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Cindy Do - Care, General Care Projects in Vietnam
My eight-week adventure in Vietnam had been over a year's worth of dreaming, planning and anticipation. When I finally landed in Hanoi this past summer, I could not believe I was actually there. As a Vietnamese American, I chose Vietnam for obvious reasons. I wanted to learn more about my rich culture and heritage, but also to give back to my roots in some significant way. I can honestly say that choosing to volunteer in Vietnam with Projects Abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Arriving in Vietnam
One of the initial thoughts I had about Vietnam upon my arrival was how hot it was! I arrived in Hanoi on one of the hottest days of the summer – almost 40°c! It was unbearable, but the vibrant green fields and emerging cityscape soon caught my attention during the quick 30-minute drive to the volunteer house from the airport.
My Projects Abroad driver was friendly and happy to answer any questions I had about the city and which places I should see (I should mention that I do speak some Vietnamese!). Once we arrived at the house, I was greeted by Anh, the very sweet volunteer coordinator, who then helped me with my luggage and insisted that I rest before my orientation, which was scheduled for the next day. After hours of travelling, I was more than pleased to have the rest of the day to settle in.
During my first night in Hanoi, I developed a fever and felt dehydrated. I was afraid that my sudden sickness would inconvenience the Projects Abroad staff and their plans for my project; but as soon as they heard about my sickness, they were honestly happy and quick to reschedule my orientation and start date in order to take me to the hospital and allow me time to recover.
During those first few days, it became apparent to me that the staff members were more than kind and caring. They genuinely wanted to make sure that I had the best experience during my eight weeks there with them. And once I finally did have my orientation, I was pleasantly pleased with a quick cultural introduction, a nice tour of the city and a delicious, paid-for lunch at a local restaurant.
Living in a volunteer house
One of the reasons I chose to stay in a volunteer house rather than with a host family was because this was my first time travelling abroad; and as an inexperienced traveller, I felt like I needed a little more support and dependence than those who are used to travelling and living in foreign places. In retrospect, I am happy to say that I made a great choice!
The house was spacious, clean, comfortable, and in very close walking distance to the Projects Abroad office. The house had a total of six bedrooms, each with two queen-sized beds, an air conditioner, a lockable wardrobe, and its own attached bathroom. The house was also conveniently located in terms of supermarkets, convenience stores, the international hospital, pharmacies, and also Hanoi's famous Old Quarter, the main tourist hub for shopping and dining. And while I heard many great things about the host families while I was there, living in the volunteer house made it much easier for me to make new friends.
It was great coming home after a day's work and having a delicious dinner with people from all around the world. On weekends, we would invite each other to go on (surprisingly very affordable) tours to beautiful places like Sa Pa or Ha Long Bay, and on week nights when we were too tired or lazy to go out and explore the city, the entire house would play cards on our little but cozy rooftop.
Another thing I loved about living in the volunteer house was the food! Tuyet, our cook, was amazing at her job. She cooked traditional Vietnamese dishes as well as Western ones, and she was always happy to take special dinner requests or to accommodate food restrictions. When she found out that I was ill during my first couple of days, she went out of her way to make soup and bring it to my room for me!
Vietnam Friendship Village
The Vietnam Friendship Village, which consists of a medical building, a school building, several residences, recreational areas, and a large organic garden, is a live-in rehabilitation centre for victims of Agent Orange and Vietnam War veterans. It was founded after the war by an American veteran as a symbol of peace and reconciliation, and as a Vietnamese American whose life and family history is heavily intertwined with the course and outcome of the Vietnam War, I immediately knew that the Friendship Village was where I wanted to be for my project; I especially wanted to work with Agent Orange victims because their life as disabled persons could have just as easily been mine, and in some modest way, I wanted to give back.
Most Care project volunteers engage in classroom activities their entire work day, but upon request, Projects Abroad was happy to help me incorporate a medical component into my project because of my pre-med studies. While I spent my mornings in the classroom teaching English and mathematics and playing games, I worked in the Village's physiotherapy room alongside certified therapists during the afternoons.
The staff at the Friendship Village was super friendly and easy to approach, and all of the kids I worked with were incredibly happy to have me there. Out of my eight weeks there, happiness was the one thing that struck me the most about the Friendship Village. Despite the apparent difficulties in their lives, all of the children as well as veterans were incredibly playful, joyful, and overwhelming grateful for what little they have.
My morning class consisted of a group of 12 students ranging from age 12 to 25 with various disabilities from autism and deafness to more physical disabilities and deformities. Although it was difficult to teach a class with such diversity, with the help of some ideas from the online Projects Abroad Resource Database and advice from the local staff, I soon found out that the best way to teach my students was through the use of quick and interactive activities.
My afternoons in physiotherapy were just as great. As a pre-med student, I had only studied general subjects; I had no previous in-depth knowledge about the field of physical or occupational therapy, so I was therefore unsure whether I could be much of a help. But after a couple days of observation, I was soon able to plan and lead simple exercises, stretches, and occupational activities catered to each of my patients' physical needs. I learned a lot during my time in the physiotherapy room and had a lot of fun as well. My favourite part of the week was hydrotherapy Mondays and Wednesdays when the other volunteers and I got to swim with the kids at the Village's indoor pool.
Leaving Vietnam
During my second to last day of placement at the Friendship Village, one of my fellow volunteers and I decided to stay a couple of hours after work in order to spend some extra precious time with the kids we would soon be leaving. A couple of kids were playing soccer (like pros!), while others were sitting around engaging in friendly conversation or simply running around enjoying the fresh air.
I was sad to think that I was leaving behind something that I came to love so much, but I was also consoled to know that the Friendship Village, with the help of Projects Abroad and other organisations, would continue to be the very happy and lively place I had known it to be.
Having to leave Vietnam and especially everyone at the Friendship Village was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I came to Vietnam hoping to help and make a difference in the lives of those I met, but I definitely left Vietnam having been changed and inspired in ways that I could never repay.
Cindy Do
Dit ervaringsverhaal kan verwijzingen bevatten naar het werken in of samenwerken met weeshuizen. Lees hier meer over het huidige beleid van Projects Abroad ten aanzien van vrijwilligerswerk in weeshuizen en de overgang naar gemeenschapsgerichte opvang voor kinderen.
Dit verhaal is een persoonlijke ervaring van een vrijwilliger op dit project en dus een momentopname. Houd er rekening mee dat jouw ervaring hiervan af kan wijken. Onze projecten veranderen constant, omdat we inspelen op de lokale behoefte en we voortborduren op de behaalde resultaten. Ook verschillende weersomstandigheden kunnen de ervaring beïnvloeden. Lees meer over wat je kunt verwachten van dit project of neem contact met ons op voor meer informatie.


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Ten Questions with Dellin Betances
Yankees prospect grew up in NYC with pinstripe dreams
By Danny Wild / MLB.com | March 9, 2011 5:00 AM
A 6-foot-8 right-hander with a fastball that hit 97 mph last week, Betances is competing for a spot on a roster filled with players he's long cheered for. The Yankees' eighth-round pick out of a Brooklyn high school in 2006, Betances' career was slowed a bit following elbow surgery two years ago. He's healthy now and slated to begin the 2011 campaign at Double-A Trenton. The only question is, when will he return to the Bronx?
MiLB.com recently took a few minutes to talk with the hard-throwing righty.
MiLB.com: You had elbow surgery -- some reports have incorrectly said it was a Tommy John procedure. What exactly was done, and how difficult was the recovery? Did you ever worry about it ending your career?
Dellin Betances: I got the news in summer 2009 that I was going in for Tommy John surgery, that's what they told me. I went to Dr. [James] Andrews, they checked and when I came out, he told me ... it would be reconstructive [as opposed to typical Tommy John]. They repaired the ligament I had and added another one. When he told me the timetable was eight months, I said, 'Alright, that's not a year.' It kinda gave me confidence to know I was going to come back and not miss 2010.
MiLB.com: You've got two solid off-speed pitches and a mid-90s fastball, which is a rarity for many Minor Leaguers. How would you describe your style overall? Would you rather start or relieve?
Betances: I see myself as a starter. I've been a starter since I signed. If I got the chance to come in the bullpen, and they need me to help this year, I'm definitely up to it. I see myself as a starter and consider myself a power pitcher. I go off my fastball and throw a power curve.
MiLB.com: You had a very impressive debut last week against the Phillies, striking out the side, and have since become part of the buzz in Tampa. What's the experience been like so far this spring being at Major League camp? I know you arrived early to get ready for this opportunity.
Betances: It's been a great experience seeing these guys you've watched on TV your whole life. To share the field with them is an honor. I feel humble and blessed to work with guys who are -- I mean, we have numerous future Hall of Famers and All-Stars, so to come here and work hard to be with guys who have been here for quite some time, it's definitely a great experience. I'm taking each step and working as hard as I can.
MiLB.com: You're 22, from Manhattan and grew up in Brooklyn. Who was your favorite Yankee as a kid? I mean, you probably have a jersey or t-shirt back home of some of the guys you're suiting up alongside this month.
Betances: I've always watched Derek Jeter. I remember watching [David] Wells, [David] Cone, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams. Yeah, growing up I believe I had a Derek Jeter jersey and Bernie, too.
MiLB.com: I read Yankees general manager Brian Cashman first became excited about you during a workout in 2006 at the old Yankee Stadium. Tell me about that day: what happened? How nervous were you?
Betances: I definitely felt nervous. It was one of my first years, I was pitching in front of a home crowd, but definitely a great experience. And I was definitely nervous out there, knowing Cashman was there -- it was something I know they came to watch.
MiLB.com: As if being drafted by the Yankees wasn't exciting enough, they gave you a $1 million signing bonus, which was a record for an eighth-round pick. What was the first thing you went out and bought with that money, anything cool?
Betances: I bought my parents a house in Jersey and got myself a new car, that was one of the first things I did. It was a new 2007 Escalade.
MiLB.com: You had a scholarship to Vanderbilt lined up before the Yankees selected you. How easy was it to pass up college and begin your quest to the Bronx?
Betances: I think being drafted by a team you watched and are a fan of made it a lot easier, but I definitely knew it had to be right for me to turn down going to Vanderbilt. The Yankees made it a lot easier.
MiLB.com: This is pretty amazing, and I'm sure people are asking you about it a lot now, you were a 10-year-old and at the old stadium when David Wells threw his perfect game in 1998. How often do you think about this whole scenario, of being a Yankees fan to now having Wells himself as a Spring Training instructor?
Betances: It's kinda cool. At the time I didn't play baseball, and being there I didn't know much of it. But growing up and playing baseball and learning, it's kinda cool to say you were at that game. To see him here, to speak to him every day -- definitely something. It's a lot of excitement and brings you joy -- these are guys you've seen pitching growing up, and now you're here with them, and playing with them.
MiLB.com: You got to face Manny Ramirez, a fellow Washington Heights, N.Y., native, this week. What was that like?
Betances: It was cool, man. We played for the same organization in the summer. He played a long time ago, but we both played for the same coach. Growing up and playing summer ball, all they spoke about was Manny Ramirez. Watching him come up to bat, I just tried to attack early, and, thank God, I got him out.
MiLB.com: What are some of your hobbies away from the game? Video games, music, etc.?
Betances: I listen to hip hop and I love playing video games -- NBA 2K, any sports games. Definitely like playing against guys online, especially Call of Duty.
Danny Wild is an editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More

subset: commoncrawl


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The McLaren 12C has been met with plenty of criticism since its debut in 2010. This past weekend during Monterey Week, McLaren dropped the covers on its 12C Spider to a more than enthusiastic crowd inside the Gooding & Co. auction tent.
The 12C Spider produces 616hp while still maintaining the coupe carbon fiber monocoque chassis, only adding 88 lbs to the car as a result of the new mechanics used to retract the removable hard top (RHT) roof.
Adding to the unique experience of the car, the RHT can be retracted even while the car is moving at 20mph. When the top is raised, the rear window can be lowered to allow more engine noise to fill the cabin. Also, with the roof raised, the tonneau storage compartment can host a set of bespoke McLaren luggage (soft bags), which comes standard. The 12C Spider also features a passive Roll Over Protection System to maximize occupant safety. Each buttress contains a steel structure designed to absorb impact energy and protect both driver and passenger.
Sure McLaren Orange is the brightest color in their paint catalog, but this yellow screamed at the crowd and everyone enjoyed it. While the company isn't know for flamboyant paint jobs we were able to find out why this car had to be yellow. Speaking with brand representatives while attending the unveil, we discovered that the yellow basecoat was a modern adaptation from Ayrton Senna's racing helmet with green metallic flakes added to represent the colors of Brazil, where Senna was from. A fitting tribute to a racer that gave everything to the sport and McLaren.
McLaren is now taking orders with the price tag starting at $265,750 in the U.S. and deliveries expected to arrive early 2013.
Velocity Comparison Spec:
|2013MP4-12C Spider*
|(625 PS/616 bhp)
|(625 PS/616 bhp)
|0-62 mph
(0-100 kph)
|3.1 sec
|3.1 sec
|6.1 sec
|6.0 sec
|0-124 mph
(0-200 kph)
|9.0 sec
|8.8 sec
|1/4 mile (400m)
|10.8 sec @ 134 mph (216 kph)
|10.6 sec @ 136 mph (219 kph)
|V Max
|204 mph (329 kph)
|207 mph (333 kph)


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Dave White Profile
Dave White
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
Yabba dabba do Read full review
Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.
out of 100
Metascore®Mixed or average reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.
Sanders and DeMicco's script doesn't have the robust plotting, consistent wit or flavorful character development of the best family animation. And some of the voice actors have too little to work with.
Read Full Review
A handful of adrenalizing sequences of animated anarchy can't save this story from feeling overly primitive.
More than anything, the striking spectacle of primordial flora and one-of-a-kind fauna makes it easy for audiences to get pleasantly lost in the adventure.
Familiar family dynamics are amusingly exaggerated in the Paleolithic setting, where the most basic necessities require everyone's full-time attention.
See all The Croods reviews at Metacritic.com
OK for kids 8+
Gorgeously animated adventure has intense themes.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Croods, while quite funny and gorgeously animated, deals with some pretty heavy themes: the constant risk of death and worries about the end of the world. Prehistoric times are convincingly wild, dangerous, and unstable: Rocks fall, mountains tumble, and the Earth opens up and swallows the ground whole (all made even more immediate when seen in 3-D). The frequent peril and talk of the end of the world are likely to make younger kids nervous. And then there are the conversations about parents dying and kids themselves being in danger; at one point, viewers may even think a central character has perished. Other scenes show characters battling other creatures for supremacy and food, so there's plenty of slapsticky whacking and hitting, too. Female characters do end up getting saved by males, and you may find yourself heading to the Internet to research the accuracy of the movie's creatures and events. All of that said, The Croods has a wonderful message of courage and celebration of adventure at its core, and there are strong, loving family relationships.
Educational value: While more historically accurate than, say, The Flintstones, The Croods isn't exactly 100% faithful to science fact.
Messages: Lots of affirming messages. Eep and the rest of the Croods learn that hiding leads you nowhere, that courage opens up your world, and that love needs to be expressed. Also, to be yourself. As one character says: "Don't hide -- live!" Some bodily function humor (nose picking, etc.).
Role models: Though Grug is fearful and makes clear (albeit jokingly) his disdain for his mother-in-law, he does make decisions out of a need to protect his family. He's the first to throw himself over them when the Earth rumbles and rocks start falling or when animals around him attack. (He does sic his baby, who's pretty tough, onto prey that he's trying to catch for food.) Most of all, he cares deeply about Eep, his daughter on the verge of womanhood. He admires her but worries for her. Eep adores her father but isn't swayed by his fears; she's eager to expand her horizons, literally and figuratively. She pushes Grug to explore, and he encourages her to think before she acts. Ultimately, he also teaches her how to share her feelings by modeling that behavior himself. Guy also shows Eep the joy of living freely, unencumbered by anxiety. Female characters sometimes rely on male characters to save them, and Eep sometimes acts a little silly around Guy.
Violence and scariness: Frequent talk about death/the risk of death in this wild, unstable world; at one point, viewers are even led to believe that a central character may have perished. Guy mentions the death of his parents, and a bedtime story includes a reference to a character dying as well. There's also plenty of talk about the end (of the world) being nigh, what with all the earthquakes and fires and such, which could scare younger or sensitive viewers. Mountains tumble, the ground splits, and animals big and small descend on others they deem prey. (The animation is so top-rate that you can practically feel the rocks crashing down on the ground.) There's some pretty serious -- and seriously competitive -- hunting and gathering going on (admittedly in a cartoonish way), with Grug urging everyone to huddle for a "family kill circle" before they go nuts trying to catch anything they can eat. Characters push and shove and hit one another to get at the (potential) grub. Characters wield spears and rocks and fiery sticks and fall or hurl themselves off cliffs. It's definitely survival of the fittest, and the bravest, in Croods-land.
Sexy stuff: Plenty of flirting between a teenage boy and a teenage cave-girl. They hold hands and come close to kissing in one scene.
Language: Some name-calling intended to be humorous -- "fat," "dummy," etc., plus "sucky."
Consumerism: Although the movie itself contains no product/brand references, DreamWorks has merchandise partnerships with everything from video game companies to tofu.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not applicable
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Most of us think of spider webs as passive hunting tools: a spider spins a web, prey is caught in the web, the spider returns to collect its spoils. But for arachnids from the family Deinopidae, webs are used in a decidedly active (and decidedly terrifying) form of predation.
Commonly known as "gladiator" or "net-casting" spiders, these spindly legged beasties actually build cobweb sacks which are held open with the front legs and use to ensnare unsuspecting prey. It's absolutely remarkable to watch; in the video up top, David Attenborough narrates the activities of a net-casting spider as it prepares its gossamer pouch, and uses it to seize a cricket.
What's really remarkable about net-casting spiders is that, while the video up top emphasizes the species' keen visual abilities, new high-speed footage captured by researchers in Central America reveals that their hunting technique likely relies on tactile input as well. The video — which you can watch over at BBC — reveals that net-casting spiders may actually use thread like a trigger, springing into action when it physically senses that prey is near:
"The spider did not move a muscle until the antenna of that prey item, the cricket, touched the thread," explained researcher George McGavin, who witnessed the footage being filmed, in an interview with the BBC. "As soon as it touched it, [the spider] was on it in a thousandth of a second... if we hadn't had that camera, you wouldn't have seen a thing."
"It was the most exciting thing I've ever seen," he said. Exaggeration? Perhaps. But still pretty incredible. Check it out for yourself at BBC Nature.


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Miranda Lambert is Stuck on ShureNILES, IL, August 14, 2008 — Charting a career launched by a third place finish on Nashville Star in 2003, Miranda Lambert has since recorded the platinum-selling album Kerosene, toured with George Strait, Keith Urban, and Toby Keith, and helped rationalize irrational courtship behavior with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, her second album including the hit "Famous in a Small Town." With two GRAMMY® nominations and a string of ACM Awards under her belt, including Album of the Year in 2008, she still calls Lindale, Texas, her home as well as her ranch in Oklahoma."We just started this, my family and I, not really knowing what we were getting into," the country star admits. "I guess the big difference from the beginning is that I actually have people around me now who do know what they're doing, which makes a difference, but I think what's cool about my career in particular is that I have my family really involved. My mom is my fan club president, my dad runs my merchandise company with my mom, and my little brother does my website, so we really keep it in the family as much as possible."As Lambert built her career, Shure joined the family more than two years ago when she started regularly picking up a Shure vocal microphone. Today she tours with a UHF-R® wireless system using a handheld transmitter topped with a Beta 58A supercardioid capsule. UHF-R has additionally become a stage staple for use with her guitar as well. "I can always count on Shure because I always sound good. I know the difference, because when I go to a venue and it's a backline gig, it doesn't feel the same — even the way the microphone feels in my hand is different. I'm pretty much a creature of habit, so I plan on using Shure from here on out." According to Lambert, cutting the cord and going wireless on guitar has added a new dimension to her performance. "We really have more of a rock vibe, so to speak, onstage," she adds. "We run all over the place, jump, and act crazy, so going wireless was definitely a great thing for our band in particular. It just frees you up so much, and you can really engage the crowd a lot more when you're not strapped down to an amp." Lambert's touring band includes Aden Bubeck on bass guitar, Chris Kline on keyboards and harp, Alex Weeden on lead guitar, Scotty Wray on lap steel/guitars, and Keith Zebroski on drums. FOH PA duties are managed by Jason Macalik, while monitors fall under the direction of Chris Newsom.
Small-Town Girl Makes Good
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EDMONTON - Perhaps if the price of oil hadn't blasted through the $75-a-barrel mark in mid 2007 on its way to a doubling within a year, the boom in the oilsands would have cooled before the market collapsed in late 2008.
But soaring construction and labour costs, caused by a lack of planning, rising material costs and a shortage of skilled trades, was bound to catch up with Alberta, earning the province the dubious title as one of the most expensive places to construct mines and upgraders.
It took the shock of 2009, with tens of billions worth of projects put on hold, to cool things off.
But lessons were learned, and companies that competed in the last boom are now working together, trying to coordinate their activity, doing most engineering before construction starts, stretching out the time frame for projects and restricting how many tradespeople will be on a work site.
Three years ago, Canadian Natural Resources, Canada's second largest energy firm, saw costs go through the roof for its Horizon upgrader.
This year, it plans to spend $1.2 billion on improvements to its Horizon upgrader, and have a maximum of 5,500 workers on-site at any one time compared to the 10,000 in 2008.
It also plans to keep the work under tight control by dividing the Horizon expansion into 46 individual projects, stopping or delaying them if costs soar again, which means the firm won't be on the hook for more than $2.5 billion of work at one time.
The approach may not be new in the global oilpatch, "but it will be a different approach for the Fort McMurray area, and it gives us the ability if there is a labour crunch or if costs take off that we can just slow down and wait for it to blow over," CNRL president Steve Laut said.
But what if competitors surge ahead with their projects, soaking up all available labour and causing construction prices to jump?
"That's the risk, but at least we have the option to make a choice. If you don't have that option you are in a tough situation."
And that's exactly where CNRL was three years ago, when it was forced to push ahead regardless of the cost.
"In Phase 1 we had no production, but a huge capital investment, which we couldn't leave stranded. Now we are doing the work in smaller chunks, and the company is in a lot stronger position, so we can be cost-focused rather than time-focused," he said.
CNRL sees a labour shortage just ahead.
"What happens in 2012, 2013 and 2014 is our concern, and obviously we'll have a fly-in and fly-out of workers as we had in Phase 1," Laut said.
"We'll be able to utilize a lot of the labour we have in the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario and B.C., and this is good for Canada."
Horizon has an airstrip on its site, and temporary housing units. The firm is already flying in workers from Quebec for plant maintenance.
Imperial Oil is trying something different at its $8-billion Kearl project, the largest oilsands mine under construction today.
It originally envisioned three separate phases. But the with first phase now in mid-construction, it was decided recently that the following expansions will be designed to minimize duplications and create efficiencies as the project grows. There won't be set phases two and three, but rather a continual expansion.
The company aims for an initial production of 100,000 barrels per day in 2012, and the design changes will result in production of about 345,000 bpd when the project is complete, up from an initial estimate of 330,000 bpd.
Shell and its partners, which are just completing a $10-billion expansion at their jointly-owned Jackpine mine and the Scotford upgrader near Fort Saskatchewan, have shelved further major oilsands projects.
Back in 2007, Shell and partners had talked about eventually mining daily nearly 800,000 barrels of bitumen.
Today their plans are less grand. They now intend to spend a relatively modest $2 billion to boost production by 35,000 bpd by "debottlenecking," basically removing capacity restraints by streamlining the system. Over the next decade, two more phases could raise output by a total of 85,000 bpd.
At its peak construction, more than 10,000 skilled tradesmen were on-site at Scotford, making it the largest construction project in Canada.
The debottlenecking, not to mention ongoing maintenance, offers significant job opportunities in the Edmonton region, says Neil Shelley, executive director of Alberta's Industrial Heartland, a group that represents local municipalities.
"Shell's debottlenecking and the ramp up of production over time will have a big demand for products and services from this region."
Suncor Energy shut down its half-built Voyageur upgrader in 2008 and then acquired Petro-Canada.
But it wasn't until December, when Suncor teamed up with Total E&P Canada, a subsidiary of French giant Total, that things really began to take off.
Total will pay to complete the 200,000-bpd Voyageur project, while the firms will combine forces to develop two bitumen mines — the former Petro-Canada Fort Hills and Total's Joslyn projects — adding a total of 300,000 bpd of production.
When Suncor reported strong first-quarter earnings last month, it hinted it would speed up its major oilsands projects where possible.
That means a prompt restart for work on Voyageur upgrader, moving ahead on engineering and planning for its Fort Hills mine project, and if possible quickening the move to open the new North Steepbank mine.
Chief executive Rick George said with little debt on its books, and the Total joint venture finalized in March, Suncor can now "move forward with growth projects.
"The Total joint venture is a key strategic fit, and has allowed us to free up stranded capital (the $4-billion Voyageur put on standby during the 2008 oil price collapse) and get our growth initiatives back on track."
In a conference call, George said Suncor is unique among its industry peers with a suite of projects that will raise the firm's overall oil production from the current 600,000 barrels a day to one million barrels by 2020.
More than half the production comes from the oilsands, and most of the new growth will be there.
But while all its projects are currently within the company's budgets, Suncor is cautious about not encouraging inflation.
"A major part of our capital spending for the next decade will be going toward the oilsands. This is a 10-year plan for a company that is going to be here for 50 years, so we are going to go at this systematically."
In an earlier conference call, George said "one of the biggest challenges of bringing on large-scale projects like this is managing costs."
"We plan to spread work over a number of years, pace the construction in a manner that keeps the workforce at a manageable level, roughly 4,000 people maximum per site versus kind of some of the experiences we had prior to 2008, where we had as many as 7,000 people on at least one construction site."
Labour issues were a key concern at the recent National Buyer/Seller Forum in Edmonton
Jayson Myers, president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters group, said firms across Canada are aware of a pending shortage of skilled labour.


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French Montana Shows Off His New Custom Made Mazerati Given To Him By Akon + Acapella Freestyle
Akon buys French Montana Brand new Red Mazerati
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Bank Name
The twin cities of Kalyan and Dombivli were joined and converted into the Kalyan-Dombivli municipal corporation in 1982 to improve the administration of the twin townships. The headquarter of this city is situated in Kalyan. Kalyan and Dombivli are both cities in the Thane District of Konkan division in Maharashtra state. The city comprises a majority of Hindu residents who speak mostly in Marathi. The weather in this city follows the exact trends as that of Mumbai and is known to experience the notorious Mumbai rains. The twin city of Kalyan-Dombivli had been under the reigns of the Mughal, the Portuguese as well as the British. The celebrated Maratha heroes, held in high esteem by the residents, were the only valiant defense against these foreign invasions. The city of Kalyan used to be surrounded by a fort wall which was constructed during the Mughal age and further improved by the Maratha rulers. It was called the Durgadi Fort. History claims that a small wooden temple dedicated to Durgadevi was behind the mosque inside this fort wall. However, this historical relic was dismantled by the British and the stones were used to build the piers of Thane and Kalyan. The idol in the temple was also stolen. Only the remnants of the north-west gate of this fort still remain to remind the people of the historic past.
Are you looking for an escapade to your dream destination, yet deterred by the pocket pinch?
Modern life is hectic and strenuous. Our busy lifestyles often leave us with barely any time or scope for leisure. A little bit of recreation is mandatory to cope with the emotional burnout of mundane life. Vacations can be the ideal solution - brief moments of recreation that can rejuvenate our minds and fill us with vigor to get back to routine with added enthusiasm.
Well, think of it as a personal loan that can fund your vacations. Unlike home loans and auto loans, this doesn't involve collateral. A holiday loan is an unsecured loan. The lending body evaluates your income level, employment history and of course your creditworthiness to decide whether you are eligible for a holiday loan. You may even apply for it online and get a quick approval too. Once you get the lump sum, you may spend it as you wish for traveling purpose. You have to repay the money in EMIs over time. It goes without saying that you should carefully plan a vacation budget before borrowing the money and subsequently refrain from overspending.
1. Build your Credit Score
2. Reduce your Current Borrowing / EMI Costs
Tourism has become a highly commercialized industry. The cost of traveling has risen considerably with the growing rate of inflation. Transport, accommodation, food - nothing comes cheap nowadays. You might have a particular destination in mind but settle for some other spot for budget constraints. While a few might save up for vacation expenses, many might not. You might have the desire to travel but lack a monetary backing. Why let your savings take a massive blow all at once when you can rely on an alternate mode and source of financing? Holiday loan is such a facility that lets you enjoy your holidays peacefully, without bothering about the expenses immediately. You could slowly and conveniently repay the amount over a period of your choice in steady monthly installments.
The booming finance sector has undergone a massive revamp in the past decade. Most financial institutions offer a plethora of credit lines. Holiday loans have become quite prevalent, and almost every bank, NBFC and P2P lender offer it. However, it's imperative that you meet the eligibility criteria for such a loan. It is also crucial that you cautiously choose the lender. The perfect holiday loan should be taken from a lender who offers the best interest rates, a convenient moratorium period, feasible and flexible repayment scheme and efficient customer support team.
1. Build your Credit Score
2. Reduce your Current Borrowing / EMI Costs
Quite similar to a Personal Loan, you need to approach a Bank, an NBFC or a P2P lender with an application. Most of the financial institutions allow you the convenience of applying for a loan online. They generally approve the loan instantly if you successfully meet their eligibility criteria and provide the required documents. Once the loan is sanctioned, there are no specific restrictions on how to use the loan funds. Availing holiday loans is quite easy and comes with myriad benefits and perks. Such loans are generally availed for a shorter duration, thus saving you your valuable money.
The interest rates for holiday loans differ from bank to bank. Since these loans do not depend upon collaterals, expect the interest rates to be slightly higher than other secured loans. Most lenders would check your income level, credit score, profession, age, past loan repayment history before deciding upon an interest rate. If you have a laudable credit history, you are more likely to get a competitive interest rate on a holiday loan.
Vacations give you a sense of ownership over your life. They help you refresh your mind for a few days before getting back to the bustling city life; they let you spend some blissful moments with your loved ones; they let you live life freely for a few days, away from the cacophony of your busy life. Holiday loans make such dream vacations possible without taxing your cash flows.
ICICI Bank is an Indian multinational and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, with its registered office in Vadodara. In 2017, it became the third largest bank in India concerning assets and fourth regarding market capitalization. It offers many products and financial services for corporate and retail customers through investment banking, life insurance, non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. The bank had a vast network of 4,850 branches and 14,404 ATMs in India having a presence in 17 countries as of 2017. In 1998, ICICIs shareholding in ICICI Bank was reduced to 46 percent, through a public offering of shares in India , followed by an equity offering in the form of American Depositary Receipts on the NYSE in 2000. ICICI Bank acquired the Bank of Madura Limited in an all-stock deal in 2001, Sangli Bank in 2007 and Bank of Rajasthan in 2010. In 2000, ICICI Bank became the first Indian bank to list on the New York Stock Exchange with its five million American depositary shares. In October 2001, the merger of ICICI and two of its wholly-owned retail finance subsidiaries was permitted by the Boards of Directors of ICICI and ICICI Bank, ICICI Personal Financial Services Limited and ICICI Capital Services Limited, with ICICI Bank.
1. Build your Credit Score
2. Reduce your Current Borrowing / EMI Costs


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Eagle Scout Rank - Alternate Requirements
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Also see: Alternate Requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class Ranks.
|The Eagle Scout Rank - Alternate Requirements requirements were revised effective January 1, 2008.
Eagle Scout Rank - Alternate Requirements
The Eagle Scout rank may be achieved by a Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or qualified* Venturer or Sea Scout who has a physical or mental disability by completing the Application for Alternative Eagle Scout Rank Merit Badges, No. 512-730, and by qualifying for alternative merit badges. This does not apply to individual requirements for merit badges as described. Merit badges are awarded only when all requirements are met as stated. See the Guide To Advancement, topic 10.2.2.3, for details.
The physical or mental disability must be of a permanent rather than of a temporary nature (or a disability expected to last more than two years or beyond the 18th birthday). The application must include a written statement from a qualified health-care professional related to the nature of the disability. This person may be a physician, neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist, etc., or an educational administrator as appropriate.
Before applying, he must earn as many of the Eagle-required merit badges as possible. Any alternatives must present the same challenge and learning level as those they replace. Unless the Scout has been approved for registration beyond the age of eligibility, all merit badges must be completed by the 18th birthday (reference Guide To Advancement, topic 10.1.0.1–10.1.0.2).
The text of these requirements is locked and can only be edited by an Administrator.
Please make a note of any errors in the requirements on this article's Talk Page
Alternate Merit Badges for the Eagle Scout Rank:For Certification, eligibility, and more see: Youth Members With Special Needs.
|— Advancement Policies #33088, p. 43


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Three Teams, Three Days of Action
Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013
USU Spikers Host Wyoming Thursday in Halloween Night Match
Utah State [University] volleyball will play the third leg of its four-match homestand on Halloween night when the Aggies host border-foe Wyoming Thursday, Oct. 31. First-serve from the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is slated for 7 p.m. USU Athletics will be handing out candy to children age 12 and under.
Thursday is also USU's final match of its "Dig For A Cure," with any pledge or donation received throughout USU's month-long campaign will enter the fan's name into a drawing. Prizes include t-shirts, volleyballs and team photos. For more information or to donate, contact USU Assistant Coach Taubi Neves at email@example.com or 435-797-2063, or go to: http://bit.ly/RtaUKK.
Wyoming makes its first visit to Logan since 1989 Thursday. Utah State leads the series with Wyoming, 14-13, with the Aggies winning the last four meetings, including this season's first meeting, 3-1, Oct. 12 in Laramie. USU's series history with Wyoming began in 1977, and the Aggies won the first seven meetings before the Cowgirls won the next 10 meetings and 13 of the next 14, but USU's current four-match win streak. Wyoming's last win in the series came in 1998.
The Aggies have won their last five matches in a row and nine of their last 12 matches in posting a 14-7 overall record. USU's ledger is bolstered by a 7-3 Mountain West mark, at the midway point of conference play. USU is in the midst in season-long four-match homestand, opening with a pair of victories after sweeping San Diego State, 3-0, on Thursday [Oct. 24], then rallying after dropping the first set to beat UNLV, 3-1 Saturday [Oct. 26].
Utah State ranks third in the Mountain West in opponent hitting percentage (.178), while also ranking third in aces (1.23), as well as ranking fourth in the league in blocks (2.68). USU is also fifth in both digs per set (14.99) and hitting percentage (.212) and ninth in both kills per set (12.48) and assists per set (11.71).
Read more in the full story on the Athletics website.
Aggie Men's Basketball Hosts Adams State Friday in Final Tune-Up Before Regular Season
Utah State (0-0, 0-0 MW) vs. Adams State (0-0, 0-0 RMAC)
Friday, Nov. 1, 2013 • 7 p.m. (MT) • Logan, Utah
Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270)
Aggie Sports Network • Aggie Digital Network
- Utah State men's basketball hosts Adams State in the Aggies' second and final exhibition of the 2013-14 season Friday, Nov. 1. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (MT) at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270).
- Utah State has won 12 exhibition games in a row with its last exhibition loss coming on Oct. 31, 2007, to EA Sports, 86-81. Overall, USU is 24-5 (.828) in exhibition games under head coach Stew Morrill.
- Utah State has an overall record of 1,500-1,032 (.593) in its 2,531 games played. USU became the 52nd team in NCAA history to reach the 1,500 total win plateau with the Aggies' win March 9, 2013, in their final regular-season game.
- USU is entering its first season in the Mountain West after eight seasons in the Western Athletic Conference. Overall, USU posted a 94-34 (.732) regular-season WAC record in its eight years in the league.
- Utah State posted a 21-10 overall record in 2012-13 and is one of just five teams in the country to win at least 21 games in each of the past 14 seasons along with Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse. Furthermore, it was the 23rd time in school history that USU has won 20 or more games in a season.
- USU has won 63 of its last 72 official games (.873) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum after having its 33-game win streak snapped Nov. 30, 2011, with a loss to Denver. That 33-game win streak started after a 37-game win streak was halted by Saint Mary's Dec. 5, 2009. Overall, USU has won 99 of its last 109 home games (.907).
- Utah State has won 91.0 percent of its official home games (224-22) under head coach Stew Morrill, and the Aggies have won 252 of their last 276 games (.913) in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU has registered a 518-115 (.818) all-time record in its 44th year in the facility.
- USU ended the 2012-13 season ranked third in the nation in rebounding margin as part of ranking in the top 50 in three categories of the final NCAA Division I statistics. USU's +9.1 rebounding margin ranked the team third in the NCAA, and was also tops in the WAC.
- The Aggies were also 24th in the country in field goal percentage (.469). Utah State also ended 49th in assists per game (14.7), 63rd in won-lost percentage (.677) and 75th in the nation in assists-turnover ratio (1.12) during the 2012-13 season.
- Utah State returns four starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad, including senior guard/forward Spencer Butterfield and senior center Jarred Shaw, who both earned second-team all-WAC accolades and were both named to the conference's all-newcomer team.
Utah State men's basketball (0-0, 0-0 MW) hosts Adams State (0-0, 0-0 RMAC) in USU's second and final exhibition of the 2013-14 season Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. (MT) at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270). There is no television for Friday's game, but it will be streamed live through the Aggie Digital Network on USU's website. It will also be aired on the radio on the Aggie Sports Network, and audio streamed on USU's website.
Utah State officially opens the season hosting Pac-12 opponent USC Friday, Nov. 8, in a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Read much more in the full summary on the Athletics website.
Aggie Football Hosts Hawai'i Saturday Afternoon in Mountain West Matchup
HAWAI'I at UTAH STATE
Date: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013
Kickoff: 2 p.m. (MT)
Location: Logan, Utah
Stadium: Merlin Olsen Field at Romney Stadium (25,513)
Series: Series tied, 6-6
TV: CBS Sports Network, Dave Ryan (Play-by-Play), Adam Archuleta (Analyst), Evan Washburn (Reporter)
Radio: Utah State Sports Network, Al Lewis (Play-by-Play), Craig Hislop (Analyst)
Live Stats: UtahStateAggies.com
Twitter Updates: /USUFootball
YouTube: /USUAthletics
Facebook: /USUFootball
Tickets: 1-888-USTATE-1
- Utah State is in its 116th season of football and is 510-512-31 (.499) all-time. USU has nine nationally televised games on ABC, ESPN, CBS Sports Network and Fox Sports 1 in 2013 and two more that will be broadcast regionally on ROOT SPORTS.
- Utah State has won 14 of its last 15 league games dating back to 2011, and won a school record 13 straight conference games before falling to Boise State, 34-23, Oct. 12, 2013.
- Utah State has won nine of its last 11 home games overall and five of its last six home games against conference foes. Overall, USU is 121-98 (.553) all-time at Romney Stadium.
- Utah State has won 20 of its last 27 games overall, starting with its 35-31 road win at Hawai'i Nov. 5, 2011, and those seven losses during its last 27 games have been by a combined 41 points, losing to Ohio (24-23) in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, at No. 22 Wisconsin (16-14) and at BYU (6-3) in 2012, and at Utah (30-26), at USC (17-14), against BYU (31-14) and against Boise State (34-23) in 2013.
- Utah State has won each of its last seven games during the month of November and nine of its last 10 overall during the 11th month of the year. The last time USU lost a game in November was during the 2011 season at home to Idaho, 28-6.
- Utah State has had sellouts in each of its first three home games this year, marking the first time in the 46-year history of Romney Stadium that it has recorded three-straight sellouts. Prior to 2013, USU had never recorded three sellouts in the same season at Romney Stadium.
- True freshman quarterback Darell Garretson will make his second career start against Hawai'i and is one of just 15 true freshman at the FBS level to start at quarterback this year.
- Senior linebacker Jake Doughty ranks third in the Mountain West and eighth in the nation with an average of 11.1 tackles per game, while junior linebacker Zach Vigil ranks sixth in the Mountain West and tied for 40th in the nation with 9.1 tackles per game. Overall, Doughty has five double-digit tackle games this year and nine in his career, and Vigil has five double-digit tackle outings this year and 10 in his career.
- Utah State has 59 players in its program from the state of Utah, while Hawai'i has 44 players on its roster from the Hawaiian Islands.
- After playing four of its first five games of the year on the road, Utah State concludes the 2013 campaign by playing five of its final seven games at home, including three of its last four.
Read much more in the full game day summary on the Athletics website.
Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.


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Find hotels & motels in Moss Beach using the list below. Explore our guide for inexpensive and discount hotel/motel rates in or near Moss Beach, CA for your corporate or personal leisure travel. We provide the best Moss Beach, California motel and hotel rooms. Browse the Moss Beach area hotels to find the perfect lodging! Please use the provided map of the Moss Beach hotels.
The Moss Beach center point is about the area of Downtown Montara and 1 mile north of Half Moon Bay Airport.
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On the way to school, my kids and I play a guessing game: How polluted is the air today? We use an app linked to the air pollution monitor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and we try to guess the day's exact level on the Air Quality Index, and whether the air is dangerous.
These days, chances are that it could well be. For more than half of the past 60 days, the air pollution has hit levels hazardous to human health. Experts estimate long-term exposure to such pollution could reduce life expectancy by as much as five years. But I don't tell the kids that.
Living inside the pollution zone, those daily measurements determine how my family spends its days. Whenever the levels hit "very unhealthy," we keep the kids indoors and refuse to let them take part in outdoor activities, no matter how much whining might ensue. When to wear a pollution mask, when to stay indoors, it's all become crucial knowledge, even for our 4-year-old.
Differences In Measurement
That U.S. air pollution monitor has become central in the debate over Beijing's air quality, since it measures fine particles and thus produces different readings to China's official statistics, which measure only larger particles.
According to leaked cables, in 2009, Chinese officials claimed the air monitor's readings were causing "confusion" and undesirable "social consequences" among the Chinese public, and asked the embassy to consider limiting access to the data to American citizens.
This hasn't happened, but the existence of these divergent readings has placed pressure on the government to reform its air pollution reporting, a move that it has vowed to make in 2016.
One prime example was last Sunday, when the pollution was literally off the U.S. Embassy air monitor scale, hitting a level described as "beyond index." In contrast, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection, the air pollution was "light."
For the past few days, heavy pollution has caused hundreds of flight cancellations and road closures. While Chinese officials have blamed climactic conditions for what they describe as the "heavy fog," green groups say the real reason is the hangover from China's three decades of runaway growth — emissions from coal-fired power plants, industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust fumes
China's equivalent of Twitter is awash with sarcastic comments about air quality. "Suggest the Beijing government gives everybody a face mask ... in order to stimulate domestic consumption," tweets one user. "Today in China clean air, clean water, safe foods, kind hearts and the truth have all become luxury items," tweets another.
Unhealthy Levels, Even Indoors
Given the amount of time my kids now spend indoors, I decided to get an expert to check the air inside my apartment. This, it turned out, was a decision that has entirely ruined my peace of mind.
"We do that quite a lot," admitted Chris Buckley ruefully, after measuring the indoor pollution in our apartment. The British expat runs a business selling imported air purifiers.
I had been expecting the worst, but the readings were more alarming than I had imagined in my worst moments. Inside the living room, where the kids construct dens out of sofa cushions, the level of air pollution — or, more specifically, fine particulate matter — was an estimated 208 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter. That's five times higher than the level considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In fact, in the U.S., the level of pollution inside my living room would be "very unhealthy," verging on "hazardous."
"I guess I'm the only guy who wakes up when the air pollution is terrible and looks at the sky and thinks, 'Hmm, OK, this is not bad,'" said Buckley, who says his business is booming. "It's been good, the last year, especially the last 12 months when the air has been foul. We're doing fine."
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji even weighed in on the health hazards.
"If I work in your Beijing, I would shorten my life at least five years," Zhu reportedly told city officials in 1999. And researchers say that estimate is actually not so far off the mark.
The High Health Costs
Avraham Ebenstein of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem describes those seemingly throwaway words as "astoundingly close to the estimates that we observe." Ebenstein has been crunching decades of Chinese statistics to come up with one of the few studies on the long-term effects of living with high levels of pollution.
"We estimate about five to six years of foregone life expectancy over the long haul for living in Beijing relative to [China's] southern cities," he says.
Together with colleagues from Columbia University, the Brookings Institution, Peking University and Tsinghua University, Ebenstein looked at life expectancy rates north and south of China's Huai river. That's relevant because the government provides heating — mainly coal-powered — north of the river, but not south. As a result, air pollution is much worse north of the river.
The researchers used air quality readings from 91 Chinese cities from 1981 to 2000, as well as health data from China's disease surveillance system from 1991 to 2000. For cities north of the Huai river, where the pollution is worse, they found lower birth rates, as well as higher adult mortality rates for respiratory-related diseases like heart disease and lung cancer.
When asked how relevant his findings are now, given that much of the data is historical, he says, "The answer is we don't know. On the one hand, the air pollution isn't as bad now as it was before, and those people lost five years."
"But since you're going to have less of a chance of getting other kinds of illnesses" given improving standards of living in China, Ebenstein says, "if you're exposed to air pollution now, as a relative share of the health cost to you, it could still be a really big factor. It could have a really large impact of life expectancy."
Alternatives Few
Even the state-run China Daily admitted this week that the smog was a "severe hazard," quoting a health official as saying that the lung cancer rate has increased in Beijing by 60 percent during the past decade, even though the smoking rate has not increased.
For those of us living here, protecting our kids from the air they breathe is almost impossible. For a long while, our major strategy was denial, but this is no longer an option. It's clear that there is a health cost in living in such pollution. And the immediate cost to us of doing this story has been almost $3,000 in new air purifiers — an option that's out of reach for most Beijing residents.
In Beijing, concern is growing about the veil of pollution caused by coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions. For more than half of the last 60 days, the air pollution there has hit levels hazardous to human health. That is according to the monitoring system at the U.S. embassy. The official Chinese statistics come from measuring only large particles, widely seen as producing less reliable information. In this postcard from the Chinese capital, NPR's Louisa Lim - who has two small children - describes family life in the pollution zone.
LOUISA LIM, BYLINE: I've just got up, and the first thing I do in the mornings is I look out the window to see how polluted it is. And today, I have to say it's pretty disgusting. There's a kind of white haze, which is hanging in the air, shrouding everything with mist.
And I have an app which I normally check first thing in the morning. It's linked to the air pollution monitor at the U.S. embassy. Oh no, today is 325 on the air pollution index. That's officially hazardous to human health. This is going to be a big problem today. My six-year-old has a football match.
DANIEL FENG: I want my Cheerios.
LIM: Listen, you may not be able to go to your football today.
EVE FENG: Why then?
LIM: Look how polluted it is outside.
FENG: (unintelligible)
LIM: Listen, we'll check what the pollution level is before football. And if it's dangerous then you can't go. OK?
FENG: I have got a very super-good idea: Put your pollution mask on, mummy.
FENG: No, put it on me and I'll play with it on.
LIM: Serious, you'll play with a facemask on?
FENG: Yeah.
LIM: Now it's afternoon, and the air pollution index is over 400. So even sitting outside to watch football seems foolhardy. So the kids are playing computer games at home, instead of running around outside. All this time that they're spending inside is kind of making me wonder what it is they're breathing inside our apartment. So, I think it's time to get the experts in.
CHRIS BUCKLEY: I'm Chris, Chris Buckley. I have a business in Beijing, selling air purifiers.
LIM: So you've brought this equipment with you.
BUCKLEY: It measures the number of particles in the air at different size ranges.
LIM: Should we find out how - now I'm really scared of this figure.
BUCKLEY: So I just - so outside, I was getting 314 micrograms. And indoors, I've got 208 micrograms.
LIM: You're telling me that the level of air pollution inside is five times what the U.S. EPA would consider average?
BUCKLEY: A safe average, yes. As we speak...
BUCKLEY: ...we're both breathing air which the EPA would say was not good.
LIM: That's really scary.
BUCKLEY: Yeah, it is. Yeah, welcome to Beijing.
LIM: Well, to find out more about the long-term impact of pollution, I called Avraham Ebenstein from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Together with Chinese colleagues, he's been looking at the different life expectancy rates north and south of the Huai River. The government provides heating, mainly coal-powered heating, north of the river but not south, making the pollution much worse. I want to know what they found.
PROFESSOR AVRAHAM EBENSTEIN: It's actually kind of funny, because the former premier of China was southern resident and he was concerned about moving to the north. And he said: If I move to Beijing, I will lose five years of life expectancy, which is astoundingly close to the estimates that we observe. Our estimate is about five to six years of foregone life expectancy over the long haul, of living in Beijing, relative to southern cities.
LIM: Hold on a minute. Your research was based on data from the 1980s. I mean how relevant is that for us now?
EBENSTEIN: The answer is we don't know. On the one hand, maybe the air pollution isn't as bad now as it was before, and those people lost five years. But since you're going to have less of a chance of getting other kinds of illnesses, if you're exposed to air pollution now, as a relative share of the health cost to you, it could still be a really big factor. It could still have a really large impact of life expectancy.
LIM: So how to protect yourself from the very air that you breathe? We end up shuttling our kids by car, from one indoor play place to another, minimizing their time outside. Until now, our strategy has been denial, pretending it wasn't really that bad. That's no longer an option.
We don't know what living here will cost us in health terms. But the immediate cost to us of doing this story has been almost $3,000 in new air purifiers, an option that's out of reach for most Beijingers.
Louisa Lim, NPR News, Beijing.
WERTHEIMER: You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Post-game breakdown, video: New Hampshire
Is it okay to look now?
A painfully brutal college basketball game between UConn and New Hampshire is finally over here at the XL Center.
The post-game theme: A win is a win.
Forget about any style points in a 61-53 victory Thursday in Hartford.
"Our guys didn't perform the way we wanted them to perform, but we found a way to win," coach Kevin Ollie said.
The Huskies, 6-1 overall, never trailed but also never felt comfortable until the final seconds.
Some post-game news, notes and quotes:
-- Sound the party horns.
The Huskies finally out-rebounded an opponent, holding a 43-40 edge.
Sophomore DeAndre Daniels had a career-high 10 rebounds and freshman Omar Calhoun added a career-best eight rebounds. Reserve center Enosch Wolf came off the bench to grab a career-high tying six rebounds.
"At the end of the day, we did out-rebound them, which is a good, positive thing," Ollie said. "But we've just got to shoot better."
UConn finished shooting 36.8 percent from the field, including an icy 31 percent (9-for-29) in the first half.
"We were a little out of it offensively...," Calhoun said. "We were getting frustrated, but we had to stay composed."
-- Sophomore guard Ryan Boatright was the star of the game for the Huskies. He scored a team-high 19 points and kept the Huskies on course during an awful offensive performance. He also added four assists and just one turnover in 36 minutes.
"I love his energy and I love his pull-up game, and I love his pick-and-roll game," Ollie said. "When the offense got a little stagnant, he was able to get in the crack of the defense and make good passes. … He did a good job running the team today."
Boatright went 5-for-10 from the field while the rest of the team converted 16-of-47. He hit 9-of-11 free throws.
"I didn't play great but I played better than I have been," Boatright said. "I feel like my defense could have been better. There were a couple of loose balls I could have got to. I'm glad about the win though."
-- Some ugly facts: The Huskies went 1-for-14 from 3-point range and committed 13 turnovers against a team that didn't pressure them.
-- It's hard to figure out junior Shabazz Napier.
Napier can dominate in stretches and disappear in other stretches.
He mainly disappeared on Thursday, finishing with a season-low five points on 2-for-9 shooting. It was the first time that Napier, who came in averaging a team-best 20.8, fell short of double figures.
"I have no idea," said Ollie when asked about Napier's up and down play. "If I had an answer, a lot of people would be sitting on my coach and I'd be a psychiatrist or something. … I don't know the reason why he got five points."
-- The Huskies need more out of junior forward Tyler Olander, the team's most experienced frontcourt player.
Foul trouble limited Olander to just 16 minutes. He had eight points and four rebounds before fouling out for the third time this season.
"We're going to keep believing him and keep pushing him forward," Ollie said.
-- On the plus side, Calhoun, a freshman guard, continues to improve. He had a solid all-around game with a career-high 16 points along with three steals, two assists, three turnovers and a block in a career-best 38 minutes.
"I do like his improvement," Ollie said. "I kept him in the game along time because he had eight rebounds.
-- Defense remains an anchor for UConn, which limited New Hampshire to just 30.6 percent shooting. It is the sixth time this season an opponent has failed to shoot 40 percent.
"Our defense, they've been giving me effort," Ollie said. "To keep this team to 30 percent for the game is pretty good. We needed them to shoot that bad to win. I do like our defensive effort… Hopefully, we'll get better on offense."
-- UConn improved to 3-0 against America East opponents this year.
-- Former Husky Donyell Marshall attended the game. He's in town to visit UConn with his son, a high school football standout.
-- Up next: UConn plays No. 18 North Carolina State on Tuesday in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.
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State budget shows winners and losers for local cities and towns


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I picked our last peach today. It's always sad when the summer fruit season ends. We eat so much fresh fruit during the summer when we can just pick it off the tree, or go to our close farmer's market. We are lucky to have 2 peach trees that ripen at different times, so we have fresh peaches from mid June through mid August. As we do every year, we enjoyed all things peach- homemade ice cream, kuchen (tart), smoothies, sorbet, short cake, cobbler and of course peach pie.
Mimi Jr. made these cute mini pies on a day that we picked a few too many to eat right away. For most of us they are big enough for two to share, but Boy Mimi insists that they are the perfect size for one growing boy!
She started with our favorite pie crust from Julia Child and lined four mini pie pans with crust and placed them on a rimmed baking sheet. This makes it easier to get them into and out of the oven and catches any filling that bubbles over.
Peach Pie
adapted from America's Test Kitchen
2 1/2 lb peaches, peeled pitted and sliced about 7 cups
1 to 1 1/4 cup sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons corn starch
1 Tablespoon instant tapioca
Juice and zest of one lemon
Pinch salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
Toss the sliced peaches with lemon juice and zest, 1 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon tapoica, salt and nutmeg. If your peaches are tart add up to 4 tablespoons more sugar. If they are very juicy add an aditional tablespoon cornstarch. Divide filling among 4 mini pie tins or 1 nine inch pie pan lined with unbaked pie crust.
Strussel Topping
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Although cormeal seems like a strange strussel ingredient, we liked that it added texture to the topping without making it overly sweet.
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fine gorund cornmeal.
pinch salt
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
In a small bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir with a fork untiul roughly combined.
Cover pie(s) with streusel topping and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking until the juices are bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. Cool before serving.
Perfect with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
We are taking this to the Foodie Friday Party at Designs by Gollum and to the Fresh Friday blog hop at La Bella Vita


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Up to [cvs.NetBSD.org] / src / crypto / dist / ssh
Request diff between arbitrary revisions
Default branch: MAIN
Current tag: v33-20020624
Revision 188.8.131.52 / (download) - annotate - [select for diffs] (vendor branch), Mon Jun 24 05:26:08 2002 UTC (16 years, 7 months ago) by itojun
Branch: OPENSSH
CVS Tags: v34-20020626, v33-20020624
Changes since 126.96.36.199: +4 -3 lines
Diff to previous 22.214.171.124 (colored)
OpenSSH 3.3 as of June 24, 2002. - ssh is no longer seruid root. ssh-keyscan is added to read secret host keys. protocol version 1 rsh-like authentication is gone. - FallBackToRsh is deprecated.
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Effect Veiler:
During your opponent's Main Phase, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to select 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls. Negate the effect(s) of that monster until the End Phase.
SP = Short Print (Common);
SSP = Super Short Print (Common);
DNPR = Duel Terminal Normal Parallel Rare;
DRPR = Duel Terminal Rare Parallel Rare;
DSPR = Duel Terminal Super Parallel Rare;
DUPR = Duel Terminal Ultra Parallel Rare;
|No comments yet for this card.


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It's one thing to watch this year's Super Bowl commercials trying desperately to sell you products like Doriots, sneakers, and cars in clever, comical, original ways. It's entirely another to watch a Super Bowl commercial featuring hottie man Brad Pitt, aka Mr. Angelina Jolie, trying to save his family from a bunch of zombies taking over the entire world.
ZOMG, yep, World War Z is coming, and no one is safe. And people say trivial politics will be the downfall of our civilization. Nope, it's ridiculously fast, seemingly-able-to-pile-on-top-of-each-other, freakishly strong, murderous zombies. Ya heard?
So, if you're tuning in to the Big Game on Sunday, expect to see even more teasers of Will Smith, I mean Brad trying to save the world from CGI humanoids -- football be damned! Really, how can you not love Brad Pitt? And scary zombies? And apocalypses? Luckily for you, the trailer's got ALL THESE THINGS.
Here it is!
From the prequisite happy, wholesome family shot to the crazy action scenes to the huge-ass pile of zombies trying to overtake some really large wall, this could either be a really great movie or a complete disaster, don't you think?
Looks like China's in for a rough go, though.
Well, for some background, fans of the original novel are a little worried about how exactly the producers will handle the source material (since the book was basically just an oral history of the apocalypse), and from the sound of it, the entire post-production process didn't go very smoothly in the slightest.
According to The Huffington Post:
Paramout was originally set to release "World War Z," an adaptation of Max Brooks' novel about the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse on Earth, in December. The film was shifted to June of 2013 after "significant reshoots" were requested by the studio. In June, Damon Lindelof ("Lost," "Prometheus") was reportedly hired to work on the script -- with specific focus on the ending -- despite the fact that "World War Z" finished production in 2011. (In the end, it was never confirmed that Lindelof did work on the script.) Meanwhile, as Vulture reported, the messy post-production process was exacerbated further by the fact that Pitt and director Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace") weren't on speaking terms.
Oy, Brad and Marc not on speaking terms? Doesn't sound good! Turns out zombies really can't bring everyone together. Looks like we'll have to wait until June 21 to see if any of that post-production nonsense (or the fact it looks like they're pissing off fans already) will make this the next big-budget box office disaster. Guess we'll at least have the teaser to look forward to on Sunday ... or maybe just the wings and beer.
Are you watching the Super Bowl? What about World War Z when it comes out this summer?
Image via CBMTrailers/YouTube


text: The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 85-57 in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Senior Night and BDN was there for the speeches. Check out what Mason Plumlee, Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly had to say after they played their last game in Cameron in a Duke uniform. (Skip to the 1:50 mark for the speeches)


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Gem-Knight Amber:
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it become an Effect Monster with this effect.
SP = Short Print (Common);
SSP = Super Short Print (Common);
DNPR = Duel Terminal Normal Parallel Rare;
DRPR = Duel Terminal Rare Parallel Rare;
DSPR = Duel Terminal Super Parallel Rare;
DUPR = Duel Terminal Ultra Parallel Rare;
|No comments yet for this card.


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While announcing their Q3 numbers yesterday, Amazon took the opportunity to take a few shots at Apple and the newly announced iPad mini. Amazon listed what they think are key advantages for their Kindle Fire HD over the iPad mini, including higher screen resolutions, better speakers, and lower cost. This, perhaps, to help distract from the loss Amazon suffered during the quarter. Here's the checklist courtesy of Amazon's press release:
Compared to the iPad mini, Kindle Fire HD 7" has:
- 30% more pixels (1,024,000 vs. 786,432 pixels)
- 33% more pixels per inch (216 vs. 163)
- Watch HD movies and TV – cannot on iPad mini (iPad mini is an SD device)
- Better audio with dual stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus
- Wi-Fi with dual band, dual antennas + MIMO
- Costs $130 less
Amazon posted a $28 million operating loss last quarter, and they expect losses for next quarter as well. This isn't good news. Neither is Amazon is bringing specs to an experience fight, a strategy that has proven catastrophic for every other iPad competitor in the history of iPad competitors. The Kindle Fire HD is particularly amusing here for a couple of reasons.
First, it's not a tablet. It's a media appliance, a front-end for the Amazon store with great shopping software and middling everything else. Second, because of that, it's barely more than a paperweight outside the small handful of countries in which Amazon sells it.
The iPad mini is a full tablet, available in 90+ countries, with the best tablet software in the industry, and over 250,000 tablet class apps.
So, as they say, good luck with that Amazon.
Source: Amazon Media Room>


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Mountain Mike's Pizza San Diego
Mountain Mike's Pizza has 2 locations in the San Diego area, with neighborhood restaurants in Clairemont and San Carlos.
Serving the best pizza in San Diego comes naturally to us: fresh dough, real ingredients and quality service have made us the neighborhood pizza restaurant of choice since the 1970's. Have you tried our pepperoni pizza? It made us famous! Our old-world style pepperoni pizza uses natural casing so our pepperoni curls and crisps when cooked, a pepperoni aficionado's dream. You gotta try one!
Our restaurants are family oriented and perfect for parties, sports teams and groups of all sizes. Planning a birthday party or special event? Give us a call, make a reservation and we'll take care of the rest.
Pizza Delivery
Yes, we deliver open til close, all day long. Let Mountain Mike's Pizza deliver to your door, or come on in for dine-in or take out!
Franchise Opportunities
Mountain Mike's Pizza is continuing to expand and has franchise opportunities in all of San Diego's communities: La Mesa, Santee, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Encinitas, Tierrasanta, Spring Valley, Chula Vista, Point Loma, National City, San Ysidro, Poway, Rancho Penasquitos, Bonita, University City, La Jolla, Sorrento Valley, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Solana Beach, Ramona, Mission Beach, Allied Gardens, Pacific Beach, Golden Hill, Ocean Beach, Encanto, Hillcrest, University Heights, Imperial Beach, Normal Heights, Kensington, Mission Valley Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, San Marcos and Oceanside.
More Franchising Information...


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Sister Katherine Kraft, O.S.B., St. Benedict's Monastery, St. Joseph, Minnesota
His painting of Jesus' Agony in the garden hung on the wall in the first grade class room when I was a first grader in 1944. When I was a pre-school child of about four, I had painted my nails red. When he saw that he asked, "What do yo have on your finger nails? Is that red barn paint?"


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Launchpad's Civil War" couldn't possibly have been made in the modern era. Perhaps Seth Macfarlane or Trey & Matt might have been able to avoid the slings and arrows of politically correct censors by crafting "Civil War-themed episodes" that succeeded in offending ALL points of view regarding the conflict. But an ep that, while comedic, invites us to consider such heavy matters as reconciliation and restoration of honor and treats both sides with a reasonable amount of respect? Just no way. "Civil War" can be said to have slipped through a crack in time -- a period during which Civil War symbols could still be shown without the heavens falling in, and an animated series that thought highly enough of the intelligence of its audience to be able to present such an episode without a surfeit of dumbed-down explanation.
For those who, like GeoX, have a problem with the whole notion of an ideology-free presentation of the war, I think that I have a solution to your dilemma. Remember the "Parachute Postulate" of TaleSpin, in which every pilot of every doomed plane had a parachute at the ready? Or the "Animal Apothegm" of Rescue Rangers, which posited an elaborate animal "subsociety" mimicking the activities of the human society? For your kind consideration, may I present the "Taxes and Tariffs Tenet": in the Ducks' world (called "Quackeria" by Greg Weagle and simply the "Mouse and Duck 'universe'" by other, somewhat less imaginative souls), the Civil War arose solely as a dispute over tariff policy! No pesky "involuntary servitude" involved whatsoever! Given the huge number of pig villains known to infest the Ducks' world -- very much including 19th century representatives -- it's not hard to imagine the country being led to sectional blows thanks to the machinations of porcine economic malefactors. So GeoX gets his capitalist villains without having to concern himself with slavery. What's not to like?
Contra Greg, if you're willing to accept the idea of a 400-year-old Spanish sea captain keeping himself alive through "sheer willpower," then swallowing the notion of 150-year-old Union soldiers staying alive to redeem a long-ago humiliation should be, as the saying goes, "cake." In fact, I'm even more impressed at the old soldiers' resilience than I am at El Capitan's, since the "no-longer-boys in blue" don't have the potential for substantial material gain egging them on. The Duck Ridge reenactors don't bother to get the details of "McQuack's Marauders"' defeat right -- the pretend soldiers "flee," as opposed to silently slipping away -- so can you really blame the old guys for wanting to set things right? The old soldiers' sense of despair is probably the most affecting part of the episode, though their comically repeated lament about "that lousy, rotten, bunglin' polecat McQuack" puts something of a humorous spin on the situation.
(GeoX) Huey, upon learning that Launchpad's been invited to be in this thing: "Wow! The Civil War happened a long long time ago!" That's a rather bizarre non-sequitur.
Thankfully, this rather unimaginative line doesn't turn out to be a harbinger for the intellectual content of the rest of the episode; the Civil War ambiance (small-town parades, reenactments, souvenir shops, observation balloons, etc.) is generally treated quite well. The line does, however, foreshadow the contribution that HD&L make to the episode, which is basically nil. They're just kinda-sorta there. At least Doofus gets to show off his photography skills. Given the minor roles played by the boys, "Launchpad's Civil War" seems just the right title for the episode. "A DuckTales Civil War" would have made much less sense (not to mention given viewers a false idea of the series as a whole!).
(Greg) The kids try to help [Launchpad] from the carnage as we cut to the entrance to see a dogperson wearing blue; a helmet and glasses with pants, a white scarf and a red bicycle. He rings the bell and proclaims that he has a Quack-a-Gram... Launchpad is tied up by the tires and tries to grab it from the boy; but he's basically a rocking tire chair. HAHA! He does have enough to pay the boy and the boy thanks him as Doofus grabs the Quack-A-Gram.
Hard to believe, but the "Quack-a-Gram delivered by messenger boy" bit now seems almost as dated as the Civil War itself!
(Greg) So we cut to Launchpad talking to the Larry, Curley and Moe of Civil War Re-enactments as LP gives the pep talk about recreating a great battle in the Civil War. The three stooges giggle with their backs turned of course as LP is so dense that it's funny. This will be their finest hour. For Launchpad's it's already happened as they must work as one to win the battle. Launchpad's pep talk is so hilarious given the context that this is an re-enactment and LP's treating it as if the civil war is happening RIGHT NOW! The Three Stooges laugh their asses off on THAT one.
Again, I can't be too hard on Launchpad here, since he is only trying to get into the spirit of his role. It's the incidental stupidity that hurts LP more in this episode.
(Greg) After the commercial break; we see Grace and Launchpad huddled together in mortal fear of being MURDERED by ghost soldiers. The soldiers proclaim that the horse and LP look awfully familiar as the kids arrive and swear in DUBBED DUCK STYLE (Holy Quackamole!). The soldiers think Launchpad is Rhubarb McQuack and that he has aged well. Now if they are truly real; then we have a logic break since the Civil War took place about 100+ years ago. LP gets off a religious reference (heavens to helicopters!) as they are the lost soldiers of General Rhubarb McQuack as they get flashed by Doofus and the guns go off. Okay; the joke is seriously overplayed now Doofus. Their guns go away as they huddle and surrender.
Next: It's "Back to the Beginning" at last! Episode 24, "Treasure of the Golden Suns, Part One: Don't Give Up the Ship."


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Oct. 3, 2013 -- The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) approved a notice of intent today to amend the rules governing the Natural and Scenic Rivers System.
Recommendations to amend the existing rules were made by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).
Some of the NOI proposed changes include:
- Prohibiting the use of a motor vehicle or other wheeled or tracked vehicle on a designated system stream, except for permitted uses and direct crossings by immediately adjacent landowners, lessees, and persons who have written permission from the landowner for non-commercial activities that do not significantly degrade the ecological integrity of the stream.
- Requiring a permit for a moored houseboat or floating camp, except when moored to a legally permitted piling, pier or bulkhead or moored to trees using connections that do not damage the trees and with written permission of the owner of the trees. A permit or letter of certification from the parish health unit, verifying an approved sewerage disposal system is on board, would also be required.
To review the full NOI document, go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/action-items [4].
Interested persons may submit comments on the proposed changes to Keith Cascio, Scenic Rivers Coordinator, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, or via email at email@example.com [5] through Dec. 20, 2013 [the original Nov. 29, 2013 deadline for comments has been extended].


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Thermage Lake Forest | LaserAway
Located at 23626 El Toro Road, LaserAway is a Lake Forest premier provider of laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, and other laser and dermatological services.
Want to try Thermage? We've got it. Interested in VelaShape? You've got the right place. Intrigued by Clear + Brilliant? We provide that service. Laser tattoo removal? We offer that, too. LaserAway's medical specialists use only the most cutting-edge technology, meaning you'll always feel at ease. What's more, our clinics offer a relaxed but sophisticated environment. No wonder LaserAway's services are a smash hit among Hollywood celebrities!
See the LaserAway difference for yourself. After stopping by LaserAway, grab a burger at the Habit Burger Grill next door, or head to California Fish Grill for some fresh seafood. Our convenient location is just footsteps away from dozens of great restaurants, shops, and more.
It can be difficult choosing among laser and dermatological treatments. That's why first-time clients may take advantage of a free, no obligation consultation. LaserAway's expert medical staff will happily explain the finer points of body contouring, laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, anti-aging procedures, hand rejuvenation, or any of the other treatments offered at LaserAway's Lake Forest location. Visit our Laser and Dermatological Services page for a full list of LaserAway services.
We at LaserAway strive for excellence in all our laser and dermatological treatments, and we value customer feedback. Don't see a treatment you want? Let us know. LaserAway offers the best laser and dermatological procedures in Lake Forest, and we intend to stay number one. Our experienced medical staff will be happy to discuss treatment options in Lake Forest and offer their expertise and guidance throughout the treatment process.
*Results and patient experience may vary.


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Inspirational Garden design and build:
"You dream, we design, together we exceed your expectations"
Based in London and the South East, The Design CIC is an award-winning garden design and build practice with five Gold and Silver gilt medals from RHS Chelsea, Hampton Court and Tatton Hall.
The Design CIC strives to create high quality, innovative gardens and landscape design. Our team prides itself on giving service with a mission statement which emphasises the client's emotional fulfillment in the creation of stunning gardens and outdoor environments.
We recognize how crucial it is to actively listen to our client from the outset. The initial consultation is an opportunity to probe the client's deepest needs and desires as we sensitively interpret their brief to create transformative garden design.


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Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply.
It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship and persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it will not be created for years or even generations.
Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.


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Coffee Urn
The smallest of this equipment can produce a few dozen cups of brew per batch, while the larger ones can make hundreds. If portability is a concern, there are models designed to brew and serve coffee at banquets and other events that include attractive finishes and handles for transport. Larger models are designed for back-of-house installation and can be plumbed directly into your water supply for automatic filling.


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AOL has been on a shopping spree for content-driven websites. It's acquisition of Huffington Post is the latest of many similar deals.
Click ahead to see which other content sites AOL has added to its roster under Tim Armstrong's leadership.
By Jason Farkas and Maxwell Meyers
Posted 07 Feb 2011


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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Joe Torre hoped it would happen, but he never dared think it would. The former New York Mets player and manager, who later carved his legacy as four-time World Series manager of the Yankees, was selected to the Hall of Fame today by the veteran's committee.
The announcement was made at the Walt Disney Swan resort hotel in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Torre will go in with fellow managers Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox. All three won over 2,000 games and World Series titles. All three are incredibly deserving.
Also deserving, but left out were Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, whom Torre said, "changed my life for giving me that opportunity,'' and Marvin Miller, the former director of the Players Association.
As much as friends told Torre – who currently works in the commissioner's office – his nomination was a given, he never let his mind wander there.
"That's what they said when we were up 3-0 against the Red Sox, and looked what happened,'' said Torre of the Yankees' infamous collapse in the 2004 ALCS. "As much as I would have like it to happen, I never obsessed over it.''
Torre has little to say about his time with the Mets other than, "I started with the Mets when they weren't spending anything,'' and that he wasn't the manager for two weeks when the club dealt Tom Seaver to Cincinnati.
Torre, a lifetime .297 hitter, finished his playing career and was named manager shortly thereafter.
Torre, who managed the Mets, Yankees, Braves and Cardinals, won 2,326 games, fifth all time, along with six pennants. He wore his 2003 World Series ring.
While he credited Steinbrenner for the opportunity, he saved his greatest gratitude for his players.
"You can't win the Kentucky Derby unless you are on a thoroughbred,'' Torre said of the team that won titles in 1996, 1998-2000. "They had so much heart and backbone.''
Cox, a former Yankee, managed Toronto and Atlanta, and won the World Series.
"When you're voted into the Hall of Fame, your life changes,'' Cox said. "Hopefully, two guys who helped get me here – Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux – will be there with me. … They are the guys who got me here.''
Glavine – a former Met – and Maddux are 300-game winners, traditionally an automatic ticket to Cooperstown.
La Russa began his managerial career at age 34 with the Chicago White Sox, and blossomed to dugout stardom with Oakland and St. Louis.
"The best way to describe the feeling is `stunned,' '' said La Russa. "I'm not sure I will ever feel comfortable in that club.''
ON DECK: A trade the Mets should make.


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Tools & Checklists
Rapid Incident Notification Grid (RING)
When food shows signs of defect such as change of colour, taste, odour, infestation, and other issues affecting quality, it should be reported.
Assure that the food and commodities supplied to our beneficiaries meet WFP's commitment to improve nutrition pursuant to SDG 2, in alignment with WFP's Strategic Objective to "Save Lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies
Support operations to help minimize impact, by tracing, isolating and mitigating risk in the pipeline and meeting WFP's mandate of feeding people the right food; and
Gather and consolidate evidence and data to take corrective actions to prevent re-occurrence of incidents, in order to coordinate and facilitate cases to support improvement and monitor supplier performance.
WFP utilizes the Rapid Incident Notification Grid (RING)
The RING report is completed by the country office and accompanied by any supporting evidence such as photos and relevant documents;
The country office then transmits the RING report to WFP Food Quality and Safety Unit Chief to facilitate coordination towards resolution; and
The Food Safety and Quality Unit will consolidate all information, provide technical support, guidance or take other necessary action to resolve the incident.