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He is Great!What comes of the Spirit?Love is one.Another is joy,And peace, not outdone.Gentleness and meekness,Patience and faith,Goodness and temperance.You shall have no wraith.Do not be angry,Don't envy, or hate.These will only hurt YOU.Trust in God; he is great!
How I Want to LiveWhat is the world's ways?Dark and cold and cruel.It will take away all that you love,Obliterate your hopes and dreams,Torture you to no end.It will leave you broken,Both in the body and spirit.God will not let you live like that.For His children that he loves with all his soul,He makes life bountiful.We live in His Word,His standards, His love.Live in the light, and shine in this world of darkness.Be different from all the rest.Believe and trust in him,And love him with all your heart.Plant goodness in your thoughts,For thoughts ALWAYS affect your life.Obey His rules that he has set for you,Because they are there to PROTECT you,Not to constrain you.Put Him in every part of your life,And love Him with all your heart.Because He works hard to give you the best.Because He want you to enjoy your life.Because He loves you,And He will always love you.Even until the end of time.
Do Not Give InDo not give in to temptation,For Christ has set you free!What could be more tempting,Than life given, eternally?Do not give in to sorrow,Because sorrow is a passing thing!Draw near to God, he'll draw near to you,And you're winter will turn to spring!Do not give in to anger,It is a fickle thought!Instead, draw peace and joy from God,And you're happiness will be wrought. Put on the armor of God.Put on his mind and heart.Carry it with you always,And you're misery will never start.
Hey, You!Hey, you!!Why do you say that you are not worthy of my love?My joy? My grace? My blessings?Have I not declared that through my son Christ,That you can do ALL things through him?Have I not sent him down to the world,to have your sins forgiven?My child,I do not view you as a sinner,I view you as my child!!I do not think you are stupid,or ugly, or wicked, or unacceptable!!!I see you as a saint!Come to me when you are hurting,for I shall comfort you.Stand by me in battle,and I shall drive your enemies away.You CAN change,You WILL grow!Through Christ, you SHALL conquer over your own problems,your faults, your sins, the world!My word to you will guide you through life's roughest storms!Believe in me! Set your trouble and worries on my shoulders!I shall help you with anything and everything!Do not say to me that you are worthless,That you cannot conquer over your obstacles.Because, when you believe in me,You CAN do it! Yes, you CAN!!
BeautyBeauty is a weapon,And yet, a charming thing.Sharp like a sword,and delicate like Spring.It can be on the outside,Stunning hair that's full in size,Lips full and red,And clear and shocking eyes.It can be on the inside,A heart very pure,A mind so clean,Giving, and loving,Innocence that will allure.Beauty is in everything,If you care enough to look.In the sunset, the caring acts,Even in the promise's you took.Be careful how you use it, though;Beauty used corruptly is wrong.But, if you use it wisely, it will make you into,The thing that it was meant to do all along;It was meant to make you beautiful.
The Little ThingsHow hard can it be,These little troubles?Why don't you compareThese little, insignificant problems,With the worst of them?Do you think they're worse,Compared to forsaking almost all?Packing up your life,And giving up the place,That you are so familiar with?Losing someone who meantA great deal to you?Giving up the people you love most,Because you have no choice?Should such little things,So meaningless in the long run,Be compared to death and loss?Do the little things really deserve,Your tears? Your wrath? Extreme Sorrow?Let the little things go,Because they are nothing in life.Smile,Because there is nothing life-changing about the little things.Laugh,Because the little things cannot affect you.Be happy,Because there is no point in giving all your care,To something so worthless and meaningless.
RevengeIs revenge really worth it?No, never, not to me.It's malicious, and pointless,And blinds all I need to see.Taking actions against someone,Who has, to you, done wrong,Doesn't change your situation.It is the saddest song.Because this song will never end,Until someone swallows their pride,And apologizes to the other.But they will not; instead, their time they bide.Bidding it harmfully, dreaming, plotting, planning,Wanting to hurt the other.And when you succeed in your plans, THEY want to hurt YOU.It really is a bother.You fight, you scream, you make a show,You spar with each other all day.The ones who love you don't want to be near you.They try to help you, but you push them away.You both do silly things, making fools of yourselves,You center your life around the next move.And when others try to stop you from embarrassing yourself,All you do is shut your ears and harshly disapprove.And even if you only dream,Evil dreams, of hurting, hiding your anger on the shelf,
CourageAfraid of the challenge, but still accepting,Even though you know you're going to lose.In the worst, most torturous pain,And still trying your best.Dealing with the most difficult problems,and still trying to overcome them.Knowing your darkest faults and sins,and trying to change them.Smiling in pain,Trying when it's hopeless,Afraid of the obstacle,And attempting to succeed.Humble. Hopeful.Strong. Challenging.All these things,Are apart of,Courage
To You, Mr. RebelliousSo what if I'm not rebellious in all your generic, socially unacceptable ways.I may not shave my head,Cover my body in tattoos,Curse God's name and judge everyone who isn't like me,Or drink alcohol and smash the bottles into the standard streets,But i have my ways,So what if I don't sneak out to meet my "True Love,"And kiss and dance in a streaming cold downpour?If I don't call someone my friend,And then talk about their errors to everyone else?I'm not like you, and I pray to God I never will be.I'll keep my hair on my head and my skin clear, thank you.In this generation, there's no such thing as "True Love."You people like to put on all those romantic gestures on-(Which, by the way, use to mean something special, once long ago)- and make it like you fell in love. You didn't.You use and break each other's plastic hearts, as if each of you is a peice of cheap chinawear, easily replaceable.Then, you come back together, like a pair of strong magnets, an old affair rekindl
What Happened?We were once us but now meYou say you care but really you don'tI rather if you don't so that you can drift away like a memoryNow I am alone, walking alone in this cold worldJust move on, there are others that make me happySo in a way I thank you for leavingThanks for making happier but it the days like this that I stop and want to go backBut how to go back when there is nothing thereYou left and move on like nothingWhy should I care?"If I lose you, I don't know what I would do"I remember I said that and turns out to be trueYou walk away, that's all she wroteDon't just say goodbye when I never wanted toToo bad that you felt miserableIts sad one can be happy and the other can be feel not sameWas it the reason why we got into this relationship just to forget who we were chasing before?Or wasn't that something needed to change with our lives?I don't know, it happened within a blink of an eyeI didn't try hard enough or you gave up too easily?Can't change anything that ha
TryI try and try againBut nothing seems to workShe just keeps ignoring meShe keeps thinking it is deadI keep on trying to tell her it's notBut why won't you listenListening is keyI have been listening to you this whole timeBut not once I turned away and said"I wish it could have been different"No, that's not how I thoughtHow it feltBeing through so much with you that I can't let go just like thatNo, I am not saying I am living in the pastI am saying I want you to still be thereI want you not to give in to your own doubtBelieve me, pleaseMy life is better with you not withoutHanging on a thread and I grab it with all my might for that it would be sew on and not drift awayNo sarcastic tone, no laughing matterAll in seriousness, serious about youSerious that this still can work outAll relationships go though turmoil, crap, mess ups and allBut it takes a real one get through itIt wouldn't be an easy road but a doable roadI know you hate the feeling of making this deci
The EmpathI take what isn't mine,leaving what is good behind.Taking the pain and leaving joy.They smile, not knowing what I've done.I cry over this, because I know what I've done.I wear the mask.As the smile openly.No one knows what I do,that I can sense and take emotion.I can take pain and leave joy.Though, I wish they did.An Empath can feel what isn't their own feeling,they can also take it from others.Taking their pain so they wont.That's what I do.It's so much more than empathy,it's feeling it in my very core that's not even mine.Pain, sorrow, feeling hollow.That isn't mine in the beginning.I help by taking.I save by containing.But will anyone help,or save me too?Someone to understand,an electic touch.A gentle voice.So much more than a friend is what I need.Where to start?I don't know.I wish they'd know.Because I guess they're not here.
unforgottenThe day that you died is coming near again,i wish you were here,i wish things were the way they were then,But death being death has no heart and no soul,And i'm really sorry you never reached your goal,Every time i breath, and everything i do,I will always,be missing you.You were so young, so wild and free,Running through the forest without a care,then came the day death took you from me,at your funeral all i could do was stare,im sorry for your life really wasnt fair,now your gone, and its been so long,when you left, part of me went along,but you will always live on in my heart,and even death can't keep us apart,years of adventure will never be forgotten,you will live in everything i do, and every battle i've foughten,it's been four years,since i've shed the tearsbecause i know i will see you again.Alexias-Ashley
UnderstandExcuse me, I'm sorry to imposeWon't you both keep on your clothesI have something that I have to sayYou might laugh or you might get upsetAre you listening to me yet?I can't just simply walk awayBoy, I lost my trust in youGirl, if you knew what I knewYou'd see he's not the person he appearsBut you take his word over mineI just hope you'll leave in timeBefore you see that he's your biggest fearsSometimes I even wonder ifThe possibility of thisSo called 'karma' even existsHow come I'm here with open armsAn open heart in risk of harmYet he's the one with someone else to kiss?Boy, you don't deserve herGirl, you deserve betterBut still I have to see you hand in handSoon you'll see just what he isAnd maybe when it comes to thisMaybe then you'll finally understandExcuse me, I don't mean to offendBut I can't smile and pretendThat you'll be perfect for each otherHe'll tell you that you're the only oneBlink your eyes and he'll be goneOff to find a perfect loverBoy,
Playing GodPlaying GodHate isn't healingToo often it's killingAnd feelings aren't spared in the process of stealing a lifeStealing a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a daughter, a son, a husband, or wifeOr maybe just stealing a friendIn the end what you take is a person connectedBy strands of affection protected by nothingBut pure unconditional loveAnd when hearts are infectedAnd words are inflectedWith currents of loathingIndirectly imposingThe booming voice of some being aboveIt's these people you hurtNot just the ones in the dirtWho feel the effectOf your hate indirectlyConnecting when push comes to shoveYou call me a monsterA monster that loves?Seems kind of silly to mePractice your preachingOr risk only reachingAn audience too blind to seeTolerance doesn't imply your supportIt only requires you do not cavortAs the only opinion worth holdingAnd when your values conflictWith more sensible edictForego the sociopolitical moldingYou see people are peopleAnd n
Japanese Love SongI can no longer fall in loveAnymore, in this way.It is too difficult to tameTo understand, youReminded of a evening summer breezeWarm and fleetingWe were meant to stay the sameThrough all the seasonsEven when the snow covered the groundAnd loneliness burned my cheeks with shameBecause understanding was different from saying,"I am no longer able to fall in love, with you, this way."
just another reason to screamout of control, out of your mindbut i know who i am this timenothing better than the freedom aheadnot about to keep hiding under the bedi'm alive and ready- determined, steady(i know, you're always gonna be this mean to me)maybe, it seems, you just want to hold me back from this dreambut you won't control me, cos you're just another reason to screamcomplex fragments of my pasthurtful memories i won't let lastthis is where i find the words to sayi'm getting out, now i'm on my wayto a better place with a freer faceand the world in my hands, and my saving graceand the masterplan, and this love, this manthe one to show acceptance of who i amout of control, out of your mindbut i know who i am this timenothing better than the freedom aheadnot about to keep hiding under the bedi'm alive and ready- determined, steady(i know, you're always gonna be this mean to me)maybe, it seems, you just want to hold me back from this dreambut you won't control me, cos you're <i>
Memory of YouYou slowly walked away,left me solemn in the rain.I guess it shouldn't be a surprise.You saw the reaction on my facewhen you gave the last embrace.There began the story of our demise.And now there's nothing but...just a cold tear tear, just a hard breath.A mere moment collapses, nothing is left.You said your goodbyes, there was nothing I could do.So I quietly drift away trapped in the memory of you.Several days pass byand I think I'm losing time.Where did my concentration go?So much anxiety over you,don't know how I will get through.But it will be alright, I know.Still you left me with...just a cold tear, just a hard breath.A mere moment collapsed and nothing was left.You said your goodbyes, there was nothing I could do.So I quietly drifted away trapped in the memory of you.It's been a year since thenand the mending has kicked in.No more struggling against the pain.Since I gave up on the fightand surrendered to the light,only a peace of mind remains.Once, th
Summer Boy I met a boy with long, dark waves of hair,That cascaded and broke on his shoulders, And eyes blacker than the deepest starry night.His skin was like golden sand, As soft as sapphire silk, With a disposition as bright, As fireflies in a warm sunset field,With a voice as sweet as warm honey, And as pleasant as the hum of lazy bees.He warmed my Spirit, and thawed my soul, With words as lovely as freshly bloomed flowers,Whispered delicately into my ear of ice. Words that had gone unheard for centuries and eons,In the chilled, desolate tundra that was my mind. He fought his way through the flurries of freezing rejection that battered him,Broke the seemingly indestructible walls of ice, That had hidden me so well through the years,Shattered the doors of my iceberg heart with a single glance and word, And, with soft, cautious gestures, brought me out of the cave I made out of loneliness.I had lived in my
Poetic PsychosisIn thirty seconds, the next shell would fall. Every night was the same, but every night Lorenzo experienced it as if it were the first time. His throat felt swollen; breathing was hard. He glanced around at the others; young men like him who had been shipped out in the name of honour and freedom. There was no honour in this, no freedom. Only death behind your eyelids, and a fear so gutting, that it carved out your innards and left you a hollow husk. Lorenzo tried to breathe, tried to assure himself that he was still whole, still made of flesh. They had lied when they told him he was ready.Matteo ran towards him, arms out, rifle swinging uselessly at his side. He shouted for him to run, but Lorenzo remained motionless, unable to move as his friend's warning was lost in the constant blare of gunfire. None of them were ready."The cycle is repeating. It is not safe." The voice was soft and weak, yet it carried over the gunfire and battle cries without impediment.Lorenz
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Serge Ibaka #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Metta World Peace #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers exchange words December 7, 2012 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City defeated Los Angeles 114-108.
The Los Angeles Lakers held practice on Monday following a gritty 99-98 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.
With a difficult road game against Oklahoma City coming up on Tuesday, the Lakers need to show some improvement to have any hope of getting a win against Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and company.
Although the practice discussions mainly revolved around the upcoming game against the Thunder, Lakers practice spiraled into a rather uncomfortable yet entertaining discussion about Los Angeles' other team.
In particular, the media asked Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard about Thunder forward Serge Ibaka's nasty below the belt hit on Clippers forward Blake Griffin.
Howard said he had not seen the play, but he certainly did not have trouble understanding the situation once the media briefly informed him of what had happened.
"You got to wear a cup," Howard said before breaking out in laughter.
Howard was later asked about Bryant's work ethic and if he anything he had learned from playing alongside one of the greatest to ever play the game.
"He goes hard," Howard described Bryant's play. "Balls out: Serge Ibaka."
Again, Howard broke out in laughter, and the media was not far behind.
Bryant was also asked about the dirty Ibaka-Griffin play, and he said he had seen it. Unlike Howard, Bryant was much more serious with his response.
"I probably would have smacked him in the mouth," Bryant said. "I would have dealt with the pain after."
The Lakers face Ibaka and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday evening, but the NBA has yet to hand down punishment. Regardless of whether Ibaka plays or not, the Lakers will be in Oklahoma City on Tuesday evening.

subset: commoncrawl


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Listen to Trinidad James & Gentry Humphrey Talk Kicks on Sneaker Fiends Unite Episode 12
We are sooooo sorry for the wait. After a few technical difficulties, Sneaker Fiends Unite podcast Episode 12 is finally here for your listening pleasure and enjoyment. SFU Episode 12 is hosted by Dallas Penn and Premium Pete, and yours truly (G-Roc) co-hosted this episode. This was a huge episode with special guests Trinidad James and Gentry Humphrey. Yes, both of them were on the same show talking about shoes and stuff.
So, do your ear holes a favor and check it out. Enjoy!
About the Author (Author Profile)Lord G-Roc from the Great South. Twitter/IG: @GRocSmith
Comments (3)
Great, i always wanted to hear from trinidad how he feels about kicks and such
Great episode
Hypebeast we know about cha!!!! lol


text:
Frugal food - Bangers are beautiful
Good sausages are more expensive because they contain more meat, and won't shrivel when cooking. These recipes will help make them go further – or if you're prepared to do without skins, you can even make your own!
Most Popular recipes
Autumn apple recipes


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Update: I just got word from a staff member of the new station that the radio station is now on the air.
If you are a fan of Hip-Hop and R&B when you wake up on Thursday there will be a new sound on 104.3 FM. The Beat will make their debut on Thursday morning. Comedian Rickey Smiley will kick off your day with a dose of humor. Coming up on this week's The411 find out who bought the station to Louisville. You will be surprised because he's no stranger to making hits.


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Traditionally this gold coloured beer was brewed for the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1491. Up to this very day it is still brewed according to ancient tradition with only the best products: rich barley, fine hops, the best pale malts and herbs. Golden Carolus Tripel has a unique colour and a rich taste thanks to its well-balanced hopping. To properly savour this high-quality Ale, serve cool at a recommended temperature of 7-8° C and pour out slowly in one movement.
Type of beer: Tripel
Colour: Gold yellow
Alcohol: 9% VOL
Hops: Exclusively Belgian hops
Wort extract: 20° Plato
Fermentation: High fermentation
Refermentation in the bottle
Lagering: 3 weeks
Packaging: 33 cl, 75 cl, 20 L and 30 L
Tenability: 3 years
Awards: Click Here
Awards Gouden Carolus Tripel
2012 World Beer Awards – World's Best Pale Belgian-Style Tripel
2012 World Beer Award's - Europe's Best Belgian Style Tripel Pale Beer
2010 European Beer Star – Gold Award Belgian-Style Tripel
2009 European Beer Star - Silver Award Belgian-Style Tripel
2006 European Beer Star - Bronze Award Belgian-Style Tripel
2005 European Beer Star - Bronze Award Belgian-Style Tripel
2004 Helsinki Beer Festival - Silver Award High Fermentation
2002 World Beer Cup - Gold Award Belgian-Style Tripel


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Before my last mileage run, I took a day off to visit some friends down in Tucson. I always try to burn points whenever I can over cash. I am a Thrifty Blue Chip member and have the points for the car to my American AAdvantage account as I need a few more points to get 2 first class tickets to Sweden some day soon on their product. I paid 2200 Ultimate Rewards points that I got from my last INK PLUS card and that equates to $27.50 cents for the rental for a midsize car. Not an outstanding value, but it worked for me and I picked a Chrysler 200 and it was a great car and fun to drive.
But one thing that I have never seen before and that just made me mad as a hornet was the HUGE yellow tag (plus the one on the rental paperwork jacket itself above) that warned me that since I had said NO to the pre-pay gas that I would have to bring a receipt to PROVE that the tank was not just full, but that it was fueled in a station less than 10 miles from the rental location!
And then, when I look at the fine print on the rental form, if the above is not done, I can or must use their refueling service at $9.29 per gallon. SAY WHAT? My blog is PG13 but that almost made me puke and say things I should not! Seriously Thrifty?!?
I have had nothing but outstanding and amazing experience from Hertz. I love my Hertz GOLD. I have had the worst ever rental from Budget and have never ever rented from them since (nor will I ever again)!
I would love to know, have you seen this from Thrifty before or any other rental place? Does it upset you or would it make you not rent from the company again? Comment please on the blog! – René
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49 Responses to "Thrifty Car Rental really upset me this time – back to Hertz for me!"
wow that is insane!
Thanks for the warning. We have a week long rental coming up and we'll be sure to stay away from Thrifty.
I have seen this recently on couple of rental companies. Unfortunately I believe this is a policy that is going to spread. My experiences have been mixed. Depending on the agent you return the car to, the policy is either enforced or when they see that the tank is in fact full, they don't even ask for the receipt.
As always, been aware of the rules and expect them to be enforced.
I had that happen at Budget at PHL. It was horrible. I had tossed the receipt at the gas station. They charged me anyway. After I called and complained, they reduced the charge to $25 dollars. They lost me as a renter forever. I am now a Hertz only renter. They have a great rewards program as well a great consistent service.
several rental companies but not all locations have been doing this for the past 2 years!! don't get crazy over it…just make it a point to read the contract!!
I was told by the Thrifty representative that if I returned the car full I would not be charged. I did and I was. I have requested a refund. We'll see.
Thrifty is my "never again" rental company. Back when minivans were the new thing, I reserved one with Thrifty, and they demanded a $100 deposit to reserve (Christmas travel season). When we arrived, there was no minivan – in fact, no cars at all! They hung on to the $100 deposit though for over a month of phone calls and written complaints.
I saw this in Dayton OH with National last year.
Had a rental for 1 meeting for 2 hours.
If you rent less then 1 day, you must show proof of gas purchase. However you could have showed any receipt as they don't really look.
Yes, I have encountered this in Europe at other rental car companies besides Thrifty a few times recently. I can't remember which companies it's happened at in the US. It doesn't upset me because I tend to keep all receipts anyway. In Italy, you must keep your receipt from a restaurants/shops for at least 100 yards after leaving – now that one is odd!
This is becoming very common. I haven't seen it with the big two, but Enterprise, Budget, Thrifty, Fox, etc. it is now pretty common.
On the other hand, I rarely have the person checking in the car ask for the receipt. In my experience, they are going to ask if you have driven a small amount of miles on the rental. When you have 300 miles or more they know you have refilled the tank and not tried to sneak the car back without topping up.
Take a deep breath. You do return the car with a full tank and don't try to cheat the system, but other people do.
This is a now fairly common practice, your outrage is misplaced, although Thrifty leaves plenty of other opportunities for it. Read your Hertz or Avis paperwork and airport signs more carefully next time, its at many (if not all) their locations, as well. The difference is they are reasonable where Thrifty is more likely to slam the charge, but the policy of showing a receipt is the same. Worse part is if you take a step back, you can see their request/requirement has a lot of business sense given the creeping price of gas, and standard abuse by customers to stretch the policy of what is full.
In my experiences it's pretty standard for Avis and Budget to request your receipt, although 9 times out of 10 they don't. What I usually do, is write the mileage on the top of the receipt when I return to the airport, that way I know that I have it (I have usually tossed the rental jacket long before)
The last I remember I've had the person asking for the receipt while checking in the car at Budget at ORD. It took us forever to find a gas station "nearby" as well.
Friends don't let friends rent Thrifty…or Dollar. And that's not just because of the fuel receipt thing. They have to be much cheaper, as in at least $100 dollars, cheaper than anyone else before I will think about renting from them…. and that's not a sure bet price difference for me either.
Yes, Thrifty @ PHL does the same thing although there is a Wawa gas station about a mile away and they have never asked me for the receipt. I share you sentiments and would really be PO'd if they had enforced it!
What's the big deal? They're asking you to prove you're bringing the car back with close to a full tank (as opposed to filling up 50 miles away and screwing the next driver because the tank still reads F even after you drive that amount).
I have had problems with getting cars that the tank is not full – it shows full but it is not or it is "sorta" full. Thrifty and any other car rental company should have to prove to the renter that the tank really is full because they (specifically National in my experience) stretch the policy of what is full.
It is what it is. Probably was put in place because of abuse by others. That said, we all have horror stories about rental cars. My standards practice is to note the nearest gas station on my way out of the airport, fillup there on the way back, reset the trip odometer to 0.0. Now I will also take a photo of both the trip and regular odometer, maybe even with the receipt in the regular odometer photo. Always remember the secret to success, "Shoot the bull, pass the buck and document everything." Or if you're with the IRS, forget everything and plead the fifth!
Return the car dressed in business attire with visibility full tank and they'll never ask. Dropped a car at FLL in beach-like attire and Budget wanted that "10 mile proof".
The counter rep at SFO Budget told me I would need to fill the car up within two (2) miles of the airport…he was pushing their bring-it-back-empty deal. Even though I had reserved the car in advance with my RapidRez / Fastbreak number, he tried to entice me with every option they had.
I filled it in Millbrae before heading back to SFO, which is probably only about 2 miles from the airport (but chosen because I needed to visit someone there), and nobody ever asked for the receipt.
This is fairly common in my experience. I've never had it enforced so far. But I can't think of a time I've ever refueled and it wasn't that close to the airport, and I always keep the receipt anyway. So in practice, not a big deal and not worth getting worked up over. That said, it is a lame, cheapskate policy.
Had this happen to me late November near SFO. Car was only on 3/4 when I picked it up so I really squawked about them trying to make me supply a full tank when it hadn't been full when I started. I had gassed up in northern San Fran on my way back into town so I was slightly out of the ten miles but I did have the receipt. They looked it over carefully. I told them I would not be paying. Luckily I had made them notate on the checkout form. Also my savvy sister in law snapped pix of every little mark on the car before we left. They mentioned a front bumper mark to me. I offered them a picture show and that also was dropped. No charges showed up later on my card, but I was left with a pretty bad taste over the whole thing.
How about this for some common sense…During the USAir Grand Slam I rented a car @ the DEN Thrifty. I pulled out and right back into the car return. I tried explaining what I was doing, but I think that only made it worse. Went less then .25 miles and checked back in less then 3min and STILL wanted a receipt. Had to get a manager involved. NEVER AGAIN
That's what happens when too many people are dishonest about the fuel in the car they are returning. Abuse the system and the system fights back.
Thrifty in LA in January was the first time I have been hit with that requirement, never on other rental companies. I thought it was a LA thing. Just took car out for maybe 15 miles over 2 hours, – Cost me like $3.00 to fill up around the corner on the return. Luckily there a few options even though it was in a shadyish area.
What they said ^^^. This is fairly common practice and I've seen it with all of the smaller rental companies and recently at both Avis and Hertz in Columbus and Nashville. I've only ever been asked to produce the receipt when I've driven less than 50 miles.
I have found it to be quite common for most rental places to say that you need to show your receipt if you drive fewer than 75 miles. However, the requirement about where the station needs to be is crazy.
That's absolutely stupid. You should open a report with the bbb
I have seen this many many times at lots of car rental companies.
Well, I guess you fly a lot but don't often rent vehicles. This has been standard practice with the Avis-Budget group for quite some time. It is occasionally enforced,so you need to keep handy the gas receipt.
I believe this started when gas prices spiked a few years ago and people were returning cars with the tank less than full … but with the gas gauge showing full. Either they then short the next customer or top off tank themselves and incur the cost … so it's not an unfair policy IMO. However, they should be upfront about it when picking up the vehicle.
I don't often rent from Dollar and rarely rent from Thrifty, so I don't know how widespread this is with these companies. As Hertz now owns Dollar-Thrifty, it might eventually spread to Hertz, as well.
What's the problem? Fill up just before returning as you should. Even if they want the receipt and you don't have it, let them try to fill it up. It'll be full and you won't be charged. Now if you're filling it up close to full and hoping to get away with saving yourself a couple dollars and passing it along to the next customer, I have no compassion (not to mention respect) for you.
@Ben – I think you miss my point. I always fill till it is 100% full. I mean can not squeeze anther drop. But, I may do it the night before flight at a gas station near hotel. It may or may not be 10 miles from rental place. But, if that full, even if I drive say 20 miles, it will still be a "full" tank of gas (and I bet I am not alone in this)!
I have the same experience with Thrifty at Las Vegas McCarran airport. First, they require receipt proof for gasoline purchases within 10 miles of the airport. Second, they dinged me for an extra day fee and extra hour fee (about $14) for being 10 minutes late. I technically was on time. My car return time was 3:30pm. I arrived at 3:25pm. Waited 10+ minutes for the attendant to check my car in, so the return time on the receipt ended up being 3:40pm. I explained my situation to the car rental desk. They credited me back the fees but no apology whatsoever. Not a good way to build customer relation in my honest opinion.
Yes I just did – this past week in Honolulu. Funny thing was that we showed the receipt upon our return and the young lady checking us out did not seem to care that we had the receipt. She barely looked at it, even after my husband explained why he was showing it to her. But I agree with your feelings about it. As long as the tank is full, it should not matter where I fill up.
I have had this at hertz, dollar and avis.
I always tell the receiving agent that i filled the car and have the receipt, if they want to see it. I have only had a couple want to see it. In LAS, the posted policy is a charge if you drive less than 75 mles and dont show he fill receipt.
Had this at a HLE in Miami in March and GFK Hertz in December. What's the problem with showing that anyway? Pressing Yes to the receipt doesn't seem like an inconvenience so I feel there's something else to do
I don't use Thrifty, but I suspect that not only full, but requiring a receipt is becoming a common part of the fine print with most auto rental agencies. Overkill in my view! Having been thoroughly [edit] by another company a couple of years ago, these days I insist that the agent and I jointly inspect the vehicle – and the fuel gauge – before departure and upon return, and jointly initial any notes. If they get snooty about fuel at the departure end, a few times I've asked them to write "No fuel service charge if returned with fuel of [fill-in reading] or more," and then sign it, including their employee number. Why do they do it? I don't know. My rental habits are probably not typical; A short, day or two rental is rare – I generally need a week or more and I avoid airport rental locations like the plague due to the frequent "Airport location surcharges" and/or taxes. I've had excellent luck (price, service and zero bull s**t with two or three **independent** AVIS agents in the most often visited cities. They have far more wiggle room than do the corporate locations and, in two of my three cities, I deal with the agency's owner at the counter. I suppose it helps that I've never wrinkled one of their cars and return them FULL after a 10-day rental, regardless of the departure reading. Your mileage and needs may vary, but, when possible, establishing a relationship with the agency's owner is worth a little effort.
I was asked for this by Alamo 15 years ago!
But the thing is, it's all [edit]. Just because I visited a gas station 5 miles away doesn't mean I filled the tank. I could just have filled it until the gauge reads full — which might really be a long way from being full actually. In fact, some of the newer gauges just show eighths, so there is a LOT of leeway if you want to [edit] the next guy.
I usually overfill the tank — like practically coming out of the overflow hose — 10 or 15 miles out of the airport. By the time I get there it's still probably much more full than the typical full tank.
I think that car rental agencies in general are trying to find ways to make extra bucks. The first is by charging customers for normal wear and tear on rental cars. The second is through gas scams. I think they want to make it such a hassle that you will pay for the "prepaid full tank". I also think that you need to double check your receipt to make sure no additional insurance coverage was added.
Interesting blog and as always, lots of opinions. I only had a gas receipt requirement within XX number of miles (don't remember if it was 5 or 9 miles from airport) once. That was at BDL with Budget about one year ago. Fortunately, I had read the fine print and had my receipt. i agree, more car rental companies will start requiring receipts within a specific perimeter of the return center. Ii assume it is because drivers have different opinions as to what is full and want to save money by purchasing gas several miles away from airports where gas can be more expensive.
I don't understand the problem. Most gas stations are pay at the pump. You use your appropriate rewards credit card, fill the tank before you return the car, and the pump spits out a receipt. If they want to see it, what's the problem, you have it! The only people this would impact are the freeloaders who try to take advantage of certain models out there that show "FULL" even when you have driven 50 miles or whatever. FYI – Hertz owns Thrifty and Dollar. Just like Avis owns Budget. And National owns Alamo and Enterprise. To a certain extent, it seems that Hertz, Avis, and National are the brands marketed to corporate accounts/business travelers. In my experience, these corporate brands seem to be more customer-friendly and their rates are set appropriately (they are generally not going to hassle you about nicks, dings, etc. that are smaller than a dime – considered normal wear & tear). Their secondary brands (Thrifty, Dollar, Budget, Alamo, Enterprise) target the leisure traveler and/or insurance-replacement market. They tend to operate more like airlines and have more fees.
Had the same thing happen at LAX recently. But in my case, they wouldn't honor the fill-up because it was from the morning before. I didn't drive it again and then dropped the car off at 5:30 a.m. Complained to Thrifty, which responded and sent me some vouchers to make up for it next time. I appreciated that and since they responded will continue to rent from Thrifty occasionally, but the whole thing stinks shows a total respect for the customer.
Rent cars in SLC almost every month.
Only once asked for receipt (fuel gauge was just below the F level). We paid the "Stupid" rate for about 2 gallons. We did know better and accepted it as our "Lazy" penalty.
Never asked for receipt when gauge over full.
I guess asking for a receipt is better than being asked EXACTLY where you are staying, where you plan to travel, and what ypu plan to do for your three days of rental and being asked to affirm what was stated with a signature. Happened to me in Iowa airport budget location – with an explanation that they were required to ask everyone because of thefts. I asked the guy beside me if he was asked those questions and he would not answer me – he did not want to be dragged into it (and that frankly answered my question).
I thought I might have been a bit sensitive until my co-worker said 'I cannot believe that I just witnessed racial profiling'. i would have switched right them except there was a major NASCAR and other events taking place and everyone was sold out, but I can assure you that budget will never get my business again.
The way I look at it is this: there are times when I fill it up 1 mile from the airport and times when it may be 15 miles. National has NEVER made this am issue, but I also never stretch it. The way I see it is that others prob do the same thing, so since I rent exclusively and frequently from National for business, it all evens out. I am sure I have filled many cars up fuller than when I got them, and others have prob topped off a couple dollars worth more than what I left in a returned car.
It is frustrating that you have to show the receipt. Especially when you are pressed for time and have to fill up when/where you can; however, if the management at rental car companies have identified this as an area that is costing their business and hurting profitability, can we blame them for combating that? But to answer your question: it would make me swap companies. This is why I stick with National. They always take care of me!
[...] you ever had to prove to your rental car company that you filled up the car with gas? Well, Delta Points ran into that problem with Thrifty recently. I've always been a Hertz guy and it seems like Delta Points will be from now on, [...]
@img0910 – ownership does NOT = same company in action.
I just received a email of a rental car damage complaint the lady is very rude to me and hung up on me numerous times. She will not transfer me to a manager nor explain the damage of the claim. I would like to have this investigated by the police as the damage that she describes is under the vehicle. WHO LOOKS UNDER A VEHICLE
The entire renting experience at the Calgary Airport Thrifty was a nightmare, I had a vehicle reserved and waited 2 hours for it and then when I got the car I signed for it was a car and was dirty both inside and out and I refused it because I could not see the damage so I waited another 45 minutes for another car and it was a van and some guy just came in and gave me the keys.This van was also dirty and I complained but they told me they had no other vehicle for me until one returns at 6pm which would mean another 3 hours waiting. I told the man at the desk that I am unable to see any damage of this vehicle in the dark parkade and cause it was still dirty and he said he would mark it down. I am a VP of operations for a large company and rent vehicles weekly. Since this occured and please note that I have rented numerous times before this incident I have not been back. I have not recommended your rental services nor used it for any of our company needs. Going forward with the rude claims department call agent who offers no information about the claim etc I am even more dissatisfied. I would like a corporate response to this matter.
Very disappointed and will be doing a network media campaign to raise issues regarding the lack of quality and services that Thifty fails to provide to its customers


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Below, I lay out ten easy libertarian arguments to use during debates around the coffee table. It is worth having a few arguments at the ready that, because of their simplicity, overwhelming logic and visual power, appeal directly to a person's common sense and are able, at least, to plant a seed of doubt. The ten arguments listed are, of course, not the only or even the best ones. They are a small sample of what should be in our easy-access dialectic arsenal:
What other easy libertarian arguments do you suggest?


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Definition of recitative in English:
recitativeLine breaks: reci¦ta|tive
Pronunciation: /ˌrɛsɪtəˈtiːv /
noun[mass noun]
Musical declamation of the kind usual in the narrative and dialogue parts of opera and oratorio, sung in the rhythm of ordinary speech with many words on the same note: singing in recitative
More example sentences
- I detest recitative in its baroque continuo form.
- There the very first note of the opening recitative is a tone lower - G - with the first and the fourth notes of the phrase therefore the same.
- The piece is an artful reworking both of Hungarian folk music and Baroque recitative.
mid 17th century: from Italian recitativo, from Latin recitare 'to read out' (see recite).
Definition of recitative in:
- The US English dictionary
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Day 05 - Best Mega Drive game.
What the hell is a "mega drive?"
OOOH…wait, didn't I already answer this in the first day's challenge? XD Gah, um, let's see then…
I guess my favorite Genesis game would be, aside from Sonic 2, probably…yes. Ecco. I mean there were a lot of great Genesis games—Columns, Phantasy Star, Road Rash, Earthworm Jim and of course all the other Sonics—but Ecco was just…amazing. I mean, DUDE, you get to play a DOLPHIN! Ironically, the thing I enjoyed the most about Ecco was—you're totally going to laugh at this….just building up speed as much as I could and doing the highest possible flips in the air. It's a pity you had to go through that difficult Asterite rebuilding segment to get to the most awesome level ever—recovering lost Orca calves! Though, admitted, all the levels where you transformed into seagulls/jellyfish/sharks were pretty cool too.
What I'm lucky/unfortunate with is that I started with Tides of Time, which is the second Ecco game—which only makes that horrible screeching noise when you die. In the first Ecco, it makes that sound every time you sustain damage, so going back after 2 to play the first had me jumping every time I bumped noses with a spiny bit of coral or had my tail chomped by a passing "hungry one."
Hey, didn't they release Ecco for the classic console on the Wii? Hmmm….nostalgia levels rising…


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Is it Okay to Combine Sibling Birthday Parties?
When your kids have birthdays close together the question of combining sibling birthday parties comes up. Is it OK or taboo?
I've been thinking about this question a lot the past few months. Even after deciding to plan a combined birthday party, I'm still pondering whether or not it's OK. My children are about 25 months apart in age which means their birthdays are a little over a month apart. They are also during the holiday season.
Birthdays have always held a lot of significance for me. I know some people don't put a lot of emphasis on them, but I always felt having your own special day was, well, special. A day to celebrate you! I didn't have birthday parties every year, but there was always something just for me. I want my kids to feel special on their birthdays too.
My daughter's birthday is Halloween so it's perfect for parties. My son's birthday falls smack dab in the middle of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I made a big deal out of my daughter's first birthday. I mean, it was a milestone for all of us surviving that first year. This year she turns three and baby boy will turn one, but the thought of having almost back-to-back parties stresses me out. Their birthdays are close enough together to make two parties difficult but far enough apart that combining them seems somewhat unfair.
The attendees will be primarily family so it seems like overkill to have a separate party this year, but the date concerns among the holidays will be there every year. I've considered the party trade-off, but Halloween is hard to pass up. Then some December babies celebrate half birthdays in June, but my husband thinks that is a stretch. I figure in the future they'll want to invite their friends too, which has to be taken into consideration. At least they are similar ages!
I've decided this year I will combine them since they are so young and my son won't remember his first birthday party anyway—at least that's what I keep telling myself. If they were further apart age-wise or it was a different time of the year, I doubt I'd try to combine them. Maybe we'll have a private party—just the kids and us—on his birthday.
But at what age do you stop combining them? Perhaps just milestone years could have separate parties while the rest are combined? Or alternate who gets a big party each year?
Or maybe I'm over-thinking this whole thing?
What do you think? Is it ever okay to combine sibling birthday parties?


text: Saturday night I noticed a banner ad on Xbox Live detailing a download only version of Battlefield 1943. There was a link to a demo that did not work. Watching the trailer explained that a new map called "Coral Sea" would be opened once the Live community amassed 43 million kills. Sunday night the banner had been removed. Now we know that Battlefield 1943 will be available on Xbox 360 on July 8th and on the PS3 the following day. The game is priced at $15 and will be multiplayer only. No word yet on how many maps will be included but it does look to be the first offering of what Mircosoft is calling their "games on demand" service. See you online!


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Click on the title to view upcoming meetings at the library and links to similar organizations.
A-HOPE Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2004. Our Mission is to provide deserving student athletes a seamless process of obtaining a student visa, transportation to the United States, making sure they are acclimated to their new environment and providing them with an opportunity to receive an outstanding education.
(Note: This organization can be contacted via an email form on their website.)
The Asian American Association seeks to bridge the gaps between Asian Americans and all peoples of IU.
About the Library |
Hours & Locations |
Contact Us |
Volunteer |
Careers |
Wireless Printing |
Site Map | Mobile Catalog
Monroe County Public Library | 303 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN 47408 | (812) 349-3050


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Northwest College ceramics instructor Elaine DeBuhr and her students will serve a simple meal of soup in a hand-thrown bowl and bread for $10 on Tuesday and ask guests to keep their empty bowl as a reminder of hunger in the world.
The first come-first served meal will be dished up from 5:30-7 p.m. at The Commons at Pond Park. NWC ceramics students and Art Club members will serve a choice of three soups, including a gluten-free vegetarian option, and fresh bread. All the food will be prepared by Aramark Food Services, which serves NWC.
The students and their instructor are working hard to complete 400 bowls for the event. Let's hope all are used, to provide both a good meal and a good message.
Thumbs up to the Powell High School volleyball team, which swept to a 3A state title on Nov. 2.
"Teamwork makes the dream work" was the team motto, and the team made sure that was not just words. They went into the state tourney as a longshot, but won every match three sets to one. As the higher-ranked teams fell, it became clear the Panthers were going to make their dream come true.
The volleyball squad was given a boost by the PHS football team, which played a game in the area Nov. 1 and stopped at the state tournament the next day to offer vocal support. We're sure a lot of Powell fans will be in Laramie Friday — in body or spirit — to cheer on the gridiron team as it seeks its third state title in a row.
It's a good time to be a Panther.
Thumbs down to people who drive without their seat belt.
We're publishing our annual winter car care special section with this issue, and it's packed with interesting features and useful tips. Drivers, no matter how long they have been behind the wheel, need to be reminded that winter conditions are often treacherous and can be at times deadly.
That's all the more reason to click that seat belt. We are weary of reporting stories when a driver or passenger is killed or seriously injured and having to add the line that seat belts were not used. It can make all the difference in the world.
Early Friday morning, an area woman rolled her pickup after losing control in icy conditions. She was trapped inside and had to be extricated by emergency responders. But she was treated and released at a hospital.
One reason, likely the main reason, that she came away largely unscathed is because she was wearing her seat belt. If you don't always wear yours, learn from her example.
Thumbs up to the reopening of the Sleeping Giant Ski Area.
The nonprofit ski area, located 48 miles west of Cody off U.S. Highway 14-16-20, opens for the season Saturday and special events are scheduled to entice people to take part in the winter fun. Snow-making efforts have been underway in an effort to give Mother Nature a helping hand.
Lift tickets will be priced at $10 for the day and $1 per ride.
The "Sleepy G Jamboree" is an annual event, and you can get to the ski hill by boarding a bus at Cody High School at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. A student obstacle course and scavenger hunt will be waiting. Visitors are encouraged to wear vintage ski attire and show it off in a 2:30 p.m. fashion show on the slope. The lifts will close at 5 p.m. and a torchlight parade will follow, leading to a bonfire to put some heat on the launch of the cold-weather sports season.
Thumbs up to the human spirit and a display of the best of it Monday in England.
Harold Jellicoe Percival, a 99-year-old World War II veteran who died last month, was to be cremated in Lytham, Lancashire. Percival never married, and had no close family members or friends.
An undertaker placed a notice of the service, scheduled for what is known as Armistice Day in Great Britain, in the local newspaper. He wrote that Percival had died without the comfort of loved ones near. "Any service personnel who can attend his funeral service would be appreciated," the brief story stated.
Word spread. And spread. When "Coe," as Percival was known, was cremated, more than 300 people were there, including veterans who stuffed themselves into their uniforms, student cadets and soldiers who came to support a brother in arms they never met. Even some of Percival's distant relatives stirred themselves to come to the service, and flowers and notes of sympathy came from across the globe.
The Rev. Alan Clark, who presided over the service, quoted John Donne: "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."


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Question: My dell 8400 tower went down, replaced power supply and ..nothing. How can I get everything off the hard drive, install into another tower, or take it somewhere to download to external drive?
Answer: From what you've described, it sounds like your motherboard is probably fried. Since the Dell 8400 series run an old Pentium 4 processor, it's probably not worth bothering with trying to replace the motherboard and you're better off trying to get the data off the hard drive and replace the system altogether.
You have a couple options for doing this. You can hook up the hard drive as a slave drive in your new system, or you can use an IDE adapter that plugs into a USB port and treats your hard drive like an external USB drive.
Either way you'll need to remove the hard drive from your old system, which is easy to do. Remove the screws from the outer casing (some cases let you slide the side off without removing screws) and locate the hard drive. There will be a flat thin cable about 2 inches wide connecting it to the motherboard. Remove the screws holding the hard drive to your case (usually 2 on each side) and then remove all cables and power cords going into the hard drive.
IDE Adapter
The easiest way to get data from your old hard drive onto another desktop system or laptop is to connect it using an IDE adapter. The adapter will connect your hard drive with your other system's USB port, and will let you copy files over just like it was a USB flash drive.
Question: I ran defrag on my Windows XP box to hopefully speed things up, but it still left quite a few files that are fragmented. What gives?
Answer: Defragging your hard drive should be like giving your car an oil change and dropping a can of octane booster into your gas tank. It should speed things up and make your system run smoother.
What gives is that the built-in Windows defrag program completely sucks. It's slow and doesn't do a very thorough job, as you've seen first hand.
The story gets worse with Vista, and the built-in defrag utility doesn't even show the graph anymore, so you can't even see how many files are still fragmented. I guess Microsoft decided it would be better to not even show people how ineffective the defragmentation program is!
You'll get much better results from a third party defrag program like Diskeeper, and better system performance too.
Diskeeper just released their 2009 version, and you can download a free 30-day trial to see what a fully defragmented hard drive really feels like. I ran it on my 160GB hard drive that's half full, and it took less than 30 minutes to defrag it - much faster than the hours it can take for Window's defrag utility to run.
I like that you can see a graph of the files on your system, so you can visualize the defragmentation of your hard drive. Here's a screen shot of my hard drive after running Diskeeper 2009, showing blue for files that have been defragmented and red for files that are still fragmented (you'll have to look hard for any red lines):
Wondering what file fragmentation means, and if it can affect your system's performance?
Question: I have a computer with a 20GB drive and would like to install a 80GB drive that I have, as the 20GB drive has under 1GB remaining. Can I use imagining software to copy all Programs, files, and folders (including system files) from the old drive to this bigger drive, and make it be the startup drive? What would be the best software for me to use?
Answer: Yes, you can copy the contents of one hard drive to another, as long as the drive you're copying to is as large or larger than the old drive, and as long as you have the right software. You can even copy installed programs and the operating system over to the new drive, so you don't need to spend money on another Windows license or worry about re-installing programs.
Both hard drives will need to be connected to your motherboard using a standard IDE cable. Two hard drives can be connected with the same IDE cable - just make sure that the old drive (master) is connected to the first available connector slot, and the new drive (slave) is connected to the middle slot on the cable.
You'll need a software program to copy over the old hard drive's contents to the new hard drive, also known as "ghosting" or "disk imaging".
I'll discuss 2 disk imaging programs in this article - one that's both a ghosting program and a backup program, and another lighter-weight solution that only handles disk copying (and is more affordable too).
Norton Ghost is a well known and trusted program that will duplicate your old drive directly to another drive.
Norton's step-by-step wizards make it easy to copy the contents of your old drive to your new hard drive, even if you're not super technical or very good with computers.
There are a couple easy ways to transfer your software programs from one hard drive to another, or from one computer to another - and without breaking the bank.
Let's say you recently purchased a new computer or laptop, and you'd like to move or copy the installed applications from the old computer to the new one.
Or maybe you purchased a second hard drive that's bigger and faster than your current hard drive, and you'd like to move programs from the old hard drive to the new one.
1. Laplink PCmover is a migration utility that moves programs, files, and settings from your old PC to your new PC.
Windows writes certain keys to your computer's registry when you install a program, and makes associations with other modules and/or installed programs. It's almost impossible to manually transfer these settings to another computer, which is what PCmover does automatically.


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Critics' Rating:Read review
User Rating:
6 ratings
Your Rating:Write a review
R,1hr 29min
August 22, 1986
TriStar Pictures
Synopsis: Virtually unnoticed during its brief theatrical run, this wildly entertaining horror-comedy achieved healthy cult status following its home-video and cable TV releases. The directorial debut of Fred Dekker (writer of the successful horror parody House), this low-budget effort throws alien monsters, axe-wielding killers, flesh-eating zombies, nudity, and (gasp!) drunken fraternity shenanigans into a blender, spiced with witty one-liners and references to dozens of horror classics (and anti-classics). ... Full Synopsis


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Untitled on We Heart It.
Untitled on We Heart It.
Mechanism behind the activation of dormant memory cells discovered
The electrical stimulation of the hippocampus in in-vivo experiments activates precisely the same receptor complexes as learning or memory recall. This has been discovered for the first time and the finding has now been published in the highly respected journal "Brain Structure Function". "This may form the basis for the use of medications aimed at powering up dormant or less active memory cells," says Gert Lubec, Head of Fundamental Research / Neuroproteomics at the University Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the MedUni Vienna.
"This discovery has far-reaching consequences both for the molecular understanding of memory formation and the understanding of the clinical electrical stimulation, which is already possible, of areas of the brain for therapeutic purposes," says the MedUni Vienna researcher. Similar principles are currently already being used in the field of deep brain stimulation. With this technology, an implanted device delivers electronic impulses to the patient's brain. This physical stimulation allows neuronal circuits to be influenced that control both behaviour and memory.
The latest findings very much form part of the highly controversial subject of "cognitive enhancement". Scientists are currently discussing the possibility of improving mental capacity through the use of drugs - including in healthy subjects of all age groups, but especially in patients with age-related impairments of cognitive processes.
With regard to the study design, two electrodes were implanted into the brain in an animal model. One transferred electrical impulses to stimulate the hippocampus, while the other transferred the electrical signals away. "These electrical potentials are the electrical equivalent of memory and are known as LTP (Long Term Potentiation)," explains Lubec. The generation of LTP in an in-vivo experiment was accompanied by specific changes in the receptor complexes - the same receptor complexes that are also activated during learning and memory formation.
Adorable Dog (Frenchie!) Plays with NYPD Police Horse on Wall Street [x]
'Love hormone' oxytocin carries unexpected side effect
The love hormone, the monogamy hormone, the cuddle hormone, the trust-me drug: oxytocin has many nicknames. That's because this naturally occurring human hormone has recently been shown to help people with autism and schizophrenia overcome social deficits.
As a result, certain psychologists prescribe oxytocin off-label, to treat mild social unease in patients who don't suffer from a diagnosed disorder. But that's not such a good idea, according to researchers at Concordia's Centre for Research in Human Development. Their recent study — published in Emotion, a journal of the American Psychological Association — shows that in healthy young adults, too much oxytocin can actually result in oversensitivity to the emotions of others.
With the help of psychology professor Mark Ellenbogen, PhD candidates Christopher Cardoso and Anne-Marie Linnen recruited 82 healthy young adults who showed no signs of schizophrenia, autism or related disorders. Half of the participants were given measured doses of oxytocin, while the rest were offered a placebo.
The participants then completed an emotion identification accuracy test in which they compared different facial expressions showing various emotional states. As expected, the test subjects who had taken oxytocin saw greater emotional intensity in the faces they were rating.
"For some, typical situations like dinner parties or job interviews can be a source of major social anxiety," says Cardoso, the study's lead author. "Many psychologists initially thought that oxytocin could be an easy fix in overcoming these worries. Our study proves that the hormone ramps up innate social reasoning skills, resulting in an emotional oversensitivity that can be detrimental in those who don't have any serious social deficiencies."
As Cardoso explains, "If your potential boss grimaces because she's uncomfortable in her chair and you think she's reacting negatively to what you're saying, or if the guy you're talking to at a party smiles to be friendly and you think he's coming on to you, it can lead you to overreact — and that can be a real problem. That's why we're cautioning against giving oxytocin to people who don't really need it."
Ultimately, however, oxytocin does have the potential to help people with diagnosed disorders like autism to overcome social deficits.
But, says Cardoso, "The potential social benefits of oxytocin in most people may be countered by unintended negative consequences, like being too sensitive to emotional cues in everyday life."
Tom Brady just can't get himself a high-five…
(Click pic for story via CBS Sports/Will Brinson)
Luckily Tom Brady wins the games without high fives.
Love to fly.
(Source: photographyofdavidhanjani)


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Although the reading program activities are finished there is still plenty for children to do at the library. There is something happening at the library for school aged children every Tuesday afternoon at 4:30pm in the Robin Bush Room. Also for school aged kids is an afterschool storytime at 4:30pm every Thursday afternoon in the Robin Bush Room. Pick up a children's activity flyer at the children's information desk for details or check the Barbara Bush branch calendar at www.hcpl.net [1].
We have not forgotten babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Storytimes for these young people take place every week year round. Schedules are available at the children's information desk or check the Barbara Bush branch calendar at www.hcpl.net [1].
Please note that Catch the Reading Express Summer Reading Program and Activities officially ended Saturday, August 7th. Children are encouraged to visit the library to pick up their "railroads" before the staff in children's services removes them from the walls, doors and windows on Saturday, August 21st.
[1] http://www.hcpl.net
[2] http://hcpl.net/taxonomy/term/4


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Rooted in Providence, growing statewide and beyond
Paolino Properties is a leading real estate investment, management, and development firm headquartered in Providence, RI.
The company was founded over 100 years ago and remains family-owned and operated.
The team at Paolino Properties believes in the importance of honest communication with each and every customer - striving to make each new customer a lasting customer. With Paolino Properties you can count on receiving quality service from expert professionals.


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Sports Events
Comments and discussions on major sports events
Monthly Archive for May, 2013
The best sports documentaries of all time
With the release of "Venus and Serena" at Bay Area theaters on May 31, let's talk about sports documentaries. IMDB lists more than 3,000 on their website. Here's a selection of films in our estimable opinion worth taking a look at: — Leba Hertz [Read More]
It's wedding season: Photos of athletes getting married
Based on the sudden proliferation of engagement and wedding photos on Facebook, wedding season has come around once again. In celebration of that joyous (or stressful, depending on who you are) time of year, take a look back at some famous and not-so-famous athlete weddings. There are even a few that look like they're straight […] [Read More]
Tour of California cycles through Southern California (Photos)
For more information about the Tour of California, check out the official website. The event ends in San Francisco on Sunday, the same day as Bay to Breakers. [Read More]
Forbes names 10 most influential athletes of 2013
Earlier this week, Forbes came out with its list of the most influential athletes of 2013. The rankings are based on surveys done by Nielsen and E-Poll Marketing Research and are heavy on Olympic athletes — not unusual, they said, in the wake of an Olympic year. More of Forbes' methodology is available on their site. [Read More]
Cute kids at the ballpark (Photos)
When the weather turns warm, there are few nicer places to be than at the ballpark. Take a cue from these cute kids who have found their happy (or sleepy) place at ballparks around America this year. [Read More]
Sharks announcers hurl lame insults at fans
The next time you need some really cutting insults for your pick-up basketball game … do not ask CSN Bay Area Sharks announcers Drew Remenda and Randy Hahn for their favorite zingers. The pair embarrassed themselves on the Sharks broadcast last night by calling the (in)famous Vancouver Canucks' Green Men "40 year old virgins" who […] [Read More]
The 20 horses in the 2013 Kentucky Derby
On Wednesday afternoon, post positions were announced for the packed 20-horse field of the 2013 Kentucky Derby. You can take a look at each horse — listed in order of post position with its jockey and trainer — in the gallery above. The race will be broadcast this Saturday from 2-4 pm PST on NBC. [Read More]


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When: August 2006
Where: Baltimore, MD
Context: Danity Kane in-store album signing/ fan meet & greet when their 1st album dropped. I told Aubrey to make a funny face, she did. I love her. There was all of maybe 25 people there. I came straight from work!
The Hair: Wet Two Strand Twist. Done by my ex hairstylist: young gay black guy w/ a chair in this salon in Columbia, MD owned by a sassy old Asian lady. <— couldn't make that up if I tried so you know it's the God's heaven truth!
Because the twist are done while my hair is wet, there isn't much hang time and the coil is tight. I hadn't realized yet that a dry twist out is a better look for me. My hair has been trial & error, it has been a long journey to figure out what I like and how to achieve it. On that: I think new naturals should cut themselves some slack on their journey, as styles present differently on everyone through no fault of anyone. Simply the diversity of how our natural coils flow.
(As an aside, my stylist didn't "like" blowing hair out for dry twist because it takes longer, read: more work for him. But clearly, what I want/looks best should be the focus. I should have been more vocal about it. SO ladies, SPEAK UP! Dont be afraid to give direction & if your stylist isnt feeling it, give them the DUECES. I did.)
Fun Fact: When I joined twitter she was one of the 1st people to follow me. Two years after this picture was taken I "worked" (by extension) for Diddy myself. Circle of Life.
- disparu- likes this
- mysocalledhairlife posted this


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I don't know why I even bother logging into that place anymore. My blood pressure can't take it.
Anything specific bugging you?
Heading towards Other Board Drama territory?
Originally Posted by Glixy:
I'm not sure if you're middle aged, but the only things I know about you are your avatar picture, and that you are a lawyer, so I picture you as some kind of cross between K. Richards, and L. Hutz.


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The next pope needs to be business savvy
WTOP's Nick Iannelli reports
Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The election of a pope follows a series of choreographed rules and rituals that have been tweaked over the centuries ever since the term "conclave" or "with a key" was used in the 13th century to describe the process of locking up the cardinals until they have chosen a new pope.
Here are the rules in use to elect the 266th pope:
Only cardinals under age 80 are eligible; in this case 115 men fit the bill and will vote. Two cardinals who were eligible stayed home: The emeritus archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Julius Darmaatjadja, who is ill, and Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who recused himself after admitting to inappropriate sexual behavior.
The conclave's first day begins with the "Pro eligendo Romano Pontificie" Mass for the election of a pope. In the afternoon, cardinals gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and file into the Sistine Chapel chanting the Litany of Saints and the Latin hymn "Veni Creator," imploring saints and the Holy Spirit to help them pick a pope.
Standing under Michelangelo's "Creation" and before his "Last Judgment," each cardinal places his hand on a book of the Gospels and pledges "with the greatest fidelity" never to reveal the details of the conclave. A meditation on the qualities needed for the next pope and the challenges ahead for the church is delivered by Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech.
The master of liturgical celebrations then cries "Extra omnes," Latin for "all out." Everyone except the cardinals leaves and the voting can begin.
Each cardinal writes his choice on a paper inscribed with the words "Eligo in summen pontificem," or "I elect as Supreme Pontiff." They approach the altar one by one and say: "I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected."
The folded ballot is placed on a round plate and slid into an oval silver and gold urn. In the past, a single chalice was used to hold the ballots. But conclave changes made by Pope John Paul II in 1996 required three vessels: one for chapel ballots, another for ailing cardinals at the Vatican who can vote from their beds and the third to hold the ballots after counting. No cardinals are expected to require the bedside voting, but all three flying saucer-shaped urns were in the Sistine Chapel regardless.
Once cast, the ballots are opened one by one by three different "scrutineers," who note the names down and read them aloud. Cardinals can keep their own tally on a sheet of paper provided but must turn their notes in to be burned at the end of voting.
The scrutineers then add up the results of each round of balloting and write the results down on a separate sheet of paper which is preserved in the papal archives.
As the scrutineer reads out each name, he pierces each ballot with a needle through the word "Eligo" and binds the ballots with thread and ties a knot. The ballots are then put aside and burned in the chapel stove along with a chemical to produce either black or white smoke.
Up to four rounds of voting are allowed each day after the first day, and a two-thirds majority -- 77 votes -- is needed.
If no one is elected after three days -- by Friday afternoon -- voting pauses for up to one day. Voting resumes and if no pope is elected after another seven ballots, there is another pause, and so on until about 12 days of balloting have passed.
Under norms introduced by Benedict XVI just before he resigned, the cardinals then go to a runoff of the top two vote-getters. A two-thirds majority is required; neither of the two top candidates casts a ballot in the runoff.
Once a cardinal has been elected pope, the master of liturgical ceremonies enters the Sistine Chapel and the senior cardinal asks "Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?" Assuming the cardinal says "I accept," the senior cardinal then asks: "By what name do you wish to be called?" The master of liturgical ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, then enters the information on a formal document.
At this point, white smoke pours out of the Sistine Chapel chimney and bells of St. Peters toll.


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Chopper Run
Avoid the obstacles and collect as many coins as long as you can.
The Float
• Breath taking avoid asteroids game! • Plan ahead or you will loose! • Stay sharp or you will loose! • You will eventually loose, but leave a mark in high scores list ..
Chocolate – Hidden Numbers
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Scrap Metal
Presenting Scrap Metal! You are in charge of a robot boxer working his way through the boxing circuit. You manage the Comeback Kid, robo boxer in training. 30 rounds of boxing! 30 ..
Candy Rush
Eat candies, and jump higher! Special items give you bigger boost! Reach the top of the candy kingdom!
The Forlorn Temple Escape
The Forlorn Temple Escape is a new point and click adventure puzzle game via gamekb.com.You're lost inside the Forlorn Temple and finding some useful objects to interact solve ..
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four orbs blue
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Four identical balls
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Bush having retired is struggling to find money for his daily expenses. Owing to this, he has entered into a supermarket to steal cigarettes. Put yourself into Bush's position, ..
Lumber John
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Planet Dodge – The Big Crunch
You must dodge the planets to survive. How long will you last?
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Pirate Battle
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Lili Happy New Year Party
Lili is very sewwt girl. she like playing her friends. So she decided to invite her friends to happy new year party. But she have to prepare some decoration. And she have to buy ..
Stickman Runner
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Extreme Snake++
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Q Runner
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Saga of Ragnar
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Drunk Halloween Ghost
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Doctor Acorn Levelpack
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Ultimate Soldier
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Knight VS Giant
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Monkey GO Happy MARATHON 4
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Ninja Mu
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Celebrity House Escape
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E.T. Escapes The Solar System
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Pretentious Game 3
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Surreal escape
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Sugar Cannon
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The Most Wanted Bandito 2
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Residents unhappy about a proposed decision to shut down four New Albany/Floyd County elementary schools are looking for other options.
Sunday, they met to try to come up with ideas that they said the school coporation may not have considered.
They said the corporation's current solution to cut nearly $7 million from the budget will affect property values and educational experiences.
Kathy Ayres said, "so many people that grew up here had a pleasant experience as a child and when they began having children they wanted their children to have that same experience. So, they bought their homes deliberately to give that to their children and now that's being lost to them."
A public hearing will be held Monday night at New Albany High School.
The school board will then vote on their budget reduction plan Wednesday.


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The Braeburn Apple is one of the best selling apples in the UK, and you can grow your very own Braeburn Apple Tree in your Garden.
The Braeburn Apple is a crisp and juicy apple, with a green and red skin and a white flesh that has a nice sweet and tangy flavour.
Growing and Harvesting the Braeburn Apple Tree
The Braeburn is an easy apple to grow and should flourish in your garden. Some varieties are self fertile and do not require other apple trees to pollinate whilst others are not, so please check before buying your particular tree.
The fruits are ready to pick in October and can be stored until January in cool conditions, so you can enjoy your own beautiful apples throughout the winter months.
Where to buy a Braeburn Apple Tree
Save trips to the supermarket and carrying home heavy bags of apples, by growing your own fruit trees in your garden, yard or allotment.
If you have Kids, they will love watching them grow and learning more about where our food comes from. A Braeburn Apple Tree is a great choice of Fruit tree to start growing in your garden today.
The best place to buy a Braeburn Apple Tree is from a specialist retailer like those shown in out 'Todays Best Price' section.


text:
Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, a three-movement orchestral suite, combines energetic, rhythmic sections with some of the composer's lushest melodies. The remarkable Sinfonia da Requiem, considered one of Britten's greatest orchestral scores, sets the stage for Ravel's G Major Piano Concerto, a sparkling tour de force of perpetual motion—fitting music for Ingrid Fliter, described by the LA Times as "a pianistic force of nature." More info: cincinnatisymphony.org.
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.
In partnership with Marketron Interactive


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Epistemic relief for the conservative mind?
The most meaningful victory for liberals in the U.S. is not yet assured, despite a night of great news. The votes will be cast informally over the weeks, months, and years ahead.
I speak of the American conservative movement, whose most dangerous philosophical tenet—that all information must be filtered through a conservative lens, and only conservative information sources can be trusted—was dealt a body blow. This phenomenon is known as "epistemic closure," and its defeat is crucial for the health of the republic.
Ever since the establishment of Fox News in 1996, and especially in the last few years, the belief among conservatives that "mainstream" information outlets were biased against their cause has become a marker of "true conservatism." Those who questioned that conclusion were often shown the door. The result was a closed sphere of information feedback that, like a room with no ventilation, grew stuffy and noxious over time as the same ideas fermented all over again.
There are countless examples of epistemic closure from the last few years. They moved beyond old favorites of conservative ire, like The New York Times, into egalitarian web platforms like Wikipedia. On the conservative alternative, Conservapedia, the entry of "liberalism" has a section called, "Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism."
For liberals, the most distressing thing about epistemic closure was its self-sustainability. Those conservatives who believed in 2008 that Barack Obama was born in Kenya were generally not swayed even after he revealed his long-term birth certificate in 2011. No amount of proof and refutation would satisfy them. Slowly, the conservatives built an entire universe based on fantasy. In this universe,
- Barack Obama is a Kenyan-born Muslim.
- Obamacare has a provision to create "death panels."
- ACORN stole the 2008 presidential election.
- Norway's Labor Party is akin to the Nazi Party.
- The Congressional Budget Office and Bureau of Labor Statistics are biased toward Democrats.
Election Day 2012 provides a rare opportunity for conservatives to kick this habit. In the weeks leading up to the election, an empirically verifiable experiment was set up (unconsciously). Election forecasters using conventional polling data were predicting a relatively easy win for Barack Obama. At Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight blog, he estimated that at no point in 2012 would Obama have lost had the election been on that day. Princeton Professor Sam Wang estimated on Election Day that Obama had a better than 99% chance of winning. The more cautious betting markets like InTrade also favored Obama, although with far narrower odds.
On the other hand, many conservatives became convinced that they were being lied to by the pollsters, and that Mitt Romney would win handily. One website rejiggered polls by "unskewing" them to reveal a Mitt Romney lead both nationally and in crucial swing states. Conservative pundits predicted a landslide Romney victory. Most astonishingly, Romney's own campaign advisors bought into the "skewed polling" hype and anticipated a win.
The results of the experiment were unequivocal: the national polling had been accurate, and the mainstream election forecasters even more accurate. The conservatives were completely, wildly wrong.
The question was, and is, how they will react to being so wrong. Like Truman Burbank wandering into the sea, they are now confronted with the fact that the universe they had constructed for themselves was a lie. Faced with the choice of apologizing and acknowledging the error of their ways, or denying the facts themselves, Dick Morris and Dean Chambers chose the first option. On election night, Karl Rove (nearly alone) chose the second. Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, asking a refreshingly earnest question, queried the sad man, "Is this just math that you do as a Republican to make yourself feel better or is this real?"
The real test will be if conservatives can apply this lesson to all of the other things they taught themselves in their closed information circuit. Will they connect the dots and reject the conspiracy theories? Will they stop treating mainstream, non-partisan news as liberal propaganda? Will universally-accepted scientific theories be acknowledged, or dismissed? Will liberal arguments be treated as having some basis in reality?
These changes to conservative epistemology will be slow and probably incomplete; they may not happen at all. But this is the best chance we've got to at least start a political debate in the same universe.
A moral narrative to progressivism to counter the immorality of Ayn Rand
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister of the UK. Her election was a triumph for British Tories, the modern heirs to the classical conservatism of Edmund Burke. Though Thatcher is compared to Ronald Reagan, and modern American conservatives try at all costs to invoke Reagan's legacy, the truth is that Thatcher and the Tea Party are worlds apart. Ironically, it is liberalism (or progressivism, depending on your preferred nomenclature) that can more easily emulate a Tory way of solving America's myriad challenges.
The chief difference between Thatcher and the Tea Party is their rationale for small-government capitalism. Tea Partiers perceive their political opposition in sinister terms, for instance thinking President Obama is actually a Manchurian candidate from Kenya. In one poll, 41% of self-identified Tea Partiers thought the President was not a U.S. citizen. In another, 92% of them thought he was leading the country towards socialism. Slogans like "don't tread on me" betray a fiercely individualistic — crossing into mean-spirited — worldview.
By contrast, Toryism seeks to maintain personal freedom within a larger moral culture. Thatcher remarked in a 1977 speech:
[C]apital and labour together can realise that their interests are the same. We need a free economy not only for the renewed material prosperity it will bring, but because it is indispensable to individual freedom, human dignity and to a more just, more honest society.
We want a society where people are free to make choices, to make mistakes, to be generous and compassionate. This is what we mean by a moral society; not a society where the State is responsible for everything, and no one is responsible for the State.
This talk of a "moral society" is absent from the Tea Party language. Theirs is more evocative of Ayn Rand, who has been a major intellectual force behind Tea Party elites. Rand, for instance, speaks more frequently in the apocalyptic terms we come to expect from the teabaggers:
Every movement that seeks to enslave a country, every dictatorship or potential dictatorship, needs some minority group as a scapegoat which it can blame for the nation's troubles and use as a justification of its own demands for dictatorial powers. In Soviet Russia, the scapegoat was the bourgeoisie; in Nazi Germany, it was the Jewish people; in America, it is the businessmen.
What it leads to is a political discourse insistent on maintaining principle instead of bargaining for results. Again, the influence of Rand is apparent:
Observe, in politics, that the term extremism has become a synonym of "evil," regardless of the content of the issue (the evil is not what you are extreme about, but that you are "extreme"—i.e., consistent).
Rand's Objectivist philosophy emphasizes the idea of objective truth — which conveniently is known only to her and her followers. Believing they know the objective truth, why should they settle for anything less? (Rand would never admit this, but this makes Objectivism frighteningly similar to Marxism.)
By contrast, Thatcher understood that the health of a democracy means respecting the decisions and beliefs of an opponent. (In fact, this is one of the crucial components of classical conservatism that Tea Partiers overlook.) When Maggie came into office as the education minister in 1970, she maintained some of Labor's previous policies out of respect for the democratic process.
This is where the American left comes in. Since the right has punted the question of what makes a moral society — preferring instead to compose policy based loosely on the idea of "Get off my lawn!" — there is a vacuum in the moral culture of the nation. Progressives have rightly focused politics back onto economic inequality with the idea of 99% vs. 1%, but it is framed in a way that sounds more vengeful than visionary.
To reclaim the moral high ground, progressives should transform their legitimate grievances into a vision: a system that works for all, and one that is guided not just by short-term profit gains. It can only be realized by addressing the issues that Occupy Wall Street protestors have raised, but not in such stark terms. Ayn Rand's acolytes believe the value of a human is directly tied to their net worth. Progressives now need to replace that with a value system that evaluates people's worth based on their contribution to society's benefit. It shouldn't shame the principle of self-interest, but it should ask what social gains can be realized by thinking systemically.


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- Sarina Hannon
- Forest Lake, MN
- United States
This conversation is closed.
How do you imagine self driving cars will change the future?
Lets say this design will be (and will be seen as) a total success.
Lets assume safety will skyrocket.
I'm especially interested in the options freedom from crashes would allow for car design.
Couldn't cars communicate?
How about people? could driving become more socially connective if people were free from staring at the road?
I want to hear about social networking opportunities! :D
Add in anything you find interesting! :D Thanks!
Topics: communication future cars transportation
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Apr 6 2011: As I see it the self driving car solves one problem at the cost of making another problem worse, or at the very least upholding that problem in its current state.
The personal vehicle has served to separate us from our fellow humans. Vehicles and computers can bring us together physically and virtually, but often from lonely and separated lives. It is a patch, not a remedy.
I think that public transport should be a focus, rather than the outdated model of everyone gets a vehicle to him or herself. That way of thinking leads to congestion and separation. Both of which I see as things to be avoided.
I'd much rather wake up every morning among my friends and family, travel with my friends and family and other people I don't know, than do it all by myself. I see strangers not as the potential threats that they actually can be, but as opportunities to get to know another living soul, alive at this moment with me, right here right now. Just as we all have the capacity for the greatest evil within us, so too do we have the capacity for the greatest good.
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