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Nowadays, it's getting more and more popular among different organization to use internet service for video conferencing with remote branch offices. This type of services claims higher quality of channels and, in particular, requires guaranteed transmission rate from its source to its destination. But providers ISP (internet service provider) can guarantee the required QoS (quality of service) only in their area of responsibility. For this reason, many users refuse traffic transfer through the internet and have to lease expensive communication channels with the desired QoS.
Implementation of the idea would reduce users' expenses and make leasing of the special channels unnecessary. The realization of the idea is more or less easy, since the infrastructure of the internet is based largely on the equipment of one producer - Cisco.
The decision is made on the basis of responses of the ISP routers to demanded employment of the QoS policies in the specified period of time. In case of positive decision all the ISP routers would apply the demanded policies at a certain time and Mr. Smith would receive a channel of proper quality, video conference would take place.
We think that the idea possesses a big potential because it brings benefits to all. The user enjoys the simplified procedure of ordering and paying for the service. He works exclusively with QoSPS and receives a guaranteed quality channel for little money.
ISPs get additional income selling their resources at a higher price. The owner of the QoS Planning Server gets income from the organization of the process. ISP has no need to send bills to users; the provider's service will be paid by the QoSPS owner. The whole thing is simple and transparent.
Certainly, there are many different issues to think of: the development of protocols of interaction between QoS Helper, QoSPS and ISP routers, procedure for coordinating policies, proposed by the QoSPS and those of the local providers. There are also institutional and judicial issues concerning the QoSPS owner and providers and the issue of tariffication and payment to solve.
In the future, if the idea is successfully implemented, it will be possible to distribute not only the QoS policies to the routers of the providers, but also policies of routing and filtering traffic policies. Of course, all this would be done under the authority given by providers. Simply speaking, it will depend on how far the provider will let his equipment get managed.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


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Sad news from the BBC today:
The last surviving Scot who volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War has died at the age of 99.
Thomas Watters, originally from Glasgow, had been a corporation bus driver in the city before he went to Spain in 1936 as part of the Scottish ambulance unit.
Some 500 Scots joined the International Brigade to fight against Franco's army.
Mr Watters had been living in Hertfordshire for many years.
He received honorary Spanish citizenship in June 2009 at a ceremony in the Spanish Embassy in London.
The award was presented at that time to all survivors who had gone out to Spain between 1936 and 1939.
He subsequently returned to Glasgow in 2010 to speak at the ceremony rededicating the Pasionaria statue on the Clyde following its restoration.
Mike Arnott, who represents Scotland on the Committee of the International Brigade Memorial Trust, said: "I met Thomas on a number of occasions over the last two years.
"He was a truly inspirational and a lovely man, who will be greatly missed by his many friends and by all who knew him."

subset: commoncrawl


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Chauvet DJ COLORband T3 USB LED Strip Light
COLORband T3 USB is a full-size LED strip light that functions as a chase effect, blinder or wall washer and features three zones of control to create amazing chasing effects. Control is easy with convenient access to multiple pre-programs with or without DMX, and sound-activated programs. The unit is D-Fi USB compatible for wireless master/slave or DMX control. COLORband T3 USB includes multiple DMX personalities for a wide variety of programming styles and its silent operation makes it ideal for quiet applications.
- Full-size LED strip light functions as chase effect, blinder or wall washer.
- D-Fi USB compatibility for wireless Master/Slave or DMX control.
- 3 zones of control create amazing chasing effects.
- Convenient access to multiple pre-built programs with or without DMX.
- Includes multiple DMX personalities for a wide variety of programming styles.
- Nearly eliminate multicolor shadows with high-power, tri-color LEDs.
- Ideal for quiet applications due to silent operation and no moving parts.
- Sound-activated programs dance to the beat of the music.
- Easily transports in the optional CHS-60 VIP Gear Bag.
Chauvet DJ CHS-60 Dual LED Strip Light VIP Gear Bag
Protect and easily carry around your LED strip lights with this extremely affordable, practical soft bag. An internal, removable divider separates the bag into two padded compartments for enhanced protection of your lights during transportation. The convenient handle and shoulder strap offer multiple transportation options to suit different needs. Access each fixture quickly and easily to save time setting up and tearing down.
CHS-60 Features:
- Durable, soft-sided bag designed to transport LED strip lights from show to show.
- Protects your investment and simplifies load-in.
- Increase storage flexibility with an internal, removable divider that separates the bag into 2 compartments.
- Safeguard your fixtures during transport with padded, internal compartments.
- Save time during setup and teardown with easy access to each fixture.
- Simplify transport with the convenient handle and shoulder strap.
Xstatic DMX 3-Pin Terminator [XC-DMX3PTR]
- Xstatic's DMX 3-pin DMX terminator Kit is a 110 Ohm DMX terminator.
- It is recommended to use a Terminator at the end of any DMX run.
Chauvet DJ COLORband T3 USB Specifications
- DMX Channels: 3, 6, 8, 9 or 14
- DMX Connectors: 3-pin XLR
- Light Source: 12 LEDs (tri-color RGB) 3 W (700 mA), 50,000 hours life expectancy
- Strobe Rate: 0 to 26 Hz
- PWM Frequency: 1.2 kHz
- Field Angle: 27°
- Coverage Angle: 45°
- Illuminance: 1,760 lux @ 2 m
- Power Linking: 21 units @ 120 V; 38 units @ 230 V
- Input Voltage: 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz (auto-ranging)
- Power and Current: 27 W, 0.4 A @ 120 V, 60 Hz
- 26 W, 0.2 A @ 230 V, 50 Hz
- Weight: 5.8 lb (2.7 kg)
- Size: 38.9 x 2 x 6.2 in (987 x 49 x 157 mm)
- Approvals: CE
- Optional Controllers: IRC-6, D-Fi USB
Chauvet CHS-60 Specifications
- Compartments: 2
- Weight: 1.6 lb (0.7 kg)
- Size (internal): 43 x 7 x 7.5 in (1,092 x 178 x 190 mm)
This Package Includes:
- (4) Chauvet DJ COLORband T3 USB
- (3) 10FT Sure-fit DMX connecting cables
- (1) Xstatic DMX 3-Pin Terminator [XC-DMX3PTR]
- (2) Chauvet DJ CHS-60 Dual LED Strip Light VIP Gear Bags
Each COLORband T3 USB Box Includes:
- (1) COLORband T3 USB
- (1) Power cord
- (1) Hanging bracket with mounting hardware
- (1) Warranty card
- (1) Quick Reference Guide
Each CHS-60 Box Includes:
- (1) Chauvet DJ CHS-60 Dual LED Strip Light VIP Gear Bag
- (1) Padded removable internal divider
- (1) Shoulder strap
The XC-DMX3PTR Box Includes:
(1) Xstatic DMX 3-Pin Terminator [XC-DMX3PTR]
|Chauvet DJ


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Much like you, we're all about getting inspired when it comes to our sartorial choices.
The most recent fashion game-changing outfit we've come across: Olivia Palermo's black and pale pink striped dress topped with a wool and fur coat and accompanied by a wine-colored bag.
The style maven showed up at Dior's Fall 2013 show in Paris wearing this number complemented by a chic chignon and a classic red lip. Truth be told, we're quite smitten with her entire look. Plus, it's also the perfect work-to-date night dress. #Swoon.
But what are your thoughts?
Photo: Getty Images


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On The Road Price:
Call our Sales advisors today for the most up-to-date offer.
Enquire Now For More Details.
PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) a simple cost effective way to buy your new or nearly new vehicle.
You choose the vehicle, the deposit, how long you want the contract to run for and the mileage you intend to do. You will then receive a quote for fixed cost motoring for the length of the contract. At the end of the contract you have a choice to either buy the vehicle outright for an agreed lump sum (the Guaranteed Minimum Future Value or final balloon payment), or hand the vehicle back to the lender.
Call us for more details on 0330 019 3235
Enquire Now For More Details.
Hire Purchase allows you to take ownership of a vehicle once all payments are made.
This is one of the most popular methods to buy a new vehicle. You pay an initial deposit, then pay off the balance in monthly payments over an agreed period of time, when the payments are complete the vehicle is yours.
One of the main benefits with Hire Purchase is the ability to buy a high value vehicle on monthly payments.
Hire Purchase allows you to tailor your finance package as deposit, length of time and monthly payments are all flexible.
Call us for more details on 0330 019 3235
Enquire Now For More Details.
Personal contract hire is very similar to normal contract hire, but is exclusively for private individuals. This is one of the most common form of leasing.
With a personal contract hire agreement you take control of a vehicle for a contractual period � usually referred to as the �lease period�. You will make fixed monthly payments for the duration of the contract � when the contract expires you will simply return the vehicle and take out a new personal contract hire lease. PCH means you never have to worry about resale values of your vehicle.
Call us for more details on 0330 019 3235
Enquire Now For More Details.
Fuel: Diesel
Body: Double Cab Pick-up
Trans: Manual
Combined - 40 mpg EC Extra Urban - 45 mpg EC Urban - 34.
Insurance groups range from 1 to 50 and dictates the cost of the vehicles insurance. The higher the group, the higher the insurance will be for the vehicle.
Insurance Group
BHP rates the engine performance of vehicles and stands for the brake horsepower.
Performance (BHP)
CO2 is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the vehicle in grams per kilometre travelled, the lower the CO2 emissions the cleaner the vehicle is for the environment.
CO2 (g/km)
The total number of seats in the vehicle.
Number Of Seats
Road Tax is based upon the CO2 emissions of the vehicle and is split into 13 bands from A to M. The higher the letter the greater the cost of tax paid to drive the vehicle on public roads. In addition to the road tax detailed below, any vehicle that had a manufacturers retail price in excess of �40,000 when first sold, attracts a road tax supplement of an additional �320 per year. This is charged until the vehicle is 6 years old.
Road Tax
Although the Toyota Hilux has forged a reputation as something that cannot be killed, a little sophistication still plays well with buyers and the latest eighth generation model serves up extra safety and efficiency options, yet prices have remained reasonable.
The Toyota Hilux found instant fame when Top Gear decided to crash one, have it washed out to sea, burnt and finally set atop a dynamited tower block. Yet still it started and drove. This cemented a reputation for rugged durability that had built up over many years. Sheer cockroach-like indestructibility is an undoubted asset but the British pick-up buyer is looking for something more. With an increasingly sophisticated set of rivals, the Hilux needed to become a bit easier to live with. Toyota has rolled out its package of camera-driven 'Safety Sense' features across more models, there are useful specification tweaks to the spec of the range-topping 'Invincible X' variant and a start-stop engine system's now fitted to most models in the range. None of the Hilux's essential toughness has been compromised of course, but you might now value your pick-up too much to subject it to the worst excesses.
Nothing fundemental has changed with the 2.4-litre D-4D Global Diesel (GD) engine fitted to this Hilux. With 400Nm of torque, pulling power is strong (far better than was developed by the previous generation 2.5 and 3.0-litre diesel units), plus there's reasonable efficiency too. All variants feature all-wheel drive, while the Invincible and Invincible X models at the top of the range offer the option of a six-speed automatic gearbox. Both transmissions have been extensively revised to improve durability and low-speed driving performance, with quieter, smoother gear changes. Both manual and automatic Hilux have a top speed of 106mph; acceleration from nought to 62mph is 12.8 seconds for the auto and 13.2 seconds for the manual. Under the skin, there's a new ladder-frame chassis that gives the vehicle a 20% increase in torsional rigidity, improving improved handling, ride comfort and refinement. The robust leaf spring and twin shock absorber rear suspension system has been extensively revised to provide off-road articulation capabilities and SUV-like ride comfort and handling stability. The Hilux is equipped with a switchable all-wheel drive system featuring a high and low-ratio transfer case, and both front and rear locking limited-slip differentials. The low and medium speed torque delivery of the 2.4-litre diesel engine and the strength of the ladder-frame chassis together enable a tough towing capacity rated at either 3.2 or 3.5 tonnes, depending on variant.
The eighth generation Hilux has become a larger, more aggressive-looking thing, despite adopting a sleeker frontal design which features a unified arrangement of the upper grille and headlamps and a deep bumper housing a large lower grille. The bonnet wraps over the front wheel arches to reinforce the vehicle's solid, road presence while the line of the second horizontal bar in the upper grille extends into the headlamp units to form a distinctive daytime running light arrangement, featuring 12 white LEDs. Inside, the cabin's centre console is dominated on most models by the Toyota Touch 2 integrated, seven-inch multimedia touchscreen. The smart driver's instrument binnacle features large, analogue speedometer and tachometer dials either side of a 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display. And the more premium appearance of the cabin is reinforced by metallic-effect details on the dashboard, door trim, instrument binnacle, steering wheel and gear lever bezel. A consistent blue tone has been introduced for the instrument backlighting.
Prices range from around £20,500, excluding VAT and there's a choice of 'Active', 'Icon', 'Invincible' and 'Invincible X' trim levels. As before, the Hilux is being offered in Single, Extra and Double Cab body styles. In keeping with their working vehicle profile, The Single and Extra Cab versions are offered only in the entry-level Active specification. Double Cab models are available in all grades. The latest generation 'Toyota Safety Sense' package is being made available across the range - standard on 'Icon', 'Invincible' and 'Invincible X' and an option on 'Active' grade. This newly equips Hilux with Adaptive Cruise Control and a Pre-Collision System that can recognise pedestrians in the road ahead by day and night, and cyclists during daylight driving, in addition to Lane Departure Warning and Road Sign Assist. For the Hilux 'Invincible X' at the top of the range, the focus is on a commanding presence, with new smoked chrome detailing on the upper front grille surround, fog light bezels, door and tailgate handles, door mirror casings, front and rear under-runs and rear bumper corners. The side bars are finished in black and the exterior look is complete by a set of 18-inch alloys with a two-tone machined finish. In the cab there are new piano black inserts on the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and gear shift.
By Jonathan Crouch
If you�re looking for a new Toyota Hilux Diesel Icon D/Cab Pick Up 2.4 D-4D TSS for sale, you�ve come to the right place. At Vertu Toyota we don�t just have the best Toyota Hilux Diesel Icon D/Cab Pick Up 2.4 D-4D TSS deals, we also offer friendly advice and help with all your enquiries to ensure your buying experience is a happy experience.
What are you waiting for? Make an enquiry online using the link above or call one of our friendly sales advisors today.
|Body Glass
|Heated rear window
|Electric front windows with one touch drivers window
|Laminated rear window privacy glass
|Variable front wipers
|Green tinted glass
|Traction control
|Brake assist
|Load sensing proportioning system
|Vehicle stability control
|Downhill Assist Control (DAC)
|Road sign assist
|Hill start assist
|Driver Aids
|Lane departure warning system
|Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection
|Adaptive cruise control
|Static guidelines on rear view camera
|Driver Convenience
|Cruise control
|Rear view camera
|Fuel heater
|Driver Information
|4.2" Multi information display
|Touch 2 with GO navigation system
|Lights on warning buzzer
|7" Multimedia display
|Driving Mirrors
|Electrically retractable door mirror
|Heated/electric door mirrors with integrated indicators
|Chrome door mirrors
|2 12v sockets
|6 speakers
|Digital radio (DAB)
|Touch 2 audio + Bluetooth + MP3 Connectivity
|USB and auxiliary socket
|Exterior Body Features
|Side steps
|Mud flaps front and rear
|Body coloured front bumper
|Chrome trim on radiator grille
|Chrome door handles
|Trailer sway control
|Stop/start function
|Black side steps
|Underbody protection cover
|Exterior Lights
|Front fog lights
|Headlight washers
|Headlamp levelling
|Follow me home headlights
|Dusk sensitive lights
|Daytime running lights
|Rear fog lights
|Auto Headlights
|Headlight cut-off reminder
|Multi reflector halogen headlights
|Emergency brake light assist (EBS)
|Manual air conditioning
|Interior Features
|Premium cloth upholstery
|Durable cloth upholstery
|Locking glovebox
|Carpet covered floor
|Tilt adjustable steering wheel
|Centre console with lid, storage and armrest
|Leather steering wheel with mounted audio controls and leather gear knob
|220V power socket
|Cloth upholstery
|Centre console coolbox
|Cooler in upper glove box
|Load Area
|Inner load hooks on cargo deck
|Driver and passenger airbag
|Child proof rear door locks
|Isofix child seat preparation
|Front seatbelt pre-tensioners + force limiters
|Rear seatbelt pre-tensioners with load limiters
|Side and curtain airbags
|Driver knee airbag
|Front passenger airbag on/off switch
|Front passenger airbag detector
|Driver seat height adjuster
|Rear seat tip-up function
|Remote central locking
|Lockable tailgate
|Rear differential lock with auto disconnect
|All terrain tyres
|Wheels - Spare
|Full size spare wheel
|Entertainment system with twin docks and single iPad holder
|Entertainment system with twin docks and twin iPad holder
|Entertainment system - Single DVD with twin dock/master
|Entertainment system - DVD/twin iPad with twin dock/master/iPad holder
|Entertainment system - twin DVD with twin dock/master/slave
|Entertainment system - twin DVD with twin dock/master/master
|Style pack - Hilux
|Parking pack - Hilux
|Exterior Body Features
|Metallic paint
|Pearlescent paint
|Solid paint
|Line-x under rail
|Line-x over rail
|Sport deck - Aluminium Roll N Lock + Bedliner
|Sport deck - Aluminium Roll N Lock + Line-x
|Sport deck - Aluminium Roll N Lock with Hi-Over + Bedliner
|Sport deck - Aluminium Roll N Lock with Hi-Over + Line-X
|Interior Features
|Rubber floor mats
|Floor mats
|Towing flanged - 7 pin + 13 pin
|Towbar with 7pin + 13pin and ball
|Wheels - Alloys
|17" alloy wheels
|17" 6 Spoke black/machined alloy wheels
|17" 6 Double spoke black/machined alloy wheels
|Perimeter alarm
|Paint - Metallic
|Metallic - Galaxy black
|Metallic - Decuma grey
|Metallic - Silver blade
|Metallic - Crimson spark red
|Metallic - Nebula Blue
|Metallic - Avantgarde bronze
|Paint - Pearlescent
|Pearl - Pearl white
|Paint - Solid
|Solid - Pure white
|Trim - Cloth
|Cloth - Black
|0 to 60
|0 to 62
|Engine Power KW
|Engine Power RPM
|Engine Torque LBS.FT
|Engine Torque MKG
|Engine Torque NM
|Engine Torque RPM
|Top Speed
Terms & Conditions: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information shown. However, errors do sometimes occur. The specification of each vehicle listed on the Vertu Toyota website is provided by "CAP". Please note that the Images of each vehicle are range shots, these can include images which do not reflect the precise details of the vehicle you are looking at and are purely used for illustrative purposes. The inclusion of such data does not imply any endorsement of any of its content nor any representation as to its accuracy. We do not charge a fee for introduction to a finance provider; however we may or may not receive a commission.
*The information given about models and their specification and features applies at the time that a vehicle is listed online or when the listing has been updated. Specifications and features do change and the information is given only as a guide. It may contain errors or omissions. The actual specification of a vehicle at the time of purchase may differ from that listed above and any important feature should be clarified as part of your purchase. The information above does not constitute an offer to sell.


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Jennifer Lopez on Exes Ben Affleck, Casper Smart + Cris Judd, Talks Mariah Carey Feud [VIDEO]by Michelle McGahan | PopCrush
Jennifer Lopez was an open book on 'Watch What Happens Live' — even if she was kind of forced into it.
Playing a round of 'Plead the Fifth,' host Andy Cohen fired three cringe-worthy questions at J. Lo, who gamely answered all of them. (Well, partially because she forgot she could "plead the fifth" on one.)
"Can I leave? Am I trapped in here?" J. Lo asked before Cohen began the game. "Oh my God, I'm starting to have anxiety."
If she was anxious, Lopez did a pretty good job of covering it up, considering she answered all of the questions pretty seriously — and straight-forward.
When Cohen asked her about her relationship with Ben Affleck — specifically, if she was responsible for getting him to dress better — Lopez was candid in her reply:
"I did kind of like, say, 'You're a movie star! You should wear a suit! You should do this with your hair!' For sure. I mean, I do that," she revealed. "… He was into it. He didn't do anything he didn't want to do … He had some good fashion moments when he was with me!"
And as for the supposed feud she has with Mariah Carey, J. Lo claims that it is kind of one-sided.
"I don't have a feud against her at all … I know from back in the day, I've read things that she's said about me that were not the greatest, but we have never met," Lopez said. "I would love to meet her and I would love to be friends with her. I think she's incredibly talented and I've always been a fan of hers. 'My All' is one of my favorite songs of all time. I just love her. It saddens me to hear anything that's negative because I'm a fan of hers."
Then Cohen went in for the kill: Who is better in bed — singers, actors, or dancers?
Cracking up, J. Lo responded: "I have to say that in my limited experience," she said, laughing, "I would have to say anybody involved in music. So, singers and dancers." But when she realized she could've pleaded the fifth on that one, she was hilariously upset. "I forgot my card!" she screamed. "Dammit!"
J. Lo still expanded on her relationship with dancers, revealing:
"I've dated two dancers. One, I had a brief marriage with, Cris Judd, who is an amazing person and whom I love, and then Beau [Casper Smart], who we just broke up, who I love as well. He's a good friend."
Watch Jennifer Lopez play 'Plead the Fifth' in the hysterical video above.


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|Authored By: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health
|Serve with a brown rice pilaf and steamed artichokes.
|Diet Type: Low Carbohydrate
|Serves: 4
|Cooking Time: 30 minutes - one hour
|Mix wine, Hoisin Sauce, garlic and pepper; pour over beef and tofu. Marinate 30 minutes. Drain, reserving marinade. Thread beef, tofu, bell pepper and onion on skewers. Grill over hot coals or under the broiler, turning occasionally and basting with reserved marinade, until beef is done and vegetables are tender, 5-8 minutes.
|Printable Version
|E-mail a Friend
|37 Doctors Park
|Suite 3
|Cape Girardeau, MO 63703


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If you'd like to sign up for these classes, visit A Thyme For Everything.
Braised Beef & Italian Vegetable Soup
The Best White Cheddar Grilled Cheese
Creamy Shrimp Bisque
Proscuitto & Fresh Mozzarella
Deluxe Hot Chocolate
February : Valentine's Date Night
Bring a date and join me and my date (Mike!) as he helps me prepare special indulgences for the holiday.
Classic Roasted Beef & Horseradish Canapes
Spinach & Bacon Salad
Shrimp Scampi Linguine
The Best Garlic Bread
Baked Chocolate Pudding
I've been cooking my way through The Barefoot Contessa's newest book, Foolproof. Join me for a workshop as I share my favorites from Foolproof :
Caramelized Bacon
Parmesan Crisps
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
1770 Meatloaf & Garlic Sauce
Salted Caramel Brownies
In this class, we'll focus more on Flowers than Food! I'll demonstrate how to make 3 different arrangements from the season's most beautiful blooms - ranging from complex to very simple. You'll be able to make and take home your own Mini Spring Floral Creation.
We'll enjoy a simple Spring Supper of :
Shrimp, Portobello Mushroom, Spinach & Angel Hair in a Lemon Cream Sauce
Crusty French Bread & Homemade Herbed Butter
Fresh Lemon Mousse
In this class, I encourage you to bring your Mom or your Daughter!
Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
Parchment Packets with Seafood, Lemon & Chives
Spring Pea Risotto
Cherry Cupcakes


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GOP senator blocks action on nominee for Air Force secretary over fate of A-10 military plane
WASHINGTON (AP) � Sen. Kelly Ayotte is blocking Senate action on President Barack Obama's nominee for Air Force secretary until she gets answers about the fate of the military's A-10 attack aircraft.
The New Hampshire Republican placed a "hold" on the nomination of Deborah Lee James amid signals from senior Air Force officials that the aircraft may be scrapped due to budget cuts.
"As ranking member of the Armed Services readiness subcommittee, Sen. Ayotte's central concern is that our troops, including New Hampshire servicemen and women serving in harm's way, have the close air support they need to safely accomplish their missions," Liz Johnson, a spokeswoman for the senator, said in a statement Thursday. "The A-10 airframe is credited with saving 60 American lives this summer in Afghanistan."
Johnson said Ayotte had not gotten the answers from the Air Force on whether it planned to eliminate the aircraft before a replacement was available. The Air Force was in the process of responding and once Ayotte received a "substantive response" she would lift her hold on the nomination, Johnson said.
Ayotte's husband, Joe Daley, is a former A-10 pilot who flew combat missions in Iraq.
The senator questioned James about the aircraft at her confirmation hearing earlier this month, arguing that until the next generation F-35 aircraft was operational "we can't be giving up our capacity, particularly important capacity that protects our troops."
James had testified that there had been no decision on the A-10, but the Air Force was looking at all options as it faces automatic, across-the board spending cuts.
Ayotte submitted 32 follow-up questions to the Air Force.


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10 Charming Cheap His And Her Wedding Ring Sets
Sponsored Link:
When it comes to the fashion jewelry or 10 Charming Cheap His And Her Wedding Ring Sets to suit your winter needs, there are a lot of cool options available. Many women comprehend the importance of wearing the right jewelry with the outfits they put on to go to work, social functions, and even elegant events that they will be attending. The fashion world is filled with traits for every season, and those traits are always changing based on the patterns that firms come out with and what celebrities consider to be hot. If you'd like to know which types of jewelry you should be considering for the frosty season, then here are a few bits that you should consider.
If you are considering necklaces for the fashion jewelry that you will be wearing this winter, then there are a few things you should know. One of the hottest trends of the year is for women to wear layers of necklaces. This can be a mixture of silver and gold necklaces that may contrast with each other, or it can be layers of a single color with a necklace that features a colorful gemstone thrown into the mix. This is a very cool look that you will discover several women wearing this winter.
Not only are women wearing layers of necklaces for the fashion jewelry they are acquiring, but they are also wearing layers of bracelets as well. This fall you will recognize several women walking around with many different types of bracelets going down their arms. These will be a mixture of the major chunky bracelets as well as cuff bracelets and others. Who says you are merely limited to wearing one type of bracelet? If you hop on this winter fashion trend you will be capable of wear as many as you want!
Sponsored Link:


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Aug. 29, 2001
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA Executive Committee has approved the expansion of the fields for the Division I men's and women's soccer championships, effective with the 2001 tournaments.
The men's bracket increased from 32 to 48 teams, while the women's bracket expanded from 48 to 64 teams. It is the first expansion for the men's tournament since the bracket was increased from 28 to 32 teams following the 1992 championship. The women's bracket was increased from 32 to 48 teams in 1998.
"Both committees (Division I Men's Soccer Committee and Division I Women's Soccer Committee) are excited about their respective brackets being expanded," said Tom Jacobs, NCAA director of championships. "Not only will it afford all eligible conferences the opportunity for an automatic berth, but it will provide an NCAA championship opportunity for 640 additional male and female student-athletes (352 female, 288 male)."
In the men's championship, 20 conferences will receive automatic bids with the remaining 28 being awarded to at-large teams. There will be no play-in games for qualification.
In the women's championship, 28 conferences will be awarded automatic berths with 36 teams receiving at-large selections.
Sixteen campus sites will host the first and second rounds of the men's tournament. Three teams will be selected to the 16 sites with the first round being played November 23. In the second round, the winning team of the first round will play the team with the first-round bye on November 25. The third round will be played the weekend of December 1-2, and the quarterfinals will be played December 8-9. The 2001 NCAA Men's College Cup will be played December 14 and 16 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
The format for the women's tournament will have 16 campuses hosting the first and second rounds of the women's tournament. Four teams will be selected to the 16 sites with the first and second rounds being played on November 16 and 18 respectively. The third round will be held November 23-25 and the quarterfinals will be played November 30-December 2. The 2001 Women's College Cup will be held December 7 and 9 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.


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Raise your hand if you still don't know how to cook rice? So many people are fabulous cooks but still can't master some basics. From rice, to mashed potatoes and potato kugel, once you master it, you can't believe how simple it actually is. This week, let's get back to basics. Master one basic recipe and you'll be off to creating great dishes! - CookKosher
I have to admit, if it wasn't for skype and google, it would have taken me much longer to go from desperate newlywed to Balabusta in progress!
Great post!!


text: Indian History Optional Preparation Group Leadership Group Administrators Public Group active 1 day, 8 hours ago For detailed syllabus click here Home About Members 127 Media Media You could display a small snippet of information from your group extension here. It will show on the group home screen. Who's Online There are no users currently online


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Introducing the all-new Renault KADJAR. With a bold, athletic stance and a luxurious interior, the all-new Renault KADJAR is the ideal midsize SUV to take your family adventures to a whole new level.
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Tank! Tank! Tank! is a game of destruction where players blast over-sized enemies and destroy buildings. In the game's campaign, each tank can be leveled up and as specific missions are completed new tanks can be unlocked. Players can also join friends in four-player split-screen action in both free-for-all and team versus modes of play. Each player can create an avatar that displays above their tank by taking a picture of themselves using the Wii U GamePad's camera, and then customize it with in-game props.
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Tank! Tank! Tank! for Wii U lets players drive around in tanks shooting at things. That's the basis of things; however, the player may also play with friends to also shoot and destroy things. In Tank! Tank! Tank!, players will battle it out in multiple different Japanese monster and Mech scenarios including famous gameplay experiences.
Typically, when the player begins the level they are given a certain amount of time to defeat all the enemies. While this time limit can vary, it it usually about three minutes. When the player defeats enemies, they are awarded with medals. Medals can be used for unlocking tanks, tank upgrades and levels within the game. While some medals can be earned on a mission, the player may have to upgrade their tank and play the level again to earn another hidden medal. Unlocking all of the medals are crucial in being given the option to upgrade and unlock everything else in the game. It's also important for the player to try to earn the best score that they can get within the level in hopes of a chance at earning medals.
The player will usually just move their tank, shoot at enemies and defend themselves against attacks by defensive maneuvering and strategic offensive shooting. The player's tank has a standard weapon but is upgraded with yellow and blue powerups. Yellow is a light powerup whereas the blue powerup is a strong upgrade. This gameplay repeats in fashion until the player earns all of the medals, unlocks all the tanks and upgrades all of the tanks. This game is a fun game that allows family and friends to have a good time battling their tanks against large Godzilla-like creatures.
The vertical aiming in the game is automatic so the player just needs to point their tank cannon in the direction of the target they would like to strike. Besides the powerups that the player can find, there is also a hidden powerful weapon. The weapon is called the colossus missile and it is a nuclear bomb that will destroy any opponents within the surrounding area.
Tank! Tank! Tank! has rich cartoon-like graphics that capture monsters in captivating details and colors. Besides the visuals, if the player would like to do so they may also take a picture of the gameplay. The Wii U game pad can be used to capture a picture of the on screen action so it can be looked at anytime.
The multiplayer portion of the game also features four modes people can choose from. There is free-for-all where players try to stay alive and earn the most points within the time limit; Team Versus Mode and the Monster Battle Mode. The Monster Battle Mode allows players to team up against the monsters played by the CPU. Lastly, there is the My Kong Mode. This option might be overlooked by some people and is a worthy gameplay mode for trying. When selecting this mode, the player becomes a gigantic robot gorilla with the goal of defeating all of the other players.
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Gautam Nagar is one of thirty-odd slums, comprising ninety thousand families, on land owned by the Airports Authority of India, in Mumbai. It is ten minutes by foot to the international terminal and is ringed by five of the city's smartest hotels. The hotels charge two hundred to a thousand dollars a night and are enclosed by high walls and barbed-wire fences, so their interactions with Gautam Nagar are primarily airborne. Music from weddings and poolside parties drifts over. Ash from cow-dung and wood fires drifts back. And every evening at precisely six-thirty a Hyatt sign lights up red and white, its glow not quite reaching the dirty screens of two video-game consoles in a tin-roof shed.
Anna, an elderly Tamil resident of Gautam Nagar who wears his loincloths very short, opened the game parlor last year. He quickly regretted the endeavor. Profits have slipped owing to the global recession, and, like businessmen the world over, he is now repositioning: converting the front of the game room into a stall for hot fried snacks. Food hygiene is more difficult at Anna's than it is at the Hyatt, since the air of Gautam Nagar is clotted with grit from a nearby concrete plant. So he covers his skillet with a sign, retrieved from a trash pile, that reads "Hotel InterContinental the Grand."
The uncertain future of the games in this evolving establishment concerns Sunil, a thirteen-year-old boy who works at the airport. He supports their survival as reliably as he is able: one rupee nightly in exchange for thirty minutes of Metal Slug 3. At dusk on January 22nd, as a parade of Mumbai women visited the hotel spas to get manicured, exfoliated, and blown out for that night's Indian première of "Slumdog Millionaire," Sunil was deriving a poor return on his one-rupee entertainment outlay. He was having his ass handed to him by a being even worse than the zombies and giant mutant crabs on his screen: a twelve-year-old gloater. "You're dead now," Sunil's rival cried, banging the joystick, making the bombed-out virtual city shake. "Everyone, come and see!" Sunil attempted to rally his Metal Slug man, firing a rocket-propelled grenade at an abandoned tank that provided cover for his enemy, as boys pressed in to watch him fail.
He didn't take the crowd's interest personally. Boys always crammed into Anna's. One reason was Anna himself: bald on top with snarls of silver hair on the rest of his body, something the children found consistently funny. More compelling, though, were the amenities: the games, two light bulbs, and a short metal bench. Sunil's home, in one of the many sumpy lanes behind the shop, lacked lights, water, and a place to sit, and every evening was enveloped in a stink so much worse than all the usual stinks at Gautam Nagar that people doubled over when they inhaled it. The cause was a truckload of rotting hotel food, dumped daily outside his home, which sustained three hundred feral pigs. He would have paid more than one rupee to breathe elsewhere.
Two older boys commandeered the second machine—sophisticates, with rusty bullet casings shoved into holes in their earlobes. This fashion caused infections, but was believed to be the American style.
"To kill me, you will have to do something bigger than this!"
"Take your rocket inside!"
"No, no—then they will throw that bomb."
"Bombs? All my bombs are gone—"
"Lost. Lost."
The sophisticates weren't as loud as the gloater, but as they played they hogged the bench. Out of principle, Sunil rose to yank it back. This put him further behind in the scoring, but, mentally, he had already deserted the mission: a dwindling interest that had less to do with bench hogs or the gloater than with his changing relationship to Metal Slug 3. Reverberations of the crisis in the American economy had recently driven him from work he liked—collecting garbage and selling it to recyclers—into work he didn't like. He had become a metal thief at the international airport, and now that he faced real daily dangers, without arms or armor, the rush of pretend dangers on video screens had diminished. He regretted not spending his rupee on Bomberman, the game selected by two younger boys who had taken his spot on the bench. The Bombermen had round heads and looked like toys, and circus music played when you exploded.
Worldly Indians like to call Mumbai, the financial capital, their country's New York City. That would make the airport area, in the suburbs, its Queens. Mumbai's Queens, though, has more glamour. Around the hotels, stands of sleek office buildings are multiplying rapidly; one of them is named simply More. Gautam Nagar is named after the eight-year-old son of a scavenger who succumbed to pneumonia after one of the periodic slum demolitions. The community consists of approximately a thousand human residents; seventeen water buffalo; goats, dogs, and pigs; and two white horses striped to look like zebras—the handiwork of a once fearsome slumlord, now gone batty. The primary industry here is the gathering of airport garbage for recycling—work made a little less miserable by expanded global markets and India's surging G.D.P. Over the past five years, there were enough water bottles, earbuds, Diet Coke cans, used tampon applicators, batteries, and copies of Indian Vogue to lift the majority of families over the World Bank's poverty line, which is currently twenty-two rupees a day in India's cities.
Jobs at the hotels would have lifted residents far higher, but management wanted people who spoke English, not just Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Nepali, or any of the six or eight other languages spoken in the airport slums. Everyone knew that management also wanted people who were light-skinned; many Gautam Nagar residents are dark from work in the sun. Still, recycling had, over time, turned most of the slum's tarp roofs into tin ones, under which some families had laid down ceramic-tile floors. But last fall, when bank lending slowed worldwide, construction projects stalled, and the demand for recycled materials plummeted, Gautam Nagar's link to the global markets started pushing it backward.
"The banks in America went in a loss, then the big people went in a loss, then the scrap market in the slum areas came down, too" was how Anna, who read the Tamil-language newspapers, had explained the crisis to the residents. A kilo of empty water bottles, once worth twenty-five rupees, was now worth ten. This was how the crisis was understood.
Sunil had entered the garbage business when he was seven or so, after his mother died of tuberculosis. His father did roadwork when it was available, then drank his wages. Sunil's sister, Sunita, was two years younger; when he was small, he'd lost her for a week, but he had been careful not to misplace her after that. He'd shared with her the money he made roaming the airport roads with a sack, retrieving and examining the stuff that other people tossed away. An older boy, odd and constantly blinking, had been his preferred companion, and Sunil even now viewed the dustbins in the cargo area with a proprietary eye, as they had been the boys' most profitable target.
Sunil still did not feel much like a thief. When he took a bath in an abandoned pit at the concrete-mixing plant, he pushed away the algae to inspect his reflection. The change in his profession didn't yet show on his face: same big mouth, wide nose, problem torso. He was too small all over. Even Sunita was taller now, though he bested her in hair. While both of them got bitten by rats, and the rat bites sometimes turned into head boils, she'd recently become a baldie like Anna, because her boils had erupted with worms.
A genial sixteen-year-old neighbor, himself possessed of a worm-bald sister, had walked Sunil through his change in profession. Rather than waiting for stuff to get used up and tossed out a window, a profit-minded individual could get involved earlier in the consumption process. The older boy even offered the use of his bicycle, free, for the first burglary, if Sunil would sell to him what he obtained. "Bring me jhol" was what that boy had said: goods procured by indi-rect means. And so Sunil, once a lawful scavenger, became one of the new economy's micro-saboteurs.
It was 8 P.M., and outside the game parlor the water buffalo were nosing for food through mounds of devalued garbage, excreting the consequences of bad choices in vivid green streams. The owner of the buffalo sold their milk to families in neighborhoods with more disposable income, so Sunil didn't really consider the beasts part of the community. Sunil had two jobs to show for his day, which had started around midnight, when he crept into a four-story airport parking garage that was a month short of completion.
Outside, the building was blue and silver steel. Inside was a series of vast concrete plains. By now, Sunil knew the best way in: past rows of bright-red-and-yellow barricades; past bulldozers and a generator, hooded at night; past a security checkpoint where guards were scouring car trunks with flashlights; past a bitter-almond tree whose leaves had reddened, which meant the nuts had turned sweet; and past two U-shaped bunkers. The bunkers were made of cement bags, piled high, and he'd first seen them in November, after terrorists came by boat from Pakistan to kill a lot of people in another part of the city, a place that also seemed to be crammed with hotels. The gunmen had been on the television at Anna's house, which sat two sheds from the game parlor, and Sunil had seen them through a window.
The ceilings of the garage were low. All the lights were off, including some blue ones that looked like spiders. During the day, sparrows skittered around the garage, but sparrows didn't skitter at night, so he wasn't sure which animals were making sounds. Not rats, he decided; he had never encountered them here before. Guards he had often encountered, but tonight he couldn't hear where they were. He moved carefully to a stairwell, which, instead of exterior walls, had steel slats with spaces in between them. The slats let in the white light from the newly renovated terminal, where families were still waving to departing passengers. The light increased the risk of his being seen by one of the guards, but it was essential to making an appraisal.
Lately, Sunil had been searching for German silver—a term spoken reverently in Gautam Nagar, and always in English, for some reason. In the slum, it meant aluminum, electroplate, nickel, and an alloy sometimes used to make forks and knives. The price for German silver had recently dropped from a hundred rupees a kilo to sixty, but the price for everything else had fallen further.
Sunil worked his way up the stairwell. On each landing a small hole had been drilled in the concrete, and he supposed that a water pipe would eventually run through it. For now, the hole allowed him to ascertain whether guards were slinking up the stairwell behind him, before he turned to examine each slice of concrete expanse.
Third tier: two strips of aluminum. He darted out to grab them. This wasn't a score that would be fun to recount back at Anna's. The strips were just lying on the floor, and he was surprised that some other thief hadn't already taken them. He thought they might have been parts of a window frame, although the garage didn't have windows. The practical function of items he stole was often a mystery to him. It didn't matter to his work, but he still wondered.
Next, he ascended to the roof, where the only German silver he'd ever found was in a bright-red cabinet marked "Fire Hose Box"—a flimsy holder for a fire extinguisher, worth little. The roof was also the place where he was most likely to encounter watchmen. Nepali watchmen scared him most, because they were sort of Chinese, like Bruce Lee. Still, on every visit he tried to get up there. At four stories, it was the highest roof he'd ever been on. The open space was a rarity in his city of something like sixteen million people.
The roof had two kinds of space, really. One kind was what a boy got when he stood exactly in the middle and knew that even if his arms were ten times longer he'd touch nothing if he spun around. But that kind of space would be gone when the garage was open and filled with cars. The space that would last was the kind he leaned into, over the guardrails. He liked the red-tailed Air India planes flying out, and the municipal water tower with its red and white squares. He liked seeing the glow of the Hyatt sign, and trying to guess which of the dark patches underneath was Gautam Nagar. But what he liked seeing most were the people moving in and out of the terminal. Other boys who visited the roof liked the moving people, too, because they looked small. Sunil had a different perspective. Seeing the moving people from up high made him feel close to them. He felt free to study how they did things in a way he couldn't when he was on the ground. There, if he stared, they would see him staring.
Enough roof: he had to take his German back to Gautam Nagar. Before the terrorist thing, he would have dropped the strips off the roof onto a mound of sand used to make concrete, and then run down to pick them up. He liked the way the sand felt under his bare feet. With the increased security, however, he couldn't risk the clatter of the metal if he missed the sandpile. Instead, he carried his aluminum strips down the stairs, and then, before leaving the building, slid them down his pants, through the legs of his underwear. German against the skin didn't feel good, but whenever he'd tried to carry it outside his underwear it slipped around.
He limped, stiff-legged, past the security checkpoint and the municipal police station, then home for a few hours' sleep in the back of a trash truck. Rising early, he sold the aluminum to Anna, who had a scrap business on top of his other enterprises. Anna opened a purse in the folds of his too short lungi to give Sunil eight rupees: twenty for the silver, minus twelve rupees for three bread-and-potato concoctions called vada pav from the fryer. Chinese chicken-chili rice, Sunil's favorite meal, cost twenty-five rupees; he'd had it once several months ago, after an eighty-rupee copper heist—faucet valves from the airport fire brigade. He was still new to his work then and had thought chicken-chili rice might be a regular option.
After lunch, he and a younger friend visited a sewer they called a river, where at midday it was cooler than elsewhere. Then he set out again, to separate tire locks from the wheels of autorickshaws that had ended up on the wrong side of the airport parking police.
One of the area's many tangles of cranes and scaffolding sits two hundred metres from the game parlor, and promises something that prosperous Mumbaikars eagerly await: an elevated expressway to the airport. The current airport road is one of the purgatories where new India collides with old India and makes new India late: roads of missed flights, lost deals in London or Dubai, and dreams dying behind the jam of new cars and incompetent drivers and the fleet of bicycle delivery boys peeling off from the chicken shop, each carrying three hundred eggs. In another year, there would be a smooth ride over this chaos to the international-departures terminal, for those who could afford to fly away.
Sunil's road was as cratered as one in a Vidarbha village. It was after 9 P.M. now, and other thieves were walking down it, lugging goods. The residents who still collected garbage—mostly women, mostly Matang, one of the traditionally untouchable castes—were carrying gunnysacks marked "UPS." Many of the women had started work at five that morning, with short breaks to cook food, wash dishes, shake grit out of sheets, fill water vessels from an oversubscribed tap, and rear their children. The Matangs kept apart from the thieves, but both groups were in a rush to trade what they'd gathered for cash, either from Anna or from one of the two other scrap dealers standing in front of scales nearby.
Twenty-five rupees to a Matang woman in a red sari, forty to her friend, another forty to a thief, who had worked fewer hours. Sunil had secured two tire locks on the second run, but tonight, as on most nights, he was delaying his trade. He had stowed his pieces under the table where Anna cooked. All over the world, according to Anna's newspapers, businesses possessing large quantities of metal were also forestalling their reckonings—"holding a long position" was the term—in the hope that the recession would end, governments and businesses would start building things again, and the price of scrap would rally. Prices never rallied over a few evening hours at Anna's, so Sunil wasn't sure why he liked to procrastinate before setting his goods on the scale.
There were lots of things he did without really knowing the reason. He thought it would be useful to have someone to help him make his arguments—which of the Hindu saints and gods was the best, for instance. This was something about which other kids had strong feelings:
"Your fat Ganpati can't move fast enough to save you from me now, asshole!"
"Ha! My Shiv will open his third eye and destroy you!"
Sunil was too unsure of the respective merits of the various gods to decide upon a favorite. Still, from what he had observed in Gautam Nagar, the fact that a boy knew about the gods didn't mean that the gods would look after the boy.
A new shift of players entered Anna's shed: cashed-out workers, mostly thieves, unwinding before sleep. The Matang women never sat down to play, Sunil had noticed. He sat behind the gamers on a black plastic jug, watching his tire locks while stretching his legs, which were stiff and mapped with cuts from German silver. The next time he had fifteen rupees to spend on nonessentials, he wanted to get his ear pierced. He didn't want one of the rusty bullet casings the older boys wore. He wanted something shiny. He had his eye on a silver-colored skull on offer from a vender at the local train station. He would be able to buy it this weekend if he executed a certain burglary he'd been postponing. This act of procrastination wasn't a mystery to him. He was scared.
When Sunil told new boys he met at the parlor, "I work at the airport daily," "daily" was the word he emphasized. It was 9:30 P.M. now, and his father, who worked only occasionally, had just reeled past the shop. Sunil went outside but didn't call to him. One of his friends, also a thief, was lounging on a bag of Matang garbage. The boy was tripping sloppy on Erase-X, the Indian equivalent of Wite-Out, which office people tended to toss prematurely. Mix the dried bits with three drops of water, put a gob on a rag, stuff the rag into your nostrils, and you had a cheap high more exhilarating than that of the heroin for sale in one of Gautam Nagar's bigger huts. Sunil had tried Erase-X once. Afterward, he couldn't remember much, not even the feeling of being high, which was a disappointment.
The hour of Erase-X was also the hour for reviewing the day's events, and the talk now was of a Tamil woman whose husband had sold the family hut in the course of a four-day binge. While Sunil was prying tire locks from the wheels of autorickshaws, the woman had tried to hang herself from a ceiling fan. Someone cut her down. She was fine. This was dull gossip for a day at Gautam Nagar, and the boys didn't dwell on it. Instead, they returned to Anna's, compared the goods found that day, and gauged which boy had displayed the most daring.
A lot of boys lied about what they stole. Sunil understood the impulse. School, not stealing, was what he lied about. He lied about school all the time.
"Which class are you?" asked a boy he didn't know. New boys were always turning up at Anna's—fresh arrivals from poor states in the north.
"Class five," Sunil replied.
A boy wearing the blue pin-striped uniform issued by the government school turned away from his joystick, confused: "But how can you be in five when I am in five?"
"No, not the school near here. A school in Chakala. Well, right now I don't go to class, but I will go later. I will go only to take the big exams at the end of the year . . ."
At the start of the school year, last July, Sunil had registered for classes at the local government school, as did most boys and girls in the slum. The central and state governments were expanding access to education, though teaching positions at the schools were still doled out locally as political rewards, often to the grossly unqualified. That first week, Sunil and the other children had staggered home with central-government incentives: book bags, umbrellas for the monsoon, pencil boxes. Many students then went back to work, after selling the school supplies to Anna. They needed rupees more than pencil boxes.
In Gautam Nagar, there was a single boy who could reasonably pass as a scholar. His name was Prakash, and though he didn't talk to many people, people talked about him. He'd attended a private English-language high school, then earned a bachelor's degree, and was now cramming for a board exam that might secure him a scholarship to management school. "He went from zero to hero"—that was the line in the Hindi films about slum boys who triumphed, and Prakash went after scholarships by telling his story in this Hindi-film way. But Prakash's father had gone to college, too, had studied science, before being injured in one of the train accidents that kill, on average, four thousand Mumbaikars a year. The father, now a curbside samosa vender, had just hobbled past Anna's on his remaining foot. It had been a poor selling day—"Economic slowdown," he had explained—but he wasn't the sort to treat anxiety with a plastic bag of slum-brewed liquor on his way home. Compared with other management-school aspirants, Prakash was wildly disadvantaged. Relative to other boys in Gautam Nagar, he was privileged.
Sunil had been privileged, too. After his mother died, the Handmaids of the Blessed Trinity, a Catholic charity funded by international donors, had taken him and his sister to a private school for poor and orphaned children outside the city. He remembered a geography book with pull-out maps, and Sister Paulette's promise: "She would put us through class ten and make us big, so that we can get married." This sequence remained his private code: the steps required for a decent adult life. But after a while he and Sunita had been returned to Gautam Nagar. He had played too much, he thought, or studied too little. Now he called the nun Sister Paulette-Toilet, quietly, when her chauffeured van came through the airport slums. He figured she was scouting for children more promising than he.
Zubbu, the daughter of a man who ran the local brothel, was also being scouted by outsiders. She stopped to wave to Sunil on her way home from Koran class: another baldie, but pretty. Instead of going to school, she kept house and cared for her younger brother, who was ugly and liked to make lizards smoke cigarettes before setting them on fire and breaking their skulls with a stone. Zubbu's parents favored the brother, however. He looked just like his father, while Zubbu was conceived during one of her father's prison stints. All month, Zubbu's parents had been trying to sell her, and Sunil would miss seeing her around. He had found her nicer, though, when she had long hair.
By 10 P.M., the beautified people were arriving at a white-lit multi-plex in the center of the city for the Indian première of "Slumdog Millionaire"—an event coinciding with the early-morning announcement of the Oscar nominations in Los Angeles. Sunil happened to know this part of Mumbai, as it contained the cat-infested t.b. sanatorium where his mother and neighbors had been treated before they died.
In India, "Slumdog Millionaire," a British film whose credits included Bollywood stars, would not be universally admired. In Bihar, slumdwellers greeted the opening by threatening to burn fifty-six effigies of the director, whose movie title equated human beings with dogs. A media-mad politician in a neighborhood close to, but nicer than, Gautam Nagar pressed the dog point with a lawsuit, hoping to force the filmmakers to change the name. He thought "Slum Dash Millionaire" would be more polite. Many educated, successful Indians disliked the film, too, but not because it slighted the poor. Rather, they thought it slighted the increasing affluence and prominence of their country.
The West did seem to make a fetish of the Indian poor, even as the official poverty rate was falling: from thirty-six to twenty-seven per cent in a decade. Sunburned tourists ventured forth from five-star hotels to take eight-hundred-rupee, four-hour slum tours. Madonna took a slum tour, too, though hers was free. In every room of Mumbai's new Four Seasons Hotel, housekeepers placed a copy of "Shantaram," a romantic novel set in the city slums, in a bedside drawer, in lieu of a Bible. Perhaps this Western fascination had something to do with sheer numbers: India still harbors a third of the world's poor. But Western status anxiety could not be ruled out entirely. While the great powers struggled, India, only sixty years free of colonization, continued to boom, with sufficient entrepreneurial energy and human potential to threaten the traditional global order.
Still, it wasn't just national pride that made prosperous Indians skeptical of "Slumdog." The film's squalid images didn't comport with the India they frequented. While official statistics told a story, true or not, about the dimensions of Indian poverty, it was getting harder than ever for the rich to gauge the particulars. Across the country, electrified fences, walls jagged with broken glass, security gates had gone up as inequality grew. This frenzy of fence-building was not just an Indian thing. It was as global as the crisis in garbage. And it reflected uneasiness about a time that might or might not come in which information flowed so freely that, however little the rich wished to consider the details of the poor, the poor might fully consider the details of the rich. Not the fantasy contours of wealth long available on the television and on the billboards but the precise thing happening next door. The fences insured against a time when a scavenger in Gautam Nagar might learn that a shot of rare Scotch consumed in ten minutes at the Sheraton's ITC Maratha cost exactly as much as he earned in seven hundred fourteen-hour days picking up aluminum cans and used tampon applicators, and find that information too much to bear.
The marvel was that the city didn't already look like a real-life version of the mad, insurrectionist Metal Slug 3, given that the poor far outnumbered the rich. This was the marvel of many great twenty-first-century cities, including New York and Washington, whose levels of inequality now match those of Abidjan and Nairobi. Maybe they should have looked like Metal Slug 3. Instead, ingenious social constructions—democracy, charity, subtle and blatant articulations of caste, hope, electrified fences—were keeping things more or less in order. Boys like Sunil had their part to play, too.
As the local newspapers gorged on "Slumdog," a fresh statistic appeared on the inside pages: Mumbai had more reported burglaries than any other metropolitan area in the country, with the greatest concentration in Sunil's area, the western suburbs. Perhaps these thefts were one of the city's secret safety valves: small leaks that kept the whole contraption from exploding. To the private corporation now running the airport, or to the government running the country, the total value of the loss wasn't just a rounding error. It was a bargain. The occasional bit of German silver kept the boys of Gautam Nagar in vada pav. It kept one of the world's great, unjust cities in relative peace.
The prospective theft that unnerved Sunil was at a place he called the Taj, but his Taj was not the luxury hotel that suffered casualties in the November terrorist attack. His Taj was a plain low-rise building, partly owned by the famous hotel company, on the airport grounds. Behind high stone walls and concertina wire, the company made meals to be served on flights. Shortly before the terrorists came, Sunil had seen orange scaffolding rising up inside the compound—a sign of construction and of metal on the ground. A few weeks later, he and three friends began to explore the possibilities. Though the concertina wire was impossible to clear, they found a hole behind some brush at the base of one of the walls. The wall edged a gravel lane that was pitch-black at night, and the other boys tripped on stones when darting down it. Sunil rarely stumbled, as he'd been using the lane for years. At its end was the sewer he called a river. When he was little, the water had seemed to him like swimming-pool water. Now it reeked, and he was puzzled that the fish still tasted sweet.
All month, from the sewer-bank place, he'd been staring at the brush that hid the hole, and not deciding anything much. Because he ran so much faster than most policemen, and climbed well, he'd been held at the station only four times. Those times were bad enough. They would be worse now, because of the terrorists. Everything was worse: new dogs, new contingents of guards, new guns. But the other boys didn't seem to register the difference in climate. They just looked at him expectantly. He had somehow become the boy who had to say, "Go in, get that."
A boy named Deepak had been his go-in-get-that person. Deepak's decisions could be poor because of Erase-X, but he was four years older than Sunil and genuinely daring. Then he died of German-silver fever. Security guards in one of the compounds had gouged out his eyes, put a sickle in his asshole. Sunil didn't like to think about what had happened to Deepak after they put the sickle in: how they ripped a cut, like a smile. The children of Gautam Nagar saw his body after it was tossed back over the wall. The police had no record of the murder.
At the game parlor, no one mentioned Deepak after dark. Invoking the name of any dead person after sunset increased the likelihood that his ghost would come back and haunt you. That was one thing about which everyone in Gautam Nagar—Hindu, Muslim, from the north, from the south—agreed.
Sunil stood up: it was cash-in time. Abdul, a twenty-year-old Muslim scrap dealer, was standing with a friend just outside Anna's. Sunil used to sell his soda cans to Abdul, before he learned from other Hindus about the invisible magnets Muslims put on their scales. Abdul looked funny now, twisting his neck back and forth just like the horses across the road that had been painted to look like zebras. He and they were probably flinging back and forth the same malarial mosquitoes.
"Do you ever think when you look at someone, when you listen to someone, does that person really have a life?" Abdul asked his friend, who had been practicing his English by studying an advertisement for mango-flavored candies. Sunil liked to listen to Abdul, despite the invisible magnets. "Like that woman who just went to hang herself, or her husband, who probably beat her before she did this?" Abdul said. "I wonder what kind of life is that—I go through tensions just to see the kind of life they're living. But it is a life. Even the person who lives like a dog still has a kind of life. Once my mother was beating me for something, and that idea just came to me. I said, 'If what is happening now—you beating me—is to keep happening for the rest of my life, it would be a bad life, but it would be a life, too.' And my mother was so shocked when I said that. She said, 'Don't confuse yourself by thinking about such terrible lives.' "
Abdul's friend bolted, leaving the candy advertisement in Abdul's care, and Sunil wandered in the opposite direction. It was nearly 10:30 P.M. Anna was inside his house, playing with his two young grandchildren while watching the climax of a Tamil soap opera. Sunil decided to watch, too, through the window, not turning even when the Tamil woman who had just tried to hang herself passed so close she nearly touched him, crying. Sunil didn't speak Tamil, but he had seen enough of the soap opera to know that the pretty woman on the screen, also crying, had three sisters and one brother she didn't know about. The soap-opera woman was now in a courtroom, her testimony about to convict the brother she didn't know for a grave crime involving a computer disk—roll credits. To be continued. Now Anna was free to preside over the scale.
Sunil knew nothing of the movie that ends with an airport-slum boy finding money, love, and fame. However, he might have recognized one of that movie's conceits: that deprivation may give a child a certain intelligence. The other conceit—that a child's specific miserable experiences might be the things to spring him from his deprivation—was the lie. It was the movie version of the electrified fence. The women who had been manicured and exfoliated and blown out would linger at the première past 1 A.M., then head to the after party at the JW Marriott. They could relax, not just because the film about the slum boy had a happy ending but because the boy's suffering had been part of the solution.
Sunil trusted Anna more than he trusted other people. But after unloading his goods onto one side of the scale he picked up each of the five-kilo black weights Anna used and held them for a moment, to verify their substance. When satisfied, he laid the weights gently in the other cradle and watched as the needle registered its verdict: fifty rupees. Fifty plus the twenty he'd made earlier. Over the poverty line, for this one day.
Sunil could buy the soap he needed for a bath in the pit, but not the earring with the skull, which he had hoped would make him feel older. But he would get it after the Taj. When he got to his hut, he discovered that his father was still wandering and had taken the only candle. This made him feel younger. At home, unlike at the airport, he was still afraid of the dark. ♦


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Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis
A primary care physician may suspect RA based in part on a person's signs and symptoms. If so, the patient will be referred to a rheumatologist – a specialist with specific training and skills to diagnose and treat RA. In its early stages, RA may resemble other forms of inflammatory arthritis. No single test can confirm RA. To make a proper diagnosis, the rheumatologist will ask questions about personal and family medical history, perform a physical exam and order diagnostic tests.
Medical History
The doctor will ask about personal and family medical history as well as recent and current symptoms (pain, tenderness, stiffness, difficulty moving).
Physical Exam
The doctor will examine each joint, looking for tenderness, swelling, warmth and painful or limited movement. The number and pattern of joints affected can also indicate RA. For example, RA tends to affect joints on both sides of the body. The physical exam may reveal other signs, such as rheumatoid nodules or a low-grade fever.
Blood Tests
The blood tests will measure inflammation levels and look for biomarkers such as antibodies (blood proteins) linked with RA.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, or "sed rate") and C-reactive protein (CRP) level are markers of inflammation. A high ESR or CRP is not specific to RA, but when combined with other clues, such as antibodies, helps make the RA diagnosis.
Rheumatoid factor (RF) is an antibody found in about 80 percent of people with RA during the course of their disease. Because RF can occur in other inflammatory diseases, it's not a sure sign of having RA. But a different antibody – anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) – occurs primarily in patients with RA. That makes a positive anti-CCP test a stronger clue to RA. But anti-CCP antibodies are found in only 60 to 70 percent of people with RA and can exist even before symptoms start.
Imaging Tests
An X-ray, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging scan may be done to look for joint damage, such as erosions – a loss of bone within the joint – and narrowing of joint space. But if the imaging tests don't show joint damage that doesn't rule out RA. It may mean that the disease is in an early stage and hasn't yet damaged the joints.
Learn More About Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Causes
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The Arthritis Foundation is the leading organization
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The history of Prehistoric Pets begins in 1988 when an ex-fisherman named Jay Brewer and his wife Becky opened a pet store in Fountain Valley, CA. The store was called Pet Country, and while stocking a variety of pets and pet supplies, the store was one of the first in the area to stock a large supply of reptiles. Pet Country began circulating a nationwide price list and soon adopted the slogan "The Reptile Leaders".In March of 1991, the business had grown to a point where expansion was appropriate (if not necessary). The decision was made to open a second store. This time, though, the store would deal exclusively with reptiles, amphibians, and all their needs. Prehistoric Pets was born.The first "Prehistoric Pets" was opened in Chino, CA.
Many of the animal displays rival those of the best zoos! Plans were now underway to convert Pet Country into a Prehistoric Pets as well. The name on the price lists was changed, and Pet Country began using the new name. In 1992, Pet Country closed to make way for a new, 5000 square foot superstore which had been completed in Fountain Valley with the name "Prehistoric Pets".
The Prehistoric Pets enterprise has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to the herp market. While originally having a large import business, Prehistoric Pets now focuses mostly on hand selected captive bred animals. We have been among the first to produce many of the animals that are now common in the industry, especially through our work with Reticulated Pythons.
Ever wonder who makes up our team at Prehistoric Pets?
Lucky for you we sat down to learn a couple new facts about the entire staff. Our team at Prehistoric Pets has been hand picked by owner Jay Brewer in order to get the greatest cross section of reptile enthusiasts available! While at work you can find any member of the team keeping busy by serving customers, teaching kids, traveling to international tradeshows, and caring for animals.


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I went in and cancelled our gym membership yesterday. We just weren't using it.
Kwak, you should start slow and easy on changes instead of searching for some huge diet change.
Start by not eating out any more and cooking your own food. (Hamburger helper or "meals in a box/bag" ain't cookin' your own food, btw.)
When you get a handle on that, cut the sweets. Having read your other posts, that might be a toughie. Take that crazy cake recipe I posted a long time ago and make cupcakes then freeze them. Only take out one or two when you need a treat. Chocolate cupcake has way less sugar/serving than a cup of pudding, I guarantee it. Don't change the recipe though, you're f'ing with perfection there.
Good luck guys. I'm back down to ~200, would love to lose another 15-20, but what the hey.
eta: Huh, I went and re-read what you wrote. Pretty much I just said the same thing. Good luck!
Lord Anton Treml III
Last edited by tt3; 02-26-2013 at 06:54 PM.
I am in terrible shape. I was in awesome shape when I started staying home. Walking, hiking, bike riding all the time for the first couple years. Then this past year it got to be more of sitting on my ass while she's playing at the playground, can't go for a walk with a 4yo at more than 3 feet per hour. So now I'm pushing 250, fattest of my life.
I'm turning that around now though. Focused even more on healthy eating, though it's hard to change somebody else's habits. Started back on the rowing machine and elliptical this past week. Ouch. I really want to be back down to 225 by the summer and work from there. Like mark mentioned, I think taking care of myself is going to get much easier once kindergarten kicks off in the Fall.
Grocery Getting Speed Freak
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Yes, a new record on the rowing machine, 18 minutes!
Then I ate a huge slice of BBQ chicken pizza.
Anyway, this week I'm at odds with the sweets because both boys have birthdays and cake is expected. Getting them to drop "donut days" on Sundays was hard enough and they nearly staged a coup. I tried baking my own cake (from a GF boxed mix with GF icing mix) and it was met with lukewarm appreciation. Don't get me wrong, they ate it but if I brought one home from the bakery they'd have eaten it with much more gusto. I'm thinking of calling a gluten free bakery downtown to see what they have. It's expensive though - though not much more expensive than the "regular" bakery, which even I have problems digesting.
here are a couple cakes that get good reviews and are GF.
Big Dog (8), Little Dog (6) and baby Princess (4). 3 is enough!
(someguy) "I'd absolutely recommend teabags."(someguy)
I AM a Southern-fried Maple Leaf.
I just ordered a 6" double layer cake from a GF bakery down in the city. It'll cost about 1/3 more than a 7" cake from the local bakery but THAT place's cakes (while they do taste good) don't agree with me afterward - I get bad gas and irregularity. Though my wife won't admit it, I can tell that they also don't agree with Justin's gut either hence my push to go back on the diet.
Meanwhile, Tony does have a good point about cooking more at home. I used to cook a lot when I was following fad diets like the Atkins and South Beach diets and I need to get back into it. Last night I soaked some chicken tenders in pickle juice and served them up with BBQ sauce and some spare Chick Fil A sauce. That's pretty much what they do at Chick Fil A. Even though I have to work on my presentation (I had no veggies and the kids won't eat frozen Ore Ida waffle fries) Justin actually tore into them pretty good.
I'm like others. You get what you get and you don't have a fit. If you don't eat it I couldn't give a shit. You'll be hungry. Well, the almost always end up eating it. Yesterday it was salmon, long grain and wild rice mix, and a mixed veg. If you let them get away and feed them other things or give in they own you. Obviously you deal with things outside of most folks control, but thats how I roll for mine. If I make something that is like curried chicken or whatever then I'll do something more kid friendly, but otherwise they should eat what I make. If not, then too bad. You want a desert after dinner (not something we do every night, but don't tell them when) you had better eat it to my satisfaction.
Big Dog (8), Little Dog (6) and baby Princess (4). 3 is enough!
(someguy) "I'd absolutely recommend teabags."(someguy)
I AM a Southern-fried Maple Leaf.
Last Christmas I was (5'11") 240 lbs. On tax day (April14 actually) I went on the Ideal Protein Ketogenic diet that my friend used to lse 60 lbs. Lost 55 lbs in 3 months, just like they said i would.
With a two year old and a new born, I knew I would not have time to work out, so I did the Ideal Protein Ketogenic diet and lost more weight while sleeping in bed at night than I did on the mountain bke during the day.
All summer I was reading EatingAcademy.com and gary Tuabes' "Why We Get Fat", which I probably would not have believed except for the fact that i had just lived the experience myself beforehand.
I recomend both.
At 185lbs, I had my best summer in over 10 years. I felt like a teenager on Ecstacy. My mountain bike friends were totally pissed becasuse they coud not keep up any more. I was riding the mountain for 3 and 4 hours at a time, feeling amazing
I was hovering around 187, but since I've been diagnosed with ALS, I'm on a protocol that includes a certain amount of Creatine and AAKG, and my god, I'm ballooning up like Mark McQuire. I'm taking a huge list of supplements and a AAKG/MCT Oil drink mix before any breakfast, then more supplements with the meal, then the same deal all over again at night. Burp.
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Ryan, Rice wake slumbering RNC
TAMPA, Fla. – With a one-two punch, Condoleezza Rice and Paul Ryan Wednesday brought to life a Republican convention that so far had been weighed down by Todd Akin, Hurricane Isaac and a keynote speech that fell below high expectations.
Filled with pride over Rice and buoyed by the promise of Ryan, GOP delegates left the hall here unmistakably more energized than they had the previous night. The talk among delegates was of the country's first black female secretary of state, the remaining star of an administration some conservatives would rather leave in the past, but even more about their 42-year-old vice-presidential nominee.
Story Continued Below
( Also on POLITICO: Full coverage of the Republican convention)
For the Republican activists who've been lifted by Mitt Romney's selection of Ryan, it was a galvanizing first glimpse of the House Budget chairman, who has injected new energy into the Republican campaign. It wasn't the star-is-born moment of four years ago when Sarah Palin became an instant sensation with her 2008 convention address, but rather an affirmation that the fresh-faced congressman not only belonged on the big stage but represented a hopeful future for a party eager to move on to its new generation.
"The Ryan speech really showed that he's ready, he's there," said Krista Haroutunian, a delegate from Michigan.
With a solid delivery of a well-crafted address, Ryan was able to touch conservative erogenous zones on President Barack Obama's record while retaining an appearance of Midwestern reasonableness that centrist voters could find appealing.
His appearance was primed by Rice, whose very presence seemed to lift the audience to heights previously unreached in the first two nights of speeches. And when the daughter of Bull Connor's Birmingham reminded the audience of her up-from-segregation life story at the end of her remarks, the wave of emotion from the floor was powerful. Rice has consistently insisted that she has no future in politics, but this speech will ensure that her name remains in the GOP conversation for 2016 and beyond.
( Also on POLITICO: All the GOP convention speeches)
Wednesday was just the tonic the beleaguered Republicans here needed after 10 days in which they've seen their campaign sidetracked by Akin's rape comments and their convention clouded by the threat of a storm. The good vibrations also came a night after much-ballyhooed keynoter Chris Christie was only so-so and Ann Romney gave a speech that was heartfelt but not energizing.
"He gave us some heat when we were needing some," said former South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson after the Ryan speech. "We needed some heat — we were flat. You got to have heat to make this crowd move and you've got to have heat to win this election."
Citing the tough criticism of Obama, a senior Republican in the 2012 campaign added: "I think the post-mortem on the convention will be that Ryan delivered on what people were expecting to hear from Christie."
Ryan testified to Romney's credentials in a way that was absent from Christie's speech, but the Janesville, Wis., native also presented himself as the GOP's face for a new era.


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Story highlights
- Scott Nova: Labor rights problems at Apple's supplier factories an issue for years
- Apple joined an organization called the Fair Labor Association to audit its supply chain
- Nova: If Apple wants to improve labor practices, it should reach out to independent groups
- Nova: If Apple genuinely "cared about every worker," it would pay every worker a living wage
Apple's CEO Tim Cook says the company "cares about every worker" in its factories and that "no one in (the) industry is doing more to improve working conditions than Apple."
Of course, when it comes to issues of corporate responsibility, talk is cheap. What matters is not what Apple says, but what it does.
And what Apple does in its vast global supply chain has been well-documented, which is why the company is in public relations overdrive, frantic to protect its once pristine corporate image.
Consider the fate that befell workers at a factory in Chengdu, China, that makes products for Apple. In May, independent investigators issued a report documenting grave dangers to workers at the facility. They warned the factory was failing to control the profusion of dust produced by the manufacture of aluminum cases for the Ipad 2. When a factory is suffused with aluminum dust, there is a high risk of explosion. Apple ignored the report and refused to meet with the authors, the investigators said. It did nothing to address the danger.
Two weeks later, the factory exploded, killing four workers and injuring 18. In the wake of the explosion, Apple said its suppliers took measures to control aluminum dust. But despite this, in December 2011, another explosion, at an Apple supplier factory in Shanghai, injured 61 workers.
Grievous labor rights problems at Apple's supplier factories have been known for years, including the spate of worker suicides in 2010 at the giant plant in Shenzhen, China, known as "Ipod City." At this factory -- owned, like the Chengdu plant, by Apple's biggest supplier, Foxconn -- more than a dozen workers took their own lives by throwing themselves from the roof of the factory's overcrowded dormitories, in apparent protest of the brutal treatment facing workers at the facility. (Foxconn reportedly responded by putting up nets outside the dorms and making workers sign pledges not to kill themselves.)
In recent weeks, public awareness of these issues has increased exponentially, thanks to a huge jump in media interest, raising Apple's public relations problems from a low simmer to a rolling boil.
When a company comes under this kind of pressure, sometimes genuine change in policy can occur. The more typical response is a mere change in rhetoric. This is the route Apple is choosing.
Apple's major move has been to announce that it has joined an organization called the Fair Labor Association, which will "audit" Apple's factories. According to Apple, the Fair Labor Association is an independent watchdog that will work tenaciously to hold Apple and its suppliers accountable.
Unfortunately, while there are some fine people at the association, the organization is not the independent watchdog Apple claims it to be. Indeed, most of its money -- millions of dollars per year -- comes from the very companies whose labor practices it is supposed to scrutinize. Although Apple has not disclosed its financial relationship with the Fair Labor Association, it is likely now the organization's largest funder. Moreover, on the association's board of directors sit executives of major corporations such as Nike, Adidas and agribusiness giant Syngenta. The job of these executives is to represent the interests of other member companies, such as Apple. Under the Fair Labor Association's rules, the company representatives on the board exercise veto power over major decisions.
Independence, as most people understand the term, means an organization is not funded and governed by the companies it is charged with investigating. Despite the financial relationship, Apple argues that the Fair Labor Association will act independently and that the association's review of Apple's factories will probably be "the most detailed factory audit in the history of mass manufacturing."
Early indications are not encouraging. Just one day after launching what was supposed to be a long and uncompromising investigation of Foxconn's Ipad plant in Shenzhen, the association was already issuing public praise of Foxconn and Apple.
On Wednesday, CNNMoney/Fortune ran an article with the headline, "Apple iPad plant is 'way, way above average,' says inspector." Fair Labor Association President Auret van Heerden said this about Foxconn to Reuters: "The facilities are first-class. ... I was very surprised when I walked in the door how tranquil it is. ..." The CNNMoney/Fortune article notes that "whether intended or not, van Heerden's remarks served to support (Apple CEO) Cook's contention that no one has done more than Apple to address the working conditions at factories."
Van Heerden reached these conclusions after a guided tour of the factory provided by Foxconn's owner, Terry Gou. The views of Gou, one of the wealthiest men in Asia, are well-known to Foxconn workers because, as punishment for displeasing their managers, workers are sometimes forced to spend hours writing out copies of his personal sayings. Clearly, Apple's partnership with the Fair Labor Association is not, in and of itself, going to usher in radical change.
So what steps would Apple take if it were genuinely committed to improving its labor practices? For starters, it would open its factories for inspection and worker trainings to genuinely independent groups such as Hong Kong-based SACOM, the organization whose report on the Chengdu factory could have saved the lives of the workers killed there in May, had Apple paid it heed.
And if Apple genuinely "cared about every worker," it would pay every worker a living wage -- enough for workers to achieve a minimally decent standard of living, support their families and even save a bit toward a better future. Today, barely 1% of the retail price of an Ipad goes to the workers who make it; 33% goes to Apple's profits. Apple's profits are so high, and its global labor costs so low, that it could triple the wages of its 700,000 manufacturing workers and help them achieve a living wage (just a few dollars an hour in China), and still make $40 billion a year. A wage increase of 16% to 25% at Foxconn, announced today as Apple's public relations blitz reaches a crescendo, doesn't come close.
Next time you are at the Apple Store, consider bellying up to the Genius Bar and asking why the most profitable company in the history of technology can't pay its workers a living wage and why, if Apple is really ready to open itself to independent scrutiny, it doesn't allow inspections by organizations in which it is not a dues-paying member.
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