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Multimedia eLearning essay by: David Anthony Johanson © All Rights
Steampunk is a wonderfully curious subculture — percolating with creative optimism, healthy playfulness — an inventive postmodern science fiction genre, which blends Victorian era, 19th Century alternative history with contemporary technology.
A sub-genre of science fiction — Steampunk appears as if caught in some strange time warp. The practitioners of this loosely knit community of post-industrialist feature Victorian era clothing along with accessories such as goggles, intricate antique jewelry incorporating watch gears and a wide spectrum of retro-futuristic attachments.
Steampunk has remained under the radar of mainstream media, which is surprising since it's one of the fastest growing cultural trends in recent memory! Now reaching the tipping point, this curious lifestyle movement is beginning to influence mainstream media, major retail and fashion labels.
Hand crafted, repurposed products, which uses wood, glass and metal (especially brass) are associated with the Steampunk movement. Manufactured plastic materials are rejected and viewed with contempt at Steampunk social gatherings.
Steampunk Etymology
Although SP is a postmodern hybrid genre, Victorian era writers associated with its original inspiration are: H G Wells, Jules Verne and Mary Shelly. These 19th Century, vanguard novelist inspired future generations of science fiction writers, which throughout the 20th Century created new genres of their own.
Steampunk is not directly associated with the British Royal Monarchy of Queen Victoria (ruled from 1837 until 1901). The Victorian era is a convenient reference for what symbolizes the advancements made during the Industrial Revolution.
This era had the greatest technological developments of the 19th Century, including: massive agricultural output, wide distribution of railway systems, steam turbine engines (for world commerce and travel.), development and wide scale utilization of electrical power, telecommunications including ( telegraph, telephone and wireless radio) and the automobile's internal combustion engine.
Regarding western social economics, the Victorian era sees for the first time, a middle class emerging, which establishes an expanding consumer based society. Trade unions are allowed to flourish, leading to greater protection for workers, including women and children. Human rights in general make huge advancements as slavery is eliminated in most of Europe and North America.
The actual term Steampunk derives from the science fiction genre — cyberpunk, which emerged in the early 1980s. In 1987, science fiction author K. W. Jeter, wrote a letter to science fiction magazine Locus, using the term, 'steam-punks', in describing an emerging science fiction genre inspired by Victorian fantasies.
Finding Steampunk Festival Events
When I first attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, I marveled at its charming neighborhood of Farhaven — a historic district with Victorian and Edwardian style brick architecture. A couple of summers ago I returned to Fairhaven in mid-July to sightsee. To my delight the first Fairhaven Steampunk Festival was in full swing and provided the photos used for this article.
The Historic Fairhaven District has many fine examples of late 19th century architecture, including this multilevel wooden stairway
Steampunk Cinema & Television
A partial list of films which have Steampunk elements or themes
Metropolis – Fritz Lang Director (1927)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Starring Kirk Douglas (1954)
Wild, Wild, West – CBS Television Series (1965-69)
City of Lost Children – Starring Ron Perlman (1995)
Wild, Wild, West – Starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline & Salma Hayek (1999)
The league of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Starring Sean Connery (2003)
Steamboy – Japan's most expensive animated film ever made, 10 year production (2004)
Golden Compass -Starring Nicole Kidman (2007 Film)
Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game Of Shadow – Starring Robert Downey Jr. (2011)
STEAMPUNK Personas
American Wild West
Steam Punk Film
To Learn More About Steampunk, Click On The Links Bellow
The Nine Novels That Defined Steampunk | The Steampunk Workshop
What is Steampunk? | Steampunk.com
HowStuffWorks "How Steampunk Works"
What is Steampunk? History and Culture that Define Steampunk
A History of Steampunk, Part 1 – Definitions | Jay Kristoff – Literary Giant
Steampunk – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Why Defining Steampunk Is Worthwhile « Steampunk R&D
Steampunk Scholar: Defining Steampunk
Get Ready for Mainstream Steampunk | 5 Reasons You'll Be Talking About Steampunk in 2013 | TIME.com
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I've been super busy lately. Stolen pics from The Wretched Hive.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Digger Monday...Donnie Smith
Posted by MeanMike at 6:57 AM 0 comments
Labels: Digger, Donnie Smith, stolen pics
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Showrod Sunday...Bubbles
This Pontiac powered bubbletop was on feeBay awhile back. The body's a little flat, but appeared to be well built. Unfortunately this is the only pic I saved and don't have any other info.
Posted by MeanMike at 2:14 AM 0 comments
Saturday, December 29, 2012
I Like...
Posted by MeanMike at 10:43 AM 0 comments
Labels: 1320, I wanna go fast
Friday, December 28, 2012
tIt's Friday...Shady Lady
She decided to leave the glasses on. Can you blame her? She didn't want to be recognized. Not even a pair a titties can help this "custom" tank. Keep your Halloween decorations on your lawn, not your bike.
Posted by MeanMike at 9:55 AM 0 comments
Labels: biker tits, long face, road apple, tits
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Trike Thursday...Hybrids
Posted by MeanMike at 9:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: hybrid, It's 3 For Me, Trike
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Christmas Stockings...
Posted by MeanMike at 9:05 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!...
Posted by MeanMike at 2:58 PM 0 comments
Labels: hookers and hot sauce, Santa's little helpers, You don't know where that candy cane's been
Monday, December 24, 2012
Gearhead Christmas...
Light the tree!
Posted by MeanMike at 10:33 AM 0 comments
Labels: 1320, Merry Christmas
Digger Monday...Pullin' A Train
John Raymond's Freight Train. I love this bike. I posted some color shots awhile back, search 'em out. The paint is absolutely killer. 836 Honda, everything else is pretty much Denver's.
Posted by MeanMike at 10:12 AM 0 comments
Labels: 750, Denver's Choppers, Digger, Rulin' it with a cowboy hat
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Showrod Sunday...Lil Daddy's "Streetnik Bandit"
Lil' Daddy, aka Dennis Roth, wanted to do a streetable version of his ol' man's Beatnik Bandit. Something he could actually cruise in, not overheat, and be able to insure. The car was built in 2011 and debuted at SEMA. Alot of people were down on this car, didn't like the lines, blah, blah, blah. The car works, the nose is a little long and the interior is boring, but it works. Remember he built this to drive.
What kills it for me is the paint. Check the paint before the scallops, it's f'n badass! The scallops kill it. It needs something else. More graphics, stripes, whatever, but it needs more.
No matter what, he's still paying tribute to his old man and that's cool. The Roth's could of cashed in big on Big Daddy's legacy, but they're not about that. Pure class!
Posted by MeanMike at 1:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: Lil Daddy, showrod, Streetnik Bandit
Life Behind Bars...
Try not to get locked up this weekend fuckers!
Posted by MeanMike at 9:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: biker babe
Friday, December 21, 2012
tIt's Friday...Shaggie
Posted by MeanMike at 7:13 AM 0 comments
Labels: 80's style, big hair, if that shit leaks somebody's gonna be pissed
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Trike Thursday...Killin' It
Posted by MeanMike at 8:12 AM 0 comments
Labels: awesome hair, It's 3 For Me, Trike
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Posted by MeanMike at 9:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: asstastic, hookers and sauce, tits
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Keep It Rigid...
Posted by MeanMike at 5:50 AM 0 comments
Labels: evo, rigid, short chop
Monday, December 17, 2012
Digger Monday...Mooneyes Japan
Posted by MeanMike at 11:49 AM 0 comments
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY...
More fabulous floppers and girls, girls, girls!
Posted by MeanMike at 9:36 AM 0 comments
Labels: 1320, funny car, hookers and hot sauce, strippers
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Saturday Sporty Lovin'...
Posted by MeanMike at 8:11 AM 0 comments
Labels: asstastic, Girl's Bike, sporty love
Friday, December 14, 2012
tIt's Friday...On Your Knees
Posted by MeanMike at 7:17 AM 0 comments
Labels: biker babe, biker tits, hookers and hot sauce
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Linda Vaughn...
Posted by MeanMike at 2:36 PM 0 comments
Labels: Linda Vaughn, Ms. Hurst
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Posted by MeanMike at 7:30 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Wonder Bar...
For now, the world is lost without Wonder Bread, but here in Jersey, we still have the Wonder Bar!
The bar is one block in from the ocean, in Asbury Park. This Jersey landmark survived Hurricane Sandy relatively unscathed. They had water and sand damage, but that was it. Tonight Robbie Krieger's Jazz Kitchen will be playing.
That's Dave Sano's funny car Screamin' Insanity parked in front of the bar a few summers ago. Dave runs Sano's Custom Paint in Dayton, NJ. He and his crew crank out some of the best paint work in the country, keeping the Jersey style of race car paint work alive and well. Steve Bell handles all of his lettering.
Posted by MeanMike at 9:59 AM 0 comments
Labels: funny car, Wonder Bar
Monday, December 10, 2012
Digger Monday...Chopperfest
Two fine diggers from this weekend's David Mann Chopperfest.
Posted by MeanMike at 4:46 AM 0 comments
Labels: Chopperfest, David Mann, Digger
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Sunday,Sunday,Sunday...Girls,Girls, Girls
Posted by MeanMike at 10:10 AM 0 comments

subset: commoncrawl


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The Berlin based practice UTArchitects realised this new building of a wood workshop, located on an old farmstead in the southern part of Berlin. During the GDR-times the building degenerated, at the access yard barns have been demolished and instead it has been occupied by garage buildings. Since the architectural intervention of UTArchitects, which included also the restauration of the old farmer house, the complex is used as a training centre for carpenters and restorers run by the Restoration Center Berlin.
"With the demolition of garages the new workshop building creates the original u-shape of buildings around the yard. Rooms for administration and training classrooms are located in the farm house. The craftsmen education is being held in the workshop. The workshop is designed as a building which opens up towards the yard and the farmhouse. The external geometry strongly refers to the old farmhouse, while the workshop is lower in height. Therefore the farmhouse is still recognized as the head building of the composition, while the new building is set-back and appears as an open shell with the interior connecting with the yard.
Facade and roof of the workshop form a continuous surface, which is wrapped over the historic courtyard to create an open hall. The sheltered exterior, the machine hall and the and the craftsmen studio in the mezzanine are separated by glass walls to support communication between the trainees and to offer views into the yard from all corners of the house."
"While the facades towards the farmhouse and the yard are glazed full height, the street facade is predominantly closed and only structured by vertical window slits. On the yard side the metal roof cantilevers up to four meters in order to create sun- and weather protection as well as for sound protection towards the neighbourhood. The space under the cantilevering roof is used for temporary deposits, and also as a workspace, for educational lessons or rests during the summer.
The workshop is a low-cost wood construction, reinforced by floor slap and stairs. All materials are of simple origin: facade and roof surfaces have corrugated metal sheets on the outside and painted cardboard plates on the inside. All surfaces on the inside are of spruce wood.
Both buildings are heated by a central wood heating, filled with leftovers of the daily production."


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It has been a cold November and December so far. From what I've heard, October was one of the warmer Octobers on record, while November was one of the colder ones. The Japan Meteorological Agency is predicting that this winter will be colder than last winter. Last winter was a cold one! And then today, we had an incredible amount of wind. Goodbye leaves.
It's funny how the temperatures we're getting now are cold to me. In Canada, this kind of weather, averaging 9 to 14 degrees Celsius, would have been balmy at this time of year. It's been extremely snowy and cold in Canada so far this fall. But here in the Tokyo region, we rarely get snow. So why is it that I feel so cold? Of course, today's wind made it feel very cold. But even when it isn't windy, I feel very cold. I think it has to do with the environment I live in. This kind of weather would have felt cold in early October in Canada. However, it would feel warm in December. It's all in how you perceive it. It's what you're used to. By this time, below 0 is the norm in Canada, so above 0 would feel warm. However, we have yet to feel a significant amount of time at this temperature, so it feels cold.
But another big difference is inside the home. In Canada, thanks to central heating and good insulation, it's always warm inside. In Japan, homes are built to allow air to move freely during the extremely hot summer months, but they don't seem to take into account that it gets cold in winter. No central heating, except in the north. Poor insulation is a big problem here. Some people have suggested that insulation isn't used much here because of the humidity, but I don't buy it. Vancouver and Victoria are very humid for half the year, yet they have good insulation. In the 5 years that I lived in Victoria, I had no problems with insulation.
Inside in Japan, it is cold. This can be alleviated by using kerosene heaters, electric heaters, air conditioners, or kotatsu (tables with heaters underneath). Some people even have heated floors. But I think one of the best things is to have some nice hot food, such as ramen, nabe, udon, or curry. That'll heat me up.
What do you do in cold winter months to keep yourself warm?


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Trade News
Munich, 09 August 2010: Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, today announced its participation at Intercool in Dusseldorf, Germany, where they will be showcasing their new CRYOLINE® CW hygienic IQF tunnel freezer with CRYOWAVE™ technology. The freezer, which is being shown in Europe for the first time, significantly increases productivity, quality and yield for food processors freezing smaller, moister products including poultry parts, seafood and prepared meat items. The CRYOLINE® CW freezer is part of the Linde CRYOLINE® family of hygienic freezers, of which others will also be featured on Linde's stand including the CRYOLINE® TI and CRYOLINE® SI freezers.
The CRYOLINE® CW freezer is especially useful for processors freezing Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) products – particularly those that are small, wet or sticky, that tend to form clusters or adhere to freezer belts. Poultry items such as diced and sliced products, wings, mechanically deboned product and other small poultry parts, are typical products suitable for the CRYOLINE® CW freezer. The freezer uses a proprietary CRYOWAVE™ vibratory wave action that gently tumbles layered products in order to expose surface areas while they are being introduced into the liquid nitrogen, therefore locking in moisture and maximise yield – and mitigating any product degradation. The patented process delivers an exceptionally high proportion – over 99.5 percent - of IQF product produced.
CRYOLINE® CW is also extremely energy efficient, utilising the liquid nitrogen to first crust-freeze the product, then taking advantage of the remaining energy of the cryogenic gas by using high velocity fans to distribute the cold vapour throughout the freezer to break down thermal barriers that may exist on or around the product.
The CRYOWAVE™ wave-like amplitude is programmable which can be adapted as needed to minimise product damage and reduce any product loss.
Linde designed their range of CRYOLINE® freezers in accordance with the European Food Standards, CE markings, and, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and American Meat Institute guidelines for sanitary design. The CRYOLINE® freezers have no niches to harbour pathogens and have sloped internal and external surfaces to eliminate liquid collection and to facilitate easy draining. They offer complete access to all areas for easy cleaning and inspection, reducing maintenance downtime.
"Linde was a pioneer of cryogenic freezing technology in the late 1990s and has multiple installations worldwide. We have now taken this freezing technology to another level. Our new and improved CRYOLINE® CW freezer has the most hygienic freezing platform on the market today, coupled with the highest capacity per unit of floorspace. This, combined with sleek styling and an extremely intuitive user interface, makes this one of the most efficient freezers available," said Mark Ewig, Global Strategic Marketing Food & Beverage, Linde.
"The CRYOLINE® CW has lower operating costs than any other IQF freezer, and is another example of how Linde gives processors the ability to maximise production capacity while processing the highest quality IQF product – critical benefits in this highly competitive market," Ewig said.
Linde can be found on stand B72 in Hall 13 at Exhibition Centre, Dusseldorf, Germany from September 12 – 15, 2010.
About The Linde Group
The Linde Gases Division, part of the Linde Group, is a leader in the international industrial and healthcare gases markets, providing compressed, bulk, specialty and medical gases, as well as chemicals to virtually all fields of industry globally. The company adds value to its customers' businesses through the provision of state-of-the-art application technology, process know-how, services and equipment.
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.
Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com
Susan Brownlow
Public Relations Manager
Mobile: +44 (0)7825 853814
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The only thing CBS loves more than reviving old series is the police procedural, so to combine the two must be an exciting prospect indeed. As such, the network as given the greenlight for a series based on the movie Beverly Hills Cop, which originally starred Eddie Murphy as a quippy Detroit detective Axel Foley who moves to Los Angeles.
The new series will not move far from its roots — not only will Murphy reprise his role for the pilot (at least, if not more), the TV show will pick up where the movie franchise left off, this time focusing on Foley's son. In an interesting addition, The Shield creator Shawn Ryan will serve as showrunner, which could give the series more weight. For more on the project, hit the jump.
As we reported recently, Murphy has wanted a storyline focused on Axel Foley's son for some time. After plans for a fourth film fell through, Murphy attempted to bring the story to the small screen, where it was recently pitched to all four major broadcast networks. CBS being the one to end up with the project seems fitting given their affection for procedurals (from NCIS and The Mentalist to the upcoming Elementary) and reboots (such as Hawaii Five-0, and the upcoming revivals of The Brady Bunch and Have Gun – Will Travel).
The series is said to be both a buddy-cop and fish out of water story, where Axel's son Aaron will take down criminals in Beverly Hills and try to escape from underneath his famous father's shadow.
Though The Shield is Ryan's most critically acclaimed work, he's not a stranger to comedy, having worked as a showrunner on both FX's lamentably overlooked Terriers as well as Nash Bridges. TheBeverly Hills Cop series also marks his return to working at CBS, where he helmed the military drama The Unit.
But most importantly, to quote a comment about the new series, "what about Judge Reinhold??"


text:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Tuesday, led by gains in technology companies, helping the S&P 500 end at its highest level since Election Day.
A 2.2 percent gain to $541.39 in Apple's (AAPL.O) stock lifted the Nasdaq, as the largest U.S. company by market value rebounded from a week in which investors took profits before a possible tax rise next year. Prior to Tuesday's trading, Apple shares had lost 25 percent from an all-time intraday high hit in September.
Stocks pared some gains by late afternoon as more news on the "fiscal cliff" negotiations emerged. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it will be difficult to reach agreement resolving the cliff tax hikes and spending cuts before Christmas.
"There's been a real explosion in anxiety over this thing. Because markets have become the way they are, you've got people just stepping back," said James Dailey, portfolio manager of TEAM Asset Strategy Fund in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
"There's a tremendous absence of liquidity in the market," he said.
The S&P 500 had lost 5.3 percent in the seven sessions following Election Day as investors refocused on the threat posed to the economy by the fiscal cliff, a series of automatic spending cuts and tax increases. Markets have mostly recovered those losses, but volume has been thin, suggesting investors are not betting aggressively due to the uncertainty.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 78.56 points, or 0.60 percent, at 13,248.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was up 9.29 points, or 0.65 percent, at 1,427.84. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was up 35.34 points, or 1.18 percent, at 3,022.30.
Volume was roughly 6.43 billion shares traded on the NYSE, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, compared with the year-to-date average daily closing volume of roughly 6.5 billion.
Other major tech stocks also rose. Texas Instruments (TXN.O) gained 4 percent to $31.01 after bumping up its profit target late Monday. That helped other chipmakers rally, with the PHLX Semiconductor index .SOX up 1.9 percent. Microsoft (MSFT.O) rose 1.4 percent to $27.32.
The lack of demonstrable progress in the fiscal cliff negotiations has kept investors from making aggressive bets in recent weeks.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner called on President Barack Obama to propose a counter-offer on Tuesday.
Retailers like luggage maker Tumi Holding Inc TUMI.N and Michael Kors Holding KORS.N gained on Tuesday after a positive report from Goldman Sachs Equity Research. Tumi was up 4.7 percent to $21.92 and Michael Kors gained 2.4 percent, reaching $50.92.
By contrast, discount retailers Dollar General (DG.N) and Family Dollar FDO.N declined. Dollar General, whose shares fell 7.8 percent to $42.94, said it sees margins under pressure in 2013. [ID:nL1E8NB0QB] Family Dollar shares dropped 8.4 percent to $64.68.
SPX Corp SPW.N shares fell 9.1 percent to $62.07 and the stock was the biggest percentage decliner on the New York Stock Exchange after sources said the company is in exclusive talks to buy rival Gardner Denver (GDI.N), in a merger that could create an industrial machinery conglomerate with a market value over $7 billion.
The U.S. Treasury is selling its remaining stake in insurer American International Group Inc (AIG.N). AIG's shares were up 5.7 percent at $35.26.
The Fed began a two-day policy-setting meeting on Tuesday. The central bank is expected to announce a new round of Treasury bond purchases when the meeting ends on Wednesday to replace its "Operation Twist" stimulus, which expires at the end of the year.
Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by about 2 to 1, and on the Nasdaq by nearly 9 to 4.
Additional reporting by Gabriel Debenedetti; Editing by Kenneth Barry and Nick Zieminski


text:
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text:
Entertainer Condemns Recent Killings in Egypt, Blames President Morsi for Dividing Country
Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef has denounced the killing of four Egyptian Shiites by Sunni Muslims on Sunday in Giza Governorate.
"Today a Shiite, tomorrow a Sufi, after tomorrow a Copt and a Baha'i, then a Muslim whoever does not accept application of Sharia according to your understanding and, finally, someone you do not like," Youssef tweeted.
"Muslims insult other religions and say they are distorted and false. However, they hand out Qur'ans freely in the West, but here we kill who annoys us," he added.
"If we are saying that it [Islam] is a mercy to the worlds, who would survive of these worlds when you kill people who believe in doctrines you do not like and insult others?" questioned Youssef, who is referred to as Egypt's Jon Stewart.
He noted that when a Muslim rejoices for the killing of another Muslim who embraces a different doctrine, he must not get upset when Zionists and Sikhs kill Muslims.
"You are an enemy of humanity, so do not ask to be treated humanely," Youssef added.
In the light of these incidents, Youssef described Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi as "unifier of dissension and divider of countries."


text:
Heaven Fest, Colorado's largest Christian music festival, added more national and local acts to the July 31st event. Multiple Dove Award winners, Casting Crowns, Mr. Del, Kutless, Hawk Nelson, BarlowGirl and Thousand Foot Krutch are some of the national artists that will grace seven stages, featuring 70 artists.
And add Kry as the third band to stage a reunion, along with Petra and The O.C. Supertones.
Locally look for Everfound, a band of brothers with a cool pop-alt sound.


text:
The Chicago Tribune is an example of a newspaper America needs to speak truth to power. And in this environment of failing newspapers, many people like Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel and Rod Blagojevich would like the Trib to just go away……
Rahm Emanuel has been discussed as a possible troublemaker or ringleader in many questionable White House operations — already — but we've noticed that Bill O'Reilly won't say anything about this until and unless more is disclosed.
What we do know is that Emanuel has a daily phone call with ABC news host George Stephanopoulos of "This Week," frequent CNN talking head Paul Begula and James Carville.
We suspect Emanuel has a hand in the far left liberal media manipulation effort but we don't see a "conspiracy;" just a tendency toward very inappropriate conduct: the kind that got the Nixon White House into trouble.
That's not much….
Emanuel is also apparently one of the first to say, "never waste a good crisis."
When asked why the White House Chief of Staff, President Obama's Chief of Staff, got involved with trashing Rush Limbaugh, Charles Krauthammer said, "Because he loves to make mischief, because he wants to stay in power and because it is fun."
There's More Room For Rahm In AIG Bonus Abomination
Arrogance Blinds "Public Servants"
Daily Conference Call: Emanual, Carville, Stephanopoulos, Begula
Before its portfolio of bad loans helped trigger the current housing crisis, mortgage giant Freddie Mac was the focus of a major accounting scandal that led to a management shake-up, huge fines and scalding condemnation of passive directors by a top federal regulator.
The Chicago Tribune
One of those allegedly asleep-at-the-switch board members was Chicago's Rahm Emanuel—now chief of staff to President Barack Obama—who made at least $320,000 for a 14-month stint at Freddie Mac that required little effort.
As gatekeeper to Obama, Emanuel now plays a critical role in addressing the nation's mortgage woes and fulfilling the administration's pledge to impose responsibility on the financial world.
Emanuel's Freddie Mac involvement has been a prominent point on his political résumé, and his healthy payday from the firm has been no secret either. What is less known, however, is how little he apparently did for his money and how he benefited from the kind of cozy ties between Washington and Wall Street that have fueled the nation's current economic mess.
Read the rest:
The Chicago Tribune is an example of a newspaper America needs to speak truth to power. And in this environment of failing newspapers, many people like Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel and Rod Blagojevich would like the Trib to just go away……
Emanuel at Obama's inauguration in January….
Dick Morris On Rahm Emanuel
Published in the New York Post February 17, 2009
News broke last week that Rahm Emanuel, now White House chief of staff, lived rent- free for years in the home of Rep. Rosa De Lauro (D-Conn.) – and failed to disclose the gift, as congressional ethics rules mandate. But this is only the tip of Emanuel's previously undislosed ethics problems.
One issue is the work Emanuel tossed the way of De Lauro's husband. But the bigger one goes back to Emanuel's days on the board of now-bankrupt mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
Emanuel is a multimillionaire, but lived for the last five years for free in the tony Capitol Hill townhouse owned by De Lauro and her husband, Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg.
During that time, he also served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee – which gave Greenberg huge polling contracts. It paid Greenberg's firm $239,996 in 2006 and $317,775 in 2008. (Emanuel's own campaign committee has also paid Greenberg more than $50,000 since 2004.)
To be fair, Greenberg had polling contracts with the DCCC before – but each new election cycle brings its own set of consultants. And Emanuel was certainly generous with his roommate.
Emanuel never declared the substantial gift of free rent on any of his financial-disclosure forms. He and De Lauro claim that it was just allowable "hospitality" between colleagues. Hospitality – for five years?
Some experts suggest that it was also taxable income: Over five years, the free rent could easily add up to more than $100,000.
Nor is this all that seems to have been missed in the Obama team's vetting process. Consider: Emanuel served on the Freddie Mac board of directors during the time that the government-backed lender lied about its earnings, a leading contributor to the current economic meltdown.
The Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Agency later singled out the Freddie Mac board as contributing to the fraud in 2000 and 2001 for "failing in its duty to follow up on matters brought to its attention." In other words, board members ignored the red flags waving in their faces.
The SEC later fined Freddie $50 million for its deliberate fraud in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Meanwhile, Emanuel was paid more than $260,000 for his Freddie "service." Plus, after he resigned from the board to run for Congress in 2002, the troubled agency's PAC gave his campaign $25,000 – its largest single gift to a House candidate.
That's what friends are for, isn't it?
Now Rahm Emanuel is in the White House helping President Obama dig out of the mess that Freddie Mac helped start.
The president's chief of staff isn't subject to Senate confirmation, but his ethics still matter. Is this the change that we can depend on?
Read Michelle Malkin:


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IN-TRANSIT PURCHASE! CALL FOR DETAILS!CARFAX One-Owner. Black 2017 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i Limited AWD Lineartronic CVT 2.0L 16V DOHC 17 x 7.0J Aluminum Alloy Wheels, Blind Spot Sensor, Heated front seats, Keyless Access w/Push-Button Start, Leather-Trimmed Upholstery, Moonroof Package w/Navigation/Keyless/Eyesight, Power Moonroof.The Faulkner Subaru Edge includes: Large fleet of loaner vehicles, shuttle service, free Wi-Fi in our customer lounge, gourmet coffee bar and snacks in our customer lounge area, pet friendly facility, and our commitment to serve our community! Check out our Love Promise Page.Recent Arrival! 26/33 City/Highway MPGAwards:* 2017 IIHS Top Safety Pick * ALG Residual Value Awards, Residual Value Awards * 2017 KBB.com 5-Year Cost to Own Awards * 2017 KBB.com 10 Best All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles Under $25,000 * 2017 KBB.com Brand Image Awards * 2017 KBB.com 10 Most Awarded BrandsOUR OFFERINGS: We are located at 6629 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. Faulkner Subaru of Mechanicsburg is your Subaru dealership serving all of south central PA. We have a great selection of new, certified, and quality pre-owned vehicles as well as bank and credit union financing. Fuel economy calculations based on original manufacturer data for trim engine configuration. Please confirm the accuracy of the included equipment by calling us prior to purchase.
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The liquor arm of Mother Earth Brewing is slated to produce gin, grappa, rum and whiskey by Christmas
Eastern North Carolina has a complicated relationship with distilled spirits.
Pitt County native Thomas Jordan Jarvis, governor from 1879-84, helped lead the state�s Prohibition movement. The first statewide referendum on banning booze in 1881 failed by a vote of 77-22 percent. But he and state temperance leaders continued until they secured a ban in 1908 � with 62 percent of voters going for the ban � making North Carolina the first state in the South to outlaw alcohol.
With federal Prohibition in place, a place called Buffalo City in Dare County churned out so much hooch it was dubbed the �moonshine capital� of the nation.
Mother Earth Brewing co-founder Stephen Hill said during Prohibition, Kinston had a dispensary near the current location of downtown restaurant Ginger 108. Because the Volstead Act allowed whiskey for medicinal uses, some states sold it out of legal dispensaries.
With national Prohibition repealed in 1933, the General Assembly gave counties the power to go wet in 1935. Lenoir County � and 17 other ENC counties � legalized the manufacture and sale of alcohol. It also put into play the government distribution of distilled spirits that became the current statewide Alcohol Beverage Control system.
Lenoir County Commissioners called a vote on July 6, 1935 and 74 percent of voters chose to get liquor flowing as 150 cases of spirits arrived in Kinston two weeks later.
And with the resurgence of craft distilleries in the state, Mother Earth Brewing is getting in on the action. Branding its liquor under the banner of Mother Earth Spirits, Hill said they plan to roll out their first products no later than Christmas.
Right now, however, experimentation is the name of the game.
�We�ve already started our first batch � we don�t have anything yet,� Hill said.
Head distiller Dan Feldman said plans are in the works to produce types of gin, grappa, rum and whiskey.
Feldman said he�s developed about 50 different botanically-infused types of gin, several of them stacked in glass jars in the window of the distillery.
Among them, he noted a Szechuan peppercorn style � spicy and peppery, as the name suggests � and a chipotle-infused version that produces an aroma blending the smoky pepper surprisingly well with the traditional gin hints of juniper.
�The gin that we make will use all of the old world techniques,� Feldman said. �So, we�re going to put juniper in the still, and run the vapor over the juniper, like London dry gin, but we�re also going to macerate herbs, and we�re also going to cold-infuse on top of that.
�So, it�s going to be like a blend of all three techniques, instead of just choosing one or the other.�
For the grappa, an Italian-style brandy liquor made from distilling grape seeds, skins and stems (called pomace) � which tastes nothing like brandy � Feldman said they�re still searching for a winery with which to partner. They�re looking at facilities in Chilton and Yadkinville.
Interestingly, the term �grappa� is protected by the European Union to only cover that type of clear spirit made in Italy, San Marino and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland.
In the United States, however, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau requires grappa-type spirits to carry the label.
�Even though, yes, grappa is claimed as a protected alcohol named for Italian beverages the same as sambuca is, champagne or Bordeaux, at some point those become generic terms for some types of alcohol,� Feldman said. �It�s not like anyone�s trademarked the name �moonshine.� And the TTB says if I make it out of skins and seeds, it�s got to be called grappa.�
For the whiskey, Mother Earth is going with a 100 percent barley malt product.
�We played with a wheat whiskey � a soft, red wheat � and a corn whiskey, but I think what we�re going to end up doing is 100 percent malt,� Feldman said. �It�s got the richest flavor, from the experiments that we�ve done. It seems to be something that�s not done that much right now.�
Currently, they�re putting the whiskey in 5-gallon oak barrels with grooves on the inside to provide for more surface-area contact with the alcohol, speeding up maturation from five years to five months, allowing for quicker sampling.
Once Mother Earth decides on a style and it�s approved by the TTB, the whiskey will go into larger barrels to age for the full four-to-five years. The federal bureau�s approval process is backed up, Feldman said, because of budget cuts forced by sequestration.
On its website, the TTB lists an averaging processing time of 33 days for distilled spirits, but notes it legally can take up to 90 days to approve or reject an application.
Rum is one product that doesn�t have to be pre-approved, as long as it�s made from 100 percent sugar cane, and Feldman said they�ll likely produce a �traditional Caribbean golden rum.�
The distillery has been in the works for some time.
�We�ve been working on this for months,� Hill said, adding, �We�re also the first distillery to be in a LEED-certified building.�
No matter what�s visible in the bottle, there�s a case to be made for calling each product green.
Our still runs on solar hot water,� co-founder Trent Mooring said, �so we�ll be the first distillery to actually make spirits made with hot water made by the sun.�
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.
Time from distilling to ready to bottle for Mother Earth Spirits:
Gin, none
Grappa, none
Rum, 1 month
Whiskey, 4-5 years


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My son decided he wanted to farm a little and since he likes hot peppers, he obtained seed for several kinds of hot peppers; hot, hotter, hotter still, and good Lord Jesus have Mercy.
He planted each tiny seed in small peat containers. I told him he was at least a month early since it was just the first day of February, but his Mother insisted I let him do as he wished. "Let him make his own mistakes," she said. "He will learn from them."
Ken Vickers
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Join the Christian Coalition Team!
Today, Christians are playing an active role in government again by uniting to stand up for families and people of faith. Hundreds of pro-family political leaders have been elected to local, state and federal office. Pro-family activism is changing policy and influencing decisions from school boards all the way to the US Congress. You can help by joining with us.
Add your voice to the millions across America who have said it's time for people of faith to speak up and become involved. With your help, innocent human lives will no longer go unprotected by our laws, more public schools will at least meet minimum standards, and fewer of our young people will be snared by drugs, violence and sexual promiscuity.
Your becoming involved means that Christian Coalition of America can distribute more voter guides and scorecards, train more activists and sway more critical votes in Congress and the states. By joining with us, you won't just sway one vote -- you will impact America forever.
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Simply click here and join us to get started today!
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Former top Democratic aide turned journalist George Stephanopoulos on Monday spun the upcoming November 3 congressional election in New York as a Republican "civil war." Recounting the battle between the Conservative Party nominee, a Democrat and a liberal Republican, he claimed, "But, what's most interesting here is civil war inside the Republican Party."
Stephanopoulos added, "You saw this conservative candidate just come in and swamp the Republican who was pro-choice, pro-gay rights. And what the White House is trying to do even if they lose here is exploit- is fan the flames of this civil war."
Of course, Stephanopoulos, who served in the Clinton White House and worked for Michael Dukakis' 1988 campaign, doesn't often talk about Democrats engaging in a "civil war," despite the unhappiness by liberals over issues such as the "public option" and President Obama's inaction over gays in the military.
Stephanopoulos also appeared on Sunday's GMA and played prognosticator. Discussing the two gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and the congressional election in New York, he predicted, "I think you're likely to see a split here." (The This Week host suggested a victory by Democrats in New Jersey.) Previewing White House spin, he added, "If there is a split, I think it's a wash and we'll move on."
In fairness, on Monday, Stephanopoulos did allow this in regard to Virginia's gubernatorial race: "Independents voted heavily for President Obama in Virginia last year. They seem to be going for the Republican candidate this time and especially the President's health care plan, according to the latest polling in Virginia, is pretty unpopular right now."
UPDATE 2009-11-02 14:08: On Monday, Stephanopoulos blogged on ABCNews.com and now seems to be seeing a GOP sweep ahead.
A transcript of the November 2 segment, which aired at 7:04am, follows:
ROBIN ROBERTS: For the bottom line on another election day let's bring in chief Washington correspondent and host of This Week George Stephanopoulos.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Hey, Robin.
ROBERTS: Good to see you. President Obama, we saw him here in New Jersey on Sunday. We saw in Jake's piece making direct pleas to voters. I mean, the White House putting a lot of energy into this race.
ABC GRAPHIC: Hotly Contested Elections: Dems in Distress, GOP at War
STEPHANOPOULOS: Boy, they sure are, Robin. President Obama has gone back three times for Jon Corzine and want to do it to avoid the sweep Jake was talking about. New Jersey is their best chance for a win tomorrow night. It is a solid Democratic state even though the economy is in trouble there, the President is still personally pretty popular and they want to avoid the sweep at all costs because they're afraid that will be seen as a verdict on the President's first year and could effect this debate over health care in the Congress.
ROBERTS: Right. Tight in New Jersey but not the case in Virginia with the governor's race.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Not at all. The Republican Bob McDonnell is just swamping the Democrat Creigh Deeds. Now, a few things going on, first of all, history. Virginia always has a gubernatorial election one year after a presidential race. And going back all the way to 1977, the out-party has always won and McDonnell has also run a much better campaign than the Democrat Creigh Deeds. The White House has been complaining about Deeds' campaign. But you can't underestimate the national implications here either. Independents voted heavily for President Obama in Virginia last year. They seem to be going for the Republican candidate this time and especially the President's health care plan, according to the latest polling in Virginia, is pretty unpopular right now.
ROBERTS: Let's talk about this other race that Jake brought up in his piece. Upstate New York, an open congressional seat. Up until this weekend it was a three-way race then the Republican drops out, throws her support behind the Democrat instead of the conservative opponent. Give us the behind the scenes. What's going on here?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, the White House was pushing very, hard for this Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava to back the Democrat after she dropped out of the race. Now it still might not be enough. There is a lot of anger up in district. That district has been a Republican congressional district since about the Civil War. But, what's most interesting here is civil war inside the Republican Party. You saw this conservative candidate just come in and swamp the Republican who was pro-choice, pro-gay rights. And what the White House is trying to do even if they lose here is exploit- is fan the flames of this civil war. I asked the White House counselor Valerie Jarrett yesterday what she thought this forcing out of the Republican candidate said about where the Republican Party is right now. Take a look.
VALERIE JARRETT: Well, I think it's becoming more and more extreme and more and more marginalized. Look at the number of people who actually say they're registered- consider themselves a Republican. If that's the direction they want to go, fine.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You are likely to see the same dynamic play out in other Republican primaries for Senate and governors' races across the country right now.
ROBERTS: What are Republicans saying? We hear what Valerie Jarrett- what she feels about this race in upstate New York, but what are Republicans saying?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, some like Majority Republican leader John Boehner in the House say it's time for the republicans to close ranks, but they are worried about this split between those who are calling for a big tent Republican Party like Newt Gingrich and the conservative activists motivated by a lot of anti-government anger who say the party hasn't been pure enough so far. What Newt Gingrich told the New York Times over the weekend, if the Republican Party can't find a way to heal this divide, they will make Nancy Pelosi Speaker for life and re-elect President Obama, something Republicans are talking about trying to figure out and trying to heal right now.
ROBERTS: We'll see what happens on Tuesday.


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A pseudorandom permutation can be defined formally as a function $\phi$ from $\{0,1\}^k\times\{0,1\}^n$ to $\{0,1\}^n$ such that for every $x\in\{0,1\}^k$ the function $\phi_x:y\mapsto\phi(x,y)$ is a bijection. The difficulty of distinguishing between a random permutation of the form $\phi_x$ and a purely random permutation of $\{0,1\}^n$ is defined roughly as follows. The function $\phi$ has hardness at least m if for every algorithm $A$ that takes at most $m$ steps in the worst case and has access to an oracle that tells it values $\pi(y)$ of a given permutation $\pi$ whenever it wants to know them (taking, say, one step to do so), the probability that $A$ outputs 1 when $\pi$ is a random $\phi_x$ differs from the probability that $A$ outputs 1 when $\pi$ is a fully random permutation by at most $m^{-1}$.
A celebrated result of Luby and Rackoff shows that pseudorandom permutations of superpolynomial hardness exist if pseudorandom functions of superpolynomial hardness exist. I won't bother here to explain what a pseudorandom function is, since this question is aimed at people who already know. What I would like to know is whether under suitable assumptions there are pseudorandom permutations of hardness $2^{Cn}$ for arbitrarily large $C$. I don't mind if $k$ is bigger than $n$. It might at first seem a silly question, since one can look at every single value that $\pi$ takes. But that's fine by me. For this question, the oracle is no longer needed, since one can just think of the function as a gigantic table of values. Even given those values, it doesn't seem easy to distinguish between a pseudorandom permutation and a random one.
This question is motivated by thoughts connected with Razborov and Rudich's famous Natural Proofs paper, where they consider a pseudorandom function of very large hardness. It may be that if you take such a function and apply the Luby-Rackoff construction to it, then you get a very hard pseudorandom permutation, but from the accounts I've found online I've been unable to see easily whether that is the case.


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Home > Clothing & Accessories > Men > Athletic Shirts & Tees > Mens Swimming Beach Shorts Men's Swim Trunks Man Gym Swimsuit Pants Blue XL
Product Details
- Flat seam construction preventing chafing,durable and comfortable.
- With ergonomic design,ideal for swimming in the sea / pool/ springs/workout gym.
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Suggested size and weight:L --- 50-60kgXL --- 60-70kgXXL --- 70-80kgXXXL --- 80-90kg
Package Includes:
- 1x Mens Shorts
- Please confirm the SIZE when you buy.


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Addiction Counselor
Donald A. Labonte, MA, MSW, LMHC, LCDP, NCAC II
Licensed Clinician
33 College Hill Rd., Warwick, Rhode Island 02886 | 401-823-5600
Addictive disorders are serious conditions that require specialized training and expertise. Each person who may have some degree of addictive disorder must be evaluated with great care and attention to individual differences and not be treated with a "one-size-fits-all" therapy approach. It is crucial to neither overestimate nor underestimate the level of problem present when evaluating an individual person. All persons deserve that degree of respectful care and my clients can count on that in their treatment with me.
Addiction Counselor
Kevin Fleming Ph.D.
Coach/Change Agent/Consultant
Providence, Rhode Island 02901 | 1-877-606-6161
While most treatment approaches to addiction include 12 step programs, rehabs, and now sober living houses, Grey Matters International, Inc. provides a wildly successful alternative to traditional models of addiction treatment----that keeps the brain in mind. That is, talking to the conscious brain while the primal brain is deciding things even before you are consciously aware? Well, that is the problem to solve in addiction. We have the solution utilizing a new cutting edge neuroscience-centered brain rebalancing system. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com or call 877-606-6161.
Addiction Counselor
Michael Hodosh, Psy.D, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
70 Sharon Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02908 | 401-742-8170
Whether it is substances, sexual behaviors, gambling, or other addictive behaviors which are compromising the quality of your life, I can help. I provide a safe context within which to explore the deeper issues contributing to the need to manage or bury emotions by engaging in addictive behaviors. In addition, I will help you establish some practical skills for establishing and maintaining abstinence from addiction behaviors. I have been described as down-to-earth, easy going, insightful, accepting, and non-judgmental
Addiction Counselor
Michelle Pressma, LICSW
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
825 Broadway, Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 | 508-822-6650 X2
I work with clients to contemplate their sobriety from an addiction, build a daily structure and support network if sobriety is their goal, create a toolbox of coping skills to combat cravings, educate clients about the cycle of addiction, help them acknowledge their ambiguity or conflict about being sober, and recreating a new story of their lives as a person in recovery.
02842 is a zip code located in Newport County and part of Middletown, Rhode Island. It has a land area of 12.693 square miles.  The population of 02842 is 16,095 people.


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I was honored to be a guest on this morning's episode of Oregon Public Broadcasting's show Listen Out Loud, talking with host Dave Miller about the recent case of Schlossberg v. Solesbee.
Listen to the interview here:
We talked about the Fourth Amendment and, more specifically, the exceptions to the warrant requirement for searches made incident to lawful arrests. Some courts have given special treatment to mobile devices when considering whether the information contained on them may be searched without a warrant, because of the vast amounts of personal information that is present.


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Amid border wall debate, third drug tunnel found in less than a month along Arizona border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection processed their largest single group of migrants who entered the U.S. by tunneling underneath the border wall. Veuer's Justin Kircher has more.
TUCSON – Mexican authorities uncovered another tunnel in Nogales, Sonora – across the border from Nogales, Arizona – which they suspect was used to smuggle drugs and people across the U.S.-Mexico border.
It's the third time they have made such a discovery in less than a month, and it comes amid President Donald Trump's demand for funding to build more physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Mexican Federal Police on Wednesday posted a short video of the tunnel on Twitter. Police said the tunnel measured about 32 feet in length but offered few other details, such as the location or how they found it.
The video shows two police officers opening up a manhole underneath the extensive drainage channels that lie below the downtown areas in the twin cities of Nogales. The channels are used to ease the flow of runoff water during storms and typically flow north from Sonora into Arizona because of the terrain. But they are also commonly used in smuggling attempts.
As the video progresses, it shows the officers inside the tunnel, following it to the point where it originates at an unknown location. The officer recording is heard asking, "Is that the exit?" A second officer responds "yes" as he pushes open the entrance to the tunnel overhead.
Attempts to contact and request more information from the Mexican Federal Police were unsuccessful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Arizona are also unable to provide information because they furloughed their communication staff due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history.
Effectiveness of walls under scrutiny
Trump's insistence on border-security funding is central to the fight that has resulted in the shutdown.
As part of his push to secure more funding, Trump cites high numbers of drugs coming across the Southwest U.S. border and claims that "These numbers will be DRASTICALLY REDUCED if we have a Wall!"
However, the vast majority of the drugs that he alludes to, including heroin, are increasingly caught at the legal ports of entry, which would be unaffected by the construction of additional physical barriers.
READ MORE: Most hard drugs seized at border ports; a wall wouldn't stop it
Critics routinely point to drug tunnels as a sign that walls don't work.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., broached the topic during one of several failed meetings between congressional Democratic leadership and Trump to try to end the stalemate.
As the president visited south Texas on Thursday, one of the border officials he met with explained how smugglers had turned to tunneling underneath areas of the border where physical barriers had been built.
"This is the second tunnel recently that we've located. This is an area that we actually have wall," Melissa Lucio, the Border Patrol's agent in charge of the McAllen station, told Trump as he looked on.
"We're doing such a great job in utilizing the right resources in that particular area, that they've (smugglers) become so frustrated they're using other tactics," she added. "They're actually digging tunnels. This is about 25 feet long, and 2 to 3 feet high."
Smugglers increasingly using tunnels
Tunnels have become an increasingly common tactic that smugglers have used to get around stricter enforcement at the border, especially in sections that have had physical barriers in place for many years and decades, such as Arizona and California's borders with Mexico.
Along the Arizona border, Nogales is one of the main areas where large numbers of drug tunnels are uncovered on either side.
Just last week, Mexican Federal Police located a 65-foot tunnel inside an abandoned business in Nogales, Sonora, about four blocks south of the international boundary, according to Mexican media.
Before then, on Dec. 17, Customs and Border Protection officials in Arizona said they and Mexican officials had located another tunnel in downtown Nogales as part of a "routine binational tunnel sweep."
The unfinished, 50-foot tunnel stretched nearly 44 feet into Arizona, from the drainage channels underneath the twin cities to an empty parking lot, CBP said.
- 50-foot-long drug tunnel discovered in Nogales
- 'Tunnel rats' plug underground border passages
- Trump: Won't declare border emergency 'right now'
- What border security measures are in place now?
- $5 billion question: How to secure the border
Customs and Border Protection works to stop drugs coming from Mexico by land, sea and even tunnel. A USA TODAY NETWORK video production.


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Drip Irrigaiton Is?
Many people have heard of Drip Irrigation, but not everyone knows what it means, where it came from, or how easy it is to implement into your landscapes and gardens. I wanted to write a quick bit about it and share how awesome this method of irrigation can be for your plants.
What is Drip Irrigation?
Drip irrigation is an irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, Basically, it means that you can control where the water goes - being extremely efficient, effective and environmentally cautious in your plant development.
Where did it come from?
Drip methods of watering plants where water was scarce have been around for centuries - from ancient times where clay pots were filled with water and allowed to seep into the soil to modern methods that involve poly and vinyl tubing and pressure compensated drippers for a specific flow rate for plants. The more modern version of drip was developed after World War II, and it was used in arid climates to grow crops. That method of drip irrigation is very similar to what is used today. With technology leading the way in water conservation, Drip Irrigation is improving constantly, allowing for more water saving and better irrigation of plants then ever. Electronic water timers and soil moisture sensors can be added to drip systems to make them extremely effective at using water with little or no waste, making Drip Irrigation the most environmentally friendly way to irrigate, outside of natural rain storms.
Installing Drip Irrigation?
When most people think of installing irrigation, pictures of long hot hours in the sun, digging ditches, laying pipes in the ground, and using tools to cut, manipulate and arrange them, come to mind. All of that is how underground irrigation is installed. Installing drip irrigation is actually really easy by comparison. For home garden and landscape use, many times all that is required is a faucet hook-up somewhere near where the irrigation is to be laid. This makes installation really fast and efficient for homeowners to set up. The most simple of Mister Landscaper's Drip Irrigation Kits is set up by attaching it to an outdoor faucet like a hose and running a line of poly to the location where the irrigation is needed. The only tool really needed is a pair of scissors, and maybe a small hammer if you have hard ground.
If a homeowner has underground irrigation, it is even easier to install Drip or Micro Irrigation. For instance, one can easily attach adapters to PVC pipes for existing irrigation and then run lines to the areas where they would like to have drip. Most set up of Drip or Micro Irrigation can take less then an hour to do and can save over 50% of the water used in traditional irrigation methods.
So, if you want to save time, save money, water your plants the best way possible, and most importantly save water for generations to come, Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation is the way to go.
Does Mister Landcaper have the best Drip Irrigation on the planet, Well, we think we do.
Have an awesome day!


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Let fundamentalists believe what they want. They must allow the rest of us to exercise our rights, too, and not be adversely affected by their convictions which, it looks evident, are mainly based on fear. (more…)
Posts Tagged 'Second Coming'
Fundamentalists' fears
Posted in Christianity, Fundamentalism, God, Religion, tagged abortion clinics, apocalypse, Baudelaire, Calvin, Christianity, Co-Redemptrix movement, Day of Judgement, Dover Beach, Edicts of Ashoka, Exodus 22:20, fear, God, Hugh Montefiore, ignorance, Islam, Jesus, John 1:1-14, Judaism, Karen Armstrong, Keith Ward, Luther, Matthew 8:12, Matthew Arnold, Ne Testament, Numbers 14:12, Old Testament, Psalm 139:1, Psalm 71:6, Revelation 6:15, Romans 7:19, Second Coming, St Paul, substitutionary atonment, suicide bombers, Sura 29:64, women bishops on 06/08/2012| Leave a Comment »


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What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
Published on the search for entrepreneurial morale and values in the brochure "Working together at Putzmeister".
The so-called Golden Rule and the 10 commandments of the bible are part of our brochure PM 1424 "Working together at Putzmeister". When I as asked in 1991 why some employees were against including the "Golden Rule" in the document I got the answer that many company members from abroad could not be obliged to do so or would not understand. The following document proves that the essential statements of the Golden Rule have been globally respected and observed by most philosophies of life and religions for centuries.
The complete personnel information 99011 which is still in German can be downloaded here.
Here you will find SM 121127 - and an interpretation of the Golden Rule by Leonhard Swidler.
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FICPAYou Are Here:
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The FICPA makes it easier than ever for Florida CPAs to take a Florida ethics course.
This course is available 24/7 and contains video, audio and links to all of the latest laws and rules in Florida. With the addition of this online course, the FICPA provides the Florida approved ethics course in virtually every format imaginable...online, seminars, webcasts and traditional self-study.
You can take the online course on your timeframe...a few minutes a night or complete the course in one sitting. Once you finish and pass the exam, you will immediately receive your certificate of completion.
There is no easier way to sign up and get started on a Florida ethics course. Learn more here!
FICPA "Ethics: Protecting the Integrity of Florida CPAs"
Available online 24/7 or as a hardcopy manual.
The FICPA self-study course is designed to help Florida licensees meet the new requirements for ethics continuing education. The course addresses both internal and external issues faced by CPAs such as professional standards, ethical conduct, client communication and independence. The course complies with the ethics requirements for Florida CPAs set forth by the Florida Board of Accountancy.
Gleim Publications "Florida Ethics"
Gleim Publications offers a four hour ethics CPE course online. Click here to review Gleim Publications CPE Catalog and/or purchase products. You will be asked to login (last name and FICPA member ID number) once you click the link above.
Surgent McCoy's "Ethics for Florida"
This four-hour, Board of Accountancy approved course is available in six formats, including downloadable, CD-ROM, and textbook.


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Product Information
Swapping out your dull factory head lights for Spyder black DRL projector headlights is a great way to add style, safety, and improve the value of your car or truck. DRL projector headlights from Spyder give any ride a completely new look.
Spyder projector headlights will give you increased visibility which translates into better safety for you & your family. With the killer style Spyder gives these lights, you'll be sure to turn heads while cruising down the boulevard! These black DRL projector headlights are show quality and meet or exceed NHSTA safety standards.
Spyder has designed their projector head lights to be installed easily without any drilling or complicated wiring, they simply bolt into the factory holes and plug into your existing lighting system. All lights have been tested and either meet or exceed quality standards for original equipment manufacturers.
Light up the night with your own set of cutting edge Spyder black DRL projector headlights, you'll be the envy of the neighborhood and the quality won't disappoint either!
• Any Spyder Auto products that are found to be defective are covered for a period of one year following the original purchase date.
• Spyder Auto will warrant that your product will be free of defects in materials and workmanship under normal use by the original consumer purchaser for one year from the original purchase date. This limited warranty does not cover any damage caused by improper installation, road hazard, accident, racing, misuse, alteration or normal wear and tear. This limited warranty does not cover vehicles used in racing or competition or vehicles with settings other than those set forth in the original manufacturer's specifications.
All Spyder headlights are designed to make the installation process simple and easy. All mounting hardware and wiring comes included and there are no special tools required. If you have any questions or would like any additional information, you can always give our customer service department a call. They are available seven days a week for your convenience.


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Re: vimrc
Is there a means, perhaps similar to vimrc, by which one can have commands "already" be in effect when viEmu starts up? The example I have in mind is setting of nowrapscan to on. There are probably a few others, too.
In case I simply missed the answer within the docs, please forgive my carelessness. Thanks for your help.


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2008 Cobra Jet Mustang - For Sundays Only
The '08 Cobra Jet Mustang
In 1967, Ford set out to dominate the SS/E class of NHRA drag racing with the introduction of the '68 Cobra Jet Mustang. It was a simple body in white with a slightly better version of the 428-inch FE, a four-speed, and some factory-installed drag racing goodies like dual-electric fuel pumps and a trunk-mounted battery. In the Apr. '68 issue of Car Craft, Managing Editor John Raffa brought one out to Pomona for some photographs and drag testing. With Don Nicholson at the wheel, the car ran a best time of 11.67 at 119 mph--not bad for an iron-headed FE. Now Ford is at it again.
The idea for another Cobra Jet Mustang was hatched after the introduction of the FR500C, which was built by Ford Racing to compete in the Grand Am Cup. Both the success of the road racing Grand Am car and the popularity of the street-based Mustang made the drag racing version of the car the next logical step. At the time, the Lightning truck and the '03 to '04 Cobra already had supercharged engines, so the guys at Ford Racing were looking toward a similar engine. They also knew about the impending '07 GT500 street car and its supercharged 5.4L, so they waited for a derivative of that engine to become available.
Between the hatching of the idea in 2005 and the introduction of the GT500 in 2007, there was a lot of buzz about the 40th anniversary of the Cobra Jet in 2008. Ford Racing committed to the Mustang drag car build, and the name Cobra Jet was a perfect fit.
Amazingly, in April 2008, the Cobra Jet plan became a reality at Ford Racing headquarters, and by December of that year, Ford Racing was delivering cars.
The initial build number was set at 50 to fit the NHRA minimum and to keep the car exclusive. To assemble the car, the body, fascia, instrument panel, and major subassemblies from Automotive Alliance Industries (AAI) in Flat Rock, Michigan, were shipped to the Ford Racing assembly facility in Livonia, Michigan. The engine was assembled separately at the Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Michigan, and also shipped to the assembly facility. In Livonia, the rollcage and engine compartment block-off plates were welded in place, then the body was repainted and sent back into a special assembly line composed of four assembly areas to complete the car.
The car was built specifically for the NHRA Stock Eliminator class and cannot be used on the street since it doesn't have a VIN. The horsepower-to-weight rating of 425 hp to 3,240 pounds makes the car fit into the AA/S class. The 50 cars were sold out within three days of the June 2008 official announcement. Because they are off-road only, they were sold through the Ford dealers' parts departments. To get the cars, the dealer had to sign a contract to get them delivered and then sell them individually for $69,995.
At this time, all 50 Cobra Jets are in customer hands and at least four will be at the Winternationals in Pomona, California, for racing. By the end of this year, the plan is to have a Cobra Jet compete in all seven divisions of the NHRA. Check one out in person if you can.
Want To Clone One?
Why don't you buy a Mustang GT and build one yourself? We've seen '05 Mustang GTs for as little as $12,500 on eBay. Let's say you got a car loan for $11K with $1,000 down. That would be about $250 to $300 per month for 60 months. Then you could buy a supercharger from Ford Racing, seat covers, a shifter, and one of those Cobra rear medallions and have your own 550hp Cobra replica for a fraction of the cost of the new stuff--and it would be street legal as well. Ford Racing offers all the parts to get it done, and it's cheaper than building a '66 Chevelle. Just a thought.
The Cobra Jet powerplant is essentially a detuned GT500 engine giving racers the hardware they need to make the car competitive. It features an iron-block 5.4L with four-valve heads built at Ford's Romeo engine plant. The engine has an SFI crankshaft damper, an A/C delete, all the heat-vent air conditioning (HVAC) outlets removed, and 1 7/8 long-tube headers added. The 5.4 also has a billet throttle body with two 62.5mm blades, a larger 123mm mass air meter with an open-element air filter, a set of 80 lb/hr injectors, and instead of an Eaton three-lobe 122ci blower like the street Cobra, it has an Eaton TVS four-lobe blower that displaces 140 ci. The cylinder heads and intake castings are identical to what you would find on a stock GT500 with Ford Racing valve covers and billet coil-pack covers.
At the Ford Racing assembly facility, the factory seats are disassembled and sewn with the Cobra Jet emblems and block letters. The six-point rollbar is built to NHRA specs to go as fast as 10.0 in the quarter-mile. The five-point harnesses are included.
In the rear, the car also uses base brakes and a custom wheel that measures 15x10 inches with 30x9-inch Goodyear slicks. Under the rear is a 9-inch instead of the standard 8.8 V-8 Mustang axle. You can, however, buy one from Ford Racing and bolt it into any '05-and-later Mustang. The Cobra Jet has a 4.11:1 gear ratio and a full spool. The suspension uses Ford Racing adjustable dampers and Mustang GT front springs with Mustang V-6 rear springs. The car has a factory three-link but adds an adjustable upper and tubular lower control arms. It also has a unique narrowed antiroll bar that was necessary to clear the tires and helps with the launch.
You can order the car with one of two standard or optional graphics packages. This is the optional package that comes with the snake graphics on the side (minus the John Force stencil). Only the optional graphics cars arrive with the blacked-out rear valance. For the record, there were 17 optional graphics packages applied by Ford racing. The rear medallion is also unique to the Cobra Jet. Instead of GT or Shelby, it just has a snake and Ford cast into it.
Ford Racing developed this hoodscoop out of stamped aluminum specifically for this car to look like a Boss 429. This hood is also legal if you want to run a carburetor in SS/GT or another class that allows cold air. The front end has a grille from the Bullet Mustang matched with the California Special front fascia. The mirrors are deleted for weight savings and aerodynamics. The plates are available from Ford Racing.


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Seems like it was just yesterday that we were putting the final touches on this shoot. Almost 4 months later and after it's been featured on Green Wedding Shoes and The Party Press blog, we decided we better share our favorite shots! We get so giddy every time we look at pictures from this one, so you would think we would have had this up asap! To be honest I think we just didn't know where to begin. We got SO many amazing pictures back from Katie Scott of Swoon by Katie. Seriously every thing this lady shoots is gold. See below.
The tablescape was definitely a labor of love. We spent hours spray painting the mini lanterns and the canteens, which were camo print in a previous life, and sewing the pink ribbon around the canteens. We also had to remove all the labels from the glass Strabucks frappuccino drinks that were used as milk milk bottles- but it was all worth it to see it come together!
The lovely ladies over at Blush Botanicals created the most stunning centerpiece for the table! They totally got the vibe we were going for and nailed it. They put together the dreamiest arrangements…..
The table wouldn't have looked so flawless either without the gorgeous linens provided by Wildflower and the Chiavari Chairs from Allie's Party Rentals. These details definitely helped create the overall vision.
Can we talk about how awesome all of the paper elements are!? Posh Paperie is amazing to work with- so creative and so enthusistic! Still obsessed with the invites and of course the little mini Beverly Hills esque dessert markers! We die!
Seriously all of these girls are already stunning, but we were so lucky to have 10.11 Make up & Hair there to get them camera ready. They worked their magic and made the girls look flawless. Love how natural and radiant they all look- check out that killer hair!
Our Bridal Survial Kit read "always be prepared" and was stocked with mini tools for mini emergencies! Safety pins, bobby pins, hair spray, lint roller, breath mints, sewing kit, lotion, eye drops, blotting tissues, band-aids, you name it we had it!
We can't sing Stevi from Hey There! Cupcake's praises enough! She is a true artist! If you can dream it she can make it out of cake. Annnd make it taste amazing too! We had "Scout's Honor Strawberry" cupcakes, "Do-Si-I Do" peanut butter cupcakes, and mini Smore's cupcakes, in addition to the Girl Scout sash inspired cake! Her attention to detail is unparralled. Love the subtle trefoil pattern on the cake.
Moss Vintage Rentals really helped set the scene with all of their vintage books, dinnerware, and cake plates. Love the table we got to borrow for the dessert station! It was perfect and we couldn't help thinking it would make an amazing sweetheart table too!
Let us remind you that it was not Girl Scout cookie season when we did this shoot and there were no Samoa's to come by! Luckily, the kind people of VG Donuts & Bakery helped us create these delicious homemade versions of the cookie.
Still obsessed with the vintage Girl Scout camera we scored on ebay! Too cute for words….
Big thanks to our wonderful models! We adore you for braving that cold December day and rocking it in the spring outfits we put you in!


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Multicolored Target Bullseye Polka Dot Circle Repositionable Wall Stickers
These decals can be used on smooth and slightly textured, painted interior walls including flat, semi gloss and gloss paint finishes. Can also be applied to any flat, smooth or non-porous surfaces such as glass, metal, finished wood, etc.
Type: Shapes & Patterns


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i need some alcohol to get the taste of **** out of my mouth
Cosign....I was thinking the samething.
We all know I wanted Terrence Williams in this draft.....but the Knicks were in desperate need of a Future Bigman like Jordan Hill.
I would have given Walsh & Dantoni an "A+" if they would've got Hill, Terrence, and Douglas out of this draft. And resigned Nate & Lee, plus hired coach Oakley to get Curry & Darko to be worth 10 fouls a game.
Its ashame that the majority of u guys in this forum only think Basketball players are good if they could score 20 points or more.
Very few of u guys watch how Jordan Hill established himself in the paint on offense & defense the first two games.....showing his best skills and talents out weigh all his flaws.
6.10 Jordan Hill low-post paint talent n skills is a 100% better than 6.11 Gallo's paint talent will ever be.
Yes, Hill is raw and things would/ve been looking real great for his future if the Knicks had settled a deal already with Lee & Wilcox, so Hill could've worked out with them this season and watch the two perform at the PF position his rookie season.
I have no LUV for this stupid 2010 plan!
Mcgee has been the dominating bigman in the Vegas Summer Games, and his matchup with Blake Griffin was the game to watch.
I'm sure Jordan Hill watched that game too, and came for the challenge.
disagree.....2010 is the best thing to look forward to.
mcgee bin in the league for a year already.....he don count
Hey did you see you Jordan Hill jerseys are on sale? I posted the a link on his FB page. I already ordered mine.
Jordan Hill jerseys are on sale. I posted a link on his FB page. I already ordered mine.
How many minutes you think this guy can earn from D'Antoni?
15-20 a night at the beginging. And hopefully come second half we can make that around 24-28 a night. He's got alot of positives but he's still Raw and needs to get into the gym.. But i like the pick.
Could use some traffic to the site and comments
haters need to relax.....we NEED big men that can block shots...Hill qualifies and he can rebound a lot which is good in case Lee doesn't last here for a long time.
Hill's ability to block shots, clog the middle, rebound the ball well, hustle and drop some shots is what we needed in the 8th pick.
Donnie made a good choice.
"The Knicks are back" - Amare
Dum Dum Walsh refuse to buy Minesoto Timberwolves pick of Duke NCAA championship PG Ty Lawson, to go with Jordan Hill, and Toney Douglas. The foolishness of having Walsh as a GM.
Ty Lawson was the uptempo running offensive PG, and Toney Douglas was the Defensive PG that stop uptempo PG from running on us .. both was what HC Dantoni was looking for.
The Timberwolves had Ty Lawson up for sell for 3 weeks after the draft. The Denver Nuggets bought Ty Lawson rights for practically nothing.
Denver and Portland buy draft picks and sometimes happen to get a really good player with those picks.
Why can't we execute a draft and acquire rich young talent with legit promise? Lawson was a no brainer at 8, I pushed for him at 8 for months before the draft.
I really hope the Knicks this season can buy a pick. This draft is deep.


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On July 24 2007, maberi wrote:Awesome movie, very well doneOn July 24 2007, maberi wrote:Has anyone seen Pan's Labyrinth?
What a great movie! I've never hated a villain in a movie like I did in this one...at the very beginning when he killed those two farmers I took it personal and was nearly sobbing because I was so mad! It takes superb acting and a wonderful director to get that kind of reaction out of the audience.


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To celebrate the start of Ramadan, it is customary for Muslims in the city of Jerusalem, to fire a canon at the beginning and end of the month of Ramadan, and Jerusalem City Mayor, Uri Lopiliansky had the distinct honor of firing the canon (it's fired other times as well during Ramadan, but I don't know exactly when).
The Jerusalem Municipality purchased 87 canon shells for the ceremony, at a cost of 6,800 NIS.
Here are some pictures of the ceremonial canon firing:
In light of my posting yesterday that the police aren't happy with Jews blowing the shofar near the Kotel HaKatan, I would like to understand why it's acceptable for the canon to be fired to celebrate Ramadan?
Actually, why is shooting such an ingrained part of Islam? The canon is fired for Ramadan, Rifles and pistols are fired in the air (using live ammunition) at night, and a Muslim wedding isn't complete without lots of shooting in the air as well (again, with live ammunition, and there are cases every year of people getting hurt from the "what goes up, must come down" principle).
In fact, at night, after breaking their fast, it's not uncommon for there to be lots of shooting during Ramadan. I don't understand why the Israeli police allow this "custom" to continue year after year -- in Israeli Arab villages like Abu Ghosh and in Arab villages in the West Bank. If a settler would G-d forbid shoot his gun in the air, the police would be all over him in a second, his weapon confiscated, his license revoked, and he would be criminally charged with "shooting in a built-up location."
The closest that Jews get to, in terms of religious violence in ceremonies, is breaking a glass under the foot of a groom, in-laws breaking a plate at weddings, or using noise makers at Purim.
It may be very un-politically correct to say, but Islam and guns seem to be very intertwined.
Anyone out there have a different opinion?
So the next time you want to use racial profiling for Muslims on airplanes...they may just be bringing that gun, rifle or canon shell with them to celebrate Ramadan in the very best expression of freedom of religion.
Bonus Question: Yet why do knighting ceremonies also use swords? Could Christianity have latent hints of weaponry in it's religion as well?
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael


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Working with entrepreneurs and world-class venture capital firms to create and build fast growing Internet services, eCommerce and Digital Media businesses.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Sequoia leads a $6m Series B round for Stardoll
Stardoll.com Closes $6m Series B Funding Led by Sequoia Capital and Adds
Prominent Entertainment Industry Lawyer to Board
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 27, 2006 – Stardoll.com, the online dress-up and makeover community, today announced the close of a $6 million Series B round. The round was led by US-based Sequoia Capital with previous investor Index Ventures also participating. The company also announced that Fred Davis, an expert in media and entertainment law and founder of Davis Shapiro Lewit & Hayes will join the Company's board of directors.
The investment syndicate brings together two of the most active and successful investors in the consumer Internet area. Between them their successes include Yahoo, Google, Skype, PayPal and Betfair. "This is an exciting time for the company. We have launched many new features to delight our users and have been entering into commercial discussions to broaden the revenue base," said Mattias Miksche, CEO of Stardoll. "It's invaluable having backers like Sequoia Capital and Index Ventures who have so much experience in this area and will help grow our US presence."
Stardoll.com is one of the most popular online destinations for young girls worldwide. The site features more than 330 celebrity dolls whom users can style with thousands of different clothes and accessories. Each week the site attracts more than 1.2 million unique visitors from over 200 countries.
"We were impressed with the exponential growth of Stardoll.com and sheer number of young people moving online to enjoy this pastime," Mark Kvamme of Sequoia Capital. "Stardoll's team has developed a close relationship with its online international community and is well-positioned to continue attracting the growing interest of a highly motivated and creative demographic."
Besides celebrity dolls, the site has just launched the MeDoll feature, which allows users to create a personalized doll whom they can dress with merchandise from a virtual store. In addition to increasing revenues from user payments, this new feature also creates opportunities for marketing partnerships with fashion, retail and media brands.
About Stardoll.com
Stardoll.com, formerly known as Paperdoll Heaven, is an online dress-up and makeover community for girls of all ages. The Stardoll.com site features more than 330 dolls and tens of thousands of garments and accessories. The site has registered users from over 200 countries and is adding close to 10,000 new members per day. The company is headquartered in Stockholm and also has operations in Finland. For more information, please visit www.stardoll.com.
About Sequoia Capital
Since 1972, Sequoia Capital has provided startup venture capital for very smart people who want to turn ideas into companies. As the "Entrepreneurs Behind the Entrepreneurs", Sequoia Capital's Partners have worked with innovators such as Sandy Lerner and Len Bozack of Cisco Systems, Jerry Yang and David Filo of Yahoo!, Gaurav Garg of Redback Networks, Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google, Dan Warmenhoven of Network Appliance, Max Levchin and Peter Thiel of PayPal (eBay), T.J. Rodgers of Cypress Semiconductor, Lou Tomasetta of Vitesse Semiconductor, Steve Jobs of Apple Computer and Larry Ellison of Oracle. To learn more about Sequoia Capital visit www.sequoiacap.com.
About Index Ventures
Index Ventures is a leading European venture capital firm active in technology venture investing since 1996. The firm is dedicated to helping top entrepreneurial teams in the Information Technology and Life Science sectors build their companies into market defining global leaders. The firm has offices in Geneva, London and Jersey and focuses its investment activity primarily on Europe and Israel. Investments include Betfair (the world's largest betting exchange); Skype (the pioneering communications company, recently acquired by eBay); MySQL (the world's most popular open source database); Photoways (Europe's largest online photo-processing service) FON (the global wifi network) and Lovefilm (Europe's largest DVD rental business). www.indexventues.com
Posted by Unknown at 10:42 am No comments:
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Mind Candy
Mind Candy is a media and entertainment company that specialises in puzzles – and alternate reality and massively multiplayer games (MMOGs).
Its first game is Perplexcity.
Invested early 2005.
Posted by Unknown at 8:08 pm No comments:
Stardoll - your paperdoll heaven
Stardoll.com is an online dress-up and makeover community for girls of all ages. It features more than 320 dolls and tens of thousands of garments and accessories. Global membership base exceeds 900,000 from more than 190 countries. The Company is headquartered in Stockholm and also has operations in Finland.
Invested September 2005
Posted by Unknown at 8:00 pm No comments:
Video Island - LoveFilm
Europe's leading on-line DVD Rental Company.
Platform for the services of Love Film and ScreenSelect (own brands), Tesco, ITV, MSN, Easy.
Revenues: £40m run rate.
Co-Founded Sept 2002
Press Releases
For more details please contact firstname.lastname@example.com
Video Island and LOVEFiLM merge to create Europe's leading online home entertainment goup
LONDON, 6 April 2006: LOVEFiLM International Ltd and Video Island Inc, the owner of ScreenSelect.co.uk, today announce their intention to merge and create Europe's leading web-based home entertainment subscription service.
The deal, a 50-50 merger, will give the combined group more than 400,000 subscribers and a strong position in the UK market with around 17% of all DVD rental transactions; as well as strong market share in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Both companies will be consolidating under the LOVEFiLM consumer brand.
The group will offer customers the largest DVD library in Europe, with more than 70,000 unique titles and 1.2 million DVDs and Video games, as well as a fast-growing Video-on-Demand (VoD) service. The new company will ship more than two million rental DVDs every month.
Both companies currently work with major partners including AOL, CD Wow, Channel 4, Dixons Store Group, easyGroup, Guardian Newspapers, ITV, MSN, News International, Odeon, Sainsbury, Tesco and Vue Cinemas, some of whom offer a fully white-labeled service.
In the year to December 2005, sales of the combined group were more than £25m and the group turned profitable in December 2005.
The deal will bring together a strong investor base including Arts Alliance Media (AAM), the majority shareholder in LOVEFiLM, alongside Video Island's backers Benchmark Capital, Index Ventures, Cazenove Private Equity, and European Venture Partners.
Following the merger, Arts Alliance Media will provide video on demand and electronic sell through services to LOVEFiLM International under a long term commercial arrangement.
The new executive team will be a combination of the two firms, with Simon Calver, the current CEO of Video Island becoming the group's CEO. On completion of the merger, LOVEFiLM's CEO Mark Livingstone will step down and act as consultant to the group.
The new company plans to exploit synergies on marketing, technology, distribution and operations to grow profits faster and accelerate expansion across Continental Europe. The merged group believes it will be better positioned to exploit these opportunities and be more competitive against US rivals such as Amazon, Blockbuster and potentially Netflix.
In addition, the larger customer base and stronger finances will allow it to capitalize further on new technologies and delivery methods including Video-on-Demand and the recently launched Download-to-Own service.
Simon Calver said: "For three years both companies have done an excellent job changing the way DVDs are rented in the UK and Scandinavia, by providing customers with unparalleled value, choice and convenience. Together we will be a stronger company offering better features and service. I am delighted to lead this talented team and make it a force in the European Home Entertainment market."
Mark Livingstone. "I am privileged to have led the creation of LOVEFiLM over the last 2 years. The new combined management represents a world class team and I believe the company will now become a major force to be reckoned with in the entertainment world."
LOVEFiLM and Video Island were both advised by Altium, the mid-market investment bank, during the merger. The deal is subject to shareholder approval.
Posted by Unknown at 7:48 pm No comments:
Automated Ad Agency for SMEs. Thousands of TV commercials available on the web. Full media planning and booking service.
Went live January 2006. Signed major contract with Cendant Feb 06.
Invested April 2005.
Posted by Unknown at 7:37 pm No comments:
Moo Cards – Personalised Cards delivered via a web interface using digital print technology. Early stage. Test Revenues only.
Invested October 2004
Posted by Unknown at 7:17 pm No comments:
Instant Market Intelligence – The Next Generation of Customer Feedback - using mobile SMS technology and other digital channels.
Early Stage. Revenues commenced January 2006. A number of famous brands are already using IMI's Text-In Service.
Invested June 2005
Posted by Unknown at 6:58 pm No comments:
Koodos Ltd. – Outlet Mall on line. Specialising in overstocks and clearance products for a large portfolio of brands.
Co-Founded September 2005
Posted by Unknown at 6:52 pm No comments:
Monday, June 19, 2006
Edgeio Inc - a simple and elegant twist on the listings/classified business. The service aggregates listings from RSS - based web pages and post listings on blogs. Edgeio indexes and organises them on its own site.
Invested Janauary 2006.
Tracking 30 million+ websites
Listing 437,591 items from
9,602 cities and 115 countries
Posted by Unknown at 3:51 pm No comments:
Digivate Ltd
Managed eCommerce Solutions and eMarketing Services.
Revenues exceed £1m and profits £100K. Cash Generating.
Invested 2000.
Posted by Unknown at 3:42 pm No comments:
The Cotswold Company
Multi-channel retailer of Household Furnishings.
Revenues : over £20m in 2006. Web Sales nearing £10m. Cash Positive 2006.
8 Stores. UK Only. Invested 2000.
Posted by Unknown at 3:37 pm No comments:
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It's another close weekend at the box office, with the animated adventure "How to Train Your Dragon" and the superhero comedy "Kick-Ass" dueling for No. 1.
According to studio estimates Sunday, "How to Dragon Your Dragon" took in $20 million, with "Kick-Ass" just behind at $19.75 million.
With just $250,000 separating them, the No. 1 spot was too close to call.
The previous weekend, the comedy "Date Night" led the action tale "Clash of the Titans" by about the same amount based on Sunday estimates. But "Clash of the Titans" came out on top when final numbers were reported Monday.
The No. 3 spot also is close, with "Date Night" at $17.3 million and the comedy "Death at a Funeral" debuting just behind at $17 million.
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