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Your Trusted Brand for Over 35 Years
Life Extension Magazine
PSA Tests Are Less Accurate in Overweight Men
The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a widely used screening tool for detecting enlarged prostate and prostate cancer, may be less accurate in overweight men, report researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center.1 The study warns that doctors could miss this dangerous cancer in obese men.
PSA is made by normal prostate cells and is measured in the blood, with levels of 4.0 or lower usually indicating that no cancer is present. Heavier men have a 33% higher risk of prostate cancer, tend to be diagnosed when their cancer is more advanced, and thus are at higher risk of dying from it.
In a study examining nearly 3,000 men with no prostate cancer over three years, researchers found that more obese men had lower PSA levels. Morbidly obese men had PSA levels that were about 30% lower than men of normal weight.1 Doctors believe that obese men produce more estrogen, which drives down testosterone levels and could affect the cells that produce PSA. Although estrogens historically have been used to treat prostate cancer, more recent findings suggest that estrogens may induce aberrant growth and neoplastic transformation in the prostate.2
PSA screening is far from foolproof. The New England Journal of Medicine last year reported that men with normal PSA values actually had cancer 15% of the time, and that two thirds of those men with cancer had aggressive cases.3
Prostate cancer detection may therefore be delayed in overweight or obese men, the investigators noted, and doctors may need to be especially vigilant when evaluating these patients. Digital rectal exams may provide an additional screening tool for prostate cancer.
—Elizabeth Wagner, ND
1. Baillargeon J, Pollock BH, Kristal AR, et al. The association of body mass index and prostate-specific antigen in a population-based study. Cancer. 2005 Jan 24.
2. Ho SM. Estrogens and anti-estrogens: key mediators of prostate carcinogenesis and new therapeutic candidates. J Cell Biochem. 2004 Feb 15;91(3):491-503.
3. Thompson IM, Pauler DK, Goodman PJ, et al. Prevalence of prostate cancer among men with a prostate-specific antigen level < or =4.0 ng per milliliter. N Engl J Med. 2004 May 27;350(22):2239-46.
Chromium Found to Benefit Blood Sugar, Lipids
Chromium, a trace mineral that is often deficient in adults, may help to prevent or treat metabolic problems, including obesity, glucose intolerance, and unhealthy lipid profiles, according to Georgetown University researchers. The investigators report that supplementation with niacin-bound chromium, or ChromeMate®, improved blood sugar and lipid measures in volunteers.*
Although chromium is easily obtained through diet and supplements, a significant number of adults are unknowingly deficient, and no test exists to make the diagnosis. The appearance of metabolic syndrome may be the first sign of chromium deficiency. In the body, chromium improves the sensitivity of insulin receptors, helping to promote optimal metabolism of sugars.
In this double-blind study, volunteers received 300 mcg per day of niacin-bound chromium or placebo for three months. At the trial's end, the supplemented group had lower fasting glucose and triglyceride levels than the control group, and also had lower levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, or hemoglobin A1c, a measure of long-term blood sugar control. The niacin-bound chromium supplement was well tolerated, with no adverse effects reported.
Niacin-bound chromium supplementation may thus reduce the risk for glucose intolerance, prevent the progression of glucose intolerance to frank diabetes, improve glucose control in diabetics, and assist in managing elevated triglyceride levels.
—Linda M. Smith, RN
* Yasmin T, Shara M, Bagchi M, Preuss HG, Bagchi D. Toxicological assessment of a novel niacin-bound chromium, known to ameliorate the symptoms of metabolic syndromes. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 45th Annual Meeting, abs 77, October;76(2):272-5.
Low Testosterone Linked to Multiple Sclerosis
Abnormal hormone levels may play a role in the development of multiple sclerosis, report researchers at University La Sapienza in Italy.* The investigators measured hormone levels in 35 women and 25 men with multiple sclerosis, and in 36 people without the disease.
Women with low testosterone levels were found to have more brain tissue damage, as determined using magnetic resonance imaging. The women with multiple sclerosis had lower levels of testosterone throughout their monthly cycle compared to women who did not have the condition.
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease causing symptoms such as fatigue, numbness, and difficulties in movement, speech, and memory. Its course is marked by remissions and relapses. Multiple sclerosis affects twice as many women as men, and is significantly less active during pregnancy, suggesting that hormones influence its development. The Italian study further supports the hypothesis that sex hormones play a role in the inflammation, damage, and pathology of multiple sclerosis.
—Elizabeth Wagner, ND
* Tomassini V, Onesti E, Mainero C, et al. Sex hormones modulate brain damage in multiple sclerosis: MRI evidence. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2005 Feb; 76(2):272-5.
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IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Asia Regional Water and Wetlands Programme and the Asian Development Bank have begun work on a new study of river basin management in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO) and Centre for River Basin Organizations and Management (CBROM) are also collaborating partners. The objective is to create increased awareness at the highest levels of regional and national leaders and decision makers about basin management practices that work. The publication and the related knowledge portal will provide a reference tool for knowledge-based investments in river basin management in the Asia-Pacific region. The study will highlight examples where new approaches and practices are helping basin stakeholders to adopt improved water governance to help adaptation to changing situations in the basins. Some of the themes and issues that will be addressed in the publication include water rights, allocation, water quality, storage, urbanization, environment, disaster risk management, coastal zone management, and climate change and the rationale for managing these in a river basin context. The publication will highlight working practices that are being followed to tackle these challenges in countries and across the region.
Case studies from rivers across the Asia-Pacific will be presented in outline, with further details available through the knowledge portal. Selected case studies will be included in the publication. Agencies and organizations working on basin management across Asia-Pacific are invited to contribute their experience by adding case studies and messages for inclusion in the book. All contributions will be fully acknowledged. The publication is scheduled for release during the Stockholm Water Week in September 2010. If you are aware of any interesting case, please send contributions or suggestions to [email protected] and [email protected]

subset: commoncrawl


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I have been asked how easy it would be to have multiple contributors being able to submit content that would be brought into one post.
The rub is that they wouldn't be allowed to see the main post or edit the post, this would be reserved for the site admins - their role would be mainly around adding their piece of the post into the mix and that would be it.
I know this isn't standard functionality, but I don't even know where I would begin looking for a plugin - I could roll my own but if this is a solved problem then I would rather utilise that fact. So I guess my main question is Is this a common power-user feature and what name does it go by?
This is essentially to replace the current system that involves people emailing in content that gets copied and pasted into the post.


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2004 :: Olympus DH, Zagreb, Croatia ...
8 riders, shed loads of kit and some cheap flights. Here is a brief photo diary of the trip from airport to airport, with not many photo's of the actual riding!
You are viewing the thumbnail index - click a pic to enlarge.
All images in this gallery are © [ gravity-slaves ] and may not be reproduced without permission.


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IT Service Management (ITSM) Program
OIT and IT Service Management (ITSM)
In 2013, The Office of Information Technology formally established the IT Service Management Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to improve and sustain service levels across all departments. A number of tools and processes have been put in place including the implementation of HP Service Manager, the adoption of Incident Management practices, the OZ workshops, Apollo 13 training, and the recent PinkScan assessment.
This PinkScan assessment made the following observations about OIT:
- We are highly committed to providing top-notch support to students, faculty members and administrative staff.
- We maintain an extraordinary level of service and respond quickly to customer needs. This high level of service is a result of our commitment.
- We have a high level of experience and knowledge and work well as a team.
Areas for improvement:
- We tend to be highly reactive rather than proactive. This can be attributed to a lack of process definition, measurement and execution.
- The current levels of service are not sustainable without uniform processes.
- The lack of process management makes it difficult to identify and implement service or process improvements.
- There is a significant lack of information flow within OIT.
Additional recommendations:
- Establish an overall Continual Service Improvement strategy.
- Establish ITSM teams to further develop the processes.
- Clearly identify success criteria and improve communications.
Focus on ITIL Processes
With the intent to effectively use our resources, we decided to address no more than two processes at a time. This will allow us to benefit from these services as we improve additional areas. We will address the following processes in their respective order:
- Service Catalog Management
- Incident Management
- Change Management
- ITSM Tool Implementation
- Service Level Management
- Problem Management
- Knowledge Management
Each process will have a dedicated team tasked with designing and implementing the Process Plan for their respective process. For more information on each process visit the related process page (links at left) and the following links:


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From cocktail parties to baseball game outings, synagogues aim to engage a diverse population of baby boomers through a variety of programs.
When Fran Martin moved from Rydal to Center City six years ago — in her mid-50s, newly widowed, her three children out of the house — she was looking for a place to say Kaddish, maybe to attend a High Holiday service or two. Nothing more.
"I came to the city to find a more vibrant life," the psychologist says now.
What she found at Congregation Rodeph Shalom — specifically, at the Reform synagogue's BoomRS in Transition group — was "a profound connection. This synagogue, this group, is a community in a way I never imagined."
Throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs, synagogues are seeking ways to address the needs of the Fran Martins of the Jewish world: the empty nesters whose children have left home to attend college, to start careers or to get married, and who are hungry to connect with others at the same stage of life.
"Boomers are a spectacular sandwich generation — we have children at home or leaving home and aging parents. We're a generation stretched in multiple directions," says Martin, who facilitates discussions within BoomRS in Transition about topics such as work, relationships and aging.
For many years, says sociologist Rela M. Geffen, congregations placed a premium on attracting the parents of young children to plump up their membership rolls, a model she says has had limited success.
"What happened was that people who didn't have children under age 16 started to feel they weren't very important to the synagogue," says Geffen, a professor of sociology who studies Jewish communities and currently teaches at Gratz College. "They felt they had to borrow a child to come to a Megillah reading."
For clergy, synagogue officials and membership chairs, the challenge was daunting: not only how to define this cohort, but also how to attract and retain a niche population that ranges from the early 40s to the late 60s — some mid-career, some in career wind-down mode or retired; some child-free, others delighting in the joy of new grandparenthood.
Cantor David Green of Congregation Beth Or in Maple Glen notes that the Reform synagogue's APEX group — Adult Programming Experiences — is "not just a separate auxiliary, but also an integral part of our congregation.
"Our congregation, as most suburban congregations, was struggling to address the needs of post-Bar and Bat Mitzvah families," says Green, who counts his own among those families. "Synagogue affiliation is being drastically reduced in general, and it's no secret that a large number of American Jews see synagogues in a very consumer-like way: Your kids are done with Bar and Bat Mitzvah, you're done with the synagogue."
Speakers, field trips, museum visits, Broadway shows — these are among the events APEX has sponsored to combat that state of mind.
The strategy has proven successful beyond its organizers' dreams.
"Last year, for our opening event — a brunch with a speaker on Jewish genealogy — 35 people responded and 70 showed up," recalls Renee Cohen, a member of the synagogue for four years and co-chair of the group with her husband, Herb.
Although Beth Or doesn't have a large elderly population, she says, three to four dozen people regularly attend APEX offerings, which have included an artist-in-residence program with local luminary Mordechai Rosenstein, a talk by a doctor about issues surrounding aging and trips to New York and Washington, D.C.
Beth Am Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Penn Valley, is finding similar success. "Years ago, we decided we needed a way to bring people back into the community who had no particular reason to spend a lot of time at the synagogue anymore," says Linda Heller of Merion, a founder of the synagogue's Kehillat 54-plus group. "We needed to put together something to pull in that cohort."
The result, at Beth Am Israel as well as at numerous local synagogues, is a rich mix of social, educational and religious programs, from dinners in the sukkah to field trips to the Philadelphia Museum of Art; from a mural tour of the city to a Purim costume party.
"We feel that we're young and we want to do fun things and meet new people. It's really about connections," says Janet Shoemaker of Wynnewood, who is active in the Boomers group at Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in her hometown.
A retired middle school math teacher, Shoemaker will be eating sliders catered by Burger.org on Sept. 21 at a sukkah party on the grounds of the Conservative synagogue.
Between 40 and 50 group members show up at any given event during the year, she says; Shabbat dinners in private homes are among the biggest draws.
With her three children scattered in cities up and down the East Coast, Shoemaker says she and her husband, Jay, have created a social life based largely on the friendships they've made through Boomers.
It's a refrain heard repeatedly from members of similar programs throughout the region. Count among them Susan and Stuart Rosenthal of Montgomery Township, who, as relatively new members of Or Hadash, created a chavurah for empty nesters at the Reconstructionist synagogue in Fort Washington.
"We wanted to get to know people in similar circumstances to us — to get to know people on a more personal basis," says Susan Rosenthal, whose three children range from 26 to 34. "I love children, but I'm not going to hang around with people who are 35 years old with 5-year-olds at home."
So last winter, the couple hosted the first event in their home, a social night that attracted 20 people. Subsequent programs have included a barbeque, a potluck dinner and a game night that ended with a Havdalah service marking the end of Shabbat.
Steven Greene, a membership vice president at Or Hadash, estimates that the Rosenthals' chavurah — one of a dozen geared to different ages and interests — boasts between 15 and 25 couples, a fairly large percentage of the congregation's 150 families.
Mary Bernstein's daughters were 21 and 22, finished with college and living on their own, when the Bala Cynwyd resident helped found the Empty Nest group at Main Line Reform Temple in Wynnewood about three years ago.
"We don't measure success in terms of numbers. Rather, I feel as though I'm helping people create little micro-communities," Bernstein says of the dinners the group has sponsored.
Compiling a mailing list that eventually grew to 300 names, Bernstein kicked off the programming with a free cocktail party at the suburban synagogue. Sixty-five people chowed down on hors d'oeuvres while chatting about current events and synagogue politics.
Subsequent outings have included a trip to the Mann Music Center in the summer of 2012 for a Philadelphia Orchestra performance of Beatles music and dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Upcoming possibilities include a movie at the Ritz at the Bourse and a night of jazz at a member's Center City apartment.
"So far it's been social events only, but we do realize, moving forward, that there should be a spiritual component, maybe a Shabbat event," Bernstein says.
At Congregation Beth El in Voorhees, N.J., a group dedicated to empty nesters calls itself Habonim — the builders. The name aptly describes Judy Simkins, whose involvement with the Conservative congregation spans 28 years. The mother of an adult son and daughter, who are also members, touts this philosophy: "You can't always expect people to come knocking on your door. You have to take the first step."
For Simkins, one of those steps was serving on the steering committee that launched Habonim about a dozen years ago, with no funds at the time but plenty of ideas and enthusiasm.
"We wanted it to be geared to anyone in the synagogue — people with children away at college, people whose children are grown and married. We set no age limit, no minimum or maximum," says Simkins, a retired school administrator who now works at Widener University supervising student teachers.
Over the years, programs have included a Shabbat retreat at Camp Kislak in the Poconos, a bus trip to Jewish Heritage Night with the Phillies and book reviews by the synagogue librarian, Amy Kaplan.
Upcoming on Sept. 22 is "Supper in the Sukkah," with up to 80 people expected to break bread under the stars while hearing a talk about the March of the Living by recent participant Zachary Mindel, Simkins' grandson.
"We try to come up with new and different things, always remaining cognizant of cost," the educator says.
More than merely a social outlet — although that's a vital function — these empty-nest programs also serve as a tool for addressing dwindling membership rolls and emptying coffers.
In the end, says Rodeph Shalom's Fran Martin, it all comes down to creating bonds.
"I found something I didn't even know I was looking for," says the mental health professional, referring to her BoomRS in Transition group. "We talk, and in talking, we share. This is very meaningful to me in the 21st century, when real relationships are getting harder and harder to come by."


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Bitter Gourd Recipes
Karela Achar Recipe (+Giveaway)
Bitter melon (also known as bitter cucumber, bitter gourd or karela) is an acquired taste. That's a polite way of saying a lot of people dislike it. As the name implies, it is bitter, but when cooked properly, it can make a delicious dish. I learned this particular recipe from my husband Lulu's auntie. Sherin Auntie made achar using Indian bittermelons. What is achar you ask? Achar is to Indian cuisine what nuoc mam is to Vietnamese food. It's a popular, oil-packed Indian pickled condiment. We usually eat it with kichdi (Indian lentil rice) and raita (Indian yogurt condiment).
First, Sherin Auntie seeded the karela and cut them into small shreds. She decided to par-boil them so they'd be tender but this step is optional. She then fried them with Indian spices until it formed a chunky, thick paste and completed the process by sealing the mixture in a jar. The last bit of this recipe is time; you have to let the achar stand for a few days so the ingredients infuse and develop into a flavorful condiment. But I promise you it's so addictive, you'll keep asking for more rice so you can eat more achar.
Today's giveaway is 4 bags each of Mary's Gone Crackers 3 pretzel stick flavors.They come in Sea Salt, Chipotle Tomato and Curry. I got a chance to try the curry flavored "sticks & twigs" recently, and I can tell you they go really great with Cypress Grove Chevre. My father-in-law almost ate the entire pack along with the cheese, so I was lucky to get the few bites I did before they disappeared. The pretzels are earthy and the curry flavor really comes through. For a chance to win the pretzels, just enter today's giveaway.
Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Mary's Gone Crackers, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you'd like: "Mary's Gone Crackers #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @GoneCrackers: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".
Full Recipe...
Falling In Love with Bitter Melon
Full Recipe...
Stuffed Karela Recipe (Indian Bitter Melons with Chana Dal)
Bitter melon (also known as bitter cucumber, bitter gourd or karela) is an acquired taste. That's a polite way of saying a lot of people dislike it. As the name reminds you, it is bitter, but when cooked properly, it can be a delicious side dish. It is also very nutritious. One of bitter melon's many properties is that it's supposed to lower your blood sugar, so it's worth working it into your diet.
I've posted several Asian-style bitter melon recipes, but today I cooked it the way my father-in-law likes it. Compared to the Asian variety, Indian bitter melon (or karela) is much smaller and darker, and is covered with spikes. For this recipe, the karela is cut into chunks, fried and stuffed with chana dal. The fried rings of bitter melon are then simmered in masala tomato sauce. Fried onions and amchur, or dried mango powder, cut the bitterness and balance the flavors. You'll still know you're eating bitter melon, but you just might like it!
Full Recipe...
Stuffed Bitter Melon (Kho Qua)
Bitter melon (khổ qua in Vietnamese) is a part of many cultures and cuisines. In India, deep fried bitter melon rings (karela) are a common dish. Vietnamese people use the smoother variety of bitter melon, and the vegetable is often prepared steamed or in a broth. In this particular preparation, I filled the bitter melon with tofu, bean thread noodles and wood ear mushrooms, but you could definitely use chicken or pork. I typically pair mine with rice, but you can also serve a simple vegetable broth if you prefer.
From Wikipedia:
This dish is usually cooked for the Tết holiday as its name: "bitter" reminds people not to forget or disrespect the poor living condition experienced in the past.
Eating shouldn't be a chore, so if you're a little put off by the description, I understand. The taste is very unusual but I think this dish really does taste great though, so I urge you to give it a try.
Full Recipe...


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Becky0607 on Family Tree Circles
view: full | list
Journals and Posts
Looking for KELLY in Louisiana
My father is a descendent of John Thomas Kelly, then his son John Amon Kelly, then his son James Virgil Kelly. I know the names and most of the dates of birth of the children of John Thomas Kelly (he had about 10 siblings). Then John Amon had about 12 or so. I have all their names and again, most of their dates of birth. James Virgil was my father's father, but he died when my father was about 10 or 11, so he was raised more as a sibling than a nephew to the children of John Amon Kelly. I would like to find more information about John Thomas Kelly's predecessors and more information on his siblings.
My father's mother was a Bishop from the same area, but I don't have nearly as much information about her family.
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Product ID Number: uk3306
Product Features of Multi Purpose PSP and PSP Slim Console Bag Blue
Fits 1st and 2nd Generations of PSP and PSP Slim Console.
Soft Brushed Black Nylon padded interior with elasticated fixing straps to hold the console in place.
Large compartment split with a removable/adjustable padded divider.
One compartment for the PSP Console the other for the AC Adapter, Headphones etc.
Internal Zip Pocket on the lid for holding UMD media.
Carry Handle & Shoulder Strap.
OEM Packaged.
Quality TGC Branded Product


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7-Speed DSG
7-Speed DSG
Luggage compartment liner
Premium roof box
Surfboard carrier
Tow Bar
Manoeuvre Braking4
Built to assist parking, even in the tightest of spaces. Manoeuvre Braking, front and rear, is designed to avoid or reduce the likelihood of a collision by automatically braking if an obstacle is detected by the parking sensors.
4. Safety technologies are designed to assist the driver, but should not be used as a substitute for safe driving practices.
Driver Fatigue detection4
This potentially life-saving system continually evaluates steering movements and other independent signals, and if fatigue is detected, warns the driver with an alarm and on the Multi-Function Display recommends the driver takes a break.
4. Safety technologies are designed to assist the driver, but should not be used as a substitute for safe driving practices.
Rear View Camera4
The Rear View Camera, installed at the back of the car, displays a live picture on your console screen that shows what's behind you, making reversing safer and easier.
4. Safety technologies are designed to assist the driver, but should not be used as a substitute for safe driving practices.
Optional Proactive Occupant Protection System
When there's the potential for a collision, the front seat belts tense up to put you in the best spot for airbag protection. If your car starts to slip, side windows and the sunroof are also automatically closed.
Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP)
Helps you stay in control of your vehicle by preventing under or over steering. If your vehicle starts to skid, the Electronic Stabilisation Program will apply the brakes to individual wheels and adjust the engine's power output to correct the problem.
The Golf Alltrack comes with a standard seven airbags, including front, front side, front and rear curtain and driver's knee airbag. If something does go wrong, you'll be pleased you're in a Golf Alltrack.
Electromechanical parking brake and Auto Hold
Replaces the conventional handbrake with a button. Plus, with Auto Hold, when your car comes to a stop, the ABS hydraulic unit holds the brakes, allowing you to comfortably take your foot off the pedal.
Park Assist4.
Using sensors on either side of the front and rear bumpers, together with parking distance sensors front and rear, Park Assist actively helps you 90 degree park, back into a park and get in and out of a parallel park.
Available with optional drive assistance package for 132TSI. Standard on 132TSI Premium.
4. Safety technologies are designed to assist the driver, but should not be used as a substitute for safe driving practices.
Front Assist4.
Using a radar sensor, Front Assist detects when a vehicle in front of you gets too close and prepares the car for emergency braking, giving you a better chance of avoiding a collision.
Available with optional drive assistance package for 132TSI. Standard on 132TSI Premium.
4. Safety technologies are designed to assist the driver, but should not be used as a substitute for safe driving practices.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)4.
The cruise control system with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) lets you set the speed you want to travel and the gap you want to allow between you and the car in front. Using a radar sensor, the car then maintains your speed and your distance. In doing so it makes life easier for the driver, particularly on long journeys, and reduces the risk of exceeding the speed limit.
Available with optional drive assistance package for 132TSI. Standard on 132TSI Premium.
4. Safety technologies are designed to assist the driver, but should not be used as a substitute for safe driving practices.
Extended Electronic Differential Look (XDL)
When cornering, this valuable safety system responds to the load relief at the front wheel on the inside of a corner, which improves traction and reduces the tendency to understeer.
Multi-collision brake
When the airbag sensors detect a collision, this state-of-the-art system applies the brakes to slow down the vehicle so that a secondary impact will be lessened or avoided. During braking, the hazard and brake lights are illuminated and remain activated. The driver can take over at any time.
Optional Gesture Control1.
The Golf Alltrack introduces Gesture Control; a truly interactive feature that allows you to navigate through various menus including radio stations and more through a simple mid-air swipe of the hand. Available on the Discover Pro 9.2" display as part of the optional Sound and Vision package across the range.
1.Gesture Control is available with the optional Sound & Vision package.
Optional Active Info Display2.
Goodbye analogue, hello digital with the Active Info Display2. This feature replaces the traditional instruments that sit behind the steering wheel with a 12.3" high-definition digital screen and puts everything you need, right in front of you with configurable views such as navigation, infotainment, driver assistance and vehicle performance functions.
2.Active Info Display is available on the Optional Driver Assistance package.
Media Control
Innovation goes beyond driver features in the Golf Alltrack. Passengers are given more control, with less distraction for the driver with the new Media Control feature. By downloading the free Media Control App, compatible with Android & iOS, you can turn a smartphone or tablet into a remote control for the Volkswagen Infotainment system enabling users to control selected functions such as navigation, radio station selection and media data.
Personalisation function
Individualism is taken to a new level with the Golf Alltrack's personalisation function. Set your preferred driver settings including air conditioning, radio station, safety assistance and more, directly to your key. Even with multiple drivers, your personalised settings remember you and adjusts accordingly, making for a more personalised driving experience every time.
Access your smartphone's screen, selected apps, maps, and music through App-Connect on your console's touchscreen – using Apple CarPlay®, MirrorLink® and Android Auto™.
3. App-Connect is compatible for selected apps with the latest smartphone versions of iOS and Android.
Driving profile selection
How you drive is up to you with a choice of selectable driving profiles: Normal, Off-road, Sport, Eco, Comfort and Individual.
Discover Media/ Navigation
The Golf Alltrack has the latest in new generation Infotainment complete with smartphone glass appearance.
The Alltrack includes the Discover Media 8" Infotainment and navigation system. Add on the Sound and Vision Package and receive the 9.2" Discover Pro Display including new intuitive technology and 10GB of available storage.
The latest system also includes App-Connect3 where you can access your smartphone's interface, selected apps, maps, and music through App-Connect on your console's touchscreen – using Apple CarPlay® MirrorLink® and Android Auto™ interfaces.
3. App-Connect is compatible for selected apps with the latest smartphone versions of iOS and Android.
BlueMotion Technology
BlueMotion Technology consists of a range of innovations and intelligent technologies designed to achieve greater fuel efficiency.
Stop/ Start System
This money-saving feature automatically stops the engine when you come to a standstill; and starts again on take-off, helping you cut back on fuel consumption.
Looking every bit the part, the Golf Alltrack boasts raised ground clearance, 17" alloy wheels, silver door mirrors and side sill extensions, chrome roof rails and exhaust tail pipes.
Explore the great outdoors with a great amount of luggage space - 605 litres to be exact. And with luxurious upholstery, as well as our latest infotainment system, you'll be cruising in comfort.
Turbocharged TSI engine
TSI is Volkswagen's award-winning technology for petrol engines. It results in excellent drivability and instant acceleration in every gear, making overtaking safer and powering up hills a breeze. And with super-low fuel consumption of 6.8L/100km5 DSG, you get the best of both worlds.
5.Fuel consumption figures according to Australia Design Rule (ADR) 81/02 derived from laboratory testing. Factors including but not limited to driving style, road and traffic conditions, environmental influences, vehicle condition and accessories fitted, will in practice in the real world lead to figures which generally differ from those advertised. Advertised figures are meant for comparison amongst vehicles only.
4MOTION all-wheel drive
The 4MOTION all-wheel drive coupling ensures excellent traction, optimal handling and steering response and dynamics.
The Golf Alltrack is an SUV with the space and practicality of a wagon, as well as the class and comfort of a Golf.
Personalise your Golf Alltrack with our range of Volkswagen genuine accessories.
Surfboard Carrier
The carrier holds two surfboards with masts, and features four plastic holders that adapt to the shape of your surfboards. Base carrier bars are required and sold separately.
Premium roof box
The black high gloss look roof box is available in 340L & 460L capacity and has an innovative "DuoLift system" which allow opening from both sides as well a 3-point central locking system.
Whatever kind of trailer you need to tow, this genuine Volkswagen tow bar will help you pull your weight.
The Volkswagen Sunblinds can be used as optimal sun protection, as well as for thermal insulation. One set for the rear window, rear door windows and luggage compartment side windows
Luggage Compartment Liner
Protect your boot from the effects of heavy, or even just everyday, use. This accessory will keep your boot in top shape for years to come.
Overseas models are shown for illustrative purposes only. Optional accessories at extra cost. Please note that the above accessories may have an effect on fuel efficiency. Items such as sports equipment and tablets are shown for illustration purposes only and are not available for purchase from Volkswagen Group Australia or its Dealers. For a full range of Volkswagen Genuine Accessories, please refer to the accessories tab or visit an authorised Volkswagen Dealer.
Keeping your Volkswagen running at the top of its game costs a lot less than you think.
Unlimited Kilometre Warranty
Get a five year unlimited kilometre warranty with your new car. Your rights under this warranty are provided in addition to, and in some cases overlap with, consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law and do not limit or replace them.
Roadside Assist
One year of free 24-hour roadside assistance, emergency accommodation, rental vehicle and towing as well as household emergency assistance.
Assured Servicing
Assured Servicing Pricing gives you the transparency of knowing how much your service will cost up front. Our Volkswagen Dealers have access to the latest diagnostic equipment and tools. Plus, they use Volkswagen Genuine Parts® to ensure your Volkswagen stays a Volkswagen. You're in safe hands at your Volkswagen Dealer when it comes to servicing.
Take a closer look at the information for the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack.


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SEO For Small Business Website Bayport West, Florida
Many businesses fail in the first year, and many more will not make it to the five-year mark. From driving traffic by ranking higher on search engine results to maximizing advertising campaigns, SEO can help a business build its brand, expand its reach and, ultimately, increase revenue. If you don't do it then search engines can't categorize and rank your site for keywords relevant to your business. Almost every business in Hillsborough County, big or small and regardless of industry, has some kind of web presence, and everybody is competing for only a handful of positions at the top of search-engine results pages (SERPs). As a small business owner and marketer, you need to let Google know where you are located and what you have to offer so you're not only showing up on Google search engine results pages (SERPs) more frequently, but you're showing up in front of the eyes of a very relevant audience.
For small businesses, the main SEO areas to consider will be:
- Content
- Local SEO
- Website
- Content marketing
- Authority building
- Credibility
- SEO can be complicated
Affordable SEO For Small Business in Bayport West
Creating what Google considers an "authoritative" site means you that in the long run, your website will most likely start showing up more for shorter, more competitive phrases. Just because you're a small business doesn't mean you have to have a small presence online. Optimizing for local search is a great way to learn SEO because there is less competition and it is easier to maintain a small and focused scope. The goal of our Small Business SEO Campaigns is to increase the visibility of your site at the major search engines for relevant search phrases leading to higher traffic and conversion rates. My intention is to arm you, as a business owner, with the knowledge and power to make the right decisions when implementing an SEO strategy in Bayport West — whether you choose to do some or all of the SEO work yourself, employ an in-house SEO or outsource the work to an SEO agency.
SEO For Business Services in Bayport West, Florida
We can also tailor monthly SEO packages to meet your exact requirements and budget or quote on separate projects. You will use this to figure out how other sites were able to get into your targeted SERPs. If you're a small business in Hillsborough County 33635 servicing a local area then add your details into local directories and the Google Local Business Centre. The end result of all this work is that you end up with the most authoritative and informative website about your industry in your market. All you need to do is claim this listing, often referred to also as a citation. What this means for small businesses is a new, key opportunity to jump in the rankings without worrying about producing content or building links. The number and quality of links pointing to your site will largely determine in what position your site ranks.
Small Business Search Engine Optimization Techniques and Tips
Start with a single search term and use this free service to automatically find related keywords and keyword phrases to strengthen your SEO For Small Business Website. The following questions can provide a good starting point to generate a discussion with potential SEO companies in Florida. We target unlimited keyword phrases for your website and don't lock you into any contracts – we want to be good enough to keep you! Completing all the tasks on this list will give you all the skills necessary to complete this checklist. This is a general rule of thumb but for search engines to gather enough information about a page and rank it, it's always a good idea to have at least 300 words on a page. Rich Snippets are pieces of code that the major search engines recognize, but they don't show up on the web page to the visitor.
- Jane Terrace
- Timberlane
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- Wellington Homes at Countryway
- Sunray Estates
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- Bayside West
- Bay Port Colony
- Saltmarsh
- Wood Lake
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- Bayside Village
Ways For Small Business to compete With Giants in SEO in Bayport West
Several local search engines offer you the ability to place your business into 2-5 categories to help them understand what your business does. Instead, you can focus on cultivating strong, positive reviews from your customers. You're much more likely to be penalized than credited if you use a keyword phrase repeatedly on a page. A competitor analysis tool is also available to help you see how your website stacks up against that of your competitors. Do some digging, and don't take things at face value. Our team are all locally based and experts in Bayport West, Florida in their respective fields with minimum five years experience.


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NEW BERN � After winning the Food Network�s �Cupcake Wars� and building a large clientele in the area, New Bern�s cupcake lady, Nicole Costas of The Wild Cupcake, is leaving town.
NEW BERN � After winning the Food Network�s �Cupcake Wars� and building a large clientele in the area, New Bern�s cupcake lady, Nicole Costas of The Wild Cupcake, is leaving town.
It�s nothing personal, she insists: her husband, Andre, is a Marine who is being reassigned to recruiting duty in Amarillo, Texas. She has hopes of returning to the New Bern area to renew and build her business down the road � maybe in three years.
Costas, who bakes her famous pastries in her home and then distributes them to shops and homes across the area, began her business in April of 2011. She first drew public attention when she traveled to California to compete in the �Cupcake Wars� program in August.
The show is hosted by Justin Willman with a panel of three judges � two permanent and one guest. Cupcake bakers and their assistants compete in studio kitchens, baking various cupcakes employing specific ingredients and themes decided on by the show�s producers.
According to the network website, �Four of the country�s top cupcake bakers� are chosen, baking in three rounds. After each round, judges eliminate one contestant. The final round includes baking a large number of cupcakes and presenting them on specifically-designed displays. The final winner is chosen on a basis of both presentation and taste.
Costas won handily (one contestant complained during the program that, in the judge�s eyes, Costas couldn�t do wrong), but had to keep mum about her victory for several weeks until the show aired in October.
�It was hideous,� she said of the wait.
She still communicates occasionally with a couple of her fellow competitors on Facebook, and notes that even the runners-up have gained local fame and business from their competition on the show.
�The quality of my life has changed,� she said of show�s results. She is busy, working as much as 70 or more hours a week. Much of her social time, she laughs, takes place while delivering cupcakes. �I just do what I like to do.�
Nicole says that leaving New Bern is a major disappointment. �I�m ready to take it to the next level,� she said. She had been eyeing local storefronts with the idea of establishing a �pasteatery� (that�s baker talk for an upscale, sit-down bakery). �I want my cupcakes to be the catalyst� for bigger things, she said.
She�s even thought of moving, one day, into wedding cake creations.
�The Life is Good store is open,� she said and, had the Texas move come up, she would have considered leasing it. �I feel like I�m being stripped of my dignity.�
Not that she�s complaining about her husband.
�We�re really close,� she said of him.
On top of that, he�s a great helper who one day surprised her by ordering his own jacket lettered �The Wild Cupcake Team.�
�He�s my biggest fan,� she said. Andre agreed, stating that he sees himself both now and down the road assisting her with her business.
As to Texas? On the upside, there is family there.
�I�m Texan, born and raised,� she said.
On the downside, she is uncertain what she will do there. Recent business laws in the Lone Star state make a business run out of the kitchen awkward at best. Among her considerations is to keep up something of an online business � though she doesn�t know if she could keep up with the resulting volume.
She says she may work at a local business and save money toward building her Wild Cupcake down the road (hopefully returning to the New Bern area to do so). She�s also considered writing a book.
�I don�t know what kind of book,� she added, but she has always dabbled in writing and currently keeps a blog on her company website.
�I�m kind of a cross between Chelsea Handler and Martha Stewart,� she suggested of her style.
In any case, �I hope the (new) community is as welcoming as New Bern has been.�
Though she looks forward to seeing what will unfold for her and Andre and the family, for Nicole Costas and the Wild Cupcake, the move is definitely disappointing.
�I�ve worked two years,� she said of her business in New Bern, where she has lived for nine years. �I feel like, for me, was this all for naught? Was there a point? But there has to be. There�s a point for everything. I look forward to seeing how this turns out.�


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Post rehab, Amanda Bynes keeps a low profile
Los Angeles: Amanda Bynes is keeping a low profile after leaving rehab and is seen spending time with her parents.
The actress was spotted out and about with her parents Lynn and Rick Saturday in Thousand Oaks California, walking the family's dogs through the neighbourhood, reports eonline.com.
Bynes was seen wearing a Captain America sweatshirt, jeans and a "Twerk Team" baseball cap for the occasion, while walking one of the pups as her mom and dad followed behind her.
Earlier in the day, the trio took a trip to Costco, with Amanda sporting a black jacket, jeans and a white top, as she made her way inside toting an umbrella on the rainy day in Southern California.
The troubled star has been living with her parents after spending nearly six months in an inpatient treatment facility in Malibu. IANS


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President Barack Obama is not the only one being hit with a storm-related attack ads in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
Forecastthefacts.org is running an attack ad against Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in swing states like Virginia and Ohio, highlighting the climate joke Romney made while speaking at the Republican National Convention.
"President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans," said Romney, as the RNC audience began to laugh. "And to heal the planet!"
The organization is asking all viewers to "tell Mitt Romney: Climate change isn't a joke" and is using grassroots donations to expand its ad buy. As of Monday afternoon, over $17,000 in donations has been pledged.
"It's heartening to see concerned citizens contribute their hard-earned dollars to make sure Americans remember how tragically unfunny it was for Mitt Romney to make climate change a laugh line at this year's Republican convention," wrote Daniel Souweine, campaign director for Forecast the Facts, in a press release. "Americans across the East Coast are still reeling from the destruction of a true Frankenstorm, which was exacerbated by warmed and risen seas, and is exactly the kind of extreme, unprecedented weather scientists have long predicted would come with global warming. Anyone who mocks climate change is mocking the lost lives, dislocation, and billions of dollars of damage wrought by Sandy."


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Healthcare Reform Has Finally Passed!
So why are you still uninsured?
You may be eligible for Affordable Health Coverage:
Why Cobra Health Plans?
COBRA is a federal program for employees who have been laid off or fired from their job. In companies with 60 or more employees, the former employee may be eligible to keep their group health insurance plan for 18 months.
But here is the problem: The former employee must pay full price for the continuing coverage. Family plans these days often cost $1,400 or more! Fortunately, you could easily shop potentially cheaper alternatives to COBRA on the open market right here.
Anyone is eligible to use this website, regardless of your current or past coverage, employment or medical conditions. Enter your zip code above to begin.
Using this website:
This service is simple, secure, and absolutely free!
About UsCobraHealthPlans.com was formed in 2002 as a resource for consumers and/or employees looking for health insurance via COBRA in addition to direct to carrier relationships. Since that time our provider network has expanded greatly and consumers may be provided quotes from many top carriers and agencies.
The network also includes literally thousands of independent insurance agencies and agents so consumers who shop for insurance through our service not only see all levels of coverage for their situation, but can choose the best prices as well.
CobraHealthPlans.com is not an insurance company or agency and does not sell insurance or provide coverage. We simply present rates and if necessary facilitate the connection of consumers with agents or agencies who may be able to help them find the best coverage at the best rates.
How Does CobraHealthPlans.com Help Me Compare Health Insurance Quotes?CobraHealthPlans.com has been helping people save money on health insurance since 2002. Why have thousands of consumers shopping for health insurance turned to us to help find cheap rates on health insurance? We save time and money by eliminating the need to visit multiple websites and call company after company to find great health insurance policies. CobraHealthPlans.com does not sell insurance, instead, you fill out one fast, easy form and we match you up with local insurance agents who can help you find the best, most cost-effective health insurance plan to meet your needs. With agents competing for your business, you can be certain you are finding the best premiums on the right health insurance plan for you.
How Can I Lower My Health Insurance Premiums?There are many ways you can help to lower your health insurance premiums. First is to shop around before enrolling in a health insurance plan. You can make lots of phone calls or fill out forms on a bunch of websites and hope that you can compare health insurance rates that way. Or you can use CobraHealthPlans.com, where you fill out one easy form and local health insurance agents compete for your business.
A second way of lowering your health insurance costs is to increase the deductible and/or co-pays in your plan. A higher deductible - usually anything over $1,000 a year -- means that you will be paying more out of your own pocket for any expenses you incur. But when paired with a Health Savings Account, a higher deductible may be a more cost-effective option.
Finally, and most important, you will receive lower rates on health insurance plans if you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Quitting smoking may have the most immediate impact, as will lowering cholesterol and keeping a healthy body weight for your height. Remember, health insurers consider healthy people to be much less of a risk than those who do not maintain a healthy lifestyle. That higher risk results in higher premiums.
6 Questions to Ask Your Health Insurance AgentTo help you have the most productive conversation with your health insurance agent, we've created a list of 6 questions you should ask to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible with the plan you're being offered.
These questions, of course, are just the beginning of the conversation you'll have with the agent. You may want to ask specific questions about emergency care, preventative treatment, or specific illnesses. Remember, the agent will try to be as helpful as possible, but only you know what features are most important to you in a health plan.
- Do you represent one insurance company or are you a broker selling many companies' products? It's important to understand the range of insurance products the agent is selling.
- What if I need medical care and I'm out of town? Whether you travel every week or once a year, it's important to know how your policy will cover emergencies out of town.
- What is the co-pay percentage and annual deductible? What is the prescription drug coverage? And does it kick in right away or is there a deductible?
- Be sure to ask about limits of the coverage: What is the maximum out of pocket expense? Is there a per illness maximum each year? What is the lifetime maximum benefit? Is there an annual maximum benefit? Is there a limit to the number of doctor copay visits in a given year? If multiple members of my family fell ill, is there a cap to the number of deductibles we need to pay? What are the benefit caps on outpatient treatment, if any?
- Will my premium increase if someone on the policy becomes ill? Can the insurance company cancel my insurance or increase my rates if I become ill?
- Until when are my children covered? After they move out of the house? Graduate from college? Get a full time job?


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Camp Trails Rainier
I've hiked the Cascades and traveled over Europe with…
I've hiked the Cascades and traveled over Europe with this great pack. It must have gone hundreds of miles on my back.
I have had no problems with it in the 10+ years I've been using it.
Awesome backpack! During Search and Rescue training,…
Design: internal frame
Size: 4500?
Number of Pockets: 3
Max. Load Carried: 50+
Height of Owner: 6'3"
Price Paid: under $100
Awesome backpack! During Search and Rescue training, I took this pack 72 miles in three days through the dense/wet/early winter woods of MI. I also used it during a 24 hike, and on both of those, as well as many other camping trips over the years, it was so comfortable that I didn't know that it was there (really) after much torture, one of the straps started to pull out, and I sent it back. It was fixed, a brand new suspension put on, and returned in three weeks without charge! I have no complaints. e-mail me if you want.
I bought this pack for an extended trip with the Boy…
Design: internal frame
Size: 4490
Number of Pockets: 4
Max. Load Carried: 50 lbs
Height of Owner: 6'0
Price Paid: $110
I bought this pack for an extended trip with the Boy Scouts of America. It was very cheap, and I was new to backpacking, so it was perfect. It was great to look at and pack, but not on the trail. With only 150 miles (three trips) on it, it had major problems. The divider in the main compartment began to unstich, and its zipper completely came off. Various stiching elsewhere looked like it was breaking, so I returned the pack.
If the pack had held up physically, I still would have tried to rid myself of it. The hood is pathetically constructed, the shoulder straps are flimsy, and the waistbelt is unsupportive.
I would never recommend this pack to anyone. If you need a pack for a similar price, I would suggest the Catskill (the model up). It is constructed much better, and is similarly priced.
I finally got fed up and got rid of it! I bought the…
Design: Internal frame
Size: 4200
Number of Pockets: 4
Max. Load Carried: 35 lbs.
Height of Owner: 5'6"
Price Paid: $110
I finally got fed up and got rid of it! I bought the pack when I first got into backpacking and it was OK for two weekend hikes. However, after the second trip, I noticed a seam in the hip belt had blown out. I sent it back to the manufacturer, and they replaced it with a new model. The stitching on the new one was quite sloppy. One of the lash tabs came off almost immediately. On my first trip with it, one of the load lifter straps pulled completely off the pack under a load weight of less than 30 lbs. I finally got rid of the thing. I will never buy a Camp Trails pack again. You would be wise not to either.
Where to Buy
$100.00 - $110.00
The Camp Trails Rainier is not available from the stores we monitor.
Recently on Trailspace
Similar Products
More of: the best weekend packs » | Camp Trails »


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OpenDNS founder David Ulevitch is taking back control of the company he started in 2005.
David is (quietly) once again the OpenDNS CEO, his bio in the company's site confirms.
Ex-VMWare executive Nand Mulchandani, who took on the OpenDNS CEO role in late 2008, is out. (David was CTO during that period.)
We don't know what happened, but it doesn't seem like a coincidence that OpenDNS made a management switch shortly after Google announced a rival product.
Both services aim to replace your Internet provider's "DNS" or domain name servers, speeding up your Internet service and increasing security. OpenDNS also has parental controls and other features built-in to its service.
Even though Google is going after consumers and OpenDNS goes after a variety of customers, including consumers and small and large organizations, the rivalry is only going to intensify.
We're only speculating here, but perhaps Mulchandani blew a sale to Google. The company is on a buying spree lately, and OpenDNS serves up plenty of ads, so it would not have been surprising to see Google snap it up.
OpenDNS raised money from Sequoia Capital and Greylock Partners this past year.
Know more? Reach us at firstname.lastname@example.com or use our anonymous tips form. Anonymity guaranteed.


text:
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Meet your fellow owners in our Owners Clubs
GM Speedometer lawsuit filed
If you would like to e-mail me with your request/situation, involved dealer, VIN, current mileage, and contact information I will look into recall information and your situation.
GM Customer Service0
Does anyone know of a place that can fix a 2004 suburban speedometer in the Oklahoma City area? I really want to keep this vehicle, but don't want to pay a ton of money at the dealership either.
Thank you :confuse:0
I have purchased four Chevy vehicles in the last seven years alone. Most of the time, whenever we have issues the problems are resolved quickly. For instance, the power steering on our cobalt was faulty, but it was replaced immediately at no cost to us.
Now, our speedometer has started to act up. We are at 92,000 miles, and I am extremely unhappy that we might have to pay hundreds of dollars to have it fixed. It sounds like hundreds, if not thousands of people are having a similar issue. Our speedometer says are doing 20 mph on the highway, when I know we are going 60 plus. I will get stuck sometimes at 90 plus. We we turn it off, it stays at 90. It will sometimes drop 5 mph each time I start it.
I hear there are multiple lawsuits going on. Can anyone please point me in the right direction if I can not get Chevy to fix this for free, which they obviously should since it is a known issue?
Not that it needs to be said, but I have no intention of ever buying a Chevy if they can't fix this issue.
Thank you anyone who can help steer me in the right direction.
[email protected]0
tidester Posts: 10,059Hi, Matthew! Welcome aboard.
We ask that you not include your email address in postings to the Forums. Thanks.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper0
brady32 Posts: 1The 2003-2006 clusters out of the Silverado's,Sierra,Tahoe,Escalade etc...are very easy to remove, 10 minute job. The plastic trim(or bezel) around the cluster comes off very easy and is only held in place with clips. It is all one piece from the cluster to the radio.Put your steering wheel down and your vehicle in low gear,pry off the trim with your fingers, Then remove the 4 screws at the cluster with a 7mm socket.The wiring harness has two clips which you squeeze together and unplug.0
pasteybean Posts: 10
justcuz7197 Posts: 1Logged into this forum to let you guys know that GM, specifically my Chevy dealership here in Cleveland Ohio is honoring the special extension of the warranty for the instrument cluster stepper motor issue...
Just started happening to my truck last week and now the speedo is pegged out and doesn't move.
On one of the forums, there is talk about the extra warranty and it is true. I will have to take the truck in for them to verify the trouble and get the correct part number, then return for them to put the new instrument cluster in. All for free, parts and labor are completely covered.
On a web site I found it talked about a mileage limitation, all work free till 70,000 miles and truck must have a vin inside a particular range. Apparently mine fits. Also, the site mentioned a limitation of 7 years from date of service. I have a 2004 Silverado 2500 HD and they are doing it for free next week when the cluster comes in.
All of the info here and other forums has been such a big help I though I would share...0
hdgal3 Posts: 7How many miles does your truck have on it ?0
kerry1111 Posts: 1My speedometer went this week on my suv. 2005 surburban bought in 2006 with 55,564 miles. Chevy says to bring in for a diagnostic (my cost) and they will decide what to do. My car is NOT among the vehicles in the class action suit Vin #....I said it is very clear whats up with my erratic speedometer and they should include more Vin # for the replacement, labor, of this cluster defect.....Anyone know of additional help from chevy that I can get?0
I apologize for your inconvenience. Have your spoke with Customer Assistance already? If so can you please e-mail me your case number? I would like to look into this for you.
GM Customer Service0
my dealer wants to replace the speedometer (free) but charge me 160.00 for labor. I said I would do it myself....they said "they have to do it and recalibrate". i say "no way" for a job that takes 10 minutes....Does anyone know who I can Mail this part to and get it replaced.0
hntwhttls Posts: 1I just bought a 2004 tahoe and guess what 1 month after i purchased this truck im having speedo problems it has 103500 miles and of course we all know the cut off for mileage is 80000 who was the idiot judge that got the kick back to approve a settlement that is totally unfair and should have been a manufactures recall ive done some research to correct the problem for myself but would still be interested in a class action suit if there is one in the works for the 500 to 600 price tag to repair or replace with a new GM part they should recoup there loss pretty quickly since the cost to them is probly very low since the parts to do it are somewhere around 3 dollars per motor 18 to 21 dollars in parts and lets say 30 min labor that justifies an over 300 dollars price to you and me as i said it should have been a recall but thats goverment for you now that they are in the car business what more can i say0
chevy charges 99.00 to look at the car, then gives you the part free but charges $160.00 to put it in....even if the car has 55,000 miles and is less then the7 years stated in the ext, warrenty offered in the settlement.0
kiawah Posts: 3,666So you are comparing 2 solutions:
- take it to the dealer, they replace with a new unit, re-calibrate, and give you vehicle back w/x day warranty, for $160
- you take unit out and mail it off ($), they rebuild it for $70 bucks and mail back, you're w/o vehicle for y days, you re-install, and have x day parts warranty.
Ummmm, isn't this a no-brainer? I'd be jumping at the dealer offer in a heart beat.0
My speedometer began acting up this week. When I got home, the speedometer read 60 MPH while the truck was sitting in the garage. I read a bunch of messgaes posted here about whether chevy will fix this and some non-chevy cluster repairs. My Silverado is a 2005 with 41K miles on it.
I followed some instructions on the forum and it did reset the guages.
I placed the truck in drive while the engine was off. Turned the key as to start it several times, and as I did, the speedometer kept going backwards about 20 MPH each turn of the key until it got to zero Again. As of right now, it is working fine. I know this is probably a temp fix and I should expect this to act up again in the future. Thanks for all your topics and help on this forum
Al in NJ0
lsx6_0 Posts: 1let me clear this up. i am an ASE certified mechanic, and we service these in our shop for about $150. I just fixed my cluster this last weekend. to fix these things, all you have to do is buy the stepper motors on ebay. costs about 50 bucks for 7 motors and all the bulbs. there are videos on youtube showing how to do it. all you need is a soldering needle (15 bucks at radio shack or auto parts store) and some very thin gauge low temp solder. it took me about 1 hour or so my first time around. now i can get it done in under 45 minutes. seriously anyone can do it. just watch the vids. some ebay vendors may also offer tutorial videos for a few dollars more. those will be better quality vids.
now to clear up another matter for all of you that want to send it off for repair, but can't be with out your ride. you can drive your vehicle without the cluster. it will run and drive, you just dont have any gauges. this will not hurt anything.
so what- GM won't fix alot of clusters. we can do it ourselves cheaply, using superior lifetime guaranteed parts. we need to learn to be more frugal in these times anyhow. i'll save a buck anyway i can even if it means learning something new. if you break your cluster, Dorman now offers clusters at Advance Auto, O'reilly, etc priced around $250- $280 dollars w/ good warranty, and pre-programmed with your mileage. send yours back for core.
I hope you all find this helpful and will give it a try. even if you f up your cluster, 250 you have a new one. still less than the dealer. dealers here charge about 600 buck to fix it.0
See my earlier post #253 about the GM recall in this thread. Note GM updated the recall in 2009 to allow up to 80,000 miles but you had to pay for their labor to remove and take out IPC panel. Takes 10 min and they typically charge $200. still a rip off.
I have another post here that describes how to take out the IPC and also where I got mine repaired. I chose Brian's Speedometer repair because he was close to where I live and I did not have to mail it to him. He does have a FedX service if you use him. See this post #280 in this thread for the deails:
Don't let GM screw you over. I myself would not give them the time of day much less let them work on my vehicle unless it was for FREE.
Good Luck0
donfl Posts: 1I have a 2005 Tahoe with 86K miles and the same speedometer issue everyone has posted about here.
I took it to the local dealer this morning for the speedo issue and the CEL came on over the weekend. I then found this site about the Chevy wide problem. So when the dealership called me with what was wrong and the cost (they wanted about $500 to replace the instrument cluster). I said no thanks I can have it fixed for about $150, the gal was great and said she would talk to the service manager to see if she could do anything. Well the return phone call was they would give me a new instrument cluster and I would have to pay the labor, $167.
I thought that was a fair deal since it would cost the $150 from one of the online rebuilders and my labor taking apart and putting back together the dash (twice). Provided I didn't break anything!
I fully agree it shouldn't have failed in the first place and I did file a complaint with the DOT, as this is a safety issue.
I have only had the Tahoe for 2 years and did not buy it from this dealership, but I would buy from them IF I decide to buy another Chevy.
This is only the second time I have dealt with this dealership and their customer service has been great both times.
Thanks for all the great post and info otherwise I would have paid alot more so the wife can have a working speedometer.0
I can see your point IF Every Chevy dealer did it for $160 vs sending the unit off for repair AND if I had no mechanical abilities. However, the two Chevy dealers around my home quoted me over $500 to do the repair. A local shop "offered" to do it for around half of the Chevy quote. To which I told them all not only no but H_ _ _ no! None of these places were offering a fair price for what the job required.
What I did was find a speedometer shop in my area so I did not have to mail the unit off. Most local speedometer shops do this repair daily. The one in my area charted $70 (and also accepts ones mailed to them). This includes ALL GAUGE SERVO's replaced with NEW GM Servo Motors, ALL DASH LIGHTS replaced, ALL gauges Recalibrated/Certified, and a LIFETIME warranty. (Chevy won't give you that).
My work was to remove the cluster panel. That takes about 7 minutes to remove and 7 minutes to install using a butter knife and a rachet/socket (just follow the online video for removal/install). I then drove the cluster to the speedometer shop (10 miles away). I watched while they repaired the cluster (about 20 minutes). I then drove home and reinstalled the cluster. About 2 hours total time including the time drinking a cup of coffe thinking about it, finding a butter knife and socket, and putting away the tools and dishes afterward.
So counting the cost of gasoline and the cluster repair and the cup of coffee, I was out about $80 or so. So for me, I guess I chose the path of most satisfaction by not giving the greedy dealer the time of day.
I used my $$ savings to buy my wife and I a nice dinner on the town and a bottle of wine which brought me even more satisifaction then not getting taken by a Chevy Dealer.
THis is what I considered a "No-Brainer". But to each his own.
Good Luck Out There0
I am happy to hear your problem has been resolved. If you need anything please feel free to contact me directly.
GM Customer Service0
If you are truely a rep from GM, I am impressed you would have the nerve to even post on this site. As you are fully aware, GM is doing a shameful job of fixing a problem GM created by buying cheap parts and when they failed (as expected), GM silently fixes a few select models. But if the owners can't jump through all of the GM hoops, you gladly offer to "fix" the GM problem for $200-$600 dollars. THis is about a 500% markup on the repair including the labor. So GM makes money by using cheap parts and makes even more fixing the problem the cheap parts created. (This sounds like racaterring)
I have been a Chevy driver for many years. But this little issue has shown me GM's true colors. I have moved to FORD. They seem to be the only American company left with any ethics these days and they don't depend on handouts. They make money the old fashioned way - FORD EARNS IT!0
sk8tldy Posts: 1While driving my instrument panel went dead, not I can not even turn over car. Any idea as to the issue. Battery is new..Alarm, Radio, lights etc function.....Instrument panel DEAD along with my Tahoe! HELP0
I posted message 315 here on this site; Here is a recap of it :Feb 07, 2011 (6:53 pm)
My speedometer began acting up this week. When I got home, the speedometer read 60 MPH while the truck was sitting in the garage. I read a bunch of messages posted here about whether chevy will fix this and some non-chevy cluster repairs. My Silverado is a 2005 with 41K miles on it.
I followed some instructions on the forum and it did reset the gauges.
I placed the truck in drive while the engine was off. Turned the key as to start it several times, and as I did, the speedometer kept going backwards about 20 MPH each turn of the key until it got to zero Again. As of right now, it is working fine. I know this is probably a temp fix and I should expect this to act up again in the future. Thanks for all your topics and help on this forum
MARCH 11, 2011 Follow-up. I sent Christina a letter who is a GM rep and has posted on this site, She set me up with case number, and I was contacted approx 1 week later by Clinton, GM Service rep. He took a bunch if info, to include my milage 41K year 2005, and when I purchased the vehicle ( Used approx 8 months ago) and he then wanted to know how many GM products I have owned in the past and where i had my last oil change done at. I answered him and then asked, " are you going to base repairing my vehicle on these questions" to which he stated NO these are just statistical questions that we gather.
I received another phone call from another GM rep on March 9th 2011. She began by telling me all about my case. And then she quoted my past GM vehicles and where I get my oil changed at ( Non-GM dealer) This rep also stated that my VIN number was far away ( several thousand vehicles ) from the believed affected Dash cluster units, and stated my vehicle was not affected by the bad clusters. ( Although I am experiencing the same dash problems as all those older vehicles). She told me that based on all as stated above, GM would NOT help me with my vehicle.
This surely puts GM at the bottom of my list for future vehicle purchase. I guess I will have the cluster fixed ( AND NOT AT A GM DEALER) and sell it. I think Ford product may be my next purchase. Thanks GM for selling an inferior product and then not standing behind your products !! :mad:0
Gentlemen, My 03 Silverado has not given me problem one til tonight. The speedo just died. I kinda see that there is a class action suit for repair of the cluster. I got a letter some time ago, but I circulated it. Could someone bring me up to date on years and milage of vehicle that they will fix. I did copy the number (!-866-996-9463) I don't think someone will be there Saturday night. Thank You, a new guy to the site.................joen20
I read it was 70K miles or 7 years. I just fixed mine myself, this past week. Took me about 1 hour and speedo works fine again. $7.00 part ! Good luck with GM I called and had a months worth of discussions with them. They said they will not fix my 05 Silverado with 41k Miles. Al in NJ0
rawharton Posts: 1I have not had one problem out of my 2003 chevy tahoe. I have 157,000ish miles on it and today the whole instrument panel stopped working. no gauges.. no lights.. no indicators...nothing... I checked the fuse but it is not out...any suggestions0
rawharton, I think you might be on your own. you might try gmspeedometerrecall.com it will bring you to a speedometer repair site. This site has a listing of years, and models with the affected vin numbers. One of the earlier posts has a phone number a 1 866 number.. After I called I got another one. You might try 1-866-790-5700 GM customer service. Have your vin, the date you bought the tahoe, and a few choice words. (you will probably end your conversation with the choice words) GM will want 500 to 900 to fix the cluster. the gmspeedometerrecall will do the job for 200 plus. You remove the cluster (They have a video on the site) , mail it in for free (I think) and they will get it back to you in a couple of days. I wish you good luck. joen2 post 3270
response with message 315 and 324
March 14, 2011, I called GM and gave them my case number for my non-working cluster. I requested a written letter that GM has denied repairing my faulty Speedometer. GM denied in providing me with any written documentation and said it was " Proprietary documentation".
GM apparently will only conduct their business over the phone. unless this gets rectified real quick this will be the last GM product I purchase. !0
stever Posts: 52,462I've read that you can send whoever a letter recapping a telephone conversation and request them to make any corrections or amplifications that you may have misunderstood over the phone. Send it certified or registered if you want proof that they got it. And put in there what you want done.0
Have you spoken with your local GM dealer?
GM Customer Service0


text:
Steve Benen is a producer for MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" and an MSNBC contributor. Petroleumworld does not necessarily share these views.
Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by MSNBC, The Rachel Maddow Show / The MaddowBlog / on April 9, 2015. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers.
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Petroleumworld News 04/10/2015


text:
Tiger Woods isn't a favorite to win the Masters, which begins today in Augusta, Ga.
That's rare.
In fact, the Masters, which Mr. Woods has won four times, may be where the rest of the world learns what many golfing pundits have concluded: Tiger Woods has peaked.
Stick a fork in him. He's done.
Two years ago, few doubted that Tiger Woods would surpass Jack Nicklaus's record 18 wins in the four "majors" of professional golf. Woods has 14 now, but it looks like Nicklaus's record will not fall to Tiger Woods.
Woods has not won a major in the past three years. Woods has not won a single golf tournament in 17 months. This season, he's finished only once in the Top 10: at the WGC-Cadillac Championship last month he finished 10th. Woods has slid to No. 7 in the world.
The storm over his serial infidelity and divorce cost him not just his golf game but a string of corporate endorsements: Gillette, Accenture, AT&T Inc, PepsiCo, and Gatorade. Even Golf Digest magazine ended his golfing tips column in February.
While the coverage of his personal travails has faded, his golf game has yet to recover. And he's once more undergoing a self-imposed swing change. In the pursuit of perfection, Woods keeps remaking his golf swing. That may be the biggest flaw in his golf game, his constant tinkering, according to an article in Golf Digest based on interviews with the five golf teachers who have coached Woods.
During the two previous swing makeovers, Woods went through droughts before emerging with a string of victories. Maybe it will happen again.
But even his professional peers no longer tremor in their golf shoes at his presence. This week, Ian Poulter, told the Chicago Tribune that Woods wouldn't even finish in the top five at Augusta.
Woods responded crisply at a press conference: "Poulter's always right, isn't he?"
As ESPN columnist Gene Wojciechowski wrote: "Memo to the golf gods: Please let Woods and Poulter be paired together Saturday or Sunday."
The Masters favorites this week?
Phil Mickelson is the odds-on favorite. He's got momentum and also plays well at Augusta. He posted a 20-under-par victory last week at the Shell Houston Open. Last year, Mickleson won his third green jacket at Augusta.
Who might contend with Mickelson? Nick Watney has been hot on the PGA tour this year.
"Watney has cracked the Top 10 in five of six tournaments so far and has one win already, at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral last month. Watney finished seventh at Augusta last season and this could be his time to break through," said Jack Randall of OddsShark.com.
Other favorites to watch: German Martin Kaymer, the current world's No. 1 ranked player. But Kaymer hasn't played well at Augusta, yet. Dustin Johnson is also playing well this year. And Lee Westwood, who finished just behind Mickleson at Augusta in 2010, has his supporters.
Woods may yet be a contender, too. Woods always plays well at Augusta. Even last year, still in the throes of his downward personal and professional spiral, he managed to finish fourth.
Woods has won all of his majors by going into the final round in the lead. He gets in the lead, and keeps it by not making mistakes in the final round. That's the Tiger Woods of old.
But if Woods doesn't perform well at Augusta, it will be seen as further evidence that that Tiger is no more.
Round One of the Masters will be televised Thursday on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET.


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quote:Originally posted by ScreenBear****************************WIENERBURGER?*******************How about WienerBurger in Vermont? The place was long gone before I started going up to Vermont years ago. I don't even know what they served. But, if I'm not mistaken, the tall sign out front, somewhere north of Middlebury on Route 7, is still there. Or, maybe I just dreamt it. But if I'm going to dream, why would I dream about that? Why wouldn't I dream that I won a million dollars? Could it be that you can't even catch a break in dreams? That they're just as crazy as real life?
quote:Originally posted by flyseyeSorry about dredging up an ancient thread, but I was wondering about this too, so I did a search. I was thinking the place might have been called " Happy Humpty", but it could have been " Humpty Dumpty". There was one in Ft Wayne back in the 60's, but it is long, long gone. Part of the building still exists however. The place was blue, and had a lighted Happy Humpty, or Humpty Dumpty on its sign.
quote:Originally posted by jacknjillWhile remodeling our kitchen here in Charlottesville our contractor found a cup behind the wal that had "Humpty Dumpty Burger, Home of the 15 Cent Hamburger" printed on it. That should pretty well settle it.
Luvthe60sI have a picture of an old happy humpty menu.... How can I post it?


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When she arrived at Colorado in the fall of 2009, Shalaya Kipp had visions of being the best 10K runner she could be.
Nearly five years later, Kipp has yet to run a single 10K race, but she's about to put a cap on one of the greatest individual careers in CU running history.
On Wednesday night, Kipp will race in the semifinals for the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. The finals are set for Friday, and the 2012 champ will be going for her second national title.
"Yeah, there is some nerves," said Kipp, who redshirted last year. "There's definitely a target on my back. People know who I am, but it makes it exciting. I was once the underdog and now I'm the big dog trying to defend my ground. New game, and I'm so excited."
The steeplechase was a whole new game to Kipp when she got to CU. Kipp was a champion distance runner at Salt Lake City's Skyline High School, and figured to stay on that path in Boulder.
"When I came here as a freshman, I didn't really have an idea of what the steeplechase was," Kipp said. "I knew there was a water jump, but that's about it. I had no idea that I was going to become a steepler. I thought I was going to be a 10K runner."
She never did convey that thought to CU head coach Mark Wetmore, though, and it's probably good that she didn't.
"I'm glad she didn't tell me, because I tend to let people do what they want," Wetmore said.
Instead, Wetmore and assistant coach Heather Burroughs saw something else in Kipp's background that intrigued them.
"We tried her in the (steeplechase) because she had been a downhill skier in high school and we thought, 'This is kind of a scary thing, jumping through the air and landing in something you can't see,'" Wetmore said. "So, we thought maybe having done 70 mph down slippery stuff might (give) her a little more than average level of courage."
The steeplechase includes four barriers, which unlike a hurdle, do not move. So, if a runner hits that barrier, it doesn't feel very good. On the back side of one of the barriers, there is a pit of water that the runner must try to jump over.
"Yeah, it's dangerous," Kipp said. "I've seen girls miss the barrier, hit them in their stomach; people fall in the water. I've fallen twice in a race.
"It's always a challenge, it's always fun, and it's long and grueling."
The trick to getting over the barriers, Kipp said: "Eye on the barrier is what we're always told. And, not being afraid. If you go into it afraid, you are likely to go down."
To this point, Kipp has been as good as anybody at staying up, and she's been better than most. In addition to winning the NCAA title in 2012, she qualified for and competed in the 2012 Olympics in London.
Kipp is also a four-time All-American in cross country, the first CU woman to ever do that, and on Monday she was named the Mountain Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Now, she looks to add to her legacy, and the tradition that CU has built in this event. The Buffs have won six of the last eight national titles in this event, with Jenny (Barringer) Simpson winning in 2006, 2008 and 2009, Emma Coburn winning in 2011 and 2013 and Kipp in 2012.
"I feel more proud, knowing I'm from Colorado and I'm a steepler, with all the history," Kipp said. "There's a lot of pride there."
Wetmore said the field is deeper than ever because steeplechase isn't as obscure as it used to be, but, Kipp does go in as the favorite.
"Oh, I never want to be too confident," she said. "Steeplechase is one of those events you never know who is going to go down, you never know which freshman is going to pop up and have a great day — or sophomore or junior for that matter. So, I'm confident, but not too confident."
As she brings her CU career to a close, Kipp knows this will be an emotional week for her. But, she closes this chapter knowing that coming to Boulder changed her for the better.
"At the end of cross country I cried knowing that cross country, collegiately, was over for me, and I'm sure I'm going to feel the same way once track is done," she said.
"But, I think about: if I had gone to any other school I know I would not have had the same success. Coach Wetmore and coach Burroughs are phenomenal and they saw a lot of potential in me. They picked me out right away as a steeplechaser, and I'm pretty sure they were dead on with my event."
Contact BuffZone.com Writer Brian Howell at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter: @BrianHowell33.


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When it comes to cruise ship activities, I'm missing out.
Instead of playing $1,500 Powerball Bingo, I watched my cabin steward make a frog out of a bath towel.
Instead of attending the Sunglow Make-Up seminar, I sat on a balcony and stared down at the waves.
I hate to admit it, but I have missed Latin Beats with DJ Sir Charles. I didn't sing at Superstar Karaoke. I never stayed up for the midnight Texas Hold-'em meet-up at the Jackpot Casino. I skipped Bodacious 80s Fun, Foot Print Analysis and United States Trivia.
Mainly, I've been wandering around trying to find my room and showing up for dinner.
I've been sitting in chairs on the deck.
I went ashore for part of Tuesday in Belize.
That's pretty much it.
After three days, I haven't yet gone swimming in the pool or down the giant water slide. Haven't had a Quartz Lift Facial or gone to Game Show Mania.
I'm actually not sure where the days have gone. Cozumel. Belize City. Honduras. It's a blur.
But I am sleeping quite well at night, the soft hum of the cruise ship motor a lullaby.
If cruise ships did not have all these things to do, we would certainly complain.
What would a cruise ship be if not for Snorkel With Lunch shore excursions? It has to offer Ionithermie Detox & Inch Loss seminars and the Giant Jenga Challenge or risk the wrath of longtime customers.
But maybe cruise ships should also have other classes.
The Art of Napping.
The Zen of Doing Nothing in Particular.
iPhone Detox.
Because that is the one thing that cruise ships paradoxically still offer that most other vacations do not: disconnected quiet time.
They are like a retreat, except with mai tais.
You really are pretty much out of touch with home. The Internet costs a bazillion dollars a minute. Cell phone service is spotty and expensive. You have no idea what time it is because there are few clocks. TV is in your room, but it seems like tiny little voices speaking from a dull, faraway world.
What a cruise ship offers is time to just be.
It is hard to imagine, but this huge 15-story Dream-class Carnival cruise ship does have quiet spots, even with 3,600 passengers aboard all running around in flip-flops, eating nachos and looking for 35 percent-off Tanzanite bracelets.
I found it on Deck 5 starboard at sunset. At a hidden Deck 4 lounge that I can probably never locate again. Dream has a few secret hot tubs. And my rather hidden Cove Balcony room on Deck 2 is more private than most.
Maybe being on a cruise ship with thousands actually is one of the quietest vacations you can have.
Maybe it is good for your children and marriage and mental health.
Maybe doctors should prescribe troubled patients a week on a cruise ship, with orders to do as little as possible except stare at the waves and try not to think so much.
I will ponder this entire line of thought, right after I wake up from ... zzzzz.
Ellen Creager: email@example.com


text:
Nation & World
In test of Pakistani democracy, Pervez Musharraf appears in court
Pervez Musharraf, the 69-year-old former president of Pakistan, surrendered to authorities Friday and was arraigned before a local magistrate on a range of charges that could send him to prison for years. He was the first of the country's four former military dictators to appear before a civilian court.
The arrest was celebrated by mainstream politicians, many of whom had been detained, tortured and jailed or exiled by Musharraf, who'd been a key U.S. ally in the war against terrorism before he was forced from office in 2008.
The Pakistani Senate unanimously adopted a resolution calling for Musharraf to be tried on charges of treason for overthrowing an elected government in October 1999. The court should treat the former army chief no differently from any other citizen, the Senate demanded.
"We are all equal and should all be treated equally," said Senate leader Raza Rabbani, who's a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party of Asif Ali Zardari, the country's president.
But Musharraf wasn't treated like any defendant. He awoke in his own bed in his farmhouse outside Islamabad, bathed and shaved, ate breakfast and then let the authorities know that he was ready to surrender, a day after he'd fled a court to avoid arrest after a judge refused to extend his bail.
He also wasn't sent to a local police station for 14 days, as would have been the case with most defendants. Instead, the police, pleading threats on his life, requested that Musharraf be detained at his farmhouse over the weekend, and the court agreed, giving the former dictator until Sunday to appear before an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, not far from the headquarters of the military.
There was much skepticism here that Musharraf will be tried in connection with any of the range of offenses with which he's charged, which now include violating anti-terrorism laws. Convictions on such charges often carry jail sentences calculated in multiples of seven years, chain gang-style hard labor and even death by hanging. Many suspect that the military, which has governed Pakistan for most of its 65-year existence, wouldn't permit civilian interference in its affairs, however.
The most serious charges stem from Musharraf's 1999 overthrow of the government led by Nawaz Sharif, whose Pakistan Muslim League-N party is widely forecast to win the most seats in the general election next month. Pakistan's Supreme Court has told the caretaker government overseeing the elections that it has till Monday to initiate treason proceedings against Musharraf; if it doesn't, the court will do so itself. If Musharraf is tried and convicted, he might face the death penalty.
Such criminal charges might well implicate generals who'd followed the former military ruler's orders, including Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the army chief of staff, who was the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency from 2004 to 2007.
The Supreme Court has shown no interest in deferring to the military. After Musharraf's arrest Friday, it announced that it would make public the findings of a recently concluded judicial inquiry into a deadly July 2007 commando raid on a militant-occupied seminary in Islamabad. The implication is that Musharraf might be held responsible for the deaths of dozens of noncombatants.
Since Musharraf returned to Pakistan in March after four years in exile, he's denied any responsibility for the operation, claiming that it was ordered by the then prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, a contention that many call incredible given that Aziz, a former Citibank executive, was a Musharraf protege and powerless in matters of national security.
Despite such obvious chinks in Musharraf's legal armor, analysts fear that the judiciary's pursuit of its former persecutor may spark an angry reaction from the military and threaten Pakistan's young democracy. If elections are held May 11 as scheduled and a new civilian government is seated, it would be the first time such a transition has occurred since the country became independent from Great Britain in 1947.
"The cases are a Pandora's box that, once opened, would be the start of a long story that would impact upon the entire army chain of command," said Suhail Warraich, the author of two best-selling books on modern Pakistani political history.
"My question is: With Pakistan undergoing a first-ever transition from one full-term democratic government to a general election, can this society afford such a divisive rupture?"


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I loved my original Pre, and still think the OS is one of the best on the market for any mobile device.
However, the reliability of the original hardware was shocking (seriously, search for "pre oreo twist" or "pre headset stuck"), and I eventually had to call it quits and buy a new phone as the earphone speaker worked for all sounds, except when on a call, when it would shut off.
I've moved onto a Desire Z and, unless the reliability of the Pre improves massivley with the Pre 2, I won't be going back.
That said, I would love a tablet with WebOS on it...