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This week in new hires, Clearbrook Global Advisors named Leslie Billet managing director; Mercer announced that Deb Clarke has become global head of investment research; Bruce Graham recently joined CAPTRUST Financial Advisors as a vice president and advisor; Emerging Global Advisors welcomed three; and Brett Schneider and Tim Robb moved up at NFP.
Also, KPMG welcomed Michael Cross; AMG appointed Jenny Segal head of European distribution; Roof Advisory Group announced the promotions of Kevin Roof and Bradley Newman; and Alex Kramer joined the Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank in Milwaukee.
Clearbrook Global Advisors Appoints Leslie Billet as Managing Director
Clearbrook Global Advisors announced Tuesday the appointment of Leslie Billet as managing director, responsible for providing investment advisory services to institutional and high-net-worth clients. She will be based in the firm's New York headquarters and will report to Elliott Wislar, CEO.
Billet brings more than 32 years of experience, and joins from Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors, formerly Independent Fiduciary Services, where she was a senior vice president responsible for managing many of the firm's institutional client relationships and overseeing all aspects of investment portfolios, including defined contribution plans. Prior to that, she was an investment officer at Brown Brothers Harriman and a manager at the New York Stock Exchange.
Mercer Names Deb Clarke Global Head of Investment Research
Mercer announced Monday that it had appointed Deb Clarke as global head of investment research. In this role, she will lead the professionals who ensure the effective supply of strategic and manager research to clients. Her role will include responsibility for manager research, oversight of strategic research, and asset allocation analysis. She succeeds Divyesh Hindocha, who is resigning effective Oct. 1 to pursue another opportunity.
Clarke joined Mercer in 2005 and most recently has been global leader of the firm's equity boutique, a unit within its investment consulting business. Based in London, she also chairs Mercer's international rating review committee and is a member of the Asia Pacific rating review and mainstream asset investment committees. Earlier, she was a senior investment consultant at Watson Wyatt, and previously was a fund manager for 20 years, which included responsibility as head of equities at Friends Ivory & Sime.
Graham Joins CAPTRUST From Clearbrook Consulting
Bruce Graham recently joined CAPTRUST Financial Advisors as a vice president and advisor from the Stamford, Conn., office of Clearbrook Investment Consulting. He brings with him 26 years of hands-on experience in the design, implementation and management of investment strategies for corporate retirement plans, endowments, foundations and high-net-worth individuals.
"The breadth of CAPTRUST's services and depth of investment and manager research capabilities are very exciting," Graham said in a statement. "And the firm's focus on serving the needs of midmarket retirement plans, foundations, and endowments means that clients get the attention they deserve."
The Greenwich office, opened recently with the acquisition of Cambridge Financial Services and hiring of senior vice president and financial advisor, Ernest Liebre, is the firm's second new office this year.
"The opportunity to build upon our Greenwich presence by adding an experienced industry pro like Bruce Graham is a real coup," said J. Fielding Miller, CAPTRUST co-founder and CEO, in a statement. "This is a perfect example of how bringing the industry's best talent to the firm will help us grow in key retirement markets."
CAPTRUST has more than 250 associates, $103 billion in assets under advisement, over one thousand institutional clients, and more than two million retirement plan participants across 50 states. Emerging Global Advisors Welcomes Zeitoun, Smithie, Mo
Emerging Global Advisors (EGA) announced Tuesday that Marc Zeitoun joined the firm as chief product and marketing officer and Nicholas Smithie will join as chief investment strategist effective Sept. 23. In their new roles, Zeitoun is responsible for product development, product management and firm marketing and Smithie will be responsible for the firm's developing market investment strategy, providing insight for use in investment implementation, product development, portfolio management and client engagement. Also coming to EGA as a part of Smithie's team will be Stephen Mo, who will be based in London.
Most recently, Zeitoun led business development for Guggenheim Investments/Rydex as head of intermediary distribution for the firm's ETF, mutual funds, separately managed accounts and variable insurance trust businesses. Prior to that, he spent eight years at UBS, serving as executive director for investment solutions and fee-based platforms, expanding the firm's wealth management advisory business.
Smithie was previously senior emerging market strategist at UBS Investment Bank, where he developed strategic model portfolios for global institutions and for the creation of structured products. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at MFS Investment Management, where he held portfolio manager roles, including lead portfolio manager of the MFS Emerging Markets Equity Fund.
Mo was until recently a strategist for the global equity market strategy team at UBS.
NFP Names Schneider Chief Financial Officer, Robb General Counsel
NFP has announced that Brett Schneider, most recently senior vice president and controller, has been appointed executive vice president, CFO, and Tim Robb, most recently SVP, associate general counsel, has been appointed EVP, general counsel. Schneider succeeds Donna Blank, who joined in 2008, and Robb succeeds Stan Barton, who joined in 2005.
Schneider joined in January 2003 as VP and director of financial reporting, and has served as SVP and controller since January 2007. Prior to joining, he served as an audit manager at KPMG, where he worked in the financial services division for over seven years.
Robb joined in 2005 as VP, senior counsel, and was subsequently promoted to SVP, associate general counsel. Prior to joining, he was an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and served as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
KPMG Welcomes Michael Cross
KPMG announced Monday that it had hired Michael Cross as director of account relationships on its alternative investments team serving the southeast.
Cross, who has and continues to hold leadership roles with hedge fund and alternative investment associations throughout the southeast, is responsible for managing client relationships and developing new business with hedge funds, private equity firms and real estate funds. He spent nearly 20 years in the broker-dealer business, six years raising capital for hedge funds, and the past six years focused on alternative investment business development. He will be based in Nashville, Tenn., and Atlanta, Ga.
AMG Appoints Jenny Segal Head of European Distribution
Affiliated Managers Group has announced the appointment of Jenny Segal as head of European distribution. She will lead AMG's European institutional distribution team of regional specialists focused on developing new business opportunities and serving clients on behalf of AMG affiliates across Europe.
Segal, with more than 20 years of experience, will be based in London and will report to Andrew Dyson, AMG's head of global distribution. She will join in November from Neuberger Berman, where she is managing director, head of institutional, Europe. She was previously head of the institutional and hedge fund business at Old Mutual Asset Managers, and before that held senior sales positions at AllianceBernstein and Baring Asset Management. Early in her career, she was a principal for Barclays Global Investors and a pensions and investment consultant for KPMG Pensions. Roof Advisory Group Announces Roof, Newman Promotions
Roof Advisory Group has announced the promotions of Kevin Roof and Bradley Newman.
Roof has been promoted to chief operating officer, in addition to maintaining his role as chief compliance officer. He joined the firm one year after inception, and is responsible for oversight of all business operations and compliance-related aspects of the firm.
Newman has been promoted to senior advisor and director of business development. He joined the firm almost 10 years ago and is responsible for overseeing client servicing and all business development efforts. He works with clients during all phases of asset management and advisory processes.
Kramer Joins The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank in Milwaukee
U.S. Bank Wealth Management announced recently that Alex Kramer has been appointed as a wealth management advisor managing director for The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank. In this position, he will lead a team of advisors who provide clients with wealth management services.
Kramer brings more than 16 years of financial service experience. Prior to joining, he was head of sales for Johnson Bank Wealth Management, where he led sales strategies and teams throughout Wisconsin and Arizona. Additionally, he held positions with Credit Suisse Securities and Harris Private Bank.
Read the Sept. 4 New Hire Roundup at ThinkAdvisor.


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Unless you are a Buddhist monk, there's a good chance you have accumulated a lot of stuff over your lifetime. Some it is for function; some of it you are emotionally attached to. And some of it, is just plain junk. But as you know, one man's junk is another's treasure.
One way to keep your belongings in check is to keep a running list of what you own, and Keepio makes the job easy.
The cloud-based system lets you seamlessly list items, enter descriptions and even upload photos of the things you own. It's the perfect marketplace where you can collect, share and swap – all under one virtual roof.
So you might be asking yourself, why on earth would I take the time to lists everything I own. Here are a few reasons… [Read more…]

subset: commoncrawl


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We had lovely family visitors for the weekend which meant a decadent takeaway on Friday, a boozy barbecue on Saturday and a fabulous time seeing the sights in the sunshine.
This is one of the gorgeous places on the South Coast we visited: Bosham in West Sussex:
Bosham is incredibly historic and among many other things is believed to be where King Canute did his tide turning stuff. When you check out the video below you'll see why he stood no chance!
There's plenty of car parking within a few yards of the shore that doesn't flood with the tide, so don't get caught out!
And then, strolling around in the sunshine with sound of church bells filling the air, I spotted this:
Now, romance writers, doesn't that notice start a few cogs whirring? A tiny seed from which a story could grow? The questions: what, when, how...Completely irresistable, huh? I know my imagination is going into overdrive with possibilities.
I'd love to hear your ideas on what could have led to the ring ending up where it is now. And what could happen afterwards!
I'm rather liking the idea of it being found by a tall, dark, brooding marine artist actually...


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I quite enjoy bulding arches, as you probably guessed from my first public MOC.
I will probably build and MOC of this arch one day, when I have enough materials:
It's located in Moscow, and serves as an entrance to the economic exibition grounds.
If any of the master MOCists here would like to build it, it would be great!


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Learn the style of "The Godfather of the Blues". He had a great vocal style. His band was always made up of exceptionally great musicians, and they knew the Blues! When Muddy decided to play guitar in his songs, he would usually elect to play slide. His vibrato is unmistakable!
Taught by Stuart Ziff in Slide Guitar seriesLength: 11:53Difficulty: 3.0 of 5
This series by Stuart Ziff is one of the most comprehensive looks at all of the ins and outs of Slide Guitar playing you'll find anywhere.
Lesson 1
This series by Stuart Ziff is one of the most comprehensive looks at all of the ins and outs of Slide Guitar playing you'll find anywhere. Once Stuart gets your tools and gear whipped into shape, he'll...Length: 7:09 Difficulty: 3.0 FREE
Lesson 2
Should you use your trusty multi-purpose axe for slide or should you dedicate a specific guitar in your collection for the task? How should it be set up? What about string gauge? Stuart covers all this...Length: 7:59 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Lesson 3
Stuart will go through many different types of slides and discuss why there is such a great variety. You'll learn what each slide in the arsenal is best at, and what to watch out for when selecting your...Length: 12:04 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 4
Slide players are all of the map when it comes to using their fingers or picks to get certain sounds or play certain lines. You'll get a great look at the basics of playing with a pick as well as fingers...Length: 10:24 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Lesson 5
Getting just the right 'in tune' or 'slightly out of tune' sound is an art when it comes to playing Slide Guitar. Stuart goes in deep in demonstrating what proper pitch control looks like and sounds like!Length: 9:15 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 6
One of the most important aspects of slide playing (and any playing for that matter) is how you mute the strings you don't want to hear. Slide guitar presents some interesting challenges in this area...Length: 10:01 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 7
Playing chords is such an art with slide guitar. This lesson is one of many that will shed light on this challenging aspect of this style. There are many great ways to play chords, and some nice little...Length: 11:54 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 8
This lesson kicks off a mini series on learning what might be your first slide phrase. You'll learn the basic riff in this lesson and then in lessons to follow, you'll build upon it little by little....Length: 6:10 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 9
You'll continue to build on the simple slide riff introduced in the last lesson. Over the next several lessons, you'll be able to continually add and experiment with this catchy motif.Length: 4:25 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 10
Add just two more notes to this already familiar and catchy riff. The notes you'll be adding will add an aspect of bringing the phrase "home". There's another direction you can take it as well!Length: 6:03 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 11
Add the chords of the 'turnaround' to this riff and you'll really be able to bring it on home. In last lesson we added the 1 chord in the form of the double stop, and now you'll get to complete the form....Length: 7:13 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 12
Vibrato is a signature for any player in any style, but in slide guitar, the quality of the vibrato in every line is even more front and center. There are so many possibilities and a great deal of flexibility...Length: 12:36 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 13
Open tunings are so fun with slide guitar and open up a whole world of sonic possibilities. Stuart will discuss many considerations including positioning and chord forms.Length: 15:51 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 14
If you want to learn how to play electric slide guitar, you have to walk through the door that's labeled Elmore James. James was the first slide guitar player to have a hit record and his style is so...Length: 10:48 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 15
Now that you have a basic foundation for Elmore's style, we'll look and listen to a track in the style of a song that he is quite well-known for and we'll specifically hone in on the rhythm.Length: 11:23 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 16
He's rhythmic, catchy, classic and melodic. Get immersed in how Elmore James approaches soloing!Length: 11:42 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 17
Look at a different song in the style of a song called Blues At Sunrise. Eric Clapton covered this song on an album in the 90s and payed tribute to the fantastic slide playing of Elmore James. You'll...Length: 9:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 18
Work on the solo and lead component to the song covered in the last lesson that sheds some light on a slightly different way of playing that Elmore James is known for.Length: 10:09 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 19
Learn to play a solo in the style of "The Sky is Crying" which is a slow blues that showcases that attention to every detail that Elmore had for every note he held out!Length: 11:59 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 20
Son House didn't play a whole lot when he played, but what he did play... Said a lot! Utilizing open G tuning, you'll learn how to play in the style of one of the true masters of Delta Blues.Length: 12:49 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 21
Dig a little more in to the sound of the Delta Blues by looking at the style of Robert Johnson. The story goes that Johnson sold his soul to the devil in order to play the guitar. He went from town to...Length: 10:39 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 22
Learn the style of "The Godfather of the Blues". He had a great vocal style. His band was always made up of exceptionally great musicians, and they knew the Blues! When Muddy decided to play guitar...Length: 11:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 23
Learn from one of the masters! He's got an uncompromisingly unique style. He was especially good at addressing the changes in a musical way. He had a very good understanding of what he was playing and...Length: 16:14 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 24
Continue to dive in to the style of Michael Bloomfield, one of the most meticulous and strategic guitar players to set the standard for great slide playing!Length: 13:47 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 25
Take another look at a track based on the style of "Shake Your Money Maker" in the style of Michael Bloomfield. Dive deeper into his quirks and intentional nature as a slide guitar player.Length: 11:07 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 26
Duane Allman invented his own way to play slide guitar that was unlike any other in his time, and really of all time. He had this way of avoiding open strings when most people used open strings to create...Length: 20:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 27
Continue diving into the unique and sought after slide style of one of the greatest players of all time! Work in the upper register with several nice riffs.Length: 11:55 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 28
Look at a tune in the style of Statesboro Blues in open E, but playing in the key of D. It's another classic Allman sound!Length: 12:15 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 29
Harrison had a tremendous nose for a good guitar melody. His solos reflected taste, restraint and flare all at the same time and his slide guitar playing was no exception!Length: 11:42 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 30
Hardly just a sideman for Tom Petty, Mike Campbell has contributed some of the greatest guitar melodies of all time. Dig into his slide playing here!Length: 11:01 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 31
Ry Cooder was one of the most unique guitar players in the world. He has no boundaries musically. A great Blues musician but he's also a 'world' musician. He's been all over the world, and worked with...Length: 14:42 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Lesson 32
Duane Allman had an otherworldly way of using his ear to instantly come up with tasteful ideas over music he'd never heard before. Get an even closer look at Allman's ability to do this in this lesson!Length: 12:43 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 33
Now you'll get a chance to take all the styles you've worked with in this series and add your own bit of creativity. We're going to do an improvisation exercise and if you've been tracking with this series,...Length: 16:01 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 34
We're going to step outside the Blues greats for a bit here and talk about some non-Blues sounds using open tuning. This approach will further broaden your approach to slide playing!Length: 11:11 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Lesson 35
If you can't groove, you can't really make music. Even the best melodic intentions have nothing if there isn't solid rhythm. Stuart hones in on the importance of rhythm and practices lead playing that...Length: 12:51 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 36
Chords are of course part of great rhythm playing, and they can be part of great slide playing as well! You've heard and seen it done in this series already, but here, Stuart goes deep into chord creation...Length: 10:26 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 37
Much of what we've done in this series has been with beautiful and convenient open tunings. Here, Stuart will face the challenges of playing slide guitar in standard tuning head on! He'll share valuable...Length: 8:44 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
About Stuart Ziff
View Full Biography
A veteran guitarist fluent in, Blues, R&B, Funk, Rock, Reggae and everything in between. As a Studio Musician playing guitar on numerous commercials, demos for singer-songwriters and records.
A career as a songwriter that began with Warner Bros recording artist David Ball's first Nashville CD in 1994 " Thinking Problem ." Stuart was co writer on the hit song " Thinking Problem." Also playing on the record supplying acoustic and electric guitar. Since 2000, He's been living in Los Angles.
Presently the Guitarist for the band WAR, touring and recording with them. As a songwriter for Film & TV: " National Lampoons Cattle Call ," Americas Funniest Home Videos and Bad Girls. Songs on recordings by Eric Burden, Johnny Adams, Gary Hoey and Theresa James. Since 2005, a member of the faculty at Musician's Institute in Hollywood.
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
In this lesson Justin introduces his series on playing with a capo and dishes out some basic tips, including how to properly...Free LessonSeries Details
Miche introduces several new chord concepts that add color and excitement to any progression.Free LessonSeries Details
Orville Johnson introduces turnarounds and provides great ideas and techniques.Free LessonSeries Details
Award winning, Canadian fingerstyle guitarist Calum Graham introduces his Jamplay Artist Series, which aims to transform...Free LessonSeries Details
Phil discusses inspiration, where it's found and how you can take almost anything around you and use it to inspire your own...Free LessonSeries Details
Jessica kindly introduces herself, her background, and her approach to this series.Free LessonSeries Details
Alan shares his background in teaching and sets the direction for his beginning bass series with simple ideas and musical...Free LessonSeries Details
Our electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
Albert Collins brought a lot of style to the blues scene. In this lesson, Kenny breaks down Albert's style for you to learn.Free LessonSeries Details
David MacKenzie introduces the tapping technique and teaches a fun exercise. This lesson includes a backing track.Free LessonSeries Details
Evan Brewer explains everything you need to know in order to get going with your bass guitar. Topics include the parts of...Free LessonSeries Details
Lesson 25 from Glen presents a detailed exercise that firmly builds up fret hand dexterity for both speed and accuracy.Free LessonSeries Details
Find out what this series is all about.Free LessonSeries Details
In this lesson, Larry discusses and demonstrates how to tune your bass. He explains why tuning is critical and discusses...Free LessonSeries Details
James explains how to tap arpeggios for extended musical reach.Free LessonSeries Details
Jane Miller talks about chord solos in part one of this fascinating mini-series.Free LessonSeries Details
Join Andy as he takes a look at the style of one of the most influential guitarists of all time: Eddie Van Halen. In the...Free LessonSeries Details
Tom Appleman takes a look at a blues in E with a focus on the Chicago blues style. The bass line for Chicago blues is very...Free LessonSeries Details
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I am 66 years young and I still got it! I would have never known this if it had not been for Jamplay! I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar! Ha! I cannot express enough how great you're website is! It is for beginners and advanced pickers! I am an advanced picker and thought I had lost it but thanks to you all, I found it again! Even though I only play by ear, I have been a member a whopping whole two weeks now and have already got Brent's country shuffle and country blues down and of course with embellishments. Thank you all for your wonderful program!
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I'm a fifty eight year old newbie who owns a guitar which has been sitting untouched in a corner for about seven years now. Last weekend I got inspired to pick it up and finally learn how to play after watching an amazing Spanish guitarist on TV. So, here I am. I'm starting at the beginning with Steve Eulberg and I couldn't be happier (except for the sore fingers :) Some day I'm going to play like Steve! I'm self employed with a hectic schedule. With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace, rewinding and replaying the videos until I get it. This is a very enjoyable diversion from my work yet I still feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile. Thanks a lot, Greg
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Tag Archives: "Paws..for a Cause"
Why I chose dogs over humans
This weekend was "Paws..for a Cause", my annual fundraiser for the local Humane Society. It is a super fun day and it always reminds me of why I chose this direction for my studio. I shot people for years. … Continue reading
Posted in Digital fine art, iPhoneography, MPG the Business Owner, My dog obsession, My photography world Tagged "Paws..for a Cause", dog photography, finding a niche in photography, Hawaii, Hawaii Life HGTV, HGTV, how to photograph dogs, images of dogs, Lara Blair, Lara Blair Images, Photographing dogs:techniques for digital photographers, SW WA Humane Society 3 Comments


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Among recent enforcement actions taken by the SEC were charges against cosmetics company Revlon for misleading shareholders during a going-private transaction; a settlement with eight former directors of Morgan Keegan funds for failing to properly oversee asset valuations; charges against two executives at a medical insurance company for a Ponzi scheme; and charges against a penny stock promoter for illegally boosting the price of the stock to stimulate sales.
Eight Former Morgan Keegan Fund Directors Settle in Valuation Failure
Eight former directors of five Regions Morgan Keegan open- and closed-end funds that were heavily invested in securities backed by subprime mortgages have settled with the SEC on charges that they failed to properly oversee asset valuation in the funds. In some cases, portfolio managers were allowed to arbitrarily value the assets.
J. Kenneth Alderman of Birmingham, Ala.; Jack Blair of Germantown, Tenn.; Albert Johnson of Hoover, Ala.; James Stillman McFadden of Germantown; Allen Morgan Jr. of Memphis; W. Randall Pittman of Birmingham; Mary Stone of Birmingham; and Archie Willis III of Memphis were originally charged in December after the SEC found that they delegated their responsibility to ensure a fair valuation to a valuation committee, and provided inadequate guidance on how fair valuation determinations should be made.
The eight made no effort to determine how valuations were reached by the committee, despite the fact that the assets in question constituted substantial percentages of the funds, in most cases more than 60%. The funds involved were the RMK High Income Fund, RMK Multi-Sector High Income Fund, RMK Strategic Income Fund, RMK Advantage Income Fund, and Morgan Keegan Select Fund.
The valuation committee, for its part, didn't use reasonable procedures to value the assets, and often allowed the portfolio manager to arbitrarily determine values. That meant that the funds overstated the values of the assets just before the crash of the housing market in 2007. Morgan Keegan and other firms were previously charged by the SEC and other agencies, and the firms agreed to settle the charges for $200 million.
The directors neither admitted nor denied the charges, but agreed to the entry of the settled SEC order.
Penny Stock Promoter Busted in FBI Sting
Penny stock promoter David Bahr of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., was charged by the SEC for fraudulently arranging the purchase of $2.5 million worth of shares in the penny stock company iTrackr Systems in an attempt to fake legitimate market interest and lure other investors to purchase the stock.
Bahr artificially increased the trading price and volume of iTrackr Systems stock when he conspired with a purported businessman with access to a network of corrupt brokers. The plan was to keep the price of the stock high enough for him to promote it later and drive it even higher. He also arranged for distribution of promotional material that overstated the likelihood of iTrackr's success and future profits.
However, the supposed businessman Bahr was dealing with was actually an undercover FBI agent. In November, Bahr connected with the agent, who, he was told, represented a group of registered representatives who had trading discretion over certain client accounts.
In exchange for a 30% kickback, these brokers could arrange to purchase iTrackr stock through their customers' accounts and hold the shares for up to a year in order to avoid sales that might decrease iTrackr's stock price.
Bahr agreed to pay the kickback, signing on for the purchase of 10 million iTrackr shares at an average of $0.25 per share for a total of $2.5 million, and also agreed not to disclose the kickback to any iTrackr investors. Then, during a test run of their arrangement, Bahr paid a $3,000 kickback in exchange for the initial purchase of $14,000 worth of iTrackr shares.
The SEC ordered a suspension of trading on iTrackr shares; its investigation is continuing. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California has filed criminal charges against Bahr.
Revlon Charged with Misleading Shareholders on Going-Private Transaction
The SEC announced that it has charged the cosmetics company Revlon with federal securities law violations for misleading investors during a transaction to go private.
Without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, Revlon agreed to settle the charges and pay a penalty of $850,000.
The agency's investigation found that the company ring-fenced from its independent board members information on a voluntary exchange offer to satisfy a significant debt to its controlling shareholder, MacAndrews and Forbes (M&F). In 2009, M&F asked Revlon to offer minority shareholders the option to exchange their common stock shares on a one-for-one basis for preferred shares with certain financial characteristics. Revlon would then provide those exchanged common shares to M&F to pay down its debt.
When Revlon's 401(k) trustee said that the transaction could only be done with 401(k) stockholders if a third-party advisor judged that the preferred shares were at least equal to the fair market value of the common shares, the deal was threatened—since the third-party advisor found the preferred shares were worth less.
So Revlon took a number of actions to ensure that both the trustee's insistence that the preferred shares be at least equal to common stock FMV and its determination that the shares were not in fact equal did not reach shareholders involved in the transaction. As a result, shareholders were presented with materially misleading information regarding the proposed transaction, and the board was prevented from considering whether the stock value was adequate during its deliberation on whether to approve the transaction.
Dallas Medical Insurance Company Execs Charged in Ponzi Scheme
Duncan MacDonald and Gloria Solomon, two executives at a Dallas-based medical insurance company, were charged by the SEC with operating a $10 million Ponzi scheme that victimized at least 80 investors.
The two solicited investments for Global Corporate Alliance (GCA) by promoting it as a proven business with a strong track record of generating revenue from the sale of limited-benefit medical insurance. Actually, however, GCA was a startup with zero operating history and only marginally more revenue. In 2008, according to the SEC, MacDonald set out to start an insurance company that would market medical insurance to large groups. Despite looking for months for a single investor to fund the company's initial capital needs, he failed—but that didn't stop him and Solomon from spending money on the business that they didn't have. They hired employees, heavily marketed the program, and secured a sponsorship agreement with a large national membership group. MacDonald was GCA's president and chairman, and Solomon was chief administrative officer.
When it was obvious that the search for a single investor to fund the venture was fruitless, MacDonald instead looked for smaller fish to finance the company. He pitched it to both investors and brokers as a going concern with more than 100,000 premium-paying members, and went so far as to claim that a Chinese hedge fund had bought a portion of GCA's revenue stream from paying members. There was no real revenue stream, nor was there a Chinese hedge fund.
MacDonald and Solomon concocted both monthly enrollment numbers and a "Monthly Overage Disbursement Statement" that purported to show monthly member enrollments and cancellations. It was formatted to look like the report from a database, but it was actually a manually populated Excel spreadsheet that Solomon updated.
These phony documents were used to entice prospective investors and also to make payouts to those who had already signed on out of the funds from later investors. Of course, eventually the well ran dry; MacDonald and Solomon each took around $1 million of the $10 million in investor funds they'd acquired, and spent the remaining investor funds on various business-related expenses until GCA's accounts were left with a negative balance.
Then they concocted a chain of excuses for the lack of additional payments to investors, while MacDonald tried to find a fresh crop of victims. He failed again.
The SEC seeks various relief for investors including disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, financial penalties and permanent injunctions. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas has filed criminal charges against MacDonald and Solomon.
Check out DOL, SEC Enforcement: CEO Steals Detroit Police, Firefighter Pension Cash to Buy Strip Malls on AdvisorOne.


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with clips such as this one that is available at Bailey's Blossoms what lil girl would not love to receive them as a special gift.
The tutus are adorable and are available in many different colors and styles. The prices for the clips, tutus, and other items at Bailey's Blossoms are great as well. You can buy any of the wonderful items at Bailey's Blossoms directly from their website here
Win: One of Annie's Home readers will win a $20 gift certificate to Bailey's Blossoms to shop for their own goodies.
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I know we've still got a few months to go before rolling over into the new year, but I just wanted to share my new planner with you! You might recognised it from the Pins post I put up yesterday. It's by a very sweet lady by the name of Jolyn, who runs an online shop here in Singapore called Actspressions.
Isn't it lovely? It's full of 12 different illustrations, and even includes holiday dates for Singapore – which is great for me, because I always seem to miss them. The hardest part is that I can't use it until next year ;)
So for anyone here in Singapore looking to get organised for next year, be sure to check out Actspressions – they've also got cards and calendars, and Jolyn couldn't be nicer :)
Happy Wednesday!


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The Cologne based practice JSWD Architekten recently unveiled the new office building for the global integrated materials and technology group ThyssenKrupp AG in Essen / Germany. The 54 metres high 'Q1' forms with its expressive shape the heart of the new campus.
Here is what the architects explain:
"The geometric restrictions of the diverse volumes surrounding the centre create an indistinguishable outer shape. The interior is characterized by exciting room sequences where the glazed atrium forms the centre. It extends across 11 floors and is structured by intermediate levels and floating bridges. The room concludes with two landscape windows aligned with the water axis measuring 28 by 26 metres. The windowpanes are supported by filigree cable constructions, so the window appears to the user to be made from a single pane of glass. All these elements combine to form a corporate architecture, thus making it impossible to mistake the new corporate centre for the headquarters of different corporations."


text: Grand Sofà by Antonio Citterio takes centre stage in a new presentation on Level 2 of the VitraHaus. Spacious and elegant, the installation unites various classic pieces with this refined sofa design.The interior portrays the apartment of a fictional inhabitant named Albert. The former zoologist loves vintage designs and has furnished his living and dining area with a mix of different classics. This is what makes the new Grand Sofà so ideally suited for Albert's home: due to its understated aesthetic, the sofa can be paired with a diverse range of furniture pieces.


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NFL Clip Of The Week: Eagles vs. Giants Highlights! (Michael Vick Beastin)
"Highlights of the Eagles' thrilling 38-31 victory over the New York Giants. Watch NFL GameDay Final Sundays at midnight ET on NFL Network."
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Suppose you are sitting in the Chinese politburo in Beijing. Would you rather President Obama or Mitt Romney, who's just declared that the era of American weakness abroad is over, win on Nov. 6?
Well, you can do something about it. Feel free to get out your credit card, pull up Obama's fund-raising Web site, barackobama.com, and give to the campaign — along with a few thousand of your closest friends. As long as your donation is less than $200, no questions will be asked about whether you're even a US citizen.
If it's under $50, there won't even be a record of it.
It's illegal for foreign nationals to contribute to US elections. Yet the Obama campaign practically invites foreigners to give.
The Obama-Biden campaign has raised more than $271 million from donations under $200, vs. $69 million for Romney. But the Obama team's done so in part by abjuring the most basic controls against fraud or illegal foreign donations.
The Government Accountability Institute, a Washington watchdog group, says it's likely a high percentage of Obama online's donors aren't Americans. For starters, a full 43 percent of the traffic on the site barackobama.com comes from foreign Internet provider addresses, versus just 11.9 percent at Romney's equivalent site.
GAI's 108-page report on online campaign fund-raising at local, state, and national levels shows that many campaigns have inadequate safeguards against foreign donors influencing this election — but Obama's stands out as a veritable cesspool.
Obama's campaign refuses to use industry-standard safeguards against online credit-card fraud. For example, some 90 percent of e-commerce companies (and Romney's site) use Card Verification Value data, which checks those three or four numbers on the back of the credit card to make sure the card user matches the card holder. The Obama site uses it if you want to buy a T-shirt or hat — but not if you make a donation.
Indeed, the moment you sign up at my.barackobama.com, you get numerous solicitations to donate. When you give, you get a thank you e-mail — even if you happen to live in Shanghai.
One Chinese blogger has posted the Obama thank-you notes for his $3 and $5 donations on his Chinese site — which includes hyperlinks steering visitors to the official Obama fund-raising page.
Multiply those untraceable $3 and $5 donations by a few thousand or tens of thousands of Chinese nationals giving up to the $200 limit, and the money starts to add up.
Why suspect so much Chinese giving? Consider the site Obama.com. It's owned by Shanghai-based Obama campaign bundler Robert Roche. More than two-thirds of its traffic comes from non-US visitors, nearly 90 percent of them Chinese. And visitors there immediately get directed to barackobama.com, where they become part of the fund-raising mill.
Roche, one of Obama's top advisers on trade with China, runs a Shanghai-based media company called Acorn, Inc. Chinese banks use Acorn for — what else? — credit-card transactions. One has to be very naive to believe those banks chose Acorn on their own, instead of at the behest of the Chinese government — or that none of those transactions involve contributions to the Obama campaign.
It certainly wouldn't be the first time China has seen fit to intrude itself in our electoral process. Who can forget Charlie Trie, the Little Rock restaurateur who channeled money from China's intelligence service to the 1996 Clinton-Gore campaign, or then-Vice President Al Gore gathering all that Chinese cash at a California Buddhist temple?
Mind you, our president is officially against letting foreigners influence our elections. He even blasted the Supreme Court for supposedly opening the door for elections to be "bankrolled by foreign entities."
But his campaign's actions tell a very different story: At best, it refuses to do anything to prevent foreigners (or fraudsters) from donating.
The Obama campaign clearly doesn't care. The real question is whether the media, Congress, and the American people do.
Arthur Herman's latest book is "Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War Two."


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Arturo Cephalopos was a wandmaker in the 19th century. During this period, silver lime was fashionable as a wand wood, and he claimed that its alleged association with divination powers was "a falsehood circulated by merchants like Gerbold Ollivander, who have overstocked their workshops with it and hope to shift their surplus." However, according to Gerbold's grandson Garrick Ollivander, Cephalopos was a "slipshod wandmaker" and "an ignoramus," who, to no one's surprise, went out of business.[1]
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
Notes and referencesEdit
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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HG UPDATE: For the most up-to-date supermarket list -- complete with a printable, grocery-shopping checklist -- check out our 2016 Supermarket List! It features HG's latest and greatest grocery-store finds, plus classic must-haves. You've gotta get these items in your shopping cart…
Our latest grocery list is packed with everything you need for a guilt-free 2009! And CLICK HERE to download our FANTASTIC printable version!!!
Fat-free cheeses Kraft Fat Free Cheeses (slices and shreds) Lifetime Fat Free Cheeses (shreds and blocks) Fat-free cottage cheese Fat-free ricotta cheese (light or low-fat is the next best thing) Fat-free cream cheese Fat-free crumbled feta (or reduced-fat)Low-fat cheeses The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges (and Light Gourmet Cheese Bites!) Galaxy Veggie Slices & Shreds (soy-based cheeses) Kraft 2% Milk Cheeses (Swiss slices and Mexican-blend shreds!) Light string cheese Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cheeses (pre-portioned shreds, snacks and more!) Sargento Reduced Fat Cheeses Reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping (usually found in the pasta aisle) Cabot Reduced Fat CheesesFat-free liquid egg substitute Egg Beaters, Better'n Eggs, Nulaid ReddiEgg Fat-free or low-fat yogurt Yoplait Light (new CAKE flavors!), Dannon Light & Fit, Weight Watchers, Yoplait Fiber One Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt with Fruit Chobani Nonfat Greek YogurtLow-calorie yogurt smoothies Lightfull Satiety, Weight WatchersLight soymilk and non-dairy beverages 8th Continent Light Vanilla Soymilk, Silk Light Vanilla Soymilk (refrigerated) Almond Breeze in Unsweetened Vanilla, Unsweetened Original, and Unsweetened Chocolate (located with the non-refrigerated soymilks) Assorted low-calorie condiments Fat Free Reddi-wip Cool Whip Free (in the freezer aisle) Coffee-mate Original Fat Free liquid creamer Coffee-mate Fat Free or Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer Fat-free half & half Fat-free sour cream Fat-free mayonnaise
Puffed stuff Puffed wheat, puffed rice, puffed corn Kashi 7 Whole Grain PuffsCold cereals Fiber One Bran Cereal (original) Kashi Vive Barbara's Bakery Puffins Special K Cinnamon Pecan Kix Kashi Honey Sunshine Shredded wheat (like Fiber One's new Frosted version!)Hot cereals Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets Quaker Simple Harvest Instant Multigrain Hot Cereal Amy's Hot Cereal Bowls (freezer aisle)
Deli-style slices Nearly fat-free turkey slices (5% fat or less) Applegate Farms sliced ham (or lean ham from the deli counter) Lean, skinless, boneless chicken and turkey breast Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Perdue Fit & Easy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Foster Farms Savory ServingsExtra-lean (or lean) ground turkey breast Jennie-O, ButterballFat-free (or nearly fat-free) hot dogs Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Beef Franks, Yves Meatless Hot Dogs or Tofu Dogs, Ball Park Fat Free Franks or Bun Size Smoked White Turkey Franks, Hoffy Extra Lean Beef FranksSeafood Canned/pouched tuna in water Canned/pouched salmon in water Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Steak Entrées Real or imitation crabmeat Frozen or fresh shrimp and scallops Frozen or fresh fish filets (like tilapia and cod) Starkist Salmon, Albacore, and Tuna CreationsAssorted meaty extras Hormel Turkey Pepperoni or Yves Meatless Pepperoni Jennie-O Lean Turkey Burger Patties Extra-lean or lean turkey bacon (like Jennie-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon) Bacon bits (real or imitation) Jerky (soy, turkey, and/or beef)
Mann's Light BitesMann's Snacks on the GoMann's Lettuce SinglesGreen Giant Valley Fresh Steamers (freezer aisle)Green Giant Just for One! (freezer aisle)Broccoli slaw mixGiant romaine lettuce leaves and cabbage (great for wraps!) Salad greens Frozen veggies (steamable ones!) Frozen mashed butternut squash Fresh butternut squash (for HG's special fries) Onions (for our famous Lord of the Onion Rings!) Baby carrots Pickles Jicama (buy it pre-sliced!) Spaghetti squash Broccoli florets (great dipped in salsa!) Sugar snap peas (awesome straight from the bag) More fresh vegetables (your choice)
Low-calorie canned soups Campbell's Soup at Hand (check stats for low-fat ones), Campbell's V8 Soups, Progresso 99% Fat Free Soups, Progresso Light Soups (endorsed by Weight Watchers!), Amy's Light in Sodium Organic Soups (the Chunky Tomato Bisque is amazing!)Broths Fat-free chicken, beef, or vegetable broth (look for ones low in sodium)Canned low-fat turkey or veggie chili Hormel Chili in Turkey or Vegetarian, Health Valley ChilisMore guilt-free soups Tabatchnick Soups (freezer aisle) Mishima instant soups (Miso and Edamame!) More canned fun Canned pure pumpkin (Libby's!) Canned hearts of palm Canned sweet corn kernels (for salads, soups, and more) Canned beans (look for low-sodium) Canned tomato sauce (look for flavored varieties!) Canned crushed or diced tomatoes (great for chunky sauce, and look for flavored options!)
Quaker Rice Snacks Rice Cakes Quakes Multigrain Minis Mini Delights Sugar-free or no-sugar-added pudding cups Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding Snacks, Sugar Free Handi-Snacks, South Beach Diet Pudding Cups (with fiber!), Hunt's No Sugar Added Snack Packs Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Rice Pudding and Tapioca Pudding100-calorie-or-less snack packs and treats Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs (any variety) 100 Calorie Right Bites and 100 Calorie Mini Bites Hostess 100 Calorie Packs (look for the new Strawberry and Twinkie Bites!) Special K Snack Bites 100-calorie packs of Blue Diamond Almonds Hershey's, Reese's, and York 100 Calorie Bars Entenmann's Little Bites 100 Calorie Packs Weight Watchers Snack Cakes (look for the new Twinkie-like ones!) VitaMuffins and VitaBrownies (freezer aisle!) Chex Mix 100 Calorie Snacks Pringles StixBite-worthy bars South Beach Living Snack Bar Delights Fiber One Chewy Bars (new flavors out!) Kashi GoLean Bars Curves Bars Quaker Sweet & Salty Crunch Granola Bars Quaker Chewy 90 Calorie Granola Bars Quaker Chewy Granola Bars with Protein Special K Cereal Bars and Bliss Bars Chex Mix Bars Kraft LiveActive Chewy Granola Bars Promax 70 Calorie BarsLow-fat chips Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips Kettle Bakes Potato, Pretzel, and Pita Chips Popchips (or Popped Chips) Baked! Potato Crisps Brothers-All-Natural Potato CrispsSoy crisps Quaker, Genisoy, Glenny's
Light english muffins Weight Watchers, Thomas' Light Multi Grain or 100 Calorie Original, Western Bagel Alternative, Fiber OneLow-fat flour tortillas (with around 110 calories each and high in fiber) La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb High Fiber Tortillas (previously labeled Whole Wheat Low-Carb/Low-Fat), Mission Carb Balance (Soft Taco Size), Tumaro's 8" Low in Carbs or Healthy Flour Tortillas, Flatout Light Wraps Mountain Bread Whole Wheat Light Wraps (at Whole Foods and natural food stores)Light bread (low in calories and high in fiber) Weight Watchers, Nature's Own Light, Nature's Own Double Fiber, Arnold's Bakery Light, Pepperidge Farm (Light Style, Very Thin, Classic Whole Grain), Sara Lee Delightful Bread, Fiber One breadsLight buns Nature's Own Double Fiber Buns, Pepperidge Farm Classic Whole Grain White Hamburger Buns and Hot Dog Buns Arnold Select Sandwich ThinsLow-calorie bagels Western Bagel Alternative, Weight Watchers, Kim's Light BagelsHigh-fiber pita bread Western Bagel Alternative, Weight Watchers
Low-calorie salad dressings Girard's Fat Free, Wish-Bone Bountifuls, Kraft Free, Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Fat Free, Wish-Bone Light, Newman's Own Lighten Up!, Litehouse (check labels for the low-cal ones), Kraft Reduced Fat On the Go PouchesSpray dressings Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers, Ken's Steak House Lite Accents, Newman's Own Natural Salad Mist Light buttery spread or light whipped butter Brummel & Brown, Land O'Lakes Whipped Light Butter, Smart Balance 37% Light Buttery SpreadSugar-free maple syrup Cary's Sugar Free, Mrs. Butterworth's Sugar Free, Log Cabin Sugar Free, Joseph's Sugar FreeGuilt-free extras Salsa (fresh is best!) Smucker's Sugar Free Preserves Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce Hellmann's/Best Foods Dijonnaise Ketchup (Heinz is the best, and Heinz Reduced Sugar is a super-low-cal option!) Mustard (get a variety!) Vivi's Original Sauce Carnival Mustards Reduced-sodium or light soy sauce I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray KC Masterpiece Classic Blend BBQ Sauce (only 10 calories per serving!)
Veggie burgers Boca Meatless Burgers and Veggie Patties, Gardenburger Veggie Burgers, Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Patties, Dr. Praeger's Veggie Burgers (blot the oil!), Amy's Veggie Burgers Ground-beef-style soy crumbles Boca Meatless Ground Burger (or Crumbles), Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe CrumblesBreaded-chicken-style soy patties Boca Meatless Chik'n Patties Original, Morningstar Farms Chik Patties OriginalGuilt-free wraps, burritos, etc. Boca Meatless Breakfast Wraps, Amy's Burritos, Cedarlane Low Fat Garden Vegetable Enchiladas Kashi Pocket Bread SandwichesSassy sandwiches Lean Cuisine Panini Sandwiches, Healthy Choice Panini Sandwiches SoLean Breakfast English Muffin Sandwich SoLean Cheeseburgers Jimmy Dean D-Lights Breakfast Sandwiches Lean Cuisine Flatbread Melts Weight Watchers Smart Ones Morning ExpressHG pizza finds Amy's Spinach Pizza in a Pocket Sandwich South Beach Living Pizza Amy's Cheese Pizza Toaster Pops Lean Cuisine Brick Oven Style Pizzas Kashi All Natural Frozen PizzasEntrees and more Boca Meatless Lasagna Boca Meatless Chili Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs (meatless) Amy's Mexican Tamale Pie Amy's Shepherd's Pie Kashi All Natural Entrees Healthy Choice Café Steamers (new Asian options out!) Kellogg's Special K Original Waffles
Diet soda Coke Zero, Coke Cherry Zero, Sprite Zero, Diet Coke Plus, Diet Rite Pure Zero, Fresca Coffee and tea Millstone Coffee, Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Celestial Seasonings Tea, Stash TeaSugar-free powdered drink mixes Crystal Light, Wyler's Light, Lipton Iced Tea To Go Water and assorted guilt-free sips SoBe Adrenaline Rush, Sugar Free SoBe Lean Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets Diet Hot Cocoa Mix (make sure to get the 25-calorie Diet one!) Dasani Water, Aquafina Water Hint Water, Metromint Water Minute Maid Fruit Falls
Pantry staples Whole-wheat flour Rolled oats (regular, not instant) Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Cake Mixes Low-fat honey graham crackers Better'n Peanut Butter (if your market doesn't have it, go for reduced-fat PB) Brown rice (pre-portioned and/or instant) Fiber One Premium Muffin Mix Fiber One Complete Pancake MixNo-calorie sweetener packets Splenda, Sweet'N Low, Equal, stevia (like Truvia) Nonstick cooking spray Pam No-Stick Cooking Spray, Pam Professional High Heat, Pam Olive Oil SprayAssorted spices, seasonings, etc. Vanilla extract Cinnamon Pumpkin pie spice Garlic powder Onion powder Dry seasoning mixes (taco, fajita, chili, etc.)Low-calorie marinades Mrs. Dash, Lawry's, Newman's Own More must-haves Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated (comes loose in the box, not in packets) Splenda Flavors for Coffee Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blends Unsweetened cocoa powder Torani Sugar Free Syrups Sippah Milk Flavoring Straws Instant coffee crystals Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations


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text: Plasma Solutions Europlasma is a global technology leader in innovative nano-coating solutions based on low pressure plasma technology, for which it develops proprietary processes, designs and builds turnkey vacuum plasma treatment equipment and supplies process chemicals. With over 25 years of experience in plasma technology, Europlasma is assisting its clients in achieving the highest performance and protection for their products, with a production process that has the lowest environmental footprint. Europlasma has innovation at its core, having pioneered with the first roll-to-roll plasma machine in 1994 and the first industrial nano-coating machine in 1996. It has been at the forefront of plasma technology ever since, with its patented nanocoating technology platform Nanofics® allowing OEM 's and manufacturers to apply liquid-repellent or other functional ultra-thin coatings on complex three dimensional shapes as well as textile rolls. Today, the Nanofics® technology is increasingly used on an industrial scale across the world by renowned clients for protective coatings of electronic devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, headphones and other wearables) and electronic components (next to entire consumer products also individual components or PCB 's are treated),and for functionalization of filtration media and medical plastics. In 2015 Europlasma also launched the PlasmaGuard® nanocoating solutions for durable water repellent treatment of sporting goods. Europlasma is headquartered in Oudenaarde (Belgium) and has a subsidiary in Hong Kong. Customers are served locally with the support of a worldwide network of local agents and distributors, including testing facilities in Belgium, USA, China, and India. More Details


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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
over 700 hits in less then 2 days
It has been less then 2 days since the stat counter was installed and it shows 700 hits. A large number of readers visited the blog after the Joe Thunder interview on the Plains radio, FreedomMarch.org.
Posted by Robert Stevens at 6:49 AM


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A Monopoly On Fashion
Colin Swan, newsman for the CHLO in Canada, awards the winner of the 1976 Monopoly Tournament at Elgin Mall, St. Thomas Ontario. No doubt that Joey Starcevic on the far right is wondering how much money he'll need to save for buying a sweet blazer like Colin's.
Photo courtesy Elgin County Archives
42.777721 -81.182653


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Another externality dismissed in market systems is the fate of the species. Systemic risk in the financial system can be remedied by the taxpayer, but no one will come to the rescue if the environment is destroyed. That it must be destroyed is close to an institutional imperative. Business leaders who conduct propaganda campaigns to convince the population that anthropogenic global warming is a liberal hoax understand full well how grave is the threat, but they must maximize short-term profit and market share. If they don't, someone else will. And this vicious cycle could well turn out to be lethal. --Noam Chomsky, Is the World Too Big to Fail? (2011)
The most pressing issue now facing our world is the state of the environment. If things are allowed to worsen, our world could turn into a hungry ghost realm. So we, as bodhisattvas, have the duty to protect it and promote its wellbeing. And the most useful way we can do so is by awakening as many minds as possible to the magnitude and urgency of this issue. --Sakya Trizin Rinpoche (2010)
In Buddhist mythology, the world of the hungry ghosts is one of the six realms of conditioned being depicted in the Buddhist "wheel of life." Its three higher realms are inhabited by gods, titans and humans. The three lower realms are those of animals, hell beings and hungry ghosts. In the first quotation above, an eminent Buddhist master warns that our global ecological crisis could lead to the Earth degenerating from a biosphere that supports an extraordinarily rich variety of human (and other animal and plant) life into a world populated by hungry ghosts.
A traditional Buddhist belief is that self-realization is possible only on the biological basis of a human body. So Sakya Trizin points out that global ecological collapse could also eliminate the possibility of enlightenment from the Earth. Understood more metaphorically, the collapse of human civilization, which has become a very real possibility, might leave only a few humans desperately struggling to survive on an impoverished planet, preoccupied indefinitely with finding their next meal and unable to focus on anything else.
Dr Gabor Maté, a psychiatrist working with hard drug addicts, sees the wheel of life as a mandala revolving through six realms, populated by different aspects of human existence. In the animal realm we are driven by basic survival instincts and appetites; in the hell realm by states of unbearable rage and despair. The hungry ghost realm is the domain of addiction where we endlessly seek something outside ourselves to satisfy an insatiable yearning for fulfilment. The street addicts in his care spend almost all their time in this state. But many of us move back and forth between realms, even in the course of a day. Maté considers that "post-industrial" capitalism has created a society addicted to shopping, work, drugs and sex. If we ask how such a "hungry ghost society" would treat its ecological inheritance, perhaps we should study those street addicts.
Of course, this state of affairs also has everything to do with leadership. How do we address the type of psychopathology among leaders that recommends we follow "business-as-usual" to the bitter end of ecological collapse? We all understand homicide. Thanks to the 20th century, we also recognize genocide. But we haven't yet agreed on a word to denote what the human species is doing now: killing great ecosystems like the world's oceans, destroying the stable climate system upon which agriculture itself depends or driving more than half the species on Earth to extinction. We are not witnessing a failure of imagination, but rather the triumph of propaganda. It is especially the case in the world's most powerful country, America, where the media that have become our "collective nervous system" are concerned not to inform us, but to sell our eyeballs to advertisers.
An important part of genuine education is realizing that many of the things we think are natural and inevitable (and therefore should accept) are in fact conditioned (and therefore can be changed). The world doesn't need to be the way it is; there are other possibilities. The present role of the media is to foreclose most of those possibilities by confining public awareness and discussion within narrow limits. Our society is now dominated by a power elite composed of governments and large corporations which include the major media outlets. People move easily from each of these institutions to the other because there is very little difference in their worldview or goals -- primarily economic expansion. As John Dewey put it a long time ago, politics remains "the shadow cast by big business over society." The role of the media in this unholy alliance is to "normalize" this situation, so that we accept it and continue to perform our required roles, especially the frenzied production and compulsive consumption necessary to keep the economy growing.
Meanwhile, weather-related disasters increase every year and the world begins to burn. Our best scientists have carefully researched and published their findings in authoritative professional journals. But as Chomsky points out, the scientific consensus itself has been drowned in a high tide of corporate propaganda. The very fate of our species is being treated as a mere "externality" by free market ideology.
Ban Ki Moon, secretary-general of the U.N., warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year that our model of economic growth has become not merely obsolete, but a global suicide pact. We have mined our way to growth, burned our way to prosperity and believed in consumption without consequences. In the 21st century, all resources are running short and the one we are most clearly running out of is time -- time to build a new sustainable economic model for survival. That is why Sakya Trizin alerts us to another grave dimension of climate change: that it may lead us to the extinction of the human spirit, of wisdom and of the lineage of enlightenment itself.


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Bucs' futility continues with loss at Atlanta
Roy Cummings,
The Tampa Tribune
, published 21 October 2013
It's hard to imagine another game this year that will set up as well for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the one they played Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Injuries forced the Falcons to play without seven starters, including running back Steven Jackson, left tackle Sam Baker and wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones.
And, yet, they still beat the Bucs. Beat them rather handily, in fact, 31-23, to keep the Bucs winless at 0-6 for the sixth time in franchise history. "We can't even trip into a win right now,'' cornerback Darrelle Revis said in the somber aftermath. "And that's sad. At 0-6, there's nothing to be happy about. There's no joy in this at all. We just have to find a way.''
Perhaps if the Bucs got out of their own way, they might actually find their way out of the mess they've created. It was, after all, self-inflicted wounds that did them in yet again. Penalties were a big factor in some of the team's early losses and, with 11 more for 103 yards against the Falcons, were arguably the greatest contributing factor in this setback. The problem this time wasn't so much the number — the Falcons were almost as chippy with nine flags for 101 yards — but the nature and timing.
A roughing-the-passer call against end Trevor Scott on third-and-11 from the Atlanta 16-yard line late in the first quarter wiped out an incompletion and gave the Falcons new life. They scored a touchdown just six plays later on Matt Ryan's 19-yard pass to Jacquizz Rodgers. Coming after Atlanta took a 7-0 lead on Thomas DeCoud's 30-yard touchdown return of a Mike Glennon fumble on the seventh play of the game, Rodgers' touchdown put the Bucs in a 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Then there was the facemask penalty against wide receiver Vincent Jackson on first-and-goal from the Falcons 15-yard line in the fourth quarter. With Tampa Bay in the midst of a promising comeback, Jackson's penalty made it first-and-goal from the 30. But even if the officials had missed Jackson's foul, they still would have called Glennon for an illegal forward pass for releasing the ball beyond the line of scrimmage.
Of course, that's how this entire season has gone for the Bucs. If it's not one thing it's another, and it was certainly that way on Sunday, when coverage issues in the secondary proved problematic, as well. The Bucs secondary gave up three big plays to the Falcons, including two that helped produce a touchdown and one that resulted directly in a touchdown when Harry Douglas beat rookie corner Johnthan Banks for a 37-yard score with 5:32 left in the first half. "That hurt,'' Bucs coach Greg Schiano said of the one-play scoring drive set up by Mike Koenen's 20-yard punt. "That's common — you have the sudden change and then here comes the shot (downfield), and we just didn't do a good job with it.''
The Bucs didn't do a very good job finishing their drives either, particularly in the second half. Though they did score their first second-half offensive touchdown of the year, too many drives resulted in field goals or nothing at all. Again, there were several reasons for that. After holding the ball for 9:06 and running 18 plays, penalties, including a hands-to-the-face call against guard Davin Joseph, forced them to settle for a field goal to make it 31-20 with five minutes to play.
Execution was the culprit on their next drive as Jackson stumbled and fell to finish off a 29-yard reception that could have been much longer. Then, one play later, rookie tight end Tim Wright dropped a pass on second-and-15 from the Atlanta 26-yard line. It all resulted in yet another lost fourth quarter for the Bucs, who were out-scored 7-6 in the final 15 minutes by the Falcons and have been out-scored 42-19 in the fourth quarter for the season.
"We have to finish,'' receiver Mike Williams said. "Coach Schiano's keys before we went into the game today were finish, finish, finish and we just didn't. When you go down there, get to the 5-yard line and only get three points, that's hard on your team.''
Though his sack-fumble cost the Bucs a touchdown, Glennon completed 26 of 44 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns and kept Tampa Bay in contention. "He's a good young quarterback who continues to progress,'' Schiano said of Glennon, who threw touchdown passes of 59 and 1 yards to Jackson. "Today he consciously wanted to throw more balls downfield and he did that, and when you have that in your repertoire it helps.''
But for a Bucs team that has lost 11 of its past 12 overall dating to last year, it's clearly not enough. And now they have just four days to prepare for Thursday's game against Carolina. "That's going to be tough, but coming off another tough loss, that's what we want,'' Glennon said. "We want a chance to get right back out there and play again, and I think we'll be ready for it.''


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Junior Jamal Fruster of the Central Connecticut men's track and field team competed Sunday at the Boston University Last Chance Meet in Boston, MA. Fruster ran both the 200m and 400m dash.
In the 200m dash, Fruster clocked a time of 22.52 for a new indoor personal-best time. He placed 10th out of 22 runners and finished fourth in his heat.
Fruster, who owns the CCSU indoor record in the 400m dash (48.31), raced the event in a time of 49.63. He earned 12th place overall for his efforts out of 22 competitors.
Fruster was the only male competitor for CCSU. He was joined at the meet by junior Ronea Saunders of the CCSU women's track and field team. Saunders, who recently set a new CCSU indoor record in the high jump of 1.82m at the USATF Championships in Albuquerque, NM, did not successfully jump on Sunday.


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Indicative Rate * AU$135 to AU$240
Wallaby Ridge Retreat is a Gold Coast Hinterland country escape in secluded bushland with plenty of wildlife all in its natural habitat. Six kilometres from Canungra in the foothills of Tamborine Mountain, a truly boutique experience awaits: Pool, hilltop heated spa, barbecue and outdoor room. Stunning views to the Scenic Rim and the Great Dividing Range from the self-catering suites. Two brand new cottages opened in 2016 offer a relaxing environment and a base from which to explore the beautiful rainforests, lookouts and waterfalls of Lamington, Tamborine, Beechmont/Binna Burra. Close to vineyards, horseriding, adventure activities and the charming village of Canungra.
The guest house is purpose built and the Suites include luxury linen and towels, ensuite, open plan living/dining and kitchen. Included in the tariff is a generous breakfast basket of goodies for both a cooked and continental breakfast including home baked bread. The cottages are fully self contained, open plan with King beds/twin share View the prolific local birds and wildlife from your elevated veranda.
Quirky locally produced artwork, emphasis on local produce and unique accommodation offer special ambience (but the peace of mind of modern facilities) in this boutique hideaway. Join them today for some genuine country hospitality.
Due to current health advice on social distancing, please contact the business for the most up to date information regarding opening times and services.
There are lovely mountain views from this French country themed suite, the veranda space with tropical birch giving extra shade in summer and autumn colour. King bed (with pillowtop) bedroom with ensuite, open plan, self contained living, kitchen and dining area and facilities including wide screen television, DVD player, stereo and magazines and books. (Games, movies and more available from the common lounge).
Enjoy the homeliness with the benefits of modern facilities of reverse cycle air-conditioning and mobile phone access and free wifi.
Generous Country Breakfast baskets including home baked bread, muesli and goodies for a hearty breakfast.
A brand new selfcontained accommodation option for those wanting more privacy and a little more luxury. King beds with pillowtops, beautiful linen, modern on trend décor, designer touches in the kitchen and bathroom and a generous 18 square metre balcony with beautiful outlook across a lush ferny valley. These will delight those looking for a hideaway with some nice tech including smart television with soundbar, preloaded with movies (bring your own music to plug and play). Full kitchen with gas top cooking, convection microwave and loaded with utensils to cover holiday stays. Generous country breakfast baskets can be ordered separately and access to laundry available for longer stays. Please enquire about rates for longer holiday stays.
Architecturally inspired but incredibly energy efficient with a light footprint, the cottage offers reverse cycle air-conditioning, but the passive ventilation design and aspect gives the building opportunity to breathe naturally.
They have to mention the quirky gardens and local artwork adorning this new offering highlighting their interest in growing local produce, experimentation with permaculture planting and supporting the local arts community.
Self contained queen bed suite with spacious en suite and open plan lounge, dining and kitchen. Facilities include reverse cycle air-conditioning, 38 inch flat Screen television, DVD and stereo keeps you in touch with civilisation. There are self catering facilities so you can rise and eat at your leisure with the convenience of a two plate cook top, microwave, toaster and kettle. Generous breakfast basket supplied. Scenic vista from each suite, delightful veranda space with seating to enjoy the ambience.
Self contained twin bed or king bed suite with spacious en suite and open plan lounge, dining and kitchen. Facilities include reverse cycle air-conditioning, 38 inch flat screen television, DVD and stereo keeps you in touch with civilisation. There are self catering facilities so you can rise and eat at your leisure with the convenience of a two burner cook top, microwave, toaster and kettle. Generous breakfast basket supplied including home grown, home baked produce. Scenic vista from each suite, delightful veranda space with seating to enjoy the ambience. Great for girls getaway, or for the elderly or someone with limited mobility.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Vote for Babe of the Week — Megan, Hannah, Alison, Renee, ShyAng3L, Kiera and Jessica
Tuesdays mean two things: Office recycling day, and Babe of the Week Voting. Can you tell which one we're more excited about?
Our babes this week are as diverse as they come: an XBox live cosplay chick, a bionic babe, and five other women who will knock your socks right off.
Check out all seven babes below, and vote for your favorite at the bottom. Voting ends on 5/27 at Noon EST, and you can vote for your favorite babe up to once an hour, so share this post and help your girl win.
Megan Retzlaff
Hannah Eaddeh
Renee Eddy
Kiera King
Jessica Brooke
Montana Marks
Here's the deal: At the end of the week, each Babe of the Day will compete for your votes and the winner will become Babe of the Week. Each week's winner will then face off to become Babe of the Month, and those winners will then duke it out for – you guessed it – the Babe of the Year title. Only those lucky ladies will be inducted into GuySpeed's Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for the hottest of babes.


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Curious About Life: Interview with Richard Leveille
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has 10 science instruments, and each will be used in the coming weeks and months to help characterize the environment of Mars and determine if the planet ever had the potential for life.
Richard Leveille, of the Canadian Space Agency, is one of the scientists working on Curiosity's Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) instrument. ChemCam will study Martian rocks and soil in depth. A laser will target selected rocks, creating an ionized, glowing plasma that will be used to analyze their composition. The instrument's camera will resolve features 5 to 10 times more in-depth than previous rovers.
What kind of research do you generally do?
I am trained in geology and I apply this to the study of Mars. I study what kinds of rocks and minerals are found on Mars or predict what we may find. In particular, I study minerals that can form when rocks like basalt are altered (or weathered) by the action of liquid water, or that form in bodies of water like lakes or even hot springs that we suspect may have existed in the past on Mars. I also study how microbes can influence the formation of minerals and what kind of traces (biosignatures) they leave behind.
What do you do specifically for MSL?
I am a MSL Participating Scientist and a collaborator on the ChemCam team. I have three main roles in the mission
First, I am the Science Payload Uplink Lead (sPUL2) for ChemCam. I verify the sun-safety of the ChemCam instrument, prepare data product tables, and assist ePUL2 with sequences of commands to be uplinked to the spacecraft. While some instrument teams only have a single PUL2 (payload uplink lead), ChemCam uses two, engineering and science, who work together. The '2' refers to second shift in the tactical planning sequence (sol-to-sol planning).
I am also the ChemCam representative on Science Theme Groups, specifically for geology and mineralogy. I participate in theme group discussions and tactical planning each Martian day, or sol, and maximize efficiency in the use of ChemCam
Finally, I am a Science Theme Group participant, focusing on geology and mineralogy. I participate in discussions and tactical planning each sol, select targets for imaging and ChemCam analyses, and review downlinked data.
In all cases, I also try to participate in the end-of-sol science discussions.
How could your work help us to answer astrobiology questions?
By identifying specific minerals on Mars, and by better understanding their formation through Earth-based studies, we can estimate what conditions existed in the past. We can also target certain minerals that may be better indicators of past environmental conditions, or that perhaps could concentrate and preserve organic matter.
Ultimately, this will help to characterize whether locations near or within Gale crater were ever habitable. If there ever was life on Mars, and traces are preserved in the rocks and minerals, my work will help to identify these traces, differentiate them from Earth contamination or non-biologically produced features, and to place it in a geological context. In terms of tactical planning for the mission, my work can help us to take decisions on whether to analyze rocks in detail with APXS, MAHLI, CheMin and SAM, or whether we drive away to more interesting targets.
What is it like to live on Mars time? Do you feel like you are on Earth or Mars, or both?
Marstime can be a challenge! I often feel tired and sleepy, as do many of my colleagues. Meal planning is a bit more complicated—when do I eat? What do I eat? I also have to make lots of reminders, as the times of meetings and important daily events keep changing. It is especially difficult when we try to maintain some connection to Earthtime, such as to our family, our work back home, or attending non-mission meetings and teleconferences. In fact, it is quite difficult to be completely "on Marstime".
In my case, I recently switched from spending most of time working on the first shift, when things are downlinked and most of the science planning is done, to primarily the second shift, when sequences are put together and uplinked to the spacecraft. This was a bit difficult as it led me to essentially be working nights, and I had to struggle through a few late-night (or late morning on Earth) meetings without nodding off!
Nevertheless, I am very happy to be a part of this exciting mission!


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Nufloors carries carpet from today's top brands. Our showroom offers you a huge variety in styles, colours, and textures. You're sure to find a carpet that meets your needs.
Wait till you see our in-store product line. From traditional homes to contemporary spaces, Nufloors offers you hardwood flooring that suits your tastes, needs and budget.
Nufloors premium quality laminate products mimic the texture and natural characteristics of wood and stone so closely they are often mistaken for the real thing.
Nufloors stylish luxury vinyl tiles and planks capture today's hottest trends in stone and wood. These versatile patterns in life-like visuals and realistic finishes are a breeze to maintain.
There's not much in our life that's low maintenance. Thankfully Nufloors carries trusted names in vinyl flooring promising you easy-care, comfort underfoot and great performance.
Nufloors brings you cork; a uniquely expressive floor, with satisfying environmental and performance benefits. Stunning to behold, warm underfoot and naturally air-cushioned for quiet and comfort.
At Nufloors you can choose from inspirational ceramic, glass or porcelain tile - at Nufloors the options are endless. Tile can add texture, colour and dimension to any room.
Nufloors offers a wide range of affordable looks that range from the rustic beauty of terra cotta to the sleekness of natural stone. Natural stone flooring is timeless and can enrich any area of the home.
Nufloors area rugs exemplify quality, value and both historical and modern fashion. On-trend colours, luxurious textures and fashion- forward combinations offering you a look for every room setting.
Nufloors carries the top names in flooring manufacturers. If you've seen your perfect floor in a magazine, on-line or in a friends home, we can help you find it. If you are looking for inspiration - we've got it. We're confident that when it comes to quality, value and service, we can't be beat.
Our experts are happy to assist you with your flooring questions.


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Safety switches can be used in a variety of areas: when a guard is opened, hazardous machine movements e.g. must be stopped and a restart must be prevented. It must not be possible to either defeat or manipulate the guards. Certain applications also require the safety gate to be interlocked until the hazardous production process is complete.
The safety switches PSEN meet these requirements effectively and economically and are therefore ideal for safety gate and position monitoring.


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Madea! And Elephants! And Cats! Oh my...
Madea's Big Happy Family
The latest family comedy from Tyler Perry, the man's art isn't our cup of tea, but Spike Lee really should cool it with the "coonery" comments--and the posters for this film have been nothing short of awesome. In theaters everywhere
Water for Elephants
Robert Pattinson stars as veterinary student who runs off to join the circus, where he meets up with a ringmaster, Christoph Waltz, who abuses his animals, and his beautiful wife, Reese Witherspoon. We don't want to give away too much, but even Witherspoon has called her love scenes with R-Patz "disappointing." In theaters everywhere, read our review an watch the trailer
African Cats
Disney presents a documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson about, well, African cats. In theaters everywhere, watch the trailer
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Morgan Spurlock has made a documentary about product placement that he funded entirely with product placement. In limited release, read our review and watch the trailer
The Bang Bang Club
Taylor Kitsch and Ryan Philippe star as two members of a group of photographers who covered the civil unrest that killed more than 20,000 South Africans during the final days of Apartheid. In limited release, read our review and watch the trailer
Last year's Foreign Film nominee from Canada tells the story of twins who learn at the reading of their mother's will that she wants them to find their father, whom they'd believed was dead, and the brother they never knew they had. In limited release, read our review and watch the trailer
A super-low-budget film set in a post-vampire-apocalypse world where a boy and his vampire-killing mentor hit the road in search of New Eden. In limited release, read our review and watch the trailer


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Cheryl Kilodavis and her 5-year-old son Dyson, who calls himself "Princess Boy," were on the Today show this morning, and Dyson wore his favorite color: Pink.
One of the most heartwarming moments in the clip below is when Dyson's father notes, "it's not contagious." That statement really pinpoints the strange stigma surrounding kids wearing clothes that are not traditional for their gender. While some make a fuss about Shiloh Jolie-Pitt dressing "like a boy," we have a word — tomboy — that somehow says her habit is not that strange, not that unusual. But little boys wearing dresses — day in, day out, to school — is not quite as common. Still, Kilodavis and her book, My Princess Boy, are doing important work: Teaching acceptance.
It was also notable that Cheryl Kilodavis said, "He knows that boys aren't dressing in dresses right now." Because most little boys used to wear dresses, and might again in the future! Who knows?
As awesome as Dyson and he Kilodavis family are, it was kind of awkward when Meredith Vieira made Dyson twirl. As we could tell in a clip from October of last year, Dyson is not totally comfortable on live TV, and making him perform on command sort of turns him into a show pony. But he's adorable, and we are 100% Team Dyson.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
My Son Likes To Wear Dresses, Big Deal! [Today Show]
Earlier: Meet "Princess Boy" & His Awesome Family


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Posted: 2011-06-18 13:53:55
A few weeks ago Microsoft released a preview video of Windows 8. Almost immediately developers all over the internet became enraged that Microsoft (with Windows 8) was leaving behind the platform and framework that they have been working with for a decade … all having hedged their bets on: win32 or .NET Framework + C# (language).
Except that Microsoft made no such moves. And no real developers were "horrified", because a real developer knows that HTML is just a markup language and JavaScript is not a replacement for the CLR + .NET Framework.
At least that was what I thought!
Microsoft has now released a video demonstrating what Windows 8 is about.
The simple truth is that Windows 8 is a re-imagination of the desktop … geared towards the mass market which primarily uses their systems to browse the internet, post on facebook, check their email.
Windows 8 can run tailored apps where HTML and JavaScript widgets replace the traditional desktop window for the benefit of the user.
The underlining platform does not change. We simply get a new fancy UI option that uses a DLL shared with IE 10.


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Edna Pontellier, wife of Laconce, a successful Creole businessman in New Orleans, has adjusted, over six years of marriage, to her new life and home. Accommodating the expectations of her husband and the upper society of New Orleans, she meets, while vacationing at a nearby Island, Robert Leburn, with whom she becomes infatuated. This young man sparks memories of her youthful infatuations, and she begins to unravel, socially and sexually.
Chopin came to prominence as a local colourist author, presenting the variety of the South and Louisiana in the late 19th Century. Stories like "The 'Cadian Ball" and "Désirée's Baby" are fine example of this tradition, with the latter highlighting the preoccupations with miscegenation. Other stories, such as "Emancipation: A Life Fable", "Story of an Hour" and The Awakening reveal a focus of Chopin for which she become noted for after her death: a growing consciousness of the restraint of women within society. It was her place as an outsider in this Creole New Orleans (originally from Missouri) that provided Chopin with the distance to observe the vibrance of middle class creole society and, like Edna in The Awakening, to see through the pretences and social fictions. What makes The Awakening unique is that although born out of this local Colour, intellectually it is at home in two literary traditions: the feminist writers of the 19th century, such as George Sand, and fin-de-siecle literature, best known in the English speaking world through Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley, with its preoccupations with degeneration but also of new beginnings and new hopes. The social and sexual critique comes not only from her unique position with her new home, but also in the richness of ideas that travelled from far off and helped make sense of these constraints within her fiction.
Deeply personal while at the same time socially relevant, The Awakening and Selected Stories provides unique insights into both the author's and our society.


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VATICAN CITY - As two recent documents illustrate, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith keeps an eye on almost everything coming out of the Vatican.
Although it has fewer than 50 employees, including ushers and receptionists, whatever any Vatican office does or says having to do with faith and morals is a matter that falls under the congregation's gaze.
As the heir of the Holy Office of the Inquisition - and housed in a building still known as the Palace of the Holy Office - the congregation often is portrayed as an agency almost exclusively dedicated to seeking out errant theologians and condemning their writings.
The congregation does review books that bishops' conferences bring to its attention, especially if the book presents itself as explaining Catholic morals or doctrine and is widely used in schools of theology or seminaries.
But since Pope Benedict was elected in 2005 and Cardinal William Levada was appointed to succeed him as the congregation's prefect, the office has issued only one formal public criticism of written works: a notification about two books by a liberation theologian, Jesuit Father Jon Sobrino.
More and more, the congregation's pronouncements involve the application of Catholic moral teaching to questions concerning the very beginning and very end of human life. Biotechnology, the use of human embryos, politics and abortion, euthanasia and the care of the dying all have been topics of recent documents.
In early May, the Vatican published two documents signed by Levada that demonstrate just how widespread the congregation's reach is.
An instruction, released May 13, called on bishops and pastors to respond generously to Catholics who want to attend Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal, commonly known as the Tridentine rite.
And a circular letter ordered every bishops' conference in the world to prepare guidelines for dealing with accusations of clerical sexual abuse and for ensuring the protection of children.
The letter on clerical sexual abuse reflects the fact the largest section of the doctrinal congregation - its disciplinary section - is charged with coordinating efforts to rid the Church of sexual abuse and with monitoring or conducting cases against individual abusers.
In addition to sexual abuse of minors, the disciplinary section deals with "the most serious crimes committed in the celebration of the sacraments," particularly the Eucharist and Confession, examines "crimes against the faith - heresy, schism and apostasy - and, finally, evaluates cases of alleged apparitions, visions and messages with a presumed supernatural origin," according to a description in the annual report, Activity of the Holy See.
The international commission of bishops and theologians appointed in March to study the alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, for example, is working under the auspices of the doctrinal congregation.
Under the provisions of Pope Benedict's 2009 apostolic constitution, the doctrinal congregation is charged with establishing special structures for former Anglicans entering full communion with the Roman Catholic Church while preserving aspects of their Anglican spiritual and liturgical heritage.
Levada and the four dozen people who work each day in the Holy Office aren't doing all that work alone. The congregation has 25 cardinal and bishop members and 28 consulting theologians.
Most of the consultants are professors at pontifical universities in Rome and they get together at the congregation three times a month to offer their expert opinions and share their research on questions the congregation considers pressing.
The Pontifical Biblical Commission currently is conducting a study on "inspiration and truth" in the Bible. And the International Theological Commission is working on three topics: the principles, meaning and methods of theology; belief in one God and its implications for relations among Jews, Christians and Muslims; and ways to better integrate Catholic social teaching into Catholic teaching in general.
Every Wednesday, the cardinal and bishop members who are in Rome gather around a conference table to review issues and make decisions. And each Friday evening, Levada meets personally with Pope Benedict to discuss what's going on.


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The Dynamo won their fourth straight game with an overpowering performance on national TV behind a hat trick from Brad Davis. Brian Mullan scored the opener from close range, but Davis netted three second-half goals and donned a fan's hat to celebrate the rout. Zach Wells earned his first career MLS shutout.
Chivas USA (5-4-2) vs. Houston Dynamo (6-5-1)
June 21, 2007 -- Robertson Stadium, Houston TX
Scoring Summary:
HOU -- Brian Mullan 1 (unassisted) 5
HOU -- Brad Davis 1 (Wade Barrett 1) 55
HOU -- Brad Davis 2 (Joseph Ngwenya 2, Stuart Holden 1) 70
HOU -- Brad Davis 3 (penalty kick) 75
Chivas USA -- Brad Guzan, Alex Zotinca, Claudio Suarez, Shavar Thomas, Orlando Perez, Sacha Kljestan (Laurent Merlin 60), Jesse Marsch (Jason Hernandez 69), Paulo Nagamura, Francisco Mendoza, Ante Razov (Matt Taylor 60), Maykel Galindo.
Substitutes Not Used: Preston Burpo, John Cunliffe, Anthony Hamilton, Rodrigo Lopez.
Houston Dynamo -- Zach Wells, Craig Waibel, Ryan Cochrane, Eddie Robinson (Patrick Ianni 76), Wade Barrett, Stuart Holden, Kelly Gray, Richard Mulrooney, Brad Davis (Corey Ashe 76), Joseph Ngwenya, Brian Mullan (Chris Wondolowski 84).
Substitutes Not Used: Jordan James, Mike Chabala, Nick Hatzke, John Michael Hayden.
Misconduct Summary:
CHV -- Paulo Nagamura (caution; Tackle from Behind) 22
HOU -- Eddie Robinson (caution; Reckless Foul) 60
CHV -- Shavar Thomas (ejection; Denying a Goal Scoring Opportunity) 66
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Referee's Assistants: Craig Lowry; Jose Corro
4th official: Ramon Hernandez
Attendance: 14,184
Weather: Cloudy-and-86-degrees
All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial