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I'm sure you've heard the old saying about the three kinds of lies, in which the third "kind of lie" is statistics.
That bit of wisdom played out during the weekend with Charlotte's weather.
If you look at the monthly statistics from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, we've had above-average rainfall for the month. The official rainfall total is 2.89 inches, and that is nearly a half-inch above average for this time in September.
As we all know, that's a deceptive number. If you look at that total, you'd think September has been a relatively wet month.
In fact, measurable rain has fallen only three days. And 2.74 inches of that 2.89-inch total came Saturday night, with the passage of a cold front. There also was .14 of an inch Sept. 1, and .01 of an inch the next day.
It has been, in short, a dry month -- despite what the numbers say. Certainly, the heavy rain Saturday night will help bring a little life to growing things in the region, and it will give a boost to the water table. But it hasn't been a wet month.
John Tomko, who does the number-crunching at the National Weather Service's office in Greer, S.C., is fond of saying that meteorological averages are merely the result of extremes. In other words, our annual Charlotte snowfall of about 5 inches really comes from some winters with 8 or 10 inches, averaged out with winters with an inch or less.
Incidentally, Charlotte is now 7.25 inches above average at this point of the year, with 38.21 inches. We already have received 5 inches more precipitation than all of last year, and we're approaching the average number for the whole year.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Lies ... and (weather) statistics
I'm sure you've heard the old saying about the three kinds of lies, in which the third "kind of lie" is statistics.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Your weekend: Wet, then nice
It looks like we'll be able to salvage one dry day from the coming weekend.
That's good news is you have outdoor plans Sunday. If you have plans for Saturday, it's not so good.
A cold front will push across the Carolinas on Saturday. Earlier in the week, some of the computer models hinted that the front would move very slowly across the region, giving us a good chance of rain for several days.
But the models now are pretty consistent in pushing the front east of our area later Saturday night and early Sunday. So let's deal with the good parts of the weekend first.
Friday night will be great for high school football, Festival in the Park, or anything else you have planned.
Temperatures actually are a bit on the warm side, with Friday afternoon readings in the middle and even the upper 80s. Expect temperatures in the 70s on Friday evening.
Sunday also should be a keeper. A few showers might linger into the morning hours, but they should push east of the Charlotte region by sunrise, or maybe an hour or two later. That will set the stage for a very nice day, with at least partial sunshine and high temperatures climbing into the upper 70s.
If you're headed to the Carolina Panthers' game against the New York Giants, figure on temperatures around 72 degrees at kickoff.
Then there's Saturday.
It's pretty much a given that the afternoon and evening will be wet, and possibly stormy. The computer models show a fair amount of atmospheric instability, especially along and southeast of the I-85 corridor. That means a chance of thunderstorms.
The big question is when the showers and storms will arrive. In Charlotte, we might be able to salvage the morning hours, but don't be surprised if a shower arrives before noon.
Next week looks like a return to dry and seasonal temperatures. There is no rain in the forecast after Saturday night for several days. Our afternoon highs next week will be mostly in the upper 70s.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Wet or dry this weekend? It's still not clear
Weekend weather is a big issue in the Carolinas, and this weekend's forecast carries a lot of importance to people for many different reasons.
There are a lot of outdoor events on the schedule, ranging from football to festivals. And while we have a slightly better idea about the weekend weather than we had yesterday, there still are some unanswered questions.
At this point, on Thursday evening, a couple things are clear:
FRIDAY EVENING ... If you're headed to a high school football game or the AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway, you'll have no problems. The only exception to this is in the mountains, where showers and thunderstorms are possible Friday afternoon and evening.
For everyone else, though, the weather should be OK. Forecasters expect a mix of clouds and sun with mild temperatures. Daytime highs should be in the low 80s, with evening temperatures falling into the upper 60s by midnight.
SATURDAY MORNING ... If your plans include children's sporting events, a golf game or tennis match, or perhaps heading to AutoFair or the Festival in the Park at Freedom Park, you're probably OK.
A cold front will be advancing on the Charlotte region Saturday, and clouds will be on the increase. On Wednesday, computer models were predicting the heaviest rainfall for Saturday night and Sunday, but the models now say the showers and storms will arrive by early afternoon.
SUNDAY ... This is good news. Where the forecast looked very wet just 24 hours ago, it now has a drier appearance. Most of the computer models now predict the cold front will push east of the Charlotte region late Saturday night, allowing for partial clearing by noon Sunday.
That should clear the way for fans headed to the Panthers' game against the New York Giants, or for Festival in the Park and the AutoFair.
Now, for the uncertainty. There are still some areas we're not sure about ...
HOW MUCH RAIN SATURDAY, AND WHEN? ... If your plans include attending a college football game or any of the previously mentioned outdoor events, it appears as if you'll get wet. But the computer models can't agree on whether the rain will be scattered and fast-moving, or if it'll be heavier and more prolonged. The forecast trend over the past 24 hours has been for a faster-moving system Saturday, but it's a safe bet that you'll encounter some rainfall Saturday afternoon and evening.
RAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK? The official forecast from the National Weather Service is for partly cloudy skies and seasonal temperatures Monday and Tuesday. But if you look at some of the computer-generated forecasts, the Charlotte region still could be facing some very wet weather. Some of the models show a slow-moving low pressure system crossing the area, especially late Sunday and Monday.
We should have a better idea on this by Friday.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Gulf storm likely ... then what?
The area of disturbed weather which is meandering in the southern Gulf of Mexico is likely to become a named tropical storm within a day or two, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Even though the system might never approach our part of the world in the Carolinas, it will be something to watch.
The storm, which would be named Jerry, is expected to continue wandering rather aimlessly between the Yucatan Peninsula and the Mexican mainland for a day or two.
Then, forecasters expect a cold front to push down from the northwest. The question is: Will Jerry link up with the front?
If so, the storm will bring gusty winds and heavy rain into the Texas coast.
At this point, it doesn't appear as if Jerry would become more than a tropical storm, and that would be good. When hurricanes are in the western Gulf of Mexico, bad things happen to our gasoline supplies and prices.
One interesting scenario concerns the possibility that Jerry wouldn't make the connection with the cold front and slide northeastward, up the front. In that case, it would continue a slow drift in the Gulf, waiting for some larger system to provide a steering current.
I read a couple theories today that suggest Jerry might eventually push eastward next week and provide a threat to the eastern Gulf Coast or even Florida. In that case, some of the heavy rain from the system could become a part of our weather.
As it stands, we appear likely to get a significant non-tropical rain event late in the weekend, as low pressure forms along the same cold front -- the portion in our part of the Southeast.
After several weeks of very, very quiet weather, things could begin getting noisy again.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
A near-miss at a hurricane record
The modern record for latest first hurricane of the season has stood the test.
Tropical Storm Humberto became Hurricane Humberto shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday, preventing 2013 from going into the books as producing the latest first hurricane since the U.S. government started tracking these storms for real in the mid 1940s.
The standing record was set in 2002, when Gustav became a hurricane about 8 a.m. on Sept. 11.
Humberto achieved that status a few hours earlier than that this morning.
Either way, it remains a very quiet year in the Atlantic and Caribbean basin. Humberto is expected to threaten only the Cape Verde Islands in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean.
An area of thunderstorms over the southern Gulf of Mexico could organize into a named system by Thursday or Friday, but all the computer models indicate that storm would push westward into the Mexican coast, far south of Texas.
There also is a disorganized area of showers and storms, a tropical wave, that will push from the northwest Caribbean Sea into the Gulf by the end of the week. But there are no indications that weather system will organize.
Friday, September 6, 2013
We're approaching a (non) hurricane record
Remember all those forecasts about above-average hurricane activity this season in the Atlantic basin?
Well, we're closing in on a very different type of record -- the latest in the season without a hurricane.
Since the U.S. government's weather agencies have been keeping tabs on hurricane activity in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, the latest first hurricane was Sept. 11, 2002. That was Hurricane Gustav, which eventually reached Category 2 strength, grazed parts of the East Coast, and eventually hit Newfoundland.
With only a few disorganized systems in the Atlantic basin today, and conditions that are very unfriendly for hurricane development, it seems almost a certainty that we'll break the record.
The government has been watching hurricanes actively since 1944, according to what I've been able to determine. Weather records show the first hurricane in 1941 also came on Sept. 11, but there are no indications that we've ever gone later than that date without a 'cane.
The season started with a bit of a bang, with several systems reaching tropical storm status in July and early August. But over the past few weeks, the few tropical storms that formed were ripped apart by a strong westerly upper level wind flow. That's the type of situation you see in an El Nino year, but scientists say we're not experiencing El Nino conditions currently in the Pacific Ocean.
By the way, those westerly winds also insure that if anything were to form in the Atlantic currently, it would get shoved away from the East Coast. It's a different story in the Gulf of Mexico, but there is nothing threatening the U.S. Gulf Coast at this time.
Incidentally, the second-latest date for a first hurricane in recent years was in 2001. Erin became a hurricane on Sept. 8 of that year.
Meteorologists remind us of two things, however. First, all it takes is one strong hurricane to make it a memorable year. Second, a series of storms can form in a hurry. In 1941, for example, there were three major hurricanes (what we know today as Category 3 or stronger) after that initial Sept. 11 storm.


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Icom SP-34 Order #5917
Order #5917
The Icom SP-34 speaker is designed for use with a wide variety of communication equipment. The SP-34 is equipped with four separate audio network filters for maximum control of the audio characteristics of received signals. The SP-34 rear panel features two audio input jacks (3.5 mm mini jack). Input A or B may be selected from a switch on the front of the speaker. There is also a Speaker On/Off switch and a 1/4 inch headphone jack on the front panel. Icom includes two 3.5 mm mono mini to 3.5 mm mono mini audio cables.
Copyright 2012-2016, Universal Radio, Inc.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Central Connecticut softball team dropped game one of the NCAA Regionals to the 10th ranked Louisiana State University Tigers by a narrow, one-run margin on Friday evening at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, LA. The Tigers earned the win by a score of 3-2, handing Central its first post season loss and snapping a seven-game win streak.
Sophomore Laura Messina pitched six innings for the Blue Devils, allowing just five hits and walking only one while allowing only one earned run. She also struck out two batters on the day to add to her impressive season total, which now stands at 241. Her record is now 27-10 on the season.
The Tigers kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first, posting two runs on two Blue Devil errors to put LSU up by two.
Central narrowed the deficit to one in the top of the second when, with two outs, freshman Evie Rentzel registered the first hit of the game. She laid down a bunt and beat out the throw to first. A deep overthrow to the first baseman sent Rentzel around the bases to score the first NCAA tournament run in CCSU softball history. Central entered the bottom of the second down by one.
In the top of the third, junior Arielle Bruno stepped into the box and blasted a homer over the left field wall to tie the game at two. The home run is her 10th of the season, the 19th of her career, and ties her for the CCSU single-season record.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers broke the tie after a hard hit line just past freshman shortstop Eileen Purcell plated a runner. The run put the Blue Devils down by one, for a deficit they would not overcome.
The Blue Devils posted three hits in the game compared to LSU's five. The Blue Devils were led at the plate by Rentzel, who hit two of the three hits for CCSU.
Central will play Northwestern State University tomorrow, Saturday, May 18 at 4 p.m. (3 p.m CDT).


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Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence are heading to the big screen together for the first time.
The stand up comedians-turned-movie stars will star in a comedy based on two popular TV characters they each created in the 90s, Foxx's 'Wanda' of "In Living Color" fame and Lawrence's 'Sheneneh' of "Martin" fame, a source close to Foxxhole Productions confirmed to TV One Access.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Access' Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2010
Reportedly, Screen Gems has acquired the rights to the film and the TV One Access source confirms that Foxx is also writing the screenplay.
During this year's BET Awards hosted by Foxx, the duo performed a skit called "Skank Robbers" to overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics alike. This feedback likely propelled the actors to make a movie about the two pseudo female characters.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Photo Fun With Hollywood's Hottest Comedians!
The film's storyline will reportedly be similar to the skit from the BET awards with 'Sheneneh and Wanda' scheming as modern day bank robbers.
According to reports, the film will be a joint production by Foxx's Foxxhole Productions and Lawrence's Runteldat Productions.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Jamie Foxx
PLAY IT NOW: Jamie Foxx On Becoming A 'Law Abiding Citizen'… & Kirstie Alley?!
PLAY IT NOW: Martin Lawrence Premieres 'College Road Trip'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Jamie Foxx - Movies - TV One - Comedians - Casting Call


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'Never Diet Again' Hypnotherapy Program
Learn to Manage Your Weight with a 12-Week 'Never Diet Again' Online Hypnotherapy Program for $19 Including Specialist Tips, Weekly MP3s, eBooks and More (Value $197)
- Highlights
- Fine Print
the offer
Let The Hypnotherapy Clinic help you kick your unhealthy food habits
12-week 'Never Diet Again' online hypnotherapy program for $19 (value $197)
Eliminate emotional overeating and take control of your weight management goals
Click here to see all the program details
12 weekly MP3's - powerful audio recordings to transform your negative habits into positive ones and engage the amazing power of your subconscious to pursue your goals
12 weekly videos and eBooks - easy to follow guides take you step-by-step through the course
Specialist secrets, tips and tricks from mind specialist Jodi Clarke
The powerful "Virtual Gastric Band" module - helps you get the most out of each session
Emotional release foundation module - address the underlying cause of your weight issues
Bonus kick-start pack to give you the best preparation for success
Life Time access to the program on the Hypnotherapy Clinic's members-only site
Ongoing support to help you stay on track
Let's be honest - most diets and weight loss products treat just the weight. The 'Never Diet Again' Hypnotherapy Program, on the other hand, addresses the underlying subconscious and emotional issues that have sabotaged your previous efforts to lose weight.
Take control of your relationship with food once and for all: simply log into the membership site, download the online program or participate online from the comfort of your own home, where you'll learn to overcome your bad food and lifestyle habits for good.
What We Like
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Join over 8.7K followers and enjoy helpful hints and tips on their Facebook page
Head to her YouTube channel to see Jodi in action
Access the membership site 24/7
Check out the 'Fine Print' tab for more information
The Fine Print
Offer expires 28 July 2016
Online redemption is required
Purchase multiple vouchers
Maximum of one voucher per transaction
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Not compatible with mobile devices
Not valid in conjunction with any other offer and not redeemable for cash
Weight management takes time and effort to be successful and also requires diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. Ask your health professional for advice
Redemption instructions can be found on your voucher


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Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882 / Boston / United States)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
The Visit
Askest 'How long thou shall stay?'
Devastator of the day!
Know, each substance and relation
Thorough nature's operation,
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
- Dates, poems and poets that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list. Statistics are generated daily.


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Perfectly suited for both creative, casual ensembles and dressy evening outfits, Santi handbags and clutches draw eclectic inspiration from current trends and vintage silhouettes alike. Gorgeous, intricate handiwork is the hallmark of the Santi label, and each hand-embellished style is crafted by artisans skilled in a centuries-old tradition of silk work, resulting in a rich look with retro-inspired silhouettes and eye-catching beadwork.
Showing the single product


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Arch liberal Bush hater Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) was on the conservative Fox News Channel today to say, "Our country is being looted."
If he can get this: so can all Republicans.
This is time for Republicans to stand united or die trying. And for some that are on the fence like Maine's Snowe and Collins and Arlen Specter of the Keystone state: we say adieu or seppuku.
Health care? Good luck: but try to stand united.
Schools should be federalized and the White House is writing the legislation? No brainer.
Spending at the rate of $1 billion an hour? Unsustainable generational theft. Even China is worried.
Energy: are you with Al Gore or against him?
Foreign policy? Do you believe Iran, China, North Korea and the Taliban will play nice?
Terrorism: a word Obama has removed from the lexicon, is still maybe a threat? What say you.
Corruption: Republicans want an end of corruption and total truth and honesty in government. Right?
Time to ressurect the Newt style contract with what's remaining of America before it is too late guys and gals….
Daniel Flynn writes in today's American Spectator, "If fiscal restraint, individual responsibility, the protection of human life, support for the 2nd Amendment and a robust military, and an abiding believe in American exceptionalism, are unpalatable to the likes of Frum, the left will certainly welcome him as the latest intellectual quisling, and exploit him for their own political designs."
China's Economic Might, Arrogance Should Cause Caution in the West
Japan Ready To Shoot Down North Korean Missile
Obama's Poll Numbers Are Falling to Earth
Obama's Schools Will Have To Follow Federal Rules, Like Socialist, Communist Schools
Obama's mythical mystique of government and science and their inherent moral benevolence
Culture of Corruption: Many Americans Losing Trust in Government?


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Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Sponsored By
Minnesota Archbishop Won't Resign Amid CriticismThe Roman Catholic archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis says he won't resign despite criticism over the archdiocese's handling of sexual abuse claims involving priests. Archbishop John Nienstedt made his comments in in a column that will appear in Thursday's archdiocese newspaper, The Catholic Spirit.
Harry Flynn, Former Archbishop, Resigns From St. Thomas BoardThe retired Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Harry Flynn, has resigned as chair of the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees, the school announced Saturday, becoming the second leader to quit the board of the Roman Catholic school this month amid fresh criticism of their handling of clergy sexual misconduct cases. In a statement Saturday, the school said the board accepted Flynn's retirement as chair and board member at its regular meeting Thursday. The statement also confirmed the board's vice chair, the Rev. Kevin McDonough, a former vicar general of the archdiocese, resigned from the board Oct. 4. The statement did not give reasons for Flynn's or McDonough's resignation, and university spokesman Doug Hennes declined to comment.


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BookSense form-fitted leather case.
Features:This case also fits the HIMS BookSense XT.
EPI has created a new soft form-fitted custom leather case for the HIMS BookSense. This case is made of high grade Napa leather that fits snuggly around your unit, and has a storage zipper compartment for your flash cards and earbuds. The case has been designed to enable the user to easily utilize your HIMS BookSense while the case is on the unit, and allows the unit to be carried on a comfortable strap or clipped on your belt, and wrist strap. The unit may be used while walking, sitting or simply standing. The case has easy access to the headset jack, USB port, and SD flash memory cards. The case is manufactured with high quality leather to provide durable outer protection. This case comes with a leather covered belt clip on the back of the unit. This case also fits the BookSense XT.
Cases comes with a shoulder strap,wrist strap, and belt clip
To Purchase our products in:
Canada: Terry Scott at 877-724-4922 or www.specialneedscomputers.ca
Australia/New Zealand Contact David Allen at email@example.com
Europe Customer can purchase our products via www.comproon.co.uk or contact firstname.lastname@example.com
Available on GSA Schedule, contract number GS07F6046R
With further modifications by Electron Jungle LLC.


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Today I'm giving a talk to the Historic Libraries Forum annual meeting about cpd23. The theme of the day is 'Hard Times', so I'm trying to emphasise the particular value of a 23 Things-style course when finances and time are tight. I'm going to give a a brief introduction to the history and nature if of 23 Things courses, and a beginner's guide to cpd23.
If you've found this blog after hearing me at the conference: welcome! You can find a list of the Things and links to each post with instructions here. The slides from today are available below. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section to this post.


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A former banker at giant Swiss financial institutions UBS AG and Credit Suisse Group AG pleaded guilty on Tuesday to helping wealthy Americans hide millions of dollars from U.S. tax authorities during his time at UBS.
In a key case in a U.S. government crackdown on offshore tax evasion, Christos Bagios changed his plea to guilty in a court in Florida. He had earlier pleaded not guilty. Lawyers said the change in plea, which had been expected, likely indicated Bagios was cooperating with U.S. authorities.
A Greek citizen and Swiss resident, Bagios worked at UBS from 1999 to 2005. He was a senior banker at Credit Suisse when he was arrested last year and later charged with aiding 150 Americans hide up to $500 million during his time at UBS.
Copyright @ Thomson Reuters 2012


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Alvin Brown and Jaguars owner Shad Khan stood on the steps of City Hall Saturday afternoon to announce a deal that the city of Jacksonville will keep SMG on board as Jacksonville's facilities manager. Mayor Brown said the new deal will save taxpayers close to $3 Million over its lifespan and provide the city with an immediate $1 million capital contribution.
The city has used SMG, a large Pennsylvania company officially known as Spectator Management Group, for its seven entertainment venues for years, but considered other companies, like Global Spectrum, to take over after the last contract expired.
Jacksonville officials said after careful consideration, they felt the best idea was to stay with SMG.
"Our hard working taxpayers deserve savings and accountability," said Mayor Brown. "This agreement provides both. It will help us make Jacksonville one of the top sports and entertainment destinations in the nation and world. I am very proud to have worked with Shad Khan to make this achievement possible. Today is a great day not only for taxpayers and fans but also for the partnership between the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Jaguars."
Jags owner Shad Khan says the deal is a win-win for the city and the Jaguars. He told Channel 4 the deal is part of his plan to enhance the fan experience at football games.
"I want to commend the Mayor for his leadership on this issue. The Jaguars and the administration have worked jointly to meet our goals on this matter. I look forward to working with the City to further develop our partnership in the years ahead," said Khan.
SMG executives said they made drastic cuts in cost because they understand times our tough and they believe in the city of Jacksonville.
"Our substantial capital investment in Jacksonville is further testament to our belief in the city's bright future," SMG President and CEO Wes Westly said in a news release.
Details of the new agreement, according to a memo outlining the terms and conditions:
- The deal will be for a term of 3 years starting October 1, 2012, with the City having the option to exercise up to two one year extensions depending on SMG's performance of its facility management responsibilities.
- SMG will provide the city with a capital contribution of $1 million.
- SMG will establish an Event Development Fund of $500,000 to help attract and promote new events in Jacksonville.
- SMG will reduce its annual management fee from $934,252 to $100,000 and reduce its annual incentive fee from $246,081 to $100,000.
A spokesman for the city said the agreement has not been finalized but both sides have agreed to the terms. The agreement will have performance benchmarks which will determine the city's decision on an option to extend the contract.
Global Spectrum released the following statement regarding the city's decision:
"We are very disappointed with today's announcement. We were informed that we had been recommended as the best management company for the venues in Jacksonville as suggested by the selection committee. It does seem strangely peculiar to reward a company who has been significantly overcharging the city and tax payers for years. Since we were only informed of this change approximately 10 minutes before the announcement, we are exploring our options as it relates to today's announcement while we await an explanation."
The announcement comes a day before the Jaguars' final home game against the New England Patriots.


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LONDON (Reuters) - A committee of UK lawmakers has called on government to crack down on multinational companies that make substantial sales in Britain but pay little tax here, echoing demands from leaders across Europe for measures to tackle corporate tax avoidance.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said on Monday the government should set down rules limiting inter-company transactions that reduce companies' tax bills, push for more transparency in company reporting on tax and work with other countries to limit profit-shifting across borders.
"Global companies with huge operations in the UK generating significant amounts of income are getting away with paying little or no corporation tax here. This is outrageous and an insult to British businesses and individuals who pay their fair share," said Margaret Hodge, who chairs the PAC.
The committee, which is charged with monitoring government financial affairs, also criticized the UK taxman, Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs' (HMRC), for being "too passive" with big companies.
"Lenient treatment is given to big corporations, of which almost half have a head office overseas," the PAC said in its report on HMRC's annual accounts.
Last month the PAC grilled executives from Starbucks (SBUX.O), Google (GOOG.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) over why they paid little tax in the UK while taking in billions of pounds in revenues.
The committee said it found the evidence it received was "unconvincing, and in some cases evasive".
Starbucks said it had always complied with UK tax law but revealed on Sunday that, in response to the public outcry around its tax arrangements, it was looking at changing these.
Amazon said it complied with the tax rules, but declined to comment on the committee's findings. Google declined to comment.
The recent UK focus on tax avoidance follows a Reuters investigation into Starbucks that showed it paid no UK corporation tax in the past three years and had told investors it was profitable while reporting big losses to the UK taxman.
With governments across Europe running big budget deficits due to the financial crisis and global economic slowdown, tax avoidance has moved to the top of the political agenda.
Tax campaigners and groups opposed to austerity measures have pushed the UK government to lean more heavily on big businesses to close the budget gap.
However, even some big UK businesses are taking exception to the way some of their rivals paying much lower tax rates.
In recent weeks, senior executives from department store and grocery chain John Lewis JLPLC.UL and from WM Morrison Supermarkets (MRW.L) have called for a level playing field on tax between domestic businesses and multinational rivals such as Amazon.
Amazon pays little income tax in the UK because it channels UK sales through Luxembourg, which offers some of the lowest effective tax rates in Europe.
The committee acknowledged such concerns.
"We are concerned that multinationals have an unfair competitive advantage over British businesses which have no choice but to pay their corporation tax," the PAC report said.
The French government said last month that it was discussing new measures to tax internet companies such as Amazon and Google, which minimizes its tax bill by booking sales through an Irish subsidiary.
British Finance Minister George Osborne announced last month that he had teamed up with his German counterpart to lead a push in the Group of 20 economic powers to make multinational companies pay their "fair share" of taxes.
However, in a separate report released on Monday, charity War on Want said Osborne's plans to enact a new anti-tax avoidance law next year would have no impact in reducing the kinds of tax reduction techniques employed by Amazon, Google and Starbucks.
Unions and tax campaigners have already criticized the planned General Anti-Abuse Rule for being too narrowly targeted.
Reporting by Tom Bergin


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Web Sites and a Plug-in Free Web
The transition to a plug-in free Web is happening today. Any site that uses plug-ins needs to understand what their customers experience when browsing plug-in free. Lots of Web browsing today happens on devices that simply don't support plug-ins. Even browsers that do support plug-ins offer many ways to run plug-in free.
Metro style IE runs plug-in free to improve battery life as well as security, reliability, and privacy for consumers. Previously, we wrote about how we use IE's Compatibility View List to make sure sites that have a plug-in free experience for other browsers provide that same experience to IE10 users. This post describes a way for sites that continue to rely on plug-ins to provide consumers browsing with Metro style IE the best possible experience.
Developers with sites that need plug-ins can use an HTTP header or
meta tag to signal Metro style Internet Explorer to prompt the user.
HTTP Header
X-UA-Compatible: requiresActiveX=true
META Tag
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="requiresActiveX=true" />
Metro style IE10 detects these flags, and provides the consumer a one-touch option to switch to IE10 on the desktop:
In addition to respecting these
X-UA-Compatible flags specified by the developer, the Compatibility View List can also specify a site that needs to run in the desktop.
This mechanism provides a short-term mitigation. The desktop browsing experience and most plug-ins were not designed for smaller screens, battery constraints, and no mouse. Providing an easy way to the Windows desktop is the last resort when no comparable plug-in free fallback content exists.
A plug-in free Web benefits consumers and developers and we all take part in the transition. IE10 makes it easy to provide the best possible experience while you migrate your site.
—John Hrvatin, Program Manager Lead, Internet Explorer


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We've all been looking forward to George Clooney's upcoming film, The Descendants," from writer-director Alexander Payne, and late yesterday came our first taste.
"WhoIsHe.org" went live yesterday, with a (frustratingly unembeddable) clip of Clooney running through a suburban paradise into a home to ask people, whom we can only assume are his children, "Who is He?" That's it.
Here's the film's official synopsis, which offers no clue as to who "he" is:
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
From Alexander Payne, the creator of the Oscar-winning SIDEWAYS, set in Hawaii, THE DESCENDANTS is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.
This is Payne's first feature film since "Sideways," and the cast he's assembled around his star includes Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster and Matthew Lillard. It opens Dec. 16 and is pretty clearly poised for an Oscar run.


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Posts Tagged 'Wang Li Xuang'
Graduate Fashion Week 2011 Gala Awards Show: Menswear
The menswear on show at the Gala Awards was particularly strong and inventive. With widely varying looks from Carl James Illingworth, Felix Wolodymyr Chabluk Smith, Genevieve Davroy, Rose Dent and Wang Li Xuang. Plus pearls of wisdom about social networking.
Written by Amelia Gregory
Carl James Illingworth by Andy Bumpus.
In some ways the menswear at the Graduate Fashion Week Gala Awards was more fun than the womenswear… particularly with the addition of a whacky white haired older male model who clearly thought the show was all about him. His over the top posing was certainly entertaining to photograph.
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