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Piketty's primary contribution is to provide an impressive array of data on wealth and income, for several countries, beginning as early as the 1700s in some cases. Note that he does not examine consumption data. The book is an impressive feat and certainly deserves attention, as the facts Piketty provides are crucial to discussions of the evolution of capital and economic inequality in the rich countries. Many reviews have been very positive; there are a lot of positive things I could say about it, but I will leave that to others. The book suffers from some fundamental flaws; in short, while it is heavy on data it is light on serious economics. Readers will find themselves wading through hundreds of pages of opinion and ideological quips, not economic analysis, with interesting charts scattered throughout. The firehose of data can be overwhelming, which may explain why some reviewers internalized his arguments uncritically. Piketty's accomplishments with data collection are admirable. But a book of this size, with the title Capital, should include some economics.
Piketty's data on inheritance are the most interesting and persuasive to me. Inheritance still matters and plays a nontrivial role in the wealth and income distribution. Reducing wealth inequality over time, should we decide to do so, will require serious attention to the issue of inheritance, which more than any other issue lacks a tie to meritocracy (but that does not mean incentives stop mattering!). There may be other arguments, not based solely on inequality, for thinking about inheritance. That said, not all capital is created equal, and the book could have benefited from some focus on distinctions between capital types--particularly in the context of inheritance.
Most of the analysis in the book is more about accounting than economics. Piketty takes nearly everything as exogenous then divides things arithmetically. His ubiquitous r > g heuristic takes both sides of the inequality as given for almost the entire book. Lines like "the richest 10 percent appropriate three-quarters of the growth" (297) enable lazy readers to avoid thinking about what actually determines income. Language about "appropriation" suggests that we live in an endowment economy, as does the claim that post-World War I wealth inequality fell "so low that nearly half the population were able to acquire some measure of wealth" (350). Endogeneity, anyone? Taking income as exogenous leads to other large problems with inference, such as the claim that "meritocratic extremism can thus lead to a race between supermanagers and rentiers, to the detriment of those who are neither" (417). Piketty does not consider the possibility that this race results in more income than otherwise, nor does he consider the notion that an increase in the bargaining power of elite executives could actually come at the expense of capital owners rather than workers. I'm not making an argument for either here; I'm simply suggesting that Piketty's ideological quips don't deserve the certainty with which he delivers them. Models with endowment economies have their purposes, but a 600-page book should be able to relax such strict assumptions. His criticisms of mathematical economics (32, 574) are not surprising given that he relies so heavily on assumptions and mechanisms that would be highly vulnerable to criticism if they were forced into the transparency of a formal model.
This kind of fast-and-loose economic reasoning pervades the book. Piketty attributes the rise of the "patrimonial middle class"--the great home-owning middle class of developed countries--entirely to the rise of capital taxation (373). It's perfectly reasonable to argue that taxation played a role, but it's absurd to give taxation all the credit without further analysis. Piketty relies on this shaky causal claim for his central thesis; presumably unbounded capital accumulation wouldn't be a problem if everyone owned some. Denying that economic forces played any role in bringing wealth to the middle class helps Piketty claim that inequality will spiral out of control and leave us all in poverty unless serious tax reform is effected. This argument also requires him to assure readers that there are no tradeoffs associated with capital taxation: "It is important to note that the effect of the tax on capital income is not to reduce the total accumulation of wealth" (373). We also learn that there is "no doubt that the increase of inequality in the United States contributed to the nation's financial instability" (297). No identification problem here, folks; causal inference is easy! The book is littered with extremely strong claims like these, despite the existence of good reasons to at least be skeptical of some of them. Maybe Piketty is right about these things, but he has not shown it here; and even if his considerable collection of charts and tables is enough to dazzle most reviewers into fawning submission, the data are not sufficient for demonstrating his strong conclusions.
Piketty's data on the rise of middle-class capital ownership raise an important point. A key theme of the book is that poor people don't own productive assets, so they must rely entirely on labor for income. But is taxation and redistribution the only way to address this situation? This poses a difficult question for those who oppose some form of privatization of government retirement programs. One cannot simultaneously claim that owners of capital stand to gain absurd riches in coming decades and that privatization and choice for Social Security is a terrible idea.* This is not the only possible alternative to taxation, but it is a reminder that one way to treat the problem of poor people not owning stuff may be to help poor people, well, own more stuff. But Piketty simply asserts that "only a progressive tax on capital can effectively impede" increasing wealth concentration (439). More generally, Piketty decries the ability of those with large fortunes to access opportunities for higher rates of capital return than those with smaller starting funds, but he makes no mention of the fact that this is due in part to laws banning small investors from participating in alternative investments. By law, if I want to invest in a startup, I can only do it in undiversified ways (like starting my own firm or investing in a friend's). We don't need higher taxes to help lower classes invest better.
Another key weakness of the book is that, like much of the popular debate on inequality, it focuses almost entirely on higher moments of income and wealth distributions while making only minimal effort to provide context about absolute levels of income and wealth. Piketty compares inequality over the centuries, noting that it is returning to pre-World War I levels then claiming that "the poorer half of the population are as poor today as they were in the past" (261). This is only meaningful in relative terms; as Piketty briefly mentions a few times (but does not emphasize), the poor of 2014 are much better off than even average earners from previous centuries: "With 5-10 times the average income in 1800, one would have been in a situation somewhere between the minimum and average wage today" (415, see also 88), and even Piketty admits that this claim relies on dubious adjustments for inflation (how much did a car with air conditioning cost in 1800?). The truth is that most of today's developed-country poor are astronomically, unquantifiably better off than almost anyone from 1800, which raises the question of why Piketty sounds alarms about inequality reaching previous levels. He briefly acknowledges modern international context in chapter 12, but he examines only wealth inequality,** which is tricky, and makes no mention of global income inequality, which has been declining. In any case, Piketty has strong incentives to tell us that the only thing that matters is inequality within rich countries (432)--even if the poorest Americans are better off than most of the world.
This is the great failure of the inequality alarmists generally: a myopia centered around rich countries that have seen massive growth in purchasing power for everyone. For within-country inequality to become a public policy priority, those concerned about it need to make a much stronger case. This isn't just about whether society is totally meritocratic--obviously it's not, as Piketty argues in multiple places. The problem is that Piketty has not performed an analysis of optimal inequality, choosing to rely instead on a lot of straw man arguments and vague references to "democracy." He has provided a lot of data that demonstrate that inequality in countries that produce the top 20 percent of global output is on the rise, and he has suggested policy remedies (that he claims are basically costless), but he has not made a serious attempt to convince fence-sitters that this issue should top the policy agenda.
It is hard to believe that Piketty's predictions for the future--on which his policy prescriptions rely--are much more than undisciplined speculation. He does not have a model. He has shown us historical data from which he has drawn inference using accounting-based counterfactuals and a lot of hand waving. He has made forecasts for the future paths of income and returns to capital--both of which are basically exogenous processes in the text. On these forecasts he hangs his broader predictions. His predictions are worth noting because he is a capable scholar with a tremendous mastery of the data, but his hand-wavy approach to dismissing (or ignoring) weaknesses in his framework limits the ability of his speculations to convince those who don't already agree.
Economists who write books like this have an opportunity to educate the public in economic reasoning. Thinking about macroeconomics is hard. Piketty's methods and rhetoric suggest to readers that macroeconomics is easy. He can dismiss all objections with a wave of his hand. He can ignore policy tradeoffs and potential general equilibrium effects by simply asserting them away. Someone should count how often he uses the terms "no doubt" and "clearly" when drawing huge, highly debatable conclusions about almost everything (e.g., 511). By referencing only charts (if even that) for many of his claims, he is feeding the sloppy and destructive "this one chart proves...!" fad that has spread in the blogosphere; a chart is never sufficient to make causal claims or demonstrate optimal policy. In this sense, Piketty does his readers a disservice. He should have asked them to think harder instead of just gazing at graphs. He should have accompanied his facts and predictions with serious normative arguments instead of assuming his readers automatically share his deep concerns about how the world's top 20% are faring compared to the world's top 0.1%. He should have explained the reasons many economists prefer low taxes on productive capital other than land; even if he finds such arguments unpersuasive, he robs readers of the chance to consider them when he blatantly accuses those economists of intellectual dishonesty (514).*** He should have acknowledged the massive "causal density" problem in macroeconomics and shown readers how economists investigate causal relationships and, more importantly, identify the limits of their knowledge. Instead, he preaches to the converted and to those who are easily overwhelmed by a deluge of charts, knocking down straw men but avoiding the hard questions. The book is many things, including an excellent resource for stylized facts, but serious economic analysis it is not.
Capital is tremendously informative, and Piketty's use of literary anecdote is a nice touch; but ultimately this is a chart book, with plenty of economic data but very little economics.
*Piketty devotes a grand total of two paragraphs to this idea (488-9), making two weak, unimaginative arguments against the policy. He cannot imagine a way to transition from PAYGO to private investment accounts, and he believes that trusting retirement to the markets amounts to "a roll of the dice." We know enough about optimal retirement portfolio choices to do better than dice-rolling. For someone in my generation, watching a chunk of my paycheck go toward a program based on the silly assumptions underlying Social Security is the real gamble. In any case, if Piketty truly believes that giving everyone a chance to become an owner of capital is a dice roll, he must explain why he is so certain that capital income is sure to explode in coming decades.
**His discussion of wealth inequality even includes an awkward admission: "The average global fortune is barely 60,000 euros per adult, so that many people in the developed countries, including members of the 'patrimonial middle class,' seem quite wealthy in terms of the global wealth hierarchy" (438). But the middle class doesn't just "seem" wealthy. The developed world's middle class is wealthy by any objective standard, which emphasizes my point that inequalities within developed countries are much less disconcerting that true global poverty.
***Aside from this silly accusation, Piketty never mentions optimal taxation literature aside from a handful of his own papers. His central recommendation of a global wealth tax does not read like a result of optimal taxation analysis. He claims that "it is hard to think of an economic principle that would explain why some assets should be taxed at one-eighth the rate of others" (529), as if "elasticity" and other drivers of optimal tax models are not economic principles.


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If You Carry a Knockoff Bag, You're Probably Also a Liar
For anyone who's ever considered counterfeit luxury products harmless-after all, what's a fake Vuitton or Chanel bag, or some faux-logo Coach or Fendi?-Scientific American has a study in its new September issue that may make you reconsider.
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill, Harvard Business School, and Duke conducted a series of experiments that showed that people who wear (or believe they are wearing) counterfeit goods are also significantly more likely to cheat and lie. In one study, a large sample of women were given Chloé sunglasses-the glasses were real, but half the women were told they were fake-and asked to take a math quiz and grade themselves on the honor principle. The results were shocking:
The women who thought they were wearing the fake Chloé shades cheated more-considerably more. Fully 70 percent inflated their performance when they thought nobody was checking on them-and, in effect, stole cash from the coffer.
In another drill, the researchers posited a choice to a large sample of women-asking them to choose between two answers, one profitable (and wrong), and one correct (and less profitable).
Notably, the women wearing supposedly counterfeit goods cheated even though the "fake" sunglasses were randomly handed out, suggesting that it was not something about their self-image going into the study that led them to cheat. To the contrary, it was the very act of wearing the so-called knockoffs that was triggering the dishonesty.
Looks like counterfeit fashion isn't just about luxury corporations losing money-the scientists concluded that: "'Faking it' makes us feel like phonies and cheaters on the inside, and this alienated, counterfeit 'self' leads to cheating and cynicism in the real world."
Republished with permission from Racked.com. Authored by Danica Lo. Photo via Getty.

subset: commoncrawl


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Nearly 20,000 sandbags have now been delivered across Oxfordshire by the county and district councils.
Sandbag dumps in Oxford include sites at the Duke of Monmouth pub, in Abingdon Road, and by PC World, off Botley Road.
The county council, which has delivered more than 4,500 sandbags, has urged residents not to remove those weighing down road signs.
District councils have provided around 15,000 sandbags as of last night.
Cherwell District Council does not distribute them.
Sandbag dumps in Abingdon have been relocated to Old Abbey House, Abbey Close.


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Home > Education Resources
The Education Resources section is a compendium of resources collected as a part of CSWE initiatives and intended to help programs and faculty members in curriculum development and assessment activities. The materials include advanced practice knowledge and practice behaviors related to the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), syllabi, bibliographies, case studies, assessment tools, and videos for use in the classroom.
We hope to continue to expand this collection with the help of members with expertise in specific areas of practice.


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For 27 years, Rancho Pinot has been an original "local" restaurant providing seasonally inspired cooking in a warm, comfortable setting. We focus on healthful, simply prepared, satisfying foods made and served with care & love. Our wine cellar is sure to please. We are proud to support our local community of producers.
Chef Chrysa Robertson's Northern Italian heritage taught her to appreciate and love food early on. She spent time in California fine-tuning her culinary skills with Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel at Campanile and with Hiro Sone at Terra in Napa Valley.
In 1993, with the help of her hard-working & talented family, she fulfilled her dream and opened her own restaurant, Rancho Pinot.
Chrysa cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in 1998 as a 'Rising Star of American Cuisine' and is nominated for Best Chef, Southwest 2020. She also started the first Phoenix chapter of Slow Food, an educational organization dedicated to the pleasures of the table and to the preservation and sustainability of regional culinary and food producing traditions. In 2011, Chrysa won the "Chef Extraordinaire" award from the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival. She is a member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR).
Chrysa has lived in Arizona since 1959 (born 1956 in Detroit). She lives in an 84 year old adobe house with many cats, a couple of dogs and a lot of cactus. She raises hens for eggs and grows herbs for the restaurant.


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Damascus Gate (Photo: Library of Congress)
British Mandate Documents
1. The Balfour Declaration
Balfour, Arthur James, "Balfour Declaration 1917." Yale Law School
A brief letter written in 1917 from James Balfour to Lord Rothschild, pledging British support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." This declaration would later be incorporated into the British 1922 Mandate of Palestine.
Refugees escaping the Nakba
(Photo: Hanini.org)
United Nations Documents
2. The 1947 Partition Plan
"U.N 181 Future Government of Palestine," U.N. General Assembly 1947.
U.N. 181 is the U.N. General Assembly Partition Plan of the British Mandate of Palestine into two separate states a Jewish state and an Arab state, with Jerusalem as an international capital, with the removal of British mandatory troops.
3. U.N.194-the Legal Right of Return
"194 (III). Palestine — Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator," U.N. General Assembly. 11 December 1948
U.N. 194 calls for the right of return for all Palestinian refugees, the demilitarization of Jerusalem, and the U.N. supervision of, and free access to, all Holy Sites.
4. U.N Resolution Calling for an End to the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem
"U.N. 242 The situation in the Middle East (22 Nov)," UN Security Council 1967. 22 November 1967.
Approved by the U.N. Security Council the same year as the 1967-occupation begins, U.N. Resolution 242 calls for the "withdrawal of Israel armed forces" from the Occupied Palestinian Territories and "a just settlement for the refugee problem."
Israeli Documents
5. Plan Dalet: Israeli Paramilitary Blueprint for Nakba
Khalidi, Walid, "Plan Dalet: Master Plan for the Conquest of Palestine," Journal of Palestine Studies p14.
Drafted by members of the Haganah under the guidance of David Ben-Gurion, and carried out by Israeli para-military groups during 1947-8, Plan Dalet is a military blueprint for the Palestinian Nakba. The document emphasizes the need to secure territory both inside and outside of the 1947 Partition Plan, and provides detailed instructions for the forcible transfer of the Palestinian population, establishing the conditions for a Jewish national state.
6. The Absentee Property Laws
"The Absentees' Property Law, 5710-1950." Knesset. 14 March 1950.
This law legalizes the appropriation of Palestinian property and land, by the Israeli state, following the 1948 Nakba. The law also provides the first Israeli legal definition for "Palestinian," as well as the creation of new legal statuses of "absentee" and "present absentees."
Demolished house in the unrecognized village of Dar El Hanoun
(Photo: International Committee for Dar El Hanoun)
7. Creating "Unrecognized" Villages and Home Demolitions
"Planning and Building Law 1965, 5725—1965." Knesset 14 July 1965.
The 1965 Planning and Building Law is a set of codes, including legal restrictions to Palestinians on building permits, and land use. The law allows for the Israeli government to transfer privately owned Palestinian land to the state, and requires any unpermitted building to be demolished at the owners' expense. All current home demolitions in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories are carried out under the tenets of this law.
Palestinian/Israeli Negotiations
The West Bank after Oslo
(Map: Foundation for Middle East Peace)
8. The Oslo Accords: Area A, B, and C, and a Legal Occupation
"Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements ("Oslo Agreement)." UNHCR. 1993.
Known as the Oslo Accords, this document is the interim agreement that establishes the Palestinian Authority as a five-year temporary civil administration over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Oslo Accords resulted from negotiations by Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Bill Clinton, the accords also outlined responsibilities of Israel to disengage and freeze settlement construction–while additionally legally securing Israeli control over existing settlement blocs and road networks in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Palestinian Documents
9. The PLO: Government of the Palestinian People, Not Palestinian Territories
"Palestine National Charter of 1964/Al-Mithaq Al-Kawmee Al-Philisteeni," Permanent Observer, Mission of Palestine to the United Nations. 1964.
The Palestine National Charter is the Palestinian Constitution, establishing the PLO as the sole legitimate representational body of the Palestinian people, to the United Nations. The mandate for the PLO is outlined in this document in terms of people, not territory. The constitution calls for "activities will be on the national popular level in the liberational, organizational, political and financial fields."
10. Structure of the PLO Government
"Palestine National Council," Permanent Observer mission of Palestine to the United Nations.
This document outlines the organizational structure of the Palestine National Council, or the Palestinian Parliament. This legislator represents all Palestinians, regardless of geography and citizenship status, and is comprised of Palestinian political parties, and until 1993, it also included representation from unions and civil society organizations, inside and outside of historic Palestine.
Boycott of Jaffa oranges (Photo: Action pour la paix/2011)
11. The Palestinian Call for BDS
"Palestinian Call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)" PACBI. 9 July 2005
The 2005 call from Palestinian unions, associations and organizations, asking international civil society to boycott, divest and/or sanction Israel until it is in full compliance of international law. The call includes three basic principles of compliance:
1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.


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End of the Semester Technology Reminders for Students
As you prepare for finals and the end of the semester, CTS would like to remind you of a few things:
- If you need to use a computer lab late at night to complete final course work, there are computers available 24 hours in the Penfield Library 24 hour room. Printing is also available at this location.
- Make sure you have enough pages in your print quota to finish your course work. You can check your print quota balance at the CTS Account Tools web page. Just login and click on "Check your print quota." If you are running low or have already ran out and still need to print, more print pages can be purchased in $5.00 allotments from the Telecommunications office in 105 Culkin Hall.
- If you are living in the residence halls, CTS requests that you place your ResNet hub, power supply, and network cable in a plastic bag available from the front desk of your building before moving out. Please hang the bag on a coat hook in your room near the door. If these items are not left in your room, you may be charged for them.
CTS wishes you a successful end to your semester and a safe and warm summer! For those that are graduating, we wish you well on your new journeys!


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Jim Porter and Carol Porter-Moran, son and daughter of Phyllis Porter, a Norwich great-grandmother, tearfully hugged the woman who killed their mother in a drunken-driving crash more than three years ago.
Jim Porter and Carol Porter-Moran, son and daughter of Phyllis Porter, a Norwich great-grandmother, tearfully hugged the woman who killed their mother in a drunken-driving crash more than three years ago.
Lisette Oblitas-Cruz, 31, of Port Chester, N.Y., was sentenced Thursday in New London Superior Court to 4½ years in prison.
Because she isn't a U.S. citizen, she likely will be deported afterward, Judge Susan Handy told her.
On Sept. 20, 2009, Oblitas-Cruz, after leaving Mohegan Sun, was driving south on Route 32 in Montville. She was using her cellphone to look up directions and hit the rear of a car in front of her. The car she hit was then forced into the northbound lane and the path of Porter's car.
Porter, 77, owner of Mohegan Flower & Gifts in Montville, survived the crash but died shortly afterward in Hartford Hospital of the injuries she received.
Police said Oblitas-Cruz drove a short distance away from the scene before stopping, failed a field sobriety test and later refused a breathalyzer test.
Four of Porter's five children spoke at Oblitas-Cruz's sentencing. They lovingly remembered their mother and called on Cruz to apologize, which she had failed to do in the three years of court proceedings.
"You need to make your peace in this life in order to have peace in the next life," Porter's daughter, Shirley Migliaccio, told Oblitas-Cruz.
"I hope Lisette's time incarcerated has given her time to think," Alice Porter-Flagg said. "Maybe she can make something of this horrible accident."
Carol Moran brought a photo of her mother to court and gave it to Oblitas-Cruz's lawyer and asked that she keep it in her prison cell as a reminder.
"Promise me to my face you will never get into a car after taking a drink," she said to Oblitas-Cruz.
"My mom was an angel, an absolute saint," Jim Porter said. He urged Oblitas-Cruz when she goes to prison and then gets out to "Go do something good for somebody."
As the Porter family members spoke, Oblitas-Cruz became more and more tearful.
Her lawyer, Eugene Riccio, said it was his fault that his client had never apologized. He said he forbade her because it could have been used as evidence against her.
"Many times she had expressed her remorse and regret for her actions on that particular day," Riccio said.
Then, when it was her turn to speak, Oblitas-Cruz did apologize.
"Give my condolences to the family. There's not one day in my life I don't feel sorrowful," she said. "Part of me died with her. I will never be the same. … There's no greater punishment than the one I carry within myself. I pray every night Miss Porter will forgive me."
"We forgive you," Jim Porter said. He then went forward and hugged Oblitas-Cruz.
"I'm so sorry," she told him. "I never meant to hurt anybody." Moran then hugged Oblitas-Cruz as well.
"I commend you for your graciousness to the defendant and your forgiveness," Handy told Porter family members. "I am hopeful (you) will have some sense of closure and begin the healing process."
The forgiveness continued outside the courtroom after Oblitas-Cruz was led away to continue her prison sentence. Hugs were exchanged between Porter family members and Jorge Oblitas and Elsa Chavez, Oblitas-Cruz's parents.


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Frankie Boyle announces that Shaker Aamer is to sue MI5 & MI6 for defamation
December 14, 2012
Comedian Frankie Boyle today joined Reprieve to announce that the last remaining British resident in Guantanamo Bay is suing the intelligence services for defamation.
Shaker Aamer has been held at Guantanamo without charge or trial for nearly 11 years. He has been cleared for release under both the Bush and Obama administrations and yet remains imprisoned.
The UK government has repeatedly claimed that they want Shaker returned to the UK. Yet Shaker has told his lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, that UK agencies are still telling lies about him – lies which prevent him from being released. Reprieve has finally been able to declassify enough material through the US censorship process to move forward on this litigation, and call the UK agents out on their defamation.
The defamation consists of untrue allegations and includes a picture of Shaker wearing normal Arabic clothes in London as proof of him being an extremist.
Shaker Aamer is currently at the centre of a police investigation into his torture and that of other men held at Guantanamo Bay.
Clive Stafford Smith, said: "They [the security services] go around saying all these awful things about him, which aren't true. And say that this doesn't infringe his good character. It's just laughable. All we want is our day in court, where these allegations would never stand up."
Frankie Boyle, said: "I can't even call it a miscarriage of justice, because he's never even had a trial. We just want to see him back home."
MP Caroline Lucas, who supports the action, said: "The defamation of Shaker Aamer is evidence of the immense power of the security services to say whatever they want behind the backs of an accused man, to devastating effect. Shaker has been cleared for release by the US government – twice! – and yet remains in Guantanamo Bay where he has been for eleven years because of these lies, unable to defend himself. Such hypocrisy on the part of the British government is shameful and damaging. They should be holding the security services properly to account and redoubling efforts to bring Shaker home."


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The Vampire Diaries is flashing back to the 12th century and star Joseph Morgan says that viewers should pay close attention.
On Thursday's episode, Klaus delves deeper into the new mysterious bad guy in town, Connor (Todd Williams), and in the process reveals a past (and eerily similar) encounter he had with a very powerful group of vampire hunters.
"We learn a huge secret that fits into the mythology of Mystic Falls and of the Originals' history," Morgan says in the video below. "It's really a big reveal and will play a dominant part in how the season evolves." Executive producer Julie Plec also tells us, "The question of what is different about [Connor], why is he able to deeply, darkly hunt and kill vampires, what drives him, what his history is and what other people know about his history start to unfold ... in that flashback."
Keep watching for more from Morgan on how "The Five" stacks up among his favorite episodes and which Klaroline scene previously topped his list.
Watch The Vampire Diaries Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.


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Sage Machado
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OTTAWA - New Democrats are still using parliamentary resources to pay for 14 employees working in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto.
And NDP Leader Tom Mulcair says he intends to hire one more taxpayer-funded staffer to work in Saskatchewan, where the party has no MPs.
However, the staffers are now working from their homes, rather than in satellite offices paid for by the party — a move Mulcair insisted is in line with new rules governing staff on the House of Commons payroll who work outside the parliamentary precinct or MPs' constituency offices.
"I'm allowed to do that," Mulcair said after a caucus meeting Wednesday.
"We have people in Quebec City. We have people in Montreal. We have people in Toronto. The only thing that's changed is now the rule has been amended to say that the party can't pay for that office. We're going to follow that new rule."
A spokesperson for Mulcair later said there are 10 staffers in Montreal, two in Quebec City and two in Toronto, all of whom are now working from their homes and remain on the Commons payroll, their salaries funded by New Democrat MPs pooling their office budgets.
That the 14 employees are still on the Commons payroll reflects Mulcair's decision to double down on his assertion that the party has done nothing wrong, even as he prepares for an unprecedented two-hour grilling on the subject Thursday by the Commons procedure and House affairs committee.
Having the staffers work from home strictly adheres to the letter of the provisional bylaw adopted last month by the secretive, all-party board of internal economy, which oversees administration of the Commons.
The bylaw prohibits MPs from using their Commons budgets to pay staff who work out of premises "owned, leased or under the control of a political party."
However, the home-work arrangement appears to fly in the face of another bylaw, which the states that MPs can use their Commons budgets "to hire employees for the Member's Parliamentary office or constituency office." It does not mention any other options.
The board is continuing to investigate the broader issue of the NDP's use of parliamentary resources to pay for staff "in offices outside the parliamentary precinct or constituency offices," according to a missive issued last month by the board's chair, Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer.
The investigation was prompted by Conservative and Liberal complaints that the NDP was using parliamentary resources to pay for what amounts to partisan field workers.
Mulcair continued to vehemently deny Wednesday that the staffers are involved in any partisan activity and his office supplied internal NDP job postings to back up his assertion.
The responsibilities listed for various job openings in Montreal include maximizing "caucus visibility" and advancing the NDP's "parliamentary goals and agenda."
However, under the qualifications listed for "outreach officers," one job posting states that "campaign experience (is) required." Another lists "experience in outreach, event planning, election or issue based campaigns."
Nevertheless, Mulcair insisted none of the Commons-paid staffers have engaged in partisan activity. He equated the use of satellite offices to regional offices set up by cabinet ministers.
Indeed, he argued that the NDP's arrangement is a better use of taxpayers' money than hiring employees in Ottawa and paying the cost of their travel to outlying areas — as other parties do.
While he expects to be grilled by rival parties at committee Thursday, he added: "I'm going to have some questions for them because they're going to be telling you that the best use of taxpayers' money is to pay people to travel back and forth from Ottawa to Montreal.
"We're saying that the best use of taxpayers' money and the most efficient use is to base those people in Montreal."
Taking advantage of a brief shortage of NDP MPs in the Commons last month, the Conservatives employed an obscure procedural manoeuvre to pass a motion ordering Mulcair to explain his party's use of parliamentary resources to the procedure and House affairs committee.
No opposition leader in Canadian history has ever before been ordered to appear before a committee, according to the Library of Parliament.
Mulcair's appearance Thursday is bound to be a partisan gang up, with both the Liberals and Conservatives doubtless hoping not only to tar the NDP leader with unethical conduct but to provoke him into losing his temper — reinforcing their preferred depiction of him as "angry Tom."
Since becoming leader two years ago, Mulcair has taken pains to soften his combative image. But he could barely restrain his anger Tuesday and again Wednesday when he was grilled at length by reporters on the satellite office issue.
He got into hostile exchanges with several reporters, accusing one of fabricating information and of repeatedly ignoring facts that prove the NDP did nothing wrong.
Documents provided to the committee by the Commons administration suggest officials had no idea New Democrats were using their office budgets to pay for employees who were not working on Parliament Hill. Employment forms filled out by the party's MPs ticked a box indicating the employees were working "within Ottawa."
However, Mulcair maintains the party never attempted to hide the arrangement.
Follow @jmbryden on Twitter
Also on HuffPost


text:
PurePulse® Heart Rate
Get continuous, automatic, wrist-based heart rate & simplified heart rate zones. Learn more.
Get continuous, automatic, wrist-based heart rate & simplified heart rate zones. Learn more.
Track workouts like running, biking & weights and get real-time stats on display. Then see post-workout summaries on screen & in the app.
Connect Charge 2 with the GPS on your phone to see real-time stats like pace and distance on display and record a map of your route.
Get a better understanding of your fitness level and see how you can improve over time with a personalized Cardio Fitness Score.
Automatically recognizes select activities and records them in the exercise section of the Fitbit app.
Find moments of calm throughout your day with personalized breathing sessions based on your heart rate.
Track steps, heart rate, distance, calories burned, active minutes, floors climbed, hourly activity & stationary time.
Get friendly Reminders to Move that encourage you to reach an hourly goal of 250 steps.
See call, text and calendar alerts on display when your phone is nearby.
Automatically track your sleep quality & wake up peacefully with a silent alarm.
See your time in light, deep and REM stages to better understand your sleep quality. Learn more.
An interactive OLED display makes it easy to view your stats. Simply tap the screen to get the information you need.
Switch up your look with accessory bands in leather and more.
Battery life up to 5 days so you can track all day and night without needing a charge.*
Sync stats wirelessly & automatically to computers and 200+ leading iOS, Android and Windows devices.
*Battery life and charge cycles vary with use, settings, and other factors; actual results will vary. Smartphone notifications unavailable on Windows devices.
Like all heart rate tracking technologies, accuracy is affected by physiology, location of device, and different movements. Learn more about wear during workouts.
We recommend charging your device every few days to ensure that you're always tracking.
Battery life up to 5 days. Battery life and charge cycles vary with use, settings, and other factors; actual results will vary.
Fitbit Charge 2 is sweat, rain and splash proof. However, the device is not swim proof or shower proof. With any wearable device, it's best for your skin if the band stays dry and clean.
If the band gets wet or if you sweat in it, remove and completely dry the band before putting it back on. Give your wrist a rest by taking the band off every now and then. Learn more.
The Fitbit Charge 2 wristband is made of a flexible, durable elastomer material similar to that used in many sports watches. The Charge 2 tracker and buckle are made with surgical-grade stainless steel. The gunmetal Charge 2 features a gunmetal stainless steel buckle and frame made with a premium PVD plating process. The rose gold Charge 2 features a 22k rose gold plated stainless steel buckle and frame also made with a premium PVD plating process.
Using Bluetooth LE wireless technology, Fitbit Charge 2 sends smartphone notifications and syncs automatically to computers and 200+ mobile devices. Certain features like smartphone notifications or Connected GPS may require Android 5.0+. Look up your device to check compatibility.


text:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the 17-nation bloc that uses the euro currency must do everything it can to avoid an "uncontrolled insolvency" by Greece.
The German leader said Tuesday that the effects would be far-reaching if Athens defaults on payments for its international bailout loans. She said the danger is "very big" that with a Greek default, other eurozone countries "would quickly face a domino effect."
While Greece has struggled to implement its plan to trim deficit spending in the face of a growing recession, Italy and Spain are also seeking to cut their debts to avoid the need for bailouts.
Italy said its finance minister, Giulio Tremonti, met last week with Chinese officials about the possibility of China buying Italian government bonds, a move aimed at cutting Rome's rising borrowing costs. On Tuesday, there was limited demand at an auction for nearly $9 billion worth of Italian bonds, and the government was forced to pay a higher interest rate than at a similar sale two months ago.
Merkel's comments seemed to rebuke her economy minister, Philipp Roesler, who said in a newspaper column Monday that the eurozone could no longer dismiss the possibility of an "orderly default" by Greece. The German chancellor said that everyone "should very carefully weigh their words" to avoid further turmoil in world financial markets worried about a Greek default.
She said that "if the euro fails, Europe fails."
U.S. President Barack Obama, in an interview with Spanish journalists, said the big European countries and the continent's leaders have to better coordinate their fiscal affairs. He said eurozone leaders must take responsibility for the debt crisis.
The Greek government's austerity efforts have proved unpopular at home, even as European leaders urge Athens to implement them as quickly as possible. Workers in a variety of trades and professions have staged work stoppages in protest, and homeowners are upset that the government announced a new property tax over the weekend, on top of a higher sales tax on restaurants just 10 days earlier.
Prime Minister George Papandreou has been trying to lobby Parliament to approve the new measures. He says that "Together we must silence those who doubt us."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Merkel are planning to discuss the debt crisis with Papandreou in a telephone conference on Wednesday.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.


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Beaverton Real Estate - Find Your Perfect Home For Sale!
Beaverton Listings Summary
Beaverton - Town vs. County Stats
Avg Price in Beaverton: $498,400 / County Avg $643,600
Avg Taxes in Beaverton: $4,600 / County Avg $4,900
Avg Sq. Ft. in Beaverton: 2,127 / County Avg 2,396
Avg Price per/ft2 in Beaverton: $234 / County Avg $269
Avg Walkscore in Beaverton: 40 / County Avg 30
Avg Year Built in Beaverton: 1993 / County Avg 1995
Avg Days on Website in Beaverton: 53 / County Avg 66
Beaverton Real Estate Market Health
Beaverton is Portland, Oregon's friendly neighbor to the west. When people like easy access to the city while maintaining relaxed suburban life, they often find Beaverton to be their home.
Beaverton's job market is as booming as ever. While California may have it's Silicon Valley, many have come to know Beaverton as the Silicon Forest with it's powerful tech market. Being just 7 miles east of Portland, some residents have a very short commute to a job in Portland.
Beaverton makes for a fantastic location for families with kids. Beaverton School District received top marks, with a grade of A+ by Homefacts.com. Crime in Beaverton is astoundingly low at 45% lower than the national average.
The city has more than a hundred parks as well as plenty of hiking and biking trails so those seeking outdoor recreation need look no further. If you're a fan of golf, Beaverton has 2 of its own 18 hole courses for you to try out.
Beaverton's local farmers market offers it residents a taste of their own locally grown food. The Washington Square mall is a huge shopping center with just about everything one could need.
Beaverton offers a great job market, a great place for kids and families, and a huge recreation scene. It's difficult to find this well rounded of a city at this location so near a city which is exactly why Beaverton stands among the best cities in Oregon to live in.
|Areas in Beaverton OR
|Beaverton - Aloha
|NW Washington Co or Sauvie Island
|Neighborhoods in Beaverton OR


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Advisors today are all ginned up about risk. Trouble is—they shouldn't be.
"We assume if we are excited about risk, our clients are. But when you talk to a client about risk, you may as well insert the word radioactivity. As an industry we're a couple of years behind the investor mindset," notes Scott West, managing director and co-founder of Invesco Van Kampen Consulting. "Advisors are making a huge mistake when they talk about risk. It's like they're all wearing bell bottoms. They're from a bygone era."
What do clients want to hear about instead? As West frames it: "Growth, baby."
This fall, West's consulting group will release a new research report on the language of risk. Early findings, according to West, suggest it will be a blockbuster. The takeaway: lose "risk" as your go-to conversation opener. Why? Clients want to be talked to in much more balanced terms.
"They want to know how I can maximize my earnings while minimizing my downside potential. That's the magic formula, in that order," says West, 52. "Stop leading with risk. Fear-based language can be paralyzing when used with investors. These folks just lost a decade of earnings. They want to know what you can do to help me get my monthly paycheck back."
West, a self-described "broker of ideas," has long recognized the power of words. Since he co-founded the Invesco Van Kampen Consulting Group in 1998, West and his colleagues have presented over 25 communications skills programs to more than 240,000 financial professionals worldwide. Even so, there is nothing about the enthusiastic West that appears at all tired.
Industry consultant Mitch Anthony calls West "a Spielberg" of the industry. "Scott will pick up on a germ of an idea that he knows is going to resonate with the masses of advisors. By the time he's done with it, it's like it went through a Hollywood studio," says Anthony, who has collaborated with West on several books. "He's got great instincts about what will play and what won't, just like a producer. He has that something in his gut. He's a big idea guy."
One of West's big ideas at the moment: the often overlooked boardroom presentation.
Advisors tend to spend a lot of time building their case to win new business, but when they enter the boardroom, West says, it is as if "they've taken the field with no equipment on."
To find out precisely what prospects wish to hear in a boardroom presentation, Invesco Van Kampen Consulting surveyed 180 middle-size plan sponsors about how they want advisors to open the conversation, how they want the content communicated and how they want the conversation closed. The results are telling.
For starters, how you position yourself physically is critical. Most people today mix it up when they sit down for a presentation but the reality, according to West, is that it is an "us versus them" dynamic. So sit "intentionally," he says, so that both parties can present in the most clear and organized fashion. "Sitting in a mishmash clouds who is who in terms of power positions and, from a practical standpoint, it kills sight lines," he adds. West himself favors the Japanese construct with the most powerful person sitting in the center, fanning out to either side in decreasing levels of importance.
After testing a series of conversation openers, West's consulting group settled on the "transitional opener" as the most effective. In that scenario, the team leader announces he or she will cover three specific points but first invites the prospects to identify what they are looking for from the presentation. In a "consultative close," the lead advisor reviews the high points, then asks the prospects: "What do you believe are the next steps?"
"I'm finding more business is won or lost by your skill in the boardroom," says West. "Long before you are in the room, you have to go through roles and make sure your relays are seamless. There's also respect. When you are in a board meeting, you are evaluated as a team. The weakest link can kill an entire presentation."
West admittedly has an unconventional perspective on just what it is that advisors do, starting with the maxim he lives by: "If you stick to the facts, the facts don't stick." The advisory business isn't about conveying facts, according to West, it's about persuasion.
"Successful persuasion is the transfer of confidence. If you can transfer confidence you have about a subject to somebody else, you'll have a great run in this business," says West. "This is also a business that is inextricably linked with emotion. It will never not be emotional. As an advisor, you have to tug at those emotions and acknowledge that people have an emotional attachment to money. Then you judicially, authentically and responsibly link your client's emotions to the facts."
Including emotion in the equation has had a positive impact on the advisors West counsels.
"As soon as you get in front of advisors, and tell them this, you can see the relief come across their faces. It's like they have been liberated to allow themselves to think about emotion," he adds.
"At the end of the day, advisors are in the transportation business. They're in the business of transporting people from lives of insecurity and fear to lives of freedom and peace of mind. It's not just about moving people mathematically from A to B, it's helping them emotionally to enjoy the ride. It's creating the experience of transportation. We really have to grasp this—or we're missing the experience."


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This was published 7 years ago
Brother accused of child attacks was wanted in NZ
A ST JOHN of God brother who was accused of sex assault in the order's Victorian homes but never charged, avoided extradition to New Zealand in 2004 to face similar charges on the grounds he was suffering dementia.
William John Lebler, who was living in Australia in the mid-2000s, avoided extradition to New Zealand for serious sex assault charges at another of the order's homes because he was suffering from ''borderline dementia,'' according to a judgment by magistrate Hugh Dillon made in the New South Wales Local Court in 2005.
Documents prepared for the order as part of victim settlement negotiations in Victoria name Lebler as being accused of abuse by two former residents of the order's homes here.
Another brother, Bernard Kevin McGrath, was successfully extradited from Australia and convicted over assaults on boys in the 1960s at the order's New Zealand home.
The order has since paid about $5 million in compensation relating to around 200 abuse claims in New Zealand.
The allegations of abuse by the brothers in two different states and overseas raise concerns about whether suspected paedophile brothers were shifted interstate or to New Zealand after complaints were made.
On Friday, The Age revealed that a group of 15 religious brothers are suspected of the sexual abuse of more than 40 boys in homes run by the order in Cheltenham and Lilydale between the 1950s and the 1980s.
The Age understands that Lebler's name was on a search warrant executed by Victorian police on premises associated with the order in the early 2000s.
Yesterday, a spokesman for the order said that Lebler was now dead. The spokesman said McGrath was no longer a brother and the order had no idea of his whereabouts.
Documents show that St John of God brothers were involved in scores of attacks over decades on children at a special school they ran in NSW.
The order yesterday confirmed it was co-operating with a police investigation into the matter.
Allegations against the order in NSW include drugging, restraining and raping a boy at Kendall Grange, a residential school for intellectually disabled boys.
Asked yesterday why Victorian police had not pursued the allegations of abuse here by the brothers, a state government spokesperson said the government had established the inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other organisations. ''As the matters raised are the subject of that inquiry, the Victorian government does not wish to pre-empt its findings or outcomes.''
A police spokesperson said police had made a submission to the inquiry and making further comment might prejudice those proceedings.
Compensation claim summary documents compiled for the order allege abuse involving at least 15 boys occurred at Kendall Grange regularly from the 1960s to the mid-1980s.
One document reveals how a Kendall Grange boy alleged he was abused by two brothers in the early 1980s.


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Here is the Revo Gallery!!!
Here everybody can post pictures of their Revos.
Pictures need to be 640x480 or smaller. These pages get crowded fast. We need to remember the dial-up people.
No non-picture posts. Pictures or links to pictures only. Any other posts will be deleted. Please keep the chatter to the forums.
If you can't get a picture to work you can edit your post for an hour after you post. Look below for instructions on how-to post pictures.
We will go thru every so often and clear out the dead links and little red x's that appear.
How to post pics.
Happy posting!!!!!
Last edited by OvalQueen; 07-15-2004 at 11:14 AM.
Pain is Temporary, Pride & Achievement is Forever.
Lookie what Fed Ex dropped off!!
This is out of the box articulation with 90mm rockers.
How the shocks look with that articulation.
Pain is Temporary, Pride & Achievement is Forever.
Here is our Revo, it looks "Dandy" and I ain't "Lion"
Boogity Boogity Boogity, Crank it up.
I wanna drive the big brown truck, Go Fast .......Turn Left
Finally got mine! This truck is AWSOME!
Heres some pictures:
Thats with the 90mm rockers too!! It can even go slightly higher then that.
The tire is only slightly bigger, but the rims are much bigger looks cool
I got my Revo. My LHS only got 2 in on Friday and they where all ready taken when I called. I was third on the list. Well one of the guys did not show up to pick his up so they called me and when and got it within to hour.
This truck is awesome right out of the box.
Thank you Traxxas
Revo 2.5R T-Maxx 2.5
1/16 Revo VXL QR-1 and DR-1
8-1/4" Wheel travel with 120mm rockers
REVO Wide one side with 45mm adapters.
Last edited by Vertigo; 07-20-2004 at 07:07 PM.
Here is My baby.
got it today and i think i am the first one in Canada to own one
New body - looks much meaner.
This is my baby!
Crush Time!!!
Naked Revo!
Last edited by OvalQueen; 07-25-2004 at 09:06 PM.
here is mine after 3/4 gallon.
ohh and i bought a new jack.
My Revo Gallery
All stock right now, but I have plans! (Spot my Heli in the background of some of the pics...)
Last edited by Bodshal; 08-19-2004 at 12:51 PM.
Revo Rocks. Rock on Revo!
Finally got around to getting and painting up a new bodyshell for mine:
Last edited by OvalQueen; 10-06-2004 at 11:23 AM.
I didn't want to post any pictures until I had replaced the body. After all, I think we all knew what a stock yellow Revo looks like.
Be vewy vewy quiet,
I'm hunting trolls...
Last edited by OvalQueen; 10-02-2004 at 06:20 PM.
blue looks like lightning as it blows by!!!! time to break out the nitro and have some fun!!!!
Here are Revo pics yet again
Strong Bad, The Cheat, Bubs, Strong Mad,Pom Pom =The whole crew :D
Here is mine...
My Revo was student of the month at such and such elementary!
This is Yamahaviper's Revo-And I approve this message.
Greevo Type R
Greevo Type R
My first nitro RC/Truck, with my first custom paint job makes me proud. lol
Last edited by OvalQueen; 10-28-2004 at 10:31 AM.
Got nitro?
revo under construction ...wait for .21 conversion kits...from zonecentral.org
My Revo with gost flames.
Last edited by OvalQueen; 11-06-2004 at 10:44 AM.
If they make it, I can brake it!
Mine, after about 2 weeks.
Last edited by OvalQueen; 11-06-2004 at 09:48 PM.
My REVO...
This is how a swedish Revo could look like... great machine!
..to be continued....
revo, foc, p2...
Hello, my name is David and is Italian.
This is my Revo,
visits my website
in order to see many photos and video crazy!
Welcome to Traxxas.com Yes, EVERYONE here IS a Pro Racer.... [/sarcasm]
Goodbye Revo and Traxxas.
Here is my REVO.
Picco 21 engine tiger drive,rocker progressive2,50wt oil shock,front shock orange dot,rear shock gold dot, diff.ant 30 wt,diff. rear 50 wt
throttle linkage ballbearings,temperature gauge,fail safe adapter,FOC installed
This is my new paint job on my revo.
here she is...
20 minutes befpre run time after break in
20 minutes after run....who buys a truck to look pretty.
Think you can beat me lol...I laugh at you...I bought this thing to destroy people.
Soul Rever
edit: image size
Last edited by hoovdog; 12-21-2004 at 02:15 PM.
Some REVO's i have layin around..
Here's a picture of mine (with hopups) and rye225's brand new revo (nothing like a new revo )
T-Maxx 2.5R++, HPI Baja 23cc & Spektrum DX3.


text:
When designing hot water systems the water temperature, water retention time, pipe material and making way for regular system maintenance is of great importance in order to prevent microbacterial growth.
Legionella is a mesophile bacteria which lives in water both in nature and in drinking water systems. All hot water systems are at risk getting infected but there is an increased risk of growth in systems where:
• Warm water remains more or less stagnant due to low consumption
• Biofilm inside tanks and pipes have been allowed to build up.
• Water temperature is between 25 °C and 46 °C which is "ideal" for legionella
• There are "dead ends" without flow
• There are sediment, rust, scale and sludge which provide good food sources for the bacteria.
• Pipe- and tank insulation is missing or in poor condition.
• The system is not maintained properly
All hot water system should be provided with effective water disinfection system which is able to remove both biofilm and kill free bacteria and other microorganisms without affecting taste and smell of the water.
However water temperatures in hot water tanks should always be kept at 60 °C. Temperatures at the taps pipes should be no less than 55 °C. If the water temperature in exceed 60 °C, undesirable scaling will occur in tanks and pipes.
National building codes, legislation and other national guidelines concerning hot water systems have to be observed as well.
When designing at hot water system it should always be considered if a hot water exchanger can be used instead of a hot water tank. A hot water exchanger is often a plate exchanger and is characterized by having no water volume where bacteria can grow.


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Homeschooler to 5, work-at-home writer, farmer, 1099 Mom.
Whether you have a sales force of two that only does the occasional overnight, or you maintain an army of road warriors and have your own travel coordination department, these 8
Gen-Xers in prime earning years have financial worries all their own. Follow these five money experts with plenty of 40s-friendly money advice.
If you've got some spare time and some sleuth-a-bility, court researcher may be the side job for you. Find out what it takes and judge for yourself.
The sharing economy is disrupting business models and creating extra income for millions. Here's all you need to get your piece of the rideshare pie.
Looking for a great work-from-home gig? Learn how to earn a living — or just extra income — as a virtual assistant.
Turn your Internet time sink into extra cash by becoming the nice, helpful person on the other side of the chat window.
There's nothing worse than tossing and turning all night. Snack your way to fitful rest with these foods proven to help you sleep.
Living frugally often means finding the lowest cost option, but for products and services like these, it usually pays to spend a little more.
The gadget market moves fast, so it's easy to get caught up and click "buy." Avoid buyer's remorse by choosing quality and value, first.
If your goal is to land your dream job — congrats! Goal-setting is half the battle. Now go out there and get it done.
The fines for going without health insurance are ticking up this year. Are you covered or will you pay a fine?
Taking care of a few simple home repairs and improvements can protect you and your family from minor accidents — or much worse.
Buying a mattress seems like it should be easy, but from foam density to negotiating ploys, there's a lot that goes into a good night's rest.
Flour, oil, spices, rice — every basic pantry has those. Up your pantry-ante with these specialty aisle must-haves that make any meal memorable.
There's no room in the armed forces for clutter and mess. Learn how to keep your place ship-shape with these secrets of military cleanliness.
Whether you're speaking to one person or a hundred, you've got to keep your audience engaged. Try these tricks of the toastmaster at your next talk.
Unless you've got an extra deep retirement fund (and no allergies), you should probably cross these potential retirement locales off your list.
For the frugal bride and groom, winter is the right time to wed. Savings are substantial and the setting is unique and memorable.
With the holidays approaching the last thing on your mind is next year's lawn. Prep your yard now to save time and money on landscaping next spring.
Just two weekends until Halloween! That's plenty of time to put together one or two of these clever, trendy costumes.


text:
Are you saving enough for college? Find out with this calculator
Review various inflation rates to see how much you can save.
We value your privacy. We may collect personal information from you for business, marketing, and commercial purposes. Read more
We value your privacy. We may collect personal information from you such as identifying information (name, address, driver's license number), transactional information (products or services purchased and payment history), digital network activity (interactions with our website, IP address), geo-location data, audio recordings and other forms of personal information. We use this information for business, marketing and commercial purposes, including but not limited to, providing the products and services you request, processing your claims, protecting against fraud, maintaining security, confirming your identity and offering you other insurance and financial products.
For California residents, click here to view the full version of the California Consumer Privacy Notice.Para español, haga clic aquí para ver la versión completa del Aviso de Privacidad del Consumidor de California. Read less
Start Of Main Content
Review various inflation rates to see how much you can save.
Teenagers can get a head start on developing a strong credit history. Here's how to help your teen get started.
There are many ways to save for college such as 529, Coverdell, and Uniform Gift to Minors. Let us help you by offering savings and debt reduction ideas.
Before letting your teenager get behind the wheel, go over this driver skills checklist.
It may not rot their brains, but too much TV, computer time and more can have plenty of negative effects for kids.
Teach your kids good financial habits.


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The Mouse Hunt Guide
Don't Get Cheesed. Get a Brie-lliant Game Tip here.
MH Timer Lite
Those that still prefer the full suite of additional information together with the regular MH Timer, this is your link:
Note that these are my shortlinks and the contents of the MH Timer pages are not maintained by me.
Earlier post here: Mousehunt Timers
What happened with the Layout?
We've clocked about 2.5 million pageviews in our lifetime, and you've broken our free template usage. :)
For now, we've switched to a default blogger one, but Hilary and I are planning a whole new website for you guys to call home. Yes, yes, real life does get in the way, but we're still avid hunters, even if we've stopped posting regularly.
We're still trying to figure how you all would like to read and find stuff, so please drop a comment to tell us if you liked the format (if you remembered how it looked before we were blasted down) or if you have any ideas of what kind of information we should be showing.
No ideas? Go ahead and drop a comment anyway, don't be shy. We don't bite.
Event: Zombie Invasion
Arm your luckiest Shadow or Arcane Trap combination. Arcane Blast on Magma base works well for me.
Next, brew the Undead Emmental Cheese from Brie or Super Brie with those potions. And you're set !
Zombots were introduced during the first Zombie Invasion.
Grave Robber mice popped up during the second invasion.
Tips to speed your way to Silver crowns
- Lucky Shield
- Antiskele Charms
- Farm Potions at Mos, hunt Zombots | Grave Robbers at Cats
Final Note: there's a limiting factor built into the event. Once you hold 60 pieces UE Cheese or 5 UE potions, those zombies stop dropping potions. So plan your farming cycles !
Final FINAL Note: Of course, if you're already pleased with your current run and there's still time on the Event, you might want to re-stock your potions and cheese (5 max and 59 pieces) before clearing off the undead muck from your boots. That way, when the Zombie Invasion comes around again, you're all ready to GO!
Final REALLY FINAL Note: And if you're wondering what the codes are to show these two mice on your Favorite King's Crown panel, the Zombot is 284 while the Grave Robber is 337.
OK, I go now.
Show Your Favorite Crowns
Isn't it fab to see the main mousehunt bosses?
Wait. They aren't crowned yet !
How did I get them there?
(aside: actually I saw it on Hilary's Profile first, and just had to do the same)
Ok, OK! Stop twisting my arm ! I'll tell you how..
First, go to your own Mousehunt Profile. That's by clicking in the huge MH crest.
Now select the King's Crown tab. Hover your mouse over any one of the mice that you have already crowned. Right-click, then select "Copy Link Location" (Chrome) or "Copy Link Address" (Firefox)..
You need to do this for the "&uh=" code, which is the unique code for your account.
Then go to the browser address line, remove the URL line there. Right-click and Paste.
You should see a line like below appear.
http://www.mousehuntgame.com/canvas/profile.php?tab=2&addToTop=217&uh=zZz999zz (fake &uh here, but you get the idea)
See the "&addToTop=" portion above? The number 217 is for the White Mouse.
To get the same crown display as mine, you need to replace the number 217 with the numbers below. One entry at a time. That is, Hit Enter to place the MHMouse, return to the browser line, paste again, replace 217. Rinse, repeat.
The numbers you want are : 2, 10, 278, 54, 56, 61, 180, 306
Have fun !
Hey, you may also wish to experiment with other mice numbers to develop your own theme of eight mice to display on your MH Profile. You're welcome to add your series of numbers in the comments below.
[update : adding the link for the list of mice and their corresponding numbers ]
[update : or you can remember j.mp/mhmice]
[update May2012 : the devs have modified the code such that you can only now add a mouse to favorite crowns after you have caught at least 1 of that mouse. *sad face*]
Getting Those Last Few Bonus Eggs
If you're stuck, don't forget to check out the Bonus Egg Spreadsheet to find out where you'd need to be next.
Here's a few time-saver tips if you've only recently started (or are dashing for the egg-competitions that some groups hold). Feel free to add more of your tips in the comments.
1) Realm Ripper's egg's probably the most predictable one to collect. Just keep an eye on when the Forbidden Grove is going to close with the MHTimer spreadsheet, hop over there just before does. You'd be done within the next horn (well, unless you failed to catch, but that's just another 15min).
2) Already a Hero and hunting dragons? You'd find that the Elub, Nerg, Derr Eggs are the easiest to loot - great morale booster when you're starting out. And for the JOD Egg, just make a batch of havarti and you'd get it pretty easily. Pygmy Eggs are a sure-thing with Gouda. The Dragon Egg? Well, you're on your own there - standard Dragon trap combination and a lot of Infernos. I actually ran out, so I won't have this :(
3) Monster Egg, I'd prefer staying at the Chocolate Factory rather than going to the Lab or the Mousoleum. It comes more often and it's also a great place to farm gold. Pirate's frequent too, but Burglar not so.
4) Have a good batch of Wicked Gnarly Cheese? Then skip the Great Gnarled Tree, camp out at the Lagoon and be armed for the Silth. More mice now drop the Whisker Woods Egg. The Hydra Egg's also common and dig this - the Black Widow Egg's easier to catch here too. Can't get the Silth Egg? Just whine that you're really after the Hydra.. :) Works most times..
5) Burglar Eggs, I like the Bazaar best. Had spare Gild Cheese. Super Brie works too and the Nibbler tends to join in with his egg too..
6) Warpath Eggs. Wave 2's Sand Calvary and Crimson Commanders have a higher drop rate. One tip is to clear out archers with the charms first, so that their encounters are maximized..
7) Trying to Bronze Crown the four event mice? Arcane/Dark Choc/Gouda are great for building the catch numbers for Egg Painter and Eggsplosive Scientist Mice (and farming MM). Switch to a strong physical trap (like CDB)/Dark Choc/MM and you'd start clocking more Coco Commanders (which also replace the MM) and the Hare Razors..
Have fun. And don't forget to leave us your tips below !
Fiery Warpath: Warmonger Loot Drop Data
We're trying to put together a table of Warmonger(WM) catches and their loot. What we're trying to do is to see if there is a pattern for a "sweet-spot" trap combination that improves the chances of what kind of drop.
If you have just caught your first WM (WM1) or your sixth (WM6) or your sixtiethethth (WM60 however it's spelled:)) we want to know about it as soon as it happens!
Please head on over to www.facebook.com/mousehuntguide and drop a comment there. We'd verify it and add your catch to our table.
Thanks in advance !
Fiery Warpath: Tracking Warmonger Loot Drops
We now have consolidated Warmonger trap loot data collection and analysis thanks to Chad Moore (of the splendiforous MouseHunt Timers.) I have been collaborating with Chad on the underlying model for the analysis used in the Warmonger trap loot, so I am not unbiased as to the quality of the work, lol... my indepth explanation of the basis of the work in an extended article coming out as soon as I catch up on some sleep after my recent project and MH comp :)
For the curious, I got sandblasted metal from my first warmonger and traded with a friend for his sphynx crystal. I promptly crafted my pretteh kitteh, popularly know as the SWat (rofl!) I bought an oasis bead from the marketplace, where they are ridiculously cheap and crafted an OWN with flameshards generously loaned by a friend. I did not get trap loot from my second Warmonger, but got a generous clump of Simple Orbs, so was happy. I'm on my third pass now, in which I am exploring profitability.
Spring Egg Hunt 2011
It'll be updated as each daily egg is found.
The Egg Spreadsheet.
And if you're the "fire and forget" type of player, just plant yourself at the Catacombs - currently the only place to get 2 types of eggs (Green Plaid + Blue Argyle).
[Apr 18 update] Newer eggs are appearing in the higher level areas.. I do hope that there's still something for everyone by the Easter weekend.. :p


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Maxiell: Players are Saving Money in Case of Lockout
Jason Maxiell, the Pistons' player representative, said players are beginning to take precautions with a lockout looming.
"Mainly save your funds, knowing it could be like 1998 (the last NBA lockout)," Maxiell said. "It was tough for (the players) then, and it could be tough for us. As a player you have to be prepared for it."


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This past week I built a new system that I need to install Ubuntu on. I would like to use 13.04 once it is released, and was hoping to wait until then for the system build. Unfortunately the system this one is replacing died this past week, necessitating moving up the schedule.
My question is whether it is better to install 12.10 for now and upgrade once 13.04 is fully released or install a pre-release version of 13.04 and just apply the updates once the full release comes out?
If you have specific reasons for recommending one option versus the other, I would love to hear those, too.


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Pardew voices relegation fears
Alan Pardew admitted he was a worried man after seeing Newcastle plummet deep into relegation trouble with a 6-0 drubbing by Liverpool at St James' Park. Asked if he is confident he can drag the club out of a terrifying tail-spin, Pardew said: "Yes, of course, and I think we have got enough in the dressing room to do that. "We haven't become a bad staff or a bad set of players overnight. But we definitely need to roll our sleeves up and make sure we make a really good fist of these last three games." Pardew and his players were booed from the pitch both at half-time and on the final whistle after capitulating in alarming style, much as they had done against Liverpool in December 2008. Five months later, they were relegated. Asked about the fans' jeers, Pardew said: "They have got every right to. That performance is just not good enough for Newcastle. "We are all aware of that, not just myself and my staff but my team, and on Monday morning at 10.30am I expect to see all my team out there whether their foot is hanging off or whatever ready to train. Now we have got to show we have got the heart for this little scrap we are in because other teams certainly have." Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the way his players responded to the loss of Suarez, and he said: "It has been a traumatic week for the football club but we accepted that. "Luis did wrong, he takes his punishment and we move on. And we had to move on with a performance and I don't think we could have done any more." On a day when the 51-year-old sent out his team under orders to make amends for their derby humiliation by Sunderland a fortnight ago, the Magpies slipped to their heaviest home defeat since 1925 as the Reds ran riot even without the suspended Luis Suarez. Pardew said: "Well I'm worried, of course. You can't come off a defeat like that and the manner it was without being worried. I'm not going to criticise my players, I'm not going to criticise the team in any shape or form on an individual basis. It was a collective effort and we fell down collectively." Press Association


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Rethinking Tractor Trailers for the Long Haul
The U.S. Postal Service owns more than 213,000 vehicles, the largest civilian fleet in the world. Many of these vehicles are reaching the end of their operational lives, prompting the Postal Service to wrestle with how best to address its long-term vehicle needs. A recent Government Accountability Office report noted that the organization's current financial situation poses a significant barrier to vehicle replacement or refurbishment.
[poll id="231"]


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Posts tagged 'ask a Navy question'
New Show Tonight – April 1st 9pmET
Update 955pmCT: Thanks everyone for listening to our show LIVE, we did want to apologize for the abrupt ending. BTR dropped the show prior to our disclaimer and closing of the show. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Tuesday – April 1st – How was your week? Tonight we want to hear from you! We are rolling out the red carpet just for you. On today's show we are doing what we do best, talking about everything….and nothing. Deployment Blues, Homecoming Surprises, Career Questions and much more. Pour that cup of tea or coffee and join us for some real conversation.
We're taking your calls and answering your questions.
We invite you to join the conversation!
You don't want to miss this show LIVE! Our call in # is 646-652-4629.
To listen live go to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/navywiferadio
Show link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/navywiferadio/2008/04/02/Navy-Wife-Radio
Show Details:
April 1st – Tuesday
9pm ET
Yahoo IM: Navy Wife Radio
Be sure to put the show on your POD (Plan of the Day)!!


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