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VICTORIA — Despite losing a round in B.C. Supreme Court Tuesday, Auditor General John Doyle is far from blocked in his bid to review the controversial waiver of $6 million in legal fees in the BC Rail case.
"It would be wrong to conclude that the result in this case represents the triumph of secrecy over transparency and accountability," wrote Chief Justice Robert Bauman in an effort to head off defeatist interpretations of this week's ruling.
The chief justice indeed denied Doyle's application for access to additional documentation related to the legal defence of the two aides in the corruption case, whose legal costs were indemnified by taxpayers, then forgiven after they pleaded guilty.
But at the same time as he upheld the fundamentals of solicitor-client privilege, he also reaffirmed Doyle's power to audit the controversial indemnity:
"The auditor general enjoys a wide power to examine and audit the government side of the arrangement and to assess whether it is operating economically, efficiently and effectively."
The chief justice emphasized that Doyle had gained access to "considerable material" on which to base his review of both the indemnity and the waiver.
The 42-page judgment stated as a matter of "fact" that the B.C. Liberal government had provided "all relevant materials" in its possession, withholding nothing on grounds of cabinet confidentiality or the wish to protect dealings with its own legal counsel.
Yes, government lawyer Richard Butler had to file an amended affidavit last fall, correcting the record on what was in the government's possession regarding the defence billings.
"Much was made of this about-face in the media," as Bauman noted, adding that it was surely a "regrettable" error. But it made "little difference" to his findings because the material was already on file and available elsewhere.
The chief justice noted that the auditor general had also gained access to material needed to conduct a comparative audit of the government practice of indemnifying the costs of politicians and public officials in other legal proceedings.
Some 100 of those instances, going back as far as the New Democratic Party time in office, are on the list for review.
Four individuals who were on the witness list in the BC Rail case have agreed that the auditor general can review information in the possession of the government regarding their publicly funded legal costs. Similar access was volunteered by 33 individuals who were indemnified in other legal proceedings.
Then, too, the auditor general gained access, via an earlier court proceeding, to material in the hands of the government (accounts, disbursements, other documents) regarding the legal billings on behalf of Dave Basi and Bob Virk, the two ex-aides who pleaded guilty to corruption in the BC Rail case.
But Basi and Virk withheld access to a limited amount of documentation that was still in the hands of the independent reviewers of their legal billings.
The details were not specified in the court judgment. But I gather the contents could have revealed aspects of their legal strategy, perhaps including the names of individuals who cooperated with the defence.
The auditor general sought that material along with blanket access to the files in the hands of legal counsel in other cases where the government granted legal indemnities. And that, as the chief justice succinctly put it, "has led to these proceedings."
Bauman turned down the application because granting it would have shredded solicitor-client confidentiality: "All citizens must be able to freely discuss their legal positions with their lawyers, secure in the knowledge that this relationship — that between solicitor and client — is as sacred as any secular business relationship can be."
But he rejected Doyle's claim that without blanket access to the legal files, he couldn't do his job.
"The auditor general has access, on a voluntary disclosure basis, to extensive materials otherwise subject to the solicitor-client privilege of many third party recipients of special indemnities," he wrote.
He further cited the "pithy" view of former auditor general Wayne Strelioff, submitted as part of a friend-of-the-court brief:
"An auditor general's difficulty in obtaining information does not prevent him from complying with standards. He is directed by, and complies with, standards by explaining in his audit report to the legislative assembly, the effect of his inability to obtain required information or evidence on his or her findings and conclusions."
In short, Doyle should do his best with the information he has obtained and tell the public what he knows.
Which was pretty much the advice from John van Dongen, the independent MLA who obtained access to the court (at his own considerable legal expense) to support Doyle in his application.
Van Dongen admitted to being "a bit disappointed" Tuesday. But he praised the chief justice for the clarity of his ruling and for underscoring that it need not be a reversal for openness and transparency.
Doyle, in van Dongen's view, has "sufficient information to do a credible audit" of the notorious $6-million indemnity and waiver.
He ought to get on with it. The electorate is waiting.


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dusk, hazy, lake, landscape, mist, nature, new jersey, outdoors, photo of the day, photography, snow, sunset, winter
This was the first time in too long I have felt inspired to drop everything to take a photo. I passed this like I always do driving to the street I live on. The sun was out after a long gray day, and an even longer, grayer winter. I am finally feeling better after being sick for over a week, and the sun on my face gives me a touch of happiness. "Sweetness Follows" is playing in my car, and there is this lake, almost frozen, the sun fighting its way through the trees, and a bit of mist is rolling onto the water.
I wish I could look at this and feel the way I did, but unfortunately I didn't do that moment justice. I'll own that… and that'll make me want to get it right next time.

subset: commoncrawl


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Can Organic Farming Counteract Carbon Emissions?
Organic practices could counteract the world's yearly carbon dioxide output while producing the same amount of food as conventional farming, a new study suggests.
The white paper by the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for the use of organic practices, says that using "regenerative organic agriculture," such as low or no-tillage, cover crops and crop rotation, will keep photosynthesized carbon dioxide in the soil instead of returning it to the atmosphere.


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Six Harbors Brewing Company
for Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Food Bank
Help us reach our goal of 250 pounds by June 9, 2018. Give today at:
Long Island Craft Beer Week
This is the 4th year LICBW is running the Can for a Can Food Drive, in which non-perishable food items are exchanged for a 16 ounce can of this unique and limited batch. Each year, collections have increased by an average of 1,000 pounds per year, with 2017 bringing in over 3,500 pounds. For 2018, a handful of bearded brewers have put their facial hair on the line with a challenge to collect 5,000 pounds!
Donating goods is easy! Click on SHOP NOW to purchase the goods you would like to donate. You will be emailed a tax receipt at the time of purchase. At the end of the drive all goods ordered online will be shipped directly to our charity partner.
Thank you! Your contributions will strengthen our community by helping others in need.


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I want to thank Chris Melcher for his service to the City of Colorado Springs and wish him and his family the best. I understand the challenging role of being an attorney for multiple clients, especially when it is a new form of governance. Council is willing to work with the Mayor to help find a new City Attorney. Public service is very demanding and I understand why someone would want to limit their service. I again wish Chris and his family the best through this transition. I look forward to working with the next City Attorney to keep the City moving forward and accomplishing great things for its citizens.
Colorado Springs City Attorney Christopher J. Melcher has announced that will be leaving his position as City Attorney on January 31, 2014.
"It has been a privilege and an honor to have served the City and the Mayor as City Attorney these past two years. I believe public service is the highest and most noble calling, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our community. Serving in this position has allowed me to be a part of two historic achievements for our City: First, the very successful lease of Memorial Hospital to UCH, and the creation of a medical school campus and a community health foundation; and second, assisting in the transition to the new Strong Mayor form of government following voter approval. When I accepted Mayor Bach's request to serve, I agreed to a commitment of two years – and I have enjoyed every day. Now that we have accomplished so many of our goals, it is time for me to return to the private sector."
Mayor Steve Bach appointed Mr. Melcher to the position of City Attorney on October 1, 2011. As City Attorney, Mr. Melcher has been the Chief Legal Advisor to the Mayor, City Council, all Boards and Commissions, Colorado Springs Utilities, Memorial Health System and all other enterprises and appointees of the City. Under Chris Melcher's leadership, the City Attorney's Office has had numerous notable accomplishments including:
· The successful negotiation and completion of the $1.9 Billion Lease of Memorial Hospital to University of Colorado Health, approved by over 82% of the voters in 2012, and the creation of a medical school branch campus.
· The creation of the Colorado Springs Health Foundation, with potential assets in excess of $100 Million and a generational commitment to health and wellness in our community far into the future.
· Providing advice, leadership, and legal guidance to both City Council and the Mayor in the historic transition to a new Strong Mayor form of government following approval of nearly 60% of the voters in November 2010.
· Drafting and approval of a new Election and Campaign Finance Code in 2012.
· Restructuring and upgrading the office of the City Attorney, bringing on a number of new highly talented attorneys, and significantly reducing outside counsel expenses for both the City and Utilities.
· Successful resolution of a number of difficult lawsuits against the City.
Mayor Steve Bach said, "Chris Melcher has been an outstanding leader, attorney and adviser for many working in the City. He is thoughtful, smart and strategic. He loves our city and has done a tremendous amount for us in two years. The success of leasing Memorial Hospital to the University of Colorado Health is due largely to Chris Melcher's tenacity and hard work. We will miss him greatly."
Dick Celeste, community leader, former President of Colorado College and former Governor of Ohio said, "Chris Melcher is a gifted attorney and a dedicated public servant. He has always been guided by what he believes is best for our community and its commitment to a fresh vision for the future."
Prior to serving as City Attorney, Chris Melcher was Chief Legal Officer for Colorado College, where his duties included advice and leadership to the President and the Board on all legal and business issues. Previously, Chris served as General Counsel and senior legal advisor to a number of Fortune 500 companies, and to public and private internet and technology businesses. Early in his career Chris served for many years as a federal prosecutor in Washington D.C. He is a graduate of Yale Law School.
Chris has served on numerous boards, including as a Founding Director and Chair of the Colorado Springs Downtown Development Authority Board and as a Founding Director of the Colorado Springs Chapter of First Tee.
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Apple struck a blow against Android by halting U.S. sales of Samsung's Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh issued a ruling late Tuesday granting Apple a preliminary injunction that would prevent sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the United States. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which Samsung unveiled last month, won't be affected by the ruling.
U.S. & World
"Although Samsung has a right to compete, it does not have a right to compete unfairly by flooding the market with infringing products," Koh wrote of the injunction, according to AllThingsD. "While Samsung will certainly suffer lost sales from the issuance of an injunction, the hardship to Apple of having to directly compete with Samsung's infringing products outweighs Samsung's harm in light of the previous findings by the Court."
It's likely that Samsung will appeal the preliminary injunction. The ruling by Koh is also made pending further review. That means Koh could change her ruling at a later date. Meantime, Apple will have to post a $2.6 million bond to "protect Samsung if it is later determined that the injunction" shouldn't have been approved.
Apple gave its usual less-than-generous comments on the matter. "This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we've said many times before, we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas," spokeswoman Kristin Huguet told AllThingsD.
Samsung didn't remain silent after the injunction either."Apple sought a preliminary injunction of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, based on a single design patent that addressed just one aspect of the product's overall design," Samsung said in a statement. "Should Apple continue to make legal claims based on such a generic design patent, design innovation and progress in the industry could be restricted."
Courts haven't always gone Apple's way. In Australia, Samsung triumphed over an injunction against selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1.last December. It also recently won damages from Apple when the Cupertino, Calif. company claimed 4G capability in Australia, and in the Netherlands, Apple also paid damages for patent infringement. However, U.S. court outcomes could be very different.
We have a feeling the Apple/Samsung U.S. courtroom drama is just getting started. However, until it's all been sorted, you can still legally buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.


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Have you noticed something wonderful happen at Albany Schools that you would like to share? Did you see our students or staff do something extra special? We would like to recognize the great things going on at our school that parents and community members think are great.
Please share your experience by e-mailing Mrs. Gregerson!
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2020 Intrado Corporation. All rights reserved.


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Check out the challenge here
Oh wow this is really beautiful.. I love these colors together, gorgeous design, love this..
Good on your boy for speaking out!!! Fab job....great when a page goes together quick, eh??!!!!!
WhaWOW... this layout is beautiful..loving the colors... the lace... the punches... everything just matched beautifully!!! hugs...xoxo
Gorgeous. Love all the little finishing touches and the colours work well. Hugs Desíre {Doing Life - my personal blog}
Congrats to Anni!!! And I loveeeeeeeeee your page!!!! LOVING the colors, the flowers and the balloons!!!! GORGEOUS!!!
Congratulations Anni! Your layout is simply divine Keren, and a fantastic sketch (I'm trying to find some extra time to complete as love their sketches). Love the borders and layers around the photograph,and that you added flowers too, it still looks wonderfully masculine. Your son is such a cutie!!!!
A totally gorgeous page, Karen! Love the pretty background. Hope you will enjoy your holiday, have a great December! :-)
This LO is awesome. Great colour combination and I love all the details. Hugs! xx
Nice page! loved the combination of yellow and black!
You always knock me over Keren when you do boy layouts. You do them as good as you do girl ones. Another stunner. Cheers Di xo
Wow! Love this lo! Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! The colors and mix is awesome!
Congrats to Anni....lucky gal!
Awesome page
and congrats to the winner
Wonderful page cool colors to!
How lovely Keren! This one is a real stunner!! You have certainly made it up to your son by creating this beauty for him!! Woooowwww!!!
I forgot to say THANK YOU for playing along at My Creative Sketches! I love those frames you've used with the words - please let me know which manufacturer/collection they are from!
such a fabulous layout, love the colors :)
Beautiful page, love all in your LO!!!
Such a dreamy layout! I love the classy colours and those swirls!!!
Beautiful design. Great with the yellow/black combo.
Congrats to the lucky winner!
This is really gorgeous! How cute of your son wanting to be in a l/o all of his own! Thanks for playing along at MCS!
Keren, Keren, Keren! I can't believe I won your giveaway. I find it amazing that I won out of all the peeps that signed up. Your LOs are just wonderful, Keren. Thanks so, so much. And, thanks to everyone who commented with my win. xo Anni
So Beautiful page Keren!!!! and thanks for playing along at My Creative Sketches!!! hugs!!
What a darling he is your son! WHAT a gorgeous page you made for him, absolutely adore it! the softness of the colours, the sparkle and black details are such beautiful high-lights! I am sure he was mighty pleased with what his mummy created for him! Mwah mwah mwah!
Примите мои поздравления !!!! Спасибо Вам , Керен , за розыгрыш !!!
beautiful layout! love love love the photo!!!Thank you for taking time to join in the fun at My Creative Sketches!
This is beautiful and I'm sure your son will love it! Thanks for playing along with MCS!
LOL for your boy :) I totally understand you, cause my boys count the layouts I'm making with their photos, and I also need to balance between them.
Beautiful layout, and I love the elegant and dramatic look with the blacks.


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Cosy Dreams
Just Like Mum
Puppy Cuddles
My First Bottle
Cuddles with Piglet
Dreams with Eeyore
Hugs with Tigger
Dream Little Boy
True Friends
I Love You Mickey
Daydreaming Donald
Friends with Minnie
Playing with Hello Kitty
Spring Stroll
My Favourite Book
Pinocchio's First Step
My First Letter
About To Go On Stage
As Pretty as Mommy
My Pigtails
Sound Asleep
My Favourite Tale
Girl with Cello
Girl with Dog
Girl Yawning
How Pretty!
My Rag Doll
Snuggle Dreams
Someone Is Calling You


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Ithaca College offers a comprehensive benefits package to all employees, including a wellness program called, "Work/Life." We define Work/Life at Ithaca College as education, programs, policies, practices and services that provide connections between individuals and the college including: Flexibility, Wellness, Family Care, Individual Growth & Development, and Community Service. Newsletters, workshops, and online resources for improving one's health and well-being can be found on the Work/Life web page.
Visit the Work/Life page for more information.


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Gini Funnell remembers the walls in her 42-year-old Manotick home were always icy cold in January, butter came out of the kitchen cupboard rock hard and oil bills to keep the aged furnace growling were red hot.
These days in winter the butter is soft and energy bills to operate the new high-efficiency natural gas furnace have dropped by two-thirds to $1,000.
"Now the walls are fine and, oh my God, the butter is so soft," says Funnell, who details how an energy audit in September 2011 recommended new windows and front door, a high-efficiency furnace and more insulation.
"Our rating wasn't awful, but it wasn't good and now it is much better," she says, remembering the furnace fell apart when it was taken out of the house. Funnell, who shares the home with her two brothers, Peter and Mike Royle, tapped into popular provincial and federal funding to recover half of the $300 energy audit cost and about $1,700 for the $11,000 it cost for a new furnace, windows and insulation.
The rebates helped offset major renovations, including a new kitchen and hardwood floors. "Before, when it got cold, we would just turn up the heat and go around in sweaters," says Funnell, grandmother to Blake, 2, and brand new granddaughter Payton.
"Currently, high-efficiency natural gas is still the most economical heating system where gas is available," says Ross Elliott, president of Homesol Building Solutions and a veteran who has conducted energy audits on thousands of Ottawa-area homes.
Prices vary depending on location, but ac-cording to an Enbridge survey, it cost $941 in 2012 to heat an average Toronto house with natural gas, $3,095 with electricity and $3,439 with oil.
Elliott says a good wood stove is the cheapest fuel option for rural homes. "I like wood pellet stoves in rural areas or even in the city, as they burn cleanly and can be thermostatically controlled, at fuel prices below even natural gas."
Buyers of new homes can count on low energy bills since Ontario toughened its building code in January 2012, demanding all new construction meet Energy Star requirements for a tight building envelope. The new standards improve a home's energy efficiency by 25 per cent over earlier building standards.
New or old, natural gas, wood pellet or geothermal, all furnaces need regular maintenance checks.
"The trick is to maintain the heating and cooling system so it operates at maximum efficiency," says Scott Byers, a service technician for Service Experts. "You would be amazed by how many do not do annual maintenance and then have to call when the furnace breaks down in the middle of the night."
High-efficiency gas furnaces last 12 to 15 years, says Byers, who inspected the 10-year-old high-efficiency gas furnace that keeps our Kanata townhouse toasty warm for $1,200 a year, giving it a clean bill of health. "If something goes wrong, I would repair it until it is 12 years old and then I would replace it. It becomes too expensive to repair."
Matthew Sachs, the general manager and green guru at Urbandale, remembers growing up in a drafty two-storey in the west-end community of Qualicum and his dad complaining about high fuel bills.
He is often frustrated that many put more money into maintaining their cars than regular maintenance on the heating systems of their homes.
There is also reluctance among buyers to pay for more sophisticated systems, says Sachs, who led Urbandale to being named Ontario's R-2000 builder of the year in 2010. The company was also an early supporter of Energy Star, offering it as a housing standard well before it became legislation last January.
At one point Urbandale wanted to build all of its single homes to R-2000 standards, a $25,000 to $30,000 upgrade that is now an option for buyers and takes about eight to 10 years to pay back in lowered energy costs.
"We are finding it is a tough sell," says Sachs. "We have to communicate the long-term benefits and the benefits of a home without air leaks, no drafts and where the basements are comfortable living spaces thanks to added insulation below the slab."
Today, Sachs likes to kite surf over the ice outside his older bungalow, which sits on the edge of the Ottawa River near Aylmer, glad he can return to a home kept warm by a series of high-performance vacuum insulation panels (VIP) developed by Panasonic and a geothermal heating system.
"The panels are still experimental and not yet on the market," says Sachs, who recommended them for an experimental house on the campus of Carleton University. The two-storey house, called C-Rise, will meet the tougher 2012 R-2000 standards and test innovative products.
New heating systems have improved by 20 per cent during the past five years, says Sachs, but now it's going to cost a lot more to up the green factor.
Green advances are being tested and are popular among larger custom homes where budgets are bigger, says Roy Nandram, owner of RND Construction and named Green Builder of the Year and Renovator of the Year in 2012 by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association.
"I would build a really good building envelope that requires very little heating and go with gas if a home is 2,500 square feet and go for a geothermal system if a home is over 4,000 square feet," says Nandram, who prides himself on practical building solutions.
He built his own 3,200-square-foot home in Alta Vista in 1998, using a high-efficiency boiler fuelled by natural gas and an air-to-air heat pump that was 47-per-cent more energy efficient than a home built to code almost 10 years later.
Ross Elliott did an energy audit of the house, finding it paid back Nandram $1,427 in savings every year. "I always think long term and make sure the house is energy efficient. I don't want to spend money I don't have to," Nan-dram says.
"I wanted to make sure it is comfortable, so I used the best windows at the time, but now am going to start replacing them," Nandram adds. "It's all about maintenance."
If you are thinking of upgrading the energy efficiency of your home, check out these websites for cost comparisons and energy audits:
Get an energy audit
Gini Funnell remembers the walls in her 42-year-old Manotick home were always icy cold in January, butter came out of the kitchen cupboard rock hard and oil bills to keep the aged furnace growling were red hot.


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This little girl was getting angry over people suaning but not suaning in normal ways but in ways that caused other people to be affected as well, like when playing a game and partners had to be picked and insisted by other people despite seeing that there were people wanting to be partnered with different people but ignoring that fact just to suan her the little girl felt sad that it wasnt only her or the other guy but was someone else who wanted him as his partner to share the game with.Too many times that affected her and other people as well caused her to be annoyed and hurt other people as well.Realised that for all the other times, if she did force people to spend so much time with each other just cause they were together she is truly sorry and
letter to prince charming28 Aug
Was checking facebook the other day when i saw this beautiful letter written by this 19 year old girl to the prince charming whom she is patiently waiting for…so here it is
By Cathy Babao-Guballa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
RELATIONSHIPS ARE always a difficult terrain to navigate.
As a woman, you spend hours pondering—alone or with your girl friends—the intricacies of the human heart. You always hope and pray that the next generation will get it better than you did.
Below is a letter I found in my daughter's website (I have her permission to share this). She wrote it to "the man I will someday love."
I was expecting to read a gushing, romantic, idealistic tome. I was humbled instead by her sentiments. It's filled with sensible expectations.
I pray that this will make every girl believe that hope does spring eternal, and even if your heart has been broken a few times, you can always put the pieces back together, and make it right the next time around.
Take your time. Don't rush and don't just "settle." If it's part of His plan, God's best awaits you out there.
Dear You,
I will admit that sometimes I really do wonder if you exist.
There is a part of every little girl's heart that envisions her prince charming. At age three, it is usually of a man who can save her from the wrath of an evil stepmother, wake her from eternal slumber or give her that true love's kiss.
In elementary school, he becomes the boy with the least cooties, the one who's willing to cross the playground to share his Oreos even if it makes him a target for the week of all the other boys.
Come high school, it's that boy you stand with at prom, who your father stared down at the door, who provided you with an experience complete with photos you will cringe at a decade later, a corsage that yellows in the refrigerator, and a faded memory of a night that seemed almost too magical to be real.
Nineteen years into this life, however, and still unwilling to give my heart away, I am still that same little girl who hopes for her prince charming. And although I wonder why it has taken you this long to sweep me off my feet and whisk me off to your palace on horseback, I know that it is probably because meeting you will be better than any fairytale I could've read as a kid.
A couple of heartbreaks and a few years wiser though, I will admit that there are times when I question your existence. Because I have yet to meet the guy who makes me hear songs like "All My Life" or "A Whole New World" in my head when I see him does not mean I don't hope that it'll ever happen.
I may already know you or may still meet you someday—something I leave completely up to God because I'm pretty sure our story will be epic.
However, I can't promise you that I'd make the world's most perfect princess. In fact I'll probably keep you on your toes and amuse you with my eccentricities—there are a lot of them. I'll probably steal a bunch of your T-shirts and turn them into shirt dresses, or drive you slightly mad with my obsessive compulsivity and my need to fix your collar constantly.
I can promise to be your best friend however—that person you can rant to after a rough day, the hand you can hold when you get sad, or the person you can text when situations get awkward.
I'll probably mess up your hair sometimes and hug you for too long, but that'll only be because I absolutely adore you. I'll bury my head in your shoulder during scary movies and make you feel like superman when you kill those flying cockroaches that really shouldn't exist. I'll cook your favorite food on your birthday and try my best to make friends with your mom.
I'll respect your nights-out with the boys and make you seem like the perfect guy to my barkada. I'll watch basketball or soccer games with you, and not complain when you cheer too loudly at the TV set.
I'll know the difference between giving you space and being constantly there for you—even if it means sitting and playing video games with you or taking hot chocolate runs when it rains.
I'll listen to your music and we'll go on epic adventures together—seeing the world, taking awesome pictures, eating awesome food, and never running out of things to tell each other along the way.
I won't be waiting for you to sweep me off my feet and take me on a magic carpet ride, because I know I won't need anything like that to fall for you—I will love you for you.
You will be that someone to make goofy faces with in pictures, to lace fingers with when I'm lonely, and to take long walks under the stars with on the beach.
You'll be the guy who takes me the way I am—and will laugh as I burst into Disney song or pick out pink wallpaper.
You'll be that someone I envision a future with—us filling out visa forms as we travel the universe, picking out our first dog together and arguing about what to name it, or being snap-happy stage parents in our preschooler's annual mini-plays. And I keep hoping that maybe someday when we find each other, you will become that someone whose smile I wake up to in the morning and the last one I speak to every night.
So to the man I know does exist, and who will help me maybe make sense of the world someday, this man I can't wait to love. Please know that I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. But for now, I wait. Fingers crossed and palms held together, I hope that you're out there somewhere, waiting for me, too.
With the hope I will be yours for always,


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Rogue Valley Runner and store employee Erik Skaggs (Ashland, OR) and Olympic Trials Steeplechase qualifier Max King (Bend, OR) head to the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains for the second annual Gor-tex TransRockies Run. But unlike their head to head duel at the Siskiyou Out Back 50K Trail Run back in July, the boys will be running and working together as the Nike/Rogue Valley Runners Team at this race starting Monday morning.
Max King at the 8K USATF Championships. (photo courtesy of the New York Road Runners)
Last year's Trans-Rockies winners (r to l) Erik Skaggs with his brother and then partner, Kyle. (photo courtesy of Trailrunnermag.com)
Together with King's experience at the World Championship level and Skaggs' experience as the defending champion from last year's race; these two put together one of the fiercest resumes at this year's TransRockies Run. Their expertise will come in handy over the six-day stage race that pits the duo against some of the best mountain runners in the world. Race legs vary from 12 to 24 miles in length and the teams will spend the majority of their time between 9,000 and 12,000 feet. Daily course descriptions and elevation profiles can be found here. Teams must run together and finish side by side if they wish to be counted in the day's results. The Team with the fastest cumulative time at the end of the six days will be crowned winner.
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention another Oregon runner participating in this year's race; Sean Meissner (Bend, OR) on Team Montrail.
Last year, the TransRockies Run web site did a good job of posting daily updates at the end of each leg. Check back Monday night for the first leg's results!
Good luck fellas!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Oregon goes to Colorado: Trans-Rockies Run
Posted by Rogue Valley Runners at 9:12 PM
3 comments:
- Rennaker said...
Giddy up guys! Rock it!
- Saturday, August 23, 2008 11:20:00 PM
- saschasdad said...
I'm calling it now: RVR/Nike is going to win. It's tight right now, but I don't see another team touching them in the coming stages.
- Tuesday, August 26, 2008 2:27:00 PM
- Rennaker said...
I heard the Britton's are some course cutting sod's. The RVR crew will destroy them and take the win!
- Tuesday, August 26, 2008 6:59:00 PM
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Line Cook Job
$136.00 estimated pay
Instructions and details
About Instawork Gigs
Instawork is the best place for hospitality workers to find temporary jobs on-demand. From Michelin-star restaurants to small coffee shops, Instawork makes it easy for bartenders, cooks, servers, dishwashers and other experienced hospitality workers to find work at local businesses and earn up to $30/hr on a flexible schedule. No interviews or paper resumes. Just book the gig in the app and show up to do the work. Se habla español.
A line cook role refers to a back of house worker whose primary responsibility is to keep the tempo of the restaurant flowing during service.
Line Cook's responsibilities:
Attends all schedules employee meetings and brings suggestions for improvement.
Promptly reports equipment and food quality problems to Kitchen Manager.
Assists the Chef and Sous Chef with kitchen inventory, and food storage.
May tend to the garden (care and cultivation).
Inform Kitchen Manager immediately of product shortages.
Uses our Standard Recipe Card for preparing all products. Do not rely on the memory of yourself or other employees.
Other duties as assigned.


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Our first two master classes of this year's programme are in full swing. We have 'The Drive to Improvise' with Tessa Clegg and Philip Eglin, with glass blowing by Carl Nordbruch, and 'The Pleasures and Difficulties of Choice' with Ivana Sramkova, assisted by Angela Thwaites.
All the participants are hard at work, enjoying their time in the studio and also making the most of the local area. The weather started beautifully and then took a dramatic turn over the weekend with stormy winds and rain, but a little calmer today.


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Free Ride
Those NFC phones are kind of really easy to use. So it just lowers the bar for people who want to commit fraud to a very, very low level.
— Postdoctoral researcher Collin Mulliner, on the hack used by two mobile security researchers to get free rides out of the San Francisco MUNI system


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Beasts and creepy crawlies – it's a "wild thing" with stimulating fun at Bluestone
Beasts lurking in the woods and creepy crawlies hiding in the undergrowth - a perfect opportunity for toddlers to stimulate their senses and find their "wild thing" with the family in stunning Pembrokeshire. With a generation growing up finding adventures online, on tablets PCs or just the TV, more families are realizing the benefits of taking their children into the great outdoors on a short break holiday to find some real life experiences.
Bluestone National Park Resort in West Wales is building on its free range fun in 2014, developing wild adventures for pre-school children to learn and develop their senses in the confines of its all-weather facilities. "We're taking families back to where generations past used to play – in the wild and not the living room. All too often we find young children more able to tap an iPad screen than poke a bug," said Yvonne Buckingham of Bluestone.
"Families can escape into the woods, fields and ravine at Bluestone to go on beast hunts, go pond dipping or even find fairies in the glade. It's much more stimulating than sitting at home in front of the television."
And with figures suggesting almost half of all young children use or have access to an iPad or tablet PC, it's time to switch off the technology and develop their real life senses to stimulate their minds and imagination.
With all-weather, all-year activities, combined with the luxury accommodation, a private village with shops, pubs restaurant and a spa, the Blue Lagoon water park and an Adventure Centre, there's more to family fun and relaxation than the TV will ever give a toddler. From Beast Hunts to Pond Dipping, Messy Play to Baby Sensory, Bluestone offers a wide range of activities for toddlers to teenagers, as well as the big kids, all year and in all weather.
Visit www.bluestonewales.com to find your wild thing at Bluestone.
Owain Betts, PR and Media Relations
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
w: www.bluestonewales.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluestonewales
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bluestonewales (@bluestonewales)
Categories:Children, Activities


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35 killed, soldier missing as Gaza truce unravels
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- A Gaza cease-fire quickly unraveled Friday as violence erupted in and around the southern town of Rafah, with 35 Palestinians killed by Israeli shelling and the military saying one of its soldiers may have been abducted.
Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaking the cease-fire, which had been announced by the U.S. and the U.N. and took effect at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) Friday. The fighting broke out less than two hours later.
Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra told The Associated Press that in addition to the dead some 200 Palestinians were wounded in the "random" Israeli shelling of the Rafah area in southern Gaza.
He said the death toll could rise as rescue workers continue to search for people buried under the rubble of several apartment blocks hit by shells. He did not say whether the victims were civilians or militants.
The Israeli military meanwhile said one of its soldiers was "feared" abducted, without providing further details, and that Gaza militants had fired eight rockets and mortars at Israel since the cease-fire began, one of which was intercepted.
"Once again, Hamas and the terror organizations in Gaza have blatantly broken the cease-fire to which they committed, this time before the American Secretary of State and the U.N. Secretary General," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement shortly after the fighting broke out.
Israel launched an aerial campaign against Gaza aimed at halting Palestinian rocket fire on July 8 and later sent in ground troops to target launch sites and tunnels used by Hamas to carry out attacks inside Israel. The war has killed nearly 1,500 Palestinians, mainly civilians, and more than 60 Israelis, nearly all soldiers.
At least four short humanitarian cease-fires have been announced since the conflict began, but each has been broken within a few hours by renewed fighting. Friday's temporary cease-fire was the longest to be announced thus far.
Under the cease-fire, Israeli troops on the ground in Gaza were to continue to destroy tunnels along the heavily guarded frontier, but only those that are behind Israeli defensive lines and lead into Israel.
Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to destroy Hamas' tunnel network "with or without a cease-fire." But military spokesman Moti Almoz told Army Radio on Friday that Israel would not be able to eliminate the tunnel threat "100 percent."
Soon after the cease-fire went into force, Gaza's residents took advantage of the truce to return to their homes, many of which had been destroyed in the fighting. Some arrived on tuk-tuks -- three-wheeled taxis -- by car or on foot to retrieve their belongings.
Near a main road in in the heavily bombarded Gaza district of Shijaiyah, less than a mile from the Israeli border, residents surveyed extensive damage.
Basem Abul Qumbus returned to find his three-story home -- in which he had invested tens of thousands of dollars -- uninhabitable. Tank shells had punched a hole in the ceiling of one bedroom and a wall had collapsed into the kitchen.
"The work of all those years is gone," he said, as he struggled to salvage flour from bags that had been torn apart by shrapnel. Food supplies are running short in the blockaded coastal territory in the war's fourth week.
Egypt issued a statement early Friday calling on the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and Israel to send negotiation teams to Cairo to discuss "all issues of concern to each party within the framework of the Egyptian initiative."
Egypt had put forth a cease-fire proposal a week after fighting began last month. Israel accepted the proposal, but Hamas, which deeply mistrusts Egypt following last summer's overthrow of an Islamist government in Cairo, rejected it.
Hamas has demanded the lifting of an Israeli and Egyptian border blockade imposed on Gaza in 2007 when the Islamic militant group seized power, as well as the release of Palestinians rounded up in the West Bank in June following the killing of three Israeli teenagers.
In recent weeks Turkey and Qatar, which have warmer ties to Hamas but are at odds with Egypt, have tried to help broker a cease-fire agreement, with no results.
It's not clear whether other nations will attend the Egypt talks, and aides to Kerry said Egypt will ultimately decide who will participate. A Hamas official in Qatar said Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials would be participating. Israel will not meet directly with members of either group because it considers them terrorist organizations.
Hours before the cease-fire was to take effect, 17 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, including 10 from the same family, according to al-Kidra, the Health Ministry official in Gaza. He said the family members were killed in an airstrike on their home in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.
Israel's military said five of its soldiers were killed along the Gaza border Thursday evening by a mortar round.
At least 1,496 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed since hostilities began July 8, according to Palestinian officials. Israel says 61 of its soldiers and three civilians in Israel have been killed.
Hours ahead of the cease-fire, Gaza police reported heavy Israeli tank shelling in northern and eastern Gaza, and the loud exchange of fire with militants could be heard across Gaza City. Tank shells slammed into the city itself, setting homes and shops ablaze.
Hamas fighters hit an Israeli tank with an anti-tank missile, Gaza police said. The militants then attacked Israeli troops who came to evacuate the tank crew. Clashes continued into the early morning hours, police said.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the matter.
Israeli police meanwhile warned residents to stay away from Israeli communities near the Gaza border during the cease-fire, saying the area remains "a war zone."
"We ask the public to heed the orders of the police and army and not to go to the Gaza Strip border area, it is a threat to your life!!!" the police said in a statement.
Police said Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in a number of neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, and that Israelis attacked an empty bus. Police also restricted the entry of worshippers to a key Muslim holy site in the city to prevent disturbances.
Estrin reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press correspondents Karin Laub in Gaza City and Yousur Alhlou in Jerusalem contributed to this report.


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Mother Like No Other Monochrome Print - inspired by Proverbs 31:28-29
by Bow and Arrow UK
Mother Like No Other Landscape Monochrome Print
Ships from United Kingdom
Ready for dispatch in 1-2 Business Days
Free Delivery (UK)
- International - £4.80
Product description
This Mother Like No Other monochrome print was inspired by the words of Proverbs 31:28-29; 'Her Children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, praises her: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."'
This landscape print is available in a range of sizes to suit your needs:
4 x 6 inches (101.6 x 152.4 mm)
5 x 7 inches (127.0 x 177.8 mm)
8 x 10 inches (203.2 x 254.0 mm)
A4: 210 x 297 mm (8.27 x 11.69 inches)
A3: 297 x 420 mm (11.70 x 16.50 inches)
Personalisation is not available with this design, but by all means browse our other digital prints to find a design that you can personalise here!
All our Prints are produced on a professional 6-colour Canon printer using dye based inks and a Pigment Black ink to ensure vivid, rich and crisp prints every time. We use only Genuine inks to deliver quality long lasting prints.
All designs are printed on Premium 270gsm Matte Photo Paper. Please note that actual print colours may vary slightly to those seen in the listings, as each monitor displays colours slightly differently.
Why not frame your print to add the finishing touches to this design, great if you're buying it as a gift! Both our wood based frames are hand-made to order and available in either a black ash wrap or an oak wrap finish. Please refer to the frame selection image (available in the product images) to see the style of each frame.
We currently supply frames in the following finishes;
Grain Black Ash Wrap 38mm (Depth 15mm)
Grain Medium Oak Wrap 38mm (Depth 15mm)
Please drop a comment in the notes box when checking out to let us know which frame you'd like.
All our frames have a flat edge and are made up with a 30mm white mount to compliment your digital print as well as genuine PLEXIGLAS® XT 0A000 (20070). PLEXIGLAS® is the highest quality alternative to glass available offering approximately 7 times more UV protection than glass (extra protection from sun-fading). It also has a high quality finish that makes it look and feel more like glass than the acrylic and plastic alternatives.
Your frame will be made up with your chosen print before being wrapped in a lot of bubble wrap to ensure safe delivery by courier. Please allow an extra day when ordering a frame with your print for us to process your order. Unfortunately at this time Frames are only available to UK deliveries.
Non-Personalised Orders are generally dispatched within 1 Working Day of the order. Personalised Orders can also be dispatched within 1 Working Day but may naturally take a little longer to produce.
All unframed orders are shipped by Royal Mail First Class Delivery as standard (please allow 1-2 days for delivery). Next Day Delivery is also available for an additional fee. We ship throughout the UK, Europe and beyond - just check our shipping options for locations and pricing and be sure to contact me if you need it shipping somewhere else!
A3 prints are packaged up in a sealed cellophane bag and sent in a poster tube to avoid damage and over curvature. All other sizes are packaged in a sealed cellophane bag and sent in a sturdy hard-backed C4 envelope.
Please get in touch within 14 days of delivery to discuss any issues you might encounter with your order and I'll do what I can to help. Unfortunately due to the nature of custom orders, I can't accept any returns on personalised designs.
Meet the Maker
Bow and Arrow UK
Welcome to Bow and Arrow UK! We specialise in typographic prints, postcards and notebooks! Many of our items can be personalised making them extra special!
Bow and Arrow Origins
For years now I've been working in illustrator producing Wedding Stationery and gifts for friends and family. There was always the desire to build a store and now our three boys are of an age where I can get a few minutes to myself every now and then I bit the bullet and started this store!
Inspired by the the events that we've tackled in our lives, initially my prints were born out of seasons of struggle - looking to bring encouragement to others who find themselves in similar situations.
Our range of prints has grown from those inspirational prints and now looks to celebrate many aspects of life too through our designs, whether that be birth announcements, celebrating your wedding day, or just shouting about how much you appreciate you mum, dad, kids and family - we've got a range of prints for you with more designs added regularly!


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Hard on the heels of its apology for flogging customer data to police in The Netherlands, satnav maker Tom Tom is set for a repeat performance in Australia.
TomTom attracted universal flack last week for admitting that local and regional governments in the Netherlands had used TomTom's GPS data to help police set speed traps.
TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn, emailed an apology to customers promising that the information would not be handed to the police in that way again. "It turns out the police have used traffic information that you have helped to create to place speed cameras where the average speed is higher than the legally allowed speed limit. We did not foresee this type of usage."
He added: "TomTom fully understands some of our customers do not like this and we will amend the licensing conditions to stop this type of usage in near future."
But on Friday an executive from TomTom Australia told The Australian Financial Review that although the company intends to never to sell data in that way, it could not rule out such activity in Australia.
TomTom Australia's VP of marketing, Chris Kearney, said that the company hopes to sell its data to organisations such as the Road Traffic Authority and VicRoads in the second half of this year, but has yet to seal a deal. He said that the data sold was anonymous and impossible to trace it back to individuals.
Kearney said the company would look at ways to prevent the data being used to set speed traps (in which case, why would the police be interested?).
"A vast majority of TomTom users grant TomTom the permission to collect road speed data. In doing this they allow TomTom to better understand road congestion and to deliver a better navigation solution back to users," he said. ®


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Review By Richard Kirkham
Hollywood in the Golden Age, Nazi Commandos, Gangsters, Young Love, Air Speed Races, Howard Hughes, is there anything that is not found in this Walt Disney Picture from more than twenty years ago? I can't think of anything they could have added to make this movie better. The story is a clever adventure which mixes real world events with science fiction elements and puts it in the backdrop of one of the most romantic times and places in film history. "The Rocketeer" was a modest success and not a break out hit that would justify a sequel. The movie harkens back to the serial adventures of the 1940s but is based on a racy 1982 graphic novel/comic, which has enjoyed greater literary success than it's cinematic cousin. There are some obvious changes made in adapting this to the big screen. The biggest change was altering the character of Jenny Blake. Instead of the somewhat seedy "party girl/stripper" she is in the comic, she becomes a more wholesome ingenue. She is an innocent young actress, trying to break into the movies by playing in the crowd scenes in the movies being manufactured at the Hollywood Dream Factories of the Golden Age.


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An insider's view of what is really happening in the Harris County Criminal Courts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Tonight's Reasonable Doubt (3/1/12)
Happy March to everyone. Please join us for tonight's Reasonable Doubt with hosts me and Franklin Bynum. Our special guest will be Todd Dupont (even though he has yet to acknowledge it). We're on at 8 p.m., and you can watch it live streaming by clicking here.
4 comments:
We want Mr. Pope. He is very articulate; plus, very cute.
Please bring him back.
- March 1, 2012 at 11:40 AM
- Murray Newman said...
Anon 11:40 a.m.,
I am very opposed to blatant lying on the blog about Mr. Pope.
- March 1, 2012 at 1:57 PM
We apologize. You are correct - He is somewhat articulate.
- March 1, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Future show suggestion: guest, Wayne Heller. Subject, clean jokes.
- March 1, 2012 at 11:20 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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I have a draft to send in this week, and a trip to Namibia to finish planning, so no time to chat I'm afraid, in the meantime, enjoy this:
Monday, August 22, 2011
Posted by Helen at 12:21 pm 4 comments Links to this post
Friday, August 12, 2011
Also on my mind
so after the rant (sorry, had to get it out my system) I was thinking about Dirty Dancing.
Posted by Helen at 2:59 pm 8 comments Links to this post
Labels: I had the time of my life
My anthem right now
One day this will be me!
MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
Posted by Helen at 10:37 am 1 comments Links to this post
something getting on my nerves right now
Yes, this is a rant, and probably too long to read, but i needed to write it.
And that pretty much summed up my teenage years, even a lot of my life right now.
Or there's the 14-year-old who was at the movies with her friends when a man in his 20s put his arm around her shoulder and asked her to come sit with him. She said no and he went away but she was shaken. Talking it through with her friends, there were suggestions that her outfit was ''kind of sexy'' and so maybe she shouldn't dress like that any more. Others in the group thought that was unfair: her outfit was amazing and she felt great in it. She just needed to be ready for men who thought she was older or looking for a boyfriend or whatever. Together, the girls came up with a strategy: the next time she (or any of them) had an adult man crack on to her she should say - very loudly - ''I'm 14!'' and if he persisted, she would - louder still - tell him he should be ashamed of himself for trying to pick up a child.
There's no doubt the ideas behind this solution came from a thousand conversations with adults and peers and from various forms of media. When it came to the crunch, the girls were able to talk it through, support each other and come up with a strategy that acknowledged unfortunate realities while refusing to cower in the face of them. Talk about empowering.
Unfortunately, when the girl told her parents about the incident, she was banned from going to the movies with her friends. Again, an understandable impulse but the girl feels punished for fighting her own battle and will either stop doing so or - more likely - will be sure to keep future battles a secret.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/sugar-spice-and-stronger-stuff-20110805-1if1z.html#ixzz1UkA5wTRx
Posted by Helen at 7:46 am 4 comments Links to this post
Thursday, August 11, 2011
pretty much the most accurate thing I've ever seen.
Posted by Helen at 8:38 pm 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: the weird world of academia
" You know that scene in Babe where the farmer clog-dances for the pig? Sometimes I'm the sick pig and I need a farmer to cheer me up. And when things get bad, my boyfriend does dance for me, and it never fails to make me laugh. He's a pretty snappy dancer." - Shirley Manson
Posted by Helen at 12:27 pm 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: nothing in particular


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Ms. Narc: "Yeah, I'm a patient of Dr. Notoncall. He has me on Vicodin, and I'm all out"
Dr. Grumpy: "I'm sorry, I don't call in controlled drugs after hours"
Ms. Narc: "But I'm hurting!"
Dr. Grumpy: "You'll have to call his office on Monday, or go to urgent care or ER if your pain is that bad."
Ms. Narc: "But I can't make it until then! I hurt all over!"
Dr. Grumpy: "I can't call in these pills for you. Sorry"
Ms. Narc: "Ummmm... But I don't need pills! Yesterday I had one of those, uh, gastric bypass surgeries, like the fat guy on TV once did, so I need liquid Vicodin. So it's not a pill. You can call that in, right?"
Dr. Grumpy: "Good night" (hangs up).


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land for sale at Maruthamkuzhi
Land situated at Padayani Road.
Land area 8 Cents.
Square level plot. Residential area.
Full Compound Wall Basement.
Lorry access, Tar Road Frontage.
Maruthamkuzhi – 1 KM.
Sasthamangalam Junction – 1.5 KM.
Saraswathi Vidyalaya School – 500 Meter.
Contact : +91 9447066202, 9447451514
When you call, plz mention that you found my contact info on ekeralarealestate.com
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For more properties in and around Trivandrum, please contact www.ekeralarealestate.com[/stextbox]
More Places in Trivandrum
Pattom Kattaikonam Kesavadasapuram Karumam Karakulam
Mannanthala Kallayam Attingal Kazhakuttom Ulloor Nettayam
Keraladithyapuram Vattiyoorkavu Sreekariyam Nalanchira Neyyattinkara
Mukkola Balaramapuram Pallichal Pachalloor Nedumangad Mudavanmugal
Peroorkada Mannamoola Mangalapuram Malayinkeezhu Kudappanakunnu
Ambalamukku Kovalam Kanyakulangara Kaniyapuram Kallambalam
Karamana Jagathy Kattakada Thiruvallam Thirumala Thamalam
Attukal Thachottukavu Technopark Techno City Puliyarakonam
Manacaud Pravachambalam Powdikonam Pothencode Poojappura
Sasthamangalam Peroorkada Pappanamcode Pallipuram Vizhinjam
Kumarapuram Vayalikada Vazhayila Vellanad Vellayani Vembayam
Kannammoola Venganoor Venjaramoodu Vilappilsala Vakkom
Pettah Thycaud Thonnakkal Thittamangalam


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Our bracelets connect our love of African and other ethnic beads with our use of natural healing stones and crystals. The word Jikoo reflects the spirit of our bracelets, which represent connections to the Earth, nature, oneself, people, family, traditions, cultures – the world. We use ethically sourced, fair trade materials including handmade beads from Indonesia, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Mali and high-quality natural crystals and gemstones from around the world that we have selected for their beauty and healing properties. We also use natural wood and nut beads to represent a connection to nature. Our bracelets are great for use with meditation, yoga, mindfulness practice, anytime you need inspiration, grounding, balance, or any of the unique healing properties of the beads. They make perfect gifts for you or the people you love!
Materials: Ashanti Beads from Ghana, Krobo Bead from Ghana, Black Bone Button Beads & Black Jasper
Learn more about these stones and crystals
Materials: Ashanti Beads from Ghana, Krobo Bead from Ghana, Black Bone Button Beads & Black Jasper
Purpose: Grounding, Calm & Protection from Negative Energy
Given the nature of these one-of-a-kind items, we are unable to offer returns or refunds. Therefore please view all photos and contact us with any questions before buying. Our staff takes special pride in selecting the items found on Global Attic and we want to ensure that you are satisfied with your purchase.


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Home » Chris Randall » Cheap Sensation
Home » Chris Randall » Cheap Sensation
The Cheap Sensation EP is the companion to The Devil His Due. Three exclusive tracks, one cover, and three alternate takes comprise this EP of extras and out-takes. From the laid-back jazz groove of "City Streets" to the stomping rock of the title track, this EP gives an excellent insight in to the writing process, as these were all created before the final decision was made as to the direction The Devil His Due would take.
Purchase Individual Tracks:
Check the tracks you want to purchase and click the ADD TRACKS TO CART button:
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School District of Lee County is the ninth-largest district in Florida and the 33rd-largest school district in the United States. We proudly educate over 90,000 students in grades K-12. Our District is a model for others in the state and nation - from our Microsoft Certified High School (Dunbar High) to our National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence (The Sanibel School) to one of the top IB High Schools in the world (Fort Myers High.)
While the unprecedented growth we've experienced the past few years has slowed, families are still moving to our area. The reason is simple, Lee County's 645,000+ residents live and work in an attractive environment. Exotic trees and plants flourish in the subtropical climate, and local waterways support a host of fish, birds and other animals. There are beautiful waterfronts everywhere.
Schools in Lee County play a key role in community life. With 12,000+ full- and part-time employees, the School District is one of the county's largest employers, and with the District's construction program, building new schools and renovating and expanding existing facilities, the District has been the area's largest developer.
We hope your visit to our Web site is an enjoyable one, welcome!
List of our Departments in the District based off the District's Organizational Chart
More Information
View or search a list of staff members located at the Lee County Public Education Center.
Naming rights for stadiums, gynasiums and theaters and/or advertise on the District website
Site dedicated to the changes happening at schools with the half cent investment in education
Environmentally friendly way to notify our families of community opportunities.
View a list of email addresses to contact Board Members or Superintendent, call the main line, mail us or get driving directions
Listen to in-depth interviews with employees throughout the District on different topics.
Quick Facts pertaining to our District such as number of schools, enrollment numbers, budget and base teacher salaries
Fiscal transparency tool that identifies public schools and districts with high academic achievement.
Under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the public (media, community members) is given access to government records
The District maintains a wealth of information in documents such as impact reports, budget books, investment reports and audit findings


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Combattre Poster
Designed by Sandrine Pagnoux
Wall art from £6.95
Delivered ready-to-hang
Curated designs
Please check that you've entered the promotion code exactly as it appears. It's easy to make mistakes if you enter the code manually. Make sure:
Please update your cart according to the rules of the promotion. Make sure:


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When you're applying Bondo in adobe-like layers to the flanks of your latest project- an Oleg Cassini Edition Matador with a quad-ghettocharged 343 under the hood- do you want the hyper-airbrushed Pirelli Girls on your garage wall? Hell no!
You want the Babes & Beaters 24 Hours of LeMons Calendar, which will spit busted connecting rods into the face of calendar convention by running from April 2010 to April 2011. Well, we assume that the true Bar's-Leaks-in-the-veins Jalopnik reader would want such a calendar, featuring such stars of the Barbary Coast Burlesque troupe as Pin Key Lee and Bunny Pistol (seen above with the destructoed Big Six of the 135th-place Faulknor Autoracing Team's BMW E28). I'll design it and make it available as a free PDF download, provided there's enough enthusiasm out there in Fetid Garage Land. What do you say?


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What are staffing firms looking for? High up on your list of priorities is to have a team that is engaged and produces great bottom-line results.
Workplace gurus say firms that take care of their internal workers outperform their competitors. Our research corroborates this. That's one good reason to take our "Best Staffing Firms to Work For" survey, the results of which are featured in this month's cover story. Firms that participated — even those who didn't win — claimed that just the chance to take the survey has companies thinking about ways to make things better for their employees. And that goes a long way with workers.
Staffing Industry Analysts' "Best Staffing Firms to Work For" list is based on what employees — not the executives — say about their company. And if your firm wins, it has a greater chance of attracting the right kind of worker. Further, 92 percent of companies that show up on a best place to work list get seven times more qualified résumés per job posting than companies that don't, according to a study done by Quantum Workplace. (Quantum conducts the Best Staffing Firms to Work For survey on behalf of SIA.)
That is incentive enough. Add reduced turnover, enhanced credibility, more profits and a chance to be featured in our magazine as some of the great benefits that come your way if you participate. We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate those who won. It's no mean feat, as our cover story illustrates. Come meet the top five in the three categories (small, midsize and large).
We are also proud to announce that this year we have added the "Best Staffing Firm to Temp/Contract For" contest. If you can make your temps just as happy as your internal workers, more power to you. We applaud our winners and encourage those who didn't participate to join in next year.
This issue of Staffing Industry Review offers you a variety of subjects to explore. Learn what's happening with the industry in Ireland, get great takeaways from expert columnists on what clients look for in their vendors, how to add vital clauses in contracts, offshore recruiting and much more.
As always, my team and I are here to help navigate the fast-paced staffing world. Tell us what you need.


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Plastic lunchbox in the shape of a sandwich, at the left upper corner an inlet for easy opening.
Plastic lunchbox. The sides of the top and bottom are bevelled. Size: 17 x 13 cm.
Oblong lunch box. One piece sandwich box with lock. Volume capacity is 880 ml. Not suitable for microwave. PP plastic.
Maalbox Lunch Box. Lunch box with folding fork and condiment pot in lid compartment. Volume is 400 ml. Base is microwave safe. Exclusive design. PP plastic.
Lunch box and cutlery set. Divided into 2 sections and concealed in the lid is a plastic knife and fork
Plastic salad cup with plastic fork and separate tub for dressing.
Lunch box with 2 compartments made of PP and cutlery set in the lid made of PS.
Plastic breakfast cup with separate compartment in the screw-on lid with a holder for a plastic spoon (spoon is included).
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What's happening? IT'S HAPPENING in the exhibition Claes Oldenburg: The Sixties. Join the Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council (WACTAC) for an evening inspired by the man of the hour: Claes Oldenburg. WACTAC is partnering with local artist Andy Ducett, Radio K's Those Meddling Kids, and the Canvas youth arts group for an evening of '60s style Happenings, large-scale drawings, dance parties, and an Open Mic Night.
WARNING: These museum interventions may cause fits of laughter, newfound friendships, and a sense of wonder. Don't miss out on this one-night-only event!
Find out more about Student Open House on Facebook.
Schedule of Events
Those Meddling Kids, 5–7 pm
Cargill Lounge
Radio K's high school DJs Those Meddling Kids will set the mood spinning tracks. Listen to some old favs and discover some new ones.
Club Vadar, 5–7 pm
Freight Elevator, Cargill Lounge
Don't miss out on this exclusive VIP elevator dance party. Space is limited, so arrive early.
Cardboard Couture, 5–9 pm
Star Tribune Foundation Art Lab
Use cardboard to create an accessory or outfit to wear to Club Vadar. Supplies provided.
Super-Gigantic-Overly-Complicated-Pest-Control-Contraption, 5–9 pm
General Mills Hennepin Lounge
Come help artist Andy Ducett, his MCAD Drawing 2 Class, and WACTAC create a large-scale, Rube Glodberg-esque collaborative installation of a game that takes too long to put together: Mouse Trap.
Art Happenings with Andy Ducett and WACTAC, 5–9 pm
Various locations
The witty and whimsical Andy Ducett joins WACTAC to activate the museum through '60s-style Happenings. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open—it's happening.
Open Mic Night, 6–7 pm
Lecture Room
St. Paul's youth arts group the Canvas crosses the mighty Mississippi to host their monthly Open Mic Night here at the Walker. Take some time to watch talented youths from the Twin Cities share their diverse performance practices. Come early to sign-up to perform!
Dance Party, 7–8 pm
Cargill Lounge
Skip the gym but bring your Zumba shoes 'cause the dance party is on.
Collector's Edition Zine
Inspired by Claes Oldenburg's collections of ray guns, flags, doodads, and the like, WACTAC has been collecting collections. Take this WACTAC-produced zine home and see whose lone sock collection reigns supreme.


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Located in the Golden State, as of the 2010 census, Santa Ana had a population of 339,130. This makes Santa Ana the nineth-most populous city in the state of California and the fiftieth-most populous city in the United States, overall.
Are you looking to own your own franchise business in, or around, Santa Ana, CA? Well, you are in luck! Browse any of these multiple franchises, shown below, to request FREE information about the opportunities that interests you or click here to see the full list of franchises looking to expand throughout California.
Listed below you will find population, income and education related statistics, as well as other pertinent information, for Santa Ana, CA.
|Age (median)
|Male (median)
|Female (median)
|Total Population
|When compared to the state's average median age of 35.6 years, Santa Ana's median age is 5.9 years younger.
|Individual (median)
|Household (median)
|When compared to the median income of individuals working in California, Santa Ana's average income is $13,561 less than that of the state.
|No Degree and/or Diploma
|High School Diploma and/or GED
|Associates Degree
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|Santa Ana has 17% more citizens, with only high school diploma and/or GEDs, than the state's general population's average, in California.
|County Name
|Orange County
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The world had changed considerably since the mid 1990s, but Jenny McCarthy remains smokin', sassy and singles-minded.
McCarthy first caught the eyes of the mainstream – at least, the eyes that hadn't already perused her appearances in Playboy – with the raucous MTV speed-dating series "Singled Out," shoving the male contestants into submission when their hormones spiked too high. Almost two decades later McCarthy returns to the world of small-screen hookups she helped pioneer, as the new host of NBC's "Love In the Wild," throwing the show's insta-couples some signature curves while they test their potential together during a series of adventures in the tropics of the Dominican Republic.
On hosting a dating show years after her MTV breakout:
"Since 'Singled Out' people have been coming up to me going 'God, can't you just do that show again? It was so much fun. Bring that Jenny back.' And I thought to myself, 'Well, there can't be a show as perfect as that, where I can be all those elements.' And it took this long, but when NBC contacted me and they said 'We want you to host starting the second season,' I said 'Hmm, maybe this could be a dating show that I could implement all those things that people liked about 'Singled Out.'" So when I sat down with them I said 'Yes, I would love to do it, as long as you let me bring that "Singled Out'" Jenny back to T.V.' And they said they would."
On reviving her singular style of wrangling the contestants:
"I absolutely do some dancing, some ridiculousness, some hitting, some pushing around. I definitely do a few of those things, like, 'Shut up!' Smacking them around. But you know, no one went away going, like, 'What a bitch!' They went away like, 'Oh my God – It was fun and funny.'
On being impressed by the contestants' gung-ho attitudes:
"When I read about these adventures I thought there's no way they're going to be able to do these things, and they did. They really manned up, if you will – stuff that I wouldn't even do. I was the only one that was hurt, if you can believe it, and I didn't do one adventure. I pulled my hamstring sleeping, and I was on crutches in between takes. I was a loser."
On whether she would've wanted to do the show herself in her younger years:
"This is the reason why I would: It's because in this show people are forced to drop their kind of representative face that we all use to start off a relationship. I'm sure girls are nodding like we try to be our best like, 'Oh, yes, I love your mother, and everything is great.' And then two years later we're like, 'I'm not going to your mother's house!' In this show you are forced to see who the person really is as soon as you put them in the adventure: all the fake self kind of dissipates and you see who that person is. And so, to me, we're saving them years, so to speak. And so when I was going through the show I'm like, oh, my God, I would so put myself in this in my 20s."
On lessons learned from watching the contestants:
"I am trying to apply it to my own life. It was really interesting to watch, and really heartwarming for me, because initially they have to pick each other based off looks. We only give them a few seconds, so they have to go 'Okay, you.' And then as the day goes on, they can instantly see that there's no chemistry and they start to see red flags immediately, going, 'She's not for me.' So it helped me go 'Okay, I need to notice those red flags sooner.' Like my therapist back in the day says: 'Jenny, you have the amazing ability to bleach red flags white.' Like it was real, 'Oh, no – he's okay. Bleach it white.' So watching the show it made me go 'You just have to wake up and be very clear-minded to see him and not fool yourself.'
On managing a single life around being the mom of a 10-year-old son with autism:
"I have a six-month rule. I don't introduce my son to anybody until someone makes it six months, so since I've been divorced Evan has met two guys – and that was in the past ten years… It took awhile. I felt like, 'Oh, I'm so alone – I have to be with somebody!' And I got to that place where I was like 'You know what? I don't really need anybody in my life. I'm happy with myself.' I've said it in my other book like, 'Okay, I don't need to have a lover to have love in my life.' But then I finally go to that place and it kind of worked out."
On the now-skyrocketing success of her cousin, Melissa McCarthy:
"It's been phenomenal. When she moved out to L.A. I was about to do my MTV sketch show and she said, 'I want to move to LA. – I want to get a break'. And I said, 'Why don't you come on as a P.A. on the show and see how the machine works.' So she came on as a P.A. and worked on my sketch show for 22 episodes. And then towards the end she's like, 'I want to do a couple sketches.' I'm like 'You got it.' So I put her in a couple sketches, and I was like, 'Oh, this bitch is great!' And then, you know, some people just took longer to hit. I had no doubt in my mind, and I would've put all of my money on her, going, 'She's going to hit.' She's just going to have to be the one that goes there."
On the enduring appeal of 90s-era MTV icons:
"I can't believe it. Who would have thunk, you know, 'Beavis & Butthead' would be back? But they don't age, so they can do whatever they want."
On staying apparently ageless herself – enough to pose for Playboy again on the brink of 40:
"Let me just tell you: I was just pulling up my pictures of when I was pregnant. I was 211 lbs. And I was like telling people, like, 'Look at this picture!' No one believed me, and they were like, 'Oh my God. You really were 211 lbs!' So I do know what it's like to lose 80 lbs. That's how much I had to lose. And it's now a matter of freaking working out, which sucks. Ugh. I'd rather shoot myself in the head. I'm so going to give up after 65 and just eat and drink and smoke…Having your sister be your professional makeup artist helps. Yoga helps. I'm an obvious Botox user – I tell everyone. And that's it – I just kind of take care of myself."
Jenny McCarthy Singles Out New Hosting Gig on 'Love In the Wild'
The Curvy Comedienne Returns to Her Dating Show Roots
The world had changed considerably since the mid 1990s, but Jenny McCarthy remains smokin', sassy and singles-minded.


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There's nothing high performance about the early Nova's stock front suspension, and after driving our well-worn 1963 to work for a few months, we could see why people have famously cursed the front ends of these cars for years. The aftermarket, however, offers solutions to these antiquated front suspension designs with some bolt-on kits that can drastically improve your Nova's braking and handling. There are basically two types of frontend conversions for the 1962-65 and 1966-67 Novas: a full clip that gets rid of the shock towers and bolts in place of the stock subframe (the front half of the factory frame can unbolt on early Novas); and the type we installed, which uses a large bracket that attaches to the stock frame and allows you to bolt up a more conventional lower control arm and coilover assembly under the car.
We opted for Classic Performance Products Mini Subframe Kit (PN 6267PTK-2) and a Complete Front and Rear Disc Brake Kit (PN 6264FRBK-D) for our hardtop Hellion Nova, which includes CPP's 11-inch disc brakes, 2-inch forged drop spindles, and all necessary hardware. Our goal was to not only improve performance, but we also liked the ride height adjustability of the coilover. New disc brakes for all four corners not only meant better braking, be we'd be able to eliminate the four-lug hubs for the proper 5x4.75-lug pattern we'll need for the wheels we're running. The zinc-plated, drilled discs measure 11 inches so we can fit popular drag tire sizes.
Rocket Racing sent us a set of 15x6 rollers from their Fuel line (PN R23-566135), which features a classic five-spoke design that adds a nice touch of nostalgia to the car. The Rockets are wrapped in a set of Nitto's Neo Gen tires (205/50). Unfortunately, tire size is severely limited on early Novas, so unlike a lot of the cars you see in this magazine that have extra-wide meats on all four corners, the Hellion Nova will have to settle for a smaller set of rollers. The wheelwells on these early X-bodies simply don't have the real estate to allow anything larger than a 215, and some say even that's pushing it. If we were to remove the stock frame and shock towers with a whole front clip upgrade we could run larger fronts, but since this will be a street/strip drag car, we're only concerned with fitting a wider tire out back.
Installing the CPP Mini Subframe Kit and Big Brake Kit was something we'd do in our garage at home. Although we had the luxury of using a lift in the Source Interlink Tech Center, the whole installation was very doable, even for a hobbyist.


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A tale of two (or more) TalgosWritten by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
The Series 8 trainsets, named Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Bachelor, are being used alongside five Talgo sets, three owned by the State of Washington and two owned by Amtrak, for Cascades services from Eugene, Ore., to Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. According to ODOT, the service pattern on this route was stretching the existing fleet beyond capacity, and additional rolling stock is required for the launch of two additional daily services between Portland and Seattle in 2017.
Each trainset seats 286 passengers and has features including catering facilities, a bicycle storage car, business class accommodations, at-seat passenger electrical outlets, and 4G Wi-Fi.
ODOT says it has spent $38.4 million on the two trainsets, plus an additional $6 million on consultants, spare parts, testing, and the addition of Wi-Fi equipment.
More than 1,000 people turned out for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the equipment on Oct. 19 in Portland. In the photo, Talgo USA President and CEO Antonio Perez and local officials from Amtrak, ODOT, and the Oregon state legislature join Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Eugene Mayor Kitty Pierce, who are cutting the ceremonial ribbon.
The trainsets were originally due to enter service in autumn 2012, but a decision by the State of Wisconsin and its Republican governor, Scott Walker (who killed the state's plans for implementing higher-speed passenger rail) to cancel its order for Talgo trains delayed testing, approval, and delivery of the Oregon equipment. Walker's decision created a political firestorm in his state, as columnist Bruce Murphy wrote on May 31, 2012, on the Urban Milwaukee website:
"For more than a year, Talgo CEO Antonio Perez has held his tongue as detractors dumped on his company and its trains, until finally he could take no more. Perez cannot believe the State of Wisconsin has chosen to terminate two contracts it signed with Talgo nearly three years ago. His company has put almost three years of work into a project to build and maintain trains in a warehouse in Milwaukee's 30th Street Corridor, the long-dormant industrial area Gov. Scott Walker has pledged to help revive with a new, $100 million dollar plan. Yet his administration will kill the only viable company now operating there, Talgo.
"'What message does this send to other businesses?' Perez asks. 'They should be careful of doing business here because Gov. Walker does not keep his word. It's like we're talking about a Third World country, where people don't have respect for their contracts."
"Wisconsin's commitment to Talgo and trains goes back to the days of Gov. Tommy Thompson, who served on the Amtrak board of directors. Thompson made Wisconsin 'a leading member of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative' and 'developed an implementation plan for high[er] speed passenger rail in the state,' as a 2001 Blue Ribbon Task Force established by him noted.
"At the heart of that approach was Talgo, which won a 1999 bid process by three states, including Wisconsin, for a Midwest Regional Rail Plan that was never able to get funding. The 2001 task force, which reported its findings under Gov. Scott McCallum, continued that momentum, and his successor, Gov. Jim Doyle, signed two contracts with Talgo in 2009, one for the purchase of two trainsets (for the Milwaukee to Chicago corridor) and one for a 20-year maintenance contract. Doyle envisioned buying two more Talgo trainsets with the help of federal high speed rail funding, which would be needed to create the Milwaukee-to-Madison line.
"'The state of Wisconsin has been planning this for ten years,' says Nora Friend, Talgo's vice president for public affairs. 'It was Tommy Thompson's vision that Jim Doyle put into implementation.'
"And Talgo was the natural partner. Founded in 1942, Talgo has 190 trainsets in operation across the globe, and has helped make Spain one of the world's leading innovators in high speed rail. And because there is no American company that builds high speed passenger trains, Talgo, Inc., a separate subsidiary of the Spanish company created in the U.S. in 1993, is as good as it gets when it comes to creating American jobs. Only its frames are built in Spain; 65% of its parts are sourced from American suppliers, and all of its maintenance jobs are in America.
"In 1993, when Washington State decided to try Talgo trains for the Seattle-to-Portland line, there were doubts about how well it would work, so the state decided to try a six-month test replacing the Amtrak [Amfleet equipment]. The state leased the Talgo trains, found ridership went up immediately, then extended the lease, and finally bought the cars. Today it [operates] five Talgo trainsets and ridership has grown by more than 800% in 19 years.
"In Wisconsin, the state signed a July 15, 2009 contract to pay $47.5 million to purchase two trainsets, and a December 30, 2009, contract to pay Talgo $4 million annually for 20 years for maintenance of the trains. To help attract Talgo's plant to Milwaukee, the city spent nearly $11 million and the state invested another $3.5 million to upgrade the 82-acre site Talgo now occupies, paying for new tracks and pavement and retrofitting and making additions to the old AO Smith warehouse Talgo now uses.
"While the election of Scott Walker put an end to the high speed rail plan for Chicago to the Twin Cities via Milwaukee and Madison, Walker made it clear he would honor the state contract for the Hiawatha line from Chicago to Milwaukee. 'Gov. Walker called us,' Friend recalls. 'He said [he is] a supporter of the Hiawatha Project. I have no issue with it.'
"Friend accuses Walker of 'manipulating data' to justify killing Talgo's contract for the Hiawatha trains. But news accounts suggest the Walker Administration was reluctantly painted into a corner on this issue by Republicans on the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee.
"Republican committee members were highly critical of former Gov. Doyle and Talgo. Perez and Friend attended its meetings but were not allowed to speak to the committee. 'Sen. Lena Taylor (a Milwaukee Democrat) said, the head of the company is here, why don't you ask them to speak?' Friend recalls.
"At the urging of the Joint Finance Committee, the state Department of Transportation asked the Legislative Fiscal Bureau to study the relative costs of sticking with Amtrak [equipment] vs. honoring the contract with Talgo. By then the state had already paid some $35 million to Talgo for the trains—'more than 75% of their cost,' Perez notes. The state would also have to spend money to store the unused trains, since there seems little possibility of a quick sale to any other state.
"Yet even if it ate those costs, the state would still save $10 million a year over the 20-year life of the contract with Talgo, a Legislative Fiscal Bureau study concluded. But the report did not take account of savings on fuel for the lighter Talgo cars, which the company says would save some $300,000 a year. Nor did it take account of potential revenue increases from switching to the state-of-the-art Talgo [equipment], which attracted a 40% increase in ridership in Washington State in the first year there. Nor did it factor in the $11 million spent by Milwaukee, nor the possibility that Illinois might chip in some subsidy for the Talgo trains (that state now pays 25% of the [operating] cost of the Hiawatha line).
"Friend charges that the study was based on assumptions 'to create a scenario that would look bad for these trains.'
"Certainly, the legislature can dictate the assumptions to be used by the Fiscal Bureau. Jon Dyck, who did the Bureau's study, concedes that the potential for fuel savings and ridership increases could lower the annual cost for Talgo's trains, but he's not convinced the impact would be that great.
"Adding insult to injury, Dyck's report even suggests a way to evade a suit by Talgo, noting the terms of its contract are only applicable the Department of Transportation, so if it fails to meet its contractual obligations 'due to insufficiency of funds provided by the Legislature,' it would not be the department's fault. That sort of legal trick would seem to send a 'beware of doing business with Wisconsin' warning to any potential private sector partners.
"Talgo's executives seems stunned by this turn of events. If Tommy Thompson had created the rail plan, Friend says, Republicans would have been fine with it. But because it was a Democratic successor who succeeded in implementing it, 'we are being punished for it. We went ahead in good faith continuing here, and now…'
"Friend trails off, searching for the right word: 'It's atrocious what's happened.'"
Earlier this year, Scott Walker's folly became Illinois'—indeed, the Midwest's and even other states'—faster-track to improved passenger rail. Wisconsin's high speed rail funding—like Florida's, which Republican Gov. Rick Scott rejected in 2011—was redistributed to programs in other states. California got some of Wisconsin's funds. Florida's funds went to Amtrak, for the Northeast Corridor. As columnist James Rowen opined on March 22, 2013, on The Political Environment website:
"When Scott Walker forced the cancellation of a Madison-to-Milwaukee Amtrak line in 2011, he and legislators also broke a contract to build train equipment for several states at a developing Milwaukee factory in the economically-depressed 30th St. corridor—all to satisfy a Walker campaign promise to block the federally funded Madison-to-Milwaukee high speed rail construction plan that Walker said would cost the state $10 million annually (horrors! — when governors routinely budget billions to build and millions to repair, maintain, and plow highways)—but that state officials said would cost the state as little as $750,000 annually, and to deny a legacy to [Democratic] Gov. Jim Doyle, who had set these wheels in motion in cooperation with President Obama—even if it meant squashing a new industry in the state with regional and national implications.
"Today, Illinois is celebrating the news that $808 million for new trains will be managed or built in Illinois for delivery to five states—with manufacturing to take place at a plant in Rochelle, Ill., that is about 25 miles south of Beloit. [Trainsets] capable of exceeding the 110-mph speed limit on the passenger rail corridor between Chicago and St. Louis will be bought for Illinois and four other states under a process the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will lead, officials said.
"The Federal Railroad Administration selected IDOT to manage the multistate procurement of [next-generation rolling stock] for high speed rail corridors in Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington State, Gov. Pat Quinn said. The Illinois Governor spelled it out: 'Today's announcement is part of the governor's commitment to bring Illinois' and our nation's transportation systems into the 21st century. This decision by the federal government is a testament to Illinois' role as a national leader in high-speed rail. This important multi-state procurement is a key to success for high speed rail throughout the nation, and I have directed my administration to move forward quickly.'
"More lost jobs for Wisconsin, where Walker's 250,000 new jobs promise is failing in part because he killed rail construction, manufacturing, R&D, and repair employment in our state.
"In the initial announcement of the Milwaukee contracts: 'Not only will Wisconsin's Talgo trains be built in Milwaukee, the Talgo railcar assembly plant will support the delivery of Talgo trains throughout the country and create hundreds of jobs through its supply chain vendors in the Midwest and U.S. Last week, the state of Oregon announced it has purchased two Talgo trainsets that will be assembled in Wisconsin—saving both states millions of dollars.
"This means Walker and his ideologically motivated legislative allies snatched paychecks and economic security right out from under Wisconsin workers and families. Food off their tables. Shoes from the kids. Walker also sent wind energy jobs to Illinois.
"Walker a job creator? He did more than stick it to Milwaukee, where wind turbines are made and trainsets were on the table. He harpooned us. For God's sake: What a fraud."
The two Talgo trainsets built for Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha service are currently in storage as a lawsuit Talgo filed against the State of Wisconsin plays out. After an unsuccessful attempt at mediation, in November 2012 Talgo filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court asking Judge Juan Colas to declare that Talgo had the right to terminate the contract. If it prevails, Talgo would get to keep the trainsets and the $42 million the state has paid to it. The company claims it is owed another $10 million on top of what it has already been paid. If Talgo is able to keep the trainsets, it will sell them to another state, the company's attorney said.
Talgo chief executive Antonio Perez said in a statement that Wisconsin has "used every conceivable excuse, whether fair or not and whether lawful or not, to ensure that Talgo did not receive what it bargained for, including by refusing to pay for the trains that Talgo completed. I don't see how any company would in the future choose to do business with the State of Wisconsin when the state has shown that it cannot be trusted to honor contracts that it signed."


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"While all members of the family are called to live out the foundational Christian virtues, fathers and mothers have a special responsibility for fostering these virtues within their children. They are the first to proclaim the faith to their children. They are responsible for nurturing the vocation of each child, showing by example how to live the married live, and taking special care if a child might be called to priesthood or consecrated life."
– U.S. Bishops, pastoral letter Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan
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