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I started to read this book to gain a better understanding of what I needed to do to make and have a better marriage. It truly opened my eyes to see what failures I have and areas where I needed to do better to salvage my marriage. It also increased my understanding of the gospel in that I now understand that there are triangles congruent in the gospel principles.
It has created a new understanding of how the temporal and spiritual work together and that to God all things are spiritual. Just as we are commanded to become one with Christ likewise we need and are commanded to become one with our spouses.
This book is fantastic having changed my outlook on life, marriage and the gospel. Beautifully written in a very sacred way that elevates all aspects of marriage to the level expected by a loving Father in heaven.
We read this book together as husband and wife. It is very inspiring as we really come to understand the way men and women feel, think, and act in these intimate matters. We like also the way the spiritual side of sex in married life was instilled. We feel closer to each other more than ever before. Thank you so much as my wife sees me now as wanting her husband and not just having sex with him. It is a real blessing when we understand the principle of sexual intimacy blended with the emotional and spiritual. This book is placing sexuality in its right place and also a great help to teach children properly.
this book absolutely helps couples that suffer from a sexual addiction. as a man i have tried to explain to my wife how she can help me over come my temptations. granted i didn't fully understand why i was so weak in those areas, which the book does help explain. i also struggled to get my wife involved in helping, because she always thought that what i suggested was self serving. now her and i both realize the truth and are working to overcome our personal trials. this book has helped my wife realize her negative attitude and therefore reluctance sexually and has helped me understand why i am so tempted in those areas so i can overcome those feelings. Now we don't look at each other and think that the other spouse's problem isn't ours to deal with. We now know that we both can actively do things that can strengthen our marriage and show love for each other. now all the blame isn't being put on one individual, which doesn't help that person feel loved, which leads to weakness when temptation does come as it always will.
i feel like this book is actually several books in one were it does address several aspects such as physical spiritual and emotional intimacy communications and different styles of feeling loved. i have been able to help bring greater insight into my family relations college course after reading this book. i recommend it to all.
I only wish I had read this book before my marriage ended in divorce because I had so many problems with a physical relationship. It was so hard to accept that something that had been wrong because we married was right after we married. I did not understand the that men express their love and feel loved during sexual intimacy and I did not understand the concept of oneness. I did not understand how unloved a man feels when he is rejected. It is an amazing book. I am so glad it has been written. And I actually found it to be very spiritual.
This is a great book on building a loving relationship in marriage, teaching children etc but I've read better.
It has a very detailed instruction manual of the sexual act, so I definitely wouldn't give it to anyone until they were actually on their way to the honeymoon.
I commend Laura for her work, however Wendy Watson Nelson's book on marital intimacy did much more for us in making intimacy a deeply Spiritual, healing and powerful experience and eliminating lust and impurity. See my review on that book.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a great help for my husband and I when we were first married. I really enjoyed the "good girl" "bad girl" situation as I was feeling exactly like that.
The book helped me to realize that intimacy with my husband was ok and not a bad thing.
Laura, It is a painful journey overcoming the Good Girl Syndrome you mention in your book and often I fall back to my old thinking. It takes me becoming discouraged and frustrated to see what has happened. I did not realize how much that GGS was a part of my chemistry. Some days I think I will never break free of it. That is good though because I am determined NOT to return to that awful way of life! My copy of your book is full of sticky notes and highlighted portions. I write notes in the margins and can see my progress as I reread those notes. I have come light years ahead of where I was when I discovered your book, but realize I am still in embryo stages in my growth. I am realizing more and more that if we will follow the promptings no matter how painful they are to go through, we will immerge on the other side much happier and much more fulfilled in our marriages. I am discovering, if I will strive to find the Lord's ways I find much more joy than if I try my own ways without His help. It is more of a journey than I thought and I am sure it will continue through the eternities as my husband and I build a Celestial marriage. I cannot thank you enough for your inspired writings and insights. I will continue to study and apply your book and share what I am learning with others. -Eternally Grateful KT from Arizona
Get a pencil, write in the margins, study this book. Then pass it to your spouse/fiance and have them do the same. Your intimate relations will never be the same again! In a good way ;-)
My husband and I have tried to deal with my struggle with intimacy since the day we were married 28 years ago. We talked, cried, prayed and saw counselors. My guilt was overwhelming. Then I bought this book, and our lives changed.
I can't describe how wonderful it was to get an LDS perspective about sexual intimacy and the struggle many of us have: "Now you're married & even though the 's' word was forbidden yesterday, today it's not only okay, it's expected!"
EVERY married couple should read this book. It is down to earth, uplifting, fun help.
This would be a good book for recently married couples. It helps work through inhibitions. It does give some help on teaching children about intimacy.
I picked up this book when my girlfriend was getting married and it helped me realize and overcome some of the qualms I had about "married life". It's very to the point and basic. Highly recommend!
My wife and I love to listen to one cd each day while we drive on our date night. Listening to Laura read the book allows us to talk and understand more. It has really helped us understand each others needs.
This book puts to much emphasis on the sexual act and not enough on what needs to come before in a marriage such as respect, love, tenderness, courtesy, sacrifice. Chapter 3 is the only thing of worth in the whole book. I think it has more information than is needed. It doesn't help someone with a spouse with a sex addiction.
I am so grateful that Laura Brotherson wrote this book! Before I read this book, I felt that noone really understood the mental blocks that many LDS women have that hold them back in the area of physical intimacy. This book is different is a marriage-saver. It is candid, yet still respectful and completely appropriate. The author shares her own struggles and the journey of healing she has gone through, and more importantly, offers encouragement and hope for all that need similar healing. Even if the physical aspect of your relationship is not in dire straits, it can probably still use improvement. Women will feel validated, understood, and encouraged by reading this book. Couples will undoubtedly strengthen their testimony of the sacredness of marital intimacy, and will grow closer together on all levels from reading this book together.
This is the best book I have ever come across to help committed couples work together to strengthen their relationship. I only wish I had it earlier in my marriage. The last 2 years have been far and away the best of a 20 year marriage. I will give it to my children when they are ready to marry. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I highly recommend this book above all other marriage/intimacy related books. It covers all the bases and provides the kind of education that most of us needed when we were first married. ALL married couples should have this book and should read it together.
After 3 children and nearly 30 years of marriage I have come to find out how healthy sexual intimacy between a husband and wife can strengthen bonds between them that no other thing can accomplish. I thought my husband and I had a great marriage and that we were doing fine until my husband and I listened to Laura Brotherson's audio book and I discovered not only was I hurting my marriage because of my prudish ways. We are acting like newlyweds again and it just keeps getting better...and yes, we have seen to it our married children either have or know about this inspired and enlightening book. It also handles these delicate issues in a very appropriate way and is needed in a world where Satan's views on sexual intimacy is winning too many hearts and destroying lives and marriages. Laura quotes scriptures and church leaders as well as respected BYU professors and authors in her book. I have given it as wedding gifts and 'just because I care' gifts and the people thank me over and over again for this priceless gift. Laura is wise beyond her years and has the courage to share her experiences and her convictions on these matters. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Laura!


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He's spoken out against Mitt Romney, the recording industry and Britney Spears, and now Moby is taking aim at the National Rifle Association (NRA).
In recent tweets, the DJ and musician called the gun lobby group "utterly despicable" plus posted a more detailed journal entry on his feelings, claiming "the NRA and the Republicans are on the wrong side of history." Moby, whose support of the Democratic Party is well known, surely did not shock his fans with this particular position, although he acknowledges there are still consequences to such outbursts.
"In the States, certainly since getting into social media, I've alienated a lot of people with my political beliefs and statements," he says. "And if I'm incredibly vocal and critical of the NRA, it's sort of a dangerous position to take — most people in the NRA have guns! And they would love nothing more than to shoot an irritating lefty like me. But honestly, I don't worry about it too much. The issue is more important to me than my own personal safety."
Since becoming an electronic music superstar in the early 1990s, Moby has attracted attention for his activism on behalf of animal rights (the vegan is a supporter of The Humane Society, PETA and others), net neutrality, and, increasingly, his politics. In 2004, after George W. Bush beat John Kerry for the U.S. presidency, Moby wrote an open letter to Canada asking if the Western and Northern U.S. states could secede from America and join their northern neighbour.
In the run-up to the 2008 election, he threatened to move to Canada should Republican candidate John McCain become president. (Instead, he got to perform at an inauguration party for President Obama.) Now, Moby is once again considering Canada as a refuge from what he calls "American stupidity" over gun violence. He's also suggesting the country could get involved in solving the problem.
"Canadians could do something," he says. "You could theoretically have incredibly draconian penalties for any American caught bringing a gun in or out of Canada. What if any American, or anyone caught, was immediately thrown in jail for 25 years?"
With Canada's ongoing, partisan, tug-of-war over its national gun registry, Moby might not want to hold his breath on that one. However, he's also a supporter of less outrageous ideas, such as limited gun control legislation. He even admits he's not opposed to individual gun ownership. ("I'm not necessarily 100 per cent anti-gun," he says.) So why take on this particular issue, and, especially, why engage the notoriously powerful NRA?
"Because the consequences of lack of gun control are so clear," he says. "That's why I see the NRA position as so untenable. Their policies lead to children being killed. It's pretty simple."
"There are so many important issues in America," he continues. "Issues with long-term consequences, short-term consequences, public health consequences, economic consequences... To me, [fighting gun control] seems the most flagrant example of American stupidity. Trying to work on global warming, that's a huge, complicated, Byzantine problem. Whereas, it seems that gun violence should be a relatively simple fix."
Also on HuffPost

subset: commoncrawl


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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) Increases Fair Trade Coffee Purchases by Five Million Po
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) Increases Fair Trade Coffee Purchases by Five Million Pounds Annually
Coffee leader converts top-selling Nantucket Blend® to Fair Trade Certified™ coffee
WATERBURY, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) (NAS: GMCR) today announced that another one of its best-selling coffees, Green Mountain Coffee® Nantucket Blend®, is now 100-percent Fair Trade Certified™. This conversion will represent approximately five million pounds of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee for fiscal year 2013 and will deliver an estimated $1 million in fair trade social premiums to coffee farmers annually.
Purchasing Green Mountain Coffee®Fair Trade Certified™ varieties helps farmers receive a fair price for their beans, resulting in quality coffee and a higher quality of life in coffee-farming communities. Beans for Nantucket Blend® are sourced from carefully-selected Fair Trade Certified™ coffee farms in Central America, South America, Africa, and Indonesia. The Nantucket Blend® conversion is the latest step in the Green Mountain Coffee® brand's continued support of fair trade.
In 2000, GMCR became one of the first roasters in the United States to offer Fair Trade Certified™ coffees, and in 2012, the company was named the world's largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee by Fair Trade USA for the second year in a row.
"Converting our Nantucket Blend now allows us to bring more Green Mountain Coffee fair trade varieties to a larger consumer base than ever before," said Lindsey Bolger, Senior Director of Coffee for the Specialty Coffee business unit of GMCR. "We're proud to be able to maintain the taste and quality of one of our most popular coffees while significantly changing the impact its existence will have around the world."
The conversion of all Nantucket Blend® coffee sold in bags, K-Cup® and Vue® packs to Fair Trade Certified™ was completed in January 2013. The brand's Brew Over Ice Nantucket Blend® Iced Coffee will be converted by May 2013, making it the first Fair Trade Certified™ Brew Over Ice beverage offered for the Keurig® K-Cup® and Vue® brewing systems.
Green Mountain Coffee® Nantucket Blend® is a complex blend that weaves three exotic and delicious coffee-attributes together - winey, berry tones from East Africa, deep, full-bodied flavor from Indonesia, and zesty and bright flavors from the Americas. Nantucket Blend® is currently available in 12-count, 18-count, 24-count and 80-count K-Cup® pack boxes, in 12 oz. ground coffee bags, and 16-count Vue® pack boxes. With the fair trade conversion, prices will remain the same for consumers, as will the available varieties and formats.
Today, the Green Mountain Coffee® brand is available in supermarkets, retail stores, convenience stores, restaurants, offices, and foodservice locations around the country and at www.GreenMountainCoffee.com.
For more information on the benefits of fair trade coffee, Nantucket Blend® or other Green Mountain Coffee® varieties, visit www.GreenMountainCoffee.com. To join the conversation, visit Facebook.com/GreenMountainCoffee or follow @GreenMtnCoffee on Twitter.
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.
As a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) (NAS: GMCR) is recognized for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. GMCR supports local and global communities, investing in sustainably-grown coffee and allocating a portion of its pre-tax profits to socially and environmentally responsible initiatives. For more information, please visit www.GMCR.com, www.greenmountaincoffee.com, or www.keurig.com.
GMCR routinely posts information that may be of importance to investors in the Investor Relations section of its website, including news releases and its complete financial statements, as filed with the SEC. The Company encourages investors to consult this section of its website regularly for important information and news. Additionally, by subscribing to the Company's automatic email news release delivery, individuals can receive news directly from GMCR as it is released.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this release, including statements concerning expected performance such as those relating to net sales, earnings, cost savings, acquisitions and brand marketing support, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Generally, these statements may be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "would," "expect," "should," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "forecast," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements may relate to: the expected impact of raw material costs and our pricing actions on our results of operations and gross margins, expected trends in net sales and earnings performance and other financial measures, the expected productivity and working capital improvements, the ability to maximize or successfully assert our intellectual property rights, the success of introducing and producing new product offerings, ability to attract and retain senior management, the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations, the adequacy of internally generated funds and existing sources of liquidity, such as the availability of bank financing, the expected results of operations of businesses acquired by us, our ability to issue debt or additional equity securities, our expectations regarding purchasing shares of our common stock under the existing authorizations, and the impact of the inquiry initiated by the SEC and any related litigation or additional governmental inquiry or enforcement proceedings.
These and other forward-looking statements are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results. Results may be materially affected by external factors such as damage to our reputation or brand name, business interruptions due to natural disasters or similar unexpected events, actions of competitors, customer relationships and financial condition, the ability to achieve expected cost savings and margin improvements, the successful acquisition and integration of new businesses, fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw and packaging materials, changes in regulatory requirements, and global economic conditions generally which would include the availability of financing, interest, inflation rates and investment return on retirement plan assets, as well as foreign currency fluctuations, risks associated with our information technology systems, the threat of data breaches or cyber-attacks, and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly, any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130320006137/en/
Cone Communications
Ashley Aruda, 617-939-8427
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.
Amy Doyle, 802-882-2295
Specialty Coffee Business Unit
KEYWORDS: United States North America Vermont
The article Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) Increases Fair Trade Coffee Purchases by Five Million Pounds Annually originally appeared on Fool.com.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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My Grandfather, Harry Levine, when he came to the United States from Vilna, Russia (or actually Lithuania, but it depends on the "when") had been trained as a woodcarver, a furniture maker. In the US he found himself in Brooklyn, and his life included sculpture classes at the Educational Alliance Art School in NYC. A cool aside here: I spent some time in NYC at the Center for Jewish History, researching Grandpa's time at the Educational Alliance. My big "find" was minutes from a faculty meeting where Grandpa Harry was in attendance (he must have taught a class) as they all discussed a grievance. The faculty at the meeting included Chaim Gross, Abbo Ostrowsky, and more, including Louise Nevelson!! How cool is THAT!?
Anyhow, going through old papers at home I found, in an Educational Alliance Art School exhibition booklet a writeup about Grandpa that said he had been commissioned to carve a series of satyric faces on fenceposts at an estate in Croton. EUREKA! Confirmation!!
Around the same time, my brother was back in Croton, showing around the photos. In the public library, someone recognized the lintels over the garage doors and windows, and the next thing I knew, I had a phone call from my brother who was standing in front of the garage doors looking at our grandfather's carvings (photo below). Except the carved panels in the doors had been removed, and all that was left was the lintels. No sign of a totem pole anywhere, no fenceposts.
Note: I've been separating paragraphs in this post with some photos of the lintels as they can be seen now.
He was taken inside the Jewish Center, where upstairs there is a preschool. Staring down from the ends of ceiling beams were more carved faces! Nobody in the Jewish Center knew anything about the history of the carvings, and surprisingly little about the history of the building. Amazingly, the little pre-schoolers didn't seem to notice the scary-ish faces. And as you can tell by the condition of them, they have not been given much (or any) TLC over the years. The wood is cracked, and they are dusty. :-(
Here they are, plus the one at the top of this post. My husband is looking directly at one:
I arranged to meet my brother at the location (currently the Croton Jewish Center) in late Autumn (last year) when the leaves were off the trees, so we could more thoroughly scout the woodsy grounds. After a couple of hours, about to give up, my husband spotted a pile of stones, right near the entry road. On closer examination, we realized they had been cemented together, and there is a nice hole in the center. It matches the stones in our photos; it's the base for the totem pole! Proof it had been there!!
And further exploration found a little log building on the site, which appears in the background of some of the fencepost photos. But there is now a condo development where the fence/bridge/stream would have been. So our photos are probably all that is left of the carved posts. But where is the totem, and where are the carved garage door panels?
We found other carvings that we didn't know about, in particular these two little gargoyle-like men by the front door. My husband (left) and brother (right) are doing their best imitations.
So why am I spending so much time posting this stuff? Two reasons, really. First of all, simply to share, because of my artistic family heritage. I'm (understandably) proud. But also, you never know when somebody might see something or read something that sparks some memory, that might establish for us a new place to look.
Our trips to Croton have led us on wild goose chases - from a call about totem pole in Croton that turned out to be a Boy Scout project, to a claim that someone so liked the garage door panels that they "copied" them for their bathroom vanity. Hmmmm.... We've learned that the Croton Jewish Center isn't really in Croton, it is in Cortlandt, and we've been sent back and forth and all over the place talking to assessors and historians. We've learned that Croton-on-Hudson's history is rich in the arts, and also that there was a lively community of anarchists around the time Grandpa Harry was taking the train north from NYC to do these carvings. We've put stories in the local newspaper, placed ads asking for information, and tried to make it clear we are trying to establish a historic family record. There was even a story in the Westchester version of the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/nyregion/westchester/28carvingswe.html
We want to find these items to photograph them, not to take them away from anyone who has given them a home. It's been an interesting ride, but I'm out of ideas. Let me know if you can suggest where we might look next!


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The doctor woke up afraid. The woman beside him stirred. He froze, shame flooding his existence. In one night, he'd obliterated a lifetime dream. Feeling the pull of her stare, unable to resist her power, he swung his eyes towards her. He wasn't surprised to find her lips curled in victory, mocking his defeated existence.
In the beginning of their acquaintance, she'd appeared as a desirable, tantalizing creature, teasing him with her charms. How quickly he'd been seduced. Oh, she could make a man feel good, on top of the world. What's one time? What can it hurt? I'm in control, he'd convinced himself. When had wanting slipped into needing?
No matter how he'd tried to dodge her, she'd snake her way back in. Sometimes, she changed her appearance to represent an old familiar friend stopping by to relive the long passing of glory days. Nothing wrong with a trip or two down memory lane, she'd whisper.
When his wife began complaining about his frequent absences as a father and husband, she was right there, comforting him, nursing his wounded ego. Such an ungrateful wife, she'd cluck. Tsk, tsk, tsk. She doesn't deserve you. I'll be your wife. You don't need her.
The partners at the clinic began to assault him with complaints regarding his shoddy work and lack of concern for the patients. You've changed, they admonished. What's going on with you? You're not the doctor we recruited. You don't need them, she reassured him. They're nothing without you. Good old-fashioned jealousy is all it is, she'd hiss in his ear.
However she appeared, she'd always managed to lure him back.
Until he was faced with the threat of losing his family and career. Ultimatums from his wife compounded by the termination of his contract with the clinic broke her spell.
He'd hoped, believed he'd finally erased her from his existence this last year. His wife supported his decision to relocate across the country, leaving everything and everyone she knew. An old college friend gave him a chance and benefit of the doubt he could beat his problem, bringing him into a well established practice. Yes, the last twelve months boasted a stronger marriage, a second child on the way, along with a town full of adoring and grateful patients.
The woman shifted, sitting up. Reaching for a cigarette, she ignored him. Swallowing fear, he instantly understood. Sensing his new-found knowledge she turned towards him, smiling. How stupid of him not to have known, even sensed she'd been behind the success of the last year. She'd never really left, only giving the illusion of disappearance. She'd been silently building him up, biding her time for the very moment he was convinced he had it beaten.
Acceptance is the key, she'd always whispered into his drug induced mind.
Acceptance is the key, he told himself as he stuck the needle into his eagerly awaiting vein.
I came across the Master Class while reading one of the stories on Sam's blog, My Write Side. This is my first time participating and I look forward to future prompts. As I wrote the doctor's story, my mind delved into the people who are affected by his story and will be adding a couple of more stories, using prompts from Bloggy Moms Writing Workshop. Stop in and check out Sam's blog and the writing prompts.


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GIR3691 wrote:Wow! Those are perfect. How did I miss those?
It says unavailable for download. Would the $10 be for a physical decal sheet or for the digital image file?
GIR3691 wrote:I see.
Well the idea is that I would digitally place the mouths on the figures in post production, so I would need a digital file of the image.
Gen_Shingar wrote:Finally, got all my astromech done, and was wondering if anyone had skulls...
Specifically (That I know of)
LEGO Skull
LEGO Harry Potter Skull
LEGO Castle "Evil" Skull (Red Eyes)
and any other skull decals anyone has or can find (Never a lack of skull uses ).
I have tried looking for these, but I was unsucessful (The computer I am using is slow, even by dial-up standards) I have tried flickr, MOCPages and attempted brickshelf, but it was having errors.
Any help would be helpful.
Thank You,
Gen. Shingar
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Tooling Update
German Die Shop Sports a Toolroom for Tomorrow
German tool maker Formenbau Kellermann GmbH has reduced lead times by more than 20 percent since investing in Visi die-design software from UK-based Vero, and installing a palletized production process with a zero-point clamping system. Vero maintains a U.S. office in Wixom, MI.
"Pricing pressure, competition from emerging countries and the trend toward shorter project terms are challenges that force tool manufacturers to rethink the classical form of single-item production," explains Sabine Kellermann. "In tool making, flexibility and the use of the latest technology is a must. This basic principle also is applicable to Formenbau Kellermann where we have invested heavily in machinery and software so we are ready to adapt to changing market conditions."
Process automation is a speciality of Formenbau Kellermann, and this starts with the tool design.
In 2004, the firm's NC department was equipped with Vero's Visi Machining, where the CAM tasks were shared with PowerMill, from Delcam. In 2009 the company switched entirely to Visi for all machining activities. "The advantages of a uniform, consistent CAD/CAM system outweighed the benefits of dual products," explains Kellermann. "Typically we deal with short programming times, and feature recognition from native CAD data is an important component of our automation strategy."
One function used extensively at Kellermann is the ability to automatically convert three-axis to five-axis continuous tool paths. "This enables us to reduce expenditure on programming time and still benefit from the advantages of five-axis machining," explains Kellermann. "For example, one machining center allows for an approach angle from +16 deg. to -120 deg., where the distance between spindle and table is only 30 mm. This approach is applicable for most geometries and we benefit from better surface finish through the use of shorter, more rigid tooling and reduced vibration.
"There is rarely something that we cannot mill and we no longer experience bottlenecks on the CNC machines," continues Kellermann, noting that the firm's five-axis machining centers are equipped with a palette system that includes three round tables that can each be loaded with zero-point clamping systems. "A running process can be interrupted at any time," Kellermann says, "without losing the zero-point. This can be particularly useful in the case of urgent repairs, or when spotting surfaces must be quickly remilled, all which affect lead-time and efficiency."
Vero USA Inc.: 248/869-4040; www.vero-software.com
Related Enterprise Zones: Other Processes, Software, Tool & Die
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Silent DiPietro back in Bridgeport
BRIDGEPORT -- Rick DiPietro's Tuesday began early at the Wonderland of Ice, 10 years after the last time he practiced there as a Bridgeport Sound Tiger.
He got extra work before practice, taking shots from Nino Niederreiter, sharing a laugh with goalie consultant and former Bridgeport teammate Steve Valiquette, in his first practice since he was sent down from the New York Islanders on Saturday.
"He's a good guy," said Niederreiter, who played with DiPietro the past two years with the New York Islanders. "The public and the fans outside don't always look (at him) as positive as the players do."
DiPietro, 31, declined to talk to the media after practice. He went from that right back to laughing with teammates in the lobby of the rink.
"He's awesome," defenseman Matt Donovan said. "He's such a good guy to have around. He's a good team guy.
"He wants to win. He wants to compete."
A series of injuries -- knees, hips, head -- have limited DiPietro's chances to compete and his results the past few years. A contract that runs through 2021 has heightened the attention.
He had played over 60 games in three consecutive NHL seasons through the summer of 2008. He has played only 50 NHL games since.
"He's got the guys' respect," Niederreiter said. "He's battling. That's something I took from him: It's not easy to come back, but he's got the work ethic. He wants to compete."
Sound Tigers coach Scott Pellerin had a brief meeting with DiPietro on Tuesday morning after the goalie arrived. They haven't decided when he'll play his first game for Bridgeport, which has three games in three days beginning Friday in Hartford.
"He's been here before. Nothing's new to him," Pellerin said. "It's great ... to have somebody with that type of experience and who has battled through that kind of adversity."
WHALE RETURN: The governor's office announced that a deal has been reached to keep the Connecticut Whale in Hartford through 2016 with an option for two more years.
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National May 20, 2010
Have you taken PIA's annual Company Performance Survey yet?
Survey gives agents voice to rate carriers in multiple areas of importance
GLENMONT, N.Y.-The Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York State Inc. launched their annual Company Performance Surveys to gauge insurance producers views of the companies they represent in their respective states. The month long poll will ask independent agents opinions on their companies handling of claims, products and pricing, technology, marketing support and more.
First launched in 2002 by PIACT, the surveys build on years on historical data collected by each respective association. "Our survey is unique in the industry because it builds on years of historical data," said Howard S. Olderman, president of PIACT. "As a result, we can compare the information gathered year-to-year, to see how carriers perform long term and if any improvements have been made." PIANH, PIANJ and PIANY are launching their fourth, sixth and eighth-annual surveys, respectively.
Enthusiasm for the surveys and anticipation of the results has grown annually. "The Company Performance Survey is popular because it provides the rare chance for agents to share their experiences and recommend needed improvements to their carriers," said Kevin M. Ryan CIC, PIANY president. "And, the results are valuable to company representatives, providing them with honest feedback from agents to improve on the services provided by insurers." Interest in the survey results has been so great that in 2007, data compiled from all surveys to date was collected into a searchable database at PIAs Web site, representing more than 29,000 individual company ratings. The database can be accessed here: ww.pia.org/GIA/cps/.
New in 2009, companies could request detailed packets of information of survey results specific to their business, comparing their results to survey averages as well as including specific, anonymous comments from agents on their services, among other information. This has made the survey an indispensable tool. "When both agents and carriers are working together to improve their services, consumers are the ultimate beneficiaries," said William R. Vowteras, PIANJ president. "The survey helps to strengthen the interaction between agents and the companies they work with and provides carriers with an understanding of what agents need from them in order to do their jobs well."
"I encourage agents across the state to take part in this survey," said Stanley Pollack, CIC, PIANH president. "The resulting data is invaluable; the response from independent insurance agents has been overwhelming and the feedback from companies represented in the survey has been extremely positive."
To access each state associations Company Performance Survey logon to: www.pia.org/CT for Connecticut; www.pia.org/NH for New Hampshire; www.pia.org/NJ for New Jersey and www.pia.org/NY for New York state, and click "Company Performance Survey" under "Whats New."
PIACT, PIANH, PIANJ and PIANY are trade associations representing professional, independent insurance agencies, brokerages and their employees throughout their respective states.


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text:
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Need a hug?
I wish I could say that I'm enjoying a nice day off today but that's just not the case. As long as the day stays nice though, I'm not going to complain... I can still get into plenty of trouble after 5pm rolls around. ;)
So the card that I have to share today was kind of a quickie. This Woodland Lucy was the last of the CC Designs February release that had yet to see ink and I really wanted to remedy that situation. Isn't she just a total sweetie? I decided to do some masking and pair her up with an older garden wall stamp to sit on. The papers are from the new Country Picnic line by Pebbles and while they are all cute, the designs printed on the kraft background are to die for! After cutting into some of them for this card I'm SO tempted to go back for seconds on a few sheets... love them! Now if only Pebbles made 6x6 paper pads, life would be a little bit closer to perfect. :)
And with that, I must bid adieu... to you, and you, and you.
Enjoy the day my friends!
Supply list:
cardstock- Bazzill and Copic X-Press It
paper- Pebbles (Country Picnic)
stamps- CC Designs (Woodland Lucy and Take a Seat wall), Sweet Stamp Shop (sentiment)
Memento tuxedo black and rich cocoa, Colorbox creamy brown, Tim Holtz Old Paper distress
Spotted Canary rub on stitches
Kaiser Craft pearls
Copic markers:
skin- E000, E00, E11, R00, R20
hair- E23, E27, E29
clothes/grass/flowers- RV32, RV34, RV17, RV14, YG23, YG25, YG97, E81, E43, E44, E47
wall- W0, W3, W5
18 comments:
- Kim said...
Such a cutie! Gorgeous card.
Hugs Kim
- March 3, 2012 at 5:09 AM
- Trina said...
This is super cute! Love the flower border!
- March 3, 2012 at 5:33 AM
- Creations by Shirl said...
Awwww she is soooooo cute...
love the pink/greens going on... and that flower border is unique....
Hope you are having a great weekend!
- March 3, 2012 at 6:41 AM
- Nancy Thomas said...
Such sweet pinks and greens on this. Love Lucy perched on the garden wall. Have a good work day.
- March 3, 2012 at 7:22 AM
- Maria Therese said...
So sweet and pretty ♥♥
- March 3, 2012 at 7:26 AM
- biggirlbri said...
Lucy is so cute. Love the flower border, the pinks/greens and the pearls. Another beautiful card Amy!!!
- March 3, 2012 at 7:40 AM
- Dora said...
Aww this is super cute, I love the beautiful colours and the sweet image mmm and a hug is always welcome :D Hugs to you xxx
- March 3, 2012 at 7:57 AM
- Marzenciuk said...
So cute :)
- March 3, 2012 at 9:00 AM
- Juls said...
so sweet - Just Love it!! Hugs Juls
- March 3, 2012 at 11:18 AM
- Heidi Brawley said...
AWE your card is Fabulous!! love it all!
hugs, Heidi
- March 3, 2012 at 12:18 PM
- Mette said...
Quickie or not it's still a gorgeous card Amy. Love the sweet papers and image :).
- March 3, 2012 at 12:19 PM
- yvon said...
Oh, she's so cute.
Hugs, Yvon
- March 3, 2012 at 12:48 PM
- Isa said...
Ohhhhhhh love this card !!!!
- March 3, 2012 at 1:46 PM
- Rhonda Miller said...
Wow, this lovely.
- March 3, 2012 at 3:38 PM
- RiNNE said...
So gorgeous! I love the pink and greens, the flower border, the coloring and the sky!! All are stunning!!
- March 3, 2012 at 5:51 PM
- Cami said...
So sweet and pretty. Love her hair, too!
- March 3, 2012 at 10:48 PM
- Have A Scrap Happy Day said...
This is soooo cute. I must add it to my wish list. Happy Sunday.
- March 4, 2012 at 12:10 AM
- Leanne said...
Sweetness personified! This scene is terrific. The colors are so girly and fun. Definitely love the mix of papers and she is adorable. The clouds in the background are fabulous too!
Love it!
- March 4, 2012 at 8:36 AM


text:
News organizations and, possibly, the National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden himself, are misinterpreting a key concept in a leaked NSA presentation, senior tech industry sources say.
One of these sources argues that this misunderstanding calls into question whether Snowden really understands some of the other assertions he is making about U.S. intelligence activities.
Late last week, two major newspapers reported that the National Security Agency has "direct access" to the central servers of the world's biggest Internet companies, including Google and Facebook.
With this access, the papers implied, the U.S. government can snoop in real-time on the digital communications of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
After these reports appeared, the companies named in the reports issued vehement, explicit denials about the "direct access" assertion. And when skeptics suggested that the companies were just parsing their words carefully, the companies issued even more explicit and strenuous denials.
Google, for example, said the government has no access to its servers, no "back door" into the systems, and no API (application programming interface) through which the government could spy on its users.
Facebook said basically the same thing, adding that the government had also not requested vast amounts of "bulk data" like the startling request that was made of Verizon.
All the companies confirmed that they do provide data to the government in response to specific court orders — once the requests have been reviewed by the companies' lawyers. And after a batch of data is delivered to the government (often, presumably, electronically), the government can obviously query the data however the government likes.
But senior tech industry sources say that the assertion that the government has "direct access" to these companies' servers — and, with it, unlimited real-time snooping capabilities — is flat-out wrong.
So it's worth reviewing where this claim of "direct access" to the companies' servers came from. And it's worth asking how much, if at all, this apparent misunderstanding calls into question some of the other claims made by the 29 year-old NSA leaker, Edward Snowden.
The assertion by The Guardian and The Washington Post that the NSA and FBI had "direct access" to the servers of Google, Facebook, and other companies came from the following slide ( published here by The Guardian), which is from a National Security Agency presentation obtained by the papers. The presentation, the papers have now revealed, was provided by Snowden, who is now holed up in a hotel in Hong Kong.
As you can see, this slide suggests that the government is collecting data in two ways: first, from the "fiber cables" that the data flows through as it travels from the sender to the recipient (a.k.a., the Internet); second, in the "PRISM" program, from the companies themselves.
Specifically, the green area in the bottom of the slide states that the PRISM collection comes "directly from the servers of [nine] U.S. Service Providers."
According to many of the technology companies named in that sentence, however, as well as the senior tech industry sources that we have spoken to, the "directly from the servers" wording is either being misinterpreted or is just plain wrong.
It is true that any data provided by Google, Facebook, et al, to government investigators does come originally from some "servers" of these companies — because that's where the data is sent, received, and/or stored.
Importantly, however, the government does not have access to these servers.
The government gets the data only after the companies' lawyers approve the government's request for the data and the companies then either send the data to the government or put the data somewhere the government can access it (by storing it on another server, for example, to which the government is granted access. This is a common method of sharing data these days, although according to a New York Times report, the companies are not using a server on their premises to share data with the government).
If the government were making massive data requests of these companies — for example, if the government were demanding to see "all data generated by all Facebook users in the years 2012 and 2013" — then this might be a distinction without a difference. But according to the companies and our sources, the requests are far narrower than that.
(One source estimated that the number of actual people covered by data requests at one big technology company over the past few years was in the "thousands," not the millions, much less the hundreds of millions. The source did not have exact numbers, however.)
The bottom line is that news organizations and, possibly, NSA leaker Edward Snowden, appear to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of how the big tech companies provide data to the government.
And given that misunderstanding, it's worth asking what else Snowden might not understand.
In his interview with The Guardian, Snowden made two claims that were particularly startling:
- First, that he, Snowden, a 29 year-old contractor, could easily "wiretap" anyone in the United States including "you or your accountant, to a federal judge, to even the President."
- Second, that the U.S. government is secretly recording nearly all human communications (not just American communications — human communications).
Snowden did not elaborate on exactly what he meant by these claims. (Would this "wiretapping" be legal? Could Snowden actually initiate the wiretap or did he just have the authority to order it? Is the government recording the contents of communications or just records of communications? Etc.) But at first glance, the claims seem far-fetched.
And given that Snowden appears to misunderstand how the government gathers data from big technology companies — or is passing on a presentation that misrepresents this — it seems possible that he might be misunderstanding these broader assertions, too.
In any event, the first order of business for those who are interested in what Snowden has to say (e.g., pretty much everyone) is to get more detail on what, exactly, he is claiming the government can and can't do and is and isn't doing. And then the second step will be to corroborate his assertions with other intelligence sources.
Snowden's leak appears to be one of the most significant intelligence leaks in history. If nothing else, it has triggered a public debate about how much information the government is and should be collecting and how it is using that information. Although public awareness of U.S. data gathering might make the program less effective as a national security tool, it appears to be high time that the public understands what the government is and isn't doing.
SEE ALSO: The NSA Leaker Is Running Out Of Money To Pay His Hotel Bill
Get the latest Google stock price here.
Get the latest Microsoft stock price here.


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I received a letter from former Sen. Greg Gregory requesting my support for his new candidacy for the S.C. Senate District 16 seat. I thank him for his mailing, but his re-entering the campaign mystifies me.
Gregory, at one time, voted for term limits. Sixteen years in office should suffice.
You see, I am a firm believer in term limits. As Thomas Jefferson once stated, "our electorate should go to Congress, see to the needs of our people, prepare for the country's defense and return home to care to the needs of their family."
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Toyota Matrix vs. Pontiac Vibe - Compare Notes
to discuss the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.
Thanks for your participation!
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
Thanks for your participation!
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
For your convenience, you'll find direct links to other related discussions, features, and tools on the left side of this page. Happy Motoring!
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards0
blyndgesser1 Posts: 17Not sure if anyone is reading this yet, but. . .
Pontiac offers a cargo area organizer called the "Gear Box" (hahaha) on the Vibe. In the upright position it looks deep enough for grocery bags, file folders, etc. From the brochure it looks like it's made of hard plastic and folds down to just a couple of inches above floor level, and Pontiac says that when it's folded down you can load stuff on top as if it were the floor itself. Does anyone know if Toyota offers something similar?0
rpgroppe Posts: 24There's nothing currently listed in the Toyota brochure whcih matches the "Gear Box", though that doesn't mean that something won't be added later in the year.
The Matrix does offer cargo nets, not quite the same thing.0
just_some_guy Posts: 52In the toyota matrix accessory brocure there is listed a "Cargo-Logic Cargo Tote by Nifty Products". No picture is shown. I assume though that it serves the same purpose as the Vibe box. Although I have a feeling that this could be a soft side. Still you should be able to just go to a Pontiac dealer's service area and order the box as a part, then put it in your Matrix. I would bet that anything it hooks to will be the same in the Matrix.
One more thing, I just found the website for "nifty products" Not much there. No Cargo-logic tote listed just some floor mats.0
matrixorvibe Posts: 1I drove the Matrix XRS and the Vibe GT on different days.
The Matrix came with 17 inch wheels and the Vibe with 16 inch. The 16 inch wheels do not corner as well.
The Vibe had the DVD Navigation system which I found to be very helpful.
In the San Francisco Bay area the GT is easier to find than the XRS.
Which would you buy?0
southpaw1 Posts: 34Personally I find the Vibe's gray body cladding ugly. I think the Vibe looks like a small suv and the Matrix looks more like a sport wagon. Not all with agree with me but as I said, my opinion.
I have had fantastic luck with Toyotas in the past and would pay more for the Toyota quality but in this case you're actually paying less for the Matrix than the Vibe.
You may have to wait to get the car you want but it'll be worth it so try and base your decision on factors other than availability at this moment in time. More cars are on the lots every day.0
erisynne Posts: 2Hi. I think I know what you're talking about. The Matrix does indeed have an under-floor compartment, though I don't think it's big enough for grocery bags. The pictures I've seen of it show a few tools and a big flashlight, and the compartment closes to be flush flat with the rest of the flooring in the cargo area. I think the pictures I saw were on the Toyota web site so you should check it out.
And as for Vibe vs Matrix... considering they are basically identical except for looks, I was thinking I might save money getting the Vibe instead. But no. The base price of the Vibe vs XR is $600 more ($16,900) and the power package to bring it up to the feature set of the XR is an additional $1000! And the Toyota warranties are better (3 yr/36k basic, 5 yr/60k drivetrain vs Pontiac's 3yr/36k basic, 3yr/36k drivetrain).
Not to mention, in my opinion, the Vibe is butt-ugly and the Matrix quite attractive. But if the Vibe were a better deal, I'd suck it up and bear the vehicle's looks. But it's not0
edmundbarry Posts: 2Are Toyota XRS or Vibe GT Engines actually made by Yamaha or by Toyata?0
edchen Posts: 31The gearbox is an accessory that is shown in the brochure with an Edmunds MSRP of $95. If anyone has seen the Vibe accessories brochure it may have more information. The Pontiac dealer told me if I wanted one to go see the Toyota dealer.
erisynne: The under-floor compartment is where the spare tire and jack are stowed. Not much room in there for anything else.0
tomkist Posts: 6I have a Vibe accessories catalog and it claims that everything may not be stocked at your local dealer, but can be ordered by the dealer. And the Matrix and Vibe add-ons are the same, except for the logos.
It looks like the gearbox (trunk organizer) is not compatible with the cargo mat. MSRP in the Vibe catalog is $120 US.0
The gear box is made of hard plastic. It comes with 2 D-rings that can be screwed into 2 corners of the base. Two Velcro straps are included so that one can lash it to the D-rings on the sides of the cargo area or you could lash it to the tie downs that fit in the floor tracks. Self-adhesive rubber pads are also included. The cargo area mat cannot be used if you want to lash to the floor. It also comes with self-adhesive velco patches that could be used to keep it from sliding around on the cargo area mat.
The dimensions of the gear box are:
Collapsed: 41" x 18" x 2-1/4" high
Expanded: 41" x 18" x 9" high
Interior storage area: 35-1/4" x 12-3/4" x 8-1/4" high
It also includes 2 removable dividers which can be used to split the interior storage area into thirds.0
The description for the Vibe Active Package in the accessories catalog or on the GM Goodwrench web site does not provide a detailed list of what is included. I have found out that the contents are: rear bumper protector, front and rear all-season vinyl floor mats, driver and front passenger water-resistant seat covers, and the multi-purpose trunk organizer (gear box).
The water-resistant seat covers for the rear seats are NOT included. You will have to order them separately if you want them.0
The Vibe power package has a MSRP of $1000, but then you get a $400 discount so the net cost is $600.
There is a $700 discount when you buy both the power package and the Moon and Tunes package.0
Go with whatever you like best. The cars are the same mechanically. Some people dislike the looks of the Matrix and some dislike the Vibe. I think they are both fine though I prefer the rugged looks of the Vibe.0
This means you will be able to access this discussion from either one of these message boards. Hope this is helpful.
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards0
joelis Posts: 315Is the 200 watt stereo in the Moon & Tunes package on the Vibe the same stereo that is a $100 option on the Matrix?0
mpgman Posts: 723I like the looks of the Vibe. The cladding will save a lot of elbow grease getting rid of road grit and the charcoal bumpers won't scuff and lose paint like those on the Matrix when someone parks by sound. The Matrix looks like they ran out of window glass as you move from front to back. Matrix should have higher resale though. However, after seeing a couple stickered at $22,000+, I'd get a CR-V or a Passat for that money.0
lancerfixer Posts: 1,308I drove, on separate days, the 180hp Matrix w/ 6 speed and the base engined- Vibe with a five speed. A few notes:
I thought the interiors were laid out extremely well, and they used every last square inch of space efficiently. Both cars (don't fool yourselves; that's definitely a Corolla underneath there;) also handled pretty well. A few fatal flaws, though;
1. Neither engine is a good match for the vehicle. The base engine, even with a stick, couldn't get out of its own way. The 180hp unit, while definitely not lacking in peak power, unfortunately required alot of attention to keep in the powerband. Clutch engagement wasn't smooth, and I felt way more shifting than necessary had to occur. Great fun for, say, a Celica (go figure) or an RSX, but lousy for what will most likely be a family hauler.
2. The hard plastic load floor-- dumb. Period.
3. Visibility out the back of the Vibe sucks. It's not great in the Toyota, either.
All in all, they're OK cars, but definitely not for me-- I think money's better spent on, say, a Jetta wagon.0
dudleyr Posts: 3,469I have finally seen both vehicles in person- have not driven either as they are both automatic.
Looks wise I would do the following. I would use the Vibe body (don't like the crimp in the Matrix) with the Matrix front end (front of the Vibe is too Aztek like). I would loose the cladding altogether, and get rid of the worthless roof rack (way too short for my canoe). I think the result would actually be pretty nice.
I am also not too crazy about the gauges being in tunnels, and orange does not have enough contrast - so I would probably change that too.0
As somebody who would like to buy either vehicle, I'm curious to know if dealers are
discounting below MSRP? If so, is there a rule-of-thumb like 5%,10%,etc? I'd appreciate
hearing from those who may have already purchased. Having a trade-in as I do, makes it
hard to know just what kind of deal I'm being offered unless I can take something off list price
and go to the used-car guides to get an idea of what mine is worth.0
Have you had a chance to check out Edmunds' TMV (True Market Value) New Vehicle Pricing Calculator? This will give you the average cost in your region. Others here may have more to add.... Good luck, and please keep us posted on your purchase.
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards0
Followed your suggestion: checked TMV (same as msrp for my area). Also checked kelly for
trade-in value. Local dealer was about 250 above "average trade in" for my car so I bought a Vibe today. Still trying to decipher the instructions on the high tech radio but so far so good.
Thanks for your timely response.
And congrats on your new Vibe! Also, here's a direct link to our ongoing Pontiac Vibe discussion where you can compare notes with other owners and enthusiasts. We look forward to hearing more about your ownership experience.... Happy motoring!
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards0
I've had the Vibe for a little over a week and have driven about 650 miles. So far, so good. I bought it as primarily an in-town vehicle. I have a Mercury Marquis which we use for long trips. That said, I'm not really as concerned about acceleration or long-haul riding comfort as much as economy, reliability, and utility. I'm getting about 28 miles/gal in city driving and averaged 34 miles/gal on a short trip we took in it. That's in line with expectations based on epa estimates for the Vibe. It's utility is plain to see for stowage. There's plenty of room for us and the kind of gear we haul. Reliability is the biggest unanswered question. I'm hoping that the partnership with Toyota will help in that department. The real answer will only come after the warranty expires in 36,000 miles or 3 years. My previous vehicle was a '95 Taurus wagon. That should explain why reliability is a worrisome issue. I have had some trouble finding accessories for the Vibe. We have 3 Pontiac dealers in this area and their inventory is pretty limited. I was looking for the visor-mounted cd holder, the cargo area mat, and front and rear splash guards. I was only able to locate the cd holder. All promised to have supplies in stock in the near future. The same problem when I went to locate a trailer hitch. I want a hitch to mount a bike carrier. None of the usual outlets have any hitches to fit Vibe/Matrix; even U-Haul. All promised to have them in stock soon. Other than that, I'm satisfied with the vehicle.0
I was offered $400 off a Vibe and MSRP on the Matrix when we shopped. It depends on the area and car availability though.0
mic5000 Posts: 18I went to toyota and had a heck of a time. Toyota is just not nice, and does not listen to me. I also knew more than the salesman. Also, when greated, the salesmen (more than one toyota from Calif. to Texas) assumed the man new more.
this weekend I will check out pontiac's vibe. Since the vehicles are essentially the same, Pontiac maybe the winner. Just thinking about buying from toyota makes me cringe.0
yamahar6 Posts: 23I have heard bad things about the shifter (6 spd.) of the Matrix/Vibe from the auto. press and was wondering if it was true. (I thot. that the Maxima's shifter was crap also, as the press said it was, - until I drove it an liked it).
The reason I am asking is b/c I am planning to test drive it just for fun, and if the shifter is *&^t, i couldn't be bothered.
Also, any recommendations on which dealer to visit, Toyota or GM?
I was thinking GM, because perhaps they might be happy to have a young customer come in the door, and since there is less people traffic, they might be less reluctant to let me take a drive.
Thanks, Aroon0
I was treated well at both dealers. Pontiac dealer was a little more aggressive, but not to a point where they were pushy. Go for the car you like best and the dealer you feel best about.0
nippononly SF Bay AreaPosts: 12,726They give you the longer warranty, and generally better service IMO, but this probably varies from dealer to dealer.
While the design is identical for both, the Vibe is built in the U.S., while the Toyota is built in Ontario, Canada. A lot of the parts they are using are from different suppliers consequently, and the Ontario factory is Toyota-owned and run, while the U.S. factory is all GM. In my experience in the past, that has led to a large gap in build quality and reliability down the line. Maybe I have had very good luck, but I have never had a Toyota break down or have parts fall off or stop working. That DID happen with a Pontiac I owned - I would never own Pontiac again. I have known too many people who have had crappy Pontiacs in the last decade or two, who always had problems with their cars.
By the way, as far as driveline design, I believe the XRS driveline is lifted directly out of the celica GTS, and I am pretty sure that means the engine is designed and built by Yamaha.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)0
Your comments are far from accurate. The warranties on the 2 cars are the same, and the GM / Toyota plant used to make Corolla and Prism and is a very high quality plant. By your user name I'm guessing you are biased against anything domestic.0
This discussion has been closed.


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The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, has recently awarded a local non-profit organization, Unity Family Community Center, Inc., grant funds in the amount of $200,000 to provide mentoring services to children ages 4-18 in Levy and Marion counties.
The program will serve youth whose parents are incarcerated in local, state or federal correctional institutions.
By WINNELLE HORNE
Special to the Pioneer
The Log Cabin Quilters met Thursday, Oct. 14 at the Levy County Quilt Museum. Everyone enjoyed reading the quilt books that were brought in. More fabric was also brought in. Joyce has made lots of tote bags for the children at Camp Caruth. More quilts were brought in for pictures to be taken.
The tragedy of breast cancer goes far beyond the thousands of lives it affects and ends every year.
What makes the diagnosis of the disease especially heartbreaking is the fact that breast cancer is treatable.
With that in mind, a lot of people are turning to pink to remind everyone that this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
"Blake" is a 3-year-old neutered male, smooth coated border collie. He is black with tri-colored markings. He is current on his shots, wormed and micro chipped. On the recommendation of a dog agility trainer, "Blake" must be placed with a home that will use him in sheep herding, Frisbee or agility competition. He is a beautiful happy dog looking for a loving family that must have a job for him.
The Junction Tavern will be having a yard sale Sat & Sun October 16, and 17th. All proceeds will be used to provide Christmas to our local needy children. Please do some fall clean-up and donate items to the "Junction" anytime during business hours. No clothing please.
We will also be selling a hamburger or hotdog with chips for $2 with proceeds going to the kids.
Please help and show your support. For more information call 352-528-0518
Sean and Lynn Fugate announce the birth of their daughter, Rebecca Elle , on May 18. Elle weighed 9 pounds and measured 21 inches. Maternal grandparents are Becki and Ronny Stevens, Emmett Whitehurst and Mae Whitehurst. Paternal grandparents are Pam and Mike Howell, Albert and Debbie Fugate. Maternal great-grandparents are Kathleen Wheeler and the late O.R. Wheeler, Betty Whitehurst and the late Dan Whitehurst. Paternal great-grandparents are Jackie and the late Alton Stokes, Mescal Cribbs and the late Norman Fugate. Elle and family are Williston residents.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert (Helen) Poupard were married Oct. 7, 1950 in Monroe, Michigan. After residing in their hometown for nine years, they moved to Williston, Florida with their two sons.
They owned and operated Frog's Bar-B-Que for over 30 years before their retirement.
Harvey and Pat Ritter of Bronson will celebrate their 50th anniversary Friday, Sept. 24.
The couple was married Sept. 24, 1960 at Ebenezer Methodist Church in Havertown, Pa. in a double wedding with the bride's sister and her husband, Carol and Don Hughes.
Mrs. Ritter was a homemaker while her children were growing up. She later was a florist, worked as a receptionist and retired this year from the Levy County Health Department.
Copyright © 2019
The Williston Pioneer is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Levy County and Williston, Fl, and the surrounding area.


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Caitriona McOsker is a 24-year-old L.A. native currently residing in San Diego. With only a couple modeling experiences under her belt she has proven to be a natural in front of the camera and is excited to gain more experience and knowledge in the industry.
Caitriona is a recent graduate from San Diego State University where she majored in Psychology. She was extremely active in the prestigious San Diego State Psychology community by working as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant and helping to conduct research in a Multicultural Studies Lab.
Upon graduation, Caitriona decided to not pursue a psychology career, but instead is interested in law. She was recently accepted to the University of California San Diego to earn her Paralegal Certificate as a way to gain experience and work in the legal community before attending law school.
Caitriona became interested in modeling after being hired by Celebrity Connected to model at their extremely successful celebrity booth events. She finds modeling to be intense, exhilarating, and beautiful expression of individuality among artists and designers in the entertainment field.
When Caitriona is not studying or in front of the camera she enjoys being active outdoors. She is an avid runner who also enjoys yoga, rock climbing, basketball, rugby, stand up paddle boarding, volleyball, and the beach. Not only is she a classic California girl, but she is also a positive go-getter, a hard worker, and a talent to be reckoned with in the modeling industry.
To contact or book Caitriona please email: [email protected]


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The Way Forward For Renewable Energy in Central America
|Download the full report:
Adam Dolezal, Ana Maria Majano, Alexander Ochs, and Ramon Palencia | June 2013
Central America is at a crossroads. As the economies of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama expand, regional use of fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation is on the rise, while the use of fuelwood, primarily for cooking, continues to be unsustainably high. These developments come at the price of rising greenhouse gas emissions, worsening air and water pollution, and significant health and societal costs.
Central American countries have committed to sustainable energydevelopment to varying degrees; Costa Rica, for example, is leading the world in its ambition to be "carbon neutral" by 2021, with energy as an important element. The region, long a frontrunner in hydropower and geothermal energy, is exploring its potential for expanding these technologies in a more sustainable manner while also developing other renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, biofuels, and agricultural waste.
Still, powerful financial barriers remain, ranging from the unavailability of capital and the lack of human expertise, to investment insecurity and costly administrative processes. On the policy side, while many countries have set ambitious goals for sustainable energy development, these visions often lack details, obligations, and concrete measures for implementation. Where concrete policies and measures do exist, they often do not work properly, are not fully implemented, and/or compete with counterproductive instruments that encourage conventional, dirty energy practices.
About Adam Dolezal:
Adam Dolezal is Research Associate and Project Manager ofthe Central America Sustainable Energy Initiative at the Worldwatch Institute. Prior to Worldwatch, he was a roject manager and business development consultant for Lighthouse Solar in Washington, D.C. Dolezal has studied and worked in Latin America for over 10 years in different capacities. He has a B.A. in International Affairs with a focus on Latin America (Fort Lewis College), an M.A. in Philosophy and Social Anthropology with an emphasis in post-colonial studies (California Institute of Integral Studies), and an M.A. in Human Rights and International Environmental Law (University of London, SOAS).
About Ana Maria Majano:
Ana Maria Majano is Associate Director of the Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development (CLACDS) at INCAE Business School in Costa Rica. She holds M.A. and Ph.D degrees in Economics from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, which she attended as a Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Majano has worked for INCAE in different capacities—both as a consultant and as a member of the executive staff—since 2002. Previously, she occupied high-level positions in public and private sector organizations in her native El Salvador. She has also been a university instructor and an independent consultant for several international organizations. Her main areas of work are energy, environment, and regulatory analysis.
About Alexander Ochs:
Alexander Ochs is Director of Climate and Energy at the Worldwatch Institute, where he leads a growing team of researchers, is a member of the Institute's management team, and is chief editor of the ReVol t blog. The co-editor of three books, author of numerous scholarly articles, and a frequent contributor to public media, he also serves as President of the Forum for Atlantic Climate and Energy Talks (FACET), senior fellow at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and adjunct lecturer at George Washington University. Ochs studied at the Universities of Cologne and Munich where he graduated with an M.A. in political science, philosophy, and literature. He held senior research and teaching positions at the Center for Clean Air Policy and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), as well as at the City University of New York (CUNY) and Princeton, Freie, and Humboldt universities. Ochs has been on many international advisory boards and was a member of the German delegation to the United Nations climate negotiations, an Aspen Institute Young Leader, and an elected member of tt-30. He currently serves as Energy Chair and member of the Steering Committee of the Low Emissions Development Global Partnership (LEDS-GP). In 2011, he received the Sustainable Future Award of the Austrian Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs.
About Ramon Palencia:
Ramon Palencia is Central America Research Fellow in the Worldwatch Institute's Climate and Energy department. Previously, he managed the development and implementation of sustainability strategies for the private sector and served as Research Manager at TIYM Publishing Co., Inc. Palencia has traveled extensively in Latin America, learning about environmental issues and how to advance sustainability in the region. He holds an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.


text: Effective Farmer Financial Habits January 8, 2013 09:00 PM Successful farmers display certain financial habits that separate them from others. These habits, consistently applied through the years, add up and the results are evident. Having the proper amount and type of liquidity is No. 1 on the list of effective financial habits. If you fail on this one, the others don't matter. On a farm, cash and other liquid financial assets keep the operation running smoothly. Improve your liquidity by taking advantage of low interest rates and growing right. "Having the proper amount and type of liquidity is No. 1 on the list of effective financial habits." Build Liquidity. If purchasing equipment reduces liquidity below optimal levels, consider taking on debt, especially with today's low interest rates. To keep your banker happy, maintain a conservative lifestyle. The more cash that is retained in the business and not used to fund off-farm lifestyle, the more liquidity you build. When looking to grow, it might make more sense to add a circle around the acres you own or rent than to pay $400 cash rent for a neighbor's quarter section. The circle would generate extra income per acre exceeding the cost to finance, whereas the additional cash rent might barely cover your crop margin and the upfront payment would reduce liquidity. Use Accrual Accounting. The only way to know your true net farm income is by accrual accounting. Your banker is already spreading your numbers using some form of the accrual process. Learn it and use it. Several accounting packages are available and with a few steps, it can easily convert to cash for your tax preparation. Put a Value on Your Time. Many clients ask me the worth of their business. Too often, I report that it's essentially worth zero. The typical reply is, "How can that be? My net income is $75,000." But your net income does not reflect the cost of your spending 3,000-plus hours to run the business each year, and replacing you would cost more than $75,000. Financially effective farmers understand that the farm must compensate them for their time and provide a bottom-line profit. Their profit is not their compensation, but rather what remains. Know Opportunity Costs. If you pay $350,000 for a combine but use it only five weeks each year, what is the opportunity cost of having it idle? Consider renting, doing a three-year lease or time-sharing it with farmers in other parts of the U.S. with different harvest times. Even if you pay cash, what profits are you passing up versus the value derived from the machine? This difference is your opportunity cost. You need to know it on all major purchases and investment decisions. Pay Taxes. Most farmers resist paying income taxes. They get on the treadmill of prepaying crop input costs, buying equipment and deferring sales to future years. Financially astute farmers determine the optimal level of taxes, which incorporates an estimate of current and future tax liabilities and the effect on their liquidity. These farmers track the estimated total deferred taxes due in future years, which is a liability and virtually inescapable. Once paid, these after-tax funds provide liquidity to the farm operation. Not paying taxes slowly but surely sucks liquidity out of the farm, and in many cases the farmer's marketing efforts suffer since the tax tail is wagging the marketing dog. Join a Peer Group. Effective farmers are very competitive. By joining a peer group, you can make this competitiveness work for you. The farmer who has taken care of nine items on a 10-item list will spend the most time on that tenth item. A peer group will help you focus on and strengthen your weaknesses. If your farm operation utilizes all of these habits, congratulations. However, if you are weak in one or more areas, pick one to work on and re-evaluate after six months. You might be surprised by how much it helps your operation. Now is the time to get better! Paul Neiffer is a tax accountant with CliftonLarsonAllen and author of the blog The Farm CPA. He grew up on a wheat farm in Washington and owns a corn and soybean farm in Missouri. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com. Back to news


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The Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan is a progressive preschool that embraces families from all backgrounds and cultivates a connection to Jewish values and tradition. Teachers work collaboratively to create environments and experiences that spark wonder and creativity, build confidence and skills, allow children to explore materials, and encourage a questioning mind. Families are partners in the work that we do, joining with children and teachers to celebrate Jewish life and learning. We are caretakers of each other, our school community, our city, and our planet.
Click here to visit the dedicated Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School site.
For more information about admissions click here or contact Tara Ekelman at email@example.com or 646.505.4465.
Nursery school tour registration is open! Join us to receive an application for your child for the 2020-2021 school year.


text: I tried Delfi this weekend as well. As Sebastian stated the CW beacon was very strong at times. I could never find my signal (or anyone else's) regardless of how much I tuned. IC-910 and 40 el uplink, 22 el down and mirage KP2. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sebastian" <w4as at bellsouth.net> To: "AMSAT BB" <AMSAT-BB at amsat.org> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 7:21 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: DO-64 >I listened to a pass earlier this morning ago over Miami Florida. > Good strong CW beacon heard throughout the entire pass, down until > about 1 degree, but still nothing heard on my uplink. > > 73 de W4AS > Sebastian > > On Sep 13, 2008, at 12:03 PM, Luc Leblanc wrote: > >> On 13 Sep 2008 at 8:15, WILLIAMS MICHAEL wrote: >> >> >>> As usual, the downlink signal gets weak on the second half of the >>> pass. >>> >>> Mike Williams K9QHO >> >> Got the same results here i got explanations regarding this signal >> drop for polarisation change but as the satellite attitude is >> uncontrolled i tend to believe it's more an effect of the antennas >> pointing towards the earth station and pointing away than a >> polarisation >> issue. This change in the signal level start exactly pass the TCA >> point and signal degrade up to a point he's drop below the noise? >> >> I try to figure out the satellite shape spinning and thumbing in >> space in regard of the polarisation and it will be very odd that the >> polarisation change happen just at TCA? >> >> Any ideas here? >> > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the > author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite > program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >


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Green Beans and TomatoesI just love this time of year when fresh garden produce is in abundance and so flavorful, and green beans are right up there as one of my top favorite summer vegetables.
Freshly picked, fresh green beans have such a distinct texture and flavor over any frozen or canned product, though I've certainly used my share of both of those too, and either will work here as well. When summer rolls around though, beans are one backyard garden staple I almost always plant. They grow well, provide a generous crop and are easy enough to put up in the freezer, if you aren't interested in canning what you don't manage to consume.
Cook them whole, French them, or simply cut them up and they're great all on their own whether boiled, steamed or stir-fried. Pair them up with some sweet Vidalia onion and fresh garden tomatoes though, add a bit of brown sugar and a few seasonings, and you've got one side that will shine with just about any meal. You can do without peeling the tomatoes if you like and pick out any pesky skin that refuses to get tender, or you can just get one of these gadgets - a soft skin peeler. Seriously, it's my newest favorite kitchen tool! Makes a perfect peel for a tomato rose too. Wish I would have thought to make one for y'all.
I hope you'll give these fresh green beans and tomatoes a try. As simple as it seems, the flavor combination is outstanding. I'm just real glad that they've managed to breed the stringing task out of them.
Here's how to make them.
Recipe: Green Beans and Tomatoes©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 12 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
- 2 pounds of green beans, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 cup of chopped Vidalia onion
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 2 cups of tomatoes, peeled and chopped, juices retained
- 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/4 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, or to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Trim the ends off and cut green beans into thirds, cutting on the diagonal; set aside. Heat olive oil and butter in a large lidded skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion until tender, add garlic and cook another minute. Add tomatoes, with their juices, and the brown sugar and cook until tomatoes are softened. Add the green beans and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, about 10 to 12 minutes or until beans reach desired tenderness, stirring occasionally. Season with Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper; taste and adjust. Serve immediately.
Cook's Notes: If you've got fresh herbs in your garden too, by all means substitute those for the Italian seasoning. When fresh tomatoes and green beans are not in season, substitute frozen green beans and canned tomatoes.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
NOTE: You do not need to request access to print! Access is for document editing purposes only.
Requires Adobe Reader - download it free!©Deep South Dish
☛ Are you on Facebook? If you haven't already, come and join the party! We have a lot of fun & there's always room for one more at the table.
Sweet and Sour Green Beans
Summer Squash Casserole


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The latest photographic tome by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid is anything but a traditional cookbook. Part travelogue, part recipe collection, and part ethnographic treatise, Beyond the Great Wall takes an in-depth look at the foods of China's non-Han minorities.
As always, their photos are amazing, making me want to hop on the next plane to Kashgar, just to start. And the recipes, even with exotic-sounding names like Tajik nan and Kazakh pulao, seem surprisingly comfort-food-ish. There are also instructions for momos, those spectacular little dumplings from that famous and newsworthy province in the southwest. Most of the recipes are quite easy, thanks to the authors' substituting a few unorthodox ingredients for more familiar ones (a yak bone broth becomes oxtail broth, etc.)
I decided to begin with a ginger and carrot stir-fry from the Miao minority in Guizhou province. The important part to note is that the namesake ingredients are julienned. Mandolines would help, but if you want a rugged challenge and have strong hands, slicing everything with a cleaver also works. The original recipe also called for pork strips, but I decided to substitute with my local market's bean curd skin, which hooked me by being pre-shredded.
I ate the finished dish with rice, but I'm thinking next time to scoop this on top of a nice plate of stir-fried noodles.
Silk Road Ginger and Carrot Stir-fry
Serves 4
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 2 large pieces ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks (about 1 cup's worth)
- 6 or 7 dried red chiles
- 2/3 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks (about 1 3/4 cups' worth)
- 1 cup shredded bean curd skin (optional)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 10 to 12 Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed or
- 1 tablespoon ground Sichuan pepper
- Salt to taste
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chillis and stir-fry just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add the water and soy sauce, then cover with a lid. Allow the water to almost fully evaporate, then stir in the Sichuan pepper. Cook for another 1 minute, then salt to taste. The salad may be served hot or warm.
Adapted from Beyond the Great Wall by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid


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I'm kind of at a loss for words these days, just stunned at the dysfunctional behavior surrounding the debt limit debate. (The fact that I was quoted as saying "geez" about it speaks volumes.) As Senator McCain put it, it really is "bizarro" to insist on a balanced budget amendment when no one involved is close to being willing to actually do what the amendment would require (a balanced budget). If we knew how to balance the budget and were willing to do it, why would we even need to raise the debt limit?
That's the simple evidence that what's going on on Capitol Hill is all show and no substance, all acting and no action, all political posturing and no policymaking. If policymakers were serious about doing their job with the real work of getting our fiscal house in order, they'd follow the advice given in the Washington Post's editorial today:
…Given that the House measure is dead on arrival, the focus then shifts to Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). Can the leader craft a compromise, two-step measure that would bring enough Republicans on board to get past the 60-vote hurdle? The Gang of Six sympathizers ought to be amenable to the notion of a supercommittee to come up with additional savings.
How much in savings? We repeat: There is no rational basis for insisting on a dollar of savings for every dollar increase in the debt ceiling. The Gang of Sixers should be willing to accept an enforcement mechanism — a set of fiscal measures that will be triggered if a second round of savings is not adopted — that reflects the fundamental wisdom of the Gang of Six and every commission that has preceded it. That is that the debt problem can only be resolved with a mix of spending cuts and revenue increases.
The devil will be in the details of this trigger — in creating, as President Obama said Friday, one that is "smart and balanced." The checkered history of these efforts teaches that the enforcement mechanism cannot be so dire that no one is willing to implement it. At the same time, it cannot be so lopsided that one side is eager for a standoff and ultimate trigger-pulling. In short, an effective trigger must involve shared pain that would be unpleasant but not unendurable…
This is similar to the advice given by my organization, the Concord Coalition, as endorsed by Ezra Klein earlier this week:
As the two parties drill down into ever more baroque and peculiar debt-ceiling plans, it's worth stepping back and remembering just how easy this could, and should, be. Here, for instance, is a three-part proposal from the deficit hawks at the Concord Coalition…
[T]he basic thinking here is sound: Raise the debt ceiling so the economy is out of danger, put in place a strong enforcement mechanism so the next part of the deal comes through, and then cut the deal or let the trigger do its work.Notice that in this deal, the consequence of not reaching a deal on the deficit is that SAVEGO reduces the deficit, rather than the debt ceiling destroys the economy. Doesn't that make more sense?
I feel compelled to suggest (once again) that one simple/clean "enforcement mechanism" could be to commit to a strict pay-as-you-go standard with the Bush tax cuts at the time of their next scheduled expiration at the end of 2012. Paying for any extension of the tax cuts, versus not paying for them, could make an up to $2.5 trillion difference over ten years relative to the "current policy extended" scenario of extending all of them without paying for any of them, according to CBO. (This doesn't even count the cost of extending AMT relief, by the way.) Paying for extension of just the portion of the Bush tax cuts that President Obama proposes to extend would still make up to a $1.8 trillion difference, also according to CBO.
"Pay as you go" is a much less "bizarro" way to enforce budget discipline than the House-passed version of a balanced budget amendment is. It would not on its own be sufficient to solve our fiscal challenges (because it only puts the pay-for standard on new policy commitments rather than helping us pay for our existing commitments), but at least it would be substantially helpful.
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