text: Had my initial exam. Doc was great - after his staff spent 2 hours testing, etc, he spent almost an hour answering questions with detailed and frank answers. He appears very careful and conservative - for example, even using all the latest technology, he doesn't like to go below 300um remaining tissue vs the 250 I've heard from other docs (making me a good candidate for monovision w/ remaining corneal thickness at 324/320). But, here is the question - I've been wearing soft contacts (non-toric) for 20 years. Doc says 3-4 days of no contact wear and I'm ready for final exam and procedure on same day. He says no benefit to stopping contact use for two weeks. What do you think?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
About the HIV Test and beyond
Types of HIV antibody test
If the test comes negative, how can I continue to stay negative?
What Can I do if the test show I have HIV?
I am uninsured. Is there an insurance for people living with HIV?
Understanding HIV/AIDS
What are HIV & AIDS?
HIV infection
HIV prevention
HIV treatment
HIV/AIDS impact in the Latino Communities
AIDSvu: Geography of HIV in the U.S.
Facts you should know
Are you an agency, an HIV test provider?
Why a Latino HIV Testing Month?
How agencies can get involved?
10 Ways to participate
July is Latino HIV Testing Month
Press Release
NYS HIV/AIDS Hotline:
English: 1-800-541-AIDS
Spanish: 1-800-233-SIDA
Deaf/TDD: 1-800-369-AIDS
How to use this Website?
About the Latino HIV Testing Month
Contact Us


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Bracero Guest Worker Program
Ana Elizabeth Rosas
This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History. Please check back later for the full article.
On August 4, 1942, the Mexican and U.S. governments launched the bi-national guest worker program, most commonly known as the Bracero Program. An estimated five million Mexican men between the ages of 19 and 45 separated from their families for three-to-nine-month contract cycles at a time, in anticipation of earning the prevailing U.S. wage this program had promised them. They labored in U.S. agriculture, railroad construction, and forestry, with hardly any employment protections or rights in place to support themselves and the families they had left behind in Mexico. The inhumane configuration and implementation of this program prevented most of these men and their families from meeting such goals. Instead, the labor exploitation and alienation that characterized this guest worker program and their program participation paved the way for, at best, fragile family relationships. This program lasted twenty-two years and grew in its expanse, despite its negative consequences, Mexican men and their families could not afford to settle for being unemployed in Mexico, nor could they pass up U.S. employment opportunities of any sort. The Mexican and U.S. governments' persistently negligent management of the Bracero Program, coupled with their conveniently selective acknowledgement of the severity of the plight of Mexican women and men, consistently cornered Mexican men and their families to shoulder the full extent of the Bracero Program's exploitative conditions and terms.
Lobbying and Business Associations
Benjamin C. Waterhouse
Political lobbying has always played a key role in American governance, but the concept of paid influence peddling has been marked by a persistent tension throughout the country's history. On the one hand, lobbying represents a democratic process by which citizens maintain open access to government. On the other, the outsized clout of certain groups engenders corruption and perpetuates inequality. The practice of lobbying itself has reflected broader social, political, and economic changes, particularly in the scope of state power and the scale of business organization. During the Gilded Age, associational activity flourished and lobbying became increasingly the province of organized trade associations. By the early 20th century, a wide range at political reforms worked to counter the political influence of corporations. Even after the Great Depression and New Deal recast the administrative and regulatory role of the federal government, business associations remained the primary vehicle through which corporations and their designated lobbyists influenced government policy. By the 1970s, corporate lobbyists had become more effective and better organized, and trade associations spurred a broad-based political mobilization of business. Business lobbying expanded in the latter decades of the 20th century; while the number of companies with a lobbying presence leveled off in the 1980s and 1990s, the number of lobbyists per company increased steadily and corporate lobbyists grew increasingly professionalized. A series of high-profile political scandals involving lobbyists in 2005 and 2006 sparked another effort at regulation. Yet despite popular disapproval of lobbying and distaste for politicians, efforts to substantially curtail the activities of lobbyists and trade associations did not achieve significant success.
The Scopes Trial
Adam R. Shaprio
The 1925 Scopes trial was a widely followed court case in Dayton, Tennessee, that attracted the attention of the nation. A prosecution against a schoolteacher charged with violating Tennessee's new law prohibiting the teaching of human evolution, the trial became a great public spectacle that saw debates over the meaning and truth of the Bible, and the relationship between science and religion. The trial is most famous for the involvement of the lawyers William Jennings Bryan (for the prosecution) and Clarence Darrow (for the defense).
Despite being a legally insignificant case, the trial has remained important in American history because it is seen as symbolizing some of the country's great social issues in the early 20th century: fundamentalist responses to modernity, the autonomy and clout of the "New South," and the eternal clash between religion and science.
The Society of American Indians
K. Tsianina Lomawaima
In 1911, a group of American Indian intellectuals organized what would become known as the Society of American Indians, or SAI. SAI members convened in annual meetings between 1911 and 1923, and for much of that period the Society's executive offices were a hub for political advocacy, lobbying Congress and the Office of Indian Affairs (OIA), publishing a journal, offering legal assistance to Native individuals and tribes, and maintaining an impressively voluminous correspondence across the country with American Indians, "Friends of the Indian" reformers, political allies, and staunch critics. Notable Native activists, clergy, entertainers, professionals, speakers, and writers—as well as Native representatives from on- and off-reservation communities—were active in the Society. They worked tirelessly to meet daunting, unrealistic expectations, principally to deliver a unified voice of Indian "public opinion" and to pursue controversial political goals without appearing too radical, especially obtaining U.S. citizenship for Indian individuals and allowing Indian nations to access the U.S. Court of Claims. They maintained their myriad activities with scant financial resources solely through the unpaid labor of dedicated Native volunteers. By 1923, the challenges exhausted the Society's substantial human and miniscule financial capital. The Native "soul of unity" demanded by non-white spectators and hoped for by SAI leaders could no longer hold the center, and the SAI dissolved. Their work was not in vain, but citizenship and the ability to file claims materialized in circumscribed forms. In 1924 Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting birthright citizenship to American Indians, but citizenship for Indians was deemed compatible with continued wardship status. In 1946 Congress established an Indian Claims Commission, not a court, and successful claims could only result in monetary compensation, not regained lands.
Struggles over Individual Rights and State Power in the Progressive Era
Michael Willrich
From the 1890s to World War I, progressive reformers in the United States called upon their local, state, and federal governments to revitalize American democracy and address the most harmful social consequences of industrialization. The emergence of an increasingly powerful administrative state, which intervened on behalf of the public welfare in the economy and society, generated significant levels of conflict. Some of the opposition came from conservative business interests, who denounced state labor laws and other market regulations as meddlesome interferences with liberty of contract. But the historical record of the Progressive Era also reveals a broad undercurrent of resistance from ordinary Americans, who fought for personal liberty against the growth of police power in such areas as public health administration and the regulation of radical speech. Their struggles in the streets, statehouses, and courtrooms of the United States in the early 20th century shaped the legal culture of the period and revealed the contested meaning of individual liberty in a new social age.


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Two campaigns are in full swing. Babies are kissed, hands are shaken, and it's come down to a face-off. There can be only one winner. Who will emerge victorious, and who will not? It's not about politics; it's an official Inside BlackBerry® Blog Poll!
It's time to vote for which technology you use the most to connect with friends and family: BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) or the BlackBerry® smartphone's text messaging application? Do you live for the BBM check-marked "R" or are you a text-a-holic? Do you use both equally? Cast your vote and let us know!
If you have any additional thoughts behind your vote, feel free to share them in the comments below!


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via press release:
New episodes of The Little Couple premiere on Tuesday, March 4th at 10/9c
[Los Angeles, CA]—TLC's The Little Couple returns for an important and emotional season, airing on Tuesday, March 4th at 10/9c. After more than a year of dedicated planning and anxious waiting, the one-hour premiere follows the couple as they leave for India to pick up their newly adopted daughter, Zoey. With their three-year old son, Will, in tow, the family has no idea that they'll face their biggest challenge in the midst of their happiest moment. The trip takes an unexpected turn when Jen falls ill and returns to Texas, leaving Bill in a foreign country with two young children in order to complete the adoption.
Upon Jen's return from India, she is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and immediately begins to battle the disease. The new episodes capture the heartwarming and heartbreaking moments as the growing family copes with Jen's news. Despite her condition, life at home with two toddlers doesn't slow down. While Jen undergoes weekly chemotherapy treatments, Bill steps up his role as "Mr. Mom," and both work to strengthen their bond with Zoey.
Even during their darkest time, Jen and Bill continue to focus on the joyous and positive moments. TLC fans will join the whole family as they celebrate Will's fourth birthday, baptisms, Christmas, and Jen's 40th.
Last year, The Little Couple scored its highest rated season ever in its five year run among HH, P2+ and P/W25-54/18-49, averaging 2.1M P2+ viewers. Fans have shared an outpouring of support to the family using the hashtag #GetWellJen. Bill and Jen will be live tweeting during the premiere – engaging with fans and sharing behind the scenes moments! Viewers can join the conversation using the hashtag #LittleCouple.
New episodes return on Tuesday, March 4th, with a special one-hour premiere at 10/9c. The Little Couple is produced by LMNO Cable Group for TLC.
About TLC
TLC is a global brand that celebrates extraordinary people and relatable life moments through innovative nonfiction programming. A top 10 cable network in key female demos, TLC has built successful consumer brands around series including Cake Boss, and has transformed Fridays into "BrideDay" with a lineup of wedding-themed programming anchored by the Say Yes To The Dress franchise. In 2013, TLC had 32 series averaging 1 million P2+ viewers or more, including seven series that averaged 2 million P2+ viewers or more, the most ever in a year: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Sister Wives, Long Island Medium, The Little Couple, Who Do You Think You Are?, Breaking Amish: Brave New World, and Breaking Amish: LA.
TLC is available in nearly 99 million homes in the US and 329 million households in 167 markets internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites, exclusive video content, and original editorial covering style, home, food, and more. Fans can also interact with TLC via On Demand services, on mobile platforms, and through social media such as Facebook or @TLC on Twitter. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA,DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than two billion cumulative subscribers in 224 countries and territories.


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Emily Bacchiocchi scored a game-high 14 points to help lead the Wareham girls basketball team to a 48-37 South Coast Conference win over the Case Cardinals on Friday in Swansea.
Emily Bacchiocchi scored a game-high 14 points to help lead the Wareham girls basketball team to a 48-37 South Coast Conference win over the Case Cardinals on Friday in Swansea.
Breanna Muir also played well for Wareham, finishing with 11 points and 10 assists, while Gina Mendes chipped in with eight points. Bacchiocchi did a nice job at shooting guard filling in for junior Amber Filkins, who's out with an injury.
Wareham (5-1, 3-1 SCC)
Mendes 3-2-8, Muir 3-4-11, Fernandes 2-3-7, Bacchiocchi 6-2-14, Trask 1-0-2, Matta 2-2-6. Totals: 17-13-48.
Viscesare 6-0-13, Carpenter 2-0-4, Raposa 2-0-4, Leonardo 1-6-8, Medeiros 0-2-2, Pavaro 3-0-6. Totals: 14-8-37.
Wareham 11 4 13 20 — 48
Case 14 2 7 14 — 37
3-point goals: W-Muir; C-Viscesare.
Next: Fairhaven plays a 6:30 p.m. conference game at Old Rochester on Friday.
GNB Voc-Tech 55, Seekonk 20
Nakira Examond scored 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the Lady Bears in a South Coast Conference win over the Warriors in Seekonk. ... Mikayla Roderick added 13 points and six assists. ... Brittany Marshall finished with nine points. ... The Lady Bears stormed to a 19-5 first-quarter lead and never looked back. ... The Warriors did not reach double-figure scoring in any of the four quarters.
GNB Voc-Tech (3-1, 2-1 SCC)
Marshall 4-0-9, Roderick 6-1-13, N. Examond 8-3-19, Avila 2-0-6, Pires 1-0-2, T. Examond 1-0-2, Medeiros 1-0-2, Sabino 1-0-2. Totals: 24-4-55.
GNB Voc-Tech 19 18 14 4 — 55
Seekonk 5 5 6 4 — 20
3-point goals: VT-Marshall, Avila (2).
Next: GNB Voc-Tech plays a 6:30 p.m. South Coast Conference game at Dighton-Rehoboth on Wednesday.
Marshfield tournament
New Bedford's Paolo Tavares notched a 9-3 win over Toll Gate's Aaron Travers to take first place in the 138-pound division at a two-day meet that wrapped up on Friday and featured a field of 33 teams. ... The Whalers also got solid efforts from freshman Cody Costa, who finished sixth at 106, and Tashawn Williams, who was eighth at 220. ... New Bedford travels to Natick on Wednesday.
DARTMOUTH 63, SOMERSET 22: Jared Brandso, Logan Patenaude and Ethan Biron won individual events and combined in a victorious relay effort to lead the undefeated Indians (5-0). Brandso won the 600 in 1:32.2, while Patenaude took the mile in 5:02.2 and Biron the 300 in 38.3 seconds. Joined by Noah Martins, they won the 4x400 relay in 4:03.00. Other individual winners included Kyle Gaffney (2:33.1 in the 1000), Peter Sughrue (11:32.6 in the 2-Mile) and Dave Thomas (8.6 in the 50 hurdles). Dartmouth goes up against Old Colony League rival Bridgewater-Raynham on Jan. 11 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.
FAIRHAVEN 51, DIMAN VOKE 35 (Thursday): Kyle Everett won two individual events in the Blue Devils' victory. Everett took the 55 dash in 6.8 seconds and won the high jump, clearing 5 feet and 7 inches. Billy Oliver won the 55 hurdles in 8.6, while Eric Borges took the 600 in 1:36.1 and Craig Lewis the 1000 in 3:01.6. Lewis, Michael Eckenreiter, Kris Moore and Oliver combined to win the 4x400 relay in 4:02.5. Fairhaven (1-2, 0-2 SCC) runs a tri-meet against Bourne and Case on Monday at GNB Voc-Tech.
DARTMOUTH 48, SOMERSET 38: Caitlyn Demers won individually and with her team, taking the 50 dash in 6.5 seconds and anchoring 4:45.8 effort in the the 4x400 with Marissa Mota, Hannah Cook and Morgan Pimentel. Courtney Fox took two individual events, winning the 50 hurdles in 8.3 and the high jump at 4-4. Morgan Carney took the 600 in 1:53.7 and Rachel Gin won the 2 Mile in 14:29.9. Dartmouth (5-0, 1-0 OCL) faces league rival Bridgewater-Raynham on Jan. 11 at Reggie Lewis Center.
FAIRHAVEN 74, DIMAN VOKE 11 (Thursday): Emma Robidoux and Kacie Carvalho won two individual events each in the Blue Devils' victory. Robidoux ran a 9.8 to take the 55 hurdles and cleared 4-6 to win the high jump, while Carvalho's 7.8 won the 55 dash and her 49.8 won the 300. Fairhaven (2-1, 1-1 SCC) also got individual wins from Alex Saulenas in the 2-Mile (14:03.8), Ashley Pereira in the 1000 (3:22.6), Bay Gammans in the Mile (5:56.4) and Brianne Bindas in the shot put (26-5 3/4). The 4x400 relay team of Madison Maniatis, Meghan Shanks, Casey Teves and Julia Corey won in 5:09.1. Fairhaven runs a tri-meet against Bourne and Case on Monday at GNB Voc-Tech.
KSA Holiday Tournament: New Bedford will play an 8 a.m. game today in the winner's bracket of a tournament being held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The Whalers will take on Notre Dame of New Jersey.


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Options Trading Platform - react.js
Budget $25-50 USD / hour
OptX is a FinTech startup in the commodity options trading space
We are in the process of developing, launching and operating a commodity options trading platform intended for corporate clients. The existing team is built upon multiple decades of combined experience in both trading in commodity markets and IT development.
We need you to develop one or more of the following modules:
1. Client-facing front end interface in React
2. Data Import Module for live feed of market prices
3. API connectivity Module to exchanges
4. Back-end administration interface for managing customers and producing reports
We are located in Prague and ideally the developer should as well.
If you are not from Prague then you should have some options knowledge or should have worked on a trading platform as otherwise the knowledge transfer is going to be in the way of work.
We can accommodate full time freelance work or hourly work whatever the right person prefers.
26 freelancers are bidding on average $35/hour for this job
Hello, I'm a web developer with over 7 years experience. I would like to discuss further this project because I have a lot of experience with React.js/Redux and also javascript, Angular.js. There are all my pr More
Hi, I have read your post and understood your requirement. I have great experience working on /React.js/PHP/MySQL/HTML5/jQuery/Laravel/Wordpress/Magento/Joomla/Drupal/AngularJS/node.js/CSS3/Java/Python/Django/Jav More
Hi, Let me keep this really short as i am sure you would be swamped with the proposals :)! We have been developing/maintaining web applications in Python Django and various JavaScript libraries/frameworks like JQ More
Hello, My experiences on the front-end includes knockout.js, angular.js and really like to learn React.js. In fact I like to do research before doing any project, choose the right tools and frameworks and then start More
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Hello, We are IT-Engineers with higher educations, having more than 15 years of experience, developing sophisticated Web and Mobile solutions from scratch. Members of our team have gained a certain experience wor More
Hello, my name is Olya. I represent Ukrainian IT Company «Webbook». We provide website design and web and app development services for organizations, public and government institutions, company or private web-pages. More
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Hello, I understood the initial scope of this project. Although i want to discuss further this job in order to prepare the final concept for this project. After Complete discussion over the call or in chat, i wi More
Reactjs/Codeigniter/Laravel 5 + AngularJs , Expert for 5 years . I work on all big laravel projects with full features and functionalities and requirements as according to your requirements . We build simple to big More


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105 Peavey Rd, Ste 116
Chaska, MN 55318
Candidate responses are in blue.
Tim Pawlenty for Governor
3470 Washington Dr, Eagan, MN 55122
Tim Pawlenty
1. Independent evaluations provide evidence that the Profile of Learning is a costly failure.
Will you vote to repeal the Profile of Learning?
Have you voted for repeal of the Profile in the past? (incumbents only)
2. Will you support a knowledge-based, liberal-arts, academic education in Minnesota that is independent of the federal curricular mandates?
3. Assessments drive the curriculum. According to the Department of Children, Families and Learning, the purpose of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) is to measure how fully schools are implementing the Profile of Learning. In other words, the MCAs measure whether schools are teaching government approved attitudes, beliefs and values, as directed by the Profile. Government rewards and sanctions are tied to student MCA performance.
Will you support the development of an objective, academic achievement test that measures students' knowledge and intellectual capability, rather than government-approved attitudes, beliefs and values?
4. The Minnesota Board of Teaching adopted new licensure rules for teachers that tie teacher licensing to the Profile of Learning and force acceptance of the School-to-Work system.
I would be supportive if it was accomplished in one legislative package that ensures new, high-quality teacher licensure rules.
5. The Profile of Learning and School-to-Work system are turning K-12 schools into job training centers where job skills training is replacing academic instruction. Students are frequently leaving the school sites for entry level, on-the-job training instead of pursuing academic knowledge. Students are required to plan careers by middle school. In some school districts, students are being required to apply for a specific career pathway (called Smaller Learning Communities) in the 8th grade.
Will you support legislation that protects students in K-12 schools by prohibiting all requirements that all students must participate in career skills training or other work-based curriculum, instruction or employment-related activity in career areas?
6. Nonprofit foundations and the federal government are promoting a massive expansion of an early childcare system in every state that will place the government in authority over parenting. An early childhood government education system will require government credentialing, and therefore mandate a government curriculum. State early childhood curriculum incorporates content aligned with the Profile of Learning and often uses material deeply offensive to parental values and beliefs.
For example, the early childhood credentialing program called TEACH uses a curriculum that promotes childhood acceptance of homosexuality, engages in sexual identity training, promotes negative attitudes toward western civilization and history, rewrites history that reflects a bias against traditional values, and trains young children to be political activists.
Will you support legislation that prohibits the state from usurping the authority of parents for their children or from requiring early childhood curriculum that is negative toward traditional values?
7. The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 mandates that all states create a workforce system directed ultimately from Washington, DC. Appointed boards, accountable to the federal government, will plan and manage state economies by credentialing and placing workers into government-targeted industries. K-12 education becomes the human-resource supplier, trained under the new School-to-Work system.
Will you oppose the creation of an appointed central planning board in Minnesota that will choose government-favored industries and direct the state economy and workforce?


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An Illinois doughnut mogul forged ties last year to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, through campaign donations and a real-estate deal involving the governor's wife, while seeking to expand his Dunkin' Donuts business into the state's tollway oases, according to a Tribune investigation.
As federal investigations into influence peddling swirl around the Blagojevich administration, the developments raise new questions about the governor accepting money -- personally or politically -- from those seeking favor with the government he leads.
Amrit J. Patel, 60, one of the largest and most influential Dunkin' Donuts owners in the Chicago area, says he was not trying to win favor by hosting a fundraiser for the governor at his Northbrook home or through his family connections to a private property deal that paid Blagojevich's wife more than $30,000 in real estate commissions.
Both those moves, however, came as Dunkin' Donuts was trying to finalize an agreement to take over leases at the state's seven tollway oases. Patel acknowledged that he began pursuing a tollway lease in 2005 but said Dunkin' corporate officials took over the effort months before he began his political activities.
But more than a half-dozen of Patel's fellow franchisees say he was always a driving force behind those negotiations.
"Amrit was part of it," said Abdul R. Panjwani, a Chicago-area Dunkin' Donuts owner close to Patel. "You need to call him."
The Tribune found no indication Blagojevich intervened in the Dunkin' Donuts effort to replace its beleaguered competitor Krispy Kreme -- a deal that stalled late last year over contract issues. Blagojevich has not responded to questions about the potential conflict of interest.
But the governor's oft-repeated pledge to end pay-to-play politics and toughen campaign finance laws has clashed with revelations about his top supporters parlaying their connections with him into state jobs or state business. In recent months those revelations have expanded to include Patricia Blagojevich's real estate business and raised questions about the intersection of public policy and the Blagojeviches' personal finances.
The Tribune revealed in October that Patricia Blagojevich, a licensed real estate broker, earned $113,000 in commissions through a woman with a state contract and her banker husband -- Anita and Amrish Mahajan. At the time, the governor dismissed those inquiries as "Neanderthal" and "sexist."
Now, dozens of interviews and a review of records reveal that Patel was also involved in one of those real estate deals at the same time he was leading the effort to replace Krispy Kreme inside the state's seven tollway oases. Such a deal needs the approval of the executive director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, who is appointed by the governor.
$34,000 commission
Records show Patricia Blagojevich made $34,000 in June 2006 representing Patel's daughter Sheila, an agent for several of her father's businesses, and the Mahajans. Patel is a longtime friend and associate of Amrish Mahajan, president of Mutual Bank and a major Blagojevich fundraiser.
That $1.75 million deal -- and the three others involving the Mahajans -- accounted for all the commissions Patricia Blagojevich earned in the first 10 months of 2006.
Since the Tribune raised questions about those land deals and the Mahajans' connections with the First Family, Mahajan and his wife, Anita, have come under scrutiny over her long-standing, no-bid state contract. She was charged in March with six felonies related to allegations she billed the state for more than $2 million in drug tests her Chicago-based company never performed.
She hasn't entered a plea and her attorney declined to comment for this report.
A review of records and interviews show Patel has long been a bank customer of Mahajan, who financed Patel's doughnut empire and has built a reputation as a powerful political player within the Indian community.
In a recent interview at his lawyer's office, Patel acknowledged his ties to Mahajan. He said his interest in state politics was unrelated to his business dealings.
Patel -- whose Dunkin' Donuts empire includes 25 stores and authority over a co-operative that distributes doughnut ingredients through 13 Midwestern states -- said he had "no involvement whatsoever" in 2006 when Dunkin' Donuts was in negotiations to replace Krispy Kreme.
Anyone who suggests otherwise is "just guessing," he said. Patel said he hosted the April 2006 fundraiser with advice from Mahajan, who helped raise more than $500,000 for Blagojevich since 2001.
In the spring of last year, Patel's fundraiser was among a series of private events that raised more than $100,000 from some 42 owners of Dunkin' Donuts shops, their business partners or firms that do business with Dunkin' Donuts. Thirty-three of those donors had never before donated to the governor, who attended the events and made brief remarks.
'That was personal'
Several of the Dunkin' donors said Patel was behind the effort to get into the tollway at the time, but their donations had nothing to do with it.
"That was personal," said Varsha Patel, who with her husband owns several Dunkin' Donuts stores. The two are not related to Amrit Patel, although he is their partner.
"I was told I could meet the governor, and I said I would like to see the governor," she said. State records show Varsha and Bindesh Patel donated $22,000 to Blagojevich's campaign in May 2006.
Abdul Kamruddin, who owns seven Dunkin' Donuts stores and donated $3,000 to Blagojevich in June, said he declined Patel's invitation to discuss the tollway last summer.
"I told him I was not interested in the tollway. I already have seven stores," Kamruddin said. "I have no interest in expanding. I have an interest in retiring."
Dunkin' Donuts spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz acknowledged her company began negotiating in February 2006 and was "in the mid- to late stages" when talks ended in September. She said Dunkin' Donuts was asked by Chicago-area franchisees to "get involved in brokering a deal, and then when we dropped out, those same franchisees sort of stepped in."
She declined to name the franchisee leading that effort. All the Dunkin' Donuts franchisees who said they were aware of that effort identified Amrit Patel as the driving force.
A tollway spokeswoman said the agency was unaware of Dunkin' Donuts' interest and has no control over lease negotiations. She referred questions to Wilton Partners, the California company hired by the tollway to lease space at the oases.
Scott Mayer, Wilton's president, said in a written statement that the negotiations with Dunkin' Donuts ended after his firm was reminded of terms in the Starbucks lease that precluded franchises that primarily serve coffee, such as Dunkin' Donuts, from entering those oases. He declined to elaborate. Ties between tollway vendors and Blagojevich fundraisers have surfaced before.
In 2005, the Tribune reported that two fast-food franchises at the tollway oases, Subway and Panda Express, had ties to Blagojevich insider Antoin "Tony" Rezko. Later that year, federal authorities subpoenaed tollway records related to the restaurants, which had received discounted rents.
No charges related to that investigation have been filed. But Rezko, a longtime Blagojevich adviser and major fundraiser, was indicted on unrelated charges of soliciting kickbacks from firms seeking state business. Rezko and the governor's office acknowledge Patricia Blagojevich had an eight-year business relationship with Rezko that ended in 2004. An attorney for Rezko declined to comment.
Rezko connection
Amrit Patel has his own ties to Rezko.
In July 2005 Rezko tried to sell Patel his Panda Express restaurant near Patel's Dunkin' Donuts at O'Hare International Airport.
"He said, 'I have to get out from Panda Express,'
" Patel said. "I told him to call Ira Marcus, my attorney. He wanted to sell the Panda. .
. In the end, there was no deal."
Patel said the tollway never came up. But it was at about the same time, Patel said, that he became interested in securing a tollway lease. Patel said that in July or August 2005, his son, who is also his general manager, began to make inquiries about moving into oases where Krispy Kreme had not yet opened. Lagging sales and legal troubles had left Krispy Kreme near collapse, and it was struggling to fulfill its lease obligations.
Patel said his contact with Wilton Partners ended in September 2005 after representatives of Dunkin' Donuts' Inc. told him they would take over negotiations.
"Dunkin' Brands is the gatekeeper," Patel said of Dunkin' Donuts' parent company. "They say who can and who can't."
He would not discuss whether he made arrangements to operate stores if Dunkin' Donuts got a tollway deal and said he has never discussed the tollway effort with the governor. Patel said he had lost interest in the tollway by the time of his April 2006 fundraiser.
"I didn't have the time," he said.
Patel said he was told by the governor's campaign that the event at his home raised about $50,000. But records show it was the beginning of the unprecedented show of support from Dunkin' Donuts owners and associates that ended in June. A Tribune review of public records found they donated more than $118,000 to Blagojevich.
Patel acknowledged he is well-known among Dunkin' Donuts store owners for his role as president of the Dunkin' Donuts Midwest Distribution Center, which supplies more than 700 stores. But he said he had no involvement in the other fundraisers.
"I never asked anybody to give a donation," he said. "I didn't push anybody."
Devon Avenue deal
Between May and September 2006, Patricia Blagojevich helped the Mahajans buy four properties worth $5.7 million. In one of those deals, according to records and interviews, the Mahajans agreed to buy a commercial building along Devon Avenue in Chicago. They turned over the sales contract to Patel's daughter Sheila prior to the closing. Patricia Blagojevich represented Sheila Patel at the June 28 closing, according to seller Christov Dosev and his attorney.
Office addresses listed for Sheila Patel, a lawyer who is the registered agent for several of her father's doughnut businesses, match those of her father's businesses and home. Amrit Patel said he was unaware of his daughter's involvement with his longtime friend to purchase the building, less than two blocks from her father's business headquarters.
"She's an individual person," he said. "She handled that herself."
Sheila Patel declined to comment through her father's attorney.
Updated on talks
By July 2006, Dunkin' Donuts national representatives had progressed so far in negotiations with Wilton Partners that they had begun to discuss lease terms with their Chicago franchisees, Patel said.
He said he learned of the progress from his son and general manager. While Patel reiterated he was no longer interested in the tollway, he said his son was curious and participated in a conference call among franchisees to discuss the possible lease terms.
But Ramesh Goyal, a Dunkin' owner who is involved in lawsuits with corporate headquarters over his stores, said Patel told him he was involved in the 2006 negotiations.
"Amrit just told me a few weeks ago that he and Dunkin' Brands tried to negotiate a lower rent," Goyal said in a recent interview.
Larry Gill, director of operations for Dunkin' Brands, said the company is still interested in getting Dunkin' Donuts into the oases if the deal is right.
"It's something we'd like to do, yes," he said.
- - -
Connections--and questions
*Amrit J. Patel, 60, owner or partner in 25 Dunkin' Donuts stores and president of the Midwestern cooperative that buys and distributes doughnut ingredients to Dunkin' stores in 13 states. Last year, Patel hosted Gov. Rod Blagojevich at a fundraiser and was connected to a private real estate deal that paid the governor's wife $34,000. Patel has been trying to win a lease to put his stores at the state's seven tollway oasis locations.
*Amrish Mahajan, 61, president of Mutual Bank and Patel's longtime friend and business associate. Mahajan's bank financed Patel's Dunkin' Donuts empire. Mahajan has raised more than $500,000 for Blagojevich. His close ties to the governor have come under scrutiny amid allegations that his wife bilked a no-bid state contract for millions.
*Anita Mahajan, 55, owner of the now-defunct K.K. Bio-Science Inc., which abruptly shut down in January amid an investigation into its long-standing no-bid contract to do urine tests for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Mahajan has not yet entered a plea to felony charges that she billed more than $2 million for drug tests her Chicago-based company never performed.
*Patricia Blagojevich, 41, the governor's wife and owner of River Realty Inc. From May 25 through Sept. 28, 2006, she earned $113,700 in real estate commissions through the Mahajans in four transactions involving property worth $5.71 million. In one of those deals, the sales contract signed by Anita Mahajan was transferred to Amrit Patel's daughter prior to closing. Blagojevich represented Patel's daughter in that deal, worth $1.75 million, and earned a $34,825


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The Details:
Since the legendary Ur-quattro was introduced in 1980, the four rings automaker has sold more than five million cars with permanent all-wheel drive and seen numerous race successes. Debuting at the 1983 IAA, the first Sport quattro took on the World Rally Championship with a short wheelbase, 306hp and technological innovations of the day. In 1987, Walter Rohrl took it to victory at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Over 20 years later, the Audi Sport quattro concept show car debuts utilizing DNA from the original Ur-quattro.
The concept works to bring the company's glory days of racing into the 21st century while also incorporating the latest modern technology. This plug-in hybrid concept uses both smart fuel consumption and go-fast performance for an all-around driver's car.
This concept is not short of power, with a claimed 700hp and 590 ft-lb of torque that pushes this hybrid coupe from 0-62mph in 3.7sec and to a top speed of 189mph, according to Audi. Power from both the gas-powered 4L twin-turbo V8 engine and electric motor is driven through a modified eight-speed tiptronic transmission to a powertrain featuring a sport differential on the rear axle. MPG does not run short either, with the capability to reach 94.1 mpg due to its hybrid nature.
The gas-powered engine produces 560hp and 516 ft-lb or torque. Making this unit efficient is the use of a cylinder on demand (COD) system, which deactivates four cylinders under part load and a stop-start system.
The electric motor is placed between the 4L TFSI and the transmission in the shape of a disc, which produces 147hp and 295 ft-lb of torque. It draws its traction energy from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery in the rear with a capacity of 14 kWh. Able to charge via an Audi wall box, the electric motor can provide up to 31 miles of driving time on electric power alone.
Aiding to its performance is the claimed 4078 lb curb weight - a result of a hood, roof and rear hatch made from carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Managing the weight in corners and over road surfaces is a dynamic suspension. To the front, five control arms are provided per wheel. The rear suspension utilizes the Audi track-controlled trapezoidal link principal. Dynamic steering varies its ratio depending on driving speed. To slow down, large calipers grip onto carbon fiber-ceramic brake discs. The tire format is 285/30 R 21.
The Sport quattro concept has a choice of three available driving modes that include: EV for pure electric driving, Hybrid for maximum efficiency, and Sport for maximum performance.
EV mode only uses the electric motor. An active accelerator indicates the transition to hybrid operation to the driver so they can control the switch between electric and hybrid vehicle.
Hybrid mode uses both the electric motor and gas engine in the most efficient way. If the navigation system is active, the route is optimized for efficiency. If the driver wants to retain a certain amount of electric charge or drive certain parts of their route on electric power, the Hold or Charge function can be selected to adjust the charge of the battery without charging from the grid.
Sport mode provides maximum power and performance. The electric boost function supports the gas engine in all driving situations while the energy management system ensures the battery has sufficient charge.
Although the exterior rings true to Audi styling, there are elements that bring the Sport quattro concept onto a new playing field. Sitting on 21in center-locking five twin-spoke wheels, the wheelbase is proportional coming in at 109in. The concept's body is 181in long with a width of 54in to create a wide and low-slung stance.
The headlights of the Sport quattro concept feature Matrix LED technology (available by years end in the refreshed A8) with two flat structures visible inside the light. The wrap-around daytime running lights along with the central low-beam unites and the Matrix LED enhance the front end's appearance.
The LED high-beam unit of the headlights is comprised of many individual diodes (electronic device that has two electrodes used especially as a rectifier). These work in tandem with upstream lenses and reflectors to provide optimal illumination. They are also activated, deactivated or dimmed according to driving situations.
"Blisters" above the fenders give the concept a more aggressive and broader stance. Throughout, sharp contours shape the muscular surfaces while the interplay between convex and concave surfaces gives the concept even more character.
The front of the concept offers a new design element. The hexagonal single-frame grille features a sculpted grille insert, an element borrowed from racing. The lower section is virtually vertical while the upper follows the line of the hood. Emphasizing the vehicle's width is the low grille while two large vertical blades divide each of the large air inlets.
The rear features a flat greenhouse and broad shoulders while the spoiler further accentuates the car's width. The distinctive feature of the concept's rear is the CFRP diffuser that extends far upward. While the upper section is similar to the front grille with a honeycombed material, the lower section houses two large oval tailpipes. Mounted onto the CFRP facing are the taillights that are rectangular, which is a quattro styling cue and also emphasizes the car's width. The flared sills are also made of CFRP.
Finally, the power door handles extend automatically to meet a driver or passengers approaching hand.
More the opposite from the bright exterior depicted, the interior features a spacious cabin in dark grey tones and precise lines. Driver focused, the interior utilizes technology and convenience features. The steering wheel, digital instrument cluster and heads-up display are in the driver's direct view.
Sporty racing bucket seats hold the driver and passenger in place while full rear seats for two additional passengers sit behind. The drivetrain runs under the continuous center console and the support structure (carbon shell) also serves as a storage compartment in the side doors.
The sporty multi-function steering wheel is used to switch between various virtual 3D displays while the instrument display is fully digital. Two modes are available via the 3D display including: Race mode with central speedometer, track information and a stopwatch or Set Up mode with detail information about various race tracks. The Audi MMI control unit makes for easy to enter information.
The air conditioning unit is an innovative feature as well, which integrates directly into the air vents. Temperature, intensity and air flow can be controlled using the same element. The display in the vents shows either media information or air conditioning settings.
Finally, the concepts trunk, which is reinforced by a solid crossbeam under the rear shelf, has the capacity of 10 cubic ft.
While we don't have anything definitive on whether or not this concept will go into production, you will see some of the technology used, such as the Matrix LED technology, in future models.


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Hold on to your scrunchie! Despite being on his 16th minute of fame, pony-hawked "Idol" wannabeen Sanjaya Malakar is going Nationwide.
Instead of performing at the opening of an outlet mall or local balloon festival like his fellow "Idol" losers, Sanji followed in the bankrupt footsteps of MC Hammer and Kevin Federline and filmed the latest ad for Nationwide insurance in India today.
The theme of the commercial is about planning for your retirement -- something that happened to Sanjaya the minute he was voted off "A.I."
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In appreciation of the Fairwold Questers' support for the restoration of Springfield Mills, the Morris Arboretum invited the Questers to hold their June meeting at the Arboretum.
Fairwold Questers donations have helped to restore windows and one of the doors, the foot bridge over the old turbine, and to redress and restore the original millstones from France.
They are looking forward to their next project which will be to restore the mill stones to working condition to grind grain. The Questers are grateful to Morris Arboretum for its help with publicity and contributions to Fairwold's fund raiser.
At the June meeting, Bob Gutowski, director of public programs (and historian) at Morris Arboretum gave a talk and slide presentation about the history of Morris Arboretum and the Mill. The Mill was purchased by John Morris in 1913 as part of Bloomfield Farm. John and Lydia Morris developed plans for the farm to become an educational and research institution. Tours of the mill are currently being offered by request, and are free to Questers.
The Mill is currently undergoing restoration with the help of donations and volunteers. Fairwold Questers have helped to clean the Mill before tours, made a scarecrow of a miller, researched and made flour sacks and applied for and received state grants for their projects.
They invite other chapters of the Questers to join them in supporting this historic site, Springfield Mills. For more information, contact Helen Tynan at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Roofing Services in Cartworth
Roofing in Cartworth has been the best way to protect your property from the elements for centuries and here at M.Taylor roofing, we have been providing a variety of roofing services for various property types for over 20 years now.
Our roofing services in Cartworth are some of the best available solutions on the market and offer full weather protection, privacy and warmth for any property.
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If you are looking for roofing services by experienced professionals, then please feel free to contact us at any time for a free no obligation quote!
CertificationConfederation Certificate Membership
Confederation Certificate


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An Arab IDF veteran who participated in a pro-Israel event at Columbia University last month told The Algemeiner on Tuesday why he lashed out at a Jewish student on campus who said he was "not proud" of the Jewish state.
Mohammad Kabiya, a University of Haifa political science major and commander in the Israeli Air Force, whose sharp exchange with his peer about Israel's moral standing has been circulating on social media, explained, "It is so wrong, and embarrassing, for a Jew to spread such lies about the one Jewish state in the world."
"Israel is not perfect but it's far from how these people are describing it," Kabiya – a Bedouin Muslim — said in Hebrew, referring to the crowds participating in "Israeli Apartheid Week" (IAW) events. Criticism of the Israeli government and policies is legitimate, he added, "but it's like when I fight with my brother; the whole world doesn't need to know about it."
Kabiya, who had been invited to Columbia by the school's chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) as part of "Hebrew Liberation Week" – a counter-demonstration to IAW – has been serving as an informal spokesman for the Jewish state and his community's proud role in its defense.
"Israel is my state and I need to protect it," he said emphatically.
SSI president Rudy Rochman told The Algemeiner that Kabiya gives a voice and face to minority groups in Israel that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement neither acknowledges nor talks about.
"Many students didn't even know there were such things as Israeli Arabs and were shocked to meet Mohammad and hear his story," Rochman said. "They thought Israel was a country made up of only Jews. They had no idea that about 20% of the population is Arab."
Kabiya — well-known in Israel for his efforts on behalf of public diplomacy — called the efforts of groups like SSI "holy work," and encouraged Jewish students "to stand up for themselves."
"You cannot fear people who just scream lies," he said. "We have to support those who are responding to these disgusting things being said about Israel."
Friday, April 07, 2017
- Friday, April 07, 2017
- Elder of Ziyon
I had missed this remarkable video:
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.


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Apr 17, 2012
Central Connecticut freshman jumper Ronea Saunders earned her first Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week honor of the outdoor track & field season Tuesday afternoon. Saunders won the high jump for the second consecutive meet posting a height of 1.75m at the UMASS Spring Invitational.
The first year Blue Devil won the high jump prior to the UMASS Invite clearing her personal best height of 1.75m at the AIC Yellow Jacket Invite. Saunders also claimed victory at the New England Indoor Championships posting the same 1.75m mark. Saunders will look to break a conference record and claim an individual title if she can duplicate her 1.75m mark at the NEC Outdoor Championships.


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Stuffed roast goose with rosemary-scented apple
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You can also add it to one of your existing cookbooks
Perfect for Christmas Day, or other special occasions, this delicious recipe works perfectly with its apple sauce accompaniment.
Serves: 8-9
1kg floury potatoes, such as King Edward, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
100g butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
5 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
2 tbsp Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients Wild Rosemary, plus an extra tsp for the sauce
5.6-6.6kg Traditionally Reared Free Range Goose, giblets removed
50g caster sugar
1. Place the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Place half the butter in a large frying pan over a low heat. Fry the onions and 2 of the chopped apples for 4-5 minutes, until soft.
2. Add 2 tbsp wild rosemary, season, then stir in the cooked potatoes. Fill the small neck cavity of the goose with the stuffing. Secure with metal skewers. Place any leftover stuffing in an ovenproof dish to cook separately.
3. Using the pack instructions, weigh the stuffed goose to calculate the cooking time and preheat the oven accordingly. Place the goose on a metal rack over a large roasting tin and cook. Add the dish of the remaining stuffing to cook for the final 30-40 minutes, or until piping hot and cooked through. Check the goose is thoroughly cooked with no pink meat visible.
5. For the apple sauce, place the remaining apples, butter, rosemary and the sugar, plus 150ml cold water, in a medium-size pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Keep warm until ready to serve. Remove the stuffing from the cavity. Carve the goose and serve with the apple sauce.
Typical values per serving:
|Saturated Fat
28.4g protein, 3.4g fibre


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Parker gives up walk-off homer in 12th to take loss
LOS ANGELES -- Dodger Stadium has been special to Tsuyoshi Wada, but not on Saturday night.
Wada did not get a decision as the Dodgers rallied, posting a 5-2 win over the Cubs thanks to Hanley Ramirez's walk-off, three-run homer with two outs in the 12th inning in front of 53,354, the second largest crowd in the Majors this season.View Full Game Coverage
LOS ANGELES -- Dodger Stadium has been special to Tsuyoshi Wada, but not on Saturday night.
Wada did not get a decision as the Dodgers rallied, posting a 5-2 win over the Cubs thanks to Hanley Ramirez's walk-off, three-run homer with two outs in the 12th inning in front of 53,354, the second largest crowd in the Majors this season.View Full Game Coverage
With the game tied at 2 and light rain falling at Dodger Stadium in the 12th, Blake Parker got Drew Butera to hit a soft comebacker for the first out and then struck out pinch-hitter Adrian Gonzalez. Dee Gordon singled past second baseman Arismendy Alcantara, and then swiped second for his 51st stolen base of the season.
Justin Turner walked to set up Ramirez, who launched a 1-0 pitch from Parker to left. It was Ramirez's first career walk-off home run.
"I was watching the way they pitched to [Turner] and they didn't want to pitch to him, so I know I got to come through," Ramirez said. "He just made a mistake, left something on top of the plate, and I hit it out."
The Dodgers were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position before Ramirez's hit. The Cubs are used to working overtime. This was the third time they've played extra innings in the last five games.
They had chances. The Cubs had two on and two outs in the eighth but J.P. Howell struck out pinch-hitter Luis Valbuena to end the inning. Chicago had two on again and two outs in the 12th but Justin Ruggiano struck out against Jamey Wright. The Cubs went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
"We had some missed opportunities," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said.
Wada remembers watching Hideo Nomo pitch at Dodger Stadium on television. It was the first U.S. big league game he saw. And Dodger Stadium also was the first Major League stadium Wada saw live as a collegian.
"It was very exciting to pitch here," Wada said. "It could've been better if I won the game, but it was exciting, definitely."
On Saturday, he had to adjust his pregame routine just a little because of hundreds of cheerleaders on the field for a pregame event. No problem, Wada said.
"They were very cute," he said.
The six hits off Wada were a season-high, but he did keep the Dodgers in check.
"He did a nice job and worked through some traffic and minimized damage -- two runs is pretty good," Renteria said.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first against Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu on Starlin Castro's RBI single.
Wada, making his fourth big league start for the Cubs, walked Ramirez to start the Dodgers fourth and Matt Kemp connected on a slider for his 12th home run of the season and fourth in his last five games to go ahead, 2-1. It was the first home run off Wada in his four starts.
Kemp, who has a career .332 average against left-handers, faced Wada again in the fifth with a runner at second and two outs, but this time, the Cubs lefty got him to ground out.
The Dodgers had two outs and a runner at third in the sixth inning when Wada was pulled in favor of Carlos Villanueva, who is normally used in long relief. Villanueva needed just one pitch to retire Butera. Brian Schlitter, who is usually the short man, then started the seventh inning.
"I wasn't surprised [to be pulled]," Wada said. "We're trying to win the game, and I respect the manager's decision."
The Cubs tied the game in the seventh when Junior Lake reached on an infield single, and scored one out later on Alcantara's double.
"We've played a lot of extra inning ballgames this year," Renteria said. "No matter who their opponents are, these guys compete and we had some opportunities to cash in runs today and we weren't able to do it."
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings, and you can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat.


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New Draft Of CISPA Announced: Some Progress, Still Big Problems
from the it's-a-start-I-guess dept
The House Intelligence Committee has published a new draft of CISPA (pdf and embedded below), which includes the two amendments that were already approved, plus several other additions and changes. In some areas, there is genuine progress—in others, things actually seem to have gotten worse. Unfortunately, some of the biggest problems with the bill remain, and some of the new language seems to have little effect at all. Some changes I will discuss in future posts, but there are two that I wanted to look at right away:
A Narrower Definition Of Cybersecurity
This is the one clearly positive change in the bill. Previously, the definition of cybersecurity and cyber threat information was:
(A) efforts to degrade, disrupt, or destroy such system or network; or
(B) theft or misappropriation of private or government information, intellectual property, or personally identifiable information.
While the first part remains unchanged, the second part is now much narrower:
(B) efforts to gain unauthorized access to a system or network, including efforts to gain such unauthorized access to steal or misappropriate private or government information
Where the original language could be construed to include all sorts of activity that goes beyond what most people could consider "cybersecurity", the new definition makes it clear that we are talking about unauthorized network access. Most notably, it removes the reference to "intellectual property", which makes sense: the authors have always insisted that they were talking about the misappropriation of secret R&D by foreign entities, which is sufficiently covered by language referring to privacy and unauthorized access. Including "intellectual property" opened it up to all sorts of additional interpretations that went beyond this stated intent.
Now, there's still reason to be a little concerned here, because the attempts to charge people for "unauthorized access" under the CFAA have been ridiculous in the past. If this language in CISPA were construed to include things like violating terms of service (as some have claimed of the CFAA language) then it would be very dangerous. However, with last week's Ninth Circuit ruling which narrowly construed unauthorized access, legal thinking on this matter seems to be heading in the right direction. There's still some gray area, and I think there's still room for a much better definition of cybersecurity in CISPA (I know they want to future-proof it, but it doesn't have to be that short and vague) but this is still a significant improvement over the previous draft.
Extremely Limited Liability For Companies
The new draft of CISPA includes a whole new section carving out the requirements for a company to be held liable if they share information improperly. Basically, a company that shares data with the government receives immunity from all existing privacy laws unless you can show that their actions caused you injury and constituted "willful misconduct"—which is very specifically defined in CISPA as an action taken:
(I) intentionally to achieve a wrongful purpose;
(II) knowingly without legal or factual justification; and
(III) in disregard of a known or obvious risk that is so great as to make it highly probably that the harm of the act or omission will outweigh the benefit.
Yes: and. A company's actions need to satisfy all three of those conditions. I'm not even sure how that's possible. They have to be trying to harm you, knowingly breaking the law and, in a bizarre third clause, they also have to know there is a risk that the harm to you will outweigh the benefits to them. How you are supposed to weigh the harm to individuals whose private data is handed to the government, versus the benefits to cybersecurity services who improve their networks with data, is beyond me. But no matter how you slice it, this is an insanely onerous definition of willful misconduct that makes it essentially impossible to ever sue a company for wrongly sharing data under CISPA.
Overall, despite the progress made on the definition of cybersecurity, CISPA is still a highly problematic bill which still doesn't properly safeguard people's privacy. One of the biggest problems—the fact that the government can use, retain and affirmatively search the information they gather for vaguely defined "national security" purposes—is untouched in the new draft. There are some attempts to alter the rules on how federal agencies can share information between themselves, but many of those changes seem essentially meaningless. It's good to see some reaction from Congress, but if CISPA is to be fixed (a prospect I'm still dubious about) there is still a long way to go.
Filed Under: cispa, cybersecurity, house intelligence committee, liability


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Wanted – creative and innovative ideas that will marry economic development with growth and sustainability for Freeport.
"Now is the time for creating a new vision for our communities," said Jamie Rubin, director of the New York Rising Storm Recovery program."What kind of legacy do we want to leave behind? How do we respond in the aftermath of disaster? What choices do we make when we build back?"
These were the questions that panelists addressed at a forum on rebuilding and resilience after superstorm Sandy, as part of the 2013 Smart Growth Summit sponsored by Vision Long Island last month. Vision Long Island is an organization that works to promote economically sustainable and environmentally responsible growth on Long Island by actively involving local stakeholders in planning. John O'Connell, executive editor of the Herald newspapers, was the panel moderator.
Mr. Rubin urged attendees to consider that "real money is behind the rebuilding," he said. In addition to the money allotted to each community through the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, there is $500 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds available and "private equity that might add up to a billion dollars."
And while some communities are addressing issues that are hyper-local, such as moving the village's Department of Public Works out of the Industrial Park, many of the issues are regional.
"Certain themes have emerged," said Mr. Rubin including "storm water drainage, emergency response, protection of waterfronts and the shoreline, updating the electric grid, green infrastructure solutions and flexible, permeable spaces," said Mr. Rubin.
According to Paul Beyer, state director of Smart Growth Planning at the New York State Department of State, communities are also looking at housing topology and street scaping. The book "Suburban Nation" by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and Jeff Speck, a manifesto that proposes an alternative model for community design, has "kicked off the smart growth movement which can help us rebuild after Sandy," he explained.


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They were some good spaces.
Friday's space...
We browsed over paint samples galore. Looking to find that *just right green* to create an accent wall in our living room.
And went up and down the aisles, checking out the Christmas decorations that were quickly filling up the store.
I mean, seriously, TOTALLY an amazing investment, right?!
There were yetis everywhere.
This one tried to attack me in aisle 7.
We came home. I ran upstairs to put on some pjs, and shouted to Steve downstairs, "Why don't you get the fire started!"
His reply..."HA! Ok, Done! I flipped the light switch!"
It was a cozy night by the fire. A good movie. A glass of red for me. A favorite beer for Steve.
And...I went to bed at a kinda sorta normal hour.
Bonus points.
Saturday's space...
We decided to take a drive to a sweet little town. One that brings back many memories to Steve.
I love visiting this time of year. The drive is such a pretty one.
This drive, however, lasted quite a bit longer. There was an accident way ahead and we weren't moving.
Knowing we'd now get there at dark, and miss out on all the scenery, I told Steve he better take in the sights while it was still light out.
Yea, there wasn't much on the detour.
Once we arrived, I was actually kinda happy the way it worked out. The streets were less crowded. The night was gorgeous. And the air was so calm.
The shops were all lit up. And a few stores were all ready for Christmas.
Each store is unique. Carrying different themes and treasures.
Steve always has stories of years past when we visit his "old stomping grounds." He goes into detail with memories of friends and good times. He's so happy when he's telling them. And I love hearing them.
It was good. And the salted caramel ice cream (named - Jersey Shore) wasn't bad either.
After much walking and talking, we were starving. We checked out a few menus at the restaurants in town. And after realizing we didn't want to pay $18 for a burger, when we were really in the mood for seafood...
We decided to head back towards home.
Our dinner destination...
Joe's Crab Shack.
Was it romantic?
But we had a lot of laughs. And a lot of fun. It's the kind of restaurant that has the major cheesy-ness factor...
The drinks with gummy candy in them.
The servers who stop and sing every 15 minutes. Yes, we counted.
But the food was worth it.
And we were super hungry!!
We started with the mussels.
And by the end of dinner...
Sunday's space...
I forgot to mention that before dinner Saturday night, we stopped at Home Depot. We found and bought what we thought was the perfect color green to compliment our living room. We wanted one that had an olive tone but with more brightness to it.
Well, fast forward to Sunday morning. Steve gets up super early and has already started painting (unbeknownst to me). And not just a little swatch to check the color. EVERY inch of trim around the "accent wall." He later wakes me up and tells me, with a smirk, to come downstairs and check it out. I, excited to see, turn and look at the wall, bust out laughing and say, "I hate it...it's not the right color!!"
Steve is laughing and has been watching my expression from the kitchen. He quickly retorts back, "HAHAHA I hate it too!"
(I'm still confused at why he continued to paint away when he didn't like the color. So is he, I think.)
Now we have a nice, fresh gallon of way-too-bright-green-for-our-living-room-paint. I decided, eventually I will put it to use to liven up another room.
Soon after realizing it wasn't the color for us, we headed out to find a new shade. And some primer to cover up the neon outline.
After a trillion, *NOOO, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT COLOR STILL!* and *THIS IS THE ONE!! I PROMISE, I'M GOING TO LOVE IT! I PROMISE, STEVE!!*...
We agreed, "Silent Meadow" was a much better fit than "Rolling Hills."
I mean, even the name sounds like a better choice.
I'd much rather be chillin' in the silent meadow than rolling down a hill!
So, after a coat of primer, 2 coats of paint, (Steve half falling off one of the end tables because he was too
I came home last night and Steve had everything hung back on the wall and the furniture back in place. He proudly smiled and said, "What do you think? Ya know, I wasn't so keen on the idea of this accent wall, but I really love it!"
And, I really love it too...
Especially when, despite all the little bumps along the way...
A plan comes together.
Monday's space...
Kerry and Veronica came for a visit.
Came back and had lunch on the deck and watched as Veronica became best friends with Muffin.
She was adorable and so intrigued with the kitties. She let out squeals and waved every time she saw them. She's my kinda babe.
She was totally playing fetch with Muffin.
Tuesday's space...
The old space...
The new space...
That's all folks!!
Hope everyone has a HAPPY DAY!!
Wednesday Lovin',


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Images | June 21, 2011
Linear Ridges
Context image
The orthogonal ridges in today's VIS image are located near the south polar cap of Mars.
Orbit Number: 41834 Latitude: -81.4087 Longitude: 295.701 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-05-20 21:31
Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.


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photo 1 of 77
UFC on FOX 9 Weigh-in Photo Gallery
dicembre 13, 2013
77 Photos
UFC on FOX weigh-in at Sleep Train Arena on December 13, 2013 in Sacramento, California.
Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).


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Moving and Rvalue References
Last week, I said that the C++ type system helps the compiler figure out whether to move or copy an object. I'd like to continue by saying more about how it does so.
In general, C++ doesn't treat whether an expression is an lvalue as being part of its type. So, for example, if we define a variable:
int n;
then the type of
n is
int. Moreover, the type of
3 is also
int. Nevertheless, it is not always possible to use
n and
3 interchangeably, even if they have the same type. Although we can write
int& r = n;
we cannot write
int& s = 3;
because of the rule that says that when we define a reference, we must initialize it from an lvalue. In this case,
n is an lvalue and
3 is not; so we cannot use
3 to initialize
s. This rule makes it possible for compilers to catch errors such as
std::cin >> 3;
This call is equivalent to
In other words, it is calling a function named
operator>> that is a member of the object
std::cin, and giving that function
3 as an argument. That function, in turn, is overloaded, but although one of its overloaded versions has an
int& parameter, none of them has a plain
int parameter or a parameter of any type that will accept an
int rvalue argument. Therefore, the compiler will determine that it is not possible to call
operator>> with an
int rvalue as its argument.
C++11 extends the notion of references to include rvalue references. An rvalue reference is still a kind of reference, but unlike a plain reference, it can be bound only to an rvalue. We write an rvalue reference this way:
int&& t = 3;
A plain reference can be bound only to an lvalue; an rvalue reference can be bound only to an rvalue. So, for example, if we had written
int&& t = n; // Error: n is an lvalue
the compiler would reject it because
n is an lvalue.
An rvalue reference is an interesting kind of hybrid, because although you can bind it only to an rvalue, you use it as an lvalue. The point is that because you must have bound it to an rvalue, it is no longer possible to use that value outside your code. This fact means that you can clobber the rvalue as you wish, effectively treating it as an lvalue, and the rest of the program will not notice. For example:
int&& t = 3; ++t;
Ordinarily, a program can't change an rvalue. However, in this case, binding
t to the rvalue
3 essentially gave lvalue access to it. The program could clobber the value of
3 because no other part of the program is going to be able to access that particular instance of
3; so clobbering it is harmless. The knowledge that the rvalue will not be used again gets passed along as part of the "rvalue reference" property of variables, which, in turn, allows those variables to be moved instead of copied.
Defining a function to take an rvalue reference parameter allows that function to move its argument rather than copying it. However, it does so at the cost of prohibiting lvalue arguments:
void foo(int&&); foo(42); // OK; int n; foo(n); // Error: n is an lvalue
We can solve this problem by overloading the function:
void bar(int&&); void bar(const int&); bar(42); // calls bar(int&&) int n; bar(n); // calls bar(const int&)
This technique is worth remembering: by overloading a function with a reference to
const and an rvalue reference, you give the compiler the information it needs to tell your function when it is safe to modify its parameter and when it is not safe. Moreover, the compiler makes this safety decision during compilation, thereby avoiding any runtime overhead that might come along with it.
Next week, we'll start looking at just what a function has to do in order to move a value instead of copying it.


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Fusion Arts Museum is New York's only visual art space dedicated exclusively to the exhibition and archiving of multidisciplinary (fusion) art.
It is operated under the auspices of Fusion Arts (Converging Arts Media Organization), a 501(c)3 visual arts organization and registered New York public charity whose mission is to promote fusion art and the artists who choose to create work in this genre.
The building has been a fixture on the Lower East Side art scene since the 1980s. The gallery has been in existence since June of 2000.


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Well, the fact that it is a relatively minor character like Grunbeld, more famous for his position and outsized appearance than anything intrinsically interesting about him (I mean, his fight with Guts confirmed he's kind of a bore), rather than like fucking Zodd, who Miura clearly has a lot invested in, or even someone like Rakshas who has personality galore, gives me relief that this is just some side crap Miura didn't care much about anyway. Otherwise I don't think Miura would have ceded the real estate if he intended to use it. I don't think all Apostles, especially now, need to get an arc. There isn't going to be a Grunbeld chapter focusing on an extended confrontation between him and Guts and their personalities (he had his moment). I think he's closer to cannon fodder than main attraction in the battles to come.
Are you saying that if they were going to do Zodd, they'd have started with him because he's a more popular character? That's not very convincing. They probably don't have every step of this novel plan scripted out. The decision to do Grunbeld first may have been opportunistic. Perhaps Fukami had an idea about Grunbeld's past, because he was the one in charge of the anime script, and he decided to embark on this novel project. Even at this early stage, I think there's a very real possibility of novels for many other characters, including Zodd.
Let's use a time machine and go back 2 weeks. I find your house and kick down your door and tell you: MARTY!!!!!! Instead of being revealed in the pages of the manga, Grunbeld's backstory would come to light in a novel NOT written by Kentarou Miura, used as a marketing arm to promote the series in the wake of the new anime?Sounds crazy, right? Who would think that's okay? Well, it's happening, and now there's precedent.
So you won't mind if it's just plain mediocre? Hard for me to understand that attitude.
Sword of Beserk was mediocre, but I still enjoy it, I find the SG arc mediocre, but I still like it, I'd prefer if the novel was great, but I'll be glad to get anything.
Maybe, but I have a more cynical idea of what transpired, some publishing company that likes money probably approached Miura about spin off novels, or may have been suggested because of their popularity, Miura refuses because he doesn't want major spoilers revealed, and they had to settle with a Grunbeld spin off.
Sword of Beserk was mediocre
I find the SG arc mediocre, but I still like it
Same as before: you're just guessing. The book is being published by Young Animal Comics.
Sword of Berserk was very good at the time and its story has aged well, especially recently, and I think any awkwardness at that time was due to the localization and it taking place in a future context (and what's the "SG arc?" If it's the Sea God that's not an arc, but a relatively small part of the current one). Anyway, I don't get being glad to get anything, good or bad. I'd rather wait for something good or not waste the opportunity (like what's happened with the second rate anime). I'm pretty sure we'd all be thrilled if Miura was writing a novel, Berserk or not, but what do I care if this guy writes a Berserk fanfic?
I'll have to disagree with that. Back when it was released (1999) it had some very nice graphics, and its soundtrack was pretty damn good as well. Its story is also both solid as a standalone product while remaining 100% faithful to the manga. So much so that it actually hinted at plot developments years before they took place. It's not without faults if you take it in a vacuum, especially with regards to the gameplay, but as a Berserk game it's the best we've had and most likely the best we'll ever get.
There's no "SG arc", like Griff said. And I somehow doubt I'd find the reasoning behind that opinion very convincing, but whatever.
Apart from the spoilers, I've got nothing against the story, I agree with a lot of your points, it's the execution that I didn't like.
it's fluff and it doesn't affect the main story.
The Sea God story then, I'm used to calling it an arc. My complaints are the same as most of those who don't like the side story.
Thanks Hitoshura. The cover looks Ok to me, though it's hard to tell from such a tiny picture.
They seem to have put the horrible new edges on that too... The cover looks interesting though. Even though we can see it that much as Aaz inted out. Thx for posting that.
The young Grunby cover is neat, and will probably remain the coolest part of this whole endeavor.
I think I'd rather buy a second copy of volume 38 to show my support instead.


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When I am working with (young) managers in coachings or development processes, they are very often demanding the perfect cooking recipe in the means of: "How to deal with others?"
Then – or let's say after some time – they find out, that they don't even know how to deal with their own situation, challenges and emotions. And after some more time, when a higher focus of reflection is already on themselves, it very often comes to the question of:
"What is the purpose of my job?" and
"What's the meaning of my job and of my life?"
These are questions neither small nor easy to answer. Especially, because the majority of managers is not used to questioning themselves in a way like this, or maybe never did before. But if they do, it is helping them to set their focus and accelerate their own personal development, creating self-awareness.
Generally I would say, that people who lead and manage other people would be well advised, if they build their psychological background over time. Starting with themselves as the first focus of reflection and then learning more, how to interact and communicate with the complexity of other individuals. And what a good part Viktor Frankl's findings could offer for them…
In this little video Viktor E. Frankl, the founder of logo therapy, first shows how self-ironic he is approaching his audience: "I know I am speaking with marvelous accent without the slightest English."
Later on I like the part most were he is explaining what his flight instructor told him and then turns out to quote Goethe:
"If we take man as he really is, we'll make him worse. But if we take man as he should be, we'll make him capable of becoming what he can be."
Let's start with ourselves on this!
Frankl V.E., 1959, Man's Search for Meaning, Beacon Press, Boston
Donnerstag, 15. März 2012
Abonnieren Posts (Atom)


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Book Tour and Activities on the Go!
One of the best tourist attractions in Phuket, Phuket Aquarium is the place where you can see the diverse marine life at its best. There are more than a thousand varieties of colourful, tropical fish and other exotic marine life. The aquarium has various sections such as streams, mangroves, coral reefs and even deep sea!
Each of these has been adorned with the particular variety of wildlife that you will find in that area.The exhibits are vibrant, lively and interactive and indeed a pleasure to watch for young and old alike, no wonder then that it attracts more than 300,000 visitors per year. It is located at southernmost tip of the Cape Panwa and is surrounded byy breathtaking scenic beauty.
Location: Mueang Phuket District
Timings: Open daily, 08:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Price: The approximate price for an adult is 100 THB and for a child 50 THB
Sea View Elephant Camp - Nai HarnA very recent addition to the elephant trekking companies based in Phuket, Sea View Elephant Camp is known for its excellent service and good deals. Opened in 2010, this camp is based close to Kata view point and includes entertaining activities like paintball and ATV. The scenic beauty of the location of the camp is quite an eye-arresting. There are about 12 elephants in the camp all having excellent arrangements for their good being. The tour programmes organised by the camp mainly includes mountain treks overlooking the fascinating view of Chalong Bay.
More Things to do around Phuket Seashell Museum
Nearby Attractions
Most Popular Places Around Phuket
Listings in Phuket


text:
Every Wednesday is Tip Day (or Quiz Day).
This Wednesday: Quiz—Are you an Over-Buyer or an Under-Buyer?
I've posted this quiz before, but I can't resist putting it up again. This distinction encapsulates one of my very favorite (if not most weighty) personal insights into human nature: the difference between overbuyers and underbuyers . I also love the satisficer/maximizer distinction, but I didn't come up with that one myself.
It's not particularly productive to be in too deep as an over- or under-buyer; both offer certain advantages but also some definite drawbacks.
Does one of these descriptions fit you?
You're an
if …
—You buy several summer outfits for your as-yet-unborn baby, then it turns out he outgrows those clothes before the weather warms up.
—You often lay in huge supplies of slow-moving items like shampoo or cough medicine.
—You often make a purchase, such as a tool or tech gadget, with the thought, "This will probably come in handy."
—You have a long list of stores to visit before you travel.
—You find yourself throwing things away—milk, medicine, even cans of soup—because they've hit their expiration date.
—You buy items with the thought, "This will make a great gift!" without having a recipient in mind.
—You think, "Buying these things shows that I'm responsible, organized, and thoughtful."
You're an
—You buy saline solution, which you use every morning and night, one bottle at a time.
—You often scramble to buy an item like a winter coat or bathing suit after the point at which you need it—and often, these items are sold out by the time you show up at a store.
—You're suspicious of specialized objects and resist buying things dedicated very specific uses: suit bags, special plastic plates and cutlery for children, hand cream, rain boots, hair conditioner.
—You often need to come up with a makeshift solution, such using soap because you've run out of shaving cream, because you don't have what you need.
—You often consider buying an item, then decide, "I'll get this some other time" or "Maybe we don't really need this."
—If you must buy something, you buy as little as possible—say, by putting $10 of gas in the car.
—You think, "Not buying these things shows that I'm frugal and not a consumerist sucker."
Me? I'm an underbuyer.
Underbuyers feel stressed because we don't have the things we need. We make a lot of late-night runs to the drugstore. (I constantly run out of saline solution.) We're surrounded with things that are shabby, don't really work, or aren't exactly suitable.
Overbuyers feel stressed because they're hemmed in by stuff. They often don't have enough storage space for everything they've bought, or they can't find what they have. They feel oppressed by the number of errands they believe they need to do, and by the waste and clutter often created by their overbuying.
So underbuyers, buy what you need, without procrastination! Don't wait for the first morning of your ski trip to buy ski gloves!
Overbuyers, think it over before you whip out your wallet! You don't need a 10-year supply of toothpaste!
What do you think? Do you recognize yourself in either of these categories?
* A friend, Melanie Rehak, has started a terrific new blog, Eating for Beginners —"on food, farming, and raising a family." My favorite feature is the "Friday Food Writers," when Melanie quotes a wonderful food-related passage from literature. Delicious! Her book by the same name will be published next year, and I can't wait to get my hands on it—and I'm not even a foodie.
* Consider starting a group—organized around happiness projects! (Or a book group focused on happiness books.) I'm busily creating the starter kit to send out to anyone who is interested. If you want a starter kit, e-mail me at gretchenrubin1 [at] gmail [dot com] , and I'll add your name. (Use the usual email format—that weirdness is to thwart spammers). Just write "happiness-project group" in the subject line. Or sign up here .


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So, I've built a bit in the past couple of days to distract my self from cleaning my room. first up is a little truck I made. It has existed in fairly simple form for some time now and been through a couple battles, but I decided to was time to upgrade it and make it look a little prettier. So, here we are:
The B.E.S.E. Rocket Cart/Truck/Whatever
It has two 4-shot rocket pods on the turret, as well as a targeting laser and light machine gun(just in case). I think what I'll be doing with it fairly soon is replacing the wheel axles with a couple old red suspension axles I have in a bin some where. It's basically meant to be about the size/weight of a Mule, with a rocket pod set in the bed. It could be removed to have the truck function in other ways.
Next up is a new type of unit I've been working on: The Neckbeard
What I have so far is a squad of four. They're your generic computer savvy nerd. Their stats are: Move 4, Skill 1D4, Armor 3. The only equipment a Neckbeard can use is his Neckbeard Machine(laptop, computer, tablet, mobile phone, etc.), or random objects. Neckbeards, while they do often like weapons and violence, are too pussy to actually use real weapons. Also, they cannot wear armor unless Cosplaying or LARPing. The idea with them is that every time you have them take an action, before-hand, they roll a D-6.
On a one, they enter into a nerdebate with the closest unit. The topic can be whatever seems most appropriate. The nerdebate lasts for two rounds, and if the other unit is not a neckbeard, they are enthralled and incapable of moving/taking action until those two rounds are over, as the Neckbeard is. If the other unit is a Neckbeard, the nerdebate lasts for four rounds, and at the end, another D-6 is rolled. If the result is a 3-6, then they may end the nerdebate peacefully and continue as on as normal. On a 1-2, the nerdebate ends violently. A D-3 is rolled. If the result is a 1, they simply continue the nerdebate for another four rounds. If the result is a 2, they enter into a LARP battle. In a LARPer-on-LARPer nerd battle, the two opposing units take up LARP weapons and fight as normal. The skill for using a larp weapon is the same as a normal long sword, but the damage is treated as push. If any armor is donned, the players may enter their own Nerdebate to determine the effects. As soon as one Neckbeard hits the other, the nerdebate is re-engaged, though, this time, it is over whether that was a legal hit or not. It is always assumed that LARP gear is readily available.
On a two, the Neckbeard begins Trolling any unit within 20 inches via the use of S/H/IT's Neckbeard Machine. If there are no enemy units within range, an friendly unit must be chosen. The Neckbeard rolls S/H/IT's skill against target unit's skill. At the prospect of getting lulz, the Neckbeard's skill increases to a D6. If the Neckbeard wins, the chosen unit is Trolled for the next two rounds. While Trolled, the chosen unit must, at the beginning of its player's turn, immediately begin attacking the closest unit violently. This takes place before the normal movement and action phases.
On a three, they begin Cosplaying. While Cosplaying, they can be given any armor or weapon(s) that seem appropriate for whatever character you think they might want to be portrayed. The stats of equipment and any stat increases of the minifigs themselves are left up to a nerdebate between the players. Cosplaying lasts for two rounds, after which the Neckbeard returns to normal.
On a four, the Neckbeard begins Cosplaying, but he or she(not that they don't all look like trolls anyway) may drag up to two minifigs within twelve inches into it. These minifigs may be allied or enemy units of any type, and are modified based upon the owners wishes. Once again, the effects of this are decided by the players' nerdebate. Minifigs that are enemy minifigs do not become friendly to the original Neckbeard or any other character, unless the Neckbeard's player has won a relevant nerdebate.
On a five, the Neckbeard enters LARP mode for two rounds. During this, he wields his LARP weapon(s), which are explained in the paragraph about Nerdebates. The LARPing Neckbeard must now engage in combat with the closest enemy unit OR, if the second option is closer than any enemy, closest LARPer. LARPing Neckbeards prioritize fighting other LARPers first. If the LARPing Neckbeard interrupts a nerdebate LARP, they become part of the nerdebate cycle. If they are hit by an enemy unit and not killed, they begin a nerdebate with the enemy, as described above.
ON A SIX, the Neckbeard actually does something useful technologically. This can be hacking enemy machinery, googling weaknesses, or setting up their Neckbeard Machine as a remote access point to a machine for any pilot or other minifigs. If the last option occurs, twos and sixes must be re-rolled for two turns, after which they reclaim their Neckbeard Machine on the grounds that they have important things to do. Otherwise, the chosen effect occurs automatically, as the odds of a Neckbeard doing something useful are so astronomical that you might as well just let it happen, because it probably won't happen again. The only exception to this is if another player challenges the plausibility of the action, at which junction you may enter into a nerdebate with them over whether you can or cannot do such a thing.
Well, that's it for now. Waddaya think, Brikwars?