text:
G'day & Kia ora!
… To my blog. I'm a social democrat, with centre-left tendencies in some areas; centrist in others; and centre-right in bugger-all (if any).
If you look over to the right (excuse the implications), you'll see a brief list of my beliefs for a better New Zealand. Funny thing – we used to have so many of those things in this country, once upon a time…
And below that, a list of my Recent Posts. Feel free to have a read and, if you're inclined, leave a comment. I welcome your ideas and responses to my comments. (Please note that most of my blogposts first appear on The Daily Blog, and are then re-published here five to seven days later. So check out both blogs – there are heaps of excellent writers on TDB!)
My blog, my thoughts, my five cents plus 15% gst worth. Hopefully it didn't leave you bored…
– Frank Macskasy
– Blogger
Recent Blogposts
That-a-way → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → →
Upcoming events
= fs =
16 August 2011 at 7:10 pm
Experience demands that the rich are the only animal of his own kind that are not lazy enough not to prey on the poor.
[Post refers to Quote-Of-The-Week: "Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." (Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826) – Admin.]
9 August 2012 at 10:42 pm
It's not laziness that prevents the poor from preying on others but an actual moral standing which the rich don't seem to have.
27 August 2011 at 7:36 pm
I like your posts, Frank. But New Zealand is still the name of our country – not Aotearoa New Zealand. Actually you won't find Aotearoa mentioned in either the English or Maori versions of the Treaty of Waitangi. Only a name, Niu Tirani (or Nu Tirani). Just a little point between friends?
Actually the Key led government is making me sick; Rob mulddon would turn in his grave.
10 October 2011 at 12:04 pm
Oh the irony of left wing bloggers who constantly engage in censorship of opposing points of view moaning about one of their own being banned from appearing on State radio for a mindless and completely biased rant.
It is quite clear why he got 'banned'. He basically stated as fact that the PM was blaming the Labour Party for the guy attempting to jump over the barrier at Parliament and that he made some sort of offensive gesture. These have both been denied by the PM. Hence there was no sense of balance in his little rant.
10 October 2011 at 10:02 pm
That was the Treaty Frank, not a Pakeha opinion. But Maori don't have the right to change the name of our country, anyway, a majority of Kiwis do.
But that is immaterial when the fascists are at the door.
And now dissidents will be publicly reviled as being against the better interests of the country. I cut my political teeth on Muldoonism, – these are over- privileged wankers! I love it when they have a crack at me. The problem is we only have one daily newspaper now, and it is difficult to get your opinion published. They are reluctant to publish anti-Key statements. I'm not anti-semetic, but I can understand why some were abused if they operated like Key?
11 October 2011 at 12:37 pm
Gosman do you ever see beyond your own nose? Trying to justify Key is just unbelievable. You're ok with banning people just because they disagree with your precious politicians? I bet you wouldn't be so happy if it was someone you agreed with!
10 October 2011 at 10:09 pm
Is the Labour caucus prepared to lose an election to get rid of Goff? If they are , then they don't deserve to be in power in the future.
11 October 2011 at 12:57 pm
…It is quite clear why he got 'banned'. He basically stated as fact that the PM was blaming the Labour Party for the guy attempting to jump over the barrier at Parliament and that he made some sort of offensive gesture. These have both been denied by the PM. Hence there was no sense of balance in his little rant.
Do you believe everything politicians say?
Hee hee hee if I was a politician I wouldn't believe myself! LOL!
11 October 2011 at 11:22 pm
http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/business/57462.html HERE'S THE VIDEO url
12 October 2011 at 12:18 am
Excellent! Thanks for that, Peter! I had heard that TV3 did a story on it – whereas TV1 News totally ignored the issue! (Our state broadcasters are getting absolutely hopeless!) I'd been meaning to find that TV3 xsegment but kept forgetting.
It's an amazing piece of footage. It shows Key in the very uncomfortable position of having to explain himself – and you can tell that he's covering up a lie. He's lied and has been caught out; his facial expression, tone of speech, and body language gives him away.
I think that the Left have discovered a new meme for John Key: liar.
17 November 2011 at 12:59 pm
Great site Frank, just found it thru your link on Dompost comments today, i'll have a good look around and read when i get home from work tonight, how right you are about the billboards, the tagging, moustaches, swastikas, and genatalia are far more offensive than the stickers being refered to, infact they blend in so well alot would prob not even notice
17 November 2011 at 2:28 pm
Great site Frank, just found it thru your link on Dompost comments today, i'll have a good look around and read when i get home from work tonight, how right you are about the billboards, the tagging, moustaches, swastikas, and genatalia are far more offensive than the stickers being refered to, infact they blend in so well alot would prob not even notice
Cheers, Kevin. Enjoy!
18 November 2011 at 10:56 pm
I saw your spam on Stuff. I also noted the things you support include "Being nice to each other".
So why are you so nasty about our Prime Minister? You hate him because he is rich? That's not a very good reason. You seem quite irrational in your intense hatred for someone who has done a hell of a lot of good for our country.
18 November 2011 at 11:07 pm
Tristanb :
I saw your spam on Stuff. I also noted the things you support include "Being nice to each other".
So why are you so nasty about our Prime Minister? You hate him because he is rich? That's not a very good reason. You seem quite irrational in your intense hatred for someone who has done a hell of a lot of good for our country.
Hi Tristan.
No, I don't "hate" John Key.
But I dislike some of the things he has done, and things he is planning to do. Hence why I have criticised his policies.
You see, Tristan, we live in a democracy where one is permitted to criticise actions by our elected representatives. Unlike North Korea, where everyone must love their Dear Leader (or end up in a Labour Camp).
Have you ever lived in a One Party state, Tristan, where you were not allowed to criticise the party and/or leader of the country? I have. In the late 1970s I lived in an Eastern European country for about a year. I had to be very careful what I said, in public. Sometimes even in private situations, I had to be careful of who was around me, in case someone was an informer.
Would you like to live in a country like that, Tristan?
I would be interested to know what examples you can offer when you claim that John Key is "someone who has done a hell of a lot of good for our country".
19 November 2011 at 4:19 pm
Yup. Plus it kinda rolls of the tongue quite nicely; Aotearoanewzealand. Hmmmm, it could just about be a whole new naming, describing the First People and subsequent arrivals…
If we take the diversity of all cultures and revel in the best that each can offer, instead of fearing change, I think it might lift us out of the dark underbelly of this country. It may be the wellspring source for a whole new pride (as our American cuzzies take pride in their Star Spangled Banner; the French in their culture;the Japanese in theirs, etc…)
20 December 2011 at 12:29 pm
LOL! I loved it!
I think I'll have a green balloon though I think we'll be lucky to get that! I get what your saying Frank and I think only the rich will benefit from the sales.
10 February 2012 at 9:02 pm
I signed the SAVE OUR PORT petition Frank. Well done promoting it!
29 February 2012 at 1:24 pm
"I'm a product of the welfare state"
What a hypocrite.
1 March 2012 at 1:59 pm
The fault is on both sides. I was taught "Lead by Example". Every generation has to relearn this. No one needs a salary of $200,000 or more. How can they call on others to suffer Austerity if they have not experienced it. "Lead by Example". If a politician or civil servant feels that a job owes him $300,000 /yr he does not like the job, only the money, and should seek employment elsewhere. In every life some rain must fall, but money will not stop it raining.
10 March 2012 at 6:59 pm
just got into your blog Frank. some things to ponder on … thank you !
10 March 2012 at 7:46 pm
just got into your blog Frank. some things to ponder on … thank you !
Welcome, Christine… I hope you don't find it boring. 🙂
14 March 2012 at 3:05 pm
"People on a benefit have a lifestyle choice" – John Key
That's news to me, a New Zealand citizen aged 31 years, unemployed and holding a B.Sc. in Geography and a Postgraduate Diploma of Science in Hazard Management. Would Mr Key mind living in my shoes for a week on $210 from W.I.N.Z. a week, applying for jobs every day, quite aware that if W.I.N.Z. find me a job before I find myself a job – I have to accept it or risk having my benefit cut.
Trust me, I did not ask to be made redundant for more than a year.
12 April 2012 at 10:28 pm
I work when the ends justifies the means, if I work so someone I don't know gains more income than I do for doing their work and or society and or the environment is worse off because of that work the ends doesn't justify the means, by not doing such work, I'm minimizing my carbon footprint and providing the opportunity for someone with a family to support the means to do so. Workers wages and conditions have not been condusive to me working for large companies since 1986, so I've been on strike since then. It's not a lifestyle choice I simply do what's right.
6 August 2012 at 9:21 pm
Nice to see a blog like this taking on the Tory establishment!
The sooner Key is out on his well padded backside, the better for this country!!
7 October 2012 at 3:53 pm
What a splendid blog site! The best I have ever encountered…by turns serious and humorous, it really does inform and entertain, and by golly it does you good. The John
Key Looks At feature is hilarious. Though with those eyes it hard to discern if he prefers
looking at drag queens or mince pies.
Satire in the Private Eye class. Congratulations to all concerned with the production of this
web site. I have signed up to follow, but not in The Dear Leader kind of way. Cheers.
21 October 2012 at 4:36 pm
What week to be away frank
21 January 2013 at 6:27 pm
Go get key.
11 July 2013 at 3:56 pm
Hi Frank
Any chance of you putting up your excellent blog on the GCSB which is on The Daily Blog today ?
I'd like to copy it and send it to my bro overseas, but I cannot copy anything off The Daily Blog.
Or could you just email it to me please.
5 December 2013 at 1:21 pm
HI. I was reading your article on polling (on the daily blog site) and thought that would mention that the BC election of May 2013 was a pollsters' disaster. Every major poll was wrong by much more than the margin of error – leaving everyone (or at least all skeptics) to wonder (a) if the election was rigged (and thus the polls were wrong) or (b) the election was correct and the polls were rigged.
With respect to land lines, many households will retain the land line for a monitored alarm system. Wireless (ie off the grid) monitoring is increasingly common but requires capital outlay (over $1000). I suspect that only the well off have alarm systems and only the comfortably well off have monitored alarm systems (although in Vancouver an alarm system must be monitored). This would suggest that those with land lines are both older (as home owners) and richer than those without. However, they may not be Conservative Party supporters as they do not rely on faith to protect their stuff?
Nadine McDonnell
5 March 2014 at 4:32 am
Its about CONSCIENCE
5 March 2014 at 4:34 am
they can actually learn to be morally conscious, they should visit http://www.google.com to read about the kind of mind they carry
27 April 2014 at 9:44 pm
For people wanting a better New Zealand, can I be so bold as to say the only way I can see that will beat the apathy caused by traditional, exclusive and nonsensical NZ politics, is to give people an immediate and real say on political matters that affect their lives: http://thepeopleslaw.co.nz In the meantime enjoy the Article of the year about about selfish egomaniacs: http://thepeopleslaw.co.nz/very-rich-white-men-with-extremely–tiny-penises
25 May 2014 at 3:17 pm
I just read your blog about me (2011) which features high on the list for anyone who might "Google" my name.
Your comments indicate that you have some limitation in understanding of my case.
I, in 1997, acted upon what was then deemed to be prudent advice for medical professionals by setting up a family trust. I then became an employee of the trust via a company. At that time there was NO TAX RATE DIFFERENTIAL between individuals and companies nor was a future differential contemplated. I took further advice as to what was an appropriate salary to be paid and acted accordingly. (the rate of a full time public hospital salary.)
I received some bonuses to clear personal debt and carried on with that base salary.
When the tax laws changed in year 2000 I changed nothing but because of a marital break up at the same time I no longer received (or needed) the bonuses.
The IRD latterly contended that that change amounted to or provided evidence of tax avoidance behaviour.
They approached me in 2004 or thereabouts with a tax debt notice including 100% penalties.
Gary Hooper and I challenged their decision acting upon very learned accountancy and legal advice.
It appeared to us unfair that the IRD had changed the rules in year 2000 (despite having been advised by senior tax advisors including John Sherwin that their changes would cause ambiguity)had not clarified conflicts arising from trusts such as mine and were using us as scapegoats without due consultation and notification in a punitive manner.
A high court judge agreed completely with our stance as did one judge in the Court of Appeal. Ultimately the Supreme Court ruled against our appeal perhaps from a 'greater good' stance.
Your rhetoric is inappropriate. Gary Hooper and I pay tax and have always done so. The financial rewards of our endeavours have not been concealed.
We took a stance against what we deemed to be procedural unfairness and were prepared to put our heads up to make a stand. Ultimately, whilst we lost the case, that stance has help clarify tax law application in this country.
[Kia ora, Dr Penny. I have republished your response, verbatim, under the relevent blogpost, "Greed is Good" (https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/greed-is-good/) to give balance to what I have written. – Frank Macskasy]
30 August 2014 at 4:22 pm
Hi Frank – given the email message sent to PM's office re Judith Collins and the mention therein of Jarad Savage giving info to WhaleOil – is there anything there that you can follow up with your Donaghaue Liu complaint to Press Council ? ? ?
31 August 2014 at 8:21 am
Re you piece about the attack billboards.
There is NO john Third in the wellington white pages,
and on google st view 61 Ironside rd looks like a gully with out a house.
31 October 2014 at 5:41 pm
Hi Frank
If you didn't hear Jock Anderson on Jim Mora's programme today, Oct 31, I would urge you to have a listen (link below). I could hardly believe my ears. It's another attempt by the powers-that-be to browbeat a journalist in the most blatant way.
(Jock is at 8:40)
21 December 2014 at 4:21 pm
Moan, moan, moan.
Either a corrupt system, everything should be free, should pay less tax, right wing stuffing up everything so everyone off to australia where everyone is better off (liberal in power in australia which also is right wing??????? We also have lazy people in Australia but maybe fewer than in NZ.), should have more unions so we all get more….lazy people get more….hard workers get less……moan, moan, moan.
Rich(hard workers who built up their nett worth) should pay more , bludgers, lazy , unemployed should pay less moan, moan moan.
24 December 2014 at 3:09 pm
Hi Frank,
Just wanted to say "Thank You" for all your excellent and invariably well-researched posts on "The Daily Blog". I've only just now discovered that you have a blog of your own, so i'll be looking at it often and maybe posting comments in the new year.
Wishing you all the best for a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
And "Hey!" Why are you "hiding your bushel under a candle"? You are probably one of the most significant political commentators in this country and yet it is only today that i discovered that you have a website of your own. (Ulp, . . . may all be my own fault entirely . . . I'm getting old).
2015 could be a lot of fun.
Cheers, and 'ave one for me if you feel like it – I think we all believe in the same cause!
Best wishes, and may those inspired and totally relevant, pertinent postings keep on coming!
-Murray Simmonds
p.s. (And here was me, in my ignorance, thinking that you might be of Scottish origin (to judge, incorrectly, from the name!).
31 December 2014 at 3:15 pm
Hey Frank,
Integrity, or rather the lack of it, must be contagious.
Quite by accident I found myself monitoring the weather conditions on the Lake Tekapo webcams on the TOURISM NZ website – mainly 'cos my wife is down there on holiday at the moment
First thing this morning (31 Dec 2014) all I could see were images of very large drops of rain against a grey, grey sky on the views from the lookout windows. According to the website the views are updated every 15 mins.
I checked in again around 11 am and surprise, surprise, clear blue skies with nor'West clouds in all posted views. I thought, 'Wow, that is a dramatic change in the weather down there!'
So then I thought 'What if the aim of the game is to promote Tekapo Tourism, REGARDLESS of the actual weather'. Seemed to me to be the sort of thing that our PM, as Minister of Tourism would support, if not encourage.
So I began monitoring the shadows cast by foreground objects, and also the cloud patterns and their cast shadows on the hills. To my non-surprise, neither moved for about an hour around mid-day (despite a howling Nor'wester in the area according to Met service).
Check it out for yourself at the Tourism NZ website if you have nothing better to do (as I apparently have). Like so much that is National party policy, we only get to hear the GOOD news – the bits that would meet with the approval of our zero-integrity PM. If the news is bad, and might not encourage business, then its fudged, lied about, call-it-what-you-will.
As far as Tourism NZ goes, it looks a bit like "LEADERSHIP FROM THE TOP!"
Is this the sort of thing that will do our fragile tourist industry any good in the long term? Or does the reputation of NZ as a tourist destination only matter for the current three-year parliamentary term?
Integrity. Or the lack of it.
5 July 2015 at 12:36 pm
Hi Frank,
I recently saw a blog post from a bloke in the US who is claiming that unemployment figures have moved from the realm of wishful thinking into fantasy and nonsense. He broke down population figures and fulltime employment numbers to produce a real unemployment figure of around 47%.
I wonder if a similar analysis would not be relevant to New Zealand – because if we want unemployment and underemployment solved policymakers need to be deal with reality. The global economic climate is worsening and countries that recognise this and prepare will fare better than those led by self-interested purveyors of empty promises like John key.
19 July 2015 at 9:14 pm
This is why it is important to clear Labour's name and association with Dong Liu.
Thanks for your work on this Frank. Any thought?
7 August 2016 at 10:52 pm
Make no mistake, this is a direct consequence of National's laissez-faire approach and an opportunistic reliance on mass immigration to keep the economy afloat at a time when dairying is no longer the main driver of economic growth.
I read this in your blog, which I appreciated discovering, after googling your name at the foot of a good letter in the DomPost. What I'd like to know is: what is this mass immigration that is keeping the economy float? Are you referring to international students? (I think the numbers are falling), or construction workers in Chch? I know quite a few immigrants including refugees. All the people I know want to contribute to our economy by having jobs and paying taxes, but they find it extremely difficult to get work. Many are professionals but instead of working in their professions (civil engineering, physiotherapy, pathology. occupational therapy, PhD graduate from NZ university to mention some jobs) they are employed in low skilled jobs. In the case of refugees, we need to improve things so that those who want work move quickly through WINZ and into paid work. We've spoken to Grant robertson on this, and he agrees – but would he walk the talk?
26 August 2017 at 10:48 am
Hi Frank I found your site as an excellent place to rebut Duncan Garners assertion in this mornings Dom to the effect the 1999-2008 Labour Govt left the incoming Nats with a mess – he just can't seem to get hold of the facts and prefers his own well formed opinion.
11 December 2016 at 1:30 pm
16 December 2016 at 8:00 am
31 August 2017 at 10:09 pm


text:
Reigning champions Spain will begin their defense of the World Cup with a rematch of the 2010 final against the Netherlands, while England were paired with Italy in Friday's draw.
Spain, who won their first title in South Africa three years ago, start their Group B campaign against the three-time runners-up in Salvador on June 13.
They will also meet Chile, who they beat in the group stage in 2010, in Rio de Janeiro and Australia in Curitiba.
"I said to people this morning we were going to get Holland and we did, in the first game no less," Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. "Holland will demand that we start at our highest level."
Hosts and five-time champions Brazil were drawn to face Croatia in the opening game, scheduled for Sao Paulo on June 12 — assuming the venue is ready after a fatal accident last week delayed prospective completion until April.
Brazil will then take on Mexico and Cameroon in a Group A that appears unthreatening, if not easy.
"We must pay close attention to the opening phase," Brazil's 2002 title-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "We must play every game as if it were the final right from the outset."
England, meanwhile, will start off with a Group D meeting against four-time champions Italy in the heat of Amazonian venue Manaus on June 14 — though it is at least an evening kick-off.
That match is a repeat of the Euro quarter-final last year, which Italy won on penalties.
"It's a tough group, there's no doubt about that," said England coach Roy Hodgson, whose team also face Uruguay, a third former champion in their group, and Costa Rica. "In Italy and Uruguay it's almost as though we have got two number one seeds in our group."
Italian opposite number Cesare Prandelli said the group looked a tough call.
"It is the Group of Death, a very difficult group. We are worried about the distances we shall have to cover. The game against England will be very important," Prandelli said.
After the Italians, Hodgson's side then take on Uruguay in Sao Paulo on June 19 and Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte on June 24.
A notable subplot will see Germany go up against the US, now coached by former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann in Recife on June 26 in their final pool match.
"That's one of those crazy stories that football writes," Klinsmann told German broadcaster ARD.
Germany, whose third and last title came in 1990, also drew Ghana and Portugal in Group G.
Klinsmann coached Germany to third at the 2006 World Cup with current German boss Joachim Loew his assistant at the time.
"So, we will be meeting old friends," Loew said.
Argentina, champions in 1978 and 1986, meet sole newcomers Bosnia in Rio de Janeiro on June 15, and then will face Iran and Nigeria.
"I am pleased with the draw as we didn't get into a group of death scenario and we also shan't have to travel huge distances," Argentina coach Alex Sabella said.
"It's a good group for us," Nigeria assistant coach Daniel Amokachi said. "Argentina are the world powers, but you cannot afford to underrate Iran or Bosnia. Overall, it's a good draw."
Former England boss Fabio Capello was happy after seeing his Russian side draw seeded Belgium, South Korea and Algeria in Group H.
"I'm pleased with the draw. Some of the other groups consist of much stronger teams," Capello said, adding that "Belgium is currently one of the strongest European teams."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A quick-burning wildfire in the Cajon Pass on Monday prompted the hours-long closure of two major freeways, including the main route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
The 15 and 215 freeways reopened after being shut down while crews responded the blaze, which began at about 11 a.m. on a hot and dry day, burning more than 350 acres in two hours.
Mandatory evacuations were in place for residents of Mathews Ranch, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The Devore Fire was reported next to the 15 Freeway near the Kenwood Avenue exit (map).
Burning in steep and rugged terrain, the fire was at 50 acres by noon, but quickly grew to more than 350 acres, the service said.
Smoke from the fire was visible from as far away as Murrieta, more than 50 miles distant.
By 6 p.m., the fire was about 375 acres and just 5 percent contained. Some 450 firefighters were battling the blaze, according to Bill Peters, a spokesman for Cal Fire.
Total containment was expected at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to the incident information page.
The northbound 15 Freeway reopened at about 4:45 p.m. after being closed at its interchange with the 215 Freeway. Connectors to the 15 Freeway from the 210 Freeway had also reopened.
The southbound side of the 15 Freeway, which had been closed at Highway 138, reopened just after 5 p.m.
Old Route 66 had been closed between Kenwood and Cleghorn.
Many drivers had been stranded in the area, which has few services, for hours.
The fire started on the east side of the 15 Freeway, but jumped to the west side Monday afternoon and burned toward the Lytle Creek area.
"We have aircraft, helicopters and air tankers and numerous hand crews," said Carol Underhill, of U.S. Forest Service. "We're attacking this fire from all directions.
"There are some winds in the area."
Three homes were evacuated near the freeway, said Miller. The homes in the Mathews Ranch area also were evacuated during the 2011 Kenwood Fire, which burned in the same area.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire.
Red Flag Warnings for Mountain Areas
A red flag warning, indicating high fire danger, is in effect Monday for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as the week begins with strong winds, low humidity and above-normal temperatures before the possibility of snow in the mountains by Friday.
Weather Page: Maps, Extended Forecast
The warning went into effect Sunday night. It will remain in effect until 4 p.m. in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountain ranges, the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County and the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County.
Wind gusts up to 40 mph are expected in the affected areas. Humidity levels will be between 6 and 12 percent with temperatures in the 90s.
"We could have record-breaking heat later today," said NBC4 forecaster Elita Loresca. "We will see more cooling by the middle of the week. It is going to shift from very warm, dry conditions to very winter-like conditions by the middle of the week."
A sharp cooling trend is expected later this week, beginning Tuesday with temperatures in the mid-80s in downtown Los Angeles. Downtown LA temperatures will dip again Wednesday into the high-70s before falling into the mid-60s later this week.
Rain is possible Thursday night and into Saturday morning. Snow levels might drop to 3,000 feet Friday night.
Temperature drop-offs are expected throughout Southern California.
"Not only cooler temperatures, downright chilly," said Loresca.
View Cajon Pass fire in a larger map


text:
Alliance Courier (Mineola, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 6, 1892
Description: Weekly newspaper from Mineola, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with advertising.
Date: October 6, 1892
Creator: Perdue, J. M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: Mineola Memorial Library


text:
Christopher Kammerer wrote:Well I don't get paid till the following week, so no. Kelvin won't go for sure. He's probaly not allowed, you had have to make it a Tuesday or sunday evening. His days off from "work". Girlfriends=work=blowjobs=love. What a concept. No I didn't mispell his name, that's his new nickname. I was on my way home from phsio the other day quietly sitting in deep thought. Until 25 indians from the amischakaway academy get on. Never in my life have I thought so strongly about trying to fight 25 people. I would have but my back was killing me. I'm quite serious.... I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE......BANG...BANG..BBBBANG.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
Hi everyone, I finished Chocolate Shoppe last weekend, it was nearly a disaster as I cut through the linen when I realised I had missed the coffee coloured row of stitching at the top, thankfully I managed to cover up my mistake! I am going to get this framed when I have finished other designs in this range because thay are all going onto the same wall in my new kitchen, I also have Ice Cream Sundae still to frame, now that really is one of my favourites, it just makes me want ice cream as soon as I look at it!
I am getting ready to stitch Rosie with her posy design next.
Other stitching news.
I received some wonderful news the other day, I won Lees giveaway from Notes from Under the Mountain blog here if you have never seen Lees blog then I ask you to go over now as Lee makes some beautiful creations, her embroidery is exquisite! I was so thrilled and excited when I realised I had won the beautiful embroidered bag with another stitched item that will be a surprise made from my choice of colour.
I first heard about Lees blog when I saw a beautiful cushion Lee had stitched for another blogger, then I saw this little bag that literally took my breath away here it is called a Pocket for Titania, I am sure you will all agree Lee is a very talented needlewoman!
Thankyou Lee, I look forward to receiving your giveaway gift!
I have also been planning my third anniversary giveaway for July, I am already stitching another one of my tea bag holders that will be one of my gifts, you all seemed to really like that so I thought I may as well stitch another for the giveaway. I think it will be themed around cupcakes, I have lots of ideas buzzing around in my head, you never know I may change my mind a million times until I actually start the stitching process!
Thankyou for all of your lovely comments, they are always appreciated, I would also like to welcome all of my new followers!


text:
St. Joseph tops Brookfield in Class S boys lacrosse final
NORWALK -- The bitter taste left behind after losing a heartbreaker in last year's Class S state title game has been washed away for the St. Joseph High School boys lacrosse team -- and replaced by the sweet taste of victory.
Ryan Corcoran scored seven goals and Josiah Wilson added two goals and seven assists as the eighth-seeded Cadets held off seventh-seeded Brookfield for a 14-11 victory in the Class S state championship game at McMahon High School Saturday.
And for those who experienced the disappointment of last year's 9-8 title-game defeat at the hands of Weston, Saturday's triumph couldn't have been more satisfying.
"It's all unreal," Wilson said. "Especially coming off a loss last year, and winning this year in such a close game, it's amazing."
Having lost a gut-wrenching battle in a state championship game last year may have actually benefited the Cadets this time around. They weren't overwhelmed by the magnitude or intensity of the game, and they didn't lose their confidence when they fell behind early.
"Last year, I think it would have been a different situation with a younger group," St. Joseph coach Joe Izzo said. "Because they had been here before, they were like, `Ok, let's just settle in and do what we do and get back to it.' I think the fact that they had been here last year helped them in that type of situation."
Also for St. Joseph, Jeff Marcantonio had a goal and two assists, Mike Sudora and Peter Bashar each had a goal and an assist and Mike Brennan and Chris Klabonski each scored a goal. Goalie Mike Braddick made five saves, and faceoff specialist Flippo Petrini won 17-of-24 draws and scooped up 14 ground balls.
"Faceoffs were a big game-changer today, and the ground-ball battle," Brookfield coach Brian Loftus said. "In the second half, we started winning more of those, but coming back from a (10-6) deficit like that at halftime was tough."
Andrew Collins led Brookfield with five goals and two assists, while Dane Heckmann had three goals and an assist. J.T. Redd, Liam Clancy and Thomas Petrellese each scored a goal and William Lawrence added an assist for the Bobcats. Goalie Daniel Dixon made 13 saves.
"I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to have this year," said Loftus, who was a member of the 2001 Brookfield team that won the SWC title. "They always fight and they never give up. It's a tough one to eat right there, but I couldn't be prouder of these guys. This is the best season Brookfield lacrosse has ever had and the town has ever seen."
Brookfield opened the game on a high note, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Collins and Heckmann. A five-goal outburst late in the first quarter put St. Joseph ahead. Sudora and Corcoran scored less than a minute apart to tie the game at 2 with 4:00 remaining in the first quarter. Wilson, Brennan and Corcoran each scored in a 57-second span to put the Cadets up 5-2.
"They weren't going to beat us 2-0," Corcoran said. "We knew we had to score more than two goals to win anyway. We just had to work harder to come back."
Brookfield never got closer than two goals for the rest of the game. The Bobcats continued to claw away, but every time they got close, St. Joseph had an answer.
"We never get flustered," Wilson said. "We trust our defense, they trust us. Flip did a great job at the X and got us the ball. We put a couple goals in and the defense made a few key stops. We just pulled it out."
Redd scored with nine seconds remaining in the first quarter to narrow Brookfield's gap to 5-3, but Klabonski and Wilson both scored in the first 1:10 of the second quarter to make it 7-3.
Collins scored two goals 23 seconds apart to trim the deficit to 7-5, but Corcoran answered with two of his own about a minute apart to make it 9-5. Marcantonio's goal with 1:26 remaining in the first half put the Cadets ahead 10-6 at halftime.
With the Cadets' possession game draining precious time off the clock in the fourth quarter, Petrellese scored to cut St. Joe's lead to 12-10 with 5:56 remaining. Corcoran answered less than three minutes later. Collins scored with 2:14 to go to bring Brookfield back within two, but Corcoran again answered, this time with 32 seconds to all but seal the deal.
"You know special groups when they come through, and this was a special group," Izzo said. "It had all the pieces. They were so dedicated. They did everything they asked them to do. They focused, they worked hard, they came out every day and they gave you everything that we asked from them. They gave it all."
Class S championship game
Records: St. Joseph 15-6; Brookfield 16-7.
Scoring: SJ--Mike Sudora 1g, 1a; Ryan Corcoran 7g; Josiah Wilson 2g, 7a; Jeff Marcantonio 1g, 2a; Mike Brennan 1g; Chris Klabonski 1g; Peter Bashar 1g, 1a. B--Andrew Collins 5g, 2a; Dane Heckmann 3g, 1a; J.T. Redd 1g; William Lawrence 1a; Liam Clancy 1g; Thomas Petrellese 1g. Goalies: SJ--Mike Braddick (5 saves). B--Daniel Dixon (13 saves).


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The category "Not Answered" has 2 subcategories. Show all categories
Law of Confusion (43)
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55.8 ▶ Questioner: Thank you. You stated an earlier time "until transfers of energy of all types have been experienced and mastered to a great extent, there will be blockages in the blue and indigo radiations." Could you explain that more fully?
Ra: I am Ra. At this space/time we have not covered the appropriate intermediate material. Please re-question at a more appropriate space/time nexus.
73.19 ▶ Questioner: I'll make a general statement which you can correct. The way I see the overall picture of healer and patient is that the one to be healed has, because of a blockage in one of the energy centers or more, but we will just consider one particular problem… Because of this energy center blockage the upward spiraling light that creates one of the seven bodies has been blocked from the maintenance of that body, and this has resulted in a distortion from the perfection of that body that we call disease or a bodily anomaly which is other than perfect. The healer, having suitably configured its energy centers, is able to channel light, the downward pouring light, through its properly configured energy situation to the one to be healed. If the one to be healed has the mental configuration of acceptance of this light, the light then enters [the] physical complex and re-configures the distortion that was created by the original blockage. I am sure that I have made some mistakes in that. Would you please correct them?
Ra: I am Ra. Your mistakes were small. We would not, at this time, attempt a great deal of refinement of that statement as there is preliminary material which will undoubtedly come forward. We may say that there are various forms of healing. In many, only the energy of the adept is used. In the exercise of fire some physical complex energy is also channeled.
We might note further that when the one wishing to be healed, though sincere, remains unhealed, as you call this distortion, you may consider pre-incarnative choices and your more helpful aid to such an entity may be the suggestion that it meditate upon the affirmative uses of whatever limitations it might experience. We would also note that in these cases the indigo-ray workings are often of aid.
Other than these notes, we do not wish to further comment upon your statement at this working.
79.25 ▶ Questioner: Could you de-roughen it, elucidate a bit on that?
Ra: I am Ra. There is intervening material before we may do so.
79.34 ▶ Questioner: OK. At the present time we are experiencing the effects of a more complex or greater number of archetypes and I have guessed that the ones we are experiencing now for the mind work as follows: We have the Magician and High Priestess which correspond to the Matrix and Potentiator which have the veil drawn between them which is the primary creator of the extension of the first distortion. Is that correct?
Ra: I am Ra. We are unable to answer this query without intervening material.
86.16 ▶ Questioner: You mentioned loss of knowledge and control over the body as being a factor that was helpful in the evolutionary process due to veiling. Could you enumerate the important losses of knowledge and control over the body?
Ra: I am Ra. This query contains some portions which would be more helpfully answered were some intervening material requested.
86.17 ▶ Questioner: I'm at a loss to know what to request. Can you [chuckle] give me an idea of what area of intervening material I should work on?
Ra: I am Ra. No. However, we shall be happy to answer the original query if it is still desired if you first perceive that there is information lacking.
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10.8 ▶ Questioner: Is there any danger of this happening to Earth at this time?
Ra: I am Ra. We feel this evaluation of your planetary mind/body/spirit complex's so-called future may be less than harmless. We say only the conditions of mind exist for such development of technology and such deployment. It is the distortion of our vision/understanding that the mind and spirit complexes of those of your people need orientation rather than the "toys" needing dismantlement, for are not all things that exist part of the Creator? Therefore, freely to choose is your honor/duty.
11.23 ▶ Questioner: Is this how we learned of nuclear energy? Was it mixed, both positive and negative orientation?
Ra: I am Ra. This is correct. The entities responsible for the gathering of the scientists were of a mixed orientation. The scientists were overwhelmingly positive in their orientation. The scientists who followed their work were of mixed orientation including one extremely negative entity, as you would term it.
11.24 ▶ Questioner: Is this extremely negative entity still incarnate on Earth?
Ra: I am Ra. This is correct.
11.25 ▶ Questioner: Then I assume you can't name him and would ask you where Nikola Tesla got his information?
Ra: I am Ra. The one known as Nikola received information from Confederation sources desirous of aiding this extremely, shall we say, angelically positive entity in bettering the existence of its fellow mind/body/spirit complexes. It is unfortunate, shall we say, that like many Wanderers the vibratory distortions of third-density illusion caused this entity to become extremely distorted in its perceptions of its fellow mind/body/spirit complexes so that its mission was hindered and in the result, perverted from its purposes.
12.25 ▶ Questioner: What I'm saying is would I be polarizing more toward self-service or toward service for others when I did this act of locking up the thought-form or construct?
Ra: I am Ra. You may consider that question for yourself. We interpret the Law of One, but not to the extent of advice.
14.29 ▶ Questioner: Have there been any other books that you can name that are available for this purpose that have been given by the Confederation?
Ra: I am Ra. We cannot share this information, for it would distort your discernment patterns in your future. You may ask about a particular volume.
16.27 ▶ Questioner: Can you tell me what percentage of those are third, fourth, fifth, sixth density, etc.? Roughly, very roughly.
Ra: I am Ra. A percentage seventeen for first density, a percentage twenty for second density, a percentage twenty-seven for third density, a percentage sixteen for fourth density, a percentage six for fifth density. The other information must be withheld. The free will of your future is not making this available. We shall speak on one item. There is a fairly large percentage, approximately thirty-five percent of the intelligent planets, which do not fit in the percentiles. These mysteries are of sixth and seventh density and are not available for our speaking.
18.20 ▶ Questioner: When did Yahweh act to perform the genetic changes that Yahweh performed?
Ra: I am Ra. The Yahweh group worked with those of the planet you call Mars seven five, seventy-five thousand [75,000] years ago in what you would call the cloning process. There are differences, but they lie in the future of your time/space continuum and we cannot break the free will Law of Confusion.
The two six oh oh [2,600], approximately, time was the second time— we correct ourselves— three six oh oh [3,600], approximately, the time of attempts by those of the Orion group during this cultural complex; this was a series of encounters in which the ones called Anak were impregnated with the new genetic coding by your physical complex means so that the organisms would be larger and stronger.
24.20 ▶ Questioner: The only other question that went with that is: was there a crashed spaceship and are there small bodies now stored in our military installations?
Ra: I am Ra. We do not wish to infringe upon your future. Gave we you this information, we might be giving you more than you could appropriately deal with in the space/time nexus of your present somewhat muddled configuration of military and intelligence thought. Therefore, we shall withhold this information.
25.3 ▶ Questioner: The third question that she requested to be asked was: How may Don and Jim help to revitalize me?
Ra: I am Ra. This is not an appropriate question for full answer. We can say only that these entities are most conscientious. We may add that due to this instrument's distortion towards imbalance in the space/time nexus, it would be well were this entity accompanied during exercise.
26.36 ▶ Questioner: Then I am assuming all of the UFO groups who were getting telepathic contact from the Confederation were, shall we say, high-priority targets for the Orion crusaders, and I would assume that a large percentage of them were, shall we say, had their information polluted then. Can you tell me, do you have any idea what percentage of these groups were heavily polluted by the Orion information and if any of them were able to remain purely a Confederation channel?
Ra: I am Ra. To give you this information would be to infringe upon the free will or confusion of some living. We can only ask each group to consider the relative effect of philosophy and your so-called specific information. It is not the specificity of the information which attracts negative influences. It is the importance placed upon it.
This is why we iterate quite often, when asked for specific information, that it pales to insignificance, just as the grass withers and dies while the love and the light of the One Infinite Creator redounds to the very infinite realms of creation forever and ever, creating and creating itself in perpetuity.
Why then be concerned with the grass that blooms, withers and dies in its season only to grow once again due to the infinite love and light of the One Creator? This is the message we bring. Each entity is only superficially that which blooms and dies. In the deeper sense there is no end to beingness.
36.18 ▶ Questioner: Are there any examples of sixth-density negatively polarized Wanderers in our historical past?
Ra: I am Ra. This information could be harmful. We withhold it. Please attempt to view the entities about you as part of the Creator. We can explain no further.
48.4 ▶ Questioner: Knowing what you know now about our planetary condition and methods of communication, etc., if you, yourself as an individual had gone through the process of incarnation here as a Wanderer and now have memory of a sufficient way to have the objective that you just stated, what mechanisms would you seek out for the process of teach/learning in our present state of communication?
Ra: I am Ra. My brother, we perceive you have made certain unspoken connections. We acknowledge these and for this reason cannot infringe upon your confusion.
50.10 ▶ Questioner: I know of people who have been recently trained in meditation, who after a very short period of intense meditation, a couple of days or so, are able to cause the action at a distance effect on metal, bending it. It's my understanding that they are wearing a pyramid-shaped wire on their heads while doing this. I was invited to one of the meditation sessions a couple of years ago but I couldn't get there. Could you comment on this process, and if they are accomplishing anything of value or not?
Ra: I am Ra. No. Please ask one more full query at this working.
53.21 ▶ Questioner: Can you tell me why [name] had so many silver flecks on her?
Ra: I am Ra. This is infringement. No.
60.19 ▶ Questioner: Where is the Ark of the Covenant now? Where is it located?
Ra: I am Ra. We refrain from answering this query due to the fact that it does still exist and is not that which we would infringe upon your peoples by locating.
60.29 ▶ Questioner: Was there a purpose for mummification having to do with anything other than bodily burial?
Ra: I am Ra. Much as we would like to speak to you of this distortion of our designs in constructing the pyramid, we can say very little for the intent was quite mixed and the uses, though many felt them to be positive, were of a non-positive order of generation. We cannot speak upon this subject without infringing upon some basic energy balances between the positive and negative forces upon your planet. It may be said that those offering themselves felt they were offering themselves in service to others.
64.7 ▶ Questioner: Would it be helpful if Ra were to describe the techniques used while Ra was in third density to evolve in mind, body, and spirit?
Ra: I am Ra. This query lies beyond the Law of Confusion.
64.8 ▶ Questioner: What about fourth-density experience of Ra? Would that also lie beyond the Law of Confusion?
Ra: I am Ra. This is correct. Let us express a thought. Ra is not elite. To speak of our specific experiences to a group which honors us is to guide to the point of a specific advising. Our work was that of your peoples, of experiencing the catalyst of joys and sorrows. Our circumstances were somewhat more harmonious. Let it be said that any entity or group may create the most splendid harmony in any outer atmosphere. Ra's experiences are no more than your own. Yours is the dance at this space/time in third-density harvest.
64.9 ▶ Questioner: The question was brought up recently having to do with possible records left near, in, or under the Great Pyramid at Giza. I have no idea whether this would be of benefit. I will just ask if there is any benefit in investigating in this area?
Ra: I am Ra. We apologize for seeming to be so shy of information. However, any words upon this particular subject create the possibility of infringement upon free will.
64.13 ▶ Questioner: I have no ability to judge at what point, at what level of abilities the adept would reach this point of being, shall we say, independent of the cyclical action. Can you give me an indication of what level of "adeptness" that would be necessary to be so independent?
Ra: I am Ra. We are fettered from speaking specifically due to this group's work, for to speak would seem to be to judge. However, we may say that you may consider this cycle in the same light as the so-called astrological balances within your group; that is, they are interesting but not critical.
67.24 ▶ Questioner: Is it within the first distortion to tell me why the instrument experienced so many physical distortions during the new times of its incarnation?
Ra: I am Ra. This is correct.
67.25 ▶ Questioner: In that case can you answer me as to why the instrument experienced so much during its early years?
Ra: I am Ra. We were affirming the correctness of your assumption that such answers would be breaking the Way of Confusion. It is not appropriate for such answers to be laid out as a table spread for dinner. It is appropriate that the complexes of opportunity involved be contemplated.
68.9 ▶ Questioner: Incarnation in negative space/time then in a condition like that would result in incarnation into which density level for, let us take as an example, the instrument?
Ra: I am Ra. The answer to this query violates the first distortion.
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2 March 2016
Dear Dr Atkinson
Conferment of the Award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
Following the recent nominations process, I an delighted to advise you that, by order of Council, the Award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) has been conferred on you for your contribution to social science. Congratulations on this significant achievement. I attach a list showing all the new Fellows conferred in the Spring 2016 round.
There is an opportunity to be welcomed formally to the Academy and to have your framed certificate presented to you by the president, Professor Sir Ivor Crewe FAcSS at the forthcoming AGM and annual lecture, which will be held on the afternoon of Thursday 30th June 2016 in London....
welcome to the Academy. I hope it will not be long before we see each other at one of our events. Look out for regularmreports on the latest news and events via out website, www.acss.org.uk and in our monthly eBulletin.
Yours sincerely
Stephen Anderson
Executive Director


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I don't care about the Rs 200-300 cr club: Salman Khan
Actor Salman Khan, who is now gearing up for the release of Jai Ho, says he does not believe in breaking box office records but definitely wants his films to fare well.bollywood Updated: Jan 07, 2014 16:21 IST
Actor Salman Khan, who is now gearing up for the release of Jai Ho, says he does not believe in breaking box office records but definitely wants his films to fare well.
Considering that the industry is obsessed with the money that a film earns at the box-office, Salman too wants that producers, distributors and exhibitors of his film should not lose money.
"I just don't want my films to flop because that would mean my thinking is going wrong and that would be the worst thing. I don't care about the Rs 200-300 (crore club). I don't want to be a part of this number game. I am there (in that bracket) but it is not like I want to break that record. I want to make a good film. As long as my films run and make decent money, I am happy," Salman said in an interview.
But the kind of films that Salman opts are often categorised "over the top" lacking logic.
"Now you call it 'bakwaas' (mindless) cinema or whatever but that is the kind of cinema I want to do because that is the kind of cinema I have seen. As a kid I have gone to theaters, stood on chairs, whistled for the heroes," he said.
"Movies should be such that if a hero has fallen down audience should feel the urge to scream and say "get up". You come out of the theatre... you want to be the hero. That is the feeling you should get," the 48-year-old actor added.
Salman wants ticket prices to go down between Rs 150-200 but unfortunately he does not have a say in that. "It is in the hands of the theater owners and distributors. We wanted to get it (ticket prices) down," he said.
His actor friend Aamir Khan had once said that the Dabangg star can bulldoze any logic with his films.
On this, Salman says, "Aamir and I do different kind of cinema. My cinema is more about going to the theaters, whistling, enjoying. And within that space I do and say whatever I have to."
"I think the only reason why a film would do well is because it is emotionally correct," he added.
Directed by brother Sohail Khan, Jai Ho also features newcomer Daisy Shah, Tabu, Suniel Shetty, Danny Denzongpa and others. It releases on January 24.
First Published: Jan 07, 2014 16:15 IST


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Subscribe To Atlantis Rising Comic To Get The Big Screen Treatment Updates
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The producer behind such successful comic book adaptations as 300 and Men in Black, Mark Canton, has just announced that he's planning to help bring another comic book property to the big screen. Platinum Studios - not to be confused with Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes - recently re-acquired the film rights to Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's Atlantis Rising and are hoping to turn it into the next big franchise. Yep, that was the word they used, franchise. How about we get one film right first?
Coming Soon first reported about this impending adaptation from Platinum Studios earlier today and the production company owns thousands of comic book characters with Atlantis Rising being the latest from their international library to be plucked for film adaptation. However, the author isn't taking on the project alone as he's teamed up with Canton in order to bring the series to the big screen. Canton was instrumental in getting a film adaptation of the Men in Black comics off the ground and we all know how well that turned out, with the third film due out later this year. Said Canton,
"'Atlantis Rising' has the franchise potential of 'Men in Black,' which I green lit for Scott while at Sony's Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Companies. I'm looking forward to bringing it to the screen with Platinum as a dynamic, state of the art action thriller."
The comic is set in the mythical undersea civilization of Atlantis, a place that the inhabits of the surface remain ignorant about despite the fact that it has existed for over 10, 000 years. Described as an 'action-thriller,' Rosenberg adds that there's a lot more depth (pun intended) to the story than just mindless action. "Atlantis Rising is a provocative sci-fi thriller that at its core brings up the question: whose planet is this?" To be honest, if it avoids the on-the-nose pitfalls of other environmentally themed films (cough Avatar cough) than it could prove interesting. What do think, sound like a good idea for a film? Or, if all goes to plan, a franchise?


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BOSTON, Mass. – In its final weekend of competition before the upcoming New England Division III Championship, the MIT men's track and field team took part in a pair of local meets. The Engineers were in action at Boston University's annual Valentine's Invitational as well as their own home Coed Invite. Both meets were non-scoring competitions, so the focus was on individual Championship qualifying performances.
Patrick Marx was able to secure one such qualification, reaching the NCAA Provisional standard in the 800. Marx finished in 1:52.49, the second-fastest time in program history at that distance, to place 11th in the meet. Marx finished just three-tenths of a second off the automatic qualifying mark.
MIT's other National level performance came from the Distance Medley Relay. The group of four sophomores started off the weekend, running on Friday afternoon, with an historic effort. Logan Trimble, Daniel Ronde, Marx and Kyle Hannon set a new Institute record while automatically qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championship with their time of 9:52.13, which was good for third overall at the meet. Tech's other relay, the 4x400 quartet of Ronde, Marx, Mac Gager and Jacob Jurewicz, narrowly missed a provisional qualification with their time of 3:21.34.
Hannon was also impressive on Saturday in the 1000 meters, as the sophomore led a group of four Tech runners in the top 30. Hannon finished in 2:27.12, the second fastest time in program history. Trimble (2:28.76), Richard Prevost (2:29.26) and Justin Bullock (2:30.51) each posted times that rank among the ten-best all-time.
Kenneth Cooper had a strong showing in the weight throw back at MIT on Saturday. Cooper came within four inches of the automatic standard with his toss of 61-2.00 feet.
MIT will look to capture its 11th Indoor Regional Championship next weekend. Springfield College will host the Championship, which begins on Friday at 3:00 p.m.


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Juan Pablo Garnham
Juan Pablo Garnham is the senior producer of the podcast, In the Thick. He was the editor of CityLab Latino and he has also worked for El Diario and NY1 Noticias, in New York. In his home country of Chile, he worked as a reporter for Qué Pasa magazine and El Mercurio newspaper.


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Friday night performance of TV, film scores and classical works by Loyola orchestra among free concerts in November
Beginning with a Friday-night orchestral performance of TV and film scores and classical works, Loyola University is hosting a series of major music ensembles open to the public throughout November.
For more information see the following press release from Loyola University:
Montage November concerts showcase major music ensembles
The Montage Fine and Performing Arts Series continues this month with performances by some of the major music ensembles at Loyola University New Orleans. All events are free and open to the public.
The New Orleans Volunteer Orchestra will offer a concert on Friday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Roussel Hall featuring contemporary music from film and television as well as classical works from Gustav Holst and Maurice Ravel. NOVO is a new, student-run community orchestra that includes Loyola students, adult community members and local high school students.
The Loyola Wind Ensemble, directed by Joseph Hebert, Ph.D., will perform selections by J.P. Sousa, Alfred Reed, Charles Fernandez '83, and Percy Grainger, among others, on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. in Roussel Hall. They will be joined by local high school student musicians in four selections, and Scott Kiser, Ph.D., and Col. John Bourgeois '90, H'05, will be guest conductors. At 7:30 p.m., the Loyola Chamber Orchestra, directed by Jean Montès, D.M.A., will perform.
On Sunday, Nov. 11 at 3 p.m., the Loyola Concert Band, directed by Hebert and featuring guest conductor Bourgeois, will perform a concert featuring selections by Steven Reineke, David Holsinger, Steven Bryant and W. Francis McBeth. The event will take place in Roussel Hall.
The Loyola Faculty Brass Quintet, featuring Sheryl Hadeka on French horn, Hebert on tuba, John Mahoney on trombone, and Nick Volz and Vance Woolf on trumpet, will perform Monday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Highlights of the program include John Cheetham's "A Brass Menagerie," Samuel Scheidt's "Canyon Bergamasque," and the ever-popular song by Irving Berlin, "Alexander's Ragtime Band." The performance is in Nunemaker Auditorium in Monroe Hall.
Free parking for all events is available in the West Road Garage, accessible from St. Charles Avenue.
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Light Green Carpet Runner
Light Green Carpet Runner
Our light green carpet runner is popular for weddings, green events, tradeshows, and corporate photo booths!
Plush light green rug, specifically designed for events and venues.
- Nylon reinforced back
- Hand sewn bound edges
- Custom cut to any size
All our event carpets are custom cut to order. Any size is available, please contact us if your required size is not listed.
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All paid orders are cut, bound, rolled, and shipped within (24) hours. Event carpets ordered by 1:00PM EST usually ship same day. All carpets are rolled and shipped in industrial plastic to protect it during transit and from weather.
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I have Arundel "Sport" cages, made from nylon reinforced plastic. Same shape as the Mandible, cheap, strong. I love them. They also do a stainless steel one, which the Garmin team use during Paris-Roubaix, and looks good on a classic bike.
An ant's jaw. Huh? That's what Arundel reckon their Mandible bottle cage is like. It's strong but light. Like an ant's jaw.
At 28g, the Mandible is certainly light. They manage to make it so light because the core is foam. I hunted around the garage and weighed a bunch of other bottle cages. A standard alloy cage is about 48- 56g (who knew?) so chances are you'll be saving a few grams here. If you run two bottle cages, and swap to two of these, you might save 50g or something like that. In the overall scheme of things, that's not a big deal but if you're a weight weenie and every gram counts, well, here you go.
Obviously, that foam core affects the strength? Well, no, not in a bad way. Those arms that look so delicate grab your water bottle in a bear hug and hold it firm. Combined with the lip at the top, they'll keep the bottle in place over rough roads or even off-road trails. I tried it on some dodgy old tracks skirting Salisbury Plain where I've lost bottles before and it was absolutely fine.
So, it's lightweight and it works, and that's yer lot. Oh, and you get the choice of two different mount positions. And it looks cool whether you go for this matte version, the gloss black or the white. In terms of price, it's not out of line for what you'd expect to pay for a carbon bottle cage. As a comparison, the Blackburn Camber I tested last year has a list price of £39.99 and was virtually the same weight. However, we're guessing that if you are already in the market for a carbon cage, a fiver either way isn't going to make much difference to your choice. Weight, looks and grip are; and the Mandible certainly scores well on all of those.
Very lightweight carbon cage that holds your bottle ultra-secure
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Arundel Mandible Bottle Cage
Size tested: Black
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Well, it's for people who want to shave off every gram possible.
Arundel say, "You don't have to ride 5 hours a day to qualify to buy a Mandible cage, but it's designed for those who do."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
There's not a great deal of technology in a bottle cage but Arundel have made this with a foam core to keep the weight as low as possible without sacrificing strength.
It's a hard one to mark. With a bottle cage, it either holds your bottle firm or it doesn't. This one does whatever the surface/terrain.
It's so strong that you'd have to try really hard to break this thing.
I have a Blackburn Camber carbon-fibre bottle cage that's the same weight, but this is about half the weight of a standard alloy cage.
Most carbon bottle cages are £35 and upwards. This is among the more expensive although it's also incredibly strong.
Of course, if you're just after the best value you can get, you can use a cheap alloy cage for a fiver. That's fine. But if you feel like indulging yourself with something that works very well, this is a good option.
Plus, I think it looks cool. I like stuff that looks cool.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Does the job well while being very lightweight.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Lightweight, strong, looks cool.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Possibly
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, if they're after something strong and light and are willing to pay for it.
About the tester
Age: 41 Height: 190cm Weight: 75kg
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,
Mat has in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now pushing 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.


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Would you use an ad-supported operating system if the software was free? According to former TBWAChiatDay Creative Director Ken Segall's recently released book, Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was on the verge of launching such a thing in 1999.
The limited details of the idea were posted to MacRumors on Thursday, who noted that the relevant patent application owned by Apple, citing Jobs as the lead inventor, was published in 2009. The patent describes a way for the OS to present ads to the user while disabling certain functions while the ad is being shown. "At the end of the advertisement, the operating system again enables the function(s)," reads the description. The ads being considered were both audio and visual, and would allow the user to obtain the OS either for free or at a discount.
Although many of Apple's more "unique" patent applications don't end up in the company's products, according to Segall, Jobs was in fact entertaining the possibility of an ad-supported version of Mac OS 9.
"Rather than charge the normal upgrade price, which in those days was $99, he was thinking of shipping a second version of Mac OS 9 that would be given away for free—but would be supported instead by advertising," Segall wrote. "The theory was that this would pull in a ton of people who didn't normally upgrade because of the price, but Apple would still generate income through the advertising. And any time an owner of the free version wanted to get rid of the advertising, he or she could simply pay for the ad-free version."
Segall claims Jobs even had a team work out the numbers and "the concept seemed financially sound," but the idea ended up being scrapped. Still, we can understand why it seemed like a good idea for a short while in the late '90s; back then, ad-based everything was just beginning to explode in the online and tech worlds. Remember ad-supported "free" Internet connections like NetZero and Juno? And when I was in college in 1999, I voluntarily kept ad windows open while I was on the computer just so I could receive a beer-money check in the mail every month.
The online advertising market has since changed quite a bit. Although many mobile apps now use advertising in order to offer a "free" version to users, online publications are increasingly experimenting with other ways to support themselves (such as our premier subscription program here at Ars). It's possible that Jobs killed the idea because he saw changes on the horizon in the ad market, or maybe he simply decided that an ad-supported version of OS 9 would offend his aesthetic sensibilities. Either way, if Segall's observations about some of Jobs' more far-fetched ideas are true—such as wanting to dress up as Willy Wonka for the purchaser of the millionth iMac—then it sounds like his book could be worth an amusing read for the avid Apple-watcher.
Listing image by Apple


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A Glen Burnie savings maestro who has appeared on "Extreme Couponing" will try her hand Wednesday at another money game: "The Price is Right."
Zadia Hardy, a 37-year-old project manager, traveled west earlier this year with a friend, first to hit Las Vegas. From there, they drove to California to check out "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and one of Hardy's childhood favorites, "The Price is Right."
She was thrilled to be chosen as a contestant.
"I was extremely excited and anxious when they called me to 'Come on down!'" she says.
Hardy, who blogs about saving money with coupons for the site MsCouponista.com, had fun meeting host Drew Carey, but as someone used to getting things from the store for pennies (if not for free), she was thrown by a "Price is Right" standby -- guessing retail prices.
Though Hardy won't spill the beans and tell us how she did, she is saying that she didn't go home empty-handed.
"I can tell you that I made it on stage and won some prizes," she told Insider.
Latest Baltimore Insider


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You wanted different and we delivered!
We know that when it comes to sending a seriously kick ass gift to him, it's a struggle to find the right gift.
We just love that we've been able to design a special gift that can be delivered and devoured with one big smile on his face.
A serious crowd pleaser, this one is a winner (we promise!).
How long will it take my gift to arrive?
If you select our 'Standard Delivery' service, your gift will be delivered in 1-3 business days when you order before 4PM (EST). For more than 95% of addresses we send with our overnight carriers we have an on time track record with this option but please note the delivery date you select does not come with a 100% guarantee.
How is free standard delivery calculated?
Our Free delivery calculation applies to one delivery address. If you send to multiple addresses, our Free delivery offer is calculated based on the total spend per address.
I need it there on a specific date.
If you need your gift delivered on a specific date, please choose either our date guarantee or 3 hour delivery service. This is available for inner metro areas (up to 25km from the CBD) of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
What time will my gift arrive?
We aim as early as possible although on busy days deliveries to residential addresses can arrive up until 7pm, and business deliveries will arrive before 5pm.
Can I send fruit, donuts or cakes on this service?
We'd love to say yes, however due to the perishable nature of these products they are sent with our same day carriers (Express Delivery options on the tab above) to ensure safe and delicious arrival. We do also offer some amazing (and super yummy) jar cake options so you can literally send your gift anywhere. Sweet!
What if no one is home at the time of delivery?
Gifts may be taken to a local pick up point at a Post Office or other if no one is home to sign for the delivery. If this occurs, they'll leave a calling card at your nominated delivery address.
DATE GUARANTEE SERVICE $15.95 (inner metro) & $22.95 (outer metro)
Or our URGENT DELIVERY SERVICE $29.95
What's the difference in the delivery options?
Our date guarantee option is just that – we guarantee that we'll get your gift there on the day you request. Consider it our promise.
Our urgent delivery service is the perfect option for those who need their gift pronto. Providing you place your order before 2pm, we'll be able to get your order out that same day. Woohoo!
What time will my gift arrive?
Deliveries to residential addresses can arrive up until 7pm, and business deliveries will arrive before 5pm.
Can I send fruit, donuts or cakes on this service?
Absolutely! Simply choose which delivery method you'd like.
What if no one is home at the time of delivery?
In most instances our delivery driver will leave the gift on the premises in a safe location. If the driver doesn't deem it safe to leave, or cannot gain access to the property, the gift will be returned to us and a redelivery fee will apply.
A few tips from us…
Make sure your delivery date is right before processing your order.
Please double check your order confirmation. If there's anything that doesn't seem right, or you have any questions please get in contact with our team ASAP on 1300 768 996 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Madlin is one speedy gonzales in all areas across our stores! She is a fountain of knowledge and can answer any question you fire her way! This generous Bloomette is one independent, creative, on-point gal with a love of baking and reading! Madlin is well loved by all of the team and we are all adore her beautiful curly hair!


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WASHINGTON — Proposals to cap or otherwise limit deductions in order to raise tax revenue from the wealthy are gaining bipartisan support in Washington — and making charities and nonprofits very worried.
Concerned that special tax benefits to encourage Americans to give to charity might be significantly curtailed in the negotiations between President Obama and Speaker John A. Boehner, scores of nonprofit leaders came to Washington this week for a coordinated lobbying effort.
"Normally, every nonprofit is focused on its own particular mission, whether saving the environment, or helping children, or imbuing a greater appreciation for art," said Diana Aviv, the chief executive of Independent Sector, an umbrella group for nonprofits that helped organize this week's effort. "For the first time, I've seen the sector coming together. We're like Rip Van Winkle waking up and saying, This is not O.K.!"
At stake is the $300 billion that Americans donate to nonprofits every year — and the $50 billion a year that tax deductions for charitable giving costs the government.
Both Republicans and Democrats say they want to maintain tax laws that encourage Americans to give money to nonprofit groups. But with the White House looking to raise an additional $1.6 trillion in revenue over 10 years, and Republicans looking to raise $800 billion, there is growing bipartisan support for peeling back some of the special breaks for high-income households.Continue reading the main story
That prospect has spurred Ms. Aviv and other nonprofit leaders to meet with high-ranking Obama aides for what participants described as a passionate discussion — if one largely about arcane matters.
The charity participants laid out their fears about lost revenue and abrogated programs, even if donations only dip at the margins.
The White House — represented by the senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, the chief of staff Jacob Lew, Gene Sperling of the National Economic Council and Cecilia Muñoz of the Domestic Policy Council — shared concerns about tax changes that might unduly cut into charitable giving. But officials said revenue had to come from somewhere.
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, leaders from local nonprofits like churches, schools and homeless shelters visited lawmakers to deliver the same message.
"So much of this Washington debate is focused on high-end taxpayers," said Steve Taylor, public policy counsel for the United Way Worldwide. "From our perspective, that's not what it's about. It's about the people who will have less access to the services our charities provide."
The Rev. Larry J. Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, agreed.
"If this benefit goes away, who's going to pick up the slack?" he said. "Definitely not the government. It's the only deduction that directly impacts community benefit. Cutting it — it defies the logic of cutting, I think."
Charities said that little of what they were hearing behind closed doors allayed their fears that in a rush to cut long-term budget deficits Congress might also end up cutting charitable giving.
"There is no elected official who would rather say, 'I had to cut your program' than 'There is a process that resulted in your program being cut,' " said Christopher W. Hansen, the president of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network. "But if you design a deduction cap the wrong way, you decimate the charitable sector."
Both Democrats and Republicans have shown a willingness to roll back some deductions for high-income households, and more broadly to clean up the $1 trillion a year in tax breaks in the code. But how they might agree to do that remains unclear.
One option, floated by Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate, is capping the total amount a household could deduct at perhaps $25,000 or $50,000.
Another proposal, backed by the White House, is limiting the value of the charitable-giving deduction to 28 percent, down from the current cap of 35 percent, for households with income above $250,000 a year.
Economists and policy experts are divided on how much such proposals may reduce charitable giving.
Capping the value of the deduction, as the White House has suggested, might reduce giving by as much as $7 billion a year out of $300 billion over all, according to an estimate by Independent Sector.
But other estimates have proved more moderate. For instance, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University last year analyzed the Obama administration's proposal to increase marginal tax rates and cap the value of charitable giving. It estimated that itemized giving would have declined just 0.4 percent in the first year after being put in place and 1.3 percent in the second.
"This suggests a relatively small direct impact, but combined with the weak economic climate, funding reductions and increased demand for services already affecting some nonprofits and their constituents, these changes are likely to have an additional negative effect in the long term," Patrick M. Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy, said in a statement.
The Obama administration said that concerns over charitable giving are driving its push to get Republicans to allow the Bush-era tax cuts to expire for income over $250,000 a year. To raise $800 billion in tax revenue from the wealthy solely by scrubbing the code clean would require eradicating too much of the incentive for charitable giving, it said.
"You cannot get the kind of revenue that you need simply from capping deductions or closing loopholes without taxing the heck out of the middle class — and that's unacceptable for the president — or without ending the charitable deduction or doing other things that would never fly on Capitol Hill, for good economic as well as political reasons," said Jay Carney, the White House press secretary.
This week, at least one person came away convinced of the White House's logic.
"If nonprofit leaders don't want changes to the charitable deduction, it is imperative that we get behind the president's call for higher tax rates on the wealthy," said Aaron Dorfman of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy in a statement.
"The majority of nonprofits know this is true," Mr. Dorfman said, "and I urge the hundreds of nonprofit leaders who have traveled to our nation's capital for visits with members of Congress today to clearly advocate for higher tax rates on the wealthy in addition to their advocacy in opposition to any changes to the charitable deduction."Continue reading the main story


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Junior lobbyists revved up to decrease tailpipe emissions
Illinois would join 14 other states in adopting California standards
Julien and Liam Mathie, 10- and 9-year-old brothers from the western Chicago suburb of La Grange Park, woke up at 5 a.m., put on suits and ties, and drove to Springfield with their parents last Wednesday to promote the Clean Cars Act. It was the second time the junior lobbyists — considered "pros" by Environment Illinois, dad Bryan says — joined other environmentalists at the State Capitol in pushing legislators to adopt stricter automotive emission standards.
Under HB 422, sponsored by State Rep. Karen May, D-Highland Park, and SB 1941, sponsored by Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago, Illinois would become the nation's 15th state to reject the federal standard for auto emissions. Instead, as permitted by the national Clean Car Act, the Prairie State would implement stronger auto emission standards set by California in 2004. Auto manufacturers and owners would adhere to a graduated system that mandates lower emission levels from cars and light-duty trucks each year through 2020.
Most of the 14 that have tightened their tailpipes are coastal states, such as Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington. Brian Granahan, a staff attorney for Environment Illinois, says Illinois could incite change for the middle ground.
"It would be a great breakthrough if Illinois moved forward," Granahan says. "It would signal the viability of this policy nationwide by showing that this can
happen in the Midwest."
According to Environment Illinois, Illinois would reduce global warming pollution from cars by 47.4 million metric tons by adopting the new legislation. The state would also save more than $9.6 million through reduced gasoline consumption.
Nearly 90 high school students from Chicago — clad in sky blue T-shirts with "Clean Cars. Save Money. Save the Planet" scripted in orange lettering — joined the Mathie brothers last week in lobbying legislators. Jose Rios, a sophomore from Curie Metropolitan High School, says he learned in a special class called "Forefront" that cleaner cars could help the troubled industry.
"It's a leadership class," he says. "Our teacher helps us develop leadership skills and teaches us how to make
positive changes in our community."
More and more children are talking about environmental issues, Granahan points out — an opportunity that wasn't readily available when he was a kid.
"Younger people grasp environmental issues better than the older generations," he says. "They've come to know that progress needs to be made with energy, and they are
motivated to be involved."
Julien, who one day plans to become a marine biologist, says he lobbies on environmental issues because he is "worried for the lakes." Liam has asthma, a condition worsened by car pollution. They're unique, their dad says. Because of their youth, lawmakers respond to them.
"We are trying to get our children to understand that they can get up and make a difference," Bryan Mathie says.


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(SAN DIEGO) — The bestselling author of self-help book "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" has died in San Diego. Debbie Ford was 57.
A family spokeswoman says Ford died Sunday in her home after a long battle with cancer.
"The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" spawned a self-help enterprise for Ford. The 1998 book aimed to help readers overcome their darker side.
Her sister, Arielle, said in a statement that the author wanted to help people break free from their emotional baggage and fear.
Ford wrote eight more books, led workshops and hosted TV and radio shows related to that topic. She often shared her battle with drug addiction, divorce and other personal struggles in her work.
She is also survived by her mother, son and brother.


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The Talmud (Nedarim 38A) says:
אמר ר' יוחנן אין הקב"ה משרה שכינתו אלא על גבור ועשיר וחכם ועניו וכולן ממשה
R' Yochanan said, G-d only rests his presence on one who is strong, rich, wise, and humble. We learn [these traits are a prerequisite] all from Moshe.
The Talmud proves that Moshe was wealthy because G-d told him to keep the leftover sapphire from the second tablets, which he was commanded to carve.
However, G-d had rested his presence on Moshe long before he carved the second tablets, while Moshe was still in Midyan. If so, being wealthy was not a prerequisite for Moshe (The Talmud - Sotah 13A - Tells us that Moshe did not gather wealth when the rest of the Jews did).
If that's the case, how can R' Yochanan learn from Moshe that wealth is a prerequisite?


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Best SUVs of 2012
* Best SUV and 4x4 models listed * From compact SUVs to seven-seaters * Our top 10 SUVs...
The popularity of SUVs and 4x4s continues to soar and, with ever more to choose from, that's a trend which is likely to continue.
Whether it's a compact SUV that's as easy to park and cheap to run as a supermini, or a seven-seat 4x4 with genuine off-road ability, there's something to suit everyone.
Here's our guide to the best SUVs and 4x4s on sale in the UK.
We named the BMW X3 overall winner in the 4x4 and SUV section of our Car of the Year 2012 awards, which tells you how highly we rate it.
It was an easy choice, because the X3 delivers all that buyers expect, and more. It's an outstanding family car, with a roomy, versatile cabin that uses top-quality materials.
The X3 is great to drive, too, and the engines are smooth, strong and remarkably efficient. Average fuel economy for our favourite version - the xDrive20d SE - is 50.4mpg, which means it's more efficient than not only its four-wheel-drive rivals, but most of the front-drive ones, too.
Land Rover Discovery
If you're after the best seven-seater SUV look no further than the Land Rover Discovery. It's a familiar sight, but a series of updates over the years mean it's now better than ever.
What we've always loved about the Discovery is the way it excels in so many areas. Thanks to its rugged construction and a clever four-wheel-drive system, it's a genuine go-anywhere 4x4. It has refinement and ride comfort to rival an executive saloon, too, while the interior matches many MPVs for practicality.
Ownership costs are on the high side, but the Discovery's breadth of talents makes it decent value for money.
Nissan Qashqai
Nissan was ahead of the curve when it launched the Qashqai in 2007. It blurred the boundary between small family car and SUV and since then an influx of new models have tried to do a similar thing.
None has been as successful as the Qashqai, though. It still looks great and although the interior is showing its age, it's well built and there's lots of legroom. Headroom isn't as generous, but the Qashqai's boot is massive.
There's a huge model range, but we'd recommend keeping it simple; our favourite model is the 1.6 dCi Acenta 2WD, which averages 62.8mpg and emits just 119g/km of CO2.
Mazda CX-5
Mazda arrived late to the compact SUV party, but it made an impressive entrance. The Mazda CX-5 ticks all the important boxes, with good looks, excellent practicality and lots of standard kit.
The CX-5 is fun to drive, too. That's partly thanks to Mazda's 'Skyactiv' technology a blend of lightweight construction and efficient and responsive engines. The same tech means the CX-5 is also incredibly efficient. Our pick of the range is the 2.2D Skyactiv-D 150 SE-L, which averages 52.3mpg. We named it the winner in the SUV category of our 2012 Green Awards.
Audi Q3
Don't think that Audi's smallest SUV is a poor relation to its larger SUV models such as the Q5 and Q7. Inevitably, it's not as practical as those cars, but it's just as classy and better to drive.
The Q3's supple ride is one of its best traits, and it's available with Audi's latest diesel engines, which are impressively smooth and powerful. Stick to the front-wheel-drive models for the best fuel economy.
Although the interior is no roomier than a small family car's, there's enough space for four adults and the boot is a practical shape. The quality is something else, though, with the kind of plush materials and high-tech kit that you get in Audi's more expensive saloons.
Hyundai Santa Fe
The previous Hyundai Santa Fe was a great seven-seater SUV for a buyer on a budget, and the new one carries on where that left off.
It comes with five seats as standard, but we reckon its worth paying that bit extra for the third row of seats. You wont lose out if you go for the entry-level Style model, as every Santa Fe comes with lots of kit, but the mid-level Premium trim adds heated leather seats, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera and touch-screen sat-nav.
BMWs X5 is one of the best large 4x4s to drive, but it still manages to provide great performance and an excellent official fuel economy.
The 30d SE is the one to go for if efficiency is your thing, thanks to official fuel economy of 38.2mpg, and it also happens to be our favourite model in the range. There is a seven-seat version as an option, but it's worth bearing in mind that the airbag doesnt stretch all the way to the third row.
Range Rover Evoque
The Range Rover Evoque is a trendsetter first and a compact SUV second. If you want looks over all else then the three-door model may be to your taste, but the five-door version is the practical one of the two.
The 247bhp petrol engine is too thirsty to be recommended, but the 2.2-litre, 187bhp model is our pick of the range. Go for the 4WD Pure trim level for the best blend of affordability and performance.
Volvo XC60
Volvos XC60 is one of the best small SUVs available at the moment, and is a fantastic family car.
Passengers in the second row of seats sit higher up than those in the front, meaning you'll get a great view of the road ahead in the back regardless of how tall you are.
You can also get an XC60 with built in child seats, a central picnic table and DVD screens on the back of the front headrests great for keeping younger occupants happy on longer journeys. The ability to fold seats 40/20/40 means it can be used as a more practical load carrier as well.
Wed look no further than the 2.0 D4 diesel in SE trim, as it has all the space and practicality of its pricier equivalents.
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
The Mercedes ML is refined, smooth and comfortable, and easily one of the best big 4x4s on sale in 2012.
It might not be as good to drive as the BMW X5 but the MLs big selling point is luxury; the 3.0-litre diesel engine is fabulously smooth and quiet. The smaller engine in the 250CDI model is a little noisier, but it settles down to a gentle hum when you get up to cruising speeds.
The ML's cabin is simply huge, with both front and rear rows offering masses of head- and legroom. The boot is an impressive size and shape as well, although the downside to the big Mercedes is that there is no seven-seat option.


text: Each year, generous AGU donors support the advancement of the geosciences and help ensure that AGU can continue to make an impact well into the future. Scientific funding is an urgent challenge and organizations like AGU play a critical role in ensuring that our fields are represented. Through the campaigns below and others like it, we hope to uphold the tradition of AGU members guaranteeing the future — of our members and our science — but we need your help to achieve even more and grow even further.


text: The shelf-stable pocket sandwich gives soldiers a portable ration that they can eat on the go. Bob Reinert/U.S. Army hide caption toggle caption Bob Reinert/U.S. Army The Salt How The Army Made A Sandwich That Stays Fresh For Two Years December 15, 2011 Army food scientists have figured out how to control pH, moisture, and oxygen inside the packaging of a pocket sandwich so that it can last for up to two years.