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Registering and Gifts
Global Lifestyles Award Center--is this a scam?
Last Friday I received a phone message from the Global Lifestyles Award Center saying I'd been picked from a national drawing to receive a bridal package and vacation. I don't recall ever entering any drawing, and when I called them back they couldn't tell me where they received my information. The woman I spoke with then apologized, saying "they were just in the Kentucky area giving out prizes and and have already left" but because I was contacted so late they would put my prizes on hold and contact me next time they were in the area. Here's where it gets really weird--I don't live in Kentucky. I did, however, arrive in Kentucky just last night (I travel for work) and called this morning--from my Montana cell phone.
This sounds like a big scam to me and I just wanted to know if anybody else out there has also been contacted by this "organization."
This sounds like a big scam to me and I just wanted to know if anybody else out there has also been contacted by this "organization."
Re: Global Lifestyles Award Center--is this a scam?
kristinanddan member
trix1223 memberI always operate under that assumption that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I wouldn't return any calls, open any websites, etc. Ignore this~I'd bet my next month's salary that it's a high pressure sales pitch for something."Trix, it's what they/our parents wanted. Why so judgemental? And why is your wedding date over a year and a half ago? And why do you not have a groom's name? And why have you posted over 12,000 posts? And why do you always say mean things to brides?" palegirl146
I received the same call yesterday. They told me they got my info from theknot.com. and when i signed up we were automaticly enterd. I am supposed to go meet with them in our town tonight. They said that there is "no purchase necessary" we just have to sit for an hour presentation but my fiance and I are skeptical. I cant find any information on if it truly a scam though I have been goggling all morning. Half of me is curious to go, cause if they start pressuring us for money we can always leave. I did however find their website...............if it helps.
marissa_claire memberIn Response to Global Lifestyles Award Center--is this a scam?:Last Friday I received a phone message from the Global Lifestyles Award Center saying I'd been picked from a national drawing to receive a bridal package and vacation. I don't recall ever entering any drawing, and when I called them back they couldn't tell me where they received my information. The woman I spoke with then apologized, saying "they were just in the Kentucky area giving out prizes and and have already left" but because I was contacted so late they would put my prizes on hold and contact me next time they were in the area. Here's where it gets really weird--I don't live in Kentucky. I did, however, arrive in Kentucky just last night (I travel for work) and called this morning--from my Montana cell phone. This sounds like a big scam to me and I just wanted to know if anybody else out there has also been contacted by this "organization." Thanks!
Posted by jennirose00I actually had this happen before I was engaged. I got a call saying I had won a trip for four to Disney World, but the kicker was that I had to pay a $400 registration fee that day on that phone call or they would "draw for another winner." I asked the guy for a web site, I asked him if I could call back after talking to my boyfriend, so on and so forth. I finally said, "Look, I don't think I won anything," and hung up.
hahaha... i got a call on Tuesday from these people saying I won a drawing also.. i didnt listen to my voicemail until today, and when I called back they couldn't find the person that called me. so they asked me if I knew the extension, etc.. I said, "she didnt leave me an extension."... all i heard was dead silence.. and she put me on hold.. then she started asking me for my phone number, etc. I told her, "you guys called me, you should have that information." again, dead silence, and she says, please hold while i get your file. I decided to hang up at this point.. didnt want to get caught up in the bologna.
anyhow, i'd be weary of picking up a call from some number you're not sure of and err on the side of caution!
hope you don't get anymore calls... i just got two from them while writing this email.
be safe fellow brides!!!
I just got this phone call! I missed the call the first time and the woman left a speedy message with an extension, but of course I accidentally erased it before I could write it down. I figured it was probably a scam, but I called the number back from my caller ID and got a person who was able to pull up my information by asking my name and my state. I asked her how she got my information and she said it was probably from TheKnot. They are only in my area tomorrow and Tuesday, and my fiancee and I are not there right now (we are away in school). I could be home by then but my fiancee works, and she said we both have to be there. I'm really skeptical but she said it wasn't a time share and there's no pressure to buy, they just want our feedback on their products. I don't know what to do, because odds are it's a scam, but it'd be really nice if it's not! It sounds like too many people have had this happen to them for it to be real, though...
shortee426 memberI got this call a while ago as well. It is one of those things where you go to their office, listen to them try to sell you their products for an hour and then you get your "prizes." You automatically get something small and then usually spin a wheel or pick a ticket or something to see what else you get.No, I did not go. I just did a lot of research when I first heard from them.
lacielovesjonathan member
I just got the call, took down the info, and said I would call back. One of the things that got the "scam sensors" going for me is that she repeated the exact same lines about advertising twice and the wedding bands came from two different jewelry stores (at the beginning she said S&J Jewelry, at the end she said JBL Jewelry). After that, I googled Global Lifestyles, and this was the first thing that came up. I just googled JBL Jewely, which she said would give tungsten wedding bands, but they make steel jewelry. I will not be calling back to sign up to attend.
Thank God for the internet! I just got the call today and like a bride who is trying to win free photography and other elements to my wedding by entering drawings (through sites that I know and trust) almost went through the roof when I thought that I actually won something. I was puzzled at first because I never put my name into a vacation drawing. I am so glad for the detailed info thatposted. I am just going to delete the scam!
I just got the call and was skeptical immediately, but I did sit through the phone call and scheduled an appoitment (which I will of course NOT be attending). I have only been to David's Bridal (no expos), and I'm sure the small bridal boutiques I've been to would not sell info, so the guilty party must be David's Bridal. I know David's Bridal isn't the nicest store, but I still would've never expected them to sell information like this.
cindyNmark2010 memberI got a call today from Arlene also. She said she got my info from a card I filled out at the great bridal expo in NY that I went to a few weeks ago. Guess who their sponsor was? She offered us wedding bands, the hotel stay to over 20 places oncluding hawaii and the online coupons in addition to a percentage off their products if we go to their showing this weekend. Has to be a scam.
I got a call from Jessie about 30 min ago. Took down all the information, and made the appointment for tonight (they are only in my area today and tomorrow evenings). I got the whole "only 5% of brides get a call" thing. So I call my mom, all excited, and she suggested I Google them. After reading all the posts here and their rating on Google, I'm thinking that it's gotta be a scam. My fiance and I will not be attending.
I got the call today. She told me she received my information from David's Bridal (which I am not thrilled about), and gave me the same "song and dance" about all of the prizes and the seminar that we would have to attend. Something in my gut is telling me this isn't right, but mainly because I have never "won" anything in my life. (LOL) I have read all of these posts and the one thing I notice that's consistent is that all of you have said you were told that the seminar was either the same day of the phone call or the very next day. Odd. I hate to be scammed like that, especially when it comes to mine and my fiance's special day. As curious as we are, we have decided not to attend the seminar. I always Google before I do anything anymore! (LOL)
So I too got the same call. My boyfriend suggested that we look online and the first thing to pop up when we googled them was that it was a scam. One of the first links was this forum and after reading everyone's posts I told him that I didn't care whether we went or not. It seemed there were only a few brave soles who went out and tried it and not that many reports on how it went. He thought we should at least go and check it out - we didn't have anything else to do that night so an hour and a half out of the house was fine - it would at least be a funny adventure to talk about in the future we decided. So we went and it basically ends up being an extremely good salesman selling cookware - think PamperChef but at a hotel. The whole thing ended up taking almost two hours but the salesman was very funny and kept us all engaged in his presentaton. Thankfully my boyfriend is very financially responsible and not much of a push-over so although the products were neat we did not end up walking out of the hotel with new cookware lol . . . but as you are all wondering, what about the prizes? Well the first gift was a choice between 2 tungsten wedding bands up to $700 value or a 3 day, 2 night stay at a Marriot hotel at about 20 different locations in the U.S. Since I am wanting a wedding band that matches my engagement ring, we opted for the hotel stay. It is good for up to two years at the specified locations and the only thing you have to pay is a $100 refundable deposit that you get back when you checkout. Apparently this is the hotel's way of getting you in and hoping you extend your trip (i.e. honeymoon) and if you do, this cookware company has a deal that they have to give you the lowest price on any additional nights you decide to stay (in the off season, you get the employ discount which is usually 50% off). The second prize was a year long membership to Passport to Savings. I am a major coupon clipper so I was very excited about this one - all you do is fill out a voucher and mail it in with $4.95 for shipping and handling and they'll mail you back a card. You can then go online and print coupons for groceries, restuarants, airplane tickets, etc. Suppose to be a huge money maker and apparently 75% of people end up renewing after the year is up (it is not an automatic renewal by the way), The third gift was 20-40% off of the cookware if you buy it that night along with a free cruise - all you have to do is pay port taxes (usually $120 per person). We haven't tried to use any of the prizes yet but I thought I'd at least give everyone ut there an idea of what they can expect. As we use them, I'll try to get back on and update to let you guys know how worth it it is. And by the way, logging on to websites like this one (theknot.com) along with David Bridal and others is one way of how they get your information.
I received this same phone call this afternoon. I will NOT be attending the cookware show after reading all of these posts. I am pretty pissed off that theknot.com would sell my information!! I was at a Bridal Show just a couple weeks ago and theknot.com was a sponsor (I am pretty sure).
My fiance and I just went last night! Totally legit. (David's Bridal gives them your info OR a bridal show...so if they have ur name its because you went to one or the other.) Couldn't believe it. It's a direct marketing company so their free gifts are apparently a way of advertising. So all you have to do is go listen to someone trying to sell you something for 90 minutes and you get your gift!! We choose the hotel gift. (Leave your credit cards at home! We took ours and TOTALLY bought the pot and pan set BUT it was only because if you bought it that day you got a free cruise!)...So Ladies....I got a free 5//4night cruise out of Miami, a hotel vacation package we're going to combine with out cruise (Apparently the gifts are good for two years)...and our honeymoon is paid for for the price of pots. Check it out! If ANYTHING you'll walk away with your free two night hotel stay at a place of your choosing. If you have questions email me at email@example.com. )
Thanks Ktodonell for the explanation of this so called company. My fiance and I are due to arrive at a session at noon today, but we will same ourself the time. I was called earlier this week and was left a message. I called back yesterday and had the same response as many that the woman who called me was not there. I was then put on hold so that Joanna could get my information. The result of that was a dial tone. I thought maybe the hang up was my fault so I called back. The same woman, Joanna then said she had to look up my information. She asked me what city and state I was in. I asked her how she got my information. She proceeded to rattle off a list of possibilities. I was a little skeptical, but still wasn't sure because I have entered my information in to some bridal drawings. She said that me and my fiance had won the 3day 2night stay at a five star hotel, the restaurant discounted card as well as a discount card for their products. She said there is no pressure to buy anything and everything is free as long as we sat through their hour session.I noticed their website to be very strange as well. There are no products on it. No area like Joanna told us that would show us the locations of where we can travel from the package given or stipulations on this package either. Please ladies, don't get sucked into this! All they're trying to do is take advantages of us.
I got a call today, from the Bridal show in Atlanta. But I'm also registered with TheKnot.com and David's Bridal. Either way, not sure how they got my number. The lady was really nice that I spoke with, but basically told me that yes, they will get you to try to buy some cookware and there are blackout days for the hotel. The rings, I'm not sure of, but other than that she was upfront with me about it. I ended up not setting up an appoitment.
Also, she confirmed the hotel people were the Ortenza Marketing group.
stephieswedding memberokay, so I went to the meeting, and it was exactly as everyone has been saying.... 90 minutes... selling cookware... get the gifts.... etc. etc. same exact everything except my company was called culinary bride, but literally EVERYTHING was exactly the same as posted above. I'm not sure if I will do the trip thing or not, what I am more interested in is the passport to value couponing thing, has anyone done it? is worth doing. I guess I am going to try it, it is only 4.95 shipping and handling, so I guess the worst that can happen is I'm out 5 bucks, but has anyone tried the passport to value?? curious if it is good or not? worth it?
I went. Its just like a time-share presentation.The pots and pans are really neat to check out. The features which they have are really neat but they are way over priced so I didnt but anything. Going to the presentaion was worth it for me but you should be told that neithe "Free gift" is actually free. I chose the rings and for each ring there is a $25 processing, handling and shipping fee so thats $50 in total for both rings. For me I chose to get my husband two rings instead of getting one for me. My husband is in the military so now he has one ring which he can wear to work and in the field and one ring which he can wear for special occasions. Its up to you if its woth it to go.
I got a call last night and listened to the voice mail. I told my fiance and i said i would call back to see what they wanted. They also called from a restriceted number that i never answer. I talked to a Catherine and she said I won a bridal giveaway and I was one of the 5% chosen. She said I could choose from 2 wedding bands (which wasnt even gold) it was a titanuim metal and another that i cant remember. Or we could choose a 3 day 2 night vacation to like the bahamas, mexico, and so on. Another gift she said we would get would be 1,000 worth of grocery coupons. The last gift was 20%-40% off their website. She continued to tell me that we had to meet at the hotel that is 30 min from my house and we would listen to a hr and half presentation with a small dinner sample with their cookware. She gave me this claim number and told me to bring a vailid id with me. We picked an apt for this friday night at 8:30pm. and gave me the website of their company. Now I went to whois.sc and looked up their registrant and information and googled around for this guy called Vince Dima. Yeah he doesnt sound legit either and I have read nothing but bad about him. Glad I looked into this and read what everyone else had wrote. I DEFINATLY WILL NOT being going to this sham presentaion! I am also pissed to whoever had sold my infomation to some lousy company that is fake. Welcome to the world of ignorance I guess. Ladies, save yourself the time and trouble and dont answer these people or give them ANY personal infomation ie: bank account, address, and so on. Stay Safe
This discussion has been closed.


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If I told you I was an ornithologist, you could conclude that, like John James Audubon, I study birds. If I say I'm an economist then you would presume that, like Alan Greenspan, I study markets. But if I claim to be a moralist you would not presume that I study morality, but think that, like Gladys Kravitz, I'm simply an intolerant, prudish, busybody.
Such is the degraded state of language (and morality) that "moralist" has become a synonym for judgementalism rather than being defined as a "teacher or student of morals and moral problems." Moralist has joined terms like liberal, fundamentalist, and Puritan in the lepers' colony of language. While some people choose to live with these labels, most others avoid them in order to prevent being infected by their malignant connotations.
Before we discard the term, though, we should question why we would abandon such a useful word when there are so few suitable alternatives. Admittedly, moral philosophers also study morals and moral problems. But unless one has a PhD and an office in the Ivory Tower, calling oneself a philosopher is considered pretentious. The same holds true for almost every other subject worthy of study. To say a person is a theologian, bioethicist, or economist implies they are "professionals" with the necessary degrees and vocational credentials. Unless we consider morality a subject unsuitable for "amateurs", why would we want to toss aside such a useful term as moralist?
The obvious answer is that the term has become weighted down with too much baggage. Before we can reclaim the term it is necessary to cut loose some of the predominant misconceptions about the label:
Moralism is un-Christian — A few years ago my friend David Wayne wrote a thoughtful critique of moralism, specifically when it takes the form of "phariseeism." For the most part, I agree with his post, but I take issue when he says, "Those of us who use the term 'moralist' pejoratively contrast the moralistic approach to life and ministry with a gospel centered approach."
While Pharisaism is indeed a form of moralism, not all moralism is Pharisaical. After all, Jesus was as much of a moralist as his Pharisee critics. The difference is that he had a God-centered view of morality that was rooted in grace, while they had a man-centered view of moral behavior that was founded in legalism.
Moralism is the same as legalism — Some people, however, might criticize the answer to the last objection because they assume that moralism is the same as legalism. There are a number of problems with this view. Utilitarians and virtue ethicists, for example, would disagree with the idea that all morals are always law-based (deontological). But even deontologists and divine-command theorists can agree that there is a difference between being good (adhering to a moral law) and merely acting good (which is all that is required by legalism).
Moralists aren't perfect, so who are they to judge? — Imagine that a mathematician makes a mistake while balancing her checkbook. Would we be justified in dismissing her claims about addition and subtraction because she sometimes makes mistakes in their application? Such an idea is naturally absurd, but it is just as peculiar to assume that only a morally perfect being (there is only One) can teach, study, or make claims about morals.
Moralism is ineffective — If I praise a child's generosity, are they more or less likely to share with others in the future? Generally speaking, I would say that reinforcing good behavior increases the likelihood that they will continue to be generous. Obviously, those who believe in the strawman version of moralism will not believe this is an adequate example. But does it not identify a moral position and advocate that a person engage in a specific behavior? It therefore fits the general pattern of moralism, which can be either effective or ineffective depending on the context and moral problem.
What then is the role of the moralist, specifically the Christian moralist?
For a Christian, to "love the sinner, but hate the sin" is akin to how a doctor can "love the patient, but hate the disease." The role of the moralist is, I believe, similar to that of medical doctors: the elimination of sickness.
The late media critic and educator Neil Postman used this same medical analogy in describing the proper role of teachers. In his essay ?The Educationist as Painkiller", Postman proposes that educators don't try to make students intelligent–because we don't know how to do that–but instead try to cure stupidity in "some of the more obvious forms, such as either-or thinking; overgeneralization; inability to distinguish between facts and inferences; and reification, a disturbingly prevalent tendency to confuse words with things."
The physician knows about sickness and can offer specific advice about how to avoid it. Don't smoke, don't consume too much salt or saturated fat, take two aspirin, take penicillin every four hours and so forth. I am proposing that the study of education and practice of education adopt this paradigm precisely. The educationist should become an expert in stupidity and be able to prescribe specific procedures for avoiding it.
"Stupidity is a form of behavior," adds Postman, "It is not something we have; it is something we do." The presence of stupidity can therefore be reduced by changing behavior. In a similar manner, I believe the student of moral problems can, like Postman's paradigmatic teacher, play a role in curing moral sickness and decay by helping people to avoid moral stupidity.
Although I consider myself an avid student of moral problems, I am woefully inadequate as a teacher. Fortunately, my mentoring role as a moralist is greatly simplified by the reality of the natural law. Since the moral law is already "written on the heart", all that is often needed is to remind people what their conscience already tells them. For as Samuel Johnson said, "People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed."

subset: commoncrawl


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text: Thoratec is the world leader in mechanical circulatory support with the broadest product portfolio to treat the full range of clinical needs for patients suffering from advanced heart failure. The company's products include the HeartMate LVAS and Thoratec VAD, with more than 20,000 devices implanted in patients suffering from heart failure. Thoratec also manufactures and markets the CentriMag and PediMag / PediVAS product lines. Thoratec is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. For more information, visit www.thoratec.com.Thoratec, the Thoratec logo, HeartMate and HeartMate II are registered trademarks of Thoratec Corporation and IVAD is a trademark of Thoratec Corporation. CentriMag and PediMag are registered trademarks of Thoratec LLC, and PediVAS is a registered trademark of Thoratec Switzerland GmbH. Many of the preceding paragraphs, particularly but not exclusively those addressing guidance for fiscal 2012 financial results or future performance contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Sections 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements can be identified by the words, "believes," "views," "expects," "plans," "projects," "hopes," "could," "will," and other similar words. Actual results, events or performance could differ materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of factors, many of which are beyond Thoratec's control. Therefore, readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these statements. Investors are cautioned that all such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including risks related to regulatory approvals, the development of new products, including development and clinical trial timing, and new markets including Destination Therapy, the growth of existing markets for our products, customer and physician acceptance of Thoratec products, changes in the mix of existing markets for our products and related gross margin for such product sales, the ability to improve financial performance, the effects of FDA regulatory requirements, our ability to address issues raised by FDA inspections adequately and on a timely basis without a resulting recall of products or interruption of manufacturing or shipment of products, the effects of healthcare reimbursement and coverage policies, the effects of seasonality on Thoratec product sales, the effects of competition and the effects of any merger, acquisition and divestiture related activities. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release should be considered in light these factors and those factors discussed from time to time in Thoratec's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as those discussed under the heading, "Risk Factors," in Thoratec's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other SEC filings. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Thoratec undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. SOURCE Thoratec Corporation


text:
Steven Musil wrote:
A security flaw in Apple's iOS 6 that could theoretically allow malware to be uploaded to iOS devices via a malicious power adapter will be patched in the next version of Apple's mobile operating system, Apple said Wednesday.
The hack, dubbed Mactrans by the three researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology who discovered the flaw, was demonstrated Wednesday at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. The trio announced in June that they had developed a proof-of-concept that showed how a malicious iPhone charger lets them hack into the mobile device running the latest version of Apple's iOS in less than one minute -- no jailbreaking required.
Read here.


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Willow Smith: 2012 BET Awards Adorable
Ready for an action-packed night of entertainment, Willow Smith was in attendance at the 2012 BET Awards in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday (July 1).
Joined by her actor bro Jaden, the "Fireball" singer brought her adorableness to the arrivals area at the Shrine Auditorium while readying for the annual showcase to get underway.
As for the ceremony, the 2012 BET Awards are being hosted by actor Samuel L. Jackson while featuring performances by Usher, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, 2 Chainz and Nicki Minaj.
With Kanye West being the top nominee with seven bids for hardware, the show also includes special tributes to the late, great Whitney Houston, as well as Rev. Al Sharpton as the Humanitarian Award Honoree and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly as the Life Achievement Award winner.
The 2012 BET Awards air live beginning at 8/7c.
Enjoy the pictures of Willow and Jaden Smith at the 2012 BET Awards (July 1).
Photo Credit: Getty Images


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Second Edition Worth a Second Look
Pros: excelent photography, useful wide ranging recipes
Cons: print face is small and can be diffitult to read
Some of you have been following my struggle to find my cooking comfort zone with my newly found gluten free lifestyle. Going gluten free isn't as easy as one might think and many of the commercially prepared gluten free items are lacking in flavor, and tend to be dry, crumbly and well they are a poor alternative to the "real" breads and items made with regular flour. My search for decent useable gluten free cookbooks has resulted in just a very small handful of books that are "ok". Those books can produce several decent recipes that either on their own or with some tweaks can produce items that are not awful to eat, but are rarely good enough to serve to...(read more)


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Happy New Year23 December 2012
I wish everyone some wonderful and joyous days. I hope watching this special christmas compilation makes you as happy as it does me. These people are my inspiration and my guardian angels along the way. Thanks for twalking with me, also next year!« Back to homepage
Comments (3)
Posted by Antonio - maandag 24 december 2012, 17:37What a special gift Venancio. Thank you too for being such an inspiration. Merry Christmas from Spain. I´ll drink some orujo to your health.
Posted by Volker - donderdag 27 december 2012, 22:34What a wonderful story and lovely picture!
Posted by izmir temizlik - vrijdag 11 december 2015, 19:26Now,few days left for new year and I am still working in izmir temizlik firması
Twalk With Me - Walking and Talking 6000 miles with just an iPhone and a guitar
iPhone Map
2e Binnenvestgracht 15, 2312 BZ Leiden52.1639474.48465/graphics/map.icon.png1Studio de Veste
2e Binnenvestgracht 15
2312 BZ Leiden
The road so far
2e Binnenvestgracht 15
2312 BZ Leiden
The road so far


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**This giveaway is closed. Out of 11,253 entries, our winners are Brian S., Cheryl S., and Rozy N. Congratulations!**
When you sleep with dogs…you get up with less room in the bed than you started out with!
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The in-laws agreed to keep the girls while Mr. Chili and I go to dinner and a movie!! For the first time in about a week, I feel really, really good!!
Edited to include: We had dinner at TGIFriday's (we had yummy chicken sandwiches and talked movies with a bunch of the waitstaff – it was REALLY slow and they were bored), then we went to see Angels and Demons. It was A LOT of fun; I highly recommend it, even if you' haven't read the book (or, like me, you read the book so long ago you've forgotten most of the plot).


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Dec. 6, 2012
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh women's basketball team will host its annual Hometown vs. Hunger game on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. when the Panthers take on Rider. Pitt will partner again this year with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and UPMC Health Plan in an effort to defeat hunger in Western Pennsylvania. CBS Radio Pittsburgh is also a sponsor in this special event.
Fans can bring a bag of nonperishable food items to the Petersen Events Center and can gain admission to the game for just a $1. Season ticket holders will receive a Panthers Team Store coupon or $1 ticket for a guest. Collection will take place in the Main Lobby and Concourse B.
"This is an amazing and wonderful opportunity to give back to others something we sometimes take for granted – food on our tables," said Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato. "Last season, the drive nearly tripled from the previous year and we hope to have even better results this year."
The game also is billed as Youth Day for area programs and Camper's Day for the hundreds of youngsters who attended the Agnus Berenato camps this past summer. (More About Camper's Day).
CBS Pittsburgh conducted a Pack the Pete food drive in mid-November to raise food for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Members of the women's team helped deliver the donation - over 5,000 pounds collected - on the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving.
You can join the "Hometown vs. Hunger" virtual food drive and donate online at www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/HVH
About UPMC Health Plan: UPMC Health Plan, the second-largest health insurer in western Pennsylvania, is owned by UPMC, one of the nation's top-ranked health systems. The integrated partner companies of the UPMC Insurance Services Division – which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC WorkPartners, LifeSolutions (EAP), UPMC for You (Medical Assistance), and Community Care Behavioral Health – offer a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs Plan (SNP), Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to nearly 1.6 million members. UPMC Health Plan's local provider network includes UPMC as well as community providers, totaling more than 125 hospitals and more than 11,500 physicians throughout Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com.
About Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank: The largest anti-hunger organization in southwestern Pennsylvania, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank collects and distributes more than 27 million pounds of food and grocery products per year to 400+ member agencies and affiliated food banks in the region that in turn serve 120,000 people at risk of hunger each month. Since August of 2008 when the Recession hit, 3,000 new households have been turning to the Food Bank for help each month.
Additional efforts develop awareness and mobilize the public to work together to end hunger. Member of Feeding America, the nation's food bank network. www.pittsburghfoodbank.org
Pitt to Host Wisconsin in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Panthers Alumnae Go Head-to-Head in WNBA Action
Pitt Student-Athletes Share Experiences from Haiti Trip
Panthers Add NJCAA All-American Danielle Garven
McConnell-Serio Signs International Talent in Nelson


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This Pet Hammock Seat Cover provides your furry friend the ideal seat to ride along with you while also lets you fully focus on the road. It helps protecting your car's interior from unwanted muddy paws, spills and dirt. It's easy to install, you can attach the adjustable strap to the headrest on your front seat, or cross it to both the front and rear headrests to work as a hammock. It's designed to be collapsible for easy storage when not in use. You can also store extra little things of your pets in the zippered front pocket. It's stain resistant, waterproof, yet can be wiped clean or laundered in the washing machine.
|Overall Height (Top to Bottom)
|26 cm
|Overall Width (Side to Side)
|40 cm
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|33 cm
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LAWRENCEBURG – Franklin County's loss will be Shelby County's gain.
Starting in July, Anderson County's inmates will be jailed in Shelby County, pending approval of the Anderson County Fiscal Court and a contract with the Shelby County Detention Center.
Anderson County Judge-Executive John Wayne Conway confirmed the switch, which comes on the heels of comments earlier this year about the treatment Anderson's jailer and police agencies have received from Franklin County Jailer Billy Roberts.
A Shelbyville man is behind bars charged with viciously beating a woman during a break-in.
Darrell A. Walker, 48, of 83 Apple Tree Way in Shelbyville, is charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree assault in connection with an incident that happened early Sunday morning.
Shelbyville Police say that about 6 o'clock Walker forced his way into an apartment on Berea Street and awakened the resident, Shanacey Dixon, and her companion, Quincey Griffon of Lexington.
State police officers, acting on a tip, raided a home in Shelbyville recently where they seized drugs, money and weapons, but some dead birds they found may wind up causing even more problems for the resident.
Gregory Wood, 43, of 523 Creekside Drive in Shelbyville was arrested May 11 by Kentucky State Police, who charged him with trafficking in marijuana.
And when troopers found six dead quail at his residence, they called in agents from Fish and Wildlife, who charged him with killing the birds out of season, which can have even more serious implications.
When this car ran over the retaining wall at Middleton Station Friday afternoon, it drew a big reaction from citizens, who stopped to snap pictures of the odd spectacle. Shelbyville Police Officer Suzanna Marcum said the driver accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake, sending the car plunging over the wall.
A Shelbyville man is in jail, charged with raping and sodomizing two children for whom he and his wife were caring.
Henry Telles, 25, was arrested May 12 at a residence on Spruce Drive where he temporarily was staying and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse against the girls, who were 9 and 13 years old at the time.
Shelbyville Police Officer Stacy Bruce said most of the alleged crimes were perpetuated upon the younger child, including an actual rape on April 24.
Henry Telles, 25, of 76 Spruce Drive in Shelbyville was arrested May 12 on Spruce Drive and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree forgery.
Palencia Sarbelio Morales, 41, of 1038 Henry Clay St. in Shelbyville was arrested May 11 at that address and charged with third-degree forgery.
Shelby Circuit Judge Charles Hickman swears in Austin Hays as assistant Shelby County commonwealth attorney, as his father, Hite Hays, and Shelby County Commonwealth Attorney Laura Donnell look on. The ceremony took place Monday in the Shelby County Circuit courtroom. Hays will be taking care of cases in Shelby County.
LAWRENCEBURG – Gary Bancroft is almost certain to spend at least the next several decades in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday morning in Anderson Circuit Court to murdering his girlfriend.
District court
The following cases were heard by Judge Linda Armstrong:
Monique N. Trammel, excessive windshield/window tinting, license to be in possession and second-offense failure of non-owner operator to maintain required insurance – guilty – insurance monitoring for 12 months and $1,183 fine and costs, $900 conditionally discharged.
Copyright © 2017
The Sentinel-News is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Shelby County and Shelbyville, KY, and the surrounding area.


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A few days ago I showed y'all my new command center and asked for guesses as to what color I painted the small console table that sits below it. Well, 98% of you (let's not check that math, mmmkay?) thought I chose green. Two of you said orange, and one lonely intuitive soul guessed correctly (Yay Molly!). What color is it now? … [Read more...]
Archives for January 10, 2013
The Mystery Table
January 10, 2013 By 72 Comments


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Mohali: England coach Duncan Fletcher on Saturday predicted that leg spinner Anil Kumble would be the most successful bowler in the coming three-Test series between India and England starting in Mohali on Monday."Kumble could be the most successful bowler in this series under home conditions," Fletcher predicted here during his team's practice session. "The wicket is hard and bouncy. It will be an interesting encounter," the English coach told reporters.Commenting on the strong India batting line-up, Fletcher said Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are the two danger men. "Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is respected by everyone and Rahul Dravid is also a very good batsman," he said adding the depth in batting could come handy for India.On the new look Indian pace battery, Fletcher said it was a good opportunity for the new faces in the squad to prove themselves in front of home crowds and in familiar conditions.Fletcher also expressed confidence that the English youngsters, who has the potential, would also do well and said they had worked out a game plan to tackle the Indians.Admitting that there were shortcomings in the English batting line-up, he, however, said the youngsters had performed well in county matches and were capable of surprising their opponents.Fletcher said the team would certainly miss the services of pace bowlers Darren Gough and Andy Caddick. PTI
Denness relieved at end of imbroglio
Sehwag to stay with team, rules Dalmiya
Injured Giles is doubtful starter: Fletcher
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Location: Agroecosystems Management ResearchTitle: Organic farming: Impacts on soil, food, and human health Author
|Carr, Patrick
|Delate, Kathleen
|Zhao, Xin
|Cambardella, Cynthia - Cindy
|Carr, Pattie
|Heckman, Joseph
Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2011
Publication Date: 12/12/2012
Citation: Carr, P.M., Delate, K., Zhao, X., Cambardella, C.A., Carr, P.L., Heckman, J.R. 2012. Organic farming: Impacts on soil, food, and human health. In: Brevik, E.C., Burgess, L., editors. Soils and Human Health. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis. p. 241-254. Interpretive Summary:
Technical Abstract: The importance of responsible stewardship in managing soil is a central tenet of organic farming. Organic farmers believe that practices which stimulate biology and overall quality of soil enhance production of healthy and nutritious crops. Few involved in agriculture would argue this point. Nevertheless, disagreement exists among agriculturists about the relative importance that should be placed on organic farming for meeting global food needs in the 21st century. Organic farming proponents insist that careful management of on-farm ecological processes creates soil capable of supplying adequate amounts of nutritious food for a growing world population, with reduced need for off-farm inputs. Critics contend that organic farming can degrade soils and will contribute to the underproduction of food crops that are no more nutritious than foods grown using synthetic agrichemicals (i.e., conventional farming), if adopted on a large scale. This chapter was not written to settle the debate, but to provide a historical context for the belief that organic methods promote soil health, compare organic and conventional farming systems for impacts on soil quality and crop production, and summarize comparisons in food quality between the two farming systems. While detailed discussion of these three topics cannot occur in a single chapter, enough information is provided to give readers with limited knowledge of organic farming a better understanding of why consideration of this farming method is appropriate in a discussion about soil and its relation to human health. Although organic farming is practiced globally, space limitations restrict most of the focus in this chapter to organic farming within the USA.


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City To Continue Looking At Water Rates for County Residents
Toccoa City Commissioners are expected to continue to discuss a potential increase in water rates for customers who live outside the city limits in Stephens County next calendar year.
The topic came up again at a work session earlier this month.
During the city's budget talks back in the spring, the point was raised that under a past city-county SPLOST agreement, the city was allowed to charge up to 1.25 times the city water rate to a county resident, but no higher than that 1.25 figure.
At that time, the city commission had requested information from staff as to what that would mean in dollar terms.
In October, city officials reported that if the city increased the county rate to the maximum 1.25 times the city rate across the board for residential, commercial, and industrial customers, it would result in an increase of about $457,000 in revenue to the city per year.
Toccoa City Manager Mike Jackson said at a December 17 work session that he feels implementing the increase is a good idea.
Multiple commissioners, including Vice-Mayor Andy Pavliscsak, said they are okay with implementing the differential.
"While the citizens of the county voted in the SPLOST to pay for the county-wide water system, that provision (the 1.25) was put in there because of those extra charges and costs to us," said Pavliscsak. "Personally, I do not think it should be used as an arm-twisting event for people to consider coming in the city. I just think it should be looked at from a financial standpoint with regards to the cost for the delivery of the service."
City Commissioner Gail Fry said she was concerned about the impact of the increase on an individual's water bill, noting the economy.
According to information provided by the city, a county residential water customer's average water bill would increase by $4.28 per month based on an average monthly consumption of a residential customer of 4,263 gallons.
In response to Fry, Pavliscsak suggested the possibility of increasing the base allocation for a customer from 2,000 to 3,000 gallons.
Meanwhile, City Commissioner Ron Seib said that he is not opposed to the differential, but adds that he does not want to rush into it.
"I am not opposed to the differential, but I would be opposed to all of a sudden waking up tomorrow with a 25 percent premium charge," said Seib. "I think it ought to be a little bit more thought out and we need to communicate with the county because we are in this together and I would want to make sure we sat down with them and explained to them our rationale and have some rationale, and then just implement it."
City Commissioners requested staff to provide more information on different scenarios, such as the impact of raising the base allocation to 3,000 gallons on the financial bottom line, in order to discuss them further before making a decision.


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Definition of finger
1 : any of the five terminating members of the hand : a digit of the forelimb; especially : one other than the thumb
2a : something that resembles a finger a narrow finger of landb : a part of a glove into which a finger is insertedc : a projecting piece (such as a pawl for a ratchet) brought into contact with an object to affect its motion
3 : the breadth of a finger
4 : interest, share —often used in the phrase have a finger in the pie
5 : bird 10 —usually used with the
fingerlikeplay \ˈfiŋ-gər-ˌlīk\ adjective
Examples of finger in a Sentence
Don't stick your fingers in the cookie batter!
He slipped the ring onto her finger.
The baby held onto my thumb with her tiny fingers.
She ran her fingers through his hair.
He drummed his fingers on the table impatiently.
a finger of land extending into the sea
She was so mad, she gave him the finger.
Some angry driver flipped me the finger on the highway this morning.
Origin and Etymology of finger
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German fingar finger
First Known Use: before 12th centurySee Words from the same year
Other Anatomy Terms
Definition of finger
fingeringplay \ˈfiŋ-g(ə-)riŋ\
transitive verb
1 : to touch or feel with the fingers
2a : to play (a musical instrument) with the fingersb : to play (notes, chords, etc.) with a specific fingeringc : to mark the notes of (a music score) as a guide in playing
3 : to point out : identify
4 : to extend into or penetrate in the shape of a finger
intransitive verb
1 : to touch or handle something
2a : to use the fingers in playing a musical instrumentb : to have a certain fingering —used of a musical instrument
3 : to extend in the shape or manner of a finger
Examples of finger in a Sentence
He was fingered as a suspect.
thus far authorities haven't been able to finger the person who's been lighting fires around town
First Known Use of finger
circa 1521
FINGER Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of finger for English Language Learners
: one of the five long parts of the hand that are used for holding things; especially : one of the four that are not the thumb
: something that is long and thin and looks like a finger
: the part of a glove into which a finger is placed
Definition of finger for English Language Learners
: to touch (something) with your fingers
: to identify (someone) as the person who has committed a crime
FINGER Defined for Kids
Definition of finger for Students
1 : one of the five divisions of the end of the hand including the thumb
2 : something that resembles a finger a finger of land
3 : the part of a glove into which a finger goes
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of finger
: any of the five terminating members of the hand : a digit of the forelimb; especially : one other than the thumb
Law Dictionary
Legal Definition of finger
: to accuse or identify as guilty was fingered simply because he fit the stereotype of a young, black street criminal — Jack Ewing
Learn More about finger
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for finger Spanish Central: Translation of finger Nglish: Translation of finger for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of finger for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about finger
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up finger? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


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CHAVEZ MURDERED; The Assassination Of Hugo Chavez By Obama Bush
Newsnight also has new allegations by 'Chavistas' that US funding is behind three plans to assassinate President Chavez. – Greg Palast
After hearing all the ridiculous lies and defamation of Hugo Chavez by the mainstream media, and then having to hear the same thing repeated by the so called "Christian", so called "Patriot", so called "Alternative Media" (ie, the Tangy Tangerine Jonestown repeaters) I just have to point out a few facts.
- Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans are lining up to mourn the premature death of their democratically elected leader Chavez.
- Chavez will go down in history as the greatest modern leader of Venezuela, and one of the greatest leaders in Latin America.
- Chavez nationalized Venezuela's oil and brought that oil wealth to the people of Venezuela (the fastest way to get put on a hit list).
- Chavez brought a great majority of Venezuelans out of severe poverty.
- Chavez brought education to Venezuelans.
- Chavez brought healthcare to Venezuelans.
- Chavez won all his elections fairly and democratically… this was NOT a dictator.
- No one will mourn Bush Jr.'s death, nor his father's death, except for their immediate family, the Fascists that surround them, and the fake mainstream media.
- Bush Jr. will be remembered as one of the worst Presidents in US history.
- Bush Jr. was involved in the 911 attack plot to create a war, and is responsible for the deaths of nearly 3000 people.
- Bush Jr. lied a number of times, and was assisted by the media, to create a war with Iraq.
- Bush Jr. is responsible for authorizing torture and should be charged with war crimes.
- Bush Jr. left office with the US mired in two unnecessary wars, and he left the US economy completely destroyed and broken.
- Bush Jr. cheated and stole BOTH elections he supposedly won… this is "Democracy"????
So let's move on… now we have Obama in office, who acts like he needs to prove he's even more of a dictator than his cousin Bush Jr.. Obama has just chosen for his new Secretary Of State another cousin (yes, it's like a plague on America), Bush Jr.'s cousin and Nazi Skull & Bones brethren, New World Order dreaming lunatic war monger who goes by the name of John Kerry (real name Kohn).
The following videos should be enough to convince you that Chavez was on a US kill list since at least 1999 (ie, Colombia Paramilitary hit = US authorized hit), and then of course there was the failed CIA coup attempt by Bush Jr. in 2002… yes, the plan was to remove Chavez, fly him out into the ocean, and drop him to his death from a helicopter… Bush style.
The truth will come out eventually, but a likely scenario is that Chavez's cancer was caused by repeated polonium poisoning, just like Alexander Litvinenko and Yasser Arafat.
2009.9.26 Hitman Says $25 Million Offered 'For Killing Chavez' (AlJazeeraEnglish, youtube.com):
Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive footage of a Colombian contract killer detailing an alleged $25m plot to kill Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president.
He says the money was offered by Manuel Rosales, one of Chavez's main political rivals, during a secret meeting in 1999.
A Colombian paramilitary group took up the offer, according to the hitman.
Chavez has long said there is a plot by Colombia to kill him, and the relation between the two countries is tense.
Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo reports.
The following video is an excellent overview of Bush Jr.'s failed coup, and failed murder, of Hugo Chavez on 2002.4.11.
2013.1.11 The Assassination Of Hugo Chavez By Greg Palast (Properly Titled 'The Coup Against Hugo Chavez', Aired 2002.5.13) (BBC, youtube.com):
Greg Palast reporting for BBC Newsnight
First Broadcast May 13th, 2002
March 5, 2013 – Newsnight also has new allegations by 'Chavistas' that US funding is behind three plans to assassinate President Chavez. Comandante Guillermo Garcia Ponce, leader of Chavez' political organisation said: "From the information we have gathered, credible information: there are three components to the [plots to] kill our president.
Colombia Secret Service Prostitution Scandal Spreads to the DEA
May 22, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Americas
A month after the Secret Service was rocked by allegations that agents brought prostitutes to a Colombia hotel where they were preparing for a visit by President Obama, the Drug Enforcement Administration today announced that at least three of its agents are also under investigation for allegedly hiring prostitutes in Cartagena.
Two of the agents allegedly had encounters with masseuses in the apartment of one of the agents, according to Sen. Susan Collins, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
"It's disturbing that we may be uncovering a troubling culture that spans more than one law enforcement agency," the Maine Republican said this evening. "In addition to the Secret Service scandal, we now learn that at least two DEA agents apparently entertained female foreign national masseuses in the Cartagena apartment of one of the agents. The evidence uncovered thus far indicates that this likely was not just a one-time incident."
The revelations that Secret Service personnel had been drinking heavily and cavorting with prostitutes ahead of Obama's trip to Colombia last month overshadowed the president's trip to the Summit of the Americas. Twelve members of the military were also investgated for allegedly hiring prostitutes.
Eight of the 12 Secret Service employees implicated in the scandal lost their jobs, another is in the process of losing his security clearances, and three agents were cleared of serious misconduct but still could be disciplined. The military has completed its investigation but no disciplinary action has been carried out.
"The Drug Enforcement Administration was provided information from the Secret Service unrelated to the Cartagena hotel Secret Service incident, which DEA immediately followed up on, making DEA employees available to be interviewed by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General," a DEA spokesperson said in a statement.
"DEA takes allegations of misconduct very seriously and will take appropriate personnel action, if warranted, upon the conclusion of the OIG investigation." the statement said.
A spokesman for the OIG said the DEA is cooperating in the investigation, which is being coordinated with the Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service.
The DEA has agents posted in Colombia to work on counter-narcotic and drug interdiction missions with Colombian authorities. According to officials the agents were among those assigned in Colombia, they were not specifically working on the President's trip.
The revelations about the DEA agents comes ahead of a hearing scheduled on Wednesday with Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
Obama's U.S. Secret Service agents leave Colombia over prostitution inquiry
April 14, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under World
Are these men protecting the elite or are they Pimping for them?
"The Secret Service takes all allegations of misconduct seriously," Donovan said. "These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the President's trip."
Adler said the entire unit was recalled for purposes of the investigation. The Secret Service "responded appropriately" and is "looking at a very serious allegation," he said, adding that the agency "needs to properly investigate and fairly ascertain the merits of the allegations."
The Washington Post was alerted to the investigation by Ronald Kessler, a former Post reporter and author of several nonfiction books, including the book "In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes With Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect."
Kessler said he was told that a dozen agents had been removed from the trip. He added that soliciting prostitution is considered inappropriate by the Secret Service, even though it is legal in Colombia when conducted in designated "tolerance zones." However, Kessler added, several of the agents involved are married.
There have been other incidents involving Obama's security detail over the past year.
In November, Christopher W. Deedy, a federal agent with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, was charged with second-degree murder after shooting a man during a dispute outside a McDonald's in Honolulu. Though Deedy was off-duty at the time, he was on the island to provide advance security arrangements for Obama's trip to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
In August, Daniel L. Valencia, a Secret Service agent, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Decorah, Iowa, where he was helping arrange security for Obama's bus trip through three Midwestern states. Valencia, who was off-duty at the time of the arrest, was recently sentenced to two days in jail with credit for time served, and a fine of $1,250.
Biden Earned $21,000 Last Year From the Secret Service
Related coverage:
Obama promotes initiative to connect small businesses in the Americas
Photos: Colombia gears up for the Summit of the Americas
Colombia presents its new face
NAU (North American Union) Summit begins today
April 2, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Americas
President Barack Obama is convening a summit with leaders from Mexico and Canada on Monday that aims to boost a fragile recovery and grapple with thorny energy issues against a backdrop of painfully high gas prices.
The session at the White House is a make-good for a planned meeting last November in Hawaii on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific summit. Obama ended up meeting just with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper when Mexican President Felipe Calderon's top deputy was killed in a helicopter crash.
Republicans denounced Obama's move as a blow to job-creation and U.S. energy needs. But he maintains GOP leaders in Congress forced his hand by insisting on a decision before an acceptable pipeline route was found.
The pipeline would link Alberta's oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast, but environmentalists fear both its local impact and a major uptick in greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
Harper has voiced disappointment with Obama's decision. He also visited China in February to explore alternatives. Canada has the world's third-largest oil reserves — more than 170 billion barrels — after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, and daily production of 1.5 million barrels from the oil sands is expected to rise to 3.7 million by 2025.
Trade also topped the North American summit agenda, with Obama hoping that booming exports will help drive the U.S. recovery. The White House also listed growth and competitiveness, citizen security and climate change as key issues, along with the agenda for the next summit on the docket, the hemispherewide Summit of the Americas later this month in Cartagena, Colombia.
Obama, Harper and Calderon are well-known to each other from international gatherings — but are headed in different electoral directions.
While Obama faces a tough re-election battle for the next seven months, Calderon is term-limited. The battle to succeed him formally kicked off last week and will culminate with Mexican elections July 1. The main issue is the deadly war his government has waged with drug cartels, which has claimed an estimated 47,000 lives.
By contrast, Harper, who has led Canada since 2006, appears secure in his job, having led his Conservatives from minority status to a majority in Parliament in elections last May. He doesn't have to face voters again for four years.
Another reason Obama might envy Harper: thanks to that majority, the budget Harper's government introduced last week should pass easily, including its budget cuts designed to eliminate Canada's deficit by 2015.
The Intel Hub
By Dana Gabriel
March 27, 2012
With the demise of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, the U.S. has essentially put Canada and Mexico on separate tracks.
It has pursued dual-bilateralism with both its NAFTA partners as the primary means of advancing continental integration with regards to trade, regulatory and security initiatives.
The upcoming North American Leaders Summit, which will be held in Washington, D.C. on April 2, could be used as a means of reviving the trilateral cooperation model.
While much of my focus has been on the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border and the Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) action plans, the U.S. is also pursuing a similar agenda with Mexico.
This includes working towards a common security perimeter. In 2010, the U.S. and Mexico issued the Twenty-First Century Border Management declaration.
This established the Executive Steering Committee (ESC) to implement joint border related projects to enhance economic prosperity and security. In December of last year, the ESC adopted its 2012 action plan which sets goals in areas of binational infrastructure coordination, risk management, law enforcement cooperation, along with improving cross-border commerce and ties.
A press release explained that through the ESC, "we are developing and managing our shared border in an integrated fashion to facilitate the secure, efficient, and rapid flows of goods and people and reduce the costs of doing business between our two countries."
The ESC meeting also acknowledged bilateral accomplishments in expanding the use of trusted traveler initiatives such as the Global Entry Program.
In May of 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon directed the creation of the High-Level Regulatory Cooperation Council (HLRCC).
In February of this year, the HLRCC released a work plan whereby the U.S. and Mexico will seek greater regulatory alignment in the areas of food, transportation, nanotechnology, e-health, as well as oil and gas development standards. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauded the plan for enhanced regulatory cooperation between both countries.
The terms of reference for the HLRCC also recognized that, "some regulatory challenges require trilateral cooperation among the three Parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the United States and Mexico intend to involve the Government of Canada when it is necessary to focus on issues of common interest in North America."
The U.S.-Mexico HLRCC has similar goals to the U.S.-Canada RCC. At some point, these dual-bilateral councils could come together to form a single continental regulatory regime.
In his article, the road to Washington runs through Mexico, Robert Pastor, who has been a leading proponent of North American integration, criticized Canada's continental policy.
He argued that, "Instead of collaborating with Mexico to persuade the United States to address shared problems and opportunities in North America, Canada has excluded Mexico and approached the U.S. on its own."
Pastor offered potential reasons for this strategy, "Some suggest Canadians fear being tainted by association with Mexico's violence. Others believe its 'special relationship' with the United States gives it an advantage that it would lose if it allied with Mexico. And some think that two countries can walk faster than three."
He further elaborated on his position, "Prime Minister Stephen Harper's insistence on bilateralism — or rather 'dual-bilateralism' because the U.S. has to deal with Mexico too — has not worked. Regulations will not be harmonized; a uniform set of customs forms and traveller IDs will not be implemented; a continent-wide transportation and infrastructure plan will not be contemplated without a clear vision and strategy by and for North America."
Robert Pastor's op-ed which appeared in the Toronto Star also conceded that, "Working the U.S. Congress by itself, neither Canada nor Mexico can secure its goals. Working together, with the support of the Obama administration, the three governments could design a seamless market and eliminate an expensive, inefficient tax based on rules of origin."
He recommended, "Instead of competing against each other to gain access to Asian markets, our three countries should focus on continental competitiveness and approach China together on issues related to currency, unfair trade practices and climate change."
He insisted, "If Canada were to change its 'divide-and-be-conquered' strategy to a 'unite-and-govern together' approach on the new North American agenda, Mexico and the U.S. would join, as they did with NAFTA. And Canada could achieve its goals and the continent's at the same time." Pastor further lays out his plan to rejuvenate trilateral integration in his book, the North American Idea: A Vision of a Continental Future.
The Woodrow Wilson Center hosted an event in December 2011 entitled the Death of Trilateralism in the NAFTA Neighborhood, which examined the evolution of regional economic cooperation between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
During the proceedings, a panel agreed that the death of trilateralism has been exaggerated, but pointed out that, "dual-bilateralism, in which the United States works with Canada and Mexico separately, has become more common. Participants noted this is particularly apparent when dealing with regulatory, energy, and border issues. Countries are still, however, looking to harmonize and work toward trilateralism."
The meeting called for greater regional engagement and emphasized, "the need to focus on issues such as regulatory cooperation, infrastructure, and border efficiency." Discussions also centered around whether North America needed a grand new plan to move deep integration forward.
On April 2, President Barack Obama will host the sixth North American Leaders Summit which will include the participation of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
According to a statement by the press secretary, the meeting will, "focus on economic growth and competitiveness, citizen security, energy, and climate change." While announcing the upcoming summit, Prime Minister Harper praised the NAFTA trilateral relationship, "Canada, the United States and Mexico have forged a strong partnership built on free and open trade and close cooperation on security."
He went on to say, "The government's number one priority remains the creation of jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadians, particularly through trade, including with our close friends the United States and Mexico." The NAFTA governments are looking to expand trade with other countries.
This includes Canada and Mexico's efforts to join the U.S., along with other nations already engaged in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks. The forthcoming North American Leaders Summit will be the first since 2009, which has caused some to question the current state of trilateralism.
When it comes to continental integration, the U.S. has shifted much of its focus to pursuing dual-bilateral agendas with both Canada and Mexico.
This includes efforts to establish a North American security perimeter. At some point, these parallel initiatives could converge into one. While it is unlikely that the upcoming leaders summit will bring about any grand new plan, it could be used as a starting point to revive the whole trilateral process. With the NAFTA framework still intact, the vision for a North American Union has not been abandoned.
Related articles by Dana Gabriel
The Transformation of the U.S.-Canada Border
North American Integration and the Ties That Bind
Expanding U.S.-Mexico Economic and Security Cooperation
Perimeter Security and the Future of North American Integration
Dana Gabriel is an activist and independent researcher. He writes about trade, globalization, sovereignty, security, as well as other issues. Contact: email@example.com Visit his blog atbeyourownleader.blogspot.com
Mexico captures 'Ocho Cinco' drug cartel operative linked to CIA cocaine flights
March 13, 2012 by supermario
Filed under Americas, Featured
Meet the real Ocho Cinco… no, not the American professional sports athlete but the CIA drug smuggler and mass murderer.
By Mario Andrade
March 13, 2012
Last Friday, the Mexican military captured Erick Valanecia Salazar, aka. 'El 85' (Ocho Cinco) in the town of Zapopan, state of Jalisco. Valencia was one of Chapo Guzman's lieutenants responsible for creating the death squad known as "Los Matazetas" (Killers of Zetas).
Valencia worked for CIA cocaine smuggler Nacho Coronel. When Coronel was killed in during a military raid in 2010, Valencia took his place the State of Jalisco, where he expanded the Sinaloa Cartel cell in Jalisco to other states in order to fight Los Zetas.
'El 85' created the death squad known as Los Matazetas when a rival cartel known as 'the resistance' (La Resistencia) decided to join forces with Los Zetas in order to gain control of the State of Jalisco.
'The resistance' was also made mostly of former Nacho Coronel's operatives. After Coronel died, his operatives split in two different factions that later became rivals: One headed by Valencia and the other group which became 'the resistance,' headed by Elpidio Ramirez, aka. 'El Pilo.'
Valencia was responsible for bringing cocaine from Colombia and ephedrine, used for making crystal meth. The ephedrine was being brought from China. His death squad, known as 'Los Matazetas' was responsible for killing and dumping the bodies of 35 alleged Zeta members in a Veracruz highway last year. His nickname 'el 85' was actually a radio call sign.
Drug legalization gains support in Central America
March 5, 2012 by Jack Blood
Filed under Americas
Mike McDonald Global Post
via – Tucson Sentinel
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — Guatemalan President Otto Perez has invigorated the drug legalization debate in Central America, where leaders are under pressure to contain staggering crime rates and battle violent drug cartels.
In recent comments Perez said he would propose decriminalizing drugs during April's Summit of the Americas in Colombia as a strategy to combat powerful traffickers that use Central America as a warehouse and transit point for South American cocaine heading to the United States.
New legislation is unlikely anytime soon — and the details, such as which illicit drugs he means, are still unclear — but Perez has caught the region's attention and has provoked a divisive response from U.S. officials.
"We know it's a difficult and polarizing issue," Perez recently told journalists. "We are bringing it to the table and we want a serious debate about it."
Murder rates have soared in recent years in Central America, driven in part by drug traffickers and street pushers who battle for routes and territories.
Four of the isthmus' seven nations are among the world's 10 most murderous with homicide rates up to 17 times those in the United States. Bloody Mexican cartels looking to prey on vast, unprotected land and corrupt institutions have brough their violent business here, where nearly half the inhabitants live in poverty.
The region's leaders, with scant resources, have lobbied for more support from the United States to fight organized crime and have slammed the United States for not reducing demand for the drugs. A Republican-controlled U.S. Congress hungry for aid cuts and a slow recession recovery have meant few increases in financial support, analysts say.
During a recent visit to Central America, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano defended her country's firm stance against legalization and said the U.S. would continue to fund the war on drugs.
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"The United States does not view decriminalization as a viable way to deal with the narcotics problem," Napolitano said. "We should be finding better ways to prevent someone from becoming addicted to illegal drugs and better ways to intercept the production or distribution of illegal drugs."
In a statement, the U.S. cited drops in Colombia's murder rates after the U.S.-funded Colombia Plan — a five-year, multi-billion dollar crusade against South American cocaine growers — as evidence that staunch law enforcement works.
Washington also spent $1.6 billion in Mexico under the Merida Initiative, according to the U.S. State Department. That money has helped finance a drug war that has since 2006 resulted in the deaths of more than 47,000 people, according to Mexican prosecutors' statistics.
The U.S. donated some $300 million to Central America in 2011 for security projects, but leaders facing an expensive and potentially deadly battle have begun to pool ideas in search of a new approach.
Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, who favored the debate, said that decriminalizing drugs could cripple criminal profits, so long as it's a multilateral approach.
"Our country is open to any proposal that will reduce drug production and contraband … which is the activity that organized criminals use to destroy our societies," Funes said during a visit to Guatemala. "It must be a regional effort. If we only do it in one country, for example in Guatemala, then Guatemala will become a drug paradise," he said.
President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica, where small amounts of marijuana for personal consumption are legal, said she is open to the discussion, joining Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Colombian head-of-state Juan Santos who have also clamored for a rethink of drug policy.
In Honduras, whose congress recently approved an army-led strategy to fight drug gangs, President Porfirio Lobo dismissed legalization alongside Panama's foreign minister, Roberto Enriquez.
Perez, however, has not given up in the face of such doubt. The founding member of the right-wing Patriot Party, he has suggested legalizing the "transit, production and consumption" of illegal drugs and has sent Vice President Roxana Baldetti on a consensus-building mission to neighboring states.
The leaders have not yet said which illicit drugs should be legalized. When pressed on the specifics, Perez only responded that it should be an "integral" strategy.
Skeptics of the plan say that Perez, who is pressing the United States to re-establish embargoed military aid to Guatemala, could be using legalization as a threat in order to speed up army support, a risky move for a president looking for greater U.S. backing.
"It could push the U.S. Congress to give them more money, or it could really upset Congress and they could cut aid all together," said Heather Berkman, an analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy. "I doubt this goes anywhere. Latin American leaders feel stuck and this is a move to get more resources rather than a real solution to improve their situation."
Guatemala spends roughly $200 million per year on its drug war — small change compared to the estimated $30 billion in annual sales that the drug trade pulls in — and the Guatemalan Congress has never debated a legalization bill. A proposal to define a quantity for personal consumption of marijuana and levy a small fine on violators never advanced beyond legislative committees.
Still, Perez has captivated regional leaders and Guatemala's liberal lawmakers say his new pitch has revitalized an overdue dialogue.
"Whatever his motives are, it seems more tangible now," said Alejandra Garcia, a member of the left-leaning Meeting for Guatemala party. "We probably won't see any new legislation in the next four years, but you never know. This is Guatemala. There are a lot of surprises here."
* Colombia, Peru, Mexico or Afghanistan with their coca leaves, marijuana buds or poppy sap are not igniting temptation in the minds of our weak, innocent citizens. These countries are duly responding to the enormous demand that comes from within our own borders. Invading or destroying these countries, thus creating more hate, violence, instability, injustice and corruption, will not fix our problem.
* A rather large majority of people will always feel the need to use drugs such as heroin, opium, nicotine, amphetamines, alcohol, sugar, or caffeine.
* The massive majority of adults who use drugs do so recreationally – getting high at the weekend then up for work on a Monday morning.
* Apart from the huge percentage of people addicted to both sugar and caffeine, a small minority of adults (nearly 5%) will always experience the use of drugs as problematic. – approx. 3% are dependent on alcohol and approx. 1.5% are dependent on other drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroine etc.
* Just as it was impossible to prevent alcohol from being produced and used in the U.S. in the 1920s, so too, it is equally impossible to prevent any of the aforementioned drugs from being produced, distributed and widely used by those who desire to do so.
* Prohibition kills more people and ruins more lives than the drugs it prohibits.
* Due to Prohibition (historically proven to be an utter failure at every level), the availability of most of these mood-altering drugs has become so universal and unfettered that in any city of the civilized world, any one of us would be able to procure practically any drug we wish within an hour.
* Throughout history, the prohibition of any mind-altering substance has always exploded usage rates, overcrowded jails, fueled organized crime, created rampant corruption of law-enforcement – even whole governments, while inducing an incalculable amount of suffering and death.
* Apart from the fact that the DEA is the de facto enforcement wing of the pharmaceutical industry, the involvement of the CIA in running Heroin from Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Afghanistan and Cocaine from Central America has been well documented by the 1989 Kerry Committee report, academic researchers Alfred McCoy and Peter Dale Scott, and the late journalist Gary Webb.
* It's not even possible to keep drugs out of prisons, but prohibitionists wish to waste trillions of dollars in an utterly futile attempt to keep them off our streets.
* The United States jails a larger percentage of it's own citizens than any other country in the world, including those run by the worst totalitarian regimes, yet it has far higher use/addiction rates than most other countries.
* Prohibition is the "Goose that laid the golden egg" and the lifeblood of terrorists as well as drug cartels. Both the Taliban and the terrorists of al Qaeda derive their main income from the prohibition-inflated value of the opium poppy. An estimated 44 % of the heroin produced in Afghanistan, with an estimated annual destination value of US $ 27 Billion, transits through Pakistan. Prohibition has essentially destroyed Pakistan's legal economy and social fabric. – We may be about to witness the planet's first civil war in a nation with nuclear capabilities. – Kindly Google: 'A GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF NARCOTICS-FUNDED TERRORIST GROUPS' Only those opposed, or willing to ignore these facts, want things the way they are.


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Entries in On Campus by Kirk Carapezza and Mallory Noe-Payne
Employers in America are having a crisis in confidence when it comes to college graduates and their preparation for the workplace. The latest Gallup poll shows only 11 percent of U.S. business leaders 'strongly agree' college graduates have the skills they need to succeed. That's why our On Campus team traveled to Germany, where a different approach to higher education is yielding strong results.
It's a stressful time of year for students who are preparing to make their college decisions. But the next step - figuring out how much it's all going to cost - can be even more stressful. Now there's a new effort to make that complicated process a little simpler.
If you've been on a college campus lately, you might have noticed a few amenities - fancy welcome centers, golf courses, and saunas. Of course, these things cost money and therefore tuition and fees. But are they responsible for rising tuition?
The federal government is poised to forgive college loans for thousands of students who attended Corinthian Colleges, the now defunct for-profit giant under investigation for misleading students about graduation and employment rates. Many of these students not only have loans, but are also unable to find jobs.
Even though it's been weeks since a major snowstorm, New England's college campuses still lay buried under a deep layer of snow and it doesn't look like it will disappear before Opening Day at Fenway. The weather, though, hasn't deterred prospective students from taking campus tours in Boston.
In the final part of our series on German higher education, WGBH's On Campus reports on Germany's tracking system, where kids are divided up by ability at a young age. The system seems to work well in Germany, but would face strong opposition in the United States.
Despite the high cost of college in this country, most Americans will choose to go to school here. But there is a growing number of students who are getting their degrees in other countries, like Germany, where their taxpayers pick up the tab. WGBH's On Campus team recently traveled to Cologne to explore this higher ed defection, and the implications for the United States.
In Germany, Europe's leading economy, taxpayers fully subsidize the cost of college. Our search to understand how German universities keep costs down and quality up begins in the Rhineland.
The Education Department Friday released its much-anticipated plan to rate colleges. Starting next school year, the Department will rate more than 5,000 colleges and universities as high-, low- or middle-performing schools.
Nearly 90 colleges and universities are now under formal investigation for allegedly mishandling sexual assault cases on campus. Many aspects of the reporting process - and what happens afterward - are now under review, including whose responsibility it is to report cases of sexual assault. Many colleges put resident assistants, who live in dorms, squarely in the middle of the issue.


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On Monday, the international version (yakju) of the Samsung GALAXY Nexus, the Wi-Fi only version of the Motorola XOOM and the Google Nexus S each received an OTA update taking them to Android 4.1.2. The update is 15.1MB in size. If you own the version of the Samsung GALAXY Nexus purchased from the Google Play Store, don't wait up hoping for the update to arrive, for as we said, it is for the yakju version of the phone only. The takju models should soon receive the OTA updates as well, some time down the road. Speaking of very far down the road, the versions of the Samsung GALAXY Nexus branded with the Verizon or Sprint name should eventually receive the update after the carriers test it.
And we would be amiss if we didn't mention how the Google Nexus S continually is able to be updated despite specs that would be considered low rent district in this day and age. Sure it's a Nexus model, designed for updates, but it just makes you wonder about some OEMs and their fear of OS updates.
source: Phandroid


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PGA Professional tips on playing No. 16 at Trump National
Kevin Morris, the Head Professional at Trump National Doral gives pointers on how to play the drivable par-4 16th hole.
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