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I work in a government agency. At a town hall.
I'm looking for ideas and suggestions involving technology and GIS maps. What are the trends that are up in the public sector?
What is the relative return on investment (ROI) for applications in these areas: health, transit, education, social welfare, sport and recreation, culture, youth, housing, public safety, urban mobility, sewage, environment, disaster management, environmental management, urban economy, rural economy, management PMI , community governance.


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S4 E06 Episode 406
ENTREPRENEUR: Jim Tselikis & Sabin Lomac
PITCH: Cousins Maine Lobster
ASKING FOR: $55k for a 5% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: These two cousins are bringing Maine lobsters to Southern California via their amazing Lobster Shack on wheels. They want another truck or two to help them keep up with demand. The cousins serve up some tasty lobster rolls to some hungry sharks. They have $150,000 in sales and have only been open for two months. The cousins say they are locked in with their suppliers as far as pricing, so prices won't go up offseason.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Mark wants to know what the economics of the truck are, but goes out when he feels the guys are dealing with nonsense from the other sharks. Kevin wonders why these guys are estimating the value of their company at over $1 million. The evaluation is too high for him. He's out. Daymond also thinks the evaluation is too high and wants the guys to make him a better offer. When they offer 7 or 8 percent, he goes out. Robert offers them $55k, but he wants 25%. Barbara makes the same money offer for 17% equity. This inspires Robert to offer $100k for 25%.
THE RESULT: The cousins want to know about strategies. Barbara has some great marketing ideas. The fact that Robert feels these guys want him to prove himself to them has him pulling his offer. He's out. The guys counter with 12%. Barbara knocks her equity request down to 15%. This has the cousins welcoming Barbara into the family.
UPDATE: Kisstixx
Dallas Robinson and Mike Buonomo invented the only mix-and-match lip balm kissing product – each balm has a complimentary flavor that interacts with your loved one's. They made a deal with Mark which led them to selling over a million dollars in Kissstix products. They are in over a thousand retailers and are getting even more chains involved.
ENTREPRENEUR: Zach Crain
PITCH: Freaker USA
ASKING FOR: $200k for a 10% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: Zach has created a stretchable product called the Freaker that can fit every beverage in the world. He has dozens of designs. He shows the sharks a video that details how he created a product that will put an end to moist handshakes around the world. Zach has been in business for 13 months and has about $320,000 in sales in about 200 stores. He has a patent on his product.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Kevin thinks Zach's company is worth at most $400k, so he'd want at least 50% for the $200k. Zach can't go for that, so Kevin is out. Barbara loves Zach, but she can't buy into the value of the company. She's out. Robert also likes Zach, but he's out, too. Daymond doesn't feel passionate about the product, so he's out. Mark feels there are some unique opportunities here, but he couldn't deal with all the playful "beeping" Zach seems to do all the time. He's out. This leaves Zach beeping/backing out of the tank without a deal
LEARN MORE: Visit http://www.freakerusa.com
ENTREPRENEUR: Tania Patruno & Brandon Jacobs
ASKING FOR: $250k for a 15% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: Tania and two-time Super Bowl champ Brandon Jacobs pitch their unique, protein-infused flavored water. It's all-natural and great-tasting. Tania has already got the drink into over 3,000 stores in the New York area. She needs an investment to fulfill her purchase orders and propel the product into the national market. Brandon isn't an investor, but he says his teammates loved the drink during their Super Bowl run. Tania has done $126,000 in sales in three months.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Robert thinks the drink tastes bad, but that's because he usually doesn't take protein drinks. Kevin says Tania's distributors are taking in more money than she is. She's not worth the evaluation of the company, so he's out. Mark believes that everyone will be trying to knock her off, so he's out. Barbara thinks Tania should utilize Brandon more. The confusion of her message has her bailing on a deal. Robert doesn't understand the space the product is in. He's out. That leaves Daymond, who offers $250k for a 30% stake contingent on a deal with a supplement company called Bad Ass.
THE RESULT: Even though Tania knows that Daymond has cut the value of her company in half, she also knows he can navigate through important meetings to get the best deal. She accepts his offer. Perhaps they'll work out the details over protein drinks.LEARN MORE: Visit http://www.pro-nrg.com
ENTREPRENEUR: Mona Weiss & Scott Shields
PITCH: Eco Nuts
ASKING FOR: $175k for a 15% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: Mona and Scott have created a line of eco-friendly cleaning products packaged with little to no plastic. They use an organic berry found in the Himalayas for use in laundry to release a natural soap. You can reuse the berry up to 10 times. They've captured 90% of the soap berry market in less than three years. They did about $100k in sales last year and are on track to for $250k for the current year. They have a proprietary sterilization process. They've doubled and tripled their business every year and have secured many fans via social media.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Kevin doesn't feel their company is worth what they are saying today, so he's out. Daymond doesn't like that Scott said this was a million dollar market when it isn't. He's out. Robert agrees that he should have known the numbers before stepping into the tank, but would like to get into the business because he thinks it can grow. He wants 50% of the company. Mona then says that he'd better be working 16 hours a day in their company like they do for money like that. This attitude doesn't sit well with Robert, so he's out. Mark doesn't like their marketing at all. He's out. Barbara thinks the best part of their pitch was them as a couple. She's out. Kevin still doesn't want to give them any money, but he does offer to marry them right there in the tank. That offer is rejected as well.
LEARN MORE: Visit http://EcoNutsSoap.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Get the Flash Playerto see this player.
Short review: Be careful where you walk when tip-toeing through this site, because the floor is going to be as slippery as the people you'll find here! They are not sheltering anything when it comes to the target their minds have chosen for releasing their feisty flow of urine. The quality of all material came in very nicely done, from the realism and arousal of the action itself to the way it's presented.
Content Amount: The numbers are low from this site on the sets offered, hitting the number of 17, but from the extra you get, those numbers will climb like your erection, and stay elevated. The updates are done each and every Wednesday, so do keep that in mind.


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There's nothing unusual about having a bad day at the office. But some people have worse days than others, and in his time Charles (Charlie) Pellerin has had a few notable ones. Not many people find themselves having to explain why an organisation has invested a decade and half and in the vicinity of $3 billion on a project that has failed.
That's the position Pellerin found himself in as NASA's director of astrophysics in the wake of the 1990 launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, which had what appeared to be an unfixable flaw in its optical system.
It's difficult to overstate what a disaster this was and the humiliation faced by NASA; not just as an organisation but also the individuals who worked for the agency. A good friend of Pellerin who worked on the telescope fell ill in the wake of the launch and died. Two of Pellerin's senior staffers had to be removed from their offices by guards and taken to alcohol rehab facilities. "These are PhDs sitting at their desk getting drunk; this is how bad the stress was," says Pellerin.
Most people faced with a disaster on the scale of Hubble might want to either bury themselves under a blanket in bed for a decade or two, or try (no doubt unsuccessfully) to forget it ever happened. Instead Pellerin set out to try to fix Hubble — and succeeded, in the process winning NASA's Distinguished Service Medal, the highest honour conferred by the agency. And with a stubbornness that some people may consider verges on the perverse, set out to discover exactly what went wrong. The problem with Hubble, Pellerin concluded, wasn't merely a technical failure. It was a leadership failure and a product of the culture surrounding the project.
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His study of why projects fail also led him to draw links between Hubble and an earlier NASA disaster: The disintegration of Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986, which killed seven astronauts.
"In 1986 I drove into my parking place at NASA headquarters and my staff members are waiting for me there and it's very unusual," Pellerin says. "They ran up to me and said, 'Charlie, Charlie, Challenger exploded." Pellerin's division had the biggest payload on Challenger, and in the lead-up to the launch there had been a lot of cross-training between his division and the astronauts. "I had this sinking feeling that maybe my payload had come loose, because it was a very low cost effort and it was big and heavy and maybe it had broken through the cargo bay doors and caused this accident."
Pellerin watched the Challenger failure review closely. "I had good friends who I thought were good solid engineering managers who worked on the boosters so I'm trying to figure out what happened," he says.
"I saw this guy, Richard Feynman, who was a review board member, take a piece of rubber O-ring and put it in his icy water on television, and showed that it stiffened up. So immediately I said, 'Oh, that's the technical problem, they didn't do the O-ring well.'"
"That was nuts," Pellerin says. "These guys understood the O-ring, but I put that story in my head because technical people look for technical answers. I never read the conclusion of [the review board] report that said it was a social shortfall."
Four years after Challenger Pellerin was getting ready to launch Hubble and grappling with the difficulties of readying a telescope that wasn't intended for in-atmosphere operation. The advantage of a telescope in space is that light from stars won't be moved around by atmospheric incoherencies. No-one had attempted to design a telescope that would offer the accuracy promised by Hubble.
"So the question is, what are you going to tell people if someone asks you if it's going to work? What would you say? 'Of course.' It's the only answer right?" Pellerin says. "You spend 15 years and $3 billion or whatever, so of course it's going to work — there's no other answer.
"The head of NASA congressional appropriations asked me, 'Is it going to work?' And I said, 'Of course!' So she went and identified herself very closely with the project. So then we find it doesn't…"
The circumstances under which Pellerin discovered Hubble's flawed mirror were "awkward". There was a 'first light' event for the opening of Hubble's aperture door — "we call it the toilet seat," Pellerin says. The aperture door was opened, and a little spot of light appears — the first light from Hubble. "Everybody whoops and cheers," Pellerin says. But he noticed the spot of light was fuzzy. He was reassured by a colleague that it was nothing serious; Hubble's secondary mirror was attached to a stepping motor that would allow minor alterations to cope with dimensional changes brought about by the outgassing of water vapour in space.


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Spider Vein treatmentTreatment options include sclerotherapy, laser, ohmic thermolysis, surgical techniques and intense pulsed light (IPL). Spider Vein Treatment
Varicose veins are large swollen veins that bulge under the skin and are typically blue or green in color.
An abnormal valve or a weakened vessel wall causes the bulging. In a normally functioning vein, the valve prevents blood flowing in the wrong direction back towards the foot. In a varicose vein, the valve is damaged and does not close properly. Varicose Veins
Spider veins are small-dilated veins near the surface of the skin and measure about 0.3 to 1.5 millimeters in size. They may be red, blue, purplish, or greenish in color.
The medical term for spider veins is telangiectasia. Spider veins can develop anywhere on the body, but are commonly found on the face and legs. There are larger superficial veins called reticular veins that may be the source of spider veins. Spider Veins
Facial veins are treated with different modalities depending on their size and location. The most common veins are small red veins on the cheeks and around the nose. Sometimes the veins around the nose are slightly larger and blue in color. These veins are similar to spider veins on the legs. Facial Veins
Hand veins are bulging veins on the backs of your hand. The reasons for bulging veins are many, but usually are related to a gradual increase in size of the veins over a period of years since the hands are below the heart level. Your doctor should make sure that there is no blockage in the veins in the shoulder area. Hand Veins
A venous ulcer is a sore on the lower leg and usually occurs just above the ankle. These ulcers may be large or small and occur because there is a breakdown of normal tissue. The reason this occurs is because there is a long history of high pressure in the veins in your legs.
Once an ulcer occurs, treatment needs to begin immediately. It is essential to reduce the pressure in the veins in the legs. Venous Ulcers
Spider Vein treatmentTreatment options include sclerotherapy, laser, ohmic thermolysis, surgical techniques and intense pulsed light (IPL). Spider Vein Treatment
Varicose Vein treatmentThe commonly used treatment options for veins include; compression therapy, thermal ablation, sclerotherapy, phlebectomy and high ligation and stripping. It is important to familiarize yourself with these treatment types and then discuss the best option with your doctor. Most experts in the field of venous disease consider thermal ablation to be the safest, simplest, and most effective treatment type in producing the best long-term results when treating GSV or SSV problems. Varicose Vein Treatment
For vein specialists
Gain access to the world's most in depth community dedicated to treating varicose veins. Learn about new research, see difficult case studies and share information with other physicians specializing in treating venous disease.
Learn more about Venous Ulcers and how they can be treated
More information on Spider Veins can be found here
How Pregnancy increases the risk for varicose veins
An overview on the history of treating Varicose Veins
A detailed explanation of this condition can be found here.
Selected Glossary Terms


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Conservatives upset that Obama left out the almighty in thanksgivin...
Someone enroll these idiots in a grade school US History class, please.
Views: 213
I had a short discussion about this on facebook. The guy said he appreciated that Bush always thanked god. He didn't respond when I mentioned that Bush was a born-again Christian and at least Obama acknowledges that atheists have a right to exist. I also pointed out that Obama has acknowledged god before.
Jon Stewart was ranting about this last night, that's how I learned about this. The thing is that this isn't a case of Fox News trying to make a mountain out of molehill, they didn't do a very good job. They noted that Bush and Clinton both failed to acknowledge god in at least 1 of their respective thanksgiving addresses and then noted that god is mentioned in the written copy. It's nice when Fox News comes with disclaimers. Anyway, I think that because he didn't mention god in the verbal address, we can forgive him for mentioning him in the written copy.
Someone enroll these idiots in a grade school US History class, please.
Like it would help. They believe what the want to believe. Facts don't matter.
What, you mean that Thanksgiving isn't about sacrificing the almighty turkey god, who we fatten up over months, only to sacrifice him and eat his flesh? ;D We even praise him, after we eat, by rubbing our bellies, unbuttoning the top button of our jeans or trousers, and saying, "Ohhhh, I'm never going to eat that much again... Ohhhh..." You just can't beat that mantra.
Hey, so long as Obama mentioned football. Did he? He should have. Football is so Thanksgiving. ;D
Funny how a bunch of the Republican contenders for President didn't mention God either, but that's okay.
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Oklahoma State Defensive News Conference - Transcripts
Opening remarks
"It's great to be here. We've had a tremendous experience so far. I've been to a lot of bowl games. This is hands down the best bowl in the nation, year in and year out. Somebody asked me yesterday if there was disappointment after losing the OU game and realizing we weren't going to the Fiesta Bowl, and that disappointment turned right into elation when you find out you're coming to the Cotton Bowl."
On safety Daytawion Lowe
"He's been a mainstay for us for years. He played early on in his career. Somebody did an article on him a few weeks ago about, 'Coach, if you have one guy that maybe doesn't get the national attention but is so important to you, who would that be?' I didn't think twice about saying, 'Daytawion Lowe.' It's a very physical position. He's not the biggest safety in the nation but when you watch tape he brings it. Unbelievable character. Most definitely we wouldn't have accomplished what we've accomplished over the past few years and especially this year without his heartbeat with us."
On cornerback Justin Gilbert
"Justin has the same demeanor, same intensity level. Justin is a little quieter than anybody else in this room, keeps to himself, but Justin has gotten the national accolades and much well deserved. He's in a [high] profile position, is going to get tested many times during the bowl game. I've asked him to do some more difficult things this year than I have in the past, played more aggressive out there on the corner, some stuff schematically we've never done here at Oklahoma State before, and I would not have been able to do those things if it wasn't for [Gilbert]."
On linebacker Shaun Lewis
"Shaun is a guy who has started since his freshman year. What has allowed Shaun to play as a freshman and be a mainstay for us, all-conference performer, is unbelievable focus and attention to how he approaches this game. He approaches it like a professional week in and week out, the amount of film study he puts in. I always tell these guys, especially at that linebacker position, there's a fine line between anticipating and guessing. And Shaun lives on the edge there. That's why he can make such big dynamic plays for us over the years because up here between his ears he's a champ."
On linebacker Caleb Lavey
"I would say if there's one guy that had the heartbeat of the defense, it would be him – by far the top go-getter for us. He's a defensive captain. As a coach, he's what you dream of. And he'll tell you this: He's not the fastest guy out there; he's not the quickest; he's not the strongest. But he just makes plays and that's because he's smart and intelligent. He's a fierce competitor. He's a vocal guy on the sideline. To me, he's had a tremendous career. New guys, guys out there all of a sudden on the Caleb Lavey bandwagon … I've been on the Caleb Lavey bandwagon since he was a freshman."
On defensive tackle Calvin Barnett
"You've got to have some guys up front that are tenacious, that are powerful and explosive, that can get off blocks and disrupt blocking schemes, and that's Calvin to a 'T.' He's not a guy that's going to get a ton of tackles because those guys don't have the [opportunity]. He's getting beat up from the right and the left. He's taking double teams and he just keeps doing the job week in and week out. … He's a big reason that we have made the turn. Statistically, when you look at numbers, why we've been able to do what we've done the last couple of years is because we've got a guy like him in the middle that's very disruptive."
On Missouri's offense and how to defend it
Well, it's hard because you watch them on film, what they've done against supposedly some better teams in the nation, better defenses in the nation, week in and week out they've moved the ball on them up and down the field. They score points. You can't find a weakness. They're so balanced. As a defensive coordinator, you go in wanting to stop the running game first. With [Henry] Josey and his backups, they're all explosive backs. Then you get a running quarterback involved. That gives them an extra number, so they've got that element. They will have the strongest, fastest receivers we've seen all year. They come down with the ball. It doesn't have to be a perfect throw because they're so tall and they know how to catch the ball at the highest point. The good thing: You get called up and they say you're in the Cotton Bowl. The bad thing: You're in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri. It's a great challenge. … You can't get away from what we do defensively. You can't get away too much from what has brought you here, but you'd better have some answers also when things start going wrong, and that's the challenge with any defense. So hopefully we come up with adjustments when we have to and have some answers."
About his play this season
"I think the season has gone pretty well for me as Coach Spencer mentioned I haven't made near as many big plays as last year but that comes with the game. I think it has gone pretty well doing what I do with the scheme of the defense.
I have drawn a lot of attention, helping my linebackers make plays and people like Justin (Gilbert) and Daytawion (Lowe) able to cover the way they cover make it a lot easier for me. Coming where I came from (Navarro CC) where I was always the one making the plays, I had to find my unselfish side. Now as I hit a gap or a gap opens up that is not my gap and Shaun (Lewis) or Caleb (Lavey) flies through at full speed and make the plays I did my job and they did their job too. I get happy when they do their job well and that is the good part about it."
Forcing turnovers
"I guess the secret is that you have to give all the credit to the coaches because what they stressed in practice, every single practice is you have to get five turnovers or you are running, if you get four you're running, if you get three you have to run three gassers. It is just one of those things that we practice and practice on every single play -- strip it; try to get the ball out, play the ball. The coaches have instilled in us if you are running to the ball every play at full speed with relentless effort when you get there something is going to happen. If you have eight of the eleven orange jerseys over there near the ball the likelihood of you getting that fumble or catching a pitch are better and if enough guys are there a play is going to be made."
Playing in the Cotton Bowl
"We are happy to be here and I think this is one of the best bowls in the country. We are excited to come and play a great SEC opponent and could not have asked for more."
On AT&T Stadium
"It was crazy, so surreal for me. I haven't been in a stadium like that. I have been in some pretty nice stadiums but that is one of the best if not the best stadium in the country from all levels of athletics. It was a nice experience for me and I am blessed with the opportunity to play in the stadium on Friday."
About Career Journey
"For me it's been a lot of ups and downs. We came as a team so close a few times but then we captured the Big 12 title my sophomore year, my junior year we went through a bit of a struggle, but this year has been everything you could ask for. It is even deeper than that when you think about the relationships that you develop with teammates and coaches over the years. I wouldn't trade any experience I have had the past four years for anything else in the world."
Lessons of the Season
"It has been a long year and there is a lot you can take from it. But the one thing I can take from this year is the loss to West Virginia and how the team came together. How much better we seem to practice after the loss and do the things to get better. The group is stronger than individuals and that is definitely something I can take out of this year."
Unity of Defense and Trust
"It starts with trust, practicing hard. I know at practice that Justin (Gilbert) is going to do his job so I don't have to worry about trying to help him do his job and try to do mine at the same time. I know I can just focus on my job and get it done because I trust my other guys to get their job done. Trust is just cut and dry, they (coaches) are going to let you know how it is going to be and what we need to do. But it is not all really about that, but more about us being a veteran group and know that you can't do both because the guys on the field have been playing a long time and they know what it takes and how to win. A lot has to do with the maturity level of the guys on the field."
On returning for Senior Year
"I felt I owed this team a lot more than I gave them last year. Coming back and playing my fourth year was something I thought about a number of times and just making that decision may have been one of the best decisions of my life. During the season last year Coach Gundy brought me in and had a little talk about the production I wasn't having and how they expected more out of me and they knew what I could do. The thought (of staying at OSU) really bumped in around that time. I think it was better for me and the guys playing around me. After seeing those guys work hard every day and coming out with the devotion I didn't have at times last year taught me a lot. Watching those guys compete made a difference."
On Missouri Offense
"They are very well balanced, they pass the ball well and they run the ball. I couldn't tell you much about the offensive line because you have to ask the guys in the trenches about that. We have to do a good job of containing those guys or they are going to make it hard for us."


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WASHINGTON — Opening an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil development would only slightly reduce America's dependence on imports and would lower oil prices by less than 50 cents a barrel, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the Energy Department.
The report, issued by the Energy Information Administration, or EIA, said that if Congress gave the go-ahead to pump oil from Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the crude could begin flowing by 2013 and reach a peak of 876,000 barrels a day by 2025.
But even at peak production, the EIA analysis said, the United States would still have to import two-thirds of its oil, as opposed to an expected 70 percent if the refuge's oil remained off the market.
At the same time, the report said new Alaska production would stem the expected dramatic decline in domestic production and extend the economic life of the Alaska oil pipeline as production from other North Slope areas declined significantly.
But even the additional domestic production would not be enough to overcome increased demand, meaning continued heavy reliance on imports, the EIA said. Currently, the United States imports about 56 percent of the oil it consumes.
Refuge a political football
Congress has grappled for years over whether to allow oil companies access to the 1.5 million-acre coastal plain in the Alaska refuge, which geologists believe harbors about 10.4 billion barrels of crude.
Last year, the House, citing the need for more domestic oil to ease the reliance on imports, gave a green light to drilling in the refuge, but the Senate refused to go along.
Many Senate Democrats, joined by a handful of moderate Republicans, have repeatedly blocked pro-drilling legislation, arguing that the refuge would be harmed ecologically. The coastal plain, which includes calving areas for caribou, is home to polar bears and other wildlife, as well as being a stopover for an annual migration of millions of birds.
Both sides see ammunition
Both sides in the issue likely will use the EIA report as ammunition in the next round of debate over energy legislation in Congress.
Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., chairman of the Resources Committee, seized on the finding Tuesday that development of the refuge would boost domestic oil production by 20 percent over what it otherwise would be in 2025.
"Given America's energy crunch, ANWR production is a must," Pombo, who requested the analysis, said in a statement.
But environmentalists said the findings debunked arguments pushed by the Bush administration and other pro-drilling advocates that the refuge was important for national security and economic independence.
"It underscores what we've been saying all along, that oil drilling in the refuge would do next to nothing to actually meet America's energy needs," said Justin Tatham of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, an environmental organization active in protecting the refuge from development. "... We're still going to be reliant, if not more reliant, on foreign sources of oil."
The EIA study also noted the importance of the refuge's oil to Alaska.
Without the refuge's development, oil flowing from the North Slope would fall to 500,000 barrels a day — half of current levels — by 2025 and approach levels at which the pipeline may no longer be economical to operate, the report said.
Production to increase anyway
U.S. domestic oil production will increase over the next four years, from the current 5.7 million barrels a day to 6.1 million barrels a day, largely because of additional oil coming from the Gulf of Mexico, according to the EIA report.
But after that, domestic production will decline steadily without access to the Alaskan coastal plain, and it is expected to fall to 4.6 million barrels a day by 2025. With demand increasing, imports will continue to play a larger role, jumping from 9.7 million barrels a day to nearly 16 million barrels a day, about 70 percent of what is consumed by 2025.
With the 876,000 barrels the refuge could provide a day, the reliance on imports would drop to 66 percent of domestic consumption, the EIA analysis said. The study said it would likely have little impact on world oil prices — perhaps reducing the price by 30 to 50 cents a barrel if prices were in the $27-a-barrel range.
The price of light sweet crude was $37.48 per barrel Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
James Kendell, one of the authors of the study, said the refuge would add to domestic production, but "when you're talking of a world oil market of over 75 million barrels a day, adding 900,000 barrels by 2025 is a drop in the bucket."
No one is certain how much oil is beneath the Alaskan coastal plain. In assuming 876,000-barrel-a-day production, the EIA assumed the "mean" estimate provided by geologists of 10.4 billion barrels of technically recoverable reserves. Geologists say there could be less or much more. Environmentalists argue that much of that oil may not be economically recoverable if oil prices decline.
© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Crunchy Bones
In other words, these Skeleton Bones are crunchy Cheetos with white cheddar. Although none of the skeleton bones are detailed to look like either skeletons or bones, the color is a sickly white and would look good in a ghoulish serving dish.
The white cheddar adds a lighter and less savory twist which gives you more crunch than flavor, making them seem stale.
Yet there's a consistency to the airiness of the corn snacks, making me wonder if they're supposed to be heavier on crunch than taste. There should be more complexity to the lackluster cheese flavor, but since the bones are a one-time holiday snack, it might not really matter. They're more addictive than they should be and could be fun at parties.
They're also short on crumbs and don't stain your fingers. I'm not sure if the packaging is simple or bold, but I'd want to leave the package around or label the dish to let people know they're skeleton bones, not stale white Cheetos.
World Market's Skeleton Bones aren't the worst thing I've washed down with beer, but much of their charm depends upon knowing they're skeletal remains. Okay for the season, I'd look elsewhere to satisfy my corn curl Jones.
Dished by Jeanna on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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A few days ago, we received the following communication from an obsessed password researcher and our long-standing friend (quoted with his permission):
There are reports in some of the largest newspapers here in Norway of teenagers (or young male adults) hacking Apple accounts of teenage girls through the "lost password" function by correctly answering the reset questions such as the victims' names and birthdates. I've found at least one who is using Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker to illegally download and extract images & videos of teenage girls like this, and then offering them for sale online.
Due to laws and regulations, it is hard for the police to investigate these cases (logs that connect people to IP addresses are only stored for 21 days at ISPs here).
Relevant news stories (in Norwegian, use google translate):
Example forum where this is being discussed:
Perhaps I could get a statement from you/Elcomsoft on this, and that you/I will offer our assistance to the Norwegian police if needed?
This news is disturbing. We're always concerned when our products end up in the wrong hands. Elcomsoft works in IT security for more than 15 years already and it has always been our aim to explain users hidden rocks, and we are always assist law enforcement in their workflow both with our tools and our advice.
However, the bad guys can also take advantage of available tools – including tools made by our company. We have to admit that that once you let the genie out of the bottle there's no way back.
We are concerned and very disappointed with what has happened in this very case. If only we could, we'd be happy to help users safeguard their iCloud accounts against this type of attack. Unfortunately, Apple has an inherent problem at the level of data authentication, so there's actually very little that can be done except not using the iCloud at all or faking registration details with Apple.
iCloud stores huge amounts of information. Access to this information is provided to either iOS devices linked to the account, or to anyone who uses a Web browser and supplies the correct Apple ID and password. Of course there is also transport layer security (via the use of HTTPS communication protocol), and only three attempts to enter a password are allowed before the account is locked. But this is nothing more than anyone does. Here at ElcomSoft, we strongly believe that outsourcing the storage of personal information to a cloud bears significant risks. It is essential for the consumer to understand exactly the risks involved. Many corporations with concise security policies already ban cloud storages such as Apple iCloud from their networks (e.g. IBM).
As for Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker, the tool is most definitely not intended to commit crime. The use of the tool requires the correct user credentials (Apple ID and password) and/or the device itself in order to get access to the data. Unfortunately, it is difficult to stop intruders from exploiting all the tools available to forensic and law enforcement customers to extract as much data as they can.
In this particular case, what seems to be happening is teenage hackers are using their classmates' names, dates of birth and answers to "secret" questions to "recover" (or, actually, reset) their iCloud passwords. This type of attack is called "social engineering", and it does not take much for teenagers to guess (or know) the answer to teenage girls' "security" questions.
Due to what's been done, the usual advice of "choosing a long, complex password" and "not sharing it with strangers" will not work, as the vulnerability targeted here lies in the way Apple authenticates account holders.
Our recommendations here could be as follows. iPhone and iPad users should be doing the following from the very beginning:
- Avoid using iCloud services to back up information from the phone. As ElcomSoft demonstrated multiple times, information stored in the iCloud is NOT secure, and is prone to eavesdropping and spying upon without the user even knowing.
- Choose secure verification questions *and* provide unexpected or illogical answers. This will make it difficult for anyone to "recover" your password by guessing the right answer.
- Choose a secure device password, a long and complex one, which is NOT a 4 digit passcode which can be cracked within half an hour, the longer password the better – train your memory if you want to keep your privacy! Brute forcing the device password is very slow which makes a real problem for the intruder, if it's long.
- Choose a secure Apple ID password, long and complex. Never key in your Apple ID on laptops and computers you don't trust and even if you do so, make sure the computer is totally under your control which practically means never leaving it unprotected or unattended.
- Choose login names that aren't obvious, which is not your name and surname in all their variations. This will make it harder to guess.
- Never use the same password as one protecting your email account!
- Link your Apple ID account only to an e-mail account also protected with a secure password and control questions with unexpected answers.
- Never re-use passwords, this is extremely dangerous thing today, when new databases with passwords are made public after every new hack.
- Do not jailbreak your iPhone unless you clearly understand all consequences. Why should you willingly unsecure it?
- Finally, do not use iCloud.
We regularly hear most people care about security only when it touches their financial side of life. However, today in the age of information technologies losing one's identity may lead to a number of sequential mischiefs, as a lot of information is interconnected and its threads are running to numerous endpoints that are not always securely protected. Unfortunately, security and convenience don't walk together, so you have to balance between security and convenience.


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Bates Tractor & Equipment
Agriculture / Farm Equipment and Supplies
location on Google Maps.
in new tab.
on social media.
At Bates Tractor in Coldwater, MI, we thrive on tradition. After more than thirty-five years in business we've earned a reputation for offering quality products and services. As your hometown tractor supply, we have built relationships with generations of local families and businesses. We are proud to carry a variety of quality equipment lines and stock most commonly used parts. If you don't find the part or piece of equipment you you need in stock, we will order it for you. Give us a call today! Customer satisfaction is the number one priority at our hometown farm center. Our service department is manned by experienced and qualified technicians who will make sure you receive the best service in town! We represent top of the line manufacturers, and we work hard to earn the respect of our customers. Give us a call today!
Business Hours
Monday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sunday Closed


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Your Home Address in Amsterdam
Hotel Notting Hill is a 4 star boutique design hotel, in which you will feel right at home. This stylish luxury hotel is the key address for cosmopolitan and international travellers. The blend of classic elements, modern facilities and historic features make this former governmental building a perfect place to stay in Amsterdam. Discover this historic city from our doorstep-Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein and the Museum Quarter are right around the corner.


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A restaurant career isn't for everyone. It's a job that promotes talent and rewards passion and sacrifice. Especially sacrifice. If you don't possess any of those qualities and can't hold your own against a room full of hungry and picky diners, then you better get out of the kitchen. Fast.
The Huffington Post B.C. asked five veteran executive chefs to identify the province's top young talent. Who are the young chefs in B.C. worth watching?
Despite our calls across the province, all the insider answers pointed back to Vancouver.
Angus An of Maenam was quick to recognize David Gunawon as a force to watch. "Not only is he very driven, he's very hard-working, and very focused on what he needs to do," An told The Huffington Post B.C. "I watched his whole evolution, he worked with me a long time ago and saw him mature from a cook to a chef."
James Walt of Whistler's famed Araxi restaurant selected L'Abattoir chef Lee Cooper for his "interesting menu concept."
"He's a really good technical chef," Walt applauded, "He's under 30 and making a name for himself."
Thank you to An, Walt, Vikram Vij, Edward Tuson, Ned Bell, and Roger Sleiman for helping us compile the list below:
Lucais Syme is the co-owner of La Quercia, a Kitsilano restaurant specializing in northern Italian cuisine that has redefined neighbourhood dining in Point Grey. With partner-in-crime, Adam Pegg, Syme opened La Pentola inside the OPUS Hotel Vancouver in early September. With a dish named, "Badly Cut Pasta," what's not to like?
Taryn Wa's white-hot (and delicious) Asian-inspired cuisine has pushed her career through a position as the sous chef on the second season of Channel M multicultural cooking show, "Fusion Fare" to the kitchen of multi-award winning Bistro Pastis. Wa's fearless style draws inspiration from her international travels and recognition of Vancouver as a multicultural source of culinary creativity.
Kristian Eligh is the chef de cuisine at Hawksworth Restaurant with over 10 years of culinary experience under his belt. He describes the menu he helped create as "contemporary in technique and presentation, a showcase of Canadian ingredients, and all encompassing of the ethnic diversity of our region."
Quang Dang just celebrated his first year as executive chef at West, one of Vancouver's finest restaurants. Raised in Calgary with Scottish and Vietnamese roots, Dang first dallied with an engineering degree before his part-time jobs in kitchens swayed him to jump ship and master the undefined grey area that is Canadian cuisine. His talents in the kitchen and aptitude for identifying and using a bounty of regional ingredients have earned him spots in international competitions worldwide.
Ex-West chef David Gunawan has created a menu for meat lovers at his new Wildebeest restaurant. Described as a "very creative chef," Gunawan worked with Maenam chef Angus An for years before he branched off this summer to open Gastown's newest wild-about-meat restaurant.
Sean Murray began cooking at age 12. His family's rule was "if you're staying home sick from school, you have to bake something for dinner." After international stints in Beijing and Costa Rica, Murray returned to YVR in 2011 to take over the kitchens of YEW Restaurant.
Brodie Swanson is the chef at Vancouver's aboriginal-owned and operated Salmon 'n Bannock Bistro. His menu is inspired from his Haida Nation roots. Swanson's mastery of traditional salmon preparation makes this under-the-radar restaurant a must-try for Coast Salish foodies.
Lee Cooper has been knocking out quite a reputation in Vancouver' restaurant scene. Cooper, the son of a man who owned and managed A&W restaurants on Vancouver Island, has been picking up critical acclaim after he opened L'Abattoir in Gastown.
Top Chef Canada winner Dale MacKay recently closed two of his restaurants in downtown Vancouver. "I quickly learned that opening a restaurant in the heart of Vancouver is something I should have done after building my business and expansion capital," he said. But restaurant or no restaurant, this chef is a notable talent to keep our eyes on to see where he pops up next.
Also on HuffPost


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Integrated multi-screen campaigns are important today in effectively delivering a marketing message. However, client-side marketers, agencies and media sellers expect that importance to grow dramatically more important three years from now.
And given the increasing importance, market participants say they'll need to spend more on multi-screen campaigns than they do today.
But in order to get comfortable with spending more across screens, marketers and agencies are going to look for a few key things before diving in head first:


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You are about to make one of the best decisions for your business. Hi, my name is Tatiana. I started working with businesses on their brand and web presence 15 years ago. I know first hand the importance of a good name and instant value it can bring to the right business.
I am your connection with the domain owner. My aim is to understand your business, evaluate your needs and if you are the right fit for KASSLAR.COM, work with you on getting a strong proposal to the domain owner.
Is KASSLAR.COM your dream domain name? Let's talk and find out if we are a fit.
Introductory call
We begin by looking at your brand, your assets and goals in order to clarify your needs and expectations. The introductory call will you give you a good idea how purchasing a premium domain works, domain valuation models to consider, financing options, and more.
Based on our introductory call and the particular case, the next step is preparing a strategy (for longer, more complex projects) or a proposal. We will clarify which of those two is applicable to your case during our initial call.
I begin work on executing the steps in the strategy. Depending on our target this part of the process can have different duration. We stay in touch on regular bases, I inform you of progress and we discuss any relevant queries that may arise.
Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of KASSLAR.COM. As the news spread amongst your partners, employees, and customers, your mobile is ringing for three days. You've got a huge number of calls, a mailbox full of messages and congrats. Everything is looking good but you need a bit of time, to process it all, to see the numbers.
It has now been six months and the numbers are in! 40% increase in direct traffic, then shortly after the number is 70%. Repeat customers have grown well over 200%. Who would have thought? Increased trust, word of mouth, no traffic leaks, an important immunity against another brand who may grab the domain, better SEO and more effective marketing campaigns. You didn't even realize you were missing on all of those before.
It's been a year now. You sit back and reflect, you've spent three months and a small fortune to acquire KASSLAR.COM, and looking back you conclude, it was the best investment you have ever made.
I hope you enjoyed the journey. While the story is fictional, it is based on real people and real events, all of which are listed below.
"We saw a big growth with our repeat customers. We had an average return of repeat customers of over 200% from where it originally was and that was definitely attributable to the brand. When you are Pacific Pillows, you can stumble across a bunch of pillow sites, but when you are Pillows.com, its pretty clear that there is only one Pillows.com"
Craig Clark, Pillows.com
"Do you know how many companies have "Sumo" in their name? It's a lot. You wouldn't believe how many times someone has come up to me and said, "Oh, are you also like (completely unrelated to us) sumo?". That's why we went right to the source. There are many copycat Sumo names in the market but by owning Sumo.com we're positioned as the original. We are the Sumo.com."
Noah Kagan, Sumo.com
"My mobile was ringing for three days. We've got a huge number of calls from people sitting in and out of our business, my mailbox was full of messages and congrats. Our marketing team received many emails from our clients saying we've made something huge. We expected people will react somehow but no one thought it gonna be so positive and massive."
Greg Warzecha, User.com
"Beyond just the benefits of properly aligning our brand with the .com name, we knew that owning this domain would illustrate to future customers that we're here to stay for the long haul."
Steli Efti, CEO of Close.com
"Overall, the reaction and feedback from all stakeholders has been very positive; it is simple and easy-to- remember, reflects our brand values and proposition very well."
Team at Invest.com
"About 70% of traffic comes from the domain directly – we don't have to purchase the keywords as much any longer. The domain name is pretty valuable in and of itself."
Tor Sweeney, Dresses.com
"We saw a 40% increase in traffic immediately after securing our preferred domain"
John Furneaux, Hive.com
"After acquiring user.com we noted 300% increase in traffic."
Tomasz Sawicki, CMO User.com
"You will lose all word of mouth marketing if you don't have a good name. Most people choose their name because the domain is available. That's a really bad idea. I spent 3 months and $182,000 negotiating for Mint.com, and it was the best purchase I ever made."
Aaron Patzer, Mint.com


text: Giveaways An Apron Full of Giveaways 11.13.12 Source: Passion Me, $19 Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories! Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren't giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, "MomAdvice (Kid's Movies)." Pin It Published November 13, 2012 by: Amy Allen Clark is the founder of MomAdvice.com. You can read all about her here. All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe With Picture Tutorial Homemade Pumpkin Pie


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Shedd's Spread Country Crock has come out with a new spread that has the same taste but with added calcium and vitamin D to make it easier for Moms to get the right nutrients in our family's diet (each serving provides 100 mg of calcium, which is 10% of the Daily Value (DV) for calcium, and 80 IU of vitamin D, or 20% of the DV for vitamin D).
My family has always been a big fan of Country Crock although I admit that we typically buy our spreadable butter at our local Aldi. Although Aldi has expanded their lines of Fit & Active products, they still offer only one type of spreadable butter so I was excited to try the new offerings from Country Crock.
You will find absolutely no taste difference or even texture difference with this new butter spread with added calcium. Best of all, it is another great way to sneak in more dairy into your kid's diets. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 girls, and 3 out of 4 boys, don't get enough calcium, and a recent study indicates that there has been a decline in Vitamin D levels among Americans, both children and adults, over the past 10 years. Getting enough calcium into the diet is important for the development of strong bones and teeth, while Vitamin D is needed to help the body absorb calcium, although very few foods are natural sources.
To help Moms with nutrition, www.CountryCrock.com provides recipe ideas, nutrition information and tips for simple ways to get more calcium and vitamin D into your diet. You can also take the Shedd's Spread Country Crock® Calcium quiz for a chance to instantly win a $25 Visa® gift card. You'll also be entered for a chance to win a family vacation for five to Yellowstone National Park. Visit www.CountryCrock.com daily through June 13, 2009 for more chances to win.
Thank you to Mom Central for giving us the opportunity to try this great new product from Country Crock!
Do you have any creative ways to get more dairy in your children's diet? Please feel free to share your creative solutions!


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Shire - Used To Lovher [R&B]
Kayla reports "New universal records singer Shire, whose voice combines the heart ache of Mary J. Blige with the feisty spirit of Lil Kim. Her new single "Used to LovHer" is causing quite a bit of controversy, depicting her relationship with her old girl group LovHer but done in such a way as to cause major buzz"
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