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Reluctant Rapture
The only thing that might still save us is rapid transition to a culture so different that we can't even imagine it.
"One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin."
So begins Kafka's Metamorphosis. The transformation facing us is as strange, but it could be as beautiful as Kafka's is horrid.
Information is growing, magnifying the good and ill in this world and the distance between them, so any possibility of compromise is ending. We're headed toward paradise if we find wisdom, or extinction if we don't.
If wisdom is growing within us, for the moment it is still hidden. For now, all we can see are disastrous consequences of "business as usual." Separate property creates separate lives with separate interests, so wars and other killings grow common. The market concentrates wealth into ever fewer hands, creating poverty and plutocracy. Externalized costs are killing the ecosystem. Stopping or even slowing this apocalypse would require global policy changes, which can't happen while we're ruled by private profit.
The alternative, the road to paradise, requires caring and sharing, changes hard for most people even to imagine. Parables might help. The most appropriate story may be that of the Rapture, where many of us together are suddenly transported to a vastly different and better world. But that tale needs some corrections: "Many of us" won't be enough; we're all needed to end what seventeenth century philosopher Thomas Hobbes called the "war of all against all." And that different and better world won't be elsewhere; we must remake planet Earth.
We need a change of religion, but I don't mean something minor like the difference between Christianity and Islam, the difference between Patriots and Steelers, the difference between Coke and Pepsi. Most people here in the USA call themselves "Christians," but that's just what they do on Sunday mornings; they have no idea how to base their modern urban lives on the stories of an ancient orator who lived in a primitive desert village. What they actually believe in is the Disney Channel, or maybe the mid twentieth century television program "Leave It To Beaver." In most episodes, at some point Theodore ("Beaver") would ask his father why people behaved in a certain way. And his father would reply, "Well, son, I guess it's because …" and would launch into some platitude about human nature, in a warm and reassuring tone.The unstated subtext was that this is how the world is, and there are natural reasons for it, and it's okay. The further subtext, not stated and not even thought, was that this way of life is the only one possible; no substantial change is even imaginable. But now we do need big changes.
John Lennon said, "life is what happens while we're making other plans." Most people are reluctant to give up those other plans, because they've invested so much effort and emotion in them. Imagine that you've been building and furnishing a house for many years, and then one day you receive an entirely unexpected message that a spaceship has arrived, and we all must leave in it immediately, and you can bring with you nothing but the clothes you're wearing. You must leave behind your lovely home, the repository of all your hopes and dreams and efforts.
And the world to which the spaceship will take us is utterly alien, incomprehensibly different. The world is called "love," and we've always been taught that "love" is a good thing, and in fact it is a good thing — but it turns out to be a good thing entirely different from the good thing we thought it would be.
Like any metaphor, this spaceship story falls short of the truth. If we were merely traveling to another planet, your conversations and relations with other travelers would be much like conversations and relations you've had on Earth. But they won't be, where we're going.
It's not just dying and being resurrected. No, it's more like dying and being reincarnated as something very different — like caterpillar becoming butterfly, or Neo awakening from The Matrix.
It's not just physical. It's psychological, spiritual, a transformation of your very soul. It's a total change in how we behave, how we feel about ourselves and each other, how we see the world. It's an ending of separateness and selfishness, but it's not the death of individuality, nor is it a loss of anything. In fact, it's a tremendous gain: It's a removal of the wall, so that we finally see one another, and strangers become lovers. It's seeing how our family of seven billion brothers and sisters doesn't need to be dysfunctional.
Most people don't want to board the spaceship, don't even want to acknowledge that it has arrived. They don't want to change that much, not even to something beautiful, if the beauty is so unfamiliar. They were hoping for a leisurely stroll along a well-lit path, so they could always see and understand the next step before they take it. But instead the world ahead of us appears mad, because — as Nietzsche said — its people are dancing to music we can't hear yet. The crossing is a leap into the dark, a leap of faith, a leap of desperation from a burning building.
Things are getting really bad. What can still save us? The immense and rapid cultural change that we need would be a miracle. It will take great effort, which people won't make for what they see as impossible. But human nature is what we choose, not some constant imposed upon us. Evidently, much of our effort must be devoted to spreading the idea that the change is possible, and first of all spreading the idea that spreading ideas is possible.
The change could be really wonderful, if only we could get more people to want it, but that won't be easy. People won't be impressed by more facts — we already have plenty of those — and water-into-wine parlor tricks can't top our high-tech toys. Only something very different can inspire us. It's something we've longed for all our lives, mostly without realizing it, mostly pursuing other things that we thought could substitute for it. We'll have to find it inside ourselves and each other.
— — — — — —
2016 December 16, version 2.34.


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Some days, the terminals at L.A./Ontario International Airport can be as quiet as a ghost town.
The number of passengers using the airport — about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles — has dropped from 6.8 million passengers in 2007 to about 4.4 million in 2011, according to federal statistics. In January, passenger traffic dropped 7.4% compared with the same month in 2011.
Passenger numbers have also dropped, although less dramatically, at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana.
In contrast, Long Beach International Airport — about 20 miles south of L.A. — continues to grow, serving more than 3 million passengers last year, a 7% increase over 2007, with growth continuing in 2012.

subset: commoncrawl


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What you are planning to buy today? Shopping possibilities and shops are numerous, just you need to make right decision to buy more and spend less. Though, people think not to buy any new product after the shopping, but the little heart can be stolen by any new design, colour or fashion etc. Sometimes, people force themselves to not buy anything, and when they see something amazing try to grab the opportunity to buy that.
Nowadays, internet has made life easy and hassle free for shoppers. You can sit at your home or office and buy your loved items. There are numerous websites selling lots of products at very reasonable rates.The growing competition in the industry has changed many things. While earlier, you had to visit to the market and search your required item from one to another store. As well as, there were less chances of any discount. On the other hand, nowadays, no need to travel for so long to find your favorite product. Use your smartphone, laptop, or tablet to buy anything online and get discount as well.
Getting the discount is now become easy; there are several options available such as coupons, festival discount etc. You just need to find out the right website by spending some time over the internet. Research is the key to get the best possible rates and discount. For example, if you are looking for any digital item such as camera and found a good deal over a website like TopBuy then, simply look for TopBuy coupon codes to reduce the expense.
You can not only get the discount on any particular item; discount varies on product to product and brand to brand. Also, you may get the percentage or particular amount discount on your shopping. It depends on you and the promo code you have. Some companies can offer buy one get one for free or upto 70-90% discount.Even you can get discounts with top online sellers such as EziBuy, these types of online sellers can offer huge discount with their EziBuy Promo Codes. Keep your eyes and ears open and always look for the best discount offer to save huge.


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'Valley of Elah' Spins An All-Too-Timeless Tale
Friday, September 14, 2007
Surely one of the strangest name changes in Hollywood history is responsible for the odd moniker that "In the Valley of Elah" brings before the public.
If you don't know (I sure didn't!), that valley is where noble young David hit big bad Goliath in the snout with a .357 magnum stone and brought him to earth for good, thus establishing an eternal metaphor (that verges on a cliche) for the wrath of the small in stature but immense in righteousness as directed at the large in stature but small in righteousness. So the title, with its biblical allusion, translates into: "Little guy vs. big guy story that takes itself pretty darn seriously."
And I haven't even told you about the upside-down American flag!
Well, yes, but the title of Mark Boal's story in the 2004 Playboy, "Death and Dishonor" -- and the original title of the film -- surely was a better choice. It contains an allusion to a more widely recognized catchphrase -- "Death before dishonor" -- by which many of the world's militaries claim to do business, meaning: "We will die before we surrender and bring dishonor to ourselves." By changing the before to and, Playboy's headline writers neatly suggest that the two are causally related, and that if one inflicts death as a profession, dishonor is the necessary attendee in the process.
And that, as it turns out, is a far better summation of the theme of "In the Valley of Elah." (Actually, wouldn't "In the Valley of Goliath" have been better?) It watches as the father of an AWOL GI just back from Iraq solves the mystery of his son's death and links it to the culture of war, to the hardening of young men to death, even of their own kind. It's a kind of police procedural with a PhD in international politics.
The writer-director is the busiest man in Hollywood, Paul Haggis, who also wrote "Crash," and wrote "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Million Dollar Baby" for Clint Eastwood. He reportedly hoped that the movie he thought of as "Death and Dishonor" would go into production with Eastwood in the starring role.
Haggis is an extremely talented man and much of the film works brilliantly. His most vivid gift appears to be his ability to penetrate cultures and evoke them truthfully. The Army that he portrays feels a lot like the Army I served in 30-odd years ago, and I recognized types and felt the milieu quite profoundly: the young, testosterone-addled rankers; the somewhat distant officers; the linoleum floors with the whorls from the daily buffing gleaming in the fluorescent lights of the banal but neat living spaces; the sense of institutional entity everywhere on the base, inescapable and exhausting, yet wonderfully riddled with small spaces for normal human intercourse.
In Haggis's world, David comes in the form of Tommy Lee Jones, with a weary-ranger face and a football jock's busted nose. Jones plays the central role that Eastwood would have filled: Hank Deerfield, a retired military policeman (as was Lanny Davis, the subject of Boal's Playboy piece) who learns that his son, having survived a year of combat in Iraq and returned with his unit to Fort Rudd, N.M., has disappeared. This after a strange message left on Hank's cellphone.
It just doesn't feel right to Hank, and so he leaves his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) and drives his pickup across the Southwest to the fort where his son was last seen alive. Roger Deakins's photography captures the wide-open desolation of the West, and that seems like a metaphor for the moral wilderness into which Hank is heading.
Arriving in the installation, he uses old-boy instincts and contacts to get in to see officers and men, to talk to MPs, to begin his own investigation. Along the way he bonds with a young civilian police detective, Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron), and when he can't convince the military authorities that something is seriously amiss, he goes to her to push the investigation forward.
In all of this, Haggis is straightforward and even heartbreaking, and the movie works best as what might be called a human-scale thriller. Even Theron, who suffers from a serious beauty defect, comes across as a rational if troubled young professional, with her own load of woe to bear, who pitches in, finally, out of a weary but still vivid sense of justice. There's no ego anywhere in the film.
Yet still it misses the mark. Like many of the current antiwar films, "In the Valley of Elah" strives to lay the crime it uncovers at the feet of a government that would send 200,000 boys off to a certain place at a certain time to do violence in the name of certain principles. But the crime it uncovers is generic. That is, it could be committed as a consequence of any war in which large numbers of young men shot and hunted each other in alleyways and cellars and ruins and learned that life is so fragile that the pulling of an 18-ounce lever called a trigger can make it go away forever.
And Haggis appears to have no respect for his audience. At its crudest, the film settles for crude agitprop. I hated the last sequence in which the movie shows Jones's Deerfield hanging a flag upside down, flappity-flap in the breeze, to signal a country in distress. We may or may not be in distress, and we can argue about it forever, but whatever, it's no Hollywood guy's call, particularly as he's extrapolating from a single case that could have occurred anywhere, at any time.
In the Valley of Elah (121 minutes, at area theaters) is rated R for violent images.


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By Ralph Reed |
Sunday, 13 September 2009 05:18 PM
Barack Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress this week came as his healthcare plan was dying a slow death on Capitol Hill, the victim of a newly emboldened Republican opposition that has suddenly found its backbone and red-state and Blue Dog Democrats who went wobbly after a hot August of town hall protests. In spite of White House claims that these protests were the work of industry-sponsored "Astroturf," anyone who attended them (and I did) can tell you that the opposition came from citizens concerned about the health of their families and loved ones.
Did the speech work, which is to say, did it revive Obamacare? The preliminary evidence suggests that it did not. The latest Rasmussen survey shows an uptick of only 2 percent in support for Obama's healthcare scheme, from 44 to 46 percent. Obama's speech will likely lift his job approval and healthcare numbers for a while, but it will be ephemeral. Within a short period of time, the afterglow of the speech will fade, and we will be back to status quo antebellum.
The reason is simple. Obama's problem can't be solved with eloquence and speech-craft. The White House's problem is not one of communications. It has to do with substance. The American people have reviewed the bidding on the healthcare issue, and they have decided (I believe with a certain finality) that they do not want a Big Government, one-size-fits-all solution from Washington that herds millions of people into a public plan and puts a bureaucrat between patients and doctors.
Most of the mainstream media's focus (predictably) has been on Congressman Joe Wilson, who said during the speech, "You lie." I am not defending Congressman Wilson's remark, and, by the way, neither has he. The remark was ill-advised and inappropriate, and he swiftly apologized, as he should have. But two wrongs don't make a right, and it was just as wrong for the president to tell falsehood after fib after misrepresentation after distortion about both his plan and his opponents' opposition to it.
Obama's speech was remarkable for its petulance, its partisanship, and its falsehoods. To put it mildly, Obama told repeated falsehoods about his plan, falsehoods that were bald-faced, audacious, and shameless. Consider just a few of the dishonest statements in Obama's speech:
First, he said, "I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits — either now or in the future." If so, then the president should have announced his public opposition to the Senate leadership bill and H.B. 3200, the so-called tri-committee bill that is the House leadership's approved legislation, months ago. In June the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the legislation will increase the budget deficit by $240 billion over the next 10 years. That's just the beginning. A new study by the Lewin Group finds that in the second 10 years, it will increase the deficit by $1 trillion. The White House has publicly praised and supported both these bills. So Obama stated a whopping $1.24 trillion falsehood.
Second, Obama said he would not cut Medicare and affect basic care for seniors. On the defensive, he said that "Medicare is another issue that's been subjected to demagoguery and distortion during the course of this debate." He called Medicare a "sacred trust" and said "I will protect Medicare." But the Obama plan includes $600 billion in unspecified Medicare cuts. It destroys Medicare Advantage with $250 billion in cuts, decimating a pro-consumer option that one out of every four seniors takes advantage of and allows them to choose the best insurance and doctor for them.
Even The Associated Press has called Obama on this lie. AP reported that "although wasteful spending in Medicare is widely acknowledged, many experts believe some seniors almost certainly would see reduced benefits from the cuts. That's particularly true for the 25 percent of Medicare users covered through Medicare Advantage. Supporters contend that providers could absorb the cuts by improving how they operate and wouldn't have to reduce benefits or pass along costs. But there's certainly no guarantee they wouldn't."
Third, Obama took a cheap shot at Sarah Palin and others who have pointed out that the healthcare rationing implicit in the plan combined with panels of experts approving of certain procedures that allow younger patients to receive care while certain older patients are denied care based on a "quality of life" standard will lead inexorably to the denial of care to the elderly and the dying. Obama said — falsely — that Palin and others have claimed that "we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens." This is totally false, and Obama knows it. What critics have pointed out is that seniors will be required to submit regularly to "end of life" counseling sessions (detailed on page 425 of H.B. 3200) that, combined with cost controls and rationing of care, could lead to them being denied life-saving treatment.
Moreover, as healthcare expert Betsy McCaughey, chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths, has pointed out, the bill includes "substantial funding for comparative effectiveness research, which is generally code for limiting care based on a patient's age. Economists are familiar with the formula, where the cost of treatment is divided by the number of years (called QUALYs, or quality-adjusted life years) that the patient is likely to benefit."
Fourth, Obama claimed that the bill does not use taxpayer funds for abortion. This is also false. The Democrats rejected amendments in a House committee that would have specifically excluded abortion from coverage under the so-called government option. In its place, the Democrats took the private portion of the premium (not the public subsidy) and specified that only those funds could be used for abortion services. This is an accounting gimmick. Funds in an insurance policy are fungible, and the fact is that abortion will be massively subsidized with billions of dollars in taxpayer funds for the first time in U.S. history.
Fifth, Obama claimed that his plan did not provide care for illegal immigrants. Here again, false. By rejecting a Republican amendment requiring proof of legal residence prior to receiving care under the government-run plan, the Democrats have opened the door for non-citizens and non-legal residents to receive care for which they have not paid into the system. If one refuses to require proof of citizenship or legal residence, one cannot claim to limit benefits to only citizens.
Joe Wilson has apologized; Obama has not. And when it comes to calling your opponents liars, Obama has no peer. He did so Wednesday night repeatedly. He previously held a conference call with liberal faith groups and accused his opponents of "bearing false witness." He has told falsehoods about his own plan, repeatedly and shamelessly. As he has done so, he has not only taken the glow off his "Hope, Change" campaign mantra, he has diminished his office. That is a loss not only for his political team, but for all Americans.
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How can I recover my Facebook Account if I forgot the password and ID? please help me.
I have loss my fb password and email id i have log in with my mobile number i have changed the mobile no but this mo no is wrong
Go to http://en-gb.facebook.com/help/292105707596942/ , click "I don't know if I still have a Facebook account, how can I find out?" and follow the instructions there.
maybe a facebook friend can remind you of your Facebook id?


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Honeymoon:An integral part of MarriageAs the preparation of the wedding goes on, the to-be husband and wife start to dream about each other's qualities, hobbiesetc. and try to prepare themselves accordingly. They strongly wish to present tmemselves for the first night of their dream life. Alongwith this preparation, the husband, especially, plans the honeymoon trip and wishes to take his life partner to such a wonderful destination which gives the right kind of warmth and togetherness of feelings in the very beginning of their life. This, onviously, brings a sensational feeling to the new couple.Today many travelling agencies offer very attractive package programmes to those newly wed couples to their dream destinations. They offer and provide all sorts of attractive things in their packages. This they do to make their customres fully satisfied towards their services. The following link can provide you a clearer understaning to this very important term of 'Honeymoon'.
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- Description
Why buy a Nautical American flag?
Sturdy construction for coastal displays
Our nautical American flags features printed stars and stripes and are finished with a canvas header and solid brass grommets that will remain rust free for its entire lifetime! The Nautical U.S. nylon 8"x12" flag is made of 100% Nyl-glo nylon fabric with highly durable 200 denier (industrial strength) nylon. Nylon marine flags are water resistant and quick drying making for a highly durable and long lasting nautical flag.
Light-weight, Versatile Design
These nylon American boat flags are also extremely light weight and wave proudly in the lightest winds. We also offer a variety of boat flags including the American yacht ensign, complete sets of nautical signal code flags, and individual nautical signal code flags.
Browse through our other outdoor and indoor American flags for a flag for your home or office. For more information about our nautical American flag or any other products call us at (800)628-3524.
- Instructions
Instructions N/A
- In Use Images
- Reviews


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Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened consume within 3 months.
Roasted peanuts.
May also contain nuts and sesame.
Allergens in bold.
Suitable for vegans.
Organic peanut farmer
The peanuts in this butter are grown by the Yishui Xingye Association, a group of 58 small-scale organic farmers in the Shandong province of China, on the lower course of the Yellow River.
About Equal Exchange
Equal Exchange are Fair Trade pioneers. Since this workers' co-operative was founded in 1979 by three aid volunteers returning from Africa, it has worked with a wide range of farming communities around the world to produce food that is fair, sustainable, and really tasty.
Nutritional Information
|per 100g
|Energy (kJ)
|2470 kJ
|Energy (kCal)
|596 kCal
|Fat (g)
|46 g
|of which Saturates (g)
|8.2 g
|Carbohydrate (g)
|11.6 g
|of which Sugars(g)
|5.9 g
|Protein (g)
|29.6 g
|Salt (g)
|0 g


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After getting listed in online directories, setting up SEO-optimized websites, and creating profiles on popular social channels, running a PPC campaign is the next logical step for local business marketers. This post is part of a series on strategies in local digital marketing, sponsored by Mediative.
Sponsored Content: 6 Strategies for Success in Social Media
Business owners should be developing comprehensive social marketing strategies. Those merchants who haven't taken the first step by creating Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for their businesses are losing out on customer loyalty, as well as new opportunities for growth.
Openings and New Hires at Thinknear, Twitter and Verizon
Every two weeks, Search Influence's Kelly Benish — who knows practically everyone in hyperlocal — covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. In this week's edition, new hires and jobs at Factual, Angie's List, Local Yokel Media, Facebook, Mediative and hibu.


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News & Politics
Andrew Bacevich: Hard Truths About America Gone Astray
August 19, 2008, 8:49 AM GMT
Here's one of the most amazing programs in the history of Bill Moyers Journal. Really, one of most amazing programs Moyers has done, period, in all his years on television. His guest for the hour was Andrew J. Bacevich, a West Point graduate, retired colonel with 23 years in the Army, and author of several books, including The Limits Of Power: The End Of American Exceptionalism, just released this week. Here's a distillation of their conversation.
As I suggested in my diary, "We're So Lame", the Democrats would be much better off scrapping their "national security" lineup full of disgraced Iraq War hawks, and replacing the whole lot with Bacevich. More reasons why on the flip--and a suggestion about how we might change the direction of our country.


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Whether you're already a local or planning a move, you know that Kansas City is a special place. From the mouth-watering BBQ to the beautiful boulevards, there's so much to enjoy when
Location Location Location
Dated: 01/15/2018
Views: 135
2017 was a record-breaking year for Kansas City real estate: record sales, record prices, and record numbers of buyers battling for record low inventory. Many areas are starting to even out or even see a significant lull in market activity, but the real hotspots in northeast Johnson County and northwest Jackson County are continual objects of desire. And if a home in an area like that is in mint condition, it won't sit for even 12 hours without a contract. So what does all this mean for buyers who are tired of getting outbid, or who have hesitation about venturing into the market at all?
Next to hiring a great agent, prioritizing between look and location is your best friend. Olympic Gold buyers, the ones that want their future home to score a 10 in both categories, should be prepared to go head-to-head with other like-minded competitors who may be willing to pay anywhere from five thousand to fifty thousand dollars over asking price. That's a nightmare for equity, but perhaps your dream home is worth it to you. However, if you can determine which of those qualities is most important to you, and be willing to make sacrifices regarding the secondary attribute, you have a much better chance of ending up with a home that holds more value for your lifestyle and your wallet.
That may seem like a lot to ask, and you may have no clue which one to choose. This list of important factors that every buyer must consider will help you determine whether look or location is more important to you:
What's prompting your move? If your family is growing or shrinking and you need a different sized space, maybe location isn't an issue as long as the home has everything you need. If your kids are reaching school age and you want them in a certain district, or your new job is an hour away from your current home, then location is everything.
How do you imagine daily life in your new home? If you daydream about walking to a new restaurant every night for dinner, location is going to be a big factor in your purchase. If you're more of a perpetual host, location might not matter as much as having a beautiful, open floor plan and plenty of space for guests in your new digs.
What's your budget and how much flexibility do you have? If you have a tight budget and you need a move-in ready home, focusing on the look of the home and its current functionality will serve you well. If you have a roomy budget, you can afford to find a fixer-upper in a nice area and put money into it after you close. Again, if you're going for a perfect 10 home in a perfect 10 location, it's likely to blow your current budget no matter what your dollar amount is.
Whatever you decide, communicate it clearly with your agent so you can come up with a game plan together. If you simply can't bring yourself to compromise on either of these points, talk through your reasons with your agent and what you're willing to go through to get that gold medal. This will ensure that your expectations are appropriate and eliminate as much pain as possible from the process
DeAnna Gordon
When it comes to buying or selling a home, turn to the Kansas City team that gives you a wealth of knowledge and experience. DeAnna Gordon & Associates offers you the power of skilled professionals wh....
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Fall is an incredible time of year in the Kansas City area. The temperature is just right and the colors are beyond brilliant. One of our favorite things to do is spend time outdoors among the


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National School Choice Week
Jan 24-30, 2016
National School Choice Week provides an unprecedented opportunity, every January, to shine a spotlight on the need for effective education options for all children. Independently planned by a diverse coalition of individuals, schools and organizations, NSCW features thousands of special events across the country. The Week is a nonpartisan and nonpolitical public awareness effort.National School Choice Week 2016 will be held January 24 to January 30, 2016.
Visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com for more information.


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Andy McCarthy's most recent column on the Iran deal is "How the GOP pretends not to authorize Obama's agenda." Andy's argument with Paul Mirengoff is incidental to Andy's analysis of what Corker-Cardin has wrought.
Andy hypothesizes that the Iran review act (the Corker-Cardin bill) adopted by Congress represents Republican shadow boxing with the administration. In this context, I take it, he judges the act worse than nothing. Nevertheless, he draws on Corker-Cardin to propose a plan of action opposing the Iran deal in his previous column, "Obama's Iran deal is still far from settled." Here he argues that "[t]o undermine President Obama's atrocious Iran deal despite the Republican-controlled Congress's irresponsible Corker legislation, it will be necessary to follow, of all things, the Corker legislation."
Andy observes that "Obama has not complied with the most basic" requirement of Corker-Cardin: "the mandate that he provide the complete Iran deal for Congress's consideration." Corker-Cardin expressly requires the administration to submit the side deals related to the Iran deal to Congress for review; this the administration has miserably failed or steadfastly refused to do. "Therefore," Andy argues "notwithstanding Washington's frenzied assumption that the 60-day period for a congressional vote is winding down, the clock has never actually started to run. Congress's obligations under Corker have never been triggered; the Corker process is moot." Andy and Paul expressly agree on this point.
I wrote a spokesman for Senator McConnell yesterday on this point. I posed the question whether Senator McConnell was aware that the administration had not complied with the requirement for submission of side deals set forth in Corker-Cardin. If so, I asked, what is he going to do about it? Senator McConnell's spokesman responded: "He's called the administration out on not handing over these deals. He's going to oppose the deal and get a vote on the resolution of disapproval. I'm not sure there's much that can be done beyond that, unfortunately."
Here the argument between Andy and Paul has some bearing and I can't adjudicate the merits at this point. Regardless of the merits of the argument between them, however, I find the response from Senator McConnell's office a small piece of evidence supporting Andy's hypothesis of "surrender…then play-fight." It seems an apt description of the unfolding production.


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Women's Tennis
Arizona State at Kentucky
Fri., Feb 23
Watch Info
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More: Arizona State at Kentucky - Women's Tennis
@SunDevilWTennis Wraps Up Day Three in Texas with Four Wins
FORT WORTH, Texas – Four Sun Devils earned singles victories Saturday as Lauryn John-Baptiste, Savannah Slaysman, Sammi Hampton and Tereza Kolarova all came out on top against women from Notre Dame at the Big Five Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
@SunDevilWTennis Freshmen Shine on Second Day in Texas
FORT WORTH, Texas – The second day of the Big Five Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, saw the Sun Devils make their singles debuts as well as a couple of doubles duos improve to 2-0 in the fall slate.
Devils Start Fall Campaign with Doubles Sweep
FORT WORTH, Texas – The Sun Devil All-American duo of Lauryn John-Baptiste and Ilze Hattingh starred as three ASU doubles pairings won their first matches of the fall season at the Big Five Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday.
John-Baptiste/Hattingh Ranked Eighth in Preseason Poll
TEMPE – All-Americans a season ago, Lauryn John-Baptiste and Ilze Hattingh led the way for the Sun Devil women's tennis team in the first fall ITA/Oracle Rankings released Tuesday that included three ranked doubles tandems and three individuals in the top-125.
Seven Sun Devils Earn ITA Academic Honors
TEMPE – The Sun Devil women's tennis team received All-Academic team honors and seven women earned Scholar-Athlete status from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the organization announced Tuesday.
Tempe Tennis Day Returns to Whiteman Tennis Center
TEMPE – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has announced that it will once again team up with the Arizona State men's and women's tennis teams to present the 2018 Tempe Tennis Day.


text:
|Thread / Posts
|"LightChaser.C" [OT]
|"unsubscribe" [ADMIN]
|(Fwd) Re: Questions from a beginner...
|[Admin] For anyone moving from one ISP to another.
|[ADMIN] Question
|[ADMIN] Question [OT]
|[Fwd: Help!]
|[Fwd: newbie : wireless I2C?]
|[GTOGJ] Re: [OT][JOKE][L.S.M.F.T.][Ornaments]
|[JOKE] [OT] Tech site
|[OOPS][OT] Christmas Coil post
|[OT?] Memory ID + Type
|[OT] Hamfests (was Re: [OT] Old Computers)
|[OT] - PID stand alone control IC wanted
|[OT] Propane versus Nat Gas
|[OT] 1% Regulator
|[OT] 1% regulator
|[OT] 1% Regulator
|[OT] 120 Volt ac detection
|[OT] A Remarkable Gift
|[OT] Anyone know RS232 pinouts for Tek THS720A DSO
|[OT] ATtiny 10/11/12
|[OT] basic electronic question
|[OT] Basic electronic question
|[OT] basic electronic question
|[OT] Bill Gates increses dexterity
|[OT] Bug ? Bug shmug
|[OT] C Compilers
|[OT] CD Writer Panasonic 7501 burns only Verbatims
|[OT] CodeWright keyword file
|[OT] Cold Cranking Amps
|[OT] developing photosensitive boards
|[OT] dos version of ZIP?/ Telemagic
|[OT] Excuses from Telesystems
|[OT] F4 Phantom II
|[OT] FAT32 driver for embedded system
|[OT] Generating a hex dump from win98
|[OT] gerber format
|[OT] HOLTEK decoder/encoder
|[OT] Home made Drum trigger
|[OT] How to desolder old components?
|[OT] hysteria about email
|[OT] I killed a 128x64 LC display...but how?
|[OT] i2c pcf8591 quad ADC one DAC question
|[OT] INTERCAL and C Compilers
|[OT] Interesting discrete device?!
|[OT] Jim's on deck
|[OT] LAN video
|[OT] Lighting Controller
|[OT] Lighting controllers
|[OT] LPT in EPP mode
|[OT] making pcb's
|[OT] Mars Polar Lander
|[OT] Mathematical question
|[OT] Medium range data RF modules
|[OT] Microchip Database?
|[OT] Old Computers
|[OT] Old Computers to get outlet
|[OT] Old Computers Y2K
|[OT] Organic LED's ?
|[OT] PCB Dilemma
|[OT] PCB newbie question
|[OT] PCB Solder paste flux cleanup
|[OT] PCB vias
|[OT] Politically correct Holiday Greetings!
|[OT] Re: 1st foot
|[OT] Re: dephi and serial com
|[OT] Re: FSK signals and ISDN
|[OT] Re: Fwd: Re: Basic Stamp divided by four sour
|[OT] Re: Servo control signals to analogue voltage
|[OT] Re: Yap components - My Being Quiet
|[OT] RF interference problem in a palmtop's IR inp
|[OT] Rotary Encoders
|[OT] RS485 article in recent magazine--lost the re
|[OT] Sicos DMS 2000 Cable
|[OT] Smart cards
|[OT] Sockets/bodies sources for PCMCIA, CF cards?
|[OT] Sony Memory Stick
|[OT] Sony Memory Stick & IP
|[OT] Spam from Telesystems?
|[OT] Speakers (off list)
|[OT] Suggestion please - FPU for PIC
|[OT] switching DC/DC converters (was capacitive sw
|[OT] Switchmode current source
|[OT] Tech site
|[OT] the largest serial ram on the market
|[OT] To Kestas Biliunas
|[OT] Transmitter key
|[OT] URL links from VB4
|[OT] US Feds raid hobbiest FM bug maker [OT]
|[OT] Video on a LAN cable
|[OT] Video on a LAN cable <-better balanced
|[OT] Why to Kay
|[OT] win32 SDK versus MFC
|[OT] World's first flight was - A Remarkable Gift
|[OT] Y2K First Aid Offer on IBM Mainframes
|[OT] YM3623B, CS8412, CS8414 - where to buy
|[OT]: 1 Hz Frequency Generator with NE555
|[OT]: 1Hz frequency generator with NE555 timer
|[OT]:Debouncer chips and Key switches
|[OT]? Lighting Controllers
|[OT]? Lighting Controllers - Same Question New Det
|[OT]Caller ID chip source
|[OT]Caller ID simualtor
|[OT]Holtek's HT8950 voice modulator
|[OT]I'm back
|[ot]Rotary Encoders
|[OT]Thermocouple tips?
|[OT} Active Filter design handbook.
|[Re: [OT] Mars Polar Lander]
|[Re: Strange PIC 16F84 I/O problem...]
|[Tech]PLCC Prototyping
|{OT} Rotary encoders
|12C508 Again!
|12C509 FSR used for direct addressing?
|12c671 I/O problem
|16C/F84 OTP version
|16C63A Programming
|16C71-04/P status
|16f84 move to 16f873
|16F84 RBPU Port B Weak Pull-ups
|16F84 to 12C509 Porting Checklist (Rev E)
|16F874 ADC snippet wanted.........
|16f877 a/d external circuitry design
|16f877 vs linux
|16F877-Best way to use in system programming
|16F87X RC-Oscillator
|16F87X Socket for the Pro Mate 2.
|1st foot
|1st foot [OT]
|20MHz 16F84A
|2nd foot [OT}
|509 flasher
|509 JW osc location
|74LS244's are not free, MAX232's are!!!
|876 A/D with 10 bit required
|a 'REAl MANs' burner
|A/D conversion
|Abou the Sony play station joy stick.Can someone h
|about interrupt vector and 2 more Q
|Access to 64k external eprom with PIC 17c44
|ADC in PICs without ADC
|Advanced TransdATA ICE?
|Advertising on the PICList [ADMIN]
|Advice Needed. Which Chip?
|All the best everyone
|Amateur Restructuring [OT]
|Announce: picprg.2.2 patches for 12C508/12C509 (Li
|Anyone used EMIT ?
|Arbitrary Waveform Generator
|Arbitrary Waveform Generator - 2
|ASCII to Binary was Re: Could you give me some poi
|assembler just for 16F84
|ATA Flash Card (PC-Cards)
|Australian contract rates
|AVR sources and PIC C Compilers.
|AW: TCP/IP stack for 16F84
|AW: What happend when a PIC goes to heaven...
|Backing up [Way OT]
|Bank Usage message from mpasm
|basic electronic question [OT]
|Basic Stamp and Variables
|Basic Stamp Club's emulator,
|Basic Stamp divided by four source code
|Basic Stamp divided by four source code (LONG)
|BEI shaft encode
|Bitscope [OT] (well, there's a PIC in it anyway ;^
|BoardMaker PCB SW!!
|C2C and working register
|can you tell where can I download all about the te
|Canon E77
|Capacitance on input pin
|Capacitor Design Stuff
|CCS C Compiler's ENABLE option
|CCS compiler
|CCS Compiler file...
|CCS PCM PIC-C compiler
|CD Writer [OT] - Power Supply
|CD Writer[OT]
|challenge - which number is higher
|Christmas greetings from the start of the day [OT]
|Code differences between 16F84 and 12C508
|Code differences between 16F84 and 12C508??
|Com 1 and Com 2 PIC Programmer Problem
|communication btw 2 modems
|Communitary Programmer
|Communitary Programmer (was 16C63A Programming )
|Community Programmer Engine
|Compiling CCS C source in MPLAB
|Complete idiot
|Could you give me some pointers?
|counting pulses
|Credit card reader
|cs8900[a] nic chips - sell me a few?
|CVASM v5.8 - Can't Program the PIC16F877
|Debugging with Hitech C in MP-LAB
|Defacto ICSP header connection standard?
|dephi and serial com
|Desperate need of help...
|didactic kit
|Digital sampling
|digital sound
|digital sound -twist it
|Digitizing video with PIC
|Disconnecting Xtal from pic16c84
|Driving joystick port with PIC
|DTMF decoding application
|DTMF, Dialing a phone number
|EIB European Interface Bus - Home Automation
|En: didactic kit
|Engine controller HC11 vs PIC
|Estatic Discharges
|Ethernet LAN
|Ethernet LAN Part II
|External memory from 4K to 8k
|f877 + usart + interrupt = headache
|F877 routines
|FAQ: UV Erasure Time, 12C509-JW
|Fast byte to BCD routine!
|Finding a beginners PIC programmer
|Finding a beginning PIC programer
|flash mem
|Flash Mem
|flash mem
|Flat Panel Displays available for projects
|Flat Panel Displays site; VGA LCD Interfacing?
|floating point routine errors
|floating point routine errors[OT]
|FP data table
|FSK signals
|Fuzzy programming
|Fuzzy programming [OT] [Humour]
|Fuzzy programming [OT] for James
|FW: [OT] Excuses from Telesystems
|Fw: [OT]Light Bulbs
|Fw: Re: [OT] Spam from Telesystems?
|Fwd: MPLAB stimulus file input...
|Fwd: Re: Basic Stamp divided by four source code
|Gameboy camera to P(i)C interface???
|Gameboy camera to P(i)C interface??? [OT]
|Generating a Sine wave with a PIC
|Good Source for Enclosures?
|Greater or less then?
|GSM flasher hobby project [OT]
|Happy 2K
|Happy New Year !
|Happy Xmas and New year!
|HAPPY Year 1900 to everyone!
|Help -- Load Caps for osc
|Help -- series resistor for low freq osc
|Help beginner programmer
|HELP INTERFACE VFD. Do samsung exist ?
|help Mpasm
|Help Wanted: PIC Based Christmas Tree Ornament
|Help Wanted: PIC Based Christmas Tree Ornament [OT
|Help with my delay routine
|Hi does anyone have....
|Hi From Bulgaria
|hi mark me again..........
|High Freq Transmitter
|Hitachi URL
|How can I connect DTMF transmiter/receiver to tele
|How to use Pin Stimulus files in MPLAB
|I2C noise?
|I2c rutine
|IDE control
|In Circuit Serial Programming (ICSP)
|Indirect Study
|instruction set
|in-system programmer questions
|Interfacing an External Ram to 17c44
|interfacing pic16f84 to ADC and DAC
|Internet & Ethernet interface
|interrupt 0x04 vector problem continue
|Interrupt driven serial transmit with CCS C Compil
|IR Temp sensors
|Is This Fuzzy Logic?
|JDM serial programmer, algorythms wanted
|Jim @ Newfound
|laser diode
|LCD Module question
|Leap Beyond W2K [OT]
|Leap Beyond W2K [OT] [silly]
|LED displays
|led won't turn on
|Light chaser
|Logic Level HEXFET's
|Look for CORDIC methods... Re: [OT] Mathematical q
|Looking for a few good people??? [OT]
|Looking for DTMF generator for PIC
|Low down on the 555
|LRC-Longitudinal Redundancy Check
|LTC2400 or SPI to Maxim UART/Driver examples
|Making Sound!
|MC145026 emulation ?
|ME Labs EPIC and P16PRO
|Memory datasheet um61256ak-15
|Merry Christmas and happy new year
|Merry Christmas and happy new year 2000
|Microchip App Note Dimmer Problem
|Microchip Appnote Dimmer Problem.
|Microchip Appnote Dimmer Problem. [OT]
|Microchip Stock [OT]?
|MIDI reference design
|mine too [was: led won't turn on]
|mine too [was: led won't turn on][OT]
|Mini piezoelectric angular ceramic sensors (Gyros)
|Motor driver
|Mpasm #*!!***!?'? {MPAsm Help needed here}
|Mpasm #*!!***Á?'À
|MPASM #** Thanks
|MPLAB and the beginner
|MPLAB stimulus file input...
|natural logs
|Need another set of eyes for MOSFET capacitive swi
|need help on usart routine with PIC16F877
|New Flash parts and ITU
|New P16PRO PICmicro Products and Prices Announced
|New PIC visual development
|New PIC visual development [OT]
|New project: PIC based DAQ system with Ethernet li
|New version of PIC software for Aisin_GPS
|New Warp-13/MPLAB tool; Testers wanted
|newbie : wireless I2C?
|Newbie question
|Next Step
|Not really PIC but 68HC11 related.
|NTC thermistor using...
|OLD PIC Programmer I would like to buy
|old version of PBC
|Ornaments are Off Topic??? [JOKE] [OT]
|OSD (On screen display) via I2C line
|OSD (ON screen display) via I2C line
|ot.shuttle launch
|OT: Fast single side and double side PCB prototype
|OT: Is there a cheap source for DB9 DB25 etc. punc
|PC I2C routines [OT]
|PC Serial Port monitoring software [OT] (I'll use
|PCB Dilemma [OT]
|PCB Solder paste flux cleanup
|PCB Solder paste flux cleanup [OT]
|Philips electronic newsletter
|PIC - endurance test
|PIC - endurance test [OT]
|pic and ground
|PIC and Rs-232
|Pic BasicPro
|PIC EEPROM(internal) access
|PIC help file posted
|PIC i/o interface controller
|PIC Project: Cable Testing Tool
|Pic questions
|PIC stand for ?
|PIC Table Read and Compare Questions
|PIC12c508 problem
|PIC12cxxx neophyte artist-programmer lost at C
|PIC1670 : Archeological trivia :)
|PIC16F84A-20/P Programmer
|PIC16F877 return instruction does not return prope
|PIC17Cxxx Urgent HELP!!
|PIC17Cxxx Urgent HELP!!( A suggest from Ismael )
|PICLIST Digest - 11 Dec 1999 to 12 Dec 1999 (#1999
|PICLIST Digest - 7 Dec 1999 to 8 Dec 1999 (#1999-9
|PICSTART PLUS upgrade necessary??? (I hope not)
|PICStart+ and NT
|postscript visualizer/printer [OT]
|PowerLogic Attribute and $
|printers [OT]
|Problem with 16F877
|Problem with 93c46
|Problems with MPLAB
|Problems with the Fosc of my Pic16F84
|Programmin F877s
|PWM behavior
|Q: Any luck with a 25LC640?
|Q:Microchip Stock [OT]?
|Questions from a beginner...
|Radio Shack
|RC Time Question
|re P16pro
|Reading ID bytes from my program.
|Ref : [OT] PCB Dilemma
|ReMapping Ports
|Request for MPLAB project info
|Reset, repeat PLEASE!!
|Reset, repeate PLEASE!!
|Reset, repeated PLEASE!!
|Resisting temptation, sorta [OT]
|RF Interface
|Rookie needs help with opto-isolator (YAP programm
|Rotary Encoders
|rs-232c interface to a pic16c73
|Ruggedised PC sources [OT]
|Running 16C57 at 20 MHz and 3.5 volts
|Running a pic at 3.3 volts and peripherals at 5 vo
|Safety Warning - was Re: Microchip Appnote Dimme
|Sample routines for 16f84
|Searching friends for build a PIC & WEB based proj
|serial com
|Serial comms - hex viewer
|serial communication
|serial receive with parity
|Servo control signals [OT]
|Servo control signals [OT] Was: to analogue voltag
|Servo control signals to analogue voltage conversi
|Silicon Sam's Technology Resource
|Simple serial keypad/display
|SIT Tones & Telemarketing
|SIT Tones & Telemarketing [OT]
|SMT Document Revisited
|SMT Mounting information
|SMT Mounting information-different document ?
|SMT Users Guide
|SMT User's Guide -- US Server
|Solution: RE: PIC16F877 return instruction does no
|Specifing EEPROM contents win MPASM
|SRAM for PIC rocket
|sRAM--need BGA Package or very small module
|Stamp clone project?
|Stamp like software for AT89C52???
|Standard LCD Routines
|Still a Problem-->Com 1 and Com 2 PIC Programmer P
|Still no led flash 509
|stupid question about sink/source
|Subject: Re: Microchip Appnote Dimmer Problem.
|switching Banks
|synchros, selsyns, resolvers
|TCP/IP stack for 16F84
|Tempted by the dark side, AVR sources [OT]
|test routine
|Text companding / remote updates via email
|thanks for info on Indirect study
|thanks to
|Thanx for the programmer recomendation
|Thanx: Disconnecting Xtal from pic16c84[OT]
|Theoretical problem with interrupts?
|Thermistors on a PIC A/D input.
|TI joins the ranks of PIC wannabees [OT]
|Timing issue
|TMR0 and prescaler
|TMR1 on a 16F877 - doubt
|TMR1 Problem on 16c74a
|Transistors [Not OT :^]
|Transmission of data
|transmitting serial data from a PIC to a PC
|trapping serial data in W95
|trapping serial data in W95 [OT]
|Two PICS on one Max232
|Two PICS/one clock
|Unknown IC's
|USART Recive (16C63)
|Using demo board design for PIC 17 demo board in a
|Video on UTP [OT]
|voice direct
|Want 16-bit math stack based
|wanted digital metronome
|wanted digital metronome schematic
|Wanted: Bipolar stepper motor drive
|Wanted: PicMaster probe for 16C63
|Was RE: [OT]? Lighting Controllers, now What's Zer
|WAV and MP3 playback from a PIC
|What happend when a PIC goes to heaven...
|what to know before programming 12c671/JW
|Why 2 Kay
|Why my 16F84 blow after erase ?
|Wildly [OT]: Defective USB hardware.
|Worked Examples for PIC17CXXX
|Worst BIN2BCD routine!
|Worst BIN2BCD routine! (OT)
|Yap components
|Yap components - My Being Quiet


text:
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Visitors to Arkansas historic sites can listen to guided tours on their cell phones under …Read the Rest
Archive for May, 2011
Our 47th Year FOR THE MEETING TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2011 Meets Fourth Tuesdays; January-November Founded March 1964 Second Presbyterian Church …Read the Rest
On 14 May @ 1100, Reeds Bridge will be hosting a Panel Dedication for the Trail of Tears at the …Read the Rest
145th ANNUAL CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY TO FEATURE DEDICATION OF ARKANSAS MONUMENT Hosted by Turner Ashby Chapter #184, United Daughters of …Read the Rest
Battle of Gettysburg Buff – A website for Civil War buffs interested in the Battle of Gettysburg by Randy Drais.
Ozarks Civil War Sesquicentennial Newsletter #19 Highlights Include: "Glory," "Tombstone" screenwriter Kevin Jarre dies; Rutherford B. Hayes; Missouri Seminars Planned; …Read the Rest
In conjunction with the start of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, as well as the kick off of Arkansas Heritage Month, …Read the Rest
Ozarks Civil War Sesquicentennial Newsletter #18 Highlights include: Lincoln's Call for Troops; Proclamation of the President of the United States; …Read the Rest
New Civil War Iphone App by Erin Vook: The Civil War changed the landscape of the United States. Whether you're …Read the Rest
Civil War in the Ozarks: Facts and Fascination is a one-day event both detailing the history of the Civil War …Read the Rest


text:
Sandra Harmon never meant to get involved with the mafia. Before she started exchanging letters with the convicted mobster Gregory Scarpa Jr, she was "a nice middle-class girl from Brooklyn" who wrote relationship self-help books. "I'd never associated with a criminal before that," she says, chuckling at the surreal turn her life has taken. "Then all of a sudden, I was getting threats on the phone saying I should keep my mouth shut if I knew what was good for me."
The cause of the controversy was the publication of Mafia Son, a book based on Harmon's five-year correspondence with one of America's most notorious criminals. A critical success in the States, the book taps into the continuing public fascination with mafia folklore in TV shows like The Sopranos (partly based on the Scarpa story) and a slew of classic films such as The Godfather, Goodfellas and, in 2006, Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed. In Mafia Son, however, the manipulative interaction between a real-life criminal mastermind and his eldest son proves stranger than fiction.
Harmon's interest was initially sparked by a television programme on the Scarpa dynasty. On a whim, she wrote a letter to Scarpa Jr and was astonished to receive a reply. "It was a nice, sweet letter," she recalls. "He writes with smiley faces on the page. He's not at all tough. He would talk about his children and how much he loved his grandchildren, how much he missed Italian food like lasagne and his mother's cookies."
Harmon went on to become one of Scarpa's most trusted confidantes and yet the two of them have never met. Scarpa lives in a 7ft by 9ft foot cell in a maximum-security prison in Florence, Colorado and spends 23 hours a day in solitary confinement. He is not allowed visitors and is due for release in 2033, by which time he will be 84 years old.
Mafia Son tells the extraordinary story of Scarpa's betrayal at the hands of his father, Gregory Scarpa Sr, a brutal mafioso godfather nicknamed "the Grim Reaper" who led a double life as an FBI informant. Scarpa Sr was an enforcer for the notorious Colombo family, one of five Mafia families that controlled organised crime in New York through the 1970s and 80s. Stockily built and 6ft tall, Scarpa Sr ruled by fear: he took such delight in killing that he once expressed the desire to dig up one of his murder victims "and shoot him again". Yet he was also passing information to federal agents.
"He was a horrible, Machiavellian man who murdered over 50 people," says Harmon. "If anyone got too close, he murdered them. He was vicious."
His eldest son, Greg Jr, was raised in a similar mould. "He didn't know any different," says Harmon. "It was the family business and Greg Jr idolised his father. He loved him so blindly. He told me that he didn't like the violence at first, that it made him feel sick but it was a job he had to do because if he'd wanted out, his father would have killed him.
"When I spoke to his mother, she said Greg Jr used to help her in the kitchen and was a sweet little boy who wanted to make everybody happy."
In 1987, Gregory Sr was tipped off that the authorities were closing in on his expanding narcotics operation. Worried that he would die in prison after having contracted HIV from a blood transfusion the previous year, he persuaded his son to take the rap for him.
"He told him 'You're young, you'll only get a couple of years,'" says Harmon. "Greg Jr told me he didn't want to do it because he had a wife and a baby and was happy with his life, but he couldn't say no to his father. He took the fall and the sentence was 20 years [he later had his sentence increased on racketeering charges]. His father had made it look like his son was the boss and Greg Jr never got over the betrayal. He goes over it in his mind all the time. He remembers how his father used to coach him in Little League and he still can't understand it."
Over the five years of their correspondence Harmon got very close to Scarpa Jr. "Ultimately, I sent him my picture and I think he fell a little in love with me," she admits. "He said he had my photograph on top of his TV."
Does she feel her own objectivity was threatened? "Yes. It was challenged. For a long time, I believed him when he said he'd never killed anyone [it later transpired that Scarpa Jr was responsible for 26 murders]. But he's still a human being. I can't say what he did was evil. He needed to prove he was his father's son."
In jail, Greg Jr's story took an even stranger twist when he found himself in a cell alongside the al-Qaida terrorist Ramzi Yousef and befriended him, believing that any valuable information he gleaned could be passed on to the authorities in the hope of reducing his sentence. Scarpa claims that Yousef told him in 1996 - five years before 9/11 - about an al-Qaida plan "to bring New York to its knees" by blowing up the World Trade Centre. Although there are official FBI memos that confirm Scarpa's intelligence, says Harmon the information was buried. "They chose what was easiest. They said 'He's a scumbag, he's no good. Why would we believe him?'"
Harmon admits that her relationship with Scarpa started to dominate her life. During the writing of Mafia Son, she was subpoenaed in the highly publicised 2007 trial of Lindley DeVecchio, a former FBI agent accused of plotting four gangland murders with Scarpa Sr. "I've got no regrets [about the book]," she says. "But would I do it again? Probably not. These have been very hard years."
Greg Scarpa Jr has not yet seen a copy of the book he helped to write. "But I sent him the cover and some of the reviews." What did he think? Harmon laughs. "Oh, he thought it was dynamite."


text:
Edoardo Agresti
"Spiral stair"
Particular stair in an old building in Asmara, Eritrea
Biography: I�m a Partner of the Nikon Professional Service and one of the organizers and teachers of Nikon School Travel. Member of Wedding Photo Journalistic Association, Artistic Guild of Wedding Photo Journalistic Association, International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers and founder of Best Wedding Photographers. International award winner for wedding and travel photography. My photos have been published in several international magazines and travel guides. Member of FEP: Federation of European Photographer. QEP e QIP. Winner of National Geographic Contest and Spider B&W in...
< back


text:
Outsunny 8' x 8' Slant Leg Easy Pop-Up Tent - Blue
Outsunny 8' x 8' Slant Leg Easy Pop-Up Tent - Blue
- Telescoping legs let you easily adjust height
- Open cathedral-style ceiling
- High-quality, powder coated rust resistant frame
- Carrying bag included
The Outsunny slant leg shelter is the perfect pop up tent for the beach, backyard or even flea market stall. With a rust resistant slant leg frame and UV blocking, light weight, cover this is the sun shade pop up tent you have been looking for. Telescoping legs let you easily adjust height, while the pop up frame makes set up and tear down a snap.
- Lightweight and portable, Blocks up to 99% of UV rays
- One piece pop up style frame, with open cathedral-style ceiling
- Silver undercoating reduces heat
- High-quality, powder coated rust resistant frame
- Easy to assemble and disassemble
- Telescoping legs snap into place at adjustable heights
- Perfect for family gatherings, picnics, camping and tailgate parties
- Carrying bag and stakes included
- Upc: 799932987069 For easiest set-up it is best to have at least 2 people to assist with assembly. As this is meant as only a temporary event tent, we do not recommend leaving set-up over several days, in windy or adverse weather conditions


text:
iCalendar link lets you integrate your calendar app with Checkvist due tasks. The link should work with any calendar application supporting iCalendar feed format: MS Outlook, Google Calendar and iCal among others. Some instructions on integrating can be found here.
The time of the Calendar events is the same hour as set on the notifications configuration page.
Please note that Google Calendar doesn't recognize TODO items.
Print options
Expand or collapse branchesExpand all
List style:
Press ec for 'Expand/Collapse'
Press aa for 'Actions'
Press wc for 'Word count'
|Current selection
|Characters with spaces:
|Characters without spaces:
|The whole list
|Characters with spaces:
|Characters without spaces:
Press oo for 'Options'
Press number to mark selected task with color/priority
Esc to cancel editing
ee to edit again
Spacebar to mark item completed
Del or Shift-Backspace to delete
Select a list style from the options menu
or start a line with [] [*] [1]
Shift → to 'pin' a task
Shift ← to un-pin
… or press the pin icon in the toolbar
tt ct set and clear tags
dd cd set and clear due dates
1… 6 change text color/priority
Or, click in the toolbar for all reference materials.
This permalink allows to view the list as you've shaped it. It will preserve the state of:
- collapse/expand state
- focused list item and/or current filter
- list item numbers (if you choose View > Show as a numbered list)
- visibility of completed items (if you choose View > Hide completed)
You can also use options of the Share dialog to share the list in its current view.
Any email, forwarded to this address, will appear in beginning of this list.
Send an email to yourself and add the sender to Contacts for future use.
- The email subject becomes the list item's text.
- The email body becomes the list item's note.
- All attachments from the email are attached to the list item (PRO only).
- In the subject, you can also add #tags, ^due dates, and @assignees with Checkvist's smart syntax.
You can also set up voice integration on mobile devices


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Long battered by critics who say that corrupt judging has stripped it of credibility as a sport, ice dancing begins three nights of competition on Friday under harsh scrutiny.
International skating officials have been barraged over the last few days with allegations that a judge in the pairs competition was pressured to favor a Russian pair over a Canadian team. In figure skating circles, perhaps the only surprise was that the accusations did not involve ice dancing.
In ice dancing, concerns about fairness are nothing new. At the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, a judge in the dance event tape-recorded another judge trying to preordain the results. Dick Pound, a prominent International Olympic Committee official, said soon afterward that ice dancing should be stripped of its status as an Olympic event unless it could clean up the perception that its judging is corrupt.
Like all figure skating -- along with halfpipe snowboarding and moguls skiing -- ice dancing is subjective, prone to politics and the whims of the judges.
But dancing is perhaps the most subjective of the Winter sports. Three competitions go into deciding the gold medal: compulsory, original and free dance. The couples all dance to the same kind of music, which is decided in advance; this year, skaters will dance to Spanish music.Continue reading the main story
But in other types of figure skating, including pairs, there is a longer list of compulsory moves that judges use to determine the skaters' scores, and more required deductions.
Ice dancing, which became an Olympic sport in 1976, has fewer specific requirements and fewer specific guidelines about how many points must be deducted if the dancers falter on a move. Until the controversy at Nagano forced a change, there were not even guidelines for how many points to deduct if a skater fell.
And unlike in pairs, ice dancing does not allow the man to lift his partner above his shoulders. Both skaters must have one foot on the ice at all times, except during the few lifts that are allowed. So artistry and flamboyant costumes are even more important, making judging even more subjective.
Ice dancers say it is not fair to compare their sport to other events in which the fastest time determines the winner. ''When you have just the chrono it's time, time, that's all that matters,'' said Maurizio Margaglio, the male half of an Italian pair that is a top contender in the ice dancing competition. ''When you have the art, you must decide what is better, who is better.''
Aleksandr Zhulin, who won the silver medal in ice dancing for Russia at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, said that in some cases, a judge will inform a coach that a couple's time has not yet come. ''They always say, wait, next year is your year,'' said Zhulin, who now coaches an American couple, Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev. In other cases, judges think it is time for a pair to retire, Zhulin said, so they give low scores.
Judy Blumberg, an American ice dancer who came in fourth in the 1984 Olympics, was more blunt. ''You can't win unless you have a group of judges playing in your favor,'' she said. ''It's happened in the past. It'll happen again in the future.''
Critics, including people within the figure-skating world, have noted over the years that in many ice dancing competitions, including some Olympics, the standings among the top skaters varies little or not at all as the pairs go through the three programs. Judges have also been accused of voting in blocs.
''Ice dancing is too predictable,'' Ottavio Cinquanta of Italy, president of the International Skating Union, said in 1998. ''A couple that is No. 1 in October is No. 1 in February.''
But Blumberg and current ice dancers object to the notion that their sport should not be in the Olympics. And they defend their event against the criticism that it is more performance than sport.
''We are athletes,'' insisted Beata Handra, an ice dancer who is skating for the United States. ''We spend hours and hours on the ice to improve our stamina and our skill. We spend hours and hours off the ice to improve our strength. We train, we have coaches, we have to take care of our bodies. We are athletes, and like other skaters, we are worthy.''
The new regulations regarding deductions for falls will increase the respectability of the sport, the skaters say. Those requirements could also leave less room for judges' personal opinions.
''With the new regulations, I don't think it can be predetermined,'' said Tchernyshev, the American skater. ''They make it easier for judges to be precise.''
Some coaches and athletes worry that the scrutiny will make it hard for judges to assess the competition that begins Friday night and ends Monday. No matter what the judges decide, they will be second-guessed.
''I feel sorry for the French couple,'' Zhulin said. ''Because of the pairs scandal, maybe the Russians will be afraid to give them high marks.''
In the pairs figure-skating competition, a French judge joined judges from Russia, China, Poland and Ukraine in awarding first place to a Russian pair over a Canadian pair. A senior French Olympic official said Wednesday night that the French judge had been pressured to ''act in a certain way.''
But some athletes and other coaches said that the scrutiny might actually force more honest judging. ''Everyone is watching for it,'' said Nicolai Morazov, who coaches Canadian dancers Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz ''It probably will help a little bit.''
Lang, who skates with Tchernyshev, agreed that the spotlight might actually alleviate the controversy that has always swirled around ice dancing. ''We'll get so much attention, now maybe it will clear up,'' she said. ''The judging will be fair.''Continue reading the main story


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"Our course is designed to reward those who have trained and punish those who haven't!" – Not the encouraging words I had hoped to hear during the first mile of the Hyner View Trail Challenge, as I found myself running within earshot of one of the race organizers who was gleefully reciting the above mantra that is found on the Hyner View and Rothrock Challenge websites. Sporting a healthy elevation gain of 4,226 feet over 16ish miles, I was not feeling particularly confident in my lackluster training regimen leading up to race day. Luckily the weather was just about perfect for the race, hovering in the mid 50's with plenty of cloud cover and the potential for a bit of passing rain. This is a tough race, but the grueling course encourages camaraderie (misery loves company, after all), and the excellent organization makes the race feel much smaller than it actually is. The trail is technical, and the views are incredible. Those views don't come free, however. The hill climbs on this race are brutal, and there are three major ridges to conquer. I generally lost a few spots with each climb, but made up lots of time by bombing down the long, technical descents. My knees are definitely going to make me pay for that strategy in a few years. With 4 well-stocked aid stations, I chose to run sans hydration bottle, assuming I might need my hands for scrambles and to break the inevitable tumbles. I ended up finishing MUCH better than I had anticipated, and celebrated with plenty of post-race beer provided by Yorkholo Brewing Company in Mansfield, PA. If you ever get to Mansfield, make it a point to stop by! One of the best parts of trail races? There is always good beer at the end!
Speaking of beer, we had meandered our way northward the previous night, carb-loading on great beer and pub grub at Selinsgrove Brewing Company and the Bullfrog Brewery en route. Selinsgrove is currently pouring the Snake Bite Stout, fairly light in body with a nice hop kick at the end. Certainly worth a quaff! Growlers from each made it into the cooler for post-race celebrations. While sitting at the Bullfrog, we happened to meet two folks who were headed to Hyner the next morning as well. One of these fine folks noticed the Ithaca HHH logo on our growler of Hopsfyxiation, and as luck would have it he had just founded a SoChesCo Hash in Chester County. Stop by and see them if you are in town!
If you've never been to the PA Wilds, you are missing out on one of the great land legacies and landscapes in the country. The PA Trails Trophy Series is a great way to explore some of the best wilderness areas in the commonwealth, and tackle some awesome races with solid company (and good beer at the end). Many thanks to The Nature Conservancy, Western Clinton Sportsman Club, sponsors, and volunteers for putting on an awesome race! See you next year!
Mileage: 16.35
Total Mileage: 456
Next up: Rothrock Challenge!
*I apologize for the lack of scenic photos, but I left the phone/camera in the car!


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Abseiling is said to be one of the most amazing experience around, providing ideal views of the surrounding area while enjoying a controlled decent down a cliff side usually too steep to walk naturally.
Although Abseiling is an enjoyable experience in itself, the equipment is probably the most important. The equipment needed for abseiling include, ropes, to control your descent, a Descender, used to regulate the speed at which your descend takes place, a Climbing Harness, used to strap yourself in to the equipment, a Prusik, used as a backup for the entire system, a Helmet, to protect your head from falling rocks, Gloves, to protect your hands from the friction heating of the rope, Boots, to allow you a good grip on the cliff side an Kneepads, which protect you knees from any impact. All of these are a necessity when Abseiling.
Due to the fact that Tanzania has many rock formations, Abseiling can be a popular activity for those with a more adventurous side. Because of the danger of the sport, it is highly recommended that the participants be in a relatively fit state, as it does put a lot of strain on the body.
Although it is advisable to bring equipment which you are familiar with, certain places do provide you with equipment. If you are interested in the sport, please make sure about the equipment before booking your safari.
For more information on making abseiling part of your Tanzanian Safari contact us.


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Enjoy this selection of general holiday designs at 30% off their individual price. Have holiday giggles and spread the joy with Shaboo penguins, lions, and geese!
Buy product
Includes 8 note cards and 9 envelopes bearing the embossed Shaboo logo on the flap. Comes in a protective recycled box with clear lid.
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Copyright Shaboo Prints 2015
Website designed by Simone Howard Designs


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The Kinder Morgan family of companies is an energy pipeline giant made up of four publicly traded securities:
- Kinder Morgan,(NYSE:KMI), a typical "C"-type company that owns the general partner stake in the group.
- Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (UNKNOWN:KMP.DL) and El Paso Pipeline Partners (UNKNOWN:EPB.DL), publicly traded limited partner units that own and operate much of the pipeline infrastructure controlled by the group.
- Kinder Morgan Management (UNKNOWN:KMR.DL), a publicly traded limited liability company responsible for managing the group.
In the video below, portfolio manager Chuck Saletta explains the three reasons why he's happy to hold on to the shares of Kinder Morgan bought for the real-money Inflation-Protected Income Growth portfolio.
Graphic showing how the four parts of Kinder Morgan fit together:
And here are the debt-to-equity ratios for the four different stock-like securities in the Kinder Morgan family
|Debt to Equity Ratio
|Kinder Morgan, Inc
|Kinder Morgan Energy Partners
|El Paso Pipeline Partners
|Kinder Morgan Management
To follow the iPIG portfolio as buy and sell decisions are made, watch Chuck's article feed by clicking here. To join The Motley Fool's free discussion board dedicated to the iPIG portfolio, click here. To see the iPIG portfolio's online tracking spreadsheet, click here.
Chuck Saletta owns shares of Kinder Morgan and Kinder Morgan Management, LLC. The Motley Fool recommends El Paso Pipeline Partners and Kinder Morgan. The Motley Fool owns shares of Kinder Morgan. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


text: Have been reading & reading & learning & implementing. Thanks for all the great info here. I didn't see anywhere to pass on some nice sites with free stuff to help ppl make a "nice site" look like a "great site". So I'm adding them here. I hope it's ok! And NO - I'm in no way affiliated with these sites at all except that I'm using some of their stuff & thought since there seems to be so many ppl here willing to give great advice I thought I'd pass these on to you guys. Enjoy..... This site has tons to navigate thru. There are so many great ideas out there I hope I can add a little along the way. Salud! Obtuse (oops..... I just found out I have to post several posts before I can pass on this info -- sorry! I'll post them later I guess.)


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Posted by: Jo Briton
Categories: Typography,
Thu, 27 Feb 2014
We have featured various typography skills in this blog, including architectural typography, lyric typography and tasty typography. But almost 200 years ago, British artist L.E.M. Jones produced this elegant series entitled 'The Landscape Alphabet'.
Created in the 19th century, the collection features ornate landscapes that naturally form each letter of the alphabet. The images include various scenes such as seascapes, foliage and castles to create elaborate detail.
To see the entire series, and some details behind it, please see The British Museum website.
Source: My Modern Met


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Zurn Radiant Heating Systems
February 9, 2012 by admin
Filed under Guest Articles on Low Cost Heating
Zurn Radiant Heating is more than a heating system. Zurn Radiant Heating is different – it's comfortable, clean, quiet and efficient. An established concept in Europe, radiant heating systems are growing in popularity in the United States and around the world. Radiant floor heating provides even temperature distribution by circulating warm water through tubing embedded [...]
January 23, 2012 by admin
Filed under Guest Articles on Low Cost Heating
The Crete-Heat Insulated Floor Panel System is an easily assembled modular board insulation, vapor barrier, and radiant tube holding grid. It allows for simplified installation of hydronic radiant floor heating systems in basements, garages, main floor slab on grade and above grade installations where concrete or gypcrete is normally used. Each interlocking panel, available in [...]
Solar Heating System – DIY Solar Heating Systems
December 20, 2011 by admin
Filed under Guest Articles on Low Cost Heating
Solar Heating- Most complete DIY solar heating systems. solar heating kits for solar hot water and solar space heating including solar home heating and solar hydronic heating. Also featuring solar pool heating and solar hot tubs. No Plumbing or Electrical required! Installs in under a day! 1 800 917 9054 Video Rating: 4 / 5


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Glasgow 2014: City 'buzzing' ahead of Commonwealth Games
Glasgow is "buzzing" one day before the Commonwealth Games, according to the man in charge of delivering the event.
David Grevemberg, chief executive of Games organiser Glasgow 2014, said the city was "just coming alive" and people wanted to be part of the spectacle.
He said some tickets were still left for events, but they were "going fast".
Glasgow has taken on an international hue as more than 4,500 athletes and 2,000 officials from 71 nations and territories descend on the city.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Grevemberg said the Games had brought a new energy to Glasgow.
'Great ceremony'
"The city is just coming alive, people are just being a part of this and it's fantastic," he said.
"We still have a few tickets left and we want people to snap them up as they are going fast.
"It's all just moving along, with one day to go and a great opening ceremony planned for tomorrow night at Celtic Park."
Glasgow 2014 has given a few more hints about the ceremony itself by stressing they would give Glaswegians the main voice in the two-hour spectacle.
Head of ceremonies David Zolkwer said: "Given Glasgow is such a generous, hospitable, warm city, it seemed natural to think about how we behave as a host.
'Humour and warmth'
"So the ceremony is about all of us - being interested in the people we are inviting into our house and hearing their stories, and looking more at what we have in common than what differentiates us.
"It's got humour, warmth, celebrating what we have in common. Having said all that, it will always feel like it was created in Glasgow."
He added: "So, although we are telling a universal story, we are telling it with a distinctly Glaswegian accent, which means we are going to be irreverent, funny, principled, sincere, inclusive, personal, direct.
"We are talking down the lens - we are not asking the world to watch a show."
The opening ceremony will get under way at 20:00 on Wednesday at Celtic Park.
It will be attended by the Queen and heads of state from around the Commonwealth.
Forging links
With one day to go before the ceremony, a conference is taking place in Glasgow to forge trade links across the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Games Business Conference, which opens on Tuesday and concludes on Wednesday, will feature speeches from Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond, Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney, senior UK Cabinet ministers and UK Trade Minister Lord Livingston.
The event aims to provide a platform for businesses to meet and create new partnerships.
An audience of more than 200 chief executive officers and political leaders from across the Commonwealth are due to attend the event at Glasgow University.
It is jointly hosted by the Scottish and UK governments and their trade and investment agencies, Scottish Enterprise and UK Trade and Investment.
Key areas for discussion include innovation, infrastructure investment, sustainable trade and financing economic growth.


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The Courier-Herald
Employees of the city of Buckley, members of Local 286, recently rejected the city's initial contract offer and have been working without a contract since Dec. 31.
Historically, negotiations between the city and its union employees have been harmonious and union members have worked in good faith without a revised contract on more than one occasion. So it isn't as if alarms are going off due to the union's refusal to accept the city's initial offer.
"I have the greatest and hardest-working group of city workers in the world and I would give them the moon if I could," Mayor Patricia Johnson said.
But the economy has put cities in a tough situation, Johnson added.
"Considering the rough economics times we are living in, I thought the contract offer was fair," the mayor said, "but I haven't had a chance to get back to the union's bargaining people to see what the tipping point was for them. I am just trying to keep the city operational, while at the same time saving money and jobs."
Reach John Leggett at firstname.lastname@example.com or 360-802-8207.


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There are many ways to get rich quick out there. Unfortunately, affiliate marketing isn't one of them. If you wanted to get into marketing because you thought you would make money in a hurry, then it's obvious that you don't understand how affiliate marketing works. That's why you need articles like this, in order to put you back on the right path.
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Record a high quality video where you demonstrate an affiliate product then upload it to YouTube along with your affiliate link. YouTube is a great source for potential buyers, and if you provide an informative video about a product, people will be more inclined to buy the product through your affiliate link.
Separate your task lists so that you do not become confused or bogged down while working as an affiliate. Personal matters can sometimes get in the way of affiliate marketing, especially if you allow them to bleed over into your work. Make sure you're doing your best to keep these two worlds from colliding.
Always make sure to check on a company's conversion numbers before you decide to work as an affiliate for them. Many new marketers are sold on bright and colorful websites and fail to check the sales conversion numbers. If the company is not turning a lot of visitors into customers, this means no commissions for you.
Find a quality affiliate program to work with. They should provide you with the tools that you need to be successful. They will offer things like banners, recommendation letter templates and text links and teach you which techniques work the best under different circumstances. These things will make it easier for you to get started.
Apprentice Success Business Online
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If you want to make the most money from your affiliate marketing efforts, use some of the free tools like Google Analytics to set goals for each ad and check it frequently to see that each ad is paying off. When you discover one that is not performing as well, replace it.
A great affiliate marketing tip is to be sure you list your site in all of the major directories. If people do not know about your site, there is no way you will generate any traffic. You have to put yourself out there, and be aggressive if you want to have a chance to be successful.
Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Do your homework and learn as much as you can about affiliate marketing. There's lots of free information online to get you started. Once you have gotten a handle on what you are doing and started making a little money, you should reinvest it in your business by taking some affiliate marketing courses. This will add a professional touch to your endeavors and really help you succeed.
If you feel the provided sales page of your vendor isn't strong enough, make your own. Some product pages are just so bad it could cause you to lose a sale that you had had convinced. Create new copy and put it on your own site or see if you can upload it as a custom landing page.
If you work full-time, make sure that you set an hour or two at night to devote specifically towards affiliate marketing. Working while at your organization is very tough, and will reduce the quality that you put into your work. Give 100% of your attention towards the task at hand for optimal results.
Apprentice Success Business Online
Your site's readers come back over and over because there is something about you that resonates with them. Out of all the hundreds of thousands of affiliate products you can promote, you must choose the ones that resonate with your readers. Personal and genuine recommendations will help continue the trust your readers already have in you, and convert them to buyers.
Hang on to your best-performers when you send out e-mails to your subscriber list. Keep track of which messages bring the most responses or make the most sales. People will come and go over time on your e-mail list, and as you find new subscribers send only your best e-mails to increase your chances of success.
To be a successful affiliate marketer you should be working to build up your sub-affiliate network. These are people who are going to push the product for you thus earning you a healthy commission with half the work. This won't happen right away but it is something to aspire to as a marketer.
Keep the advertising on your page relevant to your site. It's time consuming, but going through ads before letting them go live on your site will go a long way towards building customer trust. Random ads that have nothing to do with the site scream "spammer", so avoid it at all costs.
There are many items you can write off when running an affiliate marketing business from home, including your computer (if you buy a new one), a printer, printer ink, paper, even meals eaten while discussing business. You can write off part of your rent or mortgage as well as utilities and phone bills.
The path you choose will, ultimately, decide where you end up. You could be a flash-in-the-pan marketer whose profits barely cover expenses or you could be a success entrepreneur whose profits lead to massive market expansion. The choice is yours. Just remember to refer back to any helpful information, just like you've just read here, in order to get help on your way.


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skeptical of santa
Even though she enjoys seeing Santa on the screen and page, and will tell you when prompted that Santa says "ho ho," Holdy has not been a huge fan of physically interacting with the fat man in the red suit this year.
I can't say she hasn't warned me: before each visit, when I'd ask her if we're going to see Santa, she'd enthusiastically nod; when I'd ask if she was going to sit on his lap and get her photo taken, she would very seriously shake her head no.
Nonetheless, I ruthlessly put her through the process no less than three times.
She wasn't entirely sure what to make of this Santa guy last year either.
To be fair, Holden doesn't love having her photo taken in general, unless we're talking about selfies. So I tried a Santa Selfie to see if that would work. It didn't.
Oh well. I guess I shouldn't complain that my kid is rightfully wary of a strange man who gives her candy and wants her to sit on his lap.
And for the record, for as much as she doesn't like having her photo taken, she sure does love to see herself in photos.
My little narcissist.


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Hotels in Vacquieres, France
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Best hotels in Vacquieres
Vacquieres overviewIf you're looking for a new favorite getaway, look no further than Vacquieres. Though Vacquieres might not have many well-known attractions, you don't need to venture far to visit Domaine Mas de l'Oncle Winery and La Belle Vigne. You won't want to miss sights in the surrounding area like Accrobranche OC Aventures and Chateau de Villevieille.
Where to stay in VacquieresWhether you plan to stay for a night or a week, Vacquieres has the right accommodation for you. You can shop as many as 495 deals for Vacquieres accommodations on Hotels.com, some with discounts of up to 50%. Our room prices start at 23 USD per night and below are the number of hotels by star rating in Vacquieres as well as in the surrounding area:
- • 2 5-star hotels from 257 USD per night
- • 29 4-star hotels from 75 USD per night
- • 96 3-star hotels from 52 USD per night
- • 56 2-star hotels from 41 USD per night
How to get to VacquieresFly into Montpellier (MPL-Montpellier - Mediterranean), 17.3 mi (27.9 km) from central Vacquieres. Nimes (FNI-Garons) is the next closest major airport, 23.9 mi (38.5 km) away.
What to see around VacquieresHere are some recommended places to see in the surrounding area:
- • Domaine Mas de l'Oncle Winery (3.3 mi/5.4 km from the city center)
- • La Belle Vigne (4.3 mi/6.9 km from the city center)
- • Accrobranche OC Aventures (7.5 mi/12.1 km from the city center)
- • Chateau de Villevieille (7.8 mi/12.5 km from the city center)
- • Le Conservatoire de la Fourche (7.8 mi/12.5 km from the city center)
When to visit VacquieresDo you want to know the ideal time of year to visit? Here are the seasonal norms to help with your planning:
Seasonal temperature averages
- • January-March: 62°F day, 37°F night
- • April-June: 82°F day, 45°F night
- • July-September: 85°F day, 56°F night
- • October-December: 72°F day, 38°F night
- • January-March: 0.12 inches
- • April-June: 0.24 inches
- • July-September: 0.20 inches
- • October-December: 0.24 inches


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« Adonis 2007 Week 2 Results : Shrine to Soap Hunks | Main | Patrick Ribbsaeter : International Model and Universal Player »
We're constantly working behind-the-scenes... whether it is lining up a fantastic interivew, researching who's up-and-coming, moderating comments, monitoring statistics and referring links, or making technical improvements to the web site. Here are a few tidbits on what's been going on:
Site Redesign
Our site layout is fantastic, but we've decided it is time to incorporate some new functionality into the site along with a fresh coat of paint. This project will be progressing slowly and will hopefully launch sometime this summer after all the kinks are worked out.
New Category/Tag Pages
Previously if you clicked on one of the category/tag links (such as Actor, Male Model, or Hunk du Jour Interviews) beneath a post you'd be taken to a simple list of posts within that topic. We're now paging these category/tag archives so when you go to one of these archives you'll be able to see the "front page" version of the posts again -- complete with photos! Click through to see the rest of the post as usual. Check out the tag/category cloud to begin your journey!
MySpace Badges
Our MySpace Badge system is awesome... we take the highlighted photo from the last post and create an image that you can place on your MySpace, Friendster, Blogger and web pages! The image will update whenever we post something new, so you've got an instant photo show of hot guys for your site! Get yours today.
What do you think? Any suggestions?
We love hearing from you! Contact us! Suggest a hunk to feature (better yet, send photos!), tell us how you're linking to your site, suggest a new site feature, hook us up with an interview, or just sing our praises (or lodge a respectful complaint.)