text:
Google Earth for iPhone and iPod touch
Google Earth is now available for both the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Beyond searching for cities, places, and businesses around the world, you can use auto-tilt to adjust your view and see 3D terrain, view geo-located Wikipedia articles and Panoramio photos, and use "My Location" to virtually fly to your current location. You can download it directly from the iTunes App Store.
IcedOutGear.com is the #1 Source for Hip Hop Gear! Iced Out Gear has got the Bling — Personalized LED Belt Buckles & Dog Tags, Icedout Crosses, Pendants, Chains, Pimp Cups, Shudder Shades, World Time Watches, and GRILLZ! They can even create Custom Jewelry Items! Everything is PRICED LOW, SHIPPED FAST and comes with a 100% MONEY BACK SATISFACTION GUARANTEE! See what Iced Out Gear's got in the house!
Bling Bling!! Get FREE SHIPPING on any order at Iced Out Gear — no minimum! Enter FREESHIP at checkout. Expires 11/30/08.
As the economy slows and budgets contract, how will you make every online marketing dollar work for you in 2009? This is a crucial webinar for smart marketers looking for answers as they plan for the first quarter and the remainder of 2009.
Join comScore and Reprise Media to discuss Adding Search Muscle to Your Marketing in a Weak Economy. Joshua Stylman and I will review the trends in search that will have a significant impact on your campaigns next year. Delving deeper, we will explore specific strategies that will help maximize your return on marketing efforts, including:
· How to amplify your other marketing efforts through an integrated paid search strategy
· How to put the competition's marketing dollars to work for you via ad drafting
· How to use search data as a focus group to test key messages, markets and product features
This 1-hour webinar will be held on Thursday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 11:00 a.m. PT. Register by clicking on this link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/601019454
I hope to see you on the webinar.
Eli Goodman Search Evangelist | comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCOR)
+1 (212) 497-1729 | [email protected]
The notebooks containing the recalled batteries were sold directly by the computer makers or through computer and electronics stores and Web retailers. The notebooks were sold for between $700 and $3, 000. Some of the batteries were also sold separately for between $100 and $160.
In the United States, HP's recall involves a total of 32,000 batteries in three notebooks, the HP Pavilion, models dv1000, dv8000 and zd8000; Compaq Presario, models v2000 and v2400; and the HP Compaq, models nc6110, nc6120, nc6140, nc6220, nc6230, nx4800, nx4820, nx6110, nx6120, and nx9600. The recalled batteries have a bar-code label starting with A0, L0, L1, and GC. HP has set up a Web site for customers to get instructions on replacing the batteries and has also listed a toll-free number, 800-889-2031.
Toshiba has recalled 3,000 batteries in two notebooks, the Satellite, models A70/A75, P30/P5, M30X/M35X, and M50/M55; and the Tecra, models A3, A5, and S2. Toshiba also has a recall Web site and toll-free number, 800-457-7777.
Dell's affected notebooks are the Latitude, model 110L, and Inspiron, models 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160. Dell also has set up a customer Web site and toll-free number, 866-342-0011.
My experience is that Acapulco will honor the $2.99 or $3.99 discount. If not I would contact them and complain.
5660 Katella Ave Ste 100
Cypress, CA 90630
Phone: 562-346-1200
|7150 Village Dr.
Buena Park, CA 90621
Phone (714) 523-0031 Fax (714) 521-8674 or e-mail [email protected]
General Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
|13013 E. Molette St.
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Phone (562) 802-0770 Fax (562) 802-9924
General Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Next time I go I will ask about their policy regarding coupons.
This is the posted comment:
They never give the entree for 2.99. Rather they deduct 2.99 from entree price. Not right!!
Ropak Storage Hampers on Wheels, Large – $200
Very large and sturdy collapsable storage hampers for moving all sorts of equipment around. Great for tours or conventions and general hauling of material.
Check out the video here:
How the Ropak Hamper expands
How the Ropak Hamper collapses
Size: 40″x48″
Color: Black
Codition: Like new.
Containers are perfect for:
• Appliance Components
• Automotive Components
• Chemicals
• Computers and Peripherals
• Industrial Equipment Components
• Industrial Supplies
• Plastics and Rubber
• Subassemblies
• Textiles
• Best Value in Bulk Containers
I have six(6) of these that I need to sell.
$200/each but will make a lot deal. Also if someone wants to rent them that would be possible as well.
Please call for pictures or additional details.
818.919.4264 or 562.945.1300
Save time, trees and $25 at a great restaurant.
Just sign up for AT&T Paperless Billing and you'll get a $25 Restaurant.com Gift Certificate.* But hurry this offer ends November 15, 2008.
Switch to paperless billing and:
Get a $25 Restaurant.com Gift
Reduce paper clutter, and help the environment
Improve record keeping by saving bills as PDFs
Even set up automatic payments, and then relax
Plus, it's FREE!
Register for Account Manager to manage your AT&T account online, and choose to enroll in paperless billing. Or, if you've already registered for online Account Manager, just log in and choose to stop your paper bill. By enrolling in paperless billing, you'll live greener and get a $25 gift certificate!
Local Long Distance Internet Wireless Advanced TV
More info here:
Entering its 7th year, TelcoTV is the telecom industry's premier event for the exploration of a comprehensive entertainment convergence strategy. More than 3, 500 attendees, 175+ exhibitors, and 125+ expert speakers comprise the TelcoTV ecosystem. It's a must-attend event for telecom carriers of any size, looking to investigate, implement, and manage a comprehensive entertainment convergence strategy.
TelcoTV 2008 will build on its rich legacy as the leading destination for broadband and entertainment convergence by offering:
* Compelling speakers and panelists who provide unmatched insight into the evolving TelcoTV landscape
* Expanded educational tracks covering MobileTV, NetVideo, The Consumer Experience, IOC Issues, Technology, and Differentiation Strategies
* The largest TelcoTV-focused exhibition hall in the U.S., featuring over 175 leading providers of broadband and entertainment solutions
* A dynamic networking marketplace for broadband service providers, entertainment executives, and TelcoTV solution provider.
TelcoTV will have six concurrent educational tracks. You must purchase the Standard TelcoTV Conference or VIP Pass, in order to attend the TelcoTV Educational Tracks. (Expo Pass and Workshop Only Pass Holders will not be admitted to the TelcoTV Educational Tracks.)
Understanding MobileTV
The MobileTV era has begun. Understanding its implications and opportunities on your converged entertainment strategy will be critical for long-term success. Topics in this track:
* Realities of 3-Screen Convergence
* Learn From the Pioneers – MobileTV Case Study Panel
* Is MobileTV in My Future?
* Battle of the Platforms: Which One Makes Sense for Me?
* Understanding MobileTV Consumer Expectation & Behavior
* Marketing MobileTV: Do Consumers Get it?
Making Sense of NetVideo
The explosion of Internet-delivered video will have profound implications on triple- and quad-play service providers. Exploring the growing NetVideo ecosystem will be paramount for service providers of all sizes and types. Topics in this track:
* Converging Pay TV & NetVideo: How, Why & When?
* Pull Back the Curtains: The NetVideo Players
* Quality of Service: The Service Provider Trump Card
* Building Bridges: Strengthening Service Provider & Content Partnerships
* Business Model – What Business Model?
* What's Hot? What Are Consumers Watching & Why?
The Independent View
Independent telcos are the telecom industry pioneers in triple play and IPTV deployments. Independents have unique issues and requirements relative to their converged entertainment strategy. Topics in this track:
* Is IPTV the Answer?
* Middleware Strategies
* Overcoming the Scale Challenge
* Realities of Convergence for Small Carriers
* The End Game: What's My Long-Term Entertainment Strategy?
* Content Options: Seeing the Whole Picture
The Consumer Experience
At the end of the day, consumers will gravitate to the converged entertainment experience that provides them the right combination of features, content, interactivity, and value. Building that right experience is no trivial task. Service providers will be challenged to understand and implement the right mix of experience "ingredients" to build a sustainable value proposition with current and prospective customers. Topics in this track:
* Beyond Caller ID on the TV: Next-Generation Communications Convergence
* The Role of Mashups: Are They in My Future?
* Integrating the Social Network Experience: Fad or Reality?
* The Winning Content Experience: What Is It and How Do I Build It?
* The New Network Edge – The Home Network
* Putting Time & Place Shifting into Context: Understanding Consumer Viewing Behavior
Evolve With Technology
Converged entertainment platforms are complex and sophisticated. They evolve quickly, and service providers are challenged with ensuring their technology strategies keep pace. Topics in this track:
* Evolving Cable Landscape: Understanding DOCSIS 3.0 & Tru2Way
* Digital TV Transition: What Does It Mean to Me?
* Set-Top Box Evolution: Gateway to the Home?
* Avoiding Gridlock: Are Content Delivery Networks up to the Challenge?
* IPTV: Its More about TV than IP
* Service Quality: Strategies for Getting It Right
Dare to Be Different
Avoiding the "me too" trap with your entertainment strategy is easier said than done. Succeeding at building and implementing a successful differentiation strategy will take a concerted and determined effort. Topics in this track:
* Marketing the Entertainment Experience: We're Well Beyond Voicemail & Call Waiting
* Avoiding the Low-Cost Provider Trap: Building the Right Pricing Strategy
* Embracing the On-Demand Generation: Strategies for Success
* Leveraging FTTH: How to Differentiate My Superior Network in the Marketplace
* Bundle of Joy: Developing a Winning Bundling Strategy
* Beyond Traditional Content: Leveraging Alternative Content Options
Opportunity Green Conference!
Opportunity Green is a convergence of the prime movers & shakers and the up & coming innovators driving today's new green economy.
Rub elbows with 500 of the best and brightest thought leaders: entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors and designers focused on building sustainable enterprises.
Speakers include:
Rick Ridgeway, VP Environmental Programs & Communications, Patagonia
Lorrie Vogel, General Manager, Nike Considered Products
Rand Waddoups, Sr. Director of Corporate Strategy & Sustainability, Walmart
Michael Besancon, President, Southern Pacific Region, Whole Foods
Michela O'Connor Abrams, Publisher/President Dwell
Adeo Ressi, Trustee, X Prize Foundation; Founding Member, The Funded
Zem Joaquin, Founder/Editor in Chief, EcoFabulous
Josh Dorfman, Author/Producer/Host of 'The Lazy Environmentalist'
Joshua Onysko, Founder/CEO, Pangea Organics
Marc Alt , President, Marc Alt & Associates; Co-Chair, AIGA Center for Sustainable Design; Advisory Board Member, The Designer Accords
Alissa Walker, Founder, Gelato Baby
Andy Funk, Managing Director, Funk Ventures
Continue to network at Being Green + Being Profitable (open-bar) After-Party!
For more info: Karen Solomon 310-709-6952 [email protected]
CEO Deva Hazarika was on with Robert Scoble discussing ClearContext. SAP was the sponsor.
See the show here:
Here's the text from the Workfast.tv site.
ClearContext is a software company that makes email more useful. Here founder and CEO, Deva Hazarika, talks to us about why email is so hated inside corporations and how people can dramatically make it easier to deal with.
Join in a live video chat after the show at https://kyte.tv/workfasttv
AFI Digital Content Lab
The AFI Digital Content Lab is the premiere R&D incubator for new forms of digital entertainment. Launched 10 years ago, the Lab has generated more than 80 prototypes that consistently set a standard for innovation, excellence, and real-world viability. These prototypes are conceived and built by teams of working professionals who volunteer for new media productions that run three to six months.
For more information on the Lab, see www.afi.com/dcl
For a list of Lab projects, see www.afi.com/education/dcl/roster
PGA golfer John Daly is interviewed while he plays a round of golf at Murder Rock Golf Club in Branson, Missouri. Shirtless and shoeless, with a cigarette in his mouth, of course. Classic Big John.
Appearance with John's playing partner for the day, country singer Johnny Lee, at the end of the video.
Definitely one person I did not want to see topless.
OriginOil to Speak at the Latino Caucus Foundation Economic Development Forum
– CEO Riggs Eckelberry is the Featured Presenter On Economic Building Blocks Panel at EconDev –
Los Angeles, CA–October 30, 2008–OriginOil, Inc. (OOIL), the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, announced that OriginOil CEO, Riggs Eckelberry, will represent OriginOil at EconDev, the Latino Caucus Foundation Economic Development Forum, to be held on November 6 and 7 in San Francisco.
Mr. Eckelberry will serve on the first panel of the Forum, entitled "Economic Building Blocks: Water, Transportation, Energy". The panel is scheduled for 8:30-9:45 AM, Friday morning, November 7 and Mr. Eckelberry's focus will be oil and energy – seen through futurist eyes.
CEO Riggs Eckelberry commented, "I'm honored and keenly looking forward to serving on this panel. The Latino Caucus is at the forefront of efforts to reorient the California economy toward industries and technologies of the future. I expect to take back plenty of guidance on OriginOil's road to market."
The theme of the forum is "Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Reinvigorating California's Economic Climate". The Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation states, "In this summit we will bring together Members of the Legislature and key economic development leaders from around the state to engage in serious dialogue and come away with significant public policy initiatives for our state and its people." Attendees will include members of the California Legislature, legislative staff, representatives of California administrative departments, leaders of the business community, academics, elected officials, and interested public.
Assemblymember Joe Coto chairs the California State Latino Legislative Caucus. The vice chairman is Senator Gil Cedillo. Caucus members include Senators Ron S. Calderon, Lou Correa, Denise Moreno Ducheny, Dean Florez, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Jenny Oropeza, Alex Padilla and Gloria Romero; and Assemblymembers Juan Arambula, Anna Caballero, Charles, Calderson, Hector De La Torre, Kevin De León, Felipe Fuentes, Ed Hernandez, Tony Mendoza, Pedro Nava, Fabian Núñez, Nicole Parra, Mary Salas, Lori Saldaña, Jose Solorio, Nell Soto and Alberto Torrico.
About OriginOil, Inc.
OriginOil, Inc. is developing a breakthrough technology that will transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum. Much of the world's oil and gas is made up of ancient algae deposits. Today, our technology will produce "new oil" from algae, through a cost-effective, high-speed manufacturing process. This endless supply of new oil can be used for many products such as diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, plastics and solvents without the global warming effects of petroleum. Other oil producing feedstock such as corn and sugarcane often destroy vital farmlands and rainforests, disrupt global food supplies and create new environmental problems. Our unique technology, based on algae, is targeted at fundamentally changing our source of oil without disrupting the environment or food supplies. To learn more about OriginOil™, please visit our website at www.originoil.com.
MySpace has offered MTV Networks' EVP Digital Music and Media Courtney Holt the CEO job at the newly launched MySpace Music, CNET reports.
More details to follow.
Get Refurbished Desktops for as low as $299.99
Get Refurbished Desktops for as low as $299.99!
HP Mini 1000
The perfect companion PC with the flexibility of Windows XP. Reliable and efficient so you can stay connected without missing a beat.
- Integrated wireless technology helps you get online easily and often from just about anywhere
- View websites and photos clearly on both the 8.9" or 10.2" displays
- Travel light with the ultra-mobile design – only 1" thin, starting at just 2.25 lbs
- Work and play comfortably on the near-full size keyboard (92% of full size)
- Ideal for email, IM and chatting face-to-face with built-in HP Mini Webcam
- Snap an HP Mobile Mini USB drive into recessed port to add storage
Starting at just $39999
The HP Mini 1000 is the perfect on-the-go companion for the ultra-mobile consumer. Stay connected with more people, in more places. Our HP Mini is available with an 8.9″ or 10.2″ diagonal display, weighs only 2.25 lb., and has a nearly full sized keyboard. Personal computing just got a whole lot smaller.
Genuine Windows XP
Get things done, stay connected, and enjoy entertainment in a protected environment with genuine Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3. ††
Stay connected
Bring the Web and your favorite content to your fingertips, and connect with more people in more places while you're on the go1. With our Mini 1000 you'll get:
* Easy access to information, communication, and entertainment via the Internet
* Your favorite digital music and photos close at hand
* Communication and social networking via built-in webcam/microphone, 802.11bg WAN
* Simple, affordable Web access via Intel's new Atom processor
* Up to 1GB of system memory
* Scalability and flexibility via hard drive options—8GB or 16GB SSD, or 60GB HDD§
* Integrated high-definition audio
* Bluetooth (optional)
* Up to 8GB of extra storage via the HP Mini Mobile Drive accessory, which is housed within the HP Mini
HP webcam
Easy to use
Organize your life and get more done with the Mini's comfortable, nearly full size keyboard. You can:
* Surf the Internet1 without eye strain on the spacious 8.9″ diagonal widescreen, or upgrade to a 10.2″ diagonal, edge-to-edge BrightView Infinity display
* Send e-mail and instant messages with the nearly full sized keyboard (92% of standard size)1
* Easily transfer data to and from other devices via two USB ports
92% of standard size keyboard
Sleek, ultra-lightweight design
This compact device is so small that you can carry it in your briefcase or bag, or even just in your hand. The Mini 1000 Netbook is:
* Stylish and alluring, with our rich, onyx-toned "Swirl" Imprint design
* Super slim and lightweight—just 2.25 lb. to start
* Less than an inch thick
* ENERGY STAR® qualified and shipped in environmentally friendly packaging
Quality warranty, software, and support
The HP Mini 1000 is backed by a one-year hardware warranty. In addition, we test and qualify all software sold for a trouble-free experience. You get:
* Microsoft Works 9
* Windows Internet Explorer 7
* Windows Media Player 11
1. Internet access required and not included.
TechBite Technology
Steve Bass's Weekly Newsletter
The Bass Backstory
Hey, I'm Back!
Man, this feels good — really really good. I've got my own newsletter now, and it's absolutely, 100 percent mine. I can say what I want, how I want, and I don't have to look over my shoulder. Well, almost. I still have an editor.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
In case you were wondering, this isn't my technology newsletter. I'll send that later today. I wanted to start by giving you — folks who have known me since the late 80s, readers following me in PC World, and those of you just discovering me — a little background.
I also want to forewarn you about all the things that might not go well with the first few newsletters — like looking weird in your inbox and how it might be blocked by your ISP, and what you can do about it. Because, despite it all, you know how things don't always go well in computing…
I'd better warn you, too, that this "Hello, I'm Steve Bass" newsletter is longer than long; I appreciate your reading it.
Hello! My Name Is Steve Bass
I started with computers in 1982 when I bought an IBM from the now-defunct Computerland. When I asked them for support; they said "Don't use it in the shower." Great advice, so the following day I founded the Pasadena IBM Users Group. It started with 12 people, and over the years grew into a 2400-member organization; I ran it, czar-style, for over 24 years. I also cofounded the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), a nationwide organization serving user groups.
At the same time, I was a licensed psychotherapist, had a small clinic, and started PCG Seminars, a training company for mental health professionals. In 1988, I wrote a guest piece for PC World. I didn't think about it again until an editor called and asked if I'd write a monthly column. So for almost 20 years I wrote Hassle-Free PC (first it was Taking It Home, then Home Office), the Tips & Tweaks newsletter, and a blog, as well as loads of feature articles. Along the line I had two newspaper columns, plus stories in Forbes, Family Circle, Working Woman, and a handful of other pubs.
A few years ago I wrote PC Annoyances, a popular O'Reilly book that to date has solved over 900,678,411 computing problems. (No, really–I found that stat somewhere on the Internet.) The book is still in print. To save you asking, it doesn't cover Vista (ha!), or Vista for Macs (double ha!), and I'm not doing a new book.
What I'll Cover in the Newsletter
I write about technology, including computers, software and hardware; avoiding computing annoyances and preventing hassles; troubleshooting problems and talking about work-arounds.
My attitude is straightforward: I believe that most computing troubles you encounter aren't your fault. They're caused by dopey marketing people who promise too much and off-the-mark product managers who don't have the user in mind. My job is to kvetch and then tell you how to avoid their dopiness–or if it's too late, deal with it.
Don't be surprised, though, when you see a piece about consumer stuff — like secrets that car salesmen don't want you know about, an insider's expose about buying a mattress, or why it's easier to change the transmission in your car than to stop receiving junk faxes.
What the Newsletter Will Look Like
As I created the newsletter, I realized there were dozens of small things that made a difference in what it would look like. For instance, I prefer narrow columns; I think they're easier to read. So we centered and narrowed the text in the HTML version. (We also have a preferences page if you want to switch to plan text.)
I struggled with how to handle hyperlinks. If a newsletter comes from someone I trust, I'm okay having the links embedded, like this: Watch this squirrel video or this one of a spinning squirrel getting nailed. On the other hand, some people prefer seeing the URLs only.
Showing the URLs, though, means exposing you to long links that break in odd places. My plan is to embed links and also embed YouTube videos. You can watch them right from the newsletter, saving you a trip to your browser. Like this:
Of course the length of the newsletter is a hairy problem. If it's too long, you may not finish it–or worse, you'll do what I do and stop reading the newsletter. (My friend Brian's newsletters have terrific information, but they're just too long for my taste; they stack up in my e-mail's newsletter folder and most never get opened.)
If the newsletter's too short, though, I won't be able to say everything I need to, including those essential time wasters, and you might feel like you're not getting your money's worth. (Wait, this is a freebie, right? Okay, never mind.)
You may find some newsletter topics to be way over your head. No sweat, just ignore it and wait for my next missive. (What, you don't find spending a day tweaking your Registry fun?) At the same time, advanced users may roll their eyes when I spend time describing what the "AnyKey" is. Hang in there and have fun with the time wasters until I get to issues that focus on your needs.
Critically important AnyKey
My plan is to keep each issue somewhere between 750 and 1000 words, depending on the topic. If after a while you're in your Goldilocks mode, drop me a note and tell me what feels just right. My inbox is always available to you.
Tech Edits And My Copy Editor
I have people standing alongside me as I do this newsletter, experts who've agreed to make sure I get everything right.
Carey Holzman, author of The Healthy PC and co-host of Computer America is making sure I'm technically correct. My friend Rod Ream, a trouble-shooting genius, also agreed to keep me on technical track.
My copy editor will make sure I don't say "pubic," when I mean "public." (It really happened; everyone, except me and the copyeditor caught it.) We don't see eye-to-eye on everything, and while most of her questions and editing requests are reasonable, some are so dizzying, I can only laugh out loud. No doubt you'll hear about some of them.
One other thing: As you can see, this entire newsletter is in your inbox. I was very unhappy when PC World decided to send an e-mail with an online link. It was a squirrelly bean-counter decision and was supposed to increase page views. It might have, but I lost an intimate connection to readers.
Bouncing Newsletters: The Bane of the Business
Your ISP — the company you get your Internet and e-mail service from — may think this newsletter's spam. (LOL — maybe you do, too…)
It's no surprise that every ISP wants to guard its customers from spam. Sometimes ISPs are overly zealous, and that's probably a good thing. It happened to me: Every time someone subscribed to the newsletter and left a comment, I received an e-mail from TechBite's servers. After 400 of these e-mails, EarthLink got its knickers in a twist, decided TechBite was a spammer, and added it to a blacklist–sort of protecting me from myself.
I know, you're reading this newsletter, so you weren't blocked. This time, yes, but the next newsletter may face the dreaded black list.
The proactive solution: Take a second, find your ISP in our handy How To Whitelist TechBite in your Spam Filter ditty, and white list yourself.
Problems or questions? Don't hesitate — drop me a line.
Okay, now for the juicy gossip you've all been waiting for…
PC World? It Was Nice Knowing Ya
Many of you learned about me from my PC World columns and the Tips & Tweaks newsletter. Just as many are curious and want to hear the inside skinny, and maybe something scandalous.
So I'll give you the short story — and then I'll put it to rest. (If you've heard this before, hit your handy Page Down key.)
In mid-August, PC World laid off its three highest-paid writers, those of us with print columns. That meant me, Steve Manes, and the very funny Dan Tynan. There were other staff layoffs, too, and those weren't the first round of cuts.
As an independent guy, almost always self-employed, I can't complain. I knew what I was in for.
After some back and forth about PCW's proposal to take my blog and use it again in print — in magazine parlance, repurposing — without extra pay, I said enough. Of course, they said that they said enough first. I thought I was taken advantage of and they thought I was making too much of a fuss.
Either way, it was enough for both of us and at noon on September 12, my formal relationship with PC World ended.
I wasn't happy with the way they handled it; nor was I pleased not to be able to write a good-bye note in the print column. I mean, 20 years… really.
But wait, there's news: At press time (I love that phrase), I got a call from PC World's new editorial director, Steve Fox, a friend and vet of PC World's methodology (or should I say shenanigans). He said he received hundreds of angry e-mails [wink] and asked if I'd stay on the masthead as contributing editor and write an occasional feature. I agreed. As they say, sometimes you do what you have to do.
Spread the Word
You know what you can do? Forward this whole newsletter to your friends, neighbors, and a long-lost cousin or two. (Hey, I know you already sent them those squirrel links, so c'mon, quid pro quo.) Now for extra points, send this TechBite link so your buddies can sign up for their own newsletter.
Steve Bass is, surprisingly, still a contributing editor for PC World and now is publisher and the self-appointed Chief Content Officer at TechBite.com. He's also the author of "PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer," available on Amazon.
In the meantime, Steve is busy experiencing the cool feeling having of his own newsletter. Send him your feedback at TechBite. To sign up for TechBite's free Steve Bass Technology newsletter, head for our signup page
Newsletter Subscription Resources
Worried that your ISP my black list this newsletter? Take a the proactive solution: Find your ISP in our handy How To Whitelist TechBite in your Spam Filter ditty, and white list yourself.


text:
Pinched Pocketbooks
Beyond partisanship — and behind those healthy economic indicators — Americans may be seeing something that most economists overlook. Read full article at pewresearch.org
Economy Now Seen Through Partisan Prism
Summary of Findings As President Bush prepares for his Jan. 31 State of the Union address, the public remains skeptical that the economy is improving, in spite of recent positive signals. Overall, about a third of Americans (34%) rate economic conditions as excellent or good, while nearly twice that number say they are fair or […]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
While the US Government continues to flop around like a fish on a pier trying to figure out what is influence warfare on the grand scale and to coordinate all operational levels and departments, Russia is already dominating the influence war with false information.
The NY Times of August 28, 2016 ran "A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories", see: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html?ref=world&_r=0, which is also the photo source.)
The Russians are no newcomer to the influence war having capitalized on misleading and accurate information to befuddle NATO, the EU and others. The Russians recognize that different mediums are complimentary and are well versed in employing complementary media such as Internet trolls to propaganda not to mention their own news bureaus.
There is no shortage of good examples. The Ukraine and the flight of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was one. A story about immigrant violence in Germany is another good example cited by the article.
The article concludes, appropriately enough with a quote from Dimitry Kiselyev, a popular Russian TV anchor, see: (Dimitry Kiselev is Redefining the Art of Russian Propaganda" at https://newrepublic.com/article/118438/dmitry-kiselev-putins-favorite-tv-host-russias-top-propogandist, the second photo source. "Today, it is much more costly to kill one enemy soldier than during World War II, World War I or in the Middle Ages," he said in an interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQErhwknhp4 -n Russian) on the state-run Rossiya 24 network. While the business of "persuasion" is more expensive now, too, he said, "if you can persuade a person, you don't need to kill him."
Perhaps the new administration, having waged multi-media; social media and traditional media campaigns will be more aware of the cost effectiveness of the influence weapon and will orchestrate the change needed for the US to not only counter other national efforts such as the Russian, but to take the influence high ground.


text:
Mt. Airy Lumber Company can be found nestled in the rolling hills and farmlands of Southern Lancaster County. Since 1948, this family owned and operated business has been servicing its customers with a high standard of commitment, quality products and reliable service. We harvest hardwood timber from acreages within a fifty mile radius of our mill and manufacture green lumber, landscape stakes, pallets, firewood, animal bedding, and hardwood mulches. In landscaping materials we carry decorative gravel and stones, Versa-Lok retaining wall systems, screened top soil, mushroom soil, silt fence, straw rolls, grass seed, and weed blocker. We also carry Heatmor Outdoor Burning Stoves.
You are not currently logged in.
Take the family to a nearby corn maze.


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Bite Club is our very own cooking show where we make recipes, created by Nyx, based on foods and cultures in our favourite games, movies and books! Previously hosted by a set of characters called Chris and Cherry, Bite Club was revamped in its fourth installment to feature members of NR Industries by popular demand.
Watch the show HERE


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Delivering new levels of productivity and affordability the HP Latex 570 series enables customers to address peaks in production more efficiently.
The HP Latex 570 gives a step up in ease of use and production print volumes without compromising any of the features that have made HP Latex the game changing technology for print service providers. The HP Latex 570 delivers sustained unattended printing for high volume production environments. With high capacity 3 litre ink cartridges and a new spindle free media pivot table makes loading media is easy and fast taking just a minute.
Prints are instantly dry and colour quality assured with HP colour management tools that include an in-built X-Rite i1 Pro Spectrophotometer enabling media profiles to be created. HP Latex Mobile puts you in control of print jobs regardless of you location with alerts and updates on print jobs sent direct to your mobile device.
Load rolls in one minute with the new spindless front loading pivot table capable of holding rolls up to 100 meters in length (55kg in weight) and high capacity motorised take up reel allows you to run unattended longer.Read More
Achieve high quality prints all at production speeds thanks to the new HP Latex optimiser ink which rapidly immobilizes pigments on the surface of a material and produces prints that are scratch and weather resistant comparable to that of hard solvent inks.Read More
Monitor and maintain your production workflow thanks to the new HP Latex Mobile app and optional printer status beacon.Read More
Expand into textile signage and other porous materials and print full bleed thanks to the new embedded ink collector system and new media wiper system that allows high quality prints to be achieved on lower cost banner and vinyls.Read More
"In our market, superior productivity is the key to sustainable growth, Since transitioning from screen and solvent technologies to HP Latex, our company has started to see remarkable growth, achieving 30 percent growth in 2015 alone and, with the new HP Latex 570 Printer, we have already seen a 35 percent increase in print production without increasing labour costs, driving even higher productivity when we print overnight."Rogier Schrijer, CEO, PPP Netherland
|Print Resolution
|Up to 1200 x 1200 optimised dpi
|Print Modes
91m2/hr (980 ft2/hr) - Maximum Speed (1 pass)
31m2/hr (334 ft2/hr) - Outdoor High Speed (4 pass, 4 colour)
28m2/hr (301 ft2/hr) - Outdoor Plus (6 pass)
23m2/hr (248 ft2/hr) - Indoor Quality (6 pass)
14m2/hr (151 ft2/hr) - Indoor High Quality (10 pass)
6m2/hr (65 ft2/hr) - Backlits, Textiles & Canvas (16 Pass)
5m2/hr (54 ft2/hr) - High Saturation Textiles (20 Pass)
|Print Margins
|5mm x 5mm x 0mm x 0mm (without edge holders)
|Ink Type
|Third Generation Latex Ink
Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Latex Optimiser
|7 (2 x Cyan / Black, 2 x Magenta / Yellow, 1 x Light Magenta / Light Cyan, 2 x HP Latex Optimiser)
|Cartridge Size
|3 litre, 775ml
|Media Size
|254mm - 1625mm (10 - 64 inches) - Roll
|Media Thickness
|Up to 0.5mm (19.7 mil)
|Roll feed; take-up reel; automatic cutter (for vinyl, paper-based media, backlit polyester film)
|Gigabit Ethernet (1000Base-T)
|Banners, displays, double-sided banners, exhibition event graphics, exterior signage, indoor posters, interior decoration, light boxes (paper & film), murals, POP/POS posters, textiles, vehicle graphics
|Whats in the box
|HP Latex 570 Printer, HP 871 3-liter Latex Kit, printheads, maintenance cartridge, ink collector, output platen protector, printer stand, roll lifter, take-up reel, loading accessory, user maintenance kit, edge holders, quick reference guide, setup poster, documentation software, power cords.


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Several homes were evacuated and traffic re-routed for two hours Friday night while firefighters worked to control a leaking propane gas tank at an apartment building in the 100 block of North 61st Street.
Police said a 500-pound propane gas tank, outside a small apartment building, began leaking late Friday afternoon. No one was injured.


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"Stoked City Falls, AK"
Mount McKinley - "Into the Dark"
This might be my favorite Mount McKinley song yet. Starting off strong with a quick and powerful intro, this track is reminiscent of Deerhunter's Microcastle but with a faster, messier (in a good way) tempo and more distortion. Though Dylan White doesn't have Marfan syndrome or wear dresses and deep throat mics onstage, there's definitely something Cox-ian about his style. Good things to come from Mount McKinley, good things...
Thursday, January 21, 2010
MP3: Mount McKinley - "In the Dark"
Posted by PIXEL X WHORSE at 10:09 AM
Labels: DYLAN WHITE, INTO THE DARK, JERSEY LOVIN, MOUNT MCKINLEY, MP3
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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MK Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) Single Pole Type C - 10A 230V C10
Product details
- Type: MCBs
- Breaker Type: Type C
- Depth: 74 mm
- Height: 83 mm
- Width: 18 mm
- Current Rating: 10 A
- Poles: Single pole
- Colour: Magnolia
- For Use With: MK Sentry
- Brand Name: MK
Features & benefits
- Switch mid-trip position indicates fault
- Positive contact status indication in accordance with 17th Edition IEE wiring regulations
Customer's gallery
Returns & Refunds
Returns & Refunds
If you want to return your Wickes product for an exchange or refund, you can do so at any time up to 30 days after receiving it.
Faulty or damaged products
In the unlikely event that a delivered product (including made-to-measure items) is faulty or damaged, we will exchange it or provide you with a full refund (including delivery charges), as long as we are notified of the product's fault within 30 days of it being delivered to you.
You can arrange for the product to be collected, by ourselves or nominated carrier, or return the product to your local Wickes store, with proof of purchase.
Products not required
You can return Wickes products you do not require for a refund.
If you cancel your order within 7 days following the date of delivery, we will give you a full refund including delivery charges.
If you advise us of your proposed return within 30 days (but more than 7 days) following the date of delivery we will give you a full refund excluding delivery charges.
Made-to-measure products
Made-to-measure products may NOT be returned unless they are deemed to be faulty or have been damaged in transit.


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Apple's iTunes software allows users to download, manage and sync music, movies and podcasts. The program is designed to make a sound when the program has been launched, or an action has been completed, such as downloading a song or syncing music to a device. Turn off the noises that iTunes makes to enjoy the program noise-free.
Click "Start," then "Control Panel."
Type "sound" into the search box at the top of the Control Panel and press Enter.
Click the "Sound" link from the Control Panel. The Sound properties window launches.
Video of the Day
Click the "Sounds" tab.
Scroll down the list of available sounds in the "iTunes" section. There are two sounds associated with iTunes: "Complete" and "Page Load Complete."
Click the iTunes sound that you want to turn off.
Select "None" from the drop-down box under "Sounds." Click "Apply."
Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for each iTunes sound that you want to turn off.


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Saturday, January 08, 2011
science show host
13 comments:
- Dale said...
You're not declaring your love for Bill Nye the Science Guy I hope!
- 9:33 pm
- Barbara Bruederlin said...
While Bill Nye is a god amongst science nerds, he was not the specific object of my admiration, Dale. Twas more geared at anyone who can make me understand physics and astronomy, if only for 5 minutes.
- 11:48 pm
I've long felt it curious that people will believe without question a scientist explaining something as difficult to get your mind around as, say, quantum physics....but consider an artist trying to talk about something so simple as an abstract painting a charleton. I always gave more equal weight to different ways of examining our world....science, history, art, psychology and so on.
That said, I enjoy science shows too.
- 4:41 am
- Vol-E said...
Lovely, concise, and best of all, Sagan-esque.
- 6:24 am
- Barbara Bruederlin said...
That's very true, Mr Anchovy and I guess it harkens back to the very real prejudice of science as useful knowledge and art as frivolous. Despite the fact that both are vital.
Thank you, Vol-E, a real compliment, what with Sagan being the king of the cosmos (so to speak).
- 10:27 am
- Wandering Coyote said...
Lovely words, Barb...
- 10:28 am
- Allison said...
the post was indeed lovely, but i almost love the tag a bit more. ;)
- 2:44 pm
- Barbara Bruederlin said...
Gee, thanks, WC, it was fun to mess around with spacey words.
I haven't been paying near as much attention to tag lines as I used to, Al. Time to get back to basics, I think.
- 7:34 pm
- BeckEye said...
Why is Dale hating on Bill Nye? I love that guy!
- 9:01 am
- Barbara Bruederlin said...
Oh who knows with Dale, Beckeye? Because I agree that Bill Nye is pretty awesome. Anybody who can explain momentum with The More You Ignore Me the Closer I Get has got my vote.
- 12:23 pm
- BeckEye said...
Oh, speaking of people who are awesome, since you tipped me off to the Dan Auerbach solo album a while back, I thought I'd let you know I finally downloaded it. My ovaries are now destroyed, thankyouverymuch.
- 12:37 pm
- Barbara Bruederlin said...
Was that me, Beckeye? In that case, my apologies to your ovaries. Now I have to get cracking and listen to more Dan Auerbach, as I think I only have a handful of his songs. My ovaries need destroying too!
- 2:28 pm
- Dale said...
I wasn't hating on Bill, he was just the first science guy that popped into my head. :-)
- 8:44 pm


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Keeping Score
USM OL Peterson won't return for 2014 season
Southern Miss offensive lineman Taylor Peterson has decided not to return to the football program for his fifth year of eligibility, head coach Todd Monken said Wednesday night.
Peterson was in line to see plenty of snaps this fall as a redshirt senior after getting significant time at center during the spring.
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Peterson is a native of Auburn, Ala., and signed with USM in 2010.
Redshirt junior Randal Agee and redshirt freshman Devin Farrior also saw plenty of time at center during the spring.


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IPR Gujarat Recruitment for Senior Research Fellow (SRF) 2018
The Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) Gujarat Recruitment for Senior Research Fellow (SRF) 2018.
- Name of Post: Sr. Research Fellow (SRF)
- Educational Qualification & Experience: M.Sc. in Chemistry degree with minimum of 60% marks and two years post experience in research field.
- Age Limit: Not more than 28 years (as on 16/01/2018)
- Salary: Rs.28, 000/- p.m. + HRA as per IPR rules
Selection Process : Final selection will be based on Interview.
How to Apply : Interested candidates are requested to appear for Interview along with supporting documents along with detailed CV (affixed with photograph) and supporting documents (attested copies of mark sheet/ degree/ certificate/ testimonials) at given below address.
Venue: Institute for Plasma Research, Nr. Indira Bridge, Bhat Village, Dist. Gandhinagar – 382428
- Interview Date: 16/01/2018
- Interview Time: 08.30 AM


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Chemicals ( 3.0 - 3.5 )
G02 Oxygenated Grout & Tile Restoring Floor Cleaner (2 Gallons)
- 2 gallons per case
Contact Us for a Lower Price
Due to MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) we can not advertise a price lower than what is listed.
However, we can offer this product at a lower price over the phone or through email.
Email: email@example.com
Call: 920-750-7306
Call: 920-750-7306


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CCX 34 - Hobby Time with Joe McLaren/
In this terrific episode we sit down with Poorhammer Hobby Master Joe McLaren. We discuss his tricks for building awesome Kings of War armies that don't break the bank. We dissect his beautiful "Budget Dwarf" army unit by unit and discuss the Kings of War rule set along the way. If you would like to follow Joe's awesome progress he can be found on Twitter @Bundo_Kess
As always, please let us know what you thought of the show by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com, on twitter @CounterCharge15 or by posting in our episode thread on the discussion forum found on ManticGames.com. If you enjoy the show you can help others find out about it by leaving positive reviews on itunes. Until next time keep Counter Charging.


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Underwear Salesmen Is A Weed Master Chef! Figured Out How To Cook Edibles Without The Taste Of Weed
Via Elite Daily. Posted By Ghost
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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Follow Us
Robot battle in the Eve online
I was so tired after the battle. The battle was so furious. Almost everyone was talking about it around him. It was a cheerful experience to become a noble from a civilian. I had spent much eve isk for that. I can get more information about the noble class after I became a noble. I was so happy. The Ama news center report that sally was caught in the falger war. This guy was not familiar to me before. He was famous before fifty years ago. He was famous in industry before. He made lots of eve online isk depend on the wars. He is good at business.
Super player experience of Runescape online
Runescape was a better game for me. I knew many players all over the world. But there were some update of this game. Some players were not very familiar with it. I had some friend. Their account was banned for some reason. I knew they were not very familiar with the update. There were some new rules in the game, but they did not know, so their account was banned at last. The player should choose one type character according to my experience. It was not better to choose the default character. I was never online for long time. I had to care about my account and runescape gold. I usually changed my characters. But the cost may be a little high. But I think it is better than the account banned. If I met a foreigner I usually told them I was sorry when I played the game, I was busy now. Lots of the players were young person. They were not care about it. So it was easy to do that. I usually kept the rs gold in my warehouse. It was safe. Some time some player trade with the warehouse. I thought it was not very good. I thought I can find a place without others. I put the runescape money there, I can ask the trader to take it. I had to be care about the robber. I was care about the number of the warehouse. Some player usually used the small account as the warehouse and put lots of money in it. It was not better to be like this. I usually took the higher account as the warehouse. It was much safe. There are many accounts for some professional players. They must be very careful about the quantity of the accounts. There should be several tasks for per account. It is better to make several task points, or your account should not be very high. If you had not task points then your account would be banned not long time. Then it would not cheap rs gold that they make. I lost several accounts after I played the game not long time. Some time I was a little regret to buy runescape. I asked many of my friends how to play it better. They taught me step by step carefully. I need to learn some skills myself. So I was familiar with the game step by step after some time. I can teach the newer to play the game better now.
Sharing the experience of Silkroad
After the Roman server set up, I played a 24 levels two-hand soldier. I think the soldier is much stronger. I had some experience about it. Some one told me I should join in the team. I do not think so after I played it. I think the previous is same with the Datang. I had a high level after I do the task. It was faster. I can play with the same level monster. It was easy. I can challenge the champion also. It was just a hard when I played with the giant. I could take medicine in 15 minutes. I could play longer time if my equipment was good, or I had to add blood after played some time. I had no enough blood. I had to be careful of my silkroad gold. There was no problem to play with the lower monster. I could kill it in one second as a soldier.
My beginning of the Guildwars
Today was Sunday. I went to out to have lunch together with my friends. She is my best friend. She likes to play computer game. Every time I meet her, she is on computer playing her interesting gw gold game. She always forgets to eat something when playing the game. She often asked me to take food for her. I usually stay home to read book. One time she asked me what I was doing, I told her I was reading .she said she would teach me how to play game. She said she found a site selling cheap gw gold than all the other site she used before. I was not interested in all kinds of game, I told her. She laughed. Without saying anything. I did not know what she would do, she is a mysterious girl sometime. After finishing lunch, she told me something about the game to me though I know nothing about it. And at last she suggested that now almost everyone know computer game time, I should learn to play game. The game will make my life interesting. I said nothing. She said she wouldl teach me to buy GuildWars Gold and play the game.She asked me to go her home after lunch. She showed the game for me. In fact it is a very interesting game though I do not know how to play it. So I asked her to play and I watched. When she was playing she showed her Guild Wars Gold to me. Oh my god, she has so much money in the game. And show her friends in the game. Which was boy, which was girl. How did they cooperate in the game to help each other when meet monster. At first the character level was low, and it would be higher up day by day along the time you play the game. If you think your level is too low you can buy power level play for your account from the game site. You can sell your gold in the game if you have too much money to keep. When she was telling me the interesting things,a character in the game found her to buy her equipment. She told the guy she would not sell it. And the guy said thanks and left. It is so interesting. We stayed at her home all the afternoon. She tought me how to play the game, and let me to play myself. I created an account myself. and buy some GuildWars money And make some friends in the game including my best freinds. As a newer, they were very kind to me.


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We made it through our final week. Cleaning the condo, getting the carpet shampooed (required by our lease), shipping the car, making final trips to donate household goods and clothes we don't want to ship, selling off all remaining furniture, and turning in the keys. There was a lot of stuff to do even on the final week.
I am happy to report that after 195 scheduled 3 AM work days across 67 consecutive weeks, I am done. Starting on Monday, I will be working in the much more desirable Pacific time zone. I can tolerate 6 AM for a week and a half before we get on the road to Boston. Protip: If you are ever offered a job that stipulates working on a time zone you are not currently living in, don't take it. It's a trap.
I've got to pack up my suitcase today and make sure gadgets are charged for our flight. On the other hand, I might just skip all that and just read and sleep.
Next post is from Seattle.


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In addition to the debit/credit card gifts, The Community Foundation and Staffworks Charitable Fund are pleased to announce that personal checks from donors will also be accepted during the 2018 Save A Life Campaign.
The 2018 Save A Life Campaign will begin at 12:01 a.m., Monday, November 26, and end at 11:59 p.m., Monday, December 31.
- The Staffworks Charitable Fund will match up to $10,000 in community donations received by each participating organization made during the campaign period.
- In addition to the $10,000 individual match, the Staffworks Charitable Fund will award a $10,000 bonus to the organization that receives the largest number of donor gifts and a $10,000 bonus to the organization that raises the most charitable dollars from the community during the campaign.
Gifts By Personal Check
Must be mailed to The Community Foundation,
2608 Genesee Street, Utica, NY, 13502.
- Checks are to be made payable to The Community Foundation, with the name of the recipient organization indicated in the memo field.
- Mailed donations must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2018, to be included in the Save A Life Campaign.
- A 4% donation processing fee will be assessed for each gift made by personal check to cover costs incurred by The Community Foundation for check processing, gift reconciliation and distribution of gift receipts.
Gifts By Debit / Credit Card
Will be accepted at www.staffworkssavealife.com.
- Debit/credit card gifts are subject to a 3.5% transaction fee assessed by the card companies. The Community Foundation receives none of the proceeds from this fee.
- Donors will be given the option of making a supplemental gift on the Save A Life website to cover transaction fees that would otherwise be paid by the recipient organization.
Cash cannot be accepted as part of the 2018 Save A Life Campaign; any cash sent to The Community Foundation will be returned to the donor and will not be counted toward the campaign.


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Brews and Bites: Whether you're looking for an after-work drink or a dinner that won't break the bank, head to Meritage tonight. Just a few blocks from Rittenhouse Square, Meritage features local craft breweries, an extensive wine list and delicious cocktails. Enjoy a bite from their bar, tasting or seasonal dinner menu. Diners' favorites include grilled hanger steak, grilled New Zealand lamb chops and pumpkin crème brulee. Meritage Restaurant & Wine Bar, 500 South 20th Street, Philadelphia Pa. 19103, 5 p.m.
Mirror of a Community: Luz Selenia Salas, local photographer and documentarian displays her work at Taller Puertorriqueño tonight. For over 30 years, Salas has captured the Philadelphia Latino community through her camera lens. Tonights' show will not only celebrate the rich culture in the Latino community but also the city of Philadelphia. Taller Puertorriqueño, 2721 North 5th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19133, Free, 5 p.m.
Hoodoo Gurus: Aussie rock band, Hoodoo Gurus, invade World Café Live tonight. With dozens of pop-rock singles topping the charts in the 80s, the boys are back and ready to rock. For only $22, we guarantee you you'll be singing along to their catchy tunes and dancing throughout the night. World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104, $22, 7 p.m.
Got a Tip? E-mail Us.
Still need more to do? See our events calendar.


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I wanted to style some of the pieces with my own clothing as well, to show you guys how I would integrate the pieces into my own wardrobe. To make things less confusing I made a collage of the seven pieces from the capsule, so you can see the collection standing alone.
Nightcap Dress in white, HERE, Nightcap Dress in stripes, HERE, Reservation Robe in Emerald, HERE, On the Rox Bolero in houndstooth, HERE, La Brea Crop in Emerald, HERE, La Brea Crop in black hefner, HERE, Isla Trouser in black hefner, HERE.


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Latest News
Myron Brandon has no plans of climbing down from his tractor
Myron Brandon has been leveling land for 59 of his 78 years and hopes to keep plowing for many seasons to come.
His bond with the soil began as a youth and has grown only deeper over the years.
The longtime Mercedian loves his work and happily toils 10 hours a day, six days a week, during his busy season. He has no idea how many acres of rocky, uneven soil he has conquered in all those years, but reckons his personal milestones wouldn't constitute a record.
"I like to be outside. I love what I do," Brandon said. "I can't imagine doing something I don't like. It gives me a lot of pleasure, to take a field that's unproductive and turn it around. It's never been monotonous; I keep my mind occupied, looking for obstacles like rocks or pipelines in the field."
Brandon said he's going to go on as long as his health lets him. Most of his customers are his friends, and he works with 21 to 25 farming operations each year.
"I'd hate to quit just when I'm getting the hang of it," he laughed.
Brandon's father owned a ranch and he was pressed into service as a boy. As a 10-year-old, he recalls his first job paid 35 cents an hour. Driving a mule with a sled, he picked up boxes of apricots in the field during World War II. He also baled hay, knocked almonds, worked cotton and barley fields.
What's the charm of such a job?
Today, Brandon says he's his own boss, and he can sit there and let the tractor do all the work. He has owned the same Caterpillar D8H diesel grader since the 1960s and has logged 75,000 hours on the faithful machine. It has been through four engines and is working on its fifth power plant.
Brandon's wife of 57 years, Shirley, confirms that her husband loves his job. She's his bookkeeper, but stays out of the fields while Brandon works. "I'm a city girl," she chuckles. "I don't get out there. I'm happy when he's working. When he is not working, he's not happy."
Brandon has never been hurt on the job and praises the people he has worked for over the years. Land leveling has changed considerably since he started, with laser and GPS equipment enhancing the human eyeball. Land levelers can be credited with changing knobby, rolling hills and arid land into fertile farmland.
When Brandon started, he estimated 35 to 40 percent of the land was virgin and had not been tilled. Now there is less than 5 percent of untilled land.
"It was a giant step forward for the San Joaquin Valley, making it productive," Brandon said. "We can grow anything. Other than irrigation, land leveling is the most important part of agriculture these days."
Brandon, born and raised in Le Grand, graduated from Le Grand High School in 1947. His dad, chairman of the high school district's board of trustees, handed him his diploma.
Brandon, who loved baseball, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and played two seasons with the club's farm system. He said he didn't do very well, but it was still a memorable experience.
On Feb. 8, 1951, Brandon was drafted into the Army. He spent 21 months in the service during the Korean war and was ordered to a combat engineering unit building roads -- operating a familiar bulldozer. He recalls getting shot at a lot and ultimately received a Bronze Star.
After the war, he returned for a year of farming until the familiar land-leveling occupation once again beckoned. He went to work for Robert Hughes of L.B. Hughes and Son, a progressive operation with the biggest and finest of equipment.
He stayed with Hughes for 12 years, moving two million yards of dirt during construction of the California Aqueduct as well as San Luis Dam. He recently helped grade the new alignment for Highway 99 at Campus Parkway just south of Merced.
In 1968, Brandon says his wife talked him into buying one of Hughes' tractors and going out on his own. He recalled the Caterpillar cost $27,500, and he still uses it today. The old-fashioned rig continues to do all he asks of it.
Brandon's cousin, Elizabeth Miller, of Plainsburg, described him as a dedicated worker committed to his job. She said his doctor tried to persuade him to retire, but Brandon wasn't having any part of it.
It's fun making the 36-ton Caterpillar do what he wants it to do. The 270-horsepower Cat burns 13 gallons of diesel fuel an hour. When he started, diesel was 14.5 cents a gallon; now it's $4.
"I couldn't guess how much land I've worked," Brandon said. "It's probably about 300 acres a year. When I'm out of here, I hope the world's a little more on the level because of me."
Associate Editor Doane Yawger can be reached at (209) 385-2485 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I have a secret talent.
i have this amazing uncanny ability to find really cute, adorable cat related items. This also stretches (at times) to raccoon items (if I'm really lucky).
It's not always as easy as it seems, sometimes I have to search for hours to find something cute and other times I attract items like a magnet, drawing them to me like a moth to a flame.
This talent brings some amazing pieces into my life but it can also be a burden. I mean I love cats, but I don't want to end up being that crazy cat lady with a house full of cat ornaments and pillows and rugs and cups and mugs - well you get my point.
To help alleviate some of my desire to own all the crazy cat items that come into my life I wanted to start sharing some of the amazing things I find.
1. Cat Dress // 2. Cat Bag // 3. Cat Scarf // 4. Cat Ring // 5. Cat Mask // 6. Cat Bedspread
The weirdest part about this is that I don't even have a cat. I want one and I think it should hopefully happen sometime in the new year, so until then I fill that space with all things cat related. Maybe my cat obsession will tame down once I have my own cat, maybe it wont, I just know that I'll know where to get cute kitty tipis and scratching posts and dress ups (yeah I'll be THAT kind of cat owner) , well you get the point.
This is part 1 of many awesome fun cat related posts. Do you have a weird talent for hunting down a specific items?
- Brooke


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Getting Your Sales People to Prospect More and Better
So, for many sales people, they avoid prospecting like the plague. Prospecting is something that every salesperson must do daily. I was listening to one speaker from Sandler Sales that said the average salesperson spends only 35 minutes/day prospecting. One would think it should be at least 50% of the time.
Salespeople are lucky today. There are a myriad number of ways to prospect. Social Media, Inbound marketing, trade shows, email marketing, networking, direct marketing, or referrals. And yes, cold calling is NOT dead and must be part of the repertoire. I suggest never rely on just one way of prospecting, but make sure that there is a daily time for your people to prospect. Consistency is incredibly important. No excuses. No distractions, which means e-mails, internet notices, or employee interruption. Have your people make appointments with themselves to prospect.
Develop a basic "Prospect Process", and get each sales person to commit to developing their own process which is based on "The Prospect Process". Besides committing to daily prospecting, salespeople must give a forecast of the desired result to see if management and the salespeople are on the same page. Make sure no matter which way you decide that is best to prospect that it is measurable. This is easy to track on your CRM.
In today's world, I feel strongly that the term "Cold Call" should be changed to "Tepid Call". All the above-mentioned methods of prospecting are putting your people in an easy position to "Pick up the Phone". Even if there has been extensive e-mailing and texting between prospect and company, a trusting relationship can only be built through direct contact.
As professionals, you must put yourself on the other side of the table, and think about the best way for someone to contact you or develop a relationship. What I find disturbing is when someone calls me and immediately tries to sell. Your desired outcome of a phone call is not to sell immediately. It is first exploratory, and qualification. The main objective may be an appointment. Or, it may be to just see if there is pain, fear, or desire that possibly your company can resolve. Or, it may be just permission to contact them again referring to what they said was important to them. No matter what happens, make sure your people stay focused on the desired result.
Make sure that your people have some key questions to ask when they are on the phone. And not those banal questions like "What keeps you up at night?" or "What is your biggest challenge?" Prospects should get the feeling that you know the industry or service well enough to ask them if they have challenges in the following areas? And maybe a follow-up question how are your presently resolving? These are not selling questions, they are discovery questions. This is the only script I would have every salesperson have.
The average salesperson gives up after 1.5 interactions. The average sale is made after 8 contacts. A great statistic to remember. Trusting relationships are built over time. Don't let them forget it. I strongly suggest developing a Touch List as part of the "Prospect Process". Keep trying to add value and/or education with each touch. Some touches can be
- Per our conversation, this is an interesting article that may be of interest to you.
- Noticed from articles that your company is doing blah blah.
- Send whitepapers from your company
- Have them participate in a survey and go over the results from the industry
- Perhaps an interesting study, that may be helpful to them.
- Follow up phone calls relating to the past discussion, not checking-in.
In any case, there must be a consistent follow-up, and a plan to succeed.
So how to start! This depends on your organization and your own beliefs. Make sure that you are measuring the results.
From my experience, this is how I would prioritize the different prospecting methods and why:
- Referrals from customers are the number 1 way of prospecting. Many people wait for the referral without asking. Get your salespeople oriented toward asking for referrals. At least 50% of the work is done when a third party says how great your company is. How to ask for referrals is the trick.
- Trade shows are great if they are planned properly. Appointments should be set up before the show, and a target list of people attending the show is critical.
- LinkedIn is great if you are not trying to sell straight off the bat. Easy to make connections through groups, other contacts, or just asking to be connected. One can target prospects by company, and position. This really creates the tepid contact. Just make sure that your initial contact is not selling, but exploring.
- E-Mail newsletters and blogging. E-mail newsletters are great if you follow up on the reports. One can see who read them and drip another e-mail. Too few people use those Newsletters effectively to generate leads and prospects.
- Networking contacts. Connections are everything in prospecting. However, networking can be an absolute waste of time, or be a tremendous source of potential customers. It is all dependent upon the group, your ability to connect, and having similar target customers. Many salespeople will gravitate toward this prospecting but watch the ROI carefully. Networking is fun, but measure how much time in a day it takes, and you may not see an ROI for months.
- Cold Calling. There are very few effective cold callers. Today there should never really be that traditional cold call, where you cannot refer to a connection, or having enough background information on the person or business to know how you can benefit them. It does not matter how many benefits you can site if you do not have some basic information on the company or person. Your first call is exploratory, NOT to sell.
- Inbound Marketing. I think this is a great tool. I believe that it works, but takes a lot of work. My concern is that it is missing the key element. Picking up the phone and following up. Inbound marketing will never replace face to face.
This is a very brief overview of Prospecting. If you are interested in discussing more, please "Pick up the Phone" or e-mail.


text: São Vicente Island, Portuguese Ilha de São Vicente, English Saint Vincent Island, island of Cape Verde, in the Atlantic Ocean, between the islands of Santo Antão and Santa Luzia, about 400 miles (640 km) off the western African coast. It rises to Monte Verde (2,539 feet [774 metres]). The main economic activities are subsistence agriculture (corn [maize], beans, potatoes) and fishing. An oil refinery was built on the island in 1975. The chief city, Mindelo, on the northwest shore, is Cape Verde's most important port. Area 88 square miles (227 square km). Pop. (2005 est.) 74,136.


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by Katie Delp
The internet went down at the office (again), so I decided to head home to finish up my last few emails of the day. As I stepped outside, I spotted my son walking toward FCS. He was on his way to the South Atlanta Bike Shop for the afternoon and immediately hit me up to buy him a snack at Carver Market.
Inside the market, I ran into the principal of our neighborhood high school, grabbing coffee and greeting several of his students in the store. He recently suffered the loss of his wife and the mother of his young children. My words of sympathy felt inadequate as we embraced.
I am approached moments later by another shopper who tells me her food stamps have run out for the month, and she's trying to buy dinner for her kids. She asks me to purchase lettuce and cucumbers so they can at least have a vegetable today. Unable to refuse this meager request, I pay for her items and my son's snacks before I leave the store.
Traveling home, I walk past a neighbor painting a mural on the side of an abandoned building. I stop to admire his work, and we greet one another across the busy intersection. I walk two more blocks to our local towing company. They are donating a trailer to FCS, and I needed to drop off paperwork to them. We exchange pleasantries and pass off our DMV forms.
I return home, and in my driveway, I'm greeted by my littlest next door neighbor who is just learning to walk. His mom and I catch up for a few minutes while he toddles around the yard.
Urban ministry veteran Mary Nelson says ministry in the city is about both agony and ecstasy. Following Christ into the margins of our city means being in close proximity of true need and injustice. Still, this proximity simultaneously invites me to celebrate and rejoice in the daily beauty of life with my neighbors.
It was only thirty minutes of my day. But in short time, I experienced this agony and ecstasy Nelson describes. Sometimes these quick switches make life feel off-kilter and confusing, but on this day, I simply felt grateful.
Grateful for healthy places like Carver Market that bring people together to connect in meaningful ways. Grateful for living in the neighborhood long enough to watch kids grow up into thriving adults giving back to our community. Grateful for the generosity of so many in our neighborhood to pitch in and solve our challenges collectively. Grateful for neighbors who seem like family as we dwell together in South Atlanta. And grateful to experience both the cross and the resurrection in just thirty minutes on the streets of my neighborhood.