text:
Editor's note: Brad Glosserman is executive director of Pacific Forum CSIS, a Honolulu-based think tank. The views expressed are solely those of the author.
By Brad Glosserman, Special to CNN
Frequently dismissed as a talk shop, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is in fact one of the key tests of the U.S. commitment to "rebalance" to Asia. The 27-member security forum may be best known for its after-dinner entertainment – most famously then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's schmaltzy country and western duet with Japanese counterpart Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka – but the readiness of America's most senior diplomats to travel halfway round the globe to attend the meet is seen as a critical indicator of Washington's readiness to engage the world's most dynamic region on its own terms.
Fortunately, the ARF has begun to assume a significance commensurate with its status as the Asia-Pacific's only institutionalized security forum. Two years ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told delegates that the United States had a stake in freedom of navigation in the region, called for the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes that dot the South China Sea, and offered U.S. services as a mediator. That statement infuriated Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who left the meeting and returned to imperiously point out that "China is a big country…and other countries are small countries and that is just a fact." Clinton's speech, and U.S. foreign policy more generally, was dismissed most charitably as a distraction – and more ominously as dangerous interference – in regional affairs. (The idea that the U.S. was responding to regional entreaties is considered laughable.)
Then, and since, Chinese officials and analysts have argued that U.S. policy risks a confrontation between Beijing and Washington either by encouraging U.S. surrogates (read: Vietnam and the Philippines) to be more assertive in their claims, or by forcing regional states to choose between the two countries and risking a new Cold War in the region.
The tension between the two countries is the lead story at this year's ARF, which convened in Phnom Penh last weekend. There, ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the group that chairs the ARF) was unable to reach consensus and issue a joint declaration for the first time in its 43-year history.
The cause of the disagreement? How to refer to China and the territorial disputes in maritime areas. There were behind-the-scenes reports of angry meetings, punctuated by yelling, and the refusal of the chair, Cambodia, to allow language critical of China. Those same reports highlight the considerable economic assistance that Beijing provides Cambodia.
To be fair, ASEAN is working with China to develop a code of conduct to govern those disputes. But that has been in the works for over a decade, and progress is bound to be halting. While rules of the road make sense to keep incidents from escalating to armed conflict, Beijing wants to keep ASEAN (and the ARF) sidelined, preferring to negotiate bilaterally with rival claimants where its size can make a difference. Anything that alters that equation, such as "multilateralizing" disputes or bringing in the United States, is anathema to Beijing.
China characterizes U.S. involvement in the South China Seas disputes – or any other regional problem in which it has a stake – as part of a strategy to contain China. The illogic of that claim, given tens of billions of dollars of U.S. investment and hundreds of billions of U.S. trade, doesn't register.
American engagement is designed to counter a narrative of U.S. decline in the Asia Pacific. The U.S. strategy to "rebalance" to the region is based on Asia's increasing relevance to the future of the United States and America's determination to play its historical regional role as well. Little appreciated is the breadth of the strategy. U.S. engagement is seen as primarily military. In reality, "rebalancing" is first and foremost about "forward deployed diplomacy," followed closely by economic and cultural engagement. The military dimension is important, but it's simply the final pillar.
High-level U.S. attendance at the ARF is an unmistakable signal that Washington "gets" Asian concerns. Secretary Clinton's readiness to join a discussion that may not yield a specific deliverable shows an understanding of, and respect for, regional institutions and priorities. Of course, Washington must do more than just show up – it must provide both leadership and support for regional initiatives. The push for the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a core component of this strategy, as is outreach to Burma and the readiness to respond to changes there. Modernization of U.S. alliances and the embrace of new partners such as Singapore and Vietnam – along with new missions, particularly humanitarian assistance and disaster relief – are also key elements of this approach.
Ultimately, these policies aid both the United States and Asia, enriching the lives of Asians and Americans alike. It's those concerns that drive U.S. policy – not fear of China.
The Economist finds that China has already overtaken America on well over half of 21 different indicators, including manufacturing output, exports and fixed investment. The chart below predicts when China will surpass America on the rest. By 2014, for example, it could be the world's biggest importer and have the largest retail sales. America still tops a few league tables by a wider margin. Its stockmarket capitalisation is four times bigger than China's, and it spends five times as much on defence. Even though China's defence budget is growing faster, on recent growth rates America's will remain larger until 2025.
The biggest sign of a liar... they post what they contend are "facts" but do not cite the source of their "information". China is no where near eclipsing the US. Estimates have stated that if the Chinese economy grows larger than the US's it's predicted to do so sometime in mid century, those projections were also based on the assumption that China will continue to grow at the rate it was prior to the economic slowdown, which according to CNN's report just the other day, it is not, it has slowed and is continuing to slow... predictions are just that, guesses. Also, I again restate that even if the Chinese rose to our economic level, they have 5X the population of us, in order for them to be as wealthy as us, they would need an economy MUCH larger than our own... do you even know what the food bill is to sustain China? Health care? retirement? ....... China has a lot of challenges ahead, i believe they will come to revolution before they reach our economic level.
Clinton: Your math is obviously primitive. Even though, Chinese population is 5X that of the US, consumption is 4X lower. Chinese people can survive on a bowl of rice a day, whereas American population cannot. Chinese people, contemporaries to the ancient Egyptians and Romans, demonstrated an enormous resilience over the 40 centuries they were around compared to the contemporary American society that is only 236 years old. DO NOT underestimate Chinese baby …
Qur'an 70:42 "So let them chat vainly and play about, with their idle disputes until they encounter that Day of Doom which they have been threatened! They will rise from their sepulchers in sudden haste as if they were rushing to a goal, their eyes lowered in dejection and disgrace, aghast, abasement stupefying them – ignominy shall overtake them! Such is the Day that they are threatened with!"
The USA doesn't have any problems, source...... self,. USA = perfect, wait ... i was dreaming, and Clinton named his source of information. My point, which you missed,,,,, one ship is picking up steam, the other one is taking on water.
Milton-Edwards wants to put the record straight in this regard. She starts from the premise that without the 9/11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon, the relationship between 'Islam' and 'The West' might well have developed along a different trajectory. This is because both the attacks themselves, as well as linked bombings that followed, led to a significant change in perceptions of the role of non-state, transnational Islamic actors in international relations. Now it was no longer sufficient to see states as the only actors capable of inflicting large-scale, international political violence: 9/11 led to the death of nearly 3,000 people, while subsequent bombs linked to al-Qaeda killed hundreds more. Above all, the 9/11 attacks emphasised that international religious terrorism was now an important factor in international conflict. It called for: (1) a new comparative focus on the themes of conflict and violence associated in the minds of some with Islam, and (2) examination of links between failed states – especially in the Middle East – and the onset of a new phase of international Islamic terrorism.
If the International Monetary Fund is right, in a mere four years the U.S. will no longer be the world's largest economy. By 2016, the People's Republic of China's total economic output will eclipse that of the U.S. Should this prediction prove true, Americans will see their nation knocked off a pedestal it has occupied for so long that holding any other place has become simply unimaginable.
Bloomberg Business Week, By Michael Dolgow on July 17, 2012
Clinton, you have not named one source, so you must be a liar, no, your just a joke. !
I am such a "joke"! but then, look what I have been told (lied) all my worthless life.
Qur'an 104:4 "He will be sure to be thrown into that which breaks him into pieces, flung to the Consuming One. And what will explain to you that which Breaks him into Pieces, Consuming and Crushing? It is the fire kindled by Allah which leaps up over them penetrating the hearts of men." [Allah is in hell, kindling the fire.]
This post aims at presenting the religious dimension of violence that goes back to the heart and origin of Islam. Despite various political, socio-economic and cultural factors contributing to the rise of violence and terrorism in fundamental Islam (as with all religions), Muslims who commit acts of violence and terror in the name of Allah can find ample justification for their actions based on the open-ended verses and teachings of the Qur'an and the saying of Muhammad (Hadith). Islam's doctrines and texts are associated with violence, with laws requiring the eradication of what is considered evil by Islamic standard and law, using violent means. Throughout history, Islam's religious texts or precepts have been used to promote violence. Classically, and in the modern era, Muslims and their leaders, including a large number of jurists, have upheld Islamic ideas, concepts, texts and themes to justify warfare against non-Muslims. Some suggest that the Qur'an contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with non-believers for the sake of Islamic rule, verses that are mostly open-ended and therefore are not restrained by historical context of the surrounding text. To offer a general illustration of the inherent relationship, it would do to point out that the root word for Islam is al-Slim which means submission or surrender. The Qur'an not only calls Muslim to submit to Allah, it also commands them to subdue people of other religions until they are in a full state of submission to Islamic rule. Evidently, this has inspired the aggressive history of Islam and its success in conquering other cultures.
China will win, no doubt.
America does not fear China. China provides jobs for the military. America will be policing the South China Sea more to protect those nations from Chinese attacks.
Shakespeare's Hamlet, who suffered from melancholia, expressed the sentiment – "how weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me the workings of this world. It is an unweeded garden and things rank and gross in nature possess it merely"
I am so proud of this comment that I have repeated it in every conversation.
I am unable to say anything else so I keep repeating what I think is intelligent and Deeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Now I really know the reason for continued violence in the Muslim world! The problem lies with sick, mentally unstable, individuals like yourself!
Hmmm, is Clinton on this forum shovelingsnow? The usual troll that goes on every China related article and spams it. Or just a political nutcase?
and what's wrong with a little Cold War 2.0 with a Commie regime that still doesn't get it, and falsely claims to be the reason behind its country's economic success, while everyone knows that it's the cooperation with US and other free countries that drove it? and note that even Vietnam is now considered a US ally. and note that free countries, unlike current CPC ruled China, have much easier road to making important treaties and most definitely way less likely to go into a full-blown conflict when they can't quite come to an agreement.
Red China is far from being a monolith some present it to be; it's internally shaken up by all that discontent by various groups, be it Tibetans, Uyghurs, Muslim Hui Chinese, Honk Kongers and what not. let's see if it can indeed take on the free world; i personally doubt they will last too long. and when they falter, there will emerge a truly free and democratic China, that will pose no threat to anyone
You do realize that China's only communist in name only now, right? Or have you been living in a cave the last thirty years.
And if you think democracy always works out, then why's India still lagging with a small minority gaining all the new wealth.
Last thing, haven't the US been in enough wars already in the last decade with the Middle East? Why start more in Asia? That's a warmonger mentality....
Free Tibet. Free Mongolia. Free Turkestan
Free all the fleas from the camels.
Saeed, thats the most stupid comment Ive read, a reflection of your level of intelligence (or lack of it). Do yourself a favour – jump off a bridge.
Pretty nice post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to mention that I've truly enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. After all I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!


text:
I am full of figure drawings today and just to let you know I drew all these tutorials yesterday. Some where done while I was live, and some where done when I was done with live. Anyways I will submit another tutorial on a plump figure that is going to be a vintage pinup girl. I believe that all woman of all different shapes and sizes are beautiful in some way, shape, or form. Although being overweight is very unhealthy, some people just love the individuals they are. This tutorial will show you "how to draw a pinup tattoo step by step". I figured that there are dudes out there that love their woman on the thick side so that is why I drew my pinup girl full figured. To me this pinup model is not fat at all. She is full figured and still able to wear decent clothes. When someone is extremely overweight, it is hard to look clean and neat while wearing the latest fashions. I had a friend who was overweight and she would have a hard time finding clothes that fit her while making her look stylish. I don't like judging people on their appearance because who is to say that the very same person you are poking fun at isn't really a cool individual that would make a cool best friend and or buddy. Anyways, I have a few lessons on pinup girls already and they too are really cool. Drawing a pinup tattoo is awesome because you can make the girl look as sexy and pretty as you like no matter if you're a girl or boy doing the drawing. Have fun with this lesson on "how to draw a pinup tattoo step by step". All the steps are easy to follow so you should have no problems at all. Peace peeps!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mayweather schools Canelo; Garcia defeats Matthysse; Molina dethrones Smith
By Felipe Leon at ringside
Photos: Tom Casino / Showtime
In a clash for the WBC/WBA super welterweight belts, Floyd "Money" Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs) scored a one-sided twelve round "majority" decision over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After making 152 Friday, the 23-year-old Canelo entered the ring at 165. 36-year-old Floyd lost half-a-pound. Floyd simply outboxed Canelo from the opening bell. Alvarez was game and had some moments, but Floyd was dominant for the most part. Scores were 114-114, 116-112, 117-111. The bizarre 114-114 scoring was from C.J. Ross.
For the night's work, Mayweather collected a guaranteed $41.5 million. "It's all about skills," Mayweather said. "I came out tonight and showed my skills. But a true champion like Canelo can take a loss and bounce back. My dad had a brilliant game plan. I executed that game plan. I could have pressed it and got the late stoppage, but tonight experience played a major key. Tonight was just my night."
Canelo admitted that Mayweather's skills and style of fighting were too much to overcome. "He's very elusive, he's a great fighter and that's why I couldn't catch him," Canelo said. "I didn't know how to get him. It's as simple as that. He's very elusive. He's a great fighter. The frustration was getting in there. But simply he's a great fighter. I didn't want to lose. I didn't want to leave here with a loss. But it happens and it hurts."
WBC/WBA super lightweight champion Danny Garcia (27-0, 16 KOs) retained his titles with a twelve round unanimous decision over WBC interim super lightweight champion Lucas Matthysse (34-3, 32 KOs). Both fighters came out carefully, respecting the other's power. The bout started heating up in the mid-rounds. Matthysse's right eye was nearly shut by round eight and Garcia, a 2:1 underdog, had target practice after that. A desperate Matthysse tried to pull it out late with big shots, but Garcia put him down in the eleventh. Garcia was deducted a point for a low blow in the twelfth. The fight ended with both fighters furiously throwing leather. Scores were 115-111, 114-112, 114-112. Matthysse had suffered two dubious losses in the USA previously, but this loss was legit.
"I'm the champion of the world," said Garcia. "The champion of the world isn't scared of anyone. If you can make it out Philly you can make it out of anywhere. The only way to slow him down was to go down to the body and throw combinations upstairs. I just let my hands go."
Matthysse stated, "I only had one eye for half of the fight but, it's no excuse. He fought a great fight. He's a great champion and we knew he wasn't intimidated by my punching."
In a lackluster affair with no memorable moments, Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) won a twelve round split decision to dethrone IBF junior middleweight champion Ishe Smith (25-6, 11 KOs). Scores were 117-111, 116-112 Molina, 116-112 Smith
Welterweight Pablo Cesar Cano (27-3-1, 20 KOs) scored a ten round split decision over Ashley Theophane (34-5-1, 10 KOs). Despite being cut over the left eye early on, Cano landed the more hurtful punches in the fight en route to a 98-92, 97-93 win on two cards, while Theophane was up 96-94 on the third card.
In a power punch slug fest, Luis "Cuba" Arias (7-0, 4KOs) of Las Vegas mauled Reidsville, NC's James Winchester (16-9, 6KOs) en route to a six round unanimous decision in the super middleweight division. Arias always moved forward and once he trapped Winchester against the ropes scored hard body shots and looked for the head with upper cuts with both fists. Winchester had no choice but to protect himself and retreat. It was no surprise when the scores were announced as 60-54 three times.
In an eight round super middleweight bout, Ronald Gravil controlled the majority of the action with a vast array of punches scores over former Mayweather Promotions charge Shujaa El Amin (formerly known as Dion Savage. Gravil scored well as El Amin would look to work on the inside. Scores were 79-73 three times. Gravil stays undefeated with a record of 7-0, 5KOs while El Amin drops to 12-5, 6KOs.
In another quick knock out, middleweight Chris "Sweet" Pearson (12-0, 9KOs) annihilated Joshua Williams (9-6, 5KOs) of Westerly, RI, in the first round of a scheduled eight. Straight punches to the face bloodied the nose of the southpaw Williams and as Pearson, also a southpaw, began to pick up the pace, referee Russell Mora stopped the action at 1:14 of the first round.
Las Vegas, NV's Lannell "KO" Bellows (6-0-1, 4KOs) scored exactly what his nickname describes, a quick knock out of previous undefeated Jordan Moore (3-1) of Logan, West Virginia. A big right hand at the 2:30 of the first round of a scheduled super middleweight four was enough to prevent Moore from beating the count.
We've heard that the first scheduled fight between cruiserweights Andrew Tabiti and Edward Smith did not happen because Smith failed to turn in a urine sample prior to the fight.


text:
Visit: http://bit.ly/10RV2Ct
LONGMONT — Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Longmont Community Foundation, Burlington Elementary School will launch the St. Vrain Valley School District's first nonfiction program this fall.
Burlington's reading specialist, Darcy Mordhorst, said the grant will pay for a new nonfiction room that will act as a resource for teachers and help meet the new reading standards.
The room will have educational books in bulk, allowing teachers to check out lesson plans and accompanying books for group activities, including some titles in multiple reading levels.
"A lot of kids don't have access to travel the world and so the nonfiction idea is to build background knowledge about the world and grow their exposure through books," Mordhorst said.
Most of the grant will go toward purchasing the books and correlating instructional materials, Mordhorst said. The materials will be available to all teachers at Burlington.
The Longmont Community Foundation held the first Innovation in Education contest in April asking for video submissions of creative ideas. Eight videos were submitted and two grants of $10,000 each are being handed out, said executive director Eric Hozempa.
"We wanted to get things outside of the normal funding streams, something creative, maybe tech driven," Hozempa said. "We were looking for things that were collaborative ways of approaching a problem related to education."
The second grant went to the Summer After-School All Stars program sponsored by the school district, the city of Longmont and the Ed & Ruth Lehman YMCA.
The program will provide low-cost camps and activities to elementary students who are taking summer classes. Camp topics will include planting and nutrition in the YMCA farm, science camps and athletic activities.
The low-cost camps are intended to get students off the couch and keep them active and learning after their summer school day is done, said YMCA spokeswoman Sheridan Wolfe.
Tony Shockency, YMCA chief executive officer, said there are more than 1,000 kids in the district in need of a program like the All Stars camps. The inaugural program is hoping to reach 90 to 120 students this year, he said.
Hozempa said the foundation is discussing whether it will host a similar contest next year.
Whitney Bryen can be reached at 303-684-5274 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
jpcastro needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 102 designs submitted by 44 freelance designers.
Something to depict buy and selling of real estate
Desired Color Scheme:
some type of red
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai)
I am hoping for some type of red theme in the logo. It will be used on these 2 sites. vacantpropertybuyer.com vacantpropertyseller.com
If the logo is nice enough the website would be changed to revolve around the logo.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Liberty News
Medical school fills inaugural class; 162 to begin courses Aug. 4
|Liberty University's Center for Medical and Health Sciences
Liberty University Osteopathic School of Medicine has announced that it has filled its inaugural class. The 162 members will officially begin their orientation to the medical school and the Liberty community on Wednesday, July 30, with courses commencing on Monday, Aug. 4. The first students are set to earn their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degrees in Spring 2018.
The Office of Admissions received an impressive number of applications from qualified candidates across the country. About 3,500 applications were reviewed, and nearly 500 prospective students were interviewed. Admissions staff assessed each applicant's educational history, performance, and professional background, seeking students who would advance the mission and vision of the medical school and the university.
"Filling the inaugural class is an amazing accomplishment by the grace of God," said Jacqueline Mendez, associate director of admissions for the medical school. "There is no doubt that the faculty and staff will be impressed with the servant's attitude, love, desire, and persistence of these new student doctors."
The inaugural class features a median MCAT score of 25 and a median GPA of 3.5. It represents 30 universities, 25 states, and two countries, with 35 percent of its students from Virginia or an adjacent state. The class is 52 percent male and 48 percent female.
Ronnie B. Martin, D.O., dean, said more than 50 percent of the applicants who were offered admission decided to come to Liberty.
"In launching the first year of a new medical school, it is expected that only 30-40 percent of the students who are offered admission will accept — a level you would anticipate when competing for quality students with other established institutions," he said. "As a new medical school, we had no track record or reputation that students could depend on to predict their potential for professional success. The fact that more than 50 percent chose Liberty is a blessing and shows the high regard that people across the country have for the university."
Dr. Martin also said the results show that Liberty's medical school was the top choice for a large majority of the inaugural class, many of which could have attended a wide variety of quality institutions based on their credentials and life experiences.
"We know for a fact that many of our students were offered acceptance at other colleges both in and out of the state," he said. "We are honored that they have placed their faith and futures with us here at Liberty. It is both an obligation and an opportunity that we take seriously."
Dr. Martin added that the caliber of the inaugural class is also a reflection of the quality of the medical school's employees.
"My faculty and staff made the difference in the selection process for many of our incoming students, and I am blessed, as well as thankful, to work with this group of professionals. The future is exciting."
The program will be housed in the new Center for Medical and Health Sciences. The $40 million building contains a comprehensive, state-of-the-art Center for Standardized Patient and Simulation that allows for hands-on training through simulation and standardized patient education, including a 5,300-square-foot Anatomy Lab and a 5,000-square-foot Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Lab. A dedication is being planned for August.
The Office of Admissions will host an open house for pre-medical advisors throughout the region at the Center for Medical and Health Sciences on July 10. Another open house will be held early in the fall for Liberty advisors as well as interested students from the Lynchburg and Southern Virginia area.


text:
Monument to Santa Eulalia. Mérida, Badajoz.
Contact details
Parque de la Ciudad, s/n.
06800 Mérida, Badajoz (Extremadura)
Tel.:+34 924004908
- Autonomous region: Extremadura
- Province/Island: Badajoz
Martyr and patron saint of Mérida.
The monument lies in the middle of the square and was built in honour of the patron saint of Mérida.
The monument lies on top of a square pedestal, and has three cylindrical altar stones that have been artistically finished off by a Corinthian capital. The crowning image is a Medieval representation of the young Eulalia, who is the city's martyr.
- Construction: Sculpture groups
- Artistic period: Various styles
- Historic period: 1st century
- Setting: The basilica of Santa Eulalia, the hornito de Santa Eulalia.


text:
Sing, Hoot & Howl with the Sesame Street Animals is a 1991 Sesame Street direct-to-video compilation, featuring Big Bird and other Sesame Street animals (including Gladys the Cow, Chicago the Lion, and Buster the Horse) showing clips of their favorite animal songs. This tape was released by Random House in the "Sesame Songs Home Video" series, and reissued in 2004 as a Sony Wonder video release.
International releases
DVD chapters
- The Sing, Hoot & Howl Club
- Cow Dog Song
- Baa Baa Bamba
- Starfish
- Insects in Your Neighborhood
- I'm an Aardvark
- Pig's Love Song
- Proud to Be a Cow
- We Are All Earthlings
- Kids (What Babies are Called)
- Chicken or the Egg?
- Cluck Around the Clock
Sesame Street "Puppet Performers"
- Emilio Delgado as Luis
- Executive Producer: Dulcy Singer
- Producer: Nina Elias-Bamberger
- Director: Ted May
- Segment Director: Emily Squires, Jon Stone
- Writer: Sonia Manzano
- Segment Writers: Sara Compton, Tony Geiss, Jeff Moss, Luis Santeiro
- Story Consultant: Tony Geiss
- Songs by: Christopher Cerf, Sara Compton, Sarah Durkee, Tony Geiss, Jeff Moss, Joe Raposo, Luis Santeiro, Fred Wardenberg
- Production Designer: Victor DiNapoli
- Puppet Captain: Kevin Clash
- Production Manager: Sean Murphy
- Special Thanks to: Sharon Lerner, Franklin Getchell, Leslie Raicer, Nina Shelton
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
How to Fill in Eyebrows With Rachel Zoe's Makeup Artist Joey Maalouf
Team Zoe's Joey Maalouf Explains How to Fill in Your Brows
Strong brows are back — and because they instantly brighten and define your face, we know they're here to stay. So we invited Rachel Zoe's makeup artist Joey Maalouf to show us how to fill them in less time than it takes to brew your morning coffee. The result is pretty, natural brows that immediately elevate your look.


text:
Manassas Virginia Birthday Party Clown
DaMissus the Clown is a experienced affordable clown with several experience as a clown. She specialize in family style entertainment for your family event or birthday party.
DaMissus blends a unique mixture of comedy, puppets, magic, face painting and balloon art into her performance to appeal to the entire family, making her the #1 clown in kid's entertainment.
DaMissus offers face painting, comedy magic with a live bunny, and balloon art.
No audience is too small for DaMissus. She has entertained at a birthday party for just 1 very happy kid. Sometimes you just do not need a big group to have a great birthday party and memory.
You have seen DaMissus the Clown at various birthday parties, picnics, and festivals in various locations in the Maryland and Washington DC areas.
DaMissus the Clown is managed by the wonderful people at the Balloon Crew and you can give them a call at 703-436-9487 and get DaMissus the Clown for your event or birthday party in Manassas, Virginia.
Some of our recent coporate and non-profit clients


text:
Chanting "A-bian step down," thousands of protesters took to the streets yesterday at a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-initiated rally, urging President Chen Shui-bian (
Dissatisfied with KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who also serves as Taipei mayor, for his insistence on dispersing anti-Chen protesters who unlawfully occupied Ketagalan Boulevard on Saturday morning, both anti-Chen campaign organizers and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) did not attend the rally and refused to mobilize supporters to participate in the event.
While reiterating his call for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to support the third recall motion against Chen, Ma also appealed to the anti-Chen protesters, lauding campaign leader Shih Ming-teh (
"I personally don't think we should force President Chen out of power by means of street demonstrations like in the Philippines. Taiwan is already a democratic country and therefore we should ask Chen to step down through legal procedures," Ma told the protesters at Ketagalan Boulevard.
Arguing that his disapproval of taking extreme measures to oust Chen was to protect the country's democratic system, Ma urged the anti-Chen crowd to follow the law, rather than "abusing the freedom" inherent in a democratic society.
"Let's not irritate the DPP now. We should give the party some time to think over the issue," Ma said.
If the DPP still refused to separate itself from the president and to support the recall motion, Ma said, voters should punish the DPP by voting for the KMT in the Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections next month.
Soong, who is running in the Taipei mayoral election, condemned Ma for dispersing the anti-Chen crowd on Saturday, and said he decided not to support the KMT-initiated rally because the KMT was using the occasion to campaign for its mayoral and city council candidates.
Before leading the crowd towards Ketagalan Boulevard, Ma said the KMT was holding the rally to urge Chen to step down.
KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) and his aides, however, were seen wearing Hau's campaigning T-shirts. On stage Hau lashed out at his DPP counterpart Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and urged voters to support him.
Many anti-Chen campaign protesters, did attend the rally, identifiable by their red clothes, self-made placards, and use of the thumbs down sign while chanting "A-bian step down."
"I hope the president will just step down now. I have no expectations about his explanations because he will only try to defend himself ... I hope that he will step down tonight, so that I won't have to participate in any more rallies," protester Nono Chen told the Taipei Times.
In response to concerns that the party may have enjoyed unfair privilege from the Taipei City Government which granted its protest permit within two days, KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) argued that the party had already acquired a permit for Kegatalan Boulevard 10 days ago. He however acknowledged that applying for the protest permit two days before holding the rally was not in accordance with the regulations.
According to the law, protest organizers are required to apply for a protest permit six days prior to the event.
But the six-day limitation may be ignored if the rally had to be held immediately due to some "unpredictable major emergency."
Some critics had panned Ma for deciding that the KMT's rally yesterday qualified as an "unpredictable major emergency."
Ma yesterday also assured protesters that he would not accept some party members' suggestion that he quit his position as Taipei mayor to focus on ousting Chen.
"I have an eight-year promise with Taipei residents and I don't plan to break the promise. Besides, I don't think it's necessary to resign," Ma said.


text:
Blind Item #8
This married former A list mostly television actress was in a hit show long off the air but has kept her A list name recognition. You never see her with her husband. Oh, she is also a cheater. Because she doesn't work as much any longer it is tough to come up with clues for her. Anyway, she was in some awful movie with this hard to pronounce foreign born B+ list actor who was on a great pay cable show and so much more. He was doing a lot of drugs when they were filming and during a love scene he got a monster nose bleed and it was all over the breasts of our actress who seemed to enjoy it and wanted to keep shooting. She is a strange one.


text:
A quick reference guide to get you going with Angular development. It uses Angular v4 with TypeScript.
Learn some effective error handling strategies that you can use in your .NET projects.
Learn how Behavior Driven Development (BDD) works with a real-world example of how to use it.
Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) in C# using SOLID principles, with challenges and solutions.
Learn about a few JavaScript frameworks, and which one will be a good fit in your ASP.NET MVC apps
In our previous article, Using TFS 2012 and SCRUM for Iteration Capacity Planning for Software Development, we had seen how to plan the sprint and balance the work to be done during the sprint. In this article, we will take a look at how to run the sprint till the finish line. We will use TFS 2012 and its task board capability to do that.
We had created a set of PBIs and tasks to implement those PBIs. Both of these were created as work items in TFS. Those tasks were assigned to various team members. SCRUM encourages team members who can play multiple roles so a team member may get tasks that are for architecting or development or for testing.
Open the board tab that is under the Sprint 2 of WORK tab of Web Access. It shows all the PBIs of Sprint 2 with tasks for each of those PBIs.
SCRUM implementation in TFS 2012 is with the help of work items. Each work item may pass through the states of TO DO, IN PROGRESS and DONE. These phases are represented on this task board by columns.
Although the default view of the task board is to show the split of tasks based upon the PBIs, we can also view the split based upon the team members. If you move to team members tab on the same page, you can view the tasks assigned to each team member.
All the tasks initially are in the TO DO state. In the task board, we can even see the total efforts required to complete those tasks.
Now one by one, the team members start taking up the tasks for execution. They can move the tasks that they can take for execution to IN PROGRESS state. Let us now use drag and drop facility on this board to move the tasks that are started actively to be worked by team members, to the IN PROGRESS column.
If we double click on a task before moving it and after moving then we can see that the State of the task gets changed when moved.
Many a times, it becomes necessary that during the run of the Sprint we need to add some task. It can be done easily from the contents tab of the Sprint.
Sometimes there are causes due to which the PBI, Bug or a Task may get blocked. In TFS 2012, that cause is represented by the work item of the type Impediment. Impediment can be technical or something to do with availability of team member to do a task or any other issue. Anyone can create an impediment and assign it to Scrum Master.
Impediment is either Open or Close. It is the responsibility of Scrum Master to remove the impediment and close it.
Impediment is linked to the other work items with Parent – Child relationship and queried through the normal mechanism.
Query Designer
Query Results
Sprint output usually is a shippable product that has incremental additions as compared to earlier sprint. Once the sprint is run, we can view various reports. One of the most important is Sprint Burndown. Another report that is available is Backlog view. It provides the details of each PBI in the backlog.
Sprint Burndown Chart is where we come to know daily how much work has been done and how much is yet to be done in the sprint. It shows an ideal trend and against that, the actual trend. This chart is calculated automatically by TFS 2012 every day based upon the tasks that are set as in DONE state. This chart gives an understanding - is the sprint going to be completed with all PBIs or are some of them are needed to be shifted to the next sprint.
Backlog Overview is more detailed view of each PBI. It tells us the story of the PBI. How much efforts on that PBI already DONE and how much more are needed, how many test cases are related to that PBI and out of those, how many have passed and failed.
We can also set a filter on the Sprint we are interested in and view the Backlog details of the sprint.
SCRUM is a process where the completion date is not always defined in the beginning. Sprints can continue till either one of these events occurs
Since SCRUM inherently encourages teams to pick most important and high priority PBIs, even if the project is stopped or if the budget is exhausted or the deadline approached, the team has ensured that the most important and high priority features that define the product, have already been implemented in the shippable products that were output of earlier sprints.
Summary: Sprinting is when the team completes the scope of that iteration. During the sprint, the team works on usually the most important and high priority PBIs. Team is a set of cross functional people who can sprint only by working collaboratively. They may pass the work between the team members to take it forward. TFS 2012 supports the team to manage the sprints by providing the tools to make the sprint run. It provides task boarding capability as well as the reports, that are considered to be the core artifacts of SCRUM process.
Make sure you also read Using TFS 2012 and SCRUM for Iteration Capacity Planning for Software Development
This article has been editorially reviewed by Suprotim Agarwal.
C# and .NET have been around for a very long time, but their constant growth means there's always more to learn.
We at DotNetCurry are very excited to announce The Absolutely Awesome Book on C# and .NET. This is a 500 pages concise technical eBook available in PDF, ePub (iPad), and Mobi (Kindle).
Organized around concepts, this Book aims to provide a concise, yet solid foundation in C# and .NET, covering C# 6.0, C# 7.0 and .NET Core, with chapters on the latest .NET Core 3.0, .NET Standard and C# 8.0 (final release) too. Use these concepts to deepen your existing knowledge of C# and .NET, to have a solid grasp of the latest in C# and .NET OR to crack your next .NET Interview.
Click here to Explore the Table of Contents or Download Sample Chapters!


text:
Among many criticisms of Crackdown 2 was the game's duller colour palette, which swapped out the bright hues of the 2007 hit for duller, grittier tones. The developer said while this was intentional, it will be remedied with DLC.
I suppose a spoiler alert is in order here. Haven't played the game myself, but the studio, Ruffian, seems to tie this decision in with narrative details of the core game:
In character customisation, "the colours you get by default are Agency-approved colours," Ruffian producer James Cope told MTV Multiplayer. "By the time the DLC comes out, people will know for certain that The Agency isn't good and then we can start fitting in to the propaganda we set up ahead of launch. The expansion of the armour colours becomes much more vibrant and radical from the Agency's approved perspective as we start looking at DLC."
Cope said the subdued colours, in addition to serving the narrative depiction of The Agency, also reflect a bombed-out state of Pacific City. Apparently the story changes in the game's downloadable content add-ons, two of which are planned. One is called "The Toy Box" and will return "Keys to the City", a kind of god-mode playground that allows players more powerful abilities, gadgets and vehicles. The second extension, "Deluge", that is more focused on expanding the game's play rather than its environment. "We're aiming at having a completely new way to play the game you've already got. I think people are much more appreciative of that," he told MTV Multiplayer.
No time frame for either extension's release was given.
Crackdown 2 Developer Responds to Criticisms, Talks DLC [MTV Multiplayer]


text:
Clean & modern pricing tables
These dark themed pricing tables come in 4 fantastic colours, designed to a high standard with a modern look & feel.
What do you get?
- 4 great colours
- Table hover & non-hover states
- Button hover & non-hover states
- Resizable tables, buttons, pricing elements
Font not included, but…
Don't worry it can be downloaded via google web fonts – Bree Serif (Google web font)
Remember to subscribe to my mailing list for new releases and updates to items!


text:
© 2020 PASSION PROJECTS All rights reserved
SUPERFOODComplex Green, Triple GreenPROTEINVanilla, Chocolate & Unflavoured Pea Protein+DETOXGreen Detox Project
Inflammation can be the precursor to a lot of chronic illness and disease. Reducing inflammation is getting the body back into a healthy balance by introducing ant-inflammatory antioxidants, curcumin, B6 and mushrooms. In addition, inflammation caused by stress can be counteracted by adaptogenic herbs. Dark leafy greens and red fruits offer anti-inflammatory compounds, as does Vit D. All of our products are anti-inflammatory.
Delicious hand made snacks are impossible to find, unless you make them yourself. These bars are 100% organic, raw, vegan, paleo, gluten free, and free of other stuff we may not want like sugar, dairy, GMO's, artificial stuff. It's all good and natural, and they all feature our Superfood and/or Protein for extra power. Yum!
The Green Detox Project is designed as a way to stop and take stock of your diet and what you are addicted to, what is bloating you, and most importantly causing inflammation and weight gain. This is a program to clean your body out with Complex Green, Triple Green, and Vanilla Pea Protein+ in sachet serves taken in conjunction with an intermittent eating plan.
Calcium is an unsexy kind of supplement to take, however taking Calcium in the right form is like insurance for a sexy body to stay with you, even though you can't see your bones. This formula is a must for anyone serious about eating well and staying fit and strong in the long-term.
In 2015 our Certified Organic Pea Protein+ formula won the ABA Award for Product Excellence (Australian Business Awards).
Complex Green was awarded Product Excellence in the Australian Business Awards 2014. Complex Berry formula is like the little sister to this product with less ingredients (to bring up the berry anti-oxidant focus) but with a similar profile. The Triple Green is best thought of as a master cleanser with its chlorophyll focus and a great backup for stamina (for both the office and the gym). All of the superfood powders are great blended with the Protein powder and the Calcium depending on your needs.
All of our products are safe for pregnancy and breast-feeding. They are recommended for pre-pregnancy as well. It is not a good time of course to detox which is why we have not included Triple Green.
Fat loss is a target area for our products with a caveat that you read the longer read on this page and understand how we can work together. Our Superfood and Protein powders are not part of the scam-y trillion dollar powdered shake industry, but are the real deal meal in a glass when you combine the superfood and protein together. We don't suggest that you live on these powders alone, but take them with a healthy diet, do regular Green Detox Project intermittent diet change, exercise, and change your life starting here. Our powders are nothing but goodness, and a lot of weight issues can be traced back to the gut and how it is handling, or not, the food that you eat, by the environment that you offer your food. In addition you have your mind in on the game, which is why we think the detox is great as that gets a rest as well. The detox btw features our award-winning Complex Green, Pea Protein powder as well as the dark green Triple Green so it is replenishing intense nutrients at the same time as you are cleaning yourself out. It's challenging but not in a scary life-shut-down way. And if you are looking to lose weight you will work out for yourself what works for you and when, and the muscle tone you long for will appear, exercise permitting. With commitment and intent, you can do great things for your body yourself. We will help you along the way, just a little. :)
It's best to focus on greens, in particular chlorophyll, so taking Complex Green and Triple Green in the morning and afternoon can help, along with drinking more water. The Green Detox Project is a focussed plan to help alleviate the slowing down or stopping of digestion. It is best to take a break from your usual food with this eating plan so that you can see what is in your normal diet that may be affecting you, like sugar, red meat, grains, dairy, gluten or caffeine.
It is best to take the sachets with you when you travel as you can take them on the plane, and you can fit them in your luggage easily and they take less space as you go. They are great meals for breakfast in your hotel room, and go with your morning gym routine, and are great to take if you find you are skipping meals.
Taking Superfood and Protein in particular will enhance your exercise efforts and will help you regain your energy and recovery from injury and wear and tear. The Calcium is important as well and is often forgotten because no one can see their bones. There is calcium in the Superfood and the Pea Protein+ however the more exercise you do the more your calcium needs will be.
It seems that we push ourselves to our limits and so to match this we need as much energy as we can get from what quality fuel we choose to put in our mouths. Complex Green is our all day everyday go to energy focussed solution if it is just one powder you want to rely on as your daily plant based multi-vitamin. From there you would add the Pea Protein+ because if you are thinking about energy you will be working on incorporating exercise into your day. Next we would recommend trying Triple Green as it is perfect for athletes and endurance.
Kids playing sport can take the Complex formulas with Protein for recovery, endurance and body building.
Our products have been developed with fussy eaters in mind. We have not sacrificed the flavour in order to deliver the nutrition as often happens. We have recommended that you get started with the Complex Berry and Pea Protein+ formulas.
All of our products are safe for children and have been formulated with flavour in mind (except for the Triple Green which is for adults or can be masked as a small serve in with Complex Green or Complex Berry. The doses are shown on the product for children.
All of our products are safe for children. Often it is hard to get kids to eat well and they have busy days at school, so starting the day with a breakfast smoothie, and finishing it with a cold or warm milk superfood stir and float (milo style) is great for afternoon tea. The Complex Green can be paired with the Chocolate Protein, and the Complex Berry is an easy favourite.
Are you thinking about wedding gown body goals? The Green Detox Project helps you to detox and rebalance your body, by going through an intermittent style eating program based on Complex Green, Triple Green and Vanilla Pea Protein+.
Complex Green and Complex Berry both feature herbs and mushrooms that will help you cope with stress. These are adaptogenic, meaning that they work with your body adapting to the needs that will change from day to day. These are daily formulas that offer ingredients for energy, the gut and muscle and organ repair, all needed when times are stressful. it is important to try to monitor stress and develop daily practices that counter where the stress is coming from so that the fight and flight response is not set to a constant "on'.
When you are under stress it is really easy not to eat well. Complex Green and Complex Berry are easy to take in a glass of water, not just in a smoothie at home. They both feature herbs and mushrooms that will help you cope, build your strength, immune system and support your gut. These are adaptogenic, meaning that they work with your body adapting to the needs that will change from day to day. These are daily formulas that offer ingredients for energy, the gut and muscle and organ repair, all needed when times are stressful. it is important to try to monitor stress and develop daily practices that counter where the stress is coming from so that the fight and flight response is not set to a constant "on'.
All of our products are designed for fitness and body building as the idea behind taking anything to enhance your body is to exercise (damage and expand the muscle fibres, and burn fat) after which you want to repair, whilst getting through your work day. This means maximum nutrients, and protein as the building blocks to do this, whilst not forgetting that you have other parts of your body to attend to, like your gut, your bones, your organs, and your brain. Body building is not about how many chemicals you can pump into your body. We believe that thinking about building your body is also the time to think how to choose to be healthy. it is a choice. Going for pushing your body to extremes, means that your diet needs to be focussed on nutrient-density and clean machine foods, which is our specialty.
The Multi-mineral Green Calcium has been developed to provide the body with nutrients to support bone strength. A similar but slightly less focussed formula is in the Pea Protein+ as well.


text:
Valeria Luiselli
Valeria Luiselli was born in Mexico City and now lives in New York City. Her work has been published in the New Yorker, the New York Times, McSweeney's and Dazed and Confused. She is the author of the novels Faces in the Crowd and The Story of My Teeth and a collection of essays, Sidewalks. She has been named as one of the 20 best Mexican writers under 40 and received a National Book Foundation '5 under 35' award.


text:
BioResource Biotech Pvt. Ltd.
Director – Mr. Jagannath Sonawane
Read More
BioResource Biotech Pvt. Ltd.
Director – Mrs. Mrs. Pratiksha Sonawane
Read More
BioResource Biotech Pvt. Ltd.
Director – Mr. Chandrakant Sonawane
Read More
BioResource Biotech Pvt. Ltd.
Plot # 18/1, Madhukunj Society, Panchavati,
Off Pashan Road, Pune – 411008
Tel – + 91 20-25896379 / 25886631 / 25868208
Office Mobile – 9049002369 / 9049093327
E-mail – email@example.com
After completing M.Sc. medical in the subject of Pharmacology from one of the reputed medical college of Western India, B.J Medical college, Dr .Aich started his journey in career as Lecturer in Pharmacy and Medical colleges. In his stir to build his career in the pharmaceutical Industry he pursued MBA degree and later on joined pharmaceutical companies where he was successful in building multi-crore brands. His equal enthusiasm in drug development as persuaded him for the award of Ph.D by University of Pune in "Small molecule development". The most significant achievement of Dr. Aich is as an entrepreneur to initiate a state of the art Biotechnology company called geneOmbio Technologies (Pune) that now sways dream of hundreds of aspirants wishing to make a mark in the biotechnology map of the country. Dr. Bikash's passion for the chemical and pharmaceutical analysis have helped him to achieve another successful land mark by setting up Aavanira Biotech (Pune), which is equipped with latest analytical and development instrumentation, totally dedicated for high profile R & D and testing in both biotechnological and chemical technologies.
After completing Doctorate degree in Biochemistry from a reputed institute like National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, and Dr. Vinze started his professional journey as Associate Professor in Biotechnology and has taught B.Sc and M.Sc students. Later on in a bid to accept challenging professional career he joined the mainstream Biotech Industry.
After having more than 15 years of overall experience during which he worked closely with scientists from reputed institutes like Merck , USA, Artes Biotech, Germany, Synco Biopartners, Netherlands and Vacsera, Egypt for technology transfer and product development as a leader in biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing with knowledge of international cGMP norms mainly in vaccine industry specifically Bacterial and recombinant vaccines, Dr Vinze diversified his career in to Dairy Industry with an aim to develop DVS cultures to be used in dairy industry for manufacturing of various fermented milk products.
Dr Mukesh Vinze has extensively travelled across US, Europe and Asia, is well conversant with these working norms and patterns and is an accomplished professional known for public communication abilities, inter personal skills and project management skills.
Logistics is a key component of the modern economy. Mr. Chandrakant Sonawane has 13 years experience in Logistic and Supply chain management. He plays an important role in making the product conform to customer requirements and also involves efficient integration of suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses and stores and encompasses the firms' activities at many levels, from the strategic level through the tactical to the operational level. The domain of logistics activities is to provide customers with the right goods in the right place at the right time. The major issue that he attempts to resolve is to decide how and when raw-materials, semi-finished, and finished goods should be acquired, moved, and stored. He involves taking a look at the various components involved in the process and selecting the best logistics process among the alternatives.


text:
Minutes and Text
Unlimited US Long Distance Minutes
Unlimited International Minutes to Over 40 Countries
1000 Free Minutes to Over 45 International Destinations
$10.00 Call Anywhere Credit
Unlimited US and Global Text
4G LTE Data
First 1 GB of High Speed 4G LTE Data
Unlimited Data in Low Speed Then After
Nationwide Coverage
Absolutely No Contract, No Credit Check
$49.00 Monthly, No Contract, All Taxes/Fees Included and $1.00 monthly surcharge. The provider collects $1.00 Regulatory Recovery Fee (surcharge) to offset their costs for complying, administering, and contributing to government programs and government mandated telecom, utility, and excise fees, surcharges, and taxes. No any other hidden charge!
USA Domestic Minutes : Unlimited
International Minutes Credit : $12.50That is the free credit you can use to call other countries which are not in the unlimited minutes list.
Unlimited International Minutes from USA to 56 countries/areas. M means mobile, L means Landline.
1000 International Minutes from USA to 27 countries/areas. M means mobile, L means Landline.
Total Data : Unlimited
High Speed Data : 1 GB
Low Speed Data : Unlimited
Extra 4G LTE data can be purchased in 3 options: $5 500MB, $10 1GB and $20 2GB
USA Domestic Text Short Message : Unlimited
International Domestic Text Short Message : Unlimited
To use the network, you will need an unlocked GSM phone that supports one or more of the following frequencies:
For the best experience, you should get a phone that supports the 1700/2100 MHz frequency. This will ensure that you get the fastest possible data speeds on our nationwide network.
If your phone supports 1900 MHz, then you can get 3G/4G data speeds in some parts of the country, but it will not be nationwide.
If you only need voice, text, and our slowest data speed, then you can use a device that supports 850MHz but none of the other frequencies listed above.
Most US phones are sold as tri-band or quad-band phones that got one or more of the frequencies above.
Calling Instructions:
Call USA, Canada and other North America terrorires, dial the 10 digits directly; If you call other country and area, dial 011-country code-area code-phone number
Text Instructions:
Call USA, Canada and other North America terrorires, dial the 10 digits directly; If you call other country and area, dial 011-country code-area code-phone number
Check Balance:
Text BALANCE to 6700 from your Ultra Mobile phone
Provider's Plans Terms and Conditions:


text:
Kabul not bound to stop mobile signal spillage: PTA
Kabul not bound to stop mobile signal spillage: PTA
PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Afghanistan is not bound to prevent its cellular phone signals from spillage into Pakistan, a top official informed the Senate on Friday.
Islamabad has made a formal request to Kabul through the Foreign Office and the General Headquarters (GHQ)to reduce the strength of cellular frequencies.
However, Afghanistan has not yet responded to the request, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr. Ismail Shah told the Senate Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation.
Senator Muhammad Daud Khan Achakzai, chairman of the panel, asked what about steps had been taken to stop cellular signals spilling over from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
Another lawmaker, Kalsoom Parveen, referred to cases of misuse, citing extortion calls made from Afghan phone networks to Pakistani traders, industrialists and some important figures.
In response, Shah said that Afghan SIMs had been banned inside Pakistan. "The only SIMs Afghans are using in the country are the ones sold by local cellular mobile companies, processed through the biometric SIM verification system (BVS)."
Related Article
Download "Pajhwok" mobile App, on your smartphone to read and access latest news, features, interviews, videos and photos about Afghanistan.


text:
|News Home
Archival Information
Getty Exhibition Showcases Italian Drawings of the Grand Tour
Drawing Italy in the Age of the Grand Tour
February 5-May 12, 2002
At the J. Paul Getty Museum
Press Preview: Tuesday, February 5, 2002, 9-11 a.m.
January 16, 2002
Los Angeles--A new exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Drawing Italy in the Age of the Grand Tour, celebrates vedute, or expansive views, and gathers work by the most sought-after view painters of the day. It is offered along with two other exhibitions that focus on aspects of the Grand Tour--Naples and Vesuvius on the Grand Tour (through March 24, 2002) and Rome on the Grand Tour (through August 11, 2002)--on view at the Getty Research Institute Exhibition Gallery and the J. Paul Getty Museum, respectively.
Independently and collectively, these exhibitions explore a tradition in which young, 18th-century European (mainly British) aristocrats traveled across Europe to reach Italy. There at the center of the former Roman Empire, they sought sources of the classical culture in which they had been educated, and manifested this quest by collecting antique and contemporary works of art.
"This exhibition attests to the strength of the collections and scholarship at the Getty," says Deborah Gribbon, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum and vice president of the J. Paul Getty Trust. "We invite visitors to reflect on this important phenomenon of European travel and enjoy the numerous ways in which tourists sought to commemorate and replicate their impressions of 18th-century Italy."
Italy in the Age of the Grand Tour
The legacy of Italy, once the heart of the Roman Empire, and the physical beauty of the country's separate and geographically diverse states attracted travelers throughout the 1700s. This was the age of the Grand Tour, when the voyage to Italy was deemed fundamental to the education of refined European aristocrats. Grand Tourists made an indelible impact on local artistic practice. Their shared passion for the country's topography spurred the development of a new genre of expansive views of Italy known as vedute, an art-historical term used for drawings, paintings, and prints capturing landscape views.
"Throughout the 1700s, travelers flocked to Italy in search of inspiration, enlightenment, discovery, and adventure," says Allegra Pesenti, curator of the exhibition and assistant curator, J. Paul Getty Museum, Department of Drawings. "They encouraged the production of portable visual records of the country in the form of drawn, painted, or printed landscapes and cityscapes."
Drawings of the Italian countryside were no longer used solely as backdrops for human action. With the emergence of vedute in the early 1700s, the depiction of Italy's landscapes and cityscapes was acknowledged for the first time as an independent art form. Reaching their peak as a genre in Italy during the age of the Grand Tour, vedute served as visual records of the sites encountered by Grand Tourists, as well as status symbols on the walls of the Grand Tourists' homes.
Spontaneous sketches made outdoors reflected the new, boundless world of the traveling artist. The basis of much of view painting was formed by artists' excursions into the countryside, often made in the company of a patron or sketching companion. These elaborate views on paper appealed to the Grand Tourist, not only for their portability, but also for their capacity to capture the subtle tones, textures, and illumination of nature.
Exhibition Highlights
Ancestors of the modern-day postcard, vedute were also vehicles for the artist's creative and illusionistic vision of nature and architecture. The greatest view painters--Giovanni Antonio Canal (called Canaletto), Giovanni Paolo Panini, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi, among others--began their careers as stage-set decorators, and they continued to create theatrical and festival designs throughout their careers. Vedute exploited similar skills, including the use of oblique perspective and dramatically focused light and shade for enhanced optical illusion. From the imaginary settings of capricci (architectural depictions popularized by artists such as Francesco Guardi and Marco Ricci) to the improvised acts of the commedia dell'arte, both forms continually shift between reality and invention.
The exhibition encompasses a range of images by some of the most important view painters, including a portrayal of contemporary street-life and architecture in Venice by Canaletto, a theatrical performance by Francesco Guardi, and an imaginary antique port by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The Italian states are also witnessed through the eyes of foreign artists such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Claude-Joseph Vernet. Like Grand Tourists themselves, they traversed the routes of Italy's rich and diverse lands.
A more scientific and archaeological form of vedute was particularly popular among French and German artists. Jean-Pierre-Laurent Hoüel's gouache drawings capture the exact topography of the island of Sicily. To this realistic trend also belong the Venetian views of Canaletto. These apparently faithful renderings are in fact sometimes skillful manipulations of specific sites. Canaletto used an optical tool, the camera obscura, to help him draw buildings with architectural accuracy; after so doing, however, he proceeded to alter the preliminary sketch according to his own visual aesthetic.
Some of the works document the lure of Italy's ancient sites, such as the rediscoveries of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and witness the age's increasing concern with observing the natural world. Schools specializing in the depiction of specific cities and landscapes emerged, with major centers in Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples. For the first time, vedute became the primary vehicles for an artist's creative observation of nature and architecture.
# # #
Rome on the Grand Tour
Naples and Vesuvius on the Grand Tour
About the Getty:
The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that features the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Getty Research Institute. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs serve a varied audience from two locations: the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu.
Sign up for e-Getty at www.getty.edu/subscribe to receive free monthly highlights of events at the Getty Center and the Getty Villa via e-mail, or visit our event calendar for a complete calendar of public programs.
The J. Paul Getty Museum collects in seven distinct areas, including Greek and Roman antiquities, European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts, and European and American photographs. The Museum's mission is to make the collection meaningful and attractive to a broad audience by presenting and interpreting the works of art through educational programs, special exhibitions, publications, conservation, and research.


text:
|Mobile Site
|eMail Author
|Caption Comp
|Monthly Poll
|Sudden Death
|Colour Key
|Cookie Usage
|Series :
|The Original Series
|Rating :
|Disc No :
|Episode :
|First Aired :
|21 Mar 1969
|Stardate :
|Director :
|Herb Wallerstein
|Year :
|Writers :
|Gene Roddenberry
|Season :
|Guest Cast :
|Moral :
|Astoundingly, Lieutenant Galloway returns to life for this episode after being vapourised by Captain Tracey in "The Omega Glory"!
When Lester orders Kirk's execution, Chekov and Sulu object that Starfleet have forbidden the death penalty. Sulu states that "There's only one exception," and Chekov adds "General Order 4. And it has not been violated by any officer on the Enterprise." Well in point of fact, according to "The Menagerie" General Order 7 is the only order in Starfleet which carries the death penalty. And that order forbids any Starfleet vessel from visiting the planet Talos IV... which is an order Spock, specifically, HAS broken - and so has every other officer on the Enterprise!
|Great Moment :
|William Shatner and Sandra Smith do an excellent job of playing each other's characters, providing many memorable moments.
|Body Count :
|None during the episode itself. The members of the Camus II expedition are all killed shortly before the episode airs.
|Factoid :
|Some dialogue in this episode implies that there are no women starship Captains at this time.
Of the main cast, only Nichelle Nichols does not appear in this episode.
Regula extra Roger Holloway speaks for the first time in this episode when he says "Aye, sir."
The sceen of Kirk and Lester standing in front of the alien machine was the last scene ever shot for the original series.
Now in control of the landing party Lester orders the planet evacuated and proceeds to its next mission. Lester has long dreamed of obtaining a Starship command, and has planned this switch long in advance in order to steal Kirk's position. However, Lester's inexperience soon shows and she becomes increasingly agitated when the crew question her dubious decisions. When Kirk regains consciousness and tells the crew who he really is they doubt his sanity, but further doubt is nevertheless sown. Spock attempts to investigate, but is charged with mutiny by Lester. Lester orders Spock executed, but the crew refuse the illegal order. Faced with open rebellion, Lester begins to become hysterical and the transfer between her and Kirk breaks down, restoring each to their own body. Lester and Coleman are both arrested and charged with causing the deaths of the other members of their expedition.
|Copyright Graham Kennedy
|Page views : 20,247
|Last updated : 23 Sep 2015


text:
Lalvia Monroe is a girl that has been badly bullied...
The Music!2070712
- by DivergentQueen
- Rating:
- Published: 11 Apr 2014
- Updated: 14 May 2015
- Status: In Progress
This is just something for fun. This going to be a book full of song lyrics. If you have any songs you want in this book please, comment below. By the way, this is copy and paste and as you know I own none of these songs.
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
Loading ...


text:
Two New Video Releases in Voices of Genealogy Series
Donna Valley Russell, FASG
"Becoming a Genealogist and an Editor"
Donna Valley Russell, FASG, with George Ely Russell, FASG, FNGS
"Married to Genealogy"
Donna Valley Russell, FASG
"Becoming a Genealogist and an Editor"
Donna Valley Russell, FASG, with George Ely Russell, FASG, FNGS
"Married to Genealogy"
arlington, va, 27 december 2012: The celebration of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly's 100th anniversary closes the year with the release of two new videos featuring Donna Valley Russell in "Becoming a Genealogist and an Editor" and George and Donna Russell together in "Married to Genealogy."
An expert in Western Maryland genealogy, Donna tells the story of her path from census taker to genealogist and editor. Originally from Michigan, Donna learned her skills there and served as editor of the Detroit Magazine for Genealogical Research. After she and George married, she moved to Maryland and founded her own journal, Western Maryland Genealogy. In 1985, based on the quality and quantity of her scholarly publications, she was named a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. Her published works include Frederick County, Maryland, Wills, 1744-1794; First Families of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 1649-1658; Frederick County, Maryland, Genealogical Research Guide; Michigan Censuses, 1710-1830; Selby Families of Colonial America; and The Ark and the Dove Adventurers (co-edited with George).
The second new video takes a lighthearted look at the genealogy scene with the George and Donna Russell cocktail hour. George Ely Russell, who first appeared in the Voices of Genealogy in January 2012, is also a fellow of the American Society of Genealogists and of the National Genealogical Society. He was the editor of the NGSQ from 1971-1986.
The videos were produced by award winning filmmakers Kate Geis and Allen Moore from interviews with Melinde Lutz Byrne, CG, FASG, co-editor of the NGSQ. Donna Valley Russell in "Becoming a Genealogist and an Editor" and Donna and George Russell in "Married to Genealogy" are now playing at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org.
Previous releases in the Voices of Genealogy archive now on the NGS website (http://www.ngsgenealogy.org) present Mary McCampbell Bell, CG; John Frederick Dorman, CG (Emeritus), FASG, FNGS, FVGS; David L. Greene, PhD, FASG; Frederick C. Hart Jr., CG, FASG; Ronald Ames Hill, PhD, CG, FASG; Henry B. Hoff, CG, FASG, FGBS; Harry Macy, FASG, FGBS; George Ely Russell, FASG, FNGS; and Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS.
Video interviews with leading genealogists represent just one of the many opportunities NGS offers its members for honing their skills. Members receive the society's outstanding quarterly publications, the NGSQ and the NGS Magazine, and can also take advantage of free courses and significant discounts on publications, courses, and the NGS annual conference to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, 8-11 May 2013; Richmond, Virginia, 7-10 May 2014; and St. Louis, Missouri, 13-16 May 2015.
Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists.


text:
Celebrating 10 great movie mothers
Obituaries can make you cry. The one that ran two weeks ago in The Oregonian, the newspaper in Portland, Ore., for Margaret Groening made me smile.
Groening, 94, was the mother of Matt Groening, the cartoonist and creator of "The Simpsons." And reading through her obituary (reprinted this week by Gawker.com) reveals names familiar in "The Simpsons' " fictional home of Springfield.
Margaret (or Marge) was married to Homer Groening. Her maiden name was Wiggum (also the name of Springfield's police chief). She had a sister named Patty and daughters named Maggie and Lisa.
Just goes to show that you never know how or where a mother will inspire creativity.
With Mother's Day looming this weekend (have you sent a card yet?), you might be in the mood for movie viewing with a maternal theme. So here are 10 movie moms, taken from the past 20 years, who are worth another look:
Ada McGrath, "The Piano" (1993), played by Holly Hunter -- Without saying a world, Hunter's Ada conveys the unbreakable bond she has with her look-alike daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), in Jane Campion's sumptuous drama.
Margaret "Marmee" March, "Little Women" (1994), played by Susan Sarandon -- With her husband away during the Civil War, Mrs. March sees her daughters through rough times with patience and enduring love.
Marge Gunderson, "Fargo" (1996), played by Frances McDormand -- Not a mother yet, the pregnant sheriff of the Coen brothers' murder tale proves through her common-sense police work and firm sense of justice that she'll be a firm-but-fair mom.
Annie MacLean, "The Horse Whisperer" (1998), played by Kristin Scott Thomas -- Scott Thomas doesn't sentimentalize her role as a mother who will go to great lengths -- from New York to Montana, in fact -- to find a way to heal her injured daughter (Scarlett Johansson) and restore the girl's bond to her horse.
Elaine Miller, "Almost Famous" (2000), played by Frances McDormand -- Told you Marge Gunderson would make a great mom. In Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical tale of a budding rock journalist (Patrick Fugit), McDormand's Elaine is the symbol of what he and his sister (Zooey Deschanel) are rebelling against -- and the home to which they can always return.
Sarah Sullivan, "In America" (2002), played by Samantha Morton -- As an Irish immigrant raising two daughters and mourning the loss of her baby boy, Morton perfectly embodies the joys and sorrows of motherhood in Jim Sheridan's poignant drama.
Helen Parr (a k a Elastigirl), "The Incredibles" (2004), voiced by Holly Hunter -- Being a mom can sometimes require superheroic abilities, and the super-stretchy Helen turns out to be the glue that holds together a family of "supers" in this Pixar treat. (It's interesting that Hunter's other mention on this list, in "The Piano," has her mute -- when in "The Incredibles" the only thing you get from the actress is her voice.)
Juno MacGuff and Vanessa Loring, "Juno" (2007), played by Ellen Page and Jennifer Garner -- Is motherhood a matter of biology or desire? Ponder that question while watching this charmer of a comedy, with Page as the pregnant teen who agrees to give her child up for adoption to Garner's childless woman.
Hillary Lichten, "Phoebe in Wonderland" (2008), played by Felicity Huffman -- Nobody's a perfect mother, and Huffman's portrayal of an exasperated mom -- trying to maintain her academic career while dealing with a daughter (Elle Fanning) with an undiagnosed disorder -- nicely grounds this fantasy-tinged drama.
Peggy Dodd, "The Master" (2012), played by Amy Adams -- Peggy, the wife of burgeoning cult leader Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in Paul Thomas Anderson's drama, is great with child. But her maternal instincts are already sharp, as she protects Lancaster's reputation from critics with the ferocity of a lioness.


text:
Next Generation Demo | Brookline Mid-century Modern House
Season 40 Episode 15 | 23m 43s
While old fixtures are salvaged and asbestos is removed at the house, Norm, Richard and Kevin head back to where it all began 40 years ago, in Dorchester, MA. Later, Roger starts to remove a tree that's threatening the property.
Aired: 02/21/19
Expired: 03/24/19Video has closed captioning.
Problems Playing Video?
Brookline Mid-century Modern House
TOH heads to a century-old New England cottage in Jamestown, RI.
Cleaning Up Lead, Asbestos, and Other Hazards
The owners of the Aburndale TOH TV project house tackled the cleanup for a healthier home.
The Dorchester House
The Victorian renovation that started it all.
How to Remove a Dangerous Tree
Roger Cook and arborist Matt Foti remove a badly decayed tree.
Episode Links
Funding for THIS OLD HOUSE is provided by The Home Depot, GMC, State Farm, Gorilla Glue and LP SmartSide.


text:
America's war on poverty turned 50 years old this week, and plenty of people have concluded that, as President Reagan put it: "We fought a war on poverty, and poverty won."
That perception shapes the right's suspicion of food stamps, minimum-wage raises and extensions of unemployment benefits. A reader named Frank posted on my Facebook page: "All the government aid/handouts in the world will not make people better parents. This is why the ideas from the left, although always made with the best of intentions, never work. ... All of this aid is wasted."
Yet a careful look at the evidence suggests that such a view is flat wrong. In fact, the first lesson of the war on poverty is that we can make progress against poverty, but that it's an uphill slog.
The most accurate measures, using Census Bureau figures that take account of benefits, suggest that poverty rates have fallen by more than one-third since 1968. There's a consensus that without the war on poverty, other forces (such as mass incarceration, a rise in single mothers and the decline in trade unions) would have lifted poverty much higher.
A Columbia University study suggests that without government benefits, the poverty rate would have soared to 31 percent in 2012. Indeed, an average of 27 million people were lifted annually out of poverty by social programs between 1968 and 2012, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
The best example of how government antipoverty programs can succeed involves the elderly. In 1960, about 35 percent of older Americans were poor. In 2012, 9 percent were. That's because senior citizens vote, so politicians listened to them and buttressed programs like Social Security and Medicare.
In contrast, children are voiceless, so they are the age group most likely to be poor today. That's a practical and moral failure.
I don't want anybody to be poor, but, if I have to choose, I'd say it's more of a priority to help kids than seniors. In part, that's because when kids are deprived of opportunities, the consequences can include a lifetime of educational failure, crime and underemployment.
Research from neuroscience underscores why early interventions are so important. Early brain development turns out to have lifelong consequences, and research from human and animal studies alike suggests that a high-stress early childhood in poverty changes the physical brain in subtle ways that impair educational performance and life outcomes.
A careful review of antipoverty programs in a new book, "Legacies of the War on Poverty," shows that many of them have a clear impact — albeit sometimes not as great an impact as advocates hoped.
For starters, one of the most basic social programs that works — indeed pays for itself many times over — is family-planning assistance for at-risk teenage girls. This has actually been one of America's most successful social programs in recent years. The teenage birthrate has fallen by half over roughly the last 20 years.
Another hugely successful array of programs involved parent coaching to get pregnant women to drink and smoke less and to encourage at-risk moms to talk to their children more. Programs like Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Families America, Child First, Save the Children and Thirty Million Words Project all have had great success in helping parents do a better job with their kids.
Early education likewise has strong evidence of impact. Critics note that in Head Start, for example, gains in I.Q. seem to fade within a few years. That's true and disappointing. But in the last five years, robust studies from scholars like David Deming have shown that graduates of Head Start also have improved life outcomes: higher high school graduation and college attendance rates, and less likely to be out of school and out of a job.
Another area of success: Programs that encourage jobs, especially for the most at-risk groups. The earned-income tax credit is a huge benefit to the working poor and to society.
Likewise, a program called Career Academies has had excellent results training at-risk teenagers in specialized careers and giving them practical work experience. Even eight years later, those young people randomly assigned to Career Academies are earning significantly more than those in control groups.
As that example suggests, we increasingly have first-rate research — randomized controlled trials, testing antipoverty programs as rigorously as if they were pharmaceuticals — that give us solid evidence of what works or doesn't.
So let's drop the bombast and look at the evidence.
Critics are right that antipoverty work is difficult and that dependency can be a problem. But the premise of so much of today's opposition to food stamps and other benefits — that government assistance inevitably fails — is just wrong. And child poverty is as unconscionable in a rich nation today as it was half a century ago.


text:
Mix 100.7 Contests
Sign up online for your chance to win exclusive contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Mix 100.7, Variety From The 90's To Now! Prizes include concert tickets to the best shows, meet & greets with your favorite artists, free trips and more! The best contests and prizes come from your favorite radio station in Tampa Bay, Mix 100.7!


text:
brookekap needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 94 designs submitted by 31 freelance designers.
Company uses salt water disposal wells as an environmentally friendly way to dispose of materials specifically for oil field industry.
Would like to incorporate "earth friendly"
Bosque Disposal Systems, LLC
open - would like to stress "earth friendly"
Desired Color Scheme:
Desired Style:
open - industrial with fresh approach
Accepted File Formats:
Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai)
Environmentally friendly disposal systems for contaminated materials specifically for the oil field industry - utilizing deep earth drilled wells.Â
Interested in promoting our "green earth" method...environmentally safe. etc.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Water cutbacks now might mean higher bills later
With California facing severe drought, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has asked residents to voluntarily reduce water use. Some cities have imposed mandatory conservation.
Lawn watering is limited to one day per week in Sacramento. People face fines if they wash their cars on certain days or fail to use a hose with a shut-off nozzle. In Santa Cruz, residents can't drain and refill pools, restaurants can't give customers water unless it's requested, and grass watering is restricted to early mornings and after 5 p.m.
Conservation is necessary, water agency officials said, as the state faces acute scarcities.
But the side effect that many water officials are discussing -- and that most consumers are less aware of -- is that people who cut consumption now could face higher water rates in the future.
Most water agencies make their money based on consumers' water use. When residents cut back, there's less revenue for water companies. Meanwhile, about 70 percent of agency costs -- including payroll and infrastructure -- are fixed, said Jay Lund, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis. Those that lack a healthy reserve to make up the difference might need to seek rate increases if the drought persists, he said.
"If you encourage people to conserve water too much during a drought, you're going to reduce your revenues," Lund said. "If you ask people to conserve, you're basically taking money out of your cash register."
He added, "You might be glad of that if next year is dry, but you still have to figure out a way to pay your bills. You have to raise your rates in a future year because you had people conserve."
It's a factor beyond California. A study released last month by the Denver-based Water Research Foundation noted that "water use for many utilities is the defining characteristic in revenue health" and that "national trends indicate that average water use per capita and per account is generally decreasing over time."
"It's happening across the nation even in places that aren't dealing with the drought," said Traci Case, research services manager at the foundation. Because of technological advances like low-flow fixtures and toilets, she said, consumption "definitely has declined over several years."
"It's definitely proven, and it definitely affects rates," Case added. "That and the changing economy are the probably biggest things."
How much conservation in California will bump up rates depends on a number of factors, experts said, including water agencies' long-term planning and the length of the drought.
But the state already has some knowledge about the effect of conservation, because former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in an executive order required California to reduce water use 20 percent by 2020.
"It has made rates go up," said Danilo Sanchez, program manager in the California Public Utilities Commission's consumer arm, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates.
Cities that have imposed new water reductions are grappling with what's ahead.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which services 2.6 million people in the Bay Area, has asked for a 10 percent voluntary reduction.
"If we get that 10 percent reduction, that's a 10 percent reduction in revenue," said Tyrone Jue, the San Francisco PUC spokesman. "The first place you always look is within your reserves to cover any deficits on your revenue side."
Jue said the agency believes it can get through the 10 percent conservation level by tightening spending and dipping into reserves.
"If conditions persisted and we went into a mandatory water restriction and we saw a decrease in revenues for an extended period of time," he added, "you would reach a point where you would have to enact some sort of emergency rate just to keep our operations going."
"If we get into 20 percent mandatory water rationing or even higher, those are very real revenue deficits that you might not be able to make up simply with fiscal austerity measures," he added.
Sacramento already has imposed a mandatory 20 percent cutback, and is analyzing what that means financially.
The agency has water rates that are locked in through 2105. It's running forecasts to look at how the drought-triggered conservation will affect revenues, said Jamille Moens, business services manager for Sacramento's Department of Utilities.
The city's water fund for fiscal 2014 has a $29.9 million balance on a fund with $96.1 million in revenue. But part of that reserve needs to be kept intact, she said, because it helps ensure bond requirements are met. The city also has to keep on hand 120 days' worth of operating capital.
"We do have a reserve. It's not a huge one," Moens said. The city just issued those revenue bonds to fund work on infrastructure, she said, and "it's going to take some time to build" the reserves.
"It's not like we have reserves that we set aside for a drought emergency," Moens added. The agency needs to see the effect if it had to tap into reserves. The situation should be stable for this year, she said, but could have a great impact next year if the drought continues.
The utility's customers pay a monthly service charge of $24.40 for the typical single-family home, before taking into account fees for water used. That provides a cushion against lower sales from conservation, she said.
"We've always known that as we do better at conserving, the per-unit rate of water is going to have to go up to cover the costs," Moens said. "This drought is just accelerating this, and it's unplanned, so most people who are having 20 percent reductions, we haven't planned for that impact to the revenues."
Other water agencies already have a mechanism built in that allows them to seek a surcharge when sales fall. Six agencies in the state -- serving about 4 million to 5 million people -- have what's known as the water revenue adjustment mechanism, or RAM.
The companies will track sales this year, and next March could apply to the California Public Utilities Commission for the adjustment to make up for lower consumption, said Sanchez with the Office of Ratepayer Advocates. When it's happened in the past, consumers haven't been happy, he said.
"They're saying, 'Look, we're cutting back, but my bill, now I'm paying more than what I was paying before I was cutting back,'" Sanchez said.
Tiered rates failed to prevent shortfall
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has experience with lower water sales during droughts. Five years ago, it adjusted rates to compensate for the effects of conservation. The shifts the utility made then have allowed it to have enough water to meet demand now.
The agency still came up short in revenue, however, and had to impose a billing surcharge.
LADWP, which serves about 4 million people, put policies in place in 2009 to deal with low water supplies in its aqueduct on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The agency uses a two-tiered structure. Before declaring emergency conditions, LADWP for the first level charged $2.983 per 100 cubic feet, which is about 748 gallons. Tier two ran $3.597 per 100 cubic feet.
To deal with the drought, LADWP cut by 15 percent the amount of water customers could use and remain in tier one. And if residents bumped up to tier two, they had to pay $5.190 per 100 cubic feet.
The rate structure -- originally drafted in 1993 -- was intended to be "cost neutral," so that money LADWP lost due to people cutting back in tier one would be captured through the higher tier-two price. The agency is still coming up short, however, said Julie Spacht, LADWP's water executive managing engineer.
In 2010, the City Council approved a surcharge aimed at collecting $18 million more, while the agency also put other cost-savings measures in effect. The surcharge added 6 cents per billing unit that year, and 10 cents the following year. It fell to 8 cents per billing unit in 2012.
The agency has kept the 15 percent quantity cutback within tier one in place. The tier one and tier two rates are now closer together.
LADWP believes its policies, along with education efforts on conservation, will be enough to get it through the drought without raising rates to compensate. It does plan to ask for a rate increase in coming months, but that is not driven by conservation, Spacht said. LADWP is looking to pay for infrastructure investments, its safe drinking water program and long-term investments in local water supply, she said.
Customers unhappy about water rates that rise as they've conserved need to view it differently, Spacht said.
"One concept in that regard is to think of it as a service and not a commodity," Spacht said. "We are providing a service, that service being adequate water supply and at a very high quality."
She added, "We not only provide drinking water, but we also provide fire supply. That is a part of their water supply they don't think of routinely."
Like what you see?
We thought you might.
Start a free trial now.
Get access to our comprehensive, daily coverage of energy and environmental politics and policy.


text:
23 Tach 18
Clywch Rowland a Carys Phillips yn sôn am yr her fwyaf yr hydref penwythnos yma yn erbyn Canada.?
Roland Mercer
Minis to Millennium is a long term player development model that aspires to offer the game of rugby union in a progressive way so that all those involved have the opportunity to experience the game and develop within the game. There are four dimensions to Minis to Millennium;
Providing a skills curriculum for every player to follow.
Offering education and support and training ideas to support the player at every stage in their development.
Providing a modified game from U7 to U19 that progressively introduces the full game.
Detailing the pathway for those that aspire to play for Wales.
Minis to Millennium is a player-centred approach to developing the game in Wales for both male and femails. Every player at every level of the game has the right to experience a game that is well organized and well coached which offers a stepped progression between age groups and between levels from the very grass roots of the game in clubs and schools to stepping out onto the Millennium Stadium to represent Wales.