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While everyone is looking forward to the launch of OpenOffice 2.4, I am already looking at the latest development project: OpenOffice 3.0, that promises better usability, Web 2.0 collaboration and enhanced interoperability with other office suites and format.
OpenOffice 3.0 is still in development stage and there are plenty of bugs yet to be solved (over 2000 issues, and counting), but if you are keen to test out the beta release, you can download the Ooo-Dev_DEV300_m3 from the OpenOffice ftp mirror.
New features in OpenOffice 3.0
- New Personal Information Manager
- New Chart engine with new chart wizard and types
- PDF import and export
- Presenter console for Impress with multi screen support
- Web 2.0 support with blogging & wiki component
- MS Office XML 2007 import
- New report engine for Base
- Improved Pivot tables and new Solver in Calc
- Improved extension management… and many extensions
- New Platform: Mac OS X
Some of the features found in the beta version
New Splash screen
There is a change of the splash screen to reflect the new OpenOffice version
Start Center
When you start OpenOffice without a document or module, it will load the start center where you have a one-click access to any of the module.
multiple page view and zoom slider
There is a set of icons at the bottom right hand corner of Writer to allow you to toggle the view of your document and a zoom slider to change the size of the document.
notes taking in the margin
You can now take note in the side margin in Writer
translucent highlighter in calc
The highlighting in Calc has changed from black to translucent blue.
These are just few of the changes already included in the current OpenOffice 3.0 beta release. More features will be ready as the days go by. Judging from this release, There are great improvement over the current OpenOffice version and most of them are useful, with some new features that come as pleasant surprise. Overall, I am impressed with OpenOffice 3.0, even though it is still in beta version. I am definitely looking forward to the final release.
OpenOffice 3.0 is scheduled to release in September 2008.
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Marriage May Calm a Criminal Impulse in Men
Over the July 4th weekend I was on a trip with some friends, a trip that included a long drive down a series of long, one-lane country roads. At one point in the drive, a very aggressive driver in a pick-up truck sped up behind us and then recklessly passed us, going over the double-yellow line in the process. We hadn't been going slow, but I guess it was too slow for that guy.
As he raced and weaved away into the distance, my friend who was driving commented that every time she encounters a driver like that, she likes to tell herself that "they must be going through a messy divorce." I told her I really like that tactic: it helps you to not take things personally, and it's probably more effective in diffusing your irritation than yelling curses out the window.
In a roundabout way, though, my safe-driving and healthy-perspective-having friend may have put her finger on an interesting point. Divorce is upsetting and disruptive by nature, of course; as it turns out, this is especially true in the lives of criminals.
Divorce is upsetting and disruptive by nature, of course; as it turns out, this is especially true in the lives of criminals.
A report out now in the journal Psychology, Crime & Law measured the impact of divorce on male offenders, by looking at their criminal activity both before and after a marital breakdown. The two co-authors, psychologists Delphine Theobald of the Institute of Psychiatry in the U.K. and David P. Farrington of the University of Cambridge, studied data involving 400 London men from over 50 years. In the U.K., following worldwide trends, divorce is on the rise—currently at 45 percent, according to the Office of National Statistics there.
This study found that a healthy marriage may decrease a man's propensity to commit crimes. Emphasis on healthy: if the female partner happens to also be bent on a life of crime, those benefits are lessened (all of the men in this particular study are heterosexual).
First, the authors refer back to a similar, often-cited study that Farrington had co-authored in 1995 with psychologist Donald West. That research had previously found that getting a divorce relatively early in life (before the age of 26) significantly increased a man's likelihood of being convicted for a crime in the next five years of his life.
That could indicate correlation rather than causation, however; the same problem factors that increase the likelihood of criminal behavior (like substance abuse and underlying psychological issues) could also potentially make it difficult for a person to sustain a long-term relationship. But another statistic from the same study is more telling: "In within-individual analyses, where each individual acted as his own control ... offending rates increased by 44 percent during periods when the man were separated compared with periods when they were married."
As an extension of this previous research, Farrington and Theobald returned to the very same group of males, all born around 1953 in South London, whom psychologists have now been following for over 40 years. Now that the men are all about 60 years old, there is much more data to be mined there. The researchers were able to look at marriages and divorces later in life and the impact they had on criminal behavior. So this study looked at how many times the men have been convicted of crimes both five years before and five years after the break-up of a substantial (at least three-year-long) marriage. It ignored misdemeanors but included crimes like burglary, grand theft auto, fraud, assault, sex offenses, drugs, and vandalism.
The results supported the original hypothesis: the men who divorced from their wives had an increase of 18 percent in their conviction rate from before the divorce, and the men who stayed married had a decrease of 80 percent in their conviction rate. In trying to explain why this might be true, the authors offer this bleak scene:
Men whose offending reduced following marriage may find that experiencing a marital breakdown rekindles deep-seated vulnerabilities. If their coping mechanisms are not good and they lose access to their children, and/or have continued conflict with their ex-partner and suffer financial stress, they may resume behaviors that they had stopped or reduced when they were married. If they are not engaged in family life and the routine activities associated with marriage ... they will also have more time to connect with undesirable friends and/or become embroiled in heavy drinking and drug use. Such men no longer have anything to lose.
So, all of this is to say—my erratic-truck-driver example aside—it is not necessarily the case that divorce simply causes crime. Rather, it is to suggest that healthy marriages can help to mellow an otherwise unstable life, and after that stabilizing force is gone, that turmoil and the crime that can accompany it will often flood back in.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK — By now, the end feels inevitable. Carlos Beltran's career as a Met has not yet been set into past tense, but his days are drawing to a close.
With the trading deadline less than two weeks away, and with most every contender at least somewhat interested in a switch-hitting slugger with playoff experience, the Mets treat Beltran's situation as the elephant in the room. He doesn't broach the subject, manager Terry Collins said. His teammates worry, but Collins attempts to keep them focused on the task at hand.
"He doesn't talk about his situation at all," Collins said before tonight's game against St. Louis. "Not one time on the field. He knows what he's involved in. It's no big deal to him. He's been there before.
"I think it might be a bigger deal to some of the guys on the peripheral. 'Gosh, is he going to be here? Is he going to be here? Is he going to be here?' We just don't want to talk about it. We try to keep it out of the conversations."
In all likelihood, Beltran tonight played his second-to-last game at home as a Met. He tied the game in the fifth with a homer to right field. Today against the Cardinals should serve as his finale in Flushing. It will be interesting to see if fans acknowledge the moment, after seven seasons of mostly stellar play from Beltran. With the team treading water in the National League East, a division in which water-treading is meaningless considering the success of the Phillies and Braves, he should receive an early exit.
Soon after, he will likely be shipped to a playoff contender. Various reports have linked Beltran to the Red Sox, the Giants and to a pair of division rivals in Philadelphia and Atlanta. Because he has a full no-trade clause, Beltran must approve any deal, which makes remote the prospect of him landing with a dark horse like Pittsburgh.
Still, the interest from so many different parties makes sense. Beltran revitalized his body during the offseason, after knee injuries reduced him to a shell of his five-tool form during 2009 and 2010. Beginning in November, he worked out daily at his home in Manati, Puerto Rico, to rebuild the strength in his legs. He used as motivation the early obituaries written on his career.
"I like to work," Beltran said before the All-Star break. "I like to get better. I like challenges. And I took this as a challenge. Saying, 'You know what? A lot of people are doubting that I can play, that I can be an everyday player,' this and that."
The results on the field are obvious. Entering tonight's game, Beltran had 14 home runs, a National-League-leading 30 doubles and 59 RBI. His .911 on-base plus slugging percentage ranked second on the Mets and rated 55 points higher than his career average.
Soon, all that production will be gone. Collins and his gang must cope. For now, they ignore the prospect of life without Beltran. The day is coming. They know that. There is no way not to know that. But until the deal is officially done, the Mets will attempt to carry on without mentioning the elephant in the room.
"The only thing that makes it difficult is we have to answer questions every day," Collins said. "And that comes with the territory. But at 7:05 p.m., the answer is 'no.' "
For more Mets coverage, follow Andy McCullough on Twitter at twitter.com/Ledger_NYMets
Andy McCullough: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Amadeus: Travel Giant Issues RFP
Amadeus, a leading business-to-business provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry is seeking a new PR agency of record. They provide the technology which keeps the travel sector moving – from initial search to making a booking, from pricing to ticketing, from managing reservations to managing check-in and departure processes and more. They have an approximately annual budget of $150K, including all out of pocket fees.
The company mission is defined as to "Shape the Future of Travel," and are focused on the future and on playing a leading role in driving the industry forward. The company's revenues exceed $3 Billion annually.
The successfully chosen agency will handle: media relations and engagement, content development, executive communications, media monitoring/coverage, corporate reputation management, and issues management. They should be proactive, understand a rapidly changing global marketplace, provide strategic micro and macro level analysis, as well as very heavy media relations. The chosen agency will have extensive travel industry expertise along with experienced people running the business.
They define time to be spent as:
- Airlines 35%
- Corporate travel 20%
- Online travel agencies 15%
- General (general technology/innovation, thought leadership, CSR etc.) 15%
- Leisure/traditional travel agencies 5%
- Hotels 5%
- New business (business intelligence, payments, etc.) 5%
Proposals are due by November 13, 2015 and inquiries should be directed to Debbie Iannaci, Director of Corporate Communications at firstname.lastname@example.com


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DRO is a Miami based hip-hop photographer. He also runs a popular blog and forums at The305.com. Above is an image he made of Hip Hop/Rock artist Quote. Below is the interview with DRO.
NT: What's your name, what do you do and how'd you get started...
DRO: What up! My name is David Rosario and I also go by "DRO". I'm a portrait and event photographer from down here in Miami and I also own and operate a Miami-based blog site, The305.Com that covers music, fashion and entertainment from a Miami-perspective. As a photographer, I have shot like black-and-white photos since I was like 13, but my first "official shoot" was when I was like 18, which was for Pitbull back in early 2003 when he was starting out. And from there and on, I grew into shooting all kinds of hip-hop artists and shooting tons of events in Miami, as well as New York.
NT: What kind of photography do you do, how does that relate to music?
DRO: I primarily do work for a lot of hip-hop artists and I love incorporating as much of Miami as I can into my photography.
DRO (contd.): And Hip-hop culture has always been a passion of mine, so it doesn't
matter what kind of shoot I'm doing, there has to be some kind of tie
to something hip-hop - whether the background, the styling or the
sneakers - it has to have a hint of hip-hop to really be an image I am
proud of. Also, on the more corporate side, I work as an event
photographer (which is a completely different skill) and have shot
events for several Fortune 500 companies, several big concerts and
NT: How long have you had the blog and how many people visit?
DRO: The305.Com has been an active website since October of 2002, and we
actually won the Miami New Times "People's Choice Award" for Best Local
Website back in 2003. We won that less than six months from our original
launch, which at the time was a proud moment for me because the site
was widely accepted immediately and it just happened so fast. But, in
its current form, The305.Com has been set up as a blog for about a year
now. And I'll definitely tell you that as soon as I made into a blog,
the site really grew tremendously to a point that I could never
imagine. The last year or so has definitely opened a lot of doors for
me and has helped me build a lot of relationships. We get thousands of
unique visitors a day, mostly from Miami, but we definitely get
thousands from all over the country as well because we also post a
couple nationally focused stories. Anything I post in regards to Kanye's current girlfriend of the moment,
Amber Rose. I get hundreds or even thousands a people a day just on
those posts alone.
NT: Favorite photoshoot?
DRO: Definitely has to be my "Scarface Remixed" photoshoot, where we
basically took scenes from1983 movie and Miami & hip-hop classic,
Scarface, and remade it by recreating some of the scenes for our
photo shoot. The twist was that the lead character, Scarface, was now a
female in our version. I have to shout Jessie Camacho for being such a
great sport on 12-hour long photo shoot and to Angie Garcia because she
was the creative brain behind the concept and really put it all
together and made it happen. But it was definitely great to see an
idea go from being written on a napkin, to then being published and
seeing it come to fruition right in front of your face. See it here:
NT: Speak to your experience with the site getting shut down over a copyright claim.
DRO: Well, out of nowhere I get this email from GrayZone, Inc saying that I
was infringing on copyrights by posting a Flo-Rida video on The305.Com.
My hosting service also got a copy of the letter and immediately shut
me down to cover themselves from any legal action. The video wasn't
even hosted on my server, it was linked and embedded from a popular
hip-hop video hosting site. So upon all of this happening, I called my
Atlantic Records contact and they had no knowledge of why GrayZone
would send those infringement notices to me and to make a long story
short, they made GrayZone retract and rescind their accusations and
admit fault for sending that original notice by mistake. I basically
came to the conclusion, that these lawyers and watchdog groups, as well
as record labels, need to get with the times and embrace blogs and
websites because if they don't they will pretty much end up losing
millions more in the long run.
NT: What labels or entities do you feel understand the new dynamics of the music business?
DRO: Honestly I'm not sure because I think the music industry is so messed
up right now that everybody is scrambling looking for the quick-fix to
the recent decline of sales and profits. But I can tell you that T-Pain
is definitely ahead of the curve by announcing his Digital Distributed
Record Label, Nappy Boy Digital, because that is definitely the wave of
the future. It just makes sense to do so. I don't know anyone who still
uses a CD Player anymore...seriously. So that is definitely a step in the
right direction.
NT: How do you protect your images from right click save as, or does that even matter to you?
DRO: Usually, as long as someone gives me credit as photographer and
mentions where they got my image from, I'm totally fine with it. As
long as they're not making any profit out of my image(s)...I don't have
an issue. The way I see it...the more my images are out there, the better
it is for me in the long run as far as recognition. But give credit
where its do!
NT: What local underground/independent artists should the people look out for?
DRO: Mayday! and Artofficial are definitely my two local favorites that have
national appeal and are just overall very talented and an extremely
humble group of individuals. I wish them both much success! And
elsewhere in the country, I have to big up WALE, Amanda Diva and Kid
Sister. Those three definitely stay on repeat on my iPod and I
definitely follow their Twitters religiously!!! (Lol)
NT: How can people contract your services?
DRO: Well definitely, if you need a photographer for anything - from hip-hop
artists working on albums, model portfolios, events, family functions,
and even weddings, I am available for hire and I am flexible on any
budget, especially during these economic times. And I know that could
be very helpful to a lot of people. I'm all about making sure everyone
is happy and gets exactly what they need at the end of the day. All of
my contact information (email and phone) is on my website
NT: Any closing words?
DRO: Look out for a couple big projects coming soon from me as a
photographer and from The305.com. I try to represent what Miami is all
about...all day everyday. And...obviously, check The305.Com daily for the
latest music,fashion, and random randomness.


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2011 Nissan 370Z Nismo RC.
|Search for Nissan 370Z Nismo RC : 2011 on:
If you've ever wanted to extend your love of the iconic Nissan Z-car from the street to the track, now is a good time to take action.
Nissan Motorsports is now offering Nissan 370Z race cars for customer orders. The track-ready Nissan 370Z NISMO RC is based on the street legal Z-car, but is significantly lighter and fitted with a FIA-compliant roll cage, fire extinguisher, racing seat and numerous NISMO performance upgrades.
The Nissan 370Z NISMO RC has been designed to conform to International FIA GT4 and World Challenge GTS class specifications. With some modifications, the Nissan 370Z NISMO RC can also compete in the Grand Am Continental Tire Challenge GS class.
Weighing in at 2,954 lbs., the Nissan 370Z NISMO RC features NISMO race exhaust, NISMO tuned ECM, high capacity NISMO clutch, flywheel, engine oil, transmission and differential coolers and a Recaro racing seat with 6-point racing harness. A Sparco racing steering wheel and a revamped and race-ready carbon fiber switch panel are also part of the RC package. The 3.7 liter Nissan VQ37VHR powerplant is rated at 355 horsepower and 276 ft. lbs. of torque. Numerous hose and connector upgrades have been added to meet the rigorous demands of track use.
Nissan Motorsports provides an easy way to race its 370Z in a competitive professional racing series. Interested parties may contact Nissan Motorsports at 1 (888) 833-3225 for more information, or send e-mail
(source: Nissan)
Much of the material on this website is copyrighted. Original articles appearing herein are subject to copyright. Please don't copy stuff from the site without asking; it may belong to someone! Any trademarks appearing on this site are the sole property of the registered owners. No endorsement by trademark owners is to be construed. The products, brand names, characters, related slogans and indicia are or may by claimed as trademarks of their respective owners. Every effort has been made whenever possible to credit the sources. The use of such material falls under the Fair Use provisions of intellectual property laws.


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Finale spoiler warning.
The Walking Dead 5×08: Coda brings us a finale filled with heartache, frustration and overall a fitting conclusion to a slow build of the first half of season five. What have we learned?
We've learned that even in the middle of the zombie apocalypse there are long pauses of boredom and drudgery than will be the death of you the moment that you turn the next corner. Even in this episode we get long conversations between Dawn and Beth. We're thinking they will all be worth it later, that we're building onto them to bring these characters as stronger later. But life – and the walkers – can sneak up on you when you least expect it.
The episode starts with a chase, a chase that could have gone a million of ways but for Rick, the games are over and he has no problem in running down the fugitive officer Bob. He also has no problem in finishing him off.
Father Gabriel limps into more walkers that he can manage – oh wait, I guess that's any random number – but since he's really about sharing misery he just leads them back to the church. Gee, thanks Gabriel. It's up to Michonne and Carl to save his hide, albeit at the cost of lowering their defenses.
The cavalry will eventually arrive in the form of the red firetruck with Abraham and company. The firefighters share the bad news ("Eugene lied") while the church choir share the good ones ("Beth is alive"). If you had a bad feeling about that, you're not alone. Quite a few people thought there was no way we would get a happy ending. That also means there was no way we would get an unhappy one without… ok, I'm getting to it, don't rush me.
Beth and Dawn bond. It's curious, because during the episode it does feel like their relationship is slowly turning into one of empathy. We learn about Dawn's predecessor in command, a man named… Nevermind, it's not going to matter in a few lines. One of the officers challenges Dawn, a brawl ensues and it's up to Beth to deliver the final blow, or in this case to push him into the elevator chasm.
Finally the dreaded prisoner exchange takes place in a very cramped corridor, where Carol gets to the other side without issues, but for Beth things don't go as planned. First, Dawn wants Noah. I don't really understand why he agrees. As the last words are exchanged, Beth tells Dawn she understands and then stabs her with scissors. In the struggle, Dawn fires her gun, which seems to be an accident and kills Beth. It's one of those moments where everyone appears to freeze. Except Daryl, who shoots Dawn on the head.
Before a fire fight breaks out, one of the other officers takes command and asks both sides to withdraw. With Dawn dead, the interest in retaking the prisoners is gone. Our ragtag team leaves the hospital to run into Abraham, Michonne and the rest of the group. Daryl brings out Beth's body as Maggie breaks down screaming.
We're once more left with the group together but broken. Now we know that what we had initially was very high hopes for a cure and a reunion, neither of which crystallized. After a couple of episodes of pure action, we entered this period of stillness in which things seemed to be slowly moving to a crossroad, not one of reconciliation or victory but once again of loss.
- Emily Kinney plays her last moments as Beth Greene. It's a bit complicated to figure out what she was after with that last moment when stabbing Dawn.
- Rick opens the episode with a bang. He also plays it cool to the extreme as he comes out in the open to offer the exchange.
- Sasha as a sniper.
- There's something about that last scene where the characters are brought together to say goodbye to one of their own. The city of Atlanta in the background is a surreal setting. It would be too easy to say they're back to where they started. That isn't true. Everyone here was someone else when they started.
- Father Gabriel… Is he going to die by himself or is he going to get more people killed trying to save him until he dies? Is there a redemption for this character at all?
- We didn't get a badass moment with Carol. I guess she did have her huge moment on the first episode so we're saving her for another moment down the road.
- Once again, slow build… We're treated to a lot of long talks between Dawn and Beth to seeming expand and perhaps even care a little more for the ones about to die.
- Poor Beth, yes… Also, poor Maggie. That was cruel for her to find out her sister was alive only to see her dead.
That will do for now.
(Source: AMC)


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Four major trade associations representing broadband providers today asked for an immediate halt to the Federal Communications Commission decision to reclassify the providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act.
One petition for a stay came from two cable groups, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and the American Cable Association (ACA). Another petition came from the CTIA Wireless Association on behalf of mobile carriers and USTelecom on behalf of telcos including AT&T and Verizon. AT&T and CenturyLink also signed on to the CTIA/USTelecom petition.
The petitions were filed with the FCC, which is unlikely to approve them, but the providers are required to petition the FCC before they can ask for a stay in court. Broadband providers have already sued to overturn the rules, but a stay would take them off the books pending resolution of the court case. USTelecom asked the FCC to act by May 8 "to allow adequate time for a judicial stay determination, if necessary." The groups can file for a stay in court if the FCC denies the petition or does not act on it.
The FCC declined comment today, but Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has previously said he thinks Internet providers will have a tough time gaining a stay.
The broadband providers are trying to make their request more palatable by asking only for a partial stay while leaving in place net neutrality rules that forbid blocking or discrimination against traffic. However, the FCC had to reclassify the providers in order to impose those rules because of a ruling on a previous lawsuit filed by Verizon.
One reason the providers fear common carrier status is that it will make it more difficult to charge network operators and content providers for direct connections to their networks. Just today, Verizon agreed to provide free peering to Cogent rather than risk a complaint to the FCC.
"[T]he order claims FCC control over peering agreements involving broadband Internet access providers, inserting the FCC into Internet peering for the first time," USTelecom said in its announcement. "This claim of control raises concerns that this area of the Internet would be subject to governmental delays and second guessing, harming investment and innovation. Since the order was adopted, some companies have already threatened to initiate FCC enforcement actions to achieve peering arrangements favorable to them, no matter what the balance of traffic is between providers. In the past, agreements were negotiated party-to-party without any government involvement."
The common carrier reclassification, which is scheduled to take effect June 12, would also let home Internet customers complain about unjust and unreasonable charges. Broadband providers oppose this as well.


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President Obama presented a plan to congress on Tuesday to accomplish the goal of closing Guantanamo Bay, which was a key part of his platform in 2008.
How is Obama's proposal going to solve it? The Republicans will vote it down. They're obstructionists. If Obama says "white," they say "black."If Obama says "black," they say "white. Why do you think the people are so frustrated with the GOP?
As a politician, I probably side with the executive branch a little more. Having come from the executive branch of government, you always would like more power. Most in the executive branch probably would also like to deal less with legislature than they already have to.
The greatest government you can possibly have is that of a benevolent dictator. But you need to know that the dictator is benevolent before granting him or her that power. I say that tongue-in-cheek: it's a joke, people. But if you think about it, in that context, you could get a lot done for the good of society, and for the betterment of the American people. The biggest problem though is power corrupts. In today's day and age, your dictators would be benevolent to corporations.
Finally, what would become of the 91 remaining Guantanamo prisoners? Will they ever stand trial? I understand they would place them in other facilities within the United States. But they've been held for 15 years in Guantanamo Bay, without officially being charged. They haven't faced trial.Who is left in Gitmo? Why are they still being held there in the first place? The only Gitmo prisoner that has been notably covered by big media is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who they claim confessed following his torture. Well I guarantee you anyone would be confessing following the torture they put him through.
What justice has been done here at Guantanamo Bay? These people have been detained, imprisoned and tortured, without officially facing charges or seeing a day in court.
I find it astounding that the United States of America chooses to behave in this manner.
-Jesse Ventura
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The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC its affiliates, or its employees.
More from Jesse Ventura's Off The Grid
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Jesse Ventura: Clinton will do anything to win, even pick Sanders as VP
Jesse Ventura: Here's one reason why I can't be president
Is there hope for our economy? Most Americans don't think so.
Jesse Ventura: I am not running for president


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Papa John's & Cholula Hot Sauce Partnership
Papa John's Continues to Spice Things up with Cholula Hot Sauce Partnership
Papa John's Customers Will Receive a Free Cholula Hot Sauce Sample with Their Order of a Large Pizza While Supplies Last
LOUISVILLE, Ky.– Whoever coined the phrase, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," certainly wasn't referring to Papa John's customers. With the soaring popularity of Papa John's new spicy buffalo chicken wings, as well as the Spicy Italian and Sausage Sensation specialty pizzas, one thing is clear: Papa John's customers have a burning desire for spicy menu items.
And Papa John's has responded once again, this time partnering with Cholula Hot Sauce. Now through March 25, every Papa John's order will come with a complimentary sample of Cholula Hot Sauce, the "Flavorful Fire" that blends pequin peppers, red peppers and spices in a delicate process to produce a perfect balance between flavor and heat.
Cholula Hot Sauce is a perfect complement to a number of items on the Papa John's menu, including The Meats and Barbeque Chicken & Bacon specialty pizzas, as well as side items like Papa's Wings, Chicken Strips and Breadsticks.
"We've had enough of the winter blahs. Papa John's is turning up the heat on our menu "" and who better to partner with than Cholula Hot Sauce?" said Bill Van Epps, Papa John's president, USA. "Cholula has a well-guarded family recipe that has been thrilling taste buds for three generations. We're confident that our customers will love adding Cholula's zesty kick to their favorite Papa John's items."
The Cholula family recipe traces its roots more than 100 years to a small sun-baked outpost named Chapala, an hour away from Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. For more information on Cholula Hot Sauce, visit www.cholula.com.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world's third-largest pizza company. For seven years running, consumers have rated Papa John's no. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national QSR chains in the highly regarded American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at www.papajohns.com.
Papa John's International, Inc.
Tish Muldoon, 502-261-4987
Director, Community & Public Relations


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My Help Comes from Almighty God!
Where Does My Help Come From?
Each year God highlights the Psalm that corresponds with the year; this year is Psalms 121. This Psalm is extremely significant because, within the short eight verses, we gain much-needed insights concerning the source of our help. These precious truths are valuable, revealing how we live victorious as we look to Almighty God as our source of help and guidance.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills, From whence shall my help come?
Psalms 121:1
It seems mankind has a tendency to seek help in all the wrong places. It is sad; many are looking everywhere but to God. Where does my help come from? To obtain the correct answer, we must read Psalms 121:2:
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth!
Almighty God, the Creator of the entire universe, is our source of help and strength.


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LOS ANGELES — A "potent" and "powerful late-season winter-like storm" will generate moderate to heavy rain Monday in Southern California, likely causing minor mud and debris flows over slopes denuded by wildfires and hazardous winter-weather conditions in the mountains, including a dusting of snow over Interstate 5 through the Grapevine, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS forecast between 1 and 2 inches of rain in coastal and valley areas and 3 to 5 inches in the San Gabriel Mountains. Hourly rain rates are expected to be between a quarter-inch and a half-inch per hour but could rise to three-quarters of an inch on south-facing mountain slopes, where thunderstorms are also possible, forecasters said.
A record rainfall rate for an April 5 was recorded Sunday at Sandberg in the LA County portion of the San Gabriels. The 0.51 inch recorded bested the 0.5 set in 1969.
For those who still have to drive despite the coronavirus quarantine, the NWS warned that this week's conditions may result in a wet commute in LA, Ventura, and Orange counties, travel delays, rocks and boulders tumbling onto roadways, minor mud and debris flows in burn areas, and urban roadway flooding.
Accompanying the rain will be south winds gusting to between 45 and 55 miles per hour.
In the San Gabriel Mountains in LA and Ventura counties, a winter storm warning will be in effect until 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The snow level will drop to around 5,500 feet Monday and down to between 4,000 and 4,500 feet by Tuesday morning, and "significant snowfall accumulation is likely in the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties," according to an NWS statement.
Between 15 and 30 inches of snow is expected above 6,000 feet and between 6 and 12 inches between 4,500 and 6,000 feet, according to the NWS. Lighter accumulations are expected down to 4,000 feet by late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
"In addition, light snow accumulations are likely on Interstate 5 over the Grapevine by late Monday night or early Tuesday, possibly resulting in travel delays," warned the NWS.
"Heavy snow, gusty winds, low visibilities in blowing snow and icy roads will make for dangerous driving conditions," warned the NWS statement. "These conditions could lead to road closures and travel delays. In addition, light snow accumulations are likely on Interstate 5 over the Grapevine by late Monday night or early Tuesday, possibly resulting in travel delays."
The NWS urged people who have to drive in the mountains to keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in their vehicles.
Thunderstorms are possible across Southern California's coastal waters because of the "cold, potent storm" said the NWS, adding that the storm system will move slowly southward from northern California through the middle of the week.
"Any thunderstorms that form will be capable of producing chaotic locally gusty winds and rough seas, dangerous lightning, heavy rainfall with reduced visibility, and isolated waterspouts, The NWS warned in a statement. "If a waterspout is spotted, head away at a 90 degree angle from the apparent direction."
The NWS forecast rain Monday and highs of 41 on Mount Wilson; 55 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 57 in Santa Clarita; 58 in Claremont; 60 in Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, Woodland Hills, Granada Hills, Canoga Park, Burbank, Pomona, West Covina and San Gabriel; 61 in Avalon, Studio City, Winnetka, Chatsworth, Northridge and Pasadena; 62 in Glendale and San Pedro; 63 in Whittier, Long Beach, Hawthorne and Torrance; and 64 in downtown LA and at LAX. Showers are forecast Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, followed by cloudy days.
Orange County's forecast includes heavy rain during the day on Monday with a chance of showers in the evening. There is a 40% chance of showers Tuesday and a 60% chance on Wednesday, with rain chances continuing into Thursday. Highs Monday include 57 in San Clemente; 58 in Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel; 59 in Newport Beach; 60 in Anaheim, Irvine and Huntington Beach; 61 in Santa Ana and Garden Grove.
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Hi everybody,
This week on The Talking Dead podcast Jason and I recap the mid-season finale, "Pretty Much Dead Already". We also have a bit of Walking Dead News, choose our Holy Crap! Did You See That!? moments, and read as much listener feedback as we can fit in.
- The Walking Dead News
- "Secrets" Ratings
- The morning-after pill controversy
- "Pretty Much Dead Already" recap
- Listener Feedback
- Holy Crap! Did you see that!?
- Next week on The Walking Dead / Spoilers
Huge thanks go out to Audible.com for their support of this podcast. For a free audiobook download and a free 14-day trial, please visit audibletrial.com/talkingdead.
If you want to support my Movember moustache you can do so at my Mo Space.
Thanks for listening and please send us your comments, thoughts and feedback. Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com, or post comments below. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/talkingdead, or Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thetalkingdead.
Leave us a message on the toll-free ZOMB line at: 1-866-483-ZOMB (9662).
Make sure you check out our sister project, the zombie webcomic "Stranger" at iheartunicornstoo.com, or on Facebook.
Voice-overs recorded by Scott Fletcher. Find out more at voice.caraworks.com.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:09 — 46.5MB)
20 comments on The Talking Dead #62: s2e7 – "Uncomfortable Glancing"
Such a great episode and podcast! Thanks guys, I can't wait to see what you have planned for us!
Okay, I'm going to inject my 2 cents on the Rick to Shane response on the whole Rick Hershel or Rick pregnancy issue. I think Rick said "Thank you" but I'm not so sure it wasn't double meaning; thank you for the congratulations, or thank you for Shane's cooperation on the whole making the barn full of walkers right issue.
It's true, walkers make better inanimate dead people than walkers, but make horrible fertilizer! …
Hey guys… here's a talking point that is all over the net right now. Viewers are hungry to know what exactly happened to Sophia and how she ended up in the barn. Number one, we know from previews and interviews that Otis was the one collecting Walkers and storing them in the barn. Clearly, because the family didn't know Sophia was in the barn, Otis didn't always share who he'd found and put in there. Number two, because Otis and Shane went into town the afternoon after Sophia went missing…obviously something happened to her either the first night or early the next day before Otis went hunting and shot Carl. Number three, If she spent the night in the abandoned house where Daryl found the closet with bedding and then later her doll is found in the river… chances are she was attacked at the river where she dropped her doll… There was no blood in the house or in the bedding… so she spent the night without incident and must have been attacked the next day, while trying to follow the river (in the wrong direction) back to the highway. I can easily picture her running from a Walker and tripping in the river. At that point the doll could have drifted away and as she is reaching for it, the Walker could come down on her from behind. But I have a few questions. She was only bitten…nothing really devoured. So what stopped the Walker that bit her from holding onto her and taking more bites? It looks like it took more than one bite out of her neck and shoulder…it's a huge wound…but that hardly would have filled a Walker. Could Otis have interrupted the attack, maybe too late? There was no mud caked on Sophia's ankles and legs so I doubt she was caught in the swamp like the Walkers were that Hershel and Rick pulled out. It would be interested to see this scene as a flashback but since it didn't involve any of the living characters it would serve no purpose to the story other than to satisfy the curiosity of viewers. I'm betting they never explain what happened to Sophia and leave it as something unexplainable. So far, everything has been told through the perspective of the living.
What if she wasn't bitten at all? What if she just … died?
Bishop: are you saying she just died and Otis threw her in the bar? If so, that is just brutal of Otis!
I like tdl_auburn explanation of what happened and the timeline. I think it is reasonable, unfortunately, I don't think we'll find out what happened =(
Not at all. Perhaps Otis found her after she died. And came back.
(Spoilers for graphic novels)
Bishop, maybe I am wrong, but I think you are working from the assumption that the bite does not turn you, it kills you. In the GN everyone is "infected" even if they die from non-walker causes, they will come back as a walker.
The tv show has yet to make the case for this. So far, only those associated with (bitten by) the walkers become walkers themselves.
I think that the guys are right in that the finale is the moment that we the viewers must let go of the GN and let the show be its own universe. Sure there are settings, characters, and confrontations from the GN that I would love to see happen. But I am excited to see what else the writing team can imagine for us.
She was bitten. That's very clear on her shoulder with the blood having soaked the back of her shirt. They mentioned on the talking dead that a walker came up behind her and bit her on the shoulder. So, maybe she backed up agaisnt a tree where a lurker was standing, similar to what happened to Lori.
Pardon me. I mean Andrea.
Okay, I was just re-watching "Pretty much dead already" and noticed at the end, when Rick shot Sofia, she fell on her side BUT THEN in the promo for the next half of the season it starts of with Rick looking down at Sofia's body just after he shot her and she's lying face first in the dirt right in front of him. I think if a random dude like me noticed this, the creators of the show should've noticed it too but then didn't and that makes me sad…Love the show. This was probably my favorite episode. Can't wait for more. bla bla bla. rant ran rant.
Hey guys just wanted to congratulate you on your awesome podcast.also I wanted to bring up two gripes about the mid season finale,(witch is sad cause I really love this show). 1 why were there body shots with the barn walkers?. shane clearly pointed out that it doesn't do anything to them when he shot lou,( female walker held by herschel). And 2 was it posible that maybe Patricia saw sophia when she fed the walkers chickens?i hope kirkman doesnt "wing it" as he confirmed he does for the comics on amc's the talking dead.i dont think it would work out for the tv series.thanks for your time.
I think Shane and Andrea were the only ones pulling off head shots…well Daryl too though I'm not sure just how efficient he is with a shotgun vs his nifty crossbow. But Glen and T-Dog probably aren't the best at pulling off left4dead head shots like it's nothing yet. And maybe Shane was purposefully getting body shots because a part of him, a very insane part of him, enjoyed seeing them writhe around. He enjoyed being powerful like that. That's just my guess though.
As for whether or not Patricia saw Sofia in the barn, maybe she did. It's possible Sofia was just sitting in a corner away from the rest of the zombies. That's probably the case since she came out of the barn last. She could've been under a rafter or behind a loft of hey or something. *shrug*
woah! I could see your point with the sophia issue.maybe the walkers are like animals. the strongest get to eat the chickens while the weak walkers are pushed to the corners.but then again patricia was married to ottis.im assuming he would've told her something about the little girl walker he found.
@MikeInTheBox et al. I tend to agree, let it be what it is. The writers and team developing the whole X-Men filmography have the same thing going for them. Not quite the same universe, there are similarities, and stark identical characters, of course, but for the most part, it is its own thing. I personally don't follow TWDGN at all, so I couldn't say one way or the other. I just follow the TV show, and I am quite pleased with the type story lines that are developing.
I am the only annoyed with everyone comparing The Walking Dead to Lost? I watched Lost and I really enjoyed it, but to me, this show is WAY BETTER!
You have to admit though that there are definitely a lot of similarities between them. I loved Lost too and it's safe to say that I love this show a lot more (I never went on any Lost websites to talk about it) but I see why comparisons between the shows are there. Jack and Rick. Deryl and Sawyer. Hurley and Glen as comedic relief. The monster and the others vs the zombies and the people who change because of them. Survival is also one of the key elements of both stories. 🙂
After watching the Barn scene over 20 times on YouTube I finally noticed something that I'd been missing. Just as Rick is stepping past Shane in his approach of Sophia, Shane starts to raise his weapon. It's only when he notices Rick passing him that he stops. It's very quick and barely noticeable. But in that moment, Shane is not only giving that moment to Rick but he coud argueable be giving Rick the leadership in that moment. Of course he could also be looking at it like this is Rick's mess and therefore his responsibility to clean up. But Shane is clearly affected by Sophia and no less so than any of the other characters in the scene. This will definitely increase Shane's resolve in taking the leadership of the group from Rick, by force if necessary.
Another couple quickies. Take a look at the symbolism in the rainbow pattern on Sophia's shirt…how the beginning of the rainbow is perfect cemetrical and at the end of the rainbow, it's melting away like blood from a wound. Also, the corpse that Daryl finds in the tent… where they thought Sophia might be in it… He shot himself, but look at the button on his jacket, "No Excuse for Domestic Violence." Lot of visual symbolism in these episodes.
Holy Crap – Did you see that…. When Shane takes down the second to last Walker (Hershe's step son) the bullet passes through his head and kills the last zombie behind it. Awesome shot.
Comments are closed.


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Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Aaron Kampman is recovering from his second torn ACL in as many seasons. When he was with the Green Bay Packers in 2009, he tore his left ACL. In the 2010 season, during practice between games, Kampman tore his right ACL. Having just gone through ACL rehabilitation the previous season, it makes it a little easier this year, but the team is still going to ease him back into things.
Kampman practiced last night in full 11-on-11 drills for the first time all season. Kampman has played nearly every snap in his NFL career, including roughly 70 a game for the Jaguars last season. The team is looking to reduce that to about 45 snaps per game, at least initially. Newly signed defensive end Matt Roth, who played at the University of Iowa with Kampman, took snaps with the first team and is expected to be a starter. Kampman is going to move back to the left side of the defensive line, but will at times flop back and forth. I would imagine Roth will start on the right side of the line.


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This is an oldie but a goodie. I love Stevia in my tea and I love the soda Zevia which uses Stevia and is a diet soda alternative (It is delicious and I love it). I wanted to share this again as when I first posted it I think my mother and I were my only two readers. Enjoy!
For some reason in my warped mind I seem to think that most anything that is good for me is either not to my taste or at best passable. Imagine how surprised and suspicious (suspicious by nature) I was when I found out about and tried Stevia, an alternative to the artificial sweeteners on the market (like Aspartame, Nutrasweet, etc) and loved it (pls. note that I don't sell Stevia, just really like it and its health benefits and wanted to share with you). Unlike artificial alternatives which contain acetic acid, formaldehyde, chloride, and other un-pronouncables Stevia is a healthy fat free, non caloric, 100% naturally sweet plant with a zero glycemic index that is 30 times sweeter than sugar. These attributes make Stevia a good alternative to sugar or chemical sweeteners. Native people in Paraguay and other parts of South America have used stevia safely for centuries. More recently Stevia gained popularity as a sweetener for coffees and teas, but it can sweeten just about anything you like. Because it works so well in cooking and baking, you can easily substitute Stevia for sugar in just about any recipe. Did you read that last sentence?! Yes, we can make our delicious sweets with this non caloric plant and lose the calories and negative impact of sugar! Ahhhh-the good life. Here are some great facts about Stevia-
**STEVIA IS A SOUTH AMERICAN HERB that has been used as a sweetener by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for hundreds of years. The leaves of this small, green Stevia rebaudiana plant have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar.
**THE BODY DOES NOT METABOLIZE the sweet glycosides from the stevia leaf or any of its processed forms - so there is no caloric intake. Stevia doesn't adversely affect blood glucose levels and may be used freely by diabetics. Great news for diabetics and on a side note my brother has had diabetes since he was a child and now uses Stevia with wonderful results.
**STEVIA has been used since pre-Colombian times with no reports of ill side affects. Stevia has also withstood years of research that has proven Stevia to be safe for human and animal consumption. Stevia has been used around the world with NO reports of Stevia overdose or toxicity to humans in the past forty years.
**WHY IS STEVIA JUST COMING ON THE MARKET? Stevia has been around for a long time, even in the United States. Early studies on Stevia go back to the 1950's but the United States is a nation chin deep in bureaucracy, dirty-politics and corruption. In the 1950's the sugar industry fought to prevent the use of Stevia in the United States. Today, the manufacturers of Nutrasweet (aspartame) have practically bought the FDA to prevent it's approval as a food additive and therefore a sugar substitute. If you don't believe me, contact 60 Minutes of CBS. In the Spring of 1997 they aired a report on how Nutrasweet "bought" influence with the FDA to force the approval of a sweetener that is now blamed for the illnesses and deaths of thousands of Americans (hence my giving up Diet Pepsi). I also found dozens more articles siting that the use of Stevia in the U.S. being repressed because of the billion dollar artificial sweetener industry. This would be a great topic for anyone wanting to write about big companies controlling our health, etc for the sake of a profit. Keep in mind that I am one of those sorts that never really believes we are hearing the whole story from the bigwigs. REF-
**SINCE THE 1970'S JAPAN HAS BEEN USING STEVIA IN A WIDE VARIETY OF FOODS such as ice cream, sodas, pickles, sauces, and a variety of beverages. In fact, Stevia now has over 50% of the sweetener market share in Japan. That number continues to grow as the evidence against Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners mount.MMMHMMMM.
Obviously, I am on the Stevia train here and I do love it. I use it in my tea and have gotten my friends using it in their coffee as well. I sprinkle it on cereal , fruit,peanut butter sandwiches and oatmeal (I have a sweet tooth so what can I say). I have not tried baking with it yet as I am no baker (I want to be but I'm just not )but I think I will try some experimenting and let you know what I come up with.
You can buy Stevia at your local health food store (Wild Oats, Whole Foods) in the supplement section near the vitamins. I bought 100 packets for $6.99 but you can also get it in a liquid form or a big jar of it to use. I am really excited about finding this, not only for my health but also for the weight loss benefits. Now if they would only make a dark organic healthy chocolate bunny with Stevia so I could eat that instead of the leftover version of my daughters that I just inhaled- I would be in heaven!
P.S. You can google "Stevia Recipes" or "Stevia Cookbook" and a ton of sites come up-so give it a try and tell me what you think.
It's a crazy world 2020!
2 years ago


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A creepy new ad suggests if you sign up for Obamacare, you'll be raped by a scary Uncle Sam clown.
Just in case Republican efforts to repeal President Obama's health care law fail (and they almost certainly will), conservatives have a fallback plan ...
Generation Opportunity, a coalition of right-leaning groups with ties to the Koch brothers, has released a campaign video essentially telling college students that if they sign up for Obamacare, a man in a creepy Uncle Sam costume will jam a speculum down their vagina!
The ad is somewhat reminiscent of this Burger King commercial that involved a guy waking up with a scary clown king in his bed, but the political message is less abstract. In this case, the message is that the government is trying to forcibly rape women with a blunt metal instrument. For your consideration:
There's also a video aimed at college men in which the creepy Uncle Sam clown materializes out from under some near-child's exam chair to presumably fondle his prostate. Because that is what doctors do, right?
The videos, as Yahoo's Chris Moody tell us, are part of a much larger effort to persuade college kids not to sign up for the health coverage mandated by President Obama's new law, the enrollment period for which begins Oct. 1. The law relies heavily on the involvement of the young and healthy, who subsidize the old and sick.
Generation Opportunity will tour 20 college campuses later this month to spread this message, doing all the "cool kid" college activities, such as playing Cornhole and attending college-football tailgate parties, and passing out beer koozies that read "opt out." It'll be setting up stands alongside pro-Obamacare groups like Enroll America, passing out pizza and "literature," and trying to get kids to sign a pledge promising not to sign up for insurance under the new law.
Because nothing says cool like not having health care coverage, and maybe, if these ads succeed in scaring women out of the annual Pap exams they need, a diagnosis of cervical cancer.


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In the months following the financial crisis of 2008, all eyes turned to China. Traders around the world wondered if this government-run economy could turn the tide and spark a global economic rally.
Luckily for all of us, the answer was the affirmative.
In just four short quarters, the Chinese government injected enough fiscal and monetary stimulus into its economy to boost its gross domestic product from a low of 6.1% in the first quarter of 2009 to a high of 11.9% in the first quarter of 2010 (see Fig. 1).
Unfortunately, it was a short-lived boost, and the Chinese economy has been losing steam ever since. That decline has been slowing, however, as the Chinese economy is showing signs of stabilizing, and it couldn't be happening at a better time.
The U.S. stock market is showing signs of unease as Wall Street worries that central banks around the world — from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England to the Bank of Japan and the Federal Reserve — are going to change course and abandon their easy monetary policies. These lax monetary policies have provided the low-interest-rate fuel that has driven the S&P 500 Index higher, and if that fuel is taken away, traders wonder what might step in and take its place.
While it certainly wouldn't be able to provide all of it, stabilization in China could provide some of that fuel.
Signs of Chinese Stabilization
After a harrowing drop in the Chinese stock market in 2015 that sparked a rapid selloff in U.S. stocks, Chinese A shares have started to stabilize (see Fig. 2).
The recovery has certainly not been as bullish as the recovery we have seen in the S&P 500 this year, but stability is important. The Chinese stock market isn't showing any of the bubbly fervor it was exhibiting in 2015, which means that it is much less likely that the market will collapse in 2016 or 2017.
The Chinese government — via the People's Bank of China — has also been able to bring the value of the Chinese yuan down dramatically compared to the U.S. dollar. As you can see in Fig. 3, a single CNY used to be worth 16 cents a year ago. Now one yuan is worth just under 15 cents.
A one-cent difference may not seem like a big deal, but that is a 6.25% decline in the value of the CNY in one short year. That means a lot to a country that is dependent on manufacturing and exports. The weaker the CNY is, the less expensive Chinese goods become in the global marketplace and, the less expensive Chinese goods become, the more foreign consumers tend to buy.
To get a sense of just how important this decline in the value of the CNY has been, take a look at the following charts.
In Fig. 4, you can see that Chinese industrial production has finally stabilized during the last year after five years of steady declines.
This has resulted in Chinese companies becoming more bullish about the future. Looking at Fig. 5, you can see that the Caixin Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index was finally able to move back above 50 last month for the first time in 17 months.
The Caixin Manufacturing PMI is a diffusion index, which means that any number greater than 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector, while any number less than 50 indicates contraction. Seeing this number rise above 50 is a good sign for the future because purchasing managers are always looking ahead to make sure they have enough employees and raw materials to meet demand for future orders.
Bottom Line on China's Impact
It's no secret that traders are getting nervous that the bullish run on Wall Street may be coming to an end. However, the perma-bear prognosticating "Henny Pennies" who are warning of an imminent collapse of the U.S. stock market may be overselling things a bit much.
A shift in global monetary policy will certainly have an impact on U.S. stocks, but there are areas of stability — like China — that will likely dampen any downturn and may even provide a few bullish trading opportunities.
InvestorPlace advisors John Jagerson and S. Wade Hansen, both Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designees, are co-founders of LearningMarkets.com, as well as the co-editors of SlingShot Trader, a trading service designed to help you make options profits by trading the news. Get in on the next trade and get 1 free month today by clicking here.


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In the January issue of Neuropharmacology, which happens to have a marijuana theme, two teams of researchers tried to explain what causes some people to feel paranoid when they smoke weed.
If you think it's impossible to have too much of a good thing – think again.
In the first sentence of their research paper, a group of Italian scientists explained that low doses of tetrahydrocannabinol – the psychoactive chemical in marijuana – tend to be calming while large amounts have the opposite effect. What they wanted to know is: which parts of the brain cause those moods?
Daniela Parolaro and her team at the University of Insubria were keen on finding an answer.
By injecting small amounts of the marijuana-derived drug into different parts of a rat's brain and then watching for behavioral cues, they learned that THC works wonders in the prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus, but causes anxious behavior when dribbled into the basolateral amygdala.
German biochemists had an even better story to tell: Beat Lutz and his colleagues at Johannes Gutenberg-University studied an enzyme that is partially responsible for anxiety. Make a drug that can slow it down and you may be able to prevent paranoia.
They proved their point in two ways: Knockout mice, animals lacking the genetic recipe for that protein, were resistant to nervous behavior. Also, unusually nervous lab mice were calmed by an experimental chemical that inactivates the same molecule.
What does all of this mean? Scientists still don't have paranoia all figured out, but they are getting there quickly. In the meantime, don't freak out!
See Also:
- The Downside of Getting High on Cough Syrup
- Chemists Try to Cure Crack Addiction
- ADHD Drug Tested as Treatment for Crack Addiction
- Sea Urchin Eggs Plus Marijuana Equal Amazing New Drugs
- Harvard Scientists Build a Device to Smoke Weed During Brain Scan
- Morons Overdose on Niacin While Trying to Beat a Drug Test
- How Several Drugs can Crush the Defenses of Tuberculosis
- Chinese Herb Sucks the Fun out of Blow
- Giving Methadone to Inmates is a Good Idea
- Medical Case Report: An 8-month-old Boy on Ecstasy
- Mapping a Redwood Forest with LIDAR


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Tubeless Ready tires can be used both with and without an inner tube because the tire and wheel rim are designed so that they directly seal each other. In contrast to UST tires, Tubeless Ready tires are much lighter and are therefore air-permeable in the sidewall. This is sealed with a special sealing milk. All mountain bike tires from Continental are Tubeless Ready in the ProTection and Performance formats. The revolutionary Tubeless Ready bead allows easier and less complicated assembly of the tire. For optimum sealing results and use, we recommend using the Continental RevoSealant . If mounted correctly, the system is relatively air-tight and resistant to snake bites with folding or wired-on tires. Voluminous mountain bike tires in particular benefit from this design. Tubeless Ready tires can be ridden with a lower operating pressure. The risk of punctures is much lower because there is no inner tube that can be punctured. Also, the movement of the tire on the wheel rim has no impact. In addition, the grip, comfort and rolling friction on rough terrain is better.
Continental MTB tires are available in a Tubeless Ready version: Trail King, Mud King, Mountain King, X-King and Race King. These tires are marked with "ProTection" or "Performance" on the product pages.
Please have a look at the manuals in our mediacenter and also observe the mounting instructions inside the tire packaging. The videos will show you for example what to consider when mounting the tire, which tools are needed and how the RevoSealant is applied correctly.


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Kentucky Butter Cake with Blueberries
If you've never heard of Kentucky Butter Cake, then you're in for a treat. This recipe for Kentucky Butter Cake with Blueberries combines the texture of the classic Southern cake with the fresh flavor of blueberries. Fans of pound cake recipes will love this rich, buttery cake. Tart lemon juice helps to balance the sweetness of this cake, while lemon zest deepens the lemony flavor. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, a tart lemon glaze is poured over the cake. Small holes are poked into the cake, which allows the glaze to soak into the cake and creates a wonderfully moist dessert.
For a traditional dessert, bake this special Southern recipe in a Bundt pan. If you'd like to make this recipe to give away as a gift, divide the batter among 5 small loaf pans. Anyone would be delighted to receive one of these blueberry lemon cakes!
Yields10 servings
This recipe was inspired by Simply Scratch's recipe for Kentucky Butter Cake
- 3 cups flour, divided
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup water or as necessary to make a pourable glaze
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and sprinkle very lightly with flour, tapping out excess.
NOTE: If you have had trouble getting cakes out of your bundt pan in the past, try this: liberally spray the interior with cooking spray and coat it with a very thin layer of fine bread crumbs, tapping out the excess.
Measure flour, then remove 2 tablespoons to a small bowl. Combine remaining flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Toss with a fork or whisk to mix well.
Remove zest from lemon and set aside. Squeeze lemon juice and set aside.
Add 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest and the blueberries to the bowl with the 2 tablespoons of flour and toss well to coat.
NOTE: Tossing the blueberries with flour before stirring into the batter prevents them from all sinking to the bottom of the pan, creating a more attractive slice for serving.
In an electric mixer, beat softened butter for 2 minutes until light yellow and creamy. With machine running on low, add buttermilk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and vanilla until incorporated, then add eggs one at a time. Fold together the wet and dry ingredients on low speed until completely mixed. Finally, by hand, fold in the blueberries with zest and flour.
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 60 to 70 minutes until the center tests done and dry when a skewer is inserted into the center.
When cake is nearly finished baking, make the glaze: Heat sugar, butter, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt together in a small heavy saucepan over low heat until butter is melted and sugar has completely dissolved – stir but do not boil. Stir in the remaining water as necessary to make a pourable glaze and keep warm.
Remove cake from the oven to a wire cooling rack. While the cake is still in the pan, poke holes in the cake with a skewer and slowly pour on about half of the glaze, allowing the glaze to absorb and the cake to cool for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and tube of the pan to loosen the cake and carefully invert it onto the cooling rack. Remove the pan and poke holes into the surface of the cake with the skewer. Gently pour the remaining glaze over the cake – if the glaze has hardened while the cake cools, re-warm it a minute over low heat until it is pourable. Allow cake to cool completely before slicing to serve.
This recipe makes one standard Bundt cake or five small 3 x 6-inch loaves for serving. We like to make it in small loaves, which are perfect for teatime or for gifting.
Looking for more Kentucky Butter Cake recipes? Check out our collection of 4 Southern Recipes for Kentucky Butter Cake
Read Next"Real Deal" Southern Preacher Cake
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Jul 15, 2018
My question is that if you make this in small loaves, how long to bake ? Plan on making this week. Please let me know !!
Editor Kaitlin
Jul 17, 2018
Hi Nisey, I would start checking after about 20 minutes to see how they're doing, and every 5 minutes after that until a knife inserted comes out clean!
Mar 27, 2018
I love any kind of butter cake, tbh. I wonder if this would work with blackberries
kenziewood07 43526 50
Sep 21, 2017
This Kentucky Butter cake with Blueberries is a great treat and I would enjoy it with an afternoon cup of tea, as well as for dessert after an evening meal. I have a question, though. Can you use defrosted blueberries if you can't get fresh? My small supermarket in my town doesn't always have fresh blueberries but I can always find frozen.
Editor Natalie
Sep 21, 2017
Hi kenziewood, you can definitely use frozen blueberries for this recipe! However, I would not recommend defrosting them as that will make them "bleed" into the batter. Just use frozen blueberries and follow the recipe as written. Enjoy! - Natalie, Editor of FaveSouthernRecipes
Toby K Editor
Dec 05, 2016
I'll eat just about anything with blueberries in it! I'm sure this won't last long in my house.
Oct 04, 2016
It's one of my new favorites! thanks for sharing with us!
Princess Carolyn
May 20, 2016
This looks so yummy. This would be a great dish to bring to a brunch potluck!
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Over the past four years the Obamas have made it quite clear that Easter at the White House has nothing to do with Jesus, His death, or resurrection.
Instead, the White House Easter is about rolling eggs and rolling eyes, but hopefully not rolling papers. This year at the 135th White House Egg Roll, which is on April Fool's Day, there are plans to trick 30,000 attendees into believing that Easter at the White House is really about Easter.
It's not! This year the theme of the Easter function is "Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!" which, on the holiest Christian holiday of the year, takes the focus off the true meaning of Jesus' victory over death and the grave and places it on Michelle Obama and her "Let's Move" initiative. It's sort of how Christ's birth became all about Bo the first dog frolicking in the snow on the North Lawn.
With that in mind, don't expect to see Easter lilies anywhere near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Instead, little kiddies, all excited about getting a candy basket stuffed with chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps from the president, will be gagging down kale chips and celery sticks and attempting to smile politely while wishing they were dead.
Jesus warned His disciples: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
Based on the first lady's emphasis on body over soul, apparently, despite sitting in the pews of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ, Michelle never committed that particular Scripture verse to memory.
Nonetheless, the White House Egg Roll will include a bit of a personal note, because if Kid President Barack Obama had a son, he would look like special guest star Kid President Robbie Novak. In addition to Kid President, Tommy McFly will be MC-ing the event. Hopefully, McFly doesn't lose his head and land on any of the food in the cooking stations.
Moving right along, nothing says "risen Christ" like 16-year-old Justin Bieber wannabe Austin Mahone, sideways cap and all. Or Coco Jones, a young replica of Michelle's BFF Beyoncé, or British-Irish boy band The Wanted, all of whom will perform on the Rockin' Egg Roll stage.
Michelle's personal friends from Sesame Street will also be there. Not included in the press release was whether or not Big Bird is planning on laying Omega-3 eggs for the children.
American Idol contestant Jessica Sanchez will sing the National Anthem. Also on the Rockin' Egg Roll stage will be Season 6 American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, who was probably instructed beforehand that Easter is no excuse to dredge up her Gospel roots.
The Apostle Paul made it clear to Christians that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." Putting Paul's advice aside, the plan is for the People's House to be abuzz with somewhat less spiritual "Let's Move" activity. On the Hop To It stage the Chicago Tumblers will be a-tumbling, the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe will be a-trouping, KidTribe will be a-tribing, and the Ohmies, which has nothing to do with homies, will also be a-ohming.
Providing the Ohmies a place to ohm and lending a religious flavor to the occasion is the Yoga Garden, complete with professional yoga instructors. In place of Biblical references to Jesus' death and resurrection, the New-Age Yoga Garden will pay homage to Sanskrit, Lord Krishna, and the Bhagavad Gita.
Apparently, the president decided not to encourage Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards to hand out pamphlets in the Eggtivity Zone. Instead, a whole list of athletes will be on hand to coerce sweaty, worn-out children to work out. Keeping the pooped moving through the obstacle course at a good clip will be the job of people like Barack's personal trainer, Cornell McClellan, ESPN aerobics instructor, Donna Richardson Joyner, Gallaudet University baseball coach, Curtis Pride, and Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
As if the whole day won't be disappointing enough, instead of oozy-gooey Cadbury Eggs and jellybeans, adding flair to the event will be the hale-and-hearty queen of the Hamptons, Ina Garden, also known as the Barefoot Contessa. Ina will probably tell the children that when dipping carrot sticks into dark chocolate, to make sure to use "a really good chocolate," and she'll do it while asking the befuddled spectators "How bad can that be?"
Barbara, of B. Smith's restaurants in New York, the Hamptons, and Washington DC, will also be there. Maybe B. will be manning a 'What Not to Eat' food station where she'll be whipping up some of her famous Fried Macaroni and Cheese or a Washington DC Swamp Thang. Also on hand will be chefs Ann Burrell and her hair, Katie and her Chin, Top Chef Season 4's Spike Mendlesohn, and teen cook and heartthrob Flynn McGarry.
At the Story Time stage, celebrities will entertain the children, and the full cast of stuffed broccoli spears and onions from Super Sprowtz will be reading to the children, who by now should be weeping inconsolably from gas pains and disillusionment. The adorable nine-year-old Hushpuppy from Beasts of the Southern Wild, Quvenzhané Wallis, will be reading to children she would otherwise be sitting with if Sasha and Malia hadn't requested to meet her.
This year at Easter at the White House there just may be a way out for those children who, after collapsing from hunger, boredom, and exhaustion, are still not excused from having to participate in the exercise drills. NASCAR driver/GoDaddy representative Danica Patrick will also be on hand with a working NASCAR that should be gassed up and ready to go.


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It was a decent genealogy day, but limited in the evening by Padres game and 24.
* Read email, blogs and Twitter, and wrote Anne Bradshaw wants your "miracle"stories and Amanuensis Monday - Guardianship of Humphrey White's children before getting cleaned up.
* Researched and wrote Who were parents of Susanna Page (ca1611-1691)? and tweeted about it too. Had lunch, gathered bookbag and went off to the library.
* Table Talk with John and Ruth. Checked out some of the books on the shelf and found George Morgan's How to Do Everything in Genealogy book on the circulation shelf, so checked it out - haven't read it before.
* Home by 1:30 p.m., read everything, and took Linda down to station to retrieve the car (needed a thermostat and routine maintenance), and looked for her lost keys - never found them. Finally started work on Gen101 Class 2 presentation - education, vital records and census records. Got the education stuff done.
* Went in at 5:30 to watch news, read the paper, and we had dinner. Back online at 6:30 and hurriedly wrote CGSSD Meeting Review - Del Ritchhart's Trips, then went in to watch the Padres-Giants game. Read Morgan's book during the game - saw several errors and inconsistencies - but a lot of good information too. Switched between 24 and Padres game - Pads won it 3-2 in the 10th on Eckstein walkoff homer.
* Back online to read everything, write this post and check Facebook.
Genealogy today was 7.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Twitter/Facebook, 2.5 hours writing blog posts, 2.0 hours working on Gen101 class presentation, and 1.5 hours at library.


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I realize I was a few months late in seeing the film, but I am glad I did. This is one of the most amazing films of the year. Matthew McConaughey gives an exceptional performance as the lawyer Michael "Mickey" Haller. His performance feels worthy of an Academy Award® Nomination.
The film opens with McConaughey in the back of his Lincoln car where he works on his cases. Mickey is soon assigned a car of an accused rapist and attempted murder. Mickey accepts the case and quickly gets to work.
He soon finds a connection between his new client and a previous one. This is where a vicious and smart twist occurs that throws Mickey into a trap of legal proportions.
The film is a great Summer film for me, even though it was released in March of 2011. I recommend it for mature audiences who can make it with an R rating.
Review by Kale Slade


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Top 10 Equip Spells to Boost ATK in Yu-Gi-Oh
Jeremy explores many topics as he juggles his passion for writing with his career as a chemical analyst and campus manager.
What Are Equip Spells?
Any duelist worth his Dark Magician knows the Yu-Gi-Oh card game contains three broad card categories: monsters, spells, and traps. Each of these is further divided into subcategories that help segment cards and reveal at what times they can be played.
One of the most entertaining card types are equip spells, magic cards that attach to a monster and offer it a variety of great benefits. Many provide at least one ATK-strengthening effect, and today we'll rank the ten best to help you arm your own deck of monsters! Here's a sneak peek of what made the list.
- Big Bang Shot
- Cestus of Dagla
- U.A. Powered Jersey
- Stellarknight Alpha
- Kozmo Lightsword
- SPYRAL GEAR - Fully Armed
- Saqlifice
- Moon Mirror Shield
- United We Stand
- Mage Power
10. Big Bang Shot
Whenever an equipped monster is destroyed, any equipped spells follow it to the graveyard, making it crucial to protect your army. Big Bang Shot here compounds the issue by reversing the process as well: when Big Bang Shot is destroyed, its target creature is banished from play.
Despite this disadvantage, you're getting two boosts for the price of one. The impacted monster receives a 400 ATK bonus and when attacking it deals "piercing" damage to your opponent, or the difference between its ATK and a defense-position monster's DEF. With these traits, your opponent won't be able to stall in defense behind a swarm of weaklings, as you'll be chipping away at their life with each blow. Still, best to attach Big Bang to a monster you don't mind being banished—just in case.
9. Cestus of Dagla
Many equipment cards can only be fitted onto a certain type or series of monsters. A prime example, Cestus of Dagla will attach to any fairy-type creature. Fairies are known for their tricky effects and protective powers, and Cestus doesn't let them down. Its first effect adds a respectable 500 ATK to its target, and whenever the bearer deals battle damage to your opponent, its second traits let you gain a corresponding amount of life points.
The great thing here is that Cestus activates regardless of whether the battle damage stemmed from fighting an opposing monster or from a direct attack; both will trigger the ability and add to your health reservoirs.
8. U.A. Powered Jersey
Here's an example of a card that requires a specific archetype of monsters; in this case, the U.A. (Ultimate Athlete) series. What these series-dependent kinds of gear lack in versatility, they make up for in power; check out Powered Jersey's several bonuses:
- Target gains 1000 ATK and DEF
- Target deals double battle damage to the opponent when battling a monster
- Target can (once per turn) attack again if it battles and destroys an opposing creature
- If this card is sent to the graveyard because the equipped monster returned to the hand, you may retrieve this card and add it to your hand.
Admittedly, Powered Jersey's awesome benefits come with a price: you banish the equipped monster during your standby phase (the start of your next turn after equipping). However, the U.A. monsters are great at swapping in and out from the field to the hand, and Powered Jersey's last ability makes it easy to avoid this downside as long as you have a U.A. monster in hand to tag in.
7. Stellarknight Alpha
Another archetype-specific card, Stellarknight Alpha assists the xyz-centered tellarknight monsters. In fact, not only does it demand a tellarknight to attach to, it destroys itself if you ever control a face-up non-tellarknight monster.
In exchange for this restriction, the card offers its recipients 500 ATK alongside a truly awesome quality: complete immunity to your opponent's card effects! Yep, as long as Alpha is in play, your monster can entirely ignore whatever they throw at your titan, and with the 500 ATK boost, conquering it in battle won't be easy. Truly a wonderful equipment that helps keep the tellarknight monsters relevant.
6. Kozmo Lightsword
Other than the fact that it only works with psychic-typed "Kozmo" monsters, Kozmo Lightsword comes with no negatives despite providing a plethora of tantalizing effects:
- Target gains 500 ATK and DEF
- Target can make two attacks on monsters in each battle phase
- Target deals piercing battle damage to defense-position monsters
- Once per turn, if this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, you can spend 800 life points to recycle it back into your hand.
Lightsword's first three abilities strengthen your monster, allow it to attack monsters twice, and let it smash through blockers, but its last adds the especially-coveted option of retrieving Lightsword when it's sent to the graveyard. This makes it ridiculously easy to keep Lightsword in play and hammering at your opponent; definitely employ life point-regaining cards to ensure you have the necessary health to spend.
5. SPYRAL GEAR - Fully Armed
Here we have a card that—hmm? Oh, don't mind the all caps, it's not a typo, just an annoying habit Konami employs from time to time. This card applies to not a specific series of monsters, but one specific monster from the SPYRAL group: SPYRAL Super Agent. Luckily, Super Agent is easy to summon, and adorning him with this card drastically increases his prowess. Let's take a look:
- Target gains 1000 ATK
- If target destroys a monster in battle, you can banish both the destroyed monster and one other card your opponent controls.
- When this face-up card is destroyed and send to the graveyard, you can special summon SPYRAL Super Agent from your graveyard.
First, Fulled Armed drastically boosts Super Agent's ATK. Then, it lets you banish destroyed monsters (preventing graveyard recoveries) plus any other card of your choice! This is a great way to remove opposing spells/traps alongside monsters and should rapidly decimate your opponent's field. To top things off, upon its demise, Fully Armed refuses to go down without a fight and summons Super Agent from the graveyard.
4. Saqlifice
A card once limited for its terrific powers, Saqlifice is now unrestricted in its availability. It can equip to any of the Qli monsters, an archetype of pendulum creatures so powerful many were banned from official play. Thankfully, several are still legal, and Saqlifice bestows them with these amazing traits:
- Target gains 300 ATK
- Target cannot be destroyed in battle
- Target can be treated as two tributes for the normal summon of a Qli monster
- When this card is sent to the graveyard, you can add one Qli monster from your deck to your hand.
Truly a versatile magic, Saqlifice gives a bit of everything. Offensively, it provides a slight ATK boost. For defense, it can stall by rendering its bearer immune to battle destruction. For summoning powerful monsters, it counts as two saqlifices (clever pun, Konami), and for card advantage, it adds to your hand when sent to the graveyard. All-in-all, a spectacular necessity for any Qli build.
3. Moon Mirror Shield
Our last three entries offer fewer effects but can attach to absolutely any monster. Moon Mirror Shield grants a simple trait that essentially guarantees victory in battle. Whenever the equipped monster battles, its ATK and DEF become equal to the ATK or DEF (whichever is higher) of the opposing monster plus 100. This makes the original stats of your monster irrelevant; slap Moon Mirror on some pipsqueak token or throwaway monster and watch it triumph against even a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
As a final gift, when this face-up card heads to the graveyard, you pay 500 life points, but you're able to put this card on either the top or bottom of your deck. This lets you either soon redraw it for further use, or bury it in your deck if you instead hope to draw a different card. It also barricades against mill decks, who hope to win by leaving you with nothing to draw, by refilling your deck.
2. United We Stand
Time to get serious. Our last two entries are about as simple as you can get: they offer straight-up ATK and DEF boosts with no strings attached; United We Stand provides 800 per face-up monster you control. This guarantees at least 800, which in itself is nothing to sneeze at, but can go up to a whopping 4800 (remember, with the debut of link summoning, players now have six monster zones).
And that's it. With thousands and thousands of potential ATK points (not to mention DEF), you can execute one-turn kills with a swarmed field and this handy spell.
1. Mage Power
Offering 500 ATK/DEF per spell and trap you control (including face-down ones), Mage Power caps off at 3000 (five normal slots plus the field spell zone), not quite as impressive as 4800 but still stupendous. Since players can set any number of spells and traps per turn, achieving this plateau is easier than the swarming for United We Stand, giving Mage Power the advantage.
Back when the two pendulum zones were separate from the regular five spell/trap zones, Mage Power functioned even better, capping at 4000. As is, it's still the easiest way to skyrocket any monster's ATK and overwhelm foes with a fearsome beatstick.
Your Vote
The idea behind equip spells, strengthening your monsters beyond their normal limits, has always attracted duelists, and since many can impact any monster, they're hard for opponents to predict. Experiment to find the right balance of equipment for your build, and you'll soon conquer your foes in no time.
As we eagerly await Yu-Gi-Oh's next batch of monster cards, vote for your favorite spell, and I'll see you at our next card countdown!
© 2018 Jeremy Gill
uytryuoi on May 07, 2018:
really good cards


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Nothing like a backpack to reminisce about them good ol' college days. Except that I didn't really use my backpack and that I sprinted to class with books in hand and papers scattered everywhere. I swear I got it together by my senior year. My whole point I guess is that I had some baggage issues and I was really missing out because this is one gorgeous bag (heh see what I did there). One beautiful, not made out of leather(!), sustainable bag that fills this ever so large hole in my wardrobe. Matt and Nat has filled all the criteria I look for before purchasing any luxury items and just wait, I will be all over their shoe launch! #notsponsored
Self portraits taken in my home studio


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WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - - New orders for U.S. factory goods rose more than expected in March, while shipments and inventories increased after eight straight months of declines, signs that the downturn in manufacturing was nearing an end.
The Commerce Department said on Wednesday new orders for manufactured goods increased 1.1 percent after February's downwardly revised 1.9 percent decline.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast factory orders rising 0.6 percent in March after a previously reported 1.7 percent decrease in February.
The department also said orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft were up 0.1 percent March. They had been reported as unchanged in the previous estimate. These so-called core capital goods are seen as a measure of business confidence and spending plans.
Manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the economy, has been hurt by a strong dollar and weak global demand, which have undermined exports of factory goods, as well as efforts by businesses to reduce an inventory overhang.
Investment cuts by energy firms as they adjust to reduced profits from cheaper oil have also weighed. But some of the drag from the dollar and inventory glut is starting to ebb.
The Institute for Supply Management said on Monday a gauge of export orders received by U.S. manufacturers rose in April for a second straight month, touching its highest level since November 2014. At the same time, customer inventories fell last month to a level the ISM said was regarded as "too low."
The dollar has declined 3.8 percent against the currencies of the United States' main trading partners so far this year after rallying 20 percent between June 2014 and December 2015.
In March, factory orders were mixed, with orders for transportation equipment increasing 2.8 percent. Orders for machinery rose 0.5 percent and bookings for primary metals increased 0.6 percent. But orders for motor vehicles and parts fell 0.9 percent. Bookings for electrical equipment, appliances and components decreased 2.6 percent. The Commerce Department also said shipments of core capital goods, which are used to calculate business equipment spending in the GDP report, rose 0.5 percent in March rather than the 0.3 percent gain reported last month.
Inventories of factory goods rose 0.2 percent in March after eight straight months of declines. Shipments of manufactured goods also increased 0.5 percent after falling for eight consecutive months.
The inventories-to-shipments ratio was unchanged at 1.37 in March. Unfilled orders at factories dipped 0.1 percent in March.
They have been down in three of the last four months.
Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Milk Cake Mithai Gift Box
Sweets symbolize happiness, prosperity, and new beginnings hence sweets are an integral part of every special occasion, be it birthdays, or festivals like Diwali. This delightful box of special Milk Cake Mithai is perfect for all occasions and is truly appetizing. This box with 15 pods of delicious milk cake is definitely worth buying and is also a great gifting option for friends, relatives, and family on special occasions like birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and festivals. One bite of this Milk cake will leave you wanting for more! Enhance the spirit of your special celebrations with our Milk Cake Mithai Gift Box!
Each box includes: 15 mithai pods
Returns Policy
- Our return policy lasts for 5 days from the date of delivery.
- Item must be unused & packed in original packing.
- Item will be inspected before processing the refund.
- To request a return, please e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com
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