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I have to confess this is one of the most requested blog post in Web Deployment via either direct emails, comments on the blogs, twitter, in conferences etc and it has been completely my bad to have prolonged this as long as I have. As it is said - better late than never, so without any delay let us get started.
In this blog post I am hoping to cover the topics of setting up your web deployment using Web Deploy (MsDeploy) and Team Build. When we talk about automated web deployment with Web Deploy (I love our naming J) there are multiple aspects that come into mind, let us clear few of the concepts before we proceed with the walkthrough:
· Web Packaging – Web Packaging is the process of creating a .zip file which can contain your web content (pages, images, CSS, JavaScript files etc), databases, IIS Settings, Application creation, ACLs etc. From your Team Build you can easily create Web Packages which you can ask your server admin or Test team to pick up and install on you web servers for testing. With Web Packages (.zip files) you will also get a .cmd file created by VS 2010 which can be run to install the package. There is not a direct automation to run this command file from team build but you can easily hook up post build step to execute the .cmd file if you would like to automate the installation of the package as well.
· Web Publishing – Web Publishing is the process of directly taking the source application (in Team Build case the sources are hopefully in your TFS source repository) and directly pushing it to the destination web server. In this case a .zip file is not created but if you would like that for archival then that is possible as well. If you want your web servers to have your latest web application installed in Continuous Integration (CI) fashion then Web Publishing is the direction I would recommend.
Note - Web Publishing can only work when you have your Web Servers configured to accept Web Deploy request. There is an earlier blog post about Setting up your Web Servers for Web Deploy, without having your Web Servers setup the below walkthrough (Publish Section) will not succeed so please make sure that you have your Web Servers configured correctly before proceeding.
Step 1: Get your TFS Build Server and Source Code Control Set up
I am going to assume that you have a license for VS 2010 TFS environment setup. Below are the simple steps to have TFS setup using basic configuration (i.e. everything installed as shown belowJ)
Once the product has installed and you get a successful "Setup is complete" dialog, finish the installation and you will see a TFS configuration wizard. First let us configure Team Foundation Application Server and then configure the Team Build service as shown below:
The TFS Basic install is sufficient as it is the simplest setup option and honestly it does most of the stuff that I need. Honestly in my opinion it is so many times better than TFS 2008 which was much more complicated to set up. For nearly all of the screens just simply keep clicking next and eventually the set up wizard will finish and hopefully you will agree with me that this setup is indeed a breeze.
Once the server configuration is complete, start the wizard for to Configure Team Foundation Build Service and it will come up with a Welcome Screen below:
Again, click Next for each page and accept the defaults, before even you know you will have a functional TFS server ready to go. I know that the above explanation will sound like a joke but really TFS 2010 setup is as simple as that and it is difficult to complicate it unless you really require all the bells and whistles. I did have a loaded Microsoft software box but if you don't then there might be some minor pre-requisites required but I am sure the setup wizard will let you know that J
Glitch: Now there is one glitch in this entire set up still which I need to call out for you. When you build your web projects, you need the Team Build service to have all the .targets files your projects needs. The TFS installation I showed above does not include all the targets files that comes with Visual Studio 2010. To get the necessary files on your machines, install Visual Studio on the same machine as your TFS server so your projects can build successfully. Now that certainly does not sound very nice so the alternate back door option is to go to %Program Files (x86)%\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v10.0 on your Visual Studio IDE box and copy the target files on your Team Build Server at the similar path. For Web deployment you will most likely only need "Web" and "WebApplications" folder but there is nothing wrong with having all the tasks and targets there just in case you need them later.
Step 2: Connecting to your TFS server from Visual Studio and getting your project into source control
On the home screen of VS 2010 you now have an option to Connect to Team Foundation Server or alternatively you can do so from the "Team" menu within VS too as shown below:
You will then see the "Connect to Team Project" dialog where you point to your TFS Server. If your server isn't already populated in the server list drop down, you can add it clicking the "Servers…" button:
Once you are connected, you need to create a new Team Project from the File menu:
Give your team project a name and click through the wizard to create your Team Project and finish the wizard. Once your team project is created, you are ready to get your app into the source code control.
If you need further help in setting up your source code control and build server then check out the links below:
· Using Version Control with TFS 2010
· Understanding basic Build with TFS 2010
Step 3: Get your app running and checked into TFS Source Code Control
Well you know how to get your app up and running so I will not dive into that J but just for reference of this walkthrough below the is app I am using. I created this Web App for TechEd US 2010 in New Orleans using MVC Music store sample on CodePlex. (You can watch the TechEd US 2010 video here) As you can see in the sample below it is working on my localhost.
The site is also checked into my TFS source code control as shown below:
To check your application to Source Code Control you simply need to right click it and the menu options will guide you from there.
Step 4: Connect to TFS using Team Explorer
On VS 2010 Team Explorer you will find a button on the top right which will allow you to connect to a team project. When you click the button and select your Team project your Team should similar to what I have below:
Step 5: Create a new Build Definition
A build definition instructs TFS on how to trigger the build. In this case we want deployment to accompany the Build too so we will create a new Build Definition and configure it accordingly. For that right click on the "Builds" node of the Team Project and click "New Build Definition"
At this point you will see the below dialog where you can name your build definition appropriately.
Step 6: Configure your Trigger in TFS 2010 Build Definition
Trigger configuration informs Team Build on when to fire a build there are several options as shown below and I will explain them at high level for you to be able to make the right call
· Manual – As the name suggests this mode allows the Build to be triggered manually as you desire, for demo purposes I am going to use this but ideally you want to explore other options also to determine what works best for you.
· Continuous Integration – This is classic celebrated CI model where every check in into the source code control will cause a build and hence resultant deployment that we would configure.
· Rolling Builds - Sometimes when working in massive teams CI can be disruptive as there are several check ins happening every other hour. In that case you can inform your dev team that there will be a build happening every X minutes and they should plan for that. During end game period of the project this configuration may help to have routine quick builds coming out.
· Gated Check-Ins - This was one of the highly requested features for teams who did not want any broken builds due to bad check-ins. This will ensure that only check-ins which merge & build successfully.
· Scheduled Builds – As name suggests you can also have builds coming out during regular times every day. This is the model which is used by larger VS and .NET teams in general, we too get our builds created on a nightly basis. The funny part is that I do not think that VS & .NET build configuration is as easy as TFS 2010 makes it for everyone else J
Step 7: Configure your Workspace which needs to be built
This is where you specify what you want to build. As shown below I have configured my Project folder as the build target.
Step 8: Provide Drop Location where you want your builds to be dropped
This is relatively a simple step for creating a UNC folder with correct folder permissions so that your TFS build (which typically runs under NETWORK SERVICE) has correct permissions to write to build output path. My setting looks as below:
Step 9: Setup the Retention Policy
Retention Policy simply informs how to save the builds in the drop folder mentioned above. I did not modify mine so it looks as below, although you might want to change these settings based on the disk space that you available:
Step 10: Configuring the Deployment Process
For this you have to go to the "Process" tab which looks as below:
Most of the items in these are self explanatory but I want to spend some time explaining a few which matter in our case:
· Automated Tests – TFS allows you to run the tests in Tests.dll automatically during each build so if you would like to have some unit tests run during build and deployment then this is a great place to mention that. There is also a flag to stop running the tests in the grid which you can set if you do not want to disturb your configuration of this property.
· MSBuild Arguments - This is the location where you need to specific the hooks to mention that you want to trigger deployment as part of the build.
o Web Packaging – For Web Packaging the argument you want to specify is simply:
The above property is going to tell the Web Publishing Pipeline (WPP) to engage after the build is successful. At the default target which executes is Packaging you should not need to provide any other properties.
o Web Publishing – For Web Publishing the arguments you want to specify are:
/p:DeployOnBuild=True /p:DeployTarget=MsDeployPublish /p:CreatePackageOnPublish=True /p:MSDeployPublishMethod=InProc /p:MSDeployServiceUrl=localhost /p:DeployIisAppPath="Default Web Site/NewOrleansJazz" /p:UserName=domain\user /p:Password=myPassword
In this case because we want publishing with Web Deploy to happen we provide /p:DeployTarget value to be MsDeployPublish.
/p:CreatePackageOnPublish allows you to create a package before publishing, it will help you keep an archive of what you published on your local drops folder. Although do note that It will certainly slow down the deployment and eat your disk space so choose it as you see fit.
/p:MsDeployServiceUrl tells the WPP where the project needs to be published to. In the beginning of this post I had mentioned that you need to set up the remote Web Server for Publish, this is the place where it finally gets used. The URL format is typically https://ServerName:8172/MsDeploy.axd. As I am using localhost as my build as well as test server I do not need to provide the full URL (i.e. VS 2010 will complete it as needed) but since your test server is going to be different than build server in real world you will have to provide full URL.
[UPDATE: It was brought to my attention that I had missed a detail in this post which is certainly worth clarifying. If you are using the Service URL by setting up the server as explained above then you will have to change MSDeployPublishMethod from InProc to WMSVC so the property should become /p:MSDeployPublishMethod=InProc to /p:MSDeployPublishMethod=WMSVC Note that if you are publishing to localhost VS can use Web Deploy APIs directly within the same process of VS hence I was using InProc as my option. If you are publishing to a different server then InProc will not work and give you errors so please make the above change. Apologies for missing this detail earlier.]
/p:DeployIisAppPath tells the publishing system the IIS Site Name/App Name that you want to publish to. E.g. Default Web Site/MVCMusicStore
/p:UserName=domain\user is the actual User Name which has access to the remote Web Server on which you set up the Web Deploy Publishing
/p:Password=myPassword is the actual Password for the User Name above
NOTE: Do note that the sample here can only publish to IIS 7 (Win2k8 and above), if you are running IIS6 or lower (i.e. Win2k3/ Win2k) then you need to follow slightly different process. Please drop a comment here and I will write a follow up post on that.
o File Copying – This will allow you to simply to a xCopy deployment without needing to setup any remote service
/p:DeployOnBuild=true /p:DeployTarget=PipelinePreDeployCopyAllFilesToOneFolder /p:_PackageTempRootDir=\\BuildServer\BuildDrops\MVCMusicStore /p:AutoParameterizationWebConfigConnectionStrings=false
/p:_PackageTempRootDir allows you to specify the remote server location on which you want xCopy to happen. Again the remote location will need permission to be writable by Team Build Agent which is running the deployment
/p:AutoParameterizationWebConfigConnectionStrings=false essentially tells WPP to not parameterize the Web.Config file since doing so will introduce replicable tokens within Web.Config which are used during Packaging & Publishing.
NOTE: File Copying was honestly never designed out of the box to be used from Team Build in such fashion but some people have been interested in using Web.Config Transformation during xCopy and hence I thought it was worthwhile mentioning this in the blog.
PS: Using properties which begin with underscore "_" is not typically recommended as they are considered private MSBuild variables by convention but in this case it is relatively easy way to accomplish the xCopy solution. Even in future versions of VS if this property changes I am hopeful there will be alternate/easier way to do this. In general if you can set up the Publishing on your web server using Web Deploy I think it will yield you longer term advantages and I think it is a worthwhile endeavor to take.
· Projects To Build - When you have only one web application and class libraries then it is easier to just have the Project (CSProj or VBProj) to build as shown in my example above, but if you have bunch of projects which all need to built then you might have to go with Solution Build option (.SLN).
Deployment for Web Apps is feasible at both Solution as well as Project build level although when it comes to Solution Build then you might want to make sure that the properties you are passing at Solution level will apply to all the projects in the solution which might not always the outcome you desire. In that situation all these properties can be set within the .csproj or .vbproj files too. You can do that by unloading your project file and in the top <PropertyGroup> section just add above properties as you like:
For e.g /p:DeployOnBuild=True can be added as <DeployOnBuild>True</DeployOnBuild>
Step 11: Trigger your Build Definition
Now that you have everything configured you can right click on the Build Definition and hit "Queue New Build".. That will show you a dialog which you can simply hit OK on and you should soon get your Build ready and the site deployed as shown in my case below:
After a while when you check into the Completed section of the build you should see your new build lined up.
On inspecting the IIS and SQL Server you can see my sites & DBs are also deployed.
Finally on running the application it runs great too:
This was actually a combination of setting up my DB deployment settings too, to learn more about configuring your deployment in the right way check out TOC on Web deployment.
PS: If you get an error on TFS like below:
TF215097: An error occurred while initializing a build for build definition \TechEd-US-2010\MvcMusicStore: There was no endpoint listening at http://MyServer:9191/Build/v3.0/Services/Controller/1 that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details.
Then most likely you do not have your Build Service running, you can enable it by going to Start à All Programs à Team Foundation Administration Console à Build Configuration.
Hopefully this will get you going with your automated web deployments. Please write back if you feel anything is missing or if you have any other questions. If you have questions like how would you configure what gets deployed, how to set up DB deployment, how to change web.config etc etc we have tons of articles on how to customize your deployment. You can look at a whole list of them at Overview of Web Deployment
Hope this helps


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NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The continued increases in oil & gas transaction volume and drilling activity have strained oil & gas land organizations, leading to missed opportunities in building efficiencies and capturing value, according to PwC's 2014 Land Management Benchmarking study. The study was based on responses from more than 70 oil and gas professionals from different functions across 20 top oil and gas companies in the U.S. and concluded that rapid shifts from land acquisition to development has intensified the resource and organizational gaps in land administration and operations.
Findings from PwC's Land Management Benchmarking study are featured in the report, Organizing for success: Designing and enabling a successful land organization.
"Land functions are being challenged to do more and provide greater value, yet they are finding it difficult to keep pace with today's accelerated rate of deal and drilling activity as leases change hands at greater levels than in the past," said Reid Morrison, US energy advisory leader at PwC. "Our study also showed that managing the ever growing volume of data combined with fragmented communications and coordination across the organization is exacerbating the challenge of maximizing the value of their land operations. With so much at stake, E&Ps are beginning to elevate the strategic importance of land from the back-office to forefront of operations, and well-positioned organizations are implementing new systems, processes and operating models across their operations to capture the full value of their upstream investments."
According to PwC, key trends among successful land operating models include:
- Executive Leadership – High ranking land leadership is essential for promoting the value of land across the business, effectively partnering with other business functions, and ensuring land has the necessary resources to be successful.
- Centralization – Successful organizations are generally more centralized with closer links between land operations and land administration across geographies. Ideally, land operations are imbedded with the asset teams and have functional reporting lines to land and apply a common operating model, processes, KPIs, etc.
- Accountability – Organizations that are able to create clear roles & responsibilities, performance metrics, and technology tools that drive transparency, responsibility, and accountability are generally more successful.
- Talent Development – Leveraging the next generation workforce is crucial. Field experience is required for developing well-rounded corporate/mineral landmen. Lease analysts require broader experiences – the 30-year lease analyst is a thing of the past.
- Foundation for Success – It is essential to build a strong foundation prior to looking for organizational improvements in other areas, including land administration and land operations.
"Drawing on the key takeaways of the study, we created a land value framework for helping the oil and gas industry understand what 'good' looks like within land organizations," added Morrison. "Our framework is centered on three value pillars – creating value through acquisition or divestiture, unlocking value through exploration, drilling and well completion, and realizing maximum value through the life of the asset."
In highlighting the importance of executive leadership, results from the study also indicate that a single land organization leader strengthens communication and data flows across the land value chain. Among those with functional alignment under a VP of Land, 82 percent rated communication and coordination as excellent or good, compared to only 57 percent of those without a VP. In terms of data flows, 83 percent rated data flows as excellent or poor, compared to 59 percent of those without a VP.
Measuring the value that land can bring to the organization was also lacking, according to the results. More than a third of the companies surveyed did not utilize key performance indicators to manage the land organization, while more than half lacked metrics specific to land operations performance.
The use of sophisticated technology to improve data flows, measurement and efficiencies is gaining traction among those surveyed. The study found that 55 percent of companies saw increased integration and leverage of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as a key enabling technology. According to PwC, the extensive capabilities of GIS provide a unique way to approach traditional land management activities and business processes in order to improve information sharing and decision quality across the organization. PwC is hosting a webcast entitled, "Technology trends in land management: Geographic Information Systems" on August 27, 2014 at 1:00 pm CT that will discuss the benefits of GIS across land operations.
PwC is also in the field for its second Land Management Benchmarking study. E&P companies interested in participating should contact Stephen Wright at [email protected].
About the PwC US Energy Practice
We focus on customizing three things- assurance, tax and advisory services- to meet the unique challenges of energy companies. How we use the knowledge and experience we've gained from serving the largest and most complex energy companies to the entrepreneurial start-ups depends on our clients' goals and culture. Taking the time to get to know our clients and listening to their needs lets us use our energy team-- of 3,100 people located around the world -- to create the value our clients want.
For more information about PwC's Energy practice, visit: www.pwc.com/energy.
About PwC US
PwC US helps organizations and individuals create the value they're looking for. We're a member of the PwC network of firms in 157 countries with more than 184,000 people. We're committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Tell us what matters to you and find out more by visiting us at www.pwc.com/US. Gain customized access to our insights by downloading our thought leadership app: PwC's 365™ Advancing business thinking every day.
Learn more about PwC by following us online: @PwC_LLP, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google +.
© 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved. PwC US refers to the US member firm, and PwC may refer to either the PwC network of firms or the US member firm. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100917/NY66894LOGO
SOURCE PwC US

subset: commoncrawl


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Last Friday evening, a ceremony was held at the D23 Expo to mark the first day of issue of the "Send A Hello Forever Stamps," which feature several Pixar characters, such as Buzz Lightyear, WALL-E, and Lightning McQueen. John Lasseter was present for the ceremony and gave a touching speech (video clip below) about how honored he and the company of Pixar was to have their characters etched into history. Read on to view the full press release marking the occasion, which includes details on how to order the stamps. Knowing how many collectors will want a piece of the action, they have provided various options for those who want keepsakes. [Read more…]
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January and citrus are a natural pair when it comes to me and cupcakes. As is typical, I ate too much chocolate and too many sweets over the holidays and really had to dig deep to find the motivation to even think of baking. But dig deep I did… Well, actually, I perused the latest issue of Imbibe (I will admit I have a recipe and photo featured in an article about cooking with tea) and stumbled on many a drink recipe that provided just the inspiration I needed.
I settled quickly on bitters as a way to counteract my overindulgence in sweets. I love bitters. Likely because I love(d) to drink Manhattans. This combination came from a couple different drink recipes (both by Lance J. Mayhew of Meriwether's in Portland, Oregon). The bitterness and tartness of bitters and lemon appealed to my post-holiday's sensibilities. I decided on a lemon chiffon cake to keep it light and meringue for the same reason. The end result is a pillow of sweet/bitter/tartness that is quite sophisticated (especially for a cupcake). This recipe likely won't be for everyone and I will be interested to see how they go over at work tomorrow. I was pleased with the experience though.
Lemon Cupcakes
~20 cupcakes / 350 degree oven
1-1/2 cups flour (cake if you have it, otherwise all-purpose)
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup grape seed oil or vegetable oil
4 egg yolks (approximately 3 ounces)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract, all natural
grated rind from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon bitters
5 egg whites (approximately 5 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 cup sugar
1. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oil, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon extract, lemon rind, and bitters. Stir to combine.
3. On a low setting, start to beat the dry mixture and slowly add the wet. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until incorporated.
4. Transfer mixture to another bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl.
5. Whip egg whites with whip attachment on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer on medium speed, add cream of tarter and slowly add sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. Scoop a cupful of the stiff egg whites into the batter and stir to combine. This should lighten up the batter.
7. Transfer the batter to the egg whites and gently fold until there are no more streaks of egg white.
8. Scoop into cupcake cups about 2/3s full and bake at 350 F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Sorrel Simple Syrup
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon chopped Sorrel
1. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan set over medium high heat.
2. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until fairly thick, about 2 minutes
3. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in Sorrel and set aside to cool.
Sorrel Meringue Frosting
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg whites
Sorrel simple syrup
Splash of Bitters
1. Whisk the egg whites and sugar over a water bath in the standing mixer bowl until it reaches a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. This only takes only a few of minutes.
2. Transfer to standing mixer and whisk using whisk attachment at high speed until soft peaks form.
3. With the mixer on medium speed, drizzle sorrel syrup into the mixer. Splash in a bit of bitters. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.
1. Pipe meringue frosting.
2. Toast with a culinary or blow torch.


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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
(AP) - It's a holiday season tradition that you don't want to observe. Many consumers spend more than they can afford, often racking up huge credit card balances.
But there's no need to exit the season of giving in worse financial shape than when it began. That's a lesson Suki Eleuterio learned after spending recent years stretching her finances to buy holiday gifts.
"I found myself just swamped in debt and trying to pay off bills from last Christmas and the Christmas before," said Eleuterio, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The marketing and public relations executive resolved this year to control spending, an effort that has her on track to pay off $10,000 in credit card and student loan debt by year's end. She's also tackling holiday gift giving differently than in years past.
Eleuterio, 30, plans to spend about one quarter of the $300 to $400 she shelled out last year on gifts. And she's avoiding credit cards.
"If I can't afford to pay for it right now then I won't buy it," she said.
Here are some tips for managing your holiday season spending:
Santa makes his list and checks it twice. More holiday season shoppers should be as thorough.
Establish a budget that lays out how much you plan to spend on each person on your list. Then stick to it.
"That way you're not walking around the mall with a credit card with a $20,000 limit, window shopping, with no plan, no strategy and no discipline," said John Ulzheimer, of Credit Sesame, a credit management website.
He also suggests capping your gift budget at a level that won't jeopardize your other financial obligations.
"It's almost like going to Las Vegas," Ulzheimer said. "Take only the money that you're comfortable losing."
More than half of married couples said they have paid with cash to cover up large purchases, and more than one in 10 married individuals has taken out a credit card in their own name to hide spending from their spouse, according to a survey released last month by McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union.
That's potentially bad news for those couples' finances, if not their marriage.
The trend is a symptom of the pressure many couples feel to impress their significant others, said Shawn Gilfedder, president and CEO of McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union.
It also reflects how many people don't plan or communicate well when it comes to financial matters.
He recommends using online applications like Mint.com or FinanceWorks.com, which enable couples to share their financial information at a glance.
Eleuterio's approach: She and her husband, Robert, plan to stick to a ballpark estimate they each agreed upon for how much to spend on each other's gifts.
In a survey by the National Retail Federation last month, nearly 44 percent of consumers said they planned to use a debit card or check card most often when buying holiday gifts. But nearly 29 percent said they would rely on credit cards.
Unless you plan to pay your holiday charges in full by the due date, avoid using credit.
You'll pay more in the long-run and carrying higher balances for several months could lower your credit score, making it more expensive to refinance your home, buy a car or qualify for other loans.
Another way to cut back on holiday spending is to use rewards points that you may have accrued on your credit cards or airline mileage loyalty programs.
Some cards offer cash back, credits against your balance or even special deals to buy gift items from a points redemption store. Major card issuers such as American Express, Chase, Citi and Discover offer some type of points reward program.
Start setting aside money well before the stores get into holiday season mode.
Although it may be too late for this year, evaluate how much you end up spending so you can budget for next year, said Katie Bryan, spokeswoman for America Saves, a campaign of the Consumer Federation of America.
Once you pay off this season's purchases, start paying into a holiday savings account for next year.
Eleuterio began saving for the holidays a few weeks ago, setting aside about $25-$50 a paycheck.
Here's a worksheet for crafting a savings plan: www.americasaves.org/for-savers.
And if you need help tackling your post-holiday debt, counseling agencies approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development offer free services. They can be found on www.hud.gov.
Eleuterio skipped out on Black Friday and plans to avoid malls this season. Instead of buying gifts, her holiday budget will go toward supplies to create personalized framed photos, poetry, baked goods and other homemade gifts. She also plans to cook dinner for some friends.
The approach has helped her understand the holiday season is more than just a shopping spree, Eleuterio said.
There's something much more to the meaning of the holiday, she said, "and if you're not just spending money the whole time, you get to actually see it."
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
To obtain shot/vaccine records, contact your physician.
Show All Answers
To obtain a Birth Certificate, you must contact the town in which you were born. If you were born at Schuyler Hospital, contact Don Spaccio, Town of Montour & Village of Montour Falls Registrar at 607-535-9595. Search the County Town & Village Directory to locate your town information.
Marriage licenses may be obtained through the Town Clerks. Search the County Town & Village Directory to locate your town information. If you need a copy of your original marriage license, this can be obtained from the Town Clerk you originally filed with or from the NYS Department of Vital Records.
A disposition is available at the County Clerk's Office for a $5.00 fee. A whole criminal history search would be conducted through the Sheriff's Records Department.
Knowledge of specific type of records the person is looking for would need to be known. Marriage and death certificates are found with the town clerks; birth certificates are found with the county registrar if the person was originally born in Schuyler, or possibly Vital Statistics with the State. Deeds created after Schuyler County was formed are found at the County Clerk's Office. Previous to that, they would be found with the County that previously occupied that part of the county.
Tax Bills and Payment information can be obtained from the County Treasurer's Office.
Divorce Records finalized in Schuyler County can be found in the County Clerk's Office and are available only to the original parties involved or their attorneys.


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Forget Opta chalkboards, Adidas MiCoach sensors, and electronic goal line monitoring — as technological innovations coming to U.S. soccer go, this is the big one. At a secret Manhattan launch event last Tuesday night, held for a select group of journalists (one), a series of mind-blowing demos took place. And while the ability to animate Clint Dempsey's face via Kinect proved a fun diversion, there was no doubt what the main attraction was — the live feed of Thierry Henry's inner monologue.
I was thrilled to see this. Not for reasons of prurience — and given that the five official minutes of the demo were devoted to a carefully selected period when the New York superstar was staring at his fish tank plans, there wasn't much danger of him straying into dangerous territory anyway. But Henry is such a fantastic jumble of cultural reference points — as a fierce competitor, he not only plays hard on the field, but cannot bear the thought that someone, somewhere, might be better at living in the city he currently occupies. To access his thoughts is to not only see a philosopher genius of the sport, but a gazetteer of the cultural life of the city. With this public service in mind, I only felt half bad about stealing the password ("arseneknows247") and using it during Henry's diva-like performance against Columbus last Saturday — when not only was he in irresistible form, he was full of insights into his team and adopted home.
Warning: The feed is slightly erratic, and occasionally Henry actually lowers his thoughts beyond audible level to mess with his own mind, or lapses into Cockney/French rhyming slang — in those cases I've made the best possible guess at what he's saying, but inaccuracies may have crept in. Also, certain sections, such as a long crossed-wire internal discourse on Luc Besson's The Fifth Element, which Henry attributes to Afrika Bambaataa, have been erased for reasons of accuracy/relevance. For what it's worth, Henry was wandering back from offside at the time he was pondering this.
With those caveats — and the fact that this technology is in very early beta stage — in mind, I give you the Henry files, Part 1
The teams emerge from the tunnel. Henry pretends not to care, but is sure to arrive at the field slightly before everyone else. His thoughts gradually settle on the game:
Montage, montage, montage, silly rock music … zeeeeeeeee … c'mon, to me, now … and we're walking, out of the tunnel, and again, the turf. The child in front of me is too slow. But I can't carry him. What am I supposed to do? It's like I've been saying, if it's grass, cut it. I point him to the children in front of the visitors: "These are good mascots — we must respect them." The child cries harder, but that is the standard we must reach. I look over to Rafa, the one who understands, but he is picking the pocket of the assistant referee. I catch his eye … ooooooooeeeeee …
(It is never quite clear whether certain noises originate with Henry or can be put down to electronic interference — I have included them when unsure.)
In the second minute, a lobbed pass finds Henry. He stays on balance, taking a rather tame shot on target, though it is saved easily by Andy Gruenebaum in the Columbus goal. A moment later Columbus take the lead as Arrieta goes past Connor Lade at right back and sends a cutback across goal for Mirosevic to convert.
Ah, my old friend, drop for me, drop for me … Yellow inches into my peripheral vision as Marshall turns slowly after me. "Chad" — I have now met a Chad. This is America. I remember the reverie well — December, 2000, as the fifth goal against Newcastle went in. My mind was still in Florida with chads — dimpled, hanging … would I ever immerse myself in this place? Yellow awakens me again. Marshall turns upfield. Gruenebaum is down holding the ball. Merde. It has happened again. How did a goal not occur? I must regard the turf in doubt.
Now the yellow shirts drift away from me as I stroll back upfield. They are a team I admire and respect. Barbasol has been around for 90 years — tradition and passion. I may be with Gillette, but you can still look at other smooth shaves to appreciate. Keep up with the world game. Now look, they have scored — see! We have made things hard on ourselves. I say ourselves not myself — there is no "Je" in team, though there is an "I" in equippe … I watch the one who looks like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin pick the ball out of the net. Yes, I know this! I had Mickey Rourke (Mickey Rourke!) walk me along the boardwalk of Asbury Park to explain the wrestling and sometimes now I have Lindpere dive from the crossbar onto Holgersson in training, like an Estonian Triple Etch. It builds the team. As for the goal, I feel nothing. McCarty scurries back to get the ball on the spot quickly — I am impressed? No. He enters my zone and he whispers to me that that is Mirosevic's third goal of the season and Arrieta's third assist. I nod curtly to show him I know this, glance at Higuain on the Crew bench, and send the redheaded one to research all such siblings in American soccer.
Henry is playing off the shoulder of the last defender a lot in this game, rather than dropping deep as he sometimes does. In the ninth minute Rafa Marquez sends a long ball over the top that Henry traps first time and pokes home past Gruenebaum to level the scores.
Find the game. Find the game. Yes, but it's like I've been telling you all year, I have the game, but where do you keep it? You look at how the Heat won last year — did LeBron stay in the air? No. You must pound on the court and touch the wood. That's why I drop deep — to touch, to feel my roots. Today, though, the one they call Gaven is running around in that area, wild-eyed and possibly mildly rabid — he reminds me of the covers of the Woodstock-era bootlegs of The Band that David Seaman used to play me forever at Arsenal. His beard is an affront to his sponsor. Mine, too, perhaps, but I have a frame for my thoughts. I leave him to mercies of the Australian, who is bounding round the middle at random, strewth-ing into things. Ah. NOW! NOW! Rafa is pausing by the halfway line with the ball — I know this look. I first saw it in our Barça days, when Puyol sullied his fragrance launch in Sitges. A mix of recognition and contempt. I cannot get involved, but NOW! NOW! I leave Marshall to his dreams of milk, and the pass arrives. Boff! Goal. Yet I am off-balance to celebrate. Ach! Sensing my despair, the others leave me be, but for McCarty, who scampers up to me weeping in relief. Hush, little one …
New York continue to press in the first half, though the next good chance is a free header for the Crew's Marshall, just a few minutes after the goal, as New York defend a free kick using a wall consisting of the diminutive Connor Lade.
Marshall's header goes over — he is strangely magnificent, though, like an ox before felling. I feel the awe I always feel in the presence of authenticity — one I feel alone. My first day in New York I had the Ream boy over to Soho to wire my apartment from the lamppost, in tribute to Kool Herc. Ream was … stoic, to be fair. I still see his face talking to the cop. So solemn. Ha. New York City cops. Cagney. Lacey. Wheeeee … Look at Connor leap to be the wall. I am proud of him. You can see Mirosevic wonder if he is far away or small. The Columbus player jogs back up the field confused by this depth-of-field question and the Australian runs into him hard — "Love tap, mate," he grins. In London he would have served me my Carling.
Shortly afterward, an Henry run creates a half-chance for his strike partner Kenny Cooper.
Now Cooper is running. This should be magnificent, but isn't. I step back and he barrels sightlessly past … to where? What goes on with him? So large, so gentle, so strange. If the game is a newspaper, he folds it into a hat. The ball arcs over from deep again and I run. The angle is acute but I cut across the goal and Cooper's unsubtle shot is cleared from the line. My angle to reach him for the pass was narrower than my angle to goal, but I chose to share, to educate, to grow the game here. Another slow trudge upfield. I remember to wince.
The game is 1-1 at halftime.
I let the Swede speak. "In a way … In a way … " — it is like I have been telling him all year, if there is a way, we would find it. McCarty is in the corner setting my TiVo for Boardwalk Empire, then switching to Twitter when he thinks I'm not looking. Pearce is preening discreetly — I remember his first night in New York. I took him to the site where the Mercer Hotel had stood, grabbed him by both shoulders and told him the Dolls played there. I introduced him to Fab Five Freddie and we lamented the decline of the East Village. Pearce wanted to know "where the laydeez were at." We left him near an NYU dorm. Arriviste. Now Conde has him in a headlock and is demanding money. I pretend not to see from under my towel. The game is there to be won, but we must respect Columbus — not literally, of course, but there is much to be learned from teams of their genre. The Australian is talking about "the MLS" in the corner. I look up to fix him with a steely glare — "THERE IS NO DEFINITE ARTICLE." "No worries, mate," he chirps, before returning to talk of "running through walls for this team." Later I will stand in the middle of the field, place my hands on my hips, and look to the heavens — I will be thinking of this moment. I am trying to grow the game here.
The game remains deadlocked until 10 minutes from the end, when an Henry shot is tipped over by an amazing save by Gruenebaum.
Le Toux has arrived on the field — strange to think of us sharing a heritage — perhaps we saw the same VHS of Angel Heart once, but his passing is alien to me. Here comes one now. Too sharp, too accurate. I translate it pointedly, from right foot to left, and breathe, envision, and place … NON! Gruenebaum's touch is good — onto the bar and away. NON! I summon despair, dismiss it again, and jog to the corner flag. I need to be alone …
… I send the corner in with disconsolate accuracy after my miss. Sure — accuracy, but if there are no results, what are we doing here? McCarty has been agitating to be allowed in the box at corners and I wordlessly watch the ball fly off his head and in. So. He races away with a joy I find touching. He is not thinking of the 2015 season when I am gone. Am I the only one seeing the bigger picture? When I summoned Gandolfini and made him tell what happened when The Sopranos faded to black, did I accept his first answer? No. A long night, but we got there. So it is here. The bench cavorts at this instance. I ask what it means. Gruenebaum is hurt and I walk over to tell him that "Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio, and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer. The stadium currently seats 20,145." He seems to appreciate it.
With the Gruenebaum injury delay adding nine minutes of stoppage time, the game is still tense going into time added on. In the 93rd minute New York win a corner and Henry, seeing the substitute keeper has come too far forward and off his line, boldly banks a direct shot off the back post and in for a beautifully taken Olímpico goal.
Sadly for scholars looking to verify Henry's intentions to score direct from the corner, at this point the feed becomes very scrambled and distorted, though it is possible to make out heated references to Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes, Rascal Flatts, and sundry other onetime Columbus residents who've made it as far as Wikipedia, along with the phrases "I see you Jack Nicklaus" and "Wendy's restaurants, can you hear me, Wendy's restaurants? Your boys took one hell of a beating!" All the while Henry is pointing at his eyes — possibly indicating some overheating of the monitoring technology behind them.
In the moments after the goal, as the game drifts to a close, Henry can be seen with his back to the field on the right wing. He appears to have calmed down, but he also appears to be conspicuously ignoring the play behind him. A last fragment comes through:
What can you do? I have been saying this the whole time. Yes, I meant it, but that is the paradox — not much means much. It's a goal but it's also a story. I said so to Junot Diaz …I did not "say" it, but c'mon, this is New York. When you know, you know. Are we still here? Kurtis Blow the whistle already … It's a joke, but at the same time we're a point behind the Fire and two behind Sporting. Still, there's pleasure in the win until I glance at the Columbus bench. Coach Warzycha has paired tan slacks with a black-and-yellow polo shirt — this confuses the hell out of me, and angers me as something I cannot know the origin of. Truly this country is vast and incomprehensible, but I have a thirst to learn. Together we will grow.
At this point, I swear I see Henry look right at me in the press box and tilt his chin in my direction. I hear a single solitary "fin," and the feed cuts out for good. He winks and jogs up the tunnel to whisper his postgame interviews. I may have been played.
Graham Parker leads the U.S. and MLS soccer coverage for the Guardian. He also writes for The Howler.


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Original title:Ladyhawke Made in:USA 1985 Length:120 min. Seen:on TV 11-09-1997 Review read:86466 times
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Morton Theatre
(706) 613-3770Hours of Operation
- Monday : 12:00pm - 6:00pm
- Tuesday : 12:00pm - 6:00pm
- Wednesday : 12:00pm - 6:00pm
- Thursday : 12:00pm - 6:00pm
- Friday : 12:00pm - 6:00pm
The Morton Building was built in 1910 by Monroe Bowers ("Pink") Morton, a prominent, local, African-American businessman. At one time, the Morton Building formed the core of the downtown black business district. Many of Athens' black doctors, dentists and pharmacists practiced in the Morton Building.
The theatre was opened on May 18, 1910, for vaudeville acts and local, regional and national performers. During the 1930s, the theatre was modified to become a movie house. In 1954, a small fire broke out in the projection room, and the movie theater was closed. However, various street level businesses continued their operations.
In 1980, the building was purchased by a nonprofit group, and local bands, such as Dreams So Real, the B-52's and R.E.M., occasionally used the building for rehearsal space and filming music videos. In 1987, residents approved a special projects local option sales tax referendum that included the restoration of the theatre. In fall 1993, the theatre was re-opened. Restored and adapted as a performing arts space, the Morton now caters to local community and touring groups hosting live musical concerts, musicals, dramas, church services, weddings, dance concerts, receptions, poetry readings, and pageants.
Facility Amenities |
Special Tags |
General Information |


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DateTime::TimeZone::OlsonDB(3) | User Contributed Perl Documentation | DateTime::TimeZone::OlsonDB(3) |
DateTime::TimeZone::OlsonDB - An object to represent an Olson time zone database
version 2.62
none yet
This module parses the Olson database time zone definition files and creates various objects representing time zone data.
Each time zone is broken down into several parts. The first piece is an observance, which is an offset from UTC and an abbreviation. A single zone may contain many observances, reflecting historical changes in that time zone over time. An observance may also refer to a set of rules.
Rules are named, and may apply to many different zones. For example, the "US" rules apply to most of the time zones in the US, unsurprisingly. Rules are made of an offset from standard time and a definition of when that offset changes. Changes can be a one time thing, or they can recur at regular times through a span of years.
Each rule may have an associated letter, which is used to generate an abbreviated name for the time zone, along with the offset's abbreviation. For example, if the offset's abbreviation is "C%sT", and the a rule specifies the letter "S", then the abbreviation when that rule is in effect is "CST".
Not yet documented. This stuff is a mess.
Bugs may be submitted at https://github.com/houseabsolute/DateTime-TimeZone/issues.
The source code repository for DateTime-TimeZone can be found at https://github.com/houseabsolute/DateTime-TimeZone.
Dave Rolsky <firstname.lastname@example.com>
This software is copyright (c) 2024 by Dave Rolsky.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.
The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this distribution.
2024-02-07 | perl v5.38.1 |


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PHILADELPHIA – Pennsylvania members of People For the American Way Foundation's African American Ministers Leadership Council are urging Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett to reject a proposal to change the way the state apportions its electoral votes.
"This partisan power-grab, if successful, will further disenfranchise African Americans in Pennsylvania," said Reverend Dr. Clarence Pemberton, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia. "Last year, a suppressive voter ID law threatened to keep thousands of African-American Pennsylvanians from the polls. Now, we're facing another attempt to marginalize our voice in elections. Parties and their candidates not able to win on their merits should work to appeal to voters, not to rig the system to discount our votes."
The African American Ministers Leadership Council, a program of People For the American Way Foundation, is a network of African American clergy fighting for social justice across the United States.


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Why All the Hate for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer? Let us know what you think of Ballmer's tenure as chief of the tech giant.
By Jason Fell •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Almost immediately after news came from Microsoft that its longtime chief executive Steve Ballmer was planning to retire sometime in the next 12 months, the internet erupted with angry messages and articles on blogs and over social media.
Microsoft shares even jumped nearly 9 percent to $35.27 in premarket trading Friday morning after the announcement.
Take for example Adam Penenberg's piece on PandoDaily called "Steve Ballmer: The. Worst. CEO. Ever." You can't get much more to the point than that. In it, Penenberg argues that Microsoft rode huge returns on its Windows software throughout the 1990s but has suffered a string of unforgivable missteps over the years -- all thanks to Ballmer who failed to innovate faster.
"Of course," Penenberg wrote, "he might have undertaken this strategy six or seven years ago, before its failed operating systems, Windows phone, disastrous mobile plays, and other projects that went grossly overtime, over budget, and ultimately awry. Just because a company is big doesn't mean it can't change."
Related: Steve Ballmer to Retire as Microsoft CEO
Penenberg's piece was just one of many to criticize Ballmer's reign as chief of the tech giant. But, reader comments, even on Penenberg's post, come to Ballmer's defense, noting that Microsoft's annual revenue and income have all grown significantly since he took over as chief executive in 2000
On Twitter, Time magazine tech editor and former editor in chief at PC World magazine Harry McCracken was among the few to speak out in Ballmer's defense. "Seems that much of the blogosphere has trouble processing the idea that the Ballmer era had both significant successes & significant failures."
On his "Techland" blog on Time.com, McCracken elaborated: "The dustbin of tech-company history is littered with outfits which were once market-defining behemoths: Lotus, WordPerfect, Netscape, Palm and oh, so many more," he wrote. "Microsoft in 2013 is not a company on the verge of joining them: It's still making vast amounts of money and managing to be highly competitive in everything from mundane business software to blockbuster videogames."
Tell us what you think of Ballmer as CEO in the poll below.


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Uniform Server Version'.
Hello everybody, I am looking for a software to turn a PC - desktop almoust NEW/UNused but older: H.P.-Compaq Dual Core2 Duo - 2x2.6Ghz, 500 GB + 640 GB hard drive *or* 640 GB + 640 GB hard drive, 5 GB Ram, ATI Radeon 256 MB into a server. Q1: - Hardware specs. sufficient??? The main reason is because it has OEM Licensed (Sticker) Original Windows XP Profesional and OEM upgraded to SP3. It was fresh installed with drivers month ago... Besides Windows XP Prof. SP3 is a very stable and good O.S. at least by my opinion - probably the reason why NATO (the Army) is implementing it these days... I am as mentioned looking for a software to turn it into Server (will get Static IP from Internet provider) and will probably (95-99%) run a Wordpress web site with plugins! It should be less ocupied by users in first 6 months, 1 year but later also it could have many users (maybe 500-1000 browsing at once... ). Q2: - Will it suffice for the mentioned traffic – no games, demanding videos etc. ... it will run text + grafic material (pictures (maybe like size for 1 picture 50-100 kb and some pdf's in size like 1-2 MB for 1 PDF...) that is what it concerns high MB... ??? Q3: - Could you please help me out in choosing best version of UniForm Server that runs without any problems on this O.S. (Windows XP Prof. SP3 + Wordpress)? Q3.1: - And yes also which additions »Plugins etc.« of Uniform Server (if they are needed to install so it will run flawlessly on this O.S. (Windows XP Prof. SP3 + Wordpress) version I must choose and install so it will work without problems??? Q4: - Do not wanna go into direction of buying expensive (I do not even have the funds...) Windows Server Standard 2012 for this, maybe it would not even function any better??? Help much appreciated... Thank you in advance! ***** W16
- 6 replies
- Windows XP Profesional SP3
- Uniform Server Version
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Dr. Brian H. Williams, a staff surgeon in Dallas who was working at Parkland Trauma Center last Thursday night during the shootings that left five cops dead, held a press conference expressing his views on race and other issues, NBC News reported.
"I want the Dallas PD to also see me, a black man, and understand that I support you, I will defend you, and I will care for you," said Dr. Brian H. Williams, a staff surgeon who was working at Parkland Trauma Center last Thursday night during the shootings.
But "that doesn't mean that I do not fear you," he added. "That doesn't mean that if you approach me I will not immediately have a visceral reaction and start worrying for my personal safety."
Williams spoke of setting an example for his daughter by interacting and treating officers with respect in a very public way— things like picking up their dining tab when he sees them eating out — so that she does not grow up crippled by fear.


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Related Content
Two financial investors who purchased municipal tax liens pleaded guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids at auctions conducted by New Jersey municipalities for the sale of those tax liens, the Department of Justice announced.
A felony charge was filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, against Robert U. Del Vecchio Sr., of Hawthorne, N.J. According to the charge, from in or about 2000 until approximately December 2008, Del Vecchio Sr. participated in a conspiracy to rig bids at auctions for the sale of municipal tax liens in New Jersey by agreeing to allocate among certain bidders which liens each would bid on. Additionally, a felony charge was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, against Michael Mastellone, of Cedar Knolls, N.J. for participating in a similar conspiracy from in or about 2000 until approximately February 2009. The department said that Del Vecchio Sr. and Mastellone proceeded to submit bids in accordance with the agreements and purchased tax liens at collusive and non-competitive interest rates.
"By conspiring to rig the bids of municipal tax liens, the conspirators profited at the expense of those already struggling financially," said Scott D. Hammond, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division's criminal enforcement program. "Protecting Americans from these types of bid-rigging schemes remains a high priority for the division."
The department said the primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and restrain competition in order to obtain selected municipal tax liens offered at public auctions at non-competitive interest rates. When the owner of real property fails to pay taxes on that property, the municipality in which the property is located may attach a lien for the amount of the unpaid taxes. If the taxes remain unpaid after a waiting period, the lien may be sold at auction. State law requires that investors bid on the interest rate delinquent property owners will pay upon redemption. By law, the bid opens at 18 percent interest and, through a competitive bidding process, can be driven down to zero percent. If a lien remains unpaid after a certain period of time, the investor who purchased the lien may begin foreclosure proceedings against the property to which the lien is attached.
According to the court documents, Del Vecchio Sr. and Mastellone were involved in the conspiracy with others not to bid against one another at municipal tax lien auctions in New Jersey. Since the conspiracy permitted the conspirators to purchase tax liens with limited competition, each conspirator was able to obtain liens which earned a higher interest rate. Property owners were therefore made to pay higher interest on their tax debts than they would have paid had their liens been purchased in open and honest competition, the department said.
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for a Sherman Act violation may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims if either amount is greater than the $1 million statutory maximum.
Today's pleas are the 13th and 14th guilty pleas resulting from an ongoing investigation into bid rigging or fraud related to municipal tax lien auctions. Nine individuals – Isadore H. May, Richard J. Pisciotta Jr., William A. Collins, Robert W. Stein, David M. Farber, Robert E. Rothman, Stephen E. Hruby, David Butler and Norman T. Remick – and three companies – DSBD LLC, Crusader Servicing Corp. and Mercer S.M.E. Inc. – have previously pleaded guilty as part of this investigation.
Today's charges were brought in connection with the President's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys' offices and state and local partners, it's the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division's New York Office and the FBI's Atlantic City, N.J., office. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to municipal tax lien auctions should contact the Antitrust Division's New York Office at 212-335-8000, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm or contact the Atlantic City Resident Agency of the FBI at 609-677-6400.


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No. The cleaning quote is for monument cleaning, foundation leveling, and other site fixes. A broken monument will need a monument company to repair or replace the stone.
Show All Answers
The cemetery has a price by quote for monument cleaning. Please contact the cemetery office or fill out our cleaning quote request form. Liability Cleaning Waiver
No. By signing the liability waiver and understanding the risk, the cemetery is not responsible in case of damages. Please see the Liability Waiver for more detailed information.
No. Cleaning service is for stone monuments only.
It all depends on the age of the monument and material of the monument. Monuments made of marble or limestone need only be cleaned every ten years. Modern granite stones are more sturdy and can handle more frequent cleanings.
Please see monument regulations regarding ownership of monuments placed at Missoula City Cemetery.
Yes. As part of a monument cleaning quote, issues such as a cracked or not level foundation will be marked on the quote with your choice for the cemetery to repair it.
Mold, mildew, algae, and lichens feed on the stone and because of this are actually destroying the monument.


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When the size and geometry of the parts to be tested push the limits of purely manual measurement, gauge stands are welcome aids. Fischer offers manual and motorized gauge stands for tactile measurement technology. They provide constant test conditions, even for inexperienced users, thereby ensuring repeatably accurate measurements with low standard deviation. In this context, the more difficult the task, the greater the benefit!
Measuring stands and sample holders
With a manual measuring stand, it is possible to avoid such operational errors as skewed or too-forceful application of the probe. The measuring spot on the test sample is defined exactly and reliably hit with each measurement. Beyond that, motorized stands are ideal for the fully automated testing of numerous measuring points.
- Manual stand: precisely defined positioning of the probe on the test sample
- Motorized stand: positioning of the probe with continuous speed and constant force for fully reproducible results, optimally suited for the automatic testing of many measuring positions
- Durable, high quality specimen holders enable the measurement of challenging measurement samples such as foils, wires, rings, chips or fluids
There are no reviews yet.


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Daily Roundup: July 29, 2011
On the Run: Two sea lions whose necks are ensnared in wire have thwarted four rescue attempts by wildlife officials. The pinnipeds dodged boats and "led rescuers in low-speed chases around San Francisco Bay." San Francisco Chronicle
Through the Grapevine: Scientists discovered that a vine in Cuba uses dish-shaped leaves to create a distinctive echo, which attracts nectar-feeding bats. New York Times
Pushing the Limit: Some 10 billion people may inhabit the planet by 2100, but demographers believe that population growth will plateau around the end of the century. Discovery News
Northern Lights: New research warns of the increased risk of massive fires in the Arctic tundra, which could worsen climate change. New Scientist
Off the Hook: Don't blame Ben Franklin for the troublesome tallow tree: Genetic tests of the invasive species (it's from China) in the Gulf Coast region show that the fast-growing plants aren't related to the batch Franklin imported in the 1700s. ScienceDaily
--Della Watson


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VST/AU plug-in instrument/effect round-up: Week 51
Behind the headlines
There's been some big news in the plug-in world over the past couple of week – the launch of FXpansion's DCAM Dynamics suite, u-he's decision to release a Hans Zimmer/The Dark Knight version of Zebra, Cakewalk's announcement of a Mac version of Z3TA+2 and the arrival of XILS-Lab's Oxium.
This is by no means all that's been going on, though, as you're about to discover.
Also make sure you check out these regularly updated features:
The 20 best VST plug-in synths in the world today
The 14 best VST plug-in drum machines in the world today
If you've got a new PC or Mac plug-in, make sure you let us know about it by emailing email@example.com with all the details.
NEXT: Sonimus Sweetone
Sonimus Sweetone
A simple EQ that looks like a piece of vintage hardware. However, as well as sounding 'old', it promises modern characteristics too. There's a preamp section that's here to add gentle colour and warmth, and the plug-in is said to put minimal strain on your CPU.
EGP Audio Bitcrusher Suite
If downsampling and distorting are your things, this could be your plug-in. You can apply aliasing effects to any audio material, with the simulated valve circuit being on hand to add grit and punch, and the low-cut and low-pass filters here for fine tuning.
SKnote Mattertone
SKnote describes this as a multiband envelope shaping effect. Its job is to increase or decrease attack and/or sustain on selected frequency ranges, so you can use it to add colour and dynamic control to complete mixes or single tracks.
XT Software XTS1
If you were looking for one word to describe the interface of this new synth, you might well go with 'clean'. It's said to be optimised for making "awesome sounds" with just a few controls, and comes with saw, pulse width and phase modulated waveforms.
Homegrown Sounds Mesh
With Mesh, the developer wanted to create a Minimoog-style synth with an additional five tempo-based LFOs to give you additional rhythmic potential. There are three oscillators, a sub-oscillator, a Moog-style filter, three envelopes, effects and an arpeggiator.
G-Storm String Concerto II
The Logan String Melody II was a string synthesizer from the '70s, and here it is in plug-in and standalone software formats. Expect lush orchestral, simple organ and cheesy accordion presets, all produced by synthesis and effects rather than samples.
G-Sonique 7inch Nails and Envelophase
Two new guitar effects from the G-Sonique stable. 7inch nails is designed for makers of progressive and industrial metal and can produce both atmospheric and heavy sounds, while Envelophase combines an analogue-sounding modern phaser with an envelope follower.
Buy or download demo of G-Sonique 7inch Nails and Envelophase
Softrave Vintage Analog Filter
Designed to emulate the analogue instability of vintage filters, VAF was inspired by Electroharmonix's guitar pedals. You can control the level of analogue detune and drift, and the modulation options enable you to create psychedelic, cosmic, disco and house effects.
Sinevibes Array
Eight band-pass filters can be sequenced here, enabling you to create rhythmic special effects. More specifically, you can reconstruct and transform drum and percussion loops and turn any static sound into something that's full of movement.
EGP Audio Pedro
Pedro is its name - emulating a bass amp is its game. We're told that punk rock bass sounds are its forte, though this is by no means the only sonic trick that it can pull. A built-in phaser unit can help you out when you want to recreate those modulated sounds from the '80s.
Buy or download demo of EGP Audio Pedro


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My Oscar pick: Karen Goodman's "Strangers No More," a heartwarming visit to a public school in Tel Aviv that takes in refugee children from 48 countries and treats them with ennobling kindness and gives them extraordinary educations. The most important documentary? Jed Rothstein's "Killing in the Name," which follows around the globe a Jordanian peacenik, Ashraf Al-Khaled, who had 27 members of his wedding party murdered in an Al Qaeda attack. His goal is to persuade his fellow Muslims to denounce Islamic terrorism. Al-Khaled is a formidable screen presence, and so is Robynn Murray in Sara Nesson's "Poster Girl." She's an former sergeant in the US military who, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, speaks out against the war in Iraq and begs forgiveness of those she terrorized while serving there.
The final two documentaries take audiences far away. For "The Warriors of Qiugang," director Ruby Yang spent three years in China's Anhui Province, siding with citizens battling a cancer-causing chemical plant. Jennifer Redfearn's "Sun Come Up" takes place on Carteret Island off New Guinea, where Christians of African ancestry prepare to move to the less peaceful Bougainville Island, an exile they compare to the Jews' exodus from Egypt. Global warming — yes, it exists! — is causing flooding of their ancient home and killing their crops.
And the Oscar-nominated animation and live-action shorts, both opening at the Kendall Square? What a drop in quality from the documentaries!
Teddy Newton's "Day & Night" served well as a 3D apéritif before theatrical screenings of Toy Story 3. But taken by itself, this Pixar short about two Shmoo-like apparitions with see-through bodies doesn't do much. Jakob Schuh & Max Lang's "The Gruffalo," adapted from Julia Donaldson's children's book, is a quite-cute, too-long saga of a mouse who scares off enemies with tales of a made-up monster. Geefwee Boedoe's "Let's Pollute" is an unsubtle, ironic call for corporations to ravage the earth — though the retro 1950s UPA animation is neat.
"The Lost Thing," by Australians Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan, features the title multi-tentacled creature found on a beach. The hand-painted Kafka-esque world is appealing; not so the schmaltzy music. Finally, French filmmaker Bastien Dubois's "Madagascar, a Journey Diary" is so light and bouncy that it feels like a travel commercial.
As for the live-action shorts, "The Confession," by Britain's Tanel Toom, is a mostly effective calling card for a future feature. A boy in need of material for his first confession commits a tiny sin that goes awry, whereupon grotesque deaths ensue. The melodrama gets a bit much. "The Crush," by Ireland's Michael Creagh, falters in a stiffly staged shootout involving a jealous lad with a gun. Also from Britain is Ian Barnes's "Wish 143," a not-bad tale of boy with cancer who wants to lose his virginity before dying. Belgian Ian Goldschmidt's "Na Wewe" takes place in 1990s Burundi, where soldiers stop a car and separate the passengers into Hutus and Tutsis. Instead of machine gunning, there's PC-screenplay talk.
See all articles by: GERALD PEARY
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The king of Africa and revolutions felt so sorry for Tunisia and wondered why the Tunisians do not adopt the public committee system he invented instead of forcing their president out in this way!! Those Tunisians should have waited what would happen after those 3 years
Then he moved to this
He blamed the Tunisians for the chaos in the country then wondered why the Tunisians gave up their sons like that to bring another president to rule the country !! NO One is better than Zine !!
I just wonder what or who gave him the idea that the Tunisians would watch him not to mention listen him in the first place.
This is the first time an Arab leader to comment on the Wikileaks and also to address the Tunisian people blaming them to force Ben Ali out !!
As someone who read the cables of Libya I know why Gaddafi mentioned them and it is not because of that nurse but because his family controls the economy of Libya just like the Ben Ali clan.
The Libyan TV has been airing the scenes of violence and clashes between the Tunisian citizens and the security plus the looting scenes since the speech to scare the Libyan people from imitating their western neighbors.
In a very related issue the man looks terrible , what kind of crack he is on !!? I think he is especially now , he is scared.


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I'm using text as follows to categorize some information. It goes from the general to the specific much as is done in libraries with books.
What I'd like to find is a word to describe the line above and also each individual word. There's path
like in the computing world but that doesn't quite convey the idea.


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Tanning Facility Statement of Acknowledgement Form
- The Tanning Facility Statement of Acknowledgement Form is available in both English and Spanish in Portable Document Format (PDF).
Please read the following information and acknowledge that you understand all warnings and accept all provisions by signing below.
Ultraviolet Radiation
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a human carcinogen and can cause skin cancer. Overexposure to UV radiation from tanning devices can cause burns and injury to the skin and eyes, premature aging of the skin and allergic reactions. Overexposure to UV radiation can reduce immunity, making your body less able to fight infection. It can also worsen existing medical conditions.
I will not exceed the manufacturer's maximum exposure time when using a tanning device.
Ultraviolet Radiation Sensitivity
A combination of UV radiation and certain foods, cosmetics or medications can increase sensitivity to UV radiation. This is called "photosensitivity."
I am aware that the use of UV radiation is not advised when eating certain foods or when using certain cosmetics or medications. I will consult a physician before using a tanning device if I am using photosensitive medications, have a history of skin problems or if I believe I am especially sensitive to sunlight. I am aware that if I do not tan in the sun, I am unlikely to tan from the use of a tanning device.
Tanning Hazards Information Sheet
I have been given a copy of the New York State Department of Health Tanning Hazards Information Sheet.
Protective Eyewear
Failure to use Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified protective eyewear can result in severe burns or injury to the eye, such as photokeratitis, cataracts, macular degeneration and melanoma.
I agree to wear FDA certified protective eyewear.
Statement of Acknowledgement
I have been given adequate instruction in the operation and use of tanning devices.
I have read and understand the hazards of tanning so that I can make an informed judgment about indoor tanning and the use of tanning devices.
I verify that I am 18 years of age or older.
Signature of Patron _________________________________________________________________ Date _____/_____/_____
Print the Name of Patron __________________________________________________________________________________
Type of Patron Identification _______________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Operator or Employee Signature _____________________________________________ Date _____/_____/_____


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Predictions that gas prices will rise to $5 a gallon or higher by Memorial Day are running rampant.
Nationally, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline has jumped nearly 30 cents in the past month to $3.76 a gallon, according to AAA.
A spike to $5 a gallon for the national average by the summer would mean that the rise in gas prices over the next few months would have to exceed the 8 percent climb we've seen over the past four weeks.
Is it possible? Perhaps. Inevitable? Not really.
"There's nothing inevitable about it," says IHS chief economist Nariman Behravesh, speaking on the sidelines of the CERAWeek Energy Conference in Houston. "To a large extent it depends on what happens in the Middle East."
If tensions between the West and Iran escalate further and result in a supply disruption from OPEC's second largest oil producer, then oil prices (Brent crude futures , specifically) could spike $30 to $40, Behravesh says, and gas prices could hit $5.
"But that's about a 20 percent scenario," he says. "The most likely scenario is that we get to $4.25 a gallon in the peak driving season."
Prices are already at $4.25 a gallon or higher in some parts of the country.
The statewide average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Alaska, California and Hawaii has topped the $4 mark. Gas prices in Connecticut, New York and Washington, DC are almost there too.
"The most likely scenario is that we get to $4.25 a gallon in the peak driving season.""
Some stations in the New York City area are charging nearly $5 a gallon for premium gas. Some Florida drivers are reportedly shelling out almost $6 a gallon.
But at under $3.25 a gallon, gas prices in Colorado, Wyoming and other mid-continent states helping to reign in the national average.
Plus, gasoline consumption continues to fall at a dramatic pace. Last week, the four-week average for U.S. retail gasoline demand posted a year-over-year decline for the 49th straight week, according to a report from MasterCard SpendingPulse, falling nearly 6 percent compared to the same period in 2011.
Even former Shell CEO John Hofmeister, who has forecast gas prices will hit $5 by the end of the year, has qualified his assertion, saying there's only a "better than 50 percent chance" of gas prices hitting that mark.
In the media frenzy over the call for $5 gasoline by some forecasters, there is often little explanation about whether this refers to certain locales or the average price nationally. It's a distinction that should be made in order to assess the true impact on the nation's economic recovery.
"The bad news from oil and gasoline prices is not yet bad enough to drive the economy back into recession — and it has probably been outweighed by the stream of other good news, for example, from the labor market and from auto sales," according to a report by IHS economists.
But if there is a serious oil supply disruption in the Middle East and Brent crude prices top $150 a barrel, pushing the national average for gasoline prices to $5, that's a different scenario, say IHS economists. "We would be staring recession in the face," they say. "But we are not near that point now."
Follow Sharon Epperson on Twitter: @sharon_epperson


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Key Biscayne, FL – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was an easy second-round winner, while third seed David Ferrer advanced without lifting his racket Friday at the Sony Open, a $4.169 million Masters 1000 event.
Fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, however, was ousted in straight sets by German Tobias Kamke in the biggest upset of the event to date.
Djokovic had no trouble in disposing of Lukas Rosol, needing a mere 53 minutes to overwhelm his Romanian opponent in 6-1, 6-0 fashion on the hardcourts at Crandon Park.
The Australian Open champion and two-time defending Miami titlist beat 2009 winner Andy Murray in last year's finale here. Murray beat Djokovic in the '09 Sony Open final.
Ferrer, meanwhile, was scheduled to meet Dmitry Tursunov on Day 3, but the oft-injured Russian pulled out of the draw because of an illness.
The gritty Spaniard Ferrer will next face Italian Fabio Fognini in the round of 32.
Kamke, ranked 89th in the world, prevailed in a first-set tiebreaker before rolling in the second en route to a stunning 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 decision over the former U.S. Open champion del Potro, last week's Indian Wells Masters runner- up to Rafael Nadal.
Elsewhere, seventh seed Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia subdued Israeli Dudi Sela 6-2, 6-4 and No. 11 seed Gilles Simon downed two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt by a 6-3, 6-3 score.
In other action involving top-16 seeds, Spaniard Albert Ramos took down No. 12 Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, No. 13 Kei Nishikori of Japan leveled Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-3, 6-3, and No. 15 German Tommy Haas held off Dutchman Igor Sijsling 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.
Meanwhile, 19th-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov erased 2008 Miami champ Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-3; Belgian Xavier Malisse upended 22nd-seeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-2; Slovenian Grega Zemlja dismissed 23rd-seeded German Florian Mayer 6-3, 7-6 (7-3); American James Blake ousted 24th-seeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-2, 6-3; 26th-seeded South African Kevin Anderson earned a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) verdict over Argentine Horacio Zeballos; Somdev Devvarman defeated 30th seed Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; veteran Austrian left-hander Jurgen Melzer doused 31st-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-4; and a 32nd-seeded Fognini foiled Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-1.
The winner of this prestigious tournament will claim $719,160.


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Find solutions for all your Play Station and Gaming Device holding needs. Smacktom.com carries the play station army force rifle, move eye adjustable camers stand, bluetooth throat mic headset, flight stick, universal backpack, power kit, electronic cleaning kit, xbox live gold card, wireless keyboard bundle, cooling power station and few other things which are good for your Gaming Device health.
Click on your Game and explore our selection of things other than cases, controller, headphone and stylus.


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Washington, DC – The movement to overturn Citizens United v. FEC scored major victories in state and local elections across the country Tuesday as citizens voted to support a constitutional amendment returning democracy to voters. Statewide ballot initiatives calling for a constitutional amendment passed by wide margins in Colorado and Montana, as did initiatives in over half the cities and towns of Massachusetts. Initiatives in San Francisco, Chicago, and three cities in Oregon also passed by wide margins.
"Americans across the country are fed up with the enormous influence of big money in elections," said Marge Baker, Executive Vice President of People For the American Way. "Yesterday, over seven million Americans in six states spoke out with their votes and overwhelmingly rejected corporate money in politics. What's more, Americans reelected a president who supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United over a man who thinks "corporations are people." This is a huge step for the ever-growing movement to return elections to the voters."
More details about the successful ballot measures can be found here.


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Our Founders
The founders of Childhelp, Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, have guided the organization to help the lives of millions of children across the world. We credit our success at Childhelp to our founders' visionary beliefs, which are the heart of the organization:
- Childhelp believes that every child has a unique contribution to make to the world. We do everything within our power to help children heal and develop self-esteem to reach their God-given potential.
- We believe unconditional love is the foundation on which all healing begins. The entrance of each Childhelp facility features the words "All Who Enter Here Will Find Love."
- These children, who have seen the worst that life has to offer, deserve the best that we can provide while they are in the care of Childhelp.
These beliefs stay close to the hearts of all involved in Childhelp to ensure that the aspirations for the organization stay consistent from that first day. Read about our founders, their backgrounds and their dedication to the cause below.
A Legacy of Love
Sara O'Meara
Co-Founder, Ceo and Chairman
Who I Am: Since 1959, I've been co-leading the Childhelp mission to bring awareness to the issue of child abuse, develop intervention strategies and pioneer treatment modalities designed to comprehensibly attack abuse from every angle.
I was President of the Spastic Children's League and an officer of the National Assistance League. I have served on the boards of international organizations concerned with children's wellbeing. I have also served as Chairman of the International Alliance of Child Abuse and Neglect as well as being on the board of the National Children's Alliance. As a board member for the International Union for Child Welfare, I was the sole United States representative among First Ladies and ministers of numerous nations.
I lost my beloved husband Colonel Robert (Bob) Sigholtz in 2005. Bob was a highly decorated Colonel who fought in three wars – World War II, Korean and Vietnam. He was also the Athletic Director of Georgetown University. My youngest son, Charles, died in 1988 in an auto accident. Both of these remarkable men shaped the vision and values of Childhelp and I know their spirits are forever guiding my heart. I am blessed with my son John Hopkins, stepdaughter, Taryn, and three wonderful grandchildren, all actively dedicated to our mission.
Awards and Achievements: Sara has received more than 100 awards for her service to children, including the Arizona Foundation for Women's Sandra Day O'Connor Award received in 2004. Others include an award for international collaboration to prevent child abuse presented by the Queen of England; a U.S. Department of Justice award presented by President Ronald Reagan; the Kiwanis World Service Medal and an award from the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs. She has been the recipient of several awards in Washington, DC, including the National Caring Award and The Hubert Humphrey Memorial Award at the Touchdown Club, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Charity Awards Dinner. Most recently, Sara, along with co-founder Yvonne Fedderson, have been nominated for the eighth time for the Nobel Peace Prize. Endorsements for the prestigious nomination include letters from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former first lady Barbara Bush, along with numerous politicians, educators, and corporate executives. Just recently she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Northcentral University.
Why I'm Here: For over 50 years I have seen miracles take place when a child is rescued with love, nurtured with care and inspired by hope. I believe every child deserves the right to be free from abuse and neglect in order to reach his or her ultimate potential. Childhelp changes lives and we are honored to have shepherded millions of children to safety with God's help.
Yvonne Fedderson
CO-FOUNDER, President AND vice-CHAIRMAN
Who I Am: After graduating from the Pasadena Playhouse, I enjoyed acting for film, television and stage, but my greatest role has been dedicating my life to helping needy children for over five decades. Extensive work in a number of humanitarian organizations gave me a framework for volunteer engagement and management that I find invaluable to this day.
My nonprofit training took place through the Assistance League, the Mary and Joseph League, and several professional organizations. I have served on the board of directors of Children to Children, Inc., the International Alliance on Child Abuse and Neglect and remain an honorary board member for The Dyslexia Foundation.
What I Do: Each time I share the story of Childhelp, I always mention that volunteers are the backbone of the organization. When it came time to conceive of a national response to child abuse, I knew the job would require a lot of hearts working together to make this dream a reality. The Childhelp Chapters became a network of helping hands advocating for children across the country. I oversee national Childhelp Chapter fundraising initiatives, volunteer coordination, board development, strategic planning, celebrity stewardship and community outreach/awareness.
Sara O'Meara and I steward Childhelp's mission in Washington D.C., supporting and developing bills designed to protect children from predators. We expanded those efforts to include Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe and Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe for Athletes to secure children in the classroom and during afterschool activities. Our goal is to have every child benefit from these lifesaving tools.
Since 1994, I served as president and CEO of my late husband's company, Don Fedderson Productions. I manage the rights of the television programs he produced, including Family Affair, My Three Sons, and the Betty White Show. I served on the company's board of directors for 30+ years. With more than 25 chapters and auxiliaries, over 2,500 volunteers nationwide and the blessing of more than $2 million annually, our network of philanthropists ensures that 91 cents of each donated dollar directly reaches our children.
I have one daughter and a grandson as well as a son with two granddaughters. My late husband Don Fedderson was a remarkable supporter of Childhelp, producing many programs to benefit our work. Don came up with a great motto for our organization that reflected his investment in our little ones: "For the love of a child."
Awards and Achievements: Yvonne has received more than 100 honors and awards for her service to children, some of which include the National Children's Alliance's Champions of Children Award, the State of California's Legislature's Woman of the World Award, and the Women's International Center's Living Legacy Award. She and Mrs. O'Meara have been given the Kiwanis World Service Medal, the American Ireland Fund Humanitarian Award, The University of California Riverside Chancellor's Founder's Award, and Family Circle Magazine's "Women Who Make a Difference." Most recently, Yvonne, along with co-founder Sara O'Meara, have been nominated for the eighth time for the Nobel Peace Prize. Endorsements for the prestigious nomination include letters from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former first lady Barbara Bush, along with numerous politicians, educators and corporate executives. Just recently she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Northcentral University.
Why I'm Here: It is impossible to look in the eyes of a child in need and do nothing. In 1959 Sara and I discovered a group of orphans that touched our hearts and we continue to be inspired by the little lives we encounter through this mission of light and love.


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Houston ( ; HEW-stən) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Houston is located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico; it is the seat and largest city of Harris County and the principal city of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, which is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the second-most populous in Texas after Dallas–Fort Worth. With a population of 2,302,878 in 2022, Houston is the fourth-most populous city in the United States after New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and the seventh-most populous city in North America. Houston is the southeast anchor of the greater megaregion known as the Texas Triangle.Comprising a land area of 640.4 square miles (1,659 km2), Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States (including consolidated city-counties). It is the largest city in the United States by total area whose government is not consolidated with a county, parish, or borough.
Acres Home, Alief, Boulevard Oaks, Braeburn, Braeswood, Central Northwest, Central Southwest, East Houston, East Little York / Homestead, Eastex-Jensen Area, El Dorado / Oates Prairie, First Ward, Fort Bend Houston, Fourth Ward, Greater East End


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Motorola, under Google's tutelage, introduced three new smartphones to its Razr lineup Sept. 5. On Sept. 13 it will begin selling the smallest-and one imagines the least expensive-of these, the Droid Razr M, for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract from Verizon Wireless.
The Razr M runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, though Motorola has promised an upgrade to Jelly Bean by year's end, and features a Super (active-matrix organic LED) AMOLED Advanced display that crisp and color-saturated. At a New York launch event, Google and Motorola together had a lot to say about the phones, and how they constitute a "new Motorola," but for me the Razr M is most compelling for resembling, in the hand and in the pocket, a tiny old Motorola feature phone I once loved.
The Razr M is a speedy, Long-Term-Evolution- (LTE-) enabled smartphone with 40 percent more screen area than the iPhone 4S, but in a package that belies its display size and capabilities.
Motorola figured out how to essentially remove the borders from around a 4.3-inch display. This means the display is the same size as the display on the (already-thin) original Droid Razr introduced in October 2011, but everything else about the phone-expect for battery life-has shrunk. The original Droid Razr measured 130.7 by 68.90 by 7.1mm; the Razr M measures 122.5 by 60.9 by 8.3mm.
Another older phone, the original HTC Evo 4G-which was notable at the time of its release for its seemingly tremendous display-also features a 4.3-incher, but in a body that measures 122 by 66 by 13mm. Those extra millimeters are the difference between being able to leave a phone in one's front pants pocket when one sits, and having to place it on the table.
I'll get beyond the form factor in a minute, but first it should be said that Motorola has covered the back with Kevlar fiber and water-repellent nanocoating, which is baby-soft to the touch, and the front with Corning Gorilla Glass, that familiar, slick surface that adds to how nice the phone feels in the hand-singular. This is a phone for people unable to palm a basketball, and for whom one-handed use still seems like a nice idea.
Turn on the Razr M and from the onset there are nice software perks. From a locked state, the phone can be launched directly into the camera, phone or messaging apps.
Razr M Is a Solid Phone With a Beautiful Display
Along the bottom of the display are five key apps-phone, contacts, app menu, text and camera. Everything above these is very customizable. Users can pile a few apps on top of each other to create a folder on the desktop, the contents of which can be seen in a single tap.
Chrome is the Web browser the phone ships with, and paired with Verizon's LTE network and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, it's very fast. Like, zero-lag fast. While live footage from the Democratic Convention balked and stalled on the YouTube channel running on Chrome on my MacBook, on the Razr M, it played perfectly, in rich color and at a volume loud enough to be listened to by several people in a not-silent room.
On the bottom of the display are three ever-present on-screen icons. There's a back button, a home button and a button that throws up a column showing recently used apps and a thumbnail view-a user can see the emails she was viewing in Gmail, for example, or the Web page in Chrome-for quick navigation.
The telephone app is fine-though I was disappointed by the volume on speaker-and so are the cameras. There's a VGA camera up-front for video calling and an 8MP camera on the back. The latter is paired with a number of options, though on the model journalists at the Sept. 5 event were given-Motorola fairly pleaded in a note to "please be kind, as this is a pre-released beta device"-one could sometimes click on these options, while other times they'd be unavailable.
Also, while the color is rather rich-and can be tweaked with Effects, when that option feels like working-the shutter isn't fast enough that you're going to catch the dog doing that funny thing.
The battery is a 2,000mAh, said to offer 20 hours of mixed usage, which I also found to be roughly the case. Though if it's extra serious battery life you're after, it's the Razr M's larger siblings you'll want-the HD Maxx in particular can run for 21 hours of conversation, 27 hours of music or 10 hours of streaming LTE video.
The Razr M has near-field communication (NFC) technology-really no phone should be introduced these days without it-plus 1GB of RAM, 8GB of ROM, 4.5GB of available internal memory and a microSD slot for expanding that.
The slot is located on the side of the phone just beside the SIM card slot, under a truly feeble strip of plastic. For users prone to popping the microSD card in and out often, or anyone who hands over the phone to a toddler, in hopes of buying time with YouTube videos, it's difficult to imagine that strip staying attached to the phone for more than a month. Far less, in the example with the toddler.
In short, this is a solid phone with a beautiful display and an option that anyone who likes the idea of a phone that fits in a single hand or a pocket isn't likely to regret.