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I recently received this envelope full of snacks from Yumvelope
What is Yumvelope?
Each month the snacks change. See samples of the snacks from recent months here
My envelope contained a Kind Bar, fruit leathers, Metromint water, Food Should Taste Good chips, and a few other individually-portioned snacks
The hit of the envelope were these sunflower butter filled chocolate cups. Oh my, so tasty.
If I'm feeling munchy, some of my favorite healthy-ish snacks include the following. All are all vegan, gluten free, many are no-bake or quick cooking in the microwave:
Microwave Blueberry Banana Oat Cakes (vegan, GF)
"Cheater's" Guacamole (vegan, GF) with chips or homemade crackers
Seeds-Only Crackers (Vegan, GF, Homemade Mary's Crackers) – can be made sweet or savory, baked or dehydrated
Peanut Butter Chex Mix, aka "Puppy Chow" (no-bake, vegan, GF)
Spinach & Artichoke Dip (fat-free, no-cook, vegan, GF)
Chocolate Coconut Oil Protein Popcorn (vegan, GF)
Coconut Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds (vegan, GF)
Orange PushUp Smoothie (with vegan option, GF)
If you'd like to enter to win your own Yumvelope for one month, comment below:
1. What's one of your favorite snacks? (links welcome)
2. For a second entry, Twitter Follow @AverieCooks and and then tweet the following:
"I've got the munchies & entered to Win Free Healthy Snacks in the @AverieCooks @Yumvelope Giveaway http://tiny.cc/qtoqcw"
3. For extra entries and you must leave a separate comment for each:
Pinterest Follow & Re-Pin Something of Mine
or post this Giveaway on your blog
Contest ends Monday, April 16, 2012 and winner will be chosen randomly. Open to continental U.S. residents only.
P.S. The KitchenAid 7-Quart Stand Mixer Giveaway is still going on and open for entries
Comment below to enter the Yumvelope giveaway!


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Day: June 30, 2016
The company offers premier Control4-certified home automation and home theater installation.
Infinity Automation helps condense control of a home's existing features, including lighting, security, climate control and audio/video equipment.
It all can be controlled from a mobile device, in-wall touchscreens, switches or a universal remote.
Infinity Automation LLC has opened to serve Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune Business Weekly on June 27, 2016.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Effect of Moderate Wine Consumption on Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure can be caused by a multitude of factors. One of the most important is the build up of cholesterol or plaque on arterial walls. This puts an incredible amount of stress on the heart, causing it to work significantly harder to do the same job.
In Thadhani et. al.'s study, Prospective study of moderate alcohol consumption and risk of hypertension among young women, they investigated the effect of differing levels of alcohol consumption and hypertension. The study was conducted over an eight year period with over 70,000 subjects.
Thadani et. al. found that the relationship between wine consumption and hypertension shows a "J" shaped curve. This indicates that moderate alcohol consumption decreases the risk of hypertension. Although promising, the risk of developing hypertension increased linearly with the number of drinks consumed per day.
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I'm using emacs for most of my work. I'm switching from gnome desktop to KDE (checking things out) and it bother me that emacs look soo diferent from the rest of the desktop. Is there a way to give emacs the KDE properties?
I was sure there was a qt frontend for emacs but couldn't find any.


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module positions
offcanvas, banner, footer, breadcrumbs, search, social, mainmenu, position-1, position-2, position-3, position-4, position-5, position-6, position-7
Logo, Google Font, Template Width, Color Management, Sticky (Addon), Sidebar Visibility on mobile devices
offcanvas module position
There is an extra module position "offcanvas" which is only accessible on mobile devices. You should double your mainmenu at the positions "mainmenu" and "offcanvas"
There is an extra offcanvas module position to display sidebars (e.g. "left") in mobile devices. Also there is a Accordion Addon in that area. If you want to use the accordion feature then create a dummy link ("Systemlinks" -> "External URL" with "#" as "link") and add some subelements.


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'Toddlers & Tiaras' Mom Could Lose Custody of Daughter Due to Fully-Enhanced Dolly Parton Costume
Kiddie beauty shows are already controversial, what with the poofy gowns and layers of makeup, but one mom may have taken pageant-crazy to the extreme on a recent episode of the TLC series 'Toddlers & Tiaras.' In fact, Lindsay Jackson might actually lose custody of her 6-year-old daughter, Maddy, thanks in part to a Dolly Parton costume, which included padding the little girl's behind and chest to 'enhance' her lady parts to be more like the country singer's notorious bust and rear.
Maddy's parents are locked in a custody battle fighting for her, and her father, Bill Verst, is using his outrage at the Dolly Parton outfit to accuse his ex-wife of being an unfit parent. According to Nashville Gab, a Kentucky court-appointed psychologist is even taking the husband's side. The psychologist has cited not only Maddy's participation in pageants as emotionally damaging, but he particularly noted that the getup which copied one of Parton's looks from years back as a problem.
For now, Jackson and Verst will share custody of the little girl, but her father has been granted residential custody. To combat the claims that she's ill-fit as a mother, Jackson reportedly compared her daughter not being allowed to participate in pageants to courts telling gold medal-winning gymnasts that they can't compete in the Olympics.
"If [the judge decides] that Maddy needs to live with her dad because she does pageants with me, then that opens the door for any parent to challenge anybody on an activity that a kid does, period," Jackson said. "We could really open up Pandora's Box to set a precedent all over the world. What if years ago Gabby Douglas' father said, 'She's not going to be a gymnast. She's not going to move away from home and practice gymnastics because I won't allow it,' and he and Gabby's mother got into a fight? We wouldn't have gold medal winners, we wouldn't have Miss America, we wouldn't have Miss USA."
The next hearing in the custody case will take place on Aug. 31. We have a feeling that even Parton herself would agree that her stage outfits are something reserved for adults — and only ones who can pull it off, at that.
Watch Maddy From 'Toddlers & Tiaras' Put on Her Dolly Parton Costume


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Superfoxes Josh Brolin and Diane Lane are divorcing after eight years of marriage, according to their reps: "It was a mutual decision. It was amicable. It's not ugly, it's just over." (Guh.) It's the second marriage for both of them. Although this means our fantasy of James Brolin, Barbra Streisand, Josh and Diane playing mah jong on a porch somewhere after getting family-style Chinese dinner is kaput, it might be good news: a few months after their 2004 marriage, Brolin was arrested for spousal battery. The charges were dropped, and it was later referred to as a "misunderstanding."
He also reportedly had a sinister-sounding "hands-on" conversation with Robin Wright in 2008, has gotten into multiple bar brawls and was arrested for public intoxication this past New Year's Eve. Get it together. 😐 [TMZ, Us Weekly]
They've been separated for a few months already, according to this report.
Once again, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson may have gone the way of the dodo bird despite their attempts to overcome Rupert Sanders Crotchgrindinggate. However, the two are hanging on until every last Twi-Hard has snatched up the DVD of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, "since the first couple weeks are the times when the DVD will sell like wildfire. The more DVDs sold, the more money for them. So they are abiding by the request."
Because underneath that kohl eyeliner and sulky stares they are really just cylons created to produce hundies, the source does not say, but does not need to. [Entertainmentwise]
Taylor Swift, totally one of those girls who's into English guys because of Mr. Darcy, "was hanging out with a lot of British music stars at the [Brit awards] after-party, and she was repeatedly overheard saying she would love to find herself a British boyfriend." (Haha, "repeatedly." Way to play it cool.)
After her performance, which included some very grown-up thrusting (!), "Taylor was even getting her flirt on with Jordan Stephens of the Rizzle Kicks – they danced together – and she got behind the DJ decks at the shindig, at one point donning the headphones." [Radar Online]
Unsurprisingly, this is how Mel Gibson gets his flirt on at the club, says a source. "He went over to her table and hit on her by saying, 'You're so [bleeping] gorgeous.' Then he pulled out his phone and started Googling himself." [Page Six]
- Ethan Hawke says some angry things about how the Oscars are bullshit, was coincidentally not nominated this year, or any year since 2004. [Page Six]
- Clint Eastwood got swatted. I feel like we're over chair jokes but I can't think of anything else so idk: LOL @ general crotchety status? [TMZ]
- The most important piece of investigative journalism in years is this thing about how much that annoying celebrity refrain "The gays love me!" is true. [Buzzfeed]
- Britney Spears' new boyfriend Normal Dave is already being picked apart by the media buzzards. I like to think of myself more as a Great Egret personally. [TMZ]
- Some kid who accomplishes the impressive feat of being in Twilight but also having basically nobody care about him (Bronson Pelletier? See, I told you) pled "no contest" to peeing in an airport, gets 2 years of probation. [TMZ]
- Okay, Justin Bieber. Rein it in. [Daily Mail]
- And stop buying Twitter followers. [PRWeb]
- Nick Cannon fruitlessly tries to convince us that Mariah Carey is not a diva at home and does all the normal wife-and-mother stuff. Like vacuuming the carpet with an unplugged Hoover encrusted with diamonds for 3 minutes and then soaking in jasmine water for 6 hours. [The Sun]
- Mumford and Sons "snubbed" One Direction backstage during the Brit Awards. [The Mirror UK]
- Meanwhile, Boy George feuds with Liam Payne. [Gossip Cop]
- Bono's wife Ali was in a biking accident but she's basically OK. You can finish your breakfast sandwich. [Express]
- Michael Bay casts Megan Fox in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remake, which I guess makes her this shoe. [Daily Mail]
- Mira Sorvino has been cast as Jim Gaffigan's wife on a new CBS comedy but I will always remember her fondly as Mighty Aphrodite's Linda Ash a.k.a. Judy Cum. [HuffPo]
- Chris Rock, David Spade and Chris Farley's brother Kevin had probably what was the most hilarious meal ever, joined by "an attractive, 20-something woman." Was it you?? Why didn't you text me from the bathroom?! [Page Six]
- Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis will co-habitate soon. [Us Weekly]
- Kate Hudson jumped on a couch and smoked a cigarette. Penny Lane lives! [Us Weekly]
- Someone I hope to buy a drink for someday hacked Donald Trump's Twitter and posted Lil Wayne lyrics. [NYDN]
- Kelly Osbourne sprained her ankle trying not to fall into a public toilet. New 1,000-page book idea for Joyce Carol Oates. [NYDN]
- Okay, so Liam Hemsworth's fiancee Miley Cyrus and Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky have the same uncommon haircut, but maybe it's not as weird as we think? [NYDN]
- An S&M themed photo shoot for V Magazine that leaked last year, featuring a topless Kate Moss and Rihanna, is officially out. [Radar Online]
- Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are already flipping their new $11 million Bel Air place. [NYDN]
- Meanwhile, Kim assures us that Keeping Up With the Kardashians is still her "number one priority," which is mostly just sad because it's not her $90,000 sneakers. [E!]


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I left a beautiful city in the early morning hours of November 26th, Mumbai time, and landed in Montreal to learn of its devastation. My last evening in Mumbai, at the end of a month-long trip through India, included my usual stop at the Taj hotel and drinks at the Leopold Café. As we walked together late that evening through the streets which are now riddled with bullets, I remarked to my travelling companion that it was impossible to feel nervous in Mumbai. The nights are too humid, the streets too clean and the atmosphere too relaxed. I imagined returning to the city in a few years with my now two year old nephew and mused that Leopold's, established in 1871, would surely still be standing. Ironic thoughts, given the current climate.
While I've followed the developments in Mumbai on television (mainly through CNN) and online, my most compelling source of information has been Twitter, which has provided me with leads to investigate and links to blogs to read and Flickr photos to peruse. Through Twitter, I've read individual stories and learned of tragedies, including the deaths of two waiters at Leopold's. Twitter provided me with a link to the list of the dead, names which mean nothing to me, behind which are faces I may have crossed a little over a day ago in the streets of India's financial capital. Twitter has been used to provide information on where to go to donate blood, and to engage users in political and social discussions which have the potential to mobilize, build bridges or cause further division.
I'm not alone in the realization that Twitter has become a critical source of information about this crisis:
ulceaston: #Mumbai Just got USDOS travel alert email: »defer travel to Mumbai for at least 48-72 hours. » Gee, how timely. Amazing:Twitter's THE source.
sampad: #mumbai This unfortunate event has led to the rise of social media and true Citizen Journalism. People are collaborating like never before
fourthwall: Tweeting the terror: How social media reacted to Mumbai http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/27/mumbai.twitter/index.html
randyhall: @enobytes People were (are) using # mumbai tags in Twitter to track goings-on with the attacks. Attacks suck, Twitter as news media, COOL.
startonomics: wht a change…i hvent even opened Rediff for current news since ive KNOWN #mumbai in twitter…a small revolution 4 me here..
Imagine Twitter as a channel for all the water cooler conversations that can happen on any given morning. There is fact mixed in with a heavy dose of rumour and misinformation. While Twitter cannot be trusted as a reliable news source, necessarily, it is certainly a powerful communications tool for those who are able to provide first-hand accounts of a situation, as well as for anyone with an opinion on any given subject.
I've mentioned this in a previous post, but it bears repeating that Twitter comes with search capability, so it's easy to plug in key words for issues which interest you (ex: Mumbai). The hash tag (#) is often used by multiple users to ensure that their comments are followed by those interested in the topic, so the #mumbai code is prominent in the tweets I'm following. In the last 90 minutes or so, there have been over 1200 tweets which include the word Mumbai. That's a lot of content to skim through, but I'm doing it because Mumbai is a niche topic that I'm interested in, much in the same way others may be interested in following conversations which mention knitting or american politics.
New Twitter resource for you to check out : Popacular, a virtual warehouse of popular websites mentioned on Twitter.
India was lovely, but memories of my visit are now tinged with sadness, and the sobering reminder that life is short and precious. It's good to be back in Montreal, blogging again and uploading photos from my trip to India to my Flickr account.
Update 28/11/2008 14:36: Excellent articles from Michael Arrington of Techcrunch and Mathew Ingram on Twitter as a news source in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.


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The California Public Utilities Commission issued a new proposal today designed to significantly increase the amount of solar energy installed in the state. It is kind of like a feed-in tariff, but different. Call it a feed-in tariff v2.0.
The proposed program would require utilities to purchase electricity from mid-size solar and other renewable energy technologies of 1 to 10 MW. At least twice a year, utilities would issue a request for proposals for qualifying renewable projects. The regulatory body would set a revenue requirement for each solicitation (i.e. the total amount of money that could be spent). Utilities would then rank bids by price, then be required to take the cheapest ones first until the money runs out. Losing bids are free to bid into the next solicitation.
On first read, there's a lot to like. The CPUC's proposal presents an elegant solution to many of the challenges that have bedeviled efforts to grow sustainable renewable energy markets in California and around the world.
It puts steel in the ground. California's strong Renewables Portfolio Standard has resulted in signed and approved contracts for more than eight gigawatts of large-scale renewable energy projects across the state (with another six GW of contracts of signed contracts under review by regulators); however, many of the planned projects have yet to be brought online. CPUC analysis identifies transmission as the single most significant barrier to large-scale renewable project development. This new proposed program stimulates immediate activity by establishing a market for smaller renewable projects that can be incorporated into the existing utility infrastructure without the construction of new transmission. The smaller projects will also likely be easier to finance, another critical hurdle in the current economic climate.
It gets the price right. Some governments have used standard-offer, fixed price feed-in tariffs to incentivize renewable energy development. The difficulty with this approach is finding the right price. If the price is set too low, it does not stimulate the desired market activity. If the price is set too high, ratepayers pay unnecessary costs, suppliers throughout the value chain are not encouraged to reduce prices, and the program can lose political support. By using a market mechanism to determine the contract price, the CPUC's program uses competition to establish a price that is both sufficient for project development and protective of ratepayers. With the price of solar modules coming down 40 percent over the past 6 months and predictions for a lot further to go, it's hard to see how else to do it. This method harness and accelerates cost reductions by encouraging the whole value chain to work together to be competitive (read this for the role of silicon and recent market dynamics in solar's costs). We expect dramatic market activity at price levels that will attract the interest of policymakers around the country.
It can be implemented quickly. As a practical matter, the proposed auction mechanism can also be implemented much more quickly than some alternative approaches. There is real urgency in the matter, as the U.S. Treasury Grant Program, established as part of the stimulus package, is only available to projects that have begun construction by 2010. If approved, this program could be delivering results within the grant eligibility window.
It overcomes legal hurdles. In an earlier phase of the proceeding, one of the state's largest utilities, Southern California Edison, challenged the CPUC's authority to establish a feed-in tariff, claiming that the Federal Power Act only gives the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the authority to require purchases above 'avoided costs.' Under this federal law, California regulators are restricted in their ability to set specific prices. This proposal elegantly avoids SCE's legal challenge by establishing a specific requirement for electricity of a certain type, and letting market mechanisms establish price levels.
We've spent a year on this docket, and will spend a lot of time going over the details of the proposed program to guide our suggestions for further development. I guarantee that a lot of people will also have opinions on modifications. But initial impressions are that there is a lot to like. The program ensures that renewable energy projects will be built quickly and at the lowest cost to ratepayers. And it throws the doors wide open on an entirely new renewable energy market in the state: mid-sized solar projects that generate clean electricity for all Californians. Coupled with the highly successful California Solar Initiative program for customer-owned solar, the gigawatt of utility-owned/IPP distributed generation program, and existing channels for large utility-scale projects, California will be able to lay claim to one of the most comprehensive and dynamic solar markets in the world.


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Consider the following code which plots a triangle.
p = {{0, 0}, {.2, 0}, {0, .2}};
{Cyan, Polygon[Dynamic[p]]} // Graphics
Then adding (for example) {.1, -.1}
yields a non-simple polygon with intersecting lines.
AppendTo[p, {.1, -.1}]
Question: Given a list of 2D points that are plotted as a polygon by Graphics
. Is there a way to re-order the points such that Graphics
plots a simple polygon after a point which has been added that resulted in plotting a non-simple polygon?


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Slaves of New New York!
← Previous comic | Navigation in US release order | Next comic → |
Slaves of New New York! | |
US Publish Number | X03 |
UK Publish Number(s) | Simpsons Comics 103 |
Written by | Ian Boothby |
Art by | James Lloyd |
Title caption | None |
Published (US) | 26 January, 2005 |
Published (UK) | 17 February, 2005 |
Title reference | Referenced to the movie Gangs of New York. |
In trade paperback | The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis |
The Story
Act I
Morbo and Kent Brockman simultaneously report on the sudden appearance of Springfielders in New New York. Bender and Fry watch the events happening outside the window on the TV, failing to acknowledge that they are no longer watching TV when Professor Frink flies through the window and Smitty and URL kick down the door to arrest him. Professor Farnsworth informs his staff that he had been at a meeting where scientists were attempting to gain funding from the city. After Wernstrom causes him to destroy his invention, Farnsworth quickly invents a device to harness the power of the fictional world of the comic that had been stuck to his slipper. Unfortunately it makes to big a tear and the room is filled with characters from The Simpsons. Thinking quickly, he suggests using them for slave labour, so the Mayor had the police round them up. The Simpsons themselves escaped and when Lisa recognised the Planet Express building as the place where the crew worked, they headed inside to hide. When the peace officers return Fry claims they are simply life size action figures. Hermes arrives to send the crew on their next delivery, and the Simpsons tag along.
Act II
Meanwhile in New New York, the Springfield Mafia become the Robot Mafia's maid men, Moe works in O'Zorgnax Pub, Mr. Burns and Mom fall in love, Apu works at 7¹¹, Gil works with Malfunctioning Eddie and the rest of Springfield work for DOOP, with Smithers' experience with velour leading to a role as Chief Petty Laundry Officer and the others being classed as cannon fodder. Bart annoys Farnsworth, by looking through his inventions in the lab and turns the literary reality-tearing machine on, then the knob falls off. Bender "saves the day" and throws it in the New New York Public Library bringing characters from every book ever written into reality...
Additional Info
- The Springfielders are from Simpsons comic #87 (Hail to the Cat), the Mental Realm visited in the previous issues, which allows them to remember their friends from Planet Express.
- It is stated here that the Professor's catchphrase of "Good news, everyone" is just a part of the company. This is contradicted in "Law and Oracle" where the Professor reveals he only says it for Fry's benefit.
Professor: Good news, everyone!
Hermes: "Good news, everyone!" is a registered trademark of Planet Express. The management guarantees no actual good news.
Mutant: Did you say comix?
Professor: No, comics! Now keep on truckin' back to the underground, mutant!
Comic Book Guy: I always knew one day robots would enslave us! Fine, I surrender! But only if I can have a metal slave bikini like Princess Leia's from "Return of the Jedi".
Url: Aw, man, I don't even have a stomach, and that image makes me nauseous!
Ralph Wiggum: The space ship is hugging me!
Lisa: Does this sort of thing happen a lot in your line of work?
Bender: Being totally boned? Oh yeah.
Brannigan: Kif, you shrunk my velour top again!
Kif: Yes, it must have shrunk after your last visit to the Buffet Galaxy!
Homer: I don't wanna complain, but your replicator makes really bland food.
Fry: Homer you've just been printing pictures of food from the internet.
Homer: Oh.
Zoidberg: So are you going to finish that?
Bender: NOOOOO! An alien is bursting out of my chest! And it's got my last beer!
- The last shot of "Liquid Diamond Is Forever!", the Springfielders being watched from the balcony by the crew, has been retconned.
- The parabox re-appears.
- Unlike "Hail to the Cat", the setting of Crisis 1 and source of most Simpsons characters for Crisis 2, the comic "Chili Chili Bang Bang!", which appears briefly, did not later become a comic; instead it became a mini-comic within another Simpsons comic.
Outside References
- Professor Frink's line "Realities collapsing. Worlds colliding. Must warn others..." is taken from Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- Wernstron's "Tickl-e-tron" is likely a reference to Doctor Octopus, one of the enemies of Spider Man.
- "Dr. Frahnkensteen" and "Eyegor" from "Young Frankenstein" can be seen at the scientists' meeting.
- In a commercial, Gil Gunderson (now working for Malfunctioning Eddie) advertises George Jetson's flying car (mentioning that George "was killed in a treadmill accident while walking his dog"), and a British phone booth that's "compact outside [and] roomy inside", a reference to the Doctor's TARDIS from Doctor Who."
- Comic Book Guy mentions wanting a "metal slave bikini like Princess Leia's from Return of the Jedi."
- The first delivery the Simpsons tag along on is to "an ice planet in the Lucas galaxy", which turns out to be a parody of the Hoth sequence in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
- Later, there are two more deliveries parodying Aliens and 2001: A Space Odyssey, respectively.
- in the 3rd delivery you can see Uatu the watcher
- Bart sticking his head in the parabox would not result in a giant version of his eye peeping in the window. It is both the wrong size and at the wrong direction, and would have destroyed any part of the universe between the lid and New New York.
- The glass suits worn at the 7¹¹ leave the clerks' hands exposed, in the show the 7¹¹ Clerk is completely encased.
- O'Zorgnax's Pub is misspelled as "Zorgnax's Pub" in the text of the story.
- Calculon is colored grey instead of yellow in O'Zorgnax's Pub.
The Simpsons Characters
- Apu
- Bart Simpson
- Comicbook Guy
- Fat Tony
- Gil
- Homer Simpson
- Kent Brockman
- Lisa Simpson
- Maggie Simpson
- Marge Simpson
- Moe
- Mr. Burns
- Professor Frink
- Waylon Smithers
Comic Credits
- Story
- Colors
- Pencils
- Letters
- Inks
- Editor
← Previous comic | Navigation in US release order | Next comic → |
- Articles about non-canon content
- Comics written by Ian Boothby
- Comics drawn by James Lloyd
- Media
- Comics
- A plots focusing on Bender
- A plots focusing on Fry
- A plots focusing on Leela
- A plots focusing on Professor Farnsworth
- B plots focusing on Mom
- B plots focusing on Zapp
- Media featuring invasions
- Media wherein characters run away
- The Simpsons


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In August, Y Combinator grad Kicksend launched in beta to make sending and sharing large files easy as pie, especially for the non-technical crowd. (Read our initial coverage here.) Since then, founders Pradeep Elankumaran and Brendan Lim tell me that they've been heads-down fixing, tweaking, and developing some big new features. While those are not yet ready for broadcast, the startup is today announcing that it has raised $1.8 million in seed funding.
The seed round was led by True Ventures, with participation from Digital Garage, SV Angel, Start Fund, and Milo Founder and CEO Jack Abraham. Kicksend will be using its new capital to grow its team and push out several big enhancements to its file sharing service.
Though the founders said that they've seen a number of businesses using the site to share and send files, Kicksend remains focused on the consumer, particularly on creating a simple, intuitive user experience that even your grandmother can use. To date, the service is available both on the Web and on the desktop, but mobile apps are on the way.
For those unfamiliar with the service, Kicksend's value proposition lies both in its simplicity and the fact that its platforms are connected in realtime, enabling users to drag and drop big batches of files from their desktop app and have them delivered instantly to the recipient's desktop and web apps, their inbox (and soon) their mobile apps.
What's more, in comparison to other file sharing media, Kicksend has no size limits, is private, and works effortlessly and asynchronously (unlike IM). In contrast with syncing backup solutions, the service removes the need for share folders and permissions.
It's a nifty tool for those looking to effortlessly send large batches of files and with backing from some notable VCs, there's surely more interesting stuff to come.
Check out Kicksend at home here, or read our full launch coverage here.


text:
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The operator of the Middle East's biggest airport in Dubai says its annual passenger traffic numbers have surged 15 percent to top the 60 million mark for the first time ever.
Airport operator Dubai Airports said Wednesday that Dubai International handled 66.4 million passengers in 2013, including more than a record 6 million in December alone. That's up from 57.7 million in 2012.
Helping drive the growth are an increased number of wide-body jets that can haul large numbers of passengers and new destinations being added by hometown airlines Emirates and discount carrier FlyDubai.
Dubai International is the Mideast commercial hub's main airport. It opened a new concourse early last year concourse purpose-built for the double-decker Airbus A380.
A second Dubai airport began operating commercial passenger flights in October.


text:
Long-acting clotting agent approved for form of hemophilia
The drug Alprolix has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first long-acting hemophilia B clotting agent, the FDA said in a news release.
The product, formally known as "coagulation factor IX recombinant Fc Fusion protein" is the first hemophilia B remedy designed to require less frequent injections than prior treatments, the FDA said. It was approved to help control and prevent bleeding episodes and to manage bleeding during surgery.
Hemophilia B is a blood-clotting disorder, primarily affecting males, caused by an abnormal Factor IX gene. Affecting some 3,300 people in the United States, it can lead to potentially deadly bleeding episodes.
Alprolix was evaluated in clinical studies involving 123 people, ages 12-71, with severe hemophilia B. No safety issues were identified during the trials, the FDA said.
The product is manufactured by Biogen Idec, located in Cambridge, Mass.
More information: Visit the National Hemophilia Foundation to learn more about this disorder.
Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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HowTo:Avoid speeding tickets/fines
Here at Uncyclopedia, we do not wish to promote the practise of driving above the designated speed limit. This of course is highly dangerous: as every good driver knows, once a car exceeds 65mph, the speed barrier is broken, causing the vehicle to explode in a fit of spontaneous combustion. However, because traffic cops are such tightwads, they are constantly on the lookout for innocent motorists who serve as potential 'speeders'. Although these motorists may be travelling at a completely reasonable speed (130mph), the typical police officer is required to pull over and fine at least fifty motorists per day in order to rake in the obligatory total of drug/beer/doughnut/prostitute money the police force needs to amount to keep in business. This, as one can imagine, is quite a hefty sum, so it is unsurprising to be pulled over by a policeman at regular intervals.
That's why we have put together this handy guide to beat the feds and avoid receiving those irritating speeding tickets and fines. Plus! Now thickhead intercontinentally friendly!
A quick note: as you may (or may not, if you are stupid) have noticed from reading the first two paragraphs, parts of this article have been vandalised. Please ignore comments with a strikethrough.
Avoiding Gatsos (Speed Cameras)
Gatsos are delightful grey decoratively graffitid boxes utilizing special flashy thingies state of the art technology to trap any innocent motorist that happens to pass by. The burst of bright yellow light alerts a nearby sniper indicates to the DVLA that they should send a nice present for you through the post which demands immediate/prompt payment. Failure to do so may result in a Court Injunction.
This, of course, is the result of the Government's highly guarded arrangement with the traffic police which ensures they receive their share of the public's life savings in return for keeping quiet about and turning a blind eye to the cops' perceived 'inadequacies'.
However, Gatso-related fines are extremely easy to avoid. The easiest way to dodge the wrath of the 'little grey boxes of doom' is to avoid them completely. In Britain, this is made simple by the AA's helpful Guide to Speed Camera locations. For those living outside UK, or are otherwise excessively lazy/skint/stoned to purchase one, memorise their positions along your planned route, before taking appropriate diversions through an adjacent farmer's field. Beware, however, of passing horses and dormant cowpats, not to mention barbed wire fences. Refer to the diagram to the right for guidance.
If you are still thick unlucky enough to be caught, do not fear, as there are alternative methods which highlight the poor quality of the national Postal Service as well as the low intelligence of the police force's employees. Once the bill arrives through your letterbox, burn it. When the case arrives at court, the sole piece of incriminating evidence will be be destroyed. Because the DVLA are trapped in 1973, no computer records are kept, and the Chief Inspector type person will most likely have taped over the filmic evidence of the event in question with an episode of Coronation Street. You will be free to leave without paying a penny.
If you are unfortunate enough to be caught by a speed camera, remember that the picture of your car is caught on film and emptied regularly rather than sent straight to the Police electronically. Forcefully exploding the speed camera with a handy missile should ensure that you don't get fined.
- For more help on spotting a Speed Camera, visit the Speed Camera official website.
- For further tips on avoiding a Speed Camera, visit Cabalamat's site.
Avoid being 'pulled over'
As stated in the Highway Code, be ever vigilant as to police activity in the general vicinity of your vehicle. There are various categories into which this may fall, summarised briefly as follows. Each must be eliminated avoided at all costs.
Foot Coppers
These are by far the easiest to spot and avoid. Distinguishable by their stupid hats stocky build, and often encountered frequenting local chippies and brothels (as customers, obviously). The experienced motorist will have no problem steering clear of them, as even if one does attempt to stop you by stepping in front of your car, taking them on a trip to Cop Roadkill City should see them off.
Vehicle Coppers
Once they are on your tail, harder to shake off than the foot coppers, but still relatively simple to avoid due to their ageing panda Ford Fiestas. You should be able to lose any oncoming vehicle cops by travelling well within the speed limit in any car newer than a 1967 Mini Cooper Mk I and a very basic knowledge of local roads. Failing this, drive into an adjacent garage, multi-storey car park or local housing estate before removing the license plates. With no method of vehicle identification amongst the vast amounts of number-plateless cars, the visually-impaired police followers are, technically, screwed.
If you are in Australia, you are much less fortunate as the Police force has deemed it necessary to invest in V8 Holdens, V8 Fords and boosted Ford F6 Typhoons for pursuit purposes. If you are driving a V12 Jaguar, you should have no problems evading the police as you can accelerate faster than they can. If not, the following technique can be used to dispatch them.
- For Ford vehicles, remind the vehicle of what Ford stands for: Found On Rubbish Dump. This will cause the police car to instantly teleport to the nearest tip, thus ensuring that you have an easy escape.
- For Holden vehicles, yell loudly at the vehicle that you are the managing director of General Motors Corporation and order the vehicle to explode. Because of their ties to General Motors, Holdens are hard wired to follow the command of the Managing Director of General Motors Corporation. Because the Holden doesn't actually check to see if you really are the Managing Director, it will follow your orders without question.
Note: If a vehicle copper passes you at a high speed, or is oncoming at a high speed it is likely that he not coming directly for you, but may in fact be going for the new donut at Starbucks/Tim Hortons/Second Cup etc.
Helicopter (Chopper) Coppers
Notoriously difficult to evade, but easy if you know how (clue: sawn off shotgun and sunroof). Once a cop helicopter has you in its sights, the only thing one can possibly do to avoid them is to drive everywhere at night time. The chopper cops have thermal imaging cameras at their disposal, relying on them to find you in the dark. However, make sure you are not wearing any thermal underwear and they will have major problems spotting you. Thus, you will be able to speed away into a busy Tesco car park and blend in with the various citizens going about their night-time shop.
Being Pulled Over
Should your driving skills be inadequate in successfully evading any cop pursuits, resulting in what is technically termed as 'being pulled over', there are various methods available to the resourceful motorist which aid fine-avoidance.
The 'Two can play that game' method
Take a trip to your local supplies store, and purchase one of those revolving flashy light thingies that cops have on top of their patrol cars. Most good shops have these nowadays, with 'citizens patrol' cars becoming ever more popular. Also invest in a kids' plastic CB radio. When a cop vehicle gets on your tail, pull over, and when they aren't looking, lean out the window and put the flashing alarm thing on top of your car. Once the policeman approaches, get out of your car in an alarmed and deliberate fashion:
You: Did you see which way he went? You talk police gobbledegook into your 'CB radio' Cop: (puzzled) Eh.. what? Oh, erm, I think he was travelling in this direction... You: Good, now let's not waste time hanging around here... let's catch the frigger. Cop: Uh, ok... let's roll. Cop drives off. You travel in opposite direction.
The 'Don't you know who I am?' method
For more helpful info on impersonating celebrities, see HowTo:Be like your favorite Celebrity.
There are various ways of executing this method. One such variant relies on the driver bearing a passing resemblance to any 'celebrity' which one may care to mention, and attempting to fool the braindead cop into thinking you are them. However, since not everybody looks like Paul McCartney or Gandhi, it is more practical to 'invent' a persona. This will invariably involve donning a pair of plastic sunglasses:
You: Good evening officer. Is there a problem? Cop: You seem to have been travelling rather fast there sir. I'll have to give you a ticket. You: Oh, don't you know who I am? Cop: Huh? Never seen you in my life. You: I am John McCulloch, international rock star and entrepreneur. Cop: Never heard of you. You remove your shades You: Now do you recognise me? Cop: Oh yeah! You're that guy off the TV! You: Erm... yeah! Cop: I'll let you off if you give me your autograph, sir! You sign his autograph book and drive away before the starstruck cop realises.
The Generosity method
When the policeman arrives at the side of your car, enquire as to whether they would like a 'smoke'. Because no self-respecting cop would ever turn down the offer of a free cigarette, it is highly unlikely your offer will ever be turned down. However, instead of giving them an 'ordinary' cigarette, offer them a 'special' one, which you have been storing in the glove compartment for just this situation:
You: Good afternoon, officer. Would you like a cigarette? Cop: Why thank you, sir. Cop puffs on 'cigarette'. You: How is it, officer? Cop: Totally freakin', like, awesome, man. Eh heh he he he... Cop, in spaced out trance, stumbles to side of road, mumbling insanities. You drive off.
The 'Just freakin' weird' method
This technique requires for you to be travelling alone and a car with remote window operation, reasons for which will become apparent. Immediately after pulling over and parking on the kerb/motorway bank, quickly and discreetly switch to the passenger's seat of your vehicle. When the traffic cop appears at and taps on the driver's side window, use the remote window function to open it. Bemused, the cop will totally freak out, immediately suspecting that the car is being driven by a ghost or invisible being of some sort:
You: Good afternoon, officer. You open driver's side window. Cop: What the...? You: Is there a problem, officer? Cop: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Cop legs it back to patrol car.
The 'If all else fails' method
If all of the above techniques, should, for some bizarre reason, fail to get you out of a speeding ticket, there is a method which can be used as a last resort. This is unlikely to work, but some of the force's, shall we say, 'duller' recruits will be fooled. This requires keeping a cushion within your reach somewhere on the vehicle, and stuffing it up your coat before the cop arrives:
This technique will be much more successful if you are Female.
You groan in agony Cop: Oh my GOD! I'm so sorry, I didn't notice you were pregnant. You: Oh no, I think it's coming... Cop: Let me just... hold on a sec here... men don't get pregnant! You scream even louder. Cop: OK, OK, let me just radio for help. Cop runs back to patrol car. You drive off. Cop forgets what the heck he was doing, and goes back to eating his chip butty.
Receiving A Speeding Ticket
In some cases, the motorist may encounter a rare species of particularly intelligent or resilient police officer, resulting in failure of all the aforementioned methods, or have received a speeding ticket prior to consulting this guide. In these situations, the individual in question may be landed with a substantial fine. However, all hope is not lost, as there are still various measures which can be taken to evade the greedy clutches of the DVLA. A selection of these is detailed in the following paragraphs, and can be used in conjunction with each other in order to increase effectiveness.
'Sold the Car'
The most effective method is to contact the DVLA, preferably via their telephone service, to mention that you have just happened to have sold your car prior to receiving the speeding ticket. Mention that a certain 'John McCulloch' or whichever celebrity persona you chose to take on during method 3.2 (Don't you know who I am?) is currently in posession of the vehicle you were driving, citing the address of your local Councillor or the Prime Minister as the address at which the individual currently resides.
Though this may seem obvious to the average uneducated motorist, bear in mind that the employees at the DVLA call centre are alienated workers, suppressed by the capitalist forces which rule over them. As a result they are likely to be highly gullible and believe literally anything anybody tells them. Therefore it is extremely easy to fool them into thinking you have in fact sold the car on.
Number Plate Stock
A second handy measure which can be employed by the motorist is to have a series of extra, alternative number plates stored in your attic or garage which can be applied to your vehicle whenever needed. These will be very useful in avoiding payments; when the DVLA send a team of hired goons round to your door, you can mention that the license plate listed on their computer is clearly different to the one currently attached to your vehicle.
Warning: This method can be highly risky, as hired goons are invariably large, musclebound fat guys all too eager to punch out the lights of anybody that slightly displeases them. For this reason, ensure that if you have to resort to 'homemade' number plates they reach a certain standard of realism. Avoid taking a piece of cardboard and inscribing it with pencil or biro, rather opt for a laminated piece of paper and marker pen combination. This should be sufficient to fool the authorities, but for extra safety, attempt to keep the goons within a couple of feet of the vehicle in question.
Address Registration
This method requires a certain amount of pre-planning. Be sure to contact the DVLA notifying them that your address is in fact the large, spooky house on top of the hill in the dark part of the town no-one ever visits. For added effect, speak with a slow, drawn out Polish accent when speaking to the assistants at the DVLA call centre, with a recording of howling wolves in the playing in the background if possible. In addition, sign any postal correspondance using human blood. DVLA workers are sure to 'chicken out' for fear of having their insides sucked out and announce that there must have been some mistake, picking some other address at random to divert the fine to.
You are now suitably versed in speeding fine avoidance to prevent receiving tickets. Please remember that the Police Force are a sneaky bunch, and are constantly finding new ways to trick innocent motorists into stumping up their cash. So although you now share the knowledge of our fine-avoidance experts, always be aware that some techniques utilised by traffic cops are not listed here. Be sure to constantly check back for expert updates and more help in avoiding speeding tickets and fines.
See Also
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Kevin VanDam is regarded as the most tenaciously competitive and accomplished angler in modern day bass fishing. Born in 1967, The Michigan native has dominated the sport for the past two decades – collecting 7 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles, 4 Bassmaster Classic Championships, 21 tournament wins, nearly 9,000 pounds of bass and nearly 6 Million dollars in prize money.
"KVD" remains extremely well grounded despite being tagged "The Most Dangerous Man in Professional Bass Fishing", he works relentlessly for his sponsors, and craves time at home in Kalamazoo, with his family and friends more with each passing year.
Kalamazoo, MI
Oct 14, 1967
(wife) Sherry,
(children) Nicholas, Jackson
Deer Hunting, attending NASCAR and Detroit Lions and Tigers games.
Bassmaster Elite Series Champion-St. Lawrence (2017)
3-time Bassmaster Elite Series Champion in 2016
4 — time Bassmaster Classic Champion ('01, '05, '10, '11)
7 — time Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year ('92, '96, '99, '08, '09, '10, '11)
24 — time Bassmaster Tournament Champion
Quick Stats:
Times in Classic: 27
Best Classic finish: 1st (four times)
B.A.S.S. Top 10 finishes: 111
B.A.S.S. career earnings: $6.2 Million
Terry Scroggins might just win the Mr. Congeniality award if pro bass fishing had such a thing. The central Florida native is upbeat, always optimistic and quick to lend his mechanical mind to fix just about anything he or his fellow pros tear up along their 40,000 miles of travel each year. He can fix a pretty mean ribeye on the grill too.
Scroggins is pretty quick to figure out the winning fishing pattern too. He reached the $1,000,000 in BASS winnings faster than just about anybody in the history of the sport. Once perceived as only being able to win in his home state of Florida where he earned the nickname "Big Show" -- Scroggins has proven he can succeed anywhere in America. In early 2008, he missed eclipsing the BASS single-day catch record by just ounces in south Texas.
Palatka, FL
Nov 18, 1968
(children) Kristi, Jonathon
Saltwater fishing, chillin', and grillin
5 — time Bassmaster Champion
3rd in 2012 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Points Standings
2009 Bassmaster Southern Open Points Champion
2009 4th place Bassmaster, Santee Cooper, SC
2009 5th place Bassmaster, Wheeler Lake, AL
2008 2nd place Bassmaster Lone Star Shootout, TX
2008 3rd place Bassmaster Southern Challenge, AL
Quick Stats:
Times in Classic: 11
Best Classic finish: 4th
B.A.S.S. Top 10 finishes: 47
B.A.S.S. career earnings: $1.8 Million
Gerald Swindle's upbringing took place in the Deep South and his accent proves it. Gerald Swindle is without a doubt the funniest man in fishing, and also one of the best anglers on tour as proven by his 2004 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
Swindle has been to the Bassmaster Classic 12 times and has been in contention to win it more than once. His lanky frame is always in overdrive, and his energy is contagious. He brings non-stop fun to a sport that is often overwhelmingly humbling.
Warrior, AL
Dec 17, 1969
(wife) Le Ann,
(children) Whitney
Deer Hunting, Health and Fitness, Auto Restoration
2016 — Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year
2011 — Bassmaster Southern Open Champion, Kissimmee, FL
2011 — Bassmaster Southern Open Points Champion
3rd in 2011 AOY Points Standing
2009 — 5th place Bassmaster Trophy Chase
2007 — 4th place Bassmaster Golden State Shootout
2006 — 3rd place Bassmaster American
2005 — 3rd place Bassmaster Classic
2004 — Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year
Quick Stats:
Times in Classic: 17
Best Classic finish: 3rd
B.A.S.S. Top 10 finishes: 51
B.A.S.S. career earnings: $1.97 Million
Mike Iaconelli destroyed all stereotypes of what a bass fisherman is perceived to be. Iaconelli is a city kid; he grew up in New Jersey, a stone's throw to the east of Philadelphia. He's proud of his urban upbringing, and he backs-up his pride with a fishing career that's been filled with peak performance.
He brought loud screams of celebration and break-dancing to bass fishing, and has celebrated often as he won the 2003 Bassmaster Classic and the 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
When not on the road competing or working for sponsors, Iaconelli relaxes by collecting antique glass ink bottles and spending time with his wife Becky and four children.
Pittsgrove, NJ
Jun 17, 1972
(wife) Becky,
(children) Drew, Rylie, Vegas and Estella
Hangin' with the family, Collecting antique ink bottles, Philadelphia pro sports
8 — time Bassmaster Tournament Champion
2014 Bassmaster Elite Series, Delaware River Champion)
2013 Bassmaster Northern Open, Lake Erie Champion
2003 Bassmaster Classic Champion`
2006 Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year
Quick Stats:
Times in Classic: 19
Best Classic finish: 1st (2003)
B.A.S.S. Top 10 finishes: 66
B.A.S.S. career earnings: $2.4 Million


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With Final Destination 3, writer-director James Wong returns to the franchise he started (with writing partner Glen Morgan) in 2000. Final Destination had the distinction of a clever premise that took the slasher out of the slasher movie. In the Final Destination films, the invisible force of Death stalks teenagers who—by the inexplicable grace of prophetic visions—narrowly escaped their designed demises. In Wong's world, once Death makes up its mind, only tortured logic stands a chance against it.
The first film essayed the attempts to dodge the destiny of a plane crash, Final Destination 2 involved a multiple-car freeway disaster, and Final Destination 3 takes us for a fatal ride on a roller coaster. McKinley High's Grad Night turns tragic when the "Devil's Flight" coaster rides off the rails, but thanks to the pre-ride premonition of a girl named Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), several students hop off the ride and cheat Death.
It's only a matter of time until the young cast gets pureed in the series' trademark Rube Goldbergian death sequences, unless Wendy and reformed jock Kevin (Ryan Merriman) can decipher photographic clues and alter destiny. Morgan and Wong's snarky iterations on their initial premise don't show much development here (other than a change of venue), and the characters are paper-thin. What Wong mostly brings back to the party is a thickly gruesome tone, a knack for high-tension, and the aforementioned snark (The Lettermen's "Turn Around, Look at Me" is used to maximum effect as Death's theme song).
Wong feints at a theme of fear emerging "from a sense of having no control," as represented by the happy screamers on the roller coaster and, by extension, in the movie theater. In the end, though, Final Destination 3 is little more than an empty exercise designed to prove there's another story in the premise. Morgan and Wong lose that gambit by producing essentially the same story, dressed up with pointless allusions (to presidents and their assassins, and to 9/11) and the latest batch of tricky-sick deaths. It's a fair diversion but, make no mistake, a waste of time.


text:
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"On the ground, of course, the reality is different and first-time visitors to Pakistan are almost always surprised by the country's visible prosperity. There is far less poverty on show in Pakistan than in India, fewer beggars, and much less desperation. In many ways the infrastructure of Pakistan is much more advanced: there are better roads and airports, and more reliable electricity. Middle-class Pakistani houses are often bigger and better appointed than their equivalents in India. Moreover, the Pakistani economy is undergoing a construction and consumer boom similar to India's, with growth rates of 7%, and what is currently the fastest-rising stock market in Asia. You can see the effects everywhere: in new shopping centers and restaurant complexes, in the hoardings for the latest laptops and iPods, in the cranes and building sites, in the endless stores selling mobile phones: in 2003 the country had fewer than three million cellphone users; today there are almost 50 million."
More recently, Alistair Scrutton filed a Reuters report about Pakistan's infrastructure, particularly its 367 Km long M2 motorway that connects Lahore with Islamabad:
"Indeed, for sheer spotlessness, efficiency and emptiness there is nothing like the M2 in the rest of South Asia.
It puts paid to what's on offer in Pakistan's traditional foe and emerging economic giant India, where village culture stubbornly refuses to cede to even the most modern motorways, making them battlegrounds of rickshaws, lorries and cows.
There are many things in Pakistan that don't get into the news. Daily life, for one. Pakistani hospitality to strangers, foreigners like myself included, is another. The M2 is another sign that all is not what it appears in Pakistan, that much lies hidden behind the bad news.
On a recent M2 trip, my driver whizzed along but kept his speedometer firmly placed on the speed limit. Here in this South Asian Alice's Wonderland, the special highway police are considered incorruptible. The motorway is so empty one wonders if it really cuts through one of the region's most populated regions.
"130, OK, but 131 is a fine," said the driver, Noshad Khan. "The police have cameras," he added, almost proudly. His hand waved around in the car, clenched in the form of a gun.
On one of my first trips to Pakistan. I arrived at the border having just negotiated a one-lane country road in India with cows, rickshaws and donkey-driven carts.
I toted my luggage over to the Pakistan side, and within a short time my Pakistani taxi purred along the tarmac. The driver proudly showed off his English and played U.S. rock on FM radio. The announcer even had an American accent. Pakistan, for a moment, receded, and my M2 trip began."
Here are another western tourist's impressions of M2 from nomadic-one.com:
A strange relief to get to drive 3 lane asphalt in such serene quietness! It was unreal, we had to pinch our arm if this was really happening. Is this Pakistan? We decided to spend the night at the 3rd big service area with restaurant, gas station, police and clean toilets. It was strange to see there was no trace of locals selling stuff on the curbs – something which is really normal in Pakistan. Probably these place are off limits to the small business men.
Going to India – something we have long looked out for. We've heard a lot about India from other travellers – good and bad experiences. One thing's for sure – India must have a LOT of people, each and every traveller from India has mentioned this explicitly. With Pakistan and Nepal (1998) as context we're curious and somewhat anxious how we will experience India. We're not crowd maniacs and both appreciate a 'bit of air' between people. Anyhow India happened quicker than we expected – we left Islamabad on the 25th, the next day we already sat in the garden of Ms Bandari's Guesthouse. The superb M2 motorway with overnight parking and the road to the Indian border was uneventful. We drove the canal bank road through Lahore a long drive on a straight road. But look carefully to find this road separated by a canal – it's sign posted rather miniscule by "Wagah border".
"The road to Amritsar was like wading upstream in extreme suicidal traffic – the independence day ceremony must be something special. It must be totally worth risking your life for this. Naturally we had our usual 'end of the day – near dark – took the wrong turn in mega dense traffic' exercise. Just to make our arrival in Amritsar a little bit more special. We arrived in the dark - asking directions many times. This way we came a few 100 meters closer to Ms Bandari's guesthouse each time we asked. We nearly seen the golden temple by truck. Ain't that a relaxed truck ride in the dark! Cool!
And yes, even with GPS coordinates of the place it's still a nice puzzle to solve after a border crossing day like this."
According to BMI research, Pakistan has experienced a high level of activity in its infrastructure sector in 2008. This has mostly been focused on the power sector and the road network. In addition, construction of housing has been a top priority. However, the global downturn is hitting Pakistan hard, and the BMI's 2009 Annual Infrastructure Report for Pakistan is forecasting the construction industry to contract by 6.31% y-o-y in 2009. The power sector has been the major focus in Pakistan's infrastructure sector in 2008. Years of underinvestment in electricity generating and distributing infrastructure came to a head in 2008, when there was not enough supply to meet demand, further exacerbated by lack of rainfall almost knocking out Pakistan's large hydropower sector. It is currently estimated that there is a 3,300MW shortfall in capacity at peak hours; as a result, load shedding has been a common practice. In an attempt to combat the shortages, a US$30bn investment plan has been announced, which has seen the development of a number of projects. Construction started in 2008 on the 969MW Neelum-Jhelum power plant, which is being built by a consortium comprising Chinese Gezhouba Group Company and China Machinery Export Corporation. Construction of the Diamer Basha Dam, which will have a capacity of 4,500MW once completed, is expected to start in 2009. Within the transport sector, the roads have benefited from the majority of attention in 2008. This has been the result of the National Highways Authority's plans to invest US$5.36bn into the sector. The plans benefited from a US$900mn multi-tranche loan from the Asian Development Bank. The main project being pursued is the National Trade Corridor, envisaged as a main thoroughfare connecting the north of the country to the ports in the south; it is estimated to cost US$6.58bn. Construction of housing has been a major feature in 2008. Residential construction is being carried out under the prime minister's 'mega housing scheme' which involves the construction of one million low cost houses per year. Pakistan's economy has been hit hard by the global economic downturn and BMI's is forecasting real GDP growth of 2.5% y-o-y in 2009, down from 6.8% in 2007. In November 2008, the country received a US$7.6bn 23-month standby loan from the International Monetary Fund to "support the country's economic stabilization program". The move might help boost investor confidence in the short term; however, it may put off investors looking at long-term infrastructure investments.
Pakistan Energy Infrastructure (Source: PPECA) |
The 2008 World Bank assessment says that Pakistan is one of the most water stressed countries in the world, and water resources are depleting rapidly. With its water infrastructure in poor condition, the report argues that Pakistan has to invest around Rs60 billion (US$1 billion) per year in reservoirs and related infrastructure over the next five years. In the energy sector, the country will face severe power shortages of around 6,000 megawatts by 2010. Similarly, inefficiencies in the transport sector cost the economy between 4-5 percent of GDP each year.
To overcome these constraints, the Government of Pakistan is tripling its annual infrastructure investment from an average of Rs150 billion (US$2.5 billion) to Rs440 billion (US$7.3 billion). However, the bank report points out that mega projects in the past have experienced frequent delays and cost overruns, illustrating a lack of capacity in the industry to plan, program, and execute large projects.
Many infrastructure projects in Pakistan, including power plants and motorways, are being built and financed on build-operate-transfer or BOT basis. Built on the BOT basis, the M2 motorway has already paid for itself and now generates revenue for Pakistan government.
Here's a video clip of British Writer William Dalrymple comparing India and Pakistan:
Here is a slide show of some of the infrastructure development projects underway in Pakistan:
Here is a video with pictures of Pakistan's extensive roads network:
Related Links:
Foreign Visitors to Pakistan Pleasantly Surprised
Digital Maps of Pakistan
Pakistan's daily carnage
Pakistan's Road Network
Life Goes On in Pakistan
Water Scarcity in Pakistan
Food, Clothing and Shelter in India, Pakistan
Urbanization in Pakistan Highest in South Asia
A Review of Global Road Accident Fatalities
Pakistan Leads South Asia in Clean Energy
Karachi Fashion Week
Is Pakistan Too Big to Fail?
Karachi Fashion Week Goes Bolder
More Pictures From Karachi Fashion Week 2009
Pakistan's Foreign Visitors Pleasantly Surprised
Start-ups Drive a Boom in Pakistan
Pakistan Conducting Research in Antarctica
Pakistan's Multi-billion Dollar IT Industry
Pakistan's Telecom Boom
Pakistan's Infrastructure Assessment by World Bank
ITU Internet Data
Eleven Days in Karachi
Pakistani Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley
Musharraf's Economic Legacy
Infrastructure and Real Estate Development in Pakistan
Pakistan's International Rankings
Assessing Pakistan Army Capabilities
Pakistan is not Falling
Jinnah's Pakistan Booms Amidst Doom and Gloom


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Passengers urged to plan ahead during 16-day closure of West Coast main line this summer
Between 20 July and 4 August Network Rail will be upgrading track, cabling, overhead lines and signalling on the busy Acton Grange junction, which is used by more than 260 trains every day.
Acton Grange is a key section of the West Coast main line between Crewe and Preston.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdWhile the £27m Great North Rail Project scheme takes place, many train services will be diverted via alternative routes.
Train operators and Network Rail have agreed a plan to keep passengers moving throughout the work.
The plan may mean passengers have to change onto different trains or buses for sections of their journeys.
Passengers are being urged to check www.nationalrail.co.uk before travelling so they know exactly what to expect.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThey are also advised to allow more time for their journeys as services are likely to be busier than usual.
Martin Frobisher, managing director for Network Rail's London North Western route, said: "The West Coast main line is Europe's busiest mixed-use railway. It is the economic backbone of Britain.
"With more than 260 trains using this junction every day, it is vital to keep it in good condition. We need to replace it and upgrade it to ensure a reliable railway for passengers for many years to come.
"To deliver work of this scale and magnitude, we must close the junction for 16 days this summer. The alternative would be many weekends of disruption to passengers and much higher cost.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"We have worked closely with our train and freight operator colleagues to minimise the disruption and to keep as many trains moving as possible. I would urge passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk."
Robert Nisbet, regional director for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the railway, said: "This vital engineering work is part of the rail industry's plan to improve punctuality and make journeys better while keeping disruption to a minimum as much as we can.
"We encourage people who are planning to take the train during these weeks to check before they travel by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk or speaking to their train operator."
This section of the West Coast main line helps connect Chester and Warrington to Manchester in the east and Wigan, Preston, the Lake District and Scotland to the West Midlands and London.
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Hide AdThe vital upgrade this summer will bring the outdated track and equipment up to modern standards and further improve the reliability of the economically important West Coast main line.
For more information on the work and impact visit www.networkrail.co.uk/WCMLActonGrange


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Allegro CL |
ANSI Common Lisp 1 Introduction 1.8 Deprecated Language Features
1.8.2 Deprecated Argument ConventionsThe ability to pass a numeric argument to gensym has been deprecated.The :test-not argument to the functions in the next figure are deprecated.
The use of the situation names compile, load, and eval in eval-when is deprecated. |


text: Lead Me Lord Fingerstyle_Page_2 2022-04-29T14:30:24+00:00By Dondee Magnata|0 Comments Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! FacebookXRedditLinkedInWhatsAppTumblrPinterestVkEmail About the Author: Dondee Magnata Hi, my name is Dondee and this is my website wherein you can find all of my Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements of Popular Songs and Tunes. Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you find my arrangements helpful on your guitar journey. Leave A CommentComment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ


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Effective hemostasis depends on an adequate number of functional platelets, an adequate concentration and activity of plasma coagulation and fibrinolytic proteins, and a normally responsive blood vasculature. The diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of hypo- and hypercoagulable animals is difficult with regard to both progression of disease and monitoring blood component and/or anticoagulation therapy. Citrated plasma samples are often used in veterinary medicine to determine fibrinogen concentration, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and d-dimer or fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) concentration.
The introduction of the cell-based, tissue factor (TF)/Factor VII–dependent model of hemostasis has increased understanding of the complex biochemistry of physiologic hemostasis, leading to reevaluation of the traditional understanding of physiologic hemostasis divided into the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of coagulation. Although citrated plasma contains many of the factors involved in coagulation, whole blood contains both the soluble factors and intravascular cells active in physiologic and pathologic hemostasis, incorporating TF and phospholipid-bearing cells, such as platelets and leukocytes.
Physiologic Understanding of Hemostasis in Animals
A cell-based model of hemostasis has been introduced that explains physiologic hemostasis through a complex process in which the interaction of vascular tone, blood flow, endothelial cells, platelets, leukocytes, coagulation factors, and fibrinolytic factors and their cofactors and inhibitors result in balanced hemostasis and formation of a clot at the injured site. This dynamic model involves cellular regulation of coagulation in three phases: initiation, amplification, and propagation.
TF-bearing cells initiate hemostasis. TF is a transmembrane glycoprotein receptor found in extravascular tissues, including organ capsules and the adventitia of blood vessel walls. It is constitutively expressed on fibroblasts and, on cellular activation, on vascular smooth muscle cells, monocytes, and neutrophils. The TF-bearing cells and platelet surfaces act as the main cellular surfaces for assembly of the procoagulant complexes. Any vessel injury leads to TF exposure. Factor VII binding to TF results in activation to Factor VIIa. Factor VIIa bound to TF on the cell surface activates Factor IX to Factor IXa and Factor X to Factor Xa. Initially, the formed Factor Xa is limited to the TF-bearing cell, because Factor Xa that diffuses away from the cell is rapidly inhibited by TF pathway inhibitor (TFPI) or antithrombin.
Together with formed Factor Va, Factor Xa is assembled into the prothrombinase complex on the surface of the TF-bearing cell. An initial small amount of thrombin close to the cell independent of the presence of platelets is generated and is responsible for activation of platelets, release of Factor V from the platelets, activation of Factor V, activation of Factor VIII and release of Factor VIII from von Willebrand factor, and activation of Factor XI. Platelets also are activated by other mechanisms, including vessel wall collagen and von Willebrand factor, leading to adhesion and aggregation at the injured site.
As an essential part of the platelet activation process, the procoagulant phospholipid phosphatidylserine becomes available. The initially generated Factor IXa binds to the activated platelet surfaces, promoting formation of the "tenase" complex; this results in major Factor Xa formation and amplification of the coagulation process. The formed Factor IXa diffuses to the platelets, because it is not inhibited by TFPI and is inhibited slowly by antithrombin. The formed Factor Xa complexes with Factor Va on the activated platelet surface, forming the "prothrombinase" complex that leads to cleavage of prothrombin and to the major subsequent burst of thrombin responsible for cleaving fibrinogen and forming the hemostatic plug. Additional Factor IXa is supplied by Factor XIa on the platelet surface. Factor XIa activates the antifibrinolytic pathway.
The second wave of thrombin activates plasmin, thereby initiating fibrinolysis. This keeps the clot controlled at the site of injury. To control fibrinolysis, the antifibrinolytic pathway is activated by thrombin activation of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI). TAFI slows the fibrinolytic process by inhibiting plasmin activity; this prevents premature clot lysis and allows clot propagation. The balance of fibrin formation and fibrinolysis regulates the size and quality of the fibrin plug and localizes it to the site of injury. The quality of the clot has a significant impact on how effectively it provides hemostasis.
Clinical Approach to Hemostasis in Animals
Although the traditional division between primary and secondary hemostasis is not biologically accurate, it is still a useful diagnostic approach to hemostasis in animals with acquired or hereditary hemostatic disorders. Primary hemostasis is accomplished by interaction of platelets with exposed subendothelial surfaces. Simultaneously, plasma coagulation proteins are activated in a sequential cascade that depends on the phospholipid provided by the activated platelets and calcium ions from plasma to form a stable clot (secondary hemostasis). Circumstances that activate platelets and the coagulation proteins also activate plasma fibrinolytic proteins, which ensure localization of the clot and its timely dissolution.
Hemostatic capabilities are traditionally assessed by tests of primary hemostasis (platelet count and buccal mucosal bleeding time) and secondary hemostasis through plasma-based assays designed to further localize defects, such as the APTT for intrinsic (XII, XI, IX, VIII) and common (X, V, II, fibrinogen) pathways, and PT for extrinsic (VII) and common pathways). The fibrinolytic system is evaluated with measurements of degradation products such as FDP and d-dimer or by thromboelastography, and endogenous anticoagulant ability has been evaluated through antithrombin, protein C, and protein S. Additional specialized individual coagulation factor tests can further localize congenital defects.
Thus, plasma-based coagulation screening tests can help identify the defective or deficient coagulation protein. Although this traditional approach makes it possible to effectively and systematically localize the cause of bleeding, it may be difficult from a clinical perspective to evaluate general hemostatic capability and to predict or monitor the effect of anticoagulant or procoagulant treatment. This may partially be because plasma-based tests of the secondary and fibrinolytic systems target specific elements of the hemostatic system, thus potentially ignoring other factors that may contribute significantly to overall hemostatic capability in acquired disorders. Another plausible reason is the low sensitivity of APTT and PT; usually, activity of a coagulation protein must be < 30% and sometimes < 10% of normal before an abnormality is detected.
Tests for increased risk or tendency toward thrombosis are generally available only through some academic and research laboratories. Measurement of antithrombin activity is being offered by increasing numbers of laboratories. Tests for measurement of activities of plasminogen, protein C, α2-antiplasmin, tissue plasminogen activator, and plasminogen activator inhibitor have been established in some domestic animals.
Assessment of Hemostatic Function in Whole Blood in Animals
Because whole blood contains all the intravascular factors and cells involved in physiologic and pathologic hemostasis, incorporating TF and phospholipid-bearing cells, whole blood assays may provide a more accurate reflection of in vivo hemostasis than traditional plasma-based hemostasis assays. However, few whole blood assays to assess both primary and secondary hemostasis have been used in veterinary studies to date.
The platelet function analyzer, PFA-100, is a method for quantitative, simple, and rapid in vitro assessment of primary platelet-related hemostasis at high shear stress. The test requires a small volume (0.8 mL) of citrated whole blood, which is drawn under vacuum through a 200-μm diameter stainless steel capillary and a 150-μm diameter aperture in a nitrocellulose membrane coated with collagen and epinephrine (CEPI) or collagen and ADP (CADP). A platelet aggregate forms that blocks blood flow through the aperture; the time taken to occlude the aperture is reported as the closure time. Prolonged closure times are seen with inherited platelet function disorders (eg, storage pool disorders), with aspirin ingestion, and with von Willebrand disease. The PFA-100 also has the ability to monitor response to treatment with both desmopressin acetate and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists.
Thromboelastography (TEG)
Thromboelastography (TEG) allows for rapid assessment of hemostatic function in whole blood. It evaluates all of the steps in hemostasis, including initiation, amplification, and propagation, as well as fibrinolysis, including the interaction of platelets and leukocytes with the proteins of the coagulation cascade. Thus, TEG combines evaluation of the traditional plasma components of coagulation with the cellular components. TEG is performed on unstabilized fresh whole blood within 4–6 minutes of taking the blood sample. This is generally not practical in a routine clinical setting, and using citrated stabilized whole blood (with recalcification immediately before analysis) has been proposed to increase the time span from sampling to analysis. A TF-activated TEG assay on citrated whole blood has been validated in dogs and shown to have a low analytical variation and good correlation to clinical signs of bleeding compared with many traditional plasma-based coagulation assays.
Thromboelastography is the first modality available to clinicians that can evaluate hypercoagulability. It is especially useful in dogs with DIC Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) in Animals In a severe deficiency or functional defect of coagulation proteins, clinical signs appear at an early age. Marked reductions in activity of coagulation proteins essential to hemostasis are... read more , neoplasia, sepsis, and parvoviral infection Canine Parvovirus Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that commonly causes GI disease in young, unvaccinated dogs. Presenting signs include anorexia, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea, which is often... read more , and to evaluate platelet dysfunction in dogs with hypothermia. TEG analysis is a valuable aid in the diagnostic evaluation of animals with abnormal hemostasis and a supplement to traditional coagulation tests such as PT, APTT, d-dimer, and fibrinogen assays. The use of TEG, especially in patients with suspected hypercoagulability, has become more widespread in hospitals with critical care specialists.
Key Points
The primary stage of normal coagulation requires normal numbers and function of platelets to form a plug.
A fibrin clot then forms (secondary stage) utilizing the platelet plug and normal clotting factors. The extent of the clot is controlled by fibrinolysis.
Evaluation of coagulation requires a combination of tests of primary and secondary stages. Thromboelastography is the gold standard for evaluation of both primary and secondary coagulation.
For More Information
Also see pet health information regarding bleeding disorders of dogs Bleeding Disorders of Dogs When bleeding occurs in an organ or body part, a process is set in motion to stop the bleeding. This is called hemostasis. In order to work, hemostasis requires an adequate number of platelets... read more , bleeding disorders of cats Bleeding Disorders of Cats When bleeding occurs in an organ or body part, a process is set in motion to stop the bleeding. This is called hemostasis. To work, hemostasis requires an adequate number of platelets, the right... read more , and bleeding disorders of horses Bleeding Disorders of Horses When bleeding occurs in an organ or body part, a process is set in motion to stop the bleeding. This is called hemostasis. In order to work, hemostasis requires an adequate number of platelets... read more .


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There are thick, pureed soups, soups that are like winter blanket—you just want to wrap yourself in them when it starts snowing outside.
And then there's tortilla soup—sopa Azteca, if you want to be authentic about it. A beautiful broth enriched with chiles, poured over chicken, topped with crunchy tortilla strips and finished with crema. It's not a winter blanket soup—it's more like a light jacket. And that makes it perfect for the first weekend—your first Mexican Weekend, if you will—in October.
Like guacamole, tortilla soup has a place, I feel, in practically every collection of Mexican recipes. It's a filling, flavorful meal that can be made with little effort, but one that sings with an unmistakable Mexican harmony. Earthy dark pasilla chile. The softening crunch of toasty corn tortillas. Soul-satisfying broth. And creamy-rich avocado and cheese.
A note about pasilla (sometimes called negro) chile: Its unique flavor defines tortilla soup in central Mexico. In Michoacan, it's ancho chile. In your kitchen, it might turn out to be another chile, like New Mexico or even a little smoky chipotle (be forewarned that chipotle will make the broth quite spicy). Though for these everyday recipes I've relied heavily on the easier-to-use powdered dried chile, finding powdered pasilla (negro) can be harder than finding the whole pod. Should powdered chile be at your finger tips (be it powdered pasilla (negro), ancho or beyond), add about 1 tablespoon to the pan about halfway through the cooking of the onion.
In Mexico, it's more common to crush toasted chile pods over the soup than to add it to the base. You can follow that lead, or do both as we do in our restaurants.
Quickly toast the chile by turning it an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until its aroma fills the kitchen. (Lacking an open flame, toast it in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds, then flipping it over and pressing it again.) Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender jar along with the tomatoes with their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won't completely puree the chile.)
Heat the oil in a medium (4-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible, and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.
Return the pan to medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly, until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and epazote, if using. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about a generous teaspoon (depending on the saltiness of the broth).
Just before serving, add the chicken to the simmering broth. Divide the avocado, cheese and tortilla chips between serving bowls. When the chicken is done, usually about 5 minutes, ladle the soup into the bowls. Garnish with the crema. Pass the lime separately.


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Offering a practical and affordable place to stay, hostels are becoming increasingly appealing to travellers with children. Hostels can offer families private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and to really keep costs down, the self-catering kitchens are ideal places to prepare packed lunches. Most hostels offer games rooms and children will be happy watching TV in the comfortable lounge areas after a busy day of sightseeing. Hostels often organise free activities such as city tours or movie nights. HostelBookers has reveals their 10 best family accommodation alternatives to the hotel.
Only 10 minutes walk from Lincoln Park Zoo, this hosteloffers four-bed private rooms and provides a common kitchen, tour information, maps and a BBQ area. Kids can have hours of fun in the games room complete with pool and foosball tables. There are also bikes for rent, board games and a large patio.
Adelaide Hostel and Hotel, San Francisco, USA
With a friendly and personal service the hostel is modelled on homely European-style pensioni and families can stay in the private triple, quad and six-bed rooms with daily cleaning. Parents can have a break from planning excursions because the hostel organises free walking tours of the city and staff can even plan trips to Yosemite National Park.
Parents travelling with kids can stay in family rooms at this Georgian style hostel equipped with all the mod cons and bright and colourful decor. Hyde Park is a short walk and top tourist attractions including Madame Tussauds, the Science Museum and Natural History Museum are within easy reach.
Villa Saint Exupery Gardens, Nice, France
Located in a quiet and safe residential area, families can book private en suite rooms at this charming converted monastery. There are plenty of activities on offer to keep the children happy including canyoning, sailing and horseback riding. The hostel offers a free baby sitting service and parents can enjoy some much needed time to themselves on a free city tour.
Edinburgh Central Hostel, Scotland
Just a 10-minute walk from Edinburgh's main Waverly Station and Princes Street, this hostel is ideally located for little legs. Families can book quad, triple or twin en suite rooms. There is a bistro and guests can also use self-catering facilities. There is free Wi-Fi access as well as coin operated PCs, laundry facilities and plasma TVs in the lounge area.
Danhostel Copenhagen City, Denmark
This family-friendly hostel is totally geared for children with a TV room, table tennis and cycle hire on offer and families can sleep in the private four and six-bed en suite rooms. With views of the skyline and the harbour, it's only a 10 minute walk to the popular vintage Tivoli amusement park.
Lisb'on Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
Located in the historical centre of Lisbon, this hostel offers family rooms and provides a free breakfast, free cots and baby highchairs. While the children play in the games room, or run around in the 150m garden, parents can enjoy fantastic views of the river from the 100m terrace.
A&O München Hackerbrücke, Munich, Germany
The reception has a kiddie corner with playhouse, crayons, colouring books and bedtime story books, as well as bike rental and a games room with video games. Children under six can eat for free at the dinner buffet too.
Sydney Beachouse Backpackers YHA, Australia
Located on Collaroy Beach, right on Sydney's superb Northern Beach, the Beachouse is a great alternative to staying in the bustling city centre for families. Children can play with the free volleyball sets, surfboards, bodyboards, snorkelling sets and bicycles. There is a rooftop pool and BBQ facilities.
Space Hotel and Hostel, Melbourne, Australia
Children will appreciate the techie touches in the family rooms, each equipped with flat screen TVs and iPod docking stations. For a quiet night in, this modern hotel and hostel boasts a fantastic cinema room where kids can settle down and watch movies while parents can make the most of the gym facilities.


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Election recount could send economy tumbling
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- No matter their politics, investors have a clear worst-case election scenario: No victor on Tuesday night.
If the close race between President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney turns into a prolonged recount, expect stocks -- and possibly the economy -- to take a tumble.
"In a race this tight, with absentee ballots and provisional ballots and legal teams lined up on both sides of the aisle, it could take time to sort out," said Art Hogan, chief market analyst at Lazard Capital Markets. "That uncertainty is the last thing this market wants, especially with the fiscal cliff looming."
The so-called fiscal cliff is the sharp rise in taxes and deep cuts in federal spending set to take effect in January unless Congress acts. Economists, including several members of the Federal Reserve, agree the economy is likely to fall into a new recession if this happens. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the $500 billion in spending cuts and higher taxes on almost 90% of households will send unemployment up to 9%.
"The consensus in corporate America and the investor class is there will be some kind of compromise on the fiscal cliff -- call it a fiscal bridge -- to avoid it from happening," said Hogan. "That consensus gets thrown out the window in an unresolved election."
The day after the 2000 election, as the outcome hung on a recount in Florida, the S&P 500 fell 1.6%. It declined another 3.5% between then and Dec. 13, when Al Gore conceded the race.
But some experts believe there's even more at stake this time around due to the looming fiscal cliff.
"Companies don't want to put cash somewhere that's going to get penalized. So they're sitting on a trillion dollars or so," said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist for S&P Capital IQ. "If we fall off of the cliff, there could be a sharp reaction by the stock market."
Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Analytics, doesn't think that a week or two of uncertainty will dramatically affect the markets or the economy. But the longer it drags on, the more it could cause investors and businesses to pull back.
"In the current economy, the collective psyche is much weaker, and the fiscal issues we face are much more serious than in 2000," Zandi said. "If they're fighting over every ballot, and it goes beyond Thanksgiving and you can't address the fiscal cliff at all, then it becomes an issue."
A prolonged recount battle could be more possible than you might think.
Ohio, with its 18 electoral votes, is seen as the key battleground of this election. It is quite possible that neither candidate will have the 270 electoral votes needed to win without Ohio. And if the voting there is close, it could easily take weeks, if not months, to count all the ballots.
If there are questions over a voter's eligibility at the polling place, he or she casts a provisional ballot, which election officials don't start counting until Nov. 17.
In 2008, there were an estimated 200,000 provisional ballots cast in Ohio. Obama won the state by 262,000 votes, so they didn't affect the outcome. But most people predict a much closer vote this time around.
CLICK HERE for additional Election Day coverage via FOX6Now.com.


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Sunday, February 9, 2014
Well we all know that my sis Suzanne is not great at updating her blog and I am not even sure if anyone is still following her (hee hee) … Her 43rd Birthday is very soon and I am so excited about ANOTHER birthday surprise that I have cooked up for her … I just can't say in enough ways at how I feel Suzanne is one of the kindest and most giving woman I have ever known … SHE LIVES JESUS OUT LOUD … She teaches me so much about LOVE AND GRACE … I thought there was no better way to honor her than to give the children's home in Honduras that she has fallen in love with a new bus … I know this is a tall ASK, but like I always say, if we can all just give a little it will make ENOUGH to do Jesus's work …
go read the blog post about this amazing place and help us by GIVING !!!
Help me give her a gift of LOVE !!!
blessings, GWEN
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About Me
- suzanne
- I am a lover of Jesus. I have the most fabulous husband that anyone woman could ask for. The Lord has blessed us with 7 beautiful children. I started this blog so that friends and family could follow our trip to Uganda to visit Katie Davis. I have decided to keep blogging to help bring orphan awareness to the world around me.


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Update Freezer is a free and simple tool that helps to temporarily disable different kinds of automatic software updates on Windows. You can download and use it completely for free. The software package has no bloatware, advertising or any other kind of bundled software.
We do recommend having all critical software updates switched on. We totally support this rule. However there are situations when you need an exception to this rule, for example:
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- You are bored of updates and want to allow them on-demand: perform updates when you need them.


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There is no association between the administration of the death penalty and subsequent murder rates, sociologists at New York University and Virginia Tech University report after analyzing more than 50 years of crime statistics in Trinidad and Tobago.
"Our analysis of homicides and serious crimes in Trinidad and Tobago seriously undermines the contention that capital punishment offers a solution to Trinidad and Tobago's soaring homicide rate," wrote the study's co-authors, NYU Professor David Greenberg and Virginia Tech University Professor Biko Agozino. "Over a span of 50 years, during which these sanctions were being deployed in degrees that varied substantially, neither imprisonment nor death sentences nor executions had any significant relationship to homicides."
The study appeared in the British Journal of Criminology.
A study of the impact of capital punishment in the Caribbean republic is of particular interest because of its high level of death-penalty sentencing.
"It has been hard to measure capital punishment as a deterrent to murder in the U.S. because it is administered infrequently," explained Greenberg. "By contrast, in Trinidad and Tobago, the chances of actually being executed have historically been much higher."
In the United States, the death penalty was reinstated by states more than 30 years ago—following a 1976 landmark Supreme Court ruling—while capital punishment has not existed in Canada or in western Europe for several decades.
By contrast, Trinidad and Tobago had high rates of death-penalty sentencing and executions prior to a 1993 court ruling, which barred the death penalty for inmates on death row longer than five years, thereby reducing the number of executions and death-penalty sentences. Though the courts continue to impose death sentences, none has been carried out in more than a decade.
The researchers note that from 1955 to 1980, homicide rates were relatively stable in Trinidad and Tobago, ranging from 4.44 per 100,000 (1955) to 4.34 (1980) during this period. However, during this same stretch, executions ranged from a high of 16 in 1969 to zero between 1980 and 1993. By contrast, when executions rose to 11 in 1999, the murder rate rose in nearly every subsequent year until 2007, the last year calculated. In 2007, 391 homicides were recorded in Trinidad and Tobago—a country with a population of just 1,328,412—resulting in a rate of 29.4 per 100,000 population. This compares to a US homicide rate in the same year of 5.6 per 100,000 population.
The researchers acknowledged the role geography could play into the findings.
"Generalizations from Trinidad and Tobago to other settings must obviously be made cautiously," they wrote. "Every country has distinctive elements of culture, social structure, and social organization that may influence the way its population responds to criminal justice sanctions, including the death penalty."
The researchers acknowledged that murders in the republic have risen dramatically since 2000—when executions ceased, even though death-penalty sentences have continued—but maintained this change says little about the impact of capital punishment as a deterrent to murder.
"We can reject the argument that the cessation of executions brought about a big increase in murder in the last decade—in earlier years, big swings in the execution rate had no visible effect and the 11 executions in 1999 brought about no detectable drop in homicides," explained Greenberg.