Sunday, June 9, the choir of the Prizren Seminary sang at the Divine Liturgy in the Sretensky Monastery, the vice-rector of the seminary, Protosingel Andrej (Saic) concelebrated, and Bishop Theodosije of Raska-Prizren prayed in the altar. Serbian guests' visit will continue until June 14.
Source: Pravoslavie.ru


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The New 2011 Sienna Minivan - Mommy Hate
Member Posts: 10
in Toyota
Two days after buying our 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE, we started experiencing steering and braking problems.
Two weeks after buying it, the trunk door stopped operating. It now opens and closes at will and is completely misaligned.
The trunk door's remote controlled electronics are screwed up and we have to manually force it down to close shut and stay shut.
On top of that, the dealership claims WE "bent" it (there are no dents or dings anywhere btw, and we are lost as to how it got "bent"... maybe we took a sledgehammer to the door joints??).
What next... the passenger seats start sliding at will and the seatbelts start popping out?
This car is a danger.
Toyota is right - with a Sienna, ANYTHING could happen. How magical is that?
Of course, Toyota refuses to fix the problem... on a brand new less than 14 day old car (with additional 7 year extended warranty above and beyond the regular warranty).
What's the point of paying close to 40 grand? You get to be the biggest fool you'll ever know.
You also get to think each and every moment how much you are playing around with your children's safety by having this car in your garage.
At any time, the mechanically-astute passenger side door might decide it would like to open up right in the middle of traffic, and lo and behold, your kid is thrown out like bathwater. Or the wonderful sliding "captain: seats might just like to slip and slide around on their own while you're driving. Or maybe your sunroof will come crashing down and end your Sienn-ic misery. It's definitely a very... "Mommy" feeling.
Trust Toyota - never again.
Note: (This car was purchased in July 2010 from a dealership in MD. The owner lives in NJ and her local area NJ dealership has refused to even consider that the car's mechanism is faulty. Drive back to MD and face another rejection there? Sure Toyota, after stiffing us for 40 large, we've got nothing else to do but kowtow to you. Nice. Department of Transportation will like too.)
Two weeks after buying it, the trunk door stopped operating. It now opens and closes at will and is completely misaligned.
The trunk door's remote controlled electronics are screwed up and we have to manually force it down to close shut and stay shut.
On top of that, the dealership claims WE "bent" it (there are no dents or dings anywhere btw, and we are lost as to how it got "bent"... maybe we took a sledgehammer to the door joints??).
What next... the passenger seats start sliding at will and the seatbelts start popping out?
This car is a danger.
Toyota is right - with a Sienna, ANYTHING could happen. How magical is that?
Of course, Toyota refuses to fix the problem... on a brand new less than 14 day old car (with additional 7 year extended warranty above and beyond the regular warranty).
What's the point of paying close to 40 grand? You get to be the biggest fool you'll ever know.
You also get to think each and every moment how much you are playing around with your children's safety by having this car in your garage.
At any time, the mechanically-astute passenger side door might decide it would like to open up right in the middle of traffic, and lo and behold, your kid is thrown out like bathwater. Or the wonderful sliding "captain: seats might just like to slip and slide around on their own while you're driving. Or maybe your sunroof will come crashing down and end your Sienn-ic misery. It's definitely a very... "Mommy" feeling.
Trust Toyota - never again.
Note: (This car was purchased in July 2010 from a dealership in MD. The owner lives in NJ and her local area NJ dealership has refused to even consider that the car's mechanism is faulty. Drive back to MD and face another rejection there? Sure Toyota, after stiffing us for 40 large, we've got nothing else to do but kowtow to you. Nice. Department of Transportation will like too.)
pax2u Member Posts: 12Oh no! I am so sorry to hear this. We were thinking about buying an XLE, but after reading your post (the problems AND the fact that Toyota won't take responsibility), we are rethinking our decision. Maybe we'll go with the Odyssey. I hear their (Honda) customer service is wonderful.0
mastergunnera8 Member Posts: 23Sorry to hear that crazy stuff!!
I would take it to another dealer..dont know how you would 'bend" a tailgate?..and record everything..lemon law stuff..
Man I would be getting with corporate..or the news...best of luck to you...0 -
carbuf1 Member Posts: 9Sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your new van. I know how frustrating it can be. I would work my way up the chain of command by writing letters and making phone calls and emails until I received some satisfaction. I think that is the best way to bring the heat to the dealership. I sure hope things work out for you. You might try another dealership if you feel like your relationship with the first is damaged beyond repair.0
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587Sounds like you got a 5pm Friday build.
It's a lemon, escalate and ask them to buy it back or you'll lawyer up.0 -
faultysienna Member Posts: 10THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVICE. PLS CHECK OUT TWITTER - A LOT OF BRAND NEW 2011 SIENNA OWNERS ARE FACING SOME KIND OF PROBLEM OR THE OTHER WITH THEIR DOORS - either liftgate or sliding, and some are facing problems with their electronics.
At our local Toyota dealership that we are getting our brand new Sienna investigated, another brand new Sienna came in that same week with the same identical same problem (liftgate stopped working, and was in fact bent out of shape on both cars).
The dealership is now investigating what is happening to our batch atleast. It was purchased in July.
We opened a case with Toyota Corporate in CA. That was 2 weeks ago. So far, nothing.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: You can ALL call Lawrenceville Toyota in NJ and report your problems, as the rep from Corporate in Tokyo is there. 1-888-369-9136.
The more Toyota Sienna 2011 complaints one dealership gets, it will force Toyota to look at all Siennas in an in-depth way, and they cannot call it isolated incidents that were caused by the consumers. They will not be able to to send each customer away just like that - if they get a whole host of reports at one location, regardless of what state you live in, they will be forced to address this isse.
Everyone with Toyota Sienna 2011 purchased within the last 2 months (May - July 2010) pls call Lawrenceville Toyota at 888-369-9136, ask to speak with George or Renee, state your minivan's problem, and atleast ONE dealership will be geting 1,000 complaints rather than 1,000 dealerships getting on complaint each. That way, Toyota Corp will be forced to address the issue that SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY DEFECTIVE WITH THE TOYOTA SIENNA 2011.
Thanks. Good luck everyone with your Siennas.0 -
miltwempley Member Posts: 4Please describe your sliding seat problem. We have a 2011 and have had the middle seats slide on their own on three occasions. I've elevated this issue through my dealer and just met with our regional rep in the PNW. They are logging the problem, but I wasn't given ANY satisfaction that they plan to do ANYTHING about it. Very serious safety issue.0
ginzero Member Posts: 3I'm considering a 2011 Sienna and your experience is very disturbing. Can you tell us the Manufacture date/location of your vehicle (maybe located in driver side door jam). Wondering if the problems are only from that batch.
Thank you0 -
DLu Member Posts: 94I, too, am sorry to hear that you have such a frustrating experience. I definitely think that Toyota is slipping in their quality control.
We just took a road trip in our '11 Limited AWD. The biggest gripe is that the run-flats that come with the AWD are TERRIBLE -- they do deteriorate the ride quality somewhat and, what's worse, nobody seems to have any in stock. Why do I already need one? I hit a huge pot hole in Chicago and tried to immediately find a place to replace it (I did not trust these "run-flats" and wanted to get home!!!). Unfortunately, I did not find any FIrestone stores near me at the time, and all the other major chains (NTB, Sears, etc etc) did not carry a run-flat in its size. So I ended up putting a "regular" tire on at a local shop because, as I was "limping" around, the darn thing started to make a terrible noise after only 20 miles of driving under 50 mph. I am going to carry that regular tire around every time I take a trip now.
To add insult to injury, one of the lug nuts apparently was cross-threaded on at the factory so that the kid who took it off ripped the whole bolt off (and kicked the freaking thing under the table, thinking nobody would notice a HOLE). I drove 1000 miles like that because the local shop did not have a replacement bolt; thankfully the dealer replaced it for free (the guy mumbled some junk about "this is not normally covered under the warranty but since your car is so new we'll cover it ...").
You can count on a "daddy hate" here too!
And don't even get me started on the sub-par interior fit and finish. I wish I got the LE instead of the $45k-plus Limited. What was I thinking?0 -
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587Isn't the $45k Sienna a bit of a myth? A unicorn, if you will.
Just checked and the most expensive one a local dealer is selling costs $35,720, and even the MSRP is under $39k.
The LE is arguably the better value, since you're getting the same basic van for less, but I'm willing to bet that 80% or more of Sienna fall between $25k and 35k. Maybe even 90%.0 -
miltwempley Member Posts: 4The MSRP of an AWD Limited with Premium Package, Convenience Package, Special Color Paint (blizzard white) + destination charge is $45,715. Where's the myth?0
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,5872 things that I can think of:
1. Few if any are produced that heavily loaded. And no other van offers AWD and laser cruise control and a power folding 3rd row seat.
2. High margin models are discounted most heavily, so that's a $41k van if you can even find one.
Did you pay $45k? I doubt you did.0 -
miltwempley Member Posts: 4I paid 43,327.04 before taxes. Total paid, 47,928.09 after taxes and documentation. This is not, however, the matter being discussed. This discussion is about safety and quality concerns about Toyota. Someone expressed concern that for the dollars paid, we shouldn't have these kind of problems. Do you have a counter argument or would you rather discuss the specifics of dollars paid? Can we get back on topic?0
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587I don't think the price tag should have much to do with it. A buyer should except a safe car no matter the price.
A higher-end car with more options (lane departure warning, blind spot warning, things like that) has more things that could break. Look at the historical reliability of, say, a Range Rover.
As to your original point, I do agree the LE is the better value, which is one of the reasons I got one (I also wanted the 8 seater model, though, and back then it was CE or LE only).
I don't think that the LE's lower price makes it OK for people to be having problems, though.0 -
tfaw_big Member Posts: 9We bought a top-of-the-line LTD AWD with all the options about 6 weeks ago. We had owned a 2004 XLE prior, and we need to replace the 2004 with this new 2011. Because we had just moved to Chicago, I decided we needed a minivan with AWD, so I decided to go with Sienna, although my initial reaction to the 2011 was fairly negative.
Anyhow, the interior of the 2011 just seems cheap and not as comfortable when compared to the prior version.
Well, we just put about 1500 miles on the 2011 through a road trip vacation. The 2011 did not perform well, as the tires were pretty loud and there was some odd smells coming through the vent. And to top it off, the sonar sensors stopped working as well (front and back). But it gets worse, as the navigation screen cracked - we did not place any undue pressure on the screen at all.
Took it to the dealer today,and they are claiming something must have impacted the screen and they are not honoring the warranty. So now I have to play hardball to avoid paying 1,800 to replace the screen. We will see what happens tomorrow, but my sense is that Toyota product is probably a lot worse than I ever thought, and I will likely unload this crap machine once these issues are settled with the 2011.0 -
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587The Nav screen cracked? Holy cow!
File a formal complaint here:
Also, call Toyota's 800 number, they can put pressure on the dealer to help you.0 -
DLu Member Posts: 94Toyota has the gall to display an MSRP of $45k-plus on the Limited (all the Ltd in New England have the Premium Pkg when I was shopping around) -- especially considering that all their commercials are the Ltd trim -- so to me that's the message they conveying.
Just because Toyota is desperate to move their product with steep discounts doesn't mean they still aren't trying to market their Sienna as befitting an $45k-plus price tag.0 -
DLu Member Posts: 94Regarding safety, thankfully I have not had any problems yet. In fact, my wife was able to make some emergency maneuvers and the thing handled it quite well.
My one point is that Toyota is not paying nearly as much attention to details as they used to be (it seems). It's okay if trim pieces are hard and fraying around the edges for a cheap car, not one that you are trying to parade around as some luxury "spa" that moms would love to spend a lot of time in. So, again, I am disappointed in the Ltd. I agree that having actual problems and things falling apart is a big No-no.
btw I know that there are a ton of New England dealers with $45k-plus Ltd AWD vehicles on the lot (again, talking about MSRP here). Sure, I only paid $39,500 for it, you're right.0 -
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587CR dinged them, too. Overall score dropped from 93 to 80, though it's still their 2nd highest rated van.0
deltheking Member Posts: 1,152Yes,that was disappointing b`cos the 04-09 Sienna especially the 07-09 Sienna was very good except for the exterior shape. They corrected that in this redesign but elsewhere they really cheapened. Dont know if Odyssey also goes the same way. If not ,then Ody will be a home run and Toyota will have to do some major refreshening with better materials.
I hope Ody is really good - it puts some real pressure on the Sienna to deliver in the next year.0 -
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587Same here...I'm not a fan of the lightning bolt but I don't really care that much about how it looks. Vans are all about function.0
AXM23 Member Posts: 64tfaw - I found this post by searching for "cracked navigation" in the Toyota forums.
I am very interested to know what happened because my navigation screen on my 2011 Camry cracked as well. And like yours, ours cracked without any undue pressure. I was attempting to enter a destination address on the screen with 1 finger. Toyota is claiming that the warrant does not cover it because I "damaged" it. I am going to try and fight it.
Please let me know what you would up doing.
Thanks!0 -
rgcc Member Posts: 11I own a 2004 Sienna XLE LTD (Loaded including the laser guided cruise control). I also just took delivery of a 2011 Sienna LTD (FWD) also loaded and have 850 miles on the car. Probably the most expensive van on the road today!
My observations follow: The rear wiper rotates from above rather than from below as was the case in the 2004 model. Given all the snow and road mist of the last two weeks, the rear window presents a driving and safety hazard. Taking some approximate measurements of the rear window area, total area approximates 7.625 sq. ft. The total clean wiping area is 2.5 sq. ft. giving a 32.7869% clean area. The lower left quadrant is particularly bad for the driver to observe cars directly on the rear left quarter. Why would someone design a wiper that only cleans less than a 1/3 of the rear window? The design engineer should be fired and the safety engineer should be re-trained.
The center console is totally dysfunctional. The old console had a small tilt up panel with a pencil and pad holder. Under this panel was a small storage area, and below was a large storage area for the head phones. The new console is one large box. Imagine trying to find a pad and pencil and other items put in the only driver's stowage area. This is akin to a woman w/a large purse having to empty the whole purse to find a pencil, comb or a set of keys.
Gear Shift is too close to the wiper lever on the steering wheel. Old model Sienna had a purse holder in the front passenger compartment which we used to hold small AAA plastic trash bag. New model eliminated this nice feature.0 -
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587Probably the most expensive van on the road today!
I'm guessing you haven't priced a Honda Ody Touring Elite?0 -
loucapri Member Posts: 214So in other words do you think you like the 04 better than the 11?
We had an 04 LE AWD and was thinking about getting XLE AWD on 2011 but kind of on hold due to many "not to happy" reviews and the problem with power sliding doors, cheap inside....
One thing you probably know but haven't mentioned, the sunroof on the 04 is WAY bigger than the 11 especially when in open position.0 -
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587My timing was lucky but I think the best years were '07-10, because the 2GR engine replaced the 3MZ, giving you a bunch of extra power with no penalty at all in mileage (real-world mileage seemed to go up slightly).0
foxyesq Member Posts: 26Don't know about the '04, but I went from a '08 Ltd. AWD to a '11 Ltd. AWD. I wish I had kept the '08 -- or at least had not purchased the '11.
As stated in so many posts, Toyota has cut corners on their newer models and this has certainly taken a tole on the final product. The interior of the '08 was much richer (better leather, no hard plastics), the ride was better, there was great little storage compartments throughout the van and the car just felt like a better, higher quality vehicle.
Also, many new Siennas, including ours, have problems with the sliding doors that Toyota has been unable to resolve: When opened from the handles, they often stick and, after a delay, pop open (see my post # 437 in Toyota Sienna Sliding Door Problems). Since the problem has progressively gotten worse, I mentioned it again this week, when I had the van in for its 10,000 mile service. The service rep. who checked me in went on and on about how this is a big problem with the new Sienna and how Toyota was working on it. She told me they would look at it again, but not to expect anything because there is no known fix yet.
When I checked out, the repair bill said that "sliding doors are operating as designed depending on how fast handle is pulled will cause pops noise as per Toyota normal operation."
First point - its interesting that the service reps are willing to tell you outright that its a problem that Toyota is working on, but can't put it in writing -- Cover Up???
Second - if this is "normal," then Toyota will soon be looking up to Chrysler for build quality. Many people, myself included, purchased these vans loaded with options carrying MSRP's in the mid 40's. This is knocking on luxury vehicle price territory. For Toyota to tell their customers that this "normal" is shameful and frankly, disrespectful. It show's the new "normal" for Toyota.
Third - The van has already been recalled once (unbelievable stupid break light design). Are we looking at a second recall when Toyota figures out how to fix this -- or finally realizes that it has to fix its mess rather then continuing to dismiss customer complaints.
The bottom line is that this is not the same quality van as you currently own. And Toyota is not the same company that it appeared to be years ago. If I was looking for a car today, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't consider this vehicle.
However, I suggest you take a test drive and see for yourself. Turn the wheels and hit the gas. Listen to the engine squeal like a pig and feel the torque-steer as it pulls the wheel in your hand. Take your finger and indent the cheap plastic bumpers. Grab them from below and shake them back and forth like a leaf --- feel the quality (more like the lack thereof!). Run your hand over the rock hard plastic. Knock on the plastic with your knuckles and hear the hallow-door like sound. And, try actually sitting in the middle row in a reclined position. Looks good in the brochure, but certainly not where I'd go for refuge.
A minivan has its advantages, and the Sienna is the only AWD minivan available but, given my recent experiences with this van and Toyota, I would STAY AWAY.
Not sure how long I will keep the '11, but will certainly dump it before the warranty expires. I don't expect this van to hold up as well as my past Toyotas have.0 -
runnermom1 Member Posts: 3I have a sienna xle AWD 2005 and love it but I recenty test drove the 2011 xle AWD with premium pkg and was very disappointed at the corners that have been cut. The obvious being-- no more adjustable arm rests, no auto controls on front passenger side seat (my 05 has them)and plastic everywhere where it used to be leather. With a sticker of 44k it's just pathetic. Not to mention, I am sure that corners have been cut in other areas not as obvious on a quick test drive. Sadly, having to say no to Toyota this time 'round. And on a side note-- the leg rests are not exactly little kid or mom friendly. Hard to close up and annoying to have the kids playing with them. And as for the side door popping noise. On my 05 that is what happened prior to the door breaking which costs 1k to fix. Now the other sde is popping and will likely go as well. Important to report problem to toyota bc that is the only way they will issue a recall. They know it's problem but if people don't complain they'll be happy to keep accepting their money to fix it.0
kacm Member Posts: 5We are considering the new Sienna to replace an 04 Ody, however we're nervous to buy based upon the problems we see people listing.
I emailed a dealer this morning that we've been working with to get his opinion re: water leaks, tailgate issues, sliding door issues and seat rattling. His response was:
"all the problems have been corrected on any 2011 vans we have had less than 90 days which is all of our instock vehicles. New parts have been installed to correct these problems on all of the 2011 and any 2012 models that will be coming."
Anyone think there's truth to this statement? Says the info. came directly from the service manager.0 -
ateixeira Member Posts: 72,587New parts, what new parts? I think he's just saying whatever he thinks will get you to come in. Doesn't seem honest at all.
Ask him for a parts list with part numbers, he'll trip over himself coming up with bogus excuses.
I'd find another dealer.
PS Stay away from the problems threads if you're shopping, people come here to complain, so even reliable cars seem like nightmares. Search the Dodge or Honda transmission problems threads, you'll come running back to Toyota.0 -
fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786Are you absolutely sold on buying new? We went shopping for a 2011 Sienna LE to replace our '02 Honda Odyssey EX. The Honda was a rock solid vehicle - 9+ years old with nearly 140k miles on her.
We were most unimpressed by the new Sienna. So much so that when my wife complained about the things she didn't like on the 2011 but loved on the 2002, the salesman took us around back to see a 2008 (last generation Sienna) in for reconditioning. We didn't buy that one, but ended up buying a similar Certified PreOwned 2008 from another dealership. It drives like new, is fully warranted, and cost about $12k less. Most important, my wife is happy!
The new Sienna certainly got off to a rough start. You might not remember the issues that the 1999-2000 Odyssey had, but by 2002-2004 it was a great van with literally hundreds of redesigned parts. I'm sure that the Sienna will get there also. Old saying - NEVER BUY REV 1.0 OF ANYTHING!!!!0


text:
Source: Link
HAGARTY, Sir JOHN HAWKINS, lawyer, teacher, politician, author, and judge; b. 17 Sept. 1816 in Dublin, son of Matthew Hagarty; m. 9 Sept. 1843 Anne Elizabeth Grasett (d. 1888), sister of the Reverend Henry James Grasett*, in Toronto, and they had three sons; d. there 27 April 1900.
The son of an examiner for the Court of Prerogative for Ireland, John Hawkins Hagarty was educated privately and at Trinity College in Dublin, where he stayed for a year (1832–33). He immigrated to Upper Canada in 1834, spending his first year on a farm near Bowmanville. Then, for five years, he was a student-at-law in the office of George Duggan* in Toronto. He was called to the bar in 1840, and from 1846 his law partner was John Willoughby Crawford*, a future lieutenant governor of Ontario. In addition to his busy career as a barrister (he was appointed qc in 1850), Hagarty served as a professor of law at Trinity College in Toronto from 1852 to 1855, the year in which it awarded him a dcl. He was a member of the college's council between 1857 and 1869.
Hagarty was active among Irish Canadians and in 1846 he was president of the St Patrick's Society. In January 1847 he was elected an alderman for St Lawrence Ward, but resigned in May of that year; in 1850 he was elected as a public school trustee for St Patrick's Ward. Hagarty wrote much poetry, most of it published in the Maple-Leaf, or Canadian Annual; a Literary Souvenir, edited by the Reverend John McCaul*. His best-known piece, which does not rise above the mediocre, is a heroic ode, "The funeral of Napoleon, 15th December 1840," published in the 1849 volume. His literary interests were also shown by membership in the Canadian Institute [see Sir Daniel Wilson], of which he was president in 1861–62.
Hagarty's major contribution, however, was the 41 years, more than two-thirds of his legal career, he spent on the bench: puisne judge of the Court of Common Pleas (1856–62), judge of the Court of Queen's Bench (1862–68), chief justice of Common Pleas (1868–78), chief justice of Queen's Bench (1878–84), and president of the Court of Appeal and chief justice of Ontario (1884–97). As chief justice he served as administrator of the province for short periods in 1882 and 1892. Following his retirement in April 1897, the Canada Law Journal praised his service on the bench. It found that he had "no ambition to extend the area of 'judge-made' law but, on the contrary, [was] sincerely solicitous of administering the law as he found it, without usurping or encroaching on the functions of the legislature." The writer added that Hagarty's decisions had been upheld more frequently than those of any other judge. A modern observer of his decisions – most concerning the liability of railway companies, insurance, murder, the status of married women, disputed elections, seduction, and slander – could hardly disagree. Yet the writer of 1897 has neglected some of Hagarty's most engaging qualities as a judge. He wrote with great clarity and showed a meticulous use of language, particularly statutory language. He gave much more thought to statutory interpretation than did his fellow judges. His judgements have a distinctly reflective quality. He often agonized over decision making and frankly expressed his dilemmas. In one case he confessed that he was "much embarrassed" about the state of the law. He dissented in that case; indeed, Hagarty dissented more often than most judges. On another occasion he described a "great regret at being compelled to mention the very great difficulty, I might say impossibility, which the court feels in trying to deal properly" with the issue before it.
Hagarty was involved in only two decisions that can claim to have legal significance. In Drake v. Wigle (1874) the defendant, a tenant for life, was sued for committing waste on the plaintiff's reversion by cutting down trees on "wild land" for the sole purpose of bringing it into cultivation. Under English law a life-tenant would certainly have committed waste if he destroyed 100-year-old oak trees. The cutting down of fast-growing coniferous trees in the densely forested Canadian bush was different. Hagarty decided that waste was a "flexible term varying with local and other circumstances" and that the arcane real-estate laws of England were not applicable to Canada.
John Anderson*, a fugitive slave who had found refuge and protectors in Upper Canada, was charged by a magistrate's court in October 1860 with having killed a white man in Missouri who was trying to prevent his escape. That year the Court of Queen's Bench found Anderson guilty of murder under Missouri law and liable to extradition under the terms of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty with the United States. The following year, on appeal, the case went before judges William Henry Draper*, William Buell Richards*, and Hagarty in the Court of Common Pleas. They decided in favour of Anderson but did so on narrow legalistic grounds related to the formulation of the 1860 charge. Consciously avoiding the larger issues of policy, the judges did not decide that the Webster-Ashburton Treaty could never be applied to fugitive slaves. Hagarty concluded that Anderson should go free because the documentation was faulty, and he justified this narrow approach by its "overwhelming importance to this prisoner's life and liberty." In commenting on the larger issues, he said: "Nothing would be easier than to arrive at a conclusion if I had a right to dispose of this case simply on my own ideas of right and wrong, or on the dignity and privileges of human liberty – if, in short, I could ignore my peremptory obligation to decide according to what I believe the law is, and not as I may think it ought to be."
In recognition of his legal services Hagarty was knighted on his retirement in 1897. A member of the Church of St George the Martyr (Anglican), he died in 1900 and was buried without public ceremony in St James' Cemetery in Toronto.
In addition to the poem cited in the biography, Hagarty is the author of St. Lawrence Ward: the favour of your vote and interest is requested for John H. Hagarty as alderman for your ward election, on Tuesday, 12th January, 1847, at nine A.M. ([Toronto?, 1847?]), Thoughts on law reform (Toronto, 1850), A legend of Marathon; by an Ontario judge ([Toronto?, 1888?]), and Poems (s.l., 1902).
Trinity College Library, mss Dept. (Dublin), MUN/V/27/7–8 (term/exam books, 1833). York County Surrogate Court (Toronto), no.13897 (mfm. at AO). Richard Armstrong, "Hon. John Hawkins Hagarty, chief justice of Ontario," Barrister (Toronto), 1 (1894–95): 252–56. Canada Law Journal (Toronto), new ser., 33 (1897): 337–40. "Sir John Hawkins Hagarty," Canadian Law Times (Toronto), annual digest, 20 (1900), [1st sect.]: 171–78. Daily Mail and Empire, 28 April 1900. Globe, 28 April 1900. Toronto Daily Star, 28 April 1900. Toronto World, 28 April 1900. Canadian men and women of the time (Morgan; 1898). Cyclopædia of Canadian biog. (Rose and Charlesworth), vol.2. Dent, Canadian portrait gallery. Trinity College, Calendar (Toronto), 1853–55. G. B. Baker, "Legal education in Upper Canada, 1785–1889: the law society as educator," Essays in the history of Canadian law, ed. D. H. Flaherty (2v., Toronto, 1981–83), 2: 96. Centennial story: the Board of Education for the city of Toronto, 1850–1950, ed. H. M. Cochrane (Toronto, 1950), 30. Charles Clarke, Sixty years in Upper Canada, with autobiographical recollections (Toronto, 1908), 304, 306. Davin, Irishman in Canada. The Royal Canadian Institute, centennial volume, 1849–1949, ed. W. S. Wallace (Toronto, 1949), 193, 306. "Historical value of legal biography," Canadian Law Times (Toronto), 29 (1909): 450.
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Graham Parker, "HAGARTY, Sir JOHN HAWKINS," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed March 4, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hagarty_john_hawkins_12E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
Permalink: | http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hagarty_john_hawkins_12E.html |
Author of Article: | Graham Parker |
Title of Article: | HAGARTY, Sir JOHN HAWKINS |
Publication Name: | Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12 |
Publisher: | University of Toronto/Université Laval |
Year of publication: | 1990 |
Year of revision: | 1990 |
Access Date: | March 4, 2024 |


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Payoff connects you with one of eight lenders in their network, getting you a debt relief loan so that you can pay off your high-interest credit cards. While the BBB gives the company high marks, feedback from clients is much more mixed. Some have a great experience, while others describe a frustrating process from start to finish. There are more hassle-free options elsewhere if you want a loan to pay off your debt.
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If you're facing an ever-increasing pile of "past due" notices, threatening letters from the IRS, and credit card statements where you're barely paying the interest, you're not alone. With unemployment rates reaching record highs, more people are struggling to make ends meet. The average American carries over $90,000 in debt, from student loans to mortgages, and it's easy to get in over your head.
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– Phone calls reminding Ring and shake, Clock display 3 sets of display clock, Free Switch, Two-way anti lost Anti lost remind, Two way search
Pedometer, Step motion meter, Calories calculation, Sports mileage records, Sedentary remind, Sleep monitoring, Storage to the watch, Remote photos, Storage to the phone, Alarm clock, Calendar, Stopwatch, Calculator Bluetooth push, QQ, wechat, Twitter, Facebook.
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3. Notifier.
4. Remote Camera.
There are no reviews yet.


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I have a totemist who took Improved Natural Attack to boost the damage of the Claws from the Soulmeld Sphinx claws, and then decided to shape a different soulmeld that also gave claw attacks. (In this case, Girralon Arms bound to my Totem chakra.) Does Improved Natural Attack apply?
The way I read the feat, it applies to a subset of natural attacks, such as "claw," which both soulmelds impart when bound to the Totem Chakra. But I would rather have clarification to be sure. Does it apply to all claw attacks or just one source?


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Lakoff and Wehling are authors of The Little Blue Book: The Essential Guide to Thinking and Talking Democratic, where morally-based framing is discussed in great detail.
In his June 11, 2012 op-ed in the New York Times, Paul Krugman goes beyond economic analysis to bring up the morality and the conceptual framing that determines economic policy. He speaks of "the people the economy is supposed to serve" -- "the unemployed," and "workers"-- and "the mentality that sees economic pain as somehow redeeming."
Krugman is right to bring these matters up. Markets are not provided by nature. They are constructed -- by laws, rules, and institutions. All of these have moral bases of one sort or another. Hence, all markets are moral, according to someone's sense of morality. The only question is, Whose morality? In contemporary America, it is conservative versus progressive morality that governs forms of economic policy. The systems of morality behind economic policies need to be discussed.
Most Democrats, consciously or mostly unconsciously, use a moral view deriving from an idealized notion of nurturant parenting, a morality based on caring about their fellow citizens, and acting responsibly both for themselves and others with what President Obama has called "an ethic of excellence" -- doing one's best not just for oneself, but for one's family, community, and country, and for the world. Government on this view has two moral missions: to protect and empower everyone equally.
The means is The Public, which provides infrastructure, public education, and regulations to maximize health, protection and justice, a sustainable environment, systems for information and transportation, and so forth. The Public is necessary for The Private, especially private enterprise, which relies on all of the above. The liberal market economy maximizes overall freedom by serving public needs: providing needed products at reasonable prices for reasonable profits, paying workers fairly and treating them well, and serving the communities to which they belong. In short, "the people the economy is supposed to serve" are ordinary citizens. This has been the basis of American democracy from the beginning.
Conservatives hold a different moral perspective, based on an idealized notion of a strict father family. In this model, the father is The Decider, who is in charge, knows right from wrong, and teaches children morality by punishing them painfully when they do wrong, so that they can become disciplined enough to do right and thrive in the market. If they are not well-off, they are not sufficiently disciplined and so cannot be moral: they deserve their poverty. Applied to conservative politics, this yields a moral hierarchy with the wealthy, morally disciplined citizens deservedly on the top.
Democracy is seen as providing liberty, the freedom to seek one's self interest with minimal responsibility for the interests or well-being of others. It is laissez-faire liberty. Responsibility is personal, not social. People should be able to be their own strict fathers, Deciders on their own -- the ideal of conservative populists, who are voting their morality not their economic interests. Those who are needy are assumed to be weak and undisciplined and therefore morally lacking. The most moral people are the rich. The slogan, "Let the market decide," sees the market itself as The Decider, the ultimate authority, where there should be no government power over it to regulate, tax, protect workers, and to impose fines in tort cases. Those with no money are undisciplined, not moral, and so should be punished. The poor can earn redemption only by suffering and thus, supposedly, getting an incentive to do better.
If you believe all of this, and if you see the world only from this perspective, then you cannot possibly perceive the deep economic truth that The Public is necessary for The Private, for a decent private life and private enterprise. The denial of this truth, and the desire to eliminate The Public altogether, can unfortunately come naturally and honestly via this moral perspective.
When Krugman speaks of those who have "the mentality that sees economic pain as somehow redeeming," he is speaking of those who have ordinary conservative morality, the more than forty percent who voted for John McCain and who now support Mitt Romney -- and Angela Merkel's call for "austerity" in Germany. It is conservative moral thought that gives the word "austerity" a positive moral connotation.
Just as the authority of a strict father must always be maintained, so the highest value in this conservative moral system is the preservation, extension, and ultimate victory of the conservative moral system itself. Preaching about the deficit is only a means to an end -- eliminating funding for The Public and bringing us closer to permanent conservative domination. From this perspective, the Paul Ryan budget makes sense -- cut funding for The Public (the antithesis of conservative morality) and reward the rich (who are the best people from a conservative moral perspective). Economic truth is irrelevant here.
Historically, American democracy is premised on the moral principle that citizens care about each other and that a robust Public is the way to act on that care. Who is the market economy for? All of us. Equally. But with the sway of conservative morality, we are moving toward a 1 percent economy -- for the bankers, the wealthy investors, and the super rich like the six members of the family that owns Walmart and has accumulated more wealth than the bottom 30 percent of Americans. Six people!
What is wrong with a 1 percent economy? As Joseph Stiglitz has pointed out in The Price of Inequality, the 1 percent economy eliminates opportunity for over a hundred million Americans. From the Land of Opportunity, we are in danger of becoming the Land of Opportunism.
If there is hope in our present situation, it lies with people who are morally complex, who are progressive on some issues and conservative on others -- often called "moderates," "independents," and "swing voters." They have both moral systems in their brains: when one is turned on, the other is turned off. The one that is turned on more often gets strongest. Quoting conservative language, even to argue against it, just strengthens conservatism in the brain of people who are morally complex. It is vital that they hear the progressive values of the traditional American moral system, the truth that The Public is necessary for The Private, the truth that our freedom depends on a robust Public, and that the economy is for all of us.
We must talk about those truths -- over and over, every day. To help, we have written The Little Blue Book. It can be ordered from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and iTunes, and after June 26 at your local bookstore.


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Belo Horizonte, Brazil: A towering Paulinho header saw Brazil edge Uruguay 2-1 on Wednesday in an ill-tempered Confederations Cup semi-final in Belo Horizonte to set up a final with either world champions Spain or Italy.
Fred scored from close range two minutes from half-time to calm the nerves of the five-time world champions and Confederations Cup title holders after Diego Forlan had first missed a penalty for Uruguay.
But Edinson Cavani levelled three minutes after the restart and thereafter the hosts were rocking before Paulinho rose high to plant a firm close-range header past Fernando Muslera in the Uruguay goal to pull off a barely deserved victory.
"A Brazil match against Uruguay is always really an emotional rollercoaster for me," said Julio Cesar, who said he knew Forlan would fire his penalty to his left. "I played with him at Inter Milan – but it was a good stop."
Cavani said the penalty miss was "a shame as we were playing well but we have to take it on the chin."
Matches between the South American neighbours have long been tense affairs – not least since the Uruguayans shocked the Brazilians in the 1950 World Cup final in Rio to deny their hosts a first title.
But what gave this meeting added spice were pre-match comments by Uruguayan skipper Diego Lugano labelling Brazilian starlet Neymar a diver.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) issued a furious rebuttal of the claim, but there was clearly no love lost between the sides as they snapped into tackles and scrapped for every bit of territory.
Brazil made a sluggish start and Lugano was to the fore as he won a penalty for the Uruguayans after 16 minutes.
The veteran defender tussled with Chelsea centreback David Luiz in the box and went down – but Chilean referee Enrique Osses quickly spotted that Luiz had tugged on his rival's shirt and gave the spotkick.
Uruguay's record goalscorer Forlan stepped forward but placed his low kick too close to Julio Cesar, the Brazilian keeper diving away to his left to push the ball round the post and elicit a deafening cheer from a 60,000 crowd at the Estadio Mineirao.
Around twice that number were in the streets, kept out by a police cordon as they joined yet another protest against crumbling public services and government corruption as well as the multibillion dollar bill for staging major sporting events.
Police said beforehand they expected trouble but Brazil, mindful of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's urging them to make their countrymen proud, finally awoke from their nervy slumbers and took the lead two minutes before the break with their first chance of note.
Neymar chased a long punt down the left and stretched to flick the ball across goal for Fred to poke home a scissor kick finish from the edge of the six yard box, sparking pandemonium in the crowd.
By then, Neymar had certainly spent some time on his back – yet the Barcelona-bound 21-year-old was a marked man as Cavani earned a booking for yanking him back.
Yet Brazil were still nowhere near to finding the flowing form which had brought three wins and nine goals in the group stage and three minutes after the restart Uruguay were level through Cavani, the Napoli man threading a left-foot strike past Cesar.
Some dreadful defending saw the hosts fail to clear their lines as Luiz, Thiago Silva and Luiz Gustavo lost their bearings and Cavani drilled in hard and low to stun the home support.
Forlan then had a half-chance to atone for his earlier faux pas but fired straight at Cesar.
Scolari reacted to an increasingly leaden showing taking off Hulk, replacing him with local favourite Bernard.
Scolari also took off Oscar and sent on Hernanes in an attempt to inject some fresh drive.
Yet it was Uruguay who were turning the screw with first Luis Suarez heading fractionally over from a Forlan cross on 73 minutes before Cavani turned Hernanes inside out and slid an effort just wide as the Uruguayans attacking trident almost embarrassed a shaky home back four.
But with four minutes remaining Neymar whipped over a corner from the left and Paulinho outjumped Martin Caceres and seal their place in the final.


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Discontinuity of drug treatment after discharge from hospital: typical courses, medical and non-medical reasons for changes
Suche in Medline nach
Veröffentlicht: | 30. September 2004 |
In Germany, inpatient and outpatient patient-care are separated by relevant institutional, legal and traditional gaps. Anyway, the interface between hospital treatment and primary care is crucial to the quality of patient care. Not very much is known about continuity or discontinuity of care and its reasons at the hospital - GP-interface in German health care.
Here, we report of a qualitative approach. We recovered data about recommended and actual administered drug treatment from (1) hospital discharge letters, from (2) GPs' interviews and from (3) patient interviews from consecutive patients from the medical department of one hospital and created individual 'drug-careers' and charted reasons for continuity or discontinuity of medications.
There are 34 complete sets of data from 34 patients consisting of hospital discharge letter, GP-interview and patient interview each. Discontinuity of medication seems to be more the rule than the exception among these patients. Changes in medication can be found as well at the hospital-GP interface as at the GP-patient interface at similar frequencies, sometimes at different interfaces at once. Non-medical (e.g. economic) reasons for changes in medication are abundant, unintentional changes in medication (e.g. misunderstanding, forgetting and forgetfulness) are plenty.
Discussion and Conclusion
Our qualitative data support the relevance of the hospital-GP-interface as a crucial point for the quality of individual drug treatment after hospital discharge. The nature of the data do not allow an estimation of the quantity of the phenomenon, but the reported reasons for .discontinuity of medications might be taken as a basis for further investigations of the problem or the development of interventions to decrease rates of discontinuity.


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Alright how many of us are on Pinterest, storing up all those great ideas we love and planning on actually tackling them "someday". Well friends, that someday is here! Perhaps you've seen this throwdown around the blogosphere before – it was started by co-hosts Sherry of Young House Love and Katie of Bower Power last year and continues today. Yep, it's time for another round of the Pinterest Challenge and this is the Summer Edition!
I'm cohosting with the above mentioned blog friends (who I finally got to meet face to face at Haven – woot!) plus my buddy Michelle from Ten June! This brunette band of DIY lovin' ladies is issuing another throwdown, and we hope you'll say "Game on!"
Time to take a close look at your Pinterest boards and all those projects you've been meaning to get to, choose one, and get 'er done! I've got so many ideas stored up on my boards, but I'm totally obsessed with one in particular, can't wait to finally make it happen!
So, what will yours be? It's time to try out a new recipe, paint a piece of furniture, craft, create, or sew – all projects are welcome, big or small. Anything goes as long as the inspiration comes from an idea you spy on Pinterest.
(find all of these these projects and recipes on my Pinterest Boards!)
I've got a ton of ideas saved up, feel free to check out recipes In The Kitchen, plenty of colorful painting ideas exist over at Color Inspiration, and you know I love to collect all those great craft and home improvement projects in my DIY Inspiration board!
Here's how it works: No project is too big or too small! Pick any project you have pinned or one you have seen on Pinterest and tackle it for your post. Then write up your completed project and include a link to the Pinterest inspired project on Tuesday, July 10th, you've got one week! Please be sure to link to the original source of the Pinterest inspired project too. There will be link parties on that day by the co-hosts, so add your Pinterest Challenge project to any or all of them and link back to your hostess too.
We're pretty excited about this, and the opportunity to meet new bloggers through this fun blogosphere par-tay – join us next Tuesday July 10th for the Pinterest Challenge – Summer Edition! FYI, Pinterest has no clue about this, they're not a sponsor, this is just a fun idea originated by bloggers and a great way to your bootie in gear and tackle one of your Pinterest "to do" ideas!
Oh and pssssst. Since the Pinterest Challenge is Tuesday, I'm moving the Fair Weather Chillin' and Grillin' Link Party to Monday instead. Say what? Two link parties back to back? I know, call me crazy. If you've got a great BBQ recipe or picnic sidedish or some tailgaiting tips you'd like to share, link them up here on Monday July 9th. Link up your Summer Pinterest Challenge project the next day on Tuesday, July 10th.
Join in the fun!


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Facebook: Testament We recently had a lovely chat with Testament vocalist Chuck Billy . With Testament going strong after releasing their latest album, 'Dark Roots of Earth,' the band is set to conquer North America very soon through a winter trek with fellow thrash legends Overkill . We spoke with Billy about 'Dark Roots of Earth,' how the album compares to their iconic discography, the setlist their fans can expect during the tour with Overkill, his all-time favorite metal musicians + much more. Check out our exclusive interview with Testament's Chuck Billy: Congratulations on the success of 'Dark Roots of Earth.' Both fans and critics seem to love it and it reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart, which was your highest charting position ever. With the record industry in a weakened state across the board, what does that chart position mean to you personally? Well, it's definitely a big accomplishment for us. You always put your heart and soul into every record you do and I think this record was definitely a special record. We really wrote these songs and chose what we were going to put on the record by what leads us not by what critics and fans were gonna think. When we came up with 'Cold Embrace' or even 'Dark Roots of Earth,' when we first heard it, it didn't even cross our minds to think, 'What is everybody going to think?' The first thing we thought was, "This feels good, let's go for it." I think that's what this record has above the other ones; the sense of confidence we came into while writing the songs. We took the risks and we're just happy as a band and what we've accomplished. It hit No. 12, after all is said and done, after what we put into it … it was awesome. It's almost like our gut feeling paid off. We believed in it so much that everybody else did as well. [Laughs] To be considered a 'true' thrash band you have to operate in some fairly narrow confines, but you guys have been able to put out albums again and again that sound very fresh and interesting. How do you keep your music sounding so fresh? From when we started to where we are today, there have been a lot of bands that have a little Testament influence and over those years we've looked to those newer bands and have really gotten re-influenced off of them with the style and where metal's gone and without trying to copy. I really wanted to stick to my style of singing and not really jump on what other bands are doing, but musically and production wise it's just gotten better and better over the years. There are a lot of great sounding records and great sounding bands. The hardest thing is to put out a great record and make it go off the same vibe live; that's the toughest thing. When I see a band that's just as good live as they are on the record, I really enjoy it. I think we took a full circle of people getting influenced off of us and we got influenced off them and I think the biggest thing is we still feel young at heart. We don't feel like we're a 30-year-old band; not feeling our age, put it that way. [Laughs] Of those newer thrash bands that have inspired you, are there any in particular that inspired you the most for 'Dark Roots of Earth'? I don't know about just one band, but there are a lot of bands we talk to all the way from Lamb of God to Shadows Fall . There are bands that I hear a little bit of that early thrash style and you see what they're accomplishing, Lamb of God and bands like that. It's all in the riffing and the style, you kind of go, 'Okay I get it,' and you apply it to what you're doing in a small way. A long time has passed since 'The Legacy' came out. How would you compare the songwriting and recording process from 'The Legacy' to 'Dark Roots of Earth'? What are the most notable differences? Well, we didn't know anything about recording records when we did that record ['The Legacy'], first of all. I mean, I listened to that record and I remember recording that record and the mic techniques we used and stuff … it was almost a joke actually. We were using condenser microphones on clothes hangers. I think back about it just going, "What the hell was that guy doing?" And when I listen to the record that's why I hear the guitar sounding so small. Things have just changed, we went from two-inch tape down to digital recording. I think there was a point there with digital recording, bands had a problem at first because you couldn't get that warm, fat sound. Everything on digital boards and digital processing just sounded thinner. I think it took some time for engineers and people to really know what they wanted in a sense and figure out how to make those digital recordings sound fat like they were two-inch tapes. We went through the whole process from when we started to where we are now, and it's night and day. Now you can make big sounding records through digital processing. The songwriting … I think when Alex [Skolnick] , Greg [Christian] and Louie [Clemente] left the band, it was just me and Eric [Peterson.] We were writing songs that were more riff oriented. The writing technique changed from the way it was before. We were just focused on the songs and the riffs. I think once Alex came back and the reunion happened, it was a matter of getting used to each other and comfortable with each other again. We did the 'Formation of Damnation' record, it was the first step of bringing back that old style of writing together again and I think after that record and a bunch of years touring together, this new record was almost natural, just like the was it was [in the past]. We almost forgot about the way we wrote when me and Eric were the songwriters. It was a group effort to where we were thinking, "Okay, we've got to write a lead section here for Alex. Maybe we can do duel harmony guitars at the beginning." The whole thought process was right there where it was at the beginning. I think that's why a lot people say, "Yeah, I hear some of that early style in there." Speaking of the members of Testament, I saw you guys last year on tour with Anthrax and you had Gene Hoglan on drums. On this upcoming tour with Overkill can fans expect Gene to grace us with his presence? Yeah, Gene pretty much signed on for the whole record cycle. I know he had Dethklok obligations so he had to miss one year of being on the road with us, but I don't think Dethklok performs that often so I think he's all ours right now for the rest of the record cycle. So yeah, he'll be there. You played your first show in India recently and you've now been added to litany of huge, important bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden who've gone there. Can you talk a little bit about that experience, playing in India? I really enjoyed it, it was definitely an experience and kind of what I've learned by traveling the world is that a metal fan in the Bay Area has the same look and energy as a metal fan in the India: black shirts, long hair, banging their head. I think the experience was exciting for us because we had never been there after 25-30 years. There are a lot of people on the light crew, the sound crew, everybody who worked on the show seemed to be really excited because they'd been Testament fans for a long time and had never seen us. The excitement for them was pretty big, they were all very excited, which makes us even more pumped up like, "Man, we've really got to perform well because they're expecting a lot." It was pretty cool because we had such a big repertoire of songs to play for them and we played extra songs that we didn't rehearse, that we just threw in there and pulled off on the fly. It was an awesome festival, I would definitely love to go back there again to experience the culture. We only had a day to really sightsee, so we went around and checked out the temples and microbreweries are a big thing there now so we went and tested the local micro beers. It was a really wild experience driving around the city because they seem to just drive wherever they want to drive … going the wrong way, there's really no lines of traffic, it's just kind of a free for all. The greatest thing was watching these families on Mopeds, they have the mother and the father and the kids and the little baby on handlebars, the grandmother sitting side-saddle in the back … they put like five or six people on a Moped in all this crazy traffic. Amongst all that crazy traffic was just people with their kids walking across the street. No one got hit, nobody got hurt, it was just the way it was. That blew me away. Traveling in traffic was just mind-blowing. [Laughs] This year, 2013, marks the 30th year of Testament. Do you have any plans coming up to celebrate this milestone? We keep talking about trying to do a special show or a special major city tour or maybe a different country tour where we play either 'The Legacy' front to back or maybe even 'Dark Roots' front to back, but it's all just talk so we'll see what happens. We have to get our agent on board and promoters on board with the idea, but we definitely want to do something special. I think when we did 'The Legacy' and 'The New Order' record back to back, we got a great response. The fans really wanted to see something special like that, so we're definitely open to doing something cool like that. On this upcoming tour with Overkill, another thrash band that had a very strong 2012, what can we expect in terms of your set and how important is it for Testament to perform new songs as opposed to the classics? It's very important, actually. When we re-formed with the original lineup, our set consisted mostly of the classic stuff because those were the songs that all of us wrote together. They weren't really on the 'Low' record, 'Demonic' or 'Formation'… any of those records. We tended to play more classics, but I think just talking to the band, there seems to be a consistency on what people tell us about how Testament's sound doesn't sound like a dated band and that we have a modern sound; that's a great compliment to us. We don't want to be a nostalgic band and just play the classics. We want to show who we are today and what we've evolved to. If people are saying that we sound more current, then let's play some more current stuff in our show. On the Anthrax tour, we played a lot of classics. We tried to mix it up with both, but coming out on this Overkill tour we definitely have a new set. We've got six or seven new songs in the show, so we're leaning toward playing the more modern stuff we're doing. I think new fans to the band who hadn't been around in the early years, I think they're going to be happiest hearing the songs they recognize in the records they've bought over the last 10 years. When you think of each instrument in a band in the world of thrash, who do you think is the best at playing each instrument? I'd say Kerry King [ Slayer ] is a master rhythm player. If it was up to me, Michael Schenker [Scorpions, UFO] is one of the best lead guitar players. Man, it's tough between Gene Hoglan and Dave Lombardo [Slayer]. They have to be two of the better drummers I've played with. Bass players: Steve DiGiorgio [ Death , Sadus] is probably one of the best bass players I've jammed with. Vocalists: I've got a top three … I love Ronnie James Dio , Rob Halford [ Judas Priest ] and Bruce Dickinson [ Iron Maiden ]. [button href="http://loudwire.com/testament-vocalist-chuck-billy-dream-share-stage-with-metallica/" title="Chuck Billy Reveals 'Dream' to Share the Stage With Metallica" align="center"]
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Testament's Chuck Billy Talks 'Dark Roots of Earth,' Favorite Metal Musicians + More


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5 Things to Consider When Selecting a Barcode Reader
Selecting the perfect barcode reader starts with a careful examination of your code reading application. What types of codes are you reading? Are the codes difficult to read? Where will the reader be located, and with what physical restrictions? How will the reader communicate? What will be the cost of ownership?
- Symbologies
Data requirements for your inventory or track and trace application may be small today, which might make a 1D barcode seem like the logical choice. But your data requirements are likely to grow as your business scales. It is worthwhile to anticipate future requirements that would benefit from a 2D code or the ability to read compromised 1D barcodes. You may own your distribution channels today, but growth or new clients in remote locations may necessitate a third-party logistics company, leaving you no longer in control of the code-marking quality. Investing in more robust technology today may minimize future equipment upgrades.
- Read rates
Read rate is the number of successfully read barcodes divided by the number of attempts. The read rate is usually expressed as a percentage and the closer to 100%, the better for operational efficiency and throughput. Every time a machine or person handles your products there is a chance that the code could be damaged. If supply chain accuracy is important to your business, make sure your reader can read noisy codes—such as those that are printed on cardboard or are scratched, deformed or low contrast—not just perfect codes fresh off the printer.
- Usage
The scanning environment will also indicate which type of reader you need. If your application calls for reading cartons of various sizes traveling at high speed down a conveyor, then a small fixed reader will be the best choice. Fixed-mount barcode readers enable automated, hands-free scanning of codes from a mounted position, usually on a production line.
If the reader is the final inventory check for dock workers loading incoming materials or outgoing product, a handheld barcode reader will be ideal. Handheld barcode readers are held in the hand of an operator and can be corded or wireless.
If it's a courier or technician working in the field, a mobile barcode reader with built-in code reading capability will help quickly scan packages or check equipment specifications. Mobile barcode readers are held in the hand of an operator and can be purpose-built for a particular application or smartphone-based with a rugged mobile terminal enclosure.
- Reader Communications
After marking the part or product and reading the code, the data is stored or used within a plant or distribution center network. Image-based barcode readers offer a full range of industrial communication protocols including Ethernet, USB, RS-232, discrete I/O, Ethernet/IP, PROFINET and Modbus TCP/IP. This simplifies integration between reader and network, which is critical not only for reading and sending product tracking information, but also for storing archived images in the event of unread codes.
- Cost of ownership
With the additional power and flexibility of image-based barcode readers, you might expect the cost to be considerably more than laser scanners. While that was true in the past, the latest image-based readers cost about the same as industrial laser scanners that have far less functionality. New microprocessors and CMOS digital sensor chips also mean image-based systems can be nearly as fast as the fastest laser scanner. And these developments come in addition to the traditional benefits of image-based readers: no moving parts that can wear out or fail like laser scanners, the ability to read 2D codes as well as damaged and omnidirectional codes, and the ability to store images for audits and tracking.
ID - 1D High Speed,
ID - 1D Low Speed,
ID - 2D Direct Part Mark,
ID - 2D Printed,
Electric Vehicles,
Document Processing,
Airport Baggage Handling,
Food and Beverage,
Automotive Parts,
Automotive Vehicles,
Consumer Electronics,
Consumer Products,
Electronic Hardware,
Life Sciences,
Medical Devices,
Product Security,
Retail Distribution,
Barcode Readers,
Barcode Readers,
Fixed-mount Barcode Readers,
Handheld Barcode Readers


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In a secret bunker in an undisclosed location I am involved in a discussion about price controls in which I am defending my claim that Markets value the pleasure of the rich more than the survival of the poor.
If a poor person and a rich person enter into an auction for some item, where the poor needs that item to survive and the rich needs it for pleasure, the market will assign that good the rich, unless somebody steps in and interferes. The poor person can put everything he has into his bid, and still lose out to the wealthy person bidding out of petty cash – even though the rich person wants the good only for entertainment.
This happens because markets do not ask people why they want what they want. Markets only ask about willingness to pay. Where resources are scarce, they go to the person willing to pay the most -- again, regardless of why that person wants to pay anything.
Of course, this makes me a Lenninist Marxist Communist Liberal, in spite of the fact that I defend free markets for the most part. I simply believe that one must be honest about the strengths and the weaknesses of any system. This fact, that markets care only about ability to pay and care nothing about reasons, is one of the weaknesses of free markets.
There are two possible answers to this issue.
Answer 1: "So what?"
One answer is to simply dismiss this fact as irrelevant -- to say that it does not matter that markets value the pleasure of the rich above the survival of the poor.
Certain devoted fans of unfettered free markets might dismiss this fact as trivial. However, it is highly doubtful that those whose suffering, starvation, sickness, and death are at issue here are going to accept the thesis that those reasons lack significance.
As I have argued elsewhere, value is found in objects according to their tendency to fulfill desires. The aversion that people have to suffering, starvation, sickness, and death count among the desires that are relevant in determining the value of a political system. They will be used to determine the value of free markets. When they are used in this way, the tendency of free markets to value the pleasure of the rich over the lives of the poor does not leave a favorable mark.
Answer 2: "The rich have a right."
Another response that the defender of free markets can offer is that the rich have a natural right to their wealth. There is some sort of intrinsic value by which the pleasure of the rich is, indeed, more valuable than the survival of the poor.
This argument depends on the degree to which one can actually make good on the claim that these natural rights and duties actually exist. To the best of my knowledge, no physicist, chemist, biologist, or psychologist has ever needed to include them in any model governing the motion of bodies through space. And, in fact, human actions qualify as the motion of atoms through space. Therefore, I am fully prepared to endorse the conclusion that these natural rights and duties do not exist.
They are as much fiction as the divine commands of a God. In this, I side with the 19th century British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, who wrote "Talk about rights is nonsense, and talk about natural rights is nonsense on stilts."
The poor do not have a natural duty to lay down and die for the pleasure of the rich.
A Modified Concept of Rights
I do hold that the concept of "rights", developed in the 17th represented a significant advance in moral theory. I tend to think that the rights theorists were close to the truth, though they made one mistake. Rights are not intrinsic moral properties. Rather, rights, like all value, are grounded ultimately on desire. Scientists have never had much of a need to discuss intrinsic moral properties, but they have had the need to talk about desires.
From this, we can sensibly talk about what it makes sense for people to create universal desires for and universal aversions to. It makes sense for society to promote a universal aversion to wonton killing because people generally will live a more secure life and be better able to secure the lives of those they care about in a society with such a universal aversion. There is nothing wrong with conveying, "wonton killing is one thing to which everybody should be made averse" by claiming "everybody has a right to life."
If we look, then, at the things that these philosophers said had an intrinsic moral quality, these are things that it makes sense for society to cultivate a universal desire for or aversion to. A "right to liberty" secures the blessings of liberty for oneself and those that one cares about. A "right to property" makes it easier for a person to make plans and to help those plans bear fruit – which they would not if others can take one's tools or the products of one's labor at will.
It applies to freedom of the press (a universal aversion to prohibiting people from saying things because those with the power to prohibit typically abuse this power by prohibiting truths useful to others but harmful to those in power). It applies to the right of trial by jury (an universal aversion to doing harm unless guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt because we prefer to live in a society in which if we stay innocent our chances of being harmed are reduced). It applies to freedom of religion (a universal aversion to imposing one's religion on others -- an aversion that, when absent, tends to contribute to violent conflict and a stagnating society).
So, I hold that these rights theorists did a very good job. Yet, they have not done such a good job of accounting for situation where rights conflict. If we look at the classic case of yelling, "Fire" in a crowded movie theater. If there is a right to freedom of speech, then why is it sometimes permissible to overrule this right? If we can overrule the right to freedom of speech, then can we not, under relevantly similar circumstances, overrule the right to property?
The alternative I propose makes sense of the issue of yelling fire, because it makes no sense for society to wish that the right to free speech extend to these cases. Their security and happiness is better secured by "A right to free speech in cases other than those like yelling, 'Fire!' in a crowded theater." If their security and happiness is better secured by "a right to property except where the pleasure of the rich is made to trump the survival of the poor," then this defines the proper limits and scope of the right to property.
So, the question on the table as to whether the rich have a 'right' to this wealth ultimately is very much tied in with the question of whether such a universal aversion to taking property will help to better secure the poor from suffering, starvation, sickness, and death. These are very much morally relevant concerns.
There are some capitalists who answer this question by saying, "Yes, it will." If they are right, then yes, in fact, there is such a right to property. If they are wrong, then no such right exists. Either way, the answer cannot be morally separated from the promise that free markets will secure the poor from suffering, starvation, sickness, and death.
Warning Against Easy Answers
There are people involved in this debate who say, "Obviously, if we redistribute the wealth, then everybody, including the poor will be better off." And there are those who say, "Obviously, if we enforce strict property rights, then everybody, including the poor will be better off."
The people in this debate with whom I have the strongest disagreement are those who use the term, "Obviously."
I do not have the opportunity in any one blog to defend my position. Part of it is to say that I have no strong position, and it is subject to change at a moment's notice in the face of new evidence. The evidence that I have seen so far points to the following:
The right to property comes with exceptions like the right to free speech. That one of these exceptions allows society to provide for the food, shelter, and medical care of any individual entered into a training program aimed at placing that person in a secure job as a contributing member of society. Society itself benefits from having a better-educated population. Those who are in such a program will be able to do more than those without the skills that such a program would provide.
Again, I have no ability here to go into this issue in detail. There are complications that I have not breached. The main point of this blog entry, however, remains this: That the legitimacy of a system of property rights does depend on its ability to make good on the promise to provide for the ability of all people to better avoid such things as suffering, starvation, sickness, and death. If it cannot do this, then it loses its moral legitimacy. If it can, then its legitimacy is secured.


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Italian Talmudist; born in Candia; son of the philosopher Elijah Cretensis Delmedigo; studied at Padua under Judah Minz; he then returned to his native city, where his reputation as teacher of the Talmud attracted many pupils, among them Samuel Algazi. He was in continual controversy with the aged historiographer and teacher of the Law Elijah Capsali, who also had a school at Candia, both of the adversaries succeeding in rousing the interest of their most eminent contemporaries. Traces of the many differences of opinion that separated these two men and led to bitter disputes between them may be found in the responsa of the foremost authorities of this time. The liturgical poet Moses Alashkar, Elijah ben Benjamin
- M. Metz, in Joseph Delmedigo's Elim, p. 29;
- Geiger, Gesammelte Schriften, iii. 4;
- Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim, pp. 165 et seq., 453;
- Zeḳan Aharon, Responsa Nos. 7. 29, 70-78, 99, 112-114, 148-154.


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Terrifying Countries You Must Visit
If You Can Survive These 10 Trips, The Rest Of Life Should Be Easy
Page 1 of 11
"I can't decide where to take my next vacation!" Is there a more pressing first world problem? Fortunately for the lazy tourist, millions before him have already carved out well-trodden paths around the more famous destinations — India, Thailand, Croatia and so on — and getting a dose of foreign culture is as easy as catching a cab to the airport.
These destinations are interesting to be sure, but if one wants to travel the road less taken, it usually means turning to countries with less than stellar reputations. War-torn countries, nations with a history of political problems and those beset by natural disasters are, more often than not, places where you'll find diamonds in the rough. Oftentimes these countries feature just as many of the attractions as the tourism superstars, but with sparser crowds and more of an edge. And, yes, often it's only a matter of time before these insider destinations join ranks with the package-tour itinerary stops.
So ignore the disaster journalism that characterizes these 10 countries as places to avoid. Sensational reporting by its nature never makes mention of the generous people living regular lives at the edges of the big story. Amazing and unique sights and experiences that are conspicuously absent from the timetable tours of more tourist-friendly countries await the intrepid traveler. Besides, no one knows what destination will be tourism's Next Big Thing, but chances are it will be one of the places on this list. Now's the time to go.
Cheap Travel
Travel Guide
Better Man


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BillboardIn its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
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Sign holders in the spotlight in 'Everything Must Go'
You've probably seen sign holders on street corners or in front of grand openings. Being a walking advertisement can be a menial and monotonous job, but in "Everything Must Go," opening Friday night at the Red Eye Theater in Minneapolis, two workers rise above the indignity to form an unlikely friendship.
Imagine hoisting a sign, maybe even putting on a costume and becoming a human placard for hours at a time. Some people would just refuse, regardless of the circumstances. Others might feel, especially in this broken economy, like it's their only choice.
"First day."
"I know."
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"Nice to meet you."
Marcie and Kevin are thrust into each others lives as so-called sign spinners in "Everything Must Go." Sign Spinners. Sign Twirlers. The business speak term is 'human directionals.' Kevin is a veteran sign holder who won't admit he's given up on finding something better. Marcie has just been let go from a job she loved; being an administrative assistant.
"So, I'm just supposed to stand here right?" Marcie says.
"Yep. Simple."
It's almost impossible for the 'Great Recession' not to loom over this play. But co-creators David Harris, who plays Kevin, and Katie Kaufmann, who's Marcie, were more interested in the laboratory of human relationships than reflecting hard times.
"We kinda just wanted to do a show about two people who shared a job and were sort forced to be together," Harris said.
They chose sign spinning because of the comedy and pathos such a job can produce. You're braving the elements. You're enduring the sneers and jeers of passersby. You're contending with extreme boredom. It turns out both Harris and Kaufmann have come closer than most to considering sign holding as a viable occupational option. Harris is an under-employed freelance tech service worker.
"I was recently laid off about a year and a half ago," he said. "So I sort of been struggling with employment and trying to figure out, well, 'what do I do now and where do I go with that?"
And Katie Kaufmann, as a theater artist, has gone through some pretty desperate periods.
"I did actually think about doing things like singing telegrams and sign holding and passing out flyers, but it never came to that," Kaufmann said.
Kaufmann and Harris describe "Everything Must Go" as a physical comedy that isn't afraid to explore the harsh realities of a nowhere job. There are long silences in the play. The two characters let themselves get carried away by their weird fantasies and daydreams. They talk to each from opposite street corners, but on stage, they're far apart, emphasizing their isolation.
"So what do you do to pass the time out here?" Marcie says.
"I think a lot. Sometimes I read."
"What do you read?"
"Mostly business and self-help sort of stuff. I got this one at a garage sale: 'Getting Started in the Sign Business.' I thought it would be about this. But it's actually about printing signs. Very disappointing. No pictures."
"That's also another theme of the show ... letting another person into your world and how much you allow yourself to make friends with somebody you might not normally interact with," Kaufmann said.
"It seems like an easy thing, but for some people it's not," Harris said.
Harris and Kaufmann say their play is about human resilience. It's about how people make their way through challenges and use their imaginations to re-invent themselves. Kaufmann has seen a lot of that as the economy continues its dramatic transition, and people go from extreme consumption.
"[They go] to a place where they're happy with what they have even though it's not much, and we're gonna hold tight to this job that we don't like and not try to find another one, and we're gonna deal with our crappy insurance because it's better than nothing," she said.
Kaufmann said people have an amazing ability to find happiness in the most trying, dreary and hopeless situations. She wanted the two sign holders in "Everything Must Go," to demonstrate that.