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Well, it is finally here. I have to say, this little project was incredibly fun. My dark side has been positively giddy since the first posting of this oneshot-turned-story. I don't know what to say other than thanks for all the support. Couldn't have done it without you. I mean 8 communities and almost a hundred faves! Give yourself a hand, people! You've managed to make an emo teen into a giddy schoolgirl. :D
And without further ado, the conclusion of Tempation. Hope you like it!
The sound of an alarm clock echoed through the quiet apartment. In the streets below, a car alarm went off as morning traffic whizzed by in indiscernible zephyrs of air. Smog rose to the cloudy skies above, floating over the cityscape, but despite that, his nostrils were filled with the sweet breeze of jasmine flowers.
Kakashi turned to the sleeping person in his bed, watching as Sakura inhaled and exhaled in calm, even breaths. She had still been asleep when he woke up a few hours ago and not much had changed in the hours since then. The clock ticked on the wall.
A yawn and he tiredly blinked his eyes. He had been right in his assumption that the next time he woke up, he would be disgusted with himself. He just didn't know how soon that time would come, only having gotten half an hour of sleep before waking up again from the musings of his own mind. It couldn't be helped. Not many things could soothe a conscience after having knowingly had sex with an underage girl, never mind his own student.
Fingers skated across his skin as she shifted in her sleep to rest her head on his arm and softly sighed. A strange feeling of warmth crept through his body at the touch and he found himself content once more with tangling his fingers in her pink hair before a frown crossed his lips and his mouth opened on a tired sigh.
It was strange how normal he felt. He just had sex with a minor. Shouldn't he have burst into flames by the power of some omniscient being? But he hadn't. Even his conscience seemed to have taken a back seat, content on watching him squirm with little disregard as warm pools of strange feelings burst and bloomed inside him like fireworks. Maybe normal wasn't the right word after all, but he did feel normal.
A sigh and he looked down as he placed his hand on her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. A smile painted her lips and she happily settled against him, blissfully unaware of the feelings crossing his eyes.
Another sigh—his this time as he felt regret curl deep in the pit of his stomach. Maybe now the guilt was kicking in.
No, that wasn't why he was feeling this way. He didn't regret last night with her. In fact, it was probably one of the few times in his life that he was truly happy. What he regretted was the fact that she probably didn't feel the same way he did. He cared for Sakura, cared for her well-being, cared for her happiness. It might have been love, and it probably was, but he would never admit it to himself because admitting meant accepting and Hatake Kakashi was a coward before anything else.
It scared him how she could evoke such emotions in him. He never felt these things. He was cool, calm, collected. He had never lost control before. He never had to bow to anyone or anything and there she was, the chit of a girl that made everything change. Change was normal, change was good, but it was too much, too soon. It was strange, scary, and exhilarating to the point where he believed it would reach up and swallow him whole.
Staring down at her sleeping visage, it had never been clearer that what he felt was different from what she felt. It was a startling and disheartening realization, but maybe he was wrong? He never could read her fully. Maybe she did love him, but it was less likely that she did because maybe she only thought she loved him. It was the bane of parents the world over for a reason because honestly, what did teenagers know about love? They didn't know what they were doing. It was just impulse to say that they loved a person when it was just a hormonal phase.
But maybe Sakura was different. Maybe it wasn't just hormones. She had proved time and time again that she was much more mature than people gave her credit for. Maybe it was the same in that area, but he didn't know, didn't want to know because the idea of her truly being in love with him scared him just as much as her not being in love with him.
He had felt these things before, he realized. Long, long ago, he felt these same strange twinges of ecstasy and guilt; joy and sorrow, for another girl. Rin was her name. She was bright, beautiful, and the girlfriend of his best friend. She was dead now, of course, but he couldn't help thinking of how much Sakura reminded her of him. He had never told her how he felt, not only because what he had felt scared the shit out of him, but because he had no right to. He had thought of doing it when they all graduated high school, but decided against it. Not only would it be unfair to Obito, it would have been unfair to Rin as well.
College separated them—different dreams, different paths—and time came and went, taking with it Rin and Obito. The cause was a car accident; a five-car collision caused by some idiot who decided it was a good idea to drive drunk and closing his eyes, he could almost see the broken headlights flash and flicker like fireflies and smell the gasoline leaking onto the streets.
The funeral was a small, quiet affair. Everyone was dressed in black and above them, snow drifted gently to the ground. The only reason he remembered this was because as he sat down for the traditional meal to forget the sorrows of death, he realized how much he had changed. He lived on liquor, thrived on sex, and it was only with the death of his closest friends that he realized he had changed in the short few years between that moment and high school. He had been nothing like that in high school, but then again, he never had to nurse a broken heart before.
That was probably how his need for sex occurred, nothing more than a short-lived venture to cover up a problem deeper than he would like to believe. Even now, it was the same. It was a habit, a drug, a lovely wonderful vice that he liked to keep at his side because he could forget everything, but Sakura changed that. It was no longer just a salve. He had something he wanted to give, something to prove. The days spent watching her were the beginnings of something bigger and he brushed it off as nothing more than a quick infatuation with a fantasy. He had wanted her, but his need ran deeper than either of them knew. He wanted her, all of her, to the point that seeing her with anyone else was absurd. It was wishful thinking on his part and he knew that. She could never be with him and he could never allow it. He cared too much for her to do that. She had a bright future ahead of her and he couldn't allow himself to stop her from that just because he couldn't keep his hands to himself and his dick in his pants because she deserved more than a jaded thirty-year-old pervert.
And so, he would stay away, ignore his feelings like he did with Rin for his sake as well as hers and pray for her happiness as he watched her from afar. It was cheesy. It was masochistic. It was sappy, but it was the closest you would ever get to a confession that he loved her.
As if sensing his decision, she clung tighter to him. His senses became filled with her; how she smelled, how beautiful she looked, even asleep. Her hair was splayed out like a fan, lips parted slightly as her lashes rested lightly on her cheeks. A strand was caught at the edge of her lip and he brushed it aside, a sigh of contentment escaping her lips.
It would be hard to leave her, especially after how deep she had crawled under his skin and he chuckled as he mused at how much of a wreck he would be afterwards. No one would notice because no one would see. He would look perfectly normal for society to see during the day and live in fitful dreams filled with her at night. He would fall back into his old habits, fucking women any and everywhere while playing the patron saint during school hours because he could and everyone would love the lie he had laid out for them while he glared, spat, and despised them all as the creatures he knew them to be.
A knock sounded and dimly, he realized someone was at the door. Turning his head, he saw that she was still asleep and slowly disentangled their limbs, savoring every brush and touch as he freed his limbs and she slept. Inwardly, he winced at the blood staining his sheets and thighs and swallowed the lump in his throat. It was what he wanted. He was her first and he would own her for all eternity. It was a bittersweet victory to say the least, but at least he had last night as a memory.
The knocks sounded more urgently. He tugged on his discarded pair of boxers and shirt, cursing under his breath. "Coming!" he called in the hallway.
He opened the door. "Sasuke?"
"You bastard! He's dead! He's dead!" Sasuke seethed, eyes wild as he gripped Kakashi's shirt collar so tight, his knuckles turned white. Kakashi shook his head to dispel his shock. He couldn't have heard that right.
"What? Wait, Sasuke; slow down. Who's dead?"
"He's dead. He's dead, and it's your fucking fault!" he screamed, wild eyes flashing red in anger and rage as he blinked back the tears. Memories began flashing before his eyes; images of the car, the blood pools. Bullet casings littered the area by the open car door and all Sasuke could think of at that moment was the chalk outline staring at him from the cement.
Movement. Another image was trying to edge in, but he pushed it away before he could see it. He already knew what it was anyway; the scene when they wheeled the body away. When he passed by that street this morning and saw the car, he had tried to brush it off. He couldn't be the only one who had that model car, but that was before the stretcher hit a bump and an arm flopped out. His arm. His body. His car. That was his car with the broken windshield. That was his blood splattered on the leather interior; his body being carted off, never to breathe nor smile again.
His strength left him at that moment, arms feeling tired and body weary beyond his years. His eyes were glazed, staring into a past and future that no longer existed and the taste of bile began to rise on his tongue. Darkness was creeping at the edge of his mind, and for the first time in his life, he felt lost and agonizingly alone.
He was choking on gasps and sobs, unable to stop them now. The vomit was trying to rise and tears were blinding him with his rage and guilt. He couldn't stand to look at Kakashi anymore, couldn't stand to look at himself when he was here breathing and his best friend wasn't. Why did it have to be him?
He felt eyes on him and realized Kakashi was staring at him with a pitying gaze, awkward sorrow coloring the air around them. The way he was looking at him said he understood, but how could he? How could he understand what he was going through? Not only had he lost his best friend, he lost the only person who understood him.
Anger coursed through his body. Kakashi did not understand. He didn't understand at all, couldn't. The fact he was trying to was unbelievable because it was unthinkable, audacious. He would never be able to know this type of devastation and his hands were once more buried in his shirt, gripping the man there with strength he never knew he had. Through his anger, he dimly realized that a door had opened and he turned his gaze to the intruder, knowing Kakashi had done the same, and what he saw made his anger dissipate and disgust coil in his stomach.
When Sakura woke up, the first thing she realized was that this was not her room. Her room was a soft pink color and the walls around her were white. Her window opened to a residential neighborhood, unlike the shadows of skyscrapers she saw now. The sun was peeking through the clouds; its golden rays cast on the wooden floor and discarded clothes. She felt cold, and realized she was naked beneath the blue sheets that did not belong to her.
Her mind began to move, the cogs clicking and whirring as it processed this new information. Around her, the scent of sandalwood and something else filled the air and a pleasured sigh escaped her lips, sparking memories of the night before. So it hadn't been a dream.
'It really did happen.'
Autopilot kicked on at this moment. It was a school day and she had to get ready; brush her teeth, wash her face, shower. Her shirt was torn and blood-stained, but she'd worry about that later. The shower came first.
She moved her legs, getting ready to cast off the sheets and throw her legs onto the floor when a sharp ache stopped her. Slowly, she began feeling other things as well; the stickiness of her skin, the dry tickle in her throat, the slowly awakening aches in her back and between her thighs.
Casting off the sheets, she stared down at her body. Her face was flushed with embarrassment and she winced at the bruises on her thighs, the dried blood down there as well. A strange sensation reached her fingertips and she realized she was fingering a dried blood stain on the sheets.
A crash, a clatter. Something was going on outside in the dining room and she quickly grabbed the white shirt on the floor, putting it on as shouts reached her in the bedroom. Someone was dead? Who? Who was dead? When? Where? Questions rocketed in her mind as she buttoned the shirt. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she stood and cried out in pain as her legs wobbled and collapsed under her. Outside, a chair clattered onto the floor and she pulled herself up, moving alongside the walls as she moved past the door.
And he turned towards her, but someone else was there. Sasuke. Sasuke was there. Why was he there? His face twisted with disgust.
"First, he's dead and now you're sleeping with our teacher?!" he screamed, mind reeling with the telltale signs; the shirt, the hickeys, the awkward leg position—the blood. Nausea curled in his stomach, adding to his exhaustion and he threw himself away from them, too frustrated to want anything to do with them and too tired to do it.
"Who's dead?" she asked calmly, softly, easily as if it were a normal day's occurrence. It was sick, twisted, and if not for the flicker in her eyes and the slight tremor in her voice, he probably would've done something to her.
"Naruto. Naruto's dead. He was shot. They found the car this morning." And at first, there was nothing, but slowly, things began coming to her—he could see it in her face.
It started as a flicker, the slow steady processing of words as her eyes stared at something yet nothing at all before changing. Her eyes flared bright with recognition and slowly grew wider as the information hit her until it overwhelmed her. Her legs became unsteady and her body shook. Her hand covered her mouth and she looked like she was going to be sick.
"It's all my fault," she whispered as tears leaked from her eyes, "It's all my fault."
Her body trembled violently and Kakashi moved to catch her, but she drew away, too disgusted with herself to let anyone touch her lest they become dirty as well. "It's all my fault..."
It was her fault; her fault that Naruto was dead. She hadn't gone back for him. She hadn't done anything to help him. There were so many things she should've done. She should've stayed. She should've fought. She should've called for help. Why didn't she call for help once she got to the apartment?!
"Sakura, there was nothing you could've done."
"How do you know, Kakashi? You weren't there. He told me to run, but I could've stayed. I should've stayed. I could've ignored him. Maybe I could've grabbed the gun. If I had stayed, things could be different right now. He could still be alive."
"The only thing that would've been different is that you would've died too!"
His breaths were coming out in harsh pants. Across the room, Sakura was staring at him in shock and he knew Sasuke was doing the same behind him. There was a knock at the door and he went to answer it, too sick of playing referee in a game of make-believe to deal with it any longer.
"Kakashi, you're here. It's about Naruto. He's…" Tsunade trailed off, eyes absorbing the scene. Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura...
"You bastard—you were sleeping with her the entire time!" Tsunade screamed angrily as she entered the apartment. Sakura continued to tremble with her guilt. Kakashi would not meet her gaze.
"I can't believe this. You told me that there was nothing between you two. You promised me that nothing would happen to her. You gave me your word! Were you that bored with your women that you had to go after her?"
Kakashi remained silent.
"Did you force her?" she asked before a crazed laugh escaped her. "Of course you did. How long has this been going on?"
"Only last night," he answered quietly.
"Liar," she spat, ignoring the visible flinch in his hanged head. "The authorities will be involved in this. Her parents are going to kill you. I'm surprised I haven't already. You're going to jail. At best, you'll only lose your job, but I'll make sure that no one ever hires you again. And—"
A piercing scream interrupted them. Shocked, Tsunade and Kakashi turned to Sakura who held Tsunade's gaze pleadingly. "It wasn't his fault. It was mine and it was only last night, I swear. Please Tsunade, don't do this to him!" The hands holding Tsunade's trembled. Her eyes were red and leaking tears, her throat raw from screaming. She was a stone's throw away from collapsing in the tense air. The clock ticked in the bedroom.
Tsunade began to draw her hand away. Sakura felt her heart catch in her throat. Tsunade didn't believe her. Kakashi was going to lose his job, his reputation—everything—and it was all her fault. The tears began to flow more steadily down her face. A sigh caught her attention.
"Alright. Tell me what happened from the beginning—the both of you."
Kakashi looked to Sakura who nodded firmly, giving him permission to tell. Sighing heavily, he began. "It started a few months ago…"
Wind blew through the trees. It was June and the skies were painted a pale grey, the clouds blocking out the sun. Grass rippled with the breeze and aside from their faint rustle and the low hum of bees, it was quiet on the hilltop.
"Do you think he'll like it here?"
"I'm sure he will, Sakura," Kakashi answered truthfully as they gazed at the grey headstone. It was small and unoffending, the calligraphy carved neatly into the stone. Flowers and incense stood at the foot of it and out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sasuke's reaction as the smoke curled over the carved name of Uzumaki Naruto.
The funeral had been a small affair. Despite school letting out days ago, not many students appeared with frivolous excuses of being busy and already having plans. It was a funeral for God's sake! Surely they could've made time for it, but they didn't. The only students that came were Sakura, Sasuke, and the shy quiet girl who liked him. Her cousin and his girlfriend were there as well and awkward apologetic glances were exchanged through the entire ceremony. As soon as the offering of incense was done, Hinata and Tenten left, leaving a bitter taste in all their mouths.
"I'll be waiting in the car," Sasuke said suddenly, walking down the hill. Kakashi and Sakura watched his leave and quietly turned back to the headstone.
"What will you do now?" Sakura asked. Her voice was a bare whisper; a small, sad lilting song that floated on the breeze. She was referring to his recent unemployment. He wasn't surprised. Though the students and faculty had been told that Kakashi quit his job, Tsunade had forced him to resign as part of a deal they made. If he resigned, no one would ever hear of the real reason for his leave. The only people who knew were Sakura, her parents, Tsunade, Sasuke, and him.
When the school first heard of Kakashi's resignation, there had been a sort of surprise that washed over the school. It was like a spell. Suddenly, everyone was sorry, as if they never expected a teacher to leave because of their words. The students were gloomy and the teachers remorseful. In the last month of school, he found his mailbox filled with gifts and the teachers offering trips to the bar on them and Kakashi would've found the whole thing touching if he wasn't so disgusted with them. It was only now that everyone was making such a big deal about his leaving and though he wanted to laugh in their faces for how wrong they were about him then and now, he didn't want anything to do with them now. They could keep their half-assed apologies.
Standing on that hill, he wondered for the briefest second how they would sleep at night, knowing what they had done before waving it off. He would be forgotten with the school year—just look at Naruto. Oh well, at least Sakura would be safe now.
"I think I'll travel for a while. See the world a little bit; visit some people I haven't spoken to in a while. After that, I guess I'll find a job. Teaching will be a bust though," he joked, turning his head and smiling as Sakura chuckled and he drank in the sound. It was soft and delicate—almost ethereal, much like her voice and as it faded, the sadness became more tangible. Looking closely at her, he could see things he hadn't seen before. She had dark circles and lines around her eyes. She looked tired and her eyes were pleading with him for a direction, a sign—anything. He did not say a word and resignedly, she began her way to Sasuke's car before pausing to look over her shoulder.
"Will…will I ever see you again?" Her tone was firm, but slightly unsure. Her eyes held his. She felt weak inside, but held herself high, strong. She was demanding an answer from him and in that moment, he could see who she was—who she would be. She would become quite the woman and the man who managed to get her would be very lucky indeed. Even as he looked at her, jealousy and regret began to gnaw at his insides, but he ignored it. This was for the best. Leaving her was for the best. Even if she didn't understand it and neither did he. She had a future and deserved better, so this was the best thing he could do for her, or at least…that was what he kept telling himself.
He stared at the ground. His hands were buried deep in his pockets, fumbling, fidgeting as he searched for an answer that would placate her fears of him leaving her. She wanted to know that he would not disappear from her forever. She wanted to know everything was okay—would be okay when it wasn't and never would be. He was leaving her forever because he knew if he saw her once more, the dams would break and they would be exactly where they had started.
"I'll drop you a line," he answered at last. It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a complete lie. Who knows? Maybe he would call her one day. Even if he kept telling himself that he would cut ties with her forever, he didn't know if he could hold himself to that. The future was unpredictable, forever shifting and changing with the sands and tides. He could make all the promises and oaths in the world, but he knew he would never be able to keep them because she had changed something in him. There would always be that temptation to see her, be with her again. It could be days, it could be years, but maybe they would meet again. If they did, he would not mind it at all. They would talk, they would laugh. Maybe they would date, get married, or maybe she would already be married. He had no problems being the other man if it was her. As long as it was her, he would not mind.
His answer seemed to satisfy her because she smiled mysteriously. It made him wonder if she knew something he didn't, making him wary and excited at the same time, but before he could ask, she was already halfway down the hill. Pausing, she turned around to smile and laugh brightly. "Bye Kakashi-sensei!"
And before he could correct her, she was gone, zooming down the winding path in Sasuke's car with the wind blowing through her hair and her laugh echoing in his mind. Memories of them flickered in his mind. Small, menial things like how she always helped him in grading papers and all the times she brought him his coffee and briefly, a small wistful smile crossed his lips before he swallowed it down with his regret. Sighing to himself, he looked to Naruto's grave once more before going down the opposite side of the hill, the silhouette of Sakura walking away dancing before his eyes, haunting his mind.


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About Multi-GNSS Asia (MGA) Conference
The seventh
Multi-GNSS Asia (MGA) Conference
7th - 9th December 2015, Brunei Darussalam
The Seventh Multi-GNSS Asia (MGA) Conference was successfully held with about 190 participants from 17 countries in Brunei Darussalam, 7-9 December 2015, jointly organized by
・BELS - Building European Links toward SE Asia in the field of EGNSS
・GNSS.asia – industrial cooperation across continents
・Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
・QZS System Services Inc.(QSS)
・Satellite Positioning Research and Application Center (SPAC) of Japan.
・Soartech Systems Sdn Bhd
and supported by
・United Nations International Committee on GNSS (ICG)
・International Global Navigation Satellite Systems Service (IGS)
・Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism
・Survey Department of the Ministry of Development
(in alphabetical order)
In this conference main theme was "GeoSpatial Challenges in the Asia-Pacific Region" thereby broadening the beyond GNSS to include related technologies and application including remote sensing and big data analysis relevant for South East Asian countries. Geospatial Challenges in the Asia-Pacific Region was showcased examples of Geospatial Applications for disaster prevention and emergency management and their potential in addressing challenges specific to the Asia-Pacific region.
Please refer to the Chairman's Report of the workshop. Materials of the workshop have been available(http://www.multignss.asia/wiki) for the workshop participants and MGA participants.
[Multi-GNSS Asia Conference Information]
|7th - 9th December 2015
|Brunei Darussalam
|The Rizqun International Hotel, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
Link :
|International Committee on GNSS (ICG)/ United Nations
|International GNSS Service (IGS)
|Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism
|Survey Department of the Ministry of Development in Brunei Darussalam

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome Back to yet another weekend feature interview with some of the most influential movers and shakers in the Moustache and Beard world! We here at How To Grow A Moustache are very pleased and honored to have been able to (cyber) sit down with Tom Cutler of The Handlebar Club and get the skinny on the inside workings of possibly the world's first Moustache Society to ever exist!
1. For some of our readers who are first time growers out there and may not have heard of your club, could you please give a brief description and history?
The club was founded in April 1947 in the dressing room of English comedian Jimmy Edwards at The Windmill Theatre in London, notable for its scantily clad ladies and their poses plastiques. There were 10 founder members of the club, including Jimmy Edwards and Raymond Glendenning, the BBC's whippet correspondent. The minutes of that first meeting are in the Club archives and it appears that although there were a good number of founder members they were outnumbered by chorus girls!
The object of the club is to bring together moustache wearers (beards being strictly prohibited) socially for general conviviality. The club also helps by all means at its disposal, worthy charities and causes. Paid up club membership today hovers around the 100 mark.
We meet on the first Friday of the month at our present home, The Windsor Castle pub in Crawford Place, just off London's Edgware Road, where we are happy to entertain visitors from around the world. If you get in touch with us via our website to let us know you are coming we'll make sure there are sufficient sandwiches. There is always enough beer.
For those members who are unable to get to 'First Friday' meetings in London various branches, or as we call them, 'nests' have been set up, including some overseas. The first of these were Sweden and Norway and similar clubs have been formed in Continental Europe. Our first contact was with the Snorrenclub of Antwerp in Belgium and we now have friends around the world.
We hold AGM weekends away from London each year and we are pleased when any of our friends from other countries are able to come along.
Our attendance at international competitions is convivial – never competitive – though as part of our 60th anniversary celebrations, in 2007, we hosted the World Beard and Moustache Championships. We did once have a cricket team but the only sport in which we now indulge is the playing of darts. Raffles are usually run, with prizes donated by us Handlebarbarians, and the proceeds donated to charity. For a few years we've been playing against the Pipe Club of London. Though neither side takes the game at all seriously we have, despite thoroughgoing ineptitude, somehow won the last three contests.
2. Tell us a little more about your requirements, for some of your North American fans we have a hard time wrapping our whiskers around it:
"a hirsute appendage of the upper lip and with graspable extremities"
Graspable by whom, pray tell?
Graspable by whom? By any of our committee who fancy having a go. This requirement is delightfully loose, allowing for a multitudinous variety of lip weasels. The point is, though, that someone has got to be able to get hold of the ends. So long as that's the case you are eligible for membership. In these days of sex equality, we welcome ladies with qualifying moustaches. Unhappily, we so far have no lady members with graspable extremities, though we do have lady 'friends' so our meetings are often decorated by beautiful moustache-loving young fillies.
3. We also see that beardsmen "need not apply". Is this due to the fact that the bearded are not to be trusted and their only role in society is to forever be fishmongers and tuggers of graspable extremities? [Somewhere in there I think I answered our first question.]
The club has always disallowed beards, but only in the sense that a pigeon-fanciers' club disallows rabbits on the grounds that they are not pigeons. We have many bearded 'friends', and maintain excellent diplomatic relations with the British Beard Club and other beard clubs around the world.
4. Your roster seems to beam w/ many a satirist and comic, would you say there is somehow a link between flamboyant facial furniture and a genuinely, most excellent sense of humor? If so, is there science to back this up and could you share this with our readers? [ What are your thoughts on this phenomenon regardless the hard scientific evidence?]
Not only are our moustaches archetypally British, so is our sense of humour. We often smile and seldom frown (though this might be all the beer we drink). Taking oneself seriously we regard as hopelessly vulgar.
5. What are your club's plans for Moustache March? Is it as popular in the UK as it is here in the USA?
The Handlebar Club is closely involved with Movember: http://uk.movember.com. Mustache March seems at the moment to be an exclusively US extravaganza and has yet to hit us over on this side of the pond.
6. On a more sober note, what are some of the more recent events and charities you have put together? What does 2013 hold for The Handlebar Club?
See Here: http://www.handlebarclub.co.uk/newsGE.php, where you will find current news. You can find earlier stuff by looking in the back numbers of Graspable Extremities, or further back, in the archive section.
7. Can you share with our most inquisitive readers and me some stories of yesteryear club happenings? We ask that you keep it entertaining, educational and downright shocking if you would be so kind.
I'm trying to track down a video for you from the fifties, showing the HBC competing against some female dancers in a spaghetti-eating contest. [Posted below for your viewing splendor]
8. What are some of your clubs current Moustache wax favorites? Ours over here in the office is currently "Dandy Candy Moustache Trainer".
See our WAX page on the website. When I'm waxing, I use something called Bounder, which is one of the few waxes that will keep my shrub in shape.
9. Now what is the story with Mr. Michael Attree? Strangely "A tree!" was my grandfather's last words. He was a lumberjack. To us mustachioed Americans he is rather an enigma, a regular rock star of the stache even. What role does he play within the club?
'Atters' is a thoroughbred English eccentric who resides in the raffish seaside town of Brighton, on England's South Coast. He is a committee member of the club and frequently causes a stir with his charmingly idiosyncratic remarks.
10. Recently here in the states I attended a meeting of a club chapter where most members were vegan and vegetarian. I mentioned I was aiming to approach your club for an interview in celebration of Moustache March. They were very excited and asked me to pass something along to you. It seems they reworked your chant, "brought it up to date" to quote them. They rewrote some of it to better fit their lifestyle, the verse about kissing a smooth face was more akin (to them) to tofu without soy sauce rather than the original lyric "meat without salt". I am just the messenger here, but what do you think? Can you maybe amend it or at least add an alternate verse? They looked so sincere strumming their guitars. [Personally, I prefer a smooth face…at least on her end]
Well, it is generally agreed that kissing a man without a moustache is like kissing lady with one – that is to say, against nature.
11. And lastly, what are your feelings on the recent rebirth of the moustache? Granted a club as old as yours has seen this sort of resurgence before but is it different this time around, does it have staying power? [We do believe you played no small part in this recent uprising and we will dutifully point you out across the pond when the authorities come knocking. So let it be known.]
It remains to be seen whether the resurgence of the old biscuit duster will survive the test of time. But, whatever happens, our committee will go to their graves with their graspable extremities intact.
A special thanks goes to Mr. Tom Cutler and all the other gents of The Handlebar Club! All photos were used by permission from The Handlebar Club. The Spaghetti Eating Race video was used by permission of The British Pathe. To view the video below simply click on it…and I suggest you do. For more information and classic photos go to www.handlebarclub.co.uk Happy Moustache March and next week we bring you The British Beard Club!
Interview By Douglas Smythe
Contact Douglas at: email@example.com
SPAGHETTI EATING RACE 1959 [Click Image to View Video]


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Warren Lofts
New York, NY
Warren Lofts, a former office headquarters for a horticultural seed purveyor & exporter, has been converted from its office use into a boutique residential condominium including sixteen flats and two duplex units. The existing brick, limestone and decorative soapstone building was restored, and a new travertine and bronze storefront were added to the base of the building. The new residential lobby includes a planted green wall in homage to the building's history.
The original Art Deco building is also topped by four new floors clad in reflective stainless steel which is brought to a bronze color through a heat treatment to complement the existing brick building and context. Earth-toned materials were used on the inside such as wide-plank fumed oak floors and bronze hardware and fittings. 11-foot high ceilings recall the scale of traditional lofts in the neighborhood while new and existing oversized windows frame views of the surrounding city from the living spaces.


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When puppies are born, they actually look a lot like toothless blind gophers…
They do not have complete joint formation. The bones and joints are actually not mature until after two years of age. At birth, everything is soft and squishy – otherwise labor & delivery would be a lot harder on both the mother and puppies. You can view some xrays of puppies at one day of age, 8 weeks and 20 weeks here.
Newborn puppies are able to scoot on their bellies, navigating by scent. They have claws for traction. Their ears and eyes are not open yet. Some noses, foot pads and eye rims will be pink, and will turn black gradually over the next four months.
It is not possible to determine the bite on a very young puppy – first, the puppy's mouth is formed for drinking the mother's milk, and gradually grows into a more normal shape over the next few weeks. The cranium/upper jaw and the lower jaw do not always grow in unison, so at times during the first 9 months puppies may appear to have a slight overbite. This usually corrects itself.
Ideally, eyes begin to open between the 10th and 14th day. It is a gradual process. Ears open slightly after the eyes. At two weeks of age, puppies still primarily navigate by scent, but are beginning to hear their mother approach as well.
One thing that I have learned to look for during puppy development, and this is a 'hillbilly' criteria, is whether they can lift their bellies and stumble around by the time they are two weeks old. If they cannot, this could possibly indicate genetically poor development of the bones and joints (still just cartilage where they connect).


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The OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced yesterday that it had approved the EPA's final rule for the critical use exceptions (CUE) for the continued use of methyl bromide under the Montreal Protocol. Publication of the rule could be seen by the end of the week.
There are a couple of interesting comments in the docket for this rule (here, here and here; PDF download links). What is missing from the docket this year is a copy of the EPA's letter to users and manufacturers of methyl bromide notifying them that the EPA would take no enforcement action against users and manufacturers for the use of methyl bromide for CUE this year while the EPA got this delayed rule through the publication process.
Once again it is clear that DHS erred in 2007 when it removed methyl bromide from the final version of Appendix a to 6 CFR 27 based upon the EPA's assurance that methyl bromide was being phased out of use/production. While the use of methyl bromide has certainly decreased it shows no sign of disappearing from the US market place.
Perhaps if manufacturers and distributors were subject to CFATS program security costs, there might have been more of an incentive to phase out this toxic inhalation hazard product.


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Re: Lancashire Gillows
In reply to:
Lancashire Gillows
Phillip Tomlinson 11/13/00
Any info on the Hayle Gillows. My Father Joseph Richard was botn here in 1925 and went on to have 7 children - 3 Girls and 4 boys. Anne-Marie b1948 d1983.Richard Gerard b1950,Simon Kevin b1951, Dominic Mark b1953, Benjamin Toby b1955,Josephine Mary b1960 and Louisa-Marie b1962. His siblings have since produced 22 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.


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Archives List
The City of Charlottetown has been awarded the opportunity to host the East Coast Music Awards: Festival and Conference in 2019.
The announcement was made today (January 31) at the 2017 ECMAs news conference in Saint John, New Brunswick.
"In addition to serving as a major economic boost during the shoulder tourism season, this event provides a national platform for us to highlight the fantastic venues in this city and the important role that music and culture plays in our community," said Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee. "We look forward to working with the East Coast Music Association and other partners on this event."
The East Coast Music Awards: Festival and Conference has grown from a one-day $1,000 event to a five-day international gathering, with a budget exceeding $1.6 million. At the same time, it has become the premier event of its kind in Atlantic Canada, attracting millions of dollars in economic spin offs. The 2017 ECMAs, for example, are projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 million with about 1,000 music industry professionals participating from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Iceland, France and Australia. It is expected to have 13,000 attendees, including about 4,000 non-residents.
The ECMAs are now one of the top music industry events in Canada, on par with the JUNOS and the Canadian Country Music Awards. The musical celebration showcases and recognizes the best of East Coast artists and music.
For more information on the ECMAs and the East Coast Music Association, visit: www.ecma.com or www.facebook.com/EastCoastMusicAssociation/
Follow them on Twitter @EastCoastMusic or on Instagram @eastcoastmusicassoc
To keep up-to-date on the City of Charlottetown's news, visit www.charlottetown.ca, www.facebook.com/CityofCharlottetown or follow us on Twitter @ChtownPE and Instagram @City_of_Charlottetown
Media contact:
Jennifer GavinCommunications OfficerCity of firstname.lastname@example.com
City Hall
Visiting Charlottetown
Living in Charlottetown
Doing Business


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It seems that for every restaurant that does something about the noise, there are two that don't.
In December when I reviewed Park Tavern I was impressed at the lively but manageable buzz. Come to find out that owner Anna Weinberg put in a second layer of sound proofing in the ceiling. While the place still rates four bells (75-80 decibels: Can only talk in raised voices) the extra insulation muffles the reverberation and the distracting high-pitched sounds. It's still lively sounding, but you can hear across the table.
Not so at two other places I'm in the process of reviewing, particularly Lers Ros. At times, it registered more than 100 decibels on my decibel meter and consistently hovered in the 90s, meaning it was like eating next to a revved-up tractor or a chain saw. With the tile floor, rock walls, bare tables and low ceilings, there's nothing to cut the sound.
The other restaurant that surprised me was Parallel 37 in the Ritz-Carlton, which registered at least 85 throughout a busy weekend night; our bomb rating kicks in at 80, meaning it's too noisy for normal conversation.
In the olden days when it was The Dining Room, the restaurant was one of the quietest in the Bay Area. The recent remodel to liven up the interior has gone to the other end of the noise scale.
The low ceiling, wood tables and walls of glass that enclose the dining room seem to negate any benefit that might be derived by the carpeted floors. I was sitting against the wall, and maybe it's better in some areas, but I would suspect it would be even louder in the middle of the room.
With the Ritz's clientele, I'm surprised that someone didn't pay more attention to this aspect of the dining experience. It would be very easy to put sound baffling panels in the ceiling during a remodel and not that expensive in light of what I learned from Connie Norlander, owner of WCD (Wall Covering Designs) in San Carlos, a company that installs sound baffling for many restaurants such as Delfina.
Everyone wants a buzz, I understand that, but it should stop short of a roar.


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July 2015 - Zaandam to Alaska
I was disappointed that our wedding anniversary was not recognized in any way by the staff. (Even with two cruise activity directors.)
This was our third cruise to Alaska so we did enjoy the trip. We think that going to Hubbard Bay was better.
My wife and I, both got sick the last two days, but we do not blame the ship.
We will cruise again in the future.


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NoLuv4Google.com in NY Times
It is telling, to say the least, that the darling of so many technophiles — which promised to "do no evil" — is now on the receiving end of spontaneous boycotts, with disillusioned search-lovers looking for alternatives. These signs of lost innocence also show that the race for China may soon offer a selling point to companies that don't cooperate with repressive regimes.
"Today, I know you don't deserve me," wrote one visitor to NoLuv4Google.org, a site where users can "break up" with Google and officially boycott the search giant on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. "You betrayed my love and trust. I have been with you for so many years. Now, we are through! FOREVER. I am gonna hook up with IceRocket."
IceRocket is one of several search alternatives listed at NoLuv4Google.org, which is run by a group called Students for a Free Tibet. Clusty.com, a search site developed by several Carnegie Mellon computer scientists, is another. Clusty proudly states that it "never censors search results" or excludes material "that would be objectionable to governments or would be unlawful in unelected, nondemocratic regimes."
In an e-mail message, Mark Cuban, IceRocket's founder, put it more bluntly: "IceRocket doesn't and won't censor. We index more than one million Chinese-language blogs. No chance we censor or block anything in this lifetime."


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Obama's high-priced education did not lead to enlightenment
Updated 12:11 am, Friday, September 7, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michelle Obama connected with voters during her moving opening-night speech of the Democratic National Convention. She was smart, extremely likable and the perfect spokesperson for the American president as she talked about "the unflinching sacrifice" her parents and husband's family made so their kids could have the "chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves."
As I listened to the first lady talk about what her family did to make sure she got a first-class education and how she and her husband struggled to pay off their hefty student loans, I couldn't help but think that Barack and Michelle Obama would not be the fine people they are today if they hadn't had to stretch themselves to get ahead.
So why do they seem to think the government should hand out more taxpayer-backed grants and loans to today's college and graduate students? If someone else had handed their college and law-school educations to the Obamas, they'd be Mitt Romney.
Yet they bash Romney for not having to work as hard as they had to in order to get where they are today.
The Obamas frequently talk about their student loans. "And believe it or not," Mrs. O told the convention, "when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were actually higher than our mortgage."
In April, the president told University of North Carolina students that Michelle and he did not pay off their student loans until "about eight years ago." He complained that it wasn't easy, because while they were supposed to be saving for Malia and Sasha's education, "we're still paying off our college educations."
Citing their student loan debt, the first lady told the convention, "Barack knows what it means when a family struggles." Struggles? He graduated from Columbia, then Harvard Law School. She graduated from Princeton, then Harvard Law School. They borrowed a lot of money; then they stood to make a lot of money.
In fact, the Obamas earned a combined income that exceeded $200,000 in 2004, the year when they presumably paid off their loans. In 2005, the couple paid $1.65 million for their current home. Such was the Obamas' "struggle."
Unfortunately, the president's high-priced education did not lead to enlightenment. The president has increased federal Pell Grants and other student aid — in the name of "making college more affordable." He doesn't seem to have noticed that when federal aid grows, college tuition follows.
Now Ivy League law school grads like the Obamas can afford to shoulder the burden of big-digit student loans — but not the American people.


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Chapter 17 : Meet Norah
|Rating: Mature
|Chapter Reviews: 23
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Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and the plot but everything you recognise from the Harry Potter world does not belong to me but the talented J.K. Rowling.
"W-what do you mean?" I whispered, the blood pooling at the bottom of my feet and I was instantly sober. My whole body was frozen, even James knew something was wrong because he had stopped moving and was watching me in concern.
"I mean exactly that Elle, Dad's given the doctor's permission." Charity's voice strained even further and I could tell she was trying hard not to cry on the phone.
"He can't… he said he wouldn't…" My body immediately sprang into action and I climbed off of James, pulled on the nearest clothes to me which just so happened to be a pair of grey joggers and a baggy white shirt.
"Elle, I know he probably wouldn't want to see you now but you need to be here… you'll regret it if you don't." She advised me and I agreed.
"I know, I know. I'll get there as quick as possible, just… try and stall him, please." The lump in my throat was getting bigger and bigger, tears were already starting to form and I was blinking furiously because I didn't want them to fall. I had cried way too much over this and I didn't want to fall back into that old routine again.
"Elle…?" James' voice just made me feel worse. I quickly said goodbye to Charity and hurried around, putting my hair up into a messy ponytail, manoeuvring a bra on underneath my shirt and pulling some sandals onto my feet.
"James, just… please don't." I muttered back to him, wiping away a tear that had escaped onto my cheek inconspicuously.
"What's wrong?" I could feel him move towards me but I walked to the other side of the room, pretending to look for something. I just couldn't deal with James right at this minute, he had no idea what was going on and I was at a complete loss on what to do.
"I don't… I don't know," I sniffed, the overwhelming sense of helplessness took over and the tears burst like a dam, "I don't know what to do, James." As fast as lightning, he was by my side and pulling me to him in a bone-crushing embrace.
"Sssh, it's okay. It'll be okay, Elle," he comforted me, his arms wrapping around me so tightly like he was the only thing keeping me together at this moment in time. And he basically was. I felt like if he was to let me go, I would crumble to the floor in pieces and there would be no way of putting me back together, "What's wrong? What's happened?" He whispered so softly. I remembered that I needed to be there right now so I pulled out of his arms and looked up at him, still crying.
"I need to go," I picked up the small bag that I had hurriedly packed, "I'll explain but please, right now I need to go," I rubbed away the tears in my eyes and held my arm out for him to take, looking up at him with bloodshot eyes hopefully, "Please come with me, I can't do this by myself." I pleaded desperately.
"Of course I'll come with you, I'd never leave you by yourself." He came to stand by me immediately, grasping my arm and I closed my eyes, focussing on where we needed to go before turning on the spot. Dreading opening my eyes, I unpeeled them slowly and took in the sight before me. The hospital towered over us with pristine white walls and polished windows and I had an overwhelming sense of going to my deathbed. Especially because my Dad was inside and the whole situation surrounding this visit.
"Are we going in?" James' voice broke my apprehensive thoughts and I looked at him completely blank.
"I…" I started but a large part of me was telling me to run and hide away from everyone but it was too late because James was gently dragging me inside. The lump in my throat became bigger and bigger the closer I got to the reception desk. The panic rising, the room was getting hotter and I swear I couldn't breathe.
"Elle, are you okay?" James asked unsurely, "You don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable." He carried on, squeezing my hand to reassure me, and it a worked a little, but that loud voice in my head was still telling me to high-tail it. That nothing good could come of this meeting.
"N-no… I need to… do this." I tried to slow my breathing so I didn't have a mental breakdown in the middle of a hospital waiting room. As I took the first step towards the reception desk, where a woman in her forties was typing away furiously at a computer, the desk seemed to suddenly zoom so that it was at least a few metres away. But with James reassuring me softly, I kept putting my feet one after the other until I finally reached the desk.
"May I help you?" She asked without looking up, everything about her screamed tired. Her bun had tendrils hanging down, her face had dropped into an unimpressed scowl and her eyes were slowly drooping.
"Erm… I was wondering… i-if you could tell me where…" I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes so I could force the next few words out without crying, "Norah Underwood is." She was giving me a confused yet scared for my sanity look and began furiously typing at her keyboard again.
"She's in room 34F on floor three." She directed us towards a set of elevators and in my hurry to get away, James had to turn around and mutter a polite thank you. My nerves and thoughts were all over the place and I was just so lost, I wasn't even sure if James could help me this time.
"Norah's your younger sister, isn't she?" He asked quietly after the elevator doors shut in front of us. We were in one of those elevators that had mirrors all around you so that you could see how dejected or miserable you looked. My eyes were heavily bloodshot from the tears, my cheeks were red and puffy and my hair was a complete mess. No wonder the reception woman was scared for my life. I felt like a mess on the inside and now, I guess, it reflected on the outside.
The clothes, I now realised, were actually James' and they were way too baggy. So much so that the t-shirt came to about mid-thigh and I had to pull the drawstrings on the joggers really tight so that they wouldn't fall down and reveal the black lace knickers that I was still wearing. I just nodded in response to his question because I was scared that as soon as I opened my mouth, an unintelligible squawk would come out followed by a new round of tears.
So I let the lump in my throat get larger and larger until it physically hurt to swallow and my bottom lip was shaking so hard. We walked slowly down the corridor, checking the room numbers on our sides of the hall but it turned out room 34F was around the end with three seats lined up outside. The door was wedged open just a little and I could see Charity sat on a hospital chair, staring at something on the wall facing us. She saw me and immediately got up and came outside, closing the door behind her.
"Hey." She embraced me tightly as the tears that I forbade from falling streamed down my face.
"Hi," I mumbled into her shoulder. The air around us was thick with tension because any minute now my Dad would appear and I was sure that chaos would follow, "Where are Darrell and the kids?" I asked to distract myself from the situation.
"At home," she answered, leaning against the wall looking worse for wear, "I got the call at around one, came here and called you an hour later. Darrell has booked today off anyway so he can look after Ruari and Gabby." She explained.
"Does he know…?"
"Yeah, I explained it to him before I left. He said he was going to drop the kids off with his Mum and come and see me later on today," she reached forward and grabbed my hand, "How are you doing?"
"I don't really know…" I stared at the door nervously, "I'm just scared Dad's gonna come round the corner any minute." I whispered.
"I told him to go down to the cafeteria to have something to eat. He just left five minutes ago so you should be good for about half an hour," she hugged me again, "How's the wedding planning going? I got your invite but I haven't had time to reply. I was going to today but… circumstances." She nodded her head towards the door.
"It's good, we have almost everything sorted now." James answered for me, coming to stand beside me and holding my other hand.
"You got your dress?" she looked at me and I nodded in response, "Do you wanna go and see her?" she asked quietly and my breathing sped up again. I wasn't quite sure if I was ready for this but if this was the only opportunity to see her before Dad gets back then I guess I'd have to make myself ready.
"Okay." I breathed out deeply, closed my eyes and approached the door with Charity. Her dark ginger hair was fanned out around her pale head on the pillow and a multitude of tubes were coming in and out of her nose and mouth. A steady beeping in the corner was the only thing that was reminding me she was still alive. The fact that in the next few hours that beeping would no longer be there frightened me and I couldn't imagine losing her as well.
"Have the doctor's said when they're going to do it?" I swallowed past the lump as I stared at my lifeless baby sister.
"They said they're gonna give her an injection of morphine then slowly decrease the amount of air the life support machine is giving her until she…" Charity's eyes filled with tears and I could hear the strain on her voice as she tried to stay calm. Because that's what Charity did, she was always the one who stayed calm and collected whenever something major happened but I could see that cool exterior crumbling as she watched Norah. My arms wrapped around her instantly as we both started crying into each other's shoulders. Completely forgetting James was there, I went to stand right next to her side and grasped Norah's hand. I gasped when I felt how limp and cold it was but I tightened my grip anyway, brushing a little bit of her ginger hair out of the way of her face.
"Elle, I'm gonna go and book us in a hotel room for today and tomorrow, okay?" James whispered and I turned to face him.
"Okay," I replied quietly as well, accepting the slow kiss on my lips and watching him leave the room so that it was just myself and Charity left, "I don't think it was a good idea for me to be here, Char." I announced to the quiet room.
"You had to be here, Elle… you needed to see her." She replied from where she was sat on the other side of Norah's bed. Her thumb was casually stroking the back of her hand as if she could possibly feel it.
"Not really. It just brings up painful memories and guilt."
"How many times do I have to tell you that it's not your fault?!" Charity hissed angrily and I shrank in my seat, ignoring the look she was giving me and staring at Norah's hand that I was currently holding.
"But it was, Char… and you know full well that it was," I said through clenched teeth. She sighed loudly and decided to drop the subject for now and I looked at the bedside clock that read 3:24am just as I yawned. James came back in ten minutes later, hovering awkwardly at the doorway, "You can come in, James." I said quietly, standing up so he could sit in my seat before sitting back in his lap.
"I've booked us in at the nearest B&B that was open." He answered, yawning loudly but widening his eyes so he could stay awake with me.
"Go to sleep, James, I'll wake you up when something happens." I laid my head against his as he yawned again.
"No, I want to stay awake if you are too." He vehemently replied, his arms wrapping around my waist and squeezing reassuringly.
"Thank you." I whispered, kissing him on the cheek graciously and smiling a bit when he Smiled at me. We stayed in silence for another ten minutes, occasionally pointing out medial things like what time it was or that it was getting light outside already.
"What is she doing here?" Dad entered the room holding a cup of coffee in his hand, staring at me in shock and disgust.
"Dad, she's Norah's sister too… she has every right to be here." Charity stuck up for me but it was useless.
"I don't care if she's her sister! She caused this!" he shouted, making me wince and let him shout at me, "I want her out!" He screeched, putting his coffee on the side and staring at me with such malice. James tensed underneath me.
"Dad, please! I was the one who rang her, just let her stay!" Charity was shouting at Dad too but I was staring at the floor, more tears making their appearance as everything that Dad had wanted to say for the last two years was now coming out.
"No, I'm not having a murderer in the same room! ALL THIS IS HER FAULT AND SHE IS THE REASON THAT NORAH IS LAY THERE LIKE A VEGETABLE! SHE IS THE REASON I HAVE TO TELL THE DOCTOR'S TO LET HER DIE!" he shrieked, paying no attention to the fact that there were multiple patients still in this ward that were probably sleeping, "I'VE LOST MY WIFE AND NOW I'M LOSING MY DAUGHTER THANKS TO THAT MISTAKE SAT RIGHT THERE!" He pointed a shaky finger at me.
"Excuse me? What is happening?" A nurse popped her head round the door to see what all the ruckus was about.
"I WANT HER OUT!" He yelled in the nurse's face whilst pointing at me so I stood up quietly.
"There is no need to shout, sir," she reprimanded him politely, "And she is free to stay if she wishes to…?" She turned her head to me and I could feel the hole that my Dad was burning in my head.
"It doesn't matter… we'll just leave." I looked over at Charity who looked so apologetic but I just gave her an understanding nod, grabbing James' hand and walking out of the room with the nurse. As soon as we had left, my Dad slammed the door shut behind us and I jumped in surprise.
"This is entirely unfair!" James exclaimed angrily, I could feel his grip on my hand tightening in anger.
"James… just drop it." I muttered quietly, walking down the corridor again and towards the elevators to leave.
"No, I will not drop it! That's your sister in there, she's about to pass away and your Dad's not letting you in! That's ridiculous! You're allowed to see her before she goes!" He ranted, pacing back and forth behind me.
"James! Stop it, please!" I yelled, the tears from before already falling onto my cheeks and down my face.
"You know what?" he suddenly said, ignoring my pleading looks, "We're gonna march back in there and we're going to stay in that room whether your Dad likes it or not!" He turned around and started marching back to the room but I grabbed his hand and yanked it back so he stopped walking.
"James… you don't understand!" I tried to hold him back, "James, listen please!" He stopped walking and turned around to face me with his hands on his hips.
"It was my fault, okay?" I babbled the truth because I was pretty sure that James was gonna hate me after this, "My Dad was right, I am the reason why Norah is in there right now. It was all my fault," he looked like he was about to interrupt me but I carried on, feeling really afraid of admitting the next statement but I had to tell him because he needed to know everything now. I was in love with him and there was no way he'd want to get married to me once he found out, "It was me… I killed my Mum."
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Much has been said in recent days about what was and was not done prior to adopting the Immigration Resolution. Both Linda Chavez and the Brookings Institute Report have noted that there was no official public hearing on the Resolution. So how come that marathon citizens' time meeting wasn't a public hearing?
More Discord on the Brookings Institute Report Part 1
The DC Examiner today examined the reactions to the Brookings Institute Study of Prince William County's Immigration Resolution by some who find fault with the report.
Prince William County's government was unprepared for — and reacted ineffectively to — a massive influx of Hispanic immigrants, according to a study released this week, but some have raised questions about the report's methods and findings.
The report by Audrey Singer, Jill H. Wilson and Brooke DeRenzis of the Brookings Institution also concluded that there was not sufficient vetting of the immigration resolution or research into its potential consequences before its passage two years ago.
Corey Stewart Revisits the Immigration Resolution on WAMU
Yesterday Corey Stewart, along with Brooking Institute senior fellow Audrey Singer, were guests on the WAMU Kojo Nnamdi Show.
Some people have suggested that Corey Stewart is weakening on the Immigration Resolution. According to the News and Messenger, Stewarts says no, he isn't.
Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-at large, said the county's illegal immigration resolution is here to stay even in these hard economic times.
"We think it's working and we're going to keep it," Stewart said in an interview Wednesday on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU, a National Public Radio affiliate.
Nnamdi asked Stewart if his focus hadn't wavered recently in light of record foreclosures in Prince William County resulting from the failing economy.
Stewart told Nnamdi that he thought people in the community were satisfied with things as they stand, and the board wouldn't abandon the resolution that first came under discussion in July 2007. The resolution was finally implemented in July 2008 and required police to ask anyone they stopped about their immigration status.
"Those in the community seem to be content with it, even those who opposed the policy initially," Stewart said.
Still other things demand the board's attention, Stewart said.
"We're trying to move on to other problems and other concerns, namely the economy," Stewart said. "People are worried about their jobs and their homes and everything else.
"We've got a lot of financial problems in the county just like a lot of other counties. We've had to cut about 20 percent of our budget," Stewart said.
It sounds like Corey wants it both ways. He doesn't want to leave the anti-immigration pack but also doesn't want to linger. Is he now trumpeting the 'time to move on' theme?
[UPDATE: Here is the link Leila left for us to listen to the interview with Stewart and Singer]
Brookings Institution Report on PWC & Illegal Immigration
Here's the link to the Brookings Institution report on immigration in Prince William:
Click the download icon to see the full report.
Prince William County Foreclosure Rates in Comparison to Surrounding Jurisdictions
According to this chart from the George Mason Regional Analysis Center, Prince William County Foreclosure Rates are OFF THE CHART in comparison to surrounding jurisdictions. WTOP news is reporting Prince William property values have dropped more than double of Fairfax County and slightly more than double of Loudoun County.
Read More
Obama's Econcomic Address to Congress
Consider this an open thread to discuss the Address to Congress as it is given. ( 9 PM) After tonight, it will be for any subject you hearts desire.
Mexican-American Discrimination Exposed on American Experience
Last night A Class Apart was shown on all the PBS channels. I am sorry I didn't realize it was on earlier so I could have posted an announcement. You can now view information about the film online. It isn't the entire program but gives a good overview.
A Class Apart tells of the Mexican-American Civil Rights movement in Texas in a post WWII world. There was urgency in the film because of the age of those who had been leaders in this movement. The case, Hernandez v. Texas happened in the 1950s so everyone involved was rising up in years. It challenged Jim Crow-style discrimination in southwestern America.
This little known Supreme Court case ended segregation of Mexican-Americans in schools and wiped out many social practices in the southwest that kept Mexican-Americans as second class citizens.
It is rather amazing that this much information has been left out of the general history books. According to the Houston Chronicle:
Hernandez v. Texas stemmed from the case of Pete Hernandez, a farmworker accused of killing a man in a bar fight in the Jackson County town of Edna in 1951. His case drew the attention of a group of San Antonio and Houston attorneys, who saw the case as a vehicle to break down the Jim Crow-style laws and customs that oppressed Mexican-Americans in the same fashion as African-Americans.
The attorneys argued that Hernandez could not receive a fair trial because Jackson County had systematically eliminated Mexican-Americans from juries. The state countered that Mexican-Americans were lumped in with Anglos under the law and thus were not entitled to special treatment under the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.
The case, the first to be argued by Mexican-American lawyers before the Supreme Court, was heard during the same term as the Brown v. Board of Education case seeking to outlaw segregation in public schools. In a decision that was overshadowed nationwide by the Brown decision a week later, the court ruled that Mexican-Americans were a distinct group entitled to the same constitutional protection as other minority groups.
Click here to view film on this case at PBS
Additional reading: Houston Chronicle
NPR: Real Estate Slump Hits Manassas, Va., Hard
Real Estate Slump Hits Manassas, Va., Hard
NPR reports on the Manassas City real estate market where 10% of all homes have gone into foreclosure.
House inspections proposed; vetting renters
Article in this morning's Washington Post about keeping up neighborhood maintenance in PWC and City of Manassas with the rise in rental properties:
Chandra Levy Murder Solved, Perhaps
We rarely include stories on crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Most of the crimes are more than adequately covered by other blogs. However, this crime rocked the nation during the late spring and summer before 9/11. I chose to make an exception. At the heart of this story is the tale of diligent parents, incompetent police, a philandering congressman and ironically, a murdered intern with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in DC.
Read More
'The Visitor' Film & Discussion Sat., Feb. 21 at GMU-PW
See Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) in his Academy Award nominated role in the 2008 film, "The Visitor," at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 21 in the Verizon Auditorium of George Mason University's Prince William Campus, 10900 University Boulevard, Manassas. Admission is free. Read More
Some Stimulus for Virginia Schools
Someone just sent me that latest from Virginia Education Association Director of Government Relations Robley Jones. Good news for the schools:
The significance of President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is just beginning to sink in. Bush bailed out the banks and Obama has bailed out the schools! U.S. Department of Education ARRA funding for the 2009-2010 school year for Virginia includes the following:
State Fiscal Stabilization $1,202,770,052
Title I – $165,311,666
Ed. Technology – $10,801,292
IDEA Part B – $261,415,033
IDEA Part B, Pre-School – $9,470,492
Grand Total – $1,696,587,551
Dr. Frank Barham, the Executive Director of the Virginia School Board Association wisely sent a message to school board members across the state last night offering that, "Our [VSBA] advice is that you implement no RIF policies, amend or adopt new budgets until you get the printout from the state in the next few weeks."
Please urge your superintendent and school board to follow Dr. Barham's advice.
I am not sure what all this means but it tells school boards and superintendents to hold off on major decisions until the ink dries.
It looks like almost $1.7 billion dollars is being pumped into Virginia schools. I suppose what would be critical is when and how the money will be divvied up. PWC Schools are short $57 million. Will our notoriety for having the most foreclosures in the state give us a bigger piece of the pie?
Study on Immigration with chapter on PWC to be released
On February 26, the Metropolitan Policy Program and Greater Washington Research at The Brookings Institution will host a discussion focusing on a new report that examines the local, regional and national factors that led Prince William County, an outer suburb of the nation's capital, to adopt tough measures against unauthorized immigrants. Read More
A new industry to get us out of this economic disaster?
This article in the Washington Post, demonstrates, clearly, what I have been saying about this new industry of detaining undocumented immigrants. Is this how a moral country creates new jobs?
The November death of a Prince William County man in immigration custody at Piedmont Regional Jail has prompted Immigration and Customs Enforcement to suspend placing new detainees at the facility, three hours south of the District near Farmville, Va.
In recent years, the rural six-county jail has contracted with ICE at rock-bottom rates to become a principal storehouse for noncitizen detainees from Northern Virginia and the District awaiting deportation. But since the Nov. 28 death of detainee Guido Newbrough, ICE has launched an investigation into medical care at the facility, and its detainee population had plunged from 330 to 53 as of yesterday. As a result, 50 jail employees have been laid off.
"It's a depressed area to begin with," he said. "There's not much industry left here. And the loss of 50 jobs equates to a whole lot of hardship."
I find this idea extremely disturbing, the idea of "investors" making money off of a very human dilemma, one that can only be resolved with comprehensive immigration reform.
The suspension comes at a particularly sensitive time for Piedmont and the town of Farmville. Piedmont had been earning $46.25 a day for each of the ICE detainees it housed in dormitory-style cells with triple bunk beds. Business was so robust that a group of investors announced a deal with Farmville officials last year to build a $21 million, 1,050-bed, privately run immigration detention facility there, pledging to covert the town into a hub for ICE operations in the mid-Atlantic region.
"Justice Department: We Fail to Enforce Deportation Orders"
This Fox news article could not have come at a more appropriate time, considering the conversation we are having, revolving around the 7-11 ICE raid in Maryland. So, here is the crux of it, 80% of people with deportation judgements do NOT leave the country.
About 8,000 cases made it to the U.S. Court of Appeals last year and the study tracked the 7,200 cases in which the Justice Department prevailed. The study found that despite winning those cases, only 1,375 illegal immigrants — 19 percent — had been removed as of last month.
Talk about a broken system! We have SERIOUS financial and security issues facing this country. Do we REALLY want to expend all this wasted energy and money on people, who primarily, are simply working to feed their families? Do we want secure borders, sure, do we want to deal with gangs, sure, but clearly, we are wasting our money on an ICE endeavor that is failing, miserably failing.
The U.S. government spends tens of millions of dollars each year persuading federal circuit courts to uphold orders for thousands of illegal immigrants to leave the country, but those orders have been enforced in only one-fifth of the cases, according to sources familiar with a recent Justice Department study.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for "removing" illegal immigrants who stay in this country against the law. But the study found that more than 80 percent of the illegal immigrants whose deportation orders were upheld by a federal appeals court last year were still in the country as of five weeks ago, according to an internal Justice Department memo obtained by FOX News.
"If the people aren't getting removed, why the heck are we spending all the money?" asked one former Justice Department official who left with the Bush administration.
Two sources familiar with the memo accompanying the Jan. 16 study said the Justice Department spends at least $20 million each year paying litigators to argue deportation cases in federal appeals courts. But, the former Justice Department official said the total cost to taxpayers is much higher considering the price tag of flying some 300 litigators around the country and putting them up in hotels. That's not to mention the cost for federal and immigration courts to operate so they can hear the cases.


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This post describes our model of Wal-Mart's (NYSE: WMT) Income Statement for fiscal 2011's fourth quarter, which will end on 31 January 2011.We begin by reviewing background information about Walmart and the business environment in which it is currently operating.
The purpose of the model is to establish a baseline for identifying surprises, positive or negative, in the quarterly results the company will report. Estimates for each line of the Income Statement are derived from management's guidance, the company's historical financial results, and other publicly available data.
The purpose of the model is to establish a baseline for identifying surprises, positive or negative, in the quarterly results the company will report. Estimates for each line of the Income Statement are derived from management's guidance, the company's historical financial results, and other publicly available data.
Retailing behemoth Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., operates 4404 stores in the U.S. (including Sam's Club) and 8838 worldwide, at last count.
In fiscal 2010, which concluded in January 2010, Walmart earned over $14 billion on net sales of $405 billion. Although net sales rose only 1.0 percent, income continuing operations increased 8.8 percent.
These financial results enabled Walmart to regain the top position from Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) on the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations. A drop in energy prices in 2009 cut into the oil giant's revenue.
Economies of scale and ruthless efficiencies allow Walmart to sell many products for prices lower than competitors, which include Target (NYSE: TGT), Kohl's (NYSE: KSS), and Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD). Walmart also purchases goods directly from manufacturers to reduce its costs.
Critics of Wal-Mart abound.
With a market value of nearly $200 billion, Walmart is one of the most valuable companies in the U.S. The market value has been relatively steady for a number of years.
Walmart's annual dividend in fiscal 2011, $1.21 per share, was 11 percent greater than in the previous year. The company has also been repurchasing its common shares. Walmart spent $11 billion to buy its shares in the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
Walmart's annual dividend in fiscal 2011, $1.21 per share, was 11 percent greater than in the previous year. The company has also been repurchasing its common shares. Walmart spent $11 billion to buy its shares in the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
For financial data reporting, Walmart has three business segments: Walmart U.S., International and Sam's Club. Walmart U.S. had net sales of $258 billion in fiscal 2010, or nearly 64 percent of the overall amount. The International segment had sales of $100 billion (24.7 percent of the total), and sales at Sam's Club amounted to nearly $47 billion.
Net sales by Walmart U.S. grew 1.1 percent last year, but comparable store sales declined 0.7 percent. Concerned about slow sales at home, Walmart replaced the leader of Walmart U.S.
Walmart International has various subsidiaries or joint ventures in Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. Changes in currency exchange rates had a $9.8 billion unfavorable impact (almost 10 percent) on the International unit's net sales in fiscal 2010.
In November 2010, Walmart offered to acquire a controlling interest in South African retailer Massmart (JNB: MSM). An entry into the Russian market now appears less likely, at least in the short term.
Retail sales have been rising in the U.S., but continue to be pressured by high unemployment and the fragility of the housing market. Consumer sentiment in the U.S. recently dipped and remains a concern for retailers.
In the October-ending third quarter of fiscal 2011, Walmart earned $0.95 per diluted share on a GAAP basis, up 16 percent from $0.81 in the same three months of last year. A special tax benefit added $0.05 per share to reported earnings in the most recent quarter.
Readers wanting to take another look at Walmart's October 2010 quarter might wish to review our Income Statement and Financial Gauge analyses.
We are now ready to look specifically at the January 2011 quarter.
When Walmart reported third-quarter results on 16 November 2010, it updated its following guidance for the November-December-January period:
Earnings Guidance
"Based on our expectations for the U.S. sales environment in the fourth quarter, we expect diluted earnings per share from continuing operations attributable to Walmart to range from $1.29 to $1.33," said Schoewe.
This compares to an adjusted $1.264 per share last year, which included a net benefit of approximately six cents per share related to certain tax matters and restructuring charges.
"Our updated fiscal year 2011 guidance of $4.08 to $4.12 earnings per share is an increase from the previous range of $3.95 to $4.05 per share," Schoewe said. "The full-year increase in our EPS guidance reflects the tax benefit from the third quarter, and our expectations for solid underlying operational performance by our segments in the fourth quarter."
This new full year guidance assumes that currency exchange rates remain at current levels. The adjusted EPS for fiscal year 2010 was $3.734, which included the same six cents benefit mentioned above.
U.S Census Bureau data covering retail sales and food services, but excluding motor vehicle and parts, indicate sales in late 2010 were about 6.5 percent greater than in the same months of 2009. The sale growth pace quickened when compared to the summer months, and December 2010 was the sixth consecutive month of increasing sales.
Less optimistically, Target (NYSE: TGT) reported net sales in November and December increased 3.0 percent compared to the equivalent period in 2009. Comparable-store sales rose 2.6 percent.One benchmark is that Walmart's holiday-fueled fourth-quarter sales are typically 15 to 20 percent more than sales in the preceding third quarter.
Balancing these various items, we have come up with an estimate of $119 billion for Walmart's Revenue in the January quarter. This value translates into a forecast for 4.7 percent Revenue growth.
For the Gross Margin estimate, we are estimating 25.2 percent of Revenue, a small degradation compared to the first three quarters of the year. Combining the Revenue and Gross Margin estimates yields a predicted Cost of Goods Sold of (1 - 0.252) * $119 billion = $89 billion.
We expect, based on historical results, that Sales, General, and Administrative expenses will be 18.5 percent of Revenue. Therefore, we expect this item to be 0.185 * $119 billion = $22.0 billion.
Subtracting the estimated costs from the Revenue target, and assuming no special operating charges, yields a $8.1 billion projection for Operating Income. This figure is 8.5 percent more than Operating Income of $7.5 billion in the January 2010 quarter.
A $525 million estimate for the net interest expense seems reasonable given past results.
If we project a tax rate of 34.5 percent, the provision for income taxes would be $2.6 billion. We also need to make an adjustment, estimated at $160 million, for the portion of net income attributable to non-controlling interests.
The bottom-line estimate for Net Income is $4.80 billion ($1.31 per share). In the year-earlier quarter Walmart earned $4.76 billion ($1.25 per share).
Please click here to see a normalized depiction of the projected results next to Wal-Mart's quarterly Income Statements for the last couple of years. Please note that our organization of revenues, expenses, gains, and losses, which we use for all analyses, can and often does differ in material respects from company-used formats. The standardization facilitates cross-company comparisons.
Full disclosure: Long WMT at time of writing. No position in any other company mentioned.


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Business community looks to build for the future
CHARLEVILLE Chamber will host a full day business conference, exhibition and networking event on Friday, Feburary 1 at the Charleville Park Hotel.
The theme of the event will be ' Working for a Better Future Together ', with participants exploring how to build success within North Cork's SME sector.
Key note speakers will include TDs Michael Noonan and Aine Collins; IBEC Chief Economist, Fergal O'Brien; Cork County Manager, Martin Riordan and Sean O'Sullivan of Dragon's Den fame.
Contributors will include Mark Cunningham from Bank of Ireland, Ray O'Connor from the IDA, Professor Patrick Fitzpatrick from UCC and other prominent industry professionals.
Each session will conclude with a Q&A session.
Issues discussed will include planned changes though public and private resources to encourage growth within the SME sector, business development and sustainable job creation.
In addition to allowing participants to share ideas and learn from one another, the conference will offer them an excellent opportunity to network and develop business contacts.
The conference is aimed at a broad target audience including entrepreneurs, the owners and managers of SMEs, financial advisors, investors, venture capitalists and start up businesses.
Chamber president, PJ McCarthy said the conference would help emphasise that Charleville was an ideal centre for would be entrepreneurs to locate their business.
To book a place on the conference contact Donagh Stack, Charleville Chamber, E Centre, Baker's Road Charleville, phone 063-33133 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Set yourself apart with the carbon fiber, dual material UrbanShield for most Android phones. Precision-machined and ultra-slim, this sleek, statement case protects against scratches and dust, allowing access to all controls. Includes a screen protector and cleaning cloth.
Please Note: Product images, including color, may differ from actual product appearance.
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Expert advice available weekdays 9am-5pm ET at (888) 468-6158
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The Notes are OPKO's senior unsecured obligations and rank equally with
all of OPKO's other existing and future senior unsecured debt. The Notes
bear interest at the rate of 3.00% per year, payable semiannually on
The Notes are convertible at any time on or after
OPKO may not redeem the Notes prior to
Upon a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture relating to the Notes), subject to certain exceptions, the holders may require OPKO to repurchase all or any portion of their Notes for cash at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being repurchased, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to but not including the fundamental change repurchase date.
The Notes were offered inside
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy any securities and shall not constitute
an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Notes and the shares of OPKO
common stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes have not been
registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any other
jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in
News Provided by Acquire Media


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KZL INC. | Interstate Carrier | 818.953.4004
Vehicle Transport Services
Choosing the right interstate auto hauling company can be a tough decision, and it is certainly an important one, considering you have to get it right the first time. At KZL Inc., we specialize in auto transportation, and have been servicing the entirety of the United States for years. We understand the importance of getting your vehicle to where it needs to be on time, without breaking the bank, and most importantly, without damaging the actual vehicle. This is the reason we only employ highly experienced and professional drivers, and operate only state of the art car haulers, with the latest safety features. Regardless of the type, make, model and year and value of your vehicle, we are equipped to transport it from and to any part of the country safely and promptly.
Fleet Relocation Services
Moving your entire fleet has never been so easy. At KZL Inc. we offer fast, safe and affordable fleet relocation services at discounted volume pricing to all corners of the continental United States. We offer quick, free quotes and a hassle-free service provided by experienced drivers utilizing late model, fully equipped, reliable trucks. One thing we don't do is cut corners, especially when it comes to driver selection or customer service.
Temperature Controlled
With KZL Inc. you can rest assured your products will be held at a stable temperature from origin to destination. We offer customizable refrigerated solutions, capable of relocating products from coast to coast under tightly controlled temperatures utilizing the latest safety equipment. Our trailers are highly insulated, with numerous sensors and fail-safes throughout to ensure your products reach their final destination in intact and on time. We utilize only the best available equipment, and highly trained and experienced drivers to transport goods, both short and long distance.
Save time, money, headaches and wear and tear on your vehicle, whether you're selling or buying out of state, by shipping it. At KZL Inc. we offer affordable, safe and reliable auto transportation from coast to coast within the Continental United States. Want to know exactly how much it will cost? Fill out the form on the left, and we will get back to you with an inclusive price, without hidden fees and taxes.
If you're in need of fleet relocation, or other type of transportation, such as perishable goods that require a temperature controlled environment, give us a call at
, or email us at
Corporate accounts are welcome, and volume discounts are available. We look forward to working with you.
Can I request a same day pick up?
We do offer same day service on some occasions, however this is not guaranteed. Shipping a vehicle is a lot more involved than shipping household items. In many cases, we are able to find a carrier with available space, but in some cases, this is impossible due to intricacies of the car freight industry, such as rack space availability, weight distribution and hundreds of other factors. What we can promise is, we will do our best to accommodate your schedule. Can I use a car cover for my vehicle while it's being transported?
Transport Nation is a "Broker". What does that mean?
KZL Inc. is a licensed and bonded freight broker that contracts U.S. Auto carriers directly. Instead of doing research on which carrier best fits your needs, budget and timeframe, you can contact a broker who will have done this research in advance, and will have weeded out the "bad" ones through years of experience in working this particular field. Brokers also eliminate the red tape, and take care of the paperwork needed to transport a vehicle nationwide.
Is the service terminal to terminal, or door to door?
This is completely up to you, we offer both types of pickup and delivery. If you're unsure what you need, give us a call and we'll be more than happy to go through your current situation and offer the optimal solution.
Can I use a car cover for my vehicle while it's being transported?
At first glance this would seem like a smart thing to do, however it is extremely counter productive, and not allowed by regulation. The best argument against this practice is the damage to the paint of your vehicle that would result in having the car cover flapping against it for hundreds, and in some cases thousands of miles.
How do I prepare my vehicle for transport?
Remove any personal belongings from the vehicle, make sure your hand your truck driver the key, and due to weight restrictions, make sure there isn't an excess amount of gas in the tank. A good practice is about ¼ tank full.
Are you insured? What if the truck driver damages my vehicle?
Of course your vehicle will be fully covered under the carrier's commercial insurance. To avoid headaches, we strongly recommend you take pictures of your vehicle right before it is loaded onto the transportation truck, so that in case of damage, they can be used as proof of your vehicle's condition prior to transportation. Cosmetic damage is extremely rare however, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
Can I pack anything in my vehicle?
No. This is no longer allowed under current Department of Transportation regulations, which include weight limits, and liability protections. Vehicle transportation is strictly that, vehicle transportation.
1061 N. Victory Place
Burbank CA, 91502
Copyright © 2016 KZL, Inc. All rights reserved. Web & Graphics Design by Conventus


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Our attorneys at Smalline and Harri have been in the private practice of law for more than two decades and have extensive trial and litigation experience with an emphasis in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, and divorce. We are a personal law firm that is respected in the legal community—receiving recognition from area attorneys and judges.
At Smalline and Harri we like to call ourselves "traditional progressive." While this might seem like a contradiction in terms, our application of honorable hard work and attention to detail combined with our innovative problem-solving and dispute resolution abilities creates a dynamic combination that helps us win favorable results for our clients.
Contact Our Experienced Attorneys
At Smalline and Harri, we are committed to providing personal attention and high-quality legal representation for individuals and families in New York State in the areas of accident law, divorce law, personal injury law, immigration law, adoption law, elder law, disability law, employment law, and general commercial work. You can count on a personal, professional approach from our attorneys at Smalline and Harri. Contact us to speak with our skillful lawyers today.


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BullStone 25: Gettin' Strange plus BullPhone, March 2017
Get ready for a heap of fun from down under as Blurry Photos welcomes the first BullPhone guest! David and Dave discuss fun cryptid news with Emma from Queensland in this inaugural BullPhone. Thylacines, yowies, giant pigs, and crazy cryptid … Read More


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Ten-Year Treasury Yield Dips Below 1.7%
The yield on the benchmark 10-year note fell below 1.7% Thursday afternoon for the first time since February. It was a steep 7 basis point drop from the prior day's close to a low of 1.691% at 2:30, according to Tradeweb.
The 30-year bond yield was at 2.516%, also down 7 basis points from Wednesday's close. For the 30-year, that was near its previous 12-month low of 2.503%, where it traded on February 11, 2016.
The cause? Nothing major in terms of economic events. It was just more worries about global growth leading to risk-off trading, plus the potential for more stimulus to be added in Europe, says Kathy Jones, chief fixed-income strategist at Charles Schwab.
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi made statements about continuing to fight "excessively low inflation" Thursday in both the ECB minutes and its annual report. Also the dollar continued to slump against the yen. U.S. stocks fell.
"We're still in a situation where global risks are the big story," says Jones. "That's what the Fed is focused on. Yellen has made it clear she's worried and she's the boss."
Thomas Byrne of Wealth Strategies & Management told Barron's that he thinks that if the 10-year manages to break the 1.7%, it would face hard resistance at 1.66%. "If it breaks through (far from certain) 1.50% could be next stop," he believes.