text:
20 Feb2012
This is a rant, so don't read any further if you don't like rants.
I flew in last night on a Philippine Airlines flight from Cebu to Manila. The boeing 747 probably had upwards of 350 passengers and perhaps as many as 600+ pieces of checked in baggage. Between two passengers traveling together, we had three pieces of luggage–a box with 12 kilos of mangoes, a box with roughly 7 kilos of dried mangoes and chicharon, and my perfectly utilitarian, almost non-descript shoemart purchased roll-on bag that I always check-in. My small suitcase is black (as are roughly 70-80% of all suitcases globally), and does not draw attention to itself in any way. It has a discreet black leather name tag, which encloses my calling card with name and contact numbers, but no address for obvious security reasons. It is locked with a built in slide card key lock, and made with a matte, rather firm synthetic material. No drama, just your plain old vanilla suitcase purchased years ago. My suitcase was tagged in Cebu with a priority label because I fly the airline very often and have a premium frequent flyer card — so even if I buy cheap economy tickets, I get priority baggage handling. I also often get seats right by the exit door of the plane, so I almost always make it to the priority baggage belt along with the first half dozen or so passengers from the flight. In my 30+ years of flying with thousands of flights, I have never once lost a piece of luggage on a single point to point journey beacuse another passenger took it. I got a cart and waited patiently. I noticed roughly 6 people between me and the "window" where the bags first come in on the conveyor belt — I tend to stand at the first curve so I can see my luggage coming up. Roughly 3 people were clearly passengers, and were close enough to me that I am pretty sure I would have noticed what they put on their carts. The first three people on the line, closest to the luggage "window" did NOT appear to be passengers themselves, instead one was a PAL "outsourced" staff member in red shirt holding a sticker and madly searching for a "VIP's" suitcase. Another two folks appeared to be lackeys, drivers or bodyguards of a large group of golfers accompanying a senator who stood nearby. In fairness to the senator, he actually pointed out his own suitcases and golf bag and they were placed on his cart, that he pushed himself.
But the half dozen or so other folks also with golf bags and with that air of "self-importance and pseudo VIP status" that comes and goes with prevailing winds stood around preening while two men pulled golf bags and luggage and "padala pasalubong packages" off the belts at a dizzying pace. They quickly loaded up carts and were whisked out quickly. Meanwhile, we spotted both of our boxes of mangoes and chicharon amongst the first dozen pieces to emerge and loaded them onto our cart. But no sign of my plain black suitcase. We waited patiently for another 15-20 minutes, and it was clear we were the last passengers at that carousel. My colleague went over to the other conveyor belt and checked there until all passengers left. And basically it was clear that my bag was nowhere to be found, but circling on the priority belt was one remaining black bag, a little bigger than mine, also black, but clearly quite different in style, material and lock from my suitcase. IT IS THE BAG IN THE FIRST THREE PHOTOS ABOVE. But I get ahead of myself. Whenever I see this sort of VIP spectacle at the priority baggage carousel, I heat up. First of all, it is ILLEGAL AND INAPPROPRIATE to have non-passengers enter the luggage area (except airline personnel, airport security and porters if any), and there were half a dozen guards at the exit doors to supposedly ensure this. So having drivers, bodyguards, flunkies, and even PAL staff get your baggage from the belt when they may have absolutely NO CLUE what it looks like is a potential security issue. Worse, PAL has cut costs and removed the "checkers" who always look at the bag tags to ensure you got the right bags. I dislike this tedious checking process, and it isn't common elsewhere in the world, and I always assumed people should be responsible enough to get their own baggage…but the bottom line is, there is NOTHING to stop you from leaving the baggage area with someone else's luggage. And with the doors so porous, clearly any self-important acting Juan, Procopio and Boy can make it into the area. So my bag was missing. Now the PAL folks get involved. Or more accurately, scurry around looking busy but do nothing to help other than say it looks like my bag is lost, or someone else has taken it. I confront them with the scene at the luggage carousel and ask why there were PAL personel and non-passengers there and that that was the likely cause of the missing bag. They shrug. Finally, after pointless discussions and futile efforts to get any service, I take matters into my own hands…
This is a photo of my bag. It is black like the one above, but it is quite different. I grabbed the last bag on the carousel, went to the PAL counter, gave them the luggage tag number with passenger name and told them to call the passenger and see if he had my suitcase. In ten minutes, they couldn't figure out his number from their computer (probably off for all I know), and were unable to call him. So I left my name and address and phone number and told them to DELIVER my bag that evening if possible. I then took the remaining bag to hold it hostage and told them I was bringing it home and would only return it if my bag were first returned to me. Believe it or not, not a word out of them!! Frankly, I should NOT have been allowed to take this suitcase, but they didn't raise any objection, so I did. I now had the name, telephone number and bag of the likely, but not certain, culprit.
There are only so many plausible explanations for why the person took my bag, most likely, by mistake, and NOT INTENTIONALLY:
1. They were "distracted, absent-minded, careless, irresponsible or stupid" — take your pick. They pulled the wrong suitcase off, thought it was theirs, didn't bother to check the name tag or their baggage tag and rushed out. But because there were only 6 people between me and the place the bags came out, then there was a 99% chance that one of those 6 were the culprit. And I would bet my weekly paycheck if I had one that it wasn't any of the three passengers closest to me… or at least that was my best hypothesis.
2. The bag did NOT come out at the priority belt and was picked up on another belt, but the adjectives above would still apply.
3. The person who pulled the bag off the conveyor belt WAS NOT the passenger himself, and they didn't bother to check their luggage tags, and the mistake would only be discovered later at home or after they were called by PAL staff. In this case, the adjective that comes to my mind (unless the passenger were blind, handicapped, very elderly, in a wheelchair, suffering from a medical condition heretofore known as baggage-pulling-titis ) would simply be an "asshole".
I rushed to a dinner appointment, now 30 minutes late, sent my "hostaged" black duffel suitcase home and told staff to release it only if PAL staff first dropped off my luggage. Thankfully, three hours later, when I returned home, my suitcase had been delivered. The crew said that it wasn't PAL personnel who came, but the driver of the owner whose bag I had held pending return of my own suitcase. The driver couldn't understand how the switch could have happened as the bags were so different, and he left with his employers suitcase. I was happy it ended well. But now pissed off again when I realized that PAL had given away my address so carelessly (a breach of security on their part) and worse, they weren't the ones who arranged delivery, they merely prevailed on the driver to come to our house to spare them the hassle.
So which one of the reasons applied in this case? I will never know, nor do I really care. But if it was reason 1 or 2 above, then any DECENT PERSON would have the presence of mind to send a simple note or text or ring me up to offer an apology, say something along these lines "I am sorry for the inconvenience caused by my mistakenly taking your bag…" or something to that effect… how hard is it to do that??? And it would have completely mollified me.
So I guess, if the person didn't have the manners or presence of mind to do that, then in my book, it doesn't matter what the reason was, he was simply an asshole. And yes, I kept his name, address and telephone number.
And had my 7 kilo suitcase been lost for good, would you like to take a guess what PAL's "liability" would be for the lost bag? After much paperwork and effort, they would only be legally liable to reimburse me for PHP280 or roughly $6.50!!! But more on that outrageous discovery on my next post.
P.S. With evil grin, what did I tell the PAL folks I would do if my bag was not returned? I would open up the suitcase I had, photograph all its contents, including any dirty underwear, and publish it in a post on marketmanila along with the details on the identification cards on the piece of luggage. Thank God it didn't get to that, airing dirty laundry can be so distasteful, don't you think??? Evil grin. :)
Publishing photos of dirty underwear?! Oh you evil marketman! But i love it! Sweet revenge. Nasa iyo ang huling halakhak!
Feb 20, 2012 | 2:02 am
Good morning MM !!! i understand your point. just keep smiling ! Have nice day, can't wait to see the next photos !!!! ; )
Feb 20, 2012 | 3:14 am
I have often thought about this myself. Seems like there is little and perhaps even nothing that can be done to prevent people from picking up a suitcase from the conveyor belt at the airport and walking away with it.
Feb 20, 2012 | 4:12 am
Well, as we ll know, sh*t happens but the way the airport and PAL personnel handled this is inexcusable and evasive of responsibility. You only got back your bag because you had THEIR bag. I was once travelling with a big group, with the grandkid of a big taipan who happens to own the airline we were taking. The whole family showed up to welcome him back and his customs and immigration process was 'delegated' to airport staff. Left a rather bad impression of the powerful and how they wield it.
Feb 20, 2012 | 7:44 am
Chill MM! Ang iyong puso!
I am not surprised at the quality of service of PAL. Now that they've outsourced most of their staff, quality of service is no longer a priority.
Feb 20, 2012 | 8:23 am
This is one of my fears when taking a plane. Like you I also use black luggage when traveling but to distinguish it from other bags I tie a colorful ribbon around the handles and I also use a rainbow colored luggage belt.
My sister's pet peeve with PAL is that they steal your TSA locks.
Feb 20, 2012 | 8:39 am
I'm not sure which part is worse, they let you walk with luggage that clearly wasn't yours or that they gave out a customer address to a stranger. There's a whole lot of worst case scenarios there that don't bear thinking about.
In any case, I just wanted to mention that in the UK (Edinburgh, at least) the deal is similar. The baggage belt for domestic flights is in an openly accessible area and anyone can walk in a take stuff. I've never seen a problem with it, frankly I'm surprised there aren't more deliberate thefts there. It's why I've deliberately avoided replacing my very old and scrappy luggage, I wouldn't like to have something expensive looking out there.
Last time I flew (international) into Manila I had a major hassle meeting my GF because they wouldn't let her into the secured areas — I guess it would have been OK if she'd been my driver or porter …
Glad you got your bag back in the end.
Feb 20, 2012 | 10:07 am
Guilty! GUILTY!
Something similar happened to me. I flew to Hong Kong a few months ago. I was on the first morning flight, very tired and preoccupied. Like you, I also have priority luggage handling. Once I got through immigration. I see that "my" luggage is on the carousal. So I grab it and off I go. I was not until I reached the taxi standing on Hong Kong Island, that I realized I picked up the wrong suitcase. It is identical in make, size and color. Only difference was that the one I picked up was less battered than the one I own.
I immediately returned to the airport and reported to luggage handling what I had done. After a bit of paper work, I was led back to where lost luggage is kept and there was mine. I was so embarrassed and profusely apologized. The other passenger already had filled out missing luggage report. I instructed the airline staff to apologize on my behalf to the passenger. The airline personnel told me this happens quite a lot and they seemed to be cool, but professional about it.
When I got to my destination, still in a flap, and was able to log in, I received an email message from the passenger stating that he thinks I have his luggage. He probably took my email address from, my luggage tag. Again, I profusely apologized and told him he should expect to receive his luggage shortly, which he had. He had come off a flight from Paris while I was coming from Manila. Same airline! Same luggage! Same tagging! We exchange some more email message and he wanted to meet for coffee. As I was in HK for only 48 hours, I never met up with him.
Hope I never do that again. My lesson, ALWAYS CHECK THE TAGS.
Feb 20, 2012 | 11:27 am
MM, I have a 20 year old black Samsonite hard case. Old, battered and…ordinarily common. I understand wanting to your luggage to stand out for thieves to give it a pass. I have used old ribbons (which get frayed, removed) but have now used the colored, lockable luggage straps.
Out of topic but relative: I don't know if it gets shown there but, Nespresso has an ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXru4Q7Lgxo) about mixed luggages. I don't mind…:-)
Feb 20, 2012 | 12:39 pm
oh my…that is SOOOO BAD! and i thought PAL was a tad better than its closest competitor. i "lost" a similar bag a few months ago during a Manila-Davao flight, and initially got the same "walang pakialam" treatment from ground crew. they told me to go home and assured me they'd call IF they foung the bag, but after i raised a howl and insisted that i would not leave the counter until they located the bag, they got to work. turned out it was left on the conveyor belt in manila, where it was found spinning mournfully (i imagine) all by its lonely self. somebody in manila took a photo of it, emailed it to the counter people, who showed it to me to confirm it was indeed mine. they promised to send it via the next available flight. we left the airport at 7pm.
lo and behold, at 11pm, a motorcycle-riding guy rang our doorbell to deliver by dear roll-on bag. i had to tell the guy "pinabilib niyo ako ah!". and he would not accept payment nor a tip. that was enough to make me forget some of my bad experiences with cebu pacific ;-)
all your points are valid – i share the same fear about non-passenger and non-porters having entry to the baggage claim area, and about the lax security at the same area. but i am aghast that PAL would give the other passenger your address and ask them to deliver the bag themselves! i hope something is done about this , and soon.
Feb 20, 2012 | 12:40 pm
Sorry, I mean "your luggage not to stand out"… oh George!
Feb 20, 2012 | 12:44 pm
Cebu pacific even worse! Last january 2012, connecting flight bangkok to manila. Items were stolen from 4 luggages!
Feb 20, 2012 | 12:53 pm
dragon, i'd happily swap my bag with georgie boy!
Feb 20, 2012 | 1:00 pm
I know Millet, so from now on, no more tattered, unwashed undies in my luggage. Who knows who might open my luggage. No more bagoong to take home or dried fish. After that ad, I'll be more conscious of what I pack!
Feb 20, 2012 | 1:07 pm
I commiserate with your bad experience but I guess it happens even to seasoned travelers and even in the best airlines.
A few years back, I lost a luggage on a flight to Singapore in an airline touted as one of the best in the world.It was my 1st time to travel as an insulin user and since I have my insulin in a Frio gel packet, I thought it will not be allowed on board so I placed it inside my checked-in bag….my BIG mistake! Because unluckily, the bag was mistakenly taken by another passenger(I guess 1st class/VIP passenger who was 1st to alight)…and to think the bag was not the generic black but a light blue Samsonite with a bright yellow luggage tag! Some passengers can really be very careless!
We reported the"exchange" to the airline authorities and they said it will be delivered to our hotel ASAP….that was mid morning…afternoon passed, still no sign of the bag. I was getting agitated as I need to have my insulin injection in the evening.We called up the airline several times and they said it will be delivered soon… then at around 10 pm they said they had a system glitch thus they can not locate my bag! Hubby had to threat that if they dont deliver it before MN, we will sue them….the bag was delivered 5 min before MN struck!
And the passenger who caused all this inconvenience? No apology too. :(
Now,I know better… I packed all my full travel supply of meds/insulin with Dr's RX and even a pair of undies in my hand carry.
P.S. I have been around and I did notice that most airports(here and abroad) dont really bother to check the bag tag as you go out of the arrival area. :( And the airlines? I think lost bags are least in their priority for the day as they usually deliver them late based on what I heard from others who had the same experiences. :(
Feb 20, 2012 | 1:08 pm
'More modern, less civilized'….agreed!
Feb 20, 2012 | 2:41 pm
Same horror story happened to us. Some Congresswoman was travelling on the same flight as us from HK. Her Aide grabbed all green samsonite bags. Grabbing my mom's. Buti na lang, they were still checking the bag tags against the printed ones on the ticket. And realized one was not theirs. happy ending. Now I paint on our bags with loud gaudy colors. Better baduy, than lost.
Feb 20, 2012 | 5:30 pm
So sorry for this experience…so glad you got your luggage back intact…on another note,, have you heard of the new modus at the airport? Supposedly officers who check your passport secretly tear off a page from it causing you lots of hassles and money. Making me nervous as I have to travel to Manila from IL with a baby in a month.
Feb 20, 2012 | 8:03 pm
My tito had a different horror story. After a trip to Manila, he went back to London for work with a stopover in Doha, Qatar. At the Doha airport, he passed through the xray, he put his hand carried bag on that tray where you put all your shoes and metals and personal items. When he looked for his bag, it was nowhere to be found . Someone had grabbed it by mistake. It had all his important documents like his passport. He tried to explain it to the airport people but they didn't believe him–they were about to deport him! Lukily, his wife (who was in London) called the Philippine embassy and helped my tito get on the plane.
Months later, the bag was returned to his address in Manila (though it also had his London address) but with no apology or explanation. Sana pinadala nya man lang sa London na. Gusmastos pa tuloy pamilya nya para ipadala sa kanya yung bag.
Feb 20, 2012 | 8:16 pm
I sent a letter to PAL's "I CARE" unit as advised by one of its employees and guess what, no acknowledgement, no response. That was a month ago. They should change it to "I DON'T REALLY CARE".
Feb 20, 2012 | 9:01 pm
i travel about 3-4 times a year (domestic), and i often wonder why there are no airline personnel who check the tags in the baggages when the passenger exits the arrival terminal… some airports in the country have this, but most of the airport i fly in to doesn't have this… just my 2 cents…
Feb 20, 2012 | 9:02 pm
Oh, I so feel for you, MM! Losing my luggage is one of my fears each time I travel. Thankfully, only once did it *almost* happen — my bag did not arrive with me when I got to Boracay, but the airline located it right away, then sent it with the next flight and delivered it to the resort I was staying in by that afternoon.
This is also why, despite my preference for plain black suitcases (so they'd match whatever I'm wearing and don't easily show dirt, fray and wear & tear), I decided to buy luggage in my favorite color. I can spot it the moment it appears on the conveyor belt, without need for putting those ribbons, etc., which I detest. Sure, it's very possible someone else bought the exact same bags, but much less likely than a black one.
I am, however, HORRIFIED that PAL's liability for lost luggage is just P280!!! When people I know have lost luggage before (note, this was abroad, with foreign airlines), they were given much more than that; not a lot, but they could at least buy enough clothes to get by during the trip. P280 is just enough for (cheap) underwear!!!
Feb 20, 2012 | 9:45 pm
I had this descripit old black luggage which I had been using for 9 yrs , when I went to Bacolod for a holliday last year, while there my husband was begging me to buy a new luggage because he is getting embarrased with mine, so bought a new one in Robinson a very light but study one, mind you, i had no problem with the old one in my years of travel, when I got back to Gatwick I noticed that the 2 front zips of my new luggage had been broken into and when I complained to Emirates they said they can not do anything about it, as it seems my luggage was a security risk and they have to break open my locks but they did not find anything in it just my telephone charges and flipflops which they can see in the xray if they had been looking, the bottom line is no compensation and I get to use my new luggage only once. Give me back my old bag…
PS: Emirates put my unbroken lock back in my luggage but i could not use my luggage now only the lock.
Feb 20, 2012 | 11:54 pm
MM, I understand why you are so irritated but at the same time why are you so surprised by such poor service from PAL. I know you are well traveled, so you should already know that the quality of the equipment and service from PAL is so sub standard compared to other world airline carriers that it would be an insult to them to even compare them to PAL. A near monopoly on flights within the Philippines and non-stop from the United States means they do not care about their passengers. A couple of years ago, I took a first class flight from SFO, the PAL plane had Arabic writing all over it, meaning it was a second hand plane. My video screen did not work and the bathroom started to leak mid flight so they put newspaper on top of the leaking area. This was in the first class section. I guess your rant caused my own rant. LOL.
Feb 21, 2012 | 2:30 am
airlines issue BAGGAGE CLAIM TAGS at the the airline check-in counter. but nobody checks those tags when you exit. i am always nervous when going through immigration, always in a hurry so that i can claim my pieces of baggage from the carousel at once. if i'm bringing ice-cream (purchased at the airport), i am more nervous. even with names and tags etc, mistakes happen. other passengers take your package/baggage by mistake. i know that i will not make that mistake, i do my own packing and know my package/baggage. some time ago, my aunt had to take somebody else's package of ice-cream. hers was taken by mistake. she had to be content with whatever flavor she did not choose. WHY ISSUE BAGGAGE CLAIM TAGS AT ALL WHEN THERE IS NOBODY AROUND TO CHECK THEM BEFORE PASSENGERS EXIT THE AIRPORT? also, i'm sorry but if you make the mistake of taking somebody else's baggage, i think you're an idiot …
Feb 21, 2012 | 8:01 am
baggage tags now are just for the airlines to know what bags to remove from the airplane cargo hold in case a passenger is refused carriage or is stalled at the numerous security checkpoints.
Pre 2001, at a US location, my bags arrived earlier than myself, I was a chance passenger in a later flight, but checked-in in an earlier flight that was cancelled. Now, if the passenger does not board, the bags are removed.
Feb 21, 2012 | 8:13 am
Mr. KP.
Might be the 747-400 wet leased from Air Canada with plane registration 8168 (we call it otso-otso). This plane was never refurbished since it was just leased, the plane is kept in the roster, since we are at FAA CAT 2 and cannot change equipment or add destinations.
Feb 21, 2012 | 8:17 am
we shouldn't be calling them BAGGAGE-CLAIM-TAGS then. the word "claim" adds to the confusion.
we're back to P750 for the NAIA TERMINAL FEE. when it was announced that it would be slashed to P500, people were so happy. i had to ask why it was being slashed. it's nothing like the news being the "too-good-to-be-true" bit, but more like, "ano-raw-sa-dami-ng-kunsumisyon-sa-naia?!?". more of paranoia, right?
now that it's back to P700, i'm hoping for an increase in baggage security …
Feb 21, 2012 | 11:42 am
Gezel, I had a different experience with Emirates, fortunately! Due to an hour flight delay in Casablanca, I only had an hour layover in Dubai which, they said, was not enough to transfer my luggage to the plane that will fly to Manila. So they asked me if I wanted to take the later flight to Manila so I could arrive with my luggage and I took this option. Unfortunately, there were some problems so my bags spent the night in Morocco and had to wait 2 days before my bags were delivered to my place. I wrote Skywards to complain and they sent me a $300 cheque!
So like katrina, I am aghast to know that PAL only has a P280 liability for lost luggage! that's not even enough to pay for a zipper repair service!
Whenever possible, Hubby handcarries anything he treasures (favorite shoes, clothes, family photos, etc)!
Feb 21, 2012 | 2:16 pm
Naku Gezel!
I do not like Emirates. My husband and I went to Maldives and I inadvertently left my digicam on the side compartment of my seat dahil I fell asleep while browsing our vacation photos (almost midnight flight from Male to Dubai and arrived in the wee hours of the morning at around 2am) .
We had about 6 hours lay over sa Dubai before our flight to Manila. Around 6am, I realized I left my digicam on board the plane. I reported it immediately sa airline. Kahit Pinoy pa sila, deadma. Sa simula lang sila maayos kausap. Nung biglang dumaan si Charo Santos at Tim Yap… wala na. Deadma na sa aking complaint kahit naiiyak na ako sa lost photos nung trip. Inuna pa yung artista.
I never got my digicam back even though may calling card ako sa loob. I would've let it pass knowing that maybe another passenger saw it and took it. Pero the entire flight, the FAs were snooty and masungit, except for the Pinay ones who kept giving my husband Godiva chocolates.
I should've tried what MP did.
Thank God for Travel Insurance covering lost items! Though those photos and our "MTV Cribs" style video doon sa resort are lost forever though.
Feb 21, 2012 | 10:25 pm
I do not even know where to start with luggage issues with both PAL and its "closest competitor"… 0_o
Let's just say that I TRY my best to avoid any luggage switcheroos by using el-cheapo brightly (and garishly) colored bags THEN tie copious amounts of lace and ribbon on the handle. Kung mapagkamalan pa ba nilang kanila yun, ewan ko na lang!
Since I started doing that, I have NEVER lost a single bag on any local or international flight I took. Made me wish I started doing it sooner… =P
Feb 22, 2012 | 12:32 am
So I guess tomorrow there will be hoarders of large loud colored bags among us hahaha
Feb 22, 2012 | 11:29 pm
For AJI
True I find Emirates a bad airline to fly, people there are rude and does not know what customer service is. It was our first time to fly Emirates and it was a bad experience, toilets are out of order, we were not even given a menu because they run out of it so when i asked what choices is there for food i got a very rude answer, and i told the steward if i know what food there is i would not ask. Going to the Philippines and coming back to UK is one big bad experience, while in the terminal gate in Manila there was this one emirate lady who was shouting at the Filipinos to follow the order of sequence ( she was shouting in Tagalog ) , we are near Cathay Gate and i dont hear them shouting. For me the best airlines to fly are KLM, Cathay Pacific and Qatar, I find Thai a bit rude also or are they just rude to us Filipinos.
Feb 22, 2012 | 11:54 pm
SORRY, that's **750 …
Feb 23, 2012 | 10:08 am
Hi MM. This is my first time to comment on your website. I just have to add my two-cents to this lost luggage issue. 2 weeks ago the hubby and I flew to Cebu via Cebu Pacific. We arrived at Cebu and waited for our checked-in luggage. After 10-15 minutes, it was clear that our luggage was nowhere in sight! Like you, I approached a CebuPac ground staff who did not know what to do saying this is the first time she encountered a passenger losing luggage! After much ranting and raving at the airport staff, we just left them with our contact details and proceeded to our hotel. Thankfully our luggage was not stolen but loaded on the following flight so it was delivered to us after a few hours. I looked at the tags in our luggage to figure out what went wrong. Apparently, CebuPac's staff at NAIA Terminal 3 WROTE ON THE BAGGAGE TAGS MANUALLY and indicated the wrong flight number on the luggage! Geez, for the Philippines' 2nd largest airline, can't they buy an electronic baggage tag printer??? Sobra naman cost-cutting yan!
Feb 23, 2012 | 11:43 am
PAL in all respects broke basic security. Can't believe they let you leave the airport with a bag that wasn't yours.
Feb 23, 2012 | 6:12 pm
I haven't flown PAL from the states back to PI in a while. I refuse to, (though I still fly with them on some local flights but not by choice). Not the greatest service, food is bleeh, tried to cheat me on my accrued mileage etc., etc. plus it's less annoying at the airport when you fly nonPAL. Singapore Airline, Cathay and others are way better (younger happier crew hehehe). Airport crew there think you're just coming in from say HKG or Japan or Korea so they don't have like 3 crews in each bathroom, s$%% like that.
Feb 25, 2012 | 7:06 am
Plastered them bags with hella IN-N-OUT stickers, fool this ain't your bag. hehehe
Feb 25, 2012 | 7:08 am
My mom recently flew with PAL from Los Angeles to Manila on Feb 2012. She waited for her last checked in luggage for more than two hours and when there was nothing left on the carousel, she went to the PAL counter and was advised that her other luggage was still in Los Angeles and will be loaded in the next flight, which was a day after her flight. She was never advised, along with eight other passengers, that their checked in luggages were still in Los Angeles
She missed her connecting flight to Bicol, booked a hotel in Manila and came back the following day to claim her luggage.When I complained to PAL, all they could tell me is that they offered to deliver that luggage to my mom, but she refused, so it was her choice to stay in Manila. My mom refused because she wanted to make sure that she gets her luggage intact.
My mom also left her Ca ID with the security personnel and asked them for it when she was checking in for her return flight to Los Angeles. She was advised that it was her fault and PAL asked her to pay a P100 fee, for holding her id.
We will not be flying PAL for now. Aside from the expensive airfare, they have the most horrible customer service. Why can't they be like other Asian Airlines like Korean, Japan, Eva Air?
Feb 25, 2012 | 8:13 am
I try to avoid having checking luggage too much of a hassle. Reading your post confirmed why I do this.
Feb 27, 2012 | 12:24 am
OMG, I'm so sorry this had happened to you. I can't believe how callous and how idiotic these people are about other people's safety. If that happened to me, I would've been so livid and sued that airline. Talk about security violation! WOW!
They were "distracted, absent-minded, careless, irresponsible or stupid" — take your pick
…If you ask me – I say, all of the above.
Thanks for not "airing out the dirty laundry." I don't think that would be one very pleasant post to see on your blog ;-)
Feb 27, 2012 | 1:37 am
So that's why there were bag checkers when I arrived last Friday night (Feb. 24) at the airport! I was amazed that I was stopped from leaving the airport and that someone actually checked my baggage sticker to verify if I got the correct luggage. I know I know it used to be standard practice but then the baggage checkers disappeared from the face of the local airports for the longest time. Wouldn't be surprised if this blog/rant is the reason why baggage checkers are back in place again. :)
Feb 29, 2012 | 3:59 pm
And I am reading this coming off a trip from America myself just two weeks ago. Luckily no untoward incidents even if we flew coach. Saw the tips from your other post and will do that (not the spray paint part, though :P ).
My checked in baggage has a note from the TSA in America that they opened my bag to inspect its contents. I literally got to air my own dirty laundry in the land of milk and honey, and done by someone else for me :P
Feb 29, 2012 | 11:57 pm
Last I heard, PAL operations are quite a mess these days because of its recent restructuring. Most (or all?) of the employees were laid off. PAL has since then outsourced their operations. I'm sure some old employees were hired by the contractor, though perhaps I'd guess most of the employees you met were probably new at the job. Nangangapa, so to speak, with the jobs and/or the new management.
Though that's not an excuse for lack of common sense and delicadesa.
Mar 1, 2012 | 2:19 am


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|Longview, Wash.
|High School:
|Mark Morris HS
|Accounting & Information Systems
AS A SOPHOMORE (2016-17): (XC) WCC Cross Country All-Academic Honorable Mention ... ran five times ... 8-kilometer season-best 25:13.1 at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational.
(TRACK) Ran once at 800 meters, once at 1,500 meters and four times at 5,000 meters in his first season on the track with the Broncos ... 800-meter season-best 2:04.88 at the Woody Wilson Classic ... 1,500-meter season-best 4:09.50 at the Woody Wilson Classic ... 5,000-meter season-best 15:16.10 at the Johnny Mathis Invitational.
AS A FRESHMAN (2015-16): (XC) Finished 27th overall by running the 8k at the USF Invitational in 26:09.9 in his Bronco debut … ran a 7250m time of 24:03 at the San Francisco State Quad Meet … ran the 8k at the Roy Griak Invitational in 27:29 … ran a personal best 8k time of 25:15.2 in the Invitational race at the Bronco Invitational.
(TRACK) Did not run.
PRIOR TO SCU: Graduated from Mark Morris High School (Longview, Wash.) in 2015 … high school coaches were Mike Olin and Sam Tilton … four-time cross country All-League selection (2011-14) and All-District selection (2011-14) … two-time All-State selection (2013-14) … two-time league and district champion (2013-14) … 2nd place at WIAA 2A State Championships in 2014.
Cross Country: 5k — 15:30.
Track: 800m — 1:59.20 ... 1600m — 4:18.51 ... 3200m — 9:30.81 ... 5000m — 15:30.
PERSONAL: Parents are Mark and Margrit Brumbaugh … has an older brother, Austin … hobbies include jazz, piano, writing and anything outdoors ... career goals include going into finance or accounting ... Faculty Award recipient (given to one senior per year at the Mark Morris HS graduation ceremony).
WHY BRUMBAUGH CHOSE SANTA CLARA: "I chose to come to Santa Clara University because of the school's reputation as a top-notch institution, and because of the excellent learning and social environment it provides to its students and student-athletes."

subset: commoncrawl


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Alcohol Ink Play
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
May 19 - wow !
May 19, 2014 - wow over a year ago. Amazing how time flies and yes I'm still here. I took time out - time out to reflect, time out just be, time out from so many things to do something for me.
During that time I still played so enjoy....
During that time I still played so enjoy....
|Leather wrap bracelet.
Samples for my "We're Making Bails" class at Beadfxhttp://www.beadfx.com/classes/class_show.php?class_id=265
"Blame it on Rosemary"necklace
|Polymer Clay pendant - I made this during Barbara Colautti's class at Beadfx.http://www.beadfx.com/classes/class_show.php?class_id=431
|Alcohol Ink Key Chain - this was made for my husband. I had taken Anne Marie Desaulnier's class at Beadfx http://www.beadfx.com/classes/class_show.php?class_id=205 and Alcohol Inks (AI) has become my latest addiction.
|Alcohol Ink pendant
|I taught my son the AI technique and he made these for his teachers and school principals.
|Alcohol Ink on a plate
|AI on a tile - this was done during one of Anne Marie's classes at Beadfx.
Posted by Trinisunshine at 8:57 PM No comments:
Monday, May 19, 2014
All - inspired by John Legend's All of me
It was almost the end of my shift, in fact I only had 15 minutes left and I was restocking the Sterling Silver. I pulled out the tray with the hearts and suddenly I heard John Legend's song " All Of Me" playing in my head. Go to http://beadfx.com/inspirations/inspirations.php?id=638 for the components etc. if you want to put this necklace together.
Posted by Trinisunshine at 9:34 AM 2 comments:
Monday, May 5, 2014
Blame it...
Out of having to restock the semi-precious stones this necklace came, me no it's not me so I had to find someone to blame.The rest of it is history, so click on the link and you'll see...http://beadfx.com/inspirations/inspirations.php?id=633
Posted by Trinisunshine at 3:05 PM No comments:
Friday, May 2, 2014
Here I am...
Click on the link and that will do the trick. Have a safe and enjoyable day peeps.
Posted by Trinisunshine at 7:07 AM No comments:
Friday, April 25, 2014
The Great Gatsby @ Fashionworks14
|Rae's Beady Arts was at Fashionworks14
|My Great Gatsby offering for Fashionworks14
|Another Great Gatsby Offering - Fashionworks14
|More Great Gatsby for sure.
This year's theme was The Great Gatsby and I made several pieces to represent my interpretation of it. It was indeed an honour to be there and the pleasure is mine to wish this year's graduated Fashion Management Students continued success in all their future endeavors.
Posted by Trinisunshine at 7:45 PM No comments:
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Having Fun With My Stash. ..
|This leather cuff with fold formed focal, is one of a kind and was made with the ladies in mind.
|Yet another one of a kind leather cuff with fold formed focal. This time created with the guys in mind
|Textured Copper Cuff - SOLD.
|Etched Copper Ring with my signature Palm trees.
Posted by Trinisunshine at 5:24 PM No comments:
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Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (first published in French by Darguard, 2000)
Introduced by Lesley Arrowsmith, bookseller at Hay Cinema Bookshop
John Blacksad is a private eye, prowling the mean streets of 1950s America – it's the same sort of world that's inhabited by Philip Marlowe. The only difference is, in this graphic novel series, Blacksad is a black cat in a trench coat, and all the characters are animals.
Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido are Spanish, and both have had long careers in the European comic industry. Juanjo Guarnido also worked for Disney for a time. Blacksad was originally published in French, but was quickly translated into other languages.
The artwork is gorgeous – city streets, snow storms, crowd scenes, night clubs, dappled light through leaves …
I like the old Bogart films, and this series evokes the film noir feeling well.
The first story is about the murder of an actress who was also an old flame of Blacksad.
The second, Arctic Nation, gets political, dealing with white supremacy, in which all the characters in positions of power are white – the polar bear police chief, the arctic fox preacher, and so on, while the Black Claws gang opposing them are all black – a bull, a horse and so on. Blacksad, as the classic outsider, investigates the disappearance of a black child, with his foxy sidekick. I'm not entirely sure what sort of animal the child and her mother are supposed to be – the female faces are drawn to look more human than the male, with the addition of animal ears among the hair.
The third story has politics of a different kind, involving the Cold War, and a professor with a secret past working on the atomic bomb.
That's all in the first volume – there are three more after this.


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Business affiliate marketing is almost like getting paid to advertise your business. You get into a partnership with another business and place an ad at their website. They do the same with you. You both end up with more customers and also a commission for sending customers. This article can help you find out how affiliate marketing can work for you.
When you partake in affiliate advertising on your website, it is important that you be transparent about who you are partnering with. When you are honest, your visitors will feel better about contributing to your profit. If you seem like you are hiding something, your visitors may go directly through the vendor, instead of using your link.
To make the most money on your affiliate marketing program you should work with companies that offer a large selection of tools to help you build your business. Many companies have a number of different banners and text ads to pick from so that you can find ones that are more tailored to your website.
Offering rewards or gifts on your affiliate website can prove to be very productive. Customers who already know about this offer, tend to visit the merchant through your site, especially if they receive gifts or other incentives from you. This increases the number of your visitors and your prospective income.
Choose affiliate marketing categories that you are familiar and comfortable with. If you love books, choose affiliates that sell books. If you would rather get a root canal then pick up a book, you should avoid those affiliates. Familiarization with a category increases your ability to make good choices about ad placement.
Amino Booster Affiliate Marketing
I have been marketing Amino Booster for some months now. I have found a high percentage of re-orders have been occurring with the Amino Booster. This quality product is selling itself.
Get Your Boom site is an easy to use marketing site ideal for beginners. The tools are easy to follow especially if you are a beginner.
To start with you can sell Amino Booster to your friends and family this could help you to buy your first purchase of Amino Booster. Get Your Boom back is free to join and free to sell. No outlay and this makes it a good way to start affiliate marketing.
As it is abundantly clear in the above article, business affiliate marketing is a win-win situation for both businesses. They both see an increase in traffic as well as getting paid a commission for the people who go from one website to another. It is a way where two business work together and profit jointly.


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Finance for Non-Finance
For non-financial managers, to learn the financial concepts is a great way to improve the skills and abilities of managing the financial aspects of a business in addition to helping them in understanding about the various financial reports for making important business decisions. TopCFO placed the most important stone on the road we intend to follow, approaching a friendly and easy to understand manner
It's like in sports …
Fact is that in sports every day we need to train and work with a coach to guide our evolution and performance !
TopCFO offers high expertise regarding business management and Finance Operations that can help companies stay up to date with daily activity and increase performance of any business in a professional way.
Great value added services
Covering a large range of executive and financial topics, TopCFO addresses real life situations and challenges. Contemporary market complex competition and sophisticated realities require mandatory financial & strategic full expertise for all business sizes. In this respect, the strong experience of TopCFO professionals is a must in daily management projects and one-off deals, as well.
Excellent source of information
I read constantly articles posted on TopCFO blog, especially those which are in my area of interest. I found it there many times, interesting and valuable information's who helped me to develop the business for my customers.
I strongly recommend the professional advises TopCFO provides and which can offer to anyone involve in business management basis to strategic decisions.
Tailored strategic financial consultancy
TopCFO provides value added financial consultancy that supports strategic decision making. It provides the opportunity of SMEs that do not require a full time CFO to gain the same benefit with significantly lower costs.
The value added services provided by TopCFO are fully tailored to the customer's needs and the solution presented is supported by effective user trainings.
I strongly recommend the professional advice TopCFO provides as it is the result of strong expertise in all areas of financial management and strategy combined with relevant experience in successful projects.
Well done!
Well structured information presented on o friendly manner. Can bring added value to any professional that work on finance. Well done!


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Anna Aey
Anna Aey
Terms & Conditions Apply.
Family Travel, Beach Vacations and Europe
I was born and raised in England and have worked and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Having grown up in England, I bring a level of knowledge and local contacts that few agents can offer, especially in areas of the country that are not usually on the tourist radar. I love to research and put together the perfect packages for my clients with attention to detail and unique experiences, whether it be Europe, a beach vacation or family vacation. I do it all. So you don't have to.
My Travel Specialties
My Areas of Expertise
My Travel Stories
Why I Recommend Riviera Maya
One of the main things that makes the Riviera Maya so attractive is that it is home to so many all-inclusive resorts. I always recommend all-inclusive resorts because they provide so much in a single price. Accommodations, food, beverages, activities and more are included so you have a much better idea ... Read more from my Why I Recommend Riviera Maya story.
Disney with Teenagers
Treasures of the Lake District
One of my favorite areas of England that I love to share with my clients is the lake District in the north west of the country. As a child I often went walking there with my parents and I have taken my own children there to enjoy its beauty. It is ... Read more from my Treasures of the Lake District story.
Anniversary Trip to England and Scotland
She also assisted in obtaining reserving/paying for a rental car, tours and train tickets. The train reservations, etc. had overwhelmed us as there are many different lines and possible routes. Anna was able to make sense of the time tables and which would get us where we wanted to be in a timely manner and via a sensible route. She provided us with options that enabled us to make plans as the trip developed without being pinned to a specific departure or arrival time. Much more relaxing.
The value of her services was far beyond their minimal cost. We will definitely use Anna again and recommend her to you.
Thank you for your kind words, Diane. I enjoyed working with you on your trip to Great Britain and I hope we work together again soon. Thanks, Anna
Trip of a Lifetime
We loved our trip to Europe!
Accommodations were wonderful.
European Family Vacation
The Trip We Planned for Years
Could not be more satisfied
Wonderful to work with
Highly recommend her!
Trip of a life time
Once in a lifetime epic trip
English Trip to Remember
Hello Peter, It was my pleasure working with you on your recent vacation. I look forward to working together on your next adventure! Thanks, Anna
The Perfect Vacation
Everything was perfectly arranged
Beach Wedding 2016
Does all the legwork!
Helps with all aspects of travel!
Very helpful
An Experience of a Lifetime
Punta Cana
A trip of a lifetime!
We have already recommended her to friends and we will contact her again for any future travel.
Stress Free and Enjoyable Planning
My Dream Vacation!
Family Adventure in Europe
Our Wonderful Europe Sojourn
We had an absolutely marvelous vacation, for which you were primarily responsible – again, thank you so much! I've dropped your name a couple of times – hope it has paid off in increased business for you. In any event, I can guarantee that we will be looking again for your assistance the next time we head for Europe (or elsewhere!). - Steve


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Hoaxes can steam, diverge, raise violence e.t.c. Hoaxes can shape human behavior, and it spreads like a virus.I believe that nowadays things are much worse in proportion to the past due to the factor of the accelerated evolution of technology. I also believe that as homo sapiens we have a strong chance to kill each other at the end before any cataclysmic or alien disaster.
Even if we keep balancing on the critical point between the 2 systems (creation and destruction), a critical point of view could say that an abrupt transition is possible and inevitable. Yet as humans we still have the basic instinct of survival and at the end this is what keep us from self-destruction. So the question is: "To hoax or not to hoax"?


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What an wonderful week!
- lovely world map i did for Spellweaver
- and new avatar
- I won the Star Citizen skin contest for ORIGIN M50 ( lovely prizes by Saitek – playseat and x55 )
the skin: (3d model provided by rsi)
you can see the camesom presentation video here <<
- ProFlight official blog post <<
- Earlyer this summer my fan art for Star Citizen was featured in Galactic Inquiry ep001 – Star Citizen. June 27, 2014 and my art is there : http://youtu.be/pD8VdFyi-tc
- my organization >> LTT Conglomerate <<
- Few days later my other Star Citizen fan art won Daily Deviation on Deviantart
- started new personal series – kid with their pets
- Also tons of new art and studies added! Check them out!
- Winter is comming!


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Poor Girl in a Wine Store: Part II
October 10, 2015
(You can read Part I here.) He led me to the Alsace section–all of five or six bottles. It is one of my favorite regions for wine, yet I have tasted relatively little, because it doesn't get as much exposure as Bordeaux or Napa, or even the Loire. No one seems to ever have more … More Poor Girl in a Wine Store: Part II


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Select a City
Cheyenne, OK
Best Farmers' Markets around Cheyenne, OK
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Altus Farmer's Market
2801 North Main Street Suite A
Altus, OK
Season: Summer Market Hours: May 2019 - October 2019Tuesdays and Fridays, 4 PM - 8:30 PM Location: 2801 N. Main St. Suite A
Read More »
Hobart Main Street Farmers Market
Main Street
Hobart, OK
Season: Summer Market Hours: June 2019 - September 2019 Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7:30AM - 12PM Location: East side of Main Street on...
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Mangum Farmer's Market
110 South Oklahoma Street
Mangum, OK
Season: Summer Market Hours: June 2019 - September 2019 Wednesdays, 4-6pm Saturdays, 9am-12pm Location: Main Street
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Cheyenne Top Searches
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Sayre's Route 66 Farmer's Market
714 North 4th Street
Sayre, OK
Season: Summer Market Hours: June 2019 - October 2019 Tuesdays, 5 pm - 7 pm Saturdays, 8 am - 12 pm Location: 714 North 4th Street
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Shattuck Farmers Market
5th and Main Street
Shattuck, OK
Season: Summer Market Hours: May 2019 - September 2019 Fridays, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Location: 5th and Main Street
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Weatherford Farmers Market
118 North Kansas Street
Weatherford, OK
We offer vegetables, grass fed beef, honey, bedding plants, baked goods, chickens, eggs, goat's milk soap and lotions and many other products. Sea...
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Woodward Farmer's Market Association
13th and Locust Avenue
Woodward, OK
Woodward's Farmers Market is open April through November and offers a wonderful assortment of locally grown products. The Farmers Market was ...
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One of the great things about covering the areas of North Hampshire and the Surrey borders, is the range of different properties we deal with. One of my favourite types of property is the cottage; these beautiful homes are often deceptively spacious and can be the perfect marriage of character features and contemporary finishes.
We currently have two such cottages, both set within the much sought after village of Hartley Wintney.
The first, is a delightful character cottage that faces directly onto common land with views across to the village cricket pitch and pavilion and from the back garden are views over paddock land.
An entrance porch welcomes you into the property and provides ample space for coats and shoes. From here, a door opens into the light sitting room, a charming space that features an exposed brick chimney breast with an open fireplace. Following on from the lounge is the dining room that is also a tasteful neutrally decorated room; this room benefits from under stairs storage and a decorative fire place.
The dining room opens up into a kitchen breakfast room that in turn has doors opening out to the patio. The kitchen area is fitted with a range of floor and wall mounted cabinets and integrated appliances. A tiled floor flows through the kitchen and breakfast area where skylights to the sloping ceiling let the natural light stream in. At the rear of the property is a modern fitted bathroom with a white suite.
Stairs from the dining room lead to the first floor landing. The largest of the three bedrooms is situated at the front of the cottage overlooking the cricket green and has built in storage. The middle bedroom is also a double bedroom with built in storage and the smallest of the three is a large single bedroom that overlooks the rear garden and paddock land beyond.
There is a well stocked, enclosed cottage garden to the front of the property and at the rear, there is a delightful patio providing a private seating area with steps leading up to the lawn which backs on to open fields at the very end.
The second of these two beautiful residences, is this three bedroom Victorian cottage that has been skilfully extended to create additional living and bedroom space.
An oak front door leads you into the porch from which you enter directly into the dining room that in turn has a door to an internal hallway from which stairs rise to the first floor and there are doors to the lounge and the open plan kitchen breakfast room.
The lounge is located to the front of the house and features an open fireplace with a cast iron surround and a polished marble hearth. With an open plan breakfast / family room, the rear aspect kitchen creates an appealing sociable space and includes a fireplace recess. Wood effect flooring defines the living space from the kitchen area where there is a roof lantern and French doors to the rear garden. The kitchen area also includes a peninsular breakfast bar along with an array of wooden storage units topped with worktops and a ceramic Belfast sink inset into wooden worktops enhances the cottage feel within the kitchen. A utility room is accessed from the kitchen and provides space and plumbing for appliances, access to the garden and there is a door from here to the downstairs cloakroom.
The master bedroom is located to the front of the home and like the lounge, enjoys views over common land and the adjacent woodland, as well as featuring a cast iron fireplace. Bedroom three also features a cast iron fireplace and the dual aspect second bedroom enjoys both front and side aspect views. The family bathroom has recently been refurbished and presents a freestanding claw foot bath as well as a separate shower cubicle
To the rear of the property is a southerly facing rear garden with a paved patio, an expanse of lawn, a shed and a side gate leading out to the shingle off road parking area located to the side of the house.
If you would like to view these wonderful homes, please contact the Hartley Wintney office on 01252 844015 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Our products are environment-friendly with excellent designs. High technique to save power, complete functions, easy to operate, our products are more competitive than those of the same line in the international market.
Multifunction Vegetable Cutter Machine/Meat Bone Chopper /Battery Food Processor
Multifunction vegetable cutter machine series is our new developed food machine. Can be wild use for minced meat, ginger,garlic,peanut,soybean and so on. They are with speed round of 1400r/min.Can meet different requirement. QS series with fashion appearance and high efficiency, easy operate,safe and clean. It is idea helper as food process for home, hotel,bar, restaurant.
1.The battery food processor have double safety and protective function.
2. Meterial is full stainless steel which qualified for food, it's safety and easy to clean.
3.Compact structure, fine appearance, easy operation and high efficiency.
4.Widely used for chopping and cutting all kinds of food.
A knife with big S shape, which has long blade wire, so it has the highest cutting efficiency and the best cutting effect.
Our meat bone chopper's packing is suitable for shipping.
What Methods of Payment Are Acceptable?
1. Telegraphic Transfer (T/T): we accept 30% T/T deposit before production and 70% T/T Balance before shipment. 100% payment for sample orders.
2. Western Union: we accept 100% payment via the western union.
What Is the Cost of Shipping?
Shipping cost is based on the following elements:
Number of packages
Gross Weight
Package volume
Destination port
How About the Delivery Time?
Some of the products are in stock at our warehouse, generally we need 3~5 days to change the plugs before the delivery. Regarding to the non-stock products, the lead time ~35 days depends on your requirement on the product.


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The Summit Herald of November 3, 1922 reported that a charitable card party at the Hotel Beechwood raised the "magnificent sum" of $1506.50 for Overlook Hospital. The WCTU urged voters to elect candidates who would continue to support Prohibition. At All Soul's Church, activist Jane Addams of Hull House spoke about immigration law and conditions in post-war Europe. New books at the Summit Public Library included Zane Grey's travelogue "Tales of Lonely Trails" and "Babbitt" by Sinclair Lewis. The cooking column offered recipes from "famous Summit cooks" for corn meal griddle cakes and dark nut bread.
The Library has a searchable database of local historical newspapers. Search or browse at:


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Who is Holly Hobbie?
Toys, activities, furnishings and other collectibles featuring Holly Hobbie
"American Greeting Card Company deserves kudos for creating lovable Holly Hobbie, originally a greeting card 'character' who has now been really put to work in a line of Christmas card originals, paper party goods, gift wrap, decoupage kits, wall plaques, figurines, collector plates and more."
– Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), December 3, 1973
"Over-abundant bonnets, high-topped shoes and aprons are common trademarks of Holly Hobbie's nostalgic characters. Her rural New England background is prominent in the old-fashioned appeal of her art. Educated at Pratt Institue of Aret, she is married to a college professor and has two daughters, a son, and a large orange cat which pops up from time to time in her drawings."
– Florida Today (Cocoa, Florida), March 7, 1974
"Holly Hobbie is the character that decorates so many American Greetings cards. She's the old-fashioned girl dressed in calico with lace-up boots and an enormous sunbonnet. Her bonnet is so large that her face is usually completely hidden by it."
– The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee), December 7, 1978
>> See more! Sew a Holly Hobbie (1973-1975)
30+ Vintage Holly Hobbie toys and activities from the seventies & eighties
Click on any picture in the gallery below to see a larger version — then click through or tap to scroll through all of the images!


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Let's Go Shopping! And Remember to Get Your Tax Refund When Leaving the Country
For many a traveler, shopping is part of the fun when visiting a foreign country, especially in a place like Taiwan where shops sell high-quality yet affordable goods, many with distinct local flavor.
Such fun is significantly heightened when receiving refunds for the value-added tax paid in the stores.
If you plan to visit this beautiful island and are intent on going on a shopping spree, or just want to buy some special gifts for yourself or for folks back home, note that you can, upon leaving the country, claim the 5% value-added tax (VAT) you will pay at time of purchase. Certain conditions apply. First, you need to buy the goods at an authorized tax refund store. You can find an extensive list of stores at www.taxrefund.net.tw/ttr/shop.
To be eligible for a VAT refund, you need to be a foreign traveler holding a passport from a country other than the R.O.C. (Taiwan), other travel documents, or an R.O.C. passport without a personal ID number attached. You have to make a purchase of at least NT$2,000 (about US$60) on the same day at the same store, and you need to collect anApplication Form for VAT Refund and the invoice.
Following the purchase, you have 20 days to claim the refund at the port of your departure. Go to an E-VAT Refund machine or a Foreign Passenger VAT Refund Service Counter in the airport or seaport to apply for the refund. Since the procedure can take time, arrive three hours before your departure and apply for the refund before checking in your luggage.
If you opt to do the procedure at an E-VAT Refund machine, you need to do the following:
1. Scan your entry document (such as passport).
2. Scan the Application Form for VAT Refund.
3. Select the items available for VAT refund.
4. If an inspection is required, you need to take the inspection form to Customs before proceeding.
5. Select the method of refund (Cash, Credit Card, or Check) and collect your VAT Refund Assessment Certificate.
6. Go to a designated bank counter at the airport/seaport and present your VAT Refund Assessment Certificate to receive the tax refund.
If you go to a Foreign Passenger VAT Refund Service Counter, present the Application Form for VAT Refund, your passport (or other designated travel document), your purchased goods to be taken out of the country, and an original copy of the uniform invoice to the customs officers. After verification, you will receive a VAT Refund Assessment Certificate, which you need to take to a designated bank counter to receive the refund.
Note: payment of VAT refunds is made in NT dollars. Applications for a VAT refund submitted after you have departed the country will not be accepted.
Should you have any questions concerning VAT refunds, please contact (depending on your port of departure):
-Directorate General of Customs Information Center at Taiwan Taoyuan Int'l Airport / Tel: 0800-311-006 or 886-3-398-2308
-Taichung Travel Section / Tel: 0800-422-022 or 886-4-2254-0809
-Tainan Travel Section / Tel: 0800-611-011 or 886-6-226-5681
-Kaohsiung Travel Section / Tel: 0800-711-765 or 886-7-281-1513
-Taiwan Taoyuan Int'l Airport Tourist Service Center / Tel: 886-3-383-4631~2
-Kaohsiung Int'l Airport Tourist Service Center / Tel: 886-7-805-7888
-Service Center, Tourism Bureau / Tel: 0800-011-765 or 886-2-2717-3737
Happy travels—and happy shopping!


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Last month, five members of Congress wrote to the State Department inspector general and similar officials at other federal agencies, declaring that U.S. policies and activities "appear to be the result of influence operations conducted by individuals and organizations associated with the Muslim Brotherhood," Egypt's oldest and largest Islamic organization. The members asked for a report on the purported influence operations and for recommendations for "corrective action."
As a former official at the National Security Council and the State Department, I can attest to the critical importance of sustaining the integrity of our national-security institutions. The question is not whether we face threats, but rather how we make Americans safer while ensuring our values.
As reflected in an Aug. 2 commentary ("We must not go easy on radical Islam") by one of the authors of the congressional letter, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., views vary widely about the Muslim Brotherhood -- and about the possibility for constructive engagement between U.S. officials and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, a leader in the movement. And while a new administration -- whether led by Mitt Romney or Barack Obama -- is likely to engage politicians in Egypt connected to the Brotherhood (as the Bush administration sought to do after the 2005 elections in Egypt), debates on this question will continue.
So why did the congressional letter to the State Department evoke such a storm of protest -- most prominently from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., but from so many others as well? In fact, the outrage was not inspired by the views, however controversial, of the five members of Congress on policy toward the Islamic world. Rather, it was the letter's use of innuendo -- in particular, against Huma Abedin, the State Department's deputy chief of staff and a longtime aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Citing a report from a Washington think tank run by a former Reagan administration staffer, the letter states that Ms. Abedin has family members "connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations." It makes note of her access to the secretary of state and asks the inspector general to identify whether any U.S. citizens may be agents of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Pressed by reporters, former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich defended the inquiry, arguing that "there weren't allegations, there was a question."
Full disclosure: I've worked with Huma Abedin. And like Sen. McCain, who condemned the congressional letter, I know her as a patriotic, honorable, dedicated and hardworking public servant.
But as stellar as they are, Abedin's qualities are not the issue. The issue is the poison of public innuendo. Innuendo is not the wild claim, the allegation of wrongdoing, which can be easily discredited. Rather, it is the remark, the hint -- or, to use Gingrich's term, the "question" -- that creates the suggestion of guilt without any accusation of wrongdoing.
Does the letter fit that definition?
Abedin is the only State Department official other than the secretary mentioned in the letter, which asserts the Muslim Brotherhood is engaged in information operations. It alleges that Abedin has potentially nefarious connections and asks about Muslim Brotherhood agents in the U.S. government.
That's innuendo. It's damning, and unless subjected to the disdain it deserves, it imposes upon its target the impossible task of proving his or her innocence when he or she has not been accused of any wrongdoing. And it comes in all shapes, sizes and political ideologies.
For instance, in a 1952 diatribe detailing real and purported activities of Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson, Sen. Joseph McCarthy argued that Stevenson had sought to help communists and would, if elected president, continue "suicidal, Kremlin-directed policies." He didn't allege that Stevenson was acting on behalf of Soviets, but he didn't have to -- it was accusation by innuendo.
The Soviets themselves were also great practitioners of innuendo, against dissidents in their population but also against the United States. In 1984, the Soviet media used innuendo to link the United States to the assassination of Indira Gandhi, stressing purported CIA links to the religious community from which the assassins came. Needless to say, the innuendo drew strong protest from the Reagan administration.
Beyond doing violence to our values, innuendo ill-serves our national security by diverting attention from the serious business of law enforcement and counterespionage. We safeguard our security when our officials can work effectively with Muslim communities in the United States and around the world, and some of our most punishing attacks on terrorists have resulted from collaborations and the trust on which they depend.
If the casual use of public innuendo is not challenged at every turn, we will undermine both our national security and the social fabric of our increasingly diverse society. And all of us -- and our spouses, our children and our friends -- will be vulnerable.
Eric Schwartz is professor and dean at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Between 1993 and 2000, he was at the National Security Council, ultimately serving as special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director for multilateral and humanitarian affairs. Between 2009 and 2011, he served as assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration.


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Every so often, a customer brings me a piece of gear that reminds me how much I love vintage hi-fi. The Dual 1219 idler drive turntable is just such a piece.
The Dual 1219 idler drive turntable is a relic from an era when almost everything was made out of metal and wood. The deck is German, and old, so this type of solid construction should be no surprise.
Specifications, courtesy of the Vinyl Engine
Power supply: AC, 50 or 60Hz, changeable by changing motor pulley
Voltage: 110/117V or 220V switchable
Drive: Synchronous motor with radial-elastic suspension
Platter: non-magnetic, dynamically balanced, 3.1kg
Speeds: 33, 45 and 78rpm
Pitch control variation: 6%
Rumble: -60db (weighted)
Tonearm: extra long, torsionally rigid metal arm, 4-point gimbal suspension, skeletal head design
Cartridge holder: removable, accepts cartridges from 1 to 12g
Weight: 6.8kg
Dimensions: 376 x 334mm
There's a lot to like about the Dual 1219. It's a very serviceable machine. Those with experience and the correct tools and lubricants should be able to make good progress. The metal and wooden parts respond well to cleaning and lubrication and there are few plastic parts to fail. If you are not sure though, don't try, there's a lot to go wrong if you are clumsy.
Bearings and metal parts tend to last and everything is quite robustly constructed. There are no belts of course, another bonus. Drive is to the inside of the platter, via an idler wheel. This is almost direct drive, not quite as direct as direct drive, but more direct than belt drive, if you follow me. Idler drive machines tend to play records very well as a result of the high torque this arrangement delivers, like better direct drive decks.
The motor is likely to last a lifetime and, speaking of the platter, it's heavy and dynamically balanced. In fact, the platter makes up half of the total mass of the deck, outside of a chassis. The 1219 also plays 78s and can repeat play records, great for parties! Automatic start and stop are bonuses which many people enjoy.
The Dual 1219 and other Duals from this era are complex and need regular maintenance. Servicing a deck like this doesn't take an hour either. The 1219 needs several hours service time, every five or so years. This allows for careful disassembly, cleaning and lubrication of something like a dozen points. If you are not up for that, this probably isn't the deck for you.
Some 1219s come in pretty sketchy wooden cabinets, so watch out for that. For more on the 1219, Tone Audio wrote a nice piece about the deck, check it out.
Synthetic lubricants weren't really a thing back in 1971. The half dozen or so specific mineral oils and greases used in the 1219 don't hold up well over 40+ years, nor should we expect them to. These are highly mechanical decks, and all the points specified in the service manual need greasing or oiling with specialist lubricants. I only use synthetic lubricants these days.
Many owners don't understand the maintenance requirements for decks like the Dual 1219. The result is that they are often partially or completely seized by the time they come to me. This unit certainly was, and it took some methodical service work over several hours to resolve her issues. Is it worth it? Of course it is, nothing like this will ever be made again.
There are also issues with Dual's ingenious removable cartridge system. The delicate little fingers and spring loaded pins can break. If they do, there is trouble ahead.
Service & Repair
First thing to do with one of these decks is remove them from the chassis.
I like this cabinet, but it was looking a little worse for wear when it came in.
If you would like me to service or repair your Dual turntable, get in touch and we can book it in.


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W090905 Advanced DHCP Options
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is typically used to hand out IP address information to network hosts. Typically most people sue DHCP for assigning IP address, subnet mask and default gateway to client work stations though it can do much more. DHCP is configured on the default gateway or on a server residing on the LAN. To enable search option 119 for Windows Server 2003 DHCP server
- Open DHCP. (To open DHCP, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click DHCP.)
- In the console tree, click the applicable DHCP server.
- On the Action menu, click Set Predefined Options.
- In Predefined Options and Values, click Add (Option Class Standard), and then click OK.
- In Name, type the string DNS Search List.
- Set Code to 119 and Data Type string (it is not an array), and then click OK.
- Right-click Scope Options, select Configure Options, and then check 119 DNS Search List.
- Enter a list of domain suffixes in your organization, delimited by a semicolon (for example, esubnet.com;dev.esubnet.com;corp.esubnet.com).
- Click OK.
eSubnet Fragment
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Ecce Sacerdos Magnus
On Saturday morning, as many of us were attending the monthly Latin Mass in St. Joseph's Church, Berkeley Road, we heard of the death of the Right Reverend Monsignor John Moloney, P.E., who was the first and for more than a decade the Priest in Charge of the Traditional Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Dublin.
A native of Knocklong, Co. Limerick, he studied at the Dominican College, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, and for the Priesthood in the Archdiocese of Dublin at Holy Cross College, Dublin, and in Rome, where he was ordained to the Priesthood on 13th July, 1941, and where he remained for a further 9 years after ordination. He was the Administrator of the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, under the late Archbishop McQuaid, and then Parish Priest of the Three Patrons, Rathgar, until his retirement.
He was also chaplain to the Italian Community for many years. He contributed to the Sacred Heart Messenger for many years and wrote many devotional works. Monsignor Moloney was a noted musician and an inspiration for many vocations to the Priesthood. Non est inventus similis illi.


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We are a team of trial attorneys who will fight for you and your loved ones when you or they have suffered personal injuries, catastrophic injuries or wrongful death in all kinds of negligence cases, including car crash claims and medical malpractice claims.
When you or a loved one has been injured due to someone's negligence or malpractice, you may be left facing dire consequences. Severe injuries, steep medical costs, lost wages, harassment from insurance companies, future medical needs, a reduced quality of life and many other worries may dominate your days. Through it all, you are simply trying to get your life back to the quality and ability it was before you were hurt.
At Edwards Trial Law, we let you focus on your physical and mental recovery, while we go to bat for you taking care of the "legal stuff." We will get you the justice you deserve by fighting with insurance companies to hold them and their insured's accountable for all the harm and loss they have caused, and to compensate you with every dollar you deserve for all that you have suffered and lost. With offices in Danbury and New Britain, Connecticut, Edwards Trial Law handles cases all over Connecticut, and if it isn't convenient for you to come to our office we are happy to meet you at a location that suits your schedule and needs.
Dedicated To You
Our attorneys, Paul Edwards and Michael Giordano, M.D., bring over 50 years of combined legal and medical experience to the cases we handle for our clients. Paul Edwards has over 25 years of trial experience. He spent the first half of his career working for insurance companies defending doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice cases. Since 2006 he has chosen to focus his practice on representation of injury victims. Dr. Giordano brings over 25 years of medical knowledge and experience as a board certified neurosurgeon in addition to his experience as an attorney for injury victims. Together, Mr. Edwards and Dr. Giordano bring a unique depth of experience and expertise to every client and every case. Compassionate trial lawyers, they will aggressively represent you from start to finish. You deserve justice and compensation for your suffering and losses, the lawyers at Edwards Trial Law will get you the justice you deserve.
We pride ourselves on delivering the quality and expertise of service you get from large firms while maintaining the personalized and compassionate approach you can only get from a small firm like Edwards Trial Law. You will work with Mr. Edwards and Dr. Giordano directly, and they will create a legal plan that works for you and your unique situation. We are selective in the cases that we accept. This allows us to give each and every client the dedication and attention they deserve, and we will give you and your case the necessary time, attention and planning to give you the best chance for maximal success.
Get Started Today
If you have been injured as a result of negligence or malpractice, Edwards Trial Law is the firm you need to get you the justice you deserve. Contact us today by calling toll free 877-489-8456 or sending an email.
With offices conveniently located in Danbury and New Britain, we handle cases throughout the entire state of Connecticut, especially including cases in Fairfield and Hartford Counties.


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When Jennifer Lopez showed up at the 42nd annual Grammy Awards back in 2000, she probably didn't expect to be responsible for one of those red-carpet moments we still talk about decades afterwards. Yet her low-cut, floral-print green Versace gown has its own Wikipedia page; it may or may not have inspired Google Image Search; and now, whenever we see someone in a plunging, printed number in the same (or, okay, even similar) hue, we can't stop ourselves from thinking back to that dress.
Enter Jillian Rose Reed at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The Awkward actress arrived onto the red carpet, right before it was abruptly interrupted by a casual Sunday evening rain storm, wearing a long-sleeved, palm-printed playsuit with a floor-grazing tail. The silhouette, the color, the length... It was all too uncanny — even to the folks over at MTV, who first remarked on the similarities between the looks. (Racked went so for as to ask: Who wore it better?) Well, take a look.
There certainly are parallels between the two dresses. But, hey: They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery — and Reed's nod to J.Lo's instantly-iconic Versace moment only proves that it still holds up, 17 years later.


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Inspector Indigenous – Jasminum multipartitum
Common name: starry wild jasmine; Afrikaans: sterretjies-jasmyn; Zulu: Imfohlafohlane If you want to attract birds to your garden, planting creepersContinue Reading
Common name: starry wild jasmine; Afrikaans: sterretjies-jasmyn; Zulu: Imfohlafohlane If you want to attract birds to your garden, planting creepersContinue Reading
First, silvery balls appear on the stalks emerging from the woody rootstock in early spring, then they burst into brightContinue Reading
Common name: Soap Aloe, Zulu names: icena, amahlala, Sotho name: lekhala, Afrikaans name: Bontaalwyn Winter days are not particularly drearyContinue Reading
Common name: Bushman's tea, Zulu names: ishayelo, iphephetha, Xhosa name: icholocholo, Sotho name: Sephomolo. This member of the Daisy familyContinue Reading
There appears to be no English common name for this plant, however it is known as Verfblommetjie in Afrikaans. CuriousContinue Reading
Sotho names Feko, Khato; Zulu names: Impakatha, Isidwe, Isikhelekhehlane Despite its species name alba, which means white, the flowers ofContinue Reading
Pachycarpus (a member of Asclepiadaceae – Milkwood family) is an African endemic, with 40 species occurring on the continent, 24Continue Reading
It is impossible to confuse the delicate little Hypericum aethiopicum with the alien Hypericum- St John's Wort (which is rapidlyContinue Reading
Finding members of the Asclediadaceae (Milkweed) family is always a treat. Some species are very vulnerable and rare, particularly becauseContinue Reading
For much of the summer, patches of orange-red Eriosema can be seen in our grasslands right up into the 'Berg.Continue Reading


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Trade impasse: Trump pledges $16B to farmers; markets slump
Facebook: Fake account removal doubles in 6 months to 3B
Firm tied to political donor to pay $110M in federal probe
Trump considering loophole for Saudi arms sale
Bank CEO pleads not guilty in bid to get Trump post
FAA chief upbeat about prospects for Boeing 737 Max's return
Tokyo-Vegas investment chief gets 50 years in huge scheme
Tesla shares bounce on leaked memo about rising sales
NASA's first-of-kind tests look to manage drones in cities
Modi surges to victory in India on Hindu-first platform
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Plans to create more affordable starter homes to get first time buyers on the property ladder will go ahead, says David Cameron.
The news, announced in the Prime Minister's conference speech, is set to turn "generation rent to generation buy" through the creation of thousands of lower-priced new homes on new developments. The government wants to see 200,000 starter homes delivered over the next 5 years.
In the 2015 Autumn Statment, Chancellor George Osbourne has announced the origanlly proposed 200,000 starter homes has now been increased to 400,000 and the housing budget increased to £2 billion a year.
What does this mean for home owners?
The scheme will allow home builders to fulfil their obligation to build affordable homes on developments by creating starter homes that sell for 20% less than the market rate. Currently all new developments have affordable homes available to rent.
The starter homes will have a price cap of £450,000 inside London and £250,000 outside the capital and will be available to anyone under 40. Homeowners will only be able to sell them at full market value 5 years after purchase.
The scheme could save the average first time buyer £43,000 on a £218,000 home (the national average cost paid by a first time buyer).
What does this mean for you?
Strata's sales director Gemma Smith said about the news: "We are committed to providing affordable homes, and homes that are accessible to first time buyers. The government's Help to Buy schemes, and the Help to Buy ISA, have been effective in getting more people on the property ladder.
"This initiative should further help people who currently can't afford their own home, to turn their dreams into a reality."


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CyberLink Goes After iTunes With PowerDVD 12
CyberLink wants its software to be iTunes for Windows and Android. The media software maker today announced a new version of its disc-playing software, PowerDVD 12 that adds over 30 new features, including new format support, an iTunes-like online music store, and new mobile apps.
The updates, dubbed PowerDVD Mobile v.4 and PowerDVD Remote v.2, will run on iOS and Android devices. The software also adds the ability to convert 2D video to 3D, and support for more media file formats, including DTS-HD 7.1 channel, OGG and FLAC lossless audio and MK3D. It will also let users view raw camera files from digital SLRs.
PowerDVD will let users easily transcode video for viewing on any of their devices, whether PCs, tablets, or smartphones, and handle syncing of the devices through the accompanying apps. Users of the software will now also get direct access to the British online music store, 7Digital, which offers over 17 million songs encoded in 320Mbps and free of DRM.
PCMag met with CyberLink's senior product marketing manager, Volker Maxisch, and senior vice president of global marketing, Richard Carriere, earlier this month for a briefing on the new PowerDVD version.
"When we surveyed our users," said Carriere, "the number-one request was to make it easy to synchronize my content between the PC and the device, and to make it easy to share content between all devices."
Maxisch added, "It's not just synchronization, but we also do a smart conversion. For example, if you have high-bitrate audio or MKV video, some devices cannot play it back. You can just select an MKV video, and PowerDVD will transcode it to a format the tablet can play back."
The software also takes the pain out of setting up DLNA, making it easy to stream any content on any device to any other on your home network. "PowerDVD is instantly a digital media server," said Maxisch. "You can access your PC from an iPad and see all the videos on the PC or on a NAS connected to the PC. And the nice thing is, I can now play an MKV file on the iPad, because we're transcoding in real time on the PC."
PowerDVD 12 is available direct from CyberLink's site in three tiers: Standard for $49.95, Pro for $79.95, and Ultra, which includes all the mobile apps for $99.95.
For more from Michael, follow him on Twitter @mikemuch.


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bandwagon, jump on the
One of the more frequent questions to this site's discussion forum has been where the phrase jump on the bandwagon comes from. The confusion stems from the fact that the phrase survives into the 21st century while bandwagons are long gone.
In 19th and early 20th century America, a bandwagon was exactly what it sounds like, a wagon, usually horse-drawn, which carried a musical band. Bandwagons were used in circuses, to lead parades, and at political rallies. Hence to join or jump on the bandwagon was to follow the crowd, and in a political context with the connotation that one was there for the entertainment and excitement of the event, rather than from deep or firm conviction.Read the rest of the article...
Copyright 1997-2019, by David Wilton


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What camera to buy for use underwater is an ongoing conundrum. Technology is changing the landscape of underwater photography in what seems like a daily basis.
Here I have made a video presentation to try and clear things up a bit. So go and pour yourself a drink, grab a mince pie or three, sit back and chill out for a quarter an hour or so, while I tell you about the differences between the various types of kit available, and what is getting us excited in the world of underwater photography.


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Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon will not appear before the House Intelligence Committee for questioning Tuesday, despite a subpoena, according to sources who spoke to CNN and Reuters.
Defying the subpoena could result in a contempt of Congress charge for the former far-right media mogul, who recently fell from grace after his comments about President Donald Trump's son were made public in Michael Wolff's new "Fire and Fury" book on the Trump White House.
While senior Republican committee member Rep. Mike Conway (R-TX) told reporters Monday that the committee was fully expecting Bannon to comply with the subpoena, sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN and Reuters said Bannon isn't planning to show up Tuesday because the White House and the House panel haven't come to an agreement on the scope of Bannon's questioning.
The House panel subpoenaed Bannon in January after he refused to answer questions about his time working for President Donald Trump, a move that was apparently invoked by the White House, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told reporters after Bannon's January interview.
At the time Bannon and his attorney said he would only answer questions about his time working for the campaign, not as a member of Trump's transition team or about his role in the White House.
CNN's source said that while Bannon isn't planning to comply with the House Intelligence panel's subpoena, he would instead answer all of special counsel Robert Mueller's questions.
Mueller and Congressional investigators are probing Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether Trump campaign aides worked with Russian officials to support those efforts.


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Synthetic Biology: A synthetic break from fatty food
Nature Communications
The creation of a synthetic gene circuit - the combining of genes that don't normally occur together ? that adjusts production of an appetite suppressing peptide to blood lipid levels is reported in Nature Communications this week. The system could, in principle, be adapted to allow for the tailored production of peptide pharmaceuticals for the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, where blood lipid levels are often elevated.
The nuclear receptor PPARalpha is naturally produced in many cells in the body and activated by fatty acids, which induces the expression of metabolic genes. Pramlintide is an appetite-suppressing peptide drug that is used for the treatment of diabetes. Martin Fussenegger and his team create a genetic circuit in which PPARalpha activation is coupled with the transcription of the gene encoding pramlintide. The resulting synthetic 'lipid-sensing receptor' dynamically and reversible adjusts pramlintide expression to fatty acid levels in the environment, creating a system that would increase production of the appetite suppressing peptide if blood lipid levels are elevated, for example due to the consumption of fatty food or as a result of disease. The team then implanted the synthetic receptor ? in the form of genetically modified cells harbouring the construct, and encapsulated in a hydrogel ? in to the belly of mice fed a high-fat diet. They find that mice receiving these implants ate less food, weighed less and had lower levels of blood lipids than mice receiving unmodified cells.