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Our Advanced Search is the quickest way to find the perfect Jersey or Guernsey self catering holidayAdvanced Search
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Facilities at Liberty Apartments by Bridge Street
click here to see other units at this property
Liberty Wharf Apartments by Bridge Street are ideally located with St Helier's restaurants, bars, shops, clubs and tourist attractions within easy walking distance. Spend some quality time leisurely wandering around the marina and streets of St Helier. There are over 75 restaurants to choose from in the town alone. If you love your food you might like to visit the fantastic vegetable and fish market and choose something amazing to take back and cook, or why not pre-order a fruit de Mer and have a fantastic treat. The award winning Jersey museum is just off nearby Liberation Square where you can sit outside and have a drink while watching the locals play Boules.
The modern waterfront complex is a short stroll along with Jersey's theatre at the Opera House. Guests receive a warm welcome and are well looked after by the team.
The high standard apartments are fully equipped including dishwasher, washer/dryer, cd/dvd player, air conditioning and unlimited Wi-Fi. Complimentary tea and coffee are available in reception with the added bonus of fresh croissants each morning. Some apartments have their own balcony and all apartments have access to a shared terrace.
The island bus service conveniently operates from the same building so its an ideal for location for exploring the entire island. No need to hire a car as you can hop on the airport bus which will take you to the door. The whole property is double glazed and there is a whole buffer floor between the station and the apartments with no reported issues with noise disturbance.
1 Bedroom Standard Apartment - Maximum 2 adults, 1 infant.
Lounge-kitchen-diner. 1 Double bedroom. Bathroom.
More about the accommodation
Welcome starter pack includes tea, coffee, bread, butter, jam, cereal, milk, juice, water, cola, biscuits, sugar, soap, shampoo, shower gel, body lotion, dishwasher tablet, laundry tablet.
Additional items can be purchased from the 24 hour reception.
Complimentary tea and coffee in reception plus morning croissants.
All guests have access to the shared south facing terrace accessed from the reception area.
Laundry and dry cleaning service available. Discounted gym membership available.
Fridge-freezer. 2nd Tv in bedroom. Coffee machine. Hairdryer. Bathrobes & Slippers.
Cot & high chair charges apply, cots not possible in all apartment types.
Lift or stairs take you to the apartment level, there are no ground floor apartments.
Bicycle storage possible in a covered area on a first-come, first-serve basis, outside public storage is also available on the road opposite the apartments.
What is provided
Top Tip! Make a list of the accommodation reference numbers that appeal.


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SAI reports that Spotify plans to expand beyond its on-demand streaming music service into the wild world of streaming video. According to unnamed sources, Spotify wants to take on VOD services with exlusive content.
Spotify has already tread the ground of original content on the music side of things with exclusive live performances and audio interviews with artists. The actual nature of the streaming video service that Spotify is supposedly developing isn't quite known. "Exclusive video" doesn't always mean that the company is making The Soparanos or House of Cards —- this could just as easily be an expansion the original content that Spotify already produces, which, in turn, would look a lot like the original video already produced by editorial music sites like Pitchfork and Spin.
We've reached out to Spotify for comment on this story. We'll update when we have new information. [SAI]

subset: commoncrawl


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Redman Technologies Inc. Website
© Copyright 2003 - 2019, Redman Technologies Inc., All Rights Reserved
© Copyright 2019 by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. All rights reserved.
All materials on this website including databases, source codes, forms, stock default content, templates and engine, but excluding custom design elements and client-inputted content management system text and graphics, belong exclusively to Redman Technologies Inc. and are protected by international copyright laws and registration in selected countries. All rights reserved.
REDMAN & Design® is a registered trade-mark of Redman Technologies Inc. REDMAN™ and the REDMAN logo™ are trade-marks of Redman Technologies Inc.


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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU regulators have asked 125 Google rivals and third parties to provide feedback on the company's second attempt to settle a three-year-long antitrust investigation and avert a possible $5 billion fine.
The European Commission's hopes of closing the case next spring, however, suffered a setback after several rivals criticized Google's latest offer for not being materially different from a proposal made in April.
Google's original proposal in April was rejected by its competitors, who said that the changes would only reinforce the company's dominance. That prompted the EU antitrust authority to demand fresh concessions from the U.S. company.
The company tweaked its offer this month to allow rivals to display their logos and make their web links more prominent to users. In areas where all search results can be paid advertisements, such as shopping searches, Google will cut the minimum bids it will accept from advertisers seeking to buy slots on result pages, to 3 cents from 10 cents.
It will also relax conditions that prevent advertisers from moving their campaigns to other platforms, such as Yahoo! and Microsfot's Bing.
Furthermore, Google's rivals will also have more control over what the company can copy from their websites in a practice known as scraping. Google is now proposing that its rivals, which had previously complained that Google copied content from their websites without permission, will decide which content the company can use.
Google has also agreed to appoint an independent trustee to monitor the process over the next five years.
"The Commission is sending today information requests," Antoine Colombani, the Commission spokesman for competition policy, said in an email on Monday.
"Information is sought, in particular, from complainants in the ongoing proceedings and from all those who responded to the initial market test of Google's proposals, which the Commission launched in April."
Google said it had done its best to improve on its earlier offer.
"We've made significant changes to address the EC's concerns, greatly increasing the visibility of rival services and addressing other specific issues," Google spokesman Al Verney said.
"Unfortunately, our competitors seem less interested in resolving things than in entangling us in a never-ending dispute."
Lobby group FairSearch, whose members include complainants Microsoft, online travel agency Expedia and British price comparison site Foundem, expressed doubts over the effectiveness of Google's proposal.
"It seems that no genuinely significant changes have been made to the initial proposal, so it is difficult to see how the new package can hope to solve the competition concerns Mr Almunia (the EU Competition Commissioner, Joaquin Almunia) has declared must be addressed," FairSearch lawyer Thomas Vinje said.
ICOMP, another lobby group that that counts Microsoft and four other complainants among its members, agreed.
"Google still doesn't appear to have offered anything that will prevent it from systematically preferencing its own services and manipulating results, a clear failure of the initial offer," said ICOMP lawyer David Wood.
Google could face a $5 billion fine if the Commission decides not to accept its rejigged offer after the second market test but decides instead to charge the company with breaching European Union antitrust rules.
The Commission has given the 125 rivals and third parties four weeks to respond to its feedback request.
Editing by Adrian Croft and David Goodman


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I'm selling my Dvorak Digitouch, which is a Macintouch board (originally designed for internal use in Apple laptops) placed in an external USB enclosure.
Since the software to reprogram the firmware requires older USB drivers, I'm throwing in a G4-era iBook which has the MyGesture editor installed.
Also comes with a fleece sleeve and USB cable.
Works great; very lightly used. Shoot me an email, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Nokia C6-01 themes
Ratings :
Click the stars to rate
2,978,267 Rated by :
11,308 user(s)
Click the stars to rate
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2,978,267 Rated by :
11,308 user(s)
Retail Price: RM 770
AP Price: RM 640 - 655
AP Price: RM 640 - 655
The Nokia C6-01 sporting a 3.2-inch AMOLED display with full touch capabilities and Nokia ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility, the latest Nokia C6-01 features the best of social networking and mobile entertainment.
Top, New and Popular Wallpapers for Nokia C6-01. The collection of Free Wallpapers for Nokia C6-01 right here to be download. We update the collection of Wallpapers daily.
Select Other Phone Model
Select Other Phone Model


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Matte-finished stainless steel. Self-adhesive door plate with "Men's Room" or "Women's Room" graphic black imprint.
In 2001, blomus Germany was created to design and manufacture the highest quality stainless steel, modern homegoods and accessories. Through the years, blomus has continued to offer a wide selection of modern products for the kitchen, accessories for the bathroom, office accessories, and outdoor garden ornaments. Some of the most interesting modern mirrors, contemporary hardware, bar accessories and wine tools have been designed and manufactured by blomus Germany. Visit the shop by brand section of our website for the complete blomus collection. See all of our Blomus products ( here )


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The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Augsburg University is an innovative program for nurses with a master's or bachelor's degree in nursing, offering two DNP tracks in Minnesota for students interested in graduate- and doctorate-level nurse practitioner programs. The DNP – Transcultural Nursing Leadership (TCN) track is a post-masters doctoral program with an emphasis in transcultural nursing leadership. The DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track is a post-BSN Doctor of Nursing Practice program focused on the primary care of families.
Transcultural Nursing Leadership
The post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice, Transcultural Nursing Leadership (DNP-TCN) track prepares nurses for advanced transcultural nursing leadership in community life, integrating holistic practice modalities that uphold and improve human potential across care settings and care systems.
Family Nurse Practitioner
The post-BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) track focuses on nursing leadership and integrative primary care of families across cultures and care settings. Graduates will be eligible to apply for certification as Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).


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How to Use
1. On a map of the United States, locate Chicago, Illinois. What do you think the climate is like in Chicago, based on its geographical location? Name one plant you think that you think would do poorly in this climate. Name one plant that you think would do well in this climate.
2. Locate Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and Columbus Park on Map 1.
3. How many park districts are included on this Western Park System map? How many parks can you identify?
4. What is the pattern of the streets in this area of Chicago? Locate Columbus Park. What is the shape of Columbus Park? Do you think there might be a relationship between the street plan and the park's shape? Explain.
* The map on this screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Map 1, but be aware that the file may take as much as 50 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


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are popping up on your calendar. Before
you start spreading holiday cheer, you might want to spruce up your smile - and
here in the Beauty Lab, we've been working to find the best products for you to
use. In the last few years since we last
tested tooth whiteners, there have been numerous new products and innovations on
the market that we couldn't wait to check out.
We looked at three different kinds of teeth whiteners:
strips, trays and the newest category, devices, including one-time/"instant"
products and those that work over a period of time. Each tooth whitener was tested at home by
twenty people, half of whom had their teeth analyzed in the lab.
For the lab analysis, we measured
the shade of our panelists' teeth in a light controlled room using the
Ivoclar Vivadent Chromascop Tooth Shade Guide--a set of model teeth of varying
shades--both before and after testing.
- Best Overall was Crest 3D White Professional
Effects Whitestrips with Advanced Seal ($50), which from our lab analysis,
lightened teeth an average of over two shades.
These strips are used for just thirty minutes for twenty days, and
testers found them very easy to use. The
Advanced Seal technology helps the strip hug tightly to the teeth, so there's
no mess. Another plus? It's a drugstore product that's much more affordable
than a visit to the dentist's chair.
- Another great option from Crest is 3D White 2
Hour Express Whitening Strips ($55), which whitens in just two hours. While it's not quite as effective as its counterpart,
it was still able whiten teeth effectively and in a single two-hour session. This product also
features Advanced Seal, so like the other Crest, it stays neatly in place for two hours.
- Want whiter teeth in a flash? Go Smile Whitening
Light works in just 30 minutes and should lighten about one to two shades. Since this is a device (it uses a
battery-operated light to activate a gel on your teeth) it can be used several
times over with the use of the additional gel ampoules, which makes it worth
the higher price point ($198). If you
have sensitive teeth, this one might be best bet for you - both Crest strips
caused sensitivity in a few testers, while Go Smile did not.
We hope these products get you ready for the holiday parties
- let us know how you like them!


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The Undergate was the doorway that blocked the left-hand side passage from the main tunnel in Shelob's Lair. It led to the Under-way, a winding tunnel that ascended to the base of the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The gate itself was a great block shaped like a heavy door less than twice Sam Gamgee's height. Above it there was a dark blank space between the top and the low arch of the opening.[1]
When Frodo and Sam first encountered the Underway they were in darkness and only perceived that the way was blocked. Later the orcs from the tower carried Frodo through the opening but Sam, following behind, found the doorway shut. After hearing Shagrat declare that Frodo was still alive and after the orc-captains had gone, Sam discovered by the light of Sting that he could get over the blockage by leaping and scrambling over.[1] Unable to enter the base of the tower, Sam returned to the Undergate and still not finding the means to open it climbed back over to scurry through the main tunnel to the tower to rescue Frodo.[2]


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I started this book last Thursday and read it all the way through before bed, with the Husband very tolerant and occasionally (as necessary) sympathetic as I cried on the couch.
I had read the various reviews and blurbs (see amazon and the dust jacket, etc.) and thus grasped the concept: Annie is abducted and held captive for a YEAR before her escape, and we meet her in therapy as she tries to put her life back together. But I still wasn't quite prepared for the graphic and disturbing descriptions of what she went through. That probably makes me naive; what, did I think it was going to be a cozy? (No.) But it was definitely on the dark side. I cried over what she went through; but I also cried over her attempts to recover, particularly her failed reunions with her well-meaning but bumbling boyfriend.
I read some not-so-favorable reviews of this book – luckily, after I had read it and formed my own opinions! But I do give Still Missing a strong review. It may not be terribly "serious" or literary, but since when is that all we look forward to? I found it moving – lots of tears – and I was still thinking and talking about it days later. While the story is fictional, we live in a world with lots of bad, and I bet this very thing has happened, and I bet the psychology is not far off. It certainly got to me.
I was surprised at how similar it ended up feeling to my understanding of Emma Donoghue's Room, and I may decide not to read that one next for this reason! Although I'm also interested in the comparison. Hm. Time to go browsing. Check in tomorrow and see what I come up with…
Filed under: miscellaneous | Tagged: maternity-themed, mystery, thriller |


text: Cinema 4D is a 3D application produced by Maxon, a company based in Germany. There are 3 versions of C4D produced; amateur, hobbyist and professional versions. Though relatively new to the 3D market, it is rapidly gaining popularity and respect with users of all levels - from the bedroom hobbyist to the Hollywood effects master. We invite anyone interested in 3D to visit our ring.


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Oulu to Saint Petersburg Flights (OUL-LED)
Helsinki to Saint Petersburg
Seoul to Saint Petersburg
Stockholm to Saint Petersburg
Oulu to Saint Petersburg
Bergen to Saint Petersburg
Paris to Saint Petersburg
Helsinki (HEL) to Saint Petersburg (LED)HEL-LED
25.02.20207 Days110EUR
Stockholm (ARN) to Saint Petersburg (LED)ARN-LED
25.02.20207 Days1,899SEK
Oulu (OUL) to Saint Petersburg (LED)OUL-LED
25.02.20207 Days203EUR
Bergen (BGO) to Saint Petersburg (LED)BGO-LED
25.02.20207 Days1,837NOK
Oslo (OSL) to Saint Petersburg (LED)OSL-LED
25.02.20207 Days1,757NOK
Trondheim (TRD) to Saint Petersburg (LED)TRD-LED
26.02.20207 Days1,837NOK
Geneva (GVA) to Saint Petersburg (LED)GVA-LED
25.02.20207 Days259CHF
Manchester (MAN) to Saint Petersburg (LED)MAN-LED
25.02.20207 Days187GBP
Miami (MIA) to Saint Petersburg (LED)MIA-LED
25.02.20207 Days597USD
Chicago (CHI) to Saint Petersburg (LED)CHI-LED
25.02.20207 Days686USD
Oulu to Saint Petersburg
Finnair serves Oulu via Oulu Airport (OUL). With over 90 years of experience in providing smooth, easy flights to more than 100 destinations all over the world, we pride ourselves on great service. So, let us take you around the globe – book your flight with Finnair today!
Bus routes 8 and 9 serve the airport from the city centre and services run every 15 minutes. The 15-km journey could also be made by taxi.
Departing from Oulu with Finnair
Finnair offers flights from Oulu to many major cities in Europe and Asia, including Beijing, Rome, and Manchester. Explore all the destinations we serve. Book your flight from Oulu with Finnair!
There are few cities that can challenge St. Petersburg's sheer amount of culture, history and magnificence. It's a city bristling with world-famous museums and galleries, overflowing with culture and drenched in history going back centuries. For the visitor seeking culture, this is the place to be. Yet it has an emerging modern edge to cater to the newage traveller. The Finnair travel guide to St. Petersburg is your guide to the 'Venice of the north'.
Neoclassical palaces and the wide Nevski Prospekt Boulevard add a majestic touch to the cityscape and remind the visitors of the glory days of the Tsars. St. Petersburg's most famous attraction is undoubtedly The Hermitage, in the Winter Palace. This worldrenowned sight is one of the epicentres of classical art, hosting millions of pieces from across the world and through eras. Drink in even more culture at the ballet in the magnificent Mariinsky Theater. Take in the opulence that was imperial Russia at the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, an ornately decorated edifice perched on a canal. The Kazan Cathedral is an imposing testament to the grandeur of the city with its soaring columns. Imagine the military might of the time as you walk the walls of Peter and Paul Fortress, which houses a church where many of Tsars are buried. At the end of the day board a ferry and sail one of the many canals and let some of the most impressive buildings in Europe pass you by. Also worth mentioning is the alternative underground culture that has flourished since the Soviet era: small galleries and rock clubs introduce you to the wilder side of St. Petersburg.
- Tsarskoye Selo – Former home of the Imperial family, this small village is of interest to those who like exploring history.
- Peterhof – Art and architecture abound, this is a traveller's mustsee. Just an hour away by car.
- Veliky Novgorod – Experience the real Russia, ideal for a weekend getaway.
Shopping in St. Petersburg is an eclectic mix of bustling markets, street vendors and fancy highstreet stores. Some of the brands you know might be absent, but you might find a new favourite from the domestic selection on offer.
- Nevsky Prospekt - The most wellknown street in town is naturally home to the fanciest of stores. Luxury brands with matching prices are found here, yet you'll also find street sellers hawking all kinds of wares just meters away.
- Passazh – Continuing the luxury trend, this is the most exclusive (and expensive) department store in town. Head here to marvel at the items on offer, or even buy if you're brave enough.
- Gostiny Dvor – The oldest shopping centre in town, previously the selling yards for the merchant class. Pricey, but worth a look.
- Udelnaya Flea Market – Mix it with the locals at this very Russian market north from Nevsky Prospekt on the subway. This sprawling congregation of buyers and sellers has something for every budget and taste.
Russian food is unique and has a long history, having contributed many muchloved dishes to the world's plates. There are a variety of things you should try when eating out in St. Petersburg to get a real taste of the country.
- Pelmeni – Balls of meat and spice wrapped in dumpling dough and boiled. Served with a dollop of smetana and a variety of accompaniments.
- Borscht – The worldfamous darkred soup, perfect for a winter's day. Hearty and delicious it can be found both with and without meat.
- Blini – Very Russian, these small pancakes are fried up and served with any number of toppings, the most traditional being smetana and roe.
- Georgian and Uzbek cuisine – These former USSR countries contributed their own flavour to the cuisine of Russia and definitely warrant a try. There are restaurants across the city – ask a local for their recommendation.
- Pirozhki – Small pastrylike pies filled with meats, cheeses and spices.
- Stroganoff – Another wellknown Russian export, this creamy stew is very filling with its traditional beef pieces.
- Tea – The locals love teatime and this means there is a supreme variety on offer in stores and cafés across the city.
- Vodka – No trip to St. Petersburg would be complete without sampling this most famous of Russian creations. There are literally thousands of varieties on offer, with the crisp, clear original version being the most appropriate at any time of day.
There are many ways to get around in St. Petersburg depending on where you want to go and how much you want to pay.
- Metro – The city's metro system is massive – it needs to be to serve the huge numbers of people traversing the city each day. The network spans almost the entire city and is cheap and relatively safe. Rush hours are incredibly crowded. The stations themselves are a sight to see, with many decorated along various themes. Single rides are paid for with tokens bought from kiosks and vending machines in the stations. There are maps available in English though announcements are only in Russian.
- Taxi – While there are thousands of taxis whizzing around town at all hours, not all of them should be relied upon. While most drivers are honest, there is a problem with illegal taxis. If in doubt, get your hotel to order you one from a reliable source. Many drivers can't speak English, so it's good to have your destination written down.
- Walk – Walking in St. Petersburg is a mixed bag – some areas were clearly designed with pedestrians in mind (like the malls around many of the famous sights) yet many others will have no space for foot traffic at all. You might be forced to share the streets with vehicles so be careful when crossing or walking among traffic. The city is huge, and walking is best saved for investigating sights up close.
- Buses and trolleys – Complementing the subway are the buses and trolleys crisscrossing the city. These are handy to access areas less wellserved by the metro. Tickets can be bought from conductors once you've boarded, but be prepared to have correct change.
Weather in Saint Petersburg
Popular Routes and Flight Deals
The Prices displayed are the lowest available in the previous 48 hours on Finnair.com and valid for travel dates as shown above.
Prices are subject to availability at the time of booking online with Finnair.com. Finnair reserves the right to change prices at any time.
Prices include return flights in Economy Class for one person as well as applicable taxes and fuel surcharges. The break down will be shown during your booking process.
Please check the individual fare rules for detailed terms and conditions during your booking process.
Advance purchase up to 60 days may apply and impact the available fares.


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Book Review: Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration
Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration is a gorgeous book full of inspiring quilts. I absolutely love this style of quilt, based on traditional designs but made modern through scale, color or other types of reinterpretation.
Each quilt is introduced with information about the traditional design and Denyse's interpretation of it. Just a few of the patterns included are Postage Stamp, Churn Dash, Hawaiian-Style Applique, Irish Chain, Courthouse Steps and many more.
The book not only shows the quilts beautifully styled, but also a straight-on look at the entire quilt and has diagrams and complete instructions. Templates are provided at full size on a pullout pattern sheet and there is a complete techniques section at the back of the book.
This is definitely a book to cherish, practical for it's exploration of traditional quilt design and inspirational in Denyse Schmidt's modern take.
(Full disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the book for the purpose of a review. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.)


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Designed in Great Britain to give your kitchen a touch of colour, and English style
4 Matte coloursDesigned in Great Britain, in a choice of soft Blue, Green, Grey and White in a premium matte finish. With a touch of sparkle on the lever/s and dial/s
QuickCheck™ Check your toasting progress without interrupting the toasting cycle. Just lift the lever and have a look. Also includes a high lift lever for smaller slices of bread
6 Browning Settings, plus Defrost and ReheatChoice of 6 browning settings, so you can select the level that suits you. And with Defrost and Reheat settings, you can toast bread to perfection
Specifications and Features are subject to change without prior notification. Images are used for illustrative purposes only.


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Photo: Isn't cystitis CUTE?
"Having your period does not mean you're ill" barked our school nurse, as a hundred awkward 14-year-old girls fidgeted in their seats, the braver ones exchanging raised eyebrows and remarks. This was one in a series of puberty talks that tried to make us feel 'normal' about our changing bodies. A noble effort, but one that offered little comfort when I was sitting in a maths lesson, insides squirming, abdomen aching, trying to concentrate on learning basic algebra and feeling much too embarrassed to go to said nurse for a painkiller.
Yes, menstruation is normal and in no way an illness, but it can also be incredibly uncomfortable, to the point of leaving some women bedridden for a couple of days. I had a friend at uni who suffered from such bad period pains that she regularly threw up and sometimes even fainted. I have a colleague who suffers from such extreme PMS that she worries about suffering a mood swing at work and risking her professional reputation.
Living in the UK, I am incredibly privileged in terms of healthcare and access to sanitary items, and I know that menstruation for women living in poverty and in other societies is incredibly traumatic. However, even in the developed world, I can't help feeling that there is still a problem when it comes to dealing with female-specific health issues.
The term 'women's problems' has been appropriated by Western society, and particularly by men who can't bear to acknowledge that delicate, pretty women bleed once a month. "Women's problems" is used to brush off anything generically associated with the female reproductive system, whether physical or psychological.
In isolation, this would not be too serious. However, from personal experience I know that the trivialising of women's health can have devastating effects. Sadly, it extends far beyond the extreme discomfort of period pains not being taken seriously.
It seems that the medical profession has also been taken in by this idea of 'women's problems', no matter how serious the symptoms may be. My family learnt this the hard way when the nurse taking my mother's smear dismissed her concerns about painful sex and bleeding between periods as 'something that happens to women of a certain age' (she was in her early 40s at the time) and didn't flag for her smear to be given special attention.
That was the 4th out of 5 smears that were misread (an unrelated and very unlucky situation), and by the time my mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer, it was very advanced.
Five years later, and a year after my mother's death, I noticed a lump in my breast. I went to the GP, and within two weeks had been referred to a specialist clinic, given an ultrasound and told it was nothing to worry about.
I couldn't help compare the speed and efficiency with which something breast-related was dealt with compared to a gynaecological issue. It seems that breasts are quite acceptable now, whereas female genitalia are still somewhat taboo and mysterious, and can therefore be dismissed more readily when they start playing up. Again, this is a problem that is deeply serious in developing countries, where cervical cancer is a huge killer due to the stigma surrounding it (it's often misconstrued as an STI).
My frustration with the medical profession's attitude towards women's health was stoked once again when I started having regular sex with my boyfriend and rapidly entered a vicious cycle of thrush and cystitis. Whilst the GP was helpful in treating the symptoms, I received no support when I suggested there might be an underlying cause.
As any sufferer is aware, both of these conditions are incredibly uncomfortable, to the point of being debilitating if they're severe. And yet, whilst I confided my suffering to my sympathetic female friends and understanding boyfriend, I felt too embarrassed to ever use them to excuse myself from classes or later work, instead clenching my teeth and dosing up on painkillers to try to get through.
When I went to my GP for what must have been the 15th time in two years (and that's not counting the times I self-treated) and pressed upon her that I was now constantly exhausted and almost always had a cold, as well as the recurrent infections, she told me that some women are just susceptible to thrush/cystitis, and that if it was getting me down she could prescribe me with anti-depressants. Good plan GP: if you can't solve it, going down the "hysterical woman" route is always a safe bet.
Despairing, and half-thinking I was going mad; I sought alternative therapies, something that I was pretty skeptical about. In a very roundabout way, I ended up seeing a nutritionist, who diagnosed me with systemic candida. This is not a condition that is recognized by the NHS, although it is in many other countries. It is probably one of the most under-diagnosed conditions in the UK, affecting almost solely women. It's easy enough to get rid of once you know about it, but the fact that the mains symptoms are often an amalgamation of 'women's problems' means that, predictably, the medical profession has largely ignored it, at least in the UK.
It is difficult to know how to address the fact that many women suffer in silence, to whatever extent (my mum and I being at opposite ends of the scale) due to the societal and medical attitudes towards women's health problems.
Going back to my terrifying school nurse, who showed us horrific pictures of pus-encrusted penises to scare us into using condoms, I think that a more honest, practical approach to sex education (especially for girls but also for boys) would be a good way to start.
In addition to making teenagers write out lists of all the various STIs they could contract, it might be helpful to teach girls how to avoid and treat the much more common problems they are likely to encounter as they enter the world of sex.
Off the top of my head, girls should be taught that: cystitis can often be avoided by peeing after sex, recurrent thrush might mean you should use lube, hormones (whether your own or from the pill) can have a huge impact on your physical and emotional wellbeing and, most importantly, you should be in no way embarrassed by any of the above.
Teaching women early about the realities of the human female body in all its glory and tendency to malfunction would achieve two things. Firstly, it would help women have a better understanding of their own bodies, and therefore make them better equipped to notice when things are going wrong. Secondly, it would make women more comfortable about being pushy when raising any health concerns.
I would like to live in a world where I feel completely at ease to email my boss in and tell him I can't come into work because I need to pee every 10 minutes and when I do it burns like a motherfucker. I would like to live in a world where I put my name on this article because I shouldn't be ashamed of the fact that my gynecological and overall wellbeing suffered for several years due to a dismissive GP. I would like to live in a world where no woman ignores bleeding, pain or any abnormal symptoms because they are too embarrassed.
As long as the phrase 'women's problems' is employed with that slight blush and smirk, and as long as doctors dismiss their patients with the phrase 'it's just something that happens to women your age', over half of the global population is going to be at risk of avoidable discomfort and illness.
So, if anyone is reading this and thinking there might be something wrong with their downstairs, be persistent, don't let embarrassment get in the way and don't let anyone dismiss your concerns as 'women's problems'.


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Legal Drama Plagues "RHONJ" Couple
No sympathy for the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Teresa and Joe Giudice. The couple faces serious fraud charges, and if convicted Joe could be deported to Italy! No wonder his anger was on full display for the photogs outside the courthouse. They've been released on $1 million bail and their next hearing is set for August 14.
"Sharknado" In Theaters Friday
Sharknado's social media splash was enough to get the cable TV movie on the silver screen. The SyFy thriller will be in theaters on Friday for a midnight showing. The shark-mania doesn't end there, though. SyFy is set to release "Ghost Shark" on August 22.
The "X-Factor" judge's latest task: learning to change diapers. The never-married Cowell is expecting his first chid with close friend Lauren Silverman, who recently called it quits with real-estate mogul husband Andrew Silverman. Cowell's camp referred to the baby news as a "sensitive issue" and is expected to hold a press conference early next week. Simon, maybe fellow Brit Prince William can teach you the daddy do's and don'ts.
Randy Travis Released From Hospital
The country crooner has been moved to a physical therapy facility after being hospitalized in Texas following a stroke last month. His fiancee Mary Davis took to Travis' website to thank fans for their support.
Jimmy Fallon's G-Rated Cover Of "Blurred Lines"
Here's one version of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" that you can actually show your kids. "Late Night's" Jimmy Fallon teamed up with Thicke and The Roots to do a "younger" version of the summer hit, actually using classroom instruments (remember this?) for the performance.
From Kate Middleton's classic and elegant sense of style to Lebron James' adventurous post-game wardrobe, 2013 was a year that didn't disappoint according to Vanity Fair's 2013 International Best-Dressed list. Find out who made the cut and who topped the list here.
Three months already? Lindsay Lohan left a rehab facility in Malibu upon completing her 90-day sentence for reckless driving and giving false info to a peace officer last June. Let's hope LiLo can stay out of trouble for good. Her first post-rehab gig: co-hosting "Chelsea Lately" on Monday night on E!
"Glee" Plans Cory Monteith Tribute
The producers behind "Glee" plan to address addiction and the late actor during the third episode of the season. The show is also planning on a hiatus afterwards to reassess its direction, according to executive producer Ryan Murphy. Monteith passed away from drug-related causes in July.
Castro Victim Surprises at Nelly Concert
Kidnapping victim Amanda Berry made her first public appearance as a free woman at an unexpected venue: onstage at a Cleveland concert. Nelly was performing and invited Berry to the stage, dedicating his song "Just A Dream" to her. Berry was held captive and tormented by Ariel Castro, who was recently sentenced to life in prison.
Ellen and Oscar Together Again
Ellen DeGeneres will host the Academy Awards in 2014. It'll be the second time the comedian will emcee the event (she first took the reins in 2007) and in typical Ellen fashion she took to Twitter to announce the news: It's official: "I'm hosting the #Oscars! I'd like to thank @TheAcademy, my wife Portia and, oh dear, there goes the orchestra."


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Ryan Bryne sailed to a first-place A-division finish at the Captain Hurst Bowl (photo courtesy Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard sailing team outraced 19 teams to capture the Captain Hurst Bowl, hosted by Dartmouth, Saturday and Sunday. A combined two-division score of 168, behind an A-division victory and a third-place B-division finish allowed the Crimson to sail to victory by a 17-point margin.
Alan Palmer, Ryan Bryne and Quincy Bock sailed for Harvard in the A division, tallying a score of 80 points, 13 ahead of second-place Dartmouth. The trio notched seven top-three finishes in 14 races and finished outside the top-five just three times. The win caps off a stellar week for Palmer who was recognized by US Sailing as the Sailor of the Week while also garnering Harvard's COOP Athlete of the Week honors for his efforts.
Another Harvard trio, John Stokes, Luke O'Connor and Meghan Wareham, captured third in the B division. The group sailed to five top-three finishes in the division and finished just three points behind second-place Yale with 88 points.
Stanford and Yale finished second and third, respectively. The Cardinal finished with 185 points, two fewer than the Bulldogs.
Harvard also had a quartet of freshmen on the water at the Women's Intersectional at Yale. Morgan Russom and Isabel Ruane sailed together in the A division while Caitlin Watson and Louisa French paired together in the B division. The Crimson finished 17th.
Harvard is scheduled to compete in four regattas this weekend: the Sherman Hoyt Trophy, the Oberg Trophy and the Women's Stu Nelson Trophy.


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Fypon pilasters add the enticing appeal of classical architecture to exterior entryways and interior walls with plain, fanciful, and fluted designs. Fypon pilasters provide sophisticated and ornamental elements that are perfect for dressing up any decor.
- Limited lifetime warranty for homeowners
- Low-maintenance
- Quick and easy installation
- Resist insects
- Resists moisture
- Exterior grade 100% acrylic latex paint


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It's that time of year-time for massive savings on America's favorite boats! 2018 Model Year Clearance is here. Save now on new 2018 and prior year model packages while supplies last!
Also receive a Bass Pro and Cabela's VIP card for discounts up to 20% on most retail purchases at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's stores for up to two years!
Contact us for complete details, and select a participating boat brand below to browse our 2018 inventory online!


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Recent News
September 20, 2013
Recall of P.F. Chang's Home Menu Pork and Leek Dumpling Frozen Appetizers
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received information regarding a recall of P.F. Chang's Home Menu Pork and Leek Dumpling frozen appetizer sold at retail in 12.5 ounce bags. The product is being recalled due to the possible presence of undeclared allergens, crustacean shellfish (shrimp) and fish (pollock).
The following products are subject to recall:
Product Brand Name: P.F. Chang's Home Menu Pork and Leek Dumplings
The product is packaged in upright bags with a net weight of 12.5 OZ (354 g) and bears the following lot codes.
- 0663 312871
- 0663 312971
The product has the following Use By dates:
- Use By MAY082014
- Use By MAY092014
The establishment making all affected product: EST 21892
The products were produced from May 8, 2013 through May 9, 2013 and distributed to retail establishments in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The full recall including the lot numbers and expiration dates can be found at www.pfchangshomemenu.com/pfchangs_recall.pdf.


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by Joe Davidson
Special to American Forces Press Service
6/23/2009 - LOS ANGELES (AFNS) -- "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" hits theaters nationwide June 24 as the culmination of more than a year of Defense Department support, ranging from script and uniform notes to C-17 Globemaster III aerial maneuvers and jumps from the Army's Golden Knights parachute demonstration team.
The first "Transformers" film released in July 2007 used a variety of Air Force assets and the latest film, DreamWorks and Paramount studios partnered with all four services to highlight America's military members and combat power on the big screen.
Deciding how and why to work with the services was essential in making the film work, producers said.
"There are really a lot of similarities between a military operation and a movie production," said Army Lt. Col. Greg Bishop, the department's project officer for the movie. "The mobility of the operation, the logistics and planning required, and the problem-solving skills required to pull the whole thing off are very much alike."
"Transformers" Executive Producer and Director Michael Bay has worked with military leaders on other films and frequently consults with them to make action sequences in his movies appear more authentic.
"You know the first thing we're going to look at is that if you're going to fight these 32- to 125-foot robots; who else would you fight them with?" "Transformers" Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said.
Like its predecessors, the latest "Transformers" movie uses hundreds of military members from all the services and from throughout the country to make the film feel more realistic.
"I enjoyed being able to walk on the set and there are a hundred real soldiers as opposed to walking on and it's a hundred actors from Orange County or LA in fatigues," said Megan Fox, the film's female lead actor. "It was just an overall pleasant experience, and I have an immense amount of respect for the Soldiers and for our troops."
That realism extends to military equipment as jet fighters roar from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the recoiling sounds of M1-A1 Abrams tanks firing 120mm rounds at their deceptive and, at times, overpowering foes.
"What [the military] bring to it is obviously a sense of reality. But for us what is most interesting about it is our interaction with them," Mr. di Bonaventura said. "Because you actually get to see these people who have made a life choice and the honesty of that choice comes through each and every time you meet these guys. So, for us, that's the really exciting thing. We get to hang out at the base and see the joy they get out of being a part of us, and you also see us get affected by their level of commitment."
This latest "Transformers" film shows an extreme example of what the military does in everyday life.
"Though the enemy in this film are alien robots, we strove to make the depiction of operations as realistic and accurate as possible," said Capt. Bryon McGarry, the Air Force project officer for the movie. "As in real-world operations, we go to war against the Decepticons in the film jointly to achieve coordinated, balanced and devastating results. If they ever came to Earth, we'd be ready for them."
DreamWorks and Paramount pictures have given permission to provide special screenings of "Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen" at bases that provided support for the film and also aboard the USS John C. Stennis.
(Joe Davidson is assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.)


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Experts say home improvement spending is expected to increase this year, compared to last year. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University predicts homeowners will spend $151 billion during 2013 on various projects, marking an increase of more than 20 percent compared to 2012.
Additionally, a recent CouponCabin.com survey found that the improving economy is allowing many to plan renovations, remodels or other projects. Sixty-four percent of U.S. homeowners surveyed said they are at least somewhat likely to make home renovations or improvements within the next 12 months.
The survey also revealed that spring is the season in which most people dive into a project. Nearly 90 percent of those who took part in the CouponCabin.com survey said that they would be more likely to embark upon a home improvement in the spring, versus any other season.
The popularity of springtime for indoor and outdoor projects may be the reason why May is recognized as National Home Improvement Month.
"National Home Improvement Month in May is the ideal time to shine the spotlight on projects that can make a big difference to both the esthetic appeal and functionality of your home," said Mark Clement, a professional contractor and host of the MyFixitUpLife home improvement radio show.
The desire to make their houses more comfortable and beautiful may be a result of many people spending an increased amount of time at home. Big or small, many projects can help transform your residence into the house you've always dreamed of.
Kitchens and bathrooms are the most commonly renovated rooms in any home. Projects including reworking the layout, changing cabinetry, purchasing new appliances and installing a new floor can make any space shine.
While spring's warmer temperatures may not have you thinking about heating, remember that the spring is ideal for installing radiant floor heating, especially if you're making other changes as well. These infloor heating systems will likely improve the comfort of your home next winter as well as help reduce the amount of money you spend on heat throughout the winter.
Spring is a perfect time to upgrade your home's curb appeal. Planting flowers, updating landscaping and hardscaping as well as making material changes are perfect springtime jobs.
Clement advises homeowners to take a "top-down" approach when deciding which projects to schedule. Start with assessing the condition of your roof, then move onto the siding, gutters, windows, doors and accessories, such as shutters and trim.
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Save The Date on April 26 at 9pm and 9:30pm ET/PT For Back to Back Episodes
NEW YORK - March 15, 2012 - Wedding bells ring as Bravo Media's "Don't Be Tardy For The Wedding," featuring "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Zolciak and Atlanta Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann, premieres with double episodes on Thursday, April 26 at 9pm and 9:30pm et/pt. Kim's life is extravagant and her big day will be no exception - from the over-the-top cake to her multiple outfit changes. For a sneak peak at the series, visit: http://www.bravotv.com/dont-be-tardy-for-the-wedding/season-1/videos/kims-getting-married
In the premiere episode, Kim and Kroy delve into the details of their lavish party and discover quickly that they have different budgets in mind. Kim is intent that the date of their wedding fall on 11/11/11 as the number one signifies new beginnings. With only eight short weeks to plan she hires Colin Cowie, event coordinator to the stars, to turn her backyard into the picture-perfect stage. Kroy will largely be out of the picture due to football season, leaving much of the decision-making to perfectionist Kim.
Each thirty minute episode will follow the adventures of Kim preparing for the wedding of her dreams. The pressure is on as she rushes to find a dress, lose remaining baby weight and cosmetically enhance trouble spots. With the date quickly approaching, problems mount- her invitation is leaked to the press and her mother refuses to attend the wedding. Still, Kim is determined to marry Kroy and won't let anything ruin her perfect day. Don't be tardy for this party as Kim refuses to give up on happily ever after.
"Don't Be Tardy for the Wedding" is produced by True Entertainment for Bravo. Steven Weinstock, Glenda Hersh, Lauren Eskelin and Dominick Pupa serve as Executive Producers.
Bravo is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been an NBCUniversal cable network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information, visit www.BravoTV.com. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BravoPR.


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Selfie picture takers beware: the Selfie Police are on patrol to give $1 fines for each picture to be donated to charity.
PROVO, Utah - Selfie picture takers beware: the Selfie Police have put you on notice. For each selfie someone takes they can face a $1 fine to be donated to charity, thanks to a website launched by two Brigham Young University students Tuesday. Selfie Police invites people to pay up for past selfies and report friends. "When we first came up with the idea we were trying to think of how to engage our generation in giving," said co-creator Chas Barton. "It's tricky because we're such a selfish generation, so the question we asked was not how do we make our generation charitable, but how do we turn selfishness into charity. That's where Selfie Police was born." People posting pictures of themselves are being fined $1 on charges of self obsession, the website states. Offenders are then invited to join the "Selfie Police" themselves and call out friends with the hashtag #selfiepolice on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Selfie Police received about 100 donations in its first two days of operation, raising more than $1,000. At a time where the word "selfie" was dubbed the 2013 word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries and hashtags like #selfieolympics trend on Twitter, the Selfie Police team think there is a lot of potential to go viral and do good. "(The) Overall vision is nationwide. Whenever people see a selfie the first thing they think of is 'oh, I've got to bust them.' Or beyond that, where everyone thinks if they're going to post a selfie they automatically go and pay a dollar to charity," said co-creator Dustin Locke. All of the fines go directly to the non-profit Vittana through a PayPal link on the Selfie Police website. Vittana is an organization that gives loans to students in developing countries as part of a perpetual eduction system to help them lift themselves out of poverty. "We decided they were a prime organization to donate to because it's all focused on our generation, who is walking around with $600 self-indulgent devices in our pockets," Barton said. "We want to engage our generation in helping other kids our age dealing with the same sorts of issues, trying to go to college and school, but who just don't have the same opportunities we do." After amassing an army of raving fans who love the idea of policing selfies for good, the Selfie Police want to take down celebrities to make serious money. Celebrities featured on their current "Most Wanted" list include Jimmy Fallon, Imagine Dragons and LeBron James. "These are people who have countless amounts of backdated selfie dollars, so that's going to be a lot of fun," Barton said. The creators of Selfie Police themselves have a history of selfies and have since come clean. Even their advertising advisor at BYU who didn't think he had any selfies paid up when he found one. "I have posted a few selfies and I have paid for them all," Barton said. "I went through and tagged my selfies and paid for them on the site. I am paid up to date, but you know, another day another selfie." Locke and Barton came up with the idea for Selfie Police during a 24-hour creativity competition and started working on the site in October. The project was originally named Selfie Jar, but at 3 a.m. on the day of their launch inspiration struck and they decided to change the name and entire design of the website. Since then they said they have received a lot of support and were able to enter the conversation with people using hashtags like #selfiepolicearecoming and #dontfindmeselfiepolice. "How to create charity for a millennial audience is an interesting problem to solve," said advisor Jeff Sheets. "So to find a relevant culture touch point like a selfie and if you could make that branded into a moment of reflection - to say 'wow, there are others in the world who are not as fortunate as I am, so I will continue to take my selfies, but now as I do I'm going to think of someone and pay a buck' - that's a pretty awesome concept creatively to help people remember how blessed they are." The team said sometimes people are hesitant about the idea of posting selfies, but that they have had fun teaching people it can be OK to do it for charity. "Anyone can be a selfie person now," Locke said.%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//beacon.deseretconnect.com/beacon.gif%3Fcid%3D136660%26pid%3D46%22%20/%3E


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I've encountered a strange thing. I connected to an open Wi-Fi, then I was just fooling around. First, I visited
192.168.0.1 and it was a router configuration page but default password didn't work.
Then I navigated to
18.104.22.168 and I saw the configurator of a completely different router that isn't even on this network. The SSID is different and encrypted with WPA2-PSK. The default username and password (
admin) worked.
How come I managed to connect to it? How can I notify the owner? Is it illegal?
Here's a screenshot:


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We had a windy but beautiful walk at Henderson Bay June 13th. Thanks as always to George for the photos.
Subscribe to In Search of Simplicity by Email
Radio host, inspirational speaker and health educator John Haines is the author of In Search of Simplicity: A True Story that Changes Lives and the recently released Beyond the Search, books to lift the spirit and touch the heart. See http://www.JohnHainesBooks.com
"In Search of Simplicity is a unique and awe-inspiring way to re-visit and even answer some of the gnawing questions we all intrinsically have about the meaning of life and our true, individual purpose on the planet. I love this book."
Barbara Cronin, Circles of Light. For the complete review visit: http://www.circlesoflight.com/blog/in-search-of-simplicity/
"In Search of Simplicity is one of those rare literary jewels with the ability to completely and simultaneously ingratiate itself into the mind, heart and soul of the reader."
Heather Slocumb, Apex Reviews


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A swipe of the debit card won't make this charge go away.
Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe Kardashian are being sued for $75 million for allegedly backing out of an agreement to promote a prepaid debit card bearing their image, according to court documents.
In November, the stylish sisters launched the Kardashian Prepaid Mastercard—a debit card featuring a photo of the smiling, buxom brunettes. (Khloe has since gone red).
The card's hidden fees brought the reality TV stars a lot of bad publicity, so they allegedly stopped promoting the card starting Nov. 29.
The company that hired the business-savvy beauties to be the face of their marketing campaign was less than pleased when the trio backed out.
Revenue Resource Group says the Kardashians signed a two-year contract and that RRG got their own batch of bad publicity between the hidden fees and losing the sisters.
RRG was reluctant to sue, but decided to file a complaint in Fresno, Calif. on Thursday, according to E! News.
"The company waited a month to file hoping this would work out. They didn't want to sue," RRG head attorney Scott Rudd told E! News.
The alleged breach of contract "effectively put this company out of business," Rudd added.
The Kardashians have yet to release a statement about the lawsuit. A case management hearing is scheduled for May 2.
Selected Reading: E! News, RadarOnline, US Weekly


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Today in Redmond, Microsoft Research demoed the Translating Telephone. It does exactly what it says it does, and as you can see - well, hear - from this video, it was awesome.
Imagine a VOIP system that caches all your calls, converting them to searchable, storable, everlasting text. That's already pretty amazing - especially if you already jump through hoops recording interviews and conference calls. But then imagine this: It can translate whatever you say into some other language. In real time.
As you will notice in the video, the research team built the proof-of-concept system to work in English and German, the native languages of Kit and Frank, the two developers on the team. As you also might have picked up, it has the same occasional clumsiness of an internet-based text translator. This is because it's using the same technology that Bing's translator uses.
What was funny for the researchers to discover was how their own spoken language differed from their written one. For extra monitoring of translation quality, they set up their test system so that it would re-translate the translated speech, so English-to-German-to-English. I myself envisioned a great moment in modern poetry, a la Jimmy James' Super Karate Monkey Death Car, but as you can see, when chit-chat becomes fast and casual, it's usually more like garbage in/garbage out:
What's great is that a software tool like this could be stuck into so many different situations, as a live translation feature for video chat, as a conference-call option, or - in the least likely but sweetest scenario - as a feature on a Microsoft-branded Google Talk competitor that ran on Windows phones. Alas, that is probably not gonna happen. [Microsoft Research - no specific project page]


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IRS official says House will get all emails
WASHINGTON — Congress will receive all of the e-mails associated with an IRS investigation into whether conservative groups were looked at more closely when they filed for tax-exempt status, Commissioner John Koskinen told a House panel Monday.
E-mails from the former director of the Exempt Organizations office, Lois Lerner, should be delivered in "unredacted form" by the end of the month, Koskinen said in a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
"As soon as possible thereafter, we will complete redaction of those e-mails and produce them to this Committee," Koskinen said. "At that time, this Committee will have all of the e-mails — 43,000 of them — that we have from Lerner's computer and e-mail account for the period January 2009 through May 2013. In addition, this Committee will have 24,000 Lerner e-mails from other custodians' accounts, for a total of 67,000 Lerner e-mails."
The committee chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., played a video at the beginning of the hearing showing almost all the Republican members of the committee asking for "all of Lois Lerner's e-mails."
Koskinen answered at a previous hearing that he would provide them.
"You worked to cover up the fact that there were missing e-mails and came forward to fess up only on Friday afternoon," Issa said, adding that Koskinen did not find the e-mails until the committee learned of new e-mails. "I subpoenaed you here tonight because frankly I'm sick of your games."
"We have now obtained contemporaneous evidence from 2011 showing the exact opposite, that it was a technological problem," Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., in response to Issa's statement. Koskinen was able to show exactly what had happened with the e-mails, Cummings said. "The fact is there are long-standing problems with technological records in government agencies."
He pointed back to "millions" of Bush administration e-mails that had been lost.
Koskinen told reporters the IRS had turned over more than 8,000 hard-cover pages to Issa's committee.
"We've given them all the pages they asked for and now they're talking about bringing in all the IT people," he said.
The request for Lerner's e-mails comes in response accusations that the IRS targeted conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
Koskinen seemed ruffled by the idea that the IRS was not helping the committee as fully as it should.
"This committee has received over 600,000 pages of materials redacted to protect taxpayer information," he said. "The tax-writing committees have received over 835,000 pages of unredacted materials."
He also tried to explain why there have been difficulties in the first place, reporting that as many as 2,000 IRS employees had hard-drive crashes since the beginning of this year because IRS computer equipment is dated.
In fact, IRS IT funding has decreased by $100 million since fiscal year 2010. Koskinen told reporters the problem the IRS has is the size of the server, because it's too small to hold all the e-mails. He said it would cost at least $10 million two years ago to update, it but decided they did not have the money.
Lerner's computer crash happened in 2011, before the congressional investigations began, he wrote, and she complained about it and asked for assistance.
"I checked with the technician, and he still has your drive," an IT front-line manager wrote to Lerner on July 20, 2011. "He wanted to exhaust all avenues to recover the data before sending it to the 'hard drive cemetery.'"
The manager later wrote her that the hard drive had been sent to the IRS's Criminal Investigation Division forensic lab, "as a last resort," to try to recover the data.
"Unfortunately the news is not good," the manager wrote in August 2011. "The sectors on the hard drive were bad which made your data unrecoverable."
Still, Koskinen said the committee should receive all that they are looking for.
"The question is what e-mails outside the agency prior to April 11, 2011 are not in the 24,000 Lois Lerner e-mails sent to other IRS employees during that period," Koskinen said in written testimony. "Last week, I understand the White House and the Department of Treasury stated they were providing all of their Lois Lerner e-mails, which should help fill those gaps and answer that question."
Monday's hearing follows a Friday hearing where Koskinen refused to apologize for losing the e-mails.
White House Counsel Neil Eggleston wrote a letter in response to a subpoena from Issa for Jennifer O'Connor, the former counselor to former acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel, to testify about what she knew about Lerner's e-mails. Eggleston states that the committee should have what it need.
Follow @kellyskennedy on Twitter.


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Selena Gomez Dumped Justin Bieber After His Baby Scandal? The Truth!
Selena Gomez reportedly broke up with Justin Bieber after the news broke of his paternity lawsuit! But we know the truth…
Say it ain't so! We seriously doubt this…but after eight glorious months of dating, Selena Gomez broke up with Justin Bieber because of his paternity scandal, reports RadarOnline.
"Selena ended it abruptly. She broke the news to Justin just in the past 24 hours," a source said.
Justin, 17, is currently being accused by a girl named Mariah Yeater of getting her pregnant last year during a concert in Los Angeles. She is demanding the Biebs take a paternity test to prove he's not the father of the child. Apparently, Selena, 19, did not want to weather the storm with him.
"His camp is in damage control mode and attempting to convince her to stick around in the relationship for a few more weeks, because they fear it will be seen as an admission that something indeed took place between Justin and the woman who is alleging that he's the father of her baby," the source said. "Justin has insisted to Selena that the woman's allegations are simply not true."
That said, we have a hard time believing Selena would break up with Justin over something like this. Just yesterday, she retweeted something talking about "Jelena." Plus, Justin rapped about "his girl" being "perfectly perfect" on Power 106 FM earlier this week.
HollywoodLife.com has heard from insiders in both Justin and Selena's camp who say there isn't any truth to the story. A source in Selena's camp tells us things between Justin and Selena haven't been fantastic lately, but they are still technically together.
"There has been tension, but no official break-up. Between the paternity story, the EMAs prep and Selena's stalker, things have been very hectic and confusing," the insider says.
Do YOU think Selena would dump Justin over the paternity scandal?
UPDATES: RadarOnline.com is now reporting that Justin has denied the breakup reports to his friends. Meanwhile, Us Weekly reached out to Selena's rep who denied the report. We're glad this was just a nasty rumor!
Reporting by Russ Weakland
More Selena Gomez!


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It's no secret around my house that I have a thing for Christmas ornaments, I usually buy a few special ones every year and have been doing this for several years now. To me there are few things more fun than looking though all of the decorations of years past and placing them one by one on the tree. Over the years my tree has become a living memory to Christmas past.
This year I've been saving my favorite ornaments in a folder for the past few months growing my collection of the most special ones I love. I rounded up some of my favorites here and can't wait to share them. Happy decorating!
Image above clockwise from top left: Wedgewood ornament, dove ornament, Jonathan Adler lion ornament, glass globe ornament, star ornament
Image above clockwise from top left: alpaca snowy owl, porcelain chateau ornament, glitter drop ornament, stitched sea urchins, European flower glass ornament, clear glitter swirl ornament
Image above clockwise from top left: sequin flower ornament, gold glitter ball, blue glitter pinecone glass ornament, felted glittered acorn ornaments
Image above clockwise from top left: gold teardrop ornament, striped glass ornament, wood star ornament, Lenox China jewels emerald snowflake, ice queen snowflake ornament
Image above clockwise from top left: floating feather ornaments, glass ball icicle ornament, wood laser cut glitter ornament, felt polka dot ball ornament, glass animal print ornaments, frosted natural pinecone, embroidered felt six point star
in addition to the sponsor section, our lake life sometimes contains affiliate links. what this means is that if you make a purchase from one of these links our lake life may receive a commission on the sale of the product. all of the content i share here is what i genuinely like and is not influenced by any other manner. by purchasing through our lake life you are supporting the time it takes to bring you great ideas and products.


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Cheap Women's Sunglasses
Hi Beautiful ;) Browse all of our Cheap Womens Sunglasses 2019 here. All of the best sunglasses for women are priced at €9.95 and will drop in price as you purchase more. We have over 150 different models from our 2019 collection so you can easily find the perfect pair of shades to accessorize every outfit, unless of course you are wearing shoulder pads... then we can't do anything to help you. When you use our discount model, fashion for your eyes is extremely affordable. So go ahead and grab an extra pair of cheap fashionable women's sunglasses online to match your beautiful face. Are we sucking up to you so you buy more sunglasses? … Perhaps.
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2 pair of sunglasses €18,-
every next pair only €7,-
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Coffee The Full Monty€4.95
Coffee Oceana€4.95
2 Item(s)


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Summer's finally arrived, and I hope you're all enjoying this glorious weather.
There's nothing like a bit of sunshine to cheer people up, and getting us out and about. And that's what we hope you'll all do on August 16 at the Birstall Summer Fair.
Plans are now forging ahead and we hope to bring you a fun day for all the family with plenty of events and activities.
The Chamber of Trade is having a "Teddy Tombola", so if you have any teddies or soft toys you can donate, please bring them to Anjie at the Pet Shop, Nicola at Bishop's bakery or me at Seaspray.
Watch out for posters around the village as Birstall turns red, white and blue through August.
We'll also need volunteers on the day, so if you can spare and hour of your time, please pop into the chippy, Cobbles or the Pet Shop and we'll take your details.
Our fundraising for the Christmas Lights has now finished, and through the generosity of local businesses and the support of people like you, we have raised more than £3,600! This will now be used to purchase a permanent feature for the village.
I'd also like to thank Park House Healthcare for their donation, and Mr Stoller and Mrs Ehrhart, of South View Barn, for their generous contribution and kind words of appreciation.
I'd like to apologise for the temporary closure of the public toilets recently. Unfortunately they had been vandalised and had to be closed until repairs were made.
We're working hard to keep the loos open, so if you see anything suspicious, please let one of the traders know, or report it to the police.
It's judging day for Yorkshire In Bloom on Wednesday.
The In Bloomers have been working their socks off, and we'd like to wish them every success with the judging.


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I have another troll for you all from Homestuck and this time it will be on "how to draw Terezi Pyrope", step by step. This female troll is also known as gallowsCalibrator which is a name that has two meaning representing who she is. First, 'gallows' stands for a noose that she uses to hang her stuffed animals, and 'calibrator' represents her being a troll that calibrates all trolls. Her style is way brighter than Aradia because the red glasses and shoes she wears really brings out her black colored clothing and hair. Instead of long lustrous horns, she has short devilish ones which makes her look even more intimidating. Her Zodiac sign is Libra and you will see her symbol on the front of her shirt. Drawing Terezi will be fun and exciting so enjoy all the specs of the tut. Thanks for joining me with another lesson on a Homestuck character. Peace out people.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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LOWELL — Central Connecticut State assistant basketball coach Sean Ryan is "very interested" in UMass Lowell's vacant men's basketball head coaching job, according to a source very familiar with the situation.
Ryan has strong ties to the area. He is the son of well-known former Lowell High boys basketball coach and athletic director, Charlie Ryan.
Sean Ryan played his high school basketball at Andover High and is a 1996 graduate of St. Anselm, where he was a two-year letter winner. During his two-year stint, the Hawks earned a combined record of 54-8 while capturing two Northeast-10 championships.
Ryan was a second team All-Northeast-10 selection and earned second team NABC All-New England honors. He scored 1,063 career points and made 229 career 3-pointers.
According to the source, Ryan is "mustering a ton of support" among fans, alumni and others invested in the UMass Lowell men's basketball program. The source also said that Ryan views UML as a "destination job, and a great opportunity."
He has a wealth of coaching experience.
Prior to spending the last three years at CCSU, he was at Holy Cross for a year and spent two seasons before that at Boston University, where he was involved in on-court coaching, recruiting, game preparation, scheduling, academic counseling and compliance.
Ryan also served as an assistant at the College of Charleston for two years and St. Anselm for three seasons.
The UMass Lowell job became open this week when Greg Herenda resigned after five seasons to accept the head coaching job at Fairleigh Dickinson University in his home state of New Jersey.
The River Hawks are set to join the Division 1 America East Conference next season, and are coming off a fairly lackluster 15-13 campaign in their final season as a member of the Northeast-10.
UML Athletic Director Dana Skinner told The Sun earlier this week that there is not a set timetable to hire a new coach. But with the move to Division 1 it's important to have a head coach in place as soon as possible. He also said he expects the opening to attract plenty of interest.
Another name to keep an eye on is former Boston Celtic Walter McCarty, who was reported to be a finalist for the post at Fairleigh Dickinson before Herenda won the job. The former NBA veteran would provide instant name recognition.
Another potential candidate could be highly-successful Williams College coach Mike Maker (119-27 career record).
Follow Matt Langone at Twitter.com/MattLangone


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Europe's party capital
With its reputation as Europe's party capital to live up to, Ibiza doesn't disappoint, with some of the continent's most famous (and infamous) clubs, thousands of sun-soaked revellers and non-stop pulsating night-life.
Ibiza's Old Town features boutiques, nightclub merchandise outlets, international names and quirky gift shops – here, trendy threads can be purchased from Hippy Chick (Calle Santa Cruz 13) and Beautiful Creatures (Calle de la Virgen 11). Make sure not to miss the long-running Hippy Market (Avenida Punta Arab�) in Es Canar every Wednesday (April to October). In operation since 1973, shoppers can pick up nick-nacks at bargain prices while being serenaded by musicians. If antiques are more your thing, put a bid in at Casi Todo auction house, a veritable treasure trove in Santa Gertrudis.
Food & Drink
Ibiza is a culinary hotbed, with its mix of Ibicencan and international fare, locally sourced vegetables and abundant seafood. The Old Town is a great place to start, with restaurants overflowing onto narrow cobblestone streets – a locals' favourite, La Torreta (Pla�a de la Vila 10) is a great place for people watching. Chiringuitos (beach restaurants) are central to Ibiza's foodie scene and range from small shacks to upscale hangouts – the cheap and rustic Fish Shack (Talamanca) and the 'see and be seen' El Chiringuito (Playa Es Cavallet) both serve wonderfully fresh fish. If you really want to splash out, try Lio (Paseo Juan Carlos I), a lively restaurant with hedonistic entertainment and fantastic views of the Old Town.
Ibiza Carnival
Carnival events take place at various towns on the island during February, but the most notable is Ibiza Town's parade, where residents don their glad rags and dance or sing their way along the city's streets.
Good Friday Processions
Taking place throughout Ibiza, but most notably in Ibiza Town and Santa Eulalia del R�o, parades consisting of members of different brotherhoods dressed in coloured capes and conical hats meander solemnly through the streets.
Ibiza Medieval Festival
Head back in time as you walk shoulder to shoulder with jesters and knights, gaze in awe at intricate tapestries, and sample food of the Middle Ages during this three-day medieval extravaganza in Ibiza Town's Old Town.
Ibiza Jazz Festival
Jazz may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of music in Ibiza, but this varied genre is celebrated at venues in the Old Town that host both international and local acts.
Radio 1 Weekend
Star DJs from the BBC's Radio 1 take over the decks at some of the island's largest clubs for a weekend of free sets and all-day, all-night partying. They're joined by some of Britain's and the world's greatest club performers.
For a small island, Ibiza punches above its weight in terms of accommodation, whether rural agrotourism hotels, affordable beachside properties or boutique in-town offerings. Agrotourism hideaways are a good way of getting a taste of the laid-back vibe of the island – among the best is the tranquil Agroturismo Atzar� (Carretera Sant Joan Km 15). Further south, Ibiza Town's Old Town has boutique properties such as the luxury 14-room Mirador de Dalt Vila (Plaza de Espa�a 4) and more affordable options including Hotel Es Viv� (Calle Carlos Roman Ferrer 8). Avid clubbers will love the adult-only Ushua�a Ibiza Beach Hotel (Playa d'en Bossa 1), which has rooms near the poolside parties.


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Office 2011 for Mac: Apply Number and Text Formats in Excel
One of the things you might find you do frequently in Excel 2011 for Mac is change the way cells look, and you do so with options on the Home tab of the Ribbon. Other than the visual effect, format also means how a cell treats the content that's typed inside it.
General format is the default cell format. (Look in the Number group on the Home tab.) Briefly, the General format applies formatting by using these simple rules:
A cell that contains any text characters is formatted as text.
A cell containing numbers only is formatted as a number or date.
A cell that begins with an equals sign (=) is a formula.
You can override General format and apply any other format that you want to a cell. If you change a cell's format from one of the number or date formats into Text format, you can no longer use the number value or date in formula calculations.
The Number group on the Home tab offers quick formatting options:
Number Format: This is a pop-up menu that lets you apply the default format for each of the major format categories.
Alternate Currency: This pop-up menu lets you apply accounting formats for specific currencies.
Percent: Displays decimal values as a percent.
Thousands: Click to toggle commas on or off as thousands separators.
Reposition decimal point: Click a button to move the decimal point one position to the left or to the right.
To display the complete list of available number formats, press Command-1 (or choose Format→Cells from the menu bar) and in the Formal Cells dialog, click the Number tab.


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What access challenges do people with disabilities face when using a telephone?
As telephones become increasingly portable and increasingly integrated with other computing devices and networks, their role in education is beginning to evolve beyond their use in staff offices. Many educational entities in both K-12 and postsecondary environments are exploring ways to integrate wireless telephones into the classroom, providing students access to resources beyond those found there.
The telephone, however, is one of the earliest examples of information technology that excluded individuals with disabilities. People with hearing impairments were excluded from this audible medium from the outset. Text alternatives became possible in the mid-1960s with the invention of the acoustic coupler and began to appear shortly thereafter as teletypewriters (TTYs). A basic TTY consists of a keyboard, a display screen, and a modem, which operates over standard telephone lines. If a deaf individual is communicating with another TTY user, both users communicate by sending and receiving text with their TTYs. If the deaf individual is communicating with someone who doesn't have a TTY, they will use the national Telecommunication Relay Service (TRS), in which relay operators provide two-way translation between spoken word and typed text. A more recent option is the Video Relay Service (VRS), in which relay operators provide two-way translation between spoken word and American Sign Language. For more information on relay services, consult the AccessIT Knowledge Base article What are relay services, and how do I access them?
People with hearing impairments are not the only group who has historically experienced problems with telephones. People with speech impairments, mobility impairments, and visual impairments continue to have difficulty with mainstream telephone equipment today.
People with speech impairments, if unable to communicate verbally, could use TTYs. However, these same individuals face additional barriers if they have physical disabilities that prevent them from using the TTY effectively. Many of these individuals can benefit from the Speech-To-Speech Relay System, a system in which communications assistants (trained speech and language recognition specialists) are provided for people with speech disabilities and others who speak unclear English. The Speech-To-Speech Relay System was available in all fifty states as of March 2001. More information is available at STSNews.com. Also, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) maintains a list of United States Speech-To-Speech access numbers.
People with mobility impairments may be unable to use the controls on the telephone. Several devices have been developed to assist people who have mobility impairments in using the telephone. They include automatic memory dialers, dialing aids, large add-on push buttons, large-number overlays, raised face plates, touch tone transmitters, and other devices.
People with blindness or low vision may have difficulty locating appropriate controls on telephone devices. These same individuals may be excluded if devices provide information via a visual display. Several devices have been developed to assist people who are blind in using the telephone. They include Braille TTYs, telephones with Braille markings, voice-activated telephones, voice output telephones, and voice output caller ID, among other devices.
The Access Board is an excellent source for more information on this topic. The final report of their Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee (TAAC) was published in January 1997 in accordance with Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. TAAC's final report, Access to Telecommunications Equipment and Customer Premises Equipment by Individuals with Disabilities, provides, in addition to the Section 255 guidelines, an extensive history of telecommunications access, including technological and legislative history.
Also, the FCC has created a Consumer Facts Sheet with information about Telecommunication Relay Services, including those for people with speech impairments (described above), and a variety of other relay services available for people with disabilities affecting hearing and/or speech.


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Donate to SOS Children's Villages?
The people of Greece need your help, especially now and I know that people who use my website would donate money if they knew who to donate to and how. SOS Children's Villages help children who have lost their parents or are homeless for other reasons. There is no better time to donate than now because with the economic crisis in Greece they need donations more than ever. You can visit their website to read about their work and then donate by bank transfer or following the link to paypal. You can mention my site if you like.
Join Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Guide on Facebook for comments, photos and other fun stuff. If you enjoy this website please share it with your friends on Facebook.


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When I see people, and particularly conservatives, discussing why one poll is better than another, I see the sample pool frequently cited as a reason for favoring one or another. Specifically, some poll watchers insist that any poll not filtered for likely voters, instead of just registered voters or even adults, is not useful in a political context.
The dirty secret is that not all likely voters are created equal. Every pollster has his own secret sauce, and we have to be careful when trusting that kind of filtering. It might not be what we expect.[More]


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'In Bed with Wall Street' examines financial 'conspiracy'
Thanks to his popular blog "Sense on Cents," and its pointed critiques of current Wall Street business practices, Greenwich money manager Larry Doyle was signed to write a book-length expose that is poised to be widely discussed in 2014.
"In Bed with Wall Street" (Palgrave Macmillan, $26), which will be published on Tuesday, Jan. 7, is a blistering account of the way that a "conspiracy" between Washington and Wall Street has lined the pockets of the richest financial services firms at the expense of average Joes.
Doyle shows how the increasing amounts of money going from Wall Street to politicians' campaign chests has left voters in the lurch. While there are large differences between Republicans and Democrats on social issues, Wall Street has been getting its way from both parties for decades.
"The truth can be a little daunting," Doyle said in a recent phone interview. "All I did was connect the dots and then try to put that into a narrative that the average American can understand."
The author believes that one of the reasons Wall Street has cheated so many average investors is through the use of financial reports and prospectuses that are meant to be indecipherable.
"They want to keep financial vocabulary a foreign language ... that way they can hide or disguise their fees and expenses," Doyle said of the mind-numbing paperwork investors receive from financial services companies.
More Information$26
"In Bed with Wall Street" shows how the last several presidential administrations have kowtowed to Wall Street. Many of George W. Bush's financial bigwigs have also found a comfy home under Barack Obama.
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown, many of the major Washington players in both parties were in no position to do an objective investigation of what caused the catastrophe, according to Doyle.
"Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) were charged with leading the effort to bring reform to our financial system. As respective leaders of the Senate Banking and House Financial Services committees, Dodd and Frank were the logical choices to head this effort, yet both had long fed lavishly from the very financial trough they would now try to reform," Doyle writes.
Of the post-2008 "reform" movement thus far, the author writes, "Real financial reform requires real financial reformers, who understand the key areas of structural weakness in the system and will fight fiercely to address them. We needed political leaders and statesmen, with no agenda other than our national well-being, to execute this critical mission. ... Regrettably, from the top down in Washington, we got nothing of the sort."
Doyle believes it will be almost impossible to reform the financial system until we break the connection between Wall Street and political election coffers. "We need campaign finance reform because at the root of all of this is money," he said.
Doyle's book and his whole new career as a critic of the financial services industry is an affirmation of the power of blogging and the Internet over the past decade.
"If I was not blogging there would be no book," he said of being approached by a literary agent who was aware of the heat being generated by "Sense on Cents" and who asked the question, "How come you have not yet written a book?"
Doyle spent many years at First Boston, Bear Stearns, Union Bank of Switzerland, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, but now runs his own investment company.
"I feel enormously motivated," Doyle said of trying to explain Wall Street to the general reader. "In a manner of speaking, we came through a crash (in 2008) that can only be equated to 1929. Now we're in the (equivalent of the) 1930s and I want to be involved. With the blog, I've been reading, reading, reading and questioning what I read. With this book I'm taking my work ... my fight to an entirely new level," he said.
Doyle will be talking about his book at the Byram Shubert Library, 21 Mead Ave., Greenwich, on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. and the Ridgefield Public Library, 472 Main St. on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m.
email@example.com; Twitter: @joesview


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Lawmaker: Haiti's political disarray threatens rebuilding
WASHINGTON — Political squabbling is impeding efforts to rebuild Haiti following the devastating January 2010 earthquake in the Caribbean nation, a key member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Thursday.
Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., cited the "unsettled political environment" following Haitian lawmakers' rejection this week of President Michel Martelly's choice for prime minister.
Martelly, a popular musician who took office on May 14, has been unable to form a government to tackle the immense rebuilding challenges following the deadly quake. Experts told the Senate committee that sexual assault and diseases such as cholera also continue to devastate the country.
"I hope that the Haitian parliament understands that for us to move forward, we need not the politics of the past but the opportunity to move into the future," Menendez said, warning that bickering politicians don't "bode well for investment."
Joseph Bernadel, a board member of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission, a joint Haitian-international organization that's supposed to coordinate the rebuilding effort, told the committee that "members of the Haitian diaspora want to convey the same anxieties" about the political situation.
The vote on Tuesday to reject Martelly's choice, Daniel-Gerard Rouzier, as Haiti's No. 2 official, was a blow to the commission, whose co-chairmanship is supposed to be held by the Haitian prime minister. The other co-chairman is former President Bill Clinton, but experts said that the organization couldn't operate effectively without a duly appointed Haitian leader.
The commission was established to help direct the vast international aid efforts by trying to ensure that money is spent wisely and helps to build up local government capacity, rather than continue the culture of aid dependency that has long plagued Haiti.
Menendez also said he was "disappointed in the administration" for canceling the expected appearance of Rajiv Shah, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and hoped to have him testify soon.
Lawmakers also said that the country has to develop "a more business friendly environment," rebuild key infrastructure such as its port and ensure the rule of law and property rights in order to improve Haiti's private sector economy, based on industries such as agriculture and garment production.
The interest in Haiti — which is scheduled to receive almost $1 billion in U.S. aid this fiscal year — wasn't matched, however, by attendance at the hearing. Only one other senator, Ben Cardin, D-Md., was present.
Robert Muggah, a Haiti expert at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, said in an interview that he rated the reconstruction effort so far a "D."
One aid expert also warned of the risks of international donors focusing on reconstruction without fully addressing the immediate humanitarian needs of Haitians, of which more than 600,000 are still living in camps or other temporary shelters.
"While many donors are eager to leave behind the relief phase to move to long-term development, many Haitians are still displaced and living in tent camps," said Gary Shaye, the Haiti country director of Save the Children.
With the start of the Atlantic hurricane season this month, people living in those camps would be in peril if a major tropical storm bore down on Haiti, Shaye said. Many Haitian women are at particular risk on a daily basis, he said.
"Women and girls are the most affected and vulnerable populations. ...We have anecdotal reports of increases in transactional sex and other forms of sexual exploitation as women live in desperate conditions seek ways to earn income," he said.
Thousands of Haitians also have died from cholera, which continues to devastate communities that lack access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.
Oil prices plunge as U.S., Europe tap strategic reserves
Egypt's Islamists use charity to win friends — and votes
Mullen: Afghan drawdown 'more aggressive' than he'd proposed
For more international news visit McClatchy's World page.


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Tau Hu Chung: Vietnamese Vegetarian Pate Recipe
Tàu hũ chưng is one of the many vegetarian equivalents you can find to Vietnamese meat dishes. As I mentioned last week, Tết is coming soon (January 23rd), and you're supposed to eat vegetarian for the days just before and after the Asian New Year. Usually, I would make mắm chưng thịt (Vietnamese-style meatloaf). This dish is similar, using ingredients such as mushrooms, bean thread noodles and cilantro, but paired with mashed tofu.
The mixture is first steamed, then baked for a few minutes in the oven so the top is slightly golden and dried out. It's almost like a tofu pâté that can be enjoyed with rice and a bowl of canh (soup) on the side.
Yields: 6 mini terrines1 pound firm tofu (see tips)
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste (see tips)
2 teaspoons canola oil (or any neutral oil)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 (2-ounce) package dried bean thread noodles
1 can straw mushrooms, drained and halved
6 fresh wood ear mushrooms, finely chopped
2 egg whites (optional)
4 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
3 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
1-1/2 yellow onions, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons mushroom seasoning salt (or regular salt)
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil (or any neutral oil)
Prepping the bean thread noodles: Place the dried bean thread noodles in a bowl. Don't forget to cut the little cotton threads and discard them! Soak them in cold water for 20 minutes and drain. Chop into 1 inch threads. Set aside.
Prepping the tofu:
Cut the tofu into ½-inch slices. Blanch the tofu for about 3-4 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain the liquid. Let the tofu cool a little. Once the tofu is cool enough to handle, mash the boiled tofu with your hands using disposable gloves. The tofu should resemble large-sized cottage cheese curds. Set the tofu aside.
Steaming and baking:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Reserve 7 cilantro leaves for decoration.
In a small pan, heat the oil. Once it's hot, add the garlic and fry the pieces until golden. Set aside.
In the large mixing bowl containing the mashed tofu, add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, fried garlic, chopped onion, red chili powder and black pepper. Using food service disposable gloves, mix well. Add the green onions, cilantro and egg whites (if used). Add the wood ear mushrooms, the halved straw mushrooms and bean thread noodles. Adjust seasoning.
Lightly spray some oil on 6 (6-inch diameter) disposable pot pie pans. Remove the excess oil. Fill each tin with the tofu mixture.
Fill a large pot with cold water until it barely touches the steamer level. Place all the tins in the steamer (I needed to stack 2 levels to fit all the tins), bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-high. Steam for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Remove the tins and transfer to a baking sheet. Garnish withcilantro in the middle of each tin and a sprinkle of black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes until the top is dried.
Serve with cơm tấm rice (see tips) and nước chấm sauce and / or tướng ớt (or Sriracha) on the side.
Bon appétit!
You can find straw mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms in any Asian store. I was pleased to find today that my local Asian market now carries fresh wood ear mushrooms (I usually use the dried version). They're grown locally in Half Moon Bay (CA) and they're sold in 6-ounce packages. They're flavorless but they give an interesting, chewy texture to the vegetarian meatloaf.
Little reminder on how to make freshly grated ginger: Clean the ginger root and remove any dirt. Peel the ginger root with a paring knife (or the edge of a spoon). Grate the ginger with a fine mesh Microplane. Gather about 1 teaspoon of grated ginger root.
I use ginger garlic paste a lot in my cooking. It tastes great and is very healthy for you as well. Place the chopped (or grated) ginger and 5 cloves of garlic in a blender, add about 2 tablespoons (or more) of water for a smooth flow. Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator. You can keep this paste for at least a week in the refrigerator.
I used Vinh Khang brand firm tofu, which is freshly made daily. There are two locations in the Bay Area: Vinh Khang Tofu, 141 Dixon Road, Milpitas, CA 95035 and 2955 Senter Road #80, San Jose, Ca 95111. The owner told me he also has a location in Southern California.
Cơm tấm is a Vietnamese specialty rice. It translates to broken rice. You can find it in most Asian stores.
One of the most common condiments to serve with tàu hũ chưng is Sriracha sauce. It's the red chili sauce with the green cap or a dipping sauce of soy sauce base called nước mắm.Published By: on January 17, 2012.