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The Perfect Escort Date
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This week I'd like to talk about dating. I mean professional dating, of course - the time taken to get to know someone, whether a client or an escort, before getting intimate.
The reason this has come up is that I've been booking a lot of 'get-to-know-you coffee dates' lately, and it has been a rewarding experience. I've met a lot of interesting people and had fascinating conversations! I have has erotic sessions with a number of these gentlemen afterwards, and the experience has been ten times more rewarding than if I had just walked through their hotel door without ever meeting them first.
In my personal life, I've never been much of a 'dating game' person….the whole concept is pretty foreign to me. I used to firmly believe in sleeping with someone before getting romantically involved with them, just to make sure we were sexually compatible. Until my late twenties, I'd never been on a proper 'date' – all my relationships revolved around 'hanging out' and ordering pizza while listening to metal. Luckily for me I've since been introduced to fine dining and to trying new things; both have enhanced my social life considerably.
The whole idea of a 'first date' is a great way to start when meeting a client for the first time. 'Dating' has a very formal structure – spending social time together, asking questions about one another, flirting and generally getting to know the person in an unhurried fashion. You might think that an escort booking as all about the sex, but often what many of my clients are looking for is a sense of connection. The best lovers realise that without connection, sex is pretty meaningless (something I wish I could tell my younger self!)
Some men may feel that investing all this time (and money) in social interaction is a waste, and I think it's fine to feel that way. It's their investment, after all, and they should structure their time in a way that works for them. However I do love it when someone sees the value in taking the time to connect – and have some fun together – before the fun starts between the sheets.
Further from that, I love getting to know clients initially by finding out what their idea of a perfect date looks like. Some guys like something sexy and raunchy – a night at the strip club – and some are enamoured of intellectual pursuits, such as conversation at a good restaurant. Some seek out new experiences – I know of one lady who went up in a hot air balloon with her gentleman (I don't think they joined the mile high club though!) Some love new experiences – new ladies, new locations, new fantasies. Some men love for the lady to take charge and organise everything, reversing the typical 'gender roles' and leaving them free to enjoy themselves. The possibilities are as endless as the personalities we encounter.
This is my experiment: I'm passing through Canberra in September, and I'm making just enough time to see one person or couple. I'm going to ask – what's your perfect date? For the most interesting suggestion, I'm going to discount my dinner date fee by $500. If you're in Canberra and would like to share my Sunday, visit my website and share your thoughts! I hope I can make someone's idea of a perfect date come to life.


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User review on Harley-Davidson Street Bob written by (Guest) on 2015-02-16 15:05:25
(Guest) 's Rating
Design (Exterior/Interior)
Inside Comfort
Driving Comfort
Performance & Safety
Bike variant reviewed for: Harley-Davidson Street Bob
Year of Manufacture: 2015 | Driven no. of Kms. : 8000
- Pros: Rubber-mounted Twin Cam 103?"? V-Twin engine and Can be personalized through H-D1?"? Factory Customization
- Cons: Solo seat
Full Review:
hi everyone, i bought my DAVIDSON this year only, but i just love this ride. It is a well-defined bike and has a lot of power and torque. The styling is also very unique and has no competitors in this case also and is always leading the way. I would suggest all of you people to buy this bike that are HARLEY DAVIDSON fans.

subset: commoncrawl


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Billy Cobham
Ever since his breakthrough in the early 1970s-as a founding member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and as a drummer/leader whose recordings (such as Spectrum) and powerful, complex style of play exerted a strong influence on the course of jazz and jazz-fusion-Billy Cobham has remained a tireless musical explorer.
Panamanian by birth, a New Yorker by upbringing, and a resident of Switzerland for more than 25 years, Cobham has pursued an ever-broadening, ever-deepening engagement with the world not only as a master drummer and percussionist but as a composer, producer, educator, and clinician who gives service through music even as he constantly expands his personal creative expression.
Cobham's newest recording, Fruit from the Loom-released in April 2008 through his own imprint, Creative MultiMedia Concepts, Inc. (CMMC)-is a suitably wide-ranging representation of his roots and his journeys. He reprises two of his best-known compositions from the '70s, "Spectrum" and "Crosswinds," by incorporating violin on the former and steel pan on the latter. "I've always found it difficult to focus upon one direction in music," Cobham notes, "so I've resigned myself to projecting ideas and thoughts through a musical kaleidoscope, from Latin to rock and jazz. This version of 'Spectrum' is a testament to that idea."
On the new CD, he also utilizes a string quartet (on "Faia") and percussion ensembles-with Cobham himself playing all the parts on "Samba du Militairestrasse" and Nigerian friends joining him on "Thoughts from Okuta." Experiences from travels in Brazil are captured in "Eggshells Still on My Head" and "Florianapolis," while the Bocas del Toro islands off the eastern coast of Panama-which Cobham describes as a place where "it is easy for me to relax and generally mellow out"-inspire the buoyant "Sweet Bocas."
Fruit from the Loom, dedicated to the memory of Cobham's parents William and Ivy, features support from longtime colleagues including organist Brian Auger, bassists Victor Bailey and Stefan Rademacher, saxophonist Ernie Watts, guitarists Dean Brown and Jean-Marie Ecay, and, on steel pan, Junior Gill.
Cobham is also the centerpiece of a new 90-minute documentary by director Mika Kaurismäki entitled Sonic Mirror. The genesis of the film dates back to 2001, when Kaurismäki approached the drummer about producing a portrait of his life and times. "But then we started to think of other ways of doing it," the director reveals. "We finally decided to do a film about Billy and some of his projects, focusing on rhythm and music as communication and universal language."
To Cobham, the term "sonic mirror" means "a sound reflection of everything that I experience, or that one experiences, in music. It's almost like a radio parabolic dish, where all of the radio signals come in, are processed, and reflected back to the presenter."
The film, which takes place in Switzerland, New York, Salvador da Bahia (Brazil), and Helsinki (Finland) and which was released in April 2007, has screened at film festivals in Munich and Cologne, Germany; Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil; Pusan, South Korea; Gijón, Spain; Adelaide, Australia; Guadalajara, Mexico; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's also had a commercial release in France. A multiple-disc DVD release is currently in the works, focusing on the concert in Finland with Randy Brecker; Malê Debalê, a Bahian bloco afro; the Glarus concert (with Swiss musicians and yodeling choir); Okuta Percussion and Autistics; and the Okuta Percussion concert.
The Hollywood Reporter described Sonic Mirror as "a feel-good world music documentary with the potential to be the next Buena Vista Social Club." But for Cobham, more fundamentally, "it verifies the value of music as an important factor in this world. If used for the greater good, it can be a powerful ally."
Billy Cobham was born in Colón, Panama on May 16, 1944. The family relocated to the U.S. in the winter of '47, living first in Harlem and then in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. "Music was all around me," he recalls. "Primarily either Latin music-folclórico or tÃpico, as they called it in Panama-or jazz."
Cobham, whose first paying gig came at age eight, courtesy of his pianist father, cut his teeth on drumming as a member of St. Catherine's Queensmen, a drum and bugle corps in St. Albans, Queens. He went on to attend New York's famed High School of Music and Art, where he studied music theory and drum technique alongside some of today's great musical legends, including trumpeter Jimmy Owens, bassist Eddie Gomez, and pianist Larry Willis. At the time, "jazz was a bit off-limits to students while classical music was preferred by the education establishment. So of course students craved to connect with jazz artists in any way that they could, be it chance encounters at school lectures or via LP recordings that they could study and eventually emulate."
After military service, during which he played in the U.S. Army Band as percussionist (1965-68), Cobham began working in Horace Silver's band. (While on a European tour with Silver in 1968 he became one of the first percussionists, along with Max Roach and Tony Williams, to use the Electronic Drum Controller made by the Meazzi Drum Company in Milan.) He also performed with Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott, and recorded with George Benson.
In 1969 Cobham co-founded the fusion group Dreams, which also featured Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, John Abercrombie, Don Grolnick, Barry Rodgers, and Will Lee. The following year he was invited to join Miles Davis's group and contributed to four pivotal recordings by the trumpeter, including Bitches Brew (where he collaborated with guitarist John McLaughlin) and Tribute to Jack Johnson.
Mahavishnu Orchestra was formed by McLaughlin in 1971 with Cobham, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, and Rick Laird. They released three acclaimed albums (beginning with Inner Mounting Flame) before the band was dissolved and Cobham chose to launch his solo career with Spectrum, one of the definitive albums of the jazz-rock era.
During the 1970s and '80s, he recorded steadily as a leader for Atlantic, CBS, Elektra, and GRP, collaborating with artists ranging from George Duke, John Scofield, and Tony Williams to Jack Bruce and the Grateful Dead, both on stage and in the studio.
Cobham was engaged by UNICEF in 1992 to work with autistic outpatients and street children in Santos (near São Paulo), Brazil, in a musical project of several years' duration. "The street children fell into my realm of operations almost by chance, as it was not part of my original mandate," he says. "But due to the unavoidable specter and shadow cast by so many little personalities with big hearts and so much time to ponder life without parental direction, it was inevitable that I would find myself working with them-some of the brightest minds harboring raw talent that I have ever witnessed to date. The shame of it all was that many would never have the opportunity to use their gift."
In '93 Cobham performed, recorded, and produced at the WOMAD Festival (World of Music, Arts and Dance) with Peter Gabriel, Nigeria's Okuta Percussion, and Farafina from Burkina Faso. (His association with WOMAD continues to this day: over the last several years he's conducted sessions in performance techniques at the University of Bath Spa in England, and he is now an Official Patron of WOMAD in Bath.)
Other highlights of the 1990s included touring and recording with Jazz Is Dead, Paradox, Nordic, and the London Jazz Orchestra; and development of the Conundrum book series, whose titles have music-minus-one capability that allow participants to play along on their specific instruments. (Drum set, piano, brass, woodwinds, bass, and guitar books are available through Alfred Music Publications in association with Rhythmatix Music, Ltd.)
By the start of the '00s Cobham had introduced "The Art of Jazz" series, recording and touring extensively first with the Art of 3 (Kenny Barron, Ron Carter), then the Art of 4 (Carter, Donald Harrison, James Williams) and the Art of 5 (Harrison, Guy Barker, Eric Reed or Julian Joseph, Orlando Le Fleming). He also worked with Culture Mix (featuring steel pan player Junior Gill), recording two albums with them for CMMC (with distribution through In and Out Records), and in 2003 reactivated Spectrum as a band that revisits the music of that genre-reinventing album.
Cobham plans to record a second volume of Fruit from the Loom this summer, with Dean Brown, JM Ecay, Tom Coster, Cristophe Cravero, Victor Bailey, Ernie Watts, Mike Mainieri, Junior Gill, Michael Rodriguez, Mike Mondesir, Marco Lobo, Marshall Gilkes, and Philippe Chayeb among those who'll be on board.
His current collaboration with the Cuban group Asere has been ongoing since their first performance together at the WOMAD Festival in Reading in 2002. A new CD, De Cuba y de Panamá, is due for summer 2008 release, and a DVD, A Latin Soul, directed by John Hollis, is already out. That package contains live concert footage, two documentaries, and a bonus CD with live and studio tracks. Cobham and Asere will be touring the U.K. this fall.
"It's very, very interesting for me to hear this music and to play music like Mahavishnu Orchestra or even with Jack Bruce, but my approach is fundamentally the same," the drummer observes. "It's got a Latin root, and it kind of sets me off from everybody else.
"Music will tell the world who you are, based on what you present and how you present it. You can't lie through this medium.
"Therefore I find myself trying again to connect the dots, to learn. Through this relationship with Asere and the music we make together, it's helping me to connect. I'm reconnecting with my roots in Panama in order to see my future better through this clearer view of my past."
And as with any artistic endeavor, the personal becomes the universal, and Billy Cobham's most recent musical journey-back to his beginnings-will be shared and savored by his listeners around the world.
In 2011 Cobham began teaching drums online at The Jazz and Fusion Drum School.
In 2013, Cobham celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release of Spectrum CD by touring in USA, Canada and Europe with the Spectrum 40 Band. Also that year, Purple Pyramid Records released the Billy Cobham Compass Point two-CD set, recorded live at Compass Point hotel in the Bahamas in 1997, which was never released before.
Early 2014 marks the release of the much-anticipated "Tales from the Skeleton Coast", which is the third instalment of the four recordings produced as a commemoration and celebration of Cobham's mother and father, both of whom were musicians.
This year, Cobham continues to develop his ingenious Extended Works series, a trailblazing musician exploration that will take shape in collaboration with local jazz orchestras around the world. This performance series will bring his critically acclaimed, widely appreciated material to the orchestral jazz stage, sharing his vast musical history with diverse audiences globally.
In the summer of 2014, Cobham will release a live CD recording from last years' celebrated Spectrum 40 tours, which dazzled audiences around the world in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Spectrum CD, the defining album of the jazz-fusion genre.


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The Family Y The Family Y
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
Mission Statement
The Mission of The Family Y is to serve individuals and families in the CSRA through programs designed to build healty spirit, mind and body, reflecting the values of the Judeo-Christian tradition while maintaining respect for all people.
The Family Y is recognized as the premier social service agency in the CSRA due to its innovative programming, its strategically located programming centers, its safe and clean environment and its outstanding customer service. Character development is a visible component of the Family Y as we strive to build a stronger spirit, mind and body. Core programs emphasize strengthening youth, families and the community while using active volunteers and a dedicated staff. Annual Support Giving, Legacy and Financial Aid Assistance increase annually in keeping with our mission of not turning anyone away. The Family Y commits to being a creative risk taker while changing lives for the better.
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Saeko Suzuki - Studio Romantic (1987)
Here is the last of Saeko Suzuki's studio albums (that I know of), 1987's Studio Romantic. This album has three of Suzuki's best known songs, the brilliant "Happy End," which had been released as a single the year before, a re-worked version of "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday in the UK" and "Happy Families", an XTC cover (a big improvment, imo). There's also a version of Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air". The album seems mostly made up of covers, singles and remixes; the title of the album even stresses the process of recording, as opposed to composition. That isn't to say that there aren't original jams on the album, or to slight the creative integrity of the cover versions contained in Studio Romantic.
I don't have much info on the players. Peter Gabriel-associate David Rhodes played guitar on "Blow Up", according to this website.
"Happy End" doesn't appear to be a cover of YMO's track of the same name. But to confuse the matter, here is a two-part television presentation titled "Happy End" featuring an interview with Hosono followed by a performance from Suzuki and then from Takahashi. A bizarre sequence at the beginning features a cybernetic cow and a title card which reads "Friends of Earth". If any of our Japanese readers can shed some light on this video, please share in the comments section.
Part One: http://youtu.be/vJSVD8yLSbg
Part Two: http://youtu.be/YRtvx4LOrT8
I'll be posting some of Suzuki's soundtrack work as well as a few singles and miscellaneous tracks in the coming days.
Here's the video for "Happy End" from Music Tomato Japan. Nice to hear from our old friend Michael again:
Label: Midi Inc.
Catalog#: MDCZ-1030
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: Japan
Released: 1987
01. Blow Up
02. You're My Special
03. Something In The Air
04. Happy Families (XTC Cover)
05. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday In The UK
06. TV Dinner
07. Happy End
08. Freak In
09. Studio Romantic
10. Dear Walt
11. Adventure In South Pacific
Posted by Gregory Joseph at 5:43 PM
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Linux is obsolete - A must read debate between Andrew S. Tanenbaum and Linus Torvalds
TarunThakur 270005UXRR Visits (51542)
If you are a Linux enthusiast but have never heard of this debate then I think you have missed something really interesting. The basis of this debate were the allegations made by Andrew S. Tanenbaum ( an American computer scientist and professor of computer science at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Also best known as the author of MINIX, a free Unix-like operating system for teaching purposes) on Linux portability and kernel architecture in general. The debate was started in 1992 on the Usenet discussion group comp.os.minix. It was a heated debate that was joined by Linus Torvalds (the creator of Linux) himself and many other hackers/developers.
Here are some of the excerpts of that discussion (from google groups) :
Tanenbaum :
Tanenbaum :
This war of words was re-ignited in 2006 after Tanenbaum wrote a cover story for Computer magazine titled "Can We Make Operating Systems Reliable and Secure?. Here is what Wikipedia reports about it :
This subject was revisited in 2006 after Tanenbaum wrote a cover story for Computer magazine titled "Can We Make Operating Systems Reliable and Secure?".[3] While Tanenbaum himself has mentioned that he did not write the article to renew the debate on kernel design,[4] the juxtaposition of the article and an archived copy of the 1992 debate on the technology site Slashdot caused the subject to be rekindled.[5] Torvalds posted a rebuttal of Tanenbaum's arguments via an online discussion forum,[6] and several technology news sites began reporting the issue.[7] This prompted Jonathan Shapiro to respond that most of the field-proven reliable and secure computer systems use a more microkernel-like approach.
Here are some of the important links that would make this whole debate an interesting read :


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In the meeting rooms of recovery there are countless personal testaments about experiences before and after, weaknesses, strengths, hopes, sorrow, joy and anything else that a person would like to share. There are times when someones share seems just another voice and there are times when the share strikes a chord that makes you just sit up and pay attention. It is the latter that had an effect on me and is why I have chosen to share this with you. It is one of those stories that after one person shares is passed on and on and on. I would not be surprised if some of you have already heard this story or some variation of it.
Before I begin I want to make sure I offer a few thoughts. This story is not about getting what you want. This story is about Step Three. There are times when I believe I am turning everything over to my Higher Power but nothing seems to be happening. So the question is, Hey, God. Are you listening? Could you find a way to let me know? Im all alone here and need help. This is the premise of the story.
A man recovering from alcohol and drugs had hit bottom. He had lost everything personal, material, and his once thriving business was bankrupt. Now that he was in recovery, he wanted these things back. He wanted the BIG things. After speaking to his sponsor he was told not to pray for things but to pray to know Gods will. So how do I know God is listening? the man asked. The sponsor told him to ask God for a sign. Ask for dimes, he said. Dimes? What can I possibly do with dimes? Not much, said his sponsor, but I think maybe you need to ask your Higher Power for something small so that He can show you He is listening and that you must continue to pray and be patient. And so that is what he prayed for
Within a certain period of time, the man had a very important appointment with someone who had the ability to infuse capital into his doomed business. He prayed and prayed to turn it over and decided to ask for a dime just so he knew his Higher Power was listening.
The day of the appointment came and he walked into the empty marbled foyer of the office building. Saying a little prayer before punching the elevator button, he heard something drop to the floor. Guess what? A dime! Do I even have to tell you that the meeting was a successful, his life changed completely, and from that moment on he never took another drink or another drug. This is a true story. It really happened.
I was not even thirty days sober when I heard this story and at the conclusion I had my usual thoughts of Yeah, great story but those things happen to other people. I did think long and hard about it but came up with things like maybe God will think I am asking for dimes to prove He exists and what happens if everyone asks for dimes and if I ask for anything maybe it should be different. I then realized this was not about getting what I wanted. It was a handshake from God when I most needed His hand!
At not quite sixty days of sobriety, my husband and I were invited to a dinner following a major golf tournament in our city. Free drinks; free food! In the past I would have jumped at this opportunity but I found myself a bit apprehensive. I had not been in a situation where alcohol and partying were the main events. I had to pray to God for the strength not only to stay sober but to keep me from self-pity and playing the victim. I was a newcomer to sobriety and after I prayed and prayed for His will, I decided to pray for a dime. I needed to know I was being heard.
The evening arrived and after ordering my nonalcoholic beverage (keeping my eye on the bartenders every move), we stepped into the food line. A number of rooms had been set up for dining but I chose a room with a number of small, high tables each covered with a white tablecloth and a small vase of flowers. The room was completely empty and since it was fairly early we might have been the first to use it. I carried my plate to the table and was joined by my husband. Within a minute or two he looked at the table and said, What is that? While he was asking he moved my plate. There it was. A dime!
I didnt know where it came from and I didnt care. I dont know if I can describe the feeling I had. It was both spiritual and rather freaky. The first thing I did, though, was say a prayer of gratitude. My Higher Power was with me that night. He gave me the strength to get through that evening sober and in peace.
Soon after that evening I shared my story. Within a few weeks, someone who had heard my story had his own dime story and Im sure that someone after that had his/her own dime story. The story will continue to be passed on. More important, though, is the message of how vital a Higher Power is as we follow the 12 Steps to recovery and learn how to live life.
Fortunately, I believe I have been able to better grasp the concept of faith and trust in my Higher Power than in the early days of sobriety. Today, I rarely ask God for a sign, but every now and then out of my humanness asking for that dime is one of the most solid, spiritual things I can do. He has never refused my request. Dimes have happened in the strangest places.
Remember, asking for a sign should not be about getting what you want but an earthly acknowledgement that your Higher Power is listening. It is still HIS plan! This us honestly one of my favorite stories to share. Pass it on.
Namaste. May you walk your journey in peace and harmony.
Don't forget to "like" Grateful Recovery on Facebook. Kathy L. is the author of "The Intervention Book" available now in e-book, print and audio.


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Twitter is one of the most popular social media account used by many people. Millions of users from every part of the world seem to be indulged in this wonderful media-blogging site. Aside from voicing out their feelings, beliefs, opinions and principles, there are many people who benefit from using them. Just like other social media sites, twitter can be used in advertising different products and services due to its increasing number of users, which are potential clients and consumers. With the help of internet, this site operates worldwide. So whether you are a small entrepreneur or major distributor, this is one good way to get more clients.
The presence of internet truly made everything possible. From traditional establishments and stores, local distributor can now operate worldwide. Online stores became one of the most profitable businesses in the industry at the present. That is why even small investors operate online business through the use of their social media accounts. And of course in order to ensure more buyers, the investor must promote and advertise their products in various ways. Since most people have their own social media accounts today, promoting your products in different social media sites will surely make a difference. So if you want to make advertisement online, do not forget to make your own tweeter account. This is one reason why many investors get more Twitter followers on their account so they can promote their products and services.
Benefits of having more followers
If you are into
marketing, having many followers on your Tweeter account brings you a lot of
opportunities and prospects. This is the great time for you to promote your
products and services. Unlike any other sites where advertisements need to be
paid, twitter and other social media accounts give you the opportunity to
promote your products absolutely free.
Click here to know more about this


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Tribune October 24 2015
Written By: Ian Williams
Published: October 24, 2015 Last modified: October 20, 2015
Ten years ago, every country in the United Nations adopted "the Responsibility to Protect", a euphemism for humanitarian intervention. R2P as it is known in the UN, was steered through by Kofi Annan, who was then the Secretary General. Rather than rewrite the UN Charter with its overly punctilious respect for national sovereignty above all other considerations, the resolution reinterpreted the Charter's Chapter Seven so that the threats to international peace and security now included mayhem being inflicted with national borders.
The international commission that came up with R2P found that there were deep worries about how the concept could be abused. Hitler had, after all, invoked humanitarian reasons for seizing Sudetenland. There was also a common caution that the UN Security Council should be very careful about how it was implemented. The Commission cited Hippocrates' advice to doctors: "First, do no harm".
R2P has been adopted varying degrees of enthusiasm, with the Russians and Chinese dragging their feet most often. But oddly the strongest defenders of the sovereign rights of tyrants to massacre their citizenry at will are often so-called socialists who have forgotten the proletarian internationalism thing in their rush to canonise sundry dictators as anti-imperialist saints.
The first line of defence against abuse of R2P is the role of the Security Council as gatekeeper since there could be no intervention without its permission. That is why, ironically, the Russian annexation of Crimea and creeping occupation of Ukraine is illegal even though Vladimir Putin evoked the alleged threat to ethnic Russians posed by the Ukrainian nationalists .The problem with the Security Council is the refusal of the veto holders to turn the key when the gate does need opening. It is easy to point the finger at Russia, but many UN members look at Moscow's cover for Bashar al-Assad's assault on his own citizenry as no better or worse than Washington's cover for waves of destruction on Gaza.
Similarly, there is a repeated pattern in which the West, having secured doubting Russian co-operation over Libya, or Iraq,then disregards Moscow's views and stretches the resolutions farther than was implied. Iraq, touted as humanitarian intervention by Tony Blair, proved all of the warnings about the dangers of R2P that its supporters had identified. The invasion had no legal or moral authority and its conduct was cretinously colonial even by American standards, while inept by every standard of winning hearts and minds. It was wrong in every sense, from conception to execution and the Syrian tragedy is a continuing aftershock.
Syria is clearly a total humanitarian disaster, and if ever there were a need for intervention and international action this is it. But there is now a real dilemma. It is very difficult to conceive of any course of action that would not make things worse. We prefer the binary simplicity of absolute good and evil, even though sordid reality usually presents us with comparative worse and better. Syria's complexities also defy attempts to rally world opinion behind any course of action. Indeed Syria has already had more than enough intervention with outside powers pursuing their sanguinary sectional interests across the heartland of civilisation. The United States has been unable or unwilling to restrain the Saudis and Gulf States from arming and bankrolling their own brand of fundamentalists. Russian and Iranian support of Assad means that he has seen no need to negotiate.
Even what would have been a straightforward response some time ago, enforcing a no-fly zone to prevent Assad's aircraft bombing civilians now leads us to some literally awesome possibilities – do we want to risk a third world war by challenging Putin's aggressive attacks on Assad's non-ISIL opponents?
The pleas from UN representatives, Kofi Annan, Lakhdar Brahimi, and others for diplomacy can sound like wimpish abdication. But only concerted action by the major players, which might involve the US talking softly to Russia and China while waving a big stick at the Wahabi dynasties in the Gulf can produce a solution that might rescue Syrians from the horrors of previous partisan interventions. Putin and the ayatollahs are certainly a big part of the problem – but they also have to be part of the solution.


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Nathan Stratus ordered a big package and it finally arrives!
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Sturridge: Liverpool want the title for Gerrard
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge says his team-mates are determined to win the Premier League for inspirational captain Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard has enjoyed a glittering 15-and-a-half year career at his boyhood club, winning every trophy possible aside from the top-flight crown.
But Liverpool are on course to end their 24-year wait for a 19th league title this season, with Brendan Rodgers' side top of the table with six games remaining.
And Sturridge, whose lethal partnership with Luis Suarez is a major reason behind Liverpool's success in 2013-14, has revealed the opportunity to add the one missing medal to Gerrard's collection is serving as an extra incentive in the Anfield dressing room as the campaign draws to a close.
"There's no-one more appropriate than Stevie to lift the trophy, not a chance," said Sturridge, who has netted 20 Premier League goals this term.
"If we win it, Stevie will really deserve it. He should win the Premier League because of everything he has done for this club.
"Every player in this team will do their best to help him achieve that goal."
England captain Gerrard's influence on Liverpool is showing no sign of abating despite his advancing years, with the 33-year-old having scored 11 top-flight goals this season - his best return since 2008-09, when the Merseysiders finished second.
And Sturridge insists the midfielder remains a key player for both club and country.
"He's just unbelievable every day, a great leader," added the former Chelsea man. "He lives and dies for this club.
"He's been here his whole career and it's just a great pleasure to be able to play with him.
"He is the perfect example for every young player around the country, in fact a real example for every player. He's been so loyal to Liverpool. He has been world class, and still is world class.
"Stevie will always be a legend not just for Liverpool, but to England as well. He will definitely go down in history as one of the best midfielders in the game, never mind just this club."


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Microsoft said Tuesday that it has begun early outside testing of some of the server products that will make up the next version of Office.
The software maker did not offer details or say when a test version of the software, code-named Office 14, will be made more broadly available.
"Today Microsoft provided a select group of customers early access to an Alpha version of Office server technologies," the software maker said in a statement. "However, Microsoft is not disclosing information about the timing for a Beta version at this time."
Microsoft has also begun testing for the next version of Exchange, code-named E14.
News of Office 14 testing was reported earlier Tuesday by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley.


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A few people have asked about my dissertation on anticolonialism and the Communist International. Rather than bore you with some snoozirific summary of my main arguments and sources, I decided to play with GoogleMaps and put together a little cartography of what I study, inspired by the better work that one can peruse over at Strange Maps.
I'm sure I'll be able to market the walking tours soon: "Folks, on your left is the bench where South African Communist Albert Nzula passed out and died from the cold. His Soviet mentors later cursed him at his funeral for his lack of discipline and waste of talent. Moving on, to the left, next to the Whiskey Bar is..."
[Click on map to enlarge.]
1. Tverskoi Bulvar, 13-15. The home of the university and dormitory for KUTV, the Communist University of Toilers of the East. From 1921 until 1938, hundreds of students from the Soviet Caucasus and Central Asia intermingled with young men and women from Asia, Africa and the Americas, undertaking a study of Marxism-Leninism and the colonial problem. Among the most famous students were Ho Chi Minh, Nazim Hikmet, Jomo Kenyatta, William L. Patterson, and Rattan Singh. My dissertation is particularly interested in the experiences and work of a couple score of Americans of African and Asian descent who came through the school.
2. The VOKS (All-Union Society for Cultural Ties with Foreign Countries) Office on Bolshoi Gnesdnikovskii Pereulok. This is where the visits for figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Paul Robeson, among others, were organized, planned, executed and reviewed.
3. Hotel Luxe on Tverskaya (then Gorkii). Fancy-pants Communist International functionaries were housed here on a semi-permanent and permanent basis. Amongst them were Katayama Sen (famous for his apple pies—seriously, I've found three separate documents that refer to how good they were) and two groups of feuding Indian nationalists in the early 1920s. These latter two groups got into a heated, written exchange of letters regarding whom should have the Comintern's backing. They were, by my math, only a few doors apart, but still chose to have it out in missives copied to the ECCI (Executive Committee of the Communist International).
4. Ulitsa Ogareva, d. 4. Today this lane is once more Gazetnyi Pereulok, but back in the day it had a slightly more revolutionary name and was home to Lovett Fort-Whiteman, the only known African American victim of the Purges. In the mid-1930s, LFW regularly hosted evening get-togethers for other black Americans to talk about life in Moscow.
5. Hotel Metropole. Afro-Chinese Trinidadian dancer Si-Lan Chen, among others, stayed at the Metropole, the more bourgeois place to put up fellow travelers. Chen lived here for almost ten years while trying to perfect a form of dance that incorporated modern and traditional Chinese elements. It was also where she wooed Langston Hughes one cold winter in the early 1930s. Most African Americans who came through Moscow as tourists in the interwar period stayed here.
6. Si-Lan's big brother Percy Chen, however, got his own crib at 7 Bolshoi Komsomolskii Pereulok, where he hosted big wigs and wrote up articles as a foreign journalist for VOKS and took on various other capacities as Comintern/Chinese nationalist functionary.
7. Down on Ulitsa Kominterna, there was a gang of Comintern work going on, as the street's name (now ul. Vozdvizhenka) might indicate. Among other things, you could find the offices of the World Agrarian Institute, where area specialists worked on the peasant problem in colonial territories and the studios of Inoradio (Foreign Radio) where you might here black Communists reading Langston Hughes poetry or special English-language reports on life in the Soviet Union.
8. At Ulitsa Solyanka, d. 12, the workers of the Trade Union International (Profintern) put together messages for workers all over the world: "Workers unite! Defend the Soviet Union! And [insert tailored message here]!" Sometimes that inserted message would even be something interesting. Some of the folks who worked them up included George Padmore, a future advisor to Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana and James W. Ford, two-time vice-presidential candidate on the CP ticket in the US.
9. Stirring revolution can land you in hot water. For those who were deported or threatened with long jail sentences or death in their home countries, there was the Dom politemigrantov (House of the Exiled, or Home for Political Émigrés, but I like the former since it sounds like a horror film) on Vorontsovo Pole. A number of Asian migrant workers from the US West Coast ended up here by the early 1930s.
10. Next door to the Pushkin Museum and across the way from where the Church of Christ the Savior now stands again, KUTK (Communist University of Toilers of China, also known as Sun Yat-Sen University) operated for a brief five years. The food was terrible and they fired the one rector who seemed to know anything about China. Fierce internecine battles continually erupted among the students. And two of the biggest complaints of the students? Married attendees couldn't find a place to shack up and even if they could there were no contraceptives. Well, that and the Trotskyites who kept on popping up.


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- Baccarat
- Bingo
- Blackjack
- Craps
- Keno
- Poker
- Roulette
- Sic-Bo
- Slot Machines
- Video Poker
When the online gambling industry first began to emerge it was not yet regulated by many jurisdictions in Europe and beyond. Now however the rules for the industry have been formed and operators have begun to make moves to comply with the variety of changes imposed by different regulatory bodies.
One company that has expanded their reach and offered gambling services in many jurisdictions is the U.K. located William Hill. In 2005, William Hill bought 624 betting offices in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and Jersey from Stanley Leisure for £504 million: the acquisition briefly took the company past Ladbrokes into first position in the UK betting market in terms of shops but not revenue. The Office of Fair Trading made William Hill sell 78 of the 624 Stanley shops due to concerns over anti-competitive practice. In June 2012, William Hill expanded to Nevada, the only U.S. state to allow full-fledged sports wagering.
The expansion the company has gone through has been extensive but as regulations have been changes so has the range William Hill has encompassed. On 1 February 2015, William Hill left Singapore to comply with the Remote Gambling Act. Now in June of 2015 the company has announced more withdrawals from certain markets in Europe such as Romania on June 2nd and it will be exiting the Estonian and Portuguese gambling markets at the end of the month due to "recent regulatory developments".
William Hill's removal of its online gambling offerings from these markets is said to be temporary according to a communication from the firm which read, "We value your cooperation and contribution and, though William Hill is obliged to cease to accept business from customers in Estonia and Portugal (and Romania) for the time being, we are confident that we will have the opportunity to work together in the future."


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Here again we see a good reason to be a little wary before buying into a commodity company. Management at Pilgrim's Pride
Sales were down 11% this quarter, with core chicken sales down about 9%. If you're looking for bright spots, it's a pretty quick search; prepared foods revenue was flat -- and that's about as good as it gets. Things look pretty henpecked throughout the rest of the income statement. Gross margins fell precipitously, operating income turned into a loss, and the company's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) for the quarter was barely positive.
Speaking of that pricing, the company reported that leg quarter prices more than doubled from the prior quarter, but were still down more than a third from last year's level. A similar scenario played out in the less export-sensitive breast meat, where prices were up over 36% sequentially, and down more than 16% annually.
Like Tyson
Ultimately, Pilgrim's Pride will emerge from this and start making money again. After all, the company is not overly threatened by debt and it's not as though the chicken market will vanish. Further, there's always the long-term potential to do more business with big buyers like Wal-Mart
While there may not be a lot of operational risk left in this stock's valuation, the markets still have a way of reacting quite negatively to information that you or I might have already assumed was widely known. As a result, any value hounds who want to start nibbling at these shares should remember that chickens occasionally bite and markets can always manage to get just a little more pessimistic in the short run.
For more fowlish Foolishness:
- Tyson Hopes You Feel Like Chicken Tonight
- Sanderson Farms' Chicken Run
- Playing Chicken With Chickens
SYSCO is a Motley Fool Income Investor recommendation. Wal-Mart is an Inside Value pick. Sanderson Farms is a Stock Advisor selection. Check out our entire suite of newsletters by clicking here .
Fool contributor Stephen Simpson has no financial interest in any stocks mentioned (that means he's neither long nor short the shares).


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Building upon a 1 hour consultation with a Blossoms' senior doctor, an extended range of core body measurements and full set of blood tests, the assessment also includes highly specific diagnostic tests, such as a CT Angiogram and visual colonoscopy.
The tests use the latest imaging equipment and world-renowned consultant specialists to glean the best possible images inside your body, with the lowest possible risk. For example, the Toshiba Aquilion ONE 640 slice CT scanner, used for part of the medical, has the highest image definition and lowest radiation dosage of any CT scanner in the world.
The Platinum medical can effectively nullify the risk of cardiac disease, as well as certify you as free from pre-cancerous polyps, the main cause of bowel cancer. With the addition of gender-specific tests, such as enhanced prostate screening, ovarian screening and breast cancer screening, the unique combination of tests is the most effective way of protecting your health and your lifestyle for the coming years.
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Tags: Health assessment


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Among the wretched films I've seen in the last six months, A Good Day to Die Hard (2013; dir. John Moore) is astounding in its cartoon exploitation of a worn out formula that was exhausted in the first three installments of the Die Hard series. Here Bruce Willis seems to go through the motions. We hear jokes about his age and about his bad relationship with his son. Throughout the film, even at times of greatest peril, father and son argue with one another, hurling insults and jabs left and right.
Pay no attention to laws of physics in this film. What is good about it? Loud explosions, helicopter crashes, fire, and cars hurling through the air. And, oh yes, the shooting. This is an NRA joyride.
Let us now consider Jack Reacher (2012; dir. Christopher McQuarrie. Its hero (played by Tom Cruise) is interesting, but there is really not much of a plot.
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013; dir. Tommy Wirkola)—instead of guns, there are flaming swords, or spells, or something. The fact that Hansel and Gretel are siblings removes most of the sexual tension from the film, except for those viewers who are truly perverse. Given the premise, which involves how Hansel and Gretel take revenge on witches because some old witch in the past tried to have them both for lunch, there's not much of a place for this film to go. As a child I was always bothered by how the parents in the fairy tale abandoned their children in the woods. How cruel! I could empathize with the abandonment the children must have felt. My parents were good parents, they never abandoned me in the woods, but that doesn't mean I didn't worry about abandonment. This film ends up explaining too much about that abandonment in the fairy tale. In the film, it turns out that the children's mother was a white witch, which means a good one, and that as a result all the other witches wanted to kill her. So she gets burned at the stake, and her husband dies, but not before they take their children deep into the woods to ensure the bad witches don't find them. There's not much imagination here. It's predictable and prosaic and pretty dumb. Why would Jeremy Renner, the main actor in The Hurt Locker (2008; dir. Kathryn Bigelow), agree to appear in this one? Maybe he was desperate.
If we don't praise Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, who played a racist African American stereotype in the figure of Stepin Fetchit through many films of the 1930s and 40s, or James Baskett, who played a lovable if stereotyped Uncle Remus in Song of the South (1946), why do we praise Melissa McCarthy for her comic portrayal of a bumbling, dysfunctional, sociopathic overweight woman in Identity Theif (2013; dir. Seth Gordon)?
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013; dir. Sam Raimi) features several well-known and even respected actors, including James Franco as the Oz character. It's produced by Disney Studios, renowned for achievements in animation and for a string of creative animated films running from Fantasia (1940) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) to Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Finding Nemo (2003). Why, then, is this film such a travesty? The story is lame, the acting is embarrassing, the special effects and animation are impressive, but they have no story to carry, and after a while they grow tiresome. Were Baum's novels as wretched as this film?
Jack the Giant Killer (2013; dir. Mark Atkins) was actually entertaining. Its wit and inventiveness raised it well above the level of the films mentioned above. It had action, interesting characters, wit, and, most of all, big, dumb giants.


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Sticky lubeThis lube does not last very long and it gets sticky when it starts to dry. You will have to reapply often. Save yourself the trouble and buy a better quality lubricant.
* no bad smell
* pocket-sized lubricant
* slick during use
* pocket-sized lubricant
* slick during use
* gets sticky after use
* doesn't last long; reapply after
* doesn't last long; reapply after
This lube is formulated for use during masturbation. However, this can also be used for intercourse. It is safe to use with toys or condoms. On the little bottle there are directions that read: 'Apply jack-aid to hand or genitals. Condoms safe. Compatible with latex condoms. Vaginal safe. Wash with warm water and soap.'
Ingredients: Glycerin, Purified Water, Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Propyll Paraben, Methyl Paraben.
Ingredients: Glycerin, Purified Water, Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Propyll Paraben, Methyl Paraben.
Texture / Consistency / Thickness / Viscosity
This is thin density. It is a little runny when it pours out. Unfortunately it feels a bit sticky on the skin after it dries. It is smooth and slick during use but there is a bit of stick to it. It is supposed to feel like a silicone lube, according to the little bottle, but I don't see the comparison.
Taste / Aroma
This is not an edible lube so there is no taste. The scent is very very light. It just smells like lube; there's nothing else I could compare the smell with. The smell is very very light though.
It's easy to wash off if you want. Soap and water is easy enough. The lube lasts a little while. About 10 or so minutes before reapplying. This is a very thin lube. It doesn't last very long and it also is a bit sticky when it starts to dry up.
This content is the opinion of the submitting contributor and is not endorsed by EdenFantasys.com
sorry this wasn't better, thanks for sharing.
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Most folk think that 'Luther' is a form of the family name 'Luder' and that Martin Luther simply took to spelling his name in the more modern format.
Not so. Rather, sometime after the 95 Theses made him well known he adopted the Greek name Ελευθπριυς and though he signed his work with that name for a bit he finally shortened it to the simple 'Luther' because he was the 'freed one'. See further the discussion in L. Roper 'Martin Luther' and the notes thereto (p. 86).


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Diet, Exercise and Moods May 2013
Sorry I am late getting this one started. I lost track of the Dates. Well I am getting ready to go for along walk of about 3-4 miles long as soon as I can get me another pedometer I will know how far it is. I am doing Laundry as well today and then going to pin some strips together to start on a small project. I haven't made up my mind if it is going to be pot holders or place mats maybe both. I am also making my Sister Sue a Doggy Bed for her little Sitsu Misty. Her Daughter Stormy put in a Bid on a home last week and it was accepted now all she has to do is come in off the road and sign the papers and then move herself and her mom into the house. It is in Tawas City, MI 2 Bedroom so if I visit them I will be sleeping on the Couch or get me a roll away bed to drop on at night. I love going home to MI for my yearly visits. I call them my Battery recharging times. I always seem to be more healthy when I get back from up there and more at peace with myself. I am going up at the End Of This Month don't know how long I will be up there but Angels Birthday is on June 11th she will be 5 and wants Grandma to be there for it, so I might stay for atleast 2 weeks then come home and go back up the end of July or the 1st of August and be there for Mikey's Birthday on the 5th. Can't go up before the 31st as Bill is taking me out for my Birthday on the 31st and then I will head up to visit the Family again in August for 2 Weeks or just 1 week I haven't decided yet but I will be posting on here as I am taking my Laptop with me and using WiFi where I can get it. Talk more later when I get back from my Walk this morning.
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Good Evening Every one I hope this Month is being good to all of you on here. I am at a standstill for now on my Weight Loss so now am working on tighting it all up so that the Weight Loss starts up again. This Past week I have taken 3 one mile walks and 2 Four mile walk. This last one today took me 1 hour and 21 mins. I stopped 3 times to drink water because if I don't I end up wearing it down the front of my clothes. Real cold with the wind blowing at me. the temp today during my walk was 45 Degrees and it only got up to 55 they said on the News for my area LOL My numbers have been staying around 200 most of this week. Will try to do better next week.
Look for Diet and Exercise June 2013 About May 25th that way we know it is on here. Please feel free to post your opinion or advice of how we can keep going and maybe help each other with our goals to keeping the Complications of Diabetes at bay for as long as we can. I look forward to everyones Opinion in the future. Thank you
My new Profile pic is one I had taken of me on 4/15/13 for all to see how much I have lost. Check out pg 2 of my pics and you will see what I looked like from 2008 to now. I have lost a lot of weight and still have more to lose. I did my walk yesterday with Dene but instead of the walking trail we walked around Converse while she waited for her Van repair to be done. We got in about an hour and walked almost the whole of the Business District and some of the Home sections. I enjoyed the walk. Didn't seem as far with someone with me and I didn't think we had walked no hour but she looked at her Cell phone clock and said yes we did. LOL I made Ham, potato salad, cream corn and Bill got the left overs of the Mac and Cheese. I had 3 slices (small the ends) 2 scoops of salad and one scoop of the corn. I had to go back to finish the salad and ham an hour later, wasn't as hungry as I thought. We ate at 3 pm then finished up after 4. But had Biscuits and Gravy for breakfast I had one biscuit with alittle gravy on it I am not one for Gravy but Bill Loves it so he got what he wanted for Breakfast I had one more biscuit with margarine on it. and I had a 20oz. bottle of pink lemonade still have 1/4 of the bottle left. been on it since 6:30 when Bill woke me up this morning. He lets me sleep till he starts to get hungry on weekends as I get up with him on Week day mornings at 2:30 to feed him fix his lunch and start on my house work I can again get 2 rooms clean before I have to stop for a break. energy level coming up and getting more done in less time again.
Well we went for our Walk and got back about an hour ago. I got onto the dishes and Laundry last load is in the washer now. I have more energy than I did before we left the house. We didn't go the route I was thinking about we ended up in Converse, IN dropped off her Van for a minor repair and walked around town went to 1 yard sale and then walked some more, we walked for just 1 hour besides the walking around the yard sale. It was at town hall and had a lot of great stuff for sale most everything was for $1 not bad they had a lot of business going thru there. Dene got me another Light House to add to my collection it is a Christmas one I will take a picture of it and post it in my pictures later for all to see. red and white stripe with Santa and his Reindeer flying around the top area just below the top window. the light on top is red when it is playing. takes 2 AA batteries and plays HO HO HO Merry Christmas and then the music from Frosty the Snow Man with a red light flashing in the house goes from there. I might burn out the lights or the batteries before Christmas. LOL Santa and the Reindeer don't move around the Light House but that is ok. I love it just the same. I had my walk for Today but will take another one this evening after Dinner. Will let you all know how it goes and how I feel after it. Anyone wanting to post their walks and moods on here be my guest I would love to hear from anyone wanting to join me on here. It is nice to share with others on how my BG is doing, how my exercise is going, What we eat and if I am doing something wrong please let me know that is what I have started this for. This Month I will start June's Discussion the last day or two of May. That way then in June we can just jump in and keep everyone updated as to how we are doing. I am going to check out some of my earlier ones and get back to the basics of them again on the Newer Ones. Hope to talk to you all again later and hope to hear from you as well. Thanks for listening to me. Hope you don't mind my sounding off on this Discussion that is why it is posted on here. You know it is nicer to walk with someone but if you don't have any one to walk with then walk by yourself and describe where you have walked at and what you have seen it makes another person feel like they are walking with you. Some people can't walk and this makes them a little less lonely and more a part of what is going on around them.
Next Discussion: On my feet 24/7 »


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While putting together this part two of the gear for school list, I looked at a mouse, an iPad bag, a couple of great thumb drives, a new iPhone case, an iPad work station, and a music option. Students gotta have music.
Compact, tiny, and versatile USB drives that can go anywhere are a necessity, and Verbatim has two choices that can't be beat.
The first drive from Verbatim is the Clip-it. It measures 1.5 x 0.5-in, holds 4 GB of information and will clip to pockets, papers, ties, notebooks, or any number of other spaces. It comes in several colors or a three pack. The MSRP for a single unit is US$11.25. The MSRP for the 3-pack is US$32.25.
The second drive from Verbatim is the Tuff-'N'-Tiny. It measures 1 x 0.5-in, holds 2, 4, 8, or 16 GB of information and includes a small lanyard that attaches nicely to key rings. Colors also vary depending on size. I have carried one of these drives on my key ring, with all the harsh treatment a set of keys take every day, for over a year and it still works like a champ. MSRPs start at US$9.97 and run to US$40.50 depending on size.
Compact, mobile work stations are a necessity for any of today's busy students and good sturdy stands that provide a stable work surface should not be overlooked. The iTilt iPad Desk Stand by Brackerton is light weight, folds completely flat, and holds an iPad steady in either portrait or horizontal mode. There are eight options for tilt. Many cases will fit in the stand. The MSRP is US$19.99 but I found it under US$10 at Walmart and several places on-line.
If the kids are into the industrial look, and you are into good value and saving money, then check out the Vent™ Shell iPhone 4 case. AGF makes this case from a durable polycarbonate. What looks like tiny holes all over the surface are, in fact, holes. It's easy to get a good grip and the case, which includes a one year warranty, is available in the colors shown in the image. The MSRP is US$9.99.
Your students gotta have music to keep them sane with all the stress of school, right? Consider the iMainGo X from iMainGo. It custom fits and protects all iPods, iPhoness and iPod Touchs while providing a premium external stereo speaker system. It comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a plug in charger. The MSRP is US$ 69.99, but I found it on Amazon for US$54.95.
Everyone has their favorite mouse (or trackpad), but I have to include my favorite in this review. I've been using a wireless Whirl Mini Laser Mouse with my laptop for months, and I love it. The mouse is from Smartfish Technologies. It is a full size mouse that sits on a flat platform so that it is 1.5-in above the table top. The mouse tilts left, right, forward and backward with the slightest pressure of your hand. The design takes pressure off the wrist of the user. The MSRP is US$49.95 I found it at several places on the Internet for around US$30.00. TMO Review.
College students have to go from point A to point B — and C and D and E and F for that matter, and they usually need their iPad to go with them. The best way to do that is with a sturdy, lightweight bag. I looked for something that met that criteria at a reasonable price and found the Scout iPad Shoulder Bag from STM. The outside is cotton and polyester blend and the lining is soft felt. The adjustable shoulder strap is wide and padded. There are pockets and a buckle flap closure. In black only, the MSRP is US$55.00.
School will start up again whether the students want it to or not. The more prepared they are, the better they will do. I hope some of the suggestions in Part 1 and Part 2 of the Gear Up For School With Cool Gear guide will help.


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Things appeared to be altogether more quiet than yesterdays mini bonanza, bar of course the rare Plover, but still some birds of interest notably a flock of seven Dunlin coming in together as a flock to the flooded new workings.
Other waders still on site a love triangled trio of Oystercatchers making a hell of a racket circling the site in between trying to set up home on one of the island, a pair of Common Redshank and a more settled handful of Little Ringed Plovers now seemingly calming down after the trials of the last few days while Common Terns and Little Egrets continued to make the most of flooded areas. Happily it seems a second Lapwing family escaped the weekend floods too. A flock of 18 Tufted Duck were of note for the site.
Over on the North Shore Northern Wheatear numbers are finally thinning out but still at least eight individuals in this area all showing characteristics of Greenland birds. Yellow Wagtail probably number around the same.
As for the site well overnight rain on Wednesday saw levels rise once more on the Ouse to the extent that water once more was started to not only engulf caravans again over the river at Cosgrove Park but start to seep back into the lower site and to flood the meadow at the western end.


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ICRA expects a muted demand for two
ICRA expects a muted demand for two wheelers in FY-14
Rating agency ICRA Limited expects India's domestic two wheeler industry to remain flat for FY-14 as the prolonged slowdown continues, however it is bullish on the medium term growth for the segment, expecting the two wheeler sales to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 8-9% till 2016-17.
In a statement issued on Tuesday , ICRA said, ""We expect the two wheeler industry to reach a size of 21-22 million units by 2016-17. Our longer term growth forecasts remains at 9%-11%.""
ICRA believes the various structural positives associated with the domestic two wheelers industry including favourable demographic profile, moderate two wheeler penetration levels (in relation to several other emerging markets), under developed public transport system, growing urbanization, strong replacement demand and moderate share of financed purchases remain intact; as also the large opportunity available to grow presence in overseas markets, mainly Africa and Latin America.
The Indian two wheeler market grew by 2.9% to 13.8 million units in FY-13, the slowest in the last four years, and this year is expected to be slower than the last year. This pace of expansion was significantly slower than the 13.7% volume CAGR posted by the industry in the last five years.
For the domestic two wheeler industry to revert closer to its historical growth trend line any time soon, the pie of total number of target households will need to expand, noted ICRA. This in turn would depend on the pace of India's economic growth recovery that could (a) boost personal disposable incomes and resultant consumption growth, (b) pull up the un-penetrated households from a low income segment to the next higher income segment, (c) further enable increase in the number multiple two-wheeler households, enabling penetration supported rise in 2W demand.
In the past, India's per capita real GDP growth at 8.6% (CAGR) over the six year period 2005-2011 had contributed substantially towards raising the standard of living of households, which in turn had been one of the key drivers of growth for the country's automobile industry, said ICRA in its report.
But over 2011-12 and 2012-13, inflationary conditions, firm interest rates, rising petrol prices as well as weak monsoons adversely impacted disposable incomes causing a consumption squeeze.
Over the long term, the trend in rising 2W penetration in households in the addressable income segment (already reached around 80%) is an added concern implying difficulty in sustaining penetration-driven growth over an extended time horizon.
To add to the industry's woes, the exports market too remained sluggish in FY-13, declining by 0.7% to almost 2 million units.
This was consequent to hike in interest rate in several countries, increase in import duty in Sri Lanka, trade restrictions imposed by Argentina, dollar sales embargo with Iran and ban imposed on motorcycle taxis in Nigeria.
Two wheeler exports continue to present a strong opportunity for industry participants particularly to countries in Africa and Latin America that have low two wheeler penetration, inadequate public transport infrastructure and adequate scope for both secular as well as market share gain-led growth.
In select countries, India companies may also have to budget investments in local assembly/ manufacturing units to exercise better control over demand-supply, branding, back-end infrastructure, currency risk, besides other tariff and other non-tariff hurdles.
Despite tough market environment, the industry has held on to its pricing and have not got into the discount game like the passenger vehicle makers. Infact there has been a price increase of Rs 1300 to Rs 5,500 over the last one year, noted ICRA.
Nevertheless, the two-wheeler OEMs have been resorting to other forms of supply-side push in the form of attractive financing schemes, discounts on insurance for limited period etc.


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The Obamacare full court press continues as DC pretends the Unaffordable Care Act is really a good thing. This op ed piece from chief Obamacare spin doctor Sebelius illustrates how far they will go to embellish the benefits of the train wreck we know as Obamacare.
For tens of millions of Americans with health insurance, repeal would also mean paying more for preventive care. Under the law, 54 million people with private health insurance including 1.7 million in Georgia can now get free preventive care like vaccinations, check-ups and cancer screenings. Repeal would mean that hundreds of dollars in savings a year could disappear.
Free preventive care has such a nice ring to it.
Like "kids eat free" at restaurants, or "buy 3 tires get the 4th free".
Do you really think you can drop your kids off at the restaurant and come back later to pick them up once they have had their free meal? Can you tell the tire store you only need one tire so "just give me the free one"?
Obamacare free preventive care only exists in the minds of the snake oil salesmen (and women) in DC.
Repeal would also take us back to the days when insurance companies were not accountable to anyone. With the new health law, your insurance company now generally has to spend at least 80 cents of every premium dollar on health care and quality improvements, not CEO salaries or advertising. If they don't, you get a rebate. This summer 147,000 Georgia families with private insurance will benefit from an average of $134 in rebates from insurance companies as a result of this new provision.
If you buy this lie, you would believe the health insurance carriers operated in a vacuum without any oversight at all.
Truth is, carriers have always been closely monitored for loss ratio's, reserves and rate action. Even without oversight Georgia health insurance carriers operate in a fiercely competitive market. If one carrier charges to much they lose market share to others willing to offer the same product for a lower price.
This is called free market competition. A term that is completely foreign to those in Washington who have never worked in the private sector or run a company.
And how about those $134 Obamacare rebates? Did you get one?
If you had a Humana One policy the answer is no.
Even if you did get a rebate did it make you want to double down and buy more health insurance in anticipation of an even bigger check next year?
Or did you blow it all on lottery tickets?
Since the law was enacted, 5.2 million Medicare beneficiaries in the donut hole have saved more than $3.7 billion on prescription drugs. In the first five months of 2012, 20,516 people with Medicare in Georgia received an average savings of $634. Repealing the law would add hundreds of dollars in additional costs for many seniors at a time when they can least afford it.
Ah yes, more "free" benefits . . . paid for with higher copay's, higher premiums and fewer drugs on formulary . . . all thanks to Obamacare.
Insurance companies could once again throw children with pre-existing conditions like asthma and diabetes, off a family policy, or refuse to cover their illness. And repealing the health care law would threaten the lives of 2,066 in Georgia with serious health conditions like cancer who are getting life-saving care today thanks to a program, created by the law, for people who cannot otherwise find coverage.
Insurance carriers could NEVER "throw children with pre-existing conditions off a family plan".
As for the 2,066 in PCIP, there is no doubt this was a good thing about Obamacare. If PCIP had been created and nothing else it would be a good law, but the 20 new taxes, 2200 pages of law, 10,000 new pages in regulations and 16,000 new IRS agents is overkill.