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Famous celebrity feuds
Perez Hilton and Will.i.am
Who needs police when you have Twitter? Late one night in 2009, Perez Hilton tweeted that Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am had just attacked him. "I was assaulted by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and his security guards. I am bleeding. Please, I need to file a police report. No Joke." He also posted a video of himself crying as he described the attack and said there were multiple witnesses.
A couple of hours later Will.i.am denied the accusations - not to police, but to his Twitter followers. "I just made a Twitter account because it isn't cool for someone to blame you and blast you with lies..." He also uploaded a video message to the site, denying he'd hit Perez and saying the blogger had twisted the truth.
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Eighteen students recently graduated from a program designed to prepare students and practitioners for leadership careers in international health policy, health care, and health research and development.
Latest News
August 11, 2010
July 13, 2010
Longtime UCSF leader Haile Debas will step down as executive director of UCSF Global Health Sciences to devote more energy to important strategic initiatives.
June 18, 2010
Julene Johnson is headed for Finland and Kari Radoff is going to Nicaragua as part of the J. William Fulbright Program.
June 16, 2010
James McKerrow, leader of the Sandler Center for Drug Discovery at UCSF, was honored with the 2009 Mendel Medal for his work identifying the vulnerabilities of disease-causing parasites and for devising new strategies to fight them.
June 02, 2010
The UCSF community is invited to a symposium to address unsolved health problems, such as cancer and malaria, as a tribute to the 11-year tenure of Mike Bishop, MD, former chancellor of UCSF.
May 14, 2010
Five distinguished individuals, who were honored recently with the 2010 UCSF Medal, are featured in videos now available on YouTube.
April 23, 2010
The campus community is invited to develop an action plan to help Haiti rebuild from the devastating earthquake at a student-driven summit at UCSF Mission Bay on April 24.
April 02, 2010
Seth Berkley, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World, will talk about the global hunt for a vaccine at UCSF on April 5.
March 31, 2010
The campus community is invited to a fundraising dinner on April 2 to benefit the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
March 17, 2010
The UCSF community is invited to celebrate the recognition of a graduate student, faculty and staff member who will receive the Chancellor's Award for the Advancement of Women at a ceremony on March 22.


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Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters
Click Image to Enlarge
Reviews (1)
Enjoy these low carb, sugar free, maltitol free, artificial sweetener free, diabetic friendly chocolate peanut butter clusters. Made the LC way, with unsweetened real Dutch Cocoa and no alcohol sugar. Our easy to make recipes create delicious dark chocolate and milk chocolate clusters. Simply add peanut butter, almond nut butter, or soy nut butter and enjoy the ultimate chocolate peanut butter confection, sucralose-free!!


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Narrow your search
The $899 PowerUp Series II desk from UpDesk converts from standing to sitting position at your command.
If you're looking for a very functional clock radio that also has a rotating iPod/iPhone dock for bedside video watching, the iHome iA63 is a good choice.
Pricing not available
In an interview with CNET, Seeing Machines CEO Ken Kroeger says data collected by his company's eye- and head-tracking tech, which is reportedly being put in GM cars, is only for the driver (currently).
Mary Chan, head of the automaker's global connected consumer business, says 98 percent of its customers have signed up for its 4G trials.
Toyota has unveiled plans to sell a clean and green hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle in the US next year. CNET talks with a GM exec about the challenge of competing.
Toyota isn't exactly pricing its first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to move. But it does appear to be price competitive with the Tesla Model S.
The Japanese government is getting behind fuel-cell vehicles in a big way. This follows recent comments from a Toyota executive that battery-powered cars are not the future of long-range alternative fuel cars.
After a little more than three years on the market, the plug-in hybrid Volt is approaching 60,000 units sold. Is that enough momentum to compete with the mind share of the Prius and Tesla? We ask General Motors.
Chevy previewed the 2015 Corvette Z06 Convertible today ahead of its unveiling during the New York auto show next week, its most powerful open-top to date.
The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible is set to debut at the New York auto show next week, but GM released photos and specs for the high performance rag-top early.


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Shop Celebs Fave Under-$100 Finds!
It's not always ultra-pricey designer dresses and million dollar jewels! Sometimes celebs rock clothes and accessories from your fave stores at the mall. Here, we track down the exact items for you!
By Elizabeth Denton
Bella Thorne's Striped Button-Down Shirt
Bella dressed up the striped shirt with nude heels and black skinny jeans. The matching blue purse brings her outfit together for a cute, low-key look.
Score Bella's Shirt:
Long-Sleeve Poplin Shirt, $15, oldnavy.com


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This product is out of stock!
Desperate? Find a shop selling etnies near you!Save To Wishlist
Product Overview
900D poly backpack with PVC coating, large main compartment, lower separate shoe compartment, front utility pocket, padded shoulder straps, large screen-printed and embroidered etnies graphic, and custom trim and labels. The Black colorway is a Chad Reed + TwoTwo Motorsports collaboration.
Details & Features
- 900D poly backpack.
- PVC coating.
- Large main compartment.
- Lower separate shoe compartment.
- Front utility pocket.
- Padded shoulder straps.
- Large screen-printed and embroidered etnies graphic.
- Custom trim and labels.
Item code: 4140001052/010
Reviews for Transporter
- Reviews
- 0
Let us know what you think! Do you have this shoe?


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Video Center - Teen Camp
Down at OTC: A Camper-Made Rap Video!
What better way to learn about the Omega Teen Camp experience than to let this group of talented campers and counselors tell you (and show you) in this awesome camper-produced rap video!
Explore more about Omega Teen Camp
Video Center - Teen Camp
Free Tags: Teen Camp, Omega Institute, Omega Teen Camp, Summer, Experience, Camping, Teenagers, Relationships, Testimonials, Memories, Friendships, Empowerment, Fun, Teen, Camp, OTC


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DENISON, TX--- Business is booming in downtown Denison. In less than a year, more than a dozen shops have opened up on the city's historical Main Street, but many people don't want the growth to stop there.
Tonight, the next stage of development was discussed at the "2014 Downtown Denison Visioning Meeting".
The meeting was held at The Denison Senior Citizen Center and started at 6 p.m. During the meeting, Certified Main Street Manager Julie Glover spoke to more than 100 city residents about recent accomplishments and future changes coming to Main Street.
After that, residents were asked to voice what they'd like to see in the coming years. Denison Main Street Director Donna Dow said their ideas are important to this long-range planning process for the downtown area. Dow said buy-in to ideas presented will be determined by allowing
participants to vote on items they feel should be assigned highest
A summary of tonight's meeting will be reviewed at the next quarterly meeting
of the leadership of downtown stakeholders organizations. The
stakeholders include Downtown Denison Inc., Denison Arts Council,
Chamber of Commerce, Denison Development Alliance, and Denison Main
For more information or questions, contact Donna Dow, Main Street Director at (903) 464-4452 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Justin Verlander Wins 2011 AL MVP Award
He was obviously dominant, and today he was recognized as the most valuable.
Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander became the first pitcher since Dennis Eckersley in 1992 to win the Most Valuable Player award for his league. Verlander received 13 of a possible 28 first place votes to finish 38 points ahead of second-place finisher Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox.
Many had wondered if a pitcher was worthy of the award since he doesn't play everyday, but Verlander became the first starting pitcher to win the AL MVP since Roger Clemens won it in 1984 despite not being even named on one of the ballots.
Finishing behind Verlander and Ellsbury were Toronto's Jose Bautista, New York's Curtis Granderson, and Verlander's teammate in Detroit Miguel Cabrera, respectively.
Verlander is the seventh player in Tigers franchise history to win the AL MVP, joining fellow pitchers Hal Newhouser (1944, 1945), Denny McLain (1968), and Guillermo Hernandez (1984) along with postion players Hank Greenburg (1935, 1940), Mickey Cochrane (1934), and Charlie Gerhinger (1937).
Verlander won the Triple Crown of pitching in the American League with 24 wins, a 2.40 ERA, and 250 strikeouts this season. He was the first pitcher to win the triple crown in the American League since 2006 (Johan Santana). Verlander also topped the AL in innings pitched (251.0), and WHIP (0.920).Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times


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Predatory Lending
Consumer Action Website: Federal Citizen Information Center - Credit - Loans
The Federal Citizen Information Center is provided by the U.S. General Services Administration and provides information about consumer problems and government services. This web page deals specifically with loans.
FDIC: Looking for the Best Mortgage
This site from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation offers a clear explanation of how to shop for the best mortgage option. The information is also available in Spanish.
Money Management International
Money Management International, a nonprofit community service organization located in Houston, Texas, provides "professional financial guidance, counseling, community-wide educational programs, and debt management assistance."
The Motley Fool: Home Center
The Motley Fool, a multimedia financial education company, offers a comprehensive overview of the home buying process including reviewing current interest rates, finding the right home, choosing a mortgage, and closing the deal. Particularly helpful is the full range of calculators and the clear explanation of mortgages.
U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - Shopping for a Loan
The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development explains the different types of lenders and different types of loans available for obtaining financing to purchase a home.
Yahoo Finance: Learn the Basics about Loans
Yahoo Finance offers basic and frequently asked information on the topic of loans, credit basics, auto loans and mortgages at this website.
Your Path to Homeownership
This government site covers all aspects of the home buying process. Especially helpful are the calculators for buying vs. renting, for estimating affordability, and for selecting the best loan option.
Predatory Lending
This article from the AARP provides advice to seniors on how to avoid unfair lending practices.
Avoiding Predatory Lending Scams
This site from the American Bankers Association Education Foundation offers tales of predatory lending and useful information on how to avoid being a victim. Also available in Spanish.
Center for Responsible Lending
The Center for Responsible Lending is a nonprofit advocacy group out of Durham, North Carolina, which provides extensive research on predatory lending, state and federal policy and legislation, and the latest news on efforts to combat predatory lenders.
Don't Be a Victim of Loan Fraud
This resource from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides a definition of predatory lending, tactics used by predatory lenders, and tips on buying and financing a home.
HUD Predatory Lending
Housing and Urban Development presents this resource guide on predatory lending, which includes research and reports, as well as resources for citizens with an FHA loan and a list of contacts for consumers with a non-FHA loan.
Memphis Area Association of Realtors
Predatory lending is explained on this site. Warning signs and information on protecting yourself are included, as well as directions to a list of resources.
Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions
The Department of Financial Institutions is responsible for the regulation of banks, loan services, and mortgage companies. This site provides a list of registered entities in the state of Tennessee as well as information on where to file a complaint.


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The year 2012 is turning out to be quite the interesting year so far. Specifically, I am talking about the seismic shift we are witnessing all around us on daily basis. This month we heard that Facebook might soon be reaching 1 billion users, Apple announced it had sold 350M iOS devices to date and blew all revenue estimates out of the water making it more valuable than Greece (yes, the country), and Google doubled the number of its Google + users in only three months. And then there was also the slow, painful death of Kodak.
As a self-proclaimed photography geek, it pained me to behold the agony of a brand that not so long ago was so firmly entrenched in our daily lives. Kodak managed to build a new category of its own and firmly dominated the market for over a century. Kodak was the Apple (or Google, or Facebook) of its time. Larger than life, innovative and disruptive, it was the brand that engineers dreamed of working for and marketers loved to promote. "You press the button, we do the rest" was their marketing slogan way back in 1888, a message which in its simplicity captured people's imagination and cemented Kodak's market supremacy for decades to come. Similar to the way we now refer to online searches by 'Googling", every captured photo on film could potentially turn into that special "Kodak moment". Just over a decade ago Kodak's market value was still in the tens of billions. Times were good.
And then the entire landscape changed rapidly – digital photography (which Kodak helped invent in 1975) got much better, people ditched their conventional film cameras for the much more convenient digital cameras, then after a few more years, we all went mobile and photography became a true 'real time' collaborative platform. I can now shoot, edit and share my images within seconds with the rest of the world and (even better) get immediate feedback…Thanks Mom :)! Film and darkrooms with smelly chemicals that make this medium somewhat of a lost art became obsolete, the stuff of a niche market, that only very few of us die hard enthusiasts still find some strange pleasure in practicing. Film became, dare I say it, the Apple computer circa 1992. And Kodak, alas, went down the chute of that time vortex.
So what is the story here? Yes, it has a lot to do with leadership (RIP Steve Jobs) and superbly executed business processes (from immaculate product design to the tiniest details in the supply chain management that can make or break a product). But, it also has to do with being a risk taker and embracing change.
Twenty years ago, Apple was stuck in the PC making business, marginalized to the point of extinction. Today it dominates the market- and mindshare in consumer electronics towering in the mobile market, among others, with billions in profits and boldly capturing new demographics. If I had told you 10 years ago that one day you might be talking on an Apple powered phone, or do a lot of your work on a very Star Trek-looking tablet, you would have thought I had a few screws loose. And yet, here we are…
Still I see so many organizations out there that are change averse. The old 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' tack still holds true for so many of them. Organizations, stuck in their legacy systems and outdated business processes, that still remain skeptical to the sleuth of new disruptive technologies coming their way (i.e. cloud, mobile) or agile, transformative solutions (i.e. dynamic case management). The end result unfortunately is that they might as well be destined to fall behind the new nimbler silo smashers entering their 'categories', those who are not afraid to rapidly introduce new products and open new markets. In other words, the new 'Apples' in the basket.
So ask yourself – aren't you ready for making a change? Are you resilient to change or do you want to be built for change – a change that can potentially transform your business to the extent of rebuilding its fundamentals from the ground up of how you do things?
Or are you still waiting for your special Kodak moment?


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Movie Review: The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin)
The Charlotte Observer
Like the title character, the makers of "The Rabbi's Cat" follow their noses wherever a new scent leads. Their eternal curiosity buoys this "Cat," then impairs it somewhat, but redeems it by the end.
The narrative has the surreal quality of multiple dreams stuck together and depicted in different styles. (The animation, hand-drawn throughout, mostly uses simple visual lines to tell a complex story.) It comes from a comic book by Joann Sfar, who wrote the script with Sandrina Jardel and directed with Antoine Delesvaux.
So we shouldn't be surprised that adventures begin and end abruptly, exotic characters appear and amount to virtually nothing, and rules change along the way. Sometimes the cat can speak to humans, especially after gobbling a parrot; sometimes he can't. When he does speak, he understands all languages: A painter fleeing a pogrom talks in Russian, and only the feline and a Russian millionaire can communicate with him.
The "pogrom" clue tells us we're among Jews – in this case, Jews in Algiers circa 1920, where they coexist in relative peace with Muslims. Until the painter arrives, the cat (François Morel) lives in untroubled comfort with his owners, Rabbi Abraham Sfar (Maurice Bénichou) and his daughter (Hafsia Herzi).
Then the painter (Sava Lolov) steps out of a crate full of prayer books, speaking rhapsodically of a place in Ethiopia where Africans have created a Jerusalem full of black Jews. The rabbi, the cat, the painter and an imam who seems to be the rabbi's Islamic cousin (Mohamed Fellag of "Monsieur Lazhar") set off to find it, on a journey funded and directed by the alcoholic, belligerent millionaire. (I say "seems" because we have to fill in storytelling gaps.)
Their journey takes them to Ethiopia by way of the Belgian Congo, which is like going from Charlotte to Dallas via Chicago. They encounter a silly European exile – a swipe at the Belgian comic-book character Tintin – ravening crocodiles (not kosher, but edible in a pinch) and a nomadic tribe, whose chief (Mathieu Amalric) discusses religion and hospitality. (The movie's one gory sequence comes from this meeting.)
The filmmakers insert but don't belabor a message of tolerance. The rabbi and the imam respect each other and everyone else peacefully, and the latter is the wisest person around: He chats with his talking donkey when he has no human company.
Yet the prevailing mood is whimsical. The cat takes a "what fools these mortals be!" attitude toward people, though he loves his human cohabitants. The rabbi's droll sense of humor surfaces at odd times, and we have to smile at a world where love blossoms instantly between strangers in a bar who share no nation or spoken language.
The filmmakers never forget that the cat, which has no name, is a cat: He hunts pitilessly, steals food and ruffles feathers, literally and metaphorically. He utters a sincere prayer about his younger owner: "May she never marry or have children! Amen!"
From you or me, that would sound like a curse; from a cat, it's a desire not to share treats or affection. As always, you have to admire feline honesty.
A talking feline, his rabbinical owner and a motley crew search for an African Jerusalem. The animation will charm you, but don't hope for a conventional narrative.(Full review)


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This may be the worst tifo ever --if you can even call it that-- but it's SEO gold: people LOVE to look at kittens.
For a long time, the San Jose Earthquakes were the only MLS club going with a name that dated back to the original NASL. They weren't the first to fully embrace their NASL heritage though (hat tip to the Sounders for inventing that).
But the club is making up for lost time with this year's season-ticket packages, which featuring several nods back to the disco-era Quakes of the past. Among the connections they're making to the earliest incarnation of the Earthquakes are:
- Throwback NASL jerseys to season ticket holders who paid in full by the final home game of 2011
- "EST. 1974" has been added below the collar on the back of the 2012 jersey
- Ticket books include photos, like the one above, from different generations of soccer in San Jose
This is in addition to last year's dedication of the George Best Gate at Buck Shaw Stadium, which will have a monitor playing a loop of Best scoring "The Greatest Goal Ever" for 2012.
It's all good stuff but I'm partial to the old school photos on the tickets. Is there anything more retro-cool than having George Best and Johnny Moore in your hands on game day?
Before you settle in to watch tonight's LIVE, streaming pre-season games from Arizona, head over to TheCrew.com for a LIVE stream of the "State of the League" conversation from 6:00-8:00 PM with MLS Commissioner Don Garber alongside Columbus Crew Owner Clark Hunt and Crew President & GM Mark McCullers.
Have a question the commissioner? Ask him via Twitter using the hashtag #Crew96. Make sure to follow the Columbus Crew on Twitter for further updates.
Watch the "State of the League" here.
Admit it: You can't stand noobs. They're always just a little too quick to pull out the over-the-top display of enthusiasm for whatever it is they don't know how to do.
This week's episode of IFC sketch comedy show Portlandia highlights the problem with newbies when Peter and Nance, an eccentric, overly eco-conscious couple played by the show's stars — Saturday Night Live mainstay Fred Armisen and indie rock veteran Carrie Brownstein (Wild Flag, Sleater-Kinney) — go to their first Portland Timbers game with a flag they designed to show their support for the team.
Yes, it is as tragic and funny as you imagine.
"It's funny and weird because I'm not usually a sports person and I don't live in Portland but I love Portland," Armisen said when reached via phone last week.
"One of the things I love about it is that it reminds me of England a little bit, and the fact that they like soccer there as much as they do just makes it seem that much more vaguely European. We had to get them in the show somehow."
He's not saying that the wild passion of JELD-WEN Field's section 107 is a put-on, though.
"It's not an affectation, they really do love it," Armisen said. "When we first met the people from the Timbers Army we knew it was a very real thing."
Brownstein, a Washington native who now lives in Portland, testified to the region's well-documented fervor over football.
"When I was a kid I went to Sounders games in Seattle, where I grew up, and I played soccer. I think for everyone in the Pacific Northwest it's the obligatory sport you play."
Like the character she plays in the episode, which airs Feb. 24 at 10 pm ET, Brownstein has yet to see the Timbers in action.
"I haven't been to a game [in Portland] yet, but when we shot the episode it made me want to go," she says. "Portlanders are eager for communal experiences and the Timbers are perfect for that. "
"Also the singing is really great, even just at the shoot. It's all pretty intriguing so I really want to go."
Armisen and Brownstein aren't the only comedy titans taken with what's going on in JELD-WEN's North End.
"[Saturday Night Live creator] Lorne Michaels read that article in The New York Times about them," said Armisen, "It was funny because he was immediately fascinated by them."
This week's show won't be the Portlandia debut for a few members of the TA though, as they were cast for the "Allergy Pride" sketch that aired earlier in the season.
"If you watch the parade, they're the Soy Punks," Armisen said. "They were perfect for it because they were so good at shouting and shouting angrily."
If you guessed Eddie Johnson to the Seattle Sounders (in exchange for Mike Fucito & Lamar Neagle) I want to take you to Vegas AND to my local convenience store to buy lotto tickets. And guess what? A few frequenters of Seattle's Facebook page actually called it yesterday when they saw the above photo of EJ with Chris Henderson in a team training photo gallery.
Seriously Juan, Michael & Neil, call me. There is a casino out there that needs us to relieve it of its cash.
The images of freezing players in Wednesday's Zenit St. Petersburg-Benfica Champions League match would make anyone shiver.
It should also give even the biggest "European-calendar" zealot some pause. For one thing, the temperature was 14 degrees Fahrenheit at kick off. For another, the field at Petrovsky Stadium was a disaster.
Maybe it all gave the Russians a home-field advantage. After all, they pulled off a 3-2 win, thanks to two goals from Roman Shirakov.
But even the Zenit hero himself came out and complained. "Should we play in such freezing cold? I don't think so," Shirakov said after the match. "The ball feels like a rock. You could easily break a leg."
Break a leg? Not good.
The reality is, a game like this is not fun for anyone -- not for the coaches, not for the players, and certainly not for the fans. The conditions aren't that far off from those in, say, Toronto or New England on any given Saturday night in February. Though there would probably be more snow.
So, the question is: Would you really want to go watch games in 17-degree weather? And you, MLS player, would you want to play on that field and kick a "rock"?
Yeah, didn't think so. Neither would I.
RELATED: February in Russia: So What Did You Expect? (NYTimes.com)
You've said those three magical words, "I love you," a thousand times before. You've given chocolate, roses... maybe even diamonds.
But on this Valentine's Day, MLS fans tried something different:
Make it a Happy Valentine's Day by twting @MLS a pic of u&ur special someone in @MLSGear. Will RT faves, include @handle so he/she sees it!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 14, 2012
Tweets have been pouring in all day with photos ranging from first dates to wedding days. Below are just a couple of our faves. For more, check out the MLS Twitter page. Enjoy!
@MLS My wife, @DiddyMaree , and I getting our engagement pictures taken in @ColumbusCrew stadium! #Crew96 twitter.com/M_F_Chainsaw/s…
— Brent Chaney (@M_F_Chainsaw) February 14, 2012
@MLS My Valentine @stasharello & I "game day" at Jeld Wen. "Take my hand, take my whole life too..." #RCTID twitter.com/Althea_PDX/sta…
— Althea (@Althea_PDX) February 14, 2012
@MLS @mlsgearMe and Mine @jmart001 with the MLS Cup!Happy Valentine's Day! twitter.com/spsoccermom/st…
— Nancy Norton (@spsoccermom) February 14, 2012
@vandey01 @mls @handle here's a photo from when I proposed to during a @HoustonDynamo game in the @TexianArmy section instagr.am/p/HAHK3yrl7z/
— James H (@nobius) February 14, 2012
Another day, another video featuring Salt Lake City's most high-profile punk rock supporter, Rancid's Branden Steineckert. The chant is called "Believe" and it was written by Steineckert while the accompanying video was shot & edited by T. Issac Halsima, one of my favorite video guys working in & around MLS. In short, it is an awesome, inspiring piece of promotional footage that does exactly what it should: get viewers hyped.
So how did the chant come about? Here's the story from Steineckert.
I just finished this song/chant I wrote for the team/fans. I've been working on several, and I've got more. But this is my favorite that could be a team anthem. I wrote it to be noble, strong, intimidating sounding as if the pride within the RSL family will tear down any opponent. But yet I made sure to keep it from being in any way offensive or cater to one "type" of fan. Something tattooed, die-hard fans can sing proudly along with conservative fans, children, elderly people and anyone of any kind of background. I also kept it very simple so the words are easy to learn and memorize as well as a catchy melody to remember and catch on throughout the stadium. This is 100% original lyrics and melody I wrote, so you will never hear another club in the world sing this outside of RSL. Here are the lyrics:
Whether or not you love RSL --"Hi!" Rapids fans-- you have to love the creativity and the passion that went into this. More please.
The Philadelphia Union -- in particular, manager Peter Nowak -- have taken a few hits this offseason. Understandly so, considering some of the messy player transactions, such as the sudden flight of goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon and the bizarre Sebastien Le Toux situation. I'm still not clear whether Le Toux was forced to go to Bolton or if he just failed and tried to pass the buck. Either way, he's with Vancouver now.
This all comes on the heels of a late overseas training stint for Danny Mwanga, Kyle Nakazawa's trade to LA, Veljko Paunovic's retirement, and the loss of Justin Mapp in the expansion draft. Plus, don't forget the explanations given by Nowak about Carlos Ruiz's transfer to Mexico.
But there has to be a method to the madness, right? Nowak seems sure. He tweeted this out on Monday in response to a fan's question:
"@Doug_Cutaiar: "I don't need details. Can you just assure me you guys know what you're doing with these moves this off season?" Yes.
— Peter Nowak (@Peter_Nowak) February 14, 2012
That response -- "Yes" -- is so perfect. So simple. So Nowakian.
Lest any of the second-guessers forget, Nowak and the Union are still on the correct trajectory for a club born just two years ago. That is, in Year 2, they improved over Year 1, and even made the playoffs.
So despite the departures and the confusing aftermaths, at some point, everyone needs to have a little faith and give Nowak the benefit of the doubt. After all, he's succeeded everywhere he's been. And so far, he's succeeding in Philly.
On Thursday's edition of ExtraTime Radio, we all got into a discussion about the best songs by Thin Lizzy, the 1970s rock band led by the incomparable Phil Lynott. (Look 'em up, kids.)
We bandied about "The Boys Are Back in Town," "Cowboy Song," "Jailbreak," and my personal favorite, "Fighting My Way Back." Suffice to say, it was a rocking show, one that I'm sure Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear -- a diehard Thin Lizzy fan -- would appreciate.
In the aftermath, an @ExtraTimeRadio fan on Twitter sent this tweet:
@Gaetjens Glad you guys brought up "Cowboy Song," but "Emerald" is Thin Lizzy's captain and midfield engine.
— Jason (@chestrockwell14) February 3, 2012
That, naturally, set off a back and forth about Thin Lizzy songs and where they would play on the field. Naturally.
So here's the Thin Lizzy Starting XI, according to me and @chestrockwell14.
I'm sure there are plenty of music snobs (don't we all fall into that category, really?) that have a beef or two with this. Fine. What musical Starting XI would you come up with?


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Mumford and Sons
New Music For Jack Fans in 2013
Jimi Hendrix — People, Hell and Angels, 3/5: Unbelievable but true, the album features 12 previously unreleased recordings. A press release states that the album "follows Hendrix in 1968 and 1969 as he works on material apart […]
GRAMMY Nominations 2013: The Biggest Surprises & The Takeaways
The theme of this year's nominations could be taken in a number of ways, but when you look at the contenders up for all-powerful Album of the Year category, one thing is certain: it's the year of the underdogs and the newcomers.
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones Cagey On Future Led Zeppelin Plans
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, the founding members of Led Zeppelin, were all on hand in London on Friday for a press conference marking the release of Celebration Day, a concert film documenting the band's 2007 two-hour reunion show, their first headline concert in 27 years, at London's O2 Arena.


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HOW TO: Make Up With Blemishes
I've had a fairly shocking week with my skin - a total of SIX pimples reared their ugly little heads - two on my forehead, and four on my chin. I was feeling absolutely horrendous, especially as my skin has been quite well behaved over the past few months, so I was caught by surprise by this bout of skincare rudeness. The silver lining to this dark & ugly cloud is that I have had the ideal canvas to experiment with makeup & skincare to calm & cover blemishes Here are my tips:
- Clay masks are great if you have a day to hibernate at home, as they are great at drawing pimples out & speeding up the process, but when you have to face the world I prefer using gentle masks that work to calm redness and 'smooth' over pimples, which makes them easier to cover when heading out. I've been testing the Dr. Alkaitis Organic Universal Mask which has done a nice job of quietening my skin and seems to have prevented the blemishes from becoming too inflamed.
- Don't apply a drying pimple formula during the day - makeup will cake over any blemishes and make them look even more obvious. Another Dr. Alkaitis product I am loving is the Organic Soothing Gel, which is a soothing and hydrating antibacterial treatment, perfect for daytime use. I find that it's not quite hydrating enough to use without a moisturiser or sunscreen on top, but it's worth adding to your routine to soothe and treat blemishes.
- Makeup wise, it's well-worth checking out Lisa Eldridge's excellent video tutorial on acne covering makeup. Whilst Lisa doesn't use clean products, the philosophy & techniques behind the makeup application are incredibly useful. In particular, I think it's a great tip to keep foundation really light where skin is clear to avoid looking like you're wearing a mask. As my cheeks are clear and have a relatively good texture, this week I have focussed on applying really light foundation over cheeks, then buffing a coral cream blush into cheeks along with a little RMS Living Luminizer. This gives the appearance of really healthy skin and draws attention away from the spottier areas. Similarly, I have applied no makeup over lips and have concentrated on eye makeup; again, to draw attention away from the chin. I have to admit that I have been using some not-so-clean products this week (Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer & Natio Pure Mineral Redness Corrector - both of which contain parabens, among other things) out of pure desperation to cover all the spots, but I am on the hunt for clean alternatives to these! As I mention on the About page, I take a 'mostly' approach to clean - so I don't feel too guilty when I very occasionally turn to these products.
- I wear my hair out when I have particularly bad skin - it's my curtain from the world! Make sure you keep hair looking fresh & bouncy when wearing it this way: spots & greasy hair are not a good look together, but clean, shiny hair will draw attention away from blemishes and make you look generally healthier.
- And finally - whilst I felt like a giant walking pimple this week (now that's a charming image for you), it's important to remember that no-one pays as much attention to your skin as you do. So take a deep breath, a little concealer, and you'll get through this!


text:
43 U.S. Code § 1473a - Acceptance of contributions by Secretary; cooperation with prosecution of projects
The Secretary is authorized to accept lands, buildings, equipment, other contributions and, before, on, and after November 13, 1991, fees to be deposited in the contributed funds account from public and private sources, and to prosecute projects using such contributions and fees in cooperation with other Federal, State or private agencies.
Source(Pub. L. 102–154, title I, Nov. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1002.)
In text, "before, on, and after November 13, 1991," substituted for "heretofore and hereafter".
Similar Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in the following appropriation acts:
Pub. L. 104–134, title I, § 101(c) [title I], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–156, 1321–168; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, § 1(a),May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327.
Pub. L. 103–332, title I, Sept. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 2509.
Pub. L. 103–138, title I, Nov. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 1389.
Pub. L. 102–381, title I, Oct. 5, 1992, 106 Stat. 1386.
Pub. L. 101–512, title I, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1927.
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, August 13, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
|Description of Change
|Session Year
|Public Law
|Statutes at Large
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
15 U.S. Code § 4711 - Repealed.
prev | next
Section, Pub. L. 100–418, title II, § 2202,Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1327; Pub. L. 104–188, title I, § 1954(b)(2),Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1928, required the Secretary of State to report annually on the economic policy and trade practices of each country with which the United States has an economic or trade relationship.
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, August 13, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
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text:
Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve
Caverns Trail
1.5 mile guided hike of caverns
Trail trivia question: Where in Southern California can you explore some stunning scenery, be assured that it won't rain, and know that the temperature for your hike will always be a comfortable 65 degrees?
Hint: One of the overlooked gems of the California state park system.
If you're in the dark, then you're on the right path—the trail through Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, part of Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. Ranger-led walks through the dramatic limestone caves offer a fascinating geology lesson, one the whole family can enjoy.
In 1932, Jack Mitchell abandoned his Depression-shattered business in Los Angeles and moved to the desert. For a time he prospected for silver, but his real fascination was with what he called the "Providence" or "Crystal Caves" and their potential as a tourist attraction. He constructed several stone buildings to use for lodging. (Today's park visitor center is one of these buildings.) Mitchell and his wife Ida provided food, lodging, and guided tours of the caverns until 1954. By all accounts, Jack Mitchell was quite a yarn-spinner. Old-timers still remember his tall tales of ghosts, lost treasure and bottomless pits.
Now that the caverns are part of the state park system, rangers lead the tours. They're an enthusiastic lot and quite informative. Visitors walk through the two main caves, which Mitchell named El Pakiva (The Devil's House) and Tecopa (after a Shoshonean chieftain). You'll get a close-up view of stalactites and stalagmites, cave ribbon, cave spaghetti and flow stone. And you'll learn about some of the caverns' former inhabitants—the Chemehuevi Indians and a Pleistocene ground sloth that stumbled into the darkness some 15,000 years ago.
During Jack Mitchell's day, visitors had to be nimble rock-climbers who waited for their tour leader to toss flares into the darkness. Nowadays, the caverns are equipped with stairs and special lighting.
For guided tour times vist the Providence Mountains SRA page page. A tour takes 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your group's enthusiasm and collective curiosity, and a fee is charged.
Directions to trailhead: From Interstate Highway 40, about 80 miles east of Barstow, exit on Essex Road and drive 16 miles to road's end at the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area parking lot. Sign up at the visitor center for tours.
Because you can only tour the caverns with a park ranger, and because you wouldn't want me to spoil the many surprises of the cave walk with a step-by-step description, I won't further detail the Mitchell Caverns Trail. However, after exploring "the great indoors" allow some time to explore the park's outdoors pathways.
© 2012 The Trailmaster, Inc.
From John McKinney's
Day Hiker's Guide to California's State Parks
Trail descriptions and maps have been reproduced with the permission of the author. To learn more about The Trailmaster and other related publications please visit their website at www.thetrailmaster.com.


text:
Written by:
Cocoa. Hot chocolate is so..............your skin.
Bred with vanilla. Sired kids' colors in between. Broad spectrum of brown.
Vanilla to pecan. Conversations between colorstruck year round.
Family gatherings often joyous. The food is delicious. Events supreme extravagance.
Cocoa. Hot chocolate. Milk and sugar. So dark. Flesh. Not a drink. Sip.


text:
Atlanta Weather
| Traffic
8:45 am April 29, 2013, by George Mathis
Monsanto's genetically modified seeds, which are resitant to Roundup, are used to grow corn and other crops all over the world, including some other DeKalb County.
April 29, 2013:
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While one Chicago man is behind bars, another is on the run for his role in a double shooting at a northwest side park in June.
Investigators are on the hunt for 32 year old Dionisio "Dion" Gonzalez. They believe he acted as the "getaway driver" in the June 8th shooting at Avondale Park that left a two year old and a seven year old girl injured. Authorities have already arrested and charged the gunman, Antonio Bucio. Both men are members of the Maniac Latin Disciples
The shooting happened around 8 p.m., as Chicago police were holding a community policing meeting in the park's field house. Investigators believe Bucio was shooting at a rival gang member on a nearby basketball court who was "disrespecting his gang." The two year old girl suffered a graze wound to the back of her head while the seven year old girl was shot in the back.
Agents believe Gonzalez may have fled the state and is now the subject of a nationwide manhunt coordinated by the Chicago FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force. In addition to Illinois, they say he has friends and family in the Miami area. His last known address in Chicago is in the 3000 block of West Belden Avenue.
Here is a detailed description of what agents say Gonzalez looks like. He is a Black male, 5' 8", 135 pounds, black hair, and brown eyes. He also has several tattoos on his chest, back and arms.
He is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, call police.
If you have any information about this case, call the Chicago FBI bureau at (312) 421-6700.
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Phone: (407) 644-3535
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text:
RACINE, WI (WTAQ) - A Racine man will spend six years in prison for killing a female passenger in a hit-and-run motorcycle crash.
At a sentencing hearing, a circuit judge called 27-year-old Brandon Seibert a "train wreck waiting to happen."
Prosecutors said Seibert crashed his motorcycle in a construction zone and kept going. A young mother attending UW-Parkside, 24-year-old Melissa Corona, was killed. The crash happened in September of last year.
Authorities said Seibert was speeding at the time – and he did not have a valid driver's license. He pleaded guilty to felony fatal hit-and-run, and two misdemeanor counts of causing death while driving without a license, and reckless injury. That last charge was reduced from negligent homicide as part of a plea deal.
Seibert must spend 10 years under extended supervision when he's released from prison – and he must pay at $2,500 fine.


text:
10 U.S. Code § 2735 - Settlement: final and conclusive
Source(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 155; Pub. L. 88–558, § 5(1),Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 768; Pub. L. 92–413, Aug. 29, 1972, 86 Stat. 649.)
|Revised section
|Source (U.S. Code)
|Source (Statutes at Large)
|31:222c (1st sentence of (e)).
|31:223b (4th sentence).
|31:224d (last proviso).
|May 29, 1945, ch. 135, § 1 (e) (1st sentence); restated July 3, 1952, ch. 548, § 1 (1st sentence of last par.), 66 Stat. 323.
|July 3, 1943, ch. 189, § 1 (4th sentence), 57 Stat. 373.
|Jan. 2, 1942, ch. 645, § 1 (last proviso); restated Apr. 22, 1943, ch. 67, § 1 (last proviso), 57 Stat. 67.
The words "for all purposes" and "to the contrary", in each source credit; "by the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, or the Secretary of Defense, or their designees" and "such regulations as they, respectively, may prescribe hereunder", in 31:222c(e); "by the Secretary of the Army, or his designee" and "such regulations as he may prescribe hereunder", in 31:223b; and "by such Commissions", in 31:224d; are omitted as surplusage.
1972—Pub. L. 92–413inserted reference to sections 2734a, 2734b, and 2737 of this title.
1964—Pub. L. 88–558struck out reference to section 2732.
Effective Date of 1964 Amendment
Pub. L. 88–558, § 5,Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 768, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective two years from Aug. 31, 1964.
The directory language of, but not the amendment made by, Pub. L. 88–558, Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 767, cited as a credit to this section and in the Effective Date of 1964 Amendment note above, was repealed by Pub. L. 97–258, § 5(b),Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1068.
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, August 13, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
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|Statutes at Large
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
DAVID in TX
Love this stuff it sure beats using gas. just wear disposable rubber gloves and let the liquid do its job will purchase again.Read All Reviews
warren in WY
I like this. It makes a messy job a little easier.Read All Reviews
Mark in TX
Been using this for the last year. I love how easy it is to apply and how well it works.Read All Reviews
Mark in TX
I think the No Toil filter cleaner works better than the Twin Air. I have to do two cleanings to get the filters clean. It seems to take more cleaner...which costs more money in the long run. That being said, I still use and buy it...I like the Twin Air filter oil process so much better than the No Toil. The oiling process is much easier. So, pick your poison...better oil or better cleaner...I chose better oil.Read All Reviews
Greg in MD
This product works very good, it is just too expensive and does't have enough oil in the can for how expensive it is.Read All Reviews
Mark in TX
Been using it for a while and really like the Twin Air product. Not sure it works better than others...but I don't think it is any worse.Read All Reviews


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"KXRK 96.3 FM X96 Radio from Hell" - Salt Lake City, Utah
in A.M./F.M. Radio Broadcasting Stations
The radio station KXRK 96.3 FM is located in Salt Lake City Utah.
posted by: Mom the Cook & cashnhubby
location: Utah
date approved: 5/16/2011
last visited: 7/19/2011
"KUUU 92.5 FM Where Hip Hop Lives" - Salt Lake City, Utah
The radio station KUUU 92.5 FM is located in Salt Lake City Utah.
XHLTN 104.5 FM RADIO LATINA - National City, CA
Radio Latina's US broadcast studio is located at 2403 Hoover Avenue, National City, CA 91950
posted by: Metro2
location: California
last visited: 5/14/2011
"CFOK 1370 AM" - Westlock, Alberta
This is the local radio station CFOK 1370 in Westlock, Alberta
posted by: wildwoodke
location: Alberta, Canada
date approved: 4/25/2011
last visited: never
KDVS 90.3 FM - Davis, CA
KDVS is the radio station on the campus of University of California Davis.
posted by: saopaulo1
date approved: 4/17/2011
last visited: 12/31/2011
"KHTS AM 1220" - Santa Clarita, CA
They call themselves "Your Hometown Station" and stay busy keeping Santa Clarita informed.
posted by: wicked witch of the west coast
date approved: 4/3/2011
last visited: 4/12/2011
"Rádio Comercial 97.4 FM Lisboa" - Portugal
Rádio Comercial is a commercial radio station in Portugal aimed at young and adult people. It has a broad format including contemporary, pop and rock music. It is among the most listened radio stations in the country.
posted by: tmob
location: Lisboa, Portugal
date approved: 3/13/2011
"WCJW 1140 AM Warsaw CJ Country 100.9FM 103.7FM 105.5FM"
WCJW is broadcast out of Warsaw NY on 1140AM, 100.9FM, 103.7FM and 105.5FM and plays THE BEST COUNTRY MUSIC in Western NY.
posted by: sanders3
location: New York
date approved: 3/4/2011
last visited: 10/22/2012
KTMP - AM 1340 Heber City, Utah
posted by: JediMasterAilshie
date approved: 2/24/2011
last visited: 7/3/2012
KSCU 103.3 - Santa Clara, CA
The student run station at Santa Clara University.
date approved: 2/10/2011
"Rádio Jihlava" 101,1 FM, Czech Republic
CZ: "Nejpohodovejší hudba a zábava ve meste."
EN: "Most comfortable music and entertainment in the city."
posted by: L@Troj
location: Kraj Vysocina, Czech Republic
date approved: 1/31/2011
last visited: 6/17/2014
Beat Radio 95.3 FM, Prague, CZ
One building - five radios.
posted by: ToRo61
location: Hlavni mesto Praha, Czech Republic
date approved: 1/16/2011
last visited: 4/5/2014
Radio City 93.7 FM, Prague, CZ
Latest news from Prague.
last visited: 1/29/2014
"KYGT The Goat 102.7 FM" - Idaho Springs, CO
Listener-supported, commercial-free station - Real people - not computerized!
posted by: Outspoken1
location: Colorado
date approved: 1/10/2011
last visited: 8/21/2011
91 FM - Ceský Rozhlas Plzen, PM, CZ, EU
Czech Radio Pilsen, news radio
posted by: Arogant
location: Plzensky kraj, Czech Republic
date approved: 1/2/2011
last visited: 12/27/2012
97,9 Mhz YLE Lahden radio
Lahti - a city of radio. Since 1923. Beautiful towers, great radio and Radio&TV museum.
posted by: Noyboy
location: Finland
date approved: 12/29/2010
last visited: 6/22/2014
CHIN 97.9 Ottawa, Ontario
CHIN is the first multicultural/multilingual station to be established in Ontario.
posted by: JSDAFM
location: Ontario, Canada
date approved: 12/4/2010
last visited: 3/7/2014
Radio Expres 90.3 FM, Prague, CZ
The best music in town.
last visited: 2/15/2014
Rockradio Sumava, Plzen, CZ, EU
Popular local Rockradio to tune to 91.8 FM.
posted by: dejf75
date approved: 11/24/2010
last visited: 5/23/2013
Hitradio FM Plus, Plzen, CZ, EU
Popular local radio to tune to 105.8, 106.1, 107.4 FM.
Kiss Proton Plzen 90/98,2 FM - Czech Republic, EU
98,2 fm Plzen - 107,9 fm Pribram - 97,4 fm Domazlice - 92,9 fm Klatovy - 90,0 fm Zapadni Cechy (West Bohemia)
posted by: 3am
last visited: 12/30/2012
Rádio Noticias-103.1 FM- Caldas da Rainha,Portugal
posted by: h_raky
location: Leiria, Portugal
date approved: 11/12/2010
"KIRC Real Country 105.9 FM" - Shawnee, OK
Country music for country folks.
posted by: hamquilter
location: Oklahoma
date approved: 10/31/2010
"WSRZ The Suncoast's Greatest Hits" - 107.9 FM - Sarasota, FL
"Just give me old time rock and roll, That kind of music really smooths my soul"
This is Sarasota's answer to Bob Seger's request!
posted by: TaoZero
location: Florida
date approved: 9/12/2010
CKOI 102,1 FM Quebec Quebec
CKOI 102,1 FM. Radio top 40 / Quebec!
posted by: XeresDan
location: Quebec, Canada
date approved: 9/6/2010
last visited: 9/19/2013
Copyright (c) 2014 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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- Your Path:
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- WWE Wrestling Party Favor Box
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For all your Wrestle-Maniacs! Includes one empty favor box* and sticker sheet*, plus a snap 'n glow lollipop with popping candy, laser disc spin top, asst. glow necklace, glow putty egg, and flashing red safety light.
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD. Small Parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.
*Officially licensed WWE product. Read More
- Product Number
- #75896
- Material
- paper, plastic, candy
- Air Shippable
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- Scot Wilcox
- Provo, UT
- United States
This conversation is closed.
Do right and wrong exist?
I'm curious about objective right and wrong. If you believe in God, this is a no-brainer. Some things are wrong, some things are right, simply because God says so and He knows. But if you don't believe in God, can you still believe in objective morality? I personally don't think you can. I mean, what do you base it off of? How do you find out what's objectively right or wrong? (By objective I mean "existing independent of thought or an observer as part of reality." from dictionary.com)
Sure, there's subjective morality. Any idea of right or wrong come up with by a human is by definition subjective. That's all well and good. Problem is that it only applies to people who believe in it and it gives them no authority to proclaim anything as "what we should be doing." Very often everybody disagrees with each other and we don't get anywhere. (Just look at Congress for an example of this.)
Maybe you disagree with me and you think there is objective morality but no God. That's fine. I would like to ask you to answer a question for me though. Let's pick an easy one. Why is rape objectively wrong? Don't misunderstand me, I can't think of a single instance where rape wouldn't be wrong. I believe very strongly that sexual abuse is one of the greatest evils in the world. Why is it evil? If you can answer me without using a God-based or subjective argument, I'll concede the point.
That point is this: Without God, there is no such thing as right and wrong, only the things we call right and wrong. And since nobody can agree on what to call what, we're all in a lot of trouble.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Mar 3 2013: I think its both cultural and natural for right and wrong to exist. Cultural because at birth and for an extended time we are nurtured and dependent on parental care and affection. We survive upon arrival by being protected from the elements, starvation, etc. Parents get help from their parents, tradition, etc. We learn the value of independence as we age and what is more natural than the golden rule for guidance through life.
It is natural because the gift of life confines us to our physical existence and identity. We must live with what we have become by our actions and deeds. This affects how others think of us including parents, siblings, mates, civic leaders, etc. Observing rules that have been developed in the interest of civilization and being sensitive to what attracts the mate of you choice, etc., would logically influence one's sense of right and wrong. Beyond that there is such a thing as feeling good about yourself. The sins or wrongs you commit you get to own despite what others may know or not know about you. You don't look in the mirror to know yourself.
The inspiration and start ups of religion is simply and extension of the cultural side of this equation.
I like what Sam Harris has to say about this matter.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.


text:
Screaming Mario
Throw Pillow
Throw Pillow made from 100% spun polyester poplin fabric, a stylish statement that will liven up any room. Individually cut and sewn by hand, each pillow features a double-sided print and is finished with a concealed zipper for ease of care. Sold with or without faux down pillow insert.
Screaming Mario is part of the "Screaming Heroes" Series, designed by Roberto Salvador.
- 20Promote


text:
NEWTOWN, CT (AP) - Benjamin Wheeler we born on September 12, 2006. He died on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut.
Music surrounded Benjamin Wheeler as he grew up in a household where both his mother and father were performers. They left behind stage careers in New York City when they moved to Newtown with Benjamin and his older brother, Nate.
"We knew we wanted a piece of lawn, somewhere quiet, somewhere with good schools," Francine Wheeler told the Newtown Bee in a profile.
Ben was spirited and energetic. He was taking swim lessons, and at soccer practice, he'd often be running across the field long after it was necessary. A recent accomplishment, his family said, was performing at a piano recital this month - and sitting still long enough to play one piece.
Francine, a music educator and singer-songwriter, used to make up songs for Ben when he was a baby. Some eventually found their way onto a CD, she told the local newspaper. Ben's father, David, still writes and performs, according to a profile on the website of the Flagpole Radio Cafe theater.
Before school on Friday, Ben had told his mother he wanted to be an architect - but also a paleontologist.
"That's what Nate is going to be," he told his mom. "And I want to do everything Nate does."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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text:
all-creatures.org Publication
Church Silence
Promotes Violence
to humans, to animals, to our environment, to our economy, to our education, to our finances, and to our health
The Church's role and God's animals
From BEST FRIENDS MAGAZINE March/April 2007
Print out a PDF of this Article
Kindness Revival
Why don't churches preach compassion for animals?
From the earliest days of the Puritans, the animal welfare movement in America, like so many other movements of liberation and social reform, was driven by people of faith. But in our own time, mainstream religion has tended to ignore our fellow creatures. In our continuing series about animals in religion, Best Friends executive director Paul Berry, who grew up in the evangelical Christian tradition, argues that it's time for the church to recapture the initiative and treat kindness to animals as one of the moral imperatives of our time.
By Paul Berry
hen I was four years old, I saw someone do the unthinkable - something so wrong that I blocked it from my memory until my brother reminded me about it years later.
We were at our house in New Orleans, playing under the carport with some puppies our dog had just had. She was a street dog, a sweet stray we'd named Skipper.
A man and a woman were arguing nearby.
Visibly angry, the man got in his car and sped down
the driveway. My brother and I screamed, "Don't go yet! Don't go yet!"
But the man was upset and mad, and he went anyway. He knowingly ran over
three of the puppies.
That man was my father.
He was a troubled individual, and I've long since forgiven him. But such displays of rage and violence are scattered throughout my childhood memories.
Thanks to my mother, I don't look back on my youth
with any grief or sadness. She did a good job of making us kids feel
safe and loved. A devout Christian woman, she introduced us to faith and
prayer as a refuge for our struggling family. She upheld the life of
Jesus as the ideal role model: courageous, kind and merciful.
Mercy and nonviolence came naturally to us kids. My brother, sisters and I were always bringing home some lost pet or other. Seems we always had a house full of animals, and everyone was considered part of the family.
We were raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, and Sunday was reserved for church and family. If we missed going to church, Mom would make us all watch a church service on TV. Her favorite preachers were Oral Roberts and Robert Schuler. I liked Oral Roberts because he always began his service by saying, "Something good is going to happen to you." We all needed to hear that. But Robert Schuler was my favorite. With his booming voice and theatrical flair, he'd say audacious things like "Every problem is a possibility in disguise" and "Every person is a gold mine of hidden possibilities!" He was fun to watch, but he also had an empowering message of hope and personal transformation. And being my father's son, I needed to believe I could find goodness in myself.
With all the spiritual influences around me, I came to
believe that you could create that goodness in yourself by doing good in
the world - caring for all that God has given us: the animals, the
Earth, and each other.
But I can't say church leaders helped shape my reverence and respect for animals and nature. That was personal.
Today, with kids of my own, I'm convinced that we're all born with an innate sense of reverence and responsibility for animals and the earth; kids just need reassurance from their parents and role models.
It's also clear that the concept of caring for all of nature is becoming more and more a concern for people all over the country, regardless of their faith or philosophy.
Last summer, when Best Friends commissioned a nationwide poll, we discovered that 89 percent of Americans agree that "we have a moral obligation to protect the animals in our care."
That's an astounding consensus. But how does it relate to people of faith?
In an informal survey of Best Friends members following the national poll, we asked them what their churches, temples and synagogues are talking about with respect to animals and morality, and how their religious leaders are teaching their congregations to act on those.
The answer: Beyond the human species - ourselves - God's creation is barely talked about at all.
So if this moral obligation toward our fellow creatures is such a core moral value for people, why isn't it upheld by our churches?
The evangelical movement prides itself on taking
strong positions on moral issues. And congregations look to their
churches for leadership. But the churches aren't setting much of an
example on the subject of kindness to animals.
So is it any surprise that we're not seeing much follow-through from
the congregations?
For myself, I long ago gave up even expecting to hear anything meaningful from the pulpit about the importance of protecting animals. And many people I used to go to church with and still meet up with occasionally tell me the same thing. We want our children to grow up in the church, but we want it to address all aspects of moral responsibility.
And if most of us are indeed born with an innate, God-given sense of moral responsibility, then surely it is the church's business to foster this responsibility and remind us of it into our adulthood. Instead, it all gets lost along the way.
Worse, many of our members told us, their churches have become so politically organized, so focused on narrow wedge issues, that they have pretty much lost sight of the big picture stuff - universal kindness, compassion, mercy and nonviolence.
So it should come as no surprise that when the churches start leaving their congregations, the congregations start leaving the churches. The Washington Post reported last summer that since 2000, more than 20 million Americans have left traditional churches to explore alternative venues of worship, including home churches, workplace ministries and online faith communities. And in early October, the New York Times reported that evangelical Christian leaders are warning one another that their teenagers are abandoning the faith in droves.
The founders of Christianity had a bold vision for a
universal church built on the Golden Rule as spelled out in the
Beatitudes. But with so much of its focus on issues that have more to do
with Caesar than with God, much of the church that I grew up in has lost
its sense of divine mission.
That mission should be to care for all creation: the animals, the Earth and each other. And if more Christians demanded that level of moral scope of their leaders, the church would be out in front on causes that relate to the animals and nature, ranging from environmental protection to animal welfare.
Just for starters, we should be demanding no-kill policies for homeless animals in our communities. And we should be fighting against the fur trade, factory farming and sport hunting, too. Those are profoundly immoral and sinful enterprises - meaning that they are about inflicting suffering and death upon God's creatures in pursuit of nothing more than human vanity, profit and entertainment.
But there's not nearly enough discussion in church on these issues, and certainly not enough encouragement to go out into society and campaign against such injustices.
In the last few years, many advances for animals have been made in the political arena. And much of that progress has been driven by the animal rights movement. As a result, Congress and local politicians are increasingly sensitive to the concerns of people who care about animals.
But meanwhile, the churches continue to treat concern
for animals as a non-issue. Worse yet, the world of animal "rights" is
often shunned by the evangelical movement as being "liberal" - even
It may be true that some of the early adopters of the modern animal rights movement were non-religious - in some cases, even anti-religious. But much of that has to be seen in the light of the shocking lack of interest from the churches.
The truth is that the modern animal rights movement takes its inspiration from a great tradition of social reform that encompasses the history of this nation, from the Puritans to Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1641, for example, section 92 of the Body of Liberties adopted by the Massachusetts Bay Colony stated, "No man shall exercise any Tyrranny or Crueltie towards any bruite Creature which are usuallie kept for man's use."
And in 1776, when the founding fathers of our country were engaged in declaring that "all men are " endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,- the Anglican minister Rev. Humphrey Primatt published his Dissertation on the Duty of Mercy and the Sin of Cruelty to Brute Animals, in which he wrote:
"Pain is pain, whether it is inflicted on man or on beast; and the creature that suffers it, whether man or beast, being sensible of the misery of it whilst it lasts, suffers Evil ...
"We may pretend to what religion we please, but
cruelty is atheism.
"We may boast of Christianity, but cruelty is infidelity.
"We may trust our orthodoxy, but cruelty is the worst of heresies."
Certainly, in our own time, there are voices in a comparative wilderness, speaking out for kindness to animals from a faith-based perspective. One who captured the public attention in 2002 was Matthew Scully, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, who left the White House to write Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy. A practicing Catholic, Scully says that "It is usually best in any moral inquiry to start with the original motivation, which in the case of animals we may without embarrassment call love."
More than ever, it's time for people of faith to take
ownership of the animal cause - if not necessarily as an issue of
"rights," then certainly as one of core spiritual values: kindness,
compassion, mercy, nonviolence and love.
For many of us, it is easier to promote rational arguments for animal justice. But, in the final analysis, our motivation is about something entirely irrational: love. We love them as our family, and they love us back unconditionally.
Is there any cause more noble for the Christian than to honor the blessing of love in this life?
You can join the continuing discussion at
network.bestfriends. org/religion.
Next time: A Jewish perspective on caring for animals and nature.
* Bring the issue to your pastor, your Sunday school class, or your Bible study group, and start the conversation about how wide the circle of compassion should be.
* Ask questions like these: Who are the keepers of compassion and justice and morality? What examples should we be giving in our own lives with respect to animals and the natural world? And where should we be guiding the rest of society?
Questions lead to answers. Answers lead to actions. Imagine a group of local pastors showing up at a city council meeting to demand a no-kill plan for their city shelter. Now imagine a whole convention of thousands of pastors and church leaders from all over the country working together to protest the treatment of animals at factory farms, vivisection laboratories, puppy mills and sporting events.
* If you're a pastor, talk to your congregation about your concern for animals. You are not alone. Best Friends can put you in touch with other ministers who share your beliefs, and with resources, including sermons, that have been preached here at home and in other countries. If you've preached on the subject yourself, please send us a copy of your sermon to share with others.
* Raise the subject of your congregation coming together to demand environmental justice from polluters. Or youth groups cleaning up lakes and streams and restoring wildlife habitats as part of their youth outreach.
How would these efforts affect church attendance on Sunday? If local churches were to create real opportunities for Christians to do meaningful work for animals, it could inspire a revival of "biblical" proportions.
Let us know how you feel and add your name to the list of those of us who want their church to take a leading role in the discussion of animal welfare. Join us at network.best friends.org/religion to continue the discussion. We'll share your thoughts with church leaders and report on the results in an upcoming issue of Best Friends magazine.
Print out a PDF of this Article
For additional information, visit: Stop Cruelty in Churches
The intent of this series is to wake up and encourage the Church to greater works of love and compassion (John 14:12). It is not to condemn the Church, in general, or any individual, any more than Jesus condemned the woman caught in adultery. Jesus said to her, "...go your way. From now on sin no more." (John 8:11) And this is our message to the Church: Recognize our sins of the past and go forth seeking to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48), correcting the sins of the past, for that is the only way we can truly show the world that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, might, and mind, including the whole of creation, which includes our neighbors whom we are to love as ourselves.
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Among the most challenging issues facing the healing ministry today is the preparation of new and future generations of lay leaders in Catholic health care organizations. To respond to this challenge, Aquinas Institute has developed The Ashley-O'Rourke Center for Health Ministry Leadership. The singular focus of this Initiative is to develop and deliver theological and spiritual formation programs and experiences for leaders in Catholic health care to help insure the integrity of the healing ministry of Jesus into the future.
The Ashley-O'Rourke Center makes formation opportunities available to leaders at all levels who are seeking to enrich their understanding of the Catholic theological tradition and its call to continue the healing ministry of Christ. Formation opportunities include:
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For more than a decade, Aquinas Institute of Theology has been developing programs for theological education and formation for leaders at all levels within organizations such as Ascension Health, Trinity Health, and others. The individuals who have completed degrees like the M.A. in Health Care Mission or certificates in Health Care Leadership Formation through Aquinas Institute have come away with greater understanding of, skills for, and commitment to the healing ministry of Jesus.
The Ashley-O'Rourke Center is named in honor of two prominent Dominicans, Benedict Ashley, O.P., and Kevin O'Rourke, O.P., who have separately and together made significant contributions to Catholic health care.
Benedict M. Ashley, O.P. (born 1915) is a theologian and philosopher whose major influence on Catholic theology and ethics in America has been evident in his writing, teaching and consulting.. The author of 19 books, Fr. Ashley was a major voice in the development of the "River Forest School" of Thomism. He has taught at numerous institutions, including Aquinas Institute of Theology, where he served as president from 1962 to 1969, and was later Associate Professor at the Center for Health Care Ethics at St. Louis University's Health Sciences Center. Health Care Ethics: A Catholic Theological Analysis, which he co-authored with Kevin O'Rourke, O.P., and Jean de Blois, C.S.J. (fifth edition), is considered to be a fundamental text in the field of Catholic bioethics.
Kevin O'Rourke, O.P. (1927-2012) was the founder and director of the Center for Health Care Ethics at St. Louis University's Health Sciences Center from 1979 to 1999. In that position, Fr. O'Rourke taught, mentored and influenced the lives of hundreds of medical and nursing students, as well as scores of students in health care administration. He is a former president of Aquinas Institute of Theology. In a career that spanned more than five decades, Fr. O'Rourke was a credible and sought-after expert in the field of health care ethics. He authored several books and dozens of articles, including the foundational text Health Care Ethics: A Catholic Theological Analysis, co-authored with Benedict Ashley, O.P., and Jean de Blois, C.S.J. Among his most significant contributions to Catholic health care ethics is his work on appropriate care at the end of life, in particular the use of artificially supplied nutrition and hydration for persons in persistent vegetative state. He was Professor of Bioethics at Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago from 2000 until his death in 2012.
We invite you to consider your participation in the healing ministry of Jesus and welcome your questions and discussion. For more information, contact Mary Lindsley by calling (314) 256-8857 or emailing at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Aquinas Institute of Theology
is a member of the
Catholic Health Association
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Eddie Van Halen on how he created his sound using MXR's Phase 90 and Flanger pedals.
For Guitar World's latest readers poll, cast your vote and choose your favorite live artist!
Morse, Portnoy & Co. stream their new album and announce North American tour.
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Fernanda Porto, or Maria Fernanda Dutra Clemente (Serra Negra - Brazil, December 31, 1965), is a Brazilian drum 'n' bossa singer. Drum 'n' bossa is a combination of electronic music, bossa nova and drum 'n' bass. Along with DJ Patife, her song Sambassim became popular in Brazil and many countries in Europe. DJ Marky later remixed it. Another song remixed was So Tinha Ser Com Voce. She has also worked with American pop music producer from Miami, Mark Holiday (also known as Trendsetter).
Fernanda Porto
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Fernanda Porto 2003Reviewed by John Armstrong
'For a lesser talent, drum & bass would have been a deep hole to dig yourself out of...


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Daily Roundup: Credit Cards and Credit Triggers
Published on - June 26th, 2007 (by J.D. Roth)
Yesterday at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity, Jim described how credit cards get you in, keep you in, and keep you spending. This is particularly relevant due to our recent conversations about credit. Jim writes:
Credit card companies have three objectives in mind: Sign you up, don't let you quit, and keep you spending. They make money whenever you spend and, in fact, they can make a ton of money if you never pay a fee, are never late, and never pay interest because they take a little cut off the top of each transaction. All the other fees and interest, that stuff is just gravy to them.
This is something to keep in mind as I use my new credit card. I like to support small, local businesses whenever possible. One way to do that is to use debit instead of credit. From what I understand, businesses are not assessed a surcharge on debit purchases. Meanwhile, Russell Heimlich forwarded a Daily Kos story about credit triggers. The author writes:
I just heard a piece on NPR about Experian selling your credit history to collection agencies. They constantly monitor your credit activity and if you start to pay off your credit and are getting back on your feet, they notify the collection hounds and let them have at you. This sounded pretty damn wrong to me so I got on Google and found out some more about this.
This seems counter-productive. I know that creditors want their money, and I don't hold that against them, but if a consumer is making positive steps, shouldn't they be encouraged instead of hounded? This concept is apparently being applied to mortgage triggers, too. Make a move toward refinancing, and you'll be swamped with mortgage offers.
This article is about Spare Change
While going through my divorce, a few of my creditors were paid late. Then I found the financial blogs and decided to start paying everything off. In the last six months I have paid off over $14,000 in credit card debt. I was feeling really good about it. I had everything but one credit card paid off. I paid off Citibank and then got notified that my credit limit dropped from $2300 to $300. Even though they were never paid late, they informed me that because I was late on some other credit card that they were reducing my credit limit. What really seemed strange was that the one credit card I was late on and had paid off earlier actually increased my limit.
I'm also a big fan of helping out small business and you raise a good point with how they get hit by credit card fees just like regular consumers like us. Gas stations in particular are getting hit hard these days because most people use credit cards when buying gas which results in what is called an interchange fee – there's some good info about it here: http://www.unfaircreditcardfees.com. I do some work with them and its important to know that the reason credit card companies have reward programs for people who make lots of small purchases with their cards is because of these fees.
Businesses actually get charged for debits as well, I'm pretty certain. The fees may be lower, but there *must* be fees, or there would be no one willing to pay for the necessary infrastructure.
If you really want to maximize local business profit, pay cash. It's less convenient, but there are no infrastructure fees for cash (well, except taxes, of course).
Derek's right, there are fees for debit. (I work in the merchant side of the credit/debit card world, although on the software side, so I'm exposed to this stuff occasionally if not on a daily basis. And my experience is only in the US – there are some differences internationally.) The basics of it are:
Debit: single flat fee, no matter how much is spent.
Credit: fee plus a percentage of the transaction.
The fee and percentage for credit transactions change depending on a number of factors, including the merchant's business, manually entered vs. mag stripe read, customer present vs mail/telephone order or e-commerce, etc.
(Part of the reason that debit can be a flat fee is that debit transactions must be customer present, mag stripe read, with a PIN.)
There's a "large ticket" program that offers merchant a flat fee for high-cost items – but the fee is $35, so it has to be a pretty expensive item to make it worthwhile.
And don't forget the additional fees a merchant has to pay when the
debit card is used as *credit* card!
I have a rewards debit card which earns me I think .5% on every
purchase when I use my *debit* card, but select *credit*.
Basically, what I think is going on there (I'm speculating), is that
Mastercard or Visa is then able to charge the merchant the transaction
fee based on percentage, which is usually higher than the flat fee for
debit transaction. As a result, they then split that fee with me, the
customer, by giving me a kickback to make me feel good about my
collusion in this racket. Realistically, though, in the end, we're
just hurting ourselves, since, in order to turn a profit, the merchant
has to then raise prices.
There's a wonderful Italian restaurant near where I live that's home run and absolutely wonderful for the price. For $5 you can get two slices of pizza and a drink, or a pasta dish and drink. He has a sign up at his store asking customers to pay in cash, as buying a meal there for 4-6 dollars has an average cost of 50cents, almost 10% of his entire income goes straight to fees.
He might just be in a bad setup, but since then I've carried cash with me to pay when I'm at mom & pop shops.
Just wanted to chime in and mention that debit cards indeed charge fees, but it looks like that's been covered already, in more detail than I could provide (I used to be in a similar situation to Andrew, but that was several years ago, so my memory's pretty fuzzy).
What hasn't been mentioned is that ANY form of payment has associated transaction costs.
CASH: Employees have to spend time counting cash in their drawer when they leave, and then the manager has to double-check it, sort it, and take it to the bank (or pay a third-party armored truck service to take it to the bank). Paying in cash seems like it's store-friendly until you realize that the store has little use for cash. They pay their suppliers, employees, etc. with checks. Their only use for cash is for making change, and only a small amount is needed for that.
CHECKS: Checks have their own set of disadvantages, as well. They can take time to clear, and bounced checks remain a problem (checks are the only form of payment where this is a possibility). They also have to be processed and sent to the bank. For commercial accounts, banks often charge a per-check fee (there are many things that you get for "free" in a personal checking account — imagine if you had to pay 20 cents per check that you deposit!).
Anyway, all of this is to say, ANY form of payment has its associated transaction costs. It's just part of doing business, so don't start feeling too sorry for stores or trying to figure out what's best for them. They know what's best for them, and they can choose to accept credit cards or not (and what kinds of cards to accept — I personally always try to use my AmEx card, but many places don't accept it because AmEx fees are higher than Visa/MC or Discover). They'd rather have your business and have you pay with a credit card, than not have your business at all.
I'm happier supporting myself rather than local business, which is why I like to use credit for everything and get 2-5% back in the form of rewards (the cards I've chosen have cash redemption options). I don't particularly care that the credit card makes money because I'm making money.
Also, it seems that American Express has launched a bill-pay service — I'd sure like to get 2% off my mortgage every month (not to mention an extra month's interest on that money in the bank)… if you're financially responsible enough it seems like a no-brainer to me…
"Credit" triggers and "Collection" triggers are two different things. The linked article tells a story about a consumer refinancing a mortgage and then getting phone calls from competing broker. Refinancing a mortgage adds a new trade line to a consumer's credit file. This is what causes the "credit" trigger. When a credit bureau sells this information to a 3rd party, this is called a promotional inquiry. Promotional inquiries are the types of things that can be halted by visiting http://www.optoutprescreen.com
Collection inquiries cannot be stopped by visiting the site above. Creditors have the right to pull credit data on their customers in the name of account maintenance. The newsworthy item is the fact that Experian is proactively providing this information in the form of a trigger file.
but the business owner is already recouping the cost of the charge/debit fees, no? Or are they accepting credit cards out of the goodness of their hearts?
I don't think so.
If a business doesn't want me to use a credit card, then they should lower the price a bit to give me incentive. Some businesses actually do offer a lower price for cash sales.
When is the governemnt going to do something about these damn banks? It seems like they can do whatever they want, and the current "laws" do nothing to protect the consumer.
Check into a credit freeze. I am.
Yes, the fees very greatly, depending on the type of card and how the card is used. A debit card that is swiped and PIN entered has a much lower Merchant Services fee than other cards. Other cards, that are hand-entered and not scanned pay higher rates. Business cards tend to get the highest fees over consumer cards, and "reward cards" like Discover, charge discount fees on top of the other fees. I reconcile our 20 branches Credit Card statements each month and personally see how fees of verious cards affect my place of employment
If you feel your credit card company is keeping you "hooked" on credit, then you are using it wrong or you have a financial problem. Ideally, you should be using your credit card for convenience: An interest-free 25 day loan. If the cardholder can't pay the balance each month, then he or she has a financial management issue. This is not an illegal drug sold on the street corner that addicts people into uncontrolled use. Maybe it attracts those who don't use it properly, but if you go out and buy a car you can't afford, total it, and you never learned how to drive, is it the car dealer's fault for giving you a good deal on a car? Or is it the fault of the irresponsible consumer who used the product without proper training and in a way that caused the damage?
If you can't manage the cards you have, cut up some of them or do what I do, and leave most of them locked up at home. I carry 1 credit card and 1 debit card at a time, with exception of a gas card and sometime a home improvement store card for major purchases. What you charge each month should be what you pay.
Once again, JD, another good article!!!
Why so much ire at the credit card companies? You have to remember to distinguish between the credit card companies who have their logo on the credit cards and the actual banks who in essence loan you the money for a short period. The credit card companies make money on each transaction (a flat fee they charge the bank), since they maintain the network. The banks can and oftentimes do charge the merchant more than the credit card transaction fee and pocket whatever they don't owe the credit card company. But the real cash cow for banks is the interest. It's really the banks and their high interest rates that cause headaches for most consumers. I don't think merchants are suffering all that much. If they are, I agree that they should give you an incentive to pay cash.
[...] JD linked to my story about how credit cards get you in, keep you in and keep you spending, I had never heard [...]
sam thing happened with me too as i had two cards with wamu and they reduced the limit on one to 250 and the other which has 3000 balance did nothing what the hell i am going to block this scruplus business for ever i dont need this crap anymore. how the hell the control my financial status.
Credit cards always help me to organize my business. Perhaps, I am out of subject but I would like to recommend all of you using business credit cards, if you plan to start new business. They give you neccessary money as well as various bonuses.