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Greetings, Guardians, and welcome to the Megacore Tip of the Week! RZ 6.0 is preparing to send you and the other Guardians on new Missions within the next few weeks… but we're getting reports on the ground that Wild Card has deployed new Blitz Botz to battle!
A couple of the Rusherz were doing some scouting today, and ran into one of these new Blitz Botz… it put up quite a fight! The Rusherz had to retreat, but they were able to get this picture just in the nick of time:
Sorry about the quality – the scouting camera got really wrecked in that fight! But hopefully this intel will help you in the coming battle.
If you haven't jumped in to play Megacore yet, you can follow this link right here to help us wreck Wild Card's latest plans!
And thanks for reading!
Enter code 'mysterybot' in the RZ Store to get 1 Spirit now, to help you recruit new Rusherz to your team!


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/etc/net represents a new approach to Linux network configuration tasks. Inspired by the limitations of traditional network configuration subsystems, /etc/net provides built-in support for configuration profiles, interface name management, removable devices, full iproute2 command set, interface dependencies resolution, QoS, and firewall configuration frameworks. /etc/net provides support for the following interface types: ethernet, WiFi (WEP), IPv4/IPv6 tunnels, PSK IPSec tunnels, VLAN, PLIP, ethernet bonding and bridging, traffic equalizer, Pent@NET, Pent@VALUE, SkyStar-2, TUN/TAP, OpenVPN TUN/TAP, usbnet, and PPP. Due to its modular structure, support for new interface types can be added without overall design changes.
42go ISP Manager is a Linux/FreeBSD Web server management solution. It can manage reseller administration, Apache Web server administration, sendmail/postfix, an FTP server, a POP3 auto-responder, MySQL client databases, Webalizer statistics, disk-quotas, mail-quotas, IP addresses, SSL, SSI, shell access, anti-virus mail scanning, and spam filtering (with SpamAssassin). 42go ISP Manager supports all major Linux distributions, including RedHat 9, Fedora Core 4, Mandriva 2006, SuSE 10.0, CentOS 4.2, Ubuntu 5.10, Debian Woody (3.0), and Debian Sarge (3.1).
4PSA VoipNow is PBX software for service providers and enterprises. Easy to use and deploy, it can run on x86 or PowerPC based servers and delivers advanced IP telephony services. It can be deployed in various working scenarios to provide hosted VoIP services in high availability xSP environments, advanced call center services, or enterprise telephony in organizations of all sizes. A free Express version is available.
The 64 Studio Platform Development Kit (PDK) is a version control system for GNU/Linux distributions, allowing the creation and management of many different projects, based on Debian and Ubuntu sources. PDK is written in Python, and the source code is well commented and contains documented examples.
@1 Auto Delete deletes all files (in a specific directory) with dates older than the specified number of days. It can be useful if you have pages generated through user's input. It can be run manually from a browser, through telnet, or automatically using crontab. There are only two variables to edit - the directory, and the file age.
@1 Helpdesk XP Perl is a very powerful Web-based helpdesk system. It supports file attachments, hidden remarks, priority marking, etc. Unlike other similar products, this script does not use the conventional "assign/completed" method to close past tickets. Instead, it uses an intelligent method to sort/rank inquiry tickets. You can even tell whether your replies have been read by the visitors.
A port of Piet van Oostrum's MIDI file manipulation utilities.
A partition or disk cloning tool similar to Symantec Ghost.

subset: commoncrawl


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Story highlights
- Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment/Assault said there were 19 assaults on January 25
- It said its members were often attacked when they intervened
- Friday protest marked two-year anniversary of beginning of revolution
Sexual violence against female protestors at Cairo's Tahrir Square appears to be increasing, an activist group devoted to end such assaults said Tuesday.
Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment/Assault said it intervened in 15 of 19 reported sexual assaults on Friday when 10,000 people gathered in the square on the two-year anniversary of the start of the revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
"These attacks represent a startling escalation of violence against women in Tahrir Square in terms of the number of incidents and the extremity of the violence which took place," the group said in a news release.
The organization said some of the cases involved life-threatening violence where the attackers used knives or other weapons. It said some of its members also were attacked during rescue attempts.
"This phenomenon requires urgent attention and treatment, and is linked to the broader social problem of endemic and daily sexual harassment and assault of women," Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment/Assault said.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for Egypt President Mohamed Morsy to do something about the assaults and other violence against demonstrators.
"It is unacceptable and a dereliction of duty not to intervene when protesters are being attacked by thugs and when women are being raped and sexually assaulted," she said in a written statement.
The streets around Cairo's Tahrir Square have been the sites of protests for days, including Friday's violent clashes.
At least 29 people were treated for cuts, broken bones and birdshot injuries, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled El Khatib said. Six police officers were also hurt in the disorder near Tahrir Square, the Interior Ministry said.


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thematic material involving threatening behavior, and for violence and sexuality
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Safe Haven
A young woman struggles to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town. Her reluctance to join the tight-knit community raises questions about her past.
Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love.
Starring Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons
Directed by Lasse Hallström
Running Time - 1:55
Genre - Romance
Opened in Theaters - Thursday, February 14th, 2013 (1896 days ago)
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QCAD - 2D CAD System.
Click here for a documentation of the DokuWiki formatting syntax that can be used in reports
Please search for existing tasks (also closed ones) before opening a new task.
Please make sure that you are using the latest Version of QCAD before posting a bug (menu Help > Check for Updates)
FS#786 - Multi - Breakout tool
Opened by -- (clive) - Wednesday, 13 March 2013, 13:11 GMT+2
A ' Multi ' Breakout tool or added option to the existing Breakout tool.
For example see attached image.
An option to remove all segments within a chosen boundary would be good, in my example I want to remove all the hatching within the Red circle.
So after exploding the Hatch, currently I have to remove all segments singularly!
Of course I could have placed the circle first and hatched around it - but in this and most instances it is easier to design and to produce the Hatching first and then place my circle/shapes etc.
Good idea, thanks Clive!
I suggest the following procedure:
- Select contour(s) (any number of entities that form a closed path, e.g. a circle, rectangle or any other shape)
- Choose tool 'Clear contour(s)'
- All entities completely within the contour are removed
- All entities partly within the contour are trimmed
This would only work for lines (and possibly arcs, circles, ellipses). Complex entities would have to be exploded first.
Thanks Andrew, yes 'Clear contours' sounds good:).
Yep, sounds also good to me.
Any possibility to combine it with this feature request?
Husky: Yes, I think that use case would be covered too:
- Draw one closed contour to define the area around the entities you want to keep (e.g. a circle).
- Draw another, larger contour around the area which should be cleared (e.g. a rectangle).
- Select both contours.
- Launch the clear tool.
- The clear tool will use an even/odd algorithm. I.e. the rectangle gets cleared but the circle inside it is seen as an island which does not get cleared.
This idea just gets better, thanks Husky.
Can't wait to see this tool alive and kicking ;)


text: Please be patient with us... We are enhancing our careers website so that we can provide you with a better user experience! We would love you to come back and visit us on Sunday, August 23 to search our job postings and apply for the next step on your career path! We will continue to communicate through existing channels with candidates who have already applied for vacancies.


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TkCVS is a cross-platform, Tcl/Tk-based GUI for the CVS and Subversion configuration management systems. It displays the status of the files in the current working directory, and provides buttons and menus to execute CVS, Subversion, or RCS commands on the selected files. The Log Browser displays a branch diagram of the revision history. The Module Browser extends CVS with facilities for a user-friendly listing of modules in the repository. TkDiff is included for browsing and merging your changes.
ViewVC (formerly known as ViewCVS) is a Python/CGI-based system for viewing and interacting with Subversion and CVS repositories through your Web browser. It can browse directories, view changelogs, generate diffs, view arbitrary revisions, and display annotated ("blame") listings. It has full support for tags and branches, and contains a database-backed query system like Bonsai. It was initially based on the cvsweb work by Henner Zeller, but has been ported to Python and dramatically enhanced.
Chora is built upon the Horde Application Framework and provides a read-only browser interface to any number of version control repositories. Advanced features include a visual branch view of the repository's history, pretty-printed output, annotation, patchsets and basic statistics.
FishEye opens your source code repository to help you understand your code and keep tabs on the people who write it. It lets you view user activity, track code changes, and search and navigate through your repository from any Web browser. Nearly everything in your repository has its own URL, down to every single line of code for every revision. Files, branches, repositories, projects, and even people have their own activity stream. FishEye provides easy navigation, powerful search, historical reporting, configurable file annotation and diff views, changeset analysis, RSS feeds, and integration with JIRA, Crucible, Bamboo, Eclipse, and IntelliJ IDEA. FishEye works with Subversion, CVS, Perforce, Git or Mercurial.
SVNKit is a pure Java Subversion (SVN) client library. This means that users of the library (i.e. Java applications) do not have to include svn native binaries or javahl bindings to work with subversion repositories. It is not only a 100% Java replacement for javahl bindings, but also a library that provides a high level of control over subversion repository operations.
Parabuild is a software build and release management system. It helps software teams and organizations reduce risks of project failures by providing practically unbreakable scheduled, release builds and Continuous Integration. It supports Perforce, Subversion, CVS, Surround SCM, AccuRev, ClearCase, Serena ChangeMan (PVCS), Borland StarTeam, SourceGear Vault, Visual SourceSafe, and MKS Source Integrity.
Insurrection is a Web interface and RSS and Atom feed generator for Subversion that uses modern browser features while being as browser agnostic as possible. It has some repository rights administration features and a reasonably good-looking interface that can be customized. RSS and Atom feeds of updates to the project are available.


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Save time and earn more points at the same time through our shopping service an easy way to shop from the comfort in your home.By shopping here, your account balance will quickly add up to great awards. Load's of online brands for you and with a few simple steps you can shop and earn Extra points from wherever you are, not just from your home. There will always be new offers and special deals waiting for you the when you visit us and we'll try to include your favorite brands and products.
Note! Only available for members resident in the Nordic countries. If you make any purchases on a retailer's web site without going through this shopping portal or without logging in, we will be unable to award points (no retro point registering is allowed).Important! The points are transferred 8 weeks after the date of purchase to your EuroBonus account.Questions about your Extra points from shopping, click here.
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XML-Grammar-Fiction is a Perl package that provides processors for lightweight markup languages and corresponding XML grammars for writing prose (e.g. stories, novels, and novellas) as well as screenplays. The XML grammars can in turn be translated to XHTML and DocBook/XML. XML-Grammar-Fiction currently offers only very basic functionality, but has good support for UTF-8 and allows one to write bidirectional texts conveniently. It is still under development and may exhibit some quirks.
Packrat is a media collection manager application for Android. You can use it to add books, CDs, games, movies, etc. to your collection by scanning their barcodes and organizing them onto shelves. You can let Packrat organize your items into smart shelves, or manually stack items onto shelves of your own creation. You can also track items you don't have yet on a "wishlist" shelf.
getxbook is a collection of tools to download books from websites. There are tools to download from Google Books' "book preview", Amazon's "look inside the book", and Barnes and Noble's "book viewer". There is an optional GUI written in Tcl/Tk, and some shell scripts using OCR to create plain text or searchable PDFs and DjVu files from the downloaded books.
Fairy Books lets you create digital versions of all your child's favorite stories, or even create entirely new stories together. You can take pictures of existing book pages or import pictures from the gallery, then record the story using your own voice, the way you want it to be told. Fairy Books is the perfect storytelling companion for when you can't read to your child yourself.
Enterprise-class network backup for heterogeneous networks.
A utility to edit text tags in an ICC profile.


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This week in new hires, James Hanna was named the new chief technology officer at Genworth Financial Wealth Management; Morningstar announced changes in its senior management; Dan Solin joined Buckingham Asset Management and The BAM ALLIANCE; Brown Advisory welcomed Malcolm Maccoll; FSI hired Kathryn Anderson and welcomed 500 new advisors as members; David Bedard went to ING U.S.; and David Weissner was named midwest market business leader for Mercer's retirement business.
Also, Carol Eversen was named a managing director at HNW; John Coulter went to Lucena Research; Jon Bailie went to Pioneer Investments; CLS Investments welcomed Brian Clark; Securities America announced several officer promotions; New York Life announced insurance group senior executive promotions; and Foster Group announced a number of organizational changes.
Genworth Financial Wealth Management Names New CTO
Genworth Financial Wealth Management, a subsidiary of Genworth Financial, announced recently that it has hired James Hanna as chief technology officer and member of the senior leadership team. Hanna reports to Carrie Hansen, SVP, chief operations officer and president, mutual funds for Genworth Wealth Management.
Hanna brings 25 years of senior technology leadership to the role, and joins from Bank of the West, where he was executive vice president and senior technology officer since 2005. Prior to Bank of the West, he held positions at Fidelity Information Services and Alltel Information Services.
Morningstar CFO Cooley to Step Down
Morningstar recently announced two senior management changes. Scott Cooley, chief financial officer, will be stepping down from his role this year. The company expects him to remain CFO until Morningstar names a replacement. Cooley has served as Morningstar's chief financial officer since 2007.
In addition, James Tanner has joined Morningstar as global head of business development and sales. Tanner most recently served as Markit's vice chairman of business development and before that its head of global distribution.
Dan Solin Joins The BAM ALLIANCE as Director of Investor Advocacy
Financial author and blogger Dan Solin has joined Buckingham Asset Management as a wealth advisor to high-net-worth investors and retirement plans and The BAM ALLIANCE as its director of investor advocacy. Solin is the author of the Smartest series of books, and is also a financial blogger for the Huffington Post and US News and World Report.
Prior to coming on board with The BAM ALLIANCE, Solin was a senior vice president of Index Fund Advisors, a California-based RIA firm. He will remain based in Bonita Springs, Fla.
Malcolm Maccoll Joins Brown Advisory as Partner
Brown Advisory announced Tuesday the appointment of Malcolm MacColl as partner in the firm's Boston office.
MacColl joins from Crosswind Investments, an investment management firm he founded and led until selling it to the Lee Munder Capital Group in 2012. Prior to Crosswind, he was co-CEO and managing principal of Boston-based Essex Investment Management Co. LLC. Before joining Essex, he was a managing director at CS First Boston (now Credit Suisse), where he spent 18 years. From 1987 to 1994, he managed the firm's Boston office and had direct responsibility for fixed income sales, institutional equity research sales, sales trading and HNW sales.
FSI Hires Kathryn Anderson; 500 New Advisors Join as Members
The Financial Services Institute (FSI) announced Jan. 11 that it is expanding its membership team and has hired industry veteran Kathryn Anderson as its new director of corporate relations, working closely with Kevin Whitehead, FSI's vice president of corporate relations.
Also, IEP Financial and Cetera Financial Services announced Jan. 15 that 500 of their independent financial advisors are now new FSI financial advisor members. The financial advisors' first-year membership is offered free by the firms.
Anderson joins with 12 years' experience developing strategic relationships with independent broker-dealers and independent financial advisors through her prior roles on the national accounts and sales teams at Wells Real Estate Funds. Previously, she was a senior relationship banker and licensed financial specialist with Wachovia Bank.
ING U.S. Hires David Bedard to Lead Fixed Annuities Business
ING U.S. announced Jan. 10 that it has hired David Bedard as president of its annuities business segment. He will also serve as a member of the retirement solutions executive team. He will be based in the Windsor, Conn., office and report to Maliz Beams, CEO of ING U.S. Retirement Solutions. His appointment is effective January 28.
Bedard brings more than 25 years of experience in financial leadership positions at insurance and financial services organizations. Most recently, he was executive vice president of global annuities for The Hartford Financial Services Group after serving as the CFO of that firm's wealth management business. Previously, he was SVP and CFO for the U.S. life and agency division of New York Life Insurance Co., where he also served as senior managing director, and CFO for New York Life Investments. He also held leadership positions earlier in his career at MassMutual and Coopers & Lybrand.
David Weissner Named Midwest Market Business Leader for Mercer's Retirement Business
David Weissner was recently named midwest market business leader for Mercer's retirement business. Based in Chicago, he will report to Jacques Goulet, North American leader of Mercer's retirement business. He takes over from Louis Gagnon, who had been serving in an interim leadership capacity and who will now return full time to his position as global and U.S. head of retirement sales.
Weissner's 20-year career includes the last 11 spent with Mercer. He most recently served as retirement office business leader for the firm's Minneapolis location. Prior to joining in 2001, he was a senior consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He began his career as an actuarial analyst with The Segal Co.
HNW Inc. Names Carol Eversen Managing Director
HNW Inc. announced Tuesday that it has appointed Carol Eversen as managing director, client services. She will oversee business development and relationship management functions and will report directly to HNW CEO Stacey Haefele.
Eversen joins with more than 25 years of experience in sales and marketing across the telecom, financial services and professional services industries. Most recently, she served as vice president, marketing for LexisNexis Marketing and Business Solutions, where she led the marketing function for the consumer-facing Lawyers.com website as well as B2B marketing of digital marketing and practice management solutions for law firms. Prior to this, she held marketing leadership positions with MasterCard Worldwide, and has also held various marketing and sales positions with AT&T. Lucena Research Names John Coulter EVP of Business Development
Lucena Research announced Monday that John Coulter, formerly president and CEO of Titan Trading Analytics, has been named Lucena's EVP of business development. There he will lead sales and marketing efforts of the company's QuantDesk platform and Quant for Hire, an on-demand quantitative analysis professional service.
Coulter brings more than 20 years of financial technology sales and marketing management experience. He previously held executive management positions at early-stage financial technology companies including Ease TRIAD, Vhayu and Javelin Technologies, where he was president and chief operating officer. Each firm was acquired by a major public company in the financial services industry; many of the software products are still actively used by brokers, hedge funds and asset managers.
Pioneer Investments Appoints Jon Bailie Head of Western Europe, Latin America
Pioneer Investments announced Monday the appointment of Jon Bailie as head of western Europe and Latin America. In this role, he will lead Pioneer's distribution efforts for all of Western Europe as well as its growing presence in Latin America. Bailie, who will join the firm in April, will also be a member of the management committee, and will be based in London. He will report to Sandro Pierri, CEO, who had continued to hold the position ad interim following his appointment as CEO in July.
With more than 25 years' experience in the industry, Bailie joins from AXA Investment Managers, where he was global head of distribution and a member of AXA IM 's executive committee. Previously he spent 16 years at Russell Investments, where he held several senior roles: he headed the firm's alternative investments business, held the role of managing director for partnerships and distribution alliances for the EMEA region, and led the institutional business across EMEA.
CLS Investments Appoints Brian Clark
CLS Investments LLC announced Monday the appointment of Brian Clark to regional vice president of sales, covering southern California, parts of Nevada and all of Utah. Clark, who is based in Los Angeles, will focus on strengthening CLS's relationships with local broker-dealers and financial advisors.
Most recently, Clark worked for Nationwide as a regional vice president and marketFLEX specialist covering the western U.S. Prior to his tenure at Nationwide, he worked as a financial advisor, business development director and regional vice president for the Financial Network Investment Corp., AXA Distributors, Security Benefit Group and ING. He began his career as a design engineer with The Boeing Co.
Securities America Announces Officer Promotions
Securities America announced on Monday the following officer promotions for 2013:
Jim Heeney, who joined Securities America in June of 2007, has been promoted to COO and SVP. His responsibilities include overseeing sales supervision, operations and product due diligence. Heeney is responsible for implementing strategies, processes and systems to supervise the sales activity of the firm's registered representatives and investment advisors.
Paul Lofties, who joined in 2003 as an advisory services consultant with Securities America Advisors, has been promoted to SVP of wealth management. The wealth management department was founded under his leadership and merged with the product distribution department in 2009. Lofties will now become a member of the executive leadership team.
David Vaughan Jr., has been promoted to vice president of finance. He joined in 1994 and has worked progressively larger roles in accounting and finance during that time. He assumed leadership of the finance department in November 2011, and in 2012, assumed leadership of the accounting and compensation teams. He will now become a member of the executive leadership team.
Craig Zimmerman has been promoted to vice president of operations. He joined in 2011 after 17 years in the financial services industry. He is responsible for the daily support and workflow for all operations department functions: account processing, maintenance, cashiering and fees, brokerage services and trading. He is also involved with strategic operations initiatives focused on delivering the best possible advisor experience.
New York Life Announces Senior Executive Promotions in Insurance Group
New York Life announced Monday that Annamaria Banaszek, Craig DeSanto and John DiRago have been elected senior vice presidents of the company, reporting to Chris Blunt, president of the insurance group.
As head of the group's wealth management department, Banaszek is responsible for wealth management and investment advisory services, including Eagle Strategies. She joined in 2001 as a director in the finance area of New York Life Investments and held several roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining, she held progressively more responsible roles at Coopers & Lybrand, Citibank and Deutsche Bank.
DeSanto is responsible for the group's life insurance product management. He also oversees the group's life insurance product development and implementation, and manages the company's in-force product lines. He joined in 1997 as an actuarial summer intern in the financial management department and returned to the company in 1998 as an actuarial assistant in the individual life department. He held multiple roles with increasing responsibility, and was named corporate vice president in 2007.
DiRago is responsible for leading the group's service department, overseeing approximately 2,100 new business and customer service professionals across the country. He joined in 1990 in the individual policy services department, has held numerous service positions with increasing management responsibility and was elected first vice president in 2010.
Foster Group Announces Organizational Changes
Foster Group Inc. recently announced that its founder and CEO, Jerry Foster, has assumed a new role as chairman of the board. He will serve in an advisory and accountability role, and also will function as a mentor to the firm's key leaders. In addition, the firm announced that Mark Stadtlander, its longtime president, has assumed the role of CEO. Three additional leadership changes were also announced. Travis Rychnovsky has been named COO; Buck Olsen is now chief marketing officer; and Kent Kramer is CIO.
In addition, four employees were named shareholders in the firm: Travis Rychnovsky, COO; Ross Polking, COO of Foster Group's Omaha office; Joe Bantz, lead advisor; and Brad Rempe, lead advisor. Katie Lauer of the firm's client services team is now an associate advisor.
The new roles became effective Jan. 1.
Read the Jan. 9 New Hire Roundup at AdvisorOne.


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Donald Sterling apologizes, talks Magic Johnson in preview of CNN interview (Video)
For the past several weeks, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been at the center of several NBA stories regarding racist comments captured on tape, his subsequent banishment from the league and other owners' early moves towards removing him from ownership. On Sunday night, the public heard some of Sterling's first interview on the situation. His comments are not likely to change many opinions.
In a preview of an interview set to air on "Anderson Cooper 360" on Monday night, Sterling spoke about the comments recorded by V. Stiviano, his future in the NBA, and several other topics related to the controversy. From CNN.com:
"When I listen to that tape, I don't even know how I can say words like that. ... I don't know why the girl had me say those things," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview set to air on Monday.
"You're saying you were set up?" Cooper asked.
"Well yes, I was baited," Sterling said. "I mean, that's not the way I talk. I don't talk about people for one thing, ever. I talk about ideas and other things. I don't talk about people."
When not attempting to explain that he was taken out of context, Sterling apologized and asked for forgiveness:
"I'm not a racist," Sterling told Cooper. "I made a terrible, terrible mistake. And I'm here with you today to apologize and to ask for forgiveness for all the people that I've hurt."
Asked by Cooper why he took so long to say he's sorry, Sterling said he was "emotionally distraught."
"The reason it's hard for me, very hard for me, is that I'm wrong. I caused the problem. I don't know how to correct it," he said. [...]
"I'm a good member who made a mistake and I'm apologizing and I'm asking for forgiveness," he said. "Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again."
Sterling also took the time to insult the charitable efforts of NBA legend Magic Johnson, mentioned in the offending recordings as someone who should not be seen in public with Stiviano:
Sterling told CNN he's spoken twice with Johnson. "Did you apologize to him?" Cooper asked.
"If I said anything wrong, I'm sorry," Sterling said. "He's a good person. I mean, what am I going to say? Has he done everything he can do to help minorities? I don't think so. But I'll say it, he's great. But I don't think he's a good example for the children of Los Angeles."
The full interview will air on Monday's episode of "Anderson Cooper 360" at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.
If this preview is any indication, then this interview will be very bizarre. For one thing, Sterling's apology, insofar as it exists at all, appears to apologize less for the substance of his statements than the fact that people were offended by them. In claiming that he was baited, Sterling seems to be saying he was taken out of context. While it's hard to know how additional context would make his comments permissible, this tactic is a standard method of shirking responsibility for controversial statements.
On top of all that, Sterling attempts to paint this controversy as an isolated incident rather than the latest event in a long history of marks against the owner. Sterling has paid out a record settlement in a housing discrimination lawsuit, been accused of fostering a "plantation mentality" by longtime general manager Elgin Baylor, and generally been seen as a problematic part of the NBA for years. As Adrian Wojnarowski reported at the beginning of this most recent ordeal, the NBA believed that Sterling would die before they had to deal with him directly. This incident is only his first mistake if we define the term as "doing something that compels the NBA to try to kick him out." (Of course, Sterling is a lawyer by training, and in a legal sense he may be right.)
Yet these comments at least allow us to see Sterling as sticking up for himself and trying to save his ownership stake. In a more general sense, his statements make little sense. What does it mean to talk only about ideas and not people? And what could compel a man currently under fire for racist comments to say that Magic Johnson does not help minorities to his liking and should not serve as a role model for the children of Los Angeles? Even if these opinions could be proven or argued effectively, why would anyone think it a reasonable thing to say in these circumstances?
Sterling wants forgiveness, but these comments suggest his contrition is lacking. It would be immensely shocking to see Sterling get the reprieve he wants. Like his estranged wife Rochelle, he will probably need to take the NBA to court to maintain control of the Clippers.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at email@example.com or follow him on Twitter!
Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL and "Like" BDL on Facebook for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.


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Eclipsing the reports last weekend of the attempts in Israel by the freshly elected members of the 19th Knesset to cobble together a new governing coalition was a fast-moving series of reports concerning Iran.
Mohammad Reza Heydari, a former Iranian diplomat who defected in Norway in 2010, gave an interview to Israeli media last Friday in which he unambiguously stated that the theocratic regime in Tehran would have no reservations about using a nuclear weapon against the Jewish state.
"If Iran gets to the point where it has an atomic bomb, it will certainly use it, against Israel or any other [enemy] country," Heydari told his interviewer on Channel 2.
Two days later, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the 26th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called, once again, for Israel's demise.
As reported by The Times of Israel, Ahmadinejad told the assembly: "Under [the] circumstances [in which] the corrupt, uncultured and murderous Zionists are occupying and killing oppressed people, we should not sit idly by." His meaning was clear to everyone in the large hall.
But even as the Iranian president was speaking to the august assembly on Sunday, he was undoubtedly distracted by reports seeping into western media – despite his best efforts to prevent the seepage – that the prized nuclear facility in Fordo had been set ablaze, apparently by a large explosion.
Iranian officials denied that there had been an explosion or fire at the plant. But the report that found its way into the light was too detailed to be quickly brushed aside. It appeared on the website wnd.com and alleged that the blast destroyed much of the installation and had trapped more than 200 people underground. It further claimed that the blast "shook facilities within a radius of three miles," that Iranian security forces had "enforced a no-traffic radius of 15 miles," that the Tehran-Qom highway was shut down for several hours after the blast, and that, "as of [last] Wednesday afternoon [Jan. 23], rescue workers had failed to reach the trapped personnel."
There were also unconfirmed reports that the United States and Israel knew about the explosion and indeed may have somehow been involved in bringing it about.
The truth will eventually be known. If indeed there was a fire at the Fordo facility and if sabotage played a role, the Iranian regime too, in addition to the facility, will have been rocked.
Tehran can harbor no doubts about the resolve of the countries it continually threatens to deprive it of the means to carry out its threats. Iran's obsession with obtaining a nuclear weapon will be very high on the policy agenda of the new Israeli government, as it was for the last one.
It should also be high on the agenda of every western government.


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Betta Bio-Gold has been developed after considerable research into the nutritional requirements of bettas. A formulation utilizing Bio-Technology promotes excellent coloration while meeting 100% of their nutritional needs. Don't be fooled by freeze dried foods with a betta label, give your bettas food made especially for them, Betta Bio-Gold!
Floating Pellet:
- Allows easy monitoring of amount eaten
- Helps eliminate over-feeding
- Reduces water quality problems
- More economical
- Will not cloud the water
Expect Natural, Brilliant Colors
- Rich in natural color enhancers
- Reduces color fading
- Bio-Technology provides superior color enhancement
Contains Stabilized Vitamin C
- Promotes resistance to stress
- Promotes resistance to infectious disease
- Promotes a long, healthy life
Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flour, soybean meal, gluten meal, krill meal, wheat-germ meal, cuttle fish oil, astaxanthin, brewers dried yeast, enzyme, garlic, monosodium glutamate, vitamins and minerals including stabilized vitamin C.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein: 38% min.
Crude Fat: 4% min.
Crude Fiber: 3% max.
Moisture: 10% max.
Phosphorus: 0.7% min.
Crude Ash: 12% max.
(Source: www.HikariUSA.com)


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360-FAAR (Firewall Analysis Audit and Repair) is an offline, command line, Perl firewall policy manipulation tool to filter, compare to logs, merge, translate, and output firewall commands for new policies, in Checkpoint dbedit, Cisco ASA, or ScreenOS commands. It is all contained in one file. It can read policy and logs for: Checkpoint FW1 (in odumper.csv / logexport format), Netscreen ScreenOS (in get config / syslog format), and Cisco ASA (show run / syslog format). It uses both inclusive and exclusive CIDR and text filters, permitting you to split large policies into smaller ones for virutalization at the same time as removing unused connectivity. It supports policy to log association, object translation, rulebase reordering and simplification, rule moves, and duplicate matching automatically. It allows you to seamlessly move rules to where you need them. 'print' mode creates a spreadsheet for your audit needs with one command.
AShopV provides a shopping cart with digital goods delivery, affiliate tracking, Swoopo-style auctions, full PayPal support, support for many other payment gateways, many shipping calculation options, and multiple languages and currencies. The software also includes a CRM Sales Office with order management where you can create quotes and turn them into bills that can be paid online, set up automatic recurring billing, manage purchase orders, handle customer and vendor contact through POP3 or IMAP, and view customer and vendor history. A Shopping Mall integrates with the affiliate tracking to let you set up your own ClickBank clone.
AgileJ StructureViews is an Eclipse plugin that generates highly configurable reverse engineered class diagrams for Java programmers. It specializes in supporting agile project development through the automated production of high presentation quality class diagrams with project-specific content generated and regenerated with minimal user effort.
AppLogger is a library that allows an application programmer to provide run-time customizable output from an application. It includes a function, applogger_log(), with calling semantics analogous to the standard C library's printf(), but with extra arguments to specify a classification for the output message. Calls to applogger_log() thus specify the classification and text of a message; calls to other functions in the AppLogger library determine the real-time policy applogger_log() applies to messages of a given classification: print to file, send over a network socket, ignore the message, etc. In short, AppLogger allows for the separation of message content and message output policy in an application.
Arcade4u is a game script that consists of 4 PHP scripts one Javascript, one CSS, and one background graphic file. There is one centralized setup PHP file, which can be the only file you have to edit to suit your environment. You can change the layout by editing the included CSS stylesheet, and there is also the potential to change the HTML layout. This script gives you the freedom to publish Mochiads Games. At the demo Website, it is used to create a stand-alone flash game site, but it may be integrated into any existing site. You will need a publisher account at Mochiads. At the moment, there are about 8500 flash games released by Mochiads. No database is needed; the game details are stored in a text file database. About 40 MB of disk space is needed.
The Aspose.Email for Android API enables developers to design Android applications for managing and manipulating Outlook email file formats without using MS Outlook. It provides tools to create, read, and convert the Outlook MSG, PST, EML, EMLX, OST, and MHT file formats. It manages recipients, subjects, message bodies, and attachments in MSG documents. It creates and save appointments in draft format, extracts and saves calendar items from a PST, and adds Mapi Items such as Messages, Contacts, Notes, Journals, and Tasks to a PST. It also lets you manipulate message attachments with just a few lines of code.
Aspose.Tasks is a non-graphical .NET Project management component which enables .NET applications to read, write, and manage Project documents without utilizing Microsoft Project. With Aspose.Tasks, you can read and change tasks, recurring tasks, resources, resource assignments, relations, and calendars. Aspose.Tasks works well with both WinForm and WebForm applications.
Aspose.Words for Android is a Java word processing component that enables developers to generate, modify, convert, and render Word documents within their Android applications. It supports DOC, DOCX, OOXML, RTF, HTML, XHTML, MHTML, OpenDocument, ODT, PDF, XPS, EPUB, and other formats. Other useful features include document creation, content and formatting manipulation, mail merge abilities, reporting features, platform independence, and performance and scalability, all with a minimal learning curve.
Atlassian Bonfire is an add-on for JIRA designed to help testers report bugs from within the Web application they are testing. Using a browser extension, testers can submit bugs with annotated screenshots. Both static and dynamic meta-data can be pre-populated using templates. Test sessions record all test activity and allow testers to link newly found issues to original bug or story. It supports Firefox, IE, Chrome, and Safari.
An infrastructure manager.
A mature implementation of a SIP server/proxy.


text:
Cone shape tip washable black marker. Bold black lines, easy grip, non-toxic, great for kids.
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In over 30 years of purveying caricatures around the globe, this is the most articulate and responsive marker I've encountered. It's more economical and won't dry up unexpectedly like alcohol-based markers....[more]
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What does GR mean in Military?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand GR in the Governmental field in general and in the Military terminology in particular.
German Rifle
Find a translation for GR in other languages:
Select another language:
What does GR mean?
- gr
- .gr is the country code top-level domain for Greece. Registrations are processed via accredited registrars and domain names in Greek characters may also be registered.
Discuss this GR abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"GR." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 26 Apr. 2018. <https://www.abbreviations.com/term/86426>.


text:
05538 - Plug 13A Resilient Black Extra Heavy Duty
Stock Level: Normally Within 2-7 Days
Plug 13A Resilient Black Extra Heavy Duty
Standard Delivery 2-7 Days Under £45 Spend - £3.00
Standard Delivery 2-7 Days Over £45 Spend - FREE
Next Day Delivery (Order By 2pm For Monday-Friday) - Please contact our sales team on 01295 568 105
We give Free Delivery on all orders over £45. Any order below £45 incurs an additional £3.00 post and packing fee
- All in stock orders are dispatched on the day they are received if placed before 4pm.
- Standard delivery we will use Royal mail, which is usually around 2-7 working days delivery
- On a courier delivery, which we will often use for larger items, deliver can be expected between 2 and 7 days from the point of order. If for any reason you order is set to take longer than this, we will contact you to keep you informed.
For next day delivery, your order must be placed by 2pm Monday to Friday, any order placed over a weekend for next day delivery will be delivered the following Tuesday. Next day delivery does not include weekend delivery, and as such all orders placed next day on a Friday will be delivered the following Monday, or if after 2pm will be delivered on Tuesday
We can also deliver into Europe and the rest of the world, but price is dependent on weight and dimensions. Price is variable and is given upon checkout
All our products are backed by a no-nonsense guarantee:
If you order the wrong product, please inform us within 7 working days and we will advise you of the correct product and return procedures. Please note if this is the case, then responsibility and cost of returning this item is that of you the customer.
If the item you ordered is damaged please advise us within the first 48 hours of receiving and we will collect and replace free of charge.
Cut Cable
As we sell cable by the metre, this often comes cut from a 100m reel. for this reason, cut cable is NON-RETURNABLE
To inform us that you wish to return your order, please vist returns.sparkswarehouse.com


text:
Saints lose interest in Townsend
Tottenham winger Andros Townsend is not one of the players Southampton are looking to sign on deadline day, Press Association Sport understands.
The England international has been strongly linked with a move to St Mary's, with reports he could be involved in a deal which would see Jay Rodriguez go the other way.
However, it is understood Townsend is no longer one of the players Southampton are looking at, although they remain keen to bring in a winger.
Saints manager Ronald Koeman also wants to strengthen his defence before the window shuts, with Atletico Madrid's Toby Alderweireld one of the players the club are negotiating with.
It is understood the only players leaving St Mary's will be fringe players, with the club remaining firm in their stance that the likes of Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin, of interest to Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs, are not for sale.
Saints confirmed on Monday afternoon they had agreed to terminate midfielder Saphir Taider's loan spell from Inter Milan - less than a month after joining the club.
The 22-year-old Algeria international moved to St Mary's on a season-long loan on August 6, with a view to signing permanently from Inter. The deal also saw club-record signing Dani Osvaldo go the other way.
However, a club statement on Monday read: "The midfielder joined Saints for the 2014/15 campaign but, having failed to live up to the high levels of commitment expected of Southampton players, that arrangement has been cut short by the club.
"Taider, whose only first-team appearance came in the friendly against Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, now returns to parent club Inter Milan. Dani Osvaldo's loan arrangement with the Italian side is unaffected."
Press Association


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Siberia Travel Info & Advisor
Travel to Russia is a unique opportunity to get acquainted with Russian history and culture. Russia spans eleven time zones and two continents and is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. This is a great country with an array of rivers, forests and towering mountains. Now you have a chance to explore its land of striking beauty and diversity, from magnificent capitals, Moscow and St. Petersburg, to the measured life of Siberian cities. The whole new world is waiting for you to be discovered. Selena Travel Mongolia features east Siberia - Irkutsk, Lake Baikal and Buryat region. There are number of tours in Irkutsk and Lake Baikal area are provided by us. So, you're advised to pack for the Siberian weather, travel condition etc. Irkusk is a major city of eastern Siberia.
You may also want to have enough closing for the entire visit so you don't have to worry about laundry. If your trip is long, laundry service will be available at your hotel. However, laundry services are way overpriced in most of the hotels while there are no Laundromats here at all. Though, since airlines baggage restrictions are getting tighter we recommend one bag per traveler (20 kg) and a smaller carry on (8 kg). Trains allow having up to 35 kg baggage. If you bring more you might be required to pay luggage fees.
Banks: Vneshtorgbank at Ulitsa Sverdlova, 40 is recommended. Open 9am-6pm Monday-Friday. It has a good exchange rate, and commission for travelers' checks is 0.5-2% of the face value of the check (Visa, American Express), depending on the type of operation and currency. Accepts Visa & MasterCard.
Safety condition in Russia In spite of common concern Russia is relatively safe country. Coming to Russia is no more dangerous than visiting any other European county. It is about having some common sense: do not carry all your money with you, do not walk alone at nights, etc.Make sure you have our emergency number and your Embassy number at all times when you leave the hotel. It is also reasonable to pick up hotel's card at reception desk. In case you get lost in the city, you can always show it to a cab driver to bring you back to your hotel.
Russia is safe for travel, but there are basic precautions that you should take when visiting any country. First of all, keep your passport and money in hotel safety deposit boxes (in-room or at reception desk). It is also recommended to have passport with you while being outside of the hotel, however, many people choose to have a copy instead while keeping passport in the hotel safe. If you are encountered by a Russian police officer (which is rather unlikely) you will be asked to show your ID.
In Russia there are 2-nd class carriages with 4-berth compartments (2 bottom shelves and 2 upper shelves above them). These shelves are good enough to sleep unless person is a lot taller than average. Linens are always included into train ticket cost. In all trains meals can be ordered in a restaurant car attached to the train (meals cost is not included in to ticket price). Restaurant car is usually in the middle of the train near the 1st class car. You may want to ask your carriage attendant about that.
One can take his own snacks/food into their cabin in all trains. Most Russians would do this, since restaurant car meals may be very regular, but overpriced as if it is a real fancy restaurant. Russians would normally bring drinks, snacks, cookies, hardboiled eggs, instant noodles/instant potatoes, smoked chicken, etc. Beware though, that there is no refrigerator provided, thus, pick food that can be kept at least some time without it.
Many westerners bring from home instant coffee, chocolate, dried fruits, nuts, etc. Please, take your own mug into the train to have instant coffee, etc. Hot boiling water is provided free of charge any time of the day. Though, it may be rather hot in summers, so please be sure to visit supermarket before the train trip to buy some cold drinking water to take to the train.
Each train car has its car attendant. This lady is in charge of keeping overall order. Besides, she makes hot boiled water in the tea pot. It is provided free of charge for anyone to make tea/instant coffee. Very often car attendant also sells tea bags/instant coffee, snacks, etc. One can purchase food from them if he runs out of his own stock or also easily buy food from many vendors on station platforms when train stops. If traveling in the sleeping car "without services included", make sure you bring your own toilet accessories including towel, soap and toilet paper.
Money in Russia - Russian Currency: The national currency in Russia is called the Russian Ruble. One ruble is made up of 100 kopeikas. At the present time coins of 5, 10 and 50 kopeikas as well as 1, 2, 5 and 10 rubles are in circulation. However, kopeikas do not have much buying power and are mostly used for giving change in large supermarkets. Paper banknotes are 10, 50, 100, 500, 1 000 and 5 000 rubles. In Russia, payments for all goods and services are to be made either in Russian rubles cash or by credit (debit) cards. It is possible to exchange money at any bank, at exchange booths and at the majority of hotels.
Here is example of the prices tourists may face:
Cash: You cannot exchange your currency to Russian rubles in your homeland due to the unpopularity of rubles abroad. But there is no problem finding an ATM in or near your hotel. When you use your credit card in a Russian ATM you will withdraw cash in Russian rubles. ATMs might use an exchange rate that is different from Russia's Central Bank official rate but still can be better than exchanging cash US dollars in commercial banks. You can exchange money at the airport but we advise against this as airport exchange rates are usually high. It is possible to exchange money at any bank outlet, at exchange booths on the streets and at the majority of hotels.
The rate of the Russian ruble today is 32 Rubles for 1 US dollar. We recommend that you carry anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 rubles (approximately $100-$300) with you at any time for emergencies, taking a taxi or shopping in some smaller stores that accept only cash.
Credit Card: In Russia VISA, Master Card and Maestro are widely accepted. JCB and Diners Club are much less common. Euro card and American Express are hardly accepted anywhere. If you carry any of those two we would advise to apply for VISA or Master Card to use it for this trip. You may bring one or two of your credit cards if you prefer to make purchases this way. But it is always a good idea to have a bit of cash with you for emergencies as well. When you travel outside of big cities (e.g. Baikal, Altai, Russian villages, etc.) we advise you to have enough cash for your personal expenses since it may be a problem with credit cards there.
Travelers' Checks: If you bring travelers' checks, you can cash them either at American Express Travel Offices (of which there are only 2 in Russia, by the way) or at a local bank. Beware though that you will be charged a 1% to 3% commission for cashing your checks. Major hotels or American Express Office suggest locations for obtaining cash advances on credit cards. Unfortunately, it is impossible to use travel checks to pay for goods and services and you will need to cash them into rubles. Please do not countersign your checks at the bottom before you get to the exchange office, as your signature must be verified by a certified officer to disburse your money.
Russian Language
While it preserves much of its ancient synthetic-inflexional structure and a Common Slavonic word base, modern Russian exhibits a large stock of the international vocabulary for politics, science, and technology. A language of great political importance in the twentieth century, Russian is one of the official languages of the United Nations. Although the international prestige of the language has waned since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the positions of Russian as the lingua franca of much of eastern Europe and northern Asia has only strengthened.
Related Tours
Mongolia Tours
Mid – ranged Mongolia tours from 4x4 discovery jeep tours, adventure tours, cultural & community based tours, nature & wildlife tours are offered here…Read more
China Tours
We combine tours in Mongolia with some of destinations of China such as Beijing, Tibet, Xian, Chengdu and Shanghai.Read more
Siberia Tours
Here are the tours to Lake Baikal, Irkutsk, Olkon Island, Listviyanka of eastern Siberia and connected with Mongolian tours.Read more
Mongolia Travel Blog
Mongolia travel blog for those thinking to visit Mongolia. Travel tips, fun contests and Mongolia tourism news and travellers can post a blog, too.


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As promised, the free, "hella entertaining" Most Interesting Show in the World rocked San Francisco's SoMA district last night at The Mezzanine. Dos Equis picked up the tab and brought a truckload of smooth, refreshing XX Ambar (Amber?) and XX Lager to hand out for free. Verily, it was "dope." If this is how our corporate overlords want to spend their money during a recession, whom are we to argue?
See below to discover if this show is coming to your town next. If you're in Houston, Texas, you can get your ticks now. Otherwise, you'll have to figure things out on your own. (You had to go through ShowClix to get tickets in S.F.)
[UPDATE: Now you can get tickets for all shows by clicking on TOUR DATES here and then on "RSVP" for your town. Still a few ticks left in Fun Diego, I see…]
Sax-playing host Angelo Moore of Fishbone is the high-energy MC on the MISW '09 tour:
Click to expand
The crowd seemed to be in a good mood:
It's Melody Sweets!:
Beatboxer Butterscotch accompanying what must be the world's largest saxamophone – a purple bass:
The Human Spring!:
There were whips and crossbows in the house, but edged weapons were the order of the day:
Mr. and Mrs. G have a Mr. and Mrs. Smith thing going on, apparently.
Aiming a crossbow using a mirror to pop a balloon. Love hurts:
The whole shebang was a benefit for the San Francisco Food Bank:
This was the line early on going up Jessie Street betwixt 5th and 6th Streets. But everybody got in so long as they had their printed-out ticket. The Mezz at Triple Four Jessie appears to be a well run nightclub, with an aware but mellow staff that enforces rules without any unneccesary vitriol. Hurray!
Is it the Most Interesting Show in the World? Check it:
Oct. 20 San Francisco Mezzanine
Oct. 21 Los Angeles Avalon
Oct. 22 San Diego 4th and B
Oct. 23 Scottsdale Venue of Scottsdale
Oct. 26 Denver Cervantes Masterpiece Bllrm.
Oct. 29 Houston Warehouse Live!
Oct. 30 San Antonio Scout Bar
Oct. 31 Dallas Granada Theater
Nov. 1 Austin La Zona Rosa
Nov. 2 Austin La Zona Rosa
Nov. 6 Chicago Park West
Nov. 10 Atlanta Variety Playhouse
Nov. 11 Charlotte The Visulite Theater
Nov. 12 Baltimore Recher Theater
Nov. 13 New York Webster Hall
Nov. 18 Tampa Bay Skipper's Smokehouse
Nov. 19 Ft. Lauderdale Revolution Live


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In addition to Zilupe we also provide Designer-Bouquets delivery service in the following locations in Latvia:
DDaugavpils designer-bouquets,
JJekabpils designer-bouquets, Jelgava designer-bouquets, Jurmala designer-bouquets,
LLiepaja designer-bouquets,
OOgre designer-bouquets, Olaine designer-bouquets,
RRiga designer-bouquets,
VVentspils designer-bouquets,
We also service many other smaller towns and villages in Latvia. Please contact us if your location of interest is not listed.
Flowers & Plants to Zilupe, Latvia
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Sweets to Zilupe, Latvia
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SpiritsFind a Spirit!
WinesChoose a Wine!


text:
QCAD - 2D CAD System.
Click here for a documentation of the DokuWiki formatting syntax that can be used in reports
Please search for existing tasks (also closed ones) before opening a new task.
Please make sure that you are using the latest Version of QCAD before posting a bug (menu Help > Check for Updates)
FS#855 - Scale dimension on/off option ...
Opened by Husky (Husky) - Saturday, 13 July 2013, 23:01 GMT+2
QCAD 3.1.5 - has a new "Dimensioning Scale adjustment option" (Property editor/Linear Factor). NICE!!!
What means - we are now able to change the dimension scale for existing dims!
My Feature request refers to new dimensions and I think it would be perfect to have a "Scale Factor - On/Off Option" for all Dim Tools.
That would bring us in the position to copy / scale a part of our drawing for a detail view and we could just use us usual the dimensioning tools (with a scale factor) for the dimensioning task ....


text:
Leather Accessories
Mariners have been using leather for centuries to prevent premature wear of their sails. Leather will easily outlast and outperform materials of lesser quality, like rubber or tape, when exposed to sun and salt in the harsh marine environment. Edsons custom-cut, hand-stitched Leather Spreader Boots will protect your sails from costly tears and chafe, providing you peace of mind at sea and leaving more money in your pocket.
Copyright © 2012 The Edson Corp.
FedEx service marks used by permission.


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Vermont Trappers Association holds annual rendezvous
by Joseph Gresser
copyright the Chronicle 9-12-2012
BARTON — The Vermont Trappers Association's annual rendezvous, held at Roaring Brook Park here Saturday and Sunday, brought out trappers from all over the state. They swapped stories, shopped for lures and scents, and gathered information.
One group spent the day testing their marksmanship with black powder rifles, many of them flintlocks.
In what is Floral Hall during the Orleans County Fair, a man wearing a green Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department shirt stood at a table behind two mounted cats. One, rounded and built low to the ground, stalked with bared teeth. The other, leggy and lean, peered alertly with its big front paws perched on a mossy rock.
The shorter of the pair was a bobcat, the taller a lynx. The man was Chris Bernier, a Fish and Wildlife Department scientist.
A steady stream of trappers waited to speak with Mr. Bernier about lynx, which have been making an appearance in the area.
The cats are more often found farther north, Mr. Bernier said, but Vermont is part of their peripheral habitat. An individual lynx can travel long distances, he said, pointing to a map of Maine. There, a study of radio tagged lynx showed one female roamed over 300 miles, he said.
The lynx is designated by federal authorities as a threatened species. Now that their presence in Vermont has been officially noted, Mr. Bernier said, the state is obligated to protect them, something it would want to do in any case.
Mr. Bernier emphasized that the Fish and Wildlife Department is not planning to put any new rules in place right now. The state does plan to study the numbers of lynx and set a population baseline.
With that tool it will be possible to determine over time whether the presence of the cats is a short-term phenomenon, or if they will be a permanent part of Vermont's wildlife community.
Mr. Bernier said the study can then be repeated in ten years to see if the lynx population is the same, larger or smaller.
"We don't want to put regulations in for creatures that might not be here in ten years," he said.
Most of the best lynx sightings have occurred in Essex County, according to a map that Mr. Bernier brought with him to the rendezvous. But they are seen elsewhere in northern Vermont.
The mounted lynx had been shot in a Newport henhouse.
"Feathers were flying everywhere," Mr. Bernier said, and in the confusion the chickens' owner shot to protect his flock without realizing it was a lynx that was raiding the coop. No charges were filed against the shooter.
To one trapper, who wondered what he should do if he accidentally caught a lynx in one of his sets, Mr. Bernier advised, "Take a photo, free the lynx, and call the game warden."
The trapper looked dubiously at the size of the lynx mount, and said he would be more likely to call the warden first and let him free the trapped cat.
Mr. Bernier told other curious trappers that they're not likely to see lynx in southern Vermont. The cats subsist on snowshoe hares, he said, and are almost always found near their favored prey.
Lynx favor snowy areas and are well designed for that environment. Mr. Bernier pulled out a sheet of photos showing lynx tracks in the snow.
The oversized paw prints appeared to be less than an inch deep in the powder snow of a Maine woods. Mr. Bernier said he was wearing snowshoes when he snapped the pictures and still was standing in snow up to his waist.
One is most likely to see lynx in the winter. An easy way to tell them from their more common cousin, the bobcat, is by looking at their tails. The lynx's appears to have been dipped in black ink, while the bobcat's is dark only on the top. As the bobcat moves, an observer will see its tail flashing white.
Mr. Bernier said the lynx is leggier than the bobcat, but noted that his mount was slimmer than most of its species — hence its ill-fated trip to the henhouse. While lynx will feed opportunistically on mice, rodents and other creatures, they are rarely seen apart from hares, he said.
In Vermont history between the 1700s and the 1960s, only four mentions of lynx show up in the records, Mr. Bernier said. "In 1998 we started getting a spattering of sightings," he said.
Now fish and game scientists are trying to get a handle on how widespread the cats have become.
Forester Luke Hardt of Irasburg told Mr. Bernier that he thinks he's seen evidence of lynx in the Albany area. He said he was out surveying a sugar bush and as he returned to places he had flagged he spotted what he thinks were lynx tracks.
Mr. Bernier said it's quite possible. "Cats are very visual," he said. It's very likely that they would be attracted to investigate the pennants blowing in the breeze.
Mr. Hardt encouraged Mr. Bernier to survey Albany and Lowell for lynx.
He expressed interest but said he needs to have access to a large area of land, and get the landowners' permission to do the work.
Essex County is easier, he said, because of the large amount of federal land and because Plum Creek, a major landowner, is also is willing to allow access to its property.
Mr. Bernier also fielded other questions, many about an entirely different cat — the mountain lion. He said his office is on track to receive about 100 reports of mountain lion sightings in the state, many, but not all, of which are probably accurate.
"If they were all good sightings, we'd be overrun with mountain lions," he said.
Mr. Bernier said the mountain lion that got killed on a Connecticut highway last year showed that the large cats can be found this far east. He pointed out that DNA testing showed that the Connecticut mountain lion had traveled 1,500 miles from the Black Hills of South Dakota.
He said he doubts there are currently any breeding pairs living in Vermont. Were they here, he said, he would expect to see more concrete signs, such as road kill or killed domestic animals.
contact Joseph Gresser at [email protected]
For more free articles from the Chronicle like this one, see our Featuring pages. For all the Chronicle's stories, pick up a print copy or subscribe, either for print or digital editions.


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Of course it doesn't matter if not-ready-for-primetime Deborah Perez is "crazy" or not – if she has all this evidence proving the identity of the Zodiac Killer then it will be useful for her to turn it over to the San Francisco Police Department. So here's the news, the SFPD is amenable to spending a little time hearing her story. Is that surprising? Not really, but read on to see the latest Press Release.
Artist's conception of Lil Debby Perez at the scene of the Berryessa slaying:
If I may so bold, enjoy my comments as well:
Daughter of the Zodiac Killer to Be Questioned by the SFPD
How about "purported daughter"?
Investigative Reporter/Journalist Larry Garrison Comes Forward to Support the Evidence that Guy Hendrickson is the Zodiac Killer
"Support the Evidence." What?
For the first time in twenty-five years, the San Francisco Police Department will call in a key potential witness for questioning to identify the Zodiac Killer officially.
All right.
Deborah Perez has been called in by Lt. Michael Staskos (badge No. 724) of the SFPD Homicide Unit.
All right.
Date to appear is June 17, 2009.
All right.
She will be questioned about her father, Guy Ward Hendrickson.
All right.
The nation's top forensic experts have endorsed her handwriting, psychological, and DNA evidence showing participation in the Zodiac Killings.
Oh no they didn't!
Her evidence was recently turned over to Lt. Staskos SFPD.
All right.
Deborah Perez was seven years old at the time she became his innocent sidekick.
Oh no she wasn't!
Deborah became aware of her father's involvement in the Zodiac murders years later after viewing a segment of "America's Most Wanted" composite that resembled her father.
But what if Guy Ward Hendrickson isn't the Zodiac?
On April 29th, she came forward with a press conference at the San Francisco Chronicle.
Really? At the Chronicle? Ha ha ha ha ha! How about on the sidewalk near the Chronicle?
The glasses which she handed over to Lt. Michael Staskos on May 5th, currently held in evidence by SFPD, will be part of the DNA proof needed.
How do you know that?
Deborah Perez feels she "…owes it to the families of the victims to put this case to rest."
All right.
Though others have come forward, no one has been able to substantiate a claim as Deborah has achieved with eye witness testimony, forensic and DNA evidence.
DNA evidence? Really? Deborah is so unique and special, a bunch of old white guys should make a movie about her, or something.
She is also the only witness ever endorsed by members of famed attorney Melvin M. Belli, who the Zodiac contacted.
"Members of famed attorney Melvin M. Belli" Really? "Endorsed." What? Wasn't Melvin Belli kind of a hack? I know an attorney – he used to work for/with Melvin Belli back in the 1990's, had to sue to get paid the salary he was owed. Does this experience qualify him to divine the Zodiac?
The Belli group has requested the Zodiac Killer/Melvin Belli Files which SFPD has in possession for 40 years.
The "Belli Group"? Is that a law firm?
Larry Garrison, President of SilverCreek Entertainment, and Investigative Reporter/Journalist, has just come on board to support Deborah Perez.
Well, Katie bar the door! Mr. Garrison? Really?
After his own investigations, Garrison verified the evidence including handwriting analysis reports of Perez with professionals.
No he didn't!
Garrison has been shown that "Deborah, in fact, wrote those Zodiac letters and her DNA will be on at least one of the envelopes."
Nice passive voice there!
Attorneys from the Belli office have also confirmed that Deborah was in fact the child who accompanied her father, Guy Ward Hendrickson, to Mr. Melvin Belli's office.
Attorneys? Former attorneys? Disbarred attorneys? Well, gee, if an attorney believes something, it MUST be true!
Larry Garrison states, "The proof will be in the forensic evidence and DNA once Deborah has her chance to have it analyzed."
Oh, poor Little Debby! Was she too busy signing movie deals to actually turn over her "evidence" in 2007?
And On it Goes.
To Be Continued…
Tags: 2009, Arthur Allen, Arthur Lee Allen, associates, bar, berryessa, Bruce Davis, c, cab, california, chant, chronicle, Clifton, commission, deborah perez, Degarmo, Denis Kaufman, department, disbarred, documentary, driver, edward, Examiner, eyeglasses, glasses, Guy Ward Hendrickson, Jack Tarrance, June 17, Kevin McLean, killer, lake, Larry Kane, lil debbie, little debbie, lozzi, Manson Family, melvin belli, memory, Michael, Paul, police, pr, public relations, repressed, San Francisco, securities and exchange, serial, SFPD, snacks, Staskos, state, stine, taxi, ward, William, William C Degarmo, William Clifton Degarmo, William Degarmo, zodiac, zodiac killer


text:
I believe that we have the power to create the lives that we want to live. With this in mind, I rarely make a move without weighing my options. I research. I make lists. I poll friends and family and experts in the field. I think and I think, and I think some more. Going with the flow doesn't exactly come easily to me. Except for when it does. Occasionally, amidst so much contemplation and calculation, my intuition kicks in, wrestles all of my best laid plans to the ground, and yanks me over to a place that feels inexplicably right. I have found that the easiest decisions – the best decisions – are usually the ones that hardly feel like decisions at all. They're the ones I barely remember making, that sneak up and choose me, instead of the other way around. I felt this way when, after four years of friendship, Eli and I fell in love and knew in an instant that we would spend our lives together. There would be two years of living an ocean apart, and challenges to be sure, but somehow, none of it ever felt all that hard. It was, and continues to be, strangely simple.
This site came to be in a similar way, totally out of the blue. There was none of the usual agonizing, no soul-searching, no reading up, no thinking- thinking-thinking about what this site would or could or should be. All I knew was that I wanted to spend my days doing something that I loved. I wanted to write, and Sweet Amandine gave me a place to do it. Now, I can't imagine not writing here. That rough-and-tumble intuition knows what she's doing.
To celebrate our first year, I've cleaned things up a bit around here. I've given the sidebar a few nips and tucks, tightened a couple of screws, and rolled out a new font. I hope you like it. Thank you all so much for joining me here. I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be a very good year.
See you back here on Monday, with a recipe.
38 comments:
- Tea said...
I am so glad you just jumped in! I find some of the biggest decisions we make--judged so in hindsight at least--are ones you just do, no pro and con list needed.
I'm so glad I got to know you (and your intense year) through Sweet Amandine. Here's to many more (less intense) years!
- January 7, 2010 at 3:08 PM
- Maggie said...
Congrats on the blogaversary! The site is so lovely.
- January 7, 2010 at 3:37 PM
- Char said...
Happy Blogaversary!!! I'm so happy I stumbled upon you. Your writings are so beautiful
Happy 2010
- January 7, 2010 at 3:41 PM
- Shannalee said...
Happy one year, Sweet Amandine! Jess, it's been such a pleasure getting to know you through your blog (and Flickr and Twitter) over the last year, and I always love reading your thoughts and seeing your pictures. Thanks for all the inspiration and beauty you've added to my life, through this little, so-natural blog thing.
- January 7, 2010 at 4:01 PM
- Linda said...
what a lovely post!
firstly, happy anniversary enjoyed in good health!
2010 will be a good year...your positive energy is electrifying!
- January 7, 2010 at 4:03 PM
- bluejeangourmet said...
I'm with you, girl--we always *know* what the right thing is, because really, on some level, we're just making it up/choosing it for ourselves. it's all about that radical trust, right?
so happy that Sweet Amandine came into the world and you came into my life! cheers xx
PS--loving your new sidebar photo
- January 7, 2010 at 4:30 PM
- Nithya said...
Happy Birthday, Sweet Amandine. Jess, I don't know you personally, but your writing is so warm, it makes me feel like a friend. Ever since I read your post, "The other side," I've been hooked. I visit here again and again, seeking both inspiration and recipes and you've never disappointed me. Thank you, for being so generous and sharing your words and your life.
- January 7, 2010 at 4:32 PM
- Tartelette said...
Happy Blog Anniversary! Here is to a better 2010!
- January 7, 2010 at 4:39 PM
- jodi said...
happy, happy anniversary!
- January 7, 2010 at 4:53 PM
- BF said...
a big, hearty cheers to 1 year from across the pond, jess!
(and in case i haven't said this before: your writing is seriously fantastic)
- January 7, 2010 at 5:39 PM
- Kimberly300 said...
love love love your blog! can't wait to read more..
Happy Birthday!
- January 7, 2010 at 6:04 PM
- momMe said...
Happy Birthday SA!! You have made me laugh, cry, think, cook, and even bake --- you inspire me with your creativity --- here's to many, many more. love you
- January 7, 2010 at 6:06 PM
- Megan said...
Congratulations on your one-year blogiversary! I love your writing. Looking forward to more of it!
- January 7, 2010 at 6:25 PM
- megan said...
Happy Birthday, Sweet Amandine! Thanks for making me misty and hungry and smiley, and /so grateful/ for my friends month after month in 09. 2010 is going to be great - Can't wait to share it with you!
- January 7, 2010 at 7:27 PM
- jacqui | happyjackeats said...
happy one year blogiversary, sweet amandine! i look forward to another year of touching stories, lovely photos, and delcious food! congrats, jess. you've created something very special here, and you should be very proud.
- January 7, 2010 at 7:53 PM
- Sara said...
love, love, love your blog. :)
- January 7, 2010 at 7:59 PM
- Catherine said...
I've enjoyed reading your blog immensely since I found it a couple of months ago, and I look forward to reading what's yet to come. All the best for the coming year, I hope it's full of happiness, health and, of course, lots of good food!
- January 7, 2010 at 8:00 PM
- nina said...
happy birthday sweet amadine! i'm so glad to have "met" you and your words here and on flickr. i'm so grateful for your stories, your recipes, and your love of food that shines through each one of your posts.
if you ever need to bend an ear about dissertating, [yes, it is a verb!:)] i'm here for you.
i think 2010 will be great for you and i look forward to watching it unfold in this space.
all my best!
- January 7, 2010 at 8:43 PM
- kathryn said...
Jess, congratulations on the one year birthday - well done you. That is quite an achievement. And I'm looking forward to what the next year holds at Sweet Amandine.
Oh yes and I like the tweaks you've made, especially the font.
- January 7, 2010 at 11:27 PM
- Jess said...
Hi everyone! Many thanks to all of you for stopping by to celebrate with me. To you familiar voices: seeing your names pop up in the comments always makes my heart squeeze. And to those of you who spoke up for the very first time today: Hello there! Welcome! I look forward to continuing our conversations over the coming year.
Dear Tea, I think that you said it just right. (You have a reputation for that, you know?) Though I think I'm actually rather fond of "intense years." (Just not brain surgery intense.)
Maggie - Thank you. That means a lot coming from you and your well-trained eye!
Char - Thank you. I'm so glad you're here.
Shannalee - You always say the sweetest things. I feel so grateful to have found such an extraordinary community here on the internets. Who knew? (Um, okay, the answer to that question is probably "Everyone," but I sure didn't.)
Linda - Thank you. For some reason, I also have a very good feeling about 2010.
bluejeangourmet - Oh, Nishta. I've been struggling with how to understand this idea of a "right thing." And then you pop in, and all off-the-cuff like, manage to say it so beautifully. So happy to know you, friend.
Nithya - I think I just turned about 27 shades of red. What a lovely, lovely note. Thank you, dear Nithya, for being here. (p.s. - I don't know if you checked back, but I (finally! I'm sorry!) replied to your comment on the Sarasohn essay in the carrot cake cupcake post. )
Tartelette - Thank you, dear Helen. I wish the same for you.
Jodi - If I'm not mistaken, this is your first time speaking up in this space. Welcome! I hope that the journey from Flickr-land was smooth.
BF - Thank you, Brian. That means a lot.
Kimberly300 - Your enthusiasm has me smiling from ear to ear. Thank you.
Mom - Hi! Yes, to many, MANY more. I miss you. Come visit. We'll cook.
Megan - Thank you!
*Your attention please.* (tap-tap-tap. Is this thing on?)
This next loyal reader has a habit of blowing me away with her giant heart, and big, fat, brilliant brain. It should have come as no surprise when she called even before she had caught sight of this post to wish Sweet Amandine many happy returns. Somehow, this very dear friend remembered the exact day that little Sweet Amandine was born. For cryin' out loud, Megan, even I had to look it up! I should have done this a long time ago, but better late than never: I hereby name you Sweet Amandine's official godmother. It's the least I can do, seeing as how this whole thing was your idea in the first place! Seriously, Megan, thank you so much for believing in me. xo.
Jacqui - Thank you. I hope you know that the feeling is mutual.
Sara - Thank you!
Catherine - I'm so happy to hear that you've been reading. I believe we've met here in the comments once before, on a recent post, no? In any case, welcome! And best wishes to you, too, for a wonderful 2010.
Nina, my dear, thank you, thank you for coming along with me this year. I am also so happy to have "met" you. Tell those ears of yours that I might just take you up on your offer.
Kathryn - Thank you! I'm so grateful that you're reading, and happy to hear that you're a fan of the New Year's nips and tucks.
- January 8, 2010 at 12:32 AM
- Nanette said...
Jess may 2010 be filled with great joy, health and adventure!
- January 8, 2010 at 6:34 AM
- Jenious said...
Cheers to your first blog birthday! I know there will be many more to follow. You touch, so beautifully, upon the unexpected reward of writing a blog. They are lovely little buggers who tug at our attention and are worth every ounce of care and sacrifice. Sorta like Home, I suppose. Take care, dear Jess.
- January 8, 2010 at 11:16 AM
- Jess said...
Nanette - Sounds good to me! Thank you. Wishing you all the best in the New Year.
Jenious - Thank you, Jen. You said it; this space does indeed feel like home. Happy 2010 to you.
- January 8, 2010 at 11:22 AM
- megan said...
Oh, my - I'm honored! I love this idea - godparents for projects...I may adopt it, if you don't mind. The truth is, though, I had very little to do with it - my heart squeezes when I think about it now - an idea appeared at an offhand moment. And it turned out to be so right! She's good, that intuition.
- January 8, 2010 at 12:20 PM
- Kasey said...
Happy anniversary! It's beena pleasure and I can't wait for more. :)
- January 8, 2010 at 8:48 PM
- Julie said...
So often thinking things over results in talking ourselves out of doing something, rather than coming up with the best approach... so glad you went with your heart and jumped right in - we're all better off for it!
- January 8, 2010 at 10:06 PM
- Rupinder Bisla said...
dearest jessa, i have a feeling 2010 is going to be a great year! i miss you terribly, and i honestly think you need to plan a trip to israel (very soon).
lots and lots of love.
- January 9, 2010 at 3:41 AM
- Rosiecat said...
Happy birthday, Sweet Amandine! I truly love this site and feel deeply inspired by the words and recipes.
By the way, I made your Simplest Tomato Soup for my favorite guy, and he loved it, which is saying a lot! Then we ate it again the next night to accompany our smoked paprika taste-testing using roasted potatoes, and the soup anchored our meal like the champ it is. So it's officially in rotation. Hip hip!
- January 9, 2010 at 11:44 AM
- Lindsey@pickyeatings said...
Congrats on your first year of blogging! Here's to many more!
- January 10, 2010 at 9:45 AM
- Susan said...
Congrats! This... "I have found that the easiest decisions – the best decisions – are usually the ones that hardly feel like decisions at all."... is the type of thing I'd like to hang by my desk as a reminder to myself everyday.
- January 11, 2010 at 10:18 PM
- Jess said...
Megan - Adopt away. xo.
Kasey - Thank you. The pleasure is mine!
Thanks, Julie. Your encouragement has meant so much to me this year.
Rupinder - I miss you, too! Yes, I'm long overdue for a trip across the ocean. Let me discuss it with the Eli and get back to you. So much love to you, Joel.
Rosiecat - Thank you for your very kind note. It has been a pleasure "meeting" you this year, and I look forward to continuing our conversations. I'm thrilled to hear that the tomato soup is working out for you and your man. Oh, and please pass the smoked paprika potatoes. They sound delicious.
Lindsey - Thank you!
Susan - I should probably hang that on my wall, too. (Just because I said it doesn't mean I'm always good at remembering it!)
- January 12, 2010 at 4:42 PM
- Andrea [bella eats] said...
Jess, a very Happy Birthday to your blog, m'dear! I adore Sweet Amandine, and you, and look forward to years worth of stories and recipes from your fingertips. xoxo.
- January 12, 2010 at 9:59 PM
- Jess said...
Andrea - Thank you, friend. You are too sweet. The feeling is mutual, of course. xo.
- January 13, 2010 at 2:40 PM
- Jennifer said...
I'm really looking forward to trying this recipe using fennel pollen as a garnish. I brought it back from a recent visit to Italy, and I've been trying to find ways to use it. This looks promising. Thank you!
- January 14, 2010 at 1:59 PM
- LyB said...
Happy one year anniversary! I only discovered your blog fairly recently but it has become one of my regular reads. You write beautifully, may 2010 continue to be inspiring! :)
- January 15, 2010 at 8:42 AM
- Jess said...
Jennifer - I had never heard of fennel pollen, and so I Googled it. This is what I found: "In an article for Saveur magazine, Peggy Knickerbocker wrote, "If angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it."" Whoa. This stuff sounds serious. Enjoy!
LyB - Hello, and welcome! Thank you for the anniversary wishes, and congratulations to you, too, on celebrating two whole years of blogging. I'm so glad that you decided to leave a note. It really means so much to me that you're checking in here regularly.
- January 15, 2010 at 3:38 PM
- Britt said...
Happy (belated) anniversary, congratulations! I too think that 2010 is going to be a very good year--I can just feel it. I'm so glad to hear it's already looking bright for you and can't wait to read more of your lovely words.
- February 5, 2010 at 11:13 AM
- Jess said...
Hello, Britt, and thanks for your kind note. I know what you mean about 2010. I feel it, too. I really do.
- February 7, 2010 at 12:03 AM


text:
Real estate investment trusts were last year's strongest asset class, yielding a nearly 20% return and besting the broad market S&P 500 index by four percentage points.
In fact, REITs have surpassed the broad market for several years in a row now. What's more, a different dynamic seems to be at work in real estate these days. With private equity and hedge funds scooping up residential real estate in bulk, it appears that Wall Street is crowding out what historically has been primarily a Main Street business run by mom-and-pop investors.
Indeed, Bloomberg reports that the Metacapital Mortgage Opportunties hedge fund returned 38% to shareholders in just the first 10 months of last year—a substantial gain for private investors even as the public continues to bear the massive mortgage losses of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
And at the street level, some odd things are happening in the till-recently moribund sector. The Washington Post reported two weeks ago on one ordinary-seeming house in the Capitol Hill area that received 168 bids and ultimately sold for $400,000 above its $337,000 asking price.
To get a global picture of real estate investing, AdvisorOne turned to Stephen Blank, a senior resident fellow with the Urban Land Institute, a Washington, DC-based real estate think tank established in the Great Depression era. In Blank's view, there are multiple reasons for real estate's appeal to investors today:
"Real estate has proven itself over the past couple of years to be a solid economic performer," he said. "If you look at NAREIT versus the S&P 500, it's four years in a row that REITs have outperformed stocks. Investors start to notice that.
"Also, REITs pay dividends; people notice that. And they've been able to obtain reasonable amounts of leverage at historically low interest rates. People notice that.
"Normally, real estate shoots itself in the foot by overbuilding," Blank adds, noting that property construction over the past five years has fallen—and remained—at the lowest rates in a generation.
"All of that starts to get noticed," Blank continues, adding that real estate has also proven valuable as a means of diversifying investor portfolios.
"And now hedge funds, buyout funds, smart and savvy global institutional investors have gotten into the market," generating a lot of press in the process.
Blank says a wide array of investment structures is another advantage of real estate investing. "You can own the equity, you could buy the debt, you could invest in a fund that buys commercial mortgage-backed securities," he says.
"You add all that up and it makes real estate look attractive."
Indeed, there is fresh evidence of this investor appeal. In the first deal of its kind at a major wirehouse, Merrill Lynch is now offering its clients exclusive access to a nontraded REIT managed by Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate investment manager.
Nontraded REITs have long been a staple of the independent broker-dealer world, so the Merrill deal would seem to suggest pent-up demand among more affluent investors.
"Investors have been clamoring to buy nontraded REITs. They've invested billions of dollars in these REITs. They've been primarily sold by non-wirehouse advisors," says Blank, adding the asset category has not been without controversy.
"One side says they're illiquid, that they're pushed out by brokers who want high commissions" and that questions persist about whether their valuations can be relied on.
"On the other side of it, a lot of these sponsors are proving themselves to have done a very good job," Blank continues. "Like anything else, the verdict won't be out till we've gone the full cycle."
Blank says that Merrill and the other wirehouses distanced themselves from these products because of their resemblance to the limited partnership investments sold in the 1980s as well as their lack of liquidity. He says their jumping into this fray, and doing so on a proprietary basis, suggests very high client demand and a desire to ensure a quality product. "They rather control this, control the fees—that is, keep them low—and do the due diligence to give clients a deal they can be comfortable with."
A key reason for REITs' recent outperformance and future prospects lies in today's interest rate environment. The same zero-rate environment that has prompted investors to search for yield also provides a low cost of funding for financing or refinancing real estate portfolios.
Importantly, this state of affairs implies that income, more than capital appreciation, is where today's opportunity lies.
"For real estate to produce large amounts of appreciation means that cap rates have to get lower," says Blank, referring to the ratio between a property's net income and cost. "I'm not sure how much lower it's possible to get.
"Normally, when interest rates go up, cap rates go up with them. You're going to have to have an incredibly large amount of net income growth to offset the drag of higher cap rates" should rates rise, Blank warns.
That said, in its latest, third round of quantitative easing (and subsequent comments), the Federal Reserve has reiterated its intention to maintain a near-zero federal funds rate.
"Every statement they've made, they say they're going to keep rates at low levels to 2015, maybe longer. So I'll take Mr. [Fed Chairman Ben] Bernanke at his word," Blank says, adding that investors should nevertheless make contingency calculations.
"I think you add it [the possibility of rates rising sooner than expected] to your analysis," he says. "At least have a fire drill so you're not sitting there like Chicken Little worried about the sky falling [if rates should rise]. That's just good business sense."
Asked about an exogenous event such as a credit ratings agency downgrading U.S. debt, Blank was quick to note: "The last time they did that, there was a global rush to buy our Treasuries."