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The blog is moving to
http://01f3666.netsolhost.com/blog/ for now.
Sometime next weekend, it will be http://www.crabapplelane.net/blog/
Actually, I think both addresses will still work but one will surely be easier to remember.
The blog is moving to
http://01f3666.netsolhost.com/blog/ for now.
Sometime next weekend, it will be http://www.crabapplelane.net/blog/
Actually, I think both addresses will still work but one will surely be easier to remember.
Amazing picture of the horrific bridge collapse in Minneapolis yesterday. Absolutely unreal what happened there. Dave's account of it.
35 days until football season ...
Quote of the Day
There were two lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, at the point of the collapse. Those cars did go into the river.
Minneapolis Police Lt. Amelia Huffman
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "All 60 kids on the school bus got off the bus. About 10 have gone to the hospital. About 30-40 are still on the scene and need to be picked up by their parents."
Good to see Julie Christie acting again. She is phenomenal in everything I've ever seen her in, particularly Shampoo and McCabe and Mrs Miller. I even liked her in Doctor Zhivago, which I didn't much care for. Maybe I have to see it again some day. Don't remember much of it and was probably too young the first time.
I don't think an X-rated nude carwash would go over so well in America even if it could get past the protests, ordinances, legal challenges, etc ...
The Bubbles n Babes car wash in Brisbane prompted a flood of complaints with a topless car wash for $45 and a nude car wash with X-rated lap-dance service for $82.
$45??? $82??? I'd complain, too. I never pay more than seven or maybe eight bucks for a carwash the two or three times a year I bother.
As noted here a few days ago, Ricky Williams is still an idiot. He is no longer a Saints OR Dolphins idiot, though. I suspect he'll get a chance with someone. If the NFL lets him, I think the guy can still play. However, at 30 (Old for a running back in the NFL), I doubt he can make enough on any contract to pay the $8.6 million he still owes the Dolphins. I imagine whoever wants him will have to work out compensation with them like maybe some of the 8.6 and players or draft choices. Trading their entire draft in 1999 and a 1st rounder in 2000 for Ricky Williams was one of the worst ideas in Saints history and it was only salvaged from being the hands down very worst by one of the best ideas in Saints history; trading him away to the Dolphins. From CrabAppleLane's perspective, it's kind of fun to watch this saga from a safe distance.
About today's QOTD: I just love the second sentence. Wonder what the record is in Cincinnati.
Quote of the Day
Nicholson already was one of nine Bengals players arrested during a nine-month span, turning the team into a prime example of player misconduct. The team had gone four months without having a player arrested.
Associated Press via MSNBC.COM
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "April's cold snap in the U.S. shows that although the globe as a whole may be warming, there is still plenty of natural variability capable of bringing very cold weather to local regions."
More airport security. I need more information but just for my own curiosity. This security measure wouldn't bother me in the least. If the images blur the faces and something happens on the flight, how are they going to review the image later to determine what the bad guy/girl was carrying and how it got past the scan?
Prince Harry is not going to Iraq. It may be unfair but I tend to agree with the reasoning. About today's QOTD: The linked AP/MSNBC article has an associated video that has similar, but not exact, statements from General Sir Richard Dannatt. I quoted the video. The AP/MSNBC either misquoted or quoted from another speech not linked. No biggie but I thought I'd explain the discrepancy.
Happy Birthday, Duncan and Nikki.
112 days until football season ...
Quote of the Day
These threats exposed not only him but also those around him to a degree of risk that I now deem unacceptable.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, British Army Chief of Staff
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "You really don't want a thick report documenting all the ways your network is insecure."
I suppose you could classify wildfires as weather events. My friend, Dave, has done a few entries (Start there and scroll forward) on the wildfire thats blazing on Minnesotas Gunflint Trail. In the news yesterday morning on my radio, it was reported that 50 of Floridas 67 counties were fighting major blazes. Cant find a link to verify it but it has the ring of truth to me. Wildfires are yearly events out west and they're contending with their share of them now, too. We dont get wildfires in Louisiana. At least, none that I remember. I have no idea why we don't. Our climate is very similar to Florida's. We have "burn bans" in effect in my area during the summer that only two or three people observe. I would gladly welcome relief from the weather events we do get but I'm very thankful for our good fortune so far on wildfires. Good Luck to all of you, especially those firefighters.
Quote of the Day
It was scary, and as close to something that I wouldn't want to experience again. I drove down through [on Highway 5], both sides of the road were burning, and trees were tumbling -- nothing in front of me. But I had to turn the air conditioning on. It was pretty hot in the truck.
Tony Faras
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "A volunteer firefighter from Springfield, ME was killed 2007-05-07 when the fire truck he was operating overturned."
Speaking of headlines, this one from USA Today:
Execute bin Laden? Nations differ on answer
Catch him, then talk about it. I lean toward imprisonment.
And, finally, taking a family of four to a Major League Baseball game costs $176.24 (Great, very funny article). Relax, baseball fans. Costs quite a bit more to go to a NBA game and even more to go to a NFL game. When I gave up my Saints tickets back in 2000, I was out $190 per game before I walked in the door. That was just for tickets and parking and it was only two tickets. There are cheaper tickets available for all of those games, though. If you can find free parking (I think free parking is a myth), if you limit yourselves to one hot dog and one soft drink each, a family of four can probably see any game for about $100. You'd be very hard-pressed to do it cheaper than that, though.
Quote of the Day
I don't like the idea of a person walking down the street and shooting someone in cold blood just for exercise.
Walter Bain, Retired Navy Petty Officer
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Tomorrow, in case you hadn't noticed my sidebar, is Parental Alienation Awareness Day. Not that anybody who's ever been on the receiving end of parental alienation can really help being aware."
Not much to say this morning.
Quote of the Day
Campus closed today
Virginia Tech
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "This article in The Economist highlights a study that suggests that ostriches are either the descendants of dinosaurs or actual dinosaurs themselves."
A new development has appeared in the pissing match mentioned here the other day between the New Orleans CBS affiliate and the New Orleans cable carrier. At the time, I thought Cox the cable carrier was dealing from strength and was issuing the threats. Seems WWL the CBS affiliate had an ace in the hole to counter those threats. CBS is carrying the Super Bowl this year. Im sure Cox didnt want to send all of their subscribers scrambling for old time antennae (Like the one CrabAppleLane has) days before a Super Bowl and they surely didnt want to piss off their affluent subscribers with their big screen HDTVs and catered Super Bowl parties. Damn inconvenient for Cox that their contract with WWL expired just days before the Super Bowl. The two sides decided a 30 day extension (Free registration may be required) would be beneficial. At the root of all this? What else? Money.
R.I.P., Molly Ivins. I used to read the pundits more at one time than I do now and as pundits go, I found Mollys sense of humor made her more readable than most. I liked her.
Quote of the Day
And he's fresh. He's new. He's smart. He's insightful. And I really regret that some have taken totally out of context my use of the world 'clean.'.
Senator Joe Biden, D-Delaware
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Then last week, as I was walking to lunch, I saw that one of the bridges over the Chicago River was closed and a giant crane was lowering a man in a tiny rowboat onto the river."
And that's why mine goes almost everywhere with me. -Rob
Rumors were rampant in southeast Louisiana in August/September 2005 and this is an example of how things were reported during the chaotic days that followed Hurricane Katrina: It was reported that the Danziger Bridge, a photographic favorite here, was the scene of a shootout between the New Orleans Police Department and six people that were described as gunmen. It was reported then that five were killed and one wounded. First, the dead and wounded count was wrong. There were two dead and four wounded. Second, there appears to be several versions of this story. This story has already turned political, racial, and tiresome. Doubt anyone will believe the final outcome.
What little I know about this area and human nature: The Danziger Bridge is a draw bridge on Chef Menteur Hwy that spans the Industrial Canal. It is not known for pedestrian traffic. In fact, I have never seen a pedestrian on it. How people came to be shot on it is Katrinas doing. New Orleans East is on one side of the bridge and the Ninth Ward and Gentilly are on the other side. The shootings occurred on September 4, 2005 (Six days after Katrina passed). There was 4-10 feet of standing water on both sides of the bridge then. All of the businesses on both sides were severely damaged by storm, by flooding, and by looters. As for the residents in this area who didnt evacuate, imagine being stranded with no services whatsoever. Imagine 99º temperatures during the day with 100% humidity. Imagine looters, many of them armed, all around you. Then, there was a stressed out police force dealing with the stressed out citizens. Dont know what happened that day on that bridge and probably never will know but I'm mostly surprised there weren't more incidents like this one.
Quote of the Day
We know that there were a lot of people out there who saw and heard what happened.
Mary Howell
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "seen at Conscientious"
Photoblog. -Rob
My arthritis is flaring up now that the weather is changing. Its no big deal. In my case, it manifests itself as stiffness in the joints and some pain in my left knee. This occurs mainly after periods of stillness like a nights sleep, an hours commute to work, an hour or more uninterrupted at my desk, etc. It is not anywhere near unmanageable yet but sometimes I move like a person beyond my years. Ibuprofen, warm showers, and exercise all do wonders for this but I like to stay up on other remedies like Tylenol and Tylenol for Arthritis. My wife, also suffering from arthritis, likes to keep up on it, too. She sent me this article yesterday. The money quote:
Despite the widespread use of Tylenol, scientists do not know exactly how it suppresses pain.
What????? Doctors and hospitals pass Tylenol out like candy. Its been a best seller for years. Its a staple in just about every household. No one knows how or why it works? Not a comforting thought. I think Ill stick to ibuprofen, warm showers, and exercise.
Quote of the Day
That's really the importance of not playing today, is that you play five in a row. Actually, it's a better test because that's kind of what you do throughout the season.
Tony La Russa, St Louis Cardinals
Blog of the day is a blog neighbor from Slidell, LA. It's here.
Quote from said blog: "This park offers the opportunity to witness four different ecosystems AND a first hand look at an historic example of crooked Louisiana politicians."


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Part 1 of a 3-Part Series
Your story of becoming a mother is the sum of your unique circumstances, and no other woman has ever experienced motherhood in exactly the same way that you have. At the same time, becoming a mother is part of a nearly universal story of creating and nurturing new life.
Some of the universal truths of motherhood are familiar. Each and every mother the world over has sheltered a growing child within her body. Each mother has birthed her child into the outside world. Each mother has experienced growth, contraction, and shifts in her own body. And, with a brand new babe in arms, each mother has made decisions about how to best care for her child.
Here is another universal truth of new motherhood: good self-care is good newborn care.
On the surface, that may feel contrary to everything you know about being a new mom. We know about changing diapers and feeding baby around the clock. We know about being tired. We know about finding love in our hearts that we may never have imagined possible. We know about finding a way to safely thread little hands through sleeves, even when those fragile fingers insist on spreading out like the legs of a starfish just when you reach the tightest part of the cuff. We know about pressing our entire adult weight into a carseat base to make sure it is installed safely. Where is the self-care in this list of responsibilities – this list of caring for others?
Self-care is easy to overlook in those first, crazed days with a newborn.
But remember this – parenting is a journey of a lifetime. You cannot hold your breath and get through it. The road is simply too long. So, whether your baby is a hope for your future, will be joining you soon, or has already been born, THIS is the perfect moment for you to think about what you need as a new mom.
Self-care does not have to be expensive or time-consuming.
Some days self-care may mean giving yourself permission to stay in your jammies and eat comfort food. Other days it may mean finding a way to have a conversation with another adult or letting go of everything except playing with your child. For me, self-care often means remembering to drink water and taking a few moments to breathe well. One of my best friends uses the moment of applying mascara to say to herself, "I am taking care of me." Simple acts like these cost no money and take virtually no time. Far more than the act itself, the significance comes from remembering that YOU are important. If doing your best for your family is important to you, then it is important that you care for yourself. Because when you have a healthy self, you have a lot more to give to everyone you care about.
I challenge you to make yourself a list.
If you can actually put your list on paper, that is the best. If you really commit to your list in your own mind, that is
the next-best thing. On your list, include three or more simple things that you could do to honor and care for yourself. Can you make at least one of those things happen every single day? If you tell someone you love about your list, will you be more likely to follow through with making those things happen for yourself?
It is easy for man new moms to make excuses for not taking care of themselves. In the same time, and with the same amount of energy that it would take to make those excuses, consider making an act of courage. Summon the courage to really look at what you need to sustain you, and then take small steps toward making those things happen. By finding the courage to care for yourself, you will ultimately find the strength to be the person and the parent you want to be.
Becky Potter, CD(DONA), CCBE
President, Colorado Doulas Association

subset: commoncrawl


text: Ballistic Publishing - Call for Entries Blue flameWhen the human civilization development to a certain extent, Human dependence on machines everywhere, I want to show the helplessness and contradictions of human. Copyright (C) Bin Wee 2007 All Rights Reserved No unauthorised duplication or distribution without explicit permission from the copyright holder. Artist Name: Bin Wee Artist Country: CN Entered for: Software used: Corel - PainterAdobe - Photoshop About us | Contact us | Privacy Policy Copyright © 2003 Ballistic Media Pty. Ltd.


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Five-Five-Five Fiasco!
Hello readers!
We missed you last week as we had a few personal things on our plate. Please collect your free cuddle once you've read this weeks entry! This week we're bringing you a hard hitting 5-5-5 fiasco. We've got 5 different people to ask 5 questions for our 5th blogpost to celebrate Jonni & Jas' Fakkeltalk. Our feature will be placing [FB] Fisshu, EG.Cyzer, [j]' Morfff, TCM|Evil and [FB] Cook.
The questions we've asked them are as follows:
- Tell us a little about yourself, start with your prior gaming experience, leading up to the clan you play for now.
- What do you think the future holds for TF2 and how will your clan hold up in this future?
- Would you like to see anything changed to how your class is used in competitive play (that's why I wanted 5 different classes)
- Who is your favourite person you've come to know through TF2?
- If you could have 1 wish in the world (except wishing for more wishes,) what would it be and why?
[FB]Fisshu, FakkelBrigade's fearsome scout, who is still hard at work, trying to learn TF2
1. Im currently studying a degree in Digital Forensics and spending far too much time playing online computer games. When I was 13 a friend recommended I buy halflife, I was hooked instantly and it wasn't long before I discovered TFC. I played in the competitive scene but wasn't any good, as was the case with CS 1.6 for around 2-3 years. Currently I am playing in FakkelBrigade and enjoying my time there, with the addition of Byte we have stepped up our game and are looking to hold our spot in ETF2L Div1 for next season. Having someone with such experience calling can make us a top 5 European team, as we have proven with map wins against Coolclan and TCM in ETF2L Season 5.
2. If im honest, im a little concerned about the future of TF2. There have been some decent teams folding recently which isn't good for the scene, its not exactly a dying game (the regular updates are slowing down the process) but obviously its inevitable. Competitive play is in dire need of some new maps, the constant games on Badlands/Granary are starting
to take its toll on me and, probably, many other players. The game will never get as recognised as it really deserves to be, which is a shame. The actual game mechanics are great and really call upon strong teamplay to succeed, its cartoony approach definitely deters a lot of people from trying it out. FB seem to be going strong at the moment but I can't really speak for the future, I accept that people have lives and that anything is possible! Folding in the near future is unlikely though :] we are all good mates and decent players that simply love to play tf2.
3. Yes, give the scout 1000hp and two scatter guns to hold in either hand. no rly, the scout is perfectly balanced. A lot of people would like to see the FaN banned in competitive play but I don't agree, players need to learn how to deal with the new unlockable and stop battling an evolving game.
4. Jimmybreeze! That guy changed my life (but probably not for the better). He used to be a pub hero in a community called Knifeback Mountain, one fateful day I joined his scrubfest of a server and we got chatting. Suddenly I found myself playing scout in his 6v6 team and here I am now, playing TF2 daily for 3-4 hours. Thanks brizzle (faggot)
5. To be good at Team Fortress 2 ¬_¬
EG.Cyzer, Evil Genius' very talented Scout is also from Canada and lives near coL.Reptile
1. Salutations, My name is Paul 'cyzer' Sandhu and I play main scout for Evil Geniuses (www.myeg.net). I previously played Q3 for about 6-7 years with teams like SIT clockwork affliction CCCP and lolz. I then moved on to TF2 with lolz (myself, casey, brandon, looloo, amrit, instin and erok) and once that died I joined 20id (myself, ginc, hubris, motard, drakka, alexwut) and once that died I joined idemise/dev (myself, phelon, paladin, punisher, reen, rem, glue… the list goes on) and finally I ended up in Evil Geniuses (myself, amrit, casey, destro, yaug, hero, wop) and that is where I am today… unfortunately. Those EG guys are jerks. I heard destro is a French Canadian seperatist that hates freedom and democracy.
2. The future for TF2 is sort of split. Online-wise the game is doing great.. we have 2 solid and established leagues that are consistently supporting the game at a high level and we also have top tier gaming organizations picking up TF2 teams (EG, coL, pandemic, 20id, and new comer Loaded) so in that regard we're doing fantastic. However LAN events seem only to be in Europe and the lack of North American lans are disappointing, if there was one problem with this community it's that. Quake players have Quakecon to look forward to, perhaps we need a Valvecon or a NA Community Lan like you guys have.
As for our clan we have been doing very well lately and we enjoy playing together, that's something that is very important for a team to suceed. The chemistry is there and the communication is open so I think the sky is the limit as we gel together to form a very solid team. We are also quite possibly the most whimsical team in TF2 doing making lots of beautiful music together… One day I may present to the world 'momo.mp3 by destro and produced by casey' …
3. The scout needs to be rid of his sandman weapon. That was a horrible idea, not going to lie. Replace it with a jetpack.. that would be sick.
4. Um too many to choose, I love everyone. Everyone in EG.tf2 is awesome (except casey, destro, amrit, yaug, hero, and wop those guys suck male private parts) and basically everyone I've clanned with thus far. Theres also Reptile, dummy, thefragile, dion, phelon, rem, reen, ehFk … this is going to take awhile. If I've spent 10 minutes talking to you I probably <3 you. destro is gay though, hate that guy.
5. I wish to have the powers of Superman. IMAGINE IT! You could do pretty much anything in the world, be immortal, move at the speed of light, ANYTHING! I would totally join the NBA and run and jump just a bit better than everyone else and make millions of dollars. Belt 150hrs in MLB (anything more people might suspect something) and I could end all wars by becoming the supreme leader of the world. And crush Rush Limbaugh.
[j] Morf, a wicked swedish multiclasser, also known to be an absolute sexbomb!
1. Im Oskar, 18 years old this year. I live in beautiful Sweden, the weather is totally shit now anyway. I go to secondary upper high school during fall and spring, studying for programmer. Im really new to the fps genre, been playing the Mario series since it was out on Nintendo 64, which is basicly for as long as ive lived. I played Battlefield Modern Combat on PS2 for some while, only on singleplayer mode though, so that doesnt count does it.
I was introduced to TF2 through a friend who bought The Orange Box, i did the same and got stuck with TF2. Been that way ever since. Started playing with the swedish clan Slackerz in mid February 2008, i believe, thats where i got my basic introduction to competetive gameplay in TF2, those guys are really to thank for alot. When Slackerz folded, in April/May i got an offer from hb0da (ulv and the gang), which i played with for roughly 3 months up until summer. I left hb0da during the summer to join Normal Kombat, where i got my pwn skillz! We played on and off but got pretty much fed up of the game in terms of the huge amount of praccing we did during the summer. We folded in late summer 2008. Roughly in August, early september swetur/eX contacted me and made an offer to join jÄgarna, who was gonna do a rebuild of their team with some promising players, i joined them, and theres where i am today! Been with them for a year soon, the rest of the TF2 world should really learn to have fun with your team
2. I think TF2s future is bright actually, in opposite to many other. The game is slowly growing bigger and bigger, which takes time. Such a shame that TF2 didnt got as much attention as it should at the UKeSA LAN Finals. I think jÄgarna are gonna do fine once we get back as active as we want, which will probably be in the fall. We got some interesting stuff coming up that should keep us focused. And atleast i am happy with our place in Season 5, we havent been active at all during the summer, been playing when we got players.
3. No not really, i think the demoman is fine. Its hard to change anything with any class and still keep the game as balanced as it is. Im happy with my G for now.
4. Oh man, way to many to choose from, dont wanna name anyone so i wont forget someone. Ive met so many great people through the years. All the guys and the girl (!) in jÄgarna are all great and funny persons and im proud and glad to know them. Going for jLan II this summer, end of July! Cant wait!
5. You (Jonni) in latex? World peace ok, PEACE OUT!
TCM|Evil, terifying UK soldier who played for the former TCM and now plays for the new TCM
1. Hello, my name is Paul, I started out playing online games about 8/9 years ago. I started out playing Team Fortress Classic and stayed with TFC for several years playing Soldier for several top teams. When Dark Age of Camelot came out a lot of players from the TFC community started to play it, and i followed, i played DaoC for a while then moved back to TFC for abit, before moving onto Counter Strike 1.6. I played 1.6 for a long time, I played for a few top UK teams with and attended some 1.6 LANs. When mine and Toms (Light) 1.6 team folded he started to play TF2 and I carried on for a while, however Light told me how good TF2 was competitively so I joined ^wotr^ with him. After a while ^wotr^ got to be quite a good team and they became Team Cooler Master, unfortunately they folded a few months ago and I joined the new TCM team.
2. Im not sure what the future holds for TF2, however there does seem to be more new players coming into the game, however at the same time several top players are leaving and getting bored of the game. Personally I think this is because of the lack of competitive maps, something which will be helped by Valves announcement. Hopefully there will be another UkeSA which means that there will once again be a competition with a large prize fund and another Community LAN. I would like to see more LANs and more full teams attending them. I think the current TCM will be okay for the future the team has been together for a while before I joined and although it is summer and obviously people would rather be outside once summer is over I think we will be back active again.
3. I would like to see some things changed with the Soldier class, the main problem I have is the self-damage from your own rockets. The amount of self damage caused by yourself in battle is usually what decideds the outcome of your battle and although it obviosuly is a skill that you need to learn, not to desmolish yourself, it is fairly difficult when scouts do so much damage close to you and you therefore have to kill him quickly with your rocket launcher.
The other problem I have is the fall off damage from rockets, you should be rewarded for hitting those difficult long range rockets not punished by massive amounts of fall off damage which do no damage, and althoug i believe there should be some fall off to deter spam, i don't think the fall off should be as much.
4. I suppose the person i know best in the community is Light, however i have known him for a long time since TFC. If we are talking about just TF2 though my favourite person ive come to know is probably Stealthy. Stealthy joined ^wotr^ at about the same time as me and we played together for a long time in ^wotr^ and TCM, hes probably my favourite because we were LAN room-mates and every LAN we attended we shared the same room and had a good fuck.
5. My one wish in the world would be a Pickachu because Pikachu is the only pokemon i need to compelete my pokedex and become the ultimate pokemon master.
[FB]Cook, The Welsh menace, high-end medic and fearless soldier who likes sheep
1. I'm Cai, I live in Wales. I played various TGE based games leading up to 2003(Torque Game Engine, Tribes, so on) but nothing competitive, just for fun, eventually moving to cs 1.6 in about the end of 2003, I was completely crap. When HL2 came out, I played CSS and turned out to be a beast, and played with a good clan called D-Block with tr1ce for a while, before going to "Zombie Horde" mod on CS:S for fun, eventually TF2 came out, and I instantly bought it. I then proceeded to destroy pubs for no less than 1 year, and at the end of this year I started playing and talking to Malignant Malicious MeDiC, or MeDiC a lot, one of the local FB's of MPUK Dustbowl 02. I was interested about how matches were played in TF2, and since he would always leave to play them, I assumed they happened often and asked if I could merc. After a few games with FB, I tried trialling for them. I wasn't very good, but accepted nonetheless, and this was back before Season 3. I as playing Soldier. And that's how I ended up in FB.
2. I see TF2 going smaller temporarily due to NS2, but continuing to grow due the fantastic updates which draw more players in. Not sure how competitive will be effected. As for teams, I'll be with FB for a while, till the end of the Season, and i'll see what offers I get then, but I really have no problems staying in FB as backup, since FB are awesome.
3. Team Fortress 2 is good enough as it is. Except for the obvious class changes there's nothing i'd need added to this game.
4. is a very tough call. I've got to know and like many people through TF2, all of FB, and the 2nd teams are all great people, but i'd have to say MeDiC since he's very funny to play with, has a nice accent, and is a good rival.
5. This one is easy, lots and lots of money. Because money buys other wishes.
Thank you to our five players for taking the time to be featured on Fakkeltalk and special thanks to Evil Genious for allowing cyzer to join us. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on Fakkeltalk, grab either Jonni or Psunfragga through #fakkelbrigade on Quakenet. Your weekly dose of Fakkeltalk will be here on time next week with more community news, gossip and interviews.
For now though, grab a joint, get naked and launch TF2 with a beer – here's to a long future of Fakkeltalk!
*free cuddle*


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The pros and cons of consolidating debt
Making only one monthly payment may be convenient, but make sure consolidating also eases your overall debt.
Does paying your bills put you in a state of panic? If you're feeling overwhelmed — financially, emotionally or both — by payments on your car, credit cards, student loans and other debts, then consolidation may be for you.
"The key to successfully rolling all your debts into one easily managed payment is to reduce your overall interest rate, not just your monthly payment," says Chad J. Larsen, president of Denver-based Moreton Retirement Partners. The lower your interest rate, the more you'll have left to save toward long-term goals such as retirement.
When debt consolidation might make sense:
- You pay high interest rates or annual fees. "If you're paying off high interest credit cards, then consolidating could save you a lot of cash," says Larsen.
- You can't keep up with your monthly debt payments.
- You have good credit, but your interest rates don't reflect it.
When consolidation may be a bad idea:
- If it would extend the length of time over which you make payments. You'll probably pay more interest that way. "If you've extended the loan period with consolidation, then you've taken a step backward financially," says Larsen.
- You're being rushed into a decision. A consolidation provider that pressures you into a hasty decision may be trying to scam you. Take the time to check the numbers and the consolidator's reputation before signing any agreement.
- You're likely to use your newly paid-off credit cards on a spending spree.
Loan options
Here are some ways to roll your loans together:
- Get a consolidation loan from a bank, credit union or other financial institution that can offer a lower interest rate than the one you currently pay.
- Find a reputable credit counselor to negotiate with your creditors. Look for one that's affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC.org). Be sure to consider the counselor's fees.
- If you're able to pay back the debt relatively quickly — generally within a year — you might transfer all your debt onto a low-rate credit card. Just make sure to read the fine print: You'll probably pay a transfer fee, often 3 percent of the balance, and you may pay much higher interest after the introductory rate expires, which is why this option is only helpful if you can pay off the debt before the lower rate expires.
Get help from a financial professional
» Find out how a financial professional or advisor can help you put a plan in place.


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Hold down Control (PC) or Command (Mac) key + mouseclick to select more than one option
|Avg. Dinner Entrée
|Greater than $25
|$18.01 - $25
|$12.01 - $18
|$7.01 - $12
|Less than $7
Posted by Pietro on 09/26/2012
Good location...good concept...successful team...okay design...can't believe how far off the mark they are with prices and quality of food. Some stuff is good, some stuff is bad...but taking into account the prices its shocking they missed the mark so egregiously. Lots of competition in the area now so its not as depressing as before. Was excited. Not anymore.
Posted by Lenny G. on 03/04/2012
You don't have to pay this kind of money to eat such average food. I'm really surprised that this food is from Mathieu Palombino. Didn't believe the review posted here and decided to try anyway. It was 6 of us. We had all kind of food. Starting from soup to burgers to lobster roll. Everything tasted very average at the best. The onion soup was really poor. Just a piece of bread with cheese on it with a very sour tasting onions. Anyway, don't eat here.
Posted by anonymous on 02/11/2012
had an amazing experience tonight-- the food was delicious (check out the calamari, the sandwiches and the raw bar), service is top-notch (esp for a "diner") and the atmosphere is fun and light. great prices, too, for such high quality. loving the contrast between the traditional diner food with more fine dining options. will definitely go back.
Posted by Jon and emily on 02/04/2012
We've been looking forward to trying this diner for months as it struggled to open but oh dear, what an anticlimax. We went for brunch and although half the restaurant was empty we were told it was a half hour wait due to kitchen limitations. Eager to try the place we put our names down. Once inside the setting was sterile and uncomfortable and sitting on an aisle we felt like we were part of a thoroughfare that led to the kitchen. The service was slow and confused: one of the waiters did three circuits of the restaurant with our shakes before finally managing to deposit them at the right table. We ordered grilled cheese with bacon - extremely dry and disappointing with soggy fries to compliment.. How hard is it to screw up cheese, bacon and bread?? Also ordered the bacon and scallion omelette. Fine but just an ordinary omelette. The hash browns that accompanied were dripping in oil. Again, unimpressed. The best part of the meal was the shakes although these were overly sweet - chocolate and also caramel - and basic shakes and cost $7.50! Er, Tarantino eat your heart out. Is there fairy dust in a shake that costs that in a diner? Clearly not in the ones we ordered. To sum up, go to one of the other countless brunch places in the city or even one of the others in the area.


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This week's batch includes Big Boi, Chromatics, and Shugo Tokumaru.
Top mp3s of the Week (11/30)
by Jon Hadusek
on November 30, 2012, 12:03am
Album Review: Grave Babies – Gothdamnit
Not as scary as you'd expect.
by Alex Young
on April 19, 2012, 7:57am
Check Out: TacocaT – "Spring Break-Up"
They've got the High Times seal of approval.
by Chris Coplan
on February 16, 2012, 3:16pm


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Narrow down the 156 results:Map View
x The average starting price for a place to stay in Santorini is £81 per night.
Finikia, OiaOutstanding 100%
ImerovigliOutstanding 100%
gtrouw Hostel with friendly atmosphere and hospitabillity. A glass of wine after arrival and explanation of the things to do. Daily cleaning and fresh towels was very pleasant.
Perissa-SantoriniOutstanding 96%
tasha_007j Absolutely wonderful staff! Stellios and his family/staff were the most welcoming and inviting people we have meet in Greece! The hotel is seriously a 50 second walk to the beach, with great bars and cafes all along the beach. Exceptional value for money - 3 of us stayed for 3 nights - we only paid 40 euro each for our whole stay. Plus Stellios picks you up and drops you off to the port which makes life very easy! Highly recommended (I I have never given a place a 5 star recommendation in all categories ever before)... just do it :)
mlbeitel George and Stella are just the nicest people. We had a wonderful stay. The place is so clean and we had a fridge in our room and a grocery store very close by and George brought us coffee and juice every morning. George gave us lots of tips and pointed us in the right directions. Fira is an easy walk away and we rented a quad from a gentleman down the street which George recommended and it worked out incredible. Saw the beautiful sunset at IA although if you go, make sure to leave a little time to walk around because it really is beautiful. Oh and the pool area was really nice to. Just the kind of stay we were looking for. We actually travelled Europe for 3 weeks and this was our favorite place to stay and our favorite place to see. We Highly recommend it and would stay there again if we went back
Perissa PerissaOutstanding 95%
howard.chalkley This is a nice friendly family-run hotel, with a large pool, and pool-side bar/restaurant. It is not however at the Perissa beach, as indicated on the map - it is about 1.5km further west, on the main road between Emborio and Perissa. (36.352n 25.454e) You can walk to the beach at Perivolos in about 20 minutes. The hotel grounds include olive trees, grape vines, and a vegetable garden. There are no other restaurants or bars within close walking distance of the hotel (although there is a large supermarket, and a bus stop is nearby) They were happy to provide a free transfer to the airport at 5am
fakierj Beautiful Villa in a beautiful Santorini...The pool was empty as it was the winter season. The Villa offers stunning views of the nearby mountains, which I walked. About 5 minutes from t he bus stop to FIRA and from t he beach...where all the restaurants are. I had a private room with own shower and toilet....Hot showers after a run on the beach was great....Will go again. Fakier.
Thira (Fira)Excellent 94%
superjess_ The hotel is centrally located which means easy acess to the buses and all the hot tourist spots. The staff at the hotel were very kind and very helpful (transfers from airport, directions etc). Overeall the hotel was more than satisfactory.
reptile517 The owner and his wife are very helpful, and recommended us a great restaurant close to the villa when we were out in Fira (the main town). The location's really nice, next to Perissa Beach, which is a beautiful black sand beach. It's not crowded and wasn't touristy when we went, which we appreciated.
FiraExcellent 93%
nikos27 Villa Evgenia is a very clean, friendly and well run hotel... I highly recommend it because it is very good value and only 10minutes walk to the centre of Fira (main town). We have stayed at many hotels on our trip around Greece this summer and Villa Evgenia has been the best!
marieyap Sea wave,brilliant choice i made. Mike and Karen are wonderful soul . And very helpful. Very flexible and chill!! for the location, the wonderful friendliness attitude from M&K, have made the stay in the wonderful santorini even more beautiful and memorable. when i made the next trip, i shall come back to sea wave! Thank you Mike and Karen.
Create your own travel plan including Santorini as one of your stops. You can use it to store all your research (even hotels found on other websites!)
Do you have questions about Santorini? You might try asking in our active travel forums and see if anyone else has been there.
Keep your family and friends up to date with your trip by starting your own travel blog!


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Disclosed is a sales system for lots of items that includes business rule definition logic. The sales system also includes offering creation logic that is operative to dynamically create different offerings for items in the lots. The offering creation logic optimizes return based on one or more of the business rules by using different offering parameter values for the different offerings.
1. A system, comprising:
one or more servers to execute:
business rule definition logic to define at least one business rule; and
offering creation logic to dynamically create a plurality of different listings on a network-based sales system, the plurality of listings to respectively offer a lot that includes at least one item, the offering creation logic to optimize a financial return for the plurality of listings based on the at least one business rule that is operatively used to adjust offering values included in the respective listings, the offering creation logic is to adjust a first offering value in a first listing of the plurality of listings and a second offering value in a second listing of the plurality of listings, the offering creation logic is to adjust the second offering value in the second listing based on sales results of the first listing.
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This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 60/306,828 filed on Jul. 20, 2001, and which is herein incorporated by reference.
Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Copyright FairMarket, Inc. 2001, 2002.
The invention relates to systems capable of managing surplus inventory, such as systems that optimize price for surplus goods or services.
There are a variety of different types of network-based sales systems now in existence. A number of these implement the traditional English auction. This mechanism efficiently allocates individual lots by awarding them to the buyers who attribute the most value to them. But English auctions are not necessarily an optimum mechanism for selling larger quantities of goods, such as seasonal retail items, overstock, or discontinued merchandise, and these types of goods are therefore often sold using other types of electronic sales systems.
The simplest of these alternate systems strive to reproduce an in-store shopping experience in which goods are offered for sale at a particular non-negotiable markdown price. This approach requires sellers to gauge the demand for their products so that they can determine a price that is high enough to allow them an acceptable return, but not so high that few or no buyers will purchase them. This process can be difficult and time consuming, and may be too much so to be warranted for relatively small lots of goods. And setting a particular price can also allow some individuals who place a high value on an item to buy it for less than that value.
So-called Request-for-Proposal (RFP) systems allow buyers to place bids, which sellers can then choose to satisfy. These systems can allow sellers to provide the same goods to buyers who value them differently and thereby improve their profit levels. And although at least one system warns users against bids that are too low, such systems can be daunting to some buyers because they must thoroughly understand the value and demand for the item, or risk submitting bids that are too high.
Falling-price systems drop the price of goods over time until they are sold. Buyers can commit to buy early, or wait for a lower price at the risk of losing the item. At least one such system allows a user to pay a premium to place firm bids for later days using a so-called buyer's agent. Like RFP systems, falling-price systems can allow sellers to provide the same goods to buyers who value them differently. But they can also be daunting to some buyers, who must thoroughly understand the value and demand for the item, or risk submitting bids that are too high.
The network-based sales mechanisms described so far are by no means the only ones currently available to buyers and sellers. Others include Dutch auctions, sealed bid auctions, and classifieds. But no single one of all of these different mechanisms appears to present an optimum solution for selling larger lots of goods, such as seasonal retail items, overstock, or discontinued merchandise.
In one general aspect, the invention features a sales system for lots of items that includes business rule definition logic. The sales system also includes offering creation logic that is operative to dynamically create different offerings for items in the lots. The offering creation logic optimizes return based on one or more of the business rules by using different offering parameter values for the different offerings.
In preferred embodiments, the business rule definition logic can be operative to define rules based on a target cost recovery rate. The business rule definition logic can be responsive to user business rule creation commands. The offering creation logic can be operative to optimize return by adjusting lot price. The offering creation logic can be operative to optimize return by adjusting lot quantity. The offering creation logic can be operative to create offerings for a plurality of sales channels. The offering creation logic can be operative to adjust offerings on one of the sales channels based on results from another of the sales channels. The business rule definition logic can be operative to create rules that are dependent on results from prior offerings. The business rule definition logic can be operative to create rules that are dependent on margins from prior offerings. The price offering creation logic can be operative to create a series of auctions based on parameters determined by results from previous auctions. The business rule definition logic can be operative to create offerings based on absolute or relative amounts. The business rule definition logic can employ a web-based interface. The business rules can be set on a SKU, category, and site level. The system can further include default sales parameter creation logic operative to set sales parameters for the offerings. The sales parameter creation logic can be operative to set bidding parameters for an auction. The price offering creation logic can use exponential smoothing to derive parameters for the price offerings. The system can further include search logic operative to search for items in the lots. The system can further include falling price default logic operative to create fixed default falling price parameters. The system can further include scheduled allocation logic operative to create a scheduled set of offerings with predetermined parameters. The system can further include item display logic operative to display information about items in each of the lots with controls that allow the user to access the business rule definition logic for the item in the lot for which information is displayed. The system can further include a forecasting report generator operative to produce a report that forecasts future operation of the offering creation logic.
In another general aspect, the invention features a sales system for lots of items that includes means for defining machine-readable business rules and means for automatically creating a plurality of different offerings for items in the lots based on the machine-readable business rules defined by the means for defining. The means for automatically creating optimizes return based the machine-readable business rules defined by the means for defining using different offering parameter values for the different offerings.
In a further general aspect, the invention features a method of selling lots of items that includes defining machine-readable business rules and automatically creating a plurality of different offerings for items in the lots based on the machine-readable business rules. The step of automatically creating optimizes return based on the machine-readable business rules defined in the step of defining using different offering parameter values for the different offerings. Systems according to the invention can be beneficial in that they allow for the creation of rules that can be used to automatically liquidate lots of items. Once the rules are created, the user does not need to monitor the liquidation process any further. This makes the task of liquidating items more cost-effective than a manual approach might be. And rules may even perform better than would a human defining listings based on his or her subjective judgments.
A Surplus Inventory Management System (SIMS) according to the invention is a logic driven re-listing and inventory management engine designed to handle all or some portion of the customer's excess inventory. It operates generally according to
The SIMS preferably should allow one or more customers to allocate surplus inventory into a centralized database that automatically relists items into an auction system, which can be run by an auction service provider, based up a set of predefined business rules. Suitable auction functionality is described in "Publishing System for Network-Based Sales," filed Nov. 16, 1999, issued Ser. No. 09/441,385, which is the basis for published PCT application no. PCT/US00/31542, entitled "Network-Based Sales System," filed Nov. 16, 2000, which are both herein incorporated by reference.
The SIMS preferably provides real-time reports and audits of upcoming listings as well as historical results of past listings. It also preferably displays a master scheduler report and exception report of all upcoming customer listings (quantity, retail value, predicted sell value) by category and date to help plan inventory allocation and forecast future revenue.
Listing flexibility is important for the SIMS since not all inventories may flow through the SIMS engine. Product data can be loaded into the SIMS database via text files, Microsoft Excel� files or an XML interface. A data validation procedure can ensure that the upload contains the proper fields and format. In this embodiment, the following fields are provided for:
Required Fields—Each Row Must Contain the Following
SKU—A unique identifier for each product
Category—Used to roll up aggregate data for reporting
Quantity Available—Number of units available per SKU
Cost Per Unit—Cost value per SKU
Format—Auction, Falling Price
Optional Fields—Data may be Excluded; Excluded Information Will Default to by Site or Category
Image Reference
Target Cost Recovery Rate—Ideal price each SKU should achieve.
Starting Quantity—Default quantity of listing by SKU. Will allow for higher velocity of high inventory items.
Start Date
Starting Time
End Time
Bid Increment
Reserve Price
Rest Period—Days between Listing
Listing Logic—Allows the customer to override business rules and move listings out in a linear fashion rather than iterating demand curve.
Fixed Quantity—If business rules are overridden this field will dictate the number of items in each listing.
Referring to
New SKU and Inventory combination
Updating Previous SKU and Inventory
In addition to auctions, the SIMS can support listings in other pricing formats. For example, referring to
No additional information is required for these channels except for predefined defaults. There can be a separate screen 36 to capture this default information. To increase upload efficiency, plunging price variables can be derived from auction variables and the default settings. This way, items can move between channels with the change of just the format parameter.
Fixed price listings can be managed through the same process. The fixed price listing can be priced at some percent of cost and applied at the SKU, category, or site level. This channel can also be open to use other systems, such as a demand based pricing engine described in "Sales System With Sales Activity Feedback," Ser. No. 09/686,073, and "Sales System With Buyer Price Selection," Ser. No. 09/685,449, both filed on Oct. 11, 2000 and herein incorporated by reference.
Referring again to
The SIMS can have scheduling reports that forecast future lots, quantities and sales based on the most current information. For example, a lot of 100 camcorders that have a duration of one week, and assuming movement of 10 units a week, would show 10 lots of quantity 10 for the next ten weeks with the corresponding sales forecast. This should help the customer plan and schedule inventory more efficiently.
Referring to
Referring to
Quantity Available
Creation Date
Target Cost Recovery Rate
Each SKU can be editable in real-time by the following criteria:
Quantity Available
Target Cost Recovery
Start Time
End Time
Bid Increment
Rest Period
Pricing Format
Open listings may not be modified expect in standard methods (close a listing, description edits).
The rules engine can be set at the site, category or SKU level. Defaults will be set by the same level structure such that any omitted field in the business logic will default to the next highest level. For example, if the target cost recovery rate is omitted for a Panasonic camcorder, it will default to electronics' cost recovery rate. If that is omitted, it will default to the site cost recovery rates. All business rules will have the same default logic resulting in rules that are as specific as necessary.
Referring to
A sample business objective could be to maximize total sales subject to inventory and a 50% cost-dollar recovery rate. This objective could employ the following business rules:
Starting bid is always $1
List duration is always 4 days
Auctions always start at 1:00 AM (EST) and end at 10:00 PM (EST)
If cost recovery is greater than 50%, then increase quantity of the next listing by 1
If cost recovery is between 42-50%, then keep quantity of next listing constant
If cost recovery is less than 40%, then decrease quantity of next listing by 1
Based on the customer's empirical data of "8pc. Venetian Scallop Towels—White," for example, the SIMS could have produced the results shown in Tables 1 and 2.
Referring to
Opening Time (Hour/Min)
Closing Time (Hour/Min)
Bid Increment
Opening Bid
Duration (Days)
Rest Period
Referring to
In order to maintain control over inventory, a stop rule can allow the customer to stipulate a condition where no more listings will be placed by the SIMS. The system can report on these items individually. The stop rule should work under at least the following conditions: stop at predetermined quantity, stop at target recovery rate, stop on predetermined date. This feature is designed to help eliminate poor performing inventory. These items may then be moved from the SIMS and liquidated at $0.30 on the cost dollar. Stop logic may be implemented to work at the site level only.
Referring to
Referring to
Exception reports can also be made available. This type of report will display the numbers of available items each day to help manage site breadth (see Table 4). It can work by evaluating current inventory levels, the current velocity of that inventory, and forecasting item sales with the most recent information. This evaluation can be governed by the following relationships.
Number of Listings Remaining=Current Inventory/Current Lot Size
Expected Sell Out Date=Number Of Listings Remaining*(Duration+Rest
A sales forecasting report can be made available as well (see Table 5). Based on the exception report and the margin reports, the sales forecast report can give estimates of future sales by category given current recovery rates and inventory supplies. This evaluation can be governed by the following relationship.
Referring to
Referring to
Feedback can be provided within a channel and/or between channels. If listings on a first channel stop doing well, for example, the SIMS can reduce the lot size on that channel and increase it on one or more other channels. For instance, a user could create a rule that would cause listings to be generated on a home site for 20 days, and then cause the remaining inventory to be liquidated through an auction provider.
The scheduled allocation page includes a number of additional controls to specify scheduled allocation parameters, such as a listing type text box, start and end text boxes, a duration text box, a rest period text box, a reserve price text box, an initial price text box, and an initial quantity text box. A compound stop control is also provided to specify a stop condition. Using the scheduled allocation page, a user can, for example, create a series of weekly eight-hour auction listings with identical predetermined opening and reserve prices, with listings being posted until all product is sold out. Although this type of liquidation schedule does not exhibit performance feedback, it is believed to provide a straightforward and useful way to schedule the liquidation of some types of lots of items.
Referring to
Referring also to
Referring also to
Referring to
In the embodiment presented, users interact with the server via hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) over the span of one or more network connections. But numerous other platform technologies could be used to implement part or all of the system, such as dedicated hardware devices or simpler programmable devices interconnected by wireless or analog networks. Connections between elements can be intermittent (e.g., e-mail connections) or indirect. The function and structure of the various elements shown can also be broken down in different ways than those shown in figures, with logic elements being combined, separated, or recast as appropriate. And while the system's user interface is based on software-based graphical user interface elements, these could be readily rearranged in a variety of ways, and the user interface could even include other implementation elements, such as physically actuated controls or auditory prompts. In addition, while the system's user interface elements are presented as displayed in pages, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that they could also be displayed in other types of display regions, such as screens, cards, or windows. And while the system is useful in liquidating surplus product inventory, it can also be used for other types of transactions for a variety of types of items, such as services or even intangible items.
The present invention has now been described in connection with a number of specific embodiments thereof. However, numerous modifications which are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention should now be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the scope of the present invention be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto. In addition, the order of presentation of the claims should not be construed to limit the scope of any particular term in the claims.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
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Details and Shopping
Customer Favorite
Mini ribbed cardigan with a subtle foil-like sheen to fabric. Button front opening. Bottom opening and sleeve hems are banded. Two front pockets. A chic and lightweight layering piece for the transitional spring season.
*48% Polyester, 26% Rayon, 23% Lurex, 3% Spandex
*Machine Wash Cold
Measurements for Size Small:
Length: 26"
Bust (all around): 38"
Bottom Opening (all around - relaxed): 33 1/2"
Sleeve Length: 25 1/2"
*48% Polyester, 26% Rayon, 23% Lurex, 3% Spandex
*Machine Wash Cold
Measurements for Size Small:
Length: 26"
Bust (all around): 38"
Bottom Opening (all around - relaxed): 33 1/2"
Sleeve Length: 25 1/2"
Rated 2.8 out of 5Â by 8 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5Â by katieh Love it!! Read for proper color info Ok, to start I would like to break down the colors for future buyers: Pale city pink; ivory with a pearly sheen. Riverstone: light/medium Grey with a light gold sheen. Coal: dark charcoal with a strong gold sheen. I bought a L in the ivory and it fit perfectly! The weight of this cardi is perfect for cool summer nights and can easily work for the rest of the year. The fabric has a beautiful sheen, but I just hopes it lasts through several washes. Love! 5.16.2012
Rated 2 out of 5Â by buen shiny i got this cardi in the mail today and i love the fit and shape of it but it is wayyy shinier then it looks in the pictures. i got the coal and its looks more gold than grey. i knew it'd have some shine to it but its too much for me i'm going to send it back. too bad bc i love it other than that. but it looks very disco to me. 4.19.2012
Rated 1 out of 5Â by carolineland wrong color wrong size So excited to order this sweater in the grey. Took it out and saw that it saw so shimmery. It almost looks green with all of the gold. Ran a little big for a small. Would have kept it if it was true to the color. 10.6.2012
Rated 1 out of 5Â by shoelover4life Deceiving! I just received this cardi today, depsite what all the reviewers said I ordered the Riverstone color in a (L). The color I received is identical to the Coal color. There is no brown or gold in it at all. Very disappointed because I wanted the brownish colored one. BEWARE the color you order may not be the one you receive! Despite the discoloration; the fit is TTS, the style is exactly as pictured and the material is very soft and comfy. 8.22.2012
Rated 2 out of 5Â by hthrhwly Blah I just received this in the mail and I am returning it. The pale city pink has no pink at all - it's a gold/brown color. The material feels really weird and it runs big. Looked cute in pictures :( 7.27.2012
Rated 5 out of 5Â by katsandkids Snazzy sweater One of the things I've come to learn about FP is that when they mention "metallic" or "foil" ... they mean it!!! I love that they aren't afraid to bling up wardrobe pieces. I bought a Medium in the Coal color (I am 5"4", 122 lbs., 32B) and it pretty much fit like the model pictures. I wanted it loose on the arms so that it can double as a layering piece this winter. About the color, don't expect to get the light grey that is pictured. What I ended up getting was a VERY dark sweater. And it really didn't look grey or black at all to me. In fact, it looked like a very dark olive. I thought that maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me because the foiling is on every other rib, but all of the serged edges are sewn with deep olive threads. Sooooo maybe it is actually a dark olive. But regardless, I really love the whole sweater. Truly beautiful. Highly recommend. 6.30.2012
Rated 2 out of 5Â by SamC Still wrong color I got the pale city pink thinking that maybe it would be kind of an ivory or pink color with a light shine. I received in the mail today and it was gold! The fit is good but the material is kind of weird. It is really stretchy. I just want the right color. I can't decide if I want to return it. 5.18.2012
Rated 4 out of 5Â by teenierose Perfect fit, misleading colors! :( I bought this cardigan in a silvery/gray color in the FP store near me, and fell in love with how shimmery it is, and how perfect it fits! So pretty. It's nice if you want to dress up an outfit. I even loved it so much I bought another online, but in the 'Riverstone' color, which looked quite light and gold online. I was so disappointed when it arrived to see that it looked nothing like the color online, but was the exact same color as the sweater I purchased in the store, which had looked exactly like the 'Coal' color online! I buy a lot from FP, and was really disappointed the colors shown online were so misleading. :( Now I have to figure out what to do with my two cardigans. 4.25.2012
1-8 of 8
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text:
The biggest new feature, of course, is the built-in video camera on the back of the nano, which records video with audio at 640 x 480 resolution and 30 frames per second. (A voice recorder option is also available if you're only interested in capturing audio.) It doesn't shoot still images, since Apple says a high-resolution lens and related equipment couldn't fit in any nano-sized device. The video quality is impressive and fairly similar to that of the iPhone 3GS. You can shoot video in either portrait or landscape orientations, and iTunes can sync the videos back to your computer as well as to online services including YouTube and MobileMe. The video camera also includes 15 "fun effects" like motion blur, sepia tone, and film grain – but it doesn't include any "useful effects" like zoom, flash, or image stabilizer. Considering the nano has a built-in accelerometer, you'd think it wouldn't be that hard to include at least some form of image stabilization, but apparently Apple expects you to handle that in iMovie or other desktop software.
Here's a sample video taken with the 5G nano:
So what hasn't changed? There's still no portrait orientation for synced videos (even though the camera can film and play back in both portrait and landscape modes), and the headphone jack is still on the bottom, although it's now to the left of the Dock Connector instead of the right. It's still available in 8 GB and 16 GB versions; alas, there's still no 32 GB model yet. Eight GB can hold approximately 2,000 songs, 7,000 photos, or 8 hours of video; 16 GB is enough for 4,000 songs, 14,000 photos, or 16 hours of video. Music videos are still in a separate section of the click-wheel interface rather than being integrated into the main music area. The nano still supports AAC, MP3, AIFF, WAV, and Audible audio formats in addition to MP4 videos and GIF and JPEG images. As you would expect, the iPod nano still syncs via USB over the standard iPod Dock Connector.


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Our Single Wall Sword Mount with Samurai Medallion is made of Solid wood construction with a rich black finish with a Samurai Medallion. Overall 17 3/4 inches X 8 1/2 inches tall.
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One of the great advantages of choosing Dish Network is that no matter what programming package you choose, you'll get PBS and all your other local channels in 95% of TV households in the U.S.! PBS offers the finest public broadcasting with excellent educational programming and family-friendly shows. Let PBS enrich, inform and entertain with shows like Frontline, Masterpiece Theater, Nova and Bill Moyers' Journal.
In many cities Dish Network supports PBS in High Definition (HD) when you add HD channels to any of Dish Network's Classic Programming Packages. The main benefit of High Definition viewing is a screen resolution six times sharper than regular TV. You'll love the lifelike clarity and never want to go back!
Whats On
DISH Network Order Form
Copyright © 2010 ESE Marketing, Inc. 156 Worcester Providence Turnpike, Sutton, MA 01590
DISH Network, DISH Network Satellite TV and DISH TV are registered trademarks and/or service marks of DISH Network L.L.C. DIRECTV and the Cyclone design are trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc.


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E-commerce sites are notoriously busy and overcrowded.
Today we'll be examining a ton of online stores that break this trend by being both functional and attractive. Each of the examples below has a unique lesson to teach us about good e-commerce design. Let's get started!January 21st, 2010 Posted in Business, Graphics, Inspiration, Layouts, Reviews
Every blogging platform has a built-in blog editor, some better than others. However, you'll be hard pressed to find an online editor that can offer the richness found in many desktop applications. Features like offline editing and posting to multiple blogs at once make desktop solutions a must have for professional many bloggers.
Here's a list of 20 applications that allow you to create blog posts from the comfort of your operating system environment, no internet connection required.December 2nd, 2009 Posted in Reviews
There are a huge number of different tools for email campaigns available; Emma, Campaign Monitor and MailChimp to name a few. Today I'll be looking at a longstanding piece of email marketing software with a whole range of tools, Omnistar Mailer. It differs from other software in that it is hosted locally on your server.January 27th, 2009 Posted in Reviews
For several years, PSD2HTML have been the primary sponsor of Design Shack. We don't like to suggest a service to you unless we have tried it ourself to ensure that it's worth a recommendation. A recent addition to our network of sites, 13 Styles was in need of a redesign and I took the opportunity to use PSD2HTML's service and document the process.
This article will be more than a straight forward review of PSD2HTML. We'll be considering the basic idea of these type of services and considering when, and for who, they are appropriate. Honesty will be foremost, and I hope that you will gain a real insight into using a PSD to XHTML tool.
PSD2HTML are one of the first companies to provide this service (you can see their original press release), but there are a huge number of competitors in the area today and a Google search for "psd to html" brings back over half a million results. Here is a table summarizing the main players in the industry (a more in depth list can be found at Most Sliced):
|Price ($)
|Time (days)
|153 to 211
|less than 24h
|Slice 'n Diced
|279 to 399
|The Choppr
|XHTML iT
|1 day or less
|XHTML Slicer
|200 to 350
|1-3 days
|up to 7 days
We'll be focusing on PSD2HTML, taking you through the process and showing you the final resulting design.
The ordering process at the site is very simple. There are several options available, starting with either a basic or professional package. We opted for the professional, as semantic, search engine friendly coding was a must have. Other optional additions are:
After submitting the order, we were contacted at the start of the following working day with a request to clarify some of the features in the submitted PSD file. By the end of that day, some 7 hours later, the markup was provided through their online ticket system. The speed of the turn around was incredibly impressive – it would take even an experienced designer far longer than 6 hours to code a relatively complex site such as the one we submitted. If you need results quickly, this service would seem to be a great resource.
Speed isn't the only factor, however. We're going to show you, in full, the code created by PSD2HTML for the new layout.
This is the original 13 Styles design:
And this is a screenshot of the new version which we created in Photoshop:
You can see the full website through the following link. It is essentially the exact code which we received back from PSD2HTML, and will still require customization before being integrated into the real 13 Styles site.
Please feel free to take a look and judge the quality for yourself. We found it to be great – well laid out with the correct separation of content and presentation and semantic coding. We aren't incredibly easy to impress, but this was certainly not a rushed, second rate effort. The process takes web design to a level of 'mass production', and high standards can be achieved through having a huge catalog of code examples and snippets to work from.
The service was fast, efficient, inexpensive and of an outstanding quality. PSD2HTML would definitely be worth considering if you:
It can be argued that design does not come from the ability to write code, but rather the ability to create an intuitive user experience which is simple to operate and gives the desired message. Using a service such as this ensures that you are free to focus on these aspects without being bogged down in small issues such as cross browser compatibility.
PSD2HTML impressed us in every area when coding the 13 Styles site, and we would not hesitate to recommend using their service. Be careful, though, that you don't lose the passion for crafting your own HTML and CSS.June 2nd, 2008 Posted in Reviews


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This view is attractive to many people, especially liberal Christians, since it reverses the notion of Jesus' coming as an apocalyptic event, something which they interpret as being hardly in keeping with the overall theme of Jesus' teachings in the canonical gospels, and are troubled by its firm association with evangelicalism and conservative politics. Instead, eschatology should be about being engaged in the process of becoming, rather than waiting for external and unknown forces to bring about destruction.
Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar coined and uses the term sapiential eschatology to refer to a similar concept:
Apocalyptic eschatology is world-negation stressing imminent divine intervention: we wait for God to act; sapiential eschatology is world-negation emphasizing immediate divine imitation: God waits for us to act.|20px|20px|John Dominic Crossan|The Essential Jesus: Original Sayings and Earliest Images (1998), p. 8


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BARRYMORE at Monmouth University
February 7, 2013 at 7:00pm — 10:00pm
| 400 Cedar Avenue | West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Posted November 12, 2012
Content Options
Academy Award® Winner Christopher Plummer in his most astonishing performance... ever! BARRYMORE is an unforgettable portrayal of legendary actor John Barrymore, a man of colossal talent and contradictions and one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time. Set in 1942, the final year of John Barrymore's life, BARRYMORE takes place on the stage of a Broadway theatre, where the actor is struggling to recreate his performance in the title role of Shakespeare's Richard III. It leads him to look back on the highs and lows of his stunning career and remarkable life. Directed, and adapted for the screen, by Érik Canuel (Bon Cop, Bad Cop), BARRYMORE stars Christopher Plummer in the tour de force film performance of his career. The screening will feature a special bonus BACKSTAGE WITH BARRYMORE (a making of documentary)
Adult ($22), Senior ($20), Children ($10), Students ($5)
Contact Information
Eileen Chapman
Office Hours: M-F (9-5)


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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
43 year old woman | Walnut Creek, CA, USA | Seeking men 32-48 within 100 miles
Active within 24 hours
Looking for chemistry and a great connection!
I moved to Walnut Creek almost two years ago and I love the Bay Area. I previously lived in The Davis/Sacramento area and lived in Maine as a child! There are so many fun things to do in this area and lots of fun sport teams to follow! I especially enjoy exploring all the different restaurants, hiking and biking trails, and local music venues. I have a great job and stay active outside of work by playing softball in the spring and summer and enjoy running along the Iron Horse Trail in the East Bay. I plan on running the San Diego half marathon in spring 2015 which will be my 5th! Its a great way to stay in shape and I like the physical and mental challenge. My friends would describe me as an adventurous, fun, and active girl. I try to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and take care of myself. My family and friends are also very important to me and enjoy family traditions around the holidays! I enjoy traveling to Europe and to tropical destinations and if I have to, I'm not afraid to travel solo if I need a vacation. You can meet a lot of fun people on the way. Its a great time to try something new like my last Maui adventure when I learned to scuba dive for the first time. It was so much fun, I want to do it again! Pets are especially important to me and I hope the man I meet is also a dog/cat lover! Chemistry is important, and I hope to find someone I connect with who loves to travel, loves pets, has a silly sense of humor and values family. Lets see where this goes!
Camping , Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Gardening/Landscaping , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Nightclubs/Dancing , Performing arts , Playing sports , Travel/Sightseeing , Watching sports , Wine tasting
Cycling, Golf, Other types of exercise, Running, Skiing, Tennis / Racquet sports, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I like Cats, Dogs
Middle of the Road
I love hiking in Marin and Desolation Wilderness/Lake Tahoe. Mountain biking in China Camp and snorkeling in the warm waters of Hawaii. Love to visit family in Maine.
University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
watching the A's, Giants, Sharks, and 49ers!
I enjoy outdoor activities, running, golf, gardening, day hikes, camping, playing in the snow, live music, theater, art, sporting events, travel, movies and dining out!
Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears which takes place in three different time periods. The author skillfully intertwined the lives of the characters and the historical significance of each time period.
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What she is looking for
|5'3" (160cms)
|5'8" (172cms) to 6'3" (190cms)
|Body type:
|Athletic and toned
|Slender, About average, Athletic and toned
|No preference
|Light brown
|No preference
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker
|Medical / Dental / Veterinary / Fitness
|No preference
|I'll tell you later
|No preference
|Never Married
|Never Married, Widow / Widower, Divorced
|Have kids:
|No preference
|Wants kids:
|Not sure
|Definitely, Someday, Not sure
|White / Caucasian
|Pacific Islander, White / Caucasian
|Spiritual but not religious
|Christian / Catholic, Christian / LDS, Christian / Protestant, Spiritual but not religious, Christian / Other
|Graduate degree
|Bachelors degree, Graduate degree, PhD / Post Doctoral


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Salutations, fellow robots! This is a pair of "inlaid" earrings I made for my woman for our two-year anniversary. As these were made from spare wood I had lying around in the garage and I'm not good with identifying woods, I'm not completely sure what wood I used. I believe the darker outside wood is oak, and the lighter inside one may be either spruce or pine. If anyone can identify these and tell me what I used, I would be forever grateful.
These are the first earrings I've ever made, so I am quite happy with the results. There are also a bunch of failed attempts before these were completed, but I shan't waste your time with those. If anybody happens to be interested, I shall post them on my website, CreationsOfMyMind.com, hopefully sometime in the near future. Classes take too much time!
Step 1: Design
I took a bunch of time to decide what shape I wanted these to have. The picture shows some of the final shapes I was choosing from. Ultimately, I decided to make the teardrop shape purely for aesthetic reasons. Now let's get making!
Step 2: Make the Negative, or "Female" Piece
Since I was not trained in the proper terminology for woodworking or anything, really, I shall be naming stuff with my own terms. This part shall be named the female part, cool!
I began by drilling a hole in a small piece of 1/2" oak with my dad's old half-working drill. After widening it by torquing the drill around, I used a small round and half round file to remove the rest of the middle hole thing. Files are quickly becoming my favorite tools. They force me to work slowly so that I don't rush around and kill my project, yet they're STILL SO USEFUL. Anyway...
I made these today. The bottom one was my first try. Then I made two at once. They are acorn on the outside and bamboo on the inside. Once the pins arrive from ebay they are done.
Sounds good, thanks!
Thanks! I expect great things from you, then!
That's a cool idea! I remember seeing paper beads here; I'll have to check them out. Thanks!
haha I actually made her a necklace a while ago, and she has a bracelet from Disneyland. I'm just about out of ideas!
Very, very beautiful - and a great achievement with those basic tools!
That's pretty
They are beautiful!


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As Ben Bernanke's confirmation hearing begins in the Senate Banking Committee, a source tells FDL News that one Senate staffer and an outside source confirmed to him that at least one Republican on the committee will also place a hold on the Federal Reserve chairman, throwing the process into potential turmoil and giving Chris Dodd a difficult series of choices to make.
Dodd, who just announced his intention to vote for Bernanke's confirmation in the Banking Committee and on the floor of the Senate, would be in charge of the decision to honor or ignore that hold. The fact that Dodd tried to place a hold on the FISA Amendments Act in 2007-08, and was generally ignored by Harry Reid, just adds a layer of irony to the process.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity because of his work behind the scenes on the Bernanke confirmation, told me that two separate sources assured him that the Republican hold would be made public after today's hearing. One staffer said that two Republicans would place the hold, while the other said it would just be one. The source said that the trans-partisan nature of opposition to Bernanke, with a conservative Republican and a socialist independent uniting to block the appointment, shows the intensity of the feelings on the issue. "It's great to see everyone come together – Democrats, Republicans, progressives and libertarians, against this Federal Reserve, which is not federal, and not a reserve, just a group printing money and giving it to their buddies," the source said.
While most people think that the multiple holds would delay the process, it's unclear whether or not it would succeed. Dodd would probably have the discretion to roll over the hold in committee, though he may be reluctant to do so, experts in Senate procedure said. Harry Reid could also seek cloture on the motion to proceed on Bernanke's nomination on the floor, which would require 60 votes.
At the very least, this delay and the publicity surrounding bipartisan opposition to Bernanke would bring attention to the issue of the Federal Reserve and the desire for transparency, like the movement to audit the Fed. That provision has already passed in the large financial reform bill in the House Financial Services Committee, and Barney Frank said yesterday that he didn't expect any changes to the bill as it passed the House, citing the public anger over the issue of transparency. There is language on Fed audits in the draft financial reform bill written by Sen. Dodd, which also strips the Fed of some of its power, but it is not the same as Bernie Sanders' audit the Fed bill, which has as many as 30 cosponsors.
The source, who has been working on the Federal Reserve issue for five years, marveled at how the issue has gained so much new attention during the financial crisis. "Up until last year, nobody knew what the Fed was. Ron Paul got 5 co-sponsors on his audit bill then, and now we have 300."
Sen. Dodd's office has not yet responded with a comment.
UPDATE: Bernanke just addressed the auditing issue in his opening statement, saying that the Fed is highly transparent. He cites the detailed minutes from FOMC meetings, quarterly projections, public financial statements and balance sheets. He said that their financial activities are subject to review by an Inspector General, and that the Government Accountability Office can audit the Fed's operations "except for monetary policy in related areas explicitly exempted by a 1978 provision passed by the Congress." He said that this protects the Fed's independence and resists short-term political pressures.
Something tells me that's not going to be good enough.


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Dear Ms. Pillay,
We write to publicly express our concerns over reports of a large number of human rights violations by Kenyan security forces in the context of counterterrorism operations, in particular in Eastleigh (Nairobi), Mombasa, and towns in Central Kenya. In committing these violations, Kenya is backtracking on important human rights commitments made in the constitutional, legislative, and institutional reforms after the widespread 2007/2008 post-election violence, and risking further unrest.
These counterterrorism-related violations include credible allegations of unlawful killings of persons suspected of involvement in terrorism by security forces and the government's failure to effectively investigate these killings; murders and abductions of persons suspected of involvement in terrorism which are committed by unknown individuals; enforced disappearances; ill-treatment of detainees; the targeting of Somalis, ethnic Somali Kenyans, and other nationalities through arbitrary detention, physical and sexual abuse, and extortion in exchange for release; threats against human rights defenders; and the arrest, detention, and ill-treatment of journalists.
Amnesty International recently released a brief that documented several of these violations, titled "Somalis are Scapegoats in Kenya's Counter-Terror Crackdown."[1] Human Rights Watch, Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), Haki Africa, Justice Forum, Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), and others have also documented and made calls for ending abusive counterterrorism operations.[2]
Kenya's counterterrorism-related human rights violations have accompanied public statements by government officials who have issued shoot-to-kill orders and denounced Kenya's judiciary for its alleged ineffectiveness in tackling terrorism.[3] At the same time, the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo has also publicly threatened and warned off human rights defenders from documenting counterterrorism operations in Nairobi.[4]
In early February 2014, security forces conducted a raid and mass arrests at the mosque formerly known as Masjid Musa Mosque in Mombasa, which the government has claimed was a "base for recruiting Muslim youths to engage in terrorist activities."[5] The raid was reportedly carried out using excessive force; seven people were reportedlyshot dead (one police officer reportedly died of stab wounds), and 129 arrested, the vast majority of whom have been released without charge. There were reports that security forces beat detainees, and of the enforced disappearance of one man who was last photographed in police custody but in regard to whom the authorities have refused to provide information on his current whereabouts.
In March 2014, in an apparent response to an attack on a Mombasa church that killed six people, Kenyan authorities announced a plan to move 50,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers from cities to overcrowded and underserviced refugee camps. This order was given despite a 2013 Kenya High Court ruling on a similar relocation plan, prohibiting the relocation on the basis that the authorities had not shown that relocation to the camps would help protect national security, and that the move would violate the refugees' dignity and right to freedom of movement and risked indirectly forcing them back to Somalia.
On April 2, the Kenyan government also began a massive counterterrorism operation ("Operation Usalama Watch") beginning in Nairobi's predominantly Somali area of Eastleigh. A government spokesperson said in early April that police had arrested 4,000 people and, in mid-April, said that 1,136 had been screened, of whom 313 would be tried on immigration charges.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International documented the actions of Kenyan security forces who conducted arbitrary arrests and detentions, extortion, harassment and other abuses against Somalis, ethnic Somali Kenyans, and other nationalities during this security operation. Security forces beat people and held detainees in overcrowded, unhygienic police cells without access to food or toilets, beyond the 24-hour limit prescribed under Kenyan law, without charging them and taking them to court. The Kenyan authorities have denied the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the constitutional Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, NGOs and lawyers access to most detainees.
As of May 20, 2014, the operation has led to four instances of summary mass deportation to Somalia of about 350 people in total. The Kenyan authorities did not screen the deportees to identify anyone who wanted to claim asylum and denied UNHCR access to all the deportees before they were removed to Somalia.
Late 2013 and 2014 has also seen increasing threats and harassment against human rights defenders covering Kenya's counterterrorism operations.Two human rights defenders who have faced threats and/or intimidation are the high profile Kenyan human rights defender Al-Amin Kimathi, who works to document human rights violations by Kenyan security forces and Francis Auma, the Rapid Response Officer at Mombasa-based Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI). Soon after Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa issued shoot to kill orders,[6] he also announced that Kenyan state security should investigate MUHURI and Haki Africa for alleged incitement of youth to terrorism, and named the director of Haki Africa, Hussein Khalid, specifically.[7] In the absence of any official investigation of the two organisations, these actions appear to be a form of intimidation against two groups that are highly critical of Kenya's counterterrorism-related human rights abuses.
Journalists covering Kenya's counterterrorism operations have also been subjected to detention, intimidation, and harassment. In April 2014, the media reported that aSomali-Kenyan journalist was arrested for entering a detention camp with a video camera, held incommunicado for three days, and subjected to humiliating searches. His equipment, including his video camera, was impounded, but was returned only after the video was deleted.[8] Police also detained two Somali journalists who reportedly presented their identification cards and UNHCR identification documents to authoritiesbut were nonetheless detained as part of the mass arrest of Somalis in Eastleigh.[9] Non-Somali journalists covering Kenya's security operations have also been arrested and harassed.[10]
These counterterrorism-related human rights violations noted above are violations of Kenya's international and regional human rights obligations. These obligations include the requirement that lethal force be used only when necessary in defense against an imminent threat of death or serious injury; and that the state refrain from, and effectively investigate, murder and enforced disappearances. Kenya must respect the prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment and ensure humane detention conditions; fair trial guarantees; the principle of non-refoulement; and that human rights defenders and journalists who conduct their work lawfully are not threatened for, or restricted from, conducting their work or expressing their opinions when critical of their government.
For these reasons, the undersigned international and national organizations request that your office engage with the Government of Kenya on these urgent issues.
In particular, we urge you to issue a public statement calling on the Kenyan government to:
Comply with its regional and international human rights obligations when identifying and prosecuting people suspected of committing attacks in recent months;
Not deport anyone to Somalia until they have had the opportunity to prove they are registered refugees or asylum seekers or to express a desire to claim asylum, regardless of the date they entered Kenya, and no one in any of those groups should be deported;
Allow UNHCR and legal representatives unrestricted access to all detained refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented foreign nationals;
Urgently resume registration of asylum seekers in Nairobi and other cities as well as in the Dadaab refugee camps and recognize as refugees all persons with a well-founded fear of persecution or who are fleeing situations amounting to widespread disruption of public order or generalized violence; and
Call on UN member states to support Kenya by increasing third country resettlement for Somali refugees.
Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
Haki Africa