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Communist Vietnam May Open Up Gambling to Citizens
Under the rule of the Communist party, Vietnamese citizens are not allowed to gamble in their homeland's casinos. Although the country actually houses several casinos, these facilities are designated for foreign tourists alone; it is against the law for natives to wager money there. That law may change, however, as the Vietnamese government searches for ways to boost tourism and prevent the outflow of its currency to foreign countries.
Vietnamese Government: Protecting the People
The Vietnamese government banned casino gambling with the intent of protecting its citizens. Devastating social problems like crime and addictive gambling have indeed been linked to the presence of casinos in large cities. The catch, however, is that Vietnamese citizens still want to gamble and have been seeking other outlets to do so. One popular destination is neighboring Cambodia.
When Vietnamese citizens spend their money in other nations' casinos, they stimulate other nations' economies instead of their own. To keep revenue at home, the Vietnamese government has proposed a test program in which qualifying citizens would be allowed to patronize casinos in Quang Ninh, a city east of Hanoi. If this proposal is enacted, it could lead to a major revolution in the way the gaming industry is governed in the country.
The Quang Ninh Proposal
Vietnam has six casinos which are enjoyed by tourists fromChina, Taiwan, and elsewhere: three in the province of Quang Ninh, one in Hai Phong, one in Da Nang, and one inLao Cai. The newest casino is located in Quang Ninh nearHalong Bay, the country's most popular tourist site.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung recently visited the site and reviewed the country's proposal to allow Vietnamese citizens to gamble there. If the plan is approved, it will be the first time citizens have been allowed to patronize casinos in their own country.
Before this plan can be enacted, the country's National Assembly must approve it. According to the government's vice chairman, Uong Chu Luu, an intensive study of other nations' casino management experiences must be completed before the plan will be considered. The possibility of Vietnamese citizens gambling in their own country exists somewhere down the road, but logistically it will be some time before this idea comes to fruition.
Current Punishment for Casino Gambling in Vietnam
Although Vietnam daydreams of opening gambling to its citizens, the hard truth is that the activity is still illegal and punishable by law. In fact, a new law is set to take effect this fall to punish natives who gamble. As of Oct. 1, any citizen who partakes of the illegal activity will face a fine of 100 million dong, the equivalent of about $4,750 USD. Any business owner who allows Vietnamese citizens to partake of gambling will face a fine of 200 million dong, the equivalent of about $9,500 USD. Before gambling conditions improve for the Vietnamese, it appears they will get worse.
Performer Charged With Illegal Gambling
Kim Tu Long, a Vietnamese musician and performer who won the government-granted "Meritorious Artist" title for his artistry, garnered attention recently when he was caught taking part in an illegal gambling ring after an evening performance. On June 26, police discovered Long and 26 other people playing card games on a barge and arrested the entire lot, seizing close to VND 500 million. Long posted bail and is currently under investigation.
The Grand at Ho Tram Strip
While natives get arrested for illegal gambling, tourists from other countries freely enjoy the activity in the casinos of Vietnam. The gambling halls are by no means premier vacation destinations, but the experience they offer guests is improving with time. Vietnam's first full-fledged gambling resort, the Grand at Ho Tram Strip, opened in July of 2013. By far the country's largest gambling facility, Ho Tram offers 35 table games, 614 gaming machines, and 541 guest rooms. A second phase will add on another 500 rooms and a golf course to create a destination vacation resort much like those found in Las Vegas and Macau.
Officials have high hopes for the new casino and the winds of change it represents in Vietnam's gambling landscape. Resort director Colin Pine said he believes the opening of this facility to be part of a "new era of tourism" for the country. Hospitality representative John Webb stated on the day of the casino's opening that "a little piece of history starts today."
Critics Express Doubt Over Vietnam's Viability as a Gaming Destination
Officials would like to see their country's tourism industry take off with the expansion of Vietnamese casinos, but critics have expressed doubt over the country's viability as a world-class gaming destination. Ben Lee, co-manager at IGamiX Management in Singapore, has said that the gaming environment in Vietnam is not quite right for mass market appeal at this time.
One reason for this is the lackluster atmosphere. Since locals are not permitted to enter, the environment lacks a certain "buzzy" energy. This lack of energy is never a problem for large casino markets where the natives are allowed to enter, such as Las Vegas and Macau.
Amruta Karambelkar, an India-based scholar, recently commented toVietweek that Vietnam's casino model is not as thoughtfully constructed as the casinos of Singapore. If Vietnam does hope to become a vacation destination on par with Las Vegas, it will face tough competition from major Asian markets. Two of Asia's most successful markets at this time are the casino industry of Manila, which recently opened the brand new Solaire Casino and Resort, and world-renowned Macau.


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|Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer
Imagine an animated series that took Jonny Quest and Seventies pop culture, blended it together with some of the sharpest writing on television and unleashed it on the world and you'd have the beginnings of the beloved television show, The Venture Bros.
Last night, Adult Swim aired a new The Venture Bros. special, From the Ladle to the Grave: The Shallow Gravy Story, which encapsulated the rise and fall of the music group Shallow Gravy in a mere eleven minutes.
I was lucky enough to chat with the two geniuses behind the series, Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick, who took some time out of their very busy schedule to discuss the special, the series and potential spin-offs.
Let's start with the present, with From the Ladle to the Grave: The Shallow Gravy Story. It really felt like it could have been the subplot for an entire season. What was the choice to encapsulate it as a short?
Hammer: Because it really isn't the plot for an entire season. We didn't really want to spend an entire season talking about some ridiculous band that Hank and Dermott Fitctel have.
Publick: I think that we're totally well aware that it's a departure from what our show should actually be about, as much as we want to include it. Because it's such a departure, but it's something that we're interested in, the fifteen minute short is the perfect place to make those jokes and then we can, you know, not have to deal with it. We're not moving on to a spin-off here, we just wanted to do this thing.
The Venture Bros. is probably the only the comedic animated series that not only has a story-arc but also a really rich mythology. Was that the plan from the beginning, or did it evolve as it went on?
Hammer: Both, I would say. I mean, I think from the very beginning we were seeding back story or suggesting that there was back story and a rich history and we were dropping you into the middle of an adventure that had been ongoing, but we didn't know what a lot of that stuff would be and it developed and got huge over time.
I know that the fifth season doesn't begin until next year and I know that you've been renewed for another season after that and a future special…do you see the series having an end or do you want to keep doing this as long as you can?
Hammer: I think there is an eventual, kind of end to the series. I don't know if we foresee an end to the Venture universe, but the series itself can only go on for so long, and, you know, when that is, that's up to us, but Jackson and I are the kind of people that would give you a proper ending and not just pitter it away.
I know you guys have an awful lot of control, as you should, and I think the show is richer for that, but has there ever been anything that you've wanted to do on the show that the network has been like, "Absolutely not", where it's not either legally cool or…
Publick: There's always, like, little legal issues with single episode and we're constantly baffled by the…we apparently don't understand parody law. Very confusing (laughs), but nothing big, certainly no big story things that anybody has put the kibosh on.
Hammer: I think that all of the story things that we don't do are because they're not appropriate, it's self-edited stuff. There's a lot of things in the show that I've fantasized. I would love to do hours and hours of like, Team Venture or what goes on with Billy and Dwight that has nothing to do with The Venture Bros., but that isn't the network telling us to stop doing it. Our discipline is that we're writing for The Venture Bros., and we have to keep the show inside the established and move forward in the Venture universe. I think that both Jackson and I have all these ideas that are tangentially related to The Venture Bros. that we would love to do, but we don't because we're quasi-disciplined (laughs) and really busy.
Publick: But maybe the opportunity to do more kind one-off specials will present itself in the future and we can do what we did with Shallow Gravy with these other characters…
At this point, you have a large body of work with this animated series, do either of you have a favorite episode?
Hammer: Heh. I have episodes that I like and episodes that I like slightly less, but I'm not sure about any favorites…
Publick: Yeah, I like them all and I hate them all…there's like a million "I-should-haves" attached to every single episode and sometimes the ones that were the most fun to write and that I thought would be the best one ever just kind of didn't end up that way. But I think they're all good.
Yeah, I think that one of the other really interesting things is that The Venture Bros. has kind of a rabid female audience which is very cool...
Hammer: Really?
Yeah! I mean, just look at the cosplay alone when at a Comic-Con. There's no shortage of attractive women geared up as Venture characters…
Publick: For a show that's only had three women in it, ever…
|Ms. Mars as Dr. Girlfriend
Is it a surprise to you that it's kind of found that audience?
Hammer: I can chalk it up to there is a kind of sensitivity to our show that's absent in most of these kinds of shows, if there are these kinds of shows. There just isn't anything like this, but we have a fairly continuing narrative, we have a lot of, it's action, but if you really think about what's happening, what happens is characters are really being brought out. That's what our show is, the advancement of these characters and I would hope that men and women would find that interesting, so it doesn't really surprise me.
Also, Jackson and I have a deep, smoldering sexuality which you cannot help but be attracted to. (Laughs)
There's obviously influences on the show in terms of references that you guys make, but who or what would you say are the biggest influences on your work and it doesn't necessarily have to be a direct influence on the show but just in terms of inspiring?
Hammer: I geek out over The Venture Bros. (Laughs) I geek out over what Jackson just wrote. I geek out over ideas we talk about. I geek out over the crap that we've already done that I want to move forward in…I really am immersed in this crap and that's my biggest inspiration is what we've done.
Publick: That's true. Yeah, it's become that. I mean, probably the seeds were planted by everything we've watched in the 70s, like James Bond and the Pink Panther and Monty Python and everything and Marvel Comics and crap and all of the syndicated 60s and 70s crap that we watched in the 80s was also in it. That's all been absorbed and processed and crapped out as our own version of it, now it's our kind of world to play in, just kind of get off on screwing around with our own characters.
Would you ever want to see The Venture Bros. universe be translated into another medium, like into a comic book miniseries or even live action adaptation, or do you think that the animated series is pure and that's what it is, and everything else would detract from it?
Hammer: We're making a show now, a TV show, and whatever the future hands us that seems like a good idea, that'll happen. I mean, I think we both dream about different things but we can barely get this f***ing show on every year, it's a lot of work, so…
Yeah, but it seems a lot of it is you guys in a room, it's not a staff of writers…
Publick: It's only two of us. With the exception of one episode, we've written all of it either alone with each other…
Yeah, it's a lot of work for two people…
Publick: Yeah, we direct, edit it, and everything else,
Hammer: We've mollycoddled this thing personally. So, a staff of writers would be both awesome and a complete nightmare for us
So this is what we do, this is how we've done it for a long time. It's working but it takes time but it doesn't give us a lot of time to…
Let's say we wanted to do a comic book. Do you really think that either of us could immediately find somebody to do it to our liking and write it the way that we see the world and just leave them alone? If you see that as possible, then, yeah, we'll have a comic, but we don't see that as possible… (LAUGHS)
Yeah, it's certainly unlikely.
Hammer: Maybe someone will fall in our laps.
Publick: On the other hand, this show is totally our baby, so maybe at some point we'll let go as far as other medias are concerned and go "Well, our show is the thing that we control 100% and if people like the other things…fine"
Hammer: Yeah, don't blame us for Venture Babies the Comic! (Laughs)

subset: commoncrawl


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Hello and welcome to my blog!
Currently the website is a work in progress so please bear with me whilst I make it look aesthetically pleasing!
In the meantime I'll keep this short and sweet….
Just to give you a quick summary of what to expect in this blog site is:
- lots of updates on what's going on in the marketing world,
- recipes which are lacto-vegetarian friendly
- all things culture and travelling
- things are that going on in my life
- and anything else that I find interesting….
I hope you enjoy it!


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Dr Christian Rinke
Researcher biography
Christian Rinke is a Research Officer at the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE), University of Queensland, Australia. He received his PhD in Zoology from the Marine Biology Department at the University of Vienna, Austria and has since shifted his focus to the microbial world.
His research interests include genomics and the phylogeny and ecology of symbiotic and free living microbes. He focuses in particular on the uncultured majority of microbes (99%) which elude current culturing efforts. This so called "Microbial Dark Matter" can only be explored with culture-independent methods. Chris pioneered methods in high throughput single-cell genomics, the separation and sequencing of single bacterial and archaeal cells, and also employs metagenomics (the direct sequencing of environmental samples) to illuminate microbial dark matter.


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Village of Boston Heights OH, Planning and Zoning Code
Trees and Timber Cutting Regulations and Restrictions
1177.01 Prohibition of tree or timber removal without permit, exceptions.
(a) No person shall timber, log, commercial cut, clear cut or excessively prune any tree that is presently attached to the ground on any public or private property without obtaining a permit from the Zoning Inspector for the removal or excessive pruning of trees.
(b) A property owner who owns less than five acres in a residentially zoned district shall be exempt from the provisions of these regulations.
(Ord. 10-2003. Passed 7-9-03.)
The activities listed below shall be exempt from this Ordinance:
(a) Emergency activities necessary to remedy an immediate threat to public health, safety, or welfare.
(b) Routine maintenance of trees necessary to maintain the health of cultivated plants, to contain noxious weeds, or to remedy a potential fire or health hazard or threat to public safety.
(c) Removal of trees in easements and rights-of-way for the purposes of maintaining public streets and utilities.
(d) Clearing, cutting, or removal of trees in connection with a valid and current Site Clearing and Grading Permit or valid and current Change of Grade Permit issued by the Village of Boston Heights Engineer.
(Ord. 10-2003. Passed 7-9-03.)
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) Tree means a self-supporting woody plant characterized by one main trunk or, for certain species, multiple trunks, with a potential at maturity for a trunk diameter of two (2) inches and potential minimum height of ten (10) feet.
(b) Diameter/Diameter-breast-height (d.b.h.) means the diameter of any tree trunk, measured at 4-1/2 feet above average grade. For species of trees whose normal growth habit is characterized by multiple stems (e.g. hazelnut, vine maple) diameter shall mean the average diameter of all stems of the tree, measured at a point six inches from the point where the stems digress from the main trunk. In no case shall a branch more than six inches above average grade be considered a stem. For the purposes of enforcement, if a tree has been removed and only the stump remains, the size of the tree shall be the diameter of the top of the stump.
(c) Removal: means removal of a tree(s), through either direct or indirect actions including, but not limited to, clearing, cutting, causing irreversible damage to roots or trunks; poisoning; destroying the structural integrity; and/or any filling, excavation, grading, or trenching in the dripline area of a tree which has the potential to cause irreversible damage to the tree, or relocation of an existing tree to a new planting location.
(d) Excessive pruning meanspPruning more than 4 years of branch growth, unless necessary to restore the vigor of the tree or to protect life and property.
(e) Timbering, Logging or Commercial Cutting: The cutting of trees bearing a trunk diameter of not less than nine inches measured at a distance of 14 inches above ground level.
(f) Clearcutting means the removal of trees and other vegetation from a site in preparation of the development of same.
(Ord. 10-2003. Passed 7-9-03.)
Any person who violates this chapter shall be fined up to $3,000 per tree for removal of or excessive pruning of any tree in violation of this ordinance.
(Ord. 10-2003. Passed 7-9-03.)
(a) General Permit Applications/Permit Conditions. The application for such permit shall be in writing and shall set forth and be accompanied by the following:
(1) A nonrefundable certified check in the amount of $250.00.
(2) A site plan detailing the topography of affected areas to the satisfaction of the Zoning Inspector.
(3) A cash or surety bond in the form as approved by the Solicitor in favor of the Village, in the amount of $25,000.00 and post a road bond in conformance with Section 339.02 of the Codified Ordinances of Boston Heights.
(b) Special Limited Residential Permit Applications/Permit Conditions. Applicants applying for a permit in a residentially zoned district of five acres or greater and applying to remove twenty (20) trees or less shall apply in writing to the Zoning Inspector and shall accompany the application with the following:
(1) A nonrefundable fee in the amount of $20.00.
(2) A written description identifying the twenty (20) trees or less to be removed.
(Ord. 10-2003. Passed 7-9-03.)
The conditions under which permits shall be issued under this chapter are as follows:
(a) The owner shall submit the Plan to the Summit Soil and Water Conservation District and submit an approved plan to the Zoning Inspector.
(b) The Zoning Inspector shall not issue a permit in any case where such timbering of trees would result in undue erosion or undue stream siltation or where contiguous or adjacent properties would be adversely affected.
(c) The Zoning Inspector shall not issue a permit unless and until adequate assurance is furnished by the permittee that in the event a permit is granted and such timbering is done all of the cordwood, branches, brush, rubble and refuse resulting therefrom shall be removed from the premises or cut up, chipped, or mulched and placed on the forest floor in such a way that no fire hazard shall result therefrom.
(d) The Zoning Inspector shall, if a permit is granted, specify the hours of operation that timbering may be conducted, designate the streets for ingress and egress and provide for such other controls so as to insure a clean and safe timbering operation.
(e) The Zoning Inspector shall attach any additional conditions to the permit, if granted, which are reasonable to protect the general health, peace, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Village of Boston Heights.
(Ord. 10-2003. Passed 7-9-03.)
All permits issued under this section/chapter shall require the permittee to:
(a) Delineate the boundary of the area upon which the permitted activity is to occur in a manner approved by the Zoning Inspector.
(b) Provide a buffer area of 100 feet from the property line or adjacent right-of-way within which no timbering, logging, commercial cutting or clear cutting shall take place.
(Ord. 10-2003. Passed 7-9-03.)
Boston Heights Overlook


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Read this Guide to Avoid Potential Disaster Before Visiting Sossusvlei Namibia
Sossusvlei Namibia is one of the most beautiful place I have ever visited. With its beauty comes many unexpected perils you will encounter. My goal for this guide is to help you be better prepared for your journey to Sossusvlei. Here are some things you need to watch out for when visiting Sossusvlei: 1) The fluctuating … Read more


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Last October, the John and Terry Levin Center at Stanford Law School honored two exceptional lawyers last night for their remarkable achievements in public service.
The Honorable Myron H. Thompson, senior judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, received the National Public Service Award, while Brian L. Blalock, who is a staff attorney and director of the Youth Justice Project at Bay Area Legal Aid, was awarded the Miles L. Rubin Public Interest Award.
The National Public Service Award is awarded to attorneys whose public service work has had national impact, and the Miles L. Rubin Public Interest Award recognizes an alumnus/a whose outstanding work has advanced justice and social change in the lives of vulnerable populations on a community, national or international level. In particular, the Rubin Award is intended to highlight sustainable solutions to a societal problem.
"This year we recognize two heroes who have devoted their legal careers to improving the lives of others," said M. Elizabeth Magill, dean and Richard E. Lang Professor of Law. "Their work is testimony for the proposition that lawyers can, and should, work to make the world a better place, and they are an inspiration to all of us."
"Judge Thompson has served as a mentor to so many of our graduates committed to public service. It is an honor to bring him to campus to acknowledge his many accomplishments, including his role in developing our next generation of public interest leaders," said Diane T. Chin, associate director of public service and public interest law at the law school. "And Brian Blalock, even as a student at the law school, taught as much as he learned, about compassionate, client-centered lawyering, focused on empowering young people. His amazing career was destined to be."
National Public Service Award Recipient: Judge Myron H. Thompson
When Myron H. Thompson became assistant attorney general of Alabama in 1972, he was the first African-American employee of the state who was not a janitor or a teacher. When President Jimmy Carter nominated him and the Senate confirmed him to the federal bench in 1980, he was the youngest member of the federal judiciary (at age 33) and the second African-American appointed as a federal judge in Alabama. He served as Chief Judge of the court from 1991 until 1998, and took senior status in 2013.
A native of Alabama, Judge Thompson received his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale, and then returned to Alabama. Following two years as the state's assistant attorney general, he became a partner in a private law firm from 1974 to 1980, where he practiced both criminal and civil law and performed public service legal work. He was a founding director and board chairman of the Alabama Legal Services Commission.
Judge Thompson has ruled in many notable cases. For example, he disallowed segregation of HIV-positive prisoners from other inmates, ruled in favor of desegregation of Alabama state troopers, held that the use of a hitching post in the Alabama prison system constituted cruel and unusual punishment, and eliminated at-large voting systems in Alabama for county commissioners and other local elections.
In 2013 he received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the National Bar Association's Judicial Council in recognition of his "personal contributions and extraordinary commitment to the advancement of civil rights and for being a role model for members of the bench and bar." His other awards include the Mark De Wolfe Howe Award from the Harvard Civil Rights – Civil Liberties Law Review in 2005, the Judge Jane M. Bolin Service Award from the Yale Law School BLSA in 2008 and the Ernestine Sapp Justice Award from Thomas Goode Jones Law School in 2009.
Click here for the video presentation.


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It occurred to me -- perhaps too late -- that the owners of Line & Lariat, which is the subject of this week's cafe review, may not appreciate my saying that there's a confusing lack of diners at the downtown restaurant. After all, one of my friends recently noted: Houston diners are afraid to eat at empty restaurants.
I've watched this phenomenon with interest and even participated in it myself over the years, much to my own chagrin. There's a kernel of truth to the idea that you don't want to eat at a place others seem to actively avoid -- after all, it could be for a very good reason, like a chef who routinely attacks diners with meat tenderizers or food that turns you purple for 48 hours.
But just as likely is the idea that you -- and everyone else -- are missing out on an undiscovered or unappreciated gem. I felt that way entering The Chili Shak on two separate occasions, the spartan interior bereft of patrons despite Bernard Montgomery's amazing chili. And I feel that way when I'm dining at Line & Lariat. People are simply missing out.
Is that presumptuous to say? Maybe. But I firmly believe that chef David Luna is cooking the best food that no one is eating.
It could be for one of several reasons. Chief among them is the taint of failure left by two high-profile restaurants, which departed the dining room at the Hotel Icon in quick succession. Although it can't be argued that either restaurant was a failure in terms of the creative, well-crafted food it served -- both Bank and its successor, Voice, possessed top-notch kitchens and talent -- it could be argued that both set the stage for the kind of expectations which Line & Lariat is actively looking to defy. And I believe that the third time could be the charm for this space now that Line & Lariat is changing things up.
Both Bank and Voice were expensive. And both served food that would probably be described as "esoteric" by your average traveler (you know -- those people who actually stay in the hotel above the dining room) and your average downtown office worker.
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Not at Line & Lariat, though. The food is highly accessible -- modern Texan fare that runs the gamut from flat-iron steaks and big, beefy burgers to more Creole dishes like gumbo, shrimp and grits and a charcuterie plate that includes smoked housemade boudin -- and it's not terribly expensive.
But this is only a brief introduction to the food at Line & Lariat. Read this week's cafe review to get up to speed on some of the best and brightest Texas food that downtown -- or any other part of Houston -- has to offer, or simply do yourself a favor and go. Just remember to bring a friend. Or three.
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The world has become much smaller in recent years due to social networking, but there are still some basic differences between dating a Russian girl and a western girl. Like the saying goes "Only women understand women and that's why they hate each other", Russian women are very difficult to comprehend. Uncompromising in certain aspects, they may leave you in spite of any love, understanding or attachment that you have to them. Anyways, they are beautiful, elegant and simply irresistible, undermining all of their cons!
The most important thing about understanding a Russian girl is that she is a dreamer! Life in Russia is tough and only hopes and dreams help them get through the daily challenges and disappointments they face. Optimistic in their approach towards life, they are also known to be possessive and want dominant partners.
Being a dreamer, though, doesn't change the fact that the tough Russian atmosphere makes them smart and practical. Small things that are often thought of as too gentlemanly are adored by these women. Holding the door open, holding their hands in public, moving the chair and offering a hand when exiting the car are very important to them.
Russian women want to be equal to men, but not in everything. They want a fair amount of voice and opinion in a relationship, to feel that they matter. They want the same career opportunities and the same degree of education offered to men but to be treated like ladies at the same time. The thing that is very confusing for western men is that Russian women have come to envy the way their western counterparts are treated and are looking for the same amount of consideration in a relationship.
In exchange for the chivalry offered by most western men, Russian women are more than happy to support, care, love and shower affection. With sex still being considered a spousal duty in a marriage in Russia, if you take care of your woman in your way, she is certainly going to take care of you in her own special ways.
Russian women admire men with traditional family values and cultures. Although she might be as educated and modern as any western woman, a Russian woman yearns for a man who act manly so she can act more womanly. Tired of being their own protectors and providers they dream of being able to relax, feel like a woman and are often known to be saying "I want to be a weak woman next to a strong woman."
Recently, a Russian heiress living in London spoke distastefully about the weakness of men and the shocking drinking habits of western women. Speaking with the Evening Standard, she said Russian women like men who are well mannered and take care of their women instead of demanding half the rent like most western men.
Russian women are great mothers and wives, since they're intensely devoted to the welfare of their family. This is reasonably true and Russian marriage agencies are very proud of this trait and to some extent capitalize on it. By nature, Russian women have loyalty to the family ingrained. If you manage to find a Russian wife, have no fear of loyalty to the family from her side. A Russian wife will do anything to protect and to ensure the well-being of her family.
Considered crazy shopaholics, Russian women love shopping. No matter how much they earn they spend a lot of money on shoes, clothes, bags and of course sexy lingerie! They want to be stylish and are really conscious about the way they look, probably why they're considered so good looking abroad. Most of them wouldn't want to buy a bigger t-shirt if they put on some extra weight, instead they'll hit the gym or go one some special diet to get back in a good shape.
Foreigners coming to Russia complain that Russian girls are always dressed like they are going to a party. That is only because they try to be more chic and elegant. While other several other people are reported to have said, "Russian girls dress not for men but for other women". That could be somewhat true as women in Russia pay a lot of attention to the way they look in public and probably even more attention to the way other women look. It is considered as a compliment if a woman asks another random woman what perfume she's wearing.
Russian women are also very talkative and love socializing. Spending hours on the phone and surprisingly also in the hairdressing saloon. There are numerous jokes about the hairdresser also being the psychologist since she knows so much about her clients. Russian women are considered good wives and even better mothers. Most of them can cook delicious food and keep their houses neat, clean and tidy. One of the most important traits Russian women are admired for is that they are very strong in dangerous situations.
Russian women are considered unique because they have adopted some qualities from the Asian women while some form the Europeans. Although, they have been more inclined towards the Europeans lately, most Russian women are still the same with the same cultural values.


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BDO Email Scam Alert
(Note: This is an old post from pinoy tech blog but we think the article is worth posting
as "scams" are always evolving and we believe public should know.)
Banco de Oro sent out a security bulletin to all its customer about a recent internet scam
being circulated in emails that is part of a bigger modus operandi.
The scam being circulated through email attempts to lure recipients into giving details of their
account and other information so that this may be used as a receiving account to commit the fraud.
This is the content of the email:
Good Day,
Let me start by introducing myself, I am Miss. Mary Ellaine Manguerra Villanueva,
an ACCOUNTS CLERK with the BANCO DE ORO UNIVERSAL BANK. I am writing you this letter based on
the latest development at my bank which I will like to bring to your personal edification.
I am writing you this letter with so much joy and excitement even though my heart goes out to
the very powerful and distinguished gentleman who I was fortunate to have worked for and extremely
privileged to have known for numerous years. I am an official in charge of client accounts in
BANCO DE ORO UNIVERSAL BANK inside the Philippines.
This is a legitimate transaction, and you will be paid 20% for your "Assistance".
If you are interested, please write back by mail and provide me with your confidential telephone number,
fax number and email address and I will provide further details and instructions.
Please keep this confidential;finally, please note that this must be concluded within two weeks.
I will assume all responsibilities for this endeavor so you don't have to worry about any
legal ramifications, just what you will do with all that money. Your urgent response is highly
anticipated so please email me back for more details on this transaction as soon as possible.
This should be kept very secret and confidential. I believe you know.
Kind Regards,
Miss. Mary Ellaine Villanueva.
The Modus Operandi
The Fraudster contacts the prospective victim with money-earning opportunities either via spam mails,
through the Internet chat rooms, or job search websites whereby the fraudster will convince the
victim to supply contact information. Once the victim responds, the fraudster tries to get additional
information from the victim in the hope of getting an account related to a target bank.
The victim will receive funds into his account. These funds are stolen by the fraudster from
another account or accounts that have been previously compromised.
The victim is then asked to take these funds out of their account and to transfer the amount overseas,
typically using wire transfer, leaving a certain percentage to the victim as commission.
Cooperating in such an activity is illegal. When caught, victims often have their bank accounts
suspended, including their own money.
Source: Pinoy Tech Blog


text:
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The Department of Business Economics and Investment of Lviv Polytechnic National University is pleased to invite you to participate in the 4th International Academic Practical Conference «Problems of forming and developing innovative infrastructure: post-industrial economy challenges» dedicated to the University bicentenary, which will be held on May 18–19, 2017.
The Conference is aimed at uniting successful entrepreneurs and creative academics to have a meaningful dialogue. The conference will include holding panel discussions, which involve leading academics and experts form Ukraine and abroad.
Discussions topics
- Post-industrial economy: challenges, realia, opportunities of innovative infrastructure
- Problems of forming a competitive expert for post-industrial economy
- Problems of developing the innovative environment
- Using international experience and co-operation to develop innovative infrastructure
Admission is free. The Conference will be sponsored by patrons and alumni of the Department of Business Economics and Investment of Lviv Polytechnic National University.
Registration for the Conference is open until April 25, 2017.
For further information, please, call (032) 258-25-45.


text:
WHAT: 'SOUL 2 SOLSTICE," a celebration in song!
WHO: Janis Kelly & Friends
WHERE: The Rock N Soul Café (5290 Arapahoe Blvd, Suite 1.; Boulder, CO)
WHEN: Friday, December 16, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
DETAILS: Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door; The Rock N Soul Café is an all-ages venue with a full dinner/drink menu. Call 303-446-5108 for advanced tickets and reservations or visit.
Please join us for a seasonal celebration in song, featuring Boulder singer-songwriter and recording artist Janis Kelly, along with Christian Teele, Chris Engleman, Rick Pontalion, Cheri Shanti and Spirit Voices Vocal Ensemble, as well as special guests Amanda Grover, Danae Shanti, Kathy Nelson and Oliver McCammon!
With two sets of soul-stirring, uplifting and "higher vibe" originals and holiday classics performed by some of Colorado's most talented musicians and artists, "SOUL 2 SOLSTICE" is the perfect opportunity to sing, dance and dream your way into winter!
Additionally, Cheri Shanti will lead a Soulstice "Muse" Ceremony after the performances, so bring your drums, instruments and songs to share for a community music-making experience!
Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door; please call 303-446-5108 for reservations or visit www.rocknsoulcafe.com . The Rock N Soul Cafe is an all-ages venue and serves a full menu of food and beverages.
For more information, please email Janis Kelly at: firstname.lastname@example.com or visit www.janis-kelly.com.
"When we let our LOVE shine, and we let our PEACE shine, and we let our HOPE shine, we let our JOY, JOY shine!"


text:
Benton County to buy Candy Mountain land for preserve
Hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians will soon have legal access to the summit of Candy Mountain.
Benton County will buy nearly 200 acres for the Candy Mountain Preserve this spring after the county commissioners signed off on a financial agreement Tuesday.
Candy Mountain Preserve is the next link in Friends of Badger Mountain's vision of a 20-mile network of ridge-top trails that starts at Amon Basin on the Kennewick-Richland border and extends to the Yakima River by way of the summits of Little Badger Mountain, Badger Mountain, Candy Mountain and Red Mountain.
Click here for the February 23, 2016 full story in the Tri-City Herald.


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Bunyamwera bunyavirus nonstructural protein NSs is a nonessential gene product that contributes to viral pathogenesis
Communicated by Peter Palese, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY (received for review September 13, 2000)
Bunyamwera virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Bunyavirus) contains a tripartite negative-sense RNA genome. The smallest RNA segment, S, encodes the nucleocapsid protein N and a nonstructural protein, NSs, in overlapping reading frames. We have generated a mutant virus lacking NSs, called BUNdelNSs, by reverse genetics. Compared with the wild-type (wt) virus, BUNdelNSs exhibited a smaller plaque size and generated titers of virus approximately 1 log lower. In mammalian cells, the mutant expressed greatly increased levels of N protein; significantly, the marked inhibition of host cell protein synthesis shown by wt virus was considerably impaired by BUNdelNSs. When inoculated by the intracerebral route BUNdelNSs killed BALB/c mice with a slower time course than wt and exhibited a reduced cell-to-cell spread, and titers of virus in the brain were lower. In addition, the abrogation of NSs expression changed Bunyamwera virus from a noninducer to an inducer of an interferon-β promoter. These results suggest that, although not essential for growth in tissue culture or in mice, the bunyavirus NSs protein has several functions in the virus life cycle and contributes to viral pathogenesis.
The family Bunyaviridae contains more than 300 mainly arthropod-borne viruses that share certain morphological and biochemical characteristics. Virus particles are spherical, enveloped, and contain a genome comprising three segments of single-stranded RNA. Virus multiplication occurs in the cytoplasm, and virions mature by budding primarily at membranes of the Golgi apparatus. Several members of the family cause encephalitis or hemorrhagic fevers in humans (e.g., Hantaan, Rift Valley fever, La Crosse, and Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses) and are recognized as posing an increasing threat to human health, examples of the so-called "emerging infections" (1). The family is divided into five genera: Bunyavirus, Hantavirus, Nairovirus, Phlebovirus, and Tospovirus. Bunyamwera virus (BUN) is the prototype of both the family Bunyaviridae and the Bunyavirus genus. The Bunyavirus genus includes three human pathogens of note: La Crosse virus, which causes severe pediatric encephalitis in the United States; Oropouche virus, which has been responsible for repeated epidemics of a debilitating febrile illness in South America, involving thousands of patients; and Tahyna virus, which causes an influenza-like illness in Central Europe (1).
Bunyaviruses contain four structural polypeptides: two glycoproteins, G1 and G2, which are present on the surface of the virion, and two internal proteins, N (nucleocapsid protein) and L (RNA polymerase), which are associated with the three negative-sense virion RNA segments to form helical nucleocapsids. In infected cells, two virus-specified nonstructural proteins, NSs and NSm, have been identified. Genetic and biochemical analyses have shown that the largest RNA segment, L, encodes the L protein; the medium-sized RNA segment, M, encodes G1, G2, and NSm as a polyprotein; and the smallest RNA segment, S, encodes N and NSs in overlapping reading frames (reviewed in refs. 2–5).
Little is known about the function of the bunyavirus NSs protein. The protein varies in length from 83 to 109 aa among those members of the Bunyavirus genus, representing three serogroups, whose S genome segments have been sequenced (6–8). Variation in the length of the NSs proteins occurs at the carboxy terminus (with the exception of Guaroa bunyavirus NSs, which is also truncated at the amino terminus), and the NSs proteins display greater sequence variation within a serogroup (43–95% identity) than that found between the N proteins (62–96% identity; ref. 6).
Like other negative-strand RNA viruses, bunyaviruses replicate their genomes via full-length positive-strand RNA molecules (antigenomes), which are synthesized in a primer-independent manner by the viral RNA polymerase. In contrast, the synthesis of viral mRNAs (transcription) is a primer-dependent event; the primers are cleaved from the capped 5′ ends of host-cell mRNAs by a viral endonuclease activity (presumably a function of the L protein) similar to the cap snatching of influenza virus (2–5).
It seems unlikely that NSs plays a direct role in bunyavirus RNA synthesis. Transcriptase activity can be detected in detergent-disrupted virions that do not contain NSs (9–14), although Vialat and Bouloy (14) have suggested that NSs may be involved in mRNA transcription termination. By using a reverse genetic system with recombinant expressed bunyavirus proteins to drive reporter-gene expression from a chimeric bunyavirus-like RNA template, Dunn et al. (15) showed that transcription and replication of the RNA required only the N and L proteins, although the possibility of a regulatory role for NSs could not be discounted. To investigate the function of NSs further, we have exploited our ability to rescue infectious bunyavirus entirely from cloned cDNAs (16) to produce a mutant bunyavirus, BUNdelNSs, that does not synthesize the NSs protein. Among the characteristics of the mutant virus are a small plaque phenotype, production of increased levels of N protein, impaired capacity to shut off host cell protein synthesis, and the ability to induce an interferon-β promoter.
Materials and Methods
Cells and Viruses.
BHK-21 and Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells were maintained as described previously (16). Murine BF cells (cloned from a primary cell culture of a BALB/c mouse embryo; ref. 17) were kindly provided by R. Randall (University of St. Andrews, Scotland) and were grown as monolayers in DMEM supplemented with 10% FCS. Bunyaviruses were plaque purified in BHK-21 cells, and working stocks were grown in BHK-21 cells as described by Watret et al. (18).
Plasmids were constructed by standard procedures (19) and confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis and/or nucleotide sequencing. Only the salient features of the plasmids are described here; details of the constructions are given in the supplementary Materials and Methods, published as supplemental data on the PNAS web site, www.pnas.org. Plasmid pT7riboBUNN (which encodes N but not NSs) was constructed from pT7riboBUNS (16) by using a PCR mutagenesis approach (19) to ablate the NSs ORF while retaining the coding region of N protein. pT7riboBUNNSs (which encodes NSs but not N) was also constructed from pT7riboBUNS and has a single base substitution to change the ATG initiation codon of the N ORF to TTG and has sequences downstream of the NSs ORF (bases 411 to 787) deleted. The expression of N and/or NSs proteins as appropriate was confirmed by coupled in vitro transcription/translation by using the Promega TNT kit (15).
Reporter plasmids for the interferon-promoter studies were kindly provided by S. Goodbourn (St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, U.K.). The IFN-β promoter-containing plasmid, pIFΔ(-125)lucter, contains IFN-β sequences from −125 to +72 fused to the firefly luciferase gene (20). The control plasmid, ptkΔ(-105)lucter, contains a fragment (bases −105 to −15) of the herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase promoter fused to base −17 of the firefly luciferase gene (20).
Generation of the BUN NSs-Deleted Virus Mutant by Reverse Genetics.
Rescue experiments were performed in parallel as described previously (16), except that in one set, support plasmid pTF7–5BUNS (20 μg) was replaced by 15 μg of pTZBUNN and 1 μg of pTZBUNNSs (both described in ref. 15), and transcription plasmid pT7riboBUNS (1 μg) was replaced by 1.5 μg of pT7riboBUNN and 1.4 μg of pT7riboBUNNSs. Briefly, cells were infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus, which produces T7 RNA polymerase, followed by sequential transfections with mixtures of support plasmids to express all bunyavirus proteins and then transcription plasmids that produce full-length antigenome sense bunyavirus RNAs. After 48 h, the cells were lysed, and after passage in A. albopictus C6/36 mosquito cells, transfectant viruses were isolated by plaque formation on BHK cell monolayers as described previously (16, 18).
Analysis of Viral RNA.
Virion RNA from wild-type (wt) and BUNdelNSs viruses was prepared as described previously (16). To analyze the S genome segment, viral RNA was reverse transcribed by using primer NS2 (5′-CTCTTTATTGATTGAGTTGGAATTTCATGAT-3′), and the resultant cDNA was amplified by PCR by using primers S4 (ref. 16; 5′-AGTAGTGTGCTCCACCT-3′) and NS2. To determine the sequence of the S segment, viral RNA was reverse transcribed by using primer S3 (ref. 16; 5′-AGTAGTGTACTCCACAC-3′), and the resultant cDNA was amplified by PCR by using primers ab40 (5′-GTATGTGGTCATAACTAAGCC-3′) and S3. PCR products were sequenced directly and also after cloning into pBluescript; identical results were obtained from both templates.
For Northern blot analysis, infected cell RNA, prepared by using Trizol reagent, was separated by formaldehyde agarose gel electrophoresis (19) and transferred to Hybond-N+ (Amersham Pharmacia) membrane. The membrane was hybridized overnight at 50°C in 50% formamide (19) with a mixture of [32P]CTP RNA probes transcribed from pT7riboBUNS, pT7riboBUNM, and pT7riboBUNL DNAs (16), followed by extensive washing and exposure to x-ray film.
Metabolic Labeling of Viral Proteins.
BHK cells in 35-mm Petri dishes were infected with 5 plaque-forming units (pfu) per cell of the different viruses and labeled with 30 μCi per dish of [35S]methionine for 2 h at 24 h or 48 h after infection. Cell lysates were prepared and analyzed by SDS/PAGE, as described previously (18).
Transient Transfections and Reporter Assays.
Subconfluent monolayers of BF cells were incubated with 3-μg plasmid DNAs in 500 μl of OptiMEM containing 15-μl liposomes, prepared as described by Rose et al. (21). After 6 h at 37°C, the liposome–DNA mixture was removed, and cells were mock infected or infected with wt BUN or BUNdelNSs at 5 pfu per cell. Cells were harvested 15 h after infection and were lysed in 200 μl of passive lysis buffer (Promega). An aliquot of 20 μl of cell lysate was used to measure firefly luciferase activity as described by the manufacturer (Promega).
Pathogenicity Studies.
Five-week-old specific pathogen-free female BALB/c mice were inoculated either i.p. or intracerebrally (i.c.) with virus. During these studies, any mice that were moribund or severely paralyzed were killed. For the pathogenesis studies, brains were removed and bisected sagittally along the midline. One-half was immediately frozen at −70°C and used to assay for infectious virus; the brains were thawed on ice and homogenized in 1.35 ml of PBS containing 0.75% (wt/vol) BSA (PBS/BSA) to give an initial 1:10 dilution. Serial 10-fold dilutions were made in PBS/BSA, and 100 μl of each dilution was assayed on confluent BHK cells in 60-mm dishes as described (18). The other half of each brain was fixed by immersion in 4% formaldehyde in PBS, embedded in paraffin wax, and 5-mm sections were cut onto Biobond-coated glass microscope slides. The sections were immunostained as previously described (22) to detect viral proteins by using a polyclonal anti-BUN antiserum (18).
Generation of Transfectant Bunyamwera Virus.
Because the N and NSs ORFs overlap, opportunities to introduce specific mutations into the NSs ORF would be severely limited, as such mutations may also affect the N ORF. Thus, it would be difficult to ascribe any observed phenotype to a particular amino acid change. In passing, this may be a reason for the paucity of temperature-sensitive mutations that map to the bunyavirus S segment compared with the hundreds mapping to the M and L segments (reviewed in ref. 23). We planned, therefore, to produce a four-segment bunyavirus possessing two S-like segments, in which one would encode the N protein and the other would encode the NSs protein, and both segments would maintain the S segment noncoding sequences. The rationale for this is that, first, bunyaviruses are probably diploid for the S segment (24–26) and could package an additional S-like segment; second, analogous experiments have been conducted with influenza A virus, in which a virus with nine instead of the usual complement of eight segments has been constructed (27).
The established rescue system described previously (16) requires two types of plasmid for each genome segment, a "support" plasmid, containing essentially the protein coding sequence under control of a T7 promoter to allow transient expression of the protein in transfected cells, and a "transcription" plasmid, which contains a full-length cDNA copy of a genome segment flanked by T7 promoter and hepatitis δ ribozyme sequences. These transcription plasmids yield full-length antigenome RNAs of each segment, which are subsequently encapsidated by N protein, replicated, and packaged into virions.
Support plasmids encoding either the N or NSs proteins were already available (15). Two new transcription plasmids, pT7riboBUNN and pT7riboBUNNSs, were made that encode the N and NSs ORFs, respectively, each flanked by the complete 5′ and 3′ noncoding sequences of the S segment. pT7riboBUNN contains five-point mutations that abrogate NSs expression: the tandem ATG initiation codons were both changed to ACG codons, codon 3 was changed from TCG (Ser) to TAG (a stop codon), and codons 4 and 5 were changed from Leu to Pro codons. All changes are silent with respect to the N reading frame (Fig. 1). Multiple mutations were made to minimize the chance of reversion to restore the NSs ORF. pT7riboBUNNSs contains a single point mutation to ablate the N protein initiation codon (ATG to TTG) and a 377-nt deletion at the 3′ end of the N ORF. Hence, pT7riboBUNN will generate a full-length S segment (961 bases) and pT7riboBUNNSs a smaller S-like RNA of 584 bases.
Rescue experiments were performed as described previously (16), except that four support plasmids were used in the first transfection, followed by the four transcription plasmids in the second round. Four plasmids were used at each transfection stage to avoid the potential of vaccinia virus-induced recombination (28) between a wt S segment cDNA (encoding NSs) and the modified NSs-deleted construct. Thus, transfection with the support plasmids pTZBUNN, pTZBUNNSs (15), pTF7–5BUNM, and pTF7–5BUNL was followed by transfection with transcription plasmids pT7riboBUNN, pT7riboBUNNSs, pT7riboBUNM, and pT7riboBUNL(+)Xho. The last plasmid contains an XhoI site introduced within the L coding sequence as a genetic marker (16). The progeny from the transfection experiment was passaged in A. albopictus C6/36 mosquito cells (to remove the vaccinia virus), and the supernatant was plaqued on BHK cells. A few plaques were observed that were markedly smaller than those given by wt virus, obtained from a rescue experiment carried out in parallel but by using wt plasmids (Fig. 2). Wild-type BUN plaques were around 3–5 mm in diameter, whereas those of the transfectant viruses were typically 1–2 mm in diameter. Seven plaques from the rescue experiment were grown up, and two of these (designated 1a and 9a) were passaged 10 times in BHK cells. The yields of these viruses were about 10-fold lower than wt, giving titers approximately 1–5 × 106 pfu/ml.
Analysis of Viral RNAs.
To verify that the transfectant viruses contained four genome segments as expected, viral RNAs were analyzed by Northern blots and reverse transcriptase–PCR (RT-PCR). However, Northern blots of RNA extracted from cells infected with the two transfectant viruses 1a or 9a revealed only three size classes of viral RNAs, corresponding to the L, M, and S segments, with no evidence for an RNA smaller than authentic S (Fig. 3A). This was confirmed by RT-PCR of virion RNA (Fig. 3B). Primers were designed such that the full-length S RNA (encoding just N protein) and the smaller S-like RNA, encoding NSs, would give products of different sizes (883 and 506 bases, respectively). By using RNA prepared from both transfectant viruses 1a and 9a, only the 883-bp product was observed. Subsequent nucleotide sequence analysis of the S RNA from both 1a and 9a viruses showed it to be identical in sequence to the transfected pT7riboBUNN plasmid (Fig. 3C). Thus, the transfectant viruses apparently contained three segments of RNA in their genomes, of which the S segment encoded only the N protein and not NSs.
Protein Synthesis in Virus-Infected Cells.
To analyze the proteins synthesized by the transfectant viruses, BHK cells were infected at 5 pfu per cell with wt BUN or transfectant virus, labeled with [35S]methionine at 24 h after infection, and cell extracts were analyzed by PAGE followed by autoradiography (Fig. 4A). A related bunyavirus, Maguari virus, was included in this experiment to aid in identification of viral proteins. The NSs protein was clearly identified in wt BUN and Maguari virus-infected cells but was absent in the extracts of cells infected with the transfectant virus. Thus, the transfectant viruses were designated BUNdelNSs. It was also noticeable that the amount of N protein produced by BUNdelNSs, relative to the G1 protein, was increased compared with wt. Quantification of this gel by using a PhosphorImager indicated that approximately 10 times more N protein was produced in cells infected with BUNdelNSs compared with wt BUN.
NSs-Deleted Viruses Are Defective in Shutoff of Host Cell Protein Synthesis.
Examination of the gel in Fig. 4A showed there was apparently a reduced shutoff of host cell protein synthesis in BUNdelNSs-infected cells compared with wt. To investigate this more fully, BHK cells were infected with 5 pfu per cell of each virus and radiolabeled under identical conditions, and equal amounts of cell lysate were analyzed by PAGE (Fig. 4B). At 48 h after infection, host cell protein synthesis was almost completely shut off in wt BUN-infected BHK cells. In contrast, in BUNdelNSs-infected cells, host cell protein synthesis was reduced compared with mock-infected cells but not inhibited to the same extent as in wt-infected cells.
Pathogenesis of BUNdelNSs in BALB/c Mice.
Groups of 12 5-week-old BALB/c mice were inoculated with wt or BUNdelNSs viruses either i.c. with 2,000 pfu or i.p. with 10,000 pfu and monitored for 30 days. With the exception of one mouse inoculated i.p. with wt BUN, which died at 7 days after infection, all mice inoculated i.p. survived (data not shown). In contrast, mice inoculated i.c. by either virus died, but there was a clear difference in disease progression (Fig. 5). Eleven of the 12 mice inoculated i.c. with wt BUN were dead or moribund and had to be killed by 4 days after infection, whereas most of the mice inoculated with BUNdelNSs survived for at least 3 days longer.
To examine this phenotypic difference in more detail, brains were taken from the mice, and virus titers were determined by plaque assay, whereas the distribution and tropism of the infection were observed by immunostaining. Brains were removed at days 4, 8, and 14 after infection from the i.p.-infected mice and at 4 and 8 days from the i.c.-infected mice. The results from these experiments are summarized in Table 1. At day 4, a low level of infectious virus was detected in the brain of one of three mice infected i.p. with wt BUN. Of the mice inoculated i.p. with BUNdelNSs, none had detectable infectious virus in the brain at 4 or 8 days. In contrast, all of the mice infected i.c. had infectious virus in the brain at day 4, with wt virus reaching a higher titer than the BUNdelNSs viruses. The tropism of both viruses was essentially similar in that neurones were infected (Fig. 6). However, wt virus had spread to many cells by 4 days after infection i.c. (A–C), whereas BUNdelNSs (D) was detected in only a few cells. In both cases, most of the infected cells had a normal neuronal morphology. The attenuation of BUNdelNSs virus in infected mice suggests a role for NSs as a virulence factor.
Induction of an IFN-β Promoter by BUNdelNSs Virus.
Type I interferons (IFN α and β) are important components of the innate immune system, and accessory proteins encoded by several negative-strand RNA viruses have been found to antagonize the IFN system (17, 29–32). In particular, the NS1 protein of influenza A virus counteracts the production of IFN in infected cells, resulting in an attenuated phenotype of NS1-deleted viruses (29, 33). To investigate whether the BUN NSs gene could play a similar role, we studied IFN induction in a transient transfection assay. Cells derived from BALB/c mice were transfected with a reporter plasmid containing the IFN-β promoter linked to a luciferase gene and subsequently mock infected or infected with wt BUN or BUNdelNSs. As shown in Fig. 7A, luciferase activity in wt BUN-infected cells was scarcely above the background level measured in mock-infected cells. In contrast, there was approximately 20-fold increase in luciferase activity in cells infected with BUNdelNSs, indicating strong activation of the IFN-β promoter. It is formally possible that the difference in IFN induction may have been because of the reduced ability of BUNdelNSs to shut off host cell protein synthesis. To address this question, cells were transfected with a plasmid containing the luciferase gene under control of the weak herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase promoter and then infected as before. Fig. 7B shows that control promoter activity was slightly reduced when cells were infected with either wt BUN or BUNdelNSs viruses; wt BUN had a greater impact than BUNdelNSs. The difference between wt BUN and BUNdelNSs, however, was only about 2-fold at the observed time point, whereas the difference in activation of the IFN-β promoter was more than 20-fold. This indicates that activation of the IFN-β promoter was specific and independent of the reduced ability of BUNdelNSs to shut off host cell protein synthesis. Thus, the loss of NSs changed BUN from a noninducer to an inducer of IFN.
Previous knowledge of the NSs protein encoded by members of the Bunyaviridae is sparse, particularly for viruses in the Bunyavirus genus. There is great variability in both size and amino sequence between the proteins designated NSs in different genera, and it is possible that there may be no functional equivalence between them. Further, members of both the Hantavirus and Nairovirus genera do not encode a nonstructural protein in their S segments. There is also variation in the coding strategies used by viruses in different genera, and for phleboviruses and tospoviruses, the NSs gene is expressed in an ambisense orientation. In addition, these NSs proteins are larger than those of bunyaviruses (32 kDa for Uukuniemi phlebovirus, 52 kDa for tomato-spotted wilt tospovirus, as compared with 11 kDa for Bunyamwera virus; refs. 1–5).
The data presented in this paper provide insights into the possible function(s) of the bunyavirus NSs product. The generation of viruses lacking the NSs gene shows conclusively that the product is not essential for replication in either cultured cells or in mice, and thus NSs can be designated as an accessory protein. The failure to generate a four-segment virus with NSs encoded on a separate segment (all seven isolated plaques were NSs−; data not shown) suggests a selection pressure against viruses in which NSs production is not tightly regulated by being expressed from the same mRNA as N. Alternatively, the rescue of viruses containing a genome diploid for the S-like segment may be less efficient and below the sensitivity of our procedure. An unexpected finding was that the BUN NSs protein may be involved in the inhibition of host cell protein synthesis. Two studies have addressed this mechanism previously. Raju and Kolakofsky (34) reported that La Crosse bunyavirus infection induces mRNA instability in mammalian cells and showed that this instability was independent of the interferon pathway. They suggested that the viral endonuclease activity involved in viral mRNA initiation may mediate this instability; cellular mRNAs would be susceptible to exonuclease degradation if their 5′-capped ends were removed. Frugulhetti and Rebello (35) examined changes in Na+ and K+ ion concentrations in Marituba bunyavirus-infected cells and showed an increase in Na+ and decrease in K+ ion concentration in infected mammalian cells, which correlated temporally with inhibition of host cell protein synthesis. No changes in intracellular ion concentration were noted in infected mosquito cells. The reduction, but not the abrogation, of host cell protein shutoff by BUNdelNSs suggests also that more than one pathway may be involved. This process is clearly highly cell specific, because neither wt BUN (36) nor BUNdelNSs (data not shown) shuts off host cell protein synthesis in mosquito cells.
We also showed that NSs plays an important role in controlling IFN induction after infection by BUN. Therefore, NSs is remarkably similar to the multifunctional NS1 gene product of influenza A virus, which enables the virus to inhibit host cell gene expression and stimulate its own protein synthesis (37–39), but it also is an IFN antagonist (29). Because both influenza A virus and BUN are negative-strand viruses with a segmented genome, they may have similar requirements for growth (shutoff of host cell protein synthesis and IFN antagonism) that have resulted in a convergent evolution of accessory proteins. Influenza A virus NS1 is thought to antagonize the IFN system by binding to and sequestering double-stranded RNA (29), an intermediate product of viral replication that is a potent trigger of IFN induction. Despite the functional similarities, a sequence comparison between BUN NSs and influenza A virus NS1 did not reveal any conserved motifs, and no RNA-binding motif could be identified in the BUN NSs sequence (data not shown). This indicates that BUN NSs might antagonize the IFN system by a mechanism different to influenza A virus NS1.
The different growth properties of mutant and wt viruses appear not to depend on cell type, because we have also observed up to 1 log lower titers of NSs-deleted viruses in CV-1, HeLa, LLCMK2, and VeroE6 cells in addition to BHK cells (data not shown). To determine whether growth of BUNdelNSs is impaired by the induced IFN, multistep growth curve experiments with low multiplicity infection of IFN-competent and IFN-deficient cell lines are in progress.
After inoculation of 10,000 pfu virus i.p., neither wt nor the NSs-deleted viruses appeared to be efficiently neuroinvasive in mice. Studies on La Crosse and Tahyna bunyaviruses indicate that neuroinvasion is highly variable and requires a threshold dose of inoculum (40). In contrast, the i.c. inoculations were lethal and highlighted a clear phenotypic difference between wt and NSs-deleted viruses. The absence of NSs did not affect the tropism of the virus in the mouse brain but did affect the ability of the virus to replicate in or to spread between central nervous system cells. Furthermore, mice inoculated i.c. with BUNdelNSs survived at least 3 days longer than mice inoculated with wt BUN. We suggest that the failure to counteract the induction of IFN is also responsible for the impaired ability of the NSs-deleted virus to replicate and spread in the adult mouse brain. In addition, the reduced shutoff observed in cultured cells may also contribute to the attenuated phenotype. To distinguish between these possibilities, infection experiments with mice that are deficient in IFN responses are currently under way.
In summary, our results suggest that BUN NSs is an accessory protein that acts as a virulence factor by helping the virus to shut off host cell protein synthesis and to inhibit IFN induction.
We thank Stephen Goodbourn for providing the reporter plasmids, Rick Randall and members of our laboratory for helpful discussions and suggestions, and Susan Jacobs for critically reviewing the manuscript. This work was supported by Medical Research Council Grant G9535974 and Wellcome Trust Grants 048387 and 046745 (to R.M.E.). F.W. received a Long Term Fellowship ALTF 36-1998 from the European Molecular Biology Organization.
- wt,
- wild type;
- Bunyamwera virus;
- reverse transcriptase;
- i.c.,
- intracerebrally;
- reverse transcriptase–PCR;
- pfu,
- plaque-forming unit
- Received September 13, 2000.
- Accepted October 31, 2000.
- Copyright © 2001, The National Academy of Sciences
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- Elliott R M
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- Jackson A O,
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- Barrett A D T
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- Bellocq C,
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- Patterson J L,
- Kolakofsky D
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- Pardigon N,
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- Latorre P,
- Kolakofsky D
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- Salvatore M,
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- Sato T A,
- Nakada S,
- Enami M
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- Lu Y,
- Quian X Y,
- Krug R M
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Crème Contour des Yeux Biosensible - 1 fl. oz.
Crème Contour des Yeux Biosensible's formula is specially designed to recondition and protect the epidermal system in order to lastingly reduce the signs of skin sensitivity. The hypoallergenic and ophthalmologically tested formula combines four actions; It inhibits inflammatory reaction instantly and it helps to smooth fine lines caused by dehydration. It helps the skin to protect itself against stress and external factors, thanks to the hygroscopic and lipidic properties of its ingredients. Lastly, it improves the skin's microcirculation, which evens out the complexion, reduces dark circles and restores the clarity and brightness of the eyes due to its rich and draining astringent ingredients.
How to use: Apply a hazelnut-sized amount of Crème Contour des Yeux Biosensible to clean skin in the morning, lightly massaging until the product has been completely absorbed. It is advisable to apply the cream only along the supraorbital arch and the infraorbital margin.
Be the first to ask a question about this.


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Walsall Council sorry for 'distressing' girl over school move
- Published
A council has apologised for causing "serious distress" to a "vulnerable" 13-year-old girl by trying to force her to move schools.
Walsall Council wanted to save money by moving the girl, who cannot be named, to a school closer to her home.
A report by the Local Government Ombudsman said she was settled at her current residential school and found the prospect of moving "upsetting."
The council said it was now "working closely" with the girl and her carers.
The report by Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), Dr Jane Martin, said the girl had been placed at the residential school at the end of 2011.
In July 2012, the council's education panel decided to withdraw funding for her placement because it considered the girl not to have special educational needs.
The authority did not hold a care planning meeting with the school and did not take into account the girl's wishes, the report said.
It said despite the council telling the girl on a number of occasions she would be moving it was clear she "did not want to move and found the prospect seriously distressing".
'Legal obligations'
Dr Martin said: "The council maintained their path of moving the girl, when numerous parties, including the school, her advocate, my investigator and The Office of the Children's Rights Director strongly advised against it, leaving her distressed and with very little stability in her life.
"While I appreciate the financial constraints that councils are under in the current economic climate, this in no way gives them licence to ignore their legal obligations."
Rachel Andrew, cabinet member for children's services at Walsall Council said: "We have apologised directly to the teenager.
"We are now working with her and her carers to ensure that we listen to her wishes and feelings and that the support we give her helps her to realise her ambitions.
"We recognise our responsibility to champion children and listen to their voice and views very seriously."
Dr Martin recommended that the council hold £1,000 in trust for the girl over the next three years to cover her education, training and leisure expenses.
She also called for the council to review its procedures on plans to end school placements and provide better training for social workers to deal with such cases.
The council said it was "working closely with the Ombudsman to address the recommendations in the report".


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Salman Khan fan Akshat Singh to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
A student of Class 2, Akshat Singh, who floored all with his crotch-grabbing dance moves on the reality TV show India's Got Talent, says,"Salman Bhai big boss hain, aur main chota boss hoon. US mein jakar bhi faarh dunga sabko!"tv Updated: Feb 13, 2014, 10:42 IST
From UK's Mirror to The Independent, he has been featured across the globe for his splits, vaults and backflips that has taken the internet by storm.
And now, the chubby lil eight-year-old from Kolkata, Akshat Singh is headed to the US for a tete-a-tête with none other than Ellen DeGeneres.
The famous American TV chat show host has interviewed biggies including the US President Barack Obama and soccer star David Beckham on her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
A student of class two, Akshat, who floored all with his crotch-grabbing dance moves on the reality TV show India's Got Talent (IGT), last month, however, says he doesn't know who Ellen is.
Ask him where he learnt his killer moves from, and he says, "
Bhai se seekha
(Learnt from brother)."
When prodded if he's talking about his elder brother, Akshat, who was invited by Ellen's team after his video went viral, instantly clarifies, saying, "
Nahi Nahi, Sallu Bhai
A die-hard fan of Salman Khan, he adds, "
Bhai big boss hain, aur main chota boss hoon. US mein jakar bhi faarh dunga sabko
Last month, Akshat left IGT judges Kirron Kher, Malaika Arora Khan and Karan Johar in splits when he displayed a fusion of break dance and
dance on a medley of Salman Khan's songs from various films including Wanted, Dabbang and Bodyguard.
Ever since, his video on the internet has got over a million hits, apart from being shared by people on various social networking platforms.
"My favourite film is Bodyguard. I don't even remember how many times I have seen it," says the pint-sized wonder.
Ask him how he has the freedom to watch so much TV, and he retorts, "
Sab dekhte hain, main kyon nahin dekhoonga! Aur padhai bhi toh karta hoon main.
(Everybody watches, so why won't I watch? And I do my studies as well!)."
Indeed, Akshat is a bright kid at school too. "He has even got a scholarship. He is very good in studies," says his dad Abhay, who runs a small business of tea leaves in Kolkata.
Considering his weight, the li'l one was also complimented by KJo for his agility. But you dare not question his fitness. "
Arrey, chicken khata hoon main, fit kyon nahin hounga
! (I eat chicken, why won't I be fit?" he explains.


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Fuse is thrilled to announce that Nas and Coheed and Cambria are the latest additions to the 2012 Voodoo Music Experience Festival. Twenty local New Orleans bands from a variety of genres have also been added to the bill, giving the festival more of its famous Cajun flavor.
They join an already impressive line-up featuring headliners Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Jack White and Green Day (see photos from across the punk band's career!). And, as if you needed another reason to go, the festival will mark Green Day's only full festival show in North America this year. Other acts playing this years festival include the Avett Brothers, Kaskade, Justice, Silversun Pickups, JFK of MSTRKRFT, AWOLNATION, Étienne De Crécy, K'Nann, Dave Stewart, the Gaslamp Killer, Thomas Dolby, Borgore, Nervo and Supagroup.
For the full lineup head to Voodoo's website.


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First post, by TECH198
Hi..I'm trying to get Darkseed 2 running but the problem is, i've seen reports of people getting it to fully work under Windows 95..
While have successfully got Windows 3.11 installed under DosBox, I am stuck on Windows 95... The only difference i can see if "imgmake" is required on Windows 95 install where as Windows 3.11 just used disk and its fine..
Since both are based on MS-Dos anyway, why the difference ? Since Imgmake is not part of DosBox (at least when I run it I get "illegal command") how can i get past this ? Using DosBox 0.7.4 under Windows XP


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Existing home sales data and major earnings from McDonald's, AT&T, and Dupont, among others, will play a key role in driving stocks after Monday's slow drift in the market.
But late news from Texas Instruments may also be a dampener. After the bell, Texas Instruments reported earnings in line with forecasts, but said second quarter profits would be below analysts' expectations. The company cited economic uncertainty.
Earnings Central
Along with Dow components McDonald's , AT&T and DuPont , Kimberly Clark , Lockheed Martin , United Health , Wyeth , Baker Hughes , and CME Group are also among companies reporting earnings early Tuesday.
Yahoo reports earnings after the bell, and those results will be scrutinized for what they may say about the Microsoft deal, if anything. The theory is weak earnings would strengthen the Microsoft hand, but strong earnings would give Yahoo more reason to play hard to get. News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch Monday said he wouldn't challenge Microsoft with his own Yahoo bid, but Reuters reported he left the door open to a joint bid, depending on the deal.
Other events worth watching Tuesday include the Citigroup and New York Times annual shareholder meetings.
There's also an IPO promising to bounce higher in Tuesday morning trading. Intrepid Potash priced after the bell at $32, well above the expected $27 to $29 range. Intrepid joins the group of sizzling fertilizer stocks that have moved higher with rising fertilizer prices.
In Washington, health-care officials gather at the 5th Annual World Health Care Congress.
President Bush, meanwhile, meets with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the North American Leaders Summit in New Orleans.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission holds a round table to explore whether futures markets are able to handle the red hot trading in commodities markets as well as the impact on agriculture.
Pennsylvania voters go to the polls to vote in the presidential primary. Pundits predict a Pennsylvania win for Sen. Hillary Clinton,D-N.Y., over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
Housing data is the high point this week when it comes to economic numbers. On Tuesday, Existing home sales for March are reported at 10 a.m. and are expected to come in at 4.93 million, down two percent. New home sales are reported Thursday and are exacted to come in at 579,000, down 1.9 percent.
Tony Crescenzi of Miller Tabak said in a note Monday that the supply of unsold homes was still about 1.5 million above normal in February and it would take the decline of another 500,000 to change the outlook for housing prices and boost confidence in financial markets. Meanwhile, data is also showing that builders are finally bringing their construction levels down, which should help with the inventory problem.
"... New construction is now below household formation ... This means the housing stock will inevitably fall," he wrote.
Market Malaise
Bad news from the banking sector was a drag on stocks Monday. Bank of America reported a wider-than-expected loss, and National City only added to the mood with its announcement that it was getting a $7 billion cash infusion. The S&P financial sector was 1.7 percent lower.
The Dow finished off 24 or 0.2 percent and the S&P 500 was down 2.16 points. But the Nasdaq rose 5 points as shares of some big tech names, like Apple, moved higher. Apple reports earnings later in the week.
In the commodities markets, gold gained $2.50 per troy ounce to $914.70. Oil rose $0.79 per barrel to $117.48 as rebel attacks in Nigeria triggered supply concerns. Gasoline futures fell 0.3 percent to $2.9791 per gallon but gasoline at the pump continues to flare up. The EIA said on Monday the average price at the pump last week was $3.51, up $0.119 from the week earlier.
Confused about the market?
"Squawk Box" Tuesday has pulled together an all-star team of market analysts. BlackRock Vice Chairman Robert Doll will co-host with Squawk Box anchors, and at 8 am he will be joined by Goldman Sachs strategist Abby Joseph Cohen, Pimco's Paul McCulley, Capital Growth Managemement's Ken Heebner and Vanguard Group Founder John Bogle.
Hot Commodities
The CFTC's roundtable on futures markets gets underway at 9 am.
Jerry McReynolds, vice president of the National Wheat Growers, is one of the more than two dozen officials from the exchanges, trade groups and Wall Street that will be participating.
McReynolds, a wheat farmer from Kansas, said one of the top issues affecting farmers is the big disparity between futures prices and cash prices. Another issue is the increase in margin requirements which have increased as the price of the commodities have gone up.
"It's causing financial constraints," he said.
At the same time, farmers are also being squeezed in other ways. "Fertilizer has doubled. Fuel has gone crazy and our chemical costs are going up," he said. Some farmers, he says, locked in prices that now may not even allow them to break even despite higher prices for the grain.
One idea that his group definitely doesn't like is the suggestion from the Treasury that the Securities and Exchange Commission merge with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
"We're concerned with that. That won't get us anywhere. We're not looking for any more regulations because we know who pays at the end of the day. It all comes back to the producer," he said.
Questions? Comments?


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The survival and development prospects of Cambodia's children are being seriously
hampered by a lack of research according to a new report from UNICEF called "The
Progress of Nations".
The report says the true levels of malnutrition and death among Cambodian children
under five are not known and says the absence of such figures makes it difficult,
"if not impossible", to gauge the social well-being of the society as a
What is known is that only 34 percent of Cambodian children under one are immunized
against measles, which ranks the country second only to Laos at 20 percent.
North Korea comes top with 99 percent.


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A few videos have now been uploaded to You Tube, with more on their way, so it's now possible to see longer versions of the clips currently on the website.
For some reason (a moment of madness on my part) we're listed not as expanDance but as 'nefariousfaery' on You Tube. You can check us out here:
...and if you feel so inclined (and you are, unlike many of us, quite familiar with YouTube-isms) feel free to add us as a 'friend', leave a comment, or even subscribe! Oooh the excitement...


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PowerDock Pro: Charges 5 Smartphones or Tablets0
Meet PowerDock Pro: a charging dock that can recharge up to 5 smartphones or tablets. Its charging bays are designed to hold your smart devices with their case. It has a smart circuit that senses and delivers the proper charge to each connected device. The weighted base holds your tablets safely.
Check out these uniquely awesome ✔ iPhone gadgets & gizmos
PowerDock Pro works with cables that were shipped with your devices. It features built-in cord management. You can get one for under $130 at this time.[where to get it]


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Embroidered Buckeye Butterfly Pin
Don't be startled at the sight of the Common Buckeye butterfly with its bold pattern of eyespots and distinctive orange bars. Flying through open spaces, seeking small flowers and fruits, it camouflages cleverly with its dull brown hues.
- Glass beads, thread, felt, stainless steel backing.
- Length: 1.75". Width: 3".
- Made in India.
- Found at our 51 Charles St. location.
Each item found at DECEMBER THIEVES is lovingly crafted. We work with small artisans and independent designers who follow small batch manufacturing practices. For them this means working solo with a handful of studio assistants or with small family run workspaces to bring to life their creations.
For us this means high quality unique products in very small quantities and a true dedication to the transformative power of a product made with passion. Nothing is mass produced, nothing that can be reordered on a whim, and when it runs out, it runs out.
Important to note the items you find online are one and the same as those found in our brick and mortar locations- so snatch them up while you can!
We hope your purchase from December Thieves is everything you hoped for but we understand that sometimes things don't work out.
Returns must be shipped back within 7 days of delivery (it does not have to arrive to us within 7 days) Store credit or exchange is offered when shipped beyond the 7 days and for up to 14 days after you receive your order.
All items must be in their original condition in original packaging, with tags, and showing no signs of wear.
Sale items or items purchased with a promotional code are final sale and will not be eligible for return or exchange.* Other items that are final sale include: Socks, tights, food products, fragrance, and any bath/body products.
*Items purchased with discount code obtained from newsletter signup are still eligible for return/exchange
We will gladly accept items purchased in store for store credit or exchange within 14 days of purchase- as the option to try on in store was available and you have the benefit of our thieves' eyes!
All items must be in their original condition in original packaging, with tags, and showing no signs of wear.
We have new product coming in daily so we know we can help you find something else you love.
Click HERE for additional information.


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Is 2018 the year you want to eat healthier, but don't want to give up your Amish Friendship Bread? Me too!
I'm making 2018 the year of healthier Amish Friendship Bread options. This means more recipes with less oil, less eggs and less sugar, as well as a host of gluten-free and dairy-free options. You shouldn't have to give up flavor and a love for Amish Friendship Bread because you're trying to eat better, right?
A quick note: I only share links that I love and personally use. This post contains affiliate or commission links which support the Friendship Bread Kitchen if you click or buy. Thank you!
This Pumpkin Cranberry Walnut Amish Friendship Bread is oil-free. I loved the way it turned out but if you want to boost the moisture, add one packet of pumpkin spice instant pudding, or ½ cup softened butter. Eating healthier means moderate adjustments to your favorite recipes, so figure out what works best for you. I want you to feel good about baking Amish Friendship Bread and sharing the recipe with others!
I usually keep my starter in this 72-ounce Bormioli Rocco Fido Square Jar, but lots of people prefer storing their starter in mixing bowls. This past month I had a lot of starters going on, so in addition to my jar I had several mixing bowls, too. Instead of covering it with plastic wrap, I used this 100% food-grade silicone lid (BPA free, of course), which kept a seal just by placing it on top of my bowl. My dish cloths are also made from the same amazing microfiber and I have every color under the sun (slate is shown in the picture below).
It's fast and easy to mix this recipe up. I was worried that it would be too dry, but my oil-adverse husband thought it was perfect. It tasted even better the next day–just pop it in the toaster oven. Enjoy!
Looking to cut back the oil in your Amish Friendship Bread? Try our Oil-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Amish Friendship Bread which combines sugared cranberries and pumpkin puree for a healthier Amish Friendship Bread option!
- 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup walnuts (coarsly chopped)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (tossed in sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).
In a large mixing bowl, add ingredients as listed, reserving half of the candied cranberries.
Grease one large cake pan.
- Dust the greased pans with a mixture of ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Pour the batter evenly into loaf or cake pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture on the top.
Top with candied cranberries.
Bake for one hour to 70 minutes or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
If using fresh cranberries, pat semi-dry and toss in sugar. If using dried cranberries, reconstitute in ½ cup warm water–no need to toss in sugar.
>> Have you tried this? Share your best pic with us or leave a comment below and let us know how it worked for you!


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Litigation Lawyers in Chula Vista
If you live in , California, and believe that you have suffered some type of legal wrong, you may wish to file a lawsuit against the person who allegedly wronged you.
If you think that you may want to file a lawsuit, you should not make this decision lightly, and there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account. Obviously, you should never go into a lawsuit without at least consulting a qualified Chula Vista, California civil litigation attorney.
The Chula Vista, California attorney you end up hiring will be able to advise you on whether you have a good case. If you do, they will also advise you on your best options on how to proceed. Your lawyer can also inform you about what their fees are, and if they have multiple payment options.
Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Chula Vista, California
Consultation With Your Attorney: Before filing any lawsuit in Chula Vista, California, you should speak with a local attorney. Your Chula Vista, California attorney will be able to advise you on the merits of your lawsuit, and your chances of success.
Drafting The Complaint: Once you decide that pursuing a lawsuit in Chula Vista, California civil court is worth your time and effort, you need to file a complaint. The complaint can set the tone, and frame the issues, for the rest of the litigation process, which can drag on for months, or even years (and decades, in some cases). This is because the complaint lays out all the allegations against the defendant. It also usually asks the court for specific relief, should it rule in the plaintiff's favor.
Serving The Defendant: Once you and your attorney have written a good complaint, and filed it with the court, it needs to be served on the defendant within a certain period of time. This is required under the law of Chula Vista, California to ensure that the defendant actually knows that he's being sued, and has time to find a lawyer and prepare a defense. Generally, the defendant should be served in person. However, when this isn't possible, service by mail is also acceptable in a few instances.
Await Defendant's Response: In Chula Vista, California, the law gives civil defendants a fairly long period of time (a month or two usually) to respond to a lawsuit against them. The most common response is either an answer (where they address the factual allegations against them, usually denying most or all of the allegations) or a motion to dismiss (where the contend that, even if everything alleged in the complaint is true, those facts would not establish liability). If the defendant does nothing, and fails to respond, they run the risk of having a default judgment entered against them. This usually means that the court automatically rules against them, treating the plaintiff as if they won the lawsuit. This gives the plaintiff a judgment against the defendant, which they can seek to collect using all legal means.
How Can A Chula Vista, California Tort Lawyer Help?
This article gives you a basic picture of what is required to file a lawsuit in Chula Vista, California. However, it should not, under any circumstances, be read as a complete guide to the litigation process.
You should seek the advice of a qualified litigation attorney if you are planning on filing a lawsuit against somebody who you think has wronged you in Chula Vista, California.


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Some parts are available for the Sun Joe Mow Joe MJ401E Lawn Mower. To request a specific part, fill out the online form in the Contact Us section. Make sure to select Part Request from the drop down menu and specify the particular part you need in the Comments/Questions section.
Where can I find replacement parts for the Sun Joe Mow Joe MJ401E Lawn Mower?Follow
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Gold Star Home Inspections, LLC 918 (2)
The unfortunate scenario when it comes to home foreclosures is that you are literally cashing in on someone else's misfortune. HUD sells both single family homes and multifamily properties Check them out?– one might be just what you're looking for! As the banks and the financial lenders want to make up their loss as soon as possible, they sell the foreclosed homes at a reduced rate. Either way, the proceeds of the sale will serve as compensation for the unpaid debt of the owner.
With everything being expensive as years pass, buying foreclosed houses is a much practical option for some people. In the wake of the 2008 housing crisis, opportunistic investors swooped in with hopes of profiting on tens of thousands of blighted homes across the country. If you are Looking for cheapest foreclosed homes this place is the best & it's free!!
While buying foreclosed homes can …